Pregnant

This is me at 27 weeks....so 3 weeks ago. BLISS!

Getting pregnant was really a heart breaking challenge. Looking back on it...makes my heart ache. The doctor visits. The constant blood draws. Black and blue arms. The waiting. The disappointment. The feeling of being "broken". The clomid meds that made me have night sweats and lose hours of sleep each night. The tears after starting my period AGAIN. Having to put a smile on my face and be the leader at work...when inside my heart was aching. The stress at work. The fact that my bosses rolled their eyes at me when I told them I had another doctor's appointment. (Keep in mind peeps, both of my (now former) bosses are WOMEN and MOTHERS). *Sigh*

Todd was my rock through all of this. It brought us closer together. He is the most amazing person I have ever known.

The light at the end of the lonely tunnel of infertility had many sources. FEBRUARY 2009: I started taking Clomid an infertility med that helps with ovulation. MARCH 2009: A dear friend suggested I start seeing an acupuncturist that her sister (now with 2 gorgeous kids) saw during her challenges with infertility. I LOVED my weekly sessions with the acupuncturist. It was so relaxing for me. APRIL 2009: I was diagnosed with Poly Cystic Ovarian Syndrome. MAY 2009: The doctors found the right combination of meds to help treat my PCOS. JUNE 2009: We discovered my thyroid and TSH levels were wayyy out of whack. We got that leveled out and my TSH levels were back to normal. Between the PCOS and the Thyroid, I had 2 different doctors tell me it would take a miracle to get pregnant. I promptly changed doctors. Who needs that kind of negativity around? Sure as hell not me.

On Thursday July 23rd, my period was late. I was scared to get my hopes up....again. Todd and I hovered over the pg test. The test was defective. Sweet. Didn't give us a result. So on my way to work I swung into King Soopers to grab yet another box of tests. Those freaking tests are expensive. Sheesh. Anyway. I kept opening my drawer at work and looking at the tests in my purse. I decided to go ahead and pee on one to see what I would see. So in the 3rd stall on the left at my office I pee'd on the stick and waited. Positive. I shrieked. I floated back to my office with the positive test in my pocket. Later that night I paced the house waiting for Todd to come home. I wanted to tell him in person that we were going to have a baby. Like the dork that I am....I put a hamburger bun in the oven....and waited. He walked in the door. I laid the biggest kiss on that handsome devil and then pointed at the oven. "What is that?" I said. He looked and said, "Well, it's a bun. (Pause) It's a bun in the oven. (Pause) WE-HAVE-A-BUN-IN-THE-OVEN!!!!" Jubilance ensued and our lived changed forever that day....and lucky for us...will never be the same.

Hello again Hello

Hello again hello. (Insert the voice of Lionel Richie singing this ballet.) At least that is the way I hear it in my head.

I don't want to declare that I am back to blogging...however I will say that I am going to post today. We will see if I post again sooner than 6 months. No commitment.

I don't know where to start. So much has happened.

We are pregnant. Weeeee! I am 30 weeks (aka 7 1/2 months) and due April 4th. We are having a little girl and just over the MOON about it.

I lost my job. Those rat bastards at my former work. Rat-freaking-bastards.

We got the first shipment of the baby furniture yesterday. The armoire will be here in a few weeks. Check out the pic. The dog insisted on being in the picture. Sweet Barkley. We still need to buy the mattress and bedding...but this is a good start. I had a realllly hard time starting to create our baby room. I worried that we would create this gorgeous baby room....and something would happen to the baby. You may think I am crazy. Hell. I am crazy. But I am a realist. Things still could go horribly wrong. However, I am at the place where I think, "let go and let God." I am not a religious freak....but in this case....that saying just works for me.

Those are the big things.

I know...I am over the MJ coverage too...but...

I hear you....over it. But I saw these stats and was shocked...and then not shocked at all. Check out what a world wide hysteria Michael Jackson's death caused. These digital stats are nutty....saying that nearly 40 million people watched his memorial on line....gulp....40 million. Think about the people watched it live on tv...or tivo'ed it. Holy-freaking-crap.

CNN: 10.5 million live streams (second-highest ever—topped only by the Obama inauguration); 781,000 concurrent streams; 15.6 million unique visitors; Quite a bit of “citizen journalism” action as well: there were 646 Michael Jackson-related submissions to iReport, 31 of which CNN used on air or on CNN.com.

Msnbc.com: 19 million total streams (surpassed the record set during its online coverage of the 2009 inauguration); 510,000 concurrent streams; over 75,000 Michael Jackson-related tweets through its live feed/Tinker integration.

Yahoo: 5 million total streams (blowing away the 1.8 million streams during the Obama inauguration)—but fewer concurrent streams: 385,000 simultaneous streamers for Jackson’s memorial, compared to 430,000 for the inauguration.

ABC: 6 million live streams (across ABCnews.com and partner sites including Yahoo and Charter); over 500,000 hits to its mobile news site m.abcnews.com; 50,000 status updates through Facebook Connect.

FoxNews.com: 3.4 million total streams (compared to 5 million on Inauguration Day); over 676,800 concurrent streams.
E! Online: Around 87,000 streams through Facebook Connect; 939,000 unique visits and 6.9 million page views.

Wow.

Dinner

Want to know what stresses me out every-single-day? Freaking what to make for dinner. My beloved husband is a picky eater. Before we were married I used to just start cooking when I got home...whatever popped in my head first. Todd would eat it...and not say one word. But I would notice he didn't eat much...and would often have a bowl of cereal later. But now that we are married....it's somehow different. Now if I start cooking before he gets home without asking what he is in the mood for.... sweet my Todd will come home and say he wasn't in the mood for that and have cereal 9 times out of 10. Ha.

Now, please folks, please don't think that I am complaining or bitching about my huz....even though most of you are shaking your head and thinking.....Damn. Just cook and he can freaking eat cereal every night right? Hahah. I know that most husbands are just thrilled to have a hot meal and would eat cardboard if we put gravy on it. However, Todd does like what he likes. And I love him for it. And from what I can tell...what he wants for dinner depends on 2 elements. One, the weather, if it's hot as hell he wants something light for dinner. I guess that is reasonable right? And two, what he had for lunch that day. If he had a light lunch or an early lunch, he wants pasta or a casserole or something in the meat and potatoes department.

So picture our house around dinner time. I have reviewed the freezer and pantry and have come up with 3 options for dinner. He tells me the top 2 he wants and I pick the one I want from those 2 options. I just read what I typed and think I am crazy as a shit-house rat to do this...but we do things for the ones we love...right?

Man...I kinda feel like a bitch posting this....but this is a day in my life...and this shit stresses me out.

Even today

Even today when I see a picture of Scott Peterson, the man who murdered his beautiful wife and unborn son...I curl my lip in disgust. He makes me sick to my stomach. I just saw a story where his parents have exhausted all of their financial resources to fund his appeal cases and they are asking the general public to donate $5-$50 to his cause on some website. His family was quoted saying "many hands make light work." Really? Suck it. No way in the world would I donate to you. It pisses me off that he gets to play cards and basketball 5 hours a day. His son would be 6 years old now....I bet he would like to play for 5 hours a day with his mom. The fact that he spends the other 19 hours a day in a 4'x9' cell doesn't give me any solace either. Sorry. I just had to vent.

Katie...hope you like the changes...

....this blog is for you. :)

Bob and Rebecca's wedding

Whoa...I can't believe I haven't posted about their wedding. What-a-freaking-blast! The Redstone Inn rocks. It's so beautiful there. The drive to Redstone was equally as fab. Redstone Colorado was a huge mining town back in the day. The Redstone Inn was formally housing for the single miners before it was converted to an Inn/Resort. The miners with family lived in the houses on the one road that runs through town. The whole weekend was wonderful. My brother looked so handsome. Rebecca looked like a princess. It was cool. Bob was so freaking nervous...it was sweet. For their first dance they did a choreographed fox trot to Madonna's song "Music". I could NOT believe it....even though I knew they were gonna do it. Totally outside of Bob's comfort zone...which is what made it even cooler. The party continued into the wee hours of the morning and people ended up in the pool in their bras and undies (er...not me....come on peeps). Blast! They get home from over a week in Hawaii today. Aloha newlyweds. xoxo

Hysterosalpingogram

Hysterosalpingogram. What a big word. Say that word 10 times fast. Ha. It's the test that I had yesterday. You learn these kinds of words when you are having trouble getting pregnant. Test after test after test. Overall the test...not horrible. Took about 15 minutes once I was in there and undressed. The parts I didn't like....The whole checking into the outpatient area of the hospital. Freaky. The cold table. The nurse who stood over me and kept asking me if I was ok. I just wanted to close my eyes and sing the "meow meow" song...and imagine myself in Hawaii. She wanted to make sure I hadn't fainted (or as she told me afterwards) Oh...and I hated the large piece of XRay equipment that made me feel trapped and claustrophobic. Those were the only bad things. I didn't have the intense cramping I was warned about. Phew. I took the whole day off. It was a good mental health day for me. Good news. The doctor told me that my fallopian tubes are open and everything looked good.

Todd came home last night and brought in the mail. I had 12 pieces of mail for me. Of those 12....9 were invoices for my tons of tests and doctor visits. I needed a glass of wine to open all of them. I spent 30 minutes today on the phone with the testing lab contesting charge. Ahhh good times. But I did get her to take the charge off. Victory for me.

As I layed on the cold table....my head wandered. At what point do we start talking about adoption? *Sigh*

Michael Jackson Dies at 50

At around 3 pm today at the radio station...we heard early reports that Michael Jackson had died. I felt sick. Poor tortured soul....MJ. I just read last week that he had sold out 50 concert nights in Europe and that he had been rehearsing in LA for his come-back tour for the past 2 months. Think about...he was such a recluse for so many years...and Michael was going to do a comeback tour. *Sigh* Maybe he wasn't as excited as we were about a come-back. Who knows.
When we got the confirmation that he had passed....I was very sad. And I thought about Farrah Fawcett and the fact that she passed away earlier today...and now won't get her night in the news. Poor MJ...I wish you had a chance for your come-back. Regardless of some of the less than popular behavior...you were a rock icon...and I salute your work. RIP MJ.

The Break Up

Dear Dave Matthews,
It's over. I am sorry to say it...but...we have to break up. I know we have been together since the beginning even before you were huge....selling out 80,000 seat venues. Sorry...but it's over. I tried to hard to make it work. I have seen every concert in Colorado since 1994. I have purchased every album and most of your concert DVDs...I even have 2 books about you. And yet, for the 3rd summer in a row, you have not included Colorado on your tour schedule. I feel jilted. I feel jipped. There is a radio station here in Colorado who was one of the first radio stations EVER to play your music...and yet...you don't come see us. Five years ago you left us off your tour schedule too and a friend and I drove to Albuquerque New Mexico. Really? Albuquerque and no Colorado. Fire your tour director. I digress. Back to us. *Sigh* It's over. I am not even going to go buy your new album...even though I have heard it's good.
Signed,
Your ex, Emily

Dress Barn

Seriously? Why would a company call their women's clothing store the Dress Barn? Really? What message does that send? "Hi, we are the Dress Barn, you have to be as big as a bard-yard animal to shop here." or "Hi, we are the Dress Barn, you will look like you live in a barn in our clothes." Honestly the-worst-name. I *swore* I would never ever ever never shop there.

Cut to this week. I was at David's Bridal looking for a dress for Bob's wedding this weekend. (Last year, when I was shopping with Erin J for our wedding dresses....we went there to discover that David's Bridal has a great selection of party dresses off the rack.) I digress. So I started there. Swing and a miss. Right next door is the dreaded Dress Barn....no other clothing stores around and I am on a time crunch. I have put off buying the dress until the week of the wedding...and gave myself 1 hour to find one during my busy work schedule. I found a pretty dress...and no I don't look like I live in a barn...I hope ;)

Other people's problems - OPP

I have started reading blogs by other women...women I don't know...who have PCOS too. This is one Em P forwarded to me that she reads. I feel comfort from realizing that I am not alone...while reading about other people's problems. And sometimes...I get scared and sad that I will never get pregnant.

*Sigh*

I have faith.

Bob's wedding

I am so excited for Bob and Rebecca's wedding in 2 weeks. How freaking fun. Rebecca has the best family...they are so cool and fun. I will post pics! The wedding is at Redstone Lodge in Carbondale. Road trip! Good times!

Best regards from Norway

I get emails from all over the world from people whose hobby involves them trying to listen to AM radio stations from all over the world. They find me on our station website as a contact. I am fascinated by these people. I listen to their recordings and can't believe they can hear our radio station on the other side of the world when there are people in the Denver metro who can't hear our little AM station. Ha. I get how it works and understand how an AM signal travels...I just think it's cool. Here's a note I got today.

***********

Hello,
I got your e-mail address from Norwegian DX-er Ole Forr, who had written to you regarding the reception of KEZW Radio on 1430 AM here in Europe.

Just like Ole, I have also been able to receive KEZW on 1430 AM at my place. At my place, KEZW is a very rare catch. I can receive a number of AM stations from the USA and Canada, but usually only stations from the East coast only (from Newfoundland down to Florida). Hearing stations located further inland is not common, and hearing stations as far west as the Rockies is exceptional! You are the very first station I have ever been able to receive from Colorado, so your AM transmitter must be doing really well!

So far I have only been able to pick up your signals on the AM band only on one occasion. On January 13, 2007, I could receive KEZW for about an hour or so in the morning my local time, or in the middle of the night your local time there in Colorado. I am enclosing an audio file with a 50 second long recording of KEZW as received here in Norway this winter morning, at 2.16 a.m. Mountain Time. On this recording, there is a pretty clear (bearing in mind the distance) station identification for “Studio 1430”. Would it be possible for you to listen in to this recording and confirm that I was able to pick up the signal of KEZW here in Norway?
The radio equipment used when receiving your signal was a SDR-IQ communications receiver and an antenna wire which was nearly 800 metres long. Using such a long antenna is a big advantage when it comes to receiving long distance radio signals on AM, but the antenna sure takes a lot of space. .

I am 40 years old and have been listening to foreign radio stations on short- and mediumwave since I was a kid. Now my main interest lies in catching weak signals from radio stations on mediumwave and on the tropical bands on shortwave. Even in the times of the Internet and satellite TV and radio, it is still interesting to see how far away a signal from a radio station with limited power such as KEZW can reach and which radio stations it is possible to hear here in Norway.

My radio hobby is a hobby for the long Scandinavian fall and winter nights. Apart from this hobby, I am also into computing, sports and nature. I am also very fond of travelling as I am very interested in foreign countries and in foreign cultures. I am living in the small town of Lunde in Southern Norway (2 hours by train south west of the capital Oslo) where I am working at the local college in my region - Telemark University College.
I would appreciate very much if you verified that I heard your station. It would be very nice to receive a verification letter, card or an e-mail from you, simply saying that I really heard your station. I am collecting such verifications from the radio stations which I am able to hear at my place.

Well, I hope you enjoy hearing that the signals of KEZW can sometimes reach as far away as Norway on 1430 AM too. It should imply that your AM transmitter is doing quite well!
Thanks a lot for your help and hope to hear from you again soon.

Best regards from Norway, Arild

Eastern medicine

My friend Em P told me that her sister Meg went to an acupuncturist that specialized in infertility and gave me his name. She also suggested I reach out to Meg and tell her my story. Meg also had fertility issues (Note: HAD fertility issues...she has one daughter and is pregnant with her 2nd...and due any minute) :-) That was the best advice I could have ever gotten. Meghan was a light in the dark for me. She understood the isolation we feel when we are having trouble getting pregnant. She said that there was a medical study done on depression...with woman who are terminally ill and woman who are experiencing infertility and the woman with infertility issues were MORE depressed that the women with a terminal illness. Sigh. So Todd and I went and saw the acupuncturist 2 weeks ago. A-maz-ing. I ovulated the NEXT day. What the? I had never had a positive ovulation kit. I have seen him 2 more times in the last 2 weeks. I had a 28 day cycle this month. This is a step in the right direction. Ovulation and a regular period in 2 weeks. I am ALL IN. I feel better. I have a good outlook. This is good stuff.

On a side note, my mom told me yesterday that she had 4 periods a year her whole life. The same 4 months every year. Now she has 3 kids....so if she can do it....so can I. PCOS is genetic too...so maybe my mom had it too. She had a hysterectomy years ago...so we will never know. My mom's sister was told she could never have kids...she had a son.

Todd has been on a fishing trip with the boys for a week...he is due home any minute. I-CAN'T-FREAKING-WAIT to see him.

Searching

When I was diagnosed with PCOS I started searching for information, support and treatment options. I know that PCOS is not curable....but treatable. I found this great newsletter that has some useful information. Here is the latest newsletter.

Me Part Deux

About 2 months ago my doctor called me to check in. It was 9:30 at night and I was exhausted and had drank a glass of wine and was working on my second. The second I heard her voice I burst into tears. I had started my period that day and was at a loss. (Sidebar: For those of you who don't know me....I don't cry about stuff for me. I cry at movies and good Hallmark commercials...but that is it) Anyway. She was talking me off the ledge and I said, "I know, I know, I get all of that. But to add insult to injury I have gained a bunch of weight with NO change in lifestyle. I just don't get it." Silence on the other end. "You have gained weight?" (Note, when she met me I had already packed on the extra pounds...) She asked me to come in the next morning for a few more tests. She told me at the appointment she suspected that I may have Poly Cystic Ovarian Syndrome. There were 3 tests I had to take to see if I have PCOS. Long story shorter...I was diagnosed with PCOS. At least I had an answer to the changes in my body and why we have had trouble getting pregnant.

Treatment. I started taking Medformin. I lost 7 pounds right out of the gate and started feeling better within days. Success. A step in the right direction.

Moving on...I also have issues with my thyroid. My family history includes thyroid cancer in my mom, both grandmothers, my uncle, my aunt and one great grandmother. Wow huh? I went to go see an endocrinologist. Your thyroid can also cause problems getting pregnant. I wanted to see if this could be an issue too. Oh...and your thyroid can make you gain weight too. Sweet! So I sat in her office and listened to her rattle off stats about how hard it will be for me to get pregnant and how hard it will be for us to have a successful pregnancy. She was rattling off stat after stat...and I could feel my face getting hot and the tears starting to fill up my eyes....until they spilled over my eye lids and the water works were unstoppable. I was hysterical. When I got home I was telling Todd about my experience there...which I am sure only dogs and dolphins could understand my squawking. He carried me to the couch and brought me tissues and a blanket. He had NO idea how to help me stop crying...he just held me. He wanted to call that doctor and bitch her out. Sweet Todd. I have this theory on doctors.....1/2 of all doctors graduated in the bottom 1/2 of their class....she was surely an idiot with no bedside manor.

I am now fed up with western medicine and desperate for a new approach.

Me

I have been writing posts for my blog and not posting them. Last week I deleted all the posts when I was feeling extra down. *Sigh* Until now I wasn't ready to tell the world (or the 3 people who read my blog) that I feel broken. Useless. Depressed.

We have been trying to get pregnant since our honeymoon and have....had...challenges. When we were first starting to try...I was so "whatever" about it. I shrugged off all of the "techniques" my friends shared and said I was never going to be that girl who stresses about getting pregnant. That lasted oh...let's say 3 months. After 3 months, I was like WTF? Why is this so hard? Seriously I see 10, pregnant 15 year olds everytime I go to the mall...can't-be-that-tough. In fact, when we started trying I told a friend of mine that if we got pregnant that month that the baby would be born in ___ month. That friend laughed at me and said, you know, many woman "your age" have trouble getting pregnant. I was kinda pissed but thought...well...not ME. I am usually GOOD at stuff I want and try hard enough to succeed at. No worries here. I-am-a-rock-star.

So after a few months, I started taking ovulation tests...never got a positive. I heard from a few friends who had kids that they never worked for them either. Shrug. I have spent a small fortune on those tests....and still never a positive. Ok. My cycles were 26 day, 42 days, 36 days, 47 days, 30 days...all over the board. I decided to find a fertility specialist. I started seeing her in September. Oh nelly...I had test after test after test. My poor arms were black and blue from blood draws. Is this the way to get pregnant?

So we keep trying. I get my hopes up each month...only to be crushed when my period comes. I have actually started playing head games with myself. One day I feel tired and think..."I just must be pregnant...I feel pregnant...must be!" And then I wasn't.... month after month....test after test. This makes me feel broken. Like 1/2 a woman. I feel bad for Todd. I know how badly he wants to be a dad...why can't I do this for him? For us? There must be a better way.

Can You Dig It?

So this past weekend Todd and I were working in the yard. It was 70 degrees in the middle of March...gorgeous. I am digging up the rock garden and getting it ready for us to plant later. I freaking dug up 3 freaking Tiger Salamanders. Yes I did! I am a native. I have never seen or heard of these things living in the wild in Colorado. So I pick up the phone and call our local reptile store and lo and behold Tiger Salamanders are native to Colorado. These little buggers were about 4 inches long, black bodies with greenish/yellow spots on them. They apparently grow to be nearly a foot long. They mostly come out at night and when it rains. Seriously? Can you believe it? The guy at the reptile store told me that if we brought them to him he would give us a couple bucks each - he would sell them as pets. He also told us how to build a new nest for them....so we did.

Attention Jay Cutler

Attention Jay Cutler. Ahem. Attention Jay Cutler. Listen to a caring Broncos fan. I know you are pissed. I know that our new coach did not handle this situation the best. I know you did not handle this situation the best. I know you got your feelings hurt. But my friend, you are acting like a pouty little girl by putting your house up on the market and threatening to not show up to training camp tomorrow. This is a business and you need to understand that everyone can be replaced. You should show up and be a leader. I want to see you in a Broncos uniform for many years to come. If you don't show up, then, see ya later sweetheart. I hope you get traded to someone we play so we can wipe that smart ass smile off your face.

Facebook

Hello. My name is Emily and I am a Facebook-aholic. I love Facebook. I don't like the applications and quizzes and crap...I just like checking out pictures and status updates. Maybe I would be better served by just doing "Twitter". Anyway. I was thinking the other night that Facebook is simply on-line voyeurism. I have opened this portal to everyone who I have met over my 36 years on this planet to see what I am doing, pictures of what I am doing and what I am thinking. I guess this all started when an ex-boyfriend of mine posted a comment on one of my pictures. Things with this ex ended nasty including a law suit...but we got over it and moved on. I felt like saying...."what business it of yours?" I know. I know. I could just block him or not of allowed me to be a "friend" but that is not the point. I starting thinking, that he lost his chance/privilage to know how I am when he broke my heart....right? Facebook opens a door to your private life....and I guess we all have to see if what is on the other side of the door is something we want to share with the world. I posed this question the other night at happy hour with Erin and Emily P. And....Em P had a great point. She said, why wouldn't I want people to see how I am doing? I have a great life. A great husband. And I couldn't be happier. Good point Em. Cheers!

Wow...I just realized....

....that I didn't blog at all in February. It's been 2 months since I blogged. Bad.

Famous Last Words

For about 3 weeks now, a pipe in our master bath shower rings this annoying loud shrill noise when we have the water on. Annoying. I have been saying, "you think we should call a plumber?" Todd says, "oh no, I can fix it." Famous last words. On Friday morning I say, "I want to call a plumber to come out next week." Todd says, "I will fix it this weekend." Ok. Sunday afternoon at 2 pm Todd starts tearing apart the shower. I say, "babe, want me to just call a plumber?" Silence. I hear banging. I hear drilling. I hear cussing. After a couple trips to Home Depot and back Todd believes he has figured out the piece he needs....but needs to get it at an Ace Hardware. It's 4:50 pm. They close at 5 pm. So we have no running water. Thank God we have a 2nd shower. I won't beat him up for this one....he's taking care of that himself.

Historic Day

I knew I wanted to post on this historic day....to try to capture the moment. Not really an easy task on a simple blog. I think the best way for me to express the sights and sounds of the inauguration of such a great man is by posting my friend's status updates on Facebook. I will use initials to protect the innocent :)

DM is thankful.

HT is giving the Mile High Salute to the 44th Commander in Chief.

EP is positive the day couldn't be any better. 70 degrees and Obama is President. Life is good.

RK feels a sense of calm and happiness today. Hope has been brought back.

LL is happy that she could watch Barack Obama at school today. What an historic event.

MB is thankful for the new President and hopeful for the future of our country.

JF is quoting Barack "On this day, we gather because we have chosen hope over fear, unity of purpose over conflict and discord."

IM says goodbye to evil, incomptetence, ignorance, racism, greed, corruption and stupidity and happily says hello to hope and change.

MS is ready

MG says brothers and sisters this is a great day. Hope over fear will win everytime. God bless Amercia.

TV is so happy to say I'm SO proud to be an American.

CA is listening to the new Prez.

LM is ready (2nd time for that one)

BT is very excited.

DF has Obama fever.

KP says "Change will not come if we wait for some other person or some other time. We are the ones we've been waiting for. We are the change that we seek."- Barack Obama.

SB is starting to get choked up already! :).

SW inagurates.

KL is excited for my niece, Kyla,(18) who is in D.C right now, what a great memory for her!

CR is excited about today's events!

EP is breathless with excitement.

MG is happy! We are finally getting a leader!!!!!

HR is proud to see this day.

SM can't wait to watch the inauguration - so excited and so proud!

DP is talking to NBC White House Correspondent Tom Costello, he's on the steps of the White House!! Amazing day!

LM is wondering what famous inspirational words will come from Barack Obama's speech today!

Vacation

My parents gave me and Todd a 3-day 2 night all inclusive vacation to Peaceful Valley Ranch in Lyons Colorado. They provide 3 meals a day...they will even pack you a picnic lunch if you wanted to go on a hike or snowmobile all day. Snowmobiling and snow shoeing is all inclusive in the winter months....and horseback riding and hay rack rides are included in the spring and summer months. Plus...the fishing is gold medal waters. How cool is that? Now we just have to figure out when we want to go. All of the private cabins have hot tubs and are super romantic. We think my parents are pushing for grand babies....don't you?

Ahhh a day off

My office is closed for MLK day. Can you say 3 day weekend? Some sweet Emily time today. Poor Todd has to work. Think I will eat cold pizza, watch Price is Right and blog....and maybe later get a massage. Sounds like a great day to me!!

Last night Todd and I were talking about what an historic week this week is. Today is Martin Luther King day....and tomorrow....our country will swear in the first African American President. I was in awe watching the coverage of the concerts held at the Lincoln Memorial over the weekend. Hundreds of thousands of people showed up to witness this amazing and historic event. As I scanned the faces in the crowd I saw young and old, white and black, all socioeconomic groups....it was a-maz-ing. I hope the rest of the world is watching the United States of America rally behind our new leader and the leader of the Free World....regardless of who they voted for....we are united once again. Makes me proud to be an American.

As a total side note, some lady in a ridiculous shirt just won a car on Price is Right. I met Drew Carey once. I was working in radio and we did a broadcast from the grand opening of the new Disney California Adventure. I was standing in the amusement park right on the ocean watching the Beach Boys on stage with John Stamos on the drums....with a lobster tail on a stick in one hand and a beer in the other hand....hell yes I was eating lobster on a stick...and it was dripping with butter. Anyway....I turn and look at a guy standing next to me also enjoying a lobster on a stick and had a beer in the other hand and said, "Seriously, does it get ANY better than this?" And he smiled at me and said, "I don't think it could, I mean c'mon lobster on a stick? Beer?" We both laughed. I turned back to him and said, "You're Drew Carey." And he said yes. I said, "I didn't recognize you without your glasses on." And he replied, "I got lasik so I only wear my glasses on stage, on tv...you know." We went on talking about how cool lasik surgery was for both of us and parted ways.

Man....I have a lot of things going through my head right now.

Broncos Blues

Last night Todd sarcastically shouted from the kitchen, "Hey Em, when is the Bronco's playoff game this weekend?" Humpf. I have Broncos blues. My beloved Broncos are not in the playoffs again this year AND Mike Shannahan got fired. I have mixed feelings about his firing. After watching the press conference on Wednesday morning, I had this lump in my gut. Mike sure acted like a total professional. I was so impressed....and sad. When Mike said he didn't get the job done and that is why he was fired...my heart broke. Dang. No boo hoo. No pointing the finger. He OWNED it. Wow. I sure wish we had won that San Diego game. But things happen for a reason. Maybe it was time for a change. I thought about Mike and his family in New Years Eve....wondering if they were able to celebrate. Broncos blues suck. Kinda like the Broncos last 3 seasons.

This week

This week has been so WEIRD. Todd has been on vacation since 12/23. I worked Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday (NYE) and today (Friday). I feel like I had 2 Mondays and 2 Fridays. Today I was talking about one of our programs on the radio station that airs on Saturdays....and thought today was Monday. WEIRD. Yawn....need some coffee.

For the record......

I did get raked in in the eye by the visiting kitty. Can you say bloody and black eye? Sweet. Missed my eyeball by centimeters. Todd was right. Sent kitty to glue factory....in my dreams.

Spoiled

Todd spoiled me again this year for Christmas. He hired a painter to paint a picture of a Calla Lily. The name of the painting is "Emily's Lily". Calla Lily was our wedding flower. Todd told me that the artist would email his pictures each day she worked on the piece with updates. How cool is that? Sometimes Todd does things for me that I just shake my head and thank the heavens above that we found each other. Makes me kinda tear up just thinking about it. He also bought me a gorgeous necklace and earring set and a TON of cool fishing lures and bait. What a great array of cool gifts. He rocks.

Franklin's Visit

We are watching Todd's sister's kitty Franklin for a week while they are in Mexico. Sasha (our cat) is not pleased but being tolerant of the 5 month old kitten. Franklin earned a new name his first day here.....Diablo the Devil. We had him set up in our room. Todd was in the bedroom watching tv and Diablo came out from under the bed and attacked Todd hissing and swinging his paws at him. I heard a scuffle upstairs. Todd came downstairs saying, "that little f-er is going in the kennel. I am not letting him rake my eyes or your eyes out." I chuckled a little. He went to the garage and pulled down the large 5 foot by 5 foot cage that Barkley used to live in when Todd was away. We made Franklin a safe place to be....and the animals in our house all got to know each other that way. Every time we got close to Diablo he would hiss. Sweet. But this morning I opened the cage and Franklin decided he wanted to be a productive part of our family. No hissing. Just playing. Bliss. He still goes into the cage when he needs alone time. No hiss... bliss....and making himself right at home. PS....that is Barkley's water that Franklin is drinking out of.

Special Agent Bob

My bro graduated from I.C.E. Training (Imigration Customs Enforcment) on Thursday. He is officially a Special Agent. Wowsa. I saw his badge. He now can carry a firearm on a plane. He just flew back to Denver on Friday. He told me that now when he flies on duty that he checks in a different place and he boards the plane before the other people. He meets with the Captain and the staff. One of the captains that he met with before the flight told him that the door to the cock pit is bullet proof, so if something goes down and Bob chooses to react, that the pilot will not be opening the door to help him. Yikes. Anyway. I am so proud of Bob. Bob and Rebecca are moving to Salt Lake City for Bob's first job. They leave today. I will miss you guys! Love you!

Star Sighting in Vegas

We saw Cameron Diaz in Vegas. Cool!

Vegas

Vegas was a blast. We left on Thanksgiving day and got back a week ago today. We had purchased tickets to Criss Angel's Cirque du Soleil show called BeLIEve. I love Criss Angel's Mind Freak...so cool. We get in the cab from the airport to the Mirage and the cab drivers asks us if we are planning on seeing any shows during our visit. We tell him that we are going to see the Criss Angel show. Silence. Then he says, "Did you already buy your tickets?" We had. He starts telling us how it's the worst show Vegas has ever had. Gulp. I could picture Todd and I running around ripping up money....since this show (that wasn't cheap) was a total disaster. We get out of the cab and I start reassuring Todd that I am sure the show is good that I bet that cab driver is just a bitter crazy. So. We are checking in at the Mirage and we ask the girl at the front desk about the show. Same response. Sweet. Again insert that picture of us ripping up money for fun. Long story short the gal at the front desk got us a refund on our tickets....and helped us buy tickets to the Cirque du Soleil show "O".... "O" is short for the French word for water L'eau. Can you say 8th row....dead center??? The tickets were so good that when one of the performers swung over our heads a drop of water hit my face. A-MAZ-ING!

Poison

Remember that sweet yet musky perfume from the 80's called Poison? Gross right? I admit I did wear Poison for one year in junior high school. I will will own that. OK. There is a lady in my office that freaking BATHES in that perfume. Seriously. It's so bad that I had to be in the same room with her for 2 hours on Friday that I got so sick being within in 10 feet of her that my throat STILL hurts today. I could taste her perfume in my mouth until later on Friday night. Sick. Flipping. Sick.

I had to laugh when this weekend I heard a promo on one of our radio stations for a topic for the morning show.....that people have sued co-workers for wearing too much perfume or not bathing. I cracked up.

That girl is poison.....(Remember that song from Bel Biv Devo?)

Dum Dum

When we first put the new fish in the new tank, one of the new fish was wigging out. He was scared. He swam right into the caves of one of the big rocks to hide. He was a smaller fish (3 inches) We kept watching him and checking on him as he hid. Later we noticed that the other fish kept swimming up to him in the cave and checking on him too. I looked in the tank and saw his face sticking out of a hole in one of the big rocks. I picked up the rock and shook it under water. He didn't move. He was stuck. He had gotten himself stuck in the rock. What a dum dum. I gently touched his nose...to push him out. We was VERY stuck. Todd went to the garage to get a hammer to break open the rock to get him out. Before breaking the rock, Todd the "fish charmer", tickled the fish under his mouth and he wiggled out of the rock. The fish had a small scrape on the side of his face....but he was ok. His name is Dum Dum. It's all about timing right? He was a Dum Dum to get stuck in the rock.

Goldie

We have had Goldie for 5 years. This fish has been through the ringer. Goldie got a deadly disease called "Cotton Mouth". Basically he has a poof of cotton in his mouth....disease cotton....that made it tough to eat. I gave him a ton of anti-biotics. Seems to have worked he is still alive. When Goldie was sick I moved him to a smaller tank so he didn't get our large tank of fish sick with Cotton Mouth. He was SO depressed in the smaller tank and basically hid the entire time he was in the small tank. Once he was feeling better we moved him back to the 15 gallon tank. When we moved him to the new 54 gallon tank....I was singing the theme song from "The Jeffersons". Todd laughed. "Movin' on UP.... to the top. To the deeeeluxe apartment in the skyyyyyy. We are moving on UPPPP....to the sky....."

Eleanor

Todd loves cars. He can see any car driving down the street and know the year, the make and the model. He is the Rain Man of cars. One of our new fish is blue and silver. He named her Eleanor....just like the blue and silver car from "Gone in 60 seconds". The most beautiful fish ever.

Blackie

We originally named him U-G-L-Y because he is not as blue and colorful as his counterparts...but we discovered that he is a black peacock....so he IS beautiful. He is not supposed to be blue and gold like the others. So we changed his name. He is small about an 3 inches long. He is shy but sweet.

Angel

I love Angel fish. This is our one Angel fish right now. We have had him since he was the size of a quarter. Now his body is the diameter of about 4 inches. We call him simply Angel.

Mr. Blue Gold

We got 4 new fish from the fish store....all a breed of fish called Peacock. This is Mr. Blue Gold.

He is about 3 inches long right now and will grow to be about 6 inches.

SIMON

Simon. Todd was in the pet store and bought him because he was cute....knowing nothing about fish and fish tanks. He is a fancy gold fish. Typically a gold fish would NOT get along with the other fish in our tank. He is a nice fish....and most tropical fish...are aggressive and mean....and would pick on a fish like Simon. Simon is just fine in our tank....in fact...he is our king and leader. What a cutie.

Look he has his mouth open in this pic.

Cast of characters

Here is our fish....our cast of characters. Funny how we name our fish. Dorks.

Life

Todd and I got up on Saturday morning full of smiles because we did not have ONE thing on the calendar we HAD to do. Not one. As we talked about our weekend options....and walking down the stairs to the main level....our decision of what we were doing this weekend (at least on Saturday) was made for us. Of course it was. That's life right? Our big fish tank was leaking water. A lot of water. We got dressed and started looking for our next large fish tank. We have several fish tanks. Our old one was 15 gallons. We started looking and found the tank of our dreams. Yes, much bigger than our current tank....but our dream fish tank. It's 54 gallons of water....and pure bliss....corner unit....fits right in the corner of our living room. We bought it from a small mom and pop fish store and got a great deal. We bought 3 new fish at the store too. Stay tuned for introductions to our cast of characters. Here's our new tank!

Bar-rock the Vote

You have seen the t-shirts....ROCK THE VOTE. I say Bar-ROCK the VOTE. I am blushing and glowing with pride for the democratic process.

I am proud to be an American after watching John McCain's speech after addressing the world after losing his long tough fight to be the 44th President. What a true leader and American. Makes me proud. He is a first class person and American. (I am thinking McCain will sleep for 10 years after this campaign)

I am proud to be an American in a country that elected it's first African American President. (I am thinking that Obama will WANT to sleep for 10 years after this campaign....but can't)

Cheers!

I am glowing.

Change is good.

100 years ago

THE YEAR 1908
This will boggle your mind, I know it did mine!
The year is 1908. One hundred years ago.
What a difference a century makes!
Here are some statistics for the Year 1908 :
************ ********* ********* ******
The average life expectancy was 47 years.

Only 14 percent of the homes had a bathtub.

Only 8 percent of the homes had a telephone.

There were only 8,000 cars and only 144 miles
of paved roads.

The maximum speed limit in most cities was 10 mph.

The tallest structure in the world was the Eiffel Tower!

The average wage in 1908 was 22 cents per hour.

The average worker made between $200 and $400 per year .

A competent accountant could expect to earn $2000 per year, A dentist $2,500 per year, a veterinarian between $1,500 and $4,000 per year, and a mechanical engineer about $5,000 per year.

More than 95 percent of all births took place at HOME .

Ninety percent of all doctors had NO COLLEGE EDUCATION! Instead, they attended so-called medical schools, many of which were condemned in the press AND the government as 'substandard.'

Sugar cost four cents a pound.

Eggs were fourteen cents a dozen.

Coffee was fifteen cents a pound.

Most women only washed their hair once a month, and used Borax or egg yolks for shampoo.

Canada passed a law that prohibited poor people from entering into their country for any reason.

Five leading causes of death were:
1. Pneumonia and influenza
2. Tuberculosis
3. Diarrhea
4. Heart disease
5. Stroke

The American flag had 45 stars.

The population of Las Vegas , Nevada, was only 30!!!!

Crossword puzzles, canned beer, and ice tea hadn't been invented yet.

There was no Mother's Day or Father's Day.

Two out of every 10 adults couldn't read or write.

Only 6 percent of all Americans had graduated from high school.

Marijuana, heroin, and morphine were all available over the counter at the local corner drugstores. Back then pharmacists said, 'Heroin clears the complexion, gives buoyancy to the mind, regulates the stomach and bowels, and is, in fact, a perfect guardian of health.' (Shocking? DUH! )

Eighteen percent of households had at least one full-time servant or domestic help.

There were about 230 reported murders in the ENTIRE U.S.A.!

Try to imagine what it may be like in another 100 years. IT STAGGERS THE MIND!!!!!!!!!!!

Vegas baby!

Todd and I booked a 4 day 3 night trip to Vegas this weekend! We are staying at the Mirage! Weeee! We also bought tickets to Criss Angels' "Believe" in cooperation with Cirque du Soleil. How cool is that? Vegas baby!

Half Time Promotions

Half Time Promotions. So the Texas Tech football team has had some issues with their place kicker. He was missing even the easiest kicks...PAT....(Point After Touchdown) extra point after the touchdown. Should be a given he can make those.....easy...right? Anyway. Poor kid was having a hard time kicking even the easiest part of his job. Last week during a half time promotion at a Texas Tech game they pulled a student out of the crowd and asked him to kick a 30 yard field goal to win some prize. He freaking nailed it. The Texas Tech coaches took note of this kid from the stands who just nailed a 30 yard field goal.

....that kid started today for Texas Tech.....and was perfect. Talk about destiny.

Best Buy Part II

Part II of my crazy visit to Best Buy. I found the Sex and The City DVD and along with my $20 walk man (ha!) and went to check out. Bam. I am done and back in the car. I get home with my 2 prized possessions. I pop the DVD out of the package and put it in the DVD player. No Data....is scrolling across the screen. Todd takes a look at the packaging. I bought a freaking Blu-Ray. Nooooooo. The back of the receipt tells me that I can't return opened games or movies. Poof. $30 out the door. I pick up the phone and call the store. After being on hold for like 20 minutes Jenny in customer service gave me some attitude and acted like I am the biggest dumb ass in the world....but agreed to exchange my Blu-Ray for a DVD. Good-freaking-lord. I went and exchanged the next day....and we are all good.

I can only imagine the shit-talking that is going on about me. I am the 1982 girl who wanted a freaking walk-man......and I am so dumb I bought a Blu-Ray instead of a DVD. Shrug. Ha!

Best Buy Part I

I walked into Best Buy packing my $50 gift card. I wanted 2 things; Sex and The City the movie on DVD and a radio to listen to at the gym.

My trip to Best Buy Part I:
I start winding the "music" section....looking for a radio....hopefully one that is small.....easy to use at the gym. I am not having any luck. I ask his teenager in the store, "Hi, I am looking for an AM/FM radio to wear as I work out." She gives me this puzzled look, "Do you want to download music to it?" "No, I just want an AM/FM radio....like a walk man," I respond. She looks totally confused. Seriously....has she never heard of a walk man? Damn I am old. She then says to me, "Do you want an Ipod or an MP3 player?" "Sorry, no, I want a $20 piece of equipment that I can listen to local radio stations," I say. She stops one associate and tells him what I am looking for. He says, "Oh I don't think we have stuff like that anymore". Shoot me now. WHAT? I work in radio....and people can't buy freaking radios anymore? OK. Finally she asks a manger. The manager points us to the very back of the store. They have 3 small work-out radios in stock that wrap around your arms as you work out. I felt like such a douche. I just wanted some crappy thing I could throw in my gym bag....freaking shoot me. Ha.

The hobbit

I am feverishly interviewing to fill two sales positions I have open. Until I find the right candidates....I have to cover the accounts lists left behind.....and be sales manager. Blech. I am trying extremely hard to find the right people and not just hire "the tallest of the midgets"....if you know what I mean. Anyway. Since I am now finding myself working several accounts...last Friday I was in a client's business picking up a check. This client is a jewelry store in Cherry Creek. As I sat waiting to pick up a check from the owner and convince him to stop advertising in the newspaper and put that money on MY station, I was pleased as punch to hear TWO customers in the store tell him they heard about his store by listening to my station (insert a picture of me curtsying....then pumping my fist in the air)....and no....I didn't plant the customers. :) Anyway. As I waited a series of the craziest shit ever happened. First, there was this woman who looked much like the scary "thing" in the caves in the movie Lord of the Rings..."precious". She was under 5 feet tall, visibly ON something, walked hunched over and her voice.....was spoooky. She had a bag of jewelry that was for sure not hers. She was trying to sell the gold and stones to the owner. Then 2 cops walk in carrying a sword, yes a freaking jeweled sword, and said to precious, "Oh geez, are you stealing jewelery again?" Precious answers, "Yessssss" (hissssss). The cops roll their eyes.....and WALK OUT of the store. WTF? Then there is this older couple in there to see the owner. They appear to be pretty well off. The man is white. The woman is Japanese and has a heavy Japanese accent. She has long pink fake nails. She looks at me and starts in. "NO baba....lady. Good lord, No baba. You vote for Baba? You? I thank you for allowing me in country. When I came here, the White House was WHITE, let's keep it that way." I am sure my mouth is hanging open. I don't say a word. Then she starts up again...."You American?" I say, "Yes". She says, "Thank you for allowing me to be in America. Let's keep the White House...white....NO BAMA." Seriously. What? I couldn't make this shit up.

Birthday Card Shopping

Last Sunday was Todd's birthday. I had a new experience shopping for his card this year. I started in the section of the cards I usually do....the funny and romantic cards. I am scanning and reading cards to find just the right one. I stroll the aisle. I stop dead in my tracks when I see a section I have never shopped in before. The section; To HUSBAND. Ahhhhh! My sentimental ass read through dozens of cards from wife to husband. I-AM-A-TOTAL-DORK. After finally finding the one that was just....perfect. I got the funny card....to my husband.

My theory on corporate America

In light of the current financial world, here is my theory on corporate America.

Corporate America is much like the farmer with his plow. As the farmer is working the plow on his field he thinks to himself, "Hum, if I had a shiny new horn on this here plow...I could honk that horn and scare the birds away from in front of my plow. That would save me time and make it so I could work faster....and make more money," said the farmer. Honk!

The farmer plows along.

Then the farmer thinks, “Hum, if I had some new headlights on the front of this here plow I could work later into the night. That would save me time and make it so I could work faster....and make more money," said the farmer. Blink!

The farmer plows along.

Then the farmer thinks, “Hum, if I had a rear view mirror on the side of this here plow I could watch behind me as I plow instead of always stopping to turn around and watch my progress. That would save me time and make it so I could work faster....and make more money," said the farmer. Wink!

The farmer plows along.

Then the farmer thinks, “Gosh, I have sure spent a ton of money on this here plow…..I am in debt,” said the farmer. SO HE SELLS THE HORSE.

Beep Beep Beep Beep Beep....WTF?

There is this random alarm that goes off in our house randomly. Seriously. It goes Beep Beep Beep Beep Beep. Then stops. By the time we realize it's going off again....and run to the location of the alarm....it stops. The nutty thing is that it's never in the same part of the house or the same time of day. Todd and I are....ok I am pretty sure (Todd is not 100% on board yet)....that we have a ghost. How else do you explain an alarm or beeping going off in different rooms of the house at different times of the day....with NO apparent source. Weird. I had a ghost at my condo on 13th and Josephine. My brother witnessed the mayhem with me before. So I have a witness. I will discuss the crazy things that happened in my condo in another post. Ahem. What to do about the random alarm?

Time stamp

I laugh at the time stamp on my blog postings. They are always wrong. By hours. The time stamp on my last posts today say 4:40-ish....it's really 8 pm. Ha. Sometimes the time stamp is earlier than it really is.....or way later. I dunno why that is funny to me. But it is.

Ovulation Kit

I started the ovulation kit this month....just to realize that this might not be the best month to spend the $$$ on the tests. I was in Philly for work for 4 days earlier this week. Todd is out of town for 5 days. Humpf. Oh well. Hee hee. Still fun trying.

My bro

My brother Bob is in Georgia right now training to become an ICE Agent. Immigrations Customs Enforcement. Special Agent Andrews has a nice ring to it. The first half of his training was general training and included agents from all agencies FBI, CBI, ICE and more. Of the 60 agents at the training Bob graduated TOP of his class. Number 1 baby! I am so proud of him. The 2nd half of his training is just with ACE Agents and more focuses on his new job. He graduates on December 3rd. Then Bob and Rebecca (his fiancee) will move to Salt Lake City where Bob's first ICE Agent gig is located. Bob and Rebecca will get married in June of 2009. Cheers!

Alone time

Since Todd is hunting with my Dad....I have the whole house to myself for 5 days. I haven't had a whole weekend alone in over 2 1/2 years. I am not complaining that I haven't had an alone weekend per se....just enjoying my freedom. When I was single, I used to cherish my weekends. Because for the first 10 years of my career, I worked on the weekends....every weekend. So when I got far enough up in my career that I didn't work weekends anymore....I was very particular on who got to take up my weekend time. Many many many weekends I wouldn't see another person all weekend unless I chose to. Bliss. So this weekend has been wonderful so far.

Today's activities:
I slept in.
I didn't make the bed.
I got an hour and 1/2 massage.
Manicure.
Pedicure.
I look like hell and don't care.
My towel is on the floor in the bedroom.
Blog baby blog.

.....what shall I do.....or not do tomorrow?

Common Denominator

Todd and my dad are in North Dakota hunting for 5 days. They left yesterday....get back on Tuesday night. I love that they want to spend time together. But on the same hand, I am nervous that I am not there. Weird? Yes probably. I couldn't put my finger on exactly why I felt that way until I was chatting with my friend Julie. She said, "well until now, you were the common denominator, they both had you in common....and had to go through you for everything." Damn. She hit it on the head. I hope that this trip brings them closer together....but I am nervous that they won't get along. Typing that just now made me shake my head. I am so sure that the 2 most important men in my life will get along and have fun....but what if they don't?

Hitchhiker

Seriously when was the last time you saw a hitchhiker? I saw one on my way to work today. His car was broken down on the side 225 and he was flipping hitchhiking on the highway. Besides the fact that I just never see hitchhikers anymore....he was hitchhiking on a freaking highway. What is wrong with people?

Happy 80th Birthday Grandma C!

David Letterman on President Bush

David Letterman on President Bush (Surprising)

David Letterman wrote this; it's the David we don't often see....

"As most of you know I am not a President Bush fan, nor have I ever been, but this is not about Bush, it is about us, as Americans, and it seems to hit the mark. The other day I was reading Newsweek magazine and came across some Poll data I found rather hard to believe. It must be true given the source, right? The Newsweek poll alleges that 67 percent of Americans are unhappy with the direction the country is headed and 69 percent of the country is unhappy with the performance of the President. In essence 2/3 of the citizenry just ain't happy and want a change. So being the knuckle dragger I am, I started thinking, 'What are we so unhappy about?'

A. Is it that we have electricity and running water 24 hours a day, 7 Days a week?

B. Is our unhappiness the result of having air conditioning in the summer and heating in the winter?

C. Could it be that 95.4 percent of these unhappy folks have a job?

D. Maybe it is the ability to walk into a grocery store at any time and see more food in moments than Darfur has seen in the last year?

E. Maybe it is the ability to drive our cars and trucks from the Pacific Ocean to the Atlantic Ocean without having to present identification papers as we move through each state?

F. Or possibly the hundreds of clean and safe motels we would find along the way that can provide temporary shelter?

G. I guess having thousands of restaurants with varying cuisine from around the world is just not good enough either.

H. Or could it be that when we wreck our car, emergency workers show up and provide services to help all and even send a helicopter to take you to the hospital.

I. Perhaps you are one of the 70 percent of Americans who own a home.

J. You may be upset with knowing that in the unfortunate case of a fire, a group of trained firefighters will appear in moments and use top notch equipment to extinguish the flames,thus saving you, your family, and your belongings.

K. Or if, while at home watching one of your many flat screen TVs, a burglar or prowler intrudes, an officer equipped with a gun and a bullet-proof vest will come to defend you and your family against attack or loss.

L. This all in the backdrop of a neighborhood free of bombs or militias raping and pillaging the residents. Neighborhoods where 90% of teenagers own cell phones and computers.

M. How about the complete religious, social and political freedoms we enjoy that are the envy of everyone in the world? Maybe that is what has 67% of you folks unhappy. Fact is, we are the largest group of ungrateful, spoiled brats the world has ever seen. No wonder the world loves the U.S., yet has a great disdain for its citizens. They see us for what we are. The most blessed people in the world who do nothing but complain about what we don't have, and what we hate about the country instead of thanking the good Lord we live here. I know, I know. What about the president who took us into war and has no plan to get us out? The president who has a measly 31percent approval rating? Is this the same president who guided the nation in the dark days after 9/11? The president that cut taxes to bring an economy out of recession? Could this be the same guy who has been called every name in the book for succeeding in keeping all the spoiled ungrateful brats safe from terrorist attacks? The commander in chief of an all-volunteer army that is out there defending you and me? Did you hear how bad the President is on the news or talk show? Did this news affect you so much, make you so unhappy you couldn't take a look around for yourself and see all the good things and be glad? Think about it......are you upset at the President because he actually caused you personal pain OR is it because the 'Media' told you he was failing to kiss your sorry ungrateful behind every day. Make no mistake about it. The troops in Iraq and Afghanistan have volunteered to serve, and in many cases may have died for your freedom. There is currently no draft in this country. They didn't have to go. They are able to refuse to go and end up with either a ''general'' discharge, an "other than honorable'' discharge or, worst case scenario, a ''dishonorable" discharge after a few days in the brig. So why then the flat-out discontentment in the minds of 69 percent of Americans? Say what you want but I blame it on the media. If it bleeds it leads and they specialize in bad news. Everybody will watch a car crash with blood and guts. How many will watch kids selling lemonade at the corner? The media knows this and media outlets are for-profit corporations. They offer what sells, and when criticized, try to defend their actions by 'justifying' them in one way or another. Just ask why they tried to allow a murderer like O.J. Simpson to write a book about how he didn't kill his wife, but if he did he would have done it this way......Insane! Turn off the TV, burn Newsweek, and use the New York Times for the bottom of your bird cage. Then start being grateful for all we have as country. There is exponentially more good than bad. We are among the most blessed people on Earth and should thank God several times a day, or at least be thankful and appreciative. With hurricanes, tornadoes, fires out of control, mud slides, flooding, severe thunderstorms tearing up the country from one end to another, and with the threat of bird flu and terrorist attacks, "Are we sure this is a good time to take God out of the Pledge of Allegiance?"

David Letterman

Hot Yoga

I took my first hot yoga class last night. Imagine working out for an hour in 103 degree heat. I sweated my ass off. I think I had a spout on the top of my head that poured my sweat. It was cool.....and totally overwhelming. The room was hot (obviously) and dark (more dim than dark) and there were tons of people in the room (0k 15 people....tons in my book). I had to work through my anxiety of being in a hot, dark room with too many people. Regardless. I will go back. Man....I am sore today. I am such a wuss.

I love this pic of me and Erin at her wedding reception

Life in general

Life in general is grand. My dear friend Kathy and her husband Ted are pregnant. Bliss. They have been trying for a long time and deserve this. As she told me, "we are expecting our first Buff". (Making reference to the University of Colorado Buffalos where both she and her husband attended college.) Kathy has fought her un-share amount of crappy health issues......I am pleased as punch for them. Now.....I am ready for the opportunity to make such an announcement for me and Todd....regardless....trying to get pregnant is fun.

The Douchebags next door

We had it good....for about 4 years. The guy who owned the townhouse next to us was a dream neighbor. Todd and I used to joke that he must be a pilot or something....he was never home. OK. So our cool neighbor knocked up his girlfriend and moved into her home. Sweet. NOW they have renters in their home. They have 2 kids, a girl 3 and a boy 2. The 1st weekend they moved in we heard them fighting.....loud. Something about the wife's new haircut and how she will just cut off her hair to make him happy. Yup. She shaved her head. WT. OK. Then later the 2 year old boy was seen running with scissors......I saw him and he made a stabbing motion towards me. Like....I will kill you. Sweet. On Wednesday Todd came home saw toys in our backyard.....douchebag mom in their backyard.....and......and the 3 year old in our home. YES! The kid was in our home. WTF? Crawled through our dog door. I have never seen Todd so angry. I was freaked out. What if that kid hurt herself in our house? The douchebag parents "seemed" concerned that their dirtbag kid was in our house.....but not concerned enough for my opinion. PLUS we have a sick dog....I don't need him to deal with more stress. Blech.

My favorite wedding pics

Here are a few of my favorite wedding pics. I finally got around to printing and framing our wedding pictures this weekend. Enjoy!

The Dude

Barkley aka "The Dude" has been officially diagnosned with a form of auto immune disease. Sweet. Better than the initial call from the vet of skin cancer. He is doing much better.....but our pocket books are not. This disease has a 60% death rate so we are not out of the woods yet. Regardless it's great to see our boy with a new bark on life.

In an instant....

.....I guess I am being emotional because of Barkley....he's only 6 for pete's sake. Anyway. Isn't it amazing how quickly life can change in an instant? Think of the person driving home from work....and gets in a car accident and is paralysed for life. I can't stop thinking about how upset our cat Sasha was last night while Barkley was at the vet. She kept looking for him and crying out. Life. Blech. And if you are thinking..."he's just a dog" I want to punch you in the face.

The dude

Months ago....I had given our dog Barkley the nickname of "the dude". He's one cool character. A dude. Ha. Barkley has been diagnosed with skin cancer.....a very aggressive form. He is one big scab.....that overcame his body in 2 weeks. Amazingly...he is in good spirits. We are going to bring him up to the mountains this weekend and give him our undivided attention. Feed him his favorite foods. Make him comfortable. Please pray for me for the strength to get through this.

Guess who came to dinner

This fawn followed home a sweet Beagle dog. Ahhhhh. What a cute story. Fear not....the fawn was returned to her momma.

That's good advice

I was on a sales call yesterday and the client said something to me that gave me pause. He said, "You have to be your own doctor. Keep in mind that half of all doctors graduated in the bottom 1/2 of their class." Holy crap.....he's right. That's good advice.

RETIREMENT PLANNING FOR 2008

If you had purchased $1000 of Nortel stock one year ago, it would now be worth $49.

With Enron, you would have had $16.50 left of the original $1000.

With WorldCom, you would have had less than $5 left.

If you had purchased $1000 of Delta Air Lines stock you would have$36 left.

But, if you had purchased $1,000 worth of beer one year ago, drank all the beer, then turned in the cans for the aluminum recycling REFUND, you would have had $214.00. Based on the above, the best current investment advice is to drink heavily and recycle. It's called the 401-Keg Plan.

Emergency Room Part 2

Monday night I get home from work to discover that Barkley the Dog cannot get up. I roll him over to see what is up with him. He moans. He has this huge tumor looking thing on his chest. Todd is home about 5 mins after me and we make trip #2 in 1 week to the 24-hour emergency vet office. Sweet. They test the tumor....its a fatty tumor and it's not necessary to remove it today. We will only have to remove it if it causes him pain or makes it tough to walk. So why is he having trouble walking? He has hip dysplasia which we medicate when he flares up. After a myriad of tests and x-rays (can you hear the cash register knocking up the bill?) they diagnose that he must have taken some sort of fall to irritate his hip issues. They send us home with some pain pills and anti inflammatory meds.....and a bill of over $500. For those keeping track that's over $650 in the last week between Barkley and Sasha. Gulp. We give Barkley his meds and we all fall into bed. The next day Barkley is not eating and still won't get up. We call the vet. This continues all week. Keep giving him the medicine and he will get better. By Wednesday, Barkley won't climb the stairs and has to be carried outside to go pee. Yesterday Todd took the day off to see if we need to take Barkley back into the vet. He decided slept in a little. Barkley didn't get his normal pain meds first thing in the morning yesterday....and wouldn't you know it? Barkley comes running up the stairs to see Todd. WTF? We figured out that the PAIN MEDS were knocking him out so much that he was afraid to walk or climb stairs. We have pretty much eliminated the pain meds except for 1/2 a dose when he sleeps now. Our boy is back to being a full time tail-wagger and face licker. Whew.

Deck-a-licious

We used our wedding gift money to buy new dining room chairs and completely landscaped our backyard. We added So Real Lawn for our lawn. It's synthetic grass that is installed on a filtration system. Barkley the dog's pee killed any grass we could grow. This solves that problem. You scoop the poop and spray it down once a week with vingar and water....just like a douche! Ha. And part 2 of the backyard remodel was adding a deck. It's 15' x 8' and we freaking LOVE LOVE it. We bought a table that doubles as a fire pit for a fun fire on cooler evenings. It's awesome. Here's some pics. It's a glorious and rare rainy day today....bliss. Here are some before, mid-way and after pics. It's deck-a-licious.

Red Neck Weddings

Have you ever seen that reality show Red Neck Weddings? I can't say I have had the pleasure of seeing an episode of this train wreck but I have heard of it. After I started planning my own wedding I swore I would never rip on anyone's wedding ever again. Sorry. I have to comment on this one. First let me say that I know the groom. He was married to my best friend. When they were married I considered him a close friend. They were together for 10 years. He loved music, alt rock, techno and had a huge love for Elvis. He is a good looking man who dressed to a "T". He looked like he walked out of a hip Ralph Lauren magazine. Sometime after they divorced he freaking flipped out. Lost his f-ing mind. He became a freaking cowboy. I mean a COWboy....10-gallon hat, tight ass Wranglers, boots and all. I don't even recognize him anymore. He got remarried this past weekend. Good for him. But the pictures from his wedding DEMANDED a post from me with my comments....I just could NOT resist. OK. I don't need to say anything more but....hello...red neck wedding casting director....you missed a good episode. OH and.....If your wedding cake is a bad remake of a Jack Daniels bottle....you just MIGHT be a red neck.

Brilliant

I just heard something that I think is a brilliant idea. Tim Russert's family played his iPod for the music at his memorial service. How perfect is that? A perfect tribute to someone. I love going through people's iPod to see what they listen to. It's like looking through someones check book to see where they spend their money. Really tells you about someone. Brilliant!

Honeymoon

I have been slowly but surely writing the post of the honeymoon. I just finished Sunday - Tuesday....but it posted to early July. Scroll down to read about those days if you wish. More to come soon! xooxox

Emergency room

So on Friday night Todd and I are rushing around to get ready to head to a friend's house for dinner. I am in the spare room (where I have taken over that closet too) putting together my outfit for the evening. I notice that our cat Sasha has been in her litter box for a long time. She looks to be straining. I holler out to Todd that something is up with Sasha. I stop getting ready and watch her and start talking to her. She finishes and slowly walks out of the room. I realize something is not right. I follow her. She jumps up on our bed next to Todd. He rolls her over to give her belly some rubs and see what's up. Sasha's little body gets super rigid and shaky and her eyes are huge and look to be in shock. I FLIP! "We are going to the Vet. Call them and see if they are still open." Sasha continues to lay in the same position on her back and looks to be in the most pain of her life. I realize that I failed to do something very important when I moved into Todd's house.....come up with an emergency plan for our pets. Where do you take your pet when the vet's office is closed? At my condo I had a plan. I had a list of 4-5 24-hour vet emergency rooms....with phone numbers....vet's names (that had been researched)....and directions on how to get there. Let's keep in mind folks.....we now live in the MIDDLE of NOWHERE. I have to drive freaking 20 minutes for a freaking grocery store. I start getting really upset....saying something to the tune of, "When a person is hurt you call 911. What do you do for a pet when you live in the middle of nowhere? She is gonna die on this bed because I didn't make a plan." Todd...being the level headed one tells me to go get her carrier out of the garage and he will find a place for us to go. We hop in the car. I drive. Fast. To the emergency room vet. Sasha normally cries the whole time she is in the car. The car means 2 things to her. The vet or I am dropping her off somewhere to be watched. Both bad news for wee kitties. Her cries are getting really faint and I keep saying to Todd, "What is she doing? Are her eyes open?" "She's just laying here. Her eyes are open," he said. We get to the vet and the doctor takes a look at her. Now she is just really quiet and acting like she is ok with her head on my shoulder. Whew. The vet works her over and determines that Sasha has a bad bladder infection. The pain is overwhelming for her so that is why she had the shock episode. She gives me antibiotics & pain pills (where are the pain pills for the mamma?) and a $150 bill (I would have paid $500) and off we go. Now if you have ever had a bladder infection...the pain IS overwhelming. Feels like you have to pee 24 hours a day and when you DO pee.....oh boy....like glass is shooting out of you. Poor little girl. She is feeling better today. I have been putting some extra water in her tuna to help rehydrate her and have been giving her the medicine. She is back to bossing Barkley around and doesn't seem to be living in the litter box. They are right about what they say about pets being good training for parenthood. I will always have a plan.

Birthday

My dear hubby gave me the coolest birthday present. A black and gray TREK 4300 ASL mountain bike. It is sweeeeeet! I absolutely love it. I have been riding a crappy bike that I got from Sears 15 plus years ago that was painful to see and ride. The gears skipped and would make a nasty grinding noise. No more!

My birthday isn't for a couple more weeks....but he couldn't wait to give it to me. Plus, a bike is hard to hide.

Woo hoo! And the beauty of this is....I will probably get ANOTHER gift ON my birthday. All around...it's works out for me! :)