Suds Sagas

;-)

2010-07-20T18:40:00.000-07:00

its nice being good, gooder and goodest....

im back...

2010-07-14T13:25:00.000-07:00

well, im back...its been almost 2 years since my last post and i think its time.....more to come.

my time out.

2008-07-13T19:12:00.000-07:00

ahhh, on sat the 19th, ill be leaving for vacation with my brother and sis-in-law to go up to nisswa, mn. to the good old days resort. its the first real vacation ive taken since jamaica in 2005. it may not seem like a big deal, but im leaving nana for other people to care for her. even 3 years ago she was more self sufficient than now. we have our routine and shes used to it, so im gonna try my best to keep that on track even though it will take 3 people. i just went out to say goodnight and take her fresh water and her sleeping pill and she said to me, "i dont know what im gonna do without you here." THAT tugged at my heart, because most of the time i dont really feel like she cares....and that tells me she does. now i have to try and not feel guilty for leaving her. you all have no idea how much i need this time away. my sis (kris) and family from houston will be there. kev and julies mom and dad and abbie (niece) and her husband from eagle, co, chad (nephew) and hollie and their 3 kids from witchita falls...anyway, it should be good times...i just hope i dont drink too much and take a long walk off a short pier...

2008-06-16T19:19:00.000-07:00

i dont even know where to start. last week was a bad dream, but very real. i guess we were one of the lucky ones and i use the term lightly. we live on the bank of the cedar river in cedar terrace addition in waterloo...there has never been any water, in the house, to speak of in the 45 years the house has been built. this time...although the water never actually came up to the house, (thank goodness for the 4 ft tall wall of sandbags) but in the span of 6 hours the basement went from an inch of water to 2 feet overnight. it was weird, but when we were told to evacuate, it was the eve before the morning of the crest, so no one as far as we know left. if you were paying attention to the news at all...the fact that the worst was over was enough for us to stay and tough it out. needless to say, it was a restless night trying to sleep and not because the river was 15 feet from my window, but mostly because of the noise of the rushing water...so LOUD!!! we never lost power, although 6 houses down lost ALL utilities for 5 days, but with a dry basement.(we had the gas turned off for 4 days) our water was coming in thru the bottom step of the basement. i suppose with all the sandy saturated ground. anyway...so far weve had to get a new water heater...im keeping my fingers crossed on the washer, dryer, and furnace. today crandall construction came and started to strip the basement...it was pretty emotional and i was at my breaking point by 6. they had to go, i had to have time to digest it all. now most of it is in the front yard...what next? tomorrow the carpeting and paneling will come off and the drying process will begin...ill let you know how all that goes...all i can see is $$$, with nothing covered in household insurance so far. just poke my eyes out now.

2008-06-10T19:31:00.000-07:00

does anyone have a sump pump we can use? :-(

a REAL vacation!!!

2008-05-30T09:18:00.000-07:00

ive been trying to plan a much needed vacation for me this summer. the only problem was in trying to find a nana-sitter so that i could feel halfway confident being gone for 10 days. jon will be here, but hell be working and isnt the most attentive. anyway, this morning the gal thats been doing her hair for 20ish years came over and i asked her if she could help out by coming over at least once a day. her vacation is the first week of july and mine is the middle to end, so she said "sure"! so yay! now i can have some away time for the first time since jamaica.

30 hours.

2008-05-29T19:49:00.000-07:00

its been a different summer break at our house. jon is here (well, mostly hes not) and davey is still living down in iowa city. yesterday davey came back for a dentist appointment before he starts his summer class next week. and jon, well, he mostly stays out all night and then sleeps all day. that however, will stop tomorrow though, because he starts work at lost island and also starts an online class on monday. while davey was here yesterday he decided to fix his back brakes...well, that was good because he saved me probably $150 by doing them himself...but then i took him grocery shopping this evening before he left town and spent at least that much. hmmm....

2008-05-28T14:22:00.000-07:00

ok, so i thought this was true with only a couple of guys i know...but both my sons have informed me that its pretty much true with all males that do their own laundry...that they only have one kind of sock because they are too lazy to match them up after washing???!!! is this really true?

2008-05-28T14:18:00.000-07:00

happiness is packing winter clothes away and finding a $10 bill in a jeans pocket!

2008-05-27T16:00:00.000-07:00

i cant believe i just closed the windows and turned on the heat in the house on may 27th. jeesh!

cemetery adventures

2008-05-25T17:50:00.000-07:00

a few weeks ago, nana asked me to go and buy flowers for both my grandfather and step-grandfathers graves. i dont know how she knew it was getting close to memorial day, but she did. anyhow, i bought a wreath for each. as it happens, they are at 2 different cemeteries. well, we dont drive her car often, mostly only when i take her out to appointments. i decided to take her out on tues to visit the graves and take flowers. ANY time i take her out, its quite a long process anymore. i got the keys from her and tried to start the car about a half hour before we were ready to leave. of course....dead battery. i put it on the charger for a quick charge and within 20 minutes we were on our way. usually, just driving it a few miles rejuvenates the battery, but not this time. first we went out to my step-grandfathers by allen hospital. i found his grave easily and didnt even bother to shut off the car. then we went to my grandpas, which is alot closer. im embarrassed to say i had trouble finding his grave site. i got pissed and shut the car off. BIG MISTAKE. i finally found it, set up the flowers and went back to start back home. click, click....we called AAA, and within 15 minutes we were on our way. once we got home i decided to hook up the charger again....this time i left it on a little too long, i think, because i think i boiled the crap out of it...ooops. pretty sure it needed a new battery anyway...but i want to make sure im not stranded in the car with nana again...no offense.

jon is home.

2008-05-17T10:09:00.000-07:00

yesterday was a fine day to move. i had arranged for a u-haul trailer in iowa city to move jon out of the dorm. i would have liked to get started sooner than we did, but i wanted to make a stop in cedar rapids first and i knew that thursday, being the last day for both kids finals, they wouldnt be up and around til noon or after anyway. i finally got to the dorm after stopping at a couple of my favorite iowa city stores on the south side of town. of course everyone else in town thought it was a good day to move out as well. it took an hour to get a cart, and of course jon wanted to wait for davey to help, and he had a job interview at 2. i, on the other hand, HAD to stay with the car and trailer because of how i had to park in the lot. i didnt plan on helping anyway. davey finally showed up at 3:15 and said he couldnt stay long because of his weekly chiropractic appointment in davenport. i told him he could stay and help and go ANYTIME next week. that idea and dinner at texas roadhouse convinced him to stay. anyway, all went well and i was on the road home by 6:30. so it will be nice to have at least one boy home for summer. davey plans on staying in iowa city for the summer for once. hes got his MBA driving job back, on tuesdays this time. and will still work at the U OF I hospitals and clinics at least 3 days a week. so yeah, its time for me to start buying serious groceries and cooking again. YAY!!!

my mothers day.

2008-05-14T12:59:00.000-07:00

i had kind of a lonely mothers day. i was counting on seeing the boys in the morning, but that didnt work out. they couldnt come home for the day because of all the studying for finals. i did get a beautiful bouquet of flowers on saturday from them and then on sunday, jon texted me and davey called to wish me happy day!...and then i had to work a closing shift at work.

mothers day.

2008-05-11T08:11:00.000-07:00

biology is the least of what makes someone a mother....
oprah w.

today is mothers day, and i miss my mom. i remember back when my kids were very young and mothers day was a new celebration, wed always race to see who would call who first to wish each other happy mothers day. it might sound corny, but to me, being a mother is my single greatest achievement. i love you mom.

friendship.

2008-05-10T11:49:00.000-07:00

friendship is the comfort, the inexpressible comfort of feeling safe with a person having neither to weigh thoughts or measure words, but pouring all right out as they are chaff and grain together, certain that a faithful friendly hand will take and sift them, keep what is worth keeping and, with a breath of kindness blow the rest away. d. craik.

2008-05-08T14:18:00.001-07:00

i think i would like to go and see CHER in vegas.

im cheezing.

2008-05-08T13:15:00.000-07:00

why is it called cheezing, you ask? because it is FON to DUE!!!! teehee.

a new bar.

2008-05-07T19:29:00.000-07:00

on most wednesday nights usually @7, around 8 of us girls hang out and have dinner, drinks and conversation. we rotate between amigos, both OP'S and chapala. but tonight we tried the new downtown waterloo bar called SCREAMING EAGLE. great place!! good tenderloins, good fries and good beer. they also have live music on the weekends. i would still be there right now, if i didnt have to open at work tomorrow. when i asked for my bill, i told the waitress either she could charge me for the glass with their logo on it or i was gonna steal it...haha. she said i could buy it for $3. in the end, it wasnt on my bill...oh well, after the crappy mental health day i had today, it was just the medicine i needed. good times.

2008-05-07T11:34:00.000-07:00

this is an apology for anyone out there who thinks i demand way too much from them as a friend. peace...

lazy

2008-04-25T07:43:00.000-07:00

this week ive been a lazy lady, especially in the kitchen. i havent been home for ONE meal. lets just go thru the week. monday evening i was sleeping by 7, so i actually skipped dinner.(who, me?) tues, had dinner out with deb at red lobster, because i was craving shrimp and lobster pizza. and besides, it was shrimply tuesday. wed, i went out with the girls like we do almost every wed to amigos for cheap margaritas...i was in the mood for mexican, but i ended up getting fries and wings (i still say they were sparrow wings and NOT chicken!) lol...anyway, then, last night we had a work gathering to say goodbye to some partners that are leaving...some good beef AND chicken lasagna, and just 3 mojitos. it sounds like i have dinner plans tonight as well, but i have no idea where yet. sooo lets just say ive eaten very well this week, but didnt cook anything myself. if i didnt know better, id say i had somewhat of a life. but not really.

2008-04-18T22:21:00.000-07:00

so....i was thrilled that i could actually wear our newest promo work shirt in only an extra-large and still fit "everyone" in?....on the front of it says, bold. well, i was in the restroom tonight at work and noticed as i was looking in the mirror......its says blob...

awesome day

2008-04-14T20:36:00.000-07:00

i am having the best time with kristen being here these past 4 days! today julie, kris and i spent the day at amana. we started out at 10 with our pitcher of mimosas to drink on the way. once there, we had a great family style meal and shopped quite a few of the local shops. one of the first perfect days weve had in a long time. we didnt spend much but it was kristens first time there so it was just fun hanging out together. then tonight, she treated us again to one of her delicious meals and about 3 bottles of wine. tomorrow shell be leaving around the time im opening, but it will be only a few short months before we are all together again for vacation in minnesota. i can hardly wait!!! good times...

julie-50 viagra-10

2008-04-12T11:40:00.000-07:00

hi all, im having the after effects of one of the most kick-ass parties ever! we celebrated my sister-in-laws 50th b-day party last night at the good old moose lodge in washburn. it started at 6 with an all you could eat fish fry....followed by free flowing beer, cocktails and kareoke till midnight. we sang and danced our asses off as the night wore on. the best part of the evening came when kristen, our sister from houston, made her grand entrance. my brother had finally spilled the surprise to me earlier in the day, but julie had no idea. i still cant believe he kept it hidden from all of us for a month. she came up by herself so she invited me to spend the night with her at her suite at the casino. when they finally kicked us out of the lodge, we went back to the room and talked until at least 2:30 am just catching up on everything and general sister talk...sooo nice. this morning, we had our starbucks coffee with baileys and the breakfast buffet at 10 and checked out, as shell be staying at kev and julies til tues. and to think i ALMOST tried to take on extra work hours yesterday...something told me not to. anyway, i have the rest of today and monday and then she goes back early tues.

oh yeah, the viagra thing? april 11, 1998, was when viagra was born.

2008-04-09T17:08:00.000-07:00

did you all know that a 12 oz. glass of guinness beer has only 126 calories and 10 carbs??? and here i thought it was more like a beer milk shake...who KNEW??? :-)

AND, my fast-food burger of choice, the big mac, has 540 calories compared to the super-fatty whopper/cheese, has 760. im just sayin.

paid for getting rear-ended

2008-04-03T17:12:00.000-07:00

happiness is getting an insurance check in the mail for my accident.

and BTW...THIS IS MY 100TH POST!!!

just.plain.gross.

2008-03-27T15:28:00.000-07:00

so...i was at work today folding a new delivery of clean bar towels and what did i see in between 2 of them? a hair. a dark hair. a dark short hair. a dark short CURLY hair. gross.

im that person.

2008-03-16T13:44:00.000-07:00

on saturday morning i had an 8 am appointment to have the transmission flushed in my car. it went well and my car was driving with a new gusto. i picked up a couple of things at hyvee and headed home. well, i always take the "back roads" home past the casino and water park. traveling thru the old apac parking lot , i noticed there was some water over the road and didnt think much of it , so i did slow down and drove thru it pretty slowly. i knew right away i was in trouble and under that water was the pothole from hell on earth. there wasnt much i could do but just keep on going and once i turned the corner to get on hess road, i noticed that my car was swerving to the right. i was losing air in that tire. shit...i wasnt in the mood to try and change a tire, so i called AAA and had them come and change it...so yeah...note to self, do not drive thru standing water anywhere...or be prepared to go tire shopping.

a productive day off.

2008-03-12T15:19:00.000-07:00

normaly, i like to stay home on my days off, but today, being almost springlike...i needed to get out and be IN the day! first of all i slept in til 9!!! rare for me, and then as soon as i was thinking about breakfast kyle called and we firmed up lunch plans for 11. no breakfast for me, just coffee. i made my to do list for the day, gave nana a huge breakfast and left for the day by 10:30. we had a lovely lunch at garys, got caught up on our lives and then i went about my errands and kyle SAID he was gonna study. haha, anyway, heres what i accomplished 4 hours:
!. went to hudson to pick up jons yearbook.
2. while there, went to "the shop" to get an estimate to get my back bumper fixed.
3. went to jiffy lube for an oil change (too busy) couldnt wait.
4. went to crossroads auto repair for my 2nd estimate, got turned down cause they dont paint.
5. went to sbux to get an iced coffee and hang out for a minute with my boss and new partners.
6. went back to jiffy lube and this time waited for 30 minutes ( i had to, sooo overdue and your car smiles afterwards)
7. went to community motors for my 2nd estimate on the bumper. (yay, done with all that)
8. time for my 3 pm haircut, a new girl but darn it i wanted it done today! got MANY hairs cut and i love it!!! dayna will be my new girl.
9. went to bath and body works and got some wall flowers to smell up the house.
10. went to cvs and picked up nanas meds i was out of.
11. home!!!
now doing a load of laundry and want to make banana bread so kyle can take some home with him. and then, going out with julie and the girls at 7 to the university OP to get my drink on just a little bit. whew.......what a day!!!

a day out for nana

2008-03-11T14:49:00.000-07:00

the last time nana was out of the house was around her 100th birthday back in november when we went to the morrison steak house for ribs to celebrate. the last time we were at the doctor was back in late october for her flu shot. doc said he didnt want to see her again until after she turned 100, so as i kept refilling her pills thru this nasty winter, i knew the time was coming that we had to see him. during flu season, i hate to take her ANYWHERE where she may pick up a bug, including a doctors office or even walmart. anyway, i knew she was getting antsy to get outside. reluctantly, i agreed yesterday, since the sun was shining and it was above freezing. so, i made the appointment for 4:15, since i would be home from work by 12 and wed have plenty of time to get ready. well... it is a process. you have no idea. first its bathtime, and then just getting ready. we needed to leave by 3:45 to be on time. i tried to start her car at 3:30, it wouldnt start so i had to hook it up to a charger for 15 minutes or so. then by the time i got her in the car to actually leave it was already 4:15...we rolled in to his office at 4:50 and he was waiting for her. he doesnt do much but check her vitals and chat awhile and make over her for being 100 years old, anyway, it makes her day. she said something about her aching knees and he replied, " youre supposed to have a few aches and pains, youre 100!!!" so yeah, he updates the meds ,changing nothing and said to come back in in 6 months. he actually said that if next time she didnt feel like coming in the office he would make a house call, what a guy. didnt think that happened anymore...so were done and on the drive home, she asked if id mind stopping at walmart, i didnt feel like it, but agreed, then once i was almost there, she said" i really dont care if we go to walmart or not". i know just being out for the hour we were poops her out. me too! it was good to get her out for time to get some fresh air and i know she slept well last night.

TMTH

2008-03-06T17:40:00.000-08:00

umm, let me say that a different way...what i dont know about computers sucks...sooo, at the moment i think i have a new browser in control, but i still cant get thru to amazon or ebay because of firewall or proxy settings and im giving up for tonight, or im gonna poke my eyes out or slash my throat. or worse.

computers suck.

2008-03-05T19:39:00.000-08:00

so i was having a nice quiet day off, getting some laundry done...etc...then i thought id maybe do some online shopping at amazon...i didnt think much of it when i tried to go to amazon last week and couldnt...i just thought maybe it was too busy or whatever. so i would just try a couple of times a day, but since i wasnt really gonna shop...i put it outta my mind. then today, when it still said " internet explorer cannot display the webpage"...i started freaking out. i tried all the other places i go and i also cannot go to ebay either. do any of you have any ideas of things for me to try that can be explained in a comment? there has to be an explaination...can a browser be broken? i dont understand how it can work one week and not the next. anyway, thanks, now go ahead a make fun of me.

OMG...a bacon and chocolate candy bar!!!

2008-03-04T15:54:00.000-08:00

i was reading one of my favorite authors blog just now and came across a website...vosgeschocolate.com...MINI MO'S BACON BAR!!! that has to be as wonderful as chocolate covered potato chips!

MORE ice, ice, baby...

2008-03-03T05:22:00.000-08:00

i hate winter.

2008-03-01T16:46:00.000-08:00

ya want to know what im fuckin sick of? all the streets and the ice ridges you have to try and drive thru...im afraid my car is gonna fall apart, and when its kinda melting and slushy, why in the hell arent they out scraping it off? THEN, when you finally are on a street thats clear of ice buildup, you can lose a wheel by falling into a giant pothole! so on a day when its kinda warm, like 30ish, why isnt someone patching or at least filling up some of the holes with that black crap? jeeze, our tax $$$ at work...and no, i dont feel any better after writing this, but i will after i have a pomatini with my sister whos here visiting...

when i work.

2008-02-29T14:27:00.000-08:00

this is for any of you who would like to have dinner/lunch with me in the coming week...
sun-off
mon-12-6
tues-8-4:30 (waterloo)
wed-off
thurs-5-1:30 (waterloo)
fri-off
sat-5-12:30
sun-5-1:30
this is not as pathetic as it sounds...one person who reads it will totally understand. haha.

happy hump day!

2008-02-27T19:54:00.000-08:00

brake job-$318
1st black suit, right off the rack, shirt and tie-$158
2 new shirts for me-$12
lunch with a friend and dinner with the kids-PRICELESS!

ooops...

2008-02-22T10:12:00.000-08:00

well, it happened, but no one was embarassed, thank goodness. andrew was to bring bailey here, so i could dog sit over the weekend. well, i had the quiche and monkey bread in the oven. i was busy picking stuff up and vacuming when i went over to refold the blanket in the chair that our dog, angel likes to sleep in. i wondered what the heck that blue thing was, kinda "buried" and barely visable in the folds of the blanket. OMG...it wasnt a DOG toy.i cant remember being so careless.there were no teeth marks, but i cant help wondering if she wanted to use it.

shitty day.

2008-02-20T11:16:00.000-08:00

i took my 1st new b.p. pill today...i cant tell except that i feel weak and am in a pissy mood. i asked doc yesterday what would cause my blood pressure to change that drastically since september...change in diet? NO. change in exersise? RIGHT. more stress in my life? BINGO!!! your body can be under a ton of stress and you dont even realize its getting worse until your health starts suffering. so yeah, how do i get that reduced, you got me, but i have a feeling more alcohol is not gonna be part of the plan. on that note, im taking a nap.

ill be fine.

2008-02-19T16:17:00.000-08:00

well, i finally got the nerve to head to the doctor to check out my high blood pressure situation. not that anyone would care but maybe matt and tom.(haha) i havent heard from the rest of you guys here, in awhile. anyway, today it was 160/100. on the 9th is was 180/120. we decided to change my medicine to AMLODIP/BENZ 10/20. I am also having blood work done for thyroid and kidney function and early diabetes. i love my doctor though, dr. pranger...he just became a dad for the 8th time...anyway, he really takes his time with you and explains stuff, and tells me like it is. so were gonna see how this works and im to go back in 6-8 weeks...i feel better already.

a new pan.

2008-02-18T17:55:00.000-08:00

ok, i know this is weird, but i love my new pan. during my excursion to TJ MAXX on valentines day, i found 2 new pans. one is a very small ALL-CLAD sauce pan for $20 and a LODGE cast iron grill pan...a big one! that was just $12...i already had a small grill pan but its not deep enough and when you use it, crap spatters all over cause you really dont want to cover it. anyway, this one is really nice and already seasoned and the burgers ALMOST taste like you cooked them outside...seeing how we may get to grill outside again by june! so i had a hamburger last night and one tonight...ahhh, now its time for bed already cause i open tomorrow, even though i just got home an hour ago...bed, the best part of the day.

what i have realized.

2008-02-14T18:46:00.000-08:00

sometimes the more i ask for something, no matter how directly or indirectly, the less likely i am to get it.

valentines day is not just for lovers.

2008-02-14T14:09:00.000-08:00

valentines day is a holiday ive always been pretty much indifferent to, except for back in my dating days. anyway, i have the day off and was hoping to spend it at home (ok, maybe wallowing in a little self pity, so what?) i ended up having lunch with dave and our friends, steve and arleen. those three try and eat out together once a month or so and i am never able to join them for one reason or another...usually im working. so today it worked out. then kyle came over and put a couple of cds on my computer...now im heading back to town cause i think i need to buy something at tjmaxx. i might feel better. i cant seem to shake this blue funk im in and i have mom on my mind alot today too because it happens to be her birthday...anyway, i have jelly beans now and im about ready to make a cosmo and put a frozen pizza in the oven. happy valentines day to me...happy birthday to you, mom. i love you.

mail order misery

2008-02-13T11:37:00.000-08:00

i was so excited when my cvs pharmacy order came in the mail today! its the cheapest place to get canus products. i love the goats milk soap and lotion. so fresh smelling and lots of moisture! anyhow, i was unpacking and at the bottom of the box there was the lotion, all 33 ounces of it. the only problem was the pump top was broken completely off. damn! all the stuff was poorly packed anyway, with a couple of pillow packs, so i called customer service and since it was under $20, she said shed ship another one to me, and i could throw the other one away....right, i doubt ill actually do that, but at least ill get one that functions....damn, we pay more and more for postage AND shipping and HANDLING, youd think the least they could do is get stuff to us unbroken. damn agravating.

2008-02-12T18:13:00.000-08:00

my onion rings were ok, but way too greasy, i threw most of them away and i have 4 candles lit to get rid of the smell...right at the moment i would kill for jelly beans.

another snow day.

2008-02-12T15:59:00.000-08:00

is it just me, or do all the weather news folk seem all too giddy forecasting even MORE snow for valentines day? yesterday thru today, we got 3.3 more inches. i am on my 4th day off and i decided to go out and push snow off the deck and off the end of the driveway where the plow mounds it up, rather than call denny this time. i may need him more by friday, and this dump was nice and fluffy and easy to push around. i also had my furnace guy here to check it out and clean it. i was thinking about going to a movie, but now that its dark, im not goin anywhere. i can smell the loaf of wheat bread i just took out of the oven, and im just about ready to make homemade beer battered onion rings...i know you want some.

2008-02-11T14:40:00.000-08:00

i want nate berkus to come to MY house...i need a makeout...errr...oops, my house needs a makeover! :-)

high blood pressure and me.

2008-02-09T12:08:00.000-08:00

sooo, today three co-workers and i did a volunteer thing for the juvenile diabetes research foundation, and while we were there, we had the chance to have our blood pressure checked. well, ive been on b.p. medicine for at least 10 years now and have always been able to keep it under control-around 140/72 ish. today it was 180/120!!! i freaked out just a little until i realized i may not have taken my pill yet, but then i realized i had when i got home...i HAVE been having some really weird symptoms lately and drinking alot of caffeine, more than usual. i also took into account that you cant really go by what a nurse in the mall says your pressure is. after all, she used a generic small cuff and took it over my shirt sleeve.....anyway, sometime in the next week, i plan on going to have it checked at my docs office....

i did it.

2008-02-08T19:41:00.000-08:00

i made a dish tonight that i had been so afraid to make from scratch, but since it was a special request, i decided to give it a try. chicken fettuccini alfredo. it was a hit!!! along with the brownies with reeses in them. yum!

snow emergency...

2008-02-05T17:51:00.000-08:00

just exactly what is a snow emergency? this is what it means to me... every damn time it decides to DUMP a foot, the very next day, i have to open at work. its not like my road is gonna be plowed at 4:40 am, so ill have to leave at 4:30...fuckity, fuck.fuck.

update...

2008-02-04T06:48:00.000-08:00

sooo, in the light of day...i went to go start coffee, and remembered my lost roll that would have been so good this morning (i was even going to split it with nana) i decided to look around in the living room chairs where angel likes to hide stuff. over in the corner, there it was...she hadnt even eaten any of it, its like she just put it there...for later. im sure she thought shed buried it. haha, silly dog. now its out in the front yard for whoever wants to carry it away...and i have to eat toast.

that little bitch.

2008-02-03T21:35:00.000-08:00

i have to say even though im not a football fan at ALL, it was a pretty amazing game...a few really funny commercials, a good halftime show, plenty of food, drink and conversation equals a good time. lets go back to the beginning of the day...i opened this morning and as soon as our 3rd person came in, we decided we needed breakfast from panera. we got the egg quiches that they make over there and i decided to take a pastry home to have tomorrow morning at home. anyway, i got home today by 12 and left the pastry in a small shopping bag with my markout and apron sitting on the floor. i went about making the spinach artichoke dip and then decided i had time for a nap. i got up at 5 and left for the party....and when i got home at 11:30, there was the panera bag with a hole ripped in the end of it WITH NO PASTRY IN IT!!! ANGEL!!!SHE ATE THE WHOLE THING!!! or she has it buried in one of the chairs...damn. double damn.

the day.

2008-02-02T13:53:00.000-08:00

a nice day at home. i LOVE my saturdays off. im really trying hard lately to just stay home and enjoy "me" time when i can. i was toying with the idea of going to the movie, "ATONEMENT", but its only in cedar falls, and im not going over there on the one day i dont NEED to. it will be here awhile. i did go out to my car and clean it out...you guys will get a kick outta this...i found the end of a loaf of banana bread in there (i dont know, i probably took it to work, didnt finish it and just forgot about it,so what?)anyhow, i threw it out into the front yard for the damn squirrels or geese. well, about an hour later, i was peeling potatoes for potato salad and i looked out the kitchen window and there were about 6 big black crows/ravens (as big as chickens, scott!!) they were fighting over the bread...haha...what a sight! then one of them finally got most of it in his mouth and off he flew...so that was my thrill for the day, so far...i also cleaned out my junk drawer in the kitchen, threw shit out, and washed all of my hot pad holders (have ya'all looked at yours? ill bet they could use it!) been wanting to do that forever!!! its weird cause i usually love my nap , but today i dont seem to be needing one. then beth called and asked me to open for her tomorrow instead of close, and im all giddy about that because now i can go to the super bowl party everyone was going to except me!!! YAY!!! i guess ive blabbed long enough for now, and i might lay down after all...

seriously.

2008-01-31T12:11:00.000-08:00

since none of you are paying any attention to my blog lately (except for kyle), i thought id change the template. am i THAT boring? are you THAT busy? come on people!

a leak.

2008-01-30T18:50:00.000-08:00

last night i went downstairs to the basement to find a black shirt i had washed a while ago...since daveys been back to school, i use his bed to throw clean laundry on until i decide i want/need it. anyway, i noticed there was water on the floor of the laundry room. hmmm, then i heard the hissing sound, i looked up in the corner behind the dryer and saw a pipe spraying a fine mist...great, now what??? not much i could do at 9 pm but pick wet clothes up off the floor. i had to open and decided id ask at work who to call for a plumber. all i could think of was how much it could cost...anyway, we had a couple of pens laying around for a bergen plumbing and heating...why not, i thought? i called on my lunch and he could come over at 2...he was a nice guy and was here for almost an hour fixing 2 leaks...and the bill was only $77...not as bad i thought it would be. the whole episode stressed me out enough that i was sleeping tonight by 7:30, or maybe it was also because i put a pastry AND rp order away by myself this morning by 9...yes i did...YAWN....

happiness is...

2008-01-30T13:09:00.000-08:00

happiness is not getting a speeding ticket. driving down university ave on my way to work at 4:45 in the morning usually there is very little traffic if any at all. well, today i noticed headlights approaching from behind me...i was going at LEAST 55 in a 45 mile zone. then, i notice the car beside me as he is even going faster than i am...its a cop, going faster than i am...probably late for his breakfast at perkins or getting off work...YAY!!! I slowed down just a bit...

an empty coat rack and mom.

2008-01-21T16:47:00.000-08:00

can i be in a blue funk for a day or so? jon left to go back yesterday around 1, he had to work at 3. i had to work at 4, it was a good thing for me, because i was distracted the better part of the night. when i got home at 12, it hit me, for the past month, thats when our house came to life. i came in and nothing, dead quiet, no shoes to trip over at the door, no overflow of coats on my new coatrack, no dirty dishes all over the house, no sounds of gunfire as the 2 of them fight it out playing call of duty 4...i miss the heck outta both of them, and today is also the 1st anniversary of my moms death...so yeah...i went to work today and because of the shitty weather, we werent that busy, but i pretty much absorbed myself into deep cleaning and trying to keep my mind off things....then tonight, a few tears, a dinner of leftovers(again), a couple of strong cocktails, a pity party, but just a small one...i think im entitled...

one gone, one to go...

2008-01-18T18:58:00.000-08:00

its empty nest time again, davey just left for his "home" in iowa city after his month long break for the holidays...he was here around 20 of the 30 days he was off. as he gets older, its more apparent that he has his own life, his own agenda and is less and less dependent on us to survive as he tries to figure out his future. its as it should be, but no less easier to let go. he made some important decisions while on break, and has decided to go another semester rather than graduate in may. hes going to double major after all and continue to work at the hospital and drive a prof to des moines every thurs for a class. him and his best friend of 10 years have decided they arent ready to divorce iowa city yet...they got a new apartment at the LODGE and are excited to be moving in july or august. ill sure miss him,but my grocery bill will be cut in half in no time! jon will be home til sunday...he loves school and its challenges, but totally hates the dorm life and lack of privacy. he was home for all of his break and so far weve seen 3 movies and plan to see one more. alot of his friends are still in high school or have come back from other colleges, so he was out alot socializing. hes looking forward to another (maybe tougher) semester and still working 15 hours a week at abercrombie. this was one of the nicest holidays ive had in a long time,even tho it was a little hard at first getting used to them staying up sometimes until i was getting up at 4 for work, and then they were just getting up when i got home by 2...and i know on monday i might have a case of the blues because of the empty nest again. but ill get over it, and ill just look forward to the next phone call from davey asking me,"mom, how do you thaw a pound of hamburger in a hurry?!"or a text from jon saying, " did you watch nip/tuck?" jeesh...im such a mom...

the best part of the day...

2008-01-15T18:48:00.000-08:00

bedtime. how many of you can say you LOVE your bed? i do. 2 comforters and 7 pillows on a twin bed. i love it and most of the time its the best part of my day. yawn!!!

feeding the birds...and the squirrels

2008-01-13T09:21:00.000-08:00

we feed the birds at our house. nana has always had at least one bird feeder as long as i can remember, and right now, we keep 3 filled, or at least try to just as soon as snow covers the ground. there is one in the backyard right in front of the picture window of her room, one in the back in front of the french doors, and one in the front yard under the tree. it gives nana hours of enjoyment watching all the different birds right outside her window, and i have to admit if i take the time to sit in the living room it is quite a stress reliever(what?me stressed?) i can also watch as im doing the dishes. the other day, i wished id had a video camera because a squirrel was trying to get to the bird seed. it was too cute and funny. hed climb up the pole and slide back down, try it again and slide back down, i think it was 3 or 4 times and finally he just gave up and ran off...persistent little bastard and im sure he was embarrassed...hopefully he went to go find all the nuts he stashed away in the fall. maybe ill go and get some ear corn for them, but as soon as you get squirrels coming into the yard, the birds get pissed and dont come around as often. anyway, for now, they are on their own.

the caucus that wasnt...

2008-01-03T19:37:00.000-08:00

so...im pretty sure tonight was my first experience at the caucuses. im not sure what i was doing 8 years ago, but i sure wasnt caucusing or if i was i dont recall it being so disorganized. it was a family affair and jon registered to vote for the first time. anyway, after standing in at least 2 lines for 2 1/2 hours, we got all the paperwork done and found where we were supposed to be. then we voted and we left...just like that...it was hardly worth all the effort, and i missed cocktail time with my sister...

i dont get it...

2007-12-30T18:00:00.000-08:00

this is beyond me...i dont understand how text messages can be ignored, i totally understand why someone wouldnt/couldnt actually talk on the phone at the moment, but ignore a text message? a NICE text message, especially since they are free and unlimited. its a super bummer. and a few other things. rude comes to mind...

getting my holiday on...

2007-12-20T16:19:00.000-08:00

hi there! i just had one of the best productive days off today. i pretty much finished up my shopping except for some candy for the stockings and even got it all wrapped. im just waiting for a couple of things to come in the mail yet and maybe send out a few cards...ahhh, for once im done before christmas eve! i left the house this morning around 9:30 and was home by 1:30. one of my favorite places to shop is TJ MAXX. you just never know what you are going to find and not even know that you NEEDED! i went in looking for some cute holiday towels and 1 hour and $66 later...i did find A towel. YAY!!! now its time for another pomatini and mindless tv. you all have a great night!!! XOXOXO

right....

2007-12-12T14:35:00.000-08:00

beware of the jean that says "instantly slims you".....they dont.

another 2 am knock on the door...

2007-12-08T15:37:00.000-08:00

So...i was happy with myself for getting to bed by 9:30 last night, since i had to be up by 4 am. earlier in the evening my dad had called and i noticed the phone had alot of static in the background, but i didnt give it too much thought at the time as long as i could hear him. about 9 i went out to give nana her sleeping pill, let angel out one last time, and turned off the tree. i set my sleep timer for 30 minutes and went to bed. the next thing i heard was the doorbell...NO one rings the doorbell, i thought i was dreaming and then i heard knocking...finally angel came out of her sleep and started barking. i looked at the clock, it was 2 am. ugh...i went to the door and there stood a police officer....my heart started racing, because its never good news to have THEM at your door in the middle of the night. he proceeded to tell me that there had been a "hang up" 911 call from our address. weird...he wanted to make sure all in the house was ok...we (suddenly there were 2 of them) all went ahead and checked on nana. she was in bed, but not totally asleep, i asked her if shed used the phone and she said no. she was fine. puzzled, we went into the main house and checked the phone---dead. weird again...one of the cops unplugged the cordless, because he said sometimes that makes a difference...(what?) anyhow, they seemed satisfied all was ok, and when i told them the phone was full of static earlier, they just advised me to call the phone company in the morning. well, when i got up at 4, the phone was working again just fine. tonight i asked nana if she remembered any of what took place last night and she said , no. i wonder if right before your phone goes dead, a 911 call does go through to the police??? does anyone know?

the rest of the day...

2007-12-06T16:58:00.000-08:00

as the snow continues to fall, im thankful i dont have to work til 7:30 in the morning...i just finished planting my new amaryllis bulb. ive never had one before and it was one of my frivolous purchases this morning. i also made deviled eggs, which i dont make very often either, because they dont turn out as well as andrews, but i have to say this time they VERY close... VERY...maybe better....yum!!! i found a new cola thats a great mixer with seagrams....JAZZ DIET PEPSI-CARAMEL CREAM!!!! its time to eat and watch the best night of tv of the week. peace out friends...

fun with sue and angel

2007-12-06T13:08:00.000-08:00

a day off! i had alot of plans, but sometimes the best days off are more filled with spontaneous stuff. last night was very late with a little too much wine (huh? did i say that?) so i had hoped on sleeping in a little later than 8, but not so much. i didnt know what i was making to eat for dinner, but a meatloaf sounded good, with baked beans and mashed potatoes. i decided to go to get some supplies early to beat the storm, so i made nana breakfast and rushed out the door. i had had some coffee before i left, but didnt eat...BIG mistake to get groceries when youre hungry, i should know better....anyway $140 later and my gas tank full i headed home. the only things i REALLY needed were birdseed, potting soil, a plastic flower pot and the new HONEY BUTTER RITZ, that everyone has been out of. oh well, i could be snowbound for days now and us and the birds would be just fine! when i got home angel wanted to help me unload the car, so i let her out in the front yard...her daily exersise is to run out to the mailbox as fast as she can and pee and then be ready to run back as soon as i get out there to get the mail. she always beats me. today we did that and then in the time it took me to unload the stuff from the car, she got to chase the black and white cat from next door, the bad thing about that is, if i dont call her back, shell chase and then forget where she is and cant find her way back home....(give her a break, shes 14ish) so i let her go about 3 houses away, and then called her back home...needless to say, shes pooped and has been sleeping the day away...i havent had my nap yet, but i have made the meatloaf and am gonna re-pot some plants, and if i dont nap by 4, i usually dont. time to water the tree and think about finishing dinner. you all have a great night!

they are gone again...

2007-11-25T16:02:00.000-08:00

soooo, how do i get over being sad to see the boys leave to go back to school? jon hasnt even left yet and im sitting here typing thru the tears. it was a relatively short visit this time. jon got home last sat night, and davey not til wed. it was so good to have them here...i didnt even get pissed about socks and clothes laying all over the place and the CONSTANT eating, (davey) or practically every light left on in the house and rockin the floors with DDR, (jon) or the 8 loads of laundry between them i did. i got the chance to REALLY cook, and it warmed my heart to hear them giggling from my room when davey was beating jon at HALO late into the night, even though i should have been sleeping. ahhh...im such a mom....it was all i could do to talk davey into staying til sat night, but he has alot to do as far as school work next week...hard to believe hes actually graduating next spring after all. jon will be leaving by 7 with a plate of the special order chocolate chip scones i make. we had wanted to get our tree this weekend but that didnt happen, so maybe next...anyway, i can hardly wait til dec 21, when they will both be home again for a whole month!!!!!

same rant every year around this time....

2007-11-21T16:33:00.000-08:00

heres the deal, i dont care to just sit down and eat a stalk of celery. i only use celery IN things like homemade stuffing. i need maybe....2 stalks, at the most. then, the rest of it sits in the drawer in the fridge til the NEXT time i make homemade stuffing which might be christmas. by that time ill need to buy ANOTHER bunch, cause what i had will be slimey and gross. i would love to be able to go to the store and buy 1 or 2 stalks....and thats it. and no, celery seed does not work as well. thats all i have to say about that. someone fix it.

one craptastic day...

2007-11-19T16:57:00.000-08:00

okay, maybe im being a LITTLE over dramatic...lets put it this way, i had a pretty nice morning and then when i had to leave the house at 3ish to do business "errands"...it all went to hell in a handbasket. i went to the building to find out about some deadbeat tennants who still owe us rent. anyhoo, there were some kind of important looking people across the street in nice cars and clipboards, and in the back there was a panel truck with a ladder on it with plates from nebraska. as ya all may or may not know, we are supposedly under chapter 13 bankruptcy protection. last week sometime all of the tennants there got letters telling them to pay their rents to a holding company in nebraska starting dec. 1. well, our chapter 13 isnt confirmed yet, so we really dont have a clue whats going on. anyway, enough for now, but im sure dave will get to the bottom of it tomorrow during " regular business hours"...i have to say that im so sick of the bullshit with owning property in this town, that it might be ok with me if we didnt own it anymore.....im just sayin.....on a brighter side, i was browsing some of the blogs i read and came across ALL of the FedEX KINKOS commercials...they frickin make me LOL....
make it.
print it.
pack it.
ship it.

DAUGHTRY ROCKS MY FACE OFF!!!!

2007-11-18T19:00:00.003-08:00

chris daughtry is kickin some major ass at the AMA show tonight!!!! 3 so far!

one busy week.

2007-11-18T18:24:00.000-08:00

well, thanksgiving week is finally here. it will be a busier than usual week for me. i am off work tomorrow, but since jon is home, im sure we will have plans i dont even know about yet.haha...ill be calling my sister at some point, as its her birthday and were now 5 hours apart...sniff...nana will be getting her hair done, in preparation for her 100th birthday dinner on tuesday night. her actual birthday is on saturday, but she wanted to go down to the morrison steak house to have their ribs that they only have on tuesday night. sooo yummy!!! then on tuesday during the day davey comes home...for this thanksgiving it will only be the 5 of us...since im working every day til AND til 11 on thurs. im not sure how much cooking will be from scratch or from a box...im thinking now....im ALREADY tired, so most likely the latter will be closer to the truth. anyway, ive already told the boys and dave i need to be in bed, sleeping by 8 that night, to be up by 2, for work by 3. as soon as the newspaper comes thurs, they will start planning their annual crazy shopping spree( yeah , theyre THOSE people) so yeah...then im off on sunday again....nice...and then 4 more weeks of holiday madness....CHEERS!!!!

2007-11-15T18:02:00.000-08:00

i miss my mom and dad...:-(

nana drinks starbucks...

2007-11-14T13:59:00.000-08:00

nana has always been somewhat of a coffee drinker, but always instant and she always thought that i made it way too strong as well. i decided that when i ran out of the instant we had id try and wean her over to my starbucks coffee. well, its been a month now and shes loves it...the only thing i do differently is put about an inch of hot water in the bottom of her cup and fill the rest with the good stuff. easy for me and she doesnt know the difference...YAY!!!
P.S. in 10 days she will be 100 years young!!!!

books, books, books

2007-11-14T13:57:00.000-08:00

my booklist has been revised due to a visit to the half price bookstore (i love that place)!!!

the rest of my birthday...

2007-11-14T13:28:00.000-08:00

i left town for the last 36 hours of my birthday. on sunday i went down to iowa city and had brunch with my sons at the iowa river power company. it was very nice and and i just had fun hanging out with them for most of the afternoon. i then went back up to cedar rapids to celebrate with andrew,scott and kyle. we had a delicious meal and a couple of drinks, but not too many because the bra i was wearing THIS year wasnt very pretty. anyhow...it was a very nice time. then, the next day, i went down to bettendorf to visit a bigger starbucks store to look at merchandise we dont get in ours. i bought a red teakettle to go in my mostly red kitchen. by the time i got back to iowa city, i was able to see the kids again between classes. while i was shopping, i got a call from eric at work inviting me to dinner, little did he know i was out of town, but it just so happened, he wanted to come to cedar rapids to eat at the vernon inn. that was perfect, we decided to meet at the half price book store and go from there since i didnt know where it was. after spending an hour and $70 at the bookstore, off we went to the "greek palace". it was fun, mostly because dining with eric is always entertaining, but also, ive never really had greek food before. we had a WONDERFUL greek wine, some appetizer called deep fried cheese they flambe ,with fresh pita bread....OMG...to pretty much die for. he had the sampler plate and i had spaghetti...it wasnt good...but i suppose italian, in a greek place....not so much. the dessert was also yummy! a custardy, baklava thingy...dripping with honey! also with dessert, we had coffee with frangelico in it...sooo good!!! it was finally time to go back home, kinda scary mostly because im so scared of me hitting a deer or a deer hitting me...(there were so many of them laying along the roadside that id seen during the weekend drive) i made it home by 10 incident free. it was a great 36 hours!!! thank you to all who helped make it memorable !!!

my birthday, so far.

2007-11-08T15:57:00.000-08:00

the past 2 days have been hectic, tiring, fun and just plain jam packed. it started with me opening yesterday and i didnt slow down til 3 this morning, so i was up for close to 24 hours. no nap for me, i did try, but couldnt. anyhow, i only worked til 9, then i went in for my flu shot and my doc let me have some meds for my arthritis, something called PIROXICAM. i had time to kill ,so i decided i wanted to sit in on 2 of my partners seminar at the U.A.W. hall. there were around 50 there so i actually was asked to help, it was fun, alot of ??? and interest. they even asked us to eat with them. then i had to be in court for an hour. about 2 i got a phone call from a florist telling me they wanted to make a delivery.it turned out my boys sent me the most beautiful bouquet of roses and other flowers!!!! ahhh...i had plans to go out to amigos with the girls, like we do almost every wednesday, only this time i had to go back to work at 9 to reset our store for holiday. good times there, my brother even showed up to celebrate with me(his is on the 10th), but because of work, i only had 2 drinks instead of 4...haha...i even got a phone call from my broker(i thought that was weird, but ok?)he is kinda cute....i made it to work on time and there sitting in our cafe was our DM....hmmmm...he said he was there to help...josh and i convinced him we were pretty organized and could handle it ok. dumb us(there was just sooo much red STUFF!!!)....6 hours later...i hobbled out of the store. i was sooo tired i almost went clear off the road into the ditch a 1/2 mile from home. around 1:30 we were hoping maybe greg would come back. of course, this morning i was awake by 8. a day off, but nana was to get her flu shot and shingle shot. jon surprised me by coming home, so we got his oil changed and HIS flu shot and had early dinner at texas roadhouse.(that was his choice) now hes on his way back and im actually almost ready for bed. im working at 7:30 so i can sleep in tomorrow too. yayay!!!

finally!!!

2007-11-06T16:03:00.000-08:00

for the past 3 weeks ive been craving chinese food. ok you arent surprised, but dont you guys ever have cravings for certain food(s)??? or is it a girl thing? first of all, i had a 9 1/2 hour work day today. i opened and was supposed to be off by 1:30, well, we had alot of stuff going on and a call in, and it was tip day, and we were supposed to have company....etc, before long it was after 2. i even took my lunch but didnt eat because the plan was to go to have chinese after work. since that didnt work out, i decided just to take it home...$16 worth!!! empress chix, and chefs special fried rice....soooo just what i wanted, FINALLY!!! and theres even enough for leftovers tomorrow! now im sleepy....

decisions...

2007-11-05T17:10:00.000-08:00

dont you love it when you get home from a manic day at work and the hardest decision you really HAVE to make is whether to drink rum or whiskey? who agrees?

the day...

2007-11-05T16:38:00.000-08:00

i havent got alot to say about the day, i usually dont work mondays, but today i worked in the back unpacking and organizing xmas stuff. that way, when we actually set it all up wednesday night, we can cut at least an hour off our time.its fun, because i got to see all the new things 1st and there are only a couple of things i actually want, believe it or not......SO MUCH RED!!! last night we had a great holiday meeting and potluck and then some of us went bowling. REALLY fun time!!! it also seems like jaws, my fish might be dead, or dying anyway...i dont think he likes the fact i keep it pretty cool in the house (65) so yeah, now im waiting for leftover lasagna and stuffed peppers to heat up and then early bed in order to get up at 4 tomorrow....you all have a nice week!!!!

21 top things that piss me off or make me sad.

2007-11-04T05:03:00.000-08:00

again, not in any particular order:
1. waking up before i need to.
2. when i burn food.
3. mean people.
4. losing control.
5. being ignored.
6. red lights.
7. junk mail (incliuding emails)
8. 0 comments on my blogs.
9. being late for work.
10. waiting for late people.
11. blank emails.
12. being messy at the bar at work.
13. the d.t. garbage.
14. the paper delivery guy.
15. melvin the milkman (whats he DOIN in that cooler?)
16. unreturned phone calls.
17. feeling invisible.
18. too few phone calls just to say hi.
19. that im not more patient than i am (apparently it also pisses other people off too)but i dont know how to change that.
20. being misunderstood.
21. being alone and lonely and mad that it makes me sad. (if you can understand that!)
im sure there are more that add stress to my life....now i need to go make lasagna for work....

speaking of books.

2007-11-03T16:47:00.000-07:00

the next book im reading will be the one we are selling at work. "the kite runner". all who have already read it says its very good, so we will see. i figure maybe it will help me be better able to sell it, if i can speak to it. anyhow, i do have a wish list of ones i still want to own and here they are, i used to buy about 3 books a month, but i havent for awhile, so the list is long.
1. listening is an act of love
2. kitchen confidential
3. eat pray love
4. good dog. stay.
5. anas story
6. the courage to change
7. bad dogs have more fun
8. dog years
9. the bill from my father
10. everything bad is good for you
11. how full is your bucket
12. come on people
13. things i overheard while talking to myself
14. giving
15. dont sweat the small stuff
16. i am america
17. cook with jamie
18. tribal knowledge
19. three times carlin
20. if i did it
21. celebrity detox
22. the pillars of the earth
23. born standing up
jeesh, i keep adding them...

scary day.

2007-11-03T16:09:00.000-07:00

the day started with me opening for the 4th time this week, no complaints about that, its my fav shift and im a smart sleeper.(most of the time) i always call nana on my way home from work to see what she might be hungry for because she does love her fast food, especially long john silvers. my shift ended today at 12:30 and so i tried calling her, no answer.....hmmmm...usually if i just keep trying, eventually, by the time i get away from all the places she likes food from, shell answer, even if she has fallen asleep in her chair. this time, no answer during all of my 20 minute drive time.....i was worried this time, so i just hurried on home and didnt stop to pick anything up. i went out to her room, not knowing what to expect. there she was sitting in her chair reading. i asked her if shed heard the phone ring and she did, but the phone cord had become disconnected from under the phone and she couldnt see well enough to snap it back in. what a relief!!!! i told her i was worried that something had happened...and that i was glad she hadnt been kidnapped by aliens. we both had a laugh, down deep, i know that any given day i could lose her and i am not ready for that day. on november 24th she will be 100 years old and we have to have a party yet!!!! anyway, i made her some soup and some pumpkin bread for lunch and gave thanks for having her with us another day.

ahhh, the texts...

2007-11-01T17:48:00.000-07:00

last 10 sent:
1.why
2.are you off today?
3.i am
4.hurry up batch
5.ill ring ya tomorrow
6.trick or treat
7.im thinkin about joinin golds gym
8.court was today we got another 45 days
9.dont forget my birthday
10.dont forget my birthday
last 10 received:
1.do you know whos working tonight?
2.no work til 5
3.text me when you get home...
4.happy halloweenies!
5.i am here now waiting for beth.
6.ok that would be good.
7.ok cool
8.i wont!
9.are tips done?
10.so hungry! i had to go home for food.
.

Galena getaway...

2007-10-22T18:05:00.000-07:00

on saturday, oct. 20, julie, sherry, jane, lee ann, leanne, denise, connie and i took off for a short but sweet girls getaway to galena, ill. we had wanted to get a couple of rooms closer to downtown, but since october is their busiest month of the year, we were lucky to get 2 rooms at the country inns and suites just 2 miles from main st. the only thing we were worried about was driving there after what we knew would be a day and evening of drinking, ANYWAY, the weather was PERFECT, and we got parked and started out. soon we realized that with that many gals, wed probably do better if we just split up. i stayed with julie and her sister connie, and we decided since we were very thirsty and it was already noon, why not turn the day into a pub crawl....YAY!!! BENJAMINS, ALMOST PARADISE, and GOBBIES were the daytime choices...we made our way down one side of the street and up the other side. i wasnt looking for anything to buy except i had a request from a customer at work to buy her some flavored olive oil. and i was looking (still am) for that wrought iron coat rack...i thought for sure there would be something there id have to bungee strap to leannes roof. we skipped a formal lunch(but ate caramel corn like piggies) and julie told us wed be having dinner at FRANK O'DOWDS PUB on the other side of the river. it was authentic irish food and there were irish dancers. after dinner we hit the town again to find all the live music that there was supposed to be. we went back to benjamins, gobbies and the GRAPE ESCAPE. at this point we were all split up again, all of us calling each other relaying where the best deals and music were. i was about ready to end my night as far as drinking goes when we found out the actual best and cheapest drinks were at the local V.F.W. go figure. i was ready for bed. leanne took 3 of us back to the hotel. it was a couple of hours later when the rest of the lushes came back...at least jane and i would be feeling better in the morning than they would.haha! by 8 the next day those of us who could, went to have the free breakfast and get into the hot tub and pool for awhile to wait for the rest to come to life. by the time we got all packed up and checked out it was noon. half of the gals wanted to head home early and 5 of us went back downtown to buy stuff we had wanted but didnt want to carry around sat. i still hadnt seen anything that cool i HAD to have, but i did get a couple (4) tee shirts, mainly from the pubs wed ate and drank at. then, at TWIGGES, all the way back sitting next to the back door(where it could walk right out and no one would even notice)was the hall tree of my dreams. solid iron, probably old( but maybe not) $250....not so much...but wow...and so the search goes on...all in all,one very nice weekend, alot of walking, alot of eating(oh that yummy caramel corn from the great american popcorn factory)and way too much booze(as if).ill bet there were maybe 3 stores i didnt actually go into. after having lunch at durty gurts, it was time to get outta town, we stopped at the pottery place on our way out and were in the dubuque shopko by 4:00....and home by 6....this girls getaway went so well, theres quiet talk about maybe planning a chicago trip....we will see. good times....

the "C" word.

2007-10-18T10:58:00.000-07:00

cool it, guys, its not what youre thinking, yesterday i had my 1st colonoscopy. and i have to say, it wasnt that bad of an experience. i was scheduled to be at allen hospital as an outpatient at 8:15 wed. morning, but lets go back 2 days, to monday afternoon, and me wondering what im having for my "last supper", before i have to fast for about 36 hours. i had to open on tues morning so i went to bed early, then on my way to work, instead of my usual doubleshot, i had water. YAY!!! i was supposed to drink 8 oz. of water every hour thru tues (that did NOT happen) and i could have coffee or any other clear liquids.(my favorite became izzys) anyhow, by noon, i had a raging headache and i was glad to be off work by 1:30. i was to take my 1st dose of phospho-soda by 6, well, i took it at 4 just to get the ball rolling so to speak.i took it like it was my job and didnt even have to plug my nose.lol!!! so yeah, the party began, but also not as bad as the horror stories i had heard. i decided to try and get some sleep, since i couldnt eat, setting my alarm for 4 to take the 2nd dose of yummy lemon ginger flavored laxative. ok, so im up at 4 and this time it gagged me....wow...from then on no more sleepin for me. i was to have nothing more to drink after 6, but i did take my blood pressure pill at 7, with a sip. "things" were looking like they were supposed to, so i knew i was ready and had prepped correctly. i was supposed to have a driver with me and the only person available to me was my friend and co worker josh. he had closed the night before so i told him id call him when and if i needed him. i was hoping to get around the hospital rule. WRONG! while they were checking me in, i had to give them his # and i also texted him saying to come and get me by 10. so we are getting me all ready, even the IV was totally painless, they have this numbing spray they put on your hand and you feel nothing. they asked me if i was nervous, i said no, and they assured me the rest is a downhill slide compared to the prep. i got 2 heated blankets put on me that were SO nice, and off we go to the procedure room. the last thing i remember is dr. ravi, coming in to say hello, and the nurse telling me to lie on my left side til im comfortable, while she starts the IV cocktail of versed and demerol. ahhhhh....20 minutes later im back in my original cubicle, feeling a little groggy, but fine otherwise.the nurse came in and told me i had to fart at least 3 times or i couldnt go home, and it was very important not to hold in the air. i get a text from josh telling me he went to the wrong hospital. hahaha, but that he was on his way to rescue me. i got dressed after i got the go ahead and i got a wheelchair ride down to the front doors. he was there within minutes and he took me over to the other side of the parking lot so that i could drive to breakfast at the waffle stop. hahaha...dammit, i felt fine and i didnt feel any after effects of the narcotics, so yeah...rules...we had breakfast because i was STARVING!!!!then i went and did some errands. i was down at the cvs pharmacy and youll never believe who saw me parked there...one of my nurses!!!!! becky. i was so busted, we both just laughed...so thats pretty much it, i went out last night with the girls and had a couple of margaritas and some mexican food. oh i forgot to tell ya that they did find a polyp and i have the beginnings of diverticulosis, so were waiting on lab results, other than that and the fact that i need more fiber and will take metamucil tablets now, im fine....so fine in fact, that if i didnt have the full color pics to prove it all happened, i wouldnt have even known it did....AND ill do it all again in 5 years.

2007-10-17T12:57:00.000-07:00

Versed + Demerol = one kick-ass IV!!!

2007-10-15T11:53:00.000-07:00

"anythings better with a little cream..........and bacon."

the day...

2007-10-11T13:54:00.000-07:00

well, im having an ok day off considering, the leaking gas coming from under my car turned out to be a rusted out fuel filter, instead of what i was fearing most, a rusted out fuel LINE. $50 versus $300. YAY!!! really, considering all the salt they throw down on the roads during our lovely winters its no wonder some things need replacing. i got $5 worth of can and bottle aggravation at walmart, thats my movie money, but for the work i almost think its not worth it. i bought my 2 little bottles of phospho-soda(ginger-lemon flavored)what a pretty, good tasting flavor that sounds....pretty sure NOT!!! the gal that showed me where it was, said it wasnt that bad, "as long as you plug your nose when you swallow it, and dont un-plug it til its gone" ive heard THAT line before!! HA! i made a couple of loaves of banana bread, since i had 8 extra ripe ones. im having deb over for dinner tonight, so i just put a meatloaf in the oven, and im gonna make an apple crisp for dessert. no nap today, but ill be turning in early anyway, after i open tomorrow, ill be heading down to cedar rapids for the rest of the day, part work, part play...right now its time for a cosmo.

a decent day off!!!

2007-10-08T16:32:00.000-07:00

its pretty cool when you can have a good day off, that includes at least 9 things on my "happy" list...i went to bed last night listening to the sounds of jon on my computer writing a paper, while waiting for his last load of clothes to dry, so i got some good sleep, and its monday, a good day to be away from work, its finally sweatpant time, so i dug out some of those, sooo comfy, i got text messages from both of the boys, because they love me, and i taught them well.then i sat at my computer languishing over at least 2 cups of coffee, ordering new work shoes. ugh, then i remembered that my brake light was on in my car on the way home from work yesterday (which means i was losing brake fluid) so i called craig and steve and i took it for them to look at it at 2:30. it was a fairly inexpensive wheel cylinder, and since that wasnt gonna break me, i decided to treat her to a new muffler!!! yippy skippy, now i can sneak home at all hours of the night. but who cares!!!! haha, i caught up with a slimeball tennant and served a 3-day notice, and on the way home i stopped at DQ for my $1.06 vanilla cone.now im back home trying out a new chili recipe, drinking a mojito, getting ready to catch up on my TIVO shows which include grays anatomy.so yeah, bed comes early tonight cause i open tomorrow, and im not even gonna tell how good THATS gonna feel....with my windows open, my big, fluffy comforter, and...........

52 things that make me happy!!!!

2007-10-03T13:57:00.000-07:00

not in any particular order....
1.chicago
2.my waffles
3.sweatpants
4.mondays & saturdays off
5.trying out new recipes
6.having friends over to try the new recipes
7.mojitos
8.davey & jon
9.going to a really good movie
10.making bread
11.new work shoes
12.grays anatomy
13.dog kisses
14.baby vanilla cones at DQ
15.making dinner for friends
16.having dinner with friends
17.dinner, period.
18.phone calls without attitude
19.8 hours of sleep
20.plans
21.wed night girls night out at AMIGOS
22.AMIGOS 2.99 margaritas
23.AMIGOS NACHOS!!!!!OMG!!!
24.waking up BEFORE the alarm goes off
25.text messages you dont expect
26.a nap during rachael ray
27.no garbage anywhere when i come into work
28.fall, cool nights, open windows, a big comforter
29.3 glasses of wine
30.chatting online
31.fresh flowers
32.my goldfish, jaws
33.lunch with friends
34.making lunch for friends
35.lunch, period.
36.sing-along songs during my 12 mile commute to work at 4:45 am
37.non-stop driving during my 12 mile commute to work at 4:45am(bedamned those CF lights!)
38.my bottled dark chocolate peppermint mocha frappuccino on my opening days
39.clay walker
40.chris daughtry
41.chris cagle
42.andrews deviled eggs
43.being a mom
44.my job (as a whole)
45.ELVIS
46.HUGS
47.my bed
48.my long islands
49.a good hamburger
50.replys to emails
51.your comments
52.dogsitting bailey!!!

I HAVE A WHOLE DAY OFF!!! :-)

2007-10-02T05:44:00.000-07:00

texts again?

2007-09-30T13:57:00.000-07:00

last 4 received:
1.no, it was horrible
2.no, its in the big ten network
3.no
4.james denton from desparate housewives is sitting next to travis and i at the legends downtown DM
last last 6 sent:
1.sorry
2.did we win?
3.is the game on tv
4.does champagne get old unopened?
5.you should call sometime
6.huh?

my heart is in the wrong place.

2007-09-29T08:14:00.000-07:00

SO, heres the deal, most of you know, i wear my heart on my sleeve, its out there, i ALWAYS give people the benefit of the doubt, and until i learn to be less trusting of people and more cynical...i guess ill be learning lifes lessons the hard way, so screw me...anyway, we had a person at work this week quit without notice, it was an emergency situation, so i went to work on trying to cover 2 weeks worth of shifts, no big deal, except that i couldnt fix a 5 am shift for today. the person came in and talked to me on thursday and i asked if there was any way she could work her shift on saturday??? she said she would,I HAD HER WORD shed be there. ok, everything was looking cool, i might actually have ONE day off this week. then before i left yesterday, the opening person for sat asked what he should do if the other person wasnt there to open with him.....i said to wait til 5:10 give her a call, then call me....ugh, well last night i went to the movies, THE LATE movie, 3:10 to yuma(great! btw),so i was in bed at midnight...i put my phone by my bed, in normal ring mode, just in case. weird that i woke up at 4 by myself and then thinking i didnt have to be up, went back to sleep. alas, at 5:11 my phone is ringing, f--k.i was there by 5:30...not really that big of a deal, because i love my job, but there is no approved OT, i have an 8 hour shift to work tomorrow and already have 33.5 hours....good times...again...screw sue, she should know better.

ever have one of those evenings?

2007-09-28T16:50:00.000-07:00

i want to do something tonight, or lets put it this way, i dont want to stay home. i almost had dinner plans, but they fell through, my sister isnt answering her phone, no one is answering texts. (as usual) everyone is busy. i just woke up from a 3 hour nap, cause i wanted to stay up tonight past 8.haha. theres a ton of movies id like to see, so maybe ill just go by myself, lame, but if i dont, ill just sit around and have a pity party and drink too much....

love those texts.

2007-09-23T15:59:00.000-07:00

last 10 received:
1. 944
2. i wont
3. im not sure, ill get back to you.
4. sweet
5. im gonna come by starbucks to drop my clothes off and pick up the debit card
6.ok that would be fine. im gonna need a little more than just fifty bucks
7. i need some groceries too
8. ok
9. are you working or are you home. im headed back now.
10. no. just hold your horses

last 10 sent:
1. ok
2. dont forget
3. its your room number
4. address?
5. im gonna send you a hyvee gift card
6. call before you leave the farm
7. ok
8. depends on time i may just get you a hyvee gift card
9. im off at 130 bring your laundry
10. calm down just askin
i know, boring, i wish they were more interesting...

why do i cry when they leave?

2007-09-22T16:51:00.000-07:00

i was expecting both the boys over the weekend, but i didnt know the "plan", exactly,so when jon showed up last night instead of today i was practically giddy. then he informed me he was here to mow nanas lawn and "his" part of the acreage and then hed be heading back to iowa city for a night of homework before he had to work tomorrow. ok fine, he even let me do his laundry, which never happens, we saw a movie, he ate some planovers and he just left...sniff...so is it a mom thing, i mean, im getting used to him being gone during the week now, but darn it i still really enjoy having him around. if you ask him hell say the best thing about college is NOT living at home....and even though i dont show it outwardly until he leaves, im a mess the rest of the night. it sucks.and then theres davey, he wanted to be with his buddies to watch the game tonight, so hell be home around midnight-ish, and since i work EARLY again tomorrow, i wont see him til 2 in the afternoon, he GLADLY lets me do his laundry, and i may cook him something, and then hell be gone again too and it will be the same thing all over again. oh well, i will live thru it and im already planning a trip down there next sat. in the meantime, i just got a call from a friend and im heading to the casino to win some money!!!!wish me luck!!!!

all nekkid wed

2007-09-19T13:54:00.000-07:00

hi! before all of you who read this go to get scissors to poke your eyes out as to not envision this, let me explain a revelation that came to me in the wee hours of this morning. most of you know me well enough to know i can never make it through the whole night without waking up at LEAST one time. call it 53 year old weak bladder syndrome if you must, i personally think i just drink way too much before i sleep(so, what of it?) anyhow, i was awake this morning at 2:30 ish, for that reason, but mostly i was being strangled by my nightgown!!! and no matter how hard i tried to get comfortable again, i couldnt. so....i thought, what the heck, im alone in this house now, and off came the nightgown! ahhh, anyway, back in the day, i mean WAY back, i always slept that way, then kids came along, and i became somewhat modest(who me???not really)and i probably havent had a really good nights sleep since...haha, so yeah, for those of you who have never tried it....

i missed my calling.

2007-09-18T17:59:00.000-07:00

lets put it this way, it could have been worse, and in a way, i asked for it.ummmkay? yesterday, my bill for being able to start my car again wasnt bad at all...i got the call at 4 and craig said"sue, ive got your car done for ya".hmmmm, in a way thats a good thing, because he knows to ALWAYS call me first with an estimate if its going to be over $75.(as if) to see if i want them to go ahead and repair it.so, it was a corroded wire going to the ignition. $3 for the part and $60 for the labor....$67.41....cool, i thought, as long as they had it there why didnt he look at the back left tire and see whats going on there, heck it couldnt be too bad( me, the forever optimist), ill bet it wasnt an hour later:"well sue, theres a couple of things going on back there"...oh,oh...thats another way of saying "bend over, sue".something about a strut not in the right position, which is wearing out the tire, and the back brakes are bad( i KNEW that much) but there wasnt any more time left in the day. so i picked it up and this morning instead of going to cedar rapids to see friends, i dropped the car off again, telling me it would be around $300. ugh, but winter will soon be upon us and i dont have my spare car here anymore....so be it. i had a productive day today at home, made a nice banana cake, cleaned out and organized the linen closet..yeah...i got things done because i was forced to stay home. then at 4, he called and said it was done...he came and got me and when i saw the bill...parts-$85 labor-$215...i am in the wrong damn business....and i still need a pair of tires, and maybe a new battery...but im ok with all of it, because i still dont have a car payment...amen.

why???

2007-09-16T14:20:00.000-07:00

why cant i have 2 good days in a row??? is there something, somewhere that says "hey sue, you may have a nice day, and then a not so nice day." maybe im being a little over dramatic, but jeesh...i must not be living my life right somehow...so yesterday, i had a day off, hung out at home and was just being a domestic goddess, cooking, cleaning, laundry, i did buy a few groceries, and while at hyvee, i saw the coolest varrigated rubber tree plant, i had seen it there 10 days or so ago, and resisted, i really didnt NEED anymore plants, but since it was still there and i was feeling weak, i had to have it. i finished there, and since i was so close to petsmart, i decided to go in and check them out. i had been wanting to buy another goldfish to replace the 2 i lost a month ago(mostly due to not buying the water drops you need), so yeah, i bought 1 and took him home, so far, so good. i even put back together a coffee table that davey no longer is using to set him on. nice. i had my good friend deb over for dinner, i fixed garlic chicken pizza and we had a nice evening catching up and watching the hallmark movies....i turned in by 10, because i opened at work today, but by 11, i woke up to jon foraging in the kitchen. he just drove straight home after work in iowa city. i experienced a busy (but not like yesterday, im told) day at work til 12:30, jon and i meet at the mall for his 1:00 haircut by a gal whos never cut it before(i should have known better, but his gal was off today) anyway short story long, he hates it when shes done, and i proceed to tell him to get over it and not be so dramatic...we go our separate ways and my car wont start, oh, it turns over strong, but thats it...sooo, im pretty sure its the starter, since its been a year since i had it replaced with a used one(how dumb)...first i called sears to see if they had time to fix it..."not today". then it was time for AAA...and free towing to crossroads auto. even tho they were closed today, steve(pretty sad when you are up close and personal with your mechanic) the manager was there and took my key...YAY!!!! i have the next 2 days off, but im sure they will get to it tomorrow. i left it, and had deb take me home, where im about to start drinking....im going out to dinner tonight with friends and not driving, so i may even have 3....cheers!!!!! stay tuned tomorrow for the update.

the day

2007-09-08T19:29:00.000-07:00

i had a "me", or should i say, a sue day today. a day that i did just what i wanted to do and nothing else. i decided to make some dog biscuits to take down to my favorite huge poodle and to see as many friends as were available, plus get some shopping done too. we had a great lunch outside at a place called the starlite room, and then by 4 or so, i started in on my usual stops when im in town.1st it was the colonial thrift shop, (lame, i know)but they have a good deal on these certain vanilla sugar wafers that nana loves. then it was on to tuesday morning, since ours closed in cedar falls, i found some kitchen towels,and this really cool grater/microplane with a handle, hard to describe but looks very handy. then it was on to the mall, i love the sears store there, so much nicer than ours. i found a $10 (was $40) shirt at von maur. then i thought it had been such a nice day i needed my favorite melty mints and sesame stix mix from the candy store. (i still havent even touched it yet, weird) and then it was time for t.j.maxx...not much there. probably the deal of the day was at k-mart. i prefer to wear black pants to work and they have lee riders ususally on sale. anyway, i found some that were, but when the bitch rang them up, they came up regular price, so i went back to the sign with her , and even though it was an old one i still got them 25% off( damn straight!)its kinda nice to be on the other end of "the customer is always right"once in awhile. it was 6 and my sister called and wondered if i wanted company around 7...perfect!!! thank you dear friends for a fun day!!!!lets do it again soon!!!