Mom on a Mission

Selling the house

2010-08-09T12:51:00.008-05:00

So we moved the end of May and are selling the old house. So far, there has been a lot of showings, but no one has made an offer. Check out the pictures!

It has been a great little house. My grandparents purchased it in 1950 and lived there until 2002. I moved into it in December 2002 and was there for almost 8 years. The elementary school is a few blocks away and is awesome. Linwood Elementary.

It is about 1300 square feet. It is much larger than it looks from the outside. It has been updated a lot and has fresh paint, dark wood laminant and white trim. The kitchen has custom-made maple cabinets and a nice sized pantry. All the kitchen appliances are included.

There are 2 living areas and a sun room as well as three bedrooms and 1.5 baths.

Contact Monty Milburn at Keesee for more information!

So long since last posted....

2010-07-25T08:50:00.004-05:00

Well, we found "the" house in Norman. We found a couple we liked, actually and spent a few weeks going back and forth on which one we liked best and then we stumbled onto a FISBO in The Vineyard and that sealed it for us. We loved the house and loved the neighborhood.

We closed on March 19th and moved May 21st. Wow, what a process, but it is SO worth it. We just love it here. There are over 20 kids on our street that are close to the boys age. They have made lots of friends and had a really great summer, playing video games at friends houses, riding bikes, playing basketball, going swimming (many of the houses have pools). It has been awesome!

The boys had an awesome joint birthday party right after we moved in, complete with an inflatable moonbounce and water slide. It was cool and all the kids in the neighborhood came. It was good to meet the kids and parents and introduce ourselves.

What else? Jenn graduated from OSU-OKC in May. That was a step in the right direction. She starts at OU in the fall. Two more years! I am excited for her and she is a little apprehensive about the size of the campus and the classes. It is so much bigger than OSU-OKC, but I know she is going to do great!

E went to Diabetes Day Camp (Camp Nohilo) in June and had fun. He is looking forward to Diabetes Sleep-away camp (Camp Endres) on August 1. A week from today we will be driving him to Davis. Wow. Mom is a little nervous but excited for him.

K starts his tennis "camp" tomorrow. He has lessons M-Th at Westwood Tennis Center. He is excited. We bought him a new racquet yesterday. It is cool. Red and black.

My sister had her baby on July 2. A little girl they named Lily. We still haven't been able to get to Dallas to see her. E and I were going to drive down on Thursday and see her and my nephew and sister. I am excited. I miss being around a baby!

Golf

2010-02-11T10:11:00.003-06:00

We looked at a house at Coffee Creek yesterday. It was perfect except that all the rooms were just too small. Little living room, little kitchen.... the bedrooms were tiny. *sigh*

I was excited about living by a golf course and playing more. Especially since I am getting Jenn into it. I would love it if we played some golf together once a week (or more). LOL

House Hunting

2010-02-11T10:00:00.002-06:00

Jenn and I spent the afternoon in Edmond looking at houses. I think we looked at 12. It was a long day, but we had a really good time with Monty and I think he has a very good idea about what we want and need. I think we probably have a better idea of that too.

We have been looking at 3 bedrooms as well as 4 and I know that if we do get a 3 bd house, we will need a bonus room or something extra. It just won't be enough.

We found things that were ok, that we hated and a few that we really liked, but nothing jumped out at us and said "This is it!". We have plans to look in Norman on Saturday afternoon. I hope we find something great, because we really like Norman. Although, I know if we don't find something on Saturday, we have plenty of time to find something. We don't even want to move until after school is out in May.

Bitch

2010-02-02T22:19:00.003-06:00

I just have to bitch a little about Oprah XM. It used to be the best talk radio I have ever listened to. I was addicted. I started my day with Gayle King, Dr. Robin, Meet the Peetes and Rabbi Schmuly. I liked Dr. Oz and Marianne Williamson, but now it BLOWS. Poor Gayle is expected to carry that whole station.

I was so glad that I found Sirus STARS!! I am totally crazy about Mary Occhino's Angels on Call. I listen to it every morning on my way to work. I try to call, but have yet to get through. LOL Rosie O'Donnell has a 2 hour show after that is fabulous. I love it. I think they need to find another show to fill the 2 hours after (they replay Rosie) soon or they will loose listeners for Broadminded (which is pretty cool, too). I don't listen to it as much, because they replay Rosie and I change the station because as much as I love it, I don't want to listen to it twice in a row.

Sonya Fitzpatrick (The Pet Psychic) is on Tuesday evenings and I have really grown to like her. I have been listening to her for the last several weeks on Tues. I have even tried to call in, but just like Mary O, I cannot get through.

Anyway, this is my daily listening... I sometimes change it to Classic Vinyl, though. Because I need some 70's fix! :)

Forever and a day

2010-02-02T22:09:00.004-06:00

I cannot believe how long it has been since I have logged into this blog, much less written anything. So much has happened since this summer. Work has gotten (finally) back to some type of normalcy. The Executive Director was fired 10/08 but in Nov. 2009 she and her husband (who had also been working with us) were indicted for embezzlement and conspiracy to commit a felony. Anna pleaded guilty pretty fast. She didn't make bail and was in county for awhile. We are still waiting for Gene to plead or go to trial. It has been a LONG couple of years.

What else? The boys started second and third grade this past fall. They are both doing well in both grades. They both like their teachers. They are playing basketball right now and enjoying it.

Jenn and I are still on the PTA board and she is finishing up her Associates degree this semester and will transfer on and is thinking about getting her BA in Secondary Education/History. I did a semester at OU but it was just too much with working full time and having young kids and a family. Maybe when Jenn finishes and goes back to work, then I can do school.

We got a new puppy around Thanksgiving. She is adorable. Her name is Mollie and she is (another) Old English Sheepdog. Our friend Monty took Chloe for us. She was just not liking the boys anymore and biting and nipping at them. She is very happy to be in a kid-free environment.

Mollie is great. We adore her. She is full of energy and very much like having a 3 year old. But she is a sweetheart. She fits right into our family.

Boys Rooms

2009-07-15T08:14:00.003-05:00

Well, we are FINALLY doing it. We cleaned out the boys bedrooms this past weekend and all their "crap" is stacked up in the dining room. Willie came over last night and started painting. The boys picked out paint on Saturday. E picked lime green and K picked a very pretty blue/green color. Then they found a Sponge Bob border and begged me for that, so I got it.

We are painting both rooms with both colors. They are going to have a bedroom and a toy room and share both. The bedroom has green on 2 walls and blue on 2 walls. We are painting the wood trim white to match the rest of the house. The toy room has the bottom half of the walls blue and the top half green with the border running in the middle. K already had a Sponge Bob room, so we have 8x10 pictures of Sponge Bob that we will hang back up in there.

Willie got the green painted last night. He is coming over tonight to paint the blue and then he will probably finish up the trim on Thursday. Vaughn is coming on Friday to pull up the carpet and put down hardwood floors. I cannot wait to see what it will look like!

I am pretty sure I have found 2 twin beds and a dresser to go in there. We probably need to get 2 good-sized rugs, as well. I think I found a couple on line that are pretty kid-like.

So by next week, they should have a new, cool bedroom.

IsaGenix

2009-07-15T08:10:00.003-05:00

So I started a new thing a week ago. It is a product by IsaGenix called IsoLean. It is a shake that I have for breakfast and lunch. I started it on July 8 and although I don't have a scale to weigh myself on, I am thinking that I have lost a little bit of weight because my face is looking thinner and my pants are fitting me a little better. I am praying that it works and that I can stick to it.

Two people I know have both lost 25 pounds using the IsoGenix products. I am wanting to do 4x that in the next year. I think that is a pretty attainable goal. I think that if I can loose 20 or 30 pounds, then I will be able to start adding more exercise into my routine. As of right now, my knees are hurting so much, it is just hard to do much of anything. I do swim some, but the next day is murder, my knees hurt so much.

The Alzheimer's Project, HBO Sunday

2009-05-08T16:31:00.001-05:00

Be sure to watch. It should be interesting and probably sad, too.

Where did the time go?

2009-03-08T11:27:00.003-05:00

Wow. I don't know where the past few weeks have gone. It has been a whirlwind! The boys are playing soccer and had their first game yesterday. They both played well and their team won 2-1. They were excited about that. We went to Chickasha after the game and saw my sis, nephew, cousin and her kids. The kids had a blast playing and E ended up spending the night.

Jenn and I went to Norman and drove through several neighborhood (like we do when we are there) and still have our heart set on the Vineyard. It is just the look and feel that we like and we just haven't found it anywhere else. We met with the builder Friday and looked at lots over there. We have narrowed it down to 2 and Jenn said she found her "dream house" - one of the homes we looked at while over there. It is already sold, but the floor plan is pretty close to perfect for us. It's all just moving a little too fast for me.

So last night, we drove around Norman and checked out other neighborhoods, because I think it is important to check out other options. Then we went to Barnes & Noble and spent our birthday gift cards. Thanks Mom and Dad! And we went to Best Buy to look at cameras because ours is old and dying and we wanted something nice and new for Disney World next week. Next week! Wow. Cannot believe it's almost here!

We went out to Riverwind and played blackjack and then had dinner and came home and had a great night in. Life is good.

Oh, and I am going to be going back to school at OU in the fall. I have officially been accepted. I have 33 hours left for my BA. It will take longer than I hoped, though, because I just don't have the time to take more than 6 hours a semester and work and have a family and a life. But I guess I can handle it taking 3 years. Then onto my Masters!

Getting healthy

2009-02-18T10:50:00.002-06:00

Ok. I was so good before the holidays. I was eating hardly any carbs, only one soda a day and no fast food. Fast-forward two months. I have gained back the weight I lost. I know that some of this is because of the knee surgery and not being able to move for several weeks. I am just now really getting the use back.

I went to the market this morning and bought pistachios, cheeses, some Hewbrew National's and some sliced turkey, sweet potatoes for baking, organic peanut butter, rice cakes, blueberries, DanActive, apples, pears, Tylenol Arthritis and a Women's multi-vitamin. Oh, and some tiramasu creamer for my coffee (my splurge).

Back to whole wheat pasta and no bread. Back to tons of chicken and fish and veggies. I know I will feel better and it will hopefully motivate me to get back to the YMCA to work out! Maybe I will go tonight and E can do the kids' class at 6:30pm. He loves that. Last night I took him up there and he played basketball in the gym for about 30 minutes. We had a parent meeting about soccer. He is so bummed that basketball is over. Soccer starts in a couple of weeks, though and hopefully he will love that because he is my little runner. I call him "Dash" because he is quick. Next year he will be old enough for track.

I sure don't want him to have to deal with a weight problem, especially on top of his diabetes. His sugar has been a little out of whack the past week. It's like we just cannot get it at a constant. It's either too high or too low. It's been frustrating.

Part of it is probably that we have been eating out a lot because Jenn has been swamped with school and homework. She is taking 15 hours this semester and it is just a LOT. Her accounting takes up tons of her time. Maybe I should go grocery shopping for her tonight?

Audits

2009-02-04T13:57:00.003-06:00

We are going through our annual audit. This week the auditors have been here, having us pull all kinds of stuff that may or may not be there, since we have missing items. It is starting to really wear on me. I will find things that should not be or not find anything that should and I get very upset and angry.

It is hard because right now I really cannot talk about any of it. It is stressful, hurtful and still, it is a little shocking.

Will this ever end? The AG's office should have the results of the State Auditor's investigation by month's end. I don't know what to think about that. It makes me sick.

Tuesdays

2009-02-03T16:18:00.003-06:00

It's just me an E this afternoon. Jenn has class until 9:30 tonight. I don't know what we will do, but something fun! I don't have anything to work on tonight, except his Star Wars quilt. I am looking forward to just hanging out and spending time with him!

Broadway Fun for Funds

2009-02-01T09:33:00.005-06:00

We went last night and it was terrific! Not only that but it was totally sold out and people were standing in the back. I was floored and totally impressed! It was really a great show and I think that some of those kids from OCU are going places. Very talented. I certainly hope it becomes an annual event. It was great. I am certain a lot of money was raised for RAIN of Oklahoma, as well.

We went out to The Boom after for a few drinks, but we hadn't had dinner beforehand, so we didn't stay out long. But it was so good to spend some time with the Diva and run into "Pete". I had missed him.

We were so boring, just got Taco Bell and then fell asleep. But it was fun. Thanks Grammie for staying with the boys (and taking them to Incredible Pizza)!

Late Nights

2009-01-22T00:48:00.001-06:00

I haven't been this way in years and years, but I am staying up until 3 and 4 in the mornings every "night". I just cannot sleep. I am exhausted by 7pm, but wide awake by 10pm and up to all hours of the night. I know that between my blackberry and my laptop, I am online more of the day than not. Probably not good.

Sheryl asked me if I thought I was depressed. I think she probably hit the nail on the head. I am glad she is honest. I hadn't been too honest with myself. I am feeling that way. Nothing major, but it has gone on for more than a few weeks now.

Work sucks. I am so disappointed in all the things I am finding out and it makes it so hard for me to continue putting my heart into my job. I come home and feel like I am pulled in several different directions and really, by the time I am home, I am so tired, I don't want to move.

Something's gotta give. But what?

40th Anniversary

2009-01-18T23:06:00.003-06:00

We went down to Chickasha today to take mom and dad out to dinner. It is their 40th anniversary. WOW! FOURTY YEARS! It amazes me! Dad suprised mom with some beautiful diamond earrings, but the best suprise (to me) is the trip they are taking in March to Tuscany. I am so jealous! They will have such fun taking in the sights, the art and the food! MMMMmmm!

Elvis

2009-01-16T11:04:00.002-06:00

Just wanted to say Happy Birthday to the King. We celebrated at our house by watching Blue Hawaii.

(I actually have this old record - it was my moms!)

Update

2009-01-05T11:01:00.001-06:00

I have been exercising, icing and elevating my knee now for a week. Jeez. I have taken back up quilting. I had started K a Scooby Doo blanket about a year ago and got so busy I never finished it. I have been working on it some this week. That and being inundated with morning TV.

I am hobbling along on my cane, but it already feels better. Yay! I cannot wait until I can start climbing stairs again and get back into the office.

Knee Surgery

2008-12-30T22:06:00.003-06:00

Well, I got my right knee scoped yesterday morning. I think it is really going to help, but right now I am a little loopy and so I may not make a whole bunch of sense! LOL

I went to physical therapy this morning and they took out the drain and said it looked really good. Just three small incisions with stitches. I was moving pretty good, I thought, today, too. I have been using the machine they sent home with me and icing it and doing everything I am supposed to do.

I am tired, though. I think I am going to take a little nap.

Basketball Game Today

2008-12-13T13:11:00.003-06:00

E had his first bball game of the season today. He did really good. It was actually a fun game! Go number 31!

State Supreme Court to Hear Challenges to Prop 8

2008-11-19T21:05:00.002-06:00

(11-19) 18:32 PST SAN FRANCISCO -- The state Supreme Court plunged back into the same-sex marriage wars Wednesday, agreeing to decide the legality of a ballot measure that repealed the right of gay and lesbian couples to wed in California.

Six months after its momentous ruling that struck down the state's ban on same-sex marriage, the court granted requests by both sponsors and opponents of Proposition 8 to review lawsuits challenging the Nov. 4 initiative.

The vote was 6-1, with Justice Joyce Kennard dissenting.

However, the court refused, 6-1, to let same-sex marriages resume while it considers Prop. 8's constitutionality. Justice Carlos Moreno cast the dissenting vote.

Approved by 52 percent of voters, Prop. 8 restored the definition of marriage - a union of a man and a woman - that the court had overturned May 15. Both Kennard and Moreno voted with the majority in that 4-3 ruling.

The court agreed Wednesday to review two arguments by opponents of Prop. 8 - that the measure exceeds the legal scope of a ballot initiative by allowing a majority to restrict a minority group's rights, and that it violates the constitutional separation of powers by limiting judicial authority.

The justices also asked for arguments on whether Prop. 8, if constitutional, would nullify 18,000 same-sex weddings performed between when the court's marriage ruling took effect in mid-June and Nov. 4. Attorney General Jerry Brown, who will defend Prop. 8 as the state's chief lawyer, contends those marriages are legal, but sponsors of the initiative disagree.

The justices asked for written arguments to be submitted by Jan. 21. The court could hold a hearing as early as March, with a ruling due 90 days later.

Possible trouble for opponents
While both sides cheered the court's decision to take up the cases, Kennard's lone vote to deny review could spell trouble for opponents of Prop. 8.

Kennard is the court's longest-serving justice, having been appointed in 1989, and has been one of its foremost supporters of same-sex couples' rights. Without her vote, the May 15 ruling would have gone the other way. But she wrote Wednesday that she would favor hearing arguments only about whether Prop. 8 would invalidate the pre-election marriages, an issue that would arise only if the initiative were upheld.

"It's always hard to read tea leaves, but I think Justice Kennard is saying that she thinks the constitutionality of Prop. 8 is so clear that it doesn't warrant review," said Stephen Barnett, a retired UC Berkeley law professor and longtime observer of the court.

For those seeking to overturn Prop. 8, "I would not think it would be encouraging," said Dennis Maio, a San Francisco lawyer and former staff attorney at the court.

Speedy timeline
All parties were pleased, though, at the prospect of a quick decision. If the justices had dismissed the suits, the cases could have been refiled in a county Superior Court and would have reached the high court only after lengthy appeals.

"We could have been looking, easily, at two or three years of litigating this issue," said Shannon Minter, legal director of the National Center for Lesbian Rights and a lawyer for same-sex couples in one of the suits. "It's a great relief that the court recognizes the importance of resolving this quickly."

Similar reactions came from others on opposing sides in the case.

"This is a great day for the rule of law and for the voters of California," said Andrew Pugno, attorney for Protect Marriage, Prop. 8's sponsoring group, which won permission from the court Wednesday to join the case and present arguments at the hearing. He said he was confident the measure would be upheld and was particularly pleased that the court allowed it to remain in effect while the lawsuits are argued.

San Francisco City Attorney Dennis Herrera, whose suit on behalf of the city has been joined or endorsed by 11 other cities and counties, said he was grateful the court accepted the cases.

"This goes far beyond same-sex marriage," Herrera said. "It's about equal protection of the law for all Californians."

Amendment or revision?
The lawsuits that the court agreed to review were filed by two groups of same-sex couples, a gay-rights organization and San Francisco and other local governments. Civil rights, religious and feminist organizations have since filed separate suits challenging Prop. 8 that the justices may add to their docket.

All the suits argue that Prop. 8, drafted as a state constitutional amendment, makes such drastic changes that it amounts to a revision of the Constitution.

Unlike constitutional amendments, which can qualify for the ballot with signatures on initiative petitions, revisions can be placed on the ballot only by a two-thirds vote of the Legislature or a state constitutional convention.

The state's high court has defined a constitutional revision as a fundamental change in government structure and has struck down only two initiatives as revisions. The last time was in 1991, when the court overturned provisions of a measure that would have required California courts to follow federal standards on criminal defendants' rights rather than relying on the state Constitution to grant broader rights.

Opponents of Prop. 8 argue that it is a revision because it deprives a historically persecuted minority of fundamental rights and leaves courts powerless to intervene. A ruling upholding the measure would leave any minority group vulnerable to repeal of its rights by majority vote, the lawsuits argue.

Supporters cite tradition
Supporters of Prop. 8 say it is merely a constitutional amendment restoring the traditional definition of marriage and leaves the structure of state government unaffected. They contend a ruling overturning the measure would strike a blow at the people's power to change their Constitution by initiative.

In its May ruling legalizing same-sex marriages, the court said California's ban on such unions violated gays' and lesbians' right to marry the partner of their choice and to be free of arbitrary discrimination.

The court also said laws that discriminate on the basis of sexual orientation are presumed to be unconstitutional, in the same category as bias based on race or sex. That part of the ruling is unaffected by Prop. 8.

The lead case in Wednesday's order is Strauss vs. Horton, S168047.

Read the court's order
The state Supreme Court's order accepting anti-Proposition 8 lawsuits for review may be read at:

courtinfo.ca.gov/courts/supreme

Prop. 8 issues
Issues in the Proposition 8 cases before the state Supreme Court:

-- Does Prop. 8 make such a far-reaching change to the California Constitution that it amounts to a constitutional revision, which requires a two-thirds vote of the Legislature to be placed on the ballot?

-- Does Prop. 8 violate the constitutional separation of powers by restricting judges' authority to protect the rights of same-sex couples?

-- If Prop. 8 is constitutional, does it invalidate the 18,000 same-sex marriages that took place in California between June 16, when the court's ruling legalizing gay and lesbian unions took effect, and the Nov. 4 election?

What's next
Next steps for the Proposition 8 cases before the state Supreme Court:

-- The parties in the cases - same-sex couples, gay-rights advocates and city and county governments challenging the law, and the state attorney general and the Prop. 8 campaign defending it - are scheduled to file written arguments through Jan. 5.

-- Other interested individuals and groups must file friend-of-the-court briefs by Jan. 15. The parties have until Jan. 21 to reply to any of those briefs.

-- No court hearing has been scheduled yet, but it could take place as early as March. A ruling is due within 90 days of the hearing.

http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/11/19/BAJC147QAJ.DTL

My 15 seconds....

2008-11-15T23:37:00.001-06:00

That's me and my sign at the beginning and then the little interview. I said a lot more than that, but that is what they showed. It's true. I don't think Oklahoma would ever voluntarily give us same-sex marriage, not by the legislature, the vote of the people or perhaps even our courts. It will most likely take the Supreme Court. I wish it weren't that way.

Ugh

2008-11-10T20:53:00.000-06:00

So I have been having some issues with my knee since the last week of October. I used to have problems, years and years ago, but nothing for a long time. It just started hurting very badly the weekend before Halloween and I eneded up in the ER on that Sunday. They did some x-rays and got me an appointment with a specialist the next Tuesday. I went in and talked to him. He felt I had some arthritis and that most likely I would need to have some orthoscopic surgery to go in and smooth out the cartledge. I went in and had an MRI. I worked from home all week so I could stay off of it and worked all last week and did okay. It was a little sore today and tonight while I was cooking dinner something happened. It did't pop, I didn't hear a sound, but it felt as though a little rubber band snapped inside my knee. That's the only way I can explain it. It is swollen and hurting now. I am glad I have my MRI follow up appointment in the morning. It just sucks.

Change Can Happen!

2008-11-04T23:50:00.000-06:00

Halloween

2008-10-31T22:17:00.002-05:00

Jenn took E to the OSU-OKC Halloween thing and he had a blast. He was a Jedi again this year. Still loves Star Wars. I was unfortunately home (still) with my knee iced and elevated. However, I did hobble to the door and back for a bit and handed out treats to the neighborhood kids. There were some cute costumes.

SIGH

2008-10-23T11:01:00.005-05:00

Well, it has been a week and a half already, but it is only Thursday. Ever feel like that? It has been the longest 3 days. Everyone at the office is having a hard time getting motivated, I think. There is so much crap to wade through besides doing our regular, everyday jobs. I am having a hard time getting up and coming in every morning. Part of me does wish that one of the jobs that I sent my resume to would have panned out and I could have just exited with apologies. But so far, I have received a couple of "due to the economic climate, we are no longer hiring for this position..." letters and an interview for something, that after talking with the person about the position, I do not even want to do.

I had been planning to start back to school at University of Oklahoma this January, but I am starting to feel so overwhelmed with everything else, I am thinking of post-poning that until the summer or fall. Jenn doesn't want me to, but I just don't see how I can have the energy to do it right now. I am just so down. Plus, she is trying to get into Oklahoma City University for January, and I want to make sure that we can afford for her to go there and I don't know if we can if I am also going to OU.

Blech. I cannot believe I am voluntarily going to attend OU. LOL

Go Pokes!

Stress

2008-10-15T22:55:00.003-05:00

It has been a very, VERY stressful month and a half at work. Well, actually, truth be told, it has been a very stressful year. It has been one full of lies and deceit and I am truly devistated by it all. The stress of the past month and a half has just been almost too much to handle and if I didn't work with an awesome group of people and amazing programs, I don't think I would still be doing what I do.

I have the next four days off and they are so needed. I hope that I can sort of relax and get over some of the stress of the last six weeks so that I can get back to the business of helping people help neglected and abused kids.

Elf on a Shelf

2008-10-10T22:39:00.002-05:00

Jenn ordered an Elf on a Shelf the other day. The elf arrives sometime before Christmas Eve and stays with our family and observes the children's behaivor. This behavior is reported every night back to Santa.

It is an activity for the entire family. It is based on the tradition Carol Aebersold began with her family in the 1970s. It includes a cleverly rhymed children's book that explains that Santa knows who is naughty and/or nice because he sends a scout elf to every home. The elf watches the children's behavior and reports it back to Santa each night. By morning the elf returns to its assigned home and hides in a different location, allowing the children to play a delightful hide-and-seek game.

It comes with its very own elf doll enabling others to begin this fun-filled Christmas tradition themselves. The Elf on the Shelf includes a hardbound children's book, a vintage-like pixie elf doll, and a certificate commemorating the adoption of the elf by our family. It also includes a keepsake box for storage (yay! so we can use it again and again).

I cannot wait to get it and see what the boys think!

Santa Intervention

2008-10-03T22:38:00.002-05:00

Having issues with your children and their behavior? Not picking up their rooms? Talking back? Fighting? Running around crazy? Wouldn't it be great if your kids could receive an email from Santa? Well now they can!

Santa can send them a "Santa Intervention" email whenever you want, detailing your children's offenses and letting them know that he and his elves are watching them and contemplating whether they are going on the "naughty or nice list".

Santa just needs to know your child(rens) names, their offenses, the town you live in and "voila!", email sent notifying them of their status with Santa. Here is a sample of needed information:

Anna - not listening, talking back, pouting when she does not get her own way.
Max - Won't leave his sisters alone, being a pest, not listening when told to stay out of the girls room.
Davis - talking back to his mom, not listening to his Dad.
Emily - not wanting to share the computer games, and whining when asked to do something.
We live in Indianapolis. Thanks!

Lazy Saturday Nite

2008-09-27T22:09:00.003-05:00

Well, I am sucky tonight. I am so freakin' tired and have been working so much overtime, I just don't want to do anything. Jenn is mad at me because of that, so she went out with her friends to a Rocky Horror Picture Show thing. I love Rocky Horror, I really do. I am just so tired and want to lay in bed with E and watch tv.

She just left to go and E and I are watching Witches of Waverly Place on the Disney Channel. I know. I am lame.

Paul Newman dies at 83

2008-09-27T22:08:00.004-05:00

I grew up watching Paul Newman movies with my mom, who thought he was very handsome and a wonderful actor. She was right. He was a wonderful man who did so much with his life, outside his acheivements in acting. It is inspiring. RIP Mr. Newman.

(CNN) -- Paul Newman, the legendary actor whose steely blue eyes, good-humored charm and advocacy of worthy causes made him one of the most renowned figures in American arts, has died of cancer at his home in Westport, Connecticut. He was 83.

He died Friday, according to spokeswoman Marni Tomljanovic.

Newman attained stardom in the 1950s and never lost the movie-star aura, appearing in such classic films as "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof," "Exodus," "The Hustler," "Cool Hand Luke," "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid," "The Sting" and "The Verdict."

He finally won an Oscar in 1986 -- on his eighth try -- for "The Color of Money," a sequel to "The Hustler." He later received two more Oscar nominations. Among his other awards was the Motion Picture Academy's Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award.

"Paul took advantage of what life offered him, and while personally reluctant to acknowledge that he was doing anything special, he forever changed the lives of many with his generosity, humor, and humanness," said Robert Forrester, vice chairman of the actor's Newman's Own Foundation. "His legacy lives on in the charities he supported and the Hole in the Wall Camps, for which he cared so much."

He was often willing to make fun of himself. Early in his career he was mistaken for fellow Method actor Marlon Brando; Newman obligingly signed autographs, "Best wishes, Marlon Brando."

Newman was a Method-trained actor who blazed his own career trail and didn't shy away from risky roles -- inside and outside films.

A portrayal as a race-car driver in 1969's "Winning" led to his actual competition in races; at 70, he participated in the 24 Hours of Daytona and he was still racing at age 80.

He stumped for liberal causes, including Eugene McCarthy's 1968 presidential candidacy, and earned a spot on Richard Nixon's enemies list -- "the highest single honor I've ever received," he said.

In 1982, Newman and his friend A.E. Hotchner founded Newman's Own, a food company that produced food ranging from pasta sauces to salad dressing to chocolate chip cookies.

"The embarrassing thing is that the salad dressing is outgrossing my films," Newman once wryly noted.

To date, the company -- which donates all profits to charities such as Newman's Hole in the Wall camps -- has given away more than $200 million. Newman established the camp to benefit gravely ill children.

"He saw the camps as places where kids could escape the fear, pain and isolation of their conditions, kick back and raise a little hell," Forrester said.

Today, there are 11 Hole in the Wall camps around the world, with additional programs in Africa and Vietnam. Some 135,000 children have attended the camps -- free of charge.

The Association of Hole in the Wall Camps "is part of his living legacy, and for that we remain forever grateful," the association said in a statement.

"We are greatly saddened by his passing. His leadership and spirit can never be replaced. But he has left us strong and confident."

Newman was half of one of the most successful showbiz marriages -- to Joanne Woodward, whom he married in 1958. He observed that just because he was a sex symbol there was no reason to commit adultery.

"Why would I go out for a hamburger when [I] have steak at home?" he asked.

Newman's daughters said described him as a devoted husband, a loving father, an adoring grandfather and a dedicated philanthropist.

"Our father was a rare symbol of selfless humility, the last to acknowledge what he was doing was special," they said in a statement. "Intensely private, he quietly succeeded beyond measure in impacting the lives of so many with his generosity.

"Always and to the end, Dad was incredibly grateful for his good fortune. In his own words: 'It's been a privilege to be here.'"

The statement requested privacy for Newman's family.

CNN's Larry King, who interviewed Newman through the years, said he greatly admired the actor.

"He lived a long and terrific life," King said Saturday morning. "He was much appreciated. Did some theater, graduated Yale. Long marriage to Joanne Woodward. One of those showbiz rarities."

Paul Leonard Newman was born on January 26, 1925, in Shaker Heights, Ohio, a suburb of Cleveland. His father owned a successful sporting goods store, but young Paul was taken with his mother's and uncle's interest in the arts and started acting while still in grade school.

"I wasn't running toward the theater but running away from the sporting goods store," he said later.

More.....

Where's OUR Bailout??

2008-09-25T00:09:00.002-05:00

I got this email and thought it was very thought provoking.... I don't know who origianally authored it, but they ROCK!

Bail THEM out?? Where’s OUR Bailout?? I'm against the $85 BILLION bailout of AIG.

Instead, I'm in favor of giving $85,000,000,000 to America in a 'We Deserve It' dividend. To make the math simple, let's assume there are 200,000,000 bona fide U.S. citizens, aged 18+ Our population is about 301 million counting every man, woman , and child. So, 200,000,000 might be a fair stab at adults 18 and up.

Now, divide 200 million, 18+ adults into $85 billion - that equals $425,000.00 each! Yes, my plan is to give that $425,000 to every adult as a 'We Deserve It' dividend.

Of course, it would NOT be tax free.

So, let's assume a tax rate of 30%. Everyone would pay $127,500.00 in taxes. That sends $25.5 billion right back to Uncle Sam! It also means that every adult 18+ has $297,500.00 in their pocket.

A husband and wife would have $595,000.00!

What would you do with $297,500.00 to $595,000.00? · Pay off your mortgage ? housing crisis solved Repay college loans ? what a great boost to new grads · Put away money for college ? it'll really be there · Save in a bank ? create money to loan to entrepreneurs · Buy a new car ? create jobs · Invest in the market ? capital drives growth · Pay for your parent's medical insurance ? health care improves · Enable Deadbeat Parents to come clean ? or else.

Remember this is for every adult U.S. citizen, 18 and older (including the folks who lost their jobs at Lehmann Brothers and every other company that is cutting back) and of course, for those serving in our Armed Forces. If we're going to do an $85 billion bailout, let's bail out every adult U.S. citizen!! As for AIG ? liquidate it. · Sell off its parts. · Let American General go back to being American General. · Sell off the real estate. · Let the private sector bargain hunters cut it up and clean it up. We deserve the money and AIG doesn't. Sure it's a crazy idea, but can you imagine the coast-to-coast block party?! How do you spell Economic Boom? W-e D-e-s-e-r-v-e I-t d-i-v-i-d-e-n-d!

I trust my fellow adult Americans to know how to use the $85 Billion 'We Deserve It' dividend more than I do the geniuses at AIG or in Washington, D.C. . And remember, The plan only really costs $59.5 billion because $25.5 b illion is returned instantly in taxes to Uncle Sam.
Something to think about isnt it??

Social Spark

2008-09-22T16:45:00.004-05:00

I have found more awesome blogs through SocialSpark recently. It is really cool. It is great to see all the other "mommy bloggers" out there, like me, and college students, politicos, and just funny people sharing their sense of humor. I always like finding a new blog to read! And the other great thing about Social Spark is that you can increase readership in your own blog as well, or blog about different opportunities that interest you or fit with your blog's theme. And you can even make a little cash in the process. Most of us "mommy bloggers" can use a little extra. I know that I can!

I have been out of the loop for awhile now, since we have been preparing for the wedding and Jenn and the kids have just gotten back to school AND stuff at my office has been crazy and stressful, but the other day I got an email from Social Spark talking about sharing my thoughts about them and their site and I thought, that is great, because I really think they have a great things going and the more people out there who get involved, the more their messages in their blogs can be heard by people.

I know that my blog is just a mish-mash of my life and my kids and things that I am interested in and probably not a lot of people are out there waiting for my next post! LOL But some of these bloggers are really great and have a lot to say! Check it out!

It's here!

2008-09-21T16:22:00.002-05:00

Well, they got here on Saturday and spent about 5 hours putting it together. It is awesome. E was outside playing on it all Saturday evening and almost all day Sunday. We cannot wait for K to get home and see it tomorrow! What is even better is that it is so big, solid and sturdy that I can swing on it and play on it with them! Woot! That is fun.

I haven't been given permission yet, to go up into the "treehouse" but maybe I will someday!

Weekend! Woot!

2008-09-19T16:17:00.003-05:00

I have never been so happy for it to be the weekend! OMG! What a long, long, LONG week. I worked early and/or late all week and I am exhauseted. On top of that, Jenn and Eli have both been sick and missed school this week some. It's just been crazy.

Work is really stressful and because we have had people leave, I have been on major overload, trying to keep up with an extra job and parts of other jobs. Everyone has. It has been just nuts.

I am looking forward to going out to eat tonight and to bed early. Tomorrow I have to show my face at a golf tournament, and that hopefully won't last long because a HUGE suprise for the boys is coming!!!

Shhh... don't tell!! It looks like this but also has monkey bars.

Oy ye como va!

2008-09-17T00:26:00.000-05:00

We went and saw Santana tonight and it was GREAT! We had wonderful seats, really. We were so close without being on the floor. Jenn loved it. Apparently they played just about every song from the third album and that is her favorite album. I just don't know enough songs to really know anything LOL but it was great and I loved when they played Black Magic Woman!

Our new baby girl!

2008-09-13T20:44:00.000-05:00

We haven't named her yet, but are thinking about Abbie. She is a precious long-hair calico. She is 12 weeks old and so sweet and cuddly. I cannot belive the boys suckered me into getting a kitten, but they had several at PetSmart and they boys have been so sad since Davis went to live at the farm and be a mouser.

Jenn picked her out and did a wonderful job. She fits right into the family.

More Wedding Pics

2008-09-08T15:54:00.003-05:00

The ceremony location was outside at the fountain garden.

The reception tables were brown with taupe and ivory accents, with crystal candlesticks.

The cake table with our beautiful banana creme cake!

The candy "buffet".

Robyn giving a toast!

We did it!

2008-09-01T15:34:00.000-05:00

It's true. We tied the knot!

We had the wedding at the Crescent Hotel in Eureka Springs. It was beautiful. I will post more pictures and details as I get pictures. This one Robyn sent to me and it's the only one I have right now.

It was a wonderful weekend! Better than could be imagined. Jenn looked like a princess and the boys looked so handsome. The reception was more beautiful then we could have ever imagined and was a lot of fun.

Packing it all up

2008-08-27T23:38:00.000-05:00

OMG! We have spent the day packing up stuff upon stuff upon stuff. Thank goodness my mom came over for a few hours and organized us! Who else would have thought about making a master list inventory of all our wedding stuff.

My car is completely full of boxes of candlesticks, vases and candy for the candy bar, mason jars and silk flowers, and more and more... we had to pack our suitcases and put them in my parents car, along with Jenn's dress. There was no room left!

I cannot belive we leave tomorrow for Eureka Springs and that we are getting married in 3 days! I cannot wait to see Robyn & Traci, too! They are driving all the way from Minnesota! It should be a fun, but stressful and crazy weekened!

First Day of School

2008-08-21T13:04:00.003-05:00

I cannot believe we have a 1st grader and a 2nd grader! OMG! How did that happen! They went to their first day, today. I sure hope they are having fun! It is wet out, so they weren't going to go out for recess, so E was already bummed about that. Hopefully, they got to play in the gym or something.

Diabetes Team Meeting

2008-08-15T17:52:00.003-05:00

We had to go to the school this afternoon and meet with the diabetes team. It went really well, actually and all the teachers are just right on board with E's diabetes care plan. It was great. The PE teacher sat in, too. There is another boy, who is K's age, who has diabetes, too. He has a pump and he was showing E how it worked and telling him how much he liked it and all.

I thought it was great to hear from his mom, too, how much they like it and how much easier it is. E has not been interested in a pump at all. But maybe now that he has seen a kid with one, he will think about it?

He has only seen adults with pumps before, so to see a kid with a pump was a good thing. What was so awesome, too, is that his glucose meter is bluetoothed to his pump, so when he checks his sugar, the information is automatically sent to the pump. Then he just puts in how many carbs he eats and the insulin is delivered through the site and into his body! Wow! I was impressed!

Dentist

2008-08-07T13:49:00.003-05:00

I am so dreading the dentist. I have an appointment today to get my teeth cleaned and I haven't been to the dentist in about 2 years. Ugh. I know. I know. I even have dental insurance, but I hadn't found a dentist and really, it hadn't been a priority until I watched Brittan's Worst Teeth on the BBC the other day. Talk about gross! It scared me into making an appointment. I don't want to have issues with my teeth or gums or even bone loss under the gums. It is crazy what all can happen from not having good teeth hygene.

Ok... I am going!

Oklahoma Science Museum

2008-08-02T18:45:00.003-05:00

It used to be called the Omniplex. I worked there for a couple of years, like 2000-2001. I always loved that place and they are really doing some great stuff with it. We have been members ever since I left my position there and I try to take the kids out there frequently, but it had been several months and wow! I was suprised. They had all kinds of new things going on. I was really impressed. The boys had a blast and so did I. We didn't even have time to go upstairs to the space exhibit thing, because we were building stuff with cups and blocks and things. Very cool!

Incredible Pizza

2008-07-31T21:19:00.005-05:00

We have been going to Incredible Pizza a lot this summer. It has been crazy and noisy but fun. The very end of the school year I had bought these coupons for $30 for Incredible Pizza. I got like 6 buy one get one buffets, a whole bunch of buy one get one bumper cars, racing and mini golfs and then a whole bunch where you buy a $10 game card and get a $10 game card free. It was great. We hardly spent anything there and went about 7 times this summer. The boys had a good time and Jenn always loves playing the Deal or No Deal game (ok, and I do, too!).

Family Reunion

2008-07-26T23:10:00.002-05:00

We had our family reunion today. I was really dreading it because I didn't think most of my cousins were coming, but it turned out that they did and it actually turned out to be fun. My sister even came from Dallas with my bil and nephew and that was cool! The boys played frisbee and we had lunch and went swimming and then my cousin took E over to play basketball and he thought that was AWESOME! It was a fun day.

Weekend

2008-07-21T13:29:00.004-05:00

We had a nice weekend. We all went to Toby Keith's I love this bar and grill for lunch and then walked down the river walk to the movie theater. Jenn and I went to see Mama Mia! and the boys went to the play center and when our movie was over, we suprised them and took them to see Space Chimps (which was HORRIBLE - and I love animated stuff). They liked it though, so I guess that is what counts.

After the movies, we went to the T-Mobile store to see if it was time for me to get the phone credit and it was! Jenn decided on a new phone (finally) and picked a Blackberry Curve. We used her phone credit to get her mom a new phone about 6 months ago and since I bought my Blackberry Pearl via eBay about 6 months ago, I didn't need (or want) a new phone yet. They didn't have any of the gold one's left, so we had to come back on Sunday.

We ran over to the candy store to look for different kinds of candy that we want to use for the candy bar at the wedding. We found some great things.... jelly bellies and m&m's and all kinds of things!

We ended up going to dinner at Red Lobster (it was so good) and then heading home. We were out most of the day and had a good time.

Sunday, we got up and did somethings around the house. Jenn's mom asked us to come over for dinner and to go swimming, so we said we would be there around 5pm. We went back to T-Mobile and they were totally out of the gold bb curve. They called a store in Norman, and they held one for us (since we were headed that way to Jenn's mom's place). We stopped in JC Penny and found TONS of boys clothes on sale and ended up buying the boys some back to school clothes and clothes for the wedding! I was so happy. I wanted to find them some dark brown dress shorts and we found some. We got them a very cute button-down shirt to go with it.

After we left JC Penny, we headed to Norman and the T-Mobile store there. We picked up the phone, stopped at the market for some things for dinner and then over to Debi's house. The boys were STARVING so we cooked hot dogs and baked beans and Jenn had picked up potato and macarroni salads. It was really good and totally hit the spot. Then we got our suits on and went to swimming.

The boys brought their new water guns that we bought for them on Saturday when we were at Bass Pro Shop. They were super soakers and they were crazy! We played really hard and swam a lot and everyone was exhausted when we headed home around 9PM. Both the boys fell asleep in the car before we even left Norman!

It was a good weekend, although I didn't get much of the cleaning out of the garage and my room done as I had wanted to. Seems like that is always the case! LOL

Mama Mia!

2008-07-18T13:25:00.002-05:00

So the movie comes out tonight. Jenn just LOVED the broadway show when we were in NYC and I promised her I would take her when it came out. I think maybe we will go Saturday afternoon, and the boys can go to the Playcenter while we watch it. I know they really want to see Space Chimps, too.

I cannot wait to see how the Mama Mia movie holds up to the musical.

New restaurant

2008-07-12T23:59:00.002-05:00

We tried out a new restaurant tonight and I cannot remember the name! It was good, thought. It was Harold's birthday and there were about 20 people there for it. It was so much fun! We finally met his brother that we are always hearing about - LOL. The restaurant is over in that strip mall area on May Avenue, just before Wilshire. I think it is where the Mediterranean place used to be. LOL

Anyway, we had a great time and Jenn's mom came over and stayed with the boys. It was just nice to get out and about without the boys. We had fun!

Back in Town

2008-07-07T23:30:00.002-05:00

We are back from Eureka Springs. We had a nice time. We stayed at the Land O' Nod again and it was fun. They have a great pool and it was nice to go swimming - the first time I had this summer, unfortunately. On top of that, the price is right.

We got in around midnight friday night and crashed and burned. Our wedding planner called early Saturday morning, so we got up pretty early and went for some food. We had to be up at the Crescent Hotel around 1:30 to meet the Officiant, then have the cake tasting at the Crystal Ballroom at 2pm and meet the photographer at 2:30 pm.

We got so much accomplished and we are going to have a banana creme cake. It was so delish! We met with Melody and her photographs are just amazing! We cannot wait for her to do the photography. We are also going to get a video, which isn't something that I had planned on doing. Jenn is pretty happy. I think she got everything she wanted and Melody really worked with us on the price.

We had a leisurely Sunday. We went and had bruch at the Crescent (which was fabulous as always) and took a nap (what a concept!) and swam a little. We took a drive and stopped at some antique shops and found exactly what we were looking for! Bobeches at a great little white and creme store! They were exactly what we had been looking for! We found an antique mall having 20-70% off of all kinds of things and got tons of crystal and glass candlesticks and 2 candlabras for the reception. They are just beautiful!

It was nice to be out of town, just the two of us, doing nothing.

Monday, we got up early and left for Springfield. We got to Joyce's and she took us to the florist's place. We decided on the flowers and centerpieces for the reception tables. They are going to be in silver bowls. It is going to beautiful! Then we went to the linen store and decided to do all brown satin table cloths and ivory and champagne runners. It is just going to be fabulous!

Happy Independence Day!

2008-07-03T12:25:00.001-05:00

We are going to take E to my parents tomorrow afternoon. His cousin, W is there for him to play with. Then he and my mom are going to take W back to my sister in Dallas on Sunday and stay a couple of days. E is very excited. He loves going to Dallas and my sister has a great swimming pool that they probably won't be able to keep him out of!

The boss lady is letting us leave early today! Woot!

Another Trip to Eureka Springs

2008-06-29T12:19:00.000-05:00

Jenn and I are taking one last trip to Eureka Springs next weekend before the wedding in August. We have several appointments lined up. We are having a cake tasting - we are thinking about doing banana creme, spice or carrot and chocolate with cream cheese filling. Jenn came up with the banana creme idea and I just love it.

We are also meeting with a potential photographer, Melody Purdy and I am really impressed with her website. She does amazing work! We are also meeting with the officiant and the guitarist/singer. On Monday, we drive up to Springfield to meet with our wedding planner, Joyce and she is taking us to meet with a florist and to look at table linens.

It should be a very productive weekend! (and the boys will not be with us - yea!)

True Colors Tour

2008-06-23T18:55:00.004-05:00

I am supposed to be there now with Jenn, but I just feel too terrible. So I was sitting on the sofa watching the boys eat dinner and the phone rings and it is Jenn and she says someone wants to talk to me and it is FUCKING CARSON KRESSLEY!!!! He said hi and that he was sorry I was sick and couldn't make it and that I would have to come next year and I couldn't believe he was on the phone with me and I said something like "I just think you are fabulous." LOL I am sure that I am missing a fabulous night and I am really bummed about it, but getting to talk to Carson was just amazing!

She sent a little clip of Andy Bell singing and I just love Erasure... Joan Jett and the B-52's and Cyndi Lauper (who I saw with Cher years ago when she broke her ankle) and Margaret Cho....

Back home

2008-06-15T14:16:00.004-05:00

We got back home last night, around 7:30 pm. Mom and E suprised us at the airport! It was great. I had missed him so much.

We spent Thursday and Friday sight seeing. We went to the Empire State Building (which I couldn't deal with, too high and I got vertigo). We took a night bus tour on a double decker bus. It went all over Manhattan and over to Brooklyn so we could see the Manhattan skyline from the pier. Very cool. Very beautiful.

We met with Jenzy, Mish, Michelle, Patti, me and Jenn at the Carnegie Deli and had lunch on Thursday. Sammy came with Jenzy and she is a DOLL! The deli was delicious and the portions were GIGANTIC! Jenn and Mish bought a million purses and then we went over to MoMA and it was just FANTASTIC! I loved it. It was amazing to see all that wonderful artwork.

Jenn and I left a little before everyone else and went back to the hotel. I was beat. I fell asleep and Jenn and Patti went to Central Park and went to Strawberry Fields and the Dakota Building.

It was an amazing trip. We went to see Mama Mia on Friday night and it was a terrific show. I think I have Jenn hooked on musicals, now! Yay!

I Heart Patti LuPone

2008-06-11T23:07:00.002-05:00

OMG! Gypsy was FANTASTIC!!! Seriously. Patti LuPone is amazing and I saw her LIVE! It was just awesome! We are having a lot of fun. Tuesday we got to the hotel, got checked in, had some lunch and then went to the room for a bit of a rest. It was scorching hot. It was supposed to rain, though, and it did. We went out to Times Square and I stopped at Foot Locker to get a pair of good walking shoes (Marc Echo, very cool) and it started POURING. We found a guy selling cheap unbrellas and got some and then walked around, did some shopping and found a theater and decided we would see SEX AND THE CITY. OMG! It was so good. I forgot how much I missed Carrie, Charlotte, Miranda and Samantha!

Today we slept in a little, got some lunch at an AMAZING Brazilian restaurant - Churrascaria Platforma and I HIGHLY recommend it. It is right over by the theaters and is very reasonable for as much food (and quality of food) that you get. The salad bar is fantastic. There were hot and cold salads. I had an AMAZING aspearagus risotto and a seafood stew full of scallops that melted like butter. The meats were all amazing and they had a wonderful vinigarette to put on it that gave it a flavor like I have never tasted. It is on 39th Street, between 8th and 9th Aves. Go there! You won't regret it!

Heat Wave in DC!

2008-06-09T10:00:00.002-05:00

OMG! It is hot hot hot in DC! We got in on Friday afternoon, finally made it to our hotel and trekked up to get a late lunch and then to the liquor store and back to the room. Dawn came in early Saturday morning. I had meetings and she and Jenn went to get breakfast. Misch and Michelle came over to the hotel around noon. We all went and got some chow around 12:30 and then went to the Holocaust Museum. Saturday night we did a moonlight trolly tour of DC monuments and it was so much fun!

Mish and Michelle went to back to NYC on Sunday morning. Dawn had to leave to go back home, too. Sharn got there in time to see Dawn for a bit before she left and she and Jenn hung out and then we all went and got a late lunch and then got to meet Bill, Austin and Jack.

Patti was supposed to get in very late on Sunday, but ended up in horrible delays and didn't get to DC until Monday evening. I went to meetings on Monday and Jenn went to the Nat'l Archives and the White House. We took Patti over to the Lincoln Memorial Monday night and also saw the Korean Memorial, as well.

We got up early today (Tuesday) and caught the Bolt bus to NYC. It is really nice. It has wifi and that is how I am posting now. It is comfortable and roomy and I have had a nap. Can't beat that. It is way better than the tiny airplanes we took to get out here.

I will post about NYC when I have time!

KIVA Update!

2008-06-03T11:25:00.003-05:00

Two of our KIVA loans have been repaid. They were both to women, one in Kenya who is a doctor needing an ultrasound machine. The other in Mexico who wanted to increase inventory in her clothing/shoe sales business.

Currently, we have two loans, both 75% repaid. One from a woman in Kenya who is expanding her food production/sales business and a woman in Tajikistan who is doing the same thing.

We just took a loan recently for a woman in Kenya whose business, which she started in 2000, offers a variety of staples such as bread, rice, flour, sugar, cooking oil, along with other items often used by her customers. She is expanding.

I am so glad to be a part of KIVA. It has really made us feel like we are helping to make a difference, not just in the lives of those who are offered the loans, but in their communities, as they expand their businesses and services.

Scholarships

2008-06-03T10:50:00.003-05:00

Jennifer has been VERY fortunate to have received multiple scholarships and grants to help her go back to school. I have been really proud of her. She is getting a scholarship this coming semester from Phi Theta Kappa for being an officer (she is the Vice President of Service). It will pay for 6 credit hours this fall and 6 credit hours next Spring! I am really proud of her.

I would encourage ANYONE to go back to school, if it is a dream of yours to go. It has been a bit of a financial struggle in the beginning, but she recieved FAFSA at the very start and as she took classes and made good grades, she began applying for more financial assistance and began receiving it. Her grants and scholarships have gone above and beyond paying for her classes and go to help with books, tutors and luckily, she has been able to have some money left over for living expenses.

Check out your local community colleges and jr. colleges. Find out what kind of assistance they offer and what kind of training programs, certifications and associates degrees they offer. After I finished my Associates degree, I was able to go back to my old job and make more money than I had been previously. I hope to go back in the Fall of 2009 and finsh my Bachelors.

Greensburg, KS

2008-06-03T10:18:00.003-05:00

On May 4, 2007, the small Midwestern town of Greensburg, Kansas, was ravaged by a fierce tornado, resulting in a tragic loss of life and displacing more than 1,500 people. Almost every home, business, hospital, and school was decimated in the process, leaving the once-vibrant farming community shattered and in ruins. But Mayor John Janssen, who inherited the office three weeks after the tornado struck, sees one glimmer of hope amid the destruction: a clean slate for a fresh start.

Greensburg City Council has approved a resolution that all city building projects will be built to LEED Platinum level standards. This makes them the first city in the United States to do this and it shows the world "how green we are."

One of the leading firms in the Midwest and a pioneer in sustainable design, BNIM has become a national leader in design, constantly implementing the delivery of strong design-driven solutions that are respectful of context and the environment. Their main focus is on sustainability with an emphasis on heritage of place. Two of its youngest members, Stephen Hardy and Rachel Wedel are working with John Picard to help Greensburg realize their dream for rebuilding.

Tune in to Planet Green in June to watch more about Greensburg, and the town's incredible efforts to rebuild green.

The South Central Community Foundation, which covers seven counties, including Kiowa County (of which Greensburg is the county seat), has established the Greensburg Future Fund to collect donations for rebuilding the town. While the board of the SCCF has designated a committee to make specific decisions about where the money can be best spent, every dollar you contribute is earmarked only for Greensburg projects.

D.C. on Friday!

2008-06-02T15:13:00.003-05:00

It's true. We fly out Friday morning for Washington D.C. Woot! I am starting to get excited. I haven't been too much, just because I have so much work to finish up before I go. I seriously need to get some things finished up first. I came into work today at 7:30 AM to get a jump start. It was so quiet and nice. It was great. I got a lot finished before the phones started ringing!

We are staying at the Omni Shoreham Hotel in D.C. I am really excited about the Saturday night trolly tour we are going on. It is the monuments at night. I went on a similar tour when I was 12 and just thought everything looked so beautiful at night, all lit up in the dark. Just beautiful.

One Week!

2008-05-30T10:39:00.003-05:00

We leave in exactly one week to go on vacation! Well, it is a working vacation for me, but a vacation, none the less. Registration for the conference starts Friday night and the conference goes Saturday through Tuesday morning. We are actually going to go to NYC on Tuesday morning, though. Yay!

Our friends, Anne and Heather moved to DC about a year ago and we had hoped to get to see them, but they are leaving for vacation on Saturday. We are trying to make a plan to meet up for a drink or something on Friday afternoon. I hope we can.

Dawn is going to be coming into DC early on Saturday morning and hanging out with Jenn all day while I am at my 9-4 Development Workshop. Mish and Michelle will be in town on Saturday too! Saturday night, we are all going on a Lights of DC trolly tour. It should be really fun. I am looking very forward to haning out with all of them and seeing the sights!

Dawn has to leave Sunday to go back home. Sharon is coming into town at some point on Sunday or Monday!! I cannot remember now. Mish and Michelle are driving back to NYC on Sunday. Patti gets into DC sometime late Sunday, I think. I need to check everyone schedules!

Patti and Jenn get to hang out together Monday, while I am in meetings and then we are all going to NYC Tuesday morning! WOOT! We are staying until Saturday morning! I am STOKED! Jenn and I have tickets to see Gypsy on Wednesday afternoon. I think Mish and Michelle do too. It was just nominated for 4 Tony's! I knew it would be. Patti LuPone is just INCREDIBLE!

Memorial Day

2008-05-26T22:17:00.002-05:00

Jenn took the boys to White Water this morning and I got to spend a lazy day in bed, playing Guitar Hero and having a quite house to myself. It was HEAVEN! They came home around 2 PM and we all took a nap. It was pretty uneventful (for me) but really it was exactly what I needed.

Social Spark

2008-05-20T11:42:00.004-05:00

I joined Social Spark and I have been loving it! I have found so many awesome blogs to read through the blog community on Social Spark. There are several that I check out on a daily basis. Like Daisy, the Curly Cat! Daisy writes about her zany antics and adventures. She enjoys dressing in fancy feline fashions, going outside in her stroller, chasing lizards, and playing with toys.

Or there is The Mom With Brownies! Frugal living, frugal homeschooling, family life, miserly menus, penny-pinching. She says that her boys’ friends step into their home with hopeful smiles, breathing in the air, anticipating the aroma of goodies baking in the oven. More often than not, it's Brownies!

One of the great things about Social Spark is:

100% Audit-able In-Post Disclosure

100% Transparency

100% Real Opinions

100% Search Engine Friendly

It's true. They insist on a strict policy of full in-post disclosure for all sponsored posts. The public can also see which bloggers are working with which advertisers on which opportunities. SocialSpark itself has no restrictions on how you express your genuine thoughts on an advertiser's product or service. And each sponsored link in SocialSpark automatically carries the "no-follow" attribute so as not to affect search engine rankings.

The best thing about the Social Spark community is creating sparks. Sparks are free opportunities that serve as ideas for blog posts. Sparks are utilized primarily by bloggers and offer no tracking or segmentation options. I created a spark and have had many people blog about my blog! Wow!

So check out Pay it Forward, Chores? Motherhood? Blogging?, Mom on a Mission and Green Money Saving Tips & Resources - Save on Groceries, Gas, Energy. If you want, leave them a comment and give them some props for mentioning me!

Bachelorette

2008-05-20T11:37:00.001-05:00

So, Jenn and I watched the Bachelorette last night. Normally, I am not into shows like this, but I sort of watched the Bachelor last season when DeAnna (the current bachelorette) was DUMPED and DUPED by the current bachelor. I was so sad for her, because she seems genuinely nice, kind and looking for love. So, I tuned in to see what kind of men were there for her to pick through.

I really think she did an incredible job at weeding out the guys for that first rose ceremony. It will be interesting to see how they all pan out. She cut 10 guys last night (from 25 to 15).

A group of us have a "fantasy bachelorette" game going. I had 3 bachelors and 2 of mine got cut. All 3 of Jenn's bachelors got a rose! Ugh! She may win!

I have a six year old!?!

2008-05-16T18:01:00.003-05:00

Yes, it's true. E turned six yesterday. We had his birthday party today after school at the park by the house. He had a pirate party and invited his class. About half of them showed up and it really was a nice time. The kids played outside (turned out to be a beautiful day) and had cupcakes and koolaid. I got to meet several of the friends that E talks about from school and some moms, so that was also nice.

He had a great time and got some fun gifts. Pop showed up for a few minutes to say hi. He was in the city for a meeting. That was pretty cool. We are going to Chick to see my parents, sister and nephew on Sunday.

Front-Porch Friendly

2008-05-12T12:12:00.005-05:00

I was reading blogs today, as I do when I need a break from all the chaos at the office. Today is DEFINATELY a Monday! As I was browsing through, I found this post about a town called Fairport and the mission of their Village Partnership to keep the town "front-porch friendly".

I just love that that phrase and the picture that pops into my head of people sitting out on their front porches or stoops and waving to the kids who are playing in yards or walking down sidewalks. *sigh* Beautiful.

I so want to live in a community that bills itself as "front-porch friendly". I think everyone deserves that kind of neighborhood to grow up in and raise families in.

The Neighborhood Pub

2008-05-09T10:27:00.004-05:00

This is my daily online hangout. It is one of the most amazing groups of women that I have ever 'hung out' with. We have a blast. The Neighborhood Pub is an online message board. You can chat about whatever on the Patio and there are also many different forums for whatever it is you are into. Raisin' Our Halfpints to talk about your kids, Beauty on Tap for the latest in fashion and make up, the Tip Jar where you can get and give your 2 cents!

Their blog says: It has been said that the pub is the heart of a community. Well, the purpose of The Neighborhood Pub is the same that any neighborhood pub has been doing for generations - creating a community. It is a place to go and let off some steam, to laugh with friends, to play a game or argue politics. It is a place to drown your sorrows, share lifes joys, or just gossip with the girls.

Belly up to the bar, girls! It's a cool place to hang!

Stimulus Check

2008-05-08T15:57:00.005-05:00

It's all the talk among my friends. Jenn is getting one. Yay! Mine is going to help pay off last year's tax that I haven't finished paying toward. Apparently, I am not the only one out there who has had their check intercepted. It's true. In her Pointless Ads blog, our favorite "crazy, unfocused girl" wrote that hers went toward unpaid student loans. It sucks to have that little carrot dangled in front of you, only to have the big, bad guberment swoop down and take it.

Better luck next time.

Recession?

2008-05-08T15:36:00.004-05:00

Many of us will say that this country is in a recession, despite the fact that our President denies it. I am seeing some of my friends beginning to struggle financially and even at our house, there are less restuarant meals, because I have had to pay so much more for gas and the grocery bill has also been higher.

I was perusing the internets *snicker* and found a great blog post about this very topic. It was at Sierra Sage. The just of the idea is that it isn't just the sub-prime fallout and price of gas that has "all the sudden" put us in this state. She links to an article about it and it really talks about how we have to look at the state of our economic health for many years now. We have been on a path leading to this. American consumer spending habits (public debt) and "free" trade agreements are two things that have helped us along.

Welcome to Freebieville!

2008-05-08T15:29:00.002-05:00

You know that I am always looking for a bargain or coupon or anything to save a dime! Gotta love saving money, right? Check out Freebieville. Right away the Amazon.com codes and PetSmart coupons caught my eye! There are ToysRus and Target coupons too! And even Walmart deals.

The Freebieville Blog had an entry about E.L.F. makeup. You can buy $1 cosmetics right now and if you spend $20 and automatically get a free subscription to Women’s Day Magazine! Check it out at the Freebieville Blog!

Aging Parent Issues

2008-05-08T15:18:00.004-05:00

I have a couple of friends who are caring for an aging parents. I have watched my mom care for her mother (who had Alzheimer's disease) after my grandfather's death. Now I am watching my dad and his sisters care for my Grandfather.

I read a really great blog entry at Davy's Locker about aging parent issues. So many people are dealing with this and he is, too. His mother has Alzheimer's disease. He talked about a program called Community Life - a type of day care for seniors and their main goal is to care for seanior's health and well being so that they can live in their homes and continue to be active. What a terrific program!

Help Stamp Out Hunger on May 10th

2008-05-07T16:09:00.002-05:00

Did you know that 35 million Americans are hungry or living on the brink of hunger? For the 14th year, Campbell Soup Company and the United States Postal Service are partnering with the National Association of Letter Carriers to co-sponsor Stamp Out Hunger, the nation's largest, single-day food drive.

The event delivered over 70 million pounds of food in 2007. Though thousands of local post offices will be participating in the program, some are unable to. To find out whether your letter carrier is participating, search the USPS website for the contact information for your local post office.

10 Things for the Earth

2008-05-01T11:59:00.003-05:00

Small actions can make a big difference! Below are 10 simple steps we can all take this Earth Day to reduce our environmental impact and save ourselves some "green" in the process.

1. Turn your thermostat down two degrees in the winter and up two degrees in the summer. This will decrease your carbon output by about 2,000 pounds and save you about $98 per year in energy costs. Programmable thermostats automatically adjust your home's temperature settings, allowing you to save energy while you're away or sleeping. Through proper use of pre-programmed settings, a programmable thermostat can save about $150 every year.

2. Unplug electronics when not in use. Even when turned off, items like cell phone chargers, toasters and computers use energy. By pulling the plugs, you can save about 1,000 pounds of carbon dioxide and $256 per year.

3. Replace frequently-used light bulbs with Compact Fluorescent Bulbs. CFL bulbs only use one-third of the electricity that incandescent bulbs do, and they last up to ten times longer. Switching five of the most frequently-used bulbs in your home can save you more than $60 every year. Each CFL can prevent more than 450 pounds of emissions over its lifetime.

4. Run your dishwasher only when it is full. And use the energy saving setting if you have one. By eliminating just one load per week, you can save 100 pounds of carbon dioxide and $40 per year. Don’t rinse dishes before putting them in your dishwasher – this can save up to 20 gallons of water in just one load.

5. Hang your clothes out to dry. Line-drying your clothes in the spring and summer instead of using the dryer can decrease your carbon output dramatically. So can switching to cold water for just two or more washes every week. As with your dishwater, be sure to wash a full load in your washing machine every time.

6. Plant a few trees. Properly placed trees shade homes and office buildings, reducing air conditioning needs up to 20 percent, thereby reducing the amount of fossil fuels burned to produce electricity.

7. Cut out aggressive driving and take care of your vehicle's tires. Speeding, rapid acceleration and rapid braking can lower your gas mileage by up to 33 percent at highway speeds and by five percent around town. You can improve your gas mileage by around 3.3 percent by keeping your tires inflated to the proper pressure. Remember: Idling gets 0 miles per gallon.

8. Carry reusable water bottles and coffee cups. One plastic mug, used twice a day, every day instead of disposable cups, can save 135 pounds of carbon dioxide emissions per person per year! While stainless steel or ceramic mugs require more materials and energy to create, they can be reused for years. This more than offsets the initial energy expended and reduces waste volume considerably.

9. Buy from local farmers. Typical grocery store produce travels nearly 1,500 miles before it ends up on your plate. All this traveling burns fossil fuel, so buying from local farmers means you’re not only getting the freshest food possible, but you’re saving energy as well.

10. Donate to Heifer. By giving to Heifer, you are helping to end world hunger and poverty, but you are also caring for the earth. From promoting forestation and encouraging biodiversity to monitoring watershed conditions and minimizing erosion, Heifer is committed to improving the environment through sustainable means. And don't forget that April is "Pass on the Gift" month. Learn more.

Celebrate Earth Day all year long!

My Back

2008-05-01T08:34:00.000-05:00

I have been off of work all week because of my back. It has been killing me. I have spent almost all week in bed, taking pain pills and had total cabin fever. Yesterday, I got up and walked around the house some. I got in the car and Jenn took me out for a drive (turning corners hurt) and to get some lunch. It was good to go out and move around a little.

Finally, yesterday evening, I was able to take the splint off of my ankle and walk around the house. It is feeling SO MUCH BETTER. I was even able to bend over some what, but I cannot twist from side to side without feeling a sharp pain.

I only took a little Motrin yesterday morning and tried to get through the day without anything stronger but by bedtime, I needed a pain pill. I took one so I could sleep and I guess it did a good job, because I woke up about 5am this morning, twisted around on my stomach and in pain. I finally got myself flipped around on my back, took a half a pain pill and propped myself on some pillows.

Two steps forward and one back, I guess. I am not feeling so hot this morning.

Spill

2008-04-28T00:22:00.003-05:00

Saturday started out great. Seriously. It was cool and crisp outside. Our housekeeper came around 8 am and Jenn snuck out of our room and let me sleep in. Wow! I got up and hung out with E a little and then we went to his room and started picking up. He did most of the work, I just kept him on track, doing one thing at a time so he wouldn't get overwhelmed. I wanted to make sure Kristen could dust and vacuum in there! LOL

E's friend M was coming for a sleep over and showed up around 11:30. I took them to get some Sonic and then went and picked up Jenn, Kristen and I a sandwich from Subway. After we ate, since it had warmed up past 70F, I decided I would take the dogs out to the dogwash and check it out. I got there and got Sophie washed (so much easier than the bathtub!) and Chloe just watched. I ran out of quarters and she is so small, I figured I would bathe her at home in the sink or tub.

I got home about 2:30 and walked around the block with Sophie, to let her continue to dry. I stood in the front yard with her for a minute and she and Chloe both went potty and then I started walking them to the back yard to put them in the fenced area. Little did I realize that there was a hole, hidden in the grass, waiting to trip me up. My foot went in, I heard my ankle pop and feared that I would fall on my bum knee, so I sort of twisted my body, hoping I would land on my side, but no, instead I heard a horrible nose in my back, felt a sharp pain, and yes, still landed on my knees.

Sophie took over. Seriously. She sensed something was wrong and she stood guard right in front of me, like she wasn't going to let anyone get me while I was down. Unlike Chloe, whose leash was still in my hand and she was tugging and running and trying to get free from me.

With Sophie's help (thank god she's a big dog) I pulled myself up and hobbled into the back yard (where E and M were playing) and hid my pain while I unleashed the dogs and made my way inside to the bathroom (where I was initially headed because I had to pee something horrible). Sitting down was excruciating and I feared having to stand. I sat in there trying to catch my breath and assess my pain and where it was coming from. I had no idea where Jenn was and I didn't want to be a baby about it, so I forced myself back to my feet, walked into the sun room and sat down on the sofa and cried.

Jenn came to find me about 1o minutes later and I lost it. I was in such horrible pain. I took a flexeril and tried to relax. I got up and got in bed and slept for awhile with some ice on my back. I woke up later and barely got myself to sit up. I tried to stand but it was too painful. Jenn called her mom to come stay with the boys and insisted (and I didn't put up a fight) in taking me to the ER.

It took me forever to get into the car. She almost called an ambulance, but I wouldn't let her. We got to Baptist Hospital and she got a wheelchair for me, which I didn't want at first, but was glad to have. I got checked in and waited to be called in by triage. Surprisingly, it didn't take long (well, long enough for Jenn to lose $2 to the Coke machine) and they decided to send me over to the urgent care, where I was the only patient (as opposed to the emergency care, where they were crazy busy). The doc saw me, said I probably tore or severely strained my lumbar (I think) muscle and that all I could do is ice it and take pain killers and take it easy to let it heal. He was very worried about my foot and ankle and lower calf, though, which had swollen up very big. I wasn't so worried about that, because compared to the pain I was having in my back, it was like a paper cut.

I got xrays and nothing was broken, just sprained. The nurse came in and put a splint on it. They gave me two pills that were like magic. I couldn't believe how much my back pain improved. The doc came back, gave me an Rx for some pain meds and we left. Wow! We were there only an hour and a half. We went to the 24 hour Walgreens and dropped of the Rx, stopped at Taco Bell and then went back and got it.

I got into bed and dropped. I slept on and off through the night and then slept a lot during the day today. I was dumb and didn't take a pill at 6pm when it was time again (thinking I didn't need it because I felt so good) and boy did I find out how much my body got jarred by that fall. Both my knees started throbbing, my left wrist, my right shoulder, my ankle REALLY started hurting and worst of all, my back started again with the shooting pain.

I am back on the Rx pills. I don't know when I will be able to go into work. At this point, I can barely go up and down the two steps from my den to the living room - I cannot imagine trying to climb the stairs to my office.

Needless to say, I am on the mend and trying not to complain to much, but I am hurting. :(

What type of pet do you own?

2008-04-22T21:37:00.009-05:00

We have several pets. Chloe is the oldest. She is a mini doxie and will be 4 in June.

Then Dory the cat who is about 4.

We got Sophie, the Old English Sheepdog a year and a half ago, when she was 9 months old - she was 2 in March.

We have a 2 year old cat named Davis that we adopted a couple of weeks ago. He is a sweetheart!

Then there is E's "kissy fish" who doesn't really have a name and is the only one that survived the last tank cleaning!

Tell me about your pet(s)!

Weekend in Eureka Springs

2008-04-21T10:58:00.006-05:00

We took an impromtu jaunt to Eureka Springs over the weekend. We stayed at the cutest little cottage and had a nice time. I just love it there and I love going whenever we decide to. The boys were a little randy and didn't want to mind and that was frustrating, but they loved they little cottage we stayed in (they got their own bedroom with bathroom - and TV!) and we had a huge tub that they loved taking a bath in.

We met with our Wedding Coordinator and she is wonderful and we got SO MUCH accomplished. We both feel better, more focused and "on track". Whew!

The boys also got their old time photos taken at Judge Roy Bean's and had a blast with that. They were gansters who robbed a bank and E really got into character. It was hilarious!

YMCA

2008-04-17T11:38:00.004-05:00

We went and worked out last night and the boys did the KidZone and played basketball and stuff while we did our thing. I did a mile and a half on the bike in 6 minutes. Today my ankles and calf muscles are bothering me. I guess I need to slow it down a little bit! I did lunges and the arm machine and one machine that works your chest muscles. We only had 30 minutes last night, because we got there at 7 instead of 6:30 (I worked late).

As hard as it is to motivate myself to go, I love working out when I am actually there doing it.

Jenn already went today. I have to go tonight after work.

Chore Charts

2008-04-15T09:34:00.004-05:00

We have had several different chore / reward systems in place over the past couple of years. It seems like we just cannot really find something that works well for us. It is aggravating. I have some new charts with little cards on hooks that I like a lot, but they just don't want to stay hanging on the wall!

I found a site where I can download a chore chart for free! They come in different design styles too. There is a "rock n roll" template that I think E would really like. There are several to choose from. There is also a way to track chores online and an allowance system. I am going to read more about it and send the link to Jenn.

Home Sick

2008-04-14T09:31:00.003-05:00

E has a fever so we are home this morning. Jenn gets out of class at 11:45 and then I will go to work. He seems okay, other than the fever so I am thinking it might just be one of those 24 hour viruses. Poor kid. We are curled up in my bed watching cartoons together. I could fall back asleep. I wish he would. It might do him good to sleep a little more.

I certainly hope that I don't come down with anything after this. Ugh. The joys of motherhood! LOL

Nice Weekend

2008-04-13T16:20:00.001-05:00

Really, it was a nice week. I had off Wednesday, Thursday and Friday from work. I was a bum, I slept in, I did a little work in the yard and I hung out with E a lot. It was a nice way to end the week. Mom and Dad ended up taking E home with them on Friday night when they were leaving the city from dinner with friends and he stayed the whole weekend. He had a blast driving the g0-cart, but more than that, he is riding a bike (with training wheels). He rode it all over, round and round the circle drive. He was so excited when he was telling me about it.

Jenn and I went to Harold and Bryan's Annual Pink Party and it was fun. I had a little too much pink punch (with vodka) and started to feel odd. Vodka and I are just not friends. I was so glad to run into Monty there! I hadn't seen him in forever!

We worked on the last of our tax stuff today and I am getting ready to go pick up E from my mom. It was such a nice week(end).

We Survived!

2008-04-07T09:36:00.002-05:00

The conference, that is. Wow. What a long week. I worked about 65 hours, as did everyone else and it went great! I am exhausted, but it really was a terrific conference. We got so many compliments. It was nice. Today, back to the daily grind. *sigh* We have tons of stuff to put away! Ugh.

Crazy Day!

2008-04-01T13:01:00.003-05:00

I am stopping for a few to grab a bite, check my email and update my blog! Our state conference is Thursday and Friday and we are working our collective arses off. I was at the office until almost 8pm last night. This morning, we spent about 3 hours putting together the conference binder/notebooks. We are getting ready to put together the centerpieces for our luncheon. That will take another couple of hours. Then we have to "stage" all of the stuff that we take over to the conference center. That way when we load the Uhaul, we will unload it in the order that we need it. Make sense?!

Well, I guess I am going to go back to work. Ya'll probably won't see me until the weekend as the next 3 days will be nuts!

Upcoming Conference

2008-03-26T09:20:00.004-05:00

I cannot believe that our annual state conference is just a week away! We are usually stressed out and running around like chickens with our heads cut off, but things are really calm this year. Maybe it is because I don't have as much to do with it as I have in year's past, but I just finished up the certificates for the conference attendess and now I am going to start on name badges. We have about 250 people registered to attend.

I think it is going to be a really great conference this year. We had used the same format for years and years and this year, we sort of shook things up. We are having 10 speakers, instead of 5 and we are not doing an Awards dinner, but a luncheon.

I will let you know how it goes. I will probably be MIA next week. LOL

Massage

2008-03-25T22:14:00.003-05:00

I went in for my massage today! I love getting a massage. My back has been killing me and I had her spend the whole hour working on my back and neck. It was like heaven. I cannot believe the difference that it has made. I am in no pain at all now. Jenn had an appointment today, too. She had a good massage.

We also got my garage door fixed. Just so happens, our yard guy also works for an overhead door place. He came over yesterday evening and fixed it! Yay! Now if I can only find my opener.

The TV in our bedroom lost all volume just now. Dang. I am hoping that I am not going to have to replace the TV in there. It's only a couple of years old. My parents gave it to us so it was a freebie! LOL Although I have had my eye on a flatscreen.

Another Birthday

2008-03-22T23:00:00.004-05:00

Well, another year older! I had a nice day. Jenn got up early and kept the boys from waking me up (until 9:30 am). She had them color cards for me and they came in and gave them to me and a new Dolly Parton CD. They were so cute and so excited.

I took the boys (and the dogs) to my parents. They played outside all day and my dad got them a new toy! A go-cart! It was pretty awesome and they had a blast with it. I was wishing that I was smaller or it was bigger so that I could drive it too!

Jenn came down with M about 4pm and she and the boys rode bikes and the go-cart until it was time for dinner. We went out to eat at an Italian restaurant and then took the kids to see Horton Hears A Who, which was just fabulous. I loved it.

Rally/Press Conference Today at Capitol

2008-03-18T11:10:00.000-05:00

PFLAG-OKC is sponsoring a rally and press conference Tues. March 18 at the State Capitol Rotunda. Please join them as they call upon Representative Kern to apologize or step down.

The rally is supported by National PFLAG, GLADD, the Human Rights Campaign (HRC), the National Black Justice Coalition (NBJC), the Peace House, Peace Institute and many more organizations

Check out http://www.pflagokc.org/.

UPDATE: Friday's Sally Rally

2008-03-18T09:45:00.005-05:00

Thank you for comming out to support our community!

Speaking of weddings....

2008-03-17T09:32:00.003-05:00

we are having a terrible time coming up with a cake. We haven't even got to what flavor the cake will be, we cannot decide what it should look like on the outside. *sigh* I look at tons and tons of pictures and nothing is really what I want. But I don't really know what it is I want.

I would like something different, out of the ordinary, but still classy. Ugh! Help!!!

My Love

2008-03-17T09:21:00.002-05:00

I cannot believe that it is only 5 months until Jenn and I get married! Boy, the time sure does fly by fast. Sometimes it seems like we just met and are just starting our romance and then it seems like I have known her forever. It is coming up on three years - wow!

We actually met online and as cheesy as people think online dating places like eHarmony and other are, they really worked for us and we know of several other couples that met in the same way.

I really liked the fact that I knew we were compatible in our views on certain topics like religion and politics and I knew that she loved kids and maybe even wanted more, like me. You don't get that when you met someone out at a bar or club. It is almost entirely superficial and based on chemistry when you meet someone face to face like that. Not that it isn't superficial online, too. I will say that I was definitely interested in Jenn by they way she looked in her picture and she has said the same about mine.

Who would have thought that three years later, we would be getting married and talking about expanding our family?! It is so exciting! I am so very happy in my life and have a wonderful partner and love.

Rep. Sally Kern....

2008-03-11T14:38:00.001-05:00

The more I think about this, the more I don't know the way to respond to her. And finding out that the House is going to do nothing to censure her or anything, just infuriates me even more.She can say that she wasn't targeting "individuals" but some magical group of gay "agenda" havers... but it is a cop out and a lie.

Of course she can get away with this if she isn't targeting individuals. It is just nameless, faceless gay activists with an evil agenda that she hates. That's okay, right?

WRONG!

I just heard that News 9 is going to give her even more of a platform, because she is going to be interviewed by them for tonight's news! Ugh. I hope that it is balanced and countered with an interview with Cimarron Alliance Foundation or something.

The protester in me wants to get my signs and picket. But the more I think about it, the less I feel this will have any type of positive effect. People will just roll their eyes about it. Even though picketing Olivet Baptist Church (where her husband is minister) might be interesting.

What I REALLY think we can do is get INVOLVED. Get involved in local congressional races. Especially in Oklahoma City District 84! She isn't term limited until 2016, but she has to run every 2 years. We need to find out who she is running against and help with that campaign.

Get involved in Stonewall Democrats or Cimarron Alliance Foundation. Sign up to go to their Leadership Summit. I am thinking that I am going to do so. It is May 10, from 9am to 5pm and here are the topics:

Leadership Development Organization Development – non-profits, fundraising, etc. Government – politics and the legislative process
Personal Development – spirituality, equality, etc.
Anti-violence – anti-bullying, hate crimes, etc.

There will also be two community forums: (1) discussing the possible creation of an LGBT community center in Oklahoma City and (2) a meeting of the Stop Hate Coalition, an anti-violence group founded as a result of the recent brutal murder of a gay Oklahoman.I think that this is SO necissary for people to attend. THIS is a way to get involved. There are other organizations, like PRIDE and DBA Metro. They need active members and it is a way to network and strengthen our community!

Come on! Let's get involved!

Already a LONG week

2008-03-05T21:01:00.001-06:00

We had a break in at the office this past weekend. They ransacked our offices. So far we haven't found anything that was stolen, which is good, but it has been a chore trying to sort through all the paperwork that was dumped.

On top of trying to put the office back together, Jenn has had mid-terms and her Biology class is just getting really hard. She is getting really stressed out. I ended up taking us all to Golden Corral for dinner last night, because I didn't think she would be up for making dinner after her crazy day. She had a test in Religions of Mankind and then her Biology lab quiz was very hard.

I am glad that my nephew's birthday party is this weekend, because a little trip down to Dallas may help us all.

The boys are excited to go and also to stay in a hotel with an indoor pool, so they can swim. LOL We will probably take them to Dave & Busters, too. I want to take the boys to The Purple Cow for a burger at some point and Jenn wants to go to Pappasitos. It is her favorite place.

It should be a fun weekend. My parents will be down, too and so we are hoping the whole family can hang out together a little bit.

Linkin Park

2008-02-29T13:33:00.003-06:00

Jenn is going with friends to see Linkin Park tonight at the Ford Center downtown. E and I get to have a mom/son night together. I am looking forward to it. We are going to play some XBOX and Wii and get some McDonalds or something and there is a Sponge Bob Square Pants movie on tonight that he wants to watch. We also rented Ratatouille. I am excited. My boss is letting me off early so I can suprise him and pick him up from school today.

Working

2008-02-23T11:55:00.002-06:00

I am working today. We are filming our annual award winners video. Fun times. We are waiting right now. Next year, I am scheduling the people closer together. We have waited a lot today.

The boys say they want chinese for dinner tonight. They are so funny!

Flu Season

2008-02-18T11:53:00.003-06:00

Well, it's official. I have the flu. I have been in bed sleeping since Friday afternoon. Luckily our office is closed today for President's Day so I am not having to take another sick day. *sob* Jenn has pneumonia and the flu. I think I am about 2 days behind her in all of this. It just sucks.

The crud

2008-02-15T13:45:00.001-06:00

What a week. I spent last weekend and Monday and Tuesday with some horrible stomach bug. I have been back to work Wed and yesterday and I have felt sort of sluggish today. I feel like I am getting a fever. :( I had really planned on taking the boys bowling tonight. I am so bummed that I feel sick again.

I think I am going to go home early today.

We found colors!

2008-02-09T22:06:00.003-06:00

Jenn and Jill spent the day at Veazey's Party Store, Marianne's Rentals and Hobby Lobby and came up with the most BEAUTIFUL colors for the wedding! I am really excited, because I have been in love with the thought of red and tangerine and Jenn has really wanted purple. Jeweltones are the "in" thing right now, and Jill found the most beautiful shades of each color and put them together and they look terrific! So we have 3 colors!

They found centerpieces and this great fabric to do the tables with. I am just in love with all the ideas they came up with!

I feel like we are actually starting to get some details hammered out, now. *wow*

49th Anniversary of "the Day the Music Died"

2008-02-03T12:08:00.000-06:00

Buddy Holly, Richie Valens and J.P. Richardson (the Big Bopper) flew into a fatal snowstorm and music history on Feb. 3, 1959. The plane crashed and took with it these three young rock 'n' roll pioneers. Their 1950s music had helped define the landscape of melodies America came to love.

I can't remember if I cried

When I read about his widowed bride

But something touched me deep inside

The day the music died.

-Don McLean, American Pie (1971)

As an artist, Buddy Holly was only with us for 30 months - between 1957 and 1959. But in that short period, Holly's innovation and keen musicianship made him the Mozart of rock music and one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century.

As Philip Norman wrote in his book, Rave On: The Biography of Buddy Holly (1996), "he threw back the boundaries of rock 'n' roll, gave substance to its shivery shadow, transformed it from a chaotic cul-de-sac to a highway of infinite possibility and promise." All this by the age of 22.

The Beatles, the Rolling Stones, Bob Dylan, Eric Clapton, Elton John, Bruce Springsteen and others admit his influence. "His voice," as Norman notes, "is the most imitated, yet inimitable, in rock music."

In 2004, Rolling Stone Magazine ranked Holly #13 in its list of 100 Greatest Artists of All Time.

Crazy week

2008-01-30T09:55:00.000-06:00

With our conference coming up, it has been a mad house in our office. We are also trying to put together 3 more day-long workshops before the end of June. Wow. It is going to be crazy.

On a better note, we are all going to Washington, D.C. for the National Conference in June. We are all so excited about it. And on top of it, Jenn is going to go too, and we are going to go to NYC after D.C. for a few days. Last night I got tickets to see PATTI LUPONE in GYPSY while we are there and I am so excited that I am bouncing off the walls today!

Work

2008-01-24T09:12:00.000-06:00

I am waiting on someone to run labels so that we can finish a mailout that the boss-lady wants finsished today. I have asked a couple of time, but heard nothing. So.... *sigh* I am sitting here blogging about it. LOL Fun time, eh?

Ok. More fun. The printer is broken or something. Yay! *rolleyes* We only have like 50 printers in the office. I guess they are printing them now, but on a different printer.

I just don't have patience today.

Mom on a Mission

Selling the house

So long since last posted....

Golf

House Hunting

Bitch

Forever and a day

Boys Rooms

IsaGenix

The Alzheimer's Project, HBO Sunday

Where did the time go?

Getting healthy

Audits

Tuesdays

Broadway Fun for Funds

Late Nights

40th Anniversary

Elvis

Update

Knee Surgery

Basketball Game Today

State Supreme Court to Hear Challenges to Prop 8

My 15 seconds....

Ugh

Change Can Happen!

Halloween

*SIGH*

Stress

Elf on a Shelf

Santa Intervention

Lazy Saturday Nite

Paul Newman dies at 83

Where's OUR Bailout??

Social Spark

It's here!

Weekend! Woot!

Oy ye como va!

Our new baby girl!

More Wedding Pics

We did it!

Packing it all up

First Day of School

Diabetes Team Meeting

Dentist

Oklahoma Science Museum

Incredible Pizza

Family Reunion

Weekend

Mama Mia!

New restaurant

Back in Town

Happy Independence Day!

Another Trip to Eureka Springs

True Colors Tour

Back home

I Heart Patti LuPone

Heat Wave in DC!

KIVA Update!

Scholarships

Greensburg, KS

D.C. on Friday!

One Week!

Memorial Day

Social Spark

Bachelorette

I have a six year old!?!

Front-Porch Friendly

The Neighborhood Pub

Stimulus Check

Recession?

Welcome to Freebieville!

Aging Parent Issues

Help Stamp Out Hunger on May 10th

10 Things for the Earth

My Back

Spill

What type of pet do you own?

Weekend in Eureka Springs

YMCA

Chore Charts

SIGH