Some pics

We are home and doing well.
I promise to update soon.
Things have just been kinda crazy.

My Daughter

Alivia Rose Shearer came to us on November 30, 2006. She is seven weeks premature. I developed severe preclampsia and the doctors had to induce me. I pushed her out in an hour and half. It was so very very painful people.
She weighed in at 4 lbs 14 oz and 18 inches long. Her feet and hands are gigantic!!
On day two of her life she got moved from NICU to Special Care. We are hoping to have her home by Christmas.
I had to be transferred to another hospital about an hour from our town because my hospital didn't have room for her.
We are lucky enough to be in the Ronald McDonald house. We visit her every three hours for feeding. Please, keep us in your prayers. Alivia is doing well, but she has a ways to go.

Co's friend Rita is a Liar

I just have to tell you all this, pregnancy is not super great and fabulous.
Oh no, it is not.
Is it magical. Yes
Is it really awesome to feel the baby move. Yes
Is it an experience I want to do again. I am looking into the surrogate mother thing. And if saying that makes me a bad mom before my daughter is even born, so be it. I won't lie to you people!
I wake up every night at least five times with intense pain in my hips. I woke up hubby last night cause I was whimpering.
Mom says its cause my hips are spreading for the birth.
UGH!
Like my ass getting big isn't enough, it gets to be accompanied by pain, suffering and sleep deprivation.
Also, why can't maternity clothes makers design shirts with full sleeves?
We are pregnant.
Everything is bigger.
Those tiny non sleeves are uncomfortable and show our flabby arms!!!
Lastly, the swelling has happened.
And that is all I will say about that.


(Don't get me wrong people, I am thrilled to be having this baby!)

Per Lindsey's (Linny) Request

My pregnant self at about five months.
I'm a little bigger right now (almost six months) but hubby likes to take a pic once a month and then compare them to see how huge I have become.


Hubby picked the name Alivia Rose.
I love it.
Pregnancy is going . . .
A little over three months left!!

Just this one

In light of Sexy Suburbanite's August 15th post, I just had to stop in and blog a bit. Check her out at www.sexysuburbanite.blogspot.com. I don't know how to link. Hubby does it for me.
Anyhoo.
We are having a GIRL!!
And they moved my due date to January 9, 2007.
A full eight days sooner than I believe the true due date should be.
But then again, Alan says I'm having a ten pounder.
And really, he should be stoned for that.

Champagne wishes and caviar dreams

The day has come for me to retire my blog.
At least for the next few months.
Work has become overwhelming, my sister's twins have arrived, the house demands attention, lots of attention and I find myself absorbed in baby related things, which really, no one wants to hear about.
But don't you kids worry one bit.
I will most certainly still be reading all of your entries and keeping up to date on everyone's life.
Love ya!

Drum roll please

Here they are.
Finally, I know.
Some are of the day we bought the house others are, obviously, post moving everything (almost).


Yeah!! Isn't it adorable?


This is gonna be the baby's room. We are gonna do a cloud theme. Then when we find out what sex the shrimp size growth inside of me is, we will incorporate primary colors for boy and pastels for girl.



This is the most gorgeous table I told you about.


I was watching VH1 this morning. I'm addicted to the count down.

So, that is most of my house. Hope you all are satisfied with the pics!

The Voicemail

My phone went dead Sunday morning. And I have lost my home charger somewhere in the move. So, when I hooked up my cell this morning at work I had ten messages.
How is that possible?
No one ever calls me.
I have a cell phone just so I can bother hubby during the day.
Anyhoo.
Got an interesting message from my Dad.
Lisa, your gonna love this.
He informed me that he and his girlfriend (who by the way has stolen from him and given all to her crackhead daughter) are getting married.
Not sure when this blessed event will happen cause I haven't called him back, but I really hope he doesn't expect a present.
It is his FIFTH marriage.
For the love!
Just live together forever.
Your gonna spend more money on the divorce than you'll have left after a couple years with her.

Poll

Hubby thinks I should comment back to all of my fabulous and loyal readers who leave me comments. Apparently it slightly irks him that I do not answer the questions people leave.
What do you think?

Views, opinions, questions (;), etc.

No time

I am feeling the pressure.
Lots of work to be done.
Have to decorate house.
Need to move the rest of our stuff from the apartment.
Feed the cats.
Must must must clean the bathroom.
Gotta make dinner.
I'm exhausted.
This day to day living on top of moving into a house leaves me no time.
No time at all.
I came in early today and now I am staring at a pile of paperwork on my desk and a note from one of the attorneys telling me to be prepared to help him today. I still have billing to do and nausea to deal with.
It's all I can do not to go home and sleep the whole day.
Oh, and my bra squeaks. WTF?

The First of Many Complaints

I'm fat today.
Well, I've been fat all week.
But I wearing maternity pants today cause none of my jeans will fit my fat ass.
UGH!
Quick, somebody tell me a lie about how I still look great, my ass is not huge, my face is not bloated, etc.

Already

I'm in the house for not even a week and already I'm traipsing around the front and back yard this morning in my robe and slippers trying to position the water sprinkler so my grass will grow pretty.
And I'm thinking to myself, "How did this happen?".

So tired

Pictures of the house are coming soon.
We just don't have the computer hooked up at the new house right now.
We are waiting on something for the internet connection.
The move went good.
I'm super tired, of course.
And there is crap everywhere.
But, I get a four day weekend starting Saturday so I should be able to get most everything put away and hung where I want.
The best part of the whole weekend . . . my mom and dad.
They decided to buy us a kitchen table as a house warming gift.
I hate to brag, but it is GORGEOUS, GORGEOUS, GORGEOUS.
Probably the most beautiful table this side of the Mississippi River.

And the moving begins

We closed on the house this morning.
That's right Phil, ON TIME :)
Pictures tomorrow.

Mike from downstairs

In my first year of college, to meet people and perpetuate my addiction to smoking, I hung out in the courtyard of my dorm a lot.
Met this guy named Mike.
He was okay.
He furnished Lisa and I with enough alcohol to get drunk one night, took us dancing and then talked his way into my room.
(My judgment may or may not have been impaired at that time.)
Anyhoo.
We somehow get to talking about what each of us is like.
You know, I'm the kind of girl that likes_______. Blah blah blah.
Well, when it was Mike's turn to tell me what kind of boy he was, he informed me that he was "not so deep".
Really?
I assume that was his way of telling me that I shouldn't expect to be called in the morning, or ever.
Thanks for the heads up.
Now, had he not said anything, he probably would have gotten lucky. I was very . . . well, I was something I'm not now.
But because he was so arrogant to think I would still want to have anything to do with him after his proclamation, I said goodnight.
Sorry Mike from downstairs, I am so deep.

7 Days

We close on our house next Friday at 9:00 a.m.
Yeah!
I can't wait to be out of an apartment.
In my own house.
I can do whatever my heart desires to do with it.
And really, that's a good feeling people.

I hate your laugh

To You:

I hate your laugh. I hate your shoes on the floor. I hate that you lay on my couch and use my blanket and watch teen drama on my t.v. I hate that you are inconsiderate and care for no one and nothing unless you are going to benefit from doing so. I hate how fake you are. I hate that I know that. I hate that I gave you everything a friend has to give and you took without gratitude.

I hate myself for caring.

That's my pat on the back!

It really frustrates me to hear my boss giving one of the girls I work with praise and compliments on work that I did.
Me.
I told her how to prepare the document.
I gave her the right language to use.
Me.
And she got the praise and compliment for a "good job".
Bitch didn't have the decency to stop and say, "oh thanks, but Kimberly helped me a lot with that."
STUPID F-ING BITCH
I'm not helping her anymore.
The whore can keep messing up like she did before I was so kind to take time out of my day and teach her something she should have been teaching me.

Answer

Ok
Sorry everyone.
It really wasn't a huge deal.
I mean, it was, but now it's not cause I'm completely fine.
On Thursday night around 9:30 I started vomiting and suffering from a really really bad pain in my stomach. (not baby related)
Well, from then until about 2:30 a.m. I threw up another five times and pain was NOT subsiding.
Plus, I started spotting. I got scared. Alan was worried. We went to the ER. While waiting for an hour to get into a room/curtained area I threw up another three times. Oh, and I had the great fortune for it to be coming out the other end as well.
Sometimes simultaneously. Pretty. I know.
So I had to do a whole bunch of tests to make sure it was just a stomach virus as the doc thought and he wanted to check the baby of course. (FYI - even at eight weeks it already looks like a baby)
They hooked me up to fluids, which came up, and gave me some anti nauseous meds, which didn't work.
My OB/GYN came to check on me around 8 that morning. Said I could stay in the hospital and be watched or go home and recover. I went home. Didn't eat solid foods for three days and now I am fine.
See, no big deal.

Things I don't like when going to the emergency room

* The beds - they are damn uncomfortable
* The noise - girl can't take a suitable nap with all the activity
* Amount of testing you undergo
* Gowns - need I say more?

bluck!

My whole office building smells like nail polish remover.
Like someone coated the walls, ceiling and floors with the shit.
It's sick.
I may pass out.
A headache is definitely present.
Can I go home please?

Grandmother's High School Renuion

My Grandma is three months shy of 86 years old.
Her graduating high school class of 14 now totals 4, but they continue to have reunions every few years.
This year, I get to go with Grandma.
I wanted to meet her old high school sweetheart.
Apparently he still has the hots for her and his wife can't say or do a nice thing toward Grandma.
OLD LADY CAT FIGHT!
Just kidding.
My Grandma is way to proper for that.
But the luncheon should at least be entertaining.

Baby Time

My friend just called and said she was getting ready to go to the hospital. Contractions have started and baby is on the way.
I'm in charge of watching her 16 month old while she gives birth.
I just love seeing newborns.
I love seeing the look on mom and dad's face and the grandparents' huge smiles.
Such excitement and hope.
Plus, if the baby comes before noon tomorrow, I win the baby pool.
I've never won anything in my life!

Maruchan

They make an incredibly vile meal-in-a-cup.
One of those just add water lunches.
I'm addicted. I think cause of the sodium. I'm a salt feign.
What can I say.
You can buy them in bulk. They are cheap.
They are ready in 3 minutes!! They fill you up.
You have your meat group (chicken or beef flavor)
You have your vegetables (dried carrot, corn and pea pieces)
You have your breads (equally dried noodles)
Really, they may be perfect.

That House

Well, the house I was so excited about fell through.
It had termites, among other problems, and we felt it was not a sound investment for us being such a young couple with out tons of cash laying around.
So we backed out of the contract.
We then found another house, but someone came in with a cash offer. Jerks.
So of course, we didn't get that one.
Today, we have put in an offer on another one. This one is "move in ready". Honestly. I wouldn't even have to paint.
Every room suits me perfectly. And Alan as well, I think.
There was a yellow jacket that tried to attack me when I was there, but I don't think that is necessarily a bad sign.
So, we may or may not get this house.
I may or may not go crazy by the end of it all.
We will see . . .

!

Why isn't it Friday already?

Mother's Day

I have a prior obligation on Mother's Day weekend this year.
So, I'm headed home this weekend to spend some time with the life giver.
My mom.
She's a special lady.
I miss her terribly.
She is the kind of mom that can put you in a good mood and make you laugh seconds after you were crying.
She is the kind of mom that believes no sacrifice is to great for her children.
Sometimes I don't know how I live being so far from her.
Of course the daily, sometimes twice daily, phone calls help.
This weekend we will weight watchers food shop, clothes shop, sunbath, gossip, plan when I should get pregnant so she can take vacation to spend a least two weeks with me when the baby is born (It will change the next time we talk. It seems to be getting closer each time . . . ) and watch at least two girly movies that my dad refuses to see with her.
I'm edge of my seat excited.

WE GOT IT!!!

We put an offer on a house on Friday morning.
They countered.
We countered back.
They countered with their "final offer".
Their final offer was what we told ourselves we would buy it for.

So . . . . . . . we said YES!!

I am now "under contract" and bearing no problems with the house, Hubby and I will be first time home owners on June 30, 2006.
It's all I can think of. I dream of where the furniture will go.
What curtains I want to hang.
What it will be like to park my car in a garage.
Mowing.
Gardening.
The list is endless.
I am useless at work thanks to my overabundance of daydreaming concerning the house.

Close, but no

Things you think are going to be one way and sooooo aren't.

- Graduating college
- First year of marriage
- Texas beaches
- Best friends
- Friday night
- Green Apple gum
- Buying a house

Hubby to the rescue!

This morning I had to be at work early because its my responsibility to get the conference room ready for depositions.
At two minutes after I was suppose to have already been out the door, I decided the undershirt I had on didn't look right
I took it off.
Choose to leave wearing only my new blazer.
Bad choice.
I called hubby as soon as I got to work.
"Please bring me the green shirt I took off and threw on the bed"
This is why he is perfect.
He brought it to me.
And he didn't complain at all!!!

Bunny Tales

I went home for Easter. Like always.
Got to spend some time with my nephews and niece and five month pregnant with twins sister. All around good.
Some things I found to be funny/frustrating.

1) Mom mentioned hubby and I moving and babies no less than fifteen times. Each time she was met with a more exaggerated head shake and eye roll from hubby.

2) After counting all her plastic eggs and emptying the candy/money/toys into a plastic bag, my six year old niece decided to be upset about God only knows what. Her mother told her that if she didn't straighten up and lose the attitude, she would lose her candy/money/toys. With the look of the devil in her eyes she said to her mother, "So!". At which point I grabbed her arm and reassured her that if she ever wanted to sit again she would not speak to her mother that way in my presence. I was given a glance from head to toe, followed with a lengthy eye glare.

3) I think I might need children in order to be totally included in the family Easter celebration. The married with no kids thing was totally lacking in joy this year. I feel pressure!

She had it where?

You know those stories you hear about people not knowing they are pregnant and then giving birth in some random place . . .
Well.
I now know someone who gave birth to a five pound twelve ounce girl on her bathroom floor.
Flushed the "mess".
Wrapped the baby in a blanket and went to sleep in her bed.
She is sixteen.
That girl is strong.
Here I am afraid to get pregnant because of the pain that goes along with childbirth.
And she did it. No drugs. Nothing. BY HERSELF!
I can only imagine how scared she must have been.

"How long is that gonna last?"

I cleaned out my closet.
Nine trash bags full.


I then color coded my remaining shirts/dresses in the sequence of the rainbow.

Oh, that scar

"I HATE YOU!"
"Stop pulling my hair RIGHT NOW!"
Whimpering, "Let go of my wrist. You're hurting me"
*sniffle*
"I'm gonna tell mom if you don't get your hands off me."

She didn't. Not until mom walked into the bathroom and saw us.
Facing each other.
Me pulling her hair down so hard she was almost on the ground.
Her with her fake nails digging into my wrist, blood gushing out.
We were grounded from each other indefinitely. Would have worked too, no more fights, no more hating each other periodically, if we hadn't of loved each other so much that we had to start talking again.
But really, that's what sisters do.

I'm not lying

Judge: "Ma’am, could you please state your name for the record."

Our client: "Who's name?"

Judge: "Your name."

Our client: "What? Which one?"

Oh how I wish my job let me go to the court house more. I, sadly, missed this highly intellectual exchange of words which the hearing opened with.

Absent becasue . . .

I had a two day migraine.
It lingers and hurts me so.
That is all.

Green Beer!

I have never tried green beer. And really I want to.
Tonight, Alan's friends are coming in to town, so we will probably hit the local bar strip, have some green beer and regret it come morning.
Cause really, we have to get up at 5 am tomorrow so that we are on the road by 6 and at my mom's by 9.
My brother will be in from San Francisco. So excited to see him.
But as excited as I am, I am peeved that I have to disrupt my entire weekend because he decided to move so far away and come home twice a year.
Anyhoo.
It should be fun.

Sorry

I'm sorry.
Sorry I ruined your night.
Sorry I'm not who you really need.
Sorry I can't change and sorry I don't know how to.
But most of all, I'm sorry if you feel trapped.

*shiver*

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You tell me

My friend Heather came to town Thursday night.
We went to dinner.
Had a huge margarita.


I may or may not have been drunk in this picture.

A jellyfish bad day

WARNING - This is a little long, but damn is it funny!

Hi Sue, Just another note from your bottom-dwelling brother. Last week I had a bad day at the office.
As you know, my office lies at the bottom of the sea. I wear a suit to the office. It's a wetsuit. This time of year the water is quite cool. So what we do to keep warm is this: We have a diesel powered industrial water heater. This $20,000 piece of equipment sucks the water out of the sea. It heats it to a delightful temperature. It then pumps it down to the diver through a garden hose, which is taped to the air hose
Now this sounds like a darn good plan, and I've used it several times with no complaints.. What I do, when I get to the bottom and start working, is take the hose and stuff it down the back of my wetsuit. This floods my whole suit with warm water. It's like working in a Jacuzzi. Everything was going well until all of a sudden, my butt started to itch.
So, of course, I scratched it. This only made things worse. Within a few seconds my butt started to burn I pulled the hose out from my back, but the damage was done. In agony I realized what had happened
The hot water machine had sucked up a jellyfish and pumped it into my suit. Now, since I don't have any hair on my back, the jellyfish couldn't stick to it. However, the crack of my butt was not as fortunate. When I scratched what I thought was an itch, I was actually grinding the jellyfish into the crack of my butt.
I informed the dive supervisor of my dilemma over the communicator. His instructions were unclear due to the fact that he, along with five other divers, were all laughing hysterically. Needless to say I aborted the dive. I was instructed to make three agonizing in-water decompression stops totaling thirty-five minutes before I could reach the surface to begin my chamber dry decompression.
When I arrived at the surface, I was wearing nothing but my brass helmet. As I climbed out of the water, the medic, with tears of laughter running down his face, handed me a tube of cream and told me to rub it on my butt as soon as I go! t in the chamber. The cream put the fire out, but I couldn't poop for two days because my butt was swollen shut.

So, next time you're having a bad day at work, think about how much worse it would be if you had a jellyfish shoved up your butt.

Now repeat to yourself, "I love my job, I love my job, I love my job." Whenever you have a bad day, ask yourself, is this a jellyfish bad day?

Have I told you this already?

I'm not sure if I have mentioned this to my blog family, but my oldest sister is pregnant.
With twins.
Apparently this kind of thing does run on the woman's side.
Who knew?
She is due at the end of July and my mom has already informed me that I will need to be saving my vacation time.
Not that I have a problem with this.
The more time with my nephews/neices the better since I do live three hours away.
I would like for them to get to know me.
But I have officially been volunteered to take a week off work and come "help" when the babies are born.

Ash Wednesday

I have decided to give up diet coke and all desserts for Lent.
The desserts might not be so hard.
Giving up the diet coke may put me into a coma.
We will see.


(It was my semi boss)

I didn't have my coffee soon enough

What do you call a man who treats a woman like they are stupid even though said woman graduated from the same University that said man graduated from?
That said woman does in fact have a brain, that she uses on a regular basis, and knows, with out said man explaining in detail like he would to a ten year old, how to do her job (one she has had for seven months now!)?
What do you call that man?
What?

Oops

This is what happens when you learn you aren't going to get your dream home unless a freaking miracle occurs overnight.


Why can't I ever have a freaking miracle???
I'm not asking for a lot.
Just one!

WE FOUND IT

Hubby and I are making a bid on a house.
It is the best house. Most perfect for us.
Ceramic tile througout the entire house.
High ceilings in the living room.
The living room is big.
Island in the kitchen with an extended coutertop for bar stools.
Sage green walls in the living room that will match our furniture perfectly.
Huge walk in closet in master bedroom.
Brick patio.
Catus garden in the front.
Corner lot.
Perfect.
Just perfect.
We are really hoping they accept our bid and accept the fact that we can't close till July 1st. It's probably a long shot. But we are hoping for the best here.
I hate the stress of waiting to know.
To bad you can't just call up the sellers and ask them. You have to go through the real estate agents and all that crap.
Ok, everyone cross your fingers that we get it.

His Way

Every morning I stand sans clothing in my bathroom and blow dry my hair.
Every morning hubby comes in to stare at my rear and make some sort of sexual comment.
And every morning I distract him by saying, "I'm gonna make your egg sandwich as soon as I'm done here."
Well, for the past week or two, I haven't really been making his breakfast. A girl needs sleep!
So he comes in this morning to harass me as usual, doesn't get what he wants out of that and says to me (with puppy dog eyes), "I guess I'm gonna go make myself breakfast . . . "
Cue manipulated wife, "If you wait two minutes I'll make it for you."
"Ok"
And he jets out of sight while I come to the realization that he just "handled" me.
DAMN!

You can never go wrong if it sparkles

This is my Valentine's Day present from hubby. Antique setting, pearls and garnet. I love it. It is much different from all my other pieces of jewelry and I think it is great.


On a different note. We were planning to go camping this weekend but we had to cancel because of the rain that may be freezing. Suck.
But I suppose that is good since I have a piece of glass stuck in my foot. I left work early yesterday to soak my heel in Epsom salt. That didn't work so much. I know have my heal covered in something that looks like poo that the pharmacist said would draw the glass out.
Here's to hoping I'm not limping still on Monday.

Last Night

I stayed at the gym after my bodypump class and participated in the bodycombat class. I hurt.
So tired.
Want to eat everything.

I find I am slowly becoming addicted to working out.
Can you believe it?
I'm gonna be one of THOSE people.
The crazy ones that think working out is fun.
No it is not!!
But it is.
I'm so confused.

He left the butt ends for me

Hubby is the only thing keeping me going right now.
I asked him the other night why he loved me, cause really, I'm neurotic, he said that was why.
He knows he will never be bored.
I then asked him how much he loved me and he pointed out that he left the butt ends of the bread for me.
The butt ends are the best! And he knew that.

But back to the point of my writing today.
With everything going on in my wacky personal life (and really, I just mean my family) I was hoping to have a nice quiet Friday night to think things through and relax my mind a bit.
Instead, I got a drunken call from my dad.
I am now my dad's parent.
He is asking the hard to answer questions. (Was I a horrible dad?)
I am doing my best to break things to him gently with out lying to him. (Do you think you were a horrible dad? Cause how you feel is what matters, daddy.)
How do you answer those really hard questions when you know the truth will hurt them?

We lost one today

So my boss fired the girl who wasn't doing her job.
(I wrote about her previously)
It is so strange.
He has never fired anybody in the thirty years of running his practice.
We all loved her dearly but that really doesn't matter when she complained and didn't take pride in her work, which lead to mistakes that could have cost us cases had someone else not caught them.

Anyhow, it is a strange day at the office.
It's like I don't even work in the same place with all the changes around here.

New Years

With everything that happened this New Year, I never got around to posting my favorite picture from New Year's Eve night.


This is Courtney and Kevin. Aren't they cute? We had so much fun with them.

Stay Classy, San Diego

So I'm back. Back to the land of mediocre views, southern accents and of course, my hubby (I am really happy about the latter).
San Diego was fab.
Beautiful place.
Great Sushi.
Wine bar . . . need I say more.
And Lisa, of course!
(See pic of her and beau below, along with her pigs Annie and Irene, the vile creatures, that I had to hold while she cut their disgusting little nails off)




When I got back to work yesterday, I found my boss has hired another attorney for the firm and expanded the space we rent in the office. There is new furniture everywhere. Things are so different. I feel completely overwhelmed.
I was only gone for four days!
So I have decided to never leave town again. Can you imagine what would happen to my job if I were gone for longer . . ?

Here and there

So I realized tonight that I really really love the person my husband is.
I am in San Diego, with out him, and the first time in my entire life, I am homesick on vacation.
I love you, Alan.
More than you could ever imagine and hope for.
I can't wait to be next to you.

OK, I'm doing this one, and this one only people!!!

5 Weird Habits I have:

1) I brush my teeth while making my bead. But you already know this.
2) My bedroom clock is ALWAYS set 15 minutes ahead of real time.
3) I organize the dishes that I put in the dishwasher.
4) I flip my hair. ( I know this is not weird, but I hate this about me)
5) No matter when I get off work in the evenings, I call my parents. I call it my daily check in, but then I never seem to talk to them on the weekends.

5 People I'm tagging:

Not gonna tag anyone. I feel like being nice today.

10,000 + 1

That is how many things I have to do by five this evening.
But instead of getting started, I just had to comment about the jingly lady in my Bodyflow class from last night, which I love btw.
The woman had on bracelets during workout. Jingly bangles.
Every time she moved her arm I heard it.
Every time she went to downward dog, I heard it.
Now I ask you, why is she wearing jewelry during workout???
Honestly people.
It's like putting on full party make-up to hang out at the local pool.
I'll never get it.

Avoidance

Ok. Anyone who knows Alan knows he is super laid back, likes pretty much everybody and hardly ever says his opinion out loud.
He is so quiet at times you think he may not even have an opinion or be bothered by anything that ever happens.

But yesterday.
Yesterday I learned something new.

We went to lunch at Super Salad. So good. And healthy.
He forgot to bring in some cash to tip the waitress and on his way out to the car he runs into a former client (who secretly loves him and wants to steal him from me).
This lady is so loud that I can hear her from across the restaurant.
"Oh Alan (squeal). How are you? This is my sister Angela. Angela this is Alan . . . "
Now. My back was turned to this. So I only heard.
Alan gets back to the table and I asked him who he ran into.
While rolling his eyes and using an exasperated tone, he tells me.
We are done with our food at this point in time.
I ask him if he is ready to go. He shrugs his shoulders.
"You don't want to have to walk by and introduce me and talk to that lady, do you?"
"No" He says. "She is really talky. You know those people who trap you into conversation. I can never get out of it."
I proceed to laugh. A lot.
My quiet, nice, nothing bothers him, hubby is willing to drag out a meal in order to avoid talking to a perfectly nice, but overly chatty, woman.

Next Week

Next week I will be in a different city, different state, miles away from Alan and his don't eat that fatty, look.
I will be with a most fabulous friend.
I will eat fish tacos.
Go wine bar hopping.
Maybe even have a burger from In and Out. With fries.
I already feel sinful.

. . . and that's when you know to grab your hoe!

So says my Grandmother.
She is an 85-year-old that continues to mow 105 acre farm every spring and summer, rides her bike at least a mile every day and grabs her hoe when the guineas are circling because that means there is a snake in the yard.
I think the woman has more energy and life at 85 than I do at 25.
And when asked why she doesn't find a boyfriend and maybe remarry, "Why would I want to take care of some man at my age?"

The Voices

Everyone does them. Everyone.
I won't believe you if you say you don't!

Hubby and I often say, out loud to each other, what our cats are saying/thinking to us or each other. Very funny stuff.
It is one of those rare times that Hubby shows his humor.
He is a really funny guy, but so quiet most of the time that no body knows that.
Anyhoo
Shana, she's one of my ultra fabulous friends, does the voices as well. Actually, she may have started me on it.
I used to be afraid to fly.
Get pretty nervous before I would get on a plane.
One weekend in college I had to fly home to go to some stupid banquet with some stupid guy I was seeing and Shana drove me to the airport.
Very very small airport.
To calm me down, she sat with me for about an hour.
We sat looking out the windows at the tiny plane I was going to have to board.
And because Shana is such a funny ladie, she did the voices of air traffic control and the pilot talking to each other about getting ready to go.
It went something like this.

"Air traffic control, I think I am ready to go, over"
"You are a no go, red light is not blinking on the back of the plane, you are a no go. Have you pushed the on button?, over"
"On button has been activated over"
"Oh, Oh, the red light is now blinking. You are go, over"
"What does the red blinking light mean air traffic control?, over"
"Ummm . . . No time for questions Captain. You must be going now to stay on schedule, over"

It may not seem funny now. But that day it was the best.

The Biggest Loser

Ok
They let me in.
I am part of the Biggest Loser Challenge. (link on sidebar)
Yeah!

On a side note, Hubby and I are going to a Houston Rockets game on Saturday. It was his Christmas present from me. Very exciting, I know.
I have just recently made myself tolerate watching basketball on t.v.
I'm hoping the live experience will have a good effect on my attitude toward the sport. And I am hoping they don't serve funnel cakes there cause I will totally cheat on my diet.

The Fourth Floor

Everyone in the office knows, if you have to poop you go to the fourth floor.
No one ever goes in there.
Unless they have to poop of course.
So we make a joke of it.
"Ok, I'm going to the fourth floor now."
Hahaha
Now they know I'm pooping.
Whatever.
Anyhoo, yesterday, I had to go to the fourth floor.
There was a client in the conference room and the door was open.
An uber handsome, getting a divorce, if I wasn't married I would totally hit on this man, client.
From my office, I have to walk by the conference room to go out.
Well, one of the girls did not know of this client and very loudly says as I pass her office, "Hey, you on your way to the fourth floor?!"
Face turns bright red.
Ok, I know he doesn't know what that means.
But he looked at me strange. And I know he could tell I was embarrassed about something.
Oh it was terrible.
I felt like I was back in high school and I just tripped up the stairs in front of the cutest quarterback.

Damn you fashion!!

I am wearing some really really cute shoes today.
And the fuckers hurt.
Now I remember why I haven't worn these shoes in a year.
The tops of my feet are crying. I can hear them.

Oh, the price I pay to feel better about myself.

Also, thank you for the words of encouragement and love (you know who you are) this past week. I'm a lucky ladie to have you all in my life.

Ok, Lets Try This

I'm in the angry stage.
You know the one.
Nobody says anything right. You feel your life can get no worse. You hate everything you see and feel.
The angry stage.
I know in my mind this is part of the process. Woe is me.
It fucking sucks.
I'm pissed off.
Not at anything. I'm just in a really bad mood.
I don't hate work. I love it. But today, it is my worst enemy.
All I want is my mommy.
God, I'm pathetic.
Anybody know the next phase?

Local jeweler Huntley dies

By KRISTY GILLENTINE
Eagle Staff Writer

Funeral services are Wednesday for local businessman John David Huntley, whom friends said will be remembered for his generosity and honesty.

The owner of John D. Huntley Inc. - a worldwide dealer in Swiss watches, loose diamonds, jewelry and rare coins - died Sunday at College Station Medical Center from complications following surgery, according to friends. He was 48.

The Aggie 100 - a list of the 100 fastest-growing businesses owned or operated by graduates of Texas A&M University - recently named Huntley's business as No. 24 on the list for 2005.

FUNERAL SERVICES
Services for John D. Huntley of Bryan are set for 11 a.m. Wednesday at St. Thomas Episcopal Church. Burial will be at Bryan City Cemetery. Memorials can be made to the Russian Orthodox Church, P.O. Box 2912, College Station, Texas 77841.

The 1979 Aggie graduate, who collected rare coins and other items since childhood, was able to turn that passion into a career by working at the Texas Coin Exchange. The owner eventually sold the store to Huntley and a few others. By 1990, Huntley opened his own business on South College Avenue and gave it his name.

Longtime friend Jerry Nance, who said he met Huntley 25 years ago and started working with him about six months ago, said he routinely went to coin and watch shows "all over the place" with him.

"He loved to travel," Nance said. "He would go to watch shows in Europe to bring back coins and jewelry and meet people from all over the world."

Huntley moved to Bryan from Killeen in 1976 and received his bachelor's degree from Texas A&M in 1979. He served as a first lieutenant in the Army National Guard with the 124th Cavalry at Fort Hood and remained an avid supporter of the military, friends said.

According to reports from friends and associates, Huntley stepped on an unknown object in his driveway Thursday night. He was treated for the pain at College Station Medical Center, where it later was discovered that the unknown object had introduced a bacterial infection into his blood.

Tommy Crenshaw, manager of Huntley's store, said doctors performed two surgeries to remove the infected tissue, but they were unable to slow the spread of the infection. He was pronounced dead just after 5 p.m. Sunday.

"He will be missed greatly," Crenshaw said. "He was one of the most fair and honest businessmen in town."

Huntley's friends said he will be remembered for his generosity not just within the local community, but overseas as well, as he often sent care packages to troops.

Father Cassian Samuel Sibley, a Russian Orthodox priest officiating at Huntley's funeral Wednesday, said Huntley's legacy is alive in the people who loved him.

"Before he died, his hospital room was inundated with people who work for him. In my experience, people don't usually have that much love and admiration for their employers, but they did for him," Sibley said. "He was a self-made man - decent and upright. He was a good father and a good family man. That will be his legacy."

Huntley is survived by his wife, Natalia, and their 5-year-old son, John II.

I worked for this man for two and half years. He took me to Vegas, New York twice, Skiing in Red River and he paid for mine and Alan's hotel room for our wedding night so we could stay somehwere nice.
We got the call around noon on New Years. "The doctor says John has only 12 hours left". We rushed to the hospital. We sat there for four hours.
I feel so lost and heartbroken.
He gave me my first job out of college. He taught me more than I know existed about business. And it seems so strange to know that a man so much a part of my life, is now gone. And I have no idea how to cope with this pain.