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Waiting for Spring by Tricia Sat, Feb 21 2009, 1:51 PM
This morning the sunshine has been tricking me. I've spent the hour or so after waking snuggled up with Brodie while I read a book. The sunshine is streaming in through the blinds over the picture window next to the bed. I've been lying here thinking of spring and wearing skirts and flip-flops and playing outdoors in the sun and breeze. But I know that sunshine is a trick - it's probably no more than 35-40 degrees out there. I want winter to be over so I can start my gardens and smell the dirt in the sun. I want to open windows and get rid of the cooped-up winter smell in the house. I want to ride my bike! This winter has been too long and I'm ready for nice weather and long days. Regardless of the weather, we have a long day planned which includes going to the gym, taking our glass recycling to the bins, maybe doing some cleaning in the house and perhaps going to see a movie. Better get my butt out of my bed cocoon and get ready to go!
One of the things I asked for this year for Christmas was a composting bin. Being the suburban hippie that I am, I wanted to find a way to re-purpose our kitchen scraps and weeds and have the added benefit of nutrient-rich material for my gardens. Well, I asked and Scott provided - a few days before Christmas a GIANT box arrived on our doorstep with COMPOSTER printed across the side. Sort of ruined the Christmas Day surprise for me, but I was excited nonetheless.
A couple of weeks ago over dinner I mentioned my new prize to Jason, and asked that, once I get it set up, he start bringing their kitchen scraps and the like up and dumping them in the bin. He asked if I had done any research yet on the process, and I admitted that I hadn't. He then handed me a book called COMPOST by Ken Thompson (ironically, Jason's dad's name). I have been reading it and taking notes, feeling like I'm back in college, copying down key points from my German language book on grammar to help me remember. Thank god this book is in a language I understand beyond a 2nd grade level. Forget that - 2nd graders in Germany speak WAY better German than I can (Schneewittchen und die sieben Swergen!).
I'm eager for spring to begin so I can set this baby up and start throwing crap in it - right now it's so depressing to toss the unused vegetable parts, apple cores, orange peels, etc. in the garbage can. Once I finish with the book, I'll be passing it on to Scott to read so he can have a grasp of the "rules" of composting. Now to find a level, sunny spot in our very uphill back yard!
Perhaps I say this at the end of every year, but where did the year go? We did a lot and and packed as much in as we could, but still the time just whizzes by. In no particular order, here's a list of things that happened this year:
▪Luckily, this year included no major kidney stone issues, visits to the emergency room (that I can remember) or car wrecks (knock on wood!).
▪We had a lovely vacation on the coast of North Carolina, as well as a fun trip to Kentucky for the wedding of a friend.
▪After five years of working with the Upsilon chapter of Alpha Phi at Washburn, I stepped down as Chapter Adviser at the end of May, which should have allowed me much more free time, but it immediately got sucked up by other things.
▪We joined the YMCA down the street and have been pretty faithful about going (though my weight would not be proof).
▪We welcomed lots of new kids (in chronological order - Connor Mitchell Thompson, Samuel Michael Bowling, Samantha Carter Mitchell, Christopher James Huntwork, Joshua Reid Holder, Greyson Alden Perry, Adam Patrick Kennedy) into the world.
▪I went to my first state fair (that I remember, anyway) and promptly lost my wedding ring there.
▪Scott took a new position at DST.
▪We celebrated our 7th anniversary, as well as 11 years since we met (which will be 12 in January!)
▪We won 3rd place in a Halloween costume contest(Thanks Amanda!)
▪I got to attend the wedding of a wonderful Alpha Phi who I watched go from being a newbie Freshman new member to being the President of the chapter her Senior year, and became my friend in the process.
▪I re-connected with lots of friends from a lifetime ago
▪I lived through having our dentist drill a cavity and had my first experience with Valium
▪We took steps to change our everyday lives in order to reduce our carbon footprint (even if only by a little bit) and enjoyed taking part in the CSA program and dinners with the Thompsons full of fresh, healthy, local foods
▪We helped Ken & Kyle throw the last Kickball Griller for the foreseeable future, as they are moving to North Carolina in the coming months, and raised over $1,100 for breast cancer research
▪I read all of the Twilight books in the span of a couple of weeks (I usually have to renew books from the library at least once, and those are NORMAL sized books!)
I know there's more I'm forgetting, but these are the things that stick out in my mind right now. I'm guessing 2009 will be good, but we'll just have to wait and see, I suppose.
I have had a raging, throbbing, angry headache for the last four days. It feels like my brain is trying to expand out of my skull. Or like a bug crawled into my ear, got into my brain, laid eggs, and now the larvae are trying to escape. It comes and goes, so I'll get a reprieve anywhere from 10 seconds to 30 minutes long, but it's never long enough. Most of the time it hurts so much that it makes me nauseated. today I didn't eat anything between 10am and 8pm. I was hungry, but not starving and the nausea was too intense to make me want to put anything in my stomach. I've taken ibuprofen, and it helps a little, but it seems like the headache always comes back. I hope tomorrow it just goes away. I certainly wouldn't ask any questions if it did.
Christmas is looming like a crazy dark cloud - so much to get done in so little time. It's a surprisingly short gift purchasing "season" as Thanksgiving fell rather late this year. I have two more scarves to knit, four that are done that I need to finish (bind the final tied-off string into the edging), lots of presents that still need to be purchased AND we need to overhaul and clean the house before my parents arrive on the 23rd.
Our house is a MESS. And I don't mean that the way lots of people do when there's a few things laying around and dust on the windowsills. I love going to someone's house and they're all "oh, this place is such a mess - I'm so sorry!" Girl, you don't KNOW mess. I think if these people had to live with me, they would have to change their frame of reference for what "clean" is. =)
I am a slob. This is no secret. I try to keep things picked up and nice, but inevitably I end up with piles of clothes all over the bedroom floor, stacks of receipts and mail on the kitchen table, and socks littering the family room. It's just who I am. I'm sure, to my mother's horror, that many would assume that my behavior is because I was not made to do chores or have responsibility for cleaning my own space growing up. This is not true. I am pretty sure that, subconsciously, my need for clutter is in direct response to my mother continually riding me to clean up after myself as a kid. While I do enjoy having things neat and clean, I have to admit, I LOVE clutter. Not too much (though that's very subjective), but there's something about having things thrown about that makes me comfortable.
That said, this habit of mine drives Scott crazy, especially during weeks like the last couple we've had where it seems like we're never home, and therefore there's not any time to devote to cleaning up. I don't understand women who make time for cleaning, or give up doing something fun in order to clean. I would much rather live my life and make memories than have a sparkling kitchen floor or dust-free surfaces. I like to think that a cluttered, lived-in house means that those people have too much fun to concern themselves with tidyness.
When I was growing up, the day before we went somewhere for more than one night, my mom would make a big deal about cleaning the house before we left. I never understood that, though I have since married a man who has a tendency toward that same need to "come home to a clean house". Why? It's not clean when we're here, what's the point of it being clean when we're not? So the burglars can find things more easily? I like to at least pose a challenge to them. This goes right along with the battle over making the bed. I happen to LIKE getting into an unmade bed. It's like a nest and it's comfy, and frankly. it's a mess when you sleep in it, why bother making it look nice, just to mess it up again? I understand the appeal of slipping between fresh, crisp sheets, but I just don't have time for all of that. I remember my mom in the morning smoothing the blankets down when she was still in bed, and saying that way she could just roll out and it would already be made. Please.
I am a creature of habit, and that habit is dishevelry. And, apparently, wordsmithery.
So, even though I keep saying "we should start now and do a little each day", I know it will end up being a race around the house the day before they arrive sort of job. If it were up to me, my parents would just come and subsist in the sloth that I call my daily life, but Scott isn't having that, and I know I would get the "raised eyebrow" from my mom, so clean I will - though don't expect me to be dusting and windexing. I'll leave that to the crazy people.
Handmade Holidays by Tricia Thu, Nov 20 2008, 3:12 PM
I made the promise to myself last year after the holidays that 2008 would be the year of handmade gifts for Christmas. Not necessarily handmade by ME, but handmade by someone - no cheap plastic molded by someone in china, imported on a boat that uses millions of gallons of oil to get here. Minimal gift cards purchased because I have no idea what that person would like. I wanted to purchase items directly from the hardworking, creative people who imagined them up. That said, not EVERYTHING I give this year will be handmade - I'm not convinced I will find much stuff for my dad or brothers that is handmade. Maybe I'll get a quilted Scrabble carrier for Jake. =)
So far it's going well. I have purchased items for quite a few members of our family, all from different shops on Etsy I'm also knitting a few scarves for friends (one of my Alpha Phi friends is paying me for them! Woohoo! Granted, I'm basically just recouping the cost of the yarn, but it's still exciting). Mostly I spend entirely too much time surfing around Etsy, coveting all the wonderful things I want to buy for myself. Check out some fun things here, here and there. These are just a few of the shops I love - there are so many more that are also fantastic.
I've gotten my craft room sort of organized, so perhaps I'll be able to start doing some projects of my own. Scott recently put together some nice storage cubes for me that I immediately filled with supplies, so I'm well on my way to actually being able to find what I'm looking for. I'm hoping Santa will bring me a small flat-screen television that can be hung on the wall so I can watch tv and movies while I work.
My other goal is to spend a weekend in early December baking like crazy in order to have treats to give our friends. I'm so tired of buying a gift for someone that isn't necessary or was purchased as a last-minute thing because I couldn't figure out what to get them. Everybody likes cookies, so dammit, everybody's going to get cookies. =)
My parents will be here for Christmas, so right now we're plotting out things to do, scheduling the get-together with Scott's family and procrastinating on the cleaning of the house. I have every intention of getting it done slowly, but let's be honest - we all know it will be a mad-dash the day before my mom and dad arrive to get the guest room cleared out and the bathroom cleaned. It's just who I am.
Scott and I went to vote EARLY this morning. We got to the old folks home at 5:45am and stood in a long line outside in the dark and chilly air for about 40 minutes. Then we got inside the old folks home and waited for another 25 minutes, while old folks watched us. Our polling place had ONE electronic voting machine (that I wasn't even given the option of using) and 5 or 6 little stand-up booths (not the kind that you actually go in to, but the little desk-looking ones). On the other side of the room were 3 round tables and one long table - no folding screens or any of that business. You literally had to stand/sit next to other people and watch each other fill out the ballot. It was a little frustrating. Besides that, when we got into the room, everything turned into a giant cluster of chaos. The signs they had for what each line was were low and small, so I couldn't see them well. What I THOUGHT was the I - M line (my registration is under K) ended up being the D-H line because all of the lines were sort of skewed to the side. A nice man next to me in the REAL I - M line allowed me to cut in front of him. We were out of there right around 7am.
I have a vague memory of going to the polls with my mom one year - I don't remember which election it was, probably for Reagan's 2nd term or George Bush's first term. If I remember correctly, I think they were doing a "kids election" sort of thing that year. Is this true, Mom? Do you remember that? I remember going to the Village Hall with you and while you went to the little booth to do your ballot, I was given a ballot of my own and a crayon or pencil or something, and I got to fill out my "ballot" and turn it in and get a sticker. It's quite possible that I'm merging two different memories - we may have done the kids election at school or something. In any case, I do remember going to the polls with my mom and getting a loose explanation of why she was voting, how it worked, etc.
Now I'm a grown-up and I vote for real, on my own. I know that my vote counts, but I'm not so convinced that my vote makes a difference. I don't know if that makes sense... I'm not convinced that either of the candidates will really make the difference that our country needs. I don't think any one leader can make that difference - I think the people of this country need to make up their minds to be kinder to each other and to our planet. Everyone is waiting for Obama or McCain to "Make Change", but really, why are we relying on them? Why can't we, as a people, do what we can individually to make the change ourselves?
Mostly I was pleased to see a proposition on the Kansas City ballot that would require the electric companies to start utilizing more renewable energy, and while they only have to be at 2% by 2010, it is supposed to increase to something like 15% by 2020. I think it could be done faster than that, and SHOULD be done faster than that, but at least they are putting it into action. I don't think that should be something we vote on - I think it ought to be something the privately-owned electric companies WANT to do without being told to (sort of how Scott feels about me emptying the dishwasher). Scott has an aunt and uncle in Rock Port, MO, and their whole town is wind-powered. Granted, it's a much smaller town than Kansas City, but I think it's amazing that they took the initiative to do what they could for cleaner energy in their town.
I've never really had any interest in, or deep understanding of politics. I still don't. But, despite my lack of interest, it's still exciting to know that there will be new people in charge, and that hopefully, maybe, possibly, things will start moving in a different direction. A better direction. A direction that doesn't make rules to govern my uterus, but allows women to make the choices that are appropriate for their own lives. A direction that doesn't define "marriage" as being between "One Man and One Woman", but between two people in love, regardless of their gender. A direction that helps our sick planet start to get better, rather than brushing the warning signs of worse things to come under the rug.
Pumpkin Pickin' by Tricia Mon, Oct 13 2008, 3:45 PM
We took a trip out to the Pumpkin Patch yesterday with Morgan and Michael. Kelli joined us and brought Kayla and Connor along to enjoy the fun. Kayla seemed to have a blast, and enjoyed checking out all the farm animals. We got lucky and one of the pigs had recently had piglets, so Morgan and I spent a good amount of time watching them root around in their pen. There was one that was tiny and runty that the other babies were picking on. Poor little guy.
We took a bunch of photos, mostly of Kayla's adventures. Check them out here. There are a couple of really good ones of her playing in the patch, as well as some sweet ones of Connor chilling in his ORV. Also, Kayla went on a pony ride, during which she looked positively pissed, but as soon as it was over and she was handed back to mom, she got upset and wanted to get back on - that kid is so funny. She just gets this look of concentration on her face when she's doing something like that (like she always used to do it while swinging on the playset) that makes you think she hates it. But really, I think she's just focusing REALLY hard on how much she's enjoying it.
Morgan and I were a little disappointed with the selection available this year at the pumpkin patch. Last year this farm had an AMAZING amount of pumpkins in all different shapes and sizes - this year, not so much. It looked like they didn't plant as many varieties, and a lot of what was available had either been chewed on by some animal, or was starting to get moldy. We figure it's probably a mixture of the wet weather we had in September and the fact that it was pretty obvious that they didn't plant as many pumpkins to begin with this year. There was a whole section of the field that was chock-full of pumpkinage last year that was full of what looked like soybeans this year. Wah-wah. We still got some nice pumpkins, though, and even found some acorn and butternut squash. And Morgan was able to find a couple of her prized Japanese pumpkins for making delicious soup.
On Friday, Scott and I went out with a few of his coworkers to a bar where Scott had a few beers and proceeded to "drop" (I think it was more like "throw") his phone to the ground, partially shattering the LCD screen. So, now he has lovely bleed marks all over the screen, and, since it's a touch screen, can't use it as effectively. We went and looked at replacement phones at the Sprint store, but he didn't like any of them, so he went online and found a provider that will sell you the screen with instructions on how to switch it out, so he's going to give that a try.
And, I got my ring! I really like it, and it's nice to not have a naked finger anymore. While we were at the pumpkin patch, my hands got really swollen, but I sure as hell didn't take those rings off. They stayed right there on my chubby little sausage fingers.
Dentist Bad. Drugs Good. by Tricia Wed, Oct 08 2008, 2:20 PM
Let's not beat around the bush. I am terrified of the dentist. Panic-attack terrified. I don't know what it is, because going to the orthodontist isn't really a problem, even though I'm pretty sure it's because of my childhood orthodontist that I have so much dental fear. It can't help that I have had so much work done on my teeth that I have a scar in the roof of my mouth from too many novicaine shots to count over the years. I have been going to the same dentist for the last five years or so, but he has never had to do any drilling on me. I've been fine with that. A while back (I'm not willing to admit how long ago) I noticed a small chunk missing out of my very back molar. I ignored it and proceeded to chew only on the other side of my mouth. Finally, last week I decided it was probably time to do something about it.
I called the dentist, made an appointment and proceeded to get sweaty-palmed and anxious. I had a nervous breakdown in a co-worker's office. Nothing like getting all snot-faced in front of your business manager. I went to the appointment and the dentist did an x-ray, which showed enough decay that he couldn't take care of it right then and there, which was fine with me because I was NOT mentally prepared to be drilled right then.
Though I kept the tears at bay while in the chair, when I walked back out to the reception desk and the receptionist (who is wonderful and is used to my freak-outs) I lost it. She asked when I wanted to schedule the work to be done and I just lost it. Luckily, she's seen me cry before and knows I just can't help it. We scheduled an appointment, and she had the dentist write a prescription for valium for me to take before the appointment.
I do not like to rely on drugs to make me normal. I hate the idea of having to take something to calm me down, but if it helps me get through the situation, why not give it a try, right? This morning I woke up an hour early and laid in bed trying to ignore my pounding heart until my alarm went off. I got ready for the day and before blow-drying my hair I took the valium. Within 10 minutes I started to feel weird. My limbs stopped responding to the commands my brain was sending them. I kind of felt like I was drunk - everything seemed to be liquid. I don't know how to explain it. But, I was so focused on thinking "Man, I feel WEIRD!" that I wasn't focusing on being scared of the looming appointment.
Scott got me into the car and we headed out. Once I got into the dentist's chair my heart started to pound quite a bit, and I had to hold back the tears, but I made it through. It actually didn't take him very long at all, and though it was uncomfortable, it didn't hurt. When I was all done, I went back up front where Scott and my friend the receptionist were waiting for me. I lost my shit a little bit then because I was just so overwhelmed and glad to be done. Scott helped me back out to the car and brought me home. After getting me settled on the couch, he headed back to work, which I intended to do around lunchtime.
That didn't happen - I woke up from a short nap around 11:30 to the phone ringing. I stumbled through the house to grab a phone (and of COURSE it was a sales call), realizing that my brain still wasn't working in tandem with my legs. I called in to work and let them know I wouldn't be coming in - I certainly don't want to be out driving if I can't even walk in a straight line. So, I'm feeling better now, but I'm just worn out from the whole ordeal. The tooth looks great (it used to have a silver filling, and now it just looks like a tooth) and I can't even tell by feeling that there's a filling there.
Jesus, I'm glad that's over. Now I just worry about getting the braces off and all the decay they are sure to find once they can actually SEE my teeth. Let's not think about that. *shudder*
Today is my favorite day of the year. I know it's sappy, but I love the date we picked to get married. That day was such a whirlwind, and I don't really remember much except for what I see in pictures (and that it was the day our country declared war on the middle east), but I do remember being afraid I would trip over my dress or that I would get all snotty-faced from crying. I remember being excited to see old friends and to become our own little family. But I don't remember ever second-guessing what we were doing. There was no fear beyond "will my mascara run?" because I was so elated to be marrying my best friend. I can't believe that was seven years ago.
We don't usually get too mushy, mostly, I think, because we both know how we feel about each other. But, if there's ever a time to bring out the mush, I think today is the appropriate day - so here goes. I love you. I can't imagine what my life would be like without you in it. You make me giggle. You make me have more confidence in myself. You love me, even when I am balls-out, nutso-crazy (which, lets be honest, is about 65% of the time).
We had that funny conversation this weekend about give and take (obviously, that you give and I take), but I hope you know that I don't take that for granted. I am so lucky to have you by my side every day. I am so proud whenever you do something great (hit a home run in kickball, tell a joke that makes everybody laugh, have success on a project you're working on), and can't help but brag that you're all mine. I know people are jealous - how could they not be? =)
I know I don't fit into the mold of a stereotypical wife, but you aren't a stereotypical husband, and I think that makes us a perfect pair. Thank you for sticking with me. Thank you for making the bed. Thank you for taking me to the dentist and understanding that I'm afraid(or at least pretending to understand). Thank you for letting me hold the remote. Thank you for spending your entire weekend painting a room for me. Thank you for taking care of me on days when I just can't do it myself. Thank you for buying me a new wedding ring when I was stupid and lost the first one. Thank you for liking my crazy family (or at least pretending to like them). Thank you for driving me to Topeka seven thousand times, even when you didn't want to (which was every time). Thank you for letting me eat cake for breakfast. Thank you for dragging me to the gym with you. Thank you for letting me cry when I need to and making me laugh when I need to. Thank you for making those little pork dumplings. Thank you for being goofy with me. Thank you for listening when I'm telling a long, drawn-out story (or at least pretending to listen). Thank you for being so patient. Thank you for holding my hand in Emergency Rooms, even when it was hard for you to watch. Thank you for letting me sleep in. Thank you for letting me bring a book to baseball games (and for keeping me safe from foul balls while I read!). Thank you for finishing my thought when I can't find the words. Thank you for taking me to beautiful places like Sedona and Estes Park and Topsail Island. Thank you for encouraging me. Thank you for letting me be myself, even when it drives you insane.
Thank you for being you.
(And thank you for the gorgeous flowers!)
Newly(re)weds by Tricia Mon, Oct 06 2008, 12:30 PM
My ring finger has felt completely naked ever since the Iowa State Fair fiasco back in early August when I lost my wedding ring. I have a tendency to fiddle with my rings, so to be missing one drives me absolutely crazy every day. Yesterday, though, we went out and looked at rings to replace the original, which I assume is either in the belly of a pig or is still on the floor of a bathroom stall at the fairgrounds. Or perhaps has already been hocked by some WT jerk who found it and didn't turn it in to the lost & found (which I called repeatedly and I'm sure they got sick of me).
Anyway, we went to the typical places to ring-shop: Helzberg, Zales and Kay... mostly just because they were all within a block of each other at Zona Rosa, and I am all about making this process as painless as possible for Scott, seeing as how the whole thing is my fault to begin with. I found a ring I really liked right off at Helzberg, but wanted to make sure there wasn't something I liked more at the other stores.
We had decided that neither of us wanted to spend more than $300, which apparently is unheard of to these girls working the cases at jewelry stores. When I would say that I would get funny looks like "aw, your husband is a cheapy". At Kay, when I finally told the girl (after she was bringing me $1,100 rings to try on) that we wanted to cap it at $300, she LITERALLY turned around and yelled across the store to another employee "Do we have anything for under $300?" Wow, nice way of alienating a customer on a "budget". Sorry that I'm not your typical gold-digger wife who just wants fancy jewels. I have learned repeatedly the hard way that I just can't have nice things (or, as Scott and I now joke, we can't have things. Not even nice things. We just can't have things). I break them, stain them, shrink them, lose them, etc. Best to have something that gets the job done and that I like, but didn't pay too much for, because it's bound to get ruined somehow.
After looking at all three places, I returned to Helzberg to get the original ring that I liked. It's simple, but kind of different, a little less "wedding-y" and more fun than the old one, which was purchased sort of in a hurry and also with the mindset of not wanting something too expensive. Thank god for my forethought on that.
So anyway, here's the new ring... it's being sized right now, so I should be able to pick it up this coming weekend. Scott has threatened to staple it to my finger.
Did September even happen? Time is slipping by so fast, and it seems like I wake up each morning surprised by how quickly the day/week/month has gone by.
Regardless, we have entered my favorite month because it is filled with pumpkins, cranberry flavored everything, leaves changing, cool breezes (but NOT cold!), golden twilight hour sunsets and the anniversary of my marriage to Scotty B.
We've already purchased our first gallon of locally-made apple cider of the season, though until this week it's been too warm out to really enjoy drinking it. My brain is still in "nectarines on ice cream" mode. A few nights ago we had acorn squash stuffed with apples and raisins for dinner - it was like eating apple pie for a meal. I am not a fan of squash at all, but the lady that helms the CSA program at our grocery store told me how to fix them, and we conveniently got acorn squash AND apples in our CSA bag last week, so we made it and now I'm looking forward to doing it again.
Next Tuesday Scott and I will celebrate 7 years of marriage. Well, I'll celebrate, he'll probably congratulate himself on having the strength to stick with me this long, as I am not easy to be married to. At least, I assume I'm not, from the rolling of eyes and furrowing of brows I get on a daily basis. =) Scott is a wonderful, amazing person, and I am so happy to be married to my best friend.
Now that we've all thrown up in our mouths a little, I'm off to eat my baked potato while watching Pushing Daisies, and then follow it up with a handful of pumpkin spice Hershey's Kisses, which are heaven. And I suppose I will knit, because it's that time of year where my hands start craving the yarn and needles. And because I have an auction that I must donate two scarves to - one of which is finished, and the other is about 1/3 of the way through. I gotta knit as fast and as hard-core as I can before I get burnt out for the season, which will probably be next week.
Photos and Flickr by Scott Sun, Sep 21 2008, 12:17 PM
3 years ago I managed to lose the original of our digital photos. Fortunately, I managed to retrieve them off my iPod, but they were much lower quality. After buying our new camera two years ago we quickly ran out of space on the external 40GB Hard Drive I was using to store the photos so I purchased a huge 500GB external drive. Two weeks ago, it started acting up and last week it died. For about 2 days I thought I had lost them all. Luckily, the 40GB drive that I was using before the 500GB still had every photo up to Dec 10, 2007.
So I've decided it's time to come up with a method for backing up all our digital photos and not have to worry about losing them to mechanical problems, theft, or fire. So I purchased a Pro Flickr account and am in the process of sending every photo in there 3MB per photo glory. It may take a month or so because I'm only doing it at night and early morning and we have over 7,000 photos.
I'm letting you know so that you don't have to wait for me to burn them to a CD for you. You can just download them images yourself. Our flickr account is located here: http://flickr.com/photos/bowlingkyler/.
Just so you know, I am not making every photo available to the public. If you want access to all photos, you have to have a Flickr account and I will need to set you up as a contact. So just let me know your flickr username, and I'll get you on there.
My Hibernation, AKA Seasonal Affective Disorder by Tricia Wed, Sep 10 2008, 3:08 PM
Yesterday was one of those days. Nothing remarkable happened, good or bad. The weather was nice, for a change. Work was not very stressful - at least, not any more than usual. But still, I had this creeping, nagging feeling all day. Sort of a "why do I bother?" feeling. I think it's the Seasonal Affective Disorder beginning to creep in. We had three or four days of continuous rain, and though yesterday was sunny and bright, I think the buildup of not seeing the sun for more than half a week was getting to me.
I do not look forward to winter. I hate the shortened daylight hours, I hate that cold-to-the-core feeling like you'll never be able to warm up enough to be comfortable, I hate messy roads and gross brown slush leftover from pristine white snow. I hate all of the obligations that the holiday season brings, because its stressful and, inevitably, I am in no mood to be pleasant and make chit-chat. I love autumn, but there's always this cloud in the back of my mind because I know winter isn't too far off.
A few years ago, the SAD really got me. Between the winter season and some problems I was dealing with at work, I hit what was, for me, rock-bottom. I literally would come home from work and crawl into bed, where Scott would bring me dinner and I would watch TV until I fell asleep. There was usually crying involved. It was miserable for me, and I'm sure it was awful for Scott to not be able to do anything about it.
Since then, we have done a few things that have kept that from happening again. The main thing being that we switched the downstairs from being the TV room and moved the TV room up into the upstairs, main part of the house. In the past couple of winters I have spent much less time watching TV in the bedroom (read: hiding) because of the big TV out in the family room.
I think having the YMCA membership will make a difference this year - giving me something to focus on rather than going home and crawling into bed. And on days that I just can't bring myself to go to the gym, I have no excuse not to do SOMETHING, because we finally got our hands on a Wii Fit.
Regardless, yesterday I just had that feeling in the pit of my stomach that I hate. Wanting to just sleep through the next six months of cold and wet and dark. Wanting to crawl under the covers and hide from everything and everyone. But, I didn't. So that's a success right there, I suppose. Perhaps I should invest in a light box?
An A to Z Meme by Tricia Tue, Sep 02 2008, 12:53 PM
Morgan tagged me on her blog to do this meme, so here it is.
A. Attached or single? Attached
B. Best friend? Scotty B (is that retarded? I can't help it if it's true) According to Kayla, SHE'S my best friend, but she's 2.
C. Cake or Pie? YUMMY! EAT BAKED GOODS!
D. Day of Choice? Thursday. I enjoy the anticipation of Friday.
E. Essential item? Indigo WildZum Kiss in Grapefruit. Chico Bags. Microscopic rubber bands (for the braces).
F. Favorite color? Usually in the green family, but I'm currently in love with the ocean-y blue-green we painted the 3rd bedroom last weekend.
G. Gummy bears or worms? I'll eat anything gummy. I'm not picky.
H. Hometown? Olympia Fields, IL
I. Indulgence? Locally-grown produce (it's expensive!) YMCA membership (those "Young Christian Men" charge a lot for us to work out in their "Association")
J. January or July? July! I hate winter with the passion of a thousand fiery suns (appropriate, no?).
K. Kids? As long as their parents take them home at the end of the day.
L. Life isn't complete without? A snuggle with my pupper in the morning. Hearing Kayla scream "Auntie T!" when I come in the door.
M. Marriage date? October 7, 2001
N. Number of brothers and sisters? Two brothers, three sisters-in-law, one brother-in-law
O. Oranges or apples? Either, though I am a little too OCD for orange peeling, so apples are a lot more convenient.
P. Phobias? Car accidents, the dark, getting stung by anything.
Q. Quotes? I'm sure there is something thought-provoking and insightful I could put here, but I'm drawing a blank today. "Well-behaved women rarely make history". That's a good one.
R. Reasons to smile? Scott. Brodie. Laughing with Ken and Kyle. My new craft room. Talking to Mason and Hannah on the phone.
S. Season of Choice? Autumn. Apples and pumpkins and cinnamon, oh my!
T. Tag some peeps: Meh. I have no one to tag.
U. Unknown fact about me? I was in a "band" in college. I have a pellet from a BB gun in my right calf from a trampoline incident in 8th grade (Mr Kyler! Tricia's been shot!).
V. Vegetable? Broccoli, zuchinni (my mom is probably so proud). Spinach, though I'm not supposed to eat it anymore.
W. Worst habit? I'm a total slob. I also have a habit of putting my foot in my mouth (and I don't mean that in the literal sense)
X. X-ray or Ultrasound? Whatever finds the damn kidney stones.
Y. Your favorite food? Pretty much anything sweet. Ooh, and I had this salad at Jason's Deli the other day that I could eat over and over, called the "Nutty Mixed-Up Salad".
Z. Zodiac sign? Aries
Labor-Free Weekend by Tricia Sun, Aug 31 2008, 6:31 PM
We just got back from a wonderful day on the lake. It was such a good time, relaxing, sunning, laughing. We floated in lifejackets while drinking beeritas, tossing a tennis ball, cajoling Brodie to jump in (which he refused to do). Ken, Kyle and Scott all waterskied while I lazily lounged. We ate an entire bag of cookies that I baked yesterday, which made Ken and me fairly sea-sick on the way back to the dock. It was a fun day - I wish we had made more time to do this more often over the summer. Now I'm getting ready to meet up with Ken to see Mamma Mia the sing-along version. Don't really care too much to see it again, but it should be a lot of fun to do the sing-along. Especially with Ken, as we have our own imaginary band, as well as a television show that is filmed in Ken's kitchen. Yesterday we ran some errands, went to the gym (I did 2 miles on the elliptical in 21 minutes, which usually takes me 24!) I think the plan tomorrow is to do a double-header of Hamlet 2 and The House Bunny, which I can't WAIT to see. I'm no Anna Faris, but I do have an understanding of what it's like to be in charge of a house full of sorority girls.
Must go finish getting ready. I got some good pics on the boat, will try to post soon.
1/10 Of The Way There by Tricia Sat, Aug 23 2008, 3:58 PM
While Scott had some "man time" doing Fantasy Football stuff today, I dove in and started clearing out the junk room. When it came down to it, there really wasn't that much stuff in there (most of it was jammed in the closet), but figuring out where things should go was the hard part. In fact, so hard that most of it is in various places all over the rest of the house, creating a bit of a mess.
So, now all that's left in the room is the couch, chair and a stack of magazines that I need to go through. The next step is to sand the walls down, which I'm hoping will be mainly Sott's responsibility. I'm really excited to get the walls painted - it will start to feel more like my space then. Plus, then we can get the new desk out of the garage and into the room. That's our motivator - we picked up the desk and instsead of taking it up to Smithville to store at Scott's parents' place, like we'd normally do, we left it in a prominant spot in front of the cars so we would have to look at it every day. This way we'll be more likely to get the project finished in order to get the desk out of our way.
Now I'm relaxing until Scott gets home - I tweaked my left hip socket a little while moving stuff around, and it's pretty sore now.
Working Out With The Aged by Tricia Thu, Aug 21 2008, 7:42 PM
I love watching old people work out at the gym. It gives me the giggles. Most of them arrive in their street clothes, and then proceed to "work out" (if you can call walking at a snail's pace on a treadmill a work out - though I guess it's pretty hard core for someone born before 1940) in those same clothes. Today I had a sweet little old octogenarian man in front of me, and he had on a long sleeved plaid button-down shirt, nice dockers and black tennis shoes. I might be adding this in through imagination, but I think he had on a baseball cap, too. It was sweet, watching him trundle along on the treadmill - it kind of kept my mind occupied, making up stories about him instead of focusing on 13 more minutes.... 11 more minutes...10.5 more minutes... 9 more minutes... etc.
Even funnier is watching the elderly do the weight machines, though it's depressing because I've noticed that a few of them have more weight on the machines than I use. Then again, they've probably been at it longer than I have. Today I did 20 reps of all my machines EXCEPT the stupid shoulder press machine. That's the one where you sit and push the weight bar from your shoulders up with your hands. Blerg. It's the hardest one for me, and it kills me. I was only able to do 15 on that one, and even the last three of those I thought my arms were going to fall out of their sockets.
And I only use 20 pounds.
I bet those little old people can do it at 40 pounds without feeling any strain.
Taking the Junk Room Back by Tricia Sun, Aug 17 2008, 6:51 PM
Just finished making a lovely peach pie. Hope it tastes as good as it looks, because as of now, it's the only plan we have for dinner. I don't know why we're not losing weight.
This weekend has been pretty busy. Yesterday morning I was in the "junk room" (Scott's old office, which is now the "study") kind of trying to clean it up. Scott came in and made a comment somewhere along the lines of "How would you like it if we made this room into a room for you? A craft room where you could have your sewing machine and all that stuff?" My head immediately began to spin with ideas and excitement. We did some more clearing out (though it's NOWHERE NEAR clear of all the junk) and discussed different ideas for storage, decor, etc.
We took a jaunt to Home Depot today to look at paint colors. I was having a really hard time deciding on a color palette. Just didn't feel inspired, I suppose. Finally, I remembered seeing Mamma Mia. While I wasn't all that taken with the movie itself, I did fall in love with the scenery and colors. All of the interior rooms had this beautiful ocean-y whitewash sort of paint. So I set about looking for appropriate paint sample cards.
Now I'm waiting for Jason to come up and give me his opinion on the steps we need to take to make the room work. Painting over the current color may prove a difficult task - the walls have a base coat of mustard yellow with an orange-y-red sponged on top. Though, now that I think about it, we didn't use a sponge - we used shop rags and wal-mart bags. It's a LOT better looking that it sounds, I think. But, it's a little obnoxious for a craft room, and I want something calm and that makes me happy and feel sunshiney, even in winter.
I'm sure this project will take a while to complete, but I'm excited to have my own space. Scott's sweet though - he keeps saying he wants me to have my own room where I can play crafty lady. Though perhaps this is all a ploy for him to get rid of me so he can work...
My Husband is Great by Tricia Wed, Aug 13 2008, 9:49 PM
For weeks I have been obsessed with Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along-Blog. This gem stars Neil Patrick Harris, and is a musical. I *ahem* downloaded the songs because they are so fun to sing along with. Unfortunately, though you can download the three episodes from iTunes, you can't just download the songs. I wanted to be able to listen to them while driving, so I may have downloaded the songs in a way that involved me not paying any money. I felt bad about this, but REALLY wanted the music. I already was planning to purchase the DVD when they put it out (and still am).
Anyway, tonight I was out with some girlfriends having dinner, and as I was leaving I checked my phone. I had a few emails, one of which had the subject line of "Scott has sent you an iTunes gift!" I was slightly confused until I opened it and saw that he had bought me all three episodes of the show! What a sweetheart. Especially since, by doing this, he KNOWS he'll be forced to watch and listen to it repeatedly now. Poor guy. =)
Official Maker of All Types of Signage by Tricia Wed, Aug 13 2008, 4:27 PM
Some days I feel like my title at work is wrong. The title printed on my (rarely-used) business cards is "Marketing Supervisor", but quite frequently I feel like my title ought to be "Official Maker of All Types of Signage".
For some reason, somewhere along the line, it became general knowledge that I knew how to use Microsoft Publisher, and had some basic talent at creating signage. So, lo these years later, I am the Official Maker of All Types of Signage. It's a little frustrating. Mostly I don't mind, but some days it feels like that's all I do. Like today. I'm re-doing some of the signs for the box office, creating signage for our upcoming show, fixing/updating old signs for the lobby, etc.
Can one get a well-paying gig just making signs using cardstock, various adhesives (I have experience with double-sided tape, velcro, foam adhesive, mounting squares, and even spray adhesive), and a color laser printer? I would like to make upwards of at least 35k annually. I do make a pretty nice sign, if I do say so myself.
Additionally, something I realized I could add to my resume is "ability to walk around adeptly in the dark", which pretty much applies to almost anyone who works in the performing arts. I made at least six trips to the light booth today, each time in the dark because it's not worth trying to figure out the light panel, which switch turns on what, etc. Easier to just make the journey blind. Another variation of this would be "ability to make a complicated journey mapped solely by tiny pieces of glow-tape."
Just got back from the gym. Scott is in the shower, rinsing off all his sweat - he runs 3 miles as fast as he can, and his time has been improving regularly. I mostly hop on the elliptical machine (it's easier on my knees and hips than actually jogging or using a treadmill) and try to go as far as I can in 30 minutes. Ususally we get done around the same time, which is nice. I have been hitting 2.35 miles in 30 minutes pretty regularly - today I made it to 2.4, which felt good.
"computerized system that attaches directly to existing fitness equipment, adding an extraordinary “intelligent” dimension to the workout experience for the first time.
FitLinxx “learns” users' programs, “coaches” them individually through their workout for better form, safety and confidence during every exercise, and “tracks” their progress over time."
This interested us, as we are lazy and need to be told what to do. So, we set up a session with a personal trainer on Wednesday to learn how to use the equipment and the Fitlinxx (does it really need to have two x's? What's that all about?) system. I'm looking forward to it. We were discussing what our personal goals are, which will be helpful when we are figuring out what type of routine to settle into with our exercising.
Itching to Bake by Tricia Sat, Jul 26 2008, 8:17 PM
Despite the muggy weather, I was feeling the need all day to bake. I was thinking of scones, granola bars, cookies, etc. But, after getting home from seeing Mamma Mia neither of us wanted to go back out to get supplies at the store. I happened to have the appropriate items on hand to make a pineapple upside-down cake, and it is now cooling. I am so anxious to cut myself a big piece of it. I hope it doesn't suck.
Tomorrow we need to go to the gym and then, depending on the weather, we'll be going with Kelli & Jason to the Tiffany Springs Water Park, which Scott and I have been looking forward to doing for weeks. Maybe in between I'll bake something else. I've never done scones before, and I'd really like to try it.
Healthy Puppy by Tricia Fri, Jul 18 2008, 11:11 AM
So it turns out that what we saw as scary weight loss and possible health problems is really just what our dog looks like at a healthy weight. The vet found nothing wrong, and actually praised us for getting him back to the weight he was when we got him six years ago (wow, almost to the day - I think we got him on July 17). She did say we should switch his food, as it's possible that the stuff he's on now just isn't doing it for him. She also suggested that it is probably time to get him on Senior food. Our dog is an old man, and should be fed as such.
We decided that perhaps having Plato around two weeks ago (we were dog-sitting him) made Brodie look more gaunt than he actually is, as Plato is... let's say... husky.
Now we just need to try to keep him at this weight, which happens to be 24.5 pounds. In November he was 28 pounds, and we certainly haven't gone out of our way to help him lose those 3.5 pounds, so how he did it is a mystery. We're boarding him in August for a weekend, so if he's lost any more weight by then, the Vet will get concerned, but for now she's pleased by his slender, muscular physique.
Maybe I need to have Brodie be my diet and exercise guru - obviously, he's got the system down pat.
Today we are taking Brodie to the vet to have him looked at. Last weekend we noticed that he has lost a considerable amount of weight. We can feel his ribs through his fur, and that point just north of his hips and south of his ribcage has gotten so narrow. It's one of those things where you just don't notice because you see him every day, so you're oblivious to gradual change. Now that it's been pointed out to me, though, he looks positively gaunt. He's been acting totally fine otherwise, which leads me to hypochondriate (I don't care if I made it up) that he's got a tapeworm or something similar. Scott is convinced it's because of the change in food we made a few months back, but since we are still feeding him the same amount each day, I don't see how that could make a difference. We haven't switched him to diet food or anything.
He's also shedding more than I have ever seen him (or any other dog, for that matter) shed before. I gave him a bath Monday night and afterwards took him outside to brush him (which he HATES) and succeeded in building a whole second dog out of fur I removed from him. Then later we were on the couch snuggling and every time I ran my hand down his back I would get a tumbleweed of fur. Just doesn't seem right.
Anyway, just like always, we are more concerned than Brodie is. He'll probably get his annual checkup today, too - which means shots and blood tests, so he'll be sufficiently cranky by the time we're done. We've already decided that there will be a trip made to Sheridan's this evening to get him a special treat, and to use our Royals tickets to get a free sundae!
It's been too long. We've had so much going on and I just haven't had anything to write about. Or, at least, by the time I get a chance to write, I have forgotten the funny things I intended to write about. So is the life of a procrastinator. Right now we are getting ready to run out to get my hair cut and then go to dinner and a movie - the first time we'll have set foot inside a movie theatre since I saw Penelope a long time ago. I think we're either seeing Wanted or the new Indiana Jones. I'm worried that Wanted might be a little too violent/graphic for my tastes, but I suppose I'm willing to put up with that in order to stare at James McAvoy for 100 minutes.
So far this summer we have been trying to go to the gym (I went three days this week, and would have gone today if it weren't for my hair cut appointment). I am already showing improvement in my distance on the elliptical, which is encouraging. We also had a kickball tournament last weekend, which left us sore and sunburned. My nose peeled off yesterday. It wasn't like that thin, silky layer of skin that usually comes off after a sunburn (though my forehead did do that). My nose skin came off in leathery, thick strips. It's very red and blotchy now, so I look a little freaky. We got third place in the tournament, which won us a fancy trophy - made of a kid's soccer cleat mounted on a piece of wood and spray-painted bronze. After receiving our prize, one of our teammates, Kristy, said "So, who's got some gold spray-paint?" So true. It was a pretty controversial tourney, one that we all felt we could have won, but there was one team that unfairly thwarted us. We still had a kick-ass time, though, and that's what really matters. It was a full day - 10 am to 4pm of non-stop kickball. For everyone else. I took photos, and acted as team "Mom", making sure everyone else was hydrated, sunblocked (obviously, I didn't worry about myself too much) and happy. No major injuries on our team, which was a first - only some skinned knees and elbows. We did successfully (and totally accidentally) fracture a girl's ankle in the first game of the day. Oops!
My garden is doing well, though we had a rough, nasty storm come through last night that I think may have taken out my red bell pepper plant. I noticed this morning that it was lying on it's side - I need to go check on it. I've got two baby orange bell peppers that get bigger every day, plus my roma and cherry tomatoes are both showing blooms. Very exciting. I also have Rosemary, Sage, Basil and Cilantro, so I am Jason's hookup for herbs.
We have been keeping up with the CSA dinners, and this week we had gotten a bison chuck roast, which Jason turned into a delicious stew.
It's been very odd not having to do loads of Alpha Phi stuff this summer. It's nice, but also has left a little bit of an empty spot in my life. Though I'm sure I'll get over that once school starts and I don't have to drive out every week! I'm hoping to take that spare time and put it toward some other volunteer things like the Parkville animal shelter or something similar.
Off to get my hair cut! Photos should be posted soon from kickball tourney, as well as our other adventures in the last few months.
This summer Scott and I are participating in the CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) program offered by Hen House, the grocery store down the street from our house. Each week we pick up a big bag full of fresh, locally grown/produced food. This week we got: -1/2 gallon chocolate milk (scott immediately had a big glass full, as I looked on making gagging noises) -2lb Ground Bison -1 loaf of Sourdough bread -1 head green leaf lettuce -1 bunch Spring green onions (which were HUGE) -1 bunch Sage (which I turned in for an extra loaf of bread because I have sage growing on my deck!) -1 box alfalfa sprouts (mmm!) -1 big jar of jam (it's called Traffic Jam and has cherries and rhubharb in it - it's really tasty)
So, the Thompsons are doing the CSA as well, and last week I mentioned that we ought to institute a "CSA meal" that we fix together each week out of the goodies that we get. Jason is an excellent cook, and much more creative and experimental with ingredients than we tend to be. Tonight we had our first CSA meal, and it was delicious! J made amazing burgers out of the ground Bison, and we put some locally produced, hormone-free cheddar cheese on them. I put alfalfa sprouts on mine, and everyone else made fun of me (but it was GOOD!). We used the leaf lettuce for a big salad with orange bell peppers, carrots, cherry tomatoes and cilantro (what a great idea to put that in - it gave it a great kick). I took our spring green onions and sliced them up with red potatoes, added some butter and lemon pepper and threw them on the grill. It was all fantastic. The best part was the giant bows of ice cream we had for dessert. Kind of threw the health-concsious meal all to hell, but it was worth it.
Next week we get all beef hot dogs, broccoli, cabbage (which I will be trading for something else), Italian bread, red potatoes (yum!), zucchini bread, swiss chard (I'm not sure what to do with this, or if we'll even like it - mom, expect a phone call from me!) and a soy candle. It doesn't get much better than walking a couple houses down with a bag full of groceries to put together a fun meal with friends. Especially when Jason does most of the work! =)
If I Slept More, I Could Write Screenplays and Be A Millionaire by Tricia Sat, Jun 07 2008, 1:19 PM
Oh my god, I have to tell you about this dream I had!
Don't you hate it when people say that? You basically know you're about to be forced to listen to some weird story that won't have any meaning to you. We always seem so in awe of the things our own brains come up with, but other people's dreams never seem as interesting. My guess is, this is mostly because our own dreams are rooted in our own subconscious, so even if we know it or not, there are underlying reasons as to why we dream what we dream. So our own dreams are interesting to ourselves because we, at some level, understand the underlying meaning behind them. We don't care so much about other people's dreams because their subconcious is of no concern to us.
So, having said that, I have to tell you about my dream! Well, not the whole thing, because that would be boring, but the underlying reason as to the main part of the dream are pretty funny (I think).
This morning I was lying in bed, had this epic, Will Smith screenplay style dream, somewhat similar in storyline to War of the Worlds. When I woke up I yelled for Scott because I could remember the whole thing (which doesn't happen often) and I wanted to get it out and I knew he would think it was kind of an interesting dream (because he was in it, and it was a very action-adventure, run-from-aliens type dream). The main plotline was that I was driving to work, saw this HUGE weird alien ship in the sky, went to Scott's office to find him because I was scared. Once I found him, we found out that the "aliens" (I never saw anything but the ships, no actual aliens, so who knows if that's what they actually were) were using this awful bright light to basically fry humans. They would find you and shoot this light through the windows and if you let it touch you directly or looked at it, you fried.
So as I am telling all of this to Scott, I realize in a rush WHY the aliens used light. Our bedroom keeps randomly lighting up and going dark as the sunshine goes in and out behind the clouds outside. I'm guessing that my brain incorporated that (somehow!) into my dream, and that's why the aliens were using light to kill people.
Human brains are so freaking crazy. Sort of like when you're having a dream and a phone rings, and you wake up and your phone is actually ringing.
I'm making my Orange Blossom cupcakes again, with a little modification. I not only used the zest of an orange in the frosting, I also sliced the orange in half and used a small squeeze of the juice. Hopefully that will give it a more vibrant orange flavor. After doing so, I had to add in a little more powdered sugar because the juice thinned the consistency out a little too much. Once again, Kelli & Jason will be my guinea pigs. I gotta say, living up the street from us has its perks. =)
oops - got powdered sugar all over the keyboard. Perhaps I shouldn't blog while baking.
Painful Gardening by Tricia Mon, May 26 2008, 6:17 PM
Yesterday we planned to have an Indiana Jones movie marathon (as preparation for eventually seeing the new one - it's been a VERY long time since I've seen any of the old ones). In between movies we were going to get the gardening done that I've been holding off on because of crappy weather. After Raiders of the Lost Ark we changed into grubbies, sprayed on the sunblock and headed outside to get to work.
I put together my tomato success kit, which takes a little while because you have to moisten the potting mix, which would be easy to do in a wheelbarrow, but since we keep the thing on our deck and I can't very well get the wheelbarrow up there, I do the dirt in shifts in a large bucket. We also planted some cherry tomatoes in an upside-down planter Scott's mom got me for my birthday. I'm excited to see how that works - though Scott is not, as he will probably have to water it as it is hung above my head. Once that stuff was done, I headed down into the backyard to till up my veggie garden bed so I could plant the red and orange peppers I got for Scott. I got about three quarters of the way through with tilling and was feeling pretty good about it when I had a horrible stabbing pain in my lower left back. I think I may have broken myself. I asked Scott to finish tilling for me and headed upstairs to do something "easier". At this point I was in denial that I had hurt msyelf. I started putting a basil plant into a container and pouring some dirt over it. I guess I was whimpering as I was working, because Scott came up and sternly told me to go inside and lay down.
I pretty much spent the next 26 hours horizontal, either on the couch or in bed. At one point last night I was feeling a little better and got up to get some of the yummy fruit salad Scott made for dessert. When I leaned over to put the big bowl back in the fridge, the knife stabbed and twisted into my back again and I almost fell to the ground. Scott had to help me to the couch and I just laid there in pain and cried for a while, which I'm sure made him uncomfortable. He was mad at me for not asking him to get the fruit salad for me. So, despite the sticky, muggy hot weather, I had to spend the evening with a hot pad on my back and a cold pack on my head/chest (to counteract the hot pad's heat). This evening it's feeling better, but still very sore and tight. I can't lift anything for fear of it seizing up again.
So, it pretty much took all the joy out all my hard work yesterday. And we're still not even done, as none of the peppers got planted, and I'm not sure when we'll get a chance to get them in the ground. Stupid old lady back pain.
We're having a really nice weekend, and Scott keeps commenting on how great a day yesterday was. We got some shopping done in the morning, had a walk through the new Power & Light disctrict downtown and then went to the They Might Be Giants concert at Crown Center. Then, we met up with Ken and his sister, Kim to see the current show at AHT, Perfect Wedding. Our friend John-Michael is in it, and it's a really funny show. And I'm not just saying that because I work there. I have never seen Scott laugh as hard and for as long as he did during the show. Ken said he thought Scott peed a little. =)
During our shopping trip yesterday, Scott came upon a madras hat that he liked. He put it on and I sort of liked it, but it also made him look like a little old man. An eccentric little old man, for that matter. Nonetheless, he was totally excited about the hat and decided to get it. From the moment we walked out of the store and he put it on, his personality changed. He acted goofy the rest of the day, but not in a bad way. It's obvious that the hat makes him feel like a new haircut makes me feel - sort of like a new, different person. It was fun to watch him throughout the day.
Now the problem is that he has taken to purchasing madras shorts, but the hat is too much when paired with madras shorts - especially when the two madrases (is that a word? madri?) are completely different. He's a little bit of a fashion fail, but if it makes him happy, I'm fine with it.
Scott has only ever owned one suit. His mom and I helped him pick it out back in '98 or '99 as he was preparing to interview for "big kid" jobs. It was olive green and not very well cut for a guy his size (he looked like a kid swimming around in his dad's sports jacket - he was way to narrow for the width of it). It lasted through many weddings and funerals - I'd say at least 20 weddings and 6 or 7 funerals. He wore it to two or three job interviews before starting at DST. He wore it twice last September to two different weddings, and on the second one realized that a huge hole had appeared in one of the pockets in the pants. He decided it was time for a new suit, despite all the celebratin' and mournin' this one had gotten him through. How, with both Glenda and I there to help, he ended up with an olive green suit in the first place, I'll never know. I wish I could go back and witness the discussion and decision making. What were we thinking. I would also like to point out that he only owned one shirt and one tie that went with the suit - Not that this is abnormal for a guy these days, I just think it's kind of funny. So many people saw him wear that suit over and over (especially family) but if I had worn the same dress to every wedding, people would have noticed.
With another wedding looming next weekend, he figured we should probably go looking for a replacement, despite my encouragement that he would be just fine wearing khakis with a shirt and tie. Let me interject here and say that there is not much that I hate more in life than a department store. They are awful. I can never find what I'm looking for. It's frustrating. So, off we went to dive into every department store in the greater Kansas City area trying to find an appropriate suit.
We had quite a few rules:
-Must be "Athletic Cut" so he doesn't look like he's swimming in the jacket -A nice charcoal would be best, as black would be too much with his fair coloring -NO NAVY BLUE. Navy suits make me think of yacht clubs and Andy from The Office. I think they're awful -Preferably flat-front pants (this proved to be most difficult. WHY do men like pleated pants? They look stupid! -Preferably no pin-stripes. Too corporate -Must not rape our bank account.
We looked and looked and he tried a few on, and we narrowed down what we did and didn't like, and what we were willing to give up (pin-stripes, as long as they weren't too blatant, would be acceptable). After the guy at JC Penneys referred to Scott more than once as "beautiful" we were sufficiently creeped out (though slightly flattered). Finally, we found two at Dillard's that looked really great on him. One actually happened to have flat front pants (the woman at Dillard's said that only 3% of their suits have flat-front pants, we just happened to pull one out that fit most of the criteria AND were flat-front). The other was pleated, but only had one pleat as opposed to the two or three most of the others were blessed with.
So, he put one on, and I liked it - it looked really good. Then he put the other one on, and I liked it too. It looked just as good. They were the same price, so I left the final decision up to him between the two.
I think I'll have to fend the ladies off my handsome husband all night at the wedding.
Scott and Brodie are out on a walk, enjoying the nice weather (though, as I peek out the window I see that it is pretty windy out). I went with on Monday and on Wednesday, but tonight I'm feeling a twinge in my dodgy knee and don't want to push it. It's been bothering me for a few weeks now, and last week I went to the doctor to have him check it out. He said it felt like it had a little fluid on it, but not enough to be concerned about. They took a few x-rays, which the doc said looked normal. He offered to give me a shot and I quickly turned it down. I asked if it was cortizone and he explained that cortizone isn't really used anymore - they use a synthetic version, the name of which I can't remember. Something with four syllables. So, he wrote me a prescription for some heavy-duty naproxen (Aleve) and told me to stay off it and ice it for a few days. If it wasn't feeling better by the end of the week, I should come in (with husband in tow) for the shot.
By the end of the week it felt much better (perhaps my subconscious healed me psychosomatically in order to not get the shot in the knee), so I went about my business. I have been staying away from the gym as I didn't want to exacerbate the problem, so we went on a walk with Brodie on Monday, trying to take it easy. When we got home I put my leg up and relaxed. Didn't really bother me the next day. Last night when we walked, though, it started to ache, and by the time we got home I was hobbling a little. I iced it, but today it was a little tender, so I'm back on the naproxen. I really want to be able to get back to the gym. Especially since we have cupcakes in the house. =)
Theatre Etiquette by Tricia Wed, May 21 2008, 6:40 PM
Today I took some time out of my work day to watch the first half of the matinee of our current show, Perfect Wedding. My friend John-Michael is in it, so I thought I'd sneak in and just have a giggle at his funny expressions and jokes. I checked the chart in the ticketing system and there wasn't anyone sitting up there, so no one would notice if I snuck in and out. Grabbed a seat, got comfortable and got ready to laugh. About ten minutes in and usher came up with a large group of high school kids. Protocol dictates that if folks show up (especially a larger group of folks) after the show has begun, they are to be seated in the suite (provided it is available) so as not to disturb patrons on the floor. I'm wondering if these kids (and their chaperones, for that matter) had EVER been to a live event before. Apparently their bus got stuck somewhere or they got lost or whatever other sob story, and though we held the show 10 minutes waiting for them, they still arrived 10 minutes after the show started.
This group wanders in as if there's no one on stage. They are having conversations, stomping about, fighting over who is going to sit where, etc. I start to get frustrated. Two of the chaperones (large men) sat down in front of me, pretty much blocking my view, and one of them proceeded to pull out his cell phone and fiddle around on it. Great role model there, dude.
About 10 minutes later a man and woman walk in and sit down next to me. No big deal. A while after that, I hear a weird whimpering noise, look over and notice that the whimpering is coming from A BABY. Not just any baby, but a baby that looked as if it had been born about 2 hours before. WHO TAKES A NEWBORN TO A LIVE THEATRICAL PERFORMANCE? Unbelievable. The baby continued to whimper through the rest of the performance. Not loud enough to bother the actors, but loud enough to drive me crazy. The mom obviously was sure she could quiet baby down herself, and leaving the suite was not neccessary. Here's a note from a theatre professional to all people who have babies. IT IS NEVER COOL TO TAKE A BABY TO A LIVE PERFORMANCE. YOU MAY THINK "SHE'LL BE QUIET, NO ONE WILL NOTICE SHE'S THERE", BUT LET ME TELL YOU - PEOPLE NOTICE, AND WILL SILENTLY HATE YOU FOR RUINING THE NICE EVENING THEY PAID GOOD MONEY TO HAVE.
Then, at some point, a cell phone started to ring. Loudly. I couldn't tell where it was coming from, but it was apparent that the owner either was too old to hear it, or was embarrassed and pretending that it wasn't their phone. It just kept ringing. And ringing. Then, when it finally stopped ringing, the caller left a voicemail, causing the phone to let out a loud beeping noise. Really? Is it that complicated to silence your phone before the performance begins? Or, let's say you accidentally forget and your phone rings - the polite thing to do is turn beet red, look to your neighbors and mouth "sorry! sorry!" while fumbling hastily to turn the phone off, then sit ramrod straight in your seat for the next ten minutes thinking about how everyone is looking at you and silently hating you for ruining the nice evening they paid good money to have.
When it comes down to it, though, the reason for following these rules isn't just to create a happy theatre-going experience for the audience, but also to create a happy environment for the actors. How would you feel if you were giving the toast at your best friend's wedding, all eyes are on you, and all of a sudden a group of people walks in, or the pocket of some jackass starts to ring. It pulls focus! It's distracting and may cause you to lose your place, making you look and feel stupid.
So, in conclusion, don't be the jerk who takes a phone call (seriously - we have had people answer their phones and say "Oh, nothing - just seeing a play" in the middle of the performance), try to have the forethought to pee BEFORE the show starts so you don't distract everyone trying to get out of and back in to your seat, be sure to take your screamy baby out at the first indication of fussiness and for god's sake, SHOW UP ON TIME.
Yesterday we attended a party for our friend Kyle, who graduated Friday with his Masters from UMKC. The party was at a beautiful little house owned by a co-worker of his (Kyle works at the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art) off the Plaza. We ate yummy appetizers and hung out enjoying the beautiful weather. One of the best things about the party though, were the cupcakes. The hostess had ordered lovely little treats from Babycakes in the River Market. They were fantastic. Beautifully simple and heavenly delicious in flavors like Orange Dreamcicle and Chocolate with peanut butter frosting. Even Red Velvet with cream cheese frosting. I immediately fell in love with them. And then today I found it necessary to make my own. I made my own version of the Orange Dreamcicle (from a box, of course, because let's face it - I love Betty Crocker) with orange cream cheese frosting. I made the frosting from scratch and used orange zest to give it a little orange blossom flavor. Thanks to Jason who lent me an orange for that purpose. He knows to just give me whatever I need because that means he gets to enjoy the finished product. We'll be heading down there for dinner this evening and I will be bringing a tray full of orange blossom cupcakes!
Riding the Octopus by Tricia Sun, May 18 2008, 8:43 AM
Friday night was DST Worlds of Fun night, where Scott's company rents out the local amusement park and we spend the evening eating low-quality hotdogs, standing in line for rides and feeling like we might see those hot dogs again. Scott actually went on the Patriot, a coaster that goes upside down. It's the sort where you sit but your legs dangle - you're not in a cart. I was proud of him for going on it - he usually stays away from anything that remotely goes in a circle in any way. I think he actually enjoyed it.
It was a fun night of people watching. We saw a guy who had a "mull-hawk" a mullet crossed with a mohawk. You kind of had to witness it to understand it's pure beauty. Oooh, and a baby so fat that it looked like a baby had eaten another baby. It was a good night.
Along with Kelli's sister, Kim, we took Kayla into the Camp Snoopy ball house - where there are millions of foam balls everywhere and you throw them, drop them into cannons and blow them across the room, throw them into baskets where air blows them up and all over the place, etc. The place is full of kids running around screaming, trying to grab as many balls as they can, and parents re-living their childhood, whipping balls at friends and spouses. It's a nice little slice of society regressing.
The Newest Technology To Keep People From Actually Talking To Each Other by Tricia Fri, May 16 2008, 3:44 PM
It amazes me all of the ways we have to communicate without actually communicating. I can send a message through my phone, my computer, even my Wii, to friends and family. I could quite easily get by without ever talking to anyone besides Scott (and that's because he lives with me), though we have been known to sit on opposite sides of a room and text each other.
One could definitely argue that even though we actually speak to each other less, we know so much more about each other and our lives because of these other alternative ways of communicating. It's a conundrum.
So, to add to this communapalooza, I am trying out Twitter. I guess more than using it as a form of communication, I like the idea of having a mini-record of my life. An electronic journal, of sorts. So, feel free to follow me, and, if you decide to jump in and start twittering, let me know so I can follow you, too!
Last night I went down to the Thompson's to help Jason with the kids while Kelli had a well-deserved night out with her sister. Not that Jason isn't capable of handling both children, but he might have ended up ripping out his own hair had he been left alone to watch them both simultaneously. Connor can't really move, but Kayla is a whirlwind of energy and requires quite a bit of attention.
Upon Kelli's departure, Kayla went into tantrum-mode, as toddlers tend to do. She screamed and howled and cried for Moooommmmieeee and Auntieeeee KIM! Jason and I both assured her that Mommy and Auntie Kim would be back later and Hey - look! Auntie T is here just to play with you! She came down to spend time with you and you alone! This did not help. After a few minutes of sitting on Jason's lap she started to calm down a bit and she turned herself sideways so she was laying across his legs with her head hanging over one of his arms and her legs over the other arm. She started to whimper again about Mommy and Jason said "Kayla, what are you doing?" Her very clear response?
"I throwing a fit"
Yes, yes you are.
A few minutes later we were happily playing in the basement with blocks and tea sets and pointing out the states on the map. When I asked her what her baby's (a Cabbage Patch Kid) name was, she thoughtfully said "Bo Rock Oba Ma." I couldn't help but giggle - she really soaks up everything she hears like a sponge. Not that she really knows what any of it means at this point - but that doesn't make it any less funny.
Captive Audience by Tricia Sun, May 11 2008, 8:45 PM
What it's like to eat dinner with Brodie & Plato around. I swear, Brodie doesn't have much in the way of manners, but what he does have disappears when Plato is around. After a few hours of consensual humping, drooling on each other and barking (well, barking for Brodie, "roo-ing" for Plato), both pooches retired to separate couches and gave each other the stink eye. Plato slept in his dog bed on the floor while Brodie sneered down from our bed, pleased to have "won". Our dog is not a very good host.
This may have been the biggest (and best) mistake of our lives. We bought a copy of Wii Mario Kart and have been playing pretty much non-stop (outside of the 8 hours we were at work) since Sunday at 11am. It's pretty sweet, and it has shot all other plans out of the water. We play against friends and family online, when they aren't busy dealing with their kids. We are on our game because we don't have to worry about that and therefore have smoked everyone we have played. =)
We were concerned that all the hype about the game would have us too geeked and we would be disappointed by the actual game, but it's lived up to our expectations so far. It's pretty fun to be able to play with Ja, who we don't get to see anymore because he and his lovely wife, Julie, moved to Columbia, MO.
Ok. Must get back to playing so Scott doesn't get better than me!
Spring Sprang Sprung by Tricia Wed, Apr 23 2008, 2:42 PM
It's been a while - I went through a couple of weeks where the only free time I had was while I was sleeping. Season Renewal time at work is always overwhelming, and last week I worked 60 hours! It's over now, and I'm back to my regular routine. Looking forward for the semester to be over and my trips to Topeka to end. Enjoying the warm weather (finally!) and copious blooms all over. My Bartlett Pear trees are just now starting to shed their flowers and sprout leaves. That week that those trees bloom is my favorite week of the year. They look so dressed up and happy, and it always makes me smile.
Since my last post, Scott and I both hit a milestone - we celebrated our 30th birthdays. I'm pretty much in denial about it, as I still feel like I'm 17. Scott hates people making a big deal of it and doesn't understand why turning 30 is any different from turning 27 or other random number. Scott's birthday was amazing, spent in North Carolina with my family. We spent his actual birthday visiting the aquarium in Wilmington, NC - it was a nice place, and we had fun being there with Mason & Hannah. The rest of the weekend was spent walking along the beach; playing in the sea spray; searching for fossilized shark teeth; watching Mason threaten the ocean waves, running in and out of the lapping water screaming; Hannah running up to me at the aquarium, grabbing my hand and saying "Auntie T, you're my friend"; building iPods in the sand (guess who THAT was); teaching my family to play Wii sports; laughing, discussing the Fair Tax with my dad; eating cake (that was mostly my mom)and generally enjoying the wonderful little town on Topsail Island. It was absolutely beautiful there, and I really couldn't get over being able to walk out onto the back porch and down the steps, just yards from the swells and whitecaps of the Atlantic.
My birthday was much less glamourous, as I worked almost 14 hours that day on Season Renewal stuff. Scott did a good job and spoiled me the day before, knowing that my actual birthday would probably be pretty crappy. He got me a Wii game which we played, as well as beautiful flowers and a delicious cake, which I spent the rest of the week eating for breakfast (if I didn't learn anything else from my mom, I sure learned that!).
We need to post our pictures from the NC vacation, as there are some really great ones of us on the beach.
Babies are being born left and right - our friends Ja & Julie welcomed Samantha Carter into the world on April 11, and my college roommate, Tammy, either had her daughter on Monday or Tuesday, I can't remember when her surgery was scheduled for. We have been spending as much time as we can watching Connor grow. Jason & Kelli came up the street the other night with Connor, Kayla trailing behind on her newly-assembled tricycle. It was so funny watching her ride that thing - and I was surprised by the amount of power she has! Our house is higher up than theirs, so there's a good slope she had to ride up, and she didn't have much trouble. She was pretty proud of her trike.
I know other stuff has happened, but I just can't remember, and wish I had chronicled it when it was happening. It's just been that sort of month where I just can't find the time to write when I want to, and don't have anything to say when I do have time to write. Such is life.
Today is my sister-in-law's birthday - Happy Birthday, Rebecca!
Baby Boy Bowling by Auntie T Fri, Apr 04 2008, 8:16 PM
Mike and Amanda welcomed their new son this morning at 3:57am. Uncle Scotty and Auntie T are excited to have an April baby to share their birthdays with! Baby Boy currently has not been given a name, but they don't let you leave without one, so that will come soon enough, I'm sure.
Elevator Etiquette by Tricia Fri, Mar 21 2008, 1:45 PM
Recently I have been amazed by the simple things I learned growing up that it seems the general population did not learn. Mainly, the proper way to get on and off an elevator.
I work on the 5th floor of a glorified shopping mall. Our offices are not open to the general public, and most people who come to my office, upon finding out it's on the fifth floor of Crown Center are amazed to hear that Crown Center even has a fifth floor. This being said, I use the elevator every day. I don't have a choice - I'm not lazy, and if I could take the stairs, I would. In fact, I often take the stairs down. The problem is going up. The only entrance by stairs into our offices is through the theatre, by using a door which remains locked except for during a performance. A door that employees are not allowed to have a key for. So, unless that door happens to be open for whatever reason, it's a waste of my time to walk all the way up there just to have to go down to 3 and catch the elevator anyway.
So. Every day I take the elevator at least twice, if not more often. Lately I've had a tendency to purchase my lunch in the food court, so I am forced to take the elevator during the most busy time in Crown Center. The time when all the Hallmark employees are at lunch and every kid in the city who is part of a field trip is running around maniacally with a Fritz's hat on their head.
First of all, I am amazed by the number of people with good, working legs who use the elevator to go ONE FLOOR. The worst thing is Crown Center is equipped with not one, but TWO escalators. In my eyes, the elevator should only be used by people with large stroller contraptions, the elderly and handicapped, and those of us with business on the floors that the stairs don't go to. Regardless of my beliefs, hoards of people use the elevator to go one or two floors, when they could easily take the stairs or escalator. I often have to go from the 1st floor to the 5th floor, and it's no surprise when someone stops my journey at 2 to get on, only to get off at 3, effectively forcing me to visit 4 of the 5 floors when I'm just trying to get from top to bottom as fast as I can.
My second beef is with people who rudely stand just in front of the elevator doors while they wait for it to arrive so they can board, thus forcing those passengers trying to exit to squeeze past them. DO NOT WAIT IN THE TINY WALLED-IN AREA JUST IN FRONT OF THE DOORS. I am not going to wait while you board and then exit. The people inside have the right of way, that's just how it is.
Now, here is a special message for parents. Your kids are cute, and I'm glad you're having a fun day at thuper Crown Center, but corral those little turds. I completely understand that your child, at 2-6 years of age, may not have a grasp on elevator etiquette. SO TEACH THEM. It is not cool when I am in the elevator and the doors open and there are five munchkins racing to get in, practically knocking me over, and YOU DON'T SAY A DAMN WORD TO THEM. That, my friends, is an opportunity to educate a child on being polite and taking turns. Not an opportunity to maul a stranger. Obviously my parents took the time to tell me to stay the hell away from the elevator door until people have exited - it's just the friendly thing to do.
Finally, I work here. I know the building pretty well, and I'm more than happy to help you find where you're trying to go. If you ask me where the Crayola store is and I say it's on 2, DON'T PRESS THE 3 BUTTON. On the same hand, if you get in and I'm standing in front of the buttons and ask you what floor, it's because I'm happy to push the button for you - SO DON'T REACH IN FRONT OF ME or PUSH ME OUT OF THE WAY to push the button! I will do it for you. I promise I will get you to the right place - I have no hidden agenda, and even if I did, this place is only 3 floors of shopping - I'm sure you'll find what you're looking for.
Babies, babies, babies by Tricia Thu, Mar 20 2008, 2:42 PM
The first of many babies of the year has arrived - Kelli and Jason welcomed Connor Mitchell Thompson (also known as C-Thomp, or at least, that's what Scott and I call him) at 10:59pm on March 16. He was 9lbs, 1oz and 21 inches long. When their first, Kayla, was born, she came out with a typical Jason scowl on her face and there was no question that it was his kid. The Nash kids (Kelli, Ken, Kim and Kristy) all have the same nose, and it's a pretty unique nose. Connor most definitely is a Nash, because that nose is planted squarely on his face. He's so cute and content. Kayla seems to be fairly indifferent toward him at this point. There are more photos of him and of Kayla here and I am sure there will be more in our albums soon, as I have a tendency to go all paparazzi on these kids.
It's very strange to go from being used to walking, talking children, and all the sudden be holding a teeny newborn who barely makes a peep and pretty much sleeps all the time. I've gotten so accustomed to entertaining children, asking them questions, having them recite colors and letters, etc, that it's weird to just have Connor asleep on my chest and not requesting multiple Dora episodes by name, like his sister is want to do. =) That will come with time, I'm sure.
Additionally, the countdown is on for our new nephew - Amanda is doing great (she's due April 2nd), though I know she and Mike are both feeling the stress of preparing for their new family member. It's got to be overwhelming to know that any day your family will become something completely new and different - and that there's a TON of stuff to get done before that happens! They are working hard to spend these last few days with just Ella, making memories before their family of three becomes four.
Then there's Julie who is due the 3rd week of April, but is carrying a baby which is already weighing in at 9 pounds! She's an incredible lady, and I hope they give her a LOT of drugs when she is in labor.
My college roommate, Tammy, is also due with her second child in April, so it's a big month.
While all this birthin' is happening, our friends Heather & Shane are planning an important trip to Kingdom of Bhutan to adopt a little girl. They will be the first people ever to complete an international adoption from Bhutan, which is par for the course, as Shane and Heather are the type to be the first at everything.
Most exciting to me is the impending arrival of my cousin's baby at the end of May. She and I were like sisters growing up, so I pretty much see this kid as my nephew. Laura is one of my favorite people in the whole world, and I'm so excited for her. She will be such a fun mom, and between her and Andy, their kid(s) will be very logical and very creative - the best of both worlds!
Hooray for other people having babies for me to spoil!
Scott really gets into Guitar Hero. It's pretty funny to see such a geeky computer kid try to rock out. Especially when he's rocking out to a Pat Benatar song. =)
Against Our Better Judgement by Tricia Mon, Mar 10 2008, 4:14 PM
I have never been a huge fan of video games or gaming systems. I'm not the type to want to go out and buy the newest, trendiest machine and be the first on my block to own it. I just don't care, and don't tend to spend enough time playing video games to make them worth the money I shell out for them.
When the Wii came out I was very against getting one, and didn't see the point of all the craziness surrounding it. We played a few times at Ken & Kyle's place, and while I enjoyed it, it still wasn't something I was willing to drop over $300 bucks on, just for the system and necessary peripherals. We have a PlayStation 2 which we rarely play, though we do have a few games that I really love to play. I just would rather be reading or watching TV, and frankly, after a while, the game make my eyes and head hurt. And my thumbs! =)
Well, a couple of weeks ago we were over at Mike & Amanda's to play their new Wii, and had a great time playing Tennis and SmartyPants. I had quite a bit of money saved up in my bank account (the one I use to buy yarn and stuff for the Alpha Phi house), so I told Scott that if he really wanted one (because he's addicted to Guitar Hero), I would pay for it. NOT the Guitar Hero, mind you, because that is a game I just can't get behind - I'm not a fan of that type of game. Plus, just watching people play it makes my carpal tunnel syndrome flare up.
So, this weekend, even though we shouldn't be wasting the money, and even though we shouldn't be wasting the time, we broke down and got a Wii. Scott had the whole week off from work and on Friday started to feel like he was coming down with a cold. He felt like poo all day Saturday and so by Sunday he was pretty cranky and wanting to do something fun... so we checked the Best Buy circular in the sunday paper, and sure enough they were showing that they had a limited quantity available in-store. We raced over and assumed they would all be gone - we were getting there an hour and a half after opening. To our surprise, of 59 units available that day, there were 3 left, so we loaded up with that, the Guitar Hero III package, WiiPlay (which comes with an extra Wii-mote) and SmartyPants. I really like SmartyPants. Perhaps because I won every game we played of it yesterday. =)
So, we are now Wii-people, and I have spent a lot of time making "Mii's". I made one of myself, one of Scott, and then for fun, I made Mii's of Scott's parents. Then we worked it out so we can send messages via the Wii to Mike and Amanda, so we traded Mii's and sent goofy emails back and forth. We also went to the "Check Mii Out" channel, where you can look at Mii's that other people have created and downloaded an Adam Savage Mii (star of MythBusters, Scott's favorite show).
Seen on the way to work by Tricia Thu, Feb 28 2008, 10:50 AM
At the 6-square foot "poop zone" specifically created for people that live in the lofts on 10th street to take their dogs for ... relief. One very straight, corporate-looking guy (shaved head, suit/tie, trench coat) holding two leashes. On the end of one leash was a tiny long-haired dachshund wearing a brown quilted jacket with pink piping. On the end of the other leash was a tiny terrier-type dog wearing a teeny tan/pewter faux leather trench coat. On the face of the guy was a scowl.
I don't think I have had a haircut this versatile for a very long time. Like, since back in high school when I was able to do 3 things - hair down, hair in ponytail, top half of hair pulled into hairclip on top of head. This is kind of fun but also scary, because I just don't have any talent for styling my own hair (or anyone else's, for that matter). Though today I do feel quite Flock of Seagulls.
Finally Making My Parents Happy by Tricia Wed, Feb 27 2008, 9:40 AM
My whole childhood I had long hair and continually heard "you should cut your hair short" from my parents. Perhaps subconsciously wishing I was a 3rd son, instead of the daughter they got? =) I vehemently refused, and pretty much always told myself I would NEVER, under any circumstances cut my hair short. To me, short hair meant old (How often do you see an older woman with long hair?) and I didn't ever want to succumb to old.
Of course, saying never always comes back to bite you in the ass, so for the last few years my hair has gotten shorter and shorter, each time making me look less like a teenager and more my age. Which I suppose is good. Last night I got my hair cut for the first time in close to four months - this is a very long time for me, as the style I have had dictates a need to get it cut about every 4-5 weeks. I just kept putting it off and couldn't find a time to do it - until I finally got fed up last week and made an appointment. I walked in and sat down, saying to my "stylist" (blerg) that I was in a rut and just didn't know what I wanted to do. She pulled out some books with hairstyles and we looked through them, pontificating on what would look good, what would be too much work for my "wash and wear" life. Finally we settled on something that made us both happy. And WHOO BOY is it short! But I do like it - it will take me a while to get used to it.
I met Scott at the gym after getting it cut, and while we made laps around the track, I could see that every time he passed me (he was jogging, I was walking) he had a big smile on his face. So, I guess he likes it.
I am finally on the verge of total recovery. I had a nasty sinus infection - the first one I think I've ever had. It was awful. The left side of my head was totally fine, but the right side felt like someone had peeled open my skull and lodged a brick inside. My face hurt, my ear was clogged to the point of not being able to hear out of it, my eye had so much pressure on it from the blocked sinus that it was constantly watering. And the snot. Oh, the snot. People, I could have built a house out of bricks using my snot as mortar. It would have been a two-story colonial. There was so much snot, and frankly, not enough kleenex to hold it all. In the span of six days I went through four boxes of kleenex. (and yes, Jake, it was ACTUALLY kleenex, which is why I am calling it that and not facial tissue).
I took Morgan's advice and went to the Minute Clinic for some meds. It took more like 90 minutes, but it was still quicker and easier than trying to make an appointment at my doctor's office. They gave me a prescription for amoxicillan, which I thought only small children with ear infections took. I was wrong. The pills may be giant and grown up, but they are still nauseatingly pink, just like the children's liquid is.
So, I am finally feeling a bit more normal and have gone from blowing my nose approximately 6,000 times a day to only about 100 times, so that's nice. The skin on my nostrils is also healing nicely, as it was worn away by all of the constant kleenex contact.
I think I'm getting sick. Scott was feeling pretty punky all weekend, and I thought perhaps I had escaped the wrath of the travelling germs, but it seems that I am quickly becoming a jiggly mass of virus.
Sore throat? Check Headache? Check Lots of mucous in my throat? Check Rising temperature? Check Inability to focus? Check
There is not much that is more fun than playing bingo with friends. Oh wait - yes there is. Playing bingo with a drag-queen calling the numbers! We hung out at Sharp's last night to participate in their Saturday night bingo game. It was a special night with Hedwig hosting the festivities. Eubank Productions is opening the 10th anniversary show of Hedwig and the Angry Inch later this month, starring the very talented Justin Van Pelt as Hedwig. We were having a good time, winning some prizes (Ken was in charge of the prizes, so it was all temporary tattoos, fake sideburns and slap bracelets.) The final game was a "blackout", where you have to fill in every square on your card to win. We all colored in our spaces with anticipation until finally I looked over at Scott's card and noticed he only needed ONE spot to win. Our table got excited and listened for his number to be called... AND IT WAS! Our whole table screamed "BINGO!!" and Hedwig said "it sounds like that whole table won!" Scott won the big prize of the night, which was a drag-queen wig, which actually looks a bit more like a mullett than any hair-do a respectable drag queen would wear. He was channelling Dolly Parton as he wore it and got his picture taken with Hedwig (Ken took the picture, so I'll have to beg him to send it to me so I can post it). He also got a Crown Royal/Nascar t-shirt (don't get me started on how wrong it is for alcohol companies to sponsor the sport of driving cars), two tickets to Hedwig and the Angry Inch, a Sharp's gift certificate and a bag full of crazy goodies (the aforementioned tattoos, slap bracelets, etc.)
When he went up to get his prize he was a little anxious about being the center of attention, and that didn't improve when Hedwig said "you must open the box in front of everyone". All I could think was "uh oh! He's not going to enjoy this!" He played it up, though, and all the folks enjoyed watching. I was probably the only one in the place who could tell he was uncomfortable with all the eyes on him and having to make witty banter with the transvestite. (the issue there being the making of the witty banter, not the transvestite)
We had a great time and look forward to playing bingo at Sharp's again. I gotta go put on some cool tattoos now.
Best Movie Ever. Seriously. by Tricia Wed, Jan 30 2008, 8:49 PM
Scott and I have seen Juno no less than five times (Thanks, Mikey!). It is probably the most clever (cleverest, perhaps?) movie I have ever seen. I am dumbfounded by its awesomeness, and can't even complete a thought because of it. I'm speechless, folks. Speech. Less. Go see it.
Additionally, the soundtrack is pretty amazing, too - if you like that sort of thing. The singing itself is pretty questionable on some of the tracks, but the melodies are catchy and the lyrics are funny and poignant. I have a problem with getting the stupid "Vampire" song stuck in my head right before bedtime, and then I can't get to sleep. That's not so cool. You can listen to the soundtrack on the website linked above.
We got some sad news today - Scott has a cousin named Kari, and she and her husband, Eric, are dog people like us. We often talk to each other about our dogs at family gatherings, much like the other members of the family discuss their children. Our dogs ARE our children (yes, we fall into that creepy sect of people who take pictures with our dogs, buy birthday cakes for our canine pals and even take them with us in the car when there's no need for them to join us).
Right around Christmas, Kari and Eric found out that one of their dogs, Luke, had Lymphoma. It was heartbreaking to watch Kari as she told us about it and her eyes welled up with tears. Of all the people in that room, I think we were the only ones who could completely understand how devastating this news was.
Today Kari emailed me to let me know that Luke had passed away - his prognosis of having 2-3 months left had quickly turned into 2-3 weeks, and now he's gone. I sat here at my desk in my office and cried while I read her email. I know there are so many people in the world who think "It's just a dog. Get another one." These same people are the type who get a dog just to leave it outside all of the time, or adopt a cat specifically to let it roam the neighborhood. These animals are not a part of the family, and therefore have won the short end of the stick in life. They may get fed and watered and have room to run, but they don't form the relationship with their family that they need. Dogs need a pack to belong to, and it is cruel when they are left alone all the time.
I digress.
I can't imagine how hard the last few weeks have been for Kari and Eric, knowing that their little furry friend will soon be gone. It got me to thinking about how, as a dog owner, you enter into this relationship that you KNOW is not going to pan out in your favor in the end. You know that, chances are, you are going to outlive this wonderful creature. And yet, we do it anyway. The judgement is made, often fairly quickly and without hesitation, that the pain and sadness in the end is worth the long term happiness and unconditional love that having that animal in your life allows you. There is not much better than coming home and having Brodie rush to the door all smiles and wags, waiting to hear about our day. He'll dance around our feet as we fix dinner, hoping a scrap or two will fall his way. He knows when it's bedtime and takes up his resident spot where my feet should go, forcing me to sleep fetus-like in order to accommodate him. There are days when I am so happy to wake up and have him snuggled up in bed with me that I don't want to go to work, and must pry myself out of bed and away from his fuzzy face to shower and start the day.
There is this simplicty to loving a dog that is unequaled. This knowledge that, even if you forget to feed him, or punish him for digging in the garbage, he will come back to you and wag his tail and lick your hand and make you smile. This is why we endure the pain of losing our furry friends. A dog is a best friend who you don't understand, but who understands you, and that's all that matters.
In the end, all we have to comfort us is the knowledge that we made that animal's life happy, and he returned the favor tenfold.
Spectacle Spectacular by Tricia Wed, Jan 16 2008, 11:04 AM
Yesterday we picked up our new glasses, which was quite exciting. We both went a very different direction with the style we chose, and I think we are both pleased. Instead of our typical purchase of brownish frames, we both went with black frames, Scott's with a white layer on the inside, mine with teal. Scott's are plastic, mine are metal (which is proving to be a little hard to get used to). I suppose I am still deciding if I'm pleased, because mine are a little weird. The temple bars go WAY back around my head - apparently this style is made for people with exceptionally large head circumference.
We also got new lenses in our old sunglasses, and new lenses in our old regular glasses (though those lenses are at our old prescription) to have as an emergency pair. I guess they accidentally broke Scott's while putting in the new lenses, so he got an entirely new pair of frames for the emergency pair. We also both got the Transitions lenses in our new glasses, though they didn't actually put them in mine, so they are ordering me a new pair of correct ones. Unfortunately, we picked them up as it was getting dark, so Scott wasn't able to try them out - I'm sure he has taken a moment today to go outside and see what happens. Though it is pretty overcast today, so it may not work.
Friday we picked up our new license plates at the DMV - which alone was an experience. We got the specialty plates offered by the American Heart Association, which requires you make an annual donation to the organization of at least $25. The plates are super-cute with the Red Dress logo on them, and also are very fitting for me as an Alpha Phi, as our philanthropy is the Alpha Phi Foundation which supports education and research for cardiac care, specifically for women.
We had a few different personalizations to choose from, and were excited to see that we had gotten one of our first choices (as opposed to our breast cancer plates on the TrailBlazer, which got the lamest and last choice we had). We almost hit the floor laughing when we saw what the whole thing says when you read it:
Ain't it the truth? I feel like it should also say "...since 1978"
Tele-elliptical by Tricia Fri, Jan 11 2008, 3:11 PM
Scott and I have finally given ourselves no excuse to lay around and get fat and lazy. We joined the YMCA last weekend, and have already gotten into the habit of going there after work. It's nice. It's a bustling place full of friendly people, the equipment is top-rate, and the pool is amazing (with a water slide and fountains, a hot tub and a LAZY RIVER!).
Already, though, I am amassing funny stories about my experiences there.
Wednesday evening we arrived, changed clothes and did a couple of laps around the track to warm up. This is the time that I scope out the ellipticals and treadmills that have televisions attached to them, and when one is vacated, I immediately abandon the track and Scott to head for mindless tv-watching. It makes the whole ordeal go a lot faster. Anyway, I hopped onto a machine and got going. The girl next to me was pumping away on her machine when her cell phone, which is sitting in the cup-holder of her display unit, starts to ring. She answers it. And keeps running. She says "hello? No, I'm at the gym working out. Mmmhm. No, that's ok, go ahead!" and proceeds to spend the next 15 minutes of her workout (and mine) jabbering away on her phone. I couldn't believe it. Frankly, if I were the person on the other end I would have been all "yo, that's ok - you finish your workout and call me back because I wouldn't want to be the reason you drive the woman next to you to murder."
Well, if anyone is still checking this thing, let me apologize for the long hiatus. The holidays were so busy and stressful and I just couldn't find the time to catch up. Then on January 3rd I sat down to entertain you with holiday goodness, and my entry wouldn't show up. I posted it no less than three times, and each time it just disappeared into the ether.
I did a little hunting and finally figured out that Scott had not made my website Y2K'08 compliant. That is to say, 2008 did not exist, so therefore I could not post anything with a date in 2008. Sure, I could have just started posting everything with a date between the last post I made and December 31, but that would be a lie. And I don't lie. Unless it gets me out of the 300th reading of the book about Egypt or another game of Grinch, Sing Your Heart Out.
So, I had to wait until Scott found time in his busy schedule to change two lines of code so I could, once again, entertain you with my fascinating brand of humor.
Wishing I could slow down time like that dude on Heroes. by Tricia Wed, Dec 19 2007, 1:37 PM
Well, we're down to 24 hours before we are on the road, headed to North Carolina. I'm excited, and glad to get away, but at the same time Scott and I are both so stressed out trying to get everything done and in order before we leave. We are having our own Christmas tonight, but we don't know if we'll actually have time to enjoy it. Plus, neither of us has had time to actually wrap presents for each other, so we will be having a trashy lame gift exchange, wherein we cover our gifts with a blanket, then reach under and pull one out. I feel bad because I'm almost to the point where I can't even enjoy the prospect of getting to open gifts and watching him open his. I just want to take a nap! Last night I had an Alpha Phi Alumnae meeting, which I'm very glad I went to, but at the same time I just kept thinking "there's so much stuff I should be doing right now!" We still have to pack, load the car, get Brodie ready to stay with Grandma & Grandpa B, open our gifts, try to figure out how to program the thermostat online so we can fiddle with it while we're gone and get everything wrapped up at work. The program for the next show is due two days after I get back, so I'm really overwhelmed by that. Rehearsals don't start until next Wednesday, so I will be chasing actors down when I come back on Thursday to get their bios approved. Plus, the author wants 48 hours to approve the program! I don't know how I'm going to make that all happen. Luckily, the woman I deal with at the publishing company is great, and usually is ok with giving me an extra day or two. I just hate to have to do that. Deadlines are there for a reason, and it makes me feel incompetent to have to miss one.
Hopefully by this time tomorrow I will be relaxed and able to let myself enjoy the six days of crazy family ahead of me. =)
I just finished reading The Art of Mending by Elizabeth Berg. It was a good book, and I usually enjoy anything by this author. What made it more enjoyable, however, were the notes made by a previous reader (though I cringed every time I came across one of them, as writing in books - ESPECIALLY A LIBRARY BOOK - is a big no-no in my eyes) who obviously does not have a firm grasp of popular culture, and, from the look of it, took everything written literally rather than taking the time to unravel and understand what the author was getting at. At one point a character, in response to something awful another character has said, responds "Madonna, I can't believe it". Next to this sentence was a penciled-in question mark and "huh?" It's pretty clear that the character is saying "Madonna" instead of saying "jesus christ" or using a foul word. I think the reader looked at it as a reference to the singer Madonna, and was confused. The book was fairly serious and was wholly about a parent psychologically abusing her child, and that child coming to terms with it as an adult... but I giggled all the way through it due to the little gems I would come across from this person who just wasn't able to read the lines in context. There was also a reference at some point to an obvious pop-culture thing (I can't remember what, but, for the sake of making the point, lets say "pop rocks", as it will work in the same way). There, again, I found a penciled-in question mark next to this reference - apparently the reader did not see it as the well-known candy that explodes in your mouth, but saw it as an out-of-context reference to the character's father being a fantastic guy.
I in no way endorse making notes in books that don't belong to you, but this did make my reading experience a little more fun.
It is SNOWING today. This morning when I drove in to work it was dry and cold...but by 10am it was coming down fast. Big, fat flakes creating a wintery haze. Slush abounds and skidding cars driven by people who don't understand how to navigate a vehicle in inclement weather are everywhere.
I'm very glad that Scott talked me in to carpooling today so I can leave the driving to him this afternoon. I can't wait to get home and have a hot mug of cider while I sit on the couch and knit.
Christmas is looming, racing toward me, and I have practically nothing done. Scott and I thought we were doing so well, getting a little of our shopping done on Black Friday, but since then we have seriously backslid. I have knitted a few scarves, and am now working on one for my niece, Hannah (it's SO soft and brightly colored... I love it!). But, there are a few things I wanted to order from www.etsy.com for different people, and now I fear it may be too late. The one good thing is that we'll be actually going to see my family in North Carolina for Christmas, so we can just buy corncob dolls and walnut bowls on our way down there. =) Perhaps I will get Jake and Rebecca one of those crazy front yard totem pole things that people are always carving with chainsaws in Appalachia. Really, if you own a chainsaw and live in the mountains of North Carolina, you might as well be carving bears and people's surnames out of fallen trees, because tourists eat that crap up.
I'm working on a great scarf right now, but I can't post a photo because that would spoil the surprise for the person who will be receiving it for Christmas (Amanda!). The yarn is a bitch to work with, but it's very different and fun knitted up. It actually reminds me of a scarf/hat set I had as a kid that I HATED. I think my mom still has that set, and my niece, Hannah, wears it. It was nubbly and the hat was huge and made me feel stupid. I think I felt like it was too girly for me. I like this scarf a lot better than that set! I will have a hard time parting with it. I must go finish the last few rows so I can start on the next one. I can't very well bring this one to Iowa this weekend to work on since we're carpooling with Mike and Amanda!
A Little Ego Boost by Tricia Fri, Nov 16 2007, 10:12 AM
Just an update on the scarves I made for the Alpha Phi auction. I finished the second one late Friday night and could hear the Hallelujah Chorus in my head as I bound off and carefully tucked the ends in so they weren't visible. I was really proud of both scarves, and started to think "hm, I may have to bid on these myself, as I would like to keep them!"
At the auction there was much hovering over the scarves by those bidding on items, and at least three people were fighting over them, re-bidding each time the others bid. They finally sold for $22, which is great! I have been to the home of the woman who had the highest bid, and she has very good taste, so that made me feel great that she thought my handiwork was worthy of purchase.
So, with the warm-fuzzies in tow, I have started working on myriad Christmas scarves for family and friends. Perhaps I will even make one for myself. Or Scott. I don't think I have ever made one for him. I usually just buy them at Target. Is that bad?
Questioning Joseph Smith by Tricia Mon, Nov 12 2007, 5:28 PM
I have always been fascinated by all things Mormon. I am not a believer in any organized religion, but I find the idea of people believing whole-heartedly in a religion that has enough holes in its history to be swiss cheese very interesting. I am in no way mocking or belittling those of LDS faith - I really do find the whole thing amazing. I grew up knowing a few mormons and their families because of my cousin, Laura. I was impressed by the closeness and sincere love in those families. It was because of Laura and my early introduction to Mormon families that I investigated and read the Book of Mormon, just to see what it was all about.
Which makes this very interesting. Recent scientific testing of DNA has proven that there is little proof to support the LDS belief that Native Americans are descendents of the Lamanites, an ancient people belived to have come to America from Jerusalem in 600 BC.
Part of me thinks "ah-ha! More proof that organized religion is just story-telling and has no real foundation", making me feel more justified in my own beliefs. The other part of me thinks "what is this world coming to that our scientists have time to do studies of this nature to basically disprove the beliefs of a people and make them lose trust in the one thing that might be the most important to them." Also, who has the right to make changes to a religous document which is the basis of a belief system? This smacks of Emporor Constantine and his revisions of the New Testament to include pagan traditions and rituals in order to convert more people and stop pagan worship.
Most people need something to believe in, faith that there is a reason we are here and a purpose and a superintendent of sorts who is pulling the strings and making sure things happen as they should. It seems to me that making people question that is kind of mean. On the other hand, for many I'm sure these findings will just deepen their faith.
Work in Progress by Tricia Fri, Nov 09 2007, 10:22 AM
Tomorrow evening Scott and I are going to a Wine Tasting/Silent Auction held by my Alpha Phi Alumnae group. I have been knitting like crazy to finish my contribution to the auction... and I'm a little nervous that I may not finish in time. I even brought my knitting to work today to sneak in a row here and a row there in between mailing lists, holiday trade letters and designing corporate party inserts.
I already finished my first scarf, and once I finish this one I will breathe a huge sigh of relief. As long as it's before the event and not after. =) This second one is so pretty and it's going to be difficult letting it go. I think I have another skein of this yarn, though, so perhaps I will make one for myself. I don't ever knit for myself - always for other people. I need to have an end person/goal in mind so it forces me to finish the project. If I make something for myself there is no deadline so I just set it down and never pick it back up. Plus, I like giving my finished products to people I love. =)
Happy Halloween! by Tricia Wed, Oct 31 2007, 3:26 PM
It's kind of funny how Halloween really stops being as much fun once you hit "grown up" age. I suppose it renews itself when one has kids, but when you're past the trick-or-treat stage it just sort of loses a lot of the charm. Granted, I may be jaded because we aren't able to get much enjoyment out of trick-or-treaters coming to our house, as Brodie barks and freaks out the entire night.
The last couple of years we have found places to be instead of home in order to not deal with the dog's inability to socialize. Tonight we will do the same, though since it's a weeknight we'll be making an early night of it.
When I was a senior in high school two friends and I dressed up like the 3 blind mice. We wore gray sweat suits and sunglasses, made ears out of felt and hairclips and had my dad turn dowel rods into three long sticks painted white with red tips. We thought we were so clever, until we got outside and realized that the sunglasses made it impossible to see anything that night. And without the sunglasses we were just mice pretending to be blind.
When I was in 4th or 5th grade the night before halloween it occurred to me that I needed a costume. My mom helped me put together the "Queen of Hearts" which was me dressed like a giant playing card. I don't think we have any pictures, but I remember being quite proud of the costume. The next year I was in a "hat" phase and had recently become the proud owner of a silver glitter top hat. I decided to be a magician, using the top hat as my main component. I think I wore leggings and a blazer and carried props from Jake's old magic kit. Not that I knew how to use any of them.
I was never the person who planned my costume weeks or months in advance - I never had the forethought for that. And still don't. I was always jealous of the kids who had worked on their costumes diligently so they would be able to impress everyone at school. But, now that I think back, my costumes were pretty good, even if they were put together on the fly, sometimes the morning of halloween, before running out the door to school.
I do think back often to Jake's "Upside-down Man" costume. Somewhere there's a photo of him with Scott Bryant and some other kid on the driveway, headed out to trick more than treat, I'm sure. Jake is standing upright, but his arms are cleverly clad in pants with holes cut in the crotch so he could see, shoes on hands up in the air, shirt on his legs and hips, fake hands on his feet. And a head of some sort (I don't remember if it was a styrofoam ball or a mask or what) hanging from the neck of the shirt between his legs. Very clever. It looked like he was walking on his hands all night.
One year my friend Seth came dressed as a two-headed person. Have you seen the episode of The Office where Michael has the head pinned to his shirt? Seth did it first, circa 1992. He painstakingly covered a styrofoam head with flesh-colored latex and added a wig cut to look like his hair and painted features on to match his own. It was pretty impressive.
These days I just wear my cheesy Renaissance Festival horns and hope that's enough. At least it's something.
Fun N Games with Enne by Tricia Tue, Oct 30 2007, 5:50 PM
Tonight we are hanging out at Ken's playing games and making dinner. If we play hearts things could go downhill because Ken doesn't like my strategy. That strategy being not having a strategy. Ken is the best.
Famous. Sort of. Maybe a little. by Tricia Mon, Oct 22 2007, 10:15 PM
My sorority, Alpha Phi, has a quarterly magazine that, for obvious reasons, is called The Quarterly. Because it comes out quarterly. Clever, no?
Today the Fall edition arrived in my mailbox, and I always sit right down and read it cover to cover just to see what's up. I made it to the first page before squealing with delight. My friend Allison is featured as an Alumnae of Distinction. She is an amazing woman who has accomplished so much in very little time. If you are interested, you can read all about her here on page 7. It even mentions her involvement with Washburn, which is the chapter I advise.
Speaking of which, imagine my surprise as I kept reading and came across MYSELF in the magazine! Among many things Allison fills her time with, she is a member of the Alpha Phi Alumnae Membership Strategic Committee (I probably butchered the name of the committee, but you get the idea - as a part of the committee she works to find ways to engage alumnae and get them to participate as active members of the sorority). They were putting together a supplement for the Quarterly this summer which would address a lot of reasons (excuses) women give as to why they don't volunteer their time for Alpha Phi. She asked me if I would write a testimonial as an Alumnae who Advises a chapter that is not her own collegiate chapter. I obliged, not knowing if or when the piece would ever be printed.
I guess it's kind of exciting because Alpha Phi's all over the world receive this magazine and will see my smiling face, and hopefully they will jump in and get involved with a local chapter.
Spooooooky Cupcakes by Tricia Sun, Oct 14 2007, 3:20 PM
The Spooky Cupcakes were a huge success! Cathy and I had so much fun making them, though most of the candy we used was gross. It's not candy that I would just eat because it's candy. The gumdrops were particularly disgusting - who eats that crap? They just aren't like I remembered them when I was a kid.
Now we're too in love with the results to actually eat them!
Autumn is in the 80 degree air by Tricia Wed, Oct 10 2007, 3:14 PM
Many fascinating things have happened since my last post, but I caught a nasty cold and haven't had the brain power to type any of it up. Sorry. I am still trying to get around to putting the photos up from the wedding we went to (and I still need to send them out to all the Van Aelstyn kids, as well as my family). It's been a busy couple of weeks, and getting sick has not helped my "to-do" list shrink.
Something fun that we did this past Saturday was go to the pumpkin patch with Morgan & Michael. This is sort of an annual thing that we do, usually ending with a pumpkin-carving and apple pie-making smorgasboard. This year we went to a different pumpkin patch and we were AMAZED. This place doesn't have your typical patch of big orange pumpkins. They have acres and acres of every pumpkin you could ever think of. They give you gloves and a little knife and haul you out to the patch where you grab a wheelbarrow and go crazy. It's 100 pounds of pumpkins for $25, which is a fantastic deal. The patch is laced with a puzzle of vines, all growing different types of pumpkins - cinderella, baby boo, gourds of all sizes, blue pumpkins, green pumpkins, white pumpkins, striped pumpkins. It's unbelievable!
We walked away with 115 lbs of pumpkins and gourds, which only set us back $29! It was probably the most fun I had had in a long time. They also have animals and a corn maze and a pumpkin cannon which uses compressed air to shoot pumpkins across a lake to explode in the gravel on the other side.
Unfortunately, it was over 80 degrees that day, so we didn't get to enjoy the cool crisp weather that normally accompanies pumpkin pickin', but we quickly got over that. It was odd to be wearing a tank top though while thinking about autumnal things that ought to require polar fleece.
That afternoon we went up to Smithville to help Dirk celebrate his first birthday! Cathy made a really fun airplane cake (not a flat sheet cake in the shape of an airplane, but an actual 3-dimensional airplane out of layers of cake!), which Dirk proceeded to stick his feet in and crawl through. He was pretty timid about digging into it, though. We all assumed he would go nuts when he figured out it was cake! I have some great pictures from that day that I need to post as well. Hopefully we can get that done before this weekend, which looks like it's going to be a Hoskins/Bowling blowout - we're taking BJ, Cathy and Dirk to the Renaissance Festival on Saturday, then Saturday night we're going to WaterFire with them (probably sans Dirk). WaterFire is amazing and I highly suggest anyone in the KC area hightail it out to the Plaza this Saturday evening to take part. Then on Sunday, since I don't have to go to Topeka because the girls are on Fall Break, we're getting together so the guys can watch the Chiefs game and Cathy and I can make spooky cupcakes. I'm excited to spend the weekend with them because Cathy is a lot of fun to hang out with, and really, I can never get enough of Dirk.
Amidst everything this past weekend, Scott and I celebrated six years of marriage, which makes me feel old. I can't believe it's been that long! Scott gave me the best anniversary present by taking good care of me as I descended into this mucky cold. He also got me an iPod shuffle (pink for breast cancer). And 115 pounds of pumpkins.
The newest little girl in my life was born yesterday, September 25. My friend Allison had Sydney Michelle at 2:15 pm. She's 7 lbs, 14 oz and 19 1/4 inches long. She had to have a C-Section, which she wasn't expecting, but other than that she is doing fine. I was so excited when I heard Scott answer the phone and say "Well hi, Allison!" I was flossing in the bathroom, and he was in bed and I ran to the bed and started jumping up and down, trying to get him to hand over the phone.
We are going to go meet Sydney tomorrow after work, and I don't think the day will go fast enough. I'm so excited for Allison and Nick - I know they will be wonderful, fun parents.
I love it when my friends have babies. It's wonderful to get to take part in the joy and sweetness of a new baby, but not have to change any diapers or be woken by screaming at 3am. =)
We're on the road, headed up to La Crosse, Wisconsin to attend the wedding of my childhood friend, Megan. We are currently on I-35, just south of Des Moines with about four hours left to go. I drove the first three hours, but about 20 minutes ago we saw some major rain ahead of us, so we pulled into a gas station to have a pee and switch drivers. The temp went from 88 to 68 in under 5 minutes. For about 8 miles it rained so hard we could barely see, and now it's 73 degrees and extremely sunny with barely any clouds ahead. It was sort of like being in the twilight zone. Back to my book on CD!
Seen on the Road... by Tricia Fri, Sep 21 2007, 10:55 AM
One Chrysler Sebring.... in an awful shade of Pepto-Bismol pink. Ugh. It obviusly wasn't a color you can order from your regular dealership - which means someone actually paid extra to drive that color around.
I am ashamed to admit that I am just now finishing the 7th Harry Potter book. I'm even more embarrassed to say that, upon starting the 7th book I got 20 pages in and realized I had NO idea what was going on. I couldn't remember the 6th book at all. I almost convinced myself that I hadn't actually ever read the 6th one, even though I had my own copy.
Mostly I read at night, right before I go to sleep, which has always been a bone of contention between the husband and me, as he likes to go to sleep when he gets in bed. In the dark. With the lights off. I like to read. With the lights on. It's complicated.
Needless to say, when the tossing and turning and sighing gets to be too distracting, I have to put the book down and give up for the night. This makes my reading a little slow-going. It's taken me close to a month to get through the 750 pages. I have about 15 pages left, and I still feel like I don't know what's going to happen. That, to me, is the mark of a good book.
All in alll, I'm amazed that I have gone two months since the book came out and still haven't had the outcome spoiled for me. I wasn't actively avoiding hearing anything (although I did threaten my assistant once not to talk about it). I seem to have always missed radio, television and internet discussion of the end of the epic story. I look forward to getting into bed tonight and finding out.
When I went out for lunch today the sky was blue and clear and there was a strong breeze. It was probably in the high 70's/low 80's. It was a beautiful day.
When I left work it was dark, gloomy and tornado-y looking out. I got halfway home and the rain really started to come down, so hard that even with my wipers at top speed I still could barely see out of the windshield. I was on my way to get my hair cut, and running a little behind because I was afraid to go faster than 45 on the interstate. Of course, when I got to the salon I had to get out of the car and run through huge puddles in my sandals to get inside. Yuck.
We need the rain, but I could do without the flash floods. It's starting to clear up a bit, so my drive out to Johnson county this evening won't be too scary.
From Prime-Time to Hot Pockets by Tricia Fri, Sep 14 2007, 2:42 PM
I am deeply saddened by the cancellation of my favorite show, Veronica Mars. It was clever, well-acted, laugh-out-loud funny and just dark enough to make it interesting but not scary or creepy. Regardless, networks continually cancel this type of television (consider my other favorite-but-cancelled, American Dreams) but promote crappy reality T.V. that does not give viewers any kind of meat or reason to think.
Imagine my dismay when watching televison last night when a commercial for Hot Pockets (I can't say that without hearing Jim Gaffigan's voice in my head) came on. Featuring Percy Daggs III, who starred on the series as Veronica's best friend and sidekick, Wallace Fennel. How sad that a guy who had such a great character and showed so much talent on a prime-time television show for three years now has to resort to Hot Pocket ads to get on the small screen. Not just television ads, but Hot Pockets. Sigh. Thankfully, Kristen Bell, who held the title role of Veronica Mars, has moved on to equally interesting projects, having been cast in the new season of Heroes. But I still feel sorry for Wallace.
THAT was INSIDE me? by Tricia Wed, Sep 12 2007, 2:35 PM
After going from being afraid of getting the stent removed to finally being so uncomfortable that I wanted it out, I can finally breathe easier. It's out and within twenty minutes of having it removed I felt better. Last night and this morning I was in so much pain because of it that I just couldn't really function, and I just kept teling myself "20 more hours.... 12 more hours.... 6 more hours....15 more minutes..."
Yesterday afternoon, in preparation for the stent removal, I had a KUB done. This is the abdominal x-ray I have had before every appointment with my urologist. It's quick and painless to have done and I don't even have to have an appointment - I can just walk in to Diagnostic Imaging and they'll have me in and out in around 20 minutes. I was curious to see what the stent would look like on the x-ray, as I had no real idea how big it was. Scott and I both had a similar picture in our heads - that it would be a little 1/2 inch piece of tube that would be right where the stone had been. I had the KUB done and headed home to look at the x-ray with Scott. We took it out of the envelope, held it up to the sunny kitchen window, and almost threw up. The stent is not 1/2 inch long. It was a good 6-7 inches long going the entire length from the base of my kidney to my bladder with little loops at the ends where it hooks into both places!!
I am currently trying to find a way to post the x-ray here so you can all vomit a little in your mouths, too.
Today I was apprehensive about having it removed, but it went quickly and with only a little jarring pain. Again, I really like my urologist - he's a nice guy and is very honest and up-front about procedures and what's going to happen. When he was done he said "Do you want to see the thing?" and I said "sort of" and he showed it to me. It looked like an electrical wire. No wonder it hurt so much to pee - that thing was HUGE and, oddly enough, blue. Though I never got to see the stone, at least I got to see the stent, right? .
He also made a few comments about how surprised he was during the surgery when he got in there and saw how big the stone was. He was amazed that it had gotten as far as it did, as big as it was. Well, I suppose we all have to excel at something, right? The 2nd stone is still in its usual spot and seems to be the same size as always, which is good. Also, Dr. Park made a good point - that when comparing the size of the 2nd stone to the size of the stent on the current x-ray, the stone is quite a bit smaller than the stent, so should have no trouble passing if it stays the same size. Good news, there, though I'm sure that won't stop it from hurting - it will just stop us from having to drop $800 to have it removed.
So, end of current kidney saga. What will I talk about now??
Interesting Word Origins by Tricia Tue, Sep 11 2007, 3:31 PM
With all of this kidney craziness going on it occurred to me that it seems odd that we casually refer to urination as "peeing". There is no "p" in urinate, so I was curious as to where the use of "pee" as shorthand for "going to the bathroom" came into play.
I did a little internet research and what I found makes sense. The common term in the "olden days" for urinating was "piss". This is still used to this day in the UK, as in "taking a piss". Piss was coined because that's what urinating sounds like (or, to use my favorite word, it is onomatopoeic). Pissssssssss. Those ancient folks were smart (there's evidence that the word piss was being used as early as 1290). Using the term "pee" began sometime in the 1700's, because apparently saying piss was too much work for those busy folks.
To go back further, Piss comes from the Old French - pissier, the Vulgar Latin - pisiâre and the Middle English - pissen, all words for urinate. These are basically all different versions of that onomatopoeia.
So, there's your lesson for the day. Now I kind of wonder how the hell we made it to "urinate" from piss. Maybe I'll look that one up for next time.
Kidney stone is out, though I never got to see it. I'm pretty disappointed by that... I really wanted to come face to face with my nemesis. Oh well. I still have one stone to contend with, though it doesn't seem to be giving me any problems (knock on wood!). The healing process is more difficult that I thought it would be. I'm currently in more pain than I was prior to the surgery. I can feel the stent they put in to keep the ureter open while healing, and it hurts! The swelling also makes it difficult to pee, which is frustrating. I have to sit and wait for things to happen, and I'm just not that patient. =)
Scott has played nurse quite well and is taking great care of me. I have to go back on the 12th and have the stent removed, which freaks me out. Apparently I get knocked out for the initial process, but to have the stent removed (which they pretty much do the same thing for - scope up into the bladder and through to the ureter to remove the stent) I just go into my urologist's office and he does it there. I'm not into that. Knock me out again!
When they wheeled me into the surgery room I remember thinking "this is so surreal and strange" and they asked me some questions. Then the anesthesiologist (that's probably butchered) said "I'm going to put a little something in your IV to calm you down". I figured she'd make me a little floaty and then eventually knock me out (with the usual "count back from 10" embarassment), but after she said that I remember saying "Ok" and then the next thing I knew I was waking up in recovery. Very strange to lose an hour and a half of your life... I can't imagine what it's like to be in a coma for ten years! For the record, I didn't throw up and only shed a few stray tears (history has shown that my reaction to anaesthesia is puking and unstoppable crying fits upon waking).
Now I just need to jump on the cranberry juice bandwagon and hope that the other one doesn't get any bigger, because having this stone removed cost us a pretty penny. Even though we have great medical insurance, they only covered 90% of the costs after the deductible, so we had to pay the $400 deductible plus 10% of the overall costs. For a 9mm stone. Ridiculous.
Under the "Knife" by Scott Wed, Sep 05 2007, 12:37 PM
Tricia just went into the surgical room. She's been pretty nervous the past couple days. I am sure she'll be happy to have this one taken care of. I've made my demands so that we can see the stone before he goes to the lab. Hopefully I can get a quick snap with the camera phone for all the world to see what has been causing problems over the last six months!
This gives me a chance to watch the new iPods be announced over the computer in the waiting room and to also write this post [Thanks BJ!]. Why do I mention this? Well, the new iPod Touch is 8mm thin. Tricia's kidney stone is 9mm (last time we heard).
Perhaps I Should Re-Name This Blog With A Medical-Themed Title? by Tricia Thu, Aug 30 2007, 7:10 PM
The word has finally come down that I will have to have one of the kidney stones removed.
I ended up in the ER again this past Sunday, but not due to anything kidney-related. I woke up early Sunday morning (around 3am) with a horrible stabbing pain in my lower left abdomen. I laid there for a little while thinking maybe it was a dream, or something that would go away. It didn't. I got up to go to the bathroom and could barely walk upright because of the pain. I woke Scott up and explained the pain.
This is something I do. I am always convinced whatever ailment I am experiencing could very well kill me, so I always feel compelled to describe in detail what I feel so in the event that I pass out or am unconscious, Scott will be able to explain to any emergency medical personnel what was wrong and how it felt. I don't know why I have this compulsion - I guess I'm just afraid that I won't be able to explain what's going on and I'll die because of it.
So, I couldn't remember what all is on the left side of the abdomen, and assumed it was something bursting that shouldn't burst. Irritated with WebMd, Scott called the nurse's hotline, which was a lady in India typing my symptoms into WebMd, which didn't get us much further than we already were, so finally she said we should go to the ER.
3:30 am on a Sunday is a popular time to visit the ER. I had to wait for a good 40 minutes (in horrible, doubled-over pain) before actually getting into a room. My nurse was very nice and motherly, but didn't seem to believe me regarding my level of pain. She popped an IV in me (from which I still have a giant, painful bruise on the back of my hand) and abandoned me. 30-40 minutes later I was curled up in the fetal position, my hand clamped onto Scott's leg, squeezing away the pain, and the doctor came in. He took one look at me and said "Nurse? What's going on in here? This woman is in miserable pain! Has she had any medication? Let's get her some medication and manage her pain!"
Thank you, Lord.
The nurse came in all perplexed -"Did they not take you for your scan yet?" I shook my head and convulsed in pain. They doped me up and then I went for a CT scan to prove what I had already told them many times - that this was NOT a kidney stone. This was a pain I had never before felt, and I seemed to be ovarian in nature.
Sometime during this time my nurse and doctor ended their shifts and I got a new nurse (Charlie) who was AWESOME. Nurse #1 was very friendly, like I said, but did not explain things or tell me what was happening. I had to have a mini-catheter and she just did it without really telling me what she was doing, which freaks me out. Charlie came in and from the first minute was explaining things and asking pertinant questions, making me feel comfortable. The new doctor was actually the same doctor I had for the kidney stone back in July, and he told me that from the looks of my CT scan, the pain I was having was not related to kidney stones (I held back the "I told you so" seeing as how this was a different doctor than the one who thought it might be kidney stone problems), but that the stone I had passed out of my kidney last time was still lodged in my ureter and was not moving. And that it was huge.
I went for an ultrasound which confirmed what I initially thought - I was dealing with an ovarian cyst. There's nothing they can do about an ovarian cyst, except wait for it to rupture, thus relieving the pain. Goody. At least it wasn't another diagnosis of "well, we don't know - good luck". I got another prescription for percocet that I haven't filled and sent on my way. In the process of this they filled me up with dilauded (I have no idea how that's spelled... it's a narcotic pain-reliever that makes me all wonky/floaty/zombie) so I went home unable to fully function. Poor Scott was exhausted from only getting 3 hours of sleep (I was at least able to doze a little thanks to being in a hospital bed and loaded up on drugs - he was stuck, nervous and uncomfortable, in a hospital room chair.
When we got home Scott got to work on cinnamon rolls he had started preparing the night before. I was starving and he brought me one as soon as they were ready. I ate it and it was delicious, and then I immediately felt like I was going to see it again. I finally fell asleep without barfing and later was on the couch dozing when the nausea returned full force. I had a cinnamon puke that tasted and smelled like a Yankee candle.
So, to get back to the original message here (was all of that enough back story for you?), I will be having the kidney stone that is trapped in my ureter removed next Wednesday, the 5th. It's called a Ureteroscopy and scares the hell out of me. I did make a point of asking if I would be knocked out during the procedure and the medical assistant said yes, and then I just tuned out out of relief. I did hear that I am not allowed to eat or drink after midnight (much like a Gremlin) and I have to shower with anti-bacterial soap the morning of the surgery. I don't have any anti-bacterial soap - should I use my bath and body works hand soap?
The Rainbow Connection by Tricia Sun, Aug 19 2007, 10:06 PM
Why are there so many songs about rainbows
And what's on the other side?
Rainbows are visions, but only illusions,
And rainbows have nothing to hide.
So we've been told and some choose to believe it
I know they're wrong, wait and see.
Someday we'll find it, the rainbow connection,
The lovers, the dreamers and me.
Who said that every wish would be heard and answered
When wished on the morning star?
Somebody thought of that, and someone believed it,
And look what it's done so far.
What's so amazing that keeps us stargazing
And what do we think we might see?
Someday we'll find it, the rainbow connection,
The lovers, the dreamers, and me.
All of us under its spell,
We know that it's probably magic...
... Have you been half asleep? And have you heard voices?
I've heard them calling my name.
... Is this the sweet sound that calls the young sailors?
The voice might be one and the same
I've heard it too many times to ignore it
It's something that I'm s'posed to be...
Someday we'll find it, the rainbow connection,
The lovers, the dreamers, and me. Tonight on the way home from Topeka there was a little drizzle coming down. The sky was sunny on one side of the car, dark on the other, and the clouds were massive. We stopped in Lawrence for dinner and as we were leaving town we witnessed the most beautiful rainbow I have ever seen. It was not only a full rainbow (you could see the entire arch, something I had never seen before) but in some spots it was also a double rainbow, with a hazy second arch visible just outside the edge of the first arch (you can just barely see that second arch to the left in that last picture). It was amazing. As you can see in the pictures, at the one end it was so bright it almost looked like it was made out of neon - the photos don't really do it justice. Around every turn it seemed like we might pass it, and a couple of times it looked like it ended on top of a hill or above a house, which was pretty neat. I may never see a rainbow like that again, and I'm glad Scott was with me when I did.
Thanks to Scott, I am sitting at his computer listening to XM Radio, which is nice since it's about 95 degrees out and I would rather not sit in the car to listen. On the Broadway channel they are playing an interview with Anthony Rapp, who is one of my favorite stage actors. He played Mark Cohen in Rent and has been in a bunch of other great musicals, like the revival of You're A Good Man, Charlie Brown. He's from Joliet, Illinois, which is about 30 minutes from where I grew up, which is also cool. =) He's reprising his role in Rent right now on Broadway, and I wish I could go see it! I've seen Rent twice, but never with any members of the original cast. The second version I saw was actually pretty bad - it was a tour that came through the Music Hall a few years ago, and it was pretty awful. Kind of like watching a high school production. The first time I saw it was in Chicago in 1999, and that production was amazing. I would love to see it again!
I just realized that I completely forgot to post anything about my ER visit. On the 23rd I spent half of my day in the Emergency Room hooked up to a morphine drip while I passed a kidney stone. It was not fun. The pain was not at all what I thought it would be like - In fact, it was actually LESS painful than I imagined it would be. But, it was still awful. At least now I know what the second one will most likely feel like. Scary part is that the stone had gone from being .2 mm when first x-rayed a few months ago to being 7 mm when it passed!! AUGH! I never did see it come out, though for peace of mind I am just going about with my life assuming that it did.
There's nothing more humbling than having to pee into a plastic bowl and then strain that pee for rocks. I spent a lot of time that week hunched over the toilet, inspecting my urine like it might contain gold.
My hero of the day was my father-in-law, Larry, who raced out to pick me up when I called all whimpery and asked him to take me to the ER because Scott was in meetings and unreachable. He and Scott's mom were a great comfort for me until Scott arrived.
Also, morphine is scary and I don't really ever want to be on it again. I still had awful amounts of pain, it was just that my brain couldn't really connect with it. I knew the pain was there, I could feel it, but for the most part all I could focus on was "MAN, my head feels HEAVY" and "Did I just say that out loud?". It was very strange and I didn't like how it made my body feel. I don't understand how people get addicted to things like that - I suppose I just don't like to not have control of my body.
My Husband: Married to the Most Unfortunate Woman in the World™ by Tricia Thu, Aug 02 2007, 9:58 AM
Really, I just can't be allowed out into the world. At least, not in a car.
Yesterday I had a long day planned. Work followed by a trek out to Topeka for a Greek Advisers dinner, then trek back home, hopefully to be in bed by 10pm. But, it can never be that simple for me, right? So, I'm driving home, and it has gotten dark enough that I'm a little bit nervous (flashback to the DeerBlazer incident of October, 2003) because I-435 is really REALLY dark at night. I was well on my way to being home by 9:30, so I was feeling good. Just as I was passing the huge shopping center I ran over something - It was dark enough that I didn't see it in front of me, but heard it and saw it flip up behind me after I ran it over. It looked like a strip of someone else's tire or something similar. It made quite a thunk, so I turned down the radio and listened to make sure everything sounded ok. It did. I kept driving and about 5 miles down the road I started to feel like I didn't have control over the car... almost like I was hydroplaning or something. I turned down the radio again and could hear the "thumpitty thump thump thumpitty" of a flat tire. Dammit! So, I pulled over slowly (with cars zooming past me at 80 mph) and immediately smelled that nasty burned rubber stench. I got out to look and not only was my tire flat, but it was completely ripped open along the outside rim!! A quick call was made to my AAA service (his name is Scott and he conveniently lives with me), and then to my parents for entertainment while I waited.
From my count, this is my fourth flat tire. Is this average, or am I an over-achiever in this category? I feel like maybe I'm getting a little extra helping in the "car trouble" department of my life.
When I walked out to my car this afternoon I happened to notice that the car parked next to me had one of those cheesy yellow "baby on board" type signs in the window. But, instead of that typical phrase, it said "Child of GOD on board!
I write this on my phone from what I might as well make my new workspace, as I have spent more time here in the last three days than anywhere else - the bathroom. I think one of my stones has created a little blockade, making it virtually impossible for me to pass enough urine to be comfortable. So, I constantly need to pee and my bladder always feels about ready to explode. I now know what it must be like to be a 60-year-old man. I make the most of my time on the pot using my phone to surf the web, send e-mails and get some alpha phi business done. Don't want to waste time, you know. Okay, back to my real office...I'm sure I'll be back in the bathroom again in half an hour. I will be extremely happy when these stones finally pass and I can pee unobstructed again!
If you refresh a few times you'll notice we have put up a few new versions of us in the logo box. I am always looking for fun avatars to create in our image and was pretty excited when I saw the Simpson's and M&M's had put up the software on their websites to do it. The M&M's one was a little complicated to use, but had lots of options (which is handy when making your own mini-me). The Simpson's one was a little frustrating and not very user-friendly, and didn't have a whole lot of options (hence the fact that we don't have glasses. Millhouse wears glasses... why can't we???
My favorite part is that I was able to give myself braces on the M&M's one! Though I'm not so pleased with how round I look. =)
Let me know if you are aware of any other fun spots online to make personalized avatars so I can add them to our arsenal!
Rolling Stones by Tricia Tue, Jul 03 2007, 7:57 PM
I saw my Urologist last week (again, I was the only person under 50 in the waiting room) and he looked at my x-rays. It seems that one of the stones looks like it has gotten bigger, and is trying to escape. He seemed pretty surprised that I wasn't having any pain from the movement and karate-chopped me in the kidney a few times just to be sure it wasn't bothering me.
That was last Thursday - yesterday I started to have that dull ache in my lower back that is my buddy, kidney stone. I feel like I should name them - any thoughts? Anyway, I have some blood in my urine, which I haven't had up to this point (at least, not that I could tell) and that dull ache is lingering. I haven't had the fever and nausea that usually comes with passing a stone (nor the hellish, body-wrenching pain, for that matter) so I'm guessing that it's just moving around in there, taking its time finding the way out.
It was one year ago tomorrow that I spent America's birthday in the Emergency Room - let's hope the stones don't ruin another 4th of July for us!
Celebrity Sighting by Tricia Tue, Jun 26 2007, 2:04 PM
Well, we're home... yesterday was the crappiest day ever in terms of travel, to the point that by the time we finally got in the air I was crying out of exhaustion and frustration. Then we found that at some point during the journey someone had treated our brand-new luggage so badly that it's got black marks all over it and both bags are missing wheels! They broke them right off of the bottom!
This is not to say our trip was bad. Our vacation was a ton of fun, but it is good to be home and know that there will be no schlepping twelve miles through crowds and heat today.
Yesterday we spent our last Disney hours at Animal Kingdom, which is a pretty cool place. We saw the Finding Nemo show and loved it. It was created and designed by the people who did Avenue Q (except Disney-friendly... no bad words, very G). Anyway, the show was supposed to start at 11:10 and by 11:30 we were still sitting patiently in our seats waiting for something to happen. And it did. All of a sudden there was a wave of chatter through the giant auditorium, and I looked over to the center section just to our left, and there's Chris Rock with his family. Bad-ass Chris Rock bringing his kids to see Finding Nemo: The Musical. It was pretty funny. I would be interested to hear what he thought of it. =)
I'm sitting on a bench in Germany, waiting for Scott to get his bratwurst, and then we'll head to Norway to find something for me for dinner. I just saw two guys walk by in leiderhösen. We're at EPCOT! Oop - gotta get a move on!
Disney, Here We Come! by Tricia Thu, Jun 21 2007, 3:42 PM
I am anxiously waiting for Scott to arrive with Michael so we can take off for the airport. We'll fly in to Orlando tonight and spend the next few days going to the Disney parks, stuffing ourselves with tasty food and being silly. It's hard to not be silly with Michael around.
My stomach is turning, I'm so anxious - I made the mistake of watching United 93 last weekend (a movie I swore I would NEVER see, but hey - when it's sleepy Saturday afternoon and it happens to be on HBO, what can you do? Plus, I watched five minutes and got invested and just couldn't walk away. I now wish that I had) so now I'm convinced our plane is going to crash. If it does, this is my will and testament, and dammit mom and dad, you're taking the dog! I know we've had this conversation and you have repeatedly implied that you are too cool for my dog, but now it's written down and you don't have a choice. Please don't kill him. And Dad? Dog's aren't supposed to eat grapes. I think we all know now why Dudley bit it. =)
Why I Love My Neighborhood by Tricia Tue, Jun 19 2007, 12:41 PM
If you go back to my entry on June 13, 2006 you'll be reminded of the neighborhood bandit who taped some paper over part of the "R" in Riss Valley on the sign at the top of our subdivision. Today, on our way into work we were greeted by this:
If you can't tell, it *used* to say "Riss Valley HOA Block Party" and someone changed it to say "Piss Valley Ho Block Fart". At the bottom it used to say "For more info" and now it says "For Mo Fo". I can only hope it was the same bandit.
This weekend was a very spendy one, with Scott and me preparing for our trip to Florida this week... we got new luggage (the first set we have ever bought... it only took 10 years together, folks!), snacks for the airplane, some new clothes from the bargain racks at Gap Outlet and I bought a few books I had been wanting. I was very proud to find a cute Banana Republic cargo skirt for under $8!
By far though, the coolest thing I got this weekend was my birthday present from Mike & Amanda. It's a book called Book Lust by Nancy Pearl, a Seattle librarian who started the program "If All of Seattle Read the Same Book", which has spread across the country. The book is broken down into genres with her favorite books and authors. The point is to be able to say "I feel like reading a book which centers on academic satire", and you can turn to the section "Academia: The Joke" and see that Nancy suggests Moo by Jane Smiley and The Handmaid of Desire by John L'Heureux, among others.
I already have a list of books that I want to devour thanks to Ms. Pearl's wisdom. I also did a little research, and it turns out that she has more than one volume of Book Lust, including one for young adults called Book Crush (you know, because teens really shouldn't be lusting after anything). Reading it also brings back my long-held desire to be a librarian. Ever since I was little and spent hours wandering through the Park Forest Public Library I have loved libraries. The quiet(I know - ironic, right?), that soft hush of reverence for books and readers. Although my local library here in KC is far from quiet - It seems that, with all of the discount bookstores popping up on every corner, the libraries have to lure folks in to their facilities by offering lots of programs, especially for kids. Perhaps it's just the size of my local library compared to the PFPL, but the Parkville branch of the Mid-Continent Public Library (that always makes me laugh) is LOUD and unapologetic about it. The PFPL had a children's section which was at the complete opposite end of the adult section, separated by a long hallway full of the young adult books, so the kids could play and have story time and enjoy themselves (I remember spending HOURS with the puppets) without disrupting the thoughts of the grown-ups browsing the stacks. Not so at the Parkville branch - it's one big room with the kids stuff slammed up next to the adult stuff, and the whole library is very kid-themed (which is understandable).
Perhaps the biggest problem is the parents who seem unwilling to teach their children some reverence for the library. I rarely hear a parent tell a screaming child "you need to whisper, we're in the library", or teach by example, lowering their own voice to speak to their child. I spent many hours at the PFPL alone as a teenager, but as a kid my mom took me on a very regular basis, and I was taught very early on what was appropriate library behavior and what was not. If I misbehaved, we left. (I, of course, do not recall ever misbehaving, but I'm sure my mother would disagree).
I remember being so excited when I was finally able to sign my own name and could get my own card, and my mom took me to the library and I painstakingly put my name on that card while the librarian looked on, and carried it with me for the next twelve years. I miss those days of begging my mom to carry some of my books out to the car for me because my arms were too laden, and I was always told "you can only check out what you can carry", which was pretty smart on her part. I miss the friendly check-out guy with messy hair and the woman who always wore a muumuu who knew my name and watched me grow up. I miss how sprawling that library was compared to the ones I go to now. I miss the absolute wonder of reading a new book as a child and having that book become a part of my history, my personality. As an adult I read books to escape or learn or just because it's habit, but back then I read because everything was new. I made new friends in the pages of those books, and they stayed with me. Mostly, I miss how that quiet library felt like home.
Today people have regular conversations with each other in the library without thinking twice about it, which I find disturbing. I always liked the idea that the books were sleeping and you shouldn't wake them - they were like tired old men and needed to be looked after, coddled. I don't think it ever occurred to me as a small child that you were expected to be quiet in respect of other folks reading, working, etc. I remember assuming it was because the books were special and people should tiptoe around to make their selections, careful not to drop a book or dog-ear a page.
I could go on for hours about people who write in margins or dog-ear pages, people. HOURS.
New favorite song by Tricia Wed, Jun 13 2007, 9:07 PM
We have seen Knocked Up twice now...it's possibly the funniest movie we have ever seen. It also has some great music by one of my favorites, Loudon Wainwright III. I am addicted to the song "Grey in LA" and have the lyrics continually running thru my head. If you go to www.aquariumdrunkard.com and scroll a ways down, you can download that song and another good one from the movie, "Daughter". I would embed the fancy links, but I'm writing this on my phone which makes doing that complicated. Plus, we're about to walk into the ice cream place, so let's face it, I ain't got time for that!
Last night Morgan came over for some quality crafting time. We worked on tote bags from a book she has (I was, of course, doing the basic version, she the more advanced one). Mine took a few hours and it's a little messy, but it's done, which is more than can be said for most of my craft projects! I'm very proud.
One Gadget To Rule Them All by Scott Sat, May 26 2007, 7:16 PM
I'm not really a Lord of the Rings geek, but I had to put that line in there because obviously I'm a geek at some level... read on...
So from Tricia's post, you may have gathered that we purchased new cell phones recently. We purchased Palm Treo 755p smartphones. They can do all sorts of fun stuff, plus it replaces at least two of the devices I use everyday, my Handspring Visor PDA and a cell phone (OK, I haven't used my Handspring Visor in over two years for anything but playing Hearts or Spades during lunch). In a way it replaces my laptop because I haven't used it for checking e-mail all week.
So far I've found applications that I can run on it that allow me to remotely control my laptop, access the KC Stage and BowlingKyler servers remotely and check-up on friend's blogs, sports, and news via RSS feeds. It has GoogleMaps to help find driving directions and monitor traffic (and do that satellite imagery thingy). I can use the phone as a modem so I can access the internet on my laptop at somewhat broadband rates while on the interstate (to an extent). We can also watch the NFL Network on it. This is kind of a bonus since we are TimeWarner cable subscribers. However, I don't anticipate watching an entire football game on it.
As Tricia mentioned, BJ helped get us these phones at a pretty kick butt price. I never thought I would own a smartphone, but when someone offers me a Dodge Viper for the price (original cost AND monthly maintenance) of a Dodge Neon, I jump on the chance. That's how I roll!
The picture above contains all of our cell phones. The device on the far right is my old PDA. In order from left to right (dates are our best guess):
Sprint Samsung SSCH-3500, Oct. 2000 - May 2003Cingular Nokia 3560, May 2003 - Nov. 2005Cingular Motorola RAZR v3, Nov. 2005 - May 2007Spring Palm Treo 755p, May 2007Handspring Visor Platinum, purchased June 2001
At this very moment I am sitting in the view level at Kauffman Stadium watching the Royals game. We got fancy new phones which allow me to browse the web. I would also like to interject here how much we LOVE BJ Hoskins. He is the best. We will be kissing his behind for a very long time! Scott says I should say I love him, too.
Back on the Bike by Tricia Sun, May 13 2007, 8:54 PM
Yesterday we went on a bike ride up at Smithville Lake, which has a pretty great bike trail system. It had been over a year (probably closer to 2 years) since we had really put some miles on the bikes, and my behind is feeling the burn today. It was a testament to how wildlife and I don't really get along. I'm sure we all remember the incident with the deer and the Trailblazer, right? Well, I was riding along minding my own two wheels, watching the trees whiz by, enjoying the breeze on my face. I leaned forward on my handlebars to take some of the pressure off of my sore rear, and was watching the sunlight dapple through the trees when all of a sudden SOMETHING SMALL AND FURRY DARTED OUT FROM THE BRUSH AND WAS RUNNING RIGHT IN FRONT OF MY WHEEL! I think it was a gopher? Whatever, it spent a good ten seconds weaving in and out around my front wheel, all the while I'm screaming like a banshee, trying to decide if I should stop, speed up, swerve and possibly go down, or just jump ship altogether. Then, as quickly as he showed up he disappeared into the brush again. I hyperventilated for about five minutes and Scott laughed (I mean, it was pretty funny - frightening, but funny).
We also saw a funny little lizard and a tiny snake on the trail. And at one point, as we were coming up to a lookout (really, no matter how many times you say "LOOKOUT!" as you come up to the lookout, it never stops being funny) I heard a rustling off to the side and looked just in time to see a very large groundhog running for cover in the brush. We also saw a lot of squirrels and bunnies.
Tonight we went on a truncated bike ride, because frankly my butt couldn't handle much more than a quick ride around the neighborhood (I need to build up some callouses or something) and on our way back through our neighborhood we saw one of the cats that we hate. Our neighborhood has about four cats that I assume belong to someone but they apparently live outside. I am not incredibly crazy about cats to begin with, but when they roam free and make my dog bark at all hours of the day and night, I hate them and their owners even more. Anyway, one of these cats was strolling across the street and Scott and I both pretended to take aim. We do this in the car, too. We don't ever actually hit them, but honestly, I don't think either of us would feel too bad if we did.
Riding bikes definitely brings you closer to nature. And by close I mean practically under your front wheel.
I Could Make A Whole Other Dog... by Tricia Fri, May 11 2007, 5:42 PM
I just spent the last 45 minutes vaccuming our bedroom. Our bedroom is not very big, but boy, is it hairy. Piles and mountains, hills of dog hair. I had to empty the canister 6 times. SIX. Again, our bedroom is not big - something like 12' x 14'. That carpet is cleaner than the day we moved in. I'm covered in dirt and dust, but at least the carpet is clean.
Hm. I wonder if there are any crazies out there that would buy all of this dog hair off of Ebay. You never know - I'd just need to make it sound special enough. Tout it as Lindsay Lohan's dog's hair or something and maybe I'd make some cash.
Tonight we are going to The Killers concert in the City Market downtown. Some friends live in a loft just off of the square so we're going to hang out on their roof and not pay $40 a ticket to see a band we only slightly care about.
I Promise I'll Come Back To You, Couch! by Tricia Sat, May 05 2007, 7:51 PM
Let me preface this by making it clear that Scott and I usually don't do much on the weekends beyond getting up from bed, padding out to the family room in our jammies, getting horizontal on the couches and watching tv and movies all day. We just don't have a whole lot of drive to DO stuff on the weekends. Today we got more done in 8 hours than we have in the last 10 Saturdays total.
We ran some basic errands - bank, library, target to buy cute t-shirts for the babies in our lives. I finally convinced Scott how much improvement the Absolute Animal would have on our lives. With our Linens 'N Things 20% off coupon in hand we got the last one in stock at all of the local Linens 'N Things stores. It felt like we were cheating, since that coupon saved us over $100 on the thing. It got the carpet so clean that for the first time since we've lived here you can actually see the imprint our footprints leave when we walk!
We also went to Lowe's and used many gift cards that Scott got for his birthday (thanks, folks!) to purchase beautiful flowers and tasty veggie plants for our gardens. Then we came home and got down to business. I planted my tomatoes in my Tomato Success Kit, put together two large container garden thingies for the front porch, filled with beautiful pinkish begonias and trailing variegated vinca vine (say that five times fast!). Planted some sage in a planter, leaving room for a future herb to be purchased at a later time... possibly some rosemary?
Meanwhile, Scott tilled and prepared the raised garden, and then I planted a nice basil plant, a teeny zucchini plant which will soon take over the whole plot, I'm sure, and some dahlia and zinnia seeds. It felt so good to get done and look around at all the pretty things we planted. I love spring and putting things in the dirt to watch them grow and become beautiful.
Now we're sitting together in front of the tv (Did you really think we would go the entire day without our pacifier?). Scott is watching the Royals game and I am waiting for my Magnolia cupcakes to bake... they smell amazing (I'm making the "Vanilla Vanilla" kind).
On top of all that, Mr. Bruce got a bath and we are dog-sitting Plato - those two have had quite an afternoon of running in the backyard, sniffing every blade of grass and howling at nothing. Well, ok, the howling is really just Plato.
Oh, and we had the most amazing BLT's for lunch (mom, you MUST try these). You do the basic bacon, lettuce, tomato, but instead of mayo (blech!) you make a spread by dumping one avocado, one half brick cream cheese, 1/2 cup golden raisins and 1/4 cup pine nuts (seasoned with a pinch of salt and fresh ground pepper) into the food processor and pulsing until creamy and spreadable (the raisins and pine nuts will still be chunky). Then you put the sandwich together on toasted sourdough bread... it's got so much great flavor and is amazingly simple to make. I've never been a huge fan of the BLT, but this version was great.
Oop - my timer is beeping... time for some cupcakes!
Scott must be part Leprechaun - and I don't just mean because his beard grows in orange. He went to the Royals home opener on April 2 and they won. We went to the Royals game on Friday with BJ and Cathy (and DIRK!) and they won. We went to the Royals game on Sunday with Heather & Shane (and LUKE!)... and they won. We DIDN'T go last night, and they lost. We're supposed to go tonight, but there's some severe rain in the forecast, so the game might be cancelled. If it's not, and they win, I'm going to have to get Scott bronzed or something. Then again, if I did that he couldn't cook me pancakes.
Ready to make some friggin' CUPCAKES by Tricia Thu, Apr 12 2007, 10:07 PM
With my birthday just 'round the corner, I have been receiving wonderful gifties from all of my favorite people. Of late I have been obsessed with baking cupcakes (and let's face it, that's a hobby where everyone wins), so my gifties have mostly been cupcake-themed. Scott's mom got me a great cupcake cookbook with tons of recipies and an offset spatula, and tonight Morgan got me the cutest thing ever (like cupcakes could even GET any cuter!) the Cup-A-Cake (shown below, with attractive model). She also got me another offset spatula (now I have two sizes!), whisk and handy little ice-cream style scoop for getting the perfect amount of cupcake batter into the cupcake cups for baking. GENIUS. Sad that I took a batch of fresh cupcakes to work today for one of our actors, as it was his birthday. I may not see my cupcake carrier for a few days. BUT. I did find the Cupcake Courier which is now my dream vessel for carrying cupcakes.
Needless to say, Scott is pretty pleased with my new obsession with baking tiny cakes.
Rolling Stones by Tricia Wed, Apr 04 2007, 4:48 PM
Well, it's official. I found out today that I'm having twins. Twin kidney stones, that is. I also have some "chronic inflammatory process" or something like that. I don't understand medical speak, especially when it's rattled off by the nurse like it's regular english. Anyway, looks like I'm just going to have to pass them, so it'll be water like crazy and praying they don't get any bigger before they make their way out. I wonder if they'll look like this, which somewhat resembles the granola I had for breakfast.
Starting to Understand the Celebrity High Colonic by Tricia Tue, Apr 03 2007, 3:36 PM
I weighed myself Monday morning, before starting the "Fleet Prep Pack" which would "cleanse my bowel" (let me tell you, the whole experience was far from clean). Our new digital scale, which I'm starting not to trust, because it gave me about six different weights all in a row the other night, said that I was 140 lbs, which is pretty normal. I usually fluctuate between 138 and 142. Last night, in between long stretches of sitting on the toilet staring at the wall and hating my life, I weighed in again, this time at 134 lbs. I LOST SIX POUNDS OF CRAP, PEOPLE. SIX. POUNDS.
Being full of shit runs in my family.
Today, after the x-rays were done and I was given free reign to pig out, I opted for a box of donut holes and ate about half of the box (I was STARVING, having eaten nothing but jello and chicken broth for 24 hours), then proceeded to get a tummy ache. I probably should have opted for a nice scrambled egg and piece of toast. Hindsight is 20/20.
"Barely 10 am and we've already seen my ovaries" by Tricia Sat, Mar 31 2007, 4:43 PM
This morning I had to go for an ultrasound to check all my lady parts, plus kidneys. There is some concern that I may have a kidney stone, as I have been having some severe pain in that area for the last week. So, this morning we got up bright and early for my 8:20 appointment, and I had to drink 32 ounces of water one hour before the appointment, and hold my bladder. It took me four race-horse pees over the next three hours to get all that liquid out! Man, if only I had been home with my scale.
I'm not sure what they teach in radiology school, but that woman who did my ultrasound is amazing. What looked like black blurs and gray smudges to me, she was able to translate into working parts of my insides. I just lay there confused, covered with the goop they use for the ultrasound thingie (transducer?). She looked at my kidneys, ovaries, spleen, gallbladder, uterus and bladder (not in that order, necessarily). I'm not really sure WHAT she was looking for, but now I'm a little wigged out by the fact that the purpose of this may have in fact been to check for tumors, cysts, etc. Wouldn't it be crazy ironic if I end up having PKD (Morgan works for the PKD Foundation)? Hm. And sad. =(
The next step of this is Tuesday, when I have an IVP done. This IVP screws up a whole lot of plans for me - I was supposed to go to the Royals Home Opener with Scott and Mike and some of Scott's friends from work, but now I have to use a Fleet Prep Kit to "cleanse" my bowel, which means that round about the time of the first pitch I will probably be crapping myself crazy. Also, I was just reading the instructions for the kit, and I get to eat a "light meal" at 8 am Monday morning (which means a boiled or poached egg, a small portion of skinless chicken/turkey or fish, white toast with no butter and one can of Ensure) and then for the next 24 hours I eat nothing but clear liquids. I may have to call in starved to death to the actual test! Needless to say, Jello is on the "clear liquids" list, so I will be eating a LOT of that, because at least it vaguely resembles solid food. I can't have any that are red or purple though, which I assume is because when I have the "frequent, loose, liquid bowel movements" (their words, not mine), they don't want me freaking out because they are red. Or, perhaps unbeknownst to the general population, red and purple-colored foods are bad for your intestines? Who knows. I can also have broth, so I suppose there's my protein for the day. Regardless of what type of clear liquid I consume, I have to have at least 12 ounces of fluid every hour on Monday, more if I can handle it.
Hooray for Spring by Tricia Wed, Mar 21 2007, 3:37 PM
Today is officially the first day of Spring, and boy am I ready for it. I wore a cute skirt that I bought this weekend, and sandals! Granted, it's supposed to be rainy all week, and though the high today is 73, tomorrow I think it's supposed to be in the 50's. I don't care though - the calendar says Spring, so I'm taking matters into my own hands.
Turns out the snuffles may very well have been a cold. I'm not drippy anymore - mostly just a little congested and still a little sneezy, but there hasn't been dripping or multiple consecutive sneezes in days. So thank god for small favors - I shall never again (ok, well, maybe not NEVER) giggle secretly about people who have to put up with seasonal allergies, because I can't afford for karma to come bite me in the ass on that one.
We bought a new digital scale last weekend, so my new hobby is weighing myself, peeing, and then weighing myself again to see if there's a difference. That's me - always using my analytical skills to learn about the world around me. Or something like that. Wouldn't my high school science teachers be proud?
There is a faucet in my head and it's on drip mode. My nose (left side, specifically) has been dripping for the last 72 hours straight. I woke up in the middle of the night to realize that my pillow was damp where my nostril was resting. Could this mean I'm having "adult onset" hayfever? I'm terrified that this is the case. I've gone my whole life being allergic only to cats, which is something I can pretty much control (stay the hell away from cats!), but I can't do anything about this sneezing and dripping that seems never-ending.
I think I now partially understand those Claratin ads where they have the hazy filter over the person giving the testimonial about how they are now "Claratin Clear".
It's a little depressing to think that my body may have all the sudden decided that it can't tolerate spring and all the environmental irritants that come along with it... which is everything I've been longing for all winter! The other downer is I don't know if I'm willing to spend the $25 co-pay to go to the doctor and get this checked out. Is it really worth that money? What's a little drip-drip, right? Though, my nose is already raw and sore from all the nose-blowing.
I suppose this is what I get for secretly laughing at all the folks who had to put up with seasonal allergies. Damn karma!
Challenging Myself by Tricia Wed, Feb 28 2007, 7:53 PM
So, this Self Challenge thing is starting off well - I'm keeping better track of calories and eating more balanced meals. I think the balanced meals and portion control are the things I'm really concerned about. I don't think I'll ever be able to stick to a calorie count type diet - I really just want to get used to real portions. America has a problem with portion size, and I want to not eat until my stomach feels like it's going to burst!
I did 15 minutes on the elliptical trainer tonight... starting over from the beginning sucks! I remember a time when I could go for 45 minutes without feeling worn out, but 15 minutes tonight and I'm done.
Every time I enter workout minutes into my challenge log it asks me to update my weight... which I had to guess at in the first place because Scott broke our scale a couple weeks ago. We got a Bed, Bath & Beyond coupon in the mail today, so we'll be going to get a new scale this weekend. I look forward to seeing if there has been improvement due to my better eating habits. I don't think the exercise will have made much of a difference by then. =)
For Your Viewing Pleasure by Tricia Mon, Feb 26 2007, 10:19 PM
Brodie Cam is back up and running, and we are proud to say that the brodiecam computer helped get Michael a job offer! It is a pretty cool computer. =)
We're working on figuring out a way to video and post Brodie doing his new bathtub trick, because I know you don't believe me. I wouldn't believe me! Also, I have started a new "health regime" by trying out the Self Challenge. I was very conscious of my eating habits today, and ended up consuming only about 1,100 calories! Plus, I ate yogurt! I am not fond of yogurt or it's "active cultures". I mean, let's get serious - the words pastuerized and homoginized make me want to hurl, and they are about 40 percent of the reason I don't (can't?) drink milk. I have some food issues, to say the least. Anyway, I ate a little 4 oz tub of Yoplait light strawberry yogurt today, and didn't die, so I guess that's good. I also did some excercises with my balance ball, and it feels like my ab muscles (well, ab fat at this point) will be paying for it tomorrow.
Teaching the Old Dog some New Tricks by Tricia Sun, Feb 25 2007, 6:28 PM
I think Brodie and I have finally come to an understanding. This dog HATES getting a bath. When he hears the bathtub water running in the guest bathroom he runs and hides, usually behind me (like I'm not going to give him up. I think we've already established many times before that he's not the brightest crayon in the box). While being bathed, he usually looks like a pathetic, wet weasel. His eyes go dull and lifeless, except for the frequent look he'll give the person bathing him that says "I will remember this. I will remember you and this injustice you have brought upon me."
Last Tuesday morning I had let him out to pee and when I brought him in, I noticed that his paws were kind of dirty. Not muddy to the point of leaving footprints on the floor, but dirty enough that I didn't want to leave him that way all day. I tried to pick him up to carry him into the bathtub, and he took off running so I couldn't catch him. So, I went into the bathroom to start the water running and figured I could go get him once things were ready.
Let me clarify. The dog was not going to get a bath. What we do when his feet are dirty is put him in the tub, run the water with the drain open and fill a plastic cup with water. We then dip each foot one at a time into the cup and swish it around to get the dirt off. That way only his feet get wet and there is less trauma for both parties.
I turned on the faucet and said "Brodie", not really thinking he would respond. To my surprise, he appeared in the doorway. I said "Come here" and pointed to the bathtub.
AND HE WALKED IN AND HOPPED INTO THE TUB.
HOPPED. INTO. THE. TUB
ON HIS OWN.
I practically rubbed my eyes in disbelief. And he stood there in the tub saying "Quit wasting time - let's get this over with." I washed his front and rear left feet, AND THEN HE TURNED AROUND SO I COULD WASH HIS RIGHT FEET. It was amazing. It was like for the first time we understood each other.
When we got home that evening, I had to show Scott Brodie's new trick, and without hesitation he did it again. And he has ever since. He jumps into the tub like it's no big deal, like he's always done it that way. Perhaps this is his way of balancing out his new irritating habit of digging all the contents of the bathroom wastebaskets onto the floor and shredding the kleenexes deposited in them. It's his little apology of sorts.
Meanwhile, he's trained us to close the bathroom doors behind us when we exit. The learning, it is circular.
Sorry Curtis. I hate SPAM... by Scott - Webmaster Mon, Feb 19 2007, 9:00 PM
Some of you may have noticed that Tricia and I have a lot of friends who like to post comments to our blog about online casinos, pharmaceuticals, and other... things. Our friends have contributed to over 6,300 comments in the last couple months. Fortunately, these friends aren't that bright and add comments to old posts.
I have added some stuff to the comment form to hopefully end this madness. Fortunately, this is all behind the scenes and you won't notice anything.
For those confused about the title. I have a cousin Curtis who works for Hormel. Speaking of which, if you go to Spam.com you'll get to see the lead of the next American Heartland Theatre show, "A Dog's Life". He's the guy holding the spamburger... I hope he doesn't eat it... there might be poker chips, viagra, or other things in it.
BrodieCam is currently down, and will be until at least Friday of this week. Michael is borrowing the BrodieCam laptop for a super-secret mission (ok, maybe it's not SUPER-secret, but I know he likes to come off as mysterious and brooding)... Good luck Michael!
I was driving down Grand Boulevard on my way home from work on Thursday, which is the street that my office is off of, and stopped at a traffic light behind three or four other cars. Traffic is pretty bad around my area right now because of the stadium being built as well as the "Power and Light District" (the new entertainment section of the city they are hoping will revitalize downtown). The car in front of me had three women in it - two adult women in the front and one younger (probably 13 or 14 years old) in the back seat. As we're sitting there I see the backseat window roll down and the kid throws a candy wrapper out of the window.
It makes me flare with anger when I see some jerk throw crap out of their car on the road. I can't stand it. Have you not heard about the pollution and litter problems our world has? How self-centered do you have to be to think it's ok to throw your trash out into the world that belongs to everyone. Do you think I want to stare at YOUR trash on the ground when I am careful to put my garbage in the appropriate place and not litter?
It gets worse. As the light changed and we took off down the road, the girl repeatedly rolled down her window as she unwrapped and ate candies so she could throw each wrapper out of the winow. One of those women in the front seat HAD to have been her parent, and I'm disgusted that neither one said anything to her about it. With the weather as cold as it is it's not like they wouldn't have noticed the window rolling down over and over, letting in the 20 degree air. It brought me back to my childhood when my dad would see someone doing the same thing and remark that he should get out, pick up the trash, take it to the person and say "I think you dropped this!" In fact, I think he may have actually done that on at least one occasion... I'm not sure. So, here's thanks to my dad for being "nature-boy" and busting my chops about littering, making me the person I am today.
47 hours in three days by Tired Scott Mon, Jan 22 2007, 12:41 AM
That's how many hours I worked in the last three days (Fri - Sun). It bumps up to 60 hours in four days... time to go up to bed to my wife and find out how she's been since I haven't seen her in four days... hopefully she won't be mad when I wake her up... ugh...
Tonight I will eat my last bowl of popcorn, my final twizzlers and gummy worms for the next two years. Tomorrow is braces day, and it will go along nicely with the acne that seems to have decided that, yes, I will indeed be fifteen and awkward all over again. Then again, I didn't really have much acne as a teenager - I definitely have more now than I ever did in high school. I will "celebrate" my brace-face by treating myself with a haircut, and today I bought some Clinique mascara (which I needed, but I don't usually drop 14 bucks on mascara - anything to make me feel a little more like a grown up, right?).
Luckily I'm spending tonight at an Alpha Phi alumnae meeting watching movies and gossiping, so it will at least keep my mind off of the impending pain, both physically and emotionally. =) I'll post pictures as soon as I'm able to handle having my picture taken.
Cast Iron Toes by Tricia Sun, Jan 07 2007, 2:56 PM
The project for the day has been cleaning out the pantry, something we do about every 18 months. We take everything out, toss expired junk, consolidate four boxes of hot chocolate and six boxes of crackers, separate all the cardboard boxes for recycling, etc. It's always fun getting everything out, the sucky part is putting it all back. We're also planning a big grocery trip, so I'm making a list of items we need that we tossed today. While I was standing at the island thingie that we have working on the list, Scott opened the little cabinet that I was in front of to get something, and out fell a cast-iron skillet onto my toes! Ouch! I'm ok, just a little bruise. It scared the hell out of me though, and hurt so badly at first that I was afraid it was broken.
It's kind of hard to get back into the cleaning mood when something like that happens. But, since every inch of counter-space is covered with every item from the pantry, I suppose we don't have much of a choice. =)
Photo Goodness by Tricia Tue, Jan 02 2007, 8:53 PM
I uploaded a bunch of new pictures tonight - many adorable ones of the Ella. Here are some of my favorites: Goofy Brother-In-Law Taylor played with my yoga balance ball all day Sunday, and when Julie said "time to go!", Taylor walked right over to it, picked it up and headed for the door! I bought Scott a label-maker for Xmas... ain't he cute? I smell food in there... Must. Watch. One. More. Episode. Of. Veronica. Mars Baby in a box! Just in case we forget Best picture I have EVER taken of the dog Wow. Another sweater. Thanks a bunch, mom
Best. Present. EVER. by Tricia Tue, Jan 02 2007, 8:46 PM
If there's one thing Michael and Morgan know, it's that I love me some home-made crafty goodness. Nothing brings a tear to my eye like something Morgan knits or Michael draws for me. So, imagine the floodgates when I was presented with THIS on Sunday night:
It's a skateboard deck artfully decorated with chalk and charcoal by Michael
I was STUNNED! And then I did a happy dance (apparently on top of Talullah):
We had our annual eye doctor appointment today which is always interesting. While we were waiting for the dilating drops to work, I realized that it would be nice to order Chinese and eat in front of seven hours of Veronica Mars. Obviously, with dilated pupils, we were not going to be living it up out on the town.
I really hate sitting in the chinese restaurant waiting for our food to be ready, so I said "we should call ahead" and the eye dr. (who happened to be doing the "1 or 2? 2 or 3? Which is better now - 3 or 4?" thing to Scott) offered to get a phone book for us to look it up. One of the office minions brought us one, and by then I was in the chair having bright lights flashed at me. Damn, those lights were awful, and she kept asking me "Can you look up over your right shoulder? Now down. Now to the left" and I couldn't even keep my eyes open, much less look in a given direction.
So Scott starts looking at the phone book to look up "China Wok" and realizes that with the dilating drops, he can't READ. The eye dr. and I laughed so hard and Scott said "It's the blind leading the blind" and I laughed "Literally!" So, random office minion came in and looked up the number for us. How helpless could we be? In any case, the Eye Center of Parkville gets two thumbs up from us. They are continually nice, patient and friendly. I hate having an eye exam, but I fully enjoy going to their offices.
So, now we sit, partially blind, watching hours and hours of Veronica Mars. The plan is to stay up all night and sleep on the couches to get in as many hours of that cute little blonde detective as we can.
Well. I just finished making about 37 dozen heart and Christmas-shaped sugar cookies*. It took me all night (after making a pot of chicken noodle soup for Scott, who seems to have become re-sick... we're passing the same cold back and forth, apparently). Now I'm completely pooped. Good thing I can go into work a little late tomorrow since I'll be staying late for our little staff party where we exchange gifts and eat snacks. Then I'll have my Alpha Phi Alumnae holiday party - aren't I popular.
*ok, so it wasn't that many, but if I'd been using smaller cookie cutters I bet it would have been!
Happy Birthday Brodie! Today Brodie turned six years old - which, in dog years is 42, so he's gettin' up there! In lieu of a cake we got him a Bulldog Bar from Three Dog Bakery on the Plaza. We also got him a Christmas present there, but don't tell him! After he wolfed down his special treat, I needed to make cookies for a couple of parties this week, and I let him lick the mixer paddle a little when I was finished as a birthday gift. He's so easy to please. He was very hesitant at first when I put the paddle down by his face, but after one lick he went nuts and started licking like crazy! Smart dog. We took some photos of him devouring his Bulldog Bar, so keep an eye out for those.
Christmas Shopping.... by Tricia Sat, Dec 16 2006, 12:17 AM
DONE!
Well, not completely done, as Scott and I have yet to purchase any gifts for each other, but pending a couple of things I need to pick up for other people, we are finished. We like to get the majority done in one cranky, painful evening of racking up credit.
We also wrapped EVERYTHING tonight. We have to ship most of it to my family across the country (Minnesota, North Carolina, Arizona) so it has to go out in the mail tomorrow in order to possibly arrive in time for Christmas.
*crosses fingers*
I must say, if you get a gift from us and it is wrapped in a fashion that looks like a hobo covered your gift in paper used twice that he got, crumpled up, out of the garbage.... that would be a gift wrapped by ME. If you got a gift wrapped with perfectly creased edges and hospital corners... that would be wrapped by SCOTT. I am awful at this gift-wrapping thing, and wish everyone could just condone the use of gift bags, but Scott is vehemently against gift bagging. If I put any of his gifts in bags for xmas or birthday, he is not happy. So instead I end up with tape in my hair, papercuts on my fingers and gifts that could have been wrapped by a toddler.
Cookin' With Scotty B by Tricia Sat, Dec 09 2006, 11:41 AM
This morning I was lying on the couch watching TV (let's be honest - that's my routine) and Scott was making his little tortilla roll-up things for a party we're going to this evening. I could hear him talking, but couldn't understand him, so I kept saying "what?" and "I can't hear you". Then I realized that he was talking to a studio audience because he was hosting his own cooking show.
We broke down tonight and put up the tree and decorated it. We're using the fake one we bought last year, which is sad. It's just not quite Christmas for me without the real tree. Problem is, we just don't have a spot to put a real one anymore, so we have a 7' (which, compared to Scott's 6'4" body, must be a lie, because he's as tall as the tree) artificial that will at least get us through the holidays. It's always fun to pull out the ornaments and trim the tree. I love that Scott and I both have ones that we made in grade school as well as ornaments made by his great-grandmother and my grandmother who have both passed away. I love that I have five Harry Potter ornaments. I love that our tree is unique and eclectic and not themed. It's like an interactive scrapbook, which is fun - you can see the phases of our lives hanging on the tree and it makes me smile.
...to put my matron-of-honor dress on the dog. He might look better in it than I did, which would mean we'd have to brawl.
ps... morgan, on sunday night after the wedding i was at the aphi house and was getting something out of my purse to give to one of the girls... and a chicken cutlett fell out!! I about died.
Last night we came home from a day trip to Des Moines for a family holiday thing, and Brodie was stoked to go out and pee. We have a lot of snow and ice on the back porch and steps, so as he took off like I madman (mad dog?) I said "You slow down - you're going to fall down those steps and I'm not going to feel sorry for you". 15 seconds later I fell almost head-first down the steps inside the house. Scott checked to make sure I was alive and in once piece, and then laughed at me. "Do you see the irony? Do you?" Today I have a nice big bruise on my thigh from my little trip. I think it's less irony and more karma. Perhaps they are one and the same.
Wedding Bells by Tricia Fri, Nov 24 2006, 11:37 AM
Whew. The past couple of weeks have gone by so fast, and it's crazy to think that TOMORROW Morgan and Michael will be married! I'm so excited, and I know Morgan is even more excited, so tonight's rehearsal will probably filled with laughter and squealing. I'm spending the night at Morgan's with her and Alexa, so we'll have a fun girl's night, which I'm looking forward to. Just a couple of months ago it felt like Thanksgiving and this wedding would never come, and now I'm in awe of how rapidly the last few weeks have gone by!
Scott is doing the videography for the wedding, so he'll be busy going all techie, but I can tell he's excited about it. He's been scoping out music to use on the DVD for a while now, and keeps coming up with great little bits and bobs to include on it. He's so good at this process, and though he doesn't have a ton of confidence in his ability to do it, the product is always amazing.
I have a few things left to do here at work before I head out early to get ready for the rehearsal. I can't wait to be a part of this beautiful wedding for two of my favorite people!
The other day we got a postcard in the mail from the city. It was thanking us for participating in the recycling program. Hm. Methinks it's defeating the purpose of the recycling program to send out a piece of junk mail thanking us for using the recycling program. I'm not sure they saw the irony in that. Needless to say, I recycled the postcard.
Last night (er...two weeks) of bachelorette-ness! by Tricia Sat, Nov 11 2006, 5:30 PM
Tonight I am throwing Morgan a Bachelorette Party. Pretty low-key. No strippers or phalluses (phalli?). No drunken pub-crawl. She's not that type, and I'm not the type to throw that kind of party. We're going out for dinner and then ice-skating, then retire to our suite at the Hyatt Regency to do girly things and watch movies. We'll drink mimosas in the safety of our own hotel room. I will be making her wear a veil all night, which I'm sure she's looking forward to. I am delaying the post of this until the time that I plan to pick her up so she won't see this before I slap that veil on her head. =) At least I'm not making her wear a blinking sash and carry a glow-in-the-dark penis, right? I throw a classy affair, yessiree.
A Little Bit Pathetic by Tricia Fri, Nov 10 2006, 2:06 PM
I know this is ridiculous, but I just found out that Reece Witherspoon has filed for divorce from Ryan Phillipe. I'm actually really bummed by this. I usually don't succumb to all the star fever, but I really like both of them, and liked the idea of them together (and let's be honest... their kids won't have any trouble when it comes to looks with that gene pool!). They both just seem very smart and real - not the plastic fakeness of your typical celebrity. Sigh.
Not quite as surprising is the Britney/K-Fed divorce.
Please call our cells by Scott Mon, Nov 06 2006, 7:53 PM
I've taken the phone off the hook on this election eve. Next time there is a major election event, I'm going to leave the following message on our answering machine:
"You have reached Scott and Tricia. We are not answering our home phone until after the election. If you are calling us to persuade our vote on the upcoming election for a political position, amendment, or whatever, please hang up now. If you continue to leave a message, we will explicitly vote against your candidate or cause. I hope you are not a recording. Please hang up now so we don't have to spend time deleting your message immediately after it starts, we are busy enough throwing out your junk mail six days a week. Thank you and I hope your candidate or cause loses."
Exciting Friday Night by Tricia Fri, Nov 03 2006, 10:28 PM
We just spent the last 55 minutes watching the washing machine wash our clothes. I know - we could have been out partying and getting wasted, but instead we sat on the floor in the laundry room with a flashlight WATCHING CLOTHES WASH. When the cycle is over in a few minutes, we shall proceed to watching clothes dry. Oh the excitement. Our lives are full.
The dog thinks we are completely insane. I suppose he's at least partially right.
New and Improved! by Tricia Fri, Nov 03 2006, 9:37 AM
Today our new washer & dryer were delivered. Our old washer (which was only 4 years old) kind of crapped out. It had been giving us trouble for a while, and we had the customary 3 service calls on it, and after that they let you go back and pick out a new one with the purchase price of the old one being taken off of the price for the new one. Did that make sense? Anyway, we decided to splurge and get the fancy LG front-loader (I really just like to say front-loader, it sounds vaguely dirty). While we were there looking at the machines and making a decision, I jokingly said "we should just get the dryer and have the matching set" - so we did! Best Buy was having a 2 year no-interest financing deal, plus incentives of free gift cards with purchase of home appliances. So, we walked away with $250 in gift cards (Everyone is getting CD's for Christmas this year) and a new dryer, too!
The washer is on a "test run" right now, and it's surprisingly quiet. The old machine had some "accuwash" temperature thing, so it would make loud noises flushing water in to regulate the temperature. This one is just "swish swoosh swish" all quiet. I can't believe I actually WANT to do laundry.
As most people who know me are aware, I am not a political person. I never know who to vote for or what the issues are - mostly because to me it all seems like they take very gray issues and make them more black and white than they are capable of being. Currently there are a few big issues up for vote in Missouri next week, and I am already so sick of hearing Claire McCaskill bash Jim Talent and vice versa. It's all name-calling and pointing fingers and blaming the other guy, but not ever saying why you're a good candidate. They like to say "Blank kills old people in nursing homes... paid for by the other candidate" but you never hear "I'm running for Senate, and I think I would represent Missouri well because of X,Y and Z". I assume it's because they don't want to make campaign promises or actually committ to a side of an issue. So instead, they rip the other candidate a new one and make them look bad. In my eyes, they just all look bad.
So many people who know me might also know that I am a big fan of Michael J. Fox. I think he's a pretty amazing person, and I agree with him on the issue of stem cell research. So, when I saw that he was doing an ad for Claire McCaskill, I was interested to see it. About a week ago I was watching TV and it came on - I sat and watched, excited to hear Michael J. Fox specifically address the people of the state I live in. Until I heard him say the one thing that makes me want to kill people during election season.
Missourah.
Now, Mr. Fox is from Canada and, I must assume, has no knowledge of the people that live here that pronounce the name of this state incorrectly. SOMEBODY TOLD HIM TO SAY MISSOURAH in order to appeal to a specific demographic of voters. You'll notice that at the beginning of the ad he says Missouri (with a slight "ah" at the end) and then at the end of the ad, it's a big ol' fat MissourAAAH. I am not mad at Michael for this indescretion - I'm just irritated with Claire McCaskill or her publicity crew or whoever it was that said "ooh - say it like this because the people we want voting for us say it like that".
I wonder if he'll do an ad in Illinois and pronounce it "IllinoISSE". Here's the ad - this version of it is fairly poor quality, as the sound does not at all match up with the video...but you can still hear the offending "ah".
DVR and Baking Experiments by Tricia Wed, Oct 18 2006, 8:02 PM
We've been home for a week and a half, and when I'm not at work I'm trying to watch as much TV as possible to catch up with everything that we recorded while we were gone. I've finally gotten to where I'm just watching stuff on the night it's on, but man, being a TV Junkie takes up a lot of time! I'm so glad Veronica Mars didn't get cancelled, because it's just such a fun show. I think I've even got Scott into it - though it doesn't hurt that it comes on right after Girlmore Girls, which he always watches with me.
Despite all the TV watching, we made time to entertain some visitors. Our friend Kelly and her husband, Dave, came to visit and we went the the Rennaissance Festival. I'm not sure if I spelled that right, but I'm too lazy right now to check. We spent the day gawking at awkward teenagers dressed in period garb, stuffing our faces with turkey legs and kettle corn (YUM!) and looking at overpriced crafts. It was a great time, and wonderful to catch up with Kelly, as well as meet Dave for the first time.
Tonight we baked a cake, "Making Do" style. I don't know if I've mentioned that before, but it's something Ken and I do. We get together and cook while pretending we're on a TV show called "Making Do With Ken and Tricia". There are cameras in the walls and we make a lot of mistakes because we're laughing so hard and singing Indigo Girls songs as loud as we can. Anyway, tonight Scott and I were making this "Winter Lemon Cake" out of the Kraft Foods magazine. We've made it before, so it's not like it was a brand-new experiment.
First, we realized that we got the "butter recipe" cake mix which requires a stick of butter. That kind of grossed me out, plus I didn't want to wait the half hour it would take to let the butter get to room temp. So, I made some calls trying to find someone who had a cake mix on hand and could tell me what the "regular" ingredients are supposed to be. Nobody had one. So, I "made do" thanks to my mom's suggestion, hoping it would work.
We poured everything into the pan and I immediately realized I had pulled out the wrong size pan. I should have used a 9x13 and I had gotten out an 8.5x11. My instinct was to just pour it all into the right size pan, but Scott talked me out of it. Unfortunately, we should have switched pans because what we ended up with is a bunch of burned corners and raw middle. So, we ate the corners. Ken would be proud. I actually thought about calling him as soon as we noticed the cake mix was wrong to have him come help "make do".
Dirk Joseph Hoskins was born today at 5:06pm. He's 8.1 pounds and 21 inches long... sounds like he's gonna be a basketball player, or at least be a stringbean like his dad. =) Congrats to Cathy & B.J. - we can't wait to get home and meet him!
Seen on the Road by Tricia Fri, Oct 06 2006, 9:21 PM
An unfortuante incident for the Embassy Suites in Colorado Springs... the "EMB" was burned out so all it said was "ASSY SUITES". Sounds like an interesting place to stay! We laughed a lot as we drove by on the interstate. Too bad we didn't have the camera with us!
It's been a very busy couple of days (as you can see by the uploaded photos!). We spent Monday at the Denver Zoo and then headed up to Estes Park, which is beautiful. On our way up we stopped in Erie to visit Joey Van Aelstyn and his wife and daughter. I hadn't seen him in at least 10 years, so it was great to get a chance to catch up. *For the Kylers, there are some pictures from our visit of Joey, Angela, Sophie and pooch Tovah in the Colorado Trip, October 2006 photo album*
Our Bed & Breakfast was fantastic, and I hope we get to return someday. Much thanks to BJ & Cathy for recommending it! Tuesday we checked out Downtown Estes Park and then drove up into Rocky Mountain National Park. I had been having a lot of trouble breathing in Estes because of the altitude (about 7,500 feet) so by the time we got up to the "Arctic Tundra" at 12,000 feet I was about ready to pass out. It was so hard to breathe and I was getting giddy and silly from lack of oxygen. We got some fantastic pictures, though. We had dinner at a nice restaurant and then went back to the B&B to relax in the hot tub. There was an awesome jacuzzi tub in our room and I spent a good chunk of time reading my book and soaking my muscles.
Today we went hiking in Rocky Mountain Nat'l Park, on what Joey told us was an "easy" trail. Apparently Scott and I aren't even to "easy" levels, because we were close to dead by the time we reached the end of the trail, a picturesque lake surrounded by mountains and cliffs. It took us over 2 hours to go up the trail (I'm guessing we probably went up at least 1,000 feet) and less than an hour to get back down! We were pretty excited to get back to the car. Again, lots of amazing photos from that high up.
One of the interesting things about Estes Park is the Stanley Hotel which was the basis for Stephen King's "The Shining". We didn't get a chance to go inside, but it's a monstrosity of a place overlooking the town of Estes. What's really strange is we drove to Colorado Springs today after our hike and we're now in our hotel watching TV - and in a weird coincidence, The Shining is on one of the networks! Neither of us has ever seen it, so we're watching, but I think we're about to head to the pool.
Check out the pictures, and keep an eye out for new ones - Scott will probably upoad the pics from today soon.
Denver is beautiful! As we were coming into town and the mountains loomed ahead, I immediately fell in love with this city. Last night we got dolled up and went down to the 16th Street Mall, a 17-block stretch of 16th street that is a pedestrian mall - no cars allowed except for the free mall transit bus that goes from one end to the other. Lots of shops, restaurants and interesting people. We saw a girl who couldn't have been older than my girls at the Alpha Phi house, and she was wearing the trashiest, shortest, sluttiest dress I have ever seen in public. I wanted to pull her aside and talk to her about body image and why she feels she has to show so much skin to be liked. What was really funny was we were watching the way other people on the street and on restaurant patios were reacting to her as she walked by - almost every guy swiveled his head around to watch her walk away, but then they turned to their friends and made some comment about how inappropriate, gross, tacky it was. And those guys were young, too! Not just old men with higher standards!
Today we are going to the Museum of Nature and Science and then CASA BONITA. We ended up not doing that last night because we had a HUGE late lunch at the Aquarium yesterday. Our hotel is nice - it looks right out over Elitch Gardens where Six Flags, the Aquarium and Mile High Stadium. Too bad our room is on the other side of the building and looks out over a boring street. =) Time to get ready for the day!
This morning we are in Goodland, Kansas. We've had a good, uneventful trip thus far. We stopped at the Alpha Phi house to drop off ivy plants and deal with some issues surrounding the philanthropy project the girls are doing this weekend. Then we were off, following I-70 across Kansas. We stopped in Hays, KS for a bite to eat. I must say, Hays smells. We got out of the car and I almost lost my appetite because of the unfortunate dead animal stink.
Today is CASA BONITA day! We have about 200 miles to go until we hit Denver, so right now we're just enjoying the morning, hanging out in our hotel room watching the Wallace & Grommit movie. Scott just went to get in the shower, so I should probably start figuring out what I'm going to wear today and get things put away.
Jake: we listened to the "hot pockets" thing about twelve times last night and couldn't stop laughing, remembering the pure joy on your face when you played it for us the first time. When we got to the hotel Scott immediately started taking advantage of the free WIFI, attempting to download more Jim Gaffigan stuff.
We got the call today - the car has arrived! It's sitting at the Ford Dealership waiting for us to come bring it home. Like we don't have enough to do with packing for the trip. =) I'm sure Scott will take a ton of pictures tonight, and we'll try to remember to post them. Hooray! It's exciting to know that we'll get to take the new car on our vacation - we were starting to think we better plan on taking the truck and spend the extra money on crappy gas mileage. This is definitely a nice start to our anniversary vacation.
Oh, also in the vein of "it's here": Heather and Shane are bringing Lucas home to Kansas City tomorrow! I am so sad that I won't be here to greet them. I've missed Heather a lot, and it will be nice to have her just down the street again, instead of in a different country! Heather and Shane - have a safe trip and enjoy the last moments in Guatemala! We'll come see you as soon as we get home from Colorado, and then we can spoil Luke silly!
I had made my request to B.J. that his kid be out of the oven by tomorrow so we could see it before we leave, but seems like that ain't gonna happen. In any case, good luck to B.J. and Cathy, as I'm guessing their first child will be born while we are visiting the spot where they got married. =)
I'll try to post from the road, but don't know when we'll be able to get internet access. I'm sure Scott will be able to sniff some out. Keep an eye out for photos, because Scott usually is pretty good about uploading them to the website right away while we're on vacation.
Get Your Umbrella by Matron of Honor Sat, Sep 23 2006, 8:23 AM
Today I am throwing a wedding shower for Morgan! Scott and I were up until 1 last night getting things ready, and there's still a lot to be done. I'm very excited, because I have a lot of surprises up my sleeve, and I really think Morgan is going to enjoy her special little party. I had to turn of Brodie Cam last night because I realized that she could tune in at any time and see what we were doing! =) She's a sneaky girl, that Morgan.
I was really worried about seating for all the women that will be here today, but I think we figured out a good system. We are realizing that our house was DEFINITELY not made for entertaining - there's just no "flow" for party-goers. We really only have one seating area in the whole house, which is great when it's just Scott and me hanging around watching TV, but a little scary when 12-13 women are about to descend upon the house.
Feel the Burn by Tricia Mon, Sep 18 2006, 11:00 PM
It's WAY past my bedtime, but I figured I owed you the photos of my sunburn, which is still very painful. I haven't been sleeping well because it hurts to put any pressure on the burned bits, which are on every side, so I'm kind of screwed. I've been using aloe (the "green goop" as Jason calls it) which should help keep it from getting gross and peely (although, let's be honest - isn't that the best part of a sunburn?).
With great excitement we attended the KC Air Show today. It was actually quite nice - we sat on a surface parking lot that hangs over the edge of the downtown area and overlooks the downtown airport. We arrived around 10:30 and the flying was supposed to begin at 11. We hung out all day watching planes, enjoying the breeze and sunshine. It wasn't until about 2:30 that I realized how baked my skin was becoming (being the smart person I am, I didn't decide to take cover until close to 3:30, and now I'm paying the price - plus I missed the Blue Angels because I was sitting in the car trying not to let the sun find me...the Blue Angels were the whole reason I wanted to go to the air show in the first place!). I had put sunblock on, but dammit, I will NEVER use the spray sunblock crap again. I now have a wonderful beet-red sunburn (almost purple in spots) with fancy polka dots of pale from where the sunblock worked. It HURTS and I am CRANKY.
We watched Fantastic Four tonight and I completely feel like the guy who turns into a fireball. Hm. Except way less cocky about it, because he was all excited to set himself on fire, and frankly, I'm not that impressed with my new talent. Earlier I was all shivery because of it, which seems like probably a bad sign of things to come.
I just had Scott take some pictures to post, but then I realized that in order to post them I would have to wait for all 216 pictures from the baseball game last night and the air show today to download, and I'm just not willing to do that right now.
We have the PKD Walk in the morning, and then I'm headed straight out to Topeka for EC and New Member Education meetings, so I need to get some sleep.
That is, if I don't burn a hole in the sheets with my fiery skin. Pictures to come later.
Another one bites the dust by Scott Sat, Sep 16 2006, 9:43 PM
Interesting. On my "gotta see in person" baseball list I mentioned that I marked one out in pencil because the game was postponed due to rain; therefore, that event officially didn't happen. On the same day I turned that ticket in to get free tickets for another game, the event happened again AND it was official. I witnessed my first official Grand Slam Home Run by the Royals first baseman Ryan Shealy. After singles by Estaban Herman and Mark Grudzielanek and a walk to Emil Brown, Ryan Shealy hit a grand slam home run inches of the wall in left center field. Thankfully it was a windy night, which helped push the ball over the wall.
Unfortunately, the Royals did not win the game. They were up by 6 runs, but failed to keep the lead. That's alright. I marked another off my list!
1...2...3...DODGEBALL! by Tricia Tue, Sep 12 2006, 8:36 PM
Screw the gym! We went out tonight to Mill Creek Park (to quote Ken, the park with the fountain where all the idiots go to get their picture taken when they get married) to play various games with Ken, Kyle and friends. The frisbee was thrown, the kickball was kicked, and the dodgeball was dodged. I got more exercise than I probably would have at the gym, PLUS I got play with Kyle's friends Joe and Lauren's dogs! It was a beautiful day at the park, and it's always interesting to see the weird people jogging. Some of them were dressed as if they hadn't been planning to jog - just decided at the last minute to jog in jeans and a nice shirt. Very strange. Then there was this little guy as we left who was on the ground on his back with his legs in the air against a tree, stretching. I wish I had gotten a picture, but it would have been a bit obvious to take one. I did get a few good pics, though.
It was a fun evening... I'm really glad we went! It feels good to take advantage of the quickly passing last days of summer. It was actually pretty cold out until I started playing dodgeball and then I was sweaty and out of breath in no time.
Last week was the longest week of my life, good and bad... mostly good. We had a great Recruitment and got 10 girls through formal recruitment (which was Quota!) plus one more that signed a bid at our bid day festivities. We effectively doubled the size of the chapter, which is fantastic - and exhausting! =) Plus, I had a lot of fun bonding with our ELC, Jo. She really got the girls excited and prepared for the week, and we have 11 great new girls to show for it!
And now I shall go back to the couch and potato for a while. Tomorrow I must return to being a gym rat.
I just got done with a short stint on the elliptical machine, and even though I had the fan pointed on me to keep cool, I'm still just drippy and my muscles feel like jello. I have worked out every day this week (wait... monday? I don't think I did on Monday. Hm. I can't remember!). I'm supposed to be packing now, as we are leaving tomorrow directly after I get off work to go camping. I should be in bed in the next fifteen minutes, but I have gotten zero packing done. That's not true... I pulled my duffel bag out and put it on my bed in preparation. I did get two episodes of South Park in while I worked on my puzzle! It's not like Scott can say anything - he ditched out on packing to go to the Chiefs game with BJ. Then again, he has the day off tomorrow. Hm. I better go pack.
I love my husband. There is nothing better than waking up on Sunday morning and having him say "I want to make waffles!" I'm not going to fight that! I am so lucky that he enjoys to cook, especially for me, and gets offended sometimes when I say I'm going to have a bowl of cereal for breakfast. He is currently upstairs rooting around looking for the waffle maker. Mmmmm!
So Many Chances by Scott Thu, Aug 24 2006, 6:50 AM
I had many chances to mark more items off my list last night. The Royals had a few guys only a couple hits away from hitting for the cycle (single, double, triple, home run). Mike Sweeny was the closest. He just needed that triple. They had an offsensive onslaught of 19 hits last night. We were one hit away from getting doughnuts in the first inning. That's right, they had 11 hits and 10 runs in the first inning. Does it surprise anyone that they still lost?
We have a birth date by Scott Wed, Aug 23 2006, 4:39 PM
Our new car will be built on September 4. For those of wondering why Ford would build an "american" car on labor day you'll be sad to know that it is actually assembled in Mexico. So no Labor Day out there, apparently. This is good news because it means we will have the car for our trip to Colorado!! Rock on!
BTW.. going to another Royals game tonight. Maybe I'll get to mark another item off my list... or witness an event that I get to put on the list and immediately remove it.
Attend a Royals double header, double win - CHECK! by Scott Fri, Aug 18 2006, 11:42 PM
I've been a Royals fan since about 1985. Now that may seem like too much of a coincidence and make me sound like a fair weather fan, but I was seven. For some odd reason I remember Jeff Kimsey making a comment about my choice of attire one day in October. I was apparently wearing red, which was the color of the St. Louis Cardinals, the opponents for the Royals in the upcoming World Series. The Royals were in the World Series, I thought. I also probably thought, what's the World Series?
So then I started watching the games. I had to have known of the Royals before hand, I had played little league baseball before. I had to have connected it somehow. Over the next fifteen years, I attended a few games and watched them on the TV when I could. I also listened to Denny Matthews on the radio. Denny brings back memories of riding my bike on West Gale Road listening to the games on the Walkman. Now I don't want to sound like I was a huge fan. I didn't bury my head in the media guide or anything. I just caught the games whenever I could in between scouts, playing cops and robbers, and selling lemonade with Aimee.
Now fast forward to the 1990s. The Royals were heading towards mediocrity. The death of Ewing Kauffman and the loss of his vision put a void into the economy of baseball causing turmoil. The Royals went from having one of the largest payrolls in baseball to one of the smallest, occurring almost overnight. Not because the Royals reduced their salaries, but the now big market teams increased theirs seemingly exponentially. Players with $50 million, $100 million, $250 million contracts soon emerged over the next ten years. While the Royals spiraled without an owner during the 90's, their payroll stalled. I didn't blame them then. I don't blame them now. The current owner runs the team with some of the same vision as Kauffman and triest to bring the economy of baseball back as well. However, many people, myself included, prefer to say that David Glass runs the Royals like he ran his former company, Wal-Mart. Bring in players who are willing to play on the cheap, auction off our future talent to the highest bidders, and get as many cheap players in return. The problem is that these players generally turned out to be worth less than they bargained for.
So fast forward to 2000. I have graduated from college and am now out of the house. I'm beginning to attend more games and listen to local sports radio. A few years later, the Mamba of all season is upon us. The Royals start out winning 9 games in a row. I attend about five games in the first couple months (one of which is the famed "flying nachos incident"). I'm hooked again, just like it was 1985. I know the team, I know the players, I know the stats. I'll take lunches at work during odd hours so I can go to a local sports bar to watch the first hour of early games, which doesn't happen often because they usually don't televise those games.
Then it is 2004 and the 100+ loss season and 2005 with even more. I perservere. Now it is 2006 and the outlook hasn't improved. I apparently did something really bad to my in-laws that they weren't pleased with because they gave me the mini-season ticket package for my birthday that provides me two tickets for all but one of the Buck Night games (You get a hot dog, small pop, or peanuts for just a $1). Why did they want to put me through this torture? This is essentially a bill for $9 a game for parking! OK.. just kidding, that was one of the best gifts anyone has given me. So as it turns out, I have attended more games during the worse season of the franchise than I have in probably the last five years. The team started out horribly, but has been doing better with the new regime in the front office. Confidence is being restored in the players, the media, and, even more importantly, me. After today's events, Tricia and I are talking about doing the Buck Night package next year and possibly even the T-Shirt Tuesday package as well (which means attending about 15 games -- more birthday ideas folks!).
So what the heck am I doing writing this anthology about my life as a Royals fan? Well, to get to this:
A few years back I started putting together a list of things that I want to witness in person while attending a Royals game. Some of these are kind of childish, some are actually somewhat common (for teams that are not the Royals), and some are oddities that will probably never happen anytime soon. Well, today I got to mark the fourth item off my list: attending a double header and having the Royals win both games. The current list as I can remember:
Inside The Park Home Run [COMPLETED] - Angel Berroa (I'm not joking), May 15, 2004 versus Tampa Bay
Drunk Fan Running On The Field [COMPLETED] - Once again, no joke. This happened on April 9, 2004 versus the Cleveland Indians. Even better, the dude was wearing nothing but socks. Alright, so I wasn't excited about this part. I was in the upper level and gladly couldn't see much. Also, this wasn't something on the list originally, but it just had to be added after it happened.
Grand Slam [SEMI-COMPLETED] - This has been marked off with pencil. I did witness my first Grand Slam on April 29, 2006 against the Oakland A's. It was Reggie Sanders in the first inning. Unfortunately, the game was postponed in the fourth inning so the stats for that game were officially erased. I'm still holding this one in my back pocket incase it never happens again. Which brings us to....
Attend a Royals Double Header, Double Win [COMPELTED] - August 18, 2006 versus the Oakland A's. It was the replay of the rain-out from the previous entry. The games were awesome.
Get a Foul/Home Run Ball [COMPLETED] - May 23, 2006 versus Detroit Tigers. Runelvyes Hernandez was pitching. The ball smelled like pizza.
Triple Play
Player Stealing Home
Dugout Emptying Brawl
No Hitter
Player Hits for the Cycle
And I can't think of the others on the top of my head, it's going to be a growing list
Now I would prefer that the Royals be the benefactors of each of these (OK, maybe not the brawl.. no one wins there), but I'll take either team at this point.
baby & pupper by Auntie T Tue, Aug 15 2006, 10:13 PM
Brodie don't take too kindly to children....until he realizes that they can be a never-ending source of petting. Who needs mom & dad when cousin Ella will pet and pet and pet??? (Note that this photo is about an hour and a half into Ella's visit, so he had sort of gotten used to her being there)
He got a little defensive when Ella first arrived, and made sure to grab a bone that he never chews on to show off that this is his house, and she better not get too comfortable.
At first, he wouldn't even make eye contact. Granted, she was yanking his ears pretty hard.
But yeah, once he realized she was willing to pet him (which was super cute), he sat still and looked a little worried, but didn't move until little Ella passed out on Amanda's lap. The funniest thing was a couple of times he would look right at Ella and just bark at her, and she would jump a tiny bit and her eyes would get SOOO big and she would just stare at him like "You try that again and I'll deck ya!"
For those who noticed... by Tricia Tue, Aug 15 2006, 12:59 PM
Brodie Cam was down for a few days - not because anything was wrong, but just because I took the laptop that it runs off of with me to Topeka on Wednesday night and have been too lazy and forgetful to hook it back up. Never fear, it's back and you can watch Brodie all day long instead of working. I'm watching him right now, and he looks pretty darn cute.
Last night we had the Bowlings' over for dinner to celebrate Glenda's birthday. Scott made some fabulous ribs that were much enjoyed. Brodie was thoroughly confused and put out by Ella's presence at first, but we got some pretty sweet pictures of him snuggled up to Amanda, letting Ella pet him (and he only looks slightly freaked out). I'll get those posted soon, pinky swear.
New Car... coming soon. by Scott Fri, Aug 11 2006, 5:03 PM
Our conversion from green to blue modes of transportation is almost complete. In 6 to 8 to 12 weeks (estimated time's of course), our new car will arrive at Thoroughbred Ford. Yesterday we ordered a 2007 Ford Fusion. As in Tricia's previous post, I'd been waiting for the AWD version to become available. While it isn't available on the Ford website, it is availabe for ordering through the dealer's computer system.
This adventure went somewhat similar like when we got the Trailblazer Version 2.0. We got the features we really wanted but had to give up on the color we wanted. The feature we really wanted was the AWD but the Titanium Green was not available in 2007. (Just like the Silver Green wasn't available in the 05 Trailblazer). So, just like TB we got the Dark Blue paint with cloth Medium Stone Grey interior. Yeah, I think they will match. Maybe it will help with Tricia's symetry issue. Anyway, it's got a 221 HP V6, 6 Disc CD Change (with an audio input for the iPod), Moonroof, and All Wheel Drive.
However, all we drove home with last night is our confirmation order. The salesman stated 6 to 8 weeks, but I don't think they start production until Sept 4. We'd love to have it before our vacation the first week of October, but I assume it will come in late October.
Last night was another Ken & Kyle night of fun and laughing so hard I almost pee. Ken and I had another episode of "making do with Ken & Tricia" while we made steak for dinner. Not just steak, but steak with corn relish! Fancy.
After dinner we went to Late Night Theatre to see Come Back to the 9 to 5, Dolly Parton, Dolly Parton. It was really funny, campy, silly, etc. Late Night Theatre is mostly men in drag putting on a musical, often written by one of them. They mostly make fun of a movie or television show, are chock full of innuendo, and are a ton of fun. The audience gets really involved, especially since the theatre is so small and intimate. Anyway, Stasha Case was starring in Ron Megee's absence as Lily Tomlin playing Violet. She does a fantastic Lily Tomlin impersonation! I couldn't stop laughing as she did the little head bob thing and squinted her eyes just like her.
It's pretty amazing what they are able to do with such a tiny stage - it's maybe 30 feet wide and 20 feet deep, but they really know how to utilize every inch of space to their advantage.
Plus, it's always fun to see men wearing pantyhose and skirts and enjoying it more than most women do!
Scott and I were playing video games this morning (a continuation from 2 am this morning when we finally decided to turn off the Mario Kart (N64-style) and go to bed with red eyes and cramped hands. Brodie came and snuggled up to me in my pancake stupor and layed across my lap while I played Legend of Zelda - Ocarina of Time. I was absentmindedly petting him when I noticed something black on his fur and my OCD tendencies kicked in. Good thing they did, because after much chasing around Brodie's tummy, I cornered the bug and realized it was a flea. All of a sudden, I noticed two more on him. Scott immediately threw him in the bath tub and washed him down good, finding little bloody marks all over his back where the fleas had been doing their parasitic thing. We took off toward PetCo to purchase $50 worth of flea-riddance products, and spent the last two and a half hours cleaning the carpets, spraying the furniture, washing bedding, etc.
We're not sure when he got them, but our guess is this morning, because he was laying with me last night in the beanbag and I didn't notice anything crawling on him. They must have jumped on him outside and rode their way right into our carpet and upholstry.
So, things have been disinfected, Brodie has been "flea-combed" and we are escaping in a little while to go see a movie with Ken & Kyle.
Sunday Night Games by Tricia Wed, Aug 02 2006, 8:19 PM
I was recently reunited with my favorite girls, Ken & Kyle! Scott and I spent Sunday evening hanging at the loft playing video games with them and Kyle's friends from college who just moved to town. We played Mario Kart Double Dash until our thumbs hurt from the controllers and our throats hurt from screaming curse words at each other. It was a blast. We also played Donkey Konga which is this strange DDR-esque game where you play music with these funny plastic bongos. Very fitting, since Ken has been known to jam on real bongos at weddings and when drunk.
Time spent with Ken & Kyle is always over too soon, and I always look forward to the next time we can get together and quote obscure movies, make fun of people on reality television and cook food incorrectly (although the food cooked on Sunday was correct and fabulous - that's because Kyle was in charge and not Ken and me).
We ate the first ripe tomato off of my tomato plant today! Okay, my first ripe tomato that didn't have "butt rot" (you know, when the butt of the tomato is all black and gross? A co-worker told me that's from inconsistent watering.... which makes sense because, as in all things, I am fairly inconsistent). Regardless, this one had a beautiful butt and was delicious in our salads we had for dinner. It's amazing how much better something tastes when you grow it yourself from dirt and seeds.
Incredi-bulls by Tricia Mon, Jul 31 2006, 11:28 AM
Friday night I sat on the couch and cried while I watched police drag a Pit Bull out of a home to be euthanized. On Thursday this same dog attacked an elderly lady in her yard and she died, which is very sad, but I'm disgusted by the assumption that seems to be spreading that the problem is specifically the Pit Bull and not dogs in general or owners.
I'm not saying the dog shouldn't be euthanized, because obviously it has some anger issues, but had the owner understood that the Pit Bull breed has a tendency toward agressivness and trained the dog in the correct way, there never would have been a problem.
Yes, I am a dog lover, and sometimes I am blinded by that when it comes to things like this. My friend Liz is involved with a great group which was started by her sister called the Kansas Pit Bull Rescue. They foster and train Pit Bulls, as well as other "bully" breeds of dogs. Liz currently is fostering a beautiful pittie named Kojak, and he is the sweetest boy I have ever met. He is a big lunk of love and just wants people to play and snuggle with him. He has no clue how big he is - he knocked me over once because he was trying to get as close to me as possible so I could give him a hug.
The problem is, Kojak, like all Pit Bulls, was bred to be a fighter. Many people see the solution to this problem to be banning and euthanizing all members of this breed. In my eyes that smacks of Hitler and the Holocaust. We don't like a specific sect, so let's just get rid of them.
Right about now you might be rolling your eyes and saying to yourself "Jesus, it's just a dog", but to me and the owners of dogs everywhere it's quite the same. A dog can become a member of your family. I don't look at my dog and see an animal that doesn't understand me or is just there to be a companion - I see a furry little person who makes me laugh and worries when I'm sick (He does! He won't leave my side when I stay home in bed because he knows something is wrong). And now, because too many owners didn't actively train their pit bulls to be good members of doggie society, owners of good-natured, well-trained pitties are going to have to turn their dogs in.
They will have to turn a member of their FAMILY in.
And, since this breed is being "banned" in the city they live in, chances are their family member will be euthanized. They will have to say goodbye to this little furry person who has loved them unconditionally and given them joy and happiness because someone else wasn't able to comprehend the responsibility that comes along with owning a dog, especially a breed like Pit Bulls. Pitties need to be trained in a way that overcomes their instint to fight, and then they can be wonderful pets. Just like a Lab is an instinctual chewer, you can train them not to chew things they aren't supposed to. It takes patience and consistency, but it can be done by anyone who is willing to put the work in to make their pet happy, healthy and well-behaved.
So, perhaps what we need is not a ban on certain breeds of dogs (there's talk of Dobermans being the next up on the block for banning) but a ban on letting just anyone have a pet. I think the problem here stems from pet "parents" who don't train their animal or keep a close watch on their animal's behavior. There's nothing that makes me angrier than people who buy a dog just to leave it outside all the time. Dogs are pack animals and want to be WITH their pack - not trapped outside while their family is inside - that's just cruel. But that's another rant for another day.
Please take a minute to check out the Kansas Pit Bull Rescue and Mid-America Bully-Breed Rescue at the link above... you won't believe how beautiful this "killer" breed of dog is.
We've been talking about getting a new car this fall, which is very exciting for me. I love my little Cavalier, but I feel extremely unsafe in it. It's like driving a rollerskate, and I really would like something a little more solid and less made of tin foil. A couple months ago we got excited about the Dodge Caliber, but after test-driving it Scott was a little disappointed with it. So, today we test-drove a Ford Fusion. It was really nice, and I think it might be what we end up getting. Scott wants to wait until the 2007 models come out because 2006 was the first year for the Fusion, meaning it hasn't had the "bugs" worked out yet. Also, word is that the 2007 model will have a little input jack so you can hook your iPod right into it, which is a huge bonus. So, I'm stoked about the prospect of getting a new car. It sounded like the All-wheel-drive model that Scott would prefer won't be out until next spring, but we'll see.
I've been a bit off my game in the way of money for the last, oh, seven months. Up until then I had been so good for about two full years with using Quicken to keep my bank account in order, making sure there were no discrepancies, etc. But somewhere around November I completely fell off the checkbook balancing wagon. Tonight I took on the daunting task of playing catch up. It took a full three hours, but I am fully balanced and have a very sore back, neck and eyes from crouching over old receipts trying to read their faded ink.
Now I just have to keep on my own ass to be faithful to my Quicken. Scott, the finance wizard, sat in the corner and smiled the whole time because he's always telling me that I need to keep up on this stuff and have a close eye on my bank account, blah blah blah. Yeah, well, I would say something embarassing to you regarding something I'm good at and you're not, but there really isn't anything besides singing in the shower. So there.
Mary Badham after her Q&A regarding her role as Scout in the movie version of To Kill A Mockingbird. She was very nice, and very interesting with a lot of funny stories about Gregory Peck and the other actors in the movie. She still looks a lot like she did when she was 9!
Tomorrow I am totally going to meet the woman who played Scout in the movie version of To Kill A Mockingbird. I am going to dig out my 9th grade paperback copy of the book and have her autograph it! Praise the lord for Crown Center bringing obscure but interesting people into the mall! Halleluja!
As I was driving out to Topeka this morning I saw the funniest thing. The route along I-70 between KC and Topeka is very rural (duh, it's Kansas), so there are a lot of farm animals and corn. At one point I looked to the left at a field of cows and saw that there were three sets of four cows walking in a line right along the wire fencing. It was so strange! Four cows, 10 foot space, four cows, 10 foot space, four cows. I wish I could have snapped a photo, because it was just too odd to see them so perfectly lined up like that! It makes me think of that Far Side cartoon where the cows are leaning up against the fence on hind legs talking about how they see a car coming and better get down. Something like that.
There is this cat that has caused me to be terrified of all cats everywhere. Her name is Percy, and she belongs to our friends Kelli & Jason (parents of the funniest baby ever, Kayla) who live down the street. Percy has always had this attitude - she knows what she wants, and if you aren't it, she'll let you know. She has on more than one occasion threatened to eat my fingers, climbed up behind me on a couch or chair and swatted at my head, or lunged in my general direction for no reason. As a result, in a vague attempt to make myself feel better, I do a small bit of torturing to said cat. I figure this way at least I deserve whatever she throws at me.
So, this past week Kelli and Jason have taken little Kayla for her first annual pilgrimage down to Branson for vacation. I'm not talking tacky, flashy, old people Branson, but leisurely, outdoors-y, relaxing Branson. They go to a little resort place that has nice cabins along a lake... it's very picturesque, and is where they got married. Anyway, that's where they are right now, and I just got back from my daily trip down to water the plant (seriously, there's only one), turn on the sprinkler, bring in the mail and FEED THE CAT. Scott has been busy, so I was abandoned to accomplish the cat task on my own tonight.
Sidenote: Some of you may recall that I am fairly severely allergic to cats. As in, sometimes my throat starts to swell shut
*sigh* I am such a good friend.
I go in the house and there's Percy, practically screaming with joy that a human has entered the domicile. She jogs up to me and starts head-butting me, meowling the whole time. I go upstairs, pour some kibble in her dish and just sort of stand there, hoping my presence will be enough to make her happy. She threw herself down on the carpet, stared at me and started rolling over and over, scratching her back on the floor, rubbing her head against her paws - generally acting crazy. Oh. And the whole time, even WHILE she's meowling, she's purring so loud that it sounds like a helicopter landing on the roof. At this point I'm laughing and thinking "I should get Scott down here to witness this", so I call him and describe, then hold the phone to the cats chest so he can hear the simultaneous purring and meowing. I hang up and realize that I really need to use the little girl's room, so I make my way down the hall. I sit down and do my business, and realize that I can still hear that damn cat purring, even though I'm at the other end of the house, so I call for her (yeah, the bathroom door was open - that's the way I roll, yo) and she literally comes galloping through the house like a dog, bells a-jinglin' on her collar. It was hysterical. She comes in looking at me like "I can't believe you left the door open so I could just run in here, fool." A little more headbutting (of me and the cabinets) and then I flushed and said goodbye. I'm sure she was confused.
Poor kitty. She gets super nice when she's been left alone for five days! Normally she would have ignored my entrance into the house, and if she did see me, would have acted aloof until I wasn't paying attention, at which time she would ATTACK. I like her better when her people are away. She's more needy. Much like Brodie, I suppose.
Just got back from my regular doctor, and unfortunately we still have no answers. My arm and foot were very achey on Sunday, but since then I haven't had any symptoms at all, so he told me to just take a "wait and see" approach and let him know as soon as any symptoms return. He also said I could cut down to the 81mg aspirin, which makes me feel better. So, I'm supposed to avoid any heavy lifting, jolting activity (like horseback riding or 4 wheeling - Damn! There goes my whole weekend) and stress. Good look with avoiding stress when I have Recruitment and Chapter retreats with the Phi's this weekend! Stress will abound! I sort of look forward to that stress, though.
The bright side of this is he is pretty positive that it's not stroke-related, MS or ALS, etc. That's a relief. So, I'm off to snuggle with my puppy and watch a movie. Thanks for the great support and warm thoughts over the past week - I just wish there was some closure on this.
Pardon me if I appear a little overexposed right now. by Scott (3 posts in two months. Wow!) Sat, Jul 08 2006, 8:00 AM
We've started a new hobby (OK.. maybe it is just me right now). Out of frustration from our old point-and-shoot Sony digital camera, we've upgraded our photographic equipment. Last week UPS delivered our Canon EOS Digital Rebel XT. It is very nice. I have already purchased two books on photography, started an Amazon.com wish list for future photography equipment (IE... MOM: Christmas ideas), started looking at magazine subscriptions, and even been looking out for community education courses on photography to get some hands-on training.
What we especially like about this is not having to wait three seconds after hitting the shutter button for the picture to actually take. We don't have to wait 10 seconds for the flash to warm up (while our nieces and nephew stop making those adorable faces, poses, etc). Better yet... it gets me away from the computer.. for the most part.
Here is one of the first pics (ok... one of the first 1,359 pictures). Pretty nice:
I Sure Wish I Had Shaved My Legs by Tricia Thu, Jul 06 2006, 7:46 PM
The EMG was not fun. I would love to say it was no big deal and not painful, etc. But I would be lying. It was also a little embarassing when the doctor, who was probably at least in his 60's, went to insert needles into my calf, ankle, thigh, etc., and was confronted with my hairy legs. =) Oh well.
First the nurse (who started out a little cold, but quickly became a bit more friendly with my nervous humor) taped little electrode things to my hand, made marks all over my arm and hand with a black marker (I look like I've been attacked by a Sharpie!), and then sent currents of electricity through my nerves. It was very strange feeling, and slightly painful, but really just weird. There were a couple of the shocks that were very big and made my whole body jump. I could feel the adrenaline release and rush through my limbs on those big ones. There were also little tiny ones that I could barely feel, including a very odd sensation where she clicked the probe and I didn't feel anything for a few seconds, then a travelling sensation of shocks moving down the back of my calf muscle from my knee to my heel. When she was done, the Doctor came in and talked to me about the next portion of the test - the part I was NOT looking forward to. I tried so hard to be calm and separate myself from the whole ordeal, but it just wasn't possible. The Doctor was very nice and kind, explained everything he was going to do before doing it, and comforted me when I started to freak out. I was lying on my back while he inserted a small needle into various points on my arm, hand, leg and foot, and then at the end he had me roll over on my side so he could insert one into my neck to test the muscle/nerves along my spine. At one point I remember my whole body tightening because one of the sticks hurt so badly, and I cried until tears ran down into my ears.
Poor Scott had to sit on the other side of the room and just watch as I shook and cried. It had to have been hard for him to see me going through that.
After, I came home and just passed out on the couch. I slept pretty hard for a couple hours, and I'm still just completely worn out. My muscles are slightly sore where the needles were inserted. One is between my left index finger and thumb, about an inch in from the "webbing", and it was probably one of the most painful. I must look funny with black dots all over my arm, and tiny spots that look like I was stung by bees.
I think we're going to go for a short walk just to get me out and doing something. I feel like it's unnatural for me to feel this tired.
Oh... I guess the important part is that the doctor didn't find anything abnormal about the tests - he said everything looked completely average, and it must not be a muscular/nerve problem. So what IS it?
Still Kickin' by Tricia Thu, Jul 06 2006, 10:44 AM
I have my appointment with the Neurologist in a few hours, and I made the mistake of looking up EMG and sufficiently freaking myself out. So, think of me at 1 today as I'm having electrode needles inserted into my muscles. Shudder. I wasn't really worried about all this until I saw some of the other things that are normally diagnosed by an EMG... including Muscular Dystrophy.
Currently, I'm at work, not getting much done because my brain is too filled with anxiety about the EMG. My left foot is still numb, and my right arm, though it was fairly normal-feeling yesterday, is now starting to go numb again, fingertips to elbow. It's very tingly today. I'm also having some strange feeling in my right arm. Not numbness, just weird. Don't know if that's paranoia, or actual strange feeling. I just want to get through today and this scary doctor's appointment and have it over with.
Uncomfortably Numb by Tricia Tue, Jul 04 2006, 9:16 PM
Like many Americans, we spent our 4th of July in the Emergency room, but not because of exploded-off digits. We got up, like any normal day, got ready, and left to pick up Michael and Morgan to head for the lake and a day of boating, swimming and being silly. After a quick stop at the gas station to fill up and get some juice to go with our donuts, we were off... and almost immediately I started to feel strange in my left arm. I figured it was just the way I was sitting was cutting off circulation, so I readjusted myself and assumed the weird sensation would go away. It didn't. I quickly got to the point where my arm continuously felt like when you wake up and you have accidentally thrown your arm over your head in your sleep, and it feels foreign and plastic (what I like to refer to as "barbie arm"). I was a little nervous about it, but told Scott that we should just get to M&m's and reassess the situation. This was while we happened to be driving past North Kansas City Hospital. Not a mile past the hospital I realized that my left foot had gone numb, too. I started to freak out a little bit, we turned the car around, and I called Morgan to tell her that we were going to the ER. That was interesting... I know we're supposed to go to the lake and have fun today, but something's come up and we are getting emergency attention. I had literally talked to her about 25 minutes before the ER conversation, so I'm sure she was thinking "what could have happened in that time that requires going to the hospital?"
Anyway, we get to the ER and they put me in a bed - it's funny how you can go from normal to invalid in 2.8 seconds. I instantly had a gown on, sticky things with clamps attatched to my chest, shoulders and abdomen, an IV and finger-glowy-ET thing. After a CAT Scan and blood work, they couldn't find a definitive answer. Closest they can guess is I had a Transient Ischemic Attack or that it's Peripheral Neuropathy. Neither really fits my symptoms, so who knows.
It's pretty scary to think that they were heavily testing me for all things stroke-related. Scott has been instructed to pay close attention to my speech and facial muscles in case of change, droop, etc. I have been referred to a neurologist, which is scary. Meanwhile, we are past the 12 hours later mark, and my foot and arm are still pretty numb. My arm feels a little less numb than it did, but my foot feels pretty much the same. It's irritating to feel like your limb is asleep, but not be able to "wake it up" like you normally would by moving it.
So, once again, July 4th plans scrapped because of me. We still had a decent time, despite my numbness - Scott and I got home from the hospital about 11am and slept until 4:30! When I woke up and looked at the clock, I couldn't believe it. I was pretty worn out from being so scared, though. Then M&m came over to cook us dinner, which was delicious, and play a fun game called Apples to Apples, which I highly reccommend. We had a good time. Now I shall sit on the couch and try not to fidget my arm and foot around. I'm really hoping that I'll wake up in the morning and feel completely better. I'm pretty scared that I won't.
Post-Trip Recap by Tricia Mon, Jul 03 2006, 7:41 PM
Back in MO. Very tired. Bought a mickey-shaped cookie cutter. Ate $10 Disney chicken strips. Practically crapped pants on Tower of Terror. Sat in a room with over 400 Alpha Phi's and sang Alpha Phi songs. Waited for the Shuttle to launch so I could see it out of my hotel window. Cursed Florida and Nasa when said shuttle launch was cancelled. Walked 74.8 miles in hotel alone. Swam in .25 mile lazy river at hotel - but only from 10 - 11pm, our only hour of scheduled free time. Now must visit Thompsons to coo at lovely little Kayla, whom I have not seen for over 6 days.
I took a tylenol pm last night to ensure that I would at least get some sleep, and at some point I woke up needing to pee. Unfortunately, my body didn't really agree with that idea, and I had to physically drag myself up and to the bathroom so I wouldn't wet the bed. Once I got to the toilet and sat down I recall thinking to myself "Could I just stay here? I mean, it's a long way back to my side of the bed". Luckily, I made it back and passed right out.
Now I'm freaking out trying to make sure I have everything for the trip. Scott is taking Allison and me to the airport, and we're picking her up right before 8 so we can meet Barbara at the airport with time to spare. I hate that I'm getting this fun "vacation" of sorts, but I can't get over being nervous and anxious about all the people and awkwardness. Thank goodness I have two fantastic women going with me who will create a bit of a "comfort zone". My stomach is already churning!
Being the Procrastinator that I am by Tricia Mon, Jun 26 2006, 9:37 PM
Hm. I sat on the couch and watched TV tonight. I am obviously in serious denial about the amount of crap I need to get done before I go to bed tomorrow night. Really. I'm so bad at this. My brain is telling me "Maybe I should go get my toiletries in order" but my ass says "no, I think I'll stay right here and watch Shalom in the Home". I am setting myself up for disaster. And poor sleep tomorrow night.
Trying not to be the Procrastinator that I am by Tricia Sun, Jun 25 2006, 9:39 PM
I have spent the last hour trying to be proactive and pack for my upcoming trip. I'm going to Orlando for the Alpha Phi convention with the chapter President, as well as my friend Allison who will be representing our Alumnae chapter. I'm looking forward to it, but I'm also freaked out by the amount of clothing I have to take! There's one day where I'll have to wear three different outfits for three different types of events! I am taking FIVE pairs of shoes!! Make that six, because I'll throw in a pair of flip-flops to wear around the hotel room, to and from the pool, etc. Flip flops don't really count, though, as they take up practically no space.
Okay, time for bed - I'll have to stress about this more tomorrow after a trip to Target to get some stuff that I need for the trip. Because, you know, I really need more crap to have to pack in my suitcases.
Our house has one of those light switches that control the bottom power outlet on one of our power outlets. The computer was setup on that power outlet.
This explains why it worked sporadically, typically it stopped working while our recent visitors left the house to go shopping. Hmm....
Brodie Cam Down by Scott Thu, Jun 22 2006, 9:30 PM
It's been about 8 months, so I guess I should post something....
Brodie Cam is on the fritz. If someone has a AC Adapter that will work with a 2000 PowerBook G3, please send one this way. I think Brodie peed (or peeed?) on the old one to give himself some privacy. That might hurt.. hmmm.
Anyway, I'm trying to find a new one so hopefully it will be up and running in a week or so. I may look at moving Brodie Cam to a different website.. well, his website. I've currently go about 5 website projects on the drawing board (redesign or initial development), but I might move his up on the list since he's had it for about four years and it hasn't done anything. I need to teach him how to code.
In the Ghetto... by Tricia Tue, Jun 13 2006, 9:37 PM
So some kid with too much time on his hands during summer vacation took it upon himself (actually, lets assume there was more than one kid, because no one kid would come up with and follow through with something of this nature - there must have been a dare and repuation at stake) to turn our sweet little neighborhood from Riss Valley into "Piss Valley" using a small piece of tan paper and scotch tape.
I wish I'd thought of it. I have to try and get a picture before somebody (most likely "Get Off My F*&$'n Lawn) takes it down. =) I almost piss valley'd myself when I saw it this afternoon.
For Tess.... 6 Things by Tricia Tue, Jun 13 2006, 8:34 AM
My new friend, Tess, "tagged" me to write a 6 Things blog. I got a little excited because I was about to leave for North Carolina and all sorts of things popped into my head. I immediately wanted to do a "photo essay" of my 6 things. My initial concept was "6 things you'd only see in North Carolina", which I figured would be easy. It would have been if I had remembered to do it. Then, on the 14-hour drive home yesterday I realized, after stopping at a particularly disgusting gas station restroom, that I should have been doing "6 most disgusting public restrooms between KC and NC." So, I have dropped the photo essay for now (perhaps I will do one in the future) and am going with something easy.
6 STATES I WAS IN THIS WEEKEND 1. Missouri 2. Illinois 3. Kentucky 4. Tennessee 5. North Carolina 6. Exhaustion
We arrived in North Carolina yesterday morning to surprise my parents for their 40th anniversary. 40 years is a damn long time in today's world, and we figured it justified driving a few hundred miles to say congrats. We left Thursday at 1pm and rolled into Valle Crucis around 5:30am Friday. We drove the whole 15 hours straight through, and were pretty near the end of our rope (and by "our" I mean "Scott") by the time we arrived.
5:30 was way too early to be waking up old people, so we went into town and took a short nap in the parking lot of the WalMart. That's what you do in North Carolina. At 7 we drove to a bakery, bought some muffins and cinnamon rolls and headed back up the mountain. Scott pulled into the driveway and we hopped out and ran up to the door. In the mountains there is apparently no such thing as a doorbell, so we knocked real hard. Eventually my dad's face floated into view and he opened the door. I shoved the bags of breakfast goodies toward him and said "We thought we'd bring you some breakfast". He laughed and hugged us. Mom was still in bed, so we went into the bedroom and my dad said "Susan, look who's here!" She blinked hard and stared at us and said "whaaaat?" It was a nice surprise.
Last night my brother and his wife arrived with Mason & Hannah, and we have been entertained ever since. Hopefully we will get some pictures posted soon. For now, I need to go get ready because "The Girls" (Mom, Rebecca and me) are going to a gardening place in a little while, and then to the Gap Outlet (and I must be mentally prepared for bargain hunting). Also, I need to go cover my niece and nephew in smooches.
Canine Canines by Tricia Thu, Jun 08 2006, 8:55 AM
Brodie is getting his teeth cleaned today at the Vet's. Our hope is that by going through the moderate expense and worry of having him put out to have it done, that in the future there will less chance of him having to have teeth removed or fixed, which is extremely expensive. Poor guy had no idea what he was in for when I dropped him off. He was excited to be there because all the ladies that work there just adore him. A few of them squealed with delight when I brought him in, and all called him (and me!) by name. I'm not sure if that means he's a great joy to have there, or if we take him there too often for various things (appointments, kenneling, etc).
I've asked that they call me as soon as he's awake and around so I can relax a little. It's a bit nerve-wracking to know that my little guy is going to be put under anaesthesia, and you never really know how an animal (or person, for that matter) will respond to something like that. The Vet was going to do some bloodwork to make sure he was in the right place health-wise to do the work on him. At least I don't have to be there to see him out on the table, drugged up - I can't imagine how horrifying that would be. He would just be lying there, looking like he was dead. Ugh. Okay, maybe I can imagine it. I do wish I could see him when he's waking up, though, because from what I recall with my childhood dog, that's pretty funny to watch. She used to stumble around like her limbs couldn't quite understand the messages that were being sent to them from her brain. It looked quite like she was a drunk college student who needed to be taken home from the party.
Yesterday was a very busy day! I got up VERY early and drove out to Topeka for a meeting and then the collegiate president and I cleaned all the junk out of the sorority house, which was interesting. I can't begin to tell you how much crap these girls left behind. We threw out so much abandoned shampoo and styling product - it was really pretty sad. By the time we were done the house looked decent and we were sweaty and tired! I drove home and passed out on the couch for about an hour and then we got ready to briefly attend a barbeque down at Kelli & Jason's house. We were there for about an hour and a half, shoveled in some delicious cheeseburger (Thanks Jason!) and headed out to Michael and Morgans...
BECAUSE THEY GOT ENGAGED! Michael had us come over to "surprise" Morgan when they got home from him proposing to her. It was very exciting and she was all teary and red-nosed, but beautiful. Michael was very proud and smiley, and it was just fantastic because they were both so happy and excited. It is quite strange because on the way home I realized that they are sort of our only "single", non-married friends left, sort of. Not for long!! =) Congrats M & m - we love you both!
Scott and I have recently become obsessed with the show Cash Cab on the Discovery channel. It's your typical trivia game show, but it takes place in a taxi cab on the streets of New York. The contestants get into the cab not knowing that they are in for "the ride of their lives". We watched some people win $2,100 today, AND they got their 45-block cab ride FREE! Pretty good deal, if you ask me. Even if you lose and don't win any money, you still get the free cab ride, so it's sort of a win-win. The best part is the cab has these flat-panel lights on the inside in the ceiling, and they light up and make noise when a question is answered correctly. The host is really funny, too. I can completely picture our friend, Ken, hosting something like that. He's got the right sense of humor and timing for that sort of thing - plus, he can drive! I assume that's sort of a requirement for the show. I'm guessing you have to actually become a real taxi driver to do it (the guy that hosts it has his little certificate that he puts into the plastic frame in the vehicle).
I really want to take a trip out to New York now and try to scope out the Cash Cab! I bet I could win some fine cash - I get most of the answers right when I'm watching the show! =)
We just took Brodie on a long walk, which was nice. It's not too hot out, but it's so incredibly humid that my glasses kept steaming up like I was coming in out of the snow! The air was pretty stagnant, so we're all tired and sticky now. It felt good to get out, though - we've gone on a 2 1/4 mile walk every night this week. We'll see how long that lasts. I gotta go peel off these clothes and put on something dry!
Whew! This week is going by fast! We had a great weekend and saw two movies in the actual theatre which is more than we have seen in the past six months. We saw Da Vinci Code Friday night, which I thought was pretty good, despite my feeling that Tom Hanks was NOT the appropriate person to play Robert Langdon. I have nothing against Mr. Hanks, it's just not at all how I pictured the character. Them's the breaks when Hollywood interprets a book. On Sunday we saw X-Men 3 with Morgan and Michael - it was good, but even better was Michael's immediate dissertation on the differences between the comic books and the movie.
Babysitting Miss E was fun, but reinforced the fact that I am no where near ready for the whole baby thing. I just don't have the patience, and one evening at a time is enough for me. I just don't see how people do that day in and day out for years at a time - often with two children in diapers at the same time! I especially don't know how women like my mom did it when their husbands were away overseas and they had to do everything on their own. Babies are cute, but they are also high maintenence!
My parents are coming to visit in a couple of weeks, so I'm looking forward to that - I already have plans for the weekend they will be here, so we will be busy! I want to take them to Powell Gardens as well as out to the Alpha Phi house in Topeka so they can see where I spend so much of my time. I think we'll go to Lawrence and check out some fun stuff there, too. We'll wear out the old folks! And, of course, we'll have to go to a Royals Game!
Sittin' on the Baby by Auntie T Sat, May 27 2006, 6:03 PM
We are on our way out to go babysit little Ella for the first time. I'm excited to spend some time with her, but also freaked out because HOLY CRAP WE WILL BE RESPONSIBLE FOR A TINY PERSON AND HER WELL-BEING. I'm glad to be able to let Mike and Amada get a night out to play and be irresponsible. =)
I am at work and I'm practically falling asleep at my desk. I am so tired! We got a lot done this weekend, especially yesterday. We spent the morning thoroughly cleaning our bathroom (and it REALLY needed it). It took a good part of the morning to do - I did most of it, and then got tired about 2/3 of the way through cleaning the shower doors, so Scott relieved me and finished the job cleaning the bathtub/shower while I cleaned the door fronts of the cabinets in the kitchen. Since they're white, they show a lot of dirty fingerprints. We also ran some errands and finally settled on some new bedding. We have been needing new sheets for a while, so we broke down and got a new comforter, sheets, a nice lightweight quilt for a bit of color, pillow shams, etc. The comforter is just cream colored striped sateen - very simple. The light quilt is from Target and is blue just like our walls on one side and then a nice spring green on the other side, and the pillow shams match it. Then we got some cute green blue and yellow striped sheets and spring green sheets, so we have lots of color while still having a Brodie-friendly bed!
Last night I was so excited to get comfy under the new bedding, but it was hard to get used to. Our old quilt wasn't huge, but it was a bit heavier than this new comforter, so I wasn't used to how light and fluffy the new one is. Also, the new one rustles a bit - the material is soft, but makes a little noise when it moves around, so that kept waking me up, too. I do really like it... it will just take a few days to get used to something so different. Brodie likes it too, because the comforter is very soft and fluffy. He immediately jumped up and got comfy.
Scott is taking me to Topeka for a meeting tonight, and I think I may just pass out in the car on the trip out there. I am struggling to keep my eyes open, and now I'm basically just typing to stay awake! I better find something a bit more constructive to do.
So as I was driving into work this morning I pulled behind a big truck that was just like any other big truck... except that on the back it says "I LOVE A BIG DUMP!" I almost swerved off the road I was laughing so hard, and knew I had to get a picture:
Pain in the Butt by Tricia Thu, May 18 2006, 9:13 PM
Well, I am still not feeling well, and though I don't feel as horrible as I did last year when I had a stomach/intestinal virus, I still am fairly miserable. Scott is taking good care of me, but that doesn't change the fact that I ate about four bites of his homemade Margarita's enchiladas (from leftover Margarita's ground beef we took home from Mike's birthday party) and two hours later pooped red speckles from the enchilada sauce and seasoning. Hooray. I'll be healing from that for a while.
I have gone to work every day this week since staying home Monday, but I don't think I've done a full day. My new assistant was out yesterday because she was feeling sick, and had symptoms similar to mine (sorry Megan!), but she was in today and seemed to be feeling better. Despite my multiple trips to the bathroom today I actually got a lot done at work. I was pretty happy to leave at 3 and come home to pass out on the couch. I didn't even turn the TV on, which, for those of you who know me, means I really AM sick! Scott brought me some Kaopectate pills (didn't think I could stomach the liquid like I had to take last year) and they help the nausea a bit, so I'm feeling a smidge better. What sucks is that despite the never-ending sick to my stomach feeling, I am starving. But, every time I eat I feel even more gross. I would kill for a popsicle right about now. Or to stop pooping every fifteen minutes. Either would be good. Both would be better.
Pain in the Neck by Tricia Wed, May 17 2006, 8:46 PM
Today Scott tricked me into going to the dentist. Not really, but he never tells me until about a week before so I can put it on my calendar. I always promptly forget about it and then remember in a heart-dropping moment the night before. Then I don't sleep well, feel sick all morning, and wait nervously in the lobby of the office for my turn.
It went well - No cavities, Ma! - and I was happy to escape the chair and sit in the lobby to wait for Scott to get done (I would like to note that they were STILL scraping the scum off his teeth when they were finishing the polishing section of my visit. So, for once I have considerably good dental health! I really like my hygenist (I don't have the energy to see if I'm spelling that one right, so lay off, Jake), and they give me the same one every time, which is good, because has seen me freak out, and there's no where else to go from there, so we are comfortable.
Anyway, though the visit went well, that doesn't mean I wasn't freaked out the whole time... by the end of the cleaning my whole body was so tense, and by the time I got to work I had a horrible cramp in my neck that still feels kind of bruise-y. The plus side of the dentist appointment was while I was waiting for Scott to get done. I was in a chair along the front window, with the door next to me, and it opened, and in walked a woman... and I thought, she looks familiar... and then I realized it's my friend Heather's mom, who I thought was still in Guatemala with Heather! We sat and talked until Scott came out, discussing the baby and Heather's pinkeye (and ease of walking into a pharmacy in Guatemala and walking out with any drug at a discount price...crazy!) and Shane's surprise Mother's Day visit. It was nice to get an in-person update to supplement Heather's online journaling. =)
On another note, Scott and I have been fairly ill since Sunday with various stomach issues. Somewhat like my battle with the evil stomach virus of February, 2005, but not nearly as bad. No pooping in a "hat" this time, nosirree.
*Instilled in me an almost obsessive love of books. To this day I am unable to dog-ear a page. *Showed me that it's important to do something you love and believe in, but it's more important to move on from it before you end up hating and resenting it. *Always made dinner, even if it was something I found revolting (remember the glow-in-the-dark spaghetti and the rubber pot roast? Always when I had friends over!!) *Consistently supported (to my face) crazy-ass decisions I made - Shaving part of my head, wearing tennis shoes to my wedding, majoring in Theatre. *Always encouraged me to learn and ask questions. *To this day sends me clippings from newspapers and magazines that she thinks will make me laugh, think, act upon. Often from the New Yorker - do all moms do this? *Although I hate to admit it, fostered the first inklings of an interest in theatre by forcing me into acting classes (You'll never live down "Young Picassos", though). *Outwardly trusted my choice of friends while probably inwardly thinking "What is she thinking?" *Forced me as a child to step outside of my shell, and though I hated her for it then, I am grateful for it now. *Allowed me to be miserable and mean post-wisdom teeth removal during prolonged "waiting for pharmacy to fill heavy painkiller prescription" period. *Tirelessly teaches me the names of plants and flowers, encouraging me to take joy in gardening. *Was and is the kind of parent I was never embarassed to have around. I could never understand the kids who disowned their parents and made them wait in the car - my parents were pretty fun people.
Blogger's Block by Tricia Thu, May 11 2006, 10:30 PM
For real. Well, I mean, what it really comes down to is every time something "blog-worthy" happens, I either forget about it before I can get to a computer, or I wait too long and it stops being funny or interesting. Such is the case with watching Camels humping (ha! a pun!) on my birthday. That's really all a girl like me can ask for on her special day. I let a day go by, and then another, and by the time I found time to sit down and write, it just seemed old. I do have some fantastic pictures of the action that I need to post to the "cell phone" photo album. They are a little blurry, but you can use your imagination. Also, I just have been so busy that the nights I do get to stay home I have seriously ridiculous amounts of television to catch up on (isn't my life rough?). We are to the point where shows we taped on Tuesday are ready to be automatically deleted by the DVR because there isn't enough memory to keep them!! I am feverishly watching TV and it is starting to feel like a chore! Tonight I was watching LAST WEEK'S ER and thinking "why am I bothering? Do I really care? Or do I just have a loyalty to this show that I'm not willing to give up?" I do recall promising myself and Scott that I would never watch it again after Mark Green died. That didn't last.
Things that have happened since last I posted... *Morgan became Catholic and was given fun presents like her very own travel-shampoo bottle of holy water (really! It says holy water on it and everything) and a glow-in-the-dark Virgin Mary *Another baby was born - Aaron & Jenny's new son, Benjamin Grant (born appropriately on April 20th) =) *Miss Kayla (our neighbors Jason & Kelli's runt) has started sitting up on her own, and holy damn, is she cute *Mr. Mason dealt with a myriad of maladies (ooh, my SAT score just shot up!) like Pinkeye, which always makes me think of South Park, an ear infection and Pneumonia *True to form, Hannah immediately caught the pinkeye and was banished to Grandma and Grandpa Kyler's so as to not catch the Pneumonia *Mason turned 6 and got his first skateboard, which is pretty sweet *Heather left for Gautemala and is probably, at this moment, grinning maniacally at her new baby boy. And watching weird spanish crap on TV *I attempted to clean off my home desk. And partially succeeded. *I attempted to clean off my work desk, and did not succeed at all *I attended the last EC meeting and Chapter meeting of my first year as Chapter Adviser for the Upsilon Chapter of Alpha Phi - for once I get to enjoy the idea of a school-free summer again! I still have to work every day, but at least there will be no regular 1 and 1/4 hour drive to and from Topeka. I'll probably only have to do it a handful of times the whole summer, which is a break from every Sunday and the occasional Monday.
Well, looks like perhaps I have broken my block. I actually did have a horrible time getting to sleep the other night because I had so much stuff running around in my head, and I had to get up out of bed and write some of it down on a notepad just to appease my brain. I felt like my cousin, Laura, when we were younger and she kept her "dream diary". She was so loyal to writing in journals, and I was amazed by her willingness to forgo sleep in order to fully document her dreams as soon as she woke up from them - even if it was the middle of the night! Laur, do you remember your "thought of the day"? Heehee.
So, there it is... Now Heather has something to read in english and Amanda can keep busy at 3am when she's up with little Ella.
Speaking of the other half of the Bowling Boys - Mike is old and turns 30 on Saturday, celebrating with a mexican fiesta! I have a feeling the new dad will have a few margaritas to take the edge off of that new decade.
Right now Morgan is off becoming wicked Catholic. At this very moment she could very well be in the midst of the "good touch, bad touch" part of the ceremony. Heh. I'm just kidding. That doesn't start until 9pm.
A lot has been going on, but nothing really fascinating. I've been sick (Surprise!!) and super crazy busy with work. I wish I had more to say right now... my brain is honestly just like mush from all the Advil Cold & Sinus I have taken to try and clear my right sinus so I might be able to actually hear out of my right ear for once. I'm just so behind at work from this nasty cold, and I don't feel like I'll ever catch up at this point. I know I will, it's just daunting to look at my "to-do list" for the week and see that only two things are crossed off. The program is due to the publisher tomorrow, so I had to ask for an extension, which I HATE doing. Also, I know Scott is trying to make my birthday special, but I just am so cranky from feeling so yucky. I'm tired of my head hurting and my nose running and the sneezing and sneezing and sneezing. I went to work today, only intending to stay long enough to get some much-needed work done on the program, and ended up staying for 5 hours and was miserable the whole time. I really wanted to be back home and in bed by lunchtime, but I didn't get out of there until after 2:30. I would love to be able to leave early tomorrow, too, as I just got my new "Friends of the Zoo" membership card in the mail, and it would be ideal to spend my birthday hanging out with the lions and tigers and bears - oh my!, but I just don't see that happening.
Spam infiltrates my inbox like flies on poop. I wade through it each day, and often get a little laugh from the subject lines. They only have a couple of seconds to catch your eye and propel you to open their email, so they've gotta use something unique!
Set your Metabolism on FIRE! I'd rather not be on fire, thanks
Alien notebooks have landed.... (WHAT? What is an alien notebook?)
Your Photography Awards - final notice (apparently I'm a fantastic photographer and they want to give me prizes for my keen eye. I wonder if they know that 95% of the pictures I take are of my dog sleeping)
Dell Notebook Order Confirmation (damn - did I order online in my sleep again, or is somebody sending me an early birthday present? I better not be paying for this thing)
And, my personal favorite, taste better sperm Is that an offer or a command?
I don't know if you remember this very strange movie starring many celebrities such as Tom Cruise, Julianne Moore, Jason Robards, Philip Seymour Hoffman, etc...It was extremely odd and had frogs falling from the sky and a large serving of depression. In any case, it was an interesting film if for no other reason than the frogs. The best part of it is the soundtrack - it's largely written and performed by Aimee Mann, who has a fantastic voice. She puts so much emotion into her songs. I know Arwen is nodding her head right now.
Anyway, back in college, I think, I had the soundtrack - though it was on a MiniDisc (do any of you know what that is? My techy-geek husband does, because he had a MiniDisc player and bought me one, too way back in our senior year of college, lo those six years ago). Since then we have gotten rid of the gigantic stereo system components (including the MiniDisc component), and though I still have my personal MiniDisc player, I just don't have the heart to drag it out and have people ask me "what's that thing?"
So, I downloaded a bunch of the songs from the soundtrack, and I am reliving that time in my life. I think the song Wise Up is one of my all time favorites, and I shall now drive Scott crazy by listening to it over and over and over until his cute little ears burn. That has to be the one thing he regrets marrying me for... I have a disease that requires me to listen to a song a thousand times after I first fall in love with it. He always endures it with a smile, but I know inside he's thinking "oh god... one more time? No, please... I might have to strangle you or break your computer so you can't use iTunes."
We just watched Jarhead. It was good and not so good. Good because of the storyline and Jake Gyllenhaal wearing nothing but a Santa Hat. Not so good were all the crispy people in the desert. Still, all in all, it's nice to watch a movie and, every time Peter Saaaaarsgaaaaaard (said in Pirate voice) comes on, think "Michael?" Seriously. Go look at the picture. It's funny. And he really does look like Peter Saaaaaarsgaaaaaard. It's a little scary sometimes. He's like the love child of Peter Saaaaaaarsgaaaaard and Ewan McGregor. But you have to say Ewan without moving your mouth at all so it just comes out like "uuuuuuuuuuuhhhhnnn".
Breakfast Barf-rito by Tricia Tue, Mar 14 2006, 11:42 AM
Why do I always seem to write about my ailments and illnesses? I suppose it's all that really stands out in my day-to-day.
Sunday, on our way to Topeka for my weekly EC meeting with the girls, we stopped and grabbed some dinner at Sonic. Now, I don't know if you are aware, but I do not eat fast food anymore. Except for Sonic. For some reason, Sonic is safe... but only certain things on the menu are safe. I will not eat a fast food hamburger, no matter where it's from... or a hot dog (gross). I am quite partial to the Sonic Breakfast Burritos, because they are fairly simple and easy to eat on the road. So, I had my 'rito, went to my meeting and came home. No problem. I got cozy on the couch to watch Grey's Anatomy and slowly started to feel sick to my stomach. By the end of the show it was all I could do to get myself up and into bed. I was so miserable, and kept thinking "oh, I don't want to puke, please don't let me puke". As I tried to relax and go to sleep I prayed that I would feel totally normal when I woke up in the morning.
No such luck. I felt okay at first, and got up to go to the bathroom, and before I even got to the toilet my stomach sent out a signal that all was not well. I got back in bed and decided to stay home at least until the red alert from my stomach had turned to yellow. I slept through the morning hoping that would help, but every time I got vertical I would feel sick again. Horizontal was good, and I stayed that way on the couch most of the day. Finally, when Scott got home I was ravenous and ate all of the dinner he brought me... which was too much and promptly made me feel sick again. Smart.
I felt so-so when I woke up this morning, and I still have nagging nausea going on, but at least I'm not feeling like I need to pray to the porcelain gods.
Goodbye Sonic Breakfast Burritos... I knew ye well, but no more.
Ring Around the Worm by Tricia Sat, Feb 25 2006, 11:37 PM
Well, it's official. I have ringworm. It's really much more disgusting sounding than it actually is. It sounds like some dirty, slimy, legless creature is slithering around under my skin, but it's actually just a dermatophyte (fungus) that lives under the dead skin cells on top of the skin. It's not pretty, but it's not painful, either (that is, if you treat it and don't let it get too big or gross). Mine is a quarter-sized spot on the underside of my left forearm, about halfway between my elbow and wrist. It hasn't ever itched or hurt - just looked yucky. Anyway, I got some medicated cream that I have to put on it twice a day to heal it. Now the concern is whether I got it from the dog or not, and if he has it, how to fix it. Hell, how to even find out if he has it. Short of shaving him bald to see if he's got any marks, I'm not sure if there is a way to tell.
I remember when I was in grade school we heard some story about how you shouldn't walk around outside barefoot because tiny worms on the ground could get onto your feet and crawl into your bloodstream and actually take root inside of you. I always sort of associated that with ringworm. What a nice surprise to find out it's actually pretty harmless. I'm pretty positive now that the foot worm things are hookworms or something like that. Equally nasty sounding, but obviously quite worse for a person to be stuck with.
It still makes me nervous to walk around barefoot outside.
Poor Scotty still is fighting a fever, and he's just miserable. He had so much stuff he wanted to get done this weekend, but he's stuck on the couch checking his temperature. We have watched a LOT of television this weekend. I'm supposed to leave for Topeka and the weekly EC meeting in 30 minutes, but it just ain't gonna happen. I'm too nervous to leave him here by himself for that long (I'd probably be gone a good 4-5 hours) with his temperature so unstable. He has the day off tomorrow for President's Day, and hopefully he'll be able to get into the Doctor's office if he hasn't gotten better by then. It's ironic that he ALWAYS gets sick on a three day weekend, and ALWAYS has to stay home the Friday before, which means he has to give up a vacation day rather than get a sick day (company policy for any day prior to or immediately following a holiday, because too many people just called in "sick" to get an extra day off of vacation.) So, he continually gets screwed out of a vacation day when he is most definitely NOT on vacation. Unless you consider gallons of mucus and hacking up his liver a "vacation". I don't. Especially since I'm the one cleaning up after him and his mountains of kleenex.
I posted a whole thing about baby central earlier, but it got erased somehow. So, if you want to see all the new babies, visit:
One year ago today I was in my car accident. It's strange that it's been a whole year. One year ago at this moment, I think I was at the Urgent Care center getting checked for a concussion. And now I'm hanging out on the couch with Scott because he's sick. Poor kid has a fever and just feels like poo. I think I may be catching it, so I'm trying to do the hand-washing and germ-prevention thing.
This morning our friends Heather & Shane left for Guatemala to meet their new baby boy, Lucas. Apparently, Guatemala is a fairly scary place for the typical American to travel to, so there are all sorts of precautions they are having to take to make sure they don't have their credit card numbers stolen. When I talked to Heather yesterday, she was so excited that she had a stomach ache! I can't imagine how strange it must feel to know that in 24 hours you will be meeting your new son!
Also, today Morgan's little brother Matt leaves for Australia, which should be quite an adventure for him. He's a neat kid, and I'm sure he will have a ton of fun and learn a lot about himself while he's there. I know Morgan is a little heartsick that her younger bro' is leaving to do something new, but remember m, you've got something great going for yourself right now... I don't think, given the opportunity, that you would trade what you have for anything. Which is wonderful! You just need to get Matt a webcam so you can video chat! =)
So, today is a big day for traveling - while I hang out on the couch and watch movies, listening to Scott's labored breathing. I better go check on him.
Scott and I spent our Valentine's evening meeting our new niece, and she is beautiful. Poor kid didn't know what hit her - she had her eyes squeezed shut so tight and kept furrowing her forehead. I'm sure she was thinking "Man, I was warm and comfy, and now I'm out here where it's bright and loud and cold."
We did get to hear her scream and cry when Mike changed her diaper at one point, but besides that, she didn't make much of a peep while we were there. Amanda looked great, and even got up and walked around with their friend's daughter for a while. I think our plan is to go back over to the hospital tonight after work to see them again. I can tell that Mike and Scott both have totally fallen in love with this little girl. I am smitten too, but I still am quite partial to my Hannah Banana and Mr. Mase. =)
We have some pictures of Ella, but of course, I tried to post them and ran into some error or another, so Scott will have to fix some things in order for me to get them online.
Last night little Ella Christine Bowling was born at 12:48, so she's a Valentine's baby! Congrats to Amanda & Mike - we are so excited to meet our new niece!
It was broken! by Tricia Thu, Feb 09 2006, 12:17 PM
Again, it's been a while - but this time it's not totally my fault. Something was wrong with the website and I wasn't able to log in and post. Scott got it fixed, and he also fixed a problem with the pictures in the photo gallery. Besides that, I have been crazy busy. I spent this past weekend in Tulsa with five girls from the Alpha Phi house at South Central Regional Conference. We had a ton of fun and learned a lot. I'm angry though, because they have us these really nice little notebooks, and I took a lot of notes in it from the sessions I attended - and promptly left it in the hotel room when we departed. I called the next morning, after I realized I didn't have it, and the housekeeping people told me they hadn't found anything of that nature. Which, I'm sure, means they threw it out, thinking it was unimportant. Oh well. I'm just sad that all those good ideas I had are gone.
Michael and Morgan got a puppy! Check it out on her website Little M World. I think she has some pictures up. She is such a cute little pup. Scott and I went over and met her Tuesday evening, and she's just a sweetie. We came home and Brodie was not too pleased to have us smelling like some other dog.
I can't think of what else has happened. I am still trying to catch up on sleep from the weekend - college girls are exhausting! =) Last night I went with a friend to see "Imagine You & Me" (it's either that or "me & you" - I can't remember), and it was fantastic. I'm sure Scott's sad he missed it, since it's about lesbians and there are girls kissing. Every man's dream.
Our neighbors Kelli and Jason went out of town for the weekend, and asked us to look after their pooch, Plato. We didn't have to do much, as he was staying in his crate most of the time. Just go down a few times Saturday to let him out and feed him and play with him. Then the same today. We decided this morning to just bring him back up to our place for the day so he could hang out and not be in lock-up anymore.
It's hard to tell if Brodie likes Plato or not. Half the time he's trying to bite the poor dog's ear off, the other half he's trying to mount him. I think our dog has a bit of a complex. Plato's problem is he's unable to get comfortable anywhere but his own home. He has a really hard time lying down or even SITTING in our house. He's just got to check everything out, and if everybody gets quiet, he starts to whine, like, where am I, and how do I get back home? So, there was intermittent humping and fighting and barking, then a few moments of quiet. Plato spent a good five minutes rooting around with Scott's afghan on the couch, trying to make it work for his standard of comfort. Brodie stood there staring at him while he pawed and bit at the blanket, trying to move it around, and had this look on his face toward Plato that said "Seriously?"
At one point I went downstairs to work on something, and Scott was already down there. The pups of course followed, because Plato is very food motivated and assumes that if anybody goes anywhere it must be to get food and by god he's going to follow so he doesn't miss out. Brodie follows because he doesn't trust that bastard in his house. So they both came downstairs and must have been pooped, because they both found a spot on the floor (a good distance apart from each other) and passed out. Scott came over to my desk at one point to look at something, and both dogs jumped up in a "where you goin'?" moment.
It was hard to tell if Brodie was happy or depressed when Plato went home. Probably a little of both. I'm sure he was glad to have the couch (and momma) to himself again. =)
Sorry I haven't updated in a while - Not much has been happening. I have spent quite a bit of time in Topeka, and will go back on Sunday (now that the semester has started, I'll be there every Sunday, and the occasional Monday). Now that I think about it, I really need to bust a move and get the Adviser's calendar finalized so my helpers know what meetings they are scheduled to attend. Must put that on my list of things to do today.
I spent yesterday opening hundreds of surveys being returned to the theatre to help us pick our next season. I swear, I have some weird carpal tunnel resulting from holding the letter opener. My hand is all cramped because of it. Plus, I have little confetti-like bits of paper all over the floor around my desk from how the letter opener shreds the paper as it rips. Wonderful. Good thing we have a custodian for that kind of thing.
Scott got his new sunglasses last night - they are Oakley's and pretty cool. He says it will take him a while to get used to the curvature of the lenses - it's pretty nauseating, I guess. I'm still waiting on mine. Heard today that the lenses they originally ordered are on back-order, so she's ordering a different type of lens that actually should be better. Hopefully I'll have them within a week! I can't wait to get them - though I suppose I can wait if they are just going to make me nauseous like Scott's make him. I'll try to get him to post a picture of himself wearing them. Probably in the cellphone gallery.
My friend Allison had her house broken into last Friday - the crook didn't take any of their electronics or even a stack of cash that happened to be sitting out, but he did take every single piece of jewelry that Allison owned - except for those she happened to have on that day. Not just costume jewelry, but the diamond necklace, bracelet and earrings her husband bought her for their wedding, and her Alpha Phi pin as well as her mom's Alpha Phi pin, which is worth a lot not just in money but in memories. I just can't comprehend what kind of bastard you have to be to take someone's things like that. To make a person afraid to sleep in her own house.
Al, I am so sorry this happened to you and Nick! Hopefully the jerk will slip up and they'll catch him. From now on, hide your jewelry in the back of the toilet!! =)
'PodCasting On by Tricia Thu, Jan 12 2006, 10:31 PM
I should be in bed going to sleep so I'm not cranky tomorrow, but instead I am in front of my computer downloading Cast On, a podcast about knitterly things. Morgan has raved about it, so I figured I would check it out. I haven't listened to any yet (which is good, because then I really wouldn't go to bed), but I subscribed to the PodCast, which will automatically download each one into my iTunes when it is uploaded, which is pretty cool. I'm thinking about putting them on my iPod before work tomorrow so I can listen during the day. I got a HUGE project that I have been coddling finished today (or at least out of my hands, which is just as good to me), so tomorrow I won't have much to do - which is nice, since the new show opens tomorrow, and it always sucks to be behind/bogged down when the show opens. It's great to feel fairly caught up on the day that everything comes together. Lord knows I need it, because in the next month things are going to get hellish as the surveys start rolling in and need to be tallied (but, that's why I have an assistant), the renewal period begins and the new season is chosen - which means new brochures need to be created and printed, PR materials started, etc. So, I am glad to have a bit of down time, because Spring tends to be a very stressful time for me.
I've been having fun posting photos from my cell phone to the site - make sure to check them out. I also am obsessed with Photo Booth, one of the newer fun things to come from Apple. I have posted some funny photos from that, too - it has different effects you can use which make for some funny photos. I look like a cartoon character! =)
The new semester is starting, so I am already becoming a busy lady with Alpha Phi stuff... starting a new semester is always a little overwhelming, as there is so much to make sure gets onto the calendar, making time to be at the house, putting together a schedule for the other advisers, etc. It will be nice to get through the first couple of weeks and have everything set until May. Well, as set as things can be for a house full of college girls. Which is not usually very concrete. Or Jello, for that matter.
Uh Oh... There Goes The Cell Phone Bill by Scott Tue, Jan 03 2006, 10:20 PM
I just realized something. Due to my awesome web programming skills (although most would call them not-so-modest and lucky), I already had a means setup so that we can take pictures on our new cell phones and easily send them to the website for posting.
See three already in the Cell Phone Pictures album. So we can be 100 miles away from our computers but still post images... as long as the 100 miles includes Cingular Cell Service..
It has been a lazy holiday weekend. Scott has had a five-day weekend, as he was sick on Thursday and Friday and had to stay home. He's feeling better now, though still sneezy and fatigued. I was having a ridiculous amount of back pain during the week and over the weekend, but today it's not bothering me much. That could be because I've been horizontal more than vertical in the last three days. It's been all about lounging on the couch watching the tube. We got sucked into the "Mythbusters" marathon on the Discovery Channel, and now we're watching the episodes we missed when we went to bed last night. It's a really fun show, and you learn stuff, too! I think Scott likes it mostly because it's got a very "Good Eats" kind of vibe - humor and education rolled into one.
I got my glasses on Friday, and tried to post a picture, but it wouldn't work, and scott has been feeling too icky to fix the problem. I have been having a lot of fun playing with my new computer and checking out all the new programs and bits on it.
I think tomorrow I need to go back to the eye place and have them re-adjust my new specs. I have bruises behind my ears from the templebars being bent a little severely. I also have noticed that they leave quite a bruisey mark on the bridge of my nose, which leads me to believe that perhaps they are a bit too tight for my head.
Poor Scotty still is fighting a fever, and he's just miserable. He had so much stuff he wanted to get done this weekend, but he's stuck on the couch checking his temperature. We have watched a LOT of television this weekend. I'm supposed to leave for Topeka and the weekly EC meeting in 30 minutes, but it just ain't gonna happen. I'm too nervous to leave him here by himself for that long (I'd probably be gone a good 4-5 hours) with his temperature so unstable. He has the day off tomorrow for President's Day, and hopefully he'll be able to get into the Doctor's office if he hasn't gotten better by then. It's ironic that he ALWAYS gets sick on a three day weekend, and ALWAYS has to stay home the Friday before, which means he has to give up a vacation day rather than get a sick day (company policy for any day prior to or immediately following a holiday, because too many people just called in "sick" to get an extra day off of vacation.) So, he continually gets screwed out of a vacation day when he is most definitely NOT on vacation. Unless you consider gallons of mucus and hacking up his liver a "vacation". I don't. Especially since I'm the one cleaning up after him and his mountains of kleenex.
I posted a whole thing about baby central earlier, but it got erased somehow. So, if you want to see all the new babies, visit:
Freakin' Baby City Around Here Anymore by Tricia Sun, Jan 01 2006, 6:00 PM
Heather & Shane have a website that they set up for little Lucas. Lotsa pictures from this weekend in Guatemala, as well as frequent updates about their trip. It is so exciting to see two of my favorite people finally get the one thing they have wanted for so long! Luke is a beautiful little guy, and I know it will be very hard for them to leave him on Tuesday, but it will make it all the more exciting when they finally get to bring him home.
Haven't heard much from Mike & Amanda, so I'm guessing they have their hands very full with Ella. I'm sure it is quite a shock to their routine to all the sudden have this little person who requires all of their attention. Not that they aren't willing to give it. I have a feeling that they have probably spent the last five days doing nothing but staring at her. =)
The amazing and fantastic Scotty surprised me with a brand new computer when we got home from North Carolina (I had NO clue... it was quite a surprise!!), and because of that, BrodieCam is BACK! It was down for a while because the wireless card in my previous computer had gone kaput, which required us to remove the wireless card from the laptop used for BrodieCam to put in my computer. Now we can take that wireless card out of my computer and put it back in the laptop! So, be sure to check out what Brodie is doing.
Currently, he is curled up in a tight little ball on the couch, becuase our furnace is broken and our house is freezing! Poor little guy - I left him a blanket to curl up in, but I'm sure he's still cold. You'll also notice that our living room is a mess...
That time we almost spent the night in the Atlanta Airport... by Tricia Tue, Dec 27 2005, 1:31 PM
Our travel last night was pretty crazy. Jake and Rebecca dropped us off at the airport at 6:15 for our 7:15 flight - plenty of time to check in. We got in line (it was a long one) and repeatedly heard the check-in people telling passengers that their flight had been delayed, and they would probably miss their connecting flight. So, right off, we knew we were in for a long night. Our flight was delayed until 8:15, and we actually ended up leaving closer to 8:30, which would be fine, except that it's about a 50 minute flight from gate to gate in Charlotte and Atlanta, and our flight to KC was supposed to leave at 9:05. We arrived (nerve-wracked) in Atlanta a little before 9:30, and spent a good 15 - 20 minutes waiting just outside of the concourse for a plane to leave the gate we were waiting to get in to (which we of course assumed would be our flight leaving for KC - that would just be our luck!).
FINALLY, we pull in and take off running down the terminal toward gate C1, where our flight was to leave from - at this point we had no idea if it was still going to be there or not. As we ran up, the uniformed guy said to us "Kansas City? Hurry up, we're leaving!" We ran down the jetway and onto the plane, jumped into our seats and buckled our belts, and within moments the plane backed out and we were off. I was so happy to not have to sleep in the Atlanta airport! Had we missed the flight, we would have been stuck until 6am this morning, which would be horrible since we both had to work today. Thank god we made it! We got home a little after midnight and fell into bed.
The second leg of the flight was pretty miserable for me - I was just uncofortable and cramped and cranky. We watched episodes of The Office on Scott's laptop, and that made it a little more bearable. I'm sure the people around us thought we were nuts because we were laughing so hard at the show.
In the Mountains by Tricia Mon, Dec 26 2005, 8:48 AM
We've been here at my parents' cabin in the mountains since Thursday, and much has been done. We made a Gingerbread house with Mason and Hannah, witnessed the orgasm of the kids opening a monstrous pile of presents, went to the Mast Store and the Outlet mall, and currently we are hearing Hannah upstairs playing with Mason's new hotwheels racetrack.
We leave today, which is sad, but also nice because I miss the pup. He got lucky and was sprung from having to go to the kennel (mostly because they lied to us about being open on Christmas Eve, and when Glenda went to drop him off, nobody was there), so he's staying with Morgan and Michael. I bet he's having a ton of fun and is also totally confused. =) I can't wait to see him when we get home! The nice thing is we don't have a long layover on the way home. Our flight leaves out of Charlotte at 7:15 and we get to Atlanta at 8, then our flight to KC leaves around 8:30. I think we get into KC around 10:15. I'm not sure on these times.
No we must pack and get things ready so we can see if we need to ship anything or if it will all fit in suitcases. I hope we're able to just take everything back today. I think Scott has different ideas.
Over the River and Through the Woods by Tricia Tue, Dec 20 2005, 11:47 AM
To North Carolina we go! We leave tomorrow afternoon, and I'm so psyched. I have way too much stuff to get done before we leave, but I'm working on about three different things right now while I am at work. This will be the first time in probably 12 years that I have spent Christmas with my brother, Jake. This time around, he's got kids, which makes it more exciting, because I have never gotten to spend Christmas with them. Here's to an uneventful flight and an amazingly interesting 4-hour layover. =)
Last night I had my eye doctor appointment, and it was interesting. The people at the new office are great, but man, all those drops they put in your eyes SUCK. I was pretty much out of comission last night because of having my pupils dilated. I had a bunch of knitting to do, and I got a lot done, but it made my eyes and head hurt from having to focus so hard to see what I was doing. I picked out new glasses, and I love them. The ones in the picture are black, but I ordered them in "brown tiger", which hopefully will look good.
I also got sunglasses, but I can't find a picture of them anywhere - at least not one that I'm sure is the right pair. They are a lot bigger than my previous ones, which will be nice because it won't let as much light seep in around the edges. One of the things that we are getting is the special "baked-in" anti-glare lenses. They are supposed to make it easier to see at night and make them easier to clean, as water beads up on them rather than smearing around. I can't wait to get them! Scott should be getting his glasses today or tomorrow, and I hope they come in time because I want him to get to wear them on vacation!
Scotty-Potty Eyeglass Makeover by Tricia Tue, Dec 13 2005, 12:50 PM
Scott has ordered new glasses! He had an appointment on Saturday morning to get his eyes checked, and last night we went and I helped him make the final decision on what frames to get. The ones he picked are SO different from what he has had in the past, and I think people will double-take when the see him in them. We're hoping that they are in the day or two before we go to North Carolina, so my family can see the new Scott. =) I have my appointment on the 19th, and I picked out a few pairs last night that I liked, though I am torn between two of them. Still need to pick sunglass frames, too.
This was our first time at the new Eye Center of Parkville, and it's a really swank place. You don't expect an eye doctor's office to look like a cool restaurant or bar. The people are really nice, and I really felt comfortable talking to the woman about what frames looked good on me and what didn't. She wasn't afraid to say "That doesn't look good on you", which is refreshing. I can't wait to get new glasses and not have to continuously stare at the scratch down the middle of the right lens on my current pair!
I should seriously be in bed. It is 11:30 and my bedtime is 10. I am NOT allowed to stay up this late on a weeknight. This is what happens when Scott goes to bed and leaves me to fend off the television by myself. I get sucked in by Lifetime movies with puppies in them. Then, I realize way too late that, although my intention this evening was to do laundry (which, I might add, I haven't done in probably four weeks - I wore my thrift store sweater with a Zebra on it to WORK today...), I never got it to the dryer. So I sit here now feeling guilty that once again my clothes will sit in the dryer all night getting wrinkled. This is a sick cycle for me. It's not that I don't like doing laundry (though I'm not a fan of the folding aspect - my mom and Scott can attest to that), it's just that I put it in the washer and completely forget about it. Out of sight, out of mind. If we moved the machines upstairs next to the TV, I would probably get a ton of laundry done. But, alas, they are hidden away in the basement where I dare not tread when Gilmore Girls is on (even if it IS a re-run). So, tomorrow I will either wear something equally as hideous as the Zebra sweater (which, I might ALSO add, was the second time this week I've worn it - which makes it doubly sad), or something wrinkled. Not that anybody at work would be surprised to see me show up in something wrinkled.
Tricia don't do ironing.
Okay. Going to bed. I have a very long day tomorrow, including training for our new ticketing system from 3:30 to 7, and then racing up to Smithville for birthday dinner (although I'm sure I'll miss the dinner part, which sucks) for Scott's dad.
525,600 Minutes by Tricia Tue, Nov 22 2005, 12:28 PM
Last week I entered a contest through our local newspaper to win a free pass for a preview showing of the movie Rent, and I won! So, last night we stood in line for an hour and a half to be sure we got seats. Since we have new phones that do the camera thing, we had to take them out to the car and leave them. We were told that the security guards would be using "Night Scope" to be sure that nobody was using their phone to take pictures. Apparently security is high, even though the movie opens tomorrow country-wide. Anyway, it was really good, and I was impressed with Rosario Dawson. It was hard at first to separate the movie from the memorized soundtrack in my head, because the movie is by no means exactly the same as the Broadway show. Not that it should be. There are a few things missing, a few things added in... but only noticible to someone like me who knows the whole show backward and forward. Scott even seemed to enjoy it.
My favorite character has been and still is Mark Cohen. I love his voice, and he's just fun to watch - especially in the "Viva La Vie Boheme" number when he's dancing on the tables. He is played by Anthony Rapp, who, I found out last night, grew up in Joliet, Illinois - about 20 minutes from where I grew up. Not just that, but I was surprised to find out that he was Daryl (the irritating best friend of Keith Coogan) in Adventures in Babysitting! Very trippy.
There were a few little old ladies who came in while we were sitting around waiting for the show to start, and I would really like to know what their reaction was. I wonder if they even know the show, or what they were getting themselves into, because it's kind of crude and has a lot of bad language. I bet they were thinking "Oh Dear!" =)
Hippie Long-Haired Freak by Tricia Sun, Nov 20 2005, 8:03 PM
We went to see the new Harry Potter last night (Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire), and all I have to say is somebody needs to chase that Ron Weasley down and cut his hair! =) It was a good movie, though quite a bit scarier than the previous three, which makes sense, as this book is a lot darker. I was really impressed with George and Fred Weasley - they stole every scene they were in! In the first couple of movies they didn't have much personality, but in this one, they were hysterical. I really like how Hermione is being portrayed, as well - and she is much more likeable now. I would be friends with her! =)
Ron's hair really did drive me crazy though - and Fred and George's, too, I suppose. I guess I just hate that the weird, feathery, long hair on boys has come back. I like my boys to have their hair cropped short. Er...I mean, my MEN.
An Open Letter to my Dead Orthodontist by Tricia Fri, Nov 18 2005, 3:01 PM
Dear Dr. Fleming,
How's your grave? Comfy? I hope so. I have a little bit of information to discuss with you. Yesterday I went to the dentist. Now, I don't know if you are aware of this, but I have a riduculous fear of all things dentistry, and I hate to tell you, but it's all because of you. I'm sure you're probably proud that you made such an impression on me, but really - now is not the time to take too much credit. Thanks to your drunken shenanigans with tools and wire in my mouth, I spent about 6 years wearing braces. Come to find out, this is not the normal length of time that normal kids, who go to normal orthodontists spend wearing braces. Mostly they have them for about 18 months, and then never have to think about it again. You took six years of my life and made me an unnattractive, self-concious metal mouth. Thanks.
Anyway, back to the dentist. I mentioned to him that my bite had been feeling kind of off, and he got kind of quiet, looked over my records, and apparently, thought about a response. He asked me who my orthodontist had been (not realizing that I'm not from the Kansas City area, and therefore did not have the luxury of seeing someone here in town). I responded that it was some jerk (sorry - truth hurts) in Chicago. He asked me how long I had my braces, and I told him. His eyes practically bulged out of his head. In all his years of dentistry, he has never heard of anyone having to wear braces for longer than 3 years, and that's an extreme case. Hm.
He then informs me that whatever my orthodontist did (that being YOU, Dr. Fleming), it was not good, and that my bite is pretty messed up because of it. The only way to fix it is to get the braces BACK ON again. As a 27-year-old. Like I didn't go through enough humiliation with braces as a teen, I have to get them in my late-twenties. The dentist's advice was that if I don't spend the 4-5 grand now to get the braces and fix my bite, down the road a couple of decades, I may have to drop a good 15-20 grand to have ALL OF MY TEETH CAPPED because my bite problems will eventually cause my teeth to wear down flat.
I was wondering if maybe you would be able to visit your old receptionist from the afterlife, and ask her if she could send me a copy of my records, more specifically my history of payment. I would really like to know how much my parents shelled out to you for your sham of orthodontia. I also would like to request that you refund my parents in full, as you obviously didn't accomplish what you told them you would by putting braces on me. I did not wear all of those teeny tiny rubber bands to the point of not being able to separate my teeth when speaking, so you could haunt me from the grave by having to get the metal slapped back on!
In conclusion, I hope you are currently rotting in hell with all the plastic surgeons who did work on people who didn't need it, people who flick cigarette butts out of their car on the highway, and the jerks who mistreat poor animals. You all belong in the 7th circle of hell, from where I stand.
Happy Holidays,
Tricia Kyler Bowling
PS...Did you know my brother still has his ridiculous bottom retainer on? I finally got mine taken off, and was surprised to find two horribly stained, ugly teeth. Did you know that when you leave an appliance on for that long, that your teeth start to rot, but then the rot petrifies and becomes a nasty brown mark? Thanks for that, too.
10 Fingers, 10 Toes by Tricia Fri, Nov 18 2005, 2:56 PM
Yesterday we welcomed little Kayla Rose Thompson into the world. Our neighbors and good friends, Jason and Kelli (both of whom went to Truman with us)had their little girl at 4:15 on November 17, 2005! We're all pretty excited, and she is a beautiful kid. You know - a lot of times, babies come out not so attractive. I mean, really - they've been scrunched up inside a tiny bag for months, and all the sudden they are exposed to the world - and they often are funny-looking. It's true! I have seen pictures of me as a newborn, and I was not pretty! Anyway, little Miss Kayla is really a darling baby, and has a perfect little peach for a chin. She takes after Jason by having enormous hands and feet.
Walkin' the Walk(ies) by Tricia Sat, Nov 05 2005, 8:01 AM
Since I have to be ready to go to Topeka by 8:30, we decided to get up a little earlier and take poochy for walkies. It's slightly chilly out, which makes for nice walking weather. Once that dog hears "walkies?" you're done for. He did a dance all over our bed while we were still in it. There's no going back from that.
We spent the evening at Morgan and Michael's, slurping down soup and chatting about our week. Prior to dinner at casa d'Amick/Perry, Morgan took me to The Studio, a knitting shop right off of the Plaza. Scott's mom and her friends had given me a gift certificate in thanks for getting them theatre tickets, which was so incredibly sweet, unnecessary and appreciated. There is SO much to look at in this place - I almost passed out from overstimulation. Packed into this tiny little shop are rooms and rooms of different kinds of yarn! Sparkley yarn... fuzzy yarn... chunky yarn... ribbon-y yarn! Up to the ceiling, in baskets on the floor, hanging in clear vinyl pouches from pegboards. It was amazing and fantastic and tiring. By the time we got back and ate dinner, I was pooped.
Alas, we forged ahead, and Morgan sat me down to begin teaching me the wonders of knitting with REAL wool (I've only used acrylic and cotton up until now). And, it's not just another boring scarf that she has me working on... it's a cute handbag that will eventually be felted to change the size and texture! The best part is, just in about two hours of work at their place, I already have the handles done! It was pretty amazing to watch as I went round and round knitting in a circle, casting off and on, and then all the sudden - HANDLES! I'm pretty excited. And proud.
Tomorrow I am going out to Topeka with the HCB President for a Greek Housing meeting, and I hope it's not considered rude, but I plan to bring my new project with to knit while we travel. Otherwise, it'll be a full hour and fifteen minutes of me awkwardly not knowing what to do with my hands because all I'll be able think about is my cool handbag! I was able to get 4 skeins of yarn with my gift certificate, and got a dollar back in change. That's really a lot compared to the amount I'm used to spending (4 skeins is usually about $15), but I'm ususally getting much lower-quality materials.
I already can't wait to go back and get more. I think this bug is finally really hitting me. Now that I have a little more confidence (Thanks m!), maybe I'll be able to convince myself to try more difficult projects. Scarves do tend to get a little boring. I would love to make a teeny poncho for my niece to wear this winter.
Last night we had a wonderful dinner with Heather and Shane. Heather fixed lasagne, and it was delicious! Post-dinner we sat down to watch Shane's favorite thing from Austin (where the two of them spent a few years doing Graduate school). It's called Mr. Sinus Theater. It's these guys in Austin who show movies at a theatre and sit up front making jokes (obviously similar to Scott's favorite show, Mystery Science Theatre 3000", which would explain the somewhat odd naming of Mr. Sinus Theatre). These guys now sell CD versions of their routines that match up with movies. Last night we synced up the Footloose DVD wit the Footloose Mr. Sinus commentary CD, and it was hysterical.
Oop... gotta go.
I shall call him.... Mini-PS2 by Scott Sun, Oct 23 2005, 10:12 PM
In our ever reluctance to get video game systems when they are 'hip'.. we bought a Play Station 2 yesterday. OK, truth be told.. we never thought we'd buy another video game system since that odd Nintendo Love-Fest our senior year of college. Well, after actually owning two PS2 games over the course of the last two months, we made the plunge. We paid for most of it with Best Buy Reward Zone points that were close to expiring.
We already owned Katamari Damacy, the original and sequal. So I went out and bought Need For Speed: Hot Pursuit 2 (I love being the cop and chasing down the bad guys) and Simpsons: Road Rage. I guess the good thing for buying a system so late in the game is that all the games can be had on the cheap through eBay or used game resellers (Game Stop).
So anyway, since we got one brand new, it was the redesigned PS2. It is literally 1/4 the size of the original. I swear I could put it in my pocket!
I absolutely love Grey's Anatomy! Every week it's funny, dramatic and a little bit emotional. I know it's basically a prime-time soap opera, when you get down to it, but it's really a great show with incredibly developed characters. My favorite is definitely George. He's sort of the "underdog-come-hero" guy. He's bumbling and nervous, but he always comes through, as a doctor and a friend. Too bad he got the Syph.
Does this sound as pathetic as I think it does?
Anyway, I think I like it better than ER, just because it's more realistic in the sense of the relationships between different people and their actual lives. Plus, the humor is better. And the gore is less gorey. I wrote a nice note in my Nielsen TV diaries about how much I like Grey's Anatomy, The Office and My Name is Earl. And I wrote "My husband watches A LOT of Football." I think they'll get the point.
For the past month or so, I have had an issue with my eye. It's been all twitchy. Not all the time, but just every once in a while - usually at least once a day. It's pretty interesting to run to a mirror when I feel it start to twitch, and watch my eyelid jiggle around without my assistance. It drives me crazy, though! The last time I had a real problem with this was during finals my senior year of college. That I can understand, as my life was pretty stressful then. I'm not sure what the stressor is now - or perhaps it's just all of the crazy chemicals in the meat we eat. Or, perhaps I'm just going crazy.
Fat Midwesterners Wearing Period Garb by Tricia Sat, Oct 15 2005, 6:21 PM
Spent the day at the Rennaissance Fest with Liz and Brian and a friend of theirs. I am exhausted. It is hard work to laugh at ridiculous people who dress up in costumes and wander around the woods hoping people will take them seriously. We had a creepy vampire-y guy follow Liz and I, which was a little invasive. We wanted to sue, but since he never actually touched us, figured we didn't have much of a case.
Anyway, Scott and I got our turkey legs, so that was worth it. They had this thing called the Jolly Jumper, which we stood and watched for a good hour and a half. It's four sets of bugee cords, and four people go at a time. You wear a harness, then they hook you on both hips up to the bungee cords. Then a hairy dreadlocked dirty guy hangs on your legs and bounces you up really high in the air. Oh, the stories those dirty dreadlocked guys must have of kids peeing on themselves, or puking midair. To be a fly on their break-room wall! That was the highlight of the day. That and the lame magician that did the same trick four times in a row. He was apparently short on good ideas for the gig.
Okay, I feel like I'm ceasing to make much sense. Think I will go lie down and take a little nap. Oh, also, on the way there my glasses broke (Scott is currently trying to fix them), so I'm sitting here in the semi-darkness typing away with my sunglasses on so I'll be able to see the computer screen. Hello, eyestrain.
Yesterday Scott and I celebrated four years of wedded bliss. And four years since we declared war on Afghanistan. What a great day to celebrate. We went out to dinner (thanks to a gift card that arrived just in time from Scott's parents - it's like his mom is a mind-reader), came home and passed out watching The Stepford Wives. How appropriate for ones anniversary to watch a movie where husbands turn their wives into obedient robots. Too perfect.
Today we are celebrating by going to the Weston Irish Festival with Michael and Morgan. The weather is so beautiful already, and it should be a great day. What day isn't great that starts with breakfast at IHOP? We're waiting for M & m right now so we can go eat our weight in pancakes! That should make for a great mixture once we fill oureselves with Beer. I'm assuming I will be the designated driver, as I have no desire to drink stinky yucky beer. But, that's fine with me, as it will be fun to see Morgan, Michael and Scott LOADED.
And we're off! I would say something Irish-y, but can't think of anything. Kiss me, I'm Irish! (actually, more German than anything else, but that's really unimportant)
I Heart Television by Tricia Sun, Sep 25 2005, 10:11 AM
My whole life I have wanted to be a part of the Nielsen ratings system. I have waited for that call that makes me part of the "Nielsen Family". How cool would it be to have what YOU watch be documented and thought of as a slice of data for the country?
Today I got the call. Damn, I'm glad I didn't hang up like I normally would.
If only this had come a year ago so I could make it clear how much I LOVE AMERICAN DREAMS. The guy on the phone said that the stuff that will be sent to us will include a section for "comments" for the networks. Let me tell you, I will be making a few comments about how angry I am that they took American Dreams off the air, and put Will Estes (who played JJ) on a crappy new show called Reunion that SUCKS. The networks will feel my wrath.
Aaah, there's so much power in being a Nielsen Family.
Oodles of Noodles by Tricia Fri, Sep 23 2005, 9:32 AM
Earlier this week Scott and I both forgot our lunches at home and decided to meet up for lunch. I was discussing with my assistant where we should go, and she mentioned Lulu's. I had never been there but had always been interested in going, so we decided to go there and invited Liz along, since it just happens to be her favorite place to eat. I have always loved the logo from Lulu's, and the rest of the establishment did not disappoint. The decor was funky and comfortable with lots of giant plants all over. The food was fantastic, which doesn't hurt either. Scott had something garlicky with beef and cilantro in it, Liz had the "Rainbow Peanut Noodles" which looked great, and I had something called Pad Jakkrit. It was delicious! Lots of wide rice noodles with broccoli, bok choy, fried egg and a wonderful sweet soy/ginger sauce. I added pork to mine, which made it even more yummy.
Liz and I have decided that it is our new hot spot for lunch, and I can't wait to go back. The only crappy thing is this place is NOT Morgan-friendly. There are peanuts and soy EVERYWHERE. It's kind of funny because Liz is sort of the Anti-Morgan. She's a vegetarian and eats mostly the stuff that Morgan can't because of her allergies. Why do all of my friends have weird eating habits/requirements? =)
Round 1: Brodie - 0. Bunny - 1 by Scott - BK Sports Mon, Sep 19 2005, 7:55 PM
Kansas City, Mo. - In the first regular season matchup of inter-species play, and the inaugural game in the BowlingKyler.com Coliseum, Brodie suffered his first defeat when pitted up against the speedy Bunny.
This was the first face-to-face and untethered game for Brodie (0-1) after recovering from his recent bout with Fire Ants. The Fire Ants overwhelmed Brodie on September 8th with 15-20 bites on his back, knocking him out of play for over a week. Some feel that the pain was too great for Brodie to take, forcing him to be sidelined. Others suspect that humiliation came into factor as a six square inch rectangle of fur was missing, the result from an 'exploratory' veternary appointment. Either way, the time off may have impacted Brodie's ability in the competition.
"This is my house! No one comes into my house like this! Did you see him run away like that. My house! MY HOUSE!" uttered Brodie in his post-game interview. Brodie did keep Bunny (1-0) in the Coliseum for a good 10 seconds, but wasn't long enough.
The recently constructed Colliseum is a 5 foot, spaced picket fence. It is built with cedar pickets, which provides a nice aroma for the spectators. (It also covers up the doggie doo doo oders). The old arena gave Brodie only a 60 sq ft area for competition. The Bunny would simply sit just outside of his reach and laugh at him. Now the tables have turned.
Brodie performing pre-game stretches and exploring his new arena
Bunny could not be reached for comment after the game. It appears he may be a little more cautious next time he enters the Coliseum. This IS Brodie's HOUSE.
Food Always Tastes Better When It's FREE by Tricia Mon, Sep 19 2005, 12:09 PM
There was a Special Event in the theatre today, and they had the food catered in for their guests. The great part about working here is often, following a SpEv of this nature, AHT employees are invited to decend like flies upon the leftover food. Today was a good day for snacking. There were DELICIOUS potstickers full of something questionable but delicious (can you believe I ate them? I was surprised with myself! I don't normally do questionable), mini smoked sausages (higher caliber than ltl' smokies) with multiple sauces for dipping, fresh veggies, swedish meatballs (yuck), chips and fresh black bean salsa, eggrolls and COOKIES. Not just any cookies, but my personal favorite, Chocolate-chocolate chip cookies! I took two. Oinkoink. The sad thing is I had just finished eating my lunch not 20 minutes before. That's enough time to digest, in my world. It was clearly time for another meal!
I think I'll have another cookie now. You may want to check under my desk later, in case I go into a food coma.
I just picked up a fountain pen that I haven't used in a month or two - was about to write a quick note to enclose in something I'm going to drop in the mail tomorrow - and all the sudden, four of the five fingers on my right hand were coated in purple ink. Hooray! I guess at some point the ink leaked out of the cartridge and into the cap of the pen (interesting, since when i picked the pen up, it was in a container with other pens, nib end up). When I took the cap off and held it to write, it soaked my thumb, index finger, middle finger and ring finger in ink. Thank goodness my pinky is clean!
Lucky for me it's permanent ink, so now I'll be fielding questions from friends and co-workers alike until the ink wears off. I'll just have to come up with some creative answers. Scott's idea was to tell people it was from being fingerprinted at the police station after a wild Saturday night. =) Maybe I'll say I have Michael Jackson's weird skin disease. Got into a fight with an octopus? Am becoming part-Muppet?
I have been working on the same mailing all day, and my arms are so tired. I have to take a brochure, put a half sheet insert into it, tab shut on all three sides, put on an address label, a special offer label and a blank sticker over the bulk mail indicia so they can be mailed in house. I've got all of the labels on, but now I'm down to tabbing them shut. It's taking FOREVER and I swear the stack grows every time I look away. These are the days I hate, when I don't feel like I have accomplished anything because of one stupid tedious project that keeps me occupied all day. It doesn't help that my desk is a total mess, so I can't find anything. I keep getting the piles of finished brochures mixed up with unfinished! Once I get them all done, then I have to put postage on each one. There are only 127 of them, but I have been working on this project since 10am and it's now 2:30!!
Sitting in the study room (newly renovated, and beautiful, I might add) at the Phi house. The girls are upstairs right now on party #3. My feet already hurt from my heels, but I only have to wear them for about another hour. Kandy is reading from her online class archives to Allison and I. They had to write their own biographies, and some of them are really funny. It's amazing how these students don't seem to bother with spellcheck or anything. I can't believe some of the grammar these people use. Aren't you supposed to turn in the best copy to the professor? I would never have allowed a teacher to see some of the stuff these people have handed in. I guess maybe they feel it's more informal since it's an online class.
Anyway, looking forward to an evening of pillow fights and girls kissing (that was for Scott and Michael). =) I will actually be getting in my PJ's as soon as the parties are over and read my book. Sorry boys.
I tend to forget that leaving town for four days does require some planning and forethought on my part. As well as packing. I'm currently attempting to clean my desk (and if you know me very well, this can be a great feat). Want to make sure I have everything with me that I need, and everything that I need is spread all over my workspace in no particular organizational pattern. Oooh! A hairclip! And plane ticket stubs from when I flew to Indiana for my Grandma's funeral .... was that two years ago? Obviously I am a bit of a pack rat. I can hear my mom laughing right now.
I'm really just doing this to keep from packing. I hate packing, especially when I have to pack dress-up clothes. I don't own anything appropriate for "skimpy cocktail dress night" at the house. I don't really own anything that doesn't make me look like a 3rd grade teacher (thanks, Mom). At least I left the wooden apple necklaces to her (don't lie - You know you had one!!). I have to run out to WalMart at some point too to pick up a few things for the weekend. I had this great idea to take a picture of the girls on Friday in front of the house when they are all dressed up and have copies made at one of those Kodak machine things. Then, well take the copies and attach them to the front of blank cards, and send them out to the alumnae who donated or helped in some way. Much more personal than a typical Hallmark thank you, right?
Wow. I threw a lot of stuff away, but there's not much of a dent in the pile. Perhaps I would be better off to start with packing. =)
Sorry for lack of posts. I've been busy being sick, camping and preparing for Recruitment at WU. My cold is still struggling to hang on, which is making me miserable. I'm very mucous-y and still have kind of a wet, nasty cough. This past weekend Scott and I went to Bennett Springs State Park with Michael and Morgan. We spent Saturday in canoes, floating down the Niangua River. It was a lot of fun, and I hope we get to do it again. I will be sure to bring a little seat of some sort for next time, because my back still hurts from not having any sort of back support in the canoe. Morgan took lots of pictures with her rugged, waterproof disposable camera, and she got us prints, so I'll have to scan them in and post them.
Thursday I leave for Topeka and move into the Alpha Phi house for the weekend. Tonight is the beginning of Recruitment, and I know the girls are nervous. The whole recruitment system at WU has been changed, which is causing a lot of confusion and problems. I understand why they made the changes, but they should have done it a little more gradually, because the girls are all freaking out about it. They basically went to "no frills" overnight, and now the girls aren't allowed to decorate the house, have food or drink, etc. They have to rely solely on their conversational skills, which isn't really a problem for them, but when it comes to having a 50 minute party where you aren't allowed to do anything but talk, things can get a little awkward and stilted. We usually have cheesecake for the girls at that last party, but since we are not allowed ANY food, the girls will be sitting, staring at each other for 50 minutes. Hooray.
I can't think of anything else major that has happened. My friend Katey got married a couple of weekends ago, and Scott and I, being the Northlanders that we are, couldn't find the church and missed the ceremony! We made it to the reception, but I am so mad that we missed the actual wedding.
We go to pick up Brodie after work today. We had to board him for the weekend since we were out of town. Unfortunately, we were back Sunday morning, but the kennel was closed Sunday and Monday! Two whole days at home without my Brodie! It was very depressing. I can't wait to see him!
Yesterday Scott and I went with Morgan and Michael to Powell Gardens, which is the botanical garden about 30 minutes south of Kansas City. We specifically went because it was one of the weekends of their annual Butterfly Festival. I am so glad we did! We had a really great time watching Butterflies, looking at Tree-Mendous Treehouses, and investigating all of the beautiful plants in the gardens. Morgan and I both got inspired to create a butterfly garden in our yards. We painted little flower pots and got lantana plants to go in them. We got our own tiny milkweek plant to start our butterfly garden. The Monarch Watch folks were there teaching everyone about creating a waystation for migrating Monarch butterflies. It was fun and educational! =)
Beautiful Furniture by Tricia Tue, Aug 16 2005, 1:07 PM
My good friend Heather's dad has gotten together with the father of another of Scott's childhood friends and started a furniture making business! I know Dan has been making amazing pieces of furniture for his kids for years, and I'm glad to see he's bringing his talent to the public! Take a moment to visit Our Family Tree Heirloom Furniture and have a look at all the great things they have made. There's also a picture of Heather's brother, Mark (Modeling with a game table, of course)! =)
There's an eerie quiet in our house. Brodie is obviously depressed and keeps going back to the guest room to look around. He knows that Julie's stuff is gone, which means she's gone. I'm sure he thinks we kicked her out, and is holding us responsible for his best friend leaving. Last night before bed he repeatedly went into her room and just sniffed and searched for her. Then he would come into our room all distraught and flop onto our bed, then get back up and do it again. Poor guy.
We had a really fun summer with Julie, but it was time for her to head back to school and finish her final semester. Hopefully she'll come back to visit... or even move to the KC area when she's out of school. She left us the most beautiful ceramic canister (dare I say doggie treat jar?) that has an amazing portrait of Brodie on it. We will fill it with Brodie's treats so we can think of Julie every time we make the dog fatter. =)
Thank you, Julie, for being a kick-ass houseguest. We will miss you!
Climbing the Ladder by Tricia Thu, Aug 11 2005, 9:29 AM
Yesterday I officially got a promotion! I am now the Marketing Supervisor, which is pretty cool because my previous title gave no indication that I even worked in the Marketing Department.
The irony is that after I got everything finalized with our Executive Director, my assistant went in to her and gave her two weeks notice. So, now I'm on the hunt for a new assistant, which is always interesting. They seem to just fall into our laps, which is nice, but I always worry that whoever we hire is going to turn out to be irritating or hard to deal with. It's a difficult position to fill, because not many people are willing to take a position that is only 20 hours a week, doesn't pay extremely well, and doesn't have benefits of any kind (besides free theatre tickets and an occasional free lunch). We usually end up with a lot of weirdos applying because those are the only people who are willing to take such a job. It's the perfect spot for a recent college grad who is interested in theater and/or PR and marketing. But, there's a lot of turnover, which is hard on our department to have to train new people often. Hopefully I'll find somebody within the next week or so, because I don't want there to be a gap between when my current assistant leaves and the new one starts.
Brodie had his annual exam yesterday, and he got three shots, including his 3-year rabies shot. He was a very good boy. We initially took him in because he has an ear infection - lotsa crusty goop residing in his right ear. He spent all weekend violently shaking his head repeatedly, and using his hind leg to scratch his ear (you try it!). He got some special medicine, and lots of treats and love from the vet, but he still seems to feel miserable. This morning I got out of the shower, and there he was on the carpet of our bedroom, slamming his head against the floor, using the carpet to scratch his ear.
I can't even explain how funny he is at the vet. He knows the difference between being boarded and getting looked at, and he knows it as soon as we go in the little exam room. The vet's assistant came in to look at his ear, and he squished himself between my legs and the bench I was sitting on. He peered out at her with a look of horror on his face. They finally brought him up on the table to do the exam and shots (and, I might add, though he cried last time during the shots, this time he was so busy getting his ear scratched by the assistant, that he didn't even notice the needles being shoved into his butt), and the whole time he gave Scott and me dirty looks. As soon as they put him back down on the floor he was a happy puppy again, squirming and sniffing under the door, trying to get out! He was very glad to be finished with THAT for another year. Quite like my "Well-Woman" exams every year. Though I don't lick MY doctor - I might get sued if I showed my thanks that way!
BrodieCam is being tempermental, so you may be able to view and you may not - sorry about that. He's just sleeping, anyway - god, get a life! =)
Airline Security Goes Overboard by Tricia Tue, Aug 02 2005, 3:45 PM
Seriously folks. This is ridiculous. Imagine what would happen if they found an actual weapon on board. I'm surprised they're not throwing ladies off the plane at 30,000 feet for sneaking on a nail file. I would be so pissed if my flight was delayed because some busybody decided to freak out over a razor blade. There would be some in-flight violence, I can tell you that. And I wouldn't need a razor blade, either.
Billy Graham is Dumb by Tricia Fri, Jul 29 2005, 12:50 PM
One more reason for me to not believe in Christianity. If God made dinosaurs, and God made the earth, I'm pretty sure the earth would have had to come first. Billy finds a loophole with extinction though, and thank goodness, or our whole system may have been corrupted. Also disturbing is the fact that this parent couldn't just make up an answer for her child, but felt the need to seek guidance from Billy Graham, of all people. I equally enjoy the fact that Billy squelches the discussion and turns it around to be evangelical, and urges the parent to "pray for her son", because you know - kids that ask too many questions ain't goin' to heaven.
(You can also see this abomination here)
Dear Billy Graham,
Our son (who is 7) likes dinosaurs a lot, but the other day he asked me if they just happened or if God made them. He also wondered why God didn't let them keep on living. I'm afraid I didn't have any answers for him, but I promised I'd write and ask you. — Mrs. J.L.
Dear Mrs. J.L.,
God created everything—and yes, you can tell your son that this means He also created the dinosaurs. They aren't mentioned in the Bible, however, since they were extinct by the time it was written. I also don't know why God let them become extinct (although I'm not sorry He did; I'd hate to have a hungry dinosaur peek over the fence at me!).
The Bible makes it clear that nothing happened on earth by accident; everything was created by God, and was in accordance with His perfect design. The very first verse of the Bible says, "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth" (Genesis 1:1). The Bible also tells us that Christ was given the assignment of actually creating the universe, and "without him nothing was made that has been made" (John 1:3).
In time, your son will probably outgrow his interest in dinosaurs—but I hope he will never outgrow his interest in God and what He has done for us in Jesus Christ. Pray regularly for your son; God has entrusted him to you and given you the privilege of raising him.
Make it your goal, therefore, not just to help him grow physically and mentally, but spiritually, as well. Is Christ the center and foundation of your life, and over the years will your son see that Christ makes a difference in the way you live?
Well, Arwen came and left and I already miss her! She was there when I got back from Topeka on Saturday, and we went out to dinner with Morgan at Abuelo's at Zona Rosa. Sunday we met up with Michael, Morgan, Ken and Kyle for brunch at First Watch, which was delicious. Then, Kyle was nice enough to take Scott, Arwen and I on a "behind the scenes" tour of the Nelson-Atkins museum of art. It was pretty cool to go through with him and have him be able to tell us where "secret passages" are, and other interesting things about the building. Right now it is highly under construction, but after hearing Kyle explain how things are going to look, I'm excited to go back! The neatest thing, I think, is the "reflecting pool" (if you could call it that) at the front entrance of the building. It is supposed to represent the sun and moons in our solar system, and the moons are made to allow light into the parking garage below. So, when you walk through the parking garage, the light kind of wavers because of the water above! Very interesting.
Yesterday Arwen and I met up with Ken and Kyle for lunch and then did some window shopping on the Plaza. I splurged and got Scott the Family Guy special edition Uno card game. It was way more expensive than any deck of cards ought to be. Today Arwen left, and I want her to come back! COME BACK ARWEN! It was so much fun having her here, and I love having her sense of humor around. She always makes me giggle.
She's off to witness the marriage of another college pal, Moira Cavanagh, and then she'll go to Doniphan, Missouri for her 10-year high school reunion. Then back to Boston, which is too far away. Have a safe trip!
Pillow Fights and Lingerie by Tricia Fri, Jul 22 2005, 10:17 PM
I am currently at the Alpha Phi house in Topeka, just hanging out. I had a meeting with some of the collegiate officers this evening, and now I'm just watching movies in the House Director's "apartment". I say "apartment" because I wouldn't really go so far as to call it a real apartment. More like a studio apartment, I suppose, except she doesn't even get her own teeny kitchen. It's cozy, though, and in the summer she has the whole house to herself, which is probably close to 5,000 square feet. All nine bedrooms are HERS, man. =) This, I know, is somewhat disappointing for Michael and Scott, who are positive that every night at the sorority house is one big orgy. I have tried to convince them otherwise, but alas, they live in their own dream world. Usually every night in the sorority house is full of screaming and stomping up and down the stairs. Sort of like my adolescence.
The really cool thing is having the house kitchen all to myself! There are strawberry shortcake ice cream bars in the freezer, and I may just eat my weight in them. =) I feel like I've reverted to college. I had a bowl of Cap'n Crunch and then popcorn for dinner (and strawberry shortcake ice cream bar, of course). I haven't eaten this badly in years. Wait. That's a lie - see two posts below to read about the state of groceries in our kitchen at home.
Anyway, I am watching Keeping the Faith, which is a really funny movie, so I'm going to go get some more munchies and pass out on Kandy's little couch.
BrodieCam will be down between late tonight (Thursday) and Saturday afternoon. The computer that runs BrodieCam is going with me to Topeka for Friday and Saturday, so there will be no broadcast. Regular scheduling will resume Saturday evening around 5pm. Sorry for any inconvenience. I know how much you all love watching the dog nap. You'll just have to find someone else's dog to watch.
Old Mother Hubbard by Tricia Wed, Jul 20 2005, 5:37 PM
Came home to realize that we have pretty much no food in the house. Well, that's not true. We have food, just not the full ingredient list for any given meal. Unless we wanted to have a meal of mashed potatoes. Which I have been known to do. So I set about making some lame spaghetti, and just as I was putting the water on to boil, the phone rang. It was the Thompsons down the street, and Kelli said "Don't cook anything - we're feeding you!" Can you say perfect timing? So, she said to come down in about an hour, which gave me just enough time to make a double batch of my wonderful chocolate chip cookies. I always have the stuff around for that! Though, I was short on the mini-morsel chocolate chips I usually use, so I improvised and used the leftover portions of about three different bags. Hopefully my "mini-morsel/peanut butter-milk chocolate morsel/semi sweet morsel chip cookies will be a hit. =)
Back in early May my parents visited, and while they were here my mom helped me do some of the gardening around our house. She and I planted a bunch of seeds in my back garden so I could have cutting flowers throughout the summer. We planted Cornflower, Sweet Peas and a couple of different types of daisies. One of those types of daisies is, I think, a Mexican daisy. It's very vibrant orange, and the plant grows to be really tall and really weedy-looking. It got to be at least five feet tall, and just this weekend started to bloom. The flowers were such a pretty color, and I was so pleased to see something that I planted as a tiny little seed finally blooming.
It's a good thing I got a good eye-full of them, because this morning I went out to let the dog pee, and there were those huge plants, flattened and broken at the base of their stalks. We had a thunderstorm last night, apparently with pretty high winds. My Cornflowers were all crushed by the heavy stalks when they fell. Having a garden can be such a letdown sometimes.
The Cam is BACK by Tricia Thu, Jul 14 2005, 5:42 PM
People, you can now breathe a sigh of relief, for BRODIECAM has returned to the world wide web. Broadcasting 24 hours a day (though at night there's not much going on in the dark) from Case de Bowling. Don't miss a moment of your favorite Brodie antics!
He Sleeps!
He gets up and stretches!
He sleeps some more!
Is there anything this dog can't do???
Oh, and you might see us once in a while, too. And maybe intern Julie, if you look real close.
If your cat goes missing, it's a safe bet that I killed it by Tricia Thu, Jul 07 2005, 2:16 PM
Last night while I was watering my tomatoes and flowers, Brodie and I were hanging in the back yard, me watering the flowers, him watering the grass (ha!), and I witnessed a disturbing crime that has further fueled my distaste for animals of the feline persuasion. I was hunched over my raised garden bed, pulling out weeds, when suddenly Brodie let out a yelp - I looked up and saw a cat run between our house and the neighbors.
At this point, let me give a little bit of exposition. About twenty minutes prior to this, we were inside and Brodie FREAKED OUT barking at something outside. I went to look, and there, sitting on our front porch, mere inches from the front door, was a cat. Not one that I have seen before in our neighborhood, so I don't know where it got the idea that it could sit on my front porch. Meanwhile, Brodie is foaming at the mouth, squealing like a pig and generally scratching the hell out of everything in sight to try and get to that damn cat.
So, back to being outside and the cat running by. As it ran past us, I noticed that it had something in it's mouth...something furry...something vaguely bunny-shaped...
BUNNY SHAPED??
That stupid cat ate one of my baby bunny rabbits!!! He ran off with it clutched in his mouth, Brodie barking like crazy and pulling at his lead the whole time. I tried to follow him, but he ran too fast and I don't know where he disappeared to.
So. Now there are three baby bunnies, though I don't even know if that's accurate, because I haven't seen any of them since the cat incident. What is this world coming to? Baby bunnies are too cute for eatin'!
Flesh-Eating Zombie Dogs from Hell! by Tricia Wed, Jul 06 2005, 8:50 PM
Well, not really flesh-eating, but still super creepy!
I mean, I love Brodie in a ridiculously insane way, but I don't think I want him coming back from the dead. That's just a little too Quentin Tarantino for my tastes. Most people would just go get a new dog.
Never Allowed in the Sun Again. Ever by Tricia Tue, Jul 05 2005, 12:04 PM
Despite a really fun day on Sunday at Pomona Lake with Michael, Morgan, Julie and Scott, I still got horribly sunburned. I used a ton of sunblock, but I guess I didn't reapply well, because the front of my ne
Taylor played with my yoga balance ball all day Sunday, and when Julie said "time to go!", Taylor walked right over to it, picked it up and headed for the door!
