{11.29.06}

if only...

i wasn't such a control freak i'd hire a wedding planner right about now. we have 16 items overdue and i have absolutely no desire to even look at them. I did hear back from the catering company that I've been begging to hire that they can fit us in - yes, persistence and bribery pays off! the progress of the save-the-date cards are...nada...zip...not happening. so i guess we really only have 15 items overdue. Sweet.

adam signed his last signature on the house last night. the house is all ours and it's about freaking time! we should get the keys tonight and start moving things over. I love our home, especially the kitchen. yes, I said kitchen. i have 6 months to learn how to cook and reintroduce myself to my kitchen accessories and cookbooks. cooking class? I think so.Christmas staff photos are scheduled for today and I look like a bloated cow - no lie! i'm terribly tempted to join the new 24-hour gym that just opened. so when i can't sleep at 3am in the morning i'll have something to do, right? hmm, where's that number...

i guess i should stop procrastinating and start my year-end reports, budget planning and membership billing. here goes nothing...

{11.25.06}

happy, content and blessed

While I was standing in the radio booth freezing my bum off and watching all the happy faces of the people pass me by during the Starlight Holiday Parade I realized how happy, content and blessed I truly am. My family is supportive, my son is pure joy, my friends are loyal and constant and my fiance is simply amazing. There is no other feeling as satisfying as the feeling of contentment. It's like breathing in a spring day.

Yesterday Adam and I did some serious shopping for the new house and for Christmas. We found our dream dining room table, bench and chairs at our favorite store, World Market. And after searching hours for an office desk we ended up back at World Market where we without a doubt found the perfect one. Christmas shopping was fun and very successful; I even managed to wrap four of them last night. Yes, I'm bragging.

Tomorrow is a veg day for this girl, I'm pooped. I need some down time and I fully intend to take it, whether people like it or not.

{11.24.06}

thankful

We have so much to be thankful for and I treasured the evening Adam and I spent with good friends. We ate too much, played Cranium and music trivia with the famous Dave Clemens.

This morning I walked downtown delivering charms to our participating merchants for the Holiday Charm Stroll that starts tomorrow. I was also able to get some great Christmas gift ideas. I love my job. After we close the office early Adam and I are braving the crowds in Bend to get some shopping done. Wish us luck and MERCY, we'll need it.

{11.22.06}

shut the front door...

I'm turning 33 in two months? I know what's happening, while I'm experiencing a panic attack all you people are laughing and/or shaking your heads. Not funny, STOP.

I've been experiencing blog boredom lately. I have nothing exciting to write about other than my daily to-do lists. Boooooooorrrrrrring. I did have a cute conversation with Brenner yesterday morning:

Brenner: "Mama, you look pretty today."

Me: "Why thank you, why is that?"

Brenner: "I like your hair."

{pulled back in a sloppy bun}

Me: "Thank you, what do you like about it?"

Brenner: "I like that it doesn't look like you have a ball on top of your head."

Me: "Oh, ok"

Tomorrow Adam and I will be having Thanksgiving dinner with Eric (my boss). When he found out that Adam and I was planning to order Chinese for dinner he insisted that we come. Jamie (co-worker) is also childless this Thanksgiving so her and Dave will be joining us as well. I'm really looking forward to it.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

{11.20.06}

bachelorette party

You know you're getting old when you need not one but two days to recover from a girls' night out. Besides getting head butted in the nose by a troll (don't ask), Lauren's Bachelorette party in downtown Portland was a huge success and so much fun. Happy viewing.

{11.15.06}

toys, games and a quote

I don't know about rest of you parents out there but while shopping for Brenner's Christmas gift last night I quickly realized that I'm not at all ready for all the new techie toys out there. Um, what exactly are Giga Pets anyway? I ended up finding the VTech Nitro Notebook (laptop) I've been researching online. It's actually pretty sweet and I couldn't stop playing with the demo. I'm in denial that Christmas is next month and I find myself grudgingly forcing myself to get in the spirit. No good.

Tonight is date night with Adam. Yay. He's taking me to the movies and I can't wait to see him. He is staying at the resort where Eric works in Bend for a few days. I miss him, even though we're only 20 miles apart it feels like 100. Then tomorrow is game night with Jen and Eric. We are getting a little bored with the board games we have so if anyone reading has any ideas/recommendations, please - do share!

"Better to do something imperfectly than to do nothing flawlessly." --Robert Schuller

{11.14.06}

moving update

Last night around 9:30pm Adam officially became homeless. We unloaded the last box in the rain and sighed with relief. Phew, moving is no fun! Eric was able to open his sleepy eyes (barely) to help Adam load the heavy stuff into the moving truck yesterday afternoon while I loaded my car up with breakables on my lunch hour. By 8:00pm I hit a wall! I was D-O-N-E. And poor Adam was totally beat and feeling misplaced. Thank goodness our house is scheduled to be professional cleaned, carpets replaced and the hard wood floors buffs/polished by next Wednesday. So, if all goes as planned Adam will be able to move in on Thanksgiving Day. So like last night, we'll spend the evening eating dinner on the floor on a cardboard box in front of the fireplace. Super!

Ok, so I've been working my tail off running/walking on my treadmill four times a week for a month now and I've gained weight. What? If I'm building muscle I sure don't see it, all I see is flab. So I'm going hard core and totally watching/counting my calorie intake. No more sugary coffee drinks - black only, no more cheese (my life support) and no more wine (my other life support) just because. Only for special occasions, i.e. girls' night (which is a rarity these days) dinner dates with Adam (also a rarity) and work events. I have seven months to lose 20 big ones! Time for results, pronto!

Wedding Plans Update:  My bridesmaid dresses arrived yesterday and I love them! I'm super anxious for the girls to try them on, I pray they fit and they like. Next on my list is to compile addresses and create the save-the-date cards. Heather has graciously volunteered to head up a margarita party to get the girls together to help make them.

Current Peeve - My boss insisting we play Christmas music in the office already. Hello!!!!!!!

{11.13.06}

sweet carolina

Our trip to North Carolina was the zippiest vacation I've yet to experience. Flying/driving for 24 hours in 72 hours with horrible turbulence and flight delays was a bit much for this girl. The wedding was absolutely beautiful and we couldn't have asked for better weather. Not to mention there wasn't a dry eye during the ceremony and reception. What an incredible day of meeting new people, making new memories and reminiscing over old ones.

Things I pondered while in flight:

1. What are those Knight Rider lights for on each side of the main Exit sign?


2. What are those little hanger thingamabobers on the bottom of the locking tray?  


3. 
   
   Does it really matter if our seats are in the upright position for landing? If we are going to plunge to our deaths does three inches really make a difference?
   
   


4. If you pay $900 for plane tickets shouldn't you at least get free nuts? What a rip-off.


5. 
   
   There are a lot of balding men in this world.
   

   
   

   
   
   
   

{11.6.06}

oddly

What an "oddly" kind of day. The weather is "oddly" warm, the visitors are "oddly" cranky and my lunch was "oddly" good.

Brenner had his five year wellness checkup and shots today. He told me last night, "Mamma, maybe you should call the place where the doctor is and tell her that I don't feel like going, ok?" His weight is in the 50 percentile and his height, 75. He's basically perfect. He was so brave during the shots he had to get in his little twiggy legs. I cuddled up over him so he couldn't watch but I could see the pain in his eyes with every shot. He soon forgot about them after receiving a new book and some cool bug stickers.

This week is jam packed with lots to do before Friday. Adam's house will need to be packed and ready for the moving truck by next Monday. Yeah, um, and we leave this Friday morning at 4am (did you just hear me cringe?) to drive to Portland to catch an early flight to North Carolina for Steph's wedding. Then back on Sunday afternoon. Phew!

This will most likely be my last blog entry before our trip, so loves and kisses to all.

Tootles Noodles!

{11.5.06}

purge

Purge Purge Purrrrrrrrrge! This is all I've done with every free minute of this weekend. Friday night after we visited my Aunt and Uncle that were in town, we put Brenner to bed and headed downstairs to tackle my garage. We spent hours sorting, tossing and re-organising. When we were done I had a nice heaping pile of stuff in the middle of my garage. 

Yesterday before meeting up with my Aunt and Uncle I went through the rest of my bins and boxes deciding what stays and what goes. I really thought it was going to be harder than it really was to say goodbye to the things that I've had for years, things that I've never needed or thought about. In the afternoon while my Uncle took Brenner to the store to buy him anything he wanted, I rested with my Aunt and caught her up with the wedding plans and the new house. After a great visit and dinner at Adam's we said our goodbyes and watched my Aunt and Uncle drive away. Brenner misses them already!

Today while Adam packed up his own house I spent most the morning loading up my car and making trips to the Opportunity Foundation. Six trips to be exact. Even Brenner got the purging bug and went through all his baskets and toy closet sorting out what he doesn't play with anymore. I was impressed. He had two tidy piles made; one for the garbage and one for the Foundation. During one of the trips I somehow tweaked my back. It hurts and hurts bad. I'm currently sitting on Adam's couch and heating pad waiting for the Advil to kick in. The boys went out for lunch and sure hope they bring home a doggy bag, I'm starving.

{11.2.06}

three

You know how they (who are they anyway?) say bad things happen in threes? Well I concur. First, I had three moles removed and two of the three aren't healing very well and I worry about infection. I won't give up my treadmill workouts so I'm sure they aren't helping the one between my toes. Second, I went to the dentist to get a temporary crown and my dentist found another cavity (actually a hole) next to the one he was working on. Great. So after six shots it took to numb me up thanks to getting my Dad's funky nerve pattern, my face looked and felt like I had a stroke. Third, I had a flat tire this morning. So I called Les Schwab for a time estimate (30 minutes tops) for the repair........four hours later and three phone calls..."Mam, we can't find your car!" (Um their lot isn't that big, heck Redmond isn't that big) I had my fill and asked for the Manager. After holding for another 10 minutes he gets on the phone to inform me that my car is located and is next, NEXT? I said very calmly (even though Charlie is in town), "well then this won't cost me a thing, correct?" He said, "Well Mam, are they Les Schwab tires?" and I said "No, but that really isn't the point here, right? You lost my car for four hours and it's still not done." He said, "Well...um...ok, no charge." 

I'm very excited for tonight. After grocery shopping (yada yada yada, I haven't gone YET) I'm having Kristie over for a late dinner and visit. Even though she is only 18 years old she is very wise. In many ways I admire and respect her very much. Maybe we'll watch a chick flick if time allows.

House update:  Adam will be moving his things out of his house and into my garage on the 13th, ONE day after we get back from North Carolina. Good thing he thinks he's superman with biotic powers. I on the other hand will be popping No doze pills.

{11.1.06}

arrr, matey

Today I scheduled myself to spend the day making calls to past due members. Oh joy, putting on my collection hat...NOT my favorite hat to wear. It's nearly 11am and all I've done is drink three cups of coffee, eat a tomato egg bagel sandwich, changed my color layout, checked my accounts online and talked wedding with Jen. Wow, I'm getting a lot of work accomplished.

Yesterday I met Jamie Fox (I love saying her new name) for lunch at Canyons. We talked so much that we had to get to-go boxes for our lunches. Ha. She works for a local publishing company and always gives me the latest and the most fun town scoops. Last night we bundled up and headed out the door for a night of freezing our bums off while Brenner loaded up his pumpkin pail full of candy that he will most likely consume by Thanksgiving. The sneaky stashing has already begun. Proof you ask? I found two pieces under his bed this morning. Lovely.