It’s a BOY!!

I thought for sure my brother and his fiancée Jamie were going to have a girl. I don’t know why….I just had that feeling. Boy was “that feeling” wrong. Here is my new adorable nephew……Christopher Michael. Born early this morning (2 AM).

I can’t remember the ounces, but I do know he weighed 6 pounds.

More pics on Flickr. I will post more later. When I’ve had more time to look through them.

BTW – Mom and dad are doing great. Jamie had him au natural (no drugs or anything). Everything went fantabulous.

Summer is over already?!

I knew it would all end…..but I still wasn’t ready.

Back to school next week.

Ehh.

Where will I be on Wednesday and Thursday nights till December? Ohh, just sitting in class for 3 hours.

Will someone at least take me shopping for back to school clothes?!

Welcome Dimples and Sweet Pea!

My sis Andrea has started a blog. I thought as way to welcome her to the blogging community….I would send you there. So click on the pic.

Stop by and say “hello” to her if you get a moment. She’s one of the sweetest gals this side of Texas.

How addicted to blogging am I?

70%How Addicted to Blogging Are You?

Not much.

Blood Donation

We had one of our three annual blood drives at work today. Last winter, I donated blood for the very first time in my entire life. It did not go well. Actually, the donating part did go well, it was the recuperating part that did not. After a person donates blood they are supposed to sit for about ten minutes scarfing cookies and/or pretzels and downing them with water and/or OJ. Well….this past winter I sat for about 2 minutes, took a few swigs of water and ate a cookie before abrubtly announcing my need for departure. “This has truly been fantabulous, but I really need to get back to work. I feel great.” The Red Cross nurse lady looked at me skeptically and asked one of her co-workers if they were allowed to let people leave before the 10 minutes were up. The co-worker said they really weren’t, but since I said I felt so good (and I was convincing lemme tell ya), they let me go.

Off on my merry way I went.

Having never given blood before, I had no idea taking the stairs (practically runnning) would be a big deal. Like you haven’t ran up a flight or two of stairs after you’ve donated blood? By the time I had gotten halfway up the stairs I began having what felt like hotflashes. Additionally, it felt like my heart was about too burst through my chest. When I reached the second floor (where my department is) I took off my shirt. Now before you start picturing me in my white (or was it the blue) Victoria Secret bra…you should know….I was wearing a t-shirt underneath. As if! When I walked into my department I started feeling nauseous and extremely lightheaded (like I might pass out soon). I sat down and told my co-worker how weird I was feeling. He looked at me and said “You don’t look so hot. You’re VERY pale.” I reiterated how I was feeling and said, “I think I need to lie down.” He suggested I walk back down to where the cots were. I told him I didn’t think I could make it. He offered to push me back downstairs in my wheely chair which of course got me laughing as I pictured myself being rolled onto the elevator and through the library lobby, patrons and library staff staring. I told him, “no thanks. I’d rather pass out in private.” I walked to one of our meeting rooms, sprawled out onto the floor and relaxed while also trying to hydrate myself while laying flat down. After about 10 minutes…and having wiped all the water drippings off the sides of my face, I felt well enough to get back to work. But for the rest of the day I felt horrible. The only thing that made me feel good was knowing I may have saved three people’s lives.

Fast forward to Today. I wasn’t going to donate blood considering what happened last time. But something in me said try again. So I did. And wouldn’t you know….it went as smooth as a baby’s bottom. I sat for AT LEAST 10 minutes after the donation and even took the elevator up to the second floor this time around. No bad feelings. If I didn’t know any better I’d say I feel well enough to go up to the gym for an hour of cardio. But I better not push it.

In case any of you want to donate some of your blood to me when I need it, my bloodtype is O-Negative. I can only have O- Negative blood but my blood can be used universally with any other blood type in an emergency transplant. So I hope one of you can help me out if I am ever in need. Apparently there is a shortage of O type blood (the link is regarding Ohio, but it’s really everywhere). So….if any of you have the time and can….donate some of your blood. It’s quick and will make you feel very good.

I dread…

opening my mailbox.

Every day after work, I open the front door to check my mail. It is always a dreadful experience because A. it’s almost always bills and B. there is almost always a spider web inside.

Web looks like this. Okay, I may be exaggerating a bit. But it looks awfully similar. Just smaller.

No matter how many times I use a stick or some other tool to wipe the web out, it almost always comes back the next day. I wouldn’t mind so much if it were a daddy long leg spider, but this is one of those scary ones, I can just tell. A few moments ago I decided I could no longer put off getting the mail today. When I opened the mailbox, everything looked good (for the most part). The fuzzy web was in it’s usual place…on the other side of the mailbox. I usually get my mail out and then pick some unimportant advertisement (usually Gardener White or Meijers sale items) to wipe the web away.Then I throw it away ASAP. Today I had a different experience. I pulled an important bill out first and a spider decided to come with it. I threw my bill across the porch and onto the sidewalk and shrieked while rubbing the newly formed goosebumps from my arms. Then I went back inside and stared through the door window onto the porch…looking for any sign of spidery movement. I must have looked like such a nut.

Since I didn’t see anything moving on the porch, I tiptoed back outside and picked up the envelope the bill with only my index finger and thumb. I looked around to make sure the old lady next door was not peering out her window at me. Then I shook it violently to make sure the spider was not holding on for dear life.

I left the rest of the mail ads in the box. I can only handle so much spider excitement for one day.

Till tomorrow when I’m sure it will eat me alive.

This all coming from a girl tomboy who used to not only pick up crayfish, but gardener snakes in her grandparents backyard.

Where did that girl go?!

Deadly Toys

Ummm…..this is just plain scary.

All because of this.

Which sadly led to this.

All bad news…..

Look through your toys parents!

*Update* Cause’ I don’t believe we have enough to be paranoid about, thought I would add this to the post too.

Whaaaaah whaaaaah.

*UPDATE*
Ohh….and I might as well add bibs to the list too.

I got an iPhone. Kinda.

Since I wasn’t keeping up with my monthly movies, I decided to get rid of the “Movie Page”. In its place you will see the only iPhone I can afford (the free kind). There aren’t many songs on it, but I plan on adding and deleting some later. It’s midnight and I’m pooped.

Have fun playing with my iPhone!

*Update* Umm. Apparently the iPhone is only working in Firefox. Jeff said he got a message to upgrade his player in Safari. Didn’t try it in Explorer. Looks like I have some tweaking to do.

*Update for the update* It seems to be working in Safari now. I tweaked some code, etc. Still not sure if it works in Explorer. I don’t have Explorer.

Pranking Jeff

Went out to dinner and a movie with Jeff’s brother Ken and his wife Angela. We stopped by a pet store after dinner and looked at dogs. I held THE most adorable dog ever. I took pictures of her and told her how cute she was. I put her on the floor and then she peed. It was flourescent yellow. It was in that moment that I knew…I had to play a joke on Jeff.

Here is the email I wrote to him after I got home:

“Okay, I told you I bought something….but I was scared to tell you over the phone.

Are you ready?!

I bought a dog. Her name is swiffy. I talked to your parents the other day and to the condo people, and they all said it would be ok. I figured by the time I move back there it will be a safe environment for her. She came with a cage and everything. Your brother and Angela went with me today to pick her out and get things in order. I pick her up tomorrow morning. That’s why I thought you might want to come over tonight. So you could go with me and meet our new lil’ buddy. She ADORABLE! You’ll love her as much as I do.

So what do you think?!! Are you mad? I knew if I asked you, you would have just said “no.”

Sometimes you just gotta jump the gun and go for it.

Love you!!”

Here is her picture

He called me immediately.

“For real?! Are you joking?”
“No. I bought a dog today. Are you mad? She’s SO cute.You’re gonna love her Jeff.”
“I don’t know what to say. I’m shocked! You bought a dog. From the pet store. I’m shocked! It could have a disease. Have you ever watched about those puppy farms on 20/20?! *silence* I’m shocked.”
“No. But she was SOOOO cute. I’m sure she’s fine. Come on.”
“Well, I’m not disputing that. She is definitely cute. I’m shocked! But I mean, how much was she? You’re so spontaneous. You can’t just buy a dog! *more silence* I’m shocked.”
“Well…I did. She’s ours. She’s gonna be our lil’ buddy.”
“I dunno. I’m shocked! Just shocked. This is going to be a big lifestyle change you know?! We can’t be gone for however we want with her at home. I’m shocked. I don’t know what to think. Are you for real? How come I don’t hear her?”
“I told you….I’m picking her up tomorrow. Call your brother if you don’t believe me. He’ll tell you how freakin’ cute she was and how I couldn’t NOT buy her.”
“Fine. I’m calling him.”

Little did he know they were in on my little prank. Ha ha!

Eventually I called him back and he continued telling me how in shock he was but how he was getting a little more used to the idea but worried about what we will do when we travel, etc. Where will she stay? I actually started feeling bad about my prank as it was beginning to backfire. He was calm and interested in my new purchase and wanted to know all the details. He even started looking online for information on her breed, York/Maltese.

Sometime during our 10 minute conversation I wrote the following email which he got immediately.

“Payback’s a beach!

HA ha hahah!!!!”

He busted out laughing. I was on the floor rolling. “Gotcha!”

For all those jokes you play on me Jeff.

The Blockbuster Movie

I just went up to Blockbuster to check out the 3rd Harry Potter movie (Prisoner Of Azkaban), cause I’ve been waiting for it to get returned at the library and it’s taking forever. Anyway. I didn’t call the store first to see if it was in. I just kind of assumed it was in (cause don’t they have a million copies of everything anyway?).

When I got there, it took me a while to get acquainted. It’s been so long since I’ve actually stepped foot in a movie store that I had forgotten how the movies were categorized. I looked like a deer in headlights. I just stood there staring and looking around at the different sections. I almost found myself looking for a catalog. So I did what anyone in my position would do. I walked along the outter edge where all the New movies are. I passed movies I had seen, movies I will never see and movies I want to see….but which I can just wait to borrow from the library (of course). Unlike Harry Potter movies. Those I CANNOT wait to see anymore. They’re constantly being checked out at the library and I need to get them all in before I have more important things to do, like homework. So finally I make it over to where all the Harry Potter movies are. However, I wasn’t the only one. Standing next to me was a woman on a mission. She started grabbing ALL of the Harry Potter movies at once. She had the first….then the second…and then the fourth. I could tell she was looking for the Prisoner of Azkaban (the third) like me. All we saw was a picture of what the cover looks like in the movie’s place. I immediatly started walking towards the counter to ask the employee if he could see if any had been checked in. The thing is….the lady started walking to the front as well. So we were both walking super duper fast like we were in a race, both of us taking different routes to try to beat the other. Now that I think about it, I should have started doing cartwheels and backflips like they do in the movies and commercials, cause it was definitely the kind of moment that called for it. When we got to the counter the Blockbuster dude was on the phone AND helping a customer already. I started helping myself to the recently returned movies, leaning waaaaaaayyyy over the counter so that my boobs flattened all the way out and came out the sides. Sort of like a sideways mammogram. The lady just stood there staring at me and fondling her three Harry Potter movies impatiently. As soon as Blockbuster boy got off the phone, I mean as soon as his mouth stopped moving but before he actually hung the phone up…. I asked him if he had any Prisoner of Azkaban movies behind the counter. Then the lady interjected and said how funny it was cause she too was looking for it. I just looked at her and smiled politely thinking “don’t even think about it lady.” I could tell she wasn’t about to back off if he had only one available. Just as I was about to turn to her and say “Look lady! I came all the way here specifically for this movie and you have a whole pile to watch in your arms…etc etc” he came running up with two.
Both of us thanked him immensely and I felt relieved. I really didn’t feeling like having an all out smack down over the Prisoner of Azkaban with this lady. I mean, seriously. She was about to hog all the Harry Potter movies. I wasn’t about to let that happen. So I am happy. No need to bust out with my nunchuncks afterall.

So I got my movie AND managed to squeeze into my pile the entire 5th season of Curb Your Enthusiasm. I can’t wait!! *drool*.

In fact, the experience I just had in the movie store felt so much like such a Curb Your Enthusiasm episode that I could’ve sworn I saw a camera rolling behind the comedy section. Only I was Larry David.