I crashed a retirement party...

I flew in last Thursday nite for my friend's baby shower... and ended up crashing a retirement party. Dad called and said one of the guys he used to coach with in WV was having a retirement party Thursday nite. So Aunt Linda picked me up from the airport and to the party we went. Good times, good times.

Got to see some of the kids of the teachers at the party that are my age. Man - everyone seems to have kids (plural) and of school age! They don't waste any time in those parts fo the woods... Heard that one of the boys that we all had a HUGE crush on in jr high is a chiropractor - and let's say I was told he's not nearly as svelt as he once was.... (but then again I could probably say that about msot of us....) But it must be pretty bad that that was specifically pointed out to me....

Then Friday was the ever-important ice cream social. There were many men in their late 30's yelling " Mr. D!! My name is on your paddle!!!" Remember - dad's been gone for 17 years... These guys were proud that their name was on his paddle (you know, back when they were allowed to paddle....) And then there were the groups of women, same age as the men, "Mr. D!!! How are you! We all thought you were the cutest teacher we ever had!!" Puke. There are just some things that a daughter doesn't want to hear....

I did see a few people from jr high but not many. But of course - my hair was lookin' especially hot....

Sunday was the baby shower. Good times, good times. TF gots loads of booty (as in gifts... you know, pirate booty.... never mind....) She has one of the new Jeep Comanders, or whatever their huge SUV is these days, and it was packed full-o-gifts. I think that qualifies as a successful shower.

Let's all wish TF good luck pushin' the little one out - preferably as close to August 19th as possible. (for her sake, anyway....) D and I will be camping in their neck of the woods over Labor Day so hopefully we'll get to see the little booger. But if not then I'm sure to make a trip when it's most convenient for them.

Sick of airline regulations

Tomorrow after work I'm on a plave heading to WV for TF's baby shower. I'm SO excited. I've known TF (formerly TM) forever. I was in her wedding... she was in mine... and now's she due in August with her and her hubby's first "kid". Can't say which since they don't know.

I saw TF back in June when I was in the area for my grandma's funeral. David and I stopped by and spent several hours visiting. She looked great at 7 months! Damn, she hardly looked pregnant. If I didn't know I would have thought she just had a little beer belly going on. Anyway - got to see the nursery - Classic Pooh. Very cute.

While we were there I literally invited myself to the baby shower. I figured she might not bother inviting me since I lived so far away - but I wanted to come!!! She laughed at me and assured me that I was being invited anyway. Isn't she sweet? I truly don't think I was on the list...

So I'm flying out tomorrow night. The shower is Sunday. You may be asking yourself why in the hell am I going so early?? Well, Friday nite is the Williamstown Ice Cream Social!! This town only has a few thousand people. Everyone who is anyone will be at the social! As a matter of fact my dad is comnig up from SC to go! So I'm hitting the road (or the airport, as the case may be) Thursday after work.

Now since it's very possible I might be seeing people at the social I went to Jr high with and the fact that I'll be seeing TF's family at the shower it is important that I look my absolute best on this trip. How does that differ when I'm traveling otherwise?? Easy - when I travel for work if my hair doesn't turn out right I don't care. They don't know what my hair looks like usually anyway. And who cares - at worst those people can just think I have a bad haircut. I really dont' care. But here.... Here I care what they think. I know, I shouldn't, but I do.

I'm not getting home until midnite Sunday. No big deal until you learn that I have to be back on at the airport at 7:30AM Monday morning to catch a flight for work. Therefore I DO NOT want to check a bag. This airport is natorious for taking FOREVER to get your bag the 100 yards from the plane to baggage claim. I want to get home and go to bed.

Now to the conumdrum. Since I'll be checking my bag I can't bring the all-important, perfect hair products. i.e. MY mousse, MY hairspray, etc... because I can't carry them on. They don't come in travel sizes - trust me, I know. I spent all nite at Wal-Mart looking.... If you know me then you know this is a BIG issue. I have crap hair. The only way I can even come close to looking "normal" is to use very specific products. What to do??

Don't laugh. But I think I have a solution. Luckily the "perfet products" I use are from a drugstore and are reasonably priced. (c'mon! I may need perfect products but I'm also CHEAP!) I've decided I'm going to hit the drug store in WV, purchase full sized products that I need and ditch them for the flight home. If I had thought about this earlier I could have put them in the box of presents I sent ahead of myself so I wouldn't have to carry them on the plane. I have thought this through.... really, I have...

I know, I know. I'm wasteful. Maybe TF can take them home with her and use them. But I sure as hell can't carry them on. But I don't care! This weekend the hair is more important than saving the environment!!! I might see DF or JW or one of the many other jr. high boys that thought I was just a crooked face with a big butt!!! I need to look GOOD!! You know, to show them that I turned out f**ckin' hot!! If only they had paid a bit more attention.....

Plus, I need to do the obligatory "girl" thing and show the WV girls that I'm walking the ever-so-fine-line of I'm-classy-but-not-too-classy-didn't-forget-my-roots-despite-the-fact-I-live-in-NY thing. Don't misunderstand - I'm not going there to show anyone up... just show that I grew up "right". Plus I don't want TF's family to think she's got a complete slacker for a friend... I mean, it may be the truth but they don't have to know that....

So you're not going to hear from me for a while. I probably won't post anything until I get back Wed. from the biz trip. And I'm sure I'll have something to say about that - since I'm the only idiot that has to go to Mississippi in late July.....

fun while it lasted

Friday afternoon I brought our new little yorkie home. Remember, I brought him home on a "trial" basis - not sure how he'd do with the cats and the other dogs. Let's just say he and Liam hit if off fabulously! Reecie (yorkie) had Liam actually playing! It was halarious to watch a 4lb yorkie getting a 100lb golden excited! Liam is so laid back - he didn't care that Reecie was jumping all over him, in has face, humping him... yep - Reecie liked Liam.

He's the cutest little thing!!! But that's the problem - he's so little. We couldn't let him out in the yard alone because there are a million places for him to get out of the fence, under the house, under the shed... we could never get all the places patched up.

Did I mention he's a vermin hunter??? and that he considers cats vermin?? Let's say we had a few interesting moments between him and the cats.... and I've hardly seen the cats all weekend.

One moment involved Reecie finding my old, almost blind cat Cabby. Cabby kept backing up as Reecie sniffed around her trying to decide if she was friend or foe. Finally she'd had enough and took off running. Bad move. He took after her like a rocket (that little shit is FAST!!!) And of course that got Liam and Nikki's attention and they took chase too. I literally had a cat being chased by 3 dogs. Round the kitchen, through the dining room, through the hallway to the family room, through the living room, around the dining room table.... every time I stepped in to pick him up one of the big dogs was in my way. I mean these guys were moving from room to room, kicking up rugs, knocking over dining room chairs... it was a fiasco! Finally I was able to catch the littel squirt. Cabby ran upstairs into David's office and sat where his laptop usually goes. She was there ALL WEEKEND. I don't think she ate, went the bathroom - nothin'. She finally moved when David came home from China and moved her so he could put his laptop back. She is forever pissed at me.

Isn't he adorable!!!!! (and small) He's essentially the size of my tennis shoe with little legs and a head. I'm serious. This guy is small!! Alas, David and I made the hear-wrenching decision to not keep him. H'es cute - but he's really like having a baby. He even has a playpen!!! I was dreading coming into work and telling his mom that we weren't going to be able to keep him. Luckily she had another family already wanting him! Whew!!! I really didn't want to see this little guy homeless. He's a sweet little dog. He'll be great for some little old lady or something.

So at lunch today I went home and told him goodbye. He's going to hs new home this afternoon. As I held him a cat started meowing in the other room. He looked at me as though to say "How can you live in this filthy house??!! It's filled with vermin!! Ugh!"

I knew then we made the right decision.

New Addition

Nope - I'm not pregnant. Don't go starting rumors....

C, from my office, has a 7 month old yorkie, a husband and a 10 year old son. Let's just say the hubby has not been adjusting well to the dog... Apparently last night he gave C the "either the dog goes or I do" bit...

Have I metioned that David has always said when the "big dogs" are "gone" he'd like to get yorkies?? I always made fun of him for wanting to go from 100 lb dogs to something smaller than our cats. And of course, there's my rule: My dogs MUST be bigger than my cats.

Well, I've met the yorkie and he's so damn cute!!!! C paid mucho $$ for him (he's registered), had him fixed, vaccinated and microchiped. He's been to training classes and is house trained.... Her son adores the dog.... She's understandably a wreck. So I called David in China and pitched him the idea of adding another 4 pounds to our current 205 pounds. This way C and her family will know he's well taken care of - plus they can still visit him, etc... we don't live but 10 - 125 minutes from each other. And really - what's one more small dog in our zoo??!!

So now we wait. I'll come get him Friday and we'll keep for the weekend to make sure there's no serious issues with the other animals. If all works out we'll keep him. barring any catastrophic issues.

Cross your fingers!!!!

Mountain Goat Dogs

Sorry for such a lag in posts... dad was here all last week and I took the week off. I really didn't feel like flipping on the computer any last week...

So LAST weekend (not the one we just had. See, I told you I"m behind) David and I took the dogs to the Adirondacks to hike Rondaxe Mt. At the top there's an old fire tower, etc.... We went with our adventure group which has a great cross-section of folks. I warned them prior to the hike that we were going to bring the dogs. I felt I needed to warn them because, honestly, I've never taken the dogs hiking before - not "really" hiking. on a path, maybe - but not a "trail"...

Might I remind you that Nikki is a 10 year old lab/chow mix that has had an ACL repair on each knee and Liam is an 8 year old golden that is easily 10 pounds overweight.... I wasn't very optimistic about how they'd do. I only took them because I was feeling guilty about leaving them home so much now that David and I have been biking a lot.

We get to the site. David has the camelback ("people" water) and "people" food. I have the fanny pack with the "dog" water and "dog" snacks. (and the metal dog dish... out "princess" Nikki wont'e drink out of anything else but metal...) I take Nikki and David takes Liam. Before we even get the trailhead I realize my ass is wet. no, SOAKING! We tell everyone else to go ahead. We may or may not make it up there with the dogs and we don't want to hold anyone back.

I take off the fanny pack - the container holding the dog water is leaking. As i'm working on fixing it David is holding both dogs as other hikers are coming off the trail with their dogs. Liam starts going bonkers. Not like "Let me at 'em"- bonkers but the "oh shit! other dogs! hide me!!"- bonkers. He backs up between David's legs, and for hte first time ever, pull sout of his collar. I'm trying to fix the water container and I hear David yelling at Liam, chasing him tyring to scruff him to put his collar back on.

My immediate thought: this isn't going as well as I'd hoped.

I was pretty sure that we would be immediately returning to the truck and heading home. But no. I fixed the leak, David got Liam's collar on and we continued on....

Not but a few hundred yards into the trail and here starts the large, smooth boulders on the trail. I took one look at them and wasn't so sure the dogs could make it - especially if there were more of these on the way. Apparently Nikki had other ideas. She didn't hesitate - jumped up and started to make her way up the rocks. Not to be outdone, Liam followed.

Nikki tracked that trail like she was following a rabbit. Her tail was wagging and she smiled the whole way up. She literally dragged me to the top. She LOVED it!! She slide a few times here and there but it scared me more than it did her. (Liam was happy to follow.)

We left before everyone else thinking we might have to hand down dogs on some of the steep, rocky parts. We wanted to have plenty of time - plus it looked as though it was going to rain.

Nope - Nikki dragged my right back down the mountain!!! She's quite agile, you know. Grandma is quite the pup!

And, of course, I have beautiful pictures of us at the top of the mt... but they're on the computer at home... so when I finally remember to do it I'll get them on my computer and post.

Congrats Leon!!!

My old boss from Clemson (when I was an RA in res life) just accepted a new position at Virginia Tech - heading up their whole housing department. YEAH LEON! Well, actully, a double yeah is in store because he finished his PhD end of last year... so now he's "Dr. McClinton"

Check him out!

http://www.vtnews.vt.edu/story.php?relyear=2007&itemno=355

??

Ok, I don't know why that's spacing those pics like that.... oh well.

Century ride

Do you know what a century ride is?? I didn't. But I do now because I'm doing one the end of September....



A century ride is a 100 mile bike ride (in a day, in case any of you were wondering....) David and I were part of a group that was approached and asked if we'd be interested in training for and riding in a cnetury ride. It's actually a fundraiser for the NY Center for Missing and Exploited Children. David and I figured it's a great way to workout from now through September and it's for a good cause... WHY NOT!!



Well, you don't want to ride 100 miles on a mountain bike. Well, you could, but it would be hard. And let's face it - this is going to be hard enough as it is. I don't need anything working against me. SO, David and I went out and bought road bikes. Yep! NEW TOYS!!



I won't even give an estimate as to how much we've spent on this - as of last night. We have a GREAT bike store close by and we got our bikes there, and a bunch of accessories... and apparently those weren't enough accessories because we were back last night for more... Let's just say that it's in the mutli-thousand-dollar range.... good thing we didn't plan a "real" vacation this summer....





David's bike...

My bike. I have the cool aerobars like David but I just haven't put them on yet...














This week commences our first week of "training". I say "training" because it's a ride, not a race. The difference is that on a ride we all ride together at the same, easy pace. They average is about 15 mph. It's completely police-escorted. We ride for about 20 miles, stop at a school, have snacks, get back on a ride about another 20 miles and stop again. The kids come out on the street from school and cheer us on - they will spend the whole month learning about how to keep safe, etc.. and our stop at their school is just part of the pep rally they have earlier in the day to wrap-up the whole safety learning experience.



David and I are looking forward to it. But ask me again after I've done my first 40 mile training ride on july 8th....

The difference between boys and girls

Wednesday David and I met with our adventure group and did a 20 mile bike ride on the Eric Canal path. After all this time, David still didn't own a pair of padded shorts - a MUST in cycling. Since he had been complaining about his sore butt the last few times we went out ridding I told him just to go buy a pair for the Wed. ride - they're worth it.

So, Wed. afternoon before the ride he bought himself a pair. You know, the "cool boy" kind - padded bike shorts underneath with the loose cargo shorts outside layer.

We're in the car driving out to the canal.
D: these shorts are kinda weird. I've had them on since I bought them.
me: all afternoon?
D: yeah. they weren't too bad at first, but the padding in the crotch is a bit strange to get used to.
me: yeah, now you know it feels to have wear a pad.
D: *silence. no smart ass come-back*

I guess somethings aren't as funny to men as they are to women....

mis-information

You know - I've decided dad's aren't always the pillar of accurate information... case in point:

A few years ago my dad said he heard from someone (he still can't remember who) that my ex-boyfriend from high school owned/ managed a strip club in his town. Now, when I heard this my first thought was "people change. who knew??" I mean c'mon. This was the guy that I had to work for MONTHS to even kiss me! Even then I had to talk him into turning off the lights when we made out!! (apparently he had a previous g-friend that would only kiss him with the lights on -scared of something, I guess. don't know what...)

So for years I'd joke with friends (none of whom are from my town or know this person) that I have an ex-boyfriend that owned a strip club. It was for the effect of a joke - but it did make me secretly feel like a good "dirty girl". Kinda like "I took this innocent, pure boy and turned him into a raunchy, sex-driven man!" Whoo-ho!! Damn I'm good!!

Turns out - not so much. I happened to run onto his little sis on myspce and we started chatting. I had to ask her about the whole strip club thing ... turns out what he does is quite respectable. (damn!!) I was really hoping to have a dirty past...

Turns out he's moving soon to be with his girlfriend. I wonder if he makes her keep the lights on when he kisses her... Nah! He was way past that point by the time I was done with him. *evil grin*

Ah, high school

A friend of mine (the wife of a good high school friend) thought it would be funny to send me some pictures of me that her husband had from high school. As you can imagine I couldn't leave it there. So I found a few of her husband from high school and sent those to her!

And then while looking up these picutres I found one of another high school friend, Brad (Bradical in myspace). He, he. What's up with the guys having the bowl cuts??

I hate the dentist

Actually, my dentist is a nice guy - but with all the years I've had dentists, orthodontists and surgeons poking at my mouth... well, I've had enough.

Today was no different. I put on my big-girl panties and tried to behave. I have a million idiosyncracies dealing with my mouth and oral hygiene. I won't bore you with all of them, but I'll name a few just so you see what I'm talking about:

- I don't like mint flavor. give me cinnamon, give me citrus, give the kids bubblegum for god's sake - but don't give me mint. It makes me gag. Don't ask, I don't know why.
- every time I rinse I must have a new cup. yep, I'm a one-woman anti-green machine.
- after every rinse I must have a new kleenex to wipe my mouth. hey, c'mon. It eventually composts...

So you get the idea. All the ladies in the office understand these issues (or proabaly feel sorry for me when they see my x-rays) and have decided to just indulge me. Well, not today.

I got the "new guy" today. And I don't mean "new to the office staff". I mean "I just graduated from hygenist school, um, YESTERDAY!" Don't get me wrong - he did a GREAT job. But I'm sitting in the chair and he's scraping my teeth (which reminds me - I forgot to bring in my iPod, because hearing the scraping is another "issue" with me.) scrape........ scrape........ scarpe....

DEAR GOD! PICK UP THE SPEED! I'm going to be here all day! Now, all the other hygenists get the job done, but they get it done quickly. (so the scraping sound inside my brain is over faster...) Not this guy.

Not to mentin that he didn't read all the notes in my chart about my "special needs". I won't even get into that here. Let's just say I had to keep myself from gagging as he was polishing my teeth with, yuck, mint cleaning stuff.... and I had to keep rotating the rinse cup so at least each time I rinsed I wasn't putting my mouth on a part that it had already touched... and luckily in this room they had the kleenex by me so I could grab as many as I needed, whenever...

Actually, I'm not so sure it took him that much longer than the ladies - but he didn't talk. And you know me - either I'm talking your ear off, or in the case of the dentist, I want you to talk my ear off to take my mind off the horrible scraping noises.... He tried a few times, but that's where he just made it all the more obvious he's new to the profession. You know, that uncomfortable I'm-trying-to-talk-a-little-because-that's-what-they-teach-us-in-school,-but-I'm-not-comfortable-doing-it-because-I'm-more-concerned-with-scraping-you-teeth-and-not-your-gums kind of conversation.

Ok, I almost feel guilty for ragging on him like this but this is the one instance I insist on being treated like a diva. If you saw me, a few days after surgery when I was 18, where my face was SO swollen I didn't even have a neck (I'm NOT kidding) and then watch me, ME of all people, on a liquid diet for the next 4-5 weeks... then you'd understand.

Call 911...

You know - I thought I had grown out of that clumsy stage.... or at least thought it had settled down over the years. Not so. Within 30 minutes I had TWO instances where I thought I might need to go/ came really damn close to going to the hospital. only me....

The first time I was in the kitchen, still groggy from just waking up. I dropped a peanut butter pretzel sandwich (breakfast. what can I say?) on the floor and went to pick it up before Liam, the canine hoover, got hold of it. As I was bending down he started to stick his head in my way and I backed-up/ lifted me head at the same time to get out of his way and WHAM!! smacked the hell out of the back of my head on the corner of the countertop on the island. Damn that hurt!! I was certain I drew blood. but alas, I was fine. (after 5 minutes of cussing and jumping around, of course...)

I finally made it upstairs and got ready for work. Simple outfit - khaki skirt, cute sage green boatneck knit top and cute strappy mules. As I was walking down the stairs I got lazy and didn't pick my foot up all the way... caught my mule heel on the stairs and fell over sideways.

Now most of you are probably "so? grab the railing doofus. that's what it's there for". Yeah, well, you havent' seen my railing. Did I mention it's loose?? I DID fall into the railing. I heard wood snapping... Luckily my "inner goat" (thanks Tiff!!) kicked in and I got back my balance before I broke the railing off and went over the edge with it.

Note to self - move "fix railing" to top of to-so list. I'm certain next time it will completely break off.

I'll be damned...

Well, I havent' been posting because I couldn't get into blogger - getting some sort of error. Apparently it was just pissy those days. I changed nothing and here I am!

Speaking of blogger - I'm a bit pissy myself today... Work stuff... I'll be better tomorrow.

My newest hobby is this ancestry.com thing. I'm trying to make a family tree. Y'all will be surprised to know that, despite from being from WV, my family tree DOES branch... a lot....

I traced one relative back to John Smith and Pocohontas... but of course I need to verify the integrity of the info.... but wouldn't it be neat if it turns out to be true???!!! Dad's perplexed because he'd always been told his family didn't come to the US from Ireland until the early 1800's... so far all the info I've found since the mid-1700's still has them being born in Virginia. Story has it that David's great-grandfather was dropped on the steps of an orphanage... so that side won't be able to be traced back too far. (makes my job easier!!)

I gotta run... you know, "real" work to do : )

Latest Trip

Did you know that Palm Springs, CA is in the desert?? I didn't. Needless to say, I was shocked when I looked out the window of the plane. I knew it was going to be HOT - but not hot and sandy... It really is out in the middle of NOWHERE.

We had our western regional meeting in Palm Springs. The division manager, Brett, has already been told that he'll never be able to outdo himself on this one. It was quite spectacular! It was hot - but DRY. Yummy - heat and dryness. Hell that beats hot and muggy any day of the year! And of course I come home to have to do yardwork on Saturday. Man, I was outside in the yard sweating like a hooker in church! I was only in a bikini too!

Ah, yes, the bikini.... Let's say that I won't wear it in "public" anymore. However, due to the nature of our neighbors I do not consider our front yard as "public". Needless to say I did go out and purchase my first tankini for the previously mentioned regional meeting. There was a bit of lounging by the pool in front of workfolk.

Warning - here's my commentary on appropriate swimwear.

I hardly ever wear a bathing suit. The last suit I bought was several years ago - and it was a bikini. All I own are bikini's. Up until a few years ago I looked ok in them. Now I look as though I'm a chunk of meat being stuffed into a sausage casing. I know this. It's ok. Our bodies change. I'm 31 for god's sake!

Now last summer when we went to the beach for a week I did NOT purchase any new swimwear. 1) I didn't want to spend the $$ on something I never wear 2) It was just in front of my dad, in-laws and the hubby. The hubby has already committed to me so I wasn't worried 3) there was no one else I knew. (or at least I was banking on the fact I wouldn't see anyone I knew... and I didn't. ) Now I didn't look great at the beach - but I don't think I was going to get mistaken for a beached whale, either.

Well, being in a bathing suit in front of people you work with is a different matter. I hit Old Navy and got a nice tankini and skirt cover up for all under $50. I can swing that. I think I made a nice transition into swimwear for the 30's bunch, thank you very much. However, I think someone needs to tell those few out there that didn't get the memo.

Some of us girls were sitting at the pool the day we got there and I saw all kinds of things I didn't want to see. (Why have I been seeing things I don't want to see so often lately???) Now I'm sure that some people at this pool (which was in the resort we were staying in) probably had the same thought process as I did when I went to the beach last year. Who am I here to impress?? Ok - fine - but PLEASE don't wear something that causes people to GAG!!! Yes - I saw the token European in a speedo (or at least I hope he was European.... at least it seems better to swallow if you know they're not American...) and of course - the 275 lb, 5'4" woman in a STRING BIKINI!!! Um, yeah. I didn't want to see that. I'm all for different body shapes, but please dress it appropriately! Just for your sanity (and the fact that you already put up with recent naked pictures) I did not snap a shot of her to post.

Ok. I'm done with my rant. And just for being good I'll post pictures of our cookout we had at the resort on Wednesday nite. Yes folks, I'm here for work... and no, we're not hiring. :)


Dom and Brooke(of kick-boxing fame...) Dom cooked all this GREAT food!!















He grilled this chicken and asparagus. He also had prime rib on one grill and prawns the size of my head an yet another grill! It was a feast!









Here's Denise enjoying a nice adult beverage. And Fred sneaking snacks inteh background...

Finally - here's Doug (the Mel Gibson look-alike) from Texas and Fred, from MS. He was so excited to find this hat. He swears he can't get a hat like that in Mississippi... See CA is good for something!