I'm going away more often

real conversation with my husband yesterday...


ME: (on the phone, calling from work) hun, I'm running to the grocery after work while you're at practice. want to add anything to the list?


D: whacha got on the list for dinner this week?


ME: well, I've got that new pasta dish I was telling you about for tonight and other stuff... blah, blah, blah....


D: won't you be at that cycling meeting when I get home from practice tonight?


ME: yeah - I figured I could just make dinner for us when I get home - is that ok??


D: I guess. Or is there anything you'd like me start getting ready for dinner while you're on your way home?


ME: *complete silence* what did you say?


D: well, I figured you aren't going to be getting home until late so I figured I might be able to get something started while you're on your way home.


Ladies... I DID IT!!! Three years of training and I finally got him to VOLUNTARILY ask if there was something he could do to help with dinner!!!


WHOO HOO!!!!!



That's it. I'm going away for the weekend more often.

Girls weekend in the Poconos

This past weekend I was lucky enough to spend the weekend with 5 other gals in need of a girls weekend from my adventure group. And these are no ordinary ladies, might I add. Now, I know y'all want all the juicy details.... well, I can't spill EVERYTHING! I mean, I could, but then I'd have to kill you. We made a pact, what can I say??

But here are some things I can tell you.... (the rest of the pics will have to wait because I have to get them from the other girls. Case in point - this pic is kinda yellow b/c I took it with my cell phone in the not-so-well-lit hotel room... no, not that kind of hotel room... well, maybe it was. but I'm not tellin', and you'll never know...)

It was me, Becca (pictured above with her candy-coated nipples), Jenn (in the background), both of which were my roomies, Lena, Tracy and Sara. We biked the rails-to-trails in the Poconos, ate good food, drank good (and bad) wine, ate chocolate, played games, and my favorites - DID SHOTS AND PEDICURES!!! (not at the same time... but almost at the same time... which accounted for the not-so-hot-looking pedicures the next morning...)

Conversation winner of the weekend:

While we're waiting for our shots to arrive at the bar -

ME: Sara, what career/ job have you NOT have???

(BTW, Sara, in her short 28-29 years of life has done everything from police dispatcher, contracter, mary kay lady, land lord (or 'slum lord' as she calls herself), quasi-massage therapist, hardware store book keeper, working with the developmentally disabled... pretty much you name it, she's done it... I'm sure I'm leaving out the most interesting stuff too... I just can't think of it right off the top of my head.)

ME: Have you ever danced on a pole?? (smile on my face. funny, ha, ha)

SARA: for money? (serious as a monk)

ME: uh, really?

I was speechless. BTW - no, she hadn't for money....

Who knew??

As soon as we drive into the driveway after our camping trip (around 6pm) I get out of the car and immediately let the dogs out, go inside, feed the dogs, get the mail, start going through the mail, you get the idea. At the same time David starts unpacking the car, carrying the cooler inside, bags inside, camping gear to the basement, you get the idea. We do what we can until we just can't do any more.

The next day I take my car to work and later that night when I get home I go to the basement to start sorting through the camping stuff (what needs washed, what can put away, what is for camping only vs. could be used for backpacking....) while David said he was going to finish cleaning out my car. Now, I wasn't exactly sure what he meant by this as there was no more gear left in my car.

My brain processes "clean out car" = "remove all extraneous 'things' from said vehicle"

David's brain processes "clean out car" - "remove all extraneous 'things' *(*anything not nailed down that did not accompany the car from the factory) from car, vacuum distusting dog hair and dust off seats, throw away all trash in trash bag (and trash not in trash bag), actully move seats and vacuum all 'junk' out from under said seats that has been there for god knows how long, wash dog slobber off outside and inside of windows"

WOW! I said. It's not even his car! He doesn't even have to drive the "car full of filth"! He said he did it because the following weekend (this coming weekend) I was going away for a girls weekend and he knew I'd be driving a bunch of my friends in my car and he wanted it to be clean for me.

Isn't he sweet??

Our First Camping Trip

Nikki's version:
This was my first camping trip. It took me a few hours to realize it. At first I thought that mom and dad could have picked a closer park. I mean really!! For the first TWO HOURS I stood anxiously looking out the window wondering when in the heck we were going to get there. It finally dawned on me it wasn't going to be any time soon. I finally decided to take a load off. Liam's butt seemed to make a good pillow.












Ugh!! Are we THERE YET???!!!











I should have know we weren't just out for a few hours at the park when I saw dad packed this on the back of the car...











After a few days in the wilderness I was sick and tired of waking up to gunshots at the firing range across the lake!! (At least mom let me get in bed and snuggle with her until the shots stopped...)













Don't get me wrong, I love spending time with the fam and all, but I have had enough and was ready to get home to air conditioning and a dry, padded bed on level ground. At least the ride home was air conditioned and I was able to get the "double bed"!!! God I can't wait until we get home! I've had enough of this "communing with nature" crap!













Liam's version:


Ah! Fresh air, back to my roots. Lounging around, laying out on the ground, laying my head where ever it happens to land. Chasing balls out in the lake, shakin' off and lettin' the air blow through your fur... that's the life. Not a care in the world. Just how I like it.





























I will admit that the A/C on the way home was kinda nice... just don't tell Nikki I said that....

I'm behind

ok - Ihaven't posted in a while due to jury duty and vacation. Give me a minute to get my pics in order and I'll post here soon.

BTW

Did I mention that last weekend, for some unknown reason, I decided to paint my fingernails? Did I mention that I don't really paint my nails much? If I do it's only ever been a nude color? ONLY a nude color. But last weekend was different. I painted them RED!! Check it out!!

I know, I know. Don't quit my day job. I have vein-y hands....

And yes, I know - we desparately need to paint the deck....

potty humor

I have a friend that won't take a poo when her husband's around... (careful what you comment here - she's a reader of my blog!! : ) Me and David - quite the opposite. It started out when I was single - I never closed the door. why bother? it was me and the cats. If I tried to shut the door to go the cats would go nuts - meowing and scratching... I think they were convinced I'd fall in the toilet or something. so it was just easier to leave the door open.

This continued once D and I got married. Pain in the ass (pun intended) to close the door to only have to get up, with you pants down, ass shining, to open it because the cats wouldn't leave you alone.

Today D and I went to do a 40 mile training ride with our group. We were meeting over at the boathouse and we knew there were 2 port-o-pots. We decided to hit the johns before starting the ride (do you know how far 40 miles is???) We each walk into a port-o-pot. As I'm peeing I realize you can hear EVERYTHING from the other john. I can't remember what started it but D said something and the next thing I know we're having a detailed conversation between the two of us in our own separate port-o-pots. I had to laught at the ridiculousness of it all. Thank god no one was waiting in line outside!!! They would have gotten an earful!

I was tagged - your turn!

The Rules:
1. I have to post these rules before I give you the facts.
2. Each player starts with eight random facts/habits about themselves.
3. People who are tagged need to write their own blog (about their eight things) and post these rules. (**if you’re a non-blogger, you can email them!)
4. At the end of your blog, you need to choose eight people to get tagged and list their names.
5. Don’t forget to leave them a comment telling them they’re tagged, and to read your blog.

1) Many of you know that I'm not a fan of the beach - what you might not know is that I'm terrified of the ocean. My feet CANNOT touch the bottom - it grosses me out - and apparently I've seen Jaws either one too many times or I saw it when I was too young... either way it scared my sh*tless (go figure that I was a biology major...)

2) I have to rub my feet together as I fall asleep, until I fall asleep. I do this every night (and have for as long as I can remember) much to the chagrin of my husband

3) I hate minty flavors - with 2 exceptions: junior mints and peppermint patties. (figures it would be candy....) thank god for the fruit flavored toothpastes!

4) I feel naked if I take my navel ring out - even though that I logically know that having a navel ring over 30 is somewhat questionable.... although I have tried a few times and I feel weird... (but who sees my stomach anymore except my husband??)

5) I'm so neurotic that I have to write in pencil (must be mechanical pencil - no sharpening going on here) - so I can erase. I have used-eraser all over my carpet at work. You should see my floor on Friday!! (the cleaning lady only comes on Friday nites) it's a good thing they make those mechanical pencils with the twist-up erasers that last a little longer than traditional erasers!!!

6) I'm addicted to spider solitare. regular solitare just doesn't do it for me anymore...

7) I have terribly high cholestrol - on meds for it (and I'm only 31!!!! aahhhh!!!)

8) I SUCK at crossword puzzles. and just I continue to abuse myself by trying over and over again to do them. (although I cheat... A LOT...)

Well, that was therapeutic - although now you know WAY too much about my crazy self! (I should note that I didn't really cheat and write things that you probably already knew - I really went with the "secret" stuff!!) And since I know so few people who blog - and 2 of them have already done this, I'm tagging Tiffany!!!!

Tif - you're it!!!!

It still raining girls!!!

ANNOUNCEMENT:

Everyone welcome the "official" arrival of Madalynn Elizabeth!!!!!

(is it just me or does anyone else see a trend with baby girls here??!!)

She was born on Aug. 17th to my good friend Teresa and her hubby Hoy. Isn't she a cutie!!! Yet one more little girlfor Aunt Julie to spoil!!!

Check out that head of hair!!!

My name is Earl, uh, I mean Travis Jones.

Ok I'm a first child. You know - serious, overachiever, etc... and I'm married to a first child. I would venture to say he has more severe "first child" issues than I do. I think one reason is because he has two other siblings to make up the personality "differences".

My brother-in-law, Chris (I'm using his name because some day he'll be famous and I won't have to worry about protecting his identity....) is definitely cut out for acting. Now, I personally, have never been into acting. I feel you really have put yourself out there when you act - become incredibly vulnerable - something I'm not at all willing to do. Chris - he's all about it. I think he might find acting enjoyable for just the opposite reason (which I've read a lot of actors state the reason as to why they are attracted to acting) which is it gives you opportunity to be someone completely different than yourself - a "reason" to act unlike you would normally.

Nope - you'll never find me acting. I'd rather run naked through Times Square in the middle of winter during x-mas shopping season....

Regardless as to why Chris enjoys acting the bottom line is he appears to love being "other people" and has no qualms about doing that in front of others. Case in point:


Here's a regular picture of Chris the weekend of my wedding. Sorry it's not a big picture - it's all I have on my work computer... But I would think he comes across to most of you as a clean cut, good-looking guy.







Recently Chris and some of his friends went to Vegas *baby* and originally he and one friend had decided to actually fly to Vegas as "My Name is Earl"-type characters. Why?? I have no idea. They may have had a reason - knowing Chris, they probably just wanted to have *extra* fun. Well, his friend had to back out of the trip for some reason. Did that stop Chris from dressing up as "Earl"?? or rather, as we later learned, aka "Travis Jones"? Hell no! Not only did he "dress up" but he even grew a moustache for it too!! now, his hair is long but I don't know if he grew it out for this or another part he currently has. His mother and I are still debating as to whether the chest hair is real or not.

Oh - the best part!! what you can't see is that he is also wearing cut-off jean shorts and work boots!! He flew on the plane from NYC to Vegas "in character". I believe he even went to a casino dressed like this when he first arrived.
















See- he's obviously the ham of the family.... and the least inhibited....

Congrats to TF and HF!!

Everybody - send your congrats to my Friend TF and her husband HF. TF gave birth to a little girl - their first child - this past Friday night! Everyone is doing well and healthy. HF promised (or rather - TF promised for him) that I'd get photos, etc. soon. Once I get those (and confirmation on the correct spelling of her name) I'll post them!!

Welcome the MadHatter!!

One of my friends finally started a blog!! ; ) So everyone - go check out the MadHatter's blog. (crazy for lovin' this life) I've got her linked on my page. I'm already lovin' it!!! She's got three kids - so there's some great parenting stories already!! I love her parenting style!!! I'm confident her kids will grow up emotionally unscathed!!!

it keeps on comin'

So - I have been chosen for grand jury duty. who hoo! well, not really chosen... it's not like a trial jury where they ask you questions. This is purely on a lottery system. So, I'm in. Luckily it's not everyday, all day - but I have to call in after 5pm each weekday to see if the tentative schedule has changed. So far I'm not scheduled until Monday. all afternoon....

Obviously I can't talk about what we talk about. but I already have some funny stories that I can talk about. Yesterday the jurors (me and the rest of the group) were being sworn in by the judge and his assistant. Ok, he may not be an assistant but I missed his title. Anyhoo - this other guy was the one that read the spiel that we all had to swear to. Funny thing - the guy looked EXACTLY like Cliff from Cheers. I shit you not. And he had a thick NY accent. HA!!! I'm standing there, right hand held up, trying to pay attention to what I'm swearing to and not laugh at loud at the ridiculousness of it all.... ok, I thought it was funny....

And on a serious note - I had to have another CT scan today. I've been having headaches again for the past month... Two weeks ago it was a scan of the brain and today a scan on the sinuses. I know, I know. I've heard it all. "if I had a head like that it'd hurt too!" yeah, yeah. ha, ha. very funny. Hopefully we can finally figure out what is causing these. They are quite irritating....

So that's my life right now in a nutshell. Doctors appt, jury duty and work. whoo hoo!!

My life's soundtrack

I had to laugh to myself the other day. I had an interaction with the hubby that reminded me why I married him in the first place.

me: man, I went running the other day when you were out of town. it felt great!!

D: really? do you think the cycling is helping

me: absolutely! when I was running I didn't feel like I was dragging around a lead weight. I even sprinted towards the end, like I do sometimes, but this time I felt I was really sprinting! I felt light and I was pumping my arms and my legs were just moving on their own!

D (with a straight face): Did you hear "chariots of fire" in your head?

I heart him!

He's witty like that - in a dry-humor kind of way that I'm not. I told him he is now responsible for editing the soundtrack to my life. He just proved he's much better at it than I am....

Flowers take 2

I was out of the office sick yesterday. (has anyone else besides me noticed that I get sick a lot since moving to NY??) I came in today and the beautiful flowers David sent me were still on my desk. Connie had watered them for me while I was out... but still about a third of them were drooping and dying!!!! WHA??!!! So I called the florist and POLITELY told her how unsatisfied I was that my flowers were starting to die TWO days after I had them. So they sent over new ones. Still as pretty!! And will alst much longer! (I hope..)