Goodbye 2006, Hello 2007!

Greetings! The Holiday season is wrapping up, and I had a great Christmas! I got to see my Dad and Stepmom, and I got to see some relatives that I hadn't seen in ages. I saw some friends, and got to spend some quality time with Mom and her mammoth Christmas tree!! What I didn't expect was to catch the world's worst (well in pregnancy terms) head cold. I'm not saying who I caught this plague from, but obviously it penetrated my super-human pregnancy immune system. I started feeling icky on Christmas morning, and its gone DOWNHILL ever since. I managed to work on Tuesday, but I've been flat on my back ever since. I can honestly say that I feel like dying, but I'm sure that if I could take some real OTC drugs... I wouldn't be talking crazy!

Oh, here's a picture of my Grandmother and me... people have been asking to see the "bump". This isn't the best picture ever, but its there... see.. I already look miserably sick.. My grandmother however... looks great!! Can you believe that she'll be 89 years old this year???

Well, I have already canceled my plans for New Year's.... There is no way that I will be feeling like going out tomorrow... sigh. Maybe Steve will get me some sparkling grape juice, and we can ring in the new year with a good movie.

If you are going out.. Be safe!!

What we now know about our baby!!

Well, Friday was the BIG ultrasound!! It was very cool to see all the parts of the body.. the brain, kidneys, thigh bones, feet, spine, etc.... The only thing we could not see (not that we wanted too) was whether it was a boy or a girl!

What I can tell you about my child, is that it has stage fright, so there goes any hopes I had for it to become a Broadway star. I always said that if I was reincarnated, I would come back as a Broadway star... my backup plan was to live vicariously through my child who would definitely become a Broadway star. My dreams there have been squashed. After two separate ultrasounds (6 weeks apart) this baby does not like to show off for the camera, and it doesn't move around on cue.

The baby is measuring perfectly so far though... and weighing in at a whopping 1/2 pound! The sonographer was relieved when we said that we didn't want to know the sex, because it would have become quite the mission to find out. She said that she had "an idea", but to prove or disprove the theory would have required a trip to the bathroom for me to empty my bladder, and then maybe a few hundred jumping jacks. Baby P was sitting upright, but very VERY low down... and in a perfect tucked position. We're talking knees to chin almost the whole time...

After the ultrasound, there was some confusion about why I wasn't scheduled to see the doctor, but there was a doctor who agreed to see me (at 5:00 on a Friday afternoon) since it had been 6 weeks since my last visit with the doctor (not my fault... the schedulers fault!) Anyhow... the doctor was quite young but nice. She said the words I had been waiting to hear.. I want to HEAR the heartbeat!!! Yeah, us too!!

10 minutes later, she STILL had not located Baby P's heartbeat. She even told me to have a talk with my shy little one, and she would return with a watch and a new listening device... After we pointed out again.. that the baby was positioned VERY low, she finally took our word for it, and ventured south for the heartbeat, and voila!! We heard a healthy heartbeat clicking in at 154 bpm.

Here are some pictures... Enjoy!!

Appalachian State University!!

Congratulations to Appalachian State for winning their second straight NCAA Division 1 National Championship last night!!! GO APP!

Getting in the Christmas Spirit!!

Christmas Vacation - National Lapoons Christmas Vacation with images of the funiest Christmas Movie ever. (all while enjoying my favorite Christmas song!!) So, I'm finally getting in the holiday spirit!! I got my decorations up last night, and a majority of my Christmas shopping done! We've got our Christmas party this weekend! It's all coming together! I was having a hard time getting in the spirit between my hectic work schedule and Steve being sick... but last night helped get me moving! I'm so in the spirit now!! I get to go home to Charlotte on Wednesday too!!

Elf Games

http://www.elfyourself.com/?userid=3781c92a115139ccc18b551G06121410


Lots of little games to pass the time. I personally recommend the Conspiracy Carols!!

To know or not to know... that is the question

Friday is our big day... we have another ultrasound where we hopefully get to determine the sex of our baby P. The question is... Do we want to know? Steve and I are both on the fence, and could easily be swayed in one direction or the other... Actually the wind has tilted Steve to one side, and naturally me to the other... so we're still completely undecided about the issue.

Apparently the statisitcs say that 80% of couples find out the sex of their baby ahead of time... but its been really fun to watch our friends and Steve's sister and husband wait it out! I'm afraid we're going to end up tossing a coin in front of the sonographer and deciding then...

In the meantime... if you have a strong opinion feel free to comment!

No Christening and No Gastroscopy today

So, after 3 unsuccessful attempts to wake Steve up on Saturday, I decided that it was in his best interest for him to stay in bed and not go to the Christening. He felt awful about that, and he felt awful in general. We ended up making another trip to the Urgent Care that night. This time they gave him some antibiotics (and some new theories about why he is sick)... We went home and I finally got him to get some soup and pudding down...

Sunday was definitely a day of rest... the antibiotics were starting to take effect, and he was a little more comfortable.

Today is Monday, and Steve is still at home. He was scheduled for a gastroscopy today (where they sedate him and go down his throat with the camera) but since he's still having difficulty breathing, and is still coughing up a LOT of junk... the doctor and Steve decided to postpone the proceedure. So for now, he's resting and hopefully well on the way to recovery. He actually slept the whole night without a coughing fit. That's something!

a different holiday checklist

So far my holiday checklist looks like this...

big Savannah meeting= done.
broken suitcase from said big Savannah meeting= yep.. you betcha.
Christmas tree= bought and up
Christmas shopping done= not even close.
Christmas tree decorated= might not make it past the lights this year.
Very sick husband= yes.

Steve has been pretty sick since we got back from Las Vegas (which was about a month ago). It started out as a cold/flu... and I thankfully escaped its wrath... Then from all the stress from coughing... he developed Shingles (which could have been disastrous for me and baby P) Luckily after the trip to the urgent care and the diagnosis of Shingles last weekend... I was out the door to Savannah the next day. Then comes his inability to swallow food or drink, which they believe was either a strain to the sternum, or possibly a tear in the esophagus from all the coughing...So, after a visit to the Gastroenterologist (Sp?)... they have decided to go in for a closer look... That happens on Monday when they sedate him and go down his throat with a camera... To top things off... He now has an even worse head cold that trumps the first one... He's pretty miserable, and I feel really helpless to do anything about it.. He's never the sick one... I'm always the sick one... I might end up joining his ranks on this one though... I think I'm starting to catch what he has. Misery loves company I suppose.

This afternoon we're off to Maine for our niece's christening (Steve is the Godfather!) He will most likely be heavily drugged up to get through the mass, although he is honored to have been asked to be the Godfather!!

10 more days until my Christmas vacation starts.. I'm heading home on December 20th.. Hopefully Steve and I will both be germ free by that time! We have our next ultrasound on Friday... we get to find out the sex of Baby P. The burning question is though... will we want to know?

Thanksgiving = Tryptophan

Hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving!! Mine ended up better than it started.. Just as I predicted.. I ended up working for about 3 hours yesterday. I brought my appetite to my sister-in-law's, and ate lots of yummy food afterwards though!! As the turkey induced coma was settling in... we saw the funniest thing and on of all days... Thanksgiving... 10 wild turkeys marching through the backyard. Now, no one in that family had ever seen turkeys in their yard before, but on Thanksgiving (of all days), and after the big meal, they decided it was safe enough to pass on through. Kinda funny.. but of course you probably would have had to see it to either believe it or to think it was funny!!

Now the holiday countdown is on!!

Insomnia

Good Morning- or Good Night... however you see it. It's 2:00 am, and as much as I would love to be sleeping right now, I have been laying in bed for 2 hours dreaming/obsessing about the amount of work that I have to accomplish in the next few days. All of my co-workers except one are all going to be on vacation on Friday, and then all out next week for different conferences. That leaves two people to (it seems) pull a whole conference together in one week. There have been months of planning calls, but also months of NO PROGRESS. Just when I thought that the meeting was becoming a little manageable, they went and changed everything as we know it. That means late nights, probably some time logged in at the office on Thanksgiving, and then everyday (weekend included) until next Thursday, when I can hopefully ship everything.

It doesn't help that Steve has been sick the last week (he's almost completely lost his voice) and still is... and I'm desperately trying to fend off the germs.. or the fact that my car has been in the shop twice this week (to the tune of say... my whole Christmas budget!). Rodents deciding to stash their winter seeds into your ac/heat blower is never a good thing. That was only part of the problem this week... Maintenance, Labor, and BALL JOINTS, inspection sticker... sigh. We dropped off the car a few hours ago, and hopefully I'll get it back tomorrow/ this afternoon. I'm going to have to rely on Steve to get me to work and to pick me up so I can get my car. Who knows how he'll be feeling...the poor guy.. I've been asking so much of him lately... and we haven't even started putting labels on folders or stuffing 550 nametags... I love him!!

I could start my to-do list right here on my blog, but I think I would lose you quickly. As much as it would help me to get my thoughts down, I think I'll spare you the details. Hopefully by writing this much, I can get back to sleep for a few hours.

Thanksgiving is Thursday... I wish everyone a great holiday! I'll be working most of it, but I will manage some Turkey, and I have already picked out the most giving Thanksgiving (maternity) pants for the occasion!!

Baby's First Photo

Here's the first official photo of Baby Pittorino.... Enjoy! He/She is not the most photogenic at this stage, but its still fun to look at!! My next ultrasound is scheduled for December 15th, so hopefully I'll have more pics then.

Steve lucky.. Me? Not so much

After a red-eye flight from hell, Steve and I are home from Las Vegas... After 9 days in the desert, I'm glad to be home!! All the baby stuff and work stuff finally caught up with me, and by the time that Steve arrived, I was plum exhausted. We did manage to have some fun though.. I took advantage of my VIP pin to the Mandalay Bay, and took Steve up to the top where the House of Blues has their members only Foundation Room (memberships start at $2500/year) Incredible views and swanky bar/lounge/dining area. Here's the view from the top looking out at the strip...

I never know when to quit, and I'm not much of a gambler.. I only blew $40 dollars before Steve arrived, and Saturday afternoon, we we decided to kill some time at MGM Grand. I started on my next $20.. I was up a few bucks, but moved onto a new slot machine.. This time Steve sat beside me, and put a $20 in himself... Next thing I know... ding ding ding ding.... He's up to $108 dollars. He didn't even know what combo won him the money.... We had a good laugh as he firmly took me by the hand and said that we were leaving... His winnings and my losses still equaled out to a small win for the Pittorinos...

I have figured out that Red-Eyes and pregnant women don't work out so well. Especially when this pregnant one got stuck in the middle seat. It was the longest 4.5 hours of my life.. I was incredibly swollen by the time we landed (not to mention dying of thirst). I managed to get up twice, but I should have just stood the whole flight... if it wasn't for the major turbulence, I might have.. it would have been more comfortable than trying to manage sleeping in the middle. Sigh.. lessons learned.

All of my Charlotte peeps have been inquiring when I'll be coming home next. I think they just want to see my pregnant belly and laugh. Anyway... Steve and I are checking out the Christmas flights now... I'll update when I know for sure!

Well, its late (or actually early Monday morning), and I have another high pressure meeting awaiting me tomorrow morning at work.

Now that the dust has settled....

I am writing today from Las Vegas. I have just completed a very successful Air Monitoring Conference here. The clients were VERY pleased, which makes me happy! There has been a lot of work going into the first time conference, and the attendance was far better than expected. We weren't in the riztiest of hotels in Las Vegas, but hey.. its a GOVERNMENT conference... if they expected the Bellagio, then they were crazy... The hotel staff were fantastic, and it made my job a whole lot easier. I got lots of gifts too!!

So after I dropped the bomb about the baby, I hopped on a plane to Vegas on Friday night. My mom decided it was high time that she visited sin city.. so she met me out there on Friday night.. We were greeted with a limo to the hotel which was nice... Saturday we decided to go to the Hoover Dam, so mom rented a car... Little did we know that we were about to get an upgrade.. A Mustang Shelby GT500! We were definitely checked out by the men. We went to see "O" another cirque du soleil show.. and it was FANTASTIC.. definitely worth the money. Sunday, I had to get to work, and my mom jumped in and helped (I decided it was payback time for all the times I was dragged in to her office to help her out!) She was a trooper and a great help! I gave her some downtime, so I hope that she got to see the highlights of the strip. She flew home yesterday, and today the conference ended. Tonight, my wonderful hubby flies in, and we have a couple of days to play. I have to go and get my gambling in before he gets here though.. he will put the kabash on gambling when he arrives, so I've got to blow (I mean WIN) my money now!

So, now that the dust has settled, I guess I should apologize to some of my close friends who found out about the blessed event via email... Not very personal, I admit. I was pretty excited that we finally saw the heartbeat, that I felt it was time to tell everyone... Unfortunately, I had to leave for a week, and I didn't want the news to wait. I promise I'll get around to calling you guys, I have just been completely swamped with work lately... My apologies if I upset anyone!

As soon as I get home with the sonogram pictures, we will scan them and post them... stay tuned!

Well, I'm off to gamble.. I've got 11 hours until Steve arrives! Wish me luck!!

and BABY makes three!

Coming in May 2007.... Baby Pittorino!!

It's official! I'm pregnant with my first child!! People have been wandering when I would fess up, so here it is.. Bring on the dribbles and drool!! As if having a baby weren't HUGE enough... the baby is actually due on my 29th birthday.. May 19th. I know that the chances of he or she making his or her entrance on my birthday is slim, but still funny to think about (especially since I have always been so PROTECTIVE of my birthday). I once threatened my sister and told her that she could under no circumstance deliver either one of her boys on my birthday.. because it was MINE!!! Now, God's plan could be to make me eat my words and share my day with my own kid.

Steve and I are really excited. We had our first ultrasound appointment today, where we got to see the heart beating and see the little tadpole for the first time! Very Very COOL. They said the baby was a perfect size so far! The baby had a heartbeat of 167 bpm!! It was pretty active, yet pretty camera shy... We didn't get any great shots, but I'll post one later on.

Knock on wood, I have felt pretty good so far... No morning sickness to report, but I do get nauseous if I let myself get too hungry... I can already tell that I'll be a blimpie in no time... I'm already wearing some maternity clothes, and my stomach is already popping out.. As Joey Tribiani (FRIENDS) once said.. Bring on the Thanksgiving Pants!! Although today I was actually surprised when they told me that I LOST a pound since my last visit!!

So, the cats out of the bag.. I've got a bun in the oven. 11 weeks down, 29 weeks to go!!

If you're new to my blogging world.. feel free to keep checking back... I'll update with my progress (among other things!) Comments are welcome too!

Hello, My Name is....

I never liked my name growing up... I actually liked the names of my dolls, so in 2nd grade I went through an identity crisis, and starting naming myself after my cabbage patch dolls. It was a brief phase, but it is one of those small phases that my family will never let me live down. My email addresses have always had some sort of KELLYSUANN in them, as an ode/mockery to my childhood.

I have grown up though, and my wishes for a better name have faded away, and I have accepted and even started to like my name.. ERIN. However, I do get peeved when people get it wrong. I know that I have an accent, so on the phone it is understandable for people to think that I am saying either Karen or Ann, but when its in an email and plainly written for you to see, the following are not acceptable...

AARON
ERIC
ED
ELLEN
MR.

Ok... I know Erin and Aaron sound a lot alike.. but THEY ARE NOT. Come on people... Erin is the feminine version, Aaron, the masculine one... Get it straight!!

This week in particular, I have gotten Mr, Ed, and Ellen.. I kid you not. And they are responding to emails that I (ERIN) have sent them...

I usually go with the flow, and I let these slips go (actually I don't... I never miss an opportunity to complain to my office-mate) but I rarely ever feel the urge to correct someone. This week I stood up for myself, and proudly proclaimed... I'm a MRS!! The poor woman on the receiving end of my email was very embarrased, and her excuse was that Erin was not a common name in Canada... Ok.. I'll give her that... but to all you other fools... NO EXCUSE!!

Everyone is on notice now... MY NAME IS ERIN and I'M A GIRL!!! Got it ??

I'm not your gal...

Apparently I learned a few things this weekend.

I'm not your person if you want a STRONG alibi....
I'm not your person if you want a good liar (my parents and sister can attest for all the times that I got busted on my own lies)
I'm definitely not at the top of my game at 1:00 in the morning... (maybe once upon a time back in college- but not anymore)

All of these things were proven quite nicely this weekend, as I was tested. Sorry to my friend, but glad that things worked out for you...

After my heart-rate slowed back down to a normal pace... I slept a good portion of the weekend. We did manage to get out a little bit.... I do love the fall. I ended up working for a few hours on Sunday, which SUCKED... but unavoidable.. and besides Steve was watching Football.

I go off to Las Vegas in less than two weeks! I'm getting excited for a few reasons... this nightmare of a meeting will finally be done!!! My mom is coming out to play with me in Vegas for a few days (and I'll get free labor out of her), and then my husband is coming out to play with me for a few days at the end of the meeting! So a LONG trip to Vegas, but it should be fun!! Of course, in the meantime.. I've got SOOOOO much to do to make the meeting happen. We're talking 500 attendees (where it was once estimated to be only 150-200 people)... We coordinate a lot of meetings a year, but only a few ever get this big.. so its been a challenge.. and of course when you're dealing with the government, you're dealing with TIGHT budgets. one word... Joy.

Forgetting where I left my brain

I don't know where my head has been lately. Well I know where it has been, but it still is frustrating... I have become so forgetful! I am forgetting everything from birthdays to simple tasks (i.e. brushing teeth or bringing CDs to work for a co-worker!) I know the teeth thing is disgusting... I wasn't loving it either when I realized what I did... but I did have Trident Whitening gum with me... so hopefully I didn't offend.

Last night... after I realized that I had completely and I mean COMPLETELY forgotten a great friend's birthday (last week!) and I was about to miss another birthday this week.. I got off the couch last night and went on a massive October birthday shopping spree! (my niece turns 5 soon, so I might as well get her present too- otherwise I could forget it).

Today, as I prepare to FED EX (not snail mail) these gifts... I realize that I forgot to bring the wrapping paper with me. UGH!!! I knew I was forgetting something this morning... I thought it was my hotel folder that I was working with last night, but I pulled back into the driveway to get that... I guess I was forgetting something else.

I hope my mind comes back to earth soon. This is getting old!

First Class Baby

Howdy! The jetsetter is back from her weeklong business trips, and I'm happy to report that I flew first class for 5 of my 6 flights last week!! A girl could get used to that kind of life. On top of that... my luggage made it everywhere I did!! yeah!!

One quirky coincedence though... was that My dad and I crossed paths in the air on Wednesday. He was leaving DC as I was arriving there. It would have been fun to see him and possibly swindle a free meal out of him. Oh well... Dad.. you headin' out on anymore business trips soon?

This weekend involved a LOT of rest. My sister and her boyfriend showed up for lunch on Saturday, I went to a jewelry party on Saturday night. Today we went on the annual family apple-pickin' outing. It was a chilly day, but the fall colors were magnificant.

Its back to the office tomorrow morning. A lot of works awaits me. I'll check back in soon!

Happy Anniversary Babe!

Today, is my man's and my 2 year wedding anniversary. Unfortunately, Tonight I'm in Savannah, and he is home in Boston. He did try to celebrate the day though. He sent me beautiful flowers (well, I think that they were beautiful??) I wouldn't know, because the florist DID NOT DELIVER THEM!!! How rude. I was told that flowers were supposed to be delivered today, but they weren't... Soooo, now I'm in Savannah, then off to DC, and won't be back home until Friday night. sigh. So perhaps my office will appreciate their beauty if they are ever delivered. Hopefully the florist will rectify the situation. It was the thought that counted though, and I have to give my man props. I love you babe!!

I had to book my flight to Vegas (for upcoming work) today, so I also bought..er I mean cashed in my hard earned frequent flier miles and got him a free ticket out there too! He in return got online and bought us tickets to another Cirque du Soliel show for when we are out there!! Wooohoo!! Happy Anniversary to us!

So, now that I've now wished my man a good night (on the phone from Savannah), and with about 15 minutes left on our anniversary, I just want to say that I was the luckiest girl on October 9, 2004 because I married the greatest guy in the world. Here's to another 2.. er I mean MANY MANY MANY more years together. I love you!

I'm Back

So, I've been called out on not updating my blog... SORRY to my fellow 3 readers. Life has been in overdrive lately. Work is definitely picking up. Lots of trips in the works, lots of work that has to be done before the trips.... I'll try to be better though.

First off, my mom came to town last weekend!! She made her annual fall trip up north, and we celebrated by booking tickets to see Cirque du Soleil's Corteo. If you've never seen a Cirque du Soleil show.. I highly recommend it. Its hard to describe, but amazing to see. I think I've seen 4 shows now (Varekai, Mystere, La Nouba, and Corteo). They are all awe inspiring.

This week has been hectic so far, but the good news is that I had my LAST physical therapy appointment today! I've been discharged! I had dinner with a friend last night, and I hope to get my nails done tonight (a little treat for myself)... then I've got to start brainstorming about what to do/what to get for my wonderful husband... We celebrate our whopping 2 year anniversary on Monday, October 9th (of course I fly out that day for another week's worth of business travel to Savannah and DC).

I'll update again soon... I pinky swear.

High School Reunion

So I went home to North Carolina this weekend. Since I was using my hard-earned frequent flier miles, I decided to stretch the weekend to 4 days, and the weekend started on Thursday. I wasn't so excited about the 10-year reunion. In my mind, not enough time has passed for people to mature, for cliques to disban, etc. My friend Sonni was WAY EXCITED about going, so I figured that if I didn't go, I might actually miss out on something.

Thursday and Friday was spent tooling around with my mom and grandmother. I got to see my college roommate and her husband on Friday for lunch, then Friday night, Mom and I walked over to Freedom Park for the annual Festival in the Park. Its lots of local artisans and food vendors, and neat gift vendors all wrapped around a decent size lake. It was a perfect night, and mom and I discovered Kettle Corn. yum.

Saturday, I had a hankering for Mokoto's (A Japanese Steakhouse in my college town), so Mom, GM, and I met my sister (who had the same hankering) and her three kids up in Boone for lunch and some sightseeing and picture taking on the Blue Ridge Parkway. Then it was back home (2 hours both ways) to get ready for the big reunion.

I didn't have any expectations for the night, so I wasn't disappointed. It was nice to see some old familiar faces, but were there any long lost friendships renewed? No. If there was a prize for most changed... it would have had to be me. In high school, I would have cared too much about appearances to be the first one on the dance floor. NOT SO MUCH ANYMORE... yeah, yours truly was the first one on the dancefloor... with all the eyes on me... gawking, smiling, laughing, even some envious looks... in ten years I have come to the conclusion... who gives a crap what these people think? I definitely won't see them for at least another 10 years (if ever). I had fun on the dancefloor. I hope some people had fun watching me make a fool of myself.

One doctor down... one Physical Therapist to go

So, the news today, is that I have officially graduated from my hand surgeon's care. He doesn't want to see me until next year !!!!! He was happy with what he saw today, and I am released. He says that I can quit PT as well, but I'm not quite ready to break those ties yet. Next steps are off to the gym, and then I'll check in with Mary at PT. If I can regain the strength and endurance, I will be happy!!


Hallelujah!!! Two surgeries/recovery time within 10 months= no fun
September 18, 2006= one very happy ERIN!!!

Physical Therapy

So, I went to Physical Therapy yesterday... That in itself is not blog-worthy, but the fact that I have now been ordered to hit the gym is!! yuck. I hate the gym. I have graduated to weight-bearing exercises... yippee!! I might get my arms back! I have had wrist surgery on both of my wrists (left wrist in December, right wrist in June). The atrophy has kicked in. bigtime. I have flabby arms with no definition. Now I have to go to the gym and bring the arms back. I am excited about the prospect of having strength again... Not Xena- Princess Warrior strength, but basic strength. I want to hold my littlest nieces and nephews without feeling like I'm going to drop them, and I want to be able to hold the kids that I will someday have.

If you see me in the gym, please don't laugh.

Baby Frenzy

So this past weekend was a baby frenzy... On Saturday, I got to babysit my adorable baby niece for a couple of hours. Its hard not to sit and just stare at her... I definitely have some things to learn before I become a mom one day... For one thing, I have to learn the difference between COLD and room temperature bottles... oops. She was a very good 3 month old... Thanks for not scaring me away!!

Saturday night was spent at Babies R US.... too many cute things there. You could definitely walk out of there with baby fever... The store itself is a little overwhelming... but still fun to think about.

On Sunday, I went to my friend Christina's baby shower. She is due in October, and she got some great gifts. She is ALL baby... that right there gives me pause. I know when my time comes... I will not be all baby... Its just not that easy for me. I think she's having a boy... Steve thinks a girl. I guess we'll just have to wait and see!

Farewell Summer

So today is Labor Day... The end of the summer. As I look back, its been a pretty decent summer. There are always some regrets, but for better or worse, here's the recap of my summer:

1. We went to a Red Sox game this summer
2. We have another beautiful baby niece
3. I had wrist surgery.. again
4. I had 20 Physical Therapy appointments this summer
5. I went to Toledo and Orlando for work.
6. I went to Aruba for play
7. My sister and her kids stayed with us for a week!
8. We went to see Chris Isaak and Anna Nalick
9. Lots of weekends in the pool (cast and all!)
10. We went home for Steph and Ben's wedding reception
11. I went to Nashville for a girls' weekend
12. We've been up to Maine quite a few times...
13. I've reconnected with a few old friends.

Not bad, eh? The fall is looking up as well. For one thing... I'm out of wrists to operate on! I've got lots of trips planned already, and more that have yet to be planned work-wise. I love the fall colors... the costumes, pumpkins and apple pickin'. So, here's to a great summer, and hopefully an even better fall!

ASU Football thoughts...

So, I watched The Longest Yard last night. Pretty decent movie with Adam Sandler as a convict who organizes a football team of convicts against the very people that control them (the guards). While pretty funny, it did give me pause when Adam's character recalls his glory days at Florida State and that their strategy for a successful season was to start their season by "whipping an overmatched opponent like Appalachian State" . OK, I'm not a big football fan, but don't be dissing on my alma mater. The Appalachian State football team brought home the 2005 NCAA Division 1-AA National Championship, thank you very much.

Now, that being said.. I wish them another winning season. They start their season today against NC State. My cousin and I have a friendly wager on this game. Come on APP, do me proud today! Shut the Wolfpack down.

9/3/06
.... ok, so they ended up losing.. and I owe my cousin a beer. Thanks ASU.

Slow Down!!

So, not to preach to the flock.... because I'm just as guilty.. but I had a grim reminder today of why we should all take it easy on the roads, and SLOW DOWN... As I was driving to work (I95/128), the traffic slowed to a crawl, and on my side of the road was a car completely flipped over, turned the wrong way, in the ditch, and it had just been on fire. I can't imagine that the driver and/or passengers are in good shape if they are even alive at this point. If you are reading this, then I most likely care about you, and I want you safe! Try to slow down and let people over, and I'll do the same!

Much love to the flock!

MySpace

I'm on a technology roll. I joined myspace.com yesterday. Its a site for the young and hip. This myspace thing is a little disconcerting though. Especially in the beginning. You have to ask for friends??!@!@. Its depressing to start out, because you have no friends. Then you have to gather the courage to ask for friends, and then wait an agonizingly long time for them to either accept or deny your request for friendship. I think I'm doing ok for a day's work. I have 5 friends. Of course I have some friend requests pending, but I feel loved. I know I'm loved, but it would really help if all those loved ones would get on myspace and let me be their "friend". Its amazing how quickly one page can influence your self worth.

I suppose the page can be cool though.. You can reconnect with old classmates/friends and make new friends along the way. You can add pictures, songs, video clips, etc. I'll have to investigate the pros and cons a little more, and then I'll report back (hopefully with a few more friends!)


check out my new page here

Girls gone wild in Nashville

What happens in Nashville...stays in Nashville.. except for a few details of my weekend!

This weekend I went to Nashville, TN for a bachelorette party. I had a blast. There were 7 of us. These gals were college sorority sisters of mine, and let me tell you... it was like college all over again. I was a little worried about the weekend for two reasons. One, I haven't hung out or even really communicated with any of these girls in a really long time - so how well would I get along or fit in?? Two, I don't go out anymore, and lately a late night means I was in bed after 10:30. My brother-in-law told me to soldier through though... so I got myself psyched to be having a girl's weekend, and it delivered. The friendships were still intact, and they all seemed genuinely thrilled that I was able to make it (they all live nearby and still get together pretty regularly- so I'm one of the only ones that they never see anymore)

LOST LUGGAGE (again - Come on.. twice in two weeks!) threatened to dampen my spirits, but my girls came through for me and shared their clothes and makeup with me for Friday night's outing. After that, there was much food and even more drinks to be had. We hit so many bars (no cover charges!) on both nights.

On Saturday we went sightseeing (or so I thought). Where we ended up was a mall. For 5 hours. If you know me, then you know I hate to shop. But since I was soldiering through... I shopped. and shopped. I think I won the prize for MOST MONEY spent. You would have thought that I had never stepped foot in a mall before. Something inside me went crazy and I became a shopping nut. It's not like I didn't have the same stores here in Boston, but for some reason... I had to shop. Saturday night we actually did my friend's bachelorette party.. We went to trendy nightspot and restaurant Cabana for dinner (and had our own cabana). I was a good girl for the most part. We did get pretty rowdy though... It was fun for me to host a best rear end contest (guy's rear end). I got to do a lot of scoping and grabbing of men's tushies. The details get a little fuzzy after that... I know I drank quite a few fruity concoctions and we moved on to two other bars before closing down for the night at 4 am.

Sunday... was kind of an erie day.. Guess who flew on Comair yesterday? Me. For those of you not up to speed, there was an awful crash yesterday (one of Comair's jets flying from Kentucky to Atlanta). I flew them yesterday afternoon and with my recent realization that I'm in my flying funk(lost luggage and delayed flights) again after 4-5 years of relatively smooth flying experiences, I was a little nervous about flying yesterday. Even though I know that flying is still the safest way to go, and then the chances of another plane crash (and the same airline) was next to zero... I was still a little hesitant to fly... and I have come to realize that I am getting tired of traveling sooooo much.

The Waiting Game

Today and the next few days starts another round of the waiting game... My beloved little niece has been battling cancer since December 2004. She's (THANK GOD) done with all her treatments, and she is resuming a normal childhood. There is always that waiting game though... for the 5 years that you have to wait to be given the final clean bill of health. In the meantime, she has all sort of scans every 3 months or so. I have faith that she'll be ok (she has to be), but it still a waiting game and patience has never been a virtue of mine. I can only imagine what my sister goes through (I actually have an idea, but I still can't fully appreciate it, as I don't have kids of my own). Here's to you Rainey. Good Luck today.. we're praying and rooting for you!

Anna Nalick and Chris Isaak Concert

We went to see Anna Nalick and Chris Isaak last night. What a great show. The venue was right on the Boston waterfront. Beautiful views and great music. My man and I did make the observation that it is a shame when the guy on the soundboard overpowers the singers voice with the music. That was the case with Anna's set. She has an awesome voice and the music was great.. but for the life of us.. we couldn't figure out a word she sang.

Chris Isaak's set was super high energy, and he (unlike some artists out there touring) played all of his hits. "Wicked Game" was 10 times better live than the original recording. I have always been a fan of Chris', so I'm glad that I finally got to see him live. He (for those who don't know him) is a cross between Elvis and Roy Orbison.. and he looks like Kurt Russell (sorta). He wears flashy suits, and he has a great sense of humor. Oh, and he's not afraid to get out in the crowd to play.

Great night. Another adventure on the T, and a great show. Who can ask for more?

Post vacation blues

Vacation is a beautiful thing. The problem is, you don't want it to end. That is the problem that my husband and I are facing today. The END of our vacation. We went to Aruba for a week. We'd been there before for our honeymoon, but we both agreed that this trip was so much better. Ok, well it got off to a rough spot. They left my luggage in Boston. So a day and a half later my luggage came, and none too soon. I was RIPE!! I almost put my bathing suit in my carry-on bag, but I didn't. Won't make that mistake again!! The lesson here.. pack 1/2 of your stuff in your partner's suitcase and vice versa. anyhoo... After my luggage came and our vacation really started, life was good. We did absolutely NOTHING on our vacation!! Last time we were on a mission to take in the island and everything the island had to offer . Not this time. We staked out our palapa each day, and laid under there and on our float all day long. We drank fruity drinks (LOTS of them), and I went and had a hot stone massage and an aloe body wrap... the only strenuous task we attempted was tubing in the beautiful Caribbean waters. The water really is that beautiful blue that you always here about.. Of course this picture doesn't do the view justice....

Oh, and there was our favorite sight-seeing activity... watching the topless sunbathers... Towards the end of the week, quite a few showed up including some obnoxious New York socialites.. who thought it would be funny to take off their top (ok, well 2 of the 4 did) They had tan lines, so you could tell that this was not their normal practice.. Well the attention craving New Yorkers had their cameras out and were snapping pics of themselves (of course hiding their faces!). One guy, Scooby (the beach social butterfly) scooped up one of the girls and took her towards the water.. She then squeals in protest and then squeals to her friends... "PIC-TURE"!!! (you can just hear them now... it equals = gag me with a spooooon!!)

Entertainment is entertainment I suppose.

The Happiest Place on Earth

SO, all you happy readers out there (all three of you!).. I've just come back from the happiest place on earth. Orlando! What I have learned from this experience is that the 6:40 Boston to Charlotte flight is no longer an option for me. You may recall from an earlier post, that I had some travel and weather disruptions on a particular Friday night.. Well. That was the same flight I took on Wednesday night. This time I actually had a connection. Thank God there were 11 other people on my Boston-Charlotte leg.. otherwise the plane to Orlando would have been long gone before I arrived. Talk about the MAD DASH through the airport to catch the next flight. I had exercise-induced asthma the first 25 minutes of the flight.

Orlando was a blast. I was there for business, but it became so much fun that I almost feel guilty about billing the hours to get paid. Almost.

I had a couple of hours to my self on Friday, so I went to Epcot. SOLO. Not as much fun when you 're by yourself. As I stood in line for Soarin' (say 150 people in front of me) a "cast member" comes up and down the line looking for a LONELY RIDER... alas.. sadly that was me. LONELY RIDER.. but I did get to jump the 150 people in front of me to ride the best ride at Epcot! Last time I was at Epcot (October 2005- 1st wedding anniversary!), the hubby and I were (no way of putting it delicately.. ) Tanked. They had this fabulous wine and food festival.. I've also heard it called "Drinking around the World". Hubby and I had such a blast that day... drinking and eating our way from country to country... I'll show you were we ended up... Norway! Like the Viking look?
Back to this most recent trip (Solo.. with me so far?).. I had lunch in Japan (Epcot- Japan).. At first I was intimidated for a few reasons. A) Dining by yourself is never fun. I can do it.. I just don't like it. B) I recently had wrist surgery.. so the prospect of dining with chopsticks was not appealing. I walked in.. and guess who I'm sitting next to? 3 Japanese girls (who actually work for Disney.. but they were there for lunch) OK.. reason B is definiely NOT APPEALING.. now I'm definitely going to look clumsy. It turned out to be an ok experience. One of the girls shared her squid with me. That was nice of her. Can't say that I'll order that on my own.. but I can say I've had it. Also I saw FEMALE CHEFS! go girl power. I've never seen girl chefs at any of the Japanese Steakhouses that I've been to.. so I thought it was taboo.. but 2 of the 3 girls I was sitting next to, were chefs at that very restaurant. you go girls.

Flight home was THANK GOD uneventful! I rode first class all the way!! Now I'm home and my next trip is to Maine (for the night) We've got birthday parties to go to tomorrow. Life of the jetsetter.. I love it! Orlando this week, Maine this weekend.. oh and I did I mention that we're going to Aruba next week?? I might not be fashionable.. but I know how to travel!!

The Devil wears Prada.... or anything fashionable.

So... I read the Devil wears Prada... good book! I saw the movie and it was cute too. What I took from both is that I want to be more fashionable. Not fashion magazine fashionable (that's heinous).. not even trendy.. I just want to strive to look more "put together". What a tall order. I obviously haven't been striving to do this in a LOOONNGG time. Fashion has completely changed and I've become an old lady. I tried shopping last night. I aimlessly wandered from rack to rack, wall to wall, and was utterly disappointed, confused, and shamelessly envious of any person who was a size 8 or below.

Everything is low cut these days (which my booty and stomach don't tolerate AT ALL). Apparently every tanktop has to be layered now too. And, don't get me started on accessories. I was almost in tears with the fact that I couldn't coordinate an outfit, (I do have a college degree and I was in a sorority) that I did nothing more than glance at the accessories and walked out.

The only solace I could find was in a cup of soft pretzel bites. I drove home and vowed to wake up skinny. No such luck. The first thing I'm going to do when I win the lottery is a) get a trainer and b) get an outfit coordinator.

Life of the Party!

So... its fun to be the life of the party (at least in our own minds!). That's what my man and I were this weekend. First ones on the dancefloor and last ones off. Some woman came up to me and wanted to know where I learned my moves.. she said that I was great! Me?! The one who never goes out anymore, and is usually in bed by 10:00...??? Wow that feels good!

So.. besides mucho weather/travel disruptions Friday night/wee early Saturday morning.. the weekend was a success! Hubby and I had a wonderful weekend!

The BIG decision

Sometimes the best decision is to stay put. That's what I've decided to do. I am at peace with that.

In other news... I have started a blogging movement! Because of my blog, I have inspired two new bloggers. Happy Blogging you two!

So, the hubby and I are headin' South this weekend. Got a wedding reception to go to! Hopefully we'll have a good time. We'll only know the bride, groom, and the bride's mother. Can't wait to go home to see family and friends!

So, tomorrow is my first brush with Airport traffic since the whole Big Dig disaster.. I think we're taking the T (whoopee!!) but that will take longer... it will also be my first brush with Airport security since my wrist surgery and my new titanium plate in my arm.. Metal Detectors.. here I come!!

Decisions, Decisions, Decisions

Have you ever have that pivotal moment where you have to decide what next, where, when? I've been faced with that decision recently, and am now exhausted, and no decision has been made. I hate making decisions. Especially when its a decision that not only effects me, but others as well.

I tried to brush off the pressure and thoughts for a little while last night... My loving husband told me I looked bad and my father-in-law told me I "looked whiter that usual". With all those wonderful compliments flowing.. I decided to go into town and meet up with some friends. Well, one friend and then her friends.. I had fun. I got to take the T. I love to take the T. It makes me feel like a city girl. No one gets this except me..I feel independent and it reminds me of why I moved to Boston. I jump at the chance to ride. I know.. crazy. Add that to my list of compliments!

I'm playing catch-up technology-wise

So.. this is a blog. I know everyone and their brother has one. I'm playing catch-up. I just hope that I can come up with things to say.. My sister is the witty and creative one. Me? Not so much.

wish me luck.. here I go... Technology and I haven't always been close friends.. I'm embracing the blogging world - this is a big step!

Here's a fun site for the princesses out there.. I'm Belle!

Which Disney Princess are you? {Pretty pictures!}


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