The Adventures of Chris and Evey

Bucket List

2012-01-30T16:43:00.000-08:00

I have never been one to make such lists. I generally like to just take life as it comes at me. A fly by the seat of your pants sorta girl if you will. I have never been the most adventurous person, I have no desire to bungee jump, jump out of a plane, climb the side of a mountain etc. As I got to thinking about it more I have realized that having a bucket list doesn't mean I have to be adventurous to the point of hanging off the side of a bridge by a rope or putting my life in the hands of a parachute that knowing my luck wouldn't deploy.

Karl Pilkington of all people has got me to thinking about all of this. Who is Karl Pilkington you ask? Well, he is only one of my most favorite people. No, I have never met Karl but I don't really think I need to. Every week we get to tune in to Science Channel and watch him embark on adventures that perhaps weren't of his choosing, but adventures none the less. Some of which us regular folk could only dream of. Karl is the star of the series An Idiot Abroad. It started last season when we saw Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant sit back and watch with us as Karl traveled to see The New Seven Wonders of the World. As much as Karl has NO desire to travel and leave the comforts of his home in England he is a good sport of all the ridiculous things he is made to do along the way. I would guess that after all is said and done, he is thankful for some of the experiences and people he has met. This season is called An Idiot Abroad 2: The Bucket List in which Karl embarks on the ultimate trip of things to do before you die. This is by no means Karl's bucket list. I am pretty sure his would consist of tea and scones at his own house. If you have never heard of or seen this show I highly suggest you check it out. It is good stuff.

So as I said, this all got me to thinking what would be on my bucket list. Here is just some of what I have come up with so far.

1. Travel to Scotland (where I was born), Italy, Germany and Africa
2. Learn Italian. I don't know why but it has always been something I have wanted to do.
3. Run a marathon
4. Write a book
5. Learn to play the guitar

What's on your bucket list?

Diners and Drives

2012-01-29T12:16:00.000-08:00

One of my favorite things to do is to just get in the car and go for a drive with no destination. Chris, on the other hand likes a plan. He likes to know where he is going and how long it is going to take to get there. Fortunately he is willing to bend his rules once in a while.

Yesterday afternoon we were just sitting around and I suggested we go for a drive and get something to eat a little diner we had just seen on the latest episode of Little People Big World. Chris agreed and we headed out with the dog and headed out to the country. It is just so darn pretty here, I really love it. I could drive around for hours and hours and never tire of the scenery.

After about an hour of driving and chatting we ended up at our lunch/dinner destination the Cruise In Country Diner. Just a little hole in the wall place that was so good. I actually tried buffalo for the first time and it was really good. I had the buffalo burger and Chris enjoyed a chili burger. We will definitely be going back.

I didn't take any pictures on our drive, which is odd for me. But we did snap the picture above of these guys getting their coffees at the diner to go.

After eating we headed to a regular spot for walking Belle and then ended our adventure with some ice cream treats. I love afternoons like that.

What is everyone else up to this weekend?.

The Importance of Setting Goals, Achieving Them and Rewarding Yourself.

2012-01-21T16:53:00.000-08:00

My struggle with my weight is no secret. I am not sure what happened. I was not overweight as a child and I was athletic as a teenager. In fact, I was skinny almost all my life. Sure I can track my weight gain to significant events in my life like the passing of my mum in 1996 to cancer. I have yet to meet an overweight person who is that way for the fun of it. There is always an underlying issue. While I can say that that one event in my life had a huge part in how I got here, I have yet to figure out why I am still here. Fear of failure? Not enough belief in myself? I am sure there are many reasons, but at some point you just need to say to hell with it. Stop making excuses, stand up and make a change. Sounds simple enough. Maybe it is.

I have had so many ah ha moments but none of them ever seem to stick. I lost over 50 pounds a few years back but the minute I stopped focusing on the task at hand I had gained half of that weight back and fell right back in to my old habits. Why was I successful in the first place that time around? I made goals, I kept track of everything. I had a plan and it was working. The minute I stopped keeping all of it right in front of me my success was halted. Then I got discouraged and ended right back at the starting line.

I am a big fan of the show The Biggest Loser. It has changed and saved so many lives over the years. Every season I watch and vow that it will also be my time to get myself on track. I look at some of these people who are broken and willing to stand on a scale for the world to see. In a very public way they are willing to shed the layers of whatever it is that got them to that place. Sure having the best fitness trainers in the world training you helps. Having a kitchen stocked with all the healthy food you need to succeed helps. And for sure the constant eye of America on you and the chance at 250,000 dollars is enough to push anyone to success. But at the end of the day they are no different than me. They just happened to have that platform to give them that extra push. Would that be nice? Of course. But the reality is that The Biggest Loser isn't the path for all of us. But it certainly doesn't mean we can't take the things we learn from watching and apply it to our own lives. And it most definitely doesn't mean I should sit on my lazy butt and watch it while stuffing something unhealthy in my mouth.

I struggle with motivation. Which when I really think about it makes no sense to me. My health for starters should be motivation enough. I have had 2 cancer scares in the last few years, one of which is very recent. Chris and I would like to start a family sometime in the next few years. And honestly I am just really tired of feeling tired and not having energy. I am tired of this that and the other thing hurting. I am really tired of not being able to buy and wear some of the clothes I want to wear. Yes, Lane Bryant has some nice clothes and yes I shop there. But the reality is I don't want to have to shop there.

Stand up and finish what you started! - Bob Harper

I have started this journey SO many times the last 10 years and not one of those times have I finished. I have to believe that this will be the time I get it together and I finish. I have revamped my list of goals and rewards which I will post on here in the next couple of days. I know this isn't going to happen overnight, it is a work in progress. I fully give any of you permission to push me in any way you think I need it.

This HAS to be my AH HA moment. I am ready for this and I want this.

Believe in yourself, trust the process, change forever! - Bob Harper

A Post Fit For a Queen

2011-12-30T22:55:00.000-08:00

I am fully aware that I have been absent around here as of late. In my defense I have been sick. So sick in fact that I barely finished my Christmas shopping and for the first time in many years did not send out our annual photo Christmas card. I am pretty devastated about the latter but it just wasn't going to happen. Chris got slammed with the flu first and then like the wonderful sharing person he is he passed it on to me. And in true form I got way sicker than he did.

I really hate being sick around the holidays, it takes all the fun out of it for me. I love to drive around and look at Christmas lights--didn't happen. I love to shop--didn't happen. So thankful for an amazing husband who picked up the slack for me. Christmas Eve and Christmas day was fun times with family but I just didn't feel like myself and was so disappointed when I was barely able to eat any of the delicious turkey dinner Chris and I cooked on Christmas day. Just when I was starting to feel better I decided to go to the doctor today for a chest x-ray for some bad pain in my left ribs. I wanted to make sure I hadn't cracked a rib from my violent coughing fits last weekend. Sure enough my ribs were fine but good thing I went in, because the chest x-ray--while showing my ribs were fine--showed I have pneumonia. Hooray! Just in time for New Years. Suffice it to say our plans for tomorrow night are now to stay in and not go have fun with our friends Tammy and Jeremy and others. So yes boo hoo for me. This sucks.

But as the title of this post would suggest, this isn't about me. It is about the Queen, Today is my dear friend Carly's birthday and for her and her alone I sit here posting on my very neglected blog. I probably should be in bed but my love for Carly prevails. You never know where you might meet friends who became an important and special part of your life. A wedding in Seattle brought Carly and I together and I am so very thankful. Happy birthday to the greatest Canadian in all the land. I hope your day was special!

Daft Awesome

2011-12-15T00:11:00.000-08:00

I've got a song stuck in my head. I hate that, because whatever you do, it won't leave. In fact, as I am typing this, I have YouTube open in another window and its playing said song as we speak. In fact, the whole "movie" is playing.

If you ever have time and you're into techno/anime, go watch/listen to Interstella 5555: The 5tory of the 5ecret 5tar 5ystem. Its basically an entire anime movie set to Daft Punk songs. It's pretty cool. The specific song I have in my head is "Digital Love." Love that riff.

I tend to sometimes get sucked into a YouTube vortex. I will click on on video, and so on and so forth, aaaand there goes 2 and a half hours. Like right now--I'm watching an episode of Star Blazers. Awesome. Good thing the wife's still sick. Nyquil for her, useless internet videos/music for me!

Chicken Soup and Thermometers

2011-12-12T21:41:00.000-08:00

You must forgive me for neglecting this space the last few days. I thought I lucked out and the nasty cold/flu bug that got Chris a couple weeks ago had left our house without bothering me. Well, I was wrong. It decided it couldn't leave without paying my body a visit. So, my weekend was spent in bed or on the couch. In the last 3 days all I have eaten is any combination of chicken soup, crackers, applesauce and oatmeal. Easy weight loss plan I suppose. Ha! Between the two of us these last few weeks I think we have kept Vick's (NyQuil, DayQuil, VapoRub), Tylenol, Mucinex, Chloraseptic--spray and lozenges--and of course Halls in business. For reals.

Being sick has got me seriously behind in my Christmas shopping etc. I do have some shopping done, but usually I am well on my way to being done by now and have things that need to be shipped well on their way. Hopefully in the next day or two I will have a package sent off to Edmonton for the family up there. We haven't even got to our Christmas cards yet. Sigh! So, if your Christmas card is late now you know why.

On a totally unrelated note it was raining skittles in Seattle tonight, literally. Beast Mode baby!!!

An Oldie But a Goodie

2011-12-09T22:28:00.001-08:00

A post I wrote a few years back when I participated in a Blog Off for Breast Cancer with some blog friends. I know it is such a cop out to make this my post for today. Truth is, I don't feel well, it's been a long week and I am going to bed. So read and enjoy :)

I love to go camping. I love the whole idea of escaping the city and getting away from it all. No TVs, no computers and no telephones. Just peace and quiet for as long as you choose to stay. I only have two rules when I go camping and they are as follows:1. NO BEARS, none whatsoever. None of this telling me they don't ever come around or only one is sighted a year. It doesn't matter, it's a rule and it stays that way. Chris broke this rule one time and I nearly killed him. There is only ONE exception to this rule and that is if it is The Berenstain Bears, because let's face it, they are cool.2. There HAS to be a working toilet within walking distance of the campsite.After that I am up for anything. I love the outdoors and I love the simplicity camping can bring into your life. Call me crazy, because I like a running toilet but at least I am not one of those girls who has to cart all her makeup and hair products with her when she goes camping. One of the reasons I look forward to camping is so I can leave all that stuff behind and not worry about it for a few days.

The fire is the main comfort of the camp, whether in summer or winter, and is about as ample at one season as at another. It is as well for cheerfulness as for warmth and dryness. ~Henry David Thoreau

One of my favorite things about camping is the fire. I love to sit around the fire. I could sit there for hours and stare at the glowing orange of the fire and listening to the crackling of the wood. I love the peacefulness of it. The fire serves so many purposes. Obviously there is the whole keeping you warm thing, but aside from that how else would we survive an entire weekend on hot dogs and marshmallows if we didn't have a fire to cook them on? What about s'mores? They just wouldn't be possible without the fire. I remember camping in 1997 with some friends from high school and sending the boys to make us s'mores at all hours of the night and bring them to our tents. I also remember us all thinking it would be fun to go for a swim in the lake at like midnight--even though it wasn't even June yet. If you could only know how cold that water was. Me and the rest of the girls spent the rest of the night in front of the fire drying our hair. Perhaps the midnight swim wasn't the brightest of ideas, but thank God for the campfire to dry us off that night.

A lot of people who are hardcore campers make fun of me and tell me I am not a real "camper" because I refuse to camp in the mountains or in the middle of nowhere. I like to go to a campground where there are other people around, and where my only social interaction during the trip is not some bear or wild cat who attacks me as I pee behind a tree. That just does not sound like a good time to me--seriously--it doesn't. I have been afraid to camp in the mountains for as long as I can remember. There was no experience that I went through that made me scared. It is just a general thing. Big ass wild animals live out there, so why would I want to go? And yes I know, before you waste your time I will say it for you. Bear attacks are rare and as long as you keep your food away, etc you will be fine. I know this, but it still doesn't change my mind any. I get that it is rare for a bear to walk up to your tent, rip a hole in it and drag you off in the middle of the night. But attacks do happen, and my luck I will be that one person it happens to. Therefore, I figure if I leave them alone and stay away from their place of residence then I will be fine.My favorite camping trip that I have ever been on is when Chris and I went camping on the Oregon Coast for a week. We stayed at Beverly Beach State Park which is almost right on the ocean. The Oregon Coast is among my favorite places and if you have ever been there or seen it in pictures you know why. Our campground was fairly big, yet quiet. We were happy to have found a site surrounded by trees and it was almost as if it was our own little place. In the evenings when it got dark, we would go for a walk along the beach and enjoy the views of the stars and listen to the crashing of the waves that we couldn't quite see anymore. All along the beach you could see bonfires and hear people talking and laughing. At our own campsite Chris would make us a fire and we would sit around for hours talking, drinking cheap beer and roasting marshmallows.

The first night we were there it was pretty late when we arrived and already very dark. We carefully unloaded the car, and used the headlights to light the way as we set up the tent. After everything from the car was unloaded we decided we would lite a fire and jut relax for a few hours before we climbed into out tent for the night. Chris was in the tent changing when he called out to me to ask me to grab the lantern from the car. Now this lantern was not one of those new-fangled battery powered plastic ones, this thing was the real deal. Old school with fragile glass and even more fragile mantels. The kind that basically turn to ash at the slightest touch. There I was, lantern in hand walking back towards the picnic table. Well, I didn't make it that far. As I was walking back I completely forgot about the cement block in front of our parking spot, and I tripped over it and went flying through the air. I landed almost face first on the cement, scraping up my arms, my elbow and my hands. The lantern did an acrobatic show of its own, flying through the air and hitting the ground and bouncing back up off of it with the loudest bangs and clangs you could imagine. It was almost midnight--you could have heard a pin drop and there I was making all the racket I possibly could. Once Chris realized that for the most part I was okay he could not stop laughing, and after a while I saw the humor in it as well and could not stop laughing myself. Miraculously I was more damaged than the lantern was, not a scratch on it. Tell me, how does that happen? How do I fling a glass lantern through the air, have it come crashing down on the cement and somehow it doesn't break? Whatever the reason it certainly gave us a good laugh that night. Although I was feeling a little sore and stuff from my fall when I woke up the next morning.

Lets talk about raccoons for a minute. Now, people would have you believe that raccoons are cute and therefore they are harmless. Let me tell you people, this is just not true. Have you ever encountered a raccoon? They are frightening little creatures and the thought of their claws scratching at my face gives me the shakes. Like at any campground--you will always have raccoons. We were very careful to keep all food and garbage away in the hopes they would stay away from our campsite. One morning we woke up after it had been pouring down rain all night to find muddy raccoon paw prints all over our picnic table cover and our camp kitchen. Little buggers had made quite the mess in search for a midnight snack. The next night they got pretty brave when we were sitting by the fire and they made their way towards the picnic table. Chris ended up scaring them off, but for a while they just stood there staring us down and hoping we would drop something they could snatch up.

Chris and I have not been camping for a long time. We are both hoping this summer will offer some opportunities to camp in some of the beautiful places out here in New England. We have yet to take Belle camping. That should prove to be very interesting as she doesn't like things with four legs so much and I am not sure she realizes that she would have no chance against a raccoon.

If you hate camping because you have been and it just isn't for you then I respect that. But for those of you who have never been and say you don't like it you need to try it at least once. I have a feeling that you might just like it.

What I like about camping is you can get really dirty. Either you're all by yourself, so no one else sees you, or everyone you're with is just as dirty as you are, so nobody cares. ~Anonymous

2011-12-08T23:49:00.001-08:00

I know some of you are probably wondering how Treevey our Christmas tree is doing, so I thought I would give you an update.

Treevey is doing great. She is drinking lots of water and smells fresh and clean. She brightens up our living room and our lives.

She is fulfilling her destiny as a Christmas tree in the best way she can.

Thanks Treevey!

Mucus...Not As Cool As You Think

2011-12-08T23:34:00.001-08:00

I'm sick. I hate being sick. I hate being sick because I can never imagine myself ever being well again. Luckily I rarely get sick, which ticks my wife off because when she gets sick, it always seems to be for a week and its pretty bad, whereas I get it for a day. Or maybe half-a-day. This time, however, the quick turn around was not to be.

So last Sunday whilst driving home from Seattle, I started feeling crappy. No nausea, just fever. Sure enough, we stopped in Woodland for dinner, and I got out of the car and immediately started shivering. So we got home and I took my temperature, and it was 101.9! That's rare for me...or maybe well-done! Ha!

Anyways, I decided to go to the ER just in case. I checked in, they ran all the tests: blood, urinalysis, chest x-ray, etc. Nada. My diagnosis? "Fever of Unknown Origin." Greeeat. So I went home and basically stayed in bed the next two days. It must have been viral, as Evey didn't get it. The fever went down, but this schizo virus can't make up its mind and decided it wanted to hang out in my lungs. Y'know, cause having asthma since I was a baby isn't enough--now I get to cough up all sorts of amazing colored mucus and wheeze like a 90-year old man who smoked for 70 years who is now on an oxygen tank! Hooray!

I have been hitting the Nyquil every night, and medicating with Mucinex as well. I think its winding down. I even had to reschedule a root canal, as me sitting in the chair coughing up a lung probably wouldn't be the best idea as there are multiple sharp objects in my mouth.

So in review: Being sick is dumb.

Letters to Santa

2011-12-07T22:53:00.001-08:00

Every year Chris and I make Christmas lists. Mostly they are for each other, but we also send them out to those in our families who like to have an idea of anything we might be needing or wanting in particular. I always feel like a little kid sitting in her room creating a letter to Santa, writing down all the things I wish for.

I really am a pretty easy person to shop for. It really doesn't take much to put a big smile on my face and have me giddy as a Christmas ham. In fact, a new pair of socks with a fun design on them has been known to make my day. I don't expect much and I always grateful for whatever I am given.

What I love more than getting presents is giving them. I LOVE Christmas shopping. I really really love it. I love giving someone something I know they wanted or even something I totally just bought on a whim but knowing they love it. It makes me so happy.

What is on my wish list this year you ask? An Oilers jersey, a Kinect, socks, slippers, light for my kindle etc.

So, what is on your wish list?

Cute Niece to the Rescue

2011-12-06T23:28:00.001-08:00

Once again I am left speechless, or in this case typeless. Shocking I know, since on a normal day I don't shut up. Just ask Chris. So for days like this I am thankful that I have the cutest niece in the history of nieces.

For real, who needs to read my rambling when you can just look at the cuteness oozing from this picture and spilling all over my blog. Annika just turned 1 last week and she is just too cute for words. This could be my favorite picture ever.

Adventures in Christmas Trees

2011-12-05T23:34:00.001-08:00

Any guesses what we did tonight?

We actually got out tree yesterday. It didn't have a very good start to it's life with us but that was yesterday and today we have welcomed Treevey into our lives with open arms. We of course had a strand of lights out which required a trip to Rite Aid to get some new ones. This of course gave us the excuse for a stop at Starbucks for Peppermint Mocha's and Peppermint Brownie Cake Pops. So the tree is up and decorated, we watched Elf which has become our tradition when putting up the tree. Belle was no help, she just laid on the couch and watched. Go figure!

Tomorrow we will get to the rest of the decorations and the outside lights and then all we need to do is finish our Christmas shopping.

Now if someone could just order me a white Christmas we will be in business!!

The Muppets Say it Best

2011-12-04T22:33:00.001-08:00

I had nothing to blog about tonight. Then I saw this on facebook so I thought I would make it my post for the day. Enjoy!!

The Best Real Roses I Never Got

2011-12-03T23:31:00.001-08:00

Today Carly posted about the super cute Christmas card her boyfriend Kevin made with crayons and sent to her before they had even met. I gotta give him credit, his skills with the crayon were above and beyond, and how cute that he did that in the first place. If you care to read the post and see pictures of his card you can do so by clicking HERE.

This got me to thinking about one of the cutest and creative gifts that Chris ever gave me. To this day, I think it is still one of my favorites.

A few years back when we were living out east in Boston we had decided that money was a little tight so we were not going to spend any money on Valentine's Day on dinner, gifts or even flowers. Chris and the other technicians had a workshop in the basement of one of the Starbucks stores where they would do paperwork and work on machines. Little did I know on this day Chris was a busy little beaver making me my most favorite bouquet of flowers he has ever given me.

I was so surprised and excited when he presented them to me that night and he was so proud of his handy work. He had made them from pink bubble wrap, steel wire and electrical tape. A dozen pink bubble wrap roses.

I keep them on a shelf in our living room. Love them! So there you go guys, a gift doesn't have to cost a bunch of money to make a woman happy. A little thought and effort will win us over every time.

Tis The Season...Or Is It?

2011-12-02T23:30:00.001-08:00

The calendar says it is Dec 2nd. The Christmas tree lots, the lights and the Christmas music everywhere would suggest it is indeed the Christmas season. But I am just not feeling it.

Perhaps it is just simply that we haven't decorated yet. Hopefully that will all be taken care of this weekend. Hopefully by this time tomorrow night, the tree will be up and we will be watching a Christmas movie and sipping on a glass or two of wine. But even then--something tells me it still might be missing some white stuff of the flaky nature (and I'm not talking about dandruff...)

Growing up in Edmonton, Alberta I am used to long, cold and snowy winters. Call me crazy but I loved those winters and I miss them. The cold and the snow just adds to the beauty of the Christmas season, at least for me. Even when we lived in Boston we always had a white Christmas. Winters there are not quite as cold, long or snowy as Alberta winters but they were good enough. We enjoyed some great storms out there and most importantly had snow during this season. I miss that.

It's not like we have sunny balmy weather here right now or anything. Sure it's a little cold but I assure you it likely won't snow here one bit this year. Just like it didn't last year. That makes me sad. Perhaps I should invest in a snow machine. At least that way I can make my own snow whenever I want.

How about you? What gets you in the Christmas spirit?

Remembering A Legend: Dave Niehaus February 19, 1935 – November 10, 2010

2011-12-01T22:10:00.001-08:00

Below is a post I wrote on our sports blog (which we need to resurrect) back in August 2008 about out trip to the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York. Dave Niehaus, who had been the Mariners play by play broadcaster since they joined Major League Baseball in 1977 was being honored and inducted into the broadcasters and writers wing of the Hall of Fame.

I suggest you take a minute and click on the below and listen to some of Dave's greatest calls. I could listen over and over. Still get goosebumps and still get teared up thinking of what we had and what we have lost. God bless him.

More audio at MyNorthwest.com

Sadly, we lost Dave to a heart attack last November at the age of 75. Dave's family and friends, the Mariners organization and fans around the world were heartbroken at the loss of a legend. He was a gentle, kind man who made me love a game I never thought I would or could. I am forever grateful for that. I am also so thankful Chris and I had the opportunity to see him be honored that weekend in Cooperstown, it was an experience I won't soon forget.

Even though we never met Dave, we did have an opportunity a few years back to have a baseball, mini bat and program from the Hall of Fame weekend signed by him. While still living in Boston, we used our connections within Fox Sports Northwest (now ROOT Sports) to have our stuff signed. A family friend had us meet up with one of the producers out back of Fenway Park who took our stuff to Dave to have signed.

Dave is forever enshrined at Safeco Field with the below statue. Thanks for the memories Dave. Gone but never forgotten. My Oh My!!

August , 2009

--Its funny. Six years ago I would have been the last person you would have seen in Cooperstown, New York, visiting the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum. I would have laughed at you if you had told me that one day I would end up there and would spend hours walking around and looking at baseball's past and present as it is captured within the walls of the Hall. I would have told you that you were crazy if you had told me that I would spend hours standing on a street waiting to catch a glimpse of the stars that have made the game of baseball what it is today. If you had told me I would attend the Hall of Fame induction ceremonies and have a lump in my throat, tears in my eyes, and goosebumps from head to toe as they introduced the 56 living Hall of Famers I would have shook my head in disbelief. If you had told me that when they announced Hank Aaron and Willie Mays back to back that as they walked upon the stage I would have been moved to my feet and joined the thousands in thunderous applause for two of the greatest to ever play the game I would have told you to get your head checked. Me, love baseball and all it means? Not a chance. But you know, just when you think you have it all figured out, you find a passion for something you never imagined could exist.

You would think Chris would be the one to blame for this love and passion I have for the game of baseball and the Seattle Mariners. But all the credit goes to my mother in law Linda. When I spent weekend at their house when Chris and I were first dating it seemed all they watched was baseball all weekend long. Friday night, Saturday night and Sunday afternoon. At first I fought it. I swore up and down I would never watch such a boring excuse for a sport. Being Canadian and a passionate hockey fan the thought of watching baseball was nauseating. But slowly I got sucked in. I would sit with Linda and watch the games and before too long I was asking questions, and I was learning the players names and positions. I don't think we will ever forget the day I tried to say the name of the player who became my favorite Mariner. RP pitcher #17 Shigetoshi Hasegawa. I tried and tried but over and over his name came out in all sorts of odd sounds. We laughed and laughed. Shigersnooki Hashegowi. But I learned his name and with each game I was eager to learn more about different things. What a bunt was, what a double play was, what a ground rule double was. Before long I found myself fascinated with the pitchers and how complicated the art of pitching really is. The different grips, release points, the pitches. I couldn't get enough.
My mother in law may have introduced me to baseball and planted the seeds that would turn my into the baseball fan I am today. But it is Dave Niehaus that made baseball real to me. Night after night it was Dave who made me feel like I was at the ballpark sitting in the front row. It is Dave who gives me goosebumps when he utters the words he is so well known for. None better than his grand slam call--"Get out the rye bread and mustard Grandma it is grand salami time!"
There is nothing like it when a ball is crushed out of the ball park and Dave makes you feel as though you are right there--"that ball is belted to deep right field and that ball is going to Fly Away, My oh My!"

Dave Niehaus for those of you reading this and don't know who Dave is, he is the play by play announcer for the Seattle Mariners and has been since their inaugural game in back in 1977. In 32 years Dave has missed only 82 games. Quite the feat considering baseball has 162 game seasons. Through all the bad times in Seattle Dave has always been the constant. Game after game he has always been there. What makes Dave so special is how much he truly loves the game of baseball. He has a passion for the game that is heard in every word he speaks. If a broadcaster does not have a passion and love for the game he is calling then there is no substance to his words. They are merely that, words. With Dave you know it is more than a job to him. He has been living his dream for 32 years calling a game that he is passionate about and a baseball team he truly loves.Being able to be there and see Dave receive the Ford C Frick award and honored by the Hall of Fame was truly a special experience for me, one I won't soon forget. Dave is an honorable and gracious man who deserves all recognition in this world for what he does day in and out. At the end of Dave's speech he said--
" I know there are several bigger names who have preceded me in winning this award. There will be several bigger names after me to win this award, but no one will ever be more appreciative."
Dave is right that no one will ever be more appreciative but in my opinion he is the greatest there is. His name is much bigger and much more important to baseball and the Seattle Mariners that I think he realizes.Living in a city where people seem to move to and immediately desert the team the grew up cheering for just to cheer for the Boston Red Sox makes me sick. There is no loyalty in that and I think it's sad. Dave said it best when he said--

"Millions of fans from the northwest stand here with me today. Believe me, without them, I wouldn't be here today. Over the years, they have been my biggest supporters and they've been loyal to the Mariners through thick and thin, and there was never a doubt in my mind about Seattle being big league territory from the first pitch Diego Segui threw to Jerry Remy 32 years ago, it's been quite a ride and it's not over yet. Believe me, the best is yet to come."

Win or lose my heart is in Seattle with the Mariners. You will never see me cheering for another baseball team with the passion I have for Seattle. I thank Dave Niehaus for that. And he is right, the BEST is yet to come. And when that time comes it will be worth every moment of heartache. It will be worth every loss and it will be worth every season the Mariners have let Seattle down. My only wish is that Dave Niehaus will be around for that, I wouldn't want to hear anyone but him calling the final play in a Seattle Mariners World Series clinching game.

Dave Niehaus will forever be in the hearts of Mariners fans. Long after he has retired from baseball he will be in our hearts and he will always be the greatest there is in my eyes.
Congrats Dave, and thank you for sharing you love and passion for baseball with all of us. My Oh My!

In Sickness and in Health...

2011-11-30T21:51:00.001-08:00

For the first time in well, since I have known him, Chris was hit with something this week that found him in bed all of Monday, Tuesday and much of today. It actually started Sunday night when we were driving home from Seattle. By the time we arrived home he was as hot as a overheated radiator on a hot summer day. Which for him is rare. His temperature usually runs right around 98.0. He was at 101.9 with a stiff neck, the chills and so on. After a call to a health care nurse via our insurance provider we were off to the ER at her suggestion. Since I am of the mind set of rather being safe than sorry I encouraged the idea. Chris agreed and we headed out.

We arrived shortly after midnight and without even having to sit in the waiting room we were ushered into a room where the oh so sexy hospital gown awaited Chris. He quickly put it on, and though he would never admit it I think he liked it. After a visit with the technician, the nurse and then the doctor it was determined they would run a battery of tests to see what could be causing his fever and rapid heart rate which was sitting right about 120 for most of the time we were there. Blood work came back showing nothing more than a slight elevation in his white blood cell count which is common when the body is fighting some sort of infection. Urine test and chest x ray were clear. The doctor determined his symptoms were not serious enough to warrant a lumbar puncture, which is the test for meningitis. Thank goodness. So after a couple hours, blood work, chest x ray, urine test and a litre of fluids via IV we were sent home. Instructions given were to come back if the fever stayed at or above 101.5 even with the help of Tylenol. Luckily it stayed just below it. His fever has finally seemed to have come down, even though he is still a little warm by his standards. He is coughing up a storm which I suppose is a good thing since he is clearing all that crap out.

We have never had flu shots, but perhaps this is good enough reason to consider starting to join in on the fun. Maybe next year...

It has definitely been an interesting few weeks around here for us in the medical department. First there was our trips to the dentist which are not over yet. First were the cleanings, then came the fillings. My fillings were done today. I was not impressed to learn I need a crown on one of them that is going to cost us almost 400 bucks. Next week Chris has a root canal. I also need to have a procedure done where a graft of skin is taken from the roof of my mouth and put on my gums in the lower front where I have a pretty bad receding gum.

Last week I had a mammogram which I new was going to result in further testing. Most of you will remember my breast issues from a few years back. If not click HERE to read the blog post about it. I have two benign lumps that I need to have removed. Problem is I am having a heck of a time getting my medical records from the doctors in Boston. Now without them I need to have an ultrasound (AGAIN) and then perhaps even another biopsy. Although at this point I am hoping to avoid the latter and just have my surgery and they can test it once it is out. However if I could just get the stupid records then we may just avoid all that other fuss and just finally get my surgery scheduled. Fingers crossed.

On top of all that I have my eye issues. I feel like an old lady, for real. lol I have a degenerative eye disease called Keratoconus which you can read about HERE if you so desire. In short it is my cornea cones causing distorted vision. I have to wear medical hard lenses to help correct my vision. We have already paid a ton of money to try and get things moving in the right direction only to have to start over with a new eye doctor since our insurance changed. Hopefully by early in the new year I will have my lenses and will be seeing clear as day.

Last week also found me in the ER looking for some relief of excruciating pain in my left leg that had started in my knee and moved up into my thigh and groin. It had been going on about a week or more and I had reached my breaking point. My trip to the ER included an Doppler ultrasound of my left leg and thigh to rule out blood clots as the cause of my pain. Thankfully no such thing was found. I was prescribed vicoden and referred to an orthopedist to try and get to the bottom of my discomfort. While the pain has definitely gotten better I am still having tightness and swelling behind my knee. Fun times.

So there you have it. Mammograms, dental work, 2 trips to the ER and eye doc appointments. All within weeks of each other. We may seem like we are falling apart but I promise we aren't. Ha!

And I must not forget to mention that tonight is DAY 30 of NaBloPoMo in which my dear friend Carly and I signed up to challenge ourselves to blog everyday for an entire month and WE DID IT! Hooray! I dare say we are going to keep it up. I will do my best to continue to entertain you, as long as you keep coming back for more.

Is it Really Almost December?

2011-11-29T20:26:00.001-08:00

I cannot believe that December is upon us. I mean seriously WHERE the heck did 2011 go? I mean really!? It kinda scares me a little at how quickly time seems to be passing by these days. I feel like I blink and it's a new day, new month, new year. Sometimes I think it would be nice for time to just slow down once in a while.

This weekend will be tree time for us. I love driving around to the different tree lots to find the perfect tree for us. We will probably pop in a Christmas movie like Elf or A Christmas Story while we put up the tree and decorate it and the rest of the house. Hopefully Chris will be feeling well enough this weekend (he has been sick in bed since Sunday night) to get the lights up outside as well. I get giddy just thinking about all of it, I really do love this time of year.

Next thing on my list once the house is taken care of is our Christmas picture. I am sure you are all very aware that we send out a photo card every year and yes that photo includes Belle. Often we make her look silly with antlers or some such on her head. She is NEVER impressed with such antics.

What should probably be higher on my list is my Christmas shopping. I usually am way more ahead in that regard than I am right now. I usually have a lot of it bought and ready to be wrapped by now. Right now I don't even know what am I getting people. Definitely something I need to get busy organizing over the next couple weeks.

Now if we could only get some snow I would be one happy camper.

This time of year I also usually get into one of those reflective moods where I think of the past year and what I have and haven't done. Figure out where I need to get better in my life and set new goals for myself. I am sure there will be a post coming your way about this in the coming weeks. Until then, enjoy the beginning of this Christmas season.

Words are Better Without all the Letters

2011-11-28T23:33:00.001-08:00

Do you ever notice signs when you are driving at night that have certain letters out? Chris and I always seem to come across some funny ones. At least for us they are funny, I am sure most of the time it is one of those you had to be there in the moment type things. Either way, we seem to always see ones that make us laugh really hard.

A while back while out for dinner with Chris's parents we happened to be telling them about this very phenomenon. As we were driving home we saw one that showed them exactly what we were talking about. We were passing a Men's Wearhouse except it read Me Earhouse. The four of us erupted in laughter.

Last week as Chris and I were driving past an Applebee's up in Renton, WA Chris noticed the sign and said to me "hey, do you want to go to Apple?" I looked up to see the back end of the word had its light out. We of course thought this was just hilarious. That was of course till I noticed the other side of the sign and said "now it is just lebee's!" I thought that Chris very well may wet himself right then and there or at the very least crash the car.

Fast forward to Sunday night as we were headed home from Seattle. We were passing through Tacoma when Chris noticed a sign that said "Tacoma Elf Storage." LOL! How fitting given the season, Elf Storage. It totally made my day. So thank you Tacoma Self Storage for having your S out. Maybe they do it on purpose, maybe they don't. Either way. HILARIOUS!!!

When Football and Muppets Become One

2011-11-27T15:07:00.001-08:00

Growing up in Canada I pretty much lived and breathed hockey. Being from Edmonton, it was and always has been all about the Oilers. That will never change. I was 12 when the Oilers last won the Stanley Cup in 1990.

But with the infusion of young talent I, like most other Oilers fans am excited for the future. It has been 21 years, but something tells me we won't have to wait another 21.

Hockey is really all we have in the great white north. Aside from Toronto there is no baseball, there is no basketball. The CFL doesn't really count as a pro sport in my opinion. Sure I find myself wanting to see how the Eskimos are doing throughout the season or watch the occasional game when the NFL Network plays a game here and there. But let's be honest, there is a reason those guys are playing in the CFL. The NFL is a far superior league with the best players in the world and so much more fun to watch.

A huge difference between sports in Canada and sports here is college sports. College sports here are HUGE. Especially football. In some ways it almost seems to me that college football is bigger than the NFL. The average American male spends his entire Saturday watching game after game after game. Our team of choice is the University of Washington Huskies.

I have always wanted to go to a college game. Watching on TV they seem so fun with the marching bands and the raucous crowds. So for Chris's birthday, I got tickets for us to go see the Huskies play the Washington State Cougars in the Apple Cup yesterday at CenturyLink Field in Seattle. The weather turned out to be decent, no wind or rain and not too cold. I am pretty sure that the hike up to our seats in row JJ of the 300 level burned off any extra calories from Thanksgiving. We had a lot of fun at the game. Of course the Huskies kicked butt and won 38-21.

The Huskies marching band did a tribute to the Muppets at halftime. It was awesome.

I would be remiss if I didn't mention that the Huskies have a live mascot, an Alaskan Malamute named Dubs. He leads the team on to the field and it super cute. Yes I spent much of the game wondering where he was and trying to find him on the sidelines. Dubs even has his own blog which you can find HERE.

All in all my first college football experience was a lot of fun. Hopefully we can go to a few more games next year. Go Dawgs!!

Comments, Comments, Comments

2011-11-26T20:50:00.000-08:00

Back when I was a blogging regular before my current resurrection, I blogged because I liked to write. I stopped blogging because I got lazy. Now that I have been back posting every day this month, I have realized how much I still enjoy to write. I realize it may not be the most entertaining stuff but it's what I got. For the most part I don't blog for the acknowledgement, I don't need my ego to be inflated because it's not about that. But I am not going to lie. When I write a post about something that is important to me and I feel like I worked really hard to share with whoever is reading and then after 2, 3, 4 days and still there are no comments it drives me absolutely batty. Like I said, it's not an ego thing, it is just nice to know people are actually reading and maybe once in a while even enjoy it.

The Queen and I had this conversation the other day. She too is lacking traffic to her blog. She had made the suggestion that with blogging "you get out of it what you put in to it." She is a wise one. So I have made an effort lately to read more blogs out there and leave comments in hopes of leading some of those people to my blog. If they are coming, they aren't letting me know it. I have made a point of linking posts on Twitter and Facebook and even with that there is still not much coming in. Yes--I realize there are people out there reading it, as I have a counter on my blog that allows me to look at a map of where everyone is visiting my blog from.

When I first started blogging back in 2004, it was mainly to keep all our family and friends out here on the west coast and up in Canada up to date on what was happening in our lives since we had just moved cross-country to Boston. After a while it became an outlet for me. Some days it was some in depth thoughts...and others it was about my dog playing with a frozen poop in the backyard! But back then it really didn't matter what it was about, I had a lot of traffic and a lot of feedback.

So the questions I have are the following:

1. Is it what I am writing about?
2. Is there lack of interest?
3. Is it just all of you who are too lazy to give me feedback any given day?
4. What can I do differently?

Now that I have started blogging here on a daily basis again, I feel like it is something I will probably continue with--at least for the time being. The lack of comments isn't going to stop me from blogging, but I can say the comments and feedback can only help me and push me to continue writing and entertaining you with whatever useless drivel I choose to toss your way. I mean, you don't want to miss out on a moment of that. Do you?

So what do you say? Come out from the woodwork you lurkers. Let me know you're there, let me know your thoughts. Even if those thoughts are " hey Evey your blog is so boring I want to poke sharp things in my eyes!" At least I will know you are reading. And poking.

What's In a Name?

2011-11-25T09:22:00.001-08:00

I recently found out that my good friend Carly has been called Bob the majority of her life. I have known Carly for about 6 years and I am not entirely sure how this bit of information never came up in conversation. And if you consider the background for this becoming her nickname (you can read about that HERE) and know what a lover of hockey I am then it becomes even more surprising that this never came up.

This got me to thinking about names, nicknames and the meaning behind them. When I was growing up my brother Dave called me Stinky. I am not really sure why. I don't remember giving him an actual reason for it. Who knows though, maybe I was a gassy kid. And if I was, I will own it. Although I think if anyone was actually stinky I assume it was him since he is a boy and all. To this day he still calls me Stinky, Stinky Stinkerson or any other creative names that include Stinky.

*update* I cannot believe I forgot to mention some of the loving nicknames I used to call my brother Dave. The most memorable one being a very long one that went in this order -- David Campbell Soup-Jelly Belly Floyd-Hamburger Helper-Chubby! I even put it in the form of a song. I am laughing at myself singing it right now. Ha!

Aside from being anointed Stinky by my brother, I have had many other nicknames. Pinky was my name back in my days working at our church camp. My maiden name is Floyd--so it makes sense. In high school it was Yivan. I currently go by three names--confusing yes, but I soldier on. I think it is MUCH more confusing for others. In fact when we first moved to Boston and started attending a new church, I had one friend who thought Yvonne and Evey were two different people. Ha! I had introduced myself to her as Yvonne and she always heard people talking about this new girl Evey. A lot of my friends back in Canada and a few here in the States call me Eve. Chris's entire family and most of my friends here south of the border call me Evey. My family and people who know me from way back when I was just a wee little thing just call me by my full name, Yvonne. I will answer to all 3. I am not sure I really have a preference, but I think I've just gotten so used to Evey, so that is the one I mostly go with but I am happy either way.

Even my dog has a handful of nicknames. Her name is Annabelle but for the most part she has always been Belle. Somewhere along the way we started calling her Bubba. I realize this is normally a name reserved for males, but if Carly can be called Bob then surely calling my dog Bubba is acceptable. We use Bubba so often when referencing the dog that she will now answer to Belle or Bubba. We even caught Chris's mom calling her Bubba last week.

Nicknames that drive me nuts are athletes. The lack of creativity sometimes amazes me. I have noticed this especially with hockey players. While some do have some fun and creative nicknames some are just plain pointless. For example if your last name is Conklin, Conks is your nickname. I'm just sayin'--that's dumb. Goalies are the worst for this since they generally have their nicknames on the bottom part of the front of their masks. Some examples; Conklin - Conks, Anderson - Andy, Dubnyk - Dubs. Really? That is the best you can come up with. Poor. What happened to good nick names? Maybe I am expecting too much, but I just want a little creativity. Maybe I could market myself and get hired as the "Nickname Creator" for the NHL. I bet there's good money in that.

So what are your nicknames and the stories behind them?

Ramblings of a Woman Full of Turkey

2011-11-24T22:36:00.001-08:00

So I had this big ol' blog post planned in my head. But you see, my problem is that I leave it till too late in the day. By the time I find myself sitting in front of the computer, I am too tired to put any effort into it. Lesson learned--I really need to start blogging earlier in the day. So, instead of some thoughtful post this evening I will leave you with randomness from the last couple of days.

Yesterday I had my yearly mammogram. Hooray! Nothing like a stranger jamming your boobs into a machine and putting 25 plus pounds of weight on them. Not the most ideal start to the day. But you gotta do what you gotta do. It really honestly is not that bad. It is definitely uncomfortable but the truth is, it lasts for only 5 or so seconds at a time. If you end up with a nice, talkative technician then they get you talking so you aren't really thinking about the giant booby squeezing device before you.

Later in the day yesterday Chris and I headed north to Seattle for the Thanksgiving long weekend. I have been having some trouble with my leg the last week or so. I had been to urgent care for it twice, but it wasn't getting better. In fact on Tuesday night the pain was so bad when I was in the shower I could barely stand. Last night as we were at Safeway getting some last minute things for today's Thanksgiving celebrations, the pain again became so bad it took everything not to burst out crying right there in the middle of the store. I am sure had I done that, people would have just viewed me as some crazy lady devastated that the last pumpkin pie was scooped up by someone else or Safeway was out of rolls--which they were by the way--we had to go to Albertson's to get them. By the time we got back to Chris's parents house, I was in a great deal of discomfort and concerned something dangerous such as a blood clot could be lurking. So off to the ER we went.

Fortunately they were not busy, we were in triage and in a room in no time. The nurse was in, then the doctor who decided he would order a doppler ultrasound on my leg. He was also kind enough to give me a vicodin. That sure relaxed me--it made me loopy and sleepy all at the same time. Sadly for Chris I did not stop talking for a good 2 hours. Not only was I talking, but I was changing subjects at a rapid pace. I think it may have even been a record for me. Thankfully, the ultrasound showed no signs of clots. Thank God. Sadly I still don't know the cause of my issues, and the pain that has started behind my knee has moved up my thigh and into my groin area at times. It has been tight, uncomfortable and honestly just a complete pain in my ass. I will see an orthopedist next week to try and get to the bottom of it. Ideally, I hope it is cleared up before then. In the meantime, I have vicodin in case the pain is bad AND I have Chris to wait on me hand and foot. ;)

We spent today with Chris's brother Bryan, wife Andrea, and our 3 nephews Gavin, Trevor and Avery along with the cutest niece in the whole world, Annika. Andrea's mom Diana also joined us and we had a lovely meal (thanks Andrea), dessert and great day with the fam. Today was also Trevor's 10th birthday, so we of course celebrated that with cupcakes and presents. Good times. Love spending time with all of them.

In the spirit of Thanksgiving, I will leave you with some of the things I am thankful for. I am so thankful for turkey. Let's be honest, I love it, A LOT. I am thankful for my husband and my doggie. I am thankful for my families here in the States and in Canada. I feel blessed to have amazing friends. I am thankful for our church and some of the great people we have met there. I am thankful for boxed wine. It saves me a lot of money and it really isn't all that bad. I honestly have a much more thoughtful post in mind about thankfulness, but it is just going to have to wait for another day....because shockingly enough...its late.

Right now I think it is time for the big white pill that will make me happy and sleepy. And tomorrow, The Muppets. YES!!!!

Booby Squeeze

2011-11-23T23:44:00.001-08:00

How was your day?

Triumph Over Tragedy

2011-11-22T21:26:00.000-08:00

Tragedy - An event causing great suffering, destruction,

and distress, such as a serious accident, crime, or natural

catastrophe.

We have all been touched by tragedy in some form. Whether it is something you have experienced personally or someone close to you has had tragedy strike in their lives, I think the initial human reaction is to be angry, cry, lash out and ask why. It leaves us confused, lost and grief stricken.

Watching my mum die from cancer was devastating. I was 18 years old and felt like my world had caved in on me. I was brought up in a Christian home with values that I hold dear. But at the time, I was so lost and angry at God and felt like the one thing I had clung to my entire life had left me high and dry. After losing my mum I went through other struggles within our family and on my own personal level. I chose to be angry and I let it define who I was for a long time. I chose to use my grief as an excuse for my actions.

That is the thing about tragedy and grief. We have the power to CHOOSE how we move forward with our lives. We have the ability to learn from our experience and move in to the next chapter of our lives with our heads held high. It is up to us to take what we are given and turn tragedy in to triumph and be better because of it. Of course it is normal to have a time for grief, but at some point you have to make the right choice, deal with the issues and move forward in your life.

On Friday night I had the privilege and honor to meet Abby Rike and hear her speak at a church in Bellevue, Washington. For those of you who do not know who Abby Rike is or what her story is, you can click HERE to read a little about her story. For those of you too lazy to click and read for yourself, here is the Readers Digest version: In October 2006 Abby lost her husband, 5 1/2 year old daughter and 2 1/2 week old baby boy in a tragic car accident. Abby's journey to healing led her to the Biggest Loser in which she was a contestant on Season 8. If you watched that season, you know that Abby gripped the hearts of all who watched this sweet woman try to reclaim herself, her life, and her health after a tragedy that so few of us can imagine. Abby lost 100 pounds and now spends her time travelling the country as a motivational speaker sharing her story and her heart.

The minute I learned Abby was going to be speaking close to me, I knew I wanted to attend. What I didn't know was the impact that night would have on me. It would be unfair to try and put into words the gratitude I have towards her. Having watched Abby on the Biggest Loser and read her book Working It Out beforehand, I knew I was going to enjoy every second of listening to her. She did not disappoint. What a blessing she is.

- I learned that courage was not the absense of fear, but the triumph over it. The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid, but he who conquers that fear - Nelson Mandela

While reading Abby's book, one of the first lessons I took to heart was to stop allowing fear to control me. In regards to weight-loss, I have let fear be in charge for way too long. I have been afraid to go to the gym, join a work out class of some sort or even run in my neighborhood because I am afraid of being made fun of. I am afraid of doing it wrong or failing. I think it is time I get over it. If Abby and the rest of the past and present Biggest Loser contestants can go on national television and bare their souls and stand on a scale every week in a sports bra and spandex shorts then surely I can go for a run in my own neighborhood. As long as I am afraid and worry what those around me will think or say then I will never move forward in my own journey to better health.

In her book she writes, "a weight-loss journey is about losing so much more than physical weight. In order to become truly healthy, in all areas of your life, you are changed. It's not that you change your personality; you do however become the best version of yourself."

How true is this? I think so many times people who are overweight think if they just lose the weight then all will be good. We can't overlook why we got here in the first place. People don't get fat for fun.

I firmly believe we all have a purpose and path in this life. Sometimes we need to endure the heartbreaking reality of life to find our purpose and live out our truth. I know for me it is about time I do this for myself. It is time I stop sitting around wishing the weight away instead of working hard for it. It is time I open myself up to my current journey, learn from it, be better and use it for good. That is exactly what Abby did. While her story of losing her family is heartbreaking, her story of her faith and her triumph over tragedy should inspire us all to make the changes we need in our lives.

"Even in your darkest hour, there is always hope" -- Abby Rike

I am thankful Abby has chosen this path in her life. Her faith in God and her determination to reclaim her life inspires me and pushes me. The timing of being able to see her speak could not have been more perfect. It was just the push I needed.

Who inspires you? Who makes you want to make a difference?

Reflections, Loss and Gratitude

2011-11-21T12:41:00.001-08:00

I had a great childhood. I had parents who loved me, I had a brother who I wanted to be just like. I was raised going to church which I am forever grateful for. My parents instilled in me values that I carry with me to this day. We were your typical family. We went to church on Sundays, we ate supper together every night and we went on family vacations every year. I wouldn't have changed a thing. Every day I am thankful for all my parents did for me and the memories I have of growing up in a loving home.

My dad adored my mum. He drove her crazy, but she loved him. They had a relationship that a married couple should have. Watching them while I was growing up I learned so much about a healthy and loving marriage. I am thankful to be married to a wonderful man who although he drives me to the point of insanity sometimes, he loves me, he takes care of me and he makes my life better because he is in it.

My mum and I were very close. I loved my alone time spent with her. One of our favorite things to do was walk to the mall, shop and have lunch or coffee at the Smitty's restaurant in the mall. She always pushed me and loved me and encouraged me to be the best I could be. We would have talks about the future and me getting married and having a family of my own. I cherish all of those conversations. Had I known I would lose her only a few short years later I would have listened more, I would have spent more time having those conversations with her and I would have appreciated them just a little more. That is the thing about life though, there are no guarantees and you never know when there will be a next time. In general we all need to learn to love a little harder, hug a little tighter and appreciate each other a little more. Don't wait for tomorrow.

I remember July 1996 like it was yesterday. A hot Alberta summer day when my life changed forever. The day I was told my mum had cancer and it was terminal. My world felt shattered. We lost her 5 months later. There are days it feels like it was just yesterday.

I wish Chris could have met my mum. In fact I wish a lot of people had the chance to know her. She was a great lady and everyday I am blessed that she was MY mum. I was beyond lucky to have 18 years with her. I wish it had been more but I would never trade the time I did have. Knowing her made my life better, she loved me and I know that in spite of all my mistakes and my struggles that she would be proud of who I am today.

It is easy in life to sit here and think about what we don't have, what we have lost and be angry and to let it define who we are. I will admit I have struggled from time to time, I think that is normal. But I also know that my path is what it is because of the things I have been through. I miss my mum everyday but I also know there is a plan and a purpose to everything in this life. And I know that I will see her again. I will talk more about this when I blog about my experience hearing Abby Rike speak this past Friday night.

15 years. It is amazing how fast life really does pass us by. Wow! You never stop missing someone when they are gone. It does get easier but I will miss her everyday for the rest of my life. There are days I will think of her and cry. But mostly when I think of her now I smile, I remember the time I did have with her and I remember how much she loved me and the things she gave me. I remember how lucky and blessed I was to have her. I would take 18 years over nothing. The days I do feel sad I remind myself that "Joy comes in the morning" Psalm 30:5

Giddy as a Christmas Turkey

2011-11-20T23:55:00.000-08:00

I love Christmas and everything that surrounds it. As soon as November hits, I am usually ready for Christmas music and lights. In Canada I can get away with it because once November comes around, Thanksgiving and Halloween are over. Since here in the States we don't celebrate Thanksgiving till the 4th Thursday in November, it sorta delays my start of the Christmas season.

One thing Chris will not let me do is put up the Christmas tree before December 1st. That is fair, but as soon as Thanksgiving is done my Christmas music is in full swing and you can't stop me. I LOVE Christmas music. I am counting down the days till next Friday when I can put on my Christmas music and sing to my hearts content.

I have always been a kid at heart. As I got older I never really grew out of loving Christmas. I struggle with the need to peek at presents yet not wanting to spoil the surprise. I love to bake cookies and build gingerbread houses. If I could get away with sitting on Santa's lap and having my picture taken with him at the mall I probably would. For reals.

When Chris and I got married, he quickly learned that he would no longer be able to sleep in on a Christmas morning. I barely sleep Christmas Eve because I am so filled with excitement for the next morning. And not just opening my gifts, but seeing others open the gifts we have got them. Usually, on Christmas morning I am awake before normal people should be awake and it is all I can do to wait for a decent hour before I wake up Chris and beg him to get up so we can get the festivities started. There is definitely a lot of moaning and groaning on his part at first but he is a good sport and pushes through for my sake.

Growing up my parents had a fake tree. Every year when it was time to put up the tree, we would get the box up from the basement. Carefully we would take it out of its box, assemble all the branches and then of course decorate it. Now--I get that a fake tree that you buy once then use year in and year out is cost effective--but now that I am all growed up and married, Chris and I always get a real tree. I LOVE going tree shopping and carefully taking the time to pick out that tree that is just the right fit for us and our place. I will admit the needles get a little messy sometimes but it is worth that amazing smell greeting you every time you walk in the house.

Of course being a Christian, Christmas is more to me than just presents and trees. Christmas is also a time we celebrate the birth of Jesus. I am careful to always remember and put that above all else. But it doesn't mean I am not excited and going to always enjoy every second of the other stuff that goes along with Christmas. Even Belle gets in on the fun...although her expression may not seem like it.

Who else is a kid at Christmas? What is your favorite tradition?

Evey sucks

2011-11-19T23:38:00.001-08:00

I dont want to blog. I am not going to lie. Im tired, I dont feel well and I want to sleep. I guess this counts as a post so hooray. Stay tuned for a post from the hubby, Chris.

Call to the Bullpen

2011-11-19T22:59:00.001-08:00

Hello all, its Chris filling in tonight. We are up in Seattle for the weekend, and Evey isn't feeling well today so she called in the backup. Apparently according to her, "my name is on the blog so its counts."

I come from a pretty musically inclined family--my dad is quite the accomplished guitar player, my brother is a very good drummer, and my mom can sing the lights out. I, however, uhhh...can clap good. Sure, I play a mean drum set on Rock Band, but we all know that's not for real.

I like music. I like most types and genres, with the exception being country. I have really been getting into a couple of bands lately--most notably Death Cab for Cutie. They are obviously quite popular as well as from Seattle and probably my favorite indie rock band. I also love classic rock, with bands like Led Zeppelin, The Who, The Beatles, AC/DC etc. I also love techno--like Fatboy Slim and Daft Punk, and I just discovered "dubstep," which is kind of like slowed techno but with funky bass drops and beats. I like rap too, like Beastie Boys and Jay-Z. I'd be remiss if I didn't mention a couple more of my favorite bands--Radiohead, Weezer, and Kings of Leon. Heck--I even like a couple of Beyonce and Christina Aguilera songs. I'm not ashamed. Don't judge.

Now, you'd think that being a fan of all these bands, I would love going to concerts. Well, not really. Not that I hate going, or I don't want to go, but I have never really been into concerts for whatever reason. I guess whenever I look for live tickets, its usually for a sporting event, not a concert. The only concerts I have been to are as follows: Sarah McLachlan (which is one of my wife's favorites, so I bit the bullet) and U2. I like U2, but their shows are so big that I don't think you get a real feel for their music. I think I would much rather enjoy a smaller show...if I were to go at all. I guess its kinda like going to a football game--the experience is great, but you can watch for free at home, sit on your couch and drink your own beer and watch in HD.

Much like concerts, I don't even buy a lot of CD's (which are slowly going the way of the buffalo anyways). I guess nowadays you just buy it on iTunes and call it good. It's mainly the radio for me, which I listen to inbetween driving from store to store during the day. But I think next year I am going to make a resolution to go to a couple of shows--they don't need to be huge like U2, but I'd like to at least see Death Cab and being that we live in Portland now, its got quite the music scene so it should be easy.

What are your favorite bands? Have you been to a crazy show and lived to tell about it?

Girls Night Out

2011-11-18T23:02:00.001-08:00

Tonight I had the opportunity to go See Abby Rike (former Biggest Loser contestant) speak at a church in Bellevue, WA. She is amazing and such a blessing. I will post tomorrow more about the evening and her story and her inspiration and impact on my life. Thankful!

Baby Fever

2011-11-17T18:25:00.001-08:00

Realizing that this will be my 17th post in 17 days, I must admit I am a little shocked with myself. I know a few of my posts have been short, sweet and potentially borderline pathetic. But at least I have showed up and stayed committed to this NaBloPoMo thing. I do love to write and I am hoping that by doing this I will continue once the month of November is over. We shall see what happens. For now I will just focus on today's post.

When Chris and I first got married back in 2004 I was 26 years old. In fact we both were. Back then all my friends were married way before us and it seemed as though a new friend was popping out a little one every month. Clearly I am exaggerating, but at the time it seemed like a lot and I felt a lot of pressure that I had to start a family right away. We moved to Boston the week after we got married and it was there that any pressure I felt disappeared.

Once we were settled in Boston, found a church and started making new friends, I started realizing that I was surrounded by couples older than us, none of whom had kids. We became good friends with a handful of them, and they were all older than us. The more time I spent with them, the more I felt at ease about our decision not to rush in to starting a family. It seems to be becoming more and more common these days for people to start families later. People used to make me feel like there was something wrong with me, or assume I didn't want kids and yes--on occasion--I have been told I am getting old.

Truth be told, there is nothing wrong with me, we DO want kids and I am NOT old. Women are having kids later and later. I fully realize and understand things can become more difficult with age but I also know with the technology in our day and age it isn't as difficult as it once was. I am not concerned about my age. I truly believe if and when Chris and I are meant to be parents we will be. Whether I am 33 or 38. God already knows, so why question it?

It seems these days I see babies EVERYWHERE! More than usual. It's like they seek me out. I can't even count how many people I know who have had babies in the past 6 months or are currently pregnant. In fact 2 of my best friends are due in the next week, one of whom is at the hospital as we speak waiting for her contractions to start after being induced today. So yeah, my baby fever is in full swing.

Chris and I have enjoyed the past 7 years of our marriage--just us and of course our dog Belle. And we will continue to enjoy the way things are until the time comes when we add to our family. I think we are probably more ready now to start a family than any other time in our relationship. And no--that doesn't mean we are taking immediate steps to make that happen. It just means we are getting closer to taking that step. That being said, I would never trade one day of our lives together so far just the two of us.

I need to get my health in check, my weight being a big part of that. I am not at a healthy weight, and I need to work harder to move myself towards that. I also still need to have surgery to have 2 benign lumps removed from my breasts. On top of that, I am due for a mammogram and hope things continue to be healthy in that regard. I need to take steps to make sure my health is where it should be, and then I can think about bringing a baby on board.

I know whenever it happens for us that we will be beyond excited. I know Chris is ready to be a dad and what a wonderful dad he will be. He loves kids and equally they love him. And when I say kids equally love him, I am not messing around. There was a little girl in a highchair at Panera Bread two weeks ago that was literally just staring at him from across the room--even their parents were laughing about it! I am lucky and blessed to have him as my husband and our kids will be just as lucky to have him as their dad.

And for the record this blog post isn't my secret way of dropping hints that we are pregnant or even that we are trying, because we aren't. I'm just simply letting you know we are thinking about it, so don't get all crazy on me. And if anyone tells me I am old and need to hurry up I will be forced to punch you in your face.

I can't be the only one with baby fever? So fess up, who else is suffering from it?

From Sherwood Park to Mumbai

2011-11-16T20:33:00.001-08:00

Some of the greatest friendships are those that happen in the oddest of ways: a chance meeting, or a simple hello that turns in to a life long friendship. I have been blessed to have a few of those come my way. In fact that is exactly how I met the Queen. A chance meeting on a boat at a friends wedding. At the time she happened to be dating the best man. Thank goodness she was, because it allowed our paths to cross. To this day she is a very dear friend, and I am thankful to have her in my life. She herself met her best friend in line at a winery. That is the thing about friendship. Sometimes you just never know where it will start or where it will end up.

It has been almost 15 years since I lost my mum to cancer. I think about her a lot this time of year. I generally think of her often, but this time of year it is a little more frequent. Thinking of her and that time in my life always reminds me of a dear friend of mine who is very close to my heart.

While I was going through the devastation of my mum's illness and knowing her time with us was short, a girl who I went to high school with was killed in a tragic car accident. I knew her--not well--but I knew her enough to know the incredible loss those close to her were going through. One of those people was her best friend Tania. Tania and I had mutual friends, but we didn't really know each other and probably had never even spoken to each other. Tania worked at a local coffee shop that my friends and I frequented. I felt drawn to her knowing she was dealing was an incredible loss in her life and knowing that soon I would also be dealing with a loss beyond anything I could ever describe. I had decided to buy her a card to let her know that although we didn't know each other, I was thinking about her and praying for her. I explained my situation and told her if she needed anything to let me know. I gave it to her one night when my friends and I were at the cafe for coffee. I really didn't expect much to come of it, I really had no idea the amazing friendship and journey that would begin from that simple gesture.

As we were getting ready to head home, Tania approached us and thanked me for the card. She asked if I wanted to stay and chat and she would drive me home. So as my friends left, I stayed and the rest was history. While our stories were very different--and perhaps our grief was different--we were both hurting. We both understood the depth of what the other was going through. Long after the last customer went home and she had shut the place down we were still talking. We became each others confidants. For me, she became a life line. As many amazing and loving people I had in my life at that time, I often think had it not been for her I don't know where I would have been. She was everything I needed, whenever I needed it. It was her house I was sleeping at the morning my dad called to tell me mum was gone. It was her who drove me and my dear dear Lori to the hospital. It was her who after my mum's funeral took me home and sat in the dark with me for hours in total silence. My friendship with her is one I never have and I never will be able to adequately express in words.

Given the depth of struggle at that time in both of our lives, our friendship went through a lot of ups and downs--some of which, at the time--I am not sure either one of us thought we would be able to overcome. But 15 years later and a whole lot of miles between us, a long time between phone calls and emails, and 2 or 3 years in between visits she is still as important to me as she was that first night at the Coffee Cafe in Sherwood Park, Alberta. We both know what we mean to each other, and we both know that place we hold in each others lives is never going to change.

Tania lives in India. She has been there doing AMAZING things for the children living on the streets and slums of Mumbai. She turned a chance meeting with some children over 10 years ago into an amazing organization. Please take a minute to read about her and One! International. Click HERE for the website.

When Chris and I were living in Boston, we had the opportunity to twice meet up with Tania in New York City. This past year we were able to meet up with her and her mom in Bellingham, WA for lunch. I miss her dearly and think of her often.

Who has made an imprint on your life? What friendships happened in a chance meeting that today stand as some of the most special ones?

Words Escape Me

2011-11-15T23:35:00.001-08:00

We are on day 15 of NaBloPoMo and I will be honest, I wasn't going to post today. But then after I thought about it, I realized that I can't quit now. I really have nothing to say today. That may shock some of you considering I have been known to talk, A LOT!In truth I am just being lazy, I don't feel well and I am just not feeling it. But alas, here I am. I still have nothing to say though so I will just leave you with a few thoughts.1. People who are crappy pet owners really bug me.2. I am super excited for turkey dinner on Thanksgiving.3. I ate all my pumpkin seeds, that makes me sad.4. I really REALLY hope we get some snow this winter.Ok, that is all you get. A post is a post, right? Till next time...

To Wine or Not to Wine

2011-11-14T23:17:00.001-08:00

It is no secret that I love wine. In fact, I am currently sipping a glass as I type this. But, it wasn't always this way. In fact there was a time when I really, really disliked wine. There were times I would drink it when out with friends, but even then it wasn't really wine. It was some super fruity white zin, and let's be honest--that's NOT wine. I had always tried to like wine as a social thing but I just never could. I really hated it. But that all changed the day I met Chris's lovely Grandma.

It was an evening in 2002. Chris and I had only been dating a few months, and I was in Seattle visiting him for a weekend. We were having dinner with his parents and his grandparents (who I was meeting for the first time). As we sat down to dinner, there were a few different bottles of wine on the table and immediately glasses were being filled up. Grandma asked me if I would like some, and I politely declined stating I was not really a big fan of wine. But of course she insisted--and given this was the first time I was meeting her--I didn't want to be rude. I reluctantly said yes, and as we were eating and chatting I choked my way through that first glass. Of course just as soon as it was empty Grandma was filling it up. Again--I didn't want to be rude. By the time I was done eating and finishing my third glass of wine I excused myself from the table. As I headed downstairs to see Chris (who was downstairs with his nephews) he took one look at me and said, "what is wrong with you?!?!" My eyes were glossy and my face was flushed! All I could say was, "your grandma got me drunk!" True story. If you are not a wine drinker, wine can hit you fast and hard. Funny thing is I never realized in that moment the favor that Grandma had done for me.

Sitting here almost 10 years later it amazes me that there was ever a day that I didn't like wine. It was definitely an acquired taste. Much like coffee and beer. The truth is, marrying in to this family I really never had a chance. Chris's uncle Kevin is the VP of Vineyards for a large winery conglomerate in Eastern, WA. I don't remember a family event since I showed up that didn't include wine.

Over the past 10 years I have learned more about wine that I ever thought I would. Even today I would love to take a course or two and learn even more. For those non wine drinkers out there that may sound silly to you, but the truth is there is so much more to wine than just pouring a glass and drinking it. How it is made, what pairs with what, how long it has aged and so on. It is all very interesting to me.

Last year Chris and I had a weeks holiday down in Northern California in the heart of wine country. It was amazing. We went to so many wineries while we were there and tasted so many different wines. It was so much fun. A trip I won't soon forget. Most recently we had a family wine tour weekend out in Eastern WA and it was a blast.

I am not really a big white wine fan or sweet wines. My favorite wine is Syrah with Cab Sav being a close second. You can usually find me sipping a glass while eating dinner, in the tub or hanging out with Chris on the couch while watching TV in the evening. I have definitely learned that you should never assume you don't like something. Give things a chance, you just never know what you might be missing.

Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

2011-11-13T16:57:00.001-08:00

I was asked by her royal highness Queeniecarly to post how I make roasted pumpkin seeds. So here you go. Learn, roast and enjoy.

1. After you have cleaned all the seeds out of the pumpkin, wash as best you can. Be sure to get most if not all orange pumpkin goo or strings off of the seed. I would suggest laying the seeds out on cookie sheets to dry over night. I wouldn't suggest laying them on paper towel as they seem to stick.

2. Melt 2-3 tablespoons of butter and mix with 1 teaspoon of salt. I generally mix the seeds in a bowl with the melted butter and salt to make sure they are coated well. You can also use vegetable oil if you would prefer that over butter.

3. Spread seeds in a single layer on a baking sheet.

4. Bake in oven for approx 40 mins at 300 degrees F till golden brown, stirring occasionally.

5. Eat and enjoy.

Picture Perfect

2011-11-12T22:55:00.001-08:00

I took the above picture a few years back while visiting Martha's Vineyard. I specifically remember seeing this dock and the sun setting over the water and immediately wanting to capture it.

I love to take pictures of all sorts of things but seem to always been drawn to scenes like the one above. Capturing a sunset over a body of water is simply put, breathtaking. I don't have the greatest camera, but that doesn't stop me. Perhaps investing in a really nice camera wouldn't be such a bad idea if satisfies my photography needs. I have often thought about taking a photography course. I would love to really learn my way around a camera. To be able to know the correct angles, how to use the light, shadows and so on.

New York City at night from the top of Rockefeller Center

Rockaway Beach, Oregom

Tree outside our bedroom window

Sunrise in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina

For now this is just a hobby, but who knows what the future may hold.

The Battle of the Bulge

2011-11-11T16:29:00.001-08:00

The fact that I need to lose weight is no secret. I am not exactly the picture of health and fitness. I am not putting myself down, I am merely pointing out a fact. I wasn't always overweight though, in fact I spent the better part of 20 plus years skinny. Even though I haven't always had the best of eating habits, it didn't matter because I always kept very active and was in great shape. Somewhere a long the way I became less and less active but my eating habits stayed the same. You do the math.

I think we all have that "oh I will never get fat" attitude. I know I certainly did. But the reality is, that one or two pounds here and there very quickly add up. Before you know it you're 100 pounds overweight...and feeling like crap. Don't think for one second that it cannot happen to you, because it can and I am proof of that. One of the most frustrating things I have realized is how much faster and easier it is to gain 100 pounds than it is to lose it. Gaining is super simple. Sit on your butt and eat crap. Losing, however, requires a whole world of motivation, hard work and dedication. It requires you to dig deeper to parts of you that you never knew you had. Clearly I have struggled to stay motivated and find my own inner dedication.

I suppose I could take the easy way out and take some "magic" pills or have major surgery. Oh wait--no I can't--because I am very against both of those options. While I fully realize that there are some people who genuinely need medical intervention, there are so many others who either just don't want to do the work or who simply believe they are not capable of pushing their bodies to do what is needed. I myself am learning that the human body is capable of so much more than we think. I sometimes wonder if people really understand how much they still need to change, even WITH surgery. I wonder even more why some doctors are so quick to perform such procedures like gastric bypass and lap band surgery without exploring the safer option of exercise and diet. I guess the big fat paycheque makes them so quick to accommodate regardless of the outcome for the patient. I am tired of hearing tragic stories of people dying from such procedures. And for what? Just because you couldn't be bothered to eat a salad or go for a walk once in a while. I feel the easy access to such things and the media leave people convinced it is the only option. It may be the fastest option, but it is far from the safest and so often NOT needed.

Over and over I see stories of people twice my size or even more losing hundreds of pounds the old fashioned way--with blood, sweat and copious amounts of tears. Whether it be on reality shows such as the Biggest Loser or Extreme Makeover: Weight Loss Edition, or someone at 350 pounds choosing to do the work on their own and lose over 100 pounds in less than a year. And yes it is possible because one of my best friends did just that. In January 2010 she weighed 350 pounds, but by October she was down 118 pounds. She did that in 9 months by eating right and getting off her butt and working out. What more proof do we need that it CAN be done the old fashioned way?

My highest weight ever was a few years back at 248 pounds. The last few years though, I have hovered in the 200-220 range. I have done well and gotten under 200 at times, but always seem to fall off the wagon and then end up super discouraged and I don't really ever get back on. Over the past year I have started to run again, not nearly as often as I should though. We have ran numerous 5k's and I always surprise myself at how well I am able to do even when I am so far from being prepared for it. I need to continue to push myself and do better each time.

I am once again in that place where I am ready and needing to get this weight off. I hate how it makes me feel, I know it isn't healthy and let's be honest, I am tired of not being able to wear some of the clothes I want to wear. I don't want this the easy way. I want it the hard way. I want to push myself beyond what I thought I could ever do. I want the satisfaction of accomplishing this and being proud of it. When I reach my goals, I want to be reminded of how hard it was so I never go back. It is time to finish what I have started so many times before, and I give you all permission to remind me and push me and kick me when I need it. Hopefully this time next year I will be able to blog about my success, to look back at what I have accomplished and be proud of the journey.

“Why choose to fail when success is an option?” --Jillian Michaels.

This time I refuse to choose failure. This time I will kick failure so hard in the face it won't know what hit it.

Buffalo Wings and General Hospital

2011-11-10T22:28:00.001-08:00

When I was a kid, I definitely went through a tomboy stage. Most of my cousins were boys--plus I had 2 brothers. I would spend hours with my cousin playing Hot Wheels or GI Joes. And it was so much fun. But then on the other side of it, I would go home and play with My Little Pony or my Jem dolls. I was honestly happy playing with either. My mom always had me in a cute little kilt or pink dresses for church and special occasions. But I was probably happier in jeans and a t-shirt. But I made it work. Half girly-girl and half tomboy. I really don't think I fully grew out of it.

There are days when I love putting on my makeup, doing my hair, and putting on a cute outfit. I love the color pink, I love a bubble bath with a glass of wine, I love escaping through terrible soaps like General Hospital and Days of our Lives, and I love a good chick flick or tearjerker. I get excited when I am shopping and I see a cute purse, a new perfume or a funky new nail polish.

On the flip side, There are days I would rather put on a headband and a pair of sweats. I LOVE sports. Hockey (Oilers), baseball (Mariners) and football (Seahawks), in that order. I am happy and content spending all day Sunday relaxing at home with Chris watching all the NFL games. I have real hockey and football jerseys, NOT the "female" ones and they certainly AREN'T pink. I have been known during many an Oilers game to stand and yell at the TV screen. I love beer, action movies, buffalo wings, and video games. I reeeeally like video games. Sports ones are a big hit, but I also love first person shooter games like Medal of Honor, Call of Duty and so on.

I like to think it balances me out and saves me from being stuck in the typical everyday routine that is expected from women. Why can't it be okay to sit back with the boys, watch the game and enjoy a few beers? I would not have done well back in the 40's. A classic time where women were classy and always dressed to the nines. I would have hated it. I would have wanted to be at the bar with the boys drinking scotch and smoking a cigar. (Not that I do that nowadays--that's just what they did in the 40's, right?)

Luckily for me I met and married a man who loves both sides of me. He loves that I can be girly and look nice when we go out, but he also loves that I will sit home, drink beer and yell at the TV with him--unfortunately, being a Mariners and Seahawks fan this happens often.

So which one are you? The tomboy? Girly-girl? Or both? Obviously I am both and I wouldn't change a thing.

To Cook or Not to Cook

2011-11-09T23:51:00.000-08:00

I am not really sure I think I am "good" at cooking, but I like to do it. Tonight I made the above pot roast and it was AMAZING. Yeah I am tooting my own horn. TOOOOOOT TOOOOOOOOT!!

I have often thought it would be fun to take a cooking class and find some direction in the kitchen. But then I remember what a hot mess I am in the kitchen, how messy things get and I realize I do not want to expose the outside world to that. Sort of like me doing zumba. No one should see that.

I think maybe I would like to start tackling a new recipe each week. I have the perfect test subject. Like Chris is going to complain. Well as long as I don't try to feed him nuts or fish that is, since he is deathly allergic and all.

So any ideas on what my first new dish should be? Who has good recipes? Lay em on me....

Just Under the Wire

2011-11-08T23:39:00.000-08:00

Ok so there will be no fantastic post tonight entertaining you with random musings of my life. The truth is I have been on the phone for a few hours with a dear friend doing some much needed catching up. I am just now realizing "oh crap I didn't blog." But you know what, that is okay because the talk I had was good for the soul.

You know the talks I am talking about. The ones you just need. Tonight was one of those nights. Yes you all have been neglected, but no worries tomorrow you will have a great post filled with all sorts of awesomeness.

With that I will leave you with a picture to make you smile. My niece Annika with the greatest hair ever.

Finding Beauty in Your Fears

2011-11-07T21:01:00.000-08:00

Sept 19, 2006 6:35am

I have been talking about my fears of heights and flying in my blog posts lately. I took the above picture back in 2006 on a red eye flight back to Boston from Seattle. As much as I hate to fly, it is moments like the one captured in this photo that I'm reminded that if I let my fears win then I miss out on amazing things such as this. Watching the sunrise from the window of a plane 30 some thousand feet in the air is an experience you cannot replicate anywhere else. It was amazing, and perhaps one of the most beautiful things I have ever seen. In this moment I had no fear, I was just in awe of the beauty outside the window. I am not sure I have ever been more at peace in a place I am normally so on edge and afraid.

If you have never had the joy of watching a sunrise on a plane, I encourage you the next time you fly to make sure you are awake to take it in. I promise you, it will be worth it.

It's a Dog's Life

2011-11-06T15:24:00.000-08:00

I am an animal lover. I could spend hours at the zoo just staring at all the different animals. Last year Chris and I went to a place called Safari West down in Santa Rosa, California and it was one of the most amazing experiences of my life. Most notably when my neck was nuzzled by a giraffe. A-MAZING! The site of a deer grazing at the side of the road fills me with joy. And I am constantly going "awww" when I see a dog out for a walk with it's owner.

I always wanted a dog growing up. Instead, we had a cat. Don't get me wrong--I loved my cat very much--all 14 years of his life. His name was Sparky, and he was awesome. In fact, after he died I had a hard time sleeping for weeks because I had become so accustomned to his loud purring. He would would sleep on my pillow above my head and he purred like a Harley. But as much as I loved him, I always had that yearning for a dog.

When I met Chris he had told me early on that he could never have a dog because of his allergies. I tried to convince him that some dogs are better for allergies than others, and that even with allergies people generally adjust over time. On July 7th 2002 (our 6 month dating anniversary), Chris wanted to take me to the top of the Space Needle in Seattle. Having lived there his whole life he had somehow never gone up there. Now he was trying to convince his girlfriend that they should. I was DEAD SET against it. As obvious from my previous post about being afraid of heights, going to the top of the Space Needle was pretty much out of the question for me. What made me even more convinced I would not be going up there was the fact that the elevator for the Space Needle is on the OUTSIDE of the building with glass windows that allow you to watch outside as you go up. Not going to happen.

Chris--who REALLY wanted to go--started working his magic trying to convince me to go with him. He finally found my soft spot, and promised me that if we went to the top AND I looked out the whole way up he would get me a puppy someday. Now here was my thought process at the time. I REALLY wanted a dog, but I had also only been dating him for 6 months. As crazy as I was about him, things happen and there was always a chance he would not be around to follow through on his promise. After about an hour of sitting at the bottom and looking up at the giant building I wanted no part of, I had made my decision. Chris and I were a great fit and we really loved each other, I convinced myself that he was the "one" and I would get myself that puppy someday. And so I said yes. I didn't totally live up to my end of the bargain as I only looked outside briefly during the elevator ride, the rest of the time I had my face buried in Chris's chest wishing it was over. Much like my trip to the top of the Columbia Tower last month, it was beautiful (you can go back and read about it HERE in case you missed it). An experience I am glad I had but will likely never do again.

A year and a half later in February 14, 2004 Chris lived up to his end of the deal. He surprised me that morning by telling me we could get a dog and I should start looking for one. We decided almost immediately that we would "rescue" a dog. I went straight to the computer and started my search on Petfinder.com. I found her almost immdiately. This is the very first picture I saw of her and I was in love from the get go.

Chris--who is not a fan of dogs with bandanas--was a little turned off. After I assured him I didn't think she had picked it out, he softened to her. Those paws, that face and those eyes. I knew she was the one. I immediately called the number for the shelter she was at and was beside myself when I found out she was still there and very much available for adoption. We were unable to go and meet her that day as she was at a shelter in Wenatchee, Washington which was almost 3 hours from us and it was already later in the day. They were closed on Sunday but told us if we wanted to come meet her someone would be in the office and they would let us in. She was not as young as I had originally wanted (she was approx 10 months old) but it didn't matter, I was smitten.

The next morning I was filled with excitement at going to meet MY dog for the very first time. The 3 hour drive was excrutiating, I just wanted to be there already. When we arrived, we were taken back to where all the dogs were. A chorus of barking dogs greeted us as each one of them tried to get our attention. I felt bad for them, knowing very well some of them may not make it out of there, but I had already chosen MY dog. There she was in her little run. Sitting as far away from the door as possible, cowering in the corner and not making a peep. Chris immediately liked the fact that she was not barking like all the other dogs. We were given a leash and directed to a fenced area outside where we could interact with her. As we walked past all the other dogs and even a cat outside, she paid no attention to them. We were thinking how awesome it was that she seemed so unfazed by other animals. We played with her, loved on her and it was confirmed that she was the dog for us. We headed back inside to get the adoption process going. Her adoption fee would be $70, but we were informed we couldn't take her home yet because she needed to be sent to the vet to be spayed. The appointment was set and we were told we could come back and take her home on the 17th.

We made the drive back home and waited eagerly for Tuesday to arrive to head back to get her. Ir was only two days, but for me it seemed like an eternity. On the morning of the 17th the phone rang, and it was the vets office. Immediately our hearts sank thinking something had gone wrong during her surgery. Turned out to tbe the complete opposite. The shelter made a mistake, and she was in fact already spayed. Luckily the vet determined this before they put her under the knife. Excited, we made the 3 hour drive back to Wenatchee to pick her up. She was soooo excited to see us when we got there. The feeling was definitely mutual. We loaded up and off we went with our new dog.

It wasn't till the next day we realized that the calm and scared little dog we had met at the shelter was all a front. She was a smart one and was on her best behaviour so someone would take her home. From early on she was very uptight around other dogs and barked at anything with 4 legs. To this day she has never changed, and believe me we have tried. We have adapted and we know how to deal with her. If she is introduced to a dog properly, the potential is there for a playmate. I even have pictures to prove it.

Leah, Belle and Madison

Belle and Wrigley napping after a hard core wrestling session

Kisses for her friend Canela

Belle and her buddy Titus

For the most part though, we keep her away from other dogs. It is never worth the stress of worrying about her attacking and injuring another dog, or she herself getting hurt. It makes me sad for her sometimes, because I know how much fun she does have when she gets along with another dog. I wish we could take her to open fields and just let her run--something she loves to do--but the risk is always there and it just isn't worth it. She is good with people and kids, so I will take that any day over her being good with other dogs.

Aside from her hatred of other animals, she is a high energy dog who can sometimes be a little much for those who are not dog people. For us, her good qualities outweigh her bad ones. She is a happy, loving dog. She loves to cuddle, give kisses, go for walks, bark at squirrels and go for car rides. She is 8 and a half years old and still acts like a puppy. This makes me very happy. She has been a healthy dog her whole life which is something we are very thankful for. She is a joy in our lives.

Chuck E. Awesome

2011-11-05T22:48:00.000-07:00

I am most definitely a kid at heart. I have been known to jump in puddles. A preview for the latest animated movie is enough to make me giddy. Just ask Chris how I currently react to the commercials for Happy Feet 2. I prefer my drinks with a straw--preferrably a swirly/twisty/colorful one. When I go to the zoo, my excitement is the same as it was when I was 12 years old. I barely sleep Christmas Eve because my excitement about Christmas morning can barely be contained. And no, it isn't just about the presents. It is a quality I love about myself and I hope it never changes.

Today I continued to embrace my inner child by spending the afternoon at Chuck E. Cheeses with Chris, our friends Tammy and Jeremy and their two kids, Maya (5) and Declan (4). Don't be fooled into thinking it was their idea to go--it was mine. It isn't wrong to use my friends children as an excuse to go to Chuck E. Cheese. It's a win win for all involved.

I was excited as could be getting ready this morning and thinking of all the fun little games I would get to spend my afternoon playing. Thinking of a the prizes I could win and eating pizza. And of course spending time with some good friends. We arrived right around 12:30, ordered our pizza, got our drinks and our tokens. And away we went to play to our hearts content. The great thing is about Chuck E. Cheese is that now all the games are only one token. More for your money, and oh the joy I feel when those little tickets spit out at me.

Tammy and I took a time out to have our picture sketched.

Chris was beside himself when he played a game where he had to get the timing just perfect, hit the button and have it blow up a balloon. He hit it right on the target, the balloon popped, and he won the 100 ticket bonus. He was as happy as could be. With his winnings from that and the rest of our tickets pooled together we got that awesome pen above, it is huge. I got a cool straw that I am way more excited about than you know.

Tammy's little girl Maya used the pen above to get Chuck E's autograph. Yeah, that happened. He looked so funny writing it with his giant mouse hands and the giant pen. Awesomeness.

All in all we had a great afternoon and everybody had fun. Call me crazy if you want, but I really love Chuck E. Cheeses. I love feeling like that little kid again. And I love even more that I have a husband who is willing to join in and have a little fun himself.

What do you guys do to make you feel like a kid? I mean come on...I can't be the only one.

She's Crafty...ish

2011-11-04T23:16:00.000-07:00

I wish I could be more crafty. You know, do fun projects and actually have them turn out good. Don't get me wrong, I LIKE all things crafty I just tend not to be very good at them.

When I was a kid I loved drawing pictures even though I wasn't good at drawing. Let's be honest--my greatest art work always included stick men and even that is questionable. I loved painting even though I wasn't good at painting. Unless, of course, it was finger painting and in that case I totally rocked it. Whenever we did crafts at school or church I got right in there and enjoyed every second of it. I just wasn't good at it and often my would be the oddest looking one in the bunch. But back then I didn't care, I was just having fun.

Now that I am an adult I feel like if I am going to make something and have it look totally ridiculous then I probably shouldn't be making it. But then I ask myself, why the heck not? I mean I am not trying to impress anyone but myself (and Chris). And if it is something I enjoy during my free time--which I have a lot of these days--then to hell with how uncrafty it looks.

I have been trying to think lately of some easy fun projects I can do, especially with the holidays upon us. I am not really sure what direction I am thinking, but there has to be something out there I can get my hands on and try my best to be creative and make something that will be somewhat useful to me or someone else.

So come on, I know there are a few of you out there who actually read this blog who are pretty crafty so give a girl some ideas. Help my untalented self in the right direction. And who knows, if you're lucky maybe I will post some of my craftiness for you all to judge and laugh at. ;)

Conquering My Fears

2011-11-03T23:37:00.000-07:00

Everyone has fears. Some are rational and some are so far from rational it makes you wonder what truly goes on in peoples heads. My main fears I think are pretty common. First there is heights which naturally makes me afraid of tall buildings and flying. I am also a little claustrophobic so I really hate elevators. My fears are not debilitating by any means. As scared as I am to fly or get in an elevator, I will still do it. Which I suppose makes me braver than some, but it doesn't change the fact that I have been know to let those fears consume me to the point of ridiculousness sometimes. I have spent many a sleepless night leading up to a flight somewhere because all I can do is go over and over in my head all the things that could go wrong with the plane. I make myself crazy. But the fact that I will do it no matter how scared I am has to count for something.

Last month Chris and I went up to Seattle for the weekend to spend some quality time with some friends from the great white north. Saturday night we met the Queen and her boyfriend Kevin (whom we found delightful) at their swanky swankerson hotel The Arctic Club downtown Seattle and headed out for a dinner at The Cheesecake Factory. We decided over dinner that before we attended the Seahawks/Falcons (sadly Carly is a Falcons fan) game on Sunday we would go to a buffet brunch on the 76th floor of the Columbia Tower downtown. WHY oh why did I agree to such a thing? I sort of didn't, it was just kind of decided and I really didn't want to be the lame one to ruin everyone else's fun.

I will admit I had trouble sleeping that night. I couldn't turn my brain off. I was making myself sick worrying about having to go up in an elevator and spend an hour or two that high off the ground. As we were driving into Seattle the next morning the dread kicked into full gear when I looked at the skyline and realized the tallest building was where we were headed and once we got there we were headed to the top floor.

As we got closer and I started to realize how much I didn't want to go up there I started to cry. Yeah I am that much of a baby. But I put on my big girl pants, we picked up Carly and Kevin and into the building and toward the elevators we went. Inside I was terrified, my heart was racing. I did my best to look brave on the outside. I mean who wants to see a grown woman cry over a friggin elevator ride? We were up to the 40 something floor in no time where we had to get in a different elevator to take us up the rest of the way. I definitely think breaking the 76th floor ride into two parts helped me out. The ride was quick and smooth other than the fact Kevin thought he would be funny and shake the elevator as we were riding up. Had I not just met him the night before I very well may have punched him in his face.

So there we were 76 floors above the ground. My stomach was definitely turning most of the time we were up there but I made the best of it. The shot above was the view from inside a bathroom stall. No lies, that is what I saw as I peed. Am I glad I went? Yes. Would I go again? I really am not sure. It was a beautiful view from all angles. I am thankful I experienced it but I just don't know I need to experience it again. The important part was that l conquered that fear, that day. And I got to do it while spending time with great friends. I pray I continue to be able to conquer my fears and not miss out on opportunities like that.

Maybe I need to learn to live a little more and not be so consumed by fear. Rational or irrational, no fear should ever stop you from living your life, going places and doing what you love. Maybe that is a lesson I am learning little by little. It doesn't mean I will never let the fear win, but I am sure going to try and come out victorious every time. If I don't, I will just pick myself up and try again when the next thing comes along.

Birthdays and Steak

2011-11-02T23:27:00.000-07:00

Ever since Chris and I have been married we have made a habit dining out at nice restaurants for special occasions. Birthdays, our anniversary and valentines day. That's only 4 nights a year we splurge and it is usually well worth it. We have had some fantastic meals over the years at places such as The Capital Grille in Bostons swanky Back Bay area, Abe and Louie's also in Bostons Back bay area, Top of the Hub which is a restaurant on the top floor of the Prudential Tower in downtown Boston, The Metropolitan Grill in downtown Seattle, Crickelwood which was a great little local joint we found in Northern California, The Chart House here in Portland and most recently we enjoyed an amazing dinner tonight at Ruth's Chris Steakhouse here in Portland.

Today was Chris's 34th birthday and he is always on the hunt for a great steak. He of course was the one to pick Ruth's Chris and what a great choice it was. We had the most amazing dinner. French onion soup and a bone in rib eye for Chris. A divine wedge salad with bacon and blue cheese and stuffed chicken for me. Broccoli au grautin and garlic mashed potatoes. My mouth is watering just remembering how good it all was. Of course no meal is complete without dessert. We managed to not do too much damage by sharing his free birthday treat which was a mini chocolate cheesecake, vanilla ice cream and fresh berries.

I would like to think that Chris had a great birthday even though it did start with dentist appointments I set for us for first thing this morning. I hope the fact I got him tickets to The Apple Cup to see the Washington Huskies take on the Washington State Cougars at Century Link Field in Seattle will make up for the dentist part of the day. Happy Birthday Chris, I love you!!

So what are your traditions for special occasions like birthdays?

Old Men and Shopping Carts

2011-11-01T22:13:00.000-07:00

I will be the first to admit that I can have a temper from time to time. I've always been that way. Part of it is just my personality, the other part I like to blame on the fact that I am Scottish--full blooded Scottish at that--so I like to think it gives me a little bit of a free pass. I realize that it doesn't, but I still like to think that it does. It takes a lot these days to really get my blood boiling and believe me it used to be much much worse. But for as much of a temper I used to have--and the one that still lurks under the surface--I have rarely ever lost it in public or taken it out on total strangers. It really doesn't seem fair to unload on total strangers. I like to think that although I can have a temper I can and do control it. You know who DOESN'T control their temper? Grumpy and crotchety old men who nothing better to do than lash out at innocent and unsuspecting citizens like me.

Oddly enough old men seem to always get mad at me in grocery stores. A few years back while we were living out east in Boston, an old man called me a stupid wench. Yeah, that happened. I wish I could remember the circumstances leading up to the stupid wench comment, but it seems my memory has failed me. Regardless, I know I didn't do anything to warrant such rudeness. This time, Chris and I were at Safeway doing our grocery shopping. I had sent Chris back to the other end of the store to grab something we had forgotten while I continued on the path up and down the aisles in the order I like to do.

As I was approaching the aisle I wanted to turn down, there was an older gentleman walking very slowly in front of me carrying a basket. I decided I would pass him and then turn down my aisle instead of continuing behind him at a snails pace. So I passed him on the left (and put on my imaginary cart-blinker) minding my own business, looking over my shopping list and thinking of the things I may have forgotten. I slowly took the right turn down the aisle but before I knew it, I was having to catch myself from falling and hitting head-first into one of the glass doors in the frozen aisle!

Had I tripped on something? Had I lost my balance? (Full disclosure, I have fallen in a Target before.)

As I turned around and fully realized what had happened, I couldn't believe it. That older gentleman I had just passed and turned in front of had stuck his foot out to try and trip me! And no it wasn't an accident--he had stuck his foot right between my legs and his intent was blatantly obvious. WOW!!! I was stunned. I turned and looked and him and said, "excuse me, sir!" He replied by angrily stating that, "well you turned right in front of me ma'am." In my shock all I could do was laugh, shake my head and yell, "whatever!" in his direction.

As I turned and walked away I thought to myself, WHO tries to trip someone on purpose? I am very confident in the fact that I did NOT cut him off. He was plenty back from me when I turned down that aisle. And even if I had misjudged my timing, he obviously saw me and had time to slow down so as not to "crash" in to me. Yet somehow he thought something I did on accident was justification to try and trip someone. Had I actually fallen I could've really hurt myself by hitting my head on any number of things. I was livid! When Chris met up with me after retrieving what I had sent him to get, he couldn't believe it either. We never saw the man again, so Chris never had an opportunity to let him know you don't trip people on purpose. True story.

I imagine people lose their tempers like that in everyday situations and lash out at total strangers with no regard for anything. I just wonder why the angry old men of the world seem to find me. Or maybe it is just a sign I should send Chris to do the shopping from now on.

How about you? Anyone tried to trip you in public or called you names? Any old men ever make you want to punch them so hard in the face they would never know what hit them?

What Have I Gotten Myself Into?

2011-10-23T15:53:00.000-07:00

I started this blog way back in 2004 when Chris and I moved cross country from Seattle to Boston. My intention was for it to be a way for our friends and family back west and in Canada to be able to keep up with us and what we were up to out on the east coast. I quickly became addicted to blogging and for a long time it was a priority. It became an outlet for me, a way to vent and tell whatever crazy story was swirling around my head on any given day. It also became a way of meeting new friends. Blogging kept me connected with a certain Queen, a dear friend of mine. However, I got lazy. Very lazy. In 2010 I posted four times and in 2011 three times, that includes this post. Between the laziness and becoming convinced no one wanted to hear about my boring life that some days was nothing more than the fact I had stepped in dog poop, I stopped blogging. That brings us to today and the point of this post and the answer to the question in the title. What HAVE I gotten myself into?

The aforementioned Queen brought a challenge to her loyal followers to join NaBloPoMo. I don't quite understand all the details but the gist of it is a challenge to post everyday for a month with that month being November. Although it seems as though nablopomo is in place to challenge us as bloggers to post everyday no matter what the month. So I challenge my followers, what few of you are still out there to sign up for this blog challenge and join me in getting back to blogging and putting our mindless drivel out there for the rest of the world to read.

I have stories to tell so I might as well start telling them. Like for example, while grocery shopping at Safeway last week an old man tried to trip me. For reals THAT happened.

Cock-a-doodle-doo

2011-01-13T10:16:00.005-08:00

So there is this house about 5 mins up the road from us that we sort of walk past on our walks with Belle. I think the people who live there think they live on a farm or maybe they run a petting zoo that I just don't know about. Anyways, we have seen goats in their front yard before. I am not lying they really have goats. Which I suppose isn't that odd except for the fact we live in a residential neighborhood. It's not like we are out in the country people.

So a few weeks ago Chris and I are walking Belle after dark. Although I suppose it could have only been 5 pm since it is dark so early these days. And all of a sudden we hear COCK-A-DOODLE-DOO!! What the? It is evening, it is dark and we are in a residential neighborhood and there is a rooster crowing. It was funny. We are assuming it is from the same house as the goats. I mean what are the chances there are more houses with random farm animals?

So now almost daily without fail we will be walking Belle and hear the crowing of our friend the rooster. I think I will name him Rusty. Must suck to be their neighbors.

To Run or Not to Run

2011-01-10T11:49:00.002-08:00

I used to be a runner. About 15 years ago I ran almost everyday. In the last 10 years the most I have ran is away from bees or inside from a sudden rain storm or lightning strike. That is about to change.

I feel like I have been on a never ending journey to lose weight the last 5 years or so. I lose weight, gain weight, lose weight and then maintain that loss. But the problem is I have a long way to go that maintaining is the exact opposite of what I should be doing. And so I decided that I was going to sign up for and run a 5k. I just started a 9 week training program this past week and I am SO excited. Chris is running it also and we are actually getting a team of about 15 together to run with us. One of those people is a very special friend of mine who is flying all the way from West Virginia just because I asked her to come run with me. How awesome is that?

So whether I want or not I will be running a 5k here in Portland in March. I am excited and nervous.

In the next few months I will be able to stop saying "I used to be a runner" and instead I will be saying "I AM A RUNNER!!"

This is just a step in a journey that is far from over. But for the first time I feel like I am actually excited about what is on the other side. And I just might finally be starting to believe that I CAN do this.

Chris and Evey Go on Tour

2010-03-28T07:25:00.003-07:00

I can't believe we are on day 5 of our trip and I am just getting a chance to blog now. I had originally hoped I would sit down and blog each night, giving you all a recap of what we had done and where we had been that day. It turned out though that by the time we got to our hotel each night all we wanted to do was sleep. I will do my best to get you all caught up to us. It could take a while so get your coffee or tea and get comfortable.

We are thankful for friends who were willing to come over and help us pack our crap into the truck. All I had to so was feed them pizza and beer and they were happy. After they went home Monday night Chris and I spent a few more hours getting odds and ends packed and organized so we would have as little to do in the morning as possible. Of course we left about 4 hours later than we had originally planned. I know this will be a shock to most of you who know I am always late for everything. Time just got away from us and by the time we had everything packed and the apartment cleaned it was almost noon. Oh well, a quick stop at Target and we were on our way.

Day1:

I must admit that when we first started driving I became more and more convinced that the truck was heavier on my side and that it was going to tip over. Chris of course laughed at me. He seems to be right though because we have made it all this way and we haven't tipped over yet.

Once we were finally on the road we headed out of Massachusetts (YAY) and then it was on into Connecticut and New York. Normally we would go around New York City and avoid the George Washington Bridge at all costs. But we decided that given the time of day that traffic would not be that bad. The we saw this sign and thought "OH CRAP!!"

But we decided not to get annoyed about it, we did make the choice and we were stuck in it now so there was no sense complaining about it. Much to our surprise traffic actually moved quite well and we ended up only being stuck for about a half hour. It would have taken us just as long to go around so it worked out. Our first day of driving was pretty boring for the both of us as it was through places we had driven through before. We made it to Winchester, Virginia where we decided to stop for the night.

Day 2

I was happy to finally be out of all the states I had been to before. After stopping at Starbucks for breakfast and coffee (and paying full price for the first time in 8 years) we were on the road again. Virginia took a lot longer to drive through than we thought. We didn't arrive in Nashville till it was dark which was a little disappointing for me since Nashville was one of the places I was really excited to see. We decided to take the advice of some friends of our and hit up a BBQ place downtown Nashville. We are so glad we made this stop because it was SO good. The place was called Jack's BBQ. I had chicken, pulled pork and brisket. Chris had ribs, turkey and brisket. Totally worth the detour into downtown. YUM! After that we doubled back to Opryland so I could see and get some pics of the Grande Ole Opry. I have always loved country music and especially a lot of the old school stuff so this was very exciting for me. Of course it was closed but the building itself was lit up and we got some good pics. YAY!

After this we were back on the highway for a few hours and decided to stop for the night in Jackson, Tennessee. Thanks again Best Western.

That is all for today, I have a baseball game to get to. Either I will be back on here tonight or tomorrow some time so keep on checking :)

Raising Money for Breast Cancer Awareness

2010-03-13T07:01:00.003-08:00

Just wanted to put a reminder here about what my mother in law and I are doing to raise money for breast cancer research. Please check out the blog HERE and contact me via email (micmash57@hotmail.com) to find out how you can support me in my weight loss as well as support a cause that is really close to my heart.

Poop

2010-03-11T13:49:00.000-08:00

Is it really that hard to scoop poop? I am so tired of stepping in others peoples dog crap!

Portland or Bust!!

2010-02-07T09:28:00.003-08:00

Stay tuned...

Perfume Gone Wrong

2009-09-21T07:26:00.003-07:00

I like to smell good just as much as the next person. Who doesn't? Well maybe some of the people I sit next to on public transportation. But I am guessing that MOST people like to smell good. A little spritz here and there before you head out the door to wherever it is you are going. Maybe an extra spritz or two for a special occasion, I'm not going to judge. But when people can smell you from miles and miles away I think that is a pretty good sign that you have spritzed one or TWENTY too many times.

Last week Chris and I went to our usual spot to watch the Seahawks game and enjoy a relaxing afternoon of football. All was going well, the pizza was yummy, the Seahawks were winning, nothing could spoil my afternoon. That was until they arrived. Who are they you ask? Well a table of about 5. A few were kids, there was at least one guy and the a couple of nasty hoochies. Yeah that's right I said hoochies. You know the type I am talking about. Tight pants, short shirts, more makeup than one human being should EVER wear. All around NASTY! They were sitting right behind us and almost immediately I was overpowered by the smell. So strong my eyes watered and soon enough the headache came. Was it necessary for her to have bathed in her perfume that day? Cause that is exactly what it seemed like. Like she had soaked in a tub of it for a few hours so that it was pouring out of her pores with such strength I wanted to vomit.
The part I don't get is why the guy you were with never informed you that you smelled like an actual factory that makes perfume. It sort of defeats the purpose of smelling good if what you smell like actually makes people around you vomit or pass out. I wonder if she even realizes that just a few spritzes has a good and lasting effect? Oh well I suppose had she not bathed in her perfume I would not have had this lovely little story to share with you all.

I'm Baaaack!! Again...I Think...

2009-09-19T08:18:00.007-07:00

I figure that one of these days when I say I am back to blogging I actually will be. I don't know what has gotten in to me. I love to write and this blog has been a constant for me since we moved to Boston 5 years ago. FIVE years people!!! Why does life seem to pass us by so quickly?!?

So a few quick things, some I will talk more about later.

Back in May/June I had a little bit of a health scare. I found a lump in my left breast, went to the doctor, she also felt it and sent me to a breast surgeon. The surgeon sent me for a mammogram, the radiologist sent me for an ultrasound of my right breast after he saw something on the right side also. Had ultrasound and had my surgeon call me a few days later to tell me the lump on the left was a fibroedenoma which is a benign tumor but there was something "suspicious" on the right and she wanted me to have a biopsy. Suspicious is NOT the word you want to here in this situation. I went back to see my surgeon who showed me the films from the mammogram. It was scary. The lump on the left was just as she had described it. Round/ovalish and very smooth. Nothing to be scared about. The lump on the right however looked like a jagged starfish and was about the size of a pea. Off I went the following week for a biopsy. Not nearly the torturous experience I was convinced it was going to be. In fact I didn't feel a thing. After that I was sent home to just wait for the results. If I am being totally honest I was certain the only call I was going to receive was one to tell me I had cancer. Two days later I got a call from my surgeon that the biopsy was negative and there was NO sign of cancer. Praise the Lord. I felt like I could finally breathe again. Next up was scheduling my surgery to remove both lumps. More specifically the one on the left because of the size of it. 6 cm people. It is huge. I still have yet to have my surgery and am expecting to have it in October/November. I am scared out of my wits to have surgery. Mostly cause I am a big fraidy cat. The thought of anesthesia just creeps me right the heck out. But you gotta do what you gotta do I suppose. I will write more about this whole situation another day when I have more time.

In August Chris and I went to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina for a week with Chris's sister Alicia and her husband Paul. I really love it down there. The condo we stay in is right on the ocean and falling asleep to the sound of the ocean is amazing. We had an awesome week and I can't wait to go back. For pics of our vacation you can click HERE and HERE!!

Last weekend, Sept 12th to be exact Chris and I celebrated our 5th wedding anniversary. I feel blessed to have such a wonderful man in my life. We are far from perfect and sometimes we bicker till we want to wring each others necks but I love him very much and couldn't have asked for a better partner in this life. We had an amazing dinner at the Capital Grille downtown Boston on Newbury Street. We spent the night at the Colonnade Hotel (also downtown), had a wonderful breakfast in the morning. It was a wonderful time.Well I think that is about it for now. Perhaps if you are lucky I will be back later with a more detailed post about our anniversary dinner etc. I know you want to know all those boring details like what I had for dessert. But for now this is a good start trying to get back into the swing of things with this blog. There are many more stories to be told. A lot to keep you all updated on as far as where we will be living come April 2010. Stay tuned it's about to get crazy around here!!

Golfing

2009-07-25T07:49:00.008-07:00

Back in May Chris asked me if I would be interested in going to a ladies golf clinic. It would be 3 2-hour sessions on Saturday mornings. Of course I was interested so he signed me up.

The funny thing is that before I met Chris I would have never even considered taking up golfing. I think what I learned with golf it is either something you love or you hate. There is no middle ground. Fortunately for Chris I quickly grew to love golf and wanted to learn more about it. A few years ago Chris got me clubs for Christmas. We have spent a lot of time at the driving range and have been golfing a few times. I really do enjoy it and jumped at the chance to learn from professional golfers in a setting with other ladies at my level.

The first session was spent hitting balls off the tee and working on our swing and all the fundamentals. It is amazing how many little things need to be right for you to hit a good and accurate golf shot. I tend to hit the ball well off the tee and both instructors were very impressed with my swing. That of course made me feel good and gave me a little more confidence. A few tips here and there and I was hitting the ball better than I ever had. Now if only I could manage to remember all those things every time I go golfing I would be awesome. Ha!

The second and third sessions were spent working on our short game. Chipping and putting. If there is one thing I learned from these lessons it is that I need desperate help in my short game. Chipping more so than putting. If I could just get my chipping sorted and get a little better at putting I will def start putting up better scores when I go golfing. Good thing golf is a life long game and something you are constantly working at and improving at. Even the best have coaches and are always working on their game.

A few weeks ago Chris and I went golfing at an executive course. It was a spur of the moment decision so we weren't really dressed for it and it had been raining earlier that day so we decided to only golf the back 9. I drove the ball pretty well but as always my short game was my undoing. Should be interesting to see how I do in Myrtle Beach next month. We had fun and we even ran into some wildlife....Below is a video Chris took on one of the holes. Don't mind my really awesome golf outfit with my jeans rolled up cause they were so wet from the rain. I am looking awesome and sweaty!! I also thought Chris was taking a pic at the end which is why I looked like I was posing for a picture and never actually said anything.

BOOOOOOOO!!!!!

2009-07-14T18:00:00.003-07:00

Ok so I just had written a big long post all about my Ladies Golf Clinic with pictures AND video and it seems blogger ate it. SO now you will have to wait till tomorrow cause there is no way I am re writing that whole thing tonight. So I guess it just means you will have to come back again tomorrow. ;)

Back In The Saddle

2009-07-13T07:33:00.003-07:00

OK so I did not mean to go on a blogging hiatus but it seems like that is exactly what I did. The good news is that I THINK I am back. I have many many stories to tell from the past 2 months. From golfing to doctors appointments to baseball games I am certain to keep you all entertained for at least a few weeks. That is if any of you actually still check in here from time to time. Of course at this very moment I need to head to work so you will just have to have enough faith in me to come back later and trust there will be a new post awaiting you. ;)

New Neighbors

2009-05-01T19:47:00.010-07:00

These little guys have been hanging around our place lately. Belle is pretty unimpressed about it but I thought they were pretty cute so I snapped some pics. I have also decided to name them Ed and Gladys. We can hear them every morning cooing away. Click HERE to hear what we hear everyday. We did some research to find out what kind of birds they are. Turns out they are doves, more specifically we are pretty sure they are Mourning Doves.

Where's Evey?!

2009-04-30T08:45:00.007-07:00

I am sure by now you have all created your very own Where's Evey game. Have no fear though because HERE I am! I feel like either my life is that boring so I have nothing to write about or I have just been busy and blogging has not been at the top of my priority list. I like to think it is the busy reason and not just cause I am lame. So yeah, I have been busy...

A week or so ago our fridge died. The sucky part of this is that our apartment did not come with a fridge so therefore we had to buy a new one. We toyed with the idea of a used one from Craigslist but then decided we didn't want to become the next victims of the Craigslist killer. That and we didn't want to spend 200 bucks on a fridge that for all we know could break in a month. I might as well just throw the money straight into a shredder. But then we were torn about buying a brand new one because we are wanting and hoping to move within the next 6-8 months. Ultimately we decided we could sell it for a little less than what we paid considering it will still be so new and have warranty on it or we can just take it with us. So we shopped around and decided Sears was offering the best deal and so we got a Kenmore for $445. We paid 75 on top of that for delivery and haul away of the old fridge but we get the 75 back so that is alright. Our old fridge was a smaller sized fridge and now we have this big one and we just don't know what to do with all the space. It is GREAT! We have been so busy though we still have not had a chance to get groceries and fill it up with tasty goodness. Hopefully we will do that this weekend. So far Kenny Kenmore is enjoying his time in our kitchen. And we are excited to have a big person fridge.
We also bought a new microwave the other night because I am a genius and broke the old one. Basically we were making a frozen pizza in the oven and I set the timer on the microwave for 23 minutes. Only thing is I didn't set the timer I actually turned the microwave on and didn't notice for 18 minutes. So it no longer worked after I basically forced it to cook it's own motor. ha ha! But now we have a pretty red one named Emmy Emerson.So there you have it. See my life IS exciting. Don't be jealous!!

Support and Accountability

2009-04-09T07:15:00.004-07:00

I had an interesting conversation with a friend the other day about weight loss and how it can change a person. A comment had been made that a lot of people change so much through the process that it is hard to know who they are anymore and some people struggle to identify with a person they have known their entire life. After our conversation I spent some time thinking about what we had talked about and wondered about my own weight loss and how it would affect those in my life when all is said and done.

I think for people who have been overweight their entire lives I can definitely see how people would struggle to relate to them after they lose a lot of weight. If your in your 30's and and have never known what it is like to be slim and healthy then there is a good chance no one ever got to see the real you because you spent your life hiding behind your weight and your insecurities. You had a lifetime of hurt and disappointment because lets face it people aren't always nice to fat people. I think it is important for the friends and family of the overweight person to support them through the whole process and even if they seem different after they have lost their weight get to know them all over again. Chances are that you will be seeing who they really are after all those years trapped in their own body. I think in the end it can only be a good thing.

For people like me who have not always been overweight I think it is different. Most of the people in my life have known the slimmer and more confident and outgoing person I used to be. Even now when I am in my comfort zone with friends or family that confident side shows a little bit. I have definitely become a little more guarded since I have been overweight and some might assume my shyness has a lot to do with my weight as well. But the reality is that I am terribly shy and have been my whole life. My hope is that WHEN ( not if) I get all this weight off people will see who I was before the weight and realize I am still that person. Hopefully it will just be with a lot more confidence and a lot more happiness.

I think the important thing is whether you know someone who has been overweight their entire life or just part of it you need to support them no matter what. Support and encouragement goes a long long way in this. Weight loss is a struggle on so many different levels and the more people
you have pushing you and encouraging you and holding you accountable the better.

As I was looking for a picture to post with this I came across this one below. HA HA! I guess I am overweight so I am allowed to laugh at this one. he he!

Wednesday Musings

2009-04-08T07:33:00.005-07:00

I really don't have anything super exciting to talk about but I figure if I don't start writing on this blog with some consistency my readers who are still around will eventually leave for good. And since we don't want that I thought I would ramble this morning. About what I am not really sure but I am sure I will come up with something entertaining.Oh, I know. In the winter when the sidewalks are covered in snow and all the LAME people in Boston don't shovel the sidewalks in front of their house's dog poop collects in the snow. I get that because sometimes when Belle poops in the snow and it sinks all the way to the bottom it is hard to find it. The sucky part of this is that when spring hits and all the snow melts there is POOP everywhere on the sidewalk. It is sort of really gross. Now, if all the LAME people from Boston would just shovel the sidewalks in front of their houses like normal people in other cities usually do this would not be a problem. But alas they do not so therefore there will always be poopy sidewalks in the spring.

The other day when I was at the gym on the treadmill there was a rather large (and by large I mean muscular) man on the treadmill two over for me. He started running and all was good, I had my ipod on and I was just happily and very briskly walking singing in my head when all of a sudden I hear this LOUD breathing. It was almost like someone on a ventilator pumping to keep them alive. Well at least they are loud like that on TV. Anyways there he was running full speed ahead and breathing louder than a radiator in heat during a winter storm. I realize that made NO sense but I left it there anyways for comedic and dramatic effect. Just try to picture what that would sound like if it in any way made any sense whatsoever. He clearly didn't seem to care because he just kept on running and breathing like a wild elephant with a sinus cold. Or maybe he didn't even realize because he was in the zone. All I know is even with turning my ipod up all most all the way I could STILL hear him.

Looks like another gloomy day out in Boston today. As long as the rain stays away for my dog walks this afternoon I will be happy. Then it will be off to the gym and then home for supper and LOST! Hooray!

Working Out

2009-04-05T09:57:00.002-07:00

Chris and I joined the gym the other day. I have lost weight in the past without the use of a gym but this time around I figured if it is another tool that will help me reach my goals and be healthier then why not. I also liked the idea of Chris and I being able to work out together and push each other every day.

The last time I worked out in a gym was back in the day when I weighed 125 pounds and was in good shape. Going to the gym for the first time recently was really hard for me. Not because I hate to exercise, that I actually like. But because I was so insecure and so worried about everyone watching the fat chick. After we got there though I quickly realized that pretty much everyone there could care less about what I was doing. It didn't take me long to forget about everyone else and just worry about me. I am sure I will feel intimidated for a little while till I settle into my routines and start feeling a little more confident in myself.

Prepare yourself folks cause this fat chick is on the way out. Be prepared for a much skinnier and most likely happier Evey.

We are going to Myrtle Beach in August and I am determined not too look like a beached whale in my bathing suit like I am sure I did last summer. Beach body in the works, stay tuned to see how it turns out :)

Spring Has Definitely Arrived

2009-03-30T08:31:00.004-07:00

As much as I love winter and all the snow that comes with it I also love springtime. I love when each day gets a little warmer, the birds are out singing at the top of their lungs in the morning and all the flowers start to bloom and the trees and grass turn green. The weather this year has been a little unpredictable though. Just when you think it is warming up it snows the next day. However this time I am positive spring is here for good. It has been raining off and on since Saturday and yesterday I heard thunder. Thunder has to mean it is here to stay right? RIGHT!?

Cuteness!!

2009-03-27T10:28:00.003-07:00

I did not have the blinds open very far the other day but right on this little ottoman there was just enough shining right onto it. We bought this ottoman for Belle so she could sit and look out the window. Well on this day she curled up in a little ball on it and laid there for hours in the sun. Too cute!

TGIF!!

2009-03-27T07:53:00.002-07:00

I thought this week would never end. Yet here I am on Friday and SO happy about it.

I am excited for American Idol tonight. Chris and I go to a friends on Fridays and have dinner and watch that weeks episodes. So I am looking forward to that. I think tomorrow we are going to hit up the YMCA and join. We both (more me) need to start going to the gym on a regular basis and be more committed to losing weight and being healthier. They have a family membership there that is not even 60 bucks a month. Not a bad deal for both of us to be able to go to the gym. Hopefully the weather is nice and the rain stays away on Saturday and Sunday so we can take Belle and Madison for a hike. Madison is our friends dog and we are taking care of her this weekend.

Chris and I are desperate to find a new church. Somewhere that we will feel connected to and at home. I am hoping to try out a new church this Sunday so wish us luck.

Hope everyone has a great weekend.

Yep, I'm Five

2009-03-23T07:10:00.003-07:00

I have a habit of spilling things. Mostly on myself but sometimes I tend to spill my drinks. Last night I went out to dinner to Uno's with some friends and almost as soon as I sat down I spilled my whole glass of diet coke all over the floor. When the waiter brought me a new drink I was thrilled to have him bring me one of those kid cups with a lid. And I am not being sarcastic, I was actually really excited about it. Don't be jealous!

So I'm Thinkin....

2009-03-20T13:47:00.003-07:00

Is it August 22nd yet?

A Love Letter From Evey

2009-03-14T23:10:00.002-07:00

Dear Cadbury Mini Eggs,

I really love you. I love you more than I know how to put into words. I love you so much in fact I could eat a giant bag of you until I went into a sugar coma. And even then I would still want more. I am convinced now more than ever that you are an evil evil thing sent straight from the fiery depths of Hades. I thank God everyday that your tasty and delectable goodness is only available to me this time of year. Why oh why do you have to be so delicious? Why could you not just be sort of good? Why do you have to make my mouth water at the thought of you? Mini Eggs, I love you so much it hurts sometimes in my belly. I might just need to find a way to say goodbye. To let you roam free to the belly's of others. There are many other belly's out there for you to fill. But know this Mini Eggs, if indeed I do say goodbye, wherever you are I will always love you.

Yours forever,

Evey

Josh Hamilton

2009-03-12T05:54:00.003-07:00

Drafted in 1999 by Tampa Bay. Josh Hamilton had realized his dream. But only a few short years later his career was derailed by drugs. Josh is now back in baseball and is probably one of the most talented players out there. His life is on track and he is a living example of hope and of God's grace. Check out his testimony on the website I Am Second.

http://www.iamsecond.com/#/seconds/Josh_Hamilton/

Sweet!

2009-03-12T05:41:00.003-07:00

For those of you who haven't heard about the Koala rescued during Australia's wildfires you need to check out this video. SO CUTE! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8lLg-0u3ARc

What Season Is It?

2009-03-11T07:22:00.003-07:00

The weather is just teasing me now. Last week we had beautiful weather then all of a sudden it snowed and was cold again. This weekend it was 60 degrees and beautiful outside then SNOW! I mean really? As most of you know I am a crazy person and I love winter. But lately I have definitely been ready for spring to arrive. I get excited when it warms up but then my dreams are crushed when it starts snowing again. I woke up this morning to rain so I figured that HAS to be a good sign right? Better remember my umbrella and my wellies today.

2009-02-24T16:31:00.004-08:00

I am pretty sure this is what my dog thinks EVERY day!
I also think this is what Belle was thinking this past Christmas...
And I have the pictures to prove it...
My new favorite website....http://ihasahotdog.com/ Click and enjoy!!

2009-02-24T16:02:00.002-08:00

As I was walking down the street today I suddenly realized that it is going to be spring soon. Which is totally crazy if you ask me. It seems like just the other day I was waiting and hoping it would snow on Christmas. And now here we are in late February.

Chris and I have some trips planned for this year that we are hoping to get organized soon. We will be taking a trip to Edmonton at some point in the near future. I have not seen my family for SO long and am excited to go home for a week or two. We would like to take another trip down to Myrtle Beach. We really loved it there and can't wait to go back. That would be sometime in the summer. We also would like to make a trip out to Seattle and spend some time with family and friends there. Then in November for Thanksgiving (American Thanksgiving) we will be heading to Southern California for a week. Chris's sister and husband live in Irvine (south of L.A) so we will be staying with them. Chris's bro and family and his parents will also be there but staying at a Timeshare near Disneyland. I am so excited to go to Disneyland again. This time though we are definitely planning on going down to San Diego to Sea World and stuff. YAY!

Not much else going on around here. Same old boring stuff. Working, watching hockey, drinking wine. We know how to live it up ;)

Randomness

2009-02-04T08:03:00.002-08:00

We have recently discovered that Belle likes to graze on snow the way a cow would do so on grass. It is actually really funny and we found ourselves wondering last night if dogs can get brain freeze?

With the economy in the crapper and Starbucks continuing to lay people off it has us a little concerned with Chris's future with the company. We have spent 4 years in Boston to build towards something and now feel that might not happen. That is really frustrating.

Did anyone watch Chuck in 3D the other night? It wasn't all that great. The episode itself was great as usual but the 3D aspect of it was sorta lame. Maybe it was just the glasses we had, who knows.

I am addicted to facebook. There I said it. Now I can sleep at night knowing I have been honest about it!

Oh on facebook I did a list of 25 random things about me. So here it is for those of you who aren't on facebook.

1. I love brussel sprouts. Weird I know, but I really do. At my 16th birthday party my friend Lori and I had brussel sprouts with cheese sauce, my mum thought we were crazy.

2. I have a phobia of people hiding behind shower curtains. Every time I go to the bathroom at home or at other peoples houses I ALWAYS check behind the curtain just in case.

3. I play the cornet (or trumpet) and have since I was 7 years old. Yes I am a band geek and I totally love it. I don't play as much as I used to and I really miss it. It is one of the few things I am truly passionate about.

4. Most people think I am Canadian but I was really born in Scotland. We moved to Canada when I was three. I never became a Canadian citizen although I am def a Canadian at heart.

5. I have lived in Boston, MA for over 4 years. I don't like it here at all.

6. I love hockey and the Edmonton Oilers so much that I sometimes plan my weekend around games. Sad I know.

7. I have been fortunate to have more than one best friend in my life. Lori, Tania, Tammy, Evette and Georgette are all really important to me. They all hold really special places in my heart and I would be lost without them.

8. I am terrified of flying. I cry every time and don't sleep for almost the whole week before because all I can do is think of all the things I am convinced will go wrong.

9. I used to brag about the fact I had never broken a bone. Then came Winter Weekend at Pine Lake when Ange and I went tubing and made it a few feet, hit a patch of grass, went flying and she landed on my wrist which ended up breaking in three places. It was AWESOME! Remember Ange?

10. A year ago I fell out of a bus and severely sprained my ankle. It was really embarrassing since the bus was full of high school students. Stop laughing, it sucked!

11. I use to hate wine. Then I met Chris's grandma and she pretty much got me drunk on wine the first night I met her and there was no turning back.

12. I love the feeling of being comfortable in silence with a friend. I think it speaks volumes about your connection.

13. I love to write and I want to write a book someday.

14. Even though we aren't ready to have kids, Chris and I have had our kids names picked out for years.

15. I have grown to love the United States. It has its flaws but it has become my home and I will be proud to raise little Americans.

16. I am a dog walker

17. I am planning on going back to school to become a Veterinary Technician. For those of you who don't know what that is it is basically a registered nurse for animals.

18. I have to have water by the bed at night. Even if I don't drink it I need to know it's there just in case.

19. I really really really love chips and salsa from Chili's and love to share them with my person Georgette.

20. I am currently on a journey to try and become healthy again and lose 93 more pounds. If I reach my goal my total weight loss from my highest weight will be 118 pounds.

21. Chris and I both want kids one day but for now love the life we have just the two of us and of course our dog Belle.

22. I want to live in Colorado. It reminds me a lot of home.

23. Going for coffee is one of my favorite things to do.

24. I love getting mail from friends, it makes me smile.

25. I love road trips. I could get in a car and just drive with no destination.

Year in Review

2009-01-20T23:03:00.000-08:00

Like a lot of people I had planned on posting about 2008 shortly before we entered 2009. Clearly that did not happen. Mostly because I am a sucky blogger and clearly forget about this thing for weeks at a time. But as they say (whoever THEY are) it is better late than never. So here we go...

2008 began with us in Seattle winding down an 18 day Christmas vacation. We rang in the new year with 2 of our closest friends Shawn and Celeste. A few days later I celebrated my 30th birthday. It was nothing exciting. The world didn't end. I realized that as much as people hype up turning 30 it was really just a regular old birthday.

This year my dad was diagnosed with early stage prostate cancer. Cancer has already taken so much from me and my family so I am happy to report that my dad is winning his battle.

In July Chris and I got to welcome not one but TWO new nephews. My brother and his wife welcomed Caelan Ethan Floyd on July 5th and Chris's brother and wife welcomed Avery Richard McClees also on July 5th. We have yet to meet either of them but can't wait till we finally get to hold and love on them.

In August Chris and I had a weeks holiday down in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. It was amazing. We golfed, sat on the beach, ate great food and most of all relaxed. It was a much needed trip for both of us.

In September we celebrated our 4th wedding anniversary with an amazing dinner at The Melting Pot. It was so much fun and I highly recommend it. It is a little on the pricey side but totally worth it. The chocolate fondue for dessert was to die for.

In October I escaped to Philadelphia for the weekend with my girlfriend Georgette. We stayed with her sister and had a great time. We even got stuck in NJ for 24 hours after her car started acting up on the way home. It was a great time for both of us to recharge and have a couple days to just relax and not worry about the real world back home in Boston. This year has brought a lot of ups and downs, healing and forgiveness in our friendship and I am thankful to have her in my life.

We were shocked to find Chris's parents literally outside our house on Halloween. It was a wonderful surprise and we enjoyed a great weekend with them. Chris's sister and husband also showed up on our doorstep November 2nd which was Chris's birthday. I knew they were coming but he did not. It was great to have them all here to celebrate his birthday. We had a fabulous time with all 4 of them and thoroughly enjoyed showing them around Boston.

Christmas was quiet this year. Just me Chris and Belle. I would be lying if I said I wasn't homesick for both Edmonton and Seattle but at the same time it was nice to just be here with each other.

So there you have it. Those are the highlights. 2008 was not the greatest year for me on a personal level. I have struggled with a lot of things, my weight being one of the biggest issues. I am tired of being overweight and tired of not feeling like myself. I am tired of feeling like I am hiding behind all this extra weight and letting it hold me back from things I want to be doing. I have been homesick a lot this past year, probably more than the previous 3 years we have been in Boston. I miss both of our families and my friends back home in Seattle and Edmonton. I just have to keep telling myself that there is a reason we are here.

I am determined to make 2009 a year worth remembering. I want to look back on 2009 and be proud of what I accomplished and be happy with where I am at in my life. Which brings me to my resolutions for this year.

-First and foremost I want to lose weight and finally reach my goal and be back to my healthy weight. I want to feel confident again and find the happy person I used to be which I know is hiding under all this extra weight.

-I want to go back to school and have at least started before this year is up. That is all I am going to say about that because I don't want to say something is going to happen for sure and then it doesn't for whatever reason.

-I want to be a better friend. To be more supportive, to listen better, to say I love you more often. I have learned a lot about friendship this past year and what it really means to me on a personal level.

-Learn to play the guitar. This is something I have always wanted to do and have just never got around to it. THIS will be the year.

Those are the three main ones. The ones that are the most important to me. You don't want to hear about all the trivial stuff like how I want to walk my dog more, read more, drink less caffeine etc...

What are some of your resolutions?

The Interview

2009-01-08T20:05:00.008-08:00

Questions by Courtney from Five Second Dance Party

(1) Who is your all-time Seahawk player and what does/did make him so great?

#84 Bobby Engram. Bobby is a wide receiver who has been in the NFL for 13 seasons, 8 of those with Seattle. He is one of those guys you don't hear a lot about around the league. He quietly does his job and is really good at it. Last year when we had injuries he stepped up and had the best year of his career with 1147 receiving yards and 6 touchdowns. He is not the guy you throw the ball to every time but he is the guy who comes up with the big play and catch when you need him the most. The stars an sports teams have never been my favorite. For me it has always been about the heart and soul guys, the ones who are gritty and gut it out the whole game. Now if only the Seahawks resign him this off season I will be a happy girl.
(2) If you could pick one day in your life since your mom passed away and have her there to enjoy it with you - which day would it be?
This is a tough one. There have been more than a few that I would have given anything to have had her with me on. So I will give you a two part answer, one day that has already occurred and one that is yet to happen. I think the one that stands out the most for me is the day Chris and I got engaged. She was the first person I thought of and in that moment the only person I wanted so badly to share it with. The other one will be when I have my first baby. It will be really hard for me to go through that experience without her and to not have her there with me to share it. Just thinking about it makes me cry. I know you can fully understand that one having recently experienced it yourself.

(3) If you're in a hurry and need to grab a bite to eat real quick, what are you most likely to eat?

If I am at home and running out the door it is likely to be something I can take with me like a 100 calorie pack or an apple. If I am already out somewhere it would most likely be a burrito from my favorite burrito joint here in Boston. Anna's Taqueria. I am hungry now just thinking about it, thanks Courtney!

(4) How do you think you would react if the plane you were flying on was hijacked? Would you freeze or act? Since I am completely terrified of airplanes I imagine I would be in a corner with my knees tucked up under my chin, rocking back and forth and sobbing like a baby. Before I fly on a plane I don't sleep for weeks because my mind is running wild with thoughts of all that could go wrong. What if an engine goes out? What if we lose cabin pressure? What if the pilot passes out? What if the landing gears or brakes fail? What if we get hit by lightning? Then as I am waiting to board my plane I will size up all of the other passengers and try and figure out which one is most likely to hijack the plane. All these thoughts go through my head that by the time I reach my seat on the plane I am in almost full blown panic mode. So while I would love to say I would act I am afraid I would be so paralyzed with fear that I would not be able to do anything.

(5) What would be the most difficult to live without: your computer or your TV? Why?

Computer by far. While I love my TV most of what I watch on there is available online anyways. At least with my computer I would still have a connection to all my friends and family and be able to watch all my TV shows. I would def miss those days of laying on the couch being lazy and flipping through the channels but I would be so much more lost without my computer.

Want to play along?

1. Leave me a comment saying, “Interview me.”

2. I will respond by emailing you five questions. I get to pick the questions.

3. You will update your blog with the answers to the questions.

4. You will include this explanation and an offer to interview someone else in the same post.

5. When others comment asking to be interviewed, you will ask them five questions.

My Birthday Toast

2009-01-08T19:59:00.002-08:00

I was not present but I am sure happy they did it anyways. Jan 3 was my birthday and also the day Chris's moms side of the family had their annual Christmas gathering. We obviously could not be there since we live ALL the way in Boston, but they toasted me anyways and drank champagne in my honor. Glad I gave them a reason to toast and drink some yummy champagne. How could you not love all those crazy faces? Thanks to all of you for making my day and putting a huge smile on my face.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

2009-01-02T09:20:00.008-08:00

Apparently we thought it would be fun this year to put tinsel on Belle and as well as antlers and Santa hats. Somehow I don't think she shared the same enthusiasm as we did for any of those things. Regardless she is really cute so I am sharing the photos with you anyways as much as I am sure she would protest.We finally got snow about a week before Christmas. I was very very excited. However that excitement faded fast when it warmed up in the days leading up to Christmas and most of it was melted by Christmas morning and what was left was all brown and dirty. BOOOO!!Chris and I stayed home in Boston for Christmas this year. It was nice just the two of us but at the same time I was homesick for both Edmonton and Seattle. It is hard sometimes living so far away. We doggie sat for my girlfriend Georgette so we had her dog Madison for an entire week. Aside from her fur that she leaves all over my house we really love Madison a lot. Christmas day we opened presents, had a great breakfast, watched movies, played games, cooked a turkey with all the trimmings. It was relaxing and perhaps just what I needed. We were going to go to a movie that night but it was PACKED and our showing was sold out. The picture above is my amazing drawing of Chris's main gift from me, new roller hockey skates. Dicks sporting goods screwed up and so they were not here Christmas morning so I drew that picture for him. Don't be jealous of my amazing art work. New Years eve was very uneventful. That was our dinner, a really yummy BBQ chicken pizza from our new fav pizza place. We watched tv, drank champagne and watched the Oilers and Avs both lose. HOORAY!
That's right folks, 8.99!! That's how we roll.

2008-12-29T08:30:00.003-08:00

I have become one of those bloggers that I hate. You know the kind, the ones who blog like once a month with a quick little update of what is going on and that's it. LAME! I used to have so much to say, I am not sure what has happened.

Anyways...

I am still trying to figure out how Christmas has come and gone already. It will be 2009 in like 3 days and my 31st birthday is less than a week away. How did that happen? Where did the last 30 years go?

I suppose I do have a lot to say about a lot of random stuff, especially at this time of year. So I guess keep checking back in the coming days for ramblings about stuff you could probably care less about ;)

Hope everyone is having a wonderful holiday season!

Happy Birthday Mum!

2008-12-16T09:50:00.008-08:00

My mum would have been 62 today! It is crazy to think how quickly and yet how slow at the same time it seems the last 12 years have passed. She passed away just 3 1/2 weeks before her 50th birthday.

I miss her! Her birthday it seems is the day I miss and think of her the most. It is a constant reminder every year that she is not here to celebrate with. Each year her birthday is a time for me to reflect on my own life the past 12 years. All the ups and downs and all the mistakes and all the joys I have experienced. I wonder what she would think, what she would say. What she would think of where I have been and the person I am today. It is hard sometimes, I think no matter how old you are you always need your mum. I miss that connection. I miss the everyday stuff. A phone call, a cup of coffee, a hug, the little inside jokes.

I wish she could have met Chris. I know she would have loved him and been so happy I found someone who loves me as much as he does. I wish she could have lived long enough to be a grandma. My brother has 3 healthy happy boys (10, 6, 6 months) that I know she would have loved them and spoiled them rotten. I just know they would have adored her. When Chris and I eventually have our own kids I am determined to make sure they grow up knowing who she was and how blessed we all were to have her in our lives even if it was for a shorter time than any of us would have liked.

Sometimes I struggle with understanding life. Why things happen the way they do and the reasoning behind it all. But at the end of the day some things just aren't for us to understand. As hard as it is sometimes to accept, God has a greater plan for all of us. If anyone taught me about faith and trusting God no matter what, it was her. She was a living example of what true faith really is. She loved and served her God with a passionate and content heart right up until the day she died. I honestly struggle with it sometimes but I always have her voice in the back of mind reminding me of what is important.

At her funeral we played a song called See You in Heaven by a christian rock band called Guardian.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RwAQUHeA9vU

( I realize the video quality is bad and the bands hair is AWESOME, but you get the idea)

It's hard to say goodbye, my friend

But this waiting can last forever

Sooner or later the sun must set

Ending this time together

I wish that I had one more chance

To spend another day with you

And even though I know I can't

I'll see you in Heaven

CHORUS:

The only thing that hurts more than losing you

Are all of the years, living without you

I wanna run back to you

And show you the life I've lived without you

Cause living without you is the only thing that hurts more than you

I see a picture of a little child

Standing alone, wondering where you are

I can't believe how this child has grown

Living this life, Sometimes so alone

Wishing I had one more chance

To have you hold me once again

Now even though I know you can't

You'll hold me in Heaven

CHORUS:

The only thing that hurts more than losing you
Are all of the years, living without you
I wanna run back to you
And show you the life I've lived without you
Cause living without you is the only thing that hurts more than you

I've let so many years of life go by

Thinking it's all worked out

Now I realize I do know how

To say that it's over

And let you go for now

Still I wish that I had one more chance

To say I love you one more time

And even though I know I can't

I'll say it in Heaven

We all miss her a lot. But thank God we have that promise of being together again one day. I know she is in a much better place but it doesn't make missing her any easier.

Happy birthday Mum! I miss you everyday. We all love you more than we could ever put into words. You truly were a blessing to everyone who was honored to have known you. Thank you for sharing 19 amazing years with me!!

Mad Libs

2008-12-15T10:34:00.005-08:00

Dear Georgette ,

I don't really know how to tell you this, but I dislike your eyelashes. I think I realized it that night you picked your nose outside of your office and sit on your ‘My Little Pony’ collection. I'm sure you're high enough to understand that I get turned on only by garbage men. I'm returning your nose hair clippers to you, but I'll keep your credit cards as a memory. You should also know that I get sick when I think of your feet and you should stop picking your nose.

Warm tingly sensations,

Evey

My sister in law Alicia posted this on her blog so I thought I would join in on the fun. Now it's your turn. Here are the directions...

Dear (someone),I don't really know how to tell you this, but (1). I think I realized it (2)(3) and (4)(5).I'm sure you're (6) enough to understand (7). I'm returning (8) to you, but I'll keep (9) as a memory.You should also know that I (10) and (11).(12),(Your name).

1) What's the color of your shirt?
Blue - I'm in love with your dog
Red - Our affair is over
White - I’m joining the ConventBlack -Our romance is over
Green- Our socks don't match
Grey - You're a leprechaun
Yellow - I'm selling myself for candy
Pink - Your nostrils are insulting
Brown - The mafia wants you
No shirt - You're mean
Other -I dislike your eyelashes

2) Which is your birth month?
January - That night you picked your nose
February -When you smacked my ass
March - When your dwarf bit me
April - When I tripped on peanut butter
May - When I threw up in your sock drawer
June - when i quoted forest gump
July – when you put cuffs on me
August - When I saw the purple monkey
September - Last year when you peed your pants
October - When we skinny dipped in the bathtub
November - When your dog humped my leg
December - When u finally changed ur underwear

3) Which food do you prefer?
Tacos - In your apartment
Lasagna- In your car
Pasta - Outside of your office
Hamburgers - Under the bus
Salad – As you were eating Kraft Dinner
Chicken - In your closet
Kebab - With Jean Chrétien
Fish - In a clown suit
Sandwiches - At the Elton John concert
Pizza - At the mental hospital
Hot dog - Under a street light
Annat- With George Bush and Stephen Harper

4) What's the color of your socks?
Yellow - Ignore
Red - Carve your initials into
Black - Hit on
Blue - Knock out
Purple - Pour syrup on
White - Put whipped cream on
Grey - Pull the clothes off
Brown - bit of
Orange - Castrate
Pink - Pull the pants off of
Barefoot - Sit on
Other - Drive over

5) What's the color of your underwear?
Black - My boyfriend
White - My father
Grey – The Catholic Priest
Brown – The Montreal Canadian’s goalie
Purple - My corned beef hash
Red – My knee caps
Blue - My salt-beef bucket
Yellow - My illegitimate child in Ghana
Orange - My Blink 182 cd
Pink – Your ‘My Little Pony’ collection
None – My prized statue of Michael Jackson in the nude
Other --The elephant in the corner

6) What do you prefer to watch on TV?
One Tree Hill - Senile
Heroes- Frostbitten
Lost - High
Simpsons- Cowardly
The news - Scarred
American Idol - vexed
Family Guy - Open
Top Model - Middle-class
Other - Slutty

7) Your mood right now?
Happy - How awful you are
Sad - How boring you are
Bored - That I get turned on only by garbage men
Angry - That your smell makes me vomit
Depressed – That we’re related
Excited - That I may pee my pants
Nervous - The middle-east is planning their revenge on you
Worried - That your Ford sucks
Apathetic - That you need a sex-change
Ashamed - That I'm allergic to your earlobes
Cuddly - That Santa doesn't exist
Silly - That there is no solution to you being a dumb kid
Other - That your driving sucks

8) What's the color of your walls in your bedroom?
White - Your toe ring
Yellow - The cut toenails
Red - Your Hannah Montanna underwear
Black - Your pet rock
Blue - The couch cushions
Green - Your car
Orange - Your false teeth
Brown - Your nose hair clippers
Grey - Our matching snoopy underwear
Purple - Your old New Kids on the Block blanket
Pink(ish) - Your love letters to me
Other - The pictures from Vegas

9) The first letter of your first name?
A/B - Your collection of butterflies
C/D - Your photo with the mustache drawn on it
E/F - Your neighbor dog
G/H - The oil tank from your car
I/J - Your left ear
K/L - The results of that blood-sample
M/N - your virginity
O/P - My common sense
Q/R - Your mom
S/T - Your glass eye
U/V - Your criminal record
W/X – Your sucide note
Y/Z - Your credit cards

10) The last letter in your last name?

A/B - Haven’t showered in a month
C/D - Always will remember the pep talks
E/F - i hate your cooking
G/H – am better off without you
I/J – Mocked you behind your back constantly
K/L - Will tell the authorities that you did not steal that whale in the back yard
M/N - Told in my confession today about the moose poaching
O/P - Was interviewed about the car you stole
Q/R - Always wanted to break your legs
S/T - Get sick when I think of your feet
U/V - Will try to forget that you broke my heart
W/X- I told my psychiatrist about the bruises
Y/Z-bought tampons from winn dixie

11) What do you prefer to drink?
Wine- Our friendship is ruined
Soft drink – I’m off to lead a new life as a lemon
Soda – I will haunt you when I’m reincarnated as an Eskimo
Milk - The apartment building is on fire
Water – You should get that embarrassing rash checked
Cider– I have a passionate interest for mice
Juice – You ruined my attempts at another world war
Mineral water – I'm scratching my butt as you read this
Hot chocolate – Your Cucumber-fetishism Is Weird
Whiskey - I love Oprah Winfrey
Beer – you should stop picking your nose
Other – Thanks for the Cocaine

12) To which country would you prefer to go on a vacation?
Italy - Warm tingly sensations
Australia - Best of luck on the sex change
France - Love always
Spain - With tears of sadness
China – You make me sick
Germany – Please don’t hurt me
Japan - Go milk a cow
Greece - Your everlasting enemy
USA - Greetings to your frog Leonard
Egypt – Kiss my butt
England - Go drown yourself about the bruise

Photo Fun

2008-12-14T20:51:00.003-08:00

Photo fun! I saw this on my friend Becca's blog Joyfully Hand-Picked.

Here's the rules:

1) Choose the 4th folder where you store your pictures on your computer

2) Select the 4th picture in the folder

3) Explain the picture

4) Tag 4 people to do the sameNO CHEATING! (cropping, editing, etc!)

This picture was taken on August 6, 2007. We were headed to Baltimore, Maryland and Washington D.C for a week to take in some baseball games and see all the sites in D.C. I took this pic at some point on our drive down there and clearly Chris was REALLY happy about it.

I tag...

Jodi, Andrea, Kirsten, Tammy

CUTEST DOG EVER!!

2008-12-09T11:44:00.003-08:00

Linda, my mother in law took this pic above of Belle while they were here visiting back in November. LOVE IT! And while we are at it, here are a couple more....

Halloween Surprise

2008-12-09T07:21:00.000-08:00

Chris and I decided to stay home on Halloween this year. I was sick and s we figured it just better to stay home. We also decided not to hand out candy so we were sure to close the blinds and leave most of the lights off so the little trick or treaters wouldn't bother us. Little did we know... Around 9:30PM I decided to take some Tylenol PM and go to bed. Not long after I got into bed I received a text from Chris's mom asking if we had any trick or treaters. I sent her a text back saying no that we were in the dark and that I had gone to bed since I wasn't feeling well. A few minutes later my phone rang and as I fumbled with my phone to answer it I accidentally hit the ignore call button. Then Chris's phone started to ring so he answered it. His mom told him to go look outside at his work van so he did. Much to his surprise there was his parents standing in front of his van with wigs and masks on waving to him. He comes in the bedroom and says "Evey my parents are here!" As I tried to gather my thoughts which were now foggy due to the Tylenol PM I had taken I replied in this order...

"do they want to come in?"
"oh my gosh our house is such a mess"
"i don't have a bra on"

LOL! Chris says to me "I'm pretty sure they want to come in."

What a great surprise. They had originally planned to just come "trick or treating" at our door but had the wrong house number. They thought we were 22 and there was no 22 (at least no number on a house) and so they wandered up and down the street looking for 22. Can you just imagine what my neighbors must have thought about these two crazy people wandering the streets with these silly masks!?

So Chris's birthday was on the 2nd and a few months back his sister Alicia had called me about her and Paul coming here for a few days as a surprise for Chris's birthday since they were going to be out east for a wedding anyways. So Chris's parents thought it would be fun to come out as well and surprise Chris and Alicia since they didn't tell Alicia they were coming. SO I had to not only keep Alicia and Paul a secret from Chris, I had to make sure they didn't know Chris's parents were here. It was hard for me to keep it all quite, I almost slipped a few times.

On Saturday we took Chris's parents for a drive up north a bit to try and find a good spot for some nice fall pictures. We found a great area up in Andover and got some great pictures.Afterwards we took them for dinner to one of our favorite restaurants The British Beer Company.

Sunday we took them to Harvard Square and then to the Bunker Hill Monument. We headed back to our place since Paul and Alicia would be arriving soon. Paul and Alicia showed up around 4pm and we had Chris answer the door and he was very surprised. Then PandA were surprised to find John and Linda in our kitchen. Fun times!

We had plans that night to meet friends at the Sail Loft on the waterfront in the north end for Chris's birthday. There was 13 of us and it was really nice for Chris to have his parents and PandA there. Monday we went into the city and did the Duck Boat Tour. It was fun because we were the only ones on our boat. It was a little chilly and was the second time Chris and I had been on the tour. It was fun though and we got some great pictures. We spent some time shopping and had lunch at Faneuil Hall. Chris's parents had to head to the airport around 4 pm. Once they were off we stayed in the city with PandA. We walked around Boston Common and took them to Cheers to get a couple of pictures. Chris had a softball game that night so we headed home and Chris and Paul went to the game and Alicia and I stayed home and just hung out and watched TV.Tuesday was PandA's last day here so we thought we would take them over to Martha's Vineyard for a little change of pace. I have only been once before but I totally loved it. It is really pretty and lots of cute shops and restaurants etc. We thought it would be a great idea. Well it WAS a great idea till we got over there and found out the almost everything was closed for the season. Suckage! Oh well. We made the best of it.

Thanks to all 4 of you for an awesome 6 days. We had a great time and Chris had a great birthday weekend. We love you guys!

Philly or Bust

2008-11-11T06:22:00.000-08:00

A few weeks ago I went to Philadelphia for the weekend with my girlfriend Georgette to visit her sister Diane. We both needed a break from life in general so we left the husbands and dogs at home and away we went.

We left on a Friday around 5pm, traffic wasn't the greatest getting out of Massachusetts but for a Friday it wasn't all that bad. We of course had to stop and have a super healthy supper at McDonald's. Nothing like a little greasy burger action to rot in your stomach and kick the weekend off with a bang.

Unfortunately for Georgette, she had a really bad cold and was not feeling well at all. Every minute or so while we were driving down the highway at 80 miles per hour she would steer with her knee so she could blow her nose. Is she talented? Yes! Did I fear for my life from time to time? Yes! But we made it to Philly in one piece but not before I breathed in her germs which I just knew was not going to end well for me.

On Saturday we drove an hour or so with her sister and brother in law to a buffet out in Amish country. Shady Maple Smorgasbord. All the food is fresh and from local farmers and it was SO good. Totally worth the drive. Apparently there is an area outside the building for the Amish/Mennonites to park their horses and buggies. I suppose it is probably true but I didn't see any so I am sorta convinced they were just messing with me to see if I would believe them. The rest of the day we did a whole lot of nothing at Diane and Brian's house. Which was just what I needed. We played games, watched a movie and TV. Sunday we went into Philly and did some window shopping etc. I somehow managed to not take any pictures which is very odd for me. I am generally VERY camera happy. Oh well.

Around 4 or 5 Georgette and I headed to her car so we could make it home to Boston at a reasonable hour. We both had to work Monday and G was still sick. All was going well until we hit major traffic on the New Jersey Turnpike. For about 45 mins we were going under 10 miles an hour starting and stopping. It really sucked. During this time we could smell something sort of like burning rubber. We couldn't be sure it was G's car though because we were bumper to bumper with so many other cars and big trucks. And New Jersey itself stinks, so it was really hard to tell. Finally at the last exit before the George Washington Bridge we saw smoke and realized it was coming from G's car. Figuring it was overheating we decided to exit, find a gas station and let things cool down. Long story short we were informed we should not drive with the car as is, that we wouldn't make it back to Boston. We ended up taking the car to a shop to be fixed the following morning and were left stuck in stinky New Jersey. In a cab we went to the Holiday Inn for a room that would become our home for the next 24 mind numbing hours.

Her car was supposed to be ready at 5pm the next day but turned out not to be ready till right around 8. They had to replace her clutch. We ended up having to pay for a half day in the hotel just so we had somewhere to hang out. There was nothing around where we were, not even a restaurant we could go kill a couple of hours in. So we spent the day laying around eating crap from the gas station next door and watching mindless shows on MTV and VH1. We also watched What's Eating Gilbert Grape which was a very good movie. Not sure why I had never seen it before. Good times.

Thanks for a fun weekend G even if you did give me your germs and your nasty cold which I am still feeling the effects of. I would post a pic of G and I so you know who I went to Philly with but I am not allowed to post pics of her.

Better Late Than Never

2008-10-16T05:02:00.000-07:00

I have been getting a hard time from some of you about not posting about our recent vacation. SO, just for all you needy people here is a post just for you.

As you may or may not know Chris and I went down to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina the last week of August. My friends sister owns a condo there and she was gracious enough to rent it out to us for the week. Belle got a vacation of her own when she went to stay in the north end with our friends Kristen and Jeremy. She did a lot of this...It worked out well since Jeremy seems to have enjoyed the napping as much as she did. They even held a nap-a-thon!!

We left on a Friday which looking back was probably not the smartest idea in the world considering we got stuck in a lot of traffic going through New York and New Jersey. I would say we probably lost about 4 hours travel time just from traffic. It really sucked. But what is one to do, we had the condo from Saturday to Saturday so we had to leave on Friday.

We drove all day Friday and were tempted to drive all the way through but by around 11pm we were both super tired and figured it would be better to just stop somewhere overnight and drive the rest of the way in the morning. We decided to stop in a place in North Carolina called Rocky Mount. It worked out perfectly because that Saturday Old Navy was having a jeans sale and there just happened to be an Old Navy almost right across from our hotel. It was like fate had led us there. Four pairs of jeans later we were on our way.

Right as you cross the border into South Carolina there is this super ghetto trashy tourist stop called South of the Border. Georgette insisted we stop there, which I will be honest has me a little concerned about her taste ;) Basically any crap you could think of was there. It was really a very odd place. I don't remember exactly what time we finally arrived at the condo which is in Garden City just south of Myrtle Beach. The building itself is right on the water and I couldn't get over how beautiful it was. The views were amazing. I seriously could have stayed there forever. I don't remember the last time I have slept that good. The sound of the ocean at night put me right to sleep. We had a very relaxing time yet managed to pack a whole lot of stuff into 8 days. Chris golfed 3 times and I went with him on one of those days.It was my first time on a real 18 hole golf course and I did really well. I won't tell you my score but believe me I did good for a first timer. Sadly it POURED the entire time we golfed. Although I suppose I should be happy we didn't get hit by the lightning that showed up for a bit and that it was the only day it rained our entire trip. Rain aside I had a lot of fun. This awesome pic of me below is on the 18th hole and as you can probably tell I am soaked from head to toe. Sexy I know!!We also played miniature golf quite a few times while we were there. You have not see mini golf courses until you go down there. It is INSANE, they are on every corner and all HUGE! I will never look at mini golf the same. We ate food, drank beer, went for drives, took a lot of pictures, sat on the beach at night and drank beer while watching people set off their fireworks up and down the beach. We sat on the beach and soaked up a lot of sun, we swam in the ocean and I got a wicked sunburn on my legs. It sucked a lot. You will notice there are no actual pics of us on the beach. That is because there was a strict rule that the camera was not to be present at anytime while I was in a bathing suit. We spent a day at the Ripley's Aquarium. They had a stingray petting area. That was different. I can't even describe what they felt like, slimy doesn't even begin to describe it. I could have spent all day in the tank area where all the fish and sharks were. It was pretty fascinating to watch them allHard Rock opened a theme park in Myrtle Beach this past year. Once Chris found out about it and found out they had a HUGE roller coaster --Led Zeppelin: The Ride-- he could not have been more excited. We arrived there around 10:30 am thinking we would spend 5 hours or so and then head back to the condo. We ended up staying till the fireworks show at 9:30 PM. We had a really fun day. Chris went on the Led Zeppelin roller coaster I think 7 times. I DID NOT go on it any times. I am a big wuss and not afraid to admit it. That thing was big and went upside down A LOT! Not my idea of a good time. I did go on the smaller Eagles roller coaster though and that was super fun. There was rides and shows and lots of food. We ate the most giant turkey legs ever. A lot of the people who worked there were Russian, that was odd. We met the Banana Splits, spent way too much money on souvenirs and had a lot of fun.
We had a really great time. I would have never left had I had the choice. The weather was perfect and Chris and I both needed a vacation. I can't wait to go back.

On thew way home we took a detour through New York City so we could go to the new NHL store in Manhattan. After that it was back to Boston to pick up Belle who I missed VERY much. I think she was sad to leave Jeremy though, he is her buddy

For those of you not on facebook I should have all the pics up on our picture blog by the end of the weekend so keep an eye out.

Sleeping on my feet...

2008-10-08T03:20:00.002-07:00

This is how I feel lately after my switch to mostly decaf. Oh caffeine how I longeth for thee.

2008-10-06T20:44:00.001-07:00

This totally made me laugh so hard today. I don't know why. It just did!

2008-10-02T20:58:00.003-07:00

So I had dinner with a friend tonight. With dinner I had a few beers and a glass of water. Well I did not go to the bathroom before I left and figured I would be good till I got home. So I went and got on the train and was happily on my way. I had to get off downtown to switch to a different train and it is then that I realized the predicament I was in. I had to pee and I had to pee bad. For the first time in my adult life I actually thought I was going to pee my pants and I was horrified. Instead of getting on my other train right away I decided to head up above ground and see if I could find something in the area. As I emerged from the train station I realized most things were closed. It was almost 10 pm after all. So I called Chris who used to work downtown figuring he might be familiar with the area. He knew there was a lot of bars and restaurants not far from where I was so sent me walking towards them. With each step I took I was more and more certain I was going to pee my pants. Finally I came across a Bertucci's and THANK GOD they let me use their bathroom. SWEET RELIEF! I am not sure I have felt that great in a long long long time.

Moral of the story....ALWAYS pee before you leave a restaurant. ESPECIALLY if you have had any beer.

Only 88 pounds to go.....

2008-10-02T06:46:00.002-07:00

So I decided it was time to stop hiding my weight loss ticker at the bottom of my blog. I might as well have it where everyone and anyone can see it. Maybe it will hold me more accountable knowing it is sitting there staring you all in the face every time you come here. We shall see, it's worth a shot, right?

Serenity

2008-10-01T20:58:00.003-07:00

How I wish I could wake up this everyday. It was so peaceful and quiet. The mornings were one of my favorite times when we were in South Carolina. How something that big can be so calm and still amazes me.

Why I am Happy it is October/Fall

2008-10-01T08:59:00.005-07:00

--September is over which means fall is really here

--All the leaves are changing color
--I enjoy being outdoors more now that it isn't hot
--Christmas is right around the corner and I LOVE Christmas
--Starbucks will be using their red holiday cups in no time

But the number one reason I am happy fall is here....

PUMPKIN SPICE LATTES...HOLLA!

Solitude

2008-09-30T20:36:00.003-07:00

I am kinda feeling like this tree these days. It is a weird and crappy feeling. Well not actually feeling LIKE a tree, that would be weird for sure and probably scratchy. But definitely a solitary/lonely vibe going on.

It's weird because I am so used to having a lot of friends around. Back in Seattle and in Edmonton and even Vancouver I always had girlfriends to get together with for coffee or a drink. You know the kind of friend I am talking about. The ones you can just sneak away with for an hour or 2 to catch up and have some much needed girl time. I don't have that here, I never really have and lately it is really bothering me. I don't know why I don't, believe me I have spent a lot of time to try and figure out the answer. Maybe my weight issues have made me a lot more introverted than I used to be. Perhaps that's part of issue. Or maybe people just really actually don't like hanging out with fat people. I talk with all my friends elsewhere on a regular basis and that is great don't get me wrong. But there is something to be said about having people in the place you live that you feel like you can call out of the blue and just talk or go for a walk. It's weird, it's a weird place to be. And if I am being honest I totally hate it.

And yes I suppose I am feeling sorry for myself today. But Andrea told me I am allowed to feel sorry for myself today. She is very wise, in fact she knows all things. Well, at least we let her believe that. That is all....

Random Thoughts

2008-09-29T19:49:00.002-07:00

--Dear Booger Picker,

I realize you had some sort of issue with your nose this morning and I am sorry for that. What I also realize is that there is such things as kleenex, handkerchief your sleeve even if that was all you had. But you decided instead that you would dig to your hearts content with your finger to retrieve that outrageously wrong booger that just needed to be gotten. You did not care that you were surrounded by people who were probably as horrified as I was to see what you were doing. I mean really WHO still picks their nose in public? Not that I am condoning private nose picking, but at least then I don't have to witness it. Thank God my stop arrived so I did not have to witness what you actually may have pulled out with all that hard work.

--Dear MBTA (Massachusetts Bay Transit Authority),

The 80 bazillion year old man driving my bus this morning was a little frightening. I swear we almost crashed 5 times. I suppose I should be grateful for the wake up call since I was still half asleep when I got on the bus.

--Dear stupid stupid dog owners,

I know I have said this before but I will say it again. There is this amazing invention called a PLASTIC BAG. When your precious little Fifi poops use said PLASTIC BAG and pick it up. I am not sure why people bother getting a dog but don't want the responsibility of taking care of it. If you need some tips on picking up the poop you can click HERE and read a previous post I directed at people just like you.

--Dear PETA,

Yes it is me again. You may remember me from my last post about you. Click HERE if you need a reminder. I love ice cream, I love it a lot. I thank God for cows. I love milk and again I thank God for cows. They are DAIRY cows. It is what they do. What else did you think the udders were for? Decoration? I have actually milked a cow before and it certainly was not seeming to give a hoot. So when you pitched the idea to Ben and Jerry of Ben and Jerry fame did you actually think they were going to say okay? What were you thinking they would do? Say yes and hire a factory of women to pump breast milk? It's not okay for cows to be milked but it is for women? Do you realize how much breast milk and how many women it would take to accomplish what you asked? And really, BREAST MILK? MMMMMM breast milk ice cream. Sounds scrumptious!! Again, you people are off the wall...

I think that is it for now. I am sure tomorrow there will be more things I just need to let you know about. I clearly seem to be over my blogging funk because I can't seem to stop blogging these last 4 days. Enjoy it while it lasts I suppose, who knows when it will end again.

Just Because...

2008-09-28T20:02:00.002-07:00

Rainy Days

2008-09-28T17:59:00.003-07:00

It rained ALL weekend. And when I say ALL weekend I really mean it. Therefore we stayed in most of the weekend. Belle has energy coming out of her ears. I suppose I could walk her in the rain but she is a wuss and walking in the rain for her is like torture. So instead she whines to go out and so we get ready to go but then you open the door and she sticks her head out and remembers the rain and back inside she goes. Anyways I got some much needed stuff done around here I have been slacking on. Also rain makes me sleepy so I am going to go to bed now.

An insightful post if there ever was one. But really, who are you to complain. Four days in A ROW now I have blogged, count yourselves lucky ;)

TV Addicts Unite

2008-09-27T20:15:00.005-07:00

Ok, so I wouldn't really call myself an addict. But the technological age we live in allows us the freedom of recording shows on our DVR's and Tivo's and watching them whenever we have time. Ok well maybe I am an addict. But really, who are you all to judge. I know plenty of you are sucked into TV land just as much as I am and some of you are bordering on needing therapy. But I don't judge you, well not too your face anyways.

I always struggle with knowing what new shows to watch. A few reasons perplex me. One being the fact that you just never know what shows will make it. Sadly my heart has been broken oh so many times when a show I had grown to love was cancelled before it even had a chance. Then there is the shows that do make it and you waste your time watching only to realize it SUCKS!

So what am I watching new this TV season you ask?

90210: Yes I realize some of you will mock me for this. But you know what? I really don't care. The original 90210 was an important part of my life for a lot of years. I owe it to the new 90210 to watch it and give it the same chance as the original. Honestly as cheesy as it might be, I like it. Although I have to agree with Kristen those girls need to eat and get some meat on those bones.

Fringe: AWESOME! I love love love this show. It is X-fileish in it's own way. I love the characters, the acting is good and the story lines thus far have been great. I knew I would love this show since it is from the brilliant mind of JJ. Abrams. His track record is pretty darn good...Alias (my fave show ever), Lost and now Fringe.

Returning favorites:

Grey's Anatomy: Chris and I actually just watched the season premiere tonight. I just really love this show. I love that it is a drama but that it is full of one liners that constantly have me laughing. Chris and I laughed so much throughout the episode tonight. I can't seem to look away from this show. What will become of Derrick and Meredith? Will Izzie and Alex end up together? What will happen with Cristina and HOTTIE new guy Kevin McKidd? I look forward to this show all week long and I am SO glad summer is over and it is back.

Lipstick Jungle: My guilty pleasure of the week. I never got into Desperate Housewives. I really don't know why. The premise of the show just never grabbed me enough to want to watch it. But Lipstick Jungle sucked me in from the first preview. You can be sure to find me on Wednesday nights curled up on the couch with a bottle of wine watching it while Chris is off at softball. Now if only I could convince Georgette (HINT HINT) to come over and watch it with me all would be good.

Other shows I have to record on my DVR:

Survivor
CSI
LOST
Private Practice
The Office
Chuck
The Office
ER
Life

How about you? What are you watching this TV season?

Fat Be Gone

2008-09-26T10:46:00.005-07:00

Being over weight is something I have never really gotten used to. I have hated every moment of it actually. That's probably a good thing because it keeps me determined to get to a better place eventually. I spent most of my life at 130-135 pounds. Shocking I am sure to some of you who only know me at this weight. I am not really sure what changed. But somewhere along the way I managed to slowly gain weight. One pound at a time. That is how it gets you--gradually over time. You don't pay attention and then one day you wake up and your over 100 pounds over weight. Shocking AND embarrassing.

For a long time I had the attitude that I had way too much weight to lose so why bother. My goal was to just not gain anymore weight. Which as a dog walker was easy for me to do. I didn't gain because I walked so much during the week but I didn't lose either because I was not watching what I was putting in my body.

I woke up one morning in January 2007 (the 15th to be exact) and stepped on the scale and for some reason it hit me that day more than it ever had. The number on the scale staring back at me was an astonishing 248 pounds. I was dumbfounded. That is a HUGE number. You know I think fat people sometimes are convinced they weigh less than they do. They hide the actual number from everyone around them. Like somehow we are convinced our friends and family can't make an educated guess on their own just from looking at us. But there I stood looking at a number I never thought I would see when I stood on a scale. That morning was a turning point for me. In that moment I was shocked and disgusted at how far I had let myself go from where I once was. It was devastating and I knew I had to do something.

SO... I set myself a daily calorie limit. I have never considered it dieting. To me the definition of a diet is something you do to fix a present problem. For me it has to be about everyday and changing habits. I just watched how much I ate but never denied myself of things. On top of all the walking I was doing for work I started using the elliptical everyday and I bought an exercise DVD. Before I knew it I had lost almost 50 pounds and I felt amazing. Yet somehow after Christmas last year I fell back into old habits. I didn't exercise the way I had been and I stopped worrying about what I was eating and when I was eating it. I gained back almost half of what I had lost. Disappointing yes, but it's not the end of the world. Weight loss is no different than any other journey. Ups and downs are part of the process.

So here I am. I last weighed myself Monday morning. 222 pounds. I feel like I am back on track in my eating and exercise. Perhaps I failed before because my reasons were not the right ones. I felt like I was doing it for everyone else and not me. This time it is different. I am sick of being the fat girl. I am tired of being the token fat friend and I am sure as heck sick of feeling like new people don't want to be my friend because I am fat. I am blessed to have a husband who loves me regardless if I am the size I am now or the size I was when I met him. But it isn't okay with me anymore to be this size. I miss the outgoing person I used to be. I am tired of feeling tired and tired of feeling like my weight is holding me back from doing the things I want to do in my life.

So there you have it. No use beating around the bush. Evey is back on the wagon and determined more than ever NOT to fall off. I am not entirely sure I am completely ready for the emotional journey I know this is going to be. But I do know I am ready to rediscover who I am . It isn't just about the number on the scale at the end. It could get crazy in here so brace yourselves....

On a side note. I really suck at spelling the word exercise. When I ran spell check on this post it showed up wrong every time. Why is that? Is it really that hard a word to spell? Hmmm!!