Low Key

Had a low key evening with the boy. J gave me a ride home from work which was nice since the boy's car is still snowed in my driveway so he had mine and had to go and shovel the driveway at the BP flip house. He closes next Wednesday and I know that he cannot wait. I am glad that they were able to sell it so quickly, especially in this market and for profit even!

I made us a nice dinner of pork chops, steamed broccoli and fingerling potatoes. It was good and just the right amount which works out perfectly! I like easy dinners and I love to cook so it is very enjoyable. I don't understand how some people can just eat out every night or not want to cook for their family, it is so easy and takes such little time. We were watching the news last night and they did a story about how many calories and grams of fat are in most chain restaurant meals and it is just shocking. This is the story.

We watched our Monday night TV. Monday's have gotten to be pretty routine with us. It is always a tough day of the week for me and I like to be able to have a nice dinner with the boy and then watch some good comedies. We have really been enjoying "How I met your Mother", "The Class", "Two and a half Men" and the new one with David Spade although we definitely like "The New Advenutures of Old Christine" better and will be glad when it returns. It is good though to get a good laugh in on Monday nights. We also of course had to tune into ET to catch the highlights from the red carpet and hear the dish from Sunday nights Oscars. It was interesting to hear who they thought had the best dresses and such. No one really mentioned Reese which surprised me since I thought she looked the best.

We have the visitation tonight for our friend Brian. It is going to be very hard but from everything I have heard and understand it was such a brave and peaceful departure that I know he is now at peace. I love his family like my own and I hope that at some point there is something I can do. This was the obituary from Sunday's paper.

Strauss, Brian W. "Strauss"
Strauss, Brian W. "Strauss" age 33, of Mounds View. God called Brian home on February 23rd. Survived by Parents Mike & Janet; big bro' Michael; lil sis' Brenda (Mike) Weegman; niece, Hana Lin Weegman; aunts & uncles, cousins and many, many friends. Mass of Christian Burial, Wednesday, February 28th at 11:00 am, The Church of St. Timothy, 707 89th Ave. NE, Blaine. Visitation 4-8 pm, Tuesday, First Memorial Brooklyn Park Chapel, 7835 Brooklyn Blvd. and one hour prior to Mass at the Church. Interment Hillside Cemetery. Memorials Preferred. 763-560-4694
Published in the Star Tribune from 2/25/2007 - 2/26/2007.

The Red Carpet!

Last nights Oscar's were great. We got dumped on with snow Saturday, but the boy and I made the trek back to my house so another co-worker could pick me up to go to a work function. The work party was nice, small due to the weather, but by the time I got back the Oscar's were an hour in, I had missed the red carpet, and the boy had a fire going. The streets were really a mess here last night, I am so done with Winter!

I was pleased with the results from the awards. And most of the dresses I thought were tasteful. I was happy that Jennifer Hudson won, but I was frightened when she was singing, thinking that we may have a wardrobe malfunction at any moment.

My favorite by far was Reese, there is just something about her that I just love. I also loved Beyonce and Rachel Weis. I thought most of the speeches were really good too, but I have to admit that I could not stay awake for the whole thing and fell asleep before the last four awards. I am not a night owl, what can I say? I thought Ellen did a great job and Portia De Rosi looked beautiful, I hope Ellen does it again next year. I was sick of the whole Al Gore thing, and while I normally like Melissa Etheridge I thought she was a little over the top for me last night. Her comment about that being the only naked man in her bedroom was too much for me, she should just leave well enough alone. All in all a good evening!

Good Post!

So I have to post one uplifting post because it has just been too hard of a week and I need something uplifting.

We saw Amazing Grace on Friday as well as Ghost Rider. We stopped into J.Crew on our way to dinner where I picked up the cutest skirt for spring as well as a new headband to go with it. Then we headed over to The Cheesecake Factory for a bite to eat. We split a small chopped salad and I had the bowtie pasta with chicken, mushrooms, sun-dried tomatoes, peas and roasted garlic. It is one of my favorites there and it did not disappoint. If someone cannot find something there on that menu that they like then there is something wrong with them, because that is one menu that has something for everyone. I LOVE their lemonades too! We were going to go to PF Changs because I was just craving it, but there was a 45 to 60 minute wait as per usual. It started snowing Friday night, we were told we were going to get hit with a douzy of a storm, and we have!

We got up and hit our sales as per usual on Saturday morning. We picked up some good things too. The boy found some history books for his library for some great prices. I don't think that he paid more than $4 for a book! I got two BEAUTIFUL off-white chairs for my living room for, yes, $40 for the pair. I will post pictures later. This was a three day sale and we went on the last day. They were originally $600 chairs. They had been asking $125 per chair. When we came in and I looked at them, the guy told me that I could probably get them for $50 each. I spoke with the gentleman running the sale, I got those two chairs, plus another for dining room and two bowls for $50. I think I did pretty good, wait until you see the chairs! We brought them back to the boys, he has a steam cleaner and even though they are in perfect shape, I just thought it might be nice to give them that added freshness! We stopped for some pizza, dropped the chairs (and the boy) off and then I went to pick up my nephew G. He has been having a tough time lately and we had not had any 1 on 1 time in a while and it was his turn. So I took him to see Happy Feet which we both just loved (this was a five movie week for me, but in all honesty, we didn't pay for The Number 23, which while terrible, we did see it on a special sneak preview. And after seeing Amazing Grace which we both absolutely loved, we weren't really tired and Ghost Rider was just starting so we decided what the heck and we kinda snuck in, but I am SO glad we did not pay for it, I wish we would have seen Bridge to Terrabathia instead!). We stopped back at the boys and grabbed him and then headed to my sister's for a little impromptu snow party with them and the neighbors, it was a lot of fun and we had a good time.

Now the boy is out shoveling, and I really wish I had my camera because it is too funny, but in the midst of the festivities last night, there was quite a few photo op moments (my older nephew and I kind of got in a food fight with some cupcakes) and I accidentally left my camera at her house. I will have to grab it later. I have a work party tonight and then the Oscars, yeah! The boy and I have a lot of the same picks and I cannot wait for the red carpet!

In light of the events from this weekend, I am not going to be traveling next week, which is okay. In due time as they say. I am off in search of the recipe for the pasta I love from The Cheesecake Factory. I hope everyone is enjoying their weekends and I will try to get a couple pictures of my chairs posted later! Oh, and of course the weekend would not be complete without a little online shopping, I am so thinking Spring at the moment and picked up this cute little pink skirt!

***Okay I have to add one random thought here. When the boy and I were at J.Crew, which by the way he is really starting to like and care about what he wears and such, even though I am still doing the majority of his clothing purchases, anyway, he pointed out a couple of things that he liked. I thought, hmmmm this is good. Well this morning over breakfast, I was thumbing through my most recent J.Crew catalogue and he goes, you know I saw these plaid shorts in there on Friday, then he goes, yeah those are the ones! And to my delight, YES! they were the patchwork madras, ahhh a boy after my own heart!***

Friend has gone Home

Our friend Brian was called home to god Friday night. He disconnected the dialysis machine himself Friday at 3:00. By 5:00 he had drifted off to sleep and he never woke up. His family was with him by his side and his day was full of thoughtful visitors and friends. I am truly going to miss him, and I know how much his family will miss him but I will always treasure all of the memories that I have of our childhood and growing up. The next week will be tough, but I know that his family needs all of our love and support.

"Nothing in life is to be feared. It is only to be understood." ~ Marie Curie

That is the quote that my sister posted in the Guest Book on Brian's Caring Bridge site this morning. I know that in life there are times when things just cannot be understood. This is one of them for me. We got some bad news last night, and now we are just playing the waiting game, but I got a call from my sister about 10 last night. She had spoken to my mother. To make a long story short, this is what was posted on the Caring Bridge site for Brian. My mother got the call from her friend Janet around 9, and she was trying to be strong, but could barely speak.

We are sorry that we couldn't tell all of you personally of this message. There are so many friends that it would be impossible to call you all.

This evening our family met with the doctors about Brian. The doctors have warned us in the past week that Brian's condition was worsening. They told us that it was possible that Brian would never recover and never leave the hospital.

Brian's liver and kidneys have failed completely with no chance of recovery. Even if he had a donor liver and kidney right now he is too sick to receive them.

The only thing keeping Brian alive now is the Prisma dialysis machine and all that does is clean his blood for the kidneys. There is no machine that will do that for the liver and the toxins will just keep increasing.

We have asked the doctors to keep Brian as comfortable as possible and put his fate in God's hands.

I guess we all put our fate in God's hands every day, but this is a little different. I am not sure about traveling now next week, I am supposed to be in St. Louis for work, I am just going to wait and see I guess. Tough day.

My Life Theme Song

Everyone has already seen this meme, but I am in. It was fun and also made me realize I have a lot of Beatles on my ipod!!!!!! I thought this was very fitting though!

Opening Credits Southbound by The Allman Brothers

First day of school Long, Long, Long by The Beatles

Falling in Love Fly Away by John Denver

Fight Song In My Life by The Beatles

Breaking Up Paying the Cost to be The Boss by B.B. King (with the Rolling Stones)

Prom Like We Never Loved at All by Faith Hill

Life Woman by John Lennon

Driving I’ll Cry Instead by The Beatles

Flashback God part II by U2

Getting back together My Baby Only Cares For Me by The Brian Setzer Orchestra

Wedding Whiskey Girl by Toby Keith

Party Catalyst by Anna Nalick

Birth of a Child Hopelessly Devoted to You by Olivia Newton John

Death scene I Will Survive by Gloria Gaynor

Funeral song A Kiss to Build a Dream On by Louis Armstrong

Ending credits Desert Rose by Sting

Chinese New Year's!

Wow, the past two weeks have just FLOWN by! It was SO nice to have two weeks off, but I am back to work and at the new gig this week. So far, so good. I am really happy with the choice that I made and went through orientation yesterday. Still not sure if I am going to have to be in St. Louis next week, but either way it will all work out. From what I understand it is supposed to be 70 there this weekend, and I could use a little warm weather. It looks like my first project is going to be here in St. Paul which is fine, I was hoping for Boston, but maybe being at home and not traveling for my first assignment will be better for me. And my friend who referred me here is there as well so it will be a good way to meet other people. This is a very social company which I just love and it will be nice to make some other friends here in MN. They actually have an office meeting here on Thursday and then a HH afterwards so I am looking forward to that and meeting everyone, so far the people I have met have been very nice. I also actually know one of the other guys here in the office as well. He used to date a girl I worked with at both Target and Wells so that was kind of weird, especially since this is such a small office. My director is having a get together at his house for those of us who are PM's and BA's as well as our spouses, significant others and kids. I thought that was really nice, just a social thing a taco bar, but fun. I think I am really going to like it here, it reminds me so much of the group that I left out East.

Valentine's Day was wonderful and I spent lunch with our family friend whose son is in the hospital, and then I met the boy for the movie Music and Lyrics which was SO SO SO cute, and then I made him dinner. Dinner was salmon, but a recipe from Erin and if you have not tried it, it was WONDERFUL and both the boy and I HIGHLY recommend it! He was very sweet and had some nice presents for me. I am not big into the whole thing, but it was a nice day and he did some nice things for me.

Thursday I bummed around, had lunch with my dad, did some grocery shopping for Saturday and then made dinner for the boy, J and my friend who is here now from CT. It was nice and relaxing and we had a nice fire and watched Scrubs and The Office. It was a nice evening and nice to be able to do something like that while I was off for friends.

Friday the boy and his friend came over, I had spent the day running more errands for Saturday. I made dinner for us and then we went to see Breach. It was a good movie and hard to believe that someone would sacrifice the secrets of our country like that.

Saturday we hit some estate sales but nothing good. Then we went to Costco where we completed the Ta-Da list for the evening. J and I split a membership which was nice and I also learned that they have gas very reasonably as well. I was then able to get home and have a nap before the evenings festivities. It turned out to be a great party and a lot of fun. About 25-30 friends came over and we had a really good time. The night ended with a little disco in the kitchen, go figure, but we had a lot of fun and I am looking forward to planning the next soiree. I love house parties and love attending them as well. I received some great house warming gifts as well. J is right though, and my next event needs to be a girls slumber party with my sister in attendance, so I guess that is next on the docket. I will have to have Chloe over at ETP design something for that.

So nice to get caught up today on my blog and everyone else's, I always feel like I am missing out on something when I don't get to read everyone's!

Check out my Slide Show!

My License Plate

My Connecticut plate before moving back to MN and my MN license plate!

Project Completed!

Well Friday I picked up our tickets to Delirium and then the boy and I went to meet my parents for dinner and one of our favorite Vietnamese place, something different which was good. The boy had drills this past weekend, and he had a big presentation that he needed to give as well.

Saturday my mom and I babysat for the family friend, whose son is in the hospital, their grand daughter who is 10 months, and SO cute! We had a lot of fun and my mom got her baby fix in. They had a family meeting with the doctors and did not get good news. It is so hard to imagine anyone going through this, but even harder to watch such good friends go through this. I know that my mother feels as though it is her own child in the hospital and just feels helpless. There is a caringbridge site which is how everyone is staying updated and I am glad that they have that, it is a good way to keep all of his friends, whom his family does not really know, informed as to what is going on. It is hard to read though, all of the guestbook entries and such. When my mom signs it I always wind up bawling. They don't think that he is going to make it home unfortunately but they are hoping that he makes it 0ut of ICU so that he can have visitors and people can say good-bye.

We went to nice dinner at a restaurant in the downtown Marriott called Northwoods Grill. I was worried because I had not heard anything about it and the decor was not all that great, but the food was fabulous. The show was just amazing. I had been to 7 different Cirque du Soleil shows, but this one was tremendous. I don't think that the boy enjoyed it as much as I did, but I thought the artistic creativity was beyond anything I had ever seen.

Sunday we made a stop by one of our favorite occasional sales, The Cottage Shop and then headed up to the boys parents for dinner. We had a nice dinner and his dad and cousin had just gotten back from snowmobiling in Michigan. I have never been, but I think that it would be VERY cold, so I am not sure that I would enjoy it.

Today we finished my cedar chest and ran some errands and such. I will try to get some pictures up later in the week. This time off is flying by and I am still trying to squeeze everything in. I am hoping to get to everything!

Enjoying down time!

So here it is Thursday and while I am crossing a ton off of my Ta-Da list, I have NOT left the house since I got here Sunday night! Can you even imagine? When I say that I do not like cold weather that is an understatement! I HATE the really really cold weather and if it is going to be this cold, and if I have a choice, why would I WANT to go outside.

Monday I didn't do much of anything, but I did make dinner for the boy and I and he came over and we watched our shows together. Tuesday I caught up on some computer clean up which was good and made dinner for the boy and I. The neighbor girl came over with her mom whom I adore and I typed up her science fair project for her which was fun for me. The boy brought a bottle of wine which was nice too. I made little scrapbooks for two of my girls out East to send them for V-day next week, that was a lot of fun yesterday, but literally took the whole entire day to do both of them. I had a lot of fun doing it, but it is time consuming. The boy liked the way they turned out and I would like to do one for the two of us, maybe I will. . . .

I am going to make some dinner tonight too, and the boy and I will go over his presentation for the Navy one last time, I have to admit it looks really good and I am impressed with his knowledge of all of the ships. We have not spoken about the possibility of him coming off of medical leave next week and getting new deployment orders, but we will see if they say anything this weekend.

I am looking forward to going to Delirium on Saturday, should be a lot of fun. I have lots of projects I want to get to at my house next week as well! I think it is finally supposed to get above zero next week. . . .

What is my Preppy Name

Go figure, I love this stuff!

Your Preppy Name Is...

Elverton Parke Chardon the SecondBut most people know you as Buffy

What's" Your Preppy Name?

Whew!

Yeah! I am all done! My last day at work was Friday and I accepted an offer with Perficient Consulting. I am SO excited. last week I had several offers on the table and wanted to make a decision by Friday. I had been offered another position internally that I had verbally accepted, but then this other position came along and they made the offer WAY too attractive. So I start the 19th and now have two weeks off. I am really going to enjoy these two weeks, I have so many projects that I want to get done.

I am house and dog sitting for my sister this week while she and her family are down in FL at DisneyWorld, and boy did they pick a good week since it has not gotten above zero here since last Thursday! It has been SO cold. I do not like this at ALL! Like I said I have a ton of projects I want to get done from cleaning up email in boxes to scrapbooking and getting my trunk finished.

I went out last Thursday to celebrate with "J". We had a really good time and a lot of fun just catching up and having girl time. I did stay at the boys, but that was because it was just too cold to go home! Friday I made dinner for us and then we saw Babel which was very good. It was slower, but it was good. Saturday the boy and I, despite the -39 below zero windchill, headed out to a few estate sales. We had a really good time and he found some trucks he really wanted. I did see a couple of vintage Schwinn bicycles, and almost bought one of them, but they did need some work, and this guy came by and said that he thought I needed a red one and would be able to find one, and that they needed too much work. But for $18, I am kind of bummed that I passed. I will still hope that we will find more. I also am still kicking myself. I passed on an Ethan Allen three piece entertainment center that I liked and it was only $58. I was trying to justify spending money unnecessarily over the next two weeks since I am not working. But I did double my salary, so I think I was just thinking too much. Even the boy said he should have encouraged me more. Oh well, we both said that we always see something. We went to see "The Queen" after that which I really enjoyed, but the boy and I did disagree about the treatment of Diana by the royal family. I just do not think that there is ever a reason to treat anyone like that, he said he thinks we do not have all of the facts about what happened behind closed doors. Oh well. We had a couple of friends ("J" and Justin) over for a lasagna dinner, a good fire, some wine and a little Nip/Tuck that night which was nice, it was SO cold outside! Sunday we had brunch at this fantastic place with another couple, went for a long skyway walk and checked out my new office which is in a really cool building downtown with exposed bricks and beams. It was nice to get the long walk in, because with this weather you just feel like you are not getting any exercise in. We headed out to the boys parents for the Superbowl and dinner which was nice and then I have been here at my sister's since.

I have lots of projects at home that I will get to next week, and I have also planned a couple of lunches with friends, but I am looking forward to some down time. We are going to see "Delirium" this weekend, the boy has drills, so I will be on my own most of the weekend.

My last day of work last Friday, I could not have been happier. I don't think I have ever left a job and been so excited to leave. It is just amazing to me that one person can change your occupational outlook so much. I cannot wait to start this new position and move on. I am going to be traveling a lot more, but that is okay I think as long as I still have some time to be at home as well. Wait and see I guess. Well, I guess I should get to some of my projects!