Christmas is Coming......

So NOT READY!!!!!

Top 2 Tuesday ~ Games

This weeks' topic:

Top 2 Favorite Games.

My number one favorite game of all time is....wait for it..... CATCHPHRASE!

I can't tell you the countless number of hours that we would play this at the WorkMED Christmas parties, till all hours of the night. And let me give ya a little clue, it's even funner, (wait is funner a word?) it's even more fun if you have had a few drinks before and during the game. This is a great game to play with a larger group of people, 10+.

Another game that is a party must is LCR or Left, Center, Right.

This is a game that most all ages can play. We normally play this at family gatherings, etc. We had a huge game going on during a family trip to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, and it was crazy! Add some money to the pot, and my family gets ruthless!

If you want to play along with Top 2 Tuesday, stop over to The Undomesticated Momma and link up!!

Weekend Roundup

Hello again! I know, I know, it's been awhile. You know, this is such a crazy season, but I am really loving every minute of it.

We had a really full weekend.... On Thursday John and I went to see the play Rock of Ages. It is a Broadway Across America play and Constantine Maroulis from American Idol was one of the leads. The doctor I work for gave us the tickets. He couldn't use them. I'm telling you, if you like 80s music, you will love this play. I literally wanted to get up and dance. OK so theater is not really John's cup o' tea, but he suffered through it with me. He did enjoy the rock music, it was the rest of it that kinda bugged him. Hey I figure if I can suffer through a Nascar race, he can suffer through a play. Fair is fair, right?

Friday I went to a Christmas party for the place I used to work. It was great seeing everyone. Unfortunately I didn't see EVERYONE I wanted to see, but some don't go to these things. I can't for the life of me figure that out, LOL. I love to go to these parties. It is OK, because I'm getting together with all of them this Wednesday. I really can't wait to see the gang I used to work with! I have really missed them! That's why I was kinda hoping to see some of them on Friday. Anywhooo it was a beautiful party. Food was great and company was a lot of fun, as always.

Then Saturday, we went to the Dublin Methodist Hospital Women's Health Party at LaScala. That is an Italian Restaurant in Dublin. It was absolutely delish! We had a great time. I was a little nervous being the newbie on the block, but really, everyone was awesome!

Sunday, we had a big, giant snow storm here in central Ohio so I simply stayed in my jammies all day and put up the tree. I'll have to post some pictures when it is completely decorated.

Driving to work was a joy today, NOT! OMG it was crazy slippery and cold too! John did go out and start my car and scraped the windows for me. I soooo appreciate those little things that he does! It didn't make the drive in any better, but it sure was nice hopping into a warm car!

Soooo looking ahead this week, I have a party Wednesday at the Brazenhead (best hamburgers ever) with my Battelle buddies, then Thursday I have the IAAP (International Association of Administrative Professionals) Christmas party at The Warehouse. Definitely not my favorite place, but the people are a lot of fun. Travis comes home on Thursday!!!! I want to have my tree done and house decorated before then. I really can't wait to see him!

On a more serious note, please keep my brother JD in your prayers. He is facing some really serious cardiac surgery very soon. He was hoping to have it before the end of the year since his deductible has been met, and it doesn't look like that's going to happen. Right now it is scheduled for January 24th. It is a pretty heavy burden all the way around......what he has can be deadly if not repaired, the surgery is dangerous, he is worried about his family of course, and then the financial burden on top of it all. It is crazy and I really feel for them. He is also kind of to the point that he just wants to get it over with already.

Talk to you soon!!

Six Word Saturday

Lounging Around Doing Nothing Feels GREAT!!

Happy Thanksgiving!!

Hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving!! Ours was extremely quiet! Normally my sister and I alternate having Thanksgiving, but for various reasons this year, everyone went in different directions. My father recently had surgery and didn't feel up to driving down here, and I have to work tomorrow, sooooo, here I am. Even Travis, who is "all about the party" went home with a friend when he realized that no one was coming here. I was kind of dreading it. This is the first Thanksgiving where it was just me and my spouse. I did make a nice turkey dinner for John and I and it was kind of nice actually.

However, I was still feeling a little nostalgic. I kept thinking about past Thanksgivings when we were all together and all the fun we have. I was looking on the internet and found the following.... and it just cracked me up!! If you have attended a Bartolovich Thanksgiving shindig, you are very likely to hear many of the following statements. Never thought about it quite this way though!!

Things That Sound Dirty at Thanksgiving....Courtesy of lifesajoke.com

1. Talk about a huge breast!!

2. Tying the legs together keeps the inside moist.

3. It's Cool Whip time!!

4. If I don't undo my pants, I'll burst!

5. Whew, that's one terrific spread!

6. I'm in the mood for a little dark meat.

7. Are you ready for seconds yet?

8. It's a little dry, do you still want to eat it?

9. Just wait your turn, you'll get some!

10. Don't play with your meat!

11. Just spread the legs open and stuff it.

12. Do you think you'll be able to handle these people all at once?

13. I didn't expect everyone to come at once!

14. You still have a little bit on your chin.

15. How long will it take after you stick it in?

16. Wow! I didn't think I could handle all of that!

17. That's the biggest one I have ever seen!

18. You'll know it's ready when it pops up.

19. How long do I beat it before it's ready?


Anyone going black Friday shopping?? Heres hoping you find some wonderful deals!!!

Top 2 Tuesday ~ 2 Favorite Jobs

TOP 2 FAVORITE JOBS:

OK Hands down, my all time favorite job ever was WorkMED, an occupational health facility in Boardman, Ohio. We had the best crew. My boss Deb had the gift of choosing people that work very well together, and we were all as good of friends outside of work as we were at work. We had move fun times and I have so many awesome memories of working there! When you get along well with the people you work with, it makes having to go to work that much easier!

After a lot of thought, (because I tend to like all of my jobs) I would have to say that Battelle is another favorite. It was a really cool and interesting place to work. I started out in the Health Services Dept. but was moved to the Quality Department in May. I wasn't thrilled about the move. In fact, I was pretty devastated when it happened. But, that move turned out to be one of the best things that could have happened to me! It didn't take long to learn that the people that worked on my floor were awesome!! Love them! I ended up leaving there due to some promised lay-offs and I didn't think I could make the cut. As it turns out, I would have made the cut, but I do believe that everything happens for a reason. Never look back right?? My new job is good, but I really miss my buds I worked with! I just got together with a few of them tonight for dinner and we had a fantastic time catching up.

Be sure to check out more Top 2 Tuesday posts here!!

Six Word Saturday

Finishing Home Projects Is So Rewarding!

Friends and Politics

Picture courtesy of Google Images

How many times have you heard in your life that friends should not discuss politics? Well politics and religion. But why? Why can't two people have a civilized discussion on politics without it turning into a heated debate? The debate part is fine, but why do people have to get angry about it? Does there always have to be a winner and a loser? Isn't everyone entitled to an opinion? I was reminded this week that this is not the case.

Note: I really want to get through this post without identifying which side I stand on politically, because that is not the point here. Of course those of you that know me well know where I stand.

I used to hate talking politics. My ex-father-in-law was relentless in pounding HIS beliefs in my head every chance he got. He knew his opinions differed from mine, though at 18-23 years old, I don't think I had really formed my political opinions. Maybe he was trying to convert me? Unfortunately I was not well versed in politics. I was not educated enough to present my point of view in an intelligent way. So I avoided these types of conversations whenever I could. Especially with him because he would not let up. So annoying. ...ahhh but I digress.....

As I got older and wiser though, LOL, politics have become much more interesting to me. I actually enjoy reading about politics and watching political shows, watching the debates between candidates, though that was more in the presidential election. I now care about our country and what happens to it. I feel like I have a pretty good idea of what's going on and I feel like I can definitely hold my own in a political conversation. That doesn't mean that I like to argue politics. In fact, why does argue even have to be in that sentence. Discuss yes, argue, forget it!

If my memory serves me right, I have had 2 serious discussions about politics with friends in my adult life, the most recent being this past week. Obviously I am not a political aficionado that wants to discuss politics with everyone I meet. Sure I have had some minor discussions on politics with people, but no matter how deep the conversation gets, I don't get all worked up about it and I definitely don't fight about it. I also want to state, for the record, that I didn't start either of these discussions. However, I did feel the need to defend my beliefs. I mean really, why is it OK for someone to say whatever they want to, insult beliefs or your choice of candidates, but you are expected to keep quiet and not respond back if you disagree? Is that fair?

Without going into details, neither discussion turned out well and both times John blamed me for arguing politics. Which, for the record, I want to point out that I was definitely not arguing. I simply had a different opinion that I shared. He asked why I even have to pursue it at all, and that got me to thinking. This is a two-sided thing. I feel like if I don't respond, then 1) they will assume I agree with their viewpoint, or 2) being blase' passionate about politics, when someone brings this subject up, I really WANT to discuss the issues and express why I feel the way I feel. John reiterated that friends and politics don't mix. OK I get that now. It is definitely not worth it.

What I don't get, and the whole point of my post, is the semantics of the whole thing with regards to friendship.

• Why can one person state their views to a friend, but the other person with the opposing view is expected to shut up and keep their opinions to themselves all for the sake of a friendship and avoiding an argument.


• Why don't THEY take into consideration, before starting such a conversation, that the person they are talking to may have a differing opinion, and maybe THEY should keep their mouth shut for the sake of the friendship.


• Most importantly, why can't 2 people have a conversation where their views differ without it turning into a fight? I mean I do it all the time with my hairdresser when she wants to do a different color than I want. ;o)

If you ever find out the answers to any of the questions above, clue me in will ya?

My head is pounding like a jackhammer!

Just sayin.....

headache go away!!!

Miscellany Monday

Soooo welcome back....me, ;o) I think have had a bit of writers block lately. I guess life gets in the way. So many things going on, but it's all good. Thought I would pop in and say hey! Happy Miscellany Monday!!!

1. Happy Birthday John G! Today is my husbands birthday! OK I have a confession to make. I did remember his birthday last week, when I picked up his card, this weekend when I thought about what we would do to celebrate, and last night when I signed the card I bought him. However, today, it all went downhill. I totally forgot! That is all kinds of wrong, I swear! I did remember when I looked on Facebook and my sister-in-law wished him a Happy Birthday. I almost crapped right then and there. Dang, how was I going to smooth this over??? So I call, he is on the road already. I said, Hey Birthday Boy, how's it going? He goes "You forgot didn't you??" I was like NOOOOO! But he was so on to me! Anyway, I took him out to dinner and then there are a couple books he wants from Amazon to work on his cute little British sports car.

2. Travis was home this weekend!! It was wonderful to see him!!! It was an eventful weekend as far as he was concerned, but it was all good. He had to go back yesterday, but not before I cut his hair so you could see his eyes again! Why he doesn't just go and get it cut down there I don't know. I think he has trust issues when it comes to people who cut his hair.

3. I started my new job last Monday and I love it! I really miss my old coworkers but the way it ended at the old job really sucked to put it bluntly. They had been promising lay-offs, and they happened to do them on my last day there. 2 of my good friends were let go. I actually was safe, but since I had found another job and had given my notice, someone else's job was able to be saved, and THAT was a GOOD thing!! I never want to see people be let go again. I mean it was quick and painless, but just so sad to see people escorted out. We did have a party though so the day ended OK. So my new job....admin assistant at Ohio Health. I'm split between the Organizational Excellence Department and Women's Health. I love that they play Brahm's Lullaby everytime a baby is born. It gives me goose bumps. Another new life in the world!! Soo much to learn and they really have you hit the ground running! I have very little down time, which is surprising to being that it is only my 2nd week.

4. Camping season is OVER! We are so sad. It was an awesome summer and I will miss everyone. We have the BEST neighbors at the campground. We all just kinda clicked. We are planning to get together over the winter, but overall, we are really looking forward to April when it starts all over again.

Well that's about it for me! Hope life is treating you all well!! Be sure and say Hey if you stop by!

Top 2 Tuesday ~ 2 Favorite Things About Fall

This weeks Top 2 Tuesday ~ Top 2 favorite things about fall.

This one was easy for me. Fall is my absolute favorite season and my most favorite thing is the leaves changing colors. Such a pretty time of year!!

My second favorite thing about fall is none other than Ohio State Buckeyes football!!! Best time of year!!!

Click the link above to join in the fun!

Top 2 Tuesday ~ 2 Favorite Cities

This week's topic: Top 2 Favorite Cities.

I like this one!!!

One of my All-Time Favorite Cities is none other than Chi-Town!! I was just there over the Memorial Day holiday with my mom, sister and niece. There is so much to do and it was such a great girls weekend.

Number 2 is Fort Lauderdale. I told my husband that I would like to be independently wealthy and live on the intercoastal and go out in my back yard and hop into a yacht! Seriously, is it too much to ask???!!! I will, hopefully (fingers crossed) be in Fort Lauderdale in October.

If you want to play Top 2 Tuesday, go here and link up!

Have a great Tuesday!!

Six Word Saturday, A Day Late

Had Fun With Friends This Weekend!!!

Five Question Friday and Follow Me Chickadee!

1. How many pets do you have?

I just have one dog, Jackson Gepperheimer. He is the cutest dog ever! You can read all about him here.

2. If you could switch places with anyone in the world for one day, who would it be?

The first person that comes to mind is Jennifer Aniston. So strange, but first, I think she is gorgeous, and I would just like to be gorgeous for one day. Secondly, mmmmm, the money part would not be so bad either!

3. What is your favorite money saving tip?

Not eating out for lunch. Really not eating out at all, but that is sooo not realistic, LOL. But this week I started not eating lunch out and I can't believe it! I give myself $25 per week to spend, though when I was eating at the work cafeteria I was spending much more than that. It was pretty pathetic to look at my bank account online and see Aramark, Aramark, Aramark, wayyy too many times. Anywho, I don't think I have spent a dime all week. Not only do I have my weekly budget $$, but nothing out of the bank account either this week, except for when I filled up my tank. It is a goal to see how much I was spending eating out last month, versus what I saved this month by cutting way back on it. This little tip is also an added benefit for my weight loss efforts.

4. What do you want your kids to be when they grow up?

Well I only have 1, and truly I just want to do what makes him happy. This is a funny question for me because, when Travis went to college last year, he was pre-med. At the end of the year he changed his major to education. I was devastated! Not because I wanted a doctor in the family (Ohhh OK, I admit it, I wanted a doctor in the family), but more so, because they are laying off teachers right and left right now. I mean here in Central Ohio, there are NO teaching jobs. Sooooo I was thinking he may be wasting BooCoo $$$$$ to graduate and not have a job. However, the more I thought about it, I realized that you have to like what you are doing or you will never be successful at it. So I have come to terms with the whole education thing.

5. What is your favorite quote?

The answer is there are many! I love motivational quotes.

Do not go where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path and leave a trail. ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson.

This is the quote that I had printed on Travis' graduation invitations.

Now on to Follow Me Chickadee........

Top 2 Tuesday ~ 2 Biggest Indulgences

What are your 2 biggest Indulgences?

I have to say my absolute biggest indulgence would be eating out. I eat out wayyyyy too much. I go through phases where I like to cook, but bigger phases where I would rather eat out.

My second biggest indulgence is that I get a pedicure once a month or every 6 weeks. It is so relaxing and they do such a great job. I love to look down and see pretty toes, so I just go for it!

If you want to join in on Top 2 Tuesday, hop on over to The Undomestic Momma and link up!

Have a great Tuesday!!

Miscellany Monday & Some Other Stuff

It's Miscellany Monday again. Click Here if you want to play too!

(1)

So if you saw my last post, you probably guessed that I went to see Wicked!!! I have wanted to see it for a long time! It was FAN-FREAKIN-TABULOUS!!! What is so awesome is the fact that my son shares my love for theater, so he was my date!! We went to dinner first at the Japanese Steak House and then headed on down to the Ohio Theater in Columbus. If you haven't seen it yet, we both highly recommend it! It was a wonderful night!!

(2)

On Saturday my baby turned 20. Where has the time gone? My gosh, wasn't it just a few years ago that I had him? I swear I blinked and opened my eyes and he is a man all of a sudden. Quite a handsome one I might add, but I'm biased! His birthdays are bittersweet really. Him getting older has taken our relationship to a completely different level. Although I think kids always need there mama's (I know I do), our relationship has transitioned into that of a more adult/adult relationship. Not that of mother/child. Now I drew the line when he asked me to buy him a drink at the play the other night, LOL. He was kidding.....I think.....

(3)

I took Travis back to college yesterday **sob**. He is now a sophomore at Miami University in Oxford Ohio. OK so he turns 20 and goes back to school all in the same day. How is a mom supposed to handle this I ask you? We got him settled in. He is living in the Frat house this year and he really wanted to handle getting his room together by himself. He is very organized in a kinda chaotic way. I hope you had a wonderful birthday back at school Trav!!

(4)

So how does a bummed-out mom who just dropped her kid off at college de-stress? At the campground! I came home, packed a bag, loaded Jackson in the car and off we went. John had driven to PA to pick up his truck, so Jack and I hung out and waited for him. There was a karaoke party going on so we took a walk over and checked it out. There are a lot of talented singers at our campground. Someone asked me to go sing with them, and seriously, I don't there there is enough alcohol in this world to loosen me up enough to sing Karaoke.

Lastly, I wanted to welcome new follower SimpleGirl from Inspirations by D. Be sure to check out her site. She makes some beautiful jewelry! Thanks for following!!

On to a new week. Have a great one everybody!

Guess Where I'll Be Tonight????

I'll give you a little hint.....

Tell you all about it this weekend!!

Top 2 Tuesday ~ Who Would You Be?

Who are the top 2 characters you would like to play on a TV Show or in a movie.

This actually required some thought on my part. I am a true reality TV Junkie. But, would I really want to play someone in a reality TV show?

Ohhh alright, lets be real! YES, I'm sure I would!!

1. I would love to play Bethenny Frankel from Real Housewives of New York. Love that girl. IMHO she is the most "real" housewife from any of the series. Don't get me wrong, I love Caroline and Jacqueline from New Jersey, but there is just no comparison to Bethenny.

Basically Bethenny rocks and I would love to be able to come up with her one-liners!! The things that come out of her mouth just crack me up!! She is beautiful with a small amount of 'ho mixed in. Besides, who would not want to look this cute in a bathing suit at 8 months pregnant.

2. The second person I would like to play is Jane from Drop Dead Diva.

I feel like I could easily hop right into this role. Firstly, the character is not built like a supermodel, and neither am I. I can dream all I want, but fact is, I am no size 0. The premise of this show is that an aspiring model is killed in a car crash but gets brought back to life as an overweight lawyer who is forced to find the meaning of inner beauty. If you haven't caught this show on Sunday nights at 9 p.m. on Lifetime, you really should. Anyway, I can really relate to Jane and just about all of her issues. She would be a hoot to play.

If you want to join in on Top 2 Tuesday, hop on over to The Undomestic Momma
and link up!

Miscellany Monday

Welcome to my first Miscellany Monday!! I don't know why, but all of a sudden I'm into participating in meme's. Go figure! So here goes.....

1. Spending a weekend in solitude is great for the soul. Boy went to Philidelphia with his friend Austin on Friday morning, and the hubs went to Bloomberg? Pennsylvania on Friday afternoon for a foreign car swap meet. So I was on my own all-weekend-long. I loved it! No rushing home on Friday night. Nope. Stopped at my favorite consignment shop in Grandview. Then went over to LensCrafters and ordered my glasses. On Saturday I stayed in my jammies till 3 p.m. The plan was to go to the campground last night, but at 4:30 it started pouring. I mean coming down in buckets and it didn't stop for a good hour and a half. Though my garden was probably grateful, I was not. I mean I know we need the rain and all, but it did put the kabosh on my camping plans. I was really hoping to go. There is something intriguing to me about spending the weekend at the campground myself. Well and Jackson Gepperheimer. Though the good thing about him is he is quiet, LOL. Today I cleaned and caught up on laundry and hubs got home around 3ish. Boy won't be home until Tuesday sometime. Back to my whole point of solitude being good for the soul, I just want to say, I wouldn't want to be alone ALL the time, but I don't think I would complain about the occasional weekend!!

2. I'm looking forward to getting my glasses one night this week. OMG I had to get bifocals. That makes me sound very old. I don't like it! However, I have been struggling more and more to see at work. So I just had to just suck it up and go for it!

3. I have to say I have some of the cutest step-grandchildren in the world.

4. Chinese does not fit well with Weight Watchers. I'm looking forward to the day it does! Well I mean it could fit....but not the stuff I like....just sayin....

5. I'm not happy about the new paid time off plan at work. I have even been stressing over it a bit. On one hand, I have a job and that is a blessing. On the other hand, the program changed drastically. It is like I'm going to have to go a year without any vacation. Long story, but it sucks.

If you would like to participate in Miscellany Monday, feel free to hop over to Carissa's blog lowercase letters and join in the fun!

Six Word Saturday

Enjoying a peaceful weekend in solitude!!

Feel free to join Cate at Show my Face if you would like to participate as well!

Five Question Friday

Happy Friday!!! I think meme's can be kind of fun, so today I'm participating in Five Question Friday! Feel free to check it out and link up yourself to play! It is a great way to learn about others and make new friends in cyber space ;o)

1. Have you ever visited another country?

Sure have! My first husband was stationed in High Wycombe, England so we were stationed in England for 3 years. In fact, Travis was born there. I loved Great Britain! We were able to visit so many places over there, including Paris, Scotland, and Wales. I met wonderful friends there, both British and American. And you gotta love Facebook. I have been able to reconnect with alot of the people I had lost touch with through the years.

2. What is the strangest place you have ever been?

Jeez, this one is tough. I can't think of anywhere strange right now.

3. What is your favorite season?

Fall, hands down. Love the leaves changing, the chill in the air, and college football!

4. What one song will always cheer you up?

Soul Sister by Train, although extremely overplayed, will cheer me up in 2 seconds because it brings back wonderful memories of me and my son at Moms Weekend at the Frat house. That was the BEST weekend! Anything 80's is pretty fun too!

5. Which Disney character do you resemble most?

Sadly, I think physically I resemble Mrs. Potts from Beauty and the Beast! That was one of my favorite Disney movies though!!

Ohhhh I Went......

Weight Watchers Day 1. I went. I weighed in. I was actually down 2 pounds, LOL. Is it wrong that it kinda bummed me out because I'm thinking my first weigh-in won't be that much then? I know I'm not quite right. Seriously, I do. But I'm just sayin.....

Unfortunately I couldn't stay for the meeting. I never advocate that. There is statistical proof that people lose more weight when they attend the meetings regularly. I had a good enough reason though. My parents are here visiting and I wanted to cut out of work early, so I didn't really take a lunch. Just quickly ran over to get weighed and then down to the cafeteria to grab a small salad and crusty bread.

How cute is my mom? She brought stuffed peppers with her. OMG soooo delish.

So tomorrow, with the parents here, I took the day off and we are going shopping at Easton. Easton is a great place for shopping here in Columbus Ohio. Looking forward to spending the day with them. It is an all about Travis shopping trip though. New computer for him and I wanted to pick him up some new clothes for the start of school. Which, by the way, is in 2 weeks. O.M.G. This summer just flew by.

Must go hang with the family. I'll be back soon.

New Start

Well tomorrow is a new start for me. Back in May when I was forced to switch jobs (no, I'm not bitter about it or anything, LOL), moving to our headquarters downtown actually afforded me a lot of opportunities that I didn't get at the other facility. For example, there is a fitness center, a credit union, a dry cleaners and a cafeteria all right there in the facility. Pretty cool right? Unfortunately, I have not really taken advantage of these perks. However, tomorrow that is all going to change when I start Weight Watchers at work. How cool is that. Every Tuesday on our lunch we will go and weigh in and have a short meeting. Serious convenience.

I have done WW a zillion times, ok maybe not a zillion, but I am definitely a seasoned Weight Watcher. I even worked for them before as a weigher. When I work the program, it works for me. The thing is, I haven't been working the program. However, historically, I have to hit a certain point, and only THEN will I make the commitment to work at it. Unfortunately I have not hit that point, where the bottom falls out, where I just can't stand another second for a long while.

Well tomorrow is that day. I hit bottom last week. I'm actually really looking forward to starting. I haven't been feeling that great, and I know it is because I'm carrying extra weight around. I will be writing about my weight loss here.

Things I'm looking forward to with weight loss:

1. Without stating the obvious, I would like to look better. Just sayin....

2. I would like to be able to bend over comfortably. I know this is terrible, but putting on socks and painting toenails just about sucks right now!! It is not comfortable to bend over at all!

3. Improved balance. I just feel like I'm off balance all the time and this may or may not be related to weight, but I don't really have another explanation so I'm going to go with it being related to weight.

4. I'm flying to Florida in October. Again, without stating the obvious, I would like to be comfortable while I'm there. Another thing is the plane. The seats are so small, or I am so big, or both. I want to feel better about myself by the time I go.

5. Being able to walk without gasping for air. Funny enough my old boss suggested we made me go up 4 flights of stairs at work. I - was - DYING!!!! Seriously, when I say I did not think I was going to live through the last flight, I meant it. I was bent over gasping for air. And I'm not kidding. GASPING! Not too cool when your boss is a medical professional!! Whatever.....

Those are my immediate desires for weight loss. I'm sure more will come along the way though.

So....Tomorrow...

1. Weight Watchers meeting at lunchtime.
2. Will take the weigh in and not cry. LOL, I seriously would not cry...maybe, but it is time to face the music so I shall embrace what the scale says and then vow to never see that number again. EVER!
3. Will do 1/2 hour of Wii.

This is it! I'm on it!! I will be posting my progress so look forward to at least weekly updates!!

Also, on a side note....HAPPINESS....my parents are coming tomorrow. I can't wait to see their little selves! Taking Wednesday off to spend the day with them, shopping. Also, my mom informed me that she made us stuffed peppers for dinner tomorrow. O.M.G. I D.I.E.!! How is that for SWEET???!!!

I'll let ya know how it goes!!

The Best Job in the World

My son is notorious for NOT wanting to work. Scary I know, but true. He has had odd jobs from Wendys, to Hollister, to The Athenian restaurant, and he just hated all of them. Despised them. I kept thinking to myself, Jeez, is this kid ever going to hold down a job?

Well since he was majoring in zoology at school last year (this has now changed to education) he decided to look into seeing if he could get an internship at the Columbus Zoo. Unfortunately all the internships were unpaid, and although he probably would have jumped on that, he KNOWS he needs the money for college. So as he is scrolling down the list of jobs available for the summer, he sees Street Team Character. I can just see the wheels turning in his brain at that very moment...."Whoa......street team.....dressing up like a mascot......dancing and acting goofy and get paid to do it.....It's my DREAM JOB." So he emails the guy and they really hired him sight unseen since he was away at school and could not make it in for the various job fairs, etc. Well this is his second full week and he just loves it. This is a picture of him dressed up as Polar Pete. The Columbus Zoo just opened a polar bear exhibit and this is one of the new character costumes. I know what you are thinking.....it has to be hotter than hell in that costume on a 90 degree day, and he does say it gets hot, but that has not changed his perception of this job. He still thinks it is the best job in the world. They wear ice vests under the costume and they are only in costume for 20 minutes per hour. It makes me feel good that the zoo takes such good care of them.

On Sunday they had him standing actually by the polar bear exhibit, but one of the real polar bears could see him and it was upsetting him, LOL. He kept making himself big, putting his arms out, acting scary, and soon Travis' boss came and said, lets just move you over here, out of the bears vision.

So far last night was the best though. He got to work the Columbus Clippers game. They are a semi-pro baseball team here in Columbus. When he came home I was in bed, but he flopped on the bed and said, "Mom, I got to go to a Clippers game, meet Jack Hanna, go on the field to throw out the first pitch with Jack Hanna, dance on the dugouts, and play with kids. I can't believe I get paid to do this job!!!!"

Wonders never cease......There is actually a job my son can like!!!!

Lost My Blog Mojo

Ack, I hate it. Sometimes I LOVE to blog and sometimes, especially lately, I just lose it. I don't know, maybe our lives are just not that interesting? Maybe between work and my commute I just have too much to do when I get home? Who knows, but thought I would drop in and give an update. I have been keeping up with my blog reading, just not the writing. I hope, if I have any readers left out there, that you drop a line to say hello!



Sooooo, big changes at my job. They moved me from a satellite office down to the corporate headquarters. I wasn't looking for the move, it just kinda happened. Downtown Columbus is actually physically closer to me, so rather than commuting 48 miles, I'm commuting 35. Traffic in downtown Columbus sucks. There, I said it. Actually sometimes I feel like a big girl driving on the freeway in downtown traffic. Then the feeling quickly wanes and the reality of an hour in traffic presents itself and I'm over it. I love my new boss and the people I work with mostly, but I have the distinct impression that I could not show up one day and no one would notice. I guess I just felt like I made a larger contribution at my other job. I'm hoping for more from this one definitely. I'm trying to be really positive about it and hope it ends up being a great opportunity. Time will tell. The fact is I work for a great company so I'm going to stick it out and see what happens.



John is loving his job. He just got back from Vegas late Saturday night for a conference. He had a great time. Wish I could have gone with him! It was a quick trip though.



Travis is home with 1 year of college under his belt. He did fantastic and changed his major from pre-med/pre-vet to education. I wasn't thrilled, but I'll explain more about that in another post. He is working at the zoo as a character and absolutely LOVES it! He is right in his element when he does this. It can be excruciatingly hot but they wear ice vests and are only in costume 20 minutes an hour, so they do keep an eye on them, which I think is wonderful.



I spent Memorial Day weekend in Chicago with my mom, sister and niece Kayla. We had a wonderful time. Saw the play Billy Elliott (absolutely excellent, fantabulous, awesome), saw Sex and the City 2 (See it, it's good!!!). We ate great food and shopped a lot. It was just an awesome time! While we were in Chi-town, John had my dad at the campground. That was new for Moose, but he actually had a great time! He got a kick out of some of our camping neighbors.

Lots of graduations and parties, and all of this wreaks havoc on my waistline. I AM NOT HAPPY! I'm thinking I might start Weight Watchers tomorrow. We have WW at work so it is definitely convenient. Maybe I need to use my blog to hold myself accountable???? Great idea Kim!

Talk soon!

True Confessions of the Easter Kind

Yes, I'm going to come clean.....lay it out on the line....a tell all if you will! I don't know why but I feel the need to do so.

I wanted to share with you some little know Easter facts about myself.

1. I hate PEEPs. They absolutely disgust me! Hard, soft, pink, yellow, they are all gross to me! Your peeps are safe when I'm around. Your chocolate might not be but the peeps, they are safe.

2. My favorite candy for Easter would be Reese's cups or some Gorant's candy from back home in Youngstown Ohio. OMG soooo yummy delish! They have the best butter caramels covered in chocolate! I die......I want one now.....must move on......

3. When I was growing up, we were "That Family" that only went to church on Easter. I know regular church goers hated people like us because we took up the good parking spots and seats for that one day a year when we felt compelled to go to church. Ohhhh I got a new outfit every year from dress, to hat, to shoes, to white gloves, and even had to sleep on hard rollers so not a hair was out of place, but honestly, I think it was simply to go take pictures over my aunts house and go out to dinner. I must say, as an adult I am very faithful. I BELIEVE! As a child....not so much..... Funny thing, now my parents do not miss a week of church. Go figure.

4. What amazes me about #3 is that my son turned out to be a devout catholic IN SPITE of me and the fact that he has not really been raised in the church. I love that my 19-year old goes to church every single Sunday while he is away at college. In fact, for New Years, he and a friend went to Florida with FOCUS (Fellowship of Catholic University Students) National Convention. He was completely moved by the whole thing, over 4000 college kids at a resort in Orlando (I can't help but think this had something to do with him going to the convention). He said it was amazing!

5. I have not colored Easter eggs in about 8 years. I know, terrible, right???? If it was Christmas everyone would be calling me Ebeneezer....but what do you call someone who ignores an Easter tradition like coloring eggs?

Well there it is.....my Easter true confessions. I'm sorry if I have disappointed you, LOL.

Happy Easter!!!

HAPPY EASTER!!!!

Spring bursts today, for Christ is risen and all the earth's at play.

- Christina Rossetti

Hope this Easter day finds everyone well and able to enjoy some rest and relaxation. That is pretty much what we did. Well......after we cleaned and put our things back into our living room and family room from having our carpets cleaned yesterday. I will tell you though, it feels wonderful to have a clean house! I generally keep my house picked up, although John would say that is a LIE and to that I would have to flip him off in my head ;o)

Seriously I do try to keep it picked up most times and at any given time someone could stop over and I could invite them in without being embarrassed. However, like I said, cleaning every room (with the exception of my office which is my official pigsty and room keeper of all things that have no other place yet) feels good. We laugh because I probably dust once a week, if we are lucky, but I think John's mom dusted every single day. They threw her dustrag in her grave with her, that's how serious a duster she was! We say she probably rolls over in her grave when she sees the dust in our house sometimes, especially with the renovations. Anyway, today we thought, she HAS to be smiling down because not only did we dust, WE POLISHED!!!

Moving on.......

We were on our own today. Travis had spring break a few weeks ago, and he didn't want to come home, since it wasn't even a long weekend. So he ended up going to my brothers house, which is about 20 minutes from Miami University. From what I understand it was a fantastic weekend. I was really happy for Travis to get to spend some time with Frank and his family as well!

So what did you all have for Easter Dinner. Below I have added a pictorial of our dinner. It was fan-freakin-tabulous!

First there was this.......Filets on the grill and he did sweet onions as well. Soooo wonderfully delicious!

Then there was this......... Roasted Brussels Sprouts, and I must say they were the best I have done so far!

We also had this.......... Tomato mozzarella salad, which is something I live on for most of the summer. I'm telling you it is awesome with home-grown tomatoes from our garden.

Here is a pic of John slaving away at the grill!

And lastly........Look who doesn't run away when we leave him outside!!! Jackson used to take every opportunity to get outside and run as fast as he could away from us. He was a maniac, kinda like Forrest Gump, run, run run. John had some time to work with him while he was off this winter and Jackson can literally go outside with us and we can trust him not to run away. Now I still hook him up if he is going to be out there any length of time, just because I'm anal like that. PS: Don't look at the ugly deck! John is planning a new one this spring....which I need to go remind him that it is spring NOW!

Ugh I could just eat that little doggie face up! He is a little old man. Since we adopted him we don't know exactly how old he is, but we figure he was 3 when we got him, which was right before we got married nearly 7 years ago, so my sweet doggie is probably 10. He still has alot of spunk in him though! I know he is looking forward to being a camping dog a couple weeks from now!

OH some other good news.....planning a trip to Florida in the fall to see my Aunt and Uncle and cousins. John and I plan to get away a bit on our own. We invited my parents to go as well. I NEEDED something to look forward to so Phew, glad that is on the agenda!!

I think we are going to watch Blindside tonight. I'm probably the LAST person to see it, I swear!

Well that is about it for us! I will be back soon. Promise it won't be so long between posts!

Kim

Wednesday's Random Thoughts

Random Thoughts.......

• If you want to see something really funny, feed your dog mashed potatoes.....It might just be Jackson, but he was hilarious!

• I miss Travis on days where there are 2 hour delays or school is cancelled.

• I thought the 9 inches of snow we got was absolutely beautiful. Iwished I had my camera with me the other day when I was driving home. I don't mind driving in it, but it is getting old.

• I have alot of exciting weekends coming up!

• Houses in the midst of renovation (mainly my own), with lots of work left to be done piss me off!

• In addition to that, I find that picking out paint colors scares me! I don't want to make a mistake, and yet paint is so cheap. Why do I care??!!

• I miss my friend Jennifer at work~

• I missed my hair appointment this week.....crap! I need to call them.

• I have realized that the only mascara that really works for me is Mary Kay.

• I think Pandora bracelets are cool.

Until next week America........

Tuesdays at the Table

Hey All!

Thought I would share a great low calorie dessert recipe with you all. I kinda combined 2 different recipes for this one. Sorry I don't have any pictures.

Pinapple Angel Food Cake

1 box Angel Food Cake Mix
1 can crushed pinapple in it's own juice + 1/2 cup of crushed pineapple drained
1 tub light or fat free cool whip
1 small sugar free vanilla instant pudding.

Mix the can of crushed pineapple with the angel food cake mix and pour into a baking dish. Bake as directed on the box. You will want to spray the baking disk with Pam. Remove from oven when done and cool.

Mix whipped cream, 1/2 c to 1 cup of drained crushed pineapple (depending on how much pineapple you really like. Me....I love pineapple so I used alot), and vanilla instant pudding mix and frost cake on this. It gives it a pretty thick layer of icing.

Enjoy. This recipe is so light and fresh!!

Be sure to hop on over to All the Small Stuff and check out the other recipes! Looks like some good ones this week!!

Superbowl Schmuperbowl.....

Well it is time for the superbowl and I'm not really into either team so I'm sitting here bored and thought I would say hey! I would bet....well if I actually did bet, I would bet on the Colts, but my son is for the saints. I just like the name Peyton Manning better and I also like the color of the uniforms better. Poland colors, LOL.

So what's new everyone???

We started a Live Well at Battelle program at work focussing on a healthy lifestyle and so far I have lost 3 pounds. We are all wearing pedometers at work. Did you know that you are supposed to walk 10,000 steps per day? Dang, I'm nowhere close, but I did almost hit 5000 the other day. I actually love the pedometer though, it makes me want to walk more, and my friend Pam at work and I were dancing and walking through the department trying to beat one another on steps. It was kinda funny....Me: I'm going to get the mail. Pam: I'll go get the mail... Me: No I will. Pam: Fine, I'll get our water then. Me: No I can get my own water.... It was kinda like that all day Friday. Hey what's a little competition???

Speaking of work, it was my friend Jennifer's last day on Friday. I will miss her so much! She is such a great person and so awesome to work with and for. It definitely won't be the same without her for sure!

All is well on the Travis Front. He has joined a fraternity, and don't ask me which one because I can't remember. He is having fun rushing and if they know what's good for them they better not be hazing him. When I called Friday and got his voice mail he was giving the daily weather report....that is one of his things he has to do until rushing is over, LOL. It was funny!

Well this has to go down in history as the most boring post ever, LOL. Sorry!

I have nacho's in the oven so I guess I'll go grab those and sit with John and eat them.

Have a great one!!

Top 10 7 Things of 2009

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!! I hope this new year brings all kinds of good things to you and yours!!

With the coming of the new year, I have done a lot of reflecting on the past year and thought I would jot down the Top 10 Events from the year as they pertain to me. However, I could not think of 10 things so this will be the Top 7 list for me, and I may need to come back and update! Most deal with Travis since this was such a big year for him, and in that sense, it made it a big year for me.

#7: Travis starred in the high school play "Sugar" which is a spoof of the movie Some Like it Hot with Jack Lemon and Tony Curtis. He did FAN-FREAKIN-TASTIC!! Our mouths dropped when we heard him sing because he really never showed any interest or real talent in that area. I mean he used to sing in the car, etc. But never did we think he would star in a musical where most of his scenes had him singing his heart out. Awesome show!

#6: Travis graduated. Wow, 19 years ago I had a baby boy and I blinked once or twice and he was graduating. He graduated as salutatorian and we could not have been prouder!! Travis loved high school and it showed. He rarely missed a day and really enjoyed the social time it gave him too. He made lifelong friends here at River Valley and for that we are all grateful.

#5: Travis went away to college at Miami University. Sooooo very sad to see him go, but he settled right into college life. It amazes me! After a rocky start with a low test score in Chemistry, he figured out what college test taking is all about and ended the semester with a 3.4 GPA. Awesome job Travis!!

#4: Got a new job! Out with the old, in with the new. After working for Outsourcing Solutions Inc. for the past 6 years as a QA Coordinator, I quit due to an opportunity that literally landed in my lap. I got a call from my old boss at WorkMED who has now relocated in Columbus and works for a large company here. They were hiring an administrative assistant to help out in the Health Services Department. Although I went from no commute to a 50 minute commute, I absolutely love my job and the challenges and opportunities it presents to me. I love working with people again. I was starting to feel isolated in the transcription business.

#3: Won the Outstanding Performance Award at Battelle. Just one month after I started I won the Outstanding Performance Award, which is an award they present to people that make a difference in their job. You have to be nominated and then a committee votes (I believe) and it was very humbling when I received it. Like I said, I love my job so it is easy to make a difference.

#2: WE GOT A NEW RV!!! Yep, the camping bug bit us once again. Who knew I would love to camp. One day I was sitting at work and I called John and said, hey why don't you go put an offer on that RV we looked at. It was a used one that was in great shape. They didn't accept our offer and were asking way too much so we went to Cincinnati and bought a new one. It is a Rockwood 26 feet. John is way used to his 40 footer so this was a real downsize for him, but so far we just love it!! We spent the summer trying out different campgrounds and found one we really like!

#1: Home Renovations. As exciting as this is, not a room in our house is untouched right now and I'm starting to not like it, LOL. We started with new windows, went to siding, and then the addition of a bathroom. When it is done I'll love it, but it seems to be slow going.

So there are the biggies for me in 2009. It is nice to look back and see what happened. I'm looking forward to a health, happy 2010!!! I wish the same for each of you!