WigenOut Isn't All That Bad

I'm at a Breaking Point

2012-01-27T08:24:00.000-08:00

I don't know what to do. I feel like I'm losing control.

Physical therapy had been going well. I finally felt like I was getting some control over the pain in my head and neck without medication. Then I got sick with a sinus infection and upper respiratory infection last week. Miserable and on lots of meds, I finally started feeling better and went to work on Wednesday. About 2pm my stomach started hurting. The pain is in the lower right section of my abdomen so it was different then any of my previous pelvic pain. It progressively got worse and by 4pm I called Gabe to take me to the ER.

We waited for hours. While waiting I started vomiting, a lot. All of the symptoms were pointing to appendicitis. My white count is high, but the CT scan showed my appendix is not inflamed. I was sent home with Percocet for pain and Zofran for nausea. The pain hasn't increased, but it hasn't decreased as well. When I eat, I get nauseous, but I haven't thrown up since Wednesday.

I feel like a horrible burden right now. There's always something wrong with me. I'm just causing a bunch of medical bills and having to take a bunch of meds that don't seem to help. I don't know what to do. I'm frustrated and hurting. I don't know what route to go next. I was just told to follow up with my primary doctor, which I no longer have one since mine retired, or come back to the ER if things changed. The pain increases some when I eat so I haven't eaten much.

I know there are many different things it can be: scar tissue is more than likely the cause. That seems to be the story of my life. Then they don't want to do surgery to remove the scar tissue because that causes more scar tissue. It could also be endometriosis that spread to my intestines. I guess my next step will be to follow up with an ob/gyn. I have to find a new one since Dr. Mueller retired. OMG!!!

This is so frustrating!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Good Bye 2011, Hello 2012

2012-01-02T06:05:00.000-08:00

I don't mind seeing 2011 go. Below are the few pros from the year and the many cons:

Pro's from 2011

Gabe started college for his bachelor's degree in March
I was asked to be on the Ball Committee for my Mardi Gras society
I returned to The SSI Group in November
I am not a surgery candidate for my herniated discs at this time
We had a wonderful family vacation to Disney in December with my parents

Con's from 2011

Liberty had ankle surgery in June
Gabe had stitches in August
Our rental property was vacant July-Novemeber
My pain returned at an all time high in August
My Mom had neck surgery for a herniated disc on October 14 and that same day I found out I had a third herniation
I was miserable at ITT Tech until I left at the end of October
At the end of November I found out that the bulk of my pain is from arthritis in my neck and I was also diagnosed with occipital neuralgia
My medications started making me ill in December so I am no longer on them
I gained back all the weight I lost in 2010 and found some more since I have not been active due to the amount of pain I'm in

I have decided that this year I am not making any resolutions. I don't want to be disappointed in myself. Instead, I have a list of things I want to do in this new year to make things better and there are things I'm looking forward to. This year Liberty turns 10 in March. I cannot believe my baby will be 10. Time is flying by and she's growing into such a confident, smart young lady. We are so proud of her. Gabe and I will be married 15 years in June. This makes me extremely happy. I don't know where I would be without him as my rock, support, and strength. He has really stepped up this past year with everything that happened. He's an amazing husband and father. I'm so blessed to have him.

Things to accomplish in 2012

Get the house organized and keep it that way
Become active, as the doctors allow, to feel better about myself
Drink more water
Eat healthier
Find non-medical ways to deal with the pain (meditation,etc.)
Read at least 2 books a month
Start sewing again and teach Liberty how to sew
Get the pool in order so we can enjoy the backyard this summer
Have a monthly dinner party at the house since New Year's Eve was so much fun
Blog more often

It's a start. Since it's a list, I can always add and remove as needed. I know that getting things out in words will help me out as well.

Happy New Year! I plan on making 2012 a year to remember.

Holy Crap the Pain, Batman!

2011-11-21T20:14:00.000-08:00

If you've read any of my past blog posts and/or follow me on Twitter or Facebook, you know that I suffer from chronic pain. Last year I was diagnosed with herniated discs in my neck. I went through PT, it helped, and I would have occasional flare ups.

Fast forward to August. My neck started hurting again. My home traction unit wasn't helping so I went back to the neurologist in September. He ordered 3 more weeks of PT and a new MRI. PT did nothing for the pain. The MRI showed a third herniated disc. The pain was so intense he referred me to a neurosurgeon.

I saw Dr. Ronderos at Pinnacle Brain and Spin e here in Mobile. He said he didn't see the need for surgery yet and wanted to try a few things including epidurals and seeing the rehabilitation doctor, Dr. Kopp. I had my first epidural towards the end of October. I didn't have much relief so I had a second one last Monday. There has been no change, the pain continues to increase.

Today was my first time seeing Dr. Kopp. After an assessment and discussing my pain and symptoms in detail, he believes that the pain I am suffering from currently is due to tense muscles and occipital neuralgia. Today he did 3 trigger point injections, one where my should and neck meet on the left side, and 2 on either side at the base of my skull. Ouch!!!

As I read more about this disorder, it makes a lot of sense. Most of my migraines probably aren't migraines. I pray that we have finally found the issue and can more forward to alleviate this pain. I'm so ready to get back to a quality of life instead of being in pain every moment of every day. He also said I have to look at the pain as a weekly thing instead of day-to-day.

Easy Chicken Fried Rice

2011-07-26T16:38:00.000-07:00

We love Chicken Fried Rice. I've made it using leftover rice, but now I've found a way to cheat...Steamefresh Rice. I like to use their brown rice and frozen veggies, but the last time I was at the store they were out so tonight I had to use white rice with veggies. I used two packages. It turned out well.

First I scramble an egg.

I also cook two cubed chicken breasts in 1 tablespoon of butter in the wok. Remove the cooked chicken from the wok.

I use Teriyaki sauce and low sodium soy sauce.

I cook the steamfresh rice in the microwave for two minutes so it's not frozen. I then put it in the wok with two tablespoons of butter. I add the Teriyaki sauce and soy sauce and cook together for about 4 minutes until it's well mixed like below.

Then I add the egg and chicken back into the wok and cook for another 2 minutes.

It's a quick and easy way to have fried rice without having to have extra rice on hand. The Steamfresh rice and veggies are very good. I've also used their brown rice to make red beans and rice.

Really??!!

2011-06-02T20:28:00.000-07:00

Back in February, Liberty sprained her ankle playing Kinect at our friends' house. She had some slight swelling and bruising, but it felt better in a few days. Then she started complaining again. This was an on and off thing for a while.

Fast forward to April. The first day after returning to school from Spring Break Liberty said her ankle hurt really bad again. I took her to the pediatrician. She said she probably re-injured it so she recommended a soft brace, ibuprofen, and heat.

A week later it still hurt. I called the pediatrician and we were referred to a orthopedic. He took x-rays and everything looks good. He said that from the pain she describes, Liberty probably has peroneal tendinitis. He also put her in a cast brace to immobilize her ankle for two weeks.

We returned to the orthopedic two weeks later and there was no change in Liberty's pain level. The doctor referred us to physical therapy for 3 weeks and also said to call if there was no change soon to have an MRI ordered. It seems that each day Liberty's pain is getting worse. Physical therapy is not working. She has her MRI tomorrow and we go back to the doctor next Wednesday. Hopefully we'll get some answers. I feel so helpless. My baby is in a lot of pain and there's nothing we can do to help her.

A Non-Traditional Easter

2011-04-24T19:46:00.000-07:00

This year Easter was very low key for us. I've been in a lot of pain the last few days so we decided not to go to church. Liberty woke up at 6:30 AM excited to see what the Easter Bunny had brought. You can tell how sleepy she is in the picture with her new Easter Bunny pillow pet.

Here's her Easter basket. She received two Webkinz, candy, and peace tattoos.

Here she is posing with her baskets.

Once everyone was awake we cooked breakfast and read the Easter Story. Then we went about our typical Sunday routine of laundry and Gabe working on homework. We watched Despicable Me on DVD and had steaks for dinner. Like I said, it was a very low key kind of day. It was nice, but weird too. I missed the family gathering, but since Libby was gone on Spring Break last week it was nice to have a family day. We don't get a lot of those right now with all that life is throwing at us right now. I wouldn't have it any other way though. I'm enjoying my job and I'm so proud of Gabe for going back to school. It's not easy to do when you have a full-time job and family, but he's making it all work.

Oops....I Did It Again

2011-04-03T15:25:00.000-07:00

I tend to get so busy lately that I neglect my blog. It's been since January since I've written anything. Once we finally got over being sick it seems like things really picked up at work. I was very busy trying to make my goal for the March start. I was close, but did not make it. The school surpassed our total market plan though.

When the new quarter started our campus started its first bachelor program in Project Management. My hubby is one of the students. I am so proud of him for finally going back to school for his bachelor's. I've been after him about it since I received my master's in 2005. It's a challenge, but with the help of our amazing friends we will make it through the next two years.

February was busy with Mardi Gras. My society's ball was wonderful. We had a great time this year. I'm really looking forward to next year already.

In March Liberty turned 9. My baby is growing up so fast. We had an ice cream party at Chill here in Mobile. It was something different and the kids had a lot of fun with the different flavors and toppings.

Now that April is here it's time for spring cleaning. We're slowly getting the house back in shape. Gabe has started on the back yard as well.

The Illness That Wouldn't End

2011-01-19T20:36:00.000-08:00

I feel like Liberty and I have been sick for weeks. Technically, we have. We both had "the crud" the week between Christmas and New Year's. We had flu like symptoms, but no fever. Liberty bounced back after two days and seemed to be better. I, on the other hand, continued to cough. Last week I called my doctor's office and the nurse said it sounded like I had a sinus infection. They prescribed an antibiotic, cough medicine, and was told to get Mucinex D. I'm finally starting to feel better, but I'm still not 100%.

All weekend we could tell Liberty was trying to get sick. Sunday and Monday we made her stay in and lay low. By Monday afternoon she was running a fever. Tuesday I took her to the doctor. We were concerned because her asthma has been in an uproar over the last two weeks as well. She's had to use the inhaler at school frequently and the nebulizer more at home. The doctor assured me that her lungs are clear and she only has a sinus infection. We left with a prescription for an antibiotic and was told to give her Mucinex which I had started last week. My poor baby is miserable. She hates missing school and misses her friends. She was crying today that she wants to go to school tomorrow, but she's still running a fever. Having a sick child is horrible. I would much rather be sick.

Smoothie Please

2011-01-09T09:29:00.000-08:00

This morning we decided on smoothies for breakfast. I've been making them for a while now thanks to the ease of my Ninja Master Prep. I love the thing. This morning I decided to take pictures as we made the smoothies and share the recipe. Here's what you need:

2 cups of ice

2 6 oz. containers yogurt (I use Yoplait Light French Vanilla)

1 banana

1 cup blueberries rinsed

10 strawberries rinsed and sliced

We add the ice, yogurt, then fruits to the Ninja. Then I blend for 2-3 minutes until smooth.

Liberty sliced the strawberries

Blueberries, banana, yogurt, and ice in the Ninja

Strawberries added before blending

All the ingredients layered in the Ninja

After blending

One for each of us

These are really easy smoothies and we all three love them. It's a great way to get Liberty to have some fruit in the morning. What shocked me was when I entered the recipe in MyFitnessPal this morning and the smoothie is only 157 calories. These smoothies are a great way to start the day.

First Phone-A-Thon of the New Year - DONE!

2011-01-06T19:48:00.000-08:00

I really do enjoy my job. There are some things that are a little different from a normal job. One of those is the Phone-A-Thon. Basically it's a designated block of time where we focus on making local calls to schedule appointments. Isn't this what we are supposed to do EVERY DAY? I don't need a mandated time telling me to do my job. Oops, did I say that out loud?

These are typically on a evening and Saturday because it is easier to catch people at home. That's fine. I actually don't mind working the evenings. My family is supportive and understands. I enjoy the time at home in the mornings to myself. It has given me time to work out, clean, grocery shop, etc. Anyway, back to tonight. Our Phone-A-Thon (PAT) was scheduled 5pm-9pm when they have typically been scheduled 5pm-8pm. No one questioned it. Since it was the first one of the new year our director said they would provide dinner. Typically they bring in "junk food": pizza, chicken fingers, grease. He must have been paying attention that a lot of us are watching what we eat because he ordered dinner from Baumhower's Wings. He didn't just order wings. He ordered grilled chicken. I was pleasantly surprised. I had fixed myself dinner and brought it with just in cause.

Tonight was a success for me. I scheduled 3 appointments. I hope things continue in an upward trend. The telemarketing part of the job I dislike, but it gets people in which I like. I still believe this is my dream job. Some people may think I'm crazy, but that's okay. I'm going to enjoy following my students along their paths through school. That's why I'm doing this. I want to help people get an education.

The Start to a New Year

2011-01-01T20:58:00.000-08:00

It's a new year! It's time to say good bye to 2010 and look forward to all that 2011 has to offer. Some things I did right today. I spent the day with family. We celebrated Christmas late with my in-laws this year. The kids had a great day together. It was wonderful. We then spent a few hours with a good friend from high school and his parents. I tracked my calories using My Fitness Pal. I plan on using this site and phone app this year to help me focus on what I'm putting into my body. I even got my hubby to the add the Android app to his phone.

Others things I did wrong today. I didn't exercise today. I didn't eat right. I didn't have enough water. I know I have to take it one day at a time and that each day I can improve.

I have to remember that I have just been sick and I'm still recovering from that. I don't need to over do anything and make myself sick again.

I've started reading a lot again. I'm really enjoying my Amazon Kindle that my parents gave me for my birthday. I'm currently reading the first Percy Jackson book: The Lightning Thief. So far I'm enjoying the story of Percy and how he's learning about being a half-blood: one parent is a mortal and the other is a Greek god or goddess. I see where the stories could help children be interested in learning about mythology. I haven't seen the movie yet so I'll wait until I finish the book.

I hope that everyone has a great 2011. Remember what's important each day. It's the small moments with family that become memories that matter. If something doesn't go right or you stray from what you wanted to do, tomorrow is a new day.

My resolutions this year are to focus on the things that matter most: family, friends, and making memories of this wonderful life I have been given. I'm going to try not to stress out about the small things. I hope to have a prosperous year at my new job. I hope to continue building the healthy habits I started in 2010 when it comes to diet and exercise. I need to especially keep with the excercise to improve me health.

New Year Cards

2010-12-19T12:36:00.001-08:00

Shine Bright New Year's

Create photo new year's cards with Shutterfly.

View the entire collection of cards.

I Reached My First Goal

2010-12-15T20:03:00.000-08:00

Currently at ITT Tech our performance is rated by the number of students you sit each quarter. As of July 2011 this will change based on new Department of Education guidelines. I started the end of September so this is the first quarter I am in production working to recruit students. My goal was set to sit 4 students. In the beginning this seemed very unrealistic to me. I used my contacts and recruited 2 people I know to start school. I figured these would be the only people I would have to start class this quarter. Last Thursday I got a new local lead. I called the guy and talked to him for a while. He seemed interested, but not in a rush. He wasn't even sure what he wanted to do. I scheduled his appointment for Monday evening. He came in Monday night. We went through the presentation, picked a program that suited him, he met with financial aid, then told me he needed to wait until March because he was going to have to pay out of pocket. I thought this was odd knowing his situation. I met with the director on Tuesday and found out he was confused. I called the gentleman back and let him know he could go ahead and start now. He said great he'd be in Wednesday night to finish up his paperwork and start his first class. I was excited!

Also on Tuesday I got a new lead right after lunch that was local for a woman. I called and she stated she was requesting information for her son and she had actually called to see where we were located. He was going to come in within the next few hours. I said that would be great. He came in and knew what program he wanted. We completed his paperwork and scheduled his financial aid appointment for the first thing Wednesday morning. I met with him and his mom this morning and completed everything. Both guys attended their first class tonight. In a matter of 3 days I recruited 2 students that I didn't expect to see. I feel blessed that these gentlemen were placed before me and I was able to assist them with starting school. Now I get to watch them reach their educational goals and succeed in their chosen fields of student over the next 2 years. All 4 of the students that I started this quarter are guys. Two are in the same program. None of them know each other, but their paths will cross many times over the the next two years. I cannot wait to see what successes they have over the next two years. They are all smart and will be able to go far as long as they apply themselves.

I know that this is the job for me. Days like today make me happy. This is what I want to do. I want to help people go to school. I want to help people move forward in life and take the path less traveled to better themselves. Risk is a part of life. Sometimes we are too scared to take that risk. I will encourage and support them when others try to break them down. I will remind them of the goals they told me they wanted to accomplish when we first met. Education is what you make it. All of these gentlemen have a different background, a unique history that has made this their time to attend college. I will do everything I can to help them succeed.

Reaching my goal is great, but it's not about my goal. It's about helping people. It's about changing people's lives for the better. I'll succeed by helping others move forward. That is why I took this job. Even when our leads look bad and things seem bad I have to remember why I took the job. I took the job to make a difference. As long as I keep a good attitude I will be successful. That will help me along the way when times seem tough. If I remember to turn things over to God, He will help me to rise above and do my best as He always has.

I found this quote today and think it's very fitting: “Nothing can stop the man with the right mental attitude from achieving his goal; nothing on earth can help the man with the wrong mental attitude.”

Thomas Jefferson

A Real Pain in My Neck

2010-12-02T18:05:00.000-08:00

Tonight sucks. I had a headache all day today that I couldn't get rid of. Then my shoulders and neck started to hurt. I took my migraine medication and that took care of the headache. I haven't been in this much pain since October. It's frustrating. I came home from work and did traction. It helped some, but not much. my friends at my last job gave me a gift certificate for a one hour massage and I just so happen to have that scheduled to morrow. I cannot wait until 11am tomorrow. I hope it helps. I guess I've felt good for a few months now so I took that for granted. This is who I am now. Pain is always going to be a real part of my life. I have to realize that I'll have good days AND bad days. Today just happens to be a BAD day. It just sucks. It came on so quick without any warning. The intensity is what shocks me the most. It feels like I have a 100 pounds on my shoulders. Laying down doesn't help. Sitting doesn't help. My stretches don't help.

If you're still reading this, I'm sorry for the self pity party. I needed to get all of this out of my head without whining at Gabe. I whined for so long this summer I can't do it to him again. He's already done so much.

***************************

Lord, please give me the strength to make it through the tough times. Tonight I need Your wisdom to help deal with the pain. I know that I can make it through anything with You by my side. Amen.

Thanksgiving and Black Friday

2010-11-26T21:39:00.000-08:00

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving this year. We invited our good friends, Paul and Sara to join us at my parents' house. This was Paul's first Thanksgiving in the states since he just moved here from Ireland. My Uncle Paul and Aunt Karen are here from Dallas so that made it extra nice. We enjoyed many laughs over our wonderful meal of fried turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, sweet potato and squash casserole, green bean casserole, cranberry sauce, and homemade bread. Later on there was chocolate pie and pumpkin pie. It was a great feast and we all had a lot to be thankful for this year.

Liberty spent the night at my parents' so we could go shopping. Toys R Us opened at 10pm. We went shopping with our other friends, Alicia and Sheldon. This was an adventure. The line for the cash registers was completely insane. Someone decided that the line should weave in and out of all the toy aisles. It made it difficult to shop. We stood in line for about an hour waiting to check out. We saved $35 which was nice, but I don't think we'll do this again. I believe we'll use the internet next year. After leaving the store around 1:45am we went to Huddle House and had a late night breakfast. We got home around 3am and went to sleep.

Today was a great day. We slept in then headed back to Gulf Shores. We went to Target there and finished our shopping. Then we went to my parents' and visited some before going to see my friend Annie and her mom. We watched the end of the Iron Bowl. It was a very exciting game this year. Auburn won by 1 point. Annie's mom graduated from Auburn so it was fun to watch her get very excited.

We then went back to my parents' house. We went to a local restaurant in Bon Secour called the Tin Top for dinner. The food was wonderful. We had a nice evening with my family. It was great getting to see my uncle and aunt. I wish they lived closer. We've had a nice, quiet evening at home. I've enjoyed the time off from work so far. The weather has turned cold today. Now it's starting to feel like Christmas. Hopefully we can start decorating this weekend.

I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving. Remember the little things in life. Sometimes the things we don't think about and overlook are the things we should be most thankful for.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part I

2010-11-23T18:43:00.000-08:00

Yes, I'm a geek. Two of my best friends and I went to the midnight opening of Deathly Hallows on November 19th. It was awesome. I think it was the best Harry Potter movie yet. I've seen it twice already. Gabe and I took Liberty to see the movie on Sunday. It was the first HP movie we allowed her to see in the theater. She loved it. I warned her of a few things ahead of time since she's 8, but all around she was great and really enjoyed it. When the last movie comes out in June she wants to go see all 8 in the theaters and go to the midnight opening. We'll see if this happens.

I love all the HP books and movies. I believe that the two are separate modes of entertainment. I get enjoyment from both and compare the two, but do not get overly upset when the movie is not exactly like the book. I am concerned about how the last movie will tie up all of the loose ends because there was a lot left out of Half-Blood Prince, but through the magic of movies, I know it will happen. I was sad after reading Deathly Hallows because it was the end of the series. I'll be sad when the movies end as well. There are still stories that could be written. I hope that some day they will be. I would love to read more about Harry and Ginny, Ron and Hermione.

I'm Back

2010-09-20T18:19:00.000-07:00

Wow....I haven't posted since January. I'm a bad blogger.

This has been a busy summer. Back in March I applied for a job at ITT Institute of Technology. I interviewed in July then didn't hear anything until September. My last day at SSI is this Wednesday. I will now be an Admissions Recruited at ITT. I am so excited about returning to Education. I'm also nervous about the change. I love the people I work with, but I cannot pass up this opportunity.

This has also been the summer of pain. On July 17 I woke up with a migraine that I could not get rid of. I went to the neurologist and started back on Topamax and was given four different migraine medications to try. I also underwent numerous tests including an MRI and EEG. All these were normal. Around August 1 my neck and shoulder started hurting. I went to urgent care and was referred back to the neurologist. After more medications and testing it was found that I have two herniated discs at C2-3, C3-4 and two pinched nerves. I start physical therapy this Wednesday. The neurologist wants me to go to PT three times a week. Hopefully this will correct things.

Liberty started 3rd grade. She absolutely loves it. She started PACE this year, Mobile County's gifted program. She is reading on a 4th-5th grade reading level. Every day she has her homework done when we pick her up from after school care. She is excelling and loves her teacher. Once again I have volunteered to be the room parent. I know, I'm crazy.

I will try to blog more often. I am very excited about the new job. I am looking forward to PT and hoping that soon I will be feeling better. I am moody and snappy at times. Gabe is very good at pulling me aside and letting me know when I am completely out of line. He is a wonderful husband and has taken on most of the household chores. I try to cook and clean some, but he has taken on most of the burden. I wouldn't be able to do this without his support right now, that's for sure.

The Week from Hell

2010-01-28T16:58:00.000-08:00

This has been a week, let me tell you. I've been sick since last week. Coughing, sore throat, achy, but no fever. Sunday my dryer quit working. Luckily our neighbors are practically family so I was able to dry a load of laundry at their house. Gabe and two friends found information online about fixing dryers and trouble shot it down to a part. Gabe bought the part on Monday at lunch and fixed the dryer for $30. I felt horrible all day so I went to the doctor after work and found out I had bronchitis and laryngitis. Two shots and two prescriptions.

Of course I had laundry to do Monday night, so I washed a load of clothes. When I went in the laundry room the wash tub was full of yucky, brown water and was not draining. Great, the sewer line was backing up into the house again!

Tuesday I went to work, feeling a little better. Gabe met the plumber at lunch and he was able to clear the line. More money we didn't need to spend. Tuesday night I got home and was exhausted. I went to bed at 7:00pm and was asleep by 8:00pm. When I woke up Wednesday morning I had no voice. None. My whole body hurt and my throat felt like it was swelling shut. Okay, great. Now I have to stay home. There was no way I could work feeling so ick and not being able to talk. Spent most of the day sleeping.

Wednesday night/Thursday morning around 1:30am I heard Max, our 10 year old Sheltie, barking in the backyard. About 30 minutes later I heard him making an odd sound. I wasn't sure what is was so I woke up Gabe. He made it outside first. He started calling the dog and heard the noise. The dog was in the pool! He was drowning! The horrible sound that woke me was him gulping. He was in the center of the deep end. Gabe hollered for me to get him something long to reach the dog with. I then said, "get the net, the net!" Gabe scooped him in the net and pulled him to the side of the pool. I got him out of the water. When we got inside I checked and the outside temp was 41F. The dog was gasping and shivering. I threw towels in the dryer to warm them. We spent the next half hour drying Max and keeping him warm. His breathing and heart rate were so fast. We were both upset and worried. We wrapped him like a baby and brought him to bed with us. Somehow we managed to fall asleep. I woke up still miserable. Got Libby up for school and told her what happened and that Max was not well. She came into our room to love on him and he licked her. He actually lifted his head and was sitting up for the first time. He really loves Libby. By the time Gabe was leaving for work, he jumped off the bed and went to eat food. He's been sleeping most of the day, which is fine.

I'm finally starting to feel better. My voice is back and the fever I had is gone. I'll be back to work tomorrow after two days off. Of course Gabe's truck is on the recall list so I better make sure he continues to drive the Z. Lord only knows what else could go wrong this week.

Super Sunday

2010-01-17T18:28:00.000-08:00

That's what today has been....a Super Sunday. I started today like I have many in the last 3 weeks....getting on the Wii Fit Plus to work out. When you look at your graph, it shows the past week. I don't see much change so I haven't thought much about it. I decided to change the view and look at the month. I haven't been working out for a full month yet, but from 12/27/09 - 1/1/10 I've lost 5 pounds! Really???!!!! I couldn't believe it. I hadn't thought about it that way. I knew that clothes were getting loose. I even tried on dresses yesterday and went down a size. I'm excited about losing weight. I feel good. I have energy. I'm not tired all the time. I want to work out. Wii Fit Plus is making it fun to work out. Yes, it's hard to get up at 5:00am to work out, but I'm seeing a difference! I teased my husband that it I keep it up, I'll be in a bikini this summer.

Purpose Weight Loss and Exercise

2009-12-28T20:35:00.001-08:00

I started Purpose Weight Loss in November, right before Thanksgiving. Dieting during the holidays may seen crazy, but it was the perfect time to start for me. So far I've lost 8 pounds. I'm taking it one meal at a time instead of looking at the whole day. Our leader us great! She definitely motivates.

I am also getting motivated to work out. I purchased Wii Fit Plus. It's great. The new activities ate fun. I've worked out the last two days. My arms, abs, and legs hurt! I also got Personal Trainer: Walking for the DS. Today was my second day and I reached my step goal of 3000 steps! Both activities are fun. Hopefully it will motivate me enough to get up at 5am. This is my goal starting next week.

Motivation and support are the key. Gabe is encouraging and supportive. I can't wait to need new clothes. My jeans are already loose.

Heather
Follow me on Twitter @wigenout
Sent from my HTC Hero

New phone

2009-11-09T19:43:00.001-08:00

Okay, I'be done it again...I fell off the blogosphere. Maybe my birthday present will help me return. I now own an HTC Hero. I loved my BlackBerry Pearl, but this phone rocks! I'be had it set up for about 8 hours. Gabe teased I don't need my netbook. I love everything about it so far. I'll blog more about it later on the week.

Sent from my HTC

Sorry About That

2009-10-13T15:34:00.000-07:00

It's been two months???? Wow, I've really neglected my blog. I guess I post so much on FaceBook and Twitter that I don't really get over here much.

August was busy. Liberty enjoys second grade. They finished the first quarter on Friday. She had straight A's at mid-term, so I know it's the same for the quarter. She loves her teacher. I am able to read to her class on Thursdays this year. It's great.

September was a busy month. We took a family vacation to Tennessee. It was an amazing trip. I've been working a lot as well.

Today I was home sick. I went to the doctor this morning to rule out flu. I also tested negative for strep. I have bronchitis and an upper respiratory infection. I just took Z Max for my antibiotic. It's a Z Pak in liquid form. The doctor said it stays in your system for 10 days.

I've been obsessed with reading the Sookie Stackhouse books. I absolutely loved them. I have read the entire series in 2 months. The next book comes out in May. I can't wait.

Twas the Night Before Second Grade

2009-08-09T16:30:00.001-07:00

Twas the night before 2nd grade

And all through the house

The child was acting crazy

And annoying my spouse.

The bookbag is packed

The uniform laid out

Lunch menu planned

Will she go to bed without a pout?

She's sharpened her pencils

She's labeled her books

She has brand new folders

She's going to get lots of looks.

Exicted is an understatement

I'm sure you'll agree

This child is hyper

She's driving us up a tree!

She's ready for reading,

Writing, Science and Math

This child loves to learn

More than she likes a bath!

Oh the night before the new school year

Excitement abounds

She can't wait to meet new friends

Hopefully they won't be clowns.

What's Up Wednesday

2009-08-05T18:58:00.000-07:00

What's up? It's Wednesday! The middle of the week. Woo hoo! This morning our department manager sent out an email that there are two positions open for promotion and if you were interested to email him. I quickly responded. I'll be with the company 1 year on August 25. At 12:30 he came by my desk and said I had the test at 1:00pm. I took the 34 question test in one hour. No notes allowed. I answered all the questions. I don't know when a decision will be made. Please pray that things work out how they are supposed to.

I've had a tooth ache for the last two days. It's getting progressively worse as the day goes on. I think it's an abscess. I'll call the dentist office in the morning.

What did you have for dinner tonight? I met two of my friends from Twitter, @Alli_Flowers and my best friend, @CraftyHope for ice cream at Old Dutch. I had a sundae. It was awesome. They have some of the best ice cream. Not the best thing to have for dinner while participating in "The Biggest Loser" at work, but hey, you gotta have fun every once in a while. I have lost 5 pounds in the last 2 weeks by watching what I eat and exercising some. I need to get in a more regular routine of using the Wii Fit.

Liberty is on her last week of summer break. Gabe is staying home with her. He had a fun week planned, but unfortunately Liberty has run a fever every day this week. We went to the doctor yesterday and she said it's a virus and we have to let it fun it's course. Hopefully she'll feel better tomorrow and they can have some fun. He really wants to take her to Pensacola NAS.

Life on Twitter

2009-07-21T19:29:00.000-07:00

Ever heard of Twitter? About a year and a half back, my BFF, CraftyHope had me sign up as a way to stay in touch with our daily lives. At first I didn't use it much. Then I started looking at people she followed and starting following them as well. I started reading blogs and created my own blog. Once of the "local" people I found was subrbanoblivion. I started "following" her and reading her blog. I then started following other Mobile Twits, Tweeps. What's the right term? In April I attended my first TweetUp. It's a meeting with local people who follow each other on Twitter meet up. A lot of my friends and co-workers thought I was crazy. "You're going to meet people you met online?" We had dinner together at Wings. It was a blast. These people were so much fun! We became friends.

I wasn't able to attend the next two tweet ups. We did have an unofficial sushi meeting between a few of us and then we had a girls night where we had ice cream for dinner. I have now made two good friends, subrbanoblivion and alli_flowers.

I wanted to host one since we have that big hole in the back yard that we pour money into. We use a hashtag (#MobileTweetUp) to advertise these events. We had a very good turn out. The party lasted about 8 hours. We all get along, laughed our asses off, and had some awesome food! Thanks to all our new friends for enjoying our pool. Some how we even convinced Gabe (okay, I made the account while he was in the pool) to get on Twitter. He's actually used it a few times this week.

Can't Sleep

2009-07-04T02:10:00.001-07:00

Sometimes I really hate being a light sleeper. Between my hubby snoring and my daughter coughing, I cannot fall back asleep tonight. I've given the child Triaminic night time cough and that didn't help. Now I made her do her asthma inhaler and I'm crossing my fingers that works. I may head down stairs to the couch. That way I can get some sleep without hearing all the sounds. I hope everyone else is sleeping tight.

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The Wild Week

2009-06-18T08:19:00.000-07:00

We have had a full week at our house. Monday Liberty woke up with a red eye. Gabe stayed home in case it was pink eye. Nope, just allergies!

Tuesday I go to take Liberty to day care. When we get there we find out that the older boy who has been bullying Libby is back. My child was terrified. I could not leave her there. I called work and let them know I would be late. I found a program that could take her that day. I was at work by 10:30am. Gabe and I picked her up and she was in a good mood and loved the new school. That made for a happy mommy and daddy too!

Tuesday night I had a girls night with new friends I met on Twitter. We had a great time having ice cream for dinner.

Yesterday I dropped her off and everything was great. At 10am got a phone call that a child at VBS at the center tested positive for Type A flu, possibly swine flu. The center canceled VBS and the summer program for the day. They said they would call about Thursday. I brought Libby home and was able to get a baby-sitter. Ended up taking about a two hour lunch.

This morning never heard a word. We got ready and I drove to the church at 7:40am. When I got there we found a note that said they were closed today for cleaning and would reopen tomorrow. I called the sitter and she has cheer practice this morning. She gets home around noon. Hopefully I'll be able to get her and be at work by 1pm.

Oh the joys of a working mom. This has been a stressful week. Of course, I don't get a weekend this week either. I'm working Saturday and then Sunday is Father's Day. The good thing is our family doesn't stress me out so Sunday will be relaxing.

Whata Wednesday

2009-05-27T19:57:00.000-07:00

I started the day off right. I woke up at 5:30am to workout. My plan was to do Jillian Michaels 30 Day Shred on Comcast On Demand. I've done it about 5 times in the past month. It's about 30 minutes of very intense workout. It's three rounds of 3 minutes of cardio, 2 minutes of strength, 1 minute of abs. The video says you can lose up to 20 pounds in 30 days. Anyway, I came downstairs, went to On Demand and the Fitness TV features were grayed out! WTH

I ended up using my Wii Fit. It was fun, but I really need about an hour for Wii Fit to be effective and I only had time for 30 minutes. I called Comcast and they scheduled a service call as there were no known issues. When I came home at lunch On Demand was working.

This evening while sitting around watching TV I decided to get off my butt and did Wii Fit for about 30 minutes. Now I feel good about getting back on a workout routine. My plan is to get up at 5:30am Friday and do 30 Day Shred. I figure I'll do every other day to start and work up to every day. I'm sore from tonight.

No News is Good News

2009-05-21T18:08:00.000-07:00

There hasn't been much to blog on lately. Life has been busy. Working two jobs keeps me busy. We did get the pool ready for summer. Mother's Day was our annual inagural pool party. I also met up with some great people that I've met through Twitter.

We've been dealing with grief. It seems like once a week Liberty has a break down about MeMe. In June it will be two years since my grandmother passed away. I think for kids it's harder as time goes by. They realize the finality of death. At the beginning it's like okay, the person has gone to heaven, they'll be back. Now she's getting older and realizing that MeMe is not coming back. It's quite sad.

We're preparing for a girls weekend. Gabe is going on his annual Z Car trip to Datsun, Nissan, Infiniti Shootout in Reynolds, GA. The weather is not supposed to be good here this weekend. Too bad because we had thought about going to the beach. Now we have to worry about the basement flooding. And Gabe won't be here. We have friends on standby.

Work is great. I stay busy and I'm getting tougher calls. I enjoy the challenge. It's nice when I figure out what's wrong on my own. It may not be something I can fix, but at least I figured out what the issue is.

Yea, No A/C

2009-04-30T20:04:00.000-07:00

When I was on break at work tonight I called to chat with my darling daughter. After checking in on her day and finding out what her daddy fed her for dinner (Taco Bell for those who care), I asked to speak to the man of the house. She went downstairs and couldn't find him. She then told me that the air conditioner wasn't working and he was trying to fix it. Yea! She finally found him outside. He told me the compressor was making noise. The outdoor unit is only 2 years old!

When I got home, hubby and a friend found out that a fuse was blown. That's the good news. The bad news is it was after 9pm when I got home so they are now checking to see if Wal-Mart has the fuse. The other bad news is that it's like 80+ degrees in my house! Being post menopausal I cannot sleep in heat! I need it to be cold at night. Dang it! I really hope they find the fuse. They said they would go by our rental property and "borrow" the fuse from there if need be.

LMAO

2009-04-29T19:06:00.000-07:00

This was my vending machine snack last night at my part-time job. The package caused a lot of laughter at work and at home. A co-worker threatened to call Gabe to tell him I was having hanky panky with Dr. Pepper. Corny, but funny.

If you've spent any amount of time around me you know I tend to laugh....a lot. That may not seem like a bad thing if you haven't been around. I have one of those weird laughs. It's like I forget to breathe and when I finally do.....

My laugh tends to get me in trouble. Gabe cringes when I get going. Why? Because it all depends on who's around at the moment. My best friend and I can get each other going and it will last for an hour. Through our friend Loes in the mix and one of us will have issues. Loes has made me puke twice from laughter. Gabe actually gets mad if Loes gets me going. That just makes it funnier to me.

There's this video on You Tube that kills me. I don't care how many times I see it, it makes me laugh, hysterically.

Laughter may be the best medicine, but in my cause......maybe not at times!

A Picture Says A Thousand Words.....

2009-04-17T18:49:00.000-07:00

We laughed so hard the other night when this was on MSNBC. You have to understand that there are always a bunch of guys at my house so Will Ferrel humor abounds.
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Barber Motorsports

2009-03-22T17:55:00.001-07:00

What an awesome weekend! The IRL held time trials at Barber Motorsports in Birmingham. We drove up Saturday night, enjoyed dinner with some great friends, and stayed at the home of one of my best friends from college. This morning we woke up and enjoyed a home cooked breakfast with the Goldman family before heading to the track to meet up with Mario and Chris.

We started out at the Barber Vintage Motorcycle Museum. Wow! There are some amazing cars and bikes there. You can see part of the track from in the museum as well. We saw a few passes and had to get out there. We went and walked around where the crews and trailers were. We saw Danica Patrick in her trailer. We then went on the roof of the grand stand to watch and take pictures. It was hot in the sun, but cold in the shade. We decided to sit on the hill near turn one. This was an amazing place to take pictures and Liberty was able to run around and have fun. I've included a picture of Danica Patrick driving that I took with my phone. Gabe shot video and took pictures with the camera as well.

We are on the way home. It was a great day. The little one is passed out in the back seat. I'll be glad to get in my bed once we make it home.

Sent from my BlackBerry® smartphone

Weekend

2009-03-18T18:50:00.001-07:00

We had a busy, rainy weekend. On Saturday we celebrated a friend's birthday. We had a lot of fun catching up. Sunday I taught Sunday school. That afternoon CraftyHope and I took my daughter and her nieces to see The Jonas Brothers Movie. The girls had a blast. I didn't get much done in the way of housework. It's slowly coming along.
Sent from my BlackBerry® smartphone

Exhausted

2009-03-11T19:25:00.000-07:00

Between the time change, work, and a crazy Tuesday, I'm exhausted. My best friend's mother was elected the president of our mystic society last night. After the annual meeting we went out for Mexican. It made for a late night. I couldn't fall asleep til around midnight. I'm on call for work and was paged at 6am when I planned to sleep until 6:30am. Oh well.

I had a mini review at work today. My manager told me I'm doing a great job. My supervisor raves about me all the time. I love my job! I can't believe I've been there almost 7 months.

Speaking of 7, my little girl will be 7 tomorrow!

Going to bed. I'm hoping I don't get paged tonight.

Relaxing Day

2009-03-08T19:52:00.000-07:00

Since yesterday I have been coughing my head off. My broncs hurt. I probably have bronchitis because of the stupid back and forth weather. I still have my cough medicine from November so I started taking it again. The wheeze in the cough is getting me.

I had a quiet Sunday. Gabe took Liberty with him to Daphne to help a friend lay sod in his back yard. I stayed home and did laundry and watched one of my favorite movies, Midnight In the Garden of Good and Evil. I love the book as well. I really want to go to Savannah some day. I wish I had the money to go with my best friend this summer. It was nice to relax and have the house to myself. I also made chicken and dumplings in the Crock Pot.

When Gabe and Libby got home we finished cleaning her room. We are finally able to see the floor again so we set Roomba loose in there. While I showered, Gabe helped Libby make her beds with her new Hannah Montana sheets and comforters. Once I alter the curtains I will post some pictures of her big girl room.

I cannot believe my daughter will be 7 on Thursday. Time has flown by. It seems like just yesterday I was pregnant with her. Now she's almost done with first grade. Wow.

We ended up going to Olive Garden for dinner with friends. I put the chicken and dumplings in the fridge and we will have them for dinner tomorrow.

What A Day

2009-03-07T14:37:00.000-08:00

I had plans for today....cleaning. My head had other ideas....migraine. Not just any ole migraine, a nauseating, gotta sleep it off, migraine. We picked up some this morning, but I felt horrible. About 12:30 I laid down. I had every intention of making chicken and dumplings today in the Crock Pot. When I woke up 2:30 and looked at my recipe I found out they take 6 hours on HIGH. I thought it was 6 hours on LOW. Oh well, dinner for tomorrow night is planned.

Liberty's room needs to be cleaned...BAD. Her birthday is this week and we are redoing her room in Hannah Montana decor. The comforters arrived on Thursday. I really want to get her room done this weekend so that means extra laundry and apparently helping her clean. The child has so much stuff. I'm trying to get her to go through her toys and decide things she doesn't play with.

Time to head upstairs and start dinner. I'm going to make Salisbury steaks, mashed potatoes, potato rolls, and some veggie. While the food is cooking I'll help Liberty with her room.

Another Busy Weekend

2009-02-23T20:01:00.000-08:00

Saturday my in-laws came over to celebrate hubby's birthday. We went to Mellow Mushroom for lunch. Then came home and showed the brother-in-law Rock Band. The guys played for a bit then it was time for Liberty's last basketball game. I'm glad cheer leading is over. It was nice, but the games were in the middle of the day which made it hard.

Sunday we went to Sunday school then headed down to Foley. We took Lib to my parents and mom made Gabe's favorite, lasagna. Then we went to Distinctive Kitchens at The Wharf . On the way home we stopped in Fairhope to see my best friend and her hubby. It was great to visit with them for a while. Then we came home to an empty house. ;) Later in the evening Kris came over and we played Rock Band 2.

Today was the first day at work of Mardi Gras week. Since yesterday was Joe Cain Day there were some hung over folks. It made for an interesting day. Then I went by the grocery store on the way home. Gabe came home and we met Kris and Sean at Buffalo Wild Wings. Now I'm just relaxing while the guys are playing Rock Band. It's interessting to watch. Sean is really good at singing. I will definitely just sit back and watch tonight.

I've Fallen, But I'm Back Again

2009-02-15T19:05:00.001-08:00

So I fell off of the blogging world for a few weeks. Liberty had the flu, thenI was sick for a few days. I've also worked at AIDT a lot lately.

I hope everyone had a wonderful Valentine's Day. Gabe surprised me with tulips. We went to Mosely's Meat Market and bought ribeye steaks and stuffed twice baked potatoes for dinner. I also made spinach. We had a candlelight dinner, just the three of us. It was nice. Liberty went to bed and we watched the movie Juno. It was a good movie. I liked how the teenage girl chose adoption. I also thought it was sweet that her and Paulie wound up together at the end.

Gabe's cousin came over today and we met his girlfriend. We played Rock Band 2 and had a fun afternoon. Some friends came over to buy Liberty's Jeep and we went to dinner with them. We tried this restaurant called Three Flavors. They serve Tahi, Japanese, and Mexican. Weird combo, but that way everone was happy. It was good, and cheap.

This week Gabe's birthday is on Wednesday. He wants to go to Sho Gun for dinner and have sushi. I'm buying him keyless entry for the truck and Z car. I'm only working two nights this week.

We had a Ball

2009-02-01T12:22:00.001-08:00

Last night was wonderful. We had a lot of fun. We drank too much. We danced the night away.

Friday Fitness Tip

2009-01-30T15:32:00.000-08:00

So for the Wii Fit Mommies Forum challenge today I need to post a Friday Fitness Tip. If you work out in the morning you should eat a banana before working out. The potassium boosts your energy and helps you burn more calories. You should also drink water while working out to keep yourself hydrated.

That being said, I am ready to start working out on my Wii Fit regularly. My goal for the month of February will be to work out at least 3 days a week. More would be great, but I have to start somewhere.

I Won!

2009-01-28T11:20:00.001-08:00

I'm so excited! On Wii Fit Mommies they are having a daily contest this week to introduce users to the forum. Monday and Tuesday nights I logged on and did the scavenger hunt to find the clues then posted my thread. Well, this morning I got a message from Julie that I won yesterday's prize (see picture above). This is definitely helping to motivate me to get on the Wii Fit.

Just had to post real quick before I head back to work.

A Headache Day

2009-01-18T20:11:00.000-08:00

So I woke this morning with a migraine. I stayed in bed until 9:30am. I had things to complete today, but only did the necessities. I did some laundry and went to the grocery store. I'm going to be off from my second job all week so I made sure we have everything for dinner for the week. I even planned menus:

Sunday - Spaghetti casserole
Monday - Soft tacos and beans
Tuesday - Chicken and rice (I'll probably cook the chicken in the crock pot)
Wednesday - Hamburgers and fries
Thursday - Frozen pizza (Liberty has cheerleading)
Friday - Breakfast for dinner
Saturday - Pot roast in the crock pot with carrots and mashed potatoes (I'm working @ AIDT)
Sunday - Gabe and Liberty are on their own since I have a dinner with my Mardi Gras group

I feel like I'm the only person I know that has to work tomorrow. Gabe and Liberty are both off. We'll probably do something special for lunch.

My New Toy

2009-01-14T20:27:00.000-08:00

So now there's no excuse for not blogging! I'm loving my mini laptop. It's awesome! It has a built in web cam so I want to find some people to chat with.

Life's been crazy as ever. Working two jobs and trying to have some family time. It's almost Mardi Gras season. My society is in full gear for our ball on January 31st. It will be so much fun. We have rehearsal the next two weekends.

Winter has finally shown up in Southern Alabama. It's down right COLD tonight. I think the low is around 20. Brrrrrr!

I really need to get to bed. It's past my bedtime.

No Training Wheels

2009-01-12T20:22:00.001-08:00

Yesterday Liberty rode her bike without training wheels for the first time. Unfortunately, we missed this mile stone. While she was at her friend's house I took the training wheels off. She then came home to get her helmet. I assumed she would tell me when she was going out to ride the bike. Nope. She went and rode the bike without assistance and she did not fall! We are very proud of our little girl.
Sent from my BlackBerry® smartphone

Viruses

2009-01-07T19:55:00.001-08:00

Happy New Year!

Both home PCs are infected. Gabe's been scanning his pc since Sunday. McAfee sucks! He downloaded Avast on his pc today so I asked him to do mine tonight. McAfee scanned my pc and said it was fine. Avast found two viruses. It looks like Avast can clean them up so all's well that end's well.
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Christmas 2008

2008-12-28T18:38:00.000-08:00

We had a wonderful Christmas. Liberty received everything on her wish list and then some. She loves her DS from Santa and her Barbie Razor scooter. Today she got another favorite, a video camera.

Christmas Day was a relaxing morning at home with Noni and Poppa. In the afternoon we headed to Daphne for dinner with the Loes family. We played Rock Band and had a blast.

Friday I had to work. Gabe and Liberty went to Best Buy and bougt Rock Band 2 for the PS3. This was our family Christmas present.

Today we exchanged gifts with Gabe's family. My sister-in-law and brother-in-law made a wonderful shrimp pasta for lunch. Liberty is spending the night at her aunt and uncle's tonight.

I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas!

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Who Says We Can't Have a White Christmas in Southern Alabama

2008-12-25T12:46:00.000-08:00

This was the seen on the Bay Way over Mobile Bay as we drove to our friends' house in Daphne.
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Christmas Eve

2008-12-24T16:53:00.001-08:00

It's Christmas Eve. Our weather is warm and raining. My dad is sick so we had our Christmas dinner tonight. We had steaks, twice baked potatoes, and green bean casserole. It was good. My parents are going to spend the night so they can watch Liberty open her gifts in the morning. We're going to make a breakfast casserole. In the Crock Pot.

I hope everyone has a wonderful Christmas!

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Testing

2008-12-24T13:57:00.001-08:00

Testing blog by email from the BlackBerry.
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I'm Baaack

2008-12-22T20:30:00.000-08:00

Okay, so I fell off of the blogging world for a while again. What can I say...life gets in the way of my Internet fun.

We've been busy getting ready for the holidays like everyone else. Between working two jobs, decorating, cleaning, shopping, program rehearsals, etc., it's been one crazy month. It seems like Thanksgiving was last week! I cannot believe Christmas is only 3 days away.

I'm still learning all about my new phone....the BlackBerry Pearl. I've been downloading apps and I even tried blogging from it Saturday night, but it didn't work. I have to perfect this.

I hope everyone has a joyous CHRISTmas! I will post pictures soon.

My Review of Clorox® Scooba Cleaning Solution 5 Pack

2008-12-13T08:21:00.001-08:00

Originally submitted at iRobot

Safe, effective cleaning solution, specially formulated for use with Scooba Floor Washing Robot. Strong enough to clean tough spills, yet gentle enough for use on sealed hardwood floors. Contains no bleach. Contains five 32-oz. bottles.

Better than Vinegar

By WigenOut from Mobile, AL on 12/13/2008

Pros: Extends Functionality, Increases Performance, Easy To Use, Smells Fresh, Cleans better

Best Uses: Larger Rooms, Wood, Smaller Rooms, Tile

Describe Yourself: Homeowner, Busy household, Pet Owner

We tried the sample bottle of the cleaning solution that came with our Scooba. We then switched to white vinegar. We noticed that the solution cleans better and smells better.

(legalese)

Twas the Night Before Thanksgiving

2008-11-26T19:32:00.000-08:00

And all through the house
The only creature not stirring was the toy mouse.
We ate pizza for dinner because who wanted to cook.
Mom still needed to find the perfect pie recipe in the cookbook.
The Roomba vaccuumed the floors
While Mom did other chores.
Dad played Wii with the child
Who was acting a little wild.
Tomorrow will be a day of travel and fun.
After all the food we may need to go for a run.
So remember to be thankful for all that you have.
Show love to those around and don't get mad.

So I know this post is silly, but that's my mood at the moment. My Uncle is in from Dallas and we went to Mellow Mushroom with him for dinner tonight. Their pizza is awesome. Tomorrow we are going to spend the day with my hubby's family in Gulf Breeze. On Friday we'll go visit with my Uncle and parents. Then on Saturday two good friends are getting married. This is going to be one busy Thanksgiving weekend. I hope you enjoyed my little poem.

What's New....

2008-11-23T13:08:00.000-08:00

Okay, so I've fallen off the face of the blogging world for a while. I was very sick with tonsillitis and bronchitis for a week and have just started feeling like myself again. I was off work for 4 days, which I didn't have to take. But when you're running a 102 fever you're no use to anyone.

I started back on Weight Watchers when I became sick. I lost 7 pounds the week I was sick. I lost another pound this week. I'm happy with the progress. I'm one pound away from the weight I ended at when I finished WW in May. Doing it on my own is hard, but I can't afford meetings at the moment. Maybe I'll try online when the new year roles around.

I started exercising yesterday. I have Wii Fit which I did not do for 99 days. How do I know? The game tells you! It's such a smarta$$ about it too. I would love to lose 25 pounds. More would be great, but I'd be happy back around 140 pounds.

Hopefully this week will go by fast. It's going to be a busy one. On Monday evening I have my fitting for my Mardi Gras ball costume. Tuesday night Liberty is sleeping over at her friends' house for the first time. She's out of school on Wednesday and will spend the day with her freiends. Thursday we'll go to Gulf Breeze to my hubby's family for Thanksgiving. On Friday we're going to Bon Secour to see my parents and my uncle who will be in from Dallas. Friday evening is Alicia and Sheldon's wedding rehearsal and Saturday is the big day. The wedding. It feels like it was just Christmas and he surprised her with her ring. Now it's time for the wedding. Gabe and I are in the wedding. Liberty will help my mom be the photographer's assistant since my dad is taking the pictures.

We went to Wal-Mart earlier today and bought our Christmas tree. I hope to put it up next Sunday. We thought about getting a live tree for the first time, but with my allergies and Liberty's asthma we decided not to chance it.

Another Week Gone, Another Year Older

2008-11-09T13:02:00.000-08:00

Wednesday was my 33rd birthday. Last Saturday we went out to my favorite restaurant in Gulf Shores with my parents. I was totally slapped in the face by the age fairy when the host was the owner's son that I baby sat for from the time he was 6 months until about 10. He's now 21 and helping his dad run the restaurant. Man, did I feel O-L-D!!!!

I had a great birthday. Gabe took me to Mars Hill Cafe for lunch. I love their pesto pasta salad and their chicken salad. We then went to Sho Gun for dinner with Liberty and some friends. Their fried rice is awesome! It was a quiet birthday.

On Friday Gabe was off work. He went and bought steaks and grilled out that night. Yum!

Saturday I worked at AIDT. I think the lettuce was bad on the poboy I ate for lunch because my stomach didn't feel right the rest of the day. I didn't eat diner and I went to bed at 8:30pm.

Today Liberty and I are having a relaxing day. Neither one of us feels very good. Gabe went to Montgomery with the guys for the international car shootout. Next weekend is Pinks All Out so we're both going to that.

It was nice being off this week in the evenings, but our next 4 week session starts tomorrow. Making money for Christmas - woo-hoo!!!

iRobot

2008-11-02T17:01:00.000-08:00

About two weeks ago Woot had a Woot Off. First thing in the morning they sold the Roomba for under $150. Gabe called and asked if I really wanted one. I said of course so he ordered it for my birthday. We both hate vaccumming so we decided it would definitely be worth the money.

About 4pm that day, the Scooba was for sale for under $190. Normally it sells for around $300 so I called Gabe and asked if we could get it as well. We have hardwood floors upstairs and ceramic tile downstairs so he agreed that it would be worth it.

They both arrived this past week. On Thursday we charged the Roomba. Gabe had it vaccuum downstairs on Friday when he was out running errands. It did an excellent job. We then set it loose in Liberty's room yesterday and the hall. We vaccuumed the rest of the house today. I charged the Scooba yesterday and used it in Liberty's room and the living room. My floors are so shiny! We're going to get on a rotating schedule of vaccuuming and mopping so that our floors stay clean. I think it will help us keep the whole house clean as well. We can't clutter things up when we have to keep picking up to have the robots vaccuum.

If you've ever thought about buying either of these products I highly recommend them. They are a definite must-have for the busy mom who wants more family time instead of cleaning time.

With 4 pets and an asthmatic child, I know we'll get our money's worth out of these products. Thanks iRobot for inventing the Roomba and Scooba!

The Other Woman

2008-10-26T15:48:00.001-07:00

There is another woman in my husband's life. I don't mean our daughter or his mother either. This other woman gets a lot of his attention. He makes her sparkle and shine. He always buys her the finer things. At times, I was jealous of her, but I've come to appreciate the other woman in his life. She gives him a sense of joy and satisfaction because of what he's accomplished with her. He's dedicated to her and is determined to finish things the right way.

You may be thinking I've lost my mind. You may wonder why I'm okay with this. Why I support him having this other woman around. Who is this "other woman"?

That's for you to figure out. Comment me. I'll post a picture of her in the next few days.
*******************
Here's the other woman:

According to my wonderful husband, cars are females because they are temperamental and you have to spend a fortune on them.

Time Flys When You're Never Home

2008-10-24T05:18:00.000-07:00

I have spent the week working my tail off. It will be worth it come Christmas morning. I'm trying to get extra money for Christmas.

This has been a busy week all around. We started the process of refinancing both houses. We're dropping the payments by $300/month and we won't have mortgage payments in December.

I'll blog more this weekend. Maybe I'll catch up for the week I missed.

Saturday's Almost Over

2008-10-18T18:16:00.000-07:00

I haven't slept well this week. My wonderful hubby has been trying to get sick all week. How do I know this???? His snoring! It's gotten worse which means I haven't been able to sleep. I've thought about going into Liberty's room and sleeping on the bottom bunk, but it's been full of toys all week. Today that was taken care of. I did move to the couch last night. I woke up with a leg cramp at 4am in my right leg then again at 6am in the left leg. WTH????? My legs have been sore all day. Anyway, Gabe felt so horrible this morning he didn't go with to Liberty's soccer game.

After the game we went with friends from church (the daughter is on Liberty's team) to Hudson's. We went looking for Halloween costumes. They had a ton of clothes. I've needed stuff for work ever since I started my new job. Well, I bought plenty today. My birthday's in a few weeks so I don't feel bad either. It can be my present. Anyway Liberty and her friend had to have the same Halloween costume. They are going to be Mardi Gras queens. The dress is beautiful.

When we made it home around 1pm Gabe could hardly talk. Liberty went to play with her friend down the street and I took Maisy to the vet for her shots. Afterward, I came home and I've been relaxing all day. I should be cleaning, but after working my a$$ off all week at two jobs, it's the last thing I want to do without help. I'm going to wash clothes and try to clean off my desk tomorrow. I'll also go to the grocery store.

For dinner tonight we had left over chicken and dumplings. They were yummy. Then I took Liberty to TCBY since she made straight As first quarter. Here are her grades:

Language Arts 98
Reading 97
Math 100
Science 100
Social Studies 100
Work Study 100
Conduct 100

We are so proud of her. She truly loves school and learning. I hope it continues.

The cat scratched me earlier and drew blood which meant I had to take a Benadryl. I'm probably going to fall out soon, which may not be a bad thing.

Be a Model Twitizen: A Twitter How-To

2008-10-18T05:38:00.000-07:00

Reposted from a blog I read. If you're not on Twitter, you really should join the fun.

(Follow me: http://www.twitter.com/WigenOut)

Be a Model Twitizen: A Twitter How-To

by LaSara Firefox, MPNLP, www.lasarafirefox.com

(Follow me: http://www.twitter.com/Yoga_Mama)

I was skeptical at first, but now Twitter is my golden city. As a busy mom and entrepreneur, I can take a few minutes and digest a handful of posts from my favorite Twitter friends, or post a bite-sized delight about my own day – all condensed to 140 characters or less. Who doesn’t have time for that?

Yes, often those posts will contain a link that may lead to an off-site exploratory mission, but so far it’s the most organic and dynamic way I’ve found to keep to my finger on the quick-beating pulse of the magical and diverse interwebs, and at the same time keep a constant stream of interest in what I have to offer.

If you’re new to Twitter, or have yet to join the chorus, here are a few ground rules that will help you to make your tweets harmonious.

1. Follow me, and I’ll follow you…and vice-versa:
If I follow you, please do the community-oriented thing and follow me, too. That way it becomes a conversation, a collaboration, a community. For us dedicated tweeters, Twitter is about building relationships. Build one with me!

Most of us don’t tweet to hear the sound of our own voice. No one wants to be shouting into a well. Consider my follow an invitation into my world, as well as a tip of the hat to your skill in presenting a doorway into yours.

2. Write a good bio:
In the beginning, this tiny bio is all we know about each other. 160 characters of character. The bio is often an under-utilized aspect of Twitter. I’m encouraging a bio revival! Make me want to know you. (It’s great practice for your elevator pitch, too, right?)

I encourage you to include something about your openness to new followers, or the reason you’re on Twitter. I put “Follow me, I’ll follow you,” in my bio. If you only want people you already know to follow you, you can protect your updates. In addition, you could say “I only follow people I know.” This little step will save both of us time, energy, and pride.

In addition to the bio, there’s a spot for a url. Add a link to a place where I can find out more about you; your blog, your website, an article you’ve written, your facebook profile.

3. Building your “Twitterverse”:
The way to build your network is to follow people. Yet, you ideally want a good balance between following and followers. So there’s a rhythm to building your twitterverse. Here’s how mine goes:
a. Find prospective Twitter friends (see step 4 on some tips on that), and follow them.
b. Allow a few days for the prospective community member to follow me in return.
c. If they follow me back, I make personal contact through a direct message (aka, “dm”, see section 6 for more info) and all is good. If they don’t, I evaluate whether they’re worthwhile to follow without the benefit of a two-way conversation. If they are, I keep them on. If not, I unfollow them.

4. Finding your twitter-posse:
You want to follow people you find interesting. You want to be followed by people who will find you interesting. Whether this is for work, fun, community building, or all of the above, your skill in creating your personal Twitterverse predicts how rewarding your Twitter experience will be.

There are worlds of possibility in every moment, but even more so in Twitter. Bloggers, and moms, and marketers, oh my! Really, you can find followers and followees from all walks of life, and with interests that run the gamut. These people are going to be getting into your head, and introducing you to new worlds day by day. Choose accordingly!

First off, click on the Find People tab on your home page (upper right, see it? good!) you might want to follow your irl (in real life) friends. You can search them by name or e-mail address. You can also invite them to join twitter, if you think they’d enjoy the experience.

Next, you’ll want to choose a few terms that indicate shared interests. For me, those terms were mom, mommy, mama, momma, and the dad variations, too. Then yoga. You can either search by terms at http://search.twitter.com/, or you can use the Find People tab again.

When you search your terms, the search will bring up profiles that list terms in the Twitter user name, in a tweeter’s bio, or even sometimes in a tweeter’s tweets. I found pages and pages of members listed on most of the terms I searched.

I chose selectively from the tweeters listed. Some of the parameters I used to decide whether I should follow someone or not were;
* The date they last tweeted - if someone hasn’t been on in months, what are the chances they’ll respond to a follow alert from a stranger?
* What their most recent tweet said; for example, if the tweet said “Why the hell are all these strangers following me? Creepy!?!”, that member is not a likely candidate for community building!
* Their bio, and whether it sounded like we’d be a good match.

Most often I would choose not to follow people with protected updates, but in rare cases I’d risk it and request permission to follow. I recommend that you judge that one on a case-by-case basis.

Another way to find like-minded tweeters is to go to a like-minded tweeters page, and follow the tweeters they follow, and those who follow them. You can see bios by placing your cursor over a tweeter’s name.

I would follow as many tweeters as I felt inspired to in one fell swoop (I think my “following” list got up to around 2000 once), and see who followed back. After a few days, I’d go back check out which tweeters had responded, and go through the evaluation of whether I would keep following tweeters who had followed back, or not.

Through this strategy, I built my list of followers up to over 700 in a matter of days.

5. Ethics for business (and personal) networking:
Some disagree with me on this, but I believe that even - or perhaps especially - if “you” are a business, you should follow in return. Yes, Twitter is free advertising, and it’s SMART advertising – JetBlue, Zappos, Vans and thousands of entrepreneurs can’t be wrong!

But, as always, there needs to be some buy-in. In this case, imnsho (in my not so humble opinion), the buy-in is this; I’ll pay attention to your posts, but I expect you to pay attention to mine, too. It’s a give and take, baby!

Besides, think of the marketing information you’ll be able to gather. Two-way communication with your demographic is just plain smart business sense.

Also, it’s not good manners to follow me, and then turn around and unfollow me when you think I’m not looking. I will come back and check from time to time, to see if those I follow are following me. (I do the same for those who are following me, too. I go and check my followers and make sure I’ve returned the follow.)

Not only that, there are tons of third party systems coming into being that are created to augment the Twitter experience. One of these even helps twitterers keep track of their follower activity. And, there are sure to be more of them as time goes by, and Twitter’s popularity continues to soar to new heights.

There are a few exceptions to the rule, but I generally don’t follow those who aren’t willing to follow me in return. I cast a line out, and if you grab hold I’ll hang on too. However, if there’s no resultant tug on the rope, I’ll reel it back in and cast in another direction.

If you have something amazing to say, and I just can’t live without your voice, I’ll stick around. But I tell you, it’s so much more fun when we can all sing out together!

6. A few easy commands that will be useful to know:
@username: this creates an automatic link to a tweeter’s profile, and alerts the user that you have sent a public post that cites them. If you’re replying to a tweet, including @username (like @yoga_mama) is great. It both promotes the tweeter, and creates a connection between you and the tweeter in question.

#tag: (like #gratitude, #palin, #debate, etc.) makes it easy to search an item, and get all the tweets that are relevant. It’s also is an easy way to see relationships between tweets by multiple tweeters.

rt, or retweet: when you repost someone’s tweet, it’s proper to add “rt @username” and then the retweet. Basically, it’s a way to give credit where credit is due. And again, it promotes tweeters who are tweeting things you appreciate or agree with.

d username: direct messages are the way to send a private note to another tweeter. Remember, it’s “d(space)username(space)message”. You’re only able to “dm” tweeters who are following you.

In closing:
Twitter is a community. In some way more profoundly than any other networking site I’ve ever been part of, the tweeters I follow have worked their way into my heart.

Maybe it’s the often unguarded, haiku-like quality of the “microblogging” experience. Maybe it’s the frequency with which I see the words of a given tweeter. Maybe it’s the fact that the Twitter experience has the contour and context of a conversation drifting in through the kitchen window.

And this in a country (the USA) where we often don’t have a sister or best friend living next door, or a neighbor we could easily ask for advice on a moment’s notice. Much less, hundreds of neighbors, many of whom might send well wishes when you need them, and heartfelt advice when you ask for it. (Or, just like any family, sometimes even when you don’t!)

Twitter has brought us into one another’s living rooms. It’s allowed us to share our vacations, our kid’s Big Game, our successes and heartbreaks.

It’s opened a window into a community that never goes to sleep - tweeters live all over the world, as one tweeter tweets her last missive of the night, another wakes up to a brilliant new day. A community that is always willing to give a shout out, send a smile, talk about politics, and lift one another up in a challenging moment.

Remember this as you build your personal Twitterverse. You are creating a new world, from nothing. Build it, grow it, nurture it with intention and care. And you know, everything will be just right.

About the author:
LaSara FireFox, MPNLP, is a coach, trainer, and published author. LaSara helps clients find balance in their lives, and alignment with their personal and family-held values. She teaches and coaches internationally. She’s wife to an outstanding man, and mom to two brilliant girls.

You can find out more about LaSara at www.lasarafirefox.com. While you’re there, be sure to check out LaSara’s weekly conscious parenting podcast; Yoga Mama Satsangha.

(Please feel free share this article, in its entirety. Repost, send to your list, share with your friends. Please include all links, and LaSara’s bio. Quoting is always welcome, and should be executed in accordance with basic MLA quoting guidelines.)

Coffee Mug Chocolate Cake

2008-10-16T19:42:00.000-07:00

http://www.dizzy-dee.com/recipe/chocolate-cake-in-5-minutes

I've been busy every single evening this week. It's going to be this way for a while. I'm trying to make extra money for Christmas. I had to share this recipe. I can't wait to try it this weekend. I'll let you know how it turns out.

Cat Up The Tree

2008-10-12T09:43:00.000-07:00

Thursday morning when Liberty and I went to leave for school and work, our cat Tiger was up the oak tree over our carport. I called Gabe who said not to worry. When we got home Thursday, the cat was still up the tree. We tried all night to get him down, but the tree is not easily accessible. He was high up. Gabe had to climb up the ladder onto the roof, then put the ladder to the tree and still could not get where he was. We even called a fireman friend to see if they really get cats out of trees. Nope. Back to the drawing board of ideas.

Friday morning he's still up there. Gabe came up with the idea of making a bridge from the tree to our roof. He went to Lowes and bought 16' long 2x4s. With the help our our neighbor he they built a 32' long bridge.

I came by the house after reading to Liberty's class on my lunch break to check on things. The cat was still in the tree. It was decided we needed soft cat food to help coax him down.

When we got home from work I remembered there were cans of tuna in the hurricane supplies. I poured some in a bowl and was going to put it on the roof, but I chickened out. Another neighbor came over and climbed the ladder and took the tuna up. The cat came within two feet of her on an overhead branch. The neighbor who helped build the bridge got home and he climbed the ladder as well. He thought he might be able to grab the cat on this branch that slopes to the roof. Nope. Gabe arrived home to find a front yard full of neighbors and neighbors on the roof. He then put a bowl of tuna on the bridge and left another can of tuna on the roof. We knew it would take some time. Before Gabe came to bed at 2am the cat was still on the roof.

On Saturday morning I had to get up to work a full day at my part time job. I woke up at 6:30am. I dressed then went out front. When I called Tiger's name I looked up at the roof and the tree expecting to hear him meow. He meowed all right, but he came running from around the side of the house. I was so happy I almost cried. I scooped him up in my arms, loved on him, and brought him into the house. He drank a ton of water and ate cat food. I told Gabe the good news. Liberty was so happy when she woke up. She ran downstairs to love on her kitty.

Through this experience I learned what great neighbors we have. We became closer through this adventure of needing help. Everyone thought of different ways to get the cat down. He was up that tree for about 48 hours. It made for two stressful days and sleepless nights.

Cruisin' the Weekend Away, Part 2

2008-10-12T09:25:00.000-07:00

I know I promised to finish this the other day, but life got in the way. I'll explain more in my next blog.....

Friday
Our first full day at sea. We ate breakfast in the dining room. We ended up eating with the president of my Mardi Gras society and her husband. It was nice. At 10am Carnival had a cocktail party for a group. Free alcohol.....we drank a lot that morning. After the party we "paraded" on the boat. We spent the day having fun with friends, eating good food, seeing the shows, and playing games, even putt-putt. We also played in the casino. Gabe participated in the Black Jack tournament on this day.
Friday night was the Captain's Dinner. My best friend, CraftyHope, got to sit at the Captain's table. Since she was not with her mom and step-dad, we ate with them that night. I had lobster and shrimp. Gabe had prime rib and lobster. The food was amazing. We were all dressed up:

Saturday
We arrived in Cozumel early in the morning. We we disembarked we went shopping. Afterward we headed to Margaritavilla with our friends.

After eating we took a taxi to the beach. Gabe was able to go snorkeling, the one thing he kept saying he HAD to do. The water was gorgeous.
After getting back on the ship, we relaxed, had dinner, then went to the show. It was a blast.

Sunday
Our last full day at sea was rough. We ate breakfast in the dining room, but that was the only meal we did that day. We skipped lunch as we were both full from breakfast and the ship was really rockin' and rollin'. We went to some games and played in the slot tournament. We then relaxed in the cabin and watched movies. Since I wasn't feeling so great we ate the Wharf buffet instead of eating in the dining room. After dinner, we went back to the cabin. The show for the evening was canceled due to the rough seas.

We had an amazing time. You can see all the pictures we took on the Flickr badge to the right.

Cruisin' the Weekend Away, Part 1

2008-10-08T19:51:00.000-07:00

I gotta say, the Gulf of Mexico is gorgeous. The water is so blue and brilliant when you get away from land. We had the time of our life on the the cruise. Being with my two best friends, my hubby and CraftyHope, made it the best trip EVER!!!! We took tons of pictures, but I haven't uploaded them to Flickr yet. I'll try to do that tomorrow night. Here's a synopsis of the trip:

Thursday: We boarded the boat in time for lunch. We went to the Lido Deck and enjoyed the buffet. We also bought a soda card and had our first alcoholic specialty drink of the weekend. We met a couple from St. Louis and talked to them. Around 1pm it was time to meet with the ladies from my Mardi Gras group to get our "goodie" bag. Once we had the bag we found my best friend and her mom. We were able to go to the cabin. We checked it out for a while. We were impressed at the the size. It was the size of a hotel room. Not really what I expected. Then we had the mandatory safety drill. Luckily Gabe only had his cell phone so the horrible picture in the life jacket will not be shared. We then returned to the cabin to relax then decided we wanted to witness entering the Gulf. Gabe took some gorgeous sunset pictures. We were close to the Ft. Morgan Peninsula. It was amazing. We went to a liquir tasting and purchased bottles of alcohol to bring home. We then had dinner in the dining room. The food was wonderful. The other people at our table did not show up so I kept teasing we were having a romantic dinner at a table set for 8.

This is going to take a while so I'll add more tomorrow. I'm exhausted from working both jobs today.

Return tomorrow for the continuing story.......

Counting Down the Hours

2008-09-30T18:32:00.001-07:00

In less than 48 hours we'll be on our cruise! Can you tell I'm excited? It's all I can think about. I have so much to do to get ready. 5 o'clock will not come soon enough tomorrow. We have to finish laundry and pack. It won't take long, it's just getting it done. My mom said she'd help Liberty pack on Thursday afternoon so I may just let her do that to save me the hassle. This will be the longest we've been away from Liberty. When I had my hysterectomy she stayed with my parents for three nights. This is going to be four. I know she'll be fine and she'll have fun, too.

Where'd It Go????

2008-09-28T17:26:00.000-07:00

This weekend flew by. Saturday morning Liberty had fun at her soccer game. We then spent time cleaning and doing laundry. Today we went to church, Liberty went to Sunday School, and I had a Board of Education meeting at church. I also picked up my bridesmaid dress for the wedding I'm in Thanksgiving weekend. I can't wait for Thursday.

Can You Say.....Weekend!!!!

2008-09-26T16:18:00.000-07:00

I'm so glad the work week is over. It was a busy one. I've learned a lot at the new job. I'm ready for next week to get here though. On Thursday we leave for a cruise with my Mardi Gras society. My best friend will also be with us. I'm looking forward to spending some quality time with her. We're cruising the Gulf and going down to Mexico. Gabe and I have never been out of the country so we're both excited. We haven't been on a trip just the two of us since our honeymoon. I'm getting ready to go pick up our tickets then meeting Gabe, Liberty, and friends for the newest restaurant in Mobile -- Texas Roadhouse. Gotta love a good steak.

I ate lunch with Liberty today. School pizza was always one of my favorites, even as a teacher. The cafeteria was crazy. It's one of those things I don't miss now that I have a office job. :^)

We have soccer in the morning. Should be fun. I'm going to get with Gabe about the video. He can make it a combo of both games.

Topsy Turvey Tuesday

2008-09-23T18:15:00.000-07:00

Tuesdays are officially a crazy day at our house. Liberty as soccer practice at 5pm. This means I have to leave work 30 minutes early to pick her up from after school care and make it to the park on time. That also means I can't take a full lunch to come home and let the puppy out. Luckily, Gabe was able to do that today. I took lunch with me to work and got in 30 minutes of over time. The puppy is adjusting with a few "bumps" here and there. She's almost completely potty trained. Yippee!!! But for some reason, she's decided the couch is something to chew. Not bad, but it could be if we were not around. For this reason, we haven't let her stay out while we're at work. She's staying in the kennel. She's a very smart dog. In about 10 minutes tonight, Gabe had her sitting when he said "sit".

Since it's Tuesday and I knew we would not be home until after 6pm, I decided to make a pot roast in the Crock Pot. It was awesome. In the last week I've made three meals in the crock pot. I wish I had discovered how easy it is to use the Crock Pot years ago. I've used it in the past, but not to cook a full meal like I've been doing. So far I've made taco soup, chicken and cream sauce, and the pot roast. I can post recipes if anyone wants them. The leftovers are great for the nights I have to work or for our lunch since we are normally able to come home. I am definitely going to start collecting Crock Pot recipes. I read one for a cobbler. I'm glad I have two of them. I can have dinner cooking in one and dessert cooking in the other. Oh wait, maybe I shouldn't. I'll never lose weight that way!

Pictures I Promised

2008-09-22T19:53:00.000-07:00

Okay, so today was definitely a Manic Monday for me. Full-time job was busy, which made the day fly by. Part-time job was okay. We only had 12 students tonight so we finished early. I did find mine and hubby's birth certificates for the cruise next Thursday. I can't wait!!!! Anyway, here are the pictures Gabe took of Liberty after her soccer game on Saturday. I'm not sure what the faces were about. I guess he told her to look tough, but she looks mad to me.

I also found a great new site. It's twittermoms.com. My BFF got me addicted to twitter and I'm now addicted to this site as well.

Not much else is going on. Just staying busy with work.

Another week without a blog

2008-09-21T11:36:00.000-07:00

Man, I feel like such a slacker! I'm finding now that I spend all day on the computer at work, I don't want to get on the computer at home. I guess it's a good thing.

I started working "on my own" this week. I'm answering the phones and I've actually been able to figure out some issues without help. I ask a ton of questions and have great co-workers. I'm definitely enjoying the new job.

My mom commented the other day how nice it is to have the "happy Heather" back. Even though I'm working two jobs, I'm happy because I'm not bringing work home. It's not like when I was teaching. I don't carry a bag full of grading, lesson plans, etc. with me. I take myself to work, I do my work there, then I come home and enjoy my family. Wow, what a concept!!!

Liberty started playing soccer this week. Her first practice was Tuesday and her first game was yesterday. We have pictures and video that will be posted later.

Beach Fun

2008-09-15T19:55:00.000-07:00

We had a blast in Gulf Shores/Orange Beach this weekend. We stayed with friends in a five bedroom house off the main strip in Orange Beach. It was great having some "grown up" time for a change. We went out to eat Friday and Saturday nights. Friday we went to Guy Harvey Grill and Saturday we went to LuLu's. Saturday we went to the beach. With all the wind from Hurricane Ike I didn't realize I missed my arms with the sunscreen. Man do they hurt. Gabe surfed. We also saw Yancy Spencer from Innerlight. They were filming. Pretty cool. On Saturday night we played poker after dinner. That was fun.

Sunday morning was "dawn patrol". We met some guys from high school and Gabe surfed. I think he had more fun on this day then on Saturday when the waves were bigger. Being with "the crew" from high school made it an awesome morning.

Another Crazy Week

2008-09-11T17:53:00.000-07:00

I'm learning that when you work two jobs, you don't have much time for yourself. I haven't been able to blog yet this week because on Monday and Wednesday I worked at my part-time job and Tuesday night was PTA Open House at Liberty's school. It's Thursday and I finally have some time to myself.

Hurricane Ike is going to make landfall in TX sometime Friday. He sure has the Gulf Coast in an uproar. Parts of the Alabama coast are experiencing flooding from unusual tide levels. My parents went to the Gulf State Park in Gulf Shores tonight to take beach pictures. They were pelted with sand and said that the tide had been up about 20 feet above normal. Crazy! Gabe just talked to a friend down there who said he had to help evacuate tourists from parts of Fort Morgan Road today. Here's a picture my dad took:

We are heading to Gulf Shores for the weekend. Gabe wants to surf and a friend has a condo. We'll stay with my parents. Hopefully we'll be able to hang at the beach some. I guess it depends on the wind.

What a week

2008-09-06T06:18:00.000-07:00

It's been a very busy week. Tuesday Lib's school was closed so Gabe stayed home with her since I just started my job. Some other friends in the same situation came over and hung out with them all day. I learned a lot at work this week. I even made some calls. It's definitely going to be a learning process for a while. I worked two nights at my part-time job.

We found out Thursday night that Lib's been chosen to do a demonstration at Open House on Tuesday night. She's 1 of 2 first graders involved. We are very proud and excited for her.

Friday was my first time at the Rolling Reader in Lib's class. They are all so cute and good. I knew there was a reason why I liked teaching K and 1st the best. I read a book that Lib picked out. It will be fun to do this every other Friday. Another mom and I are swapping out weeks.

I'm not sure what we're doing this weekend. We don't have any definite plans. I know I have to get laundry done. I also want to get grocery shopping done. We're also keeping a watchful eye on Ike's predicted track. Right now it looks like he'll be in our area on Friday. Fun, fun...........

Not the best of Labor Days

2008-09-01T07:50:00.000-07:00

Hurricane Gustav decided to ruin any fun we might have had this Labor Day. No pool, no beach, just a bunch of wind and rain.

We have some of our best friends staying with us since they live on Dog River in Mobile. During Katrina, their house had at least 6 feet of water in the downstairs garage. They how have an 18 month old and knew their house was no place to stay. Originally it looked like Gustav would make landfall around high tide time. It is coming ashore sooner so we're not sure how much water they will have. They are hoping to be able to go home tonight.

Last night we watched the movie 21 on HD Demand. It was good. We went to bed around 12:30am. The little girls had been asleep for a while. Around 3am our friends got a call from the weather service they signed up for that we were under tornado warnings. They woke us up. We got Lib up and all headed to the basement. We ended up sleeping (somewhat) down there, just in case. Luckily nothing happened. We woke up around 7am. I made coffee for our friends since Gabe and I only drink cold coffee. We're completely addicted to it. Then I made pancakes for breakfast. We ate and we've been watching the news/weather and playing on the Internet. The girls have been playing and watching TV in Libby's room. The little one is ready for a nap. I can't blame her.

We're hoping we don't loose power, but our neighborhood is older and the lines are above ground. We have some limps on the ground, but not much. It will be interesting to see what happens in New Orleans to the levees. When I worked for Health Resource I traveled to the West Bank a lot. I pray that there is not much damage and that LA fares the weather this time around.

Watching and Waiting

2008-08-30T13:57:00.000-07:00

Today's been a relaxing day. I had hoped to swim, but the pool got an algae bloom during the week due to no chlorine. We've been trying to get it cleared up, but have been unsuccessful at the moment.

Last night we went to the grocery store and stocked up on emergency supplies. We are watching Gustav and wondering what he is going to do when he gets in the Gulf. It looks like we'll at least get some bad weather. At the moment we are on the eastern edge of the "cone of deception". I don't trust predictions. It seems like the storms tend to shift to the right at the last moment. We won't really know anything until late on Sunday or early Monday. We decided it's better to be prepared and nothing happen then to lose power and be without supplies. We borrowed a generator from Gabe's work so we can power some necessary items if we lose power.

We may have a houseful of people since we have a basement. We plan on cooling off the house Sunday night/Monday so that the basement is nice and comfortable if we lose power.

New Job Update

2008-08-26T20:12:00.000-07:00

I am officially a Client Services Representative at SSI Group. I have spent two days in training/orientation and I have two more to go. Five new employees started yesterday. We are enjoying getting to know each other and our way around the building.

I am taking on more work at AIDT as well. I started shadowing in the classroom setting tonight. I will still work in the computer lab as well. I am getting more hours to help with the pay cut I took. We won't have to sweat things as bad and Liberty should still have a good Christmas.

Liberty loves Training Station. Her friend Hannah attends so they are enjoying the play time together. Maisy is doing well with her new schedule. Gabe and I have come home for lunch both days this week to let her out and play with her some.

We are watching Gustav to see where he goes next. Is outerspace out of the question????

Up Before Dawn

2008-08-23T03:58:00.000-07:00

I feel like we have a baby again. Well, I guess we do. A puppy is a baby dog. Anyway, the last few days I've been up by 5:30am to let Maisy out of her crate to go potty and play. During the week it's fine because I have to get Libby up by 6:30am for school. This morning it's an issue. I went to bed around 11pm. Gabe on the other hand didn't come to bed until 3am and the puppy whined horribly. He got up and took her out. I thought this meant she would sleep a little longer. Nope. 5am she was howling. I thought great, I just fell back asleep from the 3am wake up.

So here I am. Awake. Wanting sleep. Wondering if Libby has her soccer evaluation this morning. Wondering when the rain will begin from Tropical Storm Fay. Praying our basement doesn't flood. Trying to be quiet. Letting the dogs play together.

I think I'll lay on the couch and see if they continue to play. When I'm on the computer they entertain themselves, but normally when I move to the couch they want my attention.

Job Hunt Update

2008-08-20T07:44:00.000-07:00

It's been a crazy week all ready. Having a new puppy is keeping me busy. Monday at 4:45pm SSI Group called and offered me the Support Service Representative position! I accepted and am scheduled to start on Monday. At this point I am still hoping something will happen with the Heart Association, but I can't take the risk of turning down a job when the economy is the way it is. I need a stable income and I see a lot of growth potential at SSI Group. I'm excited about the new journey ahead of me. I'm ready to return to work.

I'll still be able to drive Libby to school in the mornings, but she'll now go to after school care. She's sad and excited at the same time. She liked knowing I was home, but I reminded her that we like our house so Mommy has to have a job. Her new friend, Hannah, attends after school care at Dodge so she'll be with her.

I am registering Libby for soccer. She's going to play for Upward through Cottage Hill Baptist. She's excited. She has an evaluation on Saturday morning. Practices start Sept. 8. I'll keep everyone posted about how things go.

Introducing our new addition

2008-08-18T11:51:00.000-07:00

Yes, we're crazy. Max has been lonely since we had to get rid of Molly last year. We got Tiger, but cats and dogs don't really play well together we've found. They all co-exist just fine, but they're not friends. Well, Gabe's sister's Jack Russells had puppies on Mother's Day. She still had the little girl so we decided to bring her home as a friend for Max. Liberty named her Maisy since she was born in May. She's adjusting well. She's been chasing Max and vice versa. On the way home yesterday we stopped at the Bass Pro Shops in Spanish Fort and we were able to bring her in with us. We were stopped by so many people. So not only am I looking for a job, but now I'm training a puppy.

No news on the job front today. I know things will start happening soon.

Fabtabulous Friday Night

2008-08-16T08:54:00.001-07:00

My interview at the American Heart Association went well. I hope to hear back from them soon. I really want the job and know I can do it well.

Yesterday was our friend Lori's 30th birthday. We went to Orange Beach and had dinner at Cafe Grazie. It was wonderful. Gabe and I shared the Grazie Cannelloni. It was stuffed with lobster, shrimp, crab and scallops, and topped with alfredo sauce. Later we went out with everyone. It was a blast. Something we don't normally do, especially with a six year old. She is staying with my parents for the weekend. This is the first "alone" time we've had in a while. This evening we're going to a casino in Biloxi with my Mardi Gras Society. It will be fun. Some of our best friends will be with.

What a Hump Day

2008-08-13T09:57:00.000-07:00

Last night Big Buddy, the frog Libby rescued from the pool two weeks ago died. I thought something was wrong with it's back leg and sure enough, it was broken. Gabe said she was very upset and wanted me since I was at my part-time job. This morning she was fine about it. Probably the fact that we removed all traces of the frog helped. We now have a ten gallon aquarium hiding in the garage.

Today is my day of interviews. I had an interview at Snelling this morning for a Business Development Manager position. We also talked about a Recruiter position they have. Both sound interesting. Then SSI Group called. I interviewed there July 17 for a Support Service Rep position. I now have a meeting with the VP of Client Services at 1:30pm. I'm excited and nervous. They are a really good company with good benefits. The pay isn't what we were hoping for, but we can make it work. Another plus is it's in the same building Gabe works in. I'll update later today after my meeting at SSI Group.

Manic Monday

2008-08-11T18:25:00.000-07:00

I always loved that song by The Bangles. Anyway, today was Libby's first day at Dodge Elementary where she is attending first grade. There was a horrible storm this morning. We got drenched going into the school. Once inside, I could only walk her to the hallway where she sits and reads until the 8:00am bell. She got upset and cried. I wanted to cry, too.

When I got home, I applied with three employment agencies. Then I had lunch with Gabe. The University of South Alabama called and I have an interview in the morning for the secretarial positions I applied for. We'll see how the money is. Then Snelling contacted me. He said my resume was impressive and he would have someone compare my qualifications to jobs they have. Next he e-mailed asking if I wanted to interview for a position with Snelling. I said yes, but do not have an interview scheduled. Finally, the American Heart Association called about the Gala Director position I applied for on Monster last week. I had a phone interview with HR and I now have a face-to-face interview in Mobile on Thursday. Wow! What a productive day on the job hunt.

Before I knew it, it was 2:45pm so I left to pick up Libby. Man, carpool was a nightmare. I sat in line until 3:30pm. Then Libby did not answer to her number. I taught it to her one way, but they did not call it that way. Who knew? Anyway, they finally called her name and she came. By this time she was in tears. We now know the number and dismissal should be better tomorrow.

Libby had a good day at school. She made some friends and likes her teacher. She said the only bad parts were the morning when I had to leave and when I picked her up. Tomorrow I'm not walking her in, so that will help and we now know the number the correct way so she's good there.

I posted pictures from this morning. Here's a comparison from the first day of kindergarten to the first day of first grade:

Kindergarten First Grade

I didn't realize how much she's grown until I saw these pictures side-by-side.

For our first day of school tradition we let Libby pick where she wanted to go for dinner. We went to Chili's. After dinner she wanted dessert so we shared the Molten Lava Cake. We had a quiet evening. She's now in bed and excited about tomorrow. So am I.

Pool Party

2008-08-10T20:02:00.000-07:00

Today was awesome! I worked out on Wii Fit this morning. That's 4 days in a row. This evening was the pool party for Gabe's work. It was at West Mobile Swim Club. We had a blast. I added a Flickr badge of pictures to the right. Libby went off the high dive without a second thought.

I, on the other hand, almost chickened out. I'm 32 and I've never been off a high dive before. Quite a rush.
Looking at the pictures makes me realize how out of shape I am in. I believe I will be starting Weight Watchers again tomorrow. If I eat right and keep up the good work on Wii Fit, hopefully I'll start losing weight again. I know I need to get healthier. I fell into some bad habits while teaching. Enjoy the pictures!

Weekend!!!!

2008-08-09T13:47:00.000-07:00

Well, I got a rejection letter from Springs Window Fashions yesterday. I really wanted that job. I'm still waiting to hear from SSI Group. When I heard from them this week they said they should have a decision by Friday of this week. I'm still applying for jobs like a mad woman. I have to have about 100 resumes out by now. So the job hunt continues.

Thursday was Meet the Teacher at Libby's new school. I like her first grade teacher. Libby's excited and can't wait for Monday to get here. I'm excited for her to make friends near the house. She needs it.

We're going to a pool party for Gabe's work this evening. It should be a lot of fun. Afterwards we're all going to eat Mexican together. We'll take some pictures so I'll post some tomorrow.
*********************
So Gabe's crazy and he got the days for the party confused. It's Sunday. I'll post pictures on Monday.

Hump Day

2008-08-06T19:15:00.000-07:00

Little girls are so dramatic. My daughter has perfected the drama queen since she was 3, but it has gotten so much worse as the summer break as gone on. I know she misses the daily interaction with other 6 year olds. We've had a few play dates over the break, but not enough to satisfy her need for friends. As an only child myself, I understand. Unfortunately times are not as they were 25 years ago. I cannot just let her go "run the neighborhood" like I did at her age. Things should get better when school starts next week. She'll be attending the neighborhood school this year. Her friends will be close by instead of 15 minutes away. Until then, I now know not to take her shopping. The whining and begging drove me insane at Target today. All we needed were socks and a belt for school. Why they were so hard to find I don't know. While there, she had to ask for 10 different things and then pout when I said no. I know this is just kids, but she has spent the summer whining at me. I'm ready for her to go back to school. We have "Meet the Teacher" tomorrow evening so that should be fun.

I'm still putting out resumes like a mad woman. I have called two companies I interviewed with to check in, but neither HR person returned my call. I don't know if I should take that as a bad sign. I'm trying not to stress, but knowing that my last paycheck from the school system is the last day of August is making it tough. Lord, please give me the strength to move on.

Not Much

2008-08-04T21:05:00.000-07:00

Today was a pretty normal day. I took the little girl to her favorite store, Build-A-Bear. She made a panda and dressed it in High School Musical clothes. We had lunch at McDonald's. I'm going to enjoy as much time with her this week as I can. We're going to have fun since school starts back Monday. We've had a great summer together. I wouldn't trade this summer for anything. It's hard not having a job lined up, but it will come in due time. Then we had dinner with friends and they came over so the kids could play. We're trying to get the little girl back to bed on school time, but it didn't work tonight. Maybe tomorrow. I started a Facebook page yesterday. It's a lot different from MySpace. I like it so far. The cool thing is I had a lot of friends join with me so we're stumbling through it together. Nothing thrilling or exciting to blog about today. Oh well. Life goes on.

The Beginning

2008-08-03T10:43:00.000-07:00

This is something I've been thinking about for a while now. I wanted a blog separate from MySpace. Since I'm about to start a new chapter in my life, I decided now was as good of a time as ever. After obtaining my master's degree and teaching for three years I realized that it's not what I thought it was going to be. I was unhappy and unfulfilled as a teacher. It turned me into a depressed person who I no longer recognized or liked. With the help of my family, I am ready for a new journey. I don't know where it will lead at this moment, but I know that I have support wherever God takes me. I am trying to put all this in His hands and see the plan that He has for my life. I know that with patience will come the job that is meant to be. I am rediscovering myself and my faith after three turbulent years. Hopefully this blog will help me along the way.