Musings & Ruminations

nashville

2010-02-21T17:25:00.008-06:00

In mid-December, I surprised Adam with a weekend trip to Nashville to see one of his favorite singers, Hank III. He doesn’t tour very often, and this show was at an awesome little dive called Layla’s Bluegrass Inn and was free to the first 100 or so people who showed up (bar’s max capacity). Since the place was so small, it made for an awesome show with not a bad seat (standing place, rather) in the house.
As luck would have it, our plane was delayed so we ended up not making it to the show in time to get in with the group they allowed in. But we had come too far to not see the show, so we stood out in the freezing cold until the bouncer finally felt sorry for us and let us in during the first song.
This is from the bar next door called Robert’s Western World. Their boot-shaped koozies are quite possibly my favorite thing ever.
For your viewing pleasure, I took some pictures of a few of the gems at one of the stores downtown. Why other countries think we’re backwards and redneck, I’ll just never understand…

updates, updates, updates...

2010-02-21T16:11:00.003-06:00

It’s been a fast and furious new year already at Casa Comstock. In realizing I haven’t blogged since before Thanksgiving, I’ll try to make the recap and quick and painless as possible. Maybe splitting them up will make it a little easier on the eyes. :)
November
The end of November was bittersweet. Adam’s grandma passed away right before Thanksgiving after a long battle with congestive heart failure. She was a tough old gal, and of course, she decided to pass when she knew everyone would already be in town for the holiday so as not to be “an inconvenience” …what a woman. The weekend prior, Adam was hunting on her land and shot his biggest deer to date. She was able to see it through her window that day and I know she was really proud.
Now you guys know that hunting is NOT my thing, but it’s a big part of Adam’s life, so I’ve resigned myself to the fact that eventually there will be animals mounted on a wall somewhere in our home. But this one will be special. His grandma always went by her middle name, Dorene. Her first name was Alpha, so that’s what we’re naming his deer. Pretty weird, I know, but somehow it makes me feel a little more at ease about having a once-living mammal on my wall.
December
I spent the last couple of weeks before winter break doing my Mental Health rotation. I enjoyed it much more than I had anticipated. My favorite part was the Seniors unit, where most patients are admitted from a long-term care facility where they’d had an episode that warranted a psych evaluation. I absolutely adored these folks – we mostly did group activities like chair aerobics, arts & crafts, etc., but I was also able to have some really amazing 1-on-1 discussions with a few of them about their lives. With dementia, it’s hard to know whether what they’re saying holds any truth, but even if I was only hearing their version of history and reality, I know it had to be therapeutic for them. I was also able to sit in on an outpatient therapy group and observe some ECTs (electroconvulsive therapy).
Christmas came and went so fast…we had intended to split the time between both our families, but the roads were too nasty to travel so we ended up staying in H’ville. Here’s one of Adam’s many “festive” outfits from this season. I believe that night he was wearing original designs by Goodwill & DAV Thrift.
Towards the end of break, I was able to travel to St. Louis for a couple of days to see all the gals and their babies. It was so much fun to catch up! We were spent New Year's Eve over at the Pintado's with Rachel, Nick & Carter, Emily, and Carie, JP & Riley. It was nice to be with good friends and be in bed by 1AM. Not kidding.

make that 15 weeks

2009-11-24T15:41:00.002-06:00

I have GOT to start updating this thing more often. Geez!

Now that I'm officially on Thanksgiving break, I can use the computer for something other than studying and not feel guilty. Ahh...such a great feeling!

My first clinical rotation has almost come to an end, and I can honestly say that I know I made the right decision in choosing this career path. Each day, I get to walk into a new situation, and it's the best feeling in the world to know that I can make a difference, even if it's just a small one. Without committing any hippaa violations, I thought I'd share some of my clinical experiences from the past couple of months.

1. Observed a hip replacement, knee replacement, gallbladder removal, pelvic mass removal (which I honestly thought was a baby's head when the doc pulled it out of her belly), and a toe amputation
2. Changed a dressing on a wound that was so deep and necrotic I could see bone. Unfortunately he ended up losing the leg later in the week.
3. Took care of a woman involved in a parking lot "altercation" who ended up getting run over by a car and broke her back in two places. (What's our takeaway here, folks? Don't turn your back on someone you just beat up if they are driving a car.)
4. Successfully inserted a catheter (even though it was pre-op and she was asleep, I still say it counts)
5. Took care of a prison inmate that had to be unshackled from the bed each time he needed to go to the bathroom
6. Cleaned up not one, but two, code browns that could have filled a baby pool
7. Buffed an 83-year-old man's balls. (Bet ya haven't done that one before...it's quite nice, really. When you have a patient in such severe heart failure that all his dependent extremeties fill with fluid, the ol' family jewels can actually become the size of grapefruits. But with a little baby powder and some folded washcloths, you can really make his day.)
8. Watched a 310lb pathologic gambler shave her armpits b/c I couldn't leave her alone with a razor since she tried to off herself the week prior
9. Started my first IV on a man who didn't even flinch when I asked if he would do the honor of being my first stick
10. Removed staples from the head of a woman who said she fell, "chasing her cat," but judging by her blood alcohol level and the frequent warnings she gave me about the men who were going to, "break into my house and steal all my money," I'm pretty sure Kitty was non-existant.

These are just the first ones that came to mind when I began to type. It's rare that I go through a day without at least one good story. And I hope I'm not coming across as aloof - because I truly care about each and every one of these people and want to help them get better. But I learned quickly that if I didn't laugh, chances are I would cry. And that won't make me much of a help to anyone.

Today was my first day of my Mental Health rotation. I worked in the seniors unit and really enjoyed it. There are so many people out there who just need someone to listen. Even if it's only for a few minutes - it can make all the difference in the world to them. And if there's another thing I've learned, it's that EVERYONE has a story. I feel very lucky that so many people share their stories with me.

6 weeks down

2009-09-22T16:56:00.003-05:00

I can't believe I've been in school for 6 weeks already. It seems like I just started...which I kind of did...but as of today I've completed 2 of my 6 classes for this semester. It has been a whirlwind for sure. I feel like I have just a little bit of knowledge about a whole lot of things. It's kind of scary. So here are a couple highlights from my greenest time in nursing school.

To give you a better idea about my program, it's 80 students (actually I think we lost 1 in week 4, so 79) who are all pursuing nursing as a second career. Everyone in the program has at least one 4-year degree. I kind of assumed everyone would be like me, coming from a job of 5+ years, totally starting over, etc.
That would prove to be the case for about 1/2 of the students. The rest are folks who have either worked in healthcare settings (maybe as a CNA, tech, LPN, etc) or those who just graduated in May from college and decided not to face the crummy job market. So I'd say the class ranges from 21-60. The oldest person is actually a man who has been a carpenter and graduated from college back in 1974. The youngest are some gals who are still lucky enough to live in their childhood bedrooms while they go through this year.

I knew a few students going in from my pre-requisite courses. I say "knew," but really, how much do you "know" someone you've only had a night class with? This brings us to the first class, Assessment, which was a lecture/lab where we learned what "normal" is supposed to be when assessing a patient from head to toe. Then came lab, and we all know that word can only mean one thing...lab partner. So, as I read the list of names of those assigned to my group, I frantically searched for someone familiar.
Yep, I'm the 29 yr-old-definitely-not-in-the-greatest-shape-of-my-life-lucky-if-I-even-shaved-my-legs-today girl. And who was my one familiar face? Why, the 24 yr-old-zero-percent-body-fat-oops-I-wore-my-see-through-thong-today girl, of course!

So there I was, stripped to my bra and undies (which didn't match, of course) behind a curtain with my total opposite. I felt bad for her at first - I mean, it was probably really weird for her to touch actual fat tissue. But modesty goes right out the door when your grade depends on it, so she was stuck with me. Things went fairly smoothly until abdomen day. I guess it had been awhile since anyone had deeply palpated (pushed on) my stomach. So you can only imagine the sound that came out of me when she pushed a little too hard in the lower right quadrant. Yep, the whooooole lab heard it. Awesome.

The other class I just finished was called Foundations. It was another lecture/lab where we learned basic procedures. Everything from the simple stuff like sterile technique and injections, to a little more brain-busting stuff like calculating doses & starting IVs, inserting catheters, suctioning trach tubes, etc. Nothing too embarrassing from this one...I did gross everyone out the first week though when I licked my finger after getting it "dirty" during the bed-changing chapter. Come on people, I knew it was chocolate pudding all along.

Oh another grand thing about nursing school, their grading scale is totally screwy, so an A is 95-100, A- 92-94, B+ 89-91, and so on. So I'm feeling pretty good about my A's in each class. Granted, Foundations was a 95.1...so I pushed it on that one, but I'll take it!

Next week, we begin 4 new courses, Pharmacology, Mental Health, Professional Concepts and Adult Health, which includes our clinical rotations. In an actual hospital. With actual patients. Zoiks.

I've been assigned to a neuro/ortho floor, which I'm really excited about since I've grown up with both my parents in the ortho field. I'm nervous as heck that I'm going to screw up something major, but I've been assured that won't happen since we'll be with an RN at all times.

OK, that was waaaay too much info for one post. They will only get more amusing from here, I'm certain. More to come once I start dealing with real poo instead of pudding poo.

summer recap...part dos

2009-09-10T21:22:00.012-05:00

Hello from the land of enemas and catheters! Yeah, there's other stuff too, but that's just the extra fun stuff so I thought I'd mention it right off the bat.
OK, here's my second half of summer stuff. School details forthcoming...

6. Frushi. This stuff was totally yummy. Had it at Orange in Chicago along with these bad boys...the chocolate pancake flight, or my #7.
8. My little buddy at the Lincoln Park Zoo.
9 & 10. The. Most. Amazing. Cupcakes. Ever. Molly's in Chi-town. The chocolate one was filled with peanut butter and more chocolate. The other was filled with cookie dough. Enough said.

So, golly gee, it appears the summer was full of eating! I guess it's just some strange appreciation I have for pretty food that makes me always get my camera out. I mean, geez, we went to Chicago for Lollapalooza...and I think I have 2 pictures from those 3 days.

Lolla was a great time, however, we realized that we're too old for any sort of music "festival." A 2-3 hour concert is just about enough for us old geezers these days. Needless to say, we didn't even make it to Sunday's shows, which I'm disappointed about now, but at the time there was just no way. Between the 2 of us, we still got to see a ton of amazing bands, including Tool, Andrew Bird,Bon Iver, The Decemberists, Kings of Leon, Of Montreal, Fleet Foxes, Animal Collective, Robert Earl Keen, Langhorne Slim and Blind Pilot. There were so many others I wish we could have made it to, but we're just not built for 12 hour days in the rain or sun anymore :)

OK, tales from nursing school to come soon, I promise. Since our garage ceiling fell in last night, I'm sure the weekend is going to be a blast. Ha.

Peace.

summer recap...part uno

2009-08-23T19:08:00.011-05:00

Since it's been so long since I've posted, I decided to just upload whatever photos I had in my phone and see if that could capture the past month. It's actually quite telling. So here's the top 10 - broken into two parts so as not to bore anyone to death.

1 & 2: Dinner out with the KC girls at NoRTH. We surprised Al at her dress fitting, then had a night of wine & delicious food. The goat cheese, corn, asparagus & tomato pizza was bueno.
3: I can't believe I used to actually live in this place. On our last trip across the great state of Missouri, we stopped in CoMo for some lunch and I just had to see if the ol' Brown Apple was still standing. How is it that this place is still considered inhabitable for humans?

4: For some reason, I have no pictures from the 4th of July weekend at Carie & JP's lake house. Yet I managed to take one at a gas station on the way home because I was so amazed that this is actually a food offering now. Only in Missouri...
5 & 5.1: Adam's 10 year high school reunion...I told him the only way I would go is if he promised I could drink as much as I wanted and he wouldn't bitch about the cost. Luckily, JJ's wife Katie was equally excited to be there so I had a partner in crime. Needless to say, the night ended with an MJ dance party at Geno's 70s club and a 2:30 AM trip to Pancake City.
Part 2 cominmg soon...

mmm... 'maters

2009-07-22T22:04:00.002-05:00

With a little bit of salt...yum.

summer breeze...makes me feel fine

2009-07-21T22:59:00.004-05:00

Good ol' Seals & Croft. Such lyrical geniuses. Riiiight.

So it's mid-July and we're totally in bed with the windows open. Love it. Being spoiled with this cool weather, I decided it was time to do something with the 1 million pounds of mulch we received from our good buddy Logan as a wedding gift. Here's how far we've gotten. Next step, edging and planting. Whoohoo!

We've got a busy few weeks lined up before school kicks in to full gear. This weekend we're heading to Mexico (Missouri, sigh) for Lynn's wedding. She was one of my Mizzou roomies so it will be great to see old friends and meet all the new babies and such.

Then it's off to Kirksville for Adam's 10 year reunion. I didn't go to mine so I'm not exactly sure what sort of fun it will bring. :) But we're most excited about our trip to Chicago for Lollapalooza. Our final hurrah to carefree fun. How fun will it be to see a bunch of awesome bands AND Christen in one weekend?

Anyway, that's all I've got for now. Back to studying I shall go. I heart patho!

don't ya just hate it

2009-06-30T22:42:00.003-05:00

When you realize it's been over a month since you wrote on your blog? I wish I had something earth-shattering to post but my brain is tired and my belly is full so I'm just going to leave you with this...one of my favorite parts about summer. More to come, promise!

3 days to go...

2009-05-13T14:57:00.003-05:00

Umm...oops again on not updating the blog.

Just saw that I barely squeaked out an A- in my Accel A & P class...sweet! That's definitely the news I was hoping for.

So today is my last day at work until the Tuesday after Memorial Day. Which is sweet!
Then I come back for 4 days, tie up loose ends, and embark on the journey that will be the next 15 months of my life.

And oh yeah, I'm getting married on Saturday. (That still sounds so weird when I say it out loud or type it.)

Big changes, people. Big changes.

Anyway, can't wait to see many of you this weekend and catch up.

Word up. Or down. Or whatever.

it's the final countdown (cue synthesizer)

2009-04-17T09:07:00.002-05:00

That song is so rad, isn't it?

Anyway, it's Friday, which is GREAT. Today is my boss's last day - it's bittersweet because she's the bom dot com so I'm sad, but I'm totally stoked that she's found a great new position, especially in this economy. So today will be full of goodbyes, which will get gushier and mushier once happy hour starts.

Last night was my first fitting of the new dress. Everything went well except for the price of alterations...holy sh*t, I guess that's how they get ya. Anyway, it should be ready a week before the big day. Nothing like cutting it close!

It's definitely crunch time here. Just treading water for the next month or so. May 29 is my official last day at work, then I'll be starting school full-time June 1. Yikes!

Tomorrow is my hometown shower and bachelorette party. I'm looking forward to seeing everyone and having a drink or 2 or 10.

Hope all is well with everyone. More updates to come!

mamma and mia

2009-03-25T17:09:00.008-05:00

Had a great weekend in Arizona visiting Cucchi, Marco and their little peanut. It was so amazing to realize how much life changes with the addition of a little one. We had a lot of fun catching up, and I enjoyed snuggling with mia and the pugs, who were excellent bed buddies!

little irish eyes

2009-03-18T10:39:00.005-05:00

We were lucky enough to spend our St. Patty's evening with 5 day old Riley. Carie & JP really made a cutie, didn't they?

This week will just be full of little rugrats for me - I'm leaving Friday after work to meet Miss Mia in Arizona. Looking forward to lots of snuggle time and catching up with Cucchi!

the past couple of weeks

2009-03-11T09:44:00.006-05:00

Quick recap of the past 2 weeks:

Attended my first bridal shower...so much fun! It was actually a joint shower for Carie, Laura and me since our group of friends live so far apart. We had such a great time catching up and laughing. 4 of our KC friends hosted it, and put so much work into pulling off the perfect party. Photos stolen from Christen.

Attended my second bridal shower...again, a great time! This one was hosted by three of my friends from work. The food and conversation was wonderful. More pics to come when I get them uploaded.

I've decided showers are fun. I think dearest fiance likes them too. He gets to spend a Saturday doing whatever he wants, and I come home with presents. What's there not to love?

Work has been excessively busy of late. Our team lost 2 members in the last round of lay-offs, which has been really difficult on both the work and personal front. It's always hard to see people let go, but when you consider them dear friends, it's even harder.

School has been eating up what's left of my free time, but I definitely can't complain. I'm truly happy and grateful for all the good things in my life. Friends, family, a job, a new career and starting a new life with a boy I'm smitten for. What more could I want? :)

catching up

2009-02-17T15:17:00.003-06:00

Whoops, it's been awhile since my last post. Hopefully everyone had a good v-day. Mine was filled with studying, but did include a nice Waldo Pizza venture. Mmm...

On the family front, Scott is home from the hospital and on the road to recovery. Thanks to everyone for your prayers and thoughts. He is still having to go back to the hospital every day for treatments, but we've seen no signs of rejection yet, so that's awesome!

I had a recent freak out when I got one of those random emails from The Knot and it said something along the lines of, "only 95 days to go!" WHAT?! Anything in 2 digits sounds freakishly close. But oh well, I'm ready!

I won a contest at work last week. It was our version of the Biggest Loser, where everyone put in $20 and weighed in monthly for 4 months. Whoever's BMI went down the most at the end took the pot. Yay for me! 19 lbs and a decrease of 3.3%. Still have a long way to go, but this is a good start.

Got to see Joel McHale Friday night, which was hilarious. He's one of the funniest guys on TV in my opinion. The show was partially ruined by 4 KU sorority girls directly behind us who had been at Kelly's since 2 PM. But after Adam and I both told them very kindly that we'd paid to see Joel, not hear them, it got a little better. Was I ever that much of a jackass at 21? Probably.

School is still insane. My teacher is worthless. I'm learing though, and pulled an A on our first 395 point test. Barely.

OK, back to work. More to come as it occurs.

be a donor

2009-02-04T10:27:00.003-06:00

So I have another quick soapbox to stand on, but I promise it's worth it.

If you're not already an organ doner, please consider it. I know it sounds easy, just signing the back of your driver's license, right? Sort of.
You'd be amazed how many people don't do that. But even more, that signature DOES NOT guarantee that your organs will be donated.

The best way to ensure that you're a donor is to inform your family of your desire to donate. Even better, put it in writing to them. Send a quick email to your spouse or parents. Hospitals will always seek consent of the next of kin before removing organs. If your family members know you wanted to be a donor, it makes it easier for them to give their consent. I know it sounds morbid, but you never know when someone you love (or even you) will be the one in need.

There are many myths out there about organ donation. People think the hospital staff won't work as hard to save their life becuase they can save others with the organs. Nothing could be further from the truth. When you go to the hospital for treatment, the docs are focused on saving your life — not somebody else's. In most cases, you're being treated by staff who have nothing to do with transplants.

My future brother-in-law was lucky enough to receive a pair of lungs this week...without them he would not have survived much longer. Because of his disease (Cystic Fibrosis) he had many strikes against him for the transplant. But thank goodness someone who was a match had made the decision in life to be a donor in death.

Please think about it. And if you want to be a donor, let someone know.

To learn more, visit this site.

Funniest Craig's List Post EVER

2009-01-29T09:30:00.001-06:00

OK, so those of you that know me, know that I've had some "issues" with the ol' tummy in the past. I think that's why I found this so damn amusing.

To the woman that crapped in my car… (NE Portland)

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Reply to: pers-1007823954@craigslist.org [?]
Date: 2009-01-25, 8:53PM PST

We met on Craigslist so I am hoping that this post finds you. I know that it could quite possibly be the most humiliating first date that you have ever been on, but I am willing to look past that.

I thought we had chemistry sitting at McMenamins sharing that basket of Cajun Tots while drinking the Terminator Stout. I really felt like there was a connection there. I found you to be intelligent and witty and looked forward to further conversation with you.

At some point in life, everyone has gambled on a fart and lost. It just happened to be on a first date in the passenger seat of my car. Please don’t feel bad. The package I sent you with Pepto the next day and the note that said “First dates are always a crap shoot. Call me” was meant to be funny, not offensive.

I have gambled on a fart and lost on multiple occasions. The first time I did it was very memorable. It happened when I was five and sitting on my uncle's lap. I am lactose intolerant, but love cheese. I probably win 95% of the time, but I don't think anyone wins 100% of the time. That's why they call it "gambling". I'm the last person to judge you for crapping your pants. In fact, I am impressed by your boldness. The timing on the other hand, could have been a tad bit better...like when you're not sitting on a heated leather seat...

What I am trying to say is that if you want to go out again, I would be more than happy to take you someplace where we can get a meal that is high in fiber and less taxing on the digestive tract.

I await your call,
Tad

P.S. - If you shat yourself on purpose to end the evening early…Touché…

Location: NE Portland
it's NOT ok to contact this poster with services or other commercial interests

Change a Pet's Life Day

2009-01-22T14:47:00.003-06:00

For any of you who are in the market to adopt a furry friend, this weekend would be a great time to do it.

Change a Pet's Life Day is this Saturday 1/24 at participating shelters across the US. The first ten adoptions at participating shelters are free. Check out this site to find a shelter near you.

www.feedingisbelieving.com/believe/shelter-search.do

what does one do

2009-01-22T09:29:00.002-06:00

When you absolutely, without a doubt, are certainly sure, that a dear friend is making a huge, life-altering mistake, what do you do?

1. Voice concern but stand by their decision and make yourself available to help pick up the pieces, all the while knowing they're making a horrible decision

2. Voice your opinion loud and clear, refuse to watch them ruin their life, thereby turing your back on the situation and running the risk of losing the friendship

It's a damned if you do/damned if you don't situation, folks. We've all been there. I'm usually a #1 person but this one might call for the latter.

What type are you and how has it worked out for you in the past?

2009-01-07T11:33:00.002-06:00

Hope everyone had a great holiday – just realized I haven’t posted forever so I’ll try to sum up all the stuff running through my head as concisely as possible.

Things I’m Looking Forward To In 2009:

Movies – I’ve only seen one so far this year, Doubt, which was very good. I haven’t yet seen, but am looking forward to seeing, Slumdog Millionaire, Valkyrie, Rachel Getting Married, Milk, Benjamin Button and many more.
TV – Gossip Girl officially kicked off on Monday. I’m addicted and I can’t help it. Such mindless fun. Katie sent me a link to NY Magazine’s Daily Intel that provides some hilarious commentary every so often on the show. Big Love and Flight of the Conchords will also be new this month, and the new season of True Blood will be coming in the spring. I heart my HBO.
Music – I’ve had satellite radio for a few years now and love it. Recently, Sirius and XM merged so I have access to more stations. One that I’m loving right now is Sirius XMU. It’s described as Indie Rock Radio, but I think it’s much more than that. Some of my latest favorites are Bloc Party, Fleet Foxes, Bon Iver, Vampire Weekend and The Black Ghosts (actually heard them first on the Twilight soundtrack…yes, another shameful addiction)
A New President – the other day I was at a friend’s house who has quite the opposite political views as me. She had a sticker on her fridge that said, “I’ll keep my guns, money and freedom. You can have your Change.” Yeah, well, I’ll take the Change, thank you very much.
Tying the Knot – is it awful that I just wish the whole thing would hurry up and get over with? Planning is a pain. But I’m looking forward to a relaxing honeymoon in Negril and the start of a new adventure with my future hubby. Whoa, that officially sounds weird.
Starting School Full-Time – August seems so far away, but I’m sure it’ll be here before I know it.
Meeting New Kiddos – so many of my gal pals have recently had or are expecting their first little ones. It’s been such a joy to see all those who are already here and I can’t wait to meet the new ones. There’s nothing cooler than seeing the actual living combination of two totally great people.

Things I’m Not Looking Forward To In 2009:

Watching my grandma age… I know it’s inevitable but it doesn’t make it any easier.
Not having an income for a year…yeah, that’s pretty much going to suck balls.
Continuing to live in our neighborhood – with real estate as bad as it is now, there’s no way we can afford to make a move, but the crime is increasing almost daily around us. Recently, 3 cars have been stolen on our street and a purse theft/stabbing with a crack pipe (really?) at the gas station a few blocks up. We’re as careful as we can be, but there’s just no way to ever be fully protected.

So all in all, the good definitely outweighs the bad. I hope all of you have much to look forward to this year as well and wish you peach, health and happiness.

thursday thoughts

2008-12-18T11:47:00.004-06:00

Sometimes there's just nothing on TV. So we ended up landing on the WE Network's "Secret Lives of Women." Good grief. These shows are something else. So the other night's episode had a pain pill addict, an S&M/vampire, an open marriage and a woman married to a man who made her wedding dress, then decided 7 years and 2 kids later to come out of the closet, but still wanted to stay married. Wow.

All that aside, this gal married to the gay man had some crazy nails. I wish I had a picture of them - the regular nail was painted clear with white snowflake designs and the tips were blood red. Happy holidays.

So last night as I'm heading to the nail salon (my one indulgence I still allow myself, mainly b/c I know I'll have to give them up once nursing school starts) I get a text from Adam saying, "red tips and snowflakes?" Careful what you wish for, buddy.

Does anyone else ever get that feeling that the nail ladies are totally talking smack on you the whole time you're in there? I love my nail girl - she's always so sweet with her hugs and "special pricing for good customer," but I just wish for one second I understood Vietnamese so I knew her true thoughts. Here's how I think last night went:

Her: You want eyebrow wax today?
Me: Oh, I suppose I should...
Her: Vietnamese to co-worker (my translation: I would say so, sweetie! Those things are about to grow off your face!)

Her: You look pretty girl, you lose weight?
Me: Thank you, just a few pounds, you know, trying to get ready for the wedding...
Her: Vietnamese to co-worker (my translation: You'd better drop some pounds if you plan to squeeze into a dress, fatty!)

Her: You want design on nail today?
Me: Actually, I think I do...how are you with snowflakes?
Her: Don't know snow-frake
Her: Vietnamese to co-worker (my translation: Who does she think I am? Picasso? Flowers or butterflies, pick one silly American!)
Me: Never mind

on another heavier note

2008-12-12T09:13:00.003-06:00

You might remember a post I did back in August about a co-worker of mine who lost her husband.
Last night, her mother was killed in an automobile accident.
Please add Lexi and her daughter, Georgia, as well as the rest of their family to your thoughts and prayers. Lord knows they need them now more than ever.

fruits & veggies

2008-12-08T14:53:00.004-06:00

OK, well not really veggies...but fruits anyway!
If you're like me, you probably don't always get your daily intake of fruit as recommended by the USDA. Well, this weekend at Costco I found a new way to get mine. Brothers-All-Natural Fruit Crips are apparently all the rage with moms looking for healthy snacks for their kids. But I'm all about them for myself. The combo pack I bought has apple and pear crisps but their website says they come in all sorts of varieties.

And the best part - one bag equals 1/2 cup of dried fruit, which the USDA recognizes as the equivalent to 1 cup of fresh fruit. Depending on your age and gender, that might just equal your daily dose.

Anyway, just thought I'd share my latest find - enjoy!

umm...

2008-12-02T13:39:00.004-06:00

Ate at a little Mexican joint called Mi Ranchito last week. This guy was amid the decor surrounding our table. It's a little blurry but in person the red rocket was very evident.

I'm thinking this could spur some unwanted dinner conversation between parent and child.

a little fun for your friday

2008-11-21T09:28:00.002-06:00

See more funny videos and Music Videos at Today's Big Thing.

April - the last song (somewhere around the 4 minute mark) will always remind me of you. hehe.

2008-11-11T14:59:00.004-06:00

The older I get the more I see the true value of weekends...not for the reasons I used to (hitting the bars and sleeping off my hangover) but simply for the fact that on some of those weekends I can wake up and have nowhere to be. What a great feeling!

Saturday wasn't one of those days, but it was a good one nonetheless. My grandma, mom and I went shopping for the wedding dress. It wasn't as painful as I'd imagined, but it wasn't a cake walk.

I wish I had a camera with me to truly capture the awfulness of the first place we went. The day we went there was a "Rush for the Dress" sale. Apparently designer dresses were marked down and shoved into a room the size of a closet for all of KC's brides to snatch up like hungry piranhas. Oh.My.Lord. Let's just say after I "took a number" and was "allowed" to go into the room, it took about 8.5 seconds for me to turn right around.

No offense to any of my friends that wore designer gowns, but wow...it's an article of clothing. And you're only going to wear it for 10-12 hours at the most. Ever. Seriously. I could not believe some of the prices I saw that day. Ugh.

Anyway, we found one that is suitable - not the dress of my dreams or anything like that, but it'll work once I Mo it up with my own additions and adjustments.

This weekend will be spent in K'ville while Adam celebrates what is apparently a national holiday in his family, opening day of deer season. I will be studying and hanging out with his mom and hopefully enjoying lots of home-cooked meals. Mmm...

2008-11-05T16:30:00.002-06:00

It was just easier to get out of bed today. Nothing's really changed yet, but somehow, just knowing that our country might have some changes coming its way in the next 4 years was pretty motivating. I really enjoyed watching both candidates speak last night. What an event.
Not much new in my neck of the woods. Adam killed a possum in our back yard the other night. Without a gun. It's a little disconcerting to me but I just let it go. Apparently it's still out there since trash day isn't until tomorrow. I have not ventured out to take a look.
Classes are in full gear right now, along with work projects and wedding planning. So it's not often I'm bored!
On the health front, I got some blood-work results back this week and apparently I'm hypoglycemic and insulin resistant (maybe those are the same thing? Hell, I'm not in nursing school yet). So now I'm taking the same medication as my 53 year old father. Good times.
It's only 4:30 and it's already almost dark outside my window at work. Blah. Here's to hoping winter doesn't come too soon.

2008-10-31T14:38:00.003-05:00

The other night I was at work later than usual and I happened to overhear bits and pieces of a conversation one of my co-workers was having with someone on the phone. I wasn't trying to pry but it was audible, so I listened. She was extremely upset and crying about something that had happened at work; from what I gathered something had gone wrong and she was taking the hit for it. I don't know this girl at all, but I just wanted to run over and hug her. And then shake her.
I see it every day. Too often people are treated horribly - sometimes by clients, sometimes by fellow co-workers. And it's just not right. But I knew what she was feeling - like whatever happened was the end of the world and life was over. But dang it, that's just not the case. It's work. It's a job. It's not life.
I realize it's a fine line for many people, but as each year passes, I believe with more conviction that work should never overtake your life. I love my job and the people I work with - but there are just those days when you have to wonder if it's all worth it.
A few of my friends have recently lost their jobs due to "downsizing" so I feel very fortunate to be employed. Sure I complain, but who doesn't? It's just all about realizing what counts.
And what counts is family. What counts is friends. What counts is your health.
There will always be other jobs.

already monday

2008-10-20T14:32:00.003-05:00

Another week starting, another weekend away from home. I spent this one working (grr) in St. Louis for my client's managers' meeting. Despite it being actual work, it went well and I was able to meet some great people. In other news...
School:
Mid-terms are over (A's on both, whoohoo!) and registration for Spring is already starting. These semesters are really flying by. Only 2 more to go before starting full-time.
Wedding:
Met with the talented Charlotte Matthews of a fine fete last week to discuss invites, programs (i.e. the "Wedding Suite") etc., and I'm excited to see what she comes up with. Charlotte is the little sister of my dearest childhood friend, and maid of honor, Lesley, and it's so exciting to watch her grow and use her many talents! We're meeting with a photographer this week and I'm setting up some catering appointments in the coming weeks. According to all the online sources, I'm on track, but who knows!
Other Stuff:
I'm glad the election is almost over.
The leaves are turning! This is the best part of the year in my opinion. Nothing is prettier than the drive down Ward Parkway...it makes the trek to work a little more bearable.
Chiefs, Mizzou...wow, not much to say. Hopefully the Tigers can turn it around at Homecoming this weekend. As for the Chiefs...the season's in the toilet.
That's it for now - big hugs to all my friends with babies in their bellies. xoxo

no more sleeping outside for awhile

2008-10-14T12:49:00.003-05:00

We had quite an eventful weekend - we camped at Graham Cave State Park with about 20 people for Oktoberfest in Hermann, MO. I'd never been before and it was really fun. The tiny town full of wineries, bars and a brewery hosts people from all over the state (and probably further) each weekend in October. The group we went with has been going for many years, so we were just along for the ride. I did not grow up camping. My family's idea of camping was the Holiday Inn. But I've enjoyed it every time I've been recently and continue to find new and fun ways to "rough it." For this trip, Katie turned us onto a great method of camp-style breakfast and they were deeeee-lish.

Our shuttle picked us up at 9:30 Saturday morning, and by 10:15 I was drinking my first sip of Germantown white. Followed by another bottle of the same, a bottle of some ghastly red that tasted like it came from a kool-aid pitcher, and a bottle of Sweet Caroline (which turned out to be pink...ugh). Let's just say we were all ready to go by 5:30 when our shuttle drug us back to the campsite.

I had scored MU/OSU tickets at work on Friday, so Adam and I decided to drive to Columbia for the game at around 6(yeah, probably not the best decision). But I had caught my second wind so I was all for it. Around the 3rd quarter we realized the outcome would likely not be favorable (and we were tired of sitting in a pit of OSU fans) so we went back to camp.

Around 6 that morning, Adam woke me up, covered in hives. Crazily enough, it turned out he'd been bitten by a caterpillar of sorts, then rolled over on it in his sleep and whatever the bug had eaten (green and gooey) was something Adam was allergic to. His entire left side looked sort of like this. So, we had some fun at Urgent Care. One shot, a dose pack and some Bactrim in later, we're glad to be home.

one more

2008-10-07T16:36:00.002-05:00

OK so I promised myself that my blog would not be a place for wedding talk or politics. But this was too funny to pass up. Tonight, let the debate drinking game begin!

finally friday

2008-10-03T15:26:00.002-05:00

Boy, it's about time. What a long week. I made the silly attempt to try yoga. Let's just say flexibility isn't my strong suit. My workplace offers free yoga classes twice a week over lunch, so I figured I've give it a go.
I'm still not walking normally.

On another funny note, how about the debate last night? If I had to hear that nimrod Palin say "ya" or "maverick" one more time, I serioulsy thought I was going to vomit. Wow, she's something else.

So...Fiance and I are heading to St. Louis after work today. We've got tickets to see Ryan Adams & the Cardinals at the Fox tomorrow night. We're staying at Katie & Troy's new place and looking forward to swinging by Pucci & Jeff's new casa as well.

Hope everyone has a great weekend - more updates next week!

gettin' hitched

2008-09-29T13:52:00.003-05:00

Boyfriend did a good job of pulling the wool over my eyes Friday night. Under the ruse that we were just going to have a drink and some cheese at the bar of the Melting Pot, he managed to pull off a proposal in a romantic room with flowers and a personalized bottle of wine with glasses (and cheese, of course).

Our waitress, Meg, was the same one we had on our first date, and who we usually request for any special occasions when we go there. She always takes such good care of us and really made the night special. Poor Boyfried was so nervous he forgot his speech, and I'm pretty sure the first word out of my mouth wasn't an resouding, "yes!" but rather, "holy shit!" Nice, right? Typical me...

I promise this will not become a bridal blog. Seems like there are already plently of those to go around. But I am excited to plan an special day for friends and family to be able to kick back and celebrate with us. I've gotten some great advice so far and am always looking for more, so please impart on me any and all words of wisdom.

Stuff

2008-09-23T15:32:00.003-05:00

Things that are currently keeping me from going batshit due to the fun ol' work & school combo:

1. TV - seriously, I wish I were one of those people who didn't "have" to watch TV. But I do. It's inevitable. I am addicted. Current shows I can't live without: Gossip Girl, Intervention, True Blood (the new HBO vampire show from Six Feet Under creator Alan Ball), First 48, The Soup, Cheaters. The list goes on, but I've already embarrassed myself enough.

2. Weekends - I just realized the other day that someday I won't be able to sleep in until noon on Saturdays and Sundays. Someday there will probably be a little person(s) in the house that rise at an ungodly hour. Note to self: sleep as much as possible for as long as possible.

3. Wine - no explanation necessary.

Yeah, that's all I've got for today...but I'll leave you with this happy little clip.

RESPECT!

2008-09-19T15:20:00.002-05:00

I found out this morning at work that today, 9/19/08, has officially been designated National RESPECT! Day. What does that mean, you ask? It's actually kind of cool. One of the clients my agency works on is the Family Violence Prevention Fund. I wasn't familiar with it so I looked it up and found some pretty shocking statistics.
1. Around the world, at least one in every three women has been beaten, coerced into sex or otherwise abused during her lifetime
2. Between 3.3 - 10 million children witness some form of domestic violence annually
Those are scary numbers. As I type this, I'm surrounded by at least 100 women, just on my floor. That means approximately 33 of them have probably suffered some sort of abuse. Wow.
So anyway, our PR team developed a pretty cool thing called National RESPECT! Day and have found a great partner in Macy's. Here are some cool things you can do to check it out:

-Explore GiveRespect.org and get mapped by donating $5 in honor of someone you respect, inviting a friend to the rally, or signing the respect declaration
-Purchase a RESPECT! Bracelet from Macy's
-Follow them on Twitter @Give_Respect
-Become a friend of the RESPECT!Campaign on Facebook
-Uploade a photo of someone you respect on Flickr and adding it to their group
-Add a video response of your own to their YouTube channel
-Vote for their “Change This” proposal so they can get their manifesto published
-If you donate $5 today, you'll receive a Macy's Shop for a Cause savings pass valid all day Saturday, September 20th in stores and online

I hope you all have people in your lives that you respect and that respect you as well. It may seem like an overused term, but it's amazing how many people forget about it on a daily basis.

travel tip #237

2008-09-09T10:33:00.002-05:00

Don't check your luggage.

I travel a lot. Not just a little. A butt load. So I never think twice about checking luggage - it's just the thing to do when you're traveling for multiple days and need more than 3 oz of liquid toiletries.
But, alas, I will not be checking bags for awhile. Or at least until I'm done being pissed at Southwest Airlines.

No, our bag wasn't just accidentally sent to the wrong city. It was flat out lost (or as we think, stolen). Southwest's security at the Vegas airport is so shoddy, anyone can walk in off the street and have free pick of whatever luggage they'd like as it comes of the carousel. It's great.

And what did they offer us? $50 reimbursement in case we, "needed to buy a swimsuit or something." Really? How about underwear or socks or deodorant? A-holes. We had to wait 5 days before we could actually claim our bag as completely lost. So that was yesterday and I'm sure we'll trek up to KCI sometime this week to make our claim.

Oh...and get this, they won't reimburse us for our prescription eyeglasses or medication. Because, "that's why we allow you a carry-on ma'am. You should never pack those things in a checked bag." Glad the airlines now get to decide how we pack. And they'll likely determine the "worth" of all our items...so my brand new tennis shoes will be "depreciated" in their eyes to about 1/4 of what I paid for them.

I fly Southwest all the time - it's always been a great airline. But this time they showed nothing but poor customer service. Not even so much as an apology or a voucher for a flight. Nothing. Just the $50 reimbursement of the approximately $400 we had to spend of our vacation money on a rental car, clean clothes and toiletries.

Other than not having luggage, Vegas was OK. I didn't lose any money - actually came out ahead on the gambling portion thanks to my new fave game Pai Gow. Boyfriend did not come out ahead. So needless to say he is in no hurry to go back.

So now it's back to work and school. La di da. Hope you all had a good weekend and I promise I'll be more upbeat on my next rant :)

viva...

2008-09-01T08:59:00.002-05:00

Las Vegas!
Getting ready to head to the airport for a few days in Vegas. I got free entry into some random video poker tournament at Bally's (which I've NEVER done before) along wiht a free room there for 3 nights. So we figured we might as well give it a whirl. It's Boyfriend's first time in Sin City and I'm afraid he'll be in for a big disappointment...he thinks he's actually going to win.
So...back late Thursday night and will let you know if I'm a hundredaire. Or if I'm broke.

back to school

2008-08-21T16:57:00.002-05:00

So last night was my first night of classes at Rockhurst. In order to get into the Accelerated Option nursing program at Rockhurst, I'm required to have at least 6 hours of Theology under my belt. And since my first degree was in Advertising, you can imagine that I certainly didn't have 'em.
I'm taking 2 classes, each of them meet one night a week. Last night was Hebrew Scriptures. Yeah...something I have absolutely no familiarity with. Good times.
I was the oldest person in the class by, I swear, 10 years. And I'm not even 30 yet. I figured with it being an evening class and all, I'd at least have a few work-full-time-and-get-prerequisites-done-at-night folks. Wrong-o.
All the fellas came in weaning their dress shirts and ties w/their fraternity pledge pins. The girls had on their tiny little shorts and tank tops and toted cute little planners and iPods. I was so out of my league.
Monday night will be my second class, Christianity II, which I'm sure will be filled with just as many youngins. I heard one of the girls complaining that she had to go to a sorority meeting that night at 9, then study. My first thought was, "9 o'clock, damn! I'm already sporting PJ's by then!" But then I realized she probably gets to sleep until 10 the next morning. Man, to be in college (the first time around) again.
Many of you have asked how this whole transition from Advertising to Nursing is going, so I'll give you a quick overview. Over the past 2 semesters, I've taken Chem, Nutrition, Lifespan Psych and Ethics. Over the next 3 semesters, I'll be taking the 2 aforementioned theoligies, A&P, Microbiology and Pathophyisiology. I had my interview for the actual nursing program in July, and should find out this month sometime if I've been provisionally accepted (provisionally b/c it's based on the grades I get in all the above classes). If I'm in, I will officially begin my 1 year program in August of 2009 and graduate in August of 2010 with my Bachelor of Science in Nursing. Then take the NCLEX and hopefully be on my way to a new career.
Most people think I'm crazy for starting all of this stuff over again, but what the hell. Better to do it now while I'm still husband-less and kid-less, right?
Well, back to work now. Then home to study :)

gross

2008-08-12T06:25:00.002-05:00

Every other week or so, I travel across the great state of Missouri for work. The easiest and quickest way is by plane, and in order to make an 8:30 meeting, one has to take the 6:55 AM flight out. For me, that means getting up around 4:30, a couple of hours earlier than I'm used to. So it's no surprise that I'm usually not in the best of spirits going through security at the airport.
This morning, I was one of the lucky ones to get a new security screening, the swipe of the hands. Bless her heart, the TSA agent was as nice as she could be, but regardless, I hate being barefoot in a public pool of fungus any longer than absolutely necessary. I should wear socks, I know, but they don't go well with the normal summer business casual attire. But I digress.
As I'm standing there waiting for the test results, I ask if I may put on my shoes. The agent asks me to hold on and assures me the carpets are clean. I must have looked at her strangely because she followed that statement with, "they were steam cleaned and sanitized about 3 weeks ago."
Clean.
Right.
Sick.

but on a heavier note

2008-08-11T15:56:00.004-05:00

I usually write on this thing to amuse myself, but the past few days have just been sort of gloomy. I know there are horrible tragedies each day, everywhere. Wars, genocide, terrorism, etc., but some just hit closer to home than others.
A very nice, young girl I work with lost her husband in a hiking accident last week and his service is today. He was an extremely talented chef in the KC area and well-loved by many. I never had the pleasure of meeting him personally, but could tell from his wife's continuously happy personality and the way she spoke of him and their young daughter that he must have been a pretty neat guy.

I simply cannot comprehend such a loss.

The office is quiet today, and for those of us who are not at the service, a gray cloud is looming overhead as a reminder of how quickly life can change.
I'm writing this as a reminder to myself to ensure every person in my life knows how much I treasure them. That it's no accident we're friends or family. And that I appreciate their place in my life and mine in theirs.

Please take time today to do the same.

And please keep the Torpey family in your thoughts in this unimaginably difficult time.

a weekend in the big K

2008-08-05T11:31:00.006-05:00

Being from a small town myself, I really have no room to make fun of other small towns or their establishments...but this time I just can't help myself.
Every month or so, Boyfriend and I visit his family in K'ville, home of Truman State and these delicious little gems called Ronzas (not to be confused witht the Omaha meat kind).

When we're in town, we usually meet up with friends at one of the tried-and-true downtown drinking establishments. But this weekend, we tried a new one. Geno's 70s Club opened 4 weeks ago and was borderline hilarious. The music was a mix of 70s and 80s...everything from Abba to Blondie to Journey. There were black lights, flourescent fixtures, fog machines, glow-in-the dark carpet and a light up dance floor.
I wish I would have been able to snap a picture of the guy in the 80s outfit (including headband) that I'm pretty sure was not meant to be a costume.
The biggest laugh I got, though, was from an article I read about it today...here's a snippet: "I think in general the '70s theme is a good idea, but it could hurt them." However, she said she is willing to give Geno's a shot. "I'm definitely bringing all of my friends when it opens," Skinner said. "It'll be a pretty tight place, I think."

Tight...hmm...not exactly the adjective I would have selected, but whatev.

Oh and the other funny thing I've noticed about K'ville...they have Mountain Dew in their bar guns. People actually order drinks with MD as the mixer. For example, this weekend, I heard two interesting orders - a double mtn dew & vodka, and a whisky & dew. Am I the only one who thinks that's strange? I thought maybe the MD was their answer to Red Bull, but nope, they had that as well. Weird.

Other weekend fun included fishing on the farm (Boyfriend bought me this pole (yes it's pink and it's for breast cancer and I heart it) ...and some movies, 21 and Semi-Pro. 21 was worth the watch, but I fell asleep during the other.

Nothing much else to report - upcoming fun this week includes trivia at Jerry's Bait Shop (we're still in 1st place - yay!) and the Smoking Popes show at the Record Bar on Sunday. Good times. Hope everyone has a good week in the sweltering maddness.

weekend stuff

2008-07-28T08:50:00.003-05:00

Not too much excitement in kc this weekend. It was hot as hades so most of what we did was in the comfort of the AC. Friday night boyfriend decided we needed to make up frozen concoctions in the blender using random juices and liquors so we had our own little Frozen Friday. Just like the good ol' days in CoMo at McNally's. I enjoyed my vodka-mango-pineapple surprise while finishing up the rest of Season 1 of Arrested Development, quite possibly the funniest show ever created.

Saturday was pretend to be a yuppie day. Lunch with my mom at Aixois, errands and a taste of the new Vivanno at Starbucks. That white bread fun didn't last for long though...boyfriend and I went to see one of my favorite live acts in KC, "Steve & Tracey" at a bar called Patrick's (formerly DeAngelo's) up the road from our casa. This husband & wife duo used to play every Thursday night for 8 years but called it quits recently to my dismay. But now they're back the last Saturday of every month doing their renditions of songs you miss and those you wish you'd never hear again from the 70s and 80s. Here's Tracey singing on the bar (poor quality from the ol' cell).
Yesterday I had brunch with some of my friends from college. Rachel is in her final week of pregnancy, so we decided we needed one last hurrah complete with Avenues Bistro and pedicures. Yum-my.

So here we are, another week, though not much to look forward to with this one. Last week we saw Tom Petty & Steve Winwood so that was a nice little break. But this week, not so much. Maybe we'll catch Dark Night some evening. Have heard nothing but good things so I'm extra excited to see it.

Hope everyone has a good week. More excitement to come as it happens...

nyc - day 3 (sunday)

2008-07-10T13:37:00.005-05:00

So...Sunday funday. We went to Chinatown to try and find a place that had Shanghai style soup dumplings. We had seen them on an episode of No Reservations and they looked so freakin good, so we searched and conquered. The restaurant, Joe's Shanghai, was really neat. It was a hole-in-the-wall with communal tables, complimentary tea and a long wait. Totally worth it.
After that we shopped in some little stores and got some fun Chinese stuff including a bonzai tree that was a big ball of fun to take back on the plane.
Later we did dessert in Little Italy. Yum.
Dinner that night was at Craft. Quite an experience...one we'll probably never get to do again. But at least they got the dessert right this time. Mmm...souffle with vanilla cream... After dinner, we realized that it was our last night in town. So, what else would we do but drown our sorrows. We hit one of my old haunts, the Russian Vodka Room (where I'm pretty sure there was some sort of illegal mail-order bride thing going on) and had some serious vodka drinks. They infuse their own there and most of the patrons (all Russian immigrants that speak to eachother in the mother tongue) drink it straight. I think I looked like a total wuss when I asked for a splash of sprite. Oh well.
Next we headed to Divine Bar (another round of wine flights), 5Ninth in the Meatpacking District and finally, The Hog Pit which looked like a BBQ place from the outside, but ended up being a blast. We befriended a chef from the Soho House (some snooty, members only place) at the bar, which had its perks. Got to hear some funny celeb stories and drink free shots all night. The culmination of all this was me not remembering the cab ride home or the 2 slices of pizza until I saw the evidence at noon the next day, which was after checkout time. Oops.
One thing that did stick in my memory was turning on the TV at 4:30 AM and being shocked and saddened at the death of George Carlin. What a horrible loss...

nyc - night 2 (saturday)

2008-07-10T13:26:00.007-05:00

Boy, I'm really behind once again. Dinner Saturday night was d-lish. We went to a place called Artisanal that was famous for its cheese. It even had its own cheese cave. I heart cheese. We did a cheese flight with wine pairings, which was really nice becuase we each did different ones so we could try the maximum amount of cheese.
Then we had a traditional fondue (mmm) and split steak frites (double mmm). Oh and I made a total ass out of myself when I ordered a glass of wine with dinner and said the number (b/c I couldn't pronounce the name) and was told, "ma'm, that's the price." Oops. I was drunk, give me a break. So I had told the reservations person that it was Adam's b-day but I guess they got it wrong b/c the little dessert deal came out with my name. Ha.
After dinner we did the Village and went to the Comedy Cellar for a 12:45 AM show. Good lordy. Needless to say I was ready to crash once that was done.

nyc - day 2

2008-07-02T16:52:00.006-05:00

So...I got a little off schedule posting on the trip. Oops. Here's a quick recap of our Saturday in NYC.
A little background - as I was driving to work a few weeks ago listeing to my Sirius radio, I heard that one of our favorite musicians, Alejandro Escovedo, was going to be performing in NYC the same weekend we were there. He was doing Conan, the Today show, etc., but also doing a live private performance in the Sirius studios for 10 people and their guests. I figured we had no shot at winning but I signed us up anyway, and low and behold, we were one of the 10 picked! Whoohoo! So the first picture shows the 2 hour performance we got to see of Alejandro doing his entire new album live for us.

Sirius rocks - they're located on the 36th floor of a huge building in the Rockefeller Center area. The lobby walls are covered in plexiglass where all the performers sign when they visit. I found my favorite boys and snapped a pic.

Next we did Grand Central Station and had cheesecake at Junior's (yum!) and saw a dude propose in the grand hall area. It was adorable.

Later in the afternoon we did the obligatory Central Park carriage ride, which SUCKED. $40 for what we were told would be 20 minutes. It was more like 8. The guy took our picture afterward, and I didn't realize until just now what my finger was doing. Unintentional but so appropriate!

The rest of Saturday coming soon.

27 candles on the cake

2008-06-27T15:02:00.002-05:00

A big happy birthday to my favorite guy in the world. This is your "golden birthday" so maybe it'll be a good year. Looks like this one was. Love you.

nyc day 1 - friday

2008-06-25T15:15:00.007-05:00

We got in around 7 and did the whole $30 cab ride from Queens to the city.

Our hotel was in Murray Hill and was a fantastic deal. I'd recommend it to anyone who can't afford $300+ per night for a vacation.

We headed to the Lower East Side for a drink at Satsko before dinner at Apizz. I tried a saketini made with lychee and pomegranate juice and...yep, I still don't like sake. Or lychee.

Dinner was AWESOME. Their bread was served with fresh ricotta and tomato sauce instead of butter. YUM. Adam tried wild boar lasagna and I had gnocchi. D-lish.

After that we walked around the LES, then went over to Emily's apartment in the West Village. It was such a neat place...wish I had taken a picture. They have an actual patio - with room for tables, chairs, grills, etc. For those of you who understand Manhattan living, you get how uncommon that is. Another friend from school, Anne, was there, along with Emily's boyfriend, Gurion, her sister and sister's friend. Around 3 AM we realized a big day was upon us so we should probably call it a night.
Saturday details coming soon!

nyc...

2008-06-25T15:10:00.002-05:00

Oh there's just so much to post but I will try to do it in spurts so as not to bore you all with details of our whirlwind weekend!

I think the best part of our trip was that we really had no obligations or expectations. We didn't have a list of places we just HAD to see or anything like that. So you'll notice some random places on here but that's just how it was and I loved every minute of it.

I'll do a post for each day of the trip and see how that goes.

i should be sleeping

2008-06-18T01:00:00.002-05:00

But instead, here I am, wide awake, with just shy of 6 hours until my alarm goes off.
Sweet.
I'm in need of some expert advice on falling asleep when you can't make your mind shut-up methods. It's not that I'm not tired. I am. I keep yawning, and I'm obviously in need of some shut-eye. So what do you do?
I've read (even the most boring thing ever, my assigned readings for Ethics). I've watched 2 episodes of Gossip Girl. I've played solitaire on my phone (three versions, mind you. Chinese, scorpion and spider).
No dice.
Taking Tylenol PM at this point is no good since I need a full 8 hrs to sleep them off or tomorrow will feel like the aftermath of 10 vodka sodas.
Ugh.
By the way, I heart Gossip Girl. The CW has brought a whole new life to my DVR. I'm also shamefully addicted to Farmer Wants a Wife.
The funny part about that show is one of my friends, Karen, is from Portage des Sioux where it was filmed, so it's fun to hear her commentary.

OK, I'm going to play some online poker. If that doesn't do it, I give up.
Good night.

weekend happenings

2008-06-16T13:27:00.005-05:00

Spent the weekend with Boyfriend's family in Kirksville. It was fairly uneventful...Boyfriend and Boyfriend's Dad hit up an auction on Saturday morning in hopes of procuring a golf cart. No such luck.

That evening we drove another hour into the depths of nowhere to a little restaurant in Memphis, MO, called Keith's Cafe. I'm including this picture even though it doesn't do the place justice. You'll see the coffee mugs lining the ceiling...yeah, they're everywhere. Walls, windows, rafters. Everywhere. I've never seen anything like it. Amazingly enough the food was good, and of course, very inxpensive.

Boyfriend and I are heading out this Friday for an experience very unlike Keith's...we'll be spending the weekend in New York. Whoohoo! I have been planning this trip for a few months to surprise him for his birthday and now it's finally here! He's never been before and I lived there for a summer back in 2001, so I'm looking forward to going back. We'll get to see some of my friends, Emily and Anne and a couple of his cousins that live in Brooklyn.

I'm sure I'll have some fun stories and pictures to share from the big city. Have a good week!

fro yo goodness

2008-06-10T12:46:00.001-05:00

I discovered the most wonderful summer treat ever. Fro-yo with fruity pebbles.

It comes from the little soup store next door to work and it's fan-freakin-tastic.

And tart. And fat free. Beat that.

my photo mosaic

2008-06-04T16:37:00.003-05:00

Fun little time-consumer I stole from Average Jane. Give it a try and see what you come up with.

The concept:

1. Type your answer to each of the questions below into Flickr Search.
2. Using only the first page of results, and pick one image.
3. Copy and paste each of the URLs for the images into Big Huge Lab's Mosaic Maker to create a mosaic of the picture answers.

The questions:

1. What is your first name?
2. What is your favorite food right now?
3. What high school did you go to?
4. What is your favorite color?
5. Who is your celebrity crush?
6. What is your favorite drink?
7. What is your dream vacation?
8. What is your favorite dessert?
9. What do you want to be when you grow up?
10. What do you love most in life?
11. What is one word that describes you?
12. What is something you fear?

sex in my city

2008-06-03T15:30:00.004-05:00

It was definitely my favorite show back in the day...

Saturday night, 12 friends from work went to see the movie. Never in my life have I felt underdressed for a movie. But yeah, I was underdressed.
I saw everytihng from cocktail dresses to sequined jackets. No lie.
Heels so high my calves cramped just looking at them.

Next time I'll go for the matinee.

my civic duty

2008-05-21T12:02:00.002-05:00

For the past 7 days, I've had the "privilege" of sitting on a jury of a medical malpractice case. Let me begin by saying that I fully understand that juries are a crucial part of the judicial process. The little video they showed the pool last Monday morning (featuring George Brett, Bryan Busby and some other KC familiars) told us of the importance of our civic duty, how we should feel privileged to serve, etc.

Maybe if the system wants people feel privileged aboutgiving up a week of their lives, they should reimburse them more than $6/day and $.07/mile. ABSURD.

I'm fortunate enough to have an employer who will still pay me for my courthouse time, but many in my group were either self-employed or worked for companies that didn't pay them a dime for those 7 days.

At least the case was interesting and I met some people in my group that I'll stay in touch with. Oh and there was a crazy murder case going on in the courtroom next to ours. So when they got a tip that someone was going to "shoot up the courthouse" if the defendant was found guilty, we had to play some fun lockdown games.

Back to work. Catching up is fun. Right.

and a Swell Season it was

2008-05-06T13:47:00.004-05:00

Those of you who know me, know that I love all kinds of music - from Pantera to Prince, I'm a fan. But every once in awhile something comes along that makes my heart smile.

Saw a fantastic show last night at the Uptown Theater. I bought tickets to The Swell Season the day after I saw the movie I blogged about a while back.

It was one of those events I'd forgotten I'd even bought tickets for until I looked at my outlook calendar. What followed was definitely unforgettable. Last night I was brought back to the heart of true music.

Glen & Marketa played for 2 solid hours to a sold-out crowd. It was full of raw emotion, the kind that reaches in and tickles your skin from the inside out, sending chill after chill down your spine.

They told stories behind songs, laughed, joked, and gained a respect unlike any I've seen from their audience.

Tim Finn from the Star gave a review that I thought captured the show well. For those of you who liked Once or have enjoyed the soundtrack at all, I implore you to dive further into Glen's music.

crank it up

2008-05-01T13:52:00.003-05:00

So it's finally above 70 degrees here today, which means windows are DOWN!

However, this leads to me forgetting windows are down at intersections when I just might be listening just a little too loudly to something others might deem funny.

It's happened twice today already.

Once on my way into our parking garage...Everybody Wang Chung Tonight.

Once on my way back from lunch...Eyes Without a Face.

Come on people, stop giving me weird looks. Billy Idol is classic.

is it friday yet?

2008-04-30T16:44:00.003-05:00

Seriously. It's only Wednesday? You've gotta be shitting me.

Last night, after a knock-your-socks of lab experiment involving the creation of soap, my friends Lance, Tim D and I played live trivia at Coach's. It was spur of the moment and damn was it fun.

All of the clues are audio clips, for example, "Name the album this song can be found on," and then they play a little bit of "You Give Love a Bad Name," and you write in the answer of "Slippery When Wet." It's a bunch of fun, especially the 90's Music Montage at half-time. We totally got all 10 right on that one, thanks to Tim's knowledge of .38 Special...yes, they released a song in the 90s.

You have to pick a name for your team and you can have up to 10 players. We only had 3 of us until Boyfriend showed up towards the last rounds. And we did damn good.

Here are some things I learned due to missed questions:
- Joy to the World by Three Dog Night was a Billboard #1 hit in...1970 (we guessed 72)
- Tiger Woods' dad's name is...Earl (we were stuck between Ralph & Clarence)
- The governor of Texas when Kennedy was shot was...John Connally
- Eric Clapton's son died of...falling out of a 53rd story window at his mom's apartment
- Bob Marley had...15 children

Those are just some I can recall. The trivia was actually really fun and I'd love to do it again (except for the getting home at 11:30 part). I'm old.

how many of you are there?

2008-04-25T13:30:00.001-05:00

Wow, there are 2 of me...weird.

HowManyOfMe.com

There are
2
people with my name
in the U.S.A.

How many have your name?

drop a few pounds the easy way!

2008-04-23T13:16:00.003-05:00

Get pneumonia and the stomach flu at the same time! Whoohoo! It's a blast, let me tell ya.

Started on Sunday, trip to the ER that evening into Monday morning, and here it is Wednesday already.

Determined as ever to look at the bright side...7 pounds have magically disappeared. This shall be the kick-off to the spring weight loss program. Once I can breathe again without hacking up a lung, that is.

That's all for now...stay tuned for more glorious details.

and the 90s

2008-04-17T15:32:00.000-05:00

Not as good with the 90s...73.

80s lyrics

2008-04-17T14:44:00.001-05:00

130.5 points...this was fun, although I'm now going to take the one for the 90s.

give a hoot

2008-04-10T13:57:00.003-05:00

I forgot to write about this the other day, but I just remembered it and it made me all pissed off again, so here we go.

I was driving to work on Rockhill road right around 63rd street and was behind a white mustang. Next thing I know, the driver rolls down their window and throws out a large Taco Bell cup full of liquid that proceeds to bust open on the road spilling everywhere. Now I'm not the neatest and tidiest person in the world, but I can certainly appreciate not wanting a cup of liquid in my car if I'm done with it. But throwing the ENTIRE thing out the window? REALLY? I didn't even know littering was an option for people anymore.

I was so shocked and appalled that my first thought was to follow this jackass, and when they stopped, tell them they dropped something. Yeah! That'll show 'em.

As I'm whizzing through traffic to tail them (mind you, getting further and further off of my route to work) I finally realized I couldn't even see through the tinted windows. Were they male or female? Alone or with passengers? It didn't matter, I was going to show them!

After a few more blocks, they started venturing into a pretty rough part of town. It was only then that I realized how futile this effort truly was. Chasing this one car down and making my point isn't going to make a difference in the grand scheme of things. Sure, it could have been beneficial - it could have lead to one less litterbug out there. But then again, I could've gotten shot.

If only I would have had Woodsy with me riding shotgun.

Movie quote fun

2008-04-07T11:00:00.006-05:00

I stole this idea from my co-worker Average Jane and modified it slightly for the sake of time and space.

Here are the rules:

Pick 5 of your favorite movies
Go to IMDB and find a quote from each movie
Post them on your blog for everyone to guess
Readers leave guesses in the comments - no Googling or using IMDB search functions. Don’t cheat, suckas
Blogger fills in the film title once it’s been guessed

Mo's Movie Quotes:

"Now, the making of a good compilation tape is a very subtle art. Many do's and don'ts. First of all you're using someone else's poetry to express how you feel. This is a delicate thing.” (High Fidelity - Kenny S)
"We got no food, no jobs... our pets’ heads are falling off!" (Dumb & Dumber - Kenny S)
“Some music ‘needs’ air. Roll down your window.” (Elizabethtown- April V)
“Well, I see you're smoking pot now. I think using psychotropic drugs is a very positive example to set for our daughter.” (American Beauty - April V)
“Rufus, Brint, and Meekus were like brothers to me. And when I say brother, I don't mean, like, an actual brother, but I mean it like the way black people use it. Which is more meaningful I think.”

A case of the mundays....

2008-04-07T10:20:00.002-05:00

Yep, that's what I've got. In a big way.

Have you ever been driving along, possibly lost in thought or just singing along to some tunes, then snapped back to reality and realized, "holy crap, I'm DRIVING!" And truly, you're in no way able to remember the last few minutes of your trip? It's scary that we're on such autopilot sometimes.

So there I was this morning, driving to work. Moody Blues came on, so I turned it up and got lost in thought. They remind me of our friends JJ & Katie. JJ lost his dad last year, just a couple of weeks before his first little one was born. JJ's dad was a Moody Blues guy so that was the music at his memorial service, which I personally think is the way it should be - the music that would be a tribute to the deceased.

I often wonder why people choose the music they do at funerals. I wonder if it's because their survivors don't really know what to pick - maybe they weren't left with any direction or maybe they just pick what they think is appropriate, traditional standards and what not.

I made a funeral song list once in college. It's in one of my journals, so I'll have to dig it out and see how accurate it would be today. I imagine it had way too much Dave Matthews and Grateful Dead for my taste these days.

But, back to this morning. Autopilot had fully kicked in and it took a few moments before I even noticed the damn cop. At least he was nice enough to knock the 15 over down to a 5 over. Bless his heart.

So there you have it, a case of the mundays...

I think I'll post a fun game here shortly. Get excited.

catching up on my reading

2008-03-28T11:14:00.003-05:00

I had a little extra time this morning at work, so I decided to catch up on some blogs I hadn't had a chance to read in awhile. I think I could spend an entire day just reading blogs. Not kidding. Today I learned about all sorts of things, including a couple who met online and are getting married this weekend in California that had the freaking coolest wedding invitation.

I also read up on an old co-worker of mine. His posts usually just crack me up, but this one made me sick to my stomach...I just wonder when it will all end.

Twisted Jim's re-printed post below. Link to Twisted Jim's blog here.

3.23.2008
Out Damned Spot Part VII

With over 4,000 Americans dead, I saw an NBC news repport that quoted Dick (I'm as evil as Karl Rove) Cheney as saying King Georgie "bears the burden of this war more than anyone." Really! Really, Dick?
If that's the case, maybe he should be a true Commander and Chief and stand on the front lines with the troops he so nonchalantly kills every day. Then, he may truly understand the burden of his war. It's insane that one man with so little sense is allowed to slaughter so many. And we continue to sit idly by (me included). Thanks for the tax incentive, though. It really pacifies me.

And now, the numbers:

American Casualties- 8,647
In Iraq (Military) - 4,001
In Iraq (Civilians) - 1,188
In Afghanistan (Military) - 484
During 9/11 - 2,974

Coalition Casualties - 307
Australia - 2
UK - 175
Bulgaria - 13
Czech - 1
Denmark - 7
Netherlands - 2
Estonia - 2
Fiji - 1
Hungary - 1
Italy - 33
Kazakhstan - 1
Korea - 1
Latvia - 3
Poland - 22
Romania - 3
El Salvador - 5
Slovakia - 4
Spain - 11
Thailand - 2
Ukraine - 18

Iraqi Casualties - 1,193,480

Twisted Wife thinks these numbers are inflated to get me more fired up about an unjust and treasonous war started by an inept President. She's probably right.I said it before, I support the troops. I'd like to see a whole lot less of them coming home in body bags.
posted by Jim at 11:28 PM

I need a movie!

2008-03-26T10:22:00.002-05:00

Sweet Jesus.

draw on your walls

2008-03-26T09:46:00.002-05:00

I’m not an Oprah fan, nor do I normally get all rah-rah about people giving advice on how to live your life...but this guy seems to hit the nail on the head.

If you have 11 minutes and 32 seconds during the week, take a break and listen to Randy Pausch give his "last lecture."

When the lights go down in the city...

2008-03-18T10:27:00.003-05:00

Is it bad that it's Tuesday and I'm ready for Friday? This weekend went by too fast, once again...
Friday night was filled with a home game of poker at our friends Andi & Paul's house, where Boyfiend took 2nd so at least we won our money back. We drank boxed wine, ate ribs and sang along to old Pantera...it was a good time.

Saturday, Boyfriend and I went to see the band Stone in Love, a tribute to Journey. Oh, how I wish I had a picture to post. But alas...let's just say about 80% of the crowd were there for the same reason we were and the other 20% had probably seen Journey's first tour in the 70s. There's nothing like the sound of a Steve Perry impersonator telling me "Don't stop believin! Hold on to that feeeeeelin!"

Looking forward to Thursday afternoon, when Boyfriend and I take off for sunny Tampa. We're heading south to visit my best friend from childhood, Lesley. She and her boyfriend Ty live in a gorgeous little neighborhood with palm trees and patios. It's supposed to be in the 70s and I can't wait! Flip flop time!

OK, back to work...groan...

Go Tigers!

2008-03-13T16:36:00.002-05:00

Boyfriend and I are heading out in a few minutes for our first Big XII tournament game. Our beloved Tigers vs those damn Huskers...

I got the tickets from one of our presidents here at work and lo and behold, my boss, JJ, has the other 2 seats. And he's a Husker.

Luckily, the Sprint Center is only a few blocks away from my office, so we're walking to avoid the crazy traffic. I can only imagine the insanity that is the power & light district right now. Most of the restaurants down there have only recently opened in the past few days or week and of the 2 I've visited, the "kinks" definitely aren't all worked out yet. Should be interesting...

la la la

2008-03-07T09:56:00.003-06:00

In case you're looking for a movie to cuddle up on the couch with this weekend, I highly recommend Once.

And then you should get the soundtrack. Something about it just makes my heart happy.
:)

makin' waves

2008-03-06T12:43:00.003-06:00

Last night, boyfriend and I were lying in bed reminiscing about things from our childhood. He told me about stealing a spray-painted gold rock from the a Kirksville JC Penney display and showing his parents his treasure when they got in the car. Of course, he promptly had to return it and apologize.

But then I remembered something that was SO COOL...a part of my bedroom from the early 90's till the end of high school...MY WATERBED. Wow, I can't believe how much I wanted one. It was black with black/white/red jazzy sheets and throw pillows. Pretty bad ass, really.

Boyfriend had one too - only his headboard had cubbies for storing treasures (like gold spray-painted rocks, perhaps) and drawers underneath.

So I did a little research and by cracky, they still manufacture the darn things. Can you imagine how cool you would have been if you would have had this one?

Nose spray...love it or hate it?

2008-02-27T12:05:00.003-06:00

So this is pretty random, but what's the general consensus on nose spray? I tried it once a few years ago and gagged when it went down the back of my throat, vowing never to touch the stuff again.

After a few months of boyfriend and I sharing living space, I started noticing bottles of the stuff everywhere. In the bathroom, in the linen closet, by the bed. He's in love with the stuff.

So during a nasty bout of the flu last week, when I got so tired of not being able to breathe out of my nose I was ready to scream, I gave it another shot. And you know...it's not that bad. The taste in the back of the throat was still ghastly, but I could breathe!

The freedom was short-lived (not even close to the 8 hour promise on the bottle) but for the 2 minutes of agonizing drip, I think it might be worth it.

Afrin, you've got a convert.

2008-02-01T10:01:00.000-06:00

So last night was my first test since 2002...gotta love it. I swear I felt like such a dork...totally had the sweaty palms and the tummy pains. Chemistry is a fun subject though, which I didn't realize the first time I was exposed to it in high school.

I'm really looking forward to this evening. Boyfriend and I have a date (which come much less frequently in the past year of living together) at the Melting Pot...YUM.

TGIF

So it's been awhile

2008-01-22T16:36:00.000-06:00

Sometimes you just get a little off track, right?

It's officially 22 days into 2008 and I'm already dreading the rest of the winter. It's just so damn cold!

Things are going along swimmingly so far...

I haven't broken my New Year's Resolution (yet) and have lost 5 lbs

I am loving my new car

My night classes have started so working full time and learning about Chemistry and Nutrition is F-U-N

Gramma is off chemo, by choice, and is leading a much happier life these days, so that makes us ALL happier

I get to spend time with many missed friends here in a few weeks at Bellm's wedding (yay!)

I'm trying to read more (besides class stuff!) and some of my recent favorites are Water For Elephants (thanks, Brie!), Eat Pray Love and The Kite Runner...what will be next?

Boyfriend and I went to the movies for the first time in ages recently...saw Juno. Too cute and a GREAT soundtrack

Another resolution of mine is to keep this dang thing updated...so stay tuned!

A case of the Mundays

2007-10-15T13:25:00.000-05:00

Weekends have become such a coveted time these days. I can remember a time when weekends didn't seem much different from any other day, especially when I was much younger. I remember thinking my parents were such lame-os because by the time 5 PM on Friday rolled around, they just "wanted to relax for pete's sake." Yeah, now I get it.

I think the best part of the weekends now is the ability to sleep in, which I've been told to cherish b/c it goes away once children enter the picture. I think between 1 am Saturday and 7 last night, I managed to sleep at least 15 hours. Glorious.

I just got back from lunch and a trip to Bob Jones with some co-workers. Nothing like a trip to shoe heaven to make a person feel poor. While my friends walked away with at least a pair each, I came to the sad realization that at trip to Target and TJ Maxx were on the horizon for any new fall kicks for me.

Boyfriend and I watched Black Snake Moan last night - not too bad. Pretty sure he was just happy to see Christina Ricci in nothing but underwear for 2 hours.

Fun Friday!

2007-10-12T14:28:00.000-05:00

Yep, the Pancho's run was all I could have dreamed it to be...L&B suggested the Texano burrito...dark chicken meat, sour cream and potatoes all rolled up in a tasty tortilla. It couldn't have been any yummier.

We also tried the cheese enchiladas, which were kick-ass.

In other news, thank the lord it's freakin' Friday. I am all about being ready for the weekend. Tonight my friend, Shelley and I will be heading to the Uptown Theater for the Jethro Tull show. We will probalby be the youngest people there, but what the hell ever. I'm stoked.

Tomorrow my friend Kristy is showing her gorgeous pup Lt. Dan in Lawrence, so I'm going to go cheer her on.

Poncho's...not the rainy kind

2007-10-10T12:06:00.000-05:00

Sitting here at my desk waiting for friends Lance & Brie (like the cheese) to pick me up for lunch at one of our favorite dives, Poncho's.

I'm almost giddy.

Full update on the feast festivities to come.

Tuesday Bluesday

2007-10-09T16:46:00.000-05:00

Well, last night was the first meeting of my parents and his parents. I think it went well - no major catastrophes or disagreements. What more could I want, right?

The weekend in Columbia was a fun one - lots of eating, drinking and football merriment. What a game, too. Go Tigers!

Gramma has another round of chemo this week. Good times.

That's all for now.

Who's your choice for 2008?

2007-10-05T13:57:00.000-05:00

After reading about this quiz on my friend Katie's myspace page, I had to find it and take it myself.

Click here for a quiz that will tell you which 2008 Presidential candidate your views/beliefs most line up with....

Make sure you select "2008 Presidential Speculation" before you start.

Hump day Dump day

2007-10-03T14:25:00.001-05:00

It's Wednesday all right...half-way through the work week and a few days closer to seeing some dear friends from all over the country back at our alma mater this weekend.

Saturday's game against the Big Red from Nebraska will be a fun one, no doubt. But it's not the game we enjoy the most, it's simply getting together the way we used to be able to do any time we wanted. I'm sure I'm not the only one who took those great college years for granted...it was difficult at that point in life to realize those people weren't going to be around forever.

This weekend's visit will surely include Black & Gold, Harpo's and many others. We tend to shy away from the"new bars" in CoMo...too many way-too-short denim skirts for our group.

Last night was the Ryan Adams concert - phenomenal. This was my first time getting to see him live after being a "follower" for about 3 years. He is one of the few artists who sounds just as good live as on CD, if not better. His latest CD, Easy Tiger, is damn good. Saw friends Rachel & Nick there - they're cool music people and fun to be around. It's nice to find friends who appreciate similar music.

Had lunch with pal Kristy at our favorite Boulevard Mexican joint, Taqueria Mexico...we both like cheese so much that we just call it "meeting for cheese." Sweet. She gave me this really cool keychain made by Lupine which is a company that makes pet collars - they claim your pet won't chew through them or they'll replace it. They haven't met Chopper. Sure, he looks innocent enough....

20/20 is in our office today filming for a piece they're doing called Office Envy. We've got pool, ping pong, shuffleboard, free beer, free ice cream, a kick-ass rooftop deck with wifi and many other cool things. While I'm grateful for these perks, it's a little weird b/c I'm pretty much immune to them. That makes me feel unappreciative, which isn't true, but it does make me take a step back and think about other things I should be thankful for... like 2 functioning arms, legs, eyes, ears, etc., or a loving family and great groups of friends. Yeah, that's the good stuff.

OK, enough for today. Tonight is sure to hold some sort of fun...Poker at the Village. Good times.

Peace

The virgin post

2007-10-01T11:14:00.000-05:00

Well, here it is...the first post. I've done the myspace and facebook thing, but decided to go a step further. I know, late bloomer, whatever. With so much amazing information out there already, I'm sure I won't bring much new to the proverbial table, but so be it.

Easiest topic for now is, of course, the weekend. Mine was too short...as per the usual. Friday night was the standard for the bf and me, poker at our favorite dive bar with the regular gang. Saturday was filled with bachelorette party preparations for the little sister of my dearest pal, Lesley.

It's weird to see a "little sister" get married, especially when you're older than her and still sans ring. The theme was Lingere Fiesta! so food preparation was fun and easy. However, the game/gift situation called for a trip to some of KC's finer adult establishments. Umm, yeah. So there's this new place on 39th called Wink...what a trip. I had heard of this place via Kristy who works at the Barkery (best place ever to wash your doggie!). Long story short, Kristy was ringing up Wink's owner, Elizabeth Rich, who told her and oops, everyone (employees, customers, dogs, you name it) that she was opening her new vibrator store the next day. Haha. So, of course, curiosity killed this cat and Lesley and I made the trek to see what this Wink stuff was all about.

It's definitely not your average run-of-the-mill smut shop...nope, this place is for the sexual elite. Items made of hand-blown glass, high-end candles for "wax play," and much, much more. It's not a big place, but definitely has the "quality over quantity" factor going for it. I settled on some chocolate body paint, which we were given a sample of by the very helpful staff. Yep, it pretty much tasted like something you'd want on your ice cream. Complete with a little paint brush, I thought it a very tasteful gift for a bride-to-be.

Guests seemed to enjoy our food and games, including a pinata chocked full of items like flavored lube and candy. Little Sister's step-mom arranged for a limo to pick up the crew for a trip to Missie B's...have you been there? If not, you're missing out and you must add it to your agenda. This place was so much fun, and the perfect place for a bachelorette party. I'll definitely be adding pictures once I get them from guests. Yeah, I'm not the camera-toting type.

There was a great drag show, called the Flo Show (for it's host, er, hostess) and Little Sister was dragged on stage. She was, of course, berated by the Queen, called many names and teased for her fiance's name & occupation being borderline homosexual. Little Sister is very tall and thin, so my personal favorite line of the night was, "somebody get this bitch a biscuit!" Hehe.She handled it well, bless her little heart.

There was a "prop" we brought for the evening that got quite a reaction around the club. Situated in the middle of our table was a ring toss game (I'll leave the "pole" part to the imagination) and boy was it a hit. Security guard Don took a few turns, then whispered in my ear, "you're lucky no one's come and sat down on that thing yet!") Yep, that right there summed up the night.

Sunday (which should definitely be a day of recovery in my book) started far too early, with bf and I heading to the Kansas Speedway for a day of volunteer work. BF and I were bartenders for 7 hours at the Turn One Club, 1 of 2 full-service bars at the entire track. Dear God. There are no fans like NASCAR fans.

So now it's Monday, I'm back at work and it's time to sign off. We'll see if this whole blogging thing works out.

Hasta la vista!