in the 9th mo. countdown...

well, we are into the 9th mo. of our pregnancy and to say the least, it has been a pretty smooth ride... or as Jericho puts it: "people always tell me horror stories about their partners pregnancy, and what to expect and just to bare with it.... but T has been pretty good, besides getting tired and random food weirdness."

here's an overview of the last 8 mo. the 1st trimester was filled with nausea, food aversions (all meat mainly- couldn't stand to be around it, smell it, see it...) and sleeping, sleeping and random crying.

the 2nd trimester my energy came back, laughing til i cried (in a good way) became a weekly thing and exploring the world that we will soon join (parenting) became a reality. along with all this new exploration of parenting, came the excitement of watching my belly grow and feeling her move. talk about unbelievable! oh, and the down side of being pregnant has been the introduction and staying of "restless leg syndrome" and oh my what a fricking pain this has been at times... thank you unisom!! jericho thanks you also.

and now into the last trimester, with the diagnosis of polyhydramnious (excess fluid) and weekly ultrasounds to monitor the baby (standard procedure for excess fluid) i have to say that she is doing quite well, great in fact. at 34 wks, she weighed in at roughly 6lbs. (big, but who doesn't love a big baby!) she looks like her papa, at least from the 3d ultrasound. my ever expanding belly is making some simple things more difficult, like picking things up off the floor, getting out of bed and just putting on a pair of pants... how i can't wait to sleep on my stomach again. now in the last mo. the energy boost has worn down, and sleeping as become a friend of mine again... when i can comfortably without the restless legs issue. its only 30+ days away, if i make it to the predicted due date... time will tell!

3d ultrasound

i think that after 4 ultrasounds, everyone should be entitled to a 3d pic of their baby.... and now only 5 more days til ultrasound #5... i know, crazy eh? i think the dr.'s just like looking at our baby!!

yes we can, yes we DID!

i am elated and relieved!

change is good!

tomorrow is a new day... and so on and so forth.

(now the pregnant lady is going to sleep- and well at that)

I'm the Keebler Elf's Wife (happy halloween)

i wonder, and also...

i wonder...
how long you can keep a "twinkie" (unopened, in package) without it growing mold or becoming hard/crusty or whatever... how many preservatives does it take to make a twinkie last forever? i'm wondering this because, upon purchasing a twinkie today- a friend noticed that there is no year of expiration... only a date!

and also...
jericho and i watched the movie called "the visitor" last night, hands down one of the best movies i've watch in awhile. its about a lonely man, who befriends an illegal immigrant couple living in his NYC apt (without his knowledge). thats all i'm gonna say on that... it was good!

some things in this world are so messed up...

i'm so disturbed by this "awareness group"

(beware if you look at the pics, they are extremely upsetting!)

fade out-radiohead

its been a long time...

geez, i'm not even sure where to start... it has been so long.

well, i got laid off in June, went to Ireland to celebrate getting laid off (trip of a lifetime) and since then I have been searching endlessly for a new job. Wow, let me tell you what a "strange trip" it really has been. I remember getting up for work (when i had a job) and thinking, "ugh, just get through the day"... and then telling myself that life would be so much better without a job.

Lets see, its 6 months later and i've had plenty of time to:
sleep in
search for a new job
wander around town
collect unemployment
catch up with friends and their new additions to their families
travel
catch up on tv shows
drink coffee
get bored
adjust to a very low income
learn to keep my plants alive
drive around in my car
watch more movies than i ever have in my life
listen to music
run errands
stay up late to waste time
discover some things about myself
shop on a budget
and on, and on and on...

6 mo. its PLENTY of time to get over the 6am alarm clock awakening to only think "ugh, its wed. only 2 more days." I am ready to go back to work, i actually miss it, believe it or not. it feels like a strange friend that i've lost a connection too. i have probably applied for over 200+ jobs, some i really wanted and others that i would just accept so that i feel like i have a purpose again. Don't get me wrong, i know that school is my 1st purpose- but wow, watching all my friends and family go to work day in and day out, i started to feel a bit lonely... like i got my "memebership" revoked. this may sound just plain strange to some, and may make some sense to others... all in all its been quite a ride during this time. To be honest, its hard to feel like a productive person when it seems like the tides are against me on getting a job that I WANT to get, rather than just accept. Basically, its hard not to let it take a toll on my mentality, but i'm keeping my chin up!
I got a "temp-2-hire job" in the end of Sept. for Admin/ Cust. Serivce for a small co. in downtown and it paid decent with crap emergency only ins. (which came in handy after all)... so of course I jumped on it. WOW- was i fooled. HA! After 3 days of orientation and a co. overview, i was learning how to fix plasma & lcd HDTV's! (I am nowhere in the realm of being qualified for doing this) Quite a difference from what i was told i was being hired for... let me tell you how NOT thrilled i was about this, but being the trooper i am (not really) and realizing by taking this temp job that i jeopardized my unemployment pay I am still there, unhappy, under appreciated (Christ, i'm the only female in the co. of 10 people- its definitely been an experience) and a left feeling a bit lost.
AH HA!! i got a call today from an HR person at a local hospital here, about a job that i interviewed for that I wanted (i've been saying since i was laid off that i WANT a job at a hospital!!) and she told me that if the background ck came out clean, then they would be extending me an offer... i was on a high this afternoon! she called me back a bit later to discuss salary and hours... and now, i just need to wait patiently for her to call me back once the background ck is completed- as i know there isn't anything that in my background that will hurt my chances at this point. Whew, that was a mouth full.

On to more exciting things: the holidays were good. Jericho and I got to see both our families, drive through a snow storm, sleep in, relax, laugh and just enjoying life. We even got a FUNNY pic, that we think we are going to use next yr for our holiday cards... some may not think its funny, but we sure get a kick out of it... i'll upload it sometime.

well its been an interesting summer. i got laid off (best thing that ever happened), went to ireland, relaxed, went to fargo, hung out with friends, relaxed, and eventually got another job- with better pay i might add (and super cool about having a flexible schedule for school)! all in all its wasn't a bad summer, but i am ready to embrace fall and the cooler weather and colorful leaves that are here and coming.

for the pics, the 1st is gypsy just chilling in the window sill (her favorite thing to do when the weather was hot), the next 3pics are from my cousins wedding in aug. it was a blast- they did it all for their wedding. they had one of those ol' school photo booths (it takes 4 mini pics in black and white and comes out on a stip), it was at the landmark center in st. paul- pretty amazing... there is a pic of jericho and i all dressed up, the next is my brother charlie and my mom, and the last is of a groomsman who will remain nameless- he ended up splitting his pants open right before the last song of the night- at which point all the groomsmen or just guys all dropped their pants and stood around in a circle and sang "piano man" by billy joel. it was a fun, funny night for all- whether you ended up dropping you pants or not! ha.

well my new job is interesting, i never in a million years thought that i would be dealing with hdtv's. i'm learing how to problem solve and fix (repair) plasma's and lcd- its crazy and the funny thing is i really don't mind doing it. the days go fast, there is no time to sit down and watch the clock, its rather interesting. the thing that i like the most is that the co. is lax, and really cool about me going to school and needing time off from work to go to class.

alright there is the mini update.

my Ireland return & 29th b-day!

well, i'm back from Ireland- it was a great two weeks... absolutely beautiful! i am glad to be home, being away made me realize /miss the people in my life and how grateful i am to have such a great life.

i fly in tues night, wed was my b-day! jericho took the day off. we slept in- well not really, i was still working off Ireland time (6 hrs. ahead), i woke up at 7:30a wide awake and nicely woke up jericho... he was a trooper. we walked to a resturant near by for breakfast, drank coffee, talked and then walked back home. we decided to go wander around during the day at the U of M Arborteum in Chaska, neither of us had ever been there... it was a perfect day out for a wandering walk around the arborteum. it was a great day, we talked, took pictures and just wandered around- its a great place to go walking. in the eve, we found out that my fav. local band was playing- so we went. G8 is a great local jazz hip-hop band here in the cities! if you haven't seen them, you should ck out their next show.

its was a great home coming and birthday!

last wknd in Ireland!!

well, sorry i haven't posted lately- i'm out exploring! this pic is me at the Irish Sea yesterday... wow- i could easily spend a few hours there just walking around and looking out at the ocean. i filled a whole apple juice bottle of sand to bring with me home- nothing like taking home *FREE* pieces of Ireland! ha.

anywho, i saw Malahide Castle yesterday, grounds are insanely beautiful and so well kept its scary. ate at Duffy's bar- which put french fries back home to shame... and spent a good 3 hours with coffee at the ocean just putzing around.

today mom and i are going into Dublin again, we are staying overnight to catch the train to the west coast tomorrow morning and are going to travel the west coast this wknd. we are going to Burren Castle, Folk Village, Doolin, Cliffs of Moher (my fav) and Galaway Bay. then spending another night in Dublin to do some shopping/ sight seeing the next day... wow, its the last week and it is going REALLY fast- which I am both torn and excited to see come to an end. I am ready to come home, i really like it here- but i do seriously miss jericho, the cats and my friends.... if only you all could of come with me then i'd never want to go home.

maki- i'm posting this for you (& ed)! cheers (being as your both are probably the ones who read this blog!) ha!

take care,
coffee soon!!!
T

Ireland -day 6

Ireland looks good on me, and makes me feel good!

wicked tired right now, walked around Malahide and Dublin all day today... i feel like my feet are raw and worn down to stubs. Saw the "book of Kells" and watched some germans and the security guards get into a "bickering" match over who was going into see the "book of Kells"... then after we went exploring in Dublin- crazy, there were people everywhere. it felt like someone put the NY subway systems into the center of Dublin, almost felt overloaded with it all.

alright off to bed!
hope everyone is well.

Ireland -days 3-5

well the wknd flew by. friday night mom and i went walking about town (Malahide)- there wasn't alot open after 6p excepts for pubs. Sat. morn, mom, colleen and i woke early to leave to go to the Wicklow Mtns.... amazingly beautiful! its crazy to see all the scenery and not feel like i'm in a movie or waiting to wake from a dream.

the roads here are crazy narrow compared to MN and curvy like you wouldn't believe, i love it- it's like a free rollercoaster ride if you are going fast enough, which we were. the other major thing that is different is there are no street signs anywhere- NONE! i can't believe it, we got lost a few times in the middle of nowhere, and would wander upon small villages and there would be no street signs tell us where we were. we would have to wait until we got onto a road and headed toward a major highway or town and then there would be a random signs in the middle of nowhere pointing in the direction of the town or to the hwy.

we went to Powerscourt- its a garden, the gardens are unbelievable. there are statues, a zen garden, a pet cemetery, dolpin pond (just a pond with no dolphin) and rose gardens- tons of flowers. the weather was sunny for most of the trip, but it did drizzle for a bit off and on. Ireland's rain is nothing like what we get, they just get misty weather here and there all day, or i should say most days. from Powerscourt we traveled on to Kilkenny.

Kilkenny is a quaint town, filled with bars, shops and beautiful sights. We found a B&B there and went and ate at a pub in the midst of town, there were quite a bit of bar hoppers. the food at the pub was so-so, but the part i loved was when i was standing outside smoking- people watching. that was my favorite part, i saw couples, kids, elders... all types. it was like i didn't exist as i watched people, which was rather nice to feel like i blended into the background and could just fade away into the sea of humanity. we stayed at the B&B, ate breakfast this morning, toured the Kilkenny Castle, walked around and shopped... it was a great time!

even more pics are posted now!
hope all is well with everyone

Ireland -day 2

pics are now up on:

http://flickr.com/photos/mysweetugly

Ireland -day 1

(pic one of the houses i write about later)

i was wrecked yesterday! i didn't sleep on the flight but maybe 2-3 hrs, too busy playing with the individual tv that we all had at our seats, they had games, movies and tv shows to play and watch. it was crazy fun and nice for something to do to pass the time rather than just read or sleep.

well its 8:30a there and 2:30p here... i'm getting ready to walk into town and putz around.

its really pretty here. the house where we are staying is beautiful. it looks small (regular) from the outside but inside it is huge and just beautiful. skylights everywhere. love it!!! i will take pics so you can see. also there are no screens on anyones windows here, bugs are not an issue- the weather here is fall all day- with drizzle off and on all day, but i love it! its the perfect temp, never gets above 75 degrees. i'm going to walk to the bay (irish sea) this afternoon. this wknd we are going to drive to the south of ireland and ck out what they call mountains and some castles. i guess the mountains look more like large hills than mountains, but either way it will be fun. mom is debating kissing the Blarney Stone, I think that I am going to pass on it, as it is covered in lipstick and spit- also someone yesterday on the flight told me that the locals like to go pee on it at night.... so i think i am going ot pass on it.

mom and i went walking last night, it was nice just to walk around Malahide and see what houses here look like. they all look smaller but really long. some of them have thatched roofs and most have bright colored doors (they look like cottages and most of them are named) there are no street names which makes things interesting when walking around in an unfamiliar area, you have to become more accustomed to looking for certain buildings or landmarks than anything else.


cars here are much smaller than in the US. extremely compact here. i saw a car yesterday by the company Fiat, called Punto (which mean Bitch in spanish). most of the cars also seem to be manuals. and speed limits are faster here than at home. saw a couple of double decker buses, going to go ride one in Dublin later this wk and take a tour of the city. Our taxi driver from the airport was telling us of all the other things that we could go do that are free or relatively cheaper than other stuff.

side note: the doorbell just rang, and i went to answer the door. it was a young woman(pregnant maybe 5mo.) & child (i'd guess 3yrs.) who had a spanish accent, asking for money for food. i told her i could give her food, and filled up the childs bottle with water, and she walked away. that was interesting, i guess i never thought that someone would come door to door looking for money.

(i haven't posted pics to flickr yet, but will soon!)

take care,
T

sunday driving

so jericho and i went on a random sunday drive early this eve. we wandered around the west side of the cities (lyndale, maple plain, carver county, lydia, waconia...) such a beautiful day, perfect for the wander-lust drive... just gabbed coffee, ipod and went. (gas is crazy expensive right now-just a side note). we were trying to go to the U of M Arboretum out in Chaska, but found ourselves in love with the vastness of open road- such began our mini adventure.
driving through all the tiny towns on the western side of cities, its amazing what you wonder those people do for living, talking about if we would ever moved that far out of the city (we both agreed that we prefer the city, but wouldn't mind have more land to roam or have people over for bonfires, ect. and that its probably cheaper to a point). there are tons of horse ranches out there... the U of M Arboretum is amazing, definitely need to go explore that for a whole day with a camera. as we were driving back to the city from maple plain we were tailing a truck. not just a truck but the redneck-ish bubba truck. the kind of trucks were the men wear plaid shirts and tore off the sleeves, then we noticed that on the tailgate of the truck were those "girly" decals, the female sillotte decals on each side of the tailgate, then to make things better as i start to laugh at the situation a dog, we called "buck" popped his head out the passenger window. maybe you had to be there but it was quite amusing and just seem to fit the tiny town we were driving through at the moment... we also decided that we wouldn't be overly welcome in that town with our extremely left winged opinion and non conformist lifestyle. i mean c'mon can you see us living in maple plain? ha, i think not. we are city people who love the open road and possibilities life has to offer, but we adore the openmindness of our friends and family.

so if you see a redneck-ish truck with "girly" decals... just remember that they made a conscious choice to do that to their vechile and put that into our world! ha.

congrats maki & ed

its a girl! its a girl! YIPEE!!!

My good friend Maki had a healthy baby girl this evening.
I'm sure she beautiful! i can't wait to meet her... this is so exciting and i'm just the friend.

Welcome to the world Abigail Marie, your going have a wonderful life.

CONGRATS MAKI & ED!!!

geez, its been awhile!

to start off, on mon. i woke up and my left hand wouldn't open and hurt really bad. i went to work, figured it was a hand cramp or i slept on it wrong. errr... that wasn't it, it started to increase in pain and swell- so off to the ER i went. after a 4 hr. wait, they claimed it was tendinitis and put me in a cast and was supposed to ck in with my reg. dr. during the wk. tues i went to my dr. and he took off the cast and did his examine. he decided that i have trigger finger... and then the next couple days i went through a series of cortozone shots into my knuckle, wow did that suck and hurt like a mofo. never want to do that again. supposedly its supposed to heal over time, and its doing better already.

thurs. jericho, walton, rachel and i went to see a band play at the Varsity Theatre. it was frickin' sweet! i love this band, called G8 (http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=61517176&MyToken=d3a99c02-d71e-453c-b29e-2cd928580d15)- it was there cd release party. what a sweet venue too... its an old theatre. the music was fantasic! it was the perfect topper to the begining of the wknd and better yetk- they are playing again in a wk. after the show we all went to the diner and saw charlie and ate then back home to crash before work.

fri went to work, its rather lame trying to type with one hand, but oh well it still pays. worked all day then went home, cleaned- hung out with jericho for a bit and ended up crashing on the couch by 9p and slept there til morn. guess i was tired.

theres the update.

pizza of the gods!

Joey D's- Chicago Style Eatery/ 3101 E 42nd St. Mpls, MN.

if you haven't, do yourself a favor and ck this place out! We stopped by on a whim and holy crap, i'm sure glad that we did! This is now our new fav. pizza place

happy birthday to me!

happy birthday to me! welcome 28... geez, what a long strange trip its been.

I spent 2/3 of my birthday working, which I must say Jericho sent me Gerbera Daisies at work to brighten my day... then after work my brother, his girlfriend, jericho and I all went out to eat and hung out. We went to Annies Parlor and sat out on the patio, watched the lightning storm and just enjoyed good conversation... amazing! It was a good day!

Went out with Maki tonight (god, you crack me up!). She's pregnant with little baby baggs, I'm so excited for her and Ed.... speaking of babies, I believe i'm about to have a niece born here any minute. Little miss Josie, hurry up please I can't wait to meet you- your going to just be loved to death by your parents as i know that they are triple the times excited as i am.

Tomorrow Mom, Charlie, Jericho and I are off to see "Body Worlds" at the Science Museum. I can't wait, I love stuff like this... it fascinates me. Oh, update... I'm offically enrolled for school this fall, yea! I have 2 job interviews with a major hospital in the coming week and am also meeting the VP of the HR dept. (of the hospital, can you say hook-up) for coffee and discuss my joining their team. I am as nervous as I am excited. wish me luck.

soul?

but this is the part where i tell you about the gradual reclamation of my soul, isn't it? i admit that the soul's not nearly mine yet. there are still several payments to make but i'll begin by saying that i discovered that there was actually something there for me to reclaim.

(from the book: how soon is never?)

random writing and poems

Ahhis this the other end of my brain (said the spider to the fly)? Though you may be sleeping, and I am awake the world may be a bit off-centered, but I have fairy dust faith in saying that we will surely overcorrect the damage done, with enthusiasm adventures awaiting you and I, or me and you, (a.e.i.o.u and sometimes why?) in the midst of the maze only to be had with caf o mania and cackles o plenty protruding from bellies beyond anything anyone is even knowledgeable of thus, my associate wake and we shall tread on the world in style leaving no doors to barricade our wanderlust vision. The Ghostbusters are creeping closer and closer but have yet to find me (safely wedged in my cubicle). Shhhh, its a secret, do not tell them where I am located. I beg of you, youre forefathers and the voices (in your head, or was it mine) for the being of my safety harness is in jeopardy!!! It was a close call yesterday, phew! They were clinging to my exhaust pipe on my sleek black samurai Hummer honda, while I trailed up hwy 52 home but I got em, I got em good too! A teardrop on the dark side of the moon life I live, strumming along with my tires on the pavement for this is one wild hwy I travel. Some days it feels more like a wave coaster, but sadly I think this only when I am stuck in auto pilot for the sea monkeys have invaded my common sense and all is lost to the unknown of King Kong and his endless growing infatuation with lima beans. I will eat you alive, I mumble.

untitled:
Silver clouds create pressure on the air which I breathe
Small stints of comedic relief wither and wane
Undeviating reminders of unpleasing times
Wasting time over things which will never be
Darkness holds on as light begins to creep through the crack
Suggestions of simplicity in a world of complications are welcome
Rhythms catch my toes to tap
Sincerity goes a long way in retrospect of a person's day
Wrapped inside the safeness of arms
Love equals warmth
My heart is built of pleasure & pain and inside my brain I hate that some days it all seems the same
TRS 05'

"until I can find me, I'll be what I am" -crooked fingers

me & mr. bo

I sent this to mr. bo awhile ago:
"Ps... I love goggles-(don't know where this just came from). It just made me smile thinking of sitting at my cubicle with some goggles on."

His response:
"I thought of you sitting there with goggles and your helmet on looking for a stapler and I almost pissed all over myself!!!!!"

I love my friends, for they are truly like no others I know.
reading it still makes me smile!

a tee hee hee!

JAMAICA ,
JAMAICA,
oh.... JAMAICA- Montego Bay.

Holy crap I am going to Jamaica!
I still can't fully believe it!
Craziness!!!!!
39 days and counting...
Oh I can almost smell the ocean already!
YIPEE!!
God I love the ocean!

piano keys- a poem

Piano keys play, I watch the notes gracefully drift away with the breeze.
I hear a child laugh in the distance.
My feet are dancing, dancing around, continuously spinning as if I were floating.
All feels blissful.
Under the vast night sky I tilt my head back, gazing upon the full moon shining ever so brightly… as if it were lighting a path for me to dance along.
I continue spinning, around and around.
Arms stretched out into the atmosphere.
My finger tips so gently caressing the apple blossoms that are in bloom and smell so inviting.
Bare feet in the grass it’s dewy from the night.
I love being bare foot; it reminds me of childhood, memories of innocence and purity.
Between being bare foot in the dewy grass and spinning gazing out to the sky... tears stream down my cheeks as I smile at the moon.
Faster and faster I spin everything is becoming a blur.
All is meshed together... for where it started and where it ends I do not know.
I fall reflective I lay here breathing, all is quiet and calm.
I am serene and will continue on through this journey that I am dancing along. May one day elsewhere I encounter you (the moon), and we will dance again amongst the dew drops, and scent of apple blossoms.

Night ramblings

So here I am sitting in my new kitchen at our new apt... I love it!

As for what's been going on lately, nothing out of the ordinary. Moved from one apt to this one, 2 blocks in distance from the prior one. The cats really like the new place, which make me happy- its nice to see them have space to run around and chase eachother. Jericho have mostly unpacked and decorated for the most... someday maybe I'll get around to posting pics.

I cut down on smoking, went from a pack to half a pack- and still trying to smoke less or at least not when needed, although I know that I don't need to smoke... I just do. Guess I'm consciously trying not to use it as a filler anymore, which is quite a realization as to how much I smoked before and why. I will keep trying.

Been continuously dealing with John's death, its taken quiet a toll on my mentality and how easy it is to takes simple things for granted on a daily basis. I keep breathing and know that there are things about this whole senario I will never understand and am learning to become okay with. Its been quiet a process, and I miss him... but also know that his spirit is free and am grateful for having known such a beautiful man.

Work is work, nothing new, I'm still a cog to corporate society.

Last night we (Jericho, Joe, Meis and I) took mom to a comedy club for her birthday, that was fun- it was good to see her laugh! Then we went to eat and came back to the apt and hung out. I did laundry this morning and then just putzed around the house, finally! Its been crazy hectic since Dec. between John's death, moving, work and daily life... It was nice just to be able to lounge around and not have to rush off to do whatever.

well, that's it for me tonight. I gotta try to get better at updating this thing....

the letter...

I wrote a letter tonight, I will never mail it or do anything with it but keep it for my own personal reasons. It felt good to write and release some of the feelings that I have going on inside me. This whole process has me in a whirlwind of emotion, a kluster fuck of chaos and sometimes its hard to know where to go. I'd say thou writing the letter help me at least for now, there may be more letters to come, I don't know yet... I will deal with it as the feelings come. I am okay for today and I know that things will get better, I just have to get through this.

In loving memory...

An Irish Blessing

May the road rise to meet you,May the wind be always at your back.May the sun shine warm upon your face,The rains fall soft upon your fields.And until we meet again,May God hold you in the palm of his hand.May God be with you and bless you:May you see your children's children.May you be poor in misfortune,Rich in blessings.May you know nothing but happinessFrom this day forward.May the road rise up to meet youMay the wind be always at your backMay the warm rays of sun fall upon your homeAnd may the hand of a friend always be near.May green be the grass you walk on,May blue be the skies above you,May pure be the joys that surround you,May true be the hearts that love you.

In loving memory of John C. Buck 1952-2005

You were a beautiful man, may you smile always and forever more, I love you so much- you will be greatly missed. You taught me so many things about life, love, and laughter... I shall not forget. I carry you in my heart. Thank you for everything you brought into the lives and hearts of those that knew you, your spirit will live on.

bye bye bill collector!

I GOT A NEW JOBBY-JOB!!!

Yes, I, the so thought lifer at Cingular got a new job! I am a soon to be employee of UHG (United Health Group).

I am stoked, scared, excited, nervous... all in all-happy! I put in my resignation today at the end of my shift (I can't even describe how amazing that felt). I am crazy nervous about the new job, but also stimulated with the excitement of change. I've been with Cingular (formerly AT&T Wireless) for roughly 5yrs... and a change of employment has been long overdue. I've been comfortably unhappy in my position for sometime, but we all know how it is to break out of being comfortable and change, take that risk... well I did, and as scared as I am, I'm thrilled I did it! The commute is the same, just west instead of south, the benefits are similar, the pay is better, but the big thing is that the opportunity for growth far exceeds anything that I could ever do at my current employer. Another bonus is that my hilarious cousin works in the same building, so I already have a lunch buddy!

"so I hear myself, say to myself... I'm having so much fun! Geez whacko, go to bed!"

wednesday's 411

Here's some info on me, you may or may not know:
(Thanks 4 the idea Cyn!)

1. Things made with milk make me ill.
2. I am literally the mailman's kid and also the red-headed stepchild.
3. I hope I’m as fun, patient and imaginative as my mother was when I was a child, with my children.
4. I believe in superstitions and karma.
5. I have 5 tattoos- 2 I like, 3 I don’t really care for (hindsight is 20/20).
6. I am a klutz.
7. My family, friends and cats mean everything to me.
8. I used to be in choir (& pretty good), I sang a duet in my Jr. High talent show and won. I was then asked to sing at our 9th gr. graduation/ formal dance.
9. I have a really hard time talking with people who have “jacked” teeth, I just find myself staring.
10. The song “Do You Realize” by the Flaming Lips always gives me goose bumps.
11. I wish I knew how to play acoustic guitar.
12. I have noticeable scars on my arms and hands, but do not wish for them to disappear for they tell a story of who I once was.
13. I find M.C. Escher, Salvador Dali and Dr. Suess’s work inspiring.
14. I have 4 birthmarks (only one is obvious).
15. when i sleep i have to have my feet tucked under the covers cause i'm afraid that something will get them if they aren't... but i hate having the blankets tucked into the bed
16. My favorite smells: crisp air (fall), my grandma, bonfires, lilacs, Jericho and the ocean.
17. Ever since I was a child and every once in awhile now, I have a recurring dream that Captain Hook is chasing my through the field of my Jr. High, but he will never show me his hook.
18. I enjoy taking pictures of people (faces mainly) whether I know them or not, I also doodle. Secretly, I dream someone will notice my work and pay me to doodle and take pictures all day.
19. I don’t like breathing in enclosed/ tight spaces, I feel like I can’t get enough fresh oxygen and start to freak out (I've never understood people who can sleep with the blankets over their head).
20. When I think of my life, the phrase that sums it up is “chaos vs. simplicity.”

the grand getaway

Jericho and I went to Duluth and Grand Marais for Labor Day wknd. It was really nice to getaway just us and out of the city lights. Sat. we spent putzing in Duluth, in and out of stores and to the boardwalk. Here's my tale of Duluth, we got some coffee at this cafe (and I thought I was wise beyond my coffee yrs.) asked for what they called the Jitter Java. Craziness! Within about an hour of drinking roughly half of this coffee, I started to tweak in my own skin... my legs kept going (as if they had voices) "move, move.... wiggle, walk, dance... just MOVE" and my brain was all over the place to the point where we are standing on Superior St. walking, talking, and smoking and I just dead stop and start laughing- the java hyper induced laughing where anything and everything was funny. Althou, I think it will be awhile before I have one of those again. That night we drove up to Grand Marais on hwy 61, that's a wicked drive in the dark if you've never driven it before, like I.

We settled into our hotel, motel... definetly not a Holiday Inn, but considering it was last minute planning the room worked out quite well. We drove around town being neither of us had been there before (it was smaller than I imagined, but quaint none the less) Sun. we drove the Gunflint Trail, stopping at every public boat access there was to take pictures and wander around... it was amazingly beautiful. I can see how people love to go there and watch the fall colors on the trees. We came back to town, ate dinner, got some coffee (I stayed on the milder side after the previous days experiences) walked around the beach to Superior. It was calming being there, granted we were probably one of the youngest couples there and laugh about it now, it was still a great getaway. We hung around outside taking in the sites and walking around town then decided to head back to the hotel for the eve where we watched episode upon episode of Carlos Mencia the comedian. It was great, I love that guy! Mon. we packed up the car and headed back to the city lights, that as much as I thought I wouldn't miss it... I did. I missed the traffic, the steady pace of things, our cats, friends and the biggest thing... the fact that places are still open after 9p.

All in all it twas a marvelous wknd!

todays music & doodle

Iron & Wine- Woman King
Stephen Marley- Hey Baby
Mos Def- Umi Says
Razorlight- Golden Touch
A Perfect Circle- Imagine
Root City Band- Sleepwalk
A Tribe Called Quest- Award Tour
The Bens- Just Pretend
Blackalicious- Make You Feel That Way
Fiona Apple- Shadow Boxer
Alicia Keys- Harlem’s Nocturne
Citizen Cope- A Bullet And A Target
Ween- Buenas Tardes Amigo

yipee

Oh, how I love thee...

Sat. is the start of Jericho's and my mini vacation for Labor Day wknd. We are going up to Grand Marais, I am so excited! I have never been past Duluth, so I'm finding myself feeling like a little kid getting ready for a big adventure to the North Shore!! I only hope that my allergies don't wreak havoc anymore than they already are. “Blasted allergies be gone!” I say… nope, didn’t work.

So lately, I’ve been putzing around on Adobe Photoshop making collages of pictures, learning to blend them together and tinkering with them in general. The thing that I find most frustrating is when I’m all done and genuinely satisfied with what I’ve created and am ready to save the file (mind you I’m a bit on the anal retentive side with my artistic abilities- so saving is few and far between)… I cannot get it to save in a JPEG format. Therefore, I am not able to post it into my blog nor open it in general once it saves in this mysterious file format & right now off hand, I can’t remember what it’s saving as. I’m sure if I was to ask Deuce or Mark they could probably problem shoot this with me or at least give me some options to try and I’m not opposed to doing so, I’m just frustrated with fact I can’t figure it out myself.

Well its Fri before the holiday wknd, and the mood with everyone at work is “eh, whatever- it can wait until next wk.” I spent the morning in my cubicle reading the city pages and assisting the few AP’s that actually called (its pretty dead today). I do have to give credit to where credit is due: Dan Savage http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dan_Savage or otherwise known as Savage Love- http://search.citypages.com/summary.asp?k=savage+love&kwcid his wkly column you can find in the City Pages http://citypages.com or other sources all over the world. See, I’ve been bringing in the City Pages every Fri. for over a 2yrs. now, and sit quietly in my cube and entertain myself… trying to block out the miserable drivel that people I work with converse about in the background (truth be told, there are only a select few of my co-workers that I choose to converse with- not because I’m a snob, but because there are conversations that I choose to not participate in)… trust me, these are not conversations (in my opinion) that should be discussed at work, nor in public (examples: 1. Their criminal history record while they talk to whomever on their phone. 2. Who did what to who and why they aren’t talking now. 3. I’ve even heard people here calling numbers that show up on their significant others phone bill and going “Who this? Why you calling (insert name here)? How do you know each other?”) Back to giving credit where credit is due, I’d like to thank you Dan… thank you for saving my sanity (or what’s left) at times here in my lifeless cubicle and getting me to laugh- I owe you one!

Alright off to more productive things… or I at least think so.

on days like today... I doodle.
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