Vacation

[Hurry, the game is starting]
By tie we got to Minneapolis, parked, checked into the hotel and to our room, it was nearing 5pm. We took quick bano breaks, changed the baby and headed towards the Metrodome for a 530 game. I get turned around easy enough on the street and it was even worse being in the skywalk. Hubby did a great job of getting us where we needed to go. We got to the dome and were headed to get our tickets when we heard over the loud speaker that the game started at 730. I had checked the schedule again Friday morning and noticed the time of the game was pushed back 20 minutes to 530. It must have been pushed back another two hours. This allowed us the chance to catch our breath but to also realize that we were hungry. While stuffing our faces with dry chicken strips and tough fries, hubby realized that when looking at the Mariners schedule, it shows in Pacific time, 2 hours later than our time. So, the game hadn’t been pushed back another two hours. Instead, I was checking the wrong time zone. Oops.

[game #1]
Thanks to Jake for getting us tickets to the game. We had nice seats – just past first base and 34 rows up. It was fun to be at a baseball game and I patiently waiting to see my buddy in the bull pen warming up. In the mean time, I watched most the game and played with my small fry. Being at the ball park, it would only make sense to have a hot dog. And since, they were free to the first so many people, Ryan, Scott and I enjoyed hot dogs and pop. Jake never pitched and the Mariners lost game 1. Too bad. Heading back to the hotel, we walked on the sidewalk – 12 blocks down and 5 blocks over.

[Saturday noon]
It’s so interesting to have a friend playing major league baseball. And at the same time, it’s a bit weird. He’s the same Jake that he was before he was in the pro’s and that’s so good to see. We met my childhood buddy at his hotel and then walked a bit through the ghetto to get to our lunch spot. We had a nice lunch, a superb waiter and some good conversation. It takes a little more effort to converse with a quiet childhood friend and include a husband who is unfamiliar with childhood memories and stories. So, we talked babies (his wife is due in October) and baseball. When your entire career is based on your athletic performance, things can be rough. After lunch, we walked back the hotel. But, because Jake is a friend, I didn’t think to take a picture with him, have him sign a baseball or anything like that. As we got back to the hotel, I had him sign a baseball for Scott and a few more for friends. Later, we passed back by the hotel after a little shopping and I didn’t stop. I didn’t want to gawk at him and his team mate he was talking to. I didn’t want to make a big deal about the situation at all. I don’t want to be the annoying fan. So, we greeted each other and kept going.

[game #2]
He sucks! Yup, I don’t like that player. The Mariners clean up hitter didn’t do jack again. You would think he could bat since he’s in the #4 position but he didn’t do dittly-squat. He struck out several times again. Again, while we watched the game, Scott entertained himself and others around us with his sweet personality. I asked Jake if I could get a picture of him and Scott in his uniform and he told me what to do. So, just before the end of the game, I headed down to the bottom between the dugout and the bullpen to wait for Jake to walk by. Only Jake didn’t stop when I shouted his name. Maybe I wasn’t loud enough, maybe he was told to go directly to the dugout since they lost again, who knows. It was sad though, I didn’t get a picture of Scott and Jake together. It was nice however, that another relief pitcher, Jamie Moyer, walked over to the stands and handed Scott a baseball.

[Sunday morning heathens]
Now that we have the game times figured out, we could have made it to church, somewhere. Typically I’m wide awake by 6. But Sunday morning was not a typical morning. I woke up and checked out the clock; it was 820. Holy cow! Scott was sleeping soundly and so was Ryan. We got ready and headed out on the town again. First stop, Target AGAIN. I loved having a Target 2 blocks away. Next stop a little Irish place for brunch before heading to the game. We met the sweetest server there. She loved the kiddo and played with him and shared all about her twins, etc. It was fun talking to her. By time I ate my breakfast, it had started to get cold.

[game #3]
We got to the stadium plenty early and sat and played with the kiddo. He did not want to go to take a nap. This was actually a baseball game where both teams gave some effort. It even went extra innings when in the bottom of the 11th, the first Twins guy up hit one over the fence ending the game. I rushed down 35 rows to catch Jake before he made it to the dug out with no luck. It all happened too fast. Now, standing at the bottom of the stadium, I knew I’d be waiting a while to make it back to the top while everyone else piled out. Instead, I headed down the row a bit and started climbing my way up over the seats. With a 22 pound kid in my arm, I made it up 32 of the rows before giving in. I was HOT and TIRED!
[post baseball games]
It was nice to check out a few games in the cities thanks to a buddy supplying us with tickets. After the last game, we headed once more the mile or so walk back to the hotel. My legs and hips were killing me – a little more walking than I’m used to. We made another pit stop at Target and got a few more snacks for our afternoon. It was hot outside and we were tired and not eager to head back outside. It was nap time! And we laid around and watched some TV.

[Minneapolis zoo]
Monday morning we left the hotel and headed to the suberbs to catch the zoo for me small fry. Did I mention earlier that it was HOT. Yeah, like 90+ hot. I know that back in CA, that’s not bad but this was 95 plus humidity. And it has been so cool lately that 90, whether humid or not, is warm. We ventured through the zoo anyway. To start, I peered at the zoo map and was disappointed in the number of animals. I thought there would be more. We saw some fun things though: prairie dogs, giraffes, dolphins, sharks, a puma, otters, tiger, wolf, caribou, camels, lemurs and tree kangaroos. This zoo has a “farm” so we even had to check that out. Being married to a veterinarian, living in a rural community, educated in agriculture, I wasn’t too excited about this “farm” experience. But, it wasn’t too bad and I made sure to learn something new. I learned about these “things” that hang over the cow that help encourage the cow to not hunch her back when she poops. This helps assure that the cow poop goes in the gutter and her stall stays clean. Scott had a blast, of course. I knew he’d love the animals. Only, he didn’t care so much about the zebra that was 100 feet away, he was entertained by the grasses right next to the fence. And when he wasn’t checking out the weeds, he was jabbering and waving to everyone we walked passed. It was hot but fun.

[on the road again]
We jumped in the car sweaty and stinky and headed home. Of course, it was no simple trip. We had to stop to eat. Later stopped again to feed Scott and change a poopy diaper. Had a few construction areas and closed roads and adventurous moments guessing which county road to take to get to the highway we wanted. It was a good trip. We stopped close to home for Chinese (well as close as you can get to a Chinese restaurant) before arriving at our sauna of a house. It was warm in there too. One of these days we might have air conditioning.

Poop, please son!

[some time ago – about 10 days or so]
Not sure if I ever mentioned the recent poop experience with my kiddo. He was struggling and when I went to clean him it was so solid that it wouldn’t wipe out. He had also decided to quit pushing and so I had to pull the rest of the poop out of his little butt. Yeah, this is a definite story to hang on to.

[more recently]
Finally tired of the small town doctor, I made an appointment for small fry at a bigger small town place. My poor kid has had problems pooping from day one. Prunes – yup, he gets those every morning and sometimes in the evening. No result with those. So, our other option has been Karo syrup. I’m sure my kid will be a sugar addict the rest of his life. He gets dark Karo in a bottle each day and when it’s been about 6 days with no poop, he gets it in every bottle till he does the duty. Because of all this, small fry goes to visit Dr. Swanson. Grammy and Papa took him. According to G&P, the doctor had wonderful beside manner, good knowledge of medical stuff, asked questions, played with the kiddo, etc. He even called me at work during the appointment to explain things. I told him that I just wanted to make sure he didn’t have a plumbing problem. Dr. S was calling about that very thing, he wanted to make sure I was comfortable with them doing an x-ray to determine how full he was. Let me officially say my kid is full of sh*t. Yup, his bowels were full and it was up in his large intestine. Poor kiddo.

[laxative]
Dr. S prescribed a laxative to help soften things and get him cleaned out. Doc said that somewhere along the line it hurt really bad to push so small fry doesn’t want to push any more. Small fry has to take it for a month so that he forgets that it hurts to push. Dr. S said it would take 2-4 days to work. Today is Wednesday and the stuff is definitely working. The kid went from pooping every 8 days to 3 times each day. And as you might imagine, the diapers are awful. Full, runny, stinky and needed clean clothes help describe things. I’m glad he’ll be feeling better. In the mean time, we’re pushing more liquids and veggies to the little guy.

[new things]
He did so much in the last few days: waves hello, motions with his hand to milk a cow, feeds himself snack things, takes steps when you hold his hand, will finally drink out of his sippy cup (but not the suction type). What else… tries to crawl by pushing his back legs as he digs his toes into the carpet. There was something new everyday while we were gone. It was fun.

jeans

Have I mentioned that I fit in my pre-pregnancy jeans? They're a bit snug in the belly but they fit. Yipeeeee!

Off to MN shortly. Man, do we have to pack a lot of crap now with a baby!

What...

Stole the following from fantastagirl and thought I'd share too:
What is your favorite word? peachy, as in "I'm doing just peachy"
What is your least favorite word? anal sacks (because when my husband says it in reference to work, it sounds like "anal sex")
What turns you on spiritually, creatively, emotionally ?
Spiritually - being encouraged by the lives of other people
Creatively - having free time at home
Emotionally - when my husband does something specifically to show his affection to me (like laundry or dishes, etc)
What turns you off? Stinky feet and yucky breath
What's your favorite curse word? b@st@rd, although not appropriate for me to say so I've found a nickname for that word :)
What sound or noise do you love to hear? any sounds my kiddo makes (for the most part).
What sound or noise do you hate? The dog barking for no reason
What profession other than your own would you like to attempt? photographer
What profession would you not like to do? cleaning septic systems
Heaven exists, what would you like to hear God say at the pearly gates? Well done my good and faithful servant.

Clean House

Did I mention that my house is clean? Yes, and today is day 4 of being clean. I know the importance of picking up after yourself and how much it can help keep things clean. I also know that 15 minutes of quick cleaning each night and morning can change things dramatically. So, I've been working on that. No doubt, my kitchen needs mopped, showers scrubbed and things dusted but at least it doesn't look like a tornado hit. Tonight we won't be home till late and tomorrow we leave for a few days so that should make a whole week of clean house. Yipeee!

Anniversary

[3 years and counting]
Today, we celebrate our 3 year anniversary. My how time flies when you're having fun.

[good week]
So far so good. I've been able to get things done around the house, play with my kid, spend time with my hubby and play with my kid. I've even had some quiet time - not a lot but it's a good start.

[company]
Tis the season for company: cousin & family in early June, Dad in late June, Granny from late June through August, hubby's folks in July and my two Aunts in August. I'm excited and encouraged to keep up with my house during this time.

[lamp]
Saw this cute Iowa State lamp at the drug store. I told myself that if it was $45 or less (I'm in the spend less mode) I'd buy it for hubby for our anniversary. Walked in, saw the price tag and RAN back out. This cute little lamp was priced at $110. Sorry hubby, no lamp for you.

[kiddo]
small fry is good. Cutting teeth. Last night was the first night he wasn't up crying at 2am. How nice it was to get a full night of sleep!

Survey Questions

Like I've mentioned before, I'm taking a class called Theology of the Gospel. Each week I'll have a few questions to ask people. To get more widespread persons asked, I'll post them here. Please email me tam4buit@hotmail.com or use the comments options for your response to the following questions:
1. What do you believe the Christian Gospel is?
2. Do you believe the Christian Gospel to be true?

Psalm 78:1-7 (The Message)
1Listen, dear friends, to God's truth, bend your ears to what I tell you. 2I'm chewing on the morsel of a proverb; I'll let you in on the sweet old truths, 3Stories we heard from our fathers, counsel we learned at our mother's knee. 4We're not keeping this to ourselves, we're passing it along to the next generation-- GOD's fame and fortune, the marvelous things he has done.
5He planted a witness in Jacob, set his Word firmly in Israel, Then commanded our parents to teach it to their children 6So the next generation would know, and all the generations to come-- Know the truth and tell the stories so their children 7can trust in God, Never forget the works of God but keep his commands to the letter.

[10 words]
The following is 10 words from the letter S given to me by fantastagirl:
- Shoot, the first word I thought of is also used as a term for cow manure. Bad me.
- Stress, I have plenty of that in my life right now. I hope to leave work early today to get some things done around the house
- Sunshine – after several days of cloud cover, we finally have sun. No tan for me today though, the wind is chilly enough that I wore a light sweater when I was out in the field.
- Scott – my son, of course
- Sleep – I got good sleep last night even though I was up for over an hour with my kiddo. It was so good to feel rested this morning.
- Study – I need to study and memorize some stuff before my next class.
- Shocking a Stream – I spent a few hours this morning shocking a trout stream. We do this to survey the type, number and size of fish to see how much things have improved.
- So BIG – my kiddo recently learned how to throw his arms in the air when you play “so big” with him.
- Scrapbooking – I wish I had time for this. And, I wish I had L’s creativity and patience for each page.
- Summer Schedule – I’m trying to figure out my summer schedule for work travel, guests and everything else that will keep us swamped!

[bet with M]
I can officially report about my bet with M. A bunch of the girls think I’m pregnant because I’ve been tired and had some pregnancy symptoms. So, I bet M a penny that I’m not. The symptoms ended up being the flu and I think I can attribute the tiredness to all the running around and stress. I was pretty sure that I wasn’t pregnant although there were times when I began to wonder. So, yesterday I bought a trusty test to rule out the pregnancy. Well, I’m not pregnant so M owes me a penny – I hope it’s a shiny one :)

Lots of information

[congrats to jake]
It’s so fun to see a childhood friend playing pro baseball. I’m so proud of my buddy Jake and it’s not just because of his baseball career. Two things I want to congratulate Jake about:
1. He and his wife, M, are expecting a baby in October. So, congrats on the upcoming birth of your first child. I can’t wait to know if it’s a boy or girl so I can buy a little something for him/her.
2. Jake also seems to be doing well in the world of MLB. He got his first save on Saturday against his old team, the Angels. According to the article I read, Jake took the mound in the 5th inning to restore some order to the game. (click here to read the full article). Way to go buddy!

We’re headed to MN for Memorial Day weekend. While there we plan to catch all 3 Mariner v. Twins games. I’m excited to see Jake again. I’m also hopeful that M can join him on the trip so that we can get to know her better. Much has changed since I saw him last… no wait, I saw him in January when Scott was 6 months old. Prior to that, I saw him Memorial Day 2005 when I was massively pregnant.

[small fry]
Things are rapidly changing for this little guy. In the past week, he:
- Has another tooth that pushed through the skin (pic #3)
- Raises his hands in the air after you ask him how big he is and follow up with “SO BIG” (pic #1)
- also has two front teeth that look like they’re going to push through any day now
- continues to eat like a horse. Mom fed him at 4:30 yesterday and when I got there at 5:45, he took another full feeding.
- ate wild rice soup Sunday night. This was an hour after he had a bottle and was acting like he was starving so I ground up some of my soup and fed it to him. I couldn’t shovel fast enough and he LOVED it.

[stress and allergies]
Allergy season is in full swing here. This tends to be a miserable time for me when I get all the symptoms. I’m also feeling a bit stressed out at home. I feel like I never have time for my husband, my child or my maid duties. Yesterday I got an email from a friend that was a bit of a reality check for me. She informed me that my attitude sucks and that I’ve been really negative. I’m definitely feeling the stress and could name a million excuses but the reality of it is that I haven’t had my quiet time and that GREATLY affects my attitude. So, I know how to fix, or at least, improve my attitude. I was so glad to have the reality check. Baker used to be that person for me at home and I’ve really missed that. So, it was really good to have someone else be realistic with me. Thanks!

[Theology of the Gospel]
We just started a “class” at church called Theology of the Gospel. I’m super excited about that. I know that I have been out of practice on sharing and learning and memorizing and all those things which means I fell inadequate when I do need to share. I’ve been working with a guy on a streambank project. He found out in April that he has 30 days to live. Today is day 42 for him. I have really felt the urgency of sharing with him. If you had 30 days to live, what would you be thinking? So, you die, what’s next? Because we have sinned, we fall short and don’t deserve to go to heaven. But, the cool thing is that Christ died on a cross for my sins and for yours. He then rose again. And because he intervened to pay the price for our sins, if we call on His name, we can be saved and receive the “get out of jail hell free card”. So, I’m praying that God sustains Rick mentally, physically and emotionally so that I can tell him the Good News! This theology of the Gospel class is supposed to help better prepare me for that.

Big City, the bet and camping

Another quick trip to the big city, the state capitol this time. Another 400+ miles on my car. I love how the government pays me to drive 7 hours for a 4 hour meeting plus they pay me mileage, food and hotel. I opted to save you some tax money and stayed with Ryan's grandparents. Got in at 940pm after having to stop at Old Navy for a little break.
On my way back home, I had to stop for another little break. Not only had I drank a liter of water and REALLY had to go, but I wanted to do some quick shopping again. So, what did I purchase at the lovely Target:
1. Two toys for Scott.
2. A hammock for Ryan since his bday present was supposed to be a Cardinals game and that isn't going to happen now.
3. Some clothes for me (shhh, I haven't told my hubby yet).

[the bet]
The night before at Old Navy I was in search of some maternity clothes. Nope, not for me, but for my friend M. Yes, the friend I made the bet with. Okay, so back to the bet real quick. We had this bet - she bet I was pregnant. And she asks me lots if I am pregnant. Well Wednesday morning when I was home playing with my new palm pilot instead of working out, she shared that they heard the heartbeat for the first time - she's 12 weeks pregnant. It was quite planned but they're excited and I'm giddy! I had to stop and find M some cute maternity clothes. I found a white camisole with some cute and simple embroidery on it. I loved my white camisoles when I was pregnant. So, yeah, M kept asking me if I was pregnant cause she wanted me to be pregnant with her but was waiting to say she's pregnant. I'm so excited for them!

[camping]
We're headed out to camp this weekend. And I must mention that it has been overcast, cold and spotty rain for the past few days. At least we'll be in a motorhome but I don't think we'll ever make it outside. Its May here people. And where I come from, May = WARM weather. It's in the 40's here. Brrr!

Weekend

[mike on R&R with the army]
Mike was the best man in our wedding and a vet school buddy of hubby. He’s now a veterinarian in the army. Shortly after transferring to Germany, his unit was deployed to Iraq, where he’s been for the last 6 months. Recently, Mike emailed hubby letting him know that he’d be back in Iowa and having an open house type of party similar to when he left. I wasn’t eager about driving two hours to see him in a room with 100 others who also wanted his attention but he’s hubby’s buddy so I just needed to be supportive. Last week came and we still hadn’t heard any details from Mike but we knew when and where for the most part. Then mid week hubby decided that maybe it was Sunday instead of Saturday. Friday came and went and still nothing from Mike. Hubby had emailed him and left a message on his Kansas home phone. Hubby did figure out it was a Sunday thing. So, we made plans for Saturday night with some friends and planned to drive the 2 hours Sunday and also do some shopping too. Saturday hubby even went to his clinic to check his email there and see if Mike emailed him. Still nothing. By Saturday afternoon, we figured we’d just go shopping instead.
Satruday at 430 as we were getting ready to head out with some friends, Mike called. No party but he was going to be in Pella (a 4 hour drive from home) with some folks. Ryan really wanted to see his friend but that is a LONG drive to spend a few minutes with him. Mike assured Ryan that it would be a small group of people. I was supportive and said we should go when asked my opinion.

[trip to pella]
Sunday morning came way to early after being out with friends the night before. We were out of the house by 7:00am and stopped at mom’s to pick up our kiddo. First he needed a bath and needed fed. We got a bit behind schedule with having to feed him. Initially we thought we were driving 2 hours which would give us plenty of time to shop in the big city. Intead we were driving 4 and would be pushed for time. We stopped and I shopped at Target while hubby ran to Borders Books to save time. Only my purse was in the car so I had to wait for him to get back before I could check out. This gave me a little extra time to shop but I couldn’t try on any cute clothes with my kiddo (okay, I could’ve but I didn’t want to try). A hour later we were back on the road. Arrived in Pella about an hour later than planned. Had lunch with Jason and Andrea at the Chinese Buffet place (same thing we did 3 weeks ago). They have this peanut butter chicken which is pretty good. Went from Chinese to Mike’s cousins and arrived about 45 minutes later than planned.

[mike’s family]
Several families were there hanging out. Mike’s family was nice. Although I like Mike, I have a really hard time with his wife. We just don’t click. She doesn’t communicate with me unless I probe her with questions. I could write a whole page about that but it doesn’t matter. We hung out there for several hours when they started supper. I reminded hubby that we get up at 515am and we still had a 4 hour drive home. We agreed to leave at 6pm.

[headed home]
We were out the door pretty close to that time but we stopped in town at Dairy Queen so I could feed and change my kiddo. Of course while we were there, I fed my kid a little too much ice-cream and he spit up all over. It soaked through his jeans and two layers of onesies. We finished our ice-cream and jumped back in the car. It wasn’t too far down the road and I was out. I tried to stay awake but just couldn’t mange. We stopped in the big city to get gas. I quickly fed my kiddo some pears to quiet him down. Got back on the road and the poor thing was so tired he wouldn’t go to sleep. Arrived home at 11pm and headed to bed.

[long weekend]
It was a long and tiring weekend. Once again I didn’t get my house clean. But I can cross some more things off my list:
- finished soil test for septic system
- shaved my mini-australian shepherd dog, Keller
- treated Keller for ticks
I was also able to make Chinese food for supper Friday night and went to see Mission Impossible Saturday night with some friends. I think that’s about it.

Oh, and, I couldn't load the picture of Scott on Friday. I even tried this morning and it was jacked up. Sorry. I'll try again later.

Another view on Cinco de Mayo

Greg heard a different story on the origin of Cinco de Mayo. He was told:

Most people don't know that back in 1912, Hellmann's mayonnaise was manufactured in England. In fact, the Titanic was carrying 12,000 jars of the condiment scheduled for delivery in Vera Cruz, Mexico, which was to be the next port of call for the great ship after its stop in New
York. This would have been the largest single shipment of mayonnaise ever delivered to Mexico. But as we know, the great ship did not make it to New York. The ship hit an iceberg and sank, and the cargo was forever lost.
The people of Mexico, who were crazy about mayonnaise, and were eagerly awaiting its delivery, were disconsolate at the loss. Their anguish was so great, that they declared a National Day of Mourning, which they still observe to this day.
The National Day of Mourning occurs each year on May 5 and is known, of course, as Sinko de Mayo.

Feliz Cinco de Mayo!

Where I come from (the central valley in California), Cinco De Mayo (5th of May in English) is widely celebrated. Lots of festivities that include great food, dancing, mariachi music and brilliant colors. Unfortunately, many people think that Cinco de Mayo is the Mexican Independence Day when in fact it's not. Cinco de Mayo commemorates the defeat of the French army by the Mexicans at the Battle of Puebla in 1862. With this defeat, Mexico demonstrated to the world that they would defend themselves of foreign intervention. Their independence is celebrated in October. Never-the-less, it has always provided a good reason to celebrate.
Now that I'm in the midwest, it's not near as popular. Last year at my office, I held a potluck and used a few minutes of our lunch time to provide a basic history lesson. It was lots of fun as everyone in the building made their attempt at bringing some sort of "mexican" dish. And this year, several of the women have greeted me with a "happy cinco de mayo".

*** The above picture is my little guy's celebration. No, he does not appear to be mexican but he is one-fourth. And becuase he's also half Dutch, I refer to him often times as my little Dutch burrito. Man, he's a cutie. Feliz Cinco de Mayo everyone!

Gotta love the Tulips

My little yellow M&M wasn't scared of the grass this time. That's my boy!

I Thank God For...

This morning on the radio, they spent some time taking calls for people to share what they are thankful to God for. I'm not the type to call in to the radio station for games or things like that but I always participate. I thought this would be a good opportunity to list a few things that I'm thankful for.

I thank God for:
~ Breath. God created man and breathed air into his lungs.
~ Life. I'm especially thankful for life as I work with a man who's been diagnosed with stage 4 cancer and has been given 30 days to live.
~ Ryan. For a husband who loves me even when I'm not so loveable.
~ Mom and Papa. For their willingness to care for my child while I work. AND for keeping him late most nights without complaining when I'm late picking him up. AND for opening their home to us and feeding us when we drop in.
~ Children. Especially my own. It's so precious to see them express emotion.
~ Flowers. I love to see the fresh growth and brilliant colors.
~ Freedom. For those who have served in the past and those currently volunteering to protect that freedom.
~ My job. I know I complain that I would love to be home playing with my kid, cleaning my house and fixing meals during the day instead of working but I do appreciate my job. I'm especially thankful that I've been here for almost four years even though I'm expected to move around.

There is so much more I'm thankful for. But here's a short quick list. Now, I should get my butt otuside to work on my soil tests for the septic tank!

Mission Organization

I finally ordered a new palm. This is the first one I've actually ordered myself. I do have a decent one for work that is pretty nice but I needed a personal one that I can mess with. I've been looking at the Palm Tungsten E2 for a while through the Franklin Covey website. I really loved my FC planner and want one for a palm. But, I know that I can't afford to buy both. But yesterday I found my palm on sale. Sticker price is $249. Most places will give it to you for $199. Got that plus free shipping. But the good deal is that I get a 128MB expansion card for FREE. Plus, when I showed it to Ryan, he noticed the $100 savings with the 12 month audible subscription. Now, I didn't pay attention to that because I didn't need anything extra. But my husband is a bright guy. He figured since we already buy audio books for the car (~$20/each), this really was a good deal. For $180 spread out over 12 months (remember I just saved $100 on the palm so it really is only an additional $80), I can get 12 books. We think it's a pretty sweet deal for us. If you listen to audio books (we do in the car for long trips), check out this deal.

Hopefully now I'll be able to keep better track of what's going on in my crazy life instead of having it all on my work computer that stays at work. Busy season, here we come! And maybe for Christmas I can get the Franklin Covey planner.

Out of commission

[Sick, sick and more sick]
I finally ended up with Ryan’s flu (plus whatever else). The symptoms started Tuesday and I did pretty good at keeping myself hydrated, fed, etc. Wednesday was a short day at work for me. I knew that I needed some rest if I was going to keep from getting totally sick. Thursday was another short day at the office but that was because I spent an hour at the dentist getting my teeth cleaned (a separate drama in itself when you’re used to having Dr. Paloutzian or your father-in-law clean your teeth). Thursday nights are bible study nights and we scheduled a BBQ in the park and invited other young couples in the community instead of bible study. I was excited about that except I wasn’t feeling so energetic. Seemed like everytime I ate, I had an upset stomach. I went ahead and made my awesome broccoli salad for the group with a little help from my honey. We had some new folks which was fun and of course the smoked chops were awesome. Before heading to bed that night, I called my work-out buddy and said I wouldn’t make it in the morning. Friday morning was not fun! Let’s just say I visited the toilet a lot and I wasn’t puking. Stayed home from work and lay in bed all day. Meals for the day included sugar free popsicles, club crackers, sprite and water. Saturday morning I was feeling better but had no energy. Scott stayed home with me and he zapped all the energy I had. I did manage to shower and head to the bakery with my parents for awesome pecan rolls. Except, the sweet food didn’t sound good and didn’t taste good either. I went home and was wiped out. That evening I tried once again to build my energy levels back up. We went to the Grand March for Valley Prom. [Okay west coast buddies, I so didn’t have a clue what Grand March was. The community all comes out to support this event. Each couple is introduced and walks in to the Prom. It was neat that the kids could show off their outfits and smile for everyone. But, how humiliating for those who went stag to walk in solo.] Small fry, with a little help from his momma, made a sign for Lauren for the grand march. It read: “Lauren, why didn’t you choose me? Love, scotch”. It was so cute, she had to take a picture with him. Went home and was once again wiped out! Sunday was back to normal for my energy levels and today I haven’t noticed my tummy aching at all! In fact, tonight we're planning a girls night out. I definitely need some girl time.

[bet with M]
I have a bet with one of the girls. We bet a penny. I’m hoping to find out who won shortly. I typically won’t bet unless I’m sure that I’ll win. This time I don’t know so I’m quite curious to see who wins this bet. More on this later.