So, this past week has gone by in a blur and I have no idea how we got to the end of April. Last week Tues, Wed., and Thurs. mornings were spent at the YMCA. Tuesday afternoon I dropped Clare off at her friends house around the corner (well, my friend too) for a playdate while I went to go get my hair cut and dyed for the first time. It’s not entirely what I had in mind…but it’s nice none the less. She did an extremely low maintance dye job with what are called peak-a-boo’s to help hide my grey’s and give me some texture. The cut is pretty much the same, although I am thinking I may want to go shorter with it. I have no idea what to do with my hair! I’ve had like 10 different styles in the past year and a half or so, and most I have liked….but it’s not the perfect cut that I love. Thursday night was Hot Tub Night with the MOMS Club Gals….very relaxing and it was a fun time. Friday morning we had a MOMS Club party in the morning, and then in the afternoon Allison came over to babysit. I got an iced coffe at Beaners and sat in the sun for a few hours reading my book. Afterwards I headed over to G.B Russo’s for some wine and other goodies. I thought I was doing really good, but ended up dropping some cash on only 1 bag of things. But I got some good pasta sauce and some yummy wines. On Saturday we went all over town doing errands to get Brad’s car fixed, and some leisurely strolling through River Town Mall. Sunday was spent in my PJ’s….they way I like it! I read some, caught up on “Days of Our Lives”, and then I had to run over to feed a friends cats. I’m cat/house sitting this week for a friend….and it’s the easiest cash I’ve ever earned! Her cats are rather humerous too….very affectionate and wanting attention. Today we did our MOMS Club meeting, ran over to take care of the cats, and spent the afternoon home doing nothing.
On an important note! My Uncle Dan passed an e-mail on to me about a wonderful co-worker of his that is doing the 3 day walk for Breast Cancer this August in MI. She is walking in honor of her grandmother, and in memory of my grandmother Clara Morden. As most of you know, she lost her battle to cancer about 7 years ago. She was a very special lady, and faught cancer for a long time. So special to me in fact that our daughter, Clare, is named after her. Anyway, this gal is taking pledges in hopes of reaching the $3000 mark for her walk. If your interested in donating please go to her donation site and do so: http://www.the3day.org/Michigan06/jriess. It’s fully tax-deductable, and you can donate as little or as much as you want. This will be meaningful for so many people beyond her. Breast cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death for all women, and the leading cause of death in women between the ages of 40 and 55. Both its cause and the means for its cure remain undiscovered. Currently, one million women in the U.S. have the disease and probably won
So, yesterday was the usual Yoga/Pilates for me in the AM, while Clare was in her Jump Start dance class with Miss Linda. She LOVES the class so much we are having a hard time giving it up. As a matter of fact we are doing it again along with the Tumbling Bugs. It gets me to the YMCA guaranteed 2 days a week, and the 3rd is usually Yoga on Tuesdays. I am trying to do some cardio mixed in, but failed yesterday due to the fact that I forgot to eat breakfast and was feeling woosey after Yoga/Pilates. It all worked out in the end though. Brad came home in the afternoon so we could head to Zeeland to the Auto Sports place. He left there a very happy man…see his blog for more detail, as I know very little about cars! He had an idea to go to the beach, so we started driving around Holland and found the State Park sign. We followed it, and were just about to give up when we saw the actual state park! So, we go there and it was an awesome day to walk on the beach. Clare was in heaven digging in the sand. We tried to get her to at least put her toes in the water, but she was afraid. I kinda understood after I took my sunglasses off and realized it was extremely hazy and the lake was very glass-like with little to no waves. Just as we decided to leave her and I ran forward and she was able to get her piggies wet, and then she loved it so much she didn’t want to leave. We walked a little ways down the pier (only to where the railing ended) and we saw a Mallard duck along with a couple of boats. We totally forgot the camera and wished we would have brought it, as clare was on her belly making sand angels in the sand. It was so cute that I think we’ll have to go back and do it again. Of course we will have to go back, becasue Clare wants to go back every day if we could. So, I think next time we go we will bring $24 and get a season pass for the year to any state park. All you have to do is go 4 times and it has payed for itself! Then we drove back to GR in search of something to eat, and ended up at El Arreiro (not sure on the spelling, but close to that). It’s Clare’s all time favorite place, and it was a reward for being so good. Then I realized I had Moms Night Out with my MOMS Club friends, so we came home and I grabbed my stuff and headed down to Byron Center for some chocolate fondue and hot tubbing with 4 other gals. It was an awesome night to go hot tubbing, and we finished off about 3 bottles of wine in the process. Needless to say I think I got to bed at Midnight or so….so it was a good time! Brad was asleep on the couch of course with The Cosby Show on….I think he fell asleep while watching a tivo’d show. Today Clare and I are off to a MOMS Club party for lunch and and egg hunt, and then this afternoon my babysitter comes over. Another busy day around here, and this weekend with any hopes Brad will get his car driving again!
So….I finally finished my flowerbed project. As you can see Clare helped me out with the digging out of the weedy stuff. Yesterday I finished the end, and dug out the Irises. I cut the up and planted them in the bigger bed. I even tossed some of them, as they had multiplied into far more than I could ever plant around our house. I raked the yard up, and did some trimming of the rose bush. I also swept up the front porch, and made it look all nice and ready for some Spring planting of flowers. The only thing I have left is the small bed on the left of the porch, and I’ll do more with that when I plant the other flowers…..as I think it’s going to be mostly perianals.
So, yesterday I finally got outside again to do some work on the front yard. I raked the birm (the section between the sidewalk and street), and then looked at the flower beds in front of the porch. I have some irises that are very overcrowded on one side of the steps, and I have a feeling that they didn’t bloom last Spring because of it. I have a bed in front of the porch, but it has this weedy stuff that grows every year…it’s just a ground covering, nothing that’s overly pretty. But it’s a PAIN in the ass to dig out, as it is a crawling weed all connected together, and there were large roots that I had to pull out of the ground too. I edged it out with the shovel, and next pay check I am going to go buy some rubber edging to keep the grass out of the bed. I didn’t get it all finished yesterday, so with any hope it will be done today with the Irises split and transplanted in the other bed. And I figured next month I when I buy my flowers I will put some perinials in there to fill it in, as the Irises don’t stay around for long. My other goal is to clean up the front porch, as their is the usual leaf debris from Fall and Winter. That and I kinda just stacked my flower pots behind the brick, and they need to be cleaned out. Moonshadow spent most of the day outside with us yesterday as well. She did pretty well hanging out on the porch, and enjoyed checking out what was going on in the neighborhood. Clare helped me out in digging up the flower bed, and their will be some pics of her on the site soon. She also had Brad running around on the hill accross the street playing soccer with her new big pink ball. Brad spent all afternoon working on his car, and you can see his blog for the downfall of the VW. Well, I think it’s time to get back outside. It’s not supposed to be as warm as it was yesterday….and hopefully it won’t rain.
So….went to the YMCA and did some cardio while Clare was shaking it down in dance class. I finally accomplished a good time on the Cross Ramp. I did 1 mile in 12 minutes 40 seconds…..very good considering how much I’ve been struggling with my times. My goal is to now up the resistence and keep the time the same. After I keep my times well within reason, my next goal is to do it without having my heart rate above what is considered good for my age and weight. With any luck I will be loosing weight and back into my Pre-Clare skinny jeans. I keep pulling them out, and get really close to wearing them and then fall off the train. Now I just need to get rid of the JUNK in the house to keep me on track. I admit I have no will power, and I know what I am doing when I eat the crapt that is sitting around. I just need to get Brad on the program for the support I need. We are both stress eaters….and binge when things aren’t going well. Which right now they aren’t all peaches and cream. My car is getting worse, and we still don’t have the $700 to fix the struts. Brad is finally getting some overtime in, so with any luck in a few weeks my car won’t creak and groan anymore! Anyway….time for some laundry.
I seem to have contracted the winter-sick from the child. At this point in time, my right nostril is completely plugged and I’m just generally feeling wore down. I spent most of last night with one arm out from under the warm covers, dangling in the cold, so when I woke I had a wonderfully putrid chill. The shower was tepid this morning. No relief found there.
Now I’m sitting, getting prepared for another fun filled day at work. There is one thing to be said on that subject, however. At least I now work for a company where my input is not only welcomed, but actually sought after. I’m really pleased with how things are working out thus far. In another few months, I might actually be able to say I’m happy at my job. Maybe. 
We haven’t been doing much since Thursday… mostly laying low, spending time with the Clarester and trying not to get into too much trouble. Char’s playing WoW now, which I think is hilarious, but can’t laugh too much seeing as I’m quite addicted myself. 
Take it easy ya’ll.
It seems myspace is worth something after all. Through the miracle of random stupidity and finally figuring out how the myspace search engine works, I seem to have located a couple of former hoodlum bandmates. Hopefully now I hear back from the bums.
Happy New Year to all if I don’t check in again. Char and I are headed up to party with the geeks today and tomorrow, so not sure much blogging will be going on here or at the Staggersite. Speaking of the Staggersite, Char mentioned that she has some additional photos of Staggercat for the archive, so look for those after the first of the year.
Anyway… eatdrinkbemerry. Peace. I’m out.
–bc
Howdy all. It’s another fine morning on IT Mountain. The birds have all gone, the warm breeze of summer has been quickly replaced by a bitter cold of the impending winter, and the sun has begun it’s long hibernation until spring. The last time I passed this mark in our yearly rotation around the sun, I was headed for new opportunities with an employer who’s business it is to perform IT services. This time around, I’m headed back to the company who’s business it isn’t.
The interesting thing is that I’m feeling a bit of anxiety about this change. I have to admit that I’ve known about it for some time, or at least known that the discussions were going on. My feelings at the time were closer to glee than to anything resembling anxiety. But now, as we get closer to the 1/1/06 date, I’m starting to feel some uncertainty. I’m pretty sure that it’s related to my pesky resistance to change, which I fight to the best of my ability, so I shouldn’t be too worried.
It is cold outside this morning. Google is telling me it’s 30 degrees. There was ice on the bike. I’ve been at work for twenty minutes and I’m still cold. Enough said.
Of course, I’m going to continue with the randomness. I’m feeling random this morning.
DirecTV added XM radio to their channel lineup recently (sometime last week). It’s really nifty. I could easily become a proponent of satellite radio. Of course, this just means I’ll find all sorts of new things that I’ll have to buy.
Our VoIP provider, Packet8, will be implementing E911 on 11/28. Yeah for that!
We’re off to the in-laws tomorrow night in preparation for Turkey Day festivities.
Hmm… I think that’s it.
Out.
Good afternoon, all. Life has not been all that exciting as of
late. Work has more or less calmed down, but there is still a
worry… more the sense of “is everyone alright?” as you drive by a 5
car pile-up on the highway. There is lots of speculation as
to what may or may not happen, but I’m not holding my breath either
way. As long as I have a job when the dust clears… I’m
ok. If you’re wondering what I’m talking about, just do a google
news search for Siemens L&A and read a couple of articles.
Nothing new there… move on.
It’s been a lazy weekend. Without much expendable income these
days, we’re pretty much homebound. I played some WoW. Char
went through the attic to collect items for some friends of ours who
are having a baby in December. Clare has watched Spongebob most
of the day. I’ve been thinking of laying the carpet that I’ve had
for most of a year in the basement, but there are things that have to
get done first and I’ll need some help (and extra cash) for some of
it. We decided to actually build a room instead of just laying
carpet and leaving the walls bare.
Well… gotta run. Hope this finds everyone happy and healthy. Peace.
