Home From Paradise

I'm home, I'm home! But need to relax and will post about the trip later. Hope everyone had a great holiday!

Off to the Land of Relaxation

Well, to everyone that reads my blog, I am DONE with finals. Yay. What a stressful couple weeks. And of course, the last final was the hardest, so I left the school with this feeling of uneasiness. But, no worries, I always do this and always do fine.

We are leaving today at noon for Hawaii! Staying on Maui and then the Big Island, so I will probably not post much, if any. I will have the computer, but am guessing I will be too tired to post by the time we get to the room each night. I can't wait, although what's pathetic is we have a MILLION things to do before we leave.

Including packing. I need to get off here right now to do that.

Hope you all have a fabulous holiday!

New TV and Interview Process

So, we went this weekend and got a new TV and it is beyond kewl. We got it at my fav TV store in Monroe called Rex. Click here to see it. I can't wait until it is delivered after vacay. Don't ask why we needed another one, we just wanted something different for the great room. The way the TV is now is a pain because the pugs try and get behind it, get into fights (playing) and rip the cords out of the wall and it drives me bonkers. So, we are getting one where it is impossible for them to do that (bigger TV).

Started interviewing for the office this weekend. Interviewed a girl that we liked, but we are going to wait and see who else sends in resumes from our ad this weekend. Last time we did this, we had SOO many applicants. We will interview more when we get back from vacay and make a decision by the start of the year.

Anyway, gotta get back to the endless studying, just needed a break.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY VITO CORLEONE HASKELL!

Today is 'little' Vito's birthday. He is 2 years old. I can't believe he is a grown up pug today. He still acts like a baby though, ;). Usually, on the pugs b-days, they get to go on a car ride, and go through the McDonald's drive thru for either french fries (frenchies fries to a pug) or ice cream (creamies to a pug). But since the weather is horrendous here today and we barely made it up the driveway in the Jeep, we decided to hold off on Vito's celebration until tomorrow.

We love you Vito! Happy Birthday Sweet Boy!

Crunch Time

So, I am in the computer lab waiting for my next exam to start. It is at 615, but I had to get down here really early to pick up another exam that is a take home. So, I studied some more, but now I am surfing the net until I have to walk over to the classroom.

Had my first exam last night, Taxation. It was not as hard as I thought it would be, which makes me happy. I think my Accounting background really helps me out in there. Tonight, I have Alternative Dispute Resolution which I am hoping is really easy. I picked up Family Law today, and then Monday and Tuesday I have Insurance Law and Sports Law. Yippy. Not.

Cold Little Pug

Ever since the weather has gotten really cold, poor little Gretel does not want to play outside with the other pugs. I open the door to let her outside and she cringes and runs away from the cold air. Today, I went outside with her and she came out for a second. While I was watching the other pugs, I turned around and saw Gretel literally shaking next to the door.

So, although Kurt and I are not normally dog clothing kinda people, I decided to order Gretel a coat and some booties for playing outside. She looks all depressed when Oscar and Vito go outside and she is all cold and lonely, :).

Of course, if I order her clothes, she has to be stylish. Therefore, Gretel will be sporting a faux mink black coat and little purple booties.

Pictures to come of Gretel modeling once the stuff comes in the mail. Hopefully, the stuff makes it more bearable for her playing outside with her brother and sister.

Best and Worst of Fall 2005

This part of the semester is the best and the worst, all rolled into one.

I love being 'done' with classes. No more lectures, no more going to class EVERY night until 9:00 p.m., no more reading assignments, no more being called on in class.....

But, at the same time, now I have exams. One test that basically equals your grade for an entire semester of work. Every semester I freak out, and every semester I do fine. But I still freak out, it's just how I am, LOL.

This year I have four in-class exams, and one take home. I have not had a take home exam, but frankly, I am looking forward to it. We have 5 days to write the exam, so I can work on it in between studying for the last two. And the breakup of the exams is great as well. My first two (on Tues and Wed) are one hard/one easy, then my last two (the following week on Mon and Tues) are one hard/one easy.

I still can't believe I have to take exams so late in December. I should be packing for Hawaii, but instead, I have to study and work up until we leave on the 21st. That will be such a reward for all my hard work this semester. I can't wait to see volcanos and waterfalls and do nothing but relax and explore the islands.

So, anyway, back to studying! Tax and Alternative Dispute Resolution, what fun!

Let it Snow--I Hate Michigan

This week has been fun so far. Got to see my Mom and Ronnie on Tuesday and Wednesday nights. They came down and were staying at my Aunt and Uncle's house in Farmington Hills. So, I went over there both nights and got to see them, and my cousins Thomas, Ashley and Carolyn, and my Aunt, my Uncle. We played Racko and Boggle and helped Carolyn with her homework (which she hates to do, LOL).

My Mom and Ronnie bought me this perfect tray for my sunroom at Pottery Barn. They also got Kurt a kewl portable tool carrier, some sports books (for his collection) and a Poison Greatest Hits CD. can't wait to put that in the car. Yay. I love 80s music! :).

We moved around the garage after work today. I have been parking the Saturn outside, but keep complaining because I HATE removing snow from my car in the mornings. Kurt has the tractor and attachments in the spot where my car should go, and the two Porsches take up the rest of the garage because they are stored. And of course, Kurt parks the Jeep (which he drives) in the garage. So, he moved everything so my car fits again. I went out and put the winter charger on the Porsche and the cover on the spyder. Then Kurt brought my new mirror for the upstairs bathroom in the house and upstairs. We are actually getting some things done, shocking!

Started doing my Xmas cards too.

Anyway, need SLEEP. We have to get up early for work since there is supposedly going to be like 8 inches of snow on the ground.

Some Things REALLY make me mad

This article makes me want to vomit:

Click here.

And what a wonderful, loving activity to take part in with your children, killing defenseless animals. I am sure these kids will grow up to be nonviolent and productive members of society. "For fun, little Johnny, we are going to go out in the woods and kill things." And at home "No, little Johnny, you can't kill puppies or hit your little sister." Nothing like a mixed message and confusing a kid.

I will never understand the thrill people get out of hunting. I guess it is the same thrill murderers get out of killing people. To me, there is no difference.

Oh, what FUN, and what skill you have, Mr. Hunter! You can take a rifle, HIDE in a freaking tree, and shoot an animal that is simply living it's life. I wish I had your intellect and extreme talent!

And please, I would appreciate if nobody leaves comments telling me what the pros of hunting and killing are, because I am not biting, ;).

OK, I am done venting. :).

The Little Things That Make Us Happy.....Or That Make our Husbands Happy....

Went to the Lions game today. The Lions are SO awful. I was hoping something new would happen since they fired their coach. But since every fan knows the
real problem was not the coach, but the GM and the owners, I should have not gotten my hopes up at all though. One thing that made the game more amusing is the crowd was really rowdy. There were people getting kicked out everywhere for being obnoxious, getting into fights, holding up signs they should have not had. It was freakin hilarious.

Despite the loss, Kurt had a great time at the game. He always complains at the Lions games because Ford Field does not do a good job with showing the scores of other games on their scrolling scoreboards. But, today, with his new phone (I wrote about it yesterday), I literally think he was in 'heaven'. He spent the entire day watching the game and checking scores on the Internet. It greatly amused me that one simple piece of technology could make going to the Lions game so much better of an experience for him, LOL.

Came home, made dinner, and am now getting ready to watch my weekly shows, Desperate Housewives and Grey's Anatomy.

Phone Like Kerry's Proves my Theory

When I first met Kurt, he had barely used a computer, did not really care about advanced technology (or at least, did not feel the 'need' to own it), and thought cell phones were pointless if one had a home phone.

Boy, have things changed in the last 9 years!

Slowly, over the past 9 years, Kurt has become technology obsessed. We got a computer during his first year of law school so he could type his papers, and got dial up internet as well. This was in Lansing. We also got our first cell phone. Then, when we moved to Taylor, we got a cable modem. I think it was in Taylor that Kurt started to become 'spoiled' with technology. If he had to go someplace and use dial up, he acted tortured and like the world may come to an end. Now, at the Newport house, we got our first laptop. And wireless internet. So, now, Kurt can sit in the living room and use the internet, while watching TV and using a cell phone. When we go on vacation, he TAKES his laptop so he can have access to it, if he 'needs' it.

Oh, also, when we first met, we had basic cable. That has not escalated into DISH Network with HBO, Cinemax, and various sports packages that he "needs". HA. I can currently watch any and all college football, college basketball, and NBA games. I know more about obscure football teams from towns nobody else has heard of then I ever desired to know. ;). I guess it's good for future trivia games with friends.

Today was really the day I realized my husband has become a tech junkie. To set the background, over Thanksgiving, Kurt went to a small town near Green Bay to visit his Dad and other family members. His family did not have Internet, and also did not have DISH network and all the sports channels. He constantly called me to check game scores and find out other things online for him. He came back and acted like he really, truly suffered. He proclaimed he is never going ANYWHERE again if he does not know ahead of time that the area has internet for him to use.

I found this somewhat ridiculous (even though I myself and online and like checking my email, I can live without it on vacation or while visiting family, and I am supposed to be the one who is more tech savvy in this relationship). So, I told him that there are cell phones you can get now that have wireless Internet anywhere in the country on them. He was extremely interested, so I went to Cingular today (our provider) and talked to the salespeople. I bought a new phone, and the rest is history. Click here to see the phone. It is the Treo 650. I emailed my friend Kerry about this and found out SHE HAS THE SAME PHONE.

Since Kerry and Max always have the latest and greatest tech stuff before anyone else does, I think this proves my theory about Kurt. He has truly gone off the deep end and there is no turning back. What started out as my teaching Kurt to even turn on a computer has turned my husband into a tech obsessed freak. Sigh. LOL. This teaches me to teach Kurt ANYTHING**.

Hope everyone is having a great weekend!

**One positive thing about this new purchase is that I get to use the phone the most. Kurt is going to use it on occasion on vacation or whatever, but in the meantime I get a really awesome new phone that is like the best thing on the market right now! Yay! And I can blame it all (and the cost) on Kurt!

I have not posted in forever, I really need to get back in the habit of posting every day. We have been really busy, and I have just wanted to go to bed as soon as I get home from school about every night.

Finals are coming up for school. I have 5 finals, between December 13 and December 21. Blah. I hate finals. The entire semester comes down to one grade on one test. Nothing like a little stress to add to the rest of my stress.....

I had a great Thanksgiving weekend. On Friday, I had dinner with my Aunt at PF Chang's. I have always wanted to go there, but the wait is always like 3 hours without a reservation. I had Sichaun From the Sea Shrimp and it was awesome. Saturday, Julia and I went shopping at Somerset and at Oakland Mall. Had dinner that night with my Dad, Grama and Aunt for Thanksgiving, which was nice. Sunday, I went to Marla's baby shower. I got to play a ton with Bodie who is SO smart for his age. He knows all his colors already. Also got to see Kerry who I have not seen in forever. She has baby names down to two--Nora and Emma. But with her and Max, that could be changed again by the time the baby is born! ;).

I finally found a coat I loved online at JCrew, so I ordered it. Once it arrived, I changed my mind. It just did not fall right on me. Boo hoo. Now I have to send it back.

I so need a massage. Maybe I will try and get one after work tomorrow or on the weekend.

Luggage Decisions

So, I finally broke down today and made a decision on new luggage. Kurt is so like a girl in travelling, so every time we travel, he uses our large piece of luggage and I have to use the small piece. THEN, he takes up part of mine with his stuff. He has to literally pack every single thing he owns. My Dad bought us a piece I love in red, hardside, a few Xmases ago, which gave us THREE pieces of luggage, and really helped out. So, Kurt would get two huge pieces of luggage and I got one small piece (but all to myself now, LOL).

Anyway, Kurt's last business trip, I think the one to Atlanta or Cincinnati, was a sad one for my fav piece of luggage. The handle totally broke off, and it is not reparable. Therefore, the conclusion from that if I am back to letting Kurt have almost all the luggage space. sigh. I made the decision that I needed to buy new luggage. The stuff we have left my Mom bought me when I graudated from high school and it is just now starting to fall apart. call me conceited, but it is embarassing to land in a new city with luggage that is starting to look like I have owned it my entire life. Also, when we first got our red luggage, it was nice because red was not a common luggage color, now, everyone has had the same idea as us with getting an uncommon luggage color, and now red is common.

So, I broke down today and bought two new pieces of luggage. I cannot wait to put all our other stuff on the curb and take my nice shiny new pieces to Hawaii in December! I got a blue color, click here to see what it looks like in red. I could not find a pic in blue.

Really Late

I have not posted in forever! We have been slammed since we got back from Vegas on Monday morning.



Speaking of Vegas, we had a blast. I am decided that early November is the best time, temperature-wise, to go there. It was about 72 each day. We could ride around with the top down during both day and night.

I love all the palm trees in Vegas. While driving, I tried to snap a couple pics of them, from the car underneath the trees lining the strips.



We had an awesome room. It was on the top floor of the Stratosphere, which is one of our fav places to stay at because when you rent a car, you don't want to stay mid-strip because of traffic. We were in an Executive Suite and it was literally one of the nicest rooms I have stayed in. Besides that, we had an amazing view of the entire strip.



Mostly, we played Poker while there at the Palms and Imperial Palace. I also did some shopping at the area in Aladdin, and we saw a great show at the Wynn called La Reve. Beautiful show. The entire theatre was circular and the show was part in water, part out. At the Wynn, we also visited the new Ferrari store and showcase and I SO want one now. Here is the next car I want (too bad it's 2.5M):



We ate at some favorites, and tried the buffet at the Wynn. Their lunch buffet was the best I have ever eaten, and really catered to a seafood/vegetarian crowd. Yay!

On the flight on the way home, towards the end of it, the flight attendant came over the loudspeaker and asked if there was medical personnel on board! A doctor and two nurses ended up being on the plane. A lady has passed out and her companion could not wake her! They ended up pulling her out of her seat and lying her on the floor of the plane, then dragging her into the back where they somehow revived her. When we landed, the paramedics came on the plane and took her away in an ambulance. All kinda freaky!

Anyway, great trip overall. :). I love Vegas!

Weirdness

You Are 20% Weird

Not enough to scare other people... But sometimes you scare yourself.

How Weird Are You?

Don't Like Her, but she has GREAT taste in music, LOL

Mariah Carey Shares Your Taste in Music

See her whole playlist here (iTunes required)

Which Musician (or Group) Shares Your Taste in Music?

Yay I Passed!

You Passed the US Citizenship Test

Congratulations - you got 7 out of 10 correct!

Could You Pass the US Citizenship Test?

I Think I have a Sister, LOL

You Are Likely an Only Child

At your darkest moments, you feel frustrated. At work and school, you do best when you're organizing. When you love someone, you tend to worry about them. In friendship, you are emotional and sympathetic. Your ideal careers are: radio announcer, finance, teaching, ministry, and management. You will leave your mark on the world with organizational leadership, maybe as the author of self-help books.

The Birth Order Predictor

Birthday Info

Your Birthdate: May 17

You tend to find yourself lucky - both in business and in life. And while being wealthy is nice, you enjoy sharing your abundance with others. You put your luck to good use: you are very ambitious and goal oriented. Often times, you get over excited and take on more than you can manage. Your strength: Your ability to make your own luck Your weakness: Thinking you can do it all Your power color: Bronze Your power symbol: Half Moon Your power month: August

What Does Your Birth Date Mean?

My Life

This Is My Life, Rated
Life:	8.5
Mind:	7.9
Body:	6.6
Spirit:	7.6
Friends/Family:	7.4
Love:	9.1
Finance:	9.4
Take the Rate My Life Quiz

Day Off Insanity

Kurt and I took the day off today. Wow, I feel like I have never typed that before! Oh wait, maybe that's because I have not! HAHA.

Anyway, we did go in for a couple minutes to tie up some loose ends. The rest of the day was awesome. I went to the spa to get a massage and pedicure. Then, I took my camera and went to the State Park again to walk a different trail and take more pics. Click here to see them. Also took some new ones of the pugs, click here to see those.

Went to dinner with Kurt, and that is ALL I DID! It was awesome.

Oh, I am also psyched because we booked our Xmas trip today and we are going to Hawaii! I can't wait! We are spending 4 days on Maui and 3 on the Big Island.

Took some more pics this weekend. Went back to Sterling State Park and found some new areas, hiking trails. Click here.



Also took some new pics of the dogs. Check them out!

Alone

Kurt and I went for a walk in the state park near our home after the afternoon football games. It is really a beautiful area. There are a ton of nature walkways, and Lake Erie access. I did not go on the beach this trip, but next weekend, I am going to try and get some beach pics.

Click here to see the rest of the pics I took.

Crazy House

It's hilarious how the pugs look so calm and sweet in the pics I take. Just seconds before, Gretel was biting Vito's ears and Vito was chasing Oscar throughout the house.....

Surprise

Kurt and I went for a drive today so I could take some scenic pics on our street. Thus, I named the new page "Pointe Aux Peaux".

Anyway, I love a good nature surprise. We stopped by the lake and while I was snapping away, some swans swam by us. They were gorgeous. We watched them for a while and relaxed.

Click here to see other pics I took today.

Also took a couple more pics in the yard. Click here.

Pug Love

We have been working so many hours lately, I have been majorly slacking on taking pug pics and posting them. So, posted here, is one taken today of baby Gretel playing outside. Doesn't she look angelic?

Click here to see more pics of all the pugs.

I Love Fall

Fall is by far my favorite season. I love jeans, sweaters, light coats, and changing colors outside.

The pugs and I took a walk outside today and took some pics on the property. Posted here is one of my favs.

To see more pics of Fall, click here.

The Birds

I am amazed at the amount of birds in our yard. Sometimes, we walk outside and literally our entire yard is covered with birds--looking for worms, playing games, chirping. Aparently, today the birds were all lining up together on the telephone wires.....

Figured I Better Post Sometime

Well, my life has been crazy lately. The past two weeks, I have only been at home basically to sleep, and for a couple hours before bed, if that. I have been going to work, school, back to work, and pulling into the driveway around 1030 at night. We are so insanely busy at the office, it's unbelieveable. And it does not help that Kurt had two different conferences to attend the past two weeks, three days for each one. So besides studying and doing my normal office duties, I was performing some of his, i.e. meeting with bankruptcy clients, returning all his phone calls to try and calm people down.

Anyway, running off to bed. I promise I will write more tomorrow.

Me.....Stressed? No!

I took the free ColorQuiz.com personality test! "Needs a peaceful environment. Wants release from s..." Click here to read the rest of the results.

In Love

Oh, I so love James Spader. I am watching the Emmys right now and surprisingly, he just won best actor. I so love seeing someone I have liked for SO LONG be acknowledged for his talent. I first saw him in the movie, Secretary, which Kurt and I loved for its quirkiness, and ever since, I have loved everything I have seen him in.

Congrats James!!!!!!

Sunday at Home

Worked this morning, then got to spend the majority of the day at home (except for grocery shopping). Auntie dropped off the new mirror I bought for the upstairs bathroom. She picked it up for me from zGallerie in Somerset. I had to special order it and it finally came in. I think Kurt will probably hang it next weekend.

The Lions had an awful loss today, but I expected it. I always think it's funny when Kurt gets so annoyed at them because it has been that way for years, you would think he would just accept it and move on, LOL.

Sleepy Pugs

Nothing relaxes me more than a pug laying next to me snoring. I love the sound. It means my puppies are totally happy and comfortable.

Well, the rest of the week did not get much better, stress-wise....We were totally slammed the rest of the week, worked three hours today and are going to work three more hours tomorrow morning. But, I do feel like I am getting slightly caught up.

Friday night, went to the City Theatre with my Aunt to see Altar Boyz, which is a show that is part of our Fisher season tickets. It was funny, but not something I would want to see again. Had dinner at Da Eduardo's beforehand, and my cajun swordfish was awesome. They gave us free dessert, my favorite, tirasmisu. It was homemade and awesome.

Tonight, I went and walked around the mall. It relaxes me, even if I don't buy anything. I ended up buying a couple shirts at Old Navy (long sleeve, solid colored), and some make-up at Target. I decided to try some new items, I will post reviews once I use them. First I bought some lip gloss by Revlon. Click here. Mine is in Tickled Pink. Next, I bought a lip gloss by Maybelline. Click here. It is called Rhinestone Pink. Next, I bought a new foundation by Cover Girl. Click here. Then, I bought an Almay eye kit, that is apparently supposed to bring out my "green eyes", LOL. Click here. Also bought a Greatest Hits Guns and Roses CD, which Kurt and I will love listening to in the car.

Tried on a new scent I loved at the Lancome counter called Miracle So Magic. Did not buy it yet, because I am trying to use up the literally 40 other perfumes I own. I have a slight addiction, but that's OK, I like variety. ;).

Can you Say Blog Slacker? I knew you Could.

I can just see this on a new version of Mr. Rogers Neighborhood. Instead of having kids say lame words like train, car, blue, pink.........Mr. Rogers would have kids saying gigabite, webpage, internet......I have never really seen the TV show before. All I know about it really is the guy wore a sweater, and my Mom would not let me watch the show. She told me she thought the show was demeaning to me because when Mr. Rogers would say "Can you say X", I would look at the screen and say whatever it was, looking at him like he was odd for asking me to do so. I am glad she did not let me watch it really, now that I have seen bits of pieces of it, I do think it is a somewhat demeaning show, LOL.

Anyway. We have been so slammed at the office lately. Two days ago, we literally worked until 1130 p.m., and tonight we were there until 8:00 p.m. It's insane. And I am still not even close to caught up. I even skipped class tonight because I was so exhausted and needed a break. I do that every once in a while, so no biggie, but I still don't feel any more rested. Off to bed after this post.

This weekend, I went to the Lions game with Kurty on Sunday and had a great time, especially since we won, YAY! Also went to Elder Beerman and got some kickass deals. I got this feather bed marked down from $280, to, get this, $35. Also got 600 count sheets for $45, two cute jackets for fall, a cute vest for fall. I love deals so much I can't stand it. :).

Congrats to my friend, Jeannie! She had her twins this weekend. Two beautiful girls, Maggie and Audrey. She was early having them, but they were really big for twins full term, which is awesome. I can't wait to meet them when she is home and up to visitors. I can't imagine being a new Mom and having two there.

Gotta go to bed. I promise, I will try and post more tomorrow. Nightie.

My Hero

Finally, someone has the "balls" to speak up re Katrina and what went wrong.

Click here to watch the interview.

Day with Friends

Spent the morning and part of the afternoon with Kerry and Marla and babies! I do not see everyone as much as I should, so it was really nice. We had lunch together and walked around the mall in Ann Arbor. Spent the rest of the day with Kurt, we went to Target looking for this comforter I wanted and of course, they did not have it in the size I wanted, BLAH. I hate that. Now, I am on a mission to find the thing.

Weekend of NonStressful Events

After my week from hell, dealing with school again and working a lot, I needed this long weekend. Yesterday, I went shopping with Auntie at the outlet mall in Howell. Got some amazing deals on stuff for Kurt, mostly. Helped Auntie get a bunch of clothes at Dress Barn. She always finds a ton of stuff when I help her shop, hehe. They opened a Banana Republic outlet and I bought Kurt's stuff mostly there. I was in heaven.......So many amazing deals. I got him 2 pairs of jeans, a pair of black dress pants, a nice shirt for work, and several casual shirts and sweaters. Also got him a couple shirts from the Old Navy Outlet, and bought myself some t-shirts on clearance (gotta love clearance racks AT the outlet mall). Got some other odds and ends.....

Today, I went to a newer shopping area in Perrysburg that I have been wanting to check out. I thought it was outlet shopping, but it was not. Nice anyway, and I finally got some fall clothes shopping done for myself. I went a little crazy at Ann Taylor Loft--bought two pairs of black pants, two pairs of jeans, and some tops. Bought Kurt two pairs of shoes at Shoe Dept. I rarely get to go shopping (no time), so when I do, I try to stock up for a while. ;).

Went to dinner with Kurty tonight. Tomorrow, I get to see Marla and Kerry and the babies for lunch and maybe some shopping. Then, the rest of the day, I most likely need to read for the school week.

Another Announcement

Kerry and Max found out they are having another girl! Congrats to them!

Week of No Time

Wow, I have not posted in a week! Crazy!

I have had a really, really busy week. I think the most stressful in a while. So much going on, and just when I would think nothing else would happen, it did.

Part of my lack of time was the starting of the law school semester. Here is a breakdown of my classes and what I think of them so far. One thing that makes class so much better this term is Julia, my bestest friend in law school, decided to quit her job to go to school full-time and therefore, she is in almost all my classes! Except Wed night, which she has off. Kurt helped her get an internship with our fav Judge, Judge Halloran, so she gets to do that during the days she does not have class. I am so jealous, allthough not really since I don't need to do stuff like that since I already have a job after school. Anyway, here are the deets:

Insurance Law: My prof has the kewlest voice, he is from the Netherlands. The material is OK so far, but nothing exciting.

Family Law:

Family Law: Took this class because my fav prof is teaching it. She is the former Dean of the law school, and it is women like her that make me want to be a lawyer and learn. She is ultra intelligent, very open minded, and speaks her opinions openly. Love her. The class material is interesting so far. This week we talked about incest, polygamy, and same sex marriages. Only in law school, I tell ya.

Sports and the Law: This class is cracking me up. Julia took is because I am, and she does not follow sports in real life whatsoever. You don't need to in order to do well in the class, but when the prof talks about this person or whomever, Julia has no CLUE who is talking about. We laugh about it. The prof is very kewl in this class as well. She was formerly the general counsel for auto racing, and she is extremely all around knowledgeable about sports and the law. She has a great personality and so far, I really like the class.

Taxation: My prof is the perfect guy to teach this class. I thought Tax would be a boring, bar prep kind of course I had to take, but i love it so far. The prof makes class hilarious and interesting and he has the most interesting personality.

Alternative Dispute Resolution: My prof has the personality I love in a lawyer. I am going to love this class. I am sitting in the back row with Cassie and LaDonna and I know we are going to have a blast.

So, my week, as you can probably tell, was spent reading, reading, and oh, reading some more. Then, sitting in class, listening....u get the point.

Then, on my way to class on Tuesday, I got a flat tire. So exciting. I did not have my phone and was freaked out at what to do. Pulled over (on I-75 near Lincoln Park), and got out of the car. Yep, a flat tire. A lady pulled up behind me and I swear she was an angel. Knew how to change a tire and did it for me! Would not take anything from me for it either. I felt somewhat stupid that I could not do it myself, but hey, nobody ever taught me and I am not the best with car stuff anyway. Still got to class on time. And of course, when I called the next day to get it changed, none of the places carried the tire I needed in stock, so we could not drive the car another day. Blah. Had Belle Tire order it and it was put on today. Yay. Then, we took the Saturn in to tryy and figure out what is wrong with it now. Hopefully, all cars will be functioning correctly soon.

anyway, i am tired. will post more later.

New Flooring

Next, we finally did the flooring in my master bathroom. We picked out this dark grey porcelein and Kurt's brother and his friend, Eli, put it in for us. I love walking on a nice floor instead of wood! :)

House Renovations

Our new copper inserts in our house. Kurt's brother designed, cut them, and put them in. I love them!

New Front Porch and Sidewalk

New Lighting Fixtures in Kitchen and Sunroom

I bought this lights online at a serious discount a while ago, and we have not had time to put them up. Finally got it done!

Movie Recommendation

As most people know, I rarely have time to watch a movie. Tonight, I am sitting in my sunroom, alone, and I watched a movie on TV called O. I loved it. I wanted to see it when it came out, but did not.

I love this room. The couch is so comfy, and the windows looking into the yard are so nice.

Yay for Girls!

I almost forgot to post that Marla found out she is having a girl! Probably to be named Maya! How fun! Can't wait to meet little Maya......Bodie will be so happy to have a little sister.

Long Time--No Post

I have been extremely busy this week. So I have not posted much, will try to catch up here.

We have had a really busy weekend. Kurt's family from Maple City came down on Friday night to go to a Tigers game (Kellie, Keith, Kendra and Kory). Also, Kurt's brother from Florida and a friend of his came up to visit. Kellie, Keith, and Kendra had to leave on Saturday, but Kory, Scott and Eli are still here.

We went to dinner last night at Pete's Garage and had dinner, drinks and played pool, which was fun. I so suck at pool, but I had a good time. I just do not have the patience to be a good pool player. :).

Saturday, Scott and Eli started putting in my bathroom floor. It is dark grey porcelein, is really kewl. They finished it today. I am so excited to finally have a tile bathroom floor. Scott and Eli also hung the two new lights for the kitchen and sunroom and those look awesome as well. I changed over all the outlet covers in the sunroom and bathroom upstairs to chrome and they look awesome.

Kory and I went to Target today and bought these Rubbermaid shelving units for the garage. Put those together. Kurt and Kory also did some yardwork, moving some smaller trees to different spots in the yard.

Mirror Fun

Placed the order today for the mirror for the bathroom upstairs. I first saw this mirror in Vegas at a store called zGallerie, that I loved. Then, in Michigan, I found out that there is one in Troy, at Somerset. Yay! Shipping was outrageous online ($21.00) and it is on back order, so I called the store and ordered it through them to avoid shipping charges. As soon as it comes in, I am going to beg Auntie to pick it up for me since she works right near there. I can't wait to hang it up. It is pretty much the one missing piece to that bathroom.

My Worst Trait

Procrastination. More on this later. In fact, I am procrastinating as I type this post. HA.

Peace

Sigh. Finally, order in my household. I am home trying to put the finishing touches on a research paper I have too turn in by the end of the day. I really did not think my dear doggies were ever going to calm down, but at this very moment, all three are soundly sleeping right next to me. Yay. Now I can start typing. Can't wait until this hell is done. I hate papers. Remind me never again to do this. At one point in my life I liked them.

Upstairs

Kurt has been working on the upstairs bathroom all weekend. Last time his brother visited us, they put in a kewl slate floor and shower walls, and the toilet. And a few months back, Kurt hung the lighting fixture I bought for in there.

Went to Target last night and bought all the accessories, etc. for the bathroom. I bought really cute towels, wash cloths, hand towels. Can't find pics of those online for some reason. Also bought a white terrycloth-like shower curtain with chrome hooks at Lowe's. Bought the kewlest accessories for the bathroom, they are chromed and kinda mirrored, so the greens from the bathroom reflect in the mirrors. Put together a door towel holder, as well as a shelving unit (both chrome). Oh, and Kurt painted the room as well, some kind of gray color I picked out called Pebble Stone.

Sara's First Birthday

Yesterday, we worked in the morning. Then, I had Sara's first birthday party to go to. It was a laid back party at Kerry and Max's house in Ann Arbor. Was really cute. Marla was already there with Bodie. Bodie and Sara are so cute and such good little kids. Sara recently learned how to walk, so I got to see that, which was adorable. I got Sara two gifts from Toys R Us, click here and here. Stayed there a few hours, then headed home.

Toys R Us Scares Me

I am not scared of much, but after tonight, I have to say I have realiazed that I am extremely fearful of places like Toys R Us. I normally will not shop at the store, because of the travelling animal displays that are there each summer.....

Anyway. Every time I go to a store like Babies R Us, Toys R Us, basically any store that is kid based and has nothing else but kid and baby stuff, I immediately become petrified. The stores are HUGE and have no order whatsoever, but all the people working there and shopping there seem to think that getting around the place is the most simple thing ever. I try to have a plan of action in shopping. Often, at Babies R Us, I will pick something off the registry, call the store, and have them have it up front and waiting for me, pay before I go, just pick it up. SOOO relaxing. But going into one of these stores to randomly buy something?? BAD BAD BAD for me.

Kurt and I went to Toys R Us to buy a gift tonight. I did not really know the exact gift I wanted. All I knew is I wanted a certain type of toy. Sara is learning to walk, so Kerry is looking for gifts that help her in that area, i.e. push/pull toys. So, seems simple enough. Maybe not. Online, you click on the push/pull icon and all the toys pop up, all nice and organized. Of course, I did not have time to shop online, and therefore, was forced to resort to the store. Further, Kurt cannot physically be in ANY store for more than like maybe 10 minutes, so on top of the disorganization and insanity of the store, I have to deal with a shopping phobe husband who only wants to go home for the night.

Continuing. I start walking through the store. Cannot find anything close to what I want, and I KNOW it's there. I can feel my throat slowly closing up, my chest becoming tense, it is becoming harder to breathe. It happens every time I am in one of these stores.

Finally, I desperately ask someone to help me. The woman basically thinks I am an idiot because I cannot figure out the store. Apparently, everyone over 17 in the area has a baby, and it is only normal to know how to get around this store.

Found a couple gifts that I like. Finally. I am pleased with the purchases, but never again. I am only shopping online for baby stuff, from here on out.

Hold me to it please.

Busy Week

Sometimes I feel like a broken record, but......Have not written very much this week because we have been really busy. We worked past 7 p.m. three times this week. Oh well, I guess I should be happy we don't get ANY business, right? :).

Have been trying to catch up this week with gift giving. I sent my friend, Jill, in Caledonia, a gift for her baby that was just born, Leah Joy. Born July 21, their second child. Congrats Jill, Ben and Jamin! Sent my nephew Kory a really late b-day gift card from Abercrombie (I would have gotten him clothes but I totally forget his jeans size), and bought my niece and nephew t-shirts and backpacks from Cafepress. I also ordered ALL my books for school, which sucked because I have like 7 books this term. Blah. I guess I should not complain because Julia has 8 (which I ordered as well). I am a pro at finding used textbooks cheap online, so she always has me order hers. Then tonight, I went and bought Sara's (Kerry and Max's daughter) first b-day presents at Toys R Us.

Now we are at home watching the Lions game.

You Have Got to Be Kidding Me.

Seriously.

I cannot believe this article I just read about Kimberly Stewart. Besides the fact that I find Kimberly Stewart absolutely revolting, she had the audacity to make some really rude comments about Jennifer Aniston. To a reporter. How stupid can she be? Oh wait, she is friends with Paris. *Smacking forehead*. Twice.

Oh, here is the quote: "I like her, 'cause she’s, you know, homely. She obviously has to have something else. It’s not like she’s gorgeous or anything.”

Click here to read the article.

Realization

A friend of ours said this to Kurt yesterday:

"When I first met you, I thought 'Wow, this guy is really lucky'. I have now realized you really bust your ass..."

LOL. I guess he said that since we were still at the office, working, at 7:30 p.m.

So, to the world, no, not everything is handed to me on a shining silver platter. It's called hard work, education and drive. I can only wish I was a trust fund baby travelling the world on someone else's dime..... Now that would be the life.

Oh, and the Beastie Boys are on the radio right now. Yay!

Saturday we went to a couples wedding shower for our friends Cliff and Lisa in Canton at their house. We got them two things from their registry, a golf organizer and a electric skillet. It was a nice shower--and we got to see Abby and Izzey, the dogs we babysat last weekend. :).

Went to the Allen Park art fair with my two Aunts this weekend as well. Did not get anything, it was kinda a crappy art fair. Mostly craft like stuff, not real art.

Duh

Non shocking article. Click here.

I have picked some nonshocking quotes from the article that amused me and put below.

Approval of Bush's Handling of Iraq Drops

A solid majority still see Bush as a strong and likable leader, though the president's confidence is seen as arrogance by a growing number. (It has taken people this long to see this? LOL).

William Anderson, a retired Republican from Fort Worth, Texas, said Bush "has the right intentions, but he's going about them the wrong way." (Gotta love when the Republican Texans start voicing opposition. Yay.)

The president said Thursday from his ranch in Crawford, Texas, that threats from al-Qaida's No. 2, Ayman al-Zawahri, "make it clear that Iraq is a part of this war on terror, and we're at war." (SURE, like after the Downing Street Memo we believe this crap coming out of your mouth).

Bush pledged to "complete this job in Iraq." (We KNOW, Bush, stop saying this. We know the true reason to went there was to finish the job your Daddy started).

"This country is a monarchy," said Charles Nuutinen, a 62-year-old independent from Greenville, Wis. "He's turning this country into Saudi Arabia. He does what he wants. He doesn't care what the people want." (finally, some intelligent thoughts).

Six in 10 said they think the country is headed down the wrong track, despite some encouraging economic news in recent weeks. (OK, people, why did you vote for him then??)

Pet Peeve #1

OK, I hate a lot of pet peeves, but this was is annoying me right now, so I am posting. I hate when you order a gift for someone online, they receive it, and something is wrong.

I ordered Kurt's Mom this really kewl gift from Illuminations. Part of the candle holder is glass. So, she called me today to tell me that she got it and loves the candles, but the glass part of the candle holder is SHATTERED. How annoying. I order a GIFT for someone online and it shows up ruined. So, I called there, and they are sending her a new one, no prob, but still, she now has to wait for the rest of the gift. And, they can't resend until August 15 because of a computer system change they are doing for the next couple weeks.

This happened to me previously when I ordered my Aunt a necklace from the Macy's website. It was intricately beaded, and of course, when it showed up was in a million little pieces. When I called to get it fixed, they told me hers was the last one. So, I had to get her something else. It is just obnoxious.

Plus, I am so busy, I don't have time to deal with this crap. If the companies would just do things right in the first place, I would not have to fix their mistakes.

OK, done venting. :).

I love you Billy!

Only the good die young

Come out virginia, don’t let me wait
You catholic girls start much too late
Aw but sooner or later it comes down to fate
I might as well be the one

They showed you a statue, told you to pray
They built you a temple and locked you away
But they never told you the price that you pay
For things that you might have done.....
Only the good die young
Thats what I said
Only the good die young

You might have heard I run with a dangerous crowd
We ain’t too pretty we ain’t too proud
We might be laughing a bit too loud
Aw but that never hurt no one

Come on virginia show me a sign
Send up a signal I’ll throw you the line
The stained-glass curtain you’re hiding behind
Never lets in the sun
Darlin’ only the good die young
I tell ya
Only the good die young

You got a nice white dress and a party on your confirmation
You got a brand new soul
Mmmm, and a cross of gold
But virginia they didn’t give you quite enough information
You didn’t count on me
When you were counting on your rosary
(oh woah woah)

They say there’s a heaven for those who will wait
Some say it’s better but I say it ain’t
I’d rather laugh with the sinners than cry with the saints
The sinners are much more fun...

You know that only the good die young
Oh woah baby
I tell ya
Only the good die young

You say your mother told you all that I could give you was a reputation
Aww she never cared for me
But did she ever say a prayer for me? oh woah woah

Come out come out virgina don’t let me wait,
The catholic girls start much too late
Sooner or later it comes down to fate
I might as well be the one,
U know that only the good die young

Spent most of the day with the dogs. Slept in, then went to SAMS Club and opened up a business membership. I decided I needed to do that for one purpose--Kurt's yogurt drinks. He is obsessed with those new yogurt smoothies, and they are so much cheaper at SAMS Club. Plus, business members can go to SAMS at hours of the day when nobody else can--I hate the lines at SAMS, but I imagine they are better during the special hours for business owners. Yay. Got some other stuff while I was there--I forgot about all the good deals at that place.

Came home and spent the rest of the day hanging with ALL the dogs, so weird having 5 here. Abby and Izzy are so small though, it is not that much more. Today was much better, everyone played and got along. Izzy became much more outgoing. She ran around with Gretel, and sat by me a lot, asking for attention.

Watched Meet The Fockers with Kurt on Pay Per View. It was hilarious, I love Ben Stiller.

BabySitting

Kurt and I are babysitting our two little long haired chihuahuas (they are owned by our engaged friends Cliff and Lisa). It has been an interesting day. Izzy and Abby stayed at the office all day with us and were amazingly good. Pretty much slept in their tiny beds all day.....Came home and getting them aquainted with the pugs was interesting. Right now, ALL in my house are sound asleep. Abby right on my lap. She is adamant about that, LOL. And Gretel is quite pissed about that. Gretel is a "momma's girl" and does not like giving the reigns to anyone else, but Abby has pretty much told everyone she is the boss and gets to pick where everyone lays. Which is funny since she weighs all of 4 pounds. If that. Here is what the long haired ones kinda look like: Click here.

Just Shoot Me

OMG, had to go to the world's most boring training ever today. OK, maybe I am exaggerating, but it was not fun. It was training that is required in order to start using electronic filing in the Bankruptcy Court. And, electronic filing will be mandatory in the near future, so we cannot avoid the training by filing in person. Kurt had to attend too, and I swear, they need to have one for more computer literate persons. I am much more computer literate than Kurt, and HE was bored out of his mind. Of course, there were the "clueless" people there holding class up by asking a ton of questions. You would be shocked how many attys have no clue on how to use a legal question. OK, maybe you would not be shocked, LOL. Had lunch at this cute, quick place called Zoom, which was connected to the court.

After that, went back to the office to return phone calls, and came home, tried to pick up some stuff, but I am exhausted.

Had a nice night last night. After work, went to Somata and had a pedicure with Marcia. Yay. I so love getting pedicures. I need to schedule some more appointments. I would like to start getting manicures too, since I am so bad with my fingernails. Nervous habit of "tearing" my nails, need to stop. I know if they looked all pretty I would leave them alone and figure out some new form of nervous habit to follow....LOL.

Work was crazy today. We had appointments this afternoon, beginning at noon, every half hour and every single person showed up, which is rare. So, I barely saw Kurt all afternoon.

Came home and picked up some groceries, relaxed the rest of the night. I am so tired, need to go to bed early again.

Pathetic

OK, I admit it. I am pathetic. I was watching a rerun of 7th Heaven tonight, one I missed this season where Lucy has her baby. Kurt and the pugs were sleeping on the couch, and I am sitting on the couch, bawling, because the Camdens are so happy. So, just be quiet everyone, I can't help it that I love the cheesiest show to ever be on TV!

Work was really busy today. We went to lunch with Gary for his birthday at Mexican Gardens. It was really nice to see him and catch up.

Other than that, not much going on.......I am exhausted though, I should try and get a good night's sleep!

Sports Card Show

So, the rest of the weekend has been pretty relaxing, which is fine by me. We went to a sports card show yesterday and Kurt found a ton of things he wanted. There was quite a selection. Usually, he finds one or two cards he wants. He is really picky on what he buys, only wants cards that are in near perfect + condition, and are Detroit Tigers. We were going to go to the game, but decided not to since it is like 100 degrees outside every day. I want to say I am sick of the weather, but, I know once winter hits I will bitch it is cold.

My laptop finally got back from the "shop" and we picked that up this morning. Yay, no more sitting at a desktop at home. I hate that. I like being in the living room with the rest of the family. The pugs won't hang out in the computer room because there is no comfy couch for them. They are a tad spoiled.

I Love Sleep

Last night, we had dinner in Dearborn at an Italian place called Ciao with our friends Lisa and Cliff. Although the one review I heard of the place from a friend, Chris, was so-so, I really liked the place. It was quiet, very "Italian" looking, and the food was awesome. I had some swordfish meal, and Kurt had salmon pasta. The plate presentation was awesome (I only comment on this because I worked in restaurants for so long and notice this sort of thing). And our waiter was hilarious. So, I recommend. Great date night kinda place. Plus, it's always fun to see Cliff and Lisa. :).

I got to sleep in this morning, which I rarely get to do. Of course, through my sleep I hear Toby meowing (he is obnoxious, if he needs something, he CANNOT wait; he meows so loudly I think the neighbors could hear him). He wants food about every 5 minutes. I fed him before bed and really early in the morning when he did his annoying meow thing, but of course, about three hours later, he wanted food, which I refused to give him. I think it is like a control game Toby and I play. He likes it that we have to get out of bed to make him happy.

HA

Party

Had a great night tonight. Went to a PartyLite/Mary Kay party in Livonia. It was Marla's party, but held at her friend Melinda's house. I invited Lisa, Julia and Deanna. Kerry was there as well, so I got to see lots of my friends all at the same time, which was so kewl. Marla was basically trying to get rid of some of her older Mary Kay stuff, because she has not been working as much/selling as much since she moved down here and she really wanted to clear out her apartment. So, I got a really good deal on three items! I bought a new perfume called Happiness, another discontinued scent I love, and a foaming shower gel. Can't wait to use everything. From PartyLite, I bought these really kewl retro looking (kinda look Crate and Barrelish) candle holders, with three candles scented Wild Blueberry, Strawberry Rhubarb, and Pink Citrus. Also got some little votive candles scented in Watermelon and Mango Tangerine. Everything smells so yummy, I can't wait for it to come in.

Went to dinner afterwards with Lisa, Deanna and Julia, at EastSide Mario's in Livonia (one of my favorites). I had shrimp alfredo with linguine, yummy, with minestrone soup. Had a great time catching up with everyone.

Yay for Girls Night! :).

De-Stress

I finally feel like I am destressing a little bit from the semester (even though I am still writing a research paper). I went after work today and got a massage at Blu Water, yay. Also, got a bunch of stuff scheduled today, doctor's appointments, car maintenance stuff, house repair things, etc. Am getting more caught up at the office...... Can you hear my blood pressure slowly returning to normal? How long until I am back to my insanely hectic self, LOL?

Sports Room and Farmhouse

I am so tired. Why am I still up? No clue.

Today was really busy. I feel like I go and go and go and never get to rest....AHHH!

One really good thing that is coming out of this whole rental house deal is that the guys living there are culinary chefs AND work construction. So, on top of them renting our house, we are going to hire them to work on our house. One of the first things we are going to have them work on is our ancient farmhouse. Kurt is going to have them fix it up enough for us to store some stuff in there, which will be great since we are running out of room in our garage.



Next, they are going to work on the basement, putting up drywall and a drop ceiling, so we can start our sports room. It is something we both have really been wanting to do because I have all these really creative ideas for hanging everything up, etc. can't wait.

Male Cop=No Ticket for Me

Well, this Sunday was the first time the rental house was in the paper and we already rented it and have a signed rental agreement. I can't believe it was SO easy. We got a bunch of calls, but the first person who looked at it signed. They are moving in tomorrow. And they seem really kewl, so I am very happy about it. Yay.

Spent most of the afternoon doing all that, then went to Canton to have dinner with my Aunt and Grama, we went to Max and Erma's. Had shrimp cajun pasta, which was really yummy. On the way home, I got pulled over. I can't believe the skill I have in getting out of tickets. I was only going about 80 in a 70, but I know the guy did not use his laser gun because my radar did not go off and it always does in the Carerra. He came up to the car and took my license and I majorly sucked up, saying I did not know I was speeding, I have never had a ticket, yada yada. Which he totally bought. Ran my license, came back, told me to slow down. It is really pathetic that I don't even get nervous when I am pulled over because I never actually get the ticket.

Behind, Behind, Behind

What can I say? I know, I am behind in posting and I am very sorry to those of you who actually read this to catch up on my and Kurty's life. I am a bad, bad blogger and should be severely beaten over the head. Ok, maybe that would be taking it a tad too far. So, I am going to start with the All Star Game last Tuesday.

We went to the All Star Game on Tuesday night and had a blast. It was so kewl to just drive to Detroit and attend, and not have to take a trip somewhere, like we did two years ago to Chicago. Our seats were great, the weather was beautiful, and the game was a lot of fun. And to make it a perfect night, the American league won the game. Yay! We got home really late again though, which means more tired days to come......

Wednesday, I had my last final at school, in Equitable Remedies. The exam was not like any other I have taken in law school yet. It had limited space for all the answers that were not multiple choice. So, many students finished really early because it was not like we could ramble on and on for as many pages as we chose. He basically wanted two lines for this answer, a page for this answer. So, I got done early and headed back to the office for some more work, then went home for the night.

Thursday, yet another late night. We finally closed on the rental house we bought, but what a pain. The closing was supposed to be at 6:00 p.m., and ended up not starting until like 7:30 p.m. And we did not get home until around 9:30 p.m. Yuck. Then, there were mistakes on the HUD statement, and we had to go pick up a check in Monroe from the seller AFTER the closing. They forgot to reflect our earnest money deposit on the HUD, so she owed us money. We went and looked around the house, with all her stuff out and I like it even more. Hopefully, we can get it rented out soon.

With the events of the week, Friday was exhausting. I had to go downtown to file some emergency bankruptcies, and the line and wait at US District Court was absurd. I was there forever, and then had to run my ass off to get things done at Circuit Court as well. Came back to the office and went to the Wyandotte art fair with Auntie, which was really fun. I love this one because it is close to the office and nice to walk around. Downtown Wyandotte is so nice. I bought some cute pug notecards (I bought the same ones last year, but ran out), and bought a cute necklace and new silver chain to wear all my glass jewelry on. Auntie bought a lot more--she got a pearl necklace from an artist she loves, a glass necklace (two), a piece of kewl art for her bedroom, and a new hat. We went to dinner afterwards at Mexican Gardens in Southgate, I have been craving Mexican food for some reason.

Finally, today. This afternoon was Jeannie's baby shower in Clinton Township. It was one of the nicest showers I have ever been to. She looked awesome too. I would have only thought she was pregnant with one, if I did not know the truth.....She got a lot of great gifts, and the food was awesome. It was at this placde called Sajo's, which I highly recommend to anyone doing a party, etc. The staff was superb and very professional. I picked up Lisa at her parent's house on the way there, so it was nice catching up with her and talking all the way (in the pouring rain). I could not believe it rained so much the day of Jean's shower. It has not rained ALL SUMMER, and downpour today. At the shower, got to see Stacy and Erin, both of whom I have not seen in forever. So, all in all, the shower was great. Oh, I got her the Baby Bjorn carrier and a growth chart, both of which she registered for. It was kinda funny, because Stacy got her the exact same gift (the carrier). The registry at Babies R Us is horrendous, they don't mark things off the registry very quickly, which results in people getting double of many things. But, Jeannie and Jim will both need a carrier, so it works out just fine. Went back to work after the shower and dropping Lisa off, and worked until 7:00 p.m. Oh, we picked up our art work framed from Michael's and hung it--it looks AWESOME. I am so glad I bought it now, even if it was kinda expensive for me. The art work was by a local artist, and I bought it at the Fisher Theatre. It is hand drawings of old court houses in the area, and we hung it in my office. Love it. We went to dinner at Sibley Gardens and both had vodka pasta, which I love. After dinner, we decided to drive to Grosse Ile (right by there) because we were curious what the big deal was. The houses are insanely expensive there. So, we drove around for a while. It was a nice drive. The island is beautiful. All the homse are awesome and have interesting arcitecture. But, the houses were all really close together, and noone had any land or big yards. So, while it was really nice, I don't want to live there. I need more privacy. I would rather buy a house on Lake Erie somewhere down here.

Now, we are home, and finally, I am caught up on my journal. Yay!

Monday Derby

Monday night, Kurt and I went to the All Star Home Run Derby. It was a blast. We were there pretty late, so I was exhausted once we got home. Bobby Abreu won and broke a bunch of records, which was pretty kewl to see. Took a bunch of pics.

Week Behind in Posting

I have been so busy this week, I have not posted in a while (for me anyway).

Friday was an interesting day. I had to argue my very first Motion in front of a Judge in a real life courtroom. I was so nervous the entire day leading up to it. I was very prepared, but I always stress myself out over stuff like this. Anyway, the Motion was heard in front of Judge Colombo, Jr. of the Wayne County Circuit Court. It was my Motion for Summary Disposition. The case was regarding a car accident. Anyway, I was petrified, but something came over me when I was actually up there in front of Judge. I LOVED IT! I wore a really cute black suit and green shirt I bought the day before. :). I really knew the facts of the case and the law, and just before the hearing that day, I came across some new information that really helped support my case. It also really threw my opponent off guard. I realized that all the Affadavits attached to his Response were not signed OR notarized (which is required under Michigan law). So, in essence, it was like the documents were not even attached, and those documents were pretty much all his evidence. Anyway, the Judge was really hard on both of us (because the professor told him to be), but I totally answered all his questions right away and did not stress at all. LOVED it. I can't wait until I am a real lawyer and get to go to court on real cases.

Fun One--Fill out and Send me Your Responses

From Stacy. But I will tag someone, Shannon and Cindy, you are it! fill it out and send it back!

10 years ago... July 4, 1995. I was in the summer between high school and college. Having an absolute blast. I was waiting tables with my Mom at a place in downtown Manistee called River Street Station. I was dating the quarterback of the football team at Onekema High School (a year younger than me), I was SO SURE I would marry him I bet my Mom's friend Patty $10 that we would not break up. We had broken up by, let's see, my first week of college? Ha. This was my last summer with all my good friends from high school, who I rarely get to see anymore.

5 years ago... July 4, 2000. Hmm. I don't totally remember, but I believe I was working my first summer at Haskell Law Firm, and loving NOT working for anyone. Ever again.

1 year ago... July 4, 2004. I was taking summer classes at Wayne, trying to finish my degree as quickly as possible, blah. Hate summer classes. This specific year though, we were in Vegas for the holiday and had an absolute blast.


Yesterday... Stayed home, writing a research paper.

Today... Slept in, and have spent the entire day writing a research paper and taking quick cat naps.


Tomorrow... I will be working, and turning in the first draft of my research paper.

5 snacks I enjoy...

Nachoes and salsa.
Cereal.
Healthy Choice ice cream.
Fruit roll ups.
Smoothies.

5 songs I know all the words to...

Anything Elton John.
Anything Billy Joel.
Anything old school Poison.
Anything old school Def Leppard.
Anything old school Whitney Houston.

5 reality television shows I watch...

Amazing Race.
Super Nanny.
Bachelor/Bachelorette.
American Idol
Intervention

5 television shows I watch daily...

I don't watch anything daily. Oh wait, we watch Three's Company a lot at night.

5 things I would do with $100,000,000...

Pay off everything I own.
Buy my Mom a house, land, and vehicles, etc. near me in lower Michigan.
Travel, travel, travel.
Start my own animal charity.
Buy a wildlife refuge to live on.

5 locations I would love to run away to...

Las Vegas.
Galapagos Islands.
New Zealand.
African Safari.
Egypt.

5 things I like doing...

Spending time with Kurt and the pugs.
Talking to and spending time with my Mom.
Talking to and spending time with the rest of my family and friends.
Kickboxing, which I never get to do anymore. :(.
Going to the theatre.

5 things I would never wear...

Really short miniskirts. Tacky. I am talking short, where others can SEE YOUR ASS.
White tights or hose.
White heels or flats.
heels more than 3 inches high.
pajamas.

5 recently seen movies I like...

I never get to go to the movies, so these are ancient, really.

Team America: World Police
Revenge of the Nerds.
Farenheit 9-11
Legally Blonde II
Pee Wees Big Adventure

5 famous people I'd like to meet...

Amelia Earhart
Elton John
Billy Joel
John F Kennedy
Ruth Ginsberg

5 biggest joys of the moment...

Finishing the semester soon.
My husband
My babies--Gretel, Oscar, Vito and Toby
Living near so much wildlife and nature
The Spyder

My Lucky Night

Kurt and I so lucked out last night. We went to the Tigers game, against the Yankees. The game has been sold out for some time, but we figured we could buy decent seats from a scalper. Got to the stadium and saw this guy (not the typical scalper) walking around, looking for someone to buy tickets. We stopped him, and he had awesome seats, row 10 behind first base. OK, lucky part--he sold them to us for face value. He could have gottena about $70 more per ticket--I think he was nervous about being arrested, etc. We sat next to him and his son, had a blast, even though they lost.

Well, we were supposed to take the entire day off today, but of course, LOL, that did not happen. We worked until about 2 p.m. So, I guess we got half a day, which is better than nothing. I won't complain! Came home, and fell asleep on the couch for most of the rest of the day, kinda zoning in and out on baseball games Kurt was watching.

Kurt and I did something we have not done in forever because we are always so tired--WE PLAYED SEQUENCE. I love that game. Currently, the score is 6-4. We are going to play again tomorrow night. We are so freakin competitive, haha.

I got some great shots of Vito playing Sequence with us. Can't wait to download and post them. He was sitting on Kurt's lap, with his paws resting on the table. We put some chips in front of him, and some cards and it looked like he was concentrating on the game.

Letter of Resignation

This is awful. On so many levels.

http://www.cnn.com/2005/LAW/07/01/oconnor.letter.nobanner/index.html?section=cnn_latest

Bush's Iraq Speech: Long On Assertion, Short On Facts

Click here to read more online about the article below.

Bush says "progress is uneven" in Iraq, but accentuates positive evidence and mostly ignores the negative.

Summary

Standing before a crowd of uniformed soldiers, President Bush addressed the nation on June 27 to reaffirm America's commitment to the global war on terrorism. But throughout the speech Bush continually stated his opinions and conclusions as though they were facts, and he offered little specific evidence to support his assertions.

Here we provide some additional context, both facts that support Bush's case that "we have made significant progress" in Iraq, as well as some of the negative evidence he omitted.

Analysis

Bush's prime-time speech at Fort Bragg, NC coincided with the one-year anniversary of the handover of soverignty to Iraqi authorities. It was designed to lay out America's role in Iraq amid sinking public support for the war and calls by some lawmakers to withdraw troops.

The Bloodshed

Bush acknowledged the high level of violence in Iraq as he sought to reassure the public.

Bush: The work in Iraq is difficult and dangerous. Like most Americans, I see the images of violence and bloodshed. Every picture is horrifying and the suffering is real. Amid all this violence, I know Americans ask the question: Is the sacrifice worth it?

What Bush did not mention is that by most measures the violence is getting worse. Both April and May were record months in Iraq for car bombings, for example, with more than 135 of them being set off each month. And the bombings are getting more deadly. May was a record month for deaths from bombings, with 381 persons killed in "multiple casualty" bombings that took two or more lives, according to figures collected by the Brookings Institution in its "Iraq Index." The Brookings index is compiled from a variety of sources including official government statistics, where those are available, and other public sources such as news accounts and statements of Iraqi government officials.

The number of Iraqi police and military who have been killed is also rising, reaching 296 so far in June, nearly triple the 109 recorded in January and 103 in Febrary, according to a tally of public information by the website Iraq Coalition Casualty Count, a private group that documents each fatality from public statements and news reports. Estimates of the total number of Iraqi civilians killed each month as a result of "acts of war" have been rising as well, according to the Brookings index.

The trend is also evident in year-to-year figures. In the past twelve months, there have been 25% more U.S. troop fatalities and nearly double the average number of insurgent attacks per day as there were in the preceeding 12 months.

Reconstruction Progress

In talking about Iraqi reconstruction, Bush highlighted the positive and omitted the negative:

Bush: We continued our efforts to help them rebuild their country. . . . Our progress has been uneven but progress is being made. We are improving roads and schools and health clinics and working to improve basic services like sanitation, electricity and water. And together with our allies, we will help the new Iraqi government deliver a better life for its citizens.

Indeed, the State Department's most recent "Iraq Weekly Status Report" shows progress is uneven. Education is a positive; official figures show 3,056 schools have been rehabilitated and millions of "student kits" have been distributed to primary and secondary schools. School enrollments are increasing. And there are also 145 new primary healthcare centers currently under construction. The official figures show 78 water treatment projects underway, nearly half of them completed, and water utility operators are regularly trained in two-week courses.

On the negative side, however, State Department figures show overall electricity production is barely above pre-war levels. Iraqis still have power only 12 hours daily on average.

Iraqis are almost universally unhappy about that. Fully 96 percent of urban Iraqis said they were dissatisfied when asked about "the availability of electricity in your neighborhood." That poll was conducted in February for the U.S. military, and results are reported in Brookings' "Iraq Index." The same poll also showed that 20 percent of Iraqi city- dwellers still report being without water to their homes.

Conclusions or Facts?

The President repeatedly stated his upbeat conclusions as though they were facts. For example, he said of "the terrorists:"

Bush: They failed to break our coalition and force a mass withdrawal by our allies. They failed to incite an Iraqi civil war..

In fact, there have been withdrawals by allies. Spain pulled out its 1,300 soldiers in April, and Honduras brought home its 370 troops at the same time. The Philippines withdrew its 51 troops last summer to save the life of a Filipino hostage held captive for eight months in Iraq. Ukraine has already begun a phased pullout of its 1,650-person contingent, which the Defense Ministry intends to complete by the end of the year. Both the Netherlands and Italy have announced plans to withdraw their troops, and the Bulgarian parliament recently granted approval to bring home its 450 soldiers. Poland, supplying the third-largest contingent in the coalition after Italy's departure, has backed off a plan for full withdrawal of troops due to the success of Iraqi elections and talks with Condoleezza Rice, but the Polish Press Agency announced in June that the next troop rotation will have 200 fewer soldiers.

Bush is of course entitled to argue that these withdrawals don't constitute a "mass" withdrawal, but an argument isn't equivalent to a fact.

The same goes for Bush's statement there's no "civil war" going on. In fact, some believe that what's commonly called the "insurgency" already is a "civil war" or something very close to it. For example, in an April 30 piece, the Times of London quotes Colonel Salem Zajay, a police commander in Southern Baghdad, as saying, "The war is not between the Iraqis and the Americans. It is between the Shia and the Sunni." Again, Bush is entitled to state his opinion to the contrary, but stating a thing doesn't make it so.

Terrorism

Similarly, Bush equated Iraqi insurgents with terrorists who would attack the US if they could.

Bush: There is only one course of action against them: to defeat them abroad before they attack us at home. . . . Our mission in Iraq is clear. We are hunting down the terrorists.

Despite a few public claims to the contrary, however, no solid evidence has surfaced linking Iraq to attacks on the United States, and Bush offered none in his speech. The 9/11 Commission issued a staff report more than a year ago saying "so far we have no credible evidence that Iraq and al Qaeda cooperated on attacks against the United States." It said Osama bin Laden made a request in 1994 to establish training camps in Iraq, but "but Iraq apparently never responded." That was before bin Laden was ejected from Sudan and moved his operation to Afghanistan.

Bush laid stress on the "foreign" or non-Iraqi elements in the insurgency as evidence that fighting in Iraq might prevent future attacks on the US:

Bush: I know Americans ask the question: Is the sacrifice worth it? It is worth it, and it is vital to the future security of our country. And tonight I will explain the reasons why. Some of the violence you see in Iraq is being carried out by ruthless killers who are converging on Iraq to fight the advance of peace and freedom. Our military reports that we have killed or captured hundreds of foreign fighters in Iraq who have come from Saudi Arabia, Syria, Iran, Egypt, Sudan, Yemen, Libya and other nations.

But Bush didn't mention that the large majority of insurgents are Iraqis, not foreigners. The overall strength of the insurgency has been estimated at about 16,000 persons. The number of foreign fighters in Iraq is only about 1,000, according to estimates reported by the Brookings Institution. The exact number is of course impossible to know. However, over the course of one week during the major battle for Fallujah in November of 2004, a Marine official said that only about 2% of those detained were foreigners. To be sure, Brookings notes that "U.S. military believe foreign fighters are responsible for the majority of suicide bombings in Iraq," with perhaps as many as 70 percent of bombers coming from Saudi Arabia alone. It is anyone's guess how many of those Saudi suicide bombers might have attempted attacks on US soil, but a look at the map shows that a Saudi jihadist can drive across the border to Baghdad much more easily than getting nearly halfway around the world to to the US.

Osama bin Laden

Bush quoted a recent tape-recorded message by bin Laden as evidence that the Iraq conflict is "a central front in the war on terror:"

Bush: Hear the words of Osama bin Laden: "This Third World War is raging" in Iraq..."The whole world is watching this war." He says it will end in "victory and glory or misery and humiliation."

However, Bush passed over the fact that the relationship between bin Laden and the Iraqi insurgents - to the extent one existed at all before - grew much closer after the US invaded Iraq. Insurgent leader Abu Musab al-Zarqawi did not announce his formal allegiance with bin Laden until October, 2004. It was only then that Zarqawi changed the name of his group from "Unification and Holy War Group" to "al Qaeda in Iraq."

In summary, we found nothing false in what Bush said, only that his facts were few and selective.