Where You Been?

Nothing Much

So, my week thus far has been pretty uneventful.....Mostly work filled, really. Worked 12 hours today, which was not fun. Blah.

Last night, I went to the Fisher with my Aunt to see Camelot, which I have seen once before, I think in Stratford. Anyway, great version. We had dinner beforehand in the Fisher, and my soup was super yummy. I heart corn chowder.

My excitement of the week was being in the paper! :). My pic and a short bio on me was in there because I am running in the upcoming school board election. I am running unopposed, but it was still kewl to see my article in there!

Oh, Monday night I had dinner with some board members at this new place in Wyandotte that I have never been to. I actually did not even know it was there.....It used to be a Damon's, but that closed a couple years back. Anyway, this new place was freaking awesome. Super nice, and the food was incredible. I had blackened tuna with rice and asparagus. Perfect. And tried some of a crab cake as an appetizer and that was awesome too.

Anyway, I am tired, so I am going to close here. Can't wait until this weekend so I can relax. I need it.

Funny

Uneventful Weekend with A Migraine

So, my weekend was pretty uneventful. Which is good because I am still tired from jet lag and San Fran.

Thursday night, I had a board meeting....Which was a nice meeting, nothing stressful to think about or vote on. And Grey's Anatomy was new and I was home in time to watch it while working out. Yay.

Friday night, I was totally tired and ended up falling asleep early on the couch and not eating dinner or working out. Boo on me. I guess I needed the sleep though. I never fall asleep on the couch and miss working out. I hate that.

So, I worked out Saturday morning to make up for Friday night's miss. Went and had a massage at Blu Water with Steve, which was nice. After that, stopped by the high school for the invitational going on, and Rick suckered me into handing out brochures in a nearby subdivision (just kidding Rick, I was happy to help) regarding the upcoming millage and vote. During this drive, I could feel myself starting to get a migraine. Ugh. Came home and Kurt and I went to dinner, hoping that maybe I was just hungry and my migraine would stop if I ate something. Umm, no. I could barely eat because my head hurt, so we came home and I fell asleep on the couch--for the second night in a row. Could barely sleep once we went to bed because my head hurt so badly, and I still felt like crap this morning. Ugh. Took some more Excedrin and relaxed on the couch and started to feel better mid-afternoon. Took the doggies for a walk, and it was sooo nice out today. Almost 80 degrees. Took some pics in the yard of new growth on the trees, etc. I heart warm weather.

Made a really good dinner tonight. A modified chicken parm, but I made it with cajun grilled ahi tuna and mexi cheese instead of chicken and mozz. Hey, I had to make do with what was in the house and I don't normally have mozz in the house unless I plan ahead of time. Anyway, SO good. I need to remember that recipe and make it again. It totally filled me up and was yummy and healthy. Found it on the back of a Minute Rice box. Oh, found the recipe online! Click here to try yourself....Great for those of us who like great meals, but don't like being in the kitchen for extended periods of time...

Tried this new water that I freaking love. Called Talking Rain Ice. It is carbonated and super yummy. the black raspberry is fabulous. I love finding new waters to use while working out. I got it in bulk at Sam's Club.

San Fran Pics

Finally uploaded all the San Fran pics, for your viewing pleasure. The pics totally don't do San Francisco justice. Every time I visit another city like that, I wonder why I am living where I do. I don't think I was meant to be a cold weather girl. :).

Click here to see the pics.

Love at First Sight?

So, I was never a believer in love at first sight.

That was until I bought the Canon Rebel XTi. I have been in love since the first time I put my hands on the body of the camera and held it.......And I have loved it even more every day since.

Photography is my passion, and the Rebel will always be my first real electronic love......:).

Home Sweet Home

So, I am home! Since I have been home, have been super tired. My flight came in on Tuesday morning at 5:00 a.m., I did not get home until like 6:45 a.m. and was at work at 9:45 a.m. And since there was a screaming baby that literally did not stop most of the flight, I did not get much sleep on the plane. Gotta love that.

I am currently uploading all my pics, but it will be a while until it is done.

So, the trip. Friday morning, we all met for breakfast at the hotel. After that, we headed over to the conference center to pick up our passes and registration stuff. Went to the Giants Stadium for a tour. They have the most gorgeous baseball stadium I have ever been to. Wow. The tour was really interesting and fun too, as we got to go in areas of the stadium where the public are generally not admitted. Went to lunch at Bubba Gump's at Pier 39, which was yummy and had an awesome view of the ocean. Headed back to the hotel and got ready for the As--Yankees game. The game was a ton of fun, and the As won! I am always thrilled when the Yankees lose...

Saturday, we got up and headed over to the exhibits at the conference. Had breakfast at this place known for its famous pancakes, but I had an omlette, LOL. There were several exhibits we really wanted to attend. The district is really is financial distress, and we need to find ways to save money. I thought that was really productive. Had sushi for lunch and walked the exhibits more. Also saw F.W. de Clerk speak that day, and he was really inspiring. The things he said are so in line with how I think about having goals and being open to change. Went and walked around by myself on the Wharf and bought a new camera lens that does some wide angle and some macro. Came back to the room and suddenly, I felt really ill. I thought I had food poisoning, but I think I was just exhausted. Laid down and ended up skipping our two functions that night because I simply could not get out of bed. I was supposed to go to the Museum of Modern Art and the Ritz, and have dinner with a friend. Blah. Later that night, met the group in the downstairs bar for a diet coke.

Sunday, we got up and headed to the conference to get seats to see Bill Clinton speak. We had second row seats, which was incredible. He was an awesome speaker, and spoke mostly about wellness and fitness for kids and how important it is for education. Met my friend from high school, Dawn, and her husband, Todd, for lunch. We went to a place that had fish tacos, and then went and had a drink at this crazy bar. It was really fun to catch up. After that, I headed back to the hotel because we had a kewl dinner to attend at a nice restaurant in downtown San Fran. We all got dressed up and went to that. Went and walked Lombard Street after that (which was so fun in my 3 inch Steve Maddens, let me tell you, LOL), then headed back to the hotel.

Monday, we all went to Alcatraz. Which was so extremely kewl. After lunch, we all headed out separate ways. I decided to hit the Golden Gate State Park for some pics. The conservatory was closed, but I stopped by the Japanese Tea Garden, which was so calm and beautiful. My plane left that night.

Overall, I loved San Fran and I think the trip was really productive. :). I would love to go back and take Kurty.

Lost Posts

So, I wrote this long post while in the Detroit airport waiting to take off, and when I hit "post", I got an error message. Lovely. Don't want to repost cuz I am tired, but....................

I arrived uneventfully in San Fran. No major delays with the flight. Found the luggage claim and my luggage came out quickly, found the shuttle andd got to the hotel. Went and had a drink with three of the board members, then to my room.

Breakfast tomorrow at 9! Will write more later, I am exhausted.....

Kickboxing Heaven

Kory put water in the base of my kickboxing bag and I got to use it tonight for the first time! OMG, I forgot what a workout it is, and I barely did anything, because I did it after running and the rest of my workout. Found my old blue gloves (I had them special ordered when I used to go to classses), and my wraps, and just did a bunch of punches and some kicks. I loved it. It is a great stress reliever and an awesome workout for your arms and legs. I think about people who have been annoying me and just hit the bag. Yay.

So, tomorrow night, I leave for San Fran. I leave work around 5 p.m. and then my plane leaves around 730 p.m. I already checked in online. have a nonstop flight, so I am hoping to leave ontime (fingers crossed because Northwest is not known for ontime flights) and land at SFO at around 930 p.m. Flight is slightly over 5 hours. I am staying at a hotel on the wharf and cant wait to see the ocean. I heart the ocean. I am kinda nervous about travelling alone, just because I never have before, but I will get over it. :). I will be taking my laptop and the hotel has wireless, so I am sure I will be on here. Maybe even post some pics. I am also psyched the hotel has a gym so my workouts won't be stopped just because I am away on business. Friday, I am going to an As/Yankees game, and Friday morning I am getting a tour of the Giants Stadium. Other than that, nothing set in stone except the conference all the days for certain hours. Can't wait to hear Clinton speak.

Had court this morning. I appeared on a case i never thought would settle, partially because the parties were so far off and because the attorney on the other side is known for not settling. This is a pet peeve of mine. If people want to settle, LET THEM freaking settle. Some attys enjoy running up their clients bill with extra court appearances and unnecessary mediations. But, it settled. Miracles do happen. We put everything on the record and I was done. Hooray!

Craig Monroe just hit a grand slam and they are finally ahead! Go Tigers!

Wish me a safe flight! I will try to write more in San Fran while I am there. I need to pack my swimsuit too, which I need to go do now while I am thinking about it......

Easter

Easter was fun. We had dinner at my Aunt's house in Canton, and she always makes great meals that Kurt and I can eat too. I felt like an Italian family this time--we had all Italian entrees such as lasagna, chicken and shrimp alfredo, salad, etc. It was nice to see the family, and nice to relax for the day. She gave us all Easter baskets and my candy has already been turned over to Kurt and Kory. Although I did splurge and eat some jelly beans. They have no fat, that would be my excuse. :).

This week has been nice at the office thus far. Phones have been OK, I think a lot of people are out of town for their kids' Spring Breaks, and it is giving me a break to catch up on some paperwork, which we totally need.

I leave on Thursday night for San Fran, which means i need to pack tomorrow night and take my car to work. I will leave from the office around 5 p.m. or so. I am still kinda nervous about travelling alone (which I have never done), but I am sure it will be fine. I have directions on getting my shuttle at the airport and the flight is direct, so what could really go wrong.......I am going to try and pack light since I won't have Kurt to carry my stuff through the airport. hehe.

So, speaking of trips, we are trying to decide where to go for my birthday in May. We are thinking of going over Memorial Day weekend, just so we can have an extra day. I am pretty sure at this point it will be Belize, but I am keeping my options open, if anyone has any kind of fabulous idea. Keep in mind that we are not interested in cruises, or just lying on a beach. We need to be active and see wildlife, animals, etc. Let me know if you have ideas! :).

**Picture above is from far back in our yard of our house at dusk. To all my city dwelling friends, this is the kind of view you never get living in the middle of all the action........;).

Easter Weekend At the Office

So, we worked most of the day today since we are behind on some things at the office. It was great though, as Kurt got some Wills and related documents done, as well as some Probate docs, and I got a bunch of bankruptcies filed as well as a lot of paperwork done. When the phone does not ring, it's amazing the amount of paperwork that comes off the printer! :). Yay.

After work, went home and Rebecca was waiting there for me. We went to Total Runner in Southgate, because I really needed new running shoes. I was just going to look, but ended up buying some Asics. I really wanted to try a new brand, but I always end up with those again. I tried on Brooks and Mizunos, but ended up back at the Asics. Almost got the Brooks because Val recommends them so highly, but did not. Hated the Mizuno's though. Oh, and going to a real running store is awesome. The people there are so knowledgeable about what kind of shoe would work best for you and the like. I am only going to buy shoes from stores like that in the future.

After there, we headed to Sam's Club to get my Aunt a veggie platter for Easter tomorrow. Then, onto the mall where I got some new stuff from NY and Co for my San Fran trip, and some new stuff at Victoria's Secret, where I got to use Rebecca's $10 off purchase card. Yay for savings. Also got my Dad's bday gift since I will see him tomorrow.

Here is the stuff I got at NY and Co:

Shirt One

Shirt Two

Shorts One

Shirt Three

Also got two necklaces, but could not find links to them on the site....

After there, we all went to dinner at Pete's Garage and then Rebecca worked on my neck! Yay. I feel so much better.

Good Friday

So we decided to take off early from work today since most offices were not even open and we wanted to be like everyone else....Ok, maybe I just wanted a break. Left about an hour and a half before close time.

Got home and Kory showed us two Subpoenas that were delivered by the sheriff this morning to the house. I don't know if you recall, but last year, Kurt and Kory caught two people hunting on our property. Kurt told the officers he wanted to press charges (because the guys hunting were total asses to them), and we thought nothing happened from it. Well, one of the guys had a TRIAL scheduled on May 1 and Kurt and Kory have to appear and possibly testify. The guy is such an idiot. For the case to even get this far, it means that he refused to settle and pay a freaking ticket. It does not surprise me since he was so rude and basically thought he had the right to hunt on our land. Kurt totally cant wait to appear in court and testify, LOL. I think I may need to go to witness this. Lawyers are the best witnesses. I don't know what the hell this guy is thinking. It's nice to see that the police actually did pursue this though and did not just let the guys go, since the police basically thought it was no big deal as well. Blah on them.

Went after work to get an oil change on my car, and then went to get my nails and toes done, which felt awesome. I have not gone since Fall 2006. I kinda just do my own nails in Winter. I took my own polish, since I have that awesome new MAC polish that lasts forever, and my Nail Tech stuff which works wonders.

Started watching The L Word while working out tonight. It started out kinda slow and I thought I was not going to like it, but then it started to pick up and now I am starting to get into it. I will keep you posted on that show.

Oh! Almost forgot. Last night, I stopped into David's Bridal to look at bridesmaid dresses for my sister. My Mom wanted me to check them out in person because there is no David's Bridal by her or my sister, and they had only seen the dresses online. So, I went and tried on like every dress that came in her color (velvet blue). I ended up really liking a dress that I never thought I would, and some I thought I would love, I hated. Found out we need to order them like 8 weeks ahead of time........I am kinda nervous about ordering now though because with all my working out, I dont want the dress not to fit right in August, so I am going to wait until mid-May to place my order. Then, if I tone up more or lose any more weight, I can just get it altered at the last minute..............Also, I have to say that David's measures up there with Toys R Us for annoying stores I hate to go to. There are bridezillas types EVERYWHERE stressing, and no mirrors in the dressing room. Seriously. I dont want to come out in the middle of the store with EVERY dress on. Ugh.

Tracking Software/Download

Anyone have a suggestion for blog/website tracking software or downloads?

I currently use a program that I like, but am open to new and better ideas.

If anyone has one, please share or email it to me so I can check it out! :).

Back to work.......

Alanis Morissette

This is hilarious! But, you can only appreciate it if you have heard the song "My Humps" by Fergie......The words are insanely lame and it cracks me up that SOOO many people love this song. Alanis is making fun of it, and it is great! Ha.

Politically Correct

So, Rebecca has me addicted to Queer As Folk. Awesome, awesome show. But only for the openminded, so please, my conservative friends, do not attempt to watch this.

The point of my post. I have now netflixed and should receive tomorrow the following: The L Word. Season one, first two discs. I am just finishing up Disc 3 of Big Love.

So, once I get that, I will have three shows on DVD I am watching at home. One that revolves around gay men, one that revolves around lesbians, and the other that is about polygamists. I am so supporting all groups all there. Go me. Ha.

Work was super productive today. I got a ton of paperwork done. Sad thing is, I have a ton more.

A client and his Mom today told me that I am the spitting image of the other side on the case (they hired me). I was looking at her stats after they left. She has the same eye color, hair color, same height and weight as me. Um, year born? 1985. That would make me 21. Umm, not quite. But, I guess it's better than me looking 41, right?

So tired, so I am going to close here......

Ugh

Ugh. My stomach is killing me and it cut my workout in half. Oh well, I can only do what I can do with the workouts. I really should take a day off once in a while anyway and I never do, so one half a night off is OK. :).

I have so many things I need to do, and so little time. Ugh. Here are some things I would love to get done in the near future.

1. Pedicure. it's coming upon summer, and I get them done on a regular basis once I am in flip flops full time. Need to go. And would love to get a mani while I am there.

2. Massage. My neck is killing me--again. I have no idea what I do to it. Either get one at the spa or have Rebecca assist me when I see her this weekend.

4. Roof. Call someone on the couple shingles that all falling on the roof. They are driving me nuts.

5. Laundry. We are so behind on this. Enough said with that.

6. Shopping. I really need to get a couple cute skirts or something like that for my San Fran trip. I have no idea what people wear to these conferences. Maybe find that out as well. I know we have some ritzy dinners to attend, so I need to pull out something for that as well.

7. David's Bridal. Need to stop there and look at dresses. My sister has finally settled on a color, so I want to ask some questions, look around, etc. I kinda want to wait until I absolutely have to order to do so, because with all the working out I have been doing, I don't want to get something now and be wearing a totally different size then, it would be a slight issue.

So many other things, but that's a start.

Oh, found out something fun today! As a board member, I get to go to the high school graduation and hand out diplomas, sit on stage. They get us a robe that is associated with our college and it's colors, and you get something else that represents the degrees you have! How kewl! I can't wait. It's at the end of May.

Sundays in the Sun

It was gorgeous out today. Unexpected as the past few days have been cooler. I woke up kinda early and after a nice shower, looked outside. Total fog. Could only see a couple feet out the french doors into the backyard. Got dressed quickly and headed outside to take pics. The fog was already lifting, so I did not get any great fog pics, but since it poured last night, I got some great raindrop pics in the yard. Kurt was already outside picking up random trash in the yard (that was his and Kory's project of the day). Kurt found two ducks (a boy and a girl) hanging out on the property, so we followed them hoping to find a nest, but no such luck. Hopefully some babies pop up, I heart baby ducks.

Decided to take advantage of the nice weather and headed to Sterling State Park to hike. It was a really nice walk. Walked the entire loop and took some pics. I saw two beautiful swans hanging out in the lagoon.....Also saw a really cute groundhog and today was totally turtle day. I swear, I saw about 50. At least. I think they were enjoying the sun, just as I was! :). The weather is supposed to be crappy the rest of the week, so we were all out today, LOL.

My favorite dessert to make? Cheesecake. Why? Because I hate it. Made one today and Kurt and Kory both had some, hehe. It looked really good, but it is WAY too rich for me. I know, I know. I am the only person in life who does not like it.

More trees planted in the yard....Yesterday, Kurt and Kory planted 6 london plane and 5 purple plum trees....I can't wait until they start blooming, so I can see them. The plum trees are colored all year, never green. Oh, went to the mall yesterday to look for a bed at Elder Beerman (did not find one). While there, stopped at Sears since I had a gift card, and ended up getting a pair of dress pants and a shirt for work. Only paid $7 after the use of my card. Woo hoo.