Rebecca Yelled at Me

...because I have not blogged since Friday. I took away all her fun of reading updated blogs on Sunday night. Sorry, Rebecca! Better late than never, right?

Pretty nice weekend here at the Haskell Home. For the most part, we stayed in. Yay. I did not feel like having "set" plans, just wanted to go with the flow.

Friday after work was hilarious. Rebecca loaned me some workout videos she does not use anymore, and Kurt sits in the room while I do them sometimes. He likes to harass me, and was talking about how *easy* the videos were. I laughed, because besides the fact that he is totally uncoordinated, he has only used the gym maybe 4 times since it opened downstairs, and is totally not in shape yet. So, I challenged him. We came home and did the video, and umm, Kurt did not do so well. He stopped after part one, and for what he did during part one, it was not very good. Because he is not coordinated, he probably only did about half and was off beat the entire video. I guess it was not to easy, hun Kurty? :). I love being right. My Mom's birthday was Friday. Happy Birthday Mommy! I sent her two packages and she had only received one as of her birthday. She really liked it though (gift one was two drummer shirts) and I already know she will like gift two....

Saturday was another fun day. Kurt and I went to Lowe's in the morning so I could pick out the tile for the walls of the second bathroom upstairs. I had a vision in my head, which was what we bought at Lowe's. I looked at sinks too, but nothing there was right for me. Britton was over and while Kurt was working upstairs on the bathroom tile, Britton and I watched two movies: Accepted and The Break-Up. Both were great, lazy movies. I liked The Break-Up more, but I did not like the ending of that one very much. Accepted kinda started slow, but ended up being funny and good. I worked out in the afternoon after the movies, took a shower, and then Rebecca got here. Kurt, Britton, Rebecca and I did dinner at Quatro's, which was yummy. Came home and hung out at the house for the rest of the night. Oh, Rebecca introdued me to this show called Queer as Folk, that I am now addicted to. Total Lori show, but Kurt and Kory won't watch with me. :(.

Today, went this morning to Cabela's to buy some new workout clothes. Kory gets a discount since he works there, so I got awesome deals on really high end stuff....Also bought a new pea coat--mine is like 5 years old (maybe older) and really needs to be discarded. The new one is cranberry and so pretty! Got some cute Columbia gloves to match. Anyway, I ended up buying two Under Armor sports bras, one pair of black North Face capri pants, one pair of long pants (Under Armor), Under Armor black shorts and a black Northface tank.....I needed the stuff, my workout clothes are so old and worn. Watched another episode of Queer as Folk today, i love it!

Kurt finished the upstairs bathroom, for the most part. He put up all tile, and now needs to grout, put the sinks in, paint and I need to accessorize. I ordered the sinks online tonight, and they are super kewl. Click here to see them. Today at Lowe's, I accidentally found the perfect black stands for the sinks. Kurt will have to go back and pick them up when we need them.

So, that about sums up my weekend. Hope everyone else got a chance to relax as well.

Unopposed

Called Monroe County on Wednesday morning to see if anyone else put their name in against me for the school board. Nope. There are two seats open (mine and another board member who has an expired seat) and only two people (including me), put their names in. So, *hopefully*, I can win! hehe. This is a four year term, so I can rest easy for that amount of time now. I can't wait to go vote and check next to my own name. I wish I could take a camera in and take a pic, but I don't think they allow that, and they may think I am slighly strange......

I am so cold. The weather in MI right now is seriously wrong. Kurt and I are thinking of planning a quick weekend getaway in the near future just to warm up! Tigers started Spring Training in FL recently and I would love to go to a game and take pics. You can get really close to the players at those events, and we could visit Maga and Bumpa since their condo is near the Tigers facility.......

Grey's was awesome last night. I doubt they can really kill Meredith off, I mean, the show is *her* show....But, we will see what they do with this.

New Stuff

Woke up this morning to a 5 foot drift of snow in front of our garage. Which is an issue when your cars are parked in the garage. Oops. I would have loved to just call into work, but no such luck when you work for yourself and have court, hun? I had two hearings this morning and a ton of paperwork too.

The drive to work was horrendous too. None of the roads ANYWHERE were cleared. Not near our house, not on the highway, not near the office. Accidents everywhere, people driving like idiots. Fun. It took us double the amount of time to get to court today.

I had two hearings today. One was something new for me, at a hearing for someone *supposedly* way behind on child support. I say supposedly because the Friend of the Court messed up his account. He had custody of the child from 1997 on, in a court Order, and they never stopped his support from accrueing. So, now after today's meeting, they are doing an audit to fix everything. My client was so glad he was not going to jail. I told him that would not happen, but people always think they will. Other hearing was a divorce case, which I finalized. I was pretty shocked it did, because the parties were pretty far off on what they wanted, but somehow, we did it.

Oh, Happy Valentine's Day to those who celebrate it! I personally don't. For some reason, the holiday kinda annoys me. Don't ask me why, I don't really have a reason. I just don't like it. I guess holidays in general annoy me, because I hate having this *obligation* to buy things for people. I would rather pick things up for people when I *want* to, not because it's Xmas, or Easter, or whatever. Kurt did buy me some gum today! Ha.

Snow is Bad

Those of you who *like* snow? Umm, why. Seriously. I can't stand winter, and I can't stand snow. They are predicting like 12 inches or more in our area. I hate it. What about snow is good whatsoever? Nothing. And in Michigan, everyone forgets how to drive in this weather. Accidents everywhere, people driving too fast/slow. Growing up in northern MI, I get this. People downstate? Clueless. For the most part anyway.

So, the weather is cancelling like all my plans. I was supposed to do dinner with friends last night. Moved. Supposed to see a show at the theatre tonight. Cancelled. Tomorrow night am supposed to go to a bday party, and prob will not be able to do that either. See everyone? Snow=bad. :).

My kickboxing bag was delivered today, and I put it together in the basement. But, the base needs to be filled with water, a lot of water, and I have to figure out a good way to do this. The hole the water pours into is not that large, so I need to figure something out....One bucket at a time is going to take me the rest of the life.

I did an ab workout today since we left work early. We closed the office early because of the storm. The video killed me! Check my workout page if you are interested in the video. Oww..

Went to the Monroe County Clerk to put in my petition for the school board. It was due--today. Nothing like me procrastinating. HA. Paid my fee, put in the paperwork. As of the time I put it in, only one other person had, and there are two spots open. So, unless someone put their name in after I did at 9 a.m., I don't need to campaign or anything. Cross your fingers....

Busy Times

So, I had a pretty busy Saturday and weekend in general.

Saturday morning, I got up, took a shower, and headed to Rebecca's to hang out before my hair appointment. She massaged me some, which I apparently needed since I was in pain. Thanks Rebecca! After that, we went to Trader Joe's, and I discovered the best workout bar ever. I read on a blog previously about this bar, and have been looking for it since. It is a new one by Clif, and I have not seen it in any store yet. Well, Trader Joe's came through for me. I bought a bunch, and OMG, Yum. I highly recommend. It seriously tastes like a condensed blueberry muffin. I am def going to buy these in bulk. Oh, it is called Blueberry Crisp Clif. After that, got my hair done with Marnie. I actually got about 3 inches cut off, new highlights and some sideswept bangs, which is totally not like me. I dont change things with my hair often. Kurt can't really tell a difference, but I def can.

Then, drove home, changed, and left for dinner with Cliff and Lisa in Detroit at Pegasus. What a pain it was getting to Detroit. This winter blast thing is going on down there, and traffic and parking was a total chore. Pegasus was OK. The food was very good--I had a grilled shrimp meal with green beans and rice and diet coke, kurt has a greek salad. But, the service was horrible. The staff was rude--all of them. They practically kicked us out when we were done because they wanted our booth for others. I wont go back there. I can get Greek food elsewhere. But, it was nice to see Cliff and Lisa......Kurt and I headed to the Windsor casino after that, where I played some poker and blackjack and did not win. But thats OK, I had a good time.

Today, slept in a little bit. I needed it after the long day on Saturday. Got up and did some stuff around the house, stopped at the grocery store. I was feeling guilty for not working out yesterday, so I did one of the videos that Rebecca loaned me. Loved it. It kicked my butt. It was like cardio Pilates. I will be doing this one again. It hurt. Then, tonight, I did another workout in the gym.
Oh, went to Lowes today with Kurt to pick out the flooring for one of the upstairs bathrooms. Him and Kory pretty much finished it today, except for the grouting. It looks SOOO good. they also finally hung the mirror I bought forever ago from zGallerie in the other bathroom. It needs to be cleaned (they got stuff all over it hanging it, but it looks so kewl. I love that mirror.

Latest Finds and Such

Nothing too exciting is going on. So, I am going to post about some new products I have found that I love since I started working out hardcore again.

1. Zenalean ProCaps. I discovered these today at Better Health when I stopped in to buy Redline drinks. Tada! It has ephedra. I heart ephedra. I used to take Xenadrine way back before law school, and then it got banned. Since then, I have found nothing even close. Until Zenalean. I took one this afternoon, and I was soooo awake. Love. Yay.

2. Redline drinks.

3. Clif bars. Yum. The first energy bar I have eaten that actually tasted good. I tried a Zone bar today, and, not so good. I need to start buying the Clif ones in bulk.

Restless Pugs

Had a board meeting tonight. It was slightly shorter than normal, and I got home just in time to change, drink an energy drink and head down to the gym to watch Grey's. It was a great episode. I wonder what will happen to Meredith?? The drama......

I don't know how I get the energy sometimes. I worked all day long, came home, attended a board meeting, came home again, worked out, made dinner, did some laundry and dishes, and am now relaxing. I am avoiding this horrible movie that Kurt and Kory are watching, I think it's called Saw III. I have no interest. OMG, so violent. But, I want to sit in the living room, so I am forced to listen to it anyway. Ugh.

The weather in Michigan is horrible. Gretel has been really restless, and I think we are finally figuring it out. When it is below zero like this, she does not run around outside as much because she gets really cold. I kinda feel like Gretel. I want to be outside SOO badly, but winter in Michigan just sucks, especially right now. I can barely stand walking to my car from the office door. Me and Gretel both really need to get outside, and the forecast for the next week is more of the same. I really was not meant to live in this state, but at the same time, I don't really want to leave, at least right now. I am so cold 24 hours a day. Even when I work out, I have been wearing long sleeves, which I never do while doing cardio.

Cliff called today and asked what Kurt and I were doing this weekend. When I said nothing major, he suggested going to the Detroit Winter Bash. Which is outside. And it is negative zero forecast for the weekend. I was like "I will never talk Kurt into that in a million years." I really have no desire to walk around in that either, LOL, but Kurt cannot stand the cold more than me. I suggested meeting for dinner down there instead, in case they still wanted to walk around in the cold. So, we are prob meeting in Greektown for dinner. It will be nice to see them.....

Nothing New in Newport

So, today was a pretty standard day, really. Nothing ultra-exciting to post about.

I was pretty tired when we got home, so I made dinner, and sat down to watch Beauty and the Geek. I totally did not want to work out, but I made myself. Yay. I always am glad once I get done.

I ordered a kickboxing bag on Amazon tonight. Yay. I have always wanted one, and now that we have the gym, I see no reason why I should not have it. Now, I need to put together some program for it. My old instructor told me he would help me out, but I feel kinda guilty asking him. I will try to find something online first.

I finally made my hair appointment today. I kept forgetting. So, I am going on Sunday and will prob meet up with Rebecca beforehand. I am going to get a massage from her and try to pay her, but she always just wants food, so I guess we will see. She always makes me feel better, and with all this working out, I really need it, I think! ;). I can't wait to get my hair cut. I really want something different, but always end up chickening out and getting the same sort of style. I don't like short hair for me, so my options are fairly limited.

Great Store

I got this coupon in the mail for a store that was having a grand opening in Taylor called Better Health. We stopped in after work. OMG. Great store. It was like GNC times 20, and they sold organic foods and drinks. I needed to buy some protein bars and the like. Sometimes right before working out or during the day I am hungry, and I wanted to buy something to supplement my working out, with high protein. So, I bought some Zone and Clif bars. I bought different flavors, so I could try them out before buying a ton of one kind. Kurt bought a bunch of drinks, and I bought this one energy drink for working out. We tried it before our workout, and WOW. I think it really did give me a boost of energy. Not a ton extra, but some. Called Redline.

Anyway, highly recommend the store if you live in Michigan.

Oh, took some pics of the gym. Keep in mind while viewing that we still need to clean the floor again (drywall dust, etc.), but for the most part, it is done. Kurt and Kory put up drywall, a drop ceiling and lights, the mat flooring, and the equipment and posters. Click here to see the pics.

The Lawyer Game

You have got to be kidding me. People would BUY a game to be a lawyer? What are they thinking? LOL. It's really not that exciting......

One game I will not be buying when I buy a handheld game system? Check.

Click here to see.

Sore, but Happy

I had a fabulous workout tonight. (which can be seen at my workout blog in the sidebar). Kurt worked out with me, which was nice. I think I work out even better with him. Anyway, I can feel myself getting better with each workout. I can do more crunches, can walk uphill longer, can run further.........did more weight on my chest/back exercises.

I was so mad What About Brian was not on! Some stupid wedding show was on in it's place, ugh. Next week, thankfully, it is back on.

Work was great today too. I got so much paperwork done, as Misty was there answering the phones. The conference room table was filled with work done.

It was so cold here today, schools were cancelled simply because of the temperature. The schools in our town were all cancelled, and prob will be tomorrow as well. Crazy. I have never heard of school being cancelled because it is too cold. And Manistee, where I grew up?? They never cancelled school ever. And they are cancelled today AND tomorrow. That shows how insanely cold it is here. On the way to work today, the bank clock said -4. I have never seen the bank clock say anything negative re the temperature.

Congrats Jillllllleeeeee

My friend, Jill, just told me that she is pregnant with her third child! She is predicting a boy, and her due date is around Sept 1!

Baby 3 will be joining Jamin and Leah at home. I can't believe one of my friends is on baby 3! Wow!

I have known Jill since 1st grade.....she befriended me then, and it's so crazy that we have been friends all this time, and now we are both married, and she will be having baby 3! :).

Congrats Jill and Ben!

The Oscars Contest--Join the Fun

My friend, Megan, has created a new fantasy game for the Oscar's.

You can join in!

Here is the link: http://andthewinneris.msnbc.msn.com/default.aspx.

The Group Name is Megan's Movie Mania and the password is weather

Please join in the fun!

Cold in Michigan

It is so cold in Michigan right now. Almost record cold temps.

Current temp? 0 degrees Farenheit. Feels like? -15 degrees Farenheit. Not even kidding. And the rest of the week is not much better. It is not going to be over 23 degrees all week. Nice. Today, I went outside to the grocery store briefly and I could barely stand it getting into the car in the garage, it was to cold. Ugh. I can't stand this.

So, got to sleep in this morning. This working out crap annoys me sometimes, because I get fairly anal with what I am eating and doing. Bec, Kory and Britton went for pizza for lunch and I did not go, because I don't want to be counter productive with the working out. So, I just need to stay away from those kind of eating establishments...........Rebecca said the pizza place they went to was not that good anyway, so I am kinda glad I did not go.

The rest of the day, I just tried to get some things done around here. It is so cold though, I dont even want to get off the couch with my blanket. I did some laundry, did some dishes, picked up the house......My husband, the pseudo-plumber, fixed some things in my bathroom today that I have been begging him to fix for months. My sink and my shower had clogged pipes, so the water was taking longer to drain than normal, which in turn made the sink/shower get dirty more quickly, which drives me insane. He took eveything apart and now everything works. Yay.

Oh. Rebecca brought over a small refrigerator for the basement and I put water in it today. It will be nice to have it down there. I tend to forget it and have to run back upstairs to grab some.

The Colts won the Super Bowl. I did not really care who won, but I was rooting for the Bears since they were the underdog. So many turnovers in the game, it was crazy. Prince was the half time show, and I actually really liked it. Kewl lighting and fireworks effects.

Being Blonde

All the school in the world (which I have had now), cannot make me more blonde, LOL.

Last night, at the casino, I got stopped at the door. I guess I was kinda surprised, because you only have to be 19 to get in there. Since I was that age 10 years ago, I was kinda shocked the guy asked me to stop. Anyway, he asked me how old I was and my response was....

"ummmmm, 20, ummmmm, 9?"

Yea. I totally forgot how old I was. I think he must have thought I was amusing though, because he let me go.

I got carded again in the poker room. Whatever I wore last night must have made me look young because 10 years later, I am still getting carded there, LOL. It annoys me, but at the same time, I guess I should be glad I don't age very much as each year goes on........

Kurt's Birthday--Part 2

Today, we celebrated Kurt's birthday again. Went to Fishbones in Detroit for dinner with Kory, Rebecca, Britton and Gary. It was really good. I had gumbo soup and sushi. Afterwards, Kurt, Gary and I went to the casino in Windsor. Kurt and I won $102.50. My portion was only $2.50. I played Texas Hold Em. Kurt played blackjack and craps. It was a lot of fun, but nothing beats Vegas........

This morning, Kurt and I went to work for a short time, had a meeting with a new client. We then went to a couple stores.....One, this place Kurt likes for paintings and furniture....We bought a painting for the basement once it is done. Stopped for lunch at Zoup, and then at the Pier One Clearance Store. It was fun. Then, he hung all the posters in the gym. I really need to take pics....

Happy Birthday Sweetie!

It's Kurty's birthday today! Happy 36th birthday honey! I told him he is old today, as he is closer to 40 than 30, LOL, and I have not even hit 30 yet. Ha.

We went to dinner tonight with our friends, Tammy and Tom. We went to Uno's. I had salmon teryiaki and rice, and a smoothie. I think the smoothie was a mistake, as I am somewhat lactose intolerant. I usually can handle a smoothie, but now, my stomach hurts. Rather, it started hurting about half way through my workout, and I had to stop. But, half a workout is better then none, right? It was nice to see Tam and Tom, we have not seen them in forever.

We also stopped in Home Goods and I saw this ottoman that I may go back and buy. It would literally look perfect in the sunroom. It is really modern, and the same colors that are in there. Went to Michael's as well and bought frames for the gym posters as well. Just need to bring them in the house and hang them up now, and the gym will be pretty much complete. The only things left really then are hooking up the satellite down there (right now we have the TV hooked through upstairs), and need to buy a couple mirrors for the walls. I also would like to get a DVD player and some videos.

Had to workout alone tonight because Kurt had a little bit too much to drink at dinner tonight. Three raspberry pina coladas and three rum and cokes too much. Ha.

So, court was somewhat annoying for Kurt this morning. One hearing went well. It was filed pointlessly by a father. In MI, there is rule that you cannot move more than 100 miles from your residence without permission from the court or the other parent in the case. Well, our client moved like 103 miles away. She did this like 3 months ago, and the father never said anything. She says he actually agreed to the move. 3 months later, he files a Motion for Change in Custody based on her violation of this rule. Done out of spite, pretty much. So, she hired us over the phone, as she lives in a differnet area now. Met Kurt at the hearing, and Kurt pretty much got their Motion thrown out. She was thrilled. The other hearing was the annoying one. We had a client that was very unreasonable. We filed a Motion to Change Custody for him, as the mother moved to another state and left him with the kids. He wanted her to have no parenting time, or parenting time only in the state of MI. The other side hired an atty, and they stated they only wanted 2 weeks in the summer. This is very, very minimal, and less than the Judge would probably give her. Our client would not agree. Somehow, miraculously, Kurt got him to understand and agree, but the guy was not happy, and told Kurt he was not working in his best interests, yada yada. Kurt was like "it would not be in your best interests to go in there in front of the Judge, because your deal will be worse....." Sigh. People seriously just dont get it. Why do they hire lawyers if they think they know everything? Seriously.

The rest of the day was nice though. Phones were fairly quiet, which is not the norm on Friday afternoons. I got some paperwork done, returned some calls.

Oh, and we heard through the grapevine that a lawyer we know was disbarred! Apparently, he stole money from a law firm he was working with as well as a local bar association. How stupid can you be? I am wondering if there is more to the story, like a gambling or drug prob.

Friends and Family

So, tonight I went to dinner with my friend, Nancy, at Big Fish in Dearborn. I had a coupon to use for 40% off one meal, and I love that place. The food was awesome, as usual, but the service was somewhat annoying. This waitress walked by the table WAY too many times......I really wanted to be like GO AWAY. And then, she came and took my credit card slip away before we left and that is a pet peeve of mine. I never did that to customers when I waitressed. I think it's so rude. Anyway. It was awesome to see Nancy. She claims she thought I would look different now that I am a lawyer, but apparently, I don't. :).

Yesterday, Val (my ex-stepsister, LOL, who Kurt just calls my sister now since it's easier than all those pre-words), came over after work and spent the night. Rebecca ended up coming over too, so we all hung out. We took Val to Uno's for dinner, and then once Rebecca got here, we watched Napoleon Dynamite on DVD, which I have never seen. I really need to watch it again because I did not get to see the whole thing.

So. I think I need some sleep. I am so glad tomorrow is Friday. This week has been total insanity at the office and I so need a break.

Remind me to schedule a hair appointment.

Happy B-Day Gretel Olivia!

My little girl is no longer a little girl. OK, she will always be *my* baby, but now that she is 2, she is considered a doggie and not a puppy.

Gretel Olivia turned 2 today! It seems crazy that we have had her for two years now. It seems just like yesterday that we drove to pick her up in West Salem. When Daisy died, I vowed I never wanted another female pug, because she had been my best friend and nothing could replace her. Her death was so sudden, and I took it really hard. I was depressed, cried a lot when I went to bed, and missed her so much. I was really angry she had been taken from me so suddenly. Kurt really thought getting another little girl would help me. So, he researched online and finally found a fawn female in West Salem, which is a pretty far drive from our house. So, one night, we jumped in the Carerra, and drove there. Once I laid eyes on Gretel, I fell in love. She was so tiny, the smallest pug I had ever seen. She made me feel so much better about the death of my best friend, because I had someone new to love and take care of and get to know. Nothing will ever replace Daisy Lou, but Gretel Olivia holds a different place in our hearts that I love.

She got a cheeseburger for her birthday from Burger King. She is different from the boys though, in that we bring it home to her, because she is a strange dog and does not like car rides (they make her nervous).

Work was so slammed today. We had a pretty light calendar, but people kept calling and stopping in, and it took up a lot of our time. Had court on two cases today, but nothing major happened in either case. Sometimes, I wonder how people can be so stupid in their divorce cases though. I met with a lady today, long term marriage, one kid. Her husband makes a lot of money, and she was a stay at home Mom. Anyway, I ran some numbers for her on the phone previous to the appointment, and she tried to talk to her husband about the possibility of settling previous to us filing anything. Well, he basically told her to screw off. I looked at the numbers she offered and they are far less than what she should be getting. His getting angry simply made her angry and made her want to fight for what she truly should be getting. OK. What a moron.

Came home, made dinner, then worked out. I thought when I woke up this morning that I totally was not sore. But, as the day went on, I started feeling the workout more. It's nice because I was feeling sore in the spots I worked out last night, so I guess I know I am doing the exercises properly.......:).

My Gym

OMG, having a gym in the basement is SOOO awesome. And working our with my husband is amazing too. We used to work out together in Bay City, Lansing, and Taylor, but since then, we have worked out separately, or not at all during my law school stint. Anyway. I forgot how much fun it is to work out with a partner.

So. I am going to start a new page and link it in my sidebar to track my workouts. Today, I ran 2 miles, did abs, and then did chest and back exercises with Kurty. We watched Jeopardy and then Deal or No Deal. It was awesome having a TV down there too. We still need to do some odds and ends in there, but overall, I love it. Need to buy batteries for the top part of my recumbant bike, and need to buy something to pump up my ab balls......

I am so going to hurt tomorrow, and I so don't care. Yay.

Work today was crazy busy, as most Mondays are. Lots of phone calls and appointments and Kurt had court all morning. No interesting hearings to report on though. Ended one divorce, and the Judge in another case referred it to Mediation.

So weird too, we were talking about getting a refrigerator for the gym and literally an hour later, Rebecca sends me an email regarding a friend of hers who is moving and the fact that has a frig to give Rebecca (who is in turn probably giving it to us). How ironic. It will be nice to store Propel and other water down there.

I am so sleeping well tonight. I am falling asleep right now, and What About Brian is on!

First Snowfall of Newport

So.....Saturday, I slept in, then got up and went into the office for most of the afternoon. Rebecca met me there around I think 430 p.m. and we ran some errands I needed to run. I picked up my new can opener (with 20% off coupon) from Bed Bath and Beyond, and we went to two Dunham's to look for this flooring Kurt needed to finish the basement. He needed 3 packages and we only found two. Boo. But, today, Kurt and I stopped at a Dunham's in Canton and found the last one. Yay.

Kurt and Kory worked on the gym basement most of the day yesterday and part of the night today. And, tada, it's done! I will take pics another time and post. It's awesome. It looks like a real gym! No, it does not have the luxuries of Rebecca's gym, but to me, it's better because it's in my basement, I can watch what I want on TV, and it has everything I need. Kurt ended up putting in a closet, where he is storing my medicine and other workout balls. We bought a TV today at Rex in Monroe and hooked it up to our satellite. So, tomorrow, I will be starting my workouts and keeping track of those and my progress. Can't wait.

Today, we went to lunch for my Grama's birthday, which is tomorrow. We went to this place in Livonia called O'Charley's. I had soup and salad and I bought my Grama a really kewl ring from Kohl's. She loved it. My two aunts were at dinner, my Dad, Grama, and me and Kurt. It was fun.

Saturday night, we had a fun dinner. We went to Dolce Vita, which now has sushi, YAY. There are no sushi places in Monroe, so I was psyhced to find out that they are now serving it. And, it was super good, especially considering they are serving it at an Italian place. We started to watch a movie, John Tucker Must Die, but Kurt thought it was stupid, so we ended up turning it off. Speaking of movies, Rebecca and I watched Little Black Book before dinner, and it was hilarious. I loved it. Really lighthearted, cute movie.

I went outside and took some pics of the snow. We had our first major snowfall here today. Which only equates to about 2 inches, but still. Click here to see them, they are the first nine pictures. I am shocked I went out in that weather, but, for a picture, I will do just about anything. ;). I hate to admit snow is pretty, because I can't stand winter, but it is the one, and only positive thing I can say about snow.

Welcome Home Rebecca!

Rebecca is home, Rebecca is home! Yay! Even though I have not seen her, I get to at least message and email her and text her. Hooray! Welcome homee girlie! Glad you at least got to go someplace, even if I had to suffer in Michigan, all alone. :).

I forgot to post about my friend, Julia, the other day. She just finished school and is studying for the bar exam, and got a job offer! She had been working at this place called Valeo (auto related) and they told her at first because of budget constraints, they could not offer her a job. Then, one of the attorneys quit and they offered her the position. I am so psyched! It's rare to have a job all set up like that BEFORE passing the bar. It really takes some pressure off...Congrats Jules! Get back to me about celebrating.

So, tonight was fairly productive. I came home to my shower curtain found! Apparently, Kory did not throw it away, and he found it in his room in a garbage bag. So I threw it in the washer with hot water and bleach. Hopefully, it gets clean, although it has been in that bag for several weeks.....We will see. I hope I can just rehang it. I finally called in on Kurt's computer too, and I have to send it in for repairs, which are no longer under warranty since we have had the computer for over 4 years. The video card and mother board need to be replaced. Lovely. But, it is less money then I expected, and so we are going to have it replaced instead of buying a new one. To replace Kurt's computer would be pretty pricey because he has upgraded everything.......They are sending a box on Monday or Tuesday and we should have it back within a week. Yay. Also, made dinner, put some dishes in the dishwasher AND switched over the laundry. How's that for me being domestic on a Friday night?

I made crab rangoons with rice for dinner. It made me think about Kendra. :(. She should live here.....We had those for lunch last weekend and they were SOOO good. Better than the ones I made, but mine were good.

I need a new can opener. Mine for some reason does not seem to be working. I have no idea how a manual can opener breaks, but mine is really old. We have prob had it for like 10 years....Any suggestions, you kitcheny peeps? I found one on Amazon that looks nice.... but I have no can opener buying experience. Ha.

Nothing too amusing at the office today for me to post about. We had no court today, somehow. So it was nice to be in the office drafting and trying to catch up on calls and the like.

Lesbians in Love

So, today, Kurt had an interesting and somewhat amusing hearing.

We filed a divorce a while back, and had an Ex-Parte Order signed at the start giving our client 4 days with the child one week, 3 days the next week. The Mom objected to the Order and asked for a hearing. Today was that hearing.

Our client had told us that his wife was living with her girlfriend. Yes, she is now a lesbian. She was exposing their daughter to this. Judges really hate, during a divorce anyway, when you bring your significant other around kids, let alone LIVE with them. He had videotape of this relationship (he bugged the house while they were still married).

She had not told her lawyer about this. So, instead of bringing it up, Kurt decided to use this as his "wild card" and kept the info quiet. He knew if they had time to discuss the info beforehand, they would come up with some story, like the woman was a friend, or whatever.

So, during his argument, he announces that she is a lesbian and living with her girlfriend, and he has videotape footage. Kurt says the other attorney literally *gasped* and stepped back. LOL. She tried to deny it and her client says "I am a lesbian. I live with my girlfriend and we just signed a year lease. I am not breaking it." Kurt was thinking in his head "THANK you for admitting this on the record......No need to prove my case here." Ha. The Referee told her that her girlfriend needed to move out. I wonder if she will listen or we will be in court on this again?? One can only wait and see.....my prediction is she will not listen.

Had a school board meeting tonight. We got t-shirts from the girls varsity color guard that are really nice. Also got cookies for board appreciation week. The meeting went well.

Grey's was great tonight. Can't wait to see if Christina says yes and what happens with the George situation in which I hope Callie says no. One should never say yes to a marriage proposal when someone is in the state George is in.

World Record

So.

Incredible things are happening at our house. The oven? It was used two days in a row. Yes, yes it was. I made two meals in a row. In the oven. This is truly a remarkable thing.

Ha.

So yesterday morning, I had my first multiple hearing day. Also, I had my first hearings at the Friend of the Court. Everything went well, and I was especially pleased with one hearing. Here are the deets:

Child: Age 6, boy.
My client: Dad, has not been allowed to see the child much in 6 years, and has gotten nowhere asking for parenting time himself.
Other side: Mother. Control freak. Has enjoyed having complete control over parenting time for 6 years. Pregnant with third child, only 23 years old. No lawyer, representing herself.

We filed a Motion for specific parenting time and reduction in child support. Went in front of the referee and advised what was going on. Said we wanted specific schedule. Referee asks other side what she wants, she agrees with me. OK. She also says, I will agree to whatever you want, Mr. Referee. OK. I jump all over that. I tell the referee we want every other week in the summer (which is VERY rare) and every other weekend during the school year. The Ref asks her if this is OK and she just says YES. I am thinking, WHY are we in court? Anyway, my client was thrilled and the time starts this weekend. Strange. I usually have to argue more than that. Which would have been none. Gotta love those cases.

Oh, and everyone welcome home my laptop! After vacay, I took it in for repairs. They called me becausse they needed my restore disks, and I could not find them at first. Finally found them and took them in and picked up the finished product today! I am beyond thrilled to be sitting on my couch and typing and watching American Idol. Now I just need to get Kurt's fixed, which requires calling Dell, which is basically my worst hell. I hate calling there.

I think that's about all going on in the household in the past couple days......I miss having Rebecca around to talk to! Damm her going on a cruise....

For all those who read this who are wondering how she is doing though, she emailed me today from an Internet Cafe and she is having a great time. She says she is getting an awesome tan, and today, her and her Mom were on shore in the Bahamas and were going to Atlantis to a casino and aquarium. I am so jealous! She also advised that she bought Kurt three bottles of foreign rum, so he will be psyched.

Pictures

The rest of the pics are downloaded from the 1st birthday party for Maya and Nora.

Click here to see them.

Important Events in Life

My husband actually suggested going to bed early tonight.

How could one not be aware that What About Brian is on at 10 p.m.? Like very important episode tonight. Marjorie is back in town...How will everyone react?

Picture above is of my friend, Kerry's daughter, Nora. So freaking cute.

The Case of the Missing Shower Curtain

So, while I was cleaning this weekend, I went upstairs to change the sheets and blanket on a spare bed, and do some other odds and ends upstairs. I walked into my spare bathroom up there, which is the one that Kory uses and guests who stay the night. This bathroom is awesome. I designed the entire thing, and it's all done chrome and is kinda retro modern........I love it. I wanted a spa like feel, so the towels and shower curtain are white, and I searched for this shower curtain forever. Here is a pic of something similar, but mine was thicker and slightly different. And, it was like $50. So. Walked in the bathroom, AND........

No shower curtain. In it's place? An extremely tacky shower curtain--covered in palm trees. I think if you click here, you will see it. And sorry to any of you who do the palm tree decorations-they may work in some bathrooms. But, not in this one for sure. Yes, the colors were green and somewhat matched my bathroom colors. I do not argue that. But.....No. My house is not a college dorm or party freaking central. Everything I buy I really think about, try and find a great deal on quality stuff. I am slightly anal about it (as you can tell).

I went downstairs and said to Kurt "Do you know where my shower curtain is?" He says no. I tell him the situation upstairs. He goes upstairs and is like "No. This has got to go." I then knew I was not going insane and that the shower curtain really was that awful. What I did not know was 1--how the new one got up there, and 2--WHY it was up there. I hopefully looked in the closet for my old one, in the hopes I could put it up again. Nope, nothing.

Texted Kory. Who texts me back and says "It was getting dirty, so I bought a new one.." Umm, they can be washed. It was fabric and machine washable. I was so freaking annoying. More because it was expensive and I looked for so long for the perfect one. And two because it was replaced with something totally horrible.

I think Kory could tell I was annoyed, LOL. And I will be embarassed, until I get out to the home stores and replace it. I don't want people to actually THINK I would hang something so hideous.....I will try to take a pic of the new one and post on here, so you all can see I am not nuts.

It is really weird how one small piece of a bathroom can make it go from modern retro spa to college party dorm central.

Sigh. What I go through to finish this house.

Where Did the Weekend Go?

I did so much this weekend, but still feel like I did not get a weekend. I can't wait until this workweek is over so I can relax next weekend.

Saturday, I went grocery shopping. I bought so much. Our house was pretty much, umm, empty, and I bought stuff to fill it and bought double so I dont have to go back for a while. I hate grocery shopping......Got home, helped Kurt clean the rest of the afternoon, and then everyone got here. Kendra, my niece; Keith my brother in law, and Kellie, my sister in law. Kory was at the auto show all day and got back right before they did. We had a fun night. They looked at my Costa Rica pics and then we went to dinner at Quatro's. Dinner was really nice, and Kurt taught Kellie how to play Keno. LOL. Came home and we bought a movie on Pay Per View called The Little Man. Kurt and Kendra picked it out. It was really idiotic, but our family will have fun watching anything, so we made it amusing. After that, we all talked and went to bed.

Today, we woke up and Kendra and I headed to Briarwood Mall, while everyone else headed to Cabela's (which is where Kory works). Kendra and I walked the mall, then headed downtown to go to Urban Outfitters. I had never been there before and loved it. Then we had Chinese for lunch, and walked the mall some more. Everyone met us later in the day, and they headed home, while Kory and I headed back to our house. Rebecca was here when we got there, and her and I headed to get pedicures. She wanted one for her cruise, and I just really needed one. I don't get them as much in the winter, but I like to every once in a while. Went to a new place at the mall, and I did not really like it as much as my normal place (which is not open on Sunday). Came home and went to dinner at Red Lobster, and then watched our normal Sunday night TV (i.e. Desperate Housewives, Intervention). Rebecca then left, because she has a plane to catch in the morning.

So, what I got at the mall. I actually bought myself a few things, which is rare. At Urban Outfitters, I bought an adorable t-shirt that says "Vegetarians Have More Fun". I then bought a little book called Pug Mugs, which is freaking hilariously cute. Also bought this great air freshener for my car that has an anti-Bush little saying on it. So me. Can't find a pic of that though. Let's see.....then, Bath and Body Works was having a sale, so I bought three body sprays, and Victoria's Secret was having a sale, so I bought some body sprays and two new bras--one black and one white. Really cheap. Oh, I got this great new nail polish (which I put on tonight) at the MAC counter in Macy's called Sacred White. Also bought a make-up brush for eye shadow and some brush cleaner. I think that's it..........It was a fun day, and I love spending time with Kendra when I can, because I rarely get to see her. It's hard to believe she is 18 now!

Clean

So......after so many weeks of *saying* in my sidebar that I need to clean and have no motivation, we finally did clean tonight. We are not totally done, but got mostly everything taken care of. Even did some things we rarely do. Yay. I hate cleaning, but always like when we are done.

I finished putting all the photos in my new album and I love it. It is so nice. And it's kewl to look at my pics in an album and not only online. They make me want to go back to Costa Rica though.....

Work was annoying. I felt like I worked so hard, but did not get much done. We were working on Chapter 13 stuff for Confirmation Hearings next week. So time consuming. I hate all the rules with the 13s. Ugh.

Anyway, gotta get back to my laundry......

Short Post so I Can Sleep

I am taking the cue from Heather and trying to get to bed early. OK, it's 1028 p.m., so apparently, I don't follow rules as well as she does....

Anyway. Got home and my new photo album is here! And it's so gorgeous and nice. Love it. I am working on putting all my trip pics in it, but it's going to take a while. I highly recommend the site I bought it from. The thing is gorgeous and custom. Click here to see the site if you need an album in the future.

Went to a birthday party after work which was held for Nora and Maya. Two 1st birthdays. So cute. I took pics, but am too tired right now to download....I will post a link once I do that. The party was fun, and I got to see two of my favorite friends, Marla and Kerry, and their husbands.....The kids eating birthday cake was hilarious. Maya even had it in her hair. It was a hit though, both girls loved cake! Ha. Sara only ate the frosting, which I thought was hilarious.

Anyway, off to bed with me!

Happy Birthday Sweetie!

It's my niece's 18th birthday today! Happy birthday Kendra Kaye! Can't wait to see you this weekend. We can celebrate then........

Went to my Monroe County Board of Directors School Board meeting tonight. It was really interesting. I learned a lot about the schools in the county. The people on the board were really nice and inviting as well. I enjoyed it a lot and am happy to help out my own board my attending.

And my hair looked great. That is really important you know.

Ha.

Jungle Fantasy

Saw a show at the Fisher tonight with my Aunt that was part of our season tickets...It was called Cirque Dreams: Jungle Fantasy. Anyway, great show. Nothing like Vegas, but pretty damn good for being a travelling show. We both really liked it. Had dinner beforehand in the Fisher theatre, I had a salmon ceasar salad which was super yummy.

Work today was better than yesterday but really, really busy. We had a lot of appointments at the end of the day, and during those appointments, about 5 other clients stopped in without appointments to review documents, ask questions, etc. On top of that, I had to leave at 5:55 p.m. for dinner in Detroit. It was a relief to drive away.

I got a call today from the school board President, wanting me to take over a position on the County board for a board member who can no longer fill the position. So, I am going to start doing that. The meetings are less often than my normal board meetings. I guess there is one member from each school board in Monroe County, and we vote on countywide type things. That's tomorrow night. So, I am excited to start doing some more with my school board position.

My Love

Soooo, I found out Billy Joel is coming to Detroit in May. And I really wanted to buy presale tickets, but did not get any of the emails I normally get on this. But, this morning, my friend, Lisa, emailed me with a link she got at work! I was so psyched. She rocks. Called right away and ordered tickets for me and Kurt and then Rebecca called and ordered tickets for her and her Mom! So, we are all going. How kewl. I heart Billy Joel. When I saw him in Vegas, it was my fav concert ever, and can't wait to see him again. AHHHHHHHHHHHH. That is me jumping up and down.

Today was crazy. I was so happy after a productive Sunday and then I had a hellacious Monday. I swear, sometimes we go through these spells at the office where everyone is totally acting insane. One client came in today, we are doing a divorce for her. There is absolutely nothing going on in her case except an upcoming hearing to end it all. Well, apparently she never got the notice in the mail from the court regarding her hearing. She was throwing an absolute fit about it. (like this is my fault). Then, she was saying she had called the office a TON of times and nobody called her back. I checked our messages, she had called twice, and I returned both calls, but had to leave messages. She was insisting we never called her back and was again, throwing a fit. I just did not get it. Some people just like to bitch I think. Finally, we somehow calmed her down, but it was exasperating.

Then, at 6 p.m. tonight, Kurt had an appointment with a guy who thought he wanted a Power of Atty drafted. What he really needs is a Trust, because he is trying to make sure his estate does not go through probate and that his son is personal rep. He was basically telling Kurt (who has an LLM in Tax Law and is an expert in this area), that he did not know what he was talking about. Then telling Kurt that he was too expensive. Umm, we are like the cheapest around. The guy had brought his son, who was trying to explain to the Dad that Kurt was correct, but the guy was not listening and basically stormed out. Sometimes, I feel like we get no thanks whatsoever. We stay after hours to meet with someone, give him a free consultation and all we get is "you don't know what you are talking about" and someone storming out the door muttering. Nice.

I really need to find some sort of stress outlet too. When someone is annoying me on the phone, I have this horrible habit of throwing post-its, pens, whatever, at the wall. I really need a ball or something that I can throw. I end up with 100 things all over the floor and then I have to pick them up. It is therapeutic though, and it helps me keep my calm on the phone when someone is driving me insane. Today, I was talking to a guy who would just not shut up about his case. He calls ALL THE TIME and will not let us hang up. He wants to recap his case 1000 times to us before court and we only needed to hear it once to begin with. AHHHH. I think he thinks we don't know his case well enough because Kurt did not meet with him for three hours to discuss his case, over 30 minutes. We generally don't need three hours. Ok, we NEVER EVER need three hours. Judges don't want to hear every detail of our clients lives....they want the facts, the bare minimum, and then make a decision. Why don't some people get this?

I need to just keep remembering the good parts of my job.

OK, I am done venting. :). Tomorrow should be better. It has to be. These crazy days usually don't happen more than one day in a row.

Golden Globes

My friend Megan has started a Group on MSN to play to see who can guess the winners of the Golden Globes tomorrow night. If you think you know your stuff when it comes to the movies of 2006 and think you can beat me at it, go to:

http://andthewinneris.tv.msn.com/default.aspx

The Group is called "Megan's Gang" and the password is "weather".

Please join in!!

It plays sort of like Fantasy Football - where you will win points for how many you get right.

You have to join and select your choices at least 5 minutes before the Gold Globes tomorrow night to be eligible.

The Nonsuckiness of Work on a Sunday

We slept in today, but then headed to the office. I usually hate working on the weekend, but today was actually nice. I got SOO much done. I think it's because the phone does not ring on Sundays, so I can concentrate and have no interruptions. Yay. I drafted about 4 new bankruptcies, as well as a bunch of other family law documents...I feel like it was totally worth it to go up there with Kurt today.

Rebecca decided to come over tonight after all! She should be here shortly and we are going to watch Desperate Housewives together. We are both just dying to know who Gabi's stalker is.....I know, we are pathetic. But hey, I love smut TV! I can't help myself.

I talked to my Mom yesterday and I guess my sister (who is engaged) has decided on June for her wedding. There is a hall my Mom wants to use and it is only available one weekend in June, so the wedding will either be that weekend or in August. they haev started looking at bridesmaid dresses and stuff like that online. I am really hoping she picks out a dress that is something I can wear again. And I am hoping the color is BLACK. But, it's not my decision. :). Whatever she picks will eb fine, I am sure. She is totally not the bride that picks out ugly dresses in order to make herself look better, thank God. They will prob have the wedding shower down here, so I am glad for that. It's weird to me that my little sister is getting married. She is only two years younger than me, but to me, she is still like 16 years old and not old enough to get married! She wants to get pregnant right away too....So strange. So, if she does, I will be an Aunt in the really near future. A real Aunt anyway. I already am an Aunt to all my friends' kids.

Speaking of friends' kids, Marla is having a little party for Maya's first b-day this week. They are moving soon, so she had said no gifts, but instead since everyone is insisting, she is asking for gift cards. Maya won't know the difference since she is only one, and then marla can buy stuff once they move for Maya's room and stuff. They are having a house built in Interlochen, and she sent me pics today! There is a TON done. It won't be long before they can move in, I bet. I am so happy they are getting into a house again. While they were down here, they were living in an apartment and it was totally not enough room for their family and Marla hated it.

I need to make another to-do list like I did previously. Kurt and I have so many odds and ends to do around the house and office.

1. Order a spare tire for the Jeep. We had a tire blow out a few months back, and the tires are special order. If we get a flat, we are pretty much screwed.

2. Take my restore CD and Kurt's computer and restore CDs into Best Buy. I would love to have my laptop back and stop using this desktop.

Rebecca is here, so I am signing off!

The Meeting

So, got to meet my friend Julia's new boyfriend tonight.....Actually not too "new", but I have not met him yet. We have both been so busy--me with work and her with studying for the bar. Wow, I don't envy her right now. We were talking at dinner and it was bringing back the awful memories of my studying this summer and wasting an entire summer. Well, I guess it was not a "waste" because I did pass, but my summer was not the most fun. Anyway. Tony, her boyfriend, is a really nice guy. Him and Kurt talked a lot, and they both love sports, so he is already ideal to Kurt. They watched a playoff game while Jules and I caught up. It was really nice to see her. I miss seeing her everyday like we did in school. I am sure once she is done with the bar exam we will start seeing eachother more. I hate that she moved to Clinton Township though, ugh. That part of the state if the absolute worst to get to, it is so freaking congested and trafficy. I keep trying to talk her into moving here, hehe. Tony is a doctor, so he really could open his own place ANYWHERE, and I don't see any better place than Monroe, do you? hehe. We had dinner at Eastside Mario's, which I love and my food was really good. I had angel hair pasta with spicy marinara and shrimp. Yum.

Friday night, Kurt, Kory and I headed to Quatro's for dinner. While there, we saw our friend Gary....on a date. It was strange to see him there because we don't normally see people we know in Monroe. He lives nearby though, so I don't know why I would think that it was weird. Kurt is predicting that the date was not going well, but I don't know. I will have to ask Gary later.

This morning, I went and got a massage in Monroe. Rebecca was busy all weekend, so she was not coming over to give me my Desperate Housewives massage on Sunday night, LOL. So, I headed to Blu Water. Had a new therapist today, Steve, who was awesome. I had him just do upper body, since that is my prob area and he did a great job. I am so screwed up. Stress goes straight to my shoulder, neck and back muscles. After that, I did a few things around the house--laundry, some dishes, picked up some stuff.

Just ordered my niece's birthday gift online.....Every year I order her stuff from Sephora....She is an addict like me. I am not going to list what I got her though because I have no idea if she reads my blog or not? I am guessing not, but I am not ruining the surprise....I will post what I got her AFTER she gets the gift.

I am exhausted now, so I think I am going to head to bed. Hope everyone is having a good weekend....

Client of the Day Award

Today, one of our clients came in to sign some documents for me.

She walked in with two huge bouquets of carnations (one of me and one for Kurt, one pink, one white).

I could not believe it. What a sweet thing to do, and totally unnecessary. I would post a pic, but don't have my camera at the office today.

Yay for clients like this lady.

Gotta get back to work, but had to post that really quickly. It really brigtened my day.

Revenge of the Attorney

OK, not really. But, it was a crazy busy day. Misty does not work on Wednesdays, so normally we like one of us to be in the office if the other is not.

Well, we had a hearing at court and an arbitration scheduled. Tried to move the hearing, BUT the other attorney had different ideas. So annoying. Scheduling is NOT a client issue. Most offices do not ask their clients for an OK to move a hearing, unless it's an emergency issue. If there are scheduling conflicts, you just do it. Well, this attorney said he would have to *ask* his clients permission, and with the hatred in this case between the parties, I knew she would never agree. She did not. So this attorney is totally on Kurt's "shit" list, as he puts it. We are just waiting for the day he asks us for a favor. He has done this to us once before (when Kurt had the flu and was literally vomiting), and it's just obnoxious. We really put forth an effort to work with and have a great relationship with other attorneys' offices, and normally, this attorney is very kewl. I can just see the future conversation...........Let' s picture it, shall we? Here we go.

Let's set the stage. Divorce case. Annoying attorney wants our client's paystubs or some simple piece of information. *Normally* this information is subpoenaed or a document request is sent, but for offices who get along, to avoid this extra work, you just call the office and ask for the info. NOT next time. Here we go.....

Atty X (this is what I shall call the annoying atty): "Hi Lori, I was wondering if you would send your clients paystubs over to me?"

Lori: "Hmm. Let me call my client about that and get back to you, should not be a problem."

OK, pause here. With other attys who attempt to work with us, I would get the paystubs and send them over. OK, let's continue.

Lori (calls Atty X back on phone): "Sorry, Atty X. I have discussed this with my client, who actually does not want to turn over his paystubs. Therefore, I guess you will have to send over a document request or subpoena."

Atty X: "C'mon, Lori. this is information the judge will give us, don't make me do extra work..."

Lori: "Sorry, Atty X. It's our office policy to ask clients what they want to do, and thus, I can't give them to you."

AHAHAHAHAHAHAHA.

We already told the guy that we will never move a hearing for him, so don't bother asking. he knows we were really mad (both times), but, who the hell ASKS their client's permission on crap like that? There is NOTHING in the ethical code that says we must, and you can't give your client the final decision on EVERYTHING, especially in cases where the parties can't stand eachother. Use logic! Geez. Oh, well, we know eventually, we will get to drive our point home and we can't freaking wait for that day.

So, today, I had court this afternoon. The case I was referring to above. It was a settlement conference, to try and resolve the last pending issue of a case, parenting time. We finally got it all settled, my client got pretty much he wanted, so that worked out well. But, not being at the office for two hours meant I came back to a note and check under the door, 19 phone messages and 5 appointments within a two hour time frame. Ugh. Which also meant we did not get home until after 8 p.m. Double ugh.

Last night was so much more relaxing. We got home, and I did a bunch of things that reminded me why I am so glad to be done with school.

1. Took a bath with bath crystals, a book, and bubbles. I have this amazing jacuzzi bathtub in my master bath, which rarely gets used. I jumped in last night to relax........

2. Learning Spanish. Popped in my new cd for about 15 minutes to practice new stuff.

3. Aimlessly watching TV. it's nice to watch TV and not know I *should* be doing something else.

Anyway. I am totally exhausted so I am heading to bed. Night!

Sleepy.

So, Sunday was another day of sleeping in....Guess I needed it! ;). After sleeping in, Rebecca came over around 4:30 p.m. and went to Target and Kroger's. I got Gretel a new little outfit at Target (which I need to take back because it's too small).......Ended up just chilling at home that night. Ate cereal for dinner and watched Desperate Housewives and Intervention with Rebecca. DH was sooo good. This season is great. Unreal, but great at the same time. I don't mind a dose of nonreality TV once in a while.

Today was insanity at work. Mondays are horrible. I think I need the weekend to prepare me for Mondays at work. Kurt had two hearings this morning, so I stayed in the office with two appointments, as well as several clients walking in, a ton of calls, and trying to draft documents, all at the same time. Sigh. We did Subway for lunch and then crazily worked all afternoon. Aargh. Exhausted now, and I have another long day tomorrow since there is a board meeting tomorrow night.

I got home to some fun mail though. My pictures from my trip arrived, yay. They look great. I am thrilled since i only paid 2 cents per photo. I thought they might of been below par on quality. Props to York Photo. Anyway, ordered a kewl personalized photo album for them online tonight. Check it out here, I got the tan one. It will say "Costa Rica 12-2006". Can't wait to get it in the mail and put my pics in! Wow, look at me, following my New Years Resolution, ha. Also, got the software/books in the mail today that I got to learn Spanish with. Too tired tonight to look at it, but will start that soon as well.

You Know You are Sick When......

you sleep in until 1:45 p.m. and are still tired.....

Yep. That would have been me this morning. I can't even remember the last time I slept in that late. I am guessing I really needed it though.

Last night's Xmas party went really well. Nothing dramatic happened regarding my Dad and sister being in the same room for the first time in like 10 years. So, that was great. My Grama was happy to have us all there (minus my one Aunt) for Xmas, and it was a nice night. Everyone liked their gifts, and dinner was great.

Today has totally been lazy. I did a load of laundry and besides that, have tried to rest so my cold gets 100% better.

I am watching this show on MTV that has got to be the most obnoxious show ever, it is like watching a car wreck though, you just can't stop watching. Anyway, it is called My Super Sweet 16 and is about these kids who have over the top 16th birthday parties. It's insane. The last one, the girl had a party that cost about $200,000.00, AND her parents bought her a BMW. Crazy. She wore $1M of jewelry to the party, borrowed from her mother. The one I am watching now, the girl is even more spoiled acting. She truly thinks she is better than everyone else........Ugh. But, I am still watching. Make me stop! Ha.

Holiday Shopping Drama

so, on the way home from work today, I realized that TOMORROW is Friday. Why does that matter, you may ask? Well, Friday is the night we are celebrating Xmas late with some of my family, because Kurt and I were out of town. My sister and her fiance and his two kids will be there, as well as my Aunt, Dad, and Grama, and me, Kurt and Kory.

Next. Ask me how many gifts I have purchased? One. For my Aunt.

Fast forward to Lori heading to the mall after work to buy all the gifts. Ugh. besides the fact that I detest shopping, I really hate shopping under pressure. The reason I go away for the holidays is to avoid this crap. Ugh. I would have shopped earlier, but this cold took over my world and I could not leave the house, literally.

Well, got the shopping done. Thank God my sister loves gift cards because that was easy. My Grama is the hardest person ever to shop for. She rarely leaves her house as she does not drive, and really needs nothing. The things she *does* need, she refuses, like maid service (she does not want the maid to see how messy her house is), etc. Aargh. Ended up getting her two things she requested as well as a frame for my graduation picture, a really nice blanket (to cuddle up with while watching her fav Suzy Orman) and a necklace. She loves jewelry (maybe that is who I got it from, LOL).

I am a little bit nervous about tomorrow. My sister (who is 2 years younger than me) and my Dad, have not spoken in like 10 years. They got in an argument about 10 years ago, which was partially about my stepMom who my Dad is in the process of divorcing, and both are so stubborn, they have not spoken. Well, my Aunt asked my sister if she cared if my Dad came, and Christie said no (really meaning yes). So, my Aunt invited my Dad. It had been set up that we were doing two Xmases, one with my Dad, and one with my sister. I just have no idea how this is going to go.......

Came home and did some laundry and tried to clean that room up a little bit. I had clothing that really needed to be bagged up for the salvation army. Finally did some of that. Yay.

Off to bed........

Year in Review

Everyone else is doing these "remembering 2006" things, so I suppose I should too! Thank God I have this blog to help me remember what happened, because I am clueless......

January 2006: Gretel had her first birthday. My grama turned 80 and we celebrated her birthday. Met Nora and Maya for the first time (my two friends Kerry and Marla's latest additions to their families). Saw Sheryl Crow in concert with my friend Deanna. Had my picture taken at school for the class composite...graduation is started to feel like it may really happen! :). Also ordered my class ring. Our cat, Toby is really sick. Taking meds but getting worse. My sister got engaged. hired another secretary at the office named Darlene.

February 2006: Did work on the den and pantry in our house. Kory visited us and talked about coming to live with us after his semester ended. Misty (my secretary) had her second baby this month, a little girl. Kurt turned 35. This month was pretty stressful at the office.

March 2006: Rebecca and I visited a psychic (who solidified my belief that most psychics know nothing). But, it was fun. Toby, our cat, passed away. Made a goal for myself to stop tearing my fingernails (nervous habit). I have stuck to it to this day! Was introduced to Indian food by our friends Cliff and Lisa....Yum. Went to Ben's birthday party (my friend Deanna's son). Saw a coyote in our yard! Celebrated Julia's birthday (late) with dinner out. Saw Chicago at the theatre. Saw a cirque show called Delirium with Kurt. Sent my bar application out in the mail.

April 2006: Got our kitten, Bugsy. Bought my iPod. Had lunch and shopped with my sister. Went to Vegas with Kurty and saw Billy Joel in concert. Went to Belle Isle for the first time with Rebecca.

May 2006: Took the last of finals and I graduated from law school! Then started bar review classes, which took all of my time up. Met my sister's soon to be stepkids and her soon to be husband. Planted 16 new pine trees in our yard. I turned 29. Celebrated my Aunt's birthday, and Mother's Day with my Grama. kory moved into our house.

June 2006: Mostly consisted of review classes for the bar. Bought a house on Lake Erie to renovate and resell. Kurt's brother and Dad spent a lot of time at our house helping us do the renovations. Saw deer in our yard. Went to the Toledo Zoo with Rebecca...Saw the Blooze Brothers at the Canton Fest. Went on my first hiking expedition with Lesley and was so excited to find someone who likes it as much as I do. Went to Mel's baby shower. Gretel and I did a walk to raise money for the Humane Society with Rebecca and Simon. Kory turned 21. Saw Wicked at the theatre. Planted my summer flowers. Put solar lighting in the yard. My first photo was published in the Detroit Free Press. Went to a Tigers game. Planted more trees in the yard. Kurt was in the hospital for really bad side pains (which was never figured out).

July 2006: More studying for the bar, then took the bar exam. Everything with my niece started to get crazy and both Kurt and Kory disowned her. Have not talked to her since. Went to Pittsburgh for a Tigers game. Stopped at the Football Hall of Fame as well.

August 2006: Met my friend Jeannie's daughters, and had lunch with her and another friend. Went to IKEA for the first time. Did a lot of hiking and photography. Made the decision that I needed to upgrade my camera. Kellie and Kendra came to visit. Passed the character and fitness part of the bar exam. Started using Flickr for my photos. met Jen, Lesley's sister. My cousin Thomas graduated from high school. Bought my new fun cell phone. Did a lot of hiking and photography.

September 2006: Bought my new camera! Some more of my photography was published. Kurt decided to leave his IRS job. Went to my only Lions game of the year, despite the fact that I have season tickets. Finally got rid of our home landline phone. Visited Frederick Meijer's Gardens in Grand Rapids.

October 2006: I passed the bar exam! Also got sworn into the Michigan bar exam with my friend Kellie. Before that, applied for and was appointed to the Jefferson School Board in Newport. Went to a World Series game. More of my photography was published. Went to Tigers playoff games. Kurt got hit by a car while walking to the Tigers game (he was fine). Saw The Pajama Game in Ann Arbor with Nancy.

November 2006: Surprised my Mom for Thanksgiving with a trip to Manistee. Met my stepbrother's girlfriend. Got sworn into Federal Court. Had to get a new furnace in the house. Had my first court appearance. Attended my first board meeting. Attended my first board conference. Saw Movin Out at the Fisher with my Aunt. Got my passport. Got my bar number and card in the mail. Voted, and the Dems took over! Hooray! Attended a celebration bar passing party for me with family.

December 2006: Costa Rica trip. Kurt's brother Scott visited. Vito turned 3. Saw Spamalot at the Fisher with my Aunt. Saw my only in theatre movie of the year, Borat. Hunters trespassed on our property and killed a bird. Bought gym equipment. Saw Aerosmith in concert. Attended the School Board Xmas party in Toledo.

Give me Drugs

OK, not the kind you are thinking of.

But, prescription drugs. Finally broke down this afternoon and went to the doctor. We both seemed to be getting progressively worse, so we both went. Appears we both have upper respiratory infections, and the doc wrote us prescriptions for Z-paks and a syrup called Ceron-DM. Came home and took it and proceeded to fall asleep on the couch for two hours. I woke up feeling slightly better, but I dont know if it's the drugs or the nap, both of which were really needed. Either way, glad to have started feeling a little bit more functional. Last night was horrible and I am hoping to sleep through the night tonight. I am not one to waste precious sleeping hours and normally sleep hard and through the night, but last night, I was up every few minutes trying to clear my nasal passages so I could sleep. Ugh.

So, regarding one of my News Years Resolutions, I ordered some pics online today! The ones from the Costa Rica vacay. I got a coupon via email for 2 cent prints, and decided to put it to use. And I got 25 free prints because I was a new customer. Once I get them, I will have to get a special album for them all.

Still Sick

And don't seem to be getting better. It seemed my fever broke during the night, only to progressively come back during the day. Nice.

We went into the office, both of us feeling horrible. Kurt started having bad side pains (similar to the ones he had before that put him in the hospital), so I drove him home for the day. I could not stay home, as one of our Chapter 13 cases HAD to be filed today, and I had to head back in to draft and file online.

While at home, Kory showed me the basement, which had somehow flooded. Asking what he should do about it. So, I called a sump pump place who was supposed to come look at it, but of course, never did. In the meantime, kory got the thing working again, but I really need these people to come out here. Home service people seem to be soo unreliable a lot of the time.

Went back to the office and had a really hard time working. My throat was scratchy, my nose and head totally plugged, and I could not breathe. I spent the afternoon pacing the office trying to get my nasal passages to clear.....

My 6 p.m. appt called to reschedule (thank God) and I got to leave the office around 545 p.m. The rest of the night has been spent sitting on the couch wanting to bet better.

Heading off to bed now......

The Weekend

So, this weekend was both good and bad.

Good, because I had three days off instead of two.

Bad, because besides Friday night, I have been sick with a horrible cold that appears to only get progressively worse. Thank God my plans for NYE were to stay in, because I felt like doing nothing on Sunday night other than sitting on my couch and chilling.

Friday night, I stayed in and finished my trip report and pictures from our vacay. That was nice to get done. I was too busy during the week and Friday night was perfect for finishing that. Saturday, I worked part of the morning and early afternoon, then came home and cleaned some while waiting for rebecca to get over here....We headed to the mall and went to a few stores, trying to see if there were any good after holiday sales. We both got some hair product from a local salon, and some stuff at Bath and Body Works. After that, we came home to wait for Kory to get off of work so we could eat. We instead got a call from Kory that his car broke down. So, Rebecca and I headed off to find him, and while there I called AAA to get his car towed to our local auto mechanic. Then, we all went to dinner at Pete's, which was yummy, as usual. Sunday, I was still sick, but managed to kinda grocery shop with rebecca. I forgot some things, but I think it's mostly because I was sick and not thinking straight. Reminder to self: need to pick up milk, pasta sauce, cereal.........

Sunday night, we had a kinda Haskell NYE party with rebecca, kory and britton who came back from up north just in time for the party. The three of them drank quite a bit, but kurt and I refrained since we were both sick and on cold pills. We ordered pizza for dinner and stayed in. I ended up falling asleep on the couch at like 11 p.m. and went to bed before midnight. Boy, I am fun! Ha. I was sick, so it's OK.

Today, I stayed in again since I am sick. We mostly watched college bowl games and were lazy. Hopefully being lazy has helped my sickness, but we will see tomorrow.