Pottery and Coyotes

OK, I totally forgot to post about a couple things.

1. We saw a coyote in our yard last weekend! I was on the computer and Kurt said "Lori, come here!" So, walked in the other room and he was standing near the back porch. He says "Is that a dog??" I say "UMMM, no, that is a wolf or coyote." We stood and watched it and it finally ran away into the woods. How freaking kewl. I get to see the most awesome stuff living here.

2. I suck at pottery. But, it makes me happy. I had such a blast talking to Rebecca and painting the pottery. But alas, the pottery looks different once you get it glazed and fired. Umm, it shows like every imperfection and how much I suck. But, it's a dog dish and the pugs are color blind and love it so, whatever. I went in and got our pottery on Sunday and came out. Here is the conversation:

Rebecca: So, how did it come out?
Me: Yours looks great, but mine pretty much...what's the word.....sucks.
Rebecca: what do you mean it sucks (laughs).
Me: It just does, trust me.
Rebecca: why? Cmon, tell me.
Me: Well, let's just say it looks nothing like it did when we left.
Rebecca: I have to see it.
Me: NOOOOOO! I will take a pic when I get home.
Rebecca: NOOO, I must see it in person.
****Rebecca pulls into her office lot and forces Lori to open the pottery*********
Me: Well, here it is.
Rebecca: (staring and trying to be nice and not die laughing): it's.......good. (but she says it in a very sad way, like she feels sorry for me).

OK, at this point I start laughing so hard I am crying and Rebecca joins in. I seriously could not suck more at this form of creative arts. But, I had fun and it was totally worth sucking for the laugh we got out of it.

So, moral of the story? Lori sucks at pottery, but she will go back and try again. :).

Sundays with the Zoo and Sushi Rock

This morning, I got up and headed to Ferndale to go to the zoo and to lunch with Rebecca. Got to meet her doggie, Simon, who I am officially in love with now. What a sweet baby......

Headed to the zoo to see the animals. Got in for free because Rebecca has a membership (yay for free). I think my fav exhibit was the polar bears. The Detroit Zoo did an amazing job with this exhibit. I also liked the lions, tigers.....OK, I liked everything! :). Click here to see my pics of lunch and the zoo.



After that, we headed to Royal Oak. The place we wanted to try was closed, so we went to a place called Katana instead. All I have to say is YUM. It was so great. We just ordered a few things and shared, my fav being the shrimp tempura roll, I think. Never had that one anywhere else and it was awesome. The place was very classy and laidback. I love sushi!



Got home, and Kurt had cleaned the cars. He seems to think it is Spring, even though it was only 30 degrees once I got home. He got both the Porsches out, vacuumed, cleaned them. He is nuts. But, this weekend, it is supposed to be 60, so perhaps we WILL get to drive them........





I am so annoyed none of my shows are on tonight. I hate freaking award shows.

Saturday

Went to Canton this morning/afternoon to the Canton Builders/Home Show with my Aunt. It was fun. They had a lot of ideas for home projects. Entered a lot of contests, so I am now waiting for my phone call on my free lawn care or roof, LOL.

Went to dinner in Dearborn for Julia's birthday at a place called Annam that served Vietnamese food. It was so great! Everyone there (me, Kurty, Julia and Jay) were all raving about the place, so anyone who likes this type of food has GOT to try the place. I had a shrimp meal which was awesome and they brought Julia out dessert for her birthday. I got her a kewl laptop carrier, spring coat and socks. I really wanted to keep the laptop carrier for myself (hehe), but my laptop did not fit in it (I have a large screen on mine), so alas, Julia received it. :). It was was of the nicest nights out I have had in a long time, loved it.

Friday Fun

Soooo, tonight I went and saw Chicago at the Fisher. This was the second time I was it, and I really like the show. I think it was better the first time I saw it because this time, they had a known 'Hollywood actress" playing the lead role and most "hollywood actresses" can't act in a Broadway role properly to save their lives.......But, I don't think you can really mess us Chicago, it has a funny plot and awesome music, so I enjoyed it. Went to dinner first at Cuisine. I was all excited to take my Aunt there because when Deanna and I went, it was AMAZING, to say the least. Of course, this time, it was below average. Service was painfully slow, my aunt's potatos were cold, the waitress literally did not check on us until the end of the meal. I am not yet cutting the place off my list of good eats, but, at the prices the place charges, you expect the best and last night was totally not it. I am thinking MAYBE they were below average because of the theatre crowd, but then they should have more staff on those nights. On another note, my food was awesome. :).

Off to Canton to a Home Show. Will write more later.

The Pugs are Depressed

The pugs are very sad today. They have been subjected to another George Bush article. Click here to read it.

Blog Void

Someone in class tonight said they read my blog today and i was ashamed that i have not updated in so long! Bad me! :).

I have been really busy since my last post. Friday night, Kurt and I went to the Joe to see a Cirque du Soleil show called Delirium. We have seen every Cirque show in vegas and I was looking forward to seeing one in my hometown. We had dinner first, then headed to the show. It was really good! Nothing like Vegas, but in Vegas, these performers have million dollar theatres built just for them, so I was not expecting a vegas show. But, I still enjoyed myself.

Saturday, I got a massage at Blu Water, then headed to Taylor to meet Julia. We went to a candle party at a friend of mine's house, then went to dinner at Applebee's. I got some new candles at the party and have vowed to start burning my candles more. I have ALL these candles and rarely burn them because I don't think about it......Kurt started hanging trim in the upstairs part of our house, looks really good.

Sunday, Kurt and I got up kinda early for us, and went and drove around Newport looking at some houses for sale. Kurt wants to start buying and selling properties with his nephew. I may even take the class and become a Realtor so we can cut out the middle man. Not until after the bar though. After that, I went to Royal Oak to spend the day with my friend, Rebecca. It was a blast. We went to this pottery place and each painted a piece--I painted a dog dish for the puggies and Rebecca painted a kewl jar that says "peace". We get the pieces back in a week. Yay! Then, we went to lunch at Noodles and Co which I have never been to and I loved it! I wish there was one by me.

So, the rest of this week has not been eventful. School, work, repeat, like usual. One exciting thing!!!! I got my bar application in the mail! Went and got my fingerprints taken and sent it ALL in. They give you time to get certain things in, but I wanted it all done at once. And I am. It is somewhat terrifying though, and I can't put my finger on why exactly. A friend of mine told me before that she would really question if I was "not" terrified, and maybe that is my answer right there.

Blah

Nothing exciting this week. School, work, repeat. I did finally grocery shop though so Kurt and I have had some yummy meals. Yummy to me though is prob not for others....I have had Morningstar Grillers Prime. I take the 'fake' meat and put it on a bagel and toast it in the toaster oven with fat free cheese and I swear, I am in heaven. It's awesome the things that they have on the market now for people who don't eat meat. Yay for that.

I have not felt very good this week for some reason, I think I really need a vacation. Just kinda tired and out of it.

Anyway, on American Idol, everyone should vote for Ace! Here's the breakdown: a friend of mine from high school's cousin is best friends with the guy. So, you kinda know him, at least more than the other contestants. HA.

Dinner with Friends

Soooooo, Saturday we took all the odds and ends we had been storing in the computer room out. I moved the computer from the old table onto the new desk and set that all up. Kurt finished the wood flooring in the pantry.

Went to dinner with Julia and Jay at La Shish in Dearborn, and it was yummy and fun, as usual. Had not seen Jay in a while, so that was nice. I love La Shish! I had shrimp ghallaba spicy.

Today, we went to Lowe's and bought all the wood and trim for the pantry. Also bought a chair for the computer room desk and I put that together. Kurt is still working on the pantry and will most likely not get that done today, it's a pretty big project.

Well, I am starving so I am going to try and think of something to make us for dinner. Which will be kinda hard since we have like nothing in this house. I have been saying I have to grcoery shop for a couple weeks and keep putting it off......Maybe angel hair pasta and marinara? I think I have the stuff for that....

Oh, we tried Jimmy Johns today. I had the Sorry Charlie sub. It was great. They just opened one in Monroe and it was great! Love it!

My Dog Prefers Bacardi

On Super Bowl Sunday, while I was in the kitchen making Ceasar Salad and taking the nachos out of the oven, Gretel Olivia decided that she was going to start drnking. Bacardi and Dr. Pepper. She jumped on my chair and proceeded to look at the bottle of rum and my glass. Luckily, Kurt was there and stopped her. She was not happy, as she really wanted to take her first drink. Kurt and I think she is too young to be hitting the bottle. Sorry Gretel! :).

I Love Nature.

Took these a few weeks back when we had all that nice weather. I thought the sky looked really interesting that day, and snapped two shots. Just uploaded the pics today.

Long Time

This week has been crazy busy. OK, seriously, why does every post seem to start this way? I have not written since last Friday, so I will start with Saturday and move on....

On Saturday, Kurt and I spent the morning cleaning. Our nephew, Kory, came to visit. He is 20, goes to Grand Valley. He wants to come live with us this summer and possibly permanently. He is applying to Wayne and assuming everything transfers, we may have a new family member. Which I would be excited for because I love having Kory around, he is a blast. So, Saturday, we took Kory to dinner and lunch, walked quickly around the mall, and hung out. Him and Kurt have tons of ideas on starting businesses and if Kory is around, they can actually follow through on them. Kurt does not have time, but Kory will need work. Kory left on Sunday.

Sunday, Kurt and I went to Lowe's and then to Staples. I have been looking for the perfect desk for my den forever, and found one at Staples of all places. So, we bought that and I spent the whole freaking day putting it together. But in the end, it looks awesome. Kurt spent the day putting a hard wood floor in my pantry. Which looks awesome. I need to take pics, but have not gotten around to it yet. Now, as soon as I feel like cleaning out the stuff in the computer room, I will have another finished room in a house. I need to start searching for some lamps next, preferably floor. So, if anyone has ideas, send away. I am looking for chrome floor lamps.

The rest of this week have been school and work filled. Yesterday, I think I almost had a mental breakdown! It was so stressfully busy here. I suddenly got short of breath and had to sit really still to even sit straight. Finally, got out of that, and was fine, but I skipped school that night because I really needed to relax. Kurt took me to dinner (after we worked late, what a night off, LOL) at Mountain Jack and I had some awesome grilled salmon with rice. Yum.

So, tonight I don't have class, so I can relax again. Although I really need to do some laundry, clean, read. It's never ending.

Oh, I am excited. My friend Rebecca and I are going to start doing "photo" journeys. I got the idea from another friend, Stacy, who does them a lot in the city of Detroit. But, I will most likely not do Detroit just because it would give Kurt a heart attack if I was off in Detroit with just Rebecca, because we could not really defend ourselves. ;). So, I am guessing we will start off with local areas around her house and mine. I can't wait. I love photography, but usually do trips alone. it will be nice to share my love for the art with someone else. Yay!

Week Long Drama

OK, not really. I have not posted all week because my week has consisted of school, work and more school. And everyone loves to read about how exciting that is, right? Did not think so.

One kewl thing this week. We put a bid in on a apartment building/store front this weekend and the bid was countered slightly and finally agreed upon. For way freaking less than we expected. We still need to have the inspection done, appraisal, all that, but if all happens OK, we will be owning another great rental property.

Picked up Kurt's new suit last night in Monroe. He looks really cute in it today, ;). I am so glad I found that store. I really prefer supporting local businesses, and they have great prices on suits on their sale and clearance racks. Plus, now I am on their mailing list, so coupons, here i come!

Back to work.

Super Bowl Fun

Soooo, yesterday was a nice day. Just stayed in the entire day. Kurty worked on finishing the bookcase (stained it and sanded it), and it looks awesome. I took pics, but have not downloaded anything yet.

We had our own little Super Bowl party. I made ceasar salad and nachos, and we set up a table in the living room and watched the game. I was rooting for the Steelers, so I was psyched! :). I love their coach.

Next, we are going to work on the pantry. I took all the measurements and looked online for ideas. Kurt is going to build shelving and then I will prob get some baskets and hooks and such for in there. It will be nice to clear off some of my kitchen counters and store the stuff in there.

Back to work! :).

Becoming Domestic??

OK, maybe not. But, today, I went to a scrapbooking party (kinda like tupperware) at a friend's house in Flat Rock. My friend Melanie invited me, she is my friend Tammy's neighbor. The company name is called Creative Memories and was actually very kewl, which surprised me. Pretty much I have all my pics online and am fine with that. I order a print now or them to frame, and prefer having my pics online. But, that is going to slowly change. I have been wanting to start printing all my pics and putting them in albums, just to preserve them and show family members who do not have computers (like Kurt's Mom and my Grama). So....I am going to start off slow. Because I tend to be all gung ho about stuff like this and then not have time to work on it, I only bought one album in cobalt blue (of course, my fav color) and some kewl cutting tools. I bought a cobalt blue album with 30 pages, as well as a corner cutter and a scallop corner cutter. There will be some other things I need, but I can get those as I need them. I want to get stickers for the pages and need some tape, but I am going to wait until I order the pics and just pick them stuff up at Michael's or order online from the site. I am going to start off by doing my Hawaii pics.

Before the party, I went with Tammy to Jessica's championship basketball game. It was fun to watch all the little girls play the game. Her team lost by 2, and they were all really sad. :(.

So, does making a scrapbook make me domestic?? I don't think so, LOL, but it sure does make me think that! :).

35th

So, Kurt and I had a nice night for his birthday. Even though we had to work all day long, BLAH.

We had an appointment with our Realtor, but we were early so we stopped at a clothing store (men's) I have always wanted to go in to in Monroe. They have suits and nicer clothing. Found Kurt an awesome suit on clearance, and left it there to be altered. Also bought him a tie and suspenders. So, he got some b-day gifts. We normally don't exchange gifts, but I like him to get something. :).

After that, we went to look at the two rental apartment buildings. Both were interesting and have potential. And both were WAY underpriced. The first I think needs more work than I want to deal with but would still be income producing. The second needs little work, but is slighly more money. BUT, it also has a store front on a commercial road as part of it (it's two buildings), so we could eventually kick out the store owner and open a law firm there, once I am done with school. I would like to run an office in Monroe.

After that, we went to Dolce Vita to eat dinner for Kurt's birthday. I had an awesome meal. It was an ahi tuna made with different japanese spices and it was incredible. I need to go back there again for that meal. Healthy and yummy. Great combo.

Went home after that and chilled. It was already pretty late, so went to bed and here I am working again!

Happy Groundhogs Day!!!

What a crazy day! Today is Kurty's birthday (HAPPY BIRTHDAY KURT!!!!!), he turned 35 today. I told him he is getting old, almost to 40! ha.

About 5 minutes ago, my secretary called and she had her baby today! On Kurt's birthday. How funny. I think Groundhogs's Day is a really fun holiday to have a birthday though. :). Congrats Misty and Joe and Justin! The baby's name is Abby and she is 6 pounds 11 oz, and I am sure adorable. Can't wait to meet her!

Kurt and I will probably wait to celebrate his birthday until another weekend, since this weekend is Super Bowl. I want to take him to do something kewl, but am kinda waiting to hear from someone before I make definite plans (hint, hint to you know who you are).

We are going tonight to look at some more rental properties. We would like to get some apartments, etc. while the market is so great for buyers. Hopefully, we like something we see......

Back to work.

24 hours in a Day

Ever feel like there are not enough hours in the day, but are glad that there ARE only 24 hours in the day at the same time?

That has pretty much been my feeling since I started law school. Before I started, I thought I was busy. I did not even comprehend the definition whatsoever at that point. Since I started school, I am still working my pre-law school hours, and I am going to school full-time, which is about 14 hours per week plus study time. It's truly crazy of me, but necessary so I can be done and have my degree.

I am now down to the end, and it is such a freaking relief. I have three months two weeks until graduation (but who's counting??). And now they give me MORE to do. I have to fill out my bar application (which is NOT a simple task, so many details needed and things ordered from my driving record to my criminal record and more), have to sign up for all these bar review courses which of course, cost a TON of money, and so on. I have a huge "To Do" list. I am getting through it though.

Anyway, not much going on in the Haskell household. Same old normal work week stuff.

:)

My Girl

Happy Birthday Gretel Olivia Haskell!

Today is Gretel's first birthday. So, Kurt and I will take her tonight to the fast food place of her choice and get her something yummy to eat! We love you Gretel! :).

Birthday Celebration

Today was my Grama's 80th birthday. We went to dinner in Canton to celebrate, at Max and Erma's which is one of her favorites. It was really good. I got her a really pretty light blue topaz ring.

Also, stopped at Old Navy and they had some awesome deals (Marla, if you are reading this, you MUST go. I know you wanted some long sleeve solid colored shirts). I bought three long sleeve shirts for myself for $4 each, and a sweater for Kurt for $4. Amazing deals. Old Navy is the best for buying in bulk for t-shirts.

The weather was AMAZING here today. It was 55 degress in Newport which is unheard of for January. We went out to look at a house and some property today and I did not wear a coat. It is very odd.

Not much else going on, night!

Day of Babes

Again, trying to get you to read. :). Babes does not equal hot men walking down the street, ;). But, since I am very happily married, that's OK. What babes does equal is Ben, Sara, Bodie, Nora and Maya. Three of my bestest friends little kiddies. Went to Kerry and max's in Ann Arbor today to meet Nora for the first time and also saw all the kiddies above, as well as Deanna and Marla and Kerry and Max. Which was awesome. I have not seen Kerry in forever, and it is very, very rare that we can all get together at the same time. Had fun playing with the kids, and holding the babies. My friends have the cutest kids!

After that, came home and Kurt and I drove around looking at different property for sale in the area. This is usually not a Winter activity, but since it feels like Spring here today, we decided to go anyway. Lots of stuff for sale in our area. There is one piece of property we are really interesting in, 30 acres on Lake Erie. But, we need the price to come down, which I think it will. Nobody has that kind of money right now with the economy, at least in michigan.

In Love With Another Man

Ok, just kidding, but I made you read the post, didn't I? Went tonight and got my hair highlighted and cut with my fav stylist ever--Roman, at Alex Emilio's salon in Royal Oak. Why do I love Roman?? He 'knows' my hair and what will look good. I basically just let him do whatever he wants. Today, it was lowlights, highlights, and cutting off 4 inches. I have not been there in a long time and my hair was just getting too long. I keep putting it in a ponytail to avoid it. And now, voila, all taken care of. Roman rocks. Anyone reading this in the southern MI area who appreciates a great stylist needs to visit him. I have been going for years, at the recommendation of a friend, and it was the best advice ever.

Afterwards, had dinner with Julia at Mongolian BBQ. Had grilled shrimp with veggies and spicy sauces and it was awesome. Great service too. And it was nice to have dinner with Julia and get to talk about some nonschool related subjects. :).

Tomorrow, I am seeing more friends. I have been doing so much this week for me! Heading to Ann Arbor, but I will save that post for tomorrow.

Heading home now, good night all!

Awesome Night

Tonight, I had plans to go see Sheryl Crow and have dinner with one of my bestest friends, Deanna. We met at Cuisine at 5:30 p.m. for dinner. The food there was amazing, to say the least. Some of the best I have ever had. For my meal, I had swordfish, and we split a seafood appetizer. Split chocolate souffle for dessert. The valet service at this place was the best ever too. Normally, your parking experience would not be one to talk about in a blog, but this guy rocked. He had our cars warmed up and waiting for us BEFORE we left the restaurant. Then, on the way back from the concert, he actually said he was sorry he did not have our cars warmed up!! I was like "How would you KNOW when we would return, LOL?" He was incredibly nice. Cuisine, give this guy a raise! :).

Anyway, the concert was at the Fox at 7:30 p.m. Did not start on time, of course, which was fine because I think Deanna and I could talk and catch up for an endless amount of time. We had great floor seats, and the crowd was kinda "old" so we did not have to stand throughout the entire concert (some parts only) so that was good. She sang all the songs that are mainstream, and some really good stuff that was not. Great concert.

Today, I had to go to the school to get my picture taken for the class composite. Also had to get measured for my cap and gown (which are pretty kewl since they are special 'doctoral' ones), pick up my tickets, and look at degree framing and rings. I had not decided for sure, but I ended up getting a ring. The name of my ring is inspiration, and I got it in antiqued white gold. Ordering one anyway, they take weeks to custom make. I never got one in college or high school and decided this would be a great reminder of law school. Plus, I got a really girly, non-class ringish looking one, so I will wear it all the time. I think I deserve it after the hell I have gone through for the last few years of school!

I told Deanna that I was making a new rule that we need to set aside one night a month (or more) to have dinner. When we don't, we don't see eachother enough. We have so much fun together and catching up in person is important (even though we email and call all the time). So, tomorrow I am emailing you and picking a date for February! :).

Night!

Insanity

This week has been crazy busy, for some reason. And it's only Wed! I am exhausted right now.

Tomorrow, I have an appointment at school to get my picture taken for the class composite photo, have to get measured for cap and gown, and meet with the others--invites, ring, etc. I am not sure what I am going to do with getting a ring or any extras. I never got a class ring in high school or college, and was glad of that decision with those. But, I am wondering if maybe I want one for law school? Kurt has one and wears his all the time. But guys are different. I guess I will wait and see how much they are. I am trying to save money right now, so don't want one if they are crazy expensive.

Toby had a bad night on Monday night. We thought he was taking a turn for the worse, but then we realized that he had thrown up his pill and therefore, the drugs were not in his system. So, even though he refused to eat it, Kurt made him take his pill and about 12 hours later or so, he seemed back to normal and now, he is totally better again, so that's good.

So, other than that, not much going on. I know, my life is boring, what can I say? :).

Oh, a friend wrote me today and made me realize that some of my random posts may seem like they are about somebody in my life currently, those who may read my blog. In particular, the last post I wrote about friends. If you are reading this blog, then any of my posts which don't name names are NOT about you. I would never write anything in a blog about anyone that actually reads this thing on a regular basis! So......anyone thinking my anonymous posts are about them, fret not! I love all my blog readers! :).

Have a great night, everyone!

The Difference Between Good Friends and Bad Friends.

Good Friends

So this afternoon, I went to visit with Marla, Bodie and the new baby, Maya Renae. Had a blast playing with Bodie, and visiting with Marla. Maya was such a little doll, slept a lot while I was there, but I still got to hold her and fall in love with her. I took some pics and will upload when I get a second. Bodie is SO funny too. He is a total mama's boy, and he does not like having Maya around. He was almost acting like she did not exist, like if he acted that way, she might disapear. But, when nobody else was paying attention, he would sneak little glances at her and smile. Too cute.

After that, I went to my Aunt's to have dinner with her and my Grama, and go to the Plymouth Ice Sculpture Show. Had dinner at Eastside Mario's (yum) but the Show was pretty much nonexistent because of the warm weather we have been having.

Bad Friends**

I was thinking tonight. During the past few years, I have slowly removed some people* from my life who I have moved into the category of "one-sided friendships." The reason? I don't have time to try and maintain relationships with those who are not trying in return. I have many friendships with understanding, intelligent, sweet, caring, compassionate and beautiful individuals who know what it's like to be a friend through thick and thin. I used to let my feelings get so hurt when these so-called friends* would suddenly have mood swings and decide they hated me, then the next week say they were sorry and want everything to be OK. while I would say I understand and that I forgave them, I don't think I truly could ever forget. The funny thing, these people do not even realize the way they behave. They proclaim to despise certain characteristics in others, and I find it hilarious that these traits they hate are totally obvious in their own personalities. So, all of you who are "faking" being friends with me because you find it mildly amusing or don't want to be the one to cut the ties. just stop. i am not as 'stupid' as you think i am and i get it. and i don't care whatsoever because that part of my personality was changed long ago because of you. i have been on to you all along.

Good Friends

My friend Deanna was glad, I think, when i finally came to this realization. I think she was getting sick of idiot girls* screwing with my mind by being so freaking bi-polar and psychologically immature. it is funny that the girls* who think they are the most intelligent, and who may in fact be very booksmart, are lacking so much in other ways. i know she thinks I am a strong independent person, so it was odd to her that i would place any value on a friendship where the other person was just plain rude. But she is a great friend. She never told me I was an idiot, just supported me and told me these people* did not deserve someone like me as a friend. So anyway, this was all long, long ago, but this is a lesson to everyone. don't forget the the little things your great friends say to you.

**names not used to protect the 'innocent'. ha. OK, maybe innocent was a bad choice of words.

Better Days

So, since my last post, the weather here has become totally fab! today, I think it must have been 40 degrees, and historically Jan 21 is supposed to be the coldest day of the year! We deserve this after the hellacious December southern MI suffered through.

The rest of my school week went well. Nothing too exciting in any of my classes.

I went and got a massage today at Blu Water, and had a new massage therapist. She was AWESOME. I am going to be requesting her again. her name is Megan. I am also psyched because I finally have time this semester to get up to Royal Oak and get my hair done at my favorite salon with the best stylist ever. The past two semesters have been crazy busy for me, and I have been getting my hair done elsewhere because I had no choice. I liked the new place as well, but nobody is the same as Roman (my stylist).

I was supposed to go visit Nora Beth tomorrow, but Kerry called tonight to move in until next weekend because Sara was sick all night. Poor thing! I am still going to see Marla tomorrow, and I have to call my Aunt because she wanted to go to the Plymouth Ice Sculpture show. I was wondering with this weather if that is still on.

Kurt built a bookshelf for me today (or part of it anyway) in our den/computer room (whatever you want to call it). There is an area where a built in bookcase was 'supposed' to go, but the previous homeowner never had one built. It is coming out really, really good. Now I need to find the perfect desk. There is one I really like at Pottery Barn, but I need to figure out which pieces I need and either go to Somerset to pick it up or order it. click here to see what I want. but, I want it in black.

BREAKING NEWS

Breaking news.................

My friend's Kerry and Marla BOTH had their babies today! Nora Beth Zain was born at around 12:55 a.m. in Ann Arbor and Maya Renae Wilson was born at 11:30 something (don't know exact, have not heard from Marla yet) today! Everyone is doing great! Already saw a pic of Nora and she is adorable, just like her sister, Sara. with my school schedule, I am going to wait until this weekend then visit both of them, if they are up to it. Hopefully! :). I can't wait to meet the babies.

More breaking news, my sister is engaged! Don't know any more details than that, my Mom broke the news to me tonight! Apparently, she has a ring AND he bought her a car today! Lucky girl! His name is Jim Bottorff. Congrats to Christie and Jim! (Shannon, are you reading this??)

Other than that, not too much going on really. Have been really busy with school and work. Almost two weeks down of classes though. Got the grades from all my classes for the semester and I passed everything. Yay! My high grade in Sports and the Law, which shocked me. That exam was pure hell and I was concerned about the grade. Thankfully, I did really well. And Julia, my bestest law school friend, had a great semester! Yay for Jules!

It snowed here today. I so hate this weather. The roads were horrendous on the way to work. I did have the urge to take some pics this morning, but once I felt the freezing cold wind on my face, I decided against that! ;).

We got Toby's DNA results back and of course, they STILL don't know. The lymphoma test came out negative, but they went on to say to not rule it out entirely because the disease is very difficult to detect in cats. Sigh. Why is animal science so not advanced? Toby is still doing really well on the meds they gave him, so I am thankful for that.

Finally Finished!

So, I finally finished an online photo album of my Hawaii pictures.

Click here to see the pics, and enjoy. :).

Haskell Updates

So....have been busy since classes started on Monday. So far, so good with the classes. I counted the other day, and I only have like 117 days until my last final, graduation is really going to be here before I know if even though 117 days seems like forever. It is all becoming really 'real', in that I received my bar application in the mail, have to go to a lecture about filling it out at school, have pictures this month for the wall at the school, and had to pay my fee for graduating. There is always something they want my money for there. LOL.

I still really like Evidence class. Kurt thinks I am really odd for liking it, but whatever. Maybe he had a boring prof? So, I asked Paul, the other attorney in our office, and he did not like it either. Hmm. Maybe I am odd. OK, I can deal with that.

My schedule is really nice this semester. I have Thursday nights off, and no school on Friday. So, I feel like I have more time that usual to relax. One night, to be exact, which I have to spend reading and studying, but still, one night of being at home and not being in Detroit.

We did not get Super Bowl tickets (in the drawing). So, we have decided not to go. Normally, I don't have a prob paying scalper prices, but they are SOO high, I could pretty much take my dream trip for the cost of the tickets, and it's not worth it. Especially since Detroit is not even in the game. If they were, I might think about it.

In other updated Haskell news, we hired another secretary at the office. Her name is Darlene and she just started on Friday. So far, so good! :). She seems really self-motivated, friendly, and great on the phone. She already put all the documents together on two probate cases for Kurt, which really needed to be done. And this was on her first day, way more than I would have expected. Hopefully, she likes us! With Misty about to have her baby any day, we really needed someone else in here. She is going to come back after her time off for the baby though, so then we will have two secretaries here.

Toby is still doing really well. The doctor sent his slide into that pathologist at Colorado State and they STILL could not figure out what was wrong with him for sure, so now they are doing a DNA test on the slide. If they can't figure it out from that, they would have to do exploratory surgery, removing one of his lymphnoids to see if it's cancer or not. I am hoping we don't have to go there since he is so old. But, the meds did wonders for him. He is gaining weight and acting like his old annoying kitty self.

Gretel is going through the terrible twos. She is only 11 months, but dogs age faster, so I guess I can technically say that. She is harassing her brothers nonstop all day. And us. She is so cute, it's hard to get mad, but sometimes the boys like to be lazy and relax and Gretel is not allowing that. She is quickly (or already has) become the boss of the animal kingdom at our house, and she makes sure everyone is aware of that all the time. I think I call her "brat" more often than her name. But I do so while kissing her, so it's all in love, ;).

Today, we are at the office. Kurt drafted a trust and some related documents for a couple and they are going out of town on Monday, so they needed them before then. After that, we are outta here and going home. I am going to try and do some of my reading for the week this weekend.

Hope everyone is having a great weekend.

In Love

OK, the new Treo is here. It's the Treo 700w, and although I have never seen one in person or used it (only my current phone the Treo 650), I am in LOVE. The only had news is it is currently only available with Verizon service, and I have Cingular, so I have to wait because I hate Verizon. Bummer.

But, check it out here. Broadband speed on your phone. Our current phone Internet is slower than that and Kurt would kill for broadband speed! Only, he won't have to kill, he will just have to shell out the funds for the 700w.

I should so be a spokesperson for this thing. :).

New Classes

So, I started my LAST semester of law school on Monday night. I cannot even really believe it. It does not seem real that I will be done soon. Crazy really, but let me say, I will be so psyched to never take another class, hear another lecture, take a final exam again....

So, this semester I am taking Evidence, Criminal Procedure I, Constitutional Law II, State and Local Tax. The last class was canceled this week and starts next week (yay), but I have attended one class each on the first three. And shockingly, Evidence was my favorite so far! Kurt told me I would not like the class, and maybe in the end he will be right, but so far, it is the best of the three I have gone to. I like rule based classes, and that is totally what Evidence is.

My Mom left this morning, but I got to spend Monday night with her, which was fun. We watched the first episode of The Bachelor, and were bummed when the controversial Allie was booted. She kept making comments about "reproduction" and then was shocked when he did not keep her around. LOL. I wish my Mom lived around here, I always have so much fun with her, :(. I hate how she lives so far away and I barely ever get to see her.

Gotta watch the end of Boston Legal! Michael J. Fox is starring, great episode.

Update on Toby

Well........very good, yet strange weekend with Toby. They gave him a shot of Prednisone when I was at the vet on Friday. The next morning, he suddenly seemed a TON better. We really thought it was a fluke, but he just kept getting better as the weekend went on. We have to give him the Prednisone in a pill form once per day. But each day, he ate more (he did not eat for like 2 days before I took him in again on Friday), walked around more (for about a day before the appt on Friday he just laid in my bed and did nothing), and started acting more like himself. It is pretty much like we have our "old" cat back again......

We are trying not to get our hopes up, because we still need the results from the pathologist which could be today or tomrrrow or Wed., but the Prednisone is really more of an effective treatment for the IBS and NOT the cancer. So, maybe he has the curable disease? That would be awesome.

Anyway, just wanted to update everyone who has been sending me their prayers.

On another note, my Mom and sister were in town this weekend. They got to the house on Sat night, and we went to dinner and did a little bit of shopping. Saturday morning, we went to the airport to pick up my sister's boyfriend who was arriving back from Iraq, his name is Jim. Very nice guy. We went to lunch with them, and then she and he left for a hotel near his base in clinton township. My Mom stayed with us, and she and I went shopping. I actually found some things I need---a new comforter set for one of the spare bedrooms, some airbake pans I have been wanting, shoes for Kurt, etc. I read my homework and then my Mom and I watched Desperate Housewives and Grey's Anatomy. It was fun to get to watch the shows with her, we always talk about them on the phone together afterwards!

This morning I woke up not feeling very well for some reason. Hopefully, I get better as the day goes on since I have to work AND go to school today. Blah. I wish I could call in once in a while. :(.

Waiting.....

So, I spent the afternoon at a vet clinic in Ann Arbor that our vet sent us to so Toby could get an ultrasound. Got there and waited 45 minutes for the vet to come in and talk to me. Took a short nap with Toby on my lap sleeping. Came in and did a short exam, asked some questions, took him back for the ultrasound. 20 minutes later came out and showed me the results, which showed his lymphnoids (sp?) enlarged. His guess was lymphoma or inflammatory bowel syndrome, but Toby's condition was not advanced enough to tell just from the ultrasound. So, they next did a biopsy on the lymphnoid to look at the cells under a microscope. Apparently, this was not conclusive either and it was sent to a pathologist in Colorado. Soooo, now we wait for that. If it is IBS, it is treatable with medication. if it is cancer, it is somewhat treatable, but not curable. And the treatment would make him suffer more than he already is right now, so most likely we will have to put him to sleep. Blah. so, I guess I will know more details once the biopsy comes back. Hopefully, it is good news, but I think both Kurt and I are expecting the worst, so either way we will get through it.

Sad News

My cat, Toby, has not been feeling well for a while. We took him to the vet last Friday and they ran all this bloodwork which all came out negative. No kidney probs, no thyroid probs, nothing. So, they gave us an antibiotic and sent us home. We gave it to him for the past week, but he really seemed to just get worse. So, we took him back tonight and they did xrays and some more tests. The vet is sending us to a place to get an ultrasound done because she could not figure anything out from the xrays. She thinks he has cancer of some sort, but he had no large tumors they could see in their xrays. Basically, between the lines, she was saying she thinks we are going to have to put him to sleep. :(. I just lost Daisy in March and this sucks that now I may lose Toby as well. I mean, Toby is 15, so this is not totally unexpected like it was with Daisy Lou, but it's still depressing. So, tomorrow, I am taking him to Ann Arbor for the additional tests. There is no way Kurt or I would ever put an animal down without exploring all alternatives and making sure there is no way we can help, but, I don't want to put Toby through a lot of chemo and stuff either because that in itself will probably kill him since he is in an advanced age. Sigh.

I'm Working On It, I Promise!

OK. I have been too busy since I got home from vacay to get all the pics posted with captions, but I am working on it, I promise. I have them all downloaded and cropped, etc. but I am now working on captions and since there are so many pics, it may take a while. You understand, I hope, ;).

But, I will take this opportunity to talk about the trip, in detail, with pictures to come.

Basically, this was the best vacation I have ever taken. Besides the fact that i got to relax and hang out with my husband, Hawaii is the definition of Paradise. It will be impossible for me to even begin to show you all in my pictures the beauty and awesome nature that was on the islands we visited. The only thing to bother me on this trip whatsoever was the wonderful delays of Northwest Airlines.

I will start with that aspect of the trip and get it out of the way. Our first flight was from Detroit to San Fran and was delayed 1 hour. No biggie. From San Fran to Honolulu, another 3 hour delay. Then, once we got to Honolulu, since it was so delayed everywhere else, we had to stay overnight in Honolulu and fly to Maui early the next morning. Then, from Kona to Seattle on our way home, delayed 2.5 hours. From Seattle to Detroit? Another 45 minute delay. Phew. For all this trouble, NW generously gave us $20 in free food, $70 in plane vouchers, 2 calling cards for 10 minutes in total. Woo hoo. Not. ;).

On to the better part of the trip.

We landed in Maui first thing in the morning. We drove to our resort, called the Royal Lahaina. We had a beautiful ocean front/view room on the top floor, with a great balcony. We immediately changed into shorts and our bathing suits. It was about 75-80 degrees every day we were there, literally the most perfect weather I have ever encountered. and it's like that all year round! The first day, we took a drive North or our resort and saw the Nakalele Blowhole, which was awesome. Click here to see exactly what the blowhole is. We ate lunch that day at this really cute local bar/hangout and I had the best shrimp ceasar salad. Yum. We did a lot of hiking that day and were exhausted by night. The time change really hits you flying this far away.....

Day two, we drove the famous drive to Hana. Probably my favorite part of the entire trip. We bought this great book, previous to the trip, called Maui Revealed. Best travel book EVER (at least for Hawaiian islands). Basically, the Road to Hana is less than 60 miles long, but can take all day to drive, depending on the amount of time you spend stopping, hiking, taking pics. Of course, Kurt and I had to stop at EVERY SINGLE waterfall and siteseeing type spot we possibly could. I could not believe some of the hikes we endured to see a waterfall, and every single hike and painful step/fall was worth it. We hiked over mile long streams of boulders, down slippery cliffs........We also had the best banana bread I have ever eaten. We saw some very kewl beaches on this road as well including black sand beaches and a red sand beach. It was at a stand located Half Way to Hana. Also got to swim in a waterfall for the first time, in one called Alelele Falls. It was kinda a hidden hike (had to have the book to know about it), so Kurt and I had the whole area to ourselves. I swam for a while and Kurt explored a nearby cave. That night we ate at a great seafood place called Roy's (click here).

The next day, we drove one of the mountains in Maui. We were on a mission to see the redwood forest in Maui. We have always wanted to see redwoods, and never thought they would be in Maui. Alas, we were not able to get there. After driving about 8000 feet up the mountain in REALLY dangerous conditions (i.e. road was about 10 feet across with no railings), the road turned into an all dirt road that was only about 8 feet across. Kurt is severely afraid of heights, and it really did not look safe to go much further in the convertible (non 4 wheel drive) we had rented. But, in those 8000 feet, I got some awesome pics of the scenery, mountains, ocean, trees. It was awesome (at least for me, LOL). That day, we also visited many of the great beaches in Maui, including Big Beach which is supposedly the nicest beach on the entire island. There, I went swimming for the first time in the ocean (by myself of course since Kurt does not swim). It was incredible how strong the ocean is, pulling you back and forth, the waves just flying over your head. I so wanted a boogie board after watching everyone, but it would really not be practical to bring back in the plane....Click here. Of course, while there, Kurt made me trek over this lava hill to the other side, conveniently named "Little Beach". One may want to know that this beach is 'clothing optional'. We were there a total of about 10 minutes to walk up and down the beach. I felt like I was wearing a bodysuit compared to the rest of the beachgoers. Even the surfers were wearing nothing. Totally odd experience. Click here.. That night we ate at another great place, on the grounds of the resort, called Basil's. The place was entirely open air, and we had a great table overlooking the resort's grounds. Great food.

Our last day in Maui, we had a midday flight, so we hung out at the beach all morning, watching surfers and relaxing. Then flew to Kona, Big Island, for the second half of our trip. Great non-Northwest flight. Here we rented a Jeep because there are many 4WD roads on the Big Island. We stayed at the King Kamahamaha Hotel. It was right on the water and very nice as well, but not as nice as the Royal Lahaina in Maui. Great room though on the top floot here as well. We lucked out with all the top floor rooms, my favorite, ;). Xmas night, we had dinner at the hotel, a Xmas seafood buffet. All my favs--grilled fish, shrimp, crab legs, etc.

The next day, we drove to the only active volcano in Hawaii. On the way, we stopped at South Point (southernmost point in the United States), and stopped at a State Park known for its huge turtles. The drive to South Point was incredible. It was so windy, that the trees were literally bending completely over. beautiful beaches there and views. And the turtles at the state park were so CUTE. We saw some on the beach and some in the water, which was also at a black sand beach. The volcano was probably Kurt's favorite part of the entire trip. Here we saw craters, steam vents, lava tubes, tons of cooled lava, as well as the lava flowing down the volcano as well as where it was oozing into the ocean. Words cannot even express how awesome it was so see this in person. Ate that day at a place overlooking a huge crater, and had dinner back in Kona at a nice place overlooking the downtown area. More seafood. I swear, I was meant to live in Hawaii for the seafood selections. It was hard to even find a nonseafood item on their menus! Yay!

The next day, we drove North out of town. We took an awesome hike through the clouds (literally) in a bamboo rainforest. That was one of the most interesting hikes I have ever taken. It was absolutely breathtaking. I felt like I was in some eerie movie. Drove further towards Hilo and stopped at various waterfalls and scenic drives/beaches. Did a lot of hiking this day as well. Ate dinner at the best place of the trip, called Bubba Gump's Shrimp Co. It was located literlly on the ocean, the waves were crashing underneath the deck we were sitting on. Food was great as well.

The next day, exhausted from the hiking the past few days, we decided to do beaches. We went to one beach down an AWFUL 4WD road. Took an hour, I kid you not, to go like a mile. But, the beach was worth it. Totally secluded and beautiful. Next went to another fairly secluded beach where I went swimming and Kurt slept on teh sand.....Had lunch at a seafood Mexican place, then went back to Kona to walk the shops and relax. Bought Kurt an awesome ring which is being shipped to us. It is platinum and inlayed with Hawaiian Koa Wood. Absolutely beautiful. I can't wait to get it. They took a day to make, and we were leaving that day. Also bought my Aunt some peaberry coffee and some towels and a tank top, bathing suit at a local store.

I will post pictures soon. Overall, the trip was completely and totally relaxing and fun. We actually want to go back, and that is rare for us since we always want to try new places. Next trip, we are going to do Oahu and the Big Island again, as well as some of the smaller islands. I highly recommend Hawaii to everyone! :).

Home From Paradise

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

Off to the Land of Relaxation

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

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

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

Hope you all have a fabulous holiday!

New TV and Interview Process

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

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

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

HAPPY BIRTHDAY VITO CORLEONE HASKELL!

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

We love you Vito! Happy Birthday Sweet Boy!

Crunch Time

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

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

Cold Little Pug

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

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

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

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

Best and Worst of Fall 2005

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

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

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

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

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

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

Let it Snow--I Hate Michigan

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

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

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

Started doing my Xmas cards too.

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

Some Things REALLY make me mad

This article makes me want to vomit:

Click here.

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

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

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

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

OK, I am done venting. :).

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

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

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

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

Phone Like Kerry's Proves my Theory

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

Boy, have things changed in the last 9 years!

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

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

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

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

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

Hope everyone is having a great weekend!

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

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

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

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

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

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

Luggage Decisions

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

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

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

Really Late

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



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

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



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



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



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

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

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

Weirdness

You Are 20% Weird

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

How Weird Are You?

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

Mariah Carey Shares Your Taste in Music

See her whole playlist here (iTunes required)

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

Yay I Passed!

You Passed the US Citizenship Test

Congratulations - you got 7 out of 10 correct!

Could You Pass the US Citizenship Test?

I Think I have a Sister, LOL

You Are Likely an Only Child

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

The Birth Order Predictor

Birthday Info

Your Birthdate: May 17

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

What Does Your Birth Date Mean?

My Life

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

Day Off Insanity

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

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

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

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

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



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

Alone

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

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

Crazy House

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

Surprise

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

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

Click here to see other pics I took today.

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

Pug Love

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

Click here to see more pics of all the pugs.

I Love Fall

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

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

To see more pics of Fall, click here.

The Birds

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

Figured I Better Post Sometime

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

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