Archive for Uncategorized
May 16, 2009 at 12:08 pm
· Filed under Uncategorized ·Tagged burial, dog, friends, funeral, love, pet, sad
There were 12 of us in all, gathered in the rain with little light left in the day, some of us shedding tears and some of us silent in remembrance. Yesterday I attended the burial of a beloved friend and pet. My brother’s dog had spent 13 wonderful years touching our lives and sadly it was her time to pass.
My brother’s lilacs are the darkest purple you have ever seen and they were slowly cut and laid out for each person to gently toss down as a last parting gift and sign of love for the girl that we all knew. It is a true sign to this wonderful companion and a show of the truest friendship that so many came on a Friday night to show support and respect for a pet that was so much a part of all of our lives that the now empty house, usually so full of life and hope, is left hollow for the time being.
My brother shoveled the first bit of dirt upon the grave with my husband at his side and as time passed each man among us took a turn to stand beside my brother and help in his most painful task.
With love and sadness, we will not forget you, your gentle spirit and the joy you spread among us!
Permalink
February 27, 2009 at 4:09 pm
· Filed under Uncategorized ·Tagged breadsticks, fish, husband, ice fishing, smell
As I have mentioned before I am the proud owner of a Jeep Commander who is now being forced to drive my husband’s minivan so he can have my car for awhile (it is a miles thing). Anyways, as the mother of twins I finally had the chance to get out and do some shopping on my own while my husband was at home with the boys. I happily jumped into my Jeep. As I began to drive around I started to smell something unpleasant and as I got in and out of the vehicle for several stops the smell only got worse. My husband called to see how my day was going and I immediately asked him what he did to my Jeep, “I had breadsticks in there yesterday on my lunch break” he replied. Breadsticks? Okay they can smell like sweaty gym socks but this was more like a puke with beer breath with somthing else mixed in scent that I could not put a finger on and as the car got warmer the smell intensified. I kept the windows cracked at a tolerable level due to the winter weather and continued on my way.
About two weeks later as I was running around my front lawn in the wind trying to catch blow away boxes from my garbage that had not yet been picked up, I suddenly slid through a pile of bait fish near the curb. First thought…Why Me? Second thought….I am going to kill him. Yes you heard that right, my husband had been ice fishing and forgot to remove these leftovers from the car. I even recall mentioning something sliding around in the back of the Jeep and my husband saying during that phone call that it was his ice fishing sled. Hmmm…..that explains the mysterious scent. Now I have seen this pile of fish before (although last time I was spared from having to smell them for a day) and as I told my husband then and will again, the cats in the neighborhood ignore his offering and a week later I have to send him out with a bag and gloves to remove his dead friends from our yard. What must the neighbors think?
Ice Fishing-Perch caught by my friend Russell
Permalink
January 28, 2009 at 11:37 am
· Filed under Uncategorized ·Tagged blender, fruit, healthy, qvc, smoothie
As part of my get healthy and lose weight plan I saw this great product on QVC to make smoothies. Yes, I have watched QVC and ordered products (when there is nothing else on I like to see what is for sale). Anyways….I watched this host make a bunch of smoothies in a few minutes and thought that would be great….a smoothie for me; one for my husband, fresh fruit some protein powder and we would be good to go with a healthy start to the day, not to mention you blend it in its own cup and it fits in your car holder…sounds amazing. Still I waited to order this magic machine until about my fourth viewing of the product.
My package arrived and I bought some fresh fruit, yogurt and frozen strawberries. I was so excited to make my first one. I added all the ingredients and pulsed three times and then blended, it looked so good, I was ready for my first taste of that delicious mixture. Imagine my surprise when I could not get the lid off, in my rush for a fruit explosion I had put the lid on crooked and could not get it off. I tried as hard as I could, I even resorted to my super handy husband gripper (if you do not have one of these I highly recommend them it turns you into a superhero of the jar opening kind), still nothing worked. One bubble of liquid escaped out the top and I licked it up enjoying the promise of more to come. I twisted, I turned, I huffed and puffed…..nothing. I stared at the top willing it to open and I contemplated banging it on the counter but decided violence was not the answer and breaking this item would guarantee me no smoothie and no chance of a refund if needed. I came to the sad realization that I may have to send my machine back with my smoothie inside and quickly turned my thoughts to the regulations concerning shipping liquids and what exactly would the return department think of my drink concoction? I put the whole thing in the fridge and hoped my husband could perform some sort of exorcism on the device that had trapped my drink inside.
My hubby had me hold the bottom while he twisted the top, we were in the brace yourself stance and…….it worked and I had a taste of my drink….it was great…. but I think I may be over this whole thing…..after all, I own a blender and that would surely do the trick just fine.
Note: I did make a smoothie the next day but as all that yogurt and fruit sloshed around in my stomach it made me feel a little ill. I realize now that my image of myself as a sporty, smoothie drinking girl is not to be and that I am much happier with my usual cup or two of coffee in the morning.
Permalink
January 20, 2009 at 10:56 am
· Filed under Random Thoughts, Uncategorized ·Tagged explosive, homemade, money saving, shout, stain
With the job market the way it is and me as a temporary homemaker anything we can do to save some money here or there is always helpful in our house, so I decided to make my own spray for stain fighting. My bottle of Shout was almost empty and I had some powder OxiClean ready, two great products. I simply added some extra water mixed in a bunch of powder and shook the whole concoction up and placed it on the shelf so it would be ready to go.
As we ate our dinner I accidentally dropped a small droplet of salad dressing on my shirt…not to worry, I had my own stain fighter ready to go. I waited until after the babies were in bed, in case anything else was going to make its way on to my shirt and then headed into the laundry room to spray on my miracle liquid.
Well you can imagine my surprise when I reached for the bottle and saw it was increasing past two times its normal size and looked slightly explosive. I frantically called for my husband in my whispered scream of “OMG get down here now” (sleeping twins), who was flabbergasted at my “clever” idea and gave me a quick lecture on mixing chemicals as he suited up to open my now homemade explosive outside. I watched from the doorwall, waiting for something exciting… but only air escaped as the pressure was released. Of course I am glad no one was injured, but a little boom would have been cool too!
So my husband said I am not aloud to be economical in the laundry department anymore. Geez…I was only trying to help!
Permalink
December 4, 2008 at 11:25 am
· Filed under Work Fun ·Tagged coworkers, friends, job, loss, milestones, office, pregnancy, twins, unemployed
“Parting is such sweet sorrow” - Shakespeare…. It has been awhile since my English classes and I am unsure of the proper way to give credit for the quote yet I hope I have done it justice. “What Fools these mortals be” another favorite but one that really has no place here. I have joined the masses of the unemployed due in some part to the current economic crisis. How sad it is to say good-bye to a company that has treated me so well and the people that have been a part of my life through one of my most cherished moments. In my case the birth of my twins (even calling them while in labor) and a baby shower, car accident and numerous other highs and lows that only they will know. To say good-bye is so hard and bittersweet. I leave behind a chapter of friends and coworkers that I hope to keep in contact with but that I know in a few months will dwindle to an occasional e-mail. The fact that I have stayed in touch with coworkers, before this, in some way I hope means that I have made an impression on lives for the better.
As I look at my twins and think that in the next few weeks they may crawl or say a word I can not help but be a little happy that I may be the one to witness these milestones instead of a daycare worker. In these precious life moments I am somewhat thankful for my loss of employment for these are the memories I will cherish for years to come, and yet I will search for my next position knowing I may never find a company that is the same, or a group of people that care so much about my work rewards and my personal ones as well.
I will have other positions and other coworkers that I will be close with but I leave behind the ones that were there when I needed an endless supply of tums, that let me cut to the front of the line for the microwave as starvation haunted me, who joked that I was always heading for the restroom, who let me eat while the head of the company gave a speech, who watched me waddle to the end of a twin pregnancy and supported me with words, hugs and even sometimes tears. I have friends that have been with me since my training wheels but they did not see me everyday and grow with me on my journey to motherhood.
I will miss the laughing the singing (oh yes we sang) and the people that somehow fit into my life at this stage. As I packed my office and said my goodbyes I was happy and sad, sad to see them go and happy to know that my boys were waiting for me, that I am in fact a mom that can do no wrong for them yet. As I carried out the pictures of my family and my babies I did not look back but only forward knowing an impression has been left on my office and that they have left one on me.
Permalink
November 9, 2008 at 3:39 pm
· Filed under Random Thoughts, Uncategorized ·Tagged animal, bird, car accident, caution, dark, deer, driving, eyeball, glass, Michigan, North, turkey, why, windshield, woods
Interesting title, right? This post is actually about deer. As I have mentioned on this blog, I live in Michigan and right now is hunting season, which nicely pushes the deer around and usually multiple carcases are passed by me a week on my daily commute to work. Back to the title….Up north I actually hit one of these animals as I was driving along minding my own business and then BAM..my airbag goes off and as I look scared out my windshield I see another creature freaking out just like me as it bounds up my hood and its face and more importantly eyeball mashes against my window. I will never forget that eyeball and the terrified look it conveyed, the deer did run off but I am told it did not make it that far. As for my car that was the end of it.
So back to present day. I used to think deer were cute….look there are some deer over there, frolicking on the side of the road, or munching on some grass. Now I think those damn deer are just waiting for a chance to run at my car, I am not kidding either, you rarely ever see them coming. I know several people that have deer incidents but with the front of the car…NO? The deer ram the door or skid off the rear bumper, they don’t even look where they are going which makes them all the more dangerous! It gets dark earlier now too, so during this dangerous deer ambush time I take it slow and easy and try not to let my heart jump when a sign reflects and I think it is eyes on the side of the expressway. It does not help there are woods everywhere. I have already passed a two car and a deer crash just this week. Keep your eyes open, those things are out to get us!
Just for fun here are a few other animals that have hit me:
1. On our way to the Upper Pennisula a bird flew into our windshield killing itself and yes I did shed a few tears because I care. I swore we were cursed but our trip was not a disaster and we actually had fun.
2. On my way home from a wedding over the weekend with my husband we were passing some wild turkeys on the road (Michigan, woods, you get the picture). Lucky us, one decided to fly (surprised me too.. as I normally just see them standing around). That is correct, it hit my hood and bounded into the windshield almost coming through, but it still managed to cover me in glass. WTF? (for those non text people…What the F**k!). I took my car to get the windshield replaced and I was told I was about the fifth turkey incident that month and they were even running a special for the occasion…….are you serious?
Any other bad animal luck out there? Careful people, those that are fun to look at, can often due the most harm……
Note: I swear I am a nature lover, sometimes they do not return it though.
Cell phone picture:
Permalink
November 2, 2008 at 10:06 pm
· Filed under Uncategorized ·Tagged candy, carving, funny, Halloween, kids, pumpkin, Thank you
As I gave out candy this year I was very impressed by all the “thank yous” I received from the kids and if they forgot, the gentle reminders from their parents on my driveway. It is nice to see that manners are still being taught.
I did meet some unusual kids with funny comments:
Kid: “Wow, I saw you give a big handful to that kid before me, can I get that too!” Of course was my response, better him and his parents than me and my husband eating all the leftovers.
Kid:”I remember this house, I was here last year. I have a great memory, in fact hold on (picture finger pointing to brain of a second grader), yes I just put it in my memory for next year too!” Me: “You must be really smart and do well in school.” Kid “Yes, I sit next to my best friend and I help him all the time.” Ah yes the best friend help…..I remember the days! This conversation did go on and on and his dad let me know they had to spend 10 minutes chatting at each house….
My twins were too small to get in on the action but they had pumpkin hats and skeleton jumpsuits on to get in the spirit. I also had a few people comment on my pumpkin carving skills…I had a tongue sticking out that I carefully carved and placed with a toothpick (my husband thought this was lame but obviously my effort was rewarded, his pumpkin rocked too!)
Permalink
October 30, 2008 at 7:02 pm
· Filed under Random Thoughts, Uncategorized ·Tagged brother, dog, gym, healthy, I might be crazy, lizards, Lost Boys, maggots, mealworms, Nintendo, Oatmeal, pets, reptiles, skunk, snake, strange, visual
So my twins have now been happily in this world for almost 7 months and I have been looking in the mirror for the last few months of that time wondering how much longer I can pull off the post pregnancy, I don’t have time to exercise or eat right weight. Okay some of it may have been creeping up on me since before I was pregnant but let us not focus on that. I would love the Nintendo Wii and the new Wii Fit game, I even tried to convince my husband it was cheaper than a gym membership, that was before I realized it most certainly is not ( I am still working on this though, a long shot but a girl has to dream). I must eat right and it is my understanding (from healthy people who love to share and they really do like to blab at you) that oatmeal is a good way to start your day. So now what…..for those of you thinking…”I thought this was going to be more focused on oatmeal”…warning it gets weird and gross before it gets better.
Growing up my brother and I often had turtles, assorted lizards and a snake (he was mine and his name was Inky-Dinky and he was awesome). Yes we had normal pets too: fish, dog the occasional stray cat that would winter with us and a skunk. Okay the skunk may not be normal for people living in the city (or anywhere now that I think about it) but somehow my brother brought home this de-scented poor skunk that we, of course, adopted and it lived with us for way over the normal life expectancy of your average skunk.
Hmm, how do you feed such an assortment of critters (back to the reptiles)..well having a live food source is a good start. That is right mealworms and what do mealworms need to survive….in my house it was oatmeal in a giant glass aquarium bowl under my brother’s bed. So as you can imagine oatmeal holds a very strange visual image in my mind, think Lost Boys and the rice with maggots. Now, mealworms are not that bad and they are not slimy or nasty in anyway but I can not stare at a bowl of oats without seeing a yellowish worm wiggling and munching (I don’t know if they really eat it) happily.
I have finally overcome (slightly or I am really tricking myself) this vision and am now enjoying the maple variety of oatmeal, yes health nutters maybe not the best for you but I am really giving it a go here. Perhaps I will venture into new flavors and then move on to the heart healthy kind, but I am thinking…baby steps for now.
Permalink
October 23, 2008 at 4:45 pm
· Filed under Random Thoughts, Uncategorized ·Tagged beverages, brawl, Colorado, Detroit, hockey, popcorn, Red Wings, Ted Lindsay
I love hockey and could not wait for a kid free night out last Saturday to go to a Red Wings game. A babysitter (thank you mother in law) was called and we headed out for downtown. After a delay in traffic, thanks to construction on I-75, we finally made it to Detroit. The seats were great, about four rows up from the visitors bench and we actually made it on time (on time is crazy for parents of twins) for Ted Lindsay night and the anthem. I began to relax and enjoy a few beverages of the super size, costly and not kid friendly variety and was soon ready for a snack. I ventured out for some popcorn and decided to go for the large (to share of course). I was unhappy to realize that my popcorn was slightly burned, just enough to still be buttery but taste slightly off. I should have returned it right away but instead made my way back to my seat. Not two seconds later as I was munching on my dissappointment the couple in front of me showed up with a gorgeous bucket of delicious looking popcorn, so I had to look at their popcorn but taste mine….oh cruel, cruel vendors! We won the game in overtime (so sorry Rangers) and I enjoyed every minute (except for the popcorn) and listened to the crowd grumble about the lack of physical action which I totally agree with…..hockey should not be a figure skating show, it should be the toughest sport out there, like the good old days (Red Wings / Colorado Rivalry)! Note: this video is an extreme “good old days” but so worth a view even if you have seen it before…sorry Colorado fans!
Enjoy this picture snapped on my cell phone – quality is not the best, but always happy to share.
Ted Lindsay
Permalink
October 15, 2008 at 10:52 am
· Filed under Uncategorized ·Tagged Action, america, charity, children, die, donate, Homeless, inspire, make a difference, Poverty, red, UNICEF
Today is a day to blog about poverty, to bring awareness to others, to inspire others to make a difference. Here are some statistics I came across:
At least 80% of humanity lives on less than $10 a day.
According to UNICEF, 26,500-30,000 children die each day due to poverty. And they “die quietly in some of the poorest villages on earth, far removed from the scrutiny and the conscience of the world. Being meek and weak in life makes these dying multitudes even more invisible in death.”
Proportion of Americans living below the poverty line: 12.7 percent (34.5 million people)
In 2006, 35.5 million Americans lived in food insecure households, 22.8 million adults and 12.6 million children.
Although single men constitute about sixty percent of the homeless population, families constitute about one third of all homeless and are the fastest-growing group of homeless.
How can you help…..?
http://www.savethechildren.org/
http://www.worldvision.org/
http://www.feedingamerica.org/
http://www.joinred.com
Make a difference in someone’s life and pass the message to others!
Permalink
Older Posts »
