Wednesday, November 30, 2005

November 29th was a sad, sad day.

Yesterday Tim's family's lab, Abby, had to be put to sleep. Her age has always been an area of debate so I'm going to say she was around 12 or 13. She has been acting strange for the past couple of months started by an incident of what seemed like vertigo. In other words, she couldn't balance and was walking in zig zagged lines with her head tilted to the side (perhaps what a drunk dog would look like). Tim's parents were told this was a temporary condition common in most older dogs.

Then lately she started walking in circles randomly and panting constantly. She was doing this a few weeks ago when I visited. It didn't stop and actually got worse. This week they started to have a hard time finding her outside. She would go behind bushes to hide...Tim's parents said it was almost as if she were trying to find a place to die. She also started to not eat anything, which, if you knew Abby, you would be alarmed simply by this fact. That dog could eat and could fake that she hadn't eaten so you would feed her again. Tim said he would be shocked to learn that she ever missed a meal.... Point: she loved food and the fact that she stopped eating was a sure sign of something amiss.

So Tim's parents took her back to the vet on Monday and the doctor said that her symptoms were that of a brain tumor. The panting, they said, is a mechanism for coping with pain. So, to spare her the severe pain of dying on her own (which the vet said would probably be within 3 months, but probably sooner) Tim's parents made the difficult decision so put her to sleep. Now she is in a better place...free of pain and at peace. I hope that somehow animals know how much they are loved and that they are never truly forgotten. Each one is so unique. Abby, I know, was loved deeply by Tim, Aaron, Ryan, Mark, and Beth. And even by me, whose time with her was short...but so precious.

Monday, November 28, 2005

Thanksgiving and the climb up a Camel's back

Thanksgiving was great. The day, the whole week. Just fab. I left work early on Wednesday to meet my parents so we could pick up my brother from the airport. Apparently Wednesday was a huge travel day...we waiting 40 minutes to go about 1.5 miles into the airport. I didn't mind... I got to show my parents what a really bad traffic day is like for me. I don't think they enjoyed it very much and they might think I'm slightly crazy for enduring it. (Really, it's not that bad!)

Wednesday night we had our own little Thanksgiving dinner. Our new table hasn't yet arrived so we had a hilarious time fitting 5 adults around a newly purchased $30 card table from Wal Mart (have I ever mentioned that I LOATHE Wal Mart? Well, I do. But I sent Tim out to find a card table and he found one at The Store That I Despise). Anyway, I will post pictures later but it was quite an experience. One that I'm sure we won't soon forget. I'm sure we'll be laughing for many years to come about the Thanksgiving we ate around a card table. Food was still excellent, though, thanks to my mom. Oh, and as a side note, Tim just got a call TODAY that our new table is in and ready to be delivered. Come on! Just like 4 days earlier and we would have been set! I actually didn't even expect it this soon, though, so I'm just excited it's in.

Thursday we went to my dad's cousin's wife's parents house. (Yeah, I was confused too. It took me practically the whole day to figure out who I was and was not related to and how). Everyone was so nice. And my third cousin (who's my age) actually lives right by where I work...it's shame I've never met him before...he is so nice! He played basketball in high school so Tim and him are going to start a basketball team. And the really weird thing? He is a fed-ex driver that delivers EVERY DAY to my work. He knows people that I work with! How strange is that?

On Friday, a decision was made to hike up Camelback Mountain (it's called Camelback because it seriously does look like a Camel). My brother really wanted to go on a hike and after spending time with our relatives on Thursday, my mom had decided that hiking this mountain would be cool (I don't think she considered that the people who told her this was a cool hike are 25 years old). I've heard of this hike and have been meaning to go. It's one of the hardest hikes around... it climbs 1200 feet in 1 mile. No switchbacks, just straight up. There are actually 50 foot poles to help you up in some places because you are going straight up. After you get past the poles, you basically rock climb the rest of the way straight to the top. It's really rather challenging. I thought it was great and I can't wait to go back. My parents were hurting... my dad, brother, Tim and I made it to the top, my mom had to stop after one of the first pole climbs because it really is crazy hard. The view at the top is amazing, though... you have a total panoramic of the whole valley. Awesome. I was so tired Friday night though, that I could not keep my eyes open. It was so surreal. I would be in the middle of a sentence and I would fall asleep. Tim would be answering a question and I would fall asleep. I'm told it was really quite humorous.

Saturday we all played golf. Amazingly, my swing has come back! I was hitting almost as good as I used to. We played a scramble...Tim, Jon, and me against my mom and dad. We lost by three (although after the first 9 we were winning by 2). It was fun anyway. After golf, we went and laid by the pool until we had to leave to take them to the airport.

The weather was perfect all week. Yesterday and today it has been freezing here! And I may be reprimanded for complaining about how cold I am but it is FREEZING. The temperature yesterday was 60 degrees and the same today. Big difference from last week when the highs were upper 70s to 80. So, I'm double layered with a sweater on top. Laugh if you want but it is dang cold...although I know it could be worse.

Anyway, the week with my parents was great. I ate too many oatmeal raisin cookies and junk food but I guess that Thanksgiving is about eating right? I guess that justification enough. It was so good to see my family and I will get to see them again in just 3 weeks... and hopefully by then they will not be hobbling around anymore after the climb up Camelback.

Wednesday, November 23, 2005

Baking phenomenons revisited

So, the other day my parents flew into town. Saturday, to be exact. Against my better judgement I went out with some people from work on Friday night. And planned to be home by 7. Which was extended to 8. Which was extended to 9. Which ultimately ended up being 10. Luckily, Tim cleaned the bathroom when he got home from work so the house was pretty clean in time for their visit.

However, I felt compelled to cook. Whenever I go to my mom's house, it's like visiting my own bake shoppe. There are goodies everywhere and good meals too many times a day to count... I honestly gain about 5 pounds every time I visit for a week. It's amazing to me that I stayed small when I still lived there. So I was going to cook Friday night. But seeing as how I picked something I wanted to do over something I needed to do, Friday night was scrapped.

So we got up Saturday morning and cleaned some then I began the baking marathon. I baked chocolate chip cookies, strawberry cookies, energy bars, pumpkin cookies, dips, and a lasagna. It was a lot. I've never cooked that much in one span of time in my life. Well, everything turned out ok, at least so it seemed. I was having a bit of a problem with the maple syrup icing on the pumpkin cookies. But I let it harden and it seemed fine. So I stored them away in a container. Two hours later, the icing was gone. What was hard icing decomposed to the consistency of water and pooled at the bottom of the container thus making the cookies look like I went out and dug up some mud and poured some pool water on them. Yuck. So, the thing I spent the most time working on (and the thing that was the hardest recipe) was ruined. But, BUT, everything else turned out great... That is progress, right?

Anyway, aside from baking, it's been great to see my family. My brother flies in today. We've shown my parents around and while we've been at work the last couple of days, they've been spending time on the golf course and at the pool. It's been a lot of fun...even without the pumpkin cookies!

Thursday, November 17, 2005

All grown up...Happy Birthday, Jon!

Today my baby brother turns 21! I really can't believe that he is 21 already...I still feel like I'm 21. Regardless of my incapacity to understand how fast time goes, today is his 21st birthday and I hope he has the best day ever!

Wednesday, November 16, 2005

Auto Pilot: Off

My husband puts up with so much. Last night he called me on his way home from work and we were both chatting about our respective days (mine much better than the day before, I might add-no lock outs occurred on any front) when he suddenly interrupted the conversation with "Crap! I forgot to get in the lane to get on the freeway. Now I have to turn around." He then proceeded to tell me that he couldn't talk on the phone and drive home-that I distracted him. I was completely baffled. So I laughed at him. Out loud. Like I said, he really does put up with so much. Did I mention that he is the best person I have ever met and that I could only hope to be as good of a person as he is?

Anyway, I laughed because he does this drive home from work every single day. Just like I do my drive home from work every single day. When I am driving home ESPECIALLY from work, I could simultaneously be driving, talking on the phone, and listening to the radio. I wouldn't even have to think about the drive.... in fact I know sometimes I don't. Sometimes I get home and realize that I just got home but I don't remember any of the drive from point A, the office, to point B, home. It's completely and totally auto pilot. It requires no thought. So, I thought it was tremendously funny when he told me I distracted him from being able to drive a drive that he drives every day... it's not like he was trying to find a new way home or anything... he does this every. single. day. I think his drive really IS auto pilot in general, just apparently not when he is attempting to multi-task. So, from now on I think he will wait until he is on the freeway to call me...then he won't miss the turn. He works hard, though, so I guess I can understand why his brain isn't totally engaged after a long day at work. And, hey, if his only fault is that he is not the most efficient multi-tasker, then I'm a pretty lucky girl.

Tuesday, November 15, 2005

Golf, anyone?

I love Arizona! Today they are predicting 3-6 inches of snow in our previous home of Johnston, Iowa. Not to mention the temperature is FREEZING...literally. I think like 20-25 degrees and they might even have a wind chill! I heard they were under a winter weather watch and it could be blizzard-like because of all of the wind. My parents said that even in KC they were expected to get some snow. No, thank you. I will take my perfect day in Arizona today: 78 degrees and sunny. And maybe just to remind myself of how lucky I am and how much I hate cold and snow, I will go play golf later today just because I can.

One of those days where I totally screwed myself

Ah, yesterday. What can I say about yesterday?

Started off tired. Spent a great weekend by myself with Tim's family in Cali and now that they are an hour behind us I was still on their time Sunday night. Got home at 8 p.m., then had to go to the grocery store, clean up a few things around the house, watch Grey's anatomy (so important, of course!), and then sit and wait to be tired...which didn't happen until about 11:30 p.m. Got up at 5:30 a.m. yesterday morning (much better than Thursday and Friday last week when I got up at 4:30 a.m. both days). But, still, 5:30 a.m. FELT like 4:30 a.m. Other than being tired, though, it was generally a great morning.

Drove to work. Took an hour. Not bad. So far, so good.

Left work at 8:45 a.m. to drive to North Scottsdale to get the Mini's oil changed, get a tune up, and get our windshield fixed (finally!) No problems getting to North Scottsdale from the office. Drop the car off, no problems. Go to the rental car place provided by Mini so I can rent a car while the Mini is being taken care of. Can't rent a car. Why, you ask? Well, I stowed away my license in my butt pocket of my jeans when I was flying on Sunday night. And yesterday, it remained in the butt pocket of my jeans. Groan.

Go back to Mini dealer. Call Tim. We have to have a second car because the Mini will not be done until the next day (today). They can rent a car to him. He is not happy about having to drive to North Scottsdale from the West Valley. I think it took him about an hour. He was thoroughly impressed with how big Phoenix is. Ha. Finally get the car after waiting at Mini for two hours. So annoyed. We did get to rent a new mustang though...so I guess that is pretty cool.

Work day goes smoothly. Not as busy this week but I know in a few weeks it will be nuts. So I'm ok other than a massive headache that I attribute to a) being tired and b) the stressfulness of the car situation. Drive home and talk to Tim. He might have to work late. Fine, no big deal. Get to our crossroads and have the revalation that I am locked out of our house. I keep my key with our mail keys because I take that when I run. Garage door opener is in the Mini. Groan...again. Have to call Tim to come rescue me... again.

Tim finally gets home and I finally get in the house. Decide that there is no way in hell I want to work out...I could possibly injure myself if I tried. So, I take the day off.... after a whole weekend off. Groan. We eat dinner instead at 8 p.m. To top off my series of intelligent moves today, I spill a whole bottle of ranch dressing ALL. OVER. THE. FLOOR. The carpet, no less. Wouldn't have been a big deal if it was tile. At this point I am so ready for myself to do stupid stuff, I don't even get mad. I just sit and stare at it. Unbelievable. Then I eat ice cream because I'm just so over everything and I fall asleep at 9 p.m.

I usually think I'm pretty together but man, when I'm off, I'm really off. Today, I'm cracking up at yesterday.

Tuesday, November 8, 2005

Wondering...

You know how people always say, "You'll just know when the time is right," or "You'll just know if you're making the right decision," well, I'm just not sure I agree with that. Sometimes I wonder if any decision I've ever made is completely 100% perfectly right or if I could have made a different decision that would have been right in different ways. How do you really know for sure? And how do you know when the 'time' is right? Does something hit you between the eyes to make you aware? Sometimes I think getting smacked at the 'right time' would be easier because how else do you know? Hmm...

Sunday, November 6, 2005

Finally, some time to post!

I cannot believe how fast the weeks go by. Is anyone else just absolutely floored that it is November 6? I have absolutely no idea what happened to October...or to September...or to August...or to this whole year. Amazing.

I feel like time has gone so fast lately. Tim and I are both keeping busy with our jobs. He was just put in charge of a big Pepsi implementation thing. I don't understand the logistics (literally...ha!) of it but it sounds like a really cool deal. I've been on an audit for the past several weeks...I really love my job. I always thought that the first second that I could get to not work I would jump at it but now that I have a job that I absolutely love, I never want to leave it. To think that someday I might have to make that sacrifice is saddening to me. So weird to think that my train of thought about working has changed so much...I guess it really is true that when you find a job you love, it doesn't feel like work. And I'm only just beginning...I'm still trying to figure out everything... I can't wait until I'm as smart as the people I work with! We had a team building activity on Friday. We all went bowling and then to happy hour... it is so nice to work with people that you genuinely enjoy hanging out with outside of work. The people are probably the number one reason I love my job so much.

Our house is coming along...slowly but surely. We drove by it yesterday and there are actually machines in the neighborhood and what the streets will be are more clearly marked. So, sometime within the next several months the building process should start... We just bought a table today. I love it a lot. We got it at Ashley Furniture... we got an extension table with 6 chairs. It was also pretty reasonable. We got all of that for $1000-less than what we would have paid for JUST the table at Pottery Barn and the quality was just as good, so I was happy. It's one of the things that we must have...simply for our sanity. We have been using TV trays for mostly all meals (unless we go out) and it's getting old. It's a really nice table...it's black with redish striped material on the seats... so it will match our couches and our black granite counter tops perfectly! I'm excited... but we still have to buy the boring stuff in the next few months... washer, dryer, refrigerator...

We want to fly back to KC for christmas. I should be able to get some time off and Tim will be too. I have to work on New Years doing inventory observations for everyone whose year end is December 31 so that's kind of a drag but it will be fun to go back to KC. Plane tickets are ridiculously expensive though. I think the cheapist we've seen is $360 a pop. I'm thinking that maybe the Christmas present I want from my parents is for them to help us buy part of the tickets. Hmm... Speaking of my parents, they are coming out here for the week of Thanksgiving. Should be really fun...I'm excited to see them.

I love Phoenix. Love it. I still have the mentality that all of these perfect days are going to come to a halt...the temperature is going to plummet to 30 below zero and it's going to snow and ice. So every day, I itch to get outside for the whole day. What I don't realize yet is that for the next six months, it's only going to be the same, if not better. Right now our average temperature is the low to mid 80s, at night it cools down to the 50s (which feels FREEZING!) It's always sunny... today it is cloudy and I actually kind of like it. Clouds are a definite rarity around here... I love that! We've been playing a lot of tennis, walking, and running a lot. Yesterday there was an art festival in old Litchfield Park that we walked around in...those people are so talented! I bought a cute little sign to hang in my laundry room. Probably not the best piece of art at the festival but I love it nonetheless.

Cats are doing well. Emerson has learned how to jump. We've found her on counters and on our top rack of our closet which is honestly about 8 feet up in the air. I think she climbs on stuff to get up there but it's still amazing. She also has dreams to be a body builder. She sleeps on my weights everyday. Looks entirely uncomfortable but if we move them I think she'd freak. Berkely didn't die (or barf) after ingesting Clorox. Thank god. They both continue to wrestle each other when Tim's not wrestling them. They are so funny...

Things are going well...I really couldn't ask for them to be any better. I just really can't believe how fast the weeks go by...November 6, huh? Wow.

A shot from our porch

Last Sunday morning as we were watching Today and trying to wake up we saw tons of hot air balloons flying so close to our windows we thought they could possibly hit our neighbors houses...so then we had to go walk and see them since they landed at the high school close by. It was pretty neat!

A hot air balloon basket

Here is Mr. Monster Balloon dude. I was amazed at how huge these things are!

Dreaming of her future career as a body builder

Wrestling...does she look scared or unintimidated? I think it's the latter.

Tuesday, November 1, 2005

Happy belated Halloween!

Hope everyone had a happy halloween... we had ZERO trick or treaters. We were kind of disappointed but that means more candy for us! We think it's because 1) our neighborhood really doesn't have too many kids...it's mostly people around our age and a little older and 2) the lighting in our neighborhood isn't great. So, maybe next year when we live in a real life neighborhood we will have some. Until then, I have a huge bowl of different kinds of reeses that I need to get busy eating... YUM!