Retrospectively speaking...

So for starters I'm pretty sure I just invented a new word. Anyway...I was looking back over my blog and realized that about 90% of it is very negative. Now I realize when I started it that the whole point of it was giving me a forum to vent when I needed it. But I should also use it to talk about the good things in my life. I definitely believe that things happen for a reason but I usually don't realize it until several days, weeks, months even years later. Every bad thing that has happened in my life (with the exception of my grandpa passing away) has eventually led to something good. For example...if Scott had never broken up with me I wouldn't have realized that I deserved better...and then I wouldn't have started dating Peter, who although he was a great guy was not the guy for me. So I would have never moved out East and missed the midwest and wanted to move back. I would never have ended up in Cincinnati and eventually met Glenn. God has a funny plan for all of us and sometimes (ok for me almost all of the time) we just aren't patient enough to see that plan. I could cut out almost all of the stress in my life if I just realized that no matter what I do...he has a plan for me. I have really been trying lately to believe in that plan and not stress out about things that I have no control over. I get stressed out over stuff at work that I have no control over. I get stressed out about trying to have a baby which I really have very little control over. I am a worry wart!!! When something happens my brain automatically thinks of the worst case scenario. If Glenn doesn't text me when he gets to work and then I can't reach him at his desk I assume he got in an accident. That has never happened and I have no reason to think that it will happen but I still think it. So...my goal for the next few weeks is to really work on seeing the glass half full instead of half empty. Then when it's overflowing I can really celebrate!!!!!

Up and Down...

This time it's the emotional rollercoaster...not the physical one. For those that don't know (all three people who probably read this) Glenn and I are trying to get pregnant. Because of this I have had to stop taking my anti-depressants. For someone who's never had to deal with depression you cannot truly appreciate how greatly this affects your life. Besides the physical withdrawl symptoms that I experienced for the first month and a half, the emotional twists and turns are awful. My husband, God love him, is trying so hard to understand what it is I go through. And I don't help the situation because I'm not very good about talking about it. Mostly because I find it very hard to explain what it is that is going on with me. How do you explain to someone that you are in a bad mood for absolutely no reason? And half the time I know that what little thing is upsetting me at that second is not what I'm really upset about and that were I on my meds...it probably wouldn't even be a blip on the screen.

I got home from dinner with a couple of my co-workers last night and Glenn asked if I cared if he went downstairs and played some playstion for an hour. Of course not...go for it. Well one hour turned into about 2 1/2. Which is fine in reality. I do the same thing when I go down to the basement to catch up on shows. Well Kona was being extra kranky yesterday and I of course was up here by myself having to deal with him.

That's when I started to realize what my life will be like for the next 6 months once softball starts. Glenn will be playing every Sunday, Tues and Wed nights plus occassional weekend tournaments. Which is great...it's something that he loves and for the most part I love watching him. However...what it also means is that Kona becomes my full responsibility on those nights and I can't make any of my own plans because it's not fair to him. I got upset about the fact that Glenn hadn't asked my opinion about playing as much as he does and that's what was really bothering me.

But that revelation really only led to another one and this is the one that is frustrating me and upsetting me the most. Glenn's natural first reaction to my complaint is to find something for me to get involved in for me!!!!! Well it's not as easy as it sounds. My group of friends here is very small and they are spread out over several cities. Even within Cincinnati I don't really live close to any of my friends. And when I say my friends I mean pre-Glenn. Not that I don't consider Glenn's friends to be my friends, but it's a different relationship. So anyway...it basically comes down to I have nothing like his softball. I don't have that weekly outlet and I don't know what I would want it to be. I've had several invites to do things but they usually either involve drinking or excessive physical activity that my back is just not ready for.

But tonight I told him how I felt and I apologized for not doing it sooner. The reason in the past that I would have just kept it bottled up was because then I didn't have to deal with everyone's assessment of what I should do. And although nothing was necessarily "solved" out of our conversation...it did make me feel better.

So...my goal for now is to find something that I could get involved with on a non-softball night so that Glenn has to be the stay-at-home dad and see if Kona scratches him as bad as he does me!!!

Mother Nature Sucks

No...I'm not referring to the Mother Nature responsible for all the snow on the ground and the freezing temperatures. I'm talking about the Mother Nature every girl dreads once a month. Or in my case right now...twice a month. Last month she was several days late and I thought and hoped and prayed that it meant I wasn't going to see her for about 9 months. Instead it was a cruel joke and the bitch showed up on Christmas Eve...6 days late. To some people that might not seem like such a big deal, but for the last 6 months she's shown up on schedule every 4 weeks. After getting over the disappointment and getting back on track of trying to get rid of her for awhile, she decides to stop in this week unannounced AGAIN...less than two weeks after her last visit. WTF!!!!

So after a fairly good first week of my commitment to being healthy I'm feeling like crap, extra tired and so bloated my pants barely fit. This is why the roller coaster will never leave my life. I'm trying very, very hard to stay focused but she's not making it easy.

No more excuses...

Up and down...up and down. That's what the scale does. In and out...in and out. That's what my waist does. Lately it's only been up and out. I've never been "skinny" and that's not what my goal is. I'm just tired of feeling uncomfortable in my skin, my clothes, my body. I am at the heaviest I have ever been and I hate it. I look in the mirror and I wonder how I got here. The bad thing is that I know what to do. I know what to eat, I know how to work out. I just choose not to. I had a few bouts of accomplishment but I was usually motivated by a short term goal (vacation, class reunion, wedding) but once the goal is reached I lose my motivation. Instead of making a short term goal...I need to realize that my long term goal is to be healthy so that I can enjoy life and the family that we are hoping to start soon. I know I will need a lot of support along the way and I know I have some amazing family and friends that will give it to me.

SHOOTING FOR THE SOUL: Genny and Glen's E-Session in Cincinnati!

SHOOTING FOR THE SOUL: Genny and Glen's E-Session in Cincinnati!

Thank God it wasn't our first date...

So, Friday night was the one year anniversary of my first date with Glenn. We decided that in honor of the monumental occasion that we should go back to the scene of the crime. After we spent a little time with the puppy after work we headed up to Applebee's. We figured with it being a Friday there would be a little bit of a wait so we weren't surprised when they said it would be about 30 minutes. Right after we gave our name a couple got up from the bar so we decided to sit down and have a drink. I ordered a glass of wine and Glenn was the rebel and got water. When the bartender put the tab up we realized that it was happy hour. So we got the happy hour menu and Glenn ordered a long island and we ordered some potato skins in case it was awhile before we were seated.

About five minutes later the hostess came over to tell us our table was ready...go figure. So Glenn went to get the table and I stayed to pay the tab. I asked the bartender if he would just send our appetizer over to the table and he said no problem. We sat down and our waitress came over to greet us. We told her we had ordered and appetizer at the bar and that they were gonna bring it over. She gave us a few minutes to decide what we wanted and came back to take our order. We both decided to forget it was Friday during lent and get steaks...I know...we're horrible Catholics.

A few minutes later Glenn's salad came out and we still didn't have an appetizer. After another few minutes Glenn went up to the bar to ask the bartender what was up with our food. He sat back down and said he didn't know if the bartender had heard him cause it was so loud. Then he said he noticed the bartender go to the end of the bar where we had been sitting, grab a plate and go to the kitchen. About 30 seconds later our waitress came out with our app. Coincidence...I think not. Luckily they were still warm.

So the food came out and it smelled and looked fabulous. Glenn got a NY Strip and I got the Parmesan Shrimp Sirloin. Glenn's was slightly overcooked and about a third of the way through mine I realized that it was slightly undercooked. But it was still fabulous. As I started to cut into the last third of my steak all of that changed. I saw a huge mosquito stuck in the cheese. And you can ask Glenn...I'm not exaggerating when I say huge. I'm still not quite sure how I didn't see it until then. I think it's cause I was so distracted by my hot date!!! Luckily we were close to the restroom because I thought I was gonna puke. Luckily I didn't but I was still completely disgusted...and pissed cause up until then it was soooooooooo good. While I was in the restroom Glenn got our waitresses attention and told her what happened and the manager came over and took my plate and apologized to Glenn. Glenn had pushed his plate away but obviously the manager was an idiot and thought Glenn would want to finish eating after all of that. When I came back Glenn told me the manager was going to take my meal off. The waitress came back over and told me the same thing and brought the bill. The manager never came back over and apologized to me which is what he should have done...I worked in the restaurant industry long enough to know that.

So needless to say...not the best date ever. And luckily it wasn't our first date or I might have taken it at a bad omen and not gone on a second one. Instead, I will take it as a sign from God that we can weather any storm...but we shouldn't eat meat on Fridays!!!!!

Damn the man...

So...I finally found a medicine that was helping with my back/hip/muscle pain. It was like a miracle drug. I hadn't had any pain in my shoulders or hips in over a month. And then a new calendar year came around and my deductible started all over again. I found out my miracle drug was going to cost $185 for a month and a half supply. HOLY CRAP!!! I'm not buying crack here. Obviously that money is not available in my very thin budget. So I've had to go back to my old medicine which does very little in relieving my pain. It frustrates me to no end that I work hard, don't rely on anyone and still can't afford the basic medical things that I need. I just made the final payment on a biopsy that I had done in November of 2007. I have one payment left on the sleep study I had done a year ago. I work in the medical field so I know what things cost and what the insurance companies pay. Insurance companies make billions of dollars a year by denying necessary procedures and cutting reimbursement. Every day I see patients who have $30, $40, $50 dollar co-pays every time they see the doctor. And the same every physical therapy visit they have. This is only one small part of the medical world but our area is very rarely unnecessary. OK...I've kind of gotten off topic.

I look at my health history and wonder why I am always sick...always coming down with something. I think a lot of it stems from my sleep disorder. For those of you that don't know I was diagnosed with a sleep disorder called Non-Restorative Sleep Disorder. Basically my brain never shuts down. When we sleep our brain waves should be very minimal. Well, when I sleep my brain waves are the same as when I'm awake. So without medication I can't sleep for more than 2-3 straight hours. Every night I have to take 2 different sleeping medications in order to try and sleep through the night. Basically all they do is put me into what I call a drug-induced coma. Yes, I may not wake up til the alarm clock goes off, but I never feel rested when I wake up. Imagine going months and months without sleeping. This is what I feel like every day. And because of my crappy health insurance I can't really afford to look into other possible treatments aside from the medication. And even these aren't always approved. Because I need two different medications, my insurance will allow one but not the other. So I get the "discounted" price on one but have to pay the full price on the other. I think it's absolutely ridiculous that the insurance companies should decide what medication I should take instead of my doctor.

So my theory as to why I'm always sick is that my immune system is just so low from my body being physically exhausted all the time. Right now I have some kind of sinus infection/chest cold. I have been hacking up a lung the last two days which in turn causes my entire lower body to hurt. My back and hips hurt so bad that I was almost in tears yesterday. I am currently laying on two ice packs while I write this and just took a percocet to try and cut down some of the pain. But of course...if I needed any new medication I wouldn't be able to afford it so instead I will just suffer through it and wait for the next bump in the road to come along. I will not step down off my soap box...good day.

Mafia Wars...It's more than just an addiction!!

So...a few months ago an old friend from college sent me an invite to play a game called Mafia Wars on facebook. I joined and looked at it a few times but never really got too it. Then slowly over the next several weeks I started looking at it more frequently and then realized that some of my other friends were playing too. So of course I got more interested since I had other people to talk to about it. Then about a week ago...Glenn and I went to Chris and Courtney's for dinner and Chris had it up on his computer. While Courtney and I sat in the living room discussing "an annoyance who shall not be named", Chris was showing Glenn the game and within a few days Glenn was a member of facebook. That was something I never thought would happen. He has always been anti-myspace and facebook. Then I realized that the only reason he joined was to play Mafia Wars. Over the last week the two of us have been completely and utterly addicted. At the beginning I was playing a little here and there and now am pathetically addicted to the point where I bring my computer to work so I can play at lunch. In fact the only reason I'm writing this right now is because I'm waiting for my stamina to refill so I can fight again...LOL. It's a sad, sad world we live in. But I guess this helps keep our minds off the economy and all the other unhappy things going on in the world. So...if you don't see or hear from either of us for awhile...it's cause we're kicking ass and taking names!!

A Drunk Fest...

Sorry I haven't posted in awhile. We've been super busy lately. I feel like we are constantly going and never get to slow down. We are leaving in about 5 minutes to head to Gatlinburg, TN for Super Bowl weekend. 12 people (and a fricking baby) in a pimped out house with nothing to do but relax and DRINK!!! We have a huge theater room and plenty of movies and Wii games to fill the weekend. So excited about leaving the nasty snow and ice in Cincinnati for some slightly warmer temps. It's sad when you look forward to 44 degree weather. I promise I will be better about keeping up with this when we get back.

Peace out cub scout!!!!!

It's not just me...

So...last night I was part of a sleep study group discussion. Basically there were 2 representatives from a pharmaceutical company, myself and 5 other women who all have sleeping issues like myself. The reps initiated different topics related to our sleep problems such as it's impact on our jobs, social life, personal life, health, etc and then we all just kind of jumped in with our stories. They also asked us questions about our "ideal" sleeping aid and also our ideas/opinions on future questionnaires for people with sleep problems.

So...why you ask is this blog-worthy? Because so far this has been a pretty boring blog. Last night, not only did I find out that I'm not alone and that in fact there are people even crazier than me...but I GOT PAID TO TALK!!!! I know...you sit there and ask yourself....how could Genny overcome her shyness and talk to people she doesn't know? LOL...ahhhh, I crack myself up. I got paid $100 to just shoot the breeze, chit-chat, blab, converse if you will. It was awesome. If I could do that for a living...I would be one happy camper. So...if anyone asks, I am looking for a position as a professional guinea pig/participant.

Goodbye 2008...Year in Review!

So I'm writing this now because I will not have my computer with me on New Years. I will be in Miami, FL!!!!! WAHOO!!!!! I can't think of a better way to end this year. It has been such a good year.

I started off the year in California for the Rose Bowl. Spending the beginning of the year with my sister was awesome. It's so hard to be so far away from her. We went to Disney and saw Mickey and did some shopping on Rodeo Drive. It was definitely a good trip to Cali.



February was nothing to write home about. The only thing I can remember was picking up my bridesmaid's dress in my pajamas on Valentine's Day. Yeah...I'm a loser.

But then came March...the month that changed the rest of my life. That's when I met Glenn...and all of the amazing people he has brought into my life. We met on a Saturday, had our first date on Thursday and then he had to go to Atlanta for 2 weeks for work. Not the ideal way to start out a relationship. But honestly...I think it's what made our relationship. We talked on the phone every night for two weeks. I was more nervous for our second date than I was our first. But once I saw him again, the nerves went away and I knew this was going to be something special. All of a sudden life just felt right. Like that piece that was missing was now perfectly in place. I think I knew at the end of that date that I was going to spend the rest of my life with him.

In April I had lasik surgery and took Glenn home to meet the parents. Of course, they loved him and so did my friends. The rest of the month was filled with house hunting and softball for him...and for me it was watching softball!!! The month just flew by.

May was more of the same...spending time together, watching/playing softball and Glenn bargaining his way into what is now our home. We spent Memorial Day weekend at the softball park watching the team win the tournament that would send them to Nationals in Virginia.

June was spent preparing to move into the house. He closed on June 11 but didn't get possession until June 28th. Ohio is weird like that. He got the keys on Sat around 5 and we brought my air mattress over so we could spend the first night in the house. So moving day finally came and I made sure that the first thing that went into the house was an Illinois floor mat!!!!!!! His friends all came to help and the moving went so fast. He does have some awesome friends. We spent the evening with friends sitting on the back deck, enjoying some beers and for us realizing that this was a huge step for us. While I wasn't officially moved in, I never stayed at my apt again.

July was more softball and going home for my cousin's wedding. My sister and her boyfriend "surprised me" by coming home for the wedding. Sadly I found out about it a week or so before we went home. But it was so much fun getting to spend time with them and having Sissy and Glenn meet. Now they're bestest friends. I also started my new position at work. I was not happy in my old position and was actually looking for a new job unbeknownst to my current job. Then one day they called and asked if I wanted this new position and I'm still wondering why I said yes.

August was filled with more softball and working on the house. Work was not going as well as I had hoped and had many days where I wanted to just quit. But...obviously I am not in a place financially where I could do that and with the economy in the bucket I should be happy I have such a good paying job to begin with. So I just tell myself every day that it's a resume builder and that some day, something better will come along!!! At the end of August I officially moved in! We've had fun trying to figure out how to combine all of our stuff but I think we've done a pretty good job. There is still a lot to do on the house but it definitely feels like a home.

September started with a trip to Virginia for the softball national tournament. We drove with Chris and Courtney. 8 hours in a car with a bad back and a bad hip is not fun. But we made it! We had good weather but sadly not a good tournament. It was Labor Day weekend and there were some guys on the team that couldn't make the trip so they weren't playing with their best roster. They lost their first game to a bunch of old, fat guys that they should have easily won. But that meant we got to go back to the hotel and hang out at the pool!!! We had a team dinner at Hooters where everyone just relaxed and had a good time. They went 1-2 but that meant we had an extra day to play and got to do some fun sight seeing on the way home. We stopped at Greenbriar in West Virginia which is an absolutely gorgeous hotel/grounds, then stopped at a gorge before going to the Mystery Hole.

After Nationals I was in Lisa's wedding. We had such a good time. The wedding itself was absolutely beautiful, as was the bride. And the reception was one helluva party. I am so unbelievably happy for Lisa and Burt and so glad that I can call them friends. I just wish I got to see them more often. Columbus is just too far away!

October started off pretty boring. Work, house stuff, work, house stuff. We went to the Illinois game against Indiana which rocked. And then...WE GOT A PUPPY!!!!! It wasn't planned. We originally had planned on getting one in the spring. I got home after a bad day of work and we decided to go out to dinner cause neither of us wanted to cook. There's a pet store right next to the restaurant we went to so we decided to go in and look since I don't really know much about different breeds and stuff. And on our way out, we saw the cutest little fluff ball. From the first second I held him I knew he was going home with us. We named him Kona...just something that Glenn came up with and it was love at first lick. While there have been times when I questioned why we got a dog, I have never regretted it. He has added so much fun and love to our lives.

November was spent doing a little work on the house, hanging with the puppy and hanging with our friends. Glenn and Kona came home with me for Thanksgiving and they both survived it. Everyone absolutely loved Kona and my aunt gave him the best gift...a little Illinois bandana to wear around his neck.

And finally December...the month where it's finally all about me!!! As many of you know I turned the big 3-0 this year. I know a lot of women freak out, but I completely embraced it. This has been such a good year for me...how could I not. Glenn planned an excellent birthday for me. I thought I had it all figured out but I was way off. We woke up to a snow covered ground and found out that Kona absolutely loves the snow. I knew that we were doing something in the afternoon, dinner at 5:30 and then something afterwards. I had figured out that we were going ice skating down at fountain square. Then I thought we were doing dinner at McCormick's and then going to see Stomp. We got downtown around 4:15 only to find out that at 4:30 they were clearing the ice to run the zamboni and that it took half an hour. So we weren't gonna be able to go ice skating. So we just got some hot chocolate and walked around the square for a bit. We went into Tiffany's so I could ask them about cleaning the bracelet Sissy and Mr. Anthony got me and then it was time for dinner. So Glenn told me to take him to where I thought we were eating. So I started to walk into McCormick's and he just stopped and said he'd wait for me outside. I was so confused. I thought for sure I knew where we were going. So then we crossed the street towards Boi Na Braza where he tricked me again and made a sharp turn to cross the street. I finally figured out that we were going to Palomino and he had reserved a table at the window looking out over fountain square. Chris and Courtney met us for dinner and we had an excellent time. So then I found out that I was way off on Stomp and took me about 6 guesses to figure out we were going to the hockey game. He knows how much I love hockey and we had never gone to a game together. So we walked to the arena and met Chris and Lisa and the six of us went to the game. It was an excellent birthday!!

Our first Christmas together was amazing. We went to his aunt and uncle's for Christmas Eve and then spent Christmas morning together opening gifts. Kona got an Illinois football jersey from his cousin Chloe and he looks absolutely adorable in it. We went to Glenn's sisters for Christmas Day and had so much fun. Mommy was supposed to get here Friday but they had a bad ice storm so she couldn't come until Saturday. So we are just hanging out this weekend and then Monday night Glenn and I fly down to Ft. Lauderdale. I am sooooo excited. Chris and Courtney and Chris and Lisa are driving down Tues night and then we get to spend the rest of the week playing in the fun and sun. New Year's Day we're going to watch UC play in the Orange Bowl. This truly has been one of the best years of my life! I can't wait to see what 2009 has to offer!!!!!

Merry Christmas to all....

This has been a year of many firsts for me. And this Christmas was another one. This was the first Christmas I didn't spend with my family. Last year was the first Christmas that I didn't go home for Christmas, but my mom came here and we went to my aunts for dinner. But this year was just me...and my new family. Christmas Eve we went to Glenn's aunt and uncles for dinner. There was probably about 20 people there which felt more like a typical Christmas for me. We did a gift exchange and had a wonderful meal. Then came home and went to bed early because I was exhausted. Glenn's family used to always open their gifts on Christmas Eve but we always did on Christmas morning. After all...how can Santa deliver gifts if you're not sleeping. So I convinced him it was better to wake up to presents on Christmas morning.

Kona slept in the bed with us and let us sleep in until around 8. We got up and did presents together. We both got blankets from Sissy...Illinois for me and UC for Glenn. I got UC shirts for the Orange Bowl and Super Mario Kart for Wii...YEAH!!! Glenn got some Lowe's gift cards and something else which I can't say here cause I got my sister and Anthony the same thing...LOL. But needless to say...it is the best gift EVER. Then it was Kona's turn for presents. He got a new bed, a bunch of toys and an Illinois football jersey from his cousin Chloe. He loved it and wore it all day.

After we played Mario Kart for a little while we packed up all the toys and games and headed up to Glenn's sisters house. It was another full house that felt like home. Lots of people, food and games. We taught everyone how to Wii snowboard and raced a little mario kart. Then once everyone had left except for us, we played his sisters new game, "Partini". It was me and Glenn vs. Terri and Larry. And we kicked butt!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It was a good time and I absolutely love his family. They have made me feel like part of the family from the get go. I am so absolutely lucky. The only thing that could make this better was if my sissy didn't live so far away. I miss you more than you know!!!!!!

OK...time to get back to work. And then mommy comes today and we get to do this all over again!!!!!!!

PMS...a blessing and a curse

Once a month my normally out of control emotions go even more haywire. Sometimes the tiniest thing can make me cry one second and scream the next. Or I can go from being in a great mood to being pissed for three straight days. There are times when this happens and I can use the excuse...it's PMS...I can't help it. And I'll be honest and say I use this excuse much more than I should...LOL. That is the blessing side of this. It's an easy out. But that doesn't mean I should use it.

Most people who know me know that my moods can be all over the place...stupid chemical imbalance. I'm sure some people just think I'm a bitch...which may be true to an extent. So imagine when my hormones put my moodiness into hyper-mode. This is when the curse comes into play. Because when this happens, someone (or something) is usually on the opposing end of my mood. This someone or something may not always know it. For example...the dumbass driver who cut me off today when the road was a complete sheet of ice and was cursed for the 2 miles he was in front of me today. He has no idea that I banished him to the inner realms of hell. And my poor steering wheel that usually takes the brunt of the punishment when things like this happen. But the one that makes me feel the guiltiest is Glenn. God love him! He puts up with so much...my obsession with Illinois, my random crying episodes, my comatose state that my sleeping pills put me in at night which means he has to get up to take the dog out, my puking in his car from my lack of ability to say no to a free bar (stupid company Christmas party!!). But putting up with my moods, both normal and PMS super-dosed, has to be hard. I know how hard it is to live with myself so I can only imagine how hard it is for someone else to live with me.

I've never done well with talking to other people about what is going on with me. Sadly it's one of the traits I learned from my parents. I keep everything inside until it explodes. And it's not always pretty when it does. But luckily for me...he won't let me do that. He makes me talk to him even when I don't want to or don't know how. He loves me no matter how easily I get pissed off. He loves me when I get mad at him for something stupid. He loves me when I don't love myself. He makes the emotional rollercoaster that my brain puts me on worth riding.

I'm dreaming of a white Christmas...

OK...so that's a lie. I hate when it snows here. People freak out and traffic is ridiculous. Growing up I loved the snow. What was better than heading out all bundled up and either making a snowman or flapping up some snow angels? And nothing beat boys vs. girls tackle football...where of course the girls always won!!! Back then we didn't have a care in the world. We would go out for hours at a time and come home expecting nothing more than a hug and a mug of hot chocolate. I haven't been a big fan of snow the last few years...mostly because of the idiot drivers who can't handle their cars in it. But lately I've kind of started to think about how snow made me feel when I was little. It started a few weeks ago when we got a few inches and we took Kona outside for the first time. It was like watching a little kid in the snow for the first time. He absolutely loved it...running around, digging his nose in. He didn't have a care in the world and I remember when it was like that for us. Now, there are so many things that keep us pre-occupied. Jobs that suck and bills that never go away! Pressure to come up with the perfect Christmas present while fighting angry crowds at the stores. It can make it that much harder to get in the Christmas spirit. But this year has been differeing. This year just seems extra special because it's my first Christmas with Glenn (and Kona of course). This has been such an amazing year so far and I can only imagine what is coming up in our near future. I have so many new and old friends in my life and feel so blessed with where I am at right now. I hope everyone is having a good Christmas season so far. Not really sure what, if anything, this blog said cause I kind of just rambled. But that's the whole point isn't it??

Thanksgiving #2, 3, 4 and 5

So...today was officially Thanksgiving. We managed the long drive yesterday with no problems. Kona did fantastic on the drive. He either slept or layed in my lap. Last night I got my hair cut/colored and then we hung out with my dad. Today we all slept in a little and then started the tour of Thanksgiving Day visits. First we stopped by my dad's girlfriends house where Kona tried to make friends with Indi the golden retriever who's 4 times his size. Then we went to my mom's before finally heading to my grandma's. Once there we hung out and played games before finally stuffing ourselves with food. And then we played some more games. A family tradition of "officially inviting someone" into the family is playing a little game called Psychiatrist. Glenn was the Psychiatrist and he played it with good spirits. And I think he figured out "our problem" faster than anyone else has. After a few rounds of Catch Phrase we went over to my Aunt Terri's to visit for a little before heading home for some much needed sleep. I would definitely say that my family's Thanksgiving is a little more dysfunctional but all the same they love me and Glenn just the same. I hope everyone had as good of a day as he did. Happy Gobble Gobble to all!!!!!

Thanksgiving #1

So...tonight we had Glenn's parents, grandma and aunt and uncle over for dinner. It was a full Thanksgiving dinner with all the trimmings. We cleaned the entire house, had a full spread and Glenn even made a pumpkin cheesecake to top it off. Why is this such a big deal??? This will be the first holiday that Glenn has missed. Yes...he hasn't missed a single holiday in 29 years. That's what happens when you date someone who is from the town you move to and who went to college there. There was no reason to miss a holiday. I have lived all over the country and because of this obviously have missed several holidays. So...what is the point of this??? I have the best of both worlds. Not only do I get to look forward to going home and seeing my parents, grandparents, friends and extended family (ok, truly only looking forward to some)...but I also got to have a wonderful evening tonight. I've never experienced a small family holiday dinner. Between my two sides my family numbers close to 90. Yet having just the 7 of us here tonight felt just as perfect. His family realizes that this is the first holiday that he is missing and they realize that it is because of me...yet luckily for me, they realize that this is a good thing. They realize that he is beginning a wonderful new chapter in his life and that they are welcoming a new addition to their family. Since day one I have felt like I have been welcomed with open arms. I have always looked forward to spending time with his parents, sister or extended family. They are truly a wonderful family and I can't wait until I am officially part of them. With that being said...it is time to finish cleaning up and get to bed so we can get up and pack for the big trip home with the puppy. Our first Thanksgiving at our house, his first holiday away from home, and Kona's first true road trip. Awwwwwww...look at us and our big grown up family...LOL.

Needles, Needles are no fun...

Unless of course they make the pain go away!! For those of you who don't know I was in a fairly bad car accident almost 8 years ago. Since then I have tried just about everything to get rid of, or at least decrease, my back pain. I've done chiro, therapy (physical and mental...LOL), tens units, vicodin, percocet, and an injection in my SI joint. Nothing has helped!!! The pain might decrease slightly but never goes away. So I went back to my doctor again and said we need to try something new because my deductible is met and I want relief. So he decided to order a nerve block to see if it helped. They actually did two blocks, the L-4 and L-5 nerve roots. The injections themselves weren't too bad. Felt like several long bee stings. The doctor who performed the injection said if I got relief from the injection they would perform a 2nd one within 2-3 weeks. If that provided relief they would do a third procedure where they would actually burn the nerve root and I would have an 80-90% chance of no longer having pain. I was like...WHAT???? Why the hell didn't they try this years ago? My doctor didn't say anything to me about what this could possibly end up doing. No pain...I would have no idea what to do with myself. The only thing I've known for the last 8 years has been constant low back pain and in the last year or so, left hip pain. So...the thought of possibly getting rid of my pain is mind blowing. I'm pretty sore right now which they said was normal and I am not going to work tomorrow so that I can just relax. So...fingers crossed!!!!! Hopefully by the end of the year I am pain free with no additional money out of my pocket!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Puppy Videos

OK...I tried to put these videos up last night but it wasn't being cooperative. So here we go again...

OK...so obviously that isn't a video but I couldn't get the darn thing to work. So you will have to settle with another picture of me and the puppy!!!

First Bath

Obviously this title doesn't apply to me...LOL. I was told I wasn't doing a very good job keeping this updated and promised my sissy I would post this tonight. So last week I decided it was time for puppy to have a bath. Glenn had to go help a friend of his install some lights so puppy and I had some bonding time. Since we got him, he's tried nothing more than to get into the bathtub. He was full of curiosity as to what was over that ugly pink wall. He learned that the grass isn't pinker on the other side. The second I put him in the tub his little claws just started sliding all over. It was quite comical. The second I poured water on him, he looked like he lost 4 pounds...which is a lot when you only weight ~6 pounds.

That's when the battle began. As hard as he was trying before to get INTO the tub he was trying to get back out. Needless to say he wasn't the only one with water on him. But it was ok. Until I actually got him out and started drying him off. I kind of forgot about "the wet puppy shake."

So he wasn't feeling the towel and was shivering so I busted out the hair dryer. I definitely wish I had that on video. His hair was all wavy after that, but after a good brush out he was all poofy and fluffy again. However apparently it made him a little psycho. I tried to put a video on here but it's not cooperating so I will try and do that tomorrow!

Kona Ki

Sooooo...we got a puppy!!!! I've been meaning to put a blog up since we got him but we've been so busy that I just haven't had time. He is absolutely the cutest thing in the whole world. His name is Kona Ki. He's a 9 week old shih-poo (shitzu poodle). So he literally is a little shit head...LOL!!! Anyway...we got him a week and a half ago after we had gone to dinner. It started out as just looking and then as soon as I held him I knew he was going home with us. He's doing pretty well on the training so far. Although he is starting to show more puppy tendency's the last few days. He's turned into a bit of a biter so we're trying to break him of that habit. But it's hard cause you want to play with him but at the same time make him realize you're not always playing. He's sleeping well through the night (I feel like we have a kid) but doesn't do well when we leave. He is at the point where he doesn't even whine anymore when it's time to go into his crate for bedtime, but when we leave for work or whatever...watch out!!!! All hell breaks loose and he cries and whines like it's his job. It makes it very hard to leave but so much fun to come home. So...here are some pictures of him and we'll keep you updated as he continues to grow and become an even bigger part of our family!!