tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-59263319416341726182024-02-20T01:13:29.409-06:00Brandie's BlogUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger123125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5926331941634172618.post-64518439257536568542012-04-02T19:52:00.000-05:002012-04-02T19:52:55.788-05:00Five (Yes I Know I'm Anal And Ridiculous) (Very Minor Things) That Drive Me (Irrationally) Batty<br /><br />
1.... Open cabinet doors: They're there for a reason! If they were supposed to hang open and constantly expose my slopply organized dishes then the door just wouldn't be there. The day when the inside of my cabinets look as nice as the outside I'll be the first person to take the doors off and throw them away before I can bang my head into (yet another) corner of an open cabinet door.
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2.... Open shower curtains: Soap scum creeping in the corners. Fallen poofs spiked with remanants of red bodywash. Suicide shampoo bottles lying helplessly in a pool of waste water. I swear the tub looks like a battle zone after the kids take their evening baths. That thing could be shiny new and spic'n'span, but as soon as the kids bathe it looks like World War 3 commenced on a Japanese island and relocated to my tub. Just ... keep it closed ... please.
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3.... Dishes/Towels/Canned Food Not Rotated: Yes, I'm one of those people where everything new/fresh/washed goes in the back and the new stuff gets rotated to the front. This probably doesn't matter for the dishes, since they don't even have a print on them. I like to pretend that it matters with the towels -- after all, I wouldn't want the color to wear unevenly, right? The canned food doesn't really matter, we always eat it before it goes bad, but it's just so hard to resist doing! I wonder how much time I'd save by NOT rotating the canned goods? Let's see: 5 mins every two weeks. 52 weeks a year = 130 minutes per year x 60 (more) years: 7800 minutes = 130 hours = 5.416 days of my life spent rotating cans. Heh. The fact that I even did that calculation just goes to show how anal I really am about things, huh?
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4.... Not Reading ALL Directions BEFORE Commencing a Project: I don't care if I'm assembling something minor, major, or got a new "toy", I always read ALL the directions before messing with it. I then proceed to get annoyed at those who refuse to read the directions and instead ask me and waste my time. FYI: Try to solve the problem yourself before coming to me, cause I'm not going to be that nice if you don't at least try to help yourself first. But hey, assuming you don't have an IQ of 60, I'll certainly be helpful if you continue to have problems -- just make sure you read the directions first!
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5.... Puzzle Intrusion: I am a fan of jigsaw puzzles and always have one in the process of being completed. If you want to sit down and help me, that's cool, I appreciate it. Just don't come in, sit down, and pull out and build the easiest part of the puzzle, and leave. Dude, I was saving that! I hadn't gotten that far yet, and was not going to build it till it got close to connecting to the puzzle. And if you want to do the easiest part of the puzzle, you better do some of the hardest parts too. It's not fair if all I get to do is build the damn sky and water as the good parts get taken.<br />
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Hmmm.... now that I've finished this list, I see that most of these
things are items I'd like to nag my hubby about but won't. (long glare
at the hubby who doesn't read this anyway, but maybe it'd do him some
good, except I wouldn't want him to find my <a href="http://icybluerose.blogspot.com/2008/06/whos-in-your-fave-5.html">Fave 5 list</a> or he'll never let me watch American Idol again and will probably be forever creeped out, as I fear my readers are now)
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;">Technorati Code: <span class="status"> PR2QWJ5QJNQT</span></span><br />
<center><br /></center>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5926331941634172618.post-83882311348070713492012-03-07T13:30:00.001-06:002012-03-07T13:50:39.548-06:00Life Before Turning 30Today I take my blogging mobile as I type from my airplane headed to Newark, New Jersey. Once I get there I will take a shuttle to my New York City hotel in Manhattan and enjoy 3 1/2 fun filled days and nights in NYC.<br />
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It's going to be fun an exciting, but I have something to admit: I'm running away. You see tomorrow is a big milestone in my life as I turn 30 years old. Now don't get me wrong, I want to live a nice long life -- BUT I really don't want to be 30. Yikes! In previous years past I have always looked forward to my birthday, but this year I don't really want to think about it. I am running away to NYC, which is somewhere I've always wanted to visit, so that I could have something to look forward to instead of dread. You know what? It's working. I've hardly given my birthday any thought at all. Now talk to me tomorrow when people are calling asking what it feels like to be 30. I might have to turn my phone off!<br />
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I think I fear a loss of youth and physically looking older. I'm happy with this point in my life. A good friend of mine pointed out all that I have accomplished <i>before I hit 30</i>. When she said that a light bulb went off in my head -- perhaps I was thinking of this transition in the wrong way! I was solely focused on the turn in my life once reaching 30. I hadn't stopped to think about the journey getting here.<br />
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Those who know me know that I have been through a lot in life. I have pulled myself out of poverty so extreme that many people don't realize children in the US can live as I did. I have dealt with many extreme situations and struggles in many aspects of my life. I am often told I am wise for my years; well that's just because I've had to do a lot of living.<br />
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This blog entry is an exercise for myself in trying to figure out what I consider my accomplishments before turning 30 to be. So, self ... what things come to mind? First and foremost is that I have shifted the focus of my life to where it should always have been: to the Lord. I've always had faith and been a believer but I haven't always focused my life as I should have or attempted to find God's purpose for me. I have launched a bible blog -- <a href="htttp://www.everydaybibleblog.com%3EEveryday%20Bible%20Blog%3C/a%3E%20and%20through%20it%20I%20am%20gaining%20a%20love%20and%20understanding%20of%20the%20Lord%20and%20the%20Word%20that%20is%20unprecedented%20for%20my%20life%20thus%20far.%20%20So%20this%20is%20how%20I%27ve%20turned%20my%20spiritual%20life%20around.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3E%3Cbr%3E%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EAs%20far%20as%20accomplishments%20go,%20I%20can%20think%20of%20many.%20%20I%20have%20three%20beautiful%20children%20and%20a%20husband%20who%20I%20have%20now%20been%20with%20for%20a%20decade.%20%20I%20own%20a%20house%20and%20a%20Jaguar.%20%20I%20am%20on%20track%20financially%20and%20am%20managing%20to%20save%20for%20retirement%20and%20college%20for%20my%20children.%20%20I%20graduated%20college%20myself%20--%20something%20I%20thought%20I%20would%20never%20have%20the%20means%20to%20do%20,%20and%20I%20did%20it%20with%20two%20children%21%20%20I%20landed%20a%20great%20job%20and%20made%20my%20home%20in%20St.%20Louis.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3E%3Cbr%3E%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EI%20had%20a%20story%20of%20mine%20published%20in%20a%20book.%20%20That%20was%20completely%20unsolicited%20on%20my%20part;%20they%20came%20to%20me.%20%20I%20wrote%20and%20released%20an%20iPhone/iPad%20app%20%28LevelFinder%29.%20%20I%20mentioned%20my%20%3Ca%20href=" http:="" www.everydaybibleblog.com="">Everyday Bible Blog</a> already. I applied to graduate school last week. And the day before yesterday two patents were filed with my name on them.<br />
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I've been to many places in my life because I was a navy brat. But I have also gotten to go places and do things of my own accord that were on my bucket list. I got to walk around Washington DC. I took a cruise to the Bahamas and had a fantastic time. I took my kids to Disney World, a place I had never gotten to go before. And now I'm on a plane headed to NYC, one of my top wish list destinations.<br />
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I guess I have done a lot <i>before I turned 30</i> and I should try to focus around that. I was never one of those people who had my life mapped (by 28 I will be married, first kid at 31, etc). But I guess if I were to go back 10 or 15 years and make a list, most of this stuff would be on it and I'd still be completely satisfied with where I am <i>by the time I turned 30</i>. I hope the Lord blesses me with a long life, because now I have to see what I can accomplish by the time I turn 40!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5926331941634172618.post-33131321007139730782012-01-02T13:50:00.003-06:002012-01-02T13:53:41.680-06:00New Blog Launched!Happy New Year Everyone!<br />
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My new year resolution actually started as a project that began many months ago. I decided to launch a new blog on January 1st, 2012 where I would publish a blog post about the bible every single day of the year, until I had fully read through the bible. If you want to know the reason why I decided to do this, you can <a href="http://www.everydaybibleblog.com/2011/09/introduction-to-everyday-bible-blog.html">read the introduction post located here</a>. <br />
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This post has one purpose only -- to invite my readers over to my new blog site: <a href="http://www.everydaybibleblog.com/">Everyday Bible Blog</a>. I will still be maintaining this blog, but my new blog will have the main focus of my attention for the time being. This new project has been in the works for awhile now, and I had hoped to actually launch a website by January 1st. That did not happen on time, but I was still able to start publishing the blog entries on time. Each and every day, a post will be published at 12:01 am. <br />
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I hope you visit the new site. I hope you enjoy the new site. I hope you participate by commenting, and perhaps writing a few blogs of your own. And, once again, HAPPY NEW YEAR! I hope this year brings about positive changes in each and every one of your lives. <br />
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<a href="http://EverydayBibleBlog.com/">EverydayBibleBlog.com</a><br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5926331941634172618.post-370866985883308842011-11-30T10:31:00.001-06:002011-11-30T10:33:07.651-06:00First Encounters of a Begging Kind<br />
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Today is my first full day of my <a href="http://icybluerose.blogspot.com/2011/10/see-beggar-give-them-dollar.html">resolve to give each and every beggar who asks a one dollar bill</a>. I prepared my pockets by packing each with a pretty dollar bill. Upon leaving my parking garage, I proceeded to walk gingerly down the 3 city-sized blocks between my garage and my work, eyes peeled for someone with the look of a beggar. To my disappointment, I encountered none.</div>
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“What the luck!” I thought. After all, it’s seemed that these people were EVERYWHERE last I looked. Wasn’t someone always asking me for money, like, ALL the time? But then I wondered, perhaps the beggars aren’t as prevalent as I perceived them to be? Perhaps I feared being begged so much, and felt so guilty about each person I passed, that, in my mind, I blew the problem out of proportion? Only time will tell, I guess.</div>
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At lunchtime my colleagues and I took a walk through the brand new city parks. As per my usual habit, I scanned the area, looking for potential beggars. At that moment, I thought of how different this situation had become -- I had always scanned each area for beggars, but I did it so that I could avoid them; so that I could make a convincing show of the fact that I simply overlooked them and did not notice them sitting there. This scan was different. I really wanted to see a beggar, I really wanted to enact upon my new resolution. Unfortunately, I saw no candidates.</div>
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Then, as we were walking through the park, I thought I heard a man ask for some change, and that man was headed in my direction. The first thing I noticed about him were his clothes -- they looked clean, and new. He was slightly heavy (i.e., not starving), and had sharp shoes on. It all happened so quickly it seemed. Usually I have time to prepare myself, to put my act on. But not this time, not for this man. Because he didn’t look like he needed money and did not have the look of a beggar, I was completely unprepared to encounter what would be the very first recipient under my new resolve.</div>
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I saw him ask the people in front of me, and before I could even react, he had asked me. I was taken aback, for sure. My immediate thought was “this man doesn’t need my money! Look at him! The nerve!” But, while that thought was going through my head, my hand went into my pocket and handed him the dollar bill before I could even finish thinking it.</div>
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I don’t know what I expected after I handed him the money. I hadn’t thought that far ahead. Would I find joy in the act? Would I begrudge the beggar his dollar, even though I’d given it? Would I analyze the likelihood of that person really, truly, needing that dollar and putting it to good use?</div>
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Surprisingly, even though my reaction while handing it over had been to scrutinize his need for the money, those thoughts passed right on by after the dollar had been given. Instead, I started to explain myself to my coworkers. Well, I was going to explain myself. I opened my mouth, I prepared to speak, because surely they were going to ask why I would do such a thing ... wouldn’t they? After all, we had been on countless walks downtown together, and never before have any of us ever given money to a beggar. Surely they were going to ask. But I closed my mouth, willing to wait until they asked. But. the funny thing is, they didn’t. They just continued on as if nothing had happened at all. All of a sudden defenses that were rising in my mind dropped as I realized I didn’t have to explain myself. What a relief. And the funny thing is, I hadn’t a clue that would be immediate reaction. It had nothing to do with the beggar at all, or the money that had left my possession for good. It was truly an unanticipated reaction. I wonder what that says about me? I’ll have to analyze that one later.</div>
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As for the man I gave the dollar to? I haven’t given him any more thought outside of writing this article. I am very proud of myself. I expected my first encounter to be easy, rewarding and predictable. Instead I was caught off guard, asked rather suddenly by a person who I never ever would have given a dime to before. And even while I was thinking of reasons NOT to give it, before I could even finish those thoughts, I had given it. And it was easy and effortless. The first test thrown at me had been a hard one, and I passed with flying colors.</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5926331941634172618.post-35199027657983843292011-10-12T22:29:00.002-05:002011-10-12T22:29:44.660-05:00See a Beggar? Give Them A Dollar!<br />
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Today I have decided to do something that I hope will drastically change my outlook on life and the way I feel about myself. I face myself everyday, and everyday I’m left feeling a bit bad about myself. I want to think I’m a good person, who doesn’t? But when I wonder: “Am I REALLY a good person? Is there anything significant about me?” I’m left feeling more than a bit short. What do I do that’s really worth anything? I’m a pretty NICE person, I try to be NICE to people, I am supportive to my friends, I raise my family the best I can, but do any of these things mean I’m a GOOD person? No it doesn’t.</div>
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When I think about why I feel like a bad person, one thing comes to mind: money. I came from so little money that for years I didn’t have things other people consider necessities -- such as electricity and running water. And now, I’ve worked my way through college while raising two kids, own a modest 1200 sq. foot home, don’t carry a credit card balance, have a bit of money in my 401k, college savings plans, and regular savings. My savings is not enough to cover more than one paycheck should I lose my job. Regardless, I support a family of five on my income, and what I have to show for it is modest, but it’s there.</div>
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It’s also fairly recent that I’ve started to feel like I have a little bit of money. At the beginning of this year I realized, as have many Americans lately, that I was living well outside my means ... and for what? Some extra things in my closet? Extravagant gifts for people? Eating out a lunch every day at work? I spent hours creating an extremely tight budget, a completely comprehensive, to the dollar budget that left nothing out. It was tight, but it covered my bills, allowed for a solid credit card payoff plan, contributed to various savings, and had a (very) small amount of money set aside for some fun stuff.</div>
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Fast forward 6 months later, and something happened: I became much more financially secure. I might only be able to cover one missing paycheck, but that’s a whole lot better shape than I was in at the beginning of the year, where I was spending more than I was making and had only a few days pay in the bank account, and ran my checking to zero before each payday. After so long of living paycheck to paycheck, I actually had a money buffer. And while the money in my checking is technically allocated down to zero, there is now always money sitting in it, regardless of how close it is to payday.</div>
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I even started giving money each paycheck to various charities. Each time I get paid, I pick a charity to donate to. It’s in my budget, and therefore I gladly spend it, and it feels good. It has also been helping me to come to grips with letting go of my money. The way I’ve been holding onto my money is one of the things I most dislike about myself. The thought of someone else asking me for my extremely hard earned money makes me tighten up, and think of excuses as to why I couldn’t possibly spare it.</div>
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I work in downtown St. Louis, and am very frequently approached by beggars. Not once have I ever given any of them a dime. Every time I walk by them, I rush by with guilt, because I know it’s the wrong to ignore a person asking for help. Here is someone asking for my help, and whatever the reason, whatever they want it for, it shouldn’t matter to me. What makes asking for financial help any different than someone asking for help of any other nature? If you take the money part out of it, what is left, simply, is someone who is asking for help. Well, I believe in God, and these people asking for my help are also God’s children, and they have his love as much as I do. These are people who, for whatever reason that is not mine to judge, need help. How can I turn them away and walk right past them, when I am fully capable of providing the help they are asking for?</div>
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Today, as I was walking downtown, I spotted a likely beggar, and, like usual, walked quickly pass him without giving any eye contact. Only, he didn’t ask for money. He only grinned a big, toothless grin. For some reason, that made me feel even more guilty. After I passed him, I had a thought: I have two one-dollar bills in my pocket, and if someone asks me for money today, I am going to give them one of those dollars. I walked around my normal route, and actually slowed pace and made eye contact with anyone who looked like they might be inclined to beg me for some spare change. Not a single person did. But the fact that I was going to do it was so liberating! Suddenly, I didn’t have to walk around with apprehension that someone was going to ask me, and the guilt I’d feel afterwords. I WANTED that freedom, I sought that freedom.</div>
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Suddenly I realized that, once I had tasted this liberation, this freedom, that I couldn’t ever go back to my old guilt-filled, apprehensive ways. And right there I decided that I would carry around one dollar bills. I would make a point to keep a few stocked in my wallet at all times. And if ANYONE asked me for some money, anyone at all whose path I crossed, I would give them one of those one dollar bills.</div>
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I haven’t even given away a dollar yet, but I know, I feel in my heart, that I’m changing my own life here. Why I might not think a dollar is going to do much, it could make a huge difference to the person who hasn’t got one. I know the majority of people I’m going to give money to will most likely go out and by alcohol or drugs instead of food. But I also know that occasionally I will help someone who really did need it, and if I manage to truly help one person, well then I’ve done my job.</div>
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How this is going to fit into my budget, you wonder? Well, so do I. In fact, I have absolutely nothing budgeted for it, yet my budget is to the dollar accurate; nothing is left out. But this doesn’t fit into a budget. I’m not limiting my help to a dollar amount. My help is only limited to the number of people who ask, and the cash I have on hand. So I’m just giving them away, however many are needed, pulling out of money that should go to other things.</div>
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But oddly enough, I’m not worried about it. I will have to keep track so that I know what I’ve shorted myself, but I’m unconcerned with how I’ll be paying myself back. I have a cushion in my bank account, I will not be over drafted by a few dollars a week, as I would have been but 6 months ago. I will pay myself back by either allocating money that would have been spent elsewhere, or by applying money to it when I happen to get something extra in.</div>
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God will provide for my financial shortcomings, and that is the lesson I need to teach myself. It’s a hard lesson for someone who has forced herself to be completely financially self sufficient; someone who has built her security from the ground up (with God’s help, of course). Granted, I’m not jumping off any cliff here by handing out a few dollars a week. But for someone who watches and tracks her every dollar, it sure feels like jumping. But it’s so darned liberating, I swear I can fly.</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5926331941634172618.post-55678321505135812652011-07-04T10:53:00.000-05:002011-07-04T10:53:56.375-05:00God's Last Wake Up Call, a Fourth of July PoemHappy 4th of July! My mother called me this morning and requested that I put her 4th of July poem that she wrote a few years ago "out on the internet somewhere." Well this is as good a place as any. Enjoy.<br />
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<strong>GOD'S LAST WAKE UP CALL </strong><br />
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Oh Hear Ye, Oh Hear Ye This Message To All-- <br />
The Time Has Now Come For GOD'S LAST WAKE UP CALL <br />
For Those Who Have Ears, Let Him Hear-- <br />
For Those Who Have Eyes, Let Him See-- <br />
What Is To Come And What Is To Be. <br />
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WAKE UP AMERICA! It is your birthday today, and God has something to give you in a most special way. <br />
Now all close your eyes <br />
For no one must see your birthday surprise until I count to three. <br />
Are you ready?! <br />
It is time to begin counting down. <br />
And oh, what a gift for us God has found! <br />
He wants to give this to us, <br />
To America He loves <br />
We are special to God <br />
We've been blessed from Above. <br />
We've progressed so far, we are wealthy and free <br />
(And what morals we have! God can't believe what he sees!) <br />
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Now all close your eyes <br />
Count to one-- <br />
For one God we all stand. <br />
We speak his name in our churches, he is known through our land. <br />
He's given to us all his Holy Bible so true <br />
(and he knows we've all read it many times through and through!) <br />
<br />
Now count to two, <br />
Time slips quickly away... <br />
All will get their fair due, for today is the day! <br />
<br />
Together on three you may open your eyes-- <br />
Happy Birthday America! <br />
Surpirise-- <br />
In the sky! <br />
<br />
Oh My God <br />
What is happening? <br />
No! <br />
It can't be! <br />
What a sight to behold-- <br />
Is it Jesus I see? <br />
But I am not ready, <br />
There must still be time. <br />
I want to go with you now, please don't leave me behind! <br />
The trumphets have sounded, the Earth moves in roars-- <br />
Should I run, should I hide? <br />
What is that? Is there more? <br />
Jesus is calling the dead right out of their graves-- <br />
"It is time to come home," says he, "To all who are saved." <br />
Where did everyone go? <br />
It's so dark and so cold. <br />
Jesus the King has returned-- <br />
Just as the old story was told. <br />
<br />
I then close my eyes, and to one hope I did cling-- <br />
Maybe I'm sleeping-- <br />
Wake me up from this dream! <br />
<br />
Just then my eyes open, <br />
I was awake in my bed. <br />
"Happy Birthday America! Let's count to three," <br />
He just said. <br />
"God still loves us America! <br />
So here is his gift to us all-- <br />
Happy Birthday! Surprise! <br />
This was GOD'S LAST WAKE UP CALL!"Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5926331941634172618.post-34868904957173603492011-04-14T15:32:00.001-05:002011-04-18T16:10:41.579-05:00Wow! Wow! Wubbzy! Mommy and Daddy Need a VACATION!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5yFWnzHLVUIZReUshVJE9R-Lf20448v_2i1xYwIlP6JtTv7E73P1gO8qg9gNCaS43r0E2Ow87JXUq7Zxe8bu7hyZok9fX2ALqx_NW8H5hVk5tQV6uyYMk9MQN_oKrqEizuyls0GJq80k/s1600/www.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="220" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5yFWnzHLVUIZReUshVJE9R-Lf20448v_2i1xYwIlP6JtTv7E73P1gO8qg9gNCaS43r0E2Ow87JXUq7Zxe8bu7hyZok9fX2ALqx_NW8H5hVk5tQV6uyYMk9MQN_oKrqEizuyls0GJq80k/s320/www.png" width="320" /></a></div><br />
You know you and the hubby need a break from the kids when your text messages go like this:<br />
<br />
Hubby: A box arrived at the house.<br />
<br />
Me: It's Wow Wow Wubbzy, I ordered it for Tristan's birthday.<br />
<br />
Hubby: There's no holes in the box.<br />
<br />
Me: Okay ...<br />
<br />
Hubby: Won't he suffocate?<br />
<br />
Me: Oh. No, I don't think so. Widget is in there too, she can build them an Airarater 3000.<br />
<br />
Hubby: Okay, I won't worry about it then. But it would be upsetting for Tristan to find Wow Wow Wubbzy dead in a box on his birthday.<br />
<br />
Me: Yes, that'd be sad indeed.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5926331941634172618.post-12176568292120509442011-04-11T19:50:00.000-05:002011-10-25T20:29:24.550-05:00Green Smoke 1 Week Review<p><em>I am posting this on my normal blog because it gets the most search engine hits, but you can find all my Green Smoke posts <a href="http://brandiesgreensmokeblog.blogspot.com/">here</a>. </em></p><p>I have now been using my <a href="http://www.greensmoke.com/IcyBlueRose" target="_blank">Green Smoke</a> electronic cigarette for a full 8 days. Last week I received my Green Smoke starter kit in the mail and posted my <a href="http://icybluerose.blogspot.com/2011/04/my-first-impressions-of-green-smoke.html" target="_blank">first impressions</a> of it. There are many separate parts I'd like to review, so I'm going to break it up into sections to make it a bit easier to follow.</p><p>(1) Can Green Smoke Help Me Quit Smoking?<br/>------------------------------------------------------------------------------------<br/>When I ordered the kit and cartridges from Green Smoke, my ultimate motivating factor was the desire to quit smoking (please note that e-cig companies are not yet FDA approved for quitting smoking). I reported last week that I only had 7 or 8 cigarettes remaining. That's what I thought until my husband found a pack with about 12 more in it. So that left my total real cigarette count at close to a full pack. Two hours ago I finished my last real cigarette that I had remaining. Let me say this louder: I ONLY SMOKED ONE PACK OF CIGARETTES IN 8 DAYS! </p><p>That statement is thrilling to me. I had no clue how well I would endure using Green Smoke as my main way of getting my nicotine fix. Also, I was determined that the shift over not be painful, so I refused to withhold real cigarettes from myself if I really desired one. The fact that I went from 1/2 a pack a day to one pack for the entire week speaks volumes for how well Green Cig replicates the nicotine delivery of a real cigarette.</p><p>(2) Does Green Smoke Feel Like a Real Cigarette?<br/>------------------------------------------------------------------------------------<br/>Yes and No. The first thing I noticed about my Green Smoke was that it was heavier than a cigarette. It was too heavy to be supported by my first two fingers, where I always hold my real cigarettes. I do miss holding a cigarette in the "right" spot. With Green Smoke, I take a drag like one would to hit a joint -- between the first finger and the thumb. That always feels a bit awkward to me. I also haven't found the perfect spot for my e-cig in between drags. Do I continue to hold it like a joint? Tap it up and down on my leg? Roll it between my fingers? Set it on my lap? Hold it in my closed palm? I suppose I will find a comfortable position soon enough, but until then, it's not quite the same when you can't hold it like a cigarette should be held. </p><p>Does it hit like a real cigarette? It's lacking a tad bit in the throat hit, but the throat hit is still there, and very noticeable. The main thing that is missing is the nasty taste of smoke. It's like getting a refreshing hit of nicotine without all the nasty taste. Remember when you first started smoking, and cigarettes tasted so nasty? I always wonder how I even managed to smoke enough to get addicted in the first place. But after you're addicted, you don't notice how nasty they taste anymore (or smell!). Smoking this e-cig is like taking all those elements out of it, and giving me back just the good parts.</p><p>(3) Do Green Smoke Cartridges Taste Like a Real Cigarette? <br/>------------------------------------------------------------------------------------<br/>My Green Smoke order arrived with 3 types of cartridges of my choosing: </p><p>(1) Red Label Full (18 mg) Strength <br/>(2) Red Label Light (12 mg) Strength <br/>(3) Menthol Ice Full (18 mg) Strength </p><p>My preferred cigarette strength is a light. Green Smoke recommends that you start one level above what you usually smoke, so you feel less like something is missing. That is why I chose both full and light cartridges. Red Label is the label that is closest to a cigarette. They have a label called Absolute Tobacco that is supposed to be closer to pipe tobacco. I never was a menthol smoker, but I never minded smoking one now and then, so I ordered a set of those cartridges just to see what it was like.</p><p>I have not yet tried the Red Label Light, so I can't review that yet. The Red Label Full Strength cartridges are what I've mainly been smoking. The flavor isn't bad, it sort of tastes like a cigarette. It certainly has some harshness that you wouldn't expect since it isn't real smoke. I don't mind smoking it at all, but I don't think I'm in love with it. It gets the job done and tastes like a fresher version of a real cigarette.</p><p>I really love the menthol. It tastes like menthol without the smoke -- all the wintery goodness without the nasty taste mixed in. I have now realized that I think I will prefer to smoke flavored cartridges. That's funny because when I searched for an e-cig, I wanted the one that tasted most like a real cigarette. I honestly never thought that I would prefer a flavored cigarette. Flavors always sounded nice in theory, but who wants to smoke a chocolate or vanilla cigarette? But the thing is, it's not a flavored cigarette -- it's flavored nicotine. There's no smoke in there to change or mingle into the taste. This is just pure flavor laced with nicotine. E-cigs are already changing how I smoke, the affect of my habit on my body, other people's perceptions of me, where I smoke, and many more things. In addition to that, I believe it's going to change my smoking experience from one of a nasty habit, to an enjoyable pursuit of flavors. Like a nicotine vapor connoisseur! Today I placed an order to try all the other flavors Green Smoke offers. I can't wait for them to arrive. </p><p>(4) How Long Do Green Smoke Cartridges Last?<br/>------------------------------------------------------------------------------------<br/>I am used to smoking a half pack per day. My first cartridge lasted about a day and a half, which equates to about 3/4 a pack. I was not happy when I had to change the cartridge before the two day mark. The next cartridge, however, was a completely different story. I threw that one out after 3 days (1 1/2 packs). I am now on my third cartridge, this one has lasted 2 full days and is still going. I have also been smoking on a menthol cartridge this entire week, and I have smoked a pack of cigarettes. So this is all a bit complicated, let's see if we can straighten it out a bit:</p><p>8 -- Number of full days using Green Smoke<br/>4 -- Number of packs I normally smoke in 8 days<br/>1 -- Number of packs of real cigarettes I smoked</p><p>2 -- Number of spent cartridges<br/>2 -- Number of cartridges in progress</p><p>I have no clue when the 2 cartridges in progress will sputter out, but I assume I have at least another day and a half use out of them. If that's the case, then it will be pretty spot on for a cartridge equaling a pack. I won't be surprised if I find that a cartridge lasts even more than a pack. I can't really analyze average cartridge length from only using this for 8 days. I am keeping my cartridges for recycling later, so when more time has passed I will count out my spent cartridges and get a better average to share.</p><p>(5) How Long Do Green Smoke Batteries Last?<br/>------------------------------------------------------------------------------------<br/>The Green Smoke website suggests a few things when it comes to battery life:</p><p>(1) Fully charge new battery before using it<br/>(2) Do not wait until battery is low to charge it<br/>(3) Remove the e-cig from the charger as soon as possible after it is charged </p><p>Since the batteries are the most expensive component of the Green Smoke, I am taking care of them in hopes that I won't have problems with them like many people have reported. </p><p>The only problem with this is I have yet to discover just how long either of the batteries will last me because I am charging them before they are even low. What I can say is that I can use them for 2 full days without the battery light blinking. Keep in mind that is me using them both, as opposed to me just using the short or the long battery for two days, I alternate which one I use each time I Green Smoke. Still, being able to go two full days and still have time left is pretty good to me. I hope the batteries continue to work so well. The batteries haven't taken long to charge; a maximum of two and a half hours for each one.</p><p>(6) What Do I Like Most About Green Smoke Right Now?<br/>------------------------------------------------------------------------------------<br/>The thing I love the most about Green Smoke so far is being able to smoke in my house and in my car. It has been a decade since I've lit up a cigarette in the house I live in or the car I drive. No longer am I trying to smoke a cigarette on the way into work, as I worry about my second hand smoke making its way to innocent business working bystanders. I can take a few puffs as I pull into the parking garage! Is it raining outside? I can sneak off into my bedroom for a little nicotine fix. The most fun of all, I think, is sitting in my cubicle at work and having my smoke right there. I work on the 39th floor, and by the time the elevators arrive to take me down and back, it can take me 20-25 minutes to get a cigarette in. Not anymore, though. I can do my work while getting my nicotine fix, which is perfect (and helps me to think more clearly)! </p><p>Overall, I'm pretty happy with Green Smoke. I certainly need much longer than 8 days to see just how well this works for me. I mentioned earlier that I am out of cigarettes. I haven't decided whether or not to buy another pack. I will have to see how I feel tomorrow. I refuse to be disappointed with myself if I do decide to buy another pack. After all, I'm making such lovely progress this far.</p><p>I'll check back into this topic in another week or two to let everyone know how Green Smoke is doing for me.</p><p><span style="font-size: x-small;">---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------<br/>Here are some links for you if you're interested in Green Smoke:</p><p><a href="http://www.greensmoke.com/IcyBlueRose">Green Smoke Website</a><br/><a href="http://www.greensmoke.com/disc10-24656">Green Smoke Website w/10% Off Orders of 10% or More Plus Free Shipping</a><br/><a href="http://www.greensmoke.com/disc5-24656">Green Smoke Website w/5% Off Orders of Less Than $100</a></p><p>UK has seperate links for the coupon codes:</p><p><a href="http://www.greensmoke.co.uk/disc10-24656">Green Smoke UK Website w/10% Off Orders of 10% or More Plus Free Shipping</a><br/><a href="http://www.greensmoke.co.uk/disc5-24656">Green Smoke UK Website w/5% Off Orders of Less Than $100</a><br/>And here are the promo codes, if you just want to use them instead (just enter them into your shopping cart). I think they work for both US and UK:</p><p>10% Off Orders of $100 or More, Plus Free Shipping: <b>disc10-24656</b><br/>5% Off Orders of Less Than $100: <b>disc5-24656</b> </span><br/><span style="font-size: x-small;">---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------</span></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5926331941634172618.post-81118298021502109792011-04-06T19:00:00.003-05:002011-04-07T09:23:21.898-05:00Why I Became an iPhone App Developer and My Reasons for Buying an iPad2Almost a full month ago, one day after it launched, I ordered an iPad2. I have wanted to buy an iPad since the day the first generation was released, but I diligently waited for the second generation to arrive before sinking that kind of money into this device. My lovely new toy has had quite a journey to get here. First, it had to be produced as quickly as possible in the Foxconn factory in China. Then it shipped straight from China to Hong Kong. From Hong Kong it dallied over to Alaska, from Alaska it went to Tennessee, and then it finally landed on my door step in Missouri this afternoon. And now I am happily set up, writing my first blog post from it.<br />
<br />
I am still wondering why I needed an iPad. I have a MacBook and an iPhone, so I essentially have an iPad, right? Honestly, right now I don't know what unique function my iPad will serve, but I will admit it makes a very nice mobile blogging station! In the two hours since my iPad has charged and registered, I have:<br />
(1) Played with photo booth <br />
(2) Bought my favorite iPhone game again so I could have it in all its HD glory. That game is Plants vs. Zombies, and it is completely awesome played on this large touch screen. To think, just yesterday I thought that the iPhone platform for Plants vs Zombies HAD to be the best platform the game was ever released on. Isn't it amazing how easily your opinions can change? <br />
(3) Bought the blogger app BlogPress that I've been looking into buying forever. I didn't buy it for the iPhone because I couldn't really imagine writing to my blogs on my iPhone, but now I have a very good mobile platform for writing. My desire for a mobile writing platform was my #2 reason for wanting an iPad. <br />
<br />
In case you haven't heard the news through some other channel known as Facebook or Twitter, in August of last year I became a bonafide, published iPhone app developer! It was about six months after I had gotten an iPhone that I saw a video from the Apple WWDC (World Wide Developer Conference) talking about developers and the stories of how they created their iPhone apps. Before that point it had never occurred to me that I could create my own iPhone app. I don't know why, but the thought never crossed my mind. It's computers I program, not phones. But watching that video really hit home for me, and I knew instantly that is what I wanted to do. I wanted to do it so badly that I went out 2 days later and purchased a MacBook (it is required that you write your code on a Mac, and I had never been a Mac owner, my iPhone was my first Apple product). So there I was, $1200 in debt by the time I bought the MacBook, the dev membership and a couple how to books. At that point I didn't even know what app I would write, but I had faith that I would find the perfect app to write. <br />
<br />
I worked through books, learning the iPhone SDK, learning XCode, learning Objective C, while waiting for my app idea to come. Two weeks later, it did. I was at the county library with my two girls, looking for books for them to read. The school the girls go to is involved in a program called Accelerated Reader. Each child is assigned an "AR Level", this is their reading level and ideally should correspond with their grade level. For instance, my fourth grader is almost through the school year, and her range is 4.7 - 5.2. The company that runs Accelerated Reader reviews books and assigns a reading level to them. Each book that has an AR level has an associated quiz with it. The student takes the quiz after reading the book, it assesses the comprehension of that book, and their reading level is periodically adjusted. <br />
<br />
Back to the library ... Over 119,000 books have AR levels assigned to them, but they aren't listed on the books like an ISBN is. There I was, browsing the shelves, wondering what level the books were, when I had a duh! moment. There HAD to be an app for that! So I pull out my iPhone, do some quick searching, only to discover that there was NOT an app for that. The uniqueness of that statement hit me. There's an app for practically everything, yet I had stumbled upon a niche that needed filling. It might not be the next top 25 app, but there had to be a decent potential user base of parents like myself who wanted this app. <br />
<br />
That was the moment I got my first app idea. My second iPhone app (in the works) is also unique, with a much higher potential user base, and is not based on any current technology or company, but I won't disclose that ideas in a public forum. For my first app, however, I just wanted to break myself in to iPhone development. My long term goal was to try to break even on my investment. The app was over a year in the making. This wasn't because it was particularly hard, but because I had a third kid, and a miniature stroke, and other fun stuff that took my time away from my hobby. In August of last year, my hard work paid off and my iPhone app was released -- <a href="http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/arfinder/id386534972?mt=8" target="_blank">ARFinder</a> (<a href="http://arfinder.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">website here</a>). I watched in amazement as a few people each day actually bought ARFinder. I certainly wasn't anywhere close to rich, but it was a start, and people were actually carrying around something I had written in their pockets! I am still amazed by that thought. In January of this year, I had a 13 year old boy email me ask me to support the iPod touch. Long story short, I had no clue that all devices that hadn't upgraded to iOS 4.0 were not allowed to download my app. It was a simple update, and with that came double to triple the daily downloads. I am still far from rich, but I'm approaching my 1,000th download! My app has also (briefly) made it into the top 200 list. All in all, I am very happy with how this app is doing, and it really makes me feel accomplished.<br />
<br />
So now on to the #1 reason I bought my iPad2: to support releasing ARFinder to the iPad. I don't feel comfortable releasing my iPhone app to the iPad without testing it on the actual device because it is very important to me that my app looks and behaves like it belongs on the iPad. That is not something that I can truly determine without having the iPad. So yes, I'm taking a gamble with a $700 investment so shortly after finally breaking even on my initial investment. I won't know how much revenue I can bring in if I don't try, and at least this gives me a real reason to buy the iPad2. Okay, I'm still not convinced there is a justifiable need to buy an iPad, but at least I do have a semi-good reason to buy one.<br />
<br />
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPadUnknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5926331941634172618.post-56116808876288978022011-04-02T22:25:00.003-05:002011-10-25T20:30:12.622-05:00My First Impressions of Green Smoke<p><em>I am posting this on my normal blog because it gets the most search engine hits, but you can find all my Green Smoke posts <a href="http://brandiesgreensmokeblog.blogspot.com/">here</a>. </em></p><p>My highly anticipated Green Smoke package arrived today, exactly one week after ordering it. That is better than the 10-12 day complaints I keep seeing on reviews (perhaps they're old reviews?) but for me the delivery was still a little slower than I'd prefer. Perhaps I'm a bit spoiled and expect too much out of free shipping. I think it's Amazon and Apple's fault, for their commendable very quick free shipping. Recently, a package of mine from Apple went from China, to Hong Kong, to Alaska, to my house -- in only 48 hours, and for free. So yeah, a week felt like a <i>really</i> long time, especially as I watched my remaining cigarette stash dwindle. I was hoping to have at least 2 packs left by the time Green Smoke got here, so that I could ideally wean myself off the real cigarettes completely. Instead, I now have 7 cigarettes remaining. I am not going to jump off too quickly and limit myself to only have those 7, it's too soon for me to tell how well this is going to work. The point of this, after all, is to painlessly wean myself off cigarettes. I think that up to 3 more packs of real cigarettes is a good number for me, but we'll see how it goes after I use my Green Smoke more and more. </p><p> Here are pictures of what I ordered. This first pic shows everything that came from my order. I have here one starter kit, one case to hold my Green Smoke cigarettes and cartridges, a bag of rubber tips to protect my cartridge when someone wants to try it, and 4 - 5 packs of cartridges. Each cartridge is equivalent to a pack of smokes, so that means there are 20 packs of smokes in those four little boxes. I am not very impressed with the carrying case. It will perform its function perfectly, I'm sure, but it cost $10, and it feels very cheap. I would have been comfortable paying about $4 for it. It was the cheapest case they had though, and I wanted to have a customized solution for carrying this item, since the item itself is fairly unique and I didn't want it getting lost in my purse.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQQvIMoAWpHWTrnwBN7onpzKIViqHIOH4zOG2SdRgwA-sxH3W3r1afSxyoWB-bvxLfsbd4J9kT3RE9g4dmHUF9IJOhyMU8q3TDKPhr6yPE5vy04TASjqvvTohjUhdkorvW1aszwkuDJhU/s1600/greencig.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQQvIMoAWpHWTrnwBN7onpzKIViqHIOH4zOG2SdRgwA-sxH3W3r1afSxyoWB-bvxLfsbd4J9kT3RE9g4dmHUF9IJOhyMU8q3TDKPhr6yPE5vy04TASjqvvTohjUhdkorvW1aszwkuDJhU/s320/greencig.JPG" id="blogsy-1319592599811.8977" class="" alt="" width="320" height="239"></a></div><p>This next picture shows what comes inside the starter kit. We have two batteries (the white part of the cig) -- long and short. The long battery gives you more battery life and you shouldn't have a problem going all day and all night without a recharge. That, of course, is simply a claim right now that I have yet to test. You also see 5 cartridges (5 "packs" of cigs) which brings my total starting count to 25 packs of cigs. There is a wall charger and a usb charger. In this case, the battery only charges off the usb charger. If you want to use the wall charger you hook your cig into the usb charger, and the usb charger into the wall adapter. So if you lose your usb charger, you're screwed! There is also a user manual, which I did not find that useful. It did not give any tips on how to ensure the best battery life, how to get the most out of your cartridges, how to store your cartridges in depth, or much of anything else that I already knew from reading their website. The manual basically tells you what the Green Smoke cig is, and nothing else. Good thing I read all the information available on their website before the package came. Finally, there is a Green Smoke membership card. This card states that the Green Cig probably does not apply to the non-smoking laws, please allow this patron to continue smoking in your establishment and call us if you have any questions. Well, that seems about useless too. I think it should state clearly that there's no tobacco in these, because it's tobacco that is most often banned. So those were my initial observations of the Green Smoke system.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7HT0Do_cG9vJzFiOwYtHCgAk6kc_TM5rDO2lMyvgQteSgz7ykiyGohyphenhyphen6muStOXPlNsOGRlw-8YqDB3TsIESgi09hoqrnW-Eb6dd505Aj-Hlc5MQZvo7QV8cnZ89Z3x1WXUm58CYdLr_Y/s1600/photo+2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7HT0Do_cG9vJzFiOwYtHCgAk6kc_TM5rDO2lMyvgQteSgz7ykiyGohyphenhyphen6muStOXPlNsOGRlw-8YqDB3TsIESgi09hoqrnW-Eb6dd505Aj-Hlc5MQZvo7QV8cnZ89Z3x1WXUm58CYdLr_Y/s320/photo+2.JPG" id="blogsy-1319592599806.4478" class="" alt="" width="320" height="239"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><p>The Green Smoke cigarettes come partially charged, but you shouldn't use them straight out of the box. They need to be fully charged before you start using them to help ensure good battery life (something that should have been noted in the manual). I was very anxious to try my cigarette, but instead I plugged the shorter one into the charger like a good little girl who wants her investment to last. That was approximately 6:30 pm. The cigarette was fully charged at 7:50 pm. Not bad at all, but it was partially charged in the first place, so we'll see how long it really takes. Another important thing to note that is not listed in the manual is that you should not overcharge your battery. Remove it as soon as you notice that it is fully charged. This will also help increase battery life. Okay, so this next pic shows my fully charged Green Smoke ready to go. In the background you'll notice the long battery charging. It is interesting looking for sure!</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVhCQL9gUlHCZBSB51iU9K5J_z2sn4C_y_Yt5-AoGf7B1XKhyphenhyphenE9d33tUcoe_X2kFnqMWgpsb4IrGhyphenhyphenYTHY4Dns9E9ur17DklUf5dlNq58BNQPEr7ACgz4I7cTIgX3ODW99jLNJXdQ4-Pc/s1600/photo+3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVhCQL9gUlHCZBSB51iU9K5J_z2sn4C_y_Yt5-AoGf7B1XKhyphenhyphenE9d33tUcoe_X2kFnqMWgpsb4IrGhyphenhyphenYTHY4Dns9E9ur17DklUf5dlNq58BNQPEr7ACgz4I7cTIgX3ODW99jLNJXdQ4-Pc/s320/photo+3.JPG" id="blogsy-1319592599835.1235" class="" alt="" width="239" height="320"></a></div><p>My next stop was to head outside to try it out! I feel funny that I still went outside to smoke on it, but I wasn't sure how I felt about smoking it inside the house until I tried it out. So I went outside and took that all important first hit. It was potent! I felt it in my throat, felt it in my lungs, felt the nicotine. It really felt just like a cigarette, except it did not taste like nasty smoke. My subsequent puffs weren't as potent as that first, but they weren't that lacking either. I knew right then that I would love this device, and would be able to quit smoking real cigarettes. That quickly I knew. That was approximately three hours ago. An hour and a half ago, I smoked on it more, and it was an exact repeat of the first time around. I could really learn to love this.</p><p>You now have my initial review, but take it for what it is. I have hardly used this product, I'm just giving you my first impressions. I might find out, three days from now, that the device is buggy or that something in it irritates me, or that I find myself feigning more for a cigarette. I sure hope that isn't the case, but you never know. What you do know is that I promise to be back in a week or less to keep you updated about how the process is going. One thing is for sure -- after finally getting to try Green Smoke, I am psyched!</p><p><span style="font-size: x-small;">---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------<br>Here are some links for you if you're interested in Green Smoke:</span></p><p><a href="http://www.greensmoke.com/IcyBlueRose">Green Smoke Website</a><br><a href="http://www.greensmoke.com/disc10-24656">Green Smoke Website w/10% Off Orders of 10% or More Plus Free Shipping</a><br><a href="http://www.greensmoke.com/disc5-24656">Green Smoke Website w/5% Off Orders of Less Than $100</a></p><p>UK has seperate links for the coupon codes:</p><p><a href="http://www.greensmoke.co.uk/disc10-24656">Green Smoke UK Website w/10% Off Orders of 10% or More Plus Free Shipping</a><br><a href="http://www.greensmoke.co.uk/disc5-24656">Green Smoke UK Website w/5% Off Orders of Less Than $100</a><br>And here are the promo codes, if you just want to use them instead (just enter them into your shopping cart). I think they work for both US and UK:</p><p>10% Off Orders of $100 or More, Plus Free Shipping: <b>disc10-24656</b><br>5% Off Orders of Less Than $100: <b>disc5-24656</b> <br><span style="font-size: x-small;">---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------</span></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5926331941634172618.post-10396225854792847582011-03-26T19:13:00.003-05:002011-04-11T19:14:17.823-05:00I Have a ConfessionI am ready to go public and admit to the world what only a choice few now know. About a year and a half ago, which is roughly a year and a half after kicking the smoking habit with Chantix, I started smoking again. Does that make Chantix unsuccessful? Absolutely not! After all I quit for 1 1/2 years. But it does make my resolve to stay quit unsuccessful. I won't go into the reasons I started smoking again, all I can say is I am smoking again. For a full year I only smoked 5-6 cigs a day. This past year that number has ballooned into a full half pack a day, the number I was smoking before I quit in the first place. <br />
<br />
So why am I confessing this now? The answer is because I am trying something different. I decided that it is time to try electronic cigarettes. Will this help me to quit smoking? I don't know, but I have hopes that it will help me to cut back at the very least. Will this be healthier than smoking? I can't honestly say. These devices have not been FDA approved, and the battle is on, and these companies aren't allowed to make any claim as to whether or not they are healthier. All I can say is that, instead of nicotine and smoke and a thousand unknown chemicals, these electronic cigarettes seem to be a lesser of two evils. They contain only a few ingredients and the nicotine is inhaled into your body through water vapor instead of smoke. So, let the debate be on, and when they finally release the government health studies, I shall review them with an open mind. But for now I am choosing to believe that these will be better for me than regular cigarettes. This is only one person's opinion, so take it lightly, and make up your own mind about these things based on the research you do.<br />
<br />
I spent hours today researching electronic cigarettes in an attempt to find the one that I think will work best for me. My ultimate goal is to replace all my regular cigarette smoking with an electronic device, so I don't mind a higher start up cost. It is important to me that the cost to continue smoking be reasonable, so that also influenced my decision. I ultimately decided to go with:<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.greensmoke.com/24656-0-1-181.html" target="_blank"><img alt="" border="0" height="105" src="http://www.greensmoke.com/earn/banners/new-sen465x105.jpg" width="465" /></a><br />
<br />
I found that Green Smoke was the most highly rated electronic cigarette on the market. As far as I can tell from reviews, this would give me the closest thing to what felt like smoking a real cigarette. It has the most vapor of all brands, and it is a two piece design instead of a three piece design. With Green Smoke, there is a fresh atomizer inside every cartridge, instead of an extra (third) piece. Many complaints of other electronic cigarettes was that the atomizers went out frequently and were hard and small to clean. I like that the Green Smoke looks and acts like a real cigarette. Some people might prefer to use a device that looks vastly different (they don't want the stigma of being seen smoking, they don't want to compare it to actual smoking, or various other reasons) but I do not. I want a device that reminds me of a real cigarette. Even though the start up cost is high, the batteries are highly rated. The batteries are the expensive part of the electronic cigarette, so ideally I paid more upfront but will save money later on replacements. Finally, the cigarettes themselves are very reasonably priced. One cartridge equals one pack of cigarettes, and the full price of a cartridge is $2.95. Green Smoke always has a sale going on so if you are willing to buy multiple packs of cartridges at a time you will pay even less than $2.95 per "pack". <br />
<br />
Here is what I ordered:<br />
<br />
<b>Basic Starter Kit ($139)</b><br />
<ol><ul><li>2 batteries (the part that looks like the cig) </li>
<li>5 cartridges (the part that looks like the filter, each one is the equivalent of a pack of smokes)</li>
<li>Charger</li>
<li>Instruction manual</li>
</ul></ol><b>Carrying Case ($9.99)</b><br />
<ol><ul><li>Holds both batteries, and two cartridges (two packs of cigs)</li>
</ul></ol><b>100 Rubber Tips ($5)</b><br />
<ol><ul><li>These protect your cartridge when another person smokes off your electronic cig. I figured that I'd have many people asking me to try my Green Smoke, so I got these</li>
</ul></ol><b>4 - 5 pack of Cartridges ($13.75 each -- $2.75 per "pack")</b><br />
<ol><ul><li>2 Red Tobacco "Full" Flavor</li>
<li>2 Red Tobacco "Light" Flavor</li>
<li>1 Menthol "Full" Flavor</li>
</ul></ol>Total Order: $208.95. After using my 10% + free shipping coupon code (I'll give that at the end of this post), the order came to: $188.05. So, $188.05 paid for two electronic cigarettes (the battery), a carrying case, rubber tips and 25 packs of cigarettes. For the cartridges, Green Smoke recommends starting one level up from what you're currently smoking. So because I regularly smoke lights, I chose 3 5-packs of cartridges that are full flavored to start with, then I will switch down to the lights.<br />
<br />
That's quite an investment but I intend to make a serious go of this. Ideally I'd like to quit smoking real cigarettes. Right now I have 4 1/2 packs of cigarettes. I hope that my Green Smoke package comes while I still have a couple packs left because I really hope I don't have to buy anymore real cigarettes.<br />
<br />
I'm super excited about this! I will keep this blog updated with my progress on my switch to electronic cigarettes.<br />
<br />
Here are some links for you if you're interested in Green Smoke:<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.greensmoke.com/IcyBlueRose">Green Smoke Website</a><br />
<a href="http://www.greensmoke.com/disc10-24656">Green Smoke Website w/10% Off Orders of 10% or More Plus Free Shipping</a><br />
<a href="http://www.greensmoke.com/disc5-24656">Green Smoke Website w/5% Off Orders of Less Than $100</a><br />
<br />
UK has seperate links for the coupon codes:<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.greensmoke.co.uk/disc10-24656">Green Smoke UK Website w/10% Off Orders of 10% or More Plus Free Shipping</a><br />
<a href="http://www.greensmoke.co.uk/disc5-24656">Green Smoke UK Website w/5% Off Orders of Less Than $100</a><br />
And here are the promo codes, if you just want to use them instead (just enter them into your shopping cart). I think they work for both US and UK:<br />
<br />
10% Off Orders of $100 or More, Plus Free Shipping: <b>disc10-24656</b><br />
5% Off Orders of Less Than $100: <b>disc5-24656</b><br />
<br />
That's all for today. Please let me know if there are questions you have about any of this, and I'll try to address them in a future post. Today is Saturday, March 26th, 2011. Let's see how long it takes for my coveted Green Smoke package to arrive ...Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5926331941634172618.post-84303535480363458042011-03-11T21:04:00.002-06:002011-03-14T19:27:55.556-05:00It's Been a WhileWow, it's been a LONG time! Yeah, I could apologize, but we all know how it is when life gets in the way. I'll make the promise now that I will consider updating my blog occasionally.<br />
<br />
So I was looking through my blogs when I noticed that Blogger had added a "stats" page at some point when I wasn't looking. Or perhaps I was never looking in the first place. Regardless, I noticed it for the first time ever. It was then that I noticed my <a href="http://icybluerose.blogspot.com/2008/07/getting-my-tongue-pierced.html">tongue piercing story</a> had apparently become quite popular. It's been getting 300 - 400 page hits a month, and has generated many comments (most of which are spam, of course!). I wish I knew what the magic was for getting that search engine traffic because I'd certainly apply it to many other areas.<br />
<br />
Okay, so it's time to catch anyone up who still happens to pass by this blog. I don't blame you for giving up on me when it's been over a year since my last post. In fact, some of my favorite regulars (<a href="http://divaindachantixhouse.blogspot.com/">Diva in da Chantix House</a>, <a href="http://liferushesby.blogspot.com/">Life Rushes By</a> and <a href="http://www.maggiesmind.com/">Maggie's Mind</a>) are Facebook friends of mine so I keep quite caught up on the happenings of their lives. If you wanna join the club send me a message.<br />
<br />
Life has been hectic, as life often is. The baby (Tristan) will be 22 months in 2 short days. Closing in on two years old! I am sad that he's quickly growing up, but on the other hand, he was a horrible baby, and I'm glad to be past 14 months. I hate that I never was never able to fully enjoy his infant stage. Regardless he is mostly good natured now and that is good enough for me. He is three feet tall already and crazy strong. Here is a pic of him, all dressed up and ready to go to school with his sisters:<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGa_NGi8SH6B6mrsnK7BDi3RWjafZOfAnNGG65dIKKb1TOzLlHh122gmKxF57ksmxam8FZvkE1XAFF_j0KZ2uVHRM2vrpFQhoaRAjCyOcEAVhTUKQBPpvGG6YPo-IqVA5eD_hGl95CkAM/s1600/Tristan.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" q6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGa_NGi8SH6B6mrsnK7BDi3RWjafZOfAnNGG65dIKKb1TOzLlHh122gmKxF57ksmxam8FZvkE1XAFF_j0KZ2uVHRM2vrpFQhoaRAjCyOcEAVhTUKQBPpvGG6YPo-IqVA5eD_hGl95CkAM/s320/Tristan.JPG" width="239" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Lately everyone in the house, including myself have been crazy sick. Fevers, coughs, colds, flu and pneumonia too! Here is Alex after I dragged him to the ER where they diagnosed him with pneumonia:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi10RL5VvyE0UBQwnlTWPkEPtAuTxjyeXMVLV2wH-nEA9Ej22uFkeD0b4ZpRzxXwdJjMHhetaaIFYCvjNu5azyIPe8rB3eIxNRVUaOgVhMveSyIGCBzJRZuni34RpeNpzJO3vETwcbn4fI/s1600/AlexPn.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" q6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi10RL5VvyE0UBQwnlTWPkEPtAuTxjyeXMVLV2wH-nEA9Ej22uFkeD0b4ZpRzxXwdJjMHhetaaIFYCvjNu5azyIPe8rB3eIxNRVUaOgVhMveSyIGCBzJRZuni34RpeNpzJO3vETwcbn4fI/s320/AlexPn.JPG" width="239" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Since it's been 19 months since my last post many things have happened. Here is a list of a few of them that I might elaborate on later. If you are interested in any particular one of these, let me know and I'll try to make it happen:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><ul><li><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Cruise to the Bahamas with the hubby, sans children</div></li>
<li><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I had LASIK to cure my extreme nearsighted prescription (yes, I'm 20/20 now!)</div></li>
<li><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I have an iPhone app out, and it's doing quite well (official iPhone developer!)</div></li>
<li>Major kitchen remodel (double oven, 5 burner gas range cooktop, double counter and cabinet space)</li>
<li><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I met and got to hang out with Far East Movement (Like a G6), as well as Mike Posner and a few others. I also got to be uber close to the Black Eyed Peas, where Will.I.Am made major eye contact with me and sang to me throughout the concert (I have pics to prove!)</div></li>
<li><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I never did come back and write about my scary postpartum experience. Basically I had a blood clot in my brain, a T.I.A. (sometimes referred to as a mini-stroke)</div></li>
<li><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I have a new tattoo</div></li>
</ul><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I know much more has happened. These are just the ones off the top of my head. Which ones do you want to know more about?</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">This is it for now, but I have a list of topics so perhaps it won't be so long after all until you hear from me again. If I have any readers left! I will dust off the links and go a-visiting to every one's blogs very soon.</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5926331941634172618.post-76325252205837086042009-09-07T15:29:00.012-05:002009-09-07T15:58:40.181-05:00My Heart Melts for JagsI know I promised that I would talk about my scary postpartum experience this week, but that was before I spontaneously bought the car of my dreams a couple days ago. <br /><br />On Friday I was working from home to take my 95 Corolla in to get the check engine light diagnosed. I was quite agitated at the time because no one could read my check engine code because my car was too old! Three places ensured me they had the right connector, but when I got there, they discovered they didn't. I spent hours driving around before finding someone that actually could read the light. When I got it read, they said it probably wasn't a big deal and not worth looking into the exact cause. So that was that. I'd been planning on getting a new car in March anyway, so I resolved to let the light stay on.<br /><br />On the way back from the dealership, I spotted a black Jaguar sitting out front the BMW dealership with a sticker price of only $8950. As I continued to drive home I looked up the number to the dealership to ask them about it. I assumed it probably had way too many miles on it or was too old to consider, so I didn't get my hopes up. When they called back, I was ecstatic to learn it was only 10 years old (the same age as my old car when I bought it) and had only 96,000 miles on it (I bought my old car at 107,000 miles). <br /><br />Well, I was ecstatic, but my husband tends to put a damper on things, so I reluctantly mentioned it to him, expecting a quick "no way" to come out of his mouth. To my surprise, however, he started looking at reviews and blue book value prices on the car. Thirty minutes later, we were headed to the BMW dealership without a word of complaint out of his mouth! <br /><br />When we got there we both test drove it. We then took it to a trusted mechanic to see they could spot any faults. Aside from the rotors, they said the car looked to be in great shape. Next thing you know, my husband was negotiating prices with them! He talked them down to $7000, and with my trade-in we were down to $6200. About an hour and a half later, I drove home in my new car!<br /><br />I was in shock that whole day, that night, and the next day. The biggest shock was that my husband let me buy it without one word of complaint. He was quite pleasant through the entire thing, even though we spent about 5 hours at the dealership with a fussy baby. He knows my heart melts for jags, and he always laughed whenever I would stare enviously at one because we both knew we'd never be able to afford one. <br /><br />This car is GORGEOUS and I still can't believe it's mine! It drives like a dream. It's a family car that drives like a sports car with it's V8 engine. V8!!! It just looks like a classic, and even though I've only driven it a couple times, it's already turning heads. The interior is plush leather with wood paneling, it has power everything, memory seating, heated seats in both front and back, sunroof, 8 speakers, 6-disc cd changer, and so many buttons and features that I've yet to figure them all out. How this beauty is mine, I still don't know. But it's gorgeous, and I'm in love with my car!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHMZ-c5OXhbDiIzBSM4jNiPZm-zcsRuJdbzt5IU7ATiN0zzOiLHI_FEgx7u9Y3gAcGIqEzLxg2FY0KCKYj-n9bHs98IP158H4JzbaPLZ3gqGaP6Uf5ZEc0M2PdzfDL1WX0supBT0_-QbY/s1600-h/Car+Pic5.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHMZ-c5OXhbDiIzBSM4jNiPZm-zcsRuJdbzt5IU7ATiN0zzOiLHI_FEgx7u9Y3gAcGIqEzLxg2FY0KCKYj-n9bHs98IP158H4JzbaPLZ3gqGaP6Uf5ZEc0M2PdzfDL1WX0supBT0_-QbY/s400/Car+Pic5.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5378831669117215154" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFxnMTp4PflNH0Xa2PFqHSMA2op__iAciZlAip7z9y62Xz5YcMjbEd838U2XOtuLDB5zD5wzaK-2Fqc31V775lcv7_v1URJj7MQH4m9x9t81Z4ZXOqXF6LH_nv2MQ1UHmZpfnN6B7gjHY/s1600-h/Car+Pic3.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFxnMTp4PflNH0Xa2PFqHSMA2op__iAciZlAip7z9y62Xz5YcMjbEd838U2XOtuLDB5zD5wzaK-2Fqc31V775lcv7_v1URJj7MQH4m9x9t81Z4ZXOqXF6LH_nv2MQ1UHmZpfnN6B7gjHY/s400/Car+Pic3.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5378831598086838530" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKYJu71DX5r4jjXLlr0cElyfIOkEqigFM96vzqFVlCeyqz2QewR8S1MQffvZZ4TJabQy48vQM2jPJyg42SZIH3NFgDcCsYrmXumJSPxXjHRYqF6v4pA7JAKxoTHI5JgdHq0wby9n3W8xs/s1600-h/Car+Pic6.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKYJu71DX5r4jjXLlr0cElyfIOkEqigFM96vzqFVlCeyqz2QewR8S1MQffvZZ4TJabQy48vQM2jPJyg42SZIH3NFgDcCsYrmXumJSPxXjHRYqF6v4pA7JAKxoTHI5JgdHq0wby9n3W8xs/s400/Car+Pic6.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5378831789930924770" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip1_GuwnlYnfFatV-WH8aXtvxlTr1QAqD-gAmK3EGRoGbnU6lXx-xPyM_KgYs775fpG9nAMwdiCxIgnNrSE-qLRj8fonCXhIwSoeKkJgh3ZpY-9RYTsgVkLu_u6mFlHlzoYrZLrUYg_c4/s1600-h/Car+Pic4.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip1_GuwnlYnfFatV-WH8aXtvxlTr1QAqD-gAmK3EGRoGbnU6lXx-xPyM_KgYs775fpG9nAMwdiCxIgnNrSE-qLRj8fonCXhIwSoeKkJgh3ZpY-9RYTsgVkLu_u6mFlHlzoYrZLrUYg_c4/s400/Car+Pic4.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5378831738083034946" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZU5ihjzIGxMpcFUpWemBWXWVH2j27JMXBL0xDsPq2UiZhJ2kE0BtNZ2Gwk9wd_B0rO23uXiNGbfBBr9BYnK2kEokPUMTH36ysfMXuJ2uCu5N_u3LmGzZ_n68ukpzbAz4ccWnpRCbI2mU/s1600-h/Car+Pic2.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZU5ihjzIGxMpcFUpWemBWXWVH2j27JMXBL0xDsPq2UiZhJ2kE0BtNZ2Gwk9wd_B0rO23uXiNGbfBBr9BYnK2kEokPUMTH36ysfMXuJ2uCu5N_u3LmGzZ_n68ukpzbAz4ccWnpRCbI2mU/s400/Car+Pic2.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5378831298173703394" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS9KElkxtuqhDM5K0bMJChQQpJ7p0u8-9f6FYRGFMV2k0z3ulXilBFWQhTcifpwMJFc6lQrZ08l0MVqHBBEcmPZu1iNCUVZZDnUfW6SUQ23ucAr5tiBwlO2OpTgl6kQZ8R-tubEEpkW3c/s1600-h/Car+Pic1.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS9KElkxtuqhDM5K0bMJChQQpJ7p0u8-9f6FYRGFMV2k0z3ulXilBFWQhTcifpwMJFc6lQrZ08l0MVqHBBEcmPZu1iNCUVZZDnUfW6SUQ23ucAr5tiBwlO2OpTgl6kQZ8R-tubEEpkW3c/s400/Car+Pic1.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5378831182657336306" /></a><br /><br />Tune in next week to learn about my scary postpartum experience ...Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5926331941634172618.post-76655376099215720002009-08-31T20:57:00.031-05:002009-09-02T11:15:13.773-05:00Welcome, Tristan Alexander!What can I say? I've been away too long. The only excuse I will give is that the longer I stayed away the harder it was to come back. I also went through a very mundane period where the only thing I wanted to write were pregnancy complaints. I have trouble writing the mundane. Many people can write daily blogs about their lives and keep people begging for more, but I am not one of them. But I do have some good stories saved up. The first being the birth of my son, Tristan Alexander. He is now 3 1/2 months old.<br /><br />My due date was May 11th. I've had two children before Tristan, and each one went past due. Therefore it was no surprise when my due date came and passed me by. A visit to the doctor's office that morning yielded no hope that the situation had changed. I had been dilated to 1 for a few weeks by that point. The next day, May 12th, I awoke (if you're a male or someone squeamish, read no further, and apologize for TMI, but that tends to happen in pregnancy tales) with a bit of bloody show. That had never happened to me before, so I spent a lot of the day googling it, wonder what it meant -- would there be a baby soon? Anyone who's been nine months pregnant knows those last days and weeks are long and full of impatient waiting for any sign that you won't be pregnant forever. I was excited to find that bloody show usually indicated labor could begin with hours, up to two days. So I gritted my teeth and thought, okay, two days, I can handle this! Amber, my eldest, went TWO WEEKS overdue. I'm still traumatized by that one! <br /><br />That evening was business as usual. I laid down and read for awhile. Only, shortly after I laid down, I felt contractions. Not unusual -- I had tons and tons of contractions the whole way through, so I waited for them to stop. To my delight, they weren't stopping. I put my book down and tried to fall asleep, but I was too anxious with the hope that I was in labor. I watched the clock -- 6 minutes in between contractions. After 5 or 6 of those, I decided to get out of bed and walk around to see if they would stop. It was 11:30.<br /><br />My brother was awake, and wondered why I was walking around the house. I told him I was having contractions and was trying to determine if they were real or not. I walked around, and to my delight, not only did the contractions keep going they got closer. When they were about four minutes apart, I had a particularly pressing contraction, at which point I decided to take a shower (which my brother thought was quite amusing, but there was no way I was going to go through labor and all it entails without being as clean as possible beforehand!). I got out of the shower and dressed. It was about 1:30 am. The contractions were 3 minutes apart. I decided it was time to wake the hubby, who had warned me earlier that he was particularly tired so I'd better not go into labor that night! I turned on the light, woke him up and left the room. When I came back, he was asleep again. I woke him up a second time, to which he answered "Seriously?" when I told him we needed to go to the hospital. He finally crawled out of bed. <br /><br />The kids had field trips that day, and needed drinks for their lunches. Alex had planned to do this in the AM, but since we weren't going to be there, he had to make a run to the gas station then. He's gone for about 25 minutes, at which point he comes back and tells us that the gas station was closed, and Walgreens was closed. We asked him why he didn't just go to quick trip, which was 1 mile up the road, but apparently he wasn't thinking correctly at that point. So he had to go back to the store. Finally, he returned, with the drinks, so we were in the clear to go the hospital.<br /><br />At about 2:15 am I arrived at the hospital. By that point my contractions were 2-3 minutes apart. As I was walking in, a couple walking out did a double take. I heard the guy say "She's going to have a baby!" I arrived at the counter, where the attendant took one look at me and says "oooh, I know what you're in here for." By 2:20 I was changing and settling into a hospital gown. They checked me, I was dilated to 3, and they admitted me. I settled in for a long night, admitting to myself that I wouldn't be sleeping anytime soon!<br /><br />I informed them that I wanted the epidural as soon as they'd allow, because I'd had fast progressing labors before, I didn't want to be caught without one! By 4:30 am I had my epidural, and was quite happy, even though my legs were numb and I was hooked to a catheter. The only thing I cared about at that point was that the contractions were gone. They were so far gone, in fact, that I asked the nurse if I was still having them! Even though the contractions were gone, I wasn't quite able to sleep, although I did try. I almost fell asleep a few times, but the epidural was making me itchy and twitchy. On top of that, anyone who's been hospitalized has to know that hospitals are the worst places for trying to get some sleep. So, sleep eluded me at that point. That's okay, it seemed selfish of me to try to sleep while I was in labor anyway. My body was pushing out contractions every two minutes, and I was just sitting back, not feeling a thing!<br /><br />At about 8:00 am my doctor arrived to check my progress. I was only dilated to 5 by that point. He broke my water, and then left to go to his practice. At about 8:45, I told the nurse that either my epidural was wearing out, or I was feeling a bit of pressure. She checked me, and sure enough, I had gone from 5 to 10 in 45 minutes. She called my doctor back, and he arrived at about 9:25. He changed, got set up, and at about 9:32 I was pushing. Two pushes later, at 9:35 am on May 13th, Tristan was born! He weighed in at 8 lbs 8 ounces and was 21 1/4 inches long. <br /><br />Everything after that was a blur. I had a range of emotions going on. The first thing I noticed was that the nurse was calling him Tristan. For some irrational reason, I was upset that they were calling him by his name before I had gotten a chance to. Then, one of the nurses kissed his forehead. At that point, I was thinking, wait! I haven't even kissed him yet! Why hadn't I thought to his him while he was on my stomach? Now someone else is kissing him and calling him by his name before I ever got a chance to! Yes, I know, all those thoughts were irrational and overly emotional, but those were the thoughts running through my head right after his birth. <br /><br />I suffered a moderate tear, but that was the worst of it. Well, that was the worst of it for the actual birth. I had a huge, scary postpartum experience, but that's a story for next week. Check back here next Tuesday for the rest of the tale! In the meantime, I'll work on stopping by everyone's blogs and catching up a bit. <br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Tristan, a few hours old:</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1HB6cyCffuaUWyfOxfVs9-moKonazfD6THjnc3MpPLBPndxouERz5Oz32M0JF6WPnKYomBMFos2EuNaKO6V40mW4XXnVv1KCxraOiE3W1zDrlqvgaCxo87nFrGO037ODzPmyKhSkirbk/s1600-h/IMG_0124.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1HB6cyCffuaUWyfOxfVs9-moKonazfD6THjnc3MpPLBPndxouERz5Oz32M0JF6WPnKYomBMFos2EuNaKO6V40mW4XXnVv1KCxraOiE3W1zDrlqvgaCxo87nFrGO037ODzPmyKhSkirbk/s400/IMG_0124.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5376322228584773746" /></a><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Whatcha Want? One Week Old</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2B1xzTseycbLADLq0YzIO7AI5SfAZBqB2Gk-Py8fqcP5GpCdomIqHLBGe7mVWqjtHiFyIoYuzYPwD5kPLp9FfmlhTWxx5TC3JQy-QXCRhXlMCAMm8XDHfEIqmneIkBnh-W2nV0H7nhwo/s1600-h/IMG_0145.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2B1xzTseycbLADLq0YzIO7AI5SfAZBqB2Gk-Py8fqcP5GpCdomIqHLBGe7mVWqjtHiFyIoYuzYPwD5kPLp9FfmlhTWxx5TC3JQy-QXCRhXlMCAMm8XDHfEIqmneIkBnh-W2nV0H7nhwo/s400/IMG_0145.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5376322648007851810" /></a><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Little Teddy Bear! 3 Months Old</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgybunwlk-bP5S5bB6p9cEYC4EpPnjJesiB1OtWyKjCiG7Cqzc8vlMnCOc8mAst3GLWNl0qsT0pLZl8pwA-ELpCP74fIKpEWmQxdq54i2Xx7IZjTIchOhCEiPYTjX_5VVxVycdcpp__azg/s1600-h/IMG_0357.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgybunwlk-bP5S5bB6p9cEYC4EpPnjJesiB1OtWyKjCiG7Cqzc8vlMnCOc8mAst3GLWNl0qsT0pLZl8pwA-ELpCP74fIKpEWmQxdq54i2Xx7IZjTIchOhCEiPYTjX_5VVxVycdcpp__azg/s400/IMG_0357.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5376324207978716018" /></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5926331941634172618.post-70269906740615153522009-01-04T19:49:00.023-06:002009-01-05T14:53:00.079-06:00One Year Smoke Free, New Family Additions, & We're Having A ...<strong>One Year Smoke Free</strong><br />Hey everyone! Wow. I've been so busy this holiday season that I didn't even sit down to write about all the things going on. I was even too busy to blog about my <strong>one year smoke free anniversary</strong>! I can't believe I've made it an entire year already. The odd thing is, I've been having a worse time of it ever since I got pregnant. You'd think being pregnant would give me an extra boost, because it'd be like a whole other reason not to smoke, but not even. I think it's that even if I want to cheat and smoke a cig, I know I can't. Period. And that definitity makes the urge to smoke so much more powerful. But oh well ... being pregnant is no time to pick the habit back up! Not that I would anyway. One year, whoot!<br /><br /><strong>New Family Additions</strong><br />On Thanksgiving day I brought home two new family members. I remember talking about one of the rabbits, but I don't recall if I talked about the second rabbit. I wound up bringing two home, both females from the same litter. The black and white one is Alexia's and the orange and black one is Amber's. They are 3 months old and absolutely adorable. Within a week they were litter trained to pee only in their box. They live inside the house, in a cage, and are let out to play at least a couple times a day. They are extremely tame and have no objections to the kids carrying them all around the house.<br /><br />Starlight (Alexia's bunny)<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidcrZj-D2JyKRWfeRDlUHkxzwZmkS9ahuUQBV1SedlibpVgh3mFTmbmUNu3XslIZ-QrUPLi7lGlH5WSMZmTYLGQRR3nRrrH04cM0Cmq6onVUCxAj9sRRKyiSxRIZcmJRfpA22_-eHhv3k/s1600-h/DSCF0034.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidcrZj-D2JyKRWfeRDlUHkxzwZmkS9ahuUQBV1SedlibpVgh3mFTmbmUNu3XslIZ-QrUPLi7lGlH5WSMZmTYLGQRR3nRrrH04cM0Cmq6onVUCxAj9sRRKyiSxRIZcmJRfpA22_-eHhv3k/s400/DSCF0034.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5287622082488800690" /></a><br /><br />Angel (Amber's Bunny)<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1TTQvKvM5Btk0QOACVCbLxtpzXBpyRI541PpPSNyW9IQ-QCrs4gaPdeXMI1Rlcn0uB4pjxHOsvbbsV0WrfD_dmvSgMZ5GyM2Zuw-P6S5CToraiZ8g9xX3xQAVpI3J_qsr3ynm3Uk_dP0/s1600-h/DSCF0041.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1TTQvKvM5Btk0QOACVCbLxtpzXBpyRI541PpPSNyW9IQ-QCrs4gaPdeXMI1Rlcn0uB4pjxHOsvbbsV0WrfD_dmvSgMZ5GyM2Zuw-P6S5CToraiZ8g9xX3xQAVpI3J_qsr3ynm3Uk_dP0/s400/DSCF0041.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5287621759134199666" /></a><br /><br />You might recall <a href="http://icybluerose.blogspot.com/2008/03/bird-in-pants.html">Bonnie, the parakeet that we took in last March</a>. She was not quite a good fit for our household (kids & cat were a bit too much for her), so I finally did the inevitable and found her a new (and very good) home to better suit her personality. I then got to do what I've been wanting from the very beginning -- get a hand raised baby bird, one that was tame and trusting of humans, one that could be raised as a true part of the family. <br /><br />I finally found a highly respected place that had healthy, not overbred, hand raised babies. I drove the 45 miles to get there, all excited, only to be told that they didn't really have anything left. All the babies had been taken for Christmas. The lady then mentioned that they had a few Lovebirds in a cage that were weaned and ready. I stepped over, seeing only yellow lovebirds, when I caught sight of a little green one with blue tail feathers. But still, I was under the impression that lovebirds needed to be kept in pairs, and I wanted a bird to bond with me, not another bird, but when I asked the saleslady she said that you only need two if you don't have the time to interact and bond with the bird. She said if you buy the one, and spend the time with it, it will bond to you, like it would a mate. Well that sounded about perfect. She let the birdie out of the cage and I carried it around the store. It only took a few minutes for me to know that this bird was the perfect one. So I took him home.<br /><br />Lovebirds are parrots. Although most don't ever talk, they are still very intellegent birds. I've had Yoshi only 4 days, and already I've taught him how to shake hands and turn around. He was a bit skittish at first, but now welcomes my attention and sits readily in my hand, and allows me to pet him.<br /><br />Yoshi the Lovebird (3 months)<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLP3Dx1ZgizvnGe94VkhfPTm_dXHIU1x2RJdWoLIVJ8Tyk5j9F5VdWkK78ysfQot-uPqdo_jCgiTnm9ecCfABh0J37mI1IPLOz3GMW8H82hHQX6YtHu-O4nveQb0pMIN5ByrYgWBDeMjg/s1600-h/DSCF0028.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLP3Dx1ZgizvnGe94VkhfPTm_dXHIU1x2RJdWoLIVJ8Tyk5j9F5VdWkK78ysfQot-uPqdo_jCgiTnm9ecCfABh0J37mI1IPLOz3GMW8H82hHQX6YtHu-O4nveQb0pMIN5ByrYgWBDeMjg/s400/DSCF0028.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5287621236132781602" /></a><br /><br /><strong>And Finally, It's A ...</strong><br />I am now 22 weeks pregnant and getting quite large. Two weeks ago I had my ultrasound -- the <em>big</em> ultrasound. It was there that we learned I am most definitely having a BOY. I honestly don't know what to think -- my husband really could care less either way, he has no inclination towards a boy, and I wanted another girl. So at the moment I'm not quite sure how I'll handle a boy. Don't get me wrong, I'm quite sure I'll do fine and I'll love him to pieces, just like my other two. It's just quite a big change, and hard to picture me & Alex raising a little boy, since all we know are girls. But anyways -- we will do fine, it's just going to take some getting used to the thought! <br /><br />Okay, you know the deal. It will take me a while to catch up on everyone's blogs, but I will get there. In the meantime, I will plan on writing back soon.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5926331941634172618.post-25166957688840271022008-11-20T09:39:00.009-06:002008-11-20T09:57:31.144-06:00Birthdays and Holidays GaloreI've been battling an unfriendly stomach bug and therefore haven't had time to catch up on everyone's blogs yet. I'm trying desperately to get better because I have such a big week ahead of me. On Saturday is Amber's 8th birthday! I've completed the shopping for gifts but still have to pick up a few key items like, oh, wrapping paper. Usually we wrap up the gifts about a week before and set them out for display. It's so much fun to see them agonize for a week over what's in the boxes. So with only 2 days until her birthday, we're a bit behind schedule. <br /><br />Thanksgiving is one week from today! This is arguably my most favorite holiday of the year. This year I will be cooking for 11 people. And I love to cook so I do it ALL myself. I spend two full days cooking. But, again, I'm behind! I haven't finalized the menu, or the shopping list! And I'm sending the hubby shopping for everything tommorrow. I guess I better get on that, eh? Shame on me!<br /><br />The good news is I have this entire week for VACATION. I'm so excited, it's my only complete week away from work this year (no, 6 weeks on disability hardly able to move around didn't count, because it felt nothing like a vacation!). And it will be busy -- busy with cleaning, cooking and shopping. But I think I kind of like that, actually. I've been slacking off too much on the weekends. At least this way I'll feel like I actually did something with my vacation instead of being lazy, since I can't actually go anywhere.<br /><br />And finally, we're getting a new addition to the family! No, not the bun in my oven :P But a Holland Lop rabbit. Actually, we're planning on two, but in case erm.. "accidents" occur, we're making sure to grab them from different bloodlines. They're a bit hard to find around the St. Louis area, but we've got our first, and it's coming home with us on the 29th .. just over a week away! In case you haven't heard of the breed, the Holland Lop is the smallest of the Lop family, and maxes out at about 4 lbs if you have a true Holland Lop dwarf. This one we're getting has been hand raised, is about 6 weeks old, and will be ours shortly. Isn't he/she adorable?!<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0yXm9knZi9uZfIWhuK0Tjkp3Sm2cOrPS3P2YBxtgpiL8RjQiIsnA4Z-OIRR012y9SJuw5QYg1g2zgGwPhI4VuSuqtmXxKSoZhAzzN8z2SYnyNBtqRfsuJe_4iGGFdzqJN2I8OlRTp824/s1600-h/SDC10298.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0yXm9knZi9uZfIWhuK0Tjkp3Sm2cOrPS3P2YBxtgpiL8RjQiIsnA4Z-OIRR012y9SJuw5QYg1g2zgGwPhI4VuSuqtmXxKSoZhAzzN8z2SYnyNBtqRfsuJe_4iGGFdzqJN2I8OlRTp824/s400/SDC10298.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5270768338880731186" /></a><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0sPPjltKdtBIwkKhlgjEdCN9nOremRZmVzSLtVnbgxEJeaWdCKQYgwVZQQHz9GsKNrVSZ3IG1l0nBq6Cy5kZ5eAVGztfTcTFyh5vRaslUZjg6hyWcbG8gRAhCT72Qsd_ADbFfylPoaoo/s1600-h/SDC10299.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0sPPjltKdtBIwkKhlgjEdCN9nOremRZmVzSLtVnbgxEJeaWdCKQYgwVZQQHz9GsKNrVSZ3IG1l0nBq6Cy5kZ5eAVGztfTcTFyh5vRaslUZjg6hyWcbG8gRAhCT72Qsd_ADbFfylPoaoo/s400/SDC10299.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5270768624415259346" /></a><br /><br />Well that's it for now. I will work on finishing catching up on everyone's blogs, and you'll certainly get a b-day/Thanksgiving update with pics!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5926331941634172618.post-646285085199689482008-11-11T08:38:00.011-06:002008-11-11T09:27:10.801-06:00Guess Who's Back ...Do you ever have the problem where the longer you stay away from something, the harder it is to return? I feel that way now. I guess I expected that I should wow you all with some grand revelation that I learned while I was away and anything less would be unspectacular and boring. Well, sorry, I have no such revelations! I simply needed a break from the blogging world. But now I am lonely and want to come back! How else can I waste such quality time at work? I must admit that I have an unproductive hour first thing in the morning, while I drink my caffiene and get used to the idea of spending (yet another) day at the office. But boy is it hard to find an hour's worth of time wasting sites (most of the good ones are blocked by my work) without blogging and catching up on other people's lives. So alas, I will write at my previous rate of a blog or two a week, even if I have nothing interesting to talk about it. <br /><br />I am into my fourth month of pregnancy, which is also my second trimester. It was a HUGE relief to pass that first trimester at the beginning of the last week. In fact, I'm starting to feel pretty good. I still have to go to bed early -- I've been pulling into bed slightly after I get the kids down, at approx. 8:30 each weeknight. But at least for the rest of the day I seem to have more energy. I still get into slumps, but nearly as much as before (come home, nap, then sleep at 8:00). At least now I'm cooking dinner a few nights a week instead of leaving it to my hubby or take out. <br /><br />I am in full maternity garb now. I have zero pairs of non-maternity pants that I can wear, and just a handful of non-maternity shirts. I have had people who didn't know I was pregnant (but who did know me & what I looked like previously) ask me if I was pregnant. So I'm happy that I'm now looking more pregnant than fat, although I still feel like it's too soon! The good news is my weight gain has been much more controlled this time. It helps tremendously that my pregnancy craving is NOT McDonalds this time around! Actually, the craving thing is kinda driving me nuts. The problem is that I have no set craving. For my first pregnancy, I ate Taco Bell almost every single day I was pregnant -- it started a couple weeks before I found out I was pregnant! With my second, it was McDonalds, and boy was it a doozy! Quarter Pounder w/Cheese meal, supersized, with a chocolate shake! Now I didn't eat that every day, but at least 3 or 4 times a week. This time my cravings are off just everywhere, which really sucks for my budget because I can't prepare for what I'll want to eat! A single, constant craving is much easier to manage.<br /><br />Okay, so I'm going to leave you with that right now. I have many topics on my mind, but I'll save those so that I actually have things to talk about later. I will catch up on your posts, but please bear with me because it will be a while, I have a LOT of catching up to do!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5926331941634172618.post-1118227358303460692008-10-06T08:02:00.003-05:002008-10-06T08:17:19.650-05:00Confessions of a Bad BloggerYes, I said it. For the past month now I've been an exceptionally bad blogger and for that I apologize. This pregnancy has had me dog tired so far. So tired that I often come home from work, take a nap, eat dinner, then go to bed at 8:00. On the weekends I might stay up till 10:00, but then turn around and sleep from anywhere between 10:00 and noon on both Saturday and Sunday. And no matter how much sleep I get, it's never enough. I'm so tired that I don't want to do anything, and blogging and keeping up with blogs has been the last thing on my mind.<br /><br />But I vow that will change, starting this week. Even if I'm tired, I will find the energy to post about something once or twice a week. And yes, everyone -- I'm so sorry for falling way behind on reading your blogs. I'll catch up, every last drop, I promise. And I'll leave lots of comments to prove I was there!<br /><br />So what's new with me? Well, I am now 9 weeks pregnant and thus officially into my third month, which is the last month of the first trimester. Everything is going well. Last week I had another ultrasound, this time we got to see the actual baby and its heart beat, so we know everything is working as it should. I'm only 9 weeks and have only gained 2 pounds, yet my stomach is significantly bigger. I can still (barely) fit into my regular jeans, but I'm about to outgrow those. Good thing my work clothes are all slacks so there's some growing room there. People who know me can tell I'm pregnant, but I've been assured not to worry, other people will just think I'm a little "bloated". Geez, thanks!<br /><br />I spent this past weekend playing with my new toy: an Apple iPhone! Whoot! I'm psyched about this thing. I had my previous, primitive cell phone for 2.5 years, and I was well ready for a change. But I would not have gotten this phone if I didn't work for AT&T, and thus get an awesome 50% discount off the voice, text & data plans you have to purchase to have the iPhone. Anyways, this thing is awesome! I was apprehensive and feeling guilty about making this purchase, but not anymore. I have everything I want at my fingertips -- email, chats, weather, games, facebook, Pandora radio (oh yeah!), and much much more! Did I mention I love it?! (Oh, by the way, if this post makes you go out and purchase an iPhone, please contact me so that I can get a referral for your service :P ) <br /><br />Well that's about all for now. I will be spending this week catching up on everyone's blogs. I may not get to you right away, but I promise I will soon!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5926331941634172618.post-53375805205059298012008-09-26T12:51:00.002-05:002008-09-26T13:03:03.390-05:00Maroon 5 ConcertTomorrow night is the Maroon 5 and Counting Crows concert at the Verizon Amplitheater in Maryland Heights, MO. I've had my tickets for over three months now, and I'm more than ready to finally cash them in for the show! <br /><br />I've had so little energy this past month that I've done very little with my weekends (in case you haven't noticed, the fun weekend posts have dropped off). As I've mentioned before, I'm so dead tired lately that I can do little to nothing but sleep. Anyways, the point is, I will do whatever takes to have energy for tomorrow night. I even have plans to go dancing with the sister-in-law afterwords. <br /><br />As many of you have read in my previous blogs, any outing with my sister-in-law is quite an adventure. I didn't even mention how I wound up ending the night at a strip club (for men) last time I was out with her. So I'm going to need all the energy I can get!<br /><br />I say this now, yet all I can think about this moment is if I could find a space under my desk for a quick nap. Wish me luck ...Unknownnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5926331941634172618.post-5406642485187947602008-09-24T14:45:00.003-05:002008-09-24T14:46:25.619-05:009 Month Smoke Free AnniversaryI just realized that today is my 9 month quit anniversary!<br /><br />I don't have anymore time to write right now, but I just thought I'd let everyone know what today is!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5926331941634172618.post-55793562177153753322008-09-18T07:44:00.006-05:002008-09-18T08:29:46.509-05:00Magic HouseYes, I know I've been absent for a while. I just haven't had much to talk about and I didn't want to bore everyone to death with mundane details of my everyday life. Don't get me wrong, many people can make even the most mundane thing into a fun, interesting and humourous blog. But that's not me, for sure!<br /><br />There's not much of anything going on here. I'm more exhausted than anything else. I've been lying down at 8:00 in an attempt to fall asleep by 8:30 and thus get closer to 9 hours of sleep a night. On top of that, I often come home after work and nap for an hour or so. It seems all I can do of late is sleep. I've tried to work out, but it doesn't really help -- all it does is make me even more wiped out. I assume all of this will pass in a few more weeks, and I'll start to feel like myself again. Until then I'm just trying to get as much sleep as possible. Also, it can be hard to get a good night's sleep when I'm getting up (literally) three times a night to pee. Fun times. Oh well, it could be much worse -- I could be suffering from morning sickness. Yeah, I'll take being tired and having to pee all the time over "morning" sickness anyday!<br /><br />Tomorrow night is the monthly free family night at the <a href="http://www.magichouse.org/">Magic House</a>. Some of you might have heard about it, it's a famous children's museum. It's called the Magic House because it shows how "magical" things are done with science. It's a huge house chalked full with non-stop fun (well, for the kids). Before I moved into this house I bought, I used to live just blocks from this massive house. Now I live about 7 miles away. It's worth the small drive, though, because the kids have a blast each time they go, even if it is very overcrowded on the free night. So, that's what I'll be doing tomorrow night.<br /><br />I really don't have much else to talk about. Even now, after getting 8.5 hours of sleep and a nap after work yesterday, I'm just ... tired. Lots of tired, and thus not much brainpower going on. These past few weekends I've done nada. I need to try and think of something to do this weekend with the kids, so I can at least have something else to blog about.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5926331941634172618.post-20847309244218546862008-09-10T20:18:00.005-05:002008-09-12T07:23:44.188-05:00Promised UpdateJust a quick note: I had my ultrasound this morning. Everything looks great! We found the baby very quickly, nuzzled safely in my uterus where it belongs. We could see the gestational sac and the yolk sac, but nothing else. It's too early to find the actual embryo. I go back in 2.5 weeks -- by then I'll be almost 8 weeks, and we'll be able to see the fetus and heartbeat and such. <br /><br />All I can say is I'm much relieved! I had faith that this pregnancy was good, but still, after my experience last time I couldn't help the nagging feelings. I had trouble sleeping all night last night, and was anxious this morning for the appointment. After I got home I was super relieved, but overwhelmingly tired. It was like the moment I quit worrying sleep tried to take over. <br /><br />Due date is May 11th! I guess we should start a little ticker (update, found better ticker!)<br /><center><br /><a href="http://lilypie.com"><img src="http://md.lilypie.com/xkVkm5.png" alt="Lilypie Expecting a baby Ticker" border="0" /></a><br /></center>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5926331941634172618.post-66266245538109987212008-09-09T11:23:00.005-05:002008-09-09T11:35:51.244-05:00What Happened To Trim Up Tuesday?Sorry for going AWOL last week. It was quite a hectic week (the last post shows how it started). But I'm going to get back on track, and catch up on everyone's blogs real quick like.<br /><br />I have stayed the same weight since my last Trim Up Tuesday blog. It seems I will have to stop 3.5 pounds short of my final in exchange for a new goal: managing and maintaining a healthy pregnancy. That's right, folks -- I'm pregnant again! I'm so thrilled. It's been four months since my scary ectopic pregnancy with complications experience (read: <a href="http://icybluerose.blogspot.com/2008/05/two-surgeries-and-long-ass-recovery.html">Part One</a> & <a href="http://icybluerose.blogspot.com/2008/05/two-surgeries-and-long-ass-recovery_26.html">Part Two</a> for details). I think I've had a pretty good turn around time, considering 2 of those months was complete recovery, and I only have 1 tube left. <br /><br />I went in for blood work twice last week. My HCG levels look good and are properly rising. Tomorrow morning I'll have an early ultrasound just to confirm the embryo is actually in the uterus where it belongs. I'll post an update afterwards.<br /><br />I have confidence this pregnancy is going to turn out well. If I hadn't had such a scary experience last time I don't think I'd have any reservations about it at all. Unlike last time, I certainly "feel" pregnant! The week before I found out I was pregnant, I was so tired that I went to bed at 8:30 each night. After 7 days of that, I took a test, and sure enough it was positive. On top of being really tired I'm freaking starving all the time and I have to pee all the time. Plus, my abdomen is tender and slightly extended -- I assume this is because the baby is in the correct place this time around!<br /><br />So wish me luck, and I'll post a quick update tomorrow after my ultrasound ...Unknownnoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5926331941634172618.post-22521284992012253742008-09-02T10:26:00.004-05:002008-09-02T10:32:22.594-05:00Vomit DiariesNo Trim Up Tuesday today! Instead I'm on the vomit patrol for both kids. Duty started roughly 1:50 am last night. Since then there have been:<br /><br /><ul><br /><li /> 20 cases of vomit in the toliet<br /><li /> 1 case of vomit on the kitchen floor<br /><li /> 2 cases of vomit in bed<br /><li /> 1 case of vomit on the bathroom floor<br /><li /> 1 case of vomit on the hallway floor<br /><li /> 1 case of vomit in the bathtub<br /><li /> 5 cases of vomit all over the toilet & bathroom fixtures<br /><li /> 3 rolls of paper towels used<br /><li /> 3 loads of laundry run<br /><li /> 4 showers<br /><li /> 20 minutes of sleep<br /><li /> 2 pathetic children<br /><li /> 1 overworked mom!<br /></ul><br /><br />Actually, all considering, I'm not too bad off. Oddly enough, I'm not stressed at all. But regardless I can't wait for the hubby to get home so he can take over the vomit patrol!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5926331941634172618.post-18573676510906853492008-08-28T08:38:00.002-05:002008-08-28T09:16:20.711-05:00Anheuser Busch Weekend (Pics!)Whew! I've been so busy at work lately that I can hardly catch my breath. But here it is, the promised post about last weekend. On Saturday we took a tour of the Anheuser Busch brewery. It's pretty neat, because in St. Louis we have the original Budweiser factory. The tour itself was okay. Apparently their production line is so efficient that factory workers don't have to work weekends! Good for them, but bad for me, who wanted to see the production going on. Oh well, we still got two big cups of beer (our choice Anheuser brand) for free after the tour.<br /><br />On Sunday we went to Grant's Farm, which is associated with both Ulysses Grant and Anheuser Busch because members from the families married up and took residence on the farm. The farm was later opened up to the public. Because it's run by Anheuser Busch, we got more free beer! I'm loving this free beer stuff! I didn't post any pictures, but the stables at Grant's farm are home to many of the very same horses that you see in the Budweiser commercials. They have one of the largest herds of Clydesdales in the world. These horses are gorgeous! <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Budweiser_Clydesdales">Learn more about Budweiser Clydesdales</a>.<br /><br />The future of Grant's Farm and other Anheuser Busch philanthropic endeavors in and around St. Louis is unknown, due to the InBev take over. It hits us hard in St. Louis, because Budweiser was founded here, and Anheuser Busch has been incorported into many aspects of our city. So far we haven't seen any changes, and we're all crossing fingers that it stays that way! <br /><br />I'm so thrilled that I have a long weekend coming up. I have no plans so far, but I'm hoping to get out and see at least one thing. I'm thinking about either the Purina Farms or the Meremec Caverns. Either way, you'll here it about it here next week!<br /><br /><div>Before we get into this weekend's pics, I decided to let you guys see a pic of the cartilage piercings, even though I don't like the jewelry. So there they are, in the upper part of my left ear:</div><br /><div> </div><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiczcbHiC1AdAKjC9n_-pbab0pfb_PZFjGVl6IF9duHf43QT3RshmWqIYAKTwC5MrOdeKAA21bMaidXBnyLdTs1kcCM9M0r_0mJrnKnx8eD_Y5Lebq8LajFN00JHXuYS0EMKvLw038JTNw/s1600-h/DSCF0016.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5238264128599597698" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiczcbHiC1AdAKjC9n_-pbab0pfb_PZFjGVl6IF9duHf43QT3RshmWqIYAKTwC5MrOdeKAA21bMaidXBnyLdTs1kcCM9M0r_0mJrnKnx8eD_Y5Lebq8LajFN00JHXuYS0EMKvLw038JTNw/s400/DSCF0016.JPG" border="0" /></a><br />On Saturday we arrived at Grant's Farm just to wait for Alex's sister to arrive. In the meantime, the kids expelled some energy. I swear they ran around that pot for no less than 20 minutes. (Amber):</div><br /><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwPhgaD8VmkEzP97DWjN_1fboTIGDQQVokasss401Kwmiyx1kYxZzoF4GU2zRx0SR1r9rlrIDT03eT4EfNXKNVOzZD_O1eb1ZP493JHM_ZEbRttqYygMsRTyj8CzECmn_oyLql3sWrTjk/s1600-h/DSCF0027.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5238264388900636466" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwPhgaD8VmkEzP97DWjN_1fboTIGDQQVokasss401Kwmiyx1kYxZzoF4GU2zRx0SR1r9rlrIDT03eT4EfNXKNVOzZD_O1eb1ZP493JHM_ZEbRttqYygMsRTyj8CzECmn_oyLql3sWrTjk/s400/DSCF0027.JPG" border="0" /></a><br />Alexia:<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPGYBpe4ZWFMAzdZyccbsTLEoZZyKukyTyuWfb_li_V1lfg1auxhH8N3tf3VvFKpTAUCpCUy9bNcReTKUma9tlSypXX-aN4b3OPFvb0Y0oC0tob1yKhgxYYeubTDqc4ZLpAaVotE_Vwjs/s1600-h/DSCF0023.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5238264301762714690" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPGYBpe4ZWFMAzdZyccbsTLEoZZyKukyTyuWfb_li_V1lfg1auxhH8N3tf3VvFKpTAUCpCUy9bNcReTKUma9tlSypXX-aN4b3OPFvb0Y0oC0tob1yKhgxYYeubTDqc4ZLpAaVotE_Vwjs/s400/DSCF0023.JPG" border="0" /></a><br />Quick photo op on the tram ride through the park (Me & Alexia):</p><br /><p><br /></p><br /><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXWCR3yUnew94ujom2zKuUlgGhZFImvTeAjGwU1KDuiL03y4fuNQVYhr_P09cYdBQ4LnyOmOvbO4Cb6S0GooMbBCoNMGF1Je5C-BkEnlOjDrlDWuyKc41UfmaxarFER9TrvFnZqHDDhEA/s1600-h/DSCF0042.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5238264923857659362" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXWCR3yUnew94ujom2zKuUlgGhZFImvTeAjGwU1KDuiL03y4fuNQVYhr_P09cYdBQ4LnyOmOvbO4Cb6S0GooMbBCoNMGF1Je5C-BkEnlOjDrlDWuyKc41UfmaxarFER9TrvFnZqHDDhEA/s400/DSCF0042.JPG" border="0" /></a><br />We didn't see much on the tram ride this time. Last time we went we got a closer look at many animals, but they are allowed to roam free, so you can't guarantee how much you'll see on any given day. We did see the bison, though:</p><br /><p><br /></p><br /><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwLPGiPTXkAQFrz1yYzf-H2HAG-GUrBi4CFcgggTbQ2drJSi-V51t5NYBqT6EGhcI_Oht4zGczH9OVk6jAzYvvFnLHve-Rk2PtZwGk-TNq3H-9aONOLiqt9cqVUTECD2Caz-gZ0BdFORI/s1600-h/DSCF0036.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5238264791167829074" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwLPGiPTXkAQFrz1yYzf-H2HAG-GUrBi4CFcgggTbQ2drJSi-V51t5NYBqT6EGhcI_Oht4zGczH9OVk6jAzYvvFnLHve-Rk2PtZwGk-TNq3H-9aONOLiqt9cqVUTECD2Caz-gZ0BdFORI/s400/DSCF0036.JPG" border="0" /></a> After the tram ride, we disembarked at the main part of the park. Here is where you walk around and see the various animals and shows. One of the first things we came across were the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capybara">Capybara</a>. These things looked like huge, 150 pound rats. Apparently they are the largest rodent in the world. I'm just going to refer to them as R.O.U.S. (or, Rodents Of Unusual Size -- yes, they do exist):<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWr-w7FuE5RGPwEq982p08plOZ4_-q9VJQr_ify_5ziwoD21klgXd66pG-UYaCO106CUW9U5ZDm3U8qo91Ha8DNbjUZu0G0AP_VhyphenhyphenHnw8LGN225PwZX7UIYu1H0WTSnYKEdRQ18rOVDxw/s1600-h/DSCF0043.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5238265057537116274" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWr-w7FuE5RGPwEq982p08plOZ4_-q9VJQr_ify_5ziwoD21klgXd66pG-UYaCO106CUW9U5ZDm3U8qo91Ha8DNbjUZu0G0AP_VhyphenhyphenHnw8LGN225PwZX7UIYu1H0WTSnYKEdRQ18rOVDxw/s400/DSCF0043.JPG" border="0" /></a></p><br /><p>There were a few large tortoises. I have many pics of this one on it's journey to the water because it took roughly 5 minutes to make its way over and in:<br /><br /></p><br /><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtkqN7VF9eMGJdxxVO8JFVosufvvHKRoI-hrHSdBp6Jjd5gUMJ-WtZITX1zq78qItHpZqSYYzra_w_vjwh6YHj_SHl1HzOLlbMoW5nNX4okkQW9-UCAJPUF6JD3E-Icp3dm4rEV2msm7w/s1600-h/DSCF0048.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5238265204791990594" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtkqN7VF9eMGJdxxVO8JFVosufvvHKRoI-hrHSdBp6Jjd5gUMJ-WtZITX1zq78qItHpZqSYYzra_w_vjwh6YHj_SHl1HzOLlbMoW5nNX4okkQW9-UCAJPUF6JD3E-Icp3dm4rEV2msm7w/s400/DSCF0048.JPG" border="0" /></a> These bald eagles look fake, don't they? But they aren't. They sat there, near still as could be the entire time. I don't think they moved once. I feel so badly for them -- they sustained injuries that don't allow them to fly, so they're held there. They look so tall and proud regardless:<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEin7M7WEHpF3_mFKZJjH0ml7BSX3zyGzHlKHTF5Cl4Ruka-FEMC37qRdZw3KaZAeziwdKFmaJ3aC1KBoQWY8wO_P1aHVb2rk7bTWSz13KKp8GFtu_7DpxlOm0vAvrhb4KcFi1ElEG2xxxg/s1600-h/DSCF0062.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5238265470575745122" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEin7M7WEHpF3_mFKZJjH0ml7BSX3zyGzHlKHTF5Cl4Ruka-FEMC37qRdZw3KaZAeziwdKFmaJ3aC1KBoQWY8wO_P1aHVb2rk7bTWSz13KKp8GFtu_7DpxlOm0vAvrhb4KcFi1ElEG2xxxg/s400/DSCF0062.JPG" border="0" /></a> This little elephant gave us quite a show. She even played the harmonica for us! And okay -- is it just me, or is that guy on the right totally posing for my picture? It seems that way at least:<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO3w8lMYB_c_4jWnYjCnrGMYdECPoHx7iRly1ERHd3Ut64gPc-0Emhi7732LroNua1SpKYsKAT-8IvabtDcmu_a7BGRxBoM3ilz-GXK-tfe0-iA_Egrc_V1_PcXTHprCqMI1J8munz0ck/s1600-h/DSCF0083.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5238265864896452690" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO3w8lMYB_c_4jWnYjCnrGMYdECPoHx7iRly1ERHd3Ut64gPc-0Emhi7732LroNua1SpKYsKAT-8IvabtDcmu_a7BGRxBoM3ilz-GXK-tfe0-iA_Egrc_V1_PcXTHprCqMI1J8munz0ck/s400/DSCF0083.JPG" border="0" /></a></p><br /><p>Ah, the goat pen. Parents be warned! If you allow your child to walk in there with one of the bottles of milk (sold at the farm), they will be trampled. And don't wear loose clothing, because it will get eaten. The goat pen is crazy time. It's like walking into a pen full of a hundred hungry, tired toddlers, only they are much heavier and have horns on their heads. And for some odd freaking reason, I was being chased by a goat that kept head butting me with its horns! I didn't see any other goats head butting people. That's my luck, I guess. This, by the way, is my nephew Wyatt:<br /><br /></p><br /><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQS8RMhVdJ32eAz7nfCZHVZrPlvtTS-0beerr16c69SNkqyXHiHdIfZnXCZ5RCPeoCg1nTP2WGGQrwEvDJGgBpXTcohLKDeicDkh8vsR7AnQUskiv-ibQAK8TO6JgbCdKV0skXXG2UtzY/s1600-h/DSCF0069.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5238265740172064866" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQS8RMhVdJ32eAz7nfCZHVZrPlvtTS-0beerr16c69SNkqyXHiHdIfZnXCZ5RCPeoCg1nTP2WGGQrwEvDJGgBpXTcohLKDeicDkh8vsR7AnQUskiv-ibQAK8TO6JgbCdKV0skXXG2UtzY/s400/DSCF0069.JPG" border="0" /></a><br />They had many beautiful birds. These are only two of many they had outside. Funny thing is, they weren't teathered down. I'm assuming they have their wings clipped, because I don't know how else they have confidence enough to let such splendid (and expensive) birds out:</p><br /><p><br /></p><br /><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLcc0uzI5wUaxuaOq1oeDscbLzQNj8ILNNER19BGgReywNngns9GXUEPe9qhBeE9inLebslV-GIHRmwM1Uq_8rswJ9BsPvB2NJp7Az6SyLCZSWR_15llHRczO113z5pKMOZ6ciVtnso-A/s1600-h/DSCF0050.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5238265330238022498" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLcc0uzI5wUaxuaOq1oeDscbLzQNj8ILNNER19BGgReywNngns9GXUEPe9qhBeE9inLebslV-GIHRmwM1Uq_8rswJ9BsPvB2NJp7Az6SyLCZSWR_15llHRczO113z5pKMOZ6ciVtnso-A/s400/DSCF0050.JPG" border="0" /></a> The last thing we did before we left was head on over to the bird show. It was really cute. Here are two of the birds pulling another bird in a carriage:<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3lF_s7u-64Sq2Kh6VTwvh21a003h2EJD_Q-aXZX2iZ5H7QfuRptS9cgaj9IV8kf1OFTkgMR0UmY9PQ74ZeTkAJHLxGl_Ra4DuHD6MdqU9Sxp78hVEO9EdlaaVeSsI-JLyS8f7H22XBnc/s1600-h/DSCF0094.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5238266023514425490" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3lF_s7u-64Sq2Kh6VTwvh21a003h2EJD_Q-aXZX2iZ5H7QfuRptS9cgaj9IV8kf1OFTkgMR0UmY9PQ74ZeTkAJHLxGl_Ra4DuHD6MdqU9Sxp78hVEO9EdlaaVeSsI-JLyS8f7H22XBnc/s400/DSCF0094.JPG" border="0" /></a> </p><br /><p>And they have their own version of the Anheuser Busch logo (if you need refreshing as to what the actual logo looks like, it's on the podium the bird is standing on). I must say they did an excellent job:<br /><br /></p><br /><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsgqsT1V_qOZ7yF4QRXet8iep06XmHj641I0X1oMbSAdcA7P8XXdfDheq5U0QvnSK4xRP_EQ_CVTXHH4AoPLJSEDhdJz1WWtCh1Mx3mGy2yJHxMu0UGRJXlBkm9p3mKhzfIMmeMiosM2o/s1600-h/DSCF0096.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5238266121755256514" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsgqsT1V_qOZ7yF4QRXet8iep06XmHj641I0X1oMbSAdcA7P8XXdfDheq5U0QvnSK4xRP_EQ_CVTXHH4AoPLJSEDhdJz1WWtCh1Mx3mGy2yJHxMu0UGRJXlBkm9p3mKhzfIMmeMiosM2o/s400/DSCF0096.JPG" border="0" /></a><br />They also had a rat race. They took 4 volunteers, paired them up and then made each pair link arms. Amber got picked -- that's her second from the left: </p><br /><p><br /></p><br /><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpeyG7XuZZ67McOh10YlnXcPY7CJ16E3zAyzm3AcUlU3i9NA0nvo7Zu5SKz61MvqIVTHdJB91Vdaue1eeoax_4Pfsk-3jmQacDsjuHug0BH-sOVKdFwoMJ2d1d7IULuVlOKzpJ_2_SS_Q/s1600-h/DSCF0097.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5238266281584181122" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpeyG7XuZZ67McOh10YlnXcPY7CJ16E3zAyzm3AcUlU3i9NA0nvo7Zu5SKz61MvqIVTHdJB91Vdaue1eeoax_4Pfsk-3jmQacDsjuHug0BH-sOVKdFwoMJ2d1d7IULuVlOKzpJ_2_SS_Q/s400/DSCF0097.JPG" border="0" /></a><br />After they linked arms, the put a rat on each side to run along the kids and see who would win. Amber had such a mess of hair that they had to help the rat through it!</p><br /><p><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZR-R68JPeRp70t_kJF9lpPByfL3kXvDV9DwTCG0UfsSPwJfdhiKDfacP2-oT2RlQGuCYPsVLHGM2u4E3gY7Nrx92mvX2vv50XKKhpLRqk8r6n2O7P5Su8Raf4zAYA3fYmN6WZNOrwJWw/s1600-h/DSCF0099.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5238266367857774562" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZR-R68JPeRp70t_kJF9lpPByfL3kXvDV9DwTCG0UfsSPwJfdhiKDfacP2-oT2RlQGuCYPsVLHGM2u4E3gY7Nrx92mvX2vv50XKKhpLRqk8r6n2O7P5Su8Raf4zAYA3fYmN6WZNOrwJWw/s400/DSCF0099.JPG" border="0" /></a> </p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com7