Digital Negatives

Congrats to Lainey!!

2008-06-18T15:14:00.000-07:00

For me, being pregnant was no fun at all, but the result was totally worth all the puking and pains. I am so happy for you!

So, what has been going on with me you ask?? So glad that you did :)

I have been off for 9 weeks from work, with a week and a half left. I am supposed to go back to work June 30th, but I have applied for a new job, and as soon as I here if I got it, I will be turning in my 2 weeks notice. Although, since I will still have 110 hours of time off left, I plan to just extend my FMLA time, and not go back to that position at all. That job was sucking my will to live... plus my son is only going to be this little once, so I am not going to put him in daycare until the last possible minute, which right now is confusing anyways, since his daycare spot is not open yet! Hows that for a run-on sentence?

My bud Joey has a blog, and since he put me on his roll, its only fair that he goes on mine... even though I want to kype his theme. Purple and green are my favorite colors. I should buy a domain... I'll eventually check out godaddy.

I'm just hanging out with Cameron, trying to stay out of downtown which is a mess right now. With all the flooding, everyone is trying to get on top of the levee to see what water. You know, its human nature. Everyone loves a train wreck. The more damage and destruction, the more people want to see what is going on.

If you want to see my beautiful boy, he has his own blog. Check it out.

Two Blogs!

2008-05-23T15:24:00.000-07:00

ok, I mostly post over on my "family friendly" blog now. I probably wont be here much, not that I have been recently. check out my other blog at
http://cameron421.blogspot.com

Still Alive.

2008-04-17T09:55:00.001-07:00

I feel like I have dropped off the face of the earth. Being pregnant totally sucks, I have no good drugs that I can take to feel better. So, here I be.

I have a c-section scheduled for Monday the 21st, so that is good (I guess). Nothing like major abdominal surgery to make me feel more chipper!

10 Tips for Photographing Babies

2008-01-02T06:54:00.001-08:00

These are actually more for me than for you :) But feel free to read this guys site. I'm doing my pre-baby research on taking photos :)

10 Tips for Photographing Babies

Nursery Sneak Peek!

2007-12-10T12:29:00.000-08:00

This is the bedding that we have chosen for Cameron's Room. We love the furniture, it was just a pain to put together. We painted the walls "Adventure Orange". Its definitely more of a citrus than a pastel. We are going to have to take all the furniture apart again, and ship it back once the "replacements" come. They should be here this weekend. We got an older set off the shelves apparently, and the white color is not a true white, its more of a cream. So, this would not have been a huge deal except that one of the drawers were damaged, so they have been unable to send us a drawer front in the right shade. So, because I demanded that the set match, we are sending EVERYTHING back, and getting a new set in bright white. Its a big pain, but hopefully this will be the end of the drawer fiasco.

I'm home today with severe round ligament pain. I worked for 4 hours from my couch. Ah, the joys of pregnancy :)

Iced in...

2007-12-09T06:32:00.000-08:00

Joy! (Sarcasm)

There is a thick layer of ice on the ground, trees, roads, pretty much anywhere that you look this morning. Not at all a fun weekender.

Not that we had any big plans for today. Last night was supposed to be DH's big work Christmas party, but it was cancelled due to weather.

We got some christmas shopping done yesterday, which is good since we are behind this year. We were done by Thanksgiving last year, and this year I think we still have 4-5 people to buy for before we are done.

We will probably wrap the stuff that we have so far, if I can find the wrapping paper.

DH is making waffles for breakfast this AM, and they smell really good. I am hungry. I didnt feel good last night, so I slept through dinner.

CreativeXpress is apparently done this AM, which is not good, considering that I have a whole day of nothing to!

Hope everyone else is having a good day, and if it is Icy, stay home :)

Goldfish

2007-12-07T10:57:00.000-08:00

Finally! I can feel Cameron moving. The past couple weeks I havent really been able to tell if it was him, or just a weird bubble sensation. Well, now I am sure, because it is happening so frequently.

Its a really odd sensation. Mostly about an inch below my navel. Reminds me of a goldfish swimming in a bag and lightly bumping the sides. Nothing that you can feel from the outside of course, but I can :)

We have been working on his nursery. It has a Train theme, and we really like it. When we get some stuff up on the walls, I will post pictures :)

We didn't dance at our wedding...

2007-12-02T07:33:00.001-08:00

But this is Hysterical! I bet this couple is a hoot!~

Ok, not typically me

2007-11-29T15:18:00.000-08:00

Hey. Alright. So, as you can tell, brand new blog template! It is not something that I would typically use, but tonight I feel like a big change is needed.

The increased dose of Zolft is finally working, and I can tell in a big way. I still don't have much energy, but I am coping well.

I'm a pirate scrapbooker :) Hey! Pirates are HOT in the industry this year!!

Plan to go to St Louis this weekend, and of course, the weather is supposed to be awful. The actual term on DH's cell forecast this AM was "Ice Pellets". Why!!! This is the weekend we are going to do almost all of our Christmas Shopping, not to mention doing our baby registry! This totally sucks! Hope for the ice to be minimal, and that we will still be able to go, or no one gets to have a christmas this year :)

I'm still alive...

2007-10-16T19:14:00.000-07:00

Hey! I am still alive, or at least I have a pulse.

Second appointment today, and all things looked good. Baby's heartbeat was great, and it didnt take long to find it, so that is good. My next appointment is November 20th, when hopefully the bean will cooperate and we will find out if it is a he or she.

I have kinda fallen off the face of the earth as far as my normal websites go. I have no energy at all, barely enough to get out of bed in the morning and go to work, then I come home on lunch, and sleep. I get home from work, fall onto the couch, and go to sleep. Then Kevin wakes me up so that I can go to bed and sleep. Sleeping is pretty much the only thing I can do lately. Even going to Wal-mart for groceries kills me. I'm starting the 2nd trimester now, so hopefully life will start to perk up. I'm nauseated all the time, but at least I haven't thrown up in 2 days. That is progess I guess.

So, that is me :) Not as sad thanks to Zoloft, which is basically the only thing getting me to work in the AMs, but that is it. So, I am still alive, I'm just unconsious for most of the hours I'm not at work :)

Jumping Bean

2007-09-20T17:37:00.000-07:00

Ultrasound went well. I'm going to be the proud parent of a jumping bean. Heart Beat of 160 per minute, so if you believe the old wives tale, its a girl! (hopefully!)

First Ultrasound tomorrow

2007-09-17T16:08:00.000-07:00

It's been a while since my last confession... or post, or whatever.

My first appointment with my OB is tomorrow. DH is coming with me. My nausea is a little better, not throwing up as much, just feel uneasy all the time.

I keep having all these weird feelings though.

I'm positive that this is a boy. I'm not sure why I am so positive. maybe because I want a girl so badly.

Two weeks ago, I started thinking that this is probably twins. Two boys.

I have this feeling that although tomorrow I should be measuring 9w6d that I will actually measure around 5 weeks, or there will be an empty sac, or that something terrible has happened, and I won't go to term. Granted, there is no history of any of these issues in my family, but I feel like I will be the first.

I won't be able to relax until after the ultrasound tomorrow. I want to see/hear that heart beat to prove that I really do have something growing in there. Completely neurotic and irrational, yup, thats me.

My ex's grandmother died Friday. Her visitation is tonight. She was one of my favorite patients. Normally, I go to all my patient's funerals or at least their visitations. I am not going to this one because I was told that my ex is not "allowed to talk to me". We haven't seen eachother in 9+ years. Email maybe 2-3 times a year, and this has never been an issue before. I'd like to know what happened or changed to make his wife freak out and forbid him from speaking to me. I've never had anyone not be "allowed" to talk to me, and honestly I am not handling it too well. We are adults for gods sake! At any rate, I just went by and signed her memory book prior to the family getting there, that way I still feel like I paid my respects, and didn't take a chance on causing any problems with ex's family.

I am glad that my DH trusts me enough to not be so uptight. Granted, if he told me that I wasn't "allowed" to do anything, we would have to have a serious boundary issue discussion, and there had better be a damned good reason for him to make such a request. Then, if he had good reason, I would take in under serious advisement, but I am still an adult, and would continue to do what I choose, within reason. Ask my mom, forbidding me to do anything just encourages me to pursue said activity with more drive.

Our Mutual friend Joey knows the story... however he has not seen fit to share at this time. Grrr... Why can't we all just get along?

Lainey and Chris

2007-09-04T16:25:00.000-07:00

Do you realize how awesome you both are? I love you both so much! You rock.

Not all sunshine and blue birds... Caution, Explicit Lyrics.

2007-09-03T13:49:00.000-07:00

This. pregnancy. Sucks.

Ok, there. I said it. I'm almost 8 weeks and I am ready for this to be over. There is nothing happy about this. I truely feel like my life, and all that I had planned for my life is over. I'm screwed. Shit out of luck.

And now, I feel even worse for hating this so much. If I miscarry, I know I am going to completely blame myself for not being all happy and bubbley over this.

I never really wanted kids. I wanted a career. I wanted freedom. I wanted a life that did not revolve around diapers and feedings. Does that make me selfish? Yeah, it probably does, but I really don't give a shit at this point. This is so incredibly fucked up.

I am sick all the time. Morning sickness? Try always-sickeness. I am light headed, can't change positions without feeling worse. I am stuck in a job that I hate because otherwise when it gets here, I will have no maturnity leave or benefits. My head hurts, I can't take my migraine meds, or my meds for depression, this makes me an extremely fun person to be around. I love to drink, can't do that, smoking is calming, can't do that either. I kickbox to relieve anxiety, and guess what?? Can't do that either.

So, basically what I can do it sit around getting fat again being a human incubator. yeah, this is exactly what I had planned for. Feeling worthless, and sick, and not being able to do a damn thing about it. I'm hungry all the time, and if I don't eat, the nausea is worse. Pants are already getting tight. Great.

I've been trying to figure out what is going on in my occupied uterus at this point, so I have been frequenting babycenter.com.

Today, I went there, and just continued to get more and more pissed. I WANT to be happy about this. I would love to say that this is exact what I wanted. But, it all honesty, it is not. If it was up to me, I would crawl into a dark hole, and not come out until I wake up from this dream-world-paradox and my life was actually mine again.

I'm going to be a shitty mother. Atleast I feel that way right now. Who else would be writing this in their blog but a bad mother? I should be all sunshine, bluebirds and butterflies. Pass me a baby bottle? No thanks, Id much rather have a margarita.

Welcome to Adulthood

2007-08-27T17:28:00.000-07:00

Well Folks. After a lot of talk, heart to hearts, and weighing all our options, we will not be pursuing moving to St Louis at this time.

I am upset, and this is not what I want, but I have come to the realization that this is not about what "I" want anymore. Its about what is best for my family. DH has turned down the job today, and I will be signing a 2 year contract with my current employer which will result in a state award that will cut my student loans by 10,000 dollars.

One consideration is money. We wouldn't come out any further ahead by moving. We wouldn't come out behind either, it would all balance out.

Another consideration is medical. Being a nurse, I have inside information as to the personalities, and workings of the hospital and clinics here. That makes me more comfortable with my prenatal care, as well as my delivery and aftercare. I already have an OB/GYN here, and I am comfortable with that. I'm not sure that now would be the time to learn a whole new medical system.

Leave is also to be considered. Here, I will have about 3 months of leave saved up by the baby's due date. There is no way that I would have enough time off to take a full 10-12 weeks of leave if I started a new job. That is really important to me. Plus, although I do not enjoy my job, it is very flexible, and I have a lot of autonomy. I can take off whenever I need to, I'm salaried, and have a state retirement/benefits package that can't be beat. DH has a lot of time saved as well, which he would not have if we started over. This was given a lot of weight in our decision.

This is so not what I had planned. I wanted to get out of small town America and experience a different side of life. A place where the town doesn't close down at 9pm. And this is not to say that it will never happen, but for now, it can't. The excitement of the city will now be replaced by the excitement of our new family member. Free time will be much less, and much different now, so the lifestyle that I had hoped to have would not be possible anyways. Time to focus on my pregnancy, and getting ourselves ready for a huge change.

So, there it is. Its the right decision for my family, and regardless of what I feel like I am losing, my family means more to me than all the possibilities of the bigger city. Here's to new life goals and different challenges. The decision to stay has been made, now its time to look forward to the new things to come.

I'm sure our journey, although not the one we had planned, with be even more exciting than the one we had planned for. Its all about perspective. And we are thrilled the the new experiences coming. Life will never be the same!

Welcome little embryo, we are doing our best to get ready for you. You are our first, and I am sure we will make plenty of mistakes, but we will learn what we need to know together. See you in the Spring :)

I feel overwhelmed

2007-08-23T14:21:00.000-07:00

A week ago, ask me if we were moving. The answer would have been an immediate YES~

As me today? I am clueless. We are pretty sure that DH got that job in Clayton. But, driving 45 minutes each way back and forth to work everyday seems excessive, especially when there are banks on every block. And, the house that we fell in love with is now under contract... and I didnt see anything else that interested me.

On Monday, I found out that I was pregnant. This is ok, im settling in to the idea of parenthood. But, then that adds maturnity leave. At my current job, I have 6 weeks of sick time sitting there, waiting to be used. If I quit, I lose it. My job right now sucks, but it is flexible. And it pays enough, especially since we are not smoking (that is not that bad, really) to be able to afford our house, and all that. If I start a new job, there will be no way that I will have enough time saved up to be able to take 6 weeks off, plus have 4 weeks of vacation, plus all the comp time that I will build up between now and then.

Plus, I have my friends here, and my mom and grandma. Not that they are all that involved in my day to day life, but at least they would be here if I really need them.

Here is another bonus to staying. 10,000 dollars to pay off some of my student loans. All I have to do is sign a contract that I will continue in my current job for 2 years from the beginning of August. That would pay off my MOHELA completely, then I would only have my Wells Fargo left to pay on. I would have to commit to this job until July 31, 2009.

Im feeling lost and overwhelmed. What would you do in my shoes? I really need advice.

Appropriate Cartoons.

2007-08-22T17:33:00.000-07:00

3 tests later, I guess there is not much doubt :)

My first OB appointment in September 18th. That seems so far away... but at that time we should be able to hear the heartbeat. That will be cool :)

Wow, how many things can happen all at once?

2007-08-20T11:17:00.000-07:00

Still haven't heard from Dh's interview. Still in love with that house we found.... and oh yeah.....

I'm Pregnant! Head is spinning. I'm shocked, scared, excited, and nervous all at once. Goal Number 1? Quit smoking in the next 2 weeks.

House Hunting

2007-08-20T05:36:00.000-07:00

We found a house that we both love. Its in St Peters. DH's interview went well, and we are expecting to hear back by the end of this week for a second round of interviews. Exciting stuff happening!

We tried to hook up with Toad, but alas, it was not to be! My husband has now been introduced to Pizza Street. Good pizza, and cheap!

We got new cell phones. We both got Razrs. I have had fun programing all the different ring tones for different callers. My husbands ringtone is "I'm a believer" by Smashmouth. My general ring tone is American Pie. I might get tired of hearing that all the time, but I can always change it :)

So, if I have your number, so you have any requests of what your ring tone should be?

5:15am Phone Calls

2007-08-16T04:47:00.000-07:00

These are never good. Early this AM, my Grandpa Charlie died from a massive heart attack. He was a great man, and I wish I could have been there to say good-bye.

Today I am sad.

Drugged.

2007-08-15T09:58:00.000-07:00

I couldnt sleep last night. At 12, I got up to take some tylenol PM. I could only find one. I didnt figure that would work well enough, so I took two dramamine. Oh, MY GOD. I feel so hungover today. This is not good. All of the payment, and none of the Buzzed fun. Ack!

Going to try to drag myself to the Y tonight. Don't want to, have no motivation to do so, but maybe 5 miles on the eliptical will clear out this fog. I sure hope so!

Name that tune

2007-08-14T17:54:00.000-07:00

I'd kick butt at it. Yes, I am bragging, but it if revolved around top 40, or heavy airplay, I could name that tune in 3 notes Chuck!

Currently playing Matthew Sweet - Girlfriend. Love that song, but it kinda makes me sad too. I'm odd, deal with it.

Now is Def Leopard - Lets get Rocked. Must step away from the music and watch something mind numbing on tv :)

Friday..... :)

2007-08-13T13:57:00.000-07:00

Heading back to St Charles on Friday. DH has a job interview, and then we will meet with the realtor. Wow.

American Dreams

2007-08-12T17:25:00.000-07:00

Randon Lyrics of the day:

You switched the signs then you closed the blinds
You changed the channel then you changed our minds

The remainder is an unjustifiable, egotistical power struggle at the expense of the american dream, of the american dream,of the american...(A.D.D by SOAD)

20, 20, 24 Hours a Day

2007-08-12T11:55:00.001-07:00

I wanna be sedated. Yup, true that.

Oh yeah, and...

2007-08-11T19:36:00.000-07:00

We went out to see "I now pronounce you Chuck and Larry". I love love love Adam Sandler, so it was a great movie. I'm going to buy it as soon as it comes out on DVD :)

Resumes... blah

2007-08-11T19:14:00.000-07:00

DH has been working on his resume this week. Each of his contacts needs a slight tweak, so it is taking quite a bit of time.

Friday was our 5 year wedding anniversary. We golfed (how romantic). Today, we went to Illinois to do a little shopping. I got an awesome dress at TJ Maxx that is white, with black primative flowers. It totally rocks. Not sure where I will wear it, but I thought it was a great dress.

I also got a polarizing filter for my camera, which is cool.

Toad totally came through on the photos of the house that we are looking at. Now I am super curious as to what the inside looks like. No fence in the backyard (which is something we really want), but I guess we could put that in.

Now, its a waiting game, and I hate that. I am not a patient person! Instant gratification is the "way I roll".

I'm willing to give up the YMCA membership, and Golf Course membership, being 1 mile from work, no problem. The only thing that makes me think twice is that besides college, I have never lived anywhere but here. Its my home. Fear of the great unknown.

I'm not a very social person unless I feel comfortable. The only people I really know from down south are the people I have met through Toad, and because I trust him, I feel comfortable around his friends (as evidenced by my getting hammered with no Toad in sight with Kilgore and Johnathan last weekend at the Cat's Meow). Oh, and my friend Amy (who works constantly, and is also a nurse, girl scout leader, EMT, and has beaucoup other civic duties) and, a couple "friends" from college that I very rarely speak to. Leaving my family and friends. That is my only reservation.

Hey, its only like 90 miles! Its not like I am moving to California or anything. Its getting late, I am tired, and I am starting to ramble. Are you still reading! HAHA~! I've got you in my trap now.

Cheers!

WOW, and Frustration

2007-08-09T13:31:00.000-07:00

Been in contact with my awesome realtor from Chesterfield. Have been bouncing properties off him once in a while. I am hoping Toad will go do some recon for me and check out a house close to his neighborhood.

I got a 10,000 student loan repayment award in the mail today, which is both awesome, and confusing. If I take it, I have to stay at my current job for 2 more years. Kinda hard since we are planning to move. Not sure what to do. If I take it, and we move, I will have to repay it. If I don't take it, and then plans fall through I will be losing that money.

Damn! Hard decision. Not sure what to do.

Housing Options

2007-08-07T19:12:00.000-07:00

Did some digging today into Charlestowne at St Charles, and New Town, St Charles. Both look nice, but then again, kinda cultish.

Found an amazing townhouse near The Venice Cafe, which looks amazing on the inside, but I am not sure that I could handle not having a yard, even though I hate yardwork.

DH is trying to work on his resume again, and send it out to more openings. Its all frustrating, and extremely exciting all at once. Housing prices are still inflated, and I am finding that it is more cost effective to look for brand new construction instead of established housing. That, and I am incredibly picky, doesnt help much.

Anyone want to let me, my husband, our two dogs, and a housefull of furniture move in with you while we househunt? Please email me if you are taking on boarders :)

Decisions

2007-08-07T17:03:00.000-07:00

Life is full of decisions. They make us who we are, and guide what we do.
Two roads, each taking different paths, yet converging at points along your continuum.

Do you want to be a train conductor? Or a passenger on the voyage?
It’s your choice, but now is the time to buy that ticket.

It’s your life. If you feel like life is fleeting, that is because it is.
In 5 years, you will be 5 years older, regardless of what you do today.

Make the jump, stare uncertainty in the eyes and spit in them,
Trying and falling on your face would be preferable to living your life with continued “what ifs”.

Do it, or don’t. Make it or move on.
Be your own gale-force wind, and don’t settle for storm clouds.

No one else is going to be your strength. You are under your own power.
Either climb the mountain, or be satisfied to live in the valley.

It’s your Call.

Life...

2007-08-02T17:49:00.000-07:00

On the first day, God created the dog and said:

"Sit all day by the door of your house and bark at anyone who comes in or
walks past. For this, I will give you a life span of twenty years."

The dog said: "That's a long time to be barking. How about only ten years
and I'll give you back the other ten?"

So God agreed.

On the second day, God created the monkey and said: "Entertain people, do
tricks, and make them laugh. For this, I'll give you a twenty-year life
span."

The monkey said: "Monkey tricks for twenty years? That's a pretty long time
to perform. How about I give you back ten like the dog did?"

And God agreed.

On the third day, God created the cow and said: "You must go into the field
with the farmer all day long and suffer under the sun, have calves, and give
milk to support the farmer's family. For this, I will give you a life span
of sixty years."

The cow said: "That's kind of a tough life you want me to live for sixty
years. How about twenty and I'll give back the other forty?"

And God agreed again.

On the fourth day, God created man and said: "Eat, sleep, play, marry and
enjoy your life. For this, I'll give you twenty years."

But man said: "Only twenty years? Could you possibly give me my twenty, the
forty the cow gave back, the ten the monkey gave back, and the ten the dog
gave back; that makes eighty, okay?"

"Okay," said God, "You asked for it."

So that is why the first twenty years we eat, sleep, play and enjoy
ourselves. For the next forty years we slave in the sun to support our
family. For the next ten years, we do monkey tricks to entertain the
grandchildren. And for the last ten years, we sit on the front porch and
bark at everyone.

Life has now been explained to you.

Wound up Tight

2007-07-30T16:48:00.000-07:00

I feel like a caged animal tonight. Not sure why. Very on edge. Kinda like a coiled snake, ready to strike.

I hate feeling like this. I want out of town, away from all thoughts of work, want to be wild for once.

Every feel like that?

FitDayPC and Oddities

2007-07-30T10:49:00.000-07:00

Great program! I am now recording everything that I cook, and inputing all the nutritional information from the food labels. Its really kinda fun, but thats cause I am a geeky gal who loves bar charts and graphs. Yay me for being nerdy!

Might go to St Louis this weekend and hang with Toad if he is free. Another pal of mine is stuck in Gerard the first part of this week. Its too far to go down for an afternoon to visit, even with his generous offer of mucho "fornication". I told him I wasn't driving that far for a quickie. He said it didnt have to be quick! LOL!

I am so glad that I have an understanding husband who realizes that nearly all my friends have always been guys, and doesn't get bent out of shape with their odd humor. They crack me up! Jojo's head is in the gutter the majority of the time, but if he didnt hit on me, I would think something was wrong.

If I don't go anywhere this weekend, we will golf, even though it is supposed to be very hot. But, honestly, I kinda need a weekend away. Work is burning me out. So, when I figure out what I am doing, I will plan accordingly :)

Hmm!

2007-07-28T15:06:00.000-07:00

Ok, so we went to golf last night as always. We went out to eat after because I just hate going home and not being able to visit with all my friends.

So, I had 3 chicken tenders (lightly breaded), with mustard, and a cottage cheese side. Kicked me out of Ketosis for the night, but I am now back to pink. Guzzling the water today~ We played in a tournament this morning as well, and I worked a few hours. Don't know what to make for supper!

Lainey! So happy you are here :) I missed ya! I'll post hair pics soon, on a day when I havent been outside all day :)

Hopefully I will meet my first short-term weight goal by the end of the month (only 2 more pounds). Then my goal is 15 lbs for next month.

Hope everyone is having a good Saturday :)

A week of weight loss!

2007-07-27T14:50:00.000-07:00

Down 12 pounds in the past two weeks. Yay for me :)

Damn Tenderloin!

2007-07-25T09:57:00.000-07:00

Ok, so, eating out last friday stalled the weight loss until today. Actually, I gained 3 lbs from all the salt. I've got one more pound to go until I am back where I was last Friday morning. Bummer! But at least it is coming back off.

So, no eating out this Friday or this weekend.

I got a cute new haircut last night, I might post a picture later, its pretty short, but I like it. Much better than a ponytail every day.

Zombie Squad - Interesting

2007-07-19T19:46:00.000-07:00

I've got a friend who has been involved in ZS for a while now. I really didnt know what it was about, I just knew that it including planning for zombie attacks...

He posted this link on his blog, so I followed it.
As the RN - Emergency POD Coordinator for my County, This seems like a good program. I am more than in favor of anything that helps keep people prepared for disasters. Although in my job, I focus more on the New Madrid Fault, Bird Flu, Mass Communicable Disease and the like, I liked there Slogan...

"If you are prepared for a shambling horde of walking corpses that are trying to eat you alive, you will be prepared for just about anything."

This section was copied from the news article.

Zombie Squad recommends citizens prepare a "bug out bag" in case of emergencies. These kits could be quite extensive, but items should include:

Food and water for three days

A first aid kit

Weather protection

A flashlight and extra batteries

A radio

A knife or multi-tool

A source of fire

While my suggested kit has a few more things in it, these are definately the bare bones of what you will need should you ever be involved in an emergency. Follow the link, and read about this group that is helping make a difference! I was pleasantly surprised!

Little Pink Polo

2007-07-19T18:17:00.001-07:00

I dont normally by clothes that don't fit... but I couldnt help myself. I found this adorable little pink and brown stripped polo shirt. I loved it. Didn't try it on, new it wouldnt fit. But got it home, and realized its a Juniors! Ummm... ok. Not going to take it back. Gonna make it my next goal shirt. Will have to lose a little more than I had planned on before I can wear it, but its so cute it will be worth it.

I'm getting a massive hair-cut next Tuesday. Hair is too long to do anything with, and I want something a little more wild and fun. I'm considering some blue/bright red streaks. How brave am I????? :)

My favorite Quote of the day!

2007-07-16T19:45:00.000-07:00

I spent 40,000 dollars on a get rich quick scheme. It didnt work! It was called College.

LOL! Yup, Debt and a degree, thats what I've got!

Oh, and my mini goal!

2007-07-16T18:42:00.000-07:00

Thanks for whoever emailed myspace and said that I was so close to goal! My little ticker factory over there is just my Mini Goal for losing 20 lbs by September 1st :)

I actually want to lose another 60 after that :) Small Steps are easier to overcome :)

hugs!

More than the majority of you want to know :)

2007-07-16T18:36:00.000-07:00

Hey! One week down on this round, trying to stick fairly close to Atkin's 72 plan. 8.5 lbs lost this week :) woohoo for me, and I bought some new shorts :)

But, this is not without problems either.

TOM was 3-4 days early! Not a nice surprise! Been reading the forums at LCF and asking a lot of questions of the veterans over there, and apparently this is normal. This diet wasn't part of my nutrition classes in college! Imagine that! Wish it would have been, I might not have had to gain the Freshman 15... err, um, 60.

So, I am bloated, and irritable today, anyone want to pick a fight with me???:)

I'll cardio kickbox you to death, AND, I will do it to the beat of Love Shack, and Achey-Breaky Heart! Hows that for a threat??? :)

My Egg Quiche Muffins - Recipe (Low Carb)

2007-07-14T12:54:00.001-07:00

16 eggs, well Mixed
1 lbs Sausage, cooked and drained
1 lbs hamburger, cooked and drained
1 cup Sour Cream
1 small can Green Chiles
1/2 tablespoon hot sauce
2 cups Fiesta/mexican Blend Shredded Cheese
2 tsp Onion Powder
2 tsp garlic powder.
Other seasons to taste.

Mix all ingredients in a large sealable plastic container. Keep in fridge at least 24 hours (48 tastes better).

Spray a Muffin tin THICKLY with PAM, or line with muffin cups. Laddle mixture into muffin cups until about 3/4 Full. The pan that I use has 12 fairly large muffins. Cook at 350 degrees for about 45 minutes, until middle of muffins are set and knife comes out clean.

Makes 24 muffins.

Carbs per whole recipe: 50, so around 2 carbs per muffin

Mixture keeps at least a week in the fridge in a sealed plastic bowl. Muffins keep about a week in a ziplock bag. I made this once, and have been eating on it for 2 weeks for breakfasts.

Hope you Enjoy!

Background change

2007-07-13T19:58:00.000-07:00

Ummm, I had to change my background, something about bandwidth, yadda yadda yadda. Its cool though. I like this too.

Go me, Go me!

2007-07-11T11:21:00.000-07:00

Another 7 lbs lost this week. I feel like a rock star! (well, not really, but I'm proud anyways". This ass WILL be smaller by next year. I'm going to get rid of the clothes that are too big. I don't want to be able to think if I gain a few pounds I will be able to wear them again. Actually, I am going to take my two favorite pairs, and make a purse out of them.. Then I can carry it around, look at it, and it can remind me of how big my butt used to be, HOW'S THAT FOR MOTIVATION!

The Grand Finale!

2007-07-05T19:37:00.000-07:00

I wish I could quit my job and take photos all day, I love capturing this type of thing. Here is the picture from our Fireworks Display on the 4th of July, 2007.

iLOVE it :)

2007-07-02T10:39:00.000-07:00

Smores Anyone?

2007-07-01T17:28:00.000-07:00

I ordered a new couch! Its a big sectional, and should look fantastic! We get it on Friday :)

In-laws are coming next weekend (I think).

I got Ink on my favorite dress shirt of DH's, and my favorite blue scrub pants, so I have been trying all types of ink removing options. Alcohol wash so far works the best.

We are havinga big festival in town, and all the hotels might be full over the 4th of July weekend. If they are full, the in-laws will come a different weekend. I really dont care when they come, I just like to have a plan. I'm not much into waiting until the last minute to know what is happening. I am a planner!

Oh, yeah, the Smores part of this post. Our new couch is Brown Leather, and Chocolate and Toast Suede Microfiber. Its got big pillows, and looks like Marshmellows :)

Here is a picture!

We didnt get the endtables, or coffee table, because the ones we are we love, and they match, and we got the big matching ottoman. Can't wait till friday gets here!

Let the Hunt Begin!

2007-06-24T14:29:00.000-07:00

Ok, so now we are entering the time of year when we are seriously considering moving to the St Louis area. I found a great house in O'Fallon, I have contacted a company to get some more information. Private Duty Nursing! Yeah, still kinda home health, but better, with much higher pay, no "You must work 8 hours a day". The more I work, the more I make, and I love that idea. I love keeping busy, and I hate trying to find things to keep me busy to fill 8 hours. I don't like busy work!

So, DH is looking, and sending resumes. Maybe it will happen this year :)

/:/:/.............................Low Carb Pizza~!

2007-06-21T11:20:00.001-07:00

We have found the best new low-carb recipe yet. This is by LindaSue at LowCarbFriends.com. Its amazing.

Ingredients:
4 ounces cream cheese, softened
2 eggs
1/4 cup parmesan cheese, 1 ounce (I used the kind in a can)
1/4 teaspoon oregano or Italian seasoning
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
8 ounces Italian cheese blend or mozzarella cheese, shredded
1/4 cup pizza sauce
4 ounces mozzarella cheese, shredded
Assorted toppings: pepperoni, ham, sausage, 4 ounce can mushrooms, green peppers, bacon, ground beef, etc.
Dash of garlic pepper or garlic powder and some Italian seasoning for top of pizza

How To Prepare:
DEEP DISH PIZZA
4 ounces cream cheese, softened
2 eggs
1/4 cup parmesan cheese, 1 ounce (I used the kind in a can)
1/4 teaspoon oregano or Italian seasoning
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
8 ounces Italian cheese blend or mozzarella cheese, shredded
1/4 cup pizza sauce
4 ounces mozzarella cheese, shredded
Assorted toppings: pepperoni, ham, sausage, 4 ounce can mushrooms, green peppers, bacon, ground beef, etc.
Dash of garlic pepper or garlic powder and some Italian seasoning for top of pizza

In a medium bowl, whisk cream cheese until smooth and creamy. Whisk in eggs until mixture is well-blended and smooth. Add the parmesan and seasonings, then stir in the 8 ounces of mozzarella until completely moistened. Spread cheese mixture evenly in a well-greased 9x13" glass baking dish or lightly greased and lined with parchment paper (see note below). Bake at 375º 20-25 minutes or until evenly browned, but not too dark. Let cool completely on a wire rack. When nearly cooled, take a metal spatula and carefully pry up the edges to loosen from pan. Ease the spatula under the whole crust to loosen. Keep crust in the pan. This makes it easier to remove the finished pizza later. Refrigerate, uncovered, until shortly before serving time.
Spread chilled crust with pizza sauce, then cheese and toppings of your choice. Lightly sprinkle with seasonings of your choice. Bake at 375º about 15-20 minutes or until toppings are bubbly. Let stand a few minutes before cutting.
Linda says,
I don't recommend making this in a metal baking pan as it will stick making the pizza very difficult to remove and the pan very hard to clean.
I think I may have discovered the secret to a crispy crust. I left the baked crust uncovered in the refrigerator for several hours. I think that allowed it to dry out a bit so that it became crisp during the second baking with the toppings. I was able to pick the pizza up in my hands.
NOTE: If you lightly grease the pan and line it with parchment paper, you'll have no trouble removing the pizza from the pan later. Greasing the pan makes the parchment stick to it so you can easily spread the crust batter.

Number of Servings:
Makes 8 servings

Carbs per serving - include all nutritional information if known:
Per Serving: 304 Calories; 25g Fat; 17g Protein; 3g Carbohydrate; 1g Dietary Fiber; 2g Net Carbs

Preparation Time:
15 minutes

Effort (Easy, Average, Difficult):
Average

Source:
www.genaw.com/lowcarb

We will eat this often :) Tonight we are trying a BBQ chicken pizza with LC BBQ sauce instead of pizza sauce. Love it!

First Week on Atkins....

2007-06-18T14:30:00.000-07:00

Forgot to say, I've lost 3.5 lbs this week. It it continues at this pace! I bought a new shirt for DH's high school reunion and it does fit yet. It better fit by Labor Day :)

Thunder!

2007-06-18T14:29:00.000-07:00

I love storms :) Its Thundering all around, and as long is it doesnt get severe, I love it. I'll be home by myself tonight, its Monday, so DH is at a meeting, and its my night on my own... wonder what trouble I can get myself into??? :)

Great new Message Board!

2007-06-17T16:53:00.000-07:00

I have found a great new Low-Carb message board at LCF - see the link in my sidebar. Great support there!

But, I have neglected Xpressions for most of the weekend :) I'll do better CX, I promise :)

Wild Shopping Spree!

2007-06-16T13:30:00.001-07:00

Had a great day today, lots of shopping :) Went to a town about 30 minutes away to get some great deals on scrapbooking supplies.

Picked up father's day presents, got a new shirt, it was a good day :)

Windows Live Writer

2007-06-14T09:56:00.001-07:00

I'm starting to use the new Windows Live Writer Beta. I really like it so far. Congrats Toad on the New job! That is amazing :) Hopefully you will actually have some days off! I'll come spend a weekend down there with ya and we can hang out.

I'm going back to using Internet Explorer for a while, instead of firefox. I am still a big firefox fan, but one of the blogs I read can't be accessed with firefox, and it is easier just to use one, than to switch back and forth. If I end up hating this new version of IE, I will reinstall firefox.

I'm going to go back to Kickboxing again tonight. I had taken a break. Hopefully I will be ok, I haven't been doing that much cardio lately, as it is golf season, and, well, its just not very strenuous.

Ketosis is still making my brain fuzzy, one of the downsides of the induction level of this way of eating. It will go away, its just hard to concentrate right now.

Great Video :)

2007-06-13T10:56:00.000-07:00

Back on the wagon

2007-06-11T10:54:00.000-07:00

Ok, back on the Low-Carb wagon. I want to lose another 15 lbs by August 1st, so gotta get on it. The diet is not too exciting, but it really does work :) I'm thinking thin thoughts :)

Our Freedom isn't Free

2007-06-10T19:28:00.000-07:00

Well, I finally scrapbooked my 9/11 experience. It is something that I have wanted to do, but haven't been in the right mindset to be able to finish the journaling part of my page. I read stories on the internet of where people were when Kennedy was shot, the space shuttle explosion, and other big events of their time. 9/11 was my first real experience with the reality of terrorism. It has a lot of metal on it, so a photograph is too shiny. But, I will post my journaling here, and add the photo of the page when I get it scanned.

My Generation had never been involved in War or at least not to the point where we were acutely aware of it. We were too young to fully remember the events of the Gulf War, the liberation of Kuwait, and Operation Desert Storm. We were lucky enough to have grown up most of our socially conscious years in a time of peace. That all changed the morning of September 11, 2001.

The day started out like any normal Tuesday. I had a class that started at 10am. I was a Senior at Truman State University. I got up at 8:00am to get ready for class, and make the long walk to Barnett Hall for my Critical Care nursing class. I got up. Took a shower, and headed to the kitchen for breakfast. Earlier that semester I had started a routine of watching CNN Headline News to get an idea of what was going on in the world before going to class, mostly because my professor started the class by talking about current events. I got my breakfast bar and sat down at the table to scan the internet for my latest emails. I flipped on the TV.

I didn’t immediately comprehend what I was seeing. Smoke, pouring out of the side of one of the Twin Towers at the World Trade Center. I immediately called my Fiancé at work. He had not had the radio on, and also had no idea what had happened. I couldn’t take my eyes off the TV. I could barely blink. Surely it was just an accident! Then a second plane hit the other tower. This couldn’t be accidental. I stayed on the phone with Kevin. What was happening! The news was showing people running down the street covered in ash and debris. People were trying to avoid burning to death by choosing to leap out of the Tower windows, knowing that there was little to no chance that they would survive the fall.

The images were surreal; it seemed like the events on the TV could not possibly be occurring in our county. The fire and smoke filled the Manhattan skyline. Then, the unbelievable happened again.

At 8:59am CST the south tower collapsed, followed by the North tower at 9:46am, and WTC 7 at 4:20pm, which had been heavily damaged by the debris from the towers being hit. But that was not the end. The Pentagon was also attacked, killing many government employees and causing a section of the building to collapse.

The US Capitol would have been hit as well if the passengers on the 4^th plane had not chosen to take their plane down in a field in Pennsylvania rather than let the hijackers take even more lives by using their plane as a missile as well. On United Airlines Flight 93, black box recordings revealed that crew and passengers attempted to seize control of the plane from the hijackers after learning through phone calls that similarly hijacked planes had been crashed into buildings that morning. According to the transcript of Flight 93's recorder, one of the hijackers gave the order to roll the plane once it became evident that they would lose control of the plane to the passengers. Soon afterward, the aircraft crashed into a field near Shanksville in Stonycreek Township, Somerset County, Pennsylvania, at 9:03am.

Total, including the victims of the plane crashes, the Tower, the Pentagon, and United Airlines 93, 2,974 died and another 24 remain listed as missing. Fire fighters, police, and medical personnel that hurried to the scene to assist with the injured and to evacuate the towers were included in the death and missing This does not include the 19 hijackers who committed suicide in the crashing planes.

Terrorism. That is something that happens in other countries. Not in the USA. Never. That mindset would quickly change as the whole nation was shaken. Classes were cancelled for the next several days. I can’t even tell you when the classes resumed. I did nothing but sit and stare at the TV for days. I didn’t leave the apartment. I was sick. My whole being ached. How could anyone do this to other humanbeings? Up till this point in my life, I had never heard of Osama Bin Laden. I had no knowledge of Al-Qaeda. Honestly, I probably could not have even pointed to Afghanistan on a map. But my world would change that day. My generation no longer lacked the experiences of War. Following the attacks, 80,000 Arab and Muslim immigrants were fingerprinted and registered under the Alien Registration Act of 1940. 8,000 Arab and Muslim men were interviewed, and 5,000 foreign nationals were detained under Joint Congressional Resolution 107-40 authorizing the use of military force "to deter and prevent acts of international terrorism against the United States”. Soon after, our soldiers were fighting a war.

Through scrapbooking, I have met multiple soldiers and military wives that have had to adjust to this reality on a much more personal level than I have. Yes, my world changed, but every day that I talk with my internet friends who have husbands deployed I can’t even imagine what they are going through. They are putting their lives, and the plans that they made, on hold to help fight to make our country a safe place to live. For us, they are sacrificing their lives to make our lives better. Their bravery and selflessness is a testament to the bravery and honor of our military. The high death toll of soldiers that have given their lives is broadcasted daily through the media. It is a constant reminder that we are lucky to be Americans. It also keeps fresh in our minds that living in this country is a privilege. A privilege worth fighting for. Our way of life will continue thanks to these men and women. Regardless of my opinion on the policies of war, these soldiers and military families will forever have my gratitude, for it is them that pay the highest price. Our freedom isn’t free.

The Race is On....

2007-06-10T12:23:00.001-07:00

NASCAR is on today, so I will go downstairs to scrapbook! I'm just waiting for the Excedrin to kick in so that my head is pounding a little less and then I am going to go downstairs. Going to try something new today, I'm going to sew on a page. I havent tried that before, and I figure it is about time. I have a flag picture that I have been wanting to do, so, this is as good a time as any.

Hope you all are having a great weekend :)

A frustrating Day

2007-06-07T16:17:00.000-07:00

Today I am sad. I'm not entirely sure why. But, I can narrow it down.

1) My job is not personally satisfying. Same basic stuff day in, day out. Boring is the normal. I don't feel challenged at all, I don't feel like I am learning anything new, and I NEED to feel challenged. Therefore I am feeling stuck and unmotivated. Not a good combo.

2) My Husband's job is unsettled. His bank recently merged with a large bank, and he may be switching locations, may be switching positions. Not sure what is going to happen.

3) I want to moved to St Louis to have more to do, more places to go, friends to hang out with.

4) I don't want to move to St Louis because it is farther away from my family.

5) I love love LOVE to scrapbook, but my job wears me out to the point that I don't want to do anything but sit on my rear and play on the internet.

6) I've gained 7 lbs in the past 2 months. Time to get back on the diet! I've been missing Kickboxing too, and I need to get back to working out. Its not a lack of wanting to, its a lack of motivation. Boo Hoo, Woe is me! Time to kick my own butt back in gear!

Finally!

2007-06-06T19:00:00.000-07:00

I have spent the majority of the PM hours working on my blog :) Finding a template that I could modify for my own use, figuring out padding and margins. Footers. Etc. I have been out of the HTML programming for a long time! LOL

So, here is it for now. Pretty. I'll work on the widgets and getting a slide show up later :)

Hope to do better with this than my previous blogs, if not, I will go back to wordpress!

Goodnight!

My New Blog

2007-06-04T15:08:00.001-07:00

Welcome to my new blog! More to be added soon :)