While Away

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MARK

2010-03-03T02:21:00.002+04:00

:) It's my little bro's birthday!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY DEAR MARK!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU!
YOU LOOK LIKE A MONKEY!
AND YOU SMELL LIKE ONE TOO!

February 25, 2010

2010-02-26T00:44:00.001+04:00

Unfortunately, we're downsizing. It's expected at this stage in the contract but it doesn't make the process any less difficult. Several friends have been notified of their 'date' and are now putting finishing touches to their resumes as they begin their job search. Mike and I have been passing their resumes forward to contacts we have who have advertised positions to fill but of course there are no guarantees! Hopefully they'll find a rewarding position as they continue on their career path...

It's another weekend in Wisconsin for me. I'll be meeting the girls for some more cooking classes. This weekend's menu is seafood. YUM!

February 16, 2010

2010-02-17T03:04:00.002+04:00

We spent the last weekend in Wisconsin with the entire family. With my brother in Boston and my sister and I traveling/working overseas, it's been a long time since our entire family was in Wisconsin. By a long time, I mean over two years..maybe closer to four... let's see how long it is before we can do it again...

I crossed the break-in mileage mark on the Mini on the way back. Guess this means I can start driving as they do in the Italian Job. :) I was pleased to discover the Mini makes it from home in Wisconsin (north of Milwaukee) to home in St. Louis on one tank of gas, even at a steady 73mph. Couldn't do that in the VW!

A local Wisconsin restaurant offered clients the opportunity to dine free on Presidents Day provided the patrons could recite all the Presidents, in order, by memory. My lil' bro took a stab at it and reportedly became the only guest to do so successfully. Impressive! I wouldn't stand a chance.

I lost

2010-02-06T00:35:00.002+04:00

The results are in and I didn't even make the top three... or the top female! I tried so hard! The competition did help reach the half way mark to my goal so I'm happy with that. Due to popular demand, we will complete a second round starting in two weeks... Let's see if I can keep the weight off (and/or momentum going!) before now and then. I just want to fit back in my motorcycle leathers!

We are forecast to receive foul weather today. They are talking almost 4 inches! (oh my!) At least I'll have an opportunity to test the Mini in snow. Anyone want to come do donuts in the parking lot with me?

February 1, 2010

2010-02-02T01:32:00.001+04:00

When my Dad was in Oman for Desert Storm, my sister had a tough time dealing with his long absences. To bring a smile to her face, he sent her a certificate which identified her as the 'favorite daughter'. She has held the certificate over my head ever since.

While visiting the family this weekend, the topic of 'who is the favorite' came up in passing. Of course, there can be no discussion when one daughter holds a certificate with the title, so the discussion was brief...but to my surprise! a smile was brought to MY face when a certificate was bestowed upon me the next morning....

"Best All-Around Daughter Award"

Not too shabby if you ask me! I think I shall frame and hang. :P

Meet Duncan

2010-01-28T23:02:00.001+04:00

Mike and I have been test driving vehicles for months and in the process, have gone back and forth between cars and whether or not we'll actually replace my beloved Jetta with something shiny and new. Who knew it would be a Mini!? I've never pictured myself in one until I test drove it. What a surprise!

So now, I am the proud owner of Duncan. Duncan is a zippy 2010 Mini Clubman Sport. He's grey - almost titanium colored with black racing stripes down the hood. He has black leather interior and is trimmed with a 6 speed manual transmission, dual sunroof and sport, convenience, and cold weather packages. He's roomy enough to accommodate four average adults comfortably...and even proved capable of carrying a 6'5" giant with room to spare. The trunk space is adequate for my needs and with the seats folded down, offers more space than the Jetta did for cargo. Why Duncan? It's a British name, for a British car, and means "Dark Warrior". :) Suiting eh?

January 21, 2010

2010-01-22T02:50:00.003+04:00

I'm officially done with Zoto :( Their site is down once again and the message posted indicates it may be forever. It's going to take me FOREVER to load all my pictures to a new photo hosting site. I am NOT looking forward to it. It's such a bummer because I was really pleased with Zoto...until they started having their technical issues. The new hosting site? Why not Picasa.

Tomorrow is the third weigh in for our biggest loser. Blah. It's not been a good week....and tonight's Girl's Night Out at Happy Hour will not support the cause. (maybe a last ditch effort with a run before weigh in? sauna session?) I think I will pull through with no net effect but the mid-week weigh ins have proved I'll be at the bottom of the heep... At least Mike is doing well :)

January 18, 2010

2010-01-19T01:02:00.002+04:00

So far, I can't compete. I'm hoping the leader's lose their steam! In week one, the top performer lost 10 lbs. Three weeks to go. If they keep that up, I won't stand a chance. I'm currently in fourth place.

I love lazy weekends. I think this was the third one in a row (other than taking down Christmas decorations which probably shouldn't count). :) Certainly not complaining!

Mike & I have started catching up on the doctor appointments. We figured it was about time we found some local doctors. First stop: dentist. Need to keep those pearly whites - white! Something to look forward to?

January 8, 2010

2010-01-09T00:48:00.000+04:00

Lose big & win! Today begins the office Biggest Loser competition. For the next month we'll be eating well and weighing in weekly in hopes to lose the most by the end of the month. The top three losers will split the pot which we all contributed to at initial weigh in. I'm determined to win. The competition just may be the push I need to shed the pounds I've accumulated since we returned from Iraq...and maybe a couple more. Mike is jumping in feet first even trading in soda for water. My strategy? Add 15 minutes of running to one workout per day - and an hour of running twice per week. That will sum to 3 hours of additional cardio per week. I decided to do this for the New Year and therefore already have a head start.. I was very pleased with myself when I successfully ran nearly an hour without stopping on my first try. It may not be much but considering I HATE running (it's SOOOOOooo boring!) and therefore never do it, I thought I would cramp 10 minutes in....

May the best (wo)man win!

December 30, 2009

2009-12-31T03:44:00.004+04:00

Are we ready for the New Year?

Mike and I haven't decided whether we'll do anything special to celebrate. It might be nice just to be lazy around the house! especially after traveling for the holidays last weekend. We'll probably start working on dismantling some of the Christmas decorations. Don't want to wait too long and have more needles on the floor in the end than on the tree!

Christmas with the family was fun and Santa was good to us! We received a George Foreman, steak knives, kitchen gadgets, needed household items, homemade socks & bread basket with warmer, lotions, decorations, etc. etc. :) Good stuff! :)

I have vowed not to step on the scale for at least two weeks after the holidays..hoping this will be enough time for the weight to plateau where it should be. I'm a little nervous after all of the appetizers, wine, cookies, and good food associated with family get-togethers and holidays!

We've been having fun with the Wii in the evenings. It turns out Wii Resorts has Disc Golf which just happens to be one of our favorite activities to play. Sure, it's not quite the real thing but disc golf in the living room rocks! lol.

Reportedly, tomorrow night is a full moon..on New Years Eve! I'm told it only happens once every 19 years. Don't miss it!

Happy New Year everyone!

December 21, 2009

2009-12-22T02:39:00.000+04:00

:) What can I say? We've been good this year! Mike & I decided to exchange presents early - this past weekend in fact, so that we would have the weekend to play. I received a beautiful necklace, slippers, a down vest, teddy bear, games, and...a....WII! :) Mike received a buy-in to a local poker tourney, a golf umbrella, a portable workstation, and...a... PLAYSTATION! Guess we have all the gaming systems we can handle. Anyone want to come over and play?

We had a good week last week too. I started to program in Outlook - even managed to automate a daily email distribution... and we had our company holiday party. We held it at a local restaurant and made up a trivia game to keep everyone busy and mingling. It worked splendidly. Everyone was very involved and having fun, the atmosphere was great, and the food was yummy. :) Highly recommend J Buck's for your next small business event.

We have a few VIP visitors this week so we ended last week by tidying the work spaces. The office looks transformed...let's just hope we can keep it this way!

December 14, 2009

2009-12-15T02:47:00.001+04:00

Philadelphia was the weekend's destination. We traveled to cheer on Army as they battled against Navy in America's sport, Football. The odds were stacked against them so we were prepared for a loss and thrilled when they were winning at halftime. Unfortunately, Navy broke through their strong defense to win but it was a great game till the end...and a good time spent with family.

My sister also gave us a driving tour of the old part of the city to include Independence Hall and the Liberty Bell's residence...we dined at Reading's Market for breakfast and one of the oldest restaurants in the country, City Tavern. We also drowned ourselves in beer and wine and plumped up on hors d'oeuvres and philly cheesesteaks :) so I'll be hitting the gym extra hard this week. lol. There's no such thing as a diet over the holidays...

December 4, 2009

2009-12-05T00:58:00.003+04:00

I've been recruited to make Balloon Animals for a coworker's daughter's birthday party. Should be fun! It's been a while since I've twisted out little doggies and octopuses (my favorites).

This weekend we'll be car shopping. My poor little Jetta is behaving badly so I'll be trading it in. :( All I care about is: manual transmission, heated seats, and sun roof. :) Mike wants something along the lines of an SUV. So we're looking for all of the above. Harder than you think! They don't make many SUVish vehicles with manual transmissions....

December 3, 2009

2009-12-04T03:31:00.002+04:00

I have time for a post!

Being home with family was great for Thanksgiving. We brought out the board games, saw 2012 (my Mom's first movie in a theater in nearly 30 years!), spent time with friends...oh...and put on nearly 10 lbs! Well, truly I haven't weighed myself since the holiday... working up to that...

It's been back to work since, with continued studying during the after hours (wild life eh?). Mike's classes also resumed for a couple more weeks before his winter break.

We had our first snowfall for the season.. I guess it would be better described as a half hour of flakes falling from the sky and melting into the ground. Nothing accumulated...but I still broke out my Eskimo boots!

My office made my day yesterday when they showed at my door with paper, scissors, and a mischievous grin on their faces...their opening line was "Remember what we did last year?" It took me a moment to remember...SNOWFLAKES! :D We've cranked out several since adding a little spirit to the office walls and windows...what a perfect decoration!

Time to go work off the 10 lbs.

November 17, 2009

2009-11-18T02:21:00.002+04:00

Today, a milestone was achieved in yoga. :) I managed to wriggle into and maintain, a shoulder arm balance. Can I get a WHOOP WHOOP! :) I'm excited. Now I have to work at making it NOT look like such a struggle to get in and out of.

Mike and I are starting to iron out the details of our Thanksgiving vacation. This will be the first Thanksgiving home in four years. Mike will also be going deer hunting the week prior, so he'll be picking me up from the airport to minimize the driving back-n-forth. Can't wait!

November 9, 2009

2009-11-10T01:57:00.001+04:00

I see a trend developing...I think I will have to set a reminder to update the blog so I don't fall so far behind. It's not necessarily that I have nothing going on in my life...just forget to put it down. So let's summarize the last two weekends:

My parents came for Halloween weekend. My little brother was a little overwhelmed with the haunted house which turned out to be a real treat. We were definitely happy to have the speed passes which skipped us passed the long lines leading into the warehouse. My Mom and I were able to get in several yoga/workout sessions and we even made it out to Fort Leonard Wood for a trip down memory lane.

During this past weekend, Mike made a trip to Vegas with his friend for some birthday festivities. I spent my weekend of freedom speeding the local back roads, going out with new friends, and relaxing. I even managed to get in some studying.

With regards to studying, I'm finding more and more that I want to find a local study group for the PE. My search of the internet is producing nothing though. :( Anyone know anyone who wants to feel stupid with me while we prepare for the PE (Mechanical)?

October 27, 2009

2009-10-28T02:47:00.001+04:00

Can you believe it's nearly Halloween already? I haven't even picked out a costume yet! PLUS my family has decided to join us for the holiday weekend which means....TRICK OR TREATING! HAUNTED HOUSES! and HAUNTED CORNSTALK MAZES!

With the comp hours I worked last week I'll be able to accommodate their early arrival on Thursday (Woohoo! long weekend!). I also already picked up a gym pass for my Mom. :) Gear up for Yoga and Kick Boxing Mom!

My fortune cookie from last night read: "Keep up the good work. You will be rewarded within the month." Wonder if this means I'm getting a raise?

October 22, 2009

2009-10-22T23:33:00.001+04:00

I'm a slacker...with blogging anyway.

Work has keep me super busy..so much so that I'm way ahead in my hours...and just may get to sleep in tomorrow :) I won't complain about that!

Mike is heading out of town this weekend so I get to look forward to some quiet time. I was really hoping to get out on the bike but rain is in the forecast. Booooo... I've also been looking for a motorcycle vest and am disappointed to learn that the company most recommended by my friends, is out of business. Bummer.

I made pumpkin cookies last night which turned out pretty good actually. :) I made 2.5 batches. lol. My boss is headed to Baghdad again, so I thought it would nice to give him a batch to take with him and a second to share with the office. Mike wanted a third for the Cabin BUT I only had enough ingredients to make 2.5..so everyone got gypped. Such is life.

October 13, 2009

2009-10-14T02:23:00.001+04:00

Fortunately, the poor weather that followed us to and from Knoxville didn't stick around the area for the weekend. It was perfect temperatures for some tailgating and a football game. We joined Mike's family for the Volunteers vs. Georgia game in Knoxville and cheered the Volunteers on to victory! It was a good game. Their seats are positioned just outside the student section so energy was high, especially with the offense playing at their best...felt like I was in college again :)

The sun peaked out of the clouds on Sunday for some golfing at the Gatlinburg Golf Course. It is a beautiful course...and I only lost a few balls! We paired up Lee and Christina vs Cindy and Mike for a Best Ball Match.. You'll never guess who won? :) Good thing I had Lee to carry me. ;)

Other than that, it was great food and company for a nice relaxing weekend away from work (well, mostly...darn Blackberry). To top it off, on the way out of the state, we stopped at a Tennessee Winery and picked up some yummy local cheeses and wine to enjoy once we got home. No complaints there!

Thank you Lee & Cindy for inviting us over!

October 5, 2009

2009-10-06T00:08:00.000+04:00

I really had a great time this weekend. Kari came to visit and Mike left town so we had a few days of girl's time together. We went to the Cardinals vs. Brewers game on Friday (where the Brewer's won!), celebrated at the Bailey's Chocolate Bar over dark chocolate raspberry martinis, went shopping on Saturday, tasted the wines of the area at the St. Louis Wine Festival in Forest Park, dined at Oceanos, St. Louis' number one restaurant for seafood, and went to the Missouri's Best Market at the Botanical Garden's on Sunday! Kari even joined me for a yoga session on Friday. It was good fun. :)

Now it's back to work with a weekend in Knoxville to look forward to. It's so nice to have our weekends back!

October 1, 2009

2009-10-02T01:48:00.000+04:00

It's October and Fall is here! The weather is cooling down nicely...perfect for jeans and a light top. I'm loving it... well, I would love it more if it wasn't so chilly in the morning! The rides in are a bit brisk!

It's been a busy week with work, guests, and Mike's school. He finished a class and plans to head out this weekend while my friend Kari heads down to visit. Girls weekend! I'm excited! I also had a friend from Baghdad pass through to renew badging and we enjoyed a lovely night out at the local steak house (Ruth's Chris).

Now that I've dined at two higher end steak houses in the area, I feel compelled to compare them... I must say, Mortons wins hands down. Better service. Better atmosphere. Better steaks. We did enjoy our experience at Ruth's Chris...but...given the choice..you'll be seeing me at Mortons.

September 29, 2009

2009-09-30T02:14:00.001+04:00

Having this Boy Scout popcorn in the office has not been beneficial to my eating habits....it's just too tasty! I need to start sharing more so it disappears quicker.

I'm still struggling to move after returning to the gym and completing 108 Sun Salutations at an Ovarian Cancer Awareness benefit this weekend. I only took (just short of) a week off of working out off for Vegas so I hadn't expected too much resistance from my body in returning to the routine. I also hadn't realized the impact of a sun salutation on the back of my legs. I practice yoga five sessions per week for a duration of 1 hour, 15 minutes each. Sun salutations are completed throughout but typically not consecutively. Who knew they had such an impact on the back of the entire length of my leg. I've lost my ability to forward fold. :) haha. Too tight.

I'm really looking forward to a visit from one of my best friends this weekend. We should have an action packed weekend with the Cardinals, St. Louis Wine Festival, Taste of St. Louis, and area Oktoberfest celebrations in full swing. Should be fun!

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Viva Las Vegas Baby!

2009-09-24T01:58:00.001+04:00

We survived Vegas...only a few dollars short. Both of us had set personal 'caps' which we stayed well within so I would say we did pretty well.

We had nearly two days to spend together before our friend's Kristin & Jim arrived. During that time we gambled, walked the strip, saw Chris Angel, ate, and drank. Chris Angel was pretty good but much more of a 'show' than we were hoping for. If you're familiar with Chris then you expect impossible feats and magic tricks...instead it was mostly interpretive dance done by women dressed like rabbits. Enjoyable nonetheless.

With Kristin & Jim, in addition to gambling at the area casinos, we tried out some 'famous' restaurants. The Hard Rock Cafe and Emeril's New Orleans Fish Restaurant did not disappoint our taste buds...yumm...though, don't bother with Emeril's Red Red Wine...After our splendid dinner on our last evening together, Kristin and I went to watch the much lusted after men from Down Under in Australia's Thunder from Down Under. Considering it's the only show I've attended of that nature (and therefore have nothing to compare it to), I thought it was pretty well done. It was tasteful, amusing, the men were worth laying our eyes on, and who doesn't love listening to Australians speak? :) Gotta love that Aussie accent!

Other highlights of note were a breakfast at Denny's on the strip and a ride on the New York New York roller coaster. Good fun! Now it's time to earn back the money we lost...back to work!

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September 17, 2009

2009-09-18T00:37:00.001+04:00

I think I gained 10 pounds as a result of our recent visitor! Heidi, an Aussie friend that we met in Baghdad, came to visit us during her trip across America. She spoiled us with salt & pepper squid, salmon steaks, roasted pork, wasabi mashed potatoes, roasted potatoes/carrots, steamed vegetables and Mike added a few AWESOME steaks. Usually I would now grind away at the gym in order to work off the extra calories but with us headed to Vegas (You're feeling sorry for us aren't you), I don't think that'll be possible. I will have to do SOMETHING while I'm there. :) Good intentions at least :)

We bought our tickets for the Army Navy game today! :) Should be good fun! :)

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September 10, 2009

2009-09-10T22:03:00.002+04:00

The duration of time returned to the US seems to correlate to my frequency of posting....longer I'm here, the less I post. I guess that's because I started this blog in order to keep my family and friends abreast with my status. A post a day was much simpler than calling everyone separately...especially when there's a significant time difference and they monitor your phone usage. Now..I'm just lazy ;)

Since I last posted, we went home for Labor Weekend....aaannNNND golfed! Obviously we've been finding enjoyment in the game. Mike is playing awesome and I'm getting better...so it's been a nice activity to share. LPGA here I come!

Received updates on popcorn...there are chocolate varieties that are not yet available online BUT, WILL BE (est October)! So if chocolate popcorn makes you salivate :) be patient.

I get to be lazy for the next few business days because we have a friend visiting from Australia! She flies in tonight and plans to stay nearly a week. She's spending months traveling the world and decided to make St. Louis a stop on her itinerary. :) Whoop!

Who loves popcorn!?

2009-09-01T21:47:00.009+04:00

Everybody!

It's that time of the year again when the Boys Scouts request your support through popcorn sales.

This year, they've added new products including Wasabi Soy Almonds, Chile Lime Almonds, totes, and Gold Level Military Donations! Your contribution through sales will help young men like my brother participate in camps and merit badge programs. In fact, 70% of your purchase will benefit Scouting in his area and help others experience all the things that make Scouting great.

White cheddar and caramel corn popcorn are my favorites. What's yours!?**

**Please be sure that Mark A. of 53074 gets the credit!

August 31, 2009

2009-09-01T01:20:00.000+04:00

Three days off, three days of golfing. The weather forecast deterred us from driving up north. Spending 10+ hours in the car only to play cards in the cabin just didn't appeal....sooo, we took the time off anyway and played on the local courses. By the third day, my wrists and shoulders were crying from overuse (do you feel sorry for me?). ;) I DO feel like I'm improving even though I haven't spent time with a pro... I've combined the tips received from multiple helpful golfers and made them my own...the ball seems to be moving in the right direction with greater consistency..just gotta keep at it ;)

I also made Ricotta cookies over the weekend and brought them into work. They were an instant hit (again). One of these days, I'm going to put the icing on that it calls for...they're just so good without!

Nick also came back from his short term in Baghdad. Good to have him back.

August 26, 2009

2009-08-27T01:36:00.000+04:00

I think we've formed a team with a colleague and her husband for the St. Louis Red Pumpkin Haunted Hunt (www.theredpumpkin.com).. It looks like it could be fun. :) Who doesn't love a good scavenger hunt? Now we need to come up with a good name to represent our team. Suggestions?

We had our VIP guest in our yoga session today. I thought it turned out pretty well. :) He asked if it was a daily event or only weekly...hmmm..wonder if that means we could have a special encore?

The office came together and put together a few boxes to send over to Baghdad. ;) I was very pleased with the participation. We have three full boxes ready and rumors of more coming before I make it to the post office. :) Hopefully it'll make a few people smile. :)

We had a suggestion in the office today too..."Why not try a biathlon?" I had no idea what a Biathlon was so I had to look it up - cross country skiing and rifle shooting combined! :) Sounds fun to me! I passed on the suggestion to Mike who now wants to try cross country skiing this winter. :) May have to visit Wisconsin more often. ;)

August 25, 2009

2009-08-26T02:18:00.000+04:00

I feel like I was productive today...although I did end up missing out on yoga :( I was invited to participate in a lunch meeting which overlapped with the class...AND with us running away to the cabin for the weekend, I didn't try to work both into the schedule.

We have a VIP visitor tomorrow who has elected to participate in our weekly yoga session! lol. I had expected a need to reschedule so that we would maintain a professional atmosphere in his presence, but I'm told it won't be necessary. No pressure! :)

A female coworker and I had to attend a business lunch and she asked me if I wanted to drive. Usually when I respond that I have my motorcycle and can if the other is willing to be passenger, I get a flat "no". Not today! She was all for it.. ;) Very cool! It must be because she's from Wisconsin :)

August 18, 2009

2009-08-19T02:41:00.001+04:00

We held our second weekly yoga class today! It went well but I think I enjoyed last week's routine better. lol. We are forced to keep the classes small which is too bad because there is increasing interest...AND it sounds like we might reduce our office space which would make these classes short lived. :( Oh well - enjoy it while it lasts!

We have a visitor to the office tomorrow. :) Denny! It'll be good to see him. I haven't since Baghdad but I do maintain contact with him on a near daily basis. He has decided to visit so he can get some face-to-face with his reachback support. I think it'll be good for the team. Some of them haven't met him yet.

Mike has school tonight so that means PE studying for me! What a night.

August 17, 2009

2009-08-18T01:35:00.000+04:00

It seems the weekend was cruel to both of us! Mike endured the long drive to Wisconsin to spend some time with the boys. Along the way, he stopped to pick up the gun he had built through a family friend and gunsmith in Wisconsin. The effort of sighting in the gun left him battered and bruised in the shoulder (it was a rifle)... despite the pain, he managed to accomplish his goal and came home with a gun capable of consistently hitting its mark. ;) Other activities of the weekend included fishing and golfing (sounds rough right?)

My excitement of the weekend occurred during a motorcycle ride to the gym. I was dressed waist up for yoga (fitness top with built in sports bra) with my motorcycle jacket half way zipped for some airy protection. The 'half way' turned into a mistake when a wasp/hornet slammed into my chest and fought back against the skin contained within the sports bra top. I managed to kill the evil creature by the time I pulled into a gas station but not early enough to prevent significant swelling...alll over. I arrived at the gym with blochy skin and swelling ears. The swelling progressed to my face, closing my eyes and stretching my face. My hands and wrists also became extremely itchy, making yoga a very uncomfortabl activity. I only continued because having been stung in the past, I knew I wasn't on the verge of dying...and fortunately, the swelling had already started to subside by the end of our yoga practice. I made a quick exit in hopes of minimizing gawkers and returned home to hide in the house. I was happy to note that the swelling had dissapated enough by the afternoon to make my scheduled evening tee time... I did not play well. lol.

Life continues.

August 12, 2009

2009-08-13T22:40:00.001+04:00

It's been a pretty quiet week. The network was down for a bit which definitely didn't help..AND our counterparts in Baghdad have been moving so they haven't been needing much other than muscle to help carry boxes.

It looks like Mike is ditching me for the weekend again. He and the boys are heading up north to play with the toys...I still need to figure out what trouble I'm going to get into while he's gone :)

The office has motivated me to lead a weekly yoga session (off hours of course) for those interested at our branch...so, one day per week (Wednesdays) I get to retreat to my Baghdad instructor days. We had our first session yesterday (thought I wanted to do it Tuesdays - changed my mind). I think it turned out well!

August 10, 2009

2009-08-11T02:05:00.001+04:00

We drove to Volunteer Country over the weekend. It was a pretty scenic drive! Much better than that to Wisconsin :)

Mike's family treated us to a relaxing weekend of good food and golfing. :) We brought our dog, Maisey, with us. The introduction of her to the household provided plenty of entertainment as the resident pups tried to figure out what to make of her. It was fun to watch two russell terriers in action (one Jack and one Parsons)

We hit the course Saturday for a bit of golfing. Mike's Step-Dad, Lee, taught me a few tricks on the course that will hopefully improve my game. I feel like I'm getting better...just have to keep practicing. ;)

We also had a chance to enjoy lunch with a couple college friends from Wisconsin who had since moved to Knoxville. After thinking about it, I was surprised to find a few more that also live in the area including my Baghdad yoga instructor! Too bad she's still overseas. :P

As we were about to head home, Lee gave me the beautiful leather coat that he lent me during my previous visit. ;) Fits me perfectly! Thank you! :) :)

August 7, 2009

2009-08-07T02:59:00.001+04:00

Another eventful weekend coming up!

We've been planning to visit Knoxville for a while now and are finally able to do so. It's been too long since we've visited with Mike's family. We're looking forward to a relaxing weekend of golf and good wine & beer. I think we'll get to see my good friends from college too. I'm really looking forward to it. :)

Mike's classes are going well. He attends his second class tonight with his advance homework in hand. The good thing about him going to school is that it allows me the opportunity to study. Not that that wasn't available before. It's just a lot easier to dedicate yourself to studying when there aren't distractions in the house. :)

August 3, 2009

2009-08-04T00:56:00.002+04:00

What didn't we do this weekend?

We had a very ambitious itinerary and managed to do it all. We went dancing, to the Arch, the gym for boot camp and yoga, golfing, a Cardinals game, to Skyzone for trampoline jumping, to the City Museum, swimming, the gun range, and to several of our favorite restaurants..including one recently featured on the Food Network! It was a good time but has left me very worn. I am actually considering...strongly...of skipping out tonight and taking a break. Hanging with the kids is tough work! We had invited two friends near my little bro's age (12) to show us the ropes. Good times.

My Mom also brought a Schule Tutte..a German tradition is to give a student a large cone full of goodies on their first day of school...with the intent that it will help them get a jump start.. :) Mike received pretzels, chocolate, granola bars, and nuts! Yummy :)

July 29, 2009

2009-07-30T02:16:00.001+04:00

I think we have a working schedule for the weekend. ;)

I have put my alarm clock on notice. :) Of course, it may be my fault, but the alarm clock has not voiced an objection to my placed blame. I over slept this morning...and I don't recall my alarm clock going off..and I'm usually very good about setting it...so I blame the clock. If it happens again I will have to fire it. I'm a bit surprised at how past my usual wake-up time I slept because my internal clock usually rises me just in time to still make it to work as expected. Today, I was 45 minutes late. Guess I needed the sleep.

July 28, 2009

2009-07-29T02:32:00.001+04:00

Mike and I went out for a ride on the motorcycles last night! We cruised the area and wondered out to the suburbs. (There were some V-E-R-Y impressive houses out there!) Good fun. :)

Mike and I have also started planning our mini-vacation to Las Vegas! Our good friends will be traveling there in September so we want to schedule our trip so it overlaps. We would have preferred to align the dates of course but with Mike's SCHOOL schedule, that won't be possible. Don't want him missing any classes! He starts those next week. :)

July 27, 2009

2009-07-28T00:23:00.000+04:00

My family has decided to visit us this weekend....and so the cleaning begins. :) Can't let Mom see an un-kept apartment! That would just make the weekend start on the wrong foot ;)

The think I like about welcoming friends is that it gives us an excuse to focus on the touristy things. Not that we can't go to the museums, zoos, attractions, etc. on our own...but those are usually the locations that our visitors want to see..so why not make it a fun new experience for all of us? ;)

I've asked my little brother to help us plan the weekend. Potentials for the itinerary include the City Museum, the Gateway Arch, the Magic House, the Zoo, the Science Center, Skyzone, and the shooting range. My votes are the shooting range (gotta have that Father-in-law vs. Son-in-law shoot-off), the City Museum, and Skyzone (wall to wall trampolines! Who wouldn't want to participate in that!?) It looks like my Mom is interested in joining me at the gym too so I won't miss out on my usual workout (good thing - good restaurant food also comes with visitors!).

We went golfing this past weekend and I managed to lose four balls on a nine hole course. The water was vicious..and one I hit it so well I couldn't spot where it landed. ;) Suppose I'll have to go shopping so I have a ready supply of pink ones. ;)

July 22, 2009

2009-07-23T01:52:00.001+04:00

Did I mention that Mike got accepted into college? MIKE GOT ACCEPTED INTO COLLEGE! :) yay!

He will meet with an advisor this week to determine what classes he will take and when he will register and this fall, he will officially be a student again. :) I'm excited. PLUS, I'm preparing for the PE exam so we'll be able to study on the same schedule....;) that'll be nice...and it'll make the whole 'studying' thing a lot easier on the both of us!

July 21, 2009

2009-07-22T02:40:00.000+04:00

Seems like it has been a while since I last posted! I guess that's because I'm used to staring at a computer all weekend and having the opportunity to readily do so ;)

We drove up to Wisconsin to participate in my 10 year High School reunion, celebrate my best friend's birthday, and volunteer at the annual outdoor Fish Fry in my hometown. Two out of three isn't bad! We didn't make it to the reunion...it seemed my closest friends weren't interested in reuniting with those they had lost touch with over the years...so we didn't go. Really, I think it was more a lack of structure. The reunion was advertised as a 'just show up at 7...we'll see you there' event...I guess we hadn't done enough fund raising to support something grander. I didn't see many faces I recognized from my graduating class at the fish fry so I expect we weren't alone. Oh well!

We had cheese cake at our house in celebration of my friend's birthday. ;) There were two candles, one blue and one pink, to represent Mike and Kari....yumm..I looooove cheesecake.

The Fish Day was as usual....lots of people dining on fried fish and chips and drinking beer.. The town puts together the largest parade and fireworks display of the year for that event and hosts a car show and craft fair. It's usually a pretty good time and this year was no exception...even though we worked for most of it.

We were rewarded with golfing bright and early on Sunday. We played best ball so we had our partners to carry us when we weren't performing well. I think both teams faired well. Mike and his buddy Nick beat my Dad and I...:) though I think that was to be expected...one thing that wasn't was the line drive Mike tee'd off into my arm! It hurt! and I don't think the resulting bruise tells the story quite well enough. ;P

I was also able to trade in my girly pink golf bag for a Ping Wisconsin Badger's themed red one. ;) My Dad played a couple rounds of a dice game where the highest roller took home a golf bag...a high score and a few extra losing rounds played by Mike guaranteed him the winning roll. He was generous enough to let me take it home. :)

Mike's Mom's birthday was Sunday ;) And it sounds like she's really excited about the concert tickets we gave her. Should be fun! HAPPY BELATED BIRTHDAY!

July 16, 2009

2009-07-17T02:07:00.001+04:00

Mike's birthday was a success! :) I woke him up early so he could unwrap his birthday presents before I left for work. I gave him a home brewing kit with ingredients to produce a Irish Stout..and his Mom sent him some nice golf shirts that look like they fit perfectly! The office surprised him with a mini birthday party combined with our weekly meeting. We enjoyed chocolate icecream cake (YUM!) on Transformers plateware. We even had a Transformers Birthday Banner up. For dinner, we dined at Morton's, a nearby steakhouse. It was really nice...and really expensive. lol. But worth it. The atmosphere, service, and food were awesome. :) highly recommended.

We're getting ready for a weekend of fun up in Wisconsin. We have a birthday celebration, Fish Day, 10 yr High School Reunion, and a golf outing to look forward to!

July 14, 2009

2009-07-15T02:40:00.000+04:00

One more day till Mike plays the birthday boy! I wonder what surprises he will receive :) hehe.

Mike took his motorcycle out for the first time last night and he didn't crash! lol. He did quite well actually. We started in a nearby (empty) parking lot so he could ride around in circles and figure eights without traffic sneaking up on him...and once he seemed comfortable with breaking, shifting, turning, and starting from a stop, we took to the open road. I let him lead in our game of "Follow the Leader" while we wandered through the side streets of Creve Coeur. It was the first time I had really explored the area off the main roads leading to our apartment...not a bad neighborhood! :)

July 13, 2009

2009-07-14T01:28:00.001+04:00

We took the bikes in for oil changes this weekend. Mike's new bike passed all tests with flying colors..including the safety inspection..so with any luck today, he should be able to gain new tags and a plate for it. ;) Watch out neighborhood! New driver on the road!

We also went to a golf store and hooked me up with some mid-level clubs. lol. I don't think I could get any more girly with my setup. The clubs are accented pink (pink grips and club accents), the bag is pink, silver, and white, my golf balls are light pink, my glove pink and white, and my shoes are white. lol. I just need an outfit to match!

He's baaaack!

2009-07-10T23:24:00.001+04:00

And the funny thing is they want him back again. Fortunately, our boss has a heart and won't do it to him again if he can help it. lol.

Mike loved his motorcycle and spent the afternoon yesterday, studying the manual, checking out the bike, and reviewing the test material for his instruction permit. If all goes well this afternoon, he'll be legal on the bike (solo, during the day, and without passenger) by this evening. :) I think we'll go to the shop tomorrow to get his safety inspection and maybe some motorcycle apparel (gotta look the look right!?).

I also surprised him with a pie! His family has a secret family recipe that is his favorite. The recipe was passed on to me and this was my first attempt to make it (by myself - I did assist a couple years ago). It turned out good, and tasted right, but apparently I didn't spread the topping on correctly...AND despite the toothpicks meant to prevent this, the aluminum foil I placed on top to protect it smooshed the top of the pie and made it look...smooshed. ;) Oh well, next time. :)

I was looking at baggage regulations today (actually wanted to see what extra fees were associated with checking golf bags)..and I was surprised to see many airlines actually charge for even the first piece of luggage now...AND added charge for golf clubs ranges from $50-$100. You can rent for less than that. Crazy. No thanks!

July 7, 2009

2009-07-09T00:35:00.001+04:00

Mike called me this morning with good news. He was headed to the airport! Provided all goes well with his flights, I will hear from him again when he changes planes in Dulles for his last leg coming home. :D Yay!

The sale couldn't have transpired more smoothly. The seller and I both arrived early. The seller went over nice-to-know details regarding the bike and exchanged all of his keys and documentation specific to the bike, for a nice cashiers check made out to his name. The bike came with three keys (crazy!)...one of which is red and is reportedly related to servicing the bike. The seller advised that the key should be kept away from the bike while it's running and a copy of the keys cannot be made without it... I think I will have to verify the purpose of the red key...or rather Mike will.. :) lol. Now Mike just needs to come home, take his instruction permit test, and take his bike in to shop for the state-required safety inspection (the tags are out of date). May as well get an oil change, etc. right away too. ;) Can you tell I'm happy about the bike sale? Curvy roads here we come!

July 7, 2009

2009-07-08T02:17:00.002+04:00

Only one more full day before Mike returns! I can't wait :)

I sent him some study material to help him prepare for his motorcycle instruction permit exam...should be easy peasy.. ;) Then he'll be allowed to ride the new-to-him motorcycle that will be waiting for him in the garage after tonight. I can't wait to get out and ride!

My colleague was posted on YouTube for some of the work he was doing. Not nearly enough credit was given where it was due...but it's still nice to see some recognition. Check it out!

July 6, 2009

2009-07-07T02:06:00.001+04:00

Well! As of tomorrow, Mike will be the proud owner of a MOTORCYCLE! :) He has been looking at a few bikes for a while now and has been drooling over the Ducati Monsters...so that's what he's getting. The seller and I have agreed to a price, and barring any change of minds, the sale will complete tomorrow.

My weekend was busy. Between looking at motorcycles, participating in the holiday festivities, working, working out, cleaning, and grocery shopping, there wasn't much time for the coach. Not a bad thing! But it did mean I went to bed early to gain some extra snoozes.

An Iraqi member of my old team finally made it to the US under a visa and I got to see him and his wife today! :) It was a nice reunion. Hearing about all the paperwork/processing related to immigrating into the US has been exhausting. They're so happy to be here, I don't think they care. lol.

June 30, 2009

2009-07-01T02:50:00.001+04:00

Tonight is our deadline. Will we make it? Of course! But not without a little last minute crunch time..and poor Baghdad is up all night as a result of it. :( Fooey.

I received Mike's flight itinerary for his return home! YAY! It gives me something to look forward to. I can't wait!

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June 29, 2009

2009-06-30T01:08:00.001+04:00

Man. I am Foggy Brained today. I'm not sure what the deal is but things just aren't functioning. lol.

My back hurts which is making sitting uncomfortable...my eye is causing headaches for some reason. The server seems to be going in and out which is affecting productivity..and I'm tired. May I have some cheese for my whine?

A lot went on over the weekend. My power cord for my computer went kaput so I had to buy a new one in order to support working from home...I had to put in several hours to meet a short deadline we were recently faced with. It was my dad's birthday yesterday and I nearly forgot because I've been so preoccupied (I didn't even do my laundry (a usual Sunday ritual)!)..and...Mike's mom informed us that she had to put her poor doggie to sleep because it was very sick. :( I only had a chance to meet Porsche once and it was a very sweet dog...At least it is in doggie heaven and feeling much better now....:( RIP.

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Day of Mourning

2009-06-27T04:55:00.001+04:00

Michael Jackson died today. I still love his old music and had actually looked forward to his come back tour.. I'm certain the Iraqis I work with were not happy with the news. There was one person who would listen to his music all day, every day. It never got old. I love it.

It's a late day for me as I work with a few programmers in trying to get some reports up. I wanted to show progress before they wake up in the other side of the world. We are so close I can taste it!

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June 24, 2009

2009-06-25T02:48:00.001+04:00

It suuuure is lonely in the house without Mike around. I've been taking a break mid-day to head home and let the dog out. Mike works close enough to the apartment that it's not a big deal for him...PLUS he doesn't share the same gym routine so the dog is probably suffering a little loneliness as well. Hope not too much!

Mike seems to be doing well in Baghdad. The work they recruited him to do is right up his alley so he's proving to be a great asset. That better not mean that they keep him longer! :)

There has been a couple requirements at work that may necessitate some weekend hours. I've been approved for overtime. :P

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June 22, 2009

2009-06-23T02:04:00.002+04:00

I had a very enjoyable weekend... too bad it had to end with me returning to an empty house...well, Bacardi and Maisey were there...but Mike wasn't.

Mike left for Baghdad just over six hours before I returned from my weekend with the family. I wish I could have seen him off but we didn't realize until last minute that he had to go! I received word this morning that he made it there safe and sound and even has reasonable accommodations. He is living in a decent sized trailer with his own bathroom. :) The area he is supporting usually offers campus style living with community bathrooms so he got lucky. His return flight hasn't been booked but based on my calculations, only 18 more days to go. :(

I had flown home to walk the Relay for Life with my Mom Friday night and spend Sunday with my dad for Father's Day. I arrived at the Relay for Life location just as the weather started turning. My Mom, Dad, little brother, and I walked for approximately three hours straight...in steady rain. We only braked for dinner and a quick game of Musical Chairs. There was a fundraising Fish Fry available this year with huge proportions at reasonable prices, supporting a good cause, so we digged in. It was pretty tasty though I don't think it can compete against the Fish Day offerings. ;)

My little brother, who was walking for my cat Jack, joined me in Musical Chairs. I ended up playing twice and almost won the first game! It was down to one chair with me versus a little boy probably about my brother's age. I had to let him win otherwise I'd look bad. ;)

I took my parent's dog out for a jog on Saturday to start the day off right. She proved she needs to do that a little more often when we got just down the street and she was already showing signs of wear. lol. Maybe I'll make a habit of it when I come home. I also hopped on the motorcycle with my Dad and went window shopping for a motorcycle for Mike. Unfortunately, there wasn't much available but it's been a LONG time since I've been passenger on a motorcycle and probably longer since I've ridden with my Dad. Good times.

I ended the day visiting with High School friends at a local restaurant. We made sure the mosquitos were well fed while catching up on the events since we last saw each other. It turns out our ten year reunion is coming up quickly but there doesn't seem to be much planned for it. Guess we'll have to decide whether we're going to show.

Last but not least, the finale of the weekend was golfing with my Dad. It was my third time golfing so noone was expecting much and fortunately, the party of players all took a light hearted approach to the game. We played with two friends of his from work. I thought I played alright considering...and look forward to getting out on the course again. It sounds like we have an afternoon of it planned for the day after Fish Day. Now I just need to decide whether I really want to invest in clubs....

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June 18, 2009

2009-06-19T02:52:00.001+04:00

Guess what! Mike is still going to Iraq...but he IS coming back sooner than originally anticipated. He should now be back in time for his birthday AND Fish Day. :) Giggity.

I can't believe how quickly the day flew by. The morning started with teleconferences, was broken up with a lunch meeting, and then I cranked through the rest with programming and report design (fun eh?)

Looking at the time - I'm outta here!

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June 17, 2009

2009-06-18T01:09:00.001+04:00

Well, the inevitable has sprung on us. It seems Mike has been called in and will be leaving THIS SUNDAY! Since I'm heading to Wisconsin for the weekend, this means the last day I'll see him for probably a month (more or less) is Friday. :( It's going to be lonely without him! Boo.

It also means that an upcoming trip to Tennessee is postponed AND Mike will probably not be available to offer his services as fryer guy at the annual Fish Day. I had looked forward to going to Tennessee to see both Mike's family and a good friend ... both of which we haven't seen in a LONG time. 'Tis the life we signed up for. :(

This also means it will be a daily run for me back to our apartment to care for our pets. I asked if I could bring our dog in as an office pet for a few weeks but the idea short lived. :( Bummer!

I'm going through the process of switching computers today too... I can never seem to transfer all the files in the first run...and I hate discovering last minute, which programs I haven't bothered to install. What a pain.

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June 16, 2009

2009-06-17T02:56:00.001+04:00

What a weekend! :)

We traveled back to Wisconsin to meet our good friend's new girlfriend (well, and to hang out with him too), and witness the union of two couples in a shared ceremony of marriage. I thought they put it together pretty well. It was two brother's and instead of arranging a dual wedding, they did one ceremony after the other. The older brother and his wife went first in red bridesmaid dresses and after a few moments, the second followed suit in purple dresses. Both couples had already finalized the union in the courts so it was actually a confirmation of vows for the friends and family to witness. A few touches I really enjoyed included: Origami flowers folded by the groom and carried by the bride and bridesmaids; New Orleans traditions including a "Pulling of the Charms" and "Second Round" music and dance; and some Russian traditional dances (the bride of the brother is from Russia). I was really impressed with my friend and his brother's first dance. Both had put in some obvious practice time. I was able to reunite with some friends from High School that I hadn't seen since graduation or shortly there after, so that was a special treat...and my parents and little brother were invited to the wedding so I had a chance to spend some time with them. Mike ended up dancing ALL night long...whether he had a partner or not....and even complained about sore legs as a result. Guess you could say we had some fun :)

The wedding was held on a Sunday so we were forced to take much of Monday off to drive back to St. Louis. Once home, it was catch up time. I had some work to dive into, the house needed some cleaning, and I had promised the office 'Pound Cake' when we got back so I slaved over the oven to make it happen. It turned out pretty good, although I think it's a little sweeter than I usually prefer. (it was the first time I had ever made or had Pound Cake)

Next weekend I'll be heading back up to Wisconsin (flying this time) to fulfill my Mother's Day promise and go golfing with the Dad for Father's Day. It seems my little brother will be walking the Relay for Life with us in memory of my cat Jack...who was diagnosed with cancer in January. :) I was really touched when he told me that. It's sooooo thoughtful. Thank you Mark!

June 12, 2009

2009-06-12T19:01:00.002+04:00

I've been too busy lately by the end of the day to have time to draft a blog so I figured I better get one written this morning...especially before the phone starts ringing questioning whether something happened to me. lol.

Nothing too exciting has been happening at work other than my plate has been full. Don't mind that! My days have been flying by. Most of my attention has been focused on a macro that will support the reporting cell in Baghdad. I had hoped to have it done by the weekend, and thought I did as of yesterday, but it seems not. Oh well...work continues.

It seems like next week will be weak on the hours since there are so many things going on. My buddy Pete is getting married this weekend, on a Sunday no less, so we will be driving back on Monday.. then I have a event to attend with the majority owner of one of the businesses we invested in...and I have to leave early on Friday to catch a flight back to my parent's house. Guess I'll have to use some vacation hours.

I got my oil changed yesterday and was dismayed to find it took them over an hour. Why do I not remember it taking so long? To add to the disappointment, I reviewed the receipt and saw I paid nearly $30 labor for $25 worth of parts (had two lights replaced too) and that was after the discount they gave me for taking so long. I might have to bring the ramps down to St. Louis so I can change my oil myself next time. This is only the second time I've taken my car in to have my oil changed...seems like such a rip off when you know how much you can do it yourself for....especially when it's not saving any time.

My birthday present concert was last night: Kieth Urban and Sugarland. Both are pretty big names so it's hard to title Sugarland as the opener for Kieth.... I had a lot of fun and Mike wasn't cringing with the music so that made it even better. :) It was held at the Scottrade Center in St. Louis which is the home of the St. Louis Blues. It wasn't a bad venue... it's been a long time since I've been to a concert so it's hard to tell how it compares. A couple things I definitely did notice: Beer isn't cheap - can you believe they charge $9 for a bottle of Bud Light? Yowsers! and second, what happened to lighters? It used to be when a song held strong emotion you held up a lighter...now, apparently you hold up your phone and allow the glow of the faceplate add to the ambience. I think throughout the evening, I only saw one lighter. Oh how times have changed... ;)

June 9, 2009

2009-06-10T02:02:00.001+04:00

We received our Nutsonline order today. Yum! I hadn't expected to be doing much online ordering after coming back to the real world but the products in the stores either don't match the quality or don't offer the variety that is avialable on Nutsonline! I just can't resist!

My hair has grown to the awkward length stage... a little to long to look good down and difficult to style..and a little too short to tie back. It's that decision point where I have to either deal with it and grow it out or find a fabulous picture of a new short-do to try out. Any suggestions? I think I'm partial to letting it go long again (just long enough to tie back)...Mike seems to want me to try out a REALLY short hair cut. I don't know if I'm gutsy enough.

We watched Out of Africa last night. I think it helped us relate to our visit in Nairobi a bit more. :) Thank you Micato!

June 8, 2009

2009-06-09T00:21:00.003+04:00

It seems I'm going to have to get used to freak storms in St. Louis. I was happy I came to work early today because we had another one at about the time that I would have normally been leaving for work. It ripped through the area in only a few minutes - and left just as quickly as it arrived. My car sat cozy on the ramp this time, shying away from the hail and lightning. No word of tornadoes either, but there was news of a fire resulting from a lightning strike on a government building nearby.

If I would have to pick a theme for our weekend, I would say "Beer". It started for Mike and Nick with a lunch at the Schlafley's brewery...followed by beer tasting at the St. Louis Brew Fest. We went to the Schlafley's brewery again on not just Saturday - but Sunday too. We also went to the Trailhead Brewery AND went in search of another brewery reported to be in the St. Charles area - though were unsuccessful at locating it. The last beer excursion worth mentioning was a trip to Friar Tuck to pick up some of the brews discovered at the Brew Fest. lol. I should mention that I was the designated driver through all this. ;) Guess it's to their benefit that I prefer wine!

We did do some other activites other than drinking beer. We went to the gun range where Nick outshot all of us (though, I think I hit a personal best!) and we went motorcycle shopping. Unfortunately, Mike still hasn't found a bike suitable for him to start learning on so the search continues. Last but not least, Mike and Nick spent several hours fishing (while drinking beer) and even turned it into a little competition on who could catch more fish. (The final score? Mike 14 Bass - Nick 12 Bass. Smallest fish goes to Mike (4 inches). Score's tied for the largest fish at an estimated 2.5 lbs.). I baked some banana pecan bread and some Ricotta Cheese Cookies - which both turned out AWESOME. I really like this Ricotta Cheese Cookies recipe and it's basic enough that I think I can have some fun with it - add some white chocolate chips, orange, craisins, etc...hmmmm the possibilities.... We had also hoped to go golfing but the weather didn't cooperate (again!).

I was very disappointed about the rain actually because I have plans to go golfing with my dad for Father's Day in a couple weeks. I would prefer to go with a little more practice under my belt especially since he has invited another pair. I think he must find enjoyment at the prospect of embarrassing me. :) I will have to make a point to hit the driving range to keep that probability at a minimum.

June 5, 2009

2009-06-05T23:41:00.001+04:00

There's something about Friday's that Microsoft Excel just doesn't like on my computer. Last Friday I had the same issue - where Excel would crash for no apparent reason. I have not been performing any taxing tasks that would justify a failure so I don't know what the deal is.. I do know, that it's annoying.

Tonight is the St. Louis Brew Fest. Mike's friend, Nick, is joining us for the weekend. I, being the loving wife that I am, have offered to play designated driver. I will be dropping them off before and picking them up after, the four hour window they selected for the event. I'm not the biggest fan of beer (much more of a wine person) so I didn't see a point in paying the entrance fee when I wouldn't be participating anyway.

Speaking of wine, as part of my effort to lose the weight I've gained since leaving Baghdad, I gave up wine during the week. I also ended up giving up soda because Mike chose it as his main source of weight gain, and decided no soda during the week was his challenge... that meant we couldn't store any in the house either. So far, I've lost three pounds! Amazing how much of an impact one soda and one glass (or two) of wine a day will make!

June 4, 2009

2009-06-05T01:52:00.001+04:00

I think I found another class at the gym that I enjoy: Sculpt Training. I had anticipated trouble walking today as a result of it but so far, so good. I found the ratio of participants to be interesting. So far, the only classes where women rule have been yoga...and this class was all but one, female. The instructor and one participant of easily 25 people were the only men. The other cardio classes I've tried have been much better balanced. I didn't find this class to be tailored towards women..so I wonder what the deterrent for males is....?

June 3, 2009

2009-06-04T01:55:00.000+04:00

It turned out, yesterday's storm downed power lines, ripped up trees, and may even have produced a tornado mere blocks away. It cleared up long enough for me to go to the gym and return home before starting up again. :) Mother Nature must read my blog - Thank you!

Mike is on the hunt for a motorcycle. He seeks a ~600cc sport bike priced between $2500-$5000 and has been actively searching the classifieds in Missouri AND Wisconsin. I would prefer he go down to a 500cc but there doesn't seem to be much available... His preference leans towards a Ducati Monster 620 or Suzuki SV650, although I think he would be open to anything matching his specifications....I can't wait till he gets a bike. I've been itching to re-break in the bike on the backroads of St. Louis!

We have a guest visiting us from Wisconsin this weekend so we took a little time last night to straighten the house and clean the sheets my sister slept in. It looks like we'll entertain him with the St. Louis Brewfest, golfing, shooting range time, and barbequing. Should be a good!

June 2, 2009

2009-06-03T00:50:00.003+04:00

We FINALLY took the recycling to the drop off center. What a pain in the rear. Our apartment complex doesn't participate in the county's recycling program. In an effort to be Green, we have decided we will save our recyclables and drop them off at the center. Saving is easy. ;) Removing them from their temporary area, putting them in the car, driving them a half hour to the nearest center, and unloading is the challenging part. I think we will make a point not to allow them to accumulate so much next time. lol.

We dined with a visiting relative (who prefers to minimize presence on the internet so shall remain nameless and genderless) last night at a new (to us) local restaurant. I really enjoyed the place. It had a nice, relaxed atmosphere, great food, and excellent service. It's owned by the same people who own the restaurant Mike took me to for my birthday. Comparatively, this place is more casual. I can definitely say, we will return.

We just had a freak thunderstorm which will supposedly be followed by several more throughout the evening. It rolled in quickly, turning the sunny sky into dark clouds within minutes. Piercing downpour, high winds, and pea-size hail wrecked havoc in the area. We even lost power at both offices...all the while, I sat staring at my motorcycle cursing the morning's weather forecast of pleasant weather all week. PLEASE let the weather subside for my ride home.

May 29, 2009

2009-05-30T01:00:00.001+04:00

Finally Friday!

This is our last weekend before a series of weekends of going places and entertaining guests. We better make the best of it!

One of those weekends is for my friend's wedding..and I just realized it's scheduled on a Sunday...who holds weddings on a Sunday? :) Guess that means off work Monday!

Microsoft Excel has just crashed for the third time for me today. Grr. Time to restart...

May 26, 2009

2009-05-27T01:20:00.000+04:00

The Micato personal touch continues.

Loyal readers may recall Mike and I toured Africa with Micato in January. We had a grand time and detailed our adventure in this blog. It seems Micato has recently stumbled upon our entries and final review. Over the weekend, we received the movie "Out of Africa" by post. We had remarked after visiting the author's home that we had not seen the movie or read the book. Having read that, Micato set out to ensure we had the opportunity to do so and sent us the movie. :) It's not the first time we've heard from them since our trip. They also sent us an awesome coffee table book of safari photos and narrative. There's no doubt they deserve their spot ranked at the top!

We spent the holiday weekend visiting family and friends in Wisconsin. We had made reservations with friends at an up-scale steak and seafood restaurant near Milwaukee. There we filled up on crab legs and lamb chops before trying our luck at the casino. The men in the group definitely fared better than the ladies! Not fair :P

Mike went golfing while I went to my best friend's son's birthday party with my Mom. The two year old was spoiled with play mates, presents, and chocolate cake. I'm sure he slept well that night...and I can't imagine him getting bored anytime soon with all the new toys he received.

Grandma and Grandpa got to babysit our dog Maisey too. They were kind enough to take temporary custody of her while we were in Iraq...and there's no doubt Maisey was spoiled under their care!

May 22, 2009

2009-05-22T22:00:00.001+04:00

I've started counting calories again :P The scale has informed me that I have not been behaving well since I returned from Iraq. My reduced workout and increased intake has produced expected results - weight gain. I need to get it under control before it becomes to hard to. Counting calories is actually pretty easy with www.thedailyplate.com and doing so opens my eyes to the empty calories I consume...and just how much that yummy kung po shrimp dish is worth in calories (1200 per meal!?!?!?) Oi. I also ran this morning, which I hate doing..but if figured I'm much better at increasing my workouts than I am at reducing my intake so I better do what I can. I'm already taking up too much of my evenings at the gym right now so I had to do so in the morning. I actually woke up on my own a minute before the alarm went off and begrudgingly dragged myself out of bed. It took everything I had not to crawl back in for another half hour. It took me 10 minutes to get out to the track so I was only able to put in 20 minutes of running... the good thing is, I ran for the full 20 without stopping and only stopped because I was out of time - not because I was tired. I'm glad I did it, but I'm going to have to work on getting outside quicker or getting up earlier...and I think I might vary it up a bit by swimming laps in our complex's little pool...might get old changing directions every two strokes though.

Mike also got up this morning and ran laps... he went out just as I came in. 05:30 was too early for him and he has the luxury of a 3 minute commute to allow him an extra half hour of sleep.

I bought tickets for a flight to my parent's house...just over $100 round trip - not bad. For Mother's Day, I asked my Mom if she would let me walk Relay for Life with her. She agreed, and it happens to fall on Father's Day weekend..so I'll get to kill two stones with one flight :) I even offered to do the Relay for Life sleep over...aren't I a good daughter?

May 20, 2009

2009-05-21T03:30:00.000+04:00

I'm working a few extra hours today to make up for leaving early on Friday. Fortunately, I also have WAY too much stuff to do so my day has gone by really quickly. Definitely not a bad thing!

I think I'm killing my Mother's Day plant :( I made the mistake of letting it get too much sunlight at first (I think is the problem) and now it's yellowing more than I think it should. Guess I'm not that great of a mother! I'm going to do my best to nurse it back to health!

Yoga time!

May 18, 2009

2009-05-19T00:56:00.000+04:00

It's a slow start to the work week! I would say we had a pretty decent weekend. Friday night, we braved the storm outside from inside the movie theater. It was opening night of Angels and Demons. I was really surprised at how empty the theater was. It was an excellent book, possibly better than the Da Vinci Code. I thought the movie was pretty good. I've read the book so long ago that the changes from the book didn't bother me much.

I had hoped to go mountain biking on Saturday but with the torrential downpour Friday I figured the trails wouldn't be too fun...especially for two people who've never gone before. (See, I am nice!) Instead, we drove out to Washington country for the Wine & Art Fair. After a browse through the local art booths, we hung around the wine tasting tent until every taste test ticket was spent. ;) With 13 different wines tasted, I didn't find a single one that appealed to my palette more than my Little Boomey...it just can't be beat! We ended the afternoon at Home Depot shopping for some house plants and potters. I think we found some pretty cool ones. Just need to keep them alive now ;)

My sister left us yesterday for her long drive back to Pennsylvania. We had a nice time with her visiting over the past week especially since I hadn't spent any significant time with her in the past ... ohhh...three years or so.. Plus we got to see some sites we hadn't taken time to see yet.. Soo good times.

May 15, 2009

2009-05-16T00:19:00.001+04:00

Busy Friday!

I didn't ride the motorcycle to work this morning because the weather man advertised severe weather but I've seen nothing but sunny skies all day. hmph.

I think we've decided we've done 'good enough' on the shopping. We went to the mall last night again with big plans to get all the remaining desired items. Unfortunately, we stopped a restaurant that took FAR longer than it should've to receive our order so our time was cut significantly. Poor Mike took the brunt of it. First they didn't have his beer, then they burned his pizza...plus he had to spend the evening with two women looking exclusively at women's business clothes. ;) He's a good husband. haha. I even managed to snag myself a couple tank tops on the side. :)

My sister claims her school work is taking longer than anticipated so she's ditching me at the gym this afternoon... she already suggested she would be doing so tomorrow morning for the weekend boot camp class... I'm starting to wonder if she just wanted out of the workouts ;)

May 14, 2009

2009-05-15T02:47:00.001+04:00

SOPs and demo/instructional videos was my life today...surprisingly, the day still went by quickly. I figured I'd familiarize myself with the new processes for my newly re-acquired position... I'm not shocked that not much has changed and I anticipate an easy transition.

We took my sister to the gun range and shopping last night.. I must say, Mike is getting pretty good at this. I'm getting better but at a slower rate it appears. ;) Maybe he was just having a lucky night. ;) We took too long at the range to spend much time at the mall but the short period was put to good use. My sister managed to snag several shirts that she'll be able to wear for her new position....and I think got sticker shock from her desired suits. We will hit the malls again tonight and hopefully put this requirement to bed.

My sister and I tried an "open" rated class today for yoga ("open" is intended for all levels). It was nice. They kept the poses simple but offered a lot more flow to the routine which I enjoy. The instructor was the one who subbed for my usual class a couple weeks ago so I was pretty sure I would not be disappointed. I wasn't!

May 13, 2009

2009-05-14T00:56:00.001+04:00

Well, the baton is passed. I have now accepted more responsibility at work. I have actually gone full circle as I'm becoming involved with stuff that I worked on when I first arrived...just from a different angle and location. Should be fun. I find it amusing how much and how little has changed since I was in the seat.

Something is definitely funky with my knee. It didn't appreciate yesterday's work out at all. Today is an off day and then I have two days of yoga so that should help it. Not happy.

It sounds like we may take my sister to the gun range tonight. The weather is supposed to get rough tonight and looking out the window, it looks like it's starting early.... soooo...we'll see. I don't want to be driving anywhere in foul weather. They are advertising dangerous winds, potential hail, and possible tornadoes! ;) At least we'll sleep well.

One of our partner's took us out for lunch today. It was nice to eat together and we had some fun conversations. We actually talked a bit about the short video my dad and I are supposed to make to complete our application for the Amazing Race. We have a creative bunch! I was impressed. ;)

Hmmm... I just realized that if I were still in Iraq, today would be my 4th anniversary. ;)

May 12, 2009

2009-05-13T02:16:00.000+04:00

I did something funky to my knee yesterday. Immediately after completing some side gallop suicide runs (I don't know if that makes sense - but if you really don't understand and want to, you can email me) I felt stabbing pains through my knee and this morning, I woke with a wierd feeling running down my leg. It felt like there was a tendant that ran from my hip to my ankle that was tight. It was noticeable in yoga too but not painful...just tight. I think I'll just be cautious with it for a little while.

My pretty logo was a no go ;( Poo. Oh well. I worked up a little brochure today. Maybe that will go over better. :)

My sister went out to dinner with friends last night and failed to take the brats out of the freezer for us....Sooooo we were forced to go out to eat and dine on surf and turf. Darn. ;) It's the second time we've tried out this particular restaurant...and while the food is pretty good...it's the second time they've lacked adequate service. I don't think we'll try it out a third time.

Happy Day-After Mother's Day!

2009-05-12T01:17:00.000+04:00

Hope everyone remembered their Moms yesterday. :)

My kitty and doggie remembered me! They brought home beautiful lilies. :)

We had a fairly busy weekend. My sister has joined us for the week so we took the opportunity to play tourist. We went to the Botanical Gardens and road the tram up the arch. Both were worth while and reasonably priced. The tram was definitely not for the claustrophobic. They stuff five people into a wee space...one small enough where five small people was too cozy...fortunately, the ride is short. ;)

We had a chance to get creative today. I'm working out a logo for a business venture we've invested in...it was fun to get artsy fartsy. :) Now we get to find out if the judge likes any of our ideas!

Relay for Life

2009-05-09T00:16:00.001+04:00

My Mom hasn't reached her goal!

My Mom has set a goal of $750.00 for Relay for Life and is so far, only half way there! This is why she's doing it:

"My Reason to Relay is to join people around the world in celebrating those who have survived cancer, remembering the people we've lost, and supporting the lifesaving mission of the American Cancer Society. "

Please support her by giving a donation at her personal page.

You are helping deliver the hope that future generations will not have to endure cancer threatening the lives of their friends and family. You have the power to fight back against a disease that affects millions.

My Mom is a survivor.

May 8, 2009

2009-05-09T00:15:00.002+04:00

Well, any minute now, my sister should be arriving at my apartment for a fun week full of sisterly bonding experiences. :) What shall we do...Hmmm...

We took a little time last night and mounted the paintings on our walls.. it makes such a huge difference. ;)

I made Chicken Florentine last night. I was impressed because I didn't have high hopes. I made it so that I could use up some dip that didn't appeal to either of our taste buds. The recipe called for a similar dip so I figured I'd try it out and worst case, I'd ruin a few chicken breasts. Well...chicken turned out and the flavor improved with the added meat and baking. Not bad at all.

It's Mother's Day weekend! Don't forget to do something nice for your Mom.

May 7, 2009

2009-05-08T01:28:00.001+04:00

Yesterday went quickly, today went slowly... lol. I think it was because of the work I was doing. I dedicated today to data mining. Awesome stuff.

Our boss snuck in today. You wouldn't have realized it had he not stepped out of his office now and then. I hadn't even realized he was back until he came to the printer. He must've been busy.

My sister joins us tomorrow! Guess that means we'll be cleaning tonight.

May 6, 2009

2009-05-07T01:45:00.000+04:00

It's always nice when the day is busy enough that time flies by unnoticed. Of course, that means I'm rushed to get his blog in. Mike wants to head to the store to slip in some shopping in between work and yoga so I want to ensure I head out on time. ;)

We tried out a new Mexican restaurant last night in celebration of Cinco de Mayo... I guess I hadn't realized how celebrated the holiday was - at least in St. Louis. The restaurant was jam packed with people, a live band offered 80s tunes, and we received our food before our drinks from the bar... guess that tells you how backed up the bar was! It was still a good time and I enjoyed my chips and dip and chimichanga. :) Do you know what Cinco de Mayo recognizes? Don't cheat!

May 5, 2009

2009-05-05T23:54:00.006+04:00

Well, Mike did quite excellent for our Anniversary. I bought him a pair of Mark Nason boots he had been eying for too long and cooked a seafood dinner with cheesecake dessert. He presented me with a Tiffany's necklace with four diamonds representing four years of blissful marriage and hand delivered a beautiful bouquet of flowers with a happy sock monkey friend to keep me company in the office. :) His Mother taught him well. :)

The countdown to my sister's arrival has now started. She is due to arrive on Friday so that gives us three days to ensure the spare room is available (it's a bit cluttered at the moment..and probably will still be when she's here, but at least the bed won't be) and the apartment is presentable. She shall be our first guest! I'm guessing we should probably pick up some extra food too...wouldn't want her to feel she has to fend for herself the whole time she's here. We may take her visit as an opportunity to see the St. Louis landmarks - the Arch and the Botanical Gardens are high on our list. Between that and the planned bowling, mountain biking, target practice, dancing, roller blading, yoga/gym time, and shopping, we should keep her entertained!

Happy FOURTH Anniversary to Us!

2009-05-04T22:36:00.001+04:00

It's our anniversary today! To celebrate, I made cheesecake last night and plan to make King Crab legs with baked asparagus for dinner (probably throw a few potatoes in there as well). Yummm.

I think I filled the weekend pretty well considering Mike a-b-a-n-d-o-n-e-d me for the boys. He went up North and spent much of the weekend hiding from dreary weather indoors. He did accomplish his objective (installing the dock) and even managed a golf game (in which he and Nick outplayed their opponents!).

I went out to Wild Country Friday night with a coworker. It was a pretty nice place. It offered a decent dance floor and multi-level seating. There was a live band for part of the evening and people were dancing all night long. They incorporated some non-country music to change things up every now and then and employed some dancers to keep the floor occupied at all times. I think the only turn off was the DJ's occasional use of sexual innuendos and foul language...just didn't fit with the atmosphere.

I accidentally slept in on Saturday and missed my usual morning boot camp class. I opted to try the aerobics class that followed and was definitely put in my place. I always thought I was pretty coordinated but I looked like a bumbling fool attempting the advanced steps. lol. Oh well. The instructor was V-E-R-Y essentric and energetic. I don't think I've seen anyone, on DVD or otherwise, get as into the workouts... it was very motivating. I can see why people enjoy the class....:)

I took my mountain biking out of storage and tuned it up for an afternoon ride on the local trails. It turned out to be a pretty sweet ride! I spent an hour exploring a couple connecting trails that ranged in classification from beginning to advanced. The trails were a little muddy so my bike (and body!) needed a shower when I got back...

I also went solo on the usual Sunday morning yoga session because I had reserved a spot for basic Golf lessons at the County Park which would have required me to leave the group class early. I thought it was very beneficial. The lesson only covered the setup - basically everything up until the swing. There were a lot of little tips that I was not previously aware of..and paying attention to them produced immediate results. With time, and a little more practice, I just may give Mike some competition!

Maisey and I went back to the County Park after the lesson to roller blade. She kept up much better this time. I think it was the difference in temperature. A few more runs and we'll have her whipped back into shape!

Happy May Day!

2009-05-02T00:41:00.001+04:00

It's finally Friday!

With Mike leaving yesterday, it was hard to convince myself yesterday wasn't Friday. It really felt like I was supposed to sleep in this morning! Good thing I didn't!

I f-i-n-a-l-l-y discovered a work around for the computer issue I've been having lately. I've been working on it for the past several weeks with various IT personnel so it's been a major irritation.. This puts me as close as I can be to fully functioning without having the ready drive access I had in Iraq...now if only that were more convenient...

Mike and my anniversary is next week so shopping has been added to my list of things to do this weekend. :) I think I have a good idea of what to get him...I just hope the store I located that supposedly stocks the item(s), has it on hand... wish me luck!

April 30, 2009

2009-05-01T00:28:00.000+04:00

It's already the end of the month! Crazy how time flies.

Mike departed this afternoon for his weekend with the boys. :( Good thing I have the kids to keep me company! I baked white chocolate craisin oatmeal cookies for him to take with him. Yumm! He got all but three cookies and a wee bit of batter (whoops!).

It sounds like a coworker and I may check out a Country bar this weekend... I thought I would do so in Mike's absence since he doesn't enjoy the music. :) Aren't I nice?

The weather doesn't look good for me this weekend. I have high hopes for some roller blading and mountain biking but the forecast promises rain through Saturday night. I did sign up for golf lessons on Sunday, so at least there should be partly sunny skies for that! I may have to default to gym rat. :(

April 29, 2009

2009-04-29T23:59:00.001+04:00

It looks like I may be baking cookies tonight! I had planned on doing so tomorrow night but now it seems that Mike will be leaving early for his boys' weekend - tomorrow night instead of Friday morning...guess he wants to break up the ten hour drive he has to look forward to between driving from here to Madison and Madison to the cabin located in Northern Wisconsin... I just don't understand ;)

We also learned today of a location where Mike can obtain Schlafly beer in a growler...AND possibly brews not available in the stores where we have shopped....I foresee a destination for the evening...

April 28, 2009

2009-04-29T00:14:00.001+04:00

I practiced under a new yoga instructor today...and L-O-V-E-D it! I think I'm going to try to arrange my schedule so I can practice under her regularly...what did she do different? She kept the class going - didn't rest between every sequence. You sweated because you worked - not because the room was hot. And she incorporated advanced poses that no one in the class could do - but at least you could try to achieve them. You don't get any better if you don't challenge yourself!

April 27, 2009

2009-04-28T00:23:00.003+04:00

We were spoiled by the weather over the weekend. Saturday forecasts threatened afternoon thunderstorms but only one lonely cloud rolled in to cool us down with a few sprinkles. We took advantage of the lovely weather by getting outdoors. We checked out the paved trails at Creve Coeur Park with our roller blades and I did so again on Sunday, only this time with our dog Maisey. The trails were perfect: well maintained and not over crowded. They trail around a lake and through the over 1100 acres of land dedicated to the park. I discovered (or rather confirmed) that Maisey no longer has the endurance to keep up... We'll have to whip her back into shape! I ended up carrying her for a good portion of our trip.

We also bought a bucket of balls each at the golf course to practice our swing. I will need to go back. lol. I think my first twenty swings hit nothing but air! Mike did his best to coach me after he realized I desparately needed help... and once I got the hang of it, I made some decent contact...but it would be nothing to brag about... if Mike's Step-Dad and I are going to woop his and his Mom's butt at this game I will need to practice up.

I guess it was just a losing weekend for me because I also bombed against Mike when we went to the shooting range for some target practice! We decided to recycle our targets and aim for the head rather than the nicely shaded, and bullethole splattered, bullseye focused on the chest. I was having a really hard time seeing where I hit on the black paper (the grey in the bullseye makes it MUCH easier) so I couldn't adjust properly...let's just say he won.

I looked up some trails in the St. Louis area for mountain biking. It looks like there may be some decent trails nearby! I am super excited about it. I wish I had realized that there was a trail maintenance meet at the Creve Coeur Park while we were blading. I would have enjoyed meeting some fellow riders as well as getting a look at the closest trail. I think I'm going to see if my bike still works next weekend while Mike ditches me for the boys. Should be fun!

April 25, 2009

2009-04-26T01:41:00.001+04:00

Mike surprised me when I got home with a new dress from Norstroms! He bought it so I would have something to wear to the French restaurant he took me to for dinner. :) It was a lovely evening with good wine, great seafood, and even better company!

Happy Birthday to me!

2009-04-24T23:33:00.001+04:00

It was an excellent first birthday back in the US!

I've already mentioned the beautiful jewelry box that Mike spoiled me with.... today, he hand delivered a birthday card to my work... enclosed within the envelope were two tickets to the Keith Urban concert! :D Now that's love - he hates country music and he's going to put himself through the agony of listening to it live. ;) We also went out to lunch with the people at our office AND I had yummy birthday cake brought in by one of my colleagues. Tonight, Mike has some sort of surprise set up that sounds like dinner at a nice restaurant...all I know, is I get to dress up!

Mike's mom also sent over a beautiful cashmere sweater. It arrived a couple days early but Mike was a good gift-deliverer and refused to allow me to open it early. He even hid it from me so I couldn't open it before he woke up on my birthday morning!

I received numerous birthday wishes from friends and family via all forms of communication - telephone, Skype, Facebook, email, ecard, and snail-mail cards. It's good to feel loved.

We went shopping for new wheels to put on Mike's roller blades last night..and once they were installed, we took them out for a test drive around our parking lot/drive way in our PJs. My brakes are nubs and I've never been good with downward slopes, especially not in the dark, so I was just waiting for the crash landing...fortunately, I got through it without...I'm really hoping we'll get an opportunity to take them out to the county park this weekend. Another option is a bicycle wine country tour. ;) We had a lot of discussion over lunch today of fun things to do in the area...one of which was riding bikes on the Katy trail through the wine country and testing various wines along the way. I guess there is even a brewery! Sounds good to me!

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April 23, 2009

2009-04-23T21:56:00.001+04:00

Dinner prepared for me two evenings in a row! How did I get so lucky!? Mike had planned on golfing and then target shooting while I worked a bit late and went to yoga but then he decided to come home early and cook dinner. We had spaghetti. Yummmm...we're making up for it by going shooting tonight.

I think I'm getting the hang of styling short hair..finally...this morning - it actually seemed to turn out decent right away. :) I guess I am a slow learner.

I think I reported that I believe the correct glasses have been delivered from Italy...as a refresher, Mike and I had purchased some Murano hand-blown red wine glasses while we were in Italy and they shipped us white. I had not received any communication on how the return shipping of the white glasses would be paid for so I emailed them...and they responded today with we could keep them! Well..actually that we should give them to our parents..but who wants to do that when you can have a complete set of red AND white glasses. ;) lol. (sorry Mom)

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April 22, 2009

2009-04-23T01:24:00.002+04:00

Mike surprised me with an early birthday present last night!:) Yay me! It was a floor jewelry box...with a beautiful hand painted reddish wood finish. I promptly filled it up with all my jewelry. :) Too bad it didn't fill it up! I guess that means I'll just have to get more jewelry :) :)

Mike also made dinner last night - Parmesan noodles, garlic bread, and pork loin. Yummy. It was nearly ready and waiting when I came home from the gym. Between that and the early gift, he was earning mucho brownie points!

I received some great news today. Two friends from Baghdad may be making St. Louis one of their destinations while on R&R in July. Even if it doesn't happen I'm happy they thought of us. Soo many people leave and are forgotten. I'm happy we've not fallen into that category! Plus, to dedicate a few days out of what could be for an exotic destination. :) I'm tickled. I really hope it happens... ;)

July sounds like it might be a busy month. I think we'll be heading to Knoxville for the Fourth of July too!

I coaxed my colleague to join me in one of the classes I attend at the gym. He did really good especially considering it is one of the hardest I participate in! I was impressed! I told him it was to make up for his lack of attendance in my class in Baghdad. ;) Speaking of which, it sounds like the kick boxing class is getting resuscitated. The troops are being called in. ;) yay.

I also contacted the old kick boxing instructor who I know owns a gym in the New England region to find out how one gets certified for instruction in the US...seems he may be able to certify me! Who knows - maybe I'll bring kick boxing to St. Louis. lol.

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April 21, 2009

2009-04-22T00:47:00.001+04:00

Pictures are up! We finally posted our photos from Africa. Check them out!

Mike discovered a new beverage store yesterday. We visited it based on recommendation..and it was definitely worth recommending. The place was HUGE! It was easily grocery store size and nothing but beverages (mostly alcoholic - wine, beer, liquor) and items to mix with or brew your own. Mike found plenty to pick up. Want to check one out in your area? Visit Friar Tuck for locations.

Right next door to the beverage store was a Sports Authority so I snagged some new workout clothes too. The worn out grunge-wear from Baghdad just wasn't fitting in. Lol. Needed to upgrade. Of course, as I looked at myself in the mirror this morning while doing yoga, I couldn't help but feel like I looked funny!

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Relay For Life

2009-04-21T00:42:00.001+04:00

My Mom has set a goal of $750.00 for Relay for Life. This is why she's doing it:

"My Reason to Relay is to join people around the world in celebrating those who have survived cancer, remembering the people we've lost, and supporting the lifesaving mission of the American Cancer Society. "

Please support her by giving a donation at her personal page.

You are helping deliver the hope that future generations will not have to endure cancer threatening the lives of their friends and family. You have the power to fight back against a disease that affects millions.

My Mom is a survivor.

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April 20, 2009

2009-04-20T22:35:00.001+04:00

Dreary weather over the weekend limited our activities to the inside....I've been itching to get out to Creve Coeur Parkfor some roller blading so I was a little bummed about that. We ended up exploring the area bowling alleys Friday night for league information. Mike wants to join a league and thinks he's found the alley to particpate at. On Saturday, we took the new guns to the indoor range for some target practice. :) I don't think we did too bad.. ;) After talking to my Dad, it sounds like we better fine tune our skills for when the family comes to visit. Let the competition begin...!

We also stopped at a few nurseries so we could add some greenery to the appartment but were unsuccessful. Apparently their focus right now is lawn gardening. :P

On Sunday we made delicious Belgian Waffles with bacon and spent the afternoon cleaning and doing laundry. We had hoped to make it back out to the range but framing our collection of paintings took longer than anticipated... it also took a lot more out of our wallet than anticipated...oi, expensive!

Word from Baghdad is the kick boxing class is trickling down to non-existent. :( I hope that's just the usual die down while the main lead is on R&R! I'll be bummed if it doesn't survived!

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April 15, 2009

2009-04-16T01:07:00.001+04:00

I finally found a class that was a little challenging. I'm still surprised at how little the instructors participate in the classes but I guess I shouldn't put so much weight on that. The class included several high intensity intervals including burpies (hop down, push up, jump to standing, jump, and repeat), step aerobics exercises (toe taps and side lunges), and mat and barbell exercises. It got my heartrate going. :)

Since I've enjoyed my recent wine find so much (Little Boomie Wine), Mike suggested I research it to see if I can find a place that distributes it by the case...so far, I've been unsuccessful. I did submit some inquiries to see if it can be special ordered at a reasonable rate... We'll have to see what comes back.

We may be going gun shopping tonight now that we have our Missouri driver's license. Did you know that we can walk in with our license and some money in hand and walk out with a gun? No waiting three day period! Crazy. We're going join a shooting range in the near future to see who has better aim. ;)

Mike has started submitting applications for school... ;) Coommmeeoonnnnn acceptance letters!

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April 14, 2009

2009-04-15T02:40:00.001+04:00

The day was really non-stop go but I don't feel like I got much of what I intended to work on accomplished... I will have to remedy that tomorrow.

So far there haven't been any arguments between the cat and the dog. The cat isn't too amused with the dog coming too close to him but they tolerate each other's presence... enough so, that we felt comfortable leaving them free to roam the house without parental supervision or separation... hopefully both animals will have all their parts when we return home. ;)

I received a FedEx notification a couple days ago which indicates new glasses are on the way from the Murano gallery...fingers crossed that they're the right ones AND that we don't receive any communication indicating that we owe additional money for customs, etc. ;)

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April 13, 2009

2009-04-13T21:54:00.001+04:00

It's a two coffee day.

Mike and I were able to spend Easter weekend with the family. We drove north on Saturday and spent the afternoon finalizing our taxes and enjoying dinner with family. Afterward, we parted ways as Mike joined the boys at a Bucks game and I spent quality time with Mom playing Easter Bunny. I think I had more fun hiding the eggs than my little brother did finding them....seems he has gotten a little too old to believe...

We drove further north to have lunch with more family on Easter Sunday. The Easter Egg Hunt was a little more fun since we had younger participants. Lunch was served a little later than originally anticipated which put us on the road behind schedule. No big deal except that it meant a late night arrival in St. Louis... which also would not be a big deal, except that the weatherman forecast late night showers and of course, this would be one time where the weatherman wasn't wrong. On our way back, I picked up the motorcycle and started on the 6 hour, 341 mile long ride on the highway to our apartment. I made it most of the way before it started raining....the last 60 miles was spent in a downpour. It was awesome.

Mike followed down an hour behind with Maisey in tow. Maisey, our dog, was the other major 'pick up' for the weekend. She had been under the care of our Grandparents for the last four years. I think they're going to miss her. :)

Fortunately, our cat and dog seemed to remember each other. It was a relatively peaceful reunion. You can tell there is a little displeasure in each other's presence but I'm sure that'll pass soon enough. :)

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April 9, 2009

2009-04-10T00:41:00.001+04:00

Mike is decidedly getting good practice for when we have kids. I would say our cat is having a harder than usual time settling into the new place. A couple days ago, the cat got stuck behind the drier and pulled the drier hose out of the back of the drier in its attempt to get out. Neither the drier nor the washer can be moved far from the wall and the side walls prevent easy access to the rear of the machines so Mike had to dangle me upside down behind the machine in order to reconnect it...and then this morning, curiosity trapped the cat inside the boxspring of the old bed. A small hole acted as access and then it couldn't find the hole again...or perhaps chose not to. We ended up guiding it towards the hole and then eventually cutting it out. Lol. :) I hope I never have to cut one of my kids out of the boxspring.

With my new workout schedule, Mike has been gaining some good experience in the kitchen in the evening. Last night was finally an exception as he let me cook. :) I made mashed potatoes, steamed some fresh green beans, and shrimp! Isn't being back in the real world grand?

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April 8, 2009

2009-04-09T01:48:00.001+04:00

This may take a bit to get back into the habit of blogging! This one will have to be quick since I'm about to battle with traffic on my way home...

We FINALLY got our AT&T U-Verse set up. That means C-A-B-L-E. We have been living with AFN channels for the last four years. We are now in the life of luxury with true commercials, HDTV, a huge selection of channels and movies, AND we can pause live TV! Technology has definitely progressed since the last time I paid for TV. Of course, we took the package with internet so our Skype phone is back up and serving as our land line...and we can work from home if need be.

I finally got through to Italy for my glass order. They insist they will correct it... my only concern now, is at what expected expense to us? Better be $0!

It will be a late night of yoga for me tonight. I'm thinking...pizza for dinner! tata!

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I'm back!

2009-04-08T02:43:00.001+04:00

I figured I better get back into the rhythm of posting...plenty has happened since my last post...let's see if I can summarize!

Mike and I have started back at work. We are located in different offices which is nice. Mike happens to work right around the corner from where we live and I have a 15 minute commute. It took me a few trips, but I think I've found the ideal route that minimizes the delay due by traffic congestion.

I think the 'moving in' phase will never end. We do have most of our stuff in their new home but we've lost our motivation for the stragglers... I think we'll get to them when their contents are needed..who knows, :) maybe we'll move them back to storage without being opened. Lol.

I've found a potential gym to dedicate my workout time to. It appealed to me because (1) there are two locations in the area, one near our apartment and one near our work; (2) it offers a huge variety of group instruction which I have obviously gotten into during the last few years, including yoga; (3) it's very clean and offers a lot of amenities that gyms don't typically offer including toiletries. I've attended a few classes so far. In general, I guess I'm not hugely impressed. During my first yoga session, I had to demonstrate a few pose sfor the class. The instructor didn't demonstrate any of the poses. Instead, she just talked us through the routine. None of the instructors in any of the classes I've tried has completed the entire class although they have participated more than that first instructor. Regardless, I haven't given up on the gym. I am not tied down to a contract so if I do decide that it's not worth it, I will not hesitate to uproot....and I'm still tempted to join a yoga center.... we'll see.

We've moved my cat, Bacardi, into the new apartment. I think he is adjusting. His latest behavior suggests he misses my mom since he is a-l-w-a-y-s craving attention. My mom is home much of the day and there were two, for a while three, other kitties to entertain him at my parent's home....now he is alone in the house while Mike and I are at work and the apartment is much smaller than the house. He won't be alone for much longer since we plan to bring our dog down next weekend!

The weather in St. Louis has proved to be pleasant most days. It motivated me to make a phone call and get my motorcycle up to par for riding. A good friend picked it up from Grandma's and has since been draining all the old fluids, cleaning the chain, replacing the filters and tires, and getting it ready for me. I should be able to bring it down next weekend.... I can't wait!

One discovery we did make upon our return was that the glasses we purchased on Murano Island in Italy were not the ones that were shipped to my parent's house. I will have the pleasure of phoning them this evening to try to get it corrected - with minimal cost to us...we've already spent plenty on them!

I think this is long enough for one day!

Back in the USA

2009-03-13T07:28:00.002+04:00

A lot has happened in the last few days..more than I really feel like going into detail at the moment but I'll give you the synopsis.

Our travels were delay and cancellation free. No surprise there. :) We didn't have any exciting plans hanging in the balance! Since our arrival, it seems like we've been non-stop on the go. We arrived mid-afternoon on Monday in Milwaukee. Spent the remainder of the day planning the upcoming. We had hoped our new cellphones would be ready and waiting when we arrived but the carrier decided to make things difficult. Instead, we made signing contracts for our new plans the first priority upon our arrival in St. Louis. We drove down to our new home on Tuesday morning. It was a dreary six hour drive down through fog and rain. St. Louis teased us with a balmy 79 degrees only to crush later with crappy weather and cold temps the remainder of our stay. Despite our troubles online and over the phone with our initial attempt, we were able to set up phones pretty easily with St. Louis numbers and Wisconsin billing addresses. We finished off the evening browsing the mall, getting Mike a haircut, and dining at the hotel restaurant.

Wednesday was dedicated to apartment hunting. We had quite a few on our list. Fortunately, many of them were eliminated immediately upon arrival. It's hard to walk in when the management doesn't take good care of the outside! We did find a decent place by the end of the day, which was one day quicker than originally planned. Nothing wrong with getting done early! We enjoyed dinner with our boss, signed the necessary paperwork the next morning, and headed back to Wisconsin. Oi!

March 7, 2009

2009-03-07T17:59:00.001+04:00

I can't believe we're down to hours already.

Our friends held a going away party for last night. I was touched by how many people participated. I would estimate approximately 60 people showed up. The food complimented the company well as our friends put together a smörgåsbords of Iraqi dishes and grilled steaks. Yumm. Mike and I had a sidewalk sale during the event with all price tags marked at $0. ;)

We had another special meal hosted by the Iraqis today. Several of our Iraqi friends brought in homemade dishes of kabobs, hummus, dolma, chicken, and rice. It was delicious!

I'm going to miss this place.

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March 6, 2009

2009-03-05T18:01:00.001+04:00

We had a little ceremony today in recognition of my Sector. We finished off and closed out the program so they honored us with certificates, handshakes, pictures, nice speeches, and speech requirements. It was a nice gesture - a little too spontaneous for my taste since we were in a meeting when they hosted it so at least one member of the crew couldn't attend...and I didn't have a speech prepared! I did get a cool coin though :)

Mike and I managed to mail off a few more boxes too. I couldn't believe how many clothes I still had after I gave so much away. Oi! I think I'll be able to finish off the packing tonight. (Enshallah)

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March 4, 2009

2009-03-04T18:02:00.001+04:00

I cannot believe how much stuff I have accumulated over the years in my desk. I also cannot believe I let so much go un-shredded over the past four years. It would have been so much easier if I had done so as I went, rather than saving it all for the day. There went the plans for a morning desk clean-out followed by an afternoon finish-off-the-room session. :) lol. Guess we'll save the latter for tomorrow.

My desk is so drab now. I used to have pictures up and personal items littering the walls and table top... three more days. Just three more days.

My colleague brought us a picture/coffee table book of St. Louis. It's filled with beautiful shots of the best locations in town. It really sells the city well. :) Too bad MSN hadn't spoiled the imagery with the report that St. Louis is the second unhappiest city in the US. lol. I think I'll judge for myself. So far, I'm still looking forward to the change in scenery.

Tonight is my last mid-week kick boxing class. Saturday doesn't count since it's Abs night. I hope it's a decent turn out. ;)

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