The Baseball Bat Won

Trader Joe'n

On my lunch today I went to buy some Fiji (it's the cheapest there). I love to cruise around that store. They have some of the most intersting items and shoppers. I witnessed a lady in her mid 30's in hot pink, skin tight leggins and a matching striped with white shirt and head band. Kind of like the female version of Where's Waldo? gone haywire. I also didn't know skin tight leggins could get pulled up quite that far on ones body.

Anyway, I love the foods there. I bought some chipolte ranch fries and some organics of other natures. I'm very excited about the whole thing. I'm trying to find quick dinners, without all the sodium that most frozen foods carry. It's difficult but not impossible.

As a healthy Batman would say... "To the gym girl wonder!"

Appreciation in the form of Gas

I just received a thank you note from Chevron up North for basically doing my job. I didn't think I did anything extra special. I was asked to send some reports, so I did. As a thank you, I got a small note card (hand written) thanking me for my help and a $25 gas card. It's nice to know in this super busy hectic world that sometimes, even the big companies appreciate you doing your job.

Thanks Chevron! (It just so happens I'm on empty too)

Yummy Yummy, Beff Beff

Erin made this beff (aka beef) crescent roll thingy. It was rolled out flat and then stuffed with yummy bar-b-que beff and cheese then sealed up. MMMM for Beff Roll Up!!!


***The story of Beff. Some days we all struggle with the pronunciation of words. One day, long ago, Erin was trying to talk about beef and out came beff. Running joke months later, allowed the title of this blog. The End. ***

It's 5:30am & there are people waiting outside of my house...

This morning was yard sale day... *yawn*

My mom opened the door at 5:30am to let the dogs go pee and there were cars parked across the street. She closed the door and I heard, "aw crap, they're already here."

The professionals were out and ready. You could tell when people were looking for particular items, they walk through, say hi or good morning and nicely say thank you and away they go. Funny how you mark things down less than half of what you paid and people still want them cheaper. Can't mess with a hagler.

Sold A LOT of little stuff, which is great. Made some money and had some fun. Now I must take a nap because this night o nights... we game :)

Letting go...

Funny how we hold on to things that really mean nothing more than "hey, I own a sock with 3 holes and a shirt that has so many holes, my bathing suit reveals less" or "sure that stuffed hot pink cat only has one eye but it's fine."

I guess it's more about the memory it brings to mind and how it takes you back to that one moment in time then how "fashionable" it is.

Because the little Cup of Soups didn't have enough sodium at 1480mg per container, the Souper Meal has 2560mg per container. Can you say "WATER?"

Aw Crap

I hate losing... *grrr*

Elliptical - 2
Me - 0

I went 3 minutes... What the F*** is that!?!

By a splinter...

So I'm sitting a top a hillside, waiting. I'm looking out in front of me for my friend to return. I was walking ahead talking, not paying attention to details, I felt something was different but I guess I just wanted to believe otherwise. So there I was, across the bridge and then I turned around... and I was alone. You were gone. As quick as you came, you were gone.

So here I sit. The bridge is had said to be burned. It's not burned, it's just slowly vanishing. Sometimes the universe knows when it's time to move on, even when we don't want to. So I sit with my chin on my knees, hugging my legs rocking back and forth.

I watch the bridge, it's hanging on by a splinter.... kinda like me I guess.

Orange Can

So Friday was wonderful, I laid around all day, took a nap. It's hard laying around, it made me so sleepy. Around 2 I was given life and ran around pricing stuff for a softball fundraiser. Then headed out to practice to visit the girls and watch them run a mile. Usually when I watch them run it makes me tired. This time, I actually wanted to run with them. Yay for the gym giving me energy. Then we headed home, changed, packed for the Keckley's and headed to the gym.

45 minutes later we hit the gym showers (can you say drafty?) and then left for the Keckley's. We were greeted by Emily saying "Where's your turtle?" I left my turtle bag over there and she knew it was in the office, so she also knew I didn't have it. Then we were instructed to sit and play. Emily showed Erin all her trains and they played on the table with them. Then it was bed time for her and dinner time for us. Yummy food. AND, the super big news, we got to play Railroad Tycoon. Mommie Sondra was up for it and miss Madison was too. Some crazy high scores, Madison and I came in last but thats okay. I had fun holding her and playing. She's very snuggly.

Saturday brought bagels, a workout and pitching lessons. Along with some shopping and homemade bar-b-que pizza. Busy Saturday, nothing surprising there but we decided to go hang out at my parents house and watch Wedding Crashers. Pretty damn funny. Erin made 2 homemade bar-b-que chicken pizzas and we wrapped them up and headed over. SUPER MEGA YUM!!! Everyone loved the pizza, good job Erin. Then I made some cookies and we all sat around and had a nice evening.

Today, we will take down the lights and start hauling out yard sale stuff. We're thinning out for the new house. It's just around the corner...

Today is my Friday

A long, long time ago... I asked for the day off to go to a softball clinic. Well that fell through but I'm still taking the day off. I need it. So today is my Friday :)

3-day weekends kick ass.

I get to see baby Madison and play trains with big sister Emily tomorrow night. I'm so excited.

Blocked by work

Statement: It sure is hard to write and email when you have so much work to do. Crap. Phone.

Update:

Gym is working peeps! My biggest Nemesis: the Elliptical Machine.
I could only hang for 7 minutes!

Battle Results:
Ellitpical Machine - 1
Me - 0
Will attempt again this weekend.

The stairclimber, well I'm making that my bitch. :)
Battle Results:
Stairclimber - 0
Me - 3

Energy levels are skyrocketing though...

Hi Ho, Hi Ho, it was off to IKEA we had to go...

In keeping with the theme of planning for el casa nuevo we decided to start pricing some amedities at IKEA. We still need to visit The Great Indoors but on another trip perhaps. This past weekend we were in Arcadia at the L.A. Arboretum, if you've never been, it's a beautiful place to walk through and be left with nothing other than one's thoughts. Every 3 months we visit this tiny sanctuary to meet with other turtle keepers to discuss the issues of the state, local and between clubs. I won't bore you with details but it typically runs about 4 hours and is a good time. I keep minutes as the Executive Board Secretary and have to giggle sometimes at the words being jotted down by my pen. "Malarcky" was used this last meeting... now that was funny.

So afterwards we made our way to IKEA, parking was a bitch. IKEA was jammed packed, I found a chair I wanted for my office and Erin had to wait in a line to try it out, yes it was that busy. We found lots of fun stuff. Wow, are we going to have to save, save, save. 2 hours later we walk out of there with a few small oddities and call our friend Robert, an old college buddy of Erin's. It took us 40 minutes to go down one level to get out of the IKEA parking lot, talk about misery kicking you in the crotch. Sheesh.

We met Robert in Pasadena to go out for dinner. Yay for Hamburger Hamlet! All that shopping (and sitting in the car) made me hungry. I've only ever been in one HH before and it's super tiny compared to this place. In one section they even had a fireplace in the center with tables surrounding it, very lovely place to eat some beef in a bun. Spent some great time talking and laughing and just enjoying life together...

Sunday came too damn fast along with pitching lessons in the cold wind... burrrr. Note: If I'm saying it's cold, it is cold people. Took Sondra and Mom some baked potato soup in bread bowls for dinner, Madison is doing fine, she's sooo super itty bitty. Then off to my parents to hang out for awhile and watch X-Men 2, no I don't get tired of that movie.

So that was most of my weekend in a nutshell. Now I'm planning a garage sale... out with the old, in with the IKEA.

Sometimes Happy Bunny can say it best.

After workout #2

So we went to the gym right after I got off work, at 4:15pm. I thought this would help me relax and not be so awake come bed time. Geez, was I wrong (see end of story). So we took a scenic ride on a bike then decided to start with arms. 60 minutes later we walked out feeling good and ready for dinner. Yay for pineapple/barbeque chicken with steamed rice and broccoli :)

We cleaned up dinner and got some fro yo! Came home (saw a truck upside down by our house) and watched CSI. Then it started, I got up to wash the dog blankets. Well since I was in the garage I thought, I should sweep the garage. Oh look at the box full of games, I go over to the shelf to organize all the games. Then I picked up the death of babies courtesy of Piper. Cleaned the table, cleaned the stove, counters, washed more blankets, typed my Board Minutes and then it was 11:00pm. So I took a shower, cleaned the bathroom since I was in there and went to lay down. I was watching Rosanne (thank goodness for Nick at Nite) and thought oh I should put that last load in the dryer. So I got up did that and decided to Febreeze the recliner and the living room and den floor (yes you can think I'm nuts).

I finally felt it was a good time to lay down now, I fell a sleep happily. Today we work out again after work, maybe I'll clean out the garage tonight.

So when I hit 25, I noticed that when I would work out I wouldn't get sore till 2 days later instead of the next day. In high school, I would literally have to roll out of bed onto my feet the next morning after the first couple days of conditioning.

This morning I woke up and got right out of bed. I fear for my life tomorrow.

I only did 45 minutes of cardio but thats about 44 minutes more than I usually do in a day. The minute I usually do during the day is spread out too, so this should be interesting. Tonight we go back for a mix of cardio and weights... dah dah dahmm.

Funny thing, I couldn't go to sleep last night, my body was ready to go, go, go. I finally settled down around 1:30am. I guess I could have called the Keckleys', they were probably up with little Miss Madison.

Back to work I go...

I've joined the masses

Last night at approximately 6:00pm, I walked out of 24 hour fitness with a gym membership. Oh how I look forward to sweating this evening. We'll see tomorrow if I can type of not.

Look what Piper dug up in the backyard... I don't think we owned "Next Friday" the soundtrack?????

Baby Madison Keckley
7lbs 12oz
20.5 inches
Born: 1-7-06 @ 11:42pm

Welcome to the world baby girl. Congrats Mommie & Papa Keckley and Big Sister Emily!

Papers, carpet & dirt

So today we went at 1:00pm to sign our lives to a mortgage for 30 years. (Yay!) We had to finish picking counter tops and a couple other things. Well venturing from sample to sample was tough. Making sure the counters didn't clash with the cabinets, then the flooring then the carpet. Sheesh. Who knew the masked villian was the carpet. It was 2 shades to dark. Once we changed that, everything flowed nicely. The whole choosing process took about 2 hours. Sample after sample, house comparing after house comparing but it sure was nice walking out of there knowing in just a few short months that house will be our home...

"These are a few of my favorite things..."

Creating ones space

I have given myself a task. I hate to call it a New Years' Task but it is what it is. As I look around I see my everyday, isn't so everyday. I have a new house on the way, new babies (on their way) to spoil and a whole new family (team) of girls in just a few short weeks.

Coaching has taught me a lot. Funny because you would think the coach does all the teaching. I think this holds true for any position that works with children. The teacher becomes the student and the student becomes the teacher... with this circle being neverending, we can always learn something new from younger people. I just hope this years lessons aren't as trying mentally as last years.

Our new house represents more than just a place to live. It will be a space of creativeness to grow. It will house many feelings and ideas. I've been dreaming about my space in the house, to do with what I please. How it will center me, how it will comfort me, how it will allow me to be me.

I love to see new life, although I do not plan any of my own, I enjoy a new baby just as much as the next person. The idea of developing a whole new human is so intriging. Watching them grow and finding things so brand new everyday, things we so easily take for granted. Teaching me how to smile and enjoy a good cartoon. That's what kids do best, smile and enjoy life.

2 little things, sometimes, I don't think I do enough. I know I have been better about it but I'm still not where I want to be. I'm leaving out important parts of me that make me smile. My self accomplishment has become slim. I look forward to more self accomplishment and it will make my self worth double in stock, you can't argue those numbers...

Happy New Year to you and your self worth.

2 days into the New Year

Well my New Year was a lot of fun. Eating, drinking and playing games. Loved it all. I woke up at 1:00pm on Sunday. Yay for sleeping, boo for not wanting to go to bed Sunday night. I took a sleeping pill at 11:30pm because I was wide awake. I think I was a sleep by 1:00am. Not too bad. I've worked on less before.

Erin and I played Citadels and Ticket to Ride Europe (twice). That was fun, I didn't want to stop playing. Tonight, we bust out Vegas Showdown. Let's see how well we can develop a casino.

I've typed about 60 reports this morning and I'm taking a break. I have about 45 left and about 3 samples left to run. Not too bad. Then I have to bill it all... eek. Good thing for listening to Friends Season 7 in the background. Makes it all fly by. It really doesn't seem like I've been here for 5 hours already.

Alright, I'm going to get my Honey Maid bar out of my car and back to work I go!

Able to leap tall paper piles in a single bound! It's Super Sample Runner! No file to big, no sample to small.

Me and my cape must go back to work now...