Wonderful Weather

It has been SO nice here the past couple of days! It is in the 50s or so at night, 60s to low 70s in the morning & only up to 80 or so during the day. I am loving it! And so are our kitty boys. Anybody that knows our kitty Truman knows that he LOVES the outside. He lays by the window or in the window most of the day. SO now that the weather has turned off nice, we are able to open our windows - Truman is in HEAVEN!

We're moving to Orlando!

I am mentioned some hints about this in a few of my past posts, and most of you that read my blog have already heard about all of the excitement. But - there are others of you that I don't get to talk to as often, and probably haven't told you what is going on! So here's what's going on:

Obviously Jim wasn't seeking out new employment as we had just moved here & he was just given his own territory. We were perfectly content, although there were things about his job that we knew would get old, and he wouldn't do forever. For instance, he is basically pinned down to his territory - as he is the only one here. He was always on call, evenings & weekends, unless he works something out with a neighboring territory consultant. The only problem with that is, if that person that is covering a case in his own territory during the same weekend, and something may happen to come up in Jim's, the neighboring consultant would cover his own & leave Jim's unattended - which is exactly what he should have done & Jim would too. Customer service & being available at all times is one of the things that makes these guys successful in their jobs. So depending on which doctors were on call - that could be a killer in the customer service dept. So because of that, Jim just hated to leave the territory! Which was fine when we first moved here & during the summer, because seriously - where would we go! :) We were already in paradise! :)

But - that kind of schedule can wear on you and it made going on trips or visits to family hard to do. Like I said though, he wasn't actively looking for a new job.

He was contacted out of the blue by MULTIPLE head hunters within about a 2 week span -- very crazy. Lots of the opportunities were ones that he just turned down right away, but there was one that really peaked his interest. The company was actually one of the biggest competitors to his then current employeer. So as you can imagine, they were definitely willing to make sure the opportunity that they offered him was good enough for him to switch companies. But what really interested Jim in the position is that instead of being in orthapedic trauma (which has the crazy hours), he would be working in their spine division (which is usually elective surgery and scheduled in advance). So - no more weekends / evenings! And more $$$! What a great combo! His new territory spans Northern Florida...the entire panhandle - all the way to Jacksonville, down to Orlando & Tampa. His biggest accounts are in Orlando / Jacksonville, so we have chosen to move there to Orlando. We go on our first house hunting trip in 2 weeks & are super excited!!!

As for my job, I will be doing the same thing with my company. It actually benefits both my company & us, as the flights are cheaper from Orlando to DC and are direct (no more delays & cancellations on connecting flights!!! WOOHOO!). Also - I will be working out of our home instead of going into an office every day! I am really excited about that for sure.

So that's the story. I wish I could have told you all myself! We'll keep you posted on the househunting & new contact info when we have it. We are hoping to be moved by January. And just in case you were wondering - Jim has already nixxed the idea of Disney World season tickets....

Go Tigers!!!

Jim & I were extremely excited to find that our Missouri Tigers were going to be on National Television Saturday, Oct 6. Living in SEC country - we hardly ever get to see Big 12 games. If a Big 12 team is on TV, it is usually a South team (Texas teams or Oklahoma teams). SO....for Missouri to be playing Nebraska (arch rival!!) on ESPN Saturday night - WOOHOO!

Anyone that knows Missouri Tigers football history over the past 15 years or so knows they haven't been a GREAT team, but have become slightly better over the years, starting when I graduated. Since then, Missouri has invested in their athletic programs (read men's football/basketball) and definitely taken the facilities & program to the next level. Now, the football team has a covered practice field, new training facility and a much improved Faurot Field, including box seats & a jumbo tron. Another improvement to the team - QB Chase Daniel - what a stud!!!

Also over the past 15 years - the Tigers have always struggled in that BIG game, seeming to disappoint the Tiger Faithful Fans at least annually. Other things that don't help? Bad referees ( I know I know - we still can't forget) - that allow teams like Colorado to have 5 downs, and teams like Nebraska to have a completion for a TD from a kicked ball...illegal, not called). Nebraska went on to go undefeated that season & win the National Championship.

Back to my story....

We were SOOOO excited to watch the Tigers annihilate the Huskers on national TV! They killed them! It looked like they could score at will! The Huskers honestly did look flat, and played with no emotion...which also helped our cause. I thought that was crazy though, as the Tiger/Husker football rivalry has been heated as much as the KU/MU basketball rivalry. This is one game that usually both teams get up for.

Loved it loved it. Tigers start the season 5-0 for the second consecutive season & have a great chance at taking the Big 12 North, although Kansas looked impressive yesterday....

Back Home Again

LOVE LOVE LOVE cruises!!!! At least, I loved the first one we have ever been on! We will definitely cruise again - what a great way to vacation. Jim & I were worried that we wouldn't like all aspects of the cruise - especially not being able to be on land AT the resort location & do what we wanted to do. We were worried that we may feel trapped and/or bored while at sea on the ship. Never happened! There is always something going on that you want to do, and most of the time - there are multiple things available & you have to pick what you want to do! For instance, we were unable to attend the towel animal class & the kitchen galley tour because we were at an art auction. More on the art auction later!

We LOVED it & highly recommend it. The food was much better than I expected. The presentation & dining service was very nice! Below is what I had to eat ever evening at the late seating - appetizer, salad, entree & dessert:

Monday night - Chicken satay in peanut sauce, caesar salad, Filet Mignon, Chocolate melting cake (YUMMMMMMM)

Tuesday night - Cheddar/Broccoli soup, greek salad, Lobster & shrimp (2 entrees - OINK OINK), Chocolate melting cake (do you sense a theme)

Wednesday night - Pumpkin/squash soup, Mixed greens, Pan fried grouper in butter/lemon sauce, Chocolate melting cake

Thursday night - Lobster bisque, mixed green salad, Beef Wellington, Grand Marnier souffle

Friday night - French onion soup, caesar salad, chateubriand, neopolitan ice cream cake thingy with sponge cake & meringue?? Not sure about all that.

Lunches were also just as good. The days that we were at sea, we enjoyed an open seating lunch, which was like going to a restaurant, instead of dining from the buffet. Breakfast - same thing. The days that we were at port, we enjoyed the breakfast buffet and lunch at Mexican restaurants in port. Guacamole - YUM.

Needless to say - we ate WELL & only worked out the first day at sea. The second day in Cozumel probably burned a few calories as we went SCUBA diving (BEAUTIFUL). Other than that - we walked 5 flights of stairs multiple times during the day, so that counts - right?? Yeah, we are back on the fitness track, going to the gym & running, and eating right!!

I'll write more about the cruise itself in a later post. I had to document the food before I forgot! :)

The Vacation has Begun

Wow I have a wonderful husband!!! Jim booked me a spa afternoon yesterday at Serenity by the Sea at the Sandestin Hilton resort! HOW WONDERFUL! I got there around 11:30, got changed into my robe, and then sat in the lounge area with the other lucky ladies! I had an afternoon of luxury, beginning with a 50 minute massage (wonderful!), then on to a 50 minute facial (wonderful - except for the 'extraction' part - OUCH...and YUCK!). Next was my spa pedicure and manicure! What a day of pampering. I felt so special, especially when all of the workers there said things to me like "Wow, you have a special afternoon planned today here!" and "Your husband is a keeper" and "He must really love you to treat you to such a special day". And of course - I agreed with them all! What a sweetheart. He knows how stressed I have been at work, and all of the long hours I have been putting in. I love that he sees this and wants to make it better and do something to help me.

The spa afternoon was just what I needed to get destressed & start relaxing right away. We leave for our cruise on Monday! WOOHOO! I was supposed to be going to Gulf Shores to the beach today with my friends Jay & Sara (Jim is on call this weekend...for the LAST TIME! More on that later...) but because of the Tropical Depression or whatever it is - I didn't make the trip. It was nasty this morning, but is actually sunny now? Not sure what that means.

Anyway - we are starting to figure out what to pack for the trip. This is our first cruise, so we are really looking forward to it. I'll let you know how it is & probably will post a couple of pictures.

We're going to the gym now - so I'll write afterwards. Then I should be all caught up!! :)

One job, Two jobs, Three jobs, Four

Work. I remember thinking back when I changed sectors that I would have less stress, more time to enjoy things I love & all of those other things. That has definitely not been the case!!

The sector I work in is split into 3 business groups. The business group I work in is split further into 2 operating units. I am the business manager for 1 of those operating units (which covers approximately 12 major programs, composed of multiple contracts in each program). In addition, I consolidate the financials and forecast and all other 'business group' issues. So that is really two jobs, as it will be split up in January when one of the other managers come back full-time (he is currently working on our ERP conversion - SAP - fulltime, so I am covering his responsibilities currently as well). So there are 3 of us managers, 2 working, 1 doing SAP conversion. Well....the other manager that covers the OTHER operating unit up & quite about a month ago. Literally, he gave no notice. He just walked in, handed over his badge & corporate American Express card & walked out. So now...I am doing his job too. So - I am 3 managers now. As if that wasn't bad enough, one of my employees quit about 2 weeks ago in a similar fashion. Just walked out one day. So I am also covering her responsibilities while we get her replacement up to speed. The only consolation? The two that quit were definitely two that needed to go. They were not happy in the environment - didn't really like the work and weren't really performing at all. So it is a bit painful in the interim, but long term, we will be a much stronger team.

So needless to say......I have been a bit overwhelmed!!!! I need a vacation...more on that next!

Life Lessons at the Airport

Since we moved to Destin and I switched sectors within Northrop Grumman, I have been spending an average of 2 weeks per month in DC. Traveling that much has meant lots of time in airports. Literally - after flying round trip from FL to DC about 12 times since May & a trip back home to Missouri wedged in there, I have only had an on-time trip twice...and one of those was when I went home to MO. I am at least 1 1/2 delayed each trip which gets incredibly old.

There really are a couple of good things about traveling, but don't outweigh the sacrifices of traveling. First, the benefits. After traveling just since mid-May thru mid-September, I am already a Gold Marriotts member and a Silver Delta flyer. So that means free upgrades and other 'perks' now when I travel. In fact, i already have enough points for a free 5 night stay at Park City Utah Marriott Spa resort that hopefully Jim & I will take advantage of this winter (we have invited my brother to come with us for part of the trip!). And by the way - I will be able to fly there for free.

BUT....I would 110% rather be here with Jim & my fuzzy boys, Truman & Cosmo, any day of the week than earning 'free stuff' from traveling. I really miss Jim when I am away & we talk quite often during the day when I can. Right now though, this situation is the best for us both, as Northrop was awesome to work out a position that would allow me to stay with the company. In addition, the flexibility of my job has been HUGE when it came to Jim & his career opportunities (more on that later). So we have been very blessed & will enjoy the 'perks' that come with my travels! Don't get me wrong - it will be awesome to enjoy free vacations! :)

Ok - so back to the original point of this post....Life Lessons at the Airport. I hope I can remember some of the stuff that I have observed over the summer. I have seen people at their worst, but also people at their best.

People at their best:
1 - there was a huge long line at the Burger King & a gentleman walking up to the cashier realized he didn't have the cash (his wife did - at the end of the terminal at their gate). A woman that was waiting for her food offered to buy him his dinner. How unselfish!? "For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in." Matthew 25:35. That display of giving really struck a chord with me that day.

2 - I had a horrible horrible flight experience one day trying to get back to Destin. We were literally 3 hours delayed (was 10 pm), & finally got to board. We taxied out to the runway, and were at the end getting ready to take off, when we instead went back to the back of the taxi line because there was weather brewing. We waited in line there another 20 minutes, and then the pilot came on & said - this flight has been cancelled because the crew will be timed out by the time we take off. So here I am with no luggage at 11:30 pm in Atlanta. How is this an example of people at their best you ask? I got a shuttle to the airport Marriott for the night. The guy that checked me in at the hotel asked me how I was & I said "fine". Then I smiled & said, actually - I just lied to you - I have had a horrible night!! I told him a quick version of the story with a chuckle, since there is really no use getting upset about it. He gave me one of their best rooms on the concierge level, and also provided me a coupon for a free Starbucks in the morning. May not seem like a big deal to you all reading this, but after the night I had had - I thought it was such a neat gesture & I appreciated it very much.

3 - Most people are just really polite. I have talked to so many fun people on flights, waiting while delayed, etc. I have met some fun people! It's always fun to hear their stories and also listen to their horror travel stories too!

People at their worst:
1 - See #2 above. The guy sitting next to me on this hellish flight called the Delta line and SCREAMED at them and about how horrible Delta was, blah blah blah. Very very ugly. However.....this poor guy had just missed his daughter's 15th birthday party. He had switched to an earlier flight to make it home in time for it. The earlier flight was the one I was on that never made it. His original flight left on time & it would have meant he would have made the party. The kicker? He even paid $50 switch fee to change flights. I can understand his frustration...but let this be a lesson on how to handle tough situations!

2 - In general, there is always a "spillover" neighbor in the airplane. You know - the guy/gal who really should have 2 seats, but doesn't & 'spills over' into your seat! I hate that. Also - I have decided I must have some proximity issues, because I can't stand when people get all up in my business in lines at airports. There is no reason you (or your stuff) should ever touch me in line! Back off! I have literally been run into or luggage pounded into my legs, purses banging into me, etc. People everywhere....please control yourself & don't take that LAST step you take when standing in line. Stop one step sooner....we'll all be happier.


See - I told you I had lots to say. I haven't even begun to catch up with the blogs. Today is going to be a busy, finger cramping day.

Inspiration

So apparently I have taken the summer off from blogging. But - Jim did too! And he has recently started back up, and I really enjoy reading what he has to say to everyone, so I am inspired to start writing again!

I may be posting some really random stuff at first, to get you caught up on what has been going on. So bear with me!

A memorable Memorial Day weekend

I am officially living in Destin now. I traveled to DC the past 2 weeks, so Jim & I still hadn't spent more than 4 days in a row together since March!! So we are definitely enjoying each other & getting settled in our new place.

The weekend started with us planning on settling a room per day. So Sunday started with the living room. It is now liveable & we now can watch movies on our TV that is hooked up! We have not had a TV in Destin since March, so that is huge. We actually have enjoyed NOT having a tv. Then today, we settled the master bedroom. We moved a bunch of furniture around from where the movers put it & then unpacked a bunch of boxes. The bad part is that we are having to time our box dumping with the dumpster dumping! I guess it would make more sense if we broke the boxes down... :)

We are cooking some yummy chicken for supper....chicken quarters marinated in a concoction including fresh lemon juice, lemon rind, honey, soy sauce & peanut butter. Then you coat the marinated chicken in chopped honey roasted peanuts, breadcrumbs, garlic & salt/crushed red pepper. I'll let you know how it is...

Gotta get going - the beeper just beeped....

A Life Changing Week

I really have just been a blubbering chick all week....

I just completed my last week of work in Pascagoula, MS. As I have mentioned before, I am transferring sectors as Jim & I have moved to Destin, FL. This past week has really made me stop & make a few observations:

* I need to smell the roses ALL of the time, not just when I realize that I am moving from the rose garden....
- It really wasn't until I was facing saying my goodbyes to people that I have gotten to know over the past 3 years just how close I had become to so many! I look back on these 3 years and I am saddened to think that I missed out on this realization while I was there. Going forward, I am going to make an effort to appreciate people and appreciate friendships all along, not just when I am faced with leaving them.

* Never think that your actions and attitude don't have an impact on people.
- One thing I tried to do during my tenure in Mississippi was to live for God and let my actions/attitude show that. Believe me, I had many days of failing at this, but with the help of God, had other days when people asked 'why are you so happy all of the time'? What a wonderful question to be asked, and how wonderful is it to be able to respond 'what do I have not to be happy about?' I had many conversations with co-workers about my faith and what it means to me. I really believe that I was put there for that very reason. How neat it was to find out that those that meant so much to me there, also felt the same way about me and my friendship. SO many tears shed that last day as I said my goodbyes & exchanged those hugs!!

* A great friend will not always be your same age or have the same experiences.
- One of my very best friends at work was the manager that worked for me. Sorry CM, but he was old enough to be my dad. :) The neat thing about our relationship was that we worked so well together professionally - we just clicked. I loved how he dealt with his staff and I also loved how we were able to work so well together to accomplish mutual goals on our program. But even more importantly than that - I learned so much from him about just being a GOOD person. He always carried himself with such dignity and class - he has the kindest, gentlest heart, with so much compassion and decency to EVERYONE. He and his wife became such good friends to Jim & myself - they'll never really know how much they have meant to me over this past year when I really got to know them. I will definitely miss them!!

* I can live in chaos!
- Because we really started to move about 1 1/2 months ago...I have basically been a nomad for this entire time. We have had the house on the market for a month, so I have not really been 'living' in the house. I have been doing as little as possible there so I didn't mess it up! I hardly cooked and basically did nothing more than sleep & get ready there during the week. On Thur nights, I would drive to Destin to stay the weekend at our NEW place, which is also chaos! When we moved Jim over here, we took just a few essentials like his office stuff, a bed (the spare one) and 2 lawn chairs to serve ALL purposes, inluding beach chairs. We took one of everything for the kitchen so he could cook during the weeks and we could cook during the weekends. But needless to say - there have been boxes and tons of Jim's medical equipment being shipped here almost daily - and nowhere for us to put anything because of a lack of furniture/storage. Add on top of this, I was at the house in Mobile on Friday for the movers to pack/move our stuff. So I cleaned the whole place again when they were finished and drove to Destin that night. I leave for Washington DC on Monday morning for my new job. The movers will deliver all of our stuff on Tuesday, so I will come home on Friday back to a whole new level of chaos - and boxes everywhere!! The weekend will be spent unpacking, and then back to DC for another week. So I have basically felt like I didn't have a *settled* home or environment for about 2 months. I am ready to "nest"!! Once things are back to normal, we can start accepting visitors! As much as I hate to admit it, this past couple of months has really made me realize that I really am much more of a creature of habit and order than Jim. He is absolutely fine with living in complete disarray - it hasn't phased him! I just crave getting it all back in order and going from there.

* Bring sunblock to lunch- Yes, you can get sunburned having lunch with a friend on a Saturday afternoon. Jim & I met a friend for lunch and both of us have the bright red faces to prove it.

All in all, it was a week I will never forget - moments of goodbyes that will forever be etched in my memory. Shared tears, and exchanges of 'please keep in touch' and MEANING it. I felt so loved this past week, with lots of lunches, happy hours, food days and cakes. Plaques and handshakes, embarassing speeches from my bosses, but accepting the compliments with humility. Pictures and toasts, packing the boxes - sending out the new address and contact information, and leaving our first house, now empty - turning the lights off for the last time. Walking around the house with memories just flooding my head of all the great times Jim & I shared there both alone and with loved ones.

Now - I turn my attention to our exciting present and future in a new place, making new friends and new routines - working new jobs with new coworkers and contacts. It has been a great ride! Now...I am ready to get off the roller coaster and get settled though! :)

Hilton Head Island & a Wedding

Ahhh - how wonderful it is to see old friends! Isn't it crazy how you just don't realize how much you miss someone until you see them again?? It's like we never were apart! Jim was able to join me at the last minute to make the trek to Hilton Head Island for a wedding - Scott, one of my closest & dearest friends from the Washington University MBA program. Scott was in my cohort group, which were assigned randomly at the beginning of the program. Nothing is by chance of course, and we grew to be very close friends during this 3 years, and helped each other through some of the hardest & happiest times in each of our lives during that time. He is truly one-of-a-kind & I wish he & his new bride, Rebecca, all the best!! You both looked beautiful and I am so glad we were there to share that special day.

The picture above is the rest of the Wash U crew - and their significant others, who we also got to know during the 3 year grad school program. We rented a 4-bed condo and had a BLAST hanging out the entire weekend together. The girls hit the spa on Friday morning & then to lunch/shop, and the boys hit the links - we met up later that day for some pool-side sun and some naps. This is a great group of people...lots of tears shed on the wedding day, as my emotions got the best of me! I just miss and love these people so much!!! I thank God for such good friends!!

Because others felt the same way I did apparently....we have decided to plan an annual trip together, 5 of us couples, 4 of which are in the picture + the bride/groom that were not in the pic. Jim & I are first up to plan - gotta love having a last name at the beginning of the alphabet! The one thing we are going to have to consider when planning is places that are kid-friendly - as some people's families are beginning to expand (see pic!) and some already have (Matt/Anne). Jim & I won't be bringing our 2 fuzzy sons though...

Enjoying the simple things

Jim & I are loving Destin. I leave from work on Thursday nights and head straight to Destin. On Friday, Jim had a couple of cases to cover, so I went & had my oil changed at my new VW dealership & got some new windshield wipers (down from $70 to $30!!!). We met up at our new gym - got our workout on - and then headed home to.....GO TO THE BEACH! What a wonderful Friday afternoon, don't you think? We packed up a small cooler, grabbed some towels and our living room furniture (lawn chairs) and headed to the beach. We drove all of about 5 minutes to get there, because we chose to head to the Boardwalk, which is on the East side of Fort Walton Beach. There must be a sand volleyball tourney going on there this weekend, as there were tons of nets up & lots of teams practicing.

So we picked the perfect spot on the beach, laid out the towel & started relaxing when...the loudest, foulest, beach whalest, hair bleached group of people started carrying on. Talk about REDNECK. Unbelievable. The crazy part about it was they were talking about this drama going on in some couple's life, along with a miriad of colorful language to appropriately describe the situation of course. Then, we heard one of the girls say, Momma it has been SO long since I got drunk with her! Jim & I looked at each other in shock. We reran our tapes and thought about all of the conversation we had heard them discussing....now considering that we found out her PARENT was there with her!! What a sad sad thing.

Oh yeah - I need to tell you - we have found the PERFECT snack....Blue Diamond BOLD almonds. That's right - they are addictive. Our favorite flavors are Maui Onion & Garlic, and Wasabi / Soy Sauce. They are YUM! We are at about 2 cans per week.....we might have to start therapy.

Transitions

If any of you that read my blog also read Jim's...you'll know that we have relocated to Destin, FL! He was a little ahead of me in announcing this great news, as his job transition and announcing happened much faster than mine did.

Jim was recently promoted and was offered his own territory...Fort Walton Beach (I know you feel SOOO sorry for us to have to move there). Although I have a great situation at my company, this job opportunity for Jim and a move to FL was the best option for the two of us for many reasons. We took a leap of faith, since it was obvious to us that God has created this opportunity for us to move and we had to commit before I really knew what my future job situation had in store for me. Thankfully, that has also worked out very well - so we are set! My company was willing to let me work remotely from Destin, FL and support some of our Wash DC operations and some work we have in California. They have been great to work with me and I appreciate their assistance in helping me stay with the same company.

We have already moved Jim to a townhouse that we are renting for the year. We are about 2 blocks from the water...a harbor, not necessarily the actual beach. We are very close to the Destin Bridge and just North of AJs. We already LOVE it! I am traveling back & forth on the weekends, leaving from work on Thursday nights & driving to the new home in Destin, and driving to work EARLY on Monday mornings straight to Pascagoula, MS. It's about a 2 1/2 hour drive. My official transition date is June 1, so I'll likely be setting up the rest of the move the week prior. Right now, we're living on lawn chairs & a bed in Destin!

We just listed our house this week...I cleaned spots of that house last week that I don't think I had EVER cleaned (not that I am proud of that!!). But it really looks great & I am praying that it sells fast. Two house payments is just not that fun.

This weekend, we are already getting together with friends in Destin! A couple that we know from Mobile, AL are in town this week vacationing so we are headed to their condo tonight to cook out. We'd offer for them to come here instead, but see paragraph above for the lack of seating and entertainment establishment!!

I know this is long - but a lot has happened in the past month! We are thankful for the direction our lives are taking us and are so excited! Please come visit! We'll have more furniture here in about a month! :)

The kitties are fine

I'm sure you all have been on the edge of your seats for a month since I last posted about our ill kitty boys! Rest assured, they are now completely fine. Although, Cosmo is now a food snob & will only consume canned wet food. I think it was all a ploy for us to spoil him with the good stuff!

On another note - Jim & I raced in the Azalea Trail Run in Mobile on March 24. The weather was beautiful and so were the azaleas! I just love that 5 or 6 days when they are in full bloom. There is truly nothing like it. Both of us bested our 10k times, which is always a good thing. I was worried I would have a bad time because I had been sick the whole week prior (Southern allergies during the Spring are GREAT), and hadn't run more than 4 miles in a couple of weeks. But I knocked out the 10k in 57:04 (or 9:11 pace). I finished 54th out of 192 in my age group (30-34...YES I am in my thirties!!!)...not too shabby!

We haven't done a great job at preparing for the marathon & 1/2 marathon in Nashville on April 28. Things have been a bit busy in our lives lately...more on that in a later post!

Our Fuzzy Son

I had taken Cosmo, the original fuzzy son, to the vet for his annual checkup no more than one month ago. At the appointment, he had a clean bill of health, everything was normal & he received the annual vaccines and we went on our way.

After that, we noticed that Cosmo seemed to be getting thinner. The food didn't seem to be disappearing as fast. We started getting very concerned, especially when he stopped grooming himself. Cosmo has always been a bit pretentious with his grooming...he took great pride in his appearance! So for him to stop grooming really was a red flag that something wasn't quite right.

I took the day off work today to recoup from the long trip to St. Louis and called to see if Cosmo could go into the vet for a checkup. Thankfully, they were able to get him in this morning. Imagine how it felt to hear that your baby had lost about 1 1/2 lbs in a month!! :-( The vet did compliment Jim & I on our parenting skills...they said it was commendable that we had noticed that weight loss so soon. Cosmo's heart and lungs sounded fine, and he didn't have a temperature. So from the outside, everything looks ok. But...because the outside looks ok, it seems that Cosmo has something else wrong with him, the vet is sure of it. So Cosmo is staying for a few days at the hospital so they can do the complete checkup on him, bloodwork and all. It was SO HARD for me to have them take Cosmo from me! Our kitty boys are our children, seriously! So through tears I told Cozy goodbye and then tried to call Jim. When Jim called me back, I was a blubbering mess, but Jim does such a good job at calming me down. We're supposed to find out something either tomorrow or Wed, so there is really no reason for me to worry until then. The vet did say that it is very possible that we caught the issue early, whatever it is.

So please pray for our fuzzy son! We will be!!!

A New Life Begins!

This past weekend, Jim & I traveled to St. Louis for a wedding that I was a bridesmaid in. Everything was beautiful, K did a great job planning 95% of it herself, while her now husband was traveling for work. It was a good time, although the drive was long, but worth it of course!!

One great thing about friends getting married is the opportunity to hang out with all of one's OTHER friends! Jim & I received wonderful hospitality from N & B for the weekend....MUCH better than staying at a hotel! They are so fun to be around and hang out with - we always have so much fun with them! We truly appreciate how real they are, and how much we have in common with them. They are so happy together - and N being happy makes ME happy!

It was also great to see J & R there! J is a crazy lady - SO MUCH FUN! Back in my single days when all of us girls went out dancing together, she was one of my favorite dancing partners. When she was out with us, it was guaranteed that we would all have a good time. She is one of those people that would do anything for a friend, and has really been there for me through some rough times. There is one thing for certain...she'll always be honest with you & she'll tell you how it really is. I do respect that about her. Seeing her made me realize how much I miss her. We got to do some dancing at the reception & I have some great pics to show for it! :)

Some details about the wedding....the priest forgot to say "You may now kiss the bride". How does that happen?! Talk about a weird ending to a wedding! He redeemed himself at the reception though, where he announced the error and said the famous line. The salads at the reception were awesome...spring mix, with sun dried tomatoes and pistachios, with an orange-ginger/sesame dressing. Interesting & flavorful! The bridesmaid dresses were strapless, floor-length, black dresses and were beautiful. All of us have the same body-type, so that helps a bride when picking out dresses that will flatter all! Of course, K looked gorgeous, just like we knew she would!!

I have been friends with K for about 12 years now, and love her to pieces. I just want nothing more for her to be happy. So to the husband in her life....I know where you live! Treat her like the queen that she is or I will hunt you down! :)

K - Love you, you looked beautiful. Thank you so much for having me be a part of the most special day in your life. I'll treasure it forever! Have fun on the honeymoon, I want to hear all about it when you get back! (Ok...not ALL about it...just the PG version)

Southern California....a Different Country?

Last weekend, I traveled to LA for a one-day meeting. Talk about a different lifestyle! I have been to Los Angeles quite a few times, but I don't think I had ever really noticed just how different the people are there.

While in LA, I made a mental list of why I wouldn't really fit the "Southern Cal" bill....
1 - Everything on (or in) my body is real
2 - I couldn't go swimming in the Pacific while outside temp is 70 and who knows how cold the water is!
3 - All that 'bling' wouldn't look right on me
4 - I am not a big fan of sitting in 6 lanes of traffic for hours at a time
5 - I refuse to wear bug shields on my face and call them sunglasses

These are just a few...I am sure that if I had spent even more time there, I would have a longer list.

ps - have you ever noticed how people out there call the interstates or major freeways "The 405" or "The PCH", etc? Why is it not I405? Hmmm...

Making Biscuits

Is it really Monday tomorrow?

Ahhhhh Sunday.
Love Sundays. Unfortunately, when the alarm went off this morning to get up & get ready to go to church, I had the worst headache ever. I actually thought I was getting sick. I had a little bit of a tickle in my throat last night, and then when I woke up with my entire right side of my face plugged up. I also had a terrible sinus headache to boot. Needless to say, I took some Dayquil and tried to go back to sleep. I absolutely hate to miss church - I feel like my whole week is just a bit off when we aren't there on Sunday mornings. We have only actually skipped once or twice? since we started going to our church, back in 2004. We love it and are so blessed to have found such a great church home.

So I took the Dayquil & ate some breakfast, laid back down & felt quite a bit better by 10 am or so. As you know, Jim & I are training for a run in Nashville the last weekend of April. I am only running the 1/2 marathon (don't need to do the whole thing again!!) and Jim is training for the whole. I run the long runs with him on the weekends. This was the first weekend that the scheduled long training run was probably longer than I need to run, given that I am only training for the half. Jim was scheduled for 15 miles today. I thought I would try to run it with him, or at least 14 of them. However, 12 was plenty for me today. I was happy with that - and we ran quite a quick clip for a training run. We have quite the set up in our driveway on long run weekends...I have tissues, chapstick, water & PowerGels laying there for me, at 4 mile increments. We have a 4 mile loop we run in our neighborhood - so we take a quick 20 seconds every 4 miles to rehydrate & I lube up the lips. We will probably start putting some water at the 2 mile turnaround point too - 4 miles is just too long to run without some water.

After running my 12 miles - I tried 2 new recipes & both were a success! I roasted a whole chicken (my first time cooking a whole chicken! yes - I remembered to take out the neck & "special parts"). The chicken was marinated in worcestshire, dry mustard, olive oil, salt, pepper, and paprika. YUM!!!! I ate a leg, but the rest is for dinner this week. The other recipe I tried was an orange-glazed pork tenderloin. ALSO a success! This is what we had for dinner tonight after coming home from church. The pork was first sprinkled with salt/pepper, then I brushed an orange marmalade, creole mustard & rosemary marinade over it. Once that is baked fully, I pulled the pork out, poured the juices into a pan & made a nice gravy with the orange glaze that was still in the pan. YUM!!! We are going to eat well this week.

Jim is at a case right now - when we were on our way to church tonight, he got paged for a case beginning at 7, but was bumped to 8 due to another emergency. He just called & will be on his way home soon after he gets the instruments cleaned. All in a days work!!

I hope this week goes fast - I am so looking forward to going to St. Louis in a couple of weeks for K's wedding!! I can't wait to share her special day & I can't wait to hang out with N & B! Hopefully we will make it back to STL in time for me to try to hook up with some old friends from my old job. it would be great to see them....it isn't until I see them again that I realize just how much I miss them all!!

My fingers hurt....gotta go to bed! :)

Cheers to the Chef!

I know, I know...you probably thought I was already over the posting thing! It has been over a week since I posted. To be honest, I just haven't felt like being on a computer after work lately! Working really long days doesn't make me want to boot up at home at about 8 pm while I eat supper!

The interesting thing about blogging though....as I go throughout my day, I can't help but think "hmmm...this would make for an interesting post"! Granted, some things I would LOVE to post about, I choose not to! I know anyone can read it!

I have to brag a bit about my husband! He had been wanting to make some gumbo for a long time. Can you believe we have lived in the South for nearly 3 years, and we are yet to make gumbo...let alone roux from scratch? What is even more amazing is that I had never heard of either one until I moved down here! And I digress....
Anyhoo - Jim was in charge of the roux making, which I am told is the most important part of the gumbo, and the trickiest. It took him longer than he thought it would...and he kept asking me to come look at it to see if it had gotten any darker, or if I thought it was thick enough. He was using a Tony C cookbook that contained a picture of what the roux was supposed to look like. Anyone living down here knows that Tony's is to the South (namely, Louisiana!) as salt is to the rest of the US! While Jim was working on the roux, I was very busy chopping up peppers, onions, celery, and getting the shrimp & garlic & crab ready to go in the mix. The conecuh sausage was also a great addition! Can I just say...YUMMY! That is some of the best gumbo I have ever had! And it is like any other soup...the longer it sits in the fridge, the better it gets. Of course, there is a limit to this phenomenon - which is why we are going to be freezing the rest of it. Kudos to the chef!

I got to talk to my friend, N, tonight on my way home from work! We are staying with them when we go back to the Lou for another friend's (K) wedding! We are both getting really excited about going back & seeing everyone, but we are honestly not looking forward to the drive! It is a good 12 hour drive. But Jim & I enjoy each other's company so much, sometime it is nice to actually have 12 solid hours together without other distractions & commitments (housework, work calls, errands, tv, etc) - so it shouldn't be that bad. The drive home on Sunday will definitely be the worst part of the trip! We will be tired from a late night at the wedding reception!