Vix's Blog

My Friend Louise: Plea to pet owners

2011-08-09T12:04:00.005-05:00

My friend Louise is very sick. She has what is called Idiopathic Hepatic Lipidosis, which is a disease of the liver. It’s caused when cats stop eating, and their liver shuts down. Without the liver to remove the toxins from her body, they have invaded her brain and caused neurological damage. She can’t eat or drink on her own, she can’t walk without falling over, she’s all skin and bones, her skin is yellow, and her eyes have been harmed. The yellow tinge to her skin is caused by the high levels of billirubin in her system that her liver cannot clear from her body.

The reason I am writing this is to educate pet owners on the responsibility that we have to our extended family members. Hepatic Lipidosis can occur for unknown reasons, but it can be prevented through monitoring your cat’s food intake, and not placing overweight cats on a diet without consulting your veterinarian. Hepatic Lipidosis results from a cat choosing not to eat and/or rapid weight loss either because they are ill, or for unknown reasons. A cat should never go more than 2 days without eating. The only treatment is to attempt to restart the liver by forcing calories into the cat through syringe feeding or a feeding tube placed under anesthesia. Even with a feeding tube, the prognosis is guarded. Only 50-70% of cats who are treated will make a full recovery. Untreated, this disease is always fatal.

Most cats who are suffering from a serious disease often don’t show any signs of being sick until the disease has progressed enough to make itself known. This was the case with Louise. I didn’t know anything was wrong until this past week. One moment she was fine, and the next she was half the cat she used to be. I didn’t notice that she hadn’t been eating, nor that she was nothing but skin and bones. She had taken to hiding in the basement, but that isn’t unusual for her to do. She has always been a picky eater, so I never thought anything of it. Tuesday morning she seemed alright, and was curled up with the other cat. Tuesday afternoon, I picked her up and was shocked at how skinny she’d become in the space of a day or two, and even more heartbroken to see that her eyes and her skin were almost the color of a pumpkin. I put her down on the floor while I grabbed her carrier, and she was walking cross legged and tumbling over. We were at the vet 20 minutes later being told the situation didn’t look good. Her ultrasound showed no signs of cancer, but even that small sliver of good news really doesn’t help her situation.

Louise was the first cat that I have ever owned myself. She is only 7 ½ and has been my friend and snuggle buddy since day one. My husband and I were on vacation for our 1 year anniversary when news broke of the disaster in New Orleans from Hurricane Katrina. We were looking through the paper for news, and we came across an add for the local humane society. There were several pictures of animals in need, and Louise caught my attention. Her name was Grace at the time, and she looked so much like my childhood cat that we went to visit her, and immediately fell in love. We were worried that they wouldn’t let us adopt her since we were from out of state, but they did, and we named her Louise. She was named Louise in memory of those who died during the floods in Louisiana. She gained 2 nicknames shortly after because she had an upper respiratory infection at the time which caused her wheeze a lot. So Louise became Wheezy, and because she kicked that colds backside, it became The Wheezinator. She will answer to all three.

I feel responsible for what has happened to her because my husband seemed to know that she wasn’t feeling well, whereas I … the veterinary technician… thought he was overreacting. I don’t know why she stopped eating, but if I had paid more attention to her avoidance of the food, she might not be where she is at the moment. I know I shouldn’t blame myself, but the fact remains that this is a preventable illness in most cases. It just happened so quickly that I never knew she was sick till it was too late. We are giving her through the weekend before we make any decisions on where to go next. She is being syringe fed at the moment because putting in a feeding tube requires her to go under anesthesia and have it remain in her esophagus for upwards of 8 weeks with only a 50% chance of it working. My husband is concerned about funds of course, but she is worth every penny.

I love this cat to absolute pieces. She is my friend, my familiar, and my baby girl. Please don’t let this happen to your cat. Always make sure to keep a close on their dietary habits, especially if they are overweight or up there in their years. Certain diseases like Hyperthyroidism can cause rapid weight loss which can result in Hepatic Lipidosis. Take care of your pets, they depend on you for everything including their life.

Back with a Vengence!

2010-01-21T23:33:00.003-06:00

So I have neglected my blogger it seems. Well let me see what I can do to remedy that situation.

How about a little Vix update?

The past few months have been a slightly rocky road for me, as far as computers are concerned. I lost my hard drive to a nasty little visitor, followed by another one soon after it was up and running. I am now blessed, thanks HUGELY to my Dad, with a brand new working laptop!

I am enjoying my time with my family, and being a "house wife" at the moment. It's all very fresh to me, but I am getting used to it. I did a little traveling, some more writing, and have been busily preparing some family matters.

Unfortunately, because of the epic computer fail, I have lost all my photos that I wanted to share with you. Including some fond memories of one Johnny Depp. However, I did manage to make my scrap book prior to the crash! So that's a bonus!

I have missed my blogging friends, so I hope you are all doing well!

Just a little FYI ... if you ever need me, I can always be found on twitter. www.twitter.com/monkeyvix

Love you guys!

More Twilight Parodies...

2009-07-13T11:07:00.001-05:00

I had not planned on this, but a good friend of mine (you know who you are) called me the other morning, and we got to talking about the other Twilight parodies that I posted last week for Sir Jack.

So appease my lovely friend, here are some more for your viewing pleasure:

STICK FIGURES (Breaking Dawn not posted, due to the fact that my friend is not finished reading it, but you can find it on youtube)

TWILIGHT

NEW MOON

ECLIPSE

You can find a full listing of all the Twilight Saga Stick Figure Videos at:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rh6Le9hp-b4&feature=related

If you want to view the previous Twilight Parodies posted click here:

http://pickvick.blogspot.com/2009/07/twilight-parody-for-sir-jack.html

4th of July Extravaganza!

2009-07-05T11:48:00.006-05:00

Happy belated Fourth of July everyone!

Last night, I was invited to a celebration of epic proportions. And I do mean Epic. So sit back, relax, and prepare yourself for an adventure.... it's story time!

The thick blanket of mosquitoes choked off my resolve as we approached the old house. The sooner I made my way into the country abode, the better. Even Sean was hurrying to roll up the windows of the Chevelle, eager to be free of the insect canopy.

Three over sized cans of repellent balanced precariously on the edge of the recycle bins, as I reached impatiently for the front door. With a sluggish crack, the heavy door swung open, and I entered the quaint country house; not sparing a glance behind me in search of Sean.

The sounds of laughter, and free flowing wine, beckoned me towards the waiting crowd. I fixed a smile upon my pale face, as the formal introductions were made. Our host for the evening, Gino, had provided us with the most festive of feasts imaginable. Being that he is Italian, we were all in awe at the bevy of delicious treats that awaited us.

I settled in at once, nibbling on pasta and potatoes, before resigning myself to the recliner.

"You have to try my chicken, it's organic." Gino said, sipping on his wine.

I chuckled, and smiled politely at his request, but made no further attempt at engorging myself. I don't have anything against organic chicken - I quite like it actually - I just wasn't hungry. Sean helped himself to an array of rich food, before stumbling off into the living room.

The charming country house was an exceptionally comforting environment, compared to what waited each of us once we began our trek into the elements for the inevitable fireworks show. Geno motioned to the window that overlooked the enormous wooded yard. Apprehensively, I glanced through the lead pane, and gasped.

Two large torches lit the field where several unknown visitors were setting up for the festivities. The glowing embers of a massive bonfire echoed off the adjacent trees, sending flickers of ash into the night sky. And there, upon the ground, sat the biggest display of fireworks I have ever laid my eyes on (at least at someones home). Gino had definitely outdone himself this year.

Through the muggy haze, and clouds of mosquitoes, I could barely make out the shilouettes of the small chairs that circled around the firework display. It was then that I started to have serious doubts about our safety.

Dusk gave way to darkness, as I threw on my white cardigan, and sighed. I couldn't avoid this for too much longer. The door opened, and we all sauntered out into the evening. Immediately, we were ambushed by tiny flying insects that apparently have no fear of losing their own life. I frantically scrambled for the nearest can of repellent, and did my best to breathe as I plastered myself.

We made our way to the top of a small hill, overlooking the three excited pyrotechnics, and sat down upon the damp grass. I was all set for a great show, as promised. Gino did not disappoint. For fifteen minutes we were showered with unbelievable rays of light, and sonic booms. They gave most city fireworks a run for their money.

In my hasty attempt to snap photographs, I'd completely forgotten that I had the ability to record this peculiar phenomenon. There was only a few minutes left, and most of the enormous fireworks had already exploded overhead, but I had to give it a chance.

That is when disaster struck.

I had been so preoccupied with everyone else's safety, that I neglected my own. Suddenly, I was writhing in pain on the ground, as discards of ash plummeted down around me. It took all of two seconds to realize I couldn't see. Instinctively, I grasped my right eye, and despite my inner turmoil, I continued to "roll camera".

There was something gnawing, and scratching at my eye. My silent endurance was more than I could take. However, ruining this moment for everyone was out of the question. So, I waited. Waited. And waited some more; one hand clasped over my eye as tears streamed down my cheek.

As soon as the applause started to reverberate around me, I took off into the old, white house; Sean reluctantly on my tail. Sure enough, swollen eye, red as blood. The next thing I know, there's talk of Emergency rooms. That was not an option for me. I don't do hospitals. I may be the most accident prone person on the planet, but I can take care of myself.

So a night that began with anticipation, and wonder, turned into a battle for my eyesight. I am pleased to report that everything is fine today.

I hope everyone had a wonderful 4th of July! It wouldn't be a great holiday in my family, if someone didn't end up in the emergency room. Thankfully, this year, I avoided it.

Here's a look at some of the fireworks I was able to capture on film. I can't believe it never dawned on me to start recording it earlier. There were some incredible, beautiful, ones before I gathered my wits.

AMAZING JOB GINO! THANKS SO MUCH!

Twilight Parody for Sir Jack ....

2009-07-03T14:48:00.006-05:00

Here's a little something I picked up for Sir Jack ... since I KNOW how he LOVES Twilight parodies!!

Oh, and I'll have my pictures from the Public Enemies premiere up in a day or two.

BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER VS EDWARD CULLEN - YOUTUBE

ACTUAL TWILIGHT SAGA: NEW MOON TRAILER .. WATCH THIS FIRST

NOW WATCH THIS ONE ... SPOOFALOO DOES IT AGAIN!!

Revisiting My Public Enemies Video!

2009-06-26T12:30:00.007-05:00

I know I have posted this before, but since the Wisconsin Premiere is approaching quickly, I thought now would be a good time for a stroll down memory lane!

2008 will be a year that I won't soon forget! Thanks to all my friends who shared their time, and experiences, with me! I love you!

Also, a special thank you to Johnny Depp, and the cast/crew of Public Enemies! The time you spent here will forever remain in our memory!

So for now, I leave you with this .... have a great weekend!
*It's divided into three parts : Productions set up/friends/basecamp, Actors, and Filming

Here you are ... (It's just a slide show, and yes, I know I am not very good at them lol)

*No Copyright infringment was intended*

If you are having trouble viewing the video, please try again later.

Respect Robert Pattinson Campaign

2009-06-23T14:36:00.005-05:00

(Yes, my friends, I know ... I know ... last one of these I swear, then back to the usual groove.)

In light of recent events, revolving around Robert Pattinson, I have decided to join in the "Respect Robert Pattinson" campaign.

Pattinson is currently on location in NYC filming the movie, "Remember Me". The shoot is only a week old, yet there have already been several altercations with crazed fans. So much so, that Robert was clipped by a taxi cab last week, trying to avoid the rush of hysterical girls.

You can visit www.letmesign.com/respectme for complete details on the world wide campaign. The guy is just trying to do his job, and he deserves respect like everyone else.

I will keep a link on the side of my blog for anyone who wishes to visit the site in the future.

Take care!

Victory!

2009-06-22T23:04:00.003-05:00

Thanks to all that joined www.twitter.com/peterfacinelli

He won the bet against Rob DeFranco ( www.twitter.com/211me ) !!!

Hopefully we will all get to see the bikini dance next week! As for me, I am busy writing, and battling the flu at the moment. Being sick has a tendency to lead to compulsive/addicting behaviors for me, so I will do my best to control my boredom, and intense twittering. (What else is there to do when you are sick? hee hee)

Writing is coming along nicely, and I hope to post at least a chapter or two on my Storytime blog in the near future!

Have a great Monday/Tuesday/whatever day it is near you!

Last Chance to Help our guys!! PLUS .... "A Natural Disaster"

2009-06-19T11:31:00.005-05:00

SUPPORT OUR GUYS FROM TWILIGHT!!

WE ONLY HAVE TILL MIDNIGHT (TONIGHT) TO HELP THEM OUT!

FOLLOW THEM AT WWW.TWITTER.COM/PETERFACINELLI

WWW.TWITTER.COM/GILBIRMINGHAM

Click here for full story!!!

http://pickvick.blogspot.com/2009/06/twilight-actors-need-your-help.html

As an added incentive (and basically because I feel the need to avenge a little certain something to a few wonderful friends of mine) I will be donning the ever popular "Team Edward" shirt this weekend. So, if you are out and about at the Columbus Carriage Classic this weekend, you might just spot me.

(Oh yes girls, prepare yourselves - I don't do this very often)

_________________________________________________________

NATURAL DISASTER TIME

For six hours, we were pummeled with thick blankets of rain, a constant flurry of lightning, and roars of thunder that shook the house like a bass drum. It has been our experience, that whenever a storm is THAT bad, we usually have a small amount of flooding in our basement.

"Did you clean the gutters?" I asked my husband, as his eyes remained fixated on a repetitious episode of Law and Order. "Uh-huh, they're clean."

An hour goes by, then two, then three. We lost power for a short time, but everything came back on rather quickly. It wasn't until I was at a pivotal point in my writing that I hear ....

"I NEED YOUR HELP!" Reverberating from the basement.

I knew what was happening. We were flooding. Sure enough, as I descend the stairs, there is a good two inches of standing water in the corner of the basement, spreading rapidly across my ultra cheap blue carpet. Then, it starts coming in from the other corner of the room, and all hell breaks loose!

"Holy S--T!" Sean screams, as panic sets in. "I don't know what to do. It's coming so fast." (Yes, he actually said that.)

Me, being the calm, level headed one of the family, quickly decides to take action in the form of buckets, towels, and carpet shampooer. Sean, however, goes off the deep end.

"I'm going outside to clean the gutters! We're going to have a major problem. It's not stopping!" He screams, bolting to the back door.

I spin around on the spot, grab him by the arm, and basically threaten his life. "You are NOT going outside in this! We're under a tornado warning for cripes sake!"

Reluctantly, he returns to the mess at hand, but things only escalate from there.

"I think I should call 911!" He shouts, totally consumed with misplaced fear. *sigh*

"Call them so they can do what? Mop up someones basement? Give it a rest, and just try to keep up with it." I laugh, as I spin dry some wet towels.

Two seconds later, he is out the door, through the backyard, and into the street. A second after that I hear this : "HOLY F'N S--T!" Not something that I, or any neighbor, wants to hear at two in the morning. So, of course, I'm out the door, making a bee-line for Sean, about ready to smack him upside the head. Instead, I freeze.

This is what I see running down my street, and into my yard. (Sorry, it was dark)

(And yes, that is Sean at the very end saying "Where is all this water coming from?")

*giggle* Oh you silly boys ... it's called RAIN!!!!!

So here's what I love about this situation. There is definitely something awful happening to our house, yet at two in the morning, we are both standing outside in our pj's, watching a torrent of water cascade down the street. Then it begins ...

"I think I should call 911!" Sean screams (again), "Seriously, this is bad. There is something blocking that drain. The city will come out and fix it. I'm gonna call them."

(At this point I am rolling my eyes, contemplating exactly how much a divorce is going to cost me, and about how my life seems to have been turned into an episode of Family Guy)

"Will you knock it off!" I shout back, at my worry-stricken Husband, "The city isn't going to come out here at two in the morning for something like this stupid! It's just rain for crying out loud!"

"No it's not! IT'S A NATURAL DISASTER!" He shouts (again at two in the morning)

I usher him back inside, pleading with him to keep quiet, and finally manage to clean up the majority of the standing water in the basement. Sean, of course, calmed down as soon as he saw we were making progress.

BUT ... the best part of my night was when he walked outside again (about ten minutes post natural disaster), and shouts :

"OH MY GOD .... ALL THE WATER IS GONE!"

I was laughing way too hard . "That's why they call them FLASH FLOODS!!!"

"I don't know what you're talking about. very funny. Obviously the city came out here while we were in the house, and fixed the drains."

I clasped my hands over my mouth, and let it go. Seriously? Really? *Heavy sigh*

Needless to say, we had an adventure last night, but this morning there was one more thing to add to the insanity that is my life. Our basement is alright for the moment. Sean cleaned the gutters (which were full of crap). So, as we hunker down for the next round of storms today, I see Sean picking up a chair from the kitchen table.

Wearing NOTHING but blue, tattered sweat pants, he opens the front door (coffee cup in hand), plants the chair firmly on the porch, and settles in for a leisurely morning of neighbor watching. I know what he is thinking ... None of these people saw what I saw last night, yessssss .... but the fact of my husband, sitting half naked, drinking a cup of coffee from an old Christmas mug, out in plain view of the public, is too much!!! (Love you honey)

I'm hiding in this office till I have to leave for Columbus.

Public Enemies Shoot out at Little Bo .. Plus Twilight!

2009-06-18T11:42:00.005-05:00

Here's a great clip of the upcoming Public Enemies movie! A shoot out at Little Bohemia in Wisconsin!

Also, don't forget to follow our favorite actor's on twitter! Deadline is approaching quickly!

Scroll down to next post to read about all the details!!

www.twitter.com/peterfacinelli (Dr. Cullen) Needs 500K total

www.twitter.com/gilbirmingham (Billie Black) Needs 100K total

Facinelli and Birmingham ... Follow them on Twitter!

2009-06-16T12:55:00.006-05:00

Peter Facinelli (Twilight, New Moon, Nurse Jackie) is in a race to get 500,000 followers on Twitter by THIS Friday! He has a bet going with his friend, Rob DeFranco, that he could get 500,000 people to follow him on Twitter. If he wins, Rob has to wear a bikini on Hollywood Blvd, while singing "Single Ladies". If he loses, Peter must relinquish his actor's chair (And we don't want that to happen).

If you're on Twitter, follow him at www.Twitter.com/Peterfacinelli
(And even if you're not using Twitter, sign up, it's fun, and free)

There is also a great article from the Twilight Examiner (Amanda Bell), and you can read that here : http://www.examiner.com/x-4908-Twilight-Examiner~y2009m6d16-Demi-Moore-Perez-Hilton-Ryan-Seacrest-and-other-stars-come-out-in-support-of-Peter-Facinellis-be
(Great website Amanda - Keep it up!)

Also, Gil Birmingham (Twilight, New Moon, Love Ranch), is in his own epic race to 100,000 followers. If he gets them, then he will show us a photo of his own (*wink).

You can follow him on Twitter at www.Twitter.com/Gilbirmingham

Both of them are great actors, and I wish them all the best! Good luck to both of you! I hope you guys win!

A Strange Dell-ish Experience

2009-06-10T11:55:00.003-05:00

I was fortunate enough to be invited up the Wilderness Resort in the Wisconsin Dells this past weekend. We all had a blast, despite the fact it rained the majority of the time. Friday was our only sunny day, and that was okay with me. I'm all about a good storm! (Even though there was no thunder to be had)

It was exciting to see Lake Delton back to its former glory. Even the Tommy Bartlet show was running its water ski program once more. They revampt their entire show. I didn't get to see it, but I hear that there is a lot more of an acting/play atmosphere this summer. They also had a great sign outside the building, letting people know what exactly was new this year!

I did, however, find some of the sights a bit comical. For instance, ever driven behind a Moose's back end before?

Or how about becoming good old Cap'n Stinky?

Not to mention a restaurant where you can draw on the table.... notice my handy work?

I hope everyone is looking forward to an awesome summer!

Britain's Got Talent - My favorite performer

2009-05-23T12:10:00.002-05:00

I was going through you t ube the other day, and came across the most hillarious video I think I have ever seen. Some of you have already had the chance to see this video, but I thought I would post it anyway. You'll have to follow a link to you tube to watch it, but trust me when I say it's way too funny not to watch it.

If you are familiar with Lord of the Dance, and Michael Flatley, then you will LOVE this!

Here's the link:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Tu0PAbW75A

Going out of town! YAY!

2009-04-21T19:18:00.002-05:00

So I am officially on vacation!! Sorry I haven't posted much of anything latley...I guess that's just life for ya!

I'm going to California to see our good friend Minxie, and I'll be gone till next week!

I wish you all the best, and I'll see you soon!!

Bye!!!!!

Hapy Easter!

2009-04-12T12:06:00.005-05:00

HAPPY EASTER EVERYONE!

I hope you all have a wonderful day!!

Much Love from me!!!

Hey...what did you expect? A bunny or something?

Bye for now.....

2009-03-24T20:45:00.001-05:00

I am off to Arizona for the next few days!

I hope everyone has a wonderful week!!!!!

Bye for now!!

Oh, and PS........If you have not seen Twilight yet...GO RENT IT!!! I thought it might be a little "kid-ish" for me, but I was WRONG! It truly was an amazing movie! I loved it! SO much so that I went out and bought it today. It's a must have!

BYE!

Because they scare me....

2009-03-21T13:30:00.001-05:00

Why can I not stop looking at these strange creatures????

That's how we roll....

2009-03-16T19:00:00.002-05:00

So, over the weekend I was introduced to the one of the most crazy, and disturbing, kids shows! Thanks girls!! These guys kinda creeped us out a little...yet we couldn't take our eyes off them!

What can I say? It's just how we roll....

BOOBAH

WORKING OUT WITH BOOBAH

WHAT ARE THESE THINGS????????

Why I love my job....

2009-02-11T18:46:00.003-06:00

It's snuggling with little ones like this that makes my day worth while!

The Fine Art of Pooper Scooping!

2009-02-07T13:39:00.003-06:00

THIS BLOG IS FOR ALL MY FRIENDS WITH PETS!

THESE WISE WORDS ARE BROUGHT TO YOU BY "DOC" AND "LOLITA"!

What a lovely day outside! It's warm and sunny. The birds are out, cars are being washed, and what's this???...... There's a fresh layer of toxic doggy poop on the lawn?? Gotta love melting snow!

*Picture courtesy of Harmony pet care in Waukesha

THE FINE ART OF POOPER SCOOPING:

1.) Never attempt a scoop without the proper equipment, this includes a heavy duty garbage bag for all the little presents left behind over winter. I cannot stress this enough! Do not think that your small little kitchen garbage bag, or your plastic baggy, will be strong enough.

Everything will be going along just fine...until you pick the bag up. Then Poof...use your imagination!

2.) Check your scooper BEFORE you begin the procedure. You don't want any accidents!

3.) If you have neglected scooping over the winter (like I did), set aside at least 2 hours of your time.

4.) Never, and I mean NEVER, look up at your neighbor while continuing to walk through your lawn. Again, we don't want any accidents here.

5.) Make sure you wear some heavy duty boots while scooping. Oh, and make sure they are boots you don't care about.

6.) Don't ever walk through your kitchen, with said boots on, in search of more garbage bags. You'll just end up with another mess to clean up.

7.) Always scoop with a smile on your face. Keep thinking, hey...it could be worse. I could be Vicky right now.

8.) And if all else fails, remember my final words of wisdom:

- Keep your head down at all times

- Watch out for the hidden piles of joy

- And above all else....KEEP YOUR MOUTH CLOSED!

Have a great sunny day all! I know I will! *Heavy Sarcasm*

The 3D Superbowl!

2009-02-02T19:23:00.003-06:00

There is never a dull moment when my family gets together. Yesterday, during the Superbowl, was no exception. We watched the first half over at my parents house last night, and had quite the interesting time. My mom had bought everyone a pair of 3D glasses to watch some sort of movie trailer that was going to be on at half time. It was the trailer for the movie "Monsters vs Aliens", and also for the company promoting the movie, SoBee drinks.

My sister insisted that everyone keep their glasses on their heads at all times. So as soon as the commercials came on...we all quick popped them on. Even though we knew none of them would be in 3D, we still snapped them on. This went on every single time the commercials happened, all the way up to the half time show.

"My glasses are defective" My mom kept saying.

We all giggled at that because we knew that none of them were in 3D.

We were all eager to see the trailer now that we had done nothing but wait and wait and wait...and wait some more, and more and more. We never stopped laughing though. It seems that my Dad looked a lot like Robin from the Batman series with his glasses on. LOL

Then, the moment came. We were all highly anticipating the arrival of the trailer, after having our glasses on and off...then on and off...then on and off again. We all snapped on our glasses...the trailer started....BAM! We all got hit in the face by a bouncy ball. (And all of us "oooohed" at the same time lol) Then....nothing. The trailer ended, the SoBee 3D commercial started....nothing.

"My glasses are defective" My mom says again. "Am I doing this wrong"

"Try closing one eye" A little voice squeaked.

The commercial starts for "Chuck" in 3D....still nothing.

2 hours of anticipation, and all we got was a bouncy ball. One lousy bouncy ball.

"My glasses are defective too" My Dad said.

YET...we all continued to wear them...throughout the whole experience, and even after the 3D commercials ended. I have never seen so much dissapointment after so much anticipation. It was really a funny moment though.

"That's it? All this hype for one bouncy ball?" I say.

So tonight I will give it another go by watching the "Chuck" show in 3D. Perhaps my glasses really ARE defective LOL

Movies about John Dillinger

2009-01-26T16:39:00.002-06:00

So one day I sat down, and took a look at all the movies made about John Dillinger. I thought you might like to see some as well. There have been several movies filmed about the man throughout the years....

Here are just a few to share with you!

1973 : DILLINGER

**This next video contains strong violence**

You can view the entire 1973 Dillinger movie on you tube. It's just in several different parts. This was just a glimpse ;)

1991 DILLINGER (Sorry, I couldn't find one without subtitles)

And finally...THE LADY IN RED

** Here is a link to that video. I did not want to post the actual video on the blog. Be fore warned...contains nudity and violence **

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u7elNfBSYo4&feature=related

Hey...........Nice "Rack" !!

2009-01-21T19:34:00.007-06:00

GET YOUR MIND OUT OF THE GUTTER! LOL

This past Sunday, I attended the annual Samson Stomp and Romp Race through the Milwaukee zoo! It was so much fun! Cold yes.....but fun all the same! It's a race that benefits the animals at the zoo, and is named after the zoo's most beloved Gorilla, Samson. Hundreds of people turned out for the races. I opted to do the 2 mile walk instead....I'm not too much into the running thing. There was even a 1/4 mile run for the kids! Check them out!

We got our packets of info, our zoo shirts, and we were off!!

Along the 2 mile trail, we came across some Gorilla cheerleaders! My friend Donna and I got a little lost, so in order to find our way back to the trail, I yell "Hey...monkey man....can you point us in the right direction?"

Well, after I was told "I am not a monkey, I am a gorilla", and some joking around (and a little hug and pose) we got back to the walk.

It was pretty slushy around the zoo paths....a lot of slipping and sliding, but boy did we have a great time! I would highly reccomend this to all! I think the fact that it was so cold outside, made all the more fun! After all, it IS Wisconsin!

We were pretty slow on the walk, mainly due to me stopping to take pictures of all the animals, and my Donna yelling at me to keep up. We didn't want to be the last ones to the finish line. So, we jogged up ahead of the couple in front of us, and made it safely back to the penguins! (Did I mention that the Penguins are pretty smelly?) We missed all the food that they were handing out, so decided to go grab a peek at the Gorillas! I love those Gorillas! Everytime a child would come up to the enclosure, the BIG male would pop his head up to take a little look at the small person in front of him.

Here are some pictures from the zoo that day!

Donna and I (See the Polar Bear?)

Here he is!!

Even the Sea Lions were out having a good time!

Carribou must LOVE this weather!

The Peacocks, however, don't! They were all huddled together!

Not sure if these are Llamas, or Alpacas...they were too busy eating for me to ask them!

Ever seen a camel in the snow?

The sheep were out sunning themselves!

Thanks for coming with me on my visit to the zoo! See ya next post!

Samson Stomp and Romp!

2009-01-14T09:53:00.004-06:00

Here's a link for my Public Enemies video if you haven't seen it yet...http://pickvick.blogspot.com/2009/01/my-public-enemies-video.html

SAMSON STOMP AND ROMP!!

*Photo from Milwauke County Zoo Stomp and Romp

This Sunday the 18th, The Milwaukee County Zoo is putting on their annual 5Krun/walk through the zoo. It's a great benefit for the animals. I know it will be cold outside, but hey...it's Wisconsin...and it's fun!

You can sign up online for $17 which includes admission, parking, and a long sleeved t-shirt.

For more info, or to sign up, go here: http://www.milwaukeezoo.org/events/samson.php

They even have a short 1/4 mile walk for the kids! I'll be there for sure, and I will take some photos for everyone to see!!

Gotta love the animals! :)

My Public Enemies Video!!

2009-01-07T18:15:00.000-06:00

Well, here we are. Another start to another year. I can't think of a better way to start 2009, than a look back at 2008. It was, for me, a smashing year! I got to meet new friends, travel the midwest, and meet a man named Johnny Depp.

I have put together a small fan video of Public Enemies for you all to enjoy. (Okay, I don't like to use the word "fan"...how about appreciation video? Okay? Good!) It is a collection of photos from different stages of filming, and some good old fashioned road trip fun! Now, I am not a video maker by any means, so sorry for the shoddy graphics LOL

The video is 10 minutes long, but worth the watch, I think. It is split into 3 sections. 1.) Different filming sites, and friends. 2.) Meeting Johnny Depp, and John Michael Bolger 3.) Shots from between scenes

I picked 3 songs that I thought John Dillinger would like. ( I know I do) Some day soon, I will tell you my personal opinion on the bank robber himself. (It might be a bit long winded lol)

For now....I give you .....the video...
*If for some reason the video does not appear, or loads slowly, try back later. But please let me know if it is not working.

THANK YOU TO THE CAST AND CREW!

Credits for photography to: Rod from http://publicenemiescolumbus.blogspot.com/, Michelle Martin photography, Colleen, Betty, Minxie, Jenny, Rachel, Betty, Peg, Tiffany, Marcella, http://www.ew.com/

Also a HUGE "shout out" to all the fans of David Wenham who have emailed me, and sent me pictures, over the summer!!

*Some photos used in this video were emailed to me, and I can't remember who sent them. Others were from various blogs. I am sorry for any photos that were used without the proper credit.

My Top Ten movies for 2009

2009-01-04T19:33:00.000-06:00

I think that 2009 is going to be the year for some mega blockbuster action!

Here's my Top Ten picks of movies I want to see coming this year:

1.) PUBLIC ENEMIES Release Date: July

**Public Enemies is the 2nd most anticipated movie of 2009, according to The Times Online. Second only to the 6th installment of Harry Potter. You can read a complete list here:

http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/film/article5089354.ece?token=null&offset=96&page=9<>

Both movies will debut within the same month.

2.) HARRY POTTER AND THE HALF BLOOD PRINCE Release Date: July

**I don't think I need to explain this one lol

3.) ANGELS AND DEMONS Release Date: May

** The second movie from the author of The Davinci Code, Dan Brown

4.) MONSTERS VS ALIENS Release Date: April

** One of the animated movies to watch out for

5.) THE IMAGINARIUM OF DR. PARNASSUS Release Date unknown

**Heath Ledger's last film

6.) UNDERWORLD 3: RISE OF THE LYCANS Release Date: January

** The trilogy of vampires vs werewolves is complete

7.)

ICE AGE 3: DAWN OF THE DINOSAURS Release Date: July

**This is one of the greatest animated movies ever

8.) NIGHT AT THE MUSEUM 2: BATTLE OF THE SMITHSONIAN Release Date: May

**Loved the first one, this one will be great too!

9.) PINK PANTHER 2 Release Date: February

**Don't ask me any questions

10.) CORALINE Release Date: May

**A nice clay animation film

There were several other movies I want to see, but had to be cut from the top ten: Terminator Salvation, X-men: Origins, Star Trek, Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, The Taking of Pelham 123

So what do you guys want to see this year?

Why I will never be a movie star! My only regret of 2008!

2008-12-31T15:34:00.000-06:00

Before I regale you with my story.....

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!!!!!

I am so happy to have met all you wonderful people!!!

And now....

WHY I WILL NEVER BE MOVIE STAR!

I proved to myself today that I do not have what it takes to be a movie star. I have always wanted to be up there on the big screen. I have the attitude for it, so I have been told. In fact, here is something that you probobly do not know about me...

When I was 17, I tried out for a movie called "The Guest Director". Auditions for the roles were held in ElmGrove, Wisconsin. I was excited to try out, and very scared. You had to come all dressed up, and sing a song for the director in this large auditorium. I went with one of the girls from drama class. I got up there, sang a song, and the director liked it. Then he asked me to tell a joke. I giggled a bit, and told him a joke that I THOUGHT was funny. He laughed, and then the casting agent said "Haven't you got a dirty joke?"

Well OF COURSE I did, but I wasn't going to say it. I thought it might ruin my chances, but after some smiles from the director, I gave it a go. It's a bit too dirty to share on the web, but needless to say it went down well. After I left the stage, one of the crew guys told me that I sang very well, and the joke was hillarious. We waited in the lobby of the theatre to see if we got a second call back. My friend didnt, bit I did!!

I was over the moon. The next step was to dance this musical number, and we split into a few groups, and learned the routine. I am NOT a good dancer, but I gave it a go. To my surprise, I got a call a few weeks later saying that I had landed a part in the movie. Nothing big, just a small scene. Not a speaking part, but never the less, I was thrilled!!

So I spent the day at the airport filming a scene, and by midnight I was done. I was really tired, and really young. So I did what you are NOT supposed to do, and asked when I could go home. Dumb on my part, but I didn't know ANYTHING about being in the movies. It wasn't the first time that I had done something like this. back in England I tried out for a kids movie, and a tv show, in Birmingham. I did pretty good, but nothing ever came of it. I also tried out for an extra part in Public Enemies this year. You can read about that here...http://pickvick.blogspot.com/2008/05/public-enemies-film.html

So after that, I decided that I wanted to be an actress. However, events in my life prevented that chance from happening. So I went on to my next passion, writing. I have written several books, none of which are published, and that's okay. My current passion is writing about the life of John Dillinger. It has nothing to do with Johnny Depp's recent visit to Wisconsin, but it was a bonus! Hee hee!

So back to the reason I will never be a movie star....

Today I was shopping at the mall, when I was approached by a Channel 6 news man. He asked if I would let him interview me. I felt my cheeks begin to flame up and turn bright red. Then something happened that I never expected. I clammed up. My body was tighter than my Husband's wallet!

"It will only take a few minutes." The reporter guy said, "And if you want, I wont even tell you when I am filming."

Well I pleaded with him to let me go. I was totally scared, and shaking.

"You'll only be on air for like three seconds. Come on. I just want to know about what things you are looking forward to in 2009, and some positive things about 2008."

I shook my head no, and backed away. WHAT WAS I DOING????? I knew I could talk, but the words would not leave my mouth. I ran away like a little kid, and ducked into JC Penney's.

I guess I just don't have what it takes. After I left him I came up with some great things about 2008. Public Enemies filming topped the list. I almost...ALMOST went back, but I opted for the food court instead LOL

Now I regret that choice.

Doing it Christmas Style!

2008-12-27T12:37:00.000-06:00

I hope everyone had a great Christmas this year! My family, and I, had a terrific time! On Christmas Eve I threw a small little get together at my house, and I was worried that no one would come seeings as though it was snowing. To my surprise, almost everyone showed up, and even brought additional guests with them!! I was thrilled! Even more so when our good friend, Shakes, walked through my front door carrying a bowl full of delicious Raspberry Vodka Trifle!

Even Captain Little Jack had a great time!! (as you can see)...He has more pictures to share with you on his site http://captainlittlejack.blogspot.com/

We had a few games to play including: Air Hockey, Pool, Wii Bowling Tournament, Trivia, Christmas Crackers, and Pass the Parcel (it's a British thing hee hee). Trouble was, we only played a few of the games since we were all chatting.

Everyone opened their Christmas Crackers, and were excited to wear the paper crowns yet again this year!! Okay, maybe some people were not as happy. By the end of the night, I was forced to become the hat police on some of them!! Christmas Crackers are little paper tubes that you pull open, and they make a loud cracking noise. As they open, bits of jokes, toys, and a paper hat falls out of them. Whoever gets the bigger half gets what's inside. Again...it's a British thing, but I think I may have some American friends now wanting to do this tradition! YAY!

So the Wii bowling tournament begins. We had 8 players, in two teams of four. We would have had more, but they were busy off playing Air Hockey. Every year my Dad, and Sean's Uncle, face off in this endless battle to see who comes out the victor! It was Sean's Uncle this year....taking the title of "Ultimate Champion" for the first time in four years!! Good going!

My Dad (in red) and Sean's Uncle

(Side note: These two play this game so rough, that they have broken the table 3 times. They get so into it, that they start sweating profusely! Last year, my Dad forgot to take his red

hat off, so at the end of the night, he had a big pink stain on his forehead!!! I have never seen someone scrub so hard to get it off. It was still there in the morning! LMAO!)

Waiting to play the Wii Bowling, Matt, Sean, my sister, and Matt's sister play pool

Back to Bowling... Shakes played a great game, and came in third. I came in first, but forfeited the title to my sister's fianace's Mom, Laurie. Then in the second group, Matt (my sister's fiance) won. We ran out of time to play the two against each other, so they each got a prize.

My Dad decides to warm up on playing Wii golf first...

Shakes takes her turn on the Wii Bowling

Shakes's trifle was so yummy! My parents really enjoyed it. Sorry guys...it's all gone now! There were lots of British things to eat including, Jam tarts (my favorite), and Minice Meat Pies (NOT my favorite)!! Only one person, besides my parents, liked the mince meat pies. Sorry Mum. They are an acquired taste. They have no meat in them, despite the name. They actually have fruit in them....currants. Now, I warned people to stay away from them...but they just wouldn't listen. Sean's Dad was in for a rude awakening after biting into the forbidden pie! I warned him!!!

Sean's Uncle actually liked them

I warned Sean's sister not to eat that...she didn't listen....

And here's the result....before she spat it out! LOL

CHRISTMAS DAY:

The house was filled with the smell of pine needles, and stale wine. I was tired. Woke up in the morning, let Captain Little Jack, the pets, and Sean root through their stockings, as I made some bacon and eggs.

Tink wastes NO time ripping open her present..

Meg....she's 17...take's a bit longer....

Almost got it.....

BINGO!!! Sucsess!!

Sean did a nice job picking out a gift for me, A game for the Wii!! I ran downstairs to play it. I was like a little kid in a candy store! I was playing so long, that I forgot we were supposed to be at my mum's house around 11am. I raced into the shower, packed up the car, and we were off.

Had a wonderful day with my family, and got some very nice gifts. Once again, the hats came out for dinner. This time, instead of a fortune telling fish toy, I got a ring toss game in my Christmas Cracker. I was the envy of the dinner table!! The table was once again donned in the Royal Doulton China my mum insists on using for every special occasion. She only does that because the plates, cups, bowls, and serving trays have to be washed by hand....and guess who does the washing up? That's right...ME!

The table is ready....

The crowns come out....

My cheesy little ring toss game...

Sean and me

My Dad looks at his airplane toy...

Jenny and Matt

After our 2pm "dinner", Sean and I headed to his family's house for another round of food. I was forced to wear a santa hat after dinner as a punishment for the British Crowns the night before. They always have a proper Italian dinner for Christmas. Ravioli, meatballs, sausages, pasta, and a few other things I can't spell....let alone pronounce. After we were all done, 9pm, we headed home. I was stuffed, as I rolled myself through the back door. But we weren't done yet!

Half hour after we got home....Sean opens the fridge, and I hear him say.... "These meatballs still okay to eat?"

"WHAT??? You're hungry?" I say, in utter disbelief.

"How long should I heat them up for?" He asks, ignoring me.

"About a minute." I replied, watching them spin in the microwave. "I can't believe after all that...you're still hungry."

"I'm a guy. Guys are always hungry." He says, pulling them out of the microwave.

"Hey, give me one of those." I say, as I take a meatball off the plate, and tottle off to bed.

Merry Christmas!!

2008-12-25T00:00:00.000-06:00

Merry Christmas to all!

I hope each of you has a wonderful Christmas, and a joyous holiday season! Thank you all for such wonderful memories this year, and a special thank you to Rod from http://publicenemiescolumbus.blogspot.com/ for bringing alot of us together!! You guys have really made my year! It is such a blessing to have all of you in my life!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!!

Christmas Party Vegas Style!

2008-12-21T19:02:00.000-06:00

Last night I went to a Vegas themed Christmas Party for work! Man did we have a good time. Lots of food, way too many drinks, and some "pretend" gambling! No real money was exchanged, BUT we had poker chips to play with! We all dressed up like proper "high rollers" !!! There were 3 games to play : BlackJack, Roulette, and Poker! I stuck to Blackjack....but I kept losing....so I switched to Roulette. I'm not a good poker player, so I stayed out of that one!

There was even a cocktail waitress walking around!

I endulged (a bit too much I might add) in some Pyrat Rum!!! I have never seen this type of rum before, so of course....I had to try it. And try it. And try it some more.

There were prizes for the top three amounts won for the night. I came in second after winning a "fake" $3900 on the roulette table! It was great! 35 to 1 odds, and I won all my chips back plus some! What was even more amazing is that the same number hit 5 times in a row!!! And guess who was the winner??? That's right...me! However, thinking something was fishy...the dealer fiddled with the machine, and I never won again LOL

Here are some pics for you guys!

My Christmas Tree!

2008-12-10T21:55:00.000-06:00

So it took 3 days to thaw out this tree. WELL beyond what I thought. Was worth it though. I had to cut about 10 inches from the top of the tree, and straighten it about 27 times before I was happy. At least it is no longer hitting the ceiling!! So without further ado....here's my tree!

BEFORE:

AFTER (And no it is not a fiber optic or white tree. It just kinda looks that way with the lights off):

Next, I have to complete the little tree that I make for the dogs every year. Hopefully I will add some pics of that one on Friday! Merry Christmas!

Griswold's have come to town!

2008-12-06T20:13:00.000-06:00

What started off as a normal day has turned into something more comical than I could ever describe on a blog.

So we travel to the tree lot down the street. We wanted a 6 foot tall tree. Nothing too big. It's cold. I mean COLD! Even the workers are talking about how freezing it is outside

"Anything you need. Just ask" This guy says. I just nod, and go about the search for the perfect tree.

Sean and I are looking up and down the rows of trees in complete shock! They were all so big. 8-10 foot tall. Then we come across this little row of trees. "Balsam Fir 6-8 foot"! Great, I thought. No problem. Perfect.

They still looked a tad bit too big, so I ask the guy "Where are all your small trees?"

He smiles. "We can trim it down for you."

Ok, no problem. "We'll take this one, if you can cut it down a bit." I say, pointing to the first one in the row. "Can you slap it on top of the car?"

He smiles again. "Sure"

So he starts hacking away at this massive tree. A tree that was marked as only being 8 foot tall. A little bit more hacking, and trimming commenses, and then...walla! Our tree appears!

So this guy starts tying it to the roof of our truck. (Sorry Jenny, we decided against taking the Mini Cooper tree shopping...it's had enough of trees on the roof LOL)

I am watching in both horror, and excitment as he flings this thin little twine over the roof of the car, and hoists up the tree.

"It's not going to fall off is it?" I ask him, in complete and utter terror. I had this image in my mind of this poor tree sliding right off the roof, and through someones windshield. It did not get any better when he says, "Well how far are you going?"

OMG. *nervous giggle* Does it matter how far I am going? Is this tree gonna fall off my car if I go more than 5 miles from the lot? Why is he asking this question? Does he need thicker twine? Should I be worried? Do I need to hold on to it through the sun roof? Should I ride on top of the car?

"I've been doing this for ten years, so don't worry." He says, spotting the concerned look upon my face.

Sean rolls his eyes at me, and climbs into the driver's seat. I take one final look at the "tie down" job, before sliding into the car. Sean pulls back the sun roof cover, and I spend the next 10 minutes staring up through the window at the tree.

"Stop looking at it!" Sean shouts. "You'll jinx it!"

"Oh...it moved!" I screamed! "We'd better pull over and check it!"

"Calm down woman!" He laughs. " It's fine. Just leave it alone!"

"I think I should open the sun roof and hold on to it....just in case" I say, as I reach for the button.

Sean rolls his eyes again, and giggles. I decide against sticking my hands out into the arctic air!

We finally get home, and drag what I thought was about a 6 foot tree into the living room. We hoist the tree into its stand, and then the fun REALLY began! I am a perfectionist. I simply CANNOT have a tilted tree. It must be perfectly aligned! So Sean holds it up, as I begin to screw in the base.

"Push it up more. It's not centered in the dish!" I shout.

"Look, I can't hold it any higher. It's hitting the ceiling!" He yells back.

You know how it is. You always have to bicker a little bit when trying to help each other. That's why I refuse to help Sean with anything. Arguments can sometimes break out!

"Well you're gonna have to lift it up, or I won't be able to put it straight!" I shout again.

"Listen. It's as high as it's gonna get." He grumbles.

"Well is it at least straight?" I say, as I hunker down under a nice fresh scent of pine needles.

"Yes. Are you done now?"

After a few minor corrections, I get up off the floor. It's not straight! Not at all! Must I do everything myself? Hee hee. So back down I go to fix it.

"Just leave it! Once it drops it will be fine!" He says, rolling his eyes once more, and retreating into the basement.

For the moment I am satisfied with the placement of the tree. The only problem now is that there is no room for the angel! The tree is hitting the flipping ceiling! Darn it! I feel like this tree is right out the Griswold's living room!!! I'm going to have to cut the top off of it just to put the angel on!! The picture does not do the tree justice at all! Yes there is a small spot near the top, but it's leaning against the ceiling LOL!!

"Little full....lots of sap!"

There is NO WAY this tree is 6 foot tall! Hee hee. That's okay...I like me a big tree!

Happy Birthday Bella!

2008-12-04T09:49:00.000-06:00

Today is my little Rat Terrier's Birthday! Hooray! Her name is Bella, and she is 9 years old today! We are going to have a big party later on!

Bella is a cantankerous little dog:

-She always makes funny noises when you talk to her.

-She hates other dogs.

-She has a fond love of stuffed toys

-She eats everyone's food if I am not looking

-And she is a Daddy's girl

Happy Birthday Bella!!!

Black Friday Shopping,Thanksgiving, and Louise Update!

2008-11-28T17:02:00.000-06:00

So before I start this long, yet slightly funny (In my opinion) blog...thought I would update you on Louise my cat! She is actually doing MUCH better this morning! We went to the vet again, and she has a semi normal heart rate today(but will always have the murmor and Cardiomyopathy), temp still a bit on the low side, not dehydrated, but still not eating or drinking (at least that I can see). Doctor thinks she must be drinking something since she was not dehydrated. However, we gave her some fluids just to be sure. She has more "Pep in her step" today as well, and put up a big fuss when I tried to give her meds! THAT'S my girl! We are going to stop all her meds for the next two days, and start up some new Heart meds on Sunday. AS A BONUS: Her Toxoplasmosis test, the one the cardiologist was concerned about, came back NEGATIVE!!! HOORAY! So Thank you to everyone for keeping Louise in your thoughts and prayers! She will always suffer with her heart problems for the rest of her life, but I think things are on the up and up for the time being! THANK YOU!

****************************************************************************

THE TURKEY DAY EXTRAVAGANZA!

My Uncle is here from England, as some of you know, and this is his first time being introduced to an American holiday! Boy did we have some fun! My mum cooked us a massive turkey, and stuffed it with some very strange home made stuffing with nuts. (So of course I couldn't eat it!) However, the top of the turkey that was untainted by the nuts was delicious! We had all sorts of goodies to along with it, and some delicious Pumpkin or Apple Pie for dessert! YUM!

Then it was picture taking time. Check out a few of our silly poses, and a few that I FORCED people to take! Hee hee!

My Uncle Phil, Sean, Me, My mum, My sister Jenny, My soon to be brother in law Matt!

My sister and I

The boys...Matt, Phil, Sean, and My Dad

My sister, Uncle Phil, and me

Then came the Annual Midnight Madness Shopping Extravaganza!!!!

My friends and I head down to Prime Outlet Mall down near Kenosha around 9:30pm last night. We packed up Little Jack, and started our adventure. He was less than thrilled to be going shopping, but I don't think angry is the right word to describe how he felt when I strapped him into the baby car seat LMAO! (That's what he gets for making fun of the mini)

We wanted to get there early enough to attempt to get some gift certificates that they give away. Well.... we obviously did not leave early enough!! The line to get OFF the interstate was over 50 cars long! The line to get IN to the shopping centre was twice that!! People were lined up as far as the eye could see. They had brought chairs, blankets, and even grills!!! I couldn't believe it! I thought we were in an economic recession LOL. People were even dressed up! Some in Pajamas...others in shorts and t-shirts....even guys wearing dresses and bathrobes! It was HILLARIOUS!!! There was even a Santa Clause walking around!

Santa with me and DeeDee

Santa with Donna and Dee Dee

So we bypassed the line, and found a spot to park. After that it was shop till you drop! One of the girls I was with wanted to go in Ann Taylor, so off we went. I don't really shop there, so Iwas just looking around at all the people. The one thing that caught my eye was this young guy. He worked there. That's right... A GUY working at Ann Taylor!!! That's a Ladies store if you don't know hee hee. So after some giggling with my friend, I walk up to him. He's the greeter, and he is looking b-o-r-e-d! I had a conversation with him that I now regret. Call it over tired, call it giggle hysteria, call it what you will....here's how it went:

Me: "So you work here? You look bored."

Him: "Ummm Yeah"

Me: "You working long hours tonight? What time do you get off?"

Him: "Till 6am"

Me: "Oh that's pretty long. Do you get a lunch break?"

Him: "Yeah I get a break around 3am"

Me: "So is the food court open?"

Him: "Yeah"

Me: "So are you gonna eat there?"

Him: "Ummm....maybe"

At this point my friend is giggling in the background. I did not know what was so funny. Then it dawned on me that this guy probobaly thought I was hitting on him. I can tell you this....I have NEVER left a store so quick in my life!

The lines in the stores were astronomical! I eventually gave up most of the stores I wanted to go in. The lines were from the registers, weaving through the racks all throughout the stores, and back to the front of the store! I was flabbergasted! Old Navy was so packed...I couldn't breathe, and I felt a bit sick.

So what did we do at that point? 2:34 Am.....OFF TO EAT CHINEESE!!!

Food Court PACKED! Chock full of people munching down the most scrumptious Chineese, American, and Italian food! It was really funny to see all these people eating this junk at 3am !!

Then it was off to more shopping! The line for Coach Purses had NOT died down since we got there. It was nearing 4am, and the line was still as long as it was 4 hours ago!!! It was out of the building, and all the way down the sidewalk into the next building! CRAZY!! Who wants a purse THAT bad?????

Off to Restoration hardware we go....

By this time we were all so over tired that NOTHING could control the hyperness. It might have had something to do with the all the coffee we were drinking. So there we are....one person off looking at something, and two of us sitting on the couch in the front window. Then it begins....

I start waving at all the people passing by...sending Donna, my friend, into HYSTERICS! Then I show her that not only am I wearing crocks, but I don't have matching socks on underneath!! So...I stick my feet up in the window, and start waving at them with my feet. I know...a bit childish...but hey...I was WAYYYYY overtired! DeeDee, Donna's sister, comes up and shows us this little bear. So I put it in the window. At this point...I see an employee walking over to us. We quick got up off the couch. He says (in a grumbly voice) "Anything I can help you ladies with?" Of course we said no, pretended to look interested in some pillows, the high tailed it out of there! (Waving bye to the bear as we passed the window hee hee)

I finally made it home at 5:30am after dismissing the temptation to run into Kohl's, Best Buy, and Walmart! They must have been having some sort of MEGA sale. We could see the lines outside from various places along the way home. CRAZY! I heard that people were camped outside Best Buy from 10pm Thanksgiving night until they opened at 5am!!!! Again...CRAZY!

I will say though...I did go to Walmart about an hour ago...hee hee! Happy Thanksgiving all!

Kitty update!

2008-11-26T17:36:00.000-06:00

* Update Thanksgiving Day: Well, she is still not feeling very well. She did manage to jump off the bed this morning and bugger off to the couch. She also put up a fight when it came time to give meds. Other than that she is just pretty lethargic at this point. Spoke to the emergency room vet this morning, and she said to just hang in there, and that it is beginning to look like more of a cadrio problem than a neurological one. So I guess that is good and bad. A heart problem I can handle....not knowing what else is going on....that is a problem. She has been peeing where she lays, and I can't get her to eat or drink. That bothers me. I am going ot have to leave her today for a long time, so I hope she does all right. Right now she is just hanging out in the sunshine....taking a little nap. Happy Thanksgiving to you all!

KITTY LOUISE UPDATE!

I guess the news is bitter sweet today. She is home with me now, and I am watching her carefully. She seems to be okay for the moment, but is still having some troubles walking around. Still a bit pale looking, and very very very tired.

At the Emergency Center.....

She had a Cardiology workup today. The doctor says she has Hyperthrophic Cardiomyopathy, and also moderate Cardiomegaly. That is a condition of the heart where it becomes enlarged. There's more to it than that, but it's a bit complicated to explain. She also was having a low blood pressure, slow heartrate, low body temp of 98 degrees (Normal is 100.5-102.5)and some ventricular arrythmia (Abnormal heart patterns). The doctor was concerned about her slow heart rate, so they performed an ultrasound and EKG of her heart which further showed many abnormalities. Concerned about her slow heart rate they gave her an injection of Atropine to speed it up. It worked. It also brought her body temp up 3/4 of a degree. The doctor was worried that because the medication worked so quickly that there might also be a neurological underlying issue. There are several other things it could be, including a blood clot from her heart problem. So I picked her up and raced off to work to draw blood to check her for some viral diseases such as Toxoplasmosis.

I won't get the results back till Monday. So I guess I will have to wait. She will need to start on some heart medications this weekend as well. They want me to wait 24-48 hours before starting anything just in case she has another episode. In the meantime, I am to keep a close eye on her, and monitor her hear rate, pulse, and temp.

So that is where we stand at the moment. One diagnosis down....who knows how many yet to come. Thank you for keeping her in your thoughts. I am very sad at the moment. No one really knows what her outcome will be at the moment. It all depends on her, and if she shows any more neurological signs. All I can do is wait.....

My cat is VERY sick!

2008-11-25T23:12:00.000-06:00

Sad news on the blog today.....

1:30 Am - Update at the bottom....

I got home from a really nice birthday dinner for my Uncle tonight and found my little 4 year kitty, Louise, having some troubles.

She was walking around funny, and one eye was dialated. She kept stumbling around, and then collapsed right in front of me, and was breathing very funny. Being the "Doc" that I am, I set off to find a reason for this odd behaviour. I thought I knew what it could be....seizure, neurological...or heart.

I went back and forth as to if I should take her to the Animal Emergency Room, and after I saw her collapse again.....I took her.

Well turns out she has a very bad heart murmor. Grade 4 of 6. That's pretty high. No ones ever heard it before on her. It can be a very serious condition.

So here I sit.... after leaving my darling little girl in the capable hands of the doctors....I won't know anything for a few hours yet, and it is heartbreaking! (No pun intended) She will be seeing the cardiologist in the morning.

Please keep my little baby in your prayers! I will give you an update as soon as I can...

UPDATE....

Well it's 1:30am, and I just spoke with the Doctor. Louise is doing okay at the moment. Her bloodtests showed some elevated liver enzymes which could be due to some vascular difficulties from her heart. Her xrays show that her heart is enlarged. She also had some urine tested, which has come back positive for a slight infection, so they have started her on some antibiotics. The doctor said she is resting at the moment, and they will try feeding her shortly. She has a consult set up with the cardiologist in the morning....

Pirate Ornaments, and Funny British Crowns!

2008-11-22T14:56:00.000-06:00

As promised Miss Jenny...I pulled a few pictures from last year's Christmas Celebration at my house! Ever since I can remember, it has been a tradition in our house, to wear these paper crowns at Christmas! They come from Christmas Crackers, and no you don't eat them! It's a fun game where you pull the paper cracker, and toys, crowns, and candy fall out of them. Who ever gets the bigger half of the cracker....gets the goodies inside! A long standing British Tradition! Enjoy!

My sister contemplates why on earth she agreed to come to the party!

Some of my family gets "groovy" with the hats! (Others are less than thrilled to wear them)

Now for something COMPLETELY Different!

A few weeks ago, I bought this ornament from Kohl's Dept. Store! I love it! Once my tree goes up next weekend....he will be "hanging" out there for everyone to enjoy! I just hope that he doesn't run out of battery power! Hey Minxie.....I think he would be a great addition to your tree this year!!!

Turn up your sound to get the whole Sparrow Experience!!! LOL

Lolita wins the costume contest!

2008-11-15T10:52:00.000-06:00

A few weeks ago, around Halloween, the local doggy day care held a costume contest for the pups! Thanks for all your kind comments when I was having troubles deciding on what to dress her up as! There were so many cool doggy costumes, and they all looked so wonderful! There was a cheerleader, pirate, mullet dog, Elvis, Yoda, hippie, elephants, bees, cowboy, and tons of other costumes. It was really very cute and funny!

I was having trouble getting Lolita's AWESOME Chewbacca costume to fit, so I opted to make one from my old human costumes. She ended up going as a mascquerade lady! Then all the clients got to vote on their favorite costumes in five categories. Scariest, most original, best, and funniest. (Or something to that extent)

Yesterday, when I dropped her off, they told me she had won the "Most Original Costume" portion of the constest!! Well I was thrilled, and so was Lolita. It is funny how dogs can get excited when you're excited! It was as if she knew she had won! She was even more pleased when she saw the cool doggy bowl basket that she would get to enjoy once we were at home. It was filled with dog treats, and a stuffed doggy witch!

When we got home, she dove right in. Polished off all the treats (which I am sure I will pay for at a later date), and snuggled with her new toy! Sadly, that toy has now been put away due to the fact that Captain Spike has taken...shall we say.....a "special" interest in that specific toy. (Do I really need to say more than that?)

After quite a long play with just her mum, and her new toy, she was tuckered out for the night! Since I don't have any kids at the moment...this was simply a "proud mom" day!! Way to go my little girl!

A day with my mum!

2008-11-09T19:34:00.000-06:00

Today was the annual Brookfield East Friends of the Fine Arts Holiday Craft Fair! (Whew...what a mouth full!) HOME OF THE SPARTANS!

It is held every year at my old highschool! My mum and I NEVER miss it. This year ...however....we almost did. Needless to say, some quick thinking on my part, got us there almost right on time.

We were a little sad to see lots of empty spaces this year. It is usually full of vendors, and lots of holiday shoppers. This year it seemed pretty barren. I guess the recent economy has impacted a lot of people.

We started out by eating a well deserved lunch in my highschool cafeteria! I mean....who doesn't love highschool food? Come on now....admit it! I was so looking forward to a Chicken patty with some chocolate milk. (Not nessecarily in that order). Well, I was let down once again. No chicken patties!!! *Sigh* Instead, I helped myself to a yummy sloppy joe! (With two...count em...TWO...cartons of chocolate milk!)

After we both felt bloated enough to leave the cafeteria.... we headed off into the craft fair. I found lots of little knick knacks for friends, and my mum did quite a bit of Christmas shopping. I ended up having to carry some of her bags, yet again.

I couldn't resist trying to "peek" into the forbidden Teacher's Lounge!! I quick snapped a shot as I walked past. I wasn't as eager to take a picture of the bathroom though. Ewww! I had forgotten how gross highschool bathrooms could be!

We saw some familiar faces, and a few new ones. It is always fun for me to go back to school each year. I get to look at all the improvements that they have made, and I always stop at my locker. It's like a trip down memory lane. (Not all good memories, but memories none the less)

The one thing that always gets to me, is the PA system. It seems that there is always a Packer game going on during the craft fair, and the kids in the office have a good time blarring out the news across the loud speakers! It always makes me giggle when they do funny parodies on familiar Christmas songs. This year they sang about the food in the cafeteria to the tune of Jingle Bells. Had me in stitches!!!! Thank goodness that I was not the person who needed a doctor. We all felt horrible when they announced that a Doctor or nurse was needed near the south entrance, and if any of the patrons could help to please report there right away. I heard people saying... "Well I could help them if it was a tooth problem!" LOL

So of course I say... "Well if their dog needs something....I could help with that!"

Everyone starts laughing, and then this lady says that perhaps I should go down there for real because animal medicine is a lot like human medicine. I chuckled, and walked away. I am in no way a human medical person. YIKES!

After a long day of shopping, we slip back into the cafeteria once more. I had ANOTHER chocolate milk, and a coffee! My mum just opted for the coffee. Then we were off. Me... wearing short sleeve......without a coat....and carrying my mum's items....scurrying across the grounds.....hoping to spot the car.....you know....good old Holiday fun!

Finally we reach the car, and scoot on over to Penzey's spices! It's a great store. My mum and I love it! So there I am.....still without a coat....still in short sleeves....hurrying across a parking lot....as the snow falls...

My mum is no where to be found. She's already barracaded herself inside the shelter of Penzey's store! Thanks mum!

So we shop some more. Grab a few spices, and magazines. As we are about to leave the shop...my mum is looking at a few cookie recipes, and says "Oh. This sounds good! Date Nut Cookies!"

Ha! Well I heard " Oh! This sounds good! Dead butt puppies!" (OMG)

What can I say? I'm apparently going insane.

It's Guy Fawke's Night!

2008-11-05T14:03:00.000-06:00

HISTORY OF GUY FAWKES/BONFIRE NIGHT

"Remember remember the fifth of November

Gunpowder, treason and plot.

I see no reason why gunpowder, treason

Should ever be forgot... "

Growing up in England held so many memories for me. Nothing stands out more than this day! November 5th....Guy Fawke's night!

HISTORY OF GUY FAWKE'S

Words of "Remember Remember" refer to Guy Fawkes with origins in 17th century English history. On the 5th November 1605 Guy Fawkes was caught in the cellars of the Houses of Parliament with several dozen barrels of gunpowder. Guy Fawkes was subsequently tried as a traitor with his co-conspirators for plotting against the government. He was tried by Judge Popham who came to London specifically for the trial from his country manor Littlecote House in Hungerford, Gloucestershire. Fawkes was sentenced to death and the form of the execution was one of the most horrendous ever practised (hung ,drawn and quartered) which reflected the serious nature of the crime of treason.

The Tradition begins...The following year in 1606 it became an annual custom for the King and Parliament to commission a sermon to commemorate the event. Lancelot Andrewes delivered the first of many Gunpowder Plot Sermons. This practice, together with the nursery rhyme, ensured that this crime would never be forgotten! Hence the words " Remember , remember the 5th of November" The poem is sometimes referred to as 'Please to remember the fifth of November'. It serves as a warning to each new generation that treason will never be forgotten. In England the 5th of November is still commemorated each year with fireworks and bonfires culminating with the burning of effigies of Guy Fawkes (the guy). The 'guys' are made by children by filling old clothes with crumpled newspapers to look like a man. Tradition allows British children to display their 'guys' to passers-by and asking for " A penny for the guy".

The movie "V for Vendetta" was inspired by this moment in time!

MY FAMILY...

We would always make a huge bonfire in the garden, and put a stuffed man on the top. It was tradition. I miss it very much. Everyone used to get together and wait for it to get dark so we could light the bonfire!

You can read more about this event below.

Credits to : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guy_Fawkes_Night

http://www.rhymes.org.uk/remember_remember_the_5th_november.htm

My crazy eyes!

2008-11-04T18:38:00.000-06:00

A few days ago I received an email from a friend of mine. It was a challenge to let people know 5 funny quirks about myself. After talking to a few fellow bloggers about my "crazy eyes".....I thought I would share one of those with you. (cause I KNOW you wanna know)

I have wierd eyes. One is brown, one is green. They change color from time to time depending on my mood. (I know...it's strange) They go bright green when I am sad, and sometimes even gray. It's something that I have had since I was little, and believe it or not...I used to get teased because of it. Now I think they are cool! Lots of people don't even see it anymore. But I bet next time I am out with one of you guys....you'll look! LMAO!

Here's a picture...best I could get.

It's Trick or Treat Time!!!

2008-11-01T13:46:00.000-05:00

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!!!

If you didn't get to see yesterday's AMAZING (lol) videos...scroll down to next post :)

Last night we had trick or treat in my town. (On Halloween AT NIGHT like it should be!) We had over 300 kids in 2 1/2 hours! I ran out of candy about 6:30pm and my mum had to rush out for more! She got back just in the knick of time! There was a hay wagon going around the town with a bunch of kids on it! What cool costumes everyone had! We had pirates, Buzz Lightyear's, Elmo, Dumbo, princess, Robin Hood, Indiana Jones, Mummy's, Robot's, Hannah Montana, Ninja's, Scary Dudes, and even a kid completley covered in leaves!

I carved my pumpkins earlier in the day, and although I wanted to do a Jack Sparrow Pirate Pumpkin like last year...I opted to do a Puking Pumpkin instead! It was easier lol!

I just couldn't decide on what to be for the trick or treater's. I tried on every outfit I had. I narrowed it down to two costumes. This one...

And I eventually settled on this one....

(YES! I am a Beautiful Ballerina!)

So this costume got ALOT of laughs...and for obvious reasons! Now please keep in mind it is not an easy costume to wear LOL!! (Why do I always pick difficult costumes?) There are certain....shall we say...."atributes" on this costume that never seemed to "perk out" enough....if you get my drift. My neighbors were constantly giggling ....watching me tug on the suit!

All the kids would run up to the house screaming "Look at that lady!!!" LMAO!!!

I got alot of comments from parents as well...my favorites were:

"Hey...maybe you should pass the chocolate out instead of eating it!!"

( I replied: I have to keep up my strength!)

"Aren't you cold...I mean your only wearing a leotard!"

(I replied: It's okay. I have a lot of extra padding!)

It was all in jest, and I am glad that everyone liked the costume!

My firend Donna brought her son Colton to help me pass out candy. Well after about an hour, they decided to do some trick or treating of their own! he was having so much fun! My mum also came and helped out. She had a blast! brought back a lot of memories for her!

Colton the Monkey!

He checks out the deco!

Time to go on his very 1st Trick or treat!

1st stop...my house....

SCORE!!!!!!

Then off to the neighbors!

AHHH! A scary guy!!!! He did ok. Couldn't take his eyes off that mask!

We tried to pose for some pics before night set in! I even gave the camera a " little lovin' "

The kids started coming none stop for close to 3 hours. Well past the time alloted for trick or treat! That was ok. It's Halloween! Enjoy some pics!!!!

Half through the night DISASTER struck!!!! Donna looks over at me, and says "Did you get liposuction or something?"

I looked down, and I had deflated!!!! DISASTER! So off the costume came! And posed for some non-costume pics!

My Mum and I...

Happy Halloween to my bloggin' friends!

2008-10-31T10:23:00.000-05:00

HAPPY HALLOWEEN! Just for a bit of fun...I made some Halloween Videos for you guys!

They're pretty short....so make sure you watch them all LMAO! There is also a special video I made for you all at the end!!!!

Don't forget to turn on your sound :)

WE ARE EXPERIENCING TECHNICAL DIFFICULTIES WITH THE VIDEOS SORRY!

When Robbi, and I , were at Walmart...we had a bit of fun trying out all the monsters for sale. This poor guy just would not work! He kept on making funny noises, and I about peed myself with laughter! (Of course I cut that part out!)

Then there was this guy...unfortunatley something went haywire with my camera, and I only was able to capture about 10 seconds of him. I also managed to stop filming right before Robbi had an hysterical fit of laughter, and snorted!!! Dang it!

Then of course there were the crazy goblin guys....we just had to push them all at once!

And the bats! Why on earth would Walmart try to sell this?? It's broken LOL

And finally our Walmart trip comes to end with this guy....

WITH OUT FURTHER A DO....I GIVE YOU MY HALLOWEEN VIDEO!!!! You've seen most of these pics before....but hey...it's Halloween!

What have I done to my dog?

2008-10-30T21:31:00.000-05:00

TONIGHT ONLY!!!!

I have to come up with a costume for my dog....what do you think?

She's either a Mascqurade lady...or a devil

A Haunting good time!

2008-10-26T23:11:00.000-05:00

Over the weekend, I went to a Halloween party. The theme was characters from Johnny Depp movies. I had a little trouble deciding what to go as. Of course I wanted to be a pirate, but there are so many characters to choose from. I wanted to go as Charlie, as Peter Pan, Tinkerbelle, Corpse Bride, Headless Horseman, Alice in Wonderland, Tonto, CryBaby's girl, Bille Frechette, or any of the other countless roles. However, in the end, I went as a pirate. What can I say? I love pirates!
It started as a grand adventure to get to fellow blooger Robbi's house. I needed assistance in getting into my costume. (And no it's not because I may have gained a few small pounds since the last time I wore it) The wig, which is as thick as can be, is a two person job. You just can't get it on by yourself. There's no way. You need two pairs of hands. Robbi still had no idea what she was going as, and it was almost 6pm. She went back and forth between three costume ideas, and finally settled on going as a 30's lady from "Public Enemies". She looked great! And so did her hubby, the cableman. He went as Mort Rainey from the movie "Secret Window". He really looked a lot like him! It cracked me up!

I rode with Robbi, and Mort, to the party. It was pretty chilly outside, but very warm and toasty inside the party. It was wonderful. The first thing I noticed is that there was a very strange, and scary, devil guy there. Scared the pants off me at first, until I figured out it was none other than Osh's hubby! I was totally taken back by this costume, and could not stop taking pics of him! He was from the movie "The Ninth Gate", and Osh was from "The Corpse Bride". They looked great!

Then I ran into a Pirate Gorilla! Of course I had to stop and have a picture with him! Who can resist a gorilla? And a PIRATE gorilla at that!

This pirate gorilla just happens to be married to a most wonderful person. Mrs Lovett! That's right, we had a resident Mrs Lovett from "Sweeney Todd". In fact, we had two! They were both great! We even got them to pose together! Jenny, however, showed me that there are many things that you can accomplish with a rolling pin!

There were several unscrupulus characters about as well! I believe that Dillinger, and an accompliss were in the building! There was a massive shoot out! They narrowly escaped!

I managed to run into a few of my fellow renegade pirates, Alice, and yes....even a bottle of beer! I got a great chuckle out of Rod's costume. I never thought I would meet a real life...full sized....bottle of beer!

Our gracious hosts, The Lone Ranger and Tonto (aka Kris and Left Hand Louie), have a wonderful home! It was all decked out in Halloween goodies, and a great Jack cake! We had a lot of yummy food to snack on! There was even a cauldron of Rum Punch with floating, eadible, eyeballs! Now, keep in mind, these are EYEBALLS! Jenny, aka Mrs Lovett, decided it would be a good idea to try one of these so called eadible eyeballs. However, the Lone Ranger needed to try one first. And so he did.

Jenny, being the sweet girl she is, had to eat an eyeball after poking at it in the cauldron. "It feels like an eyebal!" She screamed, and laughed. But down the hatch it went....and out the hatch it came. We were just dying with laughter as she tried her best to chew the slimy eyeball.

After finally getting in all the way down......I thought I would give it a go. First I couldn't pick it up. It was too slimy. Then I swallowed it down....then spit it back out. I couldn't do it. It was so gross!!! After a bit of laughter, and coaching, I managed to chew it up. It wasn't that bad when all was said and done...just the initial chew.

Then Captain Sean, Mary's hubby, decided to give it a whirl. With no hesitation at all, he picked it up...smiled for the camera...then ate it. I was shocked. LOL

Next up was Pictionary. I have no idea how to play the game, and was petrified when it was my turn. However, my team did great, and I managed to draw some recognizable objects. Some people were not as lucky. (You know who you are!)

What a great night we had! And some AWESOME costumes! I couldn't post all the pics here, but if you want to take a look at them all....here are some links:

FACEBOOK:

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=81362&l=cb1a5&id=731186141

and...

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=81354&l=6727f&id=731186141

Here's a few more fun pics from the party!

Shakes ... with her mouth full....LOL

Shakes and I pose for a photo...little did I know what she was doing in the background

Rod, sans costume(shame on you)...gets bunny ears from the Devil!

A fellow pirate and myself...

Mary, osh, the Devil, and Robbi

A humorous moment with Mort Rainey (aka the Cableman)

I get my picture with the Devil!

Mary and Osh shake things up!

Robbi....why must you touch Rod's beer bottle?

Robbi and Shakes

One of many funny moments.....Robbi and Rod

Cheers to Mort, Osh, and the Devil

No no no kitty!!! Don't go by Mrs. Lovett! You don't know what she might do!

Vix the Pirate, and Mrs. Lovett get into a sword/rolling pin fight

Rod and Dj pose...

Mort and myself....( I was a little nervous...for obvious reasons!)

Rod and Louie share a moment...

Shakes and I pose for a photo...I accidentally had my gun pointed right at her nose!

So she exacts her revenge.....

Wait! What if this is an alternate reality.....don't do it!!! (Thanks Rod)

What are these two doing out in the garage???

Robbi and me...

The GREAT Skeleton Jack cake!

Did you know that the Devil drinks Coke?????

Osh and me.....

And my favorite photo of the night.......Scowling just like a pirate should!!!

Crazy girls go shopping!

2008-10-23T16:14:00.000-05:00

Today, Robbi and I went to do some shopping in my home town. Oh man did we have a good time!! We went all over the place, and ended up spending about 15 minutes trying on these CRAZY glasses!!! I thought you'd like to see us making fools of oursleves in front of all the other customers LOL!

Tell me...which one do you like best?

Presenting Little Jack and the Cableman!!

2008-10-18T12:06:00.000-05:00

Last night I had a wonderful time at the Kurth. It was a well needed break for me. I had the most honored privledge of our friend Robbi cooking dinner for me before we went. It was so delicious!! A very nicely cooked roast with potatos!! Scrumptious!

Even the dogs were singing for a bit of the wonderful feast!! Too bad pups! Chewey a.k.a "Houdini" almost managed to snag a carrot! But his mom was too quick!

Then I was given a tour of the basement! What a difference from the last time I was there! A freshly laid carpet was down, and some of the bigger items had been moved back in. I am aure Robbi has some before pics to show you!

Now what exactly are these on Robbi's feet...mucklucks??? Never even heard of them, but I had to take a picture!! LOL

Then, as I was in the basement....I came across the INFAMOUS picture of Robbi in the cocnut bra!!! Couldn't resist love.....HA!

Robbi's house is totally decked out in Halloween deco! Right down to the bed spreads! I insisted that the cableman have the lights outside ready to go for when I arrived, and he actually did it!!! I must have super powers LOL It was very cool to see her house all lit up with witches, pumpkins, and spooks! I wish I would have taken a picture of it, but it was raining outside.

At the Kurth, I sampled some of Rod's Double Chocolate Stout! Boy it was delicious! I had to have seconds! Thanks Rod for the beer! We had a ncie time at the Kurth with Rod, Dj, Jenny, Left hand Louie, Mary, Caralea, Robbi, and myself! It was great to see everyone again! Thanks Jenny for the presents!!

When we finally got back to Robbi's house, I was introduced to her husband....the cableman! Only he was asleep....or was he? Seeings as though Robbi is such the practical jokester....we decided to take a few pictures of him to put on the blog. HEE HEE!!! Only the lighting wasn't great, so after taking a few pictures....we tried to turn the lights on....BOOM....he was awake!!! Little stinker!

Thanks again Robbi for being such a great hostess!!

*****************************************************************

PRESENTING LITTLE JACK!!!!

I am happy to announce that I am the proud new mom of a pirate monster!!! That's right....A pirate monster! I came across this couple who create stuffed monsters. They are just adorable. I approached them last month, and requested a custom made pirate monster. They were very excited to do it! In fact, I have requested ANOTHER pirate monster that I will be picking up in the next few weeks. It will be Little jack's 1st mate! ARRRRRGGGG!!!!!

In case you want your own monster, they can create just about anything. It doesn't have to be a pirate. Here is there buisness card. Everyone needs their own monster!!!

So I went to pick Little Jack up this morning. I had no idea what he would look like. I was so happy to see him! He is everything I imagined. My friend bought a little baby monster for her son while we were there as well.

I never realized how much trouble this little guy could get into!! But he is, after all, a pirate! He was really excited to be at his new home, and kept on getting into EVERYTHING! I am exhausted after trying to keep up with him! (hee hee)

So without further ado...I give you....Little Jack!

An excited mom picks him up and poses for a few pictures

Little Jack meets Auntie Donna

Little Jack shows me all his cool pirate stuff!

His gold tooth and beard...

His eye patch...

And what's beneath the eye patch....

His little pirate pocket...where he stores all his treasures

His dread locks

After he said goodbye to the great people who made him, we headed back home. He was a bit nervous about my driving, but he soon started to relax.

Getting buckled in

Little Jack arrives home

Staking out the joint..

He really wanted a snack

He hears a noise....check his back out!! He had no idea I took this picture....but he is a totally different color onthe backside!

Little Jack torments the dogs

Snuggle time with mommy

Oooopps! Sorry Little Jack...I'll give you your privacy in the "little prates room"

Hey! Get out of the dog food!

You already had a snack Little Jack!

Checking out his fellow pirate, Sir Jack's, blog

Time to get outside, and enjoy the day

Young man....I will NOT ask you again....get out of that tree!

Oh for goodness sake.....you're too young to use that grill!

Yes I know you like the Mini....but let's go inside for a bit

It seems that Little Jack loves Spongebob as much as I do!

Awww... the poor little guy is tuckered out...time for a nap

It's really hard to keep up with the little guy. Whew. Now looks like a good time for me to catch some Zzzzzz's as well!

Columbus Look-a-like vacation!

2008-10-15T15:30:00.000-05:00

There were so many things to see up in the U.P. The trees were beautiful, although not quite "turned" yet. I did, however, run across some very interesting things!!! Fist of all, Iron Mountain has this "mining town" feel to it. It is quite a pretty place. Lots of forests, and cabins, as well as the regular commodities we see everywhere else. It has a rich history of mining iron, and a strong influence by several cultures. The cornish influence is very strong. Pasties are everywhere! If you don't know what a pastie is...it's kind of like a pot pie. Usually beef or Chicken. It originated in Cornwall, England. When I was growing up in England, I used to LOVE eating these. They are very hard to come by now a days. So when I am up there, I always stop to eat one...or two...or ten. The mining industry was revolutionized by the invention of a pump, known as the Cornish Pump. It was a way to keep the water out of the mines. It is also the largest pumping engine in the United States.

Iron Mountain has hundreds of old buildings, and lots of scenic driving as well!

This old barn looked so interesting...I had to stop and take a few pictures!!!

Then I stopped to take a picture of myself LOL

It also seems that Viking ancestry runs very strong. A few miles down the road, there is a town called Norway. It has a huge Viking ship landmark as you get into town. The Vulcan Iron Mine is there as well. It is fun to go and see. There are tours to acutally go down into the mine, and look around. It is always cold...about 40 degrees down there....so you have to wear a yellow coat, and hard hat. I will post some pictures of that sometime in the future.

I found this really neat looking jug, so of course I had to take a picture.

The other thing that I found was CHEESEBALLS!!!!! You cannot find them by my house to save your life! Not only that, but they had bacon flavour potato chips!!!! I was VERY happy!

The one thing that stuck out in my mind is how similar some of these places looked. They reminded me of Columbus! Here are some pics to compare. What do you think?

Columbus ....

Crystal Falls.....

Columbus.....

Crystal Falls....

Columbus.....(couldn't find a pic with a better angle)

Iron Mountain....(not exactly the right angle to compare but....)

There was this one building in particular that I could not take my eyes off of. It reminded me so much of Mrs. Lovett's Pie Shop from Sweeney Todd. Check this place out! Scary!

I had fun making this copy of the picture!!

All in all, it was an okay vacation. When I get round to it, I will put up some pics of the Iron Mine, and the scenic views I saw while driving around.

And just so you know.....I was working hard on my books! Here's the proof!

My Pirate Name!

2008-10-11T22:55:00.000-05:00

Well in doing some research for my pirates story...I came across this website. I was curious, so I took the quiz. Here are my results!

My pirate name is:

Captain Morgan Flint

Even though there's no legal rank on a pirate ship, everyone recognizes you're the one in charge. Like the rock flint, you're hard and sharp. But, also like flint, you're easily chipped, and sparky. Arr!

Get your own pirate name from piratequiz.com.
part of the fidius.org network

Take the quiz for yourself...and tell me what you came up with!!

PS- I am still working on my vacation photos!

It's cold in the U.P...eh? (Part One)

2008-10-07T21:32:00.000-05:00

DAY ONE - A LOOK AROUND THE RESORT.....

I had a bittersweet time up north this past week. We took our annual vacation to the Upper Pennisula (U.P.) of Michigan, and stayed in a town called Iron Mountain. However, the day before we left, my hubby, Sean, hurt his back. He was so miserable up north that we decided to come a day early so he could go to the doctor. Other than that, we managed to have a great time! We have stayed in this awesome log cabin resort for the past 8 years. It is a great place to stay. The town of Iron Mountain has a rich history of iron mining, and the town really has a rustic feel to it. It has strong ties to the Italian, Cornish, and viking ancestery. To tell you the truth, there is not a whole lot to do in Iron Mountain this time of year, unless you enjoy scenic drives, and hiking.

The thing I like best about Iron Mountain is the log cabins that we stay in. The couple that owns it are incredibly wonderful, and friendly. It is our home away from home, and they really make it feel that way. I also enjoy the friednly wildlife that are abundant through the resort. There are chipmunks, bears, deer, wolves, coyotes, and even squirrels. Yes....my arch nemesis!! The squirrel! (We'll get to that later)

I thought I would start out by telling you guys about our drive in, and the cabins themselves. It would take at least an hour to read a post about our entire vacation. (Hee hee) So I am going to split it into several attempts at a good story!

We left our house with the intention of arriving around 5pm. Our previous plans of trying to see Little Bohemia on the way up fell through after Sean's back injury. We ended up leaving a little later than expected, so we just took our time and enjoyed the wonderful colors of the trees. We stopped for a bite to eat around 3pm in Neenah, Wi. The only place that sounded appealing to us was Perkins. So off we went. Surprisingly we both ordered breakfast instead of lunch. What can I say...I am a sucker for a good breakfast.

After another few hours drive, it began to rain. We didn't mind. Both of us actually enjoy the rain. To our surprise, we were blessed with not one....not two....but THREE rainbows on the way up to Iron Mountain. Just as we entered the town, we even saw a double rainbow!! (Look in the 2nd picture really carefully to see the double rainbow)

Once we were in familar territory, we found Edgewater Country Log Cabin Resort very quickly. You have to go all the way through town, and out into the boonies...but it is worth it!

It was absolutley FREEZING the entire time we were up there....believe it or not it actually snowed a little bit! Our highest temp was 48 degrees!!! (And I had forgotten my jacket) We will get to all that in the next post or two.

We had booked cabin #7. The best cabin in the whole resort, in my opinion. It is a one bedroom cabin with a kitchen, bathroom, dining room, and a screened in porch complete with a swing. It is the only cabin that has a clear view of the river. It is also is home to what is known as the "Mischevious black squirrel of cabin #7". And what a teaser she is! I think that somewhere along the lines, the squirrel at my house sent a message to this new squirrel...just letting her know that we are rivals!!! Don't you worry though...I pulled the old bait and switch on that little stinker before we left for vacation!! In order to get a picture of this black squirrel...I had to gather up all the oakorns...oops...I mean ACORNS to get her attention. (Seriously...I think that the acorns are out to get me)

Stupid Acorns....TRUST me ...they are deadly...they literally kept plummeting to the ground every few minutes...you had to be careful where you stepped, and alway ALWAYS look up!!

But a fun little friend...

This new squirrel was very curious, and would come almost right up to you before scurrying away. It was a little more skiddish than the rest of the animals. We all think that it may have just had babies, since there were obvious signs she was nursing. (At least we think so) The people who ran the resort said that they had seen squirrels up there have more than one litter a year. What's cool about these animals is they are not afraid of humans. Seeing them all year, and having the guests feed them all the time, has somewhat tamed them. Now, we all understand that these are still wild animals that carry diseases, and they can be unpredictable. I did not expect to find however, that the chipmunks are the friendliest out of the bunch. They come right up, and sit in your hand, if you have food for them. They LOVE planters peanuts!! I did a very bad thing, and baited this chipmunk, even though I am allergic to nuts. I had swollen eyes for a whole day after that. But how can you resist this????

First you need the "treats"

Then you get the reward

The other thing that was strange this year, is the fact that some of the trees had not yet begun to change colors. It suddenly occured to me that Pine Trees do NOT change colors at all!! I think I have a serious problem with trees.

I am not the only one with tree issues this year. When we arrived at the cabins, we found the front office in a little bit of distress. Tree branches were everywhere...acorns scattered across the ground....and a large yellow rope tied to two large Oak trees. Apparantley, the day before we got there, a massive Oak tree had collapsed due to a rotting stump. It had barley missed one of the owners. He had tied the other large Oak tree to a more sturdy tree to prevent it from crashing onto their home. Sadly, that tree was cut down the next day, along witha few others by our cabin. The owners left about 8' of the tree near the office so that it wouldn't look so bare. They have a few ideas on what they are going to do with it. This includes a possible wood carving, or viny plant display.

So, as for today's blog, I thought I would show you around the resort. Like I said, it would take too long to put it all in to one blog. For now...enjoy a tour of the resort....

The front office..before the Oak tree was cut down. You can see where the other one fell.

The tree on the right is being held up by the tree on the left

After the tree got cut down to 8 ft tall

View of the cabins from the road

Exit of the resort...

Welcome to Cabin #7

Some of the cabins still have their wooden logs on the inside as well as the outside. Ours did not. it was a bit more modern, and it was just as good!

Each cabin has this little sign in the bathroom...just letting you know about the "facilities"

Our little swing out back..and the screened in porch

The view from our cabin!!!

And the only really pretty sunset we had...our first night....a sun shower

Stay tuned to see more pictures from around the resort in the future. Coming up on the next blog will be "Freezin' Fishing Fun" and "Tour of Iron Mountain"!!

Race for the Cure, and a party on the farm!

2008-09-28T20:00:00.000-05:00

This will be my last post before I leave for vacation on Tuesday! I can't wait! I'll be gone until Sunday! Yipeee!!

SUSAN G. KOMEN RACE FOR THE CURE!

I was proud to take part in the Race for the Cure today! All proceeds benefited breast cancer research. My friends and I did not make a team (because we were too lazy and missed the deadline), so we opted to participate as individuals. Some of us went on the 5K run, and others on the 5K walk. (I did the walk) There were hundreds of thousands of people there! It was really a sight to see. Lots of people had dressed up for the event....donning pink wigs, and glasses, and pink feather boas!! It was fun!! Next year we are going to get our behinds in gear, make a team, and dress up! All the teams had signs so that their crew could find them. I saw this sign, and went bolting over....too bad they were looking for another Vicky LOL

The race/walk started at 9:25 am, and it took us a bit to get going since thre were so many people. So there we stood, at the summerfest grounds, right under the Miller Oasis sign. They probobaly could have made a boat load of money if they would have been selling beer LOL! A few people were commenting about that. The race winded through the grounds, and out into the open streets of Milwaukee. There were cheerleaders everywhere along the walk....cheering us on!!

It was pretty chilly down by the lakefront, but as we got moving....it soon became ALOT warmer! The one thing I noticed on the walk was that Milwaukee is truly a beautiful city. It has a lot of buildings that are very old, and very quaint. It has some of the most gorgeous scenery....if you only stop to take a look around..

So come....and take a walk with me:

After we finished, we enjoyed the grand celebration that was being put on by the foundation, and local radio stations. There was a band, a march of survivors, samples from different restaurants, free stuff (who doesn't like free stuff), coffee, brats and burgers, cosmetics, games, and fun with friends!!!

We were all pretty tired, but pose for some photos before calling it a day!

TIME TO PARTY ON THE FARM!!!

After the race, we had a work party at one of the technician's houses. She lives on a dairy farm, and she has this party every year! We had a blast this year! A big cookout, fun with bubbles, loads of kids and dogs, pumpkin picking, and a broken swing!

That's right....a broken swing....My friend Donna has an adorable kid. His name is Colton. She was pushing him on a hammock, and I couldn't resist myself. I jumped on with him, and all was going well.....until Donna decided to get on...then BOOM...crashed to the ground onto a pile of rocks! The kid NEVER even blinked, but Donna and were in massive amounts of pain as everyone busted out laughing. I have a huge bruise on my bottom :( But how could you not resist sitting next to my little buddy???

The people were not the only ones who had a great time. There were about 8 dogs there, and they were playing so hard that I think their owners will be having one heck of a restfull evening. This naughty puppy thought it would be a good idea to grab a cornstalk to play with! His mommy thought otherwise...

Then Mr. Tonka....the naughty puppy...got a reprive with this ADORABLE picture!

The kids had a blast as well. I don't know what to say about them really...other than they are the cutest little kids, and very good with animals. There was one little girl who went round to each dog, and introduced herself. It was very touching. Then Ellie, a little girl I know, showed me her newly found catepillar...we named him Rufus!! The kids all enjoyed my display o' bubbles !! I had them screaming and laughing for a good hour before my back started to hurt from endless requests for more bubbles! I can't give away my bubble making secrets....but here's a little looksy:

After food and games it was time for pumpkin picking! I got a good one this year! The kids were having so much fun that they kept snatching all the good ones up!! LOL

And what Wisconsin Farm party is complete without a visit to the dairy barn???

It's "potty" I mean "party" time at the Kurth!

2008-09-20T11:29:00.001-05:00

What a great time at the Kurth last night! I managed to get out of work at a decent hour last night, and headed up to join my friends in Columbus. I must have been driving faster than the speed of light.....as it only t ook 20 minutes to get from my work to the outskirts of Columbus!!

Now, if you are dependent on a cell phone, you will understand my frustration! About a year ago, I got drunk at a Def Leppard concert, and lost the back of my phone over the railing. (I know, I know) Ever since then it has been down hill for that poor phone. My calls get dropped, my service stinks, and it keeps going in and out of roam ALL THE TIME! I know I should break down and get a new phone, and every Saturday I say I am gonna do it, but I don't. Anyways....so I am on the phone with our good friend Robbi, after missing her call the first time, and my cell phone drops the call. We then play a little "phone tag" back and forth, until finally reconnecting with each other. The whole time we are playing phone tag, I am getting closer and closer to Columbus. If you've ever taken the drive out to Columbus from my area, you will know that there are NO gas stations for miles and miles. Well I had to pee, and I mean PEE! Robbi suggested that I turn around, and head back to her house for a little R&R, and a bathroom break! I was over the moon!!

It didn't take me long to find Robbi's house, and as I pulled the "Queen Mobile" into the driveway...here comes her Yellow Lab...Liberty!! Liberty, in all her sweetness, came bouncing over the grass to investigate the strange visitor! ( I am pretty strange) Liberty let me know right away, by her happy barking, that she was excited to see me! A couple doggy kisses later, I made my way over to Robbi! She then introduced me to "Mr. Houdini" himself, Chewey. I think he was just as excited to meet me, as I was to meet him! I was shown the way to the bathroom, and not a moment too late!! Then Robbi took me on a tour of her lovely home, complete with a great patio they had just built.

I then truly realized what Robbi had been talking about all this time, when it comes to her canine family! When we entered the kitchen, we found that Chewey had indeed pulled off a "Houdini"!!! He had opened the cabinet in the kitchen, and pulled out the garbage! What a sneaky little boy!!! We were only outside for a few minutes, and he had managed to swindle his way into that cabinet!

Here's Chewey...the resident "Houdini"

Here's little Liberty...the sweetest barker ever! (And she has a very happy tail)

Just a little side note to all you Robbi fans out there: (Sorry about this in advance Robbi hee hee)...... Robbi has a picture of her in a coconut bra, and grass skirt in her basement!!!! I wish I would have a taken a picture of it! Hmmmm......I see some blackmailing oppurtunities in the future! The funny thing is.....she STILL has that coconut bra!!! LMAO!!!!

After several changes of outfits on Robbi's part (hee hee), it was potty time! Now with the cable man out of town, "potty" time, kinda sounded like "party" time when the announcement was made to the dogs! But this doggy"potty" was no people"party"!! LOL!!

With a final fair well to the dogs....we were off to the Kurth! So we are in the "Queen Mobile", and the cableman FINALLY calls Robbi back after 8 hours. Robbi thought that he must have dropped his phone in the water on his fishing trip, and even though she tried to get her words out...she kept on saying them wrong.

What she meant to say is " I thought you dropped your phone in the water!"

What she kept on saying was "I thought you dropped your water in the phone!"

HOWEVER!!!! She caught herself each time ....and this is what she was able to get out...before correcting her mistake!

"I thought you dropped your wah"...."I mean your phone in the water"

NOW.....from my end I heard something different....so I said..."Just tell him to drop his wad, and get it over with!!" OMG!! It was pretty funny!!

It didn't take long to get there from Robbi's house, and we arrived to find several of our blogger friends, plus Rod and Dj's dog Blake, out on the back porch of the Kurth! There was quite an array of food there, from pizza, Robbi's bread and spinach dip, and Shake's English Raspberry Trifle!!! That trifle was just to die for!! Now remember Shakes, I want to see some Chocolate Ameretto, Expresso Trifle next time!! ( Also...a little alcohol goes a long way LOL)

Shake's settles in to take a bite of Trifle!

I wanted to try some of Rod's new beer. It is called "Lazy Man's Porter", but as he says..."But it tastes like beer!" It was really yummy! It had a chocolaty smokey aftertaste, and went down smooth as silk! I have to say, it did pack quite a punch! It's not your most "typsical" beer...is it Rod?? LOL! After a glass and a half, I was definatley feeling the effects as I recounted the following story to my friends:

Remember my mencacing Squirrel that was throwing acorns at me? Well, I called this tree guy to have a quote on how much it would cost to have the tree taken down. (Not because of the pesky little squirrel that is stalking me, and hiding in my garage, and trying to sabotauge my every move, and almost killing me with a flying acorn...not to mention the now larger ammo of walnuts) The tree has been dropping things into the gutter, and clogs them up causing flooding in our basement. Well I said to the guy, "Can you please come and give me a quote on cutting down my acorn tree". He never said a word. When he came, he quoted me $1000 dollars, and never said a word.

I went to work yesterday, and told all the girls about my acorn tree, and I was met with hysterical laughter.

"What's so funny?", I alsked them.

"You know there is no such thing as an acorn tree, don't you?" They replied, still giggling through their words.

"Of course there is! Where else do you think they come from?" I reamed back at them.

"Ummm.....I don't know....how about an OAK TREE!!"

I was mortified. Not only had I embarrased myself with the tree guy, who is probably still laughing at me as we speak, but it has now become a big joke at work as well. We have little message boards at work, and there is a nice little message on mine that reads, "What does an acorn tree look like?" To which I wrote back..."YOUR MAMA!!" It is pretty funny, I guess.

Well, it turns out that I am not the only one who didn't know that acorns do not come from acorn trees. But then again, quite a few people last night did know that most important fact. So I pose this question, after more hysterical laughter, ....:"Why don't they call them Oakorns then?" The world may never know!

Then, with the Lazy Mans Porter, taking a hold of me.....I decided to tell everyone why I thought said squirrel was a girl!

"It has boobs!!!!!"

"Aren't those its nuts?" Replies Shakes, looking at the photograph in my camera.

Well...needless to say....that started some even louder laughing. Poor Shakes! Sorry hun! (We know what you meant though)

The smokers, aka Robbi and myself, slipped off the deck, and out into the parking lot. ( You know what we were doing..again....I know, I know) We had some great conversations with Michelle, and Mary. Then I tried to call Judge, but alas no answer. I was hoping that she would be there last night, but things came up and she was unable to go.

Now last night, I think we all had some great laughs, and learned some VERY interesting facts about our friend Shakes. For her sake, I won't go into them LOL!!! Let me just leave you with this...."I wonder which bed I would take if I was locked in a furniture store?" I'll leave the rest up to your imaginations :)

Next up....have you ever tried to take pictures of yourself and another person? Well last night, I must have taken about 10 photos of me and Robbi. We had a couple good ones, and one VERY VERY bad one....that lighted the flame for another hysterical fit of laughter. Sadly, I accidentally erased it last night, and it is lost forever. Let me tell you this....it was straight up Halloweenish!! My double chin exposed, bad lighting, and really big eyes on both of us!! We looked like two zombies in need of a good stiff brain!! After I realized that we were not going to get a good picture that close, Dj offered to take one for us...so here we are in all our Kurth glory!!

Sorry Robbi...no teeth from me!!

I did manage to pull off this most spectacular, super sexy, and flattering picture of me! (Yeah right!) This is right when the Lazy Man's Porter started settling in!

As the crowd dwindled down, it was just me, Robbi, Dj, Rod, and Shakes left. Another group that was partying on the deck had also decided to leave for the night. What I am about to tell you had us all in stiches!! I thought I was going to need surgery!

This woman who was leaving, had clearly enjoyed the beverages at the Kurth that night! Robbi, Shakes, Dj, Rod, and I were sitting at a picnic table. As she passed us, she stumbled into poor Shakes, and we all knew what was about to happen. Blake was laying on the floor next to Rod. Robbi, and I had our backs to the woman. Dj, Shakes, and Rod were facing right towards her. Then the woman starts in.

"What kind of dog is that?" She muttered, clearly intoxicated.

"It's a Corgi"

"A Corgeee?"

"No, a Corgi!" Rod laughed.

"A corky?" she stuttered.

"A CORGI!" Rod said back.

At this point, both Shakes and Dj were trying to hide the hysterical laughs that were started to trickle over to me and Robbi. The sight of seeing someone laugh so hard does things to me. I quickly covered my mouth with my sleeve, and tried my best to cover up my laughter. Dj, Shakes, Robbi and myself were trying so hard not to let her see us laughing!!!

Poor Rod was left with the task of talking to the drunk woman, as it was clearly evident that none of us girls could do it. Then I hear Robbi talking under her breath....

"I'm gonna lose it....I'm gonna lose it!!!"

The woman continued on drunken ramblings....

"Yeah...I had a Lab..or something...I took him to....what's that place called?...Ummm...the institution school.....you know...."

I hear the laughing getting harder and harder.....it was almost totally unbearable. The whole time I am facing Dj, and Shakes, and seeing their giggling. Plus Robbi, over to my left..."I'm gonna lose it...I'm gonna lose it!!!"

The woman continues talking to Rod, and trying to pet Blake....

"I had to get rid of my Lab....well the insurance company said I had to.....he was eating children!"

"I JUST LOST IT!!!!!!!" Robbi blurts out, and with that....I look over and see tears of laughter running down her face! Dj buried her head, Shakes was grinning from ear to ear, and I did my best to control myself. Then...my laughter led to a snort. You know what I am talking about. The sleeve was no longer working for me, and as I turned to face Robbi....tears came streaming down my face as well. I couldn't take it anymore as the woman continued. After I heard Rod make a comment about "missing children" to the woman, the laughter got even worse. I could no longer hear what the woman was saying due to the fits of laughter around me, and sides were about to split wide open!!

All I could think about was Rod, trying to maintain his composure in front of this woman, and how he could all see us giggling out of the corner of his eye!! OMG!!! Her friend finally came back to get the woman, and with that...we all sighed with relief. We were just thankful that the drunk woman seemed oblivious to our laughing.

Just when we thought it was all over, two more women came out onto the deck. Not as intoxicated, but still as funny. The laughter started all over again, when poor old Blake was compared to a "Hodag!" Rod defended his dogs honor, and the one of the women said something snippy that I couldn't hear (due to the brain blockage I was having from laughing so hard), and they left.

Robbi seems to have an undiscovered talent. She is able to take pictures of large groups of people, and include herself at the same time!!! WOW!! We were all very impressed!! This picture was taken PRE hysterical moments of laughter!

Shakes, Dj, me, Rod, and Robbi!

After we finally composed ourselves, we called it a night!

I might put up a few more pics next week. I only wish I had Robbi and my scary attempt at taking our own photos!! but just for good measure....here's one of Robbi!! :)

The art of food!

2008-09-18T18:23:00.000-05:00

A friend emailed me a bunch of photos of wierd things people do with their food. I think it's rather cool!

I picked this specific picture to cheer up our good friend, Sir Jack! Hope it makes you smile!

I gotta get outta here!!!!!

And just a bonus for your day.....we all need a little laughter.....

Cat in a Box..and one Crazy Squirrel!

2008-09-13T17:17:00.000-05:00

My cat Louise does a lot of strange things. She likes to sleep under the covers, stalk the dogs, and sit in the water dish when it is empty. This morning I found her sleeping in an old shoe box. Funny thing is....it was in the garbage can...or at least it was. I have no idea how she got it out of there, but here she is....enjoying her victory.

And if that wasn't strange enough....I had an encounter with a very unusual squirrel this morning.

There I was...just minding my own buisness. The rain was slightly trickling down from the leaves above. I hear a noise...I look up..see nothing. I turn, go round the side of the garage. I drop the garbage bag, I had hauled out of the house, into the trash bin. I hear the noise again. I spin around to see what is making this noise. It is a strange sort of squeaky noise....like right out of National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation. You know the part I am talking about. If you don't...here is a clip to refresh your memory.

Anyway, back to my story. I kept hearing this squeaky sound. Then, as if out of no where...BAM! I got hit in the head with something. At first I thought a bird pooped on me, but I saw this object bounce across the ground. I looked up...saw nothing. I raced across the grass, and investigated the foreign object. To my surprise...it was an acorn. I looked up again, saw nothing. So what did I do next? Well, I sat down in my tree swing. I felt a bit foolish sitting there in the rain watching the cars go by. However, I was not about to leave until I had found my attacker.

A few minutes went by, then BAM! Another acorn hit the tree swing...barely missing me. I looked up, but again I saw nothing. Just a few branches moving in the wind. Well now I was mad. I stood up, and watched the tree above swaying back and forth. Then....I saw him! Or should I say her!! What a sneaky little squirrel. I snuck up to the base of the tree, and peered up into the branches. She took aim....fire again!!! Missed me! I picked up the acorn, and threw it back at the squirrel. (I know, I know) It NEVER moved! It was daring me to chuck another one. But I did something that it did not expect....I let the dogs out! It freaked...and ran up the tree.

After that, it dissapeared....but only for a moment. I put the dogs back in the house, and went to pick up the acorns from the battle. I put them into a pile at the base of the tree. I am, afterall, and animal lover. I didn't want it to starve. I walked out onto the sidewalk, and there she was. She was sitting up in the tree, peering down at me. I could only imagine that she was saying...."This is not over.....not over by a long shot!" I half expected her to "Pull a Focker" on me. The good old "I'm watching you" motion that was shared in that movie.

Well you know what Squirrel...I'm watching you too! Here is the infamous squirrel. I think it is a girl. I wonder why?

Jupiter visible tonight!! Time for Fall!! Kittens!!

2008-09-10T13:30:00.000-05:00

It's those chilly morning's that I long for after the heat of summer. I love this time of year. There are many things that spark the start of fall for me. Whether it be the stars, the colours, or just a good latte....I can feel it in the air! Fall is starting its arrival.

Every year, the leaves on the trees in my yard are always the last ones to drop. However, something is happening this year that I did not expect. They have already started turning, and the leaves are dropping like crazy. This is very strange. We have lived in this house for 7 years, and have always had the unwanted privledge of cleaning up everyone else's leaves in November. They always blow down to our house, and since our trees are the last ones to go, we never rake them up till after Halloween. Looks like we will be doing some early clean up this year. I don't know what's going on. Call it global warming, call it mother nature....what ever it is....it is a bit out of sorts. Can this really be happening so early?

Fall really starts for me in an unconventional way. I am VERY partial to pumpkin. It does not matter how it is prepared. It could be pumpkin pie, pumpkin juice, pumpkin patte.....doesn't matter. I love it!!! Every year about this time, Starbucks (my weakness) brings in my favourite drink of all time. It is the famous Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Latte. It is to die for!! I had been waiting almost a year to have a cup of this!

I work in a area where there is a Starbucks just down the street. The people who work at this specific Starbucks are simply wonderful. I am sad yet happy to say that they know me very well! I am there every morning. They know me by name, and by my car. I think it is hillarious....my hubby thinks I go there too much. Hmmmm.....I think he might be on to something....but I will never admit that to him! There are a few girls in the morning who are a joy to talk to. They even let me take their photograph the other day for the blog! Sweet gals...and they make one mean cup of Pumpkin Spice Latte!!!

There are many other things that make me think of Fall, but the Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Latte has to top the list!!

One of the other things that tops the list, is the beautiful stars that you can see this time of year. Last night we were honored with a visit from Jupiter. That's right....the planet Jupiter! It was literally following the moon last night, and what a sight to see. We had perfectly clear skies, and were able to watch the show. My camera failed me though, and I was not able to capture Jupiter on film. This was as close as I was able to get. Jupiter shines upper right of the Moon. Although they look close together, Jupiter is 1,750 times farther away, and is 40 times larger! Jupiter's arrival has been going on for the last few days, but last night and tonight looks like the best time to get out there and see it for yourself!! Just look to the right of the moon!

STAR WATCHING TONIGHT!!!!

Jupiter's Red Spot transits around 8:47 p.m. EDT.

Watch Jupiter's moon Europa slowly reappear from eclipse out of Jupiter's shadow around 11:20 p.m. EDT. It'll be barely east of the planet. (For a listing of all events among Jupiter's moons this month, visible worldwide!!!

Jupiter, Mars, and Venus will be visible tonight right after sunset if you have a telescope. Go here for more information on what you will be able to see over the next few days. http://www.skyandtelescope.com/observing/ataglance

It really is an amazing September for star watching!! Get out there, and see what the sky holds for you! You will be able to see Jupiter again tonight with the naked eye, although a telescope will make the large red spot on Jupiter more visible.

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KITTEN UPDATES!!!

I have had a lot of requests about the 2 kittens that are being treated at our clinic right now. They are both doing well, and one of them has found a home with one of our technicians. His new name is Lincoln, but I call him Captain. I like to be different. You may remember that his legs were both broken. Sad to say, that they are still broken after several weeks of treatment, but one of the legs seems to be on the mend. Here he is in all his feline glory!!

The other kitten, which is now named Abby, is still without a home. She is just the sweetest thing ever!! Her wounds are also healing nicely, and in about 2 weeks she should be able to be without her bandages. She is in foster care at the local humane society, and makes the trip to our clinic 3 times a week for bandage changes, and a progress check. I would adopt her myself if I wasn't already at maximum capacity. Again, I have to be different, so I have dubbed her "Peg". She's a snuggler for sure, and I will get some ore photos of her this week to show you all.

Harley Davidson is following me!! (Kinda)

2008-09-01T19:50:00.000-05:00

THANKS FOR THE MEMORIES HARLEY DAVIDSON!!!!

August 30th was my 5th wedding anniversary! I can't believe it has been 5 years already. Seems like it was only yesterday. In fact, this year's anniversary was like walking back in time. Sean and I were married on the 100th anniversary of Harley Davidson, back in 2003. However, at the time, we didn't know how much the Harley festival would impact our wedding. There were so many bikes in downtown Milwaukee that day that we couldn't get to our rehearsal dinner. It was an amazing site to see all those bikes, and my grandparents from England were just thrilled to see them all. We eventually did make it to our destination, and had a wonderful dinner.

The next day, we were married at 3pm, outside of the Country Springs Hotel. At 4pm, I was having pictures taken outside the hotel, and I was approached by several Harley riders who were headed out to the festivities. They wanted me and my bridesmaids to pose in our "get up" on their Harleys. Of course, we oblidged, and took a few photos of our own. It was a great time. Thanks to Robbi....I took some photos of photos to show you....they aren't the best since they are blurry and grainy....but it will do for now till I can get some proper photos to show you guys! My face looks fat now that I took the digital photo of the original photo LOL

The owner of one of the bikes gets in the pic!

This brings me to the title of this blog. This past weekend, again on our anniversary, Harley Davidson had their 105th anniversary. Normally, al the festivities are held at State Fair Park or downtown Milwaukee. This year, we got the surprise of our life when we found out that our town of Waukesha would be having their own Harley Festival. You can read about that on their web page http://www.105thweekendinwaukesha.com/

To my knowledge, Waukesha has never done anything like this before. The entire downtown area was closed off for the 4 day event. Harleys were EVERYWHERE!! Some of my neighbors rented their houses out to the bikers, and the party began! We live pretty close to the downtown area, and all hours of the day and night you could hear the bikes driving past our house. Little kids set up lemonade stands for the bikers, and everywhere you went, you could see signs to welcome the Harley group to Waukesha. The town really did a nice job getting big name bands to come and play, such as Blues Traveler, Montgomery Gentry, Bodeans, Los Lobos, and a few others.

On Saturday, our anniversary, we headed down with our dog Lolita to check out what was going on. To our SHOCK, we saw a massive stage erected in Cutler Park adjacent to the local library. The entire area was packed with people and bikes! We were so taken back by the amount of people there. It was like nothing we had ever seen before. I looked at my hubby, and he looked at me with this puzzled face. I knew what he was thinking, because I was thinking the same thing...."When the H-E- Double hockey sticks did that stage go up?" I live right down the road, and never saw a thing. But there it was. A massive stage. Not just a small run of the mill badly put together thing....but a proper HUGE stage with lighting and everything...right smack dab in the middle of a park...complete with trees, a swing set, and the local library!!

Waukesha really did out do themselves! It was the best time ever! A 4 day event to celebrate Harley Davidson, and the promote Waukesha! There must have been hundreds of thousands of people there. It truly was a sight to see. The screams and cheers of the crowd as the bands took the stage, the beer flowing widly, the different types of bikes...all the colors, and decorations, people from all over the world...and best of all.....my hubby and I once again being followed by Harley Davidson! It was wonderful, and brought back so many memories of our wedding. The only trouble now is....my hubby wants a motorcycle. He says it's fate.

Here are some pictures that I was able to take. Some of them might be dark because....well....it was night time :)

Miss Lolita checking out the Harleys

No no Sean....you CANNOT buy a Harley!! End of story...

Not sure what this is....but it was still fun to look at

The Waukesha Farmer's Market gets set up for food tents

And the Harley's start to roll in

The crowds get larger, the beer starts pouring, and the stage lights up!

Here is a short video of the country singer, Montgomery Gentry, singing the night away. This was as close as I could get, there were just so many people. If I had to guess, I would say at least 5000 people were between me and the stage. It was that packed!!! I mean...imagine standing the middle of a closed off road.....right in Cutler Park where you walk by everyday.......seeing all these people in your town.....this massive stage....big name bands.....I was really having a great time!! Keep in mind....this park is not really a big park.....but it sure packed in a LOT of people!

In the Spirit of the Olympics!

2008-08-24T17:00:00.000-05:00

This is Paul Hunt.....well......kind of. Just something funny to watch, and yet very technical! He is a great gymnist, and comedian! Enjoy!

Public Enemies and Harry Potter will duke it out in July!

2008-08-20T15:08:00.000-05:00

VERSUS

I am a major Harry Potter fan, as many of you know. Not only do I think that J.K. Rowling wrote the most amazing set of books, but the movies have captavated audiences everywhere. To me, the books seem to have really taught children around the world that there is a lot more to life than just watching the tv.

I've been following the making of the Public Enemies movie since March, and met a whole bunch of great people since it all started. (Including Mr. Johnny Depp) It is going to be a GREAT movie...and I can't wait to see it!!

*now correct me on dates if I am wrong*

Harry Potter was set to premier in November, but much to my dissapointment....Warner Bros has pushed the release date back to 7/17/09. This has made a lot of avid Potter fans a bit disgruntled....including me.

July of 2009 is going to be THE month for movies for sure! Public Enemies has a tenative release date of 7/1/09.

So, if 7/1 is the release date for Public Enemies...and 7/17 is the Potter debut....we are going to have one heck of a blockbuster summer!! There is no doubt in my mind that Public Enemies will get some major attention, and even earn some of the actors an oscar nomination....but can it keep up the grosses if Harry Potter comes to the foreground? The time between the 2 movies is just over 2 weeks, and I would love to see Public Enemies claim the #1 spot for longer than that! Now don't get me wrong....I LOVE the Potter films, but Public Enemies holds a special meaning to me, and to a lot of other people!

If release dates change, and the 2 movie release dates end up coinciding with one another.....I have to say Public Enemies will be the movie that I go to see! (Sorry Harry)

What about you guys?

The reason I have so many pets, and the one I lost

2008-08-15T18:01:00.000-05:00

**Edited (2nd part never uploaded)

"How come you have so many animals?" This is the question I get asked all the time from clients at work, and people that I meet. It's not a hard question to answer really. I have a soft spot for all animals, especially those in need. Most of my pets have come from similar situations as the following two kitties. All of them, in some way shape or form, have needed help from humans in order to survive.

I want to thank the local humane society for trying to help not only these 2 kittens, but all the pets that go through the shelters on a yearly basis. They really do a lot for the community!

I decided that I would just show the pictures of the 2 kittens we are trying to help at the moment. I was going to write what actually happened to both of them, but decided it was too graphic for the blog. They both need homes through the local animal shelter, but I am not sure when they will actually go up for adoption.

The first kitten is 8 weeks old, and has 2 broken legs. The 2nd Kitten has a sad story, and although it looks like she is in a cast, it is not. It is just a bandage. I would tell you what happened to her, but I think it might be too disturbing for some to read.

This is how I end up with most of my pets. My heart goes out to both the animals, and the people trying to help them. Each of my pets have similar stories, and that is why I cannot say no. However, the Inn is full. And it will be full for some time. If it weren't ful...kitten #2 would be at my house as we speak. I am in love with her! Both of the kittens are purring machines, even though horrible things have happened to them. However, "calle" as we have named her...has a place in my heart forever. She is a wonderful kitty, and even though she is in pain, she wants to snuggle with you, and love you.

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I also want to share with you the one pet that I recently lost. I say recent, because the memory of this pet will live forever in my heart. It has been two years now since Sabre passed away, and I think about him all the time. I rescued him in 2006, and he only lived with me for about 3 months. He was an Oriental Shorthair, and I LOVED him! He had a very bad heart problem, and his poor little body could not keep up.

He died 8/14/06 from Congestive heart failure at the age of 2.

My very first Green Bay Packers game!!

2008-08-12T18:48:00.000-05:00

Friday night, I got to attend my very first Packers game ever! I was truly excited, even though I was feeling sickly, even though it was just a preseason game, even though there was no Brett Favre. Perfect weather, although the wind in the stadium did get a bit cooler as the night went on. (Hence me in the sweater...I SWEAR I have the green and gold on underneath!)

We got up to Green bay just after 5pm, and headed off to Kroll's Buger stand where there was a large gathering of fans eating burgers, brats, and listening to music. There was so much traffic everywhere, and the lines for food were just as daunting, so we headed into Lambeau Field. Armed with our tickets, some cushions, a blanket, and our sweaters....we quickly found our seats. WHAT A VIEW!! I had bought the tickets off my boss, who has season tickets, and their seats were 8th row right behind the endzone!!! I was SHOCKED! You could literally reach out, and touch the players as they practiced right before our very eyes. My hubby looked like a kid in a candy shop! He has been to a couple of games before, but NEVER sat this close!

You could tell the fans were tense about seeing the Packers play wihtout Favre. Some were sitting quietly, munching on popcorn. Others were discussing what the Pack could have done to keep Favre. The anticipation was almost too much much for some to bear, as we waited breathlessly to see the first glimpse of our beloved team.

I spent a few years living in Cincinnati, Ohio before moving back to England, then eventually to Wisconsin. So, the Cincinnati Bengals hold a special place in my heart from when I was growing up. It was great to see my 2 favourite teams lined up to battle each other!

The stadium started filling up quickly....from just a few folks watching practice ...... to an entirly full stadium in less than half an hour!

After the national anthem was sang and the "G-Force" Flag was raised, the cheerleaders, and the Tundra band set up to introduce the green Bay Packers to the eager football fans awaiting the season to begin. I was worried that there might be some "booing" going on....with all the drama surrounding the Packers and Brett Favre. However, they were met with a huge round of applause from the crowd!

Then, it was game time. For the first time in Packers history....Aaron Rogers #12, set foot on the field as the team's quarterback. Again, I was nervous that he might get booed....but something happened that I never expected. The crowd got to their feet, and I heard the most MASSIVE applause I have ever heard in my life. They were yelling, and screaming, and clapping...a standing ovation for the new quarterback!! I did my best to scream with the rest of them, but my poor little throat could not keep up....so I whistled instead. I was happy that Aaron Rogers had been met with such love from the fans. It truly goes to show you that Packer's fans are the GREATEST football fans in the world!! We love our team!!

Aaron Rogers did his best. It can't be easy to lead such a great team for the first time, with all the rumors and drama from the past couple of months. He did make 1 interception, but hey....how many had Favre had in his career? He did make a great pass to Jones for a touchdown. That got the crowd to their feet...especially seeing Jones rush in for the TD with no helmet on! I would have taken a picture, but I was caught up in the moment. Rogers only played for a quarter, and a half, then it was time for the others to show us what they had! 4th quater....Touchdown again!! But it was not enough to bring the Pack to their first victory of the season, and they fell to the Bengals 17-20.

It was just a preseason game, so I am interested to see how the rest of the year pans out. I hope Aaron Rogers all the best of luck, and the rest of the Pack as well. They are going to show us some great things this year!

Life without Brett Favre....my take:

Personally, I was dissapointed and upset when I heard that Brett will be playing for another team. My hubby more so than me. He grew up watching that man make history, and now he is gone. The Packers will always be the team for us....no matter who is the quarterback. I don't know exactly who is at fault for what has happened between favre and the Packers...nor do I know if anyone is really at fault at all. I don't really care to know. So I say.....life will go on without Favre. The other players are going to show us that it's not just Brett that made the team so much fun to watch....it's not just him that held the talent on the team....ALL those players have something to offer, and they are going to prove that to the fans this year!

Life without Brett Favre....from the stadium:

Not everyone in the stadium was happy to see another person at quarterback. There were signs everywhere saying "Fire Thompson", "Bring back Brett", "No Rogers"...the list goes on....But there were signs to the opposite as well. It seems that the fans are divided, but when push comes to shove....they are Packers fans at heart...and will continue to support their team till the very end!

Check out these signs I found around where I was sitting. Look really closely....everything happens so fast when you are at a game.

Will pay 20 million dollars for Ted Thompson to retire (LOL) The one below it says "It's okay Thompson....we all make mistakes...with a bunch of pictures on it I couldn't see.

I bought these tickets to see Chad Johnson (WTH?)

I think this one says ESPN - Eagerly supporting the Packers Nation

I had a great time at the game! Lambeau Field is truly an amazing experience. The atmosphere is intoxicating, and so many people really LOVE this team! I Never realized however, that the team stopped playing every few minutes...and the cheerleaders or band would come out to play. I kept wondering what the heck was going on. Then it came to my attention that they were stopping to take a commercial. A COMMERCIAL!! When did they start doing that?? Here are a few random shots of fans, and the team.

The team sets up for a practice

#80 Donald Driver RIGHT IN FRONT OF ME!!

Aaron Rogers #12...first huddle as the new quarterback for the Packers!

I was too caught up in the moment to get the first Lambeau leap on camera...this is what was left of the group as I struggled around in my purse to find my camera.

5,000 Calories in 20 minutes!

2008-08-10T21:56:00.001-05:00

Well, it's another summer almost over, and another great year for the Wisconsin State Fair. I spent a few days this past week down at the fairgrounds, and as I meandered through the crowds, it dawned on me that there are several things that are certain to happen.

1.) You will always find something to purchase, even if you are out of money, and know you shouldn't buy it.

2.) When you walk past the booths in the expo center, and come across one of those "seen on tv" booths, you are garunteed either a good laugh, or a hard get away. This was my favorite sales guy this year at the fair.

3.) No matter what time of the day you go, there will always be drunk people.

4.) The animals are too cute, and people always flock to the baby animals, making it virtually impossible for you to see them.

5.) Your friends will always want to sit and listen to a band play, no matter how awful or good they are, leaving you to wonder if you should hang around or try to make a mad dash to the bathroom.

6.) The food and drink are always going to be expensive, and you find yourself leaving the fair with about $1 and some change, thinking about things like " I could really use a drink right now, and if I hadn't of had that 4th corndog...I could buy one"

7.) The lines for food are going to be astronomical, especially around Saz's, the cream puff place, and the mini donut stand. (a personal fav)

8.) If you go and play bingo....a few things are going to undoubtably happen. 1.) Someone is going to yell bingo when they don't really have it 2.) Someone walking by will yell bingo just to mess with the crowd 3.) When somebody actually does get bingo, you will hear a loud groaning noise from all the other people around you....followed by a few choice swear words.

9.) You will consume 4 times the amount of calories as any one normal person should eat.

And that brings me to "5,000 calories in 20 minutes"

I had a great time at the fair this year. I went several times, and ate way too much food. Since the fair only comes once a year, I figured...hey, what the heck....I'm going to pig out. Well Friday night was the most disasterous evening I have ever had at the fair. My friends, and I, went crusining the fair after work. I thought it would be a good idea to eat anything that I could find that was made on a stick! Well, the plan started working out well until I realized that I was getting....well.....um....sick. I had eaten about 40 pounds of cheese in like 20 minutes....and my body just could not keep up. However, I persisted....like I said....it only comes once a year. What can I say...I had a goal....I had to sample every food that came on a stick. And here we go.....

But not everything that was sampled came on a stick. I endulged in way too much junk food, and even some food that should be healthy for you.....unless it is deep fried!!

Dippin Dots Ice Cream....I LOVE this stuff!!

I was puzzled by the illusive "bacon on a stick". I was told that it was being sold at the fair, but I could not find it anywhere. Is it a myth? All in all, it was another great year at the fair. I even got see some of my winning entries, and check out the last picture...I caught these two pups napping away in one of the booths.

On Friday night, my friends and I listened to this really good band calle "Rhythm Method". They sang virtually anything from oldies to Journey to Queen....they were really good!!!

I find myself today with the dreaded summer cold. So as much as I would like to keep on blogging about my adventures...I'm afraid I will be headed off to bed. Hope you all had a great weekend!!

A birthday apology to my furry family!

2008-08-05T21:12:00.000-05:00

I was finally able to get some pictures up on blogger today. So this Blog is about...well...my dogs!

It was brought to my attention last night, as I blogged about Lolita, that I neglected to say Happy Birthday to the other pets in the house this year. So as an apology to them....here we go!

I have a lot of animals, and so far...4 of them have had birthdays. First up....Anubis (a.k.a Mr. Big) And no...he is not named for the guy on "sex in the city". When I adopted Anubis, he weighed 12 pounds, and was slightly underweight. He is a big cat in general, but now he weighs 20 pounds!! I am a bad mom :( I have recently put him on a diet, much to his dismay, and he will be reweighed in a few weeks. He has a lot of quirks....first of all he is an all white cat with partial deafness. (and not the selective kind) Some white cats are born like this. He also has 1/4 of a tail. It got kinked, either by a birth defect or accident when he was on the lamb. He was found in a garage, and was covered in dirt and grossness...it was only after the shelter gave him a bath that they found out he was a white cat! He also literally sings for his supper! If you don't feed him at a specific time...you will NOT hear the end of it. Hence the saying in my house....who's in charge here?

Happy Birthday Anubis 1/10/99

Next up on the forgotten birthday list is Louise. She is a sweetie pie for sure! Can't believe I forgot her bday this year! Again, terrible mom. Louise was adopted while my hubby and I were on vacation in Iron Mountain, MI. It was our 1 year anniversary, and we were outside on the dock reading the paper by the river. We came across this page where the cats from the local animal shelter were listed with photos, and we fell in love with her. Next thing you, we were at the shelter, and she was ours. She never utters a peep unless she is in the car. She HATES the car! She loves to snuggle under blankets, and loves her little tree house. She does NOT like her brother, Anubis, one bit! However, I did catch them "sleeping" together the other day. Her other feline brother, Rupert, is a little harder to snap a photo of...so we wont see him for a while LOL

Happy Birthday Louise 1/30/2004

Here are the pair....sleeping the night away

Then we have the captain himself. Captain Spike! He was the only dog that we ever purchased. In fact, I did not purchase him, my hubby did. He is a Rat Terrier, but looks like a Skipperkee. I guess that it is rare that a Rat Terrier would look like this, and it is not a favored color, but we love him anyway. He ADORES Bella, one of my other dogs, and LOVES playing with his ball! If you start playing fetch with him....he WILL NOT STOP! When I first met Spike, I was not actually married to my hubby....I just was just dating him. I had stopped over at his house to take a look at the puppy, and we were going to go out racing cars. ( I know..you don't have to say it LOL) Anyway, I had sat on the couch, and the little "sweety" peed on the back of my head! I was beside myself! Needless to say, 2 weeks later...he got neutered! The ultimate revenge! Now, we are the best of buds!

Happy Birthday Spike 6/24/98

And for the finale of Birthday's .... we have some pics of my little girl...Lolita! No need to say anymore....just look at her....my little little wonderful super smart, and well dressed girl! (And yes...she MIGHT be my fav)

Dog sitting.....get it?

Happy Birthday Lolita!

2008-08-04T18:39:00.000-05:00

HAPPY 6TH BIRTHDAY LOLITA!

Today is my dog, Lolita's (a.k.a Lita, Lita-pants) birthday! She is such a sweetheart! I fostered her pregnant mom for about one month before she gave birth to 8 healthy puppies on August 4th, 2002.

She is a very active dog who enjoys long walks, and dressing up. That's right...dressing up! She's been a pirate, Yoda, Princess Leia, an old woman in high heels, and a party animal! She also wear sunglasses everyday to protect her eyes when we ride in the car! She LOVES them! And so does everyone else we see. People stop and take her photo when she is out and about.

She is part Australian Cattle Dog, and part Shiba Inu....as far as we know. I couldn't imagine life without her...she's an absolute joy to be around!

She goes to Doggy Day Care every Friday to play with her friends, and was the dog of the month in May 2008. Here's a link to her pic...Click on dogs of the month, and scroll down to the May listing:

http://harmony-cbddc.dotphoto.com/CPListAlbums.asp

If you're feeling up to it...visit her dogster page to wish her a happy birthday! The site is a work in progress, as I have not added all my pets to it just yet. It's hard to snap a good photo of these dogs on the move!
http://www.dogster.com/dogs/613674

Happy Birthday my sweet little girl! Mommy loves you!

I'd add a picture to this post...but blogger won't let me for some reason...oh well.

Could this be Sir jack's ship?

2008-07-30T18:15:00.000-05:00

A few months ago, our friend Sir Jack, had his ship stolen by some ruthless ping-guins!!

Then, a mysterious piece of his ship shows up in the mail this week.

Sir Jack asked me to take a look around the beach today. As I stared out at the blue water...something caught my eye. I ran down to the beach to get a closer look. What is that floating in the water?

Could this be a piece of the ship? What are they up to? The mystery continues......

The Police and Elvis Costello Videos as promised!

2008-07-27T18:28:00.001-05:00

If you missed my blog about the Police Concert....please scroll down to the next blog :)

These videos are each 15-30 seconds long, so they are pretty short, and blurry (sorry). You might even get to hear me and some friends in one of them LOL (Prob not me though since I was too busy taking the videos to talk) You can't video something, drink a beer, and talk at the same time. Or can you.....

Here is what I could upload of the Elvis Costello part of the concert....

Here, Sting comes on stage to belt out a tune with Elvis Costello

The Police start with my FAVOURITE song, "Message in a bottle" I got to dancing in this video (and some of the others)...so I am sorry for all the shaking.

And here's a few more of my favourite songs.....

Gotta love "Wrapped around my finger" ( I know I do)

I had a few more to put up, but I guess this will do for now LOL

Rocking out at the Police concert....is that a Minxie doppleganger I see??

2008-07-26T23:30:00.000-05:00

Last night I had the extreme pleasure of attending the greatest concert ever with Elvis Costello and The Police! I grew up listening to my dad playing their records, and "jamming" to the music. I never thought in a million years that I would EVER get to see them perform live. When my friend, Donna, first asked me way back in March if I would like to go.....it was an immediate YES! Without hesitation! Seeing both Elvis Costello, and The Police, live and in concert was something that I could not pass up!

German Fest was going on at the Summerfest grounds when we arrived there last night, so of course we had to stop in for some good old fashioned Bratwurst. It was so humid that my pants were sticking to me, and I swear I made them grow 3 extra sizes....they were NOT that big when I put them on!! After we had our fill, we headed up to the Marcus Amphetheatre to watch Elvis Costello perfom. We arrived a bit too late, and only got to listen to 2 songs. Bummer for us. What we did see was wonderful! He was getting everyone on their feet....singing the songs, and just plain old rockin' out! I went down to the concert with 3 of my friends....Donna, Jeff, and Christine. As Elvis was singing his last song, we headed up to the grass area to get a beer, and take some photos. The crowd started screaming, and I swung around at an all too familiar, and soothing sound.....Sting had come on stage to sing with Elvis, and belt out a wail so long that I thought the man was gonna keel over, and pass out. Only Sting can sing like that! I quickly turned on my camera, and video taped all 20 seconds that I could. Elvis was on stage for about an hour, before saying goodnight.

Now one thing I had forgotten about going to concerts is the atmosphere. Let me tell you it was packed full of energy! Not an empty seat in the house as far as I could see. The air smelled like a mixture of beer, and cigs, and everywhere I went I was butted up against someone else. Now if you know me well, I don't like to be touched by a bunch of strangers. I really hate it when some grabs the back of my neck, even if it is a joke. (I have a lot of friends who enjoy pranking me, by sticking a pen on my neck, and watching me freak out LOL.) So being stuck in a place with thousands of people in hot, humid weather can make me a bit cranky. However, nothing was going to spoil my fun that night! So I stood there with my friends, spilling beer on people (on accident), snapping pictures, yelling at the top of my lungs, and having a blast!

Once the stage had been prepared for The Police, the lights went out, reggae music started paying, and on they came. First up on the bracket was my FAVORITE song, "Message in a Bottle". I freaked out, and started jumping around like an idiot! A beer in one hand, and camera in the other. I feel kinda bad because I got so excited that I spilt some on a girl in front of me. (Sorry person in front of me)

THE POLICE WERE AMAZING! It is the ONLY band I have heard that still sounds the same today, as they did back then. Every note, every syllable, every rythmic key....all the same, and it was an awe-inspiring sight for me to see. Sting's voice is just incredible.

Sting looked GOOD! My friends and I just added him to our "list"....I am sure I don't need to explain that one...right?

They played one great song after another. I can't remember when I have had such a great time! I got a little giddy when they started singing "Wrapped Around my Finger", since that was the first song I EVER remember listening to. I kept thinking about how my dad would have loved to see this show. It brought back a lot of memories of when I was younger. My sister used to run around the room yelling that song, as she showed everyone her finger. Not that middle finger....just any finger.....then she would tie things around her finger, and start singing away! I have to admit...I did that too!

Needless to say that the beer had kicked in for my friends, and it was time for a bathroom break. I headed down to buy a t-shirt, and get a beer. As we were standing there getting our shirts, I missed one of my favourite songs... "Roxanne". I was a bit bummed, but at least I could hear it. The Police really know how to put on a show! In 3 weeks, I hear (now keep in mind this could be untrue) that all the equipment, including the drums, will be auctioned on ebay. If that is true, I know a few people who are going to battle it out for those drums!

Here are some pics, andI was able to take for you guys! I will upload some video once I figure out how to do it LOL....It seems that not only does the computer NOT want to upload my Public Enemies Video...but my My Police videos as well. I must be doing something wrong! Any suggestions???

The gang runs in to an old friend!

Here is me...rockin' the Police shirt on a HUMID Wisconsin night!

As far as the Minxie Doppleganger goes.....

For those of you who don't know what a doppleganger is....it is someone's twin. I use that word all the time, and from what I have heard today.....I understand a certain someone uses that word as well....who may have seen my friend Christine the Doppleganger! And if that is the case....then she may have seen me too!

I have known this person for about a year. Her name is Christine, and she is a friend of Donna, who came with us last night. I first met her at a halloween party when she was dressed up as a pirate. When I first met Minxie online, I thought it was Christine. They truly look the same, sans the blue eyes, in person. They even talk basically the same. I showed Christine a picture of Minxie, and she thought they looked alike as well. I screamed " She is your Doppleganger!" To which I had to explain what that was LOL

I thought I would leave it up to you guys...do you think that they look alike...or not? Sorry but the pics aren't exactly positioned the way I wanted them.

This is Christine... This is Minxie......

Getting back my inspiration at the WI State Fair!

2008-07-24T21:03:00.000-05:00

I've always had a passion for writing. Throughout my entire life, I have been a dreamer. Always watching, laughing, smiling, and thinking. Thinking about ways to write down the experiences that I have had, and how I could make those experiences interesting enough for others to want to read. I have written 4 books, and they lay still upon a shelf in my office. Why you ask? I am not sure. Perhaps it is because I can't seem to find the satisfaction in them, that I want others to feel. If I don't enjoy them, then I am sure others will not as well. Then again, maybe it is because I cannot find the right way to end the tales, or perfect my characters enough for the world to see. So I succomb to the dreaded writer's block. It has been that way for some time now, and until today, I did not see that relenting in anyway. Now I do not consider myself a writer that could stand up to the reflections of say Hans Christian Anderson, or the numerous amazing authors I have had the privledge of reading. I do, however, share their passion and excitement for wanting to bring thoughts and ideas to life for others to enjoy.

It all started this morning, as I sat sipping my coffee on the sofa, going over my recipes for the Wisconsin State Fair. I began to realize that in many ways, cooking is like writing. They both take a great deal of effort, and once the product is completed, you should feel a sense of relief, and accomplishment. If I could feel that way about cooking, why couldn't I feel that way about my writing? I used to feel that way about my stories, but latley I have felt dissapointed in the way I chose to present the characters to the world. I let that feeling slip from my mind, as I hurried about the house gathering up my breads and jam. It was already 10am when I left the house, and I only had one hour to make it to the fair in time. No problem, I thought to myself. Little did I know, that there was a huge accident on the freeway, and traffic was backed up for miles. So there I sat, at a stand still, on I-94 on a hot mid summer day. I was frustrated, and worried that all my baked goods would start to go bad in the car. Then, almost as if "someone" was hearing my thoughts, traffic started to move. I decided to pull off the freeway, and take some side streets instead. I saw this car pass me on the left, and pull right in front of me. I should have laid on the horn, but all I could do was smile. My friend Minxie says to look for the signs, and this was a big one! Just as suddenly as my frustration came, it quickly lifted at the sight of this car. I am sure many of you know why.
Once I reached the fair, I was in high spirits! I took my number, and waited to be called so that I could hand in my 4 entries of the day. They were pumpkin bread, white bread, scones, and strawberry jam. After my number was called, I reparked my car, and came inside to meet with my mother. The room was bustling with eager exhibitors awaiting their turn to show off the items they had taken so long to create. Afgans, and quilts of all shapes and colors hung from the rafters within the horticultural building. The magnificent assorment of textiles was truly something to be seen, and they had been judged the week prior. Today was reserved for pies, cookies, breads, salsas, and an allotment of multiple creations. I obliged some of my friends with a run to McDonalds. Everyone was hungry, looking at the tasty arrangements of foods which lay before us. It is a very hard thing to witness such mouth watering creations, and not be able to eat one morsel.
The aroma of freshly baked breads, scrumptious cookies, and envigorating salsa lingered in the air as I arrived back at the fair. Everyone dove right into their "not so good for you" lunch. The judges arrived on the scene just minutes before all the excitement began. Food was hurried back and forth to all the judges, and the crowd sat patiently as each category was judged one by one. After each class was judged, the winners (1st-4th place) were announced across the loud speaker, which in turn was met with cheers and applause from the crowd of on lookers.

It was taking a long time for them to get to my entries, and since I was dying of thirst, I decided to take a look around the fair grounds for some water. Have you ever wondered what the state fair looks like before the crowds pile in for some summer fun? Well, let me tell you, I was intruiged. The grounds were full of life everywhere I went. At one point, I thought I might run into some trouble, and hid behind a pilar under the Milwaukee Mile Race Track. The bleachers were empty, and the tents were all set up for the array of vendors that would soon occupy the space.

What I didn't expect to hear, or see, was race cars! That's right....race cars! As I stood there, under the bleachers, the loud and furious sounds of engines swept by me, peeking my curiosity. Sadly, I could not see very well from where I was standing, so I let my imagination take me away. That is the exact moment when I realized....I still had it in me. The ability to imagine myself in a far off place, to put myself in someone else's shoes, to take my experiences and relive them through writing.

The sun was beating down upon me, as I walked further into the state fair. Out of no where, one of the workers came up to me and told me about a vendor on the other side of the fairgrounds that was open for business. So off I went in search again for some water. It was futile to try and use the various water fountains that I passed, since they hardly worked. I reached Mr Ed's Chuckwagon, and ordered a brat (my weakness) for my mum and I to share, and a bottle of water. At that point, I would have settled for a beer, but the water was like heaven to me!

I made it back to the fair just in time to see my pumpkin bread disqualified, as I knew it would be. It had not turned out as well as I had hoped. My mood began to shift once more into frustration. I had worked so hard to make all these things for someone else, and I should have been making them for me. Just like I should have been writing for me, not for someone else. All was not lost though. My white bread was up on the judges table, along with 7 others. I grabbed my copy of the Public Enemies book I had brought with me, and buried myself within its pages. I did not want to see my poor bread suffer the same fate as the one before it. But to my surprise, 4th place! Not bad.

Next up came the Strawberry Jam. My history of jam making in this category has not gone down very well. Needless to say, I have NEVER placed at all at the state fair with my strawberry jam. I watched, nervously, as the judge surveryed all 8 participants jars, and pushed mine off to the side. I thought, oh no....here we go again....another year at the fair...another year of not being placed. I turned to a friend of mine, and repeated what I said last year. "I will never enter this category ever again. It is always jam packed full of people, and I am always the first one to be discarded." To which she agreed, and that was one of the reasons she did not enter the strawberry jam category either. Then all of a sudden the judge was at the microphone......1st place for me! I could NOT believe it! I wanted to jump, to scream, to take back the words I had uttered not moments before. I had beaten my mum, her friend, and all the other people in that class. My hope was restored, and my mind began racing with the tales that I would tell my friends when I got home. My mum looked at me with that look that only a mum can give you. The one that says I am proud of you, without even having to say a word. I too, was proud of her. She had recieved the Berry Growers Association award for her cherry pie, and countless other ribbons, and places, for her various jams and jellies.

I needed a bit of fresh air, so I once again strolled outside to enjoy the sunshine. I walked up and down the fair. I snapped a few photos, and rested on a picnic table near some pink petunias. I closed my eyes, and let the sun wash over me. I felt peaceful, and calm, not like the past few days when all I felt was frustration. I thought about the words that were so eloquently written by our fellow Captain Jack a few days ago on his blog. I understood completly how he feels about having writer's block. Sitting there on the bench, I realized that all I needed was the inspiration to start writing my ideas down. Even if they are just that....ideas. Some of the best novels in history have come from a single idea. It is that one spark of that single idea that can arrise the passion within the soul. Whether it be the smile of a child, the sounds of a passing car, or sitting on a picnic bench staring up at the sun.

I had been at the fair for 9 hours now, and my scones were next up on the table. I saw 21 entries in this class, and thought I had no chance. I had been disheartened when the same scones had not placed at the county fair last week, and even more so when I saw how many people had entered into the scone category at the state fair. One by one, I saw the scones pass by me on their way to the dreaded "rejection" table. Now, I don't like to use that word since no one should feel rejected if you tried your best, but still...there it was...staring me in the face like a bad dream. I nervously stared at each plate as they went by, but mine was not there. I grasped my mum's arm, and hung on for dear life. She, in turn, did the same to me. We were both as anxious as each other since we were both in the scone class. More and more plates passed us, as we watched helpless. Then the judge came up to the microphone. 2nd place for my mum, and 4th for me! Again, I couldn't believe it. Now you may think 4th place is not very high, but considering it came 4th out of 21 entries....that's pretty good...and I was happy.

After that, I went over to the photography board. I had entered 2 photos of my dogs, and my friend. I should have entered the pics of Columbus, but alas....I did not. Next year however, they will be entered. Neither of my photos had won, so I quickly gathered them up, and headed off to take some photos of the empty fairgrounds.

This is what the Horticultural Building looks like before everything is added

The famous Lions Corn Roasting booth! I hear it is their 50th anniversary at the fair!

So what bands are playing this year?

And this sign says it all....a French Booth (Thinking of Johnny when I was there LOL) that makes Cheese Curds!!!

When I left the fair, I felt that accomplishment that I have been needing for so long. I may not have placed as high as I would have liked, and I may not have won with all my entries, but I found something much more valuable. I found the inner artist that has been laying dormant for so long. At the end of the day, I finally understood that it did not matter to me what other's thought about my stories, just as long as I enjoyed them. As I said cooking is like writing. You hope that other's will enjoy what you create, but all in all....it is the creator that truly has to appreciate what they are doing, and be satisfied with the result. I will not go as far as saying that my writer's block is cured, but it is on the mend. In the words of my friend The Captain, "They tell writers to find some medium in which to put words even when in the grips of a writer's meltdown, and putting anything down at all helps to reestablish your connection with words." That is why I decided it was time to take a simple idea, and try to focus on getting some of that connection back that I have missed for so long. I found inspiration through my friends, writing on the blog, and just taking a moment to stand still and think. The next thing I need to work on, is my spelling!

Chandi the dancing dog!

2008-07-23T17:27:00.000-05:00

Being an animal lover, it was hard not to smile at the videos my friend sent me. Here are 2 for you to take a look at. This is Chandi, the dancing dog, and his friend, Tina Humphrey's at the Cruft Show in England. They must have had to work VERY hard to get this down pat! It is the best dancing I have seen by far.....especially since there is a dog involved! Enjoy you guys! BTW - they are a little long, but worth the watch!! Chandi was adopted by Tina at the dog pound....truly inspiring!

The first video is up beat, and I LOVED it!!

This video is just AMAZING! The music made me all teary eyed. It is a beautiful slow dance with Tina and Chandi. They truly are wonderful together!

A surprise at the fair!

2008-07-20T20:51:00.000-05:00

First off, I want to say thanks to Shakes who brightened my most ever hectic week with a HILLARIOUS video of me, Minxie, Evan, JD, and JJ. Check it out at http://shaken-but.blogspot.com/

Now, onto the fair. I had very high hopes of being able to go to the Waukesha County Fair this weekend, but things were not shaping up well at all. First it was raining, then I had prior commitments, and to top it all off...I spent both Friday and Saturday...well....how should I say it....ummmm...."incapacitated". However, at 4pm this afternoon I got to finally attend the fair with my mum and hubby. I got the surprise of my life! Not only did I get 21 ribbons for my food, photos, and pottery, plus a reserve champion ribbon for my bread......but when I got there, I saw that I had also won the Red Star Yeast Award for my wheat bread!!! I couldn't believe it!

We had a GREAT time at the fair! I had so much food...including fries, corndogs, mini donuts, funnel cake, and 5 bottles of water! It was VERY HOT!! We played a few games, looked at the animals, and I even got to pet some stingrays! They are so slimy, but cool!

There were all sorts of events going on from Clog dancers, to Monster truck rides, camel rides, water balloon wars (which no one would do with me), and my FAVOURTIE......Pig races!!! The cloggers were dressed in 1920-1930's outfits. It took me back to the days of the Public Enemies filming!

Here are the Pig Races.....they had 3 separate races. 1st one was the little boy pigs, and Arnold SchwatzenHOGGER won! The 2nd one was the little girls, and although my favourite one didn't win, I still love her. Her name is Lindsay LoHAM. The last one was for the "foriegn" pigs from across the world, but I really think that they were made up LOL. I didn't see who won that one.

It was pretty funny...and they even had names of places that they came from....I giggled at AmsterHAM. LOL

Then there was this booth......I was curious....but didn't take the "test"

To top it all off, Hootie and the Blowfish were performing FOR FREE at the fair! Now, I have never been a huge Hootie fan, but they were still nice to watch. It was even better when I learned that the band had asked people to bring pencils, paper, and other school supplies instead of paying money to see the show. All of the school items will be donated to the Waukesha School District! How cool is that!

And what Wisconsin Fair would be complete without a visit to the Milk Booth?! Oh yes, I partook in a few glasses. All 3 flavours....original, strawberry, and chocolate.