Wednesday, March 28, 2007

Questions...answered

The following questions were given to me by Underachieving Mommy in response to my request to be interviewed.

If you would like to play along:

The Rules: Leave me a comment saying, "Interview me.” I respond by asking you five personal questions (I will leave these questions for you in my comments) so I can get to know you better. If I already know you well, expect the questions may be a little more intimate! You WILL update your journal/bloggy thing/whatever with the answers to the questions (please don't leave your answers in my comments unless you don't have a blog). You will include this explanation and an offer to interview someone else in the post. When others comment asking to be interviewed, you will ask them five questions.

Here are my questions:

1. You are given the choice between:
a)Having one question--i.e. What is the origin of life?--of your choice answered with absolute certainty.
b)Receiving a briefcase with One Million Dollars.
Knowledge or Money?

Well, I would love to say that I would take knowledge...but I would probably take the money. I honestly think that sometimes ignorance is bliss, and sometimes knowledge can be a burden. So, I'll take B. It would be nice to pay off all of my debts and have some fun money.

2. What characteristics(of others) do you absolutely despise?

I would have to say dishonesty, being hypocritical, and acting as though you are better than someone else.

3. What did you dream of becoming when you were a child?

When I was a little girl, I dreamed of being a nurse when I grew up. I had a strong urge to want to help people. Later I decided I wanted to be an Archaeologist because I loved digging in the dirt and finding those awesome artifacts was very interesting. 20+ years later I sit behind a desk...go figure. ;0)

4. If you were were told tomorrow you had to choose between the following:

a)You only have one year left to live.
b)You can live for 50 more years in good health if you totally abandon all family and friends--no email, no phone, no visits, nada. Assume you could start a new life in a location of your choice.
Which would you choose and how would you live out the remainder of your days?

Hard question. I assume that the one year option was healthy and happy. I think I would choose A. My family is very close and if I had to live fifty years without them, it wouldn't matter where I was, it would suck. I would live my last year to the fullest. I would at least know how long I had, and would be able to do what I wanted before the end.

Doing better

First of all I would like to say thank you for all the kind words and thoughts regarding my grandfather! He was moved from intensive care to a regular room yesterday, and will probably be able to come home in a few days. The doctors have stabilized his blood pressure, which is really the only thing that can be done at this point. He is doing well, but anything could happen at any time unfortunately. He is ready to go home and get ready to go fishing (his words) ;0)

So, at least we are half way to Friday, which is always a good thing! Happy Hump Day everyone!!

Monday, March 26, 2007

Not a good weekend

I'm sorry but this is probably going to be a long post...FYI

Friday afternoon I am driving home from work. I have already made my pit stop at the bank to deposit my paycheck, so I am free to go home and start the weekend. I had a few things planned...hang out with my cousin, go to a little party at my girlfriend's house, and just generally be kinda lazy ;0)

Unfortunately, my weekend didn't go as planned. As a matter of fact it came to a screeching halt when my cell phone rang on my way home.

*Phone rings*

Me: "Hello"

Mom: " Hi Honey"

Me: "Hey mom, what are you doing?"

Mom: "Honey, Pappy has been taken to the ER, dad and I are here at the hospital"

Me: "WHAT?!?!"

Long conversation short...My grandfather was at the senior center and was having lunch. He began having bad chest pains and the staff thought it was best to call the ambulance. Once they got him to the hospital and ran some tests, the consensus was that he has an aortic aneurysm.

They immediately started him on medication to keep his blood pressure low, so there is as little pressure on the bulge as possible. Due to his age (89) and health the doctors decided that operating to correct it was out of the question.

I spent all day Saturday and Sunday in the hospital with him, along with all the other family members. Sunday when the doctor made his rounds, he gave us more bad news. What Pap had was not actually an aneurysm, but an aortic dissection...which is of course worse than the aneurysm. The treatment is the same, and if his blood pressure is too high the tear will get bigger and eventually will burst open and he will bleed to death.

We are playing a waiting game now, as the doctors have no way of telling us how much time he has left. It could be days, weeks, or months. They just don't know.

My grandfather called me over to him yesterday because he needed a drink and told me that he is looking forward to meeting the Lord and seeing my grandmother again. I am so glad that he is calm and happy. I have been crying and feel very sad, but I also feel calm...it's sort of strange.

He knows what is going on around him and is not disoriented, but he sleeps most of the time which I am thankful for. So, think some happy thoughts for us, and if you pray, your prayers would be much appreciated!

Friday, March 23, 2007

Scared the piss out of em'

Last evening when I was done making dinner and eating (broiled flounder ;0D), I tried to convince Tony to go on a bike ride with me. It was soooo nice out yesterday. Warm and sunny...(yay! Spring is finally here) Unfortunately, when I finally got him into the idea, the sky had darkened and threatened to rain...which it did for the rest of the night off and on.

So, I cleaned up the kitchen and went upstairs to my computer room to play with my best friend Internet ;0p. Tony came strolling in a proceeded to harass and pick at me (I guess he was bored) and it turned into a wrestling match. Let me just tell you that he cheats and tickles me, but if I tickle back enough to win he pouts.

As we were roughhousing, I am laughing and yelling, he's laughing and yelling. Usually this is where Buddy comes in. Buddy is very protective of me. He can't even stand if Tony and I sit really close together...jealous much?. So, normally he would've been all over Tony at this point, but he was nowhere in sight. So, I start yelling for him (for help, of course) and Tony tells me the door to the bedroom is closed, which is where the dog was. We carried on for another 15 min. and then went to go get Bud.

Mind you, Buddy is a pisser...you know the kind...gets all sorts of excited and kind of tinkles. He doesn't do it all of the time, but look out if he actually has to pee. We open the door and he is so worked up from us wrestling without him that he is leaving trails all over the carpet where he is running and jumping around. The more I yelled for him to go downstairs, the more he leaked!! It is during all this that I notice that he has already taken the liberty to piss in the middle of my bedroom floor. He is a big dog guys, with a big bladder...we are not talking a small puddle.

He was so upset because he thought Tony was hurting me that he peed, so I really couldn't yell at him. He wouldn't leave my side the rest of the night and was giving Tony the evil eye. That's my boy! He even got a little snappy at bedtime when Tony tried to get him off the bed...let this be a lesson...Don't mess with mommy ;0p

I hope everyone has a great weekend!! Any big plans?

Thank GOD It's Friday!!!

Thursday, March 22, 2007

Lets take a trip down memory lane

I hope that I am safe in assuming that most people went on family vacations/trips when they were young. Well, this time of year always used to get exciting for me because I knew that our annual camping trip would come in August.

Our yearly trip consisted of at least four families, sometimes six or seven depending on who's schedule would allow for it. We were all like one huge family. A very loud, disorderly, somewhat obnoxious, fun loving, big family. All of the adults were long time friends and all of us kids pretty much grew up together. I of course was usually the only girl, not that that mattered, seeing that I acted more like a boy at that age.

We camped at the same campground every year, and always had the same site. Our site was a huge open space by the pool because we needed the room for all of the tents. Think tent village here people ;0). Our trip always coincided with a charity event in the town which was called the "Fanny Float". It sounds funny, but all it really was was mass amounts of people tubing down a section of the Susquehanna river. I think the charity was Muscular Dystrophy or Multiple Sclerosis. You made donations or bought t-shirts and floated down the river.

Floating down the river was always the high point of the trip, and was always on the last day. It took a few hours to do, and everyone would tie their tubes together, so it was basically a big party on the river. People would have coolers strapped to the tubes, filled with beer, or soda and food.

I don't think the event runs anymore which is really a shame. We went for 10 years straight, ever since I was a year old. I never got to enjoy the "adult fun", but had such a blast as a kid playing in the river, camping, roasting marshmallows on the fire, and all that good stuff. The weekend was a big party for the adults.

I couldn't find much online about it to back me up so you guys don't think I'm nuts, but I do have pictures. I will try to get some on tonight. Sorry for the long post, but I really enjoyed remembering those times ;0)

So, what kind of trips/vacations did you take with the family as a kid? If it was somewhere different all the time, did you have a favorite place?

Have a happy Thursday!!

Wednesday, March 21, 2007

It's quiz time ;0)

Ok, so for lack of anything to write, here are some of those addicting little quizzes that I took. Let us know how/what you scored if you take any of them!


Your Personality is Somewhat Rare (ESFP)

Your personality type is playful, charming, open minded, and energetic.

Only about 7% of all people have your personality, including 9% of all women and 5% of all men
You are Extroverted, Sensing, Feeling, and Perceiving.


Your Quirk Factor: 41%

You're a pretty quirky person, but you're just normal enough to hide it.
Congratulations - you've fooled other people into thinking you're just like them!


You've Changed 64% in 10 Years

Compared to who you were ten years ago, you've changed a great deal.
In fact, you're probably in a completely different phase of your life - and very happy about it!


You Are An ESFJ

The Caregiver

You are sympathetic and caring, putting friends and family first.
A creature of habit, you prefer routines and have trouble with change.
You love being in groups - whether you're helping people or working on a project.
You are good at listening, laughing, and bringing out the best in people.

You would make a great nurse, social worker, or teacher.


OK, enough with the fluff...I hope everyone has/had a good Hump Day!!

Monday, March 19, 2007

Back to the old grindstone

Monday's suck! But I am sure that you already know that. I have a funny story to tell you guys. My boss came into my office on Tuesday carrying a bouquet of flowers for me...Awww, I know. He goes to the central market and likes the lady who sells the flowers, so don't read anything into that...he just wanted to flirt with the vendor. So, he walks in with the flowers and says ....are you ready for this? No, I am serious...you sure...Ok..he said:

Boss: "Happy Valentines Day. I know I'm a day early, but these were pretty."

Me: *Blink* "What?"

Boss: *Looks really confused*

Boss: "Isn't tomorrow Valentines Day?"

Me: "Um...No" (It would've been March 14) "You are a month behind" *Laughs hysterically*

Boss: *Laughs* "Boy, I feel dumb"

Me: *not saying a word*

Guys, that was so funny. I could not comprehend the stupidity. So anyway, I had to tell you that.

What did everyone do for St. Patty's Day? I lounged around the house and watched tv. I'm Irish, but had no desire to go out in the snow.

I had an awesome Sunday. Church was better than usual, and afterwards I came home and made a big breakfast. After I was done stuffing myself I went to visit my Pap. I am glad that I went to see him because he was really lonely. He says that no one comes to visit him, but I don't know that for sure, as his memory isn't what it used to be. I took him some goodies to snack on...some apple cinn. muffins, peanut butter crackers, and some sprite.

Pap is in an assisted living home. Understandably, he is upset at this. We had a nice visit. I stayed about 2.5 hours and we watched some tv, looked at some pictures, and chatted. He seemed in better spirits by the time I left, so that made me feel good. He told me that when trout season is in that we will have to go fishing at the creek behind the home. I told him that sounded like a fantastic idea!

I hope everyone has a tolerable Monday!! I didn't want to push it ;0)

Friday, March 16, 2007

Snow Sucks!!

I just can't believe this weather we are having. We have like a foot of snow and it's still coming...it was 70+ degrees here yesterday. This means that tomorrow will be spent shoveling and making hot chocolate.

I finally got my ipod situation figured out. The problem was the file types. It seriously took me 2 seconds to fix once I figured it out...oh well, at least it is fixed now ;0)

In the time that I was in my computer room messing with the ipod and downloading some more music Tony had Buddy in our bedroom ripping some boxes to shreds. Buddy loves to rip boxes apart. I don't know why, but he does. It is funny because he whips his head all around and really gives that box hell. ;0p Unfortunately the cardboard doesn't clean itself up, so I must go clean up the aftermath.

I hope everyone has a great weekend! I will be shoveling ;0)

Wednesday, March 14, 2007

pffft...new technology

I think I am getting stoopider the older I get. Does anyone else feel that way, or is it just me? I have been messing around trying to fix my ipod for two weeks. I had problems with it skipping songs after I had updated it, so I reset it. Even after I reset it and reloaded my music I am having problems, more so than before. Damn technology.

I could very easily use the Zen Sleek Photo that I have, which was a gift from my very awesome Mom, but in order to play it in the car I have to use one of those little battery operated transmitter things that doesn't even charge the battery = sucks. So, I actually like the Zen better, but I like the dock for the ipod more...are we on the same page now? Good.

So, if anyone has any suggestions, I would appreciate any guidance. Another testament to the decline of my intelligence is the fact that I have had a new laptop for no less than 6 months and it has been rarely used. I honestly didn't know how I was going to transfer all of my music that is on my desktop. My CD-RW drive on that computer won't let me burn CD's, and I really didn't know how else to transfer the files. I think I have a solution now, and I am sure that there is probably a simple way to do it, but I'm retarded. I can configure the network at work, and do things like that, but something relatively simple...come on. ;0)

So, anyway I feel better now that I ranted a little. I hope everyone has a happy hump day! ;0)

Monday, March 12, 2007

Trip to the Lock

Well, I am happy to say that I finally have something to write about! I know, I can't believe it either. I ended up staying home from work on Friday because my cold was kicking my ass. So, Friday was a wash, as I didn't really get out of bed. Saturday I was feeling better and managed to get some laundry done...no fun, but can't go to work in pj's now can I...NO!

Sunday was pretty freakin awesome. We had our niece overnight on Saturday (she's about to turn 5) so Sunday morning we had pillow fights, wrestled, and played twister. She didn't want to leave when it was time. After she left we did some work in the attic, but it was so nice outside for a change that the work got old real fast.

I convinced Tony that it would be nice to go for a drive...I love to do that. I suggested going down to a place called Lock 12, which is near Holtwood Dam. It's only 20 minutes away from our house, but it's a neat place to walk around.

Lock 12 is one of my favorite places to go in the summer. You can hike down to the Susquehanna river (if you are careful of the snakes). Oh, and the chance that the warning sirens from the Dam don't scare the crap out of ya ;0) (not likely to happen, but sounds good)


There is a double Limestone kiln that you can look down into:





If you walk the trail then the next thing you come to is a small bridge over a stream, which is very pretty.





I love water, so I usually end up in the stream playing like a little kid, but it was a bit too cold and very muddy yesterday. Next up is the lock itself, which you can walk inside of. It was really wet and muddy so I didn't take any pictures from inside of it.







I'm sorry that the pictures are not good, but I forgot the camera and had to rely on my camera phone, but at least I have pictures. ;0)



The last one is supposed to be a picture of the Normanwood bridge. I wish I could've gotten some shots up on the bridge, but there is no where to stop. The Susquehanna looks pretty from up there.

I tried to get Tony to go to Lock 15 yesterday too, but he didn't feel like it. So, maybe once it gets nice consistently I will be able to share some good pictures. Hiking and visiting places like these are one of my favorite things to do. I love to be out in the woods!!

So, what did everyone else get into this weekend? I hope that everyone had a good one! Anyone get messed up with daylight savings? Well, being that it is Monday I should go get some work done. So, here's to one day closer to Friday ;0) (I can wish can't I?)

Thursday, March 08, 2007

Tuesday, March 06, 2007

Medicine head

Well, here we go again. Lets play pass the cold around...tag I'm it. Tony made sure to give me the cold from hell that he's been fighting. Last night I dosed up on Nyquil and vicks due to the fact that I couldn't breath. So, this morning I wake up and feel like I am as high as a kite..yay!

I managed to get to work this morning, but still felt pretty loopy. I took some dayquil for my stuffy head, and either it is a big fat liar that it doesn't make you sleepy, or the Nyquil is STILL kicking my ass.

So, anyway I feel like shit and it is very cold and windy outside today. Work is totally sucking because we have an advertising meeting this afternoon and my boss can't make up his mind what he wants to do. That, and I can't concentrate very well. So, I hope everyone has a decent day today...I am going to go find a corner to nap in ;0).