Well we always do our Christmas shopping early.

Today was one of my Holiday Open Houses. Did great in orders and had a blast visiting with customers and getting "Julie" time for the day. Julie and I decided to have our Open House at my place, since she started her new job this past week, with stress and all she came down sick, so I told her "let's not go all out but have some fun, and we'll watch a movie between customers coming and going". My good friends Jennifer and Annette showed up, and Annette, Julie and I used to work at the same place.. Annette is still there, so it was catch-up for those 2. She stayed till 4pm where I had to send her home for the day and get ready for my Unit Christmas Party. That's in a hour and I'm bumming because I was hoping to go and get my hair cut and done up and not have to mess with it myself and all the places closed around 5pm. I remember a time when most stores closed at 7pm. Geesh.

Tomorrow, Julie and I do the same thing again and hopefully I can get about 3 more customers and in the amount I need and I'll be a happy person. If you are interested in a "goodie basket" from your personal Santa and need some "pushing" from him. Drop me an email and I'll call your loved one for some Christmas shopping. :)

Name that Movie Quote

JC wrote me and said it would be cool if I put the quote up and everyone else guess where the quote came from, naming the movie and who said it. So I'm game. I think at the end of the day I'll post the answer and in a little bit I'll make a graphic up so that you can post on your site if you got the winning quote of the day.

More later - been a fun day. So glad it's Friday.

Yeah.. I just had to do it

When I saw Bran raving about Sherry's new set, I just had to check it out and just knew I had to use it for the holidays. So not me, but so much fun.

So enjoy the holidays with me and lets make some noise!

Tonight B and I went out for dinner and then went shopping. Every time we usually go shopping we are either hungry and buy everything in the store, or we are low on cash, so we have a plan of what to spend and get in and get out. Tonight we ate before, and we had cash. I was so stuffed that the idea of buying MORE food was just revolting. I had no idea where to start or stop and just kept asking "Do we need more?". It was an experience in itself. We got some potatoes, cranberry stuff, almost picked out a turkey but they all looked to big and even though we are feeding 9, we are also cooking a ham and so not everyone will eat turkey (I won't!).

I guess the best part of the day was I got paid today. First time in a year I got a great check. I mean GREAT! Felt good to put that puppy in the bank too. Other great news, B has passed stage 2 of about 5 or 6 stages to get back into Corrections. It's not easy and I was a little nervous after last time he went through the process and was declined he would never do it again. He felt he blew it with the interview stage yesterday but today they called him and gave him his meeting times for tomorrow and Monday for the next steps. If all goes well, they will hire him December 18th. He says he doesn't think they are letting him just go through the steps till the end and then say 'no, we don't need you', because it's expensive with some of the stuff he has to do. See a phsyc (sp?) doctor, take a lie test, physical, a few other things. How easy it would be for him to just say "lets go home" and all he would need to do is sign his letter of offer and that's it. But we still don't want to go home yet. It's not even home to us, so lets go with - we don't want to go 'there'.

Tomorrow should be fun. I'm taking a half day off to go do something "pink". There is a Dress for Success training at Nordstrom for consultants, and there was a mix up in dates and stuff so it was cancelled last month and rescheduled for tomorrow. Because of rescheduling a lot of Directors and Consultants orginally booked to go can't go, and so it opened up about 50 spots and no requirements were needed and I thought this would be great for me to go to. Might get a new hair cut out of and with my wieght issues, learning what is good and bad for me would be best in my interest.

So with that - I'm once again heading off to bed. Late nights are not my best friends, but mornings are my enemies!

Keep your goddamn hands off my wife!

In my case.. My Husband! Ok women.. Stand back.. he's all mine. He's the hunk You can't have him.

Such a stud he is. He e-mailed me this morning and wanted to know if I wanted a date night seeing the Avs play tonight. I said yes, if they were cheap seats. His idea of $120 for 2 seats is cheap, I shot him down. We then talked a bit ago and said a movie sounds good, but right now, there is just nothing we want to see so I said lets just do dinner then come home and relax. He just called me and said "hey baby, I know what you want and you won't say no to this idea... lets go to Costco and get stuff for Thanksgiving". Oh honey..you know how to melt a woman's heart! LOL

Onesome: Through-What torments (or pleasures) do you have to go through to get to your Thanksgiving Day destination? ...or are you one of those who stays home? ...or perhaps someone who works on this holiday? Ususally Thanksgiving is spent with my in-laws at their house. Since we moved to Denver, it's only a 30 minute trip, not a biggy in torture. I think spending the day with her is the torture itself! (evil grin) This year Thanksgiving is at MY house!

Twosome: Thick-Who are you looking forward to seeing this weekend? ...and is this a special gathering with friends and family from far away or more of a routine get together? This weekend is my Holiday Open House. Hopefully I'll see about 5 of my favorite/best customers. Then I have my Unit Christmas Party and that is always fun. We have a Christmas Ornament Exchange and it's about the only time we are not nice to each other. :)

Threesome: and Thin-Are you going to thin your wallet or purse down a bit on Friday? ...or is it time to do some decorating? ...or are you just glad it's over? With bills behind and finally getting a job, our wallet/purse is still a little thin. Hopefully with my Holiday Open House I can bring in a little mad money for Christmas, but I'm not expecting much, I still want to put in a big order for inventory purposes.

How about you? Play along and post your answers in your own space, and leave a comment here so we can find you!

How many of them hormones you takin', honey?

I'm heading off to bed.. but I had to tell the funny Baby Shower story before I do.

I've been to only 1 other baby-shower all my life...mine, till tonight. My Director, Stephanie is due next month and so our Unit gave her a baby-shower. It was a blast and I won a prize for not crossing my legs the whole time we sat. Yes.. can you believe.. no crossing legs! That's not the funny part. The girls had us grab a sheet of paper and while they walked around with these 5 diapers we had to guess what chocolate bar was in the diaper. Easy? Yes? NO! The chocolate bars were mushed up to look like POOP! I got 3 out of 5 right, thank goodness for Almonds Joy which has coconut in it, Reeses Cup with peanut butter and Snickers with nuts. I missed Twix and I can't even remember the other one, but it's a candy bar I don't ever eat. I'm actually surprised I did so well with the 3, I'm not a chocolate person in the first place. It was no surprise though that Stephanie got every one right! :) She got a ton of goodies, I got sugared up on punch and cake and had a blast. Now to sleep off the sugar.

I've been thinking of my dad lately. He's been gone 6 years now. How odd it was that the first 6 months I thought I would never make it a year without hearing his voice ever again.

~ Dad you are my reason for love:

You were my rock. You never showed me your fear on the rollercoasters so it was easy to go with you. (age 6)

You made things fun when you had other things to do. Many times you had to take me to work at your office. Playing in your office and riding in the truck are some of my best memories. (age 6 - 9)

You supported me in all that I did. Band, Cheerleading, Drama, Speech, Dancing, Ballet, School Dances, Braces, Back Brace. (age 12 - 17)

You kept me grounded. Take this both ways..
...You made me tow the line if I missed behave... my whole Freshman year. (age 14)
...You made me laugh at the emotional moments when tension was high and I needed a break to get through things. (age 22)

You were proud of me when I didn't know it.
...Remember the mall with Band? (age 14) Graduation - you took me shopping for clothes, luggage (age 17) Visting me when J was born. Or was it visiting J and I was a side line attraction? No one got to hold her when you were in the room :) (age 28) Being there when D was born - "Men are NOT in the room when a baby is born. It's obsurd!" Yes dad.. you were there 3 minutes after and once again no one could hold D after you got a hold of him. :) (age 29)

You always knew...
...when I needed a shoulder to cry on. (age 18, 22, 28 and countless others)
...when to give me advice in life decisions or when to stand back and watch me do it myself (age 18, 21, 25 and others)
...when I needed help with my marriage (age 23 and others)
...when the babies needed something - surgey for J, asthma for D (infant ages)

You guided me into the career that I am today - thank you for never giving up with all the no's I said to you (age 28)

You made me strong after your death. Something I wasn't ready for. (days after April 21, 1996)

I may have been your reason for love while you were living, you are mine now. Thank you dad.. I hope I'm the best you thought I should be.

I'm going to Bombay, India, to become a movie star!

Usually this is a very quiet office, all the lights off, so the high lights don't bother the eyes, you can hear a pin drop on the carpet it's so peaceful (dead?) here. An email came out about a hour ago - Channel 4 is coming by our office tomorrow. People are fixing the lights, people are talking, yelling, DAMN! Turn that light off! I had already planned on dressing up tomorrow being it's Wednesday, Pink night, but the email we got is saying "please dress accordingly". You would think the Pope himself is showing up! (and I'm no where making fun of him...)

Should be an interesting day tomorrow.

I am yesterday, today, and tomorrow

Got this from Bonkrood. She got it from elsewhere.

10 years ago, I...
Married to B for one a year
He was station in Milton, FLorida (outside of Pensacola)
I was stationed in Philadelphia, PA on the USS Forrestal
I was a YN3 (Secretary) working in Safety and then to Operations
Having kids were on our minds but not yet talked about
Our "kids" were our female Corgi "Tuppy" and yellow Lab "Buddy"
Weekends were spent at the movies and walking the mall
Visiting family in nearby Georgia, Alabama and Tennesse

5 years ago, I...
Married to B 6 years
We were both out of the military
We lived in Gallup, New Mexico
We had 2 children, J who would be 3, D would be 2
My dad had died the year before, we moved back home
B would start working at the County Jail
I was in college at the University of New Mexico - Gallup branch
I was taking classes in Graphic Design
I worked as lead designer at my father's business with my mom and sister
Weekends were spent learning to surf the new "www"

2 years ago, I...
Married to B 9 years (my math maybe wrong, but it's been a long time)
B left the COunty Jail (burned out) and was going into networking
We moved to Denver, Colorado
J would be in kindergarden and D would be in preschool.
I finished school and started working at my first .com company, many to follow
I started doing the "pink" thing on the side
Weekends were spent doing nothing, we took a hit on cost of living and weekends were broke. If it was the summmer, our townhouse had a pool, so I took the kids swimming every day. Some weekends were spent having dinner with in-laws.

1 year ago, I...
Married to B 10 years
Living in Denver, Colorado
Laid off from dream job, now working for mother-in-law in bakery
B had been laid off, but just started with current company
J is in 2nd grade, D is in 1st. The kids are growing faster then weeds
Still doing the "pink" biz, 3 new customers a month.
Weekends are none existent. Trying to make ends meet.

Yesterday, I...
Went to work at the cool .com company
Watched "We Were Soldiers" with B
Worked on a Director website
Talked to the kids (visiting with Grandma)
Talked with Julie and Stephanie

Today, I...
Will go to work at the cool .com company
Will shop for Stephanie's babyshower gift
Work on a Director's website
Talk to the kids

Tomorrow, I will...
Go to work at the cool .com company
Go to "pink" night and attend Stephanie's babyshower
Call customers for this weekends Holiday Open House
Call it a late night

Five things I have brand loyalty to:
Coca-Cola (always and foreva!)
Mary Kay Cosmetics
Dorittos
JC Penney

Five snacks I enjoy:
3 Musketeers
Peanuts

My five biggest joys at the moment:
My marriage to B
My children
WOrking full time, full pay, decent pay
Not giving up on my pink biz and it's still steady
Live if getting back to normal.

|:| - 9 days and I get my babies back!

|:| - B getting the call for the County Corrections

|:| - I'm doing Thanksgiving Dinner!

|:| - My Holiday Open House this weekend

|:| - The clean house that just looks so great!

|:| - I'm working!

|:| - The quietness I've been getting and the work that has been getting done. :)

No, David. Nobody's happy in a poodle skirt and a sweater set.

This is very interesting.

Somehow We Survived

If you lived as a child in the 60s, 70s or the 80s.

Looking back, it's hard to believe that we have lived as long as we have...

As children, we would ride in cars with no seat belts or air bags.

Riding in the back of a pickup truck on a warm day was always a special treat.

Our baby cribs were covered with bright colored lead-based paint.

We had no childproof lids on medicine bottles, doors, or cabinets, and when we rode our bikes, we had no helmets. (Not to mention hitchhiking to town as a young kid!)

We drank water from the garden hose and not from a bottle.

Horrors.

We would spend hours building our go-carts out of scraps and then rode down the hill, only to find out we forgot the brakes. After running into the bushes a few times we learned to solve the problem.

We would leave home in the morning and play all day, as long as we were back when the streetlights came on. No one was able to reach us all day. No cell phones.

Unthinkable.

We played dodgeball and sometimes the ball would really hurt.

We got cut and broke bones and broke teeth and there were no lawsuits from these accidents. They were accidents. No one was to blame but us. Remember accidents?

We had fights and punched each other and got black and blue and learned to get over it.

We ate cupcakes, bread and butter, and drank sugar soda but we were never overweight....

...we were always outside playing.

We shared one grape soda with four friends, from one bottle and no one died from this?

We did not have Playstations, Nintendo 64, X Boxes, video games at all, 99 channels on cable, video tape movies, surround sound, personal cellular phones, Personal Computers, Internet chat rooms, ... we had friends. We went outside and found them. We rode bikes or walked to a friend's home and knocked on the door, or rung the bell or just walked in and talked to them.

Imagine such a thing. Without asking a parent!

By ourselves!

Out there in the cold cruel world! Without a guardian. How did we do it?

We made up games with sticks and tennis balls and ate worms and although we were told it would happen, we did not put out very many eyes, nor did the worms live inside us forever.

Little League had tryouts and not everyone made the team. Those who didn't had to learn to deal with disappointment...

Some students weren't as smart as others so they failed a grade and were held back to repeat the same grade.....Horrors. Tests were not adjusted for any reason.

Our actions were our own. Consequences were expected. No one to hide behind.

The idea of a parent bailing us out if we broke a law was unheard of. They actually sided with the law, imagine that!

This generation has produced some of the best risk-takers and problem solvers and inventors, ever.

The past 50 years has been an explosion of innovation and new ideas.

We had freedom, failure, success and responsibility, and we learned how too.

And you're one of them.

Congratulations!

Please pass this on to others that have had the luck to grow up as kids, before lawyers and government regulated our lives, for our own good?

You know, I really think I can put together a great Thanksgiving dinner.

For years now, B and I have done Thanksgiving either at his mom's house or my mom's house. There was one year that we did Thanksgiving in VA just the 4 of us, and it was pretty good, but nothing spectular in the cooking area. We have gone out for dinner a few times on Thanksgiving, I'll be honest, I'm not a turkey kind of person. Give me ham and small portions and I'm good to go.

Then when you compare my mother-in-laws cooking to my mom's.. big difference. My mom does the basics, my mother-in-law goes all out. So where am I going with this? For the past few years, I have "offered" to do Thanksgiving at my house... to a degree. We have the bigger homes, the bigger table, and sometimes the bigger kitchen (depending on what rental we are in that year). But my mother-in-law always shoots me down and says "oh no.. I have everything, it's at my place" and I figure I did the good deed of offering my services. I once again, offered it this year, "lets do it at my place" knowing full well she would blow me off and I quickly forgot I mentioned it to her.

A few days ago B got an email from her (she's too busy to call you know) and says with her work schedule, it's going to be too hard to do Thanksgiving this year, I'm taking Susan up on her offer.

WHAT?!?!

B is nervous, he says we'll never be able to cook the meals like she does and he doesn't want to compete with her. I'm not competing with her. For once she's going to eat the meals I set on the table. Then I opened my big mouth once again and told my mom and my mom started making this list of things I have to get and I thought "HEY! This is MY Thanksgiving this year!". I want to make the cool dishes (ANNA - HELP!) I want to do the work, I will make the list up. I want to make the dishes. HMPH. Dang! My mom is bossy! B will help, he did the turkey the first and last time we did it in VA. Watch for more details on this one...