Alaska Day 6

Day 6 – May 27, 2009

We slept late this AM and didn’t get up until 11 AM. We have just gotten dressed and are now heading out to find some lunch. Hopefully something exciting will happen….

Day 6 – May 27, 2009 Continued

We ate lunch – we had the buffet and after the panic attack I had yesterday getting off the boat (way too many people) the people going each and every direction got to me quickly. Jack ended up getting me a hamburger that I ate part of.

We came back to the room after lunch and read/slept the rest of the day. We got up around 5 PM and went to listen to the band we like on board. Afterwards we came back and visited with Mama for a bit before dinner. All three of us then went to listen to a bit more music and to dinner in the formal dining room. It was formal night and was full of pomp and circumstance – we had a good time, but as always Mama seemed uncomfortable with all the pomp. Maybe it was my imagination… After dinner she went back to the room and Jack and I listened to the band and danced until around midnight. It was a relaxing and slightly boring day.

Alaska Day 5

Day 5 – May 26, 2009

This day started with breakfast in our room as we watched the ship pull into Juneau AK. The town itself was really nothing spectacular (that we saw); just a bunch of tourist shops. The fact it was nestled right between the mountains and the sea was interesting. However, our excursion for the day did not keep us in Juneau. We left the town on bus and drove to a trail that walked you up to a viewing spot for the Mendhall Glacier. We were not as close to it as we were the Hubbard, but it was still neat to see. We of course took lots of pictures and the trail up was relaxing.

Afterwards we boarded the bus and drove down to a pier. Where we boarded what appeared to be a life raft. J Seriously this thing was aluminum and was surrounded by blue inflatable stuff – however we quickly learned it was perfect for what we were doing. We drove out to the middle of the bay and were surrounded by Whales of all types. The sides of the boat unzipped and we were in picture taking heaven. I haven’t looked at any of my shots and we didn’t see any Whales jump out of the water, but they were there making noise and coming up for air. It was pretty cool. We also saw some seals and eagles. It wasn’t the excursion I thought it would be but it was certainly enjoyable.

After 2 hours on the boat we drove back to the dock and headed back into town. We meet a mother and her daughter on the trip. They are from MS but she came up to AK to teach in a rural town for the year. The daughter reminded me of Zoey from Eureka and they were really neat to talk to. We learned a little about their village and how AK life really is for the native Eskimos.

Once back in town we headed to a local restaurant for lunch. Mama had her first crab cake and I had shrimp. It was expensive but pretty good… We then hit a tourist shop for some postcards and headed back to the ship for a nap. You apparently take a lot of those when on a cruise – you would die of boredom otherwise.

We woke up and went to the magician show. I’ve enjoyed all the shows on the boat thus far, but he was corny and not very good. We then were going to go to dinner but no one was really hungry. Mama went to the Casino and Jack and I headed back to the room. We had room service about 2 hours later and went to sleep. Overall a boring evening of sitting and looking at this damn room – yes I’m getting sick of this room. I don’t think cruising is for me… not enough to do! I want to go and see new things on my trip not sit in my room and look outside or go shopping.

Alaska Day 4

Day 4 – May 25, 2009

This morning we got up early and had breakfast in the room. The view was astonishing with the snow capped mountains appearing to float on clouds – I got some shots, but I think they will be washed out w/ the lighting. But I took them. Afterwards we got dressed and explored the ship a bit looking for a good spot to look off the front and/or back of the boat. We found one but man it was freezing with the wind blowing so we didn’t stay long.

We then came back to the room and at this point I will admit the boredom is setting in. I’m used to vacations where you go, go, go and this relaxing while watching the scenery going by is driving me crazy. You can only take so many pictures of mountains. I sit here now and watch the snow capped mountains as we drive by them and can appreciate their beauty – they are impressive – rising out of the sea majestically, but I want to be exploring. The events on the ship are numerous but … I don’t want to play bingo or go to another ballroom class so Jack and I can get mad at each other. I have books and Jack is enjoying his, but the desire to read is non-existent. I want to be going… exploring … seeing something new all the time. Don’t get me wrong – I love the view – it’s amazing! I just want to be more up close and personal. Maybe the glacier viewing this afternoon will cure me of this sudden melancholy.

Off to drum up something to do – chat with you later.

Day 4 – May 25, 2009 Continued

Ok, boredom gone – OMG! We saw Hubbard glacier today and would never have seen it if not on a cruise. We got within one Nautical mile and were near it for a good hour to an hour and ½ of picture taking. The site is breathless! Not to mention the fact our ship was surrounded by chunks of ice – it was actually a little scary. No idea how many pictures I took – hundreds I would imagine. As we drive out of the glacier area now I sit awe struck by the view outside… if you want to feel small and realize the grandness of our earth this is the place to be! Just OMG WOW - This is the definition of majestic.

Just as a side note – Mama and I went to play word trivia earlier – we did pretty well. It was something to do J Time now for rest – I want to dance tonight – Jack get ready for some tequila, hee.

After our nap we went down to see the show with the dancers and singers. It was 50 and 60’s music compiled into a show and it was entertaining. Afterwards Jack and I went to dinner and dancing. We had a good time and got to use some of our ballroom dancing classes. We then called it a night.

Alaska Day 3

Day 3 – 5/24/09

This morning began with breakfast in our room! I love room service – Man I could get used to it!

After Breakfast we disembarked from the Infinity in Ketchikan AK. The town is only accessible by Ship / Rail and its tourist industry was obvious. We did an excursion – Lighthouse, Totems and Eagles. I have to say the money was worth it! I’ll tell you more about it later, but right now I have to get ready for dinner…

Day 3 – 5/24/09 Continued

On the excursion we took a bus to a dock about 30 minutes outside of town. The road to the dock was down a dirt road and I heard several people talk about the fact it needed to be paved. However, in looking around it appears dirt roads are common around here – just goes to show how people constantly want to change things to make it more convenient for them vs. just adapting to what the area already has… the price of progress is steep. But I digress – the bus driver was humorous and had some political commentary that was interesting. Apparently groceries are expensive on the island due to the fact they have to be shipped in… However he said the fish is shipped a total of 2 blocks and its expensive too so I don’t think they can blame it all on shipping cost. It was funnier when he said it I know but since this is for my memory as much as sharing with you … you get the lame jokes along w/ the days events.

Once we got to the dock we boarded a small boat (2 decks) and went out in the water to see some Eagles Nest, Totem Poles and the Lighthouse. I have to say that the excursion wouldn’t have been no where as neat if it wasn’t for the crew of the ship! They really made it. The Captain, Captain Bob, was funny and made the trip interesting. The guy in the galley was nice as you could imagine and had the best eyes – eyes that looked at you and twinkled in delight. I felt welcomed and comfortable the instance I was on board.

We saw 10 Eagle Nest and several bald eagles. At that time I really, really wish I had a 600 MM Lens with a Tripod, but my 300 was able to at least catch the fact that a bald eagle was there. The shots are horrible, but when cropped you can see the bird – however crappy the quality it may be. You do what you can with what you have. There were two ladies on board with a 400 MM ProLine Canon lens – OH MAN I had lens envy…

The Captain told us about houses on the land we were passing and gave us some local color which was nice. We also saw the lighthouse and heard of their plans to turn it into a museum. Ketchikan is also the Totem capital in the world (along with the Salmon) and we got to see several of the totems on the shore and heard some of the stories they told. It was neat, though I kind of wish we would have chosen a tour that would have got us up close and personal… ah well!

One more note about the ship – you got free refreshments and they had this Salmon dip that was out of this world good. I got the recipe and OMG I can’t wait to make it! I’ll eat it all in one sitting, it was great!

After the excursion we were driven back to Ketchikan and walked around the town a bit before we had to be back on board The Infinity. We bought most of the gifts we needed to buy and headed back to the ship. I also got me a few things…spent too much money, but I’m only in Alaska once so screw it.

Once aboard the Infinity we took a long nap and then went to see the Ventriloquist show. He was super funny – I really thought it would be lame, but Mama wanted to go. Looking back I’m very glad we did as he was super entertaining.

After the show Mama went off to explore and Jack and I headed to dinner. We were by ourselves and the appetizers were great. Then the incident happened! I had ordered stuffed flounder… it was garnished with a crawfish. You think … ok … so what. Well the crawfish still had eyes and instantly my appetite was gone. Jack had them take it away and the waiter as nice as he was tried to give me a salmon but I was so done. I think the waiter was laughing at me a little bit… ah well – I can’t eat food that is looking back at me, sorry. We left shortly afterwards and went to roam the nightclubs of the ship.

They have a really good dance band onboard and Jack had a drink so that he would feel comfortable dancing - it instantly went to head which was cute. Unfortunately, by time we got their and Jack had a drink there was only time for 1 dance before they were done… We then meandered and heard some accapella singing and ended up in the Disco area. Some people were dancing, but I was ready to call it a night so we headed back to our room and turned in for the evening.

Alaska Day 2

Day 2 – 5/23/09

We slept till 7:30 AM PST (11:30 EST) and had breakfast in the room, what a treat. The view off the balcony is peaceful with Snow Capped Mountains in the distance. The room itself is roomier than I imagined we would have and we’ve found a spot to put everything; the bed is super comfy! So far we’ve done nothing except participate in the mandatory abandon ship drill, but we are about to go to the Cha-Cha class J See you in a bit!

Well we went to dance Cha-Cha and it was fun/ frustrating. Having taken lessons for a year now it was odd to not be in frame and to not have Jack really leading the dance. I was glad when it was over to be honest. Then we meandered around a bit. We went to the top side and Jack thought I had gotten blown overboard because he turned around and I had walked away – pretty funny! The wind was really brutal. Overall the temperature is colder than I anticipated – they said 50-60 degrees but damn that isn’t what it feels like.

We then ate lunch in the dining room - it was good and fancy, which was a nice change of pace. We ate with 8 other people (Mama was napping) and it was interesting. I’m not typically comfortable with a bunch of strangers but we did alright … they all seemed to be nice people. Especially the lady to my right- she ordered a tea and I a coke… Getting drinks around here that aren’t water or alcohol is a pain. I mean we bought those $30 passes for unlimited soft drinks but getting them at a meal takes an act of Congress. That is really my only complaint about the cruise line thus far…

After lunch we attempted to take a photo editing class, but they wanted Money for it and I can’t see me getting that much out of it so we decided to skip. We walked around a bit and then came back to the hotel to rest before dinner.

Dinner was formal and I wore my black and white ball gown. It was really fun and the food was pretty good – walking down the stairs into the dining area I felt like I was some rich princess in a grand ship; it was surreal and entirely pampering! I loved it. They had several courses and we tried them all – the sherbet to cleanse your pallet would have to be the funniest – man it was bad. Mama and I were having a good time making fun of the pomp and circumstance – while I must say I enjoyed every minute of it.

After dinner Mama went to the room and Jack and I decided to try out the evening show. It was a tribute to Broadway and the theater was beautiful. The performers were very talented – not knowing Broadway we didn’t really get it but it was obvious they were extremely talented, maybe we will enjoy the next show more… By then it was late and while we popped our head into the dance club we ended up coming back to the room and crashing. Overall it was a good relaxing day!

Alaska Day 1

See Mylerna.com Later in the week for pictures!

Below is my journal from our trip. Hope you enjoy!

Day 1 – 5/22/09

Yesterday was a long day. We got up at 5:00 AM EST to catch our early morning flight to Seattle WA. Our flight was good w/ no issues at the airport, but 5 hours in a plane can really take it out of you. Especially when you are stuck in the middle on coach and were tired before you started. To say the least I was a little crumpy.

We arrived in Seattle at 11:30 PST and were met by our Celebrity Staff. I felt a little rushed with the baggage, but we managed to get it handed off to them and loaded onto the bus that would take us to Pier 66. Once we arrived we ate lunch at a restaurant on the pier, fried salmon – YUMMM then checked in for our cruise. We have a concierge class cabin and boy was I grateful, the line to check in for everyone else was a mile long, but we were whisked away to a “special line” and were done in little to no time.

Once done with that we had several hours before the ship would arrive and we could board so we decided, as tired as we were to see the Space Needle. I mean how can you go to Seattle and not see the Space Needle? I’d say we were about a mile from it and we walked to it (uphill). I enjoyed seeing Seattle and love the layout of the city, but we should have taken advantage of their public transportation – live and learn. Anyway, Mama and I went up in the Needle – Jack being afraid of heights stayed on the ground and enjoyed his book. It was neat to see Seattle from that height and worth the walk. We only had a day or really less than that to see this great city so I couldn’t have thought of a better way to do it!

We came down, bought some souvenirs and began our walk back. They had a festival going on so the atmosphere of the area was contagious. It was a happy - no stress time that was enjoyed by all. However, all of us, especially Mama were tired by this point and just wanted to get back to the VIP room and sit down while we waited for the ship.

We strolled back and went to the VIP room where we sat and waited for the Infinity to arrive. It arrived a couple hours later and boy was it huge! I mean WOW a small city.

Once it docked we were allowed to board early due to the Concierge Class and thank the Lord because we were tired. We came to our room and then went to the buffet dinner. We were done eating and people were still boarding – felt sorry for them. Afterwards we came back and crashed! Tiring start to the trip but we got to see Seattle and now have a day of rest.

Charlotte - Day 2

Wow, today has been a long day. It actually makes yesterday look short. I think it's the sleep or lack their of catching up with me. Last night I went to bed at 12:30 and got up at 6:30 with some mild interruptions there in. That put together with 8 hours in a class room and another 2.5 having dinner with company people = one long ass day!

Tomorrow luckily training is only 1/2 a day and then we head back to Atlanta. Hopefully with all luggage in tow (sorry Steve just had to :) ). I'm hoping we are back in town by 6 (maybe earlier) which will be nice. I have some stuff still to do before we leave Friday + American Idol is recorded and waiting for me to watch :) I CAN'T WAIT. I'm so addicted.

Time for sleep, yes I'm old - it's only 10pm! Good night blogland.

Crazy Week - One Day Closer to Alaska

This week is going to be a little nutz. I worked today, had a big client meeting at 2pm and left immediately after for a training class in Charlotte NC. We get back into Atlanta Wednesday evening... I work Thursday and we fly out for our Alaskan cruise on Friday Morning at 8:45... Yep an insane week!

The good news is I'm pretty much packed for Alaska. A few odds and ends, but pretty much it's a go. Which is good cause there is no way I could pull it together Wed and Thur night - I would be insane! Man I can't wait! We are actually going to get to see Seattle a bit on Friday too which is cool.

But until Friday it is a work week and so far it's going well. My friend Steve and I both are in the class so we got to commute together which was fun. A 4 hour drive (well 6 if you count the leaving luggage mishap) doesn't seem so long when you've got good conversation going! Now I'm sitting here in Charlotte staring at the hotel room my company has provided. It's actually pretty nice considering. The bed is super comfy and it has a nice work area + a kitchen. Not that I'll be cooking but still... It's nice. Plus it's clean which is a big plus!

However, it's midnight and I must get some sleep (didn't get to sleep last night till 3 am) so I'm pretty beat and tomorrow is going to be a long day! Have a good one blogland.

Too Many Fracking Pictures

I have come to the realization that I take too many fracking pictures. I was sorting thru and rating my pictures from our Savannah trip and it just hit me. Do I need 5 shots of the same thing, I mean seriously?

The photographer in me shouts:

"HELL YES you need them. You take 100 to get that one perfect shot"

but then the pragmatist in me says:

"yes, you would need them if you changed the angle or messed with the settings on the camera or did anything different between the shots but you take at least two "just to be safe"! You have a digital camera idiot - look at it. "

So I'm going to try and begin to really think about the quality of the shot vs. just shooting multiple times and hoping for a victory. I know I know - it's not why I shoot. I shoot to have fun and to find that perfect picture thru my viewfinder, but the chance of me finding it will increase if I don't spend 2 hours going thru 400 pictures for a 1.5 day trip. That being said... Alaska is coming up - no telling how many pictures that will end up with.

Life is Life

Life is life, you either love it and deal with it or you just deal with. Right now I'm at dealing.

Mastectomy Law Change

I'm not normally an "involved person", but I can't sit back and watch insurance companies try to dictate patient care; especially in the case of women having a Mastectomy - Out Patient Care, are you kidding? Please sign the petition today. See the email I received below:

http://www.mylifetime.com/community/my-lifetime-commitment/breast-cancer/petition/breast-cancer

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Proposed Mastectomy Law Change

(written by a surgeon);

I'll never forget the look in my patients eyes when I had to tell them they had to go home with the drains, new exercises and no breast. I remember begging the doctors to keep these women in the hospital longer, only to hear that they would, but their hands were tied by the
insurance companies.

So there I sat with my patient giving them the instructions they needed to take care of themselves, knowing full well they didn't grasp half of what I was saying, because the glazed, hopeless, frightened look spoke louder than the quiet 'Thank you' they muttered.

A mastectomy is when a woman's breast is removed in order to remove cancerous breast cells/tissue. If you know anyone who has had a mastectomy, you may know that there is a lot of discomfort and pain afterwards. Insurance companies are trying to make mastectomies an
outpatient procedure. Let's give women the chance to recover properly in the hospital for 2 days after surgery.

This Mastectomy Bill is in Congress now. It takes 2 seconds to do this and is very important. Please take the time and do it really quick! The Breast Cancer Hospitalization Bill is important legislation for all women.


There's a bill called the Breast Cancer Patient Protection Act which will require insurance companies to cover a minimum 48-hour hospital stay for patients undergoing a mastectomy. It's about eliminating the 'drive-through mastectomy' where women are forced to go home just a
few hours after surgery, against the wishes of their doctor, still groggy from anesthesia and sometimes with drainage tubes still attached.

Lifetime Television has put this bill on their web page with a petition drive to show your support.. Last year over half the House
signed on. PLEASE! Sign the petition by clicking on the web site below. You need not give more than your name and zip code number.

http://www.mylifetime.com/community/my-lifetime-commitment/breast-cancer/petition/breast-cancer-petition

Savannah - Wrap Up

Well, we are now home from our trip to Savannah and I must say it is nice to be here. That being said we did have a nice, relaxing time. I think Hapaw really enjoyed it as well; which was the entire point.

We stared the day at the Continental Breakfast - which was pretty good for free :) I still stand by my earlier blog on the hotel; it was really a nice hotel and the bed rocked. OMG I want that mattress in my home! But I digress; after breakfast we ran by KMart so I could buy a sweater; with the wind it was pretty chilly. Instead I bought me a nice coat that I'll wear a bunch :) Then we went to the visitors center in Savannah.

We walked from the Visitors Center down to Colonial Cemetery which is several blocks away. We stopped at St. Michael's (or Johns) Cathedral on the way. It was so pretty on the inside; I really hope my pictures turned out well. We then continued our leisurely walk down to the cemetery. Once we go there we realized it wasn't the one Hapaw had wanted to see so we walked around a bit more and then headed out for food.

We walked several blocks to Mellow Mushroom and had lunch. The walk was leisurely and I of course took tons of pictures. After lunch we headed back to the visitors center and took a drive out to Bonaventure Cemetery. Hapaw wanted to see it and I have to admit it was beautiful and eerie. With the old oak trees with the moss hanging out of them + the old tombstones.... It is certainly something worth seeing. We took some more pictures and then headed back to Atlanta.

It wasn't a long trip and we certainly didn't even begin to see Savannah, but it was what she wanted and we enjoyed it. In the end that is all that counts, right?

Till next time - Have a blessed evening blogland!

Savannah - Evening 1

Well, I''m here sitting in my comfy hotel room relaxing ... We went to dinner at Bernie's down on the Savannah riverfront. Not one I recommend... our food was good, but not good enough to match the prices. $14 shrimp basket I expect alot of shrimp and I expect them be killer; instead we got some shrimp that are pretty good and fries that tasted like they were poured out of the frozen food bag. The atmosphere was loud and barish (not good when w/ older people who can't hear well); but it was food and I was hungry.

I could have walked on the river front for a while after dinner and enjoyed the atmosphere, but the temperature dropped drastically when it got dark and none of us were dressed for it so we came back to the hotel. However, when we were helping Hapaw in the car a man made and gave her one of the straw roses. He spoke very nicely about her being blessed to live so long and that she was a rose. I'm not really doing it justice here, but it was sweet, well spoken and she loved it. Probably made her day! I know it would have mine.

Now we are back at the hotel and I'm telling you about our adventure thus far. It is probably a good thing we are at the hotel - we need to get some rest anyway - Hapaw gets tired easy and I want her to enjoy exploring tomorrow. We brought her wheel chair so that should help some.

We are only staying the one night so tomorrow I will be blogging the rest of the trip from my own home. You know I love to travel... If I had my dream job it would be a nature photographer for the National Geographic, but this weekend I really wouldn't mind being at home playing Evercrack II. Horrible I know -- Tomorrow will be fun though; if not I'll fake it till it is :) Fake it till you make it!

Good Night Blogland

Savannah - We are Here

We decided to take a weekend stroll to Savannah with Mama and Jack's grandmother, Hapaw. We arrived at the hotel about an 20 minutes ago and are 'resting' before going out to dinner. When traveling w/ the elderly resting is a requirement. Unfortunately it also equals sitting in a hotel room board and facebook is apparently down - so you all get to hear me ramble on about nothing.

We are staying at the Comfort Inn and Suites. I'm not sure I've ever stayed at one before and I must say I'm impressed thus far. It wasn't expensive and the rooms are clean, spacious and bright! All good signs, plus the bed seems really comfy!

On a completely different topic we are having dinner next week with an friend of mine from high school. I haven't seen him in ... well at least 11 years, maybe 12. I'm looking forward to it and my brief conversation with him today reminded me of why we were friends, but at the same time I'm nervous.... People change alot in 11 years. Lord knows I have - Man 11 year's ago I was the super "Christian" Girl at school. The one nobody really cared for cause I was so vocal in my beliefs and well let's face it I was never "popular material", now I'm ... I'm just me. The girl who cusses worse than most sailors; has a drink when she feels like it and generally just lives her life. Don't get me wrong, I'm still a christian and I still try to live my life with a certain degree of responsibility, but the fanatic is gone and Thank the Lord for that.

Will he like the me that exist now? Will we still have things in common, will the conversation flow or be full of awkward silences? You know general worries that will disappear the minute we start talking.

I'll let you know how it goes. For now I'm signing off - dinner awaits. Have a great weekend blogland.

Mood

I'm in a mood! Not sure what it is; melancholy, irritable, reflective, combination thereof? Who knows... Here are my symptoms (cause I know your dying to know):

• Little things are irritating me royally! I mean little things like Jack chewing too loud, telling me where to go inside the EQII game and well generally everything.
• I want to stay home and not go anywhere while at the same time I want to be out having a nice dinner and dancing...
• I am reflective - Find myself reading old blogs, thinking on my life and how I got here, etc...
  

Anyone have a diagnosis? I'm thinking I'm just crazy... yep that sums it up; Mylerna the crazy.

On another note I was reading a comment from my blog in 2007 from a friend from high school and my response. She works for a non-profit relief organization now and is spreading the Word of Christ around the world. I can't say how proud I am of her for making a difference and how honored I am of any minute impact I may have made. I need to start living my life in such a way that I can once again say I stand for something! So that I am not just meandering thru this existence with no real purpose in life. What will the world remember about me when I am gone? What will I have done to make an impact? Is what I am doing pleasing to the one that created me? These are the big questions and while I don't know the answers I'm closer to wanting to figure it out.

Knowing

We just got back from the movie "Knowing" and while I can't say it's my favorite movie of all time it did cause me to think. To think about what will happen when the "end" comes. Where will I be? What will I be doing? Will I be right with my maker? You know the big questions...

The movie itself was suspenseful, scary at times and well done. It's not one of those movies you watch more than once and it's not a movie you watch when you want to be in a happy mood but it was good.

Recommend it on a reflective night!

Have a good weekend everyone!

Hooked on Idol

Ok, yes I'm hooked on Idol - sad, I know but still.. I'm hooked.

Here's my ranking thus far :)

1) ADAM - OMG. He is beyond original. Last week... I agreed with the new judge. It left me "confused but happy". This week it was just stunningly great! Dear Lord, boy got some vocals. As good as Melinda Doolittle's "Funny Valentine"

2) ALLISON - Girl got some serious chops! I love her gravel. Just love her sound; girl has some serious chops.

3) DANNY - Man is all heart and it shows... His voice is incredible and his presence is infectious.

4) LIL - She has one of the most powerful voices. Not her strongest performance, but she will be around a while. Love her personality.

5) KRIS - Has a good voice and is interesting. He's not my favorite but he has career no doubt.

6) ANOOP - Has really grown on me. His voice is pure... the man has some serious vocals.

7) MATT - He sounds good... has a bluesy sound but not my favorite. Just don't like his stage presence very much.

8) MICHAEL - Forgettable, but good. Love his comebacks to Simon. Want him to stay around if for nothing more than that.

9) SCOTT - Yes, he is blind and yes he is sweet. I think he has some talent, but he isn't the next Idol.

10) MEGAN - Please go home... I wanted her gone weeks ago! PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE GO AWAY.

House Projects Suck

Yep, we had our list. Lord knows I hate home projects... read about the horror below. I'm telling you I don't think the #1 cause of most marital fights is money - I think it's home projects....

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This Weekend - Get Ready For Inspector (we are refinancing our home, interest rate almost a full point lower)!

Mama's Apartment

1. Rug/Tile Join - Fix (Jack) - Jack did this but hated it. Screws wouldn't go into concrete; he finally got it done but he was pissed before it was over.
   
2. Shampoo Carpet (Jack) - No Clue if he's done this or not... Afraid to ask.
   
3. Trim in Kitchen (Jack) - He's working on it now...
   

Main Floor

1. Fill in nail holes from previous owners (Mylerna) - DONE
   
2. Touch up paint (Mylerna) - Not done, can't find matches... Yep the paint in the garage has broken down and is no longer the same color so I have white patches everywhere and no paint to cover it up with. Took a piece off of wall to Lowe's but nooo it wasn't big enough to match so we came home and got a bigger piece. Haven't taken it up there yet... Very irritating. Furthermore, when I was stirring one of the cans of paint a hole was punched in bottom so our garage floor has paint all over.
   
3. Kilz Ceiling & Paint (Mylerna) - Don't have heart to try this yet. I could Kilz it but then what if the paint doesn't match... how do a I cut a hole in the ceiling to get a paint sample? grr.
   

Upstairs

1. Clean, Clean, Clean -Yea, right...
   
2. Finish Decor in Master Bedroom (Mylerna) - Was I joking?
   
3. Clean Some More - Seriously what was I thinking?
   
4. Change Lightbulb in Bathroom - Let it stay blowed, who gives a crap?
   
5. Put Media Center Back together (Jack) - Yea... he might beat it with a hammer at this rate.
   

Shopping

Lowes - DONE

• Foot Sliders for Barstools - DONE
• Door Stop for Back Door - DONE
• Trim For Mama's Kitchen - ADDED - DONE
  
• Joiner for Mama's Carpet ADDED - DONE
  

Grocery Shopping - We will just have to starve

General Items around House

1. Stand up Smoker Stand -LOL, yea it will be there in 2015
   
2. Fix Outside Bricks - They are find laying on ground, who cares?
   

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Later Items - will probably never happen... I just don't care anymore.

1. Paint Around Front Door Handle/Fix Front Door Handle (Jack)
2. Clean up Garage
   
3. Finish Red Room
4. Finish Yellow Room
5. Wash Base Boards - Before May is my goal
6. Wash Windows - Before May is my goal
7. Mop - Soon
8. Buy Stand Up Freezer - DONE
   
9. Go Shopping at Meat Market
10. Talk Mama in to growing some veggies
11. Finish Budget / Spend Less

List Progress

It's Saturday.. I'm supposed to be working on my list... yep supposed to be chugging away. Progress is slow, see below for details (I know it's sad).
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
This Weekend - Get Ready For Inspector (we are refinancing our home, interest rate almost a full point lower)!

Mama's Apartment

1. Rug/Tile Join - Fix (Jack)
2. Shampoo Carpet (Jack)
3. Trim in Kitchen (Jack)

Main Floor

1. Fill in nail holes from previous owners (Mylerna)
   
2. Touch up paint (Mylerna)
3. Kilz Ceiling & Paint (Mylerna)

Upstairs

1. Clean, Clean, Clean
2. Finish Decor in Master Bedroom (Mylerna)
   
3. Clean Some More
4. Change Lightbulb in Bathroom
5. Put Media Center Back together (Jack)

Shopping

Lowes - DONE

• Foot Sliders for Barstools - DONE
• Door Stop for Back Door - DONE
• Trim For Mama's Kitchen - ADDED - DONE
  
• Joiner for Mama's Carpet ADDED - DONE
  

Grocery Shopping

General Items around House

1. Stand up Smoker Stand
2. Fix Outside Bricks

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Later Items:

1. Paint Around Front Door Handle/Fix Front Door Handle (Jack)
2. Clean up Garage
   
3. Finish Red Room
4. Finish Yellow Room
5. Wash Base Boards - Before May is my goal
6. Wash Windows - Before May is my goal
7. Mop - Soon
8. Buy Stand Up Freezer - DONE
   
9. Go Shopping at Meat Market
10. Talk Mama in to growing some veggies
11. Finish Budget / Spend Less

Tax Return

Ok, so when is the last time you read something good about the IRS? Well here goes... We filed our taxes less than a week ago and our return is sitting in our account! I mean... do you remember the days of 8 to 10 weeks and you get your may get your check in the mail??? Not anymore... less than a week!

Yea I know technology has come along way, but geesh! Go IRS! Love you for about 10 seconds... or until I see the next deduction in my paycheck.

List / Lots of List

I sit here tonight with list on my mind, list of what I need to do, what I need to buy, what I need to budget for... etc... Maybe it is the new weather, the birds singing or the fact that the sun is up past 5 pm, but I'm in the mood to make my list and get them done. So here is what I have so far.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
This Weekend - Get Ready For Inspector (we are refinancing our home, interest rate almost a full point lower)!

Mama's Apartment

1. Rug/Tile Join - Fix (Jack)
2. Shampoo Carpet (Jack)
3. Trim in Kitchen (Jack)

Main Floor

1. Fill in nail holes from previous owners (Mylerna)
   
2. Touch up paint (Mylerna)
3. Kilz Ceiling & Paint (Mylerna)

Upstairs

1. Clean, Clean, Clean
2. Finish Decor in Master Bedroom (Mylerna)
   
3. Clean Some More
4. Change Lightbulb in Bathroom
5. Put Media Center Back together (Jack)

Shopping

Lowes

• Foot Sliders for Barstools
• Door Stop for Back Door

Grocery Shopping

General Items around House

1. Stand up Smoker Stand
2. Fix Outside Bricks

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Later Items:

1. Paint Around Front Door Handle/Fix Front Door Handle (Jack)
2. Clean up Garage
   
3. Finish Red Room
4. Finish Yellow Room
5. Wash Base Boards - Before May is my goal
6. Wash Windows - Before May is my goal
7. Mop - Soon
8. Buy Stand Up Freezer
9. Go Shopping at Meat Market
10. Talk Mama in to growing some veggies
11. Finish Budget / Spend Less

So that is my list to date... Feels good to have a list. What I do with it is another question :)

Pensacola - Continued 2-13-09

Ok, so now to finish giving a summary of our Vacation day in Pensacola - 2/13/09

We woke up in our cheap, Ramada, hotel room and were happy. I slept like a brick... we then ate the free breakfast which was nothing to write home about, but hey it was free! Then we set off to explore more of Pensacola.

First we went onto the Navy Base and set about to explore the several tourist items available. First was the Aviation Museum. Planes, planes and more planes. We took a trolley ride back behind the building and saw all the large planes and several retired blue angel planes. There were planes taking off and boy were they loud! It was quite fun; our tour guide was an overly opinionated retired man who used to drive the Goodyear blimp. After our trolley ride we began to walk thru the museum; it was pretty interesting. I watched a Bob Hope USO video which was funny and Jack took a ride in a flight simulator. He seemed to really enjoy it.

We then ate a cheap lunch at the museum and left to see the light house. It is an active light house that was neat to look at; I of course took lots of pictures. We then proceeded to Fort Barrancas, which is also on the base. It was neat to explore; of course when you've seen one fort you've seen them all but it was a fun outing. One thing I noticed that was pretty neat were the arches in the fort along the wall. It was pretty cool. The fort also had a fairly interesting history with several flags flying over it through the course of history. I made a crappy joke about wondering if the fort had figured out it's nationality yet... The guy at the gift shop of the fort was really nice and we talked about photography and the sunlight on the base.

Once we left the fort we went to the Historic Pensacola Village which was ok. It was neat to see the old buildings and the church was beautiful! We only went into a few of the buildings; the commerce museum was the coolest. The inside of the commerce museum was an old street scene with stores set up like they would be in the late 1800's thru the 1920's. It was pretty cool. We then went to the Museum of Industry which archived the history of Pensacola's industry with brick making, lumber yards and fishing. It was pretty cool what they have done and the houses in the area were beautiful.

We then headed back to the hotel. We stopped at Krispy Cream for a relaxing desert and coffee. The doughnuts were good; the coffee not so great, but I'm fairly picky about my coffee. After we ate are doughnuts we headed back to the hotel to get ready for the evening. We chilled for a bit and then got dressed. We went to eat at Skopelos it was really really good! The food was delicious, the atmosphere relaxing while still being romantic. I had the crab cake and lobster tail. The crab cake was great though I have had better and the lobster was good. It was my first time having lobster so I have nothing to compare it to but it was good. The steak Jack had was OMG good! I can't even begin to describe it to you; lets just say that I wish I would have gone for the beef. We then had fudge brownie pie and ice cream; which was great.

After eating dinner we headed back to the hotel for a romantic evening. Tomorrow we head home.

Pensacola - Our Journey 2-11-09 Thru 2-13-09

Attendees: Jack & Lisa

General:

We took this trip to get away; to escape our everyday life if only for a few days. It was as much an escape as it was a celebration of Valentine's Day and our Anniversary (4 Years Aug 2009).

2/11/09
We left home and traveled down. It was an uneventful trip with only a few spurts of conversation here and their. We arrived at the Crown Plaza around 1 am. The hotel was exceptionally nice, but expensive $145 a night. When booking it I expected a view; we found it to be between 2 interstates w/ a brief glimpse of the bay. The bed however was heaven; like laying in a cloud... OMG it felt so good after the long drive. We slept like a dream; well except for the trains that came thru on multiple occasions. Apparently part of the hotel used to be an old train depot and trains still run. A tidbit I did not notice when booking the room.

2/12/09
We woke up after a fairly decent night sleep and laid around a bit. I got a nice hot bath while Jack surfed the net and generally relaxed. We looked at other hotels in the area and decided to move to the Ramada which was only $70 a night and also did not have a view. So we packed up and check out. Good bye luxury. We ate breakfast at the Waffle House where everyone was really nice and seemed to know each other. Then we headed out to explore.

We drove a bit and got a sense of the place and then we stopped at the Visitors Center. It was right on the water with a trail for bird watching. Several pelicans were hanging out and we enjoyed watching them dive bomb for food. The day could not have been prettier with it's blue skies! We then drove down to the Pensacola beach and the National Seashore. The sand was so white it looked like snow. We saw crabs of various sizes in the wild, fishes jumping out of the water to grab the insects on tip and of course birds. There was one stork in particular that was enjoying standing and looking out over the water. We laid on the sand beach on the bay side (the ocean side was within walking distance and we did walk it a bit as well) and enjoyed the sun on our face and the quietly lapping water hitting the shore. I almost fell asleep it was so peaceful. We then ate lunch at Hemingway's. A very nice restaurant with a great view. It was expensive but luckily they had a lunch menu; Jack had ribs which were apparently good and and I had shrimp Alfredo dish that was great! We then shared a key lime pie; me not a big fan of key lime pie but Jack seemed to think it was heavenly.

We then took the scenic drive up to the Ramada Hotel and checked in. It certainly isn't the luxury of the Crown, but the room seemed clean and he staff were only semi incompetent. We checked in and I took a much needed nap. Well 1/2 of a nap - couldn't really get to sleep. Jack watched tv and surfed the net. We then decided to go grab some dinner to end our day. We decided to go to Flounders, but on our way out the door Jack checked and email from work that caused a little bit of stress; well alot. So the real world invaded our cocoon and the evening seemed to have a shadow on it for the rest of it....

On the way out to dinner we stopped at a park that has a board walk down to the beach. It was dusky and generally a relaxing walk... or would have been otherwise. We then drove to Flounders for dinner... The food was ok, the service ok - the food expensive. We spent roughly $50 and I didn't eat 2/3 of my plate; it just wasn't that great... Live and learn. We then came back to the hotel and called it a good day!

2/13/09 - Will update this later as I've got to get ready for my V-Day Dinner; Here comes Sexy Lisa :) HEE

25 Random Things

From Facebook - 25 Random Facts about me.

1) I love tv/movies /etc... any good story and I can escape my life for a short period of time. Love IT

2) I get easily addicted to games like EQII - I'm playing again now, but I'm guarding my life from EQ II addiction though by limiting our playing time.

3) I'm not a primpy person...I hate spending time on my apperance, but love looking good -Go figure

4) I'm not dedicated to any hobby. Several things I enjoy but there is no passion to learn/expand/etc..

5) Photography is one of my biggest hobbies. I don't research how do to it better and have no desire to learn how to do the light tricks etc... but enjoy finding the perfect shot and taking it. I take tons of pictures,800 in one day while I was in Scotland. Over 80 GB of pictures on my hard drive.

6) I love to travel, but hate to read about where I'm going,etc... I just want to go see and explore.

7) I can't multi task very well...

8) I have an MBA and am generally a smart person, but I don't care to learn... I am thinking about going back for my law degree, but I'm not sure I have the dedication for 3 more years. I'd be going for the degree / money it would bring only, not the knowledge - is that the right reason to go?

9) I plan everything - My vacations are generally mapped out 2 years in advance. May is Alaska, Grand Canyon is October, Washington DC and maybe Niagara Falls are 2010, Europe in 2011.

10) My husband is 100 times smarter than me - I do my best to keep up and seem intelligent but... most the time I fail and he has to teach me and/or do it for me. It frustrates him I don't get it as quickly, though he won't admit it.

11) If I had to do over again I would have explored my career options more.

12) I have no real favorite food - I like strawberry shortcake (especially from Maggianos), I like cabbage (cooked), fried okra and Olive Garden's shrimp dish, but I have no OMG that's just my favorite.

13) I generally am not passionate about everything but put off the illusion of being passionate about lots of things, how I don't know... I guess my opinions come out in a passionate nature.

14) I love my kittes and wouldn't trade them for anything.

15) I'm very silly when it's just Jack and Me. I'm really 3 people: Lisa at work, Lisa around friends/family and Lisa at home with Jack. I don't know why but they are distinctly different - just ask Jack.

16) My husband and my Ex husband were once friends.

17) I want to have a child and home school my children - I don't want to work for a living, but I'm not sure we will ever be financially stable enough for me to do that.

18) I'm generally lonely - I wish I was one of those people surrounded by friends, but well I'm not. I can't generate the BS conversation required to get to know people so developing friendships is hard. Plus I'm not one of those people that draw people to me... Neither is my hubby. We have a few good solid friends and are appreciative of them...

19) I am generally pessimistic...

20) Save the Last Dance is my favorite Move

21) Nora Roberts is my favorite author.

22) My mother is my best friend.

23) I like to play board/card games.. wish I had some more people to play with

24) I take alot of things personally I shouldn't. I get defensive quick.... I hate that about myself.

25) I am competitive in nature.

Good Bye 2008 - Hello 2009

2009 is officially here! It is 2:32 am and I sit here looking at pictures and reflecting on past years. What we did, why and etc... So how did 08 go?

2008 – What can I say! It was a year challenge and a year of great change.

First of all we can’t ignore the fact that the country spiraled into a recession the likes of which I have never seen. A mortgage crisis has hit the nation like a tidal wave with hundreds of thousands losing their jobs and home. And gas prices soared to over $4 a gallon.

On a more personal level Jack and I had a good year in our marriage, but it was a challenging year. One where we fought and made up, where we compromised and learned, one where I believe ultimately we grew as a couple. It was also the year we bought a house with a basement apartment for my mother and moved to Mableton. Having her live with us is something I'm glad we did and I love it - however, it has been an adjustment. One we will continue to make in 2009 I'm sure.

Professional it has been tough. The company I work for was on the verge of bankruptcy and was eventually acquired by another larger company. Staffing has been difficult and management has been worse. It may be time for a change - only time can tell.

2008 - Overall a good year, but challenging to say the least. Here's hoping 2009 is better.

Christmas Eve 2008

Its Christmas Eve 2008. Another year is almost over and its time to begin reflecting. Jack and I have family plans with his family tomorrow and my family and I are on ... well we still speaking to a degree. By family I do not include my mother who I have a great relationship with, but rather my brothers who are... my brothers.

What does that say? That on Christmas I can't set aside the anger and be with family? What does it say that Jack and I decided not to exchange gifts and on Christmas eve we sit here and mess around on computers while not acknowledging that it's a special night and we should be celebrating it.

I don't know what it says but I'm going to reflect and figure it out. In the meantime I wish you and yours a great holiday! Merry Christmas, may God bless you in the upcoming year.

Time Flies

Wow, time flies whether you want it to or not. Just yesterday I feel like I graduated High School and began this roll-a-coaster called 'adult life'. Now my 10 year reunion is coming up and I'm wondering where it all went.

I signed up for Facebook the other day. A cool site I recommend to anyone, but I digress... I signed up and was reminded that I haven't blogged in oh, forever! Do you miss me? Probably not, but that's ok. I miss you... I miss my random thoughts going out into the cyber void to be archived for the world to see. I miss the sharing of my life. So why not blog you ask??? Well, the truth is I have no life. I come home, I go to work, I eat with Mama/Jack, I go dancing, I come home, I have dinner with Hapaw, etc... Nothing exciting, no earth shattering discoveries, no moments of clarity - Just the mundane task that make up my life. Pleasant for me, yes - but entertaining for blogland - probably not.

Thus, I will write occasionally as thoughts pop into my head but for the most part I will exist and try to be happy that I do .

More Pictures to come to www.mylerna.com soon.

Love you - I'll be in touch - Eventually.

Where Have I Been

I changed my reading of blogs and now have "google reader" or my homepage. However, I realize now that by doing that I no longer go to my own blog to see my fav blogs and therefore haven't updated my own. I would think about it occasionally but never did it. Go figure - have you missed me?

Probably not... But that's ok. I still love you.

What is going on here??? Let me see

1. Work
2. Work
3. Work
4. Jack - Love of my Life
5. Ballroom Dancing
6. Still Boxes to be unpacked- they mock me daily... I just turn the other cheek
7. Tons of household projects.
8. Work

Yep that about sums it up. More to follow later... will try to post more and will log on soon to give a more in depth review of Mylerna's world.

Hickory, NC

We are on our way back from Hickory NC. We drove up there with Steve and Leo to purchase some furniture. The word on the street is that the furniture is extremely affordable.

Here is what my thoughts are on the subject:

- We got everything we wanted and just went a little over our budget. The prices were lower than some retailers, but not as low as I thought they would be given the reputation the place has.

- We bought all of our furniture at the Catawba Mall vs. the Furniture Mart. The Furniture Mart was very overpriced! I take that back, we did buy one piece in the clearance store of Boyles, but it has scratches which was the only reason it was affordable.

- The people in the stores appear to be paid an hourly salary vs. commission. Which is normally a good thing because you don't get high pressure salesmen. However, in this instance we found that we got mediocre service... There were some exceptions, and we bought our furniture from those exceptions, but I didn't get the feeling that the malls really wanted or needed our business. Let me give you some examples:

• The Catawba Mall is owned all by one company, except for Ashley Furniture. Steve and Leo purchased a bedroom suite from one lady at Flexsteel, and she was very sweet. She told them that if they bought any other piece in the mall they could just add it to the account they had set up. The went to the Kathy Ireland Store, owned by the same company, and wanted a mirror. The store manager called the lady at Flexsteel (I was sitting at Flexsteel making a purchase) and had a fit because the mirror wasn't enough money and she was mad because she had to write up a ticket on it. The mirror cost over $250... I mean come on, it's 1/2 a sheet of paper.
  
• I had a problem with the same lady at Kathy Ireland. Yesterday she was super sweet because I was looking at several pieces. However, I found some more I liked better. Thus, today when I went to make the purchase I only purchased the entertainment center and the dining room set. A purchase of over $2,000. The minute she found out I wasn't buying all the pieces she showed me, which only included 2 additional items, she got pissy. Then when I informed her we would let Ashley Furniture's 3rd party handle the shipping she really go bitchy. Keep in mind that this is a 3rd party shipper, they all use 3rd party shippers, and nothing off her bottom line. Instead of saying thank you for your business I was almost upset I gave her my money.
• Yesterday we went to Ashley Furniture and Jack was taking a picture of a chair. We took pictures in all the stores because we were seeing so much that it is hard to remember from one to the next. Some little shitty salesman came over and got on to him and we left. We came very close to not coming back. The only reason we did is because they were open earlier than the other stores today and because we reasoned that it was just him. Granted today we got excellent service in that store... better than the other stores combined. I made sure to tell the manager about my service yesterday and to tell her what a good job the lady did today. But it's just one more issue that we had...
• We went to the Furniture Mart yesterday and walked thru the entire thing. I went upstairs and was looking at a trundle bed and asked the price. At these malls you can haggle a bit and get the pricing down. I told her that JC Penny had a bed very similar that was less and asked her if she could meet the price. JC Penny did have a bed we really liked - she got bitchy with me for telling her that her pricing wasn't low enough. COME ON its your job. WTF!

Overall though we are very happy with our purchases and the cost. I got most of my stuff at the Ashley Store and I believe we are going to love it. Glad we went back in.

We stayed at The Jamison hotel and the price was reasonable and it was clean. However, we booked it thru Expedia. When we first got there the stupid woman, who was apparently the assistant manager, and she couldn't figure out why we only had two reservations vs. three. It was extremely annoying. Glad Leo handled it vs. me = Super Bitch would have emerged.

Then this morning, check out was at 11. We get a call at 10:15 wanting to know if we had checked out yet. It was almost like we wer getting chased out of the room... I felt it to be very rude and I won't go back. So if you go to Hickory don't go to the Jamison

Just wanted to give you guys a review in case you want to go get some furniture. Have a good night guy!

Boxes Boxes Everywhere

Well we are in and love the new house. The boxes are everywhere and moving around is difficult but we will get it done - little bit at a time.

Just wanted to give you an update when I have more time.

New Home Owner

Closings complete - Moving Begins Woot!!!

**thanks to those who commented and continue to read. love you***

Still Rolling

Well, I'm still rolling here. We had a couple minor glitches but everything is back on track. Mama is out of her house and living with us. I don't think I could even fit a piece of paper in the storage building holding her stuff.... Our house is set to close next Thursday and we will be moving into our new home. I can't wait.... I can't wait for the stress of real estate deals to be gone, I can't wait to wake up in my big new spacious house, I can't wait to only drive 10 miles to work, I can't wait to get to decorate a new house :) I just can't wait....

Other than that things around here are trucking along. Working, Working, and working...

Sorry I don't have more to share. Hope you are all doing well!.

Hey, btw does anyone ever read this thing anymore? If so give me a shout out so I know I'm not talking into the void.

Whirlwind

Well, my life has turned into a whirlwind. A tornado of excitement and blessings.

• Mama's house is closing on Monday and at this point only a stick of dynamite could stop it. The people purchasing her house are extremely excited about it... We are truly blessed.
• My house is set to close 4/9. There have been some glitches along the way - Appraisal, Her Loan, My sanity, but its all coming together. We dropped the price slightly and I'm keeping my appliances. Everyone is happy... Next hurdle is the inspection, pray its not too bad. I don't think it could be given our home, but I've heard nightmare stories.
  
• We have found the PERFECT house. I would link it but since it's under contract they have taken the pictures off the web. It is absolutely perfect - I can't think of one thing we are compromising on it. The basement is finished, with the perfect spot for a kitchen. So that will be easy to add, the upstairs is spacious and beautiful. Rooms galore and the Master is well - to die for. My closet is big enough for a small bedroom. I LOVE IT! It is also set to close on 4/9.
• We have a great set of friends - Steve and Leo. Leo used to design kitchens and has agreed to design Mama's! WOOT! Jack and I would have spent a great amount of time, figuring it out. To have someone volunteer their expertise is just amazing - Hopefully we can repay him someday.
• Mark, a friend of Jacks, knows how to lay flooring. Thus, replacing the basement carpet with something mopable - per my mother's request, will be easy! Just one more blessing! If you are wondering why we are doing that - she has a small dog that well gets excited and oops bladder... He's cute though!
• Rusty, Jack's uncle, is a plumber and has agreed to run the plumbing for us to the new Kitchen. Between him and Leo we have all the expertise we need - Jack and I just get to play manual laborers. Hey I can do grunt work when I need to!
• And Steve said he would help Jack run the network cable thru the house!
  

Moving is going to be fun. Rolls Eyes. We are moving Mama next weekend. All of her stuff will go into storage and she will stay with us. I am out of town attending a conference so I will get out of most the heavy lifting. I feel bad about that, but this thing has been on my calender and paid for since late January. Steve, Leo, my nephew Aaron and Jack will be handling that move. There will be others there helping, but those 4 are the big strong men there to do the heavy lifting!

We are moving the following weekend. If everything goes as planned we will be moving directly into the new house. WOOT. Nate, Melanie, Jack, Billy and hopefully Brian and Tripp will be here for that day. We are trying to move boxes out and into the storage building as we go to hopefully minimize the move. We have a lot more furniture than Mama who has been purging like there is no tomorrow.

All I can say is that we are super super blessed to be haven given such great friends and family! Without them this process would be much more expensive and therefore much more daunting!

Given the fact that all these deals have flowed together so flawlessly all I can say is that God had it in his master plan. Thus, I have faith they are going to work out. Faith is the only thing keeping my sanity otherwise I would be even more worried than I am and you all would be calling the men in white coats to come pick me up.

Welp, I'm off to home depot to get minor house repair items. Trying to fix anything the inspector may think of finding before he gets here. Hey, its a game - anyone want to play? Yea, me neither but hey we do what we have to.

Have a great Saturday!

Looking At Houses

We shopped for houses from 1 pm today to 8 pm! Let me just say I'm exhausted, but we saw alot. Only problem is most of them have the basements unfinished; which means we can add $50K to the price of the house because we are going to have to finish it...

Here are the top 4 so far - please share your thoughts:

Huntcrest
Brookmere
Vinings Lake
Wandering Lane

Off to bed now. Will go see more Saturday

Lisa

Pray

God is good! We got an offer on both properties. I've accepted the one on the Dahlonega property and am still bargaining on this one. Both should be under contract by tomorrow! Can you believe it? Pray these go thru!

OMG I'm so excited. Also stressed - closings are on very short notice.

Welp, wish us luck.

Wii

I found a Wii WOOT

Today

Today is a day like any other day, its not great but its not bad. However, I find my self sitting her needing to lash out, to scream for no reason other than to scream. Why you ask? Answer: I have no friggin clue!

My life is good at the moment. Here's some of what is going on:

1) House is on the market and we have had it show several times, which is impressive in this market! I'm anxious for an offer, but I know it will be a while in today's real estate realm. If you know anyone interested in the Stone Mountain, GA area send them my way. Pics of house are here: Amy Orr With Re/Max

Its the one with the red porch and stucco walls.

2) Mama's house is also for sale and its shown several times! I'm praying something comes thru soon. Again if you know of anyone wanting roughly 4.5 acres in North GA (Dahlonega) send them my way. Details can be found here: Joy Walker With Re/Max

3) Work is good. Having trouble being focused lately - Gotta get my head back in the game. Just got a pretty good bonus though; especially given our office didn't meet our numbers. Will know more about raises next month - keep your fingers crossed.

4) For those of you who don't know I was in a car accident in 2002. Allegedly I ran a red light - honestly I don't know if I did or not. I went out into lala land. Anyway, the lady that I hit had a passenger who was injured. Part of her injuries may stem from the accident, but many of them were pre-existing conditions. The lawsuit is set to be heard in June and expected award is somewhere between $250K and $500K - Yea SCARY! Insurance company will be on hook for it according to my attorney due to a bad faith situation but still SCARY! The case went to mediation yesterday and they are so close to settling and I'd be free and clear. One item holding it up and I should know something soon. Pray, Cross your fingers, toes, legs, cross whatever you have that this settles and goes away! I need this to go away!

5) Jack and I are good. He's conservative, I'm not. He's a saver, I'm a semi-saver. He wants this, I want that. We are opposites and always have been. Its a good thing cause we can normally compromise on the big stuff. I love him with everything I have. Have to be careful though - his will can run over me sometimes, must stand up for somethings, which is hard when he refuses to argue or "discuss". He just stops talking or makes finate 'this is what we are doing statements'. Well, he is not God Almighty and his word is Not always Law. Sometimes you need a good argument to clear the air - then you can "make up"...... I'm not backing down on this issue though; he's just going to have to deal. Not going into details and it's not important other than to know I love him, will always love him and stand by him but I'm not giving in on this.

6) My kitties are cute and cuddly. Sox has taken to laying w/ me on the couch while I watch tv. He gets in crook of my arm, turns upside down and meows for me to rub his belly. Patches on the other hand gets between Jack and I when we go to bed and sleeps there all night. Sometimes he's on my chest, other times on my pillow. Too cute. I have to move him in the mornings to make bed, if it was up to him I'd make it up w/ him in it. (Yep making bed everyday now that house is showing. I could get used to it, kinda nice to get in a made up bed and it doesn't take too much time in the mornings).

7) I started playing EQII again for a few weeks but then I stopped. Guess I should 're cancel' my subscription. I may login in here in a few and see if it's fun; no sense keeping it if I don't have a good time playing.

8) I want a WII! I want a WII now :) but no one has them. If you know me personally and see one pick it up and I'll pay you for it (no more than $300). If you don't know me personally... i.e you don't have my cell number then ignore said request.

9) Finally was given a few of my own accounts at work. I had to fight for them but I got them by golly. Never going to get a promotion without them!

Well, I guess that about does it. Not exciting but I needed to release, to vent, to spew or whatever this is. Tomorrow is a new day and I'm going to go in it with gusto. I'm going to enjoy it, I'm going to be happy, because I have no reason not to be!

G'Night Blogland

Protect Women's Rights

Lotusknits pointed out the following article to me regarding Women's Rights to Abortion & Use of Contraception.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/cristina-page/what-the-huck_b_82630.html
http://www.personhood.net/

If you live in GA please email/call your representatives today and protect women's rights. The government should not tell us what to do with our bodies. I don't want children and I take EVERY precaution not to have them.

Now, if I got pregnant tomorrow I'm not sure that I'd go get an abortion but I want the right to:

a) protect myself against getting pregnant
b) get an abortion if pregnancy occurs and we decide to go that route.

Government needs to stay OUT OF MY BODY! Contact your representative today

2008

2008 is approaching fast. I'm not sure I'm happy with the speed time seems to be taking. I mean just last week it was July and now it's almost New Years. In 2008 I'll be out of High School 9 years. In 2008 my nephew will be 16. It just seems to early for me to feel this old... This week I've been in a very reflective mood; almost a self destructive one. I've been seeing all the things wrong with me and my life. Not a great attitude to have, so as 2008 rolls around its time look at what I want to change, but before I do lets look at the goals for 2007 and see how I did.

2007 Goals

1) Exercise more - I know I said I was going to do this during 2006's visit but now I shall try again. I was doing ok with this; we bought an exercise bike and I was using it till the holidays came around and it had to go in the garage to make room for the tree. But I made progress w/ this goal and have every intention of getting back on the bike soon.
2) GRADUATE with my MBA Done
3) Grow in my relationship with my husband There is always room to grow so this goal will never be truly accomplished but I feel we've become closer this year. We've talked more, shared more, laughed more and if possible loved more.
4) Become more social - Make new friends - Nurture and grow my relationships with old ones. I don't have too many 'old friends' but the couple I can name haven't really been active in my life in 2007. I wish Amanda and I were closer but I know she is there if I need her and I hope she knows that about me. The other friend I have in mind... well some things are better left to fade into sweet memories before the become bitter ones. As far as making new friends I think we have; actually we've made a nice set of couple friends. Nate and Melanie are kin but I consider them dear friends and Steve and Leo are new to our lives but a blessed addition. I could have done better with the 'social' part of this goal, but progress was made.
5) Become more self sufficient - Learn More - Enjoy learning for the sake of learning. Welp, I failed miserably at this one. I've learned some and took a photography class to learn more but I still would prefer someone tell me how it's done rather than figure it out on my own. I'm just lazy like that. This is something I will continue to work on at my husbands behest but well lets just say I'm not optimistic.
6) Complain Less - Appreciate More I love to complain and I hate myself for it. I think I've done a little bit better job with appreciating my life but I'm still a queen complainer. I love to bitch... I wish I wasn't like that. This will be a goal for 08!

Overall I think I did ok with my goals for 2007. Now for 2008 - what shall I do? Whom shall I become? What is important to me right now?

1) Complain Less - Appreciate More
2) Stop Worrying what Others think or What they are saying about me? Learn that people don't talk about you every time your back is turned and if they do don't worry about it. This is going to be a tough one.
3) Femininity
4) Control My Moods better.
5) Stop Nagging or at least slow down
6) Compliment More

Well, hopefully 2008 will be full of love, hope and success. Hopefully it will bring with it a sense of newness and awe. Hopefully, it will help me get out of this emotional turmoil I seem to be in. Hopefully, it will be glorious for both my family and yours.

Good night to all and sweet dreams.

Big Decisions & New Friends

I don't blog much any more but I enjoy having this release for my soul. I enjoy coming to share my ideas, thoughts and fears on the world wide web to be read or ignored by the masses. Odd maybe, but well then so am I.

That being said we've made some new friends; Steve and Leo. Its nice to have some friends close by to go hang out with and it's really funny because we have so much in common. Jack and Steve are both homebodies who would be just as happy at home on the couch watching tv where as Leo and I are the social butterflies. I love it - we met up last night to go to dinner and a movie, but got to talking so much that we ended up skipping the movie and going to dinner and then coffee. We talked from 7 to 9:30 - who knew people could talk that long. It was alot of fun - only downside is we went to Starbucks...Must train them that Waffle House and Dunkin Doughnuts have the best coffee. Yes, Melanie they do :) !!

I'm excited to have friends that are close enough to hang out with. Melanie and Nate are really the only couple friends we've had and well they are over an hour away. We still see them ALOT more than we used to but... it's still quite a ways. Better than 5 hours though!

On another topic Jack and I are faced with some rather large decisions in the near future. Mama has fallen twice and the house she lives in is 125 years old. Pictures are below and yes it looks great, but it has no central heat/air, it has very steep steps to go upstairs and well it's a lot of maintenance.


So we are talking about selling this house, selling the house and property in Dahlonega (4 3/4 acres) and buying a house w/ a basement apartment or cottage house that we can all live in but still have the privacy we all need. In today's market I think we could buy a lot more house for less, but on the other hand we have two properties to sale, which is not favorable in today's market. I don't know - big choices to be made. Anyone had an experience selling/buying - I'm open for any and all advice.

Welp, we're off to buy Christmas presents... fun fun. Hope you all have a good weekend.

Mylerna.com Up and Running

www.mylerna.com is up and running with Pictures! Moere are added daily; check it out and give me your thoughts :)