Lajcis in Love

Almost there...

2010-09-04T15:03:00.001-07:00

I am now 38 weeks and 2 days preggers and I have to go the doctor every week now. At my last appointment, there had been no progress made. Baby's head is down, which it has been for the past several weeks but she was still laying up under my ribs and I hadn't dilated at all. My doctor said we're going to want some sort of action here shortly! I'm still feeling really good. I'm glad to have control of the A/C, even if I'm freezing out the family. It definitely makes it more comfortable to be pregnant in California in September!

So what's left to do? I mean, besides finishing building our house? Here's the list:
1) Pack my bag - my goal for tonight
2) Charge all of the camera batteries and pack them together
3) Charge the iPod and find extra batteries for our player
4) Set up the Pack 'n Play in our temporary bedroom
5) Take the car seat to the CHP to have it checked
6) Take King to the vet for all of his shots
7) Call the doctor to get Mark a flu shot and pertussis (whooping cough) booster

We just can't wait to meet our little girl!

2010 (so far) in pictures

2010-08-15T19:58:00.000-07:00

This year has been crazy busy and filled with excitement. I so wish I had done a better job of documenting everything that has been going on but at least I have pictures...

Our News Years Day Party at Andy's place.

Celebrating Christmas with my dad and the fam.

The cousins

We're pregnant!

Chicago for Katey's 30th birthday and a bonus visit with Mike, Kristi, and Colin.

Spending time with our little family of 3 1/2.

Dave's daughter, Riley's, 1st birthday.

Dodgers Opening Day and the beginnings of a Baby Bump.

Baby Lajci!

Adam and Lindsay's Wedding Shower

My first baby shower at school

Craig's ordination

Our Baby Shower in Michigan

Graduation!

My Baby Shower at School with my Students

Adam and Lindsay's Wedding Weekend

My 30th Birthday!

Construction!

Hello Stranger, Remember Me?

2010-06-03T19:37:00.000-07:00

I have been meaning to sit down and post some things a lot in the past, oh, 6 months. I mean, my goodness, I have a lot to share! Thing is, time just slips away from me and I never actually do it. At this moment, I have to bake some cupcakes for our end-of-the-year potluck tomorrow but wanted to drop a line to those of you who may still check in from time to time in case I've decided to post in the year 2010. Things are great, I'm feeling wonderful. I will be posting more in the days, weeks, and months to come. Stay tuned...

Today's Horoscope...

2009-12-26T20:35:00.001-08:00

You may have found yourself having some issues with food lately, dear Cancer. It could be that your sense of self-worth is not at its highest and that you are trying to make up for this by sabotaging your relationship to your body. Remember: food is healthy nourishment that you need to survive. Your body deserves respect, and you always need to give it the proper fuel that it needs to be healthy.

Weird.

1/2 way...

2009-12-05T18:38:00.001-08:00

To my first weight loss goal, that is. I hit 15 lbs. this morning and feel great! With Thanksgiving and a very stressful November, it would have been easy to fall of the wagon but I stuck to it and am very proud of myself. When I get to 30 lbs., I'm going to get highlights. I'm ready for them now but they're so costly, I figured it'd give me something to work toward. I haven't had them done since before our wedding. My next mini-goal is to lose 4 lbs. before we go to Michigan on January 1st. I think it's totally attainable, even as holiday parties loom. Wish me luck!

Nothing Like the Christmas Spirit!

2009-12-04T17:34:00.000-08:00

While driving around Downey running errands, King and I were enjoying the Christmas music on the radio, muddling through the words to Feliz Navidad, when I stopped at a four-way stop sign. I yielded to the car on my left and, when it was my turn to go, I started going straight. Just after I started into the intersection, the car to my right decided to go straight. I had to slam on my brakes, sending Kingy onto the floor in the backseat (poor guy). I had gone first and, obviously, had the right of way. But then someone honked at me. At ME! I didn't do anything wrong. So I looked over to the honker, on my left, and saw two guys gesturing and, presumably, yelling not-so-nice things at me. I pointed to the car that had gone in front of me, what the heck did the guys want me to do? And then, without pause, I lifted a certain finger that I rarely lift. Then moved forward and continued my Feliz Navidading. A minute later, I realized what had just transpired and found myself laughing at the entire situation. Merry Christmas dude in the red Toyota who decided to honk and yell at me, Merry Christmas.

A Low-Carb Lifestyle

2009-11-08T20:09:00.000-08:00

Just about a week after Mark's birthday weekend in Vegas, we decided to give Atkins a try. Up to this point in my life, I had been very anti-Atkins because I felt that the people I know who have done it eat bacon all day and lose weight. This is not a healthy diet. But, we bought a book and, after reading through it, I began to understand the ideas behind the diet..scratch that, it's a lifestyle. Basically, the principles are simple and all sugary, processed food should be eliminated and replaced by healthy alternatives.

One thing that I discovered during this first two week period is just how much I had become addicted, literally, to sugar. The first couple days were the most difficult, especially when I had to have something sweet after my meals, but I soon got used to it. Last week, I also gave up caffeine. Instead of feeling tired, as I assumed I would, I had a distinctively increased energy level. When I got home from work everyday, I no longer desired my afternoon naps that I had become so accustomed to. It was incredible!

We went to Lindsay and Adam's last night and were planning to skip the wine/beer that normally goes along with a night with them; however, we decided to have a couple of drinks, nothing crazy, and see what happens. We both had lost when we weighed in this morning! I am definitely learning the value of balance.

We're starting Week 3 this week and should be moving into the "Ongoing Weight Loss" phase of Atkins but I think we're going to do one more week of "Induction."

Total weight loss so far: 10.5 lbs!!! It's amazing how results fuel the motivational fire.

Update (in photos)

2009-10-23T22:29:00.001-07:00

Hanging with Adam & Linz!

Looks who's in the shopping cart now!

Our adorable niece and me.

Such a cute pic!

At an NLDS game

In Vegas for Mark's birthday

Lucky guy!

With a random relic at the House of Blues Foundation Room.

Having a good 'ole time!

Mark & the Strip

We wandered through the closed restaurant and found a collection of empty wine buckets, a perfect place for Mark to relieve himself!

Self-Portrait!

Welcome to the world Joshua Leo!

2009-10-14T20:39:00.001-07:00

Karen and Scott's first baby was born on Monday! After 41 hours of labor and an eventual c-section, Mom and Baby are doing well. Congratulations Diegels! We are so thrilled for you!

"Teachers are Born, Not Made."

2009-09-30T20:05:00.000-07:00

I just read an article that argued no matter how wonderful the university program, people simply can't be taught how to teach unless they were born with the "teaching gene." I tend to agree. Mark tells people all the time that I could not get paid and I would still do what I do. I love it that much. And it's true. I really do love what I do.

I've had some difficulties of late with one of the teachers in my department. It seems that, because I am more eager to try new things, ready to take on new challenges, and in a position that seems to have authority (as department chair) I can do nothing right. It probably doesn't help that I'm thirty years younger than her either! Truly, no matter what I do, it's wrong. And she has no problem telling me how wrong I am and how thirty-five years of teaching has made her an expert on whatever teeny-tiny little decision I have to make.

So, since my last blog posting, school has started and boy is the ball just a-rolling along! Which, incidentally, is why I haven't posted anything since September 4th. I have a new classroom, which is great! It's also a big change and has thrown everyone off, including me. My co-teacher and I have five new paraeducators which is almost like having five additional students at times. While completely necessary and totally invaluable, teaching five people how you want/need them to work is a huge undertaking. I also have a couple of new students who are really great kids but also very involved behaviorally. To add to the craziness, I have a ton of extra paperwork and evaluations to do this year. And to top it all off, I had this teacher upset with me this afternoon.

But, despite my ranting and jumbled thoughts, it really has been a great year so far! I'm looking forward to things settling down a bit so that I can actually enjoy what it is I was genetically pre-determined to do...teach.

Week in Review

2009-09-04T23:09:00.000-07:00

After being a "new" WW member again this week, I'm supposed to weigh in tomorrow morning. I had a really rough time getting into a routine this week for several reasons. A run down of my week...

Saturday night was our annual Albanian party in which our family celebrates with other families from the same region of Montenegro their ability to defeat the Turks and remain Catholic. We had two lambs roasting on a spit all day long plus all kinds of other food and wine.

Sunday we went to a friend of Mark's place for a BBQ. I managed to do okay here but did have a couple of beers.

Monday was our big night on the town! I had way too much to eat and drink.

Tuesday I was super hungover so didn't eat too much but what I did it were my typical hangover remedies - french fries, ice cream, and an egg sandwich. I know, it sounds gross and weird but it really does seem to help me!

Wednesday I managed to actually count my points and log my food into my online journal.

Thursday I went wedding dress shopping with Lindsay and she took us out for appetizers and then for dinner as well. I tried to be good but it was so difficult, especially since we were celebrating.

Friday, today, I've done really well.

Part of me really, really wants to skip my meeting in the morning since I know I didn't have a successful week and it's just embarrassing for me at this point. But, Mark is being really supportive and insists that I go. My leader is super positive so I know she'll celebrate the fact that I came back more than make me feel bad for not following the plan this week.

Next week will be better. I go back to work which will help a ton since I'll be back into a routine.

(Sigh) Wish me luck. I definitely wish it were easier.

A Step in the Right Direction

2009-09-01T22:41:00.001-07:00

After reading my last post, it probably doesn't seem like I'm doing anything to help myself shed some pounds. However, yesterday was a special occasion. In fact, I re-joined WW on Saturday morning. I've had a decent week but, of course, last night made it difficult. I have three full days until my next weigh-in though, wish me luck!

Reaping the Rewards

2009-09-01T21:46:00.000-07:00

Since July, Mark and his management team have been working so hard in order to make BJ's in Downey a successful restaurant. Their hard work and dedication definitely paid off when they beat the opening week sales record! As a result, the big wigs from corporate took the entire team and their significant others out to dinner last night at Mastro's Steakhouse in Beverly Hills. Mark and I have been so excited about this dinner and night on the town and it the night definitely did not disappoint.

We all met at the restaurant between 4:30 and 5:00 where we met the limo that would take us to Beverly Hills. I was a bit disappointed that the limo was not stocked with champagne, as I had anticipated; however, I ultimately had plenty to drink. We met the top five guys from the corporate office for dinner and two of their wives joined us as well. Mark and I ended up sitting directly across the table from the CEO and one of the VP's. I sat directly next to the wife of the 2nd in command. She and her husband are planning their daughter's wedding so we had plenty to talk about. I kept leaning over to Mark and apologizing for not socializing more with him but he was thankful that I was getting along with the mukity-muk's wife. We also chatted a lot with the CEO who just seems like a really, really nice guy.

The conversation was great but the food was to die for! I had a bone-in filet, which I had never seen on a menu prior to last night. It was so thick and juicy and delicious! All side orders are served family style so everyone was able to order what they wanted and we all had plenty to sample. My favorite was the creamed corn. Mmm... The au-gratin potatoes were delicious as well. Then came the dessert! Mastro's has a signature butter cake on the menu so, of course, that's what we got. I love sweets but I'm not too much of a cake person (unless it's from Meijer) but this cake was indescribably delicious. Words can't even express how yummy it was. And it was served with fresh berries. Just divine.

Great conversation and one of the most delicious meals of my life were complemented wonderfully with lots and lots of drinks. Lots of drinks. I started with a smoking lemon drop martini and then really, really wanted a glass of champagne. After asking Mark who asked his GM, I ordered a $25 glass! Then the wine came and an after-dinner S'mores martini with a graham cracker rim. In all, the tab on dinner was around $4500! Talk about a perk of a job well done.

After leaving Mastro's, we swung by Sky Bar in Hollywood. Now, I have wanted to go to Sky Bar since Becky and I first went to L.A. for the night back in 2002. I'm not sure how I had heard of it or why I wanted in so bad but I was so thrilled to have made in in the door that I asked just about every person in the place what the name of the bar was! I kept thinking they were all just messing with me. I don't know, blame it on the a-a-a-alcohol! We ended the night at the local karaoke joint that we went to last week. I butchered "Dancing Queen." Or, I'm assuming I butchered it because I couldn't even hear myself singing it. Mark and I ended the evening with our own rendition of "Redemption Song."

In all, we has an absolutely fantastic time and can't wait to go back to Mastro's and enjoy the food again. I wonder if it would be just as delicious if it wasn't free!

A full-length shot of us before leaving the house. It's kinda dark but you get the idea. I love to watch as we get more and more relaxed as the night goes on...

In the bar before dinner.

Gotta get a pic at the entrance! This was after dinner.

At Sky Bar. Definitely getting a little faded.

In the limo. Nice cleavage.

Our self-portait attempts!

The Lajci's do Bob Marley!

One last self-portrait for the night. I think it's pretty obvious that we're having a great time!

Like a vacation

2009-08-26T19:15:00.000-07:00

Mark had Monday and Tuesday off this week and, boy, does that make today feel like a Monday! I go back to school (at the university) next week so I'm very thankful to have felt like we were on vacation.

We woke up somewhat early on Monday with a list of errands to run. We dropped Mark's car off at the dealership to get his a/c fixed (it hasn't been working for a few weeks) and Mark got a haircut. We then went to Home Depot and ordered a door with a doggie door already installed in it rather than having Mark's dad saw the hole himself, which was the original plan. We also got a new toilet seat as I had broken the last one by standing on it and cleaning the walls. Apparently, I twisted one way and the seat went the other, causing the screw that holds the lid to the seat to break.

After lunch, we embarked on our major endeavor of the day: purchasing a new suit for Mark. We went to an outlet mall not far from us to get an idea of prices then headed to Hollywood, a suit outlet mecca. I must say that, even though we are SoCal residents, walking the star-lined streets of Hollywood is still pretty cool. We went to an additional four stores and Mark had decided on a classic black suit until he tried on a super-sharp grey, pin-striped Hugo Boss. It was the suit that fit him the best all day long and he really looked handsome in it. He was a bit afraid that grey, pin-stripes don't go with enough colors of shirts and ties but I reassured him that, according to Stacey and Clinton, it would be considered a neutral and that he could wear any shirt and tie with it. We left the store for a minute to discuss and then he called his friend Andy to gets the man's perspective. He decided to get it and I think it guarantees that heads will turn when he walks into a room (as if they don't already!).

Being that we were in Hollywood and it was already close to 5, we decided to get some food and drinks and wait for traffic to lighten up. We went to this really neat German bar where the bartender and the regulars are all from Germany. The food was great - even better than Frankenmuth! After braving the freeway, we took a short nap then met up with Mark's GM, Will, at BJ's then closed down The Powwow Saloon, where they have karaoke every night! We finally crashed close to 3:30.

Tuesday morning we forced ourselves out of bed early and went for a quick greasy breakfast since I was feeling a bit queasy from over-indulging the night before and he was moving pretty slowly. We then hit the road to meet up with our friends Dave and Robin and their adorable daughter, Riley, in Del Mar (about an hour and a half south of us, close to San Diego). Robin's brother is the deputy chief of the life guards on his stretch of the beach so we had a prime spot close to the tower. The water was beautiful! So clean. And the waves were totally within my comfort zone, which is really great! After a quick, hangover-curing dip, I got comfortable with Robin, her sister-in-law, and the baby (who was safe under an umbrella) and caught some major rays. Mark, on the other hand, went boogie-boarding for a bit then went out with Robin's lifeguard brother, his 7-year-old son, and Dave for his first surfing lesson. He had a wonderful time and came back to shore exhausted but super excited to try it again sometime very soon. We all then went for a fabulous dinner and margaritas and drove home, where we fell into a deep sleep no later than 10:30! It is almost inconceivable that Mark be asleep by 10:30. I guess the surfing really did take a lot out of him!
This morning, as Mark was getting ready for work, we were talking about how nice the last two days were and how much like a vacation they felt like. We felt rested and he felt ready to deal with the restaurant for the next few days.

Hilarious?

2009-08-22T21:30:00.001-07:00

The neighbors are having a party and their music's been loud all night. No biggie, right? It's only 9:30. Besides, we're having a party next weekend so we'll get them back. The funny thing? They just busted out a karaoke machine. I can't help but laugh. I just can't.

Wretched time of year

2009-08-22T16:05:00.000-07:00

I know that I really shouldn't be complaining about having multiple weeks off every summer and I know that I'm truly, truly going to appreciate having summers off once we have babies. BUT, this time of year is always SO tough when it comes to weight loss, or even just weight control. I, of course, have put on a few pounds since summer school has let out. I know that some of it will naturally come off when school starts again, it always does. Mark has put on a few pounds this summer and we are now both to a point where we're ready to do something about it. He has been really encouraging me to go back to WW, since history shows that it works for me but I'm feeling really embarrassed to go back into the meetings heavier than ever. I know I'm probably not going to be the only repeat enrollee but I need to get past it and just do it. Chelle recently shared the best BMI and waist measurement that her doctor indicated are ideal for conception. My first goal will be to get my numbers below that level. From there, we shall see. Wish me luck!

See what I mean!?!?!?

2009-08-20T14:56:00.000-07:00

You'll notice that I've posted about my week with my mom. You'll probably also notice how crazy the formatting is. Sorry. It's the best I could do. I'm not sure what exactly caused the issue but something obviously did. Hmmm...

Frustration!

2009-08-19T21:49:00.000-07:00

I just spent over an hour recounting my week with my mom but when I tried to add pictures everything got messed up! Stay tuned. I'll try again tomorrow. I'm done for tonight.

A Wonderful Week

2009-08-19T20:27:00.001-07:00

When Mark started working in the hiring center and putting in twelve and fourteen hour days, we decided that I was going to take a little vacation and spend a week in Michigan. We've yet to spend a night away from each other since we've been married and, while I know it'll happen eventually, I just don't want to yet. So, instead of spending the money on a ticket for me, we decided to spend the money on my mom so we flew her here for a week. We had a really fantastic time and, as always, it was very hard for me to see her go home. After taking her to the airport, I did some running around, got a pint of Ben & Jerry's FroYo, and laid in bed for a couple of hours.

She arrived last Wednesday around noon and we immediately took her for some delicious, authentic Mexican food. We spent the evening watching home videos, Mamma Mia!, and finishing up the invitations for Erin's baby shower. A nice, relaxing evening together.

Thursday we went to breakfast and then to the Warner Brothers Studio for a VIP Tour. A teacher at school had given me a couple of free passes a couple of years ago so I was finally able to turn them in. It was a great, two-hour tour. We saw Stars Hollow, Connecticut fro Gilmore Girls and Central Perk from Friends. We were also able to walk on the set of Chuck. The magic of movies really is fascinating to me and something that I've always shared with my mom. We went to Mark's restaurant for dinner where I think my mom found a new addiction in the parmigiana encrusted chicken, which is delicious. After dinner we watched the newest Nurse Jackie on demand and I watched my first episode of Weeds, seems interesting.

On Friday, I made cinnamon rolls (something I seem to only eat at my mom's) and we went to my new classroom. I'm moving to the room next door so my co-teacher and I have a much larger space for our program to run in now! We spent hours getting furniture moved around and making my new office seem comfy and cozy. Friday night we had popcorn and chocolate for dinner and saw Orphan, which was really creepy.

Saturday was a very relaxed day. We went to BJ's for breakfast to check out their weekend brunch menu then went dress shopping. (A side note: Mark's restaurant beat the BJ's opening week record so the suits are taking all of the managers and their spouses/significant others to Mastro's in Beverly Hills on August 31. We're getting a limo and everything! The CEO will be there. It's kind of a big deal.)

So Saturday afternoon my mom and I started our quest for the perfect dress. And I proceeded to throw my PMS-induced attitude full force at my mother. I'm sure deep down Mark was thankful that it wasn't him. :) After dress shopping, we went home and each took a little nap. Waking up feeling much better, we went grocery shopping and my mom taught me how she makes mostaccioli. After dinner, the three of us met up with Adam and Lindsay along with her mom, step-dad, and sister, who just happened to be in town this weekend as well. My mom and I ended the evening by dipping our feet in the Pacific.
Sunday was Mark's mom's birthday. We had Chinese food and birthday cake for lunch and relaxed and watched the Dodgers game. We BBQ'd at Adam and Lindsay's place for dinner and enjoyed a great night of discussing wedding plans and playing Cranium.

On Monday, we had a wonderful, albeit hot, day sharing our absolute favorite coasters with my mom at Six Flags Magic Mountain. We went to BJ's for the third time this week. I mean, why not? Mark doesn't get enough of it when he working, right? But it is really good food and we do get it for free.

Tuesday, our last full day together, we went back to my classroom to finish up a couple of projects and my mom was able to meet my co-teacher and all of the administration. They were really great and talked me up a lot which, of course, made me feel good but I know had to make my mom feel pretty good too. She told them that it's nice to know that people love me when she's so far away. I then took her by Cal State Long Beach and showed her where my classes are and we went to pick up the dress that I decided upon. We stayed at home the rest of the evening and relaxed.

Wednesday morning was clouded by the sadness of her departure but it really was a very good week and it was so nice spending time with her. It was great to have her helping me in my classroom and even better to have her helping me pick out a nice dress - both things that I've gotten pretty used to doing by myself.

It's always hard to leave one another but we talk so often that I feel very close to my mom even though we're physically apart from one another. I sure am one lucky girl.

Mistrial!

2009-08-07T22:46:00.001-07:00

After spending six entire days (well, really only 3 hours a day) at the courthouse going through the jury selection process, listening to testimony, and deliberating, the jury that I was on was unable to come to a unanimous verdict. It came down to a 11-1 vote, in favor of a conviction and we spend a good five hours explaining, bickering, and not budging the final juror. It was extremely frustrating to me to have been through it all and not finish with a verdict. I do commend the one person though for sticking to their guns and not budging simply because eleven people were, basically, begging them to; however, being one of three jurors who ended yesterday after voting "not guilty," I thought the facts presented and discussed today made it very clear that the defendant was, in fact, guilty.

Being that this is a public blog, even though nobody but those who know me read it, I don't feel right disclosing too much information. The case was regarding a DUI conviction. The defendant had just turned 20 when he and a friend lost control of his vehicle and ran it off the side of the freeway. Neither person was in the vehicle when the police arrived but the defendant admitted that he had been driving, attempted all of the field sobriety tests, and agreed to a blood test. He was, unquestionably, drunk and that fact was never in question. The issue was that nobody witnessed him driving and, even though he admitted to driving at the scene and proceeded to get arrested without attempting to explain that his friend was actually the one behind the wheel, the defense's argument was that he was not, in actuality, driving the vehicle.

It was a very, very interesting experience and an extremely thought-provoking look at how people relate to one another. It was also a fascinating glimpse into the workings of our justice system.

Appreciation

2009-08-06T22:48:00.001-07:00

Mark's new restaurant had its grand opening this past Monday and they beat a BJ's sales record for an opening day, raking in upwards of $25,000 for the day. It's been an incredibly hectic, exhausting, and stressful couple of months since he started working in the hiring center. Even the guys at the restaurant have begun to get on each others' nerves. All of their bosses from corporate have been there all day breathing down their necks and their team members are all still learning the ins and outs of the restaurant. Mark's shift yesterday exemplifies how his job has been this summer. He went in at 4:00 pm to close the restaurant. When he closed any of the last four BJ's that he has worked for, the latest he has gotten home without having stayed to socialize was just after 3. He came through the door at 4:30 this morning, exhausted and pissed off. Time will definitely ease these pains and I'm estimating the restaurant will be working the way it should be by about February.

So, here I am, the wife of a restaurant manager who is opening a new restaurant. The only wife of all the managers involved in the opening. I've shared countless hours with Mark and his management team discussing the new hires and the kinks and glitches over beers. The guys have started to refer to me as an honorary member of the management team. I've begun referring to the restaurant operations as "ours" and talk about the things "we" do. Mark comes home upset and I've been there, of course and unquestionably, to try to calm him down. I've tried my best to always have food ready when he gets home from work and I've been doing all I can to hold my tongue when things just don't need to be said at that exact moment. I've been patient and he's been stressed. Mix the new restaurant opening with his quitting smoking (almost 2 months now!) and it's easy to see why we've had our fair share of squabbles this summer. While the guys were in the hiring center, I brought them lunch at least twice a week and I spent two whole afternoons pounding the pavement to hand out free take-out meals to local businesses, just so nobody (namely my husband) would have to do so after working ten, twelve, even fourteen hours in one day.

By no means am I complaining. I am so unbelievably proud of Mark for quitting smoking, especially during this stressful time. I also think that the experience of opening a new restaurant is one that will help him grow exponentially as a manager. Being that the restaurant is just over a mile from our house, he is planning on remaining there for the long-haul. This will be the restaurant where I take our kids to visit dad at work, where we, as a family, celebrate birthdays and baseball games and dance recitals (until BJ's decides to open in Michigan, of course). And, by no means, would I ever expect anything in return from Mark or from the restaurant. My job, as his wife, is to be there for him and to do whatever I can to support him and the restaurant.

I came home from jury duty today to find a bouquet of beautiful yellow and white daisies and white lilies with a card attached that read: Thank you for all your support, understanding, encouragement, patience, and lunch delivery! Mark is lucky to have you and so are we. - BJ's Operations Team

I was at a loss for words at the thoughtfulness that went into that thank you. Mark and I were just discussing how we don't do things because we expect to get something in return or, at least, we shouldn't. If that's the reason why a person does the things he or she does, then they really shouldn't do it in the first place. But, boy does it feel nice to be appreciated.

My Civic Duty

2009-08-06T22:46:00.000-07:00

I've been sitting on a jury all week and have found the entire experience absolutely fascinating. We have to go back in tomorrow morning for deliberations but we are all hoping to be done tomorrow. After that, I will gladly go into more detail about the case.

Another perfect day!

2009-08-02T21:22:00.000-07:00

Mark and I had another great Sunday off together today. Today was the last day that the restaurant is closed, grand opening is tomorrow! So, all managers and team members were off today to get their heads in the game.

We woke up when we felt like waking up (one of my absolute favorite things about having the day off) and went to Subway for lunch. We then headed back down to the beach that we went to a few weeks ago. It was so beautiful then that we thought we'd try it again. Well, several things weren't right this time around. First, seaweed was EVERYWHERE. Now, I know that the ocean is a natural body and seaweed a naturally occurring thing but, really, it's gross. I hate the way it feels wrapped around my ankles and thighs. Second, the waves were HUGE. Finally, the rip tide was super strong. A lifeguard actually swam out to us to tell us to get our booties closer to shore or else we'd be carried out to sea. That's all I really needed to hear. We swam in a bit closer then headed to shore. Mark then took our boogie board out to show me how it's done. He caught a few waves then we laid out for a bit.

When we got home, we BBQ'd with Mark's parents and his sister, Tina. There was lots to eat and I drank almost an entire bottle of champagne myself! Needless to say, it was a really great dinner.

Finally, to top it all off, Mark and I got our beach cruisers that hadn't been ridden in almost a year and took off to Blizzberry. Blizzberry is my new addiction. You serve yourself soft serve frozen yogurt and top with whatever you want and then they charge you by the ounce. It's similar to Pinkberry or Yogurtland or some other derivative of the same. My favorite concoction has been strawberry and raspberry yogurt topped with strawberries, blackberries (my absolute new favorite), raspberries, and sprinkles. Delicious. After we ate our yogurt we rode our bikes around Downey for a good hour or so. Maybe even longer than that. It was the best bike ride of my life, I felt 13 again!

We are now choosing a movie to watch while we enjoy a bottle of wine. A perfect ending to a perfect day.

Break open the bubbly!

2009-08-02T21:20:00.000-07:00

Adam proposed to Lindsay this weekend and she said yes!!!

We are so thrilled for them. They are, absolutely, hands-down, our best friends here in L.A. and the couple that we spend holidays and special times with. We are so excited to be a part of this amazingly special time for them. Congrats you two!

Karma, Karma, Karma, Karma Chameleon!

2009-07-31T12:26:00.000-07:00

I really did expect to walk into the courthouse today to meet officers who would handcuff me and take me to jail since I failed to appear for jury duty. I was super anxious this morning and, of course, running late.

After parking and practically running to the doors, I found that they hadn't even opened yet. Score one for me. Then, when we were filing in, a woman leaned in and whispered "I thought we were going to get away with not coming at all." What? You mean to tell me that, though I totally forgot to call in, those people in my group who had been were not instructed to appear until this morning?!?! Score two for me. Then, after a two-hour orientation, our guide read a list of names of individuals who, while not done for the day, were able to take an extended lunch and report back at 1:30. Guess whose name was on it? That's right, yours truly!

So, I just woke up from a mini-nap and am gearing up for another "grueling" three hours in court. Wish me luck!

Oops!

2009-07-30T20:40:00.000-07:00

I just realized that I was supposed to call in for jury service on Monday. I was originally called in April but postponed until the Monday after summer school let out. Time went by. I got a new jury summons in the mail, I got a reminder phone call last week yet I still forgot. I just called in and am expected to report tomorrow morning. I'm half afraid they will be waiting there with handcuffs, ready to arrest me for failure to appear.

If you don't hear from me for awhile...

What day is it again?

2009-07-30T13:54:00.000-07:00

I've been on vacation now for, what, six whole days (including the weekend which, technically, really shouldn't count) and I have already seriously lost my inner sense of date and time. I have to check the calendar regularly just to remember what day is it. Incidentally, it is Thursday.

I made a pact with myself that I wasn't going to go to school at all this week to give myself a true break. What have I been doing instead? A whole lotta NOTHING. Well, I emptied six trash bags of clothes from our closets and donated them to the Salvation Army. I've re-watched two complete seasons of Dexter and am finishing up the third. I've started the book that Tabitha sent me for my birthday. I've been to a Dodgers game and taken Mark to the doctor. I've written thank you notes for my birthday gifts (they're in the mail). I've laid around. A lot. I've played with my Wii and left my car parked in the same spot for two whole days. I've been grocery shopping and am currently sitting up very straight so that the dye on my head doesn't drip down and color other parts of my body. I suppose it hasn't been too much nothing.

But I am now starting to find myself, after only six days off, bored. And ready to establish some sort of routine. Quote me on that come mid-October when IEPs are due and my CSULB classes are in full swing.

Formatting

2009-07-24T15:13:00.000-07:00

My apologies for the lack of uniformity in my last couple of posts, I think I figured out how to make the changes I want and they should all look the same from now on. (I told you we're all on the spectrum somewhere!)

A sigh of relief...

2009-07-24T15:08:00.001-07:00

Summer school is done and I am now officially on vacation!!! The five weeks flew by and it was much better than I anticipated it was going to be. Now on to more fun things...

Happy, happy day!

2009-07-19T14:39:00.001-07:00

I love birthdays. I think birthdays should be a super special day for the birthday boy/girl and an excellent day to celebrate being you. My birthday always starts several days prior to the actual date of my birth. In fact, I enjoy celebrating my entire birth month.

I always hear people saying things like, "once you get to a certain age, it just isn't fun to celebrate getting older anymore." To which I reply, "Bull#&it!" The purpose of celebrating a birthday, to me, isn't to celebrate living another year or, as some pessimists out there feel, getting a year closer to death. No sir, celebrating someone's birthday is to take one day out the year to make a point to tell the people that you love that you are happy they're alive.

I found myself brought to tears on my birthday this year by the sheer volume of people who extended their well wishes and happy thoughts. Everyone from my students and co-workers to my family to Mark's co-workers and family called or sent cards or emailed or sent me a text message letting me know that they are thinking of me on my special day. I felt truly, truly humbled and blessed to have such special people in my life and I thank each and every one of you for your thoughts.

I had a terrific birthday this year, as I always do. Knowing how important birthdays are to me, Mark always goes above and beyond in making my day special for me. We were recounting all of the birthdays that I've celebrated with him and each one has been remarkable. This year was no exception.

While my co-workers and students had been celebrating with me since the 15th, Mark and I started our official celebration at midnight on the 17th when I opened the package that my mom sent along with one of his gifts for me. We stayed up late watching our TiVoed shows from the past week and enjoying being together.

Mark had the day off so I followed suit and called in sick. We woke up and got moving at our own pace, no need for alarm clocks and morning routines. In fact, I was happily awoken by phone calls from both of my parents and a text message from my brother. While I laid in bed, slowly welcoming in the day, Mark snuck off to finish wrapping my gifts. While it's clear to see why I am the resident wrapper in our home, I absolutely love the effort he puts forth just to make me feel special.

I was shocked and thrilled to open a Nintendo Wii, a Wii Fit, and the Personal Trainer! I'd been wanting a Wii since I first played it at Mike and Kristi's right after Colin was born. He also got me a new bottle of DKNY Be Delicious perfume, my signature scent that I've been out of for a few months, and a new Dodgers bracelet, I get one every season and hadn't bought a new one yet this year.
After opening my presents, we went to breakfast and the headed to the beach. We originally intended on going back to Salt Creek but because we had taken our time getting up and about, we opted just to go to the dog beach at Huntington. We had a great time with King and he even went swimming in the ocean for the first time. He learned to negotiate the waves the hard way (by taking a couple in the face) and it was hilarious to watch as he learned to lift his head and turn away from the water as the waves came toward him. As we were leaving the beach, King was even talent spotted and a lady wanted us to come to the studio for an interview. We opted against it as we didn't quite trust her but, still, Hollywood wants our Kingy.

When we got home, Mark's parents had a vase of flowers, a card, and a cake waiting for me. The card had a really great sentiment about how much they love me. Mark's mom asked me to read it out loud but there was no way I could because just the fact that they had gotten me a card brought tears to my eyes. Mark read it though and both his mom and I got choked up. It was a really nice moment.

Mark had told me earlier in the week that he made dinner reservations but wouldn't tell me where. After taking the strangest route possible and keeping me guessing the entire time, we arrived at one of our favorite restaurants called Dal Rae. We enjoyed a really nice bottle of Strasburg champagne, tableside Caesar salad, a really nice bottle of wine, Chateaubriand (also prepared tableside), and a delicious ice cream dessert along with great conversation and romantic time together.

After such a fantastic day and evening, mixed with a belly full of delicious food and wine, I went to sleep on Friday night thankful for the life that I get to live.

Another Pleasant L.A. Sunday

2009-07-13T18:03:00.000-07:00

Well, really, it was a pleasant L.A. weekend but those lyrics don't fit as nicely in the song.

Friday started out a bit rocky. Mark went into work at 7:15 and didn't take a lunch break until after 4. His day didn't end until after 10 and then he went out with the guys from work for a few drinks. After all, they deserved them after working a 15 hour day! Meanwhile, however, I was home with a mini-migraine. I had my first migraine at the beginning of June and I went to class that night anyway, thinking it would go away eventually. It was so painful that, when the throbbing started on Friday afternoon, I didn't take any chances and spent most of the afternoon and early evening laying in bed in the dark with the fans blowing directly at me. I felt better by 8ish or so, thankfully.

Saturday morning I attempted to go to the lab for my blood work that the doctor ordered at my physical at the beginning of June. I know, I know...I should have gotten my booty there much sooner; however, I have to go on an 8 hour fast which makes it impossible to go anytime except in the morning and, in the morning during the week, I have to be at work. Well, when I got to the lab, the line was about forty people deep outside of the door. I have no idea what it looked like inside. I immediately turned around but then figured since I'd gotten up early on a Saturday to be there, I should just suck it up and wait. But, after moving three inches in 20 minutes, I left. I'm going to go Wednesday morning before work and if I'm late so be it. The blood work is to check my cholesterol and my thyroid. It's nothing life threatening or anything.

When I got back from the doctor, Mark and I went to breakfast and then to price doggy doors at Home Depot and the local favorite hardware store, All-American (the irony of the name is staggering). We had planned on getting a security screen with a door for King in it but it turns out that they are upwards of $500 so we then planned on special ordering a regular exterior door with a doggy door in it but then Mark's dad decided that he is going to attempt to install a doggy door in it. So, we purchased all of the pieces needed and shall see how this endeavor turns out.

We then went to The Comedy & Magic Club in Hermosa Beach with our friends Holly and Jake. Holly is a school psychologist in our district and was on my interview panel when I was hired at Cerritos. I knew then that we would be friends. She no longer works at my school but we get together for martinis at least once a month and the four of us get together almost as often. The club is celebrating its birthday and we saw 20 comics, each of which performed for about 5 minutes. It was a great time.

Yesterday, Mark and I were up and about fairly early, around 10 (which is early for the two of us). We hopped into his car, dropped the top, and headed south. We got off of the freeway at Seal Beach and drove on PCH for close to 2 hours. At around 1 we decided to stop at the next beach. We ended up at Salt Creek Beach (pictured above), which is beautiful. We swam for the first time this summer and had a great time. I learned that I just shouldn't try to catch a wave and body surf in. The waves were very large, at least for this Midwestern girl, and when I finally got brave enough to try to catch one, it swallowed me up and spit me out. When I finally had my footing again, I was almost in tears and about to puke. In retelling the story, I swear I was under water for at least a minute. Mark said it was more like 4 seconds! He tried to hold me back and I could feel him grabbing my legs but the wave was too strong and took me away. I hit my shoulder on the bottom and my boobs flew out of my suit, of course. Fortunately, I was able to cover up before I got out of the water. Needless to say, I didn't stay in the water much longer after that. I did, however, laugh about it the entire rest of the day. Before we left the beach, Mark ran back into the water to show me how its done and made body surfing look so freakin' easy! He grabbed a wave and rode it all the way in, I was quite impressed with how easily he did it.

Last night, we grilled steaks with Mark's mom and his sister, Tina and drank a delicious bottle of wine. When we sat down for our meal, I commented on what a perfect summer day and weekend it had been. It was Mark's last guaranteed Sunday off since they will be training 7 days/week from this point on. It was a great weekend.

Another One Bites the Dust...

2009-07-09T18:51:00.000-07:00

Three cheers for having jumped through the hoop that was the first of two elective classes that I'm required to take! Doesn't that make it the exact opposite of an elective? My summer session class ended tonight with my group's presentation. The 6 weeks of summer session flew by and I am so glad to have it over and done with.

Twiddling my Thumbs (Better settle in, it's a long one!)

2009-07-04T11:36:00.000-07:00

After being publicly called out on Angela's blog and then noticing that I'm at the very bottom of Kristi's blog list, as in I'm the most delinquent blog out there, I figured I should do some catching up. I haven't blogged since May 17th and since then, trust me, twiddling my thumbs is something I just haven't had time for. In fact, since May 17th...

My Spring semester classes ended and I earned a 4.0 in both of them. Both classes really should be undergrad courses and seemed to be designed for people who have never taught in an actual classroom. I was so much more challenged, intellectually, in the fall and was a bit disappointed with the courses this semester. I discovered that earning my Master's is more about dedication, determination, and perseverance and that it really isn't about intelligence at all.

We went to Cambria/Paso Robles for the weekend with Katey and her boyfriend, Kenji. Kenji lives in San Francisco and Katey in Tampa. They fly cross-country regularly and, though Kenji is in the same state, I haven't seen Katey since our wedding. We made a plan to meet up halfway between Kenji's place and ours and, aren't we lucky, the halfway point also happens to be a great place to taste wine! Paso Robles is known for their Zinfandel, which is my favorite. Plus, the city of Cambria, where we rented a house for the weekend, and the city of Paso Robles, and most of the wineries within it, are very dog friendly. So, for this weekend excursion, we didn't have to leave the dog behind. He was even allowed inside one of the tasting rooms. The five of us had a great time driving through wine country, singing about "mini sirloin burgers," playing Cranium, and catching up. Well, to tell the truth, Katey and I never have to catch up, we simply continue on as if we'd seen each other yesterday. That's part of what makes our friendship, one that's been in existence since 1987, the best kind of friendship there is. We went to Adam and Lindsay's for a Memorial Day BBQ. They have a great place in Sherman Oaks, about 26 miles from us in Downey. Their apartment complex has a pool, a couple of hot tubs, tennis courts, basketball courts, and a great place near it all to have a cookout. We were able to meet one of Adam's best friends from home who also lives in SoCal. They always have great parties and, as always, we had a great time. Luckily, it wasn't a repeat of last year's 4th of July party. The one I missed. Because I was passed out. The whole day.
On May 28th, our school had our annual Premios de Oro awards ceremony. Translated, it means "Prize of Gold" for all of you gringas reading this. :) I was shocked and humbled to find out that I had been nominated by a colleague and chosen by the PTSA to win the PTSA honorary service award for my dedication to the school this past year. I got a plaque and everything! I tried my darnedst to find out who nominated me but either nobody knew or they were swore to secrecy. It really made me feel very special and appreciated.

We spent an afternoon/evening watching the Red Wings win one of the Stanley Cup playoff games with our friends Dave and Robin and their new daughter, Riley. Even she's a Red Wings fan! June brought with it a ton of exciting events for me and my class at school, all of which were planned by yours truly. We had two retirement parties for one of my paraeducators, an end of the year BBQ for the entire class, I had to plan a presentation for a colleague who also retired, our annual trip to Knott's Berry Farm and, of course, graduation. My co-teacher and I also get gifts for all of our paraeducators, our general education T.A.'s who work in our classroom, the general education teachers who work with our kids throughout the year, and the support staff at the school. The first two weeks of the month were spent running around like a chicken with my head cut off getting all of the loose ends tied up.
I also started my summer session class at CSULB the first week in June. It's a course on Program Evaluation and I'm taking it as an elective. Since I didn't get my credential in California, my undergrad program in Arizona didn't quite match up and I'm short 6 credits for my Master's degree. I had to take electives in the field of education or psychology and, with the limited number of classes offered in the summer, this one just happened to meet the criteria. It meets twice a week and is supposed to run from 5-8:45; however, our instructor has let us go at 7:45 every class session and not one of us has said a word. The first couple of times that she has said "we only have about five minutes left in class" at 7:40, everyone just kinda looked around thinking "nobody better say a word" and nobody has. A few of us were just joking around that maybe our instructor is thinking the same thing. Who knows. It's only a 6-week course and our last class is on Thursday. In fact, I should be working on my final paper and presentation right now...

I went to the doctor the first week of June for a physical and all looks good. Well, almost all. My doctor and I had a very frank discussion about my weight and, although I'm totally aware of my weight problem, I found myself near tears telling him how hard it is to have to have struggled with it all my life and blah, blah, blah. He told me that I could stand to lose, get this, 60 pounds!!! 60. I've known where my healthy weight range is and I was totally aware that it was 60 lbs away but to hear the doctor say it made me feel, quite honestly, pretty shitty. However, I know that it is all for the good of my health and the health of our future babies-to-be. My doctor also recommended an appetite suppressant, called phentermine, which I've been taking now for just over a month. He said it can be a good tool to support my changing habits. I have to go in monthly to weigh in and talk with him before getting another batch of pills. I haven't felt weird when taking it, except for when I take a pill and have a couple of drinks. I started with 1/2 a pill a day and am now taking a whole pill but 1/2 at a time. It's crazy what it does to my appetite. I'm just not hungry. And, when I first got them, I thought it wasn't necessarily going to work because my problem with weight loss hasn't been hunger. In fact, it's just the opposite, I eat even when I'm not hungry or past the point of feeling full. But, food just doesn't have the same appeal to me anymore and my relationship with food is starting to change at the very basic of levels. I'm starting to eat to live rather than live to eat. When I went in for my monthly check up and for my next bottle, I had lost 11 lbs. Works for me! My plan is to use this tool through the summer and be done come September.

After school let out, summer school started right away and, of course, I'm teaching it again this summer. Hopefully, if all goes according to plan, this will be my last summer teaching for several years, if not forever. My first week of summer school was a bit rocky as I was TOTALLY PMSing and, therefore, unnecessarily stressed out. There is another teacher working with me even though we only have a total of 26 students attending. With all of the budget cuts, I was certain that I'd have all of the students for summer school. I'm very grateful that I don't because, when we split the kids into two groups, I have a very manageable 13 students - a class size I haven't seen since I was working at the elementary school. It's a very nice reprieve from the usual 30+ in the classroom at the same time. This week my hormones were more under control and it was a lot of fun. Two weeks down, three more to go...

Mark's been busy lately too. He is on the opening management team for the newest BJ's Restaurant, which is located 1.3 miles from our house! He actually rode his bike to work last week. The restaurant is not even finished being built yet, although watching the progress is amazing. Mark and the other three managers have set up shop in an empty store next to the restaurant and have been interviewing prospective employees for eleven hours a day for the past two and half weeks! Before he started, I kept asking him what exactly four managers are going to do all day before the restaurant even opens. I had NO IDEA how crazy the hiring process was going to be. They have appointments for 100 interviews everyday plus they take walk-in applicants. People are waiting two or three hours just to get an interview. He said it's so hard to turn those people away but he has had to it quite frequently. When it all started, they needed to hire 260 employees and expected to get a few thousand applicants. It's such an insane process, he comes home exhausted every night. One positive thing is, though, that he works from 8 am until about 7:30 every day so we have our evenings off together and he's been off on Sundays and that will continue for a few more weeks. We were joking around that we're like Ozzy and Harriet now with the same schedule eveyday. That's something we have never had.

Mark also quit smoking! (Insert maniacal cheers and applause here) He's been cigarette free for three weeks now and doing a really, really amazing job. He's using nicotine patches to help him out but quitting is not easy and I commend him for giving it a go. I've been reading research to him about how much his body has healed already and all of the positive things that will come from his knocking out his addiction. I really am proud of him.

So, here I am, on 4th of July, sitting at my computer. Mark's working this morning/afternoon so we don't have any major plans. Plus, our baby is terrified of fireworks and has been freaking out every night for the past week and a half since people have been lighting them off. We've given him 1/2 a Dramamine the past couple of nights, something that a friend of mine's vet recommended for her Rottweiler, and that has seemed to help. For those of you who know King, he is probably the most relaxed and mellow dog out there. But, man does he HATE fireworks. Lucky for him, it'll all be over soon. We may go to our friend Dave's place, if he doesn't mind if we bring the dog, or we may go hang out with Mark's friend Mark who is staying at an awesome place for the weekend in Newport Beach. Or, we may just stay in and relax with the dog. Our little family of three.

F'ing A!!!!

2009-05-17T20:52:00.001-07:00

I try to keep all of my vulgarity to myself and rarely use it here. BUT, we just had maybe the scariest earthquake I've ever experienced!!! We are all okay but I'm still shaking.

Thank goodness Mark was home with me. Otherwise, I'd have really freaked out. We were standing in the middle of our room and the earth started to rumble a bit. Mark said "whoa, earthquake" and took me by the hand, knowing that I was going to freak. We started out to the yard, the dog was still chillin' on the floor at this point because it really wasn't that bad. But, then the whole place jolted. It was the craziest, scariest, most out of control feeling I've ever felt. The dog freaked out, I grabbed him by the collar, and the three of us ran out into the yard. We heard some crashing and things moving around but can't figure out what exactly broke.

The quake was centered in Lennox, which is 15.6 miles from us and the magnitude was 5.0. The Northridge quake was 6.7 and the earthquake last summer, before our road trip, was a 5.5 but was 29 miles from us.

Self Diagnosis

2009-05-17T13:56:00.001-07:00

Being in the field of special education, I am constantly learning about different disabilities that students can have. Because of this fact, I am also constantly thinking there is something wrong with me. I remember when I was in college (oh wait! I still AM in college!), that is, in my undergrad, I was convinced that I had Multiple Sclerosis. At one point, I joked that maybe Prader-Willi was my syndrome, due to my seemingly insatiable appetite. And I still contend that we are all somewhere on the Spectrum. But, most of all, I have diagnosed myself with adult onset ADHD.

Just as an example, while writing my final paper for tomorrow night's class, I glanced over and saw my hand held, magnifying mirror and decided that it was time to give myself an impromptu facial. Then I got back to writing. But then I looked down and noticed my toe nails are in desperate need of a pedicure so I proceeded to clip and file my nails - all of them mind you, not just the ones on my toes. Back to writing. A few minutes later the dog needed my affection and then I should check on the cats and, while I'm in the house, I should do the dishes...on and on and on. Being on the computer is the worst too, I checked my email and everyone else's blogs a gazillion times.

Three hours later, my paper is finished, submitted to my professor, and now I am free to putz around giving myself facials and pedicures. But, of course, now I can't think of anything to do!

I'm joking of course, I know that I do not seriously have a disability. Unless we can create a new category of ADHD like due-date-impending-attention-deficit or why-get-it-done-early-hyperactivity!

Feels Good to Sweat

2009-05-16T13:25:00.000-07:00

I just got back from the gym, a place I hadn't seen since Easter. I ran 3.61 miles in 35 minutes and burned 360 calories. And, boy did I sweat! I mean, I'm a fairly sweaty person just on a normal day-to-day basis. Add in 80 degree heat and, at the fastest, a 8.2 mph pace and my sweat glands just go into overdrive. It's pretty gross but feels so good at the same time. I'm pretty proud of myself for getting off of my duff and getting physical. Now I'm off to the shower and then hitting the books.

Happy Birthday Kingston!

2009-05-10T19:06:00.001-07:00

Yes, I'm the person who puts a party hat on her dog on his birthday. But, isn't he so cute!?! And he really didn't mind TOO much.

Randoms

2009-05-08T20:11:00.001-07:00

Kristi has tagged me to list 19 Randoms...

1) I surely hope the Dodgers win tonight, they need to prove that they can carry on as a winning team without the steroid-enhanced Manny Ramirez. I wonder how he'll be received by the fans when he comes back in July...

2) State testing is over!!! Almost 2 weeks in my office testing my students 1:1 lead me to drink 3 martinis in a very short span of time this afternoon.

3) Almost everyone I know has trouble sleeping. The only trouble I ever have is that I need/want to sleep ALL the time.

4) Sometimes I think Diet Dr. Pepper really does belong in the dessert aisle.

5) Mark's off tomorrow night. What're we going to do? His schedule gets pretty rough for the next couple of weeks.

6) I can't wait to see Katey in Cambria on the 22!!!

7) NBC Thursday night is pretty darn great.

8) I should call my mom back, I bet she's still up.

9) Classes are almost finished for the semester. Only two more papers and two more finals to go!

10) I am addicted to Sugar Free Red Bull.

11) Kingy's 5th birthday is Sunday! I think we're going to take him to the beach.

12) Haven't been to the gym since Easter Sunday - Spring Break and our trip to Michigan threw me way out of my routine. But now I can't find my membership card and I really want to go back tomorrow.

13) It's crazy it's May already!

14) Mark and I have the house to ourselves until May 28th - his parents are in Montenegro.

15) If I lose 1 lb/week between now and when we go back to MI, I can lose 33 lbs by then.

16) If I could have a drink with anyone living or dead, John Lennon would be my first choice. Vin Scully would have to be in my top five.

17) Gifts that travel cross-country from us are always at least two days late.

18) Somebody told me today that I smell like summertime.

19) I was invited to a baby shower for another American girl who married an Albanian. We like to stick together.

RACHELLE, BECKY, & KRISTIN - TAG!!! YOU'RE TURN TO LIST YOUR 19 RANDOMS...

Another GREAT weekend

2009-04-28T17:05:00.001-07:00

We spent this past weekend in Michigan and had such a great time. I was very, very hard to leave and I'm still emotional about being back home already.

Our pictures are on our shutterfly site (www.lajcisinlove.shutterfly.com )
Password: missymark0811. Enjoy!

Dirty Minds

2009-04-07T19:22:00.001-07:00

An actual conversation from my class tonight:

"So, does the muff go over your mouth and nose?"

"Well, we wouldn't want you to suffocate, you just place the muff over your mouth."

Reminder

2009-04-05T21:37:00.000-07:00

I've spent the last two hours glued to our home videos from the week of our wedding. I don't know if I've ever actually sat down and watched the whole thing without fast forwarding. I know it is the happiest day of any married girl's life but I was reminded, while watching, just how lucky I am. Of course, I am lucky to have married Mark for he is the love of my life, my best friend, my other half. But, I was reminded by this video, just how lucky I am to be a part of the family that I am. It was so special for me, and for Mark, that EVERYONE came all the way out to California for our big day. It meant so much to us then and still means so much to us now. I don't know if we expressed our delight and appreciation enough. Thank you, thank you, thank you.

Another thing that I was reminded of while watching this video, was just how much we owe our bridal party - especially the American members. I loved our entrance into our reception but I'm sure it wasn't the most comfortable of situations for our bridal party. For those of you who don't know, about three minutes before we arrived at the reception, we told everyone that we were going to walk in and the party would make a tunnel for us to walk under. Mark and I would then stand behind our chairs at the head table and watch as our party danced "Albanian style" for the remainder of the song. Now, don't forget that four of the girls and six of the guys had never even heard Albanian music before, let alone knew how to dance to it. But, did anyone complain? Of course not. And for that, we owe you guys!

Adventures with Facebook

2009-04-01T20:20:00.000-07:00

Some of you may have gotten a friend request from a Miss Melissa Marie tonight. It so happens that I forgot the password for our existing facebook account so I started to create a new one. But, I couldn't figure out (in a whole 3 minutes) how to hide my email address and then I got frantic about being exposed to the world and the ability for just anyone to contact me and then I deactivated our account. We had a second facebook account tonight for a whopping 7 minutes. I came, I saw, I ran away.

Roll Call!

2009-03-31T13:05:00.000-07:00

If you read this post, please comment with your name. I want to know who my audience is and, while I can venture a guess or two about who reads my ramblings, every once in awhile someone tells me that they "saw that on [your] blog" and I never had any idea that they even knew my blog existed. Just curious. Thanks!

Happy Cesar Chavez Day!

2009-03-30T18:14:00.000-07:00

Today was a holiday for my school district (gotta love L.A.) and I spent it putzing around the house getting things done. As I do every Cesar Chavez Day, I also took a moment to reflect on my life and count my many blessings. I set some goals for myself for the next month (before we go to Michigan), mostly to do with weight loss. Viva Cesar Chavez!

Congratulations!

2009-03-29T13:08:00.001-07:00

Our very good friend Dave and his wife Robin welcomed their daughter, Riley Michele, into the world earlier this week and we couldn't be happier for them. She weighed in at 7 lbs. 2 oz. and was 19 1/2 inches long. Mom and baby are doing well, they should be coming home today.

Getting Moving

2009-03-25T18:33:00.000-07:00

Monday morning I rolled out of bed at 5:00, awoke a very sleepy and confused Kingy, and the two of us jogged/walked 1.7 miles. Monday during my break at school, I walked another 3/4 of a mile. Yesterday, we did it again. By this morning, I was quite sore, so we took a break. We'll be back out there again tomorrow morning though. I must say that it has given me a definite extra boost of energy and King loves it too! While I hate getting out of bed in the morning, it's nice to be out before the world has awakened. It's quiet and calm. Wish me luck in developing this new routine!

Hilarious

2009-03-20T19:36:00.000-07:00

Mark's buddy sent him this jibjab card and I just have to share. I know most of you don't know his friends but the dancers in this video are Mark. Andy, Craig, Dave, and Dennis - all of his beloved "homies" that live in Michigan.

http://sendables.jibjab.com/view/uaUnIAe9MDVCrhqr

St. Patty's Day Fun!

2009-03-20T18:54:00.000-07:00

Mark and I woke up early Tuesday morning (after Mark went to sleep at 4:30!) and headed to Arizona for a Dodgers Spring Training game against the Cubs. Unfortunately, we lost. But, we had a great time checking out the beautiful new digs in Glendale. This is the first year that the Dodgers are training in AZ. They had previously held camp in Vero Beach, Florida. Many die-hard fans were upset by the move as it meant a shift in tradition, but it's nice for us fans who can't get away for longer than a couple of days at a time to check out a game. Mark and I looked at this two-day trip as the first of many, hopefully we'll be able to make it once a year.

After the game, we went to our hotel which was not too far away at all. After checking in and greenifying ourselves for the festivities, we walked to the Westgate City Center for a night of good 'ole Irish fun!

First, we hit the quad area in the middle of all of the shops, bars, and restaurants where they were giving away free green beer and listened to some live music. Next, we were off to a place called Bar Louie for dinner and another round of beer and music. We then went to a place called Hell's Half Acre where we had more beer (shocker!) and a more live music (the band at this place was great - they played some really great covers and kicked up the energy level of the night). We were astonished when we got our bill at this place, 3 Guiness and 3 Killians for $15! In fact, the entire evening was extremely affordable for the two of us, considering one drink in L.A. runs between $10-$15 at many places. After the band finished up, we were off to a dueling piano bar called The Shout House but not before Mark snapped a couple of pictures of me on the strippers pole that beckoned to me the entire time we were at the bar - classy, I know, but these people will never see me again anyway!

The Shout House was really fun, as dueling piano bars always are and then it was back to Bar Louie for one last drink and a little more grub. Finally, we walked back to our hotel and hit the hay.

The next day, we woke up slowly, enjoyed our free hotel breakfast and then, hangover free (thank goodness!), drove from our hotel to ASU to check out how much campus has changed. It was crazy to drive past the places where I lived and worked more than 7 years ago (it's CRAZY how long I've been in L.A.!). It felt like just yesterday until we'd turn a corner to see an enormous new building. The street where the pizza guy would deliver is no longer in front of my apartment! In its place is a cable car/electric train track. Craziness. We also went by my dad's old house, which I almost passed on the street and checked out how much the surrounding area had developed. There was still a fair amount of desert when they left AZ but it is now all built up and seriously almost unrecognizable.

In all, we had a fantastic time. The weather was beautiful and we drove all the way back home with the top down on Mark's car - enjoying the desert, the sunset, and the stars. On the drive home, we talked about how our next St. Patty's Day may very well be much, much different and how our life is going to change in the next year or two. As much fun as we had, we are both so super excited for the adventures that are ahead for us on this crazy road called life.

92.6

2009-03-12T20:35:00.000-07:00

King went to the vet today and weighed in at a whopping 92.6 lbs!!! When he was last weighed, about a year and a half ago, he weighed 81. Like owner, like dog? I suppose so. The doctor said he's still in the healthy range but shouldn't gain anymore. Looks like he and I will be exercising together more now!

Procrastination

2009-03-08T20:25:00.000-07:00

Where is this great skill learned? I've been very slowly working on my homework assignment that is due tomorrow all evening (remember that whole "I can get it done in two hours" thing? Well, notsomuch tonight apparently!) I'm just so distractable right now - as evidenced by my need to blog at this very instant!

Hey Stranger!

2009-03-08T16:36:00.000-07:00

Well, after I was reminded of how badly I have been neglecting my blog (thanks Karen!), I figured it's time to do some updating. The thing is, not much has changed in the month that has passed since my last entry.

Work has been a bit crazy lately. I got two new students this past month. The first ended up being misplaced in my class, as he is much more independent than my students and more capable of more rigorous academic work. My district administrator ended up switching him to a different teacher's caseload; however, that teacher is only on campus one period each day to cover the overage in the other special education classes. So, while on paper this student is off my caseload, I have still been responsible for setting up meetings, conferencing with his parents, and figuring out his schedule which totally defeats the purpose of moving him from my caseload. But, by moving this kid from my caseload, the district can get away with adding another. The second new student I got this month is 6'5"! And, unlike the first student, he is absolutely in the appropriate classroom. I'm starting to learn my lesson about being too easy to work with. It really is a shame that, by doing the right thing and being professional, I'm now getting completely taken advantage of. (sigh) But, I love my job and I love my kids and I would not want to do anything else with my life than what I am doing right now.

School's been good. This semester is much more laid back than last semester. I have more assignments to do but each one is less intensive than the work I had to do last semester. It's crazy how fast time flies. I just keep plodding along, eventually it will all pay off.

The Dodgers have started Spring Training and Mark and I have planned an overnight trip to Phoenix to see a game at their new facility. We'll be there on St. Patty's Day when they play the Cubs. It'll be our first trip to AZ together since I've moved to L.A. so we're planning on cruising through Tempe to see where I lived and went to school and going by my dad's old house as well. I love the fact that I get "personal necessity" days to take as I please. It just so happens to please me to take a road trip with my hubby!

Mark will be moving to the new BJ's, right here in Downey, in mid-May and we're getting really excited about that. The new restaurant is being built and I swing by every few days to see the progress - it's only 1.3 miles from the house! He'll be the first manager on-site, working out of a trailer in the parking lot, hiring and training new staff. For the 7 weeks that he'll be doing that, he'll be working Monday through Friday or Tuesday through Saturday with his evenings off. We, obviously, can't wait! However, once the restaurant opens, in July, I won't see him for days at a time until they work out all of the kinks of a new restaurant.

Mark's buddy, Toby, just stayed with us for a few nights before he headed to New Zealand to make wine for three months. Having him with us was interesting, especially since we live in a studio and both Toby and Mark are complete night owls! But, we're both so thrilled for the adventure that he's on.

As far as weight loss goes, I haven't lost. We've been doing a lot of socializing, which means dining out and drinking. I've found that I'll have a couple of really good days but then comes our social excursions and they set me back. I haven't gained any weight either - I'm doing a great job of maintaining where I am. Too bad where I am isn't at all where I want to be. I did got to the gym yesterday which made me feel really good. I have some homework to do tonight but am thinking of going again after I finish up.

Speaking of homework, I should go get started on it. If I stay focused, I should be able to get it done in just a couple of hours.

I hope I didn't bore you too much with the monotony of my day-to-day happenings. I will try to keep my blog updated more often this month!

New Pictures

2009-02-09T22:23:00.001-08:00

I've added our pictures from our most recent trip to Michigan to our shutterfly site. Check it out at www.lajcisinlove.shutterfly.com. Our password is: missymark0811

Back in the Swing of Things

2009-01-27T20:45:00.001-08:00

Classes at CSULB started again last night. On Monday afternoons I'm taking a class on collaboration and communication, which is co-taught by a professor with a PhD in Special Education and an instructor who has a daughter with a disability. It seems like it'll be interesting to learn about the perspective of a parent while having my own perceptions of issues in special ed. On Tuesday afternoons I'm taking a class on assistive technology. The professor of this course doesn't seem as organized and clear as those that I have on Monday so we'll see how the semester will pan out. Both classes seem to be a bit less labor-intensive than the courses I took last semester (in each of which I earned an A, by the way) so I'm excited about that.

This week is finals week at school so we have half days all week and no school on Friday, which works out perfect since we'll be in Michigan by then! I think it's fairly common knowledge that money is tight in our state right now so it's be interesting, to say the least, to see what happens in the coming months when we are all planning for next year. Luckily for me, I got a letter last week announcing that I've earned my tenure! So, as far as I know right now, my job is safe from here on out. I'll be going to a board meeting next Tuesday to be recognized for this achievement. I'm not sure if there's been a better year since I've been teaching to become a permanent employee of a district.

While I was definitely on a roll as far as weight loss goes a week and a half ago, I've fallen off the wagon yet again. Mark's sister was in town last week so we went out to dinner and drinks a couple of times and I've just had a really hard time refocusing. Since we're going to Michigan this weekend and I know that we're going to be eating things like Jet's Pizza and RedCoat Tavern burgers, I'm planning on being really good until we leave and then switching to the WW Core Plan once we return to kick my booty back into action. I also purchased a Crunchless Abs DVD and, although it was way more difficult for me than I had anticipated, I felt it in my abs for days! I think I can, I think I can, I think I can...

Updates

2009-01-15T11:10:00.001-08:00

I'm at work since our computer at home decided to come down with a deadly Trojan virus that has wiped out our entire computer, including all of our pictures! Luckily, the ones I think the ones that I really care about are saved onto snapfish or shutterfly. Mark's taking the computer to a guy at work to try to fix it so keep your fingers crossed for us.

On Saturday, I weighed in and had lost 2.8 lbs! I really feel that I am way back on the ball again and am excited to see progress this year. 1 lb. a week is really all that I am wishing for. That would put me at goal by mid-October. I've had a really good week so far and have started walking the track for 15 minutes everyday with my co-teacher. Just you wait - the pounds will be melting off soon! :)

Well, back to teaching for me. This is our "Community" period and my group is heading to the little market down the street (round trip, about 1/2 mile) to practice rounding up and making change. I love my job!

Things to Do: 2009

2009-01-03T19:38:00.000-08:00

Ringing in the new year allows each of us to start fresh and to think about things that we may want to improve upon or change before the ball drops again. We have several goals for this year...

Family - As many of you are already aware, my plan is to graduate in May of 2010 with my Master of Science in Special Education. In a perfect world, I will waddle across the stage at graduation and we will start our own family before, or just after, I turn the big 3-0. Now, you will probably never hear the words "we're trying" come out of my mouth because, well, that's just way too much information to share; but, our plan is to be pregnant by the end of the year!

Health & Fitness - With our ultimate goal in mind, I am determined to slim down and to develop healthier eating and fitness habits this year. My ideal weight loss is 40 lbs. but, more importantly than the lbs., I really want to become more active and to eat less processed foods. I feel that a lot of my bad eating habits started when I was young and I really want to instill good habits in our children, especially since they will be genetically pre-determined to not be small. In order to do this, Mark and I need to develop healthy habits as well. I will continue to attend WW meetings and will commit to get physical (cue Olivia Newton-John) at least twice a week to start.

Money - I will be setting up my 403(b) this year again. It had discontinued when I changed school districts and I haven't set it up again. I will also be setting up a "Summer Saver" account through my credit union. I only get ten paychecks a year and this type of account will deduct a certain percentage of my monthly checks and put it into a high yield savings account. The money that I stash away each month will be accessible to us without a penalty, which is a definite bonus.

Happy New Year!!!

2009-01-02T20:40:00.000-08:00

Our Christmas

2008-12-28T20:55:00.000-08:00

This year marks only the 2nd time that I haven't been with my family on Christmas Eve. The first time I missed this tradition was the night we got engaged. It goes without saying that Mark had a lot to live up to. Unfortunately, he had to work on Christmas Eve. He was home by 6:00, at which time we had a delicious dinner and a very nice evening with his parents; but, I spent much of the day finishing up last minute shopping and running errands. I even did a load of laundry. Like I said, though, once my hubby got home all was right with the world and the night turned out wonderfully. We introduced his parents to "A Christmas Story!" That night we opened our gifts that had arrived in the mail and were humbled by everyone's generosity.

Christmas morning we slept in until almost noon. It was quite nice to not have to be up and about any earlier in the day. We exchanged our gifts to each other - we had already purchased a new 42" HDTV which was our "real" gift to each other but set a $100 limit on little things to open from each other on Christmas morning. Mark, of course, blew the limit - he got me the Wicked soundtrack and tickets to see it again! He had hoped to get tickets for us to see it in L.A. before it leaves but, since it closes next week, he couldn't find any priced within reason so we're planning on seeing it on a long weekend either in San Francisco in March of in Phoenix in July. I actually worked as a stagehand at the theatre where it is playing in Arizona so that'd be fun but it's Phoenix...in July! We'll see. The point is that he is sacrificing yet another evening to take me to a musical that we've already seen, because he knows how happy it makes me.

Later in the evening, we went to see the lights at Griffith Park, near the L.A. Zoo. The Department of Water and Power puts on a show every year and, though the lights are the same every time, we have tried to go every year. We missed last year but this year we were able to take the dog with us on the mile and a half walk through the 40 degree chilliness. People can drive through as well, and we did this the first few years, but it's more fun (and much quicker) to park and walk through it.

Weekly Weigh In

2008-12-20T17:14:00.000-08:00

I started my WW week by missing my meeting. :( I then had a cold, two finals, and five Christmas parties! Needless to say, this week was ridiculous as far as weight loss goes. I went to my meeting this morning to find an additional 2 lbs on the scale. Although it is a step in the wrong direction, and my goal was to maintain, 2 lbs really isn't that much considering all of the splurging I'd done. We even went out to dinner last night and I know my enchilada and margaritas were still in my belly when I weighed in this morning.

This week, I'll be off from work and that, obviously, throws my routine off a bit. I'm also planning on baking a plethora of cookies to (mostly) give away to the managers and staff at BJ's. My goal is to be sure to drink plenty of water everyday and, again, to maintain this week's weight at next week's meeting. I'd also like to incorporate just a tad bit of exercise. If you haven't noticed, when I talk about weight loss, I am always focused on the eating but NEVER focus on the exercise. WW started a new program, called Momentum, and I got all new materials this morning. In my weigh in book, I restarted at week 1. I think that will help me to feel more motivated to get on the ball again since the slate has, in essence, been wiped clean.

Weekly Weigh In

2008-12-14T15:47:00.001-08:00

I had every intention of attending my weekly meeting on Saturday morning, even as I finally passed out after 2 on Friday night. Unfortunately, an alarm clock doesn't sound when it is not set and I didn't wake up until after 10. Needless to say, I missed my 9 a.m. meeting. I have weighed myself at home though and, to my dismay, I maintained my weight from last weekend. I suppose I should be grateful. Afterall, I didn't gain anything and my prior week's weight loss was substantial; but, I was really hoping to break through this plateau and move the second number in my weight down one.

This week is going to be a challenge. As I type, I am getting ready for a cookie exchange party at my co-teacher's house. (I made Eggnog Snickerdoodles and they are so yummy!) Plus, Tuesday afternoon, I'm hosting a department potluck in my classroom; Thursday afternoon is an all-staff mixer at a BBQ joint near the school; and we have plans with friends to go out for dinner on Friday evening. Maintenance this week will be key. I'm planning on switching back to the Flex plan this week and count my points diligently. Wish me luck!

A Magical Evening

2008-12-14T15:39:00.000-08:00

Lindsay turned 29th on the 13th and, to celebrate, we all went out to Magic Castle in Hollywood (check it out at: http://www.magiccastle.com/). It's this ultra-exclusive dinner club in a historic castle that was built when Hollywood was nothing but a vast lot of land filled with nothing. It has an incredible aura and is kinda creepy at times. We were told that the place was built to throw people off. Everything in it, apparently, is crooked. The floor slopes, the doorways are slanted, and none of the pictures are hung straight. You wouldn't know it but it's meant to make you confused. There were three levels and about 5 or 6 bars. We basically wandered through the place, taking in shows as we could. Dinner was amazing, Mark had steak Milton with crab and bearnaise and I had short ribs (my new steakhosue favorite). In all, it was a great night with great friends and, I think, Lindsay had a fantastic birthday!

Weekly Weigh In

2008-12-06T17:36:00.000-08:00

I was very excited to weigh in today since I had tried a new version of WW this past week. When I stepped on the scale, I had lost (drumroll please)...5.4 lbs!!! Wow, what a week! And I feel like I didn't have to really try too hard to do it. I had a slice of pizza one night and a couple caesar salads with regular dressing throughout the week. I definitely enjoyed the core plan and am excited to try it again this week!

My total weight loss, however, is only 4.6 lbs as I had lost and gained so much that I was heavier last week than I was when I started. But, I'm back on track and ready to commit to the program.

Happy Thoughts

2008-12-01T18:13:00.000-08:00

I just got off the phone with my good friend, Karen. It's her 29th birthday today and we had a great, long conversation catching up and discussing the difficulties of growing older. It sucks but growing up sure does happen to us all. She informed me that her brother, who lives in Japan, was recently diagnosed with Lymphoma and that he's awaiting further test results to determine what stage it is in. She said that he seems positive and that Lymphoma is actually curable so he is hopeful that it is in a beginning stage. When thinking happy thoughts, please send some her way. I know she and her family could use them.

Yet another reason my husband's so great...

2008-12-01T16:47:00.000-08:00

I had a somewhat crummy afternoon today and really wanted to get home to see Mark for just a few minutes before he had to leave for his 4:00 shift. I left school at 3:00 and should have been home NO LATER than 3:20. Unfortunately, traffic was horrendous and I ended up calling him to tell him to go ahead and leave. The frustration of my afternoon conversation with my boss along with the traffic's determination to prevent me from seeing my hubby had me in tears. When I finally pulled up, 20 minutes later, he was waiting for me in the driveway. I gave him a quick hug and kiss and he headed off to work. He arrived 20 minutes late himself but because he knew it meant that much to me, he was there when I got home.

A New Plan of Action

2008-11-30T20:31:00.000-08:00

I was brave and attended my WW meeting on Saturday, a mere 40 hours after our Thanksgiving feast. While I'm not proud of the results I saw on the scale, I have decided to change up my plan this week. I'm going to try the "core" plan as opposed to the points-counting "flex" plan. Wish me luck. With this plan, I can eat as much as I want until I'm satisfied but I can only eat foods from a designated list. The list seems similar to the Zone diet as it comprises of foods from all of the food groups but it is limited with regard to the ever-villainous carbs. I went shopping this morning and feel good about it so far. I do think I'll go back to the points system after this week but hopefully I'll see some results and I'll be able to kick myself back into action.

New Traditions

2008-11-30T20:26:00.001-08:00

For the third year in a row, Mark and I celebrated Thanksgiving with dinner, wine, and games at Adam and Lindsay's place. This year, we were also joined by Lindsay's sister which made the day that much better. Adam and Lindsay do all of the dinner cooking while I, of course, am in charge of desserts and we all chip in on the wine (we sure do go through a lot of it!). We got to their place around 4:00, had a great dinner (just like my mom and Grandma used to make!) and played several rounds of Cranium, Guesstures, and Pictionary. Instead of coupling up, we picked teams from a hat and, I must add, my team won 3 out of 4 games. Chelsea and I were quite the dynamic pictionary duo. We didn't call it a night until after 3 a.m.! Just goes to show what a great time we had!

Update

2008-11-17T18:49:00.000-08:00

Is it crazy to anyone else that Thanksgiving is next week already?!?! I just can't believe how fast time flies...

I only had to work four days last week due to the Veteran's Day holiday. I took advantage of the day off and got my hair cut. It's been in desperate need for months now, I haven't had a cut since March! I decided to go with bangs. They're still growing on me and I may just let them grow out but it was something different to try. Afterall, it is only hair.

My weigh-in went as expected this past weekend, considering I had missed the last two meetings. I gained 1.2 lbs. I told my leader that I am doing a heck of a job maintaining my weight. Too bad I have 20 lbs to lose! At least I went to the meeting. My leader gave me props for that decision. With the holidays upon us, going to the meetings will at least keep my mind focused and I won't gain as much as I would if I wasn't going to meetings. Plus, not going to Michigan for the holidays will help me from overindulging. I tend to REALLY overdo it with Jet's Pizza and Phoenix Coney Island!

My softball team has become kind of sad. With all of our busy lives, I don't think we've had the whole team together all season. Instead, we have subs filling in and, while it's still fun, we're having difficulty winning. This past Friday, the other team forfeited so we get the W.

November is pretty relaxed at Long Beach State. My Tuesday night class hasn't met all month, though we do have assignments to be working on. It has helped to have the extra evening to get stuff done.

Mark's dad turned 67 on Friday - Happy Birthday Nosh! The spent the day at the racetrack and we had dinner all together. It was a nice evening.

Life is good. It really is busy and time really is flying by but I'm happy and healthy and things have been good.

Pictures

2008-11-05T21:13:00.000-08:00

I just added our pictures from Oktoberfest on Mark's birthday as well as more from Halloween. In the Oktoberfest pics, you'll see the yodeling contest Mark convinced his stone-cold sober wife to participate in and then I, in-turn, convinces Lindsay to come on stage with me. As you'll see, she was none too pleased. But, what a memory!

Pics are at: www.lajcisinlove.shutterfly.com
Password is: missymark0811 (all lower case)

Midterm!

2008-11-05T21:11:00.000-08:00

I am so proud of myself! I got my midterm for my Wednesday night class back tonight and I got 14.5 out of 15 and my professor wrote "Melissa - You achieved one of the highest schores on the exam, congratulations! Impressive work!!" Hooray!

Oh What a Beautiful Morning...

2008-11-04T17:54:00.000-08:00

I woke up Friday morning to the sound of rain beating our roof. Rain! I love rain every once in awhile and I hadn't seen it in months! It had stopped by the time I left for work but the sky was still very dark and gloomy (in the best way possible). When I exited the freeway, the clouds above my school had parted and the beautiful orangey, red of the sunrise gleamed through. It looked as though someone had taken a paintbrush and swiped the sky with a mix of these beautiful warm colors. At moments like these, when the sky looks especially beautiful, my thoughts turn to heaven and those I love. On this particular morning, October 31, I thought of both of my grandmothers. My mom's mom passed away on November 1st when I was 9 and my dad's mom passed away on October 27 when I was 18. Both ladies were very special to me. When I got out of my car at school, I looked to the sky and saw the most beautiful double rainbow I have ever seen. In that moment, I knew that my grandmas were looking down on me and I felt them smiling.

Proud to be an American!

2008-11-04T17:53:00.001-08:00

I voted for president for the first time in my life! What an experience.

Happy Halloween!!!

2008-11-03T17:25:00.000-08:00

Mark and I went out with Lindsay and Adam for the second year in a row and, again, people loved our costumes. Twosome costumes are fun but seeing a foursome walking around is always a crowd pleaser. We started the night at "Big Wangs Wings" with dinner and drinks and then headed to a couple of parties that Lindsay's friends were throwing. The night ended at about 4:30 on Saturday morning when Mark and I finally hit the hay!

Crazy, CRAZY Morning...

2008-10-27T21:13:00.000-07:00

I've recently come to the realization that everyday is a crazy day in my classroom. But, today was definitely an exceptionally crazy one...

I went to the office to sign in to find a student (who isn't in my classroom but, as department chair and an all-around nice person, I care about her) marching through the office after scratching her 1:1 paraeducator so badly she was bleeding and trying to run off campus. She told the assitant principal that she wanted to F*@# her up to which my assistant principal calmly replied that she preferred she didn't. I found that hilarious.

At the ned of 1st period, I learned that the student who had bitten me almost a year ago had injured the adaptive p.e. specialist and one of our paraeducators. Apparently, he was upset and was squeezing the APE teachers arms when the paraeductor intervened. The student then pinched the paraeducator's arm so hard that it left a four finger hickey on the upper arm of the para.

During 2nd period, the director of special ed. decided to stop by the room to discuss our caseload overages. Well, my co-teacher and I hadn't realized that we were even over at all! Apparently, our classroom is considered a part of the SH category (severely handicapped) - I had always thought is was part of the M/M category (mild/moderate) as the majority of students have moderate disabilities. M/M classes have a maximum of 18 students each and SH classes have a maximum of 12 students each. The clarification of our classification as SH had recently been made since we just got a new principle who was trying to understand our program. My co-teacher and I have a combined total of 35 students, which means that we are an entire caseload over for SH classes. Instead of hiring another teacher for this school year, our boss offered us each one substitute day each week for us to work in the classroom on IEPs or lesson plans or anything else school related. Sweet! Now, here came the bad news. I have a M/M credential. My boss told me today that, unless I want to go back to school, I may not be able to teach in my classroom again next year!!! Well, I AM in school but I'm working toward a Level II M/M credential and, if I want to get a SH credential, I have to start all over again (like back to ASU days!). We continued our discussion and are going to have many, many more before the year is over but we're thinking that if we strategically place students who are more moderate on my caseload then I should be fine. We'll see... Maybe I'll be looking for a new job next summer! :(

3rd period started with a phone call from a paraeducator who supervises students in the strength and conditioning class informing me that one of my students had hit a girl so hard it left a handprint on her back. He was kicked out of class for the last time and is going to be dropped permanently from it. He came into class, upset of course, and I closed my office door to call his mother to let her know what had happened. My co-teacher was in the classroom. While the door was closed and I was on the phone with the parent, two more of my students decided to get into a physical fight over colored pencils which resulted in the smaller of the two being scratched pretty severely on his neck and the larger of the two planting himself on the floor in front of the refrigerator about ten minutes before snack. UGH!!! I got off the phone with parent #1 who, of course, blames the other student and the teacher for her son making a handprint on the back of a girl half his size and ran up to the nurse's office to take pictures of the scratches for student records and to get an accident report. Returning to the classroom, I made an executive decision to send the scratcher home so I called his parents but got the voicemail (of course!). I then had to call the mother of the scratchee at work to inform her that her child had been assaulted at school and that I was not there to witness the altercation. Not a fun call to make. Luckily, my parents are all pretty awesome and understanding! Meanwhile, administration had gotten involved and the p.e. girl-hitter was suspended for the rest of the day. I took him to the office and while his dad was walking out the door with him, the scratcher's dad walked in the door for his son. We literally had a revolving door for a minute!

The rest of the day went farily smoothly. One student stormed out of the classroom - the student who doesn't talk to me. Another student who has auditory hallucinations came in from lunch looking miserable and complaining of feeling faint and we had to call security to come pick her up. But, that was nothing compared to the first three periods of the day!

All in a day's work, I suppose. ;)

Weekly Weigh In

2008-10-27T21:09:00.000-07:00

I lost a pound last week! I feel pretty good about it because I had made Mark a carrot cake from scratch that was absolutely delicious but also that lingered at the house for a few days until we managed to eat the entire thing. Plus, I've really been feeling in a slump lately and I'm just pleased to be moving in the right direction.

Illegal Blogging!

2008-10-22T11:38:00.000-07:00

I am SO at work right now but it's a time of day called SSR (Sustained Silent Reading) and the whole school is to be reading for 15-20 minutes. This is when I check up on everyone's blogs! Hey, that's reading! :) I haven't written anything in awhile and I intend to do so soon. A quick run down of the last several days: my softball team won despite my first strike out fo the season, I gained weight last week (talk about yo-yo!) but feel that I'm doing really well so far this week, Mark's 32nd birthday was great! (filled with delicious dinner and homemade cake and fun at Oktoberfest), I'm working on the 2nd IEP of the week... Well, there's the timer. Suppose I should actually work right now, that IS why I get paid the big bucks! ;)

Spider Season

2008-10-16T20:55:00.000-07:00

I HATE spiders! Hate, hate, HATE them!!! And, they are EVERYWHERE right now. The daddy long-legs that like to hide out in the corners of our house and in the shower (eeek!) I can handle. But, this afternoon, I walked out the front door and the beginnings of an enormous web caught my eye. Upon further investigation, I saw the biggest, furriest spider that I have ever seen not in a cage. I tried to take a picture with my phone but, of course, couldn't get close enough. When I returned home, the web was finished and, like I anticipated, enormous. It makes my toes curl just thinking about it!

I'm brilliant!!!

2008-10-16T20:47:00.000-07:00

Well, not really, but I scored 19/20 on my first exam in my Tuesday night class and I am quite pleased with myself to say the least. I was really quite anxious about it and studied very hard in order to be successful. At this point, I'm averaging a 4.0 in both of my classes but I still have some major assignments and several exams before the semester is over...

A Grown Up Decision & A Heartbreaking Loss

2008-10-16T20:41:00.000-07:00

As many of you know, Mark and I went to a Dodgers playoff game on Sunday (we won!) and, while there, were given two tickets for Monday's game as well with the idea that we would pay the guy who gave them to us the next time we saw him. Well, Monday afternoon I really wasn't feeling well plus I had reading to do for my classes this week plus it would have been an additional $160. So, we made a grown up decision and sold the tickets and watched the game from home instead. I read during the commercial breaks, took some NyQuil, and hit the hay early.

Later this week, my boys in blue ended their season. Mark's parents were complaining that they were playing so badly (like one of our best players getting 3 errors in one inning!) but I say they simply lost to a superior team. Only 5 more months 'til only day!!!

Sending Happy Thoughts!

2008-10-11T16:31:00.001-07:00

My Aunt Nancy Bogosian, my Godmother, has been in the hospital since last Tuesday for surgery on her colon. I talked with Uncle Memo on Wednesday and he said that the surgery went well and that she'd be in the hospital until at least Sunday. I just got off the phone with her, though, and she is happily recovering at home this evening. She said that she feels really good. A little sore, but MUCH better than she thought she would feel. When thinking happy thoughts, please send some her way!

Friday Inferno

2008-10-11T16:18:00.001-07:00

My softball team lost last night. I didn't do so hot with only 1 walk, 2 ground outs, and 1 foul out. Plus, being in the outfield again, I totally missed a ball that was hit to me. I looked like a complete idiot floundering out there. Oh well. I really enjoy being on the team and I am the exact opposite of competitive when it comes to sports. Give me a board game anyday and I will kick your @#% though!

Whew! What a week...

2008-10-11T16:03:00.000-07:00

Last Sunday's to do list included the following:
-Midterm exam on Tuesday night (that's the biggest stresser at this point)
-Final research project outline due on Wednesday night
-Readings for Wednesday night
-Department Chair meeting on Monday after school
-Start the 5 IEPs due this month at work
-Pay October's bills
-End the week with a departmental happy hour on Friday afternoon

Progress so far:
-I think I did pretty well on my midterm. After studying all weekend, Mark quizzed me and was really amazed at my brilliance! :) He said his brain hurt after we were done.
-Research project outline done. I realized it wasn't graded but merely to give my professor an idea of what I will be working on so I did my best with hopes of feedback from him.
-Yeah, my readings didn't get done. We did, however, have a quickwrite in class which meant that I was supposed to cite authors and their opinions in response to a question when given only 20 minutes. Luckily, before the quickwrite, we got into groups to discuss the readings pretty thoroughly. I think I did okay considering I didn't read a thing for class! Bad, Melissa.
-No sweat for the department chair meeting, just an hour out of my day.
-Started my IEPs Individualized Educational Programs - each student in special ed. has one - they average about 12 pages each and include all the goals for the next year, we have to meet annually to discuss progress. I think 5 in one month is the most I've ever had to complete! The meetings all start on Tuesday. I have a meeting on the 14, 16, 21, 23, and 28!
-October bills are paid.
-Happy hour was enjoyed and very much needed.

On top of my anticipated list of things to deal with, some other highlights of my week include a fire drill at school (kids with Autism HATE fire drills), the most disgusting bloody nose I've ever had to deal with (let's just say that that kid did some serious digging for gold!), a City of Cerritos (where my school is at) Council meeting in support of a motion to increase funding for adaptive programs in the city (it passed!), and FINALLY receiving a compliment from a parent who has spent the last 3 years telling me what I'm doing wrong and exactly how I should be teaching her son.

Weekly Weigh-In

2008-10-11T15:58:00.000-07:00

I'm down 1.8 pounds this week! I did (almost) everything that I didn't do last week. I logged everything I ate, EVERYTHING. I drank lots and lots of water (In my opinion, the only "miracle weight loss" serum in the world). I went to my meeting. Again, my new leader is great and I am looking forward to continuing my weight loss journey with her guiding me along the way.

Busy, busy, busy...

2008-10-05T21:29:00.000-07:00

Many of you have created a list of 101 things to do in 1001 days and I had every intention of creating one for myself, I just never did. As I do every Sunday, I am getting ready for another crazy week of work and school. Some major things to check off my list this week are:

-Midterm exam on Tuesday night (that's the biggest stresser at this point)
-Final research project outline due on Wednesday night
-Readings for Wednesday night
-Department Chair meeting on Monday after school
-Start the 5 IEPs due this month at work
-Pay October's bills
-End the week with a departmental happy hour on Friday afternoon

I just gotta get through my exam on Tuesday and I know I will feel better about the week...

Cupcakes and a Clinch

2008-10-05T21:19:00.000-07:00

I spent a good portion of the day yesterday creating these beautiful cupcakes for Mark's staff at the restaurant. I baked and hand decorated a grand total of 75 and everyone loved them, of course.

Last night, we had tickets for the Dodgers first home game of the NLDS (the first round of World Series playoffs). They had been in Chicago earlier last week and outscored the Cubs 17-5 in the first two games of the series. To say that Mark and I love the Dodgers is an understatement. Like I text to many of you last night, I have never felt so strongly toward any team, institution, or public figure before in my life. You can imagine our excitement simply to be at a playoff game. But, when we WON, it was craziness!!! Mark literally lost his voice and I, of course, cried. :) There was just such an insane energy in the stadium, it was an amazing night.

OK, Fine!

2008-10-04T09:52:00.000-07:00

After my Aunt Robin responded to my post about my weekly weigh in, I felt supported, motivated, and a little bit guilty. So, I dragged myself out of bed early this morning and went to a meeting. Of the 2.2 lbs that I lost last week, I gained back 2. Not a good week, but I knew it hadn't been. Sometimes, though, the leader seems to be speaking right to me and the topic of the week seems to be written just for my circumstance. Of course, I know that's not the case but the topic of this week was about learning from past mistakes in order to be successful now and in the future. The leader ended with the thought that it's ok not to be perfect and it's ok to have bad weeks. It's even ok to gain once in awhile if you are learning from your mistakes. She said that it's our nature to come to meetings when we know we've done well but the moment that we feel that we've "been bad" is when we skip a meeting or two. She said that that's when we need to be there the most. I seriously had tears in my eyes, she really hit a chord. Needless to say, I'm so happy that I went to the meeting this morning. I've decided to make Saturday morning my regular meeting from now on - she was just so great! Thanks Aunt Robin!

Friday Inferno

2008-10-03T22:34:00.000-07:00

I had my first softball game tonight! Well, it's my team's (Inferno) second game of the season but I didn't go to the first because we had Dodgers tix (which we ended up not using and I spent the weekend sick in bed instead).

We won tonight: 17-10! I walked all four times that I was at bat but I scored 2 runs and 1 more as a pinch runner. I played in the outfield - Right/Center/Rover but boy was I a target out there. The ball was smashed to me a couple of times (hence the other team's 10 runs rather than 5 or 6) but my team was cool with it. I kept telling them that was why I'm normally behind the plate!

Let's Go Dodgers!!!

2008-10-02T21:10:00.001-07:00

Our boys in blue are on their way to being up 2-1 in the National League Division Series against the Cubs. We are going to the game on Saturday and can't wait! Hopefully, we will witness the clinch!

Weekly Weigh In

2008-10-02T21:06:00.000-07:00

Things I did wrong this week:

1) I did not write down one single thing that I ate.
2) I had more than a couple "splurge" meals.
3) I didn't follow my routine. I didn't eat much all day only to return home starving and overdoing it.
4) I skipped my meeting...

Well, I'm thinking that I am going to switch to Monday evenings. If I do decide to do that, then I will go to a meeting this coming Monday. If I decide not to, I'll return to a meeting next Thursday.

At least I can identify where I went wrong so that I can start fresh again tomorrow.

A New Addition

2008-10-02T21:04:00.000-07:00

We have a new little niece! Becky gave birth to a beautiful baby girl, Ruby Ann, on Wednesday, October 1st at 6:28 p.m. (Dallas Time) Baby and Mommy are doing well and planning on heading home tomorrow. Congratulations Becky & Matt - we can't wait to meet her!

Weekly Weigh-In

2008-09-25T19:20:00.000-07:00

Down another 2.2 lbs this week for a total of 5.4!!! I figure it balances out with last week. I spent much of the past 7 days not feeling well at all which prompted me to not watch what I was eating as closely. I kept count in my head but didn't do any journaling, which usually spells disaster for me.

After my meeting, I usually give myself a little "splurge" meal. Nothing too crazy but something that I wouldn't eat during the week. Tonight, my splurge was an enormous salad with ranch. Could be worse, I suppose! :)

Things I thought about today...

2008-09-24T20:20:00.001-07:00

* I love the toilets at Long Beach State. They have flushers on the floor designed so that you flush with your foot instead of your hand. Ingenious.

* I had a dream last night that one of my students smiled at me. Not that she spoke to me or achieved extreme success in the classroom. Just a smile, is that so much to ask? She's my "project" this year. I guess, technically, they are all my "projects."

* Dodgers' magic number is 2 (at this moment)! We got our playoff tickets in the mail today!!!

* I wonder when Colin's 1st birthday party will be. I wonder when the twins' first communion is. I hope we can make it to both.

* I love driving 90 mph with the windows down listening to Jethro Tull and then Led Zepplin and then something from The Little Mermaid soundtrack. I love Sirius radio.

* Why can't we all just get along? This is my last year as department chair...ok, maybe not!

* The Santa Ana winds can kiss my fat (but slowly slimming) booty. It was 91 degrees when I got out of school this afternoon and it is supposed to be even hotter tomorrow! It's almost October for crying out loud!

* Mark's off this weekend, where are we going to go?

A Special Day

2008-09-20T17:21:00.001-07:00

September 20th has been a special day all my life because it is my big brother's birthday! Happy Birthday Mike!!! I think all girls should grow up with a big brother. It is a special relationship that only those of us who have a big brother can truly understand. 4 years isn't a HUGE age difference but it was big enough to prevent us from being super close as kids. In fact, we had our share of disagreements. I, quite frequently, tell the story of how I would hit Mike for doing a multitude of things (like farting at the breakfast table...) and he would tell me that if I hit him, he would hit me back harder. So, of course, I would hit him as hard as I could then run the other direction and, inevitably, get hit even harder. He once told me a story about a man with a hook for a hand that was buried under our pool and, although I knew it was a ridiculous story, when we would swim at night, all Mike would say was "hook" and I would FREAK OUT! As we got older, I learned just how much my big brother cared about me and looked out for me. Now, as a full grown adult, I truly realize just how special the bond between siblings is. Mike is truly the only person in this world who grew up the exact same way that I did and who has been through the exact same trials and tribulations as I have. He is the one person who can share my perspective on a lot of things. I am so thankful to have him for my brother.

September 20th became even more special 7 years ago (on Mike's 25th birthday) when my dad's twins were born. Happy Birthday Emma and Russell!!! Being the baby in the family, I had never been around newborns. I will never forget the first time I saw them in the hospital. I saw Russell first because he didn't have to be in the NICU and he was laying in just a diaper under a heat lamp. When I saw his beautiful little face, I cried (of course) and knew that these kids were something special. The first time I saw Emma, she was in an incubator and I remember feeling so worried for her especially when she couldn't come home when Russell did. I spent a great deal of time with them during their first year and a half of life - almost every weekend during the school year. It is so hard to believe that they are already 7 years old! They are such great kids and I hope one day that they understand just how special they are to me.

Weekly Weigh-In

2008-09-18T20:41:00.000-07:00

I'm down another 0.6 lbs. I'm not entirely pleased with this number though because I feel like I did really well in keeping my points totals low for the week (even below my alotted number) but I didn't feel like I had lost anything when I walked through the door. At least it's a small step in the right direction.

I do think that I'm going to change my meeting night. I like the idea of going on Thursday night because, if I mess up over the weekend, I have more time to recuperate. But, I'm just not gelling with the meeting leader on Thursday night. I think it's back to Mondays for me.

Weekly Weigh-In

2008-09-13T19:48:00.000-07:00

I weighed in on Thursday and found that I had lost 2.6 lbs! I am pretty pleased. Only 15.4 more to go to reach my first goal...

Back to life, back to reality...

2008-09-10T21:14:00.000-07:00

Whew! It's hard to imagine that we've only been back from our summer adventure for 2 weeks, it feels like I've been working all school year already!

I started "working" again just one day after we returned although "working" in this instance means going into my classroom and getting things straightened around. I spent a couple of hours each day trying to get organized for the year and to get my head back into the game. The year (which has consisted of a total of 5 days with students) has been pretty good so far. This year, my coteacher and I have a total of 36 students (our contractual limit) all in one classroom. Well, they technically COULD all be in the same classroom. We have almost all of them in at least one elective class which has put a lot of pressure on our paraeducators because we've scheduled them into a ton of different classes to cover all of the kids who are out in the mainstream. So the first five days has consisted of making sure that all of the students report to the right class at the right time, that they have an adult with them, that all of the adults have their 30 minute lunch and 15 minute break, that all of the parents know how much p.e. clothes and lunch and elective class costs are, that all of the kids get on the right bus, and so on. Needless to say, not much academic teaching has occurred.

On top of all of the classroom issues, MY classes at Long Beach State have started and both of them are REALLY heavy reading courses. I have to read at least five 10-12 page research articles each week for each class and be prepared to synthesize the articles in response to a prompt at any moment, including APA citations. I've heard that one of these two courses is the most difficult in the program so I'm hoping that, once I get through this semester, it'll all be down hill. Part of my issue, only one week into the semester, is that academics have always come so easy for me and, all of a sudden, I'm starting to question myself. I had a great class tonight and I'm starting to ease into the semester - the first couple of weeks are always the most anxious.

Another reality that I've come back to is the fact that I just can't eat Jet's Pizza and drink Labatt without paying a price for it. Oh, how I wish I could. Just for one day, I'd love to NOT have to worry about my weight (as long as I could keep my pretty face!). I rejoined Weight Watchers again last Friday and am planning on going to Thursday evening meetings. I've done the monthly pass thing so I'm paid at least through the end of this month. This week has been pretty good, I'm sure I've lost a pound or two. My goal is to lose 18 before Christmas.

Mark went back to work last Thursday as well. He decided, after BJ's gave him a very generous 5 week vacation, to return to work for them. He has gone back with a vengence too and is super focused right now, I'm so proud of him! He has his annual review on the 18th, which comes with a raise. He also got a $500 Southwest Airlines gift card in celebration of his five year anniversary with the company. I think we're going to use it to go to Seattle for a long weekend to visit some friends. That is, whenever Mark can get a long weekend off again after requesting 5 weeks off! The school district had called him for an interview on the Wednesday before we left for Jamaica and the interview was to be on the following Monday. He explained that we were going to be on vacation but they wouldn't budge on the date. He has pretty much decided that he didn't want to leave BJ's after all but at least he didn't burn any bridges by interviewing and then not accepting the position he would have, undoubtedly, been offered.

All in all, life is slowly getting back to normal...

Pictures!!!

2008-08-31T22:55:00.001-07:00

Check out our new picture share website at: http://lajcisinlove.shutterfly.com/

Shh...the password is missymark0811 (all lowercase)

The Best Vacation Ever!

2008-08-28T17:24:00.001-07:00

9,000 miles over 4 weeks in a rental car - $450

Gas for those miles - $1000

A shot of Louis XIII for my husband on our anniversary - $130

Penthouse suite in Petosky - $35

Tickets to a Broadway show - $100

Spending an entire month with my husband, family and friends - PRICELESS

Game Plan

2008-07-28T21:49:00.000-07:00

We are leaving for our roadtrip of a lifetime TOMORROW!!! Well, technically, extremely early on Wednesday morning. Here's some of the nitty-gritty info:

* We have decided to rent a car to travel in. Mark's dad's cousin works form Hertz so she is able to get us a family discount plus she's getting us a free upgrade to a small SUV (like a Honda CR-V or Ford Escape). We will be picking up a midsize car at Hertz here in Downey on Tuesday morning but I will then be driving it out to the Ontario airport location (about an hour from here) to trade it in for the SUV. I will then spend the day packing and making it comfy and cozy while Mark works his last shift until September 3.

* We WILL be bringing the dog with us. We went back and forth about this for awhile but the thought of leaving him home for almost a month just killed us. Yes, Mark's parents will be around to feed him but it is a really long time for us to leave him alone. He will be travelling with us and camping with us until the 3rd. We will then be taking him to his home away from home - my mom's. Doing it this way, we will have him with us for a couple of days and then he'll be with my mom then we'll be with him again thus avoiding an excessive amount of time away from us.

* King and I will be picking Mark up from work on Tuesday night/Wednesay morning and the three of us will immediately hit the road. We are planning on driving as far and for as long as possible without checking into a motel. If we feel the need to stop, of course we will but we want to get to Michigan asap!

Our itinerary looks something like this:
July 31-August 3: Camping
August 3-4: At my mom's
August 5-8: No plans
August 9: Party at my mom's
August 10: Becky's baby shower at my mom's
August 11: Our anniversary! Staying the night & having dinner at the Ren Cen.
August 12-14(ish): Spending time with Mike & Kristi
August 15-17: Madison for Karen's wedding!
August 18-20: Driving to Boston, spending time with Darin & Millie
August 20-21: Driving to NYC for the night
August 22: Back to my mom's
August 23: Leaving to come back to L.A.
August 26: Return the rental car

Wow, writing it all out like this makes me feel like we aren't going to have enough time but, then again, it's almost a full month! Can't wait to see everyone!!!!

More Pictures

2008-07-25T20:45:00.001-07:00

I just got our waterproof cameras developed and uploaded the pictures onto the computer. I wanted to share some pics from the waterfalls, the pool, and the Caribbean...

Mmmm, banana coladas!

Jamaica, Mon!

2008-07-25T16:07:00.001-07:00

As you know, Mark and I just returned from our FREE trip to Jamaica and, boy, was it great! We arrived at the airport in Montego Bay to be whisked away (well, after spending 45 minutes to get through customs and immigration) to the Sandals welcome center. They had little finger sandwiches, soda, and, of course, Red Stripe (hooray beer!).

We were then taken to our resort which was all of a ten minute drive from the airport. Since this vacation was "replacing" the one we paid for on our honeymoon and because we spared very little expense for our honeymoon, we again had a concierge suite. The biggest benefit to having this room is the check-in and check-out process. We were served champagne, beer, and rum punch in a beautiful, air-conditioned lounge while the concierge took care of everything and those guests who didn't splurge were left sitting outside in the humidity. After checking in we were given a tour of the resort and I was able to taste my first banana colada since our honeymoon (I'd been craving one for months!). We were then taken to our room where our bags were already waiting.
We quickly changed into our swimsuits and made our way to the swim up bar in the pool. As you can tell from the picture, it was slightly overcast but the cloud cover didn't put any kind of a damper on how excited we were to be there. The whole trip, we kept reminding each other how lucky we felt to be there and how wonderful is was that we got two honeymoons for the price of one! Dinner on Friday night was a Caribbean beach party theme right on the beach and they had all kinds of food - including Jamaican jerk chicken (yum!) and freshly cut coconuts to drink from.
After dinner, we hit the pub at the resort where we met a really nice couple from New York and ended up closing down the place with them. The guys who worked in the pub made our trip so much fun! The bartender was pouring drinks with bottles and glasses on his head, the servers had a dance off, it was a blast! We topped the night off with some flaming Bob Marley shots. They tasted like peppermint or cinnamon. Mark didn't get to taste his since his straw ended up melting! For future reference, this is the shot that made me make a new rule for myself: no shots.

On the way back to the room on Friday night, I tripped going up the stairs and woke up Saturday morning with a swollen, bruised, and scabbed left knee! And, boy, do I wish that was all the hurting I felt from our first night in Jamaica. But, those who know and love me know that I get the worst hangovers known to mankind. For those who didn't know this, being in Jamaica does not make you immune to such things. No sir. I did, indeed, wake up with what may possibly be the worst hangover of my life. :(

Luckily, it rained all day long. Literally, not one drop of sunshine. Thank goodness. I was in bed or on the bathroom floor until about 5:00 at which time we had dinner reservations. Mark (who was SO great all day - drawing me a bubble bath, bringing me food, and watching silly chick flicks with me) convinced me that once I got up and moving I'd be fine. Not true. Not true at all. We skipped our previously scheduled dinner and met up with our new friends from NYC at more casual place where I had to excuse myself numerous times throughout the meal. We ended up back at the pub and, honestly, just walking into the place made me sick to my stomach. I made Mark take me back to the room and, after emptying my stomach one last time, I finally felt like myself again. It was 10:00!!! At that time we decided to take a dip in the pool but not before grabbing our new friends from the pub. We swam and hung out in the hot tub and just enjoyed our new friends' last night in Jamaica. All's well that ends well, I say. But, what a day!

We woke up early Sunday morning to the knock of room service at our door (which we did EVERY morning on this trip) and had the front desk call us a cab to take us to Dunns River Falls. When the taxi pulled up, we found out that we had an entire 28 passenger bus all to ourselves!!!

We drove about an hour and a half to the falls where we had a great time! It wasn't as easy as I thought it was going to be. It wasn't difficult either but there were definitely some places where we couldn't see where to step and I almost fell on my face a few times. In fact, I fell onto a rock and banged up my good knee! At the exit of the falls was a small craft mart where local Jamaicans peddle their wares. We were in good spirits at first but, as we left with two necklaces, a wooden Red Stripe mug, a small wooden turtle, and a painted Jamaican couple with our names carved into them, Mark said all he wanted was to get back to the resort. His friend Toby had warned us that we'd be taken by those guys because we are both such softies and they don't all take no for an answer. Oh well. We have souvenirs!

After the falls, we stopped by the Dunns River Sandals for lunch and were very impressed with the place. Especially the beach. It was beautiful and beckoned to us to take a dip. So, after lunch and a quick swim, we started back to our resort.
On the drive back to the resort, our cabbie stopped at the side of the road for us to buy something they call ginnups or Jamaican sea grapes. You bite into the skin, pop the seed into your mouth, suck the juices off of it, and then put it back into the skin. Mark liked them. I tried it at least!

Our driver, Leslie, was great. He took us to the falls on one route, we even stopped at a local rest stop and bought Jamaican Red Bull and Vitamin Water (I know, not very "When in Rome..."). He then took us a different way home, explaining the sights to us along the way. Did you know that Jamaica is a major producer of boxite? We didn't.

Sunday's dinner was at the resort's french restaurant, Le Jardinier. One of the luxuries of going all-inclusive is that you can order one of everything on the menu. So, for appetizers we did just that. Guess what I tried? Can you guess? That's right - escargot!!! And, you know what? It really wasn't too bad. It tasted like chewy, buttery, garlic. It's a mind over matter thing though and I had to chew it and swallow it as quickly as possible but at least I tried it. After dinner, we went to a drumming/dancing show and then for our nightly dip in the pool. The pub is closed on Sundays.

We awoke on Monday morning to find the sun shining brightly and calling us to come bask in its warmth. We took a boat over to the resort's private island, previously known as Kokomo, and relaxed by the pool. When exploring the island, we found this sign: And, yes, we tried it. For about 10 minutes we were scrunched up in water that was about a foot deep. Until we realized just how public this "private" beach was. At that time, the pool bar had opened and we were in need of a drink or two. Unfortunately, they didn't have any bananas on the island so no coladas for me. We spent the rest of the afternoon on the mainland, in the pool, at the bar, and sleeping in chaise lounges. Ahhh, perfect relaxation.

For dinner on our last night, we took the boat back to the island and the resort's Royal Thai restaurant. Another new thing for me. It was delicious and romantic and a perfect way to wrap up our trip.

Because our flight back to L.A. wasn't until 4:50 in the afternoon, we were able to check out on Tuesday morning but then continue to enjoy the resort for a couple of hours. We swam and I had a couple of banana coladas one last time, we ate lunch, and then we were off to the airport.

To REALLY put icing on this vacation cake, we flew Air Jamaica direct from Montego Bay to LAX and not only were our bags free (Spirit charged us $15 each to take them there) but we recieved a hot dinner, complimentary champagne, free headphones, and an in-flight movie!

We really are lucky to have been afforded the opportunity to take this vacation. Had Hurricane Dean not "interrupted" our honeymoon, I don't know when we would have had this experience. Life is good.

Vacation, Vacation

2008-07-13T12:21:00.000-07:00

I am at a point where I just can't sit still any longer waiting for both of our fabulous vacations!!!

First, on Thursday night, we will be heading to Jamaica and staying at the beautiful Sandals Royal Caribbean for four nights and five days. While there, we are planning on climbing the Dunns River Falls. Mark is terrified at the thought of being up 600 feet but one of his friends has been there and said that 75 year old ladies do it so that we'll be fine.

We are also planning on taking a raft down the Martha Brae River. Mark's friend said that it is a very mellow adventure with just the two of us, the guy who paddles the raft, and a little Jamaican kid who swims across the river to deliver us beer and rum punch.

We will get back from Jamaica on Tuesday, July 22 only to start getting ready for our road trip to Michigan. After much hemming and hawing, we have decided to drive cross-country to visit our friends and family in the Great Lakes State.

We will be leaving on the 29th after Mark gets out of work. He said he would like to leave no later than 9 but we'll see about that. We are going to be driving as much as possible before stopping to rest since we have plans to camp in Metamora from the 31st through the 3rd with Mark's best friends.

We have no concrete plans as of now for the 4th through the 8th but we are planning on spending at least a couple of days/evenings with my dad and Amy and the kids. We're having a BBQ on the 9th at my mom's and hope that everyone can make it. It'll give us a chance to see everyone, plus Mike and Kristi will be there to show off Colin! On the 10th, my mom and I are hosting a baby shower for Becky at her place in Lansing.

The 11th, of course, is our anniversary and we are thinking of having a nice dinner and staying the night at the Ren Cen in downtown Detroit. We will then be spending a couple of days with Mike, Kristi and Colin, possibly up in Bay Harbor but all of the details haven't been worked through yet. We will be going to Madison, WI on the 15th for Karen and Scott's wedding and staying through the 17th or 18th and then returning to MI for our final few days.

The best thing about driving is that we don't have any real deadlines. If we plan on leaving on the 20th but something comes up, we can always leave on the 21st. We HAVE to be back for an annual party that Mark's parents host on the 30th of August but are planning on getting back about a week before that. Mark will then either go to work for the school district or return to work at BJ's on the 3rd os September.

We have a lot of preparing to do, but I guess I just have to take it one amazing vacation at a time. :}