A Marriage of Opposites

It all happens so quickly!

2006-11-22T12:41:00.000-08:00

One day you're bringing him home from the hospital and the next he's a card shark who plays everyone else for all they're worth. I am sure that you can guess who staged and took this picture. Already 9 months old and ready to celebrate his first Thanksgiving. We won't be feeding him any lettuce to be sure after Dan tried that and he ended up with vomit on his shoulder.

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!

He's on the outside now

2006-11-06T07:49:00.000-08:00

As Dan loves to point out Nathan will very soon be 9 months old which mean that he has been "outside" almost as long as I was pregnant with him. It's startling how quickly these past nine months have passed. It's been so long that we are now being asked when we'll have our next baby (not for a while).

Each day Nathan does something new and I can barely keep track of them all in his baby calendar. Just these past few weeks he has started to get to a standing position from crawling, closing his eyes when he smiles or laughs, getting into things he shouldn't, eating Cheerios like a champion and even getting a little cuddlier than he ever has been in the past. Still only two teeth have broken through which is frustrating for all of us because he's ready for table food. He's our beautiful baby boy and it's amazing how much joy he brings to our lives. He loves taking baths and here's a little proof.

Walking my legs off

2006-10-14T05:42:00.000-07:00

Not only did I walk the entire Freedom Trail (2.5 miles) but I also walked the Black Freedom trail (1.5 miles) and all over both Beacon Hill and the North End. By the end of the night I had blisters on both feed and some pain in the front of both calves.

Besides walking I enjoyed some fabulous architecture in the Beacon Hill neighborhood and after asking a shop owner for a recommendation I ate a tasty lunch at a little diner called the Paramount. After meeting up with Ril we started the Freedom Trail, stopped briefly to meet up with Alex and Sebastian and then continued to visit historic sites throughout this great city. We got a treat and Mike's Pastries on the North End and then settled in for a scrumptious dinner of gnocchi at a little restaurant named Ristorante Lucia where according to Sebastian who speaks both Italian and Spanish the people were "authentic."

On tap for today is a visit to the spooky town of Salem, in October?! What could be better?

Boston

2006-10-13T04:33:00.000-07:00

After being delayed out of Chicago due to a little snow and a whole lot of waiting around for the one deicing truck that they had for the entire terminal I was on my way to Boston where in contrast it was a balmy 70 degrees.

I braved two transfers on the T to get to my friend Rilda at Boston University where she works and goes to school. After a quick lunch I headed back downtown to Park Central for some sightseeing. I followed the Freedom Trail for quite a while, stopping to look at the plaques that tell you the story of the historic place. It felt a bit ridiculous to stop in the middle of the sidewalk but other people were doing it and I tried to be as unobstrusive as possible.

Then I met up with my friend and Ril's fiance Alex and he did an excellent job of showing me the Public Garden, Commenwealth Ave, China Town and a few other things that I can't remember because we were having such a good time talking. We stopped for dinner in China Town at a restaurant called Pho Pasteur which was excellent! Back to Ril's apartment to meet her lovely roommates Erin and Signe, a little Office and Grey's Anatomy watching and then off to bed for this tired gal. Did you know the Jeopardy is on at 7:30 at night here?!

No need for a VCR

2006-09-30T18:29:00.000-07:00

My smartie husband has discovered something new (at least to us) out on the good ole Internet. If you go to CBS or ABC you can watch the latest episode of a select number of popular shows in full for FREE! No need to worry about setting your VCR at the right time and speed because you can merely go to the website and catch up.

Dan tells me that CBS even has a "Boss" button so should be interested in watching at work you can just press that button to immediately get you out of the show. Smart stuff, I like it!

He's Sick

2006-09-27T18:32:00.000-07:00

For the first time since he was born Nathan is sick. His sickness doesn't include vomiting or a high fever - just a runny nose and lots of poopy diapers. The doctor told me this morning that he has Rotovirus. This is a virus that kids younger than him are currently being immunized for but he missed the boat. The only course of treatment is lots of fluid and to monitor his temp. I'd say we made it out easy because his temperment wasn't affected by it at all.

Death of a Landline

2006-09-08T05:06:00.000-07:00

I think that we've made the decision to join the masses and do away with our landline. It means saving $23.04 a month or $276.48 a year but still it's a tough jump to make. Obviously, if we decide to do it people will no longer be able to call and get either one of us, instead they'll call to talk to one of us specifically. I've noticed this with other people that I know who only have a cell - I never talk to their kids, significant others or roommates. Then there's our cell phone bill to consider. Will we have to increase our minutes because we cancelled the landline and will that cost offset what we're saving on the landline? The jury is still out on this one.

Quite a Breakthrough!

2006-09-05T16:29:00.000-07:00

Well, after much fussiness (which Aunt Susan got the brunt of while we were in Vegas) Nathan has his first visible tooth! It's on his lower jaw just right of center. I discovered it on Saturday morning while he was sucking on my finger and then confirmed it with the tap of a spoon up against his gums. May not seem like much to those of you readers without kids (do we have any readers?!) but this is big business to us.

He also had his 6 month check up this morning. During every portion of the visit he REFUSED to sit still which gave me a lot of work to do besides having to remember how many stool movements he's had in the past few days as well as the exact minute that he started eating solids (just kidding, she didn't get that specific). After starting life at a strong 9oth percentile in weight and height he has sunk to 32% in weight and 40% in height. Nothing to be concerned about just something to watch at his next few visits.

Squeezing in the Fair

2006-09-02T16:19:00.000-07:00

After being abandoned by our guys for the holiday weekend Susan and I decided to go to the State Fair, after all it is the "Great Minnesota Get Together!" We enjoyed sitting in on an event put on by my favorite radio station, FM107 in Carousel Park and then we started the eating. I had a chocolate shake and a pretzel. Susan partook in the latest food introduction at the fair, "Hotdish on a Stick" (not for me). And then we shared some cheese curds and then some Sweet Martha cookies only because we HAD to eat a few cookies out of the bucket that dad requested so that we could shut the top.

In between all that eating we stopped into the Fine Arts Building (my favorite stop), the 4H building and the Lactation Station to change a diaper. Nathan was so well behaved during our time there and many people enjoyed his faces and little giggles. We ended the day with a trip on a bus driven by our very own Dad who announced that he had delayed the bus because he had had to "wait for some special people." What a good way to spend our spare time.

High Rollers?

2006-08-29T15:40:00.000-07:00

We just returned from a sweltering trip out to Las Vegas where combined we bet a total of about $75 in the three days that we were there. High Rollers? I think not.

Besides the constant presence of gambling and cigarette smoke we definitely enjoyed seeing friends that we hadn't seen in a while and participating in Breth's wedding. Dan looked so cute in his tux that I just had to show him off at Wolfgang Puck's Bar and Grille. We tried to catch Bellagio's fountain show that same evening but the high winds caused them to cancel them all.

What else did we do? We took The Deuce downtown, walked around for twenty minutes, saw the poker winners on the wall at Binion's and did a lot of walking on the strip. All that sun and I am the very same shade of white that I was when I went down there.

Going to Beantown!

2006-08-18T05:14:00.000-07:00

After much himming and hawing these last few years I have committed to a trip to Boston! I found an unbelieveable deal through AirTran for $210 for the second weekend in October. Dan and Nathan won't be going with me but I'll get a chance to catch up with my New Orleans roommates and friends and Maren's mom. I am so excited that I can hardly wait!

The Chicks are Coming!

2006-08-16T10:16:00.000-07:00

Friday night I am going to the Dixie Chicks concert with my sister and parents and I couldn't be more excited. I have all four of their CD's so I brought them to work with me to today to "study" up on the songs just in case I may have forgotten some lyrics.

So this morning I was reminded of the hilarious "Goodbye Earl" video that came out several years back and smiled through the whole thing, even though it does bring up several serious issues including spousal abuse and murder. Eh, it's still a good video.

Yes, we are still alive

2006-08-13T06:14:00.000-07:00

No, our blogging days aren't over, just temporarily put aside to attend a multitude of weddings, drive all over God's green earth and attend to the needs of our little man who is growing like a weed (6 months old tomorrow!).

While talking to my sister-in-law at a wedding last night she suggested that my throng of blog readers would be interested in hearing about things like a business trip that I took last week when I went down to Florida. It was a whirlwind trip to be sure. My manager and I left on Tuesday evening, arriving in Tampa at 11 PM, checked into the hotel and snoozed. We woke up the next morning, ate breakfast at a Bob Evan's, mmmm . . . buttered grits and headed off to our meeting with the grocer and my sales rep only to leave on our flight out at 7 PM and return home at midnight to a sleeping house. It was a wonderful opportunity to meet my contacts but the schedule that we kept was a little harrowing.

So, with that schedule in mind, what's the best remedy?! Well, I can tell you that it certainly is NOT to get a part time job and start it the evening after a business trip! I couldn't even sleep in on Saturday morning because I had to work, AGAIN. Finally, I have a day off today and I have taken the day tomorrow as well. I need to catch up on some errands like getting my slowly decaying car washed by some thorough professionals. A long post, but that's what you get when you don't post for two months.

Guilty as Charged

2006-06-11T10:48:00.000-07:00

Last weekend my sister-in-law mentioned to me that her fourteen year old soon thought that I was addicted to chewing gum.

I can't deny it, I am serial gum chewer. My husband has made fun of me, my mom has warned that it will wear out my jaw and yet I continue to chew. Often I go through an entire pack in one day at work. I will take one piece out that's tired and lost its flavor only to replace it with a new piece immediately. I've even been caught chewing gum in church.

So, I am most certainly addicted, but what's the harm in it?! It doesn't cost much, doesn't have any addictive ingredients that I know of and I like it.

Back to the Corporate Life

2006-05-08T15:40:00.000-07:00

Yikes, this day has come far too fast. Tomorrow I will return to work for the first time in twelve weeks (besides two visits). I am REALLY excited to get back into the swing of things and to return to a job that I really love but it'll be hard to leave my little man. He'll be in good hands to be sure - two doting grandmothers. I am bringing along the picture that accompanies this post to keep him in my sight throughout the day. I may slip up tomorrow and tell someone that they had a "good burp" or ask them if they are "hungry for a ba-ba." We'll see how that transition goes!

Fill Up On Some Carbohydrates

2006-04-28T19:52:00.000-07:00

If you like Pesto Cavatappi like I do (Dan prefers the beef stroganoff) then you should go to www.noodles.com to get your FREE bowl by signing up for noodlegrams. They'll send you a coupon (via email) right away and then send it to you on your birthday, your noodlegram anniversary and other random times during the year.

I know that this is a free plug for a large chain that can handle their own advertising but I thought that I would share the wealth. You know how Dan likes to get things for free!

Signs of the Seasons

2006-04-07T16:42:00.000-07:00

I guess that it's spring in Minnesota because Garage Sale signs have started to pop up all over town. Those must be the really ambitious people who just can't wait to get the junk out of their house.

Out and About and Bumping into Everyone!

2006-03-22T11:49:00.000-08:00

The weather has gotten nicer and I've become more adept at showering and dressing before 4 PM so Nathan and I have been venturing out into the world to get chores done. The world looks so different when you aren't working. One day I ran into several different people that I knew on my errands around town and then there's daytime television! I've been watching so much television that I've seen the same people interviewed on different shows. What's not so interesting is that these celebrities tell the same stories where ever they go. Don't they realize that their audience is probably watching quite a bit of tv and wants to hear something new from them? I need to find something else to do while I am feeding/diapering/cleaning up after Nathan. Any ideas?

Livin the Dream!

2006-03-15T11:37:00.000-08:00

Several months ago I posted about how comfortable I felt in workout wear and how I would wear it 24/7 if it were socially acceptable. Well . . . as a new mom (who hasn't quite shrunk back to her old size) who is currently on leave from work . . . ta da! I am in a situation where it is ok for me to wear my sweatpants/elastic waist/t-shirts/sweatshirts all the time! What's the use in dressing up? The outfit will just be spit up on anyway. Gotta go, the little man is hungry.

Welcome!!

2006-02-23T13:23:00.000-08:00

Welcome to the world little man!

Start 'em Early

2006-02-04T10:12:00.000-08:00

As many of you know, we are having a baby. Don't know if it is a boy or a girl, but since I bought a new Twins outfit for a boy, it'll probably be a girl!

This will probably be one of our first public outings with our little one (April 11th vs. the A's). A repeat appearance will be made with Grandpa and Daddy the Sunday before Fathers Day (June 11th vs. the Orioles). I just hope that our little one won't have to suffer through as many games in the Metrodome that I have.

She's coming home!

2006-01-28T05:10:00.000-08:00

Bright and early tomorrow morning Susan will arrive from California and she'll be a Minnesotan once again. As she likes to point out, she and I haven't lived in the same state in the last three years for more than a month. This will be a nice change of pace. Now that everyone has returned to Minnesota I'll have to have a conversation with the baby about it's arrival. I wouldn't want to keep people waiting!

Less than a Month to go!!

2006-01-25T16:24:00.000-08:00

Update from the Belly

2006-01-21T09:03:00.000-08:00

If the baby could talk this is what it would say:

Things are going well here in the womb. I heard the doctor say on Thursday that my heartbeat is at about 150 which she said is very good. I resented her next comment that I was a "big baby," already weighing in at about eight pounds. Just because of that I think that I will stay in here a little longer or at least until my due date of February 8th. I haven't "dropped" at all and mommy isn't dilated so I think that Grandma Larson and Auntie Susan are happy since there isn't any chance of them missing the birth. Room is running out in here but it's warm and the meals are good so I can overlook the cramped quarters. I know that you're all anxious to see me but you'll just have to wait!

Things you should NEVER say to a pregnant woman:

2006-01-12T15:34:00.000-08:00

-Man, when are you due? Because it seems like you've been pregnant forever!
-How are you feeling?
-Do you know what you're having?
-How are you feeling?
-Are you ready to have the baby?
-How are you feeling?
-I had a friend who was in labor for 48 hours and after all that work she ended up having a c-section!

It's a short list but I think that you get the idea. The comments that I have appreciated have been related to how good I look, how small they think I am and just general comments of good luck.

Another birthday past

2006-01-02T07:10:00.000-08:00

I am 27th years old now, not a major milestone and I don't feel any different. Maybe it's part of the post holiday letdown or some expectation within myself, but birthdays are always a little sad. After eating out several times during the week and eating lots of holiday goodies Dan and I decided to eat some leftovers. My presents had already been given the day before so there was nothing to open and it felt like a pretty ho-hum day. I thought about making a birthday treat visit to Cold Stone Creamery but my doctor ruined that by telling me that I was borderline for gestastional diabetes so I had better watch my weight gain and the sweets. After dinner Dan and I popped in the unrated version of the "40 Year Old Virgin" which I had seen in the theater, giving me license to fall asleep. My birthday wasn't so bad at all, after all I have a wonderful husband, a loving and generous family and I am about to get the most amazing present of all, a little baby, I don't see anything at all to be sad about!

Nothing to look for . . .

2005-12-29T05:54:00.000-08:00

Do you ever log on to the Internet only to stare blankly at the screen? I do this all the time. I'll log on, quickly check my email, what's on Oprah, the bank account activity and then I am left with nothing to do on the computer. I know other people (Brad) who can spend hours upon hours looking at articles, interesting factoids and other pages. That's probably the reason that his blog is better than ours. Feel free to give me some ideas one what I can search for on the web. In the meantime I will have to find something to do off the computer.

I Failed A Test

2005-12-23T04:12:00.000-08:00

I am not used to failing tests so when I got the results of my glucose screen for gestational diabetes I was a little surprised to hear that I had failed. Your glucose number needs to be at 140 or below and I was SO CLOSE at 147! This means that I have to go into the doctor this morning, have my blood drawn a total of four times over the course of three hours. I haven't had anything to eat or drink since last night at ten PM, not even water to help my parched throat. This is not my idea of fun on my day off the Friday before Christmas but if it keeps me from having to push a big headed baby through my pelvis then I am all for it. To keep myself busy I am going to read the latest issue of Oprah, keep moving through my book club book "The Dive From Clausen's Pier" (set in Wisconsin and so far very good!) and maybe even fall asleep between blood letting. Is there any question of what I am going to do after this appointment?! -EAT!

General Busyness

2005-12-06T16:53:00.000-08:00

It seems that the holiday season and everything that goes with it comes a little earlier each year. For instance, in October I remember seeing Christmas decorations for sale before they had even taken down their Halloween paraphenalia. Along with the retail craziness it seems that our lives have been jam packed. I can't remember the last time that we didn't have something to go to on the weekend. What this results in is a blurring of the lines between weekend and work week which leads to fatigue which is no good in my condition.

This sense of busyness is going to continue through the end of the year and what scares me is that VERY SOON after the new year comes BABY! All of the above mentioned activity is why I have chosen not to decorate our house for Christmas this year. This is something that I have received quite a bit of slack over but I counter that Christmas is really in your heart and actions (I know it's sappy) and not decorating will allow us to focus on what the season is really about and look ahead at the arrival of our little one!

What I am thankful for!

2005-11-24T04:45:00.000-08:00

On this Thanksgiving day I thought that it would be appropriate to blog again though we haven't done so in almost a month! I am cooking the turkey today and all the fixings for Dan and my parents so it's going to be a laid back T-day, just what I was looking for all along.

Here are the things that I am thankful for:
- That someone else is cooking dinner for Susan and Brad after their turkey mishap last year.
- That my mom and dad are in good health and will be joining us for dinner.
- I am thankful that Mark and Annie, the college kids, made it home safely and can enjoy dinner with their family.
- Thanks for my mom who helped me prepare some of the dishes in advance so that today would be a little less stress.
- I am extremely thankful that I have had an easy pregnancy and that the baby continues to kick away to let us know that its healthy and vibrant.
- I am also thankful for the fact that those darn buns finally decided to raise! They're yummy!

Have a happy, safe and filling Thanksgiving everyone! If you would like to make someone else's Thanksgiving a little more filling you can go to emergencyfoodshelf.org and donate $22, which provides a full holiday meal to six people, it isn't too late!

Love and Peace to All!

We've got a soccer player!

2005-10-30T06:14:00.000-08:00

This past week Dan discovered what it felt like to feel the baby kick. No matter how many times he puts his hand to my belly to feel the bump of an elbow/hand/knee/foot, etc. it always brings a smile to his face. The only hard thing is predicting if the baby will perform again once his hand is in place. The baby will be kicking like crazy and then all of a sudden stop when asked to do it for daddy. Do we have an obstinant child already?!

By the way, Dan woke up this morning to tell me that he had a dream that we had a girl, in direct contradiction to dreams that my mother and I have had. We'll keep guessing until the baby's birthday.

QT with Ma and Pa Larson

2005-10-16T05:51:00.000-07:00

While Dan is away taking nature hikes and cooking with his tough guy friends I have been back here making nightstands with my dad. Yesterday we put in a tough five hour day and we accomplished a lot. We were able to get all the pieces cut and planed for the top and legs of both tables. It was amazing to see the number of machines that we had to use to get the job done: jointer, power saw, table saw, and finally planer (sp?). I learned a few useful woodworking secrets along the way. Not to worry I had eye and ear protection on the entire time. I tried wearing a dust mask but it caused my goggles to fog up so I took it off.

On tap for today is some more time with mom and dad, we're are taking a drive to Anoka to see some sort of shop, have some breakfast and go to Lowe's where I plan to purchase a furnace filter, a closet organizer and the plastic sheeting that goes over the windows in the winter. It seems that Dan and I have experienced a role reversal, not that our roles were ever clearly defined in the first place.

Ta Da!

2005-10-12T15:45:00.000-07:00

Well, after two short hours of labor, hopefully indicative of the real thing, the crib is completed. We're pretty sure that it's safe for the baby to sleep in. We also have a new dresser. The toughest part of this was taking it out of the box since it came assembled.

On a side note the baby was kicking like crazy today, like it had it's own little soccer game going on in my ever expanding stomach. In related news my back is really hurty today!

Book Update

2005-10-01T15:24:00.000-07:00

Most recently I've read the following books:
Beauty by Robin McKinley
Shutter Island By Dennis Lehane
Currently reading: The View From Delphi by Jonathan Odell

Beauty was first published in 1978 and is a young adult fiction book about the fairytale of Beauty and the Beast. If you have a young romantic in your house this might be a good book for them to read. Keep in mind though that Disney loosely based its version off of this edition so there is a lot of repitition.

Shutter Island is by the same author who wrote Mystic River. It was a haunting tale of an investigator who goes to an island that houses an insane asylum, trying to track down a missing patient. Very soon he is struggling to get himself off the island before they make him a patient as well. I don't usually go for this type of book but it had me guessing until the very end and even at the end you were left to draw your own conclusions.

I am only on page 30 of The View From Delphi so I don't have much to say on it yet. I will give you an update later.

$.25 Candle Anyone?

2005-09-17T18:16:00.000-07:00

Well, the laboriously long hours spent in the garage today seem to have paid off, because Dan and I raked in a grand total of $166.25. Mom and dad didn't fare quite as well in terms of dollars but she was able to get rid of lots of items. Sadly, the desk that has been a place holder in our garage for the last year didn't sell so at the end of the day it returned to our garage.

It was my first sale and I was a bit surprised at how much people wanted to haggle, but bringing down the price by one dollar really brought a smile to their face so who am I to complain, it's stuff that I would have given to Goodwill anyway. I still have five tap lights available, any takers for the bargain price of $1 for the whole set?

Only 1

2005-09-17T10:18:00.000-07:00

Contrary to popular belief, we are only having one baby. We had the ultrasound on Friday and here are a few pictures of the pictures. Sorry about the blurriness, it was the best I could do.

Picture 1: Profile of the baby. Head is on the right, maybe can see in arm sticking up in the middle, then the body to the left.

Picture 2: Face shot of the baby. You can see the outline of the head and body (about the same size!). You can also see where the ocular cavities are (dark spaces in head) and the nose. Is the baby posing for us? You can almost see a smile!!

Picture 3: A foot! Toes pointing to the left.

Our due date moved up two days to the 8th of February. At this point, the baby weighs 10 ounces.

Say what?!--dg

2005-09-07T13:54:00.000-07:00

Are gas prices really that bad? I would gladly pay $3 per gallon over what they were charging at a gas station up in Nashwauk over the weekend!

Lonely without my other half

2005-09-04T14:47:00.000-07:00

I got into an indepth conversation with my girlfriends last night about how all marriages are different and yet they still seem to work. Dan and I tell each other everything and don't spend a heck of a lot of time apart. One of the biggest exceptions to that rule is Labor day weekend when my husband drives up to Hibbing for the Annual Lockman Get Together, a little something like the State Fair only with bonfires. I tried my hand at it once and found out that I am not the camping/outhouse/no bathing type of gal so I have passed it up ever since. The only glitch is that my husband still goes and I end up missing him. Even technology can't help us because his cell phone doesn't get a signal and his sister's ran out of battery. I'll just have to pine for him until tomorrow evening when he finally returns.

Please keep them in your prayers . . .

2005-08-30T15:01:00.000-07:00

My thoughts have recently been focused on New Orleans and the recent devastation that Hurricane Katrina left in its wake. The news continues to mention the thousands of people that were huddled in the Superdome and I can't help but picture some of my students in that situation. The pictures and video that they have aired on the east side of New Orleans, where most of the students at BPMS live, are the worst. I can't imagine how the streets or buildings that I spent a great deal of time in while I lived there must look like now or how the people will pick up the pieces and go on living in a city that is almost certain to see the same thing again. But the people of the Big Easy are resilient and they will move on and rebuild, but please keep them in your prayers as they make it through these first few weeks post-storm.

Norelco might have found a new model!

2005-08-25T18:57:00.000-07:00

Recently on the radio they were talking to a guest and he brought up the "Wolf Boys of Mexico" which intrigued me of course. These brothers are famous because of a condition called hypertrichosis which causes hair to grow on 98% of their bodies. After a stint in the Mexican Circus they have gone on to lead normal lives, including getting married. This is truly the strangest thing that I have ever come upon online, that's all I can say.

29--dg

2005-08-20T11:51:00.000-07:00

On Brad's blog, he asks if you can beat his 40. I say, can you beat my 29? It included only one 3 on 18, and 8 holes in one. All the rest were 2's.

And finally, the soundbite everyone has been waiting for!

I thought that I was in the clear

2005-08-18T17:05:00.000-07:00

Today I received what I've been dreading since July 15th, a ticket for my red-light running offense. They certainly took their sweet time about it, in fact they took so long that I am now beyond the "respond by" date which passed yesterday.

I have been waffling between pleading guilty and paying the fine or spending some time at the courthouse to plead not guilty. Let's consider the evidence: they have three clear pictures of me as I go through the intersection and the light is most definitely red. Hmmm, looks like I am out $142, bummer.

My Recent Reads

2005-08-17T19:24:00.000-07:00

Apparently, others enjoy updates on books that I have or am in the process of reading. Now that I am in THREE book clubs I am pouring through them very quickly. Here's a list and short synopsis of the books I've read lately:

1. A Million Little Pieces by James Frey
The author gives the account of his own road to recovery from a near deadly addiction to drugs and alcohol. It is nonfiction and very realistic, including the portion where he discusses a root canal without the aid of aenethesia. It is a long book but it is worth it to feel so close to someone else's addiction, experience the pain and anxiety without having the addiction itself. Please keep in mind that I don't usually care for nonfiction reading so for me to give a positive review is really something.

2. The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffeneger
The main character in this book time travels (as the title suggests) because of a fault in his DNA. He has no control over where he travels to or how often he goes and because he can't take anything with him when he disappears (including his clothes, fillings in his teeth, etc.) he gets into some sticky situations. Anyway, he marries and the story is written from both of their viewpoints alternately. This was the first page turner that I've read in a while and I cried during most of the last hundred pages. It may be that the story was really sad or you could just chalk it up to raging pregnancy hormones.

I am currently reading Harry Potter 6 and will then start on Something Borrowed. Gotta keep moving!

The Incredible Hulk

2005-08-16T17:59:00.000-07:00

You know that inevitable scene in every episode of "The Incredible Hulk" where his body bulges and his clothes are ripped to shreds? That's how I feel in what are now called my "pre-pregnancy" clothes. I am down to two pairs of pants and a skirt, all three of which are already a little too snug for my personal taste.

So, before one of my coworkers goes to the ER because a button popped off of my pants I am placing an order with good old JCPenney which has a nice catalog selection of prego clothing. For the rest of my pregnancy I will be in elastic waistband bliss!

Dodged a bullet?--dg

2005-08-13T10:51:00.000-07:00

It has been nearly a month since my opposite ran a red light in Minneapolis, and we still haven't recieved the ticket. Are we one of the lucky ones?

Last weekend I ran in my 2nd half marathon of the summer. I was thinking about all of the organized runs that I've done in the past 2 years and wondered how I've progressed.

The running career of Dan Gierok
August 2003- Urban Wildland 5k, Bib# 1130. Goal was under 30 minutes. Actual time of 27 minutes, 5 seconds (8 min, 44 sec mile). Ran with John

April 2004-Bunker Hills 8k, Bib# 1291. Goal was under 45 minutes. Actual time of 40 min, 27 seconds (8 min, 8 sec mile). Ran with John

August 2004-Urban Wildland 5k, Bib# 825. Goal was to run without stopping. Actual time of 33 minutes, 10 seconds with no stopping! (10 min, 42 sec mile). Ran with My Opposite and John.

April 2005-Bunker Hills 8k, Bib# 1530. Goal was under 40 minutes. Actual time of 38 minutes (7 min, 39 sec mile).

May 2005-Race for the Cure 5k, Bib# 45592. Goal was under 23 minutes. Actual time of 23 minutes, 29 seconds (7 min, 34 sec mile). My Opposite did the 5k walk with her mom.

June 2005-Heart of the city Half Marathon. Bib# 207. Goal was under 2 hours. Actual time of 1 hour, 54 minutes, 33 seconds (8 min, 44 sec mile). John did 5k run.

August 2005-Urban Wildland Half Marathon. Bib# 268. Goal was better than first half marathon. Actual time of 1 hour, 46 minutes, 50 seconds (8 min, 9 sec mile).

With the exception of the race for the cure, i've been able to achieve all of my running goals. My Twin Cities Marathon goal is under 4 hours. That means an average of 9 minute, 9 second miles.

Back to School?

2005-08-12T05:10:00.000-07:00

A good friend here at work completed her last day yesterday to pursue a Master's and possibly a PhD in Communications Rhetoric. I've always thought that I would like to get my master's degree but I've never been sure what I'd like to focus on for two years. I could get the perfunctory MBA, but I still feel like I am a baby in my career and although I think that HR isn't for me I am not sure what my "calling" is in life.

This idea of having a "calling" or "vocation" is something that my roommates and I discussed quite a bit in New Orleans. I've always been jealous of people have know what they want to be: Dr./Lawyer/Nurse/Garbage man/etc. When will my vocation take shape and reveal itself? I am getting very philosophical in this blog and I don't have any answers to close with. I would be very interested to hear how others stumbled or discovered their calling in life, I am willing to work at it!

If I were one of the Seven Dwarfs . . .

2005-08-08T15:39:00.000-07:00

I would be sleepy. In the last month I can't seem to get enough. It's as if the tiny life in my is demanding two to three times more energy than I previously needed. It was at it's worst a few weeks ago when I had to listen to an audio book for one of my book clubs and kept falling asleep, the problem is that audio books don't fall on your face when you lose consciousness.

I have become used to taking naps on both Saturday and Sunday. If I have a half day on Friday chances are that I am napping then too. As you can imagine this hasn't helped in the "To Do List" department which just keeps getting longer. Also, due to my sweepiness we've been going to sleep around 9 PM so if you call and we don't answer or if I seem crabby when I do answer that's the reason. When will this sleepiness relent? I need to get things done!

The Most Powerful Thing I've Ever Heard

2005-08-05T04:52:00.000-07:00

Yesterday afternoon I was blessed to hear the strong and fast heartbeat of my three month old baby. Dan got a 20 second recording of it but I couldn't figure out how to attach it to this blog page. It was so amazing that it brought tears to my eyes. The Dr. had a small handheld machine that amplified the sound coming from within by belly, AMAZING!

The Dr. also said that I have an extremely low chance of miscarrying now, my weight is good, blood pressure good and she'll see be next month. Nothing quite as exciting next month but then in early October I'll have the ultrasound and have pictures to share with everyone. Remember, we're not going to find out the sex of the baby so they'll be none of that news to share.

At Your Most Vulnerable

2005-07-31T07:19:00.000-07:00

The other day while I was carpooling with a coworker he fell asleep on the way home (don't worry, I was driving). It got me to thinking how vulnerable people are when they sleep. His head bobbed a few times and his muscles jumped but he was definitely out like a light, I could have driven anywhere and he wouldn't have known the difference.

My husband falls asleep in much the same way. Most nights I read for a while before closing my eyes (sometimes I do both simultaneously). In any case it's a treat to watch Dan fall asleep because his muscles jump on his legs and arms and if I catch him at just the right time I can even talk to him, have him give legitimate responses and he'll never remember anything in the morning, a truth serum of sorts. Of course humans need sleep to survive it's just funny that we don't have more awareness of our surroundings while we're out. There's your random thought of the day!

Lots to tell

2005-07-29T04:45:00.000-07:00

Well, despite my lack of actual posts I can promise you that I've composed lots of witty and inspiring blogs in my head. I apologize that none of those posts made it to this page.

On Wednesday evening I met a group of ten women (I only knew one going in) for what will become my third and FINAL bookclub. We chose a lighthearted book entitled Something Borrowed by Emily Giffin. We enjoyed some good conversation and good food. I also learned that there are two other prego ladies in the crew and one is due in February and the other is due in March. This is the second baby for both so I will have a lot to learn.

Dan has left me, for the weekend anyway! After hours of preparation last night which included strategically packing a cooler he was ready to go. He kissed me goodbye this morning with a little spring in his step, eager to join the five other poker-playing, rabblerousing men that will enjoy a little time in Ely. I am excited that he has the chance to get away but wondering what activities I'll find to keep myself busy. I have today off and a long list of cleaning duties to complete, I'm sure I'll be fine.

The newest (temporary) member of the family

2005-07-21T19:12:00.000-07:00

This afternoon after dropping Maren and Justin off at the airport Dan brought home a little Lady. Lady is a Rat Terrier/Jack Russell terrier mix. Now normally I am not a dog fan but in Lady's case it's hard not to be. She hasn't barked since she got here, she is a lap dog, she doesn't piddle in the house, doesn't smell and hardly sheds. She's like the perfect dog! Plus, the whole situation is temporary!

I am so happy that I could lend my support!

2005-07-16T05:01:00.000-07:00

On the way home from a wedding last night I believe that I participated in Minneapolis' latest and greatest means of catching traffic offenders. This of course would be the "Stop on Red" cameras that they have placed strategically at high incident corners.

Here's how it all went down:
- After leaving the Blaisdell Manor Dan handed the keys to me because according to him I know Minneapolis "about a hundred times better than he does.
- Since there are only certain streets that you can access 35W on we started down Nicollet in the hopes of finding one.
- Finally, I turned left on 36th St. E, elated to see a sign for 35W southbound and as I pull through an intersection there is a series of three lights, something akin to fast bolts of lightening that go off.
- It is then that I realize that I have gone through an intersection with a stop light and my mind goes back to a recent news story that I heard about these nifty little cameras that catch red light dashers.

Well, we'll find out within 14 days if the officer who reviews my incident deems it worthy of a ticket. If he does then I'll shell out $130 to make it go away. If only the officer could see the whole picture: the way in which I diligently follow the speed limit, yield to pedestrians and use my turn signal. If they could see all that then he wouldn't give me a ticket for an intersection where the lights are barely visible from where they sit on either corner. Donations accepted!

It's a scorcher

2005-07-10T17:03:00.000-07:00

As my friend Rilda would put it, the weather is so hot as to make your face "melt off and die." I know that I've thanked my lucky stars that we have central air because otherwise this chicky wouldn't be getting any sleep whatsoever. When the electric bill comes in a few weeks I'll be singing a different tune.

This weekend followed the trend of the rest of the summer so far: BUSY. We attended a family reunion yesterday on my father's side which was enjoyable, good food and three varieties of fried chicken to choose from. We were able to get an hour long walk in last night along with a tearful viewing of "Hotel Rwanda" which I highly suggest.

On Friday I finished a wonderfully crafted book entitled, "Kite Runner" a must read. Unfortunately, it wasn't a book chosen by either of my book clubs so I am a little behind on my reading. While I am on the subject of bookclubs, I joined a third. With the baby coming I don't know how long it will last but I'll give it a shot and drop one or two if necessary.

Today I was a eucharistic minister at 8 AM mass and when we returned from a necessary trip to Target I dozed on the couch for TWO HOURS. My husband is a sweetheart and was as quiet as a mouse but I couldn't believe that I had dozed that long. I got up and went to "coffee" with Maren. We had a wonderful talk and when I returned home I got a call from Missy to listen to the first round of "Undiscovered Divas" on FM 107. Of course Missy and Debbie were listening for pointers and hints on what to do in their own show. Kiki and Zoe were ok, but rambled on the subject of names for a bit too long. I am eager to hear how the rest of the six groups do and whether my sister-in-law and mother-in-law will make it to the next round.

Whew, I am starting to ramble like Missy so I am going to wrap it up.

A clean bill of health

2005-07-07T19:12:00.000-07:00

I saw the OB/GYN for my first pregnancy visit. Although my weight is at the high end for my height she thought that I was otherwise healthy. I've been directed not to gain any additional weight until the 20th week (end of September). What fun is it to be pregnant if you can't gain a little weight.

As of today I am at eight weeks and five days. She didn't try to hear the heartbeat, she'll leave that until my next visit in August. That's fine with me because my husband can attend that visit so he'll be able to hear it too!

Weekend at Whitefish Lake

2005-07-05T17:19:00.000-07:00

When my friend asked if I'd like to go with her to spend the weekend at her parent's cabin I couldn't pass it up. No one in my family owns a cabin so I don't often get to enjoy the "sit in four hours of traffic" kind of fun. Seriously, the traffic wasn't that bad and while I was at the lake I met about forty new people because everyone knows everyone else, ate some wonderful food, enjoyed fireworks over the lake and got a funky burn on my knees while boating. All in all it was a fabulous weekend!

Threes!

2005-06-30T18:56:00.000-07:00

We've been called out as a couple to respond to Melissa's "Threes" fiasco, I'll leave it up to Dan to respond to his part.

THREES:
Three nicknames that you have had:
1. Rebster
2. Ribbit
3. Rock

Three things you like about yourself:
1. My eyes
2. My sparkling personality
3. My big-cheeked smile

Three things you don't like about yourself:
1. Tummy A
2. My worry-wart nature
3. Stubbornness

Three things that scare you:
1. The death of the people I love
2. Creaks and groans in an empty, dark house
3. Bad drivers

Three of your everyday essentials:
1. A shower
2. My cell phone
3. A good breakfast

Three things you are wearing right now: (or the only three things that I am currently wearing)
1. An MS 150 t-shirt
2. Synthetic shorts
3. An ill-fitting sports bra (things change when you're pregnant!)

Three of your favorite bands growing up:
1. The Judds
2. Paula Abdul, man has she gone downhill
3. Tiffany

Two truths and a lie:
1. I am awful liar
2. I've jumped from a plane
3. I've been stung by bees repeatedly

Three things you can't do without:
1. My Husband
2. Books
3. Dessert

Three things you most certainly can do without:
1. Insincere people
2. Nausea
3. Traffic jams

Three places you want to go on vacation:
1. Tuscany
2. New Zealand
3. Kenya

Three things you want to do before you die:
1. Have a baby or two, or three, or four
2. Adopt a child
3. Get my masters degree in something I am really passionate about

Three people you want to know these things about:
1. Mom
2. Susan
3. Rilda

Why would you do such a thing?

2005-06-29T16:04:00.000-07:00

Recently, while listening to the radio they mentioned an intriguing website called, "Crying While Eating." If you're looking for people crying over food you've found nirvana. I find it a little sickening myself, but it could just be due to my current condition. Depending on your interest in the subject you can even send in your own video to be posted on the web. It's true isn't it? You really can find EVERYTHING imaginable on the internet!

Ups and Downs

2005-06-28T16:31:00.000-07:00

So far being pregnant has only one noticeable benefit, my nails are long. The negatives certainly aren't extreme but they are bothersome: my clothes are snug (yes already), a swollen and hurty chest, nausea like going up and down on a rollercoaster, fatigue and occassional cramps. All will be well worth it though when we welcome a baby in February.

Dan and I are going to a class at our clinic tonight that was required before my first visit to the Doctor. We're not sure what it's about but it's exciting to make it "official" by visiting a healthcare professional for the first time.

Did you ever wonder?

2005-06-20T17:34:00.000-07:00

What day were you born on? What did the moon look like? You can find out here.

Happy Father's Day!

2005-06-19T04:50:00.000-07:00

A special day to honor those special guys who helped to care for us, make sure that we were safe and provided us with lots of love. I'd like to thank the four special guys in my life for their ongoing care and love: Brian and Glenn (father-in-laws), Dan (a soon-to-be dad and excellent husband!) and most important in the shaping of my life is my Papa Rich. Love you all, enjoy your day!

Why I am Proud to be a Minnesotan!

2005-06-17T10:44:00.000-07:00

This man has been featured on the David Letterman show for his wonderful invention. I also heard him on the radio this morning and he's very funny!

The word is out!

2005-06-15T14:26:00.000-07:00

Since I can't figure out how to post a picture on the blog I will just tell everyone our big news rather than delay it any further.

WE ARE PREGNANT!

I've been a little bit hesitant to spread the word far and wide thinking that it might jinx the future of the baby but someone reassured me that either way it would nice to have a big support network behind me.

To answer your questions, no nausea or fatigue, and I am due mid-February. Not sure if there is anyone outside the family that reads our blog regularly, but I thought that I would give it a shot and spread the news. I'll make a point of regularly posting updates online.
(The picture was of our positive pregnancy test)

Can't sleep

2005-06-11T02:31:00.000-07:00

You might wonder what the heck I am doing up at 4:30. Well, Susan and Brad come in this morning at around 5 am and rather than lay awake in bed I decided to get up and get a few things done. I've changed the laundry and if I can do it without disturbing my husband I am going to do a little cleaning in the bathroom upstairs. The excitement that I feel about seeing my sister is akin to what you feel on Christmas eve when you toss and turn knowing that Christmas is going to be something special.

Why did I bother to take the day off?!

2005-06-10T08:24:00.000-07:00

Rewind to a week ago, I had today planned. I was going to start the morning off with a visit to an Orthodic Specialist to be fitted for shoe inserts to correct my pronating (rolling in) stance, have some time to lounge, eat lunch with friends and then enjoy my sister-in-law's outdoor graduation.

Fast forward back to today. My lunch pals have bailed. The weather is cloudy and rainy. And all of that means that I could have rescheduled my morning appt to the afternoon and saved the half day of vacation for something more important!

Instead it's only 10:30, I've already worked out and grocery shopped and now I am trying to figure out what to do with my time until my husband gets home. Maybe I'll take a nap!

Ahem, did you forget something?

2005-06-08T17:05:00.000-07:00

I think what my husband meant to blog about but apparently forgot was our 3rd Wedding Anniversary. It was six years ago today that he asked me to marry him and three years since we tied the knot. We chose to celebrate by reenacting the proposal by going to the park for a picnic. Dan whipped up some chicken salad sandwiches and some green salad which is much healthier than the BK that we shared six years ago. The rainy weather held off long enough for us to get everything in which made the bugs that dined on us happy. It has been a wonderful anniversary, we have so much to celebrate!

My favorite tv theme song is this one.

Best part of the show?-dg

2005-06-08T13:15:00.000-07:00

What has happened to the TV theme song? They used to be nearly a 60 second tune as they went through all the characters, and the song described the show pretty well. Now you're lucky if you get a few notes for the opening (Everybody loves Raymond comes to mind). Here are my top three favorite tunes.

#1. How can you go wrong with this one?! My favorite show growing up!
#2. Never really got into the show, but thanks to Chappelle's Show, Season 2, Disc 1, Episode 3, Skit #3 (or is it #4), it's stock rose high.
#3. This one is known between my sister and I as "Odie, Odie"

Wild card. When I was checking the weather on the day of my run, I ran into the start of this show. Honestly, who hasn't seen this one before?

What is your favorite?

Not quitting my day job

2005-06-06T18:19:00.000-07:00

So I interviewed with Missy to be an Undiscovered Diva, as I reported in my last post and while I think that we did a good job I am not sure that we knocked their socks off. We were both nervous and although we had a million topics in mind Missy's memory could only pull the one topic that I advised we should NOT talk about: her husband's vasectomy! To include me in the interview I discussed the opposite viewpoint of trying to get pregnant. All of this dirty talk led one of the two judges to ask, "So, what do you do when you're not having sex?"

A little later my mother-in-law auditioned with the same judges and she must have done something right because today Lori, one of her judges, compared her to Roseanne Barr! Missy and I only got an honorable mention as Debbie's daughter and her daughter's friend. Oh well, as Missy said, I think that I was more into meeting the on-air personalities and not as interested in actually getting my own show.

Weekend Stuff-dg

2005-06-06T13:23:00.000-07:00

This was one of the busier weekends I've had in a while. Saturday started off with my first half marathon. Let's break it down a bit, shall we?

Mile 0 to mile 2: 17 minutes, 12.03 seconds
Mile 2 to mile 4: 17 minutes, 6.04 seconds
Mile 4 to mile 6: 17 minutes, 13.62 seconds
Mile 6 to mile 8: 15 minutes, 42.07 seconds
Mile 8 to fake mile 10: 15 minutes, 58.50 seconds
Fake mile 10 to actual mile 10: 3 minutes, 0.4 seconds
Mile 10 to mile 12: 18 minutes, 9.44 seconds
Mile 12 to mile 13.1: 10 minutes, 11.76 seconds
Total elapsed time: 1 hour, 54 minutes, 33 seconds (8 minute 44 second mile average)

The reason why there is a fake mile 10 and actual mile 10 is this. Every mile they had a sign posted and a spray paint mark on the ground. when I approached the fake mile 10, there was a stick in the ground but no sign and the mark on the ground looked like a 10, but it was very messy. I thought that maybe the spray can ran out or something. Who knows what I was thinking, I had already ran nearly 10 miles with 3 to go!! So as I approached the real mile 10, a loud yell came from my mouth and if I remember correctly, it is one of the 7 words that can't be said on the radio.

To finish off the weekend, I had planned on going to the Twins game vs. the Yankees with my brother with free, cheap tickets that I got from work. As we were going to go to a monster bash for my uncle and new aunt on Saturday evening, my car would not start. It had started to sound different while starting on Thursday leaving work. I had started it twice already that day, but I guess the 3rd time wasn't the charm. Actually, it was better that way because it is much better to have your car not be able to start in your garage rather than someplace else. So the Twins game was put on hold since I needed to get a new battery put in on Sunday. If I would've known what I was doing a little more with the battery charger I had borrowed, I could've been able to attend. Oh well. There will be another day for that.

I am going to be famous!

2005-06-05T07:04:00.000-07:00

In a few short minutes Missy will be here to pick me up to go to Grand Ave. to participate in FM 107's Undiscovered Diva contest in which you interview with celebrity judges (the talk show hosts) for your very own radio show on Sunday's! At 4 PM yesterday I heard that there was already a line forming so I don't know how long we'll have to wait to get our fifteen minutes but I am sure that we'll knock their socks off. We'll hear about the next round by June 13th and there are few more rounds of interviews to whittle it down to the individual or group (as it is in our case) that gets their own show.

We haven't quite decided what we'll talk about during the interview but we have a few ideas tucked away that we are ready to pull out. I am so excited! I listen to their station enough, I should get something out of it besides all the things that I've won by being the 7th caller: Keri Noble CD, Dukes of Hazzard Season 2, Howard Dean tickets (wasn't able to go), Tanglefoot CD (I don't recommend it) and a four pack of tickets to a Saints Game last summer.

Enough Already!-d

2005-06-03T14:28:00.000-07:00

I've gotten a lot of heat from a lot of people lately about not posting! Well, only 3 people. But when they are all family members it sees as if it is a lot.

Tomorrow is a big day in my running career. It is my first half marathon and it will be the longest I've run at one time. I'm hoping to do it with my brother-in-law, but he hurt his foot on Monday, so if he runs it and finishes I'll be like Jack Buck proclaiming "I don't believe what I just saw!" in the 1988 world series.

I was unable to get on a softball team this year, so I substituted it with another bowling league where you get Pizza and pop every week, then you also get 100 free games at the end if you make every week. Heck of a deal. So I am in 2 leagues (Tuesday-160 average which will drop after last week, and Thursday-162 average which will go up after last week). Tuesday with Joe and Thursday with Ballz Deep. Last night was the best night ever. Mark subbed for one of the guys and did awesome! 257, 253 and 210. He tied the league high series for the year. Not only did he bowl well, John (bad foot and all) bowled a 630 series, I bowled a 592 series and Greg had a 497! Do you even need to ask if we won all 3 games and total?! Next week will be the big week. We are in 1st with a record of 39-6, and we bowl the 2nd place team who we are 5 points ahead. There are 9 points available for each week (2 per game and 3 for total pins) We bowl them next week with only 2 weeks after next. We will defend our title!

I know what you're all saying. BORING!! But hey, this is what is going on in my life! I haven't even gotten into fantasy baseball yet, where John and I are 8-9 after a big win this past game. Only a couple games out of the playoff hunt, but still over 3/5 of the season to go. I'll save that for another day.

Home on a Friday

2005-06-03T11:37:00.000-07:00

Because of the Summer Hours policy at work I was released today at 11:30 which allowed me to enjoy a leisurely meal with my mom back here in E-town. Now I am home, the weather is warm but very overcast and I am seriously considering taking a nap. Not to worry, I'll get my exercise in later this afternoon at BodyPump but that isn't until 5 PM so I've got a good 3 hours of time to kill. I think that I'll continue reading Fast Food Nation which is good so far (37 pages read), that's sure to put me to sleep, no offense Mr. Schloesser it always happens when I read. Of course I won't be watching TV although I was tempted to do so last night when I got home from my walk. It was force of habit that I sat down in the recliner and reached for the remote . . . but I caught myself before anything terrible happened. I can proudly say that I have still been true to my word!

Day One

2005-06-01T18:20:00.000-07:00

As promised I stopped watching TV today. Here's a summary of all the things that I got done while I wasn't watching the boob tube. While I was making dinner I listened to my favorite talk radio station which was relaxing. Dan woke up from his nap in time to eat and after cleaning up we decided to go to the library where I had some books to return as well as one to pick up for my next book club meeting. From there we went to the Mall so that I could return a pair of pants and pick up my watch which had a dead battery. On our way back home I got some gasoline, got the car washed and even stopped at the local pharmacist for some nutritional supplements. That brings me to this moment, where I have the pleasure of writing to my vast audience of readers. I am so happy that I've gotten so much done this evening. If this is the way that the entire month is going to go then I might just continue this experiment long term! The only compromise I made today was that I had Dan tape Oprah for me, I'll have a marathon Oprah-cryfest at the end of the month, want to join me?

Here's the Deal

2005-05-29T20:41:00.000-07:00

I've decided that I watch entirely too much television when I could be doing more constructive things. So, for the month of June I will not watch any TV. The only thing that I will allow myself to watch on the ole boob tube is movies that we've rented. There are many other things that I hope to get done during this time, including some painting projects in the living room/dining area, we have landscaping to do out front and I always have books to read for one book club or another. This will be a good test of my willpower because it's just so easy to get home from work and plop myself down in front of the TV and watch Oprah which then becomes the news or some syndicated sitcom and I don't need to watch any of it.

Writing it on this blog means that I am accountable to the few people who read it.

Finally, The Weekend is Here!

2005-05-28T06:36:00.000-07:00

It was a tough week at work! It was like compressing an entire month worth of work into five short days and it was all due to the fact that it is the end of the fiscal year. I've never been in a job where it effected me so much but in this job it most certainly does. I have all sorts of financial and volume goals to meet and there is inevitably a last minute train wreck that needs to be fixed. It's because of all these things that I am happy that the weekend is here and not just any weekend but a THREE day weekend. We don't have much planned, the weather isn't supposed to be phenomenal or even sunny but I am happy to have a little time to myself to decompress. Is it really almost June?!

Money Woes

2005-05-26T16:28:00.000-07:00

It's hard for me to believe that a two-income earning, no children, modest living couple can struggle to make ends meet sometimes. Recently, while we were on vacation we overdrew on our bank account. It's the first time that it has EVER happened to us so we were understandably shaken and angry at our predicament. We had become used to living in a very inexpensive apartment which afforded us lots of disposable income and the chance to build our bank account. Things have changed since we moved into our house. I thank God for the fact that we live in a structurally sound, well-conditioned home and don't have to deal with leaky roofs or plumbing problems because if that were so, where would we be?

I think that our state is indicative of a larger problem here in Minnesota and possibly across the country with affordable housing. More than that though I want to think that someday our situation will allow one of us to go part-time in order to give our family the attention that it deserves. We'll never be stinking rich, that's for sure but the worry wart in me would like a little break now and then.

Saying Goodbye is Hard to Do!

2005-05-24T13:07:00.000-07:00

Susan was in town over the weekend for a whirlwind visit which included shopping at the Mall, a birthday dinner, a bachelorette/shower for her friend and several other visits and calls to friends. One thing is for sure, she's busy! It was hard to keep up with her in just the two and a half days that she was here, but I sure had fun trying.

On Sunday night after we ate her requested meal of goulash, mashed potatoes with a dessert of pretzel jell-o (what a Midwestern meal!) we hugged good bye without any tears. I'll save the tears for her next visit which is just a few weeks from now when she and Brad will be in town for a full two weeks! That visit is sure to include lots of running around (especially with three weddings) and fatigue but I am prepared to take a few days off of work to spend some time with her. Now I know what it was like for her while I was away in New Orleans.

Saturday night and nothing to do.

2005-05-21T14:43:00.000-07:00

We've never been the most gregarious couple, that's no secret. Many a night have been spent in each other's company watching a movie, taking a walk or visiting with family. But with the recent monsoon's that have blown through town I have been hit with a wave of cabin fever and have been looking for something to do. Nothing seems good enough and neither of us seem to have the energy to call others for their involvement or ideas. I have the distinct feeling that after going back and forth we will end up spending the rest of the evening in the house where we will reheat some leftovers and slip in a DVD that one or both of us will fall asleep during. Is this your idea of domestic bliss or just a case of a lazy couple?

All Alone

2005-05-18T18:51:00.000-07:00

Is there any reason for me to add RG to the back end of my titles anymore? Everyone is aware that Dan never blogs anymore. Should I consider renaming the blog or do we continue to be opposites by the mere fact that one of us is a fairly regular blogger while the other never finds a reason for written word?

I will not add my initials any more and leave it up to my educated and insightful readers to decipher the author. Maybe I'll write a post on the baseball season and try to trick you all, or maybe I'll get Dan back into the swing of things by offering him gifts, you'll never know!

Bookclub!

2005-05-16T13:01:00.000-07:00

Since I received several questions (two) on book club I decided that it would be a great idea for a blog entry! We read and discussed "Flowers for Algernon" by Daniel Keyes which is the first hand account of a mentally handicapped man who is chosen to be the first human patient to undergo a procedure which allows him unbounded intelligence. The book was written in the late 50's but it has a lot of issues that are still prevalent today.

A new/old person joined the group last night, which was a lot of fun. As usual we spent about half the time discussing the book and then the other half discussing current issues, television and recent movies we've seen. All the while we were upstairs my other half was downstairs watching the finale of Survivor, all three hours of it!

Book club was a time consuming event for me this weekend. On Saturday I prepared the brownies, on Sunday morning I made the bread and about an hour and a half before the meeting I made the baked ziti. I feel like I spent the whole weekend cooking but it was fun to work so hard to prepare something that people enjoyed so much.

I haven't heard of what we'll be reading next but I have started to read the book for my other book club, "The Bitch in The House" which is a collection of twenty-six eclectic women who share their views on children, sex, marriage and careers. I am enjoying the book so far after reading four of the stories so I am looking forward to finishing it up.

Long Days, Busy Nights - RG

2005-05-14T05:06:00.000-07:00

It's difficult to decide what to post on so instead of seriously considering it I avoid blogging altogether only to feel guilty later that I'm not giving my readers something new each and every day. I can't promise that I'll post every day or that my posts will be inspiring but I am turning over a new leaf and I will try to blog more often.

This past week we started "Summer Hours" at work. It's a program that allows you to take a half day on Friday if you work an additional 45 minutes Monday - Thursday, that's sounds easy enough! It's actually very difficult! Monday-Thursday was like running a never ending marathon. Just the idea that you have to stay until a certain time creates a time warp and the day lasts forevere. I don't feel like I got any additional work done any of those days that I wouldn't have accomplished in a normal eight hour day. I got to Friday though and as soon as that clock hit 11:30 I was out the door. Since it was neither sunny nor warm here I locked myself in the house and cleaned all afternoon in preparation for bookclub Sunday night.

We're back! - RG

2005-05-06T05:41:00.000-07:00

After sailing through lots of big waves and some near hurricane force winds we made it to lovely Costa Maya, Mexico where we took a dip in the salt water pool and laid in the sun to soak in the rays. I had on my sunblock but managed to get a funky burn on the inside of my right arm (unevenly applied sunscreen). The next day we pulled into Cozumel where we signed up for the "Beach Buggy and Snorkeling" excursion. We had a BLAST! Snorkeling was wonderful, we zoomed around the island in a beach buggy and enjoyed an authentic Mexican lunch on the beach. The weather on the way back was cloudy with intermittent rain. So, the weather wasn't all that great but we enjoyed ourselves none the less.

I don't know how to upload the pictures so I will leave that until later when Dan is awake and able to help me. The only leftover effect of the cruise is that I still feel like I am on the water, swaying back and forth, hope that goes away soon.

Ah, could I get that in triplicate? - RG

2005-04-27T15:25:00.000-07:00

FINALLY! After speaking with the travel agent so often that I knew the names of all her family members we received out cruise documents. We didn't receive just one copy but THREE. So I guess that Carnival wasn't lying when they said that they were on their way but I wonder if they used the Pony Express to get them to us in a hurry.

Because we're so close to the departure date we aren't able to sign up for any of the on shore excursions. We really have our hearts set on snorkeling so I hope that it's still available when we climb aboard the ship.

If you can't tell, I am really excited about my first vacation alone with my husband since our honeymoon (nearly three years ago!).

I was wrong - RG

2005-04-24T10:26:00.000-07:00

And Dan was right, we should have delayed taking the plastic sheeting off of the windows. But how could I have known that the weather would revert back to autumn so quickly. It looks like we got our brief look at summer and now it's gone. For goodness sakes, it's snowing so bad in Detroit, Michigan that they've called off the Twins/Tigers game the last two days! It'll only reach the upper 50's this week with rain Monday - Wednesday. As much as I long for the warmer weather I do hope that it hangs on for the next two weeks to allow us to enjoy our time away in the Gulf!

You can't go back - RG

2005-04-23T08:03:00.000-07:00

I had the pleasure of attending the inauguration of the new President of the College of St. Benedict, my alma mater. As a class representative for the class of 2001 I even got to walk in the processional in robe, cap and hood amongst the President's and delegates from other colleges and the professors who taught me in my years at CSB/SJU.

It was a really special ceremony and I was filled with a longing to return to the comparitively carefree days of college. It would be so wonderful to just have a campus job and some homework to worry about instead of a mortgage and loan payments to make. You can't go back, can you?

The current students look at you and long to be in your place and you stare back with the same longing to be in their place. It's difficult to appreciate the place that you're in while you're in it. What I do appreciate is a college that still welcomes you back with open arms and makes you feel like you're home again. Thanks CSB for everything!

Telephone Sales - RG

2005-04-19T16:54:00.000-07:00

I thought that we were on Minnesota's "Do Not Call List" but apparently one got through because last night I received a call from Ritzy Clean that went a little something like this:

Sales Lady (SL): Ma'am, I'd like to offer you a complimentary deep carpet cleaning for any room in your house.
Me: Our carpet is brand new and doesn't need to be cleaned
SL: Well, in that case you can exchange it for an upholstery cleaning, are you interested?
Me: No, thank you.
SL: May I ask why, this is a totally free offer after all.
Me: No, I don't wish to take advantage of the offer.
SL: Ok, thank you for your time.

I'm just too nice to the tele-sales people, probably because if I were in their shoes I would want people to treat me like a human being as well. People have told me stories about how they've led the tele-sales people on to believe that they would buy their new gadget or participate in their study only to shut the door at the last minute. If they keep bothering me in the evening when I am trying to relax I might become one of those people.

The effect of temperature on the workplace - RG

2005-04-18T15:51:00.000-07:00

Today the temperature reached a balmy 80 degrees, pretty unheard of this early in spring, but we'll take it. It reminds me of some of the more temperate days in the Big Easy, but I digress.

So, people in my building were having a hard enough time concentrating in their gray-walled cubes so when the computer system went down right about lunch time there was a mass exodus for the door. Even I took advantage of the outage and went on a walk to the main campus where I picked up some cereal for Dan from the company store.

It makes me believe that the company knew exactly what it was doing when it instituted "summer hours" where you put in an extra 45 minutes Monday through Thursday and the pay off comes on Friday when you get the afternoon off. I suppose that people are willing to put in some extra time from day to day if they see the light at the end of the tunnel.

Inappropriate - RG

2005-04-14T14:47:00.000-07:00

This morning on my way to work I drove up next to a semi-truck with the words, "Bob Johnson's Lubricants" and it caught me as funny. I am not going to explain why, I'll leave that up to your individual imagininations. Does anyone else have any signs or logos that they've seen that have brought a smile to their faces? If so, please post a comment below.

Can't do it! - RG

2005-04-12T16:15:00.000-07:00

I've recently become interested in Step Aerobics which has been excellent for my cardiovascular health but not so good for my ego. I think that I once took it as a gym credit in high school and I don't remember being bad at it then but I must have lost something in the meantime because I am not so good at it now.

There is always at least one really complicated move in the series that no matter how hard I concentrate I can't seem to get. I try my best to do a move that looks similar to what the instructor is doing just in case anyone else is looking at me.

Then there's the few moments in the class where everyone else moves on to a different exercise and I am left all alone doing the wrong move. That's the best time to go for a drink of water, to make it appear that you meant to be left behind because you were on your way to get a drink anyway. I am going to keep at it though because the forty-five minutes that I spend in that class always go so quickly and afterwards I feel fatigued. I'll just hope that something will "click" for me and I'll be able to follow along without missing a step.

BBQ - RG

2005-04-11T15:45:00.000-07:00

I learned yesterday that I am not a grilling diva. I prepared chicken kabobs for dinner last night with mom and dad. It isn't usually my duty to grill but the Master's Tournament was coming to a thrilling finale so I was put in charge of the kabobs, never again. I cooked them for what seemed like a really long time, certainly long enough to cook little hunks of chicken, but apparently not because when we got to the table mom and Dan discovered several underdone chunks of meat.

So much for an enjoyable, salmonella-free dinner! I haven't talked to mom and dad so far today but Dan and I haven't suffered any repercussions from the chicken. It was organic, free-range chicken so we'll probably be just fine.

Baby Shower Fun! - RG

2005-04-10T05:19:00.000-07:00

Well, it's happened, one of my friends is having a baby. Not terribly remarkable all by itself but she is the first out of both my high school and college friends to take the plunge. You thought we might be first?! So did we, but we're working on it!

Anyway, yesterday we went to a couple's baby shower. Now, I've been to plenty of baby showers but never one where the husbands were invited. To keep everyone entertained we played two shower games:

1. In the first game you take an assortment of candy bars, melt them individually in the microwave and then dump them into separate diapers so that they look like poopy diapers. Everyone examines each diaper to figure out its content. We were encouraged to sniff and taste. I am proud to say that I tied with one other person at that game.

2. In the second game we were all given baby bottles with cherry kool-aid in them and whoever sucked the whole thing down fast enough won the game. We quickly figured out that those babies work hard to get the milk out of the bottle and the game was revised to only a small portion of the kool-aid had to be sucked down. I also won that game but didn't claim the prize.

It was really awesome to see Tami enjoying her pregnancy so much, made my heart yearn all the more for our own little bundle in the near future!

You snooze, you lose--dg

2005-04-09T09:44:00.000-07:00

And when I say you, I mean you! The lucky person reading this post. I have a free iTune for anybody interested. It expires in 2 days, so don't snooze.

6XIRB
TTJT?

What letter/number is the ?? Well, let me know who is reading and I will email you the last characther.

One Hurt Unit - RG

2005-04-09T09:01:00.000-07:00

I tried to post this the other day but blogger was hurty too!

I woke up this morning with a knee that wouldn’t bend and a back that hurt like heck. What did I do during the night to deserve such agony when I woke up? I was hoping that the pain would subside in time for me to attend my belly dancing class this afternoon, but no luck it continues to hurt when I do things like: turn, bend, sit, reach, stand and walk. The knee problems aren’t new but coupled with the back pain it’s a sight to see me walk.

I suppose that I should rest this evening but Dan just suggested a bike ride in the beautiful weather, how can I refuse?

Catching Up! - RG

2005-04-06T18:26:00.000-07:00

I haven't blogged lately because I've been living it up in the wonderful weather that we've been enjoying here in MN. On Sunday, Dan and I biked the 5 miles to mom and dad's and the hills taught me who's boss. That evening we dined at a local restaurant where we requested a table on the patio in order to enjoy the last few scraps of sunlight for the day. It's been a little brisk since then but we've been able to get out for a walk or just simply enjoy walking outside in short sleeves.

Yet there are two things in our house that remind me that winter wasn't so long ago: shrink wrap on our windows to keep the cold out and stakes that Dan drove into the group on the perimeter of our yard to keep people from driving on/plowing over the grass. I've talked to Dan about removing both the wrap and the posts but his cautious instincts refuse to let him say yes. So, every night when I go to bed I have the urge to rip the plastic down from the windows so that I can let a little fresh air in. You know, there's a night coming up that he'll be away, maybe I'll get a little housework done during that time!

Some of my favorite people-dg

2005-04-02T10:44:00.000-08:00

I may not know them, but right now I really like them. Who are they? Jason Stark, Peter Gammons, Jerry Crasnick and Buster Ohlney. Why do I like them so much? They have all picked the Twins to win the World Series! I also like Jim Caple and Eric Karabell, but to a lesser extent. They have them going to the World Series but losing to the Cardinals (JC) and the Braves (BK).

Who do I not like? Rob Neyer, Pedro Gomez and Scott Ridge. They don't even have the Twins winning the division!

Check out all of the predictions. My opposite is home! Yea!!

Hit the Ground Runnin'--dg

2005-04-02T09:28:00.000-08:00

This morning was my 2nd running of the Bunker Hills 8K Run (4.97 miles). Yes, I had to drive over 30 miles to get there, but it was worth it for the shirt. These aren't some cheap, see through shirts with an abundant amount of logos from all the sponsors. No! They are sweet long sleeve, mock turtlenecks with a small logo on the left side. Gotta love it.

Last year I ran it in 40 minutes and 28 seconds, which adds up to be about 8 minute and 8 second miles. That was the fastest I had ever run for a long period of time at that point. All I wanted to do was improve by 29 seconds so I could be under the 40 minute mark. I started off with a bang by running the first mile in 7 min, 15 seconds. Mile two was a little tougher, 7 min 42 seconds. Mile three is where I started to not like running, 8 min 1 second. Then the road got flat! Mile 4 was 7 min 44 sec. The last .97 mile was 7 min 16 sec. This was probably due that for the last half mile I was listening to "The theme from Rocky" and yelling "YO ADRIAN!" the entire time. All added up, 37 min 58 seconds! Woohoo! 7 minute, 38 second miles. By far my best official run!

Now it is time to enjoy the rest of the weekend with my beautiful opposite in this beautiful weather! 56 today, 65 tomorrow.

Amazing Women! - RG

2005-03-31T16:36:00.000-08:00

I am constantly reminded of what a difference a strong and vibrant woman can make in this world. Right now I am writing an article on Sarah Mechtenberg, a CSB grad who has made it her mission to change the world. She's currently in Bolivia working at a University where she organizes a food co-op program for disadvantaged children in the area. BOLIVIA! The place and experience seem a million light years away from my day-to-day reality.

Something about the atmosphere at CSB seems to instill a sense of service in its students. I know at least a dozen women just like Sarah who are actually taking the steps, in both big and small ways, to make a difference in the world. It is a good reminder to me of what I could be doing. It's a blessing to be acquainted to these women who do so much (and without much attention or accolades).

So, I'll turn this into a public service announcement and offer you (for those in the Twin Cities) a website to check and see if you can make a difference.

Easter Time - RG

2005-03-28T15:08:00.000-08:00

Without my parents home we decided to attend mass with Dan's family. I kept trying to cross myself and add lines and words to both the Apostles' Creed and the Our Father, both dead giveaways that your out of place in a Lutheran church. Besides those blunders I really enjoyed the sermon given by the Pastor. His major theme was that each Easter should be more special than the last. That's a tall order in the apathetic world we live in but I kept thinking about that point all day long as we floated through the obligatory food banquet, card playing and catching up that holidays inevitably bring. I don't pretend do be a devout Catholic but I've always found a special joy in the holidays, which bring families together for more than just food.

There were lots of special moments in yesterday:
- Attending church service with my in-laws
- Talking with Madeline (the four year old) while I cut vegetables
- Listening as Grandpa Don lead prayer before dinner
- Watching Kelly and Kevin's wedding video
- Talking with my mom, dad and Susan on the phone
- Walking with my mother-in-law in the beautiful spring weather
- Cuddling with my husband

Belly Dancing Guru - RG

2005-03-26T17:59:00.000-08:00

It looks like I have to catch up to me better half who seems to be on a blogging hotstreak. This evening we dined at Mediterranean Cruise Cafe here in Eagan with a couple from work. Meg and I have been taking a belly dancing class and thought that it would be both informational and fun to see it performed live by a professional, not to mention that the food was phenomenal!

Earlier this week Mom and I took short jaunt up to Duluth for a romantic evening at a Bed and Breakfast. She had the winning bid on a gift certificate at a silent auction and it had be used before the end of the month and on a non-weekend day. We got the chance to dine at Blackwoods Grill that evening, relax in the comfort of our room and the next morning we enjoyed an overwhelmingly large breakfast of Canadian bacon and Brie quiche, sliced fruit with granola and fresh baked muffins and breads. This was my second stay at a bed and breakfast and I must admit that I am a big fan of the service and homey feeling that you get.

Tomorrow is Easter and with Susan, Mom and Dad in Las Vegas (can you find the risen savior in a slot machine?) we are looking forward to spending the day with Dan's family.

What the hay?--dg

2005-03-26T12:49:00.000-08:00

What the heck is going on here?! After not posting for God knows how long, I now have a 2-post winning streak!

Today is uber nice! There hasn't been a cloud in the sky as long as i've been awake (8am) and it is quite warm. Accroding to weather.com, it is 50 degrees right now. Only 10 degrees cooler than all of those in Vegas right now.

Taking advantage of the weather, I went for my 10 mile run that was postponed from Thursday after a blister-riffic game of basketball on Wednesday. It was officially 10.3 miles and I ran it in an unofficial time of 1 hour and 35 minutes. That puts me at a 9 minute, 13 second mile which would put me at a 2 hour, 47 minute half marathon. (Speaking of that, my running buddy is opting out of the Earth Day run in a couple weeks since he was sick for quite some time a few weeks ago and has not been able to fully recover in the running department.) After taking the coldest bath of my life, I continued on to bowl three games with my brother. The highlite of the session was bowling a 202 after a crappy 1-something, and beating Mark who only bowled a lousy 200! I averaged a 155 for the day, he averaged a 206. But i still beat him!

D Gizzle back in the Hizzle--dg

2005-03-23T18:41:00.000-08:00

Lots has been going on in the past month, but most of it isn't really blogger material. I've been running at a semi-regular clip, but I mistakenly played basketball today in bad shoes, so now I have two big blisters on my feet! There goes my 10 mile run for tomorrow. Maybe I'll reschedule that for Saturday instead.

My fantasy baseball draft is coming up on Monday night. John and I are joining forces. Team Spank is going to dominate in only its first year of existence. We inherited a team from a cheating commishoner and we had 8 of our players replaced by others since the team was so good. We had 40 players, we cut 22 to get down to 18, and on Monday we will draft 22 new players to obtain our 40 man roster.

Ever wonder what it would be like if Snoop Dogg had a blog? Of if he wrote designed a website? To find out, just type in any website to the Shizzolator! Reading others' blogs in the words of snoop can be pretty entertaining.