Hard To Handle

"I make mistakes, I am out of control and at times hard to handle. But if you can't handle me at my worst, then you sure as hell don't deserve me at my best." Marilyn Monroe

I never thought I had a lot in common with Marilyn Monroe, but I saw this quote last week and I can relate to it! There are a lot of pretenses and 'game faces' in dating, work relationships, family interactions, friends, etc......but there's something wonderful about just being yourself and letting other people take it or leave it. If they stick around, then they are people you want in your life. If they don't then they weren't a good match for you - no matter what the type of relationship.

Now, obviously, we all have to behave in a mature, professional way at work....and we have to keep some things to ourselves when talking with our parents or grandparents.....but for the most part, we all have distinct personalities, likes, dislikes, quirks, flaws and unique qualities.

I find it very annoying when people are fake, or pretend to be something they are not - just because it's what they think you want to see or hear. UGH. ICK. Be whatever you are and say whatever you really think! Be YOU!

I, for one, am logical and serious, but I'm also emotional and dorky. I'm a thinker and a history buff. I love red and pickles. I worry and care too much. I preoccupy about things I cannot prevent or change. I love wiener dogs and taking pictures of everything. ALL WEIRD. But it's me and if you don't like it, well so be it! Here's to being our AUTHENTIC selves!

I hope I'm THIS lady when I'm older - crazy and NOT CARING about it!

Thankful Thursday - Pilot Episode

One of my goals for 2010 is to live a more GRATEFUL life - concentrating on the wonderful gifts and blessings in my life, rather than the things I do not like or would rather not endure. So to keep me on track with this goal, and to make this train of thought more of a regular pattern of the mind, I am going to dedicate Thursdays on my blog to "Thankful Thursdays."

I will be using every Thursday's post as an opportunity to ponder the things I am thankful for that week. They can be big or small, monumental or trivial - whatever I feel grateful for at the moment.

So here goes - the inaugural post of "Thankful Thursdays"!

1. MY DOG - I know, I am probably seen as neurotically obsessed with my Maggie, but I don't care what anyone thinks on this subject. She is my buddy and my roommate, she dries tears and shares in my excitement. She dishes out oodles of unconditional love without fail, she's playful, affectionate, loyal and cuddly. There's no substitute for a dog's love at the end of the day.

2. Pineapples - I have recently decided that they are just an amazing food. They are tart, sweet and the flavor is magnificent. I think they are my favorite fruit - so tasty!!

3. Heated car seats - Whoever invented them must've had lower back pain. There's just something about cranking those heated seats up after a long day and letting that warmth insulate my back while I sit through traffic. When I get home, I almost don't even want to get out of the car!

4. A great boss to work for (pic above is my boss in a sweet mullet wig! Not many CFO's will wear a mullet wig ALL DAY and act like a stoner to play the part!) - My boss, Allen, is a great guy to work for and I love that I can go to work on Monday morning and not dread it. He asks for my input and really listens, he is plugged in enough to discuss any aspect of my job and he's up to speed, but he's also not a micro-manager and lets me do my job in peace. He trusts us to make our own schedule and get our work done in a flexible way (working from home occasionally, doctor appts, meeting with plumbers, etc.). I trust him and respect his direction and opinions (except that he's a San Diego Chargers fan, and likes to deface my Vikings decorations!). We are a 4-women team that works directly for him and we are known as "Allen's Angels." I'm very fortunate!

5. Massages - 'nuf said. I got one on Tuesday and they are just fantastic!

Two Boxes

I saw this poem in an email recently and I love it. I'm sure we have all seen something similar to it before, but I feel it's good to remind ourselves periodically. We should be concentrating on our *JOYS* and not our sorrows.

The sorrows serve a purpose and so much learning, growth, opportunities, etc. can come from them, but we shouldn't wallow, preoccupy and obsess over them.

I, for one, plan to concentrate more on JOY this year and less on sorrows!

GOD'S BOXES

I have in my hands two boxes, Which God gave me to hold.

He said, "Put all your sorrows in the black box, And all your joys in the gold."

I heeded His words, and in the two boxes,

Both my joys and sorrows I stored,

But though the gold became heavier each day, The black was as light as before.

With curiosity, I opened the black, I wanted to find out why.

And I saw, in the base of the box, a hole,

Which my sorrows had fallen out by.

I showed the hole to God, and mused, "I wonder where my sorrows could be!"

He smiled a gentle smile and said, "My child, they're all here with me.."

I asked God, why He gave me the boxes, Why the gold and the black with the hole?

"My child, the gold is for you to count your blessings, The black is for you to let go."

I Didn't Forget - x7

Well, another year has passed since my Dad got called home to Heaven. Early this morning marks 7 years since that fateful day (January 26, 2003)....but once again, I choose to remember the man, not the ending. (That first picture is my very favorite one of Dad and I - it's now carved into the memorial box that Chris made for Dad's ashes).

Dad was a very smart, hard-working, quiet guy who had a great sarcastic sense of humor. Some of my friends were even scared of him because they thought he was so serious, but then he would throw out some sarcastic comment and then laugh at this own joke. So funny. He even used to call my Mom a 'kraut' because she's part German.

I remember he used to joke with my aunt and my Mom that men must be the better gender because look at ducks - the males are a pretty green color and the females are boring brown. He would say stuff like this just to get us girls all riled up - HA!

Dad was always very protective of his vehicles and his stuff. If you bumped into something, he would say (sarcastically, of course) - "What, are you driving by FEEL?!" He expected excellence from us and we rose to the occasion. He was a good provider and made many sacrifices for us.

He was the kind of Dad who could fix, build, modify, or solve any problem. He taught me how to mow the grass, he let me drive his beloved Suburban in a campground once (it shocked me!), and he would let us take the wheel on the boat and helped us steer.

He built his own utility trailer and then moved me to college in it. He built beautiful shelves in our bedrooms when we were kids - all my stuffed animals and toys sat on those shelves for years. He always maintained his own vehicles - oil changes, brakes, transmissions, spark plugs, tires, you name it. I didn't realize until I was adult that people actually go and PAY somebody ELSE for changing the oil! When I was in college, the transmission died in my car....so Dad hunted down the right used transmission and drove it over to Eau Claire and had it put in my car. I knew I could just count on him to fix things and everything would be OK. I really took that for granted and I wish I hadn't. I didn't realize how great of a gift that was at the time.....

He would fix anything that broke, and even used his own metal cutters to clip wires from my braces that were too long and poking my mouth. I used to see his garage as a Santa's workshop of sorts - magic happened out there. I would hand him something broken and it would come back from the garage fixed. AMAZING!

But I think the thing that I miss the most is his advice. I always knew that Dad would know what to do when anything went wrong. He knew about money, investing, cars, houses, fixing things, electronics, seemingly everything! I always felt safe when Dad was near - like I was insulated from the evil in the world if Dad was home.

I really miss him - I know that I grossly took him for granted when he was alive, as if he would live forever. For any of you reading that still have your Dad in your life, please go hug him and thank him for the great things he has done for you. I wish I could do that now...but I waited too long to realize how great he really was.

The Blame Game

The recent tragedy in Haiti brought up a subject that really bothers me whenever a natural disaster happens in the world.....Why is it that no matter what the U.S. does to help, it's never enough?!

Even though the whole world knows that our country is in a MAJOR financial crisis and we are broke and struggling to keep it together, they STILL criticize our efforts to help other countries when they need us. We are NOT the richest country in the world - look at how much debt we have! We just keep printing money to make ourselves look OK, but that's like saying that you are rich just because you have credit cards that you can charge up.

When ANY natural disaster happens, the U.S. rises to the occasion and immediately sends, money, supplies, food, water, medical ships/planes, relief workers, charities, volunteers, doctors, military assistance, security services and so on. We spend millions and millions and millions of dollars - from government, personal and corporate resources. We are usually the first in and the last to leave......and yet EVERY TIME we are criticized by the U.N. or other countries or OURSELVES because we 'didn't do enough' or 'we didn't get there fast enough' or 'we should be doing more'.

It's always something. Why can't people accept the fact that CRAPPY things happen - very very very CRAPPY things. It's no one's fault that these natural disasters happen and many people are going to get hurt and die, and we just do the best we can to help. Why does there ALWAYS have to be someone to blame?!

Where are all of these other countries that find it very easy to dish out the insults, criticism and opinions?! Where are their soldiers, planes full of supplies, medical personnel and volunteers??? The rest of the world just EXPECTS that the U.S. will handle it and they can just sit there and watch, then stand up and criticize what we did. WHAT?! Where are all of these countries during OUR time of need?! When we have disasters or crises, where's the aid of the world?! Oh, that's right - the U.S. is supposed to solve all of the problems of the world.

While I LOVE Europe, some of those countries have a LOT of nerve. It was the U.S. that rebuilt those countries after WWII, but they forget that. It is ALWAYS the U.S. that comes in to save the day, even when we really CANNOT afford it right now. UGH. It just really annoys me. OK, I'll get off my soapbox now - I feel better having gotten that off my chest!

Signs Everywhere

Last week, I got a couple new additions to my house (no, not another dog.........yet) - some cute new signs that my friend Erin and I ordered online. I love them!

The first one is a cute little rectangle sign that says "He Loves Me. John 3:16" and it matches my red/black theme in the kitchen.

I originally thought I was going to put it in my bedroom, but I think it worked great in the kitchen instead.

The second one is a very cool Texas-themed sign! I just HAD to have it when I saw it online - it's about Texas and it's RED!


I decided to put it in my stairwell - so as you walk downstairs (the lower flight of stairs), you see it right in front of you. It's on the little piece of wall/ceiling - basically the 2nd floor that's exposed as you go down the stairs.

And let me tell ya - that took some fancy footwork to get it up there, since right below that is stairs! I nearly fell off the ladder getting it hung!

It cost her an arm and a....ARM!

This post is NOT for the faint of heart. I was so grossed out when I saw these pictures, but then I was also so intrigued at the same time! Apparently this person went into the pond to get their golf ball and an alligator/crocodile tore their whole arm off! WHAAAAAT?!?!

Here's the now 1-armed person:

And the alligator with the arm in his mouth:

Armless person getting flown to medical care:

Here's the culprit!

This is the most disgusting pic! I guess the alligator ate the arm whole, so they cut the alligator open and pulled the arm out!! AAAGGGHHHH!!!!

Not sure what's in the cooler, but I'm going to go out on a limb and bet it's that severed arm. NASTY!!!

Flying the FRIENDLY skies

I saw this article on the internet this week and thought it was great - things we all should adhere to when flying this spring!

The Ten Commandments of Flying

Air travel would be a lot more civil if passengers took the time to remember that they’re sharing cramped quarters with other human beings. Here’s an etiquette guide to friendlier skies.

By John Rosenthal

Call them the 10 commandments of flying: the passengers bill of responsibilities.

1. De-compartmentalize

That’s an X-ray machine at the security checkpoint, not a cashier totaling up the value of your belongings. There’s no reason to put your coins and keys in one plastic bin, your laptop in another and your coat in a third. (And, now that the TSA has issued new rules, please don’t put your shoes in a bin at all.) All this does is clog up the line, as passengers behind you have to wait for you to clear all of your bins from the far end of the belt. And the TSA agent who wheels the bins back to their starting place has to halt the procession through the metal detector three times as often.

Instead, put your metal objects inside your carry-on bag, and use a single bin unless you have a laptop, which requires its own. That way, the X-ray machine can scan all of your belongings at once, and we’ll all get through the screening process a whole lot faster.

2. Hurry up and wait

I never understand the great rush for everyone to get on board the airplane. You’re going to be sitting in that seat for several hours; do you really need an extra 12 minutes? Sit on the plane, sit in the lounge: What’s the difference?

Yet everyone pushes to be among the first onboard, as though there’s some prize to be awarded at the end of the jetway. Not so: Your reward is the same line of passengers, 25 feet closer to the aircraft, still standing and waiting for that one person in row 9 who’s holding up the entire queue by blocking the aisle.

Wait until your group is called. It makes the entire boarding process faster and less stressful for everyone.

3. Go solo

All of the major U.S. airlines limit carry-on baggage to one piece of hand luggage and one personal item, which they usually define as a purse, briefcase or laptop. That does not mean you get to carry all of the above plus a shopping bag, a sweater, your buckwheat-filled neck pillow and a water bottle that doesn’t fit in any of the aforementioned cases. One means one. And don’t get cute by stuffing your valise into the overhead bin in row 7 before proceeding to your seat in row 26. Check it or leave it at home.

4. A carry-on is a carry-on only if you can carry it on

The corollary to the last rule is that you should actually be able to carry your luggage down the aisle without smashing it into other passengers’ heads, and unless you’re elderly or disabled, you should be able to lift it into the overhead bin with ease. If it’s too big or too heavy to fit in the overhead bin without forcing it, your bag is not a carry-on.

This problem is only going to get worse as more airlines charge a fee to check your suitcases. To that I say: Consider yourself lucky. Even with these fees, airfares are still significantly lower than they were just a year ago. Charging for checked baggage merely redistributes the appropriate costs to those who use the most space on the plane.

5. De-leverage

This is my single biggest pet peeve. When you’re getting up out of your seat, please don’t pull back on the seat in front of you for leverage. In case you haven’t noticed, that seat isn’t strong enough to hold your weight without bending. If there’s a person in that seat, you’re giving her an unexpected wild ride. To get out of your seat, use the armrests on your own seat to push yourself up.

6. Look back

The debate over whether it’s polite to recline your seat rages on, with both sides advancing valid arguments. One thing everyone can agree on, however, is that if you’re going to recline, at least take a glance backward so the person behind you doesn’t end up with a laptop to the gut or coffee spilled all over his pants.

7. Not so loud

What’s that incessant noise bleeding out of your headphones? Your fellow passengers may not care what it’s doing to your hearing, but they do care when the volume is so loud that they can sing along across the aisle. The whole purpose of headphones is to keep your music, your podcasts or your Rosetta Stone Italian lessons from bothering other people. Remember that.

8. Surf politely

Internet access on airplanes is no longer a fantasy. It’s already available on select flights; some airlines have pledged to offer Wi-Fi on all their flights by midsummer. How widely carriers extend this service will partly depend on whether passengers abuse the privilege.

We’ll all dread flying a whole lot less if we’re able to check the score of the game, send and receive e-mail or update our status on our favorite social networking sites (“Ohmigod, can you believe it? I’m Twittering FROM THE PLANE!”). But the minute people start using mile-high Wi-Fi to stare at porn or watch videos with the sound on, the airlines are sure to pull the plug. And forget about using the Web to make phone calls; nothing will kill Internet access on planes faster than a bunch of people yammering on their phones for the entire flight.

9. Clean up after yourself

Nobody wants your empty coffee cup in their seatback pocket, or an in-flight magazine with your gum sticking its pages together. Flight attendants constantly come through the cabin collecting trash. Pitch in.

10. On your mark, get set … wait your turn

Passengers used to applaud when pilots made a safe landing. These days, they deliver a standing ovation, leaping out of their seats in a rush to be the first ones off the plane.

We’re all in a hurry; we all have tight connections. But that doesn’t give anyone license to hurdle past old ladies or whack people’s knees with their rolling suitcase. The etiquette is simple: Exit by rows. The first row of passengers gets off first, followed by the second row and so on.

Odds are you’re going to have to wait for your luggage at baggage claim, anyway. If you’re in that much of a hurry, there’s a way to make sure you’re in the first three rows of the plane: Pay for a business-class seat.

Pretty Binkie!

Well, last week I received a freaking awesome late Christmas present from my sister - a handmade quilt! It is HUGE and I know it took a lot of time and work to get it done - she did a fantastic job!

Maggie was pretty excited about it too - she loves blankets/quilts/anything to cover up with - the dog's always wanting to snuggle somewhere....

The colors are very bright and I love that. My master bedroom is green, so I might even put it on my bed in the summer months when I don't need my big comforter. It will look fabulous!

Here's Maggie 'shaking' on the new quilt...

She definitely approves of our new blankie.

I just love quilts - and we wore out the last quilt that Kristi made for us. Maggie accidentally chewed a few holes in it during the puppy years (trying to get at a toy that was on the other side of the quilt...instead of going under the blanket to get it, she thought she would just chew THROUGH the quilt).

She did such a nice job and I'm sure we'll be cuddling in it all the time. Maggie sniffed every single inch of the quilt, so I think she smells her 'cousin' Alice (Kristi's italian greyhound). :)

Maggie, playing with her toys on the quilt - not even 10 minutes after I laid it on the floor!

And the inaugural nap in the quilt!

Thanks, Kristi - we love it and will take good care of it!

Stressful Situations!

I saw this quote recently and I thought it was too funny not to share. And it's definitely good advice, don't ya think??

Handle every stressful situation like a dog does…Pee on it and walk away.

Imagine if whenever we had a very stressful moment, we could just act like a dog: relieve the stress, walk away and never think about that subject again.

How cool would that be?! Issues at work, kids acting up, bills to pay, fights with your spouse, rude drivers, whatever the problem - just relieve and walk away (I just instantly thought of Rex Kwon Do from Napoleon Dynamite - "Break the wrist, walk away." - Love it!)


I truly do envy dogs' ability to just let things go and move on. Why can't it be that easy for me??

Big Dreams

I have always wondered what it really meant when people say "God spoke to me" or "God told me to do XYZ." I mean, did He really TELL you that, or was it your gut feeling or was it a lightning bolt or a dream?

Well, the other night I feel like I had it happen to me. I was just going to bed and was in my silent, dark bedroom...just waiting to fall into unconsciousness. Then all of a sudden, behind my closed eyes, I saw a bright flash of light (I was in a pitch black room) and just felt the exact words "I MADE YOU FOR MORE THAN THIS."

WOW - it was not wishy-washy, it was not fuzzy, it was not ambiguous.....it was CRYSTAL CLEAR and the message was precise and direct.

OK, hearing that was the easy part. The hard part is figuring out what it means for my life! It's true, I have finally become comfortable where I have no big traumas, heartbreaks, longings or discontentments in my life. I am plugging along, doing just fine, but not really stretching myself too much.

Now I have been given a challenge of sorts! I have no idea what I am supposed to do with this knowledge and direction! But I know that there are signs everywhere, so in 2010, I am officially looking for a way to experience, do, impact, and challenge myself "MORE THAN THIS."

Anyone else have an experience like this???

Demo Skillz

Ever since I bought my house, one of the things I STRONGLY disliked was my master bathroom shower. It was brass, the caulking was crappy, the tiles were kind of damaged on the bottom of the wall, etc. I just pretty much hated it.

Well, recently, the tiles on the bottom have really started to get bad, so I decided to finally remove the shower and get a brand new one!

Here's the "before" shot (you really can't see any damage in the pic):

And since I am dating a fabulous guy, he offered to do the demo work and take the old yucky shower out for me! Here he is looking tough in his toolbelt.....

And here are pics of the demo progression throughout the day on Saturday.....

2 walls down......

Chris getting wacky.....

Now for the tile walls.....you can see the water damage on the drywall....

We're gettin' there - and Maggie tried to help, but once again, her lack of opposable thumbs posed a problem.....

What hot safety glasses!

Those tiles were a pain in the rear for Chris, but he kept plugging away.....

Making progress....

Still in a good mood - impressive!

Maggie realized she couldn't help with the demo, so she took a nap on my bed right next to the bathroom - I have NO IDEA how she managed to sleep through the loudness of chipping tiles off the wall and having them fall to the floor!

Getting down to the studs - almost there!

Ready for the plumber to show up and put the new one in! Chris knows how to put the new shower in, but I'm going to have a licensed plumber put the new one in so that I don't void the warranty on the new shower. Also, then the work is insured - so I'm covered for labor and the shower. So Chris did the dirty work so that I would save a ton of money on labor. What a great guy!

My new shower, which we already bought, is a neo-angle shower, and here's the base! I'm really excited! Now I just need to get estimates from a few plumbers and get the new one in. It will be sometime in the next week or two. Luckily I shower at the gym on weekdays and then I have another full bathroom to shower in, so there's no rush (except that there is a HUGE box with a shower in it - sitting in my living room and it's going to drive me nuts!

I'll post "after" pics when I get this puppy installed!