Why Cars Suck

Why Cars Suck: An Ode to Suck-dom

by Diane Dugas

You run for a while,
you big shitty pile,
and then
you just break on down.

You were crusing just fine
through so many county lines
why then
did you have to break down?

As soon as I thought I was home free
you, my car, said, "nuh-uh, it's not to be!"
And sputtered to a halt
amid snow, dirt and salt
right there on 35-E. (well, it was 35-W, but that doesn't rhyme with anything)

So I cruised off the road, almost into a ditch,
and called my Uncle Mitch.
Who came
with a gas can for me.

Alas, it wasn't the gas
the engine just wouldn't last
So we called
a tow truck instead.

The car's now in the shop
the bill's going to pop
my eyes
right outta my head.

I picked up a rental
and am trying not to go mental
but my mind
keeps on thinking, "For real?!"

So I am waiting to hear
from my mechanic so dear
who will call
soon to tell me the deal.

In the meantime dear clan
I am without Grand Am
it's a sad, sad, sad
state of affairs.

My thoughts of a spa day
or a trip to somewhere far away
are subsumed now
by the cost of car repairs.

Evan David

Evan David was baptized last Saturday, November 29th, surrounded by family and friends. He was a complete trooper through the entire process, barely even making a face when anointed and vigorously rubbed dry. What a guy!!

Auntie Di and Auntie Amanda were on hand to proudly bear witness.

(We missed you, Auntie Nat!)

It still boggles my mind that one of my best friends is a mom.

Holy scha-moly!!

Adventures on the Western Front

Hello all from Great Falls, Montana!

I made it out here on Saturday, after attending Geb's little boy's baptism (pics and post to follow soon). Our flight didn't leave until 9:15 CST, so we didn't get out here until 11:30 MST. I was a pooped puppy - way past my bedtime!! And, strangely, traveling always makes me tired. I don't get it - I'm just sitting there, right? But sleepiness abounded nonetheless.

We had a full day to "play" when we got here. Sunday found us on our way down the road to Belt, MT, and tiny podunk that boasts its own post office, a few bars, some churches, and not much else. Now, you know I didn't go for church, and the post office isn't open on Sunday. So... you guessed it, bar time!

Linda & I enjoyed the local fare at the Harvest Moon Brewery. Delicious brewed beverages and, I swear, the best darn cheeseburger I've had in a long time!! (Oh, and our waitress was from MN! How random is that?) I tried the Harvest Moon Select, Harvest Moon Pale Beltian, and something called "Charlie Red." All good, baby, all good.

Monday and Tuesday were hard-core studying days, and Wednesday a super-review day. We had a small group (5 counselors & one educator) and really hit the books. The test, supposedly very rigorous, would be set up for Thursday as soon as we got our HUD agency number from our boss back in MN.

We studied charts, tables, definitions, etc. We did word problems to learn practical application of various formulas and terms. We filled in blank spreadsheets with product-specific items. My head ached, but it started to set in. Flashbacks to college abounded.

Lo and behold, the boss back in MN didn't get the HUD agency number to get us registered for the test. So, our educator tried to register Linda and I as employees at his agency. The testing center didn't care, which was good. Linda got the 2:30 slot on Thursday in Helena, MT (the nearest site).

But me - nada. They have no more spots available. Unless I want to stay in Helena, MT another week (no can do).


So. A summary:

1) I took a short Thanksgiving weekend at the last minute to come out here. Did not go to Duluth, did not see immediate family.

2) I took a full week off at TCF to come out here (lost earnings for which I will not get reimbursed).

3) I studied my ass off for the past three days.

4) Now I can't take the test as planned, will have to set it up somewhere else (God knows where) and some other time (again, will likely miss work). And, to top it off, I'll probably have forgotten half of what I crammed in this week.

Not a happy Di. My boss that's here with me, Linda, not a happy Linda. Grrrrrrrr.

Hopefully I'll find a test site near the Twin Cities and a date and time that isn't too inconvenient. Keep your fingers crossed.

Hi-Ho Silver...

I found out late last week that I get to go out West, to Great Falls, Montana, for a week!

Yes, it's for work, so it's not like a vacation, really - but I'm excited nonetheless.

My boss, Linda, and myself are attending training and certification to become certified reverse mortgage counselors. (It's one more notch in the proverbial belt of training I can use in my eventual bid to take over the world.) We leave Saturday, 11/29 and come back Friday, 12/5.

A little info: reverse mortgages are basically loans against your home that you do not have to pay back for as long as you live there. They are typically given to homeowners who are 62 and older, have most or all of their mortgage paid for, and need more than their fixed income to make ends meet each month. People are turning to this option as they see a plateau in their Social Security income, pension, or retirement payouts, while cost of living keeps going up.

There's a lot of studying to be done prior to leaving for the trip...ugh. But we get a full day of "fun" out there on Sunday, to just bum around, before getting into the nitty-gritty. We cram for two days, take the certification exam on the third day, then observe certified counselor the last two days to get the "feel" for it.

I'll let you all know how it goes - and hopefully I'll have some nice scenic pictures to post of Montana. I haven't been there since I was 18, but from what I recall - mountains. Lots of mountains.

Congrats, Geb & Paul!

So my dear friend Geb and her hubby Paul welcomed their son into the world early Thursday morning (just after midnight!). Evan David is a beautiful baby, with a good head of hair and all the important parts. Nestled next to his mommy on the hospital bed, I was just amazed. He's here. He's really here!

Congratulations to Geb and Paul, who have waited and wondered and hoped and prayed for so long. Their little man has arrived!!

Auntie Di gives two thumbs up.

My Story

Many of you know this about me, but recently I have had someone close to me struggling with anxiety, so I wanted to share my story with her...

I’ve been on medication for anxiety for over two years. I’ve always been such a perfectionist, you know, and I think it started a long time ago…I probably should have started seeing someone or taking something when I was your age. But I figured, I’ll tough it out, blah blah blah.
Well, let me tell you how that worked out. My first quarter of college at the U, I was super stressed with classes. I wound up with a 2.9 GPA. Yep, I got a 2.9 (B, B-, B-). Me, little miss 4.0 in high school. I even remember being afraid to tell dad my grades, but he said he was proud of me, that he knew I had done my best, and so what if it wasn’t a 4.0 like it used to be? I still did good!! I kind of believed him then, but it took a while to sink in. In sum,

College is hard, and I wasn’t ready. But I got used to it gradually, and it got better.

I was pressuring myself too much, which actually had a negative effect on my ability to do good work.

By second quarter, because I kept pushing and pushing and didn’t take any time to take care of myself, I ended up back in Duluth – I had to take a quarter off from school b/c I was so anxious and upset and it made me sick. So I had to totally stop everything, get some perspective, and go back in the spring.

Finally, by spring, I realized that I wasn’t going to get a 4.0 in college. And I realized that it was okay. It really was! The people who got those kind of grades…well, they either had no life, or were geniuses. Good for them if they’re geniuses, but I’m not, so…oh well! And, I wanted to have a life, too – studying shouldn’t be everything!

Skip ahead a few years. It’s winter, and uncle Kenny had just died. I came up for the funeral, and then on Sunday came back to the Cities. I was supposed to go to school Monday, but called in sick. Same thing Tuesday. Was I really sick? No, not really. But for some reason, I was petrified to go back. It was weird, and the first time that my anxiety was so bad I missed work. I eventually did go back, but it was tempting to stay home under the covers. What was I afraid of? I don’t know. My friend Heather came over Tuesday night, made sure that I was okay, and made sure I would be back to school Wednesday. And I was, thanks to "my person", Heather.

Fast forward a few years. My last year of teaching, in the fall of 2006, I was not really looking forward to going to school every day. I just wasn’t into it, in a general sense. Something wasn’t right, because usually I look forward to the start of a new school year. Oddly, I found out later they actually call it "generalized anxiety disorder."

Then, in October, I went to the doctor for a regular exam, they found the little lumps in my neck, and that whole do-I-have-cancer drama sent me off in a spiral. I think they call it "situational anxiety" for something like that – but I had the general anxiety, too. So those two combined led to me not going into work for almost a month. I just couldn’t face it – I would shower, get dressed, and then break down and cry, and couldn’t stop. I would call for a sub, and spend the day sleeping. Even when dad came down to be with me for my neck surgery, I fell apart when he left – I mean, it was so weird. I would be fine on my own, I knew I would, and I knew I would see him a few days later when I came up for Xmas…but I just had a meltdown.

It was at this point, FINALLY, that I decided to get some help. I saw a therapist, which helped, and I could talk to him about the things that worried me or made me feel anxious. It was nice to get some feedback from someone who isn’t a friend or family member – someone who is unbiased and can give feedback without it being colored by feelings.

I got some anxiety meds, too, which I still take today. They help me feel more "level" – I used to go up and down, ya know? Like, be super-duper happy one day, then really bummed out the next, for no real reason. The meds helped stabilize that – I still have good & bad days, everyone does, but now it’s something I can deal with so much better.

OK, so that’s a lot of rambling. But I just wanted to tell you that this kind of thing affects a lot of people, including me. There isn’t anything wrong with having these feelings – my problem was I ignored it for too long, and let it affect too much of my life. I thought I had to be perfect all the time – that anything less wasn’t okay. Boy, was I wrong!! Perfect is way overrated – but a job well done, where you know you’ve worked hard and done your best – well, no one can take that away from you, and you can be proud of what you’ve accomplished.

The hardest thing for me was getting back to school, and getting back into the routine, after being gone so long. For some reason, I was afraid to go back. But then some friends helped me remember – school (for me, work) was a place where I had support, I had friends, I had some success and some familiarity. It was a good place to come back to.

I literally spent the night at my friend/coworker Barb’s house, the night before I was to go back to school after my long absence. She and her husband got up in the morning and did their thing, and I got up and got ready right along with them. Having them there made it easier to do those things, and to actually go to school. It didn’t seem like something I couldn’t handle, because hey, I wasn’t doing it alone! It was still hard, but I felt better after being back that first day. And then it got better by the second day. And so on and so on…I was so lucky to have Barb as "my person" during that time.

Things are good now - but it took a while to get here, and it didn't just magically happen on its own. I hope others know it's okay to seek help, and it's okay to talk about it. I will be that "person" for whomever needs me, whenever they need me. That goes for all of you out there - ok?

60 Years

My grandparents recently celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary. It's an amazing feat to be together for so long, and to have gone through as much as they have, and still be the wonderful people they are. I am so lucky to have them in my life, and will cherish having been able to share this occasion with them.

Eddie & Betty Dugas

The 60th anniversary bash was held in Silver Bay, and had quite a turnout. My dad was the main person who organized it and got everything together (what else is new?). But I think he had a good time, despite working so hard. It looks like he's doing the "Thriller" dance here, but he's actually directing traffic to the buffet - go George!

One of the highlights of the evening was a special event, planned by my aunt Sandy and others. While my grandparents danced to a song especially written for them, my aunt Mary and brother Nathan walked out onto the dance floor. Mary was wearing grandma's wedding gown, and Nathan my grandpa's Navy dress blues. It was so great - Nathan looks enough like grandpa that it was kind of spooky to see him in the old uniform!

Livia, adorable niece o' mine, was a little dance machine - she danced with Auntie Di, with daddy, and with her cousin Dakota. No wonder, she got pooped out by the end of the night (Jess, you get the pun).

Of course, never ones to miss a photo op, my brothers and I hammed it up for this little shot; I'll end it there. Cheers!!

The Dirty Thirties

The list grows longer of those of us who have entered The Dirty Thirties. Recently, my friend Erin and my friend Geb's husband, Paul, were inducted into this dubious club. Prior to that, my brother Brian fell victim, as did my cousin Cindy, Geb, my friend Joy, and many others. My cousin Mike's birthday is this week, and Amanda's hubby Mike has his coming up in early November.

My time as a twenty-something is drawing quickly to a close, too. Soon, it will be my turn, then Amanda's, right around Christmas. My sister-in-law Jessica meets her destiny in February, and Natalie, perpetually younger than all of us, will be the last to go, next July.

What the hell happened? How did we get here?

Seriously, we are NOT this old.

Seriously.

Adding to the Brood?

So these days, I am thinking more and more about adding to my brood. My current brood consists of me, and Pudder. Not much to speak of.

I'm looking pretty hard at adopting a guinea pig. I know, I know; Why the small, furry critter, you ask? Well, several reasons.

1. We had them growing up, and they were awesome.

2. Pudder hates other cats, so that's out.

3. My condo association doesn't allow dogs, so that's out.

4. It's something that will freak Amanda out when she comes over. ;) (love you, Manda!)

5. Low-maintenance, but lots of fun.

6. There's so many of them at shelters, and no one else wants them!!

Here's the guy I'm hoping to go "meet" soon - not sure if he's the one for me, but we'll get acquainted and see...His name is Bump.

More later on whether or not I adopt, and if so, whether it's Bump or some other lucky piggy...

Am I Mental, Or...

Seriously. Am I mental, or are things just a friggin' mess out there right now?

Don't get me wrong - I'm not a news junkie, I dont' keep up on every little thing that's happening. But even I hear things like "bail out" and "next recession" and wonder, what the hell is going on?

I see finance on a much smaller level. I work with clients and their household budgets. I help customers at the bank with their personal checking. That kind of money, I get it. It's what comes in, then what goes out. Not too complicated.

Where it gets fuzzy for me is on these higher, more complicated levels. How can these huge companies run deficits into the billions of dollars? Are they taking such huge risks with money or is that how they're supposed to operate?

Obviously, I need "Finance for Dummies" or something, because seriously...am I mental, or are these guys just idiots for making such a mess of things?

Soooooo Big!

I have to laugh at my own title. It's the phrase my sister-in-law, Jessica, uses to help her daughter get dressed. Livia raises her arms up when Jess says, "Soooooo big!" and off (or on) goes the shirt. Livia is really a big girl now; she told me so herself this last weekend!

But I digress. For once, I'm not going to brag about my niece. Instead, I will pick on...my "baby" sister, Amy. Amy is now a senior in high school, which makes me very old. Oh, and I guess it makes her old, too. But I'm way older. And that's crazy. But again, I digress.

Over Labor Day weekend, I headed up north to shoot some pictures of Amy. She was looking for a head shot for the yearbook, so we took a bunch of those up and around our family cabin. I got some really great ones, but I think this is one of my favorites:

It just struck me while I was doing this that 12 years ago, I was getting my grad pics taken...with Amy and Katie, who were 6 and 3 at the time. Yikes. Again, I'm old.

But, how beautiful is this sister of mine? I see the intelligence in her eyes, the kindness in her heart, and the generous spirit she has, all shining through in this picture. I'm so proud of her; she works really hard in school and keeps busy with her band stuff. Mostly, I just feel so lucky that she came into my life. I always wanted a little sister; now, she's not so little anymore, but I guess that happens, huh?

No matter what, I'll always remember her as a gorgeous baby that I fell in love with from day one. I look forward to what she does next and who she becomes in the future. It's a fun ride to be along on.

Do You...

...ever think about how much we have all changed? Physically, of course, but in all the other ways that are not so obvious, but maybe more important? I started pondering this for a few reasons...

I took a different posting with TCF, and am now working with some high school kids. Very nice high school kids, mind you, but they are that age, you know? Also, my "baby" sister is starting her senior year in a week, and I am shooting her grad pictures this weekend. Yikes.

And it got me to thinking, would I have acted this silly if I were still 18? Probably. Do I remember the feeling I had when I was starting my senior year? These thoughts got me to looking around for some funny pictures of me when I was younger.


Pulling unashamedly from the Class of 1997 reunion site, this is a little something for you all:

Junior High, field trip to Hayward, WI. I think there was a water park or something? And some kind of Wild West theme park, maybe. I really don't remember, but the picture says I had fun! Anyway, these are my friends...I'm in the back row with the red Chicago Bulls t-shirt on. Great haircut. Ugh. My sister-in-law Jess is right smack in the middle - you can barely see her head. Little did we know back then that friends = family!


And then moving forward, into the high school years...there was the obligatory senior year picture, which wasn't too bad. I have this nice ethereal glow that belies the true devil inside me. Just kidding. But don't I look angelic? Sheesh, for the sitting fee my mom shelled out, I should look like friggin' Angelina Jolie! But I digress. I wore bangs for a long time because I was so self-conscious about my forehead...plus, most of my friends wore bangs, and I had to have that curling iron for something! (To straighten, then softly curl the bangs...strange, but true.)



Finally, I really threw myself into things in high school. I think I may have gotten high a few times from spray-painting pep rally signs in my parents' garage (with the door closed...smart, huh?). Anyway, I was a cheerleader my senior year, and an avid fan of all things school-related, so of course, my senior year I got voted "most school spirit". I remember thinking that I was so cool, strutting around in my letter jacket. Alas, not true. Oh well!





So that's what I mused about, while I had some down time today. Three of my appointments cancelled on me today, so I really needed to find a distraction. A trip down memory lane will usually do the trick!!

Pub Crawlin'

The first official Northeast Minneapolis Pub Crawl commenced on Saturday, August 16th. With friend Joy and her hubby Phil (and about 20 other assorted friends & relatives), we conquered 8 bars in Northeast Minneapolis from 6pm - 2am. Dear. God. Every hour on the hour, we were at a different bar. Prizes were awarded, Mardi-Gras style beads showered upon unsuspecting locals, and just general craziness reigned.

Spring Street Tavern, stop #1. Five dollar pitchers of Premium went down real nice, along with a quick sandwich to get the body ready for the rest of the drinking that was to happen. Here's Erin, already a happy camper:

The Moose, stop #2. Across the street, where they were offering twenty-five cent taps all during the first quarter of the Vikings game. Big Buck Hunter was played, beer consumed, and a "buck teeth" portrait taken. Oh, and I won a ring pop - delicious.

The Vegas Lounge, stop #3. Here's where it got crazy. Allison, a coworker/friend of Joy's, found a 50th birthday party hat and decided to wear it. Well, the drunk crazies out on the patio thought it really was her birthday, and decided to give her lap dances. Now, if they had been remotely attractive, this may have been okay. But...well, see the photo. UGH. Poor Allison.

U Otter Stop Inn, stop #4. Fun times abounded. Karaoke, shots, and a lot of high-fiving. Todd rocked out some Ratt or some such thing, Joy & I gave out even more prizes (Erin won the U Otter Stop Inn undies!). We were all pretty loaded when we left this one - there was some stumbling behavior on the walk to...

The Bulldog, stop #5. Here I partook (partaked?) in a little shuffleboard. How much fun is this game!? Holy crap, and Allison & I won, which was even better. The rest of this bar is a bit fuzzy. I think I started looking for water around this time.

Whitey's, stop #6. We encountered a bachelorette party here, who promptly ate the candy necklace right off Scottie (who didn't protest), and more drinking commenced. The place was fairly empty, so we were as obnoxious as we wanted to be and no one really cared! Good times.

Keegan's, stop #7. Again, pretty empty, we made our presence known. Darts, Mrs. Pac-Man, and the arrival of Kokkinen all stand out in my mind. We lost a few after this bar...apparently they went back to a certain person's apartment for a make-out session (no names, you know who you are).

Nye's, stop #8. We ended the night at Nye's. Joy awarded the grand prizes to the best drinkers of the night...a huge 64 oz flask for the best guy drinker, and a "I Love Beer" t-shirt for the best girl. I poured myself into a cab at this point, but I understand those who stayed later also made a final stop...

At White Castle.

Creepy, The Update

So my neighbor Allie got home from her week-long cabin excursion. As we were chatting about her week and the fun she had with her family, she mentions that she called and talked to Tito (the creepy door-pounding psycho) on Wednesday. Our conversation went like this:

Allie: "Yeah, I talked to Tito at noon on Wednesday, and he was totally loaded. And apparently he stayed that way right on through Saturday. Who knows what the f*ck he got up to! But when I asked him about it, if he feels like he needs help, he insists he's fine and is going to quit drinking. Again. On his own. Yeah right." She's been down this road before, apparently.

Diane: "Not to throw fuel on the fire, and I debated on telling you this..."

Allie: "Oh sh*t."

Diane: "Yeah, Wednesday night he made a pass at me. Followed me into the house, kind of stood there blocking the entrance, until I got him to open up to let the cat out. And then he proceeded to pound on my door until like 1 in the morning. And he tried to get in the back door, I noticed the screen door shoved open the next morning when I left for work."

Allie: "I'm so sorry!"

Diane: "No, it's not your fault. But I wanted you to know that I was creeped out. And I told Tito that I was creeped out, the next morning when I saw him. He didn't seem to really get it; he seemed surprised when I told him. And although I didn't say this to him, I have to tell you, if it happens again, I'm going to call the cops."

Allie: "God, I'm so sorry. He gets like that, it's soooo not okay. I'm gonna ream his *ss when I see him. This is ridiculous; I've about had it with him. He needs to get something going in his life, not just stay here and work part-time and bother people and drink himself stupid."

So...we'll see what happens, if she asks him or tells him to move out, or what. For now, I'm not anxious to see him or talk to him, and I'm all about locking up tight when I'm home. I hate feeling like I can't even have my windows open downstairs during the day or evening, but safety first, right?

Creepy Experience

So I got home from Bar Bingo last night, and my neighbor's baby-daddy is hanging out on the patio. This is fairly normal experience, as he smokes and is not allowed to do so in the house. I've talked with Tito (real name Tim) off and on since he moved back in with my neighbor & their kid, just being friendly and what not. He's an interesting guy, had a lot of sh*t in his life, been to rehab a few times and whatnot. Anyway, normally a regular guy just trying to get his life together, I think.

Well, last night he was LOADED. Apparently, his baby-mama and baby are out of town at the family cabin, and he had the day off from his job at Caribou. So he drank. Alone. All day, as far as I could tell. Slurring words, not making much sense, etc. So I kind of gave up trying to chat with him, as it was late and he was trashed. I scooped up Pudder and went inside, bidding him good night. No sooner do I get inside then I turn around and he's coming inside...my house. And he shuts the door behind him and just kind of stands there, leaning up against the wall.

It was weird. I was suddenly very aware that I was alone with a super drunk guy, who is 6'4" and blocking the door. So I pick up my cell phone, all casual, and call Joy. "Hi Joy! Yep, I made it home from the bar. How's Lucy? Yeah, I'm going to let Pudder outside..." And I used this as a way to get Tito to open the door and get the f*ck out. So out we go again, and I let Puder roam around a bit. Then I gathered her back up, bid Tito good night again, and went inside. And quickly shut & locked the door, lest he think about coming in again.

Sure as sh*t, not 5 minutes later, I'm upstairs getting ready for bed and I hear the door handle downstairs rattling, then him knocking on the door. There is NO WAY I'm letting this guy in; I don't know what he wants, but I have an idea. NO WAY. So I don't do anything, thinking he'll stop. It's intermittent knocking and pounding for a while, then he stops. I hear him go inside his place, so I run downstairs and double check that all the doors and windows are shut and locked. Back upstairs I go, he returns to knock/pound some more. By now I'm texting Joy, like, "What do I do?"

Joy calls, we hold a whispered conversation, she reassures me I'll be fine, but if he keeps it up I should call the cops. I feel better.

Eventually the knocking stops, but I hear other noises. Sliding screen door opening, then steps. Where is he? On the balcony, the one off his son's bedroom that is 10 feet away from my bedroom window. CREEPY. But there's too much space; he can't climb in the window or anything. So I eventually fall asleep.

I get up this morning and go downstairs. The first thing I notice - the sliding screen on my own sliding glass door in back is ajar. Like someone tried to come in that way, only to find the glass door locked and the wood bar in place. I can only think Tito went around back and tried to get in that way. REALLY CREEPY.

Going out the door to work this morning, I was surprised to find Tito sitting on the patio. He'd just polished off a steak & egg breakfast - I asked how he was feeling, he said, "Surprisingly great!" I said, "So what was with you knocking on the door half the night last night?" Just put it out there, because dammit, he needs to know it isn't cool. He says, "I'm sorry about that - I don't know." I tell him it freaked me out, and he gets this surprised look on his face. He apologized again, and stated, "It won't happen again, ever, I promise." OK.

But I'm still keeping everything locked up tight. And I don't know if I should tell Allie (his baby mama) when she gets back from the cabin. I don't like being uncomfortable in my own home, and this totally creeped me out.

Thoughts??

Bingo, Bitches

So I've got a new thing. And it's surprising, because:

a) I don't like change.
b) It involves gambling.

My new thing: bar bingo. I often visit a nice little dive bar in NE Minneapolis (Spring Street Tavern!), along with good friends Joy & Phil. Well, as we visited, we realized that on Tuesdays, they play bar bingo. Joy and I were intrigued, so we went on a Tuesday (as opposed to our usual Wednesday) to see what it was all about.

Good times, that's what it is! You can sit and drink your cheap beer, BS with your friends, and play bingo, all at the same time!! Plus, Celebrity Family Feud is on, so if bingo is slow, you can watch that. It's cheap (only $1/game) and fun.

So then we started to go regularly, and found out that they play bar bingo at another nearby bar (The Vegas Lounge) on Mondays & Wednesdays, too! So this makes it even more available - for better or worse.

This week, I joined Joy & Phil on Wednesday for bar bingo. I arrived late as I was working late that night; upon arrival, I bought a card, and WON!! Crazy. Then, a few games later, I won AGAIN! All told, I think I won $58 that night, and I only played 4 or 5 games. Sweetness.

Now, those of you who know me know how I feel about gambling in general. After seeing how much money a certain person I know went through by hitting the casinos, I really struggled with anything resembling a game of chance. But I've started to think of it instead as a form of entertainment, one in which I spend a set amount, and when that's gone, I'm done. Similar to buying a movie ticket; I know what I'm going to spend ahead of time, and stick to it. Same goes with the bingo. And maybe that's where I differ from you-know-who; I stay within my limits. I have a figure in mind before going, and only bring that much cash with. I put boundaries up, and remain vigilant to those.

Anyway, it's a change in thinking, and action, for me, but I think it's good. No one issue is 100% good or bad; I've just seen gambling as such a bad thing overall that I didn't give it a chance to be a little bit good. And for $13/week in bingo cards, plus beer, I find myself spending less on coffee, books, & movies than usual. Is bingo actually saving me money? Perhaps.

On Wednesday, it certainly did!!

What I Took With Me

I was up in Forest Lake on Friday, partying with Charlie and just generally being drunk/ disorderly. But while there, I also got to reminiscing about teaching and my days in FLake. I think I took a lot from my experience there, and hold dear to me the following:

1. Friendships- without teaching I might never have met Joy, Erin, Heather, Shawna, Sara, Barb, Andy, Maria, Paul, Kelly, Terri, Val, and scads of other awesome teachers.

2. Memories - now that I'm removed from it, I can look back and see mostly good things, fondly recalling positive happenings (prom, graduation, kids getting into college, those kind of things).

3. Thicker skin - I'm still pretty nice, I think, but I learned to better handle people, their moods and quirks, and not take as much BS as I once did. It's helped a lot in working at my new job, but also in my own relationships. No one likes a pushover.

4. Confidence - I don't think I lacked this, really, prior to teaching, but nothing will stiffen up your spine more than facing down 40 angst-ridden teens on a daily basis.

5. Productivity - I think of those people who define a job by the product they produce...they asked when I taught, "Yeah, but what do you make at your job?" My answer: "I made a 200-lb guy put down his cell phone and get to work. I made kids who should earn A's feel bad about getting a B. I made kids who couldn't learn as well as others feel like a rock star for getting a C+. I made a kid work with someone totally different than them and then admit that it was a good experience. I made things happen, that's what I made."

So yeah, even though I left and left things behind, I think I took a heck of a lot more with me.

Just for Fun

I played hooky from work a few weeks back to attend at Twins game with Joy, Phil, and Erin. It was a hot day, would have been great for an outdoor stadium, but the 'Dome had to suffice. The Twins pounded on Detroit that day, beer was consumed, 'Dome dogs devoured, and a good time had by all.

Pictures from the event...

Joy & Erin:

"Buck Teeth" Phil:

I Miss "Star Trek: The Next Generation"

I miss Captain Picard, Data, and all those crazy guys from Star Trek: TNG.

I will always have a fond memory of seeing Jean-Luc Picard in real life (actor Patrick Stewart), performing at the Guthrie. I went to see a production of Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolfe? with Geb and her folks. They had season tickets, and we sat in the second row, stage left.

There was Patrick Stewart in all his bald glory. The fight scenes got so intense he was spitting as he shouted at Mercedes Ruehl, playing Virginia.

And I swear a little Picard spittle landed on my cheek at one point. Delicious.

Oh, if only I could hear him say, just one more time, "Make it so." It would make my day.

Not Much to Report

Hi all,

Not much to report here. I had my annual review for FamilyMeans last week - it went well. I still have a job, and I got a raise. Cool.

Other than that, not too much happening. Next week, my friend Kelly is coming over to build me a little storage loft in my garage. Kelly teaches shop up in Forest Lake, and he's awfully handy - so I'm hiring him for his "services". Yep, he's going to service me. Sweet.

I have an eye doctor appointment coming up. I hate it, but not as much as I hate the dentist. So I'll go, they'll dilate my eyes with that weird yellow crap, and I'll drive semi-blindly home. Good times. But if my vision is stable, I'm up for lasik this fall - hope it works out!!

Going to see the Twins next week with Erin, Joy & Phil. Then heading up north the weekend of the 20th for the marathon & my niece Livia's birthday - rock on.

OK, that's it. Seriously. I told you...not much to report.

Why My Friends Kick Butt

I know most everyone has friends. This is true, except for that poor miscreant who never learned any social skills and thus spends his/her day in solitary misery. But that's for another time. While I accept that most everyone has friends, I don't think most people have the caliber of friends that I have. And damn, they really do kick butt! Here, I pay homage to the extra super special ones who are closest to my heart; to write about every single friend would take more space than I can reasonably account for!

Let's see, where to start? Well, first there's "The Girls". Known throughout the land by their collective identity, "The Girls" have been going strong for well over 10 years now. We've seen so much, been through it all together, and continue to share in each other's joys, sorrows, and all things in between. I liken "The Girls" to the characters of Sex and the City; we just fit. I don't know who's who in that comparison, but sufficed to say that we are indominatable when en masse; even the husbands know to take a step back when in the presence of "The Girls".

Then there's Cindy. Now, I know, technically she's family, but seriously, she's been my friend and quasi-sister more than just my cousin for my entire life. We used to exchange letters when we were growing up, and I spent part of every summer down at her parents' house. We hit up New Orleans together and survived! She honored me by asking me to be her maid of honor, and continues to amaze me with her grace and strength after losing her husband so early in life. We have had many excursions up north over the years, to visit grandparents, stay at the cabin, and hike in the woods; I expect we'll continue our travels together throughout life.

Joy. Her name just says it all, right? Joy and I met in college; grad school, mainly. Joy is amazing. She has such a good heart and trusting nature, and is always looking out for what others need and how others feel. She seeks to make others comfortable and happy, and really strives to be a good daughter, sister, wife, friend, and teacher. Joy & I spent a lot of quality time together during our first years of teaching...that very first year, I think we met at Jake's Bar & Grill at least once a week for wings, beer, & bitching (about students, teaching, colleagues... whatever!). She's the person I call when I have to tell someone about this thing that happened, or to bounce ideas off of, or to just hear a voice on the other end that makes me smile. I'm also her marathon groupie; she runs, I cheer...then we drink.

There's Heather, my homey up in Forest Lake. Heather is another special person; she keeps me grounded, and if I get off on the wrong path of thinking, she'll smack me back to reality. Truly, it's a good thing to have a person in your life who puts up with no B.S. and calls you out when it's needed. Heather embraces everything life has to offer, and doesn't waste time on regrets and "what-if's". She works hard, plays hard, and just generally rocks. Heather knows who she is and what she wants, and makes no apologies for either. It's f*cking awesome. Oh, and she can drink pretty much anyone I know under a table. She's done it to me countless times, and to most every guy who's ever been dumb enough to challenge her!

And last, there's Jessica. I know; again, she's family, but really and truly, before we were sisters-in-law, we were friends. I feel so lucky to have her in my life! I joke that of all the people in our high school class who I might have kept in touch with, Jess is probably the one. The fact that she's married to my brother makes that pretty d*mn easy! But seriously, Jess is and always has been the sweetest person in the world. It's hard to enumerate every little thing that shows her kindness, but here's a biggie: When we were juniors in high school, Jess was dating my brother Brian, and they were going to prom together. Despite having a dress and having been a planner for prom, I had no date. So, I asked if my brother would walk me through grand march. And then I asked myself along to dinner with him, Jess, Andrea, & Lee (still friends of ours). Jess never once complained - can you imagine? Your date's little sister tagging along to prom? I have the grace to be embarrassed now - what was I thinking!? - but at the time, I was included and welcomed. That's the kind of person Jess was at 17 years old, and still is today.

OK, that's seven; I think I should stop there! But really, people, how did I get so lucky to have these amazing women in my life? I am thankful every day to have all of them in my life, and know that I am one lucky b*tch.

Mother's Day

So I hauled buns up to Duluth a few Saturday's ago to dine with la familia for Mother's Day. I know, Mom's Day is on Sunday. But Bob's nephew had a college graduation and stuff on Sunday, so we had to book time with Ma on a Saturday instead. Anyway, we headed to Outback for dinner, and I got some nice pics of the fam.

Nathan displayed his usual charm,

Brian and I had a few cocktails by the time we did our self-portrait,

and mom was just happy to be with all her little chitlins (read: children).

Good times, and man, that Outback knows how to make a Bloomin' Onion. Delicious!

Weekend

Thank God for the upcoming, long weekend. I don't have to work at either job on Monday! Hallelujiah!! Other than that, I don't have any real plans...not going anywhere, no big events to attend. Just a little work at the bank, and then chillin'. Sweet.

5 shifts to go at TCF...not that I'm counting or anything.

I start at Pier One on 6/1/08. Good times, looking forward to a change of pace.

The Keys to the Kingdom

Whoa. You ever do something so monumentally dumb that even you can believe you did it? Yep, that's how I started my day.

I woke up late this morning after egregiously hitting my snooze button over and over again (on not only my dual-alarm clock, but my tri-alarm phone). Tells you a little about how sleep-deprived I am with my usual 65-hour work week, huh?

Anyway, in racing to get out the door, I couldn't find my keys. My main set of keys, you know, the one that has not only my car and house keys, but the only set of office keys I have, as well as my key to the bank vault. You know, those really important ones?

I always leave them with or in my purse. Always. Couldn't find them, looked all over. Finally decided I must have left them in the car; where else could they be? I couldn't have left them at the bank, as I need them to actually lock the vault. So I know they aren't there...must be in the car.

Resolved to this, I flung open the door while simultaneously barricading Pudder from escape. I heard a strange tinkling noise.

There, hanging in the door, are my keys. I unlocked my door yesterday, got distracted when Pudder ran out, and apparently went in with the keys left hanging in the door. All. Night. Long.

Good think I live in a nice neighborhood. Oh, and that I have an attack cat as backup, just in case.

007-Tampa

Yeah girls!! 75% of The Girls got to whoop it up in Tampa in honor of Natalie successfully defending her dissertation. Now a Doctorate of Philosophy in Physics (PhD), she is really a rocket scientist...holy crap, I have smart friends!!

Geb & I flew down to Tampa 007-style. That is, Nat didn't know we were coming. Nat's hubby Dean and Nat's parents were in on it, but everyone kept the cat in the bag. We went to this Thai restaurant, sat and waited for the arrival. Upon walking in, we could tell it was taking Nat a minute to put it together. (You know when you see someone out of their usual context, it's like, "Huh?"...kind of that deal!) I think when we took this picture, there was still some shock/ disbelief going on. Or, the beers were starting to do their thing...

We partied well into the evening, going to Nat & Dean's favorite local haunt, The Copper Top. I love those kinds of places - always good beer, loads of local color, and seedy bathrooms. It felt just like home!

And the next day headed out to Clearwater Beach for some relaxation, recovery, and reminiscing. It was an awesome day overall; beautiful weather, hot boys (way too young for us, but whatever), good food, and plenty of ocean breezes. Loved it!

Puder ("Putter")

So my little princess, Ms. PuderPants, or Putt-Putt for short, has decided that going outside to survey her kingdom is not only her duty, but her right. Shortly after returning home from work every night, I am greeting by an incessant yowling that only abates upon a) receipt of a treat, and b) Puder's release into the wild. Well, into the patio area near my door, at least.

Here is Miss Kitty, keeping a close watch on the birds in the yard. No stalking or hunting as of yet, although she may be waiting for the right opportunity. God, who spoiled this cat? Oh yeah, that was me!

Mundane dating

So I'm back in the dating world after taking a hiatus. And things are...well, a bit dull.

I went out with this guy Jeff on Saturday. He sounded super nice, had a good sense of humor (online) and was up for going to a totally random event: the Minnesota RollerGirls. Let me explain.

Back when I was a teacher, I had the fabulous Shawna as my student teacher protege. Shawna has continued with teaching, and in her spare time, does roller derby. The Minnesota RollerGirls is an elite group; they have to try out, attend boot camp, and all this crazy stuff. They are crazy; Shawna's RollerID is "Sugar Cain". Check out her profile; hilarious: http://www.mnrollergirls.com/teams/atomic_bombshells/sugar_cain.php

Anyway, I suggested to Jeff that we attend the final bout of the season, after meeting up for drinks at Sweeney's on Dale Street. He was cool with that, so we made plans.

Drinks were fine; I did most of the talking, and Jeff just kept saying, "Yeeeeeeeeeeep," like a good Minnesotan, drawing it out and everything. And he'd use that to fill in silence, instead of taking the initiative to move the conversation in a new direction. (I did occasionally shut up, in case he wanted to take that opportunity to talk. No luck.)

Anyway, we headed to St. Paul for the RollerGirls. They were highly entertaining, although I had no clue how to keep track of points earned or why the crowd cheered, except that fights and falls seemed to be crowd favorites. I tried to get Jeff to talk some, but mostly got the same as what I had gotten at the bar. By the time we left and I got dropped back at my car, I was not sure how to say 'bye without also saying, "I don't think we fit." So I copped out and said, "Well, I had fun; give me a call if you want to do this again." And then today, I emailed him online and gave him the brush-off that I wasn't brave enough to do in person. Said I thought he was great, but I didn't feel that spark, etc.

In conclusion, I'm back in the dating game. So far, nothing exciting. But there's always next weekend...

Weekend Visitors

So I had some of my family down this weekend, partly for a visit and partly for a bathroom renovation. No matter what, and no matter who else is around, I always find myself snapping pictures of the cutest child in creation - yep, my niece Livia! Her mommy and I took her to the MOA to see Dora and all the Nickolodean characters - she was in awe of what she saw. "We saw Dora! And Boots! And Diego!" she reported to her daddy later that day.

She certainly was enamored of SpongeBob SquarePants, who had his own fountain. In true Livia style, she hurled money at 'Bob, delighting in the splash, and, most likely, the frivolous spending of money. She is a girl, after all. And grandma takes her to the mall sometimes, where the throwing of money into fountains is now a ritual.

Her favorite part of the whole mall excursion, though? Riding on the escalators! "That was a good ride!" she exclaimed after a fairly sure-footed dismount. Jess and I got a kick out of that.

Back at the house, we played outside as well; Livia collected sticks and pylons and just ran amok. We let little Miss Kitty (Puder) out as well; she wasn't as well-behaved as Livia - had to chase the cat more than the kid.

I'm looking forward to future visits. Apparently Liv fell asleep on the way home that day, and stayed asleep for most of the ride. Upon waking up, she now thinks Auntie Di lives nearby! Oh, I wish it were so.

But soon enough, it will be warm out, and maybe Liv can come down to Auntie Di's house again...and discover that there's a pool, too!

I miss my little Liv!! How cute is that kid? Seriously.

Bar Weirdos and Bar Fights

So I hit the bars in NE Minneapolis with Joy & Erin, friends from grad school and two very cool chicks (I didn't take a survey on this, but I think so!). We met up at the Spring Street Tavern first - $5 pitchers of Premium, and the best wings in town - yum!

While there, we were shooting the breeze and having a great time, when all of a sudden this random dude from the bar takes a liking to us. He looks like Nick Nolte - no, not like Nick Nolte when he looked good; like Nick Nolte in that one mug shot when he got busted for DUI...See?

So this weird guy keeps coming up to our table with lines like, "You girls are the greatest thing in here!" and, "I gotta tell you..." and then some random bullsh*t that we really didn't want or need to hear. And he dances away - yes, literally dances - to his drink at the bar, only to return all too soon to wow us with more of his brilliance. Yikes. We were really glad to get out of there and away from him.

Joy & I ended up down the street at The Vegas Lounge. I, having never been, insisted on seeing this place that is right next door to a senior-citizen high rise, and boasts a crowd with an average age of 70. Strangely, Joy & I were not among the gray-heads as we thought we'd be; in fact, there were quite a few young people there. Most were rockin' out the karaoke, which is always great.

While Joy went to the ladies room, I got to witness a bar fight. Not sure what started it, but all of a sudden one gargantuan dude is cold-cocking some other guy, and the guy goes down! And takes a bar stool with him! Security comes rushing over; the assailant beats feet for the door with his 'ho, and the dazed victim stumbles around looking...well, dazed. It was so strange - fist hitting cheekbone does not sound the same in person as it does in movies.

Overall, it was an interesting night - lots of fun, and so worth the tap-beer-hangover-headache I had all day Sunday while working at the bank. Cheers!!

My agency

http://www.kare11.com/money/business_article.aspx?storyid=500813

This news story goes into some more about what I do.

A Bit About What I Do

So since leaving teaching, most people want to know, "What are you doing, Di?" And I tell them I help people get out from under credit card debt, which is the basic premise of my job. Overall, I'm a financial counselor. This means I offer advice on everything from budgeting to saving for big expenditures to avoiding bankruptcy. For most of my clients, though, I help set up repayment plans for their credit cards. We call them Debt Management Programs, or DMP's.

A DMP isn't something just anyone can get into. We, as an agency, act as a middle man between the consumer and their creditors. As that middle man, we are telling the consumer that they need to pay X number of dollars per month to satisfy their creditors. We also tell the creditors, hey, we're going to send X number of dollars to you per month for this client; given that payment schedule, the client will be paid in full with you in 5 years. So we're making promises to the creditors on behalf of the clients.

In order to do this and have any credibility, we need to make sure our clients can hold up their end of the bargain. That is, we do a full budget analysis - income vs. expenses, what do they have to put towards the debt, & is it enough? If the clients do not have enough money to pay for rent, food, gas, and all that stuff, plus a debt repayment, we won't sign them up for the DMP. What would be the point? We can see they can't afford it, and so it would be empty promises. Instead, we work on their budget to make it affordable. What could they cut down or cut out - dining out, entertainment, clothing spending sprees? There are often things that must be given up in order to gain something else. In this case, the gained thing is financial freedom from debt; usually worth giving something up!

What I like about working for this agency is that we're non-profit. Yes, we do charge a fee for our clients on a DMP, but it's small and goes directly towards our operating costs. It's not like those "consolidation" companies, who charge an arm and a leg up front and THEN help people with their debt. We actually get most of our funding from grants and donations, and a small piece from the government. So I feel pretty good at the end of most days, knowing I helped people rather than hurt them. I wonder if the "consolidators" even think of that?

Anyway, that's a bit about what I do. Sounds kind of boring on paper but as I meet with people and hear their stories, it's really never the same thing twice. Sure, there are some themes that repeat (overspending, bought a house they couldn't afford, etc.) but everyone is different, and that keeps it interesting.

Not the One...Again

So I got the explanation for the silent treatment from my guy - I'm not the one. And he didn't know how to break it to me.

I know you can't force someone to love you. I know this. But just once, couldn't I be that girl? Not by force, but it just happens, like it's supposed to?

Sometimes I think I'm getting there. And yet instead, I find myself constantly being that girl...that girl that guys will sleep with, but not love; that girl that guys might like as a friend, but not more; that girl that a guy could hang out with from time to time, but not long-term. I'm never that girl who a guy falls in love with.

Why can't I be that girl? I keep going over it in my head, trying to reason it out. If I did this, if I did that, if I was thinner, if I wasn't so independent, if I had a big-shot career, if only...

So, I'm back to being alone. Usually I say that being alone doesn't necessarily mean I'm lonely; they are two different things. Right now, though, they are one in the same.

Because even though I'm not the one...for I while, I thought he was.

Silence

Silence. Sometimes I crave it. Other times, it drives me batty. These days, it's the latter of the two. Why do some people think silence is so great? "Silence is golden" sounds like some mealy-mouthed guy's way of saying, "I can't make intelligent conversation, so I'll avoid it by making it seem like silence is really awesome."

Take, for example, the silent treatment. Is there anything worse than shutting someone out by giving them the silent treatment? I mean, at least have the courage to state your position, even if it's, "I just don't want to talk for a while." Fine. Then at least you know. But by not saying anything, or in some cases, by not calling back or returning messages, it gets left to one's own fertile imagination as to why the silence is continuing.

- Did I do something wrong?
- Is there something going on that I can't know about?
- What is this person afraid to tell me that makes them avoid me like the plague?

My experience with silent treatments has always been that they do not help matters; they prolong agony, make matters worse, and eventually don't solve anything. Much better to man up, say your piece, and even if it hurts the other person, be done with it. Why drag it out - what's so shiny and golden about that?

Drunken Extravaganza

Friday night was girls' night, which, as per usual, turned into a drunken extravaganza. Highlights of the evening, in no particular order:

1. Drinking 5 bottles of wine...between the 3 of us...with no dinner.
2. Drunk dialing my boyfriend Brian, only to realize we'd called my brother Brian. Oops.
3. Dancing to Britney Spears over and over again...Geb has some nice moves!!
4. Using M&M's to make our wine different colors. Fun!
5. Tucking in Geb and then talking to Paul a half hour after she passed out. Not even a twitch when her phone rang - out for the count!
6. Talking to Natalie - it was way too late to call, but she humored us and we loved it!
7. Delicious snacks - fruit platter, Cheetos, peanut butter M&M's, bean dip, & blue corn chips (yes, Manda, with flax seed!).

Didn't have as bad a hangover as I thought I would, but working at the bank the next day wasn't exactly fun. Oh well - always worth it!!

Nope, not McDreamy

So as I moved to St. Louis Park, I have had to collect a whole new cadre of professionals with whom to round out my life. New mechanic? Check. New chiropractor? Check (and crack!). And then to my least favorite, new dentist. I despise the dentist, but have seen too many toothless wonders out there to deny the importance of dental hygiene.

So...I went to Dr. Dave Hertelendy at All Care Dentistry. They do sedation dentristry there...I mean, they would knock me out, drill their holes and whatnot, and when I wake up, I have no memory of the ordeal and my teeth are fabulous! How good a deal is that?

The downsides - Dr. Dave is no McDreamy. My previous dentist, Dr. Patet was quite Dreamy-like. Also, my initial cleaning & exam involved no drugs or memory suppression. And as the Floss Nazi (I think her name was Dorice) sawed into my gums, scraped with her scrapey thing, and otherwise tortured me, something went awry and I had a throbbing pain in my second-from-the-back-on-the-right-side molar (not sure of "technical" name) by the time I left the office. Ow!! Not sure what they jostled back there, but damn, it hurt!

Hours later, I was still throbbing, couldn't drink or eat anything on that side of my mouth, and talking and moving my jaw hurt like hell. So I curled up in a ball, took too many Ibuprofen, and slept it off as best I could. We've now resorted to a dull, sometimes-it-hurts ache. I think in their cleaning expedition, they hit a cavity (I guess I have two) and it's still smarting.

I have a follow-up appointment to fill the cavities in a few weeks. In the interim, I'll try to floss...but gently...and be a good dental caretaker. But I still hate the dentist. Maybe if he was McDreamy, it wouldn't be so bad...but in this case, drugs will have to do.

Destructo-condo

So this is what my condo looks like these days. Long story in a short version: A water-carrying pipe underneath my foundation broke/burst 2 weeks ago, slowly but surely soaking my carpet and padding. Upon discovery of said leak, the association came in with jackhammers and whatnot. They made two big holes, one in my living room & another in my lower bathroom, to get at the pipe that needed replacing. Having done so, they refilled the spaces with dirt, as seen here. In the following days, cement guys came and put cement patches in place.

Now, I am waiting to hear back from my insurance company. Will I get new carpet, and will it all be paid for? What about the ruined bathroom tile - that too?

And now I'm thinking, "Hmm, since I have to redo the bathroom floor anyway, wouldn't now be a good time to replace the sink/cabinet with a pedestal sink?" And then, I'd need to repaint. Oh, and new trim will be needed. And...

I see how my brother and my dad get into "little" projects that last forever. Yikes.

At the Y-M-C-A

So I'm feeling pretty good these days about my trips to the Y. I'm not there as much as I'd like, but it's better than before (which was never going), so I feel like progress is being made.

Last night, I had water aerobics - how funny was that?! I was definitely bringing the age curve down by being there, but the little old lady who teaches it is hilarious!! And we have rockin' music and most of the pool for the dozen or so who attend in the evenings, so it's lots of fun and goes by really quickly. I can feel it a bit today - but in a good way, ya know?

Speaking of this morning, I was back at the Y at 6:15 a.m. for Women on Weights. It's a special class I signed up for where you work in a small group w/ a personal trainer and they teach you how to use all the scary machines and free weights and other equipment. My trainer is Kari, and then there's just one gal in the class with me, Deb. They are way fun, and I'm pumped up about it. It's every Wednesday at 6:15 a.m. for 7 weeks - at the end of the 7 weeks, I sit down with Kari and we put together a workout plan just for me!! Totally what I need.

I'm going to hit Dick's sporting goods store today and get a resistance/training ball. I've been thinking about it - Brian has one, and I know a few things to do on it now, so I'm going to invest. I'm not going to run out and buy a whole set up of free weights or anything - hello, they won't "go" with my furtnirue - but at least the ball will be a start.

So here's the Y - it really is like they sing in the song!

Beavers at 'Bou

Is it any wonder I laugh my ass off in the morning when I go to Caribou? The manager at my regular place totally busted me on taking this photo, but hey - it was too funny to pass up!!

Tonsil (itis)

As I spent some quality time in Urgent Care this weekend, I started thinking back to all the times I've had strep and other throat conditions (which brings me to how often my brothers got me sick when we were growing up - thanks a lot).

And now that I have tonsilitis, I'm thinking: do I really need my tonsils? I mean, plenty of people I know (my brother Brian, my boyfriend Brian, etc) do just fine without theirs. Can I just get 'em popped out so I don't have to deal with this crap?

I sound like a croaking frog; my cat runs away when I try to talk to her. And of course, my clients at work must think I'm possessed, as I sound like the little girl in The Exorcist right before her head turns 360 degrees 'round!

So I'm thinking, why not just ditch the tonsils? Do they do surgery like that just because a person feels like it? Hmmm....will check my insurance provisions on that one....