River.

I just wanted to make a note of how much I miss the river. We only got a chance to go a couple times last summer and it was a major bummer. I miss hanging out with all of our great friends, floating down the river with beers in our hands. Last summer I finally jumped the wake too! This summer it is MANDATORY that we are there at least every other weekend. Who's with me? Anyone for a game of horseshoes at ol' Caulder's place? Or perhaps a donkey run? Maybe a cocktail or twelve on the Schlentz landing? Let's do it! Come on summer......

Remodel!

We started tearing our kitchen apart this weekend! Well, just certain parts. Our floorplan was a little chopped up so we thought we would maximize our space and tear a dividing wall down between our kitchen and living room. We also added a door into our garage for direct access. It is so exciting. It already looks so much better, and so much bigger! I am so lucky to have such and awesome father-in-law who is so talented and willing to help with it all, and a husband who is so anxious to learn and knock down any wall he can get his hands on! I don't have any pictures with me but I will post them later for you to see. Boy is my house a MESS!

Robbins Brothers...

I don't know if you have heard the radio commercial for Robbins Brothers but, oh my goodness! It is a woman who says something like, "hi, this is your inner feminine side....." It is disgusting, it sounds like a phone sex oppertator or something. The noises she makes, make me, my husband and my sister want to vomit! Seriously, if the commercial comes on and you hear it, turn it up and listen..... yuck! It is funny, when the commercial comes on, I honestly have to change it every time.... It sort of embarrasses me. I just wanted to see if there is anyone else out there who has heard it.

Stress.

Oh my goodness I have been soooooo stressed out lately. I know that I stress about stupid things and my dad always says "don't stress the small stuff". I really need to try doing that more! Yesterday I got a phone call from my boss that a clients order was wrong... I immediately thought it was my fault and wanted to go home and cry. Well, when I got to work this morning I looked up the order and.... It wasn't my fault! I ordered the right thing! Woo hoo. I feel so much better and now I can enjoy my Friday. :)

Lakers.

My dad gave my sis and I and our hubbys his company tickets to the Laker game last Wednesday. They were playing Pheonix who has the amazing Steve Nash on the team. Seriously, he is such a team player and such a hustler... A little different than someone else I saw whose name rhymes with Nobe Shryant. Oh my goodness were they amazing seats! You can see how close we were to the court in the first picture. In the last one if you look, you can see good ol' Jack in the middle. I had to grab a shot (even if it is crappy and hard to discern) of him for sure! The 3rd picture is D.Fish, my favorite Laker and the 2nd photo is the one and only Magic Johnson. My sister and I had fun looking for the celebs but it was hard to not get super into the game being that close. It was soo much fun! The tickets even came with Valet parking which costs $200 at a Laker game! We jumped in the Civic as everyone else was getting into their Lamborghinis and Ferraris. It was funny. Anyway, if you can afford to go to a Laker game and not sit in the nose-bleeds, I highly recommend it. Thanks Pop!

New Christmas Lights.

Mr. Blue and I are trying to save money so we weren't going to buy new Christmas lights. Well... my sweet, cute little grandma said that I could have her old ones since she wasn't going to put them up this year. Thanks grandma! Anyway, while Mr. Blue was at school last night, I put the lights up all by myself! It was fun. Here are the revised lights.... Not too shabby!

Here is my sweet little angel poking her nose out of the covers.....Then she peeked after she heard the camera.... Damn, she's cute!

Sushi Night!

On Saturday night we actually went out and did something. Our friend Michelle had a dinner party at her cute condo in Long Beach. She is a chef so you can imagine that the food was amazing. Not to mention the fact that it was Sushi! Needless to say, it was much better than our hot dogs the night before.  

After dinner we played good ol' Monopoly. We had teams, and we all had to switch partners.... no, not that kind of switching partners..... for the game. Japanese beer, sake and plum wine were involved so it was pretty much the most fun game of Monopoly I have ever played. 

A Friday night for married people.

We actually got to stay home this weekend which was nice. I had a chance to catch up on Laundry. I got home early on Friday and this is what Jake and I had for lunch.... Just so you know how poor people eat...

Then we watched Hancock with Will Smith. It was entertaining. I  managed to sit through the whole thing which is impressive considering I think I might have a mild case of A.D.D. After the movie we hung our Christmas lights. Now I know what your thinking...They must have paid a professional to do that killer light installation, however, we did not. That is all us and our handy dandy Swingline stapler! 

Then my cousin and her boyfriend came over and we all worked on homework... the only crappy part is that I am not even in school! I got persuaded by my cuz to help her with her drawings for design school. And she informed me yesterday that we have a really fun final coming up! Yahoo. 

My Office.

This is a picture of my office. I cleaned it so I thought I would share where I spend 25% of my life. I am so happy that it is almost Friday! Yahoo! We get a break from the old workaroo. That will be nice.

Also, today is Thursday which means... CSI night. Booya. That show is great. My sister and I and our husbands watch it together every Thursday with the occasional Tyler drop in (love the Tyler boys and the Harris girl). I don't need Gray's Anatomy or any of those corny prime time soaps (no offense Monica), just give me some Law & Order, Criminal Minds, CSI or House and I am a happy camper. Well..... "catch ya on the flip side" as my dad always says.

Thanksgiving Photos.

How beautiful is this?

Brooke, Danica, Laci, Kate, Caitlyn

My new motorbike... I can ride my bike with no handlebars...

Lily!!!!

Such a bad-ass!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Well, my FAVORITE holiday of the year just passed... and yep, it's because I love to EAT, and spend time with my amazing extended family. We drove 6 hours to Modesto and it was well worth it. My dad's cousin has an amazing chestnut farm and it was absolutely gorgeous. The fall leaves were falling and it was picture perfect. It was a turn around trip and we then drove to the desert on Saturday to be with my hubby's family for some good ol' dirt bike riding. I can honestly say that I am included in that now that I have a dirt bike. I am so hard core. Ha! Good times without a doubt! I will post some pics later when I have more time. Hope everyone had a joyful Thanksgiving as well. Now it is on to the Christmas decorating... and more EATING!

Workin' 9-5... what a way to make a living!

I am sick of sitting at my desk today. I usually get to go out and run around but today I have been inside in front of a computer. It is not fun. I have sympathy for people who have to do this all day, everyday. But, it could be worse, we could not have a job, and have our homes foreclosing and be in debt up the yin-yang. I guess I will sit at my desk and be thankful that I have one to sit at.

Ankylosing Spondylitis.

It's my disease. I have been having some back pain lately and I had some blood work and x-rays done to find out what the problem is. Apparently I have a genetic marker that is generally related to a rheumatic disease that causes arthritis of the spine. There is nothing that can really be done except to take anti-inflammatories and stay healthy and hope that it is not a severe case. I also found out that I have a slight case of scoliosis (that is what the x-ray is of) .... guess the nurses in jr. high and high school didn't look hard enough! ha. At least now that there is a prognosis, Jake believes me when I tell him I am in pain and he doesn't think I am just milking it. (Okay maybe I am.... just a little.)

Wedding Announcements.

Tonight I am working on my wedding announcements.... I am doing them myself so it is a lot of work. Good thing I have my old friend Bianco Sicilia to help me get through it! Ha ha. Actually I really like doing this kind of shit. I am going to help my new sis-in-law Rebecca with her invitations too!

Our Rooms.

This is mine and my husband's bedroom. My amazing boss bought us the beautiful bedding. The pillows are for Lily's landing pad when she jumps off the bed!


This is Lily's room. Don't mess with her when she has her rawhide... she will bite the crap out of you!

Sunny Side Up.

This is a statement from David Letterman. May be Reverend Jeremiah Wright should take notes!

'As most of you know I am not a President Bush fan, nor have I ever been, but this is not about Bush, it is about us, as Americans, and it seems to hit the mark.

'The other day I was reading Newsweek magazine and came across some Poll data I found rather hard to believe. It must be true given the source, right?
The Newsweek poll alleges the 65 percent of Americans are unhappy with the
direction the country is headed and 69 percent of the country is unhappy with the performance of the President. In essence 2/3 of the citizenry just ain't happy and want a change. So being the knuckle dragger I am, I started thinking, 'What are we so unhappy about?

A.. Is it that we have electricity and running water 24 hours a day, 7 Days a week?

B.. Is our unhappiness the result of having air conditioning in the summer and heating in the winter?

C.. Could it be that 95.4 percent of these unhappy folks have a job?

D.. Maybe it is the ability to walk into a grocery store at any time and see more
food in moments than Darfur has seen in the last year?

E.. Maybe it is the ability to drive our cars and trucks from the Pacific Ocean
to the Atlantic Ocean without having to show identification as we go through each state.

F.. Or possibly the hundreds of clean and safe motels we would find along the way that could provide temporary shelter.

G.. I guess having thousands of restaurants with varying cuisine from around the world is just not good enough either.

H.. Or could it be that when we wreck our car, that emergency workers show up and provide services to all and even send a helicopter to take you to the hospital.
I.. Perhaps you are one of the 70 percent of Americans who own a home.

J.. You may be upset knowing that in the unfortunately case of a fire, a group of trained firefighters will appear in moments and use top notch equipment to extinguish the flames, thus saving you, your family, and your belongings.

K.. Or if, while at home watching one of your many flat screen TVs, a burglar or prowler intrudes, an officer equipped with a gun and a bullet-proof vest will come to defend you and your family against attack or loss.

L.. This all in the backdrop of a neighborhood free of bombs or militias raping or
pillaging the residence. Neighborhoods where 90 percent teenagers have cell phones and computers.

M.. How about the complete religious, social and political freedoms we enjoy that
are the envy of everyone in the world?

Maybe that is what has 67% of you folks unhappy.


Fact is, we are the largest group of ungrateful, spoiled brats the world has ever seen.
No wonder the world loves the U.S. , yet has a great disdain for its citizens. They see us for what we are. The most blessed people in the world who do nothing but complain about what we don't have, and what we hate about the country instead of thanking the good Lord we live here.

I know, I know. What about the president who took us into war and has no plan to
get us out? The president who has a measly 31 percent approval rating? Is this the same
president who guided the nation in the dark days after 9/11? The president that cut taxes to bring an economy out of recession? Could this be the same guy who has been called every name in the book for succeeding in keeping all the spoiled ungrateful brats safe from terrorist attacks? The commander in chief of an all-volunteer army that is out there defending you and me?

Did you hear how bad the President is on the news or talk show? Did this news affect
you so much, make you so unhappy you couldn't take a look around for yourself and see all the good things and be glad? Think about it......are you upset at the President because he
actually caused you personal pain OR is it because the 'Media' told you he was failing to
kiss your sorry ungrateful behind every day.

Make no mistake about it.
The troops in Iraq and Afghanistan have volunteered to serve, and in many cases may have died for your freedom. There is currently no draft in this country. They didn't have to go. They are able to refuse to go and end up with either a ''general'' discharge, an 'other than honorable'' discharge or, worst case scenario, a ''dishonorable' ' discharge after a few days in the brig.

So why then the flat-out discontentment in the minds of 69 percent of Americans?
Say what you want but I blame it on the media. If it bleeds it leads and they
specialize in bad news. Everybody will watch a car crash with blood and guts. How many will watch kids selling lemonade at the corner? The media knows this and media outlets are for-profit corporations. They offer what sells, and when criticized, try to defend their actions by 'justifying' them in one way or another. Just ask why they tried to allow a murderer like O.J. Simpson to write a book about how he didn't kill his wife, but if he did he would have done it this way......Insane!

Turn off the TV, burn Newsweek, and use the New York Times for the bottom of your bird cage. Then start being grateful for all we have as country. There is exponentially more good than bad. We are among the most blessed people on Earth and should thank God several times a day, or at least be thankful and appreciative.' 'With hurricanes, tornados, fires out of control, mud slides, flooding, severe thunderstorms tearing up the country from one end to another, and with the threat of bird flu and terrorist attacks,

'Are we sure this is a good time to take God out of the
Pledge of Allegiance?'

David Letterman

Love!

Hi! Today is sort of uneventful so, I just want to let everyone know how much I love my husband and why (feel free to stop reading if you don't care)...He is good at everything he does. No joke, one time we went rollerskating and he was skating backwards and spinning around and I could barely stand up without falling! He also is a really hard worker. He is student teaching right now, which is basically teaching for free! He also coached the freshman football team at the school he works at. After practice/ games he comes home and plans lessons for the following day. And on top of all that he has hours of school work to do to finish up his credential.... and he doesn't complain at all (okay that is a lie). Anyway, he is the best guy and I am so lucky to have him in my life. He makes me a better person in so many ways. So thanks for listening to me gloat! Happy hump day everyone....we are officially over it.

Daniel.

Today would have been my best friend Daniel's 28th Birthday. I think about him everyday and all of our wonderful memories. He always made me laugh, not just regular laughs, the ones where I would cry because I was laughing so hard. This world is a better place for having him in it for 21 years and I thank God that I had the opportunity to be considered his friend.

OC on Fire!

Oh my goodness, what a weekend. My heart is broken for all of the families who lost their homes in the O.C. fires. My sister and her husband and his family, were all on the evacuation list as well as our friends the Tylers and our friend Ashley. Luckily all of their homes were okay but, not everyone was as lucky. So while you are complaining about the ash, and all of the smoke, etc., keep in mind just how lucky you are!

My Lily.

This is my little Lily. Most of the time she is an angel... she has her moments though.