Swoosh

Such the slacker I am, had promised to post daily and then let life get the best of me. Ah well...here's an update:

My Substance Abuse Counseling class was soooooooooo tedious and "high school" on Tuesday. The professor gave us a scrapbook assignment, but didn't give a time limit, so certain classmates played YouTube advertisements that were 7+ minutes. Hello.....I finally had to speak up and put a stop to the nonsense, as the professor looked to be spacing out. I get more out of reading the book and watching Basketball Diaries then I do sitting in that class. Irritates me when I don't get my money's worth.

Last night in Trauma class we discussed DID, or dissociative identity disorder. DID is what multiple personality disorder was renamed as. The professor told some pretty interesting stories of how she came to diagnose her clients who had DID - a bit tip off is "losing time", which of course can happen when you black out from substance abuse, but that wasn't the case with these clients. Spooky stuff. Glad my brain is intact....for the most part.

Heading out for Denver in a few hours to hang with my cousins and hit the slopes. Can't wait.

All for now - will post pics of the trip soon.

Stir-crazy

I made it to work every day this week, despite the "storm" but am still feeling a bit stir-crazy. I've lined up a few thing this weekend that will hopefully satisfy that feeling.

Tonight noshing at the Central Cafe - yum, love that place. After that, who knows...the night is young.

Tomorrow, up and at'em early. Taking my mom to get her oil changed, then a little shopping, then a lot of cleaning. Taking in an art opening downtown in the afternoon, then having company over for dinner, drinks, what have you...

Sunday is sleeping in, then the usual Baby Day with the family. Ethan's pulling hair and chewing on it now, and really grabby with the faces - it's a miracle that his mother Mandy still has her hair. He's got some strength, so I'll be wearing my hair up and leaving my earrings at home. My goal is to get him walking in the next couple months - he really wants to, refuses to crawl and just loves to be on his feet, bouncy bouncy.

I'm picking up some ski goggles this weekend for my upcoming Winter Park excurs
ion. Can't wait to hang with my cousin on the slopes.

The reason Ethan is in a towel on the sink is because last Sunday when he arrived at my brother's "Burger House" extravaganza, Mandy lifted him out of his carseat and he had apparently had a blowout on the way over. There was poo all up his back - must have felt kind of warm and comforting to a baby, but if I were him I'd be embarrassed. He's good about laughing things like that off. Anyway, I thought he looked like a commercial baby, what with the blue towel and product placement so I snapped a pic post-poo.

Happy (Black) Friday

Crimeny - I am still full from yesterday.

Can't really take a deep breath.

And that, I feel, is a testament to how incredible the food was, and not my ability to stuff my face.

Some highlights:

- mile-high apple pie

- three kinds of Jello concoctions

- green bean casserole...delish

- Stove Top...yup, I go for the boxed creation

- I lost at cards, but whistled my favorite holiday tunes throughout because I was in such a good mood. I also called my grandma a bad name because she tried to set me, but she just laughed and called me the same thing. Awesomeness.

- my brother Jeff, cousin James and I debated on goofy names for Mandy's immenent bundle of joy. So far, Trixie is in the lead. James liked Ginger, Jasmine and Daisy, which fit with Trixie as they are ALL stripper names. Clint is the frontrunner for a boy, followed by Seamus, Ulysses, and Chebbi, which is what Mandy's Tae Kwon Do master yells at her during sparing.

So, I am at work on this post-Thanksgiving day, but that's okay. I have already visited the Hybrid OR with my colleague Laura to shoot fisheye stills for an eventual 360 for our new website. I am now getting ready to organize some media for our FB and YT, and have a meeting after lunch to discuss a medical breakthroughs initiative for the website. Yup...I dig my job. A lot. Enough to be okay with working on Black Friday.

My Pandora is cranked, and I am listening to Long View - it's a good day.

Toot Toot

It's my Adoption Day today.

I would have completely forgotten it, had it not been for my Aunt Deb.

I got home from class late last night, and found a nice surprise in my mailbox. Giftcards to two of my favorite stores, and a sweet card.

Thanks Deb & Family! Made my night...

I was born on May 27th, and adopted on July 9th. Just a wee babe. The story goes, I started out with red hair, but it fell out and was replaced with golden locks that were curly and unruly. A year and three months later, my brother came along the natural way. We both have blonde hair, green eyes and are about the same height. It worked out fine.

My family threw me a party to tell me I was adopted. I don't remember how old I was, but it was around the age that Barbies were very important to me, so the news wasn't earth shattering - it was just another day I got presents. Smart.

My family is great - I'm lucky they chose me. I often wonder what farm I'd be stuck on had they not come along and picked me out of the cabbage patch.

So, now this Cabbage Patch kid has a couple of coolio giftcards to spend this weekend on something educational, entertaining and stylish. Doesn't get any better!

Thanks Jeff

Kind of a crap day. Trying to shake it off. I know tomorrow will be better.

On the positive side, my brother has been an endless well of support for me, and that means a lot. Thanks, Jeff.

Jeff is a rock in our family, is really an endless well of support for most of us, and he'll soon be getting what he worked so hard for these last, oh, 30 years. Granted, he didn't know when he was in 1st grade exactly what he wanted to be when he grew up, but he worked his little butt off anyway.

And it's all paying off.

He's an orthopedic surgeon, one of the best, and has accepted a dream job with a local university/hospital. Actually, they've wanted him for years, and held off hiring anyone for this open position until he was available. You see, he's loved by all.

I'm so happy for him - it's about time he gets to lean way back in his chair, clasp his hands behind his head, and breath that big sigh of "Yesssss".

Sunday Catch Up

-I just heard that Paul Harvey passed away on Saturday. Paul Harvey was "present" for many good memories in my lifetime. The first time I heard his radio broadcast was when I was very young and riding in the car with my grandpa, Guy Hall Jr., usually around lunchtime. He'd frequently cap off a reading with, "And that's the rest of the story", and my aunt Debby and I use this phrase sometimes when we talk to each other on the phone, after we've finished telling our stories to each other.

When people in your life, whether they are friends, relatives, or even radio personalities pass away, and you realize you'll never hear them again and that their contributions to this world are over, it's just darn sad.


-It's official - my dog Oliver is dog-crazy. He has this inability to relate to other dogs in a calm, non-violent manner. He is a little guy, 15 lbs of pure Shih Tzu, but he exhibits tasmanian devil-like behavior when another dog enters his atmosphere. I am seriously thinking that he needs therapy. Maybe it's my "nervous energy" that travels down the leash when I see another dog, and it transfers onto him (that's what Ceasar says). We had many close calls this weekend, it's become a serious problem.

-My cousin Erica has been chosen to be in a commercial for her success with L.A. Weight Loss. I really admire her dedication and perseverance, and I think she's a natural for this opportunity. They couldn't have picked a better gal for the job, and I look forward to seeing the commercial soon.

-I watched an interesting film yesterday, Frontiére(s), a French Hostel-like horror movie. It was one of the 2007 AfterDark Horrorfest films, I totally overlooked this gem. It was action from start to finish, great ending, and a decent plot. If you liked Brotherhood Of The Wolf, you'll probably enjoy this.

My Family

I ran across this picture of my mom and brother taken on Christmas Eve 2007. It was taken at my aunt Deb's house. I'm sure my mom will kill me for posting this picture, but I think it's a really nice one of her.

That's my brother Jeff standing next to her. He doesn't always look that mental, he's playing it up for the picture. He's an orthopedic surgeon, and a darn good one. He's been to Iraq twice, courtesy of the USAF, and helped to save the lives of soldiers as well as Iraqi civilians and insurgents. He's out of the Air Force now, thank goodness, safe and sound in St. Louis.

My mom came for Christmas this year also, and I believe she is reverse aging. She looked about 15 years younger. I remember when we all met up at the Olive Garden the night she flew in, I sat next to her and was amazed at how luminous and wrinkle free her face was. She was radiant. Since I'm adopted, I won't be able to claim those good genes, but maybe I can attribute her healthy glow to growing up in ND, so that I can get in on the secret.

When it snows out, like it is doing now, I miss my home, and my mom. Even though I believe that my old room has been turned into the "computer room", I'm sure I could walk in that room and feel just right. I wish I could wake up there tomorrow morning, knowing it's a snow day by the sound of her in the kitchen making pancakes with the TV on listing the school closings. That's the best.

Then later, when we'd be playing Boggle, she'd put on the Chuck Mangione record. Something soothing like that.

So, I saw this picture, and it's the closest I'm going to get to home right now.

And there you have it.