Christmas Shopping

I know I haven't posted since before Halloween.  I'm on a project of my own.  I will probably be able to write more after the first of the year... however, I HAD to post about Nordstroms....

SOOOO proud of the store. Go here  They have a sign that says

"We won't be decking our halls until Friday, November 25.
Why? We just like the idea of celebrating one holiday at a time.
Our stores will be closed on Thursday for Thanksgiving festivities. On Friday, our doors will open to ring in the new season in style.
From our family to yours, Happy Thanksgiving."


If I hadn't done all of my Christmas shopping already, you can BET I would be visiting this store.

Some people REALLY like Halloween

The coolest part about the below video is his bio.

"2011 Halloween Light Show -- Party Rock Anthem by LMFAO.
4 singing pumpkin faces, tombstones, hand carved pumpkins, strobes, floods and thousands of lights. Most all lights have been changed from incandescent to RGB LED so power consumption is a lot less than previous years. Also DMX added to show. All lights, faces and props are custom made (DIY) by me except for the roof line which are CCRs. Controlling channels have gone up 8X from last year. 1144 channels. Light-O-Rama. Riverside, CA"



House Light Show also can be found here.  I'd suggest going to his personal site and looking at the other videos. Very cool. :)

Who doesn't love CVS discounted Gift Cards

So heres the deal -

If you go Here you should be directed to the savemore.com website.

 Right now they have - Buy a $10 CVS gift card for only $5. I do a TON of shopping at CVS (considering there is one RIGHT by my work).


But the deal gets even better.  If you click on my link (opposed to going there by yourself) you will get $10 Voucher for SaveMore.com.  Unfortunately, you can not use it on the CVS gift card deal, but still... Its not a bad way to get a CVS gift card and some money towards a future deal!!

Amazon Price Tracker

Amazon regularly changes their prices.  So when you need to routinely get an item, its nice to know when it (unofficially) goes on sale.

Which is why camelcamelcamel.com is such a nice site. :) They list the all time highs and lows of an item you are interested in.  They also have something for Best Buy and other sites. The nice thing with camelcamelcamel.com is you do not have to register to use their service.  However, if you to register to use their service, you can sign up for notifications of a price drop.

C routinly takes Zyrtec every day, so I signed up for a notification when the 70 count drops below $19... Who knows if it will ever happen, but one can always hope!

I love Free

Who doesn't love free stuff?

There is a 4.99 rebate here - $5 Rebate

I found it for $4.99 at Amazon.  And the best thing about Amazon... in Illinois you don't have to pay tax. :)  Which means the total cost of this item is the cost of the stamp to mail in the rebate.

Very interesting blog - Exercise

Back a few weeks ago I was talking about how I think exerciser people try to trick us non-exercise folks into believing that you get addicted to exercise.  Now, unfortunately, I have not experienced this addiction yet. I have been slacking on the exercising also, which is why I probably aren't addicted yet.

But anyway, I found this blog.  Here Its called "Fit 2 Fat 2 Fit."  Its a real life journey from an "obsessed with being fit" man to a couch potato, back to an "obsessed with being fit" man.  This gentleman is a certified personal training through NASM (whatever that is).  May 7th (of this year) he weight 193 lbs.  5 months later (Oct 15th) he weighed 263 lbs.  His measuremetns increased: waist - 13 inches, chest - 4 inches, neck - 1 inch, and hips - 11.5 inches. Of course all of this is fat.  He has said that his diet is unrestricted and he wont exercise during his "fat" stage. 

I think the most interesting part of the story will begin in about 2 weeks when he starts the "fit" stage.  I can't wait to read it. My goal is to implement his "fit" plan starting January 1st. 


Personally, I think that not only will this journey help people like me (I'm not 60 lbs overweight, but I don't workout nearly as much as I should) but I think it will also help him become a better personal trainer when dealing with .... well.... (lets be blunt) fat people.

FYI - apparently this blog has gotten a LOT of press lately so his site is extremely slow. 

Dublin barks a lot during storms

Dublin is a fantastic watch dog... almost too good of a watch dog.  Last night was very windy and stormy.  C was out with friends so I was home alone.  It got to be "bed time" (haha, yes I go to bed at the same time every day) and I went to bed with Dublin.  The only problem was Dublin kept hearing the wind blowing and kept barking.  I was too afraid to turn the lights off for fear of Dublin actually barking at a burgler and not just the storm.  So, I sat in bed (with the lights on) until C got home.

During that time, Dublin barked every 5 minutes.  Sometimes Dublin would just bark once and then put his head back down.  Other times he would bark excessively and get up and run to the front door.  I could hear him walking around, barking every few minutes, checking to make sure no one was there, and then run back to bed with me. 

After doing this 2 times, I was starting to get nervous and was 1 more time away from getting up and grabbing the bat and setting it right beside me.  See, when I moved to the city, my mom gave me her metal baseball bat to use as a weapon if a burglar ever came to the house.  (I'm pretty sure this bat has lived under my parents bed for the past 20 years.)  I actually started looking around the room, if a burglar did find me, to see what I would throw at him to try to get away. 


Thankfully, after 30 minutes or so, C arrived home and saved me from the scary burglar to come.  (phew)

Chicago Protests

On Tuesday I was sitting in my office when I heard a ton of police whistles and a lot of screaming.  I looked out the window to see hundreds of people marching with signs in the middle of the street.  The police were escorting them East.

I was able to get out of work around 6 PM and I wanted to see what was up.  I walked to Monroe and Michigan and saw this.

Turns out the people were petitioning about schools.  But that's not really why I'm posting.  I was honestly surprised at how well the whole thing went.  There were dozens of cops re-directing traffic and many cops trying to make sure the riot didn't get out of control. 

I've seen petitions before, but never something on such a large scale.  To shut down Michigan Avenue is a HUGE deal.  Aside from Lake Shore Drive, Michigan Ave is probably the busiest street downtown.  Personally, I think this its pretty cool of Chicago to allow people to do something like this.

Women delivers baby after the Chicago Marathon

I'm sure everyone heard.  Somehow her stupidity made national news.  My 2 cousins ran the race on Sunday so I went to cheer them on.  They both did great by the way. :) Super proud.

But anyway, back to the stupidity.  We all saw her.  And it was an echo effect, "Is she pregnant" was heard throughout the crowd.  Supposedly her dr approved her to run half the race and walk the other half.  And all I gotta say is when I saw her, she wasn't walking, she was running. Honestly, I think she was stupid to chance her babies health like that, not to mention her own.

People die in this race and get carted off to the hospital.  It was a very warm day and she could have killed her baby. 

I don't understand why anyone would take that risk.  Especially because if you think about it: The race is in October.  The earliest you can register is February 1st.  That is 8 months between the earliest registration date and the race.  She said at the time of delivery she was 39 weeks preggo. So unless she was the first person to register, she should have already known she was pregnant.  I just don't get it.

AMAZING new "to-go" place

C has officially given up milk.  He has lactose issues.  So when we don't have any energy to make dinner, we usually are stuck with ordering Chinese (pizza is out of the question).  Usually this isn't a problem, but ya know... sometimes its nice to have something other than Chinese for take-out. 

On Friday, C found this AMAZING place called "real kitchen."  Click Here Basically, it is 3 chefs who decided to create a to-go restaurant where you buy dishes, sandwiches, salads, soups, desserts (you name it).  All you have to do is heat up the meal at home.  C had the Coq Au Vin, and I had some small things.  Twice Baked Potatoes and Greek Orzo Salad.  I can't vouch for C's food, but mine was AMAZING.  We also ordered some wonderful bread and 2 cupcakes.  C had the caramel cupcake (TO DIE FOR) and I had a cherry pistachio cupcake.  They both had creamy centers.  Honestly, while my cupcake was amazing, I had a taste of C's and his was WAAAAY better.  Jealous!

I really wanted to taste the zucchini fritters, but they were out of them that day. :*(

All I know is C and I will be back, (possibly sometime this month) because that place was amazing. :)

Denmark - Taxes fatty foods

Personally - I think this is FANTASTIC.  I've always thought that people should understand how much they are hurting themselves with obesity.  Apparently "Starting from this Saturday, Danes will pay an extra 30[pence] on each pack of butter, 8p on a pack of crisps, and an extra 13p on a pound of mince, as a result of the tax." Hopefully, people will start looking for other healthier options.

I also think that airlines should adopt this process.  Charge more for people who themselves and luggage weigh more than 220 lbs or something like that.  And less for people who themselves and luggage weight less than 220.  I mean think of the children, who only weigh 50 lbs; they have to pay the same price as the person who weighs 300 lbs.  I don't think that's fair at all.  A heavier person will end up costing the plane more gas.  Honestly... it just makes sense.

Smoking at work

First of all... smoking is nasty.  I understand that people are addicted, but its gross.  It smells bad, and it is awful for your health.  But that's besides the point, what you do on your own time, doesn't really bother me.  What does bother me, is what you do when I'm around.

I have 2 new people who arrived in my "work pod" today.  See, instead of individual cubes, we have a 4 pod system, where there are only 2 walls.  It is supposed to encourage relationships between young and old engineers.  It doesn't.  It's just annoying.

Well, the issue is, at least 1 person is a smoker.  And he REAKS like smoke.  I've heard that the other one used to be a smoker, and possibly still is a smoker.  So really, that blows.  I mean its one thing to take a break at work.  Its another to smoke during said break because you come back to the office smelling terrible.  I think its rude to smoke at work because you are subjecting everyone who comes into contact with you to that smell.  And that smell is gross.

I'm seriously considering emailing the floor coordinator to try to get these people moved.  Its just nasty.

Children at a dog park

So - I don't normally post on a Saturday, but I slacked last week.

I woke up this morning and took Dub to the dog park.  He was the very first dog to arrive (at a bright and early 8 AM) however other dogs came shortly.

Around 9, a lady brought her dog, and her 4 year old daughter to the dog park.  I immediately got nervous.  I mean, lets call a spade a spade.... Dublin is NOT good around children.  So I grabbed his leash and was ready to go, until I saw Dublin didn't even care about the kid.  He completely ignored her and just went to play with the other dogs.  I put away the leash and tried to relax.  After about 15 minutes, I grabbed Dublin and introduced him to the 4 year old.  He was a real good boy, I was thrilled!

However, 15 minutes later, they left and 3 more children came in.  They were 3 year old, 5 year old, and 3 month old.  I asked the mother if Dublin could say Hi.  Both children LOVED Dublin and they wanted to play fetch with him.  It was great for about 15 minutes.... until Dublin jumped on the 3 year old. 

So.... That brings me to the question of why bring children to a dog park.  I really don't know what I would do if I were in that situation.  Needing to take your dog for exercise and having no one to watch the children.  I talked to C about it, and I said "I would never bring..." at which point he interrupted me and said "Yes you will.  Your children will grow up around dogs and you'll want them to play with the dog." 

Its just awful, everyone always says that in order for Dublin to get over his fear of children, he needs to be around them.  Today was (overall) a positive experience for Dublin.  The young-ins were playing fetch with him.  He loved it.  I think he just loved it too much.  So frustrating... On the plus side... no one got hurt.

Got freaked out walking Dub a few nights ago.

So, I live in Chicago (which should be obvious) and a lot of neighborhoods are not the best.  Even "good" neighborhoods have substantially more crime than the suburbs.  (Hence why most parents move to the 'burbs to raise a family) 

Anyway, It was bed time for Dub and I always walk Dub right before he goes to bed.  Almost everyone in the neighborhood is afraid of Dub because they think he looks like a pit bull.  Honestly, he has some characteristics (short coat, wide set back legs, the snout is similar), but he really doesn't look that much like one.  Regardless, since I am a young female and I generally walk Dub alone, I am perfect OK with strangers thinking he looks like a pit because of the terrible rep pits have.
On a side note - I believe very strongly that it is the owner who makes the dog mean, not the breed.  My mother and their 8 year old beagle have been attacked 2 times by different Jack Russel Terriers.... so.  Um... yeah. 
But - Lets get back to the original story.  I was leaving the apartment and all of a sudden I got a real bad feeling on this walk.  I've never had this bad feeling walking Dub before.  Like I was being followed or watched.  It really gave me the creeps.  That's when I wished I had Pepper Spray.  I know Dub is very weary toward other people and other people are very weary of him, but it didn't really help the bad feeling. 

So - I ordered Pepper Spray today. I picked this one because it was cheap, and had good reviews. The funny thing is I actually read the reviews and they were quite humorous.

One was titled - Accidental "Test" Reveals Efficacy!" Wow... That must suck....

Another - "Having never been subjected to pepper spray before, I thought it would be "fun", "interesting", or "exciting" to allow a trusted friend to spray me under extremely controlled conditions. As an action medic, I've treated individuals that were maced and have gotten extremely minute second-hand effects from being around them...but I'm certain there is nothing that could prepare anyone for the amount of pain, irritation, and terror that this self-defense tool causes."

I just can't imagine ever buying this product to "test" it...  I guess its more common than I thought.

I suck at this "working-out" thing

So, I officially posted about the motivation "coupons" C gave me a month ago.  Since then I have filled out 5 of the 10 workouts for 1 date.  (Meaning I have exercised 5 times in the past month - ouch)

Now - 1 of those weeks I have a good excuse, but the other, I do not.  Last week I was very sick, therefore I didn't work out.  However I don't have any excuse for the week before... except laziness.

Therefore in order for me to get my Keratin treatment around Thanksgiving, I officially need to work out 15 times before October 22, or approximately 4 times a week to make up for my approximate 1 time a week this month.  Wow, that's a lot.  I guess I better get started, and get used to waking up earlier.... Crappy

I'm jealous of amazing musicians/singers

Omg.... *drool*

I envy amazing musicians/singers.... This guy makes me so jealous!!

Northern Lights - I didn't take this pictures

One of the things I desperately wanted to do while I was in Alaska was see the Northern Lights.  Unfortunately, we decided to go to Alaska when there was virtually no darkness (only twilight).  So the northern lights were impossible to see. 

Before I die, I want to see the northern lights... I mean how cool is this picture!!

Buying a present for a 1 year old.....

So.  C's cousin had a baby approximately a year ago.  Well, the babies 1 year old birthday is coming up.  And the parents are having a party.  Which brings me to my dilema.... What to get a 1 year old.

Part of me wants to get a toy over clothes.  I mean the baby is a boy, so I feel weird playing "dress-up" with him.  So I figure toys are a safe bet.  However, I went to a 1 year old birthday party a few months ago, and the babies favorite present was a balloon. So... what do I do.  Just get the baby a balloon?  And maybe a box?  Haha.  There is no way I can do that, although I do kinda want to put his toy (whatever I get) in a gigantic box for the baby to play in.

So, onto the "real" present for the baby.... Do I get an educational toy?  A loud and fun toy?  A quiet toy?  If I were a parents, I would despise anyone who gave my kid a loud toy.  But at the same time, I don't know if an educational toy would be fun. 

Also - I have no idea whats "in" as far as baby toys. So I really don't know what to get the baby.  Too many choices, and I only have 1.5 weeks till the party.

I guess I keep a lot of stuff...

So.  C and I spent the weekend clearing out junk.  I've learned that I keep a lot of stuff that I have no intention of ever using!  

You would not believe how much of Rags hair I have.  Before I had to put him down, I cut his tail so I could have something to remember him by.  I think I still have a huge chunk of tail, just sitting there, in a plastic bin.  But, I can't pull myself together enough to actually throw it out, so it just sits there.  Along with his halter, old lead rope and old bridle bag.  I can pretty much guarantee that I will never use these things or display them.  I already have a ton of pictures and a shadow box for Rags, but I think H3LL will freeze over before I throw those things out. 

I also have a bunch of picture frames.  I bought the picture frames with every intention of - well - framing pictures. However, I never got around to finding the "right" pictures, and life got busy so I just threw them in the bottom of a closet.  Well, years later, they are still in the bottom of the closet and I still have no intention of using them. 

So, anyway, all of Rags' Stuff is back in the storage bin in a storage locker.  Although, I was good.  The rest of the stuff - empty electronic boxes for when I eventually move again, photo frames sitting on the floor of the closet... all that stuff is on craigslist or in the garbage.  I've come to the conclusion that even though I know I'll be moving again in the next few years I don't need to put my nice stereo equipment back in its original box.  I can put it in other boxes and it will all be just fine....

But I did gain a TON of storage space. :)

Horses and Dogs

By now you should have figured out I love horses and Dogs... Therefore I love this pictures. :)

The Madison Ironman - 9/11/11

My dad and brother just finished an ironman.  Baiscally, they are nuts and I think they should be committed to an insane asylym, but thats just cuz I have no desire to torture myself like that.

I wanted to share my day at the ironman.

Just some stats to start out.  Approx 2800 people were registered. 1000 first time iron man athletes.  The youngest was 18, oldest 74. 

So, Mom and I woke up and enjoyed a nice breakfast.  We took a shuttle to the main part of the race and figured out the best place to watch the bikers.  Unfortunately they did not give us good directions so when we got back I tried to input an intersection that I thought was close to a bunch of hills. 

Well, turns out I did REAL good.  Mom and I hung out there for about 5 hours.  We were at the top of a big hill near a turn so we got to see the bikers for at least 15 seconds.  (lol) We had no idea what mile we were at (turns out it was ~ mile 50) so we just watched and waited for my bro and dad to show up.  We also had no idea what they were wearing, so it was quite difficult.  My brother almost rode right past us without noticing us even though we were yelling and screaming.  It also looked like he almost fell off his bike trying to ask us if Dad was behind or ahead of him.  (I'm sure he will say he didn't almost fell, but it looked that way.  And Dad was behind)  For several hours before we saw my brother, we cheered on hundreds of other bikers.  We also saw the lead biker and his "entourage" as they rode by.

Somehow, we almost missed Dad (about 30 minutes behind my bro).  He was actually the one who noticed us instead of the other way around.  We found out later, (the next day) that Dad actually had a flat tire at the beginning of the race.  Turns out one of his spares (he has 2) also had a hole in it so after Dad changed his flat he rode almost the entire 112 miles with no spare tire.  Quite a scary thing in the middle of the race.  We had planned to stay at that location for a while since the bikers rode past us twice.  However late in the day we decided to wait for the boys at the bike finish line. 

I guess Madison is "infamous" for this, but I just think this is CRUEL.  The runners have to run up the parking lot helix after the swim to change into biking gear.  Then they have to bike down it (not that big of a deal, but kinda scary.)  HOWEVER, after 112 miles of biking, the course designer thought it would be a nice touch to make the bikers bike up this.  As if the hundreds of excruciating hills aren't enough, they have to add a terrible helix at the end of it.  You would not believe how many bikers complained that they were getting dizy.  I was not surprised.  Lets add dehydration, extreme fatigue, circles and a ramp and see how many bikers will complete it.    My brother completed this with what looked like no problem.  (Later we found out he was vomiting almost the entire bike ride.... fun times)  He then went to change into his running gear.  At this point Dad was about 1 hour behind my bro, so we decided to meet my brother at the start of the marathon race.  We took a few pictures and cheered them on before returning to the helix to wait for Dad.

It got to be 5:15 and all of a sudden all of these ironman volunteers came out to the helix.  Turns out if you don't cross the finish line by 5:30 they don't allow you to run the marathon.  Dad still had not finished the bike part so Mom and I were stressing.  Every single biker that got close to the helix was cheered on and we were hoping it was Dad.  FINALLY with 3 minutes to spare he rode up.  He reached the bottom of the helix, got off his bike and stopped.  I ran down the helix and started cheering him on along with all the other volunteers.  After much encouragement Dad finally started running with his bike up the helix.  He ended up finishing the bike with 2 minutes to spare, but immediately collapsed after crossing the finish line and told us he wasn't going to do the marathon, that he quit.  It took us about 30 minutes to persuade him to keep going.  It was 6:00 when Dad started the marathon.  Normally 6 hours to do a marathon wouldn't be too bad, but after 114 miles... its hard to walk let alone RUN a marathon.  I calculated that Dad had to run an approximate 13.5 minute mile.  What I deamed almost impossible for Dad in his fatigued shape. 

Mom and I grabbed the boys bikes and personal items and brought them back to the hotel.  We then walked to the marathon at the 4, 10, 17 and 21 mile point.  The marathon course is extremely boring... you have to make 4 loops on the same roads... But that's ok, we got to see the boys several times.  The first time I saw Dad on the marathon track, I had realized he was keeping ~ 13.25 minute mile.  I power-walked with Dad up the hill and told him I was going to stay until he crossed the finish line (instead of leaving at 10 PM like I originally wanted to.). By the time we saw Dad, my brother had already reached the halfway point on the marathon, so we made our way to the finish line.  By the time we got there, Michael hadn't reached the last checkpoint (4 miles to the finish) before the end.  So Mom and I started walking down the path trying to see the boys.  About 9:30, Mom and I decided that I was going to walk down the path to try to find my brother and Dad.  So I started walking, hoping to cheer them on to the finish line.  Less than a mile from the finish I saw my brother.  I power-walked with him for a while, and tried to convince him to keep up the pace for the last mile.  Later I found out that he ran the last mile because of my encouragement finishing 69th in his age group. 

After I passed my bro, I saw this guy during the marathon.  He was wearing the full fireman outfit.  I didn't take a picture, but I can vouch for him.  Such dedication.

I ended up walking ~ 4 miles through the marathon looking for Dad.  At 10:45 I turned around so I could meet back with Mom and 11:30.  I had no sign from Dad, couldn't find him.  I thought for sure that he was not going to finish.  At 11:45 (the race ENDS at midnight) there was still no sign of Dad so Mom asked me to go get the car for the boys who will be too tired to walk.  I guess 5 minutes after I left, Mom found Dad with about 0.5 miles to go.  She cheered him on, as well as the crowd.  The crowd started shouting for him to go, and soon the finish line was in site.  The crowd started counting down.  Dad had seconds to cross the finish line, or get a DNF (Did Not Finish)... 10... 9... 8... 7...

Dad was officially the last person to finish the Ironman with seconds to spare.  (I guess the clock was 35 seconds fast so he really finished with 40 seconds to spare opposed to 5 seconds he was told.  His time was later adjusted.) Dad ended up finishing 63rd in his age group. 

2800 started the race.  Only 2242 finished. 

The race was extremely stressful for us.  The entire time Mom and I were worried they were stuck somewhere or couldn't finish.  Its not like the athletes run or bike with cell phones to call if there are problems.  We saw injuries, men and women who could barely walk, terrible sunburn... basically a ton of bad stuff.

My brother suffered from (thankfully) mild dehydration, and Dad came out of the race with only extremely fatigue. 

Congrats guys... You are Ironmen.

Adorable Puppy

Puppy Howling with Wolves  C just sent me this.  It is SOO cute!  Just thought I would share.

Dog Friendly Bar in Chicago

Bonus Post!!

I just found out about this promotion a nearby bar is doing.  Is it bad how SUPER excited I am about this!?  Dog Friendly Bar I can't wait to bring Dublin there. :) I've never been to this bar, nor have I ever heard anything about it.  But come on, who would not like to drink with their dog.  I've been waiting to hear about a dog friendly bar since we first got Dublin.  I can't say I spent a lot of time looking for one.  I mean C and I have been super busy the entire summer.  But now that I found one, I can't wait to visit it.  I will post pictures as soon as we go. :)

Real Musical Talent

Its been a while.  I left on Friday to drive to St Louis and came back yesterday.  C and I went to visit his family and also watch the Brewers play the Cardinals (Brewers won btw.)  But, that is where I've been.

This morning I saw this video.  Real Talent I have no idea who this girl is, but seriously, she is AMAZING. Honestly, I am not a fan of a lot of today's music.  I mean, I like to listen to it, but I don't think the artists are very talented.  I think their song writers and publicists are very talented, but I feel like the actual singer is just a voice/image.

Until I saw the girl in this video.  I feel real bad for her.  She has more talent in her little pinky than a lot of pop stars have in their whole body.  I wish people like her would be given the chance at a contract.

Glass Art

I guess you could say I really enjoy non-traditional "paintings."  Or perhaps a better description is 2D sculpture.  In addition to the Copper art at Irish Fest (See previous Post) I loved the glass "paintings."  I don't know how to describe the Copper or Glass Art without calling them paintings.  In actuality, they are flat wall hangings (framed) which are etched into a design.  Therefore the glass art is a large piece of glass that has a design etched into it, thus creating a "painting" similar to a black and white painting.

The vender at Irish Fest had a small amount of Celtic Art, but also had a ton of Non-Irish ways he could create something for you.  My favorite "painting" is of the tree of life. Website Here I absolutely love how intricate and detailed this design is.  Also the meaning behind the picture is fantastic.  Unfortunately, I have extremely expensive taste and this piece is out of my budget.  So I have two ideas.  I plan to contact the artist to see if his non-fest prices are more reasonable.  Or, I'll wait to buy it when I have more money and am not trying to save for a downpayment on a house.

To be honest, I have no idea what makes me think or believe I'll have more money later in life.  Especially if I buy a house and buy a "fixer-upper" (which is what I expect is the only thing I'll be able to afford as a first home.)

But anyway, I am also in love with the wedding invitation keepsake.  (No one who attends a wedding with me is allowed to give this gift.  This is now my new favorite wedding gift, so don't steal it!)  So, if you can't really see below, the artists creates a framed "painting" with all the verb-age that is on the wedding invite. 

Copper "Sculptures"

C and I went to Irish Fest a few weeks ago.  We went in 2010 also, and C has gone for the past 15 plus years.  Irish Fest is the largest Irish Festival in the world.

Basically Irish Fest includes eating, drinking, Professional Tug-Of-War competitions, drinking, concerts, eating, Irish Dancing and more drinking.  There is also an area where all the native Irish dog breeds show up and educate everyone.  It is actually a lot of fun and the food is traditional "feel good" Irish Food.

One of my favorite things to do is go shopping.  Last year I discovered a lady who "paints?" .... "etches?" ... (I'm not really sure what to call it) designs in copper.  Website Here Most of her stuff, at least what she brings to Irish Fest, has a Celtic spin on it.  One of my favorite pieces is a Celtic Horse (Left).  I saw it last year at Irish Fest, and I was in love.  Last Novemeber she offered it to me at an extremely reasonable price (1/2 off) however, I have my heart set on a custom piece of Rags and Myself.  (I did find it amusing that she brought this same piece to Irish Fest this year and her price was not the 50% off price she quoted me... Just goes to show sometimes its better to speak to the artist and pay shipping then to get it at the fest).  Anyway, her custom prices are quite steep and at the moment I can not justify spending $300 plus on a piece of art.

However, one of these days, I will commission her to create the picture for me.  It will be of Rags and me walking toward the barn.  I don't think I'll get the picture any time soon, and it will probably be after I buy a house, but someday I will get one.

Motivation Date

Well, I know C is probably going to hate this post but, I had a great boyfriend. :) I blogged a few days ago (see post here) about needing motivation to work out.  I made a deal with myself that if I work out approximately 3 times a week I can buy myself a Keratin treatment on my hair.  Well, C sweetened the deal.  He gave me a bunch of "coupons" for dates.  I have to work out 10 times in order to get 1 free date.  So, assuming I stay to the whole 3 times a week thing, That should translate to about 1 date a month.  Also, considering C gave me 10 plus coupons, this should get me past the "I hate working out and being in pain" phase.

Personally I have never experienced getting beyond this phase, but people have told me that after you exercise for a particular length of time, your body starts to crave the endorphins.  Once you reach this point (supposedly) you actually enjoy working out.  I really hope this is true, opposed to some cruel lie everyone says so they can point and laugh at out-of-shape people trying to work out. 

The Mindset List: 2007 List

Alright.  My friend Decidedlydisastica introduced me to a Mindset.  It is a list created by a college in Beloit Wi about how the entering freshman differ from previous generations.  So, I decided to share my thoughts on my list. :) My comments are colored and in italics.

2007 List

1. Ricky Nelson, Richard Burton, Samantha Smith, Laura Ashley, Orson Welles, Karen Ann Quinlan, Benigno Aquino, and the U.S. Football League have always been dead. - Honestly, when the NFL went on strike this year, I REALLY wanted the strike to last the entire season so the football players and coaches would realize how lucky they are.  Lets see how they feel after not getting paid for a year...
2. They are not familiar with the source of that "Giant Sucking Sound." - Huh?
3. Iraq has always been a problem.
4. "Ctrl + Alt + Del" is as basic as "ABC." - Pretty much.
5. Paul Newman has always made salad dressing. - Newman's Own!
6. Pete Rose has always been a gambler.
7. Bert and Ernie are old enough to be their parents. - So apparently since New York legalized same sex marriage recently, there are a bunch of people who are lobbying for Bert and Ernie to get married. 
8. An automatic is a weapon, not a transmission. - Automatic was standard on my car.
9. Russian leaders have always looked like leaders everyplace else. - ??? What did they used to look like
10. The snail darter has never been endangered. - I don't even know what this is
11. There has always been a screening test for AIDS. - Lucky us.  Although this should say HIV... right?
12. Gas has always been unleaded. - Yeah, honestly, what is leaded gas?
13. They never heard Howard Cosell call a game on ABC. - ??
14. The United States has always had a Poet Laureate.
15. Garrison Keillor has always been live on public radio and Lawrence Welk has always been dead on public television.
    
16. Their families drove SUVs without "being fuelish." - I still think gas guzzlers are silly
17. There has always been some association between fried eggs and your brain. - OMG I totally remember watching this commercial as a kid.  "This is your brain, this is your brain on drugs."  haha.
18. They would never leave their calling card on someone’s desk. - My mom used to work for AT&T and I remember she would always get free 5 min calling cards.  We would hoard them and I would use them all the time.
19. They have never been able to find the "return" key. - Now its "Enter" (In case you didn't know)
20. Computers have always fit in their backpacks. - I wouldn't say this.  I remember when the monitors took up the size of an entire desk
21. Datsuns have never been made. - ??
22. They have never gotten excited over a telegram, a long distance call, or a fax. - Honestly, I HATE the fax machine at work.  Whenever I have to fax something to a dr or something, I always ask if I can scan and email it instead.  Its WAY simpler and guaranteed to arrive.
23. The Osmonds are just talk show hosts.
    
24. Undergraduate college athletes have always been a part of the NBA and NFL draft. - They didn't used to be?  I think this should change back.
25. They have always "grazed" for food. - Huh?
26. Three-point shots from "downtown" have always been a part of basketball.
27. Test tube babies are now having their own babies. - Sometimes I think people should spend less time worrying about their own genetics in a baby and more time thinking of all the children that need adopting. 
28. Stores have always had scanners at the checkout. - Did people at the cash register used to have to manually type in the cost of the item?  I can only imagine people would try to change prices all the time!
29. The Army has always driven Humvees. - What did they used to drive?
30. Adam and PC Junior computers had vanished from the market before this generation went online. - Yeah, I don't know what that means
31. The Statue of Liberty has always had a gleaming torch. - It didn't used to??
32. They have always had a PIN number. - YUP
33. Banana Republic has always been a store, not a puppet government in Latin America. - Really? A Puppet Government?  So was the store trying to make fun of the government?
34. Car detailing has always been available - Yup.
35. Directory assistance has never been free. - It used to be free? I guess I always assumed you were charged, just not that much.
36. The Jaycees have always welcomed women as members
37. There has always been Lean Cuisine. - Yes, although I try to only use these frozen meals as a last resort
38. They have always been able to fly Virgin Atlantic. - Um.... ?
39. There have never been dress codes in restaurants. - Well, unless you count No Shirt, No Shoes, No Service...
40. Doctors have always had to deal with "reasonable and customary fees" and patients have always had controls placed on the number of days they could stay in a hospital. - Is this an improvement or not?
41. They have always been able to make photocopies at home. - Not 100% true.... I remember when we had to go to the library. Haha. 
42. Michael Eisner has always been in charge of Disney.
43. They have always been able to make phone calls from planes.  - At a GIGANTIC price though.
44. Yuppies are almost as old as hippies. - HAHA. true.
45. Rupert Murdoch has always been an American citizen.
46. Strawberry Fields has always been in New York.
47. Rock and Roll has always been a force for social good.
48. Killer bees have always been swarming in the U.S.
49. They have never seen a First Lady in a fur coat. - PITA would FREAK out of she wore a fur coat.
50. Don Imus has always been offending someone in his national audience.

In all fairness it should be understood that students entering college this fall do have a few items on their own lists that will separate them from many of their mentors:

1. For many of them today, it’s all about the "bling, bling."
2. They know who the "heroes in a half shell" are.
3. Peeps are not a candy, they are your friends.
4. They have been "dissing" and "burning" things all their lives.
5. They can expect to get a ticket for "ricing out their wheels."  - Haha.  That is so mean.
6. They knew how to pop a Popple and trade a Pog.
7. They can still sing the rap chorus to the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air and the theme song from Duck Tales.

Hehe, anyway, these made me smile. :)

I hate to exercise - Motivation needed.

I never was a fan of exercising.  I loved horse back riding, but that was the only form of exercise I ever enjoyed.  When I was younger I tried every sport, soccer, dance, T-ball, basketball, gymnastics... basically you name it, I tried it as a kid.  The only thing that ever stuck was horseback riding.

The only problem is horseback riding is rather expensive.  Horses eat quite a lot of food and need a lot of exercise.  However since I live in the city, I can not get out to any stables on a regular basis.  Which causes me to have to hire someone to exercise my horse, which obviously is not cheap.  So, when I decided to sell my horses to save for a house, I gave up exercising.

Last year I tried running.  I did it for about 3 months, off and on.  I ran a few races, but it didn't stick.  I never really enjoyed it.  For my birthday, my parents bought me a super fancy exercise bike.  I'm going to try really hard to stick with this and get in shape.  But I need motivation.  So my motivation is the following.  If I ride my new bike ~ 3 days a week until Thanksgiving, I get to get a Keratin treatment on my hair.  I have very very very frizzy hair, and when you combine that with lazy-ness .... well, I barely ever do my hair.  So hopefully this will be good motivation to work out.  I care about what I look like, but who doesn't like to sleep an extra half hour in the morning instead of doing their hair. 

Two barely 18-year-old wounded soldiers

C and I are going to Irish Feast this weekend in Milwaukee.  So we had to drop off Dublin with my parents.  What my parents and I usually do is meet half way at the O'Hare cell phone parking lot.  Its a 1 hour drive (without traffic) to my parents, so meeting half way is always great.

As soon as I get to the cell phone lot (I was previously warned by my father) I see several police cars, a news crew, and about 50 or so motorcycles. Turns out, 2 soldiers just landed in Chicago to go home.  They were injured in Afghanistan and both walked with canes.  My father had already shook the hands of the two soldiers and thanked them for serving, so after I dropped off Dublin, I did the same.

I asked a bystander who the soldiers were.  I should have known, they were the only 2 injured individuals in the group of people.  I went up to the soldiers and shook their hands.  I said "I was just in the neighborhood, and I saw what was going on.  I wanted to thank you for serving...."

The boys were so young, younger than me, and they didn't look like they could legally drink.  I felt awful for them.  Granted they had all their legs and arms, but they both looked like they had injured their knees.

Shortly after I shook their hands, it was time for them to leave.  I sat in my car and waited for the procession.  It was so amazing.  There were about 3 Chicago police cars.  They led and ended the whole procession.  Then there were about 50 motorcycles.  Half were in the front of the soldier in the car, the other half were behind the soldier in the car. All of the motorcycles were honking their horns.

Needless to say, I think this was a perfect way to welcome home the soldiers.

Why do you interrupt me while reading?

This is my morning routine.  After I get up, get ready, take the dog out, I leave the house to walk to 30 (approximately) steps to the EL.  (Trust me, It is LOVELY in the rain, and snow.)

I honestly expect and hope that I spend the next 30-35 minutes in solitude and do not plan or desire to have any conversations until I arrive at work.  For the occasionaly friend that I run into, a conversation is acceptable.  Although, I honestly hope we are good enough friends that we can talk, say Hi, and then return to reading our books.  I mean really.... I don't start to wake up until I've been at work for 1 hour.  For someone who I went to High School with, it is also acceptable for you to start a conversation with me, but please have the decency to do it when you are a few stops from your departure so we don't have to talk the entire way to the city.  Otherwise we both feel obligated to talk during the entire trip, and I have a strong desire to get off the train and change cars so that I can read in peace.

As soon as I get to the platform, I take out my nook and begin to read.  When the train comes I get on the train and (I know you can believe this, but...) I continue to read.  So you have to understand when the following thing happen, it kind of ruins my morning.

If I am reading, what makes you think that you have a right to interrupt me and ask me about the nook.  Since when were people able to hold a conversation and read at the same time?  Do people not understand that I am reading for pleasure?  That there are certain people in the world that ENJOY reading?  This has happened to me twice in the past week.  Its usually a man who looks to be "tight on cash" who interrupts me to ask me what I'm doing.  If I weren't afraid (hmm, maybe afraid is the wrong word, maybe cautious, timid, aware... is a more accurate description of my feelings toward him) of him, my response would be "Well, I WAS reading on a Nook, but since you interrupted me, I am currently not able to read now, am I...."  But since I don't know this person and he could be dangerous, even though I'm always on a crowded El, I simply say "This is a nook" (without making eye contact) and continue to read.

Unfortunately, even though I am attempting to be visually engrossed in my book (which I usually am actually engrossed in the book), the conversation NEVER ends there.  At this point I feel like I'm becoming a Nook commercial and honestly I have no desire.  They ask the price (which I always tell them is $80 since I got mine refurb'd and I don't want him to think I'm rich), how many books it can hold, if it comes with books, and  how much books cost.  Of course, since I am afraid of this guy, I always answer him.  But I usually fail to mention all the cool nook features, like library lending, and "lend me" features.

Unfortunately, this conversation usually ends up lasting 10 minutes, and I keep re-reading the same sentence over and over again because I'm being interrupted.  What is even MORE unfortunate is the man must want to talk or something and tries to continue to talk to me.  At this point I usually say "what?" a lot to try to signify I'm really not in the mood to talk.

Perhaps I'm too nice but, this attempt usually fails.... Thus a crappy start to my morning.

Non Black Tuxs

Alright, I got my inspiration.  See I've been having writers block and so I was searching facebook for something to write about. And... I found non-black tuxes.  A friend of mine's boyfriend was in a wedding and he wore a beige-ish tux.

I know this is not the best picture, but I purposefully chose one that does not show faces that closely.  So, anyway, I can't decide if I like these tuxes or not. Personally, I have never seen non-black or white tux. I know you can get them at a store, but I've never seen pictures of them, or seen them in real life unless its pictures from a wedding in the 70's.  And let me tell you, I am NOT a fan of the 70's wedding with powder blue tuxes.... HIDEOUS!

So anyway, I think these tuxes make the wedding very unique, but I also think they make the wedding less formal.  I am NOT a fan of white tuxes.  In my opinion the bride should be the only person in white at the wedding.  I generally feel bad if any part of my dress has white on it; even if its a summer wedding and its OK.  So, I believe white tuxes are a no-no.

I also believe that white and beige (generally) do not go good together.  So I have to say I'm not really a fan that they chose white tux shirts.  But aside from that, I have to say, I kinda like these Beige tuxes.  I know its something completely different, but I think it looks very summery and fun.  So, I guess I vote Yes....

Opinions?