New year, new opportunities.

Christmas is over. A little sad and a little relieved. I anticipate it every year, but as much as I feel as though I want to get a jump start on the holiday it never fails, I am shopping (or sending the husband out shopping) on Christmas Eve, and franticly wrapping gifts.

My little Chica Bear by the tree.

Now, on to the new year...2013.

I seriously spend the whole week between Christmas and new year's every single year reflecting. I spend time thinking of the things I wish I would have done the past year and telling myself that I have so many things that I want to accomplish in this new year.

Last night I was browsing Craigslist. I know, I know, but sometimes there are some good leads for different things. I have been really thinking hard lately how I want to pursue my journalistic tendencies. I started searching for photography positions, and then moved on to the writing/editing section. A number of the posts you could tell were pretty far fetched and more than likely a scam, but there was one I found that seemed fairly legit. They made it perfectly clear that it is a position that is UNPAID (for now) and that it's an online magazine that is launching in February of 2013. It's more or less to get experience and or exposure. I got the feeling that it might be a cross between something like the City Pages and the entertainment section in the Pioneer Press. I sent them a quick email asking a few questions, and I got an email back this morning. The Editor-in-cheif would like to set up a time to meet and discuss his project in more detail.

I am not going to get my hopes up, but I'm not going to lie, it seems kind of fun and exciting. I knew at such a young age what I wanted to do in life. I told everyone that when I grew up I wanted be a photo-journalist. I really don't know what ever stopped me from pursuing it. I think it was lack of confidence more than anything. But, somehow, I ended up with a Bachelors degree in psychology...that's comparable, right?

Well, I am now officially going to miss the kick-off of the Vikings/Packers game... so

...until we meet again.

Writer's block

I came to the coffee shop this afternoon really wanting some "me" time and of course with full intent to write another blog. Sure enough, I open up my laptop and found myself suffering from writers block.

When I was in school, and had moments when I couldn't figure out what to write, my teachers always told me to brainstorm for some ideas and make a list (I think this is why I make a list for EVERYTHING still to this day). So here goes:

• I could write about how last minute Christmas shoppers are driving me batty. Apparently, if you are running around like a chicken with your head cut off in the middle of a department store because you are in a hurry looking for a gift, it's grounds for acting like an idiot. Eh, scratch that idea...
• I could write about how screwed up this world is becoming and how much my heart aches for each and every one of those parents in Connecticut, but the media is already over-doing it.
• I could write about how I go to Caribou Coffee just about every day of the week, order almost the same exact thing each time, but the "barista" or whatever they call themselves, manage to make it completely wrong 6 out of the 7 days....I'll save that one for another day too I suppose.

So, I guess that's that. No grand ideas even after the brainstorming. Just so this post isn't a complete wash, here are some of the photos from our gingerbread house making event this afternoon.

Until we meet again...

She's very diligent. 

Have to get it just right! 

The finished product.

A little taste of the finished product.  ;)

Sadie wanted to take a photo of us too. We were supposed to be "in love" in this picture. Too bad her hand moved and made it blurry because this would have been a good one!

Snowpocalypse

Last week was the worst snow storm that we have seen here in the past two years. I absolutely hate winter. I ask myself every single year why I continue to live in this state. One day I swear, I will move to South Carolina. It is so beautiful there and the temperature stays pretty mild all winter long. 

So it all started last weekend. It literally snowed all day long on Sunday and the final totals ended up being over a foot of snow. When it's falling down, sure, I will admit that it is a pretty site. However, the days following made for quite the nightmare. The traffic was awful and some of the cities here I swear do not even bother plowing the side streets. 

So, here is my time line of events for the past week:

Sunday: enjoyed the day at home with Ferny and Sadie. By the end of the day, shoveled 12 inches or more of snow and attempted a snowman.

Monday: Ferny unburied the vehicles and I attempted to make it to work on time (did not happen). I drove maybe 100 yards and got myself stuck in the snow. I tried for almost 5 minutes trying to maneuver myself out, but couldn't. I called Ferny to help me, and after about 20 minutes, there was no progress.  Finally, one of the neighbors down the way came up to help push. Finally, we got it out of there and I was on my way.

Tuesday: again tried to make it to work on time (did not happen). This time, I decided it would be a fun start to my morning to spin out in the middle of one of the busiest streets in Saint Paul. Not only did I do a complete 180 into oncoming traffic, I got myself stuck AGAIN. I had at least 50 cars flying at me going 35 miles an hour on what seemed like an ice skating rink. It was was TERRIFYING. After about 5 minutes of sitting in my car in a sheer panic, this couple stopped for me and asked if I would like some help. The man (who I now consider to be my angel!) hoped in my car and between the three of us, we managed to get it out of the snow and turned back around without dying.

Tuesday afternoon: I come to the conclusion that I need new tires. 

Tuesday evening: the commute home was horrific. I had no control over the vehicle and almost slid into 100 different cars. I got off the freeway and was maybe 3 blocks away from our house and got stuck, again, for the THIRD TIME! We made it home on a wing and a prayer...and once we did, the car sat for 3 days...

Friday: ...until this morning when Ferny had the opportunity to take the car into the dealership and install the new tires himself. 

We're expecting more measurable snow tomorrow, so hopefully next week will not be as eventful with my car's new shoes. It's not even officially winter yet and I already can't wait until spring. 

So the moral of this story, when your husband tells you in August that you are going to need new tires before the snow flies, maybe listen to him for once! ;)

Until we meet again.

It was really coming down.

She looks a little shocked in this one.

She enjoyed throwing it.

Snow angels :)

It was a wet heavy snow...well maybe we were exaggerating a bit with our facial expressions. 

What a good helper.

Winter wonderland.

My top ten

The top ten things I hate about living in Minnesota :

• Driving anywhere when there is precipitation is a nightmare. Seriously, it's just rain/snow, deal with it.
• People are absolutely rude. "Minnesota nice" my a$$.
• The fact that you can start your car in the morning and need the heat on, and by the end of that same day you will use the air conditioning. 
• Heading north on a highway on a Friday night in the spring, summer or fall will take you at least an extra 30 minutes because everyone is going "up north."
• You can't have a nice summer day without the humidity being insanely high. 
• Mosquitos are the most God-awful bug and/or insect known to man and they are not afraid to eat you alive.
• Going to the Mall of America on a Saturday afternoon during the Christmas season...you may as well put me in a red dress for the running of the bulls. 
• Snow emergencies. Where the hell are we supposed to park?!?
• Yes, I know we live in "the state of hockey," but don't look at me like I have a third eye when I tell you I can't stand the sport.
• Last, but certainly not least, the word is pop, not soda, it's a can of POP.

Until we meet again. 

You've got a friend in me

Life has been flying by these past few weeks. It always seems to be that way this time of year. The time where it seems as though every moment of your day/evening is planned out with something you want or need to do.

This weekend was pretty enjoyable. Ferny had the whole weekend off so it made for a nice weekend of family time. On Saturday night we went down to the Xcel Center to see the Disney on Ice show. As much as we enjoyed it, I think last year's show was a bit better. Sadie thoroughly enjoyed it though so that's really all that matters. I'm fairly certain Ferny enjoyed himself too as I heard him say,  "that was the best $75 I've spent in a long time." Haha, what a good daddy. 

On Friday, I got together with a friend that I hadn't seen it quite some time. It was so nice to reconnect after a number of years went by. It was a great evening out and it just made me think, when you are able to pick up right where you left off with someone after 4+ years, it's kind of an amazing thing. You get together and start to reminisce and wonder why you let so much time go by. I have a select number of people in my life that I could truly say that this works for, but it's always so nice when it happens.

A few snap shots of the Disney show...

Until we meet again.

Sleigh bells ring are you listening...

So this week, we have totally been shifting into full on Christmas mode. Christmas music, visiting Santa, shopping for Christmas gifts, setting up the Christmas tree, it's great! I absolutely love this time of year. For me personally, I have been anticipating the Fa-La-La-lidays since the end of summer. How can you not when every single retailer has their decorations up in September?!?

So the visit with Santa was great. Sadie walked right up to him and before he could get a word in edgewise she said, "Santa, I would really like a new Leapster." It was super cute. I missed most of the visit because I started tearing up a bit, and when my eyes tear they burn really bad for some reason. It's so weird, but any of her firsts or "milestone" events (so to speak), I always get so emotional. It's so funny because I am SO not a crier! I guess that is what motherhood does to a person!

 We even got a great picture out of her!

Yesterday morning I...I mean Santa, scored a great find. Sadie loves The Wizard of Oz and she loves Barbies. So when I found out they made a Dorothy Barbie, I searched high and low. I found one on Craigslist and picked it up yesterday morning. I initially wanted to get her the whole set (the Scarecrow, Tin Man, Lion etc.) but I wasn't quick enough to buy it on Ebay when I saw it. So, I settled for just Dorothy. Now here is my problem....we have been storing all of the Christmas gifts down in the basement, and this morning when Ferny went down to get the laundry, Sadie was right in toe with him. A few minutes later, she came upstairs and said to me, "I saw that Dorothy doll in the bag." She said it so quietly like she knew that it was hidden and felt as though maybe she shouldn't have seen it. I was quite upset because that was going to be like 'the gift' this year. Or at least that's the way I felt. Anyway, knowing that she has already seen it, I cannot figure out how I am going to explain it to her when she opens it up Christmas morning. Keep in mind, this little girl remembers EVERYTHING. I have a few weeks to ponder it, but I was so mad at the hubby for letting her down there, UGHH! Oh, well.

"The gift"

Getting wrapped up in Christmas.

My angel putting on the angel.

Until we meet again.

Hullabaloo

This past week has been a crazy one. Work has been nuts, and with everything else going on, it seems as though the last week has been a blur. The highlight of course was Thanksgiving. We started the day by doing our (what has now become) annual bowling tournament up at Sunray. Neither my husband or myself placed, but it was a lot of fun seeing old friends. The food for Thanksgiving dinner was great as always. My favorite, of course is the dessert. My aunt makes this pumpkin roll that is just to die for! Toward the end of the night, we got a little game going and it was so nice to see my Grandma laughing and enjoying herself as much as she did. She is 95 years old and has had a rough run these past few months, so to see her laughing so hard that tears where nearly coming out was great.

This is the outfit that Sadie saw most fitting to celebrate Thanksgiving. Stripes and floral...needless to say I changed her before we left the house!

Black Friday....ugh, need I say more. It was crazy out there. Me, my sister and her husband all went out on Thanksgiving night. The lines of people outside each store was ridiculous. Just because it was cold, windy, and the people were probably crabby as all get out, my brother in-law and I thought it to be appropriate to drive through the Maplewood Mall area honk and yell to all the line-standers, "Black Friday, WOOO!" We really didn't get much response. It could have been the fact that Dubz doesn't have just a regular car horn, it is an old fashioned sounding one that makes a noise similar to "ahooogaaah!" I think people were a little alarmed....

So, we decided that we we're going to try and brave Target. We arrived around 8:45pm when the store opened at 9pm. There was already a line of people at least 200 deep! I wasn't really going for what everyone else was going for, the TVs, the Xbox, etc. I just wanted the car dvd players that were on sale for $59! They are normally $129 so I didn't really mind waiting in line for 15 minutes to save $70 bucks! Plus, it is one of Sadie's Christmas gifts. A few photos from the mayhem...

Last night, my husband and I went to see George Lopez. He was HILARIOUS! We laughed so hard. The whole night was for my husband's birthday back in August. I got him tickets because he is one of his favorite comics and I knew it would make for a really fun night out. We stayed in one of the rooms at the casino hotel that night. I was a little concerned that Treasure Island didn't pay their water and/or heating bill because we had to take cold showers this morning! I know there were tons of people probably showering all at the same time, but still. We could have walked outside and turned a faucet on in the snow and been warmer!

Until we meet again.

Field of Dreams Come True

I was at work this past Wednesday morning when the phone rang. I looked at the caller ID and it said 'Kent Hrbek.' My heart just about leaped out of my chest. Before I go any further, I love baseball. I have loved baseball since I was old enough to know how to speak. Growing up in Minnesota, it is all about the Minnesota Twins. Kent Hrbek played his whole entire baseball career in Minnesota and has been my ALL TIME favorite baseball player, ever. So, seeing this name appear on the caller ID at work, you can now somewhat imagine what I was feeling.

I picked up the phone and started carrying on a conversation with the man on the other end of the line. I have met Kent before, and from what I could remember, it sounded exactly like him, so it just had to be him. He started asking me all types of typical questions related to the business and what we do. All questions of which I would normally have no trouble answering, but just knowing that I was speaking with him, my idol, made me fluster and fumble every word out of my mouth.

Long story short, I set up an estimate for him. I asked if he would like to meet with someone at his home, or if we should just walk around and leave the estimate for him. He kind of let on that he would like to meet with someone, so I told Kent that the owner of the company would call him when he was on his way out to his house the next day.

After I hung up the phone I told the owner of the company who it was that just called. I almost begged to go with to do the estimate with him! The owner knows what a baseball nut I am, so he gladly allowed me to go along!

The next day, we drove out to Kent's house. I didn't have a lot of expectations, because I knew there was a good chance that he might not even be there. At first he wasn't there, but then we called him and he drove up within just a few minutes. We were able to sit and chat with him for a good hour AND went inside of the house!!! Seriously, made my day...well I suppose we could maybe even say made my year! Think about someone who you have idolized or have been a huge fan of your whole life and it is pretty much the equivalent.

His house was gorgeous, and he was so nice and funny! I had to hold my tongue several times because I wanted to tell him that I have loved him since I was 2 years old and that I was his biggest fan! But, I remained professional. I kind of had the impression that he didn't think we knew who he was. At least until the very end when my boss made a comment about how he likes to fish. None-the-less, it was a great experience and it was just another one of the really cool perks of my job!

 

One of my favorite pictures ever from 2007.

Until we meet again.

Be Grateful

I call myself a country music fan, but the stuff they put out on country radio these days is far from "country" music in my opinion. I grew up listening to Reba, Wynonna, Conway Twitty, George Straight etc. To me, that's country. What country music has become is still ear-catching, but it's just not music that deserves the title "country. "

ANYWAY, with that being said, there is a new band out there and they call themselves The Farm. I heard their single on the radio driving home from work one day last week and it really hit home for me.

"The other day I called myself complaining
Now my boss has got me working over time
Then the stranger who was sitting there beside me
Said I spent all day in the unemployment line
Are there open shifts, are they hiring on
I'll work any hours even all night long
If you could put a good word in for me

Every time you think you got it bad
You can find someone who's got it worse
All the things you take for granted now
They started out as blessings first
If you got someone who loves you
And a steady job that puts food on the table
If you're strong and able
Man , be grateful

We complain about how much it's gonna cost us
To feel our 20 something thousand dollars cars
And living in the land of milk and honey
It's so easy to forget how lucky we are
We can work hard and buy a patch of dirt
And on sunday morning we can go to church
And pray for those who don't have it as good as you

Every time you think you got it bad
You can find someone who's got it worse
All the things you take for granted now
They started out as blessings first
If you got someone who loves you
And a steady job that puts food on the table
If you're strong and able
Man , be grateful."

source: http://www.lyricsondemand.com/

One of the things that really got me most about this song is the line where they say "all the things you take for granted now, they started out as blessings first." It is so very true. Your car, your job, your spouse, whatever it might be, they all started out as blessings.

I remember when I first met Ferny. I was so happy to have someone like him in my life. He almost seemed too good to be true. We started seeing each other over the holiday season almost 10 years ago now, and I remember thinking, wow, I am extremely lucky. Now, I find myself taking him granted sometimes. The same with my job. I was a fresh college graduate, 4 months pregnant and when I received that call from my (now) boss offering me the position, I was absolutely over joyed! Now, there are days that I wake up to my 6:30am alarm and grumble because I think it's too early.

The moral of my story (rant) is that when I heard this song, it really made me take a step back and evaluate the little things that started out as blessings in my life that I now occasionally take for granted.

Until we meet again.

Material Girl

Madonna made her way to the Xcel Center last night. It was nothing short of incredible. I really wish they would have allowed my good camera in there because my cell phone pictures are terrible as you will soon see.

MDNA was a complete diva. From the way she talked to the crowd, to showing up 2.5 hours late, and even telling the crowd how to vote on the ballot for the Minnesota amendments. It cracks me up how one person can be so far removed from reality of the real world, but yet me adored by millions.

None the less, she was amazing. The whole show was like a theatrical performance. She purposefully denied us of some of the greatest hits, but there is something to say about 18,000 people standing on their feet belting out the words to "Like a Prayer."

Best concert I've ever been to.

Until we meet again.

A Long Time Coming

I looked back to my last post and realized how much has happened since that day. The move took place. It went about as well as moving could go I suppose. The next day I felt as though I needed a wheel chair because muscles I never thought I had were used in lifting, pushing, stretching, bending, pulling, etc.  But, we're getting settled in. As temporary as it's going to be, it feels good to be home again. Sadie seems to be having a harder time adjusting for some reason. She is not listening to Ferny and I for anything, hitting, talking back, yelling. To sum it up she is just marching to the beat of her own drum. She'll adjust, hopefully. I don't know if I can take 4 months of that behavior. 

Halloween was a lot of fun. We went out to the Mall of America and took Sadie trick or treating. It was extremely busy there, but it beat going around to creepy houses and risking nightmares for the next few weeks.

Kiera from Princess and the Pop Star

Complete with the purple hair

Our awesome pumpkin we painted together. 

Work of art.

I am going to disclose something that I am actually quite ashamed of. This morning we went to church for the first time since last Christmas. I was raised Catholic and went to church every single Saturday evening/Sunday morning since I can remember up until about 6 years ago. I can't quite explain what happened. I never once lost the faith. I am a firm believer that you do not need to be in the house of the Lord to praise and love Him. However, as Sadie is becoming older, I feel it much more important to be apart of a community in which she can learn about God and share in the faith. After discussing these thoughts with a few other people, my sister thought that the church she attends with her husband might be something for us to try. It is a Lutheran church but I wasn't really opposed to at least giving it a try. We walked in this morning to be greeted and welcomed with open arms (almost literally if I were a "hugging" type of person). It instantaneously gave me the sense of community I felt like I was looking for in a church. We got there early enough because I wanted to check out their Sunday School program. They invited Sadie to partake in their activities as Ferny and I stood in the back of the classroom. After the class, we went downstairs to the service. The music was upbeat and the sermon was interesting and relatable. Although I have received all of the sacraments within the Catholic church, I didn't feel it to be right to go up for communion. I did however bring Sadie up for a blessing. The pastor (which was a woman- again not something that I was used to) reached over and gave Sadie the sign of the cross on her forehead and told her that "God loves her very much." The pastor then asked Sadie to reach in the holy water and give me a blessing and tell me that God loves me. Sadie dips her little finger into the bowl of holy water, reaches up to my forehead, and makes a little x on my skin and says, "God loves you momma." My heart melted. The pastor was wearing a microphone so when everyone was going up, everyone could hear what she was saying to each person. When Sadie and I went back to our seats, Ferny had tears in his eyes because he too heard the blessing Sadie gave to me. Needless to say, I think we may have found our "home."

Until we meet again.

Moving Day Detox

We're moving. It's kind of a pain. I really hate moving with a passion. The house is pretty empty as we're getting everything set to move into storage. We sold our old furniture on Craigslist and all our shelves and photos frames etc. packed away... I'm going to kind of miss this place.

                                         Yes, we really have a lawn chair in our living room!

Outside of the whole moving extravaganza, life has been pretty good. We had a great weekend last weekend. We spent the day on Sunday at the corn maze. We went last fall too, but this year was much more enjoyable as Sadie is older, and able to do a lot more. 

She luvz her daddy.

Corn Maze in Brooklyn Park.

We were a little lost so they had to reference our handy-dandy map.

                                       So many to chose from!

                                                                  My little diva.

Moving right along...for the past full year I have been working pretty hard at getting my health back on track. I started in July of 2011 just getting the ball rolling by working out as much as possible. I signed up for a gym membership of which I utilize at least three times a week. I never thought I would get to the point where I enjoy going to the gym, but now, enjoy might be an understatement. I've completely cut pop, but picked up coffee. I read some where that the caffeine in coffee is supposed to jump start your metabolism. So I expresso it up every morning.

I was having a fair amount of success at first. Changed my diet a bit, and combined with exercise, I was able to drop around 35lbs. I felt great. Then I hit a bit of a plateau, and even gained a few pounds back despite continuing my work out regimen. Now, I am ready to get back at it, full force. I found this really interesting article for a 3 day detox. The meal plans that they lay out I could see actually carrying out over the course of a few weeks, but 3 days seems like a good start. Perhaps this weekend?

http://life.gaiam.com/article/3-day-clean-food-detox-plan

Until we meet again.

Emily Dickinson

I read this poem roughly 15 years ago and never forgot the way it made me feel. She was a wonderful poet.

If you were coming in the fall, I'd brush the summer by With half a smile and half a spurn, As housewives do a fly. If I could see you in a year, I'd wind the months in balls, And put them each in separate drawers, Until their time befalls. If only centuries delayed, I'd count them on my hand, Subtracting till my fingers dropped Into Van Diemens land. If certain, when this life was out, That yours and mine should be, I'd toss it yonder like a rind, And taste eternity. But now, all ignorant of the length Of time's uncertain wing, It goads me, like the goblin bee, That will not state its sting. Until we meet again.

Tough Week

Last week was a tough week. Started out great, but then just kind of took a left turn in to Suckyville. One of the major low-lights was the fact that Ferny's (husband) car got broken into. Now, I don't really know 100% sure if it can be classified as a break in when someone LEAVES THE CAR DOORS OPEN, but for the sake of argument, we'll call it a break in. 

The conclusion that I drew based off of what was taken out of the car is that it was a little punk of a teenager looking to see what he could grab in a hurry. When Ferny called to tell me that it happened, I asked him where his golf clubs were? Keep in mind, he just recently added a $400 driver to his set... that's one club alone! He just started getting into golf this summer, and my family got him a bunch of clubs and a nice bag for his birthday this year. He informed me that the last time he checked they were in the trunk of his car. He was driving at the time when he informed me of this situation, so I very sternly asked him to pull over to see if the clubs were also taken out of the trunk. He came back on the phone a few seconds later and said that they were still there. Even though nothing huge was taken and the car wasn't wrecked in any way (thanks be to God) it still really irked me that it happened. 

                                           This could have been one of the last times he swung these bad boys!

By the time the weekend rolled around, I was drained; emotionally and physically. Which ended up being OK because Sadie was under the weather, AGAIN. Ugh.

So we made our own fun. Doing a little dress up, watching endless episodes of Good Luck Charlie, and playing with some good ole fashion Play Doh. We barely left the house all weekend and it was kind of nice for a change.

                                        Daddy needed a little help to get the Play Doh down.

                                                                   Her green "snake."

 

                                              The big kid got in on the Play Doh fun too.

Until we meet again.

I Just Don't Understand

I have heard talk for several months now about this poor little girl they call "Honey Boo Boo." I have a pretty good understanding of what the show is, and what the family is about, however I have not seen the show myself. I truthfully have a hard time watching more than an hour or two of TV per week especially if you do not count the news or broadcasted sporting events...

I decided to do a little investigating. After literally 7 minutes on Youtube watching these ridiculous clips, I found one that just really made me shake my head.

This is the garbage that is giving TLC some of the highest ratings in the country? I seriously don't understand. This poor little girl. To make matters worse, Rosie O'Donnell decides to throw her two cents in by saying “she (Honey Boo Boo Child) has a presence and an intellect that goes way beyond her years.” WHAT?!?!?! That must be why the network has to use subtitles when this BRILLIANT 7 year old girl speaks.

Honestly, what is this world coming to?

Until we meet again.

Fall foliage and frustrations.

Last weekend, Sadie and I ventured north for the day. The colors were absolutely amazing. Not as many bright reds as we're used to seeing, but still quite the sight. We had a great afternoon, and even got some end of the season four wheeling in.

                               Little peak of color through the Birch trees.

                                         One of the last rides on the four wheelers for the season.

                            In the evening by the camp fire, someone OD'ed on the marshmallows!

I have had some time to seriously sit back and think lately. Last month I turned thirty years old. For some reason, the mark of thirty in a person's life really means something. For many, it makes them reflect on the things that they have (or don't), the things that they have done (or have not done). For me, it has been a mix of both. I am very pleased with my life thus far. I have a loving husband who has been in my life for the past nine years. He adds a richness to my life that I never really thought could be. I have the greatest blessing a woman could ever ask for in my daughter; she is my world. I have completed a bachelor's degree in a subject that at one time I felt pretty passionate about. I also have a job that I truly enjoy, with a boss that is one of the most generous, kind-hearted people I have ever met in my life. With that being said, you wouldn't think I have much to contemplate when approaching a milestone birthday. For the don't haves and have-not-dones, my list is rather short. I suppose it is more reflective on the relationships I do not have that I once did. Relationships that I thought would last a lifetime. It's a shame. You think that you have these relationships that are built sacred and treasured, but in the blink of an eye, it can all be gone. It's just a bit frustrating to think about. Everyone knows that people grow, people change, life takes a tole but in the end, you look around and the people who were there all along are the ones who really mean the most. I'm starting to see this now more than ever in my "old age."

Ending on a humorous note....check out this car that I was behind while doing the bank run at work today...

                                 "Here's my number, so call me maybe?"

Until we meet again...