Yesterday I had lunch with this cat at Pollo Tropical. He was a charming companion despite the fact I only had rice and beans drenched in salsa and couldn't even offer him a tidbit.
Friday, February 24, 2012
A sure sign of good fortune, right?
Yesterday I had lunch with this cat at Pollo Tropical. He was a charming companion despite the fact I only had rice and beans drenched in salsa and couldn't even offer him a tidbit.
Tuesday, February 07, 2012
The best belated Christmas present EVER
I've thought about my birth mother for my whole life. I always hoped to meet her one day and wondered if she would want to know me and also worried that some terrible, tragic event would befall her before I had a chance to find her. Many years ago I hired one of those finder/tracer companies that specialize in reuniting parents and adoptees. Suffice it to say that after happily accepting hundreds of dollars, they turned up bupkis then cheerfully suggested I pay them several hundred more dollars to try and get the super-secret court records unsealed. I declined.
Last year when it became obvious that mom and dad were not ever going to be able to return home from assisted living, I was in Iowa to helping my brother clean out their house and found my adoption papers. They contained my birth mother's maiden name and it was just enough information to find her. I had a trusted friend call her up and - just like that - we're now in touch and beginning the grand adventure of getting to know each other. It was scary because I imagined every possible scenario where things could go south - but they didn't! As the best bonus ever, there's even a big family to go along with her. I am so incredibly lucky to have found her and can't wait to get to know them all, even though they live about as far away from me as it's possible to get and still be in the continental US.
I haven't posted here because it's all very new but I can't figure out how to go on blogging without sharing tidbits about this BIG EXCITING adventure so there you go. I have to say, 2012 has been the most incredible year for me so far and a couple of my friends have had great things happen to them, too, so I'm happy and grateful for all of us.
I haven't posted here because it's all very new but I can't figure out how to go on blogging without sharing tidbits about this BIG EXCITING adventure so there you go. I have to say, 2012 has been the most incredible year for me so far and a couple of my friends have had great things happen to them, too, so I'm happy and grateful for all of us.
Sunday, February 05, 2012
10K per day - no excuses
Recently I decided to do better at exercising - just like I do every year around January 1st. (There may be a pattern here. I'm not sure yet.) My goal is 10,000 steps per day, every day, and it's a piece of cake if I do two miles on the treadmill before I leave for work. Otherwise I have to try and work it in after I get home, utterly exhausted from sitting at a desk for eight hours and then every single step requires major effort. Some days it all falls into place and Jeff and I walk Shelby in the evenings, which is not only good exercise but quality time. (Unless he spends the entire walk on the phone going over important Elk business.) I have noticed that I have considerably less time for housework but sometimes sacrifices must be made.We can tell we don't walk Shelby enough because she gets noticeably fatigued after just a few minutes of running around - and she doesn't even sit at a desk all day. She pants and flops down on the ground like she can't take another step and then usually rallies and manages to go on. We've also noticed that some other dogs at the Bark Park have way more energy so we probably need to get her moving on a more regular basis. I'm thinking we both need a trainer.
Saturday, February 04, 2012
Sunday, January 22, 2012
On finding lost things
Recently I had one of those weeks where something good happens and then another good thing happens and then yet another good thing happens and it seems like all is right with the universe and everything is falling into place. I had a good friend in High School who had actually been a classmate of mine since Kindergarten. Yep, we have known each other since we were five years old. Here we are in the 64-65 class portrait:
You can see I've hardly changed at all - I still have flippy hair and weird bangs. ANYWAY... back to my friend. We graduated and everyone went their separate ways. I saw Paul once shortly after graduation and then lost track of him completely. About 10 years later I started to actively look for him by searching on the Internet and posting on Classmates.com. No one could give me any information and once someone told me they heard he died. (Luckily that wasn't true.) I kept checking Facebook but he never turned up there. Finally I posted something about him and, in a strange coincidence, one of my other oldest and dearest friends happened to be in touch with him currently. I made a phone call and presto! - I was talking to my old friend Paul who used to make me laugh every single day in High School German class. We had the best time. He used to write "Un-dear Janis" letters and post them in funny places. Once I punched him lightly in the arm and he and his whole desk teetered over sideways and fell on the floor. So much fun. I had a delightful time catching up with him. He lives in the Midwest with his wife and son and I'm really hoping he'll come to our 35th class reunion this summer. Many of our classmates are gone now and I think it's important to keep in touch with those you hold dear - or Un-dear, whichever the case may be.
As I mentioned, that particular week was just one crazy good thing after another. Once I found Paul, I decided to scan our Senior Prom picture and email it to him. When I started digging around for the picture, I found my Passport which had been missing since 2002. As luck would have it, I'm going to Trinidad this spring and thought I was going to have to get a new one. Mine is still good until August which saves me time, aggravation and $165. That totally rocks. There was one more good thing that I'll tell you about in another post because it's huge and I'm not sure how that story ends yet. In the meantime, I'm very happy and grateful for everything that's happened so far and so thankful to have many wonderful friends. I hope they all know that even if we lose track of each other now and then it doesn't mean I've forgotten about them.
You can see I've hardly changed at all - I still have flippy hair and weird bangs. ANYWAY... back to my friend. We graduated and everyone went their separate ways. I saw Paul once shortly after graduation and then lost track of him completely. About 10 years later I started to actively look for him by searching on the Internet and posting on Classmates.com. No one could give me any information and once someone told me they heard he died. (Luckily that wasn't true.) I kept checking Facebook but he never turned up there. Finally I posted something about him and, in a strange coincidence, one of my other oldest and dearest friends happened to be in touch with him currently. I made a phone call and presto! - I was talking to my old friend Paul who used to make me laugh every single day in High School German class. We had the best time. He used to write "Un-dear Janis" letters and post them in funny places. Once I punched him lightly in the arm and he and his whole desk teetered over sideways and fell on the floor. So much fun. I had a delightful time catching up with him. He lives in the Midwest with his wife and son and I'm really hoping he'll come to our 35th class reunion this summer. Many of our classmates are gone now and I think it's important to keep in touch with those you hold dear - or Un-dear, whichever the case may be.
As I mentioned, that particular week was just one crazy good thing after another. Once I found Paul, I decided to scan our Senior Prom picture and email it to him. When I started digging around for the picture, I found my Passport which had been missing since 2002. As luck would have it, I'm going to Trinidad this spring and thought I was going to have to get a new one. Mine is still good until August which saves me time, aggravation and $165. That totally rocks. There was one more good thing that I'll tell you about in another post because it's huge and I'm not sure how that story ends yet. In the meantime, I'm very happy and grateful for everything that's happened so far and so thankful to have many wonderful friends. I hope they all know that even if we lose track of each other now and then it doesn't mean I've forgotten about them.
Friday, January 20, 2012
Art of the Deal: Demin Edition
I really like Not Your Daughter's Jeans but they go for $130 on the Nordstrom website which is way over my flinch point for a quality pair of jeans so I buy 'em on eBay. I'm usually thrilled to get a pair with shipping for under $40 but this particular pair was an especially great deal. They were listed at $19.99 with free shipping - and incredibly, no one else was bidding on them. I had $15.40 in eBay bucks plus a $1.75 credit in my Paypal account from a shipping refund so my total out-of-pocket cost was exactly $2.84. I'm going to consider this an omen that 2012 will be a good year for finances.
Thursday, January 19, 2012
Yeah, I'm still alive
New Year's Resolution #1: walk more, eat less and generally try to get in shape and lose a few pounds.
Ammendment to Resolution #1: try not to let that "walk more" thing usurp all available time for blog updates.
The good news is, I've been walking a minimum of 10,000 steps per day and it feels great but to accomplish this I've learned that I have to get at least two miles in on the treadmill before I leave for work in the mornings. That means I'm up at five, have a cuppa coffee and take the second cup with me onto the treadmill, which totally cuts into normal blogging time. I've been watching Dogtown, which I would highly recommend because it's so interesting the time just flies by. It's a documentary about a no-kill animal shelter in Utah that takes in dogs that wouldn't make it in other places due to medical or emotional issues. It's fascinating and I've learned a lot about dog personalities and training techniques. (Of course watching it is one thing and putting it into practice is another, but we are trying to be consistent with Shelby and help her work through some of her anxiety issues.)
The other good news is that we're between projects in the house right now so everything is going along at a very even keel. We haven't even seen our handyman/electrician Frank in months and he used to practically live with us. I probably need to make him a punch list and have him come by so he knows we still care.
Ammendment to Resolution #1: try not to let that "walk more" thing usurp all available time for blog updates.
The good news is, I've been walking a minimum of 10,000 steps per day and it feels great but to accomplish this I've learned that I have to get at least two miles in on the treadmill before I leave for work in the mornings. That means I'm up at five, have a cuppa coffee and take the second cup with me onto the treadmill, which totally cuts into normal blogging time. I've been watching Dogtown, which I would highly recommend because it's so interesting the time just flies by. It's a documentary about a no-kill animal shelter in Utah that takes in dogs that wouldn't make it in other places due to medical or emotional issues. It's fascinating and I've learned a lot about dog personalities and training techniques. (Of course watching it is one thing and putting it into practice is another, but we are trying to be consistent with Shelby and help her work through some of her anxiety issues.)
The other good news is that we're between projects in the house right now so everything is going along at a very even keel. We haven't even seen our handyman/electrician Frank in months and he used to practically live with us. I probably need to make him a punch list and have him come by so he knows we still care.
Sunday, January 01, 2012
Vegan in a fur coat
A few days ago my BFF Scotty entertained a group of us on a lovely boat cruise around the bay. (His brother conveniently owns a yacht and was persuaded to Captain us for the evening.) The vintage fur was a gift and had been in my closet for nearly a decade so I decided that this was the perfect occasion to wear it. I was cozy and comfy while all of those guys were huddled against the wind wishing they had warmer gear.We had a lovely time that included champagne, red wine and many gourmet snacks. The Miami skyline was gorgeous, it was wonderful to spend an evening cruising around without a care in the world and now the fur can go back into storage indefinitely - or at least until the next December boat ride.
Tuesday, December 13, 2011
Parties galore
Apparently National Blog Posting Month really took a lot out of me, since I haven't been able to dredge up even a fluff post for 13 days now. Actually I was busy scurrying around making preparations for that employee luncheon we do every year that involves coordinating hundreds of people and caterers and disgruntled customers who think there should have been more dressing on the salad. It's not easy trying to keep people happy who paid $7 for a steak lunch - they are discriminating customers who demand value for their dollars. Bah! Humbug!
At least it's over with and I can concentrate on a much smaller soiree we are planning here at home. We are inviting all of the neighbors in our cul de sac in for cocktails on a Sunday afternoon BUT - here's the fun part - almost all of them have small children. Some of them have VERY small children. We are welcoming kids and dogs because Shelby knows all of the neighborhood dogs but oh my goodness, I have a feeling I will be very stressed watching the little children make fingerprints all over my house. It's hard when you're not used to small people running amuck and some parents these days take a rather blaise approach at discipline. Oh well - in the spirit of the holiday season, we will grin and bear it and perhaps slip them a little gin when their parents aren't looking. Unless you would recommend something stronger. Let me know.
At least it's over with and I can concentrate on a much smaller soiree we are planning here at home. We are inviting all of the neighbors in our cul de sac in for cocktails on a Sunday afternoon BUT - here's the fun part - almost all of them have small children. Some of them have VERY small children. We are welcoming kids and dogs because Shelby knows all of the neighborhood dogs but oh my goodness, I have a feeling I will be very stressed watching the little children make fingerprints all over my house. It's hard when you're not used to small people running amuck and some parents these days take a rather blaise approach at discipline. Oh well - in the spirit of the holiday season, we will grin and bear it and perhaps slip them a little gin when their parents aren't looking. Unless you would recommend something stronger. Let me know.
Wednesday, November 30, 2011
I'm walkin'...
I am making friends with my treadmill again (thanks to my Netflix streaming queue) and my new goal is to hit 5,000 steps before I leave for work every morning. Yesterday I made it to 3,400 so I need to get busy a little sooner this morning. Seen any good movies lately? I would appreciate recommendations!
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