I just know that this year is going to be a great year and let me tell you why. My favorite number is 3 so this year I get 2 of my favorite numbers by turning 33, which means twice the luck, right? Well maybe not but humor me anyway. The best things I have to look forward to this year is getting married and hopefully starting a family. Then there is my 10 year anniversary at SLU and some other random thing but those don’t take the cake. I’ve only been 33 for 4 days now and I already got 2 good pieces of news to share. One, Larry passed his CDL test and will have his own route at work starting next week. And two, we just saved $640 on our honeymoon package! I am friends with our resort on Facebook (Secrets Carpi) and they posted a fall promotion. I called our travel agent and lucky for us, we bought the price protection plan when we booked and got in on the deal – cha ching! I just have a feeling there are plenty more good things coming my/our way and I’ll be sure to share them as it happens.
On a wedding note, the invitations are signed, sealed and delivered. Well, delivered to the post office as of noon today so be sure to watch for yours in the mail very soon. And if you are reading this and didn’t happen to get one, it’s probably lost in the mail, doh! Just kidding – we invited over 300 guests so I’m sure you are one of them.
On the agenda this weekend is boot camp, working at Circa, then either the Guns N Hoses softball game to benefit Backstoppers, or the stock car races with my sister and Timmy. It's junior fan club week week at the races so the kiddos get special treatment and I wanted to be there to see Timmy race for nickels on the race track. He loves his racing so I’m sure he will be in heaven. Then Sunday is a birthday party for my BFF’s son, Austin. He’s turning 9 and I just can’t believe it. Seems like just yester-year when they brought him home. Anyway, hope you all have a great weekend and enjoy this absolutely beautiful weather!
Peace out, girl scout!
Friday, August 27, 2010
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
Biggest Loser – Louisville Style
My friend, Michelle, has said for a while that she wanted to be on the Biggest Loser reality show so she finally filled out the application and submitted a video. Then she found out that the show was hosting a casting call in Louisville and thought that would help increase her chances so she asked me to go along. Sure thing, I’m always up for an adventure – especially when it’s for a good cause of supporting her. We left Friday after work and made it to Louisville about 10pm, their time. Funny story there. I had no idea there was a time difference between KY and IL so when we got stopped in traffic and I checked my phone, I realized the time did not match the clock in the car. She said it was right when we left home and she’s right, it was. It took a minute of being confused before we realized what happened then we were pissed that we lost an hour of sleep. We were already planning on getting up at 4am to get in line (the casting directors only see 500 people and she was worried that there would be more people there). So, we get over the time difference, get to our room and all is good. I set the alarm for 4:00 but silly me; I set it for PM instead of AM, whoops. Luckily I woke up at 5 so we weren’t that much off schedule. When we got to the convention center, the line was about a half a block long, not too bad, so we set up our chairs and mingled. Here is the line before us at 6am:
Being curious, we walked to the front of the line to see what time the first people got there. The first group in line got there at 11pm on Friday and camped overnight. The next person got there at midnight. Now I get wanting to get in line early but damn, camping overnight for this? No thank you! Here are a few pics of the first people in line:
While we were waiting, we met some people in line behind and in front of us. Turns out the person behind us, Susan, is from Millstadt, IL and knows one of the groomsmen in our wedding – small world! The group in front of us, Frank and company, was from further south in KY and were super nice. Michelle and I both liked Frank a lot and really hoped he made it on the show. He is extremely overweight and ready to make a lifestyle change, he just needs some help getting started. Here’s Frank with his support group:
And this is Susan with Michelle:
About 9am, the casting crew came around and handed out another application that had to be completed prior to the interview so here is Michelle and the others working on their application:
When the crew started lining up people for their interviews, the “supporters” such as myself, had to wait on the other side. Here is a pic of Michelle in line, note the nervous look on her face :) She said she almost cried when I had to leave her, aw, I feel the love!
They took 8 people at a time into a conference room and sat them at a U shaped table. Each person got a chance to speak and the director asked specific questions of them. It only took about 15 minutes for the entire thing and she was out in no time. In the meantime, a few previous contestants showed up to meet and greet the crowd. To me, this was the best part of the trip (and I think Michelle would agree). We met Coach Mo and Tracy (the purple team) and Alex & Abby (the green team) from season 8, Colleen from season 6 (I think). We talked to Coach Mo briefly and managed to get a pic with him:
Coach Mo also talked with Frank for quite some time and get this – Mo gave Frank his personal phone number to call for support, advice, or anything. Now that is super cool! Michelle also got a pic with Tracy but that is on her camera and I don’t have it to post yet, sorry. Tracy has lost a total of 125lbs and let me tell you, she looks AH-MAZING! She showed us a before and after pic she has on her phone and wow, doesn’t even look like the same person. She talked about how she got sick on the show and how the doctor made her slow down before she seriously injured herself. She made it to week 10 of the 14 weeks – go Tracy!
We tried to talk to Alex and Abby but they were too busy with other people and I didn’t think to get pictures of them. I will say that Abby has put on some of the weight she lost but Alex still looked great. Then we met Colleen, and let me tell you, she was the sweetest, most adorable thing ever. She is only 23 years old and lost 70lbs. She still wants to lose more but I think she looks great like she is. Here is Michelle with her:
She spent a good 10-15 minutes talking to us about the ranch, what she went through, and what it was like as a contestant. She said they work out approximately 8 hours a day – could you imagine? She said the hardest part for her was not being able to contact her family during her stay. Once you are at the ranch, you have NO outside contact with anyone – no emails, no phone calls, nothing. I asked if she ever wanted to quit and she said “No, I wanted it that bad.” She told us that while it’s fun and exciting to be on the ranch, it’s not reality. No matter what happened on the show, it all has to continue at home. She said home is reality and that really hit home with both Michelle and I. If I told you every detail of these conversations, my blog would be 10 pages long so I won’t go into much more detail.
After talking with these people and seeing where they started and where they are now, there is no reason on earth why I can’t drop these last 10-15lbs. So now, I’m extremely motivated, ready to take the bull by the horns and get this show on the road! On Sunday, I got up early and went for a 3 mile walk then came back and hit the weights. I was sore on Monday and that is a good indication of how much I’ve slacked. I joined the recreation center at SLU and have a plan for making sure I find time for my workouts and for getting healthier. Michelle is super motivated too and may even check out my bootcamp that she has been afraid of. I know we can do this – and I know we WILL do this.
While Michelle may not get on the show, it was an awesome experience – very inspiring and ever so motivating. If you ever lose motivation or need an extra push, go online and Google any biggest loser contestant. Some of them even have blogs so read that or their success story and I’m sure it will be enough to get you over the hump!
PS - Just got the pic of Michelle with Tracy that I mentioned earlier:
Being curious, we walked to the front of the line to see what time the first people got there. The first group in line got there at 11pm on Friday and camped overnight. The next person got there at midnight. Now I get wanting to get in line early but damn, camping overnight for this? No thank you! Here are a few pics of the first people in line:
While we were waiting, we met some people in line behind and in front of us. Turns out the person behind us, Susan, is from Millstadt, IL and knows one of the groomsmen in our wedding – small world! The group in front of us, Frank and company, was from further south in KY and were super nice. Michelle and I both liked Frank a lot and really hoped he made it on the show. He is extremely overweight and ready to make a lifestyle change, he just needs some help getting started. Here’s Frank with his support group:
And this is Susan with Michelle:
About 9am, the casting crew came around and handed out another application that had to be completed prior to the interview so here is Michelle and the others working on their application:
When the crew started lining up people for their interviews, the “supporters” such as myself, had to wait on the other side. Here is a pic of Michelle in line, note the nervous look on her face :) She said she almost cried when I had to leave her, aw, I feel the love!
They took 8 people at a time into a conference room and sat them at a U shaped table. Each person got a chance to speak and the director asked specific questions of them. It only took about 15 minutes for the entire thing and she was out in no time. In the meantime, a few previous contestants showed up to meet and greet the crowd. To me, this was the best part of the trip (and I think Michelle would agree). We met Coach Mo and Tracy (the purple team) and Alex & Abby (the green team) from season 8, Colleen from season 6 (I think). We talked to Coach Mo briefly and managed to get a pic with him:
Coach Mo also talked with Frank for quite some time and get this – Mo gave Frank his personal phone number to call for support, advice, or anything. Now that is super cool! Michelle also got a pic with Tracy but that is on her camera and I don’t have it to post yet, sorry. Tracy has lost a total of 125lbs and let me tell you, she looks AH-MAZING! She showed us a before and after pic she has on her phone and wow, doesn’t even look like the same person. She talked about how she got sick on the show and how the doctor made her slow down before she seriously injured herself. She made it to week 10 of the 14 weeks – go Tracy!
We tried to talk to Alex and Abby but they were too busy with other people and I didn’t think to get pictures of them. I will say that Abby has put on some of the weight she lost but Alex still looked great. Then we met Colleen, and let me tell you, she was the sweetest, most adorable thing ever. She is only 23 years old and lost 70lbs. She still wants to lose more but I think she looks great like she is. Here is Michelle with her:
She spent a good 10-15 minutes talking to us about the ranch, what she went through, and what it was like as a contestant. She said they work out approximately 8 hours a day – could you imagine? She said the hardest part for her was not being able to contact her family during her stay. Once you are at the ranch, you have NO outside contact with anyone – no emails, no phone calls, nothing. I asked if she ever wanted to quit and she said “No, I wanted it that bad.” She told us that while it’s fun and exciting to be on the ranch, it’s not reality. No matter what happened on the show, it all has to continue at home. She said home is reality and that really hit home with both Michelle and I. If I told you every detail of these conversations, my blog would be 10 pages long so I won’t go into much more detail.
After talking with these people and seeing where they started and where they are now, there is no reason on earth why I can’t drop these last 10-15lbs. So now, I’m extremely motivated, ready to take the bull by the horns and get this show on the road! On Sunday, I got up early and went for a 3 mile walk then came back and hit the weights. I was sore on Monday and that is a good indication of how much I’ve slacked. I joined the recreation center at SLU and have a plan for making sure I find time for my workouts and for getting healthier. Michelle is super motivated too and may even check out my bootcamp that she has been afraid of. I know we can do this – and I know we WILL do this.
While Michelle may not get on the show, it was an awesome experience – very inspiring and ever so motivating. If you ever lose motivation or need an extra push, go online and Google any biggest loser contestant. Some of them even have blogs so read that or their success story and I’m sure it will be enough to get you over the hump!
PS - Just got the pic of Michelle with Tracy that I mentioned earlier:
Thursday, July 29, 2010
Get in the zone - Auto Zone
I know it’s been like 10 years since I’ve blogged but time just seems to get away from me these days. No excuse, I know, and all I can say is “sorry”. I finally have a non-wedding story to write about so I’m taking a few minutes of my day to share. This morning I was driving to work and the Service Engine light comes on – again. It’s no secret that I hate this car and that I have not had luck with cars, whatsoever, in over a year now. So, my day starts off on the wrong foot and I’m crabby. Then, I get to work and a co-worker’s wife brings in their two little boys for a visit. Anyone who knows me, knows that I love –love -love little kids and these boys are exceptionally cute. Now my day has turned around.
I decided to use my lunch hour to take my car to Auto Zone and have them hook up that little computer thingy to diagnosis the problem. I look up the closest store and it’s on N Kingshighway so I print the directions and off I go. Little did I know I was going into the heart of the hood! I pull in the parking lot and the first thing I see is a drug deal going down. My first reaction was to leave quickly but then I was afraid that they would think I was going to the police or something and get my plate number to hunt me down (I know, I watch too much tv). So, to avoid all that, I go ahead and park. I almost run inside the store to make sure I don’t get shot or something. Now I’m in the store, that is covered with bars all around the outside, waiting for my turn in line. An African American um, er, “gentleman” walks in with his pants around his thighs, hat crooked, etc. The lady behind the counter says to him “whad you get hauled away for dis time”. Great, just great – first I witness a drug deal outside then this character walks in and is obviously no stranger to the police and all he said was “dawg, I didn’t do it, you know I didn't do it”. Finally, it’s my turn in line and the guy gets the hand-held device and takes me outside – the dealers are still there by the way. He hooked it up and what seemed like an eternity really only took 2 seconds. Turns out it’s my thermostat, which is relatively inexpensive and easy to replace – thank you God! After he gives me the printout, I high-tail it out of there and make it safely back to work to which I say again, thank you God!
I decided to use my lunch hour to take my car to Auto Zone and have them hook up that little computer thingy to diagnosis the problem. I look up the closest store and it’s on N Kingshighway so I print the directions and off I go. Little did I know I was going into the heart of the hood! I pull in the parking lot and the first thing I see is a drug deal going down. My first reaction was to leave quickly but then I was afraid that they would think I was going to the police or something and get my plate number to hunt me down (I know, I watch too much tv). So, to avoid all that, I go ahead and park. I almost run inside the store to make sure I don’t get shot or something. Now I’m in the store, that is covered with bars all around the outside, waiting for my turn in line. An African American um, er, “gentleman” walks in with his pants around his thighs, hat crooked, etc. The lady behind the counter says to him “whad you get hauled away for dis time”. Great, just great – first I witness a drug deal outside then this character walks in and is obviously no stranger to the police and all he said was “dawg, I didn’t do it, you know I didn't do it”. Finally, it’s my turn in line and the guy gets the hand-held device and takes me outside – the dealers are still there by the way. He hooked it up and what seemed like an eternity really only took 2 seconds. Turns out it’s my thermostat, which is relatively inexpensive and easy to replace – thank you God! After he gives me the printout, I high-tail it out of there and make it safely back to work to which I say again, thank you God!
Saturday, July 3, 2010
What a great stay-cation!
I wasn't planning to take much time off work this summer because of the wedding/honeymoon but that quickly changed. I was originally going to take one day off to go to an afternoon Cardinals game with Lisa but decided I better take Thursday off too, in case we indulged in too many adult beverages. What the heck, if I'm taking 2 days, I may as well take the whole week, right? My thoughts exactly! So, here's how it went down:
Monday was a house cleaning day so I could enjoy the rest of the week without feeling guilty about a dirty house. I must have found some energy that day because I moved furniture to vacuum behind, cleaned all the base-boards, etc. Things that go beyond my semi-weekly cleaning routine.
Tuesday, I had my nephew, Timmy for the day. We met Cheryl & Chelsea to see Toy Story 3 and it was Timmy's first movie in the theatre. He loved it, although from the picture below, you can tell he didn't quite know what to think at first.
On Wednesday, Lisa and I went to the Cards game and got first pitch tickets for just $5.50 each. It was a great deal and I even scored a free VIP parking pass by being in the right place at the right time.
Of course it's never a complete baseball experience until you see Fredbird:
And, it was also Ashley's first time at the stadium so we ventured across the ballpark to meet her for a drink:
Thursday was a relaxed fun-day, again with Lisa, complete with shopping and a hair cut/highlights. Friday, we went to Carlyle Lake and soaked up some rays for a few hours.
After the lake, we got pedicures and went out for dinner/drinks in her hometown of Breese. It's a small town with not much going on so it was an early night.
Today was a bootcamp day and back to the grind at Circa. Tonight, Larry and I are having a date night with dinner and a movie, going to see Grown-Ups. I'll let you know how it is.
Hope everyone has a great 4th of July and enjoys the long weekend!
Monday was a house cleaning day so I could enjoy the rest of the week without feeling guilty about a dirty house. I must have found some energy that day because I moved furniture to vacuum behind, cleaned all the base-boards, etc. Things that go beyond my semi-weekly cleaning routine.
Tuesday, I had my nephew, Timmy for the day. We met Cheryl & Chelsea to see Toy Story 3 and it was Timmy's first movie in the theatre. He loved it, although from the picture below, you can tell he didn't quite know what to think at first.
On Wednesday, Lisa and I went to the Cards game and got first pitch tickets for just $5.50 each. It was a great deal and I even scored a free VIP parking pass by being in the right place at the right time.
Of course it's never a complete baseball experience until you see Fredbird:
And, it was also Ashley's first time at the stadium so we ventured across the ballpark to meet her for a drink:
Thursday was a relaxed fun-day, again with Lisa, complete with shopping and a hair cut/highlights. Friday, we went to Carlyle Lake and soaked up some rays for a few hours.
After the lake, we got pedicures and went out for dinner/drinks in her hometown of Breese. It's a small town with not much going on so it was an early night.
Today was a bootcamp day and back to the grind at Circa. Tonight, Larry and I are having a date night with dinner and a movie, going to see Grown-Ups. I'll let you know how it is.
Hope everyone has a great 4th of July and enjoys the long weekend!
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
Hiccup's Diagnosis
As I suspected, my poor Hiccup has some health problems. She has been panting excessively for a while now and our regular vet wasn’t finding anything wrong with her. As her panting got worse, I got more concerned and decided to see another vet for a second opinion. I made an appointment with Dr. Lashley, who my mom claims is a miracle worker. She used to take our pets there when I was a kid. Anyway, I called our regular vet to get a copy of her records and they agreed to fax them to Dr. Lashley. About an hour later, Dr. Jessen (our regular vet) called me to see what was going on. I explained that I had a gut feeling something was wrong with her and they just weren’t finding anything. He looked at all of her records again during our conversation and asked if she was still on enalapril for her heart. Excuse me? Did you just say for her heart? Nothing has been mentioned to me about her heart, what’s wrong with her heart? He proceeds to tell me that the x-ray taken last August, yes almost a year ago, showed the right side of her heart was enlarged and that is why she was on the medicine. When he gave that to her, she only got a limited supply and it was never mentioned again. The only thing he told me about those x-rays is that her lungs had pockets in them and that is what I thought the medicine was for. So each time we have been in since then, they ask what she is taking. I give the same answer all the time, Heartguard and Frontline. Ok, here’s the deal. If she was supposed to be on that medicine this entire time, why was that never caught? So, without even seeing her, he says he will get a prescription ready for her and I can stop by and pick it up. Um, no thank you. I’ll wait to see what Dr. Lashley thinks first.
In the meantime, I get online and read all about heart problems and excessive panting. Everything points to congestive heart failure so that is my concern now that I know she has an enlarged heart. It about killed me to wait 24 hours to get her in but it had already been a year so what’s one more day, right? We finally got to his office and he asked a million questions and looked at her history before he examined her. All he did was listen to her chest with his stethoscope and determined she has a heart valve leaking. Tears immediately come to my eyes because I’m thinking the worst with heart failure. He said that on the scale of 0-6, she is at a 1 and really doesn’t think it is life threatening, yet. We have to monitor her on a regular basis and she will be on medication forever as treatment.
As he examines her further, he pushed on her back and she almost jumped off the table. At first he thought it was arthritis but looked at the x-ray I brought from the other vet and realized she has 2 different spots in her spine where the vertebrae are fusing themselves together. In humans, surgery is the only way to fix disc problems but in animals, nature takes care of itself. He said it can take several years to complete the process and she is about half way though. He said she is in severe pain with it and thinks that is the source of her panting, not her heart. Again, tears come to my eyes because she has been in such pain for so long and I had no idea. He gave her some pain meds and said it should help with her pain and panting within a few days.
Overall, Dr. Lashley has a positive outlook for her and thinks she has quite a few good years left in her. After all, she is only 10. Granted, she’s considered a senior dog but she still acts like a puppy so I don’t consider her old. I feel a sense of relief knowing it could have been much worse but at the same time, I feel like the worst dog-mom ever for not taking her sooner. I feel absolutely horrible that she has been in such pain; however, I can’t focus on that now. I have to focus on Hiccup and getting her better. We sure could use some puppy-prayers so please send positive thoughts our way!
In the meantime, I get online and read all about heart problems and excessive panting. Everything points to congestive heart failure so that is my concern now that I know she has an enlarged heart. It about killed me to wait 24 hours to get her in but it had already been a year so what’s one more day, right? We finally got to his office and he asked a million questions and looked at her history before he examined her. All he did was listen to her chest with his stethoscope and determined she has a heart valve leaking. Tears immediately come to my eyes because I’m thinking the worst with heart failure. He said that on the scale of 0-6, she is at a 1 and really doesn’t think it is life threatening, yet. We have to monitor her on a regular basis and she will be on medication forever as treatment.
As he examines her further, he pushed on her back and she almost jumped off the table. At first he thought it was arthritis but looked at the x-ray I brought from the other vet and realized she has 2 different spots in her spine where the vertebrae are fusing themselves together. In humans, surgery is the only way to fix disc problems but in animals, nature takes care of itself. He said it can take several years to complete the process and she is about half way though. He said she is in severe pain with it and thinks that is the source of her panting, not her heart. Again, tears come to my eyes because she has been in such pain for so long and I had no idea. He gave her some pain meds and said it should help with her pain and panting within a few days.
Overall, Dr. Lashley has a positive outlook for her and thinks she has quite a few good years left in her. After all, she is only 10. Granted, she’s considered a senior dog but she still acts like a puppy so I don’t consider her old. I feel a sense of relief knowing it could have been much worse but at the same time, I feel like the worst dog-mom ever for not taking her sooner. I feel absolutely horrible that she has been in such pain; however, I can’t focus on that now. I have to focus on Hiccup and getting her better. We sure could use some puppy-prayers so please send positive thoughts our way!
Monday, June 21, 2010
Engagement Pics – Take 2
The pictures from our second engagement photo session are posted on the photographer’s website, click here to see them. She left some of the old ones on the site so you have to scroll to the bottom to see the new ones. I think they turned out much better and we have a few favorites. She didn’t post all of them and I’m a little disappointed because there were some on her camera that we really liked. Oh well, I’ll post those on our wedding website when I get the CD.
Speaking of our wedding website, if you haven’t seen it yet go to honeymoonwishes.com and search by either of our last names, or peek here. I set up the website with our honeymoon registry and it was so easy to do. The vendor I used has our resort on their destination list so the registry was basically done for me. I just had to pick some of the things we wanted and decide on the amounts to ask for. I’ll be adding pictures and other tidbits of information to the wedding website so make sure you check it often for the latest updates.
Tonight, we meet with Pastor Earl for our first pre-marriage counseling session. This will be my 4th day in a row in the lovely town of Freeburg. Soon my car will be able to drive itself there :-)
Speaking of our wedding website, if you haven’t seen it yet go to honeymoonwishes.com and search by either of our last names, or peek here. I set up the website with our honeymoon registry and it was so easy to do. The vendor I used has our resort on their destination list so the registry was basically done for me. I just had to pick some of the things we wanted and decide on the amounts to ask for. I’ll be adding pictures and other tidbits of information to the wedding website so make sure you check it often for the latest updates.
Tonight, we meet with Pastor Earl for our first pre-marriage counseling session. This will be my 4th day in a row in the lovely town of Freeburg. Soon my car will be able to drive itself there :-)
Thursday, June 10, 2010
Florist . . .check
My meeting with Walter Knoll Florist was a success! They were able to do exactly what I was looking for at a price I could handle. Finally, after 5 months of planning, I have booked everything - oh what a feeling! Now I can have fun with the detail stuff like centerpieces, etc. Here is a pic of the flowers that will be used in the bouquets:
And this is how they will be wrapped, with the silver accent:
The only problem I ran into is that they don't provide delivery service to Freeburg, where the ceremony will be, so I have to sweet-talk someone into picking up the flowers. Shouldn't be a big deal though.
And this is how they will be wrapped, with the silver accent:
The only problem I ran into is that they don't provide delivery service to Freeburg, where the ceremony will be, so I have to sweet-talk someone into picking up the flowers. Shouldn't be a big deal though.
Golf For Dummies
Last night was my first night of golf lessons and I have to admit, I didn't do too bad. My instructor is Dan Polites - a PGA Teaching Professional, and a super nice guy. He owns DP Golf at Clinton Hills Golf Course and obviously knows what he is doing as he was able to help me actually hit the ball :-) He wrote the book "Golf for Rookies" and has created multiple training videos for the Average Jane like me.
So, I got there last night and he told me to grab the 7 iron for this lesson, um ok, which one is that, Dan? As he chuckled, he told me his book would explain what each club is and when to use it, not to worry. He wants our lessons to focus on actually practicing instead of teaching something we can learn from the book. Right on, I get that. Now I have my 7 iron in hand and we are ready to get started. He demonstrates how to grip the club, proper stance, how far out to hold the club and the technique for swinging. Now it's my turn, oh geeze, here we go! First I practice the swinging motion without actually trying to hit a ball. He gets me all lined up and puts a ball on the tee. First swing, I miss. Second swing, I miss. Third and fourth swings, I miss. He assured me that everyone starting out does the same thing and advises I not throw my club as he could sense my frustration. Finally, I made contact with the ball and let me tell you, I was so proud of myself. After a few more hits, I loosened up and got used to the swing. I even had a few beautiful hits that he complimented me on. The rest of the lesson was spent practicing the same swing and by the end of the lesson, I was exhausted.
Today, my forearms are sore and I have a blister on my left hand but I'm super excited to practice on my own before my lesson next week. Of course I do not have proper golf attire so a shopping trip is in order for acceptable clothing such as a collared shirt, khaki shorts or something similar, and definitely a glove to keep my hand from blistering again. Stay tuned for my next progress report!
So, I got there last night and he told me to grab the 7 iron for this lesson, um ok, which one is that, Dan? As he chuckled, he told me his book would explain what each club is and when to use it, not to worry. He wants our lessons to focus on actually practicing instead of teaching something we can learn from the book. Right on, I get that. Now I have my 7 iron in hand and we are ready to get started. He demonstrates how to grip the club, proper stance, how far out to hold the club and the technique for swinging. Now it's my turn, oh geeze, here we go! First I practice the swinging motion without actually trying to hit a ball. He gets me all lined up and puts a ball on the tee. First swing, I miss. Second swing, I miss. Third and fourth swings, I miss. He assured me that everyone starting out does the same thing and advises I not throw my club as he could sense my frustration. Finally, I made contact with the ball and let me tell you, I was so proud of myself. After a few more hits, I loosened up and got used to the swing. I even had a few beautiful hits that he complimented me on. The rest of the lesson was spent practicing the same swing and by the end of the lesson, I was exhausted.
Today, my forearms are sore and I have a blister on my left hand but I'm super excited to practice on my own before my lesson next week. Of course I do not have proper golf attire so a shopping trip is in order for acceptable clothing such as a collared shirt, khaki shorts or something similar, and definitely a glove to keep my hand from blistering again. Stay tuned for my next progress report!
Monday, June 7, 2010
Sweet Things
Wedding cake . . .check! Tonight was a success with the cake tasting we did with Sweet Things Gourmet Treats out of Belleville. We requested a pumpkin cake and tasted two versions, one with a caramel filling and one with a cream cheese filling. Both were delicious but the caramel was our favorite! It was the first time they had a request for pumpkin cake so they experimented with the fillings and nailed it! Now they will remember us as a first for them so that's kind of cool. We also tried red velvet with cream cheese filling and it was ok but didn't blow us away. Then we had chocolate with mocah filling, french vanilla with homemade raspberry filling and french vanilla with strawberry filling. I knew we wanted a variety of flavors so here is what we ended up with:
Pumpkin with caramel
Pumpkin with cream cheese
French vanilla with raspberry
Chocolate with raspberry
Marble with fudge
Then we had to decide if we wanted a traditional tiered cake or individual cakes of different sizes. Why decide, go with both, right? So, we are doing a small square, 3-tier cake with a smooth finish, blue and silver ribbon trim around each tier, and our monogram on the middle layer. For the individual cakes, we will have 8" and 10" round and square with what I call a scroll design on them. I'm super excited about our choice of flavors and the design of all of them.
Next, and last on the list of bookings, the florist. I am meeting with Walter Knoll for the second time on Thursday and will probably sign the contract with them. Wish me luck!
Pumpkin with caramel
Pumpkin with cream cheese
French vanilla with raspberry
Chocolate with raspberry
Marble with fudge
Then we had to decide if we wanted a traditional tiered cake or individual cakes of different sizes. Why decide, go with both, right? So, we are doing a small square, 3-tier cake with a smooth finish, blue and silver ribbon trim around each tier, and our monogram on the middle layer. For the individual cakes, we will have 8" and 10" round and square with what I call a scroll design on them. I'm super excited about our choice of flavors and the design of all of them.
Next, and last on the list of bookings, the florist. I am meeting with Walter Knoll for the second time on Thursday and will probably sign the contract with them. Wish me luck!
Friday, June 4, 2010
Hello Weekend!
I love having short work weeks. It’s hard to believe Friday is here already but you won’t hear me complaining about that! The weekend ahead is not as busy as normal, thank goodness. Tonight will be low-key as I prepare for the summer session of boot camp to start tomorrow morning. I’m expecting several new people to join so that’s exciting for me. After boot camp, I’ll be working at Circa then chilaxin’ the rest of the day. On Sunday, I’m meeting with a friend-of-a-friend kind of deal about wedding flowers. She used to be a wedding consultant for a local florist so she knows what she is doing and hopefully can offer a lower rate. As a backup, I have another appointment with Walter Knoll Florist on Thursday of next week to compare prices given that I changed my scheme since the first time I met with them. I hope to make my decision next week and check that off the list.
I hope to check the cake off the list next week too. We have a cake tasting scheduled with Sweet Treats from Belleville on Monday evening. They offer a variety of cake flavors and fillings, including pumpkin which is a must for us. I came across this company at the bridal show I went to a few weekends ago and their cake was yummy so I have a good feeling about this.
What’s going on with the photographer, you ask? We have our second photo session scheduled for June 13th at 6:30pm. Fingers crossed that this one turns out better than the first one. If not, I have a backup in mind and I was referred to this photographer by two different people so I now have a Plan B, if necessary. Hopefully I won’t need it though.
I hope everyone has a fun, safe weekend! Happy Friday to ya!
I hope to check the cake off the list next week too. We have a cake tasting scheduled with Sweet Treats from Belleville on Monday evening. They offer a variety of cake flavors and fillings, including pumpkin which is a must for us. I came across this company at the bridal show I went to a few weekends ago and their cake was yummy so I have a good feeling about this.
What’s going on with the photographer, you ask? We have our second photo session scheduled for June 13th at 6:30pm. Fingers crossed that this one turns out better than the first one. If not, I have a backup in mind and I was referred to this photographer by two different people so I now have a Plan B, if necessary. Hopefully I won’t need it though.
I hope everyone has a fun, safe weekend! Happy Friday to ya!
Wednesday, June 2, 2010
Wedding Disappointment & Scare
As most of you know, Larry and I had our engagement photo session with our wedding photographer last Sunday. I was super excited about it and went all out having my hair and makeup done for the day (and it looked really good too and I can say that because I didn’t do it :-). So we had our 3 hour photo session but it did not go well at all. For one, it was 90+ degrees that day so as soon as we started I was sweating like nobody’s business. It was miserable and we were not comfortable with the poses she was having us do. It was uncomfortable for both of us and I had a feeling the pictures were not going to turn out that great – and I was right. The poses were awkward and you could tell in many of the pics that we weren’t comfortable. If you want to see what I mean, here is a link to the album on her website:
The more I looked at the pictures, the more upset I got and decided to let the photographer know we were disappointed. She thought they turned out great and obviously we have different tastes. She said she wanted us to be completely satisfied and offered to have another session with us to get more of what we want. That’s super nice of her and all but now I have to get my hair and makeup done again and hopefully it looks as good as it did the first time. This all went down between Sunday and Tuesday and I feel ok with the outcome, at least until we do the next session. If we still don’t like the pics, we are going to forfeit our deposit and look for someone else.
Now, here is the “scare” story to the blog title. Everyone knows I have been stressed out about finding the right DJ for our wedding because to me, that can make or break our party. I was so worried that I would pick the wrong one and the reception would be a flop. After months of researching different companies, I finally decided on Complete Music and sent my deposit in last week and felt good about my decision. Then, Larry and I were watching the news last night and I happen to catch the preview to a story that said “Attention All Brides” and it proceeded to talk about a local DJ scam. As I looked up, I saw the logo for Complete Music and I about flipped out! Of course they went to commercial so I had to wait a very long 3 minutes for the complete story. Turns out, the scam was from some other company and Complete Music stepped in to help this bride, whose wedding is this Saturday! Whew, what a relief but I have to admit, I had a brief bridezilla moment thanks to channel 4 news. If you care to check out the story, here it is.
The more I looked at the pictures, the more upset I got and decided to let the photographer know we were disappointed. She thought they turned out great and obviously we have different tastes. She said she wanted us to be completely satisfied and offered to have another session with us to get more of what we want. That’s super nice of her and all but now I have to get my hair and makeup done again and hopefully it looks as good as it did the first time. This all went down between Sunday and Tuesday and I feel ok with the outcome, at least until we do the next session. If we still don’t like the pics, we are going to forfeit our deposit and look for someone else.
Now, here is the “scare” story to the blog title. Everyone knows I have been stressed out about finding the right DJ for our wedding because to me, that can make or break our party. I was so worried that I would pick the wrong one and the reception would be a flop. After months of researching different companies, I finally decided on Complete Music and sent my deposit in last week and felt good about my decision. Then, Larry and I were watching the news last night and I happen to catch the preview to a story that said “Attention All Brides” and it proceeded to talk about a local DJ scam. As I looked up, I saw the logo for Complete Music and I about flipped out! Of course they went to commercial so I had to wait a very long 3 minutes for the complete story. Turns out, the scam was from some other company and Complete Music stepped in to help this bride, whose wedding is this Saturday! Whew, what a relief but I have to admit, I had a brief bridezilla moment thanks to channel 4 news. If you care to check out the story, here it is.
Monday, May 10, 2010
Been MIA but I’m back now
Wowsers, the past month has been busy with one thing after another and I’ve barely had time to breath, much less blog. I know that’s no excuse but I’m back now and ready to blog like a crazy woman. I won’t bore you with the details of the past month but here are a few highlights:
Larry and I are in the middle of a “Biggest Loser” competition with each other and so far, we are 4 weeks into it. I’ve lost 10.4lbs and he is down 15.6lbs. We have had our ups and downs and this week is certainly a down week for both of us. We weigh-in tonight and we are both expecting a gain. Oh well, such is life!
As far as the wedding, we bottled the wine this past weekend and had so much fun but we also made a huge mess in Cheryl’s kitchen with the red wine, oops! The pressure built up in the hose, which made the bottling tip fly off, and the hose flew around the kitchen like a fire hose would if it were let go full of pressure. By the time it landed on the floor, red wine as everywhere – on us, the cabinets, stove, dishwasher, a puddle on the floor, etc. All we could do at the time is laugh before we quickly realized we better clean it up before it stained anything. Here are a few pics of the bottling experience (minus the mess, didn’t have time to grab the camera during all that)
Empty bottles ready to be filled
Larry "corking" them
Ready to be labeled
The finished product
Aside from that, we got the honeymoon booked – going to Secrets Resort in Riviera Maya, Mexico for 5 wonderful, relaxing nights and I cannot wait!
Invitations are ordered, meetings with Pastor Earl are scheduled, and all is on schedule. Well, except for the fact that I still don’t have a DJ and the wedding is only 5 months away! I’m going to a bridal show on Sunday and hope to find someone there, fingers crossed!
This week’s agenda is getting ready for our engagement photo session on the 23rd. Taking Hiccup to the groomer tonight, getting my hair cut and touched up on Wednesday, and making sure we have our ducks in a row for clothing/accessories. I don’t want to be running around at the last minute and not be able to find what I want so to alleviate stress, I’m doing it in advance. I think once I get through the next 2 weeks things will slow down a bit – I hope so anyway.
Larry and I are in the middle of a “Biggest Loser” competition with each other and so far, we are 4 weeks into it. I’ve lost 10.4lbs and he is down 15.6lbs. We have had our ups and downs and this week is certainly a down week for both of us. We weigh-in tonight and we are both expecting a gain. Oh well, such is life!
As far as the wedding, we bottled the wine this past weekend and had so much fun but we also made a huge mess in Cheryl’s kitchen with the red wine, oops! The pressure built up in the hose, which made the bottling tip fly off, and the hose flew around the kitchen like a fire hose would if it were let go full of pressure. By the time it landed on the floor, red wine as everywhere – on us, the cabinets, stove, dishwasher, a puddle on the floor, etc. All we could do at the time is laugh before we quickly realized we better clean it up before it stained anything. Here are a few pics of the bottling experience (minus the mess, didn’t have time to grab the camera during all that)
Empty bottles ready to be filled
Larry "corking" them
Ready to be labeled
The finished product
Aside from that, we got the honeymoon booked – going to Secrets Resort in Riviera Maya, Mexico for 5 wonderful, relaxing nights and I cannot wait!
Invitations are ordered, meetings with Pastor Earl are scheduled, and all is on schedule. Well, except for the fact that I still don’t have a DJ and the wedding is only 5 months away! I’m going to a bridal show on Sunday and hope to find someone there, fingers crossed!
This week’s agenda is getting ready for our engagement photo session on the 23rd. Taking Hiccup to the groomer tonight, getting my hair cut and touched up on Wednesday, and making sure we have our ducks in a row for clothing/accessories. I don’t want to be running around at the last minute and not be able to find what I want so to alleviate stress, I’m doing it in advance. I think once I get through the next 2 weeks things will slow down a bit – I hope so anyway.
Tuesday, April 6, 2010
Bride & Groom Biggest Loser
Larry and I started our own biggest loser competition against each other and our fist weigh-in was Monday, 4/5. We will weigh in every Monday evening for 12 weeks and the amount of weight lost will be based on percentage, not pounds, just like in the show. If he wins, he gets a new gun that he has been wanting for a long time and if I win, I get a full day at a spa. At first, I thought I wanted shoes but oh heck, who am I kidding, I just buy shoes when I "need" them so it had to be something better. Everyone knows that men lose weight faster than women so this will certainly be a challenge for me but I'm up for it. I'm using the Weight Watchers points system to help me keep my eating under control and I'm going to work out every minute that I can, focusing on cardio. I have a lot of supporters behind me and I can't let them down so all systems a go!
Having said that, the extent of my working out is limited for a while. I think I either cracked a rib or popped it out of place from coughing so hard. It started hurting on Saturday and now it is painful to take a deep breath, bend over, stretch and yes, cough. So basically, if I stay still I'm fine but once I move, ouch! My friend, Lisa, had this happen to her and went to a chiropractor to have it put back in place. She gave me his name and number so I need to call and see if he can help me. My only hesitation is that she said it's painful and I'm not looking forward to that. I just wish this coughing would stop but unfortunately, it hasn't. I sure could use some extra prayers of healing if anyone can send some my way!
Having said that, the extent of my working out is limited for a while. I think I either cracked a rib or popped it out of place from coughing so hard. It started hurting on Saturday and now it is painful to take a deep breath, bend over, stretch and yes, cough. So basically, if I stay still I'm fine but once I move, ouch! My friend, Lisa, had this happen to her and went to a chiropractor to have it put back in place. She gave me his name and number so I need to call and see if he can help me. My only hesitation is that she said it's painful and I'm not looking forward to that. I just wish this coughing would stop but unfortunately, it hasn't. I sure could use some extra prayers of healing if anyone can send some my way!
Thursday, April 1, 2010
Oh, How I've Missed Thee
Grilled veggies that is! Before I left home for boot camp, I prepared some veggies to toss on the grill. I sliced up an orange and yellow bell pepper, onion, zucchini, and a few baby potatoes. I threw them in an aluminum pan with some light olive oil and a few seasonings then covered it with foil. When I got home, Larry had dinner ready, how awesome is that! The seasoning I like to use for the veggies is a spicy garlic dry mix that comes in a grinder. I get it from Allison's Common Scents where Cheryl works and it is fantastic. It's not too spicy but has just enough kick for something different. Try it out if you get a chance. Here is a pic of my delicious dinner:
Looking forward to my day off tomorrow! I'm planning on a nice 10-mile bike ride tomorrow followed by meeting with the florist then ordering the wine-making supplied. Hope to get a little shopping in there too :)
Looking forward to my day off tomorrow! I'm planning on a nice 10-mile bike ride tomorrow followed by meeting with the florist then ordering the wine-making supplied. Hope to get a little shopping in there too :)
Tuesday, March 30, 2010
Cake Tasting
Sorry I haven't posted about the cake tasting we did on Sunday but I have been busy getting ready for a presentation I had to give in my class Monday night. The presentation went ok but not great. I felt like I stumbled over my words a bit, partly because I wasn't 100% comfortable with the material. My instructor really liked it though and that's what matters in the end.
Ok, back to the cake tasting. The "baker" from Laulie Cakes came to our house with tons of yummy samples. Larry's mom and dad came over to partake too. We had pumpkin cake (which was our fav), Belini, Orange Creamsicle, Deulce de Leche, lemon with raspberry filling (our least fav), white cake with fudge filling, caramel, red velvet, and a basic chocolate. So, we picked our favorites, decided how many servings we need, and talked about designs. So, after all that, she came back with a price that was out of our budget and I should have expected it given all the specialty flavors we chose. Now we have to scale it down a bit and get it within our price range. No matter what we go with, the cake will be nothing less than fantastic! Here are a few pics of the tasting:
Next on the wedding planning agenda is that I am meeting with another florist to get some different ideas and prices. I'm checking out Gilded Lily in Smithton and my friend/client, Stacy, is joining me. I am also going to stop by Dave's Home Brew, where Cheryl works, to order the wine bottles and accessories we need to bottle our homemade wine. I have a short work-week thanks to Good Friday and I plan to take full advantage of it :)
The other new thing on my plate is that I picked up a temporary Saturday job at a little boutique in downtown Belleville, Circa. The owner of the store is having her first baby in May and was looking for someone to run the store on Saturdays until she gets settled with being a new mommy. So, to pick up some extra cash for the wedding, I decided to give it a whirl. The hours are from 10am-4pm but I can handle giving up my Saturdays for a while - hey, it's for a good cause, right?
Ok, back to the cake tasting. The "baker" from Laulie Cakes came to our house with tons of yummy samples. Larry's mom and dad came over to partake too. We had pumpkin cake (which was our fav), Belini, Orange Creamsicle, Deulce de Leche, lemon with raspberry filling (our least fav), white cake with fudge filling, caramel, red velvet, and a basic chocolate. So, we picked our favorites, decided how many servings we need, and talked about designs. So, after all that, she came back with a price that was out of our budget and I should have expected it given all the specialty flavors we chose. Now we have to scale it down a bit and get it within our price range. No matter what we go with, the cake will be nothing less than fantastic! Here are a few pics of the tasting:
Next on the wedding planning agenda is that I am meeting with another florist to get some different ideas and prices. I'm checking out Gilded Lily in Smithton and my friend/client, Stacy, is joining me. I am also going to stop by Dave's Home Brew, where Cheryl works, to order the wine bottles and accessories we need to bottle our homemade wine. I have a short work-week thanks to Good Friday and I plan to take full advantage of it :)
The other new thing on my plate is that I picked up a temporary Saturday job at a little boutique in downtown Belleville, Circa. The owner of the store is having her first baby in May and was looking for someone to run the store on Saturdays until she gets settled with being a new mommy. So, to pick up some extra cash for the wedding, I decided to give it a whirl. The hours are from 10am-4pm but I can handle giving up my Saturdays for a while - hey, it's for a good cause, right?
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
Smell the Roses
Ok, so they aren't roses but I did meet with the florist yesterday to get some ideas for wedding flowers. Angie and I went to Walter Knoll downtown STL and wow, what an amazing aroma when you walk in the door! This location is their primary store and it was huge, filled with every kind of flower you could imagine! After pulling a ton of flowers and trying different arrangements, I really like what Linda, my consultant, came up with at the end. For the bridesmaids, I decided to go with shades of orange, burgundy and yellows which is perfect for fall. I am using some of the same flowers in my bouquet but adding in a few white lilies and hydrangeas. I think the colors look really good against the blue dresses and the price is very reasonable. The best part is that being a SLU employee, I get a 20% discount - one of the many benefits I reap. Here are a few pics of the flowers but keep in mind, it was put together quickly just for some ideas and the finished product will be much cleaner and hand-tied with pretty ribbon.
Bridesmaid bouquets
This is what it will look like against the blue dresses
Rough draft of my bouquet
She wrapped these up for me to take home, how nice!
Bridesmaid bouquets
This is what it will look like against the blue dresses
Rough draft of my bouquet
She wrapped these up for me to take home, how nice!
Thursday, March 18, 2010
Yikes!
I have been doing fairly well at keeping up with school work since I started back this semester, until now. During our first class meeting, each student was assigned a book to read about a development theorist and give a presentation to explain it. For some reason, I had in my head that I was scheduled to present on April 12th but I was sadly mistaken. I just found out that my day is March 29th. WHAT? I have not started my book yet so now I'm a bit stressed about it. It's only about 250 pages and looks like an easy read but still . . . I have a week and a half to read this book and create a presentation, ugh! I certainly have my work cut out for me this weekend :( At least I got some fun stuff in last weekend with the St. Patrick's Day parade on Saturday afternoon and a crazy bowl benefit that night.
Aside from that, not much is new. As far as the wedding, the only new thing is that I booked our limo, which is actually called a limo bus. We needed something big enough for our wedding party plus a few other people and the Hummer limo was the largest I could find but it only seats 20, which means 18 comfortably. I didn't want everyone to be crammed on top of each other so I went with the next best option. It doesn't look like much fun from the outside but the inside is awesome and fully loaded like a regular limo. Here are a few pics:
Next on the agenda is the florist and I am meeting with them on Monday, the 22nd to get some ideas and estimates. Then, we are doing a cake tasting on Sunday, the 28th and I'm really looking forward to that. Instead of having a traditional wedding cake, we are doing 5 or 6 variety cakes, thanks Angie for the idea. We are trying an Orange Creamsicle, Dulce De Leche, Bellini, and a pumpkin cake with cream cheese frosting. YUM-O! I'll let you know what we decide.
Aside from that, not much is new. As far as the wedding, the only new thing is that I booked our limo, which is actually called a limo bus. We needed something big enough for our wedding party plus a few other people and the Hummer limo was the largest I could find but it only seats 20, which means 18 comfortably. I didn't want everyone to be crammed on top of each other so I went with the next best option. It doesn't look like much fun from the outside but the inside is awesome and fully loaded like a regular limo. Here are a few pics:
Next on the agenda is the florist and I am meeting with them on Monday, the 22nd to get some ideas and estimates. Then, we are doing a cake tasting on Sunday, the 28th and I'm really looking forward to that. Instead of having a traditional wedding cake, we are doing 5 or 6 variety cakes, thanks Angie for the idea. We are trying an Orange Creamsicle, Dulce De Leche, Bellini, and a pumpkin cake with cream cheese frosting. YUM-O! I'll let you know what we decide.
Friday, March 12, 2010
Timmy's 3rd Birthday
It's hard to believe that it's already been 3 years since I beat my sister to the hospital when she called and said she was in labor. Nope, I wasn't excited or anything! Timmy has been asking for weeks, is it my birthday yet, do I get presents yet? Finally, his birthday is here and he asked "Is Santa going to bring me presents?" Too cute, right? And not bad logic for a 3 year old. Christmas=presents from Santa, birthday=presents, they must be from Santa too. My sister explained that Santa only brings presents for Christmas and mommy brings presents for his birthday. He really didn't care as long as he got presents. So, for his 3rd birthday, we took him to Chucky Cheese along with my little brothers and sister. Of course they had a blast and all moped around when it was time to leave. Here are some of the pics:
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)