Christmas and a Couple of Interesting Movies.

Christmas has come and gone once again. The older I get, the closer together they seem to get. I worked Christmas day, and it wasn't bad, all in all. Someone has to do it, and this year was my year. Robert came with me to keep me company. I made it through the day without setting off the alarm. We brought the TV and DVD player into the "bullpen" and watched the most awesomely ridiculously awful movie called "The Happiness of the Katakuris." It was SO awful, that it was hilariously funny. It is a Japanese subtitled movie that the box describes as "The Sound of music" meets "Dawn of the Dead" which is a zombie movie. I found this gem at the library. It caught my eye because it did look like "The Sound of Music" with Japanese characters. I laughed so hard I wheezed. Robert, Tammy and I watched it between phone calls. Lorie was in the office some of the time, but I'm pretty sure she thought we were crazy. The movie had music/dance numbers in it, mixed with zombies and such. We may have a new Christmas tradition. I wonder if some Japanese family was watching "A Christmas Story" and laughing at it and thinking it was awesomely ridiculously awful.
We went to Brandon to see the "little Kimseys." There is nothing like seeing kids with new presents to make Christmas feel like Christmas. They were so cute and sweet. I wish it could have been like the wedding, where we had all of the Outlaw-Pezoldt-Kimsey little ones together in one place. Our nieces and nephews are so special to us. It is crazy to think that Nicole was 6 and Rian was 4 when we started dating. Now they are growing into little ladies!
Today we went to eat at Yamatos for a late nice Christmas dinner, then went to see "Avatar." It was really great, BUT let me say that if you have ANY inner ear problems or tendency to have motion sickness, either don't see it in 3D, or get there so early that you can sit in the very top row. We saw it today and got there 5 minutes after it started, so we had to sit in the 2nd row!! Barf fest!! It was so close and so fast action. I can't wait to see it again at home and not in 3D.
Well, I hope that everyone had a great Christmas and I'm looking for a great New Year!!

Needing a Little Christmas Spirit.

I'm having difficulty finding my inner elf. It is bothering me too. I am so blessed in so many ways, but this year I'm not feeling like it is Christmastime. Maybe it's the weather. Considering it is 85 degrees outside, that is a good possibility. (My plants are starting to bloom; the grass is growing like summer!) Maybe it's because I have to work Christmas day. Maybe it's because I won't be able to see my family on or around Christmas. We were able to spend Thanksgiving with them, but that wasn't enough for me. (Give me an inch, I want a mile!) I've watched more Christmas shows lately than I ever have. Maybe I need some of those "Ronco" commercials like when I was little! That let me KNOW it was Christmas. My Christmas tree is fabulous! I even bought a space heater that looks like a fireplace (fake logs and flames, and all!!) It looks perfect, but I sweat when I look at it, even though the heater isn't on. I thought I was going to have a heat stroke getting it into the car! The people at Home Depot were looking at me like I was crazy. I'm working really hard to get in the spirit! I should have it in a week or so!!! Merry Christmas to all! Love, Shannon and Robert

Wonderful Birthday!

We spent Wednesday to Friday in Orlando celebrating my birthday. We met Cher on Wednesday night and had dinner at Landry's. It was wonderful. We came back to the room and watched Modern Family and laughed so hard we wheezed!! Thursday I got in free to Disney, so we went to EPCOT for the food and wine festival. The day was PERFECT, not too hot or too cool. We tried different foods and it was such a great way to spend my birthday. (It brought back memories of my 20th birthday, which I spent there during my CO-OP semester.) I had many calls from family singing "Happy birthday!" It was wonderful. On Friday we went to Sea World and walked around and rode the rides. It was warmer and we got some sun. They have some beautiful aquariums! We left early afternoon because I was becoming weak and sluggish (forgot to bring my thyroid med, so I went without for 3 days. Not a good idea.) It was such a nice break. Thanks to everyone for the birthday wishes!! Love, Shannon

Joey Turns 40!!

OH MY!!! Doey is 4o!!!! We had a wonderful birthday party for him Saturday! It was a mixture of a 40th birthday, Halloween Pumpkin carving, and all out "battle royale" between the Dawgs and Gators! What a great day!! Joey wanted fried catfish for his birthday, so I drove up for the day and made fried catfish, french fries, slaw, and hush puppies. I listened to the game on the way home, which was STRESSFUL!! I had to set the cruise control to keep from speeding! WOW!! I'm so blessed to have a brother like Joey!! Happy birthday!! Also, Joyce and Nicole had the place decorated SO ADORABLE!! Thanks for a great day!!! Love y'all!!

1st Anniversary/Vacation!

We are wrapping up our last couple of days of vacation, which has been wonderful! This is the first time since the honeymoon that we have had 9 days off together. We went to the Smoky Mountains for 5 days and were able to meet up with Mama and Daddy as they did an impromptu tour of the southeast. We stayed in a cabin in Pigeon Forge. The leaves were changing and were breathtaking. We learned a lot on this trip, so I had decided to make of list of things we have learned:
1) A year can fly by like the blink of an eye. We had such a wonderful and fun wedding a year ago on the beach and went on a wonderful cruise to Grand Cayman, Cozumel, and Roatan, Honduras, so this year we went to the mountains to celebrate 1 year together.
2) Fall is the BEST time of the year. We left 102 degree heat index in Tampa and enjoyed low 70's to low 50's in the mountains. The leaf colors developed into the most magical scene between Friday and Tuesday. On the way through the Smokies to Pigeon Forge on Friday, I said "I would like to see more reds." I got much more red on the return trip! It was purely God's art!
3) Time shares are CRAP!! Especially BLUEGREEN. When I booked the cabin, I looked up "discount cabin rentals Pigeon Forge" and pulled up a great rate for a 2 bedroom cabin with hot tub, whirlpool bath, etc. When I called, I was informed that we would have to take a 90 minute tour of a time share for the discount rate. "No problem" I thought. We will be there for 5 days, we can spare 90 minutes to save over $400! It was actually 3 hours, and it was high pressure. We went knowing that we wouldn't be buying because we don't get a lot of time off together and WE DON'T HAVE THE MONEY! Well, just google "bluegreen complaints" and you will see what we went through. They basically told us that the only way to have your kids or grand kids (which we don't have!) remember you is by buying Bluegreen and "insuring" a great vacation every year! "Are you willing to neglect your family by NOT buying this?" This was my 2nd time share presentation and they always get pissy when you say "If we convert units to dollars, you are saying this room is 400 UNITS per night and your price per UNIT is $3, that means we will be paying $1200 per night, right? We don't even spend 1/12 that when we go on vacation!! How is that saving money?" I feel bad for the people who bought and can't do basic math. It was a "one day only" opportunity, so they wouldn't let you leave and think about it. This was their way of preventing us from researching on the internet. (Sorry that was so long!)
4) Mama is WAY more of a mountain person than she thought she was! She REALLY loved the high parts of the mountain! We climbed to the highest point, despite the fact that we thought we were going to DIE! The only reason we went was because we saw a really old couple (80's) on their way down and figured "If they can do it, we surely can!" We got to the top and couldn't see crap!! It was so foggy!! And none of the people on the way down even bothered to tell us!! A-holes!! Robert got almost all the way up, and turned around thinking he had been gone too long, only to see me and Mama trudging our way up, so technically he went up 1 1/2 times. It was a 1/2 mile hike one way at 45 degree angle!
5) Pigeon Forge is Kissimmee with mountains!! And boy do they love their pancakes and go carts!! I have NEVER seen traffic like Pigeon Forge traffic! It is worse than rush hour in Miami! No joke! You can easily take 1 hour to go a couple of miles! That is not because of wrecks either!
6) Harrah's at Cherokee has our money. We started by walking about 3/4 of a mile to the casino, then had to get a card to play, then donated money! Mama and Daddy always win and they didn't this time! When we left, we discovered that they have shuttles to the parking lot, so we didn't have to walk all they way! We were losers in so many ways! (This was the same day as the climb up the highest point #4.)
7) There is a lot of "authentic" Cherokee stuff MADE IN CHINA! My family has always loved native American history, clothing, dream catchers, etc. so when we see this stuff, we have to check it out! I don't understand why it is being made in China! That is just wrong!
8) We found Elvis! He is in Pigeon Forge with his friends just across from the Titanic! The Smoky Mountain Knife Shop is HUGE (like the size of a mall!) If you need to cut somebody, that is the place to go to get it done! It had wonderful artifacts from all eras too! Mama thought she was turning into a dude because we spent so much time in there!
9) Christmas occurs year round in the mountains and there are lots of Christmas shops to celebrate it! We went to a huge one after the Knife shop, not as payback, but it could be taken that way. There was a room off to the side where the men could go to watch the Gator/LSU game. It was a beautiful place.
10) Trips are more fun with others. Don't get me wrong, we LOVE to go places just by ourselves, but we tend to rest a lot and become under motivated at times. We saw so much stuff and did so much, and I credit that to having Mama and Daddy with us. They love to go and see things, and that is so awesome! We went on the ski lift and gondola in Gatlinburg so Mama could experience her fear of falling! She's an adrenaline junky now! She'll be skydiving by this time next year! She wants to Zorb down the mountain!
11) ALWAYS get a place with a hot tub if you will be climbing mountains and walking a lot. This saved us!! We enjoyed our nightly hot tub time! We would sit in there and talk about the day and laugh!
12) It is nice to not check email and computer! I didn't get on the computer much while we were gone. I have been addicted to a couple of games and checking web sites, but I didn't care about it at all while I was gone. How nice.
13) Vacations are good for the soul! And fall is such a great time of year. I feel rejuvenated! Hopefully I come back to work a less stressed and better person.
***14) Afternoon naps are AWESOME!! I think we should make this a part of every day! (I forgot to add this last night and it's my favorite!)
Here's to many more anniversaries and lots of happiness and great vacations! Shannon and Robert

I Have My New Crown......

.....So that makes me a Princess now, right? I had the most thorough dental cleaning I have ever had in my life and my teeth are sparkling white. Now comes the task of starting every 6 month cleanings. Dr Norman was very impressed at the lack of plaque and buildup on my teeth. I need to get a night guard to help with my jaw clenching. I'm not a grinder, just a clencher. I've got to put out a wonderful word for Dr Norman Castellano!! I'm not sure if he needs more patients or not, but I will send everyone I know to him! What a compassionate and gentle dentist! He does perform pediatric dentistry if the child is old enough to follow directions (since the place isn't childproof.) Thanks a million Dr Norman!! You are also quite entertaining! Shannon (the almost completely reformed Dental Wimp!)

Dental visit.

I want to start by saying I am a dental wimp. I have a high pain tolerance, BUT due to aforementioned dental trauma as a child, I avoid the dentists worse than I avoid patients with the plague! Well, I have found the kindest and gentlest dentist and his name is Dr Norman Castellano. I went Thursday night for x-rays and cleaning and he did x-rays and got my broken tooth prepped for a crown! The visit took about 3 hours and it was a very late night, but it saved one whole visit! Norman and Robert grew up together from 6 years old on and have GREAT stories. Norman's hours are great for me (7:30 pm Tues-Thurs. and all day Saturday). I don't have to miss any work. It was wonderful to have Robert, Norman, and Chris talking about growing up. It wasn't the quiet, uptight, awkward visit like dental visits usually are. I was really worried about how much work I was going to need since it has been 7 years since my last dental visit, and 8 years before that! I only had the one broken tooth that I went in for and a small amount of decay under a very old filling in a wisdom tooth. My teeth need a good cleaning, but he was amazed at how white and straight they are without having braces! My bone and roots are also in great shape! I still have all my teeth, including wisdom teeth. I have been so blessed to have good teeth and to be the only kid out of the 3 of us that didn't need braces. I think I will start going to the dentist like I should since Norman is so nice and gentle and his hours are so easy to work into my schedule.

On a different note, Robert went to work this morning, leaving around 3:40am, forgot his elbow brace, so he turned around down the street to come back and when he opened the garage door a guy jumped up and ran down the street. He immediately came in to make sure I was ok and no one was in the house, so he let the guy run off. He thought the guy jumped out of the tree, but later realized he probably jumped over the fern in front of his car. We found out later in the morning that the house next door and across the street had cars broken into last weekend. One lady's home was almost broken into in broad daylight last Sunday. We spent the afternoon at Lowes getting motion lights and window locks, and installing all of this stuff!! I didn't want to have to spend that much money, but it happened!! I got the chainsaw and cut down all the bushes in front of windows and cut down all the ferns and palms in the front to open up the area so it is hard for someone to hide. I feel tired but safer! All the neighbors know what is going on and we are all locked and loaded. We'll see what happens!! Shannon and Robert

Disappointed!

You know, I didn't realize how sad I would be about Patrick Swayze dying. I'm a hospice nurse for goodness sakes!! And it was expected! I guess it brings to a close the wishful thinking and dream that I would one day dirty dance and get grinded on by one of the few men who could be tough and a wonderfully sexy masculine dancer at the same time. He was just HOT!! And he could move like no other man!! I think of him crawling across the floor to "Baby" and dancing in the staff quarters in Dirty Dancing and I just get hot!! I LOVE him in "The Outsiders" which was the movie with all the HOT guys of the day in it. I love Roadhouse! (I love Sam Elliott too! His voice makes me quiver!!) Oh my!! He also made me want to play with clay!! Anyway, God bless you Patrick Swayze for having the kahunies to take dance lessons and not care what other guys thought!! You made us all smile and have lots of sexy dreams about you!!!

Rough Week!!

Whoever came up with the idea that 9-9-09 was lucky is insane!! This is how our week has been: Monday: AHHHH! First day off together in a month. So nice! We went to Busch Gardens, which was not crowded and Robert got CRAPPED on by 2 birds!! Should have been foreshadowing of events to come, but we didn't take it that way. I always heard that if you get crapped on, it is good luck, so he should be DOUBLE lucky!! Tuesday was rough. Trying to figure out what all happened at work from a 3 day weekend. No biggy. Wednesday: THE DAY FROM HELL! Starts with a very confusing call from a nurse, can't go into details, but let's say SWAT was involved in a day long ordeal. During a meeting, my phone rings, it is Robert, figure it is nothing, accidentally hang up on him, send him a text, I'll call when SWAT problems are resolved. I called later only to find out that he had been hit by a car!!!! Read previous post. CAN THIS GET ANY BETTER??? Today, totally miss an important issue on the overnight report because I was distracted and I'm just a dumb a$$, left to deal with my failure and worry about it all day long UNTIL my new best friend the friggen jury subpoena woman shows up at 4:15 pm!!! The subpoena is for a court case that has been continued numerous times since the spring and will fall right in the middle of my vacation!!!!! Tomorrow is 9-11, the anniversary of the worst disaster of our time and the one year anniversary of Robert getting laid off. Sunday is the 5 year anniversary of my Nannie's death. Nannie, I could use you now. I want you here!! You could make me laugh and help me make sense of all of this like you always did!! I miss you so bad! I just hope we have gotten this all "out of our system" and can move on to a much better week!! Oh, and next week I have to go to the dentist twice to fix a tooth that has been broken for 5 years and I have put off due to my severe fear of dentists! Thanks Dr Stratton!! Hey Nannie, can you take care of him up there for me! I'm going to need mental health counseling after all of this!! Or at the very least some ativan, haldol, thorazine, or a cocktail of all the above!!

Unfortunately, It Finally Happened

(As a prelude to this post I have always ridden a bike, 25 years, I love it and I have lost 90 pounds since February of this year.)

This morning, while it was still relatively cool out (GTEFCU sign said 75 degrees at 7:30am), I felt like running up to Wal-Mart to look for some paint for several little projects I am working on. It happened. While crossing the road, a car turning right hit me. Fortunately I saw it coming and prepared as much as I could. As soon as I went down I popped right back up and pulled my bike to the grass. In hindsight, I saw that I had raised my right foot up before she hit me and pushed off the car towards the grass. I didn't make the grass so I am a little bruised and scraped up and the bike was totaled and still sitting on the side of the road. Where my right foot was the right pedal went through her bumper. After the Pasco Deputy and an FHP officer had taken care of the situation the woman offered to take me to replace my bike which I gladly accepted and walked home my new bike. She was charged with the accident. Her citation was for "careless driving" and was $166 and 4 points on her license. Shannon is a bit freaked out with all this and I can't blame her. If my bike is still there tonight and Shannon and I pick it up I will post a pic for you all.
Robert

Happy Labor Day.

Today was the first day Robert and I have been off together in a month. It was so nice to have a day off with him. We went to Busch Gardens for the day. I know it sounds crazy, but it really wasn't busy at all. Marcus, Robert and Brian were supposed to meet us, but they were so tired after their cruise that they couldn't make it. We had a nice time. It was quite warm, but it was a beautiful day. I hope everyone had a great day. Now back to work tomorrow. Time to play catch up!! It will be another month before we have time off together.

I hate oatmeal!

I have been eating oatmeal for breakfast for the last two mornings because my sister said "eat oatmeal even if you have to choke it down. It is good for you. Just do it." I have eaten it before and I quickly get to the point where I start to gag! WHY, OH WHY CAN'T GRITS BE AS GOOD FOR YOU AS OATMEAL??? It's just not fair! It brings back memories of doing the "Mayo diet" where you have to eat certain things in combination to lose 10 lbs in 3 days. One day you have to eat cottage cheese, which absolutely makes me barf. I have blended it, held my nose, chased it with water, everything. I even made my friend Jeanne sick watching me try to eat it and she loves cottage cheese. I feel the same way about beets. Anyway, I'm going to try to keep eating it, but I'm not sure how long I can. Have a great week. Shannon

Going Crazy? Already Crazy? Been Crazy for a While?

Last weekend I had a major case of "the crud" of some sort. Something between the plague and the pig/bird flu. I started sneezing. No big deal. Allergies. Then my head filled up, like it was going to explode. Pain. Exploding would be ok, it would reduce the pressure. Then Saturday I just wanted to crawl in a hole. My ears were full of fluid, so every sound was muffled. My head hadn't exploded but the pressure was increasing. Sunday I had the sweats, and I mean POURING sweats, along with the pressure and fluid in my ears. Then came the chest congestion. Then I was better. Thank goodness I am well for this weekend. I think I picked up some Miami crud. Through all of this I didn't miss a day of work, as my OCD will not allow for that. On top of feeling bad, some of the staff had cases of the whineys/fits. It never ceases to amaze me how some actually think they can tell the boss exactly what they will and won't do. Silly excuses are my favorite. I'm glad I was raised to have the work ethic that I have. It may drive me crazy, but I would never want to be lazy.
I am hoping to be able to keep up with more frequent blogs.
We are still riding the bikes. I will attach a picture of one of our predawn rides. Love, Shannon

Celebration Weekend!

We went to Miami this weekend to celebrate the big "4" with Ryan!! It was a G-Force birthday! The movie was really cute! Ryan got to start the movie in the projector room. It was wonderful to have the crew together again. We missed Joey, Joyce and Nicole. We had not been to Miami since Chad and Tracy's wedding in February! It is ridicules to go 6 months without seeing my family!! Anyway, we had a great time, as usual!! Much love to all of you and happy birthday!
FYI- Ryan isn't developing faster than the average 4 year old, he knocked his teeth up into his gums and had to have them surgically removed. He had extras to spare, so he should be in good shape!

A Special Week!

Our Special little guys turn 4 this week!! I can't believe it! How time flies! Happy Birthday boys!! Love, Shannie and Robert

Much Needed Break.

We had a much needed long weekend and went to St Augustine to see Joey, Joyce and Nicole. We were able to go to the beach and the pool, as well as walk on St George Street. We stopped by to see friends of mine, the Jonas'. It was great to see them. They recently celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary. We ate wonderful food at Yamoto's, JT's, and Harry T's. St Augustine has the best restaurants.
We were able to teach Nicole to ride her bike. She is a very fast learner and has great balance! I hope she practices and builds up her butt callouses so she doesn't get a sore butt every time she rides.
I don't think I talked in my sleep the last 3 nights. If I did, Robert was tired to know. We have both rested so well!! I feel rejuvenated. I hope everyone has a great week!! Shannon

My Poor Husband!

Alright, I have a confession that some of you probably don't know: I have the WORST sleepwalking and sleeptalking problem EVER!! I have my whole life. Last night I woke Robert up several times talking about stupid stuff!! I saw the bike car carrier thing on his head and kept waking him up about it. IT SOUNDS STUPID, BUT IT WAS SO REAL TO ME. My dreams are so vivid that I can't wake myself up enough to pull out of it. He had to get up at 4am, so I think he got a little irritated with my craziness. It was funny to him for a while, but I think he is officially OVER IT! I would have been over it a long time ago if he was keeping me awake like that! He has lots of stories! We can't watch anything like Dirty Jobs, or anything too freaky or thought provoking before I sleep, or it gets worse. I'm not sure what to do about it, but it is getting worse. I don't want to pay thousands for a sleep study to say "yes, you are sleepwalking/talking, here are some pills" because I don't want to take anything. Any ideas? I take Melatonin sometimes, but I still do crazy stuff. Maybe my brain is screwed up from eating too much dirt with lots of cotton poison in it or standing outside watching the plane spray the cotton fields all those years, or maybe I ate a lot of lead paint, or the pictures I teethed on, or the mercury in my fillings, or maybe I'm just crazy! I may never know, but if I don't start sleeping better and feeling rested and letting Robert get some sleep, he may get a tranquilizer dart gun and knock me out. That actually doesn't sound so bad!

Good Times, Great Memories!!

With so many of my friends having reunions and planning our reunion, I have been thinking a lot about what, I guess, I can now call "the old days." I put on my iPod when I ride (don't worry, I only put one ear piece in) and I play our reception play list, which has EVERY kind of music from 60's, to reggae, to steal drums, to rap to recent music. When it comes to my all time "get your butt moving" music, it would have to be FOOTLOOSE! It brings back memories of putting on my walkman with my FOOTLOOSE tape, and dancing down the road, by the river and down past Mamaw's house. I wasn't a runner, or a speed walker, I was a dance-walker. I never had to worry about anyone seeing me, because it is so far out in the country, and it is so flat you can see for miles. It was great!! If it was late enough I could see fireflies and bats. I want to do that again! I also listen to Meatloaf, which is just the most timeless music! I think about cheering, and riding around with friends and singing Meatloaf songs. Fun times!

Ooops!!

I cannot stress enough to everyone to please watch out for bike riders. On the way to work today I was cut off by a black Toyota Camry with gold pin striping ( I know it's funny what you see in slow-mo). I was never seen by the driver. I had do ditch the bike at a good clip and got a little roughed up. I am OK and the bike had a few readjustments. So sore now. I can't wait until tonight (sarcasm). It amazes me as I was walking back that no one stopped to ask if I was OK. I was, but I feel that if Shannon or I saw someone in the same situation we would at least ask if they needed anything. I am done ranting for now, it kinda hurts to type (just kidding). Riding has always made me a little more aware of others and I am sure Shannon will attest to that as well. I just wish people would slow down, just a little, and be a little more aware.

Robert

OK, now this is getting ridiculous!

Baconnaise? Spreadable bacon? You know, deep down, we all want to try it. Everyone know's that you can wrap a turd in bacon and it will taste good. I am thinking of adapting our blue cheese dressing recipe to use Gorgonzola and Baconnaise. Enjoy.



Shannon & Robert

Robert's New Discovery.

Robert found this somehow, but I'm not sure how. It is BaconSalt. So, for all those vegetarians, Muslims, and Jews who have wanted the taste of bacon, you can now join our love of bacon. (My question is "How would these people know what bacon tastes like, and therefore, want to try it?") It sounds like something we will probably try. It seems funny. Shannon
PS- Still riding the bike everyday. Only missed 2 days due to crappy weather in over 7 weeks.

A Nice Day!

We decided to go to the beach after church today. It was raining when we first got there, but it cleared up pretty quickly. The water was amazingly clear for the rain and bad weather. The gulf is usually flat and smooth as glass, but today it had a lot of waves. We saw 6 sting rays, lots of fish and a tiny baby cowfish. It was a great day! We must do this more often. We are so close to the beach, but we get so busy we don't go very often. Shannon

Happy!!

I love our new car!! It may be small, but it is wonderful!! It rides so smooth, and handles so well in rain and crappy weather (which we have had a lot of lately!) The windshield is so clear that it looks like it isn't there! The seats are comfortable and the trunk is a good size! I can't sing enough praises for the Yaris!! I can't wait to check the gas mileage!! I don't miss my Tribute at all and I know we made the right decision!!
Yesterday I woke up to a flat tire on my bike, so we went to buy another tube and tire. The tube we bought was defective and burst quickly after we inflated it!! I was so aggravated! Robert took it back and got another one. I rode 2.5 miles this morning and another 2.5 tonight! I'm glad to have a functioning bike again. Missing my morning rides throws me off! In over a month I've only missed 2 days of riding. Not too shabby! Have a great weekend! Shannon

Moving in.

Yesterday I put everything from the Tribute into a huge plastic tote as I cleaned out 7 years worth of accumulated "stuff." I had enough "feminine" things in there to last years, and I didn't even realize it!! I had to go through all of the junk and throw away stuff, and move the necessities back into the new car. It is nice to have a new start. The car drives so smooth and is so comfortable!! It handles very well in heavy ran and deep water. I'm glad we made the change!!
I LOVE "So You Think You Can Dance!" This is the best year ever!! I miss dancing so much!!! Shannon

Changes.

Well, today my Mazda Tribute started acting a little "funny." Not bad funny, but sluggish and funny. It has 175K miles, and has every right to act funny. Well, since we are a one car family and my work is 20 miles away, I have to have a reliable car. So today we went to the Toyota dealership and bought a Toyota Yaris. It is really nice and gets great gas mileage. It is silver and is much roomier than it looks. It was difficult to leave my baby and all it's memories. I carted Cody and Pippin around to trips and vet appointments. It is sad.
We have been riding bikes every day and we only missed one day due to rain. It has been nice. Robert rode 26 miles like a crazy man yesterday! I would die!!
Have a great night! Shannon and Robert

The Sadness Continues!

I am sad, of course about Farrah and MJ, Ed and David Carradine (note to self: don't put on fishnets, and diddle myself while choking. It's just a bad idea, plus your family has to answer a lot of questions!), but Billy Mays!!! I LOVE me some "as seen on TV" crap!! I have mentioned this in the past!! I went into the "As seen on TV" store in Orlando, and when the doors opened, I heard the H alleluia Chorus!! I kept telling people "Oh I have that and it is wonderful! And that too!" I have the Hercules Hooks, Ped egg, Mighty putty, Fabric glue stuff, Hair remover pads, topsy turvy, shark steamer, pet pedicure thing (Pippin won't use it! It freaks her out) and I'm sure I am forgetting something!! What are we going to do?? Who will peddle crap?? His sidekick doesn't have the UMPH! that Billy had! How weird to be bopped on the head in a airplane and die soon after! It was his time. God rest all of their souls!! Shannon
PS- We are still riding. I haven't missed a day of riding in 3 weeks!

Productive Morning!

I took Robert to work, mowed the yard, sprayed RoundUp on all the stuff I want to die in the yard, cleaned out the shelves above my washer and dryer and took my Management and Supervision final all before 11:15 AM!! Shannon
PS- I got a lot more done today. We met Robert and Brian for dinner and a movie. We saw "The Hangover" which was absolutely hilarious!! I can't wait to buy it and see what things in the background I missed. When we got home there was a little white dog running around the front yard. MY LITTLE WHITE DOG PIPPIN!!! I almost had a heart attack! She is old, blind, and not the brightest dog! She must have slipped out while I was unloading the car and she stayed out for 4 hours!! She didn't even have her collar on! The screen porch door was open so the cats could run in and out, so I hope she spent most of the time there. From now on we will have a "Pippin Check" every time we leave the house. We were lucky this time!! She is quite tired right now, so she must have been running around a lot!

Friday, glorious Friday!

I'm sitting here watching Farrah's Story, which is such an honest, raw and open look into terminal illness. Having been in hospice for over 7 years, I have seen this story played out time and time again. Fortunately for my sanity (in some ways) I have been somewhat "removed" from the rawness of it since being in the office for the last several months. I took so many of my patients illnesses personally and suffered so deeply when they suffered, but I covered really well until I got home. I'm not sure I am ready to see this, but I'm going to watch it. Sorry to be a downer.
On a happy note, I got my hair colored, cut and styled this evening and it took 3 hours! I have never had someone take that much time on me!! She took 40 minutes just to blow dry it!! It was so relaxing!
On a funny/silly note, today I got irritated that a coworker wasn't listening to me, so I tried to get his attention by "falling out" on the floor, kicking a little, and moaning and he STILL didn't pay attention!! I feel like Bruce Willis in 'The Sixty Sense." What do you have to do to get a little attention?? My coworker Debbie just laughed! I did a reenactment later and he said, " I can't believe I didn't see you?'' It was pretty funny and a great stress reliever after a stressful week. We had puppies in the office at closing time, so that was fun too!
I wasn't able to go biking tonight because of bad weather, but we did 3 miles this morning. I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend! Shannon
Ok, I just got a little nostalgic and watched "We Are the World." What a great song and how impressive that so many artists got together in 1985 to do something so different. I also remembered how much my brother-in-law Clint looks like the young Kenny Logins (mucho caliente!)

Day 17 and 18.

Yesterday was a weird day at work and out of work. We did our 2 miles before work and I took my time going into work. I got there 5 minutes early instead of my usual 30-45 minutes early. It was nice to break the pattern for multiple reasons. Work was challenging as usual. It was very sad during the day when we heard that Farrah had passed away. I still remember the red bathing suit picture with the "happy boobs." I still haven't watched Farrah's story yet. I've got to be in the right frame of mind, and I'm not there right now. I got a text from my friend Jeanne saying that Michael Jackson had died! 2 in 1 day! and Ed McMahon to boot this week! How sad! Whatever your view of MJ, everyone my age was effected by his music and music videos in some way. We danced to his music and tried desperately to "moon walk." When I got my glasses for the first time he was paired with Pepsi and the sparkly silver glove was on the Pepsi billboards. When I put the glasses on I COULD SEE THE SPARKLES!! It was amazing!! I hope their families find peace that transcends all pain.
We just got back from a 3 mile ride and I'm SO glad it is Friday. We went to the Casino last night with Robert's friend Dennis to make up for missing last Friday due to a "come apart." We had a blast, but I'm a little tired. Mama taught me not to go out on a "school night." It was hard to roll out of the bed to ride, but we did it. I'm getting my hair cut and colored today. It is long overdue. Have a great Friday! Shannon

Days 15 and 16.

I rode yesterday morning, but Robert blew a tire yesterday and it was late by the time we got it fix. We rode this morning and this afternoon. Riding has been a blessing and a great stress reliever. I think there would have been bloodshed if not for biking.
You know how you run across something unexpectedly and it sparks something in the back of your mind?? Well, a few days ago while cleaning out the garage, I saw a copy of my resume. It didn't mean much to me at the time, but the last few days have really got me thinking. When the benefits are outweighed by the negatives it may be time to start looking around. I am keeping my eyes open and my heart open to other opportunities. I can only be taken advantage of as much as I let myself be taken advantage of. I am going to be prayerfully open-minded. Shannon

Day 14.

This morning we rode 3 miles and after a long day of cleaning out the garage Robert rode another 7 miles with me. That makes 10 miles for me and about 15 for him, because he rode some while I was at work. I needed the ride because it was a crazy and irritating day. It amazes me what people will call in over and not think twice about. It also amazes me that management doesn't notice that some people are always at work, while others find every reason not to come to work, or not to stay at work.
I also got a call from an irate family member wondering where her family member was, since *****disclaimer: I am not making this up***** the crematory said her family member was not dead and was not there. She wanted to know what I did with the patient. I have never seen the patient and therefore didn't know what happened. I tried to call people, but ended up taking her phone number. During my 20 minute butt chewing, the crematory was trying to call her and say that they had made a mistake. A MISTAKE!! Putting pickles on a burger you ordered with no pickles is a MISTAKE!! Telling someone their loved one is not dead and not there when they are in fact dead and in fact there is a travesty!!! That my friends, is just one of the crazy stories of today!! One more for the books!! I need a vacation!!