Erie, PA

Well, I've been back in Erie, PA for a few days now, and I have to admit - it's NICE being able to enjoy summer without air conditioning or practically passing out each time I've braved the outdoors down south. I can actually sit outside and play ball with my dog, or have a nice glass of local cider (mmm cider...) on the porch without melting.

I can't wait to move back, even though the Almanac is calling for a more difficult and snowy winter than normal - but I LOVE snow, even though I won't be able to fully enjoy it this winter.

Guess I'm going to have to think of a new name for my blog now... any ideas? :-)

Home visit

Well, tonight I'm going to drive up to Nashville, hop onto a SouthWest flight, and an hour and a half later, see my hubby! I'll be in Ohio/PA until Tuesday afternoon, when I have to come back here, but rest assured, I'll be back more often until I finally am able to move back to PA at the end of December/beginning of January. (There's been a new development that's moved my timetable up. - I'll tell ya later).

While I'm home, I'm hoping to eat plenty of buffalo wings, italian subs (I swear, Erie, PA is the best place in the WORLD for italian subs), Wendy's, Arby's, and Dairy Queen while I'm there. I'll probably come back 20 pounds fatter (which I do NOT need more fat, thankyouverymuch). But hey, it's good food, and I need it!

Oh, I'm also going to wish my stepdad a very happy birthday (tomorrow), and give him this awesome present:
http://www.brookstone.com/store/product.asp?product_code=586115&search_type=search&search_words=led%20boccee&prodtemp=t1&cm_re=Result*R1C1*T

My parents *LOVE* playing bocce, but they don't usually start until the evening, and by then it's getting dark, and hard to see the green and red balls. I figure this will be a great present for him!

30 minutes till I leave work and play hooky!

Happy Birthday, Kristen!

Happy birthday to my dear friend Kristen. If I was smart enough (and had thought of it before I got in my pajamas for the night), I would hook up my webcam and "sing" (sign) you the Happy Birthday song, but.... guess I'm not :-) You'll have to wait until I come visit. Guess I'll have to learn the sign for "belated." (oh wait, it's probably "late.")

May your days always be sunny and bright. Happy 30th Birthday!

Owwwwwww

Well, of course after the ride yesterday, I was feeling pretty good (other than the whole heat sickness episode). Today? Well, let's just say, it feels like I played Wii for 24 hours then ran a few miles... or something like that. I don't know what it feels like to run a few miles, since I'd be more likely to knock my eye out or something. But I do know hurt, and boy, is my body sore. I do have one weird sore spot, but it'd probably be TMI if I told you, so I'll spare us the humiliation and just tell my husband later (not that he can do anything for me, since he's still 600 miles away...)

Oh well, I'd do it again if I had the chance!

Sunday morning surprise!

This morning I woke up early and was cursing the fact that on Sunday morning there was nothing but CRAP on tv, when the doorbell rings. "Who the hell comes to my house," I thought. I opened the door, and my friend Joan looks at me, smiles, and says the four words I've been waiting to hear since March: "Want to go riding?"

HELL YEAH I DO.

So I grabbed my boots and long socks out of the trunk of my car, filled up my Nalgene bottle with water & ice (note: next time, use Gatorade/Powerade), grabbed my dusty helmet, and went across the street.

I rode Dane's brother's Mike's horse, Natural (so named because Mike only drinks Natural Ice beer), who is a sweet horse that has one speed: slow. (Which is good, since Mike has had a stroke or something that made one side of his body pretty weak).

We went on a 7 mile ride, which took about an hour and a half or so (maybe closer to 2 hours). Towards the end, I got too lenient with him, and he kept stopping at each high group of wide, leafy grass and taking a gigantic mouthful. It was fun though, even though my jeans got completely soaked in between my thighs (hey, it was hot out).

The only problem I had was at the very end of the ride, after we got off and were walking the horses back to the trailer. I ended up having a heat sickness spell, and had to sit for a while. That's why the next time I go out, I need to have some kind of electrolyte beverage with me. That or wait until it's cooler out to go riding... oh who am I kidding - I'd go each chance that I could :-).

I didn't take any pictures, mainly because I was afraid I'd break my pretty camera, but next time I'll try to bring it. BUT, I did have fun, even with the heat sickness episode at the end (which made me feel like crap the rest of the day).

Happy International Left-Handers' Day!

Are you a Lefty? Are you tired of having ink/pencil smears on your left hand from writing? Well, lift your smeary left hands in glory, because THIS IS YOUR DAY!

yay!

http://www.lefthandersday.com/

Proud to be a lefty, I am, I am.

Birthday Present

Now that Justin received his present, I can let you know what it is!

I ordered some fantastic cookies from a lady on etsy (http://www.etsy.com/), and had them shipped right to Justin at work. He received them at 9 this morning, so it was one day late, but close enough :-).

These are what I got him:

http://www.etsy.com/view_transaction.php?transaction_id=9803495

Don't they look FANTASTIC? Each one is apparently the size of a CD and is super thick. It took him about an hour to munch on one - which means hopefully, there will still be at least one left for me to eat when I visit him in a few weeks (because you can freeze them).

Happy Birthday Hububby!

Happy Birthday to my dear husband, who is putting up with me being so far away because of this stupid job. I hope you enjoy the present I got you (because he hasn't received it yet, I can't post what it is - just in case he checks), and there will be more when I come visit at the end of the month!

Here's what I wish for you today:

• That the puppies give you giant slobbery kisses (oh wait, they do that every day).
• If you go golfing, that you do well (I can hope any way).
• That you get your present in the mail! (dang post office)
• That you enjoy your present!
• That your day is full of smiles and fun.
• That my mom bakes you the most chocolately cake you can handle, because hey, it's your birthday but once a year, and chocolate allergies can be ignored.

Love you!

Wii Reset

A little earlier when I was starting to get bored out of my mind, I decided that I would play my Wii. I pulled out my orange mushroom chair, and hit the power button on the Wii, and ...... nothing. I unplugged it, then plugged it back in and still... nothing. crap. Did the last power outage kill my Wii? I frantically started my latop and went to nintendo's site to see if there was anything I could do, and luckily I found this:
http://www.nintendo.com/consumer/systems/wii/en_na/ts/power.jsp#no_power

Apparently if the power doesn't come on, unplug everything from the wall and the back of the Wii for at least 90 seconds, then just plug the AC adapter and the sensor bar in, then see if the power light comes back. Thankfully mine did, and I finished the 50cc cup in Mario Kart. Whew :-).