Aye Aye Aye what a day!

So far today I have managed to:

1. "Lose" my keys (which I later located in my purse) at 4:30 am when I was trying to leave for work. 
2. Forget my lunch in the fridge at home.
3. Burn a bag of popcorn at work, and didn't realize it until I had opened the bag. Burnt popcorn smoke enveloped me, and I spent the entire work day reeking of burnt popcorn.
4. Go to the grocery store after work for one specific item, and then realize when I was parking the car at home that I forgot to get that one specific item.
5. Try on a new pair of jeans that I scored on clearance and immediately break the zipper.  

Here's hoping that tomorrow is better!

A boy and his dog

My first baby is of the furry variety. A pug named Tiny. I have had Tiny for almost 7 years now. She is a great little companion. Though sometimes demanding, and sometimes naughty she has been a great dog. Her greatest loves are playing fetch and eating, and a close third would be cuddling up next to you wherever you may be - sitting on the couch, in bed or just laying at your feet.

Just before I had Cody, Tiny went to spend some time with my parents so I could get everything ready for baby and so I didn't have to go up and down the stairs to take her out to potty in the wet and cold while I was heavily pregnant. My parents had referred to her as their granddog (practice before the actual grandkids!) and were happy to watch her for a while.

Recently I have taken Tiny back, and though it has been a slight adjustment balancing potty trips with Cody's naps and baby monitor in hand, or putting Cody in the baby carrier to venture outside we are getting a little routine down.

My other concern was how would Tiny adjust to being a big sister and having to share the attention with someone else. I had a kitten for a while that she did not take kindly too, so this was the big question...

Tiny, thus far has been a great big sister. She wants to cuddle with Cody wherever he is, and she stands watch over him when he is on his playmat and alerts me if he is fussing. It's pretty cute to see. I still keep an eye on her when she is near him, just in case, but from what I have seen she is very patient with him - even when he grabs handfuls of her fur.

Cody loves her too, he giggles when she comes up to him and smiles when she gives him kisses. There is something to be said about a boy and his dog!

Saying Goodbye

I am sadly saying goodbye to my horse, Miss Charlotte. She is such a sweetie and I love her to bits, but having Cody has left me no time for her. She deserves so much more love and attention than I can currently give her.


I am very lucky that the lady I got her from, who loves her as much as I do is in a position to take her for a year or two and spoil her. Charlotte will be going to stay with her brother on a 40 acre farm with lots of land to run on. She will have her old owner and her son to love her and give her more attention than I can right now.

I can come and visit her whenever I want to, which is great. This was such a hard decision to make because I really want to be selfish and keep her, but I have been only able to drive the hour round trip to the barn to ride her at most twice a week, which is just not enough. I know this is the best decision for Charlotte. She will be leaving in two weeks. I am already tearing up thinking about it, and hoping that I can get in a few more rides before she goes.

I'm official

Officially a mom that is. Yesterday I said goodbye to my cute VW Beetle convertible and hello to my "mom" car.

I found a really good deal on a 2009 Toyota Corolla. Now I have a car that will fit groceries, a stroller, Cody's car seat and several passengers as well! Also, I won't have to worry about it breaking down on me anytime soon which is a plus.

It was sad to part with the Beetle, but I am very fortunate to be able to get such a nice, new reliable car!

Long Neglected

My little Bloggity Blog has been long neglected. For over a year at least. Yikes! It seems the older I get the faster time goes by. This leads to some things that I love to do to fall by the way side, like blogging.

I am going to try (try being the operative word here) to be better and keep this thing updated a little bit more. A lot has gone on in my life since my year long hiatus from blogging and now I have a lot more to write about than my work life!

I am now the proud mommy to a beautiful little boy named Cody Jay. He brings absolute joy to my life. Joy that I never imagined I would ever have. He was a definite surprise, but he has also been the greatest thing to ever happen in my life and I am so thankful that he is here. Every day I look forward to seeing his happy smiling face and watch him as he takes in his surroundings and learns new things.

I feel entirely blessed because so far he is what I would call an easy baby. He's not fussy or collicy, no reflux issues and he sleeps through the night. He always has a ready smile (especially in the morning when first waking up - and we all know he didn't get that from me!) and loves to coo and giggle.

I am also an auntie now too. My sister had a beautiful little girl, Emma Sophia exactly two weeks before I had Cody. It is so neat to watch my sister be a mommy and to have a little niece to spoil!

Other than the babies (which could be enough change and big news to fill an entire year in my opinon!), I also got a horse since my last blog entry. Her name is Charlotte and she is an absolute doll. She has been somewhat neglected with all the baby whirlwind, but I still love her to pieces and enjoy what little time I get to spend with her.

Hmmmm. What else? I remember posting about really wanting a blue VW Beetle Convertible. Well, I made that happen and bought one last year. Now I need to get rid of it because it's not very convenient to baby-toting!

That's it for now. I'm pinky promising myself to write more entries!

So far in '09

Apparently in '09 I have been too busy to blog. Okay, so this is only semi truthful, I suppose I just haven't had anything stellar to write about. Well, that and Facebook addiction may have something to do with it as well.

I think my relationship with Facebook is love/hate. Some days it is so fun to log on and get a little peek into everyone's every day lives. Yet, other days, it is the last thing I want to think about. Especially when everyone at work is talking about Mafia Wars- which I definitely don't understand.

For you Non-Facebookers Mafia Wars is a game that you can play on Facebook. Generally when you think of a "game" there is a point to said game...However, with Mafia Wars basically you just click on things. Yup, that's it. A whole bunch of clicking. I just don't get it? The non stop chatting about Mafia Wars and so-n-so's bank deposit and recruiting and blah blah blah definitely contributes to the "hate" side of the Facebook relationship.

So to sum up '09 so far I have spent the majority of my time hating and loving Facebook. Sad, really...I guess this is what happens when you spend half your time at work!

Goodbye to '08!

1. What did you do in 2008 that you’d never done before?
Went on a "real" vacation, two of them actually! I went to Cancun for 10 days with my girlfriend, Chawnta and went to Maui for a week with my friend Desiree and her boyfriend and some of their friends.

2. Did you keep your new year’s resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
I did make a resolution last year. It was to not be such a push over. I am still working on it. I think I have made some progress, but I'm not quite there yet...I am refusing to make a resolution this year. Maybe I will just continue to work on last years.

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
Yes! my friend Jenny had her first baby. A beautiful little girl! We can't wait until she is old enough for 4H and horse shows!

4. Did anyone close to you die?
Unfortunately, yes.

5. What countries did you visit?
Mexico, and mini-Mexico (aka the Swap Meet in San Jose, CA)

6. What would you like to have in 2009 that you lacked in 2008?
Will power to not eat an entire bag of cheetos while at work...

7. What dates from 2008 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?July 3rd, my condo closed on that day and I officially became a homeowner!

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Probably buying my own place. It is ever so nice to know my hard earned money is going towards equity, and not just "down the drain"...

9. What was your biggest failure?
I don't think I "failed" at anything. Technically speaking...


10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
Yes and yes. My tummy issues from '07 carried over to '08 and are still going on. I would like to thank my family and friends and co-workers for putting up with all the belching and puking...(not a pretty picture huh?) As far as the injury report goes I pretty much broke my foot on the ill-fated river raftingt trip when a giant boulder fell on my foot, and then to add insult to injury Char stepped on it. I had a nice prescription for some vicodin and a fancy boot and some crutches.

11. What was the best thing you bought?
The dolphin excursion when Chawnta and I were in Mexico. It was the coolest experience ever! We got to swim in the ocean with the dolphins and they even pushed us through the water by our feet.

12. Whose behavior merited celebration?
Mine, of course! Um just kidding...I am going to say my Auntie V. She was in a terribly bad car accident and almost didn't make it alive to Harborview when they airlifted her. She has such a determined attitude and strong will, that thankfully she is still with us and is on the road to recovery.

13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
A very good friend of mine, who is smart and educated yet they are still "involved" with someone who is very very bad...

14. Where did most of your money go?
My condo and all the fun new furnishings for it, and vacations! Best money spent, ever!

15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
Vacations of course! And any time off from work really, since I worked copious amounts of overtime.

16. What song will always remind you of 2008?
"Low" Flo Rider!!!, Any Britney song, "Watching Airplanes" Garey Alan

17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
a) happier or sadder? Happier
b) thinner or fatter? Same
c) richer or poorer? Same. I actually make more money, but I also spend more.

18. What do you wish you’d done more of?
Seen friends and family. I feel like I am ALWAYS at work!


19. What do you wish you’d done less of?
Over time! (Do you sense a theme here?)

20. How did you spend Christmas?
I worked Christmas Eve, woke up Christmas day and had brunch and opened presents with Mark. Then I had to go back to work Christmas day from 6pm-2am. Not very Christmasy!

21. Did you fall in love in 2008?
With Fro Yo (inside joke..)


22. What was your favorite TV program?
I don't reallly have a favorite. But I must say I am a fan of Grey's Anatomy.

23. Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year?
I don’t hate anyone new. Actually, I don't hate anyone really. Oh wait, I hate those people who park in front of their garages at my Condo complex and not in an actual parking space- even though they are only 5 feet further away! Come on people!

24. What was the best book you read?
Bitter is the New Black. Absolutely hilarious!

25. What was your greatest musical discovery?
Probably Duffy, or Mirah. They are both pretty good. Oh, and of course the rediscovery of Britney Spears!

26. What did you want and get?
I wanted my own place, and I got it!

27. What did you want and not get?
A powder blue beetle convertible. I did not get it. Dang!!

28. What was your favorite film of this year?
I didn't get to watch too many movies. But I really liked 27 Dresses. Such a girl, I know...

29. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
I turned 26. We went over to Leavenworth for Oktoberfest and got all dressed up in the little beer maid outfits.

30. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
Less work, more play!

31. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2008?Whatever I didn't feel fat in. That pretty much covers it.

32. What kept you sane?
Tylenol PM and Reisling. Totally kidding! Ok, well maybe mostly kidding. My friends and family.

33. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
I don't really "fancy" famous people. The notion just seems a bit strange to me.

34. What political issue stirred you the most?
Having to watch inane amounts of political advertisements. Ugh

35. Who did you miss?
Pretty much everyone, since I work all the freakin time.

36. Who was the best new person you met?
Perhaps it was Jeff...haha SKOAL!!!!

37. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2008.
Life's tough, wear a helmet. Or if you are river rafting don't wear flip flops...Same thing pretty much.


38. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year.
"Talking about a bunch of shift work. A big ol' pile of shift work.
Work seven to three, Three to eleven, Eleven to seven"

On Top of My Game!

So maybe it's the fact that I literally get ZERO holidays this year- I work Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve and Christmas day. Or maybe it's that my mom called me the other day and said we weren't doing presents this year. Also, it could be that once I get a project in my mind, it's all I can focus on until I get it done! Most likely it is a combination of all these things....So, not to brag, but I am done with my Christmas shopping....And done with handmaking almost 60 Christmas cards, and addressing them all too. I know, before Thanksgiving even...Somewhat miraculous, huh? I wonder if Martha Stewart would be jealous?

I must admit, I have even been itching to put up my Christams decorations already too! However, I blame this desire on my Mom. Growing up we couldn't even put the decorations up until the 15th of December, and they absolutely had to come down the day after Christmas. Now that I am an "adult" (it still doesn't feel like I really am...)I put them up as early as possible (read: the day after Thanksgiving) and don't take them down until January 2nd. I figure I need to squeeze in a lot of "Christmas decor" to make up for the fact that I won't really get to celebrate any of the holidays. I will have to settle for looking at the pretty tree that will be in the corner of my living room.

Tomorrow is not a guarantee

I had finally turned 16. Which meant I could drive!! Glorious freedom. Especially for a girl with lots of extra curricular activities. Driving on my own it meant I could go and visit my friends who lived in another town. These friends were my "horse family" since my parents didn't own a trailer or take me to horse shows.

I remember how excited I was when we were going out of town for a horse show, or concert or camping. I would maybe be a little too excited while driving up my friend Jenn's driveway. There was a posted speed limit sign "5 MPH", and several "SLOW" signs as well. I always thought 5 mph was a snails pace and usually pushed it to 10-15 mph...Well, okay maybe 25...

Once I reached the end of the gravel driveway, I'd park my car and race to the back porch, where I would be met by Mike, Jenn's dad. He'd usually be out back smoking a cigarette or getting a soda that they always kept on the back porch (pepsi). He'd greet me with "Breezee, you know the speed limit. If you keep driving like that your gonna be out there filling pot holes". And he meant it!

Several times I pulled into the Germano's driveway to be greeted by Mike, or Dan, Jenn's boyfriend, shoveling gravel out the back of the pick up truck. I wouldn't be allowed passage up the driveway until I got out and filled a few potholes as well.

It was a small price to pay to be able to spend time with the Germano's listening to Mike's funny stories, going to horse shows with Jenn, her mom and brother and basically being "adopted" into their family as one of their own.

I told this story at Mike's funeral on Friday. He passed away at the age of 49, unexpectedly. Mike was a great guy, and his family is a testiment to that. I feel blessed to have known him, and blessed to still be a part of the Germano's "family". Even though I rarely get to see them they are the kind of friends that you can go weeks, or maybe even months without seeing them, but when you do it feels as if no time has passed at all.

My thoughts and prayers are with them, I know they will miss Mike so very much.

Things can change in an instant

On Sunday while I was at work I got a call from my sister, Rae. I thought it was somewhat unusual to get a call from her at work, since she has never called there before. Instantly I thought something must be wrong, and I was right.

Rae carefully explained to me that our Auntie V was in a very bad car accident and was in the TICU at Harborview. On Saturday while driving to work on Highway 9 in Snohomish, a car crossed over two lanes of traffic and hit her head on. At first what Rae told me didn't seem real. We had just seen my Aunt a few weeks before when I had all the family over for dinner. We were all laughing and joking. She and my mom had worn the same exact shirt without even knowing it. She couldn't be in the hospital?

An ICU nurse had told my sister, "I'll be honest honey, hardly anyone with injuries like this makes it to the hospital. For the next 3 days or so, it's really touch and go."

I wasn't able to go and see my Aunt until this last Wednesday. Between Saturday and Wednesday Auntie V underwent two surgeries, each lasted hours. During the first surgery the Doctors closed her chest which had been cut open to stop bleeding and assess all of the trauma she sustained during the accident. They also took her large bowel and made it into an ostomy (a bowel that is open on the surface of the skin and has to drain into a bag). She still has to have her colon reattached eventually. Also they did a wash out on her pelvis to irrigate and clean the area. Her pelvis is fractured but they could not repair it during the first surgery. The Doctor's said they were very happy with the amount of work they were able to do during the first surgery. On her second surgery she had a Greenfield filter placed (a tiny umbrella inserted into a major vein to prevent any blood clots that could form in her leg due to all of the tissue damage and long bed rest). The Doctors continue to be hopeful and are amazed at our Auntie's response to her treatment. They have said that she is responding to treatment like they would expect a stellar, in shape 20 year old. My Aunt is 61.

On Wednesday when I was able to see her, Rae and her husband Andrew and I went to Harborview. I had never been there before. I know that if you are majorly hurt Harborview is the place you want to be. But I just never expected to be there to see someone that I love, one of my family.

We had to don surgical gowns and gloves, due to some MRSA they discovered in Auntie V's nose. Once we did, we could go into her room to see her. I don't think I was prepared for what I saw. I knew she wouldn't look like herself. Before seeing her it didn't seem real, but I also knew that once I saw her what had happened would be real, cemented.

While we visited we were able to hold her fingers on her left side. Both of her arms are heavily bandaged so that only part of her fingers on her left hand are accessible. They were very cold. Rae says this is due to all the sedation they are giving her for the pain. Her eye's were shut the whole time, and her face very swollen. Someone had braided her hair so we could stroke her forehead and talk to her. She even tried to raise her eyebrows a bit when we were talking to her and telling her how much we love her. It was so hard to see her like that in the hospital bed. I wanted to think of her laughing and smiling and eating dinner with us. Think of her like she was just a few short weeks ago. We stayed with her for about an hour. During the hour she did move her legs a little, which was amazing since they are both so broken and so bandaged. When we left I told her how much we all love her and how we are all praying and sending good, healing thoughts her way.

I am amazed at the strength of my Aunt. Most people who sustained as much trauma as she has do not even make it to the hospital, this is what one of the Doctors had told my family. Yet as broken and injured as my Aunt is, she is still with us. It will be a very long, hard recovery for her and things could still be "touch and go", like one of the nurses first told my sister. Luckily our family has a lot of love, and hopefully all of our love, positive thoughts and prayers will help my Aunt heal.

Not so little Stanwood anymore...

I grew up in small town USA, or better known as Stanwood. Many of you probably have never even heard of the place, but it is between Marysville and Mt. Vernon. I lived on Camano Island (just outside of Stanwood) from birth until I left for College. Back in the day (BID) Stanwood used to be super small- only 1 stoplight in the entire city, only 2 grocery stores (and if you asked my parents- only 1 grocery store since they only shopped at Thrifty foods), and just one fast food restaurant, the staple of every small town- Dairy Queen.

A lot of people complained growing up in Stanwood, calling it "Deadwood", "boring" and saying there was nothing to do but party and smoke pot. I however, was not one of those people. I really liked my childhood and where I grew up.

I haven't really been back to visit Stanwood, especially now that my parents moved to Everett about three years ago. Well that, and the fact that I live a small world away in Puyallup. But I do think about it often and can picture how everything was BID.

This past "weekend" (which was actually a Monday, but I call it "weekend" since it was my day off- those of you who work crazy graveyard/swingshift hours know what I mean..) I had a chance to go up and drive around the old hometown. I was amazed at how much had changed! Too many stoplights to count, many new stores, fast food joints, and closures of old favorite stores too.

Luckily enough it was a nice, sunny day and Mark and I drove around Stanwood and the entire island in his jeep with the top down. Poor guy, probably got tired of me pointing at things and saying "oh, that's new", "oh wow, that looks so different". He was a good sport though, and said if he could he would move to Camano in a heartbeat.

We went to the State park on Camano and played on the beach, it was even warm enough to venture into the water. And I introduced Mark to the best pizza ever- Jimmy's pizza of course. He loved it, so maybe I will get him to go back up there one of these days!

My saddest notice of change was that the Little Store by The Bay was no longer there. We used to ride our bikes down to the Little Store and buy candy (which to kids who had a diabetic mother, buying nickel candies was pretty much heaven!), and when we moved to a rental house on Arrowhead road where I could keep my horse at home, I would ride him down to the store and buy him Tootsie Pops. Ahh those were the days! However now, the Little Store has been replaced with....condos! So sad.

Oh, and we also found a house for sale just down the street from where I grew up for a cool 2.5 million. Maybe with all this overtime I have been working I can buy it as a vacation place....just maybe!

Back in the saddle again

For those of you who may not know...I am definitely a country girl at heart. Don't let the shoe collection and coach addictions fool you. But I grew up in "po-dunk" Stanwood. My best friend lived on a dairy farm and in 5th grade I realized that I loved horses. My parent, alas, thought it was a "phase" and that someday soon I would grow out of it. However, I proved that scenario wrong and went full force into the horsey world and carved out a nice little niche for myself.

I started cleaning horse stalls every Saturday and Sunday beginning in 6th grade, just to be close to horses. Crazy, I know. I joined 4-H, worked for my horse trainer and basically slept, ate, breathed, lived horses all through Middle school and High school. I went to as many horse shows as I could find rides to and finally in 10th grade convinced my parents I was worthy of having a horse for my very own.

I wound up buying Trendy. She was the horse I had ridden since 7th grade. Trendy and I developed a huge bond and we went through many trials together- good and bad! I somehow hung on to her even through my first year of college, moving to Montana and "the event"....

However, the past couple years had been rough finding enough time for her. I always felt she deserved more time spent with someone, and plus it was fairly expensive to pay for all the upkeep. I could not bear to sell her to someone who didn't know her and love her like I did. So, I wound up giving her to some great friends of mine who I know will give her the best, loving home second to still being with me.

The past year since I have been without Trendy have been hard. I love horses so much and miss riding. I know my job keeps me from doing a lot of things that I love to do- simply cause I work some crazy hours, and lots of overtime hours on top of that. But I really started thinking about it and decided that this year was the year I am going to do something for myself. So, I found a horse to ride! I won't "own" him or anything like that, but the family I am leasing him from have two horses and just don't feel like Tigre is getting enough attention. Well, thats where I come in. I can come and ride Tigre whenever I want, and I can even take him to some horse shows (god, I hope those show clothes still fit....)

Tigre is the cutest bay Arabian, he's about 14 years old and is a little rusty on the training. But at least that makes things interesting. I am so looking forward to getting back in the saddle and riding again!

BIG NEWS!!!!!!

Ok, I hope you didn't have an accident after seeing that picture...Gotcha! No, it's not what you think, I am not having a baby. But, I have made a super-adult decision to go back to school. I am a bit scared/nervous/excited, a bunch of emotions. If I was Will Ferrel in 'Anchorman' I might dare to say that "I am in a glass case of emotions" Seriously, this whole going back to school thing is a big leap from where I am at now. I have a career at 25, but I know its not what I want to do forever. I do love my job and the great people I work with, but I definitely feel like if I don't start taking the steps to finish my education now, I may never do it. And as my dad keeps reminding me I'm "not getting any younger" oh, and my other favorite "you know, you are 1/2 way to 50!"...

I am going to go to school for 'Sonography' to be an ultrasound technician. This was originally what I wanted to do way back in the day, and was the reason I went to school for Medical assisting. But, as we all well know life doesn't always turn out how you planned and there were a few big 'events' that prevented me from finishing school. I have thought about it long and hard and I am really going to do it.

This summer I am going to start taking my 8 pre-req classes at Pierce College, which luckily enough for me is right next door to work- how convenient huh? I am shooting for all on-line classes which will be a snap (at least I hope) for me to do either at work when it's slow, or *wishful thinking*, in the hammock by the lake on my laptop!

I have it down to a science that if I take 3 classes this summer and then 2 each quarter starting in the fall, I will have all of my pre req's done in time to submit my application for the program next July. If I get accepted (fingers crossed!) it will be a full two years of school for me. Full time and through the summer even. I know it is going to be hard work and a lot to handle with working my regular job at the same time, but I know if I put my mind to it I can do it!