Be a coffee drinking individual and...espresso yourself!

Sign of the Times.....

2007-06-28T11:32:00.000-03:00

So Hubby-to-be and I went to Town Hall today to get our marriage license. Basically nothing has changed in the procedure since my first time, but for one exception:

When the clerk handed us the license, instead of "Congratualtions!" it was a merely "Good Luck."

Sign of the times.

I Love What I Do

2007-06-08T16:38:00.000-03:00

I grew up around animals. My parents were both known in our neighborhood to take in every lost, stray, underfed, and sick animal. As a child I had "pets" that included a talking crow (yes, really), squirrels, raccoons, skunks, turtles, and English sparrow named "Hawk" (he had delusions of grandeur), and a ton of wild bunnies. So it is not a very hard thing to imagine that I do what I do for a living.

I warned my fiancee right from the start that there is often a myriad of critters that I am rehabbing at any given time. As he looked through my photo albums of my son, who at the ripe old age of 2 1/2 is bottle feeding a squirrel, I could only imagine what he was thinking.

Sure enough during dinner the other night the town Animal Control Officer called me. The hopsital I work for was closed and he was not sure what to do with his latest find. "It's a fawn. We picked it up on Clintan Avenue. A couple was walking it like a dog." Good Lord!!! How stupid can people be?!?!? Anyway, 20 minutes later he shows up in his van with the fawn secured in a carrier. Dehydrated and two runny eyes, but gernerally ok. This is the second fawn my son has seen and helped me take care of. The first was when he was 9 months old!

RG, my son and I took the fawn to my office where he was fed a mixture of goat's milk and rice cereal. He spent the night and then was discharged to a wildlife rehabber hwho will eventually release him to the wild.

Awesome.

My Newest Addiction

2007-05-12T12:39:00.000-03:00

CoffeeGirl, that's me. I love coffee. I measure my daily consumption in pots instead of cups. I have a new love, second to ResearchGuy of course. Coffee gum. How cool is that? Wriglry's has made this really great coffee flavored gum, that actually has coffee powder in it. Hmmmm the Nicorette for coffee lovers. Had to share my latest find. Enjoy!

Hello Noah?

2007-04-18T11:40:00.000-03:00

April showers bring May flowers....boy are we in store for a whole lotta blooms! Driving past Croton Dam, you couldn;t help but be awed by the amount of water rushing down. Here are a few of our best shots.

Wandering Cat

2007-04-16T02:08:00.000-03:00

NY - There has been a report that my cat has taken a liking to travel. It appears that he has taken a jaunt to Kentucky without my knowledge or permission. If you have seen this cat sleeping at the end of your bed or yowling at the walls at 2am...please call me!

(Aalln - me thinks you have taken pictures of him at your house!)

Finished

2007-04-06T16:19:00.000-03:00

It all started with me innocently peeling off a little wallpaper. Stupid me I thought all that needed to be done was a bit of wall patching and a smear of paint. Nope. My bathroom spruce up turned out to be a total remodel. One thing lead to another, but I have to say - IT IS BEAUTIFUL! Totally worth the effort and almost being electrocuted (yeah that's a story for another blog entry). We ended up patching, painting, installing a new undersink cabinet (aptly named "Java Maple"), a new sink, new faucets, new towel bar, new light fixture and a re-paint of the mirror over the sink to make it less gold. I am now lusting after a new vent fan that I saw in Home Depot....but that will have to wait until the coffers re-fill.

Potty Update

2007-03-30T14:01:00.000-03:00

You would think a 3 foot by 5 1/2 foot powder room could be painted in a day right? WRONG!!!!!! HTB and I were up until 11pm painting and we STILL have more to go. ARGH. It is Friday. I am not done. By Monday I will be,...have to be!

A Work in Progress....

2007-03-28T15:26:00.000-03:00

It happens to me this time every year, and it can't be stopped. When the weather starts to get warmer, I get this unexplainable urge to redecorate my house. I'm not talking moving a little furniture, adding a throw rug.....I'm talking about paint, spackle and the involvement of power tools. Normally, I look forward to this time of year, but this year with a full time job, a 6 year old with a busy social schedule and a wedding to plan, I'm overwhelmed. But apparently that does not stop me. Sunday morning I went into my downstairs powder room and spontaniously decided that the wallpaper that we put up almost 10 years ago is ugly, out of date and making its own way off the wall. I couldn't help myself... there was this teeny tny little corner curling up. Without any second guessing, I tore the whole sheet off. It felt goooooood. I grabbed another sheet and went to town. Before I knew it there was a puddle of gold and purple flowered paper on the floor at my feet.

HTB by the way, just stood at the doorway shaking his head...amused? or terrified at the realization that he is about to be stuck with me for the rest of his life!

The kind people at Wallauer (who are somewhat used to me and my whims at this point) were ever so helpful in assisting to get the right product ot get the paste off the walls. Armed with two spray bottles of DIF and a coffee....I got it all off. The walls survived the scraping fairly well, but I needed to do some patch work.

It is now Wednesday, and hopefully I can get the last bit of sanding done and begin painting. I chose Benjamin Moore "Somerville Red"... If all goes well, I will post the final product by Friday.

Anyone taking bets to see if I finish by the weekend????

The Things People Come Up With:

2007-03-14T13:20:00.000-03:00

I manage a veterinary hospital. I've been doing this for almost 10 years now, and in that time I have been amazed by some of the things that my clients say in the exam rooms. For example:

The doctor is examing a dog and is asking all sort of medical history questions. How old is the pet? Where did you get her? Blah blah blah. After one of the questions, the client answers... "No she can't get pregnant. She's been tutored." Wow, if only it was that easy huh?

Next case is a severely limping dog. The owner says it might be hip dyslexia.

This one happened about 7 years ago. My technician and I were closing the hospital and this rather large (and quite possibly intoxicated) "gentleman" barged in and asked ,"You got a monkey back there to buy? I want me a monkey to sit on my shoulder." He was quite serious and wasn't leaving until we showed him the back room, where indeed, there were no monkeys. Satisfied, he left. We went next door for a drink!

Then there is my long time favorite that we get at least 1-2 times a month. A client calls up because his/her pet is going to board in a kennel and needs a kennel cough or bordetella shot. Instead we usually get asked for the "bordello" shot.

2 Posts One Day!

2007-03-03T12:04:00.000-04:00

Woo-hoo! Go me, two posts in one day! Just wanted to show off my new toy, a Sony DSC-12. Having fun learning about all the new buttons and things I can do. Want to make sure I've gotten the hang of this thing for when I go on my honeymoon! And yes...that is my HTB donning gloves to do the dishes! :-)

All Grown Up

2007-03-03T11:43:00.000-04:00

As I have said before, there are certain "firsts" that I have stored away in my memory banks. First Christmas, First Day of School, First Word (or in my kid's case...first sentence) First Steps, First Lost Tooth....these were all biggies in my book. Yesterday though was another. More like a rite of passage of sorts.

*Phone Rings*
"Hello?"
"Is this Alex's Mom?"
"Yes."
"May I speak to Alex, this is Nicholas from school"

Maybe this is not such a big deal in most people's worlds, but I thought it was huge that a friend from school actually called to talk. As any good parent would, I stood outside my son's door and eavesdropped. The convo went for about 20 minutes, and I swear I had to keep from laughing out loud the entire time. they talked about video games, the Naked Brother's Band, the MP3 player my fiancee got him, what Veronica (the love of his life) wore to school today and homework. As the exchange was coming to an end, he said, "Ok, catch ya at school on Monday."

...and did I mention that he is only 6?

How I Spent My Weekend.....

2007-02-20T14:54:00.000-04:00

I am probably the last person to do so, but I have *finally* made the trek to IKEA. My catalogs are worn to the point of fraying with my constant flipping of pages. I have decorated and redecorated my house about 10 different times with ideas, and when the opportunity arose to actually go - I went. The whole experience was a bit daunting. We were looking for storage: dressers, cabinets...basically anything to hide the numerous clothes and crap we have accumulated. Other than the large crowd (I have learned from other IKEA goers that Sunday is NOT the day to go....lesson learned) and the constant feeling of being a salmon being pushed upstream when I wanted to look at something the other 50 people behind me didn't want to see...I loved it. I'm hooked. A junkie even.

My bank account made the trip fairly intact. While looking for storage (which I later purchased online), HTB and I spotted a really cool bedroom duvet set. With a gleam in our eyes that said "We gotta have it"... it went into one of those cute little shopping bags along with matching sheets, pillowcases and shams. My one gripe with IKEA though is that they do not cater to those of us who obsessively match everything. Although I love this new set - there were no coordinating curtains, throw pillows or dustruffles. Tragic. And now I will explain exactly HOW I spent my weekend:

After making my purchases and buying an extra duvet set to use for the fabric, I got my trusty sewing machine down from the attic and began to create. Two valances and one tailored dust ruffle later, my OCD'ness has been satiated and we have a complete bedroom set. I think I have enough material left for throw pillows. :-)

163 days and counting.....

2007-01-24T12:09:00.000-04:00

Til I marry the most wonderful man in the world!

Who says the second time around is more difficult? Complicated? Yes. Trying to meld to complete households and families is a logistical nightmare, but we are managing with the help of three very easy-going kids. To ease the pain of giving up some of his bedroom space, mine has been bribed with bunkbeds and mom's old computer. Not only did it seem to work, but he seems pretty psyched to have HTB's rats visit on the weekends and breaks. Yay!

Planning for the wedding seems to be going along just as well...keeping with the KISS attitude, it's actually fun. This is a complete change from my first wedding where I became stressed and obsessed with stupid details. I have learned that people either do not care or realize that the colour of the decorations match the colour of the napkins. That as long as there is food, something to drink and a place to sit...most people will be happy, and those who complain would do so regardless.

Things I am looking forward to at our wedding:
*Seeing my HTB as I am walking down the aisle.
*Seeing our wedding bands on and knowing they will be there for the rest of our lives.
*Dancing with my son.
*Being surrounded by the people who love us most - friends and family, and friends who are like family.

HTB

2007-01-17T15:15:00.000-04:00

It's been a while since I have posted - but I have a really good excuse....really. Not only have I gotten a promotion at work which means not only more money, but more hours...I am also in the middle of planning a wedding. Yes folks...it's official. BF is now HTB (Hubby To Be)!

The wedding itself has been in the works for a while. We had been discussing it and starting to organize our lives in that direction, but the proposal I thought was a ways off. Guess I was wrong. :-) I dragged him (not really kicking and screaming) to midnight mass at my church. It was beautiful - capes, drapes, bells and smells. Anyone who is Episcopal will get the reference. After lighting a candle for my grandmother and his dad, he leaned in to give me a hug and the next thing I knew there was a ring box in his hand!

It means so much to me to say that I found the perfect partner for my life. We complete each other so perfectly, that I cannot imagine my world without him.

Twas 4 days past Christmas... by CG

2006-12-29T10:43:00.000-04:00

Twas 4 days past Christmas and all through my home,
not a creature was stirring, and I wasn't alone.

The wrapping was torn with not a care,
Presents scattered around was evidence St Nick had been there.

My kid was nestled, all snug in his bed,
as the theme song to Spongebob Square Pants sang in his head.

Me in my fleece, my HTB in his jammies,
all snuggled down like good Daddies and Mommies.

When out on the lawn there rose such a clatter,
we sprang from the bed to see what was the matter.

Away to the window, I flew up the sash
to see my neighbor drunk, doing the 50 yard dash!

When what to my wondering eyes should appear?
that same neighbor in a heap of electric reindeer!

When he's sober, normally, so lively and quick,
but in this moment, I think he'll be sick!

He whistled and shouted, and called the deer by name,
"Now, Dasher! Now, Prancer! Dancer and Vixen!"

"Oh Comet! and Cupid and Donner and Blitzen!"
Get me off the porch, let me pee on the wall,
now dash away, dash damn you all!"

My neighbor spoke not a word, and went straight to his work,
and filled the potted plants and turned with a jerk.

Seeing me spy through the window, he rose
and stuck his middle finger up his nose.

But I heard him exclaim as he stumbled out of sight -
"Damn peeping neighbors...got to bed and GOOD NIGHT!"

Happiness in a cup....

2006-12-23T09:21:00.000-04:00

When the lease to my old car (Subaru Forester) was about to expire, I began the search for a new set of wheels. Being I had a friend in at Toyota who promised me that I would get a good deal, I focussed my energies there. Originally I was going to go with a Scion Xb - AKA the breadbox on wheels. The price was right, seemed to have a roomy enough back seat for my budding basketball player of a son who is setting his sights on a 6' 4" frame...and the MPG were good. My goals are simple when it comes to cars, and I confess, very girlie. I want a pretty colour. There must be some cute little compartment for my sunglasses and the MOST important... a cup holder to hold my ever-present java. Simple. On test drive, the Scion simply could not accomodate my own nearly 6' frame...so I began to search the lot. I liked a lot of the smaller cars - but with three kids to stuff in the back - all in boosters (my own critter, and my BF's 2 rats)...I knew I was going to have a problem. Again, that whole "size does matter" thing comes into play.

My good friend suggested the RAV4. Hmmmmm...pretty, (blue), sunglass holder, and deep looking cup holders. SOLD.

It wasn't until I got home and headed to Starbucks to have a celebratory Venti with a double shot that I realized I had made a FATAL mistake. I never actually put a cup in the holder and just eyeballed them to make sure they were fine. They weren't. Obviously, the makers of Toyota are not coffee drinkers. They have designed, in my humble opinion, the absolute WORST cupholders I have EVER encoutered. USELESS. Much too wide to fit a normal cardboard cup from 7-11, Starbucks, McD's (but who in their right mind would drink THEIR coffee anyway) and way too shallow up the sides. The result? - You hit a curve and the entire cup tips at a 30-40 degree angle spilling your beverage. Not good.

For the past 6 months my BF and I have been on a quest to find a cup that would actually work. I have whined and complained about this SOOO much to my family, friends, coworkers and clients..that they have actually been buyimg me cups...a)to make sure I get my coffee, cuz I am a grump without it and b) to shut me the hell up. One of my clients even found a converter thingy to put in the holder to make it more like a vice....no workie.

At last.... December 23, 2006... on my morning run to Starbucks, (In case you are wondering, the most effective way for me to have a cup of coffee is get a bunch of napkins and squeeze the cup between my legs...or ask my kid to hold it whilst I drive) while ordering a triple venti mocha cap, I saw the Holy Grail of travel mugs. It was a very wide base - high handle and it ceramic. On a non-caffinated induced splurge (and I figured it might make a nice to-me-from-me Xmas Pressie anyway) I bought it.

IT WORKS!!!!!!!!!!! Although not the huge size that I normally get in a coffee cup...IT WORKS. *happy dance*

The roads are now once safe again...Kir has coffee, will travel. Bottoms up.

Out of the mouths....

2006-12-12T12:45:00.000-04:00

So I have noticed a trend. The longer you are around someone, the more apt you are to acquire their speech mannerisms. I have been with my boyfriend for 10, almost 11 months now and we have both taken on each others little sayings. Here are some of my favs "borrowed" from BF, friends and family:

"ity" - add this to practically any word. "The roads here are a bit bumpity." Credit: BF

"chuck a wobbly" - a truly Aussie term to throw a temper tantrum, or get pissed off. Alex is chucking a wobbly because he isn't allowed to watch tv.
Credit: Bec

"flip a bitch" - make a u-turn. I am pretty sure I stile this one from one of my Vermont friends when I was in college.

Please feel free to add you own! (Who knows, the next time you speak to me, you might hear it!)

Tis the Season

2006-11-28T16:13:00.000-04:00

There is nothing more "Christmassy" (is that really a word?) than watching How the Grinch Stole Christmas. It has become my tradition to watch the cartoon the night we put up the Christmas tree and sing along to all the goofy songs. I'm hooked. I can't help it. Sometimes I feel like my heart is 2 sizes too small...I can relate.

A few months ago while partaking in my favorite Sunday pasttime...sitting in jammies with a cup of coffee, BF reading afat New York Times....something jumped out at me. The Grinch was going to be on Broadway! ( check out www.thegrinchmusical.com wOOt! (to steal my Bf's fav computer expression) I showed the ad to my son, whom I am also grooming to be a huge Grinch fan, and he was psyched. Tickets were purchased for the day after his birthday, thus beginning our holiday season in full swing.

I have to tell you...it was awesome. I am not really sure who was more excited afterwards - him, me or the BF. It might have been me, even though it was a first B'way show for the both of them. The show stayed very true to Suess' original, and was very cleverly adapted for stage.

Afterwards, dinner at the Bubba Gump Shrimp Factory. Here's a bit of parental advise: If your kid embarrasses easily, it might not be such a good idea to have the waitstaff sing "Happy Birthday". Mine wanted to crawl under the table during the whole production. Mental note...sing only at home next year!

You're a mean one, Mr. Grinch.
You really are a heel.
You're as cuddly as a cactus,
You're as charming as an eel.
Mr. Grinch.You're a bad bananaWith a greasy black peel.
You're a monster, Mr. Grinch.
Your heart's an empty hole.
Your brain is full of spiders,
You've got garlic in your soul.
Mr. Grinch.I wouldn't touch you, with a thirty-nine-and-a-half foot pole.
You're a vile one, Mr. Grinch.
You have termites in your smile.
You have all the tender sweetnessOf a seasick crocodile.
Mr. Grinch.Given the choice between the two of youI'd take the seasick crockodile.
You're a foul one, Mr. Grinch.
You're a nasty, wasty skunk.
Your heart is full of unwashed socks
Your soul is full of gunk.Mr. Grinch.
The three words that best describe you,are, and I quote: "Stink. Stank. Stunk.
"You're a rotter, Mr. Grinch.
You're the king of sinful sots.
Your heart's a dead tomato splotWith moldy purple spots,Mr. Grinch.
Your soul is an apalling dump heap overflowingwith the most disgraceful assortment of deplorablerubbish imaginable,Mangled up in tangled up knots.
You nauseate me, Mr. Grinch.
With a nauseaus super-naus.
You're a crooked jerky jockeyAnd you drive a crooked horse.
Mr. Grinch.You're a three decker saurkraut and toadstoolsandwichWith arsenic sauce.

Spongebob, Iceskates, Krabby Patties & Turkey

2006-11-27T16:20:00.000-04:00

The end of two very long weeks has finally come. Alex's 6th birthday finally arrived after months of planning. To save me some grief, money and days of obsessive planning, I decided to tone his yearly bash to manageable chaos. One of the things he and I dearly love to do is ice skate, so what better place to have a party than at the local rink? The guest list was scaled down to 17 kids (13 of whom showed up). He had a blast! Pizza and my homemade Krabby Patty cake were devoured and the kids all got an hour group lesson from one of the coaches. Set up and clean up were taken care of by the rink staff - so my part was considerably easy. Alex got a ton of presents - and top of the list were a Spongebob TV/DVD player and an MP3 player from the BF.

Thanksgiving this year for me was a bit strange. Since this was the first year my ex and I had to split holidays, he got Alex for the day. What honestly saved me was that my BF, his mom and his kids (aka "the Rats") came over, so I got to cook my big dinner. It was a lot of fun and all about what the day should be.
FOOD - FAMILY - AND LOTS OF LOVE Alex and I both survived the first of many holidays apart, and although we weren't together we were both in each other's hearts.

Guilted...

2006-11-15T09:17:00.000-04:00

Slacker? Ouch guys! ...but I get the hint. Apparently the only people reading this thing are my best friends (friends? nah...family) in Australia and my BF. Kind of pathetic, but hell...writing this thing is a hell of a lot better than doing actual work at work. *big smile*

LIFE UPDATE:

There are so few many firsts in life, that you learn to cherish the ones that are tossed your way. I got to play toothfairy. I guess to the non-parental unit, this is not such a big deal, but to me it was. Alex came bounding home from school a few weeks ago exclaiming "I've got a wiggler!". As he stuck his finger in his mouth and pushed around the loose tooth, my stomach lurched. I hate loose teeth. I was the kid who never touched the loose tooth and let it sit there for as long as possible before it fell out on its own. My next dilemma was finding out the going rate for the Tooth Fairy to leave. After surveying co-workers, friends and parents, I got a range of $1-$20! Figuring I had time to deal with this, I decided to sleep on it. Now if you know my kid - he is stubborn, strong willed and once he sets his mind to something , there is no stopping him. His life's goal for 24 hours was to get that tooth out of his head. A phonecall from the BF the next morning at work announced that biting into a Pop-Tart did the trick and out it came. Rut-roh...now I have to go to the ATM. I decided that $10 for a first tooth was appropriate...so that, coupled with a trail of fairy dust (scrapbook glitter) to his pillow made him a very happy camper. Three more teeth are now loose - so looks like the Tooth Fairy gets to don her wings again soon.

Halloween was a blast. My guy decided to be a Red Power Ranger....I thought they were only popular in the 80's, but I am guessing they are making a comeback. Wonder if I should break out my jellies and my Frankie Says Relax t-shirt? We went trick-or-treating with my co-worker and her two daughters. We have done this the past three years, so it was a lot of fun continuing the tradition. It was unseasonably warm which made the evening even better.

How time flies. This Saturday, Alex turns 6. Unlike the usual birthday extraveganzas, this year is going to be rather tame. Mom needed a break. We are having his party at The Westchester Skating Academy and the theme is Spongebob on Ice...lol. It turns out that this was a lot less work for me - so 20 kids and 30 adults later, I have managed to make the party favors, Thank You cards and get everything together with days to spare. Go me (go us, actually my BF had a huge helping hand in this whole thing). The day after the party we are taking him into the city to see The Grinch on Broadway. This should be a very busy weekend - but will post pictures when I can.

Other news....Bec call me!

End of post.....happy guys?

Coffee Thoughts....

2006-10-22T22:51:00.000-03:00

Ambidextrose: Able to put sugar in coffee with either hand.

Cappuchino is the dessert form of coffee.

Coffee is *not* supposed to be a *solid*. Maj. Winchester, MASH

Coffee makes the world go round, love only populates it!

Deja Brew: The feeling that you've had this coffee before.

Cosmic Twins....

2006-10-20T10:53:00.000-03:00

It began simply enough on a website. The year is 1999 and I am pregnant with my son. Being the neurotic first-time-mom- to-be, I spent all my free time (or rather the time that I was not puking my guts up) searching the internet for useful information about bringing up baby. Somewhere, I came across a website that advertised "A Penpal for Life for Your Baby". The idea was simple: you gave them your name, due date and email address and they match you with someone who is close to your due date. I signed up, and a few weeks later I get an email from this woman in Australia who is due right around the same time as me. This is her second baby - an old pro.

Right from the start we knew we were destined to be best friends. It was like we had known each other for years. Cosmic Twins. Our lives were so similar it was scary. We ended up having our kids 9 days apart. Hers - a blonde beauty named Mikayla and mine a blue eyed cutie named Alex. We've dreamed that someday the kids will meet and instantly fall in love and get married - all because their Mommies met on the internet.

It has been 6 years since I began talking to Bec. I am Auntie Kir to her kids and a long distance member of her family - and she to mine. Insitinctivly, and a half a world away, we know when the other is having a bad day, needs a virtual hug or a shoulder to cry on.

How can it be that a person you have never met, be your sister, best friend, therapist and person who understands you the best?

One wish? To get to Aussie Land and meet her and my Aussie family. ...Someday...............

"A good friend is someone who thinks you are a good egg, even though you are slightly cracked."

Ok, Ok......2nd Post

2006-10-18T10:30:00.000-03:00

So I find myself back here again - only to find my best friend has made it very clear that I need to update this on a more regualr basis if I am have blog. So Bec - this one is for you...... :-)

I have spent the last 24 hours taking care of my son who decided to impersonate Linda Blair. Normally, taking a day off from work is a fun thing, but since he decided to share his illness with me, we spent the whole day in bed zoning out and watching Cartoon Network. You know when you are not feeling well, when cartoons actually hold your attention! About 5:30pm we crawled downstairs for some pasta and gingerale and were back in bed by 7:30pm.

Speaking of cartoons...OMG can you believe the crap that they put in them? I can remember when Tom & Jerry and Woody Woodpecker were considered "violent"...good Lord! My parents used to plunk me in front of the tv on Saturday mornings for hours and never check what I watched - now I find myself having to look over my shoulder when he puts on something new just to make sure it is approriate. Sad.

Peer Pressure?

2006-10-13T22:49:00.000-03:00

Ok, so I have been introduced to the world of "blogging" by my boyfriend and two of my best friends. I have resisted for a number of reasons.

#1 What could I possibly write (type) that would be even REMOTELY interesting to read?
#2 If I manage to actually think of something even remotely interesting to write, then who would WANT to read it in the first place?

So that being said, this could be the first of many, or the last one I ever post. We'll see what happens.

I live in what I believe is one of the prettiest spots in New York - Historic Hudson Valley. This time of year especially brings out the best in the area. The leaves create a beautiful, multi-coloured background for Fall festivals, apple picking and pumpkin carving events. Some people thrive in the summer months, this is my time. I like nothing better than to throw on an oversized sweater and take a walk on the many trails around my house. Alas, working two jobs and being a mom to a very active soon-to-be 6 year old does not give me alot of time to actually do that, but it is always a nice thought.

Let's see... other important facts about me:
-Recently divorced, was a case of right time, wrong guy. Somehow though, I managed to get a very happy ending out of a rather long, boring story. Thanks to the internet, I met Prince Charming. Still not quite sure how the hell it happened, but when he showed up on his white horse (ok - 1999 Nissan Altima), it was love at first sight. (I swear it *can* happen!)

-I have a serious coffee addiction. It started in 9th grade and has gotten worse through the years. I don't try and fight it...it is my only addiction in life and other than being a drain on my wallet when I go to Starbucks too often, it is really quite harmless. Well, let me re-think that; harmless as long as I remain caffinated at all times. It can get ugly if there is not a warm coffee mug within at least 10 feet of me at all times. :-)

-My other passion in life is shared between figure skating and dancing. I used to be serious about both. I was the typical little girl who wanted to be a ballerina when she grew up. And grow up, I did....to almost 6 feet! After years of classes, cramming my feet into toe shoes and hours on the rink (most of which I spent with my butt on the ice) my knees gave out and I could not keep up to the pace I once could. At 35, I consider myself very lucky to still be able to go out on a rink for a session and get the peaceful feeling of being able to just glide around.

"We did not change as we grew older; we just became more clearly ourselves." Lynn Hall