You Say it's your Birthday

IT"S MY BIRTHDAY TOO.

Happy Birthday me and a bunch of other people.

TOday is Julie Kelley's Birthday. I work with Julie here in Mississippi. She is an amazing woman. She started out her life as a nurse, and althought I did not know her then, I imagine she was a great nurse. SHe has a great personality - just as sweet as can be. I know she must have a mean side since she raised a couple of kids, but I can't imagine it. Midway through her career she decided to do a little change - and now she is a geologist! It doesn't get much more 180 degrees than that! THe most impressive thing is that she has deployed overseas a couple of times to help our soldiers in country. It is such a honorable thing to do, and even more difficult when you have a family back at home to think about.

Today is also the 13th birthday of Michael Mason. Michael is the son of my friend, work next door neighbor, and up the street at home neighbor Gail. Michael is an all around nice guy, and a huge dog lover. He has watched my pup while I've traveled, and for that I am eternally grateful!

Happy Birthday Julie, Michael and me.

Excuses Excuses...

It has been a while since I last updated, so I felt the need to place my excuse out there in electronic land. My sister came to town last week. While she was here, she broke my internet - it won't work with my laptop or my work computer. So, I'm writing this at home with the intent to upload it when I go into work tomorrow. Obviously, this is far more interesting that doing work stuff at home - and nothing on the tv is calling my name at all, let alone loudly.

Actually, sitting here with the radio on, in my comfortable "at home" clothes with the dogs next to me/on the floor, I am really comfortable. I could actually probably get a lot of work done here!!! Too bad I don't have internet. So, here are some short recaplets of this that need to be put out in my e-world.

Over the Hill + One

Monday 26 November we said Happy Birthday to my mom, Liz. As I understand, she is petitioning to be called Elizabeth. It is a difficult change for me make. Last year my mom had a special, rather large and important birthday. We threw her a surprise party - and somehow she was surprised. We rented out the clubhouse next to the pool at my parent's subdivision. We invited in a bunch of people, and somehow she didn't figure it out. I drove up from Champaign and introduced my parents to their first furry grandchild. My sister flew in from Rhode Island - but she stayed with a friend and was a complete surprise at the party. My mom's oldest sister, Aunt Barbara, and her husband flew in to Indiana to "visit" thier oldest daughter and her husbad at Notre Dame in South Bend, and just coincidentally decdied to drive up to Fox Lake to do an early birthday lunch with mom. We gave my cousin-in-law John a tour of the area and decided we had to show him the clubhouse where the grandparetns had parties. When we walked in my mom was totally surprised to see family and friends from near and far to celebrate her birthday! It was a great time - good food, good company, and an all around relaxing weekend after the stress of getting it planned.

Another little story about my mom. You probably don't know it, but my mom was actually born in a little town called Princeton Junction, in a little state called New Jersey. When she was in Junior High the family moved to Massachusetts, and a few years later they moved out to the MIdwest. You can immagine the irony when she later met and married a man whose last name was Jersey. Yes, that corniest of all corny jokes came out at the wedding a number of times - meet the NEW Jersey!

My mom is a great woman - but she works too hard. As I write she is at work and I haven't gotten to wish her a Happy Birthday. She started her day at 5AM and at 9:30 PM she still hasn't gotten home. She has been gone from the house longer than my dad, who took the train to Chicago, put in a full day of work, and took the train back an hour and a half back to the 'burbs. And we wonder where I got my work ethic? Happy Birthday mom - I hope you get sleep and relax and do all the fun things that a birthday entails tomorrow!!!

Superhero Matthew and his Sidekick Matthew Baby Bunny Rabbit to the Rescue

It has been a while since I've had a birthday to blog about. Happy Birthday Matthew, aka Matthew Baby Bunny Rabbit. On Friday 23 November we celebrated the anniversary of the arrival of the baby in the blue blanket. Matt is my "baby" brother, and the only boy. Can you really call him your baby brother if he is officially 24 years old? I think he'll always be my little brother to me. I am one of a select group of people who call him Matthew. He is Matt to the rest of the world, but I just love his full name. Matthew still lives in our hometown. So here are a few of my favorite Matthew stories.

Now, you ask me, what is up with the Matthew Baby Bunny Rabbit commentary? Being an ideal older sister I was known to say things like "matt is a baby" or "matt the brat". If you don't keep the baby aware of his status you aren't filling your natural born role, right? Well, as little girls and boys we all have our favorite doll or stuffed animal. I remember several of mine - my Holly Hobby doll and my "Dolly dolly". Matthew had a stuffed rabbit when he was about 4 years old. Obviously this rabbit needed a name. Matthew decided to be a good daddy and name his child after himeself, and Matthew Baby Bunny Rabbit was born. That name still brings a smile to my face. He still has it somewhere, and MBBR is a sacred item – an artifact that will live on as a legend!

Another of Matthew’s nicknames is CHeese Ball. I don't actually remember this, however, everyone in my family knows the story. We were out staying with my Aunt Barbara and Uncle John and their kids after my Grandma Martha (or perhaps it was Nanny) died. All of us "older" kids were upstairs playing together and doing whatever it was that we did. Once again, Matthew was about 4 years old. Matthew was downstairs with my parents and my aunt and uncle. Uncle John was lying on the couch, and there was a can of planters cheese balls (remember them) on the other side of the room. Uncle John asked Matthew for a cheese ball, thinking he would bring the can, or at least a handful. Matthew brought him a single solitary cheese ball. THis was hilarious, and typical of a child that age. Needless to say, the rest of the night Uncle John would bark out "CHEESE BALL" and Matthew would run over and give him one solitary cheese ball, giggling and grinning the whole time. For years to come Matthew would get a canister of Cheese Balls for Christmas – a special gift from Uncle John to him.

Happy Thanksgiving

Katie Grace came to town for turkey lurkey day. we had a good ole southern time. I was excited to get to share my first Thanksgiving in the house with someone. I was cookin it up hot in the kitchen. We did a good job of baking enough carbohydrates for a small starving nation in Africa. I roasted a turkey breast, as well as cooking green bean casserole, sweet potato casserole, corn bread, and scalloped potatoes. I also made a pumpkin pie. I used my great grandmother's pie crust recipe for the first time. There was definitely something special about using a family recipe for the pie crust. I think that Kate can attest to it - the food turned out delicious!

Kate’s stay was fairly uneventful, relatively speaking. She got to meet her new niece as well as play with the "old" one. We have taken to talking about them as the old one and the young one or the big one and the small one. That way they don't know that we are talking about them. I can officially say I am a mother now. Last week I caught myself telling them to stop roughhousing and to go play outside if they were going to play like that. When did I turn into my mother? Next thing you know I'll be telling them not to bother me if they aren't bleeding profusely. We know I'll never have to tell my girls to clean their plates - they are experts at that.

My friend Jano did an absolutely Fabulous Thanksgiving blog in which she summarized some of the many things she is thankful for. Following in her lead, her is a late, but no less important list of some of the many things for which I am thankful for – in no particular order:
I am thankful for two silly yet cute dogs, all adorable animals, the people I love – both friends and family, the unconditional love of God, children, and dogs, a wonderfully fulfilling (most days) job, the feeling of heartfelt laughter in the belly, the twinkle in the eye from a true smile, snow days, fires in the fire place warming my toes, getting lost in a good book, an education that is second to none, cute shoes, the big ten network, an outstanding basketball program, music in my head and in my heart, the start of the Christmas season despite the over commercialism, St Jude – the patron saint of lost causes, a nap on the couch, the joy of cooking, the oppertunity to help others, and life in general. Hopefully you are thankful for as much as I’m thankful for, if not more!

O h- i NO!!

Loyal Readers - I appologize for the lack of blogs lately. Life is boring and I'm busy, so nothing is getting blogged. Actually I think my big excuse is that I spend all day on the computer at work, so by the time I get home I don't wnat to see the computer unless anbsolutley necessary (which means I'm working at home too).

Things of note:
Illinois beats over rated Ohio State. Calling them over rated does diminsh our win, but they were over rated. i particularly enjoy the picture i was sent of the osu band after the game. It took me a minute, but it was cute! I am enjoying the bowl game predictions that have us going to the Capitol One bowl in Orlando vs. Florida. Zook vs. his old recruits. That has commercialism written all over it!

Daisy Dog was feeling lonely. Since I couldn't get a daddy for her, I decided to get her a sibling. We welcomed Madison into our home this weekend. Madison is a 9 month old plott hound mix rescue. Her story is great. One of the women I know through work/the local rescue society rescued a dog who was about to be euthanized in Fla. She was skin and bones. Three weeks later she gave birth to a litter of 11 puppies. Madison is one of those puppies. She is golden yellow with a light brindle pattern. She and Daisy are doing great together. They run and play and run and play all day long. This picture From Saturday night shows just how tired they were. I had two VERY tired pups!

Happy 2 year anniversary to Amanda. She has been working with me for 2 years now. It is mazing how time flies. not when you are having fun, it just flies in generall

Not too much else to report here. I just work, work, and work a lot more.
If anyone wants to go to the capital one bowl, or whatever other bowl.... let me know. My life is boring and I need a little something somethign to involves fun in my life!!

OCC

Another learning lesson:

Orange County Chopper (the "reality" show with pimped out bikes) is NOT based in Orange County, CA. It is based in Orange County, NY. If I had ever watched the show, I would probably know that. However, Newburg, NY, which is where I'm working this week, is in Orange County, NY. Can you guess where I'm going?

We were going back to work after lunch yesterday, when this chopper pulls up to the gate next to us. It was so awesome. It was the totally pimped out army recruiting chopper. Check it out!!!! Can you imagine it being your job to ride it around the country and show it off?

The Empire State Welcomes You

Hi all,
I'm in the Empire State, in Fishkill. A short history lesson. According to my internet sources, the Empire state refers to New York's vast wealthy and variety of resources. More importnatly, Fishkill is actually a Dutch name. It refers to a the river that runs through town. Kill is actually dutch for creak or stream. Thus, the fish river, which drains into the Hudson River, is the meaning of the town name. It does NOT refer to killing fish. Apparently PETA tried to fight to get the name changed several years ago for that reason. Typical.

Fishkill is a nicer, cleaner seeming, slighly more urbanized version of Fox Lake. The internet tells me that you can take the train to Grand Central Station and it takes abotut 75-85 minuts. That pretty much jives with dad's commute.

The scenery is beautiful. This is the perfect time to be here. The leaves are changing. And, there are TONS of tree lined hiis along the river. HOpefully I'll get some good pictures. It is nothing like November in MS. In fact, it is down right COLD. Thank Goodness for Winter coats, ski hats, and mittens. Ask me how I really feel about it tomorrow after a day in the field.

Who ever said common sense was common?

Ok, lets admit it. I'm a smart girl. However, I'm not a SMART girl. For weeks I've known that fall back was coming up. It proceeded o completely skip my mind. Yes, I was one of those people. I got up this morning and dragged myself out of bed this morning, thinking "If only I can get a little more sleep before church". About the time I got into town I said to myself "Gee, it is funny that no one is at any of the million other churches I've passed - oh wait, it is fall back weekend" So, after rushing to get out andmake it to church in time, I realized I had set msyelf up to go to the imaginary 7:30 AM mass. Instead, I went to the Evil Empire otherwise known as Wal-mart and I did a little shopping. I picked up a few magazines to read on the plane in case my work doesn't do it for me. Oops.

Really, my oops worked out well. I stopped in at work and cleaned up and did the final prep for my trip this week. Now I'm about to be on my way home, where I have all afternoon to do launry, clean house, mow the lawn, and pack. Plus, play with the Daisy Dogg.

Way to go to the Illini, the Gophers, and the BTN for keeping me entertained last night. I always enjoy a good U of I win. Hopefully we can keep it up and route The Ohio State University (TOSU) Buckeyes next week!