Almost Done!

   I've been off my blog for a few days to work on a project in my basement (or the "dungeon" as we call it).  My husband has been spending a lot of time working on his half of the basement, he calls it his "man cave".  Hanging up his sports memorabilia, moving his pinball machine, exercise bike, and trying to figure out if we can fit a couch (we are getting a fairly new couch from a friend of ours, to put in our family room)in his "man cave", along with a top of the line treadmill that's been sitting in our garage for more than 2 months!  Trust me, I would rather his sports memorabilia be all displayed in the basement, instead of all through the house like it is now!  I can't wait until he's all done.  He can host his poker nights down there as well!
  My half of the basement is partially taken up by the furnace unit, water heater, and washer & dryer.  I am fixing up a big corner of my half and turning it into a little "cozy corner", where I can have peace and quiet to read, relax, do crafts etc...  I am almost done, just have to finish painting and figuring out where to put things etc...

Crazy Days

Ever have those days when you want to pull your hair out? Well, that describes the past few days in our house!

The heat and humidity outside earlier this week was just "unbearable" and of course that's when our central air conditioning unit decided to die on us! The only room that was cool in our house was the family room (it has it's own wall unit air conditioner. Our family room thankfully has 2 couches in it, so neither of us had to sleep on the floor. I had my couch and my husband had his (oh and we each had a pug too!). We slept on those couches for no less than 5 nights straight! Our makeshift bedroom was quite a site, but it was cool enough and I didn't have to venture downstairs to take a dog or two out, so there were some positives!

Our close friends/next door neighbors were also packing up and moving. So, combined with the heat and humidity, I was also going back and forth between houses helping them out with anything they needed such as taking their kids somewhere, loaning them our carpet cleaner, helping them put unwanted items in our now full garage to sell at our neighborhood yard sale etc...

Just when I thought things were returning to "normal", Thursday rolled around. Thursday started out like any other morning. I got up took care of our dogs, helped my husband get ready for work etc... Well, about 1/2 hour after my husband got to work, he called me and said he needed me to pick him up from work right away! I asked him why, and he said "because I don't feel good and I'm messing up!" Now, my husband works at a computer and on the phone all day for a world wide corporation, so I couldn't figure out what he meant exactly. I told him to "sit tight" and I'd be there ASAP (takes about 15 min to get there from our house). I pulled up to the front door of his building. About a minute later, my husband was being assisted to the car by his manager, my husband couldn't walk straight on his own and looked very weak. His manager helped him into the car and then told me I should take him to the doctor (easier said then done since my husband has a fear of doctors!)

Aparently, my husband was on the phone working on an account and his speech was very slurred. A coworker happened to over hear my husband and was so concerned that she had his manager listen in on his phone. At that point they noticed he was slurring his words. The manager requested he come into his office. When my husband got up to see his manager, they noticed he also could hardly walk and had to be assisted, and that's when they called me to pick him up (they of course wouldn't let him drive).
I drove him home, called his doctor. His doctor could not fit him in for an appointment but did speak to him on the phone. His doctor put him on a very strict diet of no carbs, no sugar, can only drink water and made an appointment for this coming Monday where they will do blood work.
My husband's doctor thinks there's a very good chance that my husband has Diabetes! Ever since Thursday, my husband has been feeling very weak, excessively thirsty, and very tired.

He has been following the strict diet exactly as told, and I've been taking good care of him. Tonight I told my husband that "I've been helping our friends, taking care of him and the dogs. I'm taking care of everybody. But, who's goona take care of me?"
My husband said "I love you, and I'm going to fight whatever I've got. I will be here for you, to put my arms around you. I'll take care of you".

Fantasy Dinner

  My husband and I went out to dinner with friends tonight, and we each answered one question during our meal.  The question was this:

  If you could invite 5 people (dead or alive) to dinner, who would they be?

  My answer was this:  My great grandparents (my maternal grandmother's parents), Babe Ruth, Amelia Earhart, Neil Armstrong.

  Who would you invite?

More "Chocolate Chip Cookie Lov'in From My Oven"

  I don't know why, but I've been an absolute "Chocolate Chip cookie baking maniac" for the past 2 days!  good thing I don't really eat them, just a couple of them or I would have gain at least 10 lbs already!

  There are things I love about baking cookies though.  I love the way my house smells right now!  In some way they probably bring some kind of good sentimental feelings and memories with them also.  Who knows?  Well, and I love to see the smiles on friends' faces when I give them a "cookie gift", makes me feel good.  I've never seen anyone frown when they ate a cookie!  Have you?

Travel plans

  Years ago I worked for an airline, I miss it dearly (the pay & stress were awful, but the perks were great!).  So, because of my experience, some of our friends use me as their "personal travel agent".  I don't mind helping them at all, in fact I enjoy finding great deals on airfare, car rental or hotel for them.  I haven't done it in awhile, so a few weeks ago when I was asked to help our friends with their vacation plans I said "be glad to".
  As I said, it's been awhile, so I forgot just what an undertaking it could be at times.  We  own a timeshare condo so we let them use a week of it "no problem" I thought.  The problem was when I tried to book the week they wanted at the location they wanted, it was full.  I spent at least a whole day going back and forth between our friends and the condo reservation center, then to add another wrinkle, they were using an airline flight voucher for their tickets.   Using a voucher for their tickets of course meant that they were limited to one airline's destinations (the airline has limited destinations also), so the timeshare condo options were very limited for availibility.  Also they needed a rental car booked, and the company that they had a discount for was not available some of the airline's destinations.
  The other thing was, that any place they were going had to have a major league baseball team playing during that week, because they want to see a game at a stadium they've never been to before.  Again, less options!  Even with all of these things, I still didn't mind doing this for them, in fact I saw it as a challenge that I would win!  Oh and by the way, also couldn't book anything online because they didn't want their credit card information "out there in cyberspace".  Had to look online then book the old fashioned way, by phone.
  Sometimes travel planning can be a nightmare, but when all was said and done, did what I set out to do.  I got their vacation booking done with all their requests included, and I'm happy I could help.
  I really do enjoy helping others.  I do believe "What goes around, comes around".

Birthday bash

 

   There are times in life when you're surrounded by people that you know would do anything for you, and you would do anything for them.  I mean you get that "warm and fuzzy" feeling when you are within the circle of your absolute closest friends and their spouses.  You know, like a "second family".

  Well, one of our very closest friends had their 50th birthday last Friday, and our friends Marc and Monice graciously offered to host an intimate birthday party for him!

  Our friend that just turned 50 (he doesn't look a day older than 30!) has the last name of "Berger" so that what he is called, everyone just calls him "Berger".

   Berger is the kind of friend that would do anything for you.  This is just an example of what kind of e friend Berger is:  Last year we suffered a miscarriage in the 4th month of pregnancy.  We were devastated!  My husband and I received many thoughts of sympathy and hugs that were comforting.  About a week after the miscarriage, I was home alone and got a phone call.  It was Berger, and he wanted to see if I was home.  About 10 minutes after the call, the doorbell rang.  At the door was Berger holding a large bouquet of flowers in one hand and a huge gift basket in the other!  I was both shocked and touched, I instantly got tears in my eyes!  I quickly invited him inside and said "thank you, you didn't have to do this", Berger replied "you're welcome, I wanted to cheer you up and I'm taking you for Chinese food for lunch!"  Berger took me to a great Chinese restaurant, and we talked about nonmiscarriage related things, it was a great little "escape".  The flowers were beautiful and the basket was a "spa" basket, it had a bottle of wine, a pair of satin slippers, facial mask, bubble bath, bath salts, foot and hand soaks, even a suede covered diary!  It meant a lot to my husband and I that he took time out of his day to do that for me.

  For Berger's 50th bithday bash I wanted to make something special for him (it was the least I could do).  Berger was going to have an ordinary birthday cake, since he is an "extraordinary" friend to us, he deserved an extraordinary cake!  One of Berger's favorite foods is a cheeseburger, so I made him a "giant cheeseburger" cake!

  To my surprise, my "cheeseburger" cake turned out fine, actually looked like a cheeseburger!  The cake was a hit with everyone, but most importantly I loved the smile it put on Berger's face!  He absolutely loved it!  Berger had tears in his eyes!

Rain, Food & Friends

  Today was the day of the first "guy trip" of this year.  My husband and his buddies had been looking forward to this day for a month now!  My husband and three friends were going pile into our car and take a "roady" a few hours away to Pittsburgh to go to the Pirates vs L.A. Dodgers game!
  Everything was all set for this trip.  Everybody was going to meet at our house, I was going to get donuts and make coffee for the guys, I got my husband's baseball jersey, hat, glove out the night before.  I mean everything was ready.
  The trip was a total "go" until this morning.  Yes, we awoke to the sound of rain hitting our bedroom windows.  First thing we did was turn on the news to watch the weather report.  The forecast was nothing but rain and thunderstorms all throughout Ohio and most of Pennsylvania!  UGH!  Next thing you know, we received three seperate phone calls from the other guys saying they didn't want to go because of the rain. 
  My husband is one of the most die hard baseball fans I've ever met!  He was practically on his hands and knees begging, trying to convince each guy that "there's only supposed to be a little bit of rain" or "we can wear ponchos, we'll stay dry enough, really" etc...  I felt sorry for him.
  I then told my husband to call the guys and invite them over for lunch and baseball watching (we have the Major League Baseball package through our Satellite Dish company).
  Each guy accepted.  I made some homemade pizza and nachos, we had drinks etc...  A couple of guys brought their wives with them and we ended up having a great day of Baseball, Pizza & Friends!

14 days of things I love: Day 1

 

 

This weekend was a very relaxing/lazy weekend, all in all it was a "perfect" weekend. Saturday we slept in, went out to breakfast (which we hardly ever do). One of our closest friends, David (a very sweet, intellectual guy who has travelled all over the world)came over, so all three of us piled into my car and we went to my absolutely favorite Mongolian BBQ place for lunch!
So besides my lunch companions, I am posting pictures of food I love from the restaurant I love! Which by the way is BD's Mongolian BBQ! LOVE IT!

Wearing my "title" again.

Last week I gave myself the title of "Domestic Goddess". Well today I must dust the title off and wear it again. Once I eat my breakfast and finish sipping my coffee, I'll get my "rear in gear". With my trusty new steam mop in one hand and duster in the other, the "Domestic Goddess/ super cleaner" will once again reign! Dust and muddy paw prints be gone! It's amazing what the combination of rain and 2 dogs can do to your floors in a short time!
I must don the title again today because we are having company tonight. I do have one challenge though. Yes, our house will be cleaner. But, what do you do when you're going to have company and your husband waits until the night before your guest comes over to finally rip up the seventies style, god awful, brown and yellow carpet in your family room? We've been in this house for 8 1/2 years. I have wanted the carpet out ever since we moved in! Now, I think he could have waited at least one more night (he already waited 8 1/2 years! So whats one more night?!)oh boy!
Now instead of the tacky carpet, we have a gorgeous, cold, stained (from past "puppy accidents"),plywood floor in our family room! I don't think even my steam mop can transform it! I know our friend will just have a laugh and make a quick witted jab at my husband's expense about it, and that's fine, and even welcomed! I love my husband, but I don't love his timing! lol!
For now I'll tell myself that plywood is the "latest thing" in flooring and get my "Goddess" groove on!

Random questions

For the past 2 weeks or so, my friend Jeff has been e-mailing a question a day. The questions make me both laugh and think each morning. For this morning's post I thought I'd share some of them, so here we go:

1. Why is a boxing ring square?


2. If a cow laughs, does milk come out of her nose?


3. What hair color do they put on the driver's license of a bald man?


4. Why is it that when you're driving and looking for an address, you turn down the volume on the radio?


5. Why don't you ever see the headline Psychic Wins Lottery?


6. Why do we drive on parkways and park on driveways?


Hmmm, makes you think!

Small World

The song "It's a small world after all..." has been replaying in my mind many times the past few days! It first started last Saturday night when my husband and I saw this mysterious cute little boy run down our driveway out of nowhere! When my husband went outside to see where this little guy had come from and gone, he realized he was part of a family of two parents and three kids that were visiting our friends next door (who also have three kids) for at least a few days! Wondering why my husband was outside for what seemed a while, I started to hear some laughing and chatting, so I also went outside and was immediately introduced to the "visiters" and was told that they are from Alabama, nothing odd about that, where the "small world" thing comes into play is that they also used to live in the San Francisco bay area which is where I grew up and lived un til about 8 years ago! We spent the rest of the night playing with all six kids and talking about life inthe "bay area" and how much we all miss it.
Later that night while I was still saying to my husband and to myself
"what a small world, meeting those people here some 2,000 miles away from the bay area!" I logged onto my page on Facebook, only to see that one of my friends who I met in 1st grade and was friends with all through school until we graduated high school, and have just recently connected again with through Facebook (she still lives in my hometown in the bay area) is travelling with her three kids across the country for the first part of the summer, and is documenting every place they stop in along the way was staying the weekend only a few minutes from my house! Keep in mind that we have not seen each other basically since high school ( which I hate to say is over 15 years ago), we reconnected just recently through Facebook, and during her journey across the country with her kids this summer just happens to be staying a couple nights just a few minutes from my front door, at least 2,000 miles from her own front door! We arranged to meet for breakfast this morning to "catch up and take a walk down memory lane" before they hit the road again for another new adventure. I have been singing the song "It's a small world" in my head over and over again, and right now I believe "It's a small world" more than ever before!