Wanna see my big deck?

I'm sure Nick does because he is a giant slut.

Anyway, here are some pics of our new deck which is under construction. We ate dinner on it last night. It is wonderful being in the middle of nature, until one of those mother fucking bugs dive bombs your face and makes you scream like a girl and claw mercilessly at your own face. Other than that it was great.

A glimpse into my soul

I was reading through my journal, which sadly I have neglected. Thought I would share the Mel of October, 2004. I'll share more later, but this is a start....

"With every brush stroke an artist sees something. A vision perhaps, a dream.
For many it is their vision alone, but a vision that will not let them go.
My life is a vision, and mine alone.
I have parents, siblings, a spouse, stepchildren, friends, aunts and uncles, and even cousins and nieces.
They all see the clown, the merry maker.
What would they think if I showed them the real me, the "vision?"
Even my best friend knows not the real me.
Of course this is my error.
I let the illusion continue.
Somehow this is so much easier.
I will continue the illusion which we have all helped to create.
I will bear the self inflicted nightmare alone."

Well, I am not in a wheelchair! Yeah. I survived the very busy weekend. Want a recap? Too bad, here it comes.

Friday I went to volleyball right after work. We lost all three, but I played really well. Had a couple of nice digs and had a smokin' serve. After VB went to Rach's with Sue, Brian and Jami to make jello shots for Linday's bachelorette party. Got home at about 1:30 or 2 a.m.

Saturday met my family (Mom, Eddie, Jen, Marc, Dallas, Taylor, Sarah, Ryan, Julia, Jacob and Morgan) at Geauga Lake (amusement park) for my company picnic. It was great. Well, until I was a dumb ass and sun burned the ever living shit out of myself! We had a really nice time and I even won a raffle - 2 lift tickets and ski rentals at Alpine Valley and a $25 gift certificate to Max and Erma's). Left there at a little after 5 p.m.

Got home and decided I had enough time for a quick nap. I wanted to be up and in the shower by 6:30 p.m. so that I had plenty of time to meet the ladies for the bachelorette party. I looked at the clock and it was 7:45 p.m. SHIT. I had to shower, pack and drive 45 minutes to Dawn's house and be there by 9 p.m. I was the asshole of the party and got there 15 minutes late....and the limo had actually arrived 1/2 hour early so everyone was waiting for me. I felt terrible.

After the rocky start (my tardiness) the party went off without a hitch. I'm not allowed to talk about any details, or blog about any quotes, but it was a great time. Great.

Sunday I spent on the couch most of the day. I did manage to get my ass up and do a load of laundry, some dishes and a little general house work.

Today the deck was started. They have a ton done. I'll post pics later.

Also, my back, shoulders and chest are en fuego and it sucks big time. I'm a dumbass. Not THIS dumb yet.

Wheelchair, please.

I have volleyball tonight at 6:30 p.m. I am very much looking forward to it. It is good to get out and exercise. Only problem is that I won't be able to walk tomorrow as my feet are phuckers. Here is an x-ray report from almost 3 years ago.....
"Exam Performed: FT AP/LAT/OB+SEIMPRESSION:1. MARKED OSTEOARTHRITIS OF THE FIRST METATARSOPHALANGEAL JOINTSBILATERALLY.END OF IMPRESSION:HISTORY: Right foot pain.RIGHT FOOT, FOUR VIEWS 7-7-04:FINDINGS:There are marked degenerative changes of the first metatarsophalangeal joint with joint space narrowing and hypertrophic changes. The sesamoid bones are in normal position. There appears to be sclerosisin both of them. No fractures are present. There is also marked osteoarthritis of the left first metatarsophalangeal joint."

The way my doc explained it is that the cartilidge in my thumb toes on both feet is gone. When I walk, the bones basically rub together. I can handle it on a day to day basis, but after an activity I literally cannot walk. In fact, I played 2 weeks ago and my feet still hurt.

Many of you are probably wondering why I continue to play. The answer is that I love playing. Plain and simple.

We are going to Geauga Lake tomorrow with my Sisters, Mom, nieces and nephews. So, they may end up pushing me in the stoller.

In other news, or deck has been started. And by started I mean they dug the holes for the posts and the holes immediately filled with water from all the rain that bitch mother nature dumped on us.

Better late than never....

Nice grill, jack ass.
It is tradition that Chris and I take self portraits on other people's cameras. Here is my lovely cousin's closeup!

Here are some more pics from cousin Chris and his wife Cheri's visit. Bear in mind that my cousin thinks he is a hard ass. I think I proved that is bullshit. Miss you guys and can't wait to see you
soon! And by the way, why are there NO pictures of Cheri???? WTF? Ok, one of her at the table in her lovely pink jump suit. We had a great time and partied in the driveway (since I have no deck YET). And yes, that is my awesome niece Julia wearing a Steelers sweatshirt. Even at 6 she is brilliant!

Leftovers? We don't need no stinkin' leftovers.

No Kitty. That's a bad Kitty. That's MY pot pie.....

Contrary to popular belief (OK, Dave's belief) we actually used our tons of left over pot roast. I made two for Saturday night dinner. Marinated them overnight with my own special blend and then slow roasted them all day Saturday. I had rave reviews....hopefully everyone was being honest.

So....as we are cleaning up Dave says to throw the leftovers away. Needless to say I threw stuff and had a regular hissy fit. I was pissed. I put the roast leftovers away and vowed that we would eat every bite or die trying.

Last night I put some extra virgin olive oil in a pan with some seasonings and cut the roast very thin. I got everything else ready for dinner (steamed carrots and mashed potatoes) and then quickly pan fried the roast. It was delicious. Dave ate every bite.

Tonight I decided to get crazy. I got out my Betty Crocker cook book. Look out. I just needed to get a quick idea how to make a pie crust. I made my pie crust and let it sit while I sauteed diced carrots, celery, onion, garlic and some seasonings. I took out the pot roast (the LEFTOVER pot roast) and pulled it apart. I added that to the sauteeing veggies with some of the juice that I had saved. I let that cook for a few. I added a little flour to thicken that goodness up. In the meantime, I rolled out the dough for the bottom of the pie pan. Layed the bottom layer and then spread a nice even layer of mashed potatoes. I poured the meat/veggie mixture on top of the potatoes with the rest of the mashed potatoes on top. Then rolled out the top of the crust and put that on. I even did a nice pinching thing around the outside of the crust. I baked it at 350 for 40 minutes.

Let me just say that Dave thought it was so good that not only did that bitch have seconds, he said he could eat the whole thing! I think I proved my point.

So, not only am I usually right apparently I am also a good cook! Who wants to come for dinner?

Who came to breakfast?

We came to breakfast!! Melanie's FAVORITE cousin and her favorite cousin in-law. And now we are "guest bloggers" - whatever that is. Guess we're supposed to write something nice about her. Well, ummmm, mmmmm, HELP!!! Ok, Ok. I've got something - she makes a mean pot roast and never runs out of beer. At least while we're here to visit. So what more could you want? Just kidding. She's the best, has a great house, cool dogs, and, oh, she never runs out of beer. Surprising as that may be, the way that girl can put 'em away!!! Yes, I trained her well. Anyways, just wish she lived closer so we could pick on each other more often.

Yes- I must agree that Mel is the best. She is my favorite cousin-in-law! Now that we came for breakfast and stayed in "the mansion" and lived the life of a high roller, I am sad to go back to Rochester, NY and back to the slums!!! We got to see Sarah's new addition-and he is a little cutie! Can't wait to have one of my own- we are working on it- we even broke in Mel's new bed in the spare room! Thanks for the all the laughs Mel- I wish we could see you guys more often. It's her turn to come to Rochester next, hopefully it will be soon =)

I'm making progress

I did something yesterday that I never do. I spoke to my neighbor! In fact, I invited her in for a tour and a glass of wine. That's just how I roll. Anyway, I hate speaking to people I don't know. Anyone who knows me knows this. I'm very antisocial when at home. I am actually very shy. And convinced that I'll say something stupid and the person won't like me. Whatever. I totally talked to my neighbor!!

Also, here are some things that make me smile:

The smell of my house when I first walk in after a hard day at work.

My family

Finishing the laundry

Finding an awesome deal on a shirt or pair of pants

Sleeping in

Waking up in the middle of the night and realizing I have more time to sleep

The day I notice that the leaves have changed colors in the fall

When my pants that were a bit snug are loose

Feeling loved

When my dog farts and then whips her head around to see what the hell came out of her ass and then looks at me like I did it

Entertaining

My husband

Catching snow flakes on my tongue

Solving a problem

Being a good friend

Remembering incredible vacations

Fresh coffee

You :-)

Everybody's workin' for the weekend....

I wasn't going to post, but my hubby asked me to so I will. We had a lovely dinner tonight at the 365th Fighter Squadron at the Akron/Canton Airport. I had the all you can eat crab legs and Dave had the porterhouse. We were celebrating my recent promotion. I found out today that I got the work leader promotion that applied for. I'm very excited and really looking forward to the challenge. It is with mixed emotions that I am excited as one of my very best friends applied for the same job. The only reason she didn't get it is that she is part time. Sorry Lo Lo - you would have been an awesome work leader.

So, anyway we have a driveway. Here are some photos that Dave took.

stolen post

50 Random Questions
I stole this from the Brooke Rose, who stole it from someone, who stole it from someone else, and so on... and so on... and so on...
1. What curse word do you use the most? Unfortunately probably the F--- word. Sorry Mom.

2. Do you own an iPod? Nope, and I really don’t plan to.

3. Who on your MySpace “Top 8” do you talk to the most? I don’t have any idea what the eff that is.

4. What time is your alarm clock set for? 5:50 a.m. Course I usually hit snooze for a good 45 minutes.

5. What color is your room? Toasted sesame texture thingy.

6. Flip flops or sneakers? Flip-flops.

7. Would you rather take the picture or be in the picture? Take the picture. Then I’ll bitch that I’m in no pictures. You really can’t win with me.

8. What was the last movie you watched? Watched some of Moonstruck last night as our cable went out. LOVE that movie.

9. Do any of your friends have children? Most of them. Thanks for reminding me douche bag.

10. Has anyone ever called you lazy? Probably, sometimes I am.

11. Do you ever take medication to help you fall asleep faster? Ambien made me crazy. So now I take some shiznit called Midnight that is supposedly all natural.

12. What CD is currently in your CD player? Dave Matthews Band, Stand Up.

13. Do you prefer regular or chocolate milk? Chocolate milk for sure!

14. Has anyone told you a secret this week? Yes. I’m a great secret keeper.

15. Have you ever given someone a hickey? Hell yeah.

16. Who was the last person to call you? Ummmm, Lo Lo I think.

17. Do you think people talk about you behind your back? Yep. I’m pretty paranoid about it but I’m sure it happens. Unfortunately I’m not perfect which leads to people talking behind my back.

18. Did you watch cartoons as a child? I still do.

19. How many siblings do you have? 2 younger sisters and a younger brother.

20. Are you shy around the opposite sex? No. Ok, yes. Actually I’m shy around anyone that I don’t know.

21. What movie do you know every line to? Old School.

22. Do you own any band t-shirts? Yes, I still have my Eagle’s tshirt from their FIRST comeback tour! .

23. What is your favorite salad dressing? My Mom’s homemade stuff.

24. Do you read for fun? Yes. Wish I had more time for it. What I mean is, I should turn off the T.V. and make more time for it.

25. Do you cry a lot? Yes. I’m a baby.

26. Who was the last person to text message you? I think Sue, but my phone is in the car so I’m not looking.

27. Do you have a desktop computer or a laptop? Desktop at work and NEW laptop at home.

28. Are you currently wanting any piercings or tattoo? I would like to get my nose pierced and I will probably get a couple more tattoos.

29. What is the weather like? Dreary and a little chilly. At least it looks chilly.

30. Would you ever date someone covered in tattoos? Sure, why not?

31. Is sex before marriage wrong? Probably it is, but would you buy a car without test driving it?

32. When was the last time you slept on the floor? No clue.

33. How many hours of sleep do you need to function? At least 8 but I prefer 10.

34. Are you in love or lust? I’m in love baby!

35. Are your days full and fast-paced? For the most part, but they could be a little more fast paced.

36. Do you pay attention to calories on the back of packages? No. But damn do I need to.

37. How old will you be turning on your next birthday? 36 asshole.

38. Are you picky about spelling and grammar? Not as picky as Lo Lo and Dan. Yikes.

39. Have you ever been to Six Flags? Yes, the one in California.

40. Do you get along better with the same or opposite sex? I’ve always gotten along better with the opposite sex, even before I had boobs.

41. Do you like cottage cheese? Love it, especially with grapefruit.

42. Do you sleep on your side, tummy, or back? Side in the fetal position.

43. Have you ever bid for something on eBay? No. It overwhelms me to go on there.

44. Do you enjoy giving hugs? I LOVE giving hugs, and mine usually last just long enough to make the other person uncomfortable.

45. What song did you last sing out loud? Tony Bennett “Fly Me To The Moon”

46. What is your favorite TV show? Law and Order, The Office, Friends, Seinfeld

47. Which celebrity, dead or alive, would you want to have lunch with? Elvis Presley or Dave Matthews

48. Last time you had butterflies in your stomach? Whenever I see my hubby. Also, when I had to go interview with the Chairman of the dept. for a promotion I applied for, but those were the butterflies that give you diarrhea.

49. What one thing do you wish you had? A baby.

50. Favorite lyrics? Thunder Road by Bruce Springsteen

Show a little faith there's magic in the night
You ain't a beauty but hey you're alright
Oh and that's alright with me

Lo Lo's birthday recap as told by Lo Lo

Yesterday's Birthday Recap:

Mel threw a fabulous bday party for me at work. But the person who now sits next to me decided to take the day off so I couldn't actually participate/enjoy it.

Blogger took a shit and now I can't get on my site at all.

Some assclown asked me if it was my 39th birthday. I'm 33...

Got into a huge fight with someone over something that was screwed up on a day that I WASN'T EVEN HERE and somehow it was my fault for not using my crystal ball when I was at home and seeing that this mixup was occuring.

Was called "upstairs" and told I was not getting a promotion.

Huge storm hit last night, electrocuting our central air unit, our tv, and our computer. (update: the a/c is now working thanks to a very helpful repair shop who diagnosed it over the phone - but the tv & computer are still toast)

Said storm kept me up ALL NIGHT LONG, and I'm so freaking tired today.

This morning, traffic was backed up for miles and I was 30 minutes late to work.

Person who sits next to me came in and I asked how her trip was (the one she had to take off work for b/c they were going to be driving back late Tuesday night and she knew she couldn't make it in on Wed - my bday). She said, "Oh, we didn't end up going."

Took every last ounce of strength in me to stop myself from throttling her.

Yeah, overall, not my best birthday ever. But I do have my family and my wonderful friends. And that ain't bad :)