Friday, January 21, 2011

What to do on a Snowy Day ....


1. What time did you go to bed last night?
Surely You jest?!

2. Favorite food to have cooked on the grill?
Steak

3. What was the last tv show you watched?
The Defenders - and really, I listened to it on Hulu, because it was all together too quiet in my office

4. What is your favorite movie genre?
Just about all of them

5. If you could visit anywhere in the world, where would it be?
Anywhere.  Seriously I would

6. What did you have for lunch (unless you haven't eaten lunch yet)?
It's not lunch time yet.

7. What is your favorite self-indulgence?
Books.  Especially books I've read a million times, or books for Emi

8. What foods do you love?
Anything I don't have to prepare myself

9. Favorite Place to Eat?
J&J's ... and of course, Home

10. What is your ultimate salad?
Fresh

11. What kind of vehicle do you really want?
I heart my mom van, thank you

12. What are your favorite clothes/shoes?
comfortable

13. Where would you love to go on your next vacation?
vay kah shun? what is this?

14. Are you optimistic or pessimistic?
yes

15. What career path do you sometimes wish you would've pursued?
Law.

16. Favorite outdoor activity?
Taking Pictures

17. Where did you grow up?
Neh Hampsha . but that implies I've grown up.  I like to think I haven't - yet

18. What is your favorite sport?
Walking :)

19. Any regrets?
No.  I can't regret anything/anyone that has helped make me who I am today.

20. Favorite person to spend time with?
Anyone who can make me laugh really .. But Mike & Emi of course (plus the furries)

21. Who makes you laugh most often?
Emily.  the stuff that kid comes up with !

22. Favorite games?
Puzzles and Word Games.

23. Least favorite household chore?
Cleaning the 3 bathrooms

24. Do you have any pets?
5 Very Spoiled Pets Have Me!  <3 

25. Describe yourself in 5 words.
I'm finally happy with myself

26. What would you say is your worst trait?
I don't like to dwell on that - I'm finally happy with myself (seeeeeee????)  :)

27. What is one of your prized material possessions?
Pictures

28. Have you ever did anything heroic?
I had a baby!  :)   Define:  Heroic

29. Are you friends with any other your exes?
Nope

30. Are you a safe driver?
I am!

31. Any serious injuries in your life?
I had a crappy knee injury in the 2nd grade, it still gives me issues today.

32. Favorite music genre?
Country - don't judge

33. Favorite drinks?
Water and Seltzer Water

34. Fears?
Extreme Heights, Crickets and ET (zip it .. not a word - seriously, nightmare inducing creature)

35. Favorite breakfast foods?
I don't really eat breakfast

36. Favorite fast food?
Subway - EAT FRESH!

37. What vehicle have you had in your life that you miss?
my 2000 Pontiac Grand AM ... she was the best car - ever

38. From whom did you get your last text?
Cayla

39. Where do you shop for clothes?
Heh.  I don't.   Old Navy, Kohls or Wal-Mart - if I have to

40. Do you enjoy flea markets and/or yard sales?
Damn Skippy

41. Are you employed?  If so, what do you do?
Why Yes, Yes I am - I am the Head Office Bitch :)

42. Biggest accomplishment in the past 5 years?
Getting Married, Buying/Building our House and Having Emily

43. What was your most romantic date or vacation with your sweetie?
Hmmm ..... our Honeymoon was pretty good on the Romance scale :)

44. Last person you called on the phone?
Mike

45. What are you doing this afternoon?
Laundry, cleaning the house, shoveling these additional 7 inches of freakin' snow

46. Do you consider yourself spiritual?
Sure.

47. How many tattoos do you have?
None.  Yet.  We'll see.

48. What is your favorite and least favorite holidays?
Thanksgiving is my most favorite.
Christmas & Valentines Day are my least favorites

49. Do you have a cellphone; what kind?
I have a Motorola i1 and the only reason I know that - is because it's only 3 months old

50. What is your bedtime?
Whenever my body has had enough.  Roughly 2 am

Wednesday, January 19, 2011

Road Trip .. Sort Of

This weekend, we took a trip to Portland Maine.  Mike was given an iPod Touch 4g for Christmas (I know, I'm the best wife) and was having some issues with using it - since I bought it from a friend, it didn't come with a users guide, and the downloadable one from the Apple website is well over 200 pages long - printed - so I had opted *not* to print that, to conserve my sanity - and paper.  In any case, there are 2 Apple stores in our area, one of which is in Salem (we're heading that way next time) and the other in Portland.  Since we were invited to two separate hockey games (neither of which we made) in the Portland area, we decided to head that way.

However, on the way, we had to stop in at a little place in Waterboro.  You may have seen it on the Discovery Channel (or you know, my facebook photo albums) (last year it was just called "Howe & Howe Technologies" this year, it's "Black Ops Brothers" ...) if not, you really should check it out.

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I was lucky enough to get myself a shirt (just like the ones they wear on TV!) and a water bottle for my kick boxing classes that has their logo on it :) .. I know, Issues .. I'll own it.  They have an actual "Mini Rip" in the store (that they JUST opened) - Emily wouldn't stand next to it so I could take her picture, brat.  But she was incredibly upset that "the boys from her TV" weren't there to meet her.  Don't they know how important she is?  :) my diva.

No matter what our destination, I always ask if H&H is on the way, or if we're going to be anywhere near it .. He always makes sure it is :)

After we finally made it to the Maine Mall, and visited the Apple Store, (where Mike was told exactly what I had told him) we continued to wander around and enjoy the day.   Emily got to make her very own stuffed animal at "Build a Bear Workshop" where she got to help stuff her, sew her up, and inserted a beautiful little satin heart in her insides.  Emily even gave her her very first bath
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She named her Agnes, and has been carrying her around ever since.

When it was time to leave the store, Emily carried Agnes around proudly, and showed everyone how "refponable" she is.  *sigh* she's growing up so fast!!   She was enthralled with the fact that there were little kiddie rides that actually worked in the mall.
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Complete with yelling  at the kids "behind her" to quiet down and play kindly with one another.

Even more fantastic - was the carousel INDOORS!  She couldn't get over it, and begged - all day - to please please please ride the horses.  Eventually, we gave in.
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Every time they went around, and came back to me, she was making a silly face.

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This one was my favorite :)

After that it was time for lunch, we ate at "On The Border" and while it was good, it wasn't what we were looking for - don't be fooled we certainly did not allow that to hamper our appetites. We ate quite a bit of food, and even brought some home with us.

We had been invited to two separate hockey games, as I mentioned, and decided since we knew what time the USM game started, we'd try for that one - and ended up getting to the wrong campus, and missing the game entirely.  Instead, we drove a little around Portland - and by a little I mean, three side streets and then headed back towards home.  

I have heard great things about Trader Joe's and was beyond excited that we had the chance to actually go to one - the newest one, just built in Portland.  Unfortunately, there was literally no parking, a line of cars out into the road - and Mike's temper was running high, and his patience short.  Instead, we skipped across to the next parking lot over, and experienced a Whole Foods - which I think was the highlight of Mike's day.  See, we watch Top Chef, religiously, and for each challenge, they go to a Whole Foods Market - for him to set foot in a store he's seen on TV so many times, especially a food store?  Was as close to heaven as he could have been for that moment.

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he wouldn't pose for me :) the brat.

We left the store empty handed (it was mobbed in there as well) and started our journey home just in time for the snow to start.  It wasn't much, but it made for a beautiful (if slow) drive home.  Mike decided to take a ride through Old Orchard Beach, which is deserted - you know, it being winter and all? - and promise Emily to take her back this summer, so she could ride all the rides that were closed down and snow covered.  Apparently, we're going to be spending quite a bit of time in our state to the North-ish, and I don't mind one bit.

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My most favorite Church, in the entire State of Maine .. Mike wouldn't get any closer for me to take pictures (this time) because traffic was starting to pick up

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Emily is convinced there are Pirates on this "boat" .. :) innocence.


The next day was an incredibly busy one - Mike had to work, and I had to take Emily to a birthday party.  Our first of the year, and certainly - not our last.  We got the little boy his gift, and headed to the party.  She had a great time with all her friends from daycare/school, and even got to meet some new ones.  On the way home, to say she was tired would be an understatement.  We headed to the grocery store, picked up a few things, and a couple of movies (The A-Team for daddy, and Nanny McPhee Returns for Emily {really, Me too!}) to help pass the time.  Upon leaving the grocery store, after buckling herself in to her big girl seat - she promptly fell asleep.

A few miles from home, I came upon a field that never fails to take my breath away ... For some reason, that day, I stopped.

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Magnificent isn't it?

We had a great day, weekend really - and even if the Patriots lost?  We spent most of the weekend together, and enjoyed each others company.  Plus, I totally got to walk into a place where Geoff and Mike Howe have been - What?!  I know, Giddy, is an understatement.




I am Issuing A Challenge ....

Reading a great friends blog last week, I issued myself a challenge.  But, I'll get to that.  I'm jumping ahead of myself here, don't worry - it happens a lot.

Let's see .. where can I start .. Oh I know.

I Love To Read.  Which is an understatement - I devour books at such a rate, the local library couldn't keep up with me, I had to special order (or inter/intra library loan) books to keep me reading.  Sounds stupid, how can you read every book a library has - truth is, I didn't, I read a good chunk of them .. staying away from romances, and other books that didn't strike my fancy.  I did give each book I checked out a chance, if by the third or fifth chapter, I wasn't interested - I didn't finish it.  Now that it costs money to check books out of the library (I'm not a citizen of the town it's in, therefor, I have to pay a fee per year) I no longer hold a library card - I hope to have one again this year, but for now, I'm okay.  For my birthday last year, my mom and dad gave me the gift of my OWN library, a Kindle.  I currently have 134 books and 23 Samples (the first few chapters or something) on my Kindle.  Not to mention the dozens if not hundreds of books I have on my shelves.   There are hundreds of free (or inexpensive) books available for download.

I digress.  So yeah, I read.  A LOT.  I enjoy it, it's my escape and my sanity.  Especially on the occasion when Emily is being a typical pre-schooler and whining incessantly, or napping, and Mike's either working, or watching something on the television that doesn't interest me (which happens more often than not actually).  Reading is such a large part of my identity, that I have issued myself a challenge.

Upon reading a blog a dear friend had put up - listing the books she had read last year, I decided - her wish to read 52 books this year, was going to be my goal.   I may not enjoy all of them, but I will read 52 books, one book per week, in 2011.  It may average out to a book every few days, or a book takes me a little longer than a week to complete, but that is my goal.

So far?  I'm on pace.  I have completed three books this year.   

This is Ms. Evanovich's newest series - in which she expands upon some characters from the "Plum" series.  Not nearly as good as that series, but definitely better than I expected.  It takes place in Marblehead and Salem Massachusetts, and completely embraces the Paranormal history of said towns.  I can't wait for the next one to come out, and know that she won't disappoint.  

I have read every single book ever written by this woman - and she never fails to make me laugh.  This is her latest book in her "Stephanie Plum Series" ... let me tell you - if you ever want to escape and laugh at the ridiculousness some people will go through to make ends meet - you need to read these books.  Her Heroine Stephanie Plum, is a female bounty hunter, from the "Burg" in New Jersey.  Her trusty sidekick, reformed "ho" Lula, never fails to make you cringe, and laugh out loud all in the same sentence.  


This is the first book in a series of five that my oldest nephew has been trying to get me to read - for ages.  Just like Harry Potter and the Twilight Saga, I held out for as long as I could (translation:  Until they made the first movie)  and just like Harry Potter and the Twilight Saga - I enjoyed this book very much.  It's far fetched, like any good fiction read is, and entertaining.  I highly recommend checking it out.  It may have been written for "adolescents" but the innocence and imagination held within the pages of this book, made me feel like I was 10 years old, reading under my blankets with a flashlight, long after my parents thought I was asleep.

Next on my list to read:



As well as the book my book club ladies and I choose for this months reading.

I'll keep you posted on what books I am reading, or will be reading, and what I think of them as I go.  It's very rare to find a book I don't enjoy, or cannot get through.  I hope you take some of these titles and check them out yourself.

Until next time, 
Happy Reading!


Tuesday, January 11, 2011

2010 ... a year of ...

I couldn't sleep much Thursday night, to be clear - the 30th.  I slept from about 10 to about 12, and then, I was awake.  Tossing and turning, thinking, planning, plotting ... outlining this very blog.  True Story.

I had 120 different titles, 138 different subjects, a mass of different things I wanted to touch on.   Not one of them struck me as "perfect subject matter" on their own.  So I've decided to do a compendium of sorts, so to speak.

A list, in no particular order that shows me, and others, what 2010 was to me.  To finish this sentence:

2010, was, is, has been a year of:

Laughter:
I am blessed with a phenomenal family, and a phenomenal core group of friends who never fail to make me smile, and laugh, when I'm least expecting it.  Which is when I need it most.  This past year, I laughed a lot more than I expected to - especially towards the end of summer, when life handed me a pretty tough lesson.  It hurts when you discover a friend isn't truly the friend you thought they were, and I'm very lucky to have made it through that lesson with my laughter in tact.  I can't thank my friends and family enough for that, and I only hope that one day, I can repay that to them in full.

Reminders:
Not everything in life is guaranteed.   We lost our biggest contract, that we have held, and serviced to the best ability we had in the end of October.  We have managed to keep all of our employees on hand, with the exception of 3 who had left of the own accord for other opportunities.  It has reminded us all that no matter what is said, until it is in writing, and the deal is done, nothing is guaranteed.

Experience:
Being a mother, you learn something new everyday - as a human, you should anyway, but as a mom, you do.  Emily continues to teach my things, and I can't believe how blessed I am to have such a beautiful, happy, healthy, intelligent little girl.  Watching her experience new things each day, is like experiencing them myself, for the very first time - all over again.  This year we took her to Story Land, we took her to her first "concert" - Yo Gabba Gabba - we took her to the beach, we played mini golf, we went boating - every single day that we could - and we had an amazing time.   Each experience opened us up to opportunities of repeat "trips" this year, and for a few years to come.  Not to mention the already growing "must do list" of 2011.  Don't get me wrong, she's far from an angel, but - she's perfect to me.

Love:
Mike and I celebrated 2 rather significant anniversaries in 2010.  We celebrated the fact that we've been together, as an "us" for 10 years this past April.  We also celebrated our 5th Wedding Anniversary this past September.  Being together for as long as we have, hasn't been easy.  And I expect it to get a little harder as we get older.  Currently we're in the "let's have another baby" stage - or, rather, he is.  I'm not.  Yet.  If we wait until we are "financially ready" we wouldn't even have Emily.  I have some issues to work out, and some things to deal with - so to speak - before I even think about adding to our family, and hopefully - he's okay with that.  either way, I'm not ready to spare any of the love I have, and receive - selfish, I know.

Acceptance:
This one's hard.  I've accepted a few things in 2010, that I never thought I'd ever have to accept.  Which means, in a way, I've grown.  I have accepted myself.   That is a huge accomplishment for me, and I explain it a little further down.  I've accepted my friends - the real ones - for who they are, and what they are to me.  I've accepted some losses, tough to take, but accepted none the less.  I've accepted a new role in my life.  I'm Amy.  I've accepted that even though I'll never be 100% of anything, I can divide my time, energy and self up to be many things, to many people, and that includes myself.

Realization:
Things may not be as you want them to be, right now - I know they aren't for me - but it makes you stop and think, and take a quick look back on what you've been through, where you've been - and where you are going.  You are only as good as you believe yourself to be.  I've learned that this past year.  I'm really hard on myself, and I often put myself down (as much as I hate that phrase, it's true).  I've realized that, and I'm working on it.  I'm at least one pant size down, not to mention bra size (much to Mike's chagrin, I'm sure!), and I'm feeling great about myself.  It's been a while since I've been happy to actually admit that out loud.  Aside from my "living healthier" state of mind, I've cut quite a bit of dead weight out of my life.  That alone, makes me walk taller and stand straighter.  I know I'm a better person because of what I've left behind.  That's quite a realization.

Understanding:
In 2010 I found understanding.  More like - I learned how to be understanding.  As I stated earlier, I had learned a valuable lesson about friendship last year, and on top of that - I understood.  People grow, they change, they open their eyes and realize while 10 years ago you may have been the perfect fit - one day may come along when that changes.   That's okay.  In the long run, you're better off.  I understand that now.  Months after the hurt, anger, sadness and frustration ebb away - you're left with understanding.  I get it.  I'm okay.  I'm better actually.  I don't need the drama, the frustration, the irritation, the questions.  I don't need it.  I Understand, and I am Okay.

Happiness:
2010 had a lot of ups and downs.  I'm happy to report there were far more ups, than downs.  For me, and those I love.   My younger sister got married, and discovered she was going to be a mom this Summer.  My older sister saw all four of her children off to school, for the first time in 5 years - she has time to herself during the day.  My mom and dad have decided to take more time off.  Time they well deserve.  A very dear friend of mine became an I-ya again, this time - to a perfectly beautiful little girl.  My bestest friend in the entire world - all the way in Tennessee - and her husband had the pleasure of welcoming her husband's children into their lives - for the first time - in years.  While it hasn't all been rainbows and butterflies, it's a wonderful journey that I am proud to be a part of.  My hosebeast?  She realized, just as I did, that sometimes - just sometimes - you're better off without those you thought you couldn't live without.  She got to see her favorite band, and is planning another trip to see them this year.  Me?  Just knowing my friends and family are happy?  Makes me the happiest I've Ever Been.

All around, I'd say 2010 was a year of Growing.   

May the best of 2010 - be the worst of 2011 ... <3

Wednesday, January 5, 2011

Where to start ...

I have a million and one things on my mind that I'd love to share with the handful of faithful readers that I have invited to read my thoughts.  The problem is simple, sort of, you see - I don't know where to start.

I could start with the things I've learned, loved and lost in 2010.  I could start with Christmas, which I'm not entirely fond of - but celebrate none-the-less.  I could start with friendships that have grown like an out of control garden (in a good way).  I could start with my favorite songs, movies, TV shows or books of the year.  I could start with my vision of myself, and my self esteem.  I could start, anywhere.   The problem is, I don't know where to start.

I've read many books in 2010, I joined a book club in 2010, I started hiking in 2010 (okay, so I only went once, but I WILL be going more often in 2011), I started kickboxing in 2010, I started just being Amy, in 2010.  But, where to start.

I have no idea.  None.   So I'll just .. ponder a bit more, and probably leave you with a few random survey-esque type questions, until I figure it out.

You know, I could leave you with a list of goals I have for this year, or a list of things I wanted to accomplish last year, that have either been shuffled further down the list, replaced completely or accomplished.  I could leave you with a list of things that makes me smile, laugh, cry, remember, get angry (that would be a short list, I've learned anger is a waste of time).  I could, but .. I won't.  Not today at least.

I could write about a lot of things, and I probably will.  None of them seem like a good place to start.