The Floor and Stuff

The new floor is well underway. It took awhile to get going on Saturday as dad and hubby spent several hours laying out the floor and trying to determine the best way to make it fit without a lot of wasted boards. We got about 2 1/2 feet installed on Sat.

Hubby and I then went and played poker at the home of one of my co-workers Saturday nite. A good time was had by all. I don't think I ever laughed so hard. M was soooo drunk. I stopped counting when I got to five different kind of drink that he had throughout the evening. We were making up rules as we went along for the last game and he never caught on. Until we told him. We will definitely play with him again.

Sunday morning dad was over bright and early. We made great progress. We had a little assembly line going. Dad and hubby would nail the wood down, I was staging the next pieces and mom was opening the boxes and bringing the wood in for me to pick from. This has been hard work but definitely worth it. Hey, I am using power tools that don't require batteries....

Dad was over today and finished up the last part in the living room. Now he gets to the parts with lots of cutting. He has the entry way and the closet on the agenda next. He has other things going on so this will probably take him the rest of the week to finish up. I still have to stain the molding that needs to go on yet but that should go quick.

Here are some pics. They really don't do the beauty of the floor justice.

Coming attractions for the next few days.... Our boss hired a new person. He starts tomorrow. He IM'd me today to ask me to let him into the building tomorrow. That is fine except I am in Milwaukee, He is in St. Paul, MN. Several hundred miles away. No one told him that he would be the only person from our group in MN. He wasn't to happy about that. Details to follow soon.


ZOBMONDO!!

Would you rather....

Spend the night enclosed in a coffin in your bedroom

----OR----

be locked inside a funeral home fo the night but free to wander?

This is super easy for me. Locked in a funeral home. I am terrified of being locked in something small like that and not able to get out. I'm not claustrophobic but I have a thing about my arms and hands being free.

Have a good week!~

My Ass is Dragging

Today was spent getting the house ready for the new flooring. I painted while hubby ripped up the carpeting in the living room and hallway. It took us most of the day and I will have to touch up a bit more painting tomorrow when the light is better but we are finally ready for my dad to come over tomorrow to start installing the floor. I'm so excited. I can't wait to see how it looks. I can tell already that my legs are going to be sore from going up and down the step ladder all day.

My next thing is to find a new area rug for the living room. I think I found a couple of them I like. I was surprised to actually find them at Target. I found one I liked somewhere else and Googled it and it showed up at Target for about 40 bucks less. With the dogs, I don't want to invest a ton of money in to the rug so the Target one is fine for now. Go check it out here.

ZOBMONDO!!

Would you rather....

For many years have terrible acne that will go away when you are 30

----OR----

for life have a birthmark the size of a quarter in the middle of your forehead?

I am going with the acne. I am 38 so I would no longer have to live with it.

Have a good weekend everyone!!

Book Review - Nineteen Minutes

I recently read a book by Jodi Picoult called "Nineteen Minutes". It is a story about a boy who goes to his high school and shoots the place up, killing several students and teachers. With the recent events I think that now is a good time to publish my review on the book.

The book takes place in a small town in New Hampshire. The boy, Peter, has been picked on by his fellow classmates his whole life. Finally, one day he has had enough. He goes to the school to seek revenge on the bullies.

The story is told from several views. The shooter, Peter. Peter's mother. A policeman who is among the first to respond. Josie, a classmate, who was injured but survived.... and Josie's mother, who is a judge that may be presiding over the case when it gets to court.

I do not want to give away too much of the book but having the story told from so many points of view really make you think. It details the bulling and abuse that Peter took for most of his 17 years. It makes you feel sorry for him. As you may remember, kids can be very cruel in high school. As the story is told from different views your sympathies change. It goes to show that even though people may experience the same event how they perceive it will vary greatly.

One of the lingering questions for me from this book it.... Is it ever ok for the victim to strike back? I still don't know the answer to this.

If you have ever read any of the author's books you will know that she always has a twist to them at the end. It really ties the whole book together.

This is a really great book to read even if you are a guy. No chick book here.

Back in March, I went with one of my girlfriends to see Jodi when she was in town at Alverno College. Here is a pic from that day.

This pic is from when she toured for the Tenth Circle in March of 2006. This is also another great book at deals with date rape. Also very highly recommended.

If you are around here and want to borrow either book let me know. I can lend them to you.

If you have read them or when you do read them, let me know. I would be interested to hear your thoughts on them.

Weekend Recap

Well, last weekend we finally ordered our new flooring. After much debate between a couple of different types, we ended up going with the Brazilian Teak.














The other contender was the Brazilian Koa (Tigerwood)











Both are very pretty but the teak won out in the long run. It will be here in 4-12 weeks. It literally is not shipped from Brazil until we order it. I had wanted the Santos Mahogany but that was at least a 6-9 month wait. I can't wait that long. I want to get rid of this crappy carpet as soon as possible.

We are lucky as my dad is going to install it for us. Before he retired he was a carpenter. He is very picky and will do a good job. That will save us about 8000 bucks by having him do it versus a contractor. He is now on the prowl for a nail gun. He spends his days going from Menard's to Home Depot to Lowe's and then to the local Ace store and who knows where else to find the perfect nail gun. All I told him was to pick it out and let me know how much it is. My mom is happy cuz it gives him something to do and keeps him out of here hair.

UPDATE: I started writing the previous post on Friday morning. I was working from home and sitting in a meeting and trying not to pay to much attention so that I didn't walk away from the meeting with any to-do's out of it. Shortly after my meeting I get a phone call from the lumber place. Our floors are in and we can come pick them up anytime. It looks like someone who had ordered it cancelled. YIPPEE!!!

On Friday night hubby and I played cards at a co-worker of hubby's. It was a good time and profitable. We ended up about 150 bucks ahead. I only took a third and hubby won the rest but I was happy. By time we got home on Friday note it was about 4am Saturday morning. We had to pick the wood up around 9 am.

Needless to say, we got a late start and finally got to the lumber store about 11 am. Then we had to haul the stuff in. 23 boxes. Each box weighed about 80lbs. My triceps are still sore. Dad came over later in the day to help tear off the baseboards. We then made the trip to Home Depot to pick up paint and other supplies that my dad would need for installation.

Today was spent doing yard work. I scoped out the bunnies in the back yard and found them to be alive and well. It looks like Boomer is not the bunny killer after all. I seen the mom bunny moving them out of the nest later this afternoon tho'. I think that the lawn mower scared her.

We were able to get in a bike ride as well. It has been so nice out the past week. I love being able to get out on my bike and ride. We rode about 45 miles this weekend and my legs are feeling every mile of it. I have to get back into some sort of shape. That and getting my ass back to Weight Watchers. Time to shed my winter weight againZOBMONDO!!


Would you rather....

Have no short-term memory

----OR----

no long term memory?

This is a tough one. I would have to say that I would rather lose my short term memory. No real reason I guess.... Today's quote "Clinton lied. A man might forget where he parks his car or where he lives, but he never forgets oral sex no matter how bad it is" Barbara Bush. How true is that!!

Boomer the Bunny Killer

Sounds like the name of a bad movie, eh?

Last week, Tuesday, I got home from work about 4:20pm. Like I normally do, I take the dogs out to do their business. Rufus and Riley get to run free as they wear their Invisible Fence collars and know that they can't leave the yard. Boomer goes out on a leash. He likes to chase everything and can't be trusted to not run after a car or some kid walking down the street.

Like usual, we walk around the house to the back yard and the boys like to pee over by the air conditioner. I am normally just looking around the yard and don't pay much attention to what they are doing. Until today.

Up against the house right under the dryer vent was a pile of dead grass. Unbeknownst to me there was a litter of baby bunnies in that pile of grass. Boomer knew tho' as he dug his nose in there and pulled out 2 of the babies. I didn't realize what had happened until I heard the babies squeal. Boomer had dropped them once they wiggled a bit. I think it scared him a bit. I picked them back up and put them back in the next and covered them up. They couldn't have been more than a day or two old as they had no fur and their eyes were still shut.

All evening Boomer was almost manic about wanting to go outside. Because we have had a hard time housebreaking him, we have to take him out, just in case he really needs to do something. All he wanted to do was go see the bunnies.

On Wednesday, we got all the snow. I had to find stuff to wash so that I could use the dryer to melt the snow that was piling up on the nest. I don't think that the mom had been back.

Over the past weekend, I used a stick to move some of the grass to see if the bunnies were still alive. I think that most of them were. One was dead, he was separated from the rest of the nest. I could see them moving and squeaking so the mom must be coming back to feed them. There is no way that they would have lived this long if they were getting some nourishment from the mom.

I will try to see how they are doing over the weekend. They should be getting big enough to start moving out of the nest. That usually happens around 10-14 days or so. They could be really cute. If they are still alive, I will try to grab a few pictures of them to post later.

ZOBMONDO!!

Would you rather....

Have to watch, with your friends, a video of every argument you've ever had with your siblings

----OR----

every argument you've ever had with your parents?

I would say my parents. I really never fought with them while growing up. I was the good kid. I knew how to not get caught when doing bad stuff. My sister, on the other hand, got caught every time and then my parents would say "why can't you be more like your sister". Which is probably why she is the way she is today....

p.s. Don't forget to sponsor me in the Trek 100 ride. I am a long way from my goal.

FINALLY!!

Sanjaya finally went home tonite on American Idol. It is about time. I was scared that by some crazy fluke it would be Lakeisha but the voice of reason and taste finally won out.

Not much time to write tonight but will post more tomorrow. Have a good story about Boomer.

See ya.

ZOBMONDO!!

Would you rather....

Always pick your nose immediately before shaking hands

----OR----

constantly have one hand, including your wrist, down your pants?

I am so going with the hand down my pants. At least I get some pleasure and fun out of it :)

Trek 100 Ride for Hope and the MACC Fund

Yes, it is that time again folks. I am hitting you all up for a donation.

I am once again riding in the Trek 100 Ride for Hope that supports the MACC (Midwest Athletes Against Childhood Cancer) Fund. It is on June 2nd.

Hubby and I are riding the 32 mile route. I think Pete and Steve are going to join us on the 32 miler and Kim and her sister will ride the 62 mile route. Yeah, we are wimps. We just want to get back and enjoy the free beer and food at the after ride party.

You may remember our adventure from last year. We got lost.... need I say more. Hopefully, that won't happen again this year.

You can make a donation from this link. Your contributions are 100 % tax deductible. Hey, if I can raise 1000 bucks I can go to the party the night before and eat dinner with Lance Armstrong. I also encourage you to check with your employer. In many cases, your employer will match your donation dollar for dollar. It is a plus for all involved. I get the extra sponsorship dollars (hint, I want to eat with Lance ;), your employer gets a good name by donating and most importantly, the MACC fund gets more money. Plus you can get your name on the scrolling list on the side of my page.

Thanks for your support!!!

Was I wrong....

to cut this out of the paper and give it to my sister. This is an article that was originally published in the Monday, April 2nd Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. I read it and thought to myself that this could have been written about my sister and her child rearing skills (or lack of..).

Sis was already a piece of work for Easter today. She sent her kids off to my folks about 11 am and since she didn't have to work went back to sleep or something...She called my parents about noon to tell them that she didn't have to work. My mom then decided to move things up a bit and eat earlier in the afternoon. She told my sister that she wanted to eat about 2:30 or so.

Hubby and I get there about 1:30 or so and unload the boys and food from the car. We go inside to meet Buddy, there new little puppy. He is a white mini Schnauzer and cute as could be. He is about 10 weeks old and about 3lbs. Boomer had a ball playing with him. The boys are totally sacked out sleeping since we got home.

So, 2:30 comes and goes and no sis. Niece, C, calls home to find out where she is and gets no answer. C calls again about 3pm ... no answer... WTF?!?! Sis has a thing when she sleeps she is impossible to wake up. Probably all the pain killers and shit she is on. Finally about 3:25pm, mom calls her and says we are eating at 3:3o no matter if she is here or not. She wasn't. It was about 3:50 when she strolls in and says she was 'tired" and needed to rest because she has a cold. She literally said nothing to me or hubby. She ate about 3 bites of food and left. She had to go back home to rest cuz of her cold. I thought it was very interesting that she left the kids at my parents. WTF?!?! Take them home, they belong to you.... I'm taking my puppies home when I leave you can take your kids.

Ok, back to my original post about the article. I left it sitting on the counter and don't think she even saw it....

You can read the entire article here but I wanted to take a few of the topics and offer my own spin on them.

A top 10 list for raising responsible kids
By Deborah Donaldson
Deborah Donaldson of Wauwatosa is the principal of a media, marketing and public relations firm and the mother of a college student. Her e-mail address is donaldso@execpc.com
Posted: April 2, 2007

With grateful acknowledgment to David Letterman, Moses and the news, here are the top 10 commandments for raising kids, updated for the 21st century.

Commandment No. 10: Thou shalt not indulge my every whim.
I don't need $14 eyebrow waxes or $200-a-week spa treatments. If I'm stressed, take me for a walk or cancel one of my activities. And don't let me guilt you into extravagance. "Sweet 16" on MTV is supposed to be outrageous, not an example of parental love. Just because you can doesn't mean you should. My take.... sis, your kids who are 12, 5 and 4 do not need to go to get their hair colored or get fake nails. I am 38 and don't color my hair.

Commandment No. 9: Thou shalt not spoil me with stuff.
I can live with one or two pairs of shoes; I don't need 10. I don't need $250 jeans, either. I just need clothing that keeps me warm and covers me - including my underwear. Besides, if you buy me everything now, I won't have anything to look forward to. My take.... oldest niece, C, has so many clothes it is scary. Sis bitches at her for not putting her clothes away but she can't when she has so many that there is no room in her closet or dresser for them. I have about 6 pairs of jeans. C has over 20. She is 12?!?! Today was the kicker when she wanted a real Louis Vitton purse. WTF?!?! When do 12 year olds get $800 handbags....

Commandment No. 4: Thou shalt not invoke the "Don't do as I do; do as I say" rule.
If you don't set a good example, your words mean nothing to me. If you stay sober, avoid drugs and have your kids after marriage, then maybe I will, too. Oh, and don't let me leave a heap of clothing in the fitting room. My take.... where do I even start.... you are in violation of all three of those (stay sober, avoid drugs and have your kids after marriage) There is a reason that C is living with my parents. She can't stand living with my sister. I couldn't live in that house either.

Commandment No. 1: Thou shall teach me the unshakable value of personal responsibility.
I must learn that I alone can make a difference if I stop to think before I act and learn to reflect after I make mistakes. Not because you said so but because you taught me it's the right thing to do. My take... another one of where do I start. You are 35 and mom and dad are still paying your rent. Get a real job with benefits and insurance for your kids. Divorce your dirtbag husband who is now back in prison again for parole violations (see ya in another 5 years, you piece of shit)

Not much else to say on this subject... Thanks for letting me rant.

P.S. Easter dinner was actually nice, since Sis wasn't around. The kids were actually well behaved today... Hope every one had an enjoyable holiday.

Friday Night Lights

For those of you who may not know, hubby used to coach high school football about 20 years ago. He was only like an assistant assistant coach but he loved it. He was coaching with the guy who used to be his coach when he was in high school.

About a month ago, he got a call from his old coach asking if was interested in coaching again. Hubby said sure. It is for the freshman team for a local suburban high school. He went for the interview on Wed and got the job. It sounds like it is a mostly volunteer position but hubby doesn't care. He gets to coach again. It looks like my fall will be spent watching alot of high school football games....

There will be many times during the football season that we will be watching a game (yes, Saturday's in our house consist of sitting in front of the tv from 11 am until at least 11pm, if he is lucky there is a good west coast game on even later than that.) and hubby is talking back at the tv. Either arguing with the play calling (Barry Alvarez had poor clock mgmt skills) or ranting about how stupid the announcers were (I can't even argue that one since most of them are bad).

On to other news, I got my Bon Jovi ticket for Summerfest. Whooo Hooo. I am going with a girl from work and her friend. We have good seats off to the side. This should be a fun concert. Was also supposed to go to the Tommy Shaw and Jack Blades concert tonight. They were part of Styx. The show was postponed... not sure why but oh well... My friend's brother had the tickets and he couldn't go so she asked if I wanted to go with her. It would have been a fun concert as the seats were good. Will have to see when the new date it.

Playing poker tomorrow. Have to be careful not get so drunk this time. I was polluted like the Milwaukee River after they closed the deep tunnel during a rain storm..

ZOBMONDO!!

Would you rather....

Have a small butt on your forehead

----OR----

two little feet dangling beneath your chin?

I am going with the feet. Butts could be ugly and have dingleberries... feet may not be as bad...

Have a good weekend all.