Oh Christmas Tree...

Well, here it is mid December already and I've let another three weeks slide by between updates. Sorry about that!

The holidays are soon upon us, and though I've been a slacker keeping this blog current, I've not been slacking in other areas. Our Christmas gifts have almost all been purchased with only a couple of exceptions. Everything is wrapped and those that needed to be mailed went out in the mail today. Our tree is up and decorated and the plan is to get the rest of the holiday decorations up this weekend. Our cards, which have been done for a month now (the stamping part anyway) were paired with photos or letters or both today, and will land in the mail on Monday. Whew! See?? I told you I had been busy! In between all of these projects I've also been putting together various home-made gifts for friends and co-workers which I must admit is a lot more fun than studying ever was! Unfortunately, creativity doesn't come without a cost - my stamp room which was all neat and tidy is, once again, a bit of a disaster area. Gee... maybe it's time I weeded some stuff out again... ya think???

Next weekend I will be driving up to Fargo to pick up Mom for Christmas. I had two days of vacation that my boss told me I had to use before Dec 31 so I have a short week coming up and an extra day for New Years as well. Now let's hope the weather holds so I don' t have to drive to Fargo or home in a blizzard. So far, with the exception of a couple days, we haven't really had much more snow. The temperatures on the other hand have been nasty. Definitely a lack of degrees out there some mornings!

As I mentioned, we did get our tree up this week. Dan was drafted to help go bring it home (I didn't want to sacrifice my paint job to scratchy branches) so it was pretty easy getting it from the tree lot to our driveway. We picked a Frasier again - they're such pretty trees and they really hold their needles a long time. Plus they're soft so winding the lights doesn't involve any bloodshed. Of course, this project couldn't go entirely smoothly - I had to replace nearly all of our lights this year, and then we went a little nuts and bought three boxes of 350 light sets. I think when it was all said and done we put all but one string on the tree. With the addition of the single string of 100 that actually DID work from last year, we've got about 1025 lights in all. I told you we went a little nuts. It's REALLY pretty though! I'll post a photo later if I can get a decent shot.

Well, my bedtime is here, and since the dog is already snoring that must mean it's time for me to turn in too!
Catch you all later!

Gobble Gobble!

Happy Thanksgiving everyone! Here's hoping you're all enjoying a relaxing Turkey-Day afternoon and the benefits of a healthy dose of tryptophan! We've only had one succumb so far today, but I'll admit the idea is tempting!

Tomorrow is, of course, the biggest shopping day of the year starting at 4 am if you are so inclined. I'm trying to puzzle out why anyone feels the need to be out shopping at that ridiculous hour but I suppose there are those who can't resist. Rich may head out for a bit, though not at 4 am. Personally, I plan to be examining my eyelids for holes at that hour and will see what I find cyber-shopping later on after I've had my coffee. Heck, I don't even have to get dressed to do that!

The rest of the weekend will undoubtedly be lazy all around. There are any number of things we could all be doing, but it remains to be seen how industrious we are when it's all said and done.

Dan announced that he's thinking about getting an apartment sometime within the next 6 months or so which gives us something to plan for in the way of birds flying the nest. I'm looking at it as an opportunity to clear out some of the miscellaneous furniture and stuff I've been saving for him and am also curious to see what his room really looks like underneath all of his "stuff". I think, if memory serves, the carpet is a reddish- brown???

Josh finished out the first quarter with a decent set of grades, and earned himself a spot on the B honor-roll. Way to go Josh! Only three more quarters to go!

We got our first real lingering snow last night, and the temps are plenty frosty to go along with it. I think our high today was 26 degrees or some such thing. Sigh...I guess Winter is here.

Well, that's about all I have to impart at the moment. I was reminded earlier this week that I really have to get busy and keep this updated and new for fear that my "readers" will languish without any new wisdom from this quarter. So... in the interests of keeping all of you entertained, I will attempt to set aside my lazy tendencies and refresh this more frequently. Well, I'll try anyway...

Happy Thanksgiving!

2007 Tricks or Treats

Happy "Thank heaven that's over for another year" Halloween. Most of you know how much I detest this particular holiday but forgive me if there are a few of you who believe it's all great fun and think I am nuts. Such is life. My one token nod to the whole thing every year, and subsequently the only real part of it that I truly enjoy, is the pumpkin carving. Especially when we get together with friends and do it as a group. The over-age snotty teenagers who descend on my doorstep every year, I could live without, but don't get me started... Anyway, this year, sadly we couldn't seem to coordinate our pumpkin-carving night with the usual group of friends so the four of us did ours on our own. The combined photo above shows the results of our labors. They all turned out pretty well, but none of them were all that involved this year and we were also somewhat limited by the size of our pumpkins. Usually we pick patterns that are much more intricate but I think Rich is the only one who really did anything the least bit involved this time around. Oh well... I'll tackle something bigger next year!

Carver and pumpkins are as follows: The cat in the upper left is mine, the smiling kid in the upper right is Josh's (his own design), the grinning face in the lower left is Dan's and the witch and moon in the bottom right is Rich's. Enjoy!

Joshua's Confirmation Day

Thank you to everyone who was able to attend Joshua's confirmation today! We all appreciate your coming and I know that Josh was pleased to see all of you. For those who were unable to attend, I've posted a few photos from the afternoon and have included a few excerpts from our ceremony Message. Our Pastor and Director of Youth Ministries used Dr. Seuss' to deliver their message which, may seem a bit odd, but in reality was my favorite part of the ceremony. I think that's because the quirky way that Seuss wrote fits Josh and his personality so well. In any event, below are some of the key points:

Congratulations! Today is your day.You’re off to Great Places! You’re off and away!
“Wherever you fly, you’ll be best of the best. Wherever you go, you will top all the rest.”

“Except when you don’t. Because, sometimes you won’t.
Fame! You’ll be famous as famous can be, With the whole wide world watching you win on TV.”

“I’m afraid that some times You’ll play lonely games too. Games you can’t win ‘cause you’ll play against you.”

“You’re off to Great Places! Today is your day! Your mountain is waiting. So . . .get on your way!

Most of the photos are self-explanatory, but the one of the drawing is a shot of Josh's Expression of Faith project. After a few false-starts he chose to draw Jesus on the cross. Without sounding overly biased, I have to say the kid's got talent. This was the result of 30 minutes of work the day before it was due. Nothing like a little pressure to encourage the creative spirit...

Anyway, enjoy the photos, and again, for all who could join us today, thank you. You helped to make it a very special day.

Fruits of our Labors

Hello again! It's been a bit since I updated this with anything resembling "new news", so I figured I should get busy. Thankfully, I actually have some news to impart!



First off, Joshua brought home his mid-quarter report card a week or so ago and blessed us with a respectable array of grades. His school is on what is called block scheduling, which basically means he only has four class periods a day but they are each roughly an hour and 45 minutes long. This system, in my mind, is pure genius. Homework is reduced drastically because they have more in-class time to finish stuff, and there's just less to cope with in terms of subject matter. Since Josh's first quarter is a bit challenging, it can make a huge difference in how well he does. Anyway... back to the report card.


Grades were as follows as of Oct 1:


English B+,
Band A-,
AP American History C,
Biology B-.



Not too shabby huh? I'll insert a little side note here about the C in American History. This is actually a college level class, for which he has the potential to earn college credit if he passes the AP History Exam later this year. We're not complaining about the C. Conferences were last week to review all of this and they went well. It always helps when the teacher likes the kid and vice-versa and when the grades are good.

On another note... pardon the pun, as previously noted, Josh moved ahead to Concert Band this year and is doing very well. His teacher thinks he's the cat's jammies and I think the feeling is mutual. For those of you who are in the area and might be interested there is a Holiday concert coming up on Monday, November 12th at 7:30 pm. It is in the Champlin Park High School Auditorium. If you need directions, or want to come, let me know and I can see about getting there a little early to get tickets and save seats.

Finally, I am happy to report that I finally received my diploma from college. I promptly framed it and hung it in my cubicle at work where I can somewhat giddily (is that a word?) admire my handiwork on a daily basis. For those who secretly wondered if my whole college career was a myth... ha ha ha!!! I have included a photo of aforementioned diploma here. Hooray!!! Now I can say I really did it! There is such a thing as closure.

Well, I'm off to bed now. Catch you all later!

The Red Door

Well, lo and behold, I finished painting the front door finally and am pretty pleased with the result. The rest of the house thinks my choice if color is questionable, and even those who get that red is my favorite color are shaking their heads at what I have done. I'm pretty much ignoring the nay-sayers though and am enjoying the fruits of my labor. Besides with the holidays right around the corner it's going to look great - especially when I swap out the Fall foliage for some holly and berries. At any rate, it's done and I managed to finish it in under 6 months! Ha!

For those of you who happen to agree with my choice, the color is Cherry Cobbler (Behr) and I bought it at Home Depot. How can you go wrong with a name like that?

Viking Voyage

Wow! That one little word somehow manages to sum up the transition I have made into a new job. For those of you who have been anxiously awaiting news on how things are going, or have called or emailed me asking... well, here goes.

Monday morning I was up bright and early and ready to leave the house by 5:00 am. I didn't have to be at the new job until 8:00 am, but what can I say? I was ready to go. After I got over to the other side of town, explored the neighborhood a bit and concentrated on not getting lost, I walked into Viking Electric for the first time as an employee. From there, I was greeted by the receptionist and my new boss. Once I deposited my stuff, oggled my new flat screen monitor and computer (It's a MAC... more on that marvel later), met with the HR Manager and filled out the requisite paperwork, I was deposited back in my boss's office (Carol) who proceeded to take me around the entire building and introduce me to (I swear) nearly every person there. By the time I'd shaken hands with Viking employee # 25 the faces started to blurr. I know that in 10 or 12 years or so I will know all of their names... Actually, that's probably not too far off the mark as there are over 250 employees in this one building alone! That's more than the entire workforce of JH Larson! Whew! The rest of the day was pretty much a blur. I know I had time to play with the computer and learned to navigate that a bit, but beyond that I don't know how much I accomplished. I will say however, that regardless of the size of this company, I don't know that I've ever been so warmly welcomed by everyone I met there. The names still elude me but they have really welcomed me with open arms no matter where in the company they work.

The remainder of this week has proven to be a steady increase in stuff to do, nearly all of it creative and fun. I think I am finally getting the hang of this whole Macintosh thing, though it still surprises me quite frequently by doing things I don' t expect. Virginia, my counterpart, has been wonderful in explaining these anomalies to me, not to mention being extremely helpful and friendly. She's also terrifyingly creative and talented so I'm hoping she can teach me a thing or two! Carol, my boss has designated herself our protector in that she's doing her best to catch any new requests coming in before they get dropped on either my desk or Virginia's out of turn. Having come from an environment where my inbox was fair game for anyone with an "idea", this is really refreshing!

So, all in all my Viking Voyage is going pretty well. I'm slowly getting to see the familiar faces of our manufacturer reps which really helps to make me feel like I haven't left the planet entirely, and little by little I'm feeling like I belong there. I figure my biggest hurdles now are to stop referring to JH Larson as "we", to train myself on all of the little idiosyncrasies inherent in MACs, learn multiple passwords and, memorize the names of all of those employees I met on Monday.

Okay, employee # 25; What was your name again?

Quilts, Puzzles & Community Theatre

I have decided that there is nothing more refreshing than a couple of days with Mom. When our temperatures dipped a bit and my painting had to be put on hold, I snagged a couple of days and headed up to Fargo to spend time with Mom. A couple of years ago I had decided to try my hand at making a few small sampler quilts, but since I know absolutely nothing about the process, Mom had been drafted to help the inept to learn how. Unfortunately, life got in the way of me actually taking the time to go up there with my bag of goodies and the whole project was sidelined. Anyway, given all the free time I had this week, I figured now was a good time to set off and rectify the situation. Bless Mom for her patience because believe it or not we actually got two samplers done while I was there. They're actually a matching set that hopefully I will get hung in my foyer before winter. My grand plan originally involved making 4 different samplers that I could swap out with the seasons. We'll see how long it takes me to get the other 3 put together! Oh yeah.. that would mean I have to get my craft room sorted out...

Once we wrapped up the quilting project, (My neck was killling me from sitting hunched over the sewing machine), we tackled the requisite jigsaw puzzle. I say requisite because puzzles, as my siblings will attest, are a staple of any visit to see Mom. The upside of course is that we all enjoy doing it. Oddly enough neither my hubby or kids see their appeal, so getting a puzzle fix generally involves Mom in one way or another. Just one of the reasons I like having her come to visit.

Finally, in a burst of inspiration Mom suggested going to see a play. Living in the Twin Cities we rarely, if ever, get out to see a live play, and I have to say it's a real shame. Back in the "OLDEN DAYS", when I was active in the theatre doing costumes and such, Mom and I used to go fairly often, but let's face it, $65 plus for a ticket down here is a little steep for the budget. Not so in Fargo! Mom and I went to the opening night of the FM Community Theatre's production of "The Way the Other Half Loves". It's a comedy, sort of a British farce, that was actually quite good. Incredibly, the price of a ticket was only $12.00 and we were only 5 rows from center stage. Can't beat that now can you?

Anyway, now I'm home and looking at the rest of the weekend ahead of me. I think I hear my paint brush calling...

Laugh yourself silly!

Okay, so I am lazing about this week (well except for getting up EARLY to meet friends for breakfast or coffee before they trudge off to work) and I decided to pay one of my favorite websites a visit. As you all know, I love to stamp- cards, walls, scrapbook pages, you name it! Well, a month or so ago I paid a visit to a website called SplitCoastStampers and was instantly hooked. Having wrapped up all my schoolwork I jumped into the fun to be found there and submitted a whole slew of cards that I and my buddy Twyla have made. For those interested, the link to the site is included in our list of favorite websites. ANYWHOOOO... Today I was wandering about the site and came accross this link to a listing that was on Ebay. The listing in itself isn't all that interesting to me, but the absolutely hilarious description that the seller posted will bring you to your knees laughing. Take the time to read it. You'll laugh out loud, I promise! Here's the link. If it doesn't click through, highlight the whole works with your mouse, copy and paste it into your browser and it should go work then. Enjoy!!!

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=130144061675&ru=http%

Ahh, the life of leisure...

Well, for the next week anyway. My new boss at Viking called me with good news and bad news last Friday. The bad news was they aren't going to be ready for me until the 17th of Sept. but the good news is I get another week of leisure before I dive into a completely new arena. So, I'm enjoying the slightly cooler Fall temps and taking advantage of the time to get some things done around home. For starters, yesterday I stopped over at Home Depot and bought a gallon of "Cherry Cobbler" red paint with which I am going to transform our currently non-descript front door into something with a little more snap to it. I also have a craft room that is threatening to become a monster so I plan on getting that whipped into shape as well. Along with some pre-determined breakfast, lunch and morning coffee dates with former co-workers, and a few other fun things for the week, I figure I won't have any trouble at all filling up my days.

Friday, for those who have been following the saga of my job change, went very well. Karin, my JHL boss, received a 4 hour crash course on the high points of my desk, I managed a few minutes of goodbyes with people that included hugs and hand shakes and a multitude of well wishes, and a few more minutes with Human Resources and another co-worker who I had a rather large project going with. Hopefully I managed to alleviate somewhat the "deer in the headlights" looks that I witnessed upon arriving, but from this point they're pretty much on their own. I wish them all the luck in the world.

As for the rest of the family, Josh is well immersed into his first quarter of his Sophomore year, and as predicted, likes his teachers. His AP American History teacher is apparently highly amusing and really goes out of his way to make it a fun class. Since this is becoming Josh's focus for a future career, we were REALLY happy to hear this. In band, he skipped one band level and is playing this year with the Junior level Concert band. For those who don't know, or remember, he plays alto saxophone, but at some point this year will add baritone sax to his repertoire. He's also taking 10th grade biology and english this year so we can't really say he has a light quarter. He seems determined to keep his grades up though and for this reason is not all that unhappy about not having a girlfriend. Girls are a distraction I'm told.

Dan, who is working full time, announced this week that he is finally being granted his own table to work on. Apparently this means he has some sort of tenure with the company and likely means he's less liable to be laid off as he was this Spring. From the standpoint of making sure he pays his Mom & Dad Co-signed car payment on time, we're all happy about this. Hopefully it holds up under pressure. At any rate, he was pretty darn pleased about the whole thing and it's always nice to see a smile on his face.

Rich, is battling the agony of a lackluster staff and is working like a dog to stay ahead of all of their errors and lack of support. The three of us here at home are to the point where we'd fire them on the spot and boot their sorry butts out the door, but apparently GE is exceptionally cognizant of the risk of lawsuits so the process to get rid of crummy employees requires a lengthy process of documentation and second, third and fourth chances before any action can be taken. Don't you just love lawyers?

I think for now, this pretty much sums up what is going on with the four of us. Thanks again to everyone who's been so encouraging with my job change etc. It's been a busy couple of months but it's great to know I have such a strong support network!

Short Day

Well, just like I figured, I was only at work this am long enough to pack up my things and leave. My former boss was very pleasant about the whole thing however, and wished me well. She even helped me to haul everything out to my car. So, all things considered, it wasn't nearly as uncomfortable as I feared it might be. The sad part is that I wasn't given the chance to say goodbye to anyone which is a real bummer. Ironically, I've been asked to come back in on Friday which should be interesting since I am no longer an employee!

On the up side, I have the rest of the week to relax and regroup for a new job. Weather-wise I couldn't have planned it better if I had tried! Gee... what will I do with all this free time??? I think I hear my stamp room calling...

I got the job!!!

Yes siree!!! I was tendered an offer last Thursday (pending the requisite drug screen) for the position I was hoping for with Viking Electric Supply. When I actually start will depend on the reaction I get when I go back in tomorrow morning.
I tendered my resignation today and I can say with certainty that it is not a lot of fun to give notice even to an employer that lately hasn't been all that wonderful. After waiting on pins and needles all day for news that everything was a "go" from the new employer perspective (Yes, I passed the drug test) I was finally able to resign. Ironically, my boss was out of the office for the afternoon so I handed my resignation letter off to the HR Manager instead. For my nerves, this was actually much easier than I expected, but I know that tomorrow will be a completely different story. I say this because I've had a couple of phone calls already from various individuals curious to know what was going on and I managed to learn that the news of my departure is causing a bit of an uproar. For starters, they're not too happy that I'm not sharing where I am going, and second, I'm sure there's a fair bit of panic at the thought of having to juggle all of the projects on my desk. To top it all off I am sure they're irritated as all get out that I would have the audacity to quit. So... as I said, tomorrow will no doubt be interesting. Ironically, I'm sorry that it had to come to this. I really will miss many of the people I have worked with for the past 9 years, and up until recently I've really enjoyed both my job and the company. Nevertheless, I'm planning on a short day tomorrow.

More to follow on contact info at the new job once I'm settled there. Thanks to everyone for all the encouragement and support over this life change.

Freshly Sharpened Pencils

Well, it's that time of year again! Back to school time!! Well, for some of us anyway... Josh starts 10th grade tomorrow. Hard to believe how fast our Summer zipped by. He seems to be looking forward to the return though, and is busy wrapping up an AP American History summer reading project today. I think the plan is to be a little bit lazy today once that project is done. Can't say as I blame him!

The rest of us will trudge back to work tomorrow after our little Labor Day weekend break. We returned from a visit with Rich's parents last night and today we're doing all that last minute stuff that always comes before a new school year or a new week. With any luck at all I'll manage a little time in the back yard with my golf clubs!

More later!

It's a Car Shopping Week Apparently

Having already boasted of my own new car experience, parts of this may be a little redundant, but to top things off, Dan is now the proud new owner of his first real truck. Yesterday, he and Rich went dealer-hopping to see if they could find a new truck for Dan. Up until recently Dan had been driving the Infinity that he purchased from his uncle Greg. Unfortunately, the transmission started to fail and the cost to replace it was daunting. So... with more than a little pleading and 20-yr old reasoning Dan made a pitch to trade the Infinity for a truck. I am happy to say we were able to talk him out of the Chevy Silverado GAS HOG that he had his eye on and found him a smaller, albeit snappy looking, Ford Ranger. Initially, the idea of 1) driving a FORD, and 2) a Ranger, didn't seem all that appealing to him, but having seen what is available for his price range and perhaps agreeing somewhat with our logic that the Silverado would in all likelihood escalate his gas budget into the rafters, he warmed to the idea of a smaller truck. With all that said, I think the photo of Dan and his new wheels pretty much says it all. Along with the joy of having new wheels, Dan is also now counted among the millions who make monthly car loan payments.

As for me, I'm still thoroughly enjoying that new car smell! Here's the photo that I promised yesterday.

Graduation Party Thanks & other news

Thanks again to everyone who was able to make it last week to my graduation celebration. I appreciate everyone making the trip despite the less than stellar weather! Thank you too for all the cards and gifts and congratulatory wishes. I hope you all had a good time!

As for any other "announcements", at this point I am still playing a waiting game though I did receive news yesterday that was a little encouraging at least. I'll share more later, I promise!
If this is a little ambiguous, my apologies, but hopefully those of you who are in the loop understand what this whole convoluted paragraph is about...

On another note, I'm happy to say I'm the proud new owner of a brand new Toyota RAV-4! Some of you might recall I was talking at the party about trading my Honda CR-V in for a newer model. We ended up switching our attention to the RAV-4 when we found out what a good deal we could get plus the fact that it was much closer to our price range than the CR-V. At any rate, I now have a brand new set of wheels! My first EVER new car! I drove all the way to and from work yesterday inhaling that wonderful new car smell. How come they can't bottle that, and why doesn't it last forever? Photo to follow...

Meet Ron Weasley (aka Josh Sacrison)

Okay, this is one of those "Proud Mom" things that I just had to share. Partly because I am wholly biased toward what a great couple of kids I have, but also because despite the fact that he is now 15, and at the age where most kids start to believe their parents are LAME, I am always thrilled when Josh is willing to spend time with me. For those who don't get to spend as much time with him as we do, he's truly one of the funniest kids I know, and I'm happy to say, hasn't discovered that I am LAME yet.

So, a few weeks ago when the last Harry Potter book came out our local Borders book stores had this "All Hallows Ball" event to ring in the last of the book series. Josh and I are both avid fans of the books, so since the event fell on a Friday, he and I headed over to Borders around 9:00 pm (My bedtime ordinarily) to take part. Along with a spelling contest and a few other games, they had a costume contest. As part of my agreement to be out so late, and yes, wait in line at midnight to get the book, I told Josh he had to wear his Halloween costume from last year. (He went as Ron Weasley, and believe me the resemblance is uncanny). He grumbled a little but agreed to do it. So, in one of those rare moments when as a mother I come out looking like a genius, he entered the contest, and amid (count them) a couple hundred screaming "fans" won by a landslide. I say fans because he was also approached 4 or 5 times by various people who asked if they could have their picture taken with him. (A real hardship for such a shy boy) HA! For his trouble, he earned a Borders gift card and a paper crown to wear as the King of the Ball. Now, I ask you; How many 15 year old boys do you know who would 1) attend such an event with his mother, and 2) enter a contest like this one? Now you know why I think he's so much fun. Incidentally, we did get the book, and by 1:30 am we were both tucked into bed. I, of course, was sleeping because, while he's a great kid he wasn't about to let me read the book first. (I had to wait a whole 3 days!!!) Anyway, the photos were taken after we got home while he was still in costume, and I was still partially awake.

The wonder of Air Conditioning

I learned this week that there are few things more miserable than 90 degree temps and no air conditioning. For those of you familiar with the high humidity of Minneapolis in the summer, you will know what I am talking about. To a point, even I can handle a little heat. (Maybe there is something to be said for "dry heat") However, when it is 75 plus degrees when I get up in the morning at 4:15 am or so, the lack of AC is pure torture. I gave serious consideration to skipping putting anything resembling makeup on my face given it was only going to slide off again before I got out the door but vanity prevailed. Rich cleverly chose to head into work early for a little time in the on-site gym which meant he could shower and dress there. I'm not proud, I'll admit I was jealous!

Anyway, Rich and I have learned after owning two homes now, both of varying vintage, that appliances generally never fail unless it is a major holiday(Christmas or New Years) or we are expecting a houseful of people (Dan's confirmation). Replacing them is a pain in the patookus, and always EXPENSIVE. This was no exception. When our compressor blew on the Air Conditioner we called our friendly Centerpoint Energy Service Plus guy and asked for a visit. Upon finding out that our Service Plus plan does not cover the compressor on an AC unit, and after picking myself up off the floor at price tag to get a new unit installed, I said a couple of prayers and called work. This was also one of those times I was very happy to be working for a wholesale distributor who sells this stuff. Long story short... we have a new AC and the house is once again bearable. Our vacation fund is empty again, but I'm not much fun when I'm hot and cranky so hopefully Rich sees that he made a wise investment... : ) For those of you who will be visiting us next weekend, I'm happy to say we aren't going to try and roast you while you are here!

Yes, I FINALLY graduated!

For those of you who have not heard, I finally finished school last month. After nearly 4 years of what seemed like an endless string of text books, essays, papers, quizzes and exams, I finally completed my last final exam on July 24th. I cannot begin to tell you how liberating it is to not have any more textbooks on my horizon! Of course this means that I now have "unlimited" time to get all those projects going that have been in limbo for four years. Rich and the boys are thrilled at this prospect! Well okay, maybe not. At any rate, my goal now is to accomplish a few things around home that I've let slide for all this time, and see if I can't get my house and yard back in shape the way I would like it. But first... We are celebrating the fact that I finally finished with a party here at home on August 18th. I'll be the first to admit it's a bit odd to be planning my own party, but it seemed sort of weird making my own graduation announcements too and I managed to get past that. Hopefully many of you will be joining us for this auspicious occasion! Bring your lawn chairs! This will more or less be a repeat of the festivities we had at Dan's grad party... with a few more adult beverages! Hope to see you soon!

35W Bridge Collapse

It occurred to me today, that a few of you might be curious about how the 35W bridge collapse affects us here in the Twin Cities.

For the most part, we really aren't located near enough to the bridge for it to affect our commute to and from work. Dan works in Minneapolis but given that we live on the NW side of the Cities his travels to and from work don't take him anywhere near the bridge. (Thank Heaven!) His commute may end up taking a little longer with the excess traffic now forced to change routes, but that's something we'll all have to live with for as long as it takes to get the whole thing fixed. Rich and I both work in the suburbs either to the South or West of where we live so our path to and from isn't affected much at all.

Thankfully we rarely ever travel that particular portion of the Cities and we're a little embarassed to say we didn't even know the bridge had collapsed until we received a phone call from Rich's mom asking if everyone was okay. However it happened, we were all occupied with something other than the TV that evening. I will say it was nice to receive so many out-of- town phone calls from people we don't get to talk to often enough! Thanks for all of your concern! We appreciate it!

Sunday Aug 5th, 2007

This particular shot is from a recent family trip up to Detroit Lakes where we spent the weekend mingling with long lost relatives. For those of you who have not seen Rich for a while... he's the skinny guy behind Josh in the yellow. Somewhere in the last 8 months I lost half of my hubby...

This weekend we are once again enjoying the company of relatives thanks to the marriage of nephew Bryon and his bride Crystal. This is also the reason this particular post will end here, as I need to get off my duff and get ready to go to the gift opening.

More later... I promise!