Disney

I keep seeing the Disney commercials on TV - the ones with the kids who find out they're going to Disney World. Betsy and I got to go with Mom and Dad when I was about 15. I remember Dad pushing me around with his hand on my neck. Space Mountain was closed for repairs, or cleaning or something.

Amy was 13 and Jud 10 when we went. We stayed at that Sports place connected right to Disney. There was a pool and a foamy football field right there, and you could ride a shuttle to the park each day. We hit all the hot spots - Wild Kingdom, Epcot, Magic Kingdon. Amy and Jud were the perfect age - they could go on all the rides.

Well Jud wasn't always the perfect age - he got a little crabby the last day, causing me to melt down when he shoved an old person in Canada, the video at Epcot. Still, all was forgiven when he finally saw Donald Duck (in a serape and sombrero no less).

The laser show was very cool. We went on Tower of Terror several times as there was no line. Dad and Pat2 came up and visited for a day - it was the year after they got married. The 3D stuff was cool. I was glad we didn't have tiny little kids with us.

 Oh and Space Mountain was closed for repairs.  

Continuing Education

A shout out to my friend and neighbor Nancy. She is a testament to continuing education. When Nancy and Jim moved to Creston, I believe she was a hairdresser, along with being the parent of three lovely children.

Jim is our local Meat Manager at Fairway, our go-to guy when we want that great prime rib for Christmas. He also is kind enough to scoop our driveway when it snows, saving us backbreaking work, and saving me from working about Pablo having a heart attack. He refuses to accept payment, but said we can get him a gas card. What a reasonable guy!

Nancy decided to go to nursing school even while at least some of her kids were still at home. Creston has a good program at SWCC - the local community college. Since graduation, she's been a great asset at the hospital working in wellness. Many of my buddies also see her bright and early each Friday as she's the Weight Watchers lady - cheering them on to healthier living.

Now that she and Jim are empy nesters like we are, Nanc is considered what's next? So back to school she went, traveling to DSM several times a month to attend Upper Iowa University. I think she's going for her BSN this time. Their three kids have moved to the Kansas City area, and someday Jim and Nancy could move close to them. This way Nancy will have more job possiblities.

Kudos to you Nancy! Way to keep learning.   

The auction

You can't tell - it's a buttery color - leather. Note said $300 value - may be more like $285, but I paid dooo do do dooo $125!

Insert self-important memory here: I was instrumental in the birth of the St. Malachy Foundation Auction. I served on the Foundation Board back in the early 1990's. The board oversees a good sum of money donated by the good people interested in the wonderful little Catholic school here in Creston.

The board not only watched over the investment portfolio, we were tasked with growing the fund. the people of Holy Spirit Parish along with tuition pay for operation of the school, but the interest from the investments make a nice addition to the budget. Our dilemma - how could we bring money in without necessarily taxing the very people we already got money from? Our idea - a charity auction similar to one the Atlantic Rotary did. To check it out Paul and I went to the Atlantic auction along with Bob and Frieda Berner. Then, along with Dennis Hilger and Cheri Finken, we set about putting together out own version of this event - a Valentine's Auction.

All these years later, (and after I burned out some 8 years or so after I started) some of the same people are going strong. Bob and Cheri - you rock! Last night's event was great! Good crowd - and I think they made lots of $$. Some from me.

Back when we started, one of the things we came up with to auction were baskets - it was a "stone soup" idea. Everyone could bring a little bit so nobody was stuck investing a lot. (I'd like to claim that I thought of this idea...but I don't recall). One early year, when $ were tight for our fam, Paul and I purchased a "Holiday Basket" put together by the St. Malachy teachers. When the kids got up the next day, it was like Christmas all over again - they were delighted by going through the basket to discover each holiday representative item!

It had been a couple years since Pablo and I had purchased anything. Imagine my surprise and delight to discover a Dooney and Bourke purse on the silent auction! I tried to resist but my bidding hand worked independent of my body (it was like a scary movie...!) MUST HAVE.

I had to chuckle in bed last night as I tried to go to sleep. I was the proud owner of a lovely medium east/west satchel. And Pablo - soon to be birthday boy is the proud owner of a - dehumidifier. Yeah, didn't he score big?!? Awe. I'll make sure he gets something good. But prolly won't be tax deductible like this stuff was...

Benefit weekend

Last night's benefit Fish Fry and Dance at the Williamson American Legion Hall. We met up with the Mcs - McKims and McFees at Crestmoor for a drink before we hit the road in McKim vehicle. Donnie took on driving duties as it snowed right along. Thanks Mom Nature for that! (NOT)

They had a nice crowd for this event, benefiting the Rural Iowa Crisis Center - helping families who have had a rough time. Our friend Linda Kilgore, who has had some rough times herself was one of the organizers. I'd never been to Williamson, but it's a lot like many other old halls - 3 seater women's room with curtains for cubicle doors. Paneling exactly like our old house - before we painted it. Brown and dried out looking...built in booths with a stage and a large open area for dancing in the middle.

The food was good - fish and chicken, slaw, beans, cookies - all donated along with the labor arranged by Linda and other organizers. Tickets were only $10. The did an auction around 9 PM followed by a DJ - who played mostly country, but later in the night he broke loose with some rock. We had fun dancing on the slick wood floor.

Drinks flowed and I had to go for a Vodka Tom Collins - enjoyed watching the ancient barkeep guy mix it up. First some mixer, then Squirt, then Seven Up, Vodka, Grenadine and mixed it all with a big spoon. Took about five minutes. Pretty sweet, but the show was good! Later I switched to vodka tonic, but no citrus in the house so I was forced to utilize a green gummy bear as a substitute, just to make my drink pretty.

I laughed harder than I had in a long time last night. It was fun to see my friend Linda Kilgore, who lost her husband Rudy a year ago, enjoying her new honey my friend Mick Landers. I spent a great deal of time with Mick when we worked together on the household hazardous materials program. It was nice dancing with my honey. And all for a good cause!

Switch-a-roo

Today, when I finally got home after a long week at work (I usually get to go home on Thursday...but not this week), I made whiney noises, jumped around, and licked Odie the weiner dog's face. No...not really, but I wanted to! I was thrilled to be home and to see my little puppy dog, the kitty, my very special chair, relaxing bath tub, beddie bye - welp, you get the picture. I was homesick. My pool boy didn't get home from work until 5ish. I missed him too.

I stayed in DSM to attend a workshop put on by the Iowa Recycling Association at DMCC (the community college in Ankeny) on Social Networking - learning to use stuff like Facebook, Twitter, blogs, LinkedIn and more (Four Square? - that was a game we used to play a recess with one of those rubbery red balls) to market one's product/business/non-profit etc. Even though I had to stay away from home an extra night, it was worth it.

The presenter was Nathan T. Wright (ISU grad so he's got that going for him..) an interesting and knowledgeable speaker on the topic. Check out his biz website here: 
http://www.lavarow.com/
Nathan is the guy with the tiny little head under the "meet the team" heading on the right side of the page. His head is much bigger in real life.
(this website and information could be especially helpful for someone living in Denver who is a graphic design major and may be thinking of future career moves...there must be stuff like this in the Mile High City..).

I learned a great deal - just hope the folks at work might be open to the opportunities presented by these technologies. I would love to see Iowa DNR as a place Iowans can go to in order to find safe disposal information for - well...whatever they need to get rid of! On my drive home to Creston, I couldn't help but think about the ways small businesses in town could utilize Facebook and blogs to keep their names out there. Interesting stuff! Now - I have some dancin' to do at a benefit for Creston's Women's Shelter.

Isn't it cute?

It's so cute how people close to us (our children) underestimate our powers of deduction. They fail to recognize that we (their parents) have known them all their lives. The mommy is much like a lil Nancy Drew - detecting clues of her children's lives. So our children just need to realize that they can't fool us. We know ALL.

Next topic:
Jud Goldsmith caused me to have one of the larger library fines I've had in a while - a whopping $2.10. The scariest part was I didn't even know he had the book! We took him to lunch last Saturday in Ames before the ISU Men's bball game, and casually, after he got out of the car when we dropped him off he said,"Do you want that book back that I have?"

I'm like "Whatchoo talkin' bout Willis?"
He said, "I think it has Waukee on it." And he ran up and got the book, which indeed said Waukee Library on it. I remembered what happened - I took it to Creston and finished it. Jud was home and I thought he might like to read it. Hmmm guess he did and just took it on back to Ames to finish it, unbeknownst to me. Crazy that I lost track of it. So there is a case of something I didn't detect....

Children - my wildest joy and frustration!

A couple funny things

Last night at the mall as I walked out of the ground floor of Von Maur, I went by a group of three guys - around thirty something. Youngish with camo on. At least the lead dog guy was wearing camo. I heard him say, as he pointed skyward "hey, there's another level on this place!" Great white hunter...can't find his way around a mall...too funny.

My dream early this a.m. It woke me up. In it I was sitting in a bar with Jen my supervisor and another person. A waitress was delivering a tray of Bloody Marys to us - and I took one look at them all red with celery and olives and said "How nice a little stew in a glass with ice and vodka!" I chuckled all day thinking about this. I'm very clever in my sleep!

Better day

I must say today went better. Maybe it was my exceptionally positive attitude. haha. I fretted all night about the schedule/supervisor thing of course. That's me. I decided to put together a list of my "things to do" to demonstrate that I do need to be working all the hours that I do. I gave that to my Supe this a.m. I spose now she'll hold it against me - but so be it...

Today she and I got along swimmingly. A couple people commented that they heard our discussion yesterday. Cubicle-land is not a place for private talks...kinda embarrassing. For her as well as me.

I had a front row seat for the big Union Rally at the State Capitol today - the view out the Wallace Building windows looks right down on the steps where the rally was. All the TV vans were there. The Union group was pretty big and there were busloads from who knows where plus the little pod of Tea Party folks. Theresa who works in our department walked by and heard a few catcalls between the two groups. Not pretty! It was kinda hard to settle down after lunch and get back to work with all the excitement.

After work I decided to shop. After all, when I spoke to Pablo last night, he told me we most likely owe lots of tax money to "the man". So when the going gets expensive, the wife shops. I hadn't been on the Valley West circuit lately - so I went in thru Von Maur. Love that piano. But not the prices there!

Ended up at Younkers where sales help - and after I discovered the coupon in my purse, I ended up saving something like 50% That's almost like getting paid to buy stuff. Plus I went down a size in jeans - that made me happy!

Tonight on the phone, my beloved Pablo sounded down. Our Marco Island trip is just too long from now...

Lovin' being warm

I wrote this last Friday but forgot to hit post, so it sat as a draft until Monday when it was cold again...
It's been unseasonably warm this past week - and I've loved it! It's been so great not being cold. Being cold makes me tired. It's actually wearing on one's body and mental state to be chilly day after day. And looking at the cold white stuff - driving in it, walking in it, making sure not to fall down in it. It makes me weary.

So this past few days has been a welcome respite. And I really can't complain after last year, the hellish winter that we had. It started early, snowed often and ended late. It went on and on. Brutal is the term that comes to mind. You may recall the photo I posted of my poor car covered in a half inch of ice. Yikes - I hope that's not still in store for this winter.

So we've dabbled in a bit 'o Indian Spring. Now I hate to go back to the cold stuff. Today we went to 50ish and sunny to a thunderstorm. It's now in the 40's. Headed back into the 30's this week. Hope the white stuff stays away!

Crazy Hormones me thinks

What's with me? Yesterday I felt like bursting into tears several times. The night before I woke up cooking hot. And Odie felt like she was 300 degrees. Maybe she was having a hot flash too. Then I was crabby and not sure just what I wanted. My joints hurt. I need violins playing!

My one ovary must still be firing. Enough to mess me up good! Today at work I had to discuss my schedule with my supervisor. That didn't go well either. Now I'm all worked up about that. I need some more self coaching and calming therapy. Oh, I did pretty well at keeping my cool in the moment. Just since then I'm been steaming about it. Grow up, me.

Iowa has the bottle bill, ya know. Presently Iowans have to return cans and bottles for the $.05 we pay when we buy certain bevvies. Today several people in our department met to discuss proposed new legislation ditching said bottle bill in favor of a $.04 fee on all bev containers - even water, tea etc. A grant program is funded with the fees to put together the infrastructure for curbside recycling. Interesting stuff! We'll see how it goes.

Hope your day at work went okay. And your hormones are steady and easy...

Baby Boy

We saw the baby boy yesterday before the ISU Men's basketball game. Going to the game was really an excuse to see Jud, really. I started thinking about the fact that just like his sister, he soon might be living far, far away. And I decided a couple hour drive to spend a few minutes with the kid wasn't such a bad idea!

We swung by his apartment (luckily I didn't have to set foot into the icky boyville apartment) and picked him up on our way to a sports bar sandwich joint. I had a nice turkey sandwich with cole slaw. Paul chose a burger and fries. Jud surprises me as he grows up - he got a chicken sannie and salad.

He'd been out to eat the night before with his GF Kara's parents. They were in town for Kara's sorority "Mom's Weekend". Jud says they're nice - and they're younger than we are. Gasp!

The poor Cyclones lost another close game. But the guys are still playing hard - bless their big tall hearts! Next year my Freddie will have them kicking ass. His dad Eric was my advisor - in my fascinating major Public Service and Administration in the college of Agriculture. Eric Otto Hoiberg was a sociologist. No wonder Freddie is so darn nice. Paul and I thought he should have chewed on the ref and picked up and technical last night...but he didn't.

Busy week ahead - meetings about proposed Bottle Bill legislation should be interesting! And Friday I'm attending a meeting on Social Networking - so someday soon I could have a Facebook Page for a work program. Lunch is at the culinary program at DMCC, so that s/b yummy. Long week though - no early home for me. Stiff upper lip and all that rot...

HGTV envy

It's my own fault. I keep watching HGTV, and getting ideas about fixing up our house. This watched one of my usual shows where they fix up a place for $2,000 in order to sell it. Usually it's a place that's been on the market but has not sold.

This place had wallpaper and a border. Hmmm. Like our bathroom and office, I thought to myself. The designer said wallpaper is very dating/individual preference. So I thinks to myself - "self - our wallpaper gots to go!" and told myself to break it to Paul. haha

Betso Bean told of scraping wallpaper earlier this year. Didn't sound like fun. But I think we'll give it a shot anyway.

While I was at it, I told Paul of my dream to put a backsplash up in the kitchen. Plus I'd like new appliances and a new ceiling fan in our bedroom. Oh I didn't come up with all this stuff at one sitting - it's been percolating for a while!

Today was another swell weather day. Sorry to say I didn't get out and get a walk in. Should have gotten up early and scooted out there - like Deb prolly did. Just a slacker. Nice to see the neighbor kids out shooting hoops though!

My obsession

Isn't it funny how one's point of view changes, depending on one's stake in the game. I remember complaining mightily about the "spoiled" teachers in our town when it was negotiation time in our town. And our city and county employees had cushy health insurance packages with little out of pocket expense - at least they used to, before health care prices kept shooting up, and the governments decided they needed to charge non-union employees for a portion of the cost.

That was back when I was in private business. If I wanted work health insurance, I had to pay a portion of the cost. Since Paul has been employed by the Federal Government, some 28 years now, we've always paid a portion of the cost of insurance. And we've never had a "Cadillac" type health care plan - paying quite a bit out of pocket before insurance kicks in.

Our pharmacy program wasn't so great back in the early 90's - I'd spend a lot of time with a migraine, sweating it out deciding whether or not I had a $10 headache or not. That was how much my Imitrex shots cost. A lot of $$ back then. And I'd think long and hard before making a doctor's appointment - that deductible was hard to cough up. (no pun intended..unless I did have a cough..)

So imagine my surprise when I found out I was an automatic AFSCME Union member when I took a job with the State of Iowa. Iowa is not one of those states where the union automatically collects dues from us, thank goodness. I've had mixed feelings about unions through the years. At Gits, my last manufacturing job, the union didn't seem to help the workers much, just cause problems. I've not joined the union, but I was glad last year when the voting members approved a concession of a furlough week to help with the budget deficit.

But I have to admit, the benefits at the State of Iowa are the best I've ever enjoyed. And I was shocked to find out I could take family insurance at no cost. It's the least costly of the optional plans, but still...that's just not right. I pay a portion of my IPERS (retirement plan) as a deduction from my check, and get around 4 hours of leave every 2 weeks. My salary isn't great especially compared to what some landfill directors make, but I enjoy what I do - most of the time.

I've been keeping an eye on what's happening in Wisconsin with the probable breaking of collective bargaining there - due to a Republican Gov, and both houses. Our Governor has threatened the same. We do have a Democrat controlled senate (by only 2 votes (gulp). But still...scary.

I believe our union needs to consider coming to the table to make some concessions. It's been said state workers got free insurance as a concession a while ago in lieu of increased wages. But those days are long gone. Public workers have to pay for a portion of their insurance and state workers should too. But I don't think collective bargaining should go away totally.

Public workers have been thrown under the bus by politicians, and I'm tired of it. Paul and I work awfully hard. So for all those people just wanting to hack away those government jobs, be careful what you wish for. We're the people who eat at your restaurants, shop at your stores and we are your patients. When we lose our jobs, our buying power goes away too. Along with our public service - and even though we don't make a product, the things we do are important to our world!

Okay I need to quit reading the anonymous comments on the articles about state workers - those are just damn depressing! The "lazy, load, coffee drinking, no good" comments are just too much...

Home early

Baled out of DSM early this week. I've nearly got all my hours for the pay period that ends tomorrow. So I decided to head home today and work the four last hours from my own home.

I deserve it! Especially after I was successful in my quest to be in control of my emotions (and my mouth) at today's important EMS meeting. Of course the Council delayed some of the decisons which are the root of my stress, so I have the March meeting to look forward too! Always something...

But now I'm home, where my heart is!

Sick people

People at work are dropping right and left. They have stomach issues, coughs, headaches and who knows what else. When you're around a lot of sickos, do you start feeling some twinges? I do!

I start wondering - is that stomach gurgle the start of something? Do I just have a tickle in my throat? But so far, so good for me! I'm as healthy as...I ever am. And no migraines this week so far. But ask me after tomorrow's doo doo da doo...EMS meeting.

We had our pre-EMS meeting huddle at work today, and everyone is a bit tense. I was scrounging through old meeting minutes to prove a point today. Scary. But I know I have my mind in the right place to stay in control of my emotions - due to my self-coaching from Monday.

It's still nice in Ioway and I actually walked outside after work. I had to dodge a couple snowbanks, and I walked through a lot of water from melting snow. But it felt damn good! Such a difference from last week's sub-zero temps.

My funny valentine

I had to leave him asleep in bed this a.m. It was difficult! Actually he was awake - kinda hard to sleep thru all my gyrations of getting ready for work and traipsing thru with my bags etc. Plus I gave him a kiss on my way out the door. Like I always do.

Then he told me to text him when I get to work. And I told I would - like I always do.

Today I didn't listen to a book on CD on the way to work, like I usually do. I needed thinkin' time. I thought about my Poolboy a bit - what a lucky girl I am. You've all heard it before. It shouldn't take Valentine's Day to remind me to appreciate how fortunate I am. Later that day I got a beautiful flower arrangement from Boesen's from my hunny bun. All that and a card too!

Paul and I sent cards (with a wee bit 'o cash) to our kids for val day. I thought about buying something for each of them, but then decided "cash is king". They'd like to buy their own gift. Last week I ordered prints from some of my digital photos (and some I kinda borrowed from Facebook from the kids and their friends), so I hung those in my cubicle. I like having pics of my friends and fam surrounding me whilst I work.

Back to my drive to work, with no book, I listened to tunes, to help me get my work face on, and think about my Wednesday meeting. Yep, I had to do some self-coaching. I have a tiny little problem at this periodic meeting with keeping my mouth closed. And I reminded myself that at this meeting I will zip my lips, even when people who don't know what they're talking about don't. Bite lips!

I listened to some smooth Al Green that took me back to my honey. Kicking Stevie Nicks, and finished up with Bob Seger. It was a nice drive.  

You can take the people out of Creston...

but then you just run into more Creston people wherever you go...

To celebrate Valentine's Day with our honeys, Bobbie set up a night out at the Rusty Duck in Dexter. We'd been there once before, last year and had a good meal. It's a bit of a drive - the first exit past Stuart. For me, yawn, another drive towards DM. But it goes by quickly when I have a nice cocktail in my hand and am chatting it up with good friends. We ended up with a couple carloads - Eckhoffs with Higgins and Bobbie and Jeff with us.

Paul niftily avoided a deer south of Stuart. It was on the shoulder of the road. I just know, had I been driving it would have thought harder about dodging out onto the road! Dexter is a tiny burg, known previously to me only for Drew's Chocolates. My daddy used to buy them for our fam as he had a sales account in Dexter (probably some tiny department store that sold it all - from seed corn to lingerie..).

The restaurant is not large, and it was full when we got there. Bobbie had invited my roomie Joan and her hubbie Billy - and they had scrounged up bar tables for us all whilst we awaited our table. Good thing too because it took a while. I had a nice vodka tonic while I waited - no small town drink, they didn't just slap some vodka into flat tonic. They knew to include a lime. (One might take these things for granted, but I've been in small bars before where they don't even have citrus fruit!).

While we waited, two other groups came in with Crestonites. Ty and Peggy Rogers with Billy Stewart and his wife. Also Lori Vicker - don't know her married name. I worked with her at FNB when we first moved to town. Billy saw a guy he knew from Anita. Then, while we ate we saw a group from Earlham - including Scott Driscoll who is married to Melissa Winterstein. They live in Earlham now but are moving to Creston after the school year. Yes, Iowa is a small world!

I ate a delightful Orange Roughy. Good food! We got home by 11 PM - tried to meet up with McKims, who had gone with a group to Waterfront Market in DSM. But they picked Macksburg and we picked their house. So we missed connections - by the time they got home we were in our jammies...prolly a good thing no more liquor for us!

I got my honey a Green Bay Packers Super Bowl Champs T-Shirt for Val day - along with some chocolates. Jud texted me last night for advice on what to get Kara. I decided a dozen roses would be good - and a nice card. Every girl should get a dozen roses sometime from her honey. Not every year - especially on expected occasions like Val Day. But on the first one - a guy should do that! I'm pleased Jud consulted me.

Fun night out with good friends. Who says small town people don't have options!

Chick parties

Bobbie had a Silpada Designs Jewelry party last night. It was nice and relaxed - no awful games to play, or high pressure sales talks. Just the wares displayed and the catalog. I ordered some earrings.

Do you remember the first marketing party you were invited to? I think my first order was Tupperware - a non-party, at my job at Gamble Robinson in Sioux Falls. I ordered the brown canisters - I still have 2 left. One kicked the Tupperware bucket. I probably should have returned it. Does that stuff have a lifetime warranty?

Oh, honey I've been to lots of parties since then. I can't recall what the popular home decorating company was in the 1980's. Everyone had the stuff on their walls - sconces, mirrors etc. I was never wild about the stuff. Home Interiors, that's it! When I worked at First National Bank, it seemed like somebody had a party nearly every month.

Home parties are popular because it gives chicks a chance to get together. There are usually refreshments - food and sometimes alcohol. It can give ladies a chance to show off their homes. The attendees feel compelled to purchase something, though I'm better about "just saying no" than I used to be.

I once went to a Beauty Control party at Mendy's house. We did our colors - establishing which "season" we are. I'm a winter. I know - with my lilly white skin - you're not shocked about that, are you. I bought a few things, but generally dislike stuff I have to order when I can purchase perfectly good makeup at a store without the hassle.

I have attended several Longaberger Basket parties - even before my baby sis got into the biz. Mary Faber used to be a basket lady - she even talked me into having one of the only Chick parties I ever had. I did something wrong when I sent the invites though, and few people showed up. Someone said they didn't get their invite (I know...likely story...) Mary felt sorry for me though and still let me have my big basket at half price. I'm lucky that now I have my Betso connection and can get my baskets and pottery from her! I'm fixin' to get all new everyday pottery in April when it's on sale.

I've also been to a couple Premier Jewelry parties. What's that one that sells cooking stuff? I got a great mixing bowl from that outfit. Every once in a while someone at work puts a catalog out there for orders.

I must say, the strangest party I ever attended was the sexy stuff one Bobbie had - back in the early 90's. She even invited her mother-in-law! There was racy lingerie, sex toys and lotions and the like. We were able to make our discrete orders away from the other party-goers. Even today I still have some flavored oil that should probably be tossed. Does mocha oil go bad?

And I probably shouldn't tell the story about the sexy underwear I left in Jud's suitcase (I forgot it in one of those side pockets), when I borrowed it for a romantic getaway weekend for Pablo my sexy Poolboy and me.

I just hope Jud never found the racy undies...as I'm sure it would warp him for life...sure did make me laugh when I discovered them the next time I borrowed that bag for a work meeting though! Still brings a smile to my face.

Ah relief

The world is a brighter place when one does not have a migraine. After three days of fighting migraines and taking meds for them I finally didn't get one. It used to be when I got a headache, it was the old fashioned kind with pain in my head.

Now they can come in many forms. Usually burning eyes and teeth. But yesterday my head actually pounded like the bad old days. Taking the medicine does help, but it also wipes me out. Especially after two other days of taking it.

Today I have a new lease on life - no stuffy nose, no eyes that hurt. Life is good. Even though the weather is bitchin cold! I do love my heated seats in my car. Someone said there are cars with heated steering wheels too - hmmm  that would be nice!

Last night I got in my bed, and it was NOT hot. I have an electric blanket, and it was turned to HOT, but wasn't. You see I had forgotten to turn it off that a.m. - and the thing has an automatic OFF. Evidently that thing works. So I turned it off and then on again. Slowly it warmed up. Yay!

At work we had an emergency meeting to discuss proposed legislation. A group of legislators is studying ditching the bottle redemption law along with our present waste diversion goals - which is a big part of my job. I use a formula to figure the rates now.
The proposed bill would really throw a wrench into the present systems. The legislative sessions are like that - we have to be ready to react quickly to requests. Makes life interesting. Our boss Brian has to attend the committee meeting tomorrow to answer Qs.

Winter doldrums

I'm there. Yep...the winter doldrums. It's freaking cold out. It's Monday...and the week in Des Moines stretches out ahead of me. I wish to be home - in my own house.

Hmmm while I'm on a roll...the gov and the legislature is going crazy, spitting out potential bills that have bad implications for our department, DNR and me. While I agree, the present trajectory of the state unions does not seem to be sustainable, I don't like the gov's union buster mentality. Isn't there someone reasonable out there - without a stake in the game to help pave the way to a reasonable situation for all? In our staff meeting this a.m. Alex read off the proposed bills. The gov won't let the DNR legislative liaisons register for or against bills without his permission. It's downright depressing.

This afternoon I got another migraine - a pounder this time. I had one yesterday too. I've been getting more lately, ever since fall. A year ago I started taking Topamax, which worked wonders for a while. But not so much lately. Good thing I'm going to see the doc in a month.

So...enough with the whining. Marco Island is a mere 2 months away!

Latte with my buddy

Top - must be from a canoe trip to Van Buren County. Bottom - this fall ISU vs. Utah football (damn - we look better today, don't we??)

Just back from a two hour latte break with Deb. I needed my Debbie fix. Last weekend we were both out of town. I spoke to her on the phone for a few minutes to get caught up, but it's just not the same as being with her.

The first time I recall ever seeing Debra Imming Peterson she was hugely pregnant with Keith - so it was 23 years ago. She came into the bank - FNB when I was working there. I may have just found out I was preggers with Jud and was in awe of her rotund pregnant belly!

Then we took a parenting class together - Keith was an infant and Brett and Amy were 3ish. The two youngsters would be with "teachers" while the parents got parenting tips from Jill Glantzman and Mary Faber? (then McCann). We learned about things like how to use "timeout" instead of spanking. They were correct that most of us have no idea how to parent. So we imitate our parents - even if their styles sucked! I think McFees were in the class too.

One of my fave things about the class was to hear the other parents tell about problems they'd had with their kids during the past weeks. I thought most of their stories made Amy seem like a little angel in comparison! We were either lucky or Amy was being parented really well...prolly a combo.

After Jud was born, Mary Faber offered to get some boy sleepers from a friend whose son had outgrown them. Yep, it was Deb. Then they moved to Mason City, so I thought we'd never see each other again. No so fast - when Jud was around 3 they moved back! (boomerang movers!) Neither of us was working full time, so Deb ended up coming over for coffee (sound familiar?) so the boys could play - Brett and Amy must have been at school. I found out she was really nice - and was on my way to finding a BFF. (though I didn't yet know it...)

Through the years, with our children in the same St. M grades we spent a lot of time hanging out due to kid activities. But we found out we had lots in common! Three sisters (though she's the over-achiever eldest, and I'm the well-adjusted third child). We grew up together as we went through stages of our lives.

We canoed, and then got smart and bought kayaks! That gave us a great venue to spend time together. We've taken some cool trips and have shared history, dreams, angst, fears, sadness, joy and laughed until we cried. We've talked about our childhoods, families, children, husbands, sex lives (Deb is kind of an expert, since she's the Planned Parenthood Manager). We always hopes our voices didn't carry over the water when we talked about that stuff... We discussed health, mental states, careers, and parents' health and deaths.

When we're not kayaking, we make time to take walks together, have her over for some wine (Pablo likes to hang out with her too cuz she's so easy to talk to), or like Saturday - go for latte. We also hang out in a larger group though I'm sad that due to my DSM job I can no longer participate in the exercise group. But I still get to do Monday breakfasts!

Besides my husband, Deb knows me better than anyone. Our political persuasions are very similar - perhaps because the fact that we've grown up together. Deb too grew up in a conservative family - so I don't know how the two of us grew to be socially liberal. So that's another thing we can commiserate about.

Every gal should have a Deb in her life! I'm a lucky girl. I have a Pool Boy and a Debbie.

I miss my friend Lisbeth

I've finished listening to the Stieg Larsson Millenium Trilogy. "Girl with the Dragon Tattoo" "Girl Who Played with Fire" and "Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest". The three books on CD amounted to around sixty hours of listening pleasure.

I did it kinda backwards. I had tried to read the first book - Dragon Tattoo and fizzled out on that a couple years ago. I just couldn't get into the book and took it back. Then last year I'd heard people talk about the books, and became interested again.

I've blogged before about how I enjoy listening to books while I commute. In some ways I like listening better than reading! Hard to believe as I've been a life-long reader. But I read so fast that sometimes I miss things. When I listen, I'm forced to hear every word. (Unless I space off).

Last November I went into the Waukee library and found #3 of the trilogy on CD. I began to listen and was immediately sucked in! The series is set in Sweden - where I went with my mother in 1983. (We also visited Norway, Denmark and Finland) The reader has an English accent, yet he can do other accents which he needs to do in the course of the book.

The book is told from a variety of viewpoints, and I grew to love Lisbeth of course (unloveable as she is...) and Mikael. I also liked many of the "bit" characters - Larsson was great at framing them and giving them personalities. He often went into great detail into their histories to give us insight into their personas. I liked Lisbeth's boss at the security company - decent guy, and Makael's sis. Needless to say the bad guys were very sinister and dispicable!

Book 3 was very satisfying! Unfortunately I then knew I had to listen to the rest of the books. Merely reading would not do. I lucked out and found Dragon Tattoo just before Christmas. Ah...more listening pleasure. It started slowly - good thing I knew it was worth sticking with! No wonder I bailed out the first time I tried reading it. Exciting by the end though - especially once Lisbeth is introduced.

Last week I finished up Fire. Again - started slowly. But excellent once it got going - and answered so many questions I'd had from the other two books. Why was Lisbeth the way is was? How did her father end up in that position? So I was actually sad last weekend when I finished up the last CD.

I almost need to go through Book 3 again - just to hear the reader again...not right away though. So sad the Stieg Larsson dropped dead of a heart attack November 2004 after he wrote the books. Evidently he left no will causing strife between life partner, Eva, and his father and brother. Check out the website. http://www.stieglarsson.com/the-truth-about-stieg-larssons-legacy

The Swedish version of the movies based on the books have been popular, and now there are US version being made.  Hope they're good!

SnOprah the storm

is over! I could have made it to work today. Instead I was snug as a bug at Joan's - who by the way didn't get home last night from her job at FedEx until about 8:30 PM. And that was after going in for a 7 AM start. She was dead tired after a stressful day of dispatching drivers for pickups and deliveries - some to closed businesses.

Tonight when she gets home we'll be performing snow removal. I don't know how to do the snowblower or I'd start now. I can, however, run a shovel. And I did so to scoop the snow chunks away from the air vents for the furnace.

I'll be ready to go to the office after working at home all day. And just after lunchtime I will have enough hours to head home to Creston. It sounds like the roads should be okay. And it may even warm up to the double digits by then. I hope Paul was able to talk Odie into going outside last night before she exploded! (She refuses to go potty in blizzards - wind/snow - not her thing).

How do you spell

RELIEF..in an Iowa blizzard? Massage. So I scheduled one for today. I've got some comp time hours built up, so I left work early and drove to Waukee - roads weren't too bad. And there at her home salon Chris the masseuse did her thing. She found the knot that has formed in my shoulder due to the stress of work and driving in bad weather. And she worked it baby! Warm table, calm music, low lights. Ah...

Oh...it hurt so good! The knot makes an actual noise when she works on it. Crunch. I set up a half hour massage but she worked on me longer than that - the consummate professional - determined to defeat the knot! I tipped her this time - which I've not done before as she says "no tips". She protested, but I insisted, dammit. (sorry about swearing Chris - she's a minister's wife) She also gave me some tips on what to do to remind my shoulder how to relax.

I think my should needs to drink lemondrop martinis. That would relax it! But as we know, lemondrops have lots of calories. I know I'm on Weight Watchers Maintenance now, and boy did I maintain last week. Lost a whole .2 lb! Course I ate really bad stuff all weekend - including a huge sloppy Clone Cone (ice cream in Cyclone colors) at the ISU basketball game.

After my massage I went to Joan's as the weather was deteriorating - crappy wind! Oprah had a show about going Vegan. They were going to show slaughter houses. Ick - I'm out. Not watching that! So I flipped the channel to Ellen - very funny! Julianna Margulies and Kevin Nealon were on. Both were hootilicious. Kevin had Ellen in tears...of laughter. And Julianna, star of my fave show "The Good Wife" seems to be a very cool lady. Quite delightful, especially compared to seeing animal slaughtered...

Just what the doc ordered (not the blizzard part) but a massage and an afternoon of TV...