Just another day in paradise

Test entry

So I have been feeling the urge to write again - and why not write in my blog. I know I know what a concept. SO I am testing to see if this posting from email works still.

This is only a test

 
Miss Sarah W

I've been taking stock of this year - and I can honestly say, that 2010 will be better....not having a blood clot alone would knock 2010 out of the ballpark!!

Christmas was spent with my parents and sister.  Snow kept us in the house all day yesteraday - well until Charlie had to be taken out...we kept drawing straws to see who would be the sucker standing outside in the snow with a puppy who has ADD.  On the bright side, I saw plenty of movies including Inglorious Basterds and The Hangover.  I've also decided that my sister needs to stop tanning because when we take photos together I look like a made of marshmellow next to her grahm cracker.  

I came home early this afternoon and have spent the day catching up on teh 8 episodes of Glee that I had on TIVO. Relaxing. Hope that you and yours had a very Merry Christmas. 

An animal is trying to get out of my stomach

Since I have this new email route of posting - I thought I would share this with you....it is awesome. Stupid gym work outs waking up the tummy demons.

The other night my trainer told me I was looking smaller - so she suggested we just weigh me after the session - save the measurements for the end of the month. The scale stated I had gained a 1/2 of pound - now I know muscle blah blah blah.....but at this rate I will weigh 275lbs and be a size 2.....try that on for mental size.

I've hit a batch of the blahs....my normal holiday blues just a little later this year. I actually started taking down my tree the other day. Crazy right?

 

Waterworld

Last night on my way home, I received a call from my neighbour Sarah who also happens to be the condo board president...it seems that the pipes in the unit next to mine (currently un occupied, foreclosed and owned by Fannie/Freddie/one of those places) had sprung a leak and flooded part of the unit, its ceiling and the storage units below. The fire department was called and the unit was busted into so that the water in the unit could be turned off....except when they got in there the water was coming from the pipes in the ceiling....so the water for the whole building had to be turned off. The management company (sigh - worthless) was called and we were given the name of their emergency plumber. He was called at 10:20....and showed up at 2:00am. It seems it was the holiday party for
the plumbing company and um, spirits were bright.

You may be wondering why the pipes burst last night - I mean it wasn't particularly cold in Chicago - it had been worse this week....yeah, it seems that sometime between the renter moving out in June and the real estate agents "winterizing" the unit in September, part of the window went missing. So instead of putting in a new window they wrapped the open hole with cling wrap. yes. Cling wrap. Because you know - cling wrap keeps the cold out when there is NO GLASS. It also seems that despite all the notes the winterization team wrote about needing to keep the heat on....they themselves turned off the gas....they left the furnace running....but turned off the gas. They sound like a real brain trust don't you think? Since there was only storage below this unit, the temp keep dropping and when the pipes burst, it was about 33 in the unit.

When the other
Sarah first contacted me she told me that she thought it was my storage unit into which allllllllllll the water had drained. Of course, being Miss Sarah, everything in my storage unit was in Rubbermaid....but was that going to be enough to stop water that was coming from above? While in the cab home, I kept thinking of the large bag of photos I have from high school and college, the letters from my now deceased grandfather and other various mementos from the past 34 years. Thankfully, it is only a wall that will have water damage...everything else went into the storage unit next to mine. Bad for them - but I am thankful my memories were spared!! Time to stop putting off scanning those photos into Flickr!

Once the plumber showed up, I headed to bed since I had to be at LUSH in the morning to open. Needless to say, sleep did not come quickly since I was right next to the demoing of the ceiling to reach the busted
pipes which were then cut and capped.

All seems quiet on the home front today - water is back on. I am showered and clothes have been washed. I will be very happy if there is never another pipe burst incident in my life ever again.

 

Hot Diggity

I am trying the new blog email function - this will allow me to post during the day so I don't have to pull up my blog at work....ho ho ho. Get ready for lots of posts now everyone!

 

Thanksgiving in Ohio - always nice to see family....though some things never change - there was still a kid table (luckily I wasn't at it), some thing burns (ahem, the creamed corn I was making) and we are always happy to shut the door and have the house to yourself again.

My parent

Boo!

Surprise!  I told you I would be back.  So, how have you been? Good. Good.  I've posted the pics from Mexico on Flicker - you can access them from the sidebar menu (oh - that sounds so...so....I don't know, but un-Miss Sarah like for sure.)  I had a nice time, I believe Rich had a nice time, hell he got to spend time with me in a hot tub watching old cartoons and drinking beer - who would NOT have a good time?  There was even a breakage of my beach time only vow to see some ruins and go to Xel-ha which allows you to snorkel in both fresh and salt water. 

Before I left for Mexico, I had gone on serveral first dates....note the "first" there have not been any seconds...yet....

Your eyes do not lie

It is true - I am home on a Saturday night. I am home recovering from THE.WORST.COLD.EVER.  It was so bad I actually took a day off of work.  I know!! I know!  Being the giving person that I am I have passed it on to a few coworkers.

I suspose that I should actually take advantage of being home AND having all my laundry and dishes washed. (now please note I said the laundry was washed but not put away)  Eventually, tonight, I should actually finish the exercise tape I started (and when I say tape I mean dvd)  but it is so hard to sweat when your nose keeps running.

Sarah - never leaves you hanging

I'm here I'm here - so sorry to keep you waiting.....I hope you started with out me - the traffic was terrible, I lost my keys, the dog ate my homework etc etc.  Well at least I didn't go a whole month without posting.  So that is a bright side.

Ok - so since Aug 12th I have found that I am blood clot free, turned 34 and have started pimping myself in a manner that I did not think I would have to do - but I am always up for a challenge. Ooooh oooh ooh and I've also planned a fantastic trip to Mexico with Rich - we both are in need of some therapeutic Caribbean relaxation time.  I totally want to go zip lining when we are there - I am so excited, yet scared crapless about it.  So we will be going - I won't tell you when - I need to keep a little mystery in my life.

Day and Lush jobs are going just fine - the Vic is finally speeding up - which is nice since I missed so many shows due to the clot earlier this year - it was weird not having my stash of cash over the summer on which to rely.  I actaully had to *gasp* budget.  The horror - the horror.

I should finish this wine and get my self ready for bed - tomorow Court and I are going to a cake decorating class in the morning - they told us to bring cameras to document the fun - so I will do that.  Hopefully I will be able to turn out a good cake  and not produce something henious like the glass ornaments we attempted a few years back..

All I wanted to do tonight

was have some fun...well fun in the form of a bubble bath, some bubbly and my bed.  That was the plan at 5pm - but I did get to get some groovy ass stuff for the Woodstock show on Saturday - I mean what are the odds of finding the perfect hippie esque fring vest at Target????

The past few weeks have been wild - work work and more work. But that is what I like - I love the day off I have here and there.  Mom and Dad got their puppy - he is adorable,. I will get to meet him this Sat - expect pictures! 

I need to finish my roots - be back tomorrow morning.