Fight for Air

January 27, 2010 – 2:24 pm

OK peeps, I’ve gone and signed up to do something completely insane awesome. On March 6th, I will be participating in the 2010 Fight for Air Climb: Master the Met, a stair climb race to benefit the American Lung Association. A bunch of girls from my work, other friends and I formed a team called The Social Climbers, and we will be raising money and then climbing the 42 flights of stairs that are housed by the Metropolitan Building in downtown St. Louis.

OMG, 42 flights!! What have I gotten myself into? My office is on the 5th floor of my building, and when I take the stairs I am gasping for breath by the time I get to to our floor. Now multiply that by 8.4, and I’m pretty sure I’ll be a heaping mess of sweat and tears and wobbly legs when I’m finished. IF I finish!!

Needless to say, it’s time to start training. We’ve got a hotel next door that has ten floors, so I plan to use that for training, since our building only has six. Climb ten, ride the elevator down, and do that three more times. Easy as pie, right? Right?

But as I huff and puff I can’t help but think of the people who fight for air all the time. People with lung cancer, asthma, COPD and influenza. These are the diseases that the American Lung Association is fighting to cure.

More than 35 million Americans suffer from chronic lung diseases and nearly 349,000 die each year as a result. Chronic lung disease and breathing problems constitute the number one killer of children under one year of age. The economic effect of asthma is tremendous- lung diseases cost the American economy $81.6 billion in direct healthcare expenditures every year, plus indirect costs of $76.2 billion – a total of more than $157.8 billion.

So, I am climbing for those who can’t. Will you help me by donating? I’ll even give you extra incentive. If I can raise $500, I will wear a tutu during the race, and I will post pictures afterwards to prove it. (If you read Chez Rougie, I kind of stole the idea from her, but I’m the one who showed her the tutu in the first place. If you’re not reading her, you should be. She’s hilarious.)

Click here or on the logo below to go directly to my donation page. Or if you’re feeling frisky, join my team and climb with me!

Thank you SO much for your help and support. I’ll keep you updated on my training. We’re having totally kick-ass team t-shirts made with the logo above and our names on the back. I’m trying to decide on a good name, because I really don’t want to use my boring name. Maybe something like “Killer”. Suggestions?

Also, I’m going to need some awesome music for my iPod, so if you have any good suggestions in the comments for songs that will get me and keep me motivated, please let me know in the comments!

Thanks again!

By justmeandthevoices | Posted in Stuff I Like | Comments (19)

Mr. Hollywood

January 25, 2010 – 3:14 pm

I’ve already told the story about how my mother married my best friend’s father and we became stepsisters. What I haven’t told you is that not only did I gain a stepsister, but a stepbrother as well, four years my junior.

When we were young, my sister and I would torture him by locking him either in his room or outside. It was always HER idea, however, because I would never do something so cruel without provocation.

As we got into our teen years, we pretty much ignored him. We did our thing, and he did his. We were into dance, drill team, boys, etc. He was into writing songs and making movies.  He and his friends would record songs like “Pass The Shit” (I am totally not joking), which had no purpose other than for them to be able to curse a lot. There were many others for which I have sadly forgotten the titles. If only I had MP3 files of them.

Then came the movie-making. He would take our gigantic VHS recorder and film all kinds of interesting movies, most of which made no sense. I remember one line went something like this, “Don’t call me Dick, my name is Richard!” (I think it was supposed to be a sex scene. )

Fast forward a bunch of years. His love of film-making never died, and so he went to film school at USC. He wrote and directed a short film which won him a college Emmy and selections in several film festivals.

He worked at E! for a long while, but has now hit the big time as an assistant editor for Grey’s Anatomy. I get so excited when I see his name in the end credits. Although, you can’t blink or you might miss it.

So, basically I’m waiting for him to give me my big break. So far I’ve got diddly squat. He did invite me out to tour the Grey’s set, which I’m sure once I do, they’ll see my potential and hire me on the spot.

Anyway, I’m rambling.

Today is Mr. Hollywood’s birthday, and he has grown up to be such a wonderful man. I’m constantly amazed by his quick wit, and he always has me cracking up, whether in person or online. His Facebook posts are priceless, and he does a wicked Mick Jagger impersonation.

He is one of the most loving and caring people I know. He called me on Mother’s Day once, and it was so special. My kids LOVE him, because he actually likes being around them. He taught both of my boys to play chess, and they even beat him sometimes!

He got lucky and married a wonderful woman, and together they have a beautiful son, who I don’t see nearly enough! But we’re hoping to visit in March so I can get my big Hollywood break.

So here’s to you, Mr. Hollywood. Hope your birthday is filled with love, joy and laughter!

Your big sis,

By justmeandthevoices | Posted in Family Fun, Introductions | Comments (8)

Thirteen

January 11, 2010 – 6:00 am

My dearest son,

Today you are 13. How in the world can that be? How did you go from being this tiny, helpless baby to a TEENAGER in such a short period of time? I know it seems like a long time to you, but for me it’s like an instant has passed.

When I found out I was pregnant with you, I was ecstatic. I had always loved babies, and I knew that motherhood was at the top of my list of things I wanted to accomplish in my life. But when that pregnancy test came up positive, I couldn’t believe it was true, so I rushed to the store to buy two more, both of which were positive. Holy crap! I was going to have a BABY!! Your father was so happy, too. You were loved from the minute we knew you existed. And that love that has never, ever faltered.

My pregnancy was uneventful and normal, although it went much too slowly for me because I was so anxious to see you, to be your Mom. Toward the end, I was having some big-time back pain, and I felt that if I could just take a big poop I’d feel so much better. (I know this is TMI for you, but humor your mother, please.)

I went to my last appointment on a Friday and begged the doctor to induce labor. I threw in some tears for good measure. Naturally he fell for my dramatics, and I was told that we should arrive at the hospital at 11:30 p.m. on Saturday night, so they could get me admitted right at midnight. (for some insurance reason, I don’t know.)

I called Grammy and Gramps and told them you’d be arriving soon, so they planned to drive up the next day. However, a couple of hours later, Grammy called back and said they were going to head out that night instead of the next day and drive halfway. She had a “feeling” that I was going to go into labor soon, and wanted to be ready. I chalked that up to her excitement.

That night around 10:00, my back pain suddenly got much worse, so much so that I was on my hands and knees in agony. But after about a minute it was gone. ALL the back pain I’d been experiencing in the last couple of weeks was gone. What a relief! I went on folding laundry, and about 20 minutes later I got that same horrible pain. Lasted a minute and it was gone. AHA!! I was in LABOR! Grammy was right! (as usual) ;-)

I woke up your dad to tell him I was in labor, told him to go back to sleep and that I’d let him know when it was “time”. I couldn’t sleep, so I just stayed up timing my contractions. Once they got to be 5 minutes apart, I called the doctor and he told me to come on in to the hospital.

We arrived around 4 a.m., and I immediately asked for an epidural. They wouldn’t give me one, because my contractions were about 6 minutes apart at that time, and they wanted them to be closer together before they gave it to me. Jerks.

They had me walk around the hospital to try to get the contractions to come more often. I did this for about an hour, and it didn’t work. So, they decided to give me this medicine called Pitocin which not only speeds up the contractions but also makes them MUCH stronger. Sweetheart let me tell you, labor HURTS. But labor with Pitocin is much, much worse. (This is the guilt portion of the story which I will probably bring up periodically throughout your life.) Thankfully I only had a couple of contractions before they gave me the epidural.

(Now, let me tell you something here and now, son. Someday when you get married and your wife is in labor, make SURE she gets an epidural. She will go from Satan’s bride to an even-sweeter-than-normal version of herself in mere seconds. Instead of digging her fingernails into your hand while screaming, “YOU did this to me!!”, she’ll be professing her love for you endlessly.)

Suffice it to say that I LOVED the epidural. All was right with the world.

All I had to do then was wait until it was time to push. After a few hours, that time came. I’ll leave out the gory details (you’re welcome!), but I pushed for about 30 minutes and you were out. As soon as I looked down and saw you I said, “Oh my God!”. I was just so shocked and awed that there was actually A BABY, a real person, in there! I was overjoyed.

And that was just the beginning. Throughout your 13 years, you have brought me more joy than I have ever known. And I am so proud of the young man you’ve become.

You are so smart that it boggles my mind sometimes. I hear you talking about the things you’ve learned in school, and I’m amazed at how much you know. You get straight A’s in school, and I never have to help you with homework. Thank God, because I’m pretty sure you know more than me at this point.

You are also such a wonderful person. You’re outgoing, kind and loving. You have lots of friends, and people enjoy having you around. I’ve been told by many adults what a great, well-mannered kid you are, and that makes me so proud!

You’re also an excellent sportsman. I’m in awe of your physical abilities in the sports arena. You’re always up for the challenge of playing up with kids who are older than you, or for trying new sports like swim team. I wish I had your natural talent. (I’m pretty sure you got that from Dad.)

And of course, you’re damn good-looking. I’m sure the girls will be all over you any time now, if they aren’t already. Are they? You’d tell your mother wouldn’t you?

One more thing. Even though you bug the crap out of each other at any given moment, you really are an excellent role model for your little brother. He looks up to you so much, even though you don’t realize it. Thanks for being such a great big brother.

I could go on and on about the wonders of you, but you’re probably getting all embarrassed by now and wish I would just stop already. OK, I will. But not before I say that I love you and I am so honored and blessed to be your mother. I will ALWAYS love you, no matter what. Thank you for being my son for 13 years.

Happy Birthday, Alex. Today we celebrate YOU. :-)

Love,
Mom

By justmeandthevoices | Posted in Family Fun | Comments (13)

Resolution Disillusion

January 4, 2010 – 2:13 pm

New Year’s Resolutions make me stabby. There’s just so much PRESSURE. We make these big proclamations, resolving to quit smoking, lose weight, be a nicer person, etc. Then by mid-February we’re back to our old tricks and habits, feeling like giant losers for not sticking to our resolutions.

This is exactly why I don’t make resolutions. Instead I think about things I MAY want to try to do better, IF I feel like it. This year those are as follows:

1. Blog more often. Apparently the folks at my work think that I should actually work instead of write blog posts. I know! WTF? But it should be slowing down here soon, so I might be able to achieve this one.

2. Exercise more. My youngest asked for a mini-trampoline for Christmas, so I bought him an Urban Rebounder. I figured he’d like it for a couple of days and then I’d get to use it for myself. And I’ve been doing just that! It’s quite a workout, and I’m really liking it. So much that I bought all the different workouts they have on DVD. There’s like 14 of them. I figure if I have a lot of variety I’ll be more apt to stick with it.

3. Drink less Starbucks. So far, this isn’t going well, since I already got a mocha this morning. But hey, it was the first day back at work, and I slept like crap last night. I needed some energy. Plus it was 4 degrees this morning and I was cold. And yes, I could have gotten some FREE, low-cal coffee here at work and gotten the same buzz. But nothing replaces that mocha-y goodness…

Ones that didn’t make the cut:

1. Work harder. Seriously people, do you know me at all?

2. Go on a diet. Isn’t it enough that I’m exercising? I can’t take the pressure of a diet.

3. Watch less TV. Ummmm, no.

4. Spend less time reading other people’s blogs. Again, no. You people keep me going. It comforts me to know that others are just as insane as me.

5. Curse less. No fucking way.

So how about you? Do you make resolutions? If so, what are they?

Happy New Year!!

By justmeandthevoices | Posted in Deep Thoughts, Insane Ramblings, Rants and Raves | Comments (16)

Happy Birthday, Daddy-O!

December 22, 2009 – 8:00 am

OK I know it’s been a LONG while, but I’ve unburied myself from my pile of work, and my vacation, to write this very important post. I hope you all are having a wonderful holiday season!!

Today is Daddy-O’s birthday! I’m 41, so he must be 85. Right, Daddy? OK maybe I’m off a bit. 67? 68? Hell, I don’t know. He’s old though.

Even though he’s old, he’s extremely talented. He can whistle through his eyes (seriously!), move his scalp without touching it, make cricket noises, cross one eye, and all sorts of other cool stuff (some of which, he’s passed on to me).

Dad with 50 grapes in his mouth. Also note that one eye is crossed. That's talent, people. Pure and simple.

I have so many good memories of him from my childhood. Like the time he got his wisdom teeth pulled. We were sitting at the dinner table and all of a sudden his eyes started rolling around in his head. My brother and I were cracking up, as he was always quite the jokester. That is, until he passed out on the floor. Which, at the time was kind of scary, but it cracks my shit up now to think about.

Or the time when I got my finger stuck in the hole at the top of my brother’s football helmet. We tried the usual methods to get it out, to no avail. But my dad is an engineer. One with lots of tools, and a mind for solving problems. So he decides to DRILL A HOLE in the helmet right next to the hole where my finger was, then file the little section in between so my finger could be freed, Yes, it worked. But people, I was like FOUR. Try to reason with a 4-year old about why drilling mere centimeters from her finger is a good idea.

Uhhhh, a little help here?

Sweet freedom, and scarred for life

But, in all seriousness, he’s the best Dad a girl could have. He is supportive, loving, genuine, hilarious and fun. He taught me that I could be or do anything I wanted in life (even when I told him I wanted to be a frog). He encouraged me to try things, even when I was scared.

Like that one time in Colorado. I was about eight years old, and we’d taken the T-bar to the top of the bunny slope. Because it was my first time skiing, I was scared shitless to go down that huge “mountain”, and was making quite a fuss of it. He’d had enough and basically told me, “You’re going to do this.” So, I just did it. And LOVED it. I spent the entire day riding up the lift and skiing back down (with no poles) directly into the lift line again.

So here’s to you Dad. Hope your birthday is filled with love, joy and laughter. And know that no matter how old I get, I’ll still be Daddy’s little girl.

By justmeandthevoices | Posted in Family Fun | Comments (5)

Feel the Fear and Yada Yada Yada…

November 13, 2009 – 3:56 pm

I have a list of things I would NEVER do. Things like bungee jumping, skydiving, base jumping, etc. And until about three years ago, scuba diving was on that list. I’m pretty sure it was the movie The Abyss that cemented that decision for me. All that heavy breathing. And dark, scary waters. I still get all hyperventilate-y when I think about it.

Nature Boy and I were planning our honeymoon in Jamaica, and he suggested I get my open water diver certification so that we could go scuba diving while we were there. Once I got up off the floor from laughing so hard, he said, “No really, you’d like it.” Then he showed me a video from a diving trip he’d taken many years prior. It looked kind of fun, but the water! The breathing! The sharks!

I thought back to the time when my mother was going through the same experience. She attempted to get certified for a trip, but ended up having a panic attack during the pool training. I’m a lot like my mother, so I thought my fate might be the same. But I’m also pretty damn stubborn, so I decided to face my fear and sign up for the certification classes.

On the first day of class, we spent about half of the day in a classroom learning about pressure and other stuff I can’t remember. (You probably don’t want to be my scuba buddy. I don’t think I’d be good in a crisis). After lunch it was time to get in the pool. The first thing we had to do was swim 10 laps. Holy crap, I thought I was going to die. But I guess that was the purpose, to make sure we didn’t die swimming a measly 10 laps.

Finally, we got all the scuba gear on and proceeded to do all these tests in the pool. We’d go down 10 feet to the bottom of the pool and we’d have to perform whatever task was assigned for that section. Things like having your airway turned off, using someone else’s respirator (Shit, is that even what it’s called? Ventilator? Hell.), taking off your entire tank and putting it back on underwater, etc. We’d be down at the bottom for 30-45 minutes at a time without coming up. This? Freaked me the hell out.

During these exercises, the majority of the time was spent sitting on the bottom of the pool, just waiting for my turn. Waiting and listening to nothing but the sound of my own breath. In and out. In and out. It was the most claustrophobic feeling I’ve ever experienced. I also felt very alone, even with ten people around me. It was just me, my breath and my anxiety-ridden thoughts. It still makes me a bit panicky just to write about it here. I could definitely relate to my mom’s experience. When I was in the water like that, the outside world seemed so far away, and even non-existent. There were several times where I almost had to surface because I was getting so freaked. But each time I’d pull myself through by trying to relax my breathing, telling myself that the surface was a mere 10 feet away.

Surprisingly I actually made it through the two days of pool training with no major issues. I was pretty proud of myself, but I was not looking forward to the next step, the open water dive. We did the open water dive certification in a spring-fed quarry in Mermet Springs, IL. Used only for diving, the quarry is home to many sunken objects such as cars, trucks, motorcycles, school buses, boats, small aircraft and even a Boeing 727.

Like the pool training, we were required to perform certain tasks in order to pass the course. But we also got to browse around the quarry, with supervision, of course. The scary thing about the quarry is that it was pretty murky, so I didn’t have a nice clear view of anything until I got right up on it. I got up close and personal with the giant catfish (some of them albinos) who were thankfully oblivious to my presence.

At the end of the second day we made the journey out to the 727. It took us about 15 minutes just to get out there. Once there, we started at the tail, which sits 15 feet under the surface and worked our way down the top and sides of the massive plane until we reached the nose, whichlies at a depth of 60 feet. In August, the water temperature at the nose was a bone-chilling 50 degrees, so we didn’t stay down there for long. It was a spectacular sight to see, for sure.

All in all, the open water dive was MUCH better than the pool training. I was too distracted by all the cool things to worry that much about being scared. Not that I was completely fearless or anything, because I certainly had my moments of trepidation. But it was official now. I was a certified Open Water Diver.

A month later Nature Boy and I got married and went to Jamaica for our honeymoon. We scheduled our dive mid-week during our stay, and of course I ended up with food poisoning the day before, spending a good portion of the afternoon and evening praying to the porcelain god.

The next morning I still wasn’t feeling 100%, and I almost backed out. But I thought of all the work I’d done to get this far, and decided to go for it. And I’m so glad I did, because it was AMAZING! We went down to about 30 ft. and stayed down for an hour or so. We saw tons of coral (which sadly was pretty dead), lots of gorgeous fish, and even a stingray lying on the bottom of the ocean floor. So cool.

I liked it so much that we went out the next day for a 60-foot dive. I’d never been that deep before, but in the ocean the difference between 30 feet and 50 feet seems like nothing because it’s so clear and there are so many wonderful things to keep you enthralled. We got to explore inside the reefs, not just hover above and around them like the previous day.  Again, so damn cool.

I was and still am very proud of myself for pushing through my fear, because in the end the rewards far outweighed the things I had to overcome to get there.

Sadly, I’ve been forbidden by my doctor to ever scuba dive again. And I’ve got an 8-inch incision in my skull to prove it. But that, my friends, is another story. (Hey, I gotta keep you coming back, right?)

What’s something that you’ve done that you were really afraid of? In what circumstances did you “feel the fear and do it anyway”?

SIGNATURE

By justmeandthevoices | Posted in Uncategorized | Comments (17)

Boycott

November 3, 2009 – 11:13 am

Wow, folks it’s been way too long since I’ve posted! I’ve been so busy at work. I’m not talking just a little busy, I’m talking about, “Hi, I’m going on a shooting spree, care to join me?” busy. And I’ve had quite a few takers on that offer, as a matter of fact. Thankfully the body count is still holding at zero.

The big news from the last couple of weeks is that we have a new addition to the family!

Meet Chloe!

Meet Chloe!

Chloe2

Chloe is approximately 7-8 years old. Like Kaia, we got her through a puppy mill release (more on that in a minute) about a week and a half ago. She’s much bigger than Kaia (24 lbs compared to Kaia’s 13 lbs.), but she’s such a sweetheart.

Thankfully, she and Kaia are getting along very well. They snooze on top of each other during the day in their little hidey hole corner. And, to my total surprise, last night I caught a rare glimpse them playing together! They love going for walks with me, and their stamina seems to be better than mine.

KaiaChloe

Double Trouble

I already love her so much that I’m probably going to keep her too, just like Kaia. (Apparently I’m kind of crappy at this fostering thing. At some point I’m going to have to stop adopting them.) Thankfully, Chloe’s life will be a good one from now on. But let me tell you about her life before being rescued.

As I said above, Chloe came to me via a puppy mill release. In this release, there were over 300 dogs, many of whom were pregnant females. This would indicate that it probably wasn’t a voluntary surrender, but more likely a bust. Puppy mill owners aren’t going to voluntarily surrender a pregnant female, because that’s like giving away cash.

The most disturbing part of this release is that the mill was run by the Amish. Yes, the peaceful folk that make all the beautiful quilts and yummy baked goods. I was shocked, too. I’ve since learned that they are one of the worst offenders when it comes to puppy mills. They see the dogs as livestock, as a cash crop and nothing more.

In order to keep hundreds of dogs on their property, they often have to debark them so they won’t be heard by the public. This is usually done by jamming a metal pipe or its equivalent down the dog’s throat to scar the vocal chords. They also oftentimes perform c-sections on the females, without any veterinary presence, and with no anesthesia.

Don’t believe me? Watch this video:

http://abcnews.go.com/Business/story?id=7187712&page=1&page=1

When I picked up Chloe, she smelled so bad that I took her to Petco for a bath before even bringing her home. Her nails were so long it was difficult for her to walk. Once we got them trimmed she was somewhat better, but she had no clue how to walk on carpet, tile, grass, etc. She kind of pranced for a couple of days, lifting her legs up really high as she walked.

She is missing several teeth due to no dental care. I shudder to think of how they handled a dog with bad teeth. Did they just let them rot out of her head, or did they pull them with no anesthesia? Either way, I can’t imagine the pain she must have endured.

She just received all of her shots, and remarkably got a clean bill of health. Next week she will be spayed, have her teeth cleaned, and get microchipped. She will live in the lap of luxury for the rest of her life. No more pregnancies, no more puppies being taken away from her, no more living in wire cages without a solid bottom on which to stand.

But what about the rest of the countless number of dogs in puppy mills around the country? Sadly this is a shady business, and most of them never get caught.

So how can you help put puppy mills out of business? Hit them where it hurts, their bottom line. NEVER buy a puppy from a pet store. Adopt. Rescue. There are so many wonderful, beautiful dogs out there in need of a home. And if you want a purebred, be sure and use a reputable breeder. Do your research and visit the breeder’s facilities!

As far as the Amish are concerned, I’m sure not all of them run puppy mills, so I’m trying not to persecute the entire lot. But you can bet your ass I’m not going to be buying any Amish quilts, furniture or baked goods in the foreseeable future.

SIGNATURE

By justmeandthevoices | Posted in Chloe, Furry Things, Introductions, Kaia, Rants and Raves | Comments (20)

Incidents and Accidents…And A Light At The End of the Tunnel

October 16, 2009 – 1:30 pm

Wow, y’all. These past couple of weeks have been insane. Here are a few items I’ve had to deal with:

1. Last Thursday I got rear-ended at a stop light. It was a rainy evening, and I had just stopped at a yellow light. The guy behind me, however, didn’t stop. Thankfully he wasn’t going very fast, and he had insurance. My car is crunched in the back, but it will be fixed soon.

Ouch!!

Ouch!!

2. Because of the accident, I will now be going to physical therapy twice a week for at least four weeks. I wasn’t hurt, but things definitely got shifted around in my back and neck. I saw my x-rays yesterday, and they weren’t pretty. Physical therapy is great, but it takes time out of my day, which during  this time of year, is precious.

3. Right after the accident, I came home to discover that my dog Kaia had a severe case of diarrhea. Wow, people. Just wow. I won’t go into details, because I’m sure you can imagine. But I took her to the vet, got her some medicine and she seems to be all better now.

4. Work has caused me to step out on the ledge for the better part of two weeks. There’s busy, and then there’s sitting under my desk in the fetal position, sucking my thumb and rocking. Guess which kind of busy I was? But thankfully, things have slowed enough for me to step back off the ledge, at least for a while.

But the light at the end of the tunnel, my great reward, is that I get to visit my best friend this weekend. I’ll be driving to Nashville tomorrow, with my noble steed sweet dog at my side. I am so excited, because not only do I get to hang out with the chick I love the most, but I get to play with HER:

OMG! Legwarmers!!

OMG! Legwarmers!!

Don’t you just want to eat her up? Those thighs are simply munchable! And I seriously want some legwarmers now. Why should babies have all the fun?

We don’t have anything special planned other than just hanging out and having girl time, (not THAT kind of girl time, perverts!) something I really never get. And we’ll stay up really late, like maybe 9 pm or so.  It’s going to be something straight out of Girls Gone Wild.

I’ll be sure to tell you all about it when I return. In the meantime, have a wonderful weekend!

SIGNATURE

By justmeandthevoices | Posted in Furry Things, Miss M, Stuff I Like | Comments (24)

Excuses, Excuses

October 6, 2009 – 10:02 am

It’s been *gasp* almost TWO WEEKS since I’ve posted. Sorry about that (as if you really missed me, HA!)

Work has been kicking my ass, and since that’s where I write this blog (shhhh, don’t tell my boss), I haven’t had time to update it. It’s our “busy season”, and I don’t see it getting much better for a couple weeks.

But I will try and get on here as much as I can, to entertain you with tales of my extremely exciting life. Also, my reader is quite full of unread posts, so if I don’t comment, just know that I still love you!

One update: The devil dog is gone. No we didn’t kill him. He went to a different foster home that was better equipped to handle him and help him with his “issues.” Hopefully he’ll be successfully rehabilitated and be able to find a forever family very soon.

Over and out!

SIGNATURE

By justmeandthevoices | Posted in Uncategorized | Comments (13)

Guest Post: The Day I Married A Princess

September 23, 2009 – 10:27 am

I am SO lucky to have my wonderful husband as the author of today’s post. Today is our two-year anniversary, and he’s absolutely the best husband in the world!

For those of you who have read Suzy’s posts you may know that I’m not very keen on having my family’s everyday activities posted on the internet. I’ve been somewhat supportive of Suzy’s writing but I prefer to keep my life, our life, more private. I’m trying to get more comfortable with all of it. Today, however, I am making an exception. Because today is the day I married a princess.

It was September 23rd. We planned a small wedding in a beautiful park that overlooked the Mississippi River. High up on a bluff, the location could not have been more perfect. The weather was cooperative in that it did not rain, but it was hot, too hot for September. We all endured through the heat however. All of our children stood up for us. Suzy’s stepmother, an ordained minister, officiated the wedding. It could not have been more perfect.

What I remember most was how beautiful my princess looked. I was stunned. I should not have been, because I knew she was beautiful, but this day was special and so was she. I’m still amazed that I have her in my life. But it was her inner beauty that attracted me to her, not to mention her determination, several years ago. Her joyful spirit is something that I love so much. I feel privileged to be surrounded by her positive energy. Her smile, her quirky sense of humor and her crazy laughter, her beautiful brown eyes looking into mine; all things that I cherish. I am truly blessed.

Happy anniversary Suzy!!

Thank you for all that you have brought to my life (except, maybe, the dogs). :) Thanks for putting up with all my dysfunction. Thanks for being there for me. Thanks for being my best friend.

And I’ll always be here for you. I’ll help you raise your children. I’ll save your little dog from certain death. (That’s another story in itself!)  I’ll protect you from Blanco Diablo and I’ll cook dinner for you, fresh from the garden!

I love you babe, always and forever!!

No, thank you, my sweet husband! Thank you for writing this and for feeling this way. Thanks for protecting me, cooking for me, and putting up with my quirks and wackiness. These two years have certainly been a wild ride, and I wouldn’t trade them for the world. I love you more and more every day!

Happy Anniversary!

SIGNATURE

By justmeandthevoices | Posted in Deep Thoughts, Nature Boy | Comments (22)