On the move again....

So this morning started the official packing and relocation of our stuff to Knoxville, TN. When we moved from MD to FL, I was fortunate enough to miss out on the whole packing and loading experience. However, when the stuff was delivered to our house here....I had to navigate my way through the boxes immediately after entering the front door. The hope is that won't be the case when we find our new house in Knoxville since we downsized in FL. Of course Tracey thinks...bigger house, more stuff. I don't think so chick :)

Stayed tuned as I am sure there will be plenty of fun experiences for us to share with y'all as we venture north. I am about to start putting bumper stickers on Tracey's pool table as it has started to get quite a few road miles on it over the last 3 years. Let the latest adventure of Casa de TNT begin!!

Alisa

Florida Update

I've been avoiding posting a blog because I haven't been able to organize my thoughts. I realized it's been way too long and so I decided to just post an update, no matter how scattered it may seem. Hopefully you can follow along.

I finally got down to Florida full time on Friday, May 15th, which just so happened to also be the closing date of our house in Maryland. Because we are a corporate relocation we didn't have to be at the closing. The relocation company signed papers on our behalf.

The animals (2 dogs, 3 cats) were picked up by a pet transporter (who knew there was such a thing) on Tuesday the 12th from me in Maryland and delivered to Alisa in Florida on Wednesday the 13th. Everybody seemed to arrive without any troubles. The dogs were confused but excited to see Alisa, and the cats went off on their sniffing tour and weren't seen for about 2 days. But, I'm here now so all is right in their worlds again.

I've been told that car insurance is insanely expensive in Florida, so I finally agreed to become a 1 vehicle household. Alisa has her work truck so I guess we're still a 2 vehicle household, but we are only paying for 1. On Tuesday I sold my Monte Carlo. I have 'an unhealthy attachment to inanimate objects' as I've been told, so I'm not ashamed to say I shed a couple tears as my Monte was driving off. But I'm happy to report it's not as bad as I thought it would be. I think the Silverado is helping to alleviate my pain.

We hope to close on our house on June 5th. Until then, we are all staying in the small temporary apartment. Fortunately we are allowed to stay in the apartment until the end of June, so we can have plenty of time to clean, paint, or do whatever we need before we actually stay in the new house.

It has rained everyday since I got here, and it's been almost 2 weeks. Alisa has been telling everybody that I brought the rain from Maryland. Nevermind the fact that this is Florida's rainy month before hurricane season hits. Thank goodness I didn't get here in June or else I'd be blamed for the hurricanes.

Back in Maryland I was selling stuff off, and just on a whim I posted Alisa's grill for sale. Who knew that sucker would sell? Thank goodness Alisa was excited to buy a new grill. I picked it up today actually, and the part she likes the best is the beer ice bucket and can opener. I'm so proud :)

I'll post more unorganized thoughts later. But for now, I'm in florida, and it's freakin HOT.

A Non-smoking update

Who knew the day would come when I don't think about smoking on a daily basis anymore. Well, I'm here to say, the day does actually come! I had to stop and think of how long it has been since I became a non-smoker. 7 months!! And a big fat WooHoo for me! I don't normally pat myself on the back for stuff, but throwing out the smokes, is worthy of a major pat on the back. I have found that when I spend time in some bars that still allow smoking, I almost can't stand the smell on my clothes when I get home. I actually put all of my clothes in a separate area so they don't stink up the closet. How Alisa tolerated that smell for so long, I have no idea. How did I tolerate that smell? It's amazing how things change. I feel like I should wear an air freshener around my neck just to make it up to Alisa. She sure wins the tolerance award for the last 5+ years. I finally rounded the corner and realized how bad it smells, so I won't go back to smoking. I am very confident of that. We have been mostly living separately since the end of January, so if I haven't picked up smoking again because of that, then I won't pick it up again. And you know what? I never even wanted to. And that is AWESOME for me. If you never had to go through the stop smoking process, then you won't understand why this is such a big achievement for me. Although Alisa never smoked, I know for a fact she knows how hard it was for me, and she appreciates what I've gone through. She saw me slap on patch after patch for the first 8 weeks, and if we left the house and I forgot a patch? She turned that car around so I could get my patch. She was as dedicated as I was. Thank goodness for her support, she really helped me to become a non-smoker. And now she finally gets to reap the rewards. We now have a smoke-free home. Don't get me wrong, I still have my ashtrays here, but they are outside. Smokers are welcome in my home, but they just need to step outside to light up.

I won't lie. I did have to avoid smokers for a while. But I'm finally able to be around them again. I can smell the sweet goodness of a cigarette, and just enjoy it without wanting to smoke one. I liken it to enjoying the sweet goodness of coffee brewing, but I don't want to drink the coffee. It took a while to get to that point, but I'm finally there, and I am so proud of myself I can't stand it. I pass my old stores where I used to buy my smokes and I see the prices. No thanks.

7 months!! I am awesome! Usually Alisa would roll her eyes when I say something silly, but she will agree with my awesomeness about becoming a non-smoker. She's the main reason I was able to do it :)

Stay tuned for updates during the move :)

Tracey's Day of Adventure in South Florida

So Alisa had to work today, which means I was left to do my own thing. Not a difficult thing to do when it's sunny and 75 degrees. I decided to take the GPS, hop in my car (I haven't seen it in a month), and hit the road. Surely with a GPS I won't get lost. Of course, that's only if you turn on the GPS. I start off figuring I know where I need to go first, and I do get there very easily. Then I get back out on the road and I see Macy's. That was one of the stops I wanted to make, and I found it without the help of the GPS. Bonus! I wheel into the parking lot and head into the store, proud as a peacock. As I'm perusing the store, I see 'mall entrance'. Mall entrance? I'm at a mall? Holy crap. What mall am I at? I actually start to go into a mild panic because I know I've only driven a few short miles, and I definitely didn't take a mall entrance. I froze in Macy's, and called Alisa. She asked how I was making out and I said 'uh, I'm sorta at a mall, but I don't know what mall I'm at'. She giggled, then asked me to describe my surroundings. I said Macy's and she informed me I was at the Pembroke Pines Mall. WHEW! I've been to this mall before, but apparently I took a different route. If I had taken a few minutes and actually walked the mall before calling Alisa in a panic, I would have recognized it. But anyway, I manage to make it back to the apartment without the GPS. I'm pretty proud of myself. The fact that I traveled a total of about 10 miles today is not important. It just means we have a lot of amenities near us, which we're totally excited about. Back in Maryland, nothing was within 10 miles of our house. Alisa has already admitted she's spoiled by the convenience of stores down here.

So I get back to the apartment this afternoon, and I start laundry and start prepping for dinner. I'm in Florida, shouldn't I be lying by a pool or on a beach? I should not be watching soaps on a bright sunny Florida day! But, I digress.

I went on an adventure today, just to try to get a little more familiar with the area. I didn't venture far, but I did manage to remember my surroundings, which is a biggie around here. I may be from Cincinnati, but we didn't have intersections that were 6 lanes wide, 4 ways, with U-turns allowed. This is a whole new ballgame. And when the light turns green? If you hesitate for even a millisecond, you'll get honked at. You don't mess with the traffic down here. Even Alisa, little Miss Smalltown, let out with a 'the gas is on the RIGHT'. I was in the passenger seat and I did the only thing I could. I held onto the 'oh shit' handle above the door. I wasn't sure who this person was who was driving, but she sure got my attention! I also had a tear of pride in my eye. My little country bumpkin is becoming citified. And she's lovin it.

I need to get down to Florida soon because she is talking way too much about selling my car and getting a Jeep.

I'll update soon!

My Mom has lost her Ever-Lovin Mind

Once upon a time, when I was a little children about the age of 14, I wanted to get my ears pierced. But I was scared, so my Mom agreed to get her ears pierced again so I wouldn't be so scared. So there we were, having a mother and daughter moment. Mom getting her ears pierced for the second time, and me for the first time. A few years later, I wanted to get my ears pierced again, for the second time. I went to the ear piercing place but they said I had to have a parent present. I was only 17 so I had to go home and drag my Dad back to the mall. He told the lady it was ok and I got my ears pierced again.

Fast forward a few years, when I'm in my mid-twenties and want to get my ears pierced for the 3rd time. I talk to my Mom about it and she very quickly informs me that 3 piercings is trashy. I consider her thoughts, and I get my ears pierced for the 3rd time.

Fast forward again, about 15 years, to present time. My Mom hit 60 and she has started a 'phase' all her own.
So, this is tattoo #5. I asked her if she remembered telling me that 3 earrings was trashy. She does remember it, and she actually says it's still a little trashy! I asked her how many tattoos she has and she told me to shut up.

Don't get me wrong, I have nothing against tattoos. I want one myself, but I can't decide what I want to live with forever. Maybe I should wait until I hit 60, when my skin has mostly settled into where it's going to be. I don't really need to get a rose or something on my shoulder and have it slide down as I get older. Yikes.

Or what if I were to get Alisa's name on me somewhere? It would be just my luck that in 30 years her name would become stretched out and look all goofy.

Maybe my Mom is onto something after all. We all think she's lost her ever lovin mind, but in fact maybe she is showing how smart she really is. Mom's really do know all.

My Mom still wants us to bond over a tattoo. Maybe we will. Someday.

But only when Alisa won't have a coronary.

A Brief Update

Well, we're in the process of moving to Florida. And I say 'we're' in the process, when actually Alisa has already moved to Florida at the end of January. I'm still here in Maryland, trying to sell our house like a 2 dollar whore. We are technically living apart, seeing each other every 2 weeks. I have very quickly learned, if any more than 2 weeks apart is OK with a couple, then they aren't very close anymore. We are dealing with the 2 week separations as well as we can. Knowing it's only temporary helps. We use webcams, IM's, and of course that ancient thing called a phone. I still have all the animals with me, so Alisa is missing all of us. She is living the life in south Florida, hence the reason I call her every day. She needs to remember she has responsibilities she left behind in Maryland. HA!

I made a trip to Florida a few weeks ago. It was the first time we saw each other for a few weeks, and I didn't hold back. Of COURSE I hugged her like I hadn't seen her for a long time, and I even snuck a kiss on her cheek. I didn't want to be obvious but I also wasn't going to hold back just because someone might find it 'awkward'. Alisa didn't flinch at all, and I thought she might. South Florida is working its wiles on her. She's getting more comfortable in her skin, and finding that people don't really blink an eye about sexuality. This is a huge eye opener for both of us, and I'm really anxious to get down to Florida so we can experience this completely together. My next trip down to Florida just happens to be planned the weekend for Ft. Lauderdale Pride. I think we may actually make the 15 minute drive up to see the parade. I've been to one several years ago but Alisa has never been. Won't she be surprised at what she sees!

So, there it is. We're selling our house in Maryland and moving to Miami, Florida. I thought Alisa would have a more difficult time than I would. I grew up in the big city and she grew up in the country. Turns out she hit the big city running, and I'm the one who is playing catch up.


We'll keep you posted.

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas! I hope Santa was good to everyone, and more importantly, that everyone had a good time with family/friends.

I needed a place to vent, and I originally put this over on my Myspace blog, but it occurred to me that people may not read my Myspace blogs, so I thought I would copy it over here. I guess one could take that to mean I'm making sure everybody reads my thoughts, no matter how they may try to avoid them.

Christmas Day is supposed to be a blessed event, a relaxed day filled with peace and love. If that's the case, then why wasn't my day filled with peace and love? It was mostly filled with silence and ignorance. And a valium and a cooler of beer.

To make a long story short, Alisa accepted a promotion within her company, which just happens to be in Miami, Florida. So we're moving in the very near future. Alisa told her Mother we are moving, and boy isn't it a treat now being around her mother. Her Mother says Alisa is choosing work over family. Her Mother says Alisa doesn't want to be around her family anymore. So I suppose in an attempt to guilt Alisa into not moving, her mother has decided to pull the silent treatment. Maybe I should state here that Alisa is 31 years old. What's that? Old enough to make her own decisions for her own future you say? WOW, what a concept. Can somebody please tell her mother that?

Traditionally, on Christmas day, we have several stops to make, starting with her parents house. Initially I was just going to meet up with Alisa at her Uncle's house later in the afternoon, just to avoid her mother. But after giving it some thought, I realized that I couldn't let Alisa go thru what could be a potential explosion on her own. So we went to her parent's house around noon on Christmas day. We walked in the house, announced MERRY CHRISTMAS, and we were greeted by her dad and brothers. Alisa's mother completely ignored us. I didn't realize adults actually did the silent treatment. I know I experienced it from younger adults (actually teenagers who didn't get their way) but I don't believe I have ever seen it in an adult. It's pretty embarassing, for them I mean.

I guess I have a question. Do people (especially adults) really think the silent treatment will influence a decision? Does somebody really think that when someone makes a decision, and someone else doesn't like it, that if they pull the silent treatment, then that decision will be changed? I feel sorry for whoever may think their silent treatment will change a decision. This silent treatment is only pushing Alisa away quicker. Not only does she want to move, now she says we won't be coming back for Christmas next year. This year was just too stressful, so next year, we are going to gather 'round the palm christmas tree and sing Feliz Navidad :) Of course Margaritas will be flowing.

Thank goodness for the rest of Alisa's family. Everybody else is being very supportive, which seems to be helping. Her Grandparents have given the 'anything you need' speech, and her uncle and aunt have also said they will do whatever we need to help make this transition easier. Even her goofy little brother Bradley, he sees free vacations in his future. And you know what? I'm very close to just buying him a plane ticket to come visit when he doesn't have school. I believe he is good for Alisa. He may be a little nutty, but he's a good kid. Alisa loves spending time with him.

Anyway, so I guess I'm done venting. I hope Alisa's mother will realize that she isn't putting work before family. Alisa got a job promotion. Most parents would be happy for their children. Alisa is trying to further her career. Her career in the company means she will have to relocate. We won't be in Florida forever, in a few years we will probably have to relocate again, so Alisa can move up in her company. How can a parent not be proud of their child for progressing in a nationwide company? Maybe someone needs to let her mother know that there is life outside of Garrett County.

Merry Christmas! Or as I'm going to be saying this time next year...Check me out and my spanish...

Feliz Navidad y prospero ano y Felicidad! (That would be Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!! Thank you Jose Feliciano!)

Rosetta Stone, here I come.

Where has the time gone....

So I am enjoying breakfast and purusing the internet this morning and realize it has been a looonnnggg time since either of us have posted over here. Apparently this is what happens when you become addicted to MySpace. Toss in the fact that MySpace now has a nice little application for my Blackberry and well...no posts on Blogger.

Soooo...I figured it was time to update everyone on the happenings at the Casa as of late. The animals are well....crazy as ever. Seems though that Rascal (aka Crack Dog) isn't so much of a crack dog anymore. Apparently Austin has now taken that title over. His favorite hobby...chasing cats and boy do they LOVE that...lol. Tracey is still a non-smoker and I am so proud of her for that. I have been very busy at work with projects and trips....which is not unusual. Tracey is in between jobs at the moment so while that is happening, she has a new title....AB (aka Alisa's B**ch)....lol. Who knew that job even existed. Something tells me though that is why she is so aggressively trying to find a new job title...the pay is horrible.

So that is a brief summary of the happenings in our world. Nothing exciting, just entertaining.

What to do when you can't talk....BLOG

Well, so much for thinking I only had a cold. Turns out I have Tracheal Bronchitis. What is that you might ask? I ask the same thing, so please let me know when you figure it out. I googled it and I came up with a bunch of bunk and one link that got my attention. Tracheal Bronchitis in dogs, aka kennel cough.

So there it is. I basically have kennel cough. NICE.

I woke up this morning and had absolutely no voice. That's never happened to me before. I've been squeaky, I've had the whiskey-janis joplin voice, but no voice at all? Never happened. I had to text Alisa to call my Dr. to get me an appointment this morning. I went to work, and as soon as I opened my mouth, the laughs started. Yeah, they aren't too compassionate at my work. Fortunately I was only there for an hour and a half before I had to leave for the Dr.

So at the Dr's office, she asks if I smoke. I very proudly said (whispered) NO, I just quit almost 2 weeks ago. She was obviously happy to hear that, and proceeded to tell me that my lungs were clear, so my infection was in my larynx. This is where she starts spouting off doctor stuff and I'm trying desperately to identify at least every other word she's saying. Really, I'm only listening for those magic words....'I prescribe', and 'antibiotic'. Finally I heard those words, but then she added some unexpected goodness to my visit. 'You need to rest at home, losing your voice is nothing to mess with, can you be off work'. Can I be off work? Did I really just hear that question? Well hell yes I can be off work. I don't remember the last time I had an actual doctor's note, but I have one now. I am to be off work for 2 days so I can 'recover comfortably, and not be tempted to talk at work'. SWEET. My orders are to take my antibiotic, and not talk. Not even whisper. Apparently I am to use hand signals or hang a dry erase board around my neck. Alisa leaves for an out of town work session on Tuesday, so being silent shouldn't be a problem for me for the next couple days. Tonight, however, was a bit difficult. I dare you to try to not talk to someone you live with. It's hard to do, even if you have no voice. When I want to get Alisa's attention, and no words would come out, I would make that clicking noise with my tongue. Sometimes I snap my fingers if she doesn't hear the clicking noise. Fortunately I'm not bothered that she's laughing at me when I do that. It really is comical to see. All I need is a helmet to make sure I don't lick the windows. Ohhhh, I didn't say that.

ANYWAY, I'm on my own for the next few days, 2 of which will be spent completely at home, alone, with the animals and no talking. This will definitely be an experience. Hopefully I don't drive myself bonkers. I will probably be online a lot, just to hang on to my sanity. I can't even call the dogs. I try, but nothing comes out. I wonder how quickly they can react to finger snaps and pointing? We shall see. So far they just look at me funny. As if they are saying 'Mom, why are you squeaking?' I think they only come to me out of curiousity instead of minding me.

Since I can't talk, I will probably blog again very soon. I need to talk SOMEHOW.

And yet again, off to my couch I go. One day I'll be able to sleep horizontally again. Sleeping propped up on the couch is WONDERFUL for the back.

*cough* g'nite *cough*

Excuse me, can I bum a smo....sucker?

So Day #11 is in the books, onto Day #12. I have to say, this is much easier than I ever thought it could be. Of course, I have to remind myself that it's probably easy because I have that nifty little patch on my arm. At first I thought oye, 8 weeks of patches, but now I'm thinking only 8 weeks of patches? I imagine when I reach that 8 week mark, I'll be ready to say goodbye to these stinky patches. Fingers crossed.

So, my reward for becoming a non-smoker? A cold. Yippee skippee, a freakin cold, with a cough that is far worse than any cough I ever had when I smoked. Talk about irony. The cough actually concerned me so I did some googling, and low and behold, once a person stops smoking, they can expect to cough, usually very 'productively', for 1-3 weeks. It's the body getting rid of all the crap in its system. Super. I stop smoking, I get a cold, and I have to sleep on the couch so I don't keep everyone awake at night. This stopping smoking thing is GREAT.

I had a coughing fit at work. One of the ladies there hollered from across the room 'hey, how's that non-smoking thing working out for you', sarcastically of course. I however answered her. IT'S *cough* GREAT *cough* bitch *cough*. She laughed, and went outside to smoke. Probably smoking one of the cigs out of a pack I had leftover and gave her. I stop smoking, I get a cold, I get a cough, I sleep on the couch, someone else smokes my smokes. YooooHooooo....where are you silver lining? Come out come out wherever you arrrrrre.

I have noticed I don't have specific days that are harder than others, I have specific times. Like right after a big dinner, ooh that's a biggie. Or when I'm taking the dogs out, that's a big one there too. Standing at the stove making dinner, I didn't realize how often I smoked when I made dinner. But apparently it was all the time. Let me just say, when a sucker won't do, there have been a few straws that have met their untimely demise.

So, the bottom line is I'm still on the non-smoking wagon, and surprisingly, no slips. There were even a couple days when I left the house in the morning and forgot to put on a new patch. I was a little nervous, but I didn't smoke, didn't even crave it. But that's not surprising, since I didn't normally smoke during the day anyway, only in the evenings. I know, crazy. But regardless of when/how often I smoked, it's still a challenge. The weekends are also tough, especially now during football season. Maybe I can make a pact with myself. Only smoke when my Bengals score a touchdown. I'll never smoke again.

So here I sit. Practically middle of the night, waiting to get tired to hopefully grab a nap on the couch in between coughing fits. I may be enjoying a beer, and I may be up late, but I'm NOT smoking. It's a process, and hopefully this stupid cough will go away soon so I can sleep in my own bed again and attempt to get back on my normal schedule. Sleeping on the couch makes me feel like I got in trouble, when in fact I'm trying to do the exact opposite.

Slapping a patch on every morning now seems more like a habit than smoking does. I wonder if there's a program to help me get off the patches?

Maybe me getting a cold is a way to help me get off the smokes. I never smoked when I had a cold, which means I would go 2 or 3 days without a smoke. Maybe I should have taken those hints.

Off to my couch I go. I hope to report back soon with a Day 22 report. I am a non-smoker now. If I slip, it means just that, I slipped, but I am a non-smoker. Yay for me!

*cough* G'nite *cough*

Mac attack....

I decided I needed to check out what all the hype is about Mac/Apple computers so I bought one. Let me just say right now...I love it!! I can't really explain why other than I am a big fan of the OS X operating system vs. Windows Vista. It is very user friendly and seems to run smoothly. Originally I got it because Mom started a new job with the local school system and they use Mac computers and I knew she would have questions that I wouldn't be able to answer unless I knew what the heck she was talking about. So that is my excuse that I used when I told Tracey I needed a Mac. She bought the excuse and I bought the Mac....LOL. Now I need an iPod Touch....you know the drill....you need accessories!!!

And in case you were wondering....Tracey is doing an outstanding job with her quest to become a non-smoker. I am so proud of her.....she made it through the first week with flying colors. And I have no bruises either....suweet!!!

My Journey to Becoming a Non-Smoker

So my journey has begun. I finally took that monumental step to becoming a non-smoker. I slapped a nicotine patch on my arm today instead of sticking a smoke in my mouth. This is when my willpower really needs to step up to the plate. I have done a lot of reading, I've had lots of suggestions from my friends who have become non-smokers, and I also have a CD, which I haven't listened to yet, but I have a feeling I'll be listening to it very soon. I've been told to use suckers, chew on straws, and I have pamphlets that have suggestions of what to do when you 'feel the urge to smoke'. Suggestion #8 in one particular pamphlet actually says to put 20 cents in a jar for every cigarette I don't smoke, and count the money I've saved. Yeah, ok. Now I have about $14.80 in that jar, and I still need a smoke. Suggestion #9 says to buy something special. Ok. I know what I can buy to make me feel better that would be special. A PACK OF SMOKES. This pamphlet has to be a joke. Suggestion #19 says to take a nap. What? I'm jonesing for a smoke, and they want me to fall asleep? Oh for the love of all that is holy. Yeah, I'll get right on that. Suggestion #11, surf the internet. Maybe these folks should know that when I surf the internet, I have a smoke. Suggestion #20 says to sing. Really? Well, they maybe onto something here. I can definitely sing. Not necessarily on key, but I can sing. So if I want a smoke at midnight, I should start singing? I'm sure Alisa would LOVE that. Suggestion #32, wash my dog. Are they serious? My dogs have to be bathed everytime I feel the urge for a smoke? Those poor dogs, but they would be the cleanest dogs in the world. Just when they are about dry from the first bath, they would get bathed again.

But seriously, I have begun my journey to becoming a non-smoker. Will I fail? NO, I know I need to become a non-smoker. I know what happens to long-term smokers, I'm no dummy. Will I slip? I hope not, but that's all a part of becoming a non-smoker. If you slip, you jump right back on that wagon and go again. I know how hard this first day is. Why would I want to have to go thru this first day again? That alone seems to be enough incentive not to slip.

I knew I was going to become a non-smoker. I initially set my non-smoking date at August 4th. Unfortunately, I had to deal with the unexpected passing of our dog, Morgan, on August 3rd. Rule #1 of becoming a non-smoker: don't attempt to become a non-smoker when there are other 'events' going on in your life. So, my date was postponed. I didn't set a new date, I decided I would decide at the last minute. And that's what I did. I realized I had mourned for Morgan, and I was ready again to become a non-smoker. So last night, Tuesday night, I handed Alisa my smokes and told her it was time. She hid her joy very well, and was super supportive in spite of me chain-smoking for the last few minutes. I gave her requests to get rid of all ashtrays and make my smokes disappear. When I got out of bed this morning, all of the ashtrays were gone, and so were all of my smokes.

So here I sit, with a patch on my arm, strapped on with medical tape because it was lifting a little bit, and my brain saw that as nicotine trying to escape. Alisa strapped on the medical tape so all that nicotine can stay where it needs to be. I have 8 weeks of patches. EESH. Suckers. Suckers. Suckers. That seems to be my saving grace.

One day down. 4 thousand billion to go. Wish me luck.

And Alisa? She's my saving grace. Willpower? If my willpower fails me, all I have to do is think of her, and know how happy she is just knowing that I'm becoming a non-smoker. I get hugged more, cuddled more, and kissed more since I don't have the smoke smell on me. Hopefully she will never have to kiss an ashtray anymore.

Oh, and P.S. Notice I didn't use the words 'quit smoking'. I was told a long time ago that those were negative words and we don't quit smoking, we become 'non-smokers'. Sounds good to me. I'm no quitter.

Here's hoping I can become a non-smoker.

Me and my gang....

So we all figured the day would come when Tracey and I would decide to get another dog as a companion for Rascal.  Last Friday we welcomed a new member to the family....Austin.  He is a retriever mix (we suspect a Spaniel), 5 months old, and just as sweet as can be.  He has made himself quite at home since he arrived.  Much to our surprise, Austin and Rascal have become good buddies very quickly.  By Saturday they were chasing each other around the yard and playing with toys and stealing bones from one another.  Rascal can't wait for me to let Austin out of his bed in the morning so they can run outside and play before Mom goes to work.  

We have discovered several things about Austin over the past few days.....

1.  He loves to turn our kitchen floor into his own slip and slide as he likes to dive head and paws first into the water bucket and then attempt to swim which then causes water to go everywhere.  Thank heavens for ceramic tile!!!!

2.  He has aerodynamic ears.  Literally, when he runs, his ears go straight back and he looks like he has a swimmers cap on...that's how tight they are to his head.  Too funny to watch!!!

3.  He loves the cats.   Austin thinks the cats should love to play tag and be chased around the house just like Rascal does.  He gets very upset when one of the cats decides that vertical elevation courtesy of the coffee table or end tables is their best defense to his advances.  What ticks him off even more than that......when they dive through the cat door and go downstairs where he can't get to them at all.

Needless to say it is chaos per usual at the casa this week.  But I have to say....it is great entertainment!!!

I should not be allowed to go anywhere alone....

So this week is another local fair. Lots of good food, good family time, and a hot tub purchase. Yes you read that right...we went to the fair and bought a hot tub. Now this is not just any old hot tub...this is a portable hot tub.

Basically we were suckered in by two selling points....

1. We bought the tub from "family".

2. We are even bigger suckers for 12 months same as cash purchases.

I discovered this wonderful little household accessory first on Thursday and promptly told Tracey that I wanted her to check it out last night. Per usual, she was skeptical. But thanks to Ellen, the very nice sales lady, she too was sold.

It should arrive sometime this week and we are already in full landscaping mode to prep a nice area complete with walking pavers and new deck steps down to it. Good thing we bought a hot tub because we are going to need it to sooth those aching muscles from the new landscaping project.

I really need to learn to say no....my wallet would love me for that!!!

Time heals all wounds.......

Every pet owner knows the day will come when they will have to say goodbye to their beloved family member.  Unfortunately Tracey and I had to experience this very recently with our geriatric dog Morgan.  Morgan would have been 12 in September and I have had her since she was a wee little pup of 8 weeks.  When I first saw her I had to laugh because I swore she would never grow into her ears.  She was a Labrador retriever with the sweetest disposition you could imagine.  She loved belly rubs, being my shadow, and peanut butter.  

The first time the two ladies of my life met, let's just say it probably wasn't love at first sight.  Tracey was intimidated by Morgan's size (76 pounds to be exact at the time) and Morgan had no intention of sharing me with anyone.  Needless to say, after a few weeks of getting to know one another, they were friends for life.

You may wonder why we called her our geriatric dog.  Well for about the last year or so, our evenings consisted of "pill time".  Morgan had her own senior pill container.  You know the 7 day a week one with the little letters (M, T, W, T, F, S, S) on each section.  Each week Tracey would drop two pills and one joint supplement in each slot.  I am convinced those two bonded over cheese, peanut butter, and pills every evening.  It was their special time.

Morgan brought much joy to my life and for that I will be forever thankful.  Even knowing the outcome, I wouldn't give up that time for any amount of money.  Just like Tracey and I, Rascal too misses his companion.  When Rascal first came into our lives, he so desperately wanted Morgan to play with him.  However, when she wasn't in the mood to play she would certainly let him know....she would take her large paw and put it on the top of his head and hold him to the floor until he relented.  She was Queen of the Casa.

We are convinced when she reached the Rainbow Bridge, she gave the Master what for about her opinions on thunderstorms.  Long story short...she hated them.  So much so, that she turned into a rather large lap dog during such weather events.  Of course monkey see, monkey do...Rascal was soon to follow.  And who was the lucky recipient sitting in the recliner under that mound of fur...you guessed it....ME!!!  

Rest in peace my furry friend.  You were truly the best.

It's Fair time again.....

One of the perks of growing up in a rural area is the tradition of the county fair. This week is our local fair and Tracey and I have went the past two evenings to watch a couple of concerts there. Now I think all of us can agree that without a doubt the food is the best part of the fair. I mean you have cotton candy, caramel apples, dippin' dots, fried oreos, french fries, milkshakes, funnel cakes, hot sausage sammiches, fried pickles...and the list goes on and on. Of course one must plan out the eating schedule when attending the fair. For example, Tuesday night was burgers and funnel cake night. Last night was pulled pork subs and fried oreos. Saturday night will most likely be cheese steak sub, fries, and cotton candy night.

Looks like I need to join a gym this week......

One other weakness that presented itself at the fair this week....5 little black puppies who are rescue pups that need homes. All I'm sayin' is is that Tracey better not send me to the fair by myself on Saturday night or we will be sure to end up with yet another creature in the house. Next thing you know we will have to buy a farm to support our growing animal kingdom.

5 Years, is that all?

Apparently I have a few updates to make in this one post. I’ll try to do this in order.

First, my 4th of July fireworks excitement. Several years ago I was banned from setting off any fireworks because we have a dog (Morgan, 12 years old) who gets absolutely petrified by the snapping and whistling and popping of fireworks. So I have been lighting sparklers the last few years, just to appease my firework addiction, and to make the rest of the family happy. It was a nice compromise for everybody. But this year, I found a fireworks tent that had their fireworks rated in regards to sound. A rating of 1 meant it was very quiet, no big noise or whistles or popping or anything, so I bought a few. WELL…

I came home, and that night (the 4th) I set off one of these fireworks. It was a cone thing that was just supposed to shoot pretty sparks in the air, but after the prettiness it started whistling, and holy crap, did Morgan start shaking, and needless to say, so did I. Fortunately the cone fell over and put itself out, so it stopped. I was in the middle of the driveway and I looked up to the deck where Alisa and Morgan were standing, and I could tell I was in trouble. I learned a very important lesson that night. Don’t believe a word the fireworks people tell you, they only want your money. After that fiasco, I went and got my sparklers and stood on the deck and swirled them. I looked so cool. I’m sure people driving by were thinking ‘wow, I wish I was her right now’.

Ok, so next on my list is our anniversary. Yesterday. 5 years. Hard to believe. Alisa says she can’t believe I’ve put up with her for this long, but I think the same thing about her putting up with me. She is right when she says we have both grown a LOT. We have learned what takes precedence, we have learned what needs to just roll off our shoulders, and we have learned what needs to be addressed. Basically we are an old married couple. I’m not complaining at all, by no means. Comfortable is one of the best feelings I have ever had. Knowing I will come home to someone, and not have to hide anything or pretend to be something I’m not, is absolute heaven.

We both sort of slipped on the anniversary gifts, but we managed to come up with something at the last minute. Alisa got me a 4 gig MP3 player, which I absolutely love. I’ve never had one so I’m an mp3 player dummy trying to learn how to download stuff to it. I did a little research online and found what the traditional and modern gifts were for the 5 year anniversary. Traditional is wood, modern is silverware. I decided to give her a regular gift (something Craftsman of course) , and also add my own personal touch of the traditional/modern gifts. Since traditional is wood, I gave her a firelog. If nothing else, it got a really good giggle out of her. For modern, I gave her a voucher that said I am officially giving the go ahead to pick out new dishes. She has been after me for a while for a new set of dishes, and since I’ve had my dishes for 15 years, I figured it’s time. She was pretty excited about that. Besides, I like things to have meanings. When we use our new future dishes, we’ll be able to say we got them for our 5th anniversary. What she doesn’t realize is we’ll have those dishes for probably another 15 years. Shhhhhhhhh, don’t tell her.

I still think our 2nd anniversary is the one that we’ll remember forever. That’s the year we officially exchanged rings in the guest room that I turned into a beach paradise. I keep bringing that up because I am damn proud of that day. Blown up picture of the ocean we took, a baby pool full of sand, and beach music playing in the background. I don’t think I have ever planned for something more than I did for that day. I guess it worked, because we’re still together, and we still talk about it. She wanted to exchange rings on the beach, and I was able to make that happen. WooHoo for me.

Life is good. Very good. My relationship with her mother is even getting better. Who knew. I think her mother is finally getting used to the fact that I’m not going anywhere, and I honestly believe she knows I make sure her daughter is well taken care of. The last few visits have been very nice, hardly any tension. I guess it’s true, it just takes time for some people to come to terms with their own feelings. Maybe 5 years is the magic number.

I have a feeling I'll have to come up with something pretty special for the 10 year anniversary. Alisa is petrified of ships, but she said we can go on a cruise for our 10th. I think I better get that agreement in writing. If anybody out there buys stock, buy stock in dramamine now, because it will only go up in the next few years.

Later :)

Can you believe it has been 5 years....

So today is our 5th Anniversary....who knew she wouldn't strangle me by now...lucky me!!! Gotta give Tracey credit though as she manages to run the household and the animals while I am running off to here and there all the time. Yes I know...it is a miracle that she hasn't poisoned me, burnt the house down, or got us kicked out of the neighborhood, but I must say she has grown a lot in the last 5 years...actually we both have.

So what to get her for our anniversary. Now I must admit I am the Queen of airport gifts and yes I was traveling Monday and Tuesday and yes I did wait until practically the last minute to get her gift, but I think I done good. What is it you might ask....well right now I can't say because she hasn't gotten it yet. I am sure she will update y'all later on it. And for the record...no it is not arsenic...lol.

Happy Anniversary Pookie!!

The Whole Fandamly....

So we usually have one family picnic over a holiday and it is usually over Labor Day. This year we received a special request to have it over the Fourth...which we did. So Sunday afternoon was spent with my family feasting on burgers, dogs, and plenty of other yummies. I have to say each year the picnics and quality family time gets better and better. My Mom and Tracey are now swapping recipes...who knew that day would come. My Mom and Grandmother gave Bud Light Lime a try and I believe the funny faces they made sealed the deal that they definitely aren't into flavored beer. Luckily that just means more for me...lol.

Good food...good drinks...good music....good pool equals a good time had by all.

Next up...the first annual company picnic at Casa de TNT. If it is anything like the Christmas party we are in for a hellava good time!!!

The Big Blog Combo of 2008

So I had this big ole blog typed up, but apparently my laptop has a button that should be labeled 'deletes all that was typed and never to be found again'. Nice. So I'm relegated to using the short and sweet version, which is too bad because I thought I was pretty brilliant in my previous never-to-be post. Damn.

Since we blog SO OFTEN (ha) we have decided to just combine our blogs and deactivate my blog, or de-blogivate it, or whatever you do to a blog. This way we can put all our pictures in one place, and we won't have to have a discussion over which one of us will blog about stuff. Last night Alisa asked me which one of us was going to blog about the new garage, and since she was poised at the puter with the blog site up and ready, I took the hint. Before I could say 'I think you should', her fingers got to tapping. So I'm moving over here now.

Who knows, we might get to be better at this blogging thing if we share it.