Still Waiting for Harry's arrival....

Track your package




Track Delivery
Date                         Time               Location                       Event Details

November 30, 2010 05:56:00 AM Fredericksburg VA US Out for delivery

I’m expecting! It’s a boy and I’m naming him Harry.



OK, now that I've got your attention – it is not what you are thinking, well, perhaps if you know me well enough you may know exactly what I'm thinking! You've read of the tales and woes of my computer issues of late and I just couldn't take it anymore. So today is my due date, the date that I'm due to receive my brand new fancy schmancy laptop. Yep folks, read 'em and weep and you too can have laptop-envy. I've been plugging along with my Dell laptop for a while now and it just can't handle all of my needs. (Sorry Dell you've been a good friend). Sometime today I'll be holding in my hot little hands a brand spanking new HP Pavilion laptop with an Intel i7, 6GB of ram and a 1 TB hard drive (7200 rpm even!) and {insert drum roll please} a beautiful 17" screen!

I can hardly contain myself. I think it's kinda funny that I ended up with an HP laptop because of my love of all things Potter'ish – so I guess I'll call it Harry.

E is for...

Eiffel Tower

I really, really would like to see Paris and the Eiffel Tower in person. I took French in high school and college and have since been fascinated with France. Even though I can’t speak it fluently when I’m awake, I often have dreams entirely in French. It is rather bizarre. The closest I’ve gotten to the Eiffel tower or anything French was in EPCOT or at Kings Dominion. Someday I’m sure I’ll see it, just not any time soon.


Europe
I would really like to travel to as many European countries as possible. Just a few months ago I enjoyed a brief trip to Ireland and got bitten by the travel bug. I would love to see Italy & Greece specifically – I’ll have to put those on my wishlist.


Everyday, things I do
Walk the dog, do dishes & laundry, get and give hugs & kisses and ‘I love yous’, drink coffee, check email, wear jeans.
See also: uniform, unconditional love


Eighties chick
Pour Some Sugar on Me... Def Leppard, now those are my boys. I’m an eighties chick all the way. And, of course I can’t forget my man Rick Springfield. There are too many others to count but if I hear songs from either one it just takes me back to a simpler time. Just take a second and listen and you can almost smell the hair spray. Big hair, tight jeans and neon colored laces on my hightops. Like, oh my God, totally rad, like, for sure. And, yes my hair was really that big!
 
This is one of many installments on the ABCs of Me's. Each week I will feature a different letter of the alphabet and a few corresponding entries on yours truly. This project was inspired by a class I took at Big Picture Classes (Me: The Abridged Version) which was based on a book called Encyclopedia of an Ordinary Life.

Care for a slice of….diaper cake?

I'm making an effort to take my creativity off the computer on occasion and into the world of imperfect ribbons, uncooperative tape and impossible bows. I recently went to a baby shower for a neighbor and thought I'd spice it up a bit by making this adorable diaper cake. Before leaving for supply shopping, I told my daughter that we were going to make a diaper cake. Judging from the upturned nose and puzzled look on her face, she was more than confused. I continued to recite our shopping list as we were walking to the car. "And we'll need some diapers and pretty ribbon and some toys and a bottle to stick in the middle of the top." She told me that she would be happy to help me. I said "Great, what part do you want to do?" She said "I'll hold the phone so I can call the fire department if the diapers light on fire in the oven!" That's my girl, always looking out for her Mama.

D is for...

Drinks, always have to have one

Wherever I go, I always have to have a beverage. I have water bottles in my purse and all over my car. It’s usually my #1 choice ...well, except on weekends.
See also: coffee, liquid relaxation


Diets, tried them all
Right before our wedding I did the NutriSystem diet and it worked wonderfully. Since then I’ve been on and off every diet known to woman. Jenny Craig, Atkins, Weight Watchers, you name it!
See also: overweight


Dinners, family
Some of my fondest childhood memories were at the dinner table, with all six Ohsieks sharing our days and laughing. I’m happy to say that we have continued that tradition in our family and at least 5 nights a week we have dinner together just the four of us. It’s a great way to catch up and stay connected!


Doodling, hearts
Whenever I get a pen in my hand I always draw hearts, and S’s and L’s in script – have always done that and now I have a daughter named Summer Lyn – coincidence?


Disney fanatic
We’ve been to Disney multiple times and even went on the Disney Cruise in 2005. I have at least a thousand pictures and dozens of pages of Disney alone. Can’t wait to go back!

This is the first of many installments on the ABCs of Me's. Each week I will feature a different letter of the alphabet and a few corresponding entries on yours truly. This project was inspired by a class I took at Big Picture Classes (Me: The Abridged Version) which was based on a book called Encyclopedia of an Ordinary Life.

I could’ve sworn I heard angels singing…

In case you are thinking this is some kind of religious epiphany, you can stop reading now. It is altogether a different religious experience… I made my first pilgrimage to the new Hobby Lobby in town. And, sorry to go all teenager on you, but OMG! It truly is a crafter's heaven. There were so many gorgeous items begging for my attention that I literally forgot why I went there in the first place. Their floral area alone was enough to rival a botanical garden (I'm not even into flowers and I was impressed). The home décor items are to die for. There was something there for every different type of decorating style. I did however manage to control myself and only made a few small purchases (and they were on sale at 50% off to boot, happy day for me). When I first walked in I thought, oh I'm going to be spending way too much time here. Little did I know that a mere four hours later I would be back for the second time! Yes, I did go twice in one day because as I mentioned earlier I had forgotten the item I went for in the first place. So back I went, this time with kids in tow so certainly not as much fun, to get the rocket kit for DS's camping trip this weekend. On my first trip I came back with the way cool signs below that I put up as a pseudo-backsplash behind my stove – I love it!

I feel a new decorating scheme coming on... I spotted a really cool clock that I just MUST have, hmmm, maybe tomorrow - three times in one week - could it be I have a new addiction? Stay tuned :-)

Why is my microwave bleeding?

I was shocked and a little creeped out when I walked into the kitchen and saw my what appeared to be my microwave bleeding little amber droplets onto my stovetop. Now I probably watch way too many scary movies and I have to tell you, if I had discovered this late in the evening while I was home alone I'm not sure that I would've opened the microwave. This also followed not too far after Halloween, so there was a slight chance that my crazy son or husband had planted a fake severed head in there. Fortunately, there was nothing disgusting to discover except alcohol abuse. My liquor cabinet is directly above my microwave and a bottle of Chambord Liquer had tilted over and was leaking through the cabinet and seeping out onto the top of the microwave and then dripping behind the microwave door and dripping out of the bottom, causing the pool of 'blood' on my stovetop. I hope that is the only time I see a reddish pool of liquid in my kitchen!

Byte Me! (& all hail Mozy)

As a digital scrapbooker my worst fear is losing all of my pictures and pages, so I have some backups in place.

1. Since my laptop is incredibly slow, I've moved all of my files to an external hard drive that I keep plugged in all the time.
   
2. All of those files are also backed up onto another EHD that I keep plugged into my desktop.
   
3. In addition to uploading all of my "keeper" photos and scrapbook creations to Shutterfly
   
4. I also backup everything offsite, online to Mozy to keep all of my metadata intact as well.
   

Overkill, you say? I think not. Let me tell you a little story about a cozy recliner and a clumsy ox. I normally scrap in my living room in a recliner. I'm able to be in the middle of everything – checking to make sure my son is doing his homework, that my daughter is reading, that dinner isn't boiling over and still be near enough so my husband feels like I'm 'watching' TV with him. So… back to said cozy recliner. The other day as I went to check on the progress of saving a file that was taking so long that I got up to walk away, I went to sit back down to get another file started and I stumbled. Now I'm not what most people would call "light on my feet" if you catch my drift. And, I stumbled and plopped very dramatically into my recliner landing ever so precariously on my laptop and EHD. So, I'm sure you can imagine what happened next – I retrieved my EHD from places it never should have seen (for those of you who have watched Mel Brooks' History of the World, imagine Dom Deluise saying "Here, wash this" and you'll get the picture, the rest of you will just have to use your imagination). The connector that plugs into the EHD was now bent and will not re-seat into the drive. So remember the part about moving ALL my data off my hard drive onto the EHD, well you can imagine my dismay. So I figure, no worries, I just backed everything up a week ago to my other EHD, so I'll just plug that in. Well apparently when my ever so delicate derrière plopped into the recliner I must've done something to my laptop as well, because now none of the USB ports recognize anything. So onto Plan C – enter Mozy – I have everything backed up on Mozy and am currently in the process of downloading everything that I previously uploaded for protection. So although it's taking a chunk of time, it's free, I don't have to buy a new hard drive or pay the Geek Squad $150 to transfer all of my data. I just have to be patient – so I'm still being tested after all, but at least ALL my stuff isn't gone. Although I did explode into expletives over the 5 hours I spent working on a Christmas gift that afternoon that hadn't been backed up anywhere just yet so that's gone, but it's still a relatively small price to pay considering the alternative. So EHD Byte Me! And thank you Mozy for saving what my butt ruined J

Note to self: Dance like no one’s looking

It's been so long since I danced. I'm not exactly sure why. I used to dance all the time, every chance I got. Weekends were all centered on where we were going to go to dance,what clubs had the best DJs, what we were going to wear to dance, when would be the next party, and the list goes on. Somehow over the years I stopped dancing. It didn't happen overnight. Just gradually, there were less opportunities to dance, life got into that settled (albeit happy) but content phase and movies on the couch or dinners with friends were more the norm. My husband is not a dancer, he's wonderful in every other way so that certainly wasn't a deal breaker, but it did make me a little sad. Maybe I knew all those years ago that if he didn't dance that I may not dance either. Well, I guess I did let that happen. Shame on me. A few weeks ago a wonderful thing happened. I was at a football party (of all places, because I am so not a sports person) and all of the ladies went to sit out on the porch and some this song came on that hit all of us and almost simultaneously we all just started dancing. It was like it was instinct or something primal - but boy was it wonderful. I am quite out of shape and it was exhausting and exhilarating and wonderful all at the same time. It brought back a feeling that I haven't had in a long time, almost a childlike happiness for no particular reason. So today, when I finally had everyone out of the house, with lunches packed and backpacks appropriately checked – I plugged myself in and sang at the top of my lungs with my spotted banana microphone 

and danced and twirled around my kitchen like a little kid just because I could – I feel awesome! I think I'm going to do this more often. So whatever you are doing right now – STOP – get up, crank up your favorite tunes and dance (even if you have to go hide in a bathroom somewhere) – it'll be worth it, trust me. Let me know how it goes – have a dancing day!

P.S. Thanks Julie & Trish

C is for...

Chocolate

Chocolate, one of my four food groups... just the mere mention of the word makes my mouth water. I can enjoy it in so many different forms. Chocolate milk, hot chocolate, mocha lattes, Hershey bars, Hershey syrup on chocolate ice cream, s’Mores, Cocoa Pebbles, brownies, M&Ms, chocolate covered pretzels, and the piece de resistance, {insert dramatic pause here} chocolate covered strawberries –mmmmm!
See also: addictive personality, food


Coffee
Up until age 40 I only loved the SMELL of coffee, but couldn’t stand the taste. I’m not exactly sure how it happened, perhaps my need for a caffeine jolt in the morning, but I started drinking it regularly. Now, I still don’t go for just regular coffee, of course, the picky part of me would never allow that, but rather it has to be some sort of flavored coffee. At the moment I am subsisting on Dunkin Donuts French Vanilla flavored coffee. This must be accompanied by a delicious creamer as well. I keep a variety in the fridge, from Chocolate Chip Crème Brulee to Caramel Latte and my current fave: Peppermint Mocha. Yummy. Caffeine and chocolate, a wonderful combination.
See also: addictive personality, chocolate


Cream
I scream, you scream we all scream for ice cream, whipped cream, sour cream, cream cheese, coffee creamer, cream puffs ~ you get the idea (I would’ve loved the Willy Wonka tour!)
See also: Jamocha Almond Fudge




This is another installment of the ABCs of Me. Each week I will feature a different letter of the alphabet and one or more corresponding entries on yours truly. This project was inspired by a class I took at Big Picture Classes (Me: The Abridged Version) which was based on a book called Encyclopedia of an Ordinary Life.

My workout gear has superpowers

Every so often I have visions of being skinny and fit. Those visions typically spur on the purchase of a new workout outfit, gadget or membership of some sort. These things are used passionately for about a week or so before they lose their new smell or appeal and into the pile they go. This particular pile must somehow be related to the infamous Sock Land (you know the place all of the missing socks go to hang out). However, my new gadgets take on their own superpower – the Cloak of Invisibility. Somehow they become invisible to my eyes and I only seem to notice them in pictures. For example, the aerobic step I just had to have for the Wii Fit Plus game (that I also had to have) now magically sits in plain sight in my living room, but I never actually "see" them. So, forgetting about all of my false starts and high hopes for the latest diet and/or fitness craze I've stumbled upon, I find it ironic that despite best intentions several times a year, I am still wearing the same old jeans (and they fit pretty much the same old way). So, when I ask myself again, where will I be in 5 years, or more specifically, what will I look like and wear 5 years from now, I think I may as well draw an X on my floor and take a picture of me in my favorite jeans and feel pretty safe that my answer is staring right back at me in the mirror. Now don't think I'm beating myself up here, not that I'm thrilled with the scary number that greets me on the scale on a regular basis – I am the happiest I think I've ever been in my life. So to stay happy if that means carrying around a muffin top in my beat up jeans, then so be it – it's just too bad that fat rolls are only cute on babies.

B is for...

Bryce

My little boy, my first born, my son. I still can’t believe that the tiny little boy I held in my arms in the delivery room has grown up to be a teenager who is now taller than I am. He is smart. Super smart. And inventive, always trying to figure out how to build things. He is a whiz at history and science, a magician with video games and pretty darn coordinated on a skateboard or bike. His hair has always grown straight out of his head, chia pet style and he has beautiful blue eyes. He is a born leader and a natural salesman. He is a voracious reader and an excellent writer. He once wrote a story with accurate historical references in it (which I could never do). He is an excellent cook and makes killer chocolate chip pancakes. He has a penchant for throwing together ingredients and making his own recipes which usually come out surprisingly well. We are always complimented on his manners. I love this kid ferociously and I think it’s awesome that he still gives me a kiss, a hug and ”I love you” every single day before he goes to school. I cherish that each and every time. Fortunately for us, he is a truly good kid. Thank goodness for that.
See also: Kids, What I Know About My


Beach, Ocean & Waves
I love the ocean. The sound, the smell, the feel of the sand between my toes and the sun on my skin. I even love it when it’s not summertime. Just to be near that open expanse of water and hearing the waves lap the shore - there isn’t a better place on earth. Someday I would love to live on water, someday.
See also: Jamaica, Virginia Beach, sounds

This is another installment of the ABCs of Me. Each week I will feature a different letter of the alphabet and one or more corresponding entries on yours truly. This project was inspired by a class I took at Big Picture Classes (Me: The Abridged Version) which was based on a book called Encyclopedia of an Ordinary Life.

Reservations for 3 new Dwarfs: Lefty, Gimpy & Blotchy

This was an email I sent to my parents in advance of our arrival at their home this past weekend.

Hi there!
We are very much looking forward to our visit this weekend! Just wanted to give you a heads up that we are a sorry looking crew this week and these are not our planned Halloween costumes. We will be appearing as three dwarfs that were left out of the movie: Lefty, Gimpy & Blotchy. The first is Lefty, our little blonde dwarf, who slipped on her own golden slipper left on the stairs. She is now sporting a lovely blue and white sling on her right arm. (Nothing is broken or fractured, just sprained and bruised). Next is Gimpy, formerly the child star Chubette, she is suffering from a heel condition known as plantar fasciitis which is a swelling underneath the pad of her heel. Ice & anti-inflammatories are in order for this dwarf. Our final dwarf, Blotchy, is suffering from an allergic reaction to BBQ sauce that he smothered on his face while enjoying some ribs at a neighborhood party. His name may as well be itchy & scratchy, but the Benadryl and Cortizone cream are helping in that arena. Other than that, we are wonderful and looking forward to our I-95 adventure on Saturday.


Love you lots,


Gimpy, Lefty & Blotchy