Meeting the parents...

Sunday was the first time James and I could spend an entire day together! He only gets one full day off a week, Sunday, and my 6 day work week is over! I was invited to family Christmas as his parents' house and I invited him to my parents' for dinner.

Breakfast and presents were fun at the Mackey household. I got to meet both parents, one of his sisters, her hubby, their unborn baby and their adorable dog. We had "special breakfast" which is really a breakfast sufle. Everyone got lots of great gifts and I felt pretty relaxed as the visit progressed.

We then went to the Planetarium for a 2pm show. I must say that I was disappointed. I have been there a few times, and this was by far the most disappointing show yet. I have been spoiled by Ed's great show delivery so this may have tainted my opinion. I will still go again, but will make sure that Ed is working!

Off to my parents' for dinner with them and Meghan. Dinner was great and everyone seemed to get along well. Meghan was telling us about the McMonagle's cat, Cookie, and I ended up spitting out my coffee all over the place because I was laughing so hard. Shockingly, James thought it was hilarious and not gross.

And, we had Tess, James' roommate, take a picture of us! We finally have a picture! We will be taking more pictures I am sure, but this is our first.

Update on The Manfront

I have been single for over a year. I know that I have said that I really could care less about my status and I meant it. I was happy just being me, learning about who I am now - not trying to fit into my previous mold. I wasn't exactly looking to meet a spectacular guy... but I did. Here is the story.

OK, so I am a super dork and get emails from Match.com. Stop the laughing. I was looking at the emails one day and I ended up going on the site. I stumbled across this guy who looked so familiar. His profile said he lives in Hooksett... maybe I knew him from elementary school? Sports? Just bumming around town? I was so convinced that I knew him that I sent him an email asking him if we knew each other. I had no intention of hanging out with him at all. I just wanted to catch up with someone from the good old days of Hooksett. After a few emails back and forth trying to figure out where I may have recognized him from, we determined that in fact I was nuts and had no clue who he was.

So, at this point this guys seems pretty cool and like someone that I would hang out with on a friend level for a bit. We started talking online and that leads to a few text messages... and then one very slow Saturday night at work this guy asks me if I know him. I replied, "no?". "Are you sure?" I repeated, "Ummmm, no." He then introduced himself as James. Ahhhh, the guy who I swore I knew from a pic was standing right in front of me and I didn't recognize him! I felt like a tool! It also took me a few days to get the whole "Do I know you?" comment... seeing as I thought I knew him and all... I am slow sometimes.

Anyway, we have been hanging out ever since! Megan and Jason had breakfast with us once and like him. We even went down to Boston to meet the siblings and their significant others for my birthday on Saturday. From what I can tell, we all get along great and everyone seems to like him (no shock there).

Here is the picture that made me wonder if I knew him.
He even has mad drizzle skills!

I am sure there will be many an update on Mr. James and out adventures. His family has a sail boat. Wouldn't it be a riot if he actually got me to set foot on it? Talk about breaking my mold!! Stay tuned!

Toys for Tots stuff a POD

Toys for Tots Stuff a SAM Weekend! This is me with "OJ" and Adam from WGIR.

This past weekend we had our annual stuff a something for Toys for Tots. This year we stuffed a SAM (aka another company of POD). Basically it is a mini storage trailer. This event was kind of thrown together last minute even though we started planning it in the fall. Next year I think I will do more of the organizing partnered with the Marines and keep the third party involvement to a minimum. That being said, we got lots of toys!
I got the call from Dave, my boss, at 9:10 am Saturday morning because there were people (a certain Marine) freaking out because Rock 101 was a bit late... I wasn't supposed to be in until 2pm. Of course I was already at DD's getting coffee and hot chocolate to bring down to the volunteers as it was about 20 degrees outside!

Even Max came down for the day!

Sure enough Rock 101 shows up and things get rolling. There were Marines everywhere, perhaps too many, but it was great to see the turn out and to see some of the guys that I haven't seen in a few weeks.

Some of the boys.

I was getting settled in at 12 when I was summoned for a T4T "emergency". Yes, I know I said I was in at 2, but this was my event and I just couldn't stay away. The emergency was a great one! A president of a company came in to spend $5k on Toys for Tots. He had heard it on the radio all week and wanted to help. So, I sent the Marines and some associates out with shopping carts to get what they need (older kids toys) and with in about 10 minutes we were finishing up the $5k. We were so quick that the gentleman said "double it". So I was like... ok! He ended up spending just over $12,500. I was in tears!

A Christmas Miracle! $13k in toys!

The Marines gave us an award/certificate of appreciation for all of our efforts this year on the air. They thanked me personally, on air, for all of my efforts and of course made me cry on air. Punks.

All in all the event went very well, considering no one had power and are facing their own economic hardships. I think we raised about 3000 toys and lots of cash. The state of NH has 65,000+ kids to help this year and this will go a long way. If you are responsible for helping with this in any way, shape or form... Thank you! If you feel you wish you had helped they still need stuff and they still need volunteers to help sort! Some of us from work are going on Wednesday evening if you want to go!

Fritz's Mittens

It is a running joke - Fritz's mittens. My little boy kitty is a product of inbreeding (just another reason to get your pets fixed!). You didn't know that double paws are a sure sign of inbreeding? It is very common in the New England part of the country. I digress... Fritz has double front paws and he is very good at using them. In the past Fritz used his super mitten powers to push screens out of windows to escape from jail (the house), to play with his favorite toys, catch a few mice that were not paying rent, and most recently he has discovered that he can open cabinets with his God given malformation.

A few weeks ago he discovered that if he wanted treats and I refused to get him some, he would just go open the cabinet himself... therefore I would have to get up to close it and in the words of my sister "mom, we haven't had treats in a loooonnnng time." My sister used that phrase to convince my parents to pull over for ice cream when she was like 8. Fritz must be learning from her. He keeps getting better at cabinet opening and the other day I heard him getting into the dry bar cabinet. Now, I know he was not looking for tequila, but I bet he wanted a fancy glass to drink his water out of (he is beyond obsessed with water). At first I thought my ears were fooling me, but sure enough there he was last night - red handed (red pawed)! I don't know what I am going to do with this boy!

If I am not careful this spring and summer he is going to learn how to open the back slider even when it is locked!

Fritz has big mittens!

Fritz using his mittens to catch a bug this summer.

Military Appreciation Night

What a successful event! If you are unaware that I have been busy planning a military appreciation night at my store for the past few months, you really don't know me very well. This has been one of the primary time consuming parts of my life. I spent so much of my personal time into this event because I felt that this should be something that needed to be done to show our military members how much we appreciate them. I had about $2000 in prizes, quite a few sponsors for food and drinks, and Rock 101 provided a DJ and the Manchester Monarchs had Max come down for an hour and they brought tons of tickets with them! My staff was spectacular and all of the military members that I spoke with felt very appreciated. Doug, the commanding officer, gave me a hug and personally thanked me for this night and one lady was so impressed that she was crying. I am so glad that I pulled this off with the help of some very special people!

Adam Furious from Rock 101, Geoffrey, me, Max, Mary Ellen, and SSgt. Johnston.Toys for Tots was also well represented by Marines in dress blues! Who doesn't like a cute guy in uniform? Seriously though, Toys for Tots is in dire need of cash and toys for ages 13 to 18. If you can help out in any way please let me know because I am one of their point people for my company. Check out their website for local drop off locations and to make a donation. If you need help picking a toy let me know as I am a toy expert!

Marines in dress blues for Toys for Tots! Sgt. Boice is on the right.

Feel like talking?

I find myself talking to... well... myself quite a bit these days. Ever since I got back from St. Louis. I am not sure if I am just still super tired and not recovered from my trip or if it is just the way my brain is dealing with a full plate of "to do's". I find myself talking and thinking about the oddest things. Recently the topic of discussion is either "How am I going to afford my house?" and "Reasons why I like being single."

How am I going to afford my house? Well, if you haven't heard yet, one of my room mates is moving out in about 2 weeks. This is going to really hurt my wallet! So, I am looking for a new room mate, but these things take time. I don't want someone who won't let the dog out, nor empty the dishwasher, etc. Even with a full house I still need more money because I have so much that I need and want to do in the house. I need a new water heating system... tankless... cha ching! I need new gutters. I want a new deck as the other one will not be ok in a year or two. I want to paint my living room and two of the bedrooms... It looks like a second job is in order.

As far as being single... its not that bad. In fact I kind of enjoy it. Maybe it is because I am so busy with work and school that I don't notice the fact that I am super single. Every day that passes I feel more comfortable with the fact that I won't have kids. I always told myself that I would probably adopt. The way my life is going the more of a reality that becomes. I actually voiced my opinion of single dads to someone at work tonight. I never wanted to date someone with a kid, but... right now I think it would be ok to do that because I might be missing out... ya know?

That is all I am going to say for now. It is almost 2am and I am wiped out!

Happy Halloween!

Happy Halloween! Trick or treat up here in Manchester was Sunday and I, along with Dutch and Zee, joined Megan and her family for some trick or treating. Dutch was a big hit. He was a redneck and what a good redneck he played! Notice his mullet, bling, and white tank. Classic.

Fritz refused to get into the carrier to go to the Blodgett house. He got dressed up for a bit and then we had to take it off so we could leave. He was a white horse with a knight riding his back. How adorable!

Zee was such a sport. She kept this costume on for about 2 hours and went trick or treating with us via kitty stroller for 3 hours! She was an appropriate costume accessory for Megan's mom as she went as a pregnant lady.

I didn't dress up. I did wear Megan's cat ears though.

My first time...

... attending a BRU national store manager meeting! This year it was in St. Louis, MO. I have never been to Missouri or any other states in the Mississippi River area. Overall St. Louis was clean and appeared safe, though some locals did warn us to make sure to keep our eyes peeled. The days were long - 7am to whenever we went to bed. I learned a lot and thought the vendor trade show was great! If you are having a baby in the next year there are tons of cool new things coming out for your enjoyment!

This was the view from my hotel room. I was supposed to be rooming with the new SBS manager from Hyannis, but she is no longer with the company so I got my own room!

Our first post meeting activity on Monday night was dinner at the City Museum. This place was completely amazing. Everything in the museum has had a past life - for example a wall made of the bins that sit in the school lunch room counter - you know... the kind that sits in the steam bath to keep the food warm. I didn't want to put up all the pictures, but these are some of my favorites. I would go to this place any day. They even had an adult size ball pit and a 7 story slide! This picture is of some of the beautiful glass doorknobs used back in the day. Look how pretty they are! There was a room full of doorknobs and hinges!

This was a giant fish with stairs in it.
The first Otis Elevator cage. Old!!
Tuesday night was our only free time. My DMM and I decided to head out to see the arch and hit the dueling piano bar. What fun!
The arch is huge. When you stand by it you just get dizzy looking up at it. It is also very beautiful, especially at night. I didn't get to go up in the arch as it is closed at night.
Look, I am touching it!
Taken from across the street at the capital building.
This is the capital building.
Have you ever heard of the motivational speaker/magician Gioviani? Neither had I until this meeting. We had to dress up for an awards banquet and he was our speaker/entertainment. It was really fun! We asked to get a picture with him after the show and we actually ended up having our picture up on the big screen at the end of the meeting.
And of course the trip wouldn't be complete with out a geocache! My DMM and I are already cachers, along with the RVP who couldn't get away for a few minutes to get this. My DMM and I took a newbie with us as she wanted to know what it is all about. This was her first find. The cache was only a block away from the hotel!
The Cleveland airport had these cool "paper airplanes" in the hall to the baggage claim. Pretty neat huh?

Busy weekend!

I know that I am a bit delayed on this posting and I do apologize for that. I have been really busy and... well, unmotivated. I am a procrastinator at heart and do my best work under pressure. :)

Let's go back to the weekend of October 4th and 5th. This was a very busy weekend for me, yet relaxing and rewarding at the same time. Saturday October 4th was mostly a day of driving. 6 hours to be exact. My friend, and former boss, Stephen was getting married (finally). I was invited and decided to bring our mutual friend Megan as my "guest". It was a bit "datelike" when I went to go pick her up for the drive to North Conway and discovered we had matching outfits. It was just like the prom... but going with my married and pregnant friend.
No, I didn't wear those shoes to the wedding, just on the drive up (and when my toes got too cold in my open toe shoes later that night). It was really nice to get to spend time with Megan. We rarely get one on one time and we are both busy with work and family. So, we got to catch up. I love talking with Megan as she and I are both a bit goofy and serious at the same time. Don't we look cute???

The drive up to N. Conway was smooth and on schedule until we actually got to the destination area. I thought we were going to be late to the wedding but we made it just in time! It was a beautiful day and the wedding was very nice. Stephen looked so proud and Stephanie appeared to be calm and glowing. The foliage was perfect for pictures... I can't wait to see them!Being that the wedding was way up north, I didn't get home and into bed until about midnight. I was pretty worn out from the long day of driving. But, the weekend's festivities were only half complete!

I, along with coworkers from just about every store in the district, participated in the Walk Now for Autism event in Nashua on October 5th. This year it was not pouring! It was beautiful weather, and the turn out was amazing. Unfortunately the path was not marked very well so a bunch of people, including the TRU team, ended up going off the route and ended up in downtown Nashua. I guess we got more of the message out that way. It is not too late if you want to make a donation!

I got a nice blister at the very end of the walk.

I enjoy doing things that give back to the community. My current project is a military appreciation night at work. Lots and lots of work but it will be worth it to give back to such brave people who protect us every day! Oh, and let's not forget Toys for Tots!

So that was my eventful weekend. I was exhausted by the end of the weekend but it was well worth it.

Would you know what to do?

So I am having a horrible day. It's 1:30 pm and I just want to go back to bed and wake up to a fresh start to the day. It started out well - I slept on the couch last night in the basement to see if it would help my neck/shoulder situation. The results were favorable this morning but I don't plan on doing it again this week. I love my couch in the basement. I have spent many nights sleeping on it over the years due to it's firm yet plushy feel.

I was determined to get tons of stuff done today. I have a list a mile long - most of it school work. But I needed to get errands done first so that I could just spend the rest of the day working on homework. I got a message from my friends that needed me to check their house for flooding and to make sure their cats were ok while they were camping - so I added them to the list.

My morning on the road started at about 9:30. I have been good with my money and diet this week so I stopped for a coffee and breakfast sandwich. Yum. I headed to Petco to get my two refillable buckets of litter refilled (I love not wasting plastic containers). Litter was not on sale but that was ok. I saw some people I know, had some fun conversations... got a new Halloween costume for Dutch - pictures will be up after trick or treat. I then headed to Target where my day started to go down hill.

I purchased what I thought was a great new idea for food storage containers. They are different compartments that fit together with specially shaped ice packs. Fresh & Fit is the brand I believe. Great idea, poor design and testing before they released it to the market. I had purchased 4 different styles to try out and I needed to return 2. One for leaks and one because you can't close it when the ice pack is fully frozen and in place. Well, the girl at the return counter couldn't return them unless I treked across the store to find the same items in the store with a UPC on them. So, I asked what if I can't... she said she couldn't return them. Now, I am a retail manager and so many things started going through my mind at that point. Normally in my store we look up the item number or send a staff member to get one off the floor... rarely do we require someone to trek 3/4 the way around the store to get the info. Mind you I can identify the items on the receipt and the codes are also on the receipt. Hint: cup = cup and bowl = bowl. So, I finally get back up there with my UPC codes and get my return done. Task 1 completed.

I make my way to my friends' house and am greeted by cat B who is super talkative and thrilled to have someone there to pat him. Cat C is just trying to find out what I am doing there and if there is a way he can get out the door. So, I check the kitchen for cat food and water - PLENTY OF FOOD FOR A WEEK! Water is also full. Back to the living room to find what I believe to be kitty poop on the couch. Joy. So, I clean that up (friend says it might just be hairball puke) and the clean up really wasn't that bad. I scoop the litter box and give the cats some love. Task 2 - completed with only minimal gagging due to the couch incident.

Next task: get 3 items at Hannaford's so that I can make dinner for me and a coworker tomorrow. I love making dinner for us on the nights we close together. So, I get there and this particular Hannafords needs a parking garage. The parking lot is always super full. So, I parked at the end of the parking lot which was fine because I need the exercize. I didn't realize that this Hannaford's was under a remodel and it was hard to find 1 of the 3 simple ingredients that I needed. With the help of a friendly associate I spent a mere 15 mintues in the store getting 3 things. On the way out I was part of something that I am never wanting to be a part of again. I walked out the door and there were some people trying to help an old man to his feet as he was colapsing behind his shopping cart in the parking lot. Well, he wasn't tripping... he was experiencing some sort of medical emergency. Noone seemed to know what to do, including a hospice nurse. Finally I was like is anyone calling 911? NO??? So, I called 911. They guy was not breathing, had no pulse... then he took a deep breath. I sent someone in to check to see if they had a portable defribulator in the store but they didn't and the manager said that noone was trained for CPR. Well, did you actually page in the store to see if there was a doc or a trained nurse? NO??? Perhaps you should do that? Well, after that a nurse came running out with her cpr plastic wrap thing and started CPR and then a Hannaford's employee came running out because he knew how to do it too. Yet, according to the manager, noone was trained. Always ask for help if you need it!!! The fire dept. showed up and shocked him but it was too late. They guy had been sick for a while, according to his wife. They kind of continued compressions as they put him in the ambulance but everyone knew he was already gone.

I do not know CPR, noone there did except for the two people who came running out of the store. Do you know CPR? I called my mom and she said that you only have to do "hand on" or just compressions now until help arrives. My sister told me the same thing and gave me a link. I think we are all afriad that we will do more damage than good if we perform CPR incorrectly, but you won't. Just doing chest compressions can save someone's life. If this ever happens to me again I will be jumping in (noone jumped in in this case until it was too late). I think I will consider taking a full CPR course because you never know...

Here is the link about hand only CPR. http://handsonlycpr.eisenberginc.com/

So now I need to start my homework for my class titled "responsible corporate leadership". It is basically a business ethics course - boring so far but I need to get the homework done.

I didn't know that peaches...

... grow in NH!!! I have been itching to go apple picking all summer and the time is now upon us. I got Nick to go to Mack's with me and we picked some apples and peaches. Yes, peaches! I have not been peach picking since I lived in VA. Nothing beats a fresh picked peach! We ended up making apple crisp with some of the apples and the peaches are just being eaten away.

The farm stand... get your cider here!

Sometimes the best apples are at the top.

Fresh peaches! Yummy!

Back yard exploring!

I thought it was too nice to stay inside after work so I took the kids (2 cats and dog) outside for some warm weather enjoyment. We all had fun, especially Fritz who found a baby snake to play with. Not much to talk about, but here are some of the pics I took.

Zee enjoying the outdoors.

There is a bumble bee flying in this pic. Can you find it?

Milk Weed!!

Yellow - bright and sunny!

Dutch just chillin'.

You never count your money...

... while sitting at the table. There'll be time enough to count it when the dealin's done. (Kenny Rogers)

I went to a casino for the first time today! Nick and Mark went to cash in their coupons from Foxwoods today and I tagged along. I have never been to a casino so I was very excited and had high hopes of winning big and quitting my job. But, I was smart enough to only bring a small amount of cash so I didn't go crazy playing slots. Yes, I only played slots as I don't fully grasp the card table concept yet. I will save that adventure for another trip!

I lost every penny I went down with (minus my bagel and coffee cost in the morning), Mark came home with a nice profit and Nick came home even. Perhaps I will have better luck next time.

This is me about to enter a casino for the first time and kiss my money good bye!

Pretty waterfall inside the casino.

Native American sculpture. I like it!

I love that word... and there was a big sign with the word on it!

My brother got married!

I think that most of you were aware that my brother, Bryan, and wife, Katie, have been together for 10 years. Well, the finally got married on Friday 9/5 at the Bedford Village Inn! It was absolutely beautiful! The weather was perfect, the food was perfect, the company was perfect, and Bryan and Katie were glowing! I am not going to post a long blog or post a ton of pictures. Here are some highlights:




Bryan and Katie- you guys are so perfect for each other. I could not be more thrilled for both of you and wish you all the happiness in the world. I love you both and am so happy that I have yet another sister with whom I can bond.

Vacation part 2...

DISCLAIMER: I HAD THE MOST HORRIBLE VACATION I COULD HAVE IMAGINED. I ASK THAT WHILE YOU READ THIS THAT YOU NOT JUDGE MY FRIENDS AS THEY WERE ALSO DRAGGED INTO THE HORRIBLE WEEKEND. IF YOU CAN'T DO THAT THAN DON'T READ ANY FURTHER.

This blog will have perfect illustrations to better allow you to feel how my weekend went...

3:15 AM Thursday morning... I turn off my alarm clock to hit the shower for my 5:12 AM flight out of Manchester. Yes, it is early but I wanted to get to VA as soon as possible because I was going to show Sherry, Beverlee and her son Johnathan how to go Geocaching. Sherry would be picking me up at the airport in Norfolk at 10 AM when my flight came in. The flying weather was absolutely beautiful! I took this picture to show you why I was staring out the window the entire flight to NYC. Well, that and to show you that I was flying on a tiny turbo prop (Dash-8 to be exact) and I loved it since I haven't been in a small plane for a few years. This picture was taken shortly after we took off... still making our way up into the great big sky. I was excited! Flying into NYC is a rare opportunity for me. I normally fly through Detroit or Philadelphia in my all out avoidance of Newark (how many times can a flight be on time or not canceled in that airport - not many from my experience). I was the only weirdo on the flight that wasn't trying to sleep... trying to take pictures instead.

This is what NYC looks like at about 5:45 AM from the sky. Still dark and hard to see in the picture, which is why I like it. We always see pictures of the city when it is either lit up by lights or by the blazing sun. I failed to mention that my carry on luggage (day hiking backpack) was too large to actually carry on to the plane so it had to be stowed in the belly of the aircraft... which was fine with me except for the fact that I didn't really have anything to put my stuff in - you know - cell phone, wallet, camera, gps. So, my lunch box was quite full of not only food, but electronics. When we landed and de-boarded the plane I waited for my carry on bag and headed into the terminal. I looked up to see which gate I should be heading to as my next flight was to be leaving in a few hours and I wanted to explore the airport. To my frustration this is what I saw. Yes, it says that my flight to Norfolk, leaving at 8:03 AM had been canceled. I found a ticketing agent who seemed less than happy to be there and he bumped me onto the next flight out - 11 Am ish so I would be in Norfolk at 1:10 PM. I asked why the flight was canceled and after he did some "research" it was due to "aircraft maintenance". So, at that point in time I thought my ritual prayer that I say prior to every flight I have ever taken (Lord, please let me get home safe and sound. I trust you and know that what ever happens is your decision.) had been answered. So, it was now about 6:30 AM and I figured that Sherry and Bev were up so I texted them to let them know what was going on and to make sure that someone could still pick me up at the airport for our hike. I think they were less than pleased at the time it was but thankful that they could sleep in instead of getting up to get me at the airport.

Oh wait! I failed to mention that this trip was supposed to be my "poor trip". I wanted to visit my friend and godson since I haven't seen them in 6 months. I only decided to go because I found a wicked cheap flight. I was not renting a car or getting a hotel. My friend's brother agreed to let me stay with them and I would use my friend's car while she was at work. I even packed enough food and snacks to get me through the hike (two PB&J's, trail mix, some rice cakes, and an apple). Please remember this part of the blog for the rest of the weekend update.

Well, seeing as it was time for breakfast and my meds I decided to purchase a bagel and coffee from Dunkin's to make my food that I packed last longer. I also decided to get a book to read seeing as I had about 5 hours to kill. Yes, I said a book. I never read. But, I got a book that had been advertised on the airport video monitor and it turned out to be a great book. I also did some work and called the store to see how the schedule was going for the following week and all that fun stuff that I normally do for the store. It was the first call I made to the store on my vacation - a new personal record.

Finally my plane arrived and we were in the air again. NYC was now fully lit by the blazing sun. I was on my way and back on track for a fun filled weekend visiting as many friends as I could!

This is Sherry, Johnathan (Bev's son), and Bev. Yes, more TRU friends! Sherry was kind enough to pick me up from the airport and drive me to get some real food once I got off the plane as I had eaten both sandwiches by 1 pm. We had been discussing Geocaching for over a year and Sherry was so excited to learn how to use her GPS. I had picked out a few that were hidden in First Landing State Park in Norfolk. Johnathan was also informed of the outing and asked his mom to come with us. Bev even got him a GPS of his own so he could learn how to use it and then Geocache with his dad, Schmidt.

I had been to this park before, years ago. I think it is absolutely beautiful. The moss hangs from the trees, making it look like the park has been there for ages, which is probably has. This is my favorite picture from the park. The following picture just shows the beautiful moss that hangs from the trees.
We completed the caches with out much incident. We even spotted what we thought was a cache that we didn't program into my GPS, but it was a letter box instead. It was lots of fun watching Sherry and Johnathan learning how to use their GPS units and the excitement that they showed when they found the caches.

Sherry dropped me off at the VA Beach store around 8pm so that I could check my store email and wait for Irina to pick me up after she got off of work. Yes, more time on vacation spent doing work stuff. I got to visit with Barb K. while I was there and we were talking TRU and about my recent remodel. I went to get some dinner at Atlanta Bread Co. - just like Panera but different. Irina came to pick me up and we went back to her place (her brother's house) to plan the rest of the weekend.

Irina's sister-in-law (we will call her K) is 9 months pregnant with their second child. Child number one is 1. We were all having a great time catching up, I was feeling K's belly when the baby moved (very freaky) and Tomas was finally asleep. Fast forward to about midnight when K get's a phone call from J, K's hubby's mistress. Yes, J decided to tell K everything that was going on and said that M, Irina's best friend in VA was seen at a club with K's hubby (remember that K's hubby is Irina's brother). Well, this is the start of the most horrible part of my horrible vacation.

K decided that it was in the best interest of us all (I am being sarcastic here to avoid getting worked up) to leave her crying 1 year old with us so she could take her 9 month preggo butt to the club to confront the situation. Yes, you are reading this correctly and this is what actually happened. Irina is beyond upset now because she thinks her friend M is involved with her brother. Well about half an hour later K comes home and right behind her is J and J's sister! I have never had any experience with domestic disputes. So, for those of you who are in the same shoes as me please not that this is how those scenes from Cops unfold.

Before I know it I am, with the help of Joe, Irina's cousin, attempting to hold Irina back from J. Long story short - I am actually scared for my safety and the safety of the kids in the house. So, after about 10 minutes I grabbed Joe and told him to get my godson and put him in the car. I started packing what ever clothes I could find that Irina and my godson might need for the rest of the weekend and I run back into the room where the "situation" is going on to yank Irina out of it and tell her to get her butt in the car because we are leaving. On my way out the door the person who started the whole thing by not holding his wedding vows - Irina's brother- thought it would be appropriate to apologize to me for what is going on. I have never in my life gotten in the face of someone. Trust me, I was in his face and told him that they all needed to end this now and that he needed to grow up. I then left the building.

This is where you need to remember that this is my "poor vacation". I am now driving around my sleeping 3 and a half year old godson, my friend, and myself - I am still shaking - looking for a hotel. I figure that I am never going to be coming back to VA after this so why not stay at the ocean front. We stopped at the cheapest place that I could find online... that was too expensive for my blood. So, we went to the Castle. You know those really nasty looking hotels at the beach that makes you wonder who would ever stay in a place like that... well, that is where we ended up that night. It was 1 am and I had been up for 22 hours now. I just wanted to sleep... well, at least attempt to. The motel room was everything you could imagine it to be. Here are the pictures of the bathroom to prove it.

Burnt out lights and half missing toilet paper holder...
7 am rolls around and I am marching myself to the office. Now, the girl at the office gave me a discount the night before but that was not good enough for me. The owner happened to be there and I explained that I was more than disappointed with the quality of the room compared to the price that I paid. He gave some excuse about how they just bought the place a year ago and that they were fixing it up. Ok, Dan (the owner), I can run to Home Depot and have this fixed in 30 mins. I didn't actually say that to him but I sure was thinking it. So, he offered me a discount at his other hotel for the rest of the weekend at the other end of the beach... the Flagship... ohhhhh.

Friday morning we went to the Zoo with my friend Janette and her 3 boys. I had planned this a while ago and I was not going to let the incident from last night ruin my day. The weather was gorgeous and the company was welcomed. I hadn't seen Janette since I moved home from VA about 4 years ago!
Later on that afternoon we go down there to check in. My godson is now napping and M, Irina's friend came to talk to Irina about what supposedly really happened at the club and to offer Irina to move in with her for a few months. I decided that I really shouldn't be there for the conversation and went to the beach. I continued to read my book and as the time passed I grew more aware that I was upset about this whole thing. I was also starting to feel under appreciated by Irina who is addicted to her phone. I was actually in tears on the beach because of all of this - though it hadn't fully hit me yet - and I just wanted to go home. I talked to a few people on the phone and tried to reach a few others. For those of you who know me well, you know that I go out into nature for my spiritual connection instead of going to church every week. So, I decided to talk to the big man upstairs for some guidance.
I decided to stay in VA for the rest of my vacation as planned and make the most of it. I had a talk with Irina about her not spending time with me but instead spending it with her phone and she confirmed that I was not the first person to tell her this and she and I were crying and all was ok. Back on track...

We went out for dinner and out for a walk. My godson is obsessed with going for walks, which is a good thing. We went down the main drive at the ocean front and peeked into some shops. We had great conversation and tried to figure out what she was going to do. I had put my phone on vibrate because I didn't want to get any calls from the store but all I missed was two phone calls from someone who I had been waiting to hear from for about 7 months!!

The rest of vacation turned out ok. We spent Saturday morning and early afternoon at the beach trying to even out my tan for my brother's wedding and watching Tomas play in the sand. He actually likes the water and I took him out to "ride the waves".
Saturday night we went out for Sushi. We ended up at a Japanese Steakhouse... you know the kind of place that has a cooking area right in front of you. It was so tasty! Tomas had never seen anything like this before, of course and I had my camera ready!
We went back to the hotel and then out for out nightly walk around the ocean front. Upon our return to the hotel that night I thought I saw something scurry. I thought I was crazy and convinced myself that nothing can fit where I thought the scurrying occurred. I grabbed my toothbrush case out the the ziplock bag I had stored my toiletries in off the counter in the bathroom only to discover a cockroach in the bag. Yes, a cockroach. I didn't make anything of it because Tomas was in there trying to prepare his tooth brush. I zipped my bag and marched over to the office looking for raid for my little friend. On the way out the door I hear Tomas scream and start to cry because he saw bugs in the bathroom.

Dan was in the office... the owner... from before... Great I thought this should go well. I showed him the critter crawling around my toiletries and asked for a can of raid for him and his buddies back in the bathroom. He didn't sound shocked and tried making up some story about how they just had it sprayed by XYZ company and that they must be trying to get away from the chemical. Uh huhhhh... so I head back to the room with no raid but with the promise that Dan will be right over with something to take care of it, which he did. But, we still had to kill a few roaches over the next hour.
Sunday was pretty relaxed. We went to the Botanical Gardens in Norfolk and saw lots of pretty flowers and sights. We spent lots of time in the butterfly garden looking at tons of butterflies and caterpillars. And of course Tomas was allowed to play in the kids' area for quite some time!

I was relieved to be home very late Sunday night. Nick stayed here the whole weekend to look after the cats and I repaid him by nearly killing him by backing into him with my car. He is ok, but he now knows not to walk across the drive way while I am backing up. My parents took Dutch. However, I did not run over my mom to thank her.

Yes, my vacation was full of drama and this might sound blown out of proportion, but in reality it is very understated. I love going to VA and I can honestly say that I am not sure if I will be going back.