Summer is here...

... finally!!! After work today I decided to mow the lawn. But, Fritz was watching me prep the yard and he made sure I was aware the he wanted to go out and play (eat lots of grass). Not only was he yelling at me, he was trying to pry the locked slider screen door open to get to his freedom. So, I caved and let the cats romp in the grass before I mowed it.

Two kitties chillin in the shade...

Zee enjoying the weather and long grass...

Fritz finally free outside with a full bell of grass...
Dutch enjoying a frozen cheeze & bacon filled bone...
Oh and look! Finally a normal sized strawberry!
And of course there is video of Fritz on the tail end of the first grasshopper hunt of the day...

Needed life changes

We all like to snack. We all enjoy our favorite foods. We all sit on our butts and watch TV. Well, that life style has finally caught up with me and now I might be paying the price.

Be warned! This post is about girly things so stop reading here if it freaks you out!

Ok, so those of you who really really know me know my periods are like clock work. It is February 1, break out the box of tampons it will be here today. Well... not any more. For the past 4 months my body has been playing tricks on me. How about we freak her out and come 2 days later this month, and then two days later than that next month... oh then 4 days later the following month. Haha, to really get her going let's come a full 7 days late this time! No, I am not freaked out about being pregnant each month for the past 4 months. That would be a blessing. I was freaking out that I had a tumor or something. Why do I always think I have a tumor?

So I finally went to the gyno after having to reschedule it a few times due to unexpected period arrivals. I had an ovarian cyst years ago when I was living in VA. I have been experiencing pain agian in that same ovary for about a year now. So, of course I go to the doc and this month there is no pain - story of my medical life. She didn't feel any cysts on this visit but wants me to call when I have pain so they can do an ultrasound to confirm cysts.

Then she tells me she wants to test some of my hormone levels and asks me if I have had any extra hair growth on my face or chest. Hmmm, is she questioning my gender cuz she just saw it... She is concerned that I may have PCOS (polycystic ovary syndrome).

PCOS apparently is a vicious cycle of hormone imbalances - a chain reaction if you can imagine. Ovary produces cysts which cause abnormal levels of one not female friendly hormone which causes something in the adrenal glands to produce another hormone which causes insulin resiliance. So, long story short my hormones are trying to make it very difficult for me to conceive a child without medical intervention. If I do get preggers I will most likely have gestational diabetes, have a 45% chance of miscarriage and a barage of other "bad things". Not to mention that having normal diabetes is pretty much on the horizon.

Now, apparently if I lose weight I will decrease my chance of diabetes and increase my chances of having a baby. So, immediately I have been eating way better. I am starving at night, but it is worth it. I am currently looking for a dedicated gym partner. Any takers?

And let's not forget the other part of this. I have always maintained my view on medical intervention for pregnancy. I do/will not take any medications to prevent pregnancy and I will not drug myself up to get pregnant. I do not belive in medical intervention to get pregnant. If I am meant to have a child it will happen. So, I must do everything I can to get healthy, not only to have a baby but to live a long and healthy life. At 29 I never thought I would hear those words come out of my doctor's mouth.

Beer Can Chicken!

Beer can chicken is my new favorite way to cook the bird. What is beer can chicken? It is basically this:

Open a can of beer (cheap beer that your former roomie left in the mini fridge).

Insert the opened can of beer into the chicken's butt. Yes, put it there and let the chicken rest on the pan like this. I normally shove a plug in the chicken's neck to keep the steaming beer inside. I used an onion here.

Let the chicken cook in the oven at the recommended temp and time for roasting.

The tricky part is getting the beer can out of the chicken butt when it is done. I find it helpful to have an extra set of hands to hold the chicken as you push the can out from the neck part down and out the butt.

This is the most moist chicken I have ever had. I have made it a few times and each time it is so juicy! You don't taste the beer at all... just pure juicy chicken bliss. I rubbed olive oil, salt, and pepper on mine before cooking it just like I would do if I was roasting a chicken without beer can on the inside! Give it a try!

4 day weekend...

My mini vacation is over. We had some great experiences this weekend and I wish I had pictures to show. James' camera broke this weekend and I didn't bring mine with me. Our weekend started out by heading up to Boothbay Harbor, Maine for a visit to James' parents' sailboat. Yes, I did stay on the sailboat. It wasn't bad at all. We were just on the mooring a very short distance from the dock so I felt very safe. We did some geocaching between rain showers, had some yummy food, and were right under the fireworks display. The fireworks were great! I would do this again next year and might actually see about venturing out on the boat with sails up!

Sunday we got up early and drove from Boothbay to my parents' lake house in New Durham, NH - about a 3 hour drive. It was a pretty ride since we took some state routes through the states instead of taking the highway the entire way. It was nice to spend some quality time with James. We don't get to spend much time together while we have to be at work because we both work retail.

Monday we stayed home and did some chores. I had homework to do, James mowed the lawn... fun stuff. I had a dentist appointment Monday evening and then I had to go to school. I got home from school and James had set up the tent in the back yard, put out the citronella candles and set up the fire bowl. We went camping in our own back yard and had a blast! Just me, James and Dutch.

Tuesday we woke up in the tent to some light sprinkles so all blankets and pillows had to be immediately taken into the house. We did more chores on Tuesday and I got my car fixed. O2 sensor paid for by my extended warranty company and while they were fixing that they noticed that my strut was leaking... so the extended warranty company paid for that too! The Blodgetts and Josh came for dinner, we had some yummy food... and KILLER BUNNIES came back out of the closet! We haven't gotten together for games in so long and it was so fun!

Now back to work for a few weeks until vacation time is here. I can't wait until August 23!

Sweet baby James...

My boyfriend is the sweetest and most thoughtful boyfriend I ever had. I got into my car after a long day at work and there were mini roses decorating the interior of my car to cheer me up! Why couldn't we have met years ago? I am glad we didn't meet back in the day though. We were both two completely different people and we both were not ready for the serious relationship we are currently in. I love him and he always keeps me on my toes!

It's been a while...

No, I haven't fallen off of the face of the earth.
No, I haven't run away to live at the lake.
No, I haven't gone insane... yet.

I have been very busy with work and school. What? Yes, this crazy girl is working 11-13 hours a day and decided to take a 3 hour class twice a week. The class is only 5 weeks so it will not be that bad and this class is one that I have wanted to take for over a year. Non-profit leadership! I like the not-for-profit sector and think it is something that I will excel in.

So, I just thought I would touch base with everyone to let them know that I am still here... just crazy busy and exhausted!

Progress...

I am happy to report that things are turning around slowly but surely! We made the top 10 list for battery sales % in the nation last week! We are ranked high in the district on customer satisfaction... things are changing. I am exhausted but it is great to see the fruits of my labor paying off!

I am supposed to start class on Monday but this is a very time consuming class. I am not sure if I will be able to handle class and work this time. I have until Monday morning to decide if I am going to take it or not. I am a straight A student and don't want to spend $1500 to get a B or C.

Long road to recovery...

Just wanted you to know that it is worse than I though. This new challenge at work is not going to be easy or fun and will probably result in my hair turning mostly gray. I believe that there is huge potential in that building. They just need a lot of structure and guidance and support and with that it will be one spectacular place! It is going to take time and patience on both ends of the rope but it will be worth it in the end.

I am moving...

My DM summoned me to her office today. My hunches have been confirmed. I am going to Nashua BRU starting Monday. Yes, my last day in my beloved Manchester is TOMORROW! I am going to have a busy day making sure that everything is in order for my successor, Colin. I am having a bitter sweet reaction to this transfer. I have literally given blood, sweat and tears over the past year to ensuring that this remodel was a success. My store is my store and I have been so successful in my role in Manchester. I have loyal guests who come see me regularly and will miss everyone. The Nashua store is going to be challenging, and I am always up for a challenge. But, I will be missing my Manchester family very much.

Fishing!!!

James and I went deep sea fishing yesterday. I haven't been in a few years and James has never been. We had a wonderful time! The weather was not spectacular and it was rather icky when we first left. I was fishing in the rain for a bit. But, the day was great. I got to spend it with James, got to see some old friends, and Eric was there too!

I got the first fish on the boat! I reeled up a total of about 7 fish, 4 of which were keepers. James was able to reel up 1 keeper for the day... his only fish of the day. At least on his first trip he got something on the hook!

James giving the jig a try... seeing as the bait hadn't worked for him all day.

Reeling up a 9 pound cod that was just at 24", the keeper minimum size.

James' first cod... it was happy to see him too!

James didn't quite know how to hold up a fish for a picture. I guess this will do!

Dane Cook

I took James to see Dane Cook last Sunday for his 29th bday present. It was pretty good! Just a few pics to share...

Life is precious...

I am sure most of you in NH heard of the fatal car crash in Lee this past Saturday night. The young man that passed away in that accident is the husband of my friend's best friend. Though I have only met him a handful of times, this tragedy has affected me.

James was only 28 when he passed away. He is in the military so it is always in the back of your mind that something can happen while serving our country, but you never assume that your husband will not come home from going to pick up dinner. He leaves behind a wife and 4 beautiful children ages 11 to 2. The two year old was in the car too, and was the only survivor of the crash. She was properly secured in her car seat and was not injured. A huge blessing through all of this.

To all my friends and family, we tend to take our driving abilities for granted. Though there is not an answer to the cause of this crash, we do know that the other driver crossed the yellow line on a straight part of the road. Perhaps it was a medical condition, perhaps it was changing the radio station, perhaps reaching for a cell phone. We are all guilty of the latter two on a daily basis. Please, use your phone wisely. Use a wireless ear piece or don't use your phone at all while driving. A split second decision to make a call can cost you and a stranger your lives and can ruin the lives of those who you love. And always, wear your seat belt and don't speed.

Donations to benefit the Dixon children may be made to:

The James L. Dixon Memorial Fund, care of Citizens Bank, 875 Elm St., Manchester 03101, attention Anne Chouinard.

View James Dixon's obituary here.

This weekend's events...

This is a big weekend for us! Tomorrow is Mother's day and we have decided that it would be a good day for our parents to meet. So, tomorrow the parents are coming for breakfast. We are a bit nervous but overall we are excited.

This means we need to have the house clean before 10am tomorrow!

Comcastic!

We are switching to Comcast for our internet service today! I am so thrilled! We have been struggling with bandwith issues and reliability from Fairpoint and finally said enough is enough! He should be here between 1 and 3 to make our lives a little more fun. Yay!

Quarantined...

We are home! We arrived home on Friday night, as scheduled. We didn't want to leave the beautiful weather in Cancun! We had booked a trip to see some ruins and to go snorkeling on Tuesday but that was the first day that the Mexican Federal Government shut down all public gathering places... so we ended up staying on the resort the entire trip. This was an all inclusive resort complete with beach and pool drink and food delivery so we were pretty content! The weather was great, we got to relax with eachother, and I got to swim in the Caribbean!

We are staying home for a few days to make sure that the incubation period passes with out any ill effects and so that we can not infect anyone else if we do have the swine flu. As of right now we are feeling fine.

I think I have decided that I would like to go back to Cancun for 30Fest so that we can see the ruins and do some snorkeling and such. I will keep you all posted.

Here is a video I made of the pictures we took. I hope you can view it!

Off to Mexico

For all intensive purposes...

... the master bedroom is "done". We have moved back into the room and just need to do the pictures and all that jazz. Here is a sneak preview of the "finished room".


Today I will work on the guest room and getting things finished up around the house. I still need to paint the furniture but that can wait a day. Stay tuned for completed room pictures!

Painting is done!!!!

Yay! Painting is done in the master bedroom! I am so relieved that I am taking a minute to relax! We might try to move into the room tonight, but I really want to let the rug dry. Yes, I also shampooed the carpet with a rented RugDoctor. It looks great! Only about 48 hours until my "deadline" to be done everything.

Yay! The paint is done!

A closer look at the chair rail. Ya, we ended up using nails since the adhesive wasn't working to my liking. I only hit my thumb once!

I paid one of my store associates to do the yard... she and her boyfriend raked the entire yard and picked up every single piece of Dutchie poop. Thank you to that person as that saved me a ton of stress!

Here is the list of things that I need to get done in the next 48 hours:

• move furniture into bedrooms
• rewire new outlets so that they match the walls
  
• hang stuff on walls
• repaint nightstands to match newly painted bedroom
• hang closet organizers and move stuff into the closet
• wash new bedding
• assemble new patio set
• CLEAN! THIS HOUSE IS A DISASTER!
• staple down carpet on porch

For all intensive purposes, that is the list for now. I am sure I will have tons of more minor things that I will be doing.

Stay tuned for pictures of finished rooms!

Tuesday in review

So, another day off spent doing everything but relaxing! I can't wait for this repainting of the bedrooms fiasco to be done!!!

Today I did accomplish a great deal. See my previous post to see my progress. In addition to the list I also rehung the door. No more walking over gates!

I would like to say thank you to the dads (my Dad and Dave) for helping me complete this project. My dad is out of commission due to shoulder surgery so he lent me the tools and Dave came over to help me measure and cut the chair rails. There is only one coat on one piece of chair rail left and then the painting is DONE!! Well, done until we get back from Mexico and convert the small guest bedroom into the office area.

The remainder of the indoor tasks include:

• painting the last piece of chair rail
• making the level line on the wall to hang the chair rail
• hang the chair rail
• vacuum and shampoo carpet
• decide what furniture will go in what room and paint to appropriate color for said room
• hang pictures and shelves in both finished rooms
• wash new bedding
• get appropriate light bulbs for lamps I purchased at Ikea a few months back

Outdoor tasks:

• pick up the poop (huge priority)
• rake
• call for termite treatment
• fertilize
• put together new patio set that I purchased on Monday night after work (thanks Phil!)
• remove leaves from grilling area

Of course all of this will be followed by cleaning the house to a spotless level and ensuring the fridge is clean before we leave. I am sure Meghan and Bryan Mc don't want to deal with my moldy leftovers!

Tuesday...

... is full of "fun". I am determined to get the red room nearly done today. Here is what is left:

• paint heater (I just put the primer coat on)
• sand window
• paint trim of window
• sand door
• paint door
• practice with chair rail in mitre box (not sure I spelled that correctly)
• measure out chair rail and cut
• paint chair rail
• hang chair rail
• vacuum carpet
• wash carpet
• wash new bedding
• decide which furniture will end up in which room and paint to match said room

This is what needs to get done outside prior to Sunday so that we can have a good day off prior to going to Mexico:

• Pick up dog doodie
• rake lawn (I know I am very late on this)
• put down organic fertilizer (or no fertilizer if I can't find some)
• get leaves out from under porch and away from the grill
• put together new patio set
• clean porch (sweep and staple down carpet)
• fluff mulch
• call for termite treatment (huge priority!)

So, needless to say I will be busy today!