I Made A Wordle!

I finally made a Wordle (that sounds like somehing disgusting, doesn't it?) I love these things. A few of my friends have them on their blogs or MySpace pages. Until recently, I didn't even know where to go to get them or what they were called (thanks Beth for posting the link in your blog!). I just think they are pretty cool. So here's my first attempt:

ABC's of Me

It's just another Manic Monday. If today is indication of the way the rest of my week will be...I'm gonna need a big ol' margarita (or five) on Friday. So rather than thinking of something to write tonight, I stole this from Beth's Blog.

Accent:
When I get mad, or go off on a tangent about something, you can hear the tiniest bit of the Jersey Girl come out!

Breakfast or no breakfast:
I wish I had time for breakfast. I actually prefer having breakfast to lunch

Chore I don’t care for:
Scrubbing the toilets. But since my husband does almost everything else, I can't complain too much.

Dog or Cat:
How can you make me choose? We have two of each...all of which are spoiled rotten and adorable as hell!

Essential Electronics:
Computer, cell phone, hair dryer, stereo, camera, vibrator (c'mon now, even us married girls need one!)

Favorite Cologne:
Glow by JLo. I really need to find a new one....but I haven't sniffed anything else I've liked this much in years!

Gold or Silver:
White Gold

Handbag I carry most often:
I love anything Coach!

Insomnia:
Only when Bryan is cutting down a forest next to me

Job Title:
Account Manager (aka Sales Rep)

Kids:
Four legged & furry, with a slight speech impediment

Living Arrangements:
In a townhouse with my hubby and aforementioned furry children

Most Admirable Trait:
I like to think I'm a pretty loyal friend

Naughtiest Childhood Behavior:
Teasing my sister....I purposely put gum in her hair once.

Overnight hospital stays:
None for me...and thank God, cause I had hospitals!

Phobias:
Not sure if I have anything I would classify as a "phobia". I don't like creepy, crawly things like bugs and snakes, but it's definitely not a phobia.

Quote:
Life is not measured by the breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away....

Reason to smile:
Hubby, Friends, Family....

Siblings:
Just one - my younger sis

Time I wake up:
Typically somewhere around 7AM

Unusual Talent or Skill:
Wouldn't you like to know?

Vegetable I Refuse to Eat:
Lima Beans....YUCK!

Worst Habit:
I could be better with my budget

X-rays:
Not since I was in high school.

Yummy Stuff:
A white chocolate mocha from Starbucks. Ooooh...I'm having such a craving!

Zoo Animal I Like Most:
Do dolphins count?

Rain, Rain - Go Away!

Last I checked, I do live in "The Sunshine State"....but it doesn't seem so this week. Last time I saw sun was in NJ! Tropical Storm Fay made landfall earlier this week and has continued to swirl around Florida since. We've gotten it from all angles. I'm quite done with the rain. It's made me feel kinda "blah this week, which is probably why I haven't written much. I guess I should be thankful that the storm wasn't stronger. It could have been worse.

It hasn't put a complete damper on my week though. I'm in the process of closing a hell of a deal at work....I officially met a new friend this week (who's really fun to hang out with)....and I went out with the girls on Friday night for a much needed night out on the town. (Remember that previous post where I mentioned age is just a number...that goes right out the window when alcohol is involved! I just don't recover like I used to.)

Now if I could only get a little sunshine, please.

We're Home!

We made it! Us & two doggies....18 hours....6 roads....five stops.....three tankfulls of gas....and very little sleep. Thank you to my friends & sis who helped keep me awake until the wee hours!

So I'm going to take a much needed nap. I may come back later to add more about our trip. If not, then it'll just have to wait until tomorrow. (Or maybe even Tues....rumor is we might have a Hurricane Day and I'll have nothing better to do with my time!)

My Hometown

I can't believe our weeks vacation is almost over. We've had a fun week so far....catching up with family & friends...relaxing on the boat with Mom & Dad....playing with the dogs in the back yard and best of all...just not being at work! But in a few short days we'll be on the road back to FL.

I truly do miss NJ in the summer. The weather has been wonderful this week....just the way I remember my summers. And the lightning bugs...I miss lightning bugs! I saw one the other night and felt like a little kid again.

For as much as people gripe about NJ...I love this area. I grew up here and my parents still live in my childhood home. Wall Twp is a good sized town, nestled just West of the many tiny beach towns that line the Northern part of the NJ shore. It's truly a place you read about in storybooks.

I have always said that Wall is the type of town where people grow up and then come back to raise their kids here. Just as I have always told myself that if we did have children, I would do the same. (My parents current neighbors were the kids we grew up with....the son, who married his high school sweetheart, has now purchased his childhood home and raising his family in the same house he was.) I'm not quite sure what it is, but it's a quality of life that just doesn't exist in most places today (and certainly not in FL).

One of my girlfriends always said that listening to me talk about my childhood, you'd think I'd grown up in the 50's...but that's the way our neighborhood was! You knew your neighbors and had picnics and BBQ's together. Us kids ran around and played outside until it was dark (in the summer we'd stay out even later playing flashlight tag). Our backyard served as the hub of activity in the summer because of the pool and in the winter because my dad would pull us around the neighborhood on a sled attached to his dirtbike when it snowed. It was before the age of cell phones, pagers and GPS devices....and yet us kids were allowed have the run of the neighborhood and be out with our friends all day. Sometimes our parents wouldn't have a clue as to where we were until we got home for dinner and talked about it at the kitchen table (because our family always ate dinner together).

I'd like to think times haven't changed.....but I know they are different now. I wish that kids today were as carefree as we were then. I was very fortunate to grow up where I did...and to have that experience to carry with me always.

Made it to NJ!

We made it to NJ...safe and sound (I think). We rolled in on Saturday around 1PM, after a long drive through the evening. After a short nap and showers, we met up with Mom & Dad and Cyn at the boat and partied on the dock with the crew for a while. Today we went out fishing, only to have our day cut short by some nasty weather...but that's okay.

The dogs are having a ball too. They are running around Mom & Dad's big back yard like it's their own private doggie park. Bailey's not quite sure what to make of it. This morning a flock of geese flew overhead and he started barking at them....then occurred to me he's never seen (or heard) geese before!

The trip has not been without trauma so far. Yesterday morning we stopped in Virgina for some morning coffee and breakfast for the pups. We noticed Bailey's eye was funky. I can't quite explain it. It almost appeared to be sunken in and his eye rolled back in his head. When we got to my parents it seemed to be better...then acted up again...then his "Ugly Eye" showed up again last night. It comes and goes. I started doing some research and came across Horner's Syndrome. I called our vets office after hours service and a local eVet up here. They both said it sounded like Horner's recommended having him looked at by an opthamologist.

Horner's syndrome is where the nerve that goes from the dogs eye to his spine is either damaged or being pressured. There are several things that can cause Horner's....from something as simple as a tug on his leash the wrong way which damaged the nerve (in which it will heal itself) or a tumor or blood clot putting pressure on it. There is no treatment for Horner's itself, but you have to find and treat the underlying problem. In most cases it's nerve damage which just heals over time.

He is 100% fine otherwise...still playing, running, romping, eating, pooping, sleeping...no dizziness, no diarrhea, no discharge. So now I am just debating if we get him to the vet here....or if we wait to see our vet when we get home. Either way I'm going to call our vet tomorrow and see what she thinks. So far today, no sign of his Ugly Eye. My poor Bailey Boo...

Aloha Friday

Happy Friday!

A few of my friends participate in Aloha Friday, which was started by Kailani at An Island Life. Friday's in Hawaii is a day where people take it easy and look forward to the weekend. I like this idea and figured I'd take it easy for my blog!

Every week I'll ask a question for you to answer. Nothing that requires deep thought....just something fun. Feel free to comment with your answer. If you wish to participate on your own blog, please head over to hers & sign the Mr. Linky and say hello!

This week's question:

Since we are leaving for vacation today, I'd like to know what was your favorite vacation? Who were you with and where did you go?

To answer my own question....that's a toughie. I've been fortunate to travel to some pretty cool places. I'd have to pick two:

1. Our Honeymoon! We rented a cabin in the Smoky Mountains just outside of Gatlinburg, TN for the week. It was amazing!! Our cabin was gorgeous and the weather was crisp. We were even lucky to be there for the first snowfall in the mountains and hiked up to Clingman's Dome (3rd highest point in the US) in the fresh fallen snow!
2. My trip to Western Canada. I spent 10 days with two of my closest friends in Calgary, Edmonton & Banff. What an unbelievable trip! And I don't think I've ever laughed so hard in my entire life, like we did on that trip!
   

I Hate Packing

We leave for vacation tomorrow (Yay!), which means I'm packing tonight (Boo!). Packing has to be one of lifes most annoying tasks. I wish I could just hire someone to do it for me! (Or bribe a small child from down the street)

How does one effectively plan out what they are going to wear, for an entire week (including shoes)?? You have to take into consideration the weather, activities you MIGHT be doing, how many outfits you might wear per day, how much walking you'll do, what food you might spill on yourself (I am notorious for doing this), etc and then CRAM it all into a 3x2x1 canvas box with handles & wheels. Everytime I have to go somewhere for more than a week I cringe at trying to figure out how to fit my entire closet (never mind hair, makeup stuff and beauty stuff) into something less than 1/4 it's size and take it with me.

On top of this, Pumpkin thinks her personal kitty jungle gym! So as I am trying to put my fresh laundered clothese into the luggage...she sits her furry butt right where I attempt to put them and doesn't want to move! I truly think she tries to pack herself. When I finally do get her to move (after some kitty fussing), she plops herself down on top of my clean clothes....and the battle starts all over again.

Oh well, it's a necessary evil I guess. I am looking forward to vacation...so I guess I should go finish. Ugh!

Aging Gracefully?

Ok - before I even start this entry I have to add that I don't do ANYTHING in my life gracefully. But I couldn't come up with a better title....

When do you start feeling old? Last week I turned another year older and went from being in my early 30's to my mid 30's. When I was in my tween years, 30 seemed so old. Now that I am in my 30's it really doesn't seem that big of a deal. I've yet to start feeling older. In fact, my mid 20's seems like just yesterday.

Don't get me wrong I have different priorities and responsibilities now (which entail a house payment and a marriage certificate)....and I know mentally I've done some maturing since those days....but I still don't feel older. Maybe it's because I still have the same friends....or work for the same company...or hell, even the same car (poor baby is 10 years old and still kicking!). Some things in life are just staples, I guess. There are some changes though...

Different things excite me now. A night out with the girls is a treat rather than a ritual. I am more delighted about receiving house-related gifts and buying stuff for the house, than I am things for myself (I recently bought a carpet cleaner and talked about it for weeks...and don't even get me started on my Roomba!) I carry a Crackberry and am constantly tied to me job, yet I don't mind (it makes me more money). On rainy weekend afternoons, I like to curl up with a good book & a cup of coffee and watch the thunderstorms roll by.

And this makes me wonder how I'll feel into my 40's. Will I feel older then? Will I look back on these years and see a distinction between the decades? Or will the old saying be right...and age really be just a number?

3 More Days Til Vacation!

Bryan and I leave for vacation on Friday. We're heading up to NJ to go visit my family & friends.(Cause everyone vacations to NJ! LOL) I can't wait to go....to see my family...to visit with friends...and spend a week at the Jersey Shore. Summer is the best time of year there.

When I grew up at the Jersey Shore there was nothing better than the start of Summer. As the quiet & dormant beach towns became alive, you couldn’t help but feel a little more carefree. The days were longer and allowed you to enjoy everything about living at the beach in the summer. The smell of the sea air….the cool ocean breeze in your hair….the softness of the sand on your toes…the faint sound of screams from the carnival rides on the boardwalk….the fireworks that lit up the night sky….and all of the good “boardwalk” food that went along with it. (Because EVERYTHING always tastes better at the shore).

To me, summer isn’t a season….it’s a feeling! And even though I now live in Florida, where it is nearly summer year round, when the start of the season rolls around, I can’t help but feel a bit nostalgic about my Summers at the Jersey Shore.

Scary morning

The dogs and I went to the park this morning, our normal Sunday AM ritual. I have a group of friends, whom I met at the park, that all go on Sunday mornings. We call ourselves the Alpha Group. The dogs love going to the park. I go sit with my friends and chit chat while they run around and play with theirs. They come over and check in with me once in a while. The park is 4 acres and they enjoy every inch of it...and when we go home a few hours later they are good, sleepy puppies the rest of the day!

This morning we had been there for about 90 mins. Allie comes over and I notice the top of her nose looks bumpy. She was just playing with another dog and they were kind of "mouthy" with each other, so I didn't think much of it. A few minutes later she comes trotting back and the entire right side of her face is swollen like a balloon...and her eye is all puffy. I start freaking out. My friends think she got stung by a bee or a wasp or rolled in a pile of fire ants. They recommend benedryl.

So I get the dogs loaded in the truck...and she's getting worse by the minute. I fly in and out of Walgreens to pick up some benedryl and speed like a maniac to get home. By the time we got home, her entire face was swollen. Her lips were 3x the size they should be and her eyes were tiny slits. Remember Will Smith in Hitch? When he ate the shellfish and had an allergic reaction? Yup...that's how my poor Allie dog looked!

I gave her some benedryl (which is a whole other story that involved a turkey baster since dummy me was in such a rush that I picked up the liquid and not the pills) & then called the e-vet. They tell me to just keep an eye on her and if she gets any worse or starts to have problems breathing to bring her in. Lovely!

It took the entire day and another dose of benedryl, but most of the swelling has gone down. She's laying at my feet...groggy...and still shaking her head a bit, but she's much better. She may sleep until Tuesday at this rate. And I think I gained a few more grey hairs

It's My Birthday & I'll Smile if I Want To

Happy Birthday to Me
Happy Birthday to Me
Happy Birthday to Meeeee
Happy Birthday to..Me!

Sorry - feeling a little giddy this morning. I can't imagine why since somewhere in the middle of the night I clicked another year older. I just keep telling myself age is just a number. I try not to get all freaked out by it.

I went to dinner last night with my boss & his wife and one of my coworkers and came home to a beautiful array of roses on table from my hubby and the most beautiful card he's ever given me. He's so unbelievably sweet. I sometimes wonder what I did to deserve him.

Tonight we are going out to dinner with some friends. There's about 14 of us. We're going to one of my favorite Japanese Hibachi places. It should be a blast!!

Tomorrow I will announce the winner of my bloggy giveaway....so keep the comments coming below!! :)

Have a great weekend!