• I've managed to make it to more of C's soccer games than I did last year. Over all this season her team has a pretty even record (5 wins, 6 losses) and there is one game left to go.


• mustard76 and I joined Club Fitness. I just finished up the last of our "jump start" training sessions today and I'm hoping to be able to afford more soon. In the meantime, I'm going to yoga every Tuesday and hopefully I'll make it in for weights and cardio at least once a week if not twice. If the weather permits I may start walking around the neighborhood a bit more as well. I wanted to buy a bike this fall but it hasn't happened yet and I'm not sure if the one I want is still available.


• I joined a lot of swaps (games) on PBS and as a result got kinda burned out on reading. I'm finishing up the last ones now and am going to attempt to not join any new ones until 2010.

[

mood

|

happy

]

There is a ton of stuff that I've wanted to blog over the past, oh, year... but yeah, time got away from me and it probably won't happen now. I do, however, want to actually post about the great weekend I just had. :)

Everything started off a few weeks ago when I got a message from mad_with_july about wanting to surprise ghan75 with an early birthday visit. The hope was that all of the girls who went to Florida (for our 30th birthdays) could make the trip, but sadly austenfan and verte27 couldn't swing it in the end. They were both sorely missed, though we definitely understand the reasons behind not being able to make it. :(

Anyway. On Friday mad_with_july flew in and I picked her up from the airport. There was a bit more drama than she would have liked actually getting off the ground, but eventually the plane landed in STL and we headed over to ghan75's apartment. We talked for a while and then we decided that food was necessary before the drinking could really begin so we headed over to Mangia for food (and a bottle of wine). After a fun filled meal, we walked up the block to Absolutli Goosed (a martini bar). We sat on the patio and drank yummy drinks for hours while talking and laughing and being served by the one of the best waiters ever (he said his name was Chuck, but we dubbed him Jean-Luc instead because of that Nescafe commercials some years back).

We wound up closing down the bar and then heading home for sleep (at 2am or so that finally happened).

Saturday we woke up around 9 for some unknown reason. We sat around for a few hours just talking, but then it was decided that we needed to go shop for stuff for ghan75's apartment. After a quick lunch at Steak N' Shake, we headed out in search of shelves, rolly things and a whole list of other miscellaneous things we had come up with. Three hours (and three stores) later, we went "home" with most of the list completed. We put together the bookshelf (all by our girly selves, thankyouverymuch) and settled in for another few hours of talking and laughing (and another bottle of wine). We almost popped a DVD in, but decided to watch TV instead so we caught the last half of The Lakehouse and then watched Practical Magic.

While I know the weekend technically isn't over yet, I decided it was time for me to come home after the second movie (and before more alcohol found its way into my hand). I have to pick C up from my dad's tomorrow at 9am and wanted the chance to let my allergies settle down (no clue why they're acting up, mind you) before that happens.

Tomorrow C has a soccer game and ghan75 is going to come out to watch it with me after she drops mad_with_july back at the airport. Assuming there is time, we may well hit Target to see if we can find stuff off the second list of things that she still needs to gather for her apartment.

[

mood

|

amused

]

I want! The problem is I can't decide on which color(s)....

[

mood

|

bouncy

]

I just got an email from one of the co-captains of my team for the Race for the Cure. He tells me that I am now eligible for the iPod Nano drawing because I've raised more than $100 in donations. I don't know if this is a QT thing or a total race thing but I'd say my chances are pretty good if it is just a QT thing... so far I'm the only person eligible in that list. ;)

Of course I'm still a bit shy of my personal goal, so if anyone out there has a few bucks they can spare I would appreciate the donation!

[

mood

|

amused

]

Because neither of us wanted to actually go out tonight, mustard76 and I tried to convince C that she should go pick up Mr. Goodcents for us. After the third (or so) time that we told her to go (and even offered to give her the money for it) she tried to use the excuse that she didn't know what we would want... so of course we rattled off our orders... after which she started to get up off the couch. "Wait," she said, "am I actually going?" We managed to not laugh too loudly when she then exclaimed, "No! I can't drive!!" ... no mention of the fact that she's only 10 and not allowed that far away from our house without us (or another adult that we trust)... just that she can't drive.

... oh that C. :)

For those of you who actually want to know, I wound up going on my own to pick up the food for everyone because we are far too cheap to pay the delivery fee that Mr. Goodcents charges. ;)

[

mood

|

excited

]

Thanks to some well timed bonus checks we were able to purchase my very first laptop last night.... My head only hurts a little bit from trying to get used to it. Of course I'm guessing that a part of my headache is due to my staying up far too late last night to play with my new toy and having to be up at 3:30 this morning to get ready for work. If I were smart, I would be taking a nap right now instead of spending more time playing.

... I never claimed to be smart. ;)

[

mood

|

amused

]

( Democrats, click on this one!Collapse )

( Republicans, this one is for you!Collapse )

[

mood

|

curious

]

After the recent death of my Aunt Pat, I posted in a Christian forum that my family (my sister and mom and I, at least) believe that our deceased loved ones watch over us from Heaven and help to keep us safe. In that same post, I mentioned that we often receive little signs or nudges that we are on the right track or that things are going as they should. Most recently, the signs have led us to believe that Aunt Pat has been reunited with her baby sister (Carolyn) and that they are happy together once more (two hummingbirds feeding at a time when there are usually none to be seen; two butterflies frolicking in the yard; two hawks flying side by side and then perching together in a tree). I was told by several of the women in this forum that there is nothing in the Bible to suggest that this is true and that I should be wary of believing in ideas that cannot be supported by scripture.

I don't claim to know the religious beliefs of most of you, f-list, but I'm curious to see what beliefs the rest of you hold in this regard.

Do you believe that our loved ones can watch over us after death, becoming guardian angels to us?
Do you believe that our loved ones can watch over us after death, but that they cannot do anything to protect us?
Do you believe that our loved ones simply move on after death, never looking back at all... whether or not they can?
Do any of you have stories from personal life to support your beliefs?
Do you believe that God (or deceased loved ones or some other higher power) can give us signs that we are on the right track or that we should find peace?
And to the Christians among you: Do you see any harm in my holding the beliefs I originally stated despite having no Biblical "proof"?

Note: I use the term "guardian angel" for lack of a better descriptor. I think that phrasing is what originally set the women of the forum off, and now I wonder if they would have reacted differently if I had phrased my original post differently.

[

mood

|

thoughtful

]

( the story of MeCollapse )

[

mood

|

pleased

]

Everything went fairly smoothly today. C and I managed to get up and dressed and over to Mom's house by just a few minutes past 6 and we made it to downtown by just after 7am. We got a small handful of freebies before making our way to the group picture area and then got a few more after the group photo was taken. Then we walked around a little bit more before actually joining the walk itself. As we discovered after a mile or so, we were very close to the end of the crowd. It worked out well though because we had lots of room to move and the water stations were shutting down as we got to them so we had them empty several cups onto C's head. lolahere got pictures so I'll probably have some up on MySpace or Facebook later on in the week (I really need to re-get my paid account here so I can post pics here again).

After the walk was over we trekked down to the Arch to find out just how high the river is. It hasn't quite reached the level it hit in '93 but it was still about halfway up the steps and pretty impressive. lolahere also took a picture or two of that, which hopefully I will get a copy of to post.

Then we hopped a train back to my car and called the boys to meet us for lunch at Talayna's (sp?). mustard76 declined but my brother and digdugg hadn't eaten yet so they joined us and we all pigged out on pizza.

Overall I would say we walked around 5 miles today... possibly closer to 6 (or 20 if you get us talking about it long enough!). My pedometer measured close to 8000 steps (C's measured closer to 20000 though so we're not entirely positive that they work right).

[

mood

|

accomplished

]

There's just a few days left if you wanted to help me meet my goal for The Race. I'm currently $35 shy of my goal... and $85 shy of getting a free hat. ;)

[

mood

|

excited

]

Happy Birthday, Samantha Rae Holmberg!!! Welcome to the world!

I so wish I could be there to see the happy family.

[

mood

|

energetic

]

I have officially been playing this new game for a week now and I am still loving it. I even love that my muscles are a little sore from the exertion.

I've also re-re-(re?)-started my diet. If I can keep my motivation up I'm hoping to see actual results again soonish.

[

mood

|

hopeful

]

For the 4th year in a row, I am participating in the St. Louis leg of the Susan G Komen Race for the Cure.

For the first year ever, I set a fund-raising goal for myself. I set the bar pretty low ($100), so I'm hoping to soar above and beyond. Please click here if you would like to help.

ETA: I've upped my goal to $200 thanks to the support I've already received. Y'all rock!!

[

mood

|

tired

]

The day went off relatively smoothly. With the exception of lolahere (who couldn't get out of work) everyone from both of our immediate families was at the Church for the Mass and ceremony. My mom didn't come to our house afterward for the bbq but everyone else did and digdugg also came by for it.

I'm hoping that the various people who took pictures will send them to me (us) soon so I can share them with everyone else. C looked absolutely beautiful in the dress that notgoddess gave me for the occasion some 9 years ago now! lolahere did have to alter it just a tad because C is tiny for her age, but it was indeed perfect. We coupled it with the shoes that were also sent by notgoddess so long ago and the veil that I wore for my First Communion.

I'm sure there is more that I should be saying about the weekend, but my brain is mush right now. There was a lot of good family time though, so I'm a happy Stacie.