It's Funny How People Think

We've been going through some major IT stuff at work. The regular folks who were part of the implementation team performed all this testing and work with inactive data. I guess they all thought that because the testing worked, everything would function with no trouble once the live data was inserted. Isn't it funny how people think?

Many problems later, I'm still running around like a mad woman with apologies dragging behind me. "We're sorry you don't have what you need," "Everything should be up and running again tomorrow," "Can you tell me what you were doing when you got that error?" It's been nothing but good times for two weeks. I need a vacation.

Speaking of vacations, we may have to revisit ours in a couple of weeks if we don't find flights soon. The prices are outrageous and have been for months. They'll go down a bit, then spike up a few days later. I know that the FAA issues have caused a slew of problems but I really hope they also consider slumping sales. Keeping their prices so high is going to deter travelers and summer is coming, after all.

I've been so naughty since my return from Washington. Too much eating out, too many cocktails and too many late nights. I've put on three pounds (ouch!), I'm tired all the time and I'm not feeling my best. I gotta get things back under control. Hubby's been trying to "turn me on" to Isageni.x for months. I've been trying to research, but something always comes up. I've decided today's the day to find out what it's all about and think about using it as a detox (from all the Wendy's and Mexican I've been inhaling as of late...it's just too good!). Everything is still fitting okay, but my goal is to get more of this weight off. As I said, summer is coming. I look okay, but I want to look good.

The Pacific Northwest and Major Bodybuilding Beefcake Pt.2

As the judging progressed, I paid close attention to the look of the competitors. Not their physiques so much as their faces. I can only assume that the "supplements" they use make them look like they look. Some of the women appeared so gaunt and angular, I had to do double-takes for some, just to be sure they were women. Here is the difference between the natural shows; women are sure to look like women in the natural world.

Hubby's class was huge, but he did well. We left after the judging and journeyed to the outskirts of Bellevue to take in the sights. First, we headed over to the Factoria outlet stores which weren't all that exciting. Then, across the street to a local cantina for lunch. It was wonderful! Their strawberry margarita was as big as my plate and my afternoon was quite mellow after that. A discount store was next and their weren't a lot of discounts to be had, although hubby found a nice bottle of cologne for not too expensive.

The snow and rain began to fall (again) so, it was back to town for us. We rested a bit before the show then set out to the events center again. The displays were in full swing and hundreds of people were walking around the booths. Hubby decided he needed to buy more stuff and hung out with me in the audience until show time.

I was pleased with how organized everything was. The host kept the pace and contestants were held to their 60 second routines. I wasn't happy with all the breaks, though. We heard the same announcements about twenty times (this or that show being held in this or that state). I was getting a bit bored about mid-way through. People need to remember to bring their personalities to those performances. Some of them were so dull. I can count on one hand how many actually got some excitement out of people. Maybe it's just that the show is made up of so many out-of-towners that the crowds just don't know who the athletes are.

By the end, I was happy to see hubby and then get out of there. We tried to find a restaurant that was open, but Bellevue is apparently a sleepy town and only the Jack in the Box and the Denny's had bright lights. We ended up at the pre-planned, after party restaurant which turned out to be very good. Hubby and I shared a 25oz. Sangria that made us all warm and toasty. We didn't get back to the hotel till close to 1:00pm (another late night for me).

Up at 5:00am, we finished packing up and headed back to Seattle to return the car (a brand-new Dodge, Caliber) and catch our flights. I was looking forward to getting back and seeing my girls, but also sad that I didn't have more time to spend with hubby alone. We pretty much decided during this trip that separate flights would be something to avoid in the future. It's certainly nice to meet new people on flights (and I did on the flight there - Jo) but it's nice to have the time for bonding with loved ones, too.

The next show? End of May. This one is natural and I'm looking forward to it.

The Pacific Northwest and Major Bodybuilding Beefcake Pt. 1

My trip was lovely...for the most part. Hubby and I awoke at 3:30am Friday morning, got ready and finished packing the car with our luggage. We traveled 30 minutes to the airport and got through security almost flawlessly. If "yours truly" had remembered her Carol's Daughter Healthy Hair Butter was in her carry on, it would have been flawless. So, $16.00 into the trash. I was hot! That stuff ain't cheap and I was so getting used to the way it made my hair feel. I'm not ready to order another jar again. I need to save some allowance, first.

Once we made it through security, we headed to the United terminal to wait for hubby's flight to leave. The attendant came on the loud-speaker to announce that the flight was overbooked (now, we know airlines do this but it always kills me how surprised they sound when they announce it) and would anyone take the next flight in exchange for one, round-trip ticket to anywhere in the continental U.S. Hubby was all about it. It would shorten his layover in San Francisco, and he would get to Seattle at the same time. No one counted on weather issues in San Fran. Ugh!

My flight with Southwest was gone and in the air by 10:00...hubby was still in the airport in Salt Lake. I arrived in Seattle at 11:40 am. Hubby didn't get to San Fran until close to 1:00pm. Ultimately, I was hanging out at the airport for hours waiting for him. When he finally deplaned, he looked like he'd been through the ringer, poor guy. We got our car and left for Bellevue with only an hour to get to the event center for his registration. Talk about hectic! I'm trying to navigate with the rental car map while hubby is steering a car he's not used to through mad, Seattle traffic in the rain. Despite the craziness, we made it to the hotel and then to the event center with minutes to spare.

We spent Friday night taking in the sights of the city. Washington is gorgeous! The green was so spectacular (you forget about green when you live in a desert). Lake Washington?Absolutely beautiful and the skylines? Exquisite. My only gripe was that I could certainly feel the humidity. The wind had a bite to it that I hadn't felt since leaving Nashville. Frigid! Other than that, wine to be purchased at grocery stores (what a novel idea? Get a clue, Utah) and the people were very friendly. We ate dinner at an amazing Thai place (Thai Grille)...a hole in the wall where I could swear I saw some one's grandmother in the kitchen cooking. I had the Samara Noodles (Vermicelli noodles with spinach, tofu and peanut sauce). I ate half and then felt like I needed to be rolled outta there.

Being without the kids was hard, at first, but hubby kept reminding me that it was just us. We could do whatever we wanted and not have to worry about car seats, juice, runny noses, crying and people being tired at 8:00pm. We had a glass of wine at 10:30 and didn't go to sleep till after one (we weren't out anywhere, we just weren't sleeping...draw your own conclusions).

After our night of passion, we arose to go to the prejudging session. The venue was quite large with several vendors stationed in the back selling all kinds of stuff. Supplements, replacement meals, sports wear, posing attire you name it. We spent quite a bit of money and I got an up close and personal look at the items these athletes have to purchase and wear. The judging began and the over 70 category was quite the surprise! How about being a 79 year old bodybuilder? If that's what I've got to look forward to, I will be one happy wife in my old age.

Ready to Go?

Nope, not in the least. Before I go on a trip, I like for my house to be clean (spotless, if possible). If there's one thing I can't deal with is coming home to a trashed house. My house hasn't seen a mop in weeks and it's getting pretty grungee, especially with the new dog in the house (did I mention that Mastiffs tend to slobber? Fun, slimy times). Besides the floors, the bathrooms are gross, my bedroom is a fright and the basement has dust bunnies that kick up every time someone walks around.

Hubby asked me to try and tidy this morning, but of course we were running behind. The eldest decided to do her sloppiest work for her practice spelling test. Mom wasn't having it, so we started over. She was ticked. Oh, well. No sloppy pants in my house (just a sloppy house, right?)

I haven't even begun to pack. The girls aren't packed either, so that will be priority task one when I get home, since they're leaving for their grandmother's this evening. The other trick is how do we get two, massive dogs into our sedan to transport to the baby sitter's? Hubby thinks everyone will be able to fit, including the dogs. I think he's smoking crack.

The weather this weekend in Salt Lake will be in the 70s. Too bad where we're going, it will be in the 40's in Washington. Rats! I'm still convinced will have a good time, despite the frosty temps. There are quite a few places within walking distance of where we'll be staying. Hubby thought ahead and rented a car which I thoroughly relieved about. Now, we can travel around the city and beyond (without getting rained on). I'm really intrigued because this is one of the places we've thought about moving to in the future. I love the west and embrace it's mentality completely. Utah has been good, but there's a lot my kids can't experience here because of the culture. I'm hoping to get a nice enough "sample" of Washington so that we can make a possible decision for our future.

Right now, I'm eating subway sandwiches from our performance lunch. I did get an oatmeal cookie and half of a chocolate chip cookie. My Fresca is bubbling and all is right with the world.

A New Dog and He Paces

We drove nearly an hour south of home to pick up our new dog, yesterday. He's gorgeous! Friendly, obedient, lovable and playful our current dog has definitely found a new friend. Unfortunately, our new addition was having a time adjusting to his new surroundings last night, so he paced and paced and paced. It's not cool to wake up several times a night to the sound of huge feet trotting along through your house sounding like a big-butt horse. Hubby and I also weren't thrilled to wake up to big Mastiff eyes bearing down upon us as if to say, "Where's my mommy?" He should settle in, I hope, over the next few days.

In other news, hubby isn't nearly as nervous about his up coming show as he was the last show. He's low carbing, but not insanely like last time. His temper is more even and he doesn't seem to have the ego that came with the last time (not sure what that was about). I checked the weather and it's supposed to be snowing in Tacoma this weekend. So much for looking like "spring youth" when we go. I'll probably have to pack my snow boots and trench coat. So sexy! I so wanted to wear my cute duds, but I don't do the "cute and cold" bit anymore. Gone are my college days.

I'm getting anxious about what may happen with my work situation. I'm hoping I'll get approved for full-time telecommuting at the end of the month. My boss's new boss, however, doesn't seem like the understanding "family friendly" type and I'm hoping I don't have to go back to the office. I think I may have to leave my job if that happens, not because of the work itself, but because (after all this time) my own boss may not fight for me to have this opportunity. I wouldn't be able to stand that. Pray for me!

How I Spent My Day Off

After we got up and took the oldest to school and the youngest to the neighbor's (and the dog to the vet for a teeth cleaning), we journeyed up the highway to the next largest city, Ogden. We hit a couple of discount stores first and picked up a few things. I was starving by the time we were done, so we hit up Taco Bell (talk about lovely breakfast food). It was surprisingly good, or I was incredibly hungry. Hubby agreed that it was the cleanest Taco Bell we'd ever been too and the food was really that good. After we left Taco Bell, we hit up a video arcade and played, and played and played. We one oodles of tickets that we spent on the girls (well, got them the cheap stuff that you get with tickets).

We went to lunch after this and it was lovely and romantic, until the school principle called. Ugh! I guess it couldn't be perfect. The eldest was caught trying to pet horses over the school fence (nice one). I let her know, once I got her home, that horses are easily spooked and will buck and kick on a whim. She had no idea and seemed to get the point pretty fast. Hubby thinks that our discussion of anniversary time off must have subconsciously bothered the eldest (attention turned away from her and onto me). She's not used to it because our family usually does everything together. Hubby made a point to say that we have to spend more time on our own, so that the disturbance in schedule won't cause these kinds of problems in the future with her.

So, all in all, it was a great day together. Hubby and I really do enjoy the quality time that we have and again we are trying to make an effort to have more. I'm really looking forward to next weekend when we go out of town. I know I'll miss the girls, but it's definitely what he's talking about; shaking up the schedule.

It's My Anniversary

A very good day. A very good day, indeed (and it's only just started!). Last night, hubby surprised me with a new, marquesite watch and matching bracelet. He also bought me a gorgeous, 18kt gold garnet necklace (my birthstone). For him? A gift certificate for an 80 minute custom message at our favorite spa.

Tomorrow, we both have the day off and my neighbor offered to watch my two year old (she has an 18 month old and her oldest daughter and my daughter go to school together). I can't imagine how she's going to do with two toddlers. I've already dubbed her a saint. (wink, wink) So, hubby is scheming for things that we can do minus kids. He's totally at a loss, since we almost always we always have a kid with us. It's a real treat! Anyway, happy anniversary to me...here's to another ten years of love, craziness, kids, frustration, fun, and the rest.

Make Your Own Happiness

I work with someone who is generally unhappy most of the time. She has a lot of drama in her life (much of which she did not cause herself). I'm a willing ear and I listen to her vent often. (She and our boss butt heads all the time). At her core, she's a kind and wonderful person but that's so difficult to see because of all the negativity that surrounds her. It got me to thinking about happiness and where it comes from.

Of course, the wise person knows that things do not make one happy. They can please you immensely for a time, but that's fleeting. It's what you do to create your happiness that lasts. Whether it's spending time with family or friends, sharing an event or creating memories. Those things will stay with you forever. I feel bad for her because she doesn't have a lot of happy memories. To hear her tell it, her childhood was just one disappointment after another. Her hubby is really wonderful and I believe she truly appreciates him and loves him. He's in profession that allows him to want for not (so, consequently, they live in a beautiful, Victorian home). They have a lot in common, visit the theater often and enjoy the same music but there are even things about her marriage that make her unhappy. She just accepts them (although, I really don't know what these things are...he's a man who does the things that men will do). She admittedly doesn't have a lot of friends and her family is not a family she would choose to hang out with, so it's basically she and her hubby.

I am so grateful for my faith and my ability to find my happiness. It can be quite small and even insignificant to some, but powerful and sustaining to me. There was a period in my life when I felt doom and gloom was the way to go, but you just can't function and be healthy in that state of mind. You get one life. One shot at living it. Why take a "damned if you do, damned if you don't" approach. Why not embrace the wonders that life gives us? It will be gone before we know it. I want to be able to say that I lived it with my full heart.

I believe that everyone is brought into our lives for a purpose. I hope that my ability to "make my own happiness" is something that she can glean from me. From her? I've learned that kindness comes in many packages, but you don't necessarily have to be happy to be kind. It's a happier, gentler and better world if you have both.

Running with the Big Boys

What a weekend! It's hard to believe that it's really Tuesday, since we packed so much into two days. Friday evening, hubby began putting away the carbs; chocolate moose cake and juice. Not much, but enough to make him a bit more coherent than he had been during the week. Saturday morning, he stuffed four or five slices of lemon cake down his gullet on the way to the high school. We dropped the kids off at my mother's and made it to the school with around ten minutes to spare. The backstage was already littered with lawn chairs and towels, men and women eating and talking, figure competitors gluing themselves into their bathing suits. It's a somewhat familiar scene for me, but I was really surprised at the number for figure competitors for the show. Three categories (short, medium and tall) with at least ten per category.

After hubby found out his categories (three total), and his athlete number, we chatted and waited for his turn. I was his oil lackey, so I greased him up good for the judges. Unlike the natural shows, we weren't sure how they moved the athletes for placing. It was hard to tell if he was even placing at all. He wasn't doing the best of poses at first, and then I saw something click within him and the "star" came out. He was doing much better.

Between categories, he would "pump up" and try to bring out his size and vascularity. He definitely had the goods because many a guy would say to him, "Man, you're ripped!" or "Looking good!" They were also surprised that he wasn't a heavy weight. At the weigh-in, he only weighed 167...his size just makes him appear so much bigger. There were guys who weighed much more and weren't as big as he was.

After the morning votes, we went back to get our girls then left for the hotel (we didn't want to make the long drive home, only to turn around again for the evening show, so we set up a room at a hotel in town). The room was nice, with a mini-fridge and a closet with magnetic doors (which made my girls very happy). We rested and hubby went down to the hotel exercise room to pump up some more. When he returned, we showered and dressed for the evening show, then left for the school.

My hubby looked amazing in the evening and all the eating and working out truly made a difference. It was too bad the votes were already in, because he looked so different by night fall. (I hoped they had some wavering results that tipped his way.) I got my kiddlings squared away in the audience seating, then went backstage to help with the oiling process again. There was an energy at night that wasn't present during the daytime (as was expected...the pressure was off and now the athletes could have fun). My hubby's pose-down routine was wonderful (set to a Kirk Franklin song) and I was so proud of his performance. I was also excited to see how many of his friends came to support him. He came out to prove that he could compete with the "big boys" (most of whom are on questionable supplements) and he did just that. He placed second in all of his categories!!

At the close of the evening, I was happy and exhausted (I can only imagine how hubby felt). He was too ready to eat and we ended up driving all over town, until we settled on our favorite Mexican restaurant. We ordered out and took our two, too sleepy kids back to the hotel. They awakened (at 11:30pm) and watched t.v. while we ate (they had already eaten) and we all passed out around midnight.

Sunday morning, we awakened to a snow storm. I don't think anyone was really prepared for cold temps and snow, but we were well rested and happy. Hubby took us all to breakfast, then home for a nap (it was bliss!). We spent the day resting, laughing and talking about the previous day's events. Hubby's mind was no longer roaming and wandering, which made his previously frustrated wife very happy.