Yes

End of the year = time to reflect on past year. Oh lord, has this been one hell of a roller coaster ride of the year. For those of you with a short memory, or just don't know, I was laid off from my job at the end of last year. It was not a shock, really, I had been waiting to get laid off since March of 2008, but was able to hold on until December. So here comes January and I am jobless. I thought I might be able to enjoy myself a bit but boy, was I wrong. I know that I am not meant to be a housewife. I am bored and when I get bored I get bitchy. Well, then came February and my Mom had to have back surgery so that was sort of a nice reprieve to feel needed somewhere. For the next few months, I made several trips back and forth to Arkansas to keep Mom company. I know it was a tough time for my Mom, but really it was so great for me to be able to spend my energy somewhere. March rolls around and yes, I had been going on some interviews, but no call backs yet. I had an interview on March 17th at a bank. I walk into the interview room in my gray suit and am greeted by three women wearing the same green blazer. Talk about fashion hell. Even if I was interested in the job (I got offered a job, but wasn't interested), I do not know if I could succumb to such group dressing activities. April gets here and I decide to hell with the big company world, I am going to actually try this lawyering thing. Yes, I had been practicing law for the past 4 years, but not to my full potential. I decided to embark on a career in something that came naturally to me - drama (Family Law). Family Law was the easiest class to grasp in law school and I do have to admit that I love drama that doesn't involve me. So here comes May and the opening of my own practice. I was so fortunate to find another female solo practitioner who offered me a sublease opportunity and an of counsel agreement (I can work on her cases). Six months later and I have completed 8 divorces and currently have 12 clients on my books. No, I am not getting rich (yet!), but I am happy. I have to use my brain everyday and I like that I am solely responsible for my success and failures.

We went to see the Jim Carrey movie last night, Yes Man. While it wasn't the best movie ever, I did enjoy the premise. Stop saying no to opportunities and say yes. I said Yes to one of the more crazy ideas I have come up with and I am so thankful that others encouraged me to take this leap. For the year of 2009, do yourself a favor and say Yes!

Benin Republic?

Anyone know where the Benin Republic is??? Obviously my Christmas present is still waiting for me. There will be a reward to the person who helps me find it.

ATTENTION!!!

I have been waiting for you to come down here and pick your $4.5 Million Dolla
rs USD but I did not heard from you. Then I went and deposited the $4.5 Millio
n Dollars USD, as a consignment boxes to FEDEX COURIER COMAPNY BENIN BRANCH.in
Benin Republic, because I travelled to SAUDI ARABIA and i will not come back
till next month end.I want you to contact the FEDEX COURIER COMAPNY BENIN BRAN
CH.

Family and Xmas Update

See the cookie on the bottom left? This is how I feel about holiday baking!! Actually, my friend, who was so patiently assisting me, made this one. I decided I wanted to make sugar cookies and frost them up all cute and pretty. Little did I know how time consuming and tedious this is! I was all focused on baking them for the appropriate amount of time (6 minutes and 30 seconds)that I let them sit out on the cooling racks until they cooled into bricks! I was so upset and pissed that my friend had to do something to ease the tension and make me laugh! I frosted the cookies and they turned out ok, but don't be surprised if I sell my new collection of cookie cutters at my annual garage sale.





Just to make you jealous... here is a pic of my baking on Sunday. I learned how to make cinnamon rolls. I always heard of older ladies baking them and I do not know how they do it. Kneading and rolling out dough is really a work out. Supposedly it is a stress reliever but I don't agree b/c all I could focus on is how bad my back and wrist hurts. I think a vodka and cranberry and chaise lounge on the deck is a much better solution for stress relief.




Please meet the latest addition (replacement) to our family. Jorge Stevens, III was laid to rest on Saturday, but not buried until Monday. OOPS! People, he was still in the bowl, he never floated to the top, so I couldn't actually tell if he was for sure a goner. I hope Jorge Stevens IV (Quattro, as he likes to be called) decides to really bite the dust when he decides to go. Quattro looks like his mother, but has the temperament and appetite of his father.



Ahh, tis the season for love and getting along.....too bad they can't be this sweet to each other everyday! They were on their way to see Santa, so of course they were on their best behavior!

It's a Sunshine Day

finally!! KC has been gray all week, either with rain, fog or snow. I do like the snow, just not the mess after the snow. However, I need the sun. It is hard to drag yourself out of bed without any hint of light.

So, my we are still working (I am bossing, he is WORKING) on the bathrooms and we are having to use the guest bath shower. Last night I fell asleep as my worker was taking a shower, and I had turned off all of the lights in the room (obviously, I was going to sleep). Well, I was suddenly woke up due to a bump noise and then OW! I sleepily roll over, ask my worker if he hit the wall, he said no, the bed, and I so sweetly say "Oh, ow." and roll back over to sleep. Oh, how great my worker must have felt to have married someone with such great compassion! I felt bad this morning as I was laughing about it, but I guess that wasn't the right reaction either. What can I say, I am a work in progress.

One more thing: My niece was very confused about her brother getting his tonsils out. She was told that he is getting surgery in his mouth, since she has no idea where tonsils are. When he was home from surgery she asked him if the Doctor removed all of his teeth! Funny.

Help!

I think Jorge may have broken his back or butt. Do fish have butts? This fish has scared me several times making me think he is dying, but this time I think its for real. He hasn't eaten in weeks. This is all he does all day. He used to lay perpendicular to the rocks, but now he is just vertical like this all day.



I am having this dilemma b/c I am afraid he is suffering and I need to euthanize him (flush him), but then again, I don't want to murder him. Having a fish can be much more stressful than one thought.

Kids being American

Video quality is horrible, but you can get the idea. And warning, I say "yeah" halfway through this and it is loud.

Feels so good

to be organized. I can breathe much easier now. I know, I am crazy. Sorry, forgot to take before shots, but here are some after shots:

OMG it is cold

so glad I don't live in Fargo, because I can't handle this! We went to the Chiefs/Chargers game and the temperature dropped at least 20 degrees before the game started and another 10 by the time the game was over. We were sitting there while it was 23 degrees AND I don't even like either team. The things you do for love! HA!

The party was fun. I didn't dress up b/c my roommate didn't think anyone else was dressing up. Well, first thing I see when I walk in was Cousin Eddy! There were a few Cousin Eddy's - one was in robe and furry hat and the other had on swimming attire. To even set the mood, National Lampoon's X-mas was playing in the background! Love it!

I am busy getting myself organized this week. I still have only got out my winter clothes half-assed, and I am going crazy looking at my closet. My roommate and I are also finishing up a year long bathroom remodel and hopefully that will be completed by the end of this week. I am the foreman,not the worker, so I can't really say if my worker is going to show up for work this week since he is highly underpaid! Will update with pics when completed.

Also had to send you a pic of a very cute Santa's little helper. He is getting his tonsils out today so Auntie had to send him out a little love!

Christmas Party

I know, groan...however, I am excited about this one. It appears it is going to be laid back and even has a theme - Griswolds. So, the invite said to dress up in Griswold attire. I love the idea of not having to worry about how "good" my outfit looks, but I am not sure what to do here. I admit, haven't seen a Griswold movie in a while, but all I can think of is Aunt Bernice wearing the Chrismas tree skirt. Now, that is really funny, but then another fear pops up - what if I am the only one that dresses up? AND is my waist small enought to even wear the skirt? If you guys read this before Saturday night and have any genius ideas, pass them on. If not, guess I will play it safe with the old trusty jeans. Hope to have some good pics to share!

Wee-Mee

Here is my winter Wee-Mee. Yes, I know, too much time on my hands, but I just love her. I hope I don't look that square in person, but I do think she is a pretty cute resemblance!



What the hell is a Wee-Mee? Well, it is a little character that you create for your instant message ID. It is not required, but just a way to add a little fun to your day. My IM friend also created a holiday Wee-Mee for herself. I am so excited for my X-mas present this year because apparently she went shopping in London and is in shock over how much she spent:

My gift

from Willie! I opened the back door and he has this sitting next to him.


Why must they show their kill? I know, he wants some recognition, but seriously. I know it is probably a mouse, but I choose to think it is a rat - it has a long tail. I keep thinking, thank God that he found this outside and not inside, because he likes to bring stuff up to bed that he finds around the house. For instance, he once got into a loaf of bread (I know, he is weird) and brought it up to my bedroom, bag of treats, plastic baggie that contained bounce sheets, the list goes on. Now, if he were to kill something in the house, I guarantee if I was in bed, he would gladly drag it up there to show me. I would have a heart attack. I know it is already dead and it couldn't hurt me anyway, but OH MY GOD, how gross!

Have a cold

and it is no fun when you no longer have your mother to take care of you. I was passed down my cold from my roommate (I really don't know how this happened b/c when you are married you no longer kiss or even do anything to remotely resemble making out!). My roommate had the ability to lay around for a few days but women are not given that luxury. Life must go on. I better not say much else because I don't want to run off my male fan base. HA!

Seriously, remember the good 'ol days when you were sick and it was such a luxury to take your pillow and blanket out on the couch and watch horrible kid tv A.K.A. Nickelodeon. I loved eating chicken and noodle soup and just enjoying the remote all to myself. Oh yeah, and I had a personal servant. Thanks, Mom!

Stay tuned for tomorrow's post - have a gift to show you that I received this weekend.

I give up

...I can't ever make chicken n dumplings as good as Cracker Barrel's. I am sure I will keep trying though. Have you guys ever had them - they are so delicious! And add a side of fried okra and you are just in heaven. I really sound like a southern girl now!

Interesting situation yesterday - I had a consult with a client and she was telling me how she was going to have to find a storage shed for all of her collections. So I ask, what is it you collect - her response: Japanese comic books. I, trying to not act like I am shocked asked, "Oh, do you know how to speak Japanese?" Her response: "No, I just like to look at the pictures." Now isn't that crazy??? She admitted that she has thousands of dollars worth of these comics and she doesn't even know what the hell they say!! Then she goes on to tell me that she attends Japanese animation conventions. WHAT?? "And where are these held", I ask. She told me all over the US and she even traveled to Japan for one. I am thinking at this point she should really learn Japanese. Seems to me she spends a whole lot of time around people that she has no clue what they are saying.

I hate being around people that speak a language I don't understand. I know this is so self-centered, but I always think they are talking about me. Do you ever get that feeling? Just gives me the hee-bee jeebies.

Keeping it all in perspective

Today is not a happy, or even remotely funny post. If you are here for humor, wait until my next post. This morning was horrible. I was trying to assist getting a sick cat into a cage to take it to the vet and was hugely unsuccessful, was two hours late to work, have a sore throat, so I was just in a shitty, shitty mood...until I read one of my blogs. You see, for some reason I like and/or need to be reminded that my problems are not that bad, I have my health, a great family, super husband, fat cat and lots of things to look forward to. I read several blogs about people going through cancer, or some life threatening illness. I get to know these people through their struggles, and begin to have great affection and concern for their family and friends, thus taking the focus off of myself. I am not sure if it is healthy, but it works for me. Anyway, one of my authors, Stephanie Vest, lost her fight with cancer last night. It is a greatly touching story as she had three young children and has been sick since her baby girl was born, therefore she was never able to be a mother to her only daughter. This is such a tragedy, however, I can tell by reading the comments what a great support system her husband will have. Here is her story if you want to take a look. http://rainkitephotography.typepad.com/stephanie_vest/2008/12/index.html

Something else that has been keeping me somewhat grounded is the fact that two of my very good friends lost their baby this Spring. I was so ready to watch them be great parents and am still struggling with the fact that they haven't been given the chance again yet. They allowed many friends, and eventually strangers, into their son's story through a blog, hosted by a company called Caring Bridge. Most blogs are free, yes, but this is set up through hospitals so it is very easy for the families and patients to share their story. If you are needing a charity to support this holiday season, I would greatly recommend donating a small token. Here is the site: https://ssl.charityweb.net/caringbridge/?Split=5

I am writing this mostly to remind myself that you can't make all of life's problems go away, however, if you focus more on compassion, love, assistance and healing, that suddenly your problems aren't in the forefront, and you are able to open up and help others. If you are able to do this effectively, it will create this great circle of positive emotion, and before you know it, someone will come along to help guide you through your struggles, or you may realize suddenly your issue has been resolved because of the focus taken off of it.

Promise to write about funnies later, thanks for listening. Dr. Red is signing off for now.

What happened??

My travels went very well, I hope all of you had a great holiday and some even better food!! So, Vegas wasn't the same since the last time I went (I believe it was three years ago). No, I am not talking about the ever changing architecture and rebuild, upgrade, tear down of casinos, I am talking about me!! It is very obvious that I am, ahem, aging. Here are some of the signs:

1. Instead of worrying about what bar we were going to, we were focused on what restaurant. Have to mention, though, we did eat at the "Top of the World" restaurant at the top of the Stratosphere for Thanksgiving. The restaurant rotates and it is a great view. Save up your money for the meal, but it is well worth it!

2. Comfort outweighs fashion. What!!???!! Yes, I said it!! The first night we went to a show and I wanted to look very cute and wore some boots that were not made for walking. By the end of the walk home, I was limping, bitching and damn near crying. I also made my travel partner's walk home miserable too, as you can imagine. The most funny comment (it is funny days later) was, "THIS IS NOT VACATION TO ME, THIS IS MISERY!!"

3. Instead of GOING to a bar, we opted for shows. I have been dying to go to Vegas shows the last three times we have went, but never got my wish. I not only got to go to one show, but two!! Good thing my travel partner is aging too!! Don't laugh people, you will love them too! We went to two Cirque du Soleil shows, Zumanity and Love. Highly recommend both. Zumanity is a bit risque and Love is set to Beatles music. Travel tip: Look for the 1/2 price ticket booths the day of the show, you can get some good deals!

4. Vegas needs to go non-smoking. It is bad people!! My lungs still are hurting. People just walk anywhere they want with their cancer sticks and it is just disgusting. I sometimes had to breathe through my shirt just to catch my breath. No, I am not exaggerating.

5. My ears were ringing (I think they might still be) from the Piano Bar. Awesome bar. We have been there now 3 or 4 times. They bring out an electric guitar and you are right at an AC/DC concert. It is awesome. After you leave with a $200 bar tab and ears ringing though, you come a bit to your senses. However, I still highly recommend it to music lovers.

I also did a lot of great people watching, but don't have any pictures to share. Did want to take a picture of a toilet for you guys, but travel partner thought that would be horrific. Here is the story: Most women glance down at the toilet prior to sitting, or in most cases, hovering over the toilet. Well, I glanced in one toilet and thought there was a cigarette on the seat. Gross. Move to the next stall and the same thing!! Getting really pissy now.... Third stall and the same thing again, but wait, my brain started working, and I looked at it more closely and it was a tube that is used for a sanitizing machine hooked to the wall. OOPS!

We also went to Vegas with some friends of ours that were celebrating their 10 year wedding anniversary. We assisted them with celebrating by embarrassing them at the piano bar. They had to go up to the front and, well, can't really say, but lets just say it was touchy-feely. So, I will now fully understand when I get divorce papers at about 9.9 years.

That is all for today!! Maybe I can post some pics in the next few days.