Sunday, September 30, 2012

Weekend wrap up

So this post will wrap up my highly disappointing weekend! Seriously!

Friday I was so excited for a blog swap I participated in and my swap gift arrived and I got screwed. This is my second screw-over on a swap so I officially retire from them....ha! I debated on saying anything but I think if we do not then these people can continue to rip off others in other swaps....oh well, lesson one!

Then I went to the baseball game and dinner and fireworks and it was great except for the big let down there. I am not going into details but lets just say I have again decided to be single...I do not have the motivation that is required to participate in a relationship right now. It is far too much work and I am just way happier being single....so I am done dating again!

On a happy note, I bought myself new boots for my last date and I love them.

Also another happy note...my sister sent me a Halloween care package from her kids...soooo awesome! A cute cat witch card, some candy corn hand soap, a glitter bracelet, a spider web and some homemade chocolate chip cookies! YUM!

I love her and those kids,they NEVER fail to make my day!

This is a photo of them in their Halloween duds...awesome, Hugh!?!? Ha!

Lets all hope and pray for a great week.

Tuesday, September 25, 2012

Biking Tuesday

I finally made it on a 20 mile bike ride today after work...alone but it is all good. Look at this view...simply God's Awesome handiwork!

Saw Marky tonight after Mitchell's Corner meeting and got a sweet kiss goodnight...love that man!

Off to bed....

Happy hump day to all tomorrow!



The elusive ride

Well, after that fantastic weekend and lots of bonding with Marky, we are back to the big blow off.

I get that he has a company and MANY times gets stuck at work late but I don't think it is too much to ask to just get a call or text if his plans need to change.

So, we were supposed to go bike riding after work on Monday. I got home at 4PM and let him know just to text me when he was ready. So 5:30 rolls around and no word. I texted him saying "still working?" and no reply. Then at 7PM texted him to say that I was giving up on the ride as it was getting dark and headed to the gym. Got a call at 9:30PM when I was on the way home from the gym just like nothing ever happened!!

Is it me or was this horribly disrespectful??

I was just going to let it go and give up on seeing him anymore however, I decided to be an adult and communicate clearly and see if it changes and if not, then i guess I will then walk away.

So I called him and explained that I felt hurt and asked that he, in the future, please just call or text if he is not able to make it so I can adjust my plans. He was very receptive and felt bad that I was hurt so I guess time will tell.

I hope I get to stay in this thing...I really like this man!! LOTS!!

Sunday, September 23, 2012

Saturdays Rock

I spent my morning in the Strip District in Pittsburgh, PA. If you ever get a chance you should go here - it is awesome! It is only 20 minutes from my house-i am soo lucky! Got lots of fresh produce, great homemade donuts and some cheese and olives to DIE for!!

Marky (HE-the new man) picked me up and we went to Canonsburg to help a mutual friend move. We got her moving van loaded up and out to Mt. Lebanon within 2 hours and then got her all unloaded and headed home to our mutual homes to shower.

Then on to camping! Marky picked me up and we pitched our tent and built our fire and talked, and talked and talked! This is our tent after we got it put up and Markys arm in the right side of the picture. Ha! We stayed until about 5 am and the temp went down to 40 degrees. It was sooooo cold and we did not bring enough blankets and had to bail. Mark dropped me off and we each slept at our own homes and then he came back at 9am and we went back and cleaned up the tent, etc.

This is the campsite when we went back on Sunday morning to retrieve everything! Ha!
This is the site after we left this am... :-(. All cleaned up...what an awesome weekend!! They go way too quick!

PS -Marky already called and asked me to ride bikes after work tomorrow...this is going very well! :-)

Back to the grind tomorrow....happy Sunday night all!

 

Friday, September 21, 2012

Bike ride cancelled

Oh well.

So much for that.

The bike ride is cancelled for today :-(

HE owns a company and got stuck working late this afternoon.

I'm soooooo bummed but by the time he was done working we only had an hour to ride before dark so we decided to nix the ride for tonight. We are meeting later tonight at a meeting and still have plans for helping a friend move tomorrow afternoon and camping tomorrow night.

I better find some more patience somewhere because I am starting to remember why I am single...I get soooo frustrated when people can't or don't follow through. I think that this will happen a lot if I continue to date HIM since he is "the buck stops here".

 

Friday frenzy!

Yes! It's Friday-my favorite day of the week!

I went to Trax Farms yesterday evening to buy my pumpkins. It is such a fun place and I always try to take a niece or nephew each year but it does not look like anyone will be coming into town this year so I went alone and it was still fun!

I got honey crisp apples. I heard sooo much about them from other people that I decided to buy them instead of my usual Jonagolds....so sorry I made that choice! They do not compare to Jonagolds....I am actually going back today to get my Jonagolds.

These are my pumpkins I got-Can't wait to have my annual carving party with myself...maybe the new man can do this with me this year....time will tell.

Today is our bike ride day and I am waiting to hear from HIM about when we are going. I will keep you all posted.

This is my view from the elliptical last night at 9:00pm....ha!

Below is a view out to the patio. The huge yellow mums are from Costco (10 bucks a piece!) and the smaller one below it are just now blooming...they are from a friend of my sisters that has a nursery in Columbus, OH.

happy weekend y'all!!



Thursday, September 20, 2012

Lovin' Blogsy

So today is just another run of the mill Thursday.

I almost didn't post but I decided to write a quick blurb for Blogsy...I was unsure about buying and trying this app for my iPad because I am cheap and it was like $5.00.

I am soooo glad I bought it! It has made blogging so easy on my iPad that, see, I even do it when I have nothing to say. HA!

I am participating in the Fall Blog Swap and I will be sending the package in the picture below tomorrow morning out to Nicole. I hope you love everything I picked for you!

An update on my new man...me and HIM will be going on a bike ride tomorrow for our second date and camping overnight in a tent Saturday night for our third date. We have been friends for over ten years so I know I am safe and he is a bonafide gentleman -I am sooooo excited!

Happy Fall y'all!!



Wednesday, September 19, 2012

Loving' Life

So this morning I got a good morning text from HIM!

Yippee! Soooooo cute!

Then he called tonight and we chatted and we have planned a bike ride for Friday afternoon and camping Saturday night! Sooooooo excited!

That's it for today's update!

Woo hoo I will soon be checking out those campsites I am so excited to try!!

Tuesday, September 18, 2012

Men redeemed

Tonight was my first REAL date in years!!

What an awesome night!

These are photos I took before I got dressed for the date....hair and make-up done....

I wore my new black pencil skirt and a flowing neutral tone sweater.
HE picked my up in his white convertible Corvette (he hardly ever drives it and I had mentioned a few months back in a passing conversation how I liked it so he drove it for the date :-) )

We have been friends for many years so the whole night was so comfortable!

We went to an awesome restaurant In Speers, PA called the Back Porch and it was amazing. The ambiance was beautiful and so comfortable and peaceful! The food was fabulous! I had red snapper and scallops and HE had filet topped with crabmeat-yummo! We shared-how cute!?! Right?

Then we shared a dessert ...death by chocolate... Yes, a man after my own heart! Again sooooooo yummy!

Then we drove home the long way and he showed me the house he grew up in and different neighborhoods that held memories for him.

Then we got to my condo and I asked if he wanted to come in-he has never seen the inside and I have all my Halloween decor out and he said yes but another night (he is a total gentleman). So then he leaned over and kissed me quickly and sweetly goodnight (again, he is such a gentleman...no slobbery mess or just in for the attack...just a sweet kiss). Then I could not get out of the car (the electric button had me confused; that or the kiss HA)..he flipped the lock and as I opened the door I leaned back in and kissed him quickly and sweetly!

These are photos I took before I got dressed for the date....hair and make-up done....

It was sooo comfortable and natural...I can't wait to see where this goes.

SWEET DREAMS...I know mine will be!



Monday, September 17, 2012

Enbrel Update

Today was a really crazy day!

I won't get into detail but lets just say that each year when my Enbrel prescription runs out, I am never told ahead of time and it turns into a day of doctors and bloodwork and TB tests just to get the ok to take it another year.

So I was at work for a few hours and had to leave suddenly and rush to the doctors.

I get that these tests need to be run but I wish somehow they could be proactive and schedule it all a month before it runs out and not a day before. I have to be tested for AIDS, TB, liver levels, etc.

Oh well, I also got informed that this year I also had to get a full-body check for skin cancer. Yes, it is a good thing but WOW! I don't even want to see that much of me....ha!

They saw nothing except this dry patch on my face that I have been watching for a while so I have a prescription for cream that they said will clear up those pre-cancerous cells. Not fun stuff but I guess that's life.

Tomorrow night is my dinner date. I am soooo psyched-this guy is so sweet and adorable! He has called me every night to say good night to past several days since he has asked me out :-)

I will give you all status! Wish me luck!

Also, please say a prayer for a really close friend of mine, Kimmy. That friend that just lost her daughter and is getting divorced....she just found a new apt and a new job and she was let go today as they did not think she was learning the computer stuff at the dentists office fast enough :-(. She is really sad and down on herself....please send prayers of courage for Kimmy!!

Much bloggy love to you all!!

Sunday, September 16, 2012

26 Mile Solo Ride

Today was supposed to be my 50 mile ride on Montour Trail with Glenn. He was supposed to work in the am and we would leave around noon to ride.

Well at 12:30 he finally called and said he would not be ready to go until 2PM. Well, call me selfish but I did not want to sit around and wait any longer so I went by myself.

I encountered this cool contraption on a portion of the trail where you have the walk your bike across a road and then up steps...pretty tricky!?

Right after this picture I ACCIDENTLY ran over a little black and yellow snake. I felt sooooooo horrible but I thought it was a little stick and I could not veer fast enough...I felt awful!! This is at about the 20 mile area. My blackberry picture does not do it justice but it was sooooo awesome looking up!

And the this happened! My stupid chain falls off sometimes when I shift from my level three gears to my level two gears...so I got a LITTLE messy fixing it! This is when a guy comes in handy...they feel bad and do it for me! Ha! This is also why I do not wear cute biking clothes to bike...I bike in ripped shirts.

This is when I turned around. I started at 27 and went down to 14 and turned around. So total mileage was 26 miles on the trail.

This is one of the new campsites along the path around Cecil. We are planning to put up tents and stay here some weekend soon!! So far camping it will be me and Glenn and Rose...we will have a girls tent and a boys tent.

And finally, my sister just sent me this picture while I was typing this post. This is me playing pack mule t the beach this past summer. It is just easier to carry lots of stuff rather than beg the kids for 40 minutes to carry it, right? Wow! I miss that beach already!!! The condo we stay in is at the top left of the picture...love Stone Harbor!

Where does the weekend go sooooooooo fast!?

PS-while typing this post I was also texted and asked out on a date for Tuesday night by a guy that I have known as a friend for a long time! And no, it is not Glenn, he is just my friend. I am so excited! I will keep you posted!

 

Saturday, September 15, 2012

Fun and Family Saturday

I went up to visit my parents for the day today in Ohio.

It is a two hour drive normally however, today it took 3 1/2 due to construction, detours and below...I was bringing up the rear of the Johnny Appleseed parade in Lisbon, OH....ha!

Once I got there I got to hang out with some pretty awesome kids, including this little cutie!! I love a good fall campfire!

And I finally got a photo of this....Tow Mater! I see this all the time and finally pulled over to get a photo. This belongs to someone in Hanoverton, OH...I love it! Soooo cute!

Well, tomorrow is my 50 mile bike ride with Glenn on Montour Trail. I will report in tomorrow night with details. Wish me luck!


Happy weekend to you all!

Friday, September 14, 2012

Fall Decor...really Halloween...

Happy Friday!!

I figured this is a great time to show you some of my Fall Decor!

I got it all out last night and decided it is time for Fall and for Halloween all at once!

Below is my mirror in the entryway...the black gauze has purple lights in it....AWESOME!!



This is a cute little witch from TJ Maxx I think and my candy corn yankee candle!


I lOVE glitter and bling so this spider from Pier1 fits right in! Their stuff is soooo cute and glittery...I could spend a whole paycheck in there! HA! The pumpkin is a craft I made about 20 years ago...love it!
T.V. Decor....
This is a close-up of my shelf in the living room.
This is a full room shot of the Halloween decor
Got this new papas an cushion at Pier1 yesterday. It was 1/2 off as it is a summer pattern....LOVE it!
This is a view out to my patio!!! I got these mums at Costco. Aren't they great? Wishful thinking not bringing in my hummingbird feeder yet but i think they left last week :-(
This is my sweet Angelica. No post is final without a picture of one of my babies.....
Happy weekend to you all!!!!



Tuesday, September 11, 2012

I remember...


 I will always remember that morning in 2001; I was on a vacation day and was at home in my apartment on Library Road when I actually saw the news cut into whatever I was watching that morning.

They said a plane hit one of the towers in New York and that terrorism was NOT suspected.  Right then, my mother called and asked if I knew what was going on.

For the next few hours of that day information slowly unfolded that another plane hit the other tower, it was terrorism, a third plane hit the pentagon and a fourth plane went down near Somerset (which is about 1 hour from where I live).

What a sad day of destruction.  So many heroes stepped up during that day and the days to follow and I simply remember a deep feeling of gratitude for simply being alive!


I WILL NEVER FORGET!


Monday, September 10, 2012

Lemon Tabouli

I am soooo happy to be home and hanging out with my babies again!!
Kidrock
Angelica
I am home from a loooooong first day back to work after vacation and I am making lemon tabouli salad from Epicurious!!

After these yummy ingredients are all chopped up; it is off to Zumba at the gym! Whoop whoop!!


Lemon Tabouli

  • 1/2 cup fine grain #1 bulgur
  • 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
  • 2 cups finely diced tomatoes
  • 1 cup chopped cucumber
  • 2 pinches of ground cinnamon
  • Salt and freshly ground pepper
  • 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 cups finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
  • 2 tablespoons slivered fresh mint leaves
  • Tender romaine leaves
1. Place the bulgur in a fine sieve, rinse under cold running water, squeeze dry, and soak in the lemon juice for 45 minutes. Use a fork to fluff the bulgur.
2. In a bowl, combine the tomatoes, scallions, cinnamon, and a few pinches of salt and pepper. Drizzle on the olive oil and toss. Fold in the bulgur,parsley, and mint and mix well. Refrigerate, stirring occasionally.
3. Taste and correct the flavors with lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Serve with crisp inner leaves of romaine lettuce for scooping up the salad.
 

Oh and, I forgot about this awesome find!! I saw this polish color on one of the salesgirls in Sephora and fell in love with the color! It is by Nails Inc. and is called Baker Street....is it not AWESOME?!?

I hope everyone had a great Monday!





ICU Nurse it is

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