Goodbye Desktop....

I've been a bad blogger yet again.  For the last week we've had the virus of all virus' on not only our PC, but my laptop and my cell phone. (And we thought we had a good Virus Protection Plan....wrong)  UGH.
(Side Note: If anyone in the last week sent me an email...there's a REALLY good chance I never read it.  Almost everything went into Spam.   So if you asked me a question and thought I was ignoring ya...I'm sorry!  Send it again!!)

All week I worked, and worked and worked on trying to "fix" our old, PC.  I have wasted hours of trying to get old documents and pictures "recovered".  I should have learned from Carrie Bradshaw to back up everything....but I didn't.

Geoff got his anniversary/birthday gift early yesterday and got a laptop. We are now a "laptop only" family.

Cross your fingers that I get all my pictures/documents transferred!!!
P.S. Yes, we bought the mother of all virus protections for our laptops....and yes, I will back up everything online!

Spring Cleaning + Internet= $$ for New home Decorating

With a move this summer I am having to declutter and condense our "stuff". Our new home is going to be (roughly) 1/2 the size of our current home until we finish off the basement. We are lucky our current home had A TON of built ins, so furniture wise, we don't have to get rid of much. But "stuff" wise....hmmm.

So for the past week, I have been going through section by section and organizing everything I can. There is a good will pile, recycle pile and chuck it pile...and my favorite "try to sell it on the Internet pile".

We're talking books I am never going to read, dog stuff, electronics, patio/pool furniture, even plants!!
So far (and I've only just started), I've sold/returned

• tent for business we never got running and it was sitting in garage $1,000
• GPS software for boat $165
• Books on Amazon $30
• Patio table $20
• Misc "crap" on ebay $60
• Returns to Lowes/HomeDepot $120

For a grand total of $1395.

I made a deal with myself. All the $$ I got from selling this stuff was going to decorating/organizing the new place. This way I have a budget when I buy paint...and go to my mecca aka The Container Store.

Not only is cleaning up helping us bring less "stuff" to the new place (so far, my filing system been cut in half, which means less stuff to haul to the new place) but I'm getting a little $$ on the side from stuff that has been sitting around for years!

My first purchase with my $$. Sure it's pink and cutesy. But it serves a very special purpose. I have lost so many tools in my house becuase my husband is a clepto! He takes my tools (although he never admits it) and they vanish into thin air. So if any of you ever see Geoff with a pink tool, you have my permition to smack him (and also take a picture of him using the tools too...I need eveidence!).


First words when he saw this...

Geoff: "Why did you buy that? I'm not going to use pink tools!"

Madeline:"And that's why I bought 'em sweetie"

And the icing on my cake...I put my Blackberry Storm on ebay and someone local asked me if I wanted to switch him phones.  Turns out I LOVE the phone he had (BRAND NEW) and he loved the phone I had.  So we switched!

I LOVE my new phone.  Everything I want... although media plan a little more than I was paying with my LG Dare (did I mention I have commitment issues with cell phones?).  So now I will put up for sale my LG  Dare and use the Omnia.

Well, off I run to the post office.  Just sold another book on Amazon!

St. Patty's Flashback....

As some of you might know, I don't like to have my picture taken. I completely take after my mom. You would have to chase her down the street to take her picture (that's if she didn't threaten bodily harm first)!

When I asked her why she hated pictures, she finally told me the simple answer....she didn't like the way she looked when she was overweight. Having a picture documents that "Omg, I look LIKE THAT" feeling.

Needless to say, I don't have many pictures of my mom and I in my older years (high school on). When going through my pictures...I'm starting to notice that the same can now be said about me and Geoff. MY father-in-law actually asked if we go on separate vacations since he never sees me in pictures (to my defense, it's easier to hide behind the camera).

So what does this have to do with St. Patty's?

Well, I was getting out my festive clothes from last year to wear to the parade (St. Patty's in Savannah is huge. Some people get off work. Kids are off school. Big parade. LOTS of drinking in the streets.)

I tried on my shirt from last year and it fit me like a nightshirt.

So I went to the computer to pull up some old pictures...

(this is one of those moments you can imagine me cringing to even consider posting these pictures...it's bad people....really bad)

St. Patty's in Savannah 2008

(but doesn't Geoff look so darn cute?)

St. Patty's 2009

(please forgive the dark circles under my eyes, focus Brianne or Charlotte's fuzzy head)

Good old self timer....we still don't know when it comes on (we dropped the camera a couple times and the timer has never been the same)

My "Hurry up and take the picture" look

And since I don't have any pictures from the parade this year (I was sitting on the ground with Charlotte and the metal barriers were in the way.  But really these pictures from last year could have been taken this year)

The Fountain at Forsyth Park with water dyed green...trust me it is

Same families in the parade EVERY YEAR, probably the same goat too

Lots of these guys every year

Told ya the water was green

#1 Reason I Should Not Miss Savannah....

THE BUGS!!! Specifically...

• Mosquito's
• Palmetto Bugs (I don't care what people call it.....they are roaches in my book....and they fly, hiss, and are EVERYWHERE in the summer....eghhh)

And the most EVIL bug ever invented. The "no-see-ums" aka SAND GNATS.

Those tiny,pesky, little bugs come in SWARMS here and are harmless to most....but to me...they are LETHAL. When they bite, it makes welts on my body (anyone who knows me can attest to the fact that bugs find me and bite me. 10 people can stand by me, and I am the only one that will get the wrath.)

To a girl with allergies...the South (NC included), has not been nice to me.  Bug bites were not something I had to worry about in Southern California.  Or Pollen (everything is COVERED in yellow down here...really bad for the allergies...I would take a picture, but that involve going outside...).  I have had to have allergy teesting, a bug misting system in my back yard, and "Off" on me at all times from Spring - the first frost/late Oct. early Nov.  But when I moved to Savannah, the first frost would be followed by HOT WEATHER and the bugs come back from the dead like blood sucking zombies!

Case in point....my first bite/war wound of the year

Date of bite: Thursday March 13th 2009 10:00am
Location: Savannah Car Wash (Southside had SWARMS of them and they got in my car)
Bug Perpetrator: Sand Gnat aka "evil little bug"
Date of photo: Monday March 16th 4:00 pm (yes people, 4 days and it STILL looks like this)

Now imagine my legs and arms covered with these suckers and you can guess why I might not miss Savannah tooo much!

Who's your Daddy?....take 2...or 3

Well folks, some of you might remember the saga of finding out what the heck Jake is . They did re-test him....and test number 2 showed he was STILL a Great Pyrenees, Cocker Mix. With a DASH of German Shorthaired pointer added in for good measure. (Remember, they said AT LEAST 37-74% is GP or Cocker, GSP is 10-19%)

Ughhh

Now it was a matter of principal. I had to get him retested. No way could he have that much Pyrenees in him. So I used the DNA test our vet uses, because as their test states

"Although cheek swabs seem quick and simple, only blood samples are scientifically proven to be the "gold standard" in DNA analysis because 95%* of the time, they can reliably provide large amounts of high quality DNA to analyze. Alternatively, according to some published studies, cheek swab derived DNA samples only have a 25-40%* success rate. "

*Hansen TV, et al. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev. 2007;16:2072-2076, Swanson SM, et al. J Child Adolesc Psychopharmacol.

And the results are......

Poor Jake will never really know who his daddy was (or mom for that matter). This lil guy is so mixed that,

"The analysis reveled that Jake is a fairly mixed dog and we have not found evidence of a purebred parent or grandparent."

What they did find was that Jake had at least 12.5 % of


Dachshund (makes sense, he is long! Always thought he had that or corgi in him)

Pekingese (totally wouldn't have guessed it....but this may explain that famous fluffy tail he has)

and to my total amazement....Cocker Spaniel (I guess that's why he has such a high prey drive with birds?)


And NO PYRENEES (will be writing them a letter showing new results...they were 1/3).

So, now if anyone asks what Jake "is" ...we can say he is a "CocShundEse"

then again, we might just say he's a mutt and we love him :)

Do I get points for trying?

Lemme kill 2 birds with 1 stone.

My 2009 list has already been turned upside down, some because of my own doing...and others because of ....life. So I managed to update my list to show you my progress....or lack there of.....and hidden in those reports are going to be a few fun updates!

Here we go (and if it's crossed out...more than likely, it's not going to happen):

1.) Loose the last 20 pounds by March 1st- Big.Fat. Stinking. No
Thank you stupid steroids. So my lightest weight will be 140 pounds. So ticked off I couldn't get to my goal, but still proud I made it this far! Hopefully once I am off the 'roids, I won't be as hungry as a pot head!!! BUT
I am beyond proud to announce....I am wearing a ....wait for it....SIZE 6!!
FYI...I know some of you might consider "6" a big size...but for a girl who went straight from little kids clothes to a 10 (ok, ok, ok...might be a slight exaggeration)...this rocks!!

And an update on the health....had a blood test today. NO FUN! But when I talked to the Dr. he is still as puzzled as ever. Tons more tests run...no lyme, no crazy allergies.
I get the burning feeling and the hives 1-2 times a week, headaches about the same. Don't have any symptoms when I take the steroid in the morning. When I skip, I get it at some point in the day. (I know, you're all telling me "DON'T SKIP ding dong" ....can a girl hoping I can ween myself off?)

Good news though: I feel pretty darn good:)  Not feeling lousy like before. Most of the symptoms are "under control" or can be drugged to control themselves :)

2.) IF you loose 20 by March 1st, you may pass go and directly book anniversary cruise the Mediterranean for April: Nope
Sticking true to this one...as sad as it is. Not just because I didn't make my weight, but because of this....

We are under contract for this stunner (looks familiar huh...it was my inspiration picture for the other house we wanted, but had gone under contract. I ADORE this place, didn't think we could afford it....but we haggled and got it at a "pretty good" price for the area.) Home inspection and appraisal are this Friday. Cross your fingers for us!! We drive up Thursday evening.

3.) Take 1 bubble bath a week: So far so good!
Finally something I accomplished :)

4.) Take 1 yoga or Pilate's class a week: Nope
DARN IT...no excuses...I am just lazy when it come to exercise (or my lack of it)

5.) I will finally go visit my friends WITH GEOFF in Texas in Spring: Not going to happen
Thanks to the move North, there are going to be A LOT of trips that won't be taken.

6.) Go back to California in spring for Colette's graduation: Probably not in June...but sometime this year
see #5....really want to see my grandmother though....we're still working on this. I have enough airline miles to go around the world twice...but we were saving them for our Greek Isles trip.

7.) Get my teaching credential- Sort of
I took the test for GA (kind of worthless now, since the state I am moving to doesn't take the GACE test). I passed both sections! Right now I am torn though....the schools in DC I would be able to teach at with the fellowship are...for back of a better term...scary. I hate saying that. I grew up near LA. I have driven in Compton....AT NIGHT. But on Wednesday, when I took a "test drive"...lets just say I never made it all the way there. Geoff is coming with me on Friday to take another look. And be my backup. I don't want to settle and be in a place I will not enjoy for a 2 year commitment. So I might have to take a year off and re-apply EARLY for the elementary age (they want jr. high...7th and 8th).

8.) Once a month, get in the garden and plant something new: Gone above and beyond
I am a lean, mean, gardening machine. Thanks to the frost, 1/2 my flowers died, and to get the house ready to sell.  Geoff and I have been busting our backs to replant and WEED.

9.) Volunteer once a month with any organization: Kind of /sort of
Since we have been so busy these past few months, and feel it would be unfair to sign up for information sessions and training just to move in a few months, we decided to give $ and major household donations (my old baby furniture, dining room set, clothes etc) instead of my time. This will change once we are settled again.

10.) Eat out less: ----hanging my head in sham----
WE STINK!
But, I am proud, Geoff has been bringing his lunch to work, and since we have the supplies for his lunch...I make my own lunch too (maybe go out 1 lunch).

 Baby steps people....baby steps

Music washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life. ~Berthold Auerbach

I'm am exhausted....both physically and emotionally.

4 flights in one day from Savannah to Atlanta,Atlanta to DC and back.  What was I thinking?!!  Me and my impulsive decisions. 

Soo much to catch you up on....but I can't right now.

Need to stop running around and rest.

This past week music has been my salvation.  I actually have a "relax" playlist on my ipod.  A great song can simply take me away from the craziness of the world.

Which brings me to why I'm even posting when I should be napping.

Anop Desnai

Moment I heard him on American Idol, I have to admit, I didn't expect what came out of this guy. LOVE HIS VOICE....love how he sings R&B.

I have never voted on American Idol, but he was so good that I voted!

Furious when he didn't make it through in group one.

So happy he made it into Wild Card Round.

Here he is singing some of my favorites

WARNING: This video contains scenes that may be disturbing...
Images may include:

• Geeky acapella group
• Bad group outfits
• Screaming girls

and worst offense...

• Tarheels

A voice like that is a gift...

Without music life would be a mistake. ~Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche