Summer Staples…

I could write about how today was one of the LONGEST Mondays I have had in awhile and that I sat at my computer working for 14 straight hours but I won’t bore you with those details.  Instead I will tell you about…

Summer staples I can NOT live without:

Zen Green Tea

During the day I have been drinking Zen green tea by the gallon!  I mix the tea bags with ice and water and drink it cold.  Not only is it delicious, but green tea contains antioxidants called catechin polyphenols that are responsible for many of the health benefits of green tea. One of them in particular, epigallocatechin gallate, has been found to stimulate the metabolism and accelerate weight loss.

Vicks Vapor Rub

A few months ago I had a friend turn me on to this little baby and let me tell you it is WAY more than just some cream you rub on your chest when your feeling congested. Check out this awesome list!

Sally Hansen Nail Effects

It doesn’t matter how many base or top coats I apply, when I paint my nails my manicure chips within an hour.  This Sally Hansen product rocks!  Plus they have a ton of cute designs so you can switch it up!

Anti Monkey Butt PowderI first tried this product after getting a sample in race packet a couple years ago and I love it!  This product is awesome if you have an issue with chaffing while working out.  The hotter it gets the more of an issue chaffing can be and this product literally eliminates it. They sell this at my local Giant Eagle so check it out!!!

Since I started with a tea I will end with another one of my favorite that I may have mentioned on my blog before.

Smooth Move Tea

If you ever have problems with irregularity (don’t we all) this tea is your new best friend. My mom turned me onto this tea a couple years ago and I love it!   You drink a cup of this hot tea at night and the next morning things will be rolling (you’ll poop)!  Buyer beware: the first time you drink this it can cause several bowel movements.  Your body will get used to this though.  I try to drink this tea only twice a week.  The nice thing about this tea is that is stimulates your bowels and isn’t like a laxative that can cause severe cramping.

This concludes my “Summer Staples”, please try out these awesome products for yourself.  You will NOT be sorry!

She’s 50!!!

I’m sad the weekend is over and I’m already writing my weekend recap:(!!!  This past weekend Mike and I packed up our bags and a cooler and headed to Kelley’s Island!  Like I said in my last post, Saturday was my moms 50th birthday and her and my step-dad got a house for the week on the island!

Friday when we got to the ferry to head over to the island it was extremely gloomy and COLD!!!

Once we got to island we headed right to where we would be staying, “Daze Ease”.  Isn’t this place the cutest!

The living room…

The kitchen…

The dining room…

We headed outside to enjoy the view and conversation…

We also had fun with these…

My parents rented a golf cart for the week so the rest of Friday was spent drinking and exploring the island!

Saturday was the big day my momma turned 50!!!  My Aunt Kerry (my moms sister), Uncle Russell and Russell’s brother and his wife got over to the island around noon and then it was time to party!!!  We had some drinks at the house and then headed to the winery.

Now my goal was too take pictures everywhere we went but the drinks were flowing and going down pretty good so they rest are pretty sporatic…

We did manage to get the glasses back out:)

After the winery we stopped back at the house and had a couple more drinks and then headed into town to Casino (a bar not an actual Casino).  There was awesome band playing and they sang, “Happy Birthday” to my mom:)

After we danced and sang at Casino we headed over to another bar that had karaoke…

I’m not sure what my mom is singing here but I’m sure it was as delightful as this picture!

Eventually we made it back to the house and it was time to eat and serve the cake Mike and I brought!

And then I went to bed… at 7pm:)!!! Yes folks a day of drinking on the islands will put you in bed very early!

Mike and I had a GREAT time and were sad to come home today!  Thank you to my parents for a wonderful weekend and “Happy Birthday” momma your 50!!!

Thursday is the new Friday…

I have been looking forward to 5pm today ALL week!  Reason being… tomorrow the hubby and I are heading to Kelley’s Island for the weekend:)!

It’s my mommas 50th birthday Saturday and her and my step-dad got a house on the island.  They have been there all week and I’m excited to join them!  Who has two thumbs and loves drinking ALOT and riding around in a golf cart…. this girl:)!

 Have a great weekend everyone and look forward to pictures and island stories when I return Sunday:)!!!

Office Etiquette

It has been a long day, if anything in the following post offends you please send an email complaint to http://www.idon’tgiveashit.com.  Thank you:)!

Today I thanked the good lord above that 85% of the time I work by myself, in my pajamas in the comfort of my own home!  Once a week however I make the 45 minute drive downtown and work out of my clients’ building where they keep an office for me. We have brief meetings, I pick up mail, questions get answered more easily and problems get fixed quicker.

But boy oh boy do I NOT miss working in the standard workplace anymore!  I’ve been at my current job now for almost a year and a half and have had SO many people tell me that they could never get used to working from home, but trust me… you could!  I am probably a 110 times more productive working from home than I ever was at my old job in an office.  Today was one of those days that reminded me that it isn’t that I’m not a “people person”, I’m just not a “stupid people person”!

All of what I am about to explain happened to me today.  If you have to ask yourself, “Do I do that?”, you probably do and you should STOP doing it immediately:)!

7am-  I listened to a gentleman on his cell phone talk LOUDLY about his match.com date that went badly.  He explained that, “she just didn’t look like her picture” (do they ever).  Apparently he thought since it was so early no one else was on the floor already working but I was and although it made for good eavesdropping it was still VERY annoying.  People that talk extremely loud on their phones in public or while working annoy me make me want to punch them in the face!  This also applies if you are in line to check out for ANYTHING!  Put down your cell phone for 5 minutes… I promise you will survive!

9am- I walked to the cafeteria to get some coffee and water.  I never cease to be amazed by what some people choose to wear to work. While most grown adults know what business casual means, many DO NOT.  I have tattoos, but while at work… I cover them up.  I have breasts, but while at work… I cover them up.  I have a booty, BUT while at work… I COVER IT UP!!!  This will sum it up:

11am-  Part of my job is billing my customers for the service my company provides to them, this is NOT fun.  Let me preface by saying my company is one of the most affordable and proficient companies in my field out there, basically we do a great job for a fair price.  However people do not like paying bills and will do anything to get out it.  I had a lady call me today and explain that when she signed our contract she had just gotten her wisdom teeth removed and was extremely high on vicodin!  Really?!?!  Bottom line, don’t lie to get out of something especially $$$ related most of the time it will only bite you in the ass and you’ll end up spending more!

1pm- An associate sent me an email asking a simple question then ended the email saying she needed the answer ASAP.  I literally turned around in my seat and gave her the answer.  Why is it that people find it so hard to get up and take two steps to ask a question or to pick up a phone these days instead of sending 20 emails to get a simple answer.  People are LAZY!!!

3pm- Part of the fun of actually getting to work is the drive there!  Since I left the office early I didn’t expect much traffic, but of course I was wrong!  It’s Ohio and there is always construction somewhere and today I had the pleasure of being stuck on a single lane highway for 3 miles while a very “intelligent” woman in her golden years did 70 mph on my ass (in a 50 mph when I was already doing 60 mph) on her cell phone (of course) while sporadically beeping her horn and flipping me off.  I’m not sure if she wanted me to disappear into thin air or she was offering to pay for my speeding ticket when I got picked up.

This now concludes my bitch session, thank you all for letting me vent.  Although nothing is forever, I pray to the work gods that I can keep my current gig forever.  I love my job and my client is awesome.  On the days that I think working from home is lonely and monotonous I am quickly reminded that all is well, when my only morning obstacle is making a pot of coffee and I am able to stumble into my home office at 7:30am in my pajama’s and unwashed hair:)!

Bad blogger…

I really have no excuse for why it’s been so long since I last blogged besides I’ve been a bum and just haven’t felt like it!  I opened my google reader today and had 86 blogs to read:(!!!  Work has keep me so busy sitting in front of a computer all day, that it’s the last thing I want to do again at night!  So, instead of typing loads about what I’ve been up to I will use pictures to help get the job done faster:)!!!

Thursday my step-dad came over and Mike took the day off of work to re-stain our back deck.  While they got most of it done it rained (surprise, surprise) so we still have a portion Mike and I have to finish.  It already looks SO much better though and we can’t wait to finish it completely and have some of our annual backyard barbecues!

Friday night we went to Mike’s annual work patio party.  They had a ridiculous amount of food and alcohol!!!  They really go all out for the kids and include carnival games, a bounce house and this year a petting zoo!

Saturday we made the 2 hour drive back to my home town for my cousin Katie’s graduation party.  It was a beautiful day out so we spent most of the time outside eating, drinking and snapping pictures.  Here is a big family shot…

Yesterday Mike and I purchased a dining room table and chairs! Mike said it would only take him an hour to put it all together but instead it took him four;)!!!

While he worked on that I worked in the yard and cleaned the house.  We had his dad over for a spaghetti dinner for Father’s Day.

Today we were both really missing our niece Mariana so Mike called his sister to see if we could go visit.  We ate dinner with Mari and then played with her for hours.  She will be two in July and is like a little parrot right now!  She loves posing and taking pictures…

Mike and Mari making funny faces…

Mari in her pj’s before bed…

On the way home Mike and I talked about how we both need to get our butts back in gear with working out.  I have ran several times since my race but I haven’t really gotten back into the groove.  We both have been so busy with work and it’s been raining nearly everyday so it’s been easy to make excuses not to work out.  But tomorrow I am getting my act together and starting to train for my next half marathon (more details tomorrow).

What helps you stay on a regular workout regime?

 

 

Have you seen the Dark Knight?

Today was a beautiful cool spring day so I got my hands dirty…

I added a mulch bed in our backyard, with a new bird feeder for our feathered friends.

I pulled weeds in my garden where my romaine lettuce, cucumbers, eggplants and tomato plants are growing beautifully.

I cut the grass, used the weed eater and then cleared off our deck so my step-dad can begin our new staining process tomorrow!

I’m excited tomorrow is Wednesday because not only is it hump day, but Mike and I have tickets to go see comedian, Aziz Ansari, in Lakewood.  If your not familiar with Aziz here ya go…

We both really like him and we have great seats so I’m pretty pumped:)!!!

Hope you guys all had a great day!

Isn’t it ironic…

This week is always hard on me.  Not only is it the week of Fathers Day but it is also the anniversary of my Dad’s death.  Today, June 13th marks 15 years since the passing of my dad.  It’s crazy to think it’s been that long since I remember the day so vividly.

My dad was in a motorcycle accident when I was 7 years old.  They gave him less than 48 hrs. to live.  He beat those odds and was in a coma for nearly 5 1/2 years.  He spent those  5 1/2 years in a long term nursing facility and my mom took me to see him quite frequently (she and my father were divorced before my dad’s accident).  I’m not sure what would of been worse; having my dad suddenly pass away or seeing him waste away as a vegetable.  Seeing someone in a state like him for so long really has a way of making you question your faith.  If there is a god, why would he take away a father, son, brother and friend and let him “live” a life of near exile?  Never underestimate the effect you have on a child.  What I learned as a child has shaped me into the person I am today.  Life is short and it is not certain but you learn to make lemonade out of lemons and life does go on.

Growing up I always felt like I had something to prove.  I didn’t want to play the daddy card and become a statistic.  My mom worked her ass off to give me basically anything I wanted and in return, I did my best to always make her proud.  Every choice I make still to this day I remind myself, “your dad is watching” and “don’t disappoint your mom”.  At times this can be exhausting but I really think its why I’ve never gotten in to trouble.

I still think about my dad every single day and although I’m not a religious person, I strongly believe his presence is with me often.

Growing up I never really had a father figure.  Although my mom had remarried when I was a freshman in high school, I wasn’t a fan of my step-dad and never bonded with him.  They divorced the summer before I left for college and I honestly could of cared less.  To be honest, I really didn’t care for men.  What I mean by men is “father figures” or “older men”.  Most of my friends parents were divorced and there dads were assholes or losers so I began to think if that was what a dad was, then maybe I was better off without one. Sure, I deeply missed my own father but the possibility of ever having someone like him really wasn’t a reality to me.

To my delight, I was wrong.  In my later college years my mom began dating and later married my now step-dad Denny.  Yes folks, the lady has been married 3 times… third times a charm, right;)!!!  I liked Denny as soon as I met him.  I could tell he wasn’t trying to bullshit me and act like someone he wasn’t.  And he could actually hold my attention in conversation.  All things no one my mom ever dated could do.

In getting to know and become close to Denny over the last eight years I have gotten to feel how it is to have a dad.  I got to have someone to talk to about life and ask help from other than mom.  I got to have someone walk me down the aisle at my wedding and since my dad’s passing other than my husband Mike, Denny is the only other male I have said, “I love you” to.

So getting back to the title of my post, “Isn’ it ironic”.  Not only is today the date my father passed away but it is also my step-dad’s birthday.  Kinda crazy right…  With death always comes life and I can’t help but wonder if it wasn’t chance but fate that such a wonderful “step-father” was brought into my life.

So Denny I love you and “HAPPY BIRTHDAY 50th Birthday” ya old man, here’s to many more:)!!!

Is it the weekend yet???

I just want to sleep in and make pancakes for breakfast:)

Save the best for last…

Today I finally got back into the swing of things.  Yesterday was SO busy.  At work I was swamped since I was out a couple days last week and I also cleaned the entire house (god love my hubby he tries, but my OCD ass likes my house, my way)!!!

On my lunch break I had to go to the dentist and get four cavities filled (please don’t judge me, the dentist frightens me more than anything and I’ve learned my lesson and will NEVER wait so long to go back).  All my cavities filled were on the left side of my mouth.  My appointment was at noon and my face was numb until 4pm!!!  I was starting to get worried and since the dentist told me not to eat or drink until the numbness went away I was also very thirsty and hungry!!!  I sent this picture to Mike so he could see my pathetic “smile”…

The afternoon flew by and before I knew it, it was almost time for Mike to get home.  I got our bikes out and ready since we planned on going for a bike ride and prepared dinner for when we got back.  We rode around town for about 40 minutes and got a little over 5 miles in.  We had to keep stopping for traffic and got yelled at to get out of the road by some skank lady smoking a cigarette.  I think we’ll stick to trail riding from now on since our town isn’t exactly “biker friendly”!!!

Once we got back home we made dinner!  Tonight we had turkey franks and broccoli cooked on the grill, it was DELICIOUS!  We also had sauerkraut, my favorite:)!!!  After dinner we were in the mood for a sweet treat, so we loaded up Scoobs and headed to Papa Roni’s to get some ice cream.  We had to get this guy a treat too:)!

So you may of noticed that the title of this post is, “Save the best for last”… Mike and I discussed me running the Akron 1/2 marathon and I’m going to do it AND I’m %99.9 Mike is gonna to do it too:)!!!  I told Mike that it is completely up to him if he wants to take on this challenge but he will NEED to train and that race day will be a personal goal for each of us.  I’m going to register this week once payday hits and then the search will be on for the perfect training plan.  I’m really excited to be taking on another physical challenge and even more excited at the prospect that my husband may be as well!

Life is good:)!!!

 

Am I crazy…

Or hooked???

The Akron 1/2 marathon is 9.24.11.  I’m going to sleep on it but I’m %99.9 sure I’m going to register tomorrow:)!!!

Should I do it?!?!?!