Lauren's been home from the Navy for all of a month. Thats all it took before she talks me into this:
HOBBES aka: cutest kitty evah!!
We went to the Humane Society last Wednesday to meet up with her friend who was getting a kitty. And I knew we were doomed when Lauren wanted to just "look at the little tabby kitty". You know where you fill out the information sheet and they bring the animal in the room so you get to hold it and kiss it and fall in love with it?? Couldn't Resist.
He's almost 8 weeks old 1.6lbs and a ball of energy.
And he loves the boys. In fact I think he'll end up being a dog really.
This was less than 24 hours after being home.....
Hobbes has definately got Jake wrapped around his lil paw...
Jakes ears make the best blankies...
And this was last night. All three on the couch together.
And then Remi gave up. It was getting too crowded.
Then it was all about Hobbes and Jake spooning. lol
So our zoo has grown and as usual, we get a funny, frisky kitten who loves dogs. =)
As if I have ANY right to ask you all for anything after my desertion of you. But I'm gonna ask anyway.
My sister is in an International Photography contest. She says in her blog, (see blurb below) that she is in the top 20. Well that was 10 days ago. She is now in the top 5-10. She has a chance at winning this shindig. And its big.
And she deserves it. She is a great photographer and I'm not saying that because she's my sister. Its true. MANY people LOVE her work. Not just me.
Here's her website. Check her out. Then come back and click the link in her post below and vote for her please. I'd love to see her win and go to Europe to shoot whatever it is they shoot. Thanks ;)
I’m Participating in an International contest….as a Photographer…
I’m asking anyone and everyone to take a few moments to go to this site and PLEASE vote for me!
This is an international contest for a company JustProud in the Netherlands… I am a founding member of this website – www.justproud.com – it is a place for fashion lovers, designers, photographers, models, etc…
Here is the link to my profile – please click on it – and it should take you right there…BUT if it doesn’t – just go to the site and click on the SummerTop contest and click “view photographers”. I’m currently on page 18 or 19 – click on me – Ginger de Vegh and VOTE!!!
I know this contest is the real thing – a friend of mine in Boston, who is a designer – Daniel Hernandez, won the last one and was flown to Amsterdam to design and shoot for the current shirt that you see on their site!!! I am (as of the last standings) in the top 20 or so, out of 325+ photographers – WORLDWIDE!!!!! (last contest I made it into the top 50!)
again – I would GREATLY appreciate your votes!!!!!!
Pretty pretty please, don't you ever ever feel
Like you're less than fuckin' perfect
Pretty pretty please, if you ever ever feel like you're nothing
You're fuckin' perfect to me!
I'm pretty sure my love for P!nk has been stated on here before. It grows with each CD she releases. If this song helps one kid or shoot, even an adult it's worth the controversy.
Beware, this version of the video is a little graphic.
BTW, P!nk and her hubby are having a baby soon. Yay for them!!
Lots of "feel good about yourself" music out these days. I'm down with it. ;)
1. I'm alive
2. I'm well. Really.
3. I lost my writing mojo.
4. I had no laptop/puter since October.
5. I got my laptop fixed. Finally.
6. I got my fixed laptop back. Today.
7. Things are changing around here.
8. I'm gonna have a new roomate soon.
9. This roomate is in addition to my other roomate (brother).
10. This roomate is my favorite person in the world.
11. I'm happy, fucking giddy happy about this. But sentimental and sad at the same time.
12. I'm still trying to wrap my head around all thats happened in the last 2 months.
13. The boys are well. Still crazy. Still eating me out of house and home.
14. I've missed you all. I'm sorry I suck. Forgive me?
My personal life has been just like a Good Ol' Fashioned Nightmare....lately. Not even the Book of Face is privy to the kaos.
Matt and Kim. Cute kids who write catchy little tunes.
Keep an eye on these two Edith.
Fuckit. One more.
I ADORE this song. Accoustic version is so much better than the origional.
Maroon 5 Misery
I'm not in Misery. Really. Just love th song. And Adam Levine. Flippen hawt.
I'll be around.
Muahs.
p.s. I changed my blog address because the powers that be at work were snooping and I really didnt want them finding this. Sooooooo, that being said, when I changed it I lost all my blogs I read for some reason. Blogs I LOVE. Please comment, email me or something so I can have your blogs back on my list.
Thanks.
Thank you to all the Veterans out there, past, present and future. I do appreciate you and will never forget what you sacrificed to keep me and mine safe.
We are the Greatest Nation in the World and it wouldn't be that way without each and every one of you.
My sister posted this on FaceBook and I have to say, it made my day. I've watched it twice and it was hands-down, The Best 24 minutes of my day. Maybe of my week so far. I may watch it again.
Take 12 minutes to watch this documentary trailer. Alice Herz-Sommer is an amazing woman with an outlook on life that is oh so inspiring. She is all that is good about the human race.
This is the Official Trailer for a new documentary short about the oldest Holocaust survivor in the world Alice Herz-Sommer.
Happy Birthday Alice, may you live another 107 beautiful years.
Even though I live in a Very Democratic County in Florida where my vote probably doesn't matter, I VOTED anyway. I cancelled out ONE of those Democratic votes and that makes me very Happy.
And it seems like a lot of people in my shoes are feeling the same way. Hopefully we will come out on top.
This new cruise ship left Denmark the other day. Nothing newsworthy about that. Its the fact that the ship just barely cleared the bridge that kinda blows me away. It was a leap of faith it seems.
Royal Caribbean's Allure of the Seas passed under Denmark's Storebaelt Bridge with about a foot to spare, drawing applause from people on board the ship.
To make that happen, the crew lowered the ship's retractable twin smokestacks, carefully adjusted the ballast so the ship wouldn't be too light (and therefore sitting too high in the water) and boosted its speed.
My laptop has a nasty virus right now (again). I don't really care, hence the reason I haven't spent much time trying to get rid of it. I will work on it I guess once I get un-busy or bored enough with TV. Not that I'm watching a lot of TV. The nights I work out I'm beat. Lucky to make it past 9pm before I'm passed out, either on the couch or in my bed.
I've been working out with the Personal Trainer on Mondays and Wednesdays and I'm back to rollerblading 3-4 nights a week again with my boss.
We are back on the road, A1A specifically, dodging county buses and asshole tourist drivers from NY/NJ. We are back up to 10 miles roundtrip and bumping that up quickly. I've also got us down to about a 5m30sec mile. Almost where we need to be at a 5m mile.
We skated from April thru June and didn't get beeped at once. I've been beeped at 10 times if not more in the last week. Assholes. We aren't skating any differently than we were before. We're in the bike lane when there is one and on the sidewalk (if available) when there is not bike lane. If there is no bike lane we are allowed on the very far right side of the lane. AND you have to give us 3 feet of space if this is the case you fuhkers!!
Anyway, in case you haven't been watching the news.....I'm coming to blow you away. And just for the record, I'm a record breaker.
Did you know Paula may have set a record already? Check out the Phil Factor Blog.
The last time my name was on the list for a storm I think that year it only got to the O's or my storm never made it past tropical depression. I dunno. I forget.
Ok, so thats it. Because of the virus on my laptop, I can't get online at home. Well, I can use my phone, but I have very little patience for the internet on my phone. So I'm posting this from work. Which is a big no-no these days. Nothing new here, just breaking the rules as usual. =)
So thats how that goes.
I got sick again this week. My stomach or large intestine more exactly don't like me for some reason and choose to get infected every so often. It happened last summer and I talked about it here.
It started a week and a half ago when I ended up in the ER overnight with those massive pains again. Got some pain meds and an IV of antibiotics and I left. Against the docs will. He wanted to keep me but I wasnt having it. I got sick again less than a week later. Therefore, I did a couple of days in the hospital with IV antibiotics and some not so fun test by the GI Doc. Lets just say I'm not a virgin anymore.....anywhere. stoopid.
So alls well. I have something or other and all will be ok as long as I take prevacid and some other drug on a daily basis. I dont care, as long as that pain never comes back again. I'll take the meds.
Other updates:
I've hit a milestone in the weight loss. -50lbs as of today. I started with a personal trainer earlier this week and just a few more lbs to go. Its really just toning at this point. I must admit, I'm happy with the changes. My confidence (in some areas) is up and my outlook on life is 1,000% improved. Work is good, boring but good. Now if I could just find someone to love me, all would be well.
I think.
My shoulder is healing well. I have full range of motion passively (when the therapist moves it) and almost a full range when moving it myself. I've started using weights to strengthen it. Should be throwing a ball, not hard, by December according to the doc. He's impressed with my progress.
I got some cool pics over the last couple of weeks so I thought I'd share. Click on any of the pics to enlarge them.
There were tons of seagulls. And I mean tons!! Kinda scary!! lol
They remind me of the Angels in one of my favorite movies, City of Angels. The Angels go and watch the sunrise and sunset everyday.
And this was a few days ago. I haven't touched this photo. Its exactly how it was taken.
On FIRE!!!
Cute lifeguard was frolicking in the surf. ;)
Yes, more seagulls. I liked these two.
And now that I look at them....I wonder....are these seagulls?? I dunno.
Thats it. Have a good weekend all. I promise, pinky swear to get around to everyones blogs this weekend. I have been a slacker.
I searched for Remi long before he was born. Research, phone calls and viewed a million websites. I'd get the bug every couple of years. Do the research and then decide that it would be crazy with my and Laurens schedule. Travel softball is brutal between the practice everynight to tournaments all weekend long. This went on almost every week of the year. It wouldn't be fair to a pup. I'd also think about how a puppy is sooooooo much work. Potty training, chewing, screaming crying at night. All night. ugh.
Let me start at the beginning. Jake and I moved from my parents house in August of 2007 to the East side of town. I was in my glory being within 5 minutes of the beach vs the 25 minutes where we used to live. Finally after 12 years of living near the best schools for Lauren I could live where I wanted.
Lauren left for college up in Palm Beach and Jake and I settled into our new life. Alone. No one around to bother us. My parents actually picked up and moved to Georgia. It was awesome. And then I lost my mind. I wanted a puppy.
I blamed Jake a little as I tried to justify in my mind that he was all alone now. When we had lived with my parents while Lauren was in high school he had my mother for company all day. Now he was all alone all day. I'd leave the house at 7:30am and not return home until 6:00pm. I felt bad. He needed company, a playmate, a brother. A puppy.
Like I said previously I started research long before so I had a good idea of where to find my new black lab puppy. It was just a matter of finding one of the chosen breeders that was having a litter.
Within two weeks I found him. Its kinda like once you take the plunge, there is no turning back. I found him and he was going to be mine. Plans were made to drive up to Ocala in two weeks when he would be old enough and pick him up.
Lauren came home from college that weekend to make the trip with me. We left early that saturday morning and made the 5 hour drive. I was giddy. Remington was coming home to mamma!
We arrived at the breeders house and it was all I could do to contain myself. My first look at him was when Susan (the breeder) walked out of her house up on a little hill toweling dry a squirming little black ball of fluff. I couldnt see him right away. An occasional leg would escape and then an ear. As she got closer she re-adjusted him and out popped a beautiful black head.
She walked closer yet, introduced herself and handed my baby boy to me. He was my first dog that was mine and mine alone. As a kid our dogs belonged to everyone in the family. Remi was mine. I took him from her and cradled him like a baby. He didn't move a muscle as he focused his eyes on mine. I was smiling and talking soft to him and telling him I loved him to death already. Its stupid I know, but I love animals. Dogs are number one to me. And he was sooo beautiful I started to cry. I burried my face in the fur around his neck and he smelled so good. He stayed still, still not knowing who I was. A stranger holding him and getting too close too soon.
We spent a good hour there getting paperwork done, meeting Remi's momma and his littermates. When it was time to go I did get sad for his momma. She was not overly concerned about him leaving. She sniffed him and went back to fighting off 12 other puppies that were still looking for milk even though they were on solid food. I gave her a pat on the head and a kiss on the nose. I told her not to worry and that he would be loved like my own child and live in a carefree worry, never to want for anything.
The drive home was long. He started out in the back seat of our SUV, then began crying so Lauren grabbed him and he rode the rest of the way home curled up in a ball on her lap or stretched out on her chest. I just couldnt look at him enough. He was beautiful.
His name; Remington, was picked out long ago. I've always wanted a black lab and wanted to name him Remington and call him Remi. I had my Remi. My bestest friend who would love me best.
He is my baby and does love me to a fault. lol I like to joke that he should just climb in my butt. It'd be easier than him running into the back of my legs constantly when I stop moving. He follows me everywhere. He sleeps on my head and he lays by my side everynight on the couch while I play online. I am in love. Still. Even though he is the Devils Spawn. Still. I love him.
Oh, he got his middle name because he was the highest jumping puppy I ever saw. Lauren said he reminded her of Roo. Roo was Kanga's baby kangaroo in the Winnie the Pooh series. It kinda stuck. So he's Remington Kanga-Roo. I call him Remi-roo all the time. Or just Roo sometimes. No matter, he comes running. =)
Well, today is my baby boys 3rd birthday. He's got a few problems, like a seizure disorder, but we have that figured out with the meds. He never got as big as he should have be and thats prolly because of the seizure disorder. But he's perfect to me just the way he is.
We meet...
Can I sit here?
We Meet
We're so lucky to have found each other!
He LOVES the pool!
They have been playing together ever since...
I'm sorry Jake. Thank goodness he at least figured out which end after awhile. lol
Remi has and still is infatuated with his toys. Rarely do you see him without one in his mouth.
Our MySpace pic. ;)
He loves him some Lauren
He thought he was a cat for a longggg time. He's gotten over this. Thank goodness!
He loves his brother probably more than me.
This past summer. My handsome boy!!
I Love You Remi!! Happy Birthday! Frosty Paws for you and Jake tomorrow. Muahs!
Another group off the beaten path is Florence & The Machine. Ginger introduced me to them about 3 months ago. I instantly fell in love with the lead singers quirky voice. They are the best thing to come out of Australia since INXS. IMO. You'll like this song I bet. ;) I'm gonna post the video from YouTube and also a link to the performance from the MTV VMA's the other night after the video. AMAZING performance that you should also watch. Simply Amazing.
EDIT: I think Florence is from England. =/ I'm trying to get clarification.
Florence & The Machine - Dog Days Are Over
I was in love with this song about 7 or so years ago. Hell, I still am (everytime I hear it again).
Stroke 9 - Little Black Backpack
Don't wanna talk about it
I say why not?
Don't wanna think about it
I say there's got to be some good reason
For your little black backpack
Up, smack, turnaround he's on his back
And
Don't wanna tango with you
I'd rather tangle with him
I think I'm gonna bash his head in
And this shouldn't concern you except that
Just don't expect to get your bloody black backpack back
