2009

The other day I was talking to Sarah and we started talking about all that had happened this past year. Then I thought about my blog and the fact that I haven't updated in a super long time, and I got a little overwhelmed because so much has happened!! Then, Casey and I got a Christmas card from one of his aunts with those "news letters" about what the family did all year.


Usually I think these are totally annoying, but it inspired me to update my blog with just that; an update of the past year month-by-month.  (Just in case you are keeping tabs).  Enjoy!!

January:
Can I even remember this far back??  This was the month that my license plates got stolen and I had to get new ones.  Casey and I also had to make the tough desicion to put Cocoa to sleep because she had a massive infected tumor on her tail. 

February:
Casey and I went on a trip to Florida with my parents and came back as an engaged couple!!  We also finished our Fundamentals of Judaism class and began to prepare for our wedding and Casey's conversion.

March: 
My birthday which we celebrated at Buca's with friends. Sarah and I also went to a wedding fair and learned a lot about the art of wedding planning! 

April:
I started applying for new jobs in the Human Services field.  (This will be the field I getmy degree in next May!!)  I also got a head-start on the wedding planning and bought my wedding dress with the help from my mom, Sarah and Casey's mom.

May:
Got a new job at Opportunity Services.  My official title is "Community Support Staff,"  but I am a job coach, a friend, someone to talk to, a helper, a listener, and of course, a bus driver!! 

June: 
Sarah and I found our greatest love:  the lazy river at Cascade Bay!!  We immediately bought season passes and decided that Cascade bay would be our "home away from home"  that summer.

July:
July was my favorite month and least favorite month this year.  A four-day Fourth of July weekend spent almost entirely at Cascade Bay started off the month followed by a bar-b-que with friends and more lazing at Cascade Bay. 
This was also a hard month because we got 2 sets of new neighbors who were absolutely disgusting bringing the total to 3 sets of neighbors Casey and I would have to call the police on about a thousand times. 

August:
August brought more Cascade Bay, bar-b-ques and fun. I also attended my 10-year high school reunion which made me realize that people don't change a whole lot in 10 years and also that I'm getting old!!

September:
This month was very busy and stressful for Casey and I.  Synagogue choir started and we had the two major Jewish Holidays (Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kipper).  In-between these holidays Casey's car broke down.  This happened on the same day that he got offered a new job.  We soon found out that his car would be very expensive to fix and it would be better if he just got a new car, so he did.  The next day he started his new job working for Apple in  tech support.  He absolutely loves it.

October:
Fall was finally here!  It got cold, so Casey and I excaped to Arizona with my parents for a weekend to attend my cousin's wedding.  The wedding was beautiful and we had a blast seeing family we hadn't seen in a while. 
We also decided that we were moving and looked at different options.  We found a wonderful rental townhouse in Eagan that is perfect for us and are excited to move in January.

November:
November was a hard month.  about 2 weeks before Thanksgiving we aqcuired a new baby ferret named Nikolas. Although Niko seemed healthy and happy, he was a carrier of a disease that only ferrets can get called ECE.  Sammy and Winston contracted it and got very ill.  After an astronomical vet bill and a week of force-feeding, i.v. fluids and lotsof meds, Winston died.  The next day Sammy, who was making great improvements showed us that he couldn't be without his brother and passed as well.  Nikolas is still with us and managing to hide every cat toy and rampage throughout the apartment.

December:
This brings us to December.  In the beginning of the month Casey and I heard terrible news.  Casey's grandpa had died suddenly.  He and Cole drove to Aitkin to attend the funeral. 
As the month progressed we attended some holiday parties and started seriously packing the apartment.  I also got a snow day from work and learned how to drive a 12-passenger van in snow and sleet! 

This year has come and gone so quickly I can't even believe it.  I'm sure I've left many things out, so this is just an overview. 

Until next year...

Update

I haven't updated in a while so I thought that I'd better update!! Casey got a new job that he loves. He is working for Apple, doing tech support. The day that he found out that he got the new job he also found out that his car needed a new engine. The cost would be about $5,000. We decided that it was time to go car shopping. After a stressful weekend, we had him in a new car and starting a new job...whew!!

This past weekend Casey and I celebrated our soon-to-be Anniversary. We had brunch and just spent time together watching movies. I still can't believe that the wedding is a year away!!! We are at about the halfway mark with planning. The only major things we need to book are a florist and a DJ. I'm letting my mom pick the florist because if it was up to me there would be no flowers except for my bouquet. We have a DJ in mind, but are going to the Bridal Fair in a few weeks to make sure!

I'm working a lot, trying to get enough sleep and battling a cold. This is my update, have to go to bed!

More later!!

Mother, may I sleep with a gun so I can shoot myself?

About 6 months ago...
My mom: Your cousin is engaged! We get to go to his wedding in Phoenix!!
Me: What? When is it?
Mom: Nov. 1st, we can go for the whole weekend, it will be great!
Me: Not gonna happen, that's Halloween weekend and I'm broke.
Mom: We'll talk about this later.

About 3 months ago...
Mom: So we have to plan our trip to Arizona. You and Casey have to look into getting your airline tickets soon!
Me: We don't have any money and we are not going.
Mom: Ugh. I'll buy your plane ticket and pay for the hotel. You just bring spending money.
Me: We can't take time off work, and I have to sing at synagogue! I just started my job, I don't have any vacation time...we are not going!!
My dad: You don't have to go, it's ok.
Mom: You're going!!

Today...
Mom: I bought you and Casey you're plane tickets! You need to take Friday, Saturday, Sunday and Monday off. Can you get that off? Did you already take that off? Did Casey take that off??!!
Me: We can take it off I guess, but I told you we aren't going.
Mom: Is it approved? Did you talk to your bosses??
Me: We won't know if it's approved for like another week.
Mom: WHAT??!! I bought the tickets!! I only have 24 hours to cancel them!!! Can't you find out now??
Me: You are crazy and I hate you. (hangs up)

5 minutes later...(phone ringing)
Mom: hello?
Me: We'll go, but there better either be a free bar or a liquor store near by. (hangs up)

My Catholic friends always complain about guilt. I think they have it easy. There is no comparison to my crazy Jewish mother. She definatley won this one. Mom: 1 Jenni: 0

To be continued...

Am I in a sweat lodge? Did I just hallucinate...no, Casey really did just do that.

I found an even better way of losing weight in stead of spending $1,300 on a tapeworm. (Although this idea is just put on hold, not forgotten). The concept of this idea is totally simple and will not cost nearly as much. (Hopefully). All you have to do is aquire strep throat. Then, voila!! You get sick and lose weight by sweating it all out! Trust me, this works. I know from experience. I have been sweating profusely for the last 12 hours and have had tochange my clothes twice, change the sheets on my bed once and had to lay a cool washcloth on my forehead only for it to become instantly hot and sweaty itself.

It all starting Wednesday when I woke up unable to swallow properly. I had a split shift at work and decided that I was not sick and went in to work that morning. When I came home I knew something was wrong. I was dizzy and sweaty and freezing, so I took a nap. Upon waking up, I felt like major ass and took my temperature. I had an amazing fever. So, I called in to work and decided that I might need to see a doctor about my predicament.

The nice lady at Health Partners told me that every clinic near me was full up for the day so I had to go to urgent care. Awesome. Since I was all dizzy and feverish I called my mom to see if she would come and get me and take me to urgent care. The conversation went a little something like this:

Me: Mom, I have a fever, it's 101.7. I feel really dizzy and I'm having a hard time swallowing. I'm also aching all over. Can you take me to urgent care? They open at one.

Mom: I don't know, I have a lot to do today. Can't you just sleep it off? I'm in the middle of planting some plants and if I take you my day will be ruined. Besides, you probably just have the flu!

Me: Mom, please, I don't think it's the flu, WebMD says it's either strep throat, diabetes 2, or leukemia.

Mom: Well, you've never had strep throat in your life!! It's surely the flu. I bet -

Me: MOM!!! Take me or I'm calling dad!!!

Mom: Stop being so over-dramatic, let me finish planting this plant and I'll be over.

About 2 hours later my mom showed up. She took me to urgent care where they did a strep test and, it came up positive. I felt vindicated! Finally I was right!! I went out to tell my mom of the diagnosis.

Me: Guess who has strep throat!!!
Mom: That's not possible. You have never had strep before. Did you tell the doctor that? Does he know that you have never had that before in your life? It's not possible!!
Me: Calm down, let's just go get me my meds.
Mom: This is unbelievable, you've never had strep. Are you sure he said strep?

We finally got to the pharmacy and got me my meds, which cost exactly $6.66 (I should have seen this as an omen). I called my boss and told her I was infectious for the next 24 hours and that I couldn't go into work the next day and went home to recover. All was going well until I starting taking ibuprofen for the pain in my throat. It works miracles, but apartently when you have an infection and you take ibuprofen you start profusely sweating and can't stop. I bet I've lost a good amount of weight just sitting here sweating! I've sweat in places I didn't even know could sweat. My legs and arms have been dripping. I've had to ring out shirts. My pillowcase will never be the same. It's nasty. Later on today I will weigh myself. If I don't feel like I have lost enough weight, I might get strep again next week.

To worm or not to worm...is it a question??

I can get a tapeworm for the low price of $1,299.  This seems like a bargain considering other, more invasive weight-loss options cost many thousands of dollars.  Working out?  Forget it!!  Dieting??  A thing of the past!!  All I have to do is swallow my new friend and he will do all the work for me!  The website does stipulate that my buddy can't do all the work, I still have to maintain a healthy diet, and exercise can increase the weight loss, but all the same, this seems like a pretty good deal. 

Yes, I know there could be some side-effects, diarreah, vomiting, my little pet peeking out every once in a while.  I read the label!  But, my biggest concern is how to know if the critter is a male or a female!!  I mean, how else will I know what to name him/her??  I guess I could go with one of those Pat-type names...Frankie, Billy, Erin/Aaron. 

In other health news, Casey and I are going all new-aged on you.  We got these bracelets that have magnets in them.  They are supposed to help with headaches, sleepless nights and joint pain.  I've been wearing it for about a day now and I think it might be working...either that or I'm getting the placebo effect!  I just hope all of these dang magnets don't interfere with Wormy the wonder worm!

Being so lazy can make me so tired!!

This past week Sarah and I have been super busy.  We have found that Cascade Bay will be our home away from home this summer.  We first went last Sunday and were instantly hooked.  They have an awesome set-up which includes a lazy river.  Basically we go, stake out our seats, slather tanning lotion on our bodies and alternate between sleeping in the lazy river and sleeping in our lounge chairs.  It's awesome.  We bought the season passes so we could go anytime we wanted, and I have never looked back.  We are already significantly tanner than we were before, it's awesome! 
Being this lazy does have its downside though.  After a day of sleeping and sun-bathing, we come home exhausted.  Still, I am willing to sacrifice a little in the name of summer and tanning.  This is gonna be the best summer EVER!!

alright, yep, uh-huh...here we go

Yes, I'm updating!!  Woohoo for me!!  I have been extremely busy this last month or so as I have started a new job that requires me to get up at 5:30a.m. and actually be funcional.  I drive a lot and hang out with some amazing people and then I go to work a Vision World.  I work 6 days a week and love it!  Sundays are my day where I can actually get things done...or be lazy which is what I have chosen to do today.  In a mere 2 hours, Sarah and I will be floating down the lazy river at Cascade Bay working on our tans. (or getting totally burned and then complaining about it A LOT!)  I'm super excited.  This is our plan for the entire day...well, except for when we need to tan our backs and we fall asleep in our lounge chairs. 

In order to prepare for today I went to Stark's last night for Betsy's birthday.  There was a small group of us, but we consumed much alcohol.  I cannot say how much I drank, but I can say two things I learned last night:
1.  malibu rum, when mixed with pineapple juice is yummy!
2.  August will always buy my drinks for me!

Considering these two revelations, I think if I hang out with August every Saturday night I will save a lot of money.  I wonder if he will spring for Casey too! 

Ha!! To all of you naysayers!!

On a sad note, I have to inform you that one of our hamsters, the beloved Josh has perished. Many of you knew Josh to be the hamster I bought for Casey on his birthday last year. Others may remember that he had giant testicles for his size. Which brings us to my story.

When an animal is born, sometimes it is hard to tell if they are male or female. Sometimes you have to wait for the animals testicles to descend in order to know that it is a male. I believed this to be the case in our other hamster Jasper. Everyone told me that I was totally crazy and that Jasper was a girl. Casey even went around calling Jasper a "she." That was until today...

Today I was sitting in the second bedroom watching Casey play with Jasper when I spotted it...er...them. BALLS!!! Here's to you all you nasysayers...Jasper is finally a man. He now has testicles and I just thought that you should know...I WAS RIGHT!!

Our Jasper...now a man!!

Youth fading...

Now I usually don't freak out about my age or think of myself as an oldie by any means but seriously??!! I got called ma'am 3 times today!!! And, the worst part of this whole ordeal is that I was called ma'am by people who are OLDER than me!! People, we are not in the Deep South, and I am not old...I'm not even 30!!

I tried to think positive and decided that it was my engagement ring that was making people think that I was a "ma'am" and not a "miss." I mean, come on, my ring is pretty impressive and when I wear my glasses I do look more dignified. This has calmed me down some, but so help me if someone calls me ma'am tomorrow...

Sham Wow? It sells itself!!

I have to admit it, I hate to love those pesky little Sham Wow commercials. Vince, the guy on the commercial, definately has a way with the infomercial. As I was watching the movie Showgirls today, a new infomercial came on. This one also featured Vince, but he was selling some chopping kitchen utensil called the Slap Chop. It was at that moment that I realized something...that Vince can sell me anything!! I was totally hooked!! I wanted that stupid chopping thing even though I definately don'tneed it. Here's to you Vince old boy...without you, I don't know what I would do Sunday afternoons.

I NEED it for a school project!!

The other day I was having a really bad day at work. I mean, one of those days where you come home and you get your resume ready because you feel like you're probably gonna need it real soon. When I got done with work I called my beloved and demanded that we go out to eat or drink or both. He insisted that he had something at home that would definately make me feel better. While I immediately thought that it was probably a puppy, I didn't get my hopes up to far, and thought it was more likely a very clean house. I was definately not ready for the suprise that awaited me.

I got home and before I opened the door I got ready to "oooh" and "awwww" over the cleanliness. (I was also thinking about what I was gonna name that cute new puppy!) As the door opened, I slowly peered into the apartment only to see the same old mess. I then ran into the living room expecting my puppy to jump in to my arms, but that didn't happen either. Thats when Casey came out of the bedroom with a big grin on his face.

I realized that there were so many more awesome suprises that his suprise could be. He told me to close my eyes and hold out my hand, so I did. Then, he put something square, hard and plasicty in my hand. I opened my eyes and in my hand were two video games for a Playstation 2. Thats when it hit me...he had bought a Playstation 2 and picked up some games he thought I would like to keep me from being pissed off at him. It didn't work. I was mad as hell, and there was nothing he could do about it. After I yelled at him for being so selfish and not thinking of my needs (a.k.a. new puppy), he then let me cool down and left me alone for a while.

After a while, when he felt it was safe to come near me, he expalined that he just had to get the PS2 to complete a school project. He was reading some book on Vietnam and had to compare the story in the book to some other form of media about Vietnam. So, the only logical thing to do was to buy a Playstation 2, then get the Vietnam game for it so that he can play the game and write a paper about it.

Just think, all of this trouble to make me feel better. He just better not have any Vietnam flashbacks or I'm throwin' that thing right off the balcony.

Because....

Because the world is round, it turns me on. 
Because the world is round.
Because the wind is high it blows my mind. 
Because the wind is high.
Love is all, love is new.
Love is all, love is you.
Because the sky is blue it makes me cry.
Because the sky is blue.

Dear readers, followers and friends,
I will be back on the 27th.  Until then, ponder the thoughts of McCartney and Lennon.

Princess

Dear Princess,
There are only a few words that I can use to describe how I am feeling right now...

GET OVER YOURSELF!!!

Or, you must go on a quest for new friends. If I don't know you after all of these years, then I will never know you and I am afraid we may have to part ways.

I hope all of your tiara-filled dreams come true,

Sincerely,
The Management

Brad's Little Secret...

Brad swears he will read my blog...yeah right...the secret is that he is wearing a Mr. Men shirt and doesn't realize the gravity of this. For all of those that know what Mr. Men are...hats off.