Happy Hour Chatter

Now, I absolutely love the song "Colder Weather" by the Zac Brown Band.  I am not, however, in love with the colder weather happening outside at the present moment.  Although I know it could always be worse, this first cold blast of Arctic air is always a shock to the system.  That being said, I'm a native of this frozen tundra.  I know what to expect and I know that after a few days/weeks of the frigid temperatures, 20 degrees will feel like a heat wave. I've had the opportunity to befriend a new officer working at my facility.  He is from  New York, but his heritage is from West Africa.   Now, if I AM cold, can you imagine what he is feeling?  LOL It's really all good though.  Last year at this time we had a foot of snow on the ground.  Last night we  received a dusting of snow.  I can handle that.  Bring on the colder weather and leave the snow for someone else.  After the last three win...

..and I do not know where to start. As you may guess from the tag line, my life has been quite hectic...yet again.  I had training two days last week on Motivational Interviewing - a communication skill used to dig "deeper" in to conversation.  In my work setting, it's geared towards inmates and getting them to see the "bigger picture."  In order to effectively use this skill, we had to practice using the skills on each other by interviewing each other on "target behaviors" we wanted to change in ourselves.  I picked "over scheduling."  Surprise, surprise. When I was interviewed by a few of the team members in my group, they kept asking or intimating if I was dissatisfied with my life or unhappy with the things that I was doing.  I simply laughed.  My response to both were, "No, I am not dissatisfied with what I'm doing, I just want to do MORE of what I'm doing..therein lies the problem!"  Pure and simple. For those ...

The grocery store by my mother-in-law's house (1 block) closed it's doors yesterday for three months.  It was purchased by another company who is doing a remodel project.  Normally that would be a good thing.  However, that grocery store was the source of my mother-in-law's exercise and socialization.  She would walk to the grocery store no less than twice a day for exercise, to pick up groceries (maybe one or two items) then go home.  Sometimes she would go to the deli and buy a meal to eat at home and quite often she would sit on the benches and visit with people. She's 91 years of age and a pure spitfire.  So she's not taking this "desertion" of her grocery store very well at all.   In her words, "it's the pits!" lol So, herein begins the process of what to do for her 1) exercise, 2) groceries 3) food.  Oh lordy me, what a process this is going to be! 1) Exercise I explained to Ella that just because the grocery store was clo...

A couple of weeks ago I was talking with my trainer, Casey, that I seemed to be hitting a wall in my workouts.  He, in typical fashion, said "work harder."    No shit Sherlock! Then he suggested that I get a heart rate monitor so that I could see how long I was in the zone and how hard I was working. Great idea....I immediately went home and started shopping and came up with the "Polar FT-4" This is a cool little unit!!  First of all, it's pretty pink...  and it does everything but sing to me.  (I'm sure it does that too if I could figure out how to run all the features on it!" Anywho...tonight at the gym I strapped this baby on for the third time and commenced to working out. Casey and I had already decided determined that my heartrate zone should be between 128 (min) -148 (max).   I asked what happened if I went in to the 150's and Casey says, "go for it, just don't die on my watch."  Gotta love that guy!  LOL So...bac...

This whole time change thing is really messing with my head.  It was rather nice this morning to actually drive to work in the daylight.   However, having dusk at 6pm in the evening bites!  Just sayin! I'm not one to suffer from SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder), but if I was, I'd be moving to someplace that is sunny and warm ALL the time.   Come to think of it, maybe I'll just move to some place sunny and warm anyways! lol Now, in an attempt to be fair and positive, I'm going to sit down and find five GOOD things to say about this time change and the dwindling daylight hours. 1) Driving to work in daylight at 7:30 was pleasant. 2) 3) 4) 5)   Sherry

OK, I know that I've been busy, but this is ridiculous!  I didn't realize that my last published post to this blog was September 29th.  Sheeeeeshhh!!!  My bad, folks! I need to get better at sitting down and writing something every day so you blog stalkers (you know who you are!) have more insight to my quirky mind!  ;) So, what has been going on?   Family, yoga, family, yoga, work, exercise, family, yoga, yoga, and more yoga.  OK.  End of post!   JUST KIDDING!!  lol  The month of October started out with my cousins Valerie and Keith coming from California so that Keith could experience bow hunting (deer) North Dakota style.   He left without a deer.  lol.   Hey...that's the way the cookie crumbles sometimes.  However, he may have left without a deer, but he and his sister Valerie left some pretty freaking fantastic memories of what us NoDak cousins are all about.  I took th...

Hmmm...that would be a ..NO?   Ever had someone start out a conversation with "Can we talk?" and the first thing that comes to your mind is, "OH crap!"  Ya, me too.  Hate it when that happens. As you're listening to the person begin their conversation, your mind wanders off to all the possibilities of what "could be wrong." You're so wrapped up in your personal mind conversation that you aren't even listening to them speak...that is, until you hear the words, "so you're ok with it then?"  Ya....that would be "Oh crap" moment #2.  What do you say.  Yes? without being totally aware of what you are agreeing to?  I urge you to rethinkg your strategy!  I mean, seriously!  You could've just agreed to donate your left kidney to someone's Uncle Bob who smokes three paks of cigs a day, has three teeth in his mouth (and two of them are crooked), and can't see his feet cuz his tummy hangs to his knees. ...

Can we take a few moments to discuss....football?  It's become a serious problem for me.  I think I need to find me a twelve-step program to overcome my frustration and anger when it comes to the game.  I mean...really!....I'm a pretty calm, cool, collected person.  I am...99.9 % of the time.  Except on Sundays!  Well..OK..weekends in general...cuz college football is driving me crazy too! Let's get things rolling with the Vikings, shall we?  Let's see....three games played, three games they were ahead in the first half and three games they lost it in the second half. Now, I can't help but wonder that if anyone...and I mean anyone... on that team felt that the second half was just as important as the first half...that maybe, just MAYBE the Vikings would be 3-0 rather than 0-3.   I'm getting a little verklempt here so I best move on or I'm gonna have a stroke. Now...on to college football.  My beloved Jimmies (yes Casey, tha...

What happened to all the sunshine and warm temperatures??   I know the Autumn equinox is a few days away.  I shouldn't be all that surprised that the weather is taking a turn for the ugly side.  I can, however, wish for a reprieve and a return of warm(er) weather and sunshine.  Can't I?  :) I received an email from a friend on my birthday stating that they keep up on what's going on with me through my blog.  I realized that..hmmm...perhaps I need to do more posting on my blog.  It's been hard with my schedule coupled with the nice weather.  But now that it's dark earlier and I'm forced indoors, I'm hoping to be more present in both of my blogs.  (Keeping fingers crossed). So, what's new with me??  Well, as you probably read in earlier posts, I turned 49 on September 9th.  Do I feel 49?  Heck no!   Do I act 49?  Heck no!   Do I look 49?  I'm trying like hell not to! ~L~   I've said it before and...

I turned 49 yesterday.  Uh-huh.  Staring 50 square in the eyes.  But you know what?  I'm not really all that concerned.  I've decided that 49 is the new 29! Why not??!!  Age is just a number anyways. I mean...really! I feel like I'm 35,been told I look like I'm 39 and I act young for my age.  I refuse to grow old just  because the calendar says I should.  I'll be old when I FEEL old.  Know what I mean?? So ya, I turned 49.  Big deal!  It's just a number to me.  What counts is how I feel.  And I feel freakin fantastic!!  Sherry PS:  If I play my cards right, this birthday thing can last ALL weekend long!  Happy Birthday to Me! ~LOL~

We all have them.... those certain songs that get is in the mood to rock out.  I was cruising Itunes and YouTube last night and found "Sweet Child Of Mine" by Guns -N-Roses.   Yep!  There I was at midnight jamming out to the song with my headphones on.   I was tempted to sing it like I was a rock star but figured better not at that time of the night...hubs  would NOT have appreciated it. Now, I know I'm going to date myself a little bit here...but  they just DO NOT make music like that anymore!  I mean..c'mon...really?  Justin Beieber??  That's bubblegum chewing rock music.  I'm talking REAL rock music like Led Zepplin, ZZ Top, ELO, Bachman Turner Overdrive,  Foghat AC/DC, JOURNEY (my all time favorite, if you didn't already know it!), Aeroesmith, The Stones.   THAT"S what I'm talking about!!  Something you can get you groove on with.  I can't really do that to Justin Bieber.  So you ...

1.  Remove dish from table 2.  Walk it to the sink 3.  Turn on faucet 4.   Insert dish under running water 5.   Turn off faucet 6.    Pivot on heels, turning towards direction of dishwasher 7.   Open dishwasher with free hand 8.   Insert rinsed dish in to dishwasher 9.   Close dishwasher. 10.  Make wife happy. See....it is NOT that tough.  Really.

...was sitting on my windshield tonight after I finished yoga classes.  Tied to the windshield wiper was...a beautiful blue 1st Place ribbon for Boce (Special Olympics) addressed to one Blaine Schulz! Yes, my guy snuck up to my yoga class venue without being seen or heard and strategically placed his newest ribbon on my 4Runner....sharing his 1st Place win with me. Now....I had been having a bad day - prior to yoga.  But...this absolutely made the disaster of a day nothing but a memory.  I was sooooooooo proud of him...and thankful that he thought enough of me to share his ribbon with me. So..thank YOU Blaine...for being the wonderful man that you are...for doing your best in Special Olympics and being all that you can be...and for being a part of my life.   I thank God every day for the beautiful gift of You!!  Love you buddy!!

Now now...do not let the subject line taint your opinion about the blog post right off the bat.  I am serious about the health benefits of this combination of liquids. Have you ever met a cup of coffee that you haven't liked?  Ok, that statement doesn't pertain to peeps who just plain don't like coffee....you guys are just weird!  For us coffee drinkers, it's all about the texture, the color, the deep aroma and the flavor of a perfectly brewed cup of coffee.  The fact that I've sampled MANY cups in my quest to find such perfection should not  go unnoticed.   Now, add to that my love of  Bailey's Irish Cream Liquor.  What can I say.  Pure ambrosia.  When you mix the two together, to make a smooth, creamy cup of relaxing perfection...well...what more is there to be said. Oh ya.  Health Benefits, you ask?  Glad you reminded me.  Thanks! 1)  Coffee lowers blood pressure 2)  Bailey's Irish Creams cau...

So tonight I went out to dinner with my good friends Becky and Stacey.  We went to a lovely little Mexican restaurant in town that Stacey hadn't been to yet.  ( I know, she's a little behind the times!) Anywho, we drink a little, ate some chips and salso, and perused  the menu as we chattered  non-stop.  "What have you been doing?" or "What ever happened to..." and definitely,   "Have you done anything fun this summer" could be heard sprinkled about the conversation between the three of us.   That is....until the food arrived. Oh my gosh.  I had this delightful concoction that was divine!  I couldnt pronounce it when I ordered it...I had to point to the picture like a little two yr old!  The poor waiter rattled if off with no problem (like Duh! he's Mexican!) and all I could do was nod in agreement and mutter "me want".  I'm pathetic.  But I digress.  When it arrived, it was absolutely wonderful!!!...

Get out of bed. Realize today is Monday. Forget that the power was out and when you reset the clocks you set them for the actual time rather than the customary 15 minutes early. Remember that you used the last of the coffee yesterday...thus...no caffein buz to kick you in to high gear. Dash out of the house 15 minutes late.  (Refer back to previous entry) Get a mile from home and discover that the "low air in tire" sensor light is flashing. Get five miles from home with the "your tire is going flat" sensor light starts flashing. Roll in to Toyota dealership just as the "you're screwed, your tire is now flat" sensor light starts flashing. Arrive at work one hour late only to find out that the office is short staffed and you are pulling double duty.  Your work will set the whole day. Success...you've just ruined a perfectly good day!   :(

Have you ever met someone - however briefly it may be - and found an instant connection to them?  I have...and I was fortunate to have it happen this week - twice. My sister played host to two beautiful young women from the Missoula Children's Theatre.  Emily C. and Molly M.  Two of the most warm, inviting, funny and talented young ladies I've ever met.  They travel from town to town in the midwest casting, directing and presenting plays using the local talented children.  They rolled in to town on Sunday (last week), started casting the play at 11:00am on Monday and had two performances:  one Friday evening the other on Saturday afternoon.  WOW!! I was lucky enough to spend some time with them on Tuesday night when we went out for dinner.  I learned that Emily is from Massachussetts and Molly is from Los Angeles.  I wouldn't have guessed that they were from larger cities.  They were so earthy, polite, funny and engaging....

You do not realize how much pets add to your life until they are no longer part of your life.  This is my first blog post since the death of my "little B"....my cat, Boris, who passed away on July 11th, at 4am in the morning.  It's taken me all this time to come to grips with losing the little guy and I'm finally able to pay him tribute without breaking down and sobbing. His death was sudden and traumatic death in that he was fine around 6:30pm after I gave him his insulin shot, but he took a turn for the worst around 8:30pm - crying out in pain and having seizures.  I won't go in to details as I  really do not want to relive them...they're too painful.  I'll just say that I've only experienced that type of pain and helplessness once before in my life...and this was just as traumatic to my heart as the previous time. We don't have children, so all the love we possessed was given to this wonderful "little B."  B is for Boris..yes...b...

I now have to learn how to give insulin shots...to my cat Boris.  :( Yes, I bit the bullet and took my poor lil kitty kat Boris to the vet.  It's normally a traumatic experience involving Valium (for me!)  The lil dude didn't put up much of a fight when I guided him in the pet carrier.  I believe he was thinking "oh thank gawd she is FINALLY taking me in!" What was the deciding factor?  My Boris would sound like a heard of  thundering elephants as he raced down the hallway to get to his food dish...then sit and way non-too-patiently for me to arrive to fill his dish so he could eat with gusto.  Well, Monday he didn't race down the hall...he meandered...and when he arrived at his food dish, he turned and started drinking a half gallon of water.  Ut-oh!   NOT normal Boris-like behavior. That and the fact that he was extremely sleepy - even for a cat. Off we go to see the vet who had an answer for me within an hour.  "Your Bor...

Everywhere I look, there is water!!!  I can't help but say that I'm a little tired of it.   We've had two downpours in the last four hours, and a third one is happening right now.  I came back from town and had to lock the 4Runner in to 4wheel drive in order to navigate the country roads.  Sick! What's worse is this is NOT helping the flooding situation in the state.  The ground is already so saturated that the water has no where to go....but in to already swollen rivers, creeks, dams.  My heart aches for the communities in the Minot area.  The Souris river has overflowed and caused 12,000 people to flee  their homes.  And with the recent rains, it doesn't look like the water is going to be receding anytime soon.   I told someone the other day that when the water does recede in both Minot and Bismarck, I'm going to go for a weekend and just help wherever and whomever I can.  It's the least that I can do.   Wi...

I'm back from my yoga conference and I'm one whipped puppy! I have no words to accurately describe the weekend other than WOW!! Once more, I stayed with my niece and nephew Joan and Matt Larson.  They've (and Karen too!) been so supportive of me and my endeavors that I cannot thank them enough!!   Now as much as I'm there for the yoga conference and my yoga certification (see my yoga blog for my thoughts on the conference)... my trip to Minneapolis is also about seeing the girls and...the FOOD!  Oh my gosh people...Minneapolis has the BEST food ever!  Let's break this down shall we? Wednesday night when I arrived, I was met by Matt and their condo (Joan was on call at the VA hospital), and we were later joined by Karen.  We ate a place called the Mac & Cheese Grill.  I was like "why do they want to grill macaroni and cheese?"  As  I soon discovered, it was a fabulous Italian restauraunt.  I had something called stuf...

It's May 30th...and I've got a pot of chili simmering on the stove.  It's a cold, rainy Memorial Day here in the northland and I'm glad to have the chili ready to eat. There is a classic chili recipe that I follow with modifications. It may not be a five alarm fire,maybe 3.5 - 4.0.  ~L~   A little salsa, V-8 (spicy) juice, jalepeno peppers,stewed tomatoes, a dash of Tobasco, green peppers, onions, red peppers, chili beans (in hot sauce, of course!).  Add some garlic, black pepper, salt and a dash of shredded cheese thrown in to blend it all together and we're good to go! I'm not one for add ones to my chili - like extra sour cream, taco chips, but I do like to eat it with corn bread.  Yum!!!   I'm hungry already! Today is Memorial Day...and I'd be remise if I didn't share my thoughts on this day.  I  miss my parents terribly.  Not a day goes by that I don't think of them...but their memories...

..someone touches your heart and you just cannot ignore the imprint they leave on your life.  I'm a firm believer that everything happens for a reason...and that people come in and out of your life to teach you something.  I am lucky enough to have a friend that is teaching me the meaning of perseverance, determination, and sheer will power.  My friend, Rick, finished his first marathon at the age of  50.  He finished it in 5:34 minutes - 4 minutes off his goal time.  I've known Rick since he used to work at the prison with me. I've always known him to be a strong person, kind, and generous.  He has goals in mind and doesn't waiver from them if at all possible.  Last year he was sidelined from the 1/2 marathon by his doctors when it was determined that running could induce a stroke.  Did that stop him?  Nope.  See...he has a bucket list in his mind and running a marathon was on his list.  He told me, "Life is too short...

..you know the ones....the epic movies with the freakin awesome musical number?  Chariots of Fire, Vision Quest, Flashdance, Fame (ok, Fame was a TV show, but it was still freakin awesome), Footloose, Ferris Bueller's Day Off, The Big Chill, Purple Rain...just to name a few They don't make movies like those anymore...and they certainly don't have the epic soundtracks that go down in history as classic.  Those types of movies are classics and I could watch them over and over again.  If truth be told...I have Purple Rain on my DVR and it's my "go to" movie when I want to lose myself.  I can tell you the first time I saw it and with whom.  Was in south Moorehead MN with my best friend ( at the time ) Jody in the summer of '84.  She talked me in to playing hooky from work (she didn't have to talk hard).  We had pizza at the Speak Easy ( best pizza in town!) and then walked across the street to watch the movie.  Freakin Awesome!  I think we ...

… if you planned to do it at the last minute anyway .  I LOVE this!!  Those of you who know me well, know that I tend to be a "procrastinating perfectionist".  If I can't do it in MY time frame, it doesn't fit in to MY time frame or I can't do it the way I want to do it, then I tend not to do it at all or delay doing it until it fits in to my world. It's not that I'm lazy, it's just a matter of timing….MY timing! Drives my husband crazy!  He's a "getter done" type of guy.  Therefore, he thinks that I should follow his lead. NOT. I often hear, "did you remember to call so-and so?"  "No, but it's on my list."  (Silence).  The next day, same question.  "No, it's on my list of things to do."  (More silence). After the third day, he finally gets the hint and drops the subject.  Smart move, because every time he asks me the question, it moves further down my on my list....

snow, wind, and rain on May 1st???!!  I want to know who pissed off Mother Nature and how they are going to make it right!  Geez! Ok, I'm better now.  I just needed to get that off my chest. :) All things considered, I'm doing alright today.  I should go to the gym..I NEED to go to the gym, but I'm having a hard time getting motivated when the weather feels like November instead of May 1st.  I should be in tank tops and flip flops right now, sitting on my deck enjoying a nice cool beverage.  Am I?  Nope.  I'm in sweats and drinking hot chocolate to stay warm.  This just isn't right.   I heard on the local news the other night that ND has had a snow episode - somewhere in the state - for 8 months now.  (sighs heavily). This winter was BRUTAL!!!!  We're hearty souls up here in the northland, but this one took the cake.  And when do I get sick?  At the tail end of it.  The last four weeks haven't been gre...

  It's SPRING in ND and it's busting out ALL over the place.  Geese flying overhead, robins chirping, snow disappearing. Yes, yes…it's ALL good up here in the northland!  I posted on Fbook the other day that you really do need to live through a ND winter in order to appreciate a ND spring.  How very true! ND had a reason to celebrate a little bit yesterday.  Our golden collegiate hockey team - the UND Fighting Sioux - made it to the Frozen Four.  Yay team!  The had an outstanding season this year and played their hearts out.  To make it to the Frozen Four is a feat in and of itself.  They had the whole state behind them.  Unfortunately, the did not advance.  They played a well deserving team in Michigan last night.   A good game was played…but the Sioux just couldn't pull it out of the hat.  :(     Anyone who knows me, knows that I take my hockey pretty seriously.  While I may b...

  Wake up at 7:10am……precisely when you should already be AT work!  (shakes head). Arrive at work at 8:30amm and find a pillow on your desk with a mint on it….  Compliments of the Warden!!  OMG!!!!! (hangs head in embarrassment!)      

Oh my goodness!   A friend sent this to me and I just HAD to share it!  Too funny!  http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2010/04/06/wits-sweeney/

Doing better...much better!  Thank goodness!  The pain is now limited to my neck, left side, and I don't have sensation radiating down in to my hands anymore. Yay!!  This is all good news.  I've been quite careful however not to aggravate it any more than is necessary.  I look quite funny when I look to my left...I turn my whole body so I don't have to turn my neck!  That's alright...I do what I need to do! I did go to the gym yesterday and did cardio only.  I couldn't bring myself to do any weights or anything that might give an odd placement of my neck.  But...today I bit the bullet and did cardio and weights.  So far, so good!  I'm hoping that the healing progresses nicely.  Better...I have a gym date with PJ on Tuesday and I am NOT going to miss this one! What else is going on?  Nadda!  Oh wait...hubs and I TOTALLY had a redneck date last night.  We went out to supper and on the way home we saw two skunks with...

I know..."whimp" is not a normal word in my vocabularly....but I did tonight.  I was supposed to have a training session with PJ, but just couldn't do it.  Ever since my nasty fall on the ice last week, I've been experiencing "symptoms" of my disc issue(neck) from two years ago: tingling in my hands (notice I say BOTH hands - whereas previously it was just my left), stiffness in my neck and shoulders, aching, etc.   I went to the chiropractor today and he tuned me up. His parting words were "be good to it, hopefully we caught it soon enough..but it wouldn't take much for it to worsen."  Hmmmm....worsen?  No Thank you! I went back to work, existed on Tylenol for pain releif and promptly texted PJ for forgiveness.  I was batting my baby brown eyes at the phone while I was texting hoping that he would take pitty on me and not charge me for the session (less than 24-hr cancellation rule).  He's a nice guy ( when he's not trying to k...

My trainer – PJ – tried to kill me in the gym last night.  BUT, he gave me a huge compliment when we were finished. He said, “I didn’t think you were going to make it….I shoulda known you would prove me wrong.”  (beaming smile).   I was giving him all kinds of attitude though …~L~  He had me do pushups (regular, not girlie) with weights  in each hand that I had to lift up and do a row, then go down in to a pushup and lift the other weight in to a row. Me:  “you want these on my knees, right?”  PJ: “Now why would I have you do that, we’ve already established that you can do thirty regular pushups” Me: “Yeah, but they aren’t pretty ones.” PJ:  “This isn’t the Miss America pageant…now give me 10…and any more lip and you’ll do 20” Me:  “Welcome back PJ, I missed you.” PJ: “Ya, like ...

Ya, I started running on the treadmill again.   It went good.  NOT!!  Up until  2009 when I was dealing with a bulging disc in my neck, I was running on the treadmill.  Ok, running intervals on the treadmill is perhaps the most accurate statement.  But once I injured my neck, the physical therapists said, "no more treadmill till your neck heals."  Ok then. My neck healed, but I remained on the eliptical and never went back to the treadmill. When I quit, I was interval training at 2-3 minutes from 5.5 -  6.0 mph with a recovery of 1-2 minutes at 4.0 mph....running upwards to an hour.  Not great, but not too shabby.  Today?  2 minutes at 4.3 - 4.5mph  with a recovery of 2 minutes at 3.5mph.  OMG!!  Ugggh!!  Me, being me, just found my next challenge/goal.  I WILL get back to my pre-injury interval speeds.   Disclaimer : Unless I develop neck symptoms again. Other than that, my wo...

First of all, let me say this….I’m mourning the passing of another weekend (sighs).  They go all too quickly. So, what was going on this weekend? Nothing.  Natta.  Zip!  Friday…well, let’s just say that I wanted to go out and cut loose on the town.  However, being considerate of the spousal unit with whom I live with, I opted for the confines of my easy chair, cozy blanket and one or two Mike’s Hard Lemonades.  And No Becky!  I am NOT a lush!  (My friend Becky said I was a lush).  I replied that a lush is one who opens and drinks a bottle of wine in one sitting.  Now, although I may have WANTED to do such a deed, I assure you (and her) that I opted to stick with my two Mike’s.  That’s my story and I’m sticking to it!. J The usual mundane house cleaning woes ensued as Saturday sun broke the dawn…that’s a given on any weekend.  I tried to sleep in, but the darne...

Good Morning, The fact that it is Friday is reason enough to celebrate.  However, this post is about my nephew Blaine Joseph Schulz. Blaine called me last night to boast his wonderful performance evaluation.  He was awarded a raise, a Wal-Mart coat, and told he was head stockman due to the fact that he’s been there for 13 years.  He was positively flying high, as well he should be.   In his words, “it’s nice to be recognized for all the hard work I do.” Isn’t it though?  That is all any of us want, really.  The fact that he has a mental disability is no exception to that rule.  I don’t know very many of us that would be out in a parking lot pushing carts in freezing, sub-zero temperatures, snow, sleet, rain, sweltering temperatures and everything else in between.  I do not know that I could do that job day after day, week after week, let alone for 13 years! I’m quite proud of my man Blaine! ...

That’s what I need…and I need it NOW! The weather isn’t doing much for my sunny disposition.  I do yoga, and it helps tremendously, but I long for the days when I can slide my toes in to a pair of flip-flops and skip out the door, feeling the sun on my skin and knowing that when I leave home in the morning I may just actually get back home at night. (sighs). So, I am doing everything that I can think of to escape from reality.  I take long, hot bubble baths …play soothing music, drink wine (LOTS of wine!, daydream about Bora Bora, listen to Zac Brown Band (ZBB) songs about “toes in the sand” and gaze longingly at pictures of Bora Bora a dear friend has so thoughtfully sent me via email. I know I’m not alone in my misery; every poor NoDak stuck in the frozen tundra is in the exact same boat as me. L So, what’s new? Wish I could say a lot, but really, it’s not all that exciting being me right now.  ~L~  ...

Yep...I'm stuck at home.  Have been for the last 24 hours.  It's blowing, snowing, drifting and just plain miserable out!  I haven't seen a car go past our house in the last 24 hours.  Even if I had, I wouldn't be able to get past the 4ft snow drift across my yard to go anywhere.  Hubs is over at the farm with the cattle....and believe me...it isn't a picnic over there either.  He sounds depressed and tired...can't say that I blame him! I was supposed to have yoga classes tonight, but ended up cancelling them as the prospect of 1) a snowplow coming down the road and 2) hubster getting home to clear the yard wasn't looking very promising.  So, what am I doing? Updating my email contacts, doing laundry, eating, texting, chatting on facebook, eating, chasing the cat around the house, updating blogs, did I mention eating?  (Oh ya...there it is...three times in fact! ~LOL~) I just packed a suitcase because I'm sure once I'm shoveled out, I'll ...

We had a milestone in our family this week.  My sister Pat and her husband Gil celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary on Friday, January 7th.  They were given a lovely surprise celebration by their children, Lori, Randy and Shelly - which included all of Pat's immediate family (siblings and spouses), as well as Gil's sister-in-law and neice (of his deceased brother, Harry). What a night it was!  We drank some beverages, ate some scrumpteous food, laughed, cried, and reminisced about the good ole  days and the twists and turns of Pat and Gils 50 years of marriage.  We actually closed down the Buffalo City Grille  at 10:00 pm. My brother Ron and his wife Pearl, along with my brother Terry and his wife Marna made the trek up to Peggy's house where the party continued until the wee hours of the night.  3 AM!   Ya!! We sat in Peggy's back room by the fireplace and took that well traveled trip down memory lane.  We argued ...

Well, it wasn't exactly what I had in mind for a vacation, but it turned out alright.   If you've read previous entries, you know that I have been stormed in at home for four days now (Thursday - Sunday) AND I have a painful abscessed tooth.  Oh joy!   Yes, not my ideal vacation.  I had plans of being in town every day, hitting the gym, having coffee with friends, doing a little shopping and maybe (a strong maybe) doing some housework.   Did any of that happen?  Ya, not so much! I have been home for four days.  Me, myself, and Boris the cat.   Hubs finally made it home today to shower and eat, change clothes and head right back to the main farm.  I feel sorry for him as he's out in the cold tending to the cattle, digging out snow from the feed bunks, and doing all of this in 10 degree weather and tons of snow on the ground.  Not fun, I'm sure! Now, what did I do during those four days?  I ate!  Ya...