More Firsts

Last night Todd and I went to our first Dallas Cowboys game together, and it also was a first time for us to visit the new Cowboys Stadium. That place is AMAZING and so very incredibly massively HUGE! I don't think I've ever been in a structure that large. I bought our tickets online at the last minute, so we could join Todd's brother and his friend at the game. Our seats were WAY up in the top of the stadium in the 4th level. I can only liken it to being about eight stories high. Being that I'm extremely afraid of heights, I was mortified as we ascended the many steps to our seats. Tears welled up in my eyes, and I thought I would pass out.

When we sat down, I refused to stand again. Thankfully, I was able to semi-stand/lean against my seat for the national anthem. It was sung by the "Cactus Cuties" and I have never heard such a beautiful rendition of the Star Spangled Banner by anyone, much less young girls.

Things finally calmed down a bit for me after the first quarter or so of the game, but I was glued to my chair. I thought of getting drunk, but I was scared that I'd drink a lot and then need to pee. I planned on going nowhere until we had to leave, and I had been anxious about that since the moment we sat down. The pictures you see will give you an idea of the incredible space inside the (thankfully air-conditioned) stadium and views of the MASSIVE big screen. It's 60 yards wide and really cool!



The first string team played well, but the Cowboys lost the game in the end. Luckily it's just the preseason! It was quite a pricey night between tickets ($120), beer ($7 each), and parking ($40 with about a mile to walk), but I think it was worth it. Not sure if/when we'll go back again . . . unless, of course, someone buys us some tickets on level one or two. :)

Friday Fill-Ins

1. I remember, I remember but I forgot what it was.

2. Dear School, I want you to know that you are wearing my ass out already & the kids aren't even here.

3. Is that my desk!!???

4. I'm trying to resist the temptation of taking a nap.

5. I'm saving a bit of work just for you!

6. If I made a birthday list a digital SLR camera would definitely be on it!!!

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to finishing my 12-hour work day, tomorrow my plans include working some more and Sunday, I want to not get dressed and do nothing!

Have You Voted Today?

Don't forget to vote for our pup, Steve, EVERY DAY! You can vote once a day per computer/IP address. Won't you help Stevie's little self-esteem by reminding him how cute he is?

What We're Up to Right Now

That should explain it. See ya again in June!

Friday Fill-Ins

1. When will I see you again? (an old 70s song)

2. Twilight was the last good book I read, The Hangover was the last good movie I saw, and Thursday night's episode of Big Brother was the last good tv show I watched.

3. Everything has its beauty but the inside has to be better.

4. A ham sandwich is what I had for dinner.

5. I'd like your money, please.

6. Asleep or on a beach is where I want to be right now.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to pool party with Katie, Maria & gang, tomorrow my plans include hanging out, resting and relaxing (I hope) and Sunday, I want to do nothing, relax, and enjoy my last day off for nine months!

Time for a klaW

Todd and I can't say "Walk" in front of the dogs, or they go NUTS. Instead, we say "klaw" which is walk backwards in case you're . . . tired. They haven't figured out our sneaky word yet.

However, they've figured something else out. Tonight Todd stepped into our fancy new laundry room and closed the doors behind him. (In our almost six years together, I've learned simply not to ask sometimes!) The big dogs jumped up and got all excited. I couldn't figure it out, but they did. Todd was grabbing bags to pick up after the dogs if necessary.

When he stepped out of the laundry room, Todd was greeted by Pippin & Steve. The mayhem and excitedness began. Here's why we probably need the "Dog Whisperer". The first ten or so seconds show you what I find so funny. I present to you, Happy Pippin:

Flashback: One Year Ago Today

Monday, August 11, 2008 was a scary day for me. My mother was preparing for open-heart bypass surgery to replace an mitral valve in her heart. I woke up in the wee hours of the morning and headed to the hospital. Much to my surprise, I beat my mom and Rick. I waited for a few minutes and finally called to make sure she hadn't overslept or changed her mind. She was concerned that she had forgotten to pack her waterproof mascara & wanted to go by the store first. (That's my mom!) For some rare & unknown reason, I had some in my purse and told her just to head to the hospital. Goodness . . .

She arrived, kissed me hello, took my mascara, and I could tell she was a bit nervous. Granted, we were in the hospital where she works, in the unit where she works, with the nurses with whom she works but it was still a scary thing we were facing. I spent many hours before that day crying and praying to God that He would not take my mother. My grandmother, Mary, still needed her daughter. My mom's husband, Rick, still needed her. Her grandchildren needed her. Her other family members and friends needed her. Of course my brothers needed her. But mainly I needed her.

I still remember the look on her face when the pre-op nurse began to administer her meds and instructed Mom to hug and kiss us before she was out of it. I still remember my eyes completely filling with tears that took forever to flow down my pretend-smiling face. And I still remember kissing my mom for what I prayed would not be the last time.

Since everyone (including the OR nurse) knew my mom, they were wonderful about calling my cell phone every time they did something - starting the surgery, opening her, starting bypass, taking her off bypass, finishing up, heading to recovery. Rick tried to sleep in a chair in the waiting room while I busied myself with crosswords, running to the cafeteria for breakfast, and worrying. The calls were comforting but also a bit nerve-wracking. Being the daughter of a nurse and being fascinated by medicine sometimes lends to knowing more than one would prefer.

Thankfully, Mom's surgery went better and faster than expected. The surgeon called me personally to tell me they were able to repair the valve instead of replacing it. And that's when I lost it. When I first said, "She's okay," I broke down. A sweet, young hospital volunteer came up to me later and said that was one of the most touching things she'd seen in a long time. Guess she unfortunately saw too many sad tears vs. tears of relief.

Mom's recovery was long - much longer than she hoped and anticipated. She was in the ICU longer than she wanted and had a few bumps along the way, but she eventually was released from the hospital and recovered fully. You can barely see the scar that runs from below her neck down her sternum. Mom enjoys having me feel the knotted wire under her skin. She gets an evil smile on her face when I now politely decline. :)

Mom has very few, if any, memories of the first week or two after her surgery and it really bothers her. I have filled in some gaps and tried to tell her stories from those difficult days. Yet, as I look back on them, I look back on them with love. I was able to spend some time with my mother (unbeknownst to her!), caring for her and making sure she was as comfortable as possible. I also had lots of time to spend with Rick and my Mary.

Best of all is that I still have my mother. Having seen many of my friends (and recently including my own mom) lose their beloved mothers, I can't imagine not having her here. A lot has happened in the past year - most of it not too good in our family - so I think I'll love her as much as I can while I can.

Weekend Doggie Drama

Todd was gone and the dogs were acting pouty, so I gave them treats (as usual). However, I gave Mack a larger Milk Bone than he usually gets, and he carried it around the house for a while since he's so weird. He finally went in the crate to eat it.

Steve, being the selfish-ass, treat-whore dog he can be, followed Mack into the crate. With Steve standing over and moving around him, Mackey FREAKED out (did I already mention how weird he is?) & went to snap up the last piece of treat before Steve could get it. In doing so, Mack got his snout and top teeth caught between the "bars" of the crate. So, his head is turned sideways, snout between the bars, and he's squealing like a freaking maniac.

Meanwhile Steve (still in the crate) is running around him trying to snatch a little morsel. After a lot of yelling and collar grabbing, I got Steve out of the crate. Pippin thought it was all a great game, and bowed to Steve to play - right in front of the crate and the ever-squealing Mackey. I scream at both of them, still holding Steve by the collar and yelling, "STEVE SIT!" (which he did for all of two seconds).

I finally freed Mack, who then proceeded to pace around the house & yelp and chirp for about 20 minutes. I later followed his noises and found him in our bathroom. As soon as I knew he saw me, I went to pet him and Mackey let out a loud bark. He ran in to the shower area, put his nose into the corner between the toilet and the tub, & stared. Geez. (I told you he was weird, right? It's even worse when he's spooked.) It took over an hour for Mackey to chill out, and for my pulse to FINALLY beat at a more normal rate.

Why do things like this always happen when Todd's not here?! The entire situation forced me to eat ice cream and everything. Things finally quieted down so we could maybe get some sleep around here. Just maybe.

COMPLETE!

Todd will be home his trip to Atlanta in about an hour, and the laundry room is finished! I don't know what I was thinking, but the whole task of painting & organizing in there was MUCH more work than I had imagined. MUCH MORE!

It's a fairly small room as you'll see, so it was a bit hard to get good photos. Good photos or not, I'm done.



Coming soon - photos of the new rocking chairs on our front porch, new landscaping beds out front, way late pics from Todd's surprise birthday party, and whatever else I need to catch up on before heading back to school. I'm so tired that I need a vacation now! :)

Painting, Painting, Painting

I have spent this weekend painting our laundry room. I mean . . . c'mon . . . doesn't a laundry room need to look cute? Who's stupid idea was this anyway?

At least I can cross off another item on my 101 in 1001 list. Photos to come as soon as I can feel my hands again.

Vote for STEVE!

Vote for my STEVIE as the Cutest Dog in America! You know there is no cuter dog out there!