Happy Anniversary Nick & Elaine!

Just wanted to drop a quick note to wish my friends Nick and Elaine a very happy 1st anniversary! Congrats Mr. and Mrs. A!

Good Bye Long Hair!

Tomorrow I am going to take my a** to the barber and tell him I am sick of looking like an a**hole. (Any Wesley Willis fans out there?!?!?)

Hair, You were pretty for a while, but now you are just too long and unruly to stay. You must be cut. And, thanks to my favorite salon in town, you will be today. Adios!

Triple Tragedy

Since I got home from work early today (outrunning crazy thunderstorms!), I figured I'd catch up on my blogging...Gina and Brett's wedding, Father's Day, etc...but wouldn't you know it, the camera that all the pictures are on are in my hubby's truck, and he isn't home :-( So, those posts are going to have to wait.

In the meantime, I thought I'd address the only news headline out there right now, MJ's death. Yesterday when I was driving home from work (ok, I was driving to the mall for a quick shopping trip before heading home (got some good stuff too!)) and I was scanning through my channels and realized that MJ was playing on 3 of them. I thought it was weird, but didn't understand it until I heard the announcement. I was shocked and saddened. Although he had a questionable reputation around the boys (my mom calls him a "diddler"), his talent was undeniable. Every radio station has been playing his music and with every song that comes on I think "Wow, I forgot about this one. I love this song too!!!"). Thriller, Bad, Beat It, Don't Stop Till You Get Enough, Do You Remember, Black or White, Billie Jean, Dirty Dianna, PYT, I could go on and on and on! Hearing all of these incredible songs made me come to one conclusion...the most tragic part about all of this is realizing how amazingly talented he was...truly a rare and unmatched talent...and how it seems to have all gone by the wayside, overshadowed by accusations and really crazy stunts (baby over the balcony anyone?). Although I don't like to make excuses for anyone, I cannot even imagine what a childhood filled with abuse and a lifetime in the constant spotlight will do to you. Regardless, I hope he finds the peace in death that he could not find in life. And, I wish nothing but the best for his children. And, I know that his awesome music will live on forever.

Also, I'd like to acknowledge Farrah Fawcett's death, too. A tragedy by anyone's standards. That bastard cancer has struck again. It makes me sick. I just feel like her death has been so overshadowed by Michael's death that she is not getting the recognition and attention she deserves, so I want to take this opportunity to honor her as well.

And, then Ed McMahon too? Star Search was my favorite tv show growing up. And, who didn't have dreams of the Publisher's Clearning House Prize Patrol showing up a your doorstep with a giant check?

These things really do come in 3's.

A Moment of Silence

John's grandfather passed away on Wednesday at the age of 91. He lived a very long, full life and we were very blessed to have had him around for so long. He had been deteriorating for quite some time, so his passing was not unexpected, but it is still a sad time for our family nonetheless. His wake is on Monday evening and he will be laid to rest on Tuesday morning.

For my dear friends and family out there, I ask that you please take a moment to remember that life is precious and short, so take advantage of every second you have with your loved ones.

Here's to you, Gramps! You will forever be in our hearts.

An Update (While there is time!)

What a flippin' busy week! Work, shmurk...you've heard it a million times. But on top of that, I've been busy outside of work too.


Monday after work, I stopped at this new store in town called "Steals & Deals" to satisfy my curiosity. Interesting...some good stuff, some not so good stuff...but I walked out with the most delicious smelling lavender all natural shampoo and conditioner for $0.99 a piece. Score! I will definitely go back for beauty products...they had stuff there for $2 or $3 that I've seen in regular stores for like $20. Nice ;-) After my bargain, I went and did the dreaded weekly grocery shopping, and then on a whim, I decided to hit up the library on the way home. I really love our city's library and I definitely don't go as much as I should. I haven't picked up a book since my Twilight obsession a few months ago, so I thought it was time. I got "Love the One You're With" by Emily Giffin. I've read her books "Something Borrowed" and "Something Blue" and liked both, so I figured I'd give it a shot. We'll see! But, I could not start reading my book that night because I had to watch the season premiere of "True Blood". Ahhhh, and so the vampire obsession continues! Love it! And now that I just found out that the main characters Sookie and Vampire Bill are a couple in real life, I love it even more! Then, of course, I had to get my weekly dose of The Bachelorette. I'm such a sucker for cheesy TV. I think I'm the only one that still watches this show, but I just can't help myself.


Yesterday after work I hit up Macy's because I've got a gift card burning a hole in my pocket, but sadly was unable to find anything I loved. Don't feel bad for me though...I stopped at CVS on a whim on my way home and scored new mascara and lipstick (which I totally love...a rarity for me!) for buy one get one! Am I a bargain scorer or what?!?


Anywho...I need to get my buns off the computer and cook some dinner, but I figured I'd post while I have the time. We've got a wedding to go to on Friday, my sister-in-law is coming into town on Saturday, and then we've got my dad and sister coming over on Sunday for BBQ and cake to celebrate Father's Day and my sister's 20th birthday. Whew...I'm zonked just thinking about all this, especially considering the busiest summer ever continues for the next 4 weekends (I'll fill you in soon...promise!). Toodles!

Congrats Bug!!!

My little brother Chris is officially a high school graduate! We attended the 101st graduation of Smith Vocational and Agricultural High School on Wednesday, June 10th to witness the big event. I think this story is best told in pictures, so here we go!



The grad entering the auditorium...







Officially graduated, diploma in hand!








The graduating class at the end of the ceremony...

Me and my beloved little bro/grad!

Me, mom and Chris...

Our fam...J, me, mom, Chris and Chris (mom's on again, off again, on again boyfriend...ugh!)...






Crazy extended fam...Maddi, Becky, Kyle (also a grad), mom, Chris and me...




On an unrelated note, this may seem a little stalker-ish, but I just had to share this because I was so blown away by it. One of my high school cheerleading coaches is a teacher at my brother's high school (former high school, I guess I should say). Anyway, she was at the graduation because she was one of the senior class advisors. I was completely floored at how AMAZING she looks these days! Total transformation from 10 years ago. Check this out...


Here she is 10 years ago (the one on the left)...




Another shot...she's on the right in this one...



And here she is today...



Another shot of her today...




Can you believe it!?! Way to go, coach! You are an inspiration, for sure!

WAH

W = Work
A = At
H = Home

Love it! I get to sleep in a little later than usual, take my doggie love on a longer morning walk than usual, take my time getting ready for the day, and then get comfortable on the couch with my computer on my lap. And, the best part is...I get so much done! No interruptions, no distractions, just work, work, work! It's fantastic!

I decided to WAH today because I have the afternoon off...for my little bro's graduation! I CANNOT BELIEVE MY BUG IS A HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATE!!! I still remember the day he was born, still remember what a troublemaker toddler he was, still remember dropping him off at daycare, picking him up from elementary school, watching him grow from a baby to a man. I just adore my brother and am so proud of him. I cannot wait for tonight (better wear the waterproof mascara!). Prepare yourself for pictures!!!

Congrats Bug! Your big sis loves ya!

A New Plan

I am sure you are more than sick of hearing about all of my workout woes and my constantly changing exercise plans, but since fitness is such a big part of my life, I feel the need to blog about my workout tales, and I've got another to discuss.

You may remember me blogging about starting the "Chalean Extreme" workout program. Well, life (as usual) has not gone as planned since then, and as such, I've had to change my plans as well. I thought surgery was only going to take me out of the game for 1 week, but it ended up being 3! I had to put my health first, and even though I felt like a big blob during my hiatus, I needed the time off to heal. Now that I am ready to get back into the swing of things (and feeling MUCH better), I realized that my 12 week program just wasn't going to cut it. Summer is HERE! I need results NOW! So, I've decided to do the 30 day shred with Jillian Michaels and then restart Chalean after. That way, I'll get quick results now and then continue to build upon them with a longer program later. You think it will work? I certainly hope so.

Today was the 3rd day of the shred, and even though it's a short workout, it packs a punch! My muscles are definitely sore, but I am not letting that stop me! And, on top of shredding, I plan to incorporate cardio everyday to maximize results. My hope is that by the end of the month, I will be back into prime shape and rocking my summer attire!

I need y'all to keep me accountable, so I'll be blogging about my experience and I'll keep you posted on my progress!

The Perfect Summer Weekend!

I just don't know how it could have gotten any better (and it's still not over!!!).

Friday evenings are usually spent at home for us, but this Friday we decided to take advantage of Northampton's Restaurant Week. 15 restaurants offering 3 course meals for $20.09! We've gone every year for the past 4 years with my Dad, and this year was no exception. We decided to hit up Caminito Argentina Steakhouse - somewhere the 3 of us have never been. We sat al fresco, enjoyed a pitcher of sangria (yummmmm) and a DELICIOUS steak dinner. Filet has never tasted so good! All in all, a fantastic experience and I would definitely recommend it to any steak lover out there. I really don't eat much red meat (usually just a couple of times per month, if that), but it was a nice treat and I definitely enjoyed. After dinner, we decided to make an appearance at "The Still" - my darling husband's best friend's bar (did you get all that?!?). We enjoyed a cocktail, played some Buckhunter and called it a night at a decent hour.

Saturday was fantastico!!! I woke up around 8:00, had breakfast and then got going. I took my beloved Bailey for a wonderful 1.5 hour hike and swim (her, not me). She was in doggie heaven and I got a little exercise to boot. The perfect weather didn't hurt either. Can I just say how much I love being outdoors?!? It gives me such a warm, happy feeling inside when I am out enjoying the wonders of nature. But, I digress. After the hike, I hit the home gym...the first time in 3 weeks (more on that later). After my workout, I hit the shower and got beautied up for the day. After an annoying trip to Walmart to make an exchange for my hubby, I met up with my darling (he worked all morning). With it being such an amazing day, we decided to finally dust off the bikes for our inaugural ride this year. After pumping up the tires, we enjoyed a 12 mile ride through some of the more rural areas in our town and then next one over. We just rode and chatted and enjoyed the beauty that is summertime in New England. Ahhh! So great! We then decided that it was a night to be spent on the patio enjoying margaritas, so we went to get the fixings and then enjoyed the fruits of our labor! We built a fire in our fire pit once the sun went down and spent the evening discussing life, love and everything else on our minds. It's funny...you'd think we'd run out of things to talk about, but we never do. We always have the best conversations!

Now, today is off to great start too. After getting up at 7:00 to fit in my workout, I met up with my Dad to play some tennis. After hitting for about 1.5 hours, we called it quits. Now, I am home just eating some lunch and hitting up the ole blog before heading out again. I am about to take Ms. Bail to the park for some exercise, and then J and I will be heading to a friend's 30th birthday party at a local lake. Should be fun!!!

I hope everyone is enjoying the amazing weather and taking advantage of this wonderful summer weekend! Don't let it pass you by!!!

Wedding Season Begins!

Whew! Ready or not, the busy summer season has officially kicked off! This past weekend was an action-packed, fun-filled couple of days! Before I get into the details, I just want to say thank you for all the well wishes from my surgery. I am happy to report that I am on the mend, and although I am still not 100% (I'd say maybe 80%), I am definitely feeling MUCH better than I was a week ago and each day seems to get a little better. I have to admit, I have been really surprised by how tough recovery has been and I feel like I either underestimated the seriousness of the surgery or overestimated my toughness :-) Either way, thanks for the love my blog readers! Your kind words mean a lot. Now, back to it...

Saturday was both productive and fun. After sleeping in a little (well, just until 8:30), I got right to business by cleaning the house from top to bottom, completing 4 loads of laundry, prepping the guest room for my sister-in-law Kim and her boyfriend John (who actually didn't even end up staying over!), taking Ms. Bailey to the park to play for a while, watering all of my outdoor plants, running errands to CVS, the bank and the car wash, ironing John's suit and shirt and then getting ready for a wedding all before my beloved husband got home from work. We then headed to Connecticut to attend the wedding of my hubby's cousin Frank to his adorable fiancée Amanda. The ceremony was very touching and we were thrilled to watch Frank and Amanda become husband and wife. We then headed to the reception location and enjoyed delicious food and beverage and I danced my little heart out (as usual). We didn't get home until after 1:00 and, needless to say, we were exhausted!

Sunday was a lot more relaxed, but fun nonetheless. After sleeping in to recover from the prior night's festivities, John and I decided to go out for breakfast instead of cook at home, and then Kim, John and their dog Bua came over and we took the dogs for a nice long hike and swim (the dogs swam, not us!). Bailey and Bua loved it and were very happy (and tired) dogs when we were finished. After Kim, John and Bua said their goodbyes and headed back to their home in Vermont, I did a little relaxing while my darling did a little work. That evening, after having dinner, we went out for soft serve (so bad, but so very good!) and watched a movie to wind down from the hectic weekend.

I guess I should get used to the madness, because this summer is shaping up to be quite busy! The next few events include a friend's 30th birthday bash, my brother's high school graduation next week, his graduation party next weekend, and then a wedding, another visit from my SIL Kim and Father's Day all the following weekend. Eek! I guess we just need to prepare ourselves for the events we have coming up and take full advantage of the free time we do have. I already have several "excursions" I would like to take this summer, including trying out some new hiking and biking trails, trips to the beach and even some rock climbing! The summer goes by so quickly, so I am bound and determined to really make it count this year!

Happy June to everyone! Here are some pics for your viewing pleasure!

Frank and Amanda - the newlyweds!


The best sister-in-law ever, Kim, and her man, John

And, finally...me and the love of my life!