Totally Awesome 80's Girl

80's Movies can teach you alot

2010-06-15T22:56:00.003-05:00

It’s no secret that I love the 80’s. Just look at my blog title and that says it all. I, of course, have some favorite movies that I have watched many times over. I realized today that one can learn a great deal from your favorite movies if you pay attention. I thought I might just pass on some of this exceptional knowledge for your reading pleasure. Please see my top 15 favorite 80’s movies along with quotes and a little bit about what one can learn from these very movies ( strictly for entertainment purposes – I accept no responsibility for actions resulting in the information provided):

1. The Breakfast club:

Quote: John Bender: "So it's sorta social, demented and sad, but social. Right?"

Take Away - Always be sure that the social environment in which you engage is exempt of dementia and sadness.

2. Pretty in Pink:

Though many quotes could be taken from this movie lets just say that the best thing learned from this movie was what color to pick for you prom dress…..DUH!
3. Some Kind of Wonderful

Need to learn how to kiss? Step by step instructions provided all while your car gets an oil change. I am on the hunt for the nearest local mechanic who provides this service.
4. Ferris Buellers Day off

If you park your car in Chicago there is a chance your mileage may increase, therefore I take public transportation

5. Footloose

Need a work out? Get to your nearest train yard and do flips off the machinery, it’s the latest fitness trend – DVD to follow.
6. Sixteen Candles

Cake must be served while seated crossed leg on top of the table. This will however require that you purchase a VERY strong table.

7. St. Elmo’s Fire

Quote: "Fluff and fold, buddy. Soon as I make it really big, I'm going fluff and fold."

Take away – Honestly, who needs a guidance counselor when you have St. Elmo’s Fire. Everyone knows the money is in Laundry Mats because Emilio Estevez SAID SO.
8. Working Girl

The only appropriate way to vaccum is in your underwear.

9. Less than Zero

Quote: "Do you know that you girls have televisions between your legs?"

Take Away – Be sure to check for those pesky televisions between your legs before you go out

10. Back to the Future

On my next car turned-into-time-machine, I am picking a VW bug, This will allow for more slug bug games in the future.

11. Girls just want to have fun

Quote: Lynne: "He's a boy and he's alive, what's there to hate?"

I think this needs no explanation

12. About Last Night

Quote: Danny: "Oh, you're not leavin' are ya? "

Joan: "No, we're walking in backwards."

Perfect example of what to say to those annoying men at that bar, however I think she may have gotten confused because she was talking to ROB LOWE, Helloooooo he is the one YOU WANT to ask you out!
13. Weird science

Quote: Lisa: [to Wyatt's grandfather] "Stop hitting people with your Rex Harrison hat!"

Take Away – Always provide a hat rack for your guests before they go Rambo on you
14. Say Anything

Quote: Lloyd Dobler: "She's gone. She gave me a pen. I gave her my heart, she gave me a pen."

Take Away – thanks to Ione Skye, I had THE gift figured out for all my relationship break ups. It worked um……really well…….

15. Dirty Dancing

Quote: Johnny: "Nobody puts Baby in a corner."

Could any other quote be provided here? I think not. And what do we learn from this? Nothing really, its just the quote everyone knows

Honorable Mention:

She’s Having a Baby

quote: Davis McDonald: "You're the only one I ever loved."

Kristen "Kristy" Briggs: "No, Davis. You're the only one you ever loved."

Take away – I think this quote was spot on I mean she was talking to Alec Baldwin. Who doesn’t love him?

I hope you find this information helpful in your day to day lives. I know I have. :-)

Memorial Day Fun

2010-06-05T22:17:00.001-05:00

It was time for my annual trip home for memorial day and it was not short on fun!! It started with a stop at my new favorite cookie shop in Marion IL - One Hot Cookie - They have a cookie called the P.M.S. (Pretty Much Scrumptious) which is to DIE for!

Next on the agenda was a return to one of my favorite 80's activities - Roller Skating! That's right, Carbondale has a new rink in town call Hot Wheels Skatium and they sure made it feel like it was back in the 80's. My friend Monica and I had to go to take her 4 year old daughter there to learn how to skate. I was a little apprehensive about skating as it has been say about 15 years or so since I last skated and given I had back surgery about 7 months ago falling seemed a bit more scary than it may have otherwise. But after a few turns I started to get my "skatinglegs" back and it was fun. I didn't quite reach a comfort level with backwards skating but hey there is always next time :-) Here is a photo of Monica and I sporting a pose in our skating gear (check out the carpet they picked for the rink - it is so totally awesome!)

Next it was off the Longbranch coffeehouse for some yummy vegetarian lunch and a fantastic Cafe Mocha. I have to say it was one of the best Cafe Mocha's I have ever had!

On Sunday it was time for a family get together to celebrate my birthday and just plain see each other! We enjoyed an outdoor BBQ and also sang Karaoke. Boy did we sing some Karaoke......we all got a little silly (especially me) with the songs but from what I was told everyone was quite entertained.

<--- Here I am with my fellow Diva otherwise known as Payton (Monica's daughter) singing a tune together.

On Memorial Day Kousin Kelli was kind enough to invite me and some additional family over to the house for dip in her pool. It was little stormy now and then but turned out to be a great afternoon to be in the water. I also got to try my hand at something new - Farming! Yep Uncle Ed let me take a turn at driving the tractor. I even got to put the discs down in the ground for some good tilling! Here is a photo of Farmer Kristal:

As you can see I came prepared with the proper farming headwear :-)

It was another fun and memorable weekend. Lets hope there is more to come the rest of the summer!

All Hail the Moms of the world!

2010-05-09T11:37:00.000-05:00

Mother's day. The day we all say thanks to mom. Lately I have been thinking about motherhood. Not so much for me but more in the sense of "I don't know how you mother's do it!" I am not a mother (except in the eyes of my cats Felix and Duncan) and I still often struggle with fitting in all the things that need to get done in life! My question to all mothers is How the heck do you do it??????? Let's face it, Mom's tend to be the ones who really keep it all together. No offense to the Dad's! I know many fathers who are fantastic. But as I have conversations with many women in my life who are mothers they seem to be the ones who are keeping track of the schedule, carting people to and fro, making sure there is food in the house for all the picky eaters, getting clothes and supplies everyone needs (sometimes including the husbands!) making dinner, keeping up with the laundry, getting everyone to the doctor when they need it, etc the list goes on and on and on.

So I say to the mother's of the world, I take a bow to you, because this childless individual does not know how you fit so much into one day. I of course thank my own mother for all her time and love in doing these very things, but I also say to you, mothers I know and those that I don't, YOU ROCK!

A bit off the subject, but somewhat mom related:

This morning I had the sliding glass door open in my living room to let in some fresh air. The screen was closed but sometime back the lock broke. Now I have some rather smart cats and at times they have figured out how to open screen door (the jump up on it a few times until it slides over a bit each time). I left the living room for just a few minutes to get something and when I came down the stairs I saw the screen door open just enough for a cat body to get through. At first I was be a bit frantic, but I was amazed to see not only was one of my cats (Felix) still in the house, he was staring up the stairs at me as if he was waiting for me to come down before he would attempt to go out. Even more amazing was that Ducan, my black cat, was just outside the screen door staring in at me as if he was waiting for me to come and join him. He saw me coming and still when I stepped out the door he just meowed as if to say " Its about time mom, lets go!"

I don't know if they were waiting or me but I have noticied that they don't really like to go outstide without me so maybe they didn't think it was okay unless I was there! Or could they just have been behaving because it's mother's day?

Girls just want to have fun

2010-05-04T21:47:00.002-05:00

"Oh girls just want to have fun" That is what this girl got to do this past weekend. I hopped in my car and drove two and a half hours north of Chicago to the Wisconsin Dells to meet up with my childhood friend Sonya, her daughters, two of Sonya's adult friends and their 4 daughthers, That's right 10 females together ready to laugh, eat and spend time on a waterslide.

I started the weekend by first meeting up with a friend from work as she lives nearby the Dells. We had a nice lunch and then decided we needed to check out the local Casino - Ho-Chunk. I did pretty well actually. At least I always say I do well when I come home even or a winner. In this case, I broke even. Good enough for me!

After the gambling my work friend heading home and I headed to the Wilderness Territory Hotel and Resort to meet up with my friends. Upon arrival we promptly headed to the indoor water parks. There are 3 of them and plenty to keep us happy. We had a great time.

My friend was lucky enough to get a 3 bedroom, 3 bathroom two story condo equipped with a full kitchen, washer/dryer and a nice screened in patio for our group of ten and we used it all. We brought our own food to save on money and all took turns cooking and cleaning. Such a great plan for a big group!

On Saturday we started the morning with a visit to their in-house pottery place and made our own pottery creations. Here is a photo of mine BEFORE it got painted:

After we finished our creations we headed back to the waterparks. Then in the afternoon it was time to get out of those suits to see the real reason the Dells exsist and take a boat tour of the Wisconsin Dells themselves. For anyone who might not know what the Dells are here is a brief history lesson : The Dells (term used in the singular) was formed during the last ice age approximately 15,000 years ago. During the ice age it was part of the large Driftless Area that was bypassed by the ice. The melting of the glacier formed Glacial Lake Wisconsin. The lake was held back by an ice dam of the remaining glacier. The eventual bursting of the ice dam unleashed a catastrophic flood, dropping the lake's depth to 50 feet (15 m) and cutting deep, narrow gorges and unusual rock formations into the sandstone.

So you can understand what this says here are some photos from the tour. The one with the walkway was part of the walking tour. It was really amazing to walk through these tunnels of cool looking rock formations. I highly recommend the tour if you are ever in the Dells!

One part of the tour has a very special part in that one of the rocks formed in an interesting way, like a tower on its own. For many years people of jumped from the main rock to this tower and back. So now they have dog that jumps it ( no worries it was a cinch for the dog and they had a net) So I caught of picture of the dog in the act:

And here is a photo of the whole group of us enjoying our tour:

After the dells tour we spent some time browsing the local shops and stopped for some yummy chocolate. Then it was time for dinner and one more trip back to the waterparks.

On Monday we packed up and headed back to our homes. I had a great time and met some wonderful people.

Walking in Wonderland

2010-04-20T21:20:00.000-05:00

Recently I had an unexpected injury and I popped a muscle in my calf. I checked in with the doctor and she suggested taking a break from running for about 2 weeks. Thankfully I was still able to get in some exercise using the elliptical at the gym but tonight I headed out for my first trek on the trail since the injury. Sadly, this time period definitely affected my ability to run without becoming to winded so I mostly walked, but I can tell I should be able to hopefully get back to where I was in a week or so.

It was a beautiful day today, cool but sunny and just right for being outdoors. I decided to head out to a local forest preserve for my walk/run and found some delightful sights. First, I encountered a beaver! He was cute! I didn't see much of him but it was still a treat. Spring has provided sprouts on all the trees, baby flowers popping out of the ground to reach the sun rays and the grass is pretty much green everywhere you look.

One especially cool sight was some mushrooms I found, though they weren't where you might usually find them. They were growing from a tree! This is when I thought maybe I had visited Wonderland (only I could not find that rabbit with a vest on screaming "we're late for a very important date! ") It was really cool to see these large mushrooms growing sideways out of the tree. Thankfully I had my phone with me so take a look:

After I saw this I thought sure the Mad Hatter would come around the corner to offer me Tea. Alas, he did not but maybe I will catch up with him next time ;-)

Dreaming of an Education

2010-04-12T21:25:00.003-05:00

I have been thinking lately about how many things I would like to learn to do. There is quite a list actually. Take a look:

1. Learn to play golf
2. Learn how to keep this webpage looking the way I want it to without getting so frustrated I could scream
3. Learn to play guitar (i.e. learn web languages)
4. Learn how to do home improvement projects myself (mostly because I am annoyed about how much it costs to have others do them!)
5. Learn how to save money with coupons the way some amazing people do ( I went to the grocery store and got 6 bags of grocerys for 8 dollars - really?)
6. Learn to read music (it is just stupid that I don't know how to do this already)
7.Learn how to latin dance
8. Learn how to eat healthy meals without missing things like McDonalds, Pizza or The biggest Cold Stone Creamery ice cream you can get :-)
9. Learn what it takes to audition for a local musical play
10. Learn how to get up the courage to actually audtion for a musical play
11. Learn how to bake yummy deserts (hmmmm - that may not work with #8)
12. Learn how to play tennis ( i don't get the scoring at all)

That is all I can think of tonight, But I am sure there is more.

The problem is it seems all of these either take time or money. I can't seem to figure out how to fit either one of those things in (especially the money part) I am currently on plan for financial improvement and there is not much room for extras at all. So ho hum, it stinks to think about all the things you want to learn and can't quite figure out how to fit them in.

The one thing I do know is that eventually I am going to fit some of these in. Like Tennis for example, I just bet if I really wanted to, surely I could get my mom to show me the ropes in Tennis. The only problem with that one is time. It is hard for us to ever have time to spend on something like this.

Another would be Guitar. Surely if I really tried I could learn to play the guitar just by practicing at home on my own. Again time is part of the issure here and actually a second one is when it comes to things like this for me there is just no stubstitue for learning from someone. I have found that I dont learn things well just by reading up on something. I need to be shown how it works etc, at least at the beginning. Which is really what I need, I need that beginning instructions to make sure I am holding the guitar right, hands right, strumming right etc etc.

One day I should be able to fit all this stuff in. I hope sooner than later. Maybe I will keep you posted when I actually do :-)

Trying to get back on track

2010-03-29T22:14:00.000-05:00

It always seems to be something, right?

I have been working out like crazy these days. Running, walking yoga, all kinds of things. But unfortunately I have fallen off the wagon of following my appropriate diet for about a month now. One would think with all this exercising it might not matter and I would still see some weight loss BUT OH NO NOT ME. ARRGH. Thankfully I have not gained any weight but it just goes to show that my body does not allow me to LOSE weight unless I do it all the correct way ****sigh****

So I am trying to spend the time to put together meals and plan ahead for the rest of my week because plannig out what you eat really does seem to be the key. It keeps you from the "grab and go" mentality of eating.

In other news, I had a major car repair pop up. I think it is very interesting how this happened right when I just happened upon enough money to PAY for the repair. Isn't that a little interesting? I think so. Nevermind that I had big plans for the money, I suppose there was another plan in place I was not aware of.

Not much else to report. I am already looking forward to my next trip home to visit friends and family at the end of May just really sad it will be nearly two months from now. I wish I could visit sooner but its just not possible.

Happy Easter all!!

A new goal?

2010-03-08T21:46:00.000-06:00

It is hard to remember to post a blog and keep up with it all. But its been a while and I felt it might be time for an update.

In Feb I had a wonderful trip out to CA to visit family and get away from some winter. It was absolutely grand and I couldn't have asked for better weather. It was wonderful to see the family and take some time to relax.

While I was in CA, I borrowed a GPS my brother had so I could track the walks I have been doing. I have been walking pretty regular now for more than two months and I had always wondered, how far I am actually going. I was surprised to see that I was making it about 2 miles. Not bad! I also noticed maybe I wasn't feeling as challenged these days. Maybe it is time to up the ante.

So I got myself an attachment for my ipod that tracks my distance. Now I know how far I am going and how fast. I have also started doing a run/walk combo. I can't believe I am doing it but I am!

So the next thing is to make a decision. Do I sign up for a race? I have almost reached a decision, but I am not quite there. I really do not want to commit to something unless I KNOW I can do it. And when i say do it I mean actually run the entire race. My speed makes very little difference to me because honestly just running for any period of time is an absolute miracle.

The other concern is making sure I know I can fit in the proper amount of trainng time. I think I have the motiviation and drive now but I have not yet decided. So in the coming weeks I will make a desicion. Am I a runner? Can I run a 5k ? Only time will tell.

And I ran

2010-02-07T19:10:00.000-06:00

At the gym these last few days I have started out with my normal walk around the track. I have been trying to walk for at least 30 min each time I go. I have determined there is a particular heart rate I need to reach and stay at to burn fat the best. These last few gym visits I have had trouble keeping my heart rate there. I actually had to RUN to to keep it right. That's right, I said run. Me - Kristal - was running. I don't run, I have never run. I can't even believe my legs do that actually. Well I guess that means I am actually improving my health. Must a be a good sign. I still can't sustain a run for long but I am just amazed I was actually running. Maybe I should consider a race in the future?

Finding a pot of gold?

2010-01-26T21:13:00.000-06:00

I have something I feel I need to write about but I am actually afraid to. You see I have lost 7 lbs. Great news right? Only I am actually afraid to write about it because it seems like when I say that I am doing well with my eating and exercising, things go south. But this time things seem a bit different, like maybe I found a pot of gold. That gold is an eating plan I can actually live with, but let me start from the beginning.

I had some medical things come up which led me to have a blood test. Turned out I had a hormone out of whack. I started reading up on what this meant and saw a doctor. It seems that I have a mild form of a possible hormone imbalance that amazingly can be helped mostly by eating a certain way - low carb. Now, I was on the wave of trying the Atkins diet back in the day when it resurfaced as all the rage and after one week I could tell that it was NOT for me. But as I have read about and put into action this recommended eating plan I am in awe at what's possible. I have found a way to eat less carbs than what I did before AND even still enjoy some Cafe Mocha's from Starbucks, chocolate from time to time and still eat BREAD! I can't tell you how amazed I am by this because I have lost that 7 lbs in about 3 weeks. Every other time I have tried to curb my eating, weeks would go by I would see no results Obviously this was frustrating.

I hope I can keep it up and continue to see results. I will try each day. In the meantime, I am just enjoying looking at the rainbow that came with my pot of gold :-)

Winter Beauty

2010-01-22T20:23:00.000-06:00

It isn't often that I speak the words winter and beauty in one sentence but recently I woke up to some amazing scenes. Something I don't remember seeing before. I stepped out my door to head to the gym pretty early in the morning and as Looked around everything was covered with what looked like can only be described as iced frost. It wasn't regular frost and it wasn't ice. It almost looked as if someone painted everything you could see white. It was really something. It was nice to be able to find the beauty in winter. Scenes like this make the 8 more weeks or so of winter yet to come more palatable.

I took a photo, however I doubt you will really be able to see what I am talking about. Hopefully you can and hopefully you can find the beauty of winter somewhere near you!

Time to make the donuts

2010-01-10T20:28:00.000-06:00

Anybody remember the commercial from the 80s about the dunkin donuts guy? Here is a reminder just in case:

This gentleman's enthusiasm for having to get up and make the donuts is about how I felt today regarding my responsibilities. There was cleaning, laundry, dishes, bills, grocery shopping, coupon clipping, cats needs to be met, excercising to fit in, and more. Doesn't it sometimes seem like we just keep doing it all over and over again. I know that is part of life but it seemed like all day today each time I was getting through all those things I NEEDed to do rather than the things I WANTED to do I just kept hearing this guy saying "time to make the donuts"

But then, if you notice at the end of the commercial, he turns to see all the customers smiling happy faces and he knows that getting up to make those fresh donuts each day is actually worth it. As I sit here finally relaxing in front of my computer I look around at my finished laundry, vacummed room, cleaner house and I notice I am enjoying my full tummy from a good meal and a body that feels invigorated from a workout, I know it was all worth it. So I guess tomorrow I will get up and make some more donuts - or something like it ;-)

Christmas Laughs

2009-12-23T22:42:00.002-06:00

I found this video last year and it made me smile. It might not be for everyone but I am sharing it because it made me chuckle. Enjoy!

Cat Snow Angels

2009-12-13T12:16:00.003-06:00

Most of you who know me know that I walk my cats. For those of you who don't, yes, I walk my cats on a leash and they love it. They beg for it at the door just like a dog would (only they sound like a cat who is crying out in pain) And they even beg for it at a certain time of day. So knowing that they beg for it you can probably imagine that the change in seasons doesn't stop them one bit from wanting it. Therefore, unless it is below 20 degrees I take them out for a little while.

Recently we had our first snow of the season. You could seen the intrigue in their faces watching it come down. I bundled up and snapped on their harnesses and headed out. Though they don't last long being out in the snow, their brief period of time is pure enjoyment. Once they are out in it they jump and run and pounce. That is the best part, they crouch down as if the snow is their prey and then with each pounce makes more snow jump around and they just keep going after it. The track they leave behind is what my husband and I call Cat Snow Angels. I wish that I could video the whole thing but its hard to do with a cat on each hand pouncing in different directions.

So next time you are out in the snow just think like my cats do and see that snow as nothing but pure entertainment!

The Busy Holiday Season

2009-11-30T20:50:00.003-06:00

In just a few hours it will be December. Can't quite believe it, but I have to say I think I am glad this year is coming to a close. I am of course thankful for the way things have turned out, but boy I am looking ahead hoping next year will be medical problem free!

Thanksgiving was very relaxing at my house. Husband had to work and with me just getting back to work it didn't make sense to make the six hour drive to So IL. So we decided to cook our own little turkey dinner and invite friends over. They brought the desert (and spirits :-) and we did the rest. My husband took care of the turkey and did a mighty fine job. Believe it or not I cooked the side dishes and they turned out pretty good! Maybe there is a cook in me yet.....We had good times well into the night and I thought it was a really great substitute for my regular family gathering.

On Black Friday I typically vow not to even attempt to go near a shopping center. This is mostly because I worked that day for almost 8 years and I vividly remember the craziness and how much I wanted out of there. But this year I decided I would just go a bit later and also head AWAY from Chicago where there are less people. This turned out to be a very good idea. I had a pleasant few hours shopping and got a large portion of my Christmas shopping completed.

Now it is on to finishing those Christmas cards, wrapping the presents and seeing how many presents I can fit in a suitcase to take home at Christmas because I am taking the train. I think there is a good chance I will be shipping some ahead of time :-)

I still have many fun activities to look forward to before the big holiday including a visit from my sister this coming weekend. It should be great fun as we are heading to downtown Chicago for some Holiday sightseeing and activities. I am just so happy I feel well enough to do it all. Ironically, the only issue I am having is sitting at work. I have to get up quite a bit more than I expected. Luckily it all works out for me, considering what I do for a living. I just figured out what accommodations I need for myself just like I do for the individuals I help at work. It's good to be Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor :-)

Never Say Never

2009-11-20T17:48:00.002-06:00

I have been thinking about the Never Say Never saying often lately and have determined these are words to live by. I know that we tend to say never frequently as teenagers because everything you think or feel is soooo emphatic...... you feel like you will NEVER wear that outfit, you will NEVER be like your parents, you will NEVER go out with (insert appropriate boys name here). I am sure I said many of these myself. As I aged I hope that I became more aware of my "nevers" but even in my 20's I was planning everything you can imagine because I just knew it would NEVER turn out any other way. Two very prominent nevers have cropped up in my mind recently mostly because I used to feel very strongly about them. For many years I said I would NEVER live in Chicago......huh......well that didn't work it now did it! Then I also said I would NEVER have back surgery......again, not quite how it turned out. So I think what I have most learned, as I am reflecting on all my nevers, is that from now on the saying should be: Never say Never.....no I mean it really, Never-ever say Never! :-)

Boo!!!!!

2009-10-30T08:23:00.005-05:00

Halloween

2009-10-27T14:51:00.002-05:00

Most who know me are aware that Halloween is my favorite holiday. I just have such fond childhood memories of it I can't let go. I can't enjoy it this year quite the way I would like to with parties and dressing up, but I thought in honor of my favorite holiday it would be fitting to post a favorite cartoon. This Mickey Mouse cartoon was made in 1929 and even 80 years later I bet any kid who watches it will have a laugh. So grab some Halloween candy and prepare to be spooked - Disney style ;-)

Recovery

2009-10-25T12:54:00.003-05:00

It has been some time since I last posted. Mostly because I didn't have much to write about. For those not in constant contact with me I had a turn for the worse with my back and ultimately needed back surgery. I just had it this past week and thankfully it seems to be going well. I have no more pain down my leg which is great. I am however quite fatigued. Seems like I can stay upright about 30 min before I feel like I really need to lay down. I guess that is to be expected. The funny thing is that when I am laying down I feel so good like I should just be able to get up and do laundry, make a meal, do the dishes etc all my normal stuff. But then then reality rears its ugly once I get up. I also believe that I need to pay close attention to how I feel when I am up because even before the surgery I felt quite good laying down but all the pain and irritation would return upon sitting standing and walking. Now it seems that when I sit I still have some kind of irritation but not like before. I know it is silly to think that after only 4 days I can expect anything better so I am actually quite happy with how it is going. I have to be sure I remember not to bend over or twist or anything else that might exercerbate it. I think the hardest part will be remembering that for 4 weeks! The good thing is my best friend and her mom got me a grabber which has proven to be invauluable for those things you forget you just might need to pick up.

I have to say one amazing thing about this unfortunate circumstance I have found myself in is the unbelievable amount of help I have received. My mother stopped everything to come stay with me for weeks while my husband was gone. My best friend and her mother drove 6 hours and took time off from work to help take care of me, my neighbors have offered help, my good friend took care of my cats for a week, my friends and family have sent cards, and prayers and well wishes over and over again and now my husband has returned and he has tried to do everything he can to make things accessible for me, cook for me, do laundry etc. It really makes you remember to cherish all the people you have in your life. Wouldn't it be nice if we didn't need unforunate circumstances to help us remember that?

Apple Fest Fun

2009-09-19T17:05:00.010-05:00

Despite the back problems I was able to make it home for my annual visit to the Apple Festival. My home town has his festival every year and I always enjoy coming to see it. I had a full week of activities to enjoy which actually started with a trip to St. Louis to see a Cardinals game with my cousins, my uncle and my mom. It was great fun. We got really nice seats behind home plate but way up high. It was wonderful because we could see really well and we were in the shade for the entire game. Unfortunately the Cardinals lost the game but it was a fun day at the ball park for all of us. After the game my mom and I headed over to one of the casino's _ Lumiere Place It was fun. I think it is one of the best casino's in St. Louis. I did not win that night but I only lost 10 dollars so that's not too bad. Here are some photos from the game:

The view from our seats:

The crew getting ready to enjoy the game:

After enjoying the cardinals game I headed to Southern Illinois to spend the week at my parents house and enjoy the Fest. It started on Wednesday night and my mom, sister and I made sure to take my great Nephew to the fun fair so he could ride the rides. He was as excited as could be running around to ride as many rides as he could fit in. We all enjoyed typical festival food including funnel cakes, corn dogs and for the little one some cotton candy.

Here is a photo of him enjoying the rides:

Next on the agenda was something right up my alley......an 80's party!!! A friend from high school was turning 40 and decided to make it an 80s theme it worked out perfect that I was in town at just the right time so me and a friend made sure to dress the part and enjoy the fun. Boy we had a great time! I even tried to dance for a while (later on I determined that this was a mistake - may back did not approve). It was really a great time.

Here is a photo of me and Monica looking totally awesome:

Today was the big Apple Festival Parade. Everyone usually comes to my mom's house to park as we are just one block away and we can usually find a seat. Luckily we were able to get a seat but boy just by the seat of our pants. This year people were putting chairs out two and three days before the parade. It was Nuts!! My friends and family all showed up and we had room for all thank goodness. The kids especially enjoy it as there is lots of candy being thrown out. It is almost as good as halloween! Here are some pics of the parade:

It has been a great week filled with fun and I am really glad I was able to do it all even though I am still having the back pain. But I am headed home tomorrow and I think I might be ready for the rest :-)

Still here

2009-09-07T20:08:00.004-05:00

I haven't had as much to post about these days with the back problems. I can't get out and do quite as much as usual. I am having some improvement from treatment I am receiving but it hasn't been consistent. I am not yet sure what my outcome will be but hoping for the best.

I did have some fun this past labor weekend as my parents showed up for just two nights. They had been on a trip to Niagara Falls and decided to stop by my house on the way back home. Thankfully I was scheduled for a steroid shot right when they got here which allowed me to actually enjoy going places with them. On Saturday we headed out for a day of food, museum and shopping. We started at a local history museum so my dad could find something interesting in the day. Mostly he just gathered information about the way they do things so he can take ideas back to his hobbies at the historical society. Then we decided to have some lunch at a nearby Irish Pub. Here are some pics:

Mom and dad at the pub:

me at the Pub:

My poor husband had to work and could not join us. We enjoyed the food and then headed out for some shopping. We even dropped my dad off at the movie theater so he wouldn't be bored. Mom and I headed to Geneva IL for some shopping. I introduced her to the Life is Good store we have there and I think she is a fan for life. If you have never heard of Life is Good you have to check it out. They have some the the cutest shirts and other stuff I have seen with all there products focusing on the positive things in life. Also the story of how they got started is really something. Click here to check out Life is Good if you want to know more.

After a day of shopping movies and museums we headed out for some yummy Italian dinner. I was so glad I could do all this because lately standing, walking and even sitting can be challenging. Lets hope I keep on feeling improvement!

Some improvement, but not out of the woods yet....

2009-08-23T16:56:00.003-05:00

Just had to make a quick report on the back situation. I did have a second opinion and they suggested that maybe I try at least one epidural steriod injection to see what that would do for me. However, they also said that based on my case they might not recommend the typical three injection round since I have apparently had this for sometime now. I did get that treatment and I am having some relief but I still can't walk far. It is just so frustrating. You truly can't imagine what you take for granted until you can't do it. I am not someone who typically just sits/lays around and in the past two weeks I have had to do a lot of it. It makes you a little nuts. I stare at all the things in the house that need to be done and can't stay upright long enough to do them. The good news is I can actually sit much longer now so I am finally going back to work. I am going to see how long I can make it with this last treatment and if it doesn't help I might still have to consider surgery. That is still such a schocking thought to me. I could never have imagined I would need that. Granted I have had back problems for many years but I always thought I would just have to keep up with basic treatment for it and be okay. I guess you never know. I know it could be much worse because the surgery I might need is minor compared to some but it is still scary to even think about it.

I will keep you posted as to what happens!

Oh how life can change in the blink of an eye

2009-08-13T16:35:00.002-05:00

Some unexpected changes have cropped up in my life recently. I hurt my back earlier in the week. I have hurt my back many times in my life and usually recover in a few days, no biggie. This was different. I have never felt so much pain before, ever. I had to go the ER as I could not walk, sit or stand. It didnt matter if I put weight on my body or not it hurt to the point of tears. The ER was not much help but shipped me out with pain meds and strict orders to follow up with my primary. As if I wouldnt be following up? Anyway, I did follow up with my primary who stated that I need to see an ortho doctor right away. I was able to get in quite quickly(amazing what phone calls from doctors can do to get you in) and they promptly had me go for an MRI. Let me step back in my story for one moment. Back in Feb I also had unusual back problems - numbness in my leg and foot. I had an MRI then and tried to follow up with an ortho doc but due to lenghty wait times for an appt and scheduling problems by the time I could see someone, I had no symptoms. I figured, whats the point? and I did not follow up further. Additionally I was having stomach issues that seemed much more pressing at the time. Back to the current story. The doctor I met with on Tues reviewed my Prior MRI and shocked me by saying "just by looking at this you were a candidate for surgery at that time" What??? I was surprised. He stated that I have a herniated disc and he suspects it is much worse now. So today I met with him to go over the results of the new MRI and as expected my case is worse. He noted all options but there are no guarantees. In fact the option with the best possible outcome is in fact surgery. Now I just have to decide. It was has been a tough year for me medically to say the least. I will seek a second opinion and make a decision as to what I will do. Honestly it seems that the options are limited mostly to surgery as currently i can't walk or stand barely at all and sitting usually hurts after just 15-30 min. Can't live or work like that.....not at my job anyway as I sit all day.

So, I say again, how how life can change in the blink of an eye......

a Trip to the Wisonsin Dells

2009-08-05T20:02:00.007-05:00

Hubby and I made a quick, unplanned trip to the Wisonsin Dells. We fingured out he had a couple days off in a row and I felt like I could use a vacation so it seemed like the perfect time. We only went for one night but we fit in lots of fun.

As we arrived in the Dells we ate lunch at the MooseJaw Microbrewery. It was a fun place. Maybe not the best food I have had but we didn't actually have their specialty so I wouldn't rule it out. Then we headed to our hotel. We chose to stay at the hotel with the largest amount of waterparks in the entire dells area - The Wilderness Territory Let me tell you this place is amazing. It is not cheap but it has 6 total waterpark area so when you pay for your room you get them all. It is DEFINITELY kid oriented but for me that is never a problem because I am just barely an adult in heart and soul :-)So we headed straight to the waterparks when we got there. We spend some time relaxing then I left hubby to rest while I went to check out every single waterpark. I was able to try out everything I could handle (I can't ride some of the pitch black water rides) and we both had a great time. After a full day and evening of swimming we cleaned up and headed out for dinner. We ate at Sarento's Restaurant. Hubby ordered the better meal than me so we mostly ate his - ha! - he had an eggplant dish with a combo of goat cheese and marinara sauce over pasta. Man was it good. To end the night we decided to fit in some gambling at their local Casino - Ho Chunk. There are a couple of slot games that I really enjoy and one of them was good to me. We stayed there for a while and I only lost 5 bucks, not bad!!

The next day we started with Breakfast at a local restaurant - The Cheese Factory Restaurant. Okay, I can't believe I can say this but I had one of the best Breakfast meals I have had in years there. It was called Pegs Eggs. It had onions, red peppers, capers and goat cheese all sauteed together with fried eggs on top and served on a toasted croisant. I don't know what they did it it but it was sooooo good. We noticed while we were there that even Rachel Ray had been there and will be doing a show about them having one of the top five best grilled cheese sandiwiches in the nation! So if you in the Dells, I would eat there, you will be glad you did. After breakfast we headed out for a fun game of Mini-golf at the Pirates Cove Mini Golf course. It is really nice as it sits on a high cliff and there are waterfalls everywhere so you can enjoy beautiful sites and water while playing. We also hadn't played in years and had some good laughs. Next we headed to the downtown area of the Dells to check out the shops and take the Riverwalk. The Riverwalk is a nice relaxign view of the dells so if you aren't tired of walking then I recommend it. To end our day we headed to the Outlet Mall for some light shopping.

I think it is fair to say we were able to fit in ALOT of activities for only a two day trip and it was great! Here is a slideshow of our personal photos. Enjoy!

Camping

2009-07-26T21:34:00.002-05:00

This weekend I got to enjoy one of my favorite pastimes for the first time in.....I can't even remember when! I went camping! Very few people I know these days really enjoy camping in a tent anymore so it is really hard to find someone to go with you. My husband has never done it and won't even try. But a friend of mine at work has been wanting to camp with someone as well and when her church group rented out a campsite she asked me to come. I jumped at the chance! When I was a child/teenager I spent every summer at my local girl scout camp. I had the best time and some of my fondest memories are from all those summers at camp. My friend always enjoyed camping too so off we went.

I planned most of the meals and we made sure to make some of them "cook on the fire" meals. We only stayed one night( both of us had to work late on Friday :-( ) but we made the most of it. We arrived in the morning to set up our tents. We did decide to make our lunch easy so we could enjoy the day and just had sandwiches. After lunch, we headed to the swimming area and enjoyed a nice swim. It was great! The remainder of the afternoon we chatted with others. Then it was time to get started on dinner because I made ground beef and veggies on the fire. Just like I learned in girl scouts, we cooked it on the coals and it turned out great! They had a kind of potluck dinner so we brought that and most everyone who tried it said they liked it. To end the night we of course had S'mores and good conversation.

This morning we woke up and I got right to making the fire because we were having biscuits cooked over the fire. You just wrap them on a stick and when they are done slide them off on put some butter inside - yum! We also had scrambled eggs and good camp coffee. I really enjoyed it! After breakfast everyone pretty much packed up to head home but it was a nice time.

Now if I can just find more people I know who like camping maybe I can do it more often!!

Sometimes generic is just not the same

2009-07-19T21:05:00.003-05:00

I am back home and back to all the responsibilities that come with it. I have been running around getting things done all weekend. In my haste, I unfortunately cut my finger. Not bad, no need to be alarmed. However I realized something as I was putting on my bandage.....I didn't buy Bandaid brand and so far I have gone through numerous bandaids. I don't remember that happening when I buy Bandaid brand. Please know that I am not employed by Bandaid but I have to say there are some things that just can't be "generic" when you buy them. Right? I think I have things I can think of that I have to get the original or its just not the same. Here is a short list for entertainment:

Coke: Not to say I NEVER buy generic soda but boy can I tell the difference so really I prefer plain ole Coke

Quaker Chocolate Chunk Granola Bars: Again, I have bought Generic lots of times but I almost always wish I hadn't after I eat one. These days I stick to the brand name and spend more time enjoying my granoloa bar.

Tide: I used other brands of Detergent for years and then decided to try tide. Its really all I use now. I think part of it might be the way it smells!!

Aquafresh: This one is big to me. My teeth must be pretty sensitive because I think most other toothpastes are to strong and feel like they burn to much. I never feel that way with Aquafresh so its the only toothpaste in my cart.

I am sure there are a few more but that's all I can think of tonight. I really wish generic stuff was always the same because I am not fond of spending the extra money but hey somtimes you just gotta get what you like!!!

Party Success

2009-07-07T21:36:00.005-05:00

So the 50th anniversary party was a success. There was good food, LOTS of family, an amazing video and a night that ended with fireworkds. Can't get much better than that! We even got the Cakes from Larry's House of Cakes - yum ! They were able to put a picture of my mom and dad right on the cake, check it out: Pretty cool!

Since there was so much family there me and my cousins take the opportunity to get our picture taken because we all have names beginning with K. Our parents got together and decided to do that, can you believe it? Anyway, We had a regular photo...:

But then there had to be a silly photo too, right?

As you can tell it was nothing but fun. It was a great celebration and it is always fun to get together with my family. I guess I am one of those rare individuals who really enjoys my family - immediate and extended. Sure they drive me crazy on occasion but for the most part it is all good!

Now the fun continues as I am still visiting with my parents and planning to head to Holiday World with my Niece and Nephew in a few days. I swear I am just as excited as a kid would be! I think it is safe to say I will never REALLY grow up

Party planning

2009-07-03T11:24:00.003-05:00

It has been busy busy lately. I have traveled down to So Il to celebrate my parents 50th wedding anniversary. I honestly can't believe they have been together that long. I know it sounds cliche, but I swear I just remember them celebrating their 25th wedding anniversary not that long ago. Oh how time flies. At any rate we are having a pretty big gathering and family from afar of all made their way here. My brother, sister and I have been getting all the required preparations in order. Cake ordered, food purchased and the most time consuming has been going through old pics. that part has actually been kinda fun! We have been examining all the old photos to put together a "through the years" video of them. Boy you don't realize how nice it has been to have digital until you look through hundreds and hundreds of photos from the past. We have finally finished that task and might be ready to relax and just enjoy the party tomorrow. here is one of the nice photos I found of my parents in the not so distant past. This is at my Brothers Wedding in 1993:

We did actually get to enjoy ourselves a little bit amidst all the party planning and head over to giant city lodge for a hike and some yummy fried chicken. Here is a shot of me and my niece and nephew at the top of Fat Man's squeeze (no one actually made it through :-):

Now we are off for more family fun before the BIG party tomorrow. More to come soon!!

MJ

2009-06-26T08:30:00.004-05:00

Sad times these last few days. I think it is only appropriate to spend the day listening to a phenomenal artists contribution. If you would like to join me check out:

Michael Jackson Radio

The Exercise Sickness

2009-06-21T09:52:00.003-05:00

Doesn't this sound like a contradiction? Apparently not for me. This phenomenon has been happening to me for some time now. You see I have never been an ongoing exerciser. However, I do seem to come ang go with it over time. So a few months pass with no exercise and then I can't take it anymore and I need to start up again. The problem is EVERY time I re-start the program I get sick. I get this super fatigue, lung congestion, coughing sick thing. It is SOOOO frustrating when you are trying to do the right thing and this just stops you in your tracks. I thought maybe I was crazy, maybe when I got this it was just conincidence. But then I googled it and sure enough I found other people who have had the same thing happen. I AM NOT CRAZY! That made me happy. So the question of course is what to do to fix it?...... From what I read you need to take vitamins when just starting out (which I never do) Get more rest than before (which has not been happening) and eat super healthy(uhhh, well that hasn't been quite what it should either) Soooo I am hoping that maybe by tomorrow I will feel like myself again and I can try all the the things suggested and keep this from happening again.

Of course the simplest way to keep it from happening might be to just keep exercising for the rest of my life.....what a concept!

Sun finally comes

2009-06-14T21:39:00.005-05:00

When the weekend began around 5:30 or so on Friday, it didn't look so good to me. Rain in the forecast, waaaay to much work to have done before Monday comes and no specific plans. But.....thankfully things did turn around. I didn't do to much on Friday, just surfed the net and watched whatever movies were on TV. Saturday it was coldish and rainy and really I had no interest in doing much at all. I figured with it being so yucky out I would take the time get a few work items done. I am glad I got it over with because around 2:00pm the sun finally came out and then the weather was great! The perfect temp. Hubby and I decided to BBQ and eat our dinner outside. We had grilled shrimp and vegetables and I also made my new favorite salad - Feta cheese, walnut, cranberry lettuce salad with a balsamic vinagrette dressing - yum! I even made an old girl scout favorite desert - Banana Boats! This is really just a Banana with the peel left on you cut down the center of the banana long ways then stuff it with marshmellows and chocolate chips. Then you wrap it in foil and put it on the grill (or fire coals work too!) Once the banana is all charred looking it is ready! It is really yummy!

On Sunday I was out the door by 9:00am and off to a local forest preserve for a good walk. I think I made it almost 3 miles. I am trying to even run a little, but I have a ways to go before I can handle much of that yet. One thing I have to say about the Chicago suburbs is they have a TON of forest preserves. It is like little nature oasis's stuck amoung all the traffic and hustle and bustle nearby. I went to the one of the Dupage County Forest Preserves but each county has many of their own. After the walk I even went to the Gym to use the weights. I definitely got my workout in today! Since I did so much and the day was so nice out, I figured laying by the pool sounded good. Hubby joined me for this. He swam for a while and then we soaked up the sun. Our gym is so nice it felt like we were on vacation for a minute. Lastly, I made it into the hot-tub before a shower and we were off to Kohls. Both of us really needed a new pillow and Kohls had them on sale so we found just the right ones at the right price.

Now I have been enjoying just relaxing in front of the TV and just finished watching the season opener of Trueblood! Its not for everyone but boy I like vampire shows so I can't miss it.

I am hoping the coming week will provide some more sunny days because there are a few more forest preserves I would like to check out. Fingers crossed!

Fun with the girls

2009-06-07T19:59:00.002-05:00

I had lots activity this past weekend. First my sister drove up to visit me and finally see our house. She arrived late on Thursday so we couldn't do much that night. On Friday I was able to cut out of work early so we could head to Ikea. Since she doesn't have one anywhere near her this is always a top priority to fit in on her list of things to do. She has to check to see if they have something new she just can't find near her. Then we headed over to to the Mall and checked out the Semi-Annual Sale at Bath and Body Works. I swear we were in that store forever! We found all kinds of things we loved but tried to only get the stuff we really wanted. I was quite exicted to find Molton Brown Lotion 75% off! Molton Brown is a very high end bath products line that I was lucky enough to sample when I went on a trip to England with my family. We stayed in a castle and they provided Molton Brown Products. The shower gel alone is 28 dollars so needless to say I never buy it. BUT, since it was on clearance I couldn't pass it up. Now when I put on that lotion I can remember back to my wonderful trip to England!!

On Saturday, I had lots to do around the house because I was having a girls party. This one had a theme - a Swap Party. I read about this in a magazine so I had to try it. The idea is that everyone brings a few items (or lots) that they are tired of or maybe never even really liked. Then we lay it all out and SHOP each others items. The only rule is that you bring items only in good condition. My friends showed up with lots of stuff and it was a great time! We all agreed that one person's trash was sure another person's treasure and each person ended up with some nice "new" things. It was a really fun idea and a great thing to do when money is tight!

Today my sister didn't have lots of time before she needed to head back but we made sure to fit some shopping in at the cute shops of Geneva IL and a nice lunch out.

It was a great girls weekend!!

Cats at the Crack of Dawn

2009-05-30T06:53:00.002-05:00

I have been up for an hour now already. All thanks to my lovely cat Duncan. You see he has a ritual of coming to me in the mornings for "love time" He usually needs about 10-15 min and then he is satisfied. Normally, he comes to me as I am waking up. But this morning he WOKE me up as the sun was just rising. I tried to push him away to let him know I needed another hour or so but he wasn't having it. He just kept coming back. I really do think it is cute but man I wish I could have slept more. Since my cat so graciously woke me out of my deep sleep it was apparent that coffee was in order. That brings me to another topic......Starbucks.

This one needs a new paragraph for sure. I am nearly 99% sure I am addicted to starbucks, specifically their cafe mochas. I went out at 6:15 this morning and got my starbucks and the first drink is just soooo good. This may sound a little crazy to go out that early and get it when I can just drink coffee at home. I agree that it is but this is nothing. This past winter when we were having such terrible amounts of snow, I woke up one morning and couldn't get the starbucks out of my head. The snow plows had barely made their rounds and I kept thinking just forget it and drink regular coffee. Couldn't do it. I hopped in my car (after some significant snow shoveling of the driveway) and drove like a snail to the starbucks (thankfully it isn't more than 2 miles away) I was very happy to find that they were in fact open and was even more happy when I took my first sip. My neighbor was out shoveling his walk when I returned. He saw what I had in my hand and just shook his head and laughed. Well, I least I gave someone a laugh!

Thinking about blogging again

2009-05-29T20:44:00.000-05:00

I have had a blog on and off for the past 4-5 years or so. It all started thanks to my sister!! Truely my main purpose is to keep my friends and family updated on my life since the all live somewhere else. Occasionally I add a little something about my opinions, thoughts on life and such, but not to often. I am definitely someone with an opinion, but for some reason the idea of having it here without the intonation and feeling you can bring by saying something I am just never sure how it will come out.

I guess I really am a little silly because the second reason I want to keep a blog is to figure out if I can change the appearance every so often. I just enjoy doing that! So we will see how this goes and If I keep it up......