HA - I see you nimo.com!

Checking my stats this morning - I got a hit from Nimo.com apparently they still use the old url for internal purposes? Nimo = Niagara Mohawk = National Grid = my power company! Apparently someone there googles their name regularly? Wonder if someone actually gets paid for that? How do you get that job? Surfing the net all day looking for mentions of your company's name?

Wonder if they cared that the power outage contributed heavily to my bad day?

So our power was back on and came on minutes after I left for work feeling dirty and crabby. And the DSL was back on last night too. No permanent damage.

Thirteen Things I WOULDN'T do for money...

I'm watching "The Moment of Truth" on FOX and in typical FOX style the show is all about shock factor. People willing to hurt their family and friends for cold hard cash. It made me think of what I would do for cash and so in honor of that here are some things I definitely wouldn't do for even a large sum of money:

1. Kill someone - goes without saying but figured I'd throw it out there in case I have trouble coming up with 13 things! LOL
   
   
2. Kill or hurt an animal - again goes without saying.
   
   
3. Have sex with anyone other than my husband.
   
   
4. Appear naked in public or in print.
   
   
5. Eat truly nasty things - I have a strong sense of smell and a vicious gag reflex so even though I'd like to think I could eat nasty things a'la Fear Factor for cold hard cash I know there is no way I could really do it.
   
   
6. Dish the dirt on anyone in my family or one of my best friends - nope wouldn't do it.
   
   
7. Give up my dog - no amount of money - he's a member of the family.
   
   
8. Give up the internet - I'd like to think I could but the reality is - nope this crazy internet has been a HUGE part of my life for the past 10 years and I can't give it up.
   
   
9. Bite my tongue and not speak my mind - again would be nice if I could but I wouldn't be able to do it, I'm far to opinionated.
   
   
10. Spend a night alone in a truly creepy place - like a dark forest, or a "haunted house".
    
    
11. I wouldn't steal it either...
    
    
12. I wouldn't reveal all my secrets on national TV or in my mother's living room for that matter.
    
    
13. I would never go on a sensationalist show such as Moment of Truth and destroy my marriage and let down my family to win money that will never buy back the love I might throw away.
    

Wicked Wednesday - The big FU

Today's edition of Wicked Wednesday contains a few things I want to get off my chest:

• First of all a big FU to Frontier for the DSL being out yet again. As I settled in to watch The Biggest Loser last night and spend the two hours actually being productive on work projects, the DSL went out and never came back on.
  
  
• Second of all an even bigger FU to NationalGrid for ruining my morning and effectively my entire day. It goes something like this - crawl out of bed, groggy and cranky, let the dog out and try not to kick him just because, drag ass into the bathroom and reach to turn on the shower when POW - electric goes out, it is 6:30am. I wait, patiently thinking it will come right back on. But no - at 7:00am still no power - I call my mom and dad 1.4 miles down the road - maybe I can shower there? Nope - they have NO POWER. So I got dressed and figured a little deoderant and a squirt of perfume and I'm fine - just having a very bad hair day. I get my things and go out to my car get in and stupidly push the button for the garage door. Of course it DOESN'T OPEN! LOL Hubby releases the latch for me opens the door and closes it behind me. I'm off. It's now halfway through my day and my scalp is itching and I'm not scratching cause that will make my already bedhead hair look greasy. It's torture! Thanks a lot National Grid!
  
  
• And finally a big ole THANKS to my customer who can't make up their mind. I have now run and re-run and re-run again this job - and yep right now I am once more running it for the 4th time. Don't worry about it, I have nothing better to do, really!

So there it is, my Wednesday so far and it's only noon. I hope your days are going better dear friends!

Countdown to Florida...

Four days (including today) until we leave for a very short trip but much needed vacation to Florida!

Things I still need to do:

• LAUNDRY - so we have clean clothing to wear in Florida
• Find summer clothes and shoes in boxes in basement
• Try on summer clothes to make sure the stuff fits
  
• Decide that current sandals are not going to work and go buy a new pair (maybe I'll just preempt this and go buy a new pair at lunch today
• Get a pedicure - absolutely necessary - likely scenario involves me giving myself a pedicure on Thursday night though instead of going to get one and wasting an entire lunch hour.
• Narrow down piles of clothing to appropriate amount to pack for a 4 day 3 night trip.
• Actually pack the bag
• Pack husband's bag - yes I know he should be able to do this himself but if I don't do it he'll go to Florida without packing extra undies and socks in case of emergency
• Vacuum the floors in my house because my parents are coming over to care for the beasts while we are gone and I don't want them to see the floors in their current hairy state.
• Mop up muddy dog prints in the kitchen - just because.
  

I'm really going to need that vacation once I get this list accomplished!

But I'm going to be here:
And I'm sure to sample the lovely Margarita's at Jimmy Buffett's Margaritaville!

It's a short trip but I'm planning on it being a great one!

Manic Monday Musings

So my Xavier Muskie's pulled it out and are on to the Sweet Sixteen - yippee! I'm rooting for them to go all the way although that is probably unrealistic. But enough about basketball.

Easter Weekend - we had plans to spend the afternoon at my sister's house with my whole family and there was going to be an easter egg hunt for my 4.5 year old nephew and lots of family time and a spiral sliced ham (which I LOVE). But Saturday I got a call from my sister - Easter is canceled because my mom and dad both had bad colds and didn't feel up to it and even worse, my brother-in-law was suffering from some stomach malady that might be viral in nature and probably transmitted by the boy. So we were in no way willing to risk stomach bug or flu bug so we spent the entire weekend at home alone.

One exception - we went out Saturday night to Outback Steakhouse. We got there at 8:30pm and they were still packed so we sat at the bar. About 1/2 way through our meal a nice old lady wearing far too much old lady perfume came and sat next to us. My sinuses were not happy but she was very nice so I tried not to hold it against her. As we were getting ready to leave hubby went outside first to have a cig (he does not smoke in my car) and she told him to drive careful as he left. He laughed and pointed at me - said tell that to her. So I told the old woman that he doesn't drive much unless he has to because he has MS. She seemed shocked - said "you'd never know it". Well of course not - he was sitting down the entire time. The only way you'd know is if you watched him try to walk more than a few steps. I'm not sure if she thought he should be a drooling idiot because he has MS or not? Maybe she hasn't got a clue what it is? Anyway I set her straight! LOL

And today - Bad News, VERY BAD NEWS - My friend "T" who only started here two weeks ago decided that she couldn't handle the drive and being so far away from her kids school during the day. She only gave it two weeks but she talked to the devil woman on Friday and they said they would bring her back into her old job, same salary, same vacation time, etc. So today she told her boss that she was sorry but she didn't think it was going to work and she didn't want to drag it out any longer and waste more of their time and resources. He was upset but understanding and she left at lunchtime today. I am so bummed - I was so glad to have her here. And I wish she'd gone anywhere else other than back to the DEVIL WOMAN. I'm sure she thinks she has won! I told "T" good luck but that I'd rather scratch out my own eyes than go back there. To each his own I guess.

That's about it for this edition of Manic Monday. *sigh* I'm seriously bummed.

Awww - Jen gave me an award!

This has been quite a week for me! Promotion, added to the MS Carnival of Bloggers and now an award of excellence from Jen at The Redneck Romance Writer! Woohoo!

The Rules: By accepting this Excellent Blog Award, you agree to award it to 10 more people whose blogs you find Excellent Award worthy. You can give it to as many people as you want but please award at least 10. You deserve this! Feel free to recognize blogs that have already received this award.

So since Jen also gave this blog award to my good friend the VeryBadCat over at Cattails I will skip her & Jen in my list but they are right up there at the top of my list! So here are my ten awardees:

1. Dispatches from the Northern Outpost
2. Break me off a piece of that Fancy Feast
3. Speak On It
4. A Thousand Words
5. Pessimistic Redhead
6. I Read Banned Books
7. Where is Mommy's Prozac?
8. Brain Cheese
9. Hobocamp
10. Brass and Ivory

So there you have it my top 10 (twelve really including the VeryBadCat and Jen who gave the award to me!)

WooHoo!!!!!!

WooHoo - Xavier scared me to death until the middle of the 2nd 1/2 but they came back and beat Georgia 73 to 61! Onward and upward for the Musketeers! Sorry Georgia!

Screaming MeMe...

The lovely and talented Jen from The Redneck Romance Writer has tagged me with a meme, so here goes:

Four films I’d watch again(hard to narrow down - I LOVE MOVIES):

1. Dirty Dancing
2. The Sweetest Thing
3. Sixteen Candles
4. Star Trek First Contact (or any Star Trek TNG movie)

Four places I’ve lived:

1. Canajoharie, NY
2. Cobleskill, NY
3. Loveland, OH
4. Springdale, OH

Four TV shows I watch:

1. The Biggest Loser
2. LOST
3. Jericho
4. Grey's Anatomy

Four things to eat:

1. Ice Cream (my downfall)
2. Oooey gooey homemade mac & cheese
3. Hot dogs on the grill - gross I know but I LOVE 'em
4. Filet Mignon Medium Rare and steamed crab legs! MMMMMM

Four places I’d rather be:

1. On the beach - any beach that is warm will do but prefer blue water and white sand beaches
2. Back in Ohio with my friends - I miss them
3. As a contestant on the Biggest Loser having lost 80lbs or so
4. In bed asleep

Four people to tag (if they want to do it):

1. Very Bad Cat from Cattails: Adventures of a Very Bad Cat
2. Linda from Brain Cheese
3. Maxie from Break me off a piece of that Fancy Feast
4. Mandy from A Thousand Words

I've been added to the Carnival of MS Bloggers

Hoping those suffering from the disease don't mind that I'm on the list since I've never had a single symptom but I do suffer along side a man who has a lot of them! Most of the time my posts have to do with fighting the battle as an advocate for my husband. Sometimes I'm whining about what the MS has taken away from him and thus from me and our marriage. But I'm in this for the long haul - it didn't sneak up on me by surprise as it does most people - I knew he had MS when I met him and when I married him. Of course I had hoped he was going to be one of the lucky ones with few attacks and only minor symptoms. But that was not to be the case - and so the "in sickness" part of the vow comes into play. I had also hoped that his ailments would be physical only - but they weren't and now we get to the "for worse" part of the vows. But through it all there are more good days than bad and I love him dearly and most days I think he feels the same way!


So for more information about Carnival of MS Bloggers and to find other blogs to read - click here!

I am going to add a new side-bar with my favorite MS Bloggers and after seeing this list it will probably grow quickly as I have time to read.

Manic Monday!

Happy St. Patrick's Day! I've got my Irish on again today! (Meaning I managed to do laundry yesterday and am wearing the same sweater I wore Saturday night!)

And it's official - I let the VP's both know I was taking the Database job and they are thrilled. Then we had a team meeting and I was able to announce to my team that I was taking a promotion to the Database Team - they were all surprised and the look on RBT's face - PRICELESS!

In other news my Alma Mater received a #3 seed in the NCAA tournament! WooHoo! The first game is Thursday night - let's say it all together - GO XAVIER!

Jager Bombs

I experienced something new last night. It's St. Patrick's weekend and hubby and I went out with friends last night for a great dinner and some general debauchery listening to a great cover band that had me dancing on my bar stool! We got home at around 2:30 in the morning after a great night out. Normally I'd be nearly dead with exhaustion at 2:30 in the morning but last night I was drinking Jager Bombs.

As is probably true with most people who aren't in college or party hounds in general I had never had one of these but they were the featured drink along with Irish Car Bombs to celebrate St. Patrick's Day. The rest of my party was drinking Irish Car Bombs but I cannot tolerate the nastiness that is Guinness and I despise whiskey so I knew I'd hate that drink and opted for the Jager Bomb instead.

Let me tell you how fun that drink is - a high ball about 1/2 full of Red Bull energy drink and then you drop a shot glass full of Jagermeister into the glass and shoot it all down as fast as you can. So I had 3 of these over the course of the night, had a great, great time, and was still wide awake at 1:30 am when we left to go home (even though my last drink was at 10:30) and was able to drive home without even a worry about nodding off.

Now hubby who was drinking Irish Car Bombs - well I think he fell asleep in the car!

Some pictures:

Me and my girl "e" partner in crime


Me and my hubby

It was a good night.

TGIF...

I have had a great week. I made a decision about my career. Spring is coming and the evidence is everywhere (Canadian Geese flying over heading north today!). And it's Friday afternoon at 4:15pm and I am getting my hair cut and colored tonight! Tomorrow night we are going out for dinner and live music and pool and general debauchery and fun. Hubby had a job interview at the state today and it went well! He may become one of those "state workers" soon and I'm all for it!

I got to put RBT in his place this week too - it was subtle but effective and great fun! Can't wait to see his face when the news of my promotion to the database team leaks out. I have been here exactly 5 months so it's a very fast rise (most people get promoted at 1-2 years). It will irk him to no end that I will be his equal in status around here.

And the karma thing - old job - the devil woman boss? Well news on the street is she has been demoted! LMAO - and the company is in such dire trouble that there will be no profit sharing this year and there were no raises either. It's a slowly sinking ship, and I'm gleeful about it. If that is wrong, I don't wanna be right!

And - in two weeks from now I will be heading to Florida where I will gleefully ride this:
I can't wait! Warmth, no snow, roller coasters, me and hubby bonding, it will be great!

Thirteen things that have made me happy this week!

1. Despite the horrible time change I have made it to work on time every day!
   
   
2. Because of the wonderful time change it's still light out when I get home from work each night!
   
   
3. I decided I am going to take the Database Account Manager position - no more RBT "training" me and freedom on the horizion as well as some really cool projects and a chance to SHINE!
   
   
4. Hubby has a job interview with the state tomorrow - if he can get in with a state job he will have great job security, if he works 10 years he can retire with health insurance for the rest of his life and a pension.
   
   
5. My sister agreed to walk the MS walk with me - I hate walking those things alone like I always did in Cincinnati, feels like work when you're alone.
   
   
6. I have already raised $275 for the MS Walk! Gotta love my friends and family!
   
   
7. Warm fresh from the oven chocolate chip cookies - yep I made them from scratch the other day and they made me very, very happy!
   
   
8. My friend "T" started working here on Monday, she is a breath of fresh air and I love having her here.
   
   
9. I have plans for Saturday Night! Hubby and I are going out to dinner with friends, will be hearing some live music at the restaurant/bar and then going on to play pool, drink beer, hang with friends until we decide we are too old to be out any longer and must take our decrepit selves home to bed.
   
   
10. I'm getting my hair cut and colored tomorrow night - spring is coming, summer is around the corner and I'm thinking I should have her take me a shade closer to blonde and add more highlights! :)
    
    
11. Spring is coming - we have had typical march weather here - warm one day, cold the next, last night snow flurries and today 40 degrees, tomorrow 50. The warm days remind me that it's almost Spring and I love spring. I need to go check my garden to see if any of the bulbs I planted last fall are breaking through yet.
    
    
12. Made the final plans and reservations for our mini-vacation in 2 weeks. Florida here we come!
    
    
13. And the thing that has made me the happiest - hubby is still in a very good mood and I have been getting a lot of attention. A LOT OF ATTENTION - and that friends is a very good thing! ;-)
    

Get the Thursday Thirteen code here!

Wicked Wednesday - What I think of cheating bastards...

or - my governor get's caught with his pants down.

Let's see another hypocrite in the political world - shocking! Eliot Spitzer, a man who as a prosecutor went after prostitution rings and white collar criminals with a passion. As attorney general continued to really fight for the people. Rose to governor, a rising star, a future presidential hopeful. A man with a smart and beautiful wife and three daughters, seemingly one of the good guys. A family man with a strong moral code.

Well that image is shattered - finding out that he's been participating in a prostitution ring (the kind he used to bust and prosecute) by allegedly hiring extremely high priced hookers for kinky sex.

And as he apologizes for his indiscretions his wife stands by his side fighting back tears. Gotta tell you maybe she's not as smart as I thought? Personally if I found myself in her shoes the only way I'd get that close to him again was if I had a weapon in my hand and was taking him down. I know couples do sometimes recover from infidelity and I even know one couple who managed. I doubt that I could or would take him back but even if over time I decided to do just that I can say with certainty that in the hours and days following a revelation like this there is no way I'd stand by his side and create a united front.

Some people see it as a sign of strength - to me it's more like weakness. Like being a doormat, like saying it's okay that he's a lying cheating bastard, I still love him, I don't deserve any better. It's part of the reason I don't like Hillary Clinton - I'd have wanted to castrate Bill after finding him cavorting with interns butof course it's well known that Monica wasn't the first indiscretion so maybe she was used to it by then? It's obvious at least to me that Hillary has her own agenda and Bill is just a means to that end. I mean anyone think she'd be running for president if her husband hadn't made it out of Arkansas? Nope - me either.

So later today - another lying cheating bastard who had an amazingly bright future will watch his dreams go up in smoke because he couldn't keep it in his pants. And unlike Hillary I don't really expect Silda to stick it out once the smoke clears.

May 4th 2008 - I am walking in an Upstate NY MS Walk...

For those of you who have been reading my blog from the beginning (a whole 3 months ago) you realize that my husband has multiple sclerosis. For years I walked in the annual MS walk to raise money for the National Multiple Sclerosis Society in Cincinnati, Ohio. Since moving back to Upstate NY I have been too lazy to register and make this a priority but this is now my 3rd year back in NY, I am settled in and I am going to do it this year.

So I need to start walking at lunch time so the distance doesn't make me wish I hadn't signed up!

I think my sister is going to sign up too and walk with me, perhaps pushing baby "A" in his stroller and maybe my nearly 5 year old nephew "Z" will walk with us too (depending on distance) with my brother-in-law. I will see if I can recruit more people to walk with me too and of course I am now in official fund raising mode! :)

So that brings me to this - I am not ready to de-cloak here on my blog for all the world to see, BUT there are some of you that I would be willing to decloak to on a case by case basis especially if you were interested in sponsoring me in any way. So I created this email address for requests - tricia.mswalk(at)gmail.com so replace the (at) with an @ and you will be able to email me and hopefully that will slow down the influx of spam to that account. If you email me I will send you the link to my participant page on the NMSS website.

When people ask me why I am walking - I say I am walking for "Hope" for my Husband. It's a good reason to walk.

TGIF - the scales are starting to tip...

I had a meeting with the VP of Operations today about the opportunity that is being offered to me. He filled me in on the details, what they are looking for and where the team is heading. My title would be Database Account Manager - still lots of customer interaction, just projects that are more complex and analytical than what I'd have if I continue on the path I'm on now. Right now there is one Database Account Manager and she is trying to manage implementations and analytics and it's just grown to be too much for her. They see my strength in being on the analytical side and in helping to understand customer requirements (as I have been on that side of the table in my prior job).

So basically if I want it they are going to create this job to cater to my strengths and really set me up to succeed. How can I argue with that? The job I'm in now is interesting but I can see that once I mature in this position I could become a bit bored with the sameness of the jobs from week to week. Also on the database team I have a chance to really stand out - there will be 2 Account Managers and lots of opportunity to shine. If I stay with the Client Services team there are three teams with approx 10 account managers per team, already some "stars" on the team - not that I couldn't become one of them but certainly more competition for the attention.

And not really the deal maker - BUT no more RBT watching my every move (I mean he can if he wants but he will have no power over me) and reporting directly to the VP of Operations who is just a regular guy easy to talk to and not at all intimidating (versus my current boss who is a Sr Manager and while not intimidating not exactly personable either). More flexibility in scheduling (my current boss is much more rigid on start times and face time in the office, etc) and working from home as needed.

So I have two more things to do before I decide for sure - sit down with the current Database Account Manager and get a feel for her day to day tasks and really grill her on tasks and how the team interacts, etc., another meeting with VP so he can demo the analytical tools we currently have and get a feel for how I could really help improve that process and add value for the customers, and (okay maybe three things) do a bit of research online regarding salaries and employment opportunities in this new field if I do choose to go that route and at some point want to leave the company or relocate.

But on Wednesday I had a strong leaning toward staying put and now I have swayed more to the other side.

7 things I miss about being a teen in the 80's + 6 things that are better now = Thursday Thirteen

1. Journey - Open Arms, Faithfully, Don't Stop Believin (Open Arms is playing on an itunes radio station I've got open now)
   
   
2. Innocence - yes friends I was extremely innocent for most of the decade.
   
   
3. Freedom from Responsibility - while I hardly knew it then, how nice that someone else had to worry about the details of my life and my finances while I just focused on my teenage angst
   
   
4. Having my whole life in front of me like a book waiting to be written, with career choices and relationships still to come that I couldn't even fathom
   
   
5. Friends - I had real true IRL friends who I could hang with, who came to my house and I went to theirs. I miss having people to hang with - between work and family commitments it's nearly impossible to get a group together anymore.
   
   
6. Sleeping in on a Saturday - sometimes I'd crawl out of bed around 2 in the afternoon - heavenly.
   
   
7. Time to read - I spent every spare moment I could muster with my nose in a book. I read anything and everything I could get my hands on. These days if I can't get it in audio I can't read it for the most part. My 2 hours in the car each day is the only time I can really "read".
   
   

And to get to 13 - 6 things that are better in the 2000's:

1. Sex! Nuff Said!
   
   
2. The Internet! So many people I might never have met without it (including my hubby)
   
   
3. Freedom - while I am responsible for my own life and my own bills now and that is a weight to bear, it's also nice to not have to run anything by mom first! LOL
   
   
4. Reality TV - I mean how else would I know that I'm not really a total freak without comparing myself to these people.
   
   
5. iPods! WooHoo! I can listen to my favorite music anytime, anywhere! Man I loved my cassette walkman back in the day but it sure was limited! Ever try to run with one? Even worse - running with a CD Walkman?
   
   
6. No homework and getting paid for what I do all day!
   

Get the Thursday Thirteen code here!

Decisions...

Apparently friends, in my new role at the office - the one I've had for all of 2 weeks - I have impressed people who hold titles like VP-Operations and President. Because of the aptitude I've shown I am being given a choice, I can stay on my current path of Account Management OR I can veer into a new path of Database Project Management. I don't have to decide right away, currently the two roles are lateral so it's not a promotion, just a different opportunity.

I'm flattered that they think I'm capable of this new role as it is much more technical and very detail oriented. I'm also not sure I want a job that requires me to be more detail oriented. I can be good at it but the reality I'm much more comfortable at big picture type scenarios. My VP is not trying to push me out, he thinks I'm doing a great job and will continue to grow and do a great job in my current role, he just wanted to give me options. I am sure that whichever direction I choose that I am secure in my place here.

So do I go with what is comfortable? A role where I will be valued without having to really stretch myself? Or do I choose the challenge? The one that will stretch my abilities? Comfort or Challenge.

I need to think on this for awhile - talk to the VP of Operations who's team I would move to and really see what the job would require and what type of career path I'm looking at there. My first instinct is to stay in my comfort zone, but that doesn't mean it's the right choice for me.

So friends, what do you think? What would you do in this situation?

In lieu of Manic Monday - Good News!

Friends - I have my husband back. Well technically he never went anywhere but he was definitely absent from any effort in the relationship for awhile. He's been semi-depressed for awhile and more agitated and irritable than anything. We tried drugs, we tried therapy, we tried more drugs, his therapist had him reading books on anger management (well he bought them at least not sure he ever actually "read" any of them). We did find a drug that was more a mood stabilizer than an anti-depressant, we struggled to find the right dosage. Finally we found it, and the anger subsided. That was something. It was not enough. He was still not happy.

Remember the "he lied to me post?" well that first contact with an old girlfriend actually started to bring him back to life. She wasn't really the answer though (thank god) and he's had no contact since. But he joined reunion.com and classmates.com and started searching for people from his past. And finally he had some success - on Friday he found a friend from high school (this one is a guy so no worries on my part) and found out he lives only about an hour and a half away from us. He emailed back and forth pictures, they talked on the phone and we now have to set a date to get together with him and his wife.

Last Monday I had gotten a strange comment on my MySpace page about hubby from a woman in Oklahoma - turns out her husband was his best friend in high school. She searched hubby's name and found my home page that lists his name and has our wedding pictures, etc. Then she searched MySpace for me and found me. So hubby then joined MySpace so he could view their pictures and stuff. Then exchanged info online and his buddy sent a phone number, and so he called him on Saturday evening. My husband who HATES the phone and will keep his conversations as short as humanly possibly talked to his best friend from high school for 4 HOURS!!!!! They covered every detail of the past 24 years it seemed. Then on Sunday they spent 2-3 hours on instant messenger. His buddy and wife are now planning to come see us for a long weekend in April. They are going to fly out from Oklahoma and spend 4 days in upstate NY probably mostly drinking and playing pool and chatting and the men (if the IM conversation was any indication) reverting to acting like 17 year old boys. So his friend left him a comment on MySpace that says - never lose touch again - Best Friends Forever.

I laughed my ass off! What are they teenage girls? BFF? But I love that he has found this great friend from his past and that they seem to be able to pick up where they left off like 24 years have not passed at all. I'm sure I'll hit it off with them (I mostly get along with everyone because I'm a pleaser) and we'll have a great time.

So hubby has been - sweet, affectionate, attentive, smiling, laughing, looking forward to things, not moping, not depressed, not angry. It's like the guy I married is back! And this time it feels like it may last. I can't tell you how happy I am to see him being happy.

Never Say Goodbye...

There is a nice theme going around the blogsphere about music that inspired us from our youth. For me the one album that stands out from my teenage years as really moving my angst ridden teenage soul as nothing ever had was Slippery When Wet from Bon Jovi. I still love every single one of these songs but the ones that really moved me then were Living on a Prayer and Never Say Goodbye. I am still a big fan of power ballads from rock bands in general and Bon Jovi in particular.

I remember listening to my pink dual cassette boombox radio for any of these songs to play on the radio and rushing to hit record to capture the songs I loved so much. My mother would never have let me buy a rock album so I had to do it covertly. I think I even taped some of these by holding my boom box up to a juke box at a campground that summer! LOL I'd turn up the radio and sing my heart out everytime I heard it on the radio while driving alone.

It said everything I felt about my first love, the guy who captured my heart first when I was 13 and held it until I was 16. I knew when I went to his graduation that summer that once he went to college I would lose him, but I sang Never Say Goodbye and prayed I was wrong. I wasn't wrong.

During the summer of 1986 I told my parents I was staying at Stacey's house and we snuck off to SPAC to see Bon Jovi. Then in December 2005 Bon Jovi came to Albany and my sister and I poufed up our hair, rolled up our jeans, and rocked out to all the old classics! (just kidding about the hair and jeans) It wasn't the same though, I now know that no matter what you always do say goodbye to people that you love. Yet these songs still make me feel young and alive!

Thanks to Verybadcat and Jen for inspiring me to do this post!