Happy New Year!!! Here's wishing you a wonderful 2007!

I really am going to have to get a walker or a cane. I fell again on the snow at work last night and and really hurt my knee. So I tried to wear my mechanical monstrousity brace, and it digs in my leg. i dont want ot go to the ER cuz we'll be there for days... and its a holiday weekend so I wouldnt be able to even call for an appointment til Tuesday, but so will everyone else so who knows when I would actually get in. And what would they tell me? That I have torn ligaments, I kinda already know that. And That I need to have surgery to fix it, and that it will take me off my feet for a couple months cuz they have to take out all the scar tisse? Yes i know that too. And we cant afford that! I have to walk to work, and since I am organizing the year's biggest fundraiser for NMSS, I cant take time off to have a stupid surgery. And I already have my supply of 800 mg Ibruprofen from my kidney stones, so what's the point? I should have gotten it done a long time ago. But I dint wantot hobble for my wedding or walk to class in the snow on crutches. Its never a good time to do it!

I have decided to put a few pics up here since I have been slackin on that end. Christmas was good. We went to Marcus and Amelia's on Christmas Eve and had supper, drank some wine and payed cards. It was fun. They were goingt o have a party but we all decided that Christmas Eve was for family. And since we are all each others' families up here, we spent it with close friends. We had a lot of fun at the hockey games this weekend. There were a lot of fights. Which always makes for a good time! But I wanted to put up some pics. Hope your Christmas was as lovely as ours!

And for those of you who havent met our new baby, Grizzly

Our season ticket group. (from right: Doug, Marcus, Amelia, Matthew, and me) 

Matthew talkin to Hans Benson (the player I put on his new jersey) 

Here's our backyard, so you can get an idea of how much snow we got. Bout 3 feet in as many days. 

Cool, huh? 

He just shoveled the driveway about 5 hours earlier! 

Shirt from Amanda 

Yaya, Christmas id here! 

Matthew's new glasses 

This is a shitty time for there to be a blizzard cuz now work SUCKS! NOt because of the snow exactly, that makes it really hard work, but because the store is not busy. Now is not the time to not be makin money. The onluy thing that comforts me is that I know in a couple weeks I will have a steady paycheck that doesnt depend on other people. So I know that bills can be paid or groceries can be bought. I know that we will do it. We have been doing it, and will continue. Once the holidays are over, we will be back on track. I'm so tired of the snow.

Its still snowing. Just to let you know. It was pretty fun yesterday. We went to the hockey game last night, and Marcus locked the keys in the car! Poor Amelia has a boot on her foot cuz she broke it so her toes are freezing. So we went over to the cops who were directing traffic. Well, apparently, taxi drivers do unlock here in Anchorage, and they charge $25. And the guy who did was a asshole. We didnt have $25 and they had locked the door to the arena. And he wouldnt let Amelia sit in his car even with her broken foot. Anyway, the driver was like "You dont have $25 between all of you?" No, thats why we told you that we didnt have $25. We dont carry cash anyway, but since we are all married, one of us in the couple has the money. Anyway, he FINALLY gets ii unlocked and writes down the license plate # so he can follow us to an ATM. ANd the money doesnt go to the cab company, he pockets it. Nice Christmas spirit jackass. He was so flippin rude. Like we did it on purpose. And as if we purposely didnt have any cash. I offered to give him the $2.75 that I had in my pocket... Anyway, what ever Scrooge. $25. Should have just called roadside assistance. Would havehad to wait a bit longer but you wouldnt have to pay for it.

We are being snowed in. They have shut down the base. Too much snow already and it isnt suppose to stop till tomorrow. Thank goodness I dont have to be anywhere tomoorow!

I am so excited for Cristmas. I want to open presents now.But I wont. Matt wont let me. I let him open up his jersey. He was so excited. I have never seen him so happy to get something. Actually, I was so excited to give it to him, I couldnt wait any longer! LOL. But I got to open some presents at the office today, so it curbed my need to open gifts. I dont really have anything to talk about I guess. I dont want to go to work, its cold and windy. Oh, Saturday we went to Matt's Christmas party for work. We got a really sweet doorprize. A voucher for a 26 glacier cruise for two. Its about $250 value. I am so excited cuz I have wanted to go on a glacier cruise since we got up here. So that was a cool Christmas present. Thats about it.

The baby kitty is doing well. She is adapting to the house and Jackie like a champ. Took her to the vet yesterda.

Yep I have it, I dont need a blood test. Now what?

Infectious Mononucleosis Symptoms
Not everyone infected with the virus that causes mono (Epstein-Barr virus, or EBV) has symptoms. This is especially true in young children, who may have a fever but no other symptoms. Young adults between the ages of 15 and 24 are more likely to have obvious symptoms.1
The most common symptoms of mono are:
Fever, which may range from 101 °F(38.3 °C) to 104 °F(40 °C), and chills.
Sore throat, often with white patches on the tonsils (which may resemble strep throat).
Swollen lymph nodes all over the body, especially the lymph nodes in the neck.
Swollen tonsils.
Headache or body aches.
A lack of energy and fatigue.
Loss of appetite.

A Gift from Grizzly

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I swear it is always one thing after another. It just doesnt ever end. I am convinced that I have mono. I know I do. I remember how it feels. I am so tired you dont even know. And I have been sweatin balls ever since I came home. I cant cool off, no matter what I do. I am sick, and we CANNOT afford for me not to work. But the best I can do is a couple hours and that is hard, cuz I am so worn out, and I can hear mom worrying aout me wearing myself out, but I cant not work. We have Christmas to pay for and the trip home, and groceries and the new kitty needs her shots and Jackie is due for a check up and we need groceries. And Matt had to get glasses today so we have to pay for that too. But I did find out that they will do contact exams at the hospital. So I dont have to go to the stupid doctor anymore. So I have an appointment in January. Matt's doctor says there are new hard contact materials that breathe better so I may be able to go back to hard contacts instead of these stupid soft ones that dont really have enough strength. So anyway, I have to go work so I can get Matt some food.

Hurray for Christmas

I used to not like Christmas, because of years of working in retail, I just couldnt stand it. Now that I dont work in retail, I am actually really enjoying it. The way I remember enjoying it when I was little. With hope and belief and happiness. Not the bitterness, bum hum bug, and negativity that I have harboured for almost ten years. And listen to Christmas music, not because I am forced to, but because I want to. Because I enjoy it. I am shopping for presents, at my pace and on my time. I have holiday parties that dont involve shipping in food so we dont leave the store because in actuality we will be too busy to eat. This is the way The holiday is supposed to be. Full of joy and love and a childhood innocence.
I treasure those feelings that I carry with me in a special place in my heart that makes this holiday even more magical. The memories of going to get the Christmas tree. We would go on a Saturday. After practice for the Sunday school Christmas program. Mom, Dad, Amanda, me and Lew would get into the front of the green pick up and sing Christmas carols all the way to the tree farm to cut down our tree. We would bring it back to the house and dad would put it in the stand while mom put on Christmas CDs and pull out the boxes of decorations. Together we would decorate the tree and the house while te voices of Bing Crosby, Brenda Lee, Nat King Cole and the sounds of Manhiem Steamroller floated through the house. We would hang the Stockings and the garland on which my mom would hang the Christmas cards. We would make sugar cookies to frost. And Manda, me and Lew would each get an even amount to decorate.
Christmas Eve was never for opening presents. Christmas Eve, when I was young, we would go to the first Family Service at church and then it was a challenge to see if we could stay up for the Candlelight Service. In between we would go to Gradma's with Uncle Tim, Aunt Joyce, Cassie, Jacob and, later, Nicole. We would have CHristmas treat plates full of goodies. And soup like potato, chili, and Oyster. And have sparkling cider. I loved the Candlelight Service. They would always sing Silent Night when all the lights turned off, and just the candles burning. I loved it. It always made me cry. The emotions of that service were rivaled only by Good Friday.
Christmas morning we would open the presents. Stockings were always first in the sunroom. And then mom would make hot chocolate, the real kind with milk. And then we would go to the living room to open presents. We would take turns handing out presents. And then we would break and have more hot chocolate and Grandma's tearoll. Then we would finish up with gifts and then we would start dinner. Always crab legs and twice baked potatoes. Then it was movie/nap time. Then we would go over to Grandma Whitmer's for a light meal and somtimes presents.
Dad would put up a big light display. People would drive out to the house just to see the lights that he put up. I remember, very vividly, laying in my bed and looking out my window, seeing the multi colored lights right outside my window and reflecting in the snow. I remember one night in paticular in such vivid color and emotion, that I feel it happened only a day ago, instead of years ago. The night I lay looking at those lights, sure to the very one that I heard the bells of a certain sleigh. I was so sure, and in all honesty I still do, and for one single reason, I have always believed in Santa.
Not so much in the man, but in the idea. Santa represents the best of the this season, because it represents the best of a world. An idea of giving, and selflessness. Of the blind faith of a child, in whose innocence we should draw strength. Because it is in the belief of Santa that the magic of Christmas exists. And why I know that Santa exists. Because there is a magic in Christmas carols, and lights, trees ad gifts, family, and love, giving, and, above all, in faith. The faith in a man who brings happiness to deserving people all over the world. And faith in a child, born this night, to make us all worthy of the greatest gift.
Merry Christmas, and I wish for for all of you, and renewed faith.

This weekend was Millitary Appreciation at the Aces' game. Boy, the drunks were out full force thats for sure. We had this idiot behind me talk (loudly) throuh the whole game on Friday. And the more he drank the louder he got, and then to a climactic end, he spilled beer down my back, on my jersey and my new coat. I was pissed off. cuz people should have more respect for the people sitting around them, trying to enjoy the game. So last night those same guys were two seats over from us. And EVERY TIME the puck was in our scroing zone he would yell "SHOOT IT!!!" sometimes the other team would have the puck in our scoring zone and he would yell "SHOOT IT!!!!". They cant shoot it eery time they have the puck, jackass, they have to st up the shot. And of course he had one of the horns that were banned cuz they were so loud and he had a big cow bell. And then Amelia and Marcus had a guy behind them, giving them a play by play. Otherwise it was a good game.

They had a jersey auction after the game. Mike Scott's jersey went for $1200. the highest was Oliver Fillion. Over $2000. And then his wife bid $1000 for The goalie's jersey. so they paid over $3000 for two game worn jersey's. Thats about what I paid for my Blazer! Crazy.

We're back

Yep, back to the real world. I am already counting down to when I can go back to (a$*I, a message from the Griz) Iowa. First we have to pay off this trip though...

We picked up the Griz. Its going to be a challenge with the two kitties. They are starting to get a little more used to each other though. So that is reassuring. Its nice to have a baby around again, and Jackies needs the exercise. She is actually handling Griz better than the other way around. She wants to play, and the Griz is scared. But Jackie is a lot bigger than her.

We put up the Chrstmas tree, Jackie has only climbed it once. We have stockings for the kitties. We bought them for Jackie and the Joey. He never got to use his... I had to take his name off so I could put Griz on there. (bhhhthhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhkjjjj1.,,,,,,,,,,xc, another message from the Griz)
That was kinda hard. I almost didnt do it, but we ont have the money to buy her another one. Anyway, I will put up pics when I get around to it. I've been busy since we've been home. We have a holiday open house at the office this week so we are trying to get ready for that. And I am back to work at the CM, plus we had hockey all this week.

This weekend was Military Appreciation Weekend, so there are lotsa people at the games. And most of them re drunk. I had a stupid jacka** behind me last night. He was talking all through the game. Ad then he got drunker and drunker and starting yelling all these rude and stupid comments. And then to top it off, he spilled his beer down my back, on my jersey and my new coat. I was pissed so I didnt really enjoy the game. Oh, well.