Blondie Bananahead

Happy New Year!

2009-01-02T14:13:00.003-05:00

Well it is already 2009 and that means in a few months Mia will be two! Time really does fly by! We had a great Christmas and New Year, it seemed to go by so fast. BJ has been off work all week which is so nice. For New Year's Eve, my parents watched Mia so BJ and I could go to dinner and a movie. We had an excellent meal at Smith and Wollensky (I had the Chilean Sea Bass, BJ had the Filet Oscar) then went to see Quantum of Solace. We actually spent midnight in the car at a red light, but it was a fantastic evening out!

Not much else going on in the Hanley house, no resolutions, just going to work on organizing and cleaning up the basement. We wish you all a happy and healthy 2009!

Congrats to the Piqua Lottery Winners!

2008-12-17T18:55:00.003-05:00

Congratulations to the Mega Millions lottery winners, all from Piqua!!! (My hometown if you didn't know) I don't think I know any of them, but I am sure my parents do. Also, thanks goes to the Kroger where the ticket was sold, they are donating the money they received from the lottery commission to Piqua charities!

This is why I drive a Honda

2008-12-13T09:36:00.004-05:00

Click on the photo so you can read the fine print. I couldn't get it to post any bigger. Funny, set sad and true.

once again, I am lazy about posting

2008-12-12T13:42:00.003-05:00

Sorry for my lack of posts, I have become addicted to Facebook! Another lame reason is that our computer is in the basement and it's freezing down here.

I haven't been very crafty, but here are pictures of our front landscaping that I finished a few months ago.

The stone is just basic limestone from northern Ohio and I got a great deal on the plants (late fall sale at Lowes). The rock wall was the easy part, planting the bushes and tree required a pick axe to break up the clay and crappy dirt. Thankfully I did not get a bigger tree for the end, as I don't think we would have been able to dig a big enough hole. I also planed a bunch of tulip and daffodil bulbs, so hopefully this spring I will have flowers! I know it will take a few years for everything to fill out, but it's so much better than before!

Veteran's Day

2008-11-11T12:35:00.002-05:00

Happy Veteran's Day! I dedicate this post to my grandfathers and my father-in-law.
Okee Sterling, Thomas Kohl Sr., and Peter Hanley. Also to my cousin Jacob who is in the Air Force, and who will be starting a tour in Afghanistan in January.

Thank a veteran today!

Voting Day!!!

2008-11-04T12:40:00.005-05:00

I hope everybody out there who reads this blog (all 3 of you) went out and voted today or did an early vote. I voted this morning and didn't have to wait at all. Even better, I can walk to our voting location and the weather was beautiful.

VOTE, it's our civic duty!

Four years ago....

2008-10-30T20:23:00.004-05:00

I got married to this guy.

I am a very lucky girl!

Awesome

2008-10-21T19:17:00.002-05:00

I hope to see these one day.

I love dinosaurs!

I know, I know......

2008-10-03T09:54:00.002-05:00

I have been very bad about blogging. No reason, just haven't felt like it. So I will steal Dana's idea and just list a few things I have been thinking about.

I got my 401K statement and am very happy that I am not retiring any time soon.

I think Sarah Palin is in over her ignorant head.

October is a very busy month for the Hanley family. We have stuff going on every weekend. I hope we have time to work on our front landscaping, I am building a retaining wall then planing a tree and shrubs.

I am REALLY looking forward to my cousin's wedding next weekend. It will be the first time all 11 Sterling grandchildren have been together in a long time.

We are taking Mia to get her fist haircut tomorrow, I am hoping she won't freak out.

I am tired of people asking me when we are going to have another kid. Answer: Not anytime soon.

It's cold in our house, 65 degrees, I am thinking about turning on the heat.

Our 4 year wedding anniversary is coming up. BJ and I have been together for 8 years, and I am still in love with him.

I wish I could find pants and shoes to fit Mia, she is little and has narrow feet. It's very frustrating.

Speaking of Mia, she is waking up from her nap, got to go. Have a great weekend everyone!

Long Week

2008-09-11T14:51:00.003-05:00

Sorry for the lack of posts, but Mia is sick and it's been a long week. She has a virus so we just need time for her body to fight that SOB. Needless to say, I am looking forward to our kid free weekend in Cincinnati for Scott and Amy's wedding, then the Bengals game on Sunday. I am hoping Mia feels better soon, or my parents will have a long weekend!

Congratulations to Jon and Wendy on the birth of Andrew Ryan!!

also

Congratulations to Nick and Christina on the birth of Tyler Evans!!

We are so happy for you!

Interesting and thoughtful article on Salon.com

2008-09-02T13:13:00.005-05:00

I wasn't going to comment on John McCain's VP pick since most of the people who read this blog know that I tend to lean liberal. But I did read this article on Salon today that I really liked and thought I would share it.

This is funny!

2008-08-21T10:43:00.002-05:00

This story was on The Onion a few days ago and I think it's hilarious!

Not much going on here in Ohio, the weather is hot again, and I have been watching a ton of Olympic coverage. Although I have to complain that the Track and Field events are not shown live, but at 10:30pm. Plus, Bob Costas is annoying.

Michael Phelps and Usain Bolt put on such amazing and dominating performances, they are the highlight of the Olympics for me.

Hope everyone is having a great week!

The Olympics

2008-08-06T13:44:00.003-05:00

I am getting excited for the Olympics! Hopefully since I am not working I will be able to watch more day (taped delayed) coverage. I wasn't planning on watching the opening ceremony because it usually sucks, and involves some kind of bizarre modern dance skit, but I might this year.

Check out this article about the USA flag bearer, Lopez Lomong who will run the 1500. As a former lost boy of the Sudan, and a recent US citizen, his story is remarkable. Plus I think this is also a subtle (or not) show of support and awareness for the Darfur region by the athletes. China is one of the biggest arms dealers to the Sudan and thus is fueling the civil war. Even more interesting is the Chinese government denying a passport to Joey Cheek (speedskater and winter Olympic athlete) who is an activist on Darfur. Check out Team Darfur for more info.

Ahhhh, communists. Who will you try to silence next?

Once again I will plug the book "What is the What". Amazing.

Go Team USA!

John Adams

2008-08-02T10:04:00.003-05:00

I have FINALLY finished the book "John Adams" by David McCullough, it only took me most of the summer. This is a very long, but very interesting book. It made me appreciate our country and the founding fathers even more. Frankly, it's almost a miracle that the United States exists as it does today. The book not only details John Adams' role in founding the USA, but is an in depth look at the relationship of Abigail and John Adams. They were quite the remarkable couple! I am really looking forward to watching the HBO miniseries since it is now out on DVD. I am on the waiting list at the library (number 326!), but my mom bought it so now it's whoever gives the dvd's to me first. The show got a ton of Emmy nominations so it is probably excellent, I hope!

I highly recommend this book if you like reading historical non-fiction. But beware, it is a LONG book!

Now I am reading "The Slaves' War: The Civil War in the Words of Former Slaves" by Andrew Ward. I saw The Daily Show episode with the author and thought it sounded interesting. Right now I am only on chapter 3, and it's pretty good.

Next I need to read something less heavy, maybe some fiction. My mom loaned me "A Long Way Gone" by Ishmael Beah, and I know that is not a light fun book, but I need to get that back to her in the next month. (It technically belongs to the Russia Local Schools library). So, maybe fluff fiction after that. Any recommendations?

Very Interesting...

2008-07-24T19:15:00.002-05:00

If you have granite counter tops in your kitchen, you might want to read this article in the NY Times. Not to be an alarmist, but Radon gas is serious. When we were buying our house in Columbus, we had it tested for Radon since it is a problem in Ohio. The EPA limit is 4 picocuries per liter of air (a measure of radioactive emission) and our house was reading twice that amount on some days, and even higher on others. So we put in a Radon gas mitigation system, and now hopefully we won't die of lung cancer. It's crazy that the previous owners lived here for 10 years and didn't even realize what they were exposing their family too. I just don't think there is enough information out there about this.

Oh, and we don't have granite counter tops. I know that they are beautiful, and everybody knows that I love rocks, but they are expensive, and not environmentally friendly. (The amount of energy expended in the mining and finishing process is ridiculous. This doesn't even factor in shipping the material from wherever it was mined.)

End of my rant. Just something interesting to be aware of, and to think about...

The Dark Knight

2008-07-19T13:29:00.001-05:00

AWESOME.

The best movie I have seen in many many years.

Pretty flowers

2008-07-15T11:15:00.004-05:00

Last week I was at my parents house and took a few pics of their flower garden in full bloom. It was just beautiful, made me want to landscape our house (which it badly needs) but I will settle for just looking at other peoples flowers.

Hound Dog Designs

2008-07-07T19:30:00.005-05:00

Check this out, it is still a work in progress, and more to updates come soon.

Flanagan, the best hound dog ever.

North Carolina Pictures

2008-06-24T15:31:00.007-05:00

Here are a few pics from our trip to Kill Devil Hills, NC.

The beach at mile post 7, about a 1/3 mile from our house.

B.J. at Avalon Pier. It was ghetto.

You can't really see in this pic, but the pier looked like it was about ready to collapse at the next strong gust of wind. We did not stay long.

The boys playing in the surf.

There was a putt putt place across the street from our house so we went one night. It was alot of fun, even though I am not good at golf. I look insane in this picture.

B.J. and I after the wedding ceremony which was on the beach.

Our last night in NC we drove up to the town of Duck for dinner. It was MUCH MUCH nicer than Kill Devil Hills, and if we ever went back to the outer banks, we would stay here. We ate outside at Fishbones Sunset Grille, and saw this spectacular sunset.

Overall it was a good trip. I read three books, the His Dark Materials trilogy, by Philip Pullman. They were excellent, especially The Golden Compass. Although this trilogy is like most, where the first book is the best, and the rest are not as great, I would still highly recommend them.

Things are about to get busy for me. I am preparing to sell the shirts and onesies I make on July 31st. A friend of mine sells Premiere Designs jewelry, and she is having an open house with her jewelry, Tastefully Simple food, somebody selling kids books, and asked if I would like to set up a booth and sell my crafty items. I said I would, and have started getting stuff ready for that. So, look forward to some info on this soon!

Busy Week

2008-06-18T20:21:00.002-05:00

Sometime soon I will get around and post some pictures from our trip to North Carolina. It's been a crazy week. B.J. had to go back to NC on Tuesday for work, and he is gone until Thursday night, so I have been a single mom for the past few days. It's tiring, and I don't know how single mom's do it. Hopefully I can get around to downloading the pics and posting a few this weekend. Overall it was a good time, despite the forest fires, really hot weather, and wedding drama. The best part was the seafood, I ate a ton of crab, scallops, and mahi mahi. It was awesome.

The Outer Banks

2008-06-06T13:06:00.002-05:00

We are leaving bright and early Sunday morning for Kill Devil Hills, NC and I cannot wait! I am excited to go on vacation since it's been forever since I have been anywhere. Of course I am a little stressed about leaving Mia for a week, but I know she will have so much fun at my parents. My mom already has a ton of stuff planned for the week. But I have a feeling that I will cry after we drop her off on Saturday, I will miss her so much! I feel worse about putting Flanagan in a kennel, he is going to be more stressed out than any of us. But it's a great kennel in a country setting and he will get three walks a day and lots of attention. I will still miss him, he is my furry baby.

I am so looking forward to relaxing at the house we rented, there is a pool and it's just a short walk to the beach. We don't have any definite plans except for the rehearsal dinner on Wednesday, and Joe and Erica's wedding on on Thursday. I just hope the weather is nice and sunny.

So I still have much to do before we leave, I need to finish packing and then clean the house up a bit. I do not want to come back to a messy house! Saturday will be a busy day, we are dropping off Flanagan in the morning, then taking Mia to my parents. Later then we are bringing our luggage to Nick and Christina's to pack the car so we can leave at 5:00am Sunday morning. Sometime in there the yard needs mowed! So much to do!

I will post pictures when I get back, have a good weekend and week everybody!

More crafty stuff

2008-05-30T08:10:00.003-05:00

Here is a onesie I made for my cousin who is due at the end of the month. They are waiting to find out the gender of their baby so I just made a patriotic onesie for the 4th of July.

I also made a similar t-shirt for Mia, although I forgot to take a picture of it, but it basically looks the same.

No more sewing for me this week as I am getting ready for our trip to the Outer Banks, NC!

Are you kidding me!?

2008-05-18T15:22:00.002-05:00

The Indians were swept by the Reds! THE REDS!! Arghhhhh! I don't know how to convey my irritation in words right now.

I am currently sulking in the basement.

It's a gas...

2008-05-14T12:56:00.003-05:00

Holy shit, gas is $3.95 a gallon here in Hilliard, Ohio. Luckily I was able to fill up for $3.68 yesterday morning. I actually said "what the F" out loud when I saw the Speedway near my house yesterday. I am just very happy that I drive a Civic!

Speaking of cars, B.J. and I have been doing a little research in anticipation of us buying a new vehicle next year. The truck will be paid off soon, then we can save up for a big down payment on a bigger car. The issue we are having is that we really don't have a car than can transport us, Mia, and Flanagan. Currently in the Civic, Flanagan has to go in the front while one of us (usually me) sits in the back with Mia. This is annoying because Flanagan is crazy when he is in the car. An example of this is one morning B.J. took him for a ride in the truck (it's an extended cab Ford Ranger) and Flanagan broke the sliding back window while he was barking/lunging at a goose in a parking lot. Flanagan wants to kill all birds, he's part hound. So, we have been reading up on SUV's and station wagons. And by station wagon, I mean any Subaru. Who knows what the price of gas will be next year when we are ready to buy, but that will definitely make a difference in what car we will purchase. I am partial to the Mercury Mariner Hybrid, but we will see.

She's Crafty

2008-05-01T18:57:00.011-05:00

I may be crafty, but I am not a bum. Extra points for you if you know what song the blog title came from.

I FINALLY got around to take pictures of the shirts I made for Mia. The first one I made I forgot to take a picture of so I will have to post that later (Mia is in bed). Basically this started because I wanted Mia to have something special to wear for her birthday party. I looked on Etsy and found one I liked, but it was $20! Way too much money to spend on a kid's shirt, so I decided to make one myself. After the birthday shirt, I made these:

This was for Spring/Easter. I embroidered around the collar, but later decided this was not a good idea since that part of the shirt needs to stretch to get over the head.

This is one of my favorites. Mia has a pair of blue pants that looks great with this shirt. It really brings out the little blue dots in the fabric.

I made these a few weeks ago, front and back are shown.

Close up of the applique:

All the shirts are from Old Navy because I like the thickness of the cotton. Plus they were on sale. The designs were stolen from other websites, I am not creative enough to draw my own figures, and I can't draw. I cut out the figures from fabric, fuse them to the shirt with that iron on stuff, then hand stitch around to give them that "hand made" look. I actually really like doing this, and find the stitching to be very relaxing. So if you want me to make one for your kid, send me an email and I will for a small fee. B.J. thinks I should sell these, but I am not sure how I would go about doing that. Any ideas?

I'm Lazy

2008-04-15T10:04:00.008-05:00

I know it's been awhile since my last post, I have no excuses except to say that I have been lazy. Here is what I have been doing:

Reading: "John Adams" by David McCullough. So far it is very good and a fast read. It's a long book so hopefully I will have it finished before our vacation. We don't have HBO, so I am not watching the miniseries, but will rent it when it is out on DVD.

TV: Been watching alot of baseball (The Tribe is sucking right now). Thankfully the NBC Thursday night lineup is back, 30 Rock is the best!

Vacation: In June, B.J. and I are going to the Outer Banks, NC for Joe and Erica's wedding. I just realized that we are leaving in less than two months! On Saturday we went to Cincinnati for the bridal shower and to celebrate Joe's birthday so it really got me thinking how close our trip is. We will be staying here with three other couples. Since the price of gas will be outrageous, we are going to carpool with our good friends Nick and Christina. Also because they only live 10 minutes from us and it will make the drive much more enjoyable. It will be hard to be away from Mia for a week, but she will have so much fun being spoiled by my parents that she won't even notice we are gone!

Sewing: I have not made any more tote bags or that purse for me, but I am going to start this week. I did make a shirt for Mia so I will post that picture later. I also am going to make a table runner for our kitchen table that matches our curtains. That will be easy, I just need to get to work.

Well that's all that is going on with me, nothing exciting! Luckily the weather is going to be awesome this week so already this week is shaping up to be great!

Best tote bag ever

2008-04-01T19:46:00.005-05:00

Well not the best EVER, but the best I have made. I am very happy with how my mom's birthday gift came out, my stitches are much straighter, and my sewing skills are improving.

The inside lining, I really like this fabric, and green is my mom's favorite color.

This time I sewed the stripe on the outside of the bag first, before sewing the sides. This made the finished ends look so much better.

Once again I used this tutorial to make the bag. I was able to make my mom's tote bag in about an hour and a half, not counting ironing and cutting the fabric. So, maybe a little over two hours to cut the fabric and sew, not bad.

Next I want to try to make a purse for myself using this shoulder bag tutorial. This looks more complicated, but I feel I am ready for something else. Hopefully I can make it up to JoAnn Fabric's sometime this week. I am feeling in a very crafty mood!

Opening Day!

2008-03-31T12:36:00.004-05:00

Yeah for the start of baseball season! B.J. in in Cincinnati today for the Reds game, and I am eagerly awaiting the start of the Indians vs White Sox game at 3:05pm today. Should be a great game, especially since C.C. Sabathia is pitching. Hopefully Mia wakes up from her super long morning nap (It's 1:45, she's been asleep since 11:15!) so we can go to Kroger and be home in time for the game.

In other news, my hives are back, UGH!!! I went to the doctor again this morning, they are going to do some bloodwork to see what's going on. I think I might be allergic to Flanagan as he is on a new heartworm/flea treatment pill. I just wonder if the new pill is changing his dander chemistry. So we are not going to give him his April pill and I am going to do a super cleaning of the house. Since I tend to break out while I am at home and not anywhere else, I have to be allergic to something in our house. This is really annoying.

I have started a new sewing project, a tote bag for my mom since her birthday is next weekend. I will post a picture as soon as it's done. I am trying out something a bit different, hopefully it works. I also bought Mia three plain t-shirts at Old Navy yesterday (they are having a great sale) so I need to decide how to embellish them. I will post pics also of these and some others that I have done for her.

Ok, Mia is finally waking up, lunch time for her and off to the grocery. GO TRIBE!!

Ready for Spring!

2008-03-18T14:27:00.003-05:00

March 20th is the first day of Spring!! I cannot even say how much I am ready for the weather to warm up, I am so sick of the cold. Today it has been warm (high 40's) but rainy. Blech, I want a warm sunny day so Mia and I can go to the zoo, or for a nice long walk.

Heath update: My hives are gone! I had a follow up doctor appointment yesterday and my doctor thinks they were caused by a virus. In addition to the hives, I had a swollen lymph node in my neck (not huge, but noticeable) so that is gone now also. February and March were not a good health months for me, not only did I have hives, a swollen lymph node, but I had a blood test and found out I have high Cholesterol. Really, really high Cholesterol. So, since I am only 30 (almost 31, yikes!), not overweight, and eat a mostly healthy diet, the doctor said it is probably just based on my genetics. My mom also has high cholesterol, along with my aunts and cousins. This put me into a mild depression for a few days, but I am over it now. We are definitely going to join the YMCA so I can work out. We keep putting this off since we have been busy the past few weekends. Need to kick ourselves in the ass and get over there and join. I also have been cutting out ice cream, Starbucks, misc snacks, and now eating alot of oatmeal and whole grains. I probably should cut back on the peanut butter, but it's what I usually eat for lunch. Too quick and easy, especially when I am trying to feed Mia her lunch also. Mmmm, peanut butter on whole wheat Ritz crackers, yum!

This past Saturday B.J. and I worked the Science Olympiad at Piqua High School, my alma mater. It went well, although it is boring to watch kids take a test. I had ten, 5 minute stations, where they had to identify rocks and/or minerals and answer other questions. Overall the day went fast, but at the time it seemed to take forever! I also realized that I could never be a teacher, I just don't have the patience and the thought of dealing with Junior High or High School kids makes me ill. Sorry Dana, no extra t-shirts!

That's about all that's going on with me, nothing too exciting coming up in my schedule. Everybody have a good week and think warm spring thoughts!

Happy Birthday!

2008-03-14T10:00:00.002-05:00

Happy 24th Birthday Anne!!

Yesterday was her actual birthday, sorry this post is late.

WTF?!

2008-03-11T13:41:00.003-05:00

Today I paid $3.46 per gallon of gas!!!! What the F! Luckily my car gets 30+ mpg so the 5 gallons should last awhile, but still. If I wasn't on empty I would have waited a few days. I was actually in shock about the price and drove to a couple stations to see if I could find something cheaper. Ugh!

On a side note, Columbus ended up getting 20.5 inches of snow this past weekend! I did take a few pictures, but they look kind of crappy. I still might post them later.

Another WTF is that I have hives! I am obviously allergic to something and it was so bad that I went to the doctor yesterday. I am now taking Prednisone, a steroid, and hopefully it will help. I took my first dosage this morning and already I feel a little better. I have no idea what could have caused this reaction as I have not used any new soaps, lotions, or detergents. Maybe I am allergic to winter!

Blizzard!!!

2008-03-08T10:02:00.002-05:00

Blizzard like lots of snow, not the delicious DQ treat. The snow started yesterday around 10:00am and it has been snowing with high winds since. The estimates for the Columbus, OH area is about 10 to 14 inches by 7:00pm tonight. There is a 2 foot drift against our deck doors. Luckily I went to the grocery on Thursday so we are ready to stay home today and maybe tomorrow. I will try to take some pictures and post them later!

Books and Bathrooms

2008-03-05T09:42:00.003-05:00

I realized I haven't posted in forever, so here is what's new in my life.

We got a half bathroom installed on the first floor this week, now no going upstairs to pee! It's almost finished, I just need to touch up a few nicks in the wall and give it one more coat of paint. We had this giant closet/pantry off the kitchen that was a perfect size for a half bath.

I also read an excellent book, "Vaccinated: One Man's Quest to Defeat the World's Deadliest Diseases" by Paul A. Offit. The book is about Maurice Hilleman who invented many of the vaccines that we get today and thus has wiped out many diseases. I thought the whole book was interesting, especially since Mia has been getting her vaccinations. It really is amazing how in just a few years many of the diseases that would sicken and kill thousands of children were eradicated from the United States, and then most of the world.

That's about it for the past few weeks, Mia has been keeping me very busy as she is into everything! Next up for me, I will be working the Piqua Regional Science Olympiad, the Rocks and Minerals event on the 15th. I had not planned on helping out this year since we moved, but the guy who was going to run the event has to have eye surgery. So, I need to revamp the test questions and make sure I have enough rock and mineral samples. Ugh, not really looking forward to it since it is an all day event. Luckily my parents live 5 minutes from Piqua High School so we can stay at their place and they will babysit. I am forcing B.J. to be my assistant, as you can imagine he is thrilled!

We got more snow today, I am sick of it. I am so ready for Spring!!

Happy Birthday!

2008-02-22T09:55:00.004-05:00

Happy first birthday to Mia!!!

Lunar Eclipse

2008-02-21T09:39:00.002-05:00

Did anybody see the lunar eclipse last night? Luckily we had a perfect view out the windows in our kitchen and guest bedroom so we didn't have to go outside in the 10 degree weather. It was pretty cool since the full moon was huge and very bright, especially since the light was reflecting off the 4+ inches of snow we got yesterday. Awesome!

The big 3-0

2008-02-13T10:13:00.003-05:00

Happy 30th birthday to this guy!

I also made this!!

2008-02-06T19:46:00.001-05:00

I decided to make Mia a matching tote bag since I had extra fabric. This was harder since it was smaller and I decided to put a letter M on the front. I sewed the M by hand since there was no way I could do this with the sewing machine. Plus I think it looks better this way. Mia loves her purse and likes to put toys in and then take them out. I think it turned out pretty good, but my stitches still are not super even. I think my next project is to make some hooded towels for Mia since she only has two and we will be taking swimming lessons in a month or so. We are going to get a YMCA membership, the one in Hilliard has an indoor and outdoor pool. I also need to work out before our vacation to the Outerbanks in June. I am ready for a vacation!

I made this!!

2008-01-31T21:28:00.000-05:00

I finally put my new sewing machine to good use and made a tote bag. I used this tutorial from another blog to make it since I have no idea how to read a pattern. I think it turned out great, although my stitches are not all that even.

It only took a few hours and I was able to complete most of the bag while Mia was taking her afternoon nap. Luckily it was a long nap. I was actually shocked that I made something that looks good!

Free Friday

2008-01-27T10:39:00.001-05:00

On Friday, B.J. and I had a free date night, it was awesome. First free item: babysitting. My dad came over Friday to watch Mia since he was going to a volleyball tournament at the convention center on Saturday. This is key since our usual babysitter, Stacey, is moving to Cincinnati so we no longer have a babysitter. Ugh, such a pain to find somebody trustworthy to watch our kid.

Second free item: Dinner. We went to Abuelo's which is one of our favorite restaurants. We had a gift card from Christmas so all we had to pay for was the tip. It was delicious, and I had an excellent glass of sangria. Mmmmm, fruity wine. Luckily we didn't have to wait for a table, and service was fast. We were cutting it close to our third free event.

Third free item: Movie. B.J. won a gift card to anywhere in the Easton mall area, for doing an excellent job at work. Good job baby. We decided to see Juno, which was both funny and cute. I highly recommend this movie, one of the better I have seen in awhile.

It was a great Friday even though I have been feeling like crap for the past few days. I have had a sinus headache for almost a week, hopefully it will get better soon.

Nothing much planned for this week, hopefully I can get some stuff done around the house. I am also going to attempt to make a tote bag with my new sewing machine. I will let you know how it goes.

Have a great week!

"Huckleberry" is an idiot

2008-01-21T13:50:00.000-05:00

Most people know that Mike Huckabee is an idiot about current events (his knowledge of Pakistan), but apparently he is also ignorant of past events. Or more importantly, ignorant of the meaning of past events such as the Civil War and the confederate flag. What a great campaign strategy to alienate many of the southern voters!

Normally I think Christopher Hitchens is a bit extreme in his view points, but I have to agree with his point about Huckabee. I have not read his book "God is Not Great: How Religion Poisons Everything" just some excerpts on Slate. Although I agree with the title of the book, his tone is so elitist that I really don't think I could make it through the whole book.

So scared of a little girl

2008-01-17T15:07:00.000-05:00

Flanagan isn't really scared of Mia, he just gets tired of her following him around. He is also annoyed that she wants to play with his toys even though she has a ton of her own toys. Here is a picture of him pouting on the chair, he moved from the couch because Mia was sitting there with B.J. What a baby.

I know this is a lame post, but nothing exciting is going on. On a side note, I am really enjoying following Pablo's blog about his exciting trip!

Is this for real?

2008-01-09T14:05:00.000-05:00

Check this out.

I admit that I swear alot, more than I should, especially for someone with a small child. But a law to ban swearing in bars!? Come on people, get a grip.

Happy New Year!

2008-01-02T15:22:00.000-05:00

Happy New Year everyone! Already 2008 is an exciting year, Mia is now crawling! She is keeping me very busy and it's only the second day of the year.

I want to say thank you to my parents who came over to watch Mia so B.J. and I could go out on the 31st. We went to dinner at the Hyde Park Prime Steakhouse in Dublin with 3 other couples. It was a great meal with wonderful friends. After dinner we went back to Nick and Christina's house and ate dessert and played catchphrase which was very fun. As much as I missed Mia, it was so nice to hang out with friends, it's been awhile since I have done something sans kid.

I hope you all have a wonderful and happy 2008!

Happy Holidays!

2007-12-26T20:21:00.000-05:00

I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas, Hanukkah, Eid al-Adha, Sol Invictus, or whatever you celebrate this season.

Flanagan had a great Christmas, he wishes you all a Happy New Year!

Science and Back Pain

2007-12-12T16:02:00.000-05:00

Check out this article from Yahoo Live Science. It's about how women evolved different spines than men to accommodate pregnancy. Very interesting! Maybe this also has something to do with the classic pregnant waddle that comes about around the same time. Ugh, I hated waddling around, it made my knees hurt.

Interview and long weekend

2007-12-11T13:05:00.000-05:00

On Friday I had an interview, it went well, although I am not going to take the job. There are a number of reasons, a few are: The drive (at least 30 min one way), The job (I would be on the phone alot and no geology work), and the biggest reason is that they would only want me to work part time for a few months then move to full time. I was thinking of maybe working part time for a year, then move to full time. So, I haven't officially declined the position, but expect to do so this week.

Things have been busy! Saturday we went to Cincinnati to visit Brandon, Danielle, big brother Ethan, and new baby Gwenyth. She is very cute and very tiny! B.J. stayed in Cincy for a guys night and got a ride back with Nick on Sunday. I drove home with Mia who cried for about an hour of the hour and a half drive back. I almost lost my mind.

Sunday we went to the Limited Brands holiday party, which was amazing! Too bad it was raining, since they had horse and carriage rides outside, live reindeer, and a live nativity scene. This was the most spectacular company holiday party I have ever heard of. The building was decorated in part like Santa's workshop and an enchanted castle. The cafeteria looked like Hogwarts! Which I thought was nice since it is a huge company with all kinds of different people, and not everybody celebrates Christmas. The food was amazing with shrimp, a sushi bar, various pastas, dips, and special kid food. There were also waiters walking around with food all throughout the building. Plus a ton of different desserts! Mia got to sit on Santa's lap, she wasn't thrilled, and there was a ton of activities for kids. Mia was not feeling that great so we didn't get to check out the spa area (you could get a massage!), but we did see B.J.'s cubicle. And the giant Elle Macpherson poster at the end of his cubicle row. Most of the giant Victoria's Secret posters were covered up since it was a family event. There was actually so much more, but it just seems like too much to write about!

This week is much less busy, but I have ton to do around the house. Mia is sick, so when she is awake I can't get anything done since she is whiny and wants to be held. Last night she had a fever of 103.5! I freaked out a bit, but the doctor said to just give her some motrin and fluids. She is feeling better today, but still not her usual fun self.

Ok, got to clean up the kitchen, until next time...

Snow!

2007-12-05T10:54:00.000-05:00

I woke up this morning to find it has snowed! Here are a few pictures from this morning. They are not the greatest because I just took them from our deck doors and our front door. It's still snowing and we are to get around 4 inches today!

Awesome

2007-12-04T09:58:00.000-05:00

Check out this article on CNN about a dinosaur mummy. Awesome! This is such a fantastic find, and the information from this mummy is amazing. I love dinosaurs!

Interesting

2007-11-28T13:14:00.001-05:00

As I was wasting time on the internets today, I came across this article on Slate.com about gender and politics. I found it extremely interesting and worth reading up more on some of the referenced articles.

Now I have never been involved in politics, but have been in a leadership position at my old job. When I was promoted, there were a number of men who were upset about having to report to a woman. Especially a woman who was younger than them. So I find what some men have to say about Hillary Clinton not surprising. It doesn't matter if you agree with her politics or not, but calling her a bitch just sounds ignorant. You would never hear any of the male candidates called a similar derogatory name. Why does a woman who speaks her mind and is forceful and passionate about issues always labeled a bitch by those who disagree? Yes Clinton is a polarizing figure, but I think that even if a different woman was running there would be the same name calling.

Ok, I know I went on a tangent away from the point of the article. That's just what the article made me think about.

This is not a post for or against Hilliary Clinton, just my thoughts on gender relations.

Ugh, Christmas Shopping

2007-11-23T13:51:00.000-05:00

Now I officially have to start shopping for Christmas gifts. I think this year I will do most of my shopping online, as usually DVD's and books are cheaper at Amazon than anywhere else. Plus it is so much easier to sit on my ass and click away then to go to the stores. Last week I did brave Toys R Us, but was really turned off by the lack of interesting toys for a 9 month old baby. Most of them were loud, annoying, big, and expensive. I really want to limit the amount of battery operated toys, as we are tearing through batteries due to the baby monitor and crib mobile. Plus I am a little worried about all the possible lead in the plastic toys. Especially since Mia puts everything in her mouth.

I did find this great online store, Oompa Toys that sells beautiful Haba brand toys. They are mostly wooden and made in Germany so no lead worries there. The prices are great and I have already picked out a few things. Actually there were so many cute toys that I am going to have to restrain myself!

Congratulations to Mark and Dana on the birth of Caroline Monet, she is just beautiful!

I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving!!

Job Offer (Updated)

2007-11-19T15:54:00.001-05:00

Last week I received a job offer from a company that supplies lab equipment to quarries and construction materials labs like where I used to work. I turned it down because I really don't want a full time job right now. Plus it would mean a 20 plus minute commute one way. Well, the company emailed me and said that if I only wanted to work 20 hours a week they might have an opportunity for me. They also indicated that they would be flexible and I know those jobs are almost impossible to find.

I have such mixed feelings about working. On one hand I love staying home and spending time with Mia. But I also really miss working and having the independence of my own money. I wish this offer came a year from now, then I would definitely take it. Part of me feels that if I turn this down, when I am ready to work there won't be anything out there. Especially since my job experience is in such a narrow field (construction and mining geology).

The guy offered to even meet me in Hilliard (he lives here also) and to discuss the job with me and B.J. Gaaahhhhh! I don't know what to do! This situation will require alot of thought and discussion.

Update: I am going in for an interview on the 7th. I figured, what the hell, if it doesn't work out at least they can keep me in mind for the future. Basically it all comes down to money. I am not going to work to just pay daycare, that is dumb. So, I guess I need to find out how much daycare will cost. I am still conflicted, hopefully the interview will help me make up my mind.

Ohio State 14, Michigan 3

2007-11-17T19:10:00.000-05:00

The title says it all. OSU's defense owned Michigan, and nobody could stop Beanie Wells. Great game. Go Buckeyes!!!!

Worst Football Weekend Ever

2007-11-12T15:53:00.000-05:00

What the hell? Ohio State lost. The Cleveland Browns lost. The New York Giants lost.

Michigan lost too, so at least I feel a tiny bit better. Bucks vs Blue this weekend, Go OSU!!

Zune!

2007-11-11T09:23:00.000-05:00

B.J. and I just bought our Christmas gift for each other, we are going to share a 30GB Zune! Well we may buy another one if we like it since they are on sale at Buy.com.

We decided on a Zune instead of an Ipod since we could get 30GB for $99. No way could we find an Ipod with that amount of memory for that cheap. I can't wait until it gets here!

Side note: I know we are way behind the times as this is our first Mp3 player. Unless you count my car which can play Mp3 CD's.

Busy, Busy, Busy

2007-11-06T09:03:00.000-05:00

Last week was crazy busy, sorry for the lack of blogging. B.J. had the week off of work and we had plenty of home improvement projects going on. We got a late start since Monday we had to take Mia to the doctor, she had a weird bacterial infection on her head. There were small crusty bumps that oozed, they were gross, so her doctor wanted us to bring her in. She is all better now, we had some ointment and washed her head with an anti-bacterial soap. She did develop a cough and runny nose a few days later. No fever so I don't think it was anything serious, she was very crabby though, so I didn't get anything done the first few days.

Tuesday B.J. and I went to dinner for our anniversary (3 years!). Luckily our babysitter was available during the week. We went to McCormick & Schmick's and had some delicious seafood. Also some killer desserts!

We got a new front door, one with a window, and that needed to be painted. Twice. Two different colors. The first one was too bright a green, you could see it from down the block! It was like a beacon calling us home, and also a bit embarrassing. Now it is a nice forest green color. We also installed a new eco-friendly inside light above the door. That was a huge pain to put in, but it will save us money on our electricity bills.

B.J. waterproofed our privacy fence, luckily we were able to borrow a sprayer from a guy he works with. If we had to hand brush it, it would have taken a month! My big project was painting the kitchen. It is now no longer bright yellow, but now a nice shade of light cream. We just need to replace all the light fixtures and get a new refrigerator. That will have to wait since yesterday we ordered a new dining room table and chairs. All in good time, no need to fill up the credit card before Christmas.

On Saturday Anne came down from Ann Arbor to hang out for the weekend. We went to see Dashboard Confessional in concert at the Newport. Fantastic show! Sunday my parents came over and we all went to lunch at Scrambler's, which was delicious.

That's about it, this week is much more relaxed. I still need to finish painting one wall of the hallway between the living room and the kitchen, but I ran out of paint. I think that will wait until the weekend. I think this is the longest post I have ever done, so I will stop boring all of you. Have a great week!

Gross

2007-10-24T14:03:00.000-05:00

A couple gross things:

This article from CNN.

I have killed two Wolf Spiders in the basement. I HATE spiders, and these are freaky. When I was little a wolf spider bit me on the ankle/foot area and my foot swelled up so I couldn't even wear a shoe. I think this is why I am so freaked out by them. I am tempted to spray the entire house with pesticide, then I think about the previously mentioned CNN article.

Remembering

2007-10-19T14:15:00.000-05:00

Rest in peace Sam Pearson, Piqua High School class of 1998, killed in Iraq.

Flu Shots and Other Thoughts

2007-10-17T14:05:00.000-05:00

This is just a post of what I am thinking about today:

Today Mia and I got flu shots. I got mine at the grocery store and Mia got hers at the doctor's office. My arm hurts, but that is better than getting the flu. I need to find a doctor for B.J. and I, I am sure I could use a checkup.

Made a dentist appointment for the 28th, I know I have a cavity so I have been putting it off. Pregnancy totally wrecked my teeth. This is only my 2nd cavity so I guess I shouldn't complain.

The Tribe is kicking Boston's ass, I love it. I think I have a crush on Grady Sizemore and Franklin Gutierrez.

Sorry this post is boring and short, I need to clean my house. It's a mess. Since I am a stay at home mom with only one kid this place should be cleaner, I don't know how it gets so messy. I blame Flanagan.

Reading is fun!

2007-10-10T09:53:00.000-05:00

Since I have started posting again I have read a ton of books. I used to read while breastfeeding, but since I am done I try to make time every day to read something. It's such a nice way to relax. There are a few books that I just loved so I would like to recommend them to whoever loves to read.

My favorite book that I read over the summer is "What is the What" by Dave Eggers. This is the story of Valentino Achak Deng who is a refugee of the Sudanese civil war. Valentino is a real person and this is mostly a true story, but it is listed as fictionalized memoir. Fantastic book, although I don't recommend reading it before bed, it gave me nightmares. I also watched Blood Diamond soon after finishing this book and although they are about different conflicts, they both deal with how shitty people can be. The book and move also made me think about human nature and what would drive a person to commit such horrible acts to another.

On a less depressing note, another great book is "Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln" by Doris Kearns Goodwin. The first few chapters are boring and they tell the background of the main players of Lincoln's cabinet. Once the book comes to Lincoln's election as president it is much more interesting. I thought that it was amazing how Lincoln took people from both political parties to form his cabinet, and they worked together on the issues of the times. Definitely something you would not see in today's political climate.

There are a few more books that I want to write about, but that is for another time. If you are reading this blog and have any book recommendations please feel free to comment.

It's Tribe Time Now!

2007-10-05T21:07:00.000-05:00

I just watched game 2 of the Indians v Yankees ALDS and it was awesome. The bugs were so gross, I don't know how the players kept their cool for the fantastic pitchers duel. Carmona is on fire!

I freaking love baseball.

Go Tribe!

Landslide

2007-10-04T13:17:00.001-05:00

Click the title of the entry for the CNN article.

Landslides are cool. Not for the people whose homes they destroy, but from a geological point of view they are just awesome. My favorite quote from the CNN article about the La Jolla landslide:

Pat Abbott, a retired geological sciences professor at San Diego State University, told the Union-Tribune that Mount Soledad is made up of weak layers of rock and that the culprit in the landslide is nature. "Gravity pulling on the incline is pulling down masses of earth and those masses of earth have houses on top of them," Abbott told the paper. "It's a geologically bad site and should not have been built on to begin with."

There are millions of people in the US who live where they should not. Yes the chances are slim that a landslide, earthquake, flood, or hurricane, is going to destroy your house, so I understand taking that chance. Just be aware of where you live and what could happen, especially before buying a multi-million dollar house.

Luckily nobody was injured.

Really the engineer or whoever ok'd the building permit for the neighborhood is at fault, not the homeowners. I smell a lawsuit!

Blogging Again!

2007-10-02T14:58:00.000-05:00

Ok, I know it's been forever since I last posted, but I have a good reason. Babies take up alot of time. Anyway, I decided I needed to start blogging again to have something to do besides of taking care of my kid. So, this new blog will not have any family news, this is just about me. Things I have read and want to share, what I am thinking about lately, and what I am doing (not baby related).

I have read some great books since I last posted and I will let you know what they are at a later time, too much to post right now.

I am sure nobody reads this anymore, but if you do, I promise to post at least once a week.

Until next time, hopefully sooner rather than later.

Where has the time gone?

2007-03-08T20:51:00.000-05:00

Ok, I know I haven't posted in awhile, but I have a good excuse. Mia takes up most of my time, even though she sleeps alot, I feel like there is so much to do around the house. Today Mia is two weeks old, and it just seems like yesterday we were bringing her home from the hospital!

So far she has been a great baby, with a few frustrating nights, but that is to be expected. I just love when she is awake and looking around, she is just so cute! My days seem to fly by, I usually don't get up until after 9:00, sometimes later depending on how much sleep I got during the night. While Mia is sleeping I eat, take a shower, and usually do dishes or pick up around the house. In the afternoon I try to take a nap, which Flanagan likes because we get to snuggle and he has all my attention. I haven't really developed a routine yet, but hopefully we can figure something out in the next few weeks.

Not much else is going on, my day is consumed with being a mom, which is still sounds so crazy to me. I am someone's mom! Frightening and thrilling at the same time!

I had a baby!

2007-02-26T20:04:00.000-05:00

As most of you know, on February 22nd I had a baby girl. She is totally consuming our lives, I cannot believe it is already the 26th! So far the two nights we have been home she has let us sleep in 3 hour intervals which is pretty good. I am sure this will not last, so we are thankful for those precious hours of sleep!

Labor was definately an experience I will not forget. I just have to say thanks to whoever invented the epidural!

Flanagan has been very good, at first he was kind of scared when she cried, but he is over that now. He is just very curious and like to sniff her. Overall he has behaved very well, and I am sure he will just love her when she is older.

BJ and I are in the process of getting a password protected blog together so we can post picutures without any crazies looking at our girl. We will keep you posted!

Baby Hanley is coming soon!

2007-02-20T11:00:00.000-05:00

Tomorrow I will be going to the hospital to be induced! At my appointment yesterday the doctor felt that it would be best to induce labor since I am not making any progress. So this baby will be here soon! It seems so crazy that B.J. and I will be parents by the end of the week!

Today I slept in, cuddled with Flanagan (he's my first baby) and am going to repack my hospital bag just to make sure I have everything. I am nervous and excited, these 9 months have gone by so fast!

So Cold!

2007-02-16T11:17:00.000-05:00

It is cold out! Currently it is 6 degrees, I think this is why baby girl does not want to come out. Yesterday my doctor appointment went well, her heartbeat is good and she is in position. I have started to dilate, but not much. I have appointments on Monday and Wednesday and the doctor said we might induce on Wednesday. This is totally fine with me, because I have been very uncomfortable the past few days. It just seems so crazy that she will be here in less than a week!

Still Waiting...

2007-02-12T18:49:00.000-05:00

Today was my first day of maternity leave and it was nice to not have to go to work. I hope the baby comes soon because I am sure I will get bored in a week or so. It was awesome to sleep until 10:00am, of course as soon as the baby gets here that will never happen again! I was kind of productive today, I went to Target, did the dishes, and cleaned the guest bedroom. I don't think I am "nesting" but just finally getting around to cleaning up the house. This place is a mess.

I am at 39 Weeks, one week from my due date! I am of course huge, but I am feeling good. Just ready for this baby!!

My stomach looks ridiculous in this picture!

No baby yet

2007-02-08T21:18:00.000-05:00

I had another doctor's appointment today and no more progress towards birth. Although the baby has dropped, I am not dilated. The doctor said that if I don't go into labor by the 23rd then we would induce. Hopefully she wants to come out before then. We are anxiously anticipating her arrival!

In other big life news, we are moving to Columbus! B.J. has accepted a new job with The Limited Brands (Bath & Body Works, Express, Victoria's Secret, The Limited) so in a few months we will be moving out of Dayton. This is not the ideal time to be changing jobs and moving to a different city, but the offer was too good to pass up. So there will be many crazy changes for the Hanley family in the next few months.

Tomorrow is my last day at work, then I start my maternity leave. I have all these plans for next week, cleaning, napping, who knows if I will get anything done. At least I will get some quality time with Flanagan before the baby comes.

Have a good weekend everyone!

It's Snowing!!!

2007-02-06T16:05:00.000-05:00

It is snowing like crazy right now. The forcast says that Dayton could get 2-4 inches at least. I really hope I don't go into labor tonight!!

Baby Update

2007-02-04T11:01:00.000-05:00

Everything with the pregnancy is going great, the baby has dropped so I don't have too much longer. The doctor changed my due date to the 19th which was my original due date before the ultrasound. My last day of work is Friday the 9th so hopefully I will have time to relax and do some stuff around the house before the baby comes. I am getting very excited to meet this baby!

A few more weeks to go

2007-01-28T17:17:00.000-05:00

I am at 36 weeks and I think I am ready for this baby. I now have to see the doctor every week and the good news is the baby's head is down. But I still have a few more weeks to go. I am getting pretty uncomfortable since the baby is running out of room to grow. Today she has been pushing alot on one side of my lower stomach and it does not feel good.

The nursery is almost done, we just need to do a few more things to finish. I haven't taken any pictures yet, but as soon as I do I will post them.

Check B.J.'s blog later this week for some potentially big job news. All I will say is that we might be moving. Stay tuned...

34 Weeks

2007-01-15T19:42:00.000-05:00

Well I am at 34 weeks and getting tired of being pregnant. I now have to go to the doctor's every 7-10 days, and so far everything is looking good. I am getting huge, see for yourself:

This baby is very active, which is so cool to feel and watch, but it can be uncomfortable at times. She also seems to get the hiccups alot which is weird and annoying. This weekend we have our birthing class, and I am not sure what to expect, but I am sure it will be informative.

Everything else is going well, work is getting busy, which makes the days go by so fast. I am trying to get as much done before I go on maternity leave. I am not sure how much longer I will be working, it all depends on how I feel, but since I just got an 8% raise I am going to try to work as long as I can.

Only 4-6 more weeks, I am excited to see our little girl!!!

Happy New Year!

2007-01-03T20:05:00.000-05:00

Welcome to 2007, this should be a very exciting year for B.J. and I. Approximately 8 more weeks until our little girl arrives, I am hoping for sooner rather than later. (But not too soon)

2006 was a good year, among my favorite things from last year:
Music: Artic Monkeys, "Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not"

TV: The Daily Show, especially the following:
Ted Stevens-The internet is a series of tubes
Taint in Washington

Movies: I actually can't remember all the movies I have seen this year, but I really enjoyed V For Vendetta

Books: I don't read that much new fiction since I think most of it is crap, but here are a few books that I read this year that I recommend. Non-Fiction.
"1776" by David McCullough
"Assassination Vacation" by Sarah Vowell

Overall 2006 was a very good year and I am sure 2007 will be filled with excitement. Especially after the baby arrives!

In honor of the Sugar Bowl, Notre Dame vs LSU, here is one of my favorite articles from The Onion: Notre Dame Football Announces Improvements To Its Storied History

Belated Merry Christmas!

2006-12-27T18:11:00.000-05:00

Hope everybody had an excellent Christmas! It was a nice long weekend spent with family and good food. We finally got some work done on the baby's room and it is almost finished. Just need to get the crib and a few more items, pictures will come soon.

Flanagan also had a good Christmas, so much so that he fell asleep with his new toy. Thanks to Sean, Robin, and Gordie for his new favorite toy!

30 Weeks

2006-12-18T21:10:00.000-05:00

I can't believe I am already 30 weeks pregnant! The months are flying by, and I feel that we have so much to do. B.J. has almost finished painting the baby's room, so after Christmas we will get the crib and all the other stuff we need. Only 2 more months!!

This baby is very active, it seems like she is always moving. I have been feeling pretty good, but I am starting to get uncomfortable. All the baby weight is out front and by the end of the day my stomach muscles and back are sore. I know it's just going to get worse so I will have to limit how much I do at work. More sitting, less standing and walking around. I had a doctor's appointment today and he said to just take it easy. I really don't want to go on bed rest so I will do my best to relax.

I feel huge!

B.J. hates painting.

80 Freaking Dollars

2006-12-11T11:27:00.000-05:00

I finally signed B.J. and I up for the birthing class at the hospital where I will be giving birth. We are going on Jan 20th and 21st from 10am to 3pm. I am looking forward to it since I am sure it will be informative and interesting. I was not pleased with the cost of the class, $80.00 and not covered by my health insurance. Apparently most insurance companies do not consider the class to be medically necessary so they will not cover it. As if having a kid isn't already expensive enough. Annoying.

The baby is kicking so much lately! It is so weird to watch my stomach move when she moves around. B.J. finds it freaky and it kind of is. Seems like it's something out of Aliens. It is reassuring to feel her moving around. She's going to be a soccer player, she is, she is.

No Smoking in Ohio and Pearl Harbor

2006-12-07T19:09:00.000-05:00

Today, December 7th, was the first day Ohio's no smoking ban went into place. This means no smoking in bars, restaurants, workplaces, and any public place. This is awesome. I can now enter the lunchroom at work and not come out reeking. Also this means the smokers at work will actually have to do work instead of sitting in the lunchroom. I bet there are a few people that spent around 4 hours a day smoking. Of course there were plenty of people bitching about the ban, but when they were asked if they voted and their response was "no" I wanted to laugh. Voting gives a person the right to bitch and complain. It was also hilarious that the first day of the smoking ban happend to be 20 degrees and snowing outside. Ha ha! (Nelson voice)

On a less spiteful note, today is Pearl Harbor Day. B.J. and I visited the USS Arizona memorial last year when we were in Hawaii. It was an interesting and moving experience. The memorial did a good job of giving both the US and Japanese points of view. Since both my grandfathers (Kohl and Sterling) were in WWII I really wanted to see the memorial. If you ever go to Hawaii, visit the memorial, it is very humbling.

Another slow week

2006-12-04T20:03:00.000-05:00

B.J. is watching the end of The Librarian on TNT, it is not good.

Today was the slowest day at work, I did around two and a half hours of project work. I don't think we are going to get much work in this week, so this week will probably drag on.

Anyway, this weekend was ok. Saturday I had a good time with my mom at the outlet mall, I was able to get most of the Christmas shopping done. I did get really tired from walking, carrying around this extra weight is not easy. My feet really hurt by the end of the day. Sunday I woke up at 4:00am and could not fall back to sleep. So I decided to get up, did some dishes, read the paper and then at 5:30 went back to bed. I had fitful sleep until around 9:30. Almost every night the past couple weeks I wake up around 3:00-3:30 and cannot get back to sleep. It is really annoying and I felt lazy and like crap for almost the entire day. At least the Browns won, that was awesome!

Today we toured a daycare, Rainbow Child Development Center, in Fairborn. They are the only day care center I found that will watch kids part time (5 hours a day). When we get there the director who was to show us around had to watch a classroom since she had a teacher call in sick so we were able to look around ourselves and check out the infant room. The place was nice and very clean. The teachers fill out a worksheet every day on each child to let the parents know when they were fed, changed, and when they napped. I think it will work out fine. They are faxing me more info tomorrow about pricing, etc. Once I figure out how much it will cost I get to negotiate with my boss about pay.

Only three more months to go before our baby is here, time is flying by!

Nothing to do...

2006-12-01T11:26:00.000-05:00

Work has been so boring this week, things are slow so I don't have much to do. Actually today I have nothing to do. Makes the day go by so slow. Luckily I have the internets and have been looking for Christmas gifts. My mom and I are going to the outlet mall tomorrow so I should finish up most of it this weekend.

B.J. and his dad are going to work on the trim for the baby's room tomorrow and sometime this weekend we are going to pick out paint. Sherwin-Williams has an Low VOC, no odor paint that we are going to use. Hopefully we can finish the room in the next couple weeks so we can get the crib and put everything in the room. Currently all the baby stuff is in our guest bedroom and you can barely walk in it is so crammed with stuff. I think I am nesting since all the mess is making me stressed. I am just getting excited for our baby girl!

It's A Girl!!!

2006-11-27T18:12:00.000-05:00

Today I am at 27 weeks and had my third and last ultrasound and we discovered the baby is a girl! This was a shock since I thought it was a boy, and the baby was clearly a girl from the ultrasound. B.J. and I are very happy and it's a big relief to finally know. Now I can pick a color to paint the room (probably light green) and shop for cute girl clothes.

Everything with the pregnancy is going well, the doctor said I should eat less carbs and more protein since the baby's body was a bit small for 27 weeks (the head measured exactly 27 wks). I have been eating alot of carbs since I haven't been able to eat much meat so the doctor said to eat nuts and cheeses. That I can do. I also have had killer heartburn the past couple days, so no more oranges past 8:00pm. Everything else is going well.

Have a good week everybody!

Turkey makes everyone tired

2006-11-24T22:17:00.000-05:00

It's only Tuesday!?

2006-11-21T14:04:00.000-05:00

I really don't feel like working today so here is what's on my mind:
1) I feel like crap today.
2) Since Thanksgiving is coming up, I am thankful for Sprite. This beverage has been a lifesaver since I have become pregnant.
3) Work is really getting on my nerves, the incompetence around here is amazing.
4) Ultrasound on the 27th, I am so excited for this, it's all I can really think about.
5) We are going to Oxford on Friday, the weather will be sunny and in the 50's. Perfect football weather.
6) I am not looking forward to Thanksgiving turkey. Still having issues with eating/chewing meat. I find this upsetting since I usually love Thanksgiving dinner.
7) Flanagan has stinky feet and needs a bath.
8) I wish we could pay someone to finish the baby's room, I want it done before Christmas, but I just don't see that happening.
9) I need to start wearing maternity shirts since I am running out of regular clothes that still fit.
10) I am also thankful for gap.com which is having a sale on maternity clothes. I love the internets. Also, the google.

Weird

2006-11-19T12:32:00.000-05:00

This is one of those weird things in life that kind of freaks me out.

25 Weeks

2006-11-13T18:03:00.000-05:00

It's been a busy few days. Last week I was at a work convention for OAIMA which went well and I met people that I talk to on the phone but had never seen in person. It's nice to put a face with a voice. Archie Griffin spoke at the Thursday lunch and he was and is awesome. I did get some shopping done at the Easton Town Center, but I got really tired and my feet started to hurt so it was an early night for me.

This weekend Anne and Soha threw me a baby shower, it was nice to see my aunts from northern Ohio, and I had a great time. Thanks to Anne for planning and thanks to Soha for hosting!

Today I had a doctor's appointment for a glucose screening. I will have results in a couple days. I got to hear the baby's heartbeat again and it was so cool! While the heart monitor thing was on my stomach, the baby kicked it really hard, and moved away. It was very cute. The baby kicks harder every week and does not like me slouching at my desk because he/she kicks like crazy when I do. It is such a weird yet amazing feeling!

Germ Freaks

2006-11-07T13:05:00.000-05:00

Saw this article in the NY Times today about germ freaks and related products. It all seems crazy and a bit much to me. Just wash your hands frequently and that's all you need.

Busy November

2006-11-06T09:00:00.000-05:00

I can't believe it's November already and I am 24 weeks pregnant. The weeks are just flying by! This is going to be a busy month, I have two doctor's and a dentist appointment, a baby shower, and a work conference. Later this week I will be in Columbus for the Ohio Aggregates and Industrial Minerals Association annual meeting. It is at the Hilton at the Easton Town Center, which is one of the best malls. Hopefully I will have time to do some shopping.

We haven't done any work on the baby's room, which is making me kind of anxious. We need to refinish the floors, sand and paint the window trim, and paint the walls. We don't have a wall color yet, but if we are having a boy the room will be blue, and yellow if we are having a girl. We should know by the end of the month, I have an ultrasound on the 27th.

Things will be crazy this week so I might not get a chance to post. I will make sure to give an update about my work conference, I know you all are just waiting in anticipation. Have a good week!

Bob Barker

2006-10-31T16:31:00.000-05:00

I cannot believe Bob Barker is retiring from The Price Is Right! This is one of the only games shows I have ever liked. I remember watching it with my mom when I was younger and watching it in college. Plinko is my favorite game. The show will never be the same!

The Daily Show!!!

2006-10-30T08:58:00.000-05:00

All this week The Daily Show with Jon Stewart will be in Ohio! The Midwest Midterm Midtacular will be filmed at Ohio State and I am sure it will be hilarious. Hopefully they will take many shots at the crazy politics of Ohio.

Click here for an article from the Dayton Daily News about the show.

Work News

2006-10-26T07:33:00.000-05:00

First I would like send out a big congrats to my sister Anne who recently got a job with Environment Michigan in Ann Arbor. Good Luck!!

Monday I was offered the assistant lab manager position at my job. That means instead of the 5 people I supervise now, I would be in charge of everybody in my department which is about 15 people. It is a glorified babysitting job, I would have been in charge of making sure people are on time, show up for work, are working and not messing around. Needless to say I turned it down since I do not feel that it is a part time position, and after the baby is born I will only be working around 20 hours per week. Also I just didn't want to do it. So everything is back to normal and my boss was completely ok with my not wanting the position.

Excellent Weekend

2006-10-23T18:32:00.000-05:00

Many thanks go out to B.J., Jenni, and Tonya for planning a surprise baby shower for me in Chicago. I thought B.J. and I were going to Indianapolis for the weekend just to get out of town, but he informed me Friday that we were going to Chicago instead. The shower on Saturday was a surprise and a great time. Thanks to Jenni, Tonya, Rachel, Emily, Mel, Lora, Sara and Amy H. for everything!

Also many thanks to Mel and Mike Oliva for letting us stay at their place Saturday night. Their new place is awesome! We met some friends for dinner at Lalo's for Mike King's (B.J.'s freshman year roomate)29th birthday. The food was very good and everybody but us got completely wasted on margaritas. Then later met up with Pablo, Katty, Mel, Mike, Dave, and Worms for T.K.'s 30th birthday at Finley Dunnes. Mike was so awesome and got me a shot of water, it was crazy!

Sunday we had brunch at Uncommon Ground which was delicious. B.J. and I both had the Montana Omelete, so good. It was a much needed weekend away and it was just so awesome to see everyone and finally meet Keri!

Happy Birthday Mike!

Happy Birthday T.K.!

21 Weeks

2006-10-16T18:54:00.000-05:00

I had my doctor's appointment today and everything went well. It was a quick appointment, but the best part was I got to hear the baby's heartbeat which was very cool. My blood test results came back and everything looks good, I just have low iron, but not too low so I don't have to take any suppliments. My weight and stomach mesurement were in line with my due date of February 25th, so all is well.

This weekend was the first time someone who doesn't know me commented on my being pregnant. I went to Macy's since Clinique was having a bonus and the saleswoman asked when I was due. It's nice to finally look pregnant and not just like I had put on weight.

See for yourself!

I read this article about how pets can notice if you are pregant and many women said that their cats and/or dogs were more affectionate. I think this is true with Flanagan since he has been more cuddly lately. Saturday morning before we got up he cuddled right by me instead of between B.J. and I like he normally does. Then this weekend while we were on the couch (B.J. was in the recliner) Flanagan was super cuddly, which he normally does, but not like this:

What a baby!

Finally it's the weekend

2006-10-14T14:29:00.000-05:00

It was a long week so I am thrilled it's Saturday. Today I have been surprisingly productive even though I didn't get up until 10:45. I haven't been sleeping well so today I feel great after all that sleep. The Ohio State/Michigan State game doesn't start until 3:30 so to pass the time I have been cleaning, doing laundry, and I made some bread. I was going to make zucchini bread, but as I was getting ready to shred the zucchini I discovered it was bad. Since I already had the batter made I just threw in some frozen blueberries, sunflower seeds, and almonds and hoped it would turn out ok. I am eating a piece now and it is very good. Next time I need to make sure I have all the ingredients before I cook. I tend to discover mid cooking/baking that I am missing an ingredient. Usually B.J. will have to run out and buy whatever I need, but he went to Columbus to watch the game at Nick's. So improvising worked this time.

Not much else is going on, it feels like my stomach is getting bigger every day. People at work say I am just starting to show, but I feel huge. My stomach muscles are really starting to stretch and it's an uncomfortable feeling. It doesn't hurt, but it doesn't feel good either. I have a doctor's appointment Monday, hopefully everything will check out ok, I always get nervous before going to the doctor.

I have been reading alot of non-fiction recently and am finishing "Assassination Vacation" by Sarah Vowell. If her name is familiar she is also the voice of Violet in the movie The Indredibles. She tells the story of her vacation going to various historical sites involving the assassination of presidents Lincoln, McKinley, and Garfield. The book is interesing and funny with a good amount of pop culture references and humorous jabs at the current administration. A very interesting and informative read, I highly recommend it.

Ok, the Ohio State game started and I need to give it my full attention. Have a good weekend everyone and Go Buckeyes!!

Another bizarre story from Ohio

2006-10-11T12:14:00.000-05:00

I just love the feeling of finding a hilarious story on CNN only to discover that it happened in Ohio. It just makes this buckeye so proud.

I am lazy

2006-10-08T12:39:00.000-05:00

Ok, ok, I know I haven't blogged in forever. No excuses except I have been feeling very lazy lately. I am now in my 20th week of pregnancy and things are going well. I still have headaches every day and cannot eat very much meat. I don't think I have any cravings, maybe cheese, but that's all. My stomach is getting big, I will try to post a picture soon.

Not much else going on, work has been slow lately so the days seem to drag. We are looking for daycare since I will probably work part time after the baby. This is a very frustrating experience since most places are full time daycare only. I know we have plenty of time, but I want to find somewhere as soon as possible so I can negotiate part time pay at work.

I vow to do a better job at blogging this week, and just for the hell of it, here is a picture of Flanagan who may be the cutest dog ever. At least I think so.

Picky Eaters

2006-09-26T11:40:00.000-05:00

I saw this article in the Washington Post today about adults who are picky eaters. The first person I thought of was my sister Anne, who is the pickiest eater I know. Everybody has their food phobias, but the people in the article are pretty extreme.

I can't stand to eat any food that looks like it does when it is alive (whole lobster, fish with head and tail, etc). Your food should not be able to look at you with its eyes while you are eating it. Texture is a big issue with me also, yogurt and pudding I have always had a problem with. Now since I am pregnant I cannot eat most meats, expecially chicken and pork. Just can't stand the feeling of chewing meats. So weird.

Dayton in the NY Times

2006-09-23T18:00:00.000-05:00

I was checking out the New York Times today and what do I see? The great Dayton Art Institute featured in an article about the new Rembrandt exhibit.

Earlier this year I decided to finally become a member of the art istitute and it has been worth the money. For being in a small city, the museum has really had some fantastic exhibits in the past year. Plus they have their Oktoberfest next weekend which is usually a good time. No drinking for me this year, but there will be good food and shopping. And I do love the shopping.

Ultrasounds are awesome

2006-09-18T20:03:00.000-05:00

I had another doctor appointment today and my due date has been moved to February 25th. Everything looked good and healthy, which is wonderful news. Last week I felt the baby move for the first time! It was such a weird feeling, like a tickle or butterflies in my stomach, but completely awesome. Thanks to my dad we now have a scanner so here are a few pictures:
From my last ultrasound at 13 Weeks.

From today's ultrasound at 17 Weeks, I think the head looks like an alien.

Today's ultrasound, some great pictures of his/her hand.

Today's ultrasound, the spine.

The doctor took a ton of pictues, but half of them are hard identify what's actually in the picture. At least to us. Not sure when my next ultrasound will be, hopefully then we can find out the gender, the doctor said what he thought the baby was, but couldn't give us a 100%. So we have a good idea, but I'm not going to say in case he was wrong. But we are very excited!

I am ready for some football

2006-09-10T19:03:00.000-05:00

This has been a football filled weekend! Saturday evening B.J. and I went to Columbus to our friend's place to watch the OSU vs Texas game. Our friend Nick (best man at our wedding)has a new HD TV which is the best way to watch anything. As much as B.J. and I would love to buy a new HD TV, I think that is a few years away. The game was awesome as the Buckeyes overpowered Texas. I drove B.J.'s drunk ass home and about 5 minutes away from the house I am pulled over by the Ohio State Highway Patrol for speeding. Luckily I just get a warning. This is the first time I have been pulled over since college, since I speed all the time I guess I have been lucky.

Sunday is a lazy day where B.J., Flanagan, and I sleep until 10:30. We continue to be lazy by laying around reading the paper, and watching football. B.J. does make some excellent waffles for breakfast and we watch the Browns/Saints and Bengals/Chiefs games. The Browns lose, but they show some signs of life, better than last year. The Bengals look great. B.J. is looking forward the Giants/Colts game tonight.

For dinner we head over to the Italian Food Fest put on by the Sons of Italy. B.J. has a meatball sandwich and I have some pasta. They were out of calzones so I think I will have to make some for dinner this week. The food was pretty good, not much of a selection since some of the booths were sold out. For dessert we get a cannoli, some cookie, and a funnel cake that had some Italian name. The funnel cake was the best. Mmmmmm, funnel cake. (New Simpsons tonight)

I didn't accomplish much this weekend, but after all the cleaning of last weekend I don't feel that bad about being so lazy. This week will hopefully go fast, I am not that busy at work and on Wednesday my boss and I are going to Ft. Wayne, IN to see a quarry. Should be interesting, at least it's better than being at work.

Have a good week everybody, hopefully it will fly by.

The funniest thing I've seen in a long time

2006-09-06T19:09:00.000-05:00

Wow. Classic.

More Home Repairs

2006-09-06T17:52:00.000-05:00

This weekend B.J. took out the carpet in our former office, soon to be baby's room, and to our surprise the hardwood floors look very good. We were going to put new carpet down if the floors needed completely refinished, we didn't want to deal with the work and mess of sanding, staining, etc. B.J.'s dad said that a good cleaning, light sanding, and a coat of poly is all we need. Plus we will need some additional molding which is fairly inexpensive. We will have to paint the walls, but are waiting to find out the gender of our baby. If it's a boy we will paint the walls blue, yellow if it's a girl. I can't wait!

B.J. Working.

The worst of the damage to the floor, which is not much at all.