A Day in the Life of 3 Daughters!!

It's possible, I have an addiction....

2009-01-13T09:53:00.003-06:00

Okay, I think I can say this aloud, "I am addicted to.... facebook." There I said it. I wonder if I will start the healing process now. I have found so so many friends from the past this year! I love it! I can keep in contact with people I haven't seen in over 20 years including a high school church camp friend, an elementary friend who moved away, high school friends, college friends, tropical musicians, and even someone from spring break in college! Its crazy! I love seeing photos of friends who live far away, photos of their children, and even old photos of when we were young. I am obsessed with looking at the status updates. Why am I consumed with knowing what everyone else is doing right now? It almost like a contest to come up with 'witty' statements on your status. They always make me smile. I love the idea that Craig started his 2009 year by signing up for his own Facebook page. I think he got tired of listening to me talk about it over and over. Yeah craig! I love facebook. I can't help it! (Join: add me!! I want to know you are doing too!!!)

2009 Update!

2009-01-08T09:26:00.008-06:00

It seems so much has happened since Key West! We are well underway with winter sports! Lauren is one of only six players on her 7th grade girls basketball team. They have only lost one game by one point and won 7! They beat a team this year that has not been beat in over 3 years! I was so proud of them. While playing one game, a scout from the AAU division saw her play and asked her to try out for his Blue Chip team out of Bedford. She made the team and now we travel to Bedford once a week for practice which will lead to many many games after the school season. Lauren is also on her school IBA team which plays Jan - Feb. Looks like we will be watching basketball through July! (Do I like her that much? haha)

Carly was one of 33 girls who tried out for fifth grade cheerleader, she and 11 others made it! She was thrilled! I am so proud of her, this is really something she will be very good at! She has such a high level of enthusiasm, she loves it! She cheers at all the fifth grade home games for boys and girls! They were uniforms and also have matching running suits. She is having a blast!

Hallie is playing SKYBL (Sky Ball.. South Knox Youth Basketball League). Her dad is the coach, she is the only girl on the team of 6 boys! She LOVES it! Her first game, she got the ball and scored the first basket! I can't explain her excitement! She loves playing with the boys, she scores at least once a game. I am impressed with her intensive attitude! I will be honest in saying, she doesn't like when dad tells her to pass the ball to her team mate, she wants to dribble all the way down and shoot. Ahhh the life of a 6 year old basketball player!

During one of Lauren's basketball games, I was sitting mid way down the bleachers. Hallie comes running up the stairs and says she doesn't feel well..... by the time we got to the bottom of the bleachers, she began vomiting. I picked her up and ran down the sideline of the court while she continued to puke. We got into the foyer and she threw up again on the shiny slick floor, I slipped in the vomit and fell while still carrying her. When I landed it felt like someone had just shot me in the knee. I knew I had done something to my left knee. ohh and she threw up again. I am now covered in vomit, sitting in vomit and my knee is screaming in pain. After a long night of ER and then onto my family doctor the following week, I was sent to an Ortho surgeon. He determined that I tore my ACL and meniscus. I was on crutches for about 3 weeks. It still hurts when I turn my knee or lock it. I will be having scope surgery this summer (if I can stand the pain that long). Yeah Me!

Craig and I hosted our annual Christmas party this year in Dec! Ohhh my, what a night! If you have ever been to my home, you know it isn't real big. We have a driveway that will hold 4 cars. The party included 65 of our closest friends. They parked up and down the streets of the block. We served over 300 jello shots from a kiddie pool. My tiny kitchen was the food central and the bar. A few of my jolly friends landed in the kitchen and never left. They decided to enter the kitchen: one must do a "Rocky Balboa". (created just tonight... not sure what was in it, but seriously it looks like a shot of vodka with an egg yoke! ...ew....) We had an amazing night with all of our friends! However, the only downfall I see is that SOME thought it would be fun to play 'tricks' on craig and I. Every time I opened my fridge or freezer, some of my decorations were in there. I found my kitchenaide Pink Mixer in my bed, and my cupboard that holds all of my cans now has all of the cans WITHOUT labels. Yep... It sucks! I tried to make Gumbo for my birthday meal, went to open what I thought was crushed tomatoes, to my surprise it was green beans! When I went to make pork chops, I wanted cream of chicken/mushroom... I got Hormel Chili. Grrr...I guess I will just keep trying!

On New Years Eve, I turned 39....UGH! Oh well.. I am hoping 09 will be a Great year! I know 08 holds a lot of special memories. I can't wait to make sure!

Bring it On!!

Key West at a glance.....Days 5 & 6

2008-11-13T10:48:00.015-06:00

Sunday, Nov. 2nd!

Sunday is always a good day in Key West. It was a beautiful day! Our first show was at 2pm!! We took advantage of doing some shopping on Duval. My absolutely favorite shop in KW is called 7 Artists! My home is full of glass that is painted by Michael Sanders! He is so very talented! Its always refreshing to walk into his shop, he greets us with big hugs and a true conch update. Michael and I met my first in KW after a two hour shopping trip in his shop on a rainy day! He took the time to really talk to me, ever since, we've remained great friends! He always gives me a good deal on his stuff!!

After shopping, we decided we should at least eat once at Margaritaville! It was much less crowded than when the Boat Drunks were playing. We sat next to the stage. It was so inspiring, thinking of all of the wonderful talent that has performed just a few feet away... awesome. We had calamari and a bowl of corn / crab chowder! It was delicious. We finished our shopping trip next door buying Margaritaville shirts for the girls!

Finally, its time for the music. We head to Blue Heaven, the most amazing show of the weekend! James Sunny Jim White hosts the Singer/Songwriter show atop the water tank in the courtyard of Blue Heaven. Its such a great show.... James invites artists to come and sing a few songs, the list goes on forever! I truly enjoyed hearing each and every singer! I always enjoy watching James and his father Shady play together! Shady was in Jamaica with us, he likes to call me 'Divin' Deb'... He is a sweet, sweet man! I got the first opportunity to finally hear Bob Karwin sing! It was so exciting and fun! He is truly talented. I found a spot to watch in the middle, Bob launches into his Rudy song inspired by Jim Hoehn. Jim seems to be standing near me during this song, it was so fun listening to Jim's comments during this song! They both are so entertaining!! Jim and Bob really make me laugh and smile through their talents! I also really appreciated Tall Paul speaking to me later in the afternoon. I've always been a TP fan, but he and Kristie makes it personal for Craig and I. When he asks for my requests, I feel its a must to sing his original music~ I would love to go to a show and hear him to sing all originals!! I know the crowd loves the covers, but I think he is an amazing songwriter! He was so sweet.... might take him up on his offer to let him sing to me in his living room any song I want to hear!!

Once the show was over at Blue Heaven, We found a nice table in the back and had the most amazing meal ever! Surf and Turf!!! Absolutely amazing!!!! If you ever go to KW, its a must to have this exact meal at Blue Heaven! It is without a doubt, the best meal of my life! So amazing!

Once we were stuffed, we headed off to hear Don at the Conch then we drifted to Schooner's Wharf to hear Jim Morris finalize the weekend. Hanging with Milkaukee Mike one last time before the weekend is over. Took a few more photos with him.. (hopefully Craig recognizes me in this one...hahahaha) We ofcourse finished our night with Hugo at the Hog. I couldn't believe our vacation was already almost over! Toward the end of the night, Craig and I met up with Don Middlebrook and Lori to head to the Green Parrot. We picked up my new favorite musician along the way, Bob Karwin. He was only with us a moment before he stopped to play his guitar on Duval. How fun! After the green parrot, the four of us headed to end our KW vacay at Mr. Z's for one last slice of pizza!

The vacation of a lifetime...until next year!!!!!

Monday, Nov. 3
Its Monday morning, Craig and Rick head to get the rental car as we finish cleaning up our little home away from home. The drive home was quiet.... we stopped at the 7 Mile Grill to have one last fish sandwich. It was wonderful! Thanks for the advice!! Next stop... Indiana!!

Key West at a glance.....Day 4

2008-11-12T22:36:00.011-06:00

Saturday, Nov. 1st!

It's Saturday morning, our first show isn't until noon. We get to sleep in alittle! Arriving at the Rum Barrel at 11:45, to the long awaited show Tall Paul and Crawdaddy! The six of us found a big table atop the outdoors deck! It was gorgeous, the weather was perfect! This show is the one we were all looking forward to...it definitely lived up to our expectations!!!! I can't say enough about how wonderful this show was! The energy, the passion, the MUSIC... exemplar! The place was packed! We enjoyed a great lunch with great music! Paul sang the 'boat song'! He asked anyone who knew the motions to come up... I so didn't want to stand in front of all these people, but Paul knew I Knew the song. He coaxes me up there with the help of Crawdaddy who keeps calling me "Sparkle" (I was wearing a sequences shirt...shocking!!) I did dance! It was fun! Later, when Paul and Michael were taking a break, Rob and Lynley, the CalypsoNuts were singing! The crowd was enjoying the show, at one point, they referenced St. Somewhere...(my all time favorite FAVORITE band, Matt spurred my interest and love for trop rock and I will be forever grateful!) ...anyway, one of the girls was wearing a tye-dye St. Somewhere shirt... it took me back.... Next thing I know, I hear Robbie launch into Postcard (this is Matt Hall's song... his baby, his signature song). I found myself moving to the front of the crowd, with mixed emotions....truly mixed. I couldn't sing along, I just stood in awe. Part of my thrilled to be hearing this live again... another part of me, concerned and protective. As the song went on, I just didn't know what to do... I was overcome with emotion...reflecting all the shows I attended to see Matt, Quincy, Aram and Craig's favorite, Kevin. The girl in the St. Somewhere shirt comes to me, tears in my eyes, she goes on to tell me that Matt gave them permission to sing the song and he even helped with some of the riffs in the song. The whole experience left me missing them desperately!

We had to leave the show early at 5pm!!! We were registered for the sunset cruise at 6pm. We rushed around to get ready and head to the pier. We walked through Mallory Square! I've been to KW 5 times and had never made it to the square. It was the perfect time of day to walk through Mallory Square! Wow, what a mix of entertainment! Im glad we ventured through there. We loaded the boat near the Pier where SunnyJim was playing. We got to hear him sing while we waited, what a joy! The cruise included Rick and Janice, Craig and I. The reason why we signed up for the cruise was Rob Mehl!!! The headliners of the cruise was KD Moore, Greg "fingers" Taylor, and Amy Lee! It was great! Unfortunately, Rob only played 4 songs!! Overall, the cruise was a success! It was beautiful quite cool actually...cool as in temperature!

Once the cruise was over, we met up the Emmon's on Duval Street. We stay upstairs of Rick's and watched the actions below. Some of us wanted to go dance at Sloppy Joes, others wanted pizza, I knew I was heading to the PierHouse to hear Peter Mayer!!! Craig and I drifted through the inner garden of the Pier House. Peter is so talented. This show was GREAT! People sitting in a small semi-circle around 2 wonderful musicians! Many were sitting upon beach chairs, our feet in the sand, up close! Soooo Magical! I didn't want this show to end!

From here we headed to the Hog to finish our night! We were standing outside the Hog talking to our wonderful TX friends, when a guy with a guitar on his back approaches! Gayla launches into a huge commercial for this guy... Bob Karwin. I know I had read his name various places but had never really heard his music or even know who he was. We immediately hit it off, joking and laughing, he is so charming and fun! He had my attention, I asked about his music, Gayla couldn't say enough about his talent. Bob pulled out one cd, he then decided to give me another cd....at this point, I wasn't going to except only one. I had to have them both. I bought both of them....giving them such a hard time saying that I had never bought a cd without hearing the music first, I was buying this on faith! It was the BEST decision I made all week!!!I haven't stopped listening to them! It was a Great night! We stayed for the end of the Hughie's show, I think we were even there for the very end... its odd being on Duval at 2:30am... its almost quiet in places.

Craig and I decided this was the night we were going to make it to Mr. Z's. We walk to Southard, and step up to order our pizza. At this point, I laugh! There are only 2 people in Mr. Z's.... Howie Golub and Bob Karwin! What fun... Craig attempts to order his steak and cheese sandwich and a piece of pizza....the poor guy working behind the counter replies, "sir, I didn't understand a word you said..." again I laugh...and place our order! It was a perfect day!! We walked home and enjoy our snacks at the the quiet surroundings of the Key West B and B.

What a night!

Key West at a glance.....Day 3

2008-11-11T12:35:00.012-06:00

Friday, Oct. 31 - Halloween Day!!!

Today was a rough day, we started at 10am!!! Every year, I come to the Hog for the Sarasota Parrothead Club party. It typically is huge!!! To enter, you must allow someone to place a big Parrothead sticker on your backside! Once established, you may enter! Years past, they had Matt Hall (my favorite) play for their party! This year was John Frinzi!!! He is soo talented and has a unique voice. He brought along with him the ever talented Doyle Grisham and the hottie, John Patti... talk about easy on the eyes!!! The perfect photo: Frinzi & Patti! Yummo!! ....sorry I got side tracked. We drank Fuzzy Navels, Bloody Mary's and Pineapple and Malibu all morning. It was a good show, our friends the Rasslers and Mitchell's were there also!

Following the show, we headed for B.O.'s Fishwagon. A popular dive in Key West, Jimmy sings about it...it truly does have the most amazing fish sandwich!! On our journey down Caroline, we run into Stan the Man!!! He is a legend! Everyone knows Stan, he is an icon in the parrothead community. Craig and I met Stan in Put-In-Bay, Michigan at Phlocking of the Phaithful! Stan and I talked about various friends we had in common, he then pointed us to his house that he was staying where more friends of ours were there sitting by the pool! Well, we invaded their home and met up with Billy Bullets and Raynell as well as Jim and Kim... all people we had been to Jamaica with several years previous! Im telling ya what, there is nothing more exciting than reconnecting with old friends!! Billy played us a song he wrote about our night in Ocho Rios at Margaritaville! We felt "A Drunk front' moving in!! Ohhh the memories from that one night were captured in a song...How wonderful! (thankfully my little 'dip' in the ocean was left out!! --- if you want to know those details, buy me a drink ...or several...and I might share!!) Billy Woods decked us out with black tshirts from his leftover tail gating! These special shirts were to be worn at the viewers discretion!! *you might see one pop up later this week* We finally reached BO's for the best grouper sandwich on the island!!

With the early morning show, we decided to take a break and head for the hot tub!! It was so relaxing! too relaxing actually.... Craig and I both decided it was time for a KW nap! We got all nestled into our cozy king bed, and the electricity went off in our B and B!! This means NO AC!! Well, Craig still had no problem drifting off to sleep. I tried ...but I just kept thinking..."Im in KW, its Friday....the Streetfest is going on right now...how can I possibly sleep?????" SOOOO... I snuck out of bed, got dressed, pulled on my cowboy hat (it is Halloween ya know) and headed to Duval St. Alone!!! I meandered my way through the crowd, bought a rum punch and watched in awe as the Boat Drunks rocked the stage!!!! I found my friends from Iowa, Teresa, Dave, Randy, Doug and Deb. They were standing across from Mville and below the parade of people tossing beads to...those who were 'earning' them! We stood and watched both shows! I heard Mike Miller take the stage. He has a special place in my heart, I forced my way to the front and stood in awe!! After about 40 photos of just Mike, I then was in place for Club Trini!! Robert Greenidge is simply amazing!! As they took the stage, the people around me was swelling in hopes that JB would show.... It was so tight, I couldn't breathe!! I slipped to the side stage and watched as TC, Nadirah, and Tina paraded right down in front of me! It was a great view. I got so wrapped up in the show, I lost track of time! It was already 5pm, I was missing Hugo's Fan Appreciation Party!!

I headed back to the B&B, where the AC was working full strength! Craig had been asleep for over 2.5 hours! The Thomas' were on their way back from the beach, and Tall Paul was taking the stage at the Bottlecap any time! Ohhh the choices!!! We knew that Hugo's show was be amazing and crowded so we opted for TallDaddy! After getting the directions, we headed to what we thought was a small walk to the corner of Catherine and Simonton! HA!!! We walked forever!!!! It was down near Louie's Backyard.!! Once we got there, we found the bar to be quiet and enchanting!! A small crowd had gathered and we finally got to see Michael Crawley! There is some magic going on during a Tall Paul / Crawdaddy show! It is beyond unbelievable! You through Kristie in the mix and it is magical! Something everyone should experience! The talent is amazing! At this point, we are relaxing in over stuffed lounge chairs and I was drinking Captain Morgan and Diet...Once Paul finished singing Romeo and Juliet, Craig leaned over and whispered, "I finally get it.... I know why you come to KW,....its not for the party, its for the music!... that was beautiful! I get it!" Wow!!!! So many times, people hear KW and think PARTY.... but for me...it is the music. It's always been the music. It motivates my soul. I live for those magical musical moments. Sooo thank you Paul and Michael for providing Craig that opened door to music!

After the show, we headed back to the Conch! Don was playing and we were ready to relax by the bay and listen to Don! We knew Lori was flying in today for the weekend!! We met up with Lori and had a great night with Donnie!

Following Don's show we headed for the finisher...Hugo. It was Halloween and it was night and man where they partying on Duval. I think we made it to the World's Smallest Bar, and even had a special house shot before we got to the Hog! We brushed through Hugo's show, had a round of Key Lime Shooters, again Brian, the Bartender calls me by name to get my drinks! soo funny! After awhile, Duval is really hopping and we decide to walk and see the sights! I was partly discouraged, I hate giving up a Hugo show. I only see him once a year, but the group as a whole wanted to go explore so I was trooper and tagged along! Once on Duval, the costumes were outrageous! We slipped into Captain Tony's for a drink! Craig bought a beer from a very cute painted girl! wow... Next, we headed to 801! Yep, 801!!!! For those who know KW, know what where we went, for those who don't.....when you go, make sure you visit 801!! It was really something!!! An experience I will not soon forget!!! We drifted in other places along the way, really taking in the whole ambiance of Halloween on Duval!!! The 6 of us really had a GREAT time! We finished the night at the Green Parrot where the Sauce Boss was playing! We got there around 2am and they were serving up the Gumbo! Wow, it smelled amazing! I didn't taste it, but everyone around me had some. (Thanks to all my friends who said my homemade Gumbo was better than the SB....really? that is crazy!!! but thanks anyway!) Don and Lori were there also! It was a GREAT night!! We strolled home very late at night. Passing by 623 Southard St., the house we stayed in a few years in the past! Wow, I laughed out loud retelling stories and memories from that house. Any readers from those years, "Captain Ron" was my favorite memory! (Miss ya Casey)

ahhhhh another day in paradise!!

Key West at a glance.....Day 2

2008-11-10T17:48:00.013-06:00

Thursday, Oct. 30

We slept in on Thursday morning, finally went to lunch with the Emmon's around noon at Carolines on Duval. Enjoying daytime on Duval was interesting. We all tried the calamari and conch fritters!! Both were very enjoyable! At this point, the Emmons wanted to hit the beach (something Ive Never done in KW!) and Craig and I went to the Conch Farm to hear James Sunny Jim White. We spent some time listening to James, reliving our Jamaican vacation, then decided we would take Tall Paul's advice to come to the Southern Most Cafe for a singer/songwriter gig hosted by Matt Wahl. What a pleasant surprise!! Upon arrival, we were greeted with big hugs from Paul and Kristie then entered to find our good friends from Milwaukee, Rick and Sherry!! We sat at the bar on the edge of the beach, listening to wonderful musicians! We heard a little of Matt, then Mike Broward (formerly of Stars on the Water), The Cedar Island Band (featuring our very good friend, Doug Rassler!!), and also our newest favorite musician John Reno!! When John sang his song, Magic Chair, Craig looked and me said, "Wow, I really like his voice" This was the first of 8 cds I brought home from KW. We ended the show with Paul. What a Great show!!!

Our next stop was the Lighthouse Court. This is another artists gathering hosted by Kelly McGuire! Luckily, we were there when Kelly was singing. He launched into one of Craig's favorite songs, Daddies and Daughters. It was so moving, brought me to tears! Rob Mehl came by to talk to us...its always so nice to be recognized and spoken to. Rob is a key reason for Craig and I signing up for the Sunset Cruise on Sat. night. I love Rob's music. I bought the new Cd, Havana Good Time. Also, at the Lighthouse, we had the privilege to hear John Reno again. Yeah!! I was also introduced to a very VERY good looking pans player, John Patti! The photo describes all..... (Ohhh Jamie... you would have loved him. )

On our way back to the B & B, our friends, Rick and Janice had called to say they had arrived and were ready to see Key West!!! We re-grouped at the Bed and Breakfast, we set out to show them a great time. We met up with the Emmon's at the Lazy Gecko to hear Don Middlebrook!! What a great, fan involved, show! The lazy Gecko is a great place to see a show, you can watch the traffic on Duval while enjoying some wonderful music!!

After Donnie's show, we all loaded up into a very small cab and headed to Louie's Backyard!!!! Wow, the landscape there is beautiful!!!! We had drinks out by the beach while waiting for our table, our table overlooked the beach. One highlight for me was glancing at the table near us, I saw the author Tom Corcoran!!!! I was speechless! Ofcourse, I shared who he was with the table, nobody had heard of him with the exception of Craig. I was so impressed... It took all I had not to speak to him. I respected his quite night out with friends and didnt say anything, but wow... I would have loved to shake his hand!! Our dinner was simply amazing!

Fully stuffed, not knowing if we were able to even drink, we headed back to Hog's Breath to end our night with Hughie! Upon arrival, one highlight for me was standing near the bar and the friendly bartender looks at me and says, "Hey, I remember you..Indiana right?" Seriously... this same bartender remembers me every year! I must have really Really had a GREAT time my first year at the hog. *Those of you who were there, no comments please!!! hahahaha* We were met with all our friends again, Mike and Joe were holding down those bar stools ready for a great show. We all gathered together our nightly Key Lime Shooters and take in Hugo's show! It's always exciting with Greg "Fingers" Taylor on stage. Amy Lee also joined Hughie this year! He never ceases to amaze me! My all time favorite Hugo song is: Between you and Me. Don Middlebrook showed up at the show to party with us. What a night! On our way home, Craig and I made it to the nearest pizza stand. ughh....still No Mr. Z's!

Key West at a glance.....

2008-11-10T12:05:00.009-06:00

It's hard to sit down and really reflect and blog all of my MOTM memories. There are soo many! You get to that little island and time seems to move so fast, its uncanny! Before I knew it, it was Monday and time to come back to my 'current reality'. Ughh.. Soo in this segment, I am going to try to take you through my key west experience. There is no way to discuss all the wonderful new friends and musicians we met, but ...im gonna try!

Wednesday, Oct. 29

We arrive in Miami around 2pm, after getting the rent-a-car, we took off for our first drive down through the keys! I was anxious wanting to be there already, but at the same time wanting to take my time and really enjoy the drive! I can say, I am so glad we drove down. It is so beautiful and yet so different than I expected. I wanted to stop every 20 miles or so., but when you travel with Craig Kirk you go from destination #1 straight through to destination #2 with minimal stops! We finally arrived in KW around 6pm. I love our Bed and Breakfast, they are without a doubt the most friendly and wonderful staff. If you travel to KW and need a cozy place to stay, I recommend the Key West Bed and Breakfast! Jody and Liz will take Great care of you! We checked in our cute little room with a huge king size bed with white sheer curtains draped over the 4 posts and canopy. It was lovely! We hit the ground running to one of our favorite restaurants on the island, Conch Republic... the locals call it the Conch Farm. As we approach the building, I can already hear Don Middlebrook crooning the crowd. We found a seat near the band and ordered our first Landsharks! Don yells from the mic, "I was wondering when you were gonna get here, Teacher of the Year!"... ahhhh life is good. Bring on the crab cakes! As we were sitting listening to Don, we received a text from friends from Indiana asking how we were doing. Craig responds where we are and what we are doing..ending his text with "wish you could join us'.... shortly later, 2 friends come running and sit at our table...its our friends from IN... The Emmon's!!!!! Little did we know, they had planned on coming with us all along and kept it a secret! What a fantastic surprise!!!

After Don's show, we headed to Margaritaville to catch some of the Boat Drunks show. It was rumored that Mike Miller, the former base player would be sitting in. I love walking down Duval Street at night. There is simply nothing like it! As we get to Mville, I look up and smile, seeing a reminder of why I was there... a tiny sticker that started my love for trop rock: St. Somewhere... We found a table and they were rocking! I noticed the new base player and was kinda disappointed not to see Mike. I glanced around the full bar to find Tracy Golub, (Howie's wife) and didn't see her... so I sat and listened. Jake announced Mike was there and ready to jam. I looked up and saw Mike appear from the crowd without his signature hat (someone brought it for him) and with A LOT of curly hair and full goatee....he looks so different!! I found myself moving to the side of the bar next to the stairs so that I could see Mike without a ton of people in front of me. I was standing right next to Howie.... There were other people there too... Howie spoke to me.. and I watched in awe at Mike as he sang, "This Aint Duval St."... while taking many photos, I noticed Howie looking at me, then motioning me to look aside, there beside me was Tracy! We were standing next to another and didn't realize it, both were watching Mike! What a funny episode...Howie just laughed at us when we saw each other! Mike went on to sing my favorite BD song, Hollow Man. I can honestly say that song is one of my very favorite songs!! Mike also sang Southern Cross like nobody else can. It brought chills to me... Once I returned to our table, I found our friends were already tired and headed back to their hotel. It was only midnight! Seriously, we hadn't made it to Hog's Breath! Later, John Frinzi joined the Drunks on stage. I so love John's voice. What another wonderful suprise!!!!!

Again, we headed down Duval... so much to see and enjoy. We reach the World's Smallest Bar and know we almost home. Turning the corner and hearing Hughie drifting through the night-air... makes me shudder. I stood at the corner of the parking lot briefly to take it all in. Walking up to the Hog, its like coming home to a disfunctional family reunion! Suddenly people are popping out of nowhere to say "HI". Milwaukee Mike greets us with big hugs!!! Its so great seeing him again, we always have a Great time with Mike, what an amazingly wonderful friend! He is with Joe from South Carolina whom Im sure we've met before. Next, we see IOWA... nothing Beenblossom to come running up for a full body, wrap her legs around me hug! Mike leans over and says, "hey, can I get a hug like that?" Welcome to Key West! Next, I see my favorite dance partner coming... I love Steve and Gayla Mitchell! Steve and I always save a dance at the Hog. We met the Mitchell's several years ago in Jamaica with Sunny Jim and Matt Hall. Steve and I seemed to leave those last impressions on everyone. We can always count on spending quality time with Steve and Gayla at the Hog at least once a year! Wonderful people! As the night progresses, I walk through to get a drink aware of the Hogcam and wondering if anyone sees me, I signal to say Hi.. then I turn my attention to Hugo, he notices me and nods or waves. Hugo's music speaks to me, the energy, the feel of the crowd.... Life is good...im Home!

Finally making it back to the B & B around 3am. Mr. Z's will have to wait till tomorrow.... And to think...this is only DAY 1~~~~~

Fall.... sports, activities, and vacation

2008-10-16T06:32:00.003-05:00

I love Fall!! The months leading into fall this year have been absolutely wonderful!! Even though it was a bit warmer than normal, the cool air is a refreshing welcome! This year, fall has been the beginning of several new activities and opportunities. We started volleyball season with Lauren, and soccer season with Carly and Hallie. Basically that means we played a volleyball game 2-4 times a week and then spent the better half of a Sunday afternoon at the soccer field. Would I change it for the world? Not at all!! I guess I really enjoy being a sports mom! Lauren is a fairly good volleyball player, because of her strength, she stands 10 feet behind the line before she serves the ball, otherwise, it will go out on the opposite side of the gym. Friends laugh and say we are going to need to take out a wall soon. Hopefully, she will learn to control that strength and serve more normally in the years to come. Regardless, she is tall and can spike the ball fairly well. Im very proud of her. Carly and Hallie love soccer. (of all the sports my girls play, I can honestly say....soccer isn't my favorite.) Carly really enjoys playing soccer. She is aggressive and has success with the sport! Hallie is the tallest girl on her 5-6 yr old team. She scores anywhere between 3-7 goals a game. She is very aggressive and often pushes opponents and teammates out of the way to get the ball. We are working on this!

This fall has been the year of re-connecting!!!! Several months ago, my friends and I began planning our 20 year class reunion. (Seriously, am I that old?) In the hunt to find friends and save money, many of us joined Facebook as a means to reconnect. It has opened a world of the past!! We found so many of our high school classmates. Prior to the reunion, many has posted old pictures from High School on their page. We would chat about old times and what we are doing now on Facebook. I can't tell you how much fun it has been hearing from good childhood friends. This small gesture has lead to some other 'old friends'. I've reconnected with several friends I went to camp with in high school. Others that I knew from other schools. It really has made me reflect to my youth. Good friends are always there, even if you haven't seen or spoken to them in 20 years. I also learned of some things I didn't know had happened while we were in college. Ask me about the guy I went to high school who also went to IU with me. My freshman year roommate read my diary to him (regarding another high school classmate) one night when I wasn't there!! I had no clue this happened until my 20 year reunion! Seriously!!!!

Finally, the last sign of fall...is KEY WEST!!! Yep, I am going again this year! I can't wait!!! We leave very soon. We are attending the Meeting of the Minds Parrothead convention! It's a Buffett weekend full of amazing entertainers and good friends from across the US. We are staying at the lovely Key West Bed and Breakfast. The excitement this year, is that we are flying into Miami and driving down through the Keys this year! I've never done this, I have always just flown into KW. I am so excited to travel down through the keys! I am anxiously waiting to spend the last few hours of the day listening to one of my favorite musicians HUGO at the Hog's Breath. He is so talented and full of energy. I honestly can't wait! Sitting at the Conch Republic, listening to Donnie is another of my all time favorite things to do in KW. I am counting down the days, and before I know it... I will be back in my Indiana chair reflecting on it...it will be over so quickly...I hope I can stop and take it all in.....

I truly love fall!!

Today is a Good Day!

2008-09-20T14:59:00.002-05:00

Saturdays... such a wonderful day. Typically, we are busy watching some sporting event for the girls. But today, Craig went out to the softball diamond to mow. Lauren went to the Cross Country meet with a friend, (only after being dumped at 7:30am, her freshman boyfriend sent her a text message with the news.) Carly, Hallie and myself were at home relaxing.

The morning was spent watching the Ryder Cup and cleaning. I mean, Really cleaning. We cleaned out all three of the girls rooms, their dresser drawers and closets. What a MESS!! But now at 4pm, the rooms are momentarily spotless. (realizing these will only last a few rare minutes.) I just sat down to focus all my attention on the football game.

There is nothing like University of Tennessee Football!!! Go VOLS!! It's funny, we have been Vols fans for many years. I guess we can blame Kevin Wiley for this, but several years ago, Kevin and Craig were talking sports and Kevin's love for the Vols. It became contagious. The first time you are in Knoxville on game day, you are Hooked! The entire city wears orange. I mean Everyone!!! If you get the chance, go! Even if you don't attend the game, being downtown on the strip on game day is absolutely breath taking! We walked up and down the street in our orange with everyone else. Awesome!! However, today we are playing Florida, and currently they are kicking our ass... hoping for more offense, soon! Go vols!!

In about an hour, I will start prepping for Gumbo. Craig and I were eating lunch a little cafe here in town a few years ago, we both had the Gumbo and loved it. I came home to find a recipe. After looking online I did what most people do, I combined all the ingredients that I like and created my own Gumbo recipe. It is without a doubt, the one meal that Craig and both love!! We typically have company on Gumbo night, frankly due to the fact that its not really that great the next day. Soon, I will get the soup on, I love to let it simmer for hours, the scent is wonderful! Tonight friends are coming over to watch the IU football game and eat gumbo. I am hoping it will be cool enough to build a fire outside. Who knows...

All I can say, is its a good day!! My house is clean, we are watching the Ryder Cup and the Vols, soon we will have the scent of gumbo, hear the pop of Landshark Lager, and good friends to share all of it with.

Life is good... enjoy it!

My new job!

2008-09-08T20:38:00.004-05:00

Ya know, often I found myself wanting a new job. One that doesn't travel all over southern Indiana, one that puts me home when the girls get off the bus, one that (craig's favorite) secures a paycheck every two weeks is a job that I need. Two weeks into school, I received a phone call asking if I were interested in a job here in town at the local school district.

I was hired as a curriculum coach for five elementary schools. A Coach works in each of the elementary schools as a resource to help meet the needs of all the different types of learners. My job will provide teachers with resources and strategies to use in the classrooms.

I am excited about my job!! I am anxious to get back into the classroom to occasionally work with students and watch them 'learn'. There is nothing more rewarding than watching a child grow over time and reveal a concept or skill to them. Seeing them, "get it" makes the job all worth while.

Teachers touch lives!

Seriously mom?

2008-08-22T22:48:00.003-05:00

For any of you who read this blog and never comment (which is almost EVERYONE), I wanted to bring your attention to my last post. "My baby is in Kindergarten"

My mother decided it was time for her to 'chime' in on her opinion of why my girls are the way they are. If you get a chance, click on the 1 comment below. If you know my mom, thank her for me!

Who knows, maybe this will encourage some of you others to post a comment!

My baby is in Kindergarten!

2008-08-18T09:30:00.005-05:00

*sighs*

Well, last week my baby went to school. On her 6th birthday, I packed her up and took her to her first day of Kindergarten. She was so excited. She had her cute pink and green 'Justice' backpack, A new pink and black outfit, and several cookies to share. I had mixed emotions. At times, I was proud, sad, anxious, and old.

Looking at the moms coming into Kindergarten, I realized Hallie, being my last child, I am probably the oldest mom in her class. ugh!

After a week of school, she loves it! Her only question was if she had to go to school everyday? She really doesn't like getting up in the morning.

Just as I am getting Hallie in the elementary school. I dropped Lauren off at the Middle School. It breaks my heart to know that she is old enough to go! Ugh... She of course LOVES it because there is more freedom and she loves to socialize. *not sure where she gets that?*

anyway,

Life is short!

Life in Knox County!

2008-07-28T17:09:00.006-05:00

Wrapping up our last weekend of softball with the girls. This weekend is the Slammin' Outta Summer tournament, hosted by our league. This means that Craig and I will log approximately 10 hours a day on Saturday and Sunday to run the tournament. It's gonna be hot!

Carly and Lauren are both playing this weekend. It is our sixth weekend in a row for all-star softball. Carly's team is made up of all 9 yr old girls. They play in a U10 division and really struggle to win; however, they are building their team for next year. (Yep, that is how we do it, once you sign on, its a two year committement.) Next year, they will all be 10 and ready to take on the world! Carly is having a GREAT time on her team. She loves to hit and drive in runs, but playing the field doesn't interest her as much. She often volunteers to sit so others can play. She tends to be the loudest voice in the dugout and leads most of the cheers. *** for those of you who have never been to a youth softball game, it isn't like a little league baseball game, it is centered around the loudest, singing, cheers. Both teams lead loud songs and chants throughout the entire game. It is really something!****

Lauren has played on an all-star team for 5 years now. Our travel teams are called Sting Teams. Lauren typically plays 3rd base. However, the older they get the more important the outfield needs a good arm. She is now playing left field. She really likes it. Her greatest accomplishment of course is the grand slam over the fence that I wrote about earlier. Lauren isn't the biggest cheerleader, but she is typically the one with the most assessories. Must haves: eyeliner and mascara (UGH), big sunglasses, matching headband and gum. She occasionally is spotted with a huge bubble. (drives me crazy!)

Finally, poor little Hallie has been dragged to more games than she can stand. Luckily, the concession stand is open! She can start at the crack of dawn and last till she can barely stand at 10pm. She is a real trooper! She is now starting to decide that she wants to be a pitcher. Lord, help us all. I don't know if I can handle the pressure of a pitcher's mother.

Anyway, I took these photos today. I thought the extremely tall corn would be a nice backdrop. Nothing like living on the edge of town, just a few miles from town yet a tall corn field across the street. Best of both worlds.

Am I really old enough to have a teenager?

2008-07-07T21:52:00.003-05:00

Seriously, I am feeling old, dumb and ofcourse 'Uncool'.

Lauren is 13 today.

Ugh!

Proud Mom!!!!

2008-07-05T20:48:00.005-05:00

Today was one of those days that parent's dream of!! Lauren was playing in a tournament with her all star team. She has been struggling all season with her hitting. After much discussion and practice, she is finally coming around. Today, during her first game, bases were loaded and she was up, no outs! She got the sign: Swing Away! The FIRST pitch she rares back and rips one out to right center, it flew OVER the FENCE!!!!!! A grand slam home run!!! She was so excited, I was screaming and couldn't possibly remember to take pictures. She smiled as big as possible! I swelled with pride.

At the end of the game, (we won!!) the umpires walked over to our crowd and asked, "Whose daughter hit the grand slam?" Craig and I both answered. One of the tossed me the ball she hit out!

After the girls said their "good games". The opposing team gathered at home plate to award Lauren with the MVP t-shirt.

A day we will never forget!! It's moments like this that really make parenting so special. Seeing her confidence rise, a huge smile on her face, and satisfaction at doing something she truly loves. Nothing compares.

Blog Entry from my husband.... His first....hopefully his last!

2008-06-10T20:07:00.002-05:00

This email was sent from my husband's blackberry last night, I just couldn't help but share it with all of you.... Enjoy!

Amtrack - What a way to travel!!! NOT!!!

As my admin asst and portfolio mgr already read in a previous email sent approximately 90 minutes ago, my wife and I have had another travel adventure today. For those of you that haven't heard about our return trip from disney a few weeks ago it can be summarized as such "10 hours in the orlando and atlanta airports with 3 kids". Enough said.

My wife has a blog where she typically details her day to day adventures as the mother of three daughters. This email is my lame attempt to get an entry into her blog and help all of you remember that your days could always be worse than what you think they are.How lucky each of you are to have your email addresses included in my contact list.

This email is also my way to try and keep from going insane as we sit on some railroad track in the middle of the night in central illinois. For those of you not included in my previous email, our trip to chicago started with an invite from one of my commercial customers. They have a showroom at the merchandise mart in chicago and this week is the annual neocon show.

Its like the worlds fair of office furnitue. 18-20 stories of showrooms with everything you can imagine when it comes to furniture for offices, hospitals and schools. As the CEO told me at lunch today, anyone that's anyone in the world of commercial furniture is at the neocon show. The merchandise mart is one of the largest real estate holdings owned by the kennedy family and really a great place to see.

We came up yesterday on the amtrack train from effingham. Stayed at the westin on michigan ave next to the hancock bldg. Couldn't get my wife to go to the observatory deck on the 94th floor but we did have a good time. Walked up and down the miracle mile. Shopped at water tower place. Had some drinks last night at mike ditkas's place. Had a great lunch at the chicago chop house and up until we got back to union station to come home, everything was going good.

Here is where the adventure begins. Our train was 45 min late leaving chicago. Not much you can do when someone on the train has a seizure. Things went pretty smooth after that until we got about 20 minutes south of champaign. The train slowly came to a stop at which time the conductor announced that a freight train in front of us was on fire. No kidding. You can't make this stuff up.

So for the last 2 hours we have been sitting on a train track in the middle of central illinois. They are currently sending buses to get us in case we can't finish our trip as planned. If that happens, I will have spent parts of my last two trips on planes, trains, automobiles and buses. Somebody should make a movie about that. I've got some obnoxious folks behind me and I'm thinking about reinacting a scene from "Throw mama from the train".

This email should have been entitled "my monday night dinner adventure". As we sit here on the tracks at midnight eastern time they have just provided us with free snack packs and bottled water. Now keep in mind that these snack packs were most likely sold to amtrack whenever pan american airlines went out of business in the 1980's. My "snack pack" consisted of crackers and cream cheese, dried friut and something that was labeled as a cookie but looked and tasted like corrugated cardboard. The dried fruit tasted like it was dried in one of my customers wood kilns (should a dried bananna taste like an oak tree? Not that I know what an oak tree tastes like although I used to smoke clove cigarrettes when I was in high school. Sorry to have digressed. Now back to the story. ) Based on the taste of the cream cheese, it was most likely manufactured before the advent of pasteurization. (Sorry if I just misspelled that word - its now 12:45 EST, its likely another 2-3 hours before my head will hit the pillow and I don't know how to work my damn spellcheck).

Amtrack is now teasing us - we moved a couple of miles and now we've stopped again. Great idea. Let's put some more distance between us and those buses they sent from champaign to pick us up.

I could probably go on more but That's enough for now as my thumbs are cramping up. As I sit on these railroad tracks in the middle of no where all I ask of you are for your thoughts and prayers. This trip is starting to feel like the one from the movie "Deliverance". And we all know how that little camping trip ended up.

Feel free to share this little story with all of your friends in your distribution list. Although if you send it on to 10 people I can promise that you won't get anything back in return. No secret msgs. No free giveaways. Nothing more than the enjoyment of sharing one mans misery with thousands of people across this great country.

Later.

Craig "the conductor" Kirk

...a Dream is a Wish your heart makes......

2008-06-02T15:30:00.008-05:00

We just returned from the happiest place on Earth! It truly was so much fun! We stayed 7 nights and we still didn't make to all the places we wanted to visit! There is so much to do from early morning till late night! Being honest, we are more Night people than early morning people! Our first night in Orlando, we went to the Magic Kingdom and attended the 'Pirate and Princess' Party! There were only a set number of people in the park, which meant there were fewer people in line. We waited NO time to get on all the rides. The girls rode Big Thunder Mountain, Space Mountain, and various other rides over and over again! The girls were also given a bag to travel throughout the park to gather 'loot' or beaded necklaces. They also were able to meet several of the Disney princesses. Hallie rode Space Mountain three times! She didn't love it, but she endured it! I was so proud of her. The girls loved getting dad on the spinning TeaCups!

Our second night was my favorite night because we rented a car and drove to Universal Studios to eat at Margaritaville Cafe! Our friend, John Frinzi was playing! It was awesome seeing and hearing him play with our family! The girls loved it, because a balloon artist walked through the restaurant on stilts and created amazing balloons. Each girl received a cool balloon. Hallie choose a sword, Carly a cute 'cherry' hat and Lauren wasn't sure. The artist decided to create one for her as a surprise. It was perfect!!!! She wore a lovely tiera and a HUGE star surrounding it.....as a SuperStar Princess. I loved the whole idea of eating out on a beautiful patio listening to a GREAT musician, drinking Landshark Beer! We even bought some new Margaritaville Hot sauce for my Sausage Shimp Gumbo recipe. I can't wait to try it!

The next few days included a trip to Blizzard Beach, Hollywood Studios, and Animal Kingdom. Blizzard Beach was an awesome water park in the scenery of a Winter Skiing Lodge. Everything looked as though it were ice or snow. It was 95 degrees and looked frosty! The girls had a blast running, sliding, and swimming in the winter wonderland! We spent two days at Hollywood Studios! Our absolutely favorite ride was Aerosmith's Rockin' Roller Coaster! You blast from 0 to 60 mph in 3 seconds. Immediately you are flipped upside down and shot into several corkscrews, Amazing... absolutely amazing. The girls LOVED it! Hallie was too short for the coaster but she did face the Tower of Terror! She hated it, but at least she rode it once! We loved the new ride in Hollywood Studios, it was the Toy Story, Media Mania ride. It was kinda mix of an arcade game and a ride. It was also 3-D. Awesome!

Animal Kingdom is home of the Yeti! Everest Expedition is the coaster ride that screams up a huge mountain to find the Yeti has torn the tracks, you then fly backwards in the coaster only to face the Yeti!!! Once again you return forward on the track. We rode this ride several times! I even think it stole my cell phone.! I am not sure where I missed placed the phone, but it came up missing at Animal Kingdom. Maybe the Yeti did take it!

,,,,, oops gotta run, we have three softball games tonight. I will add more later!!

This guy is a bad, bad man on Mother's Day!

2008-05-11T19:22:00.003-05:00

referring to her dad, my youngest has said this sentence more than once today.

Here is why......

Today is Mother's Day, a day set aside to celebrate the joy of motherhood! My mother-in-law invited us to lunch at her house (no, she didn't serve chicken....that is another story). After lunch I brought strawberries and cheesecake. Carly wanted Cool Whip on her strawberries. My mother-in-law had a container of Cool Whip; however, it expired in March. Carly was not taking NO for an answer, she wanted the Cool Whip. After much discussion, Craig handed me the container and asked if I should smell it. Wanting to help my daughter, I did. Guess what Craig did,.....YEP, the smashed the container into my face!!!!!!!!!!!! I was covered in Cool Whip!

Happy Mother's Day,

I agree, "This guy is a bad, bad man on Mother's Day!"

okay... stop laughing, not that funny!

Nothing better to do on a rainy day!

2008-05-09T21:36:00.002-05:00

After many years of driving,,,,, I experienced my first 'flat tire'. On my way to volunteer at our school, I heard this grinding loud sound. After stopping to assess the sound, I found a very very flat tire! Debating on weather to drive an half mile to the little gas station or just stop, (relax guys, I didn't drive on the rim, I waited) I called my husband. Who as you know, works an hour from my house. My exact words, "I have a flat tire, you need to get it fixed." After a discussion involving exactly where I was, (my words, .... on the way to school, that one road, um.. you know by the stop sign... okay not that bad, but close) Triple A, and something about one of his clients owning a tire company. I sat in the rain, waiting for the big truck to come to my rescue.

The good news, there are many willing to stop in the pouring rain to help change a tire. It warmed my heart to see old ladies, young men in their huge "world of wheels" pickup trucks, businessmen, the local dr, etc... all stopping to ask if they could help.

Somewhere in this world there is goodness. It was nice to experience it today!

It's 8:00pm, my husband still isn't home!

2008-05-08T19:00:00.003-05:00

A mess of updates:

Time Zones:
I live in the middle of two time zones! Indiana is CRAZY!!! I live in the Eastern Time zone and my husband travels to another city 50 miles away and works in the Central Time Zone. As a banker, you never leave work at 5. Basically, if he is home at 7:30 or 8pm my time, its a good night. Tonight it was closer to 8:30. *sighs* Sometimes I feel like a single mom!

Crazy Schedule:
There are times in my life when I look back and wonder......"What the hell was I thinking??" Am I the only person who does this? As I said, I often feel like a single mother, but on top of that I signed up to help run the Vincennes Girls Softball League. Ideally, I was going to help with the scheduling, however that turned into a 24/7 commitment. It is absolutely chaos! Craig and I receive anywhere from 5 -10 phone calls and sometimes over 25 emails regarding softball. I have spent up to 6 hours a day on softball. Seriously, I love the sport, but this might cause a change in my attitude. Oh did I mention that I have 3 daughters playing this year on 3 different divisions! UGH! 33 games total, not including Lauren's travel team schedule.

I also chose to be in charge of the 6th grade "end of the year" party. This party is next week the last week of school. Games, tshirts, volunteers, food, karaoke, basketball tourney, ...... on and on..... Don't get me wrong, I love a good party, however, it usually involved cocktails!

Oh yeah, I have a job. I have been working around 3 days a week. Preparing for each day takes time too.

Why do I say YES?????

umm.. I think forgot to mention that the day after the big 6th Grade party, we leave at 4am for Disney World! 7 glorious days of fun in sun! Bring on the Mouse!

Ring Update:
*Dancing* After much much grief and a couple of "used car salesman" insurance guys, My awesome agent came through for me and I have the Most Beautiful wedding ring. Next time you see me ask me about, I will love to show you!

softball, graduation, and EARTHQUAKES!!!

2008-04-18T09:22:00.004-05:00

This is my rambling of updates from the past month or so. With the demise of my work computer, I am slowly rebuilding three years of presentations and rather busy with my daughter's activities.

The summer is quickly approaching, that means softball season is gearing up. Craig and I have rather stupidly accepted the responsibility to 'help' run the Girls softball league here in town. My job simply involves being on the Rules Committee, creating the website, collecting the player application and putting the information into an Excel spreadsheet (currently at 290 players), help with the draft, find 27 businesses to sponsor teams, encourage other businesses to buy a banner for the fields, ...Oh don't forget that our names are on the applications so anyone who has a question, suggestions or the most popular a complaint, they call us!! Those jobs are primarily finished, now I am trying to schedule the teams games. However, several teams have players that participate on school teams and have asked that I avoid those games. This is CRAZY!!! All I can say, "Im doing my best!" I spend anywhere from 2 to 6 hours or more on softball each day! Is it over yet???

My second update is that Lauren is graduating!!

Relax..... It is only from 6th grade! She came home the other day with this picture. It literally left me speechless. (.... ok ok.... enough with the comments on me being speechless...it doesn't happen often. I can't help it that I like to talk!) I doesn't seem she should be old enough to go to jr. high. This breaks my heart. She is literally growing before my eyes. I think she has grown 4 inches since December. ...... impossible!

Finally, EARTHQUAKE!! This morning around 5:30, I woke to my house beginning to shake. I was confused for awhile thinking it might be a vibration from the train. But it got stronger and faster. Craig sits up and says, ''''whoa..Whoaaa.." All three girls jumped up and stood in the hallway, one was crying. For 60 seconds our house was shaking!!!! It was the eeriest, weirdest minute of my life. The center was not far from where we live. It measured 5.4. What a week!
This is a video from the yahoo website on the earthquake: http://cosmos.bcst.yahoo.com/up/player/popup/?rn=3906861&cl=7455661&ch=4226713&src=news

Ok... I gotta finish the scheduling for softball.

Dont forget to leave a comment!

Computer crashed....... again!

2008-04-03T13:43:00.002-05:00

After taking a new job three years ago, my consultant firm gave me a laptop to use for work. In the three years, the laptop has crashed twice. The second being just this week.

Somewhere in my heart, I am trying to explain to myself it was some metal and plastic, yet it feels like a pet or a family member.

I stored all my 'important' stuff on it. All my work accounts, presentations, personal informaton....etc.. you get the picture.

How do you explain to your five year old why you have been crying all day over a computer?

depleted!

..... I can't believe Im hooked on......

2008-03-27T20:20:00.003-05:00

GUITAR HERO!!!!!!!!!!

Lauren got this crazy game for the Wii for Easter. I picked it up several times, and actually got booed off stage every time!

However, recently, I tried again. My fingers decided to work with my brain and actually make it through the first song! I almost stood up and cheered. *ok, I did!*

Now, I officially have 12 songs completed!!!

How cool and dorky.....all at the same time!

ROCK ON!!!!

Boat Drunks are losing my favorite bass player!!!!!!

2008-03-23T17:50:00.004-05:00

*sigh*

Mike Miller is without a doubt my all time favorite bass player! I saw them play for the first time several years ago. I knew when I left that night that two things caught my eye. One, was that I heard a song that will top my all time favorite songs for a very long time: Hollow Man. Two, Mike Miller, who wrote Hollow Man, is an amazing bass player!!

For several years, we followed the Boat Drunks! Mike always went out of his way to speak to Craig and I and he also made a point of saying my name from the mic. I know he has no clue what that means to me, but he will always hold a special place in my heart. I wish him the VERY best!

Calling all Drunk fans, Craig and I will be planning one last trip to Illinois this summer to catch one of Mike's last shows with the band. We will let you know when and you can travel with us to hear Mike play one last time!!!!!!

You will be missed Mike!

... To learn more about Mike:
http://www.boatdrunks.com

The ultimate peep show!!!

2008-03-12T20:23:00.002-05:00

Happy Easter!!!!

In need of warm weather!

2008-03-11T20:37:00.002-05:00

Craig and I were talking in February about the fact that we have had such a good winter from a health point of view. None of our girls had been sick and both of us were healthy too. However, snow hit in Feb and so did our sickness.

All of us from one time or another has had a cold, strep throat, or even the flu. Lauren is so active with basketball she has never given her body a chance to shake it. We are currently on her 3rd round of antibiotics. It seems like I am following her lead. I too am currently on my 3rd round. This time it is the cold/flu.

Actually, I just think a week in the tropical sun will cure it all!

*sigh* /cough/ *sigh*

I can't wait till the weekend....

2008-03-10T23:26:00.002-05:00

After many, many weekends of basketball, we are shipping the girls to my parents for Spring Break!!!! Whooo hooo! I can't decide if I want to spend the weekend at home working on the house and relaxing, or take the opportunity to go out with friends for cocktails. Oh.....who am I kidding, bring on the cocktails!

Squeel!!!

2008-03-04T12:56:00.003-06:00

Okay, I have to admit many, many months ago, I 'misplaced' my wedding ring. I refuse to say lost... I just couldn't seem to find it. I kept thinking it would turn up. Unfortunately, No ring. It has been 8 months and I feel kinda ....lost... without it.

Now, for those of you that know me, you will appreciate this story. This past weekend I was attending one of my daughters IBA basketball games. While being my friendly self, a gentlemen confused me with an 'available' mom. He proceeded to ask for my phone number and discuss how we could maybe 'hang out'. I was FLOORED!!!! I am quite honestly not the first person someone is going to hit on. While I was flattered at this jester, I realized it might be time to get a new ring. I was on my way to Wal-Mart for a simple gold band.

As I was telling the story of the kind gentleman, a friend of mine said that his home owners insurance covers lost wedding rings. It got us to wondering if our would cover my mistake. Luckily, IT DOES!!!!! I have no idea how this works, but apparently I am going to get a replacement ring!!! I am so very excited!

I don't say this much, but..............Yeah Insurance!!

7th Heaven ----no, not the show, the book!

2008-03-02T20:33:00.004-06:00

I bought the new James Patterson book today. I love Love LOVE this author. I am addicted to the Woman's Murder Club. (but apparently not enough to watch the tv series.... honestly, I don't watch it because I don't want the show to change or guide my images of the characters.)

This is a GREAT book series. I love the characters, action, and overall feel of these books! You don't need to read them in order, but it is suggested.

The series:

1st to Die

2nd Chance

3rd Degree

4th of July

5th Horseman

6th Target

.....and the new 7th Heaven.

I don't know when I will finish the book. I bought it today, but probably won't start reading it for awhile (could be up to a few months) because I dont want it to end so quickly. Once I pick up the book, I won't put it down until it is finished. It might take me a day or two to read it completely!

James Patterson is without a doubt one of my all time favorite authors. I also really enjoy Carl Hiaasen, Tom Corcoran, Nicholas Sparks and of course my favorite is Randy Wayne White.

Do you have a favorite book or author? Please leave me a comment, I am always looking for new great reads!

This made me laugh today......

2008-02-25T21:37:00.006-06:00

I got this email from my husband today. It made me laugh!!

Okay so this is how I imagine this conversation went:

Bakery Employee: 'Who dis is?'
Customer: Is this the Walmart bakery?'
Bakery Employee: 'Oh Yeah, 'dis Walmarts, how can I help you?'
Customer: Yes, I would like to order a cake for a going away party this week.'
Bakery Employee: 'What you want on the cake?'
Customer: “Best Wishes Suzanne” and underneath that 'We will miss you'.

Do you scrapbook??

2008-02-22T14:53:00.007-06:00

I confess, I do not scrapbook.... this isn't to say that I haven't on occasion put together a few pages or even create a nifty mini-book. But in the end, I don't scrapbook. However, one of my good friends loves it! She teaches classes and has recently started her own little business, creating kits for other scrapbookers.

You must look at her blog. It is adorable! She makes the kits and publish them on her blog for others to see and buy. I love her new 'snow' kit! It features my youngest daughter, Hallie.

Check it out!

Click: Shabby Pink Designs blog

In Need of Prayer....

2008-02-18T23:15:00.004-06:00

With a heavy heart, I come to all of you bloggers in need of prayers. As many of you know, I am a twin. My sister, Donna, means the world to me. Her life is falling down around her. Donna's husband, Joe, has been diagnosed with fibromyalgia. This disease has taken his body. Seeing a strong, active, happy dad become this feeble, broken, sad man breaks my heart. His body has basically given up on him. His pain level is so high, he can barely move. Atop this horrid situation, Joe woke up a couple of weeks ago with Bells Palsy. One side of his face is paralyzed. The doctor has hopes that this condition will heal in time. (usually 80% heal) However, as you can very well guess, these health problems are taking a toll on his disposition. As would it anyone. He lives in high pain, facial distortion, and the hardest thing for him to endure is the fact that can not work. He loves to be active. His job doesn’t pay if he doesn’t work. Emotionally he is struggling.

Donna called tonight depleted. She is struggling to raise 3 smart, active, loving boys….. She is dealing with the insurance company who is wavering on what they will and will not pay. She misses her husband and needs our prayers.

Snow Day!

2008-02-12T13:22:00.001-06:00

Knox County is covered in snow and ice! Craig and I both worked in Evansville yesterday, so we rode together. After a very long day of cancellations, sitting in the car for an hour waiting on Craig, we finally began our 'hour' drive home. It took us 2.5 hours to get home. Luckily by the time, we arrived in Knox County we had no snow.
However last night we were covered in an inch of snow and layers of ice. They canceled school today. I am home with 3 daughters who are bored.... They could actually spend the next two hours picking up the messes they have made all day to keep them busy. But something tells me that isn't going to happen. ---- at least not yet!

Snow days are great for sleeping in, but makes a mom's job Crazy!!! Hopefully, Lauren will spend more time studying for her science test now. Ofcourse, she would have to take time out of arguing with her sisters, or put down the computer and MySpace to pick up her books.
Snow days make me appreciate my daughters, clean houses, and sanity!

Happy Birthday Carly!!!

2008-02-06T22:47:00.001-06:00

Well, ten years ago my adorable middle daughter was born! Yes, 10 YEARS! This seriously can't be possible. It makes me realize just how fast life passes us by. a decade.... impossible....
So many people would look at me with little daughters and tell me to enjoy them as toddlers, toddlers! At the time, I would shake my head, smile and say thank you, I am. But in my mind, I would be screaming, "Enjoy? enjoy? I don't sleep, I constantly chase them, they are forever into something, or making a mess, and they are NEVER quiet.... and you want me to enjoy this??" But as I look back, I do understand and miss those cuddling, growing, *enjoyable* moments. I can't believe she is ten.

Carly is one of those beautiful children whom you either love to be around, or you dont. She is FULL of energy and truly lives in the peeks and valleys of life. Drama really isn't the most appropriate word for her. It should look like this: DrAmA. up and down up and down.... She loves, loves, loves attention. She really isn't athletic. She will make a great cheerleader. She is very very witty and she definitely lives life to its fullest. She is my one daughter who thinks about others feelings. She is the one who 'wants' to please. (she doesn't always please, but her heart is in the right place) Carly makes me laugh and want to scream EVERY day. I simply can't image life without her. Though school isn't easy for Carly, she is going to make an amazing adult. Her life goal is become Rachel Ray! She loves being in the kitchen and she watches Food Network on a regular basis. You go Carly!!

With her love of baking, we decided not to buy the cute cupcakes at the bakery this year. She wanted to make sugar cookies in the shape of hearts and use baby pink icing..... ofcourse what else would a true princess want?

Happy Birthday Carly, I love you!

6th Grade Tournament

2008-02-05T12:02:00.001-06:00

Well, we didn't cut the nets down last night at Lauren's basketball game; however, we did finish second. We lost by four points to a very competitive Barr Reeve team. This team consisted of one (very skilled and talented) player. The others on her team were merely playing backup. We shut her down to only 8 points on the floor. However she was the only girl who touched the ball so she was fouled a LOT! She scored 8 points in free throws. We lost by four!

GREAT game ladies! I am proud of you!

Tomorrow is Carly's tenth birthday! Seriously, is that possible???? We are going to Build-a-Bear! HAPPY BIRTHDAY CARLY !!!!!!

2008-01-30T22:52:00.001-06:00

Ahhhhh…. There is nothing better than returning home from a great vacation! Regardless of the fun and excitement of it all, that moment when you lie in our own bed for the first time in several days makes coming home all the more sweet!! I love coming home to HUGE hugs and “Mommy!!!!” there is nothing better, EVER!

San Francisco was amazing. I found myself looking forward to visiting a sunny, warm city. HA! I couldn’t believe how cold and rainy it was. With the exception of only one day, it rained, and rained and rained! We had a good time even in the rain, thankful for the complimentary umbrellas from the front desk.

We spent a lot of time on the Muni (city bus.) For $1.50 a day, we could tour all of the city attractions. On the first day, we instantly went to the Golden Gate even in the rain. How amazing! From one spot, we could take in the breath-taking view of the Bridge and then we could glance at Alcatraz. We didn’t visit the ‘jail island’. I just found it too eerie. We also went to Haight and Ashbury, the famous intersection in SF. Very cool in a hippy-dippy kind of way…. Summer of Love……We cruised the 60’s shops and cafes.

We also went to Pier 39, full of restaurants and shops. Even in the rain, we walked through the Pier. My favorite little shop was San Francisco Sock Market. This little shop was full of hundreds of socks! I bought each of the girls a fun pair. Hallie got ones that look like pink Chuck Taylors, Carly got a pair those truly look like a pair of pink ballet slippers and Lauren’s were your typical 12 year old long striped fun socks. My friend’s favorite store was Bare Essentials! We got a make-over and we were pampered. How fun! Also, we got to see all of the sea lions at the pier. They were cute and Loud!

Finally, I eat Calamari… Yes, Squid!! I am not typically one to try something new. But, I tasted it and actually enjoyed it. I even ate it twice. We also eat Calm Chowder everyday! It was amazing! It was served in a sourdough bowl. But, I have to say my all time favorite spot was Kara’s Cupcakes! Yep, we were on our way out of Girardelli Square and saw the most adorable cupcakes! I wish I could have brought them home for everyone! The cutest little girl came in with her dad and ordered a chocolate cupcake with chocolate icing. She took the last one, then looked up and said, “Sorry for taking the last one”. It was so cute! I loved these cupcakes! Big surprise!

If you get a chance, I recommend a trip to San Francisco!

Living a fog lately.....

2008-01-22T12:43:00.001-06:00

Last Friday, I had the pleasure of extracting a tooth. Let me tell you, it was pure hell! It seems that this procedure should have taken an hour or so, however, three hours later, I left the office. Obviously, things didn't go as planned and there were complications. In the end, there is trauma to most of the muscles in my mouth, tongue and gums. This typically takes up to a month to heal.

As most of you know, I am heading to California tomorrow! My bottle of heavy-duty pain killers is gone, yep gone, I have taken 20 since Friday! They called in another script, but when you take 2 every four hours, it tends to leave you in a fog.

I have spent the better half of today trying to *think* of getting organized. I haven't begun to pack, I haven't even made my lists yet. (I Have to make a list of things I need, before I can even think of packing). I haven't collected my materials that I am going to present. I haven't printed my handouts. I haven't printed my airline ticket, hotel confirmation, etc. WHAT Have I done??? I suppose that I just finished my list of things to do..lol

I sure hope there are Wal-marts in San Francisco. I can almost guarantee that I am going to forget something!!

nowhere near perfection today cort!

The Ultimate Gift - A Must See!

2008-01-19T23:22:00.001-06:00

Okay, for the first time in a VERY long time, Craig and I had nothing to do on Saturday night!!! It was glorious! Lauren was at a friend's house and Carly and Hallie didn't have company. Basically a lovely quiet night at home. Having been to two basketball games today and still recovering from some major dental surgery, I thought we would enjoy a movie. Craig went to the local movie rental and chose our entertainment for the night. Now, keep in mind, he tries to get movies that both of us will like....but sometimes he just comes home with some 'shoot em up' movie, or something I wouldn't enjoy, but tonight he impressed me!

He got a couple of movies for the girls and 3 for us. (Well, one for us and two for him) Chuck and Larry, the second title I can't remember because it looked like some war movie my dad watches on Sunday,but the third choice was called the Ultimate Gift. He said there weren't too many on the shelf. He wanted to try something new (translation: I couldn't find a chick flick) and thought this might look interesting. It was a wonderful movie. One of those feel good inside movies. One that makes you think about your life and what you have and how fortunate we really are. It was so intimate and thought provoking that it left Craig and I both thinking about lives and the direction we are going. Confirming the fact that we are truly happy, i mean... truly happy. Yeah, we have a list a mile long of "I Want..." But, in reality, we are thankful for what we have.

I highly recommend you rent this fabulous movie!

San Francisco!!

2008-01-18T15:53:00.001-06:00

I leave for California on Wednesday. I am presenting at a national conference for educators! I am very excited and very nervous! Lisa and I are going to teach teachers how to enhance their teaching using visuals. It is one of my favorite presentations I have done. I think it will be a great learning experience.

However, if I am leaving for any amount of time, I tend to work myself up the days prior. I worry about Craig being the single dad when Im gone. Don't get me wrong, I know he can handle it, I just hate putting him in that situation. It is a lot of work! I look at the calendar and know he can do it all, but things are crazy. He is a great dad and I know he will do a good job. My guilt eats at me and I don't enjoy my time away as much as I could even though Craig says he can handle it! I suppose that is part of being a mom and a wife.

I am looking forward to California. I know we are going to see a lot of great things. I hope I can not get too wrapped up in the worrying and enjoy myself. I know there are a lot of things to do and I can't wait!

If you have any suggestions on things I must do, please send them my way. By the way, I am so not going to Alcatraz!!! It does not interest me at all. However the Fisherman's Wharf is on my list.

Look out California, here I come!

The parents of Athletes

2008-01-09T22:06:00.001-06:00

Why do some parents (including myself) get so competitive while our children are playing sports? The big picture is that - its just a game. Yeah I get it, but as soon as that buzzer sounds, my blood pressure rises, suddenly I think I can coach better, and I wonder why didn't my daughter make that ridiculously easy shot???? Many of the parents around me join in encouraging our daughters and trying to support the team. Is it like that when the boys play? I went to a couple of boys games, but it isn't nearly as loud, or maybe I am just not emotionally attached. During Lauren's game, every play she makes or doesn't make, I have to loudly comment. What do I think she is going to do? As I am yelling, is it like she is going to respond, like she is out there not trying her best, like she is going to hear me and think, yeah, I need to be more aggressive like mom is screaming! Before every game, I tell myself, I am not going to yell. That lasts about 2 minutes! Lauren scored 8 points tonight and I am very proud of her! Later that night, all Craig and I can do is discuss all the reasons why we lost. (our second game of the season) Lauren is out there playing her heart out and I just want her to do her best and enjoy herself. She loves playing and that is what I need to remember. I am always trying to yell constructive and positive things, but it is what I am screaming inside that leaves me drained and wishing I wasn't so tense. I don't wish ill-will on the opponent, we play some good teams. Tonight we knew several girls on the other team. I find myself cheering for the girls we know. I trully want them to do well too. Why can't I just sit there and be quiet?? It takes Craig and I an hour to calm down even after a big win. I can't imagine what it is going to be like when she is in high school. I need to start praying now.

No Christmas Cards this year, only a blog!

2008-01-08T13:14:00.001-06:00

Hello Friends and Family,

It is the begin of a new year. As some of you may have notices, we didn't send out Christmas cards this year, so I thought I would set up a blog to let you what is going on in our crazy lives with three daughters. This is going to be my attempt to keep in touch with those of you I don't see as often as we would like. Im encouraging you to visit our site often. I want to update regularly. Feel free to leave comments, we would love to hear from you.

The girls are doing great! I can't believe they are already 12, 10, and 5. They are so involved and keep us moving all the time. With Craig driving to Evansville (1 hr and 20 min drive - one way), I find myself on the go all the time. He likes his job, his only dislike is the fact that Eville is on a different time zone than Vincennes. Yep, welcome to Indiana!

Lauren is in the sixth grade and is involved in every sport possible! Currently, she is playing basketball for South Knox. She starts and plays most of the game. Her high score this year was 16 points in one game. Her opponent that game scored 12 points as a team. I am a proud mom watching her play a sport she loves. She also played volleyball in the fall. In a few months, she will begin playing softball. She has been in an organized sport for over a year! Lauren is also 12, which means I am stupid and know nothing! Her favorite things to do include sports of course, but her all time favorite activity is texting! I think her phone is attached to her hand. What can 12 year old girls possibly be talking about at all times of the day. Its crazy!

Carly as you can see is our drama queen. She loves the limelight and keeps us smiling all the time. As a fourth grade girl, she is also very involved in many things. She recently just signed up for the quilt club at school. We shall see how she does at sewing. It will be harder for her because she isn't one to stay in one place for a long time. She plays basketball too. It isn't anything she loves, but to quote her Thanksgiving letter to her dad she says, "Thank you daddy for coaching my ball team. We both know I don't like basketball but because you like to coach, I took one for the team!" She is obviously quick witted and very creative. Her favorite activities involve anything in the kitchen. She loves to bake and cook. She wants to be Rachel Ray when she grows up. More Power to her! Carly spends a lot of her time talking with her friends and online at her favorite website: Webkinz. If you don't know what a webkinz is, check it out. She basically has virtual pets! She loves it!

Hallie is an independent five year old. She is a sponge when it comes to attitude and language. I find myself watching her and listening to her talk, which is all the time. If she is awake, her mouth is going! She played soccer this summer and loved it! She is more aggresive than both of her sisters. She scored as many as 6 goals a game because she liked to push the other girls to get the ball. It will be fun to watch her grow. Her big excitement is that she is almost done with daycare and will be going to Kindergarten next year! She can't wait! I dread it.... seriously she can't be that old! Hallie is definitely the princess in our family. Everyone caters to her and she gets her way most of the time. I guess that is part of being the youngest.

Well, that is the update with the girls. As you can see, we are super busy and we wouldn't have it any other way!!!

Welcome to our blog! Enjoy!!