Day 11

Excruciating pain! I have only felt pain worse than this once in my lifetime - when I got my tonsils out a few years ago. This leg pain is constant and keeps me up at night and bitching all day! Thank God for the pain meds, yet it's funny; they barely make a difference.

Big homesick day. 9 more days of this. they should be paying me more for this. i am missing my life at home, yet making strides in my career. i guess it's true...you can't have both successfully. remember that folks.

have had the best meals here. they are so delicious! i can feel my arteries clogging as i swallow. I've decided that i am going to take myself out for Easter brunch.

I've decided some people look better with their helmets on, like Tom Brady and ellsbury and ortiz and manny. it's true sometimes i like watching baseball for the cute butts. don't worry i still love my NYY. The Sox were playing Kansas City and it made me think of all those men in cute pants!

Louiville

Louisville, Kentucky; not very impressive yet. I've been here a week and my favorite things are the IMAX theatre where you can hit 2 shows for $12 and the free bar at the hotel; every week night from 6-8 FREE beer and wine (and dinner)! Who wouldn't like it!? Well, probably someone who doesn't drink. It's been exhausting. Only cried once I think. Surprisingly did not shed a tear today, even though I had t spend my day off at Urgent Care and then the ER; it's only 7.5 hours of my life, no biggie. no real improvement either. everyone kept trying to give me a doctor's note for work and I kept telling them that's why I'm in Kentucky! Apparently, some people choose to visit? Odd. I doubt I'll be back. There really isn't a lot to see here. I do want to cross the Ohio River; the bridge looks pretty cool. I loved the English Pub on Fourth Street, but sadly I have only found one of their local beers that I enjoy; Bluegrass Brewing Company Nut Brown. Bedtime soon. Miss my baby and Portland and all things comfortable and familiar and my friends and family. Next weekend will be harder given that it's Easter... Only the STRONG survive!

hello again

Well hello again. It's been a busy month. Maine to Florida to Maine and Kentucky is next. For months I couldn't wait to get deployed; everything is new and exciting. Now I have my papers and I don't want to go for that long. I gotta man up though because I am the lead evaluator. I will try and ost some photos of cool things I see out West. I don't think I can catch up on the last month, so I am not going to stress myself out and even try. Resting up today; hurt my leg some how. ice, heat, ice, heat.

Another birthday, another blizzard

So my birthday was perfect. Shopping with Mom and sometimes Dad - gotta love the President's Week Sales - what a great time for a birthday! Mom and I love the shopping and we even swung by the makeup counter ;) I love hanging out with my parents. No matter what we do we have fun, even if it's watching tv, having a snack, playing with the puppy or going to the gym/mall/happy hour! I couldn't ask for better parents, they are like my best friends and I only wish they lived closer or me to them. I think it's because I'm an OC (only child) that we get along so well. We were always the Three Musketeers!

We ventured someplace new for lunch on Friday the 20th, FYI lunch at DiMillo's Floating Restaurant, which was cheaper than a night out at $3 Deweys! It was amazing food and atmosphere, even at the ever-stately bar! They have quite a few stimulus price reductions; $5 lunch specials and $15 dinners along with free happy hour apps and drink specials! Ok now I sound like a commercial!

Speaking of commercials...my FAVORITE one right now is the McD's commercial for the fillet of fish sung my the wall trophy: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6bJOIqVAD-s Seriously, I might have a problem because I laugh out loud when I see this!

Birthday again...I got distracted, was awesome. A great dinner at RiRa's, a tradition now, with a not-so-great yet amusing waiter. Steve was his name and he took better photographs than he did orders. Everything was a mess but I was happily amused and the food we received was great! A Divine chocolate cake with pink frosting! The best frosting I've ever had. Go Shaws! I mentioned awhile ago to my mom that I wanted a pink cake for my birthday and she said I thought you wanted chocolate and I said I do and then realized that chocolate wasn't pink and said...Oh I don't know! and proceeded with a previous conversation. My parents have found a way for me to have my pink cake and eat it too! YAY

Mom, Dad and I went to J's Oyster, a great little dive! he best seafood in town, no-frills. Raw scallops, a huge plate of mussels, spicy mac and cheese, calm chowdah and some beverages to top it all off. Then mom and I got to check out the Art museum, but dad went for a long walk and it was too cold to be outside for over an hour; that ended our night early due to coldness to the bone!

Maggie and Trevor took Andre and I snowshoeing at Pineland Farms Saturday http://www.pinelandfarms.org/visitors/faqs.htm which was awesome and I hurt for three days afterwards! I kept having races and then falling over my snowshoes! Andre was always the fastest, I was number two, well until I fell and then I was the caboose and everyone had to run back and help pull me up from the one hole my un-snowshoed foot had made. One time the snow went up mid-thigh on my un-snowshoed foot! Wish we would have taken pictures during our 3mile trek.

On my actual birthday, Andre and Greg (Andre's dad), took me out to breakfast at the Bayou Kitchen....mmm...nothing like grits and crawfish in your omelet! Andre brought me shopping and we met up with Amy and continued to Margaritas! Did you know my birthday is National Margaritas Day, yet now Margarita Specials!? Weird! We played pool at the OPT billiards, which have a beautiful view of the street below and twinkle lights lining each cathedral arched window. Doe and Matt even ventured out to celebrate mi cumpleanos! Much fun and music was had by all, until Brookie got hungry and 'Dre and I went to Gritty's for some Bangers and Smash and a backgammon tournament! It was really quite sweet...I have this pocket magnetic backgammon game now and it was in my purse and we had a blast (He almost beat me, but I won by a hair)! One of the cutest things was when we had cake and everyone sang to me over speakerphone! Another birthday...another blizzard.

Birthday week.

I love food. Is it normal to look forward to eating raw scallops, sushi, cheese fries or a juicy burger? I should hope so! Three days until my birthday and I have been contemplating making a plan. This will be the first birthday I will be spending with my boyfriend and our friends. My parents have to leave saturday to make it back to work on Monday, so we have been celebrating all week instead. We've been having a great time relaxing and trying new spots, shopping and just catching up. Off to J's and the adventure continues...

Happy Vacation, day 4

Watching Rachel Ray and Chef Ramsay. Chef Ramsay is so good looking AND he can cook! How does he not gain weight? Oh my God...he runs marathons and is in an Iron Man competition! I think it's his spikey hair I like so much...the way 'Dre used to spike his hair...now that I think about it, most of my boyfriends have had the super-sexy spikey hair, at one point or another. Interesting....

I slept a lot last night and slept in this morning. I cannot believe it; maybe it was allergies and not a cold, or maybe I cured myself?!

I'm feeling myself drawn to Yoga. I think I want to join a class. I think my mom would like it too, maybe she will join me in a class this week. Mom and dad are only a few hours away. Andre is coming home for lunch, which I think is going to be so sweet. I doubt I will be hungry, but I will make him something yummy.

Five days until my birthday.... yay.

stress...

Remember when you would kill yourself studying during finals and the first day of vacation you would get sick? Apparently that happens with work too! I am finally on vacation from my stressful jobby job and guess what....I have a cold. Figures...

Fight the GERMS! Hopefully it doesn't turn into anything serious. I hate being sick on my birthday. Looking forward to my parents coming to visit! YAY

VDAY part2

Today we continue our VDAY celebration. Our first year we did not stay at the apartment and cook thai food and go to a movie. We are in Portsmouth, NH. We roadtripped down here with our friends Matt and Amy. We are exploring and have been enjoying the town. We went out to lunch and painted the town red and when dinner time came along, we wen back to the hotel, enjoyed the hot tub, and playing star wars trivial pursuit and eating pizza and snackies and enjoying champagne out of styrofoam cups! It's been amazing. I love my boyfriend. Today we've been lounging and looking forward to grabbing brunch at the ever famous friendly toast! super psyched to find a last minute deal on a nice hotel (less than $40/person)! I love a good deal. So yes this year despite the economy, we splurged a little, but not on anything we wouldn't normally, just in a different town :) Today starts my birthday week! Off to enjoy. Back to Portland tonight....

Friday the 13th!

Ahhh the gym. We have a love/hate relationship. i love the effects (please note the correct usage of effect, it's not easy!) and hate the dragging my butt there and the sweating part. i wish i had faster metabolism and could be like emily and go on candy diets and never gain weight. someday miss emily....it will catch up with you...HAHHAA...probably not though! ;)

time to get on with this day...this Friday the 13th!
planning on doing some housework, some shopping, some pedicuring, some pampering to prepare for our mini VACA to Portsmouth, NH. just a little out of town get-away with our friends Matt and Amy. We shall soon see what NH has in store for 2 couples from Maine.

feeling ill and restless. was told one thing this morning and the complete opposite this afternoon, that's government. TGIP (Thank Good ness It's Payday), my landlord will rejoice, I'm sure. dinner out tonight, a typical money burning a whole in my pocket feeling, although I am sure I shouldn't given the economy and bills, but what the hell, right?! you only live once, so live like everyday is Friday, I say! It's almost my birthday and I am feeling older, or maybe rather just wiser. missing the carefree days of PCS or HWS. The days of no bills or rent or worrying about what you are eating or putting into your body - will it make you fat, wrinkled, clog your arteries, give you a rash or make your tummy wish it was never born?!

Song in my head:
"Fish gotta swim, birds gotta fly, I gotta love one man 'til I die, So I can't help lovin' that man of mine." ~ That's all I really know to the song, I think someone sang it on Idol the other day?
Done for now.