Weekend Debriefing

So, it was another busy weekend. I don't know how much longer I can keep this up. I'm feeling a little worn out now.

So, Friday I came home and watered all of my plants and flowers. Then, I went to bed early because I had a throbbing headache. I woke up around 1:00 in the morning because of said headache and I sincerely considered drilling a hole in my face next to my nose to relieve all of the sinus pressure. But, I figured then I'd have to spend a little while in the ER, so I decided against it. I finally got back to sleep around 5:00 and didn't wake up again unti 11:30 (not good).

My friend, Lisa, called me around 10:00 Saturday morning to see if I wanted to go with her and her son to see Shrek the Third. Obviously, I didn't get the message until after the movie was over and I was bummed! I love her little boy - he's adorable and boy does he have a personality. Plus, I wanted to see the movie. Agh, oh well. Instead, I went outside and mowed the lawn (not so smart when your allergies and sinuses are already bothering you). But, I moved the lawn, weed whacked and cleaned off the driveway. Then, I headed to the backyard where I did pretty much the same thing. Then, I turned my sprinklers on in an effort to persuade my front lawn to turn a bright shade of green - but he's stubbornly resisting. I still see some dead tan grass. Anyway.

Then, I went inside, took a shower and did the dishes. After I cleaned a little, I gave myself a mani/pedi. Fun times!

Sunday, my momma and I went shopping (it's our Sunday ritual). I bought all kinds of goodies at Home Depot (like two hose caddies, tons of accent grasses, a hibiscus tree, a door mat, a beautiful red gerbera daisy and paint for the exterior of the house)! I took momma out to eat at Applebee's (which isn't my favorite restaurant, but it was good). When we got back to her house, she transplanted my daisy into a coco hanging pot and then Koko and I left. Sidenote: any time I go to my parents' house, I take Koko because she loves to play with my parents' dog and run around in the yard. Plus, I don't like to just leave her at home since she's home alone all day everyday during the week.

I got home around 7:00 and I put all my plants outside and I watered everything. Then, I kinda straightened things up and got things ready for work today. Finally, I made myself a snow cone (with my ice shaving machine - I LOVE THIS THING). Before I went to bed, I read a little and then finally fell asleep. And, ta da - I'm here at work! Gotta love life.

See, I've been so busy, but I can't seem to account for my time - straaaaange....

Maybe I Should Post Something, Eh?

I know, I know - I haven't posted in a week. Trust me, I'd love to post more often, but I just can't seem to think of anything to write about lately. I don't know what my deal is...

My Cardinals are giving me heartburn so far this season. I realize we're only 8 games in...but I'm still not real happy with the way things are turning out. We're supposed to be the frickin' Champs and we're playing like we're the Little League Champs. As of last night, we no longer have a losing record, but that doesn't make me feel any better. Now, don't get me wrong, I love those guys with every fiber of my being, but, they're seriously giving me heartburn. I still say it's because I'm not at all of the games this year. They miss me, I know it!

I've, basically, given up on American Idol. After Gina Glocksen got voted off last week, I quit caring. My two favorites are/were Gina Glocksen and Blake Lewis. If Blake gets voted off and Sanjaya stays - I'm going to lose it!

Does anyone know how to clip a prickly pear cactus? I have a cactus that I'd like to give a clipping of to my mom...but I don't want to just cut part off and let it die. Any ideas?

I'm going to be posting all about the breakup in a couple days...it will be pretty detailed so that everyone knows what's going on in my world...I'm working on it. It'll be here soon.

Absolute Zero Social Life

It just dawned on me that I have absolutely NO social life. I mean, my life revolves around fixing up my house (which isn't bad, I guess). I'm not into going out and clubbing or bar-hopping (I did quite enough of that when I was 21 and 22 to last me a lifetime). My point is...I don't know how I'll ever meet another guy...FRICK ON A STICK WITH A BRICK!!!

So, Sunday, quite possibly had to be one of the roughest days for me (regarding the break-up - only because of the Cards!). I know you'll get sick of hearing this, but I'm so bummed over missing the Cards games. I am an AVID Cardinals fan and I miss going to Opening Day and whatnot. I knew once baseball season started that I'd have it rough. THIS BLOWS!!!! I miss those damn season tickets!

I did have a busy weekend though...so, it's nice that I don't have to lay around and sulk. Friday night, my parents came over and we worked on the bathroom (pictured in a previous post). I suppose I finally got to bed around midnight.

Saturday morning, I woke up and got ready for Linlee to pick me up. We headed over to a chinese restaurant to meet up with some other REALLY COOL St. Louis Blogging Chicks. We had lunch and ended up staying for right around 3 hours. Good times were had by all. Again, I'd put a picture up...but I didn't bring a camera - doh! But, I'll list the beautiful and talented ladies that were there:
- Linlee @ Little Miss Sassy (Someone I've been friends with for years)
- Lisa @ Midwestern Mommy (Linlee's cousin)
- Kristie @ Slacker-Moms-R-Us
- Jaelithe @ The State of Discontent (We also got to meet her husband and ADORABLE son!
- Rebecca @ Not So Everyday Mom (Turns out she went to high school with Linlee and me)
- Raquita @ Blaque Pen/ W.O.B.L - in training (We also got to meet her PRECIOUS daughter!
We just HAVE to do that again, I had a great time. But, back to my loser life...
After lunch, Linlee dropped me off and my parents came over to finish the bathroom. They stayed from about 2:30 or 3:00 until 8:30 or so. But, the bathroom was done and a cute little cabinet I bought for my hall had been assembled! Woo hoo!!

Sunday, I went over to my parents' house around noon and we went shopping. I spent too much money AGAIN! We went to Bed Bath & Beyond and got a few things for my house. Then, we ran to Sears where I bought my new lawn mower. Is it sad that I was excited about a new lawn mower? Yeah, I'm fairly certain it is. Anyway, after Sears, we drove out to Washington, MO (my parents live in Wildwood, so it's closer than it sounds). In Washington, we went to Hillerman Nursery (have any of you St. Louisans been there? AWESOME NURSERY!!!). From Hillerman, we went to Wal-mart (I swear the devil created that place) and finally back to my parents' house. We got there around 3:30. I tanned while we were there and then my parents followed me back over to my house to help me get my lawn mower out of the car, etc. So, we ended up cleaning off my patio, hanging a cool picture I bought at BB&B for the bathroom and setting up the lawn mower. My parents left around 6:30, without kisses from Koko. Koko LOVES my parents and always showers them with affection - so it was odd that she didn't want to be held by them or kiss them. But, I didn't think anything of it until about 5 minutes later when I was inside. I was putting some bottled water in the fridge when I looked at Koko and she was trembling. I always know when she's going to have a seizure because she gives me a specific look and she starts to tremble. I was getting that look! So, I got down on the floor with her, laid her on her side and rubbed her. I just kept telling her that everything would be okay and that I was there (that's what they say to do for your dog if they're having a seizure). The entire incident lasted about 10 minutes (actual seizure part was only maybe 5 minutes and the aftershocks were about 5 minutes). Usually, after her seizure, she'll tremble a little more - which is what I call the aftershocks - and then just snap out of it altogether. Once she's up and walking normal, I know it's all over. Once the seizure portion was over and the aftershocks hit, I transferred her to the couch on a nice, plush blanket. When she jumped up and off the couch after 5 minutes, I knew it was all over. She was back to normal. My poor little babeh! She looks so helpless when she has a seizure and I know it scares her. I hate it...

Eventually, I went to bed and it was Monday before I knew it. Ugh! I worked and then went home and worked on the lawn. I mowed the lawn, swept/squirted off the driveway and porch, watered the lawn and then put down my fertilizer. All in all, it only took me 2 hours (that's not too bad if you ask me). Unfortunately, my allergies were thrown into overload and I felt horrible for the rest of the night. I went to bed around 8:30. I woke up this morning to swollen eyes, swollen hands, itchy/watery/red eyes, a stuffy nose and itchy throat. I knew that would happen, I even took Benadryl before I went to bed, but oh well. I gotta mow the lawn...I can't just shut down. So, I'm wearing my glasses and no makeup today. My poor coworkers. It's a shame really.

So, see, NO SOCIAL LIFE! Oh well, what can ya do?

I'm ready to go home, but that's not going to happen...

Alrighty then, I suppose I've rambled for too long already, so I'm off to do some work.

Lates!

New Pee-Pee Room

So my dad, mom, nephew and I all worked all weekend (Friday, Saturday and Sunday) and we're almost done with the bathroom. I don't have any pictures yet, but I promise I'll have some by this weekend (when we plan on finishing the bathroom altogether). It's going to be sooo nice when it's done. I can't frickin' wait.

On Sunday, I got my hair cut and highlighted too - yes, it was a busy weekend. It looks cute, but I've been so tired that I haven't gotten up early to fix it for the last two days, so I'm bummin'.

My poor little puppeh has been sick. For the last two nights, I've been awaken by her gagging and throwing up - at about 2:30 in the morning! So, I stay up for a while and rub her belly and make sure she feels better before I go back to sleep. Finally, this morning she threw up some huge chunk-a-crap! I didn't know what it was; all I know is that I cleaned it up with one of my old St. Louis Cardinals towels and threw the towel away! I didn't even want to bother washing it. :0) I will just guess that it's either something she grabbed from out in the yard or part of a Dingo.

Oh yeah, she eats those little bones (called Dingos) and I've discovered that she does what I call the "Dingo Dance" every time she gets a new one. She hops around it in circles while it's laying on the floor, she lunges at it and she barks and growls at it. It's too frickin' cute. I wish I could get it on video and put it up here for you guys to see. Maybe I'll try that some day.

Ummm...I suppose that's all I got for now...

It's really depressing that I have absolutely nothing to talk about - I gotta start coming up with something interesting or you guys will leave me!

You See...

I haven't posted because I've been so very busy...yeah right!

Let's see, I've lost another 6 pounds, so I'm going on 16 pounds so far. But, for some odd reason I feel like a beached whale today! I don't feel like you can tell I lost 16 pounds. Then again, I guess that's because I have about 100 to lose and 16 isn't even a dent! Ugh! Weight blows!

I took off work Friday because my mom and dad are coming over this weekend to redo my bathroom. I'm thinking I might actually have some photos for you guys soon. Oh happy days, right? :0) I know.

I've come to the conclusion that I'm sincerely bored with American Idol this season. I don't know if it's the contestants or if it's because it's the 6th frickin' season. I'm just bored with it. But, I will tell you this - I love Blake Lewis! I want him to win - although, I'm sure he won't. I'm guessing LaKisha and Melinda have that all sewn up already. But, still, I think he's awesome!!!

Ummm...I get my hair highlighted and cut again on Sunday! I can't wait because it's getting too long. I mean, my hair has grown about 1/2 an inch since I got it cut last time (trust me, the black roots tell me so)! It's starting to look awfully dark again. Ugh!

So, last week I went shopping with my momma and we went to Sephora (yes, for makeup). Can you guys believe I spent $500 on makeup and brushes, etc.?????? Yeah, you read that correctly - $500! Now I know that Sephora is expensive anydamnway, but when she read the total to me (no, I do NOT keep a running total of crap I throw in my basket) I about gagged. Oh well, I needed to spend some money on ME! And, oh do I love that frickin' store! AWESOME. I'm like a kid in a candy store there. Oh, just thinking about it makes me want to go back for the things I saw and figured I'd wait to get. And, I know I'll sound like some prejudiced hillbilly here...but why is it odd to me that men work at Sephora? I just can't help myself from staring at them trying to figure out what kind of makeup they could be using. I realize they could use the hair products, lotions and tanning stuff, but it still baffles me.

Okay, let's see, what else is running through my trivial little mind today...
To tell you the truth, not much.

Work has been crazy lately, very crazy. I don't want to get into why here...but let's just say that Deregulation isn't working out quite like Congress planned. :0) Duh!

Sunday Night Already?

So, I really didn't do much this weekend - I didn't do anything that I had planned on doing. For one, I didn't really clean as much as I wanted to. Then, mom and I didn't go to the movies today - I was tired.

We did clear out the storage side of my basement (the whole driveway is full of stuff that I'm giving to a charity). The American Kidney Foundation is supposed to come tomorrow and pick everything up. That'll be nice - then I can start to clean up my basement so that I can get new carpet (or whatever kind of flooring I want down there) soon. I have so much to do around this house, yet I haven't felt like doing anything. I have a 3-day weekend next weekend and I sincerely plan to get off my ass and get some stuff around the house done...

Alright, well, I gotta go let Koko in and watch some of the Grammy's - I'll be around tomorrow because my boss in on vacation all week this coming week. So...

Til tomorrow!

American Idol

So, I'm sittin' here watching Idol and I've just been wondering if we've seen the Idol yet this year. Do you guys think we've seen him/her yet?

Okay, so do you guys agree with the press, are the judges being outright mean this year? I can't see where they're being any different. I know everyone's up in arms over the whole "bush baby" comment, but come on, ya had to laugh, right? I laughed, then I felt bad. For one, the guy didn't remind me of a "bush baby" (what exactly is a "bush baby"?), he reminded me of that half human/half sheep? creature on Narnia. Apparently, I'm just as bad as the judges. Seriously though, am I the only one that laughs at their ignorant arse comments?

UPDATE: HOLY HAIR!! I say that girl belonged on Broadway instead of AI. I think she could do very well on Broadway.

Well, I have a busy week this week. I've been walking still (losing weight) and tomorrow night, Koko has an appointment with the Vet (her yearly checkup). Then, Thursday, I have to go back to the eye doctor and then I get my hair cut and highlighted. And, Friday, I guess Koko and I will just walk. Then, Saturday, Koko has an appointment with the Groomer (she needs it soooo bad). That evening, if I get my Beanie back in time, I'm supposed to go out to eat and to Bingo with my friend from work (and some of her friends). Yes, I know, younger folks aren't supposed to go to Bingo, but I'm strange because I like that kind of stuff. Alright, fine, I'll admit, I've never actually been to a Bingo session, but it sounds fun to me and what can it hurt? I could win some frickin' money here people. Just think...single girl with baby dog, house and bills...do you know what that means? It means I have to take the chance to get some money any time I can. Right? Finally, I may just be free Sunday, which means I can clean and do laundry. With the breakup I have to keep myself busy or I'll overanalyze the situation and I'll drive myself crazy.

Alright, I gotta focus all of my attention on Idol and then on House (is that man sexy or is it just me - maybe it's his voice, or his arrogance, or his limp?)

Talk to ya lata!

Most Pathetic, Boring Life

I have been so pathetically bored lately and I can't even think of things to talk about. I've been completely engrossed in the whole Ben Ownby/Shawn Hornbeck/Michael Devlin case. I've been reading every article and I've been talking about it nonstop at work. What is my problem? Why I am so nosey regarding this case? I'm one of those pathetic people that wants to know exactly what happened. Does that make me just as sick as the alleged kidnapper, Devlin? Please say, "No". Ugh.

J comes home from New York tomorrow and I have another appointment with the eye doctor. I have to drive all the way back out there to tell the doctor if I like the new contacts or not - isn't that a little crappy? Why can't I just call the guy? I guess I should be happy that he's concerned enough to want to see me.

Do you guys watch Ugly Betty? I LOVE Ugly Betty and I've been watching it since Day 1. My point you ask? Betty Suarez (America Ferrera's character - the title character) has her own website where you can learn about Betty, see her resume, she can give you career advice and you can see and learn about her friends and family. I just found it and I kinda like it! It's cute and her resume is actually a very nice resume. Check it out - and if you don't watch the show, check that out too. It's on Thursday nights at 7:00.

Okay...I promise to come up with something more interesting soon and I think I might take some pictures this weekend...I need to take more pictures. I'm going to remodel our bathroom (it's a total wreck) within the next month or so (or I'm going to try to) and I'll take some before and afters.

Noo Yawk

Okay, what's been up with you all? J left for New York this morning, for work yet again. He'll be there until Tuesday. I can handle it...I swear I can.

Guess what...I got a new window in the Envoy today. So, as of now, most of the work involved in getting things back to normal after your car is broken into is done. I'm happy...very happy. Plus, I'm starting to think the "new car" smell comes from glass because my car has that "new car" smell. I loved it all the way home. Oh, that is a wonderful smell, isn't it?

What else...I have to work this Saturday. I was part of a team that implemented a new system and they are uploading all of the data into the system Saturday. I have to oversee that process. Aren't I lucky?

Alright, I just realized that I have one of the most boring lives...so I'm going to put you all out of your misery right now.

BO-RING

Yes, my life has been ridiculously boring lately. I've been uber busy at work lately, so there's no time to blog or blurf there (plus one of my NY's resolutions was to stop surfing the net at work). So...I'm left to blog at night after I've worked all day, walked my 2 miles, eaten dinner and cleaned. By that time, I am so tired that I can barely think to blog or read other blogs.

As some of you may know, J came home last Thursday. I've just been hanging out with him and spending as much time with him as possible - so that may also explain my lack of interesting posts or visits lately. I apologize to my "Daily Fix" list of folks. I usually try to visit and comment as often as possible, but I just haven't had time. I swear I'll be back soon. I absolutely promise.

But, to keep you all interested, take a look below. My initials are "MM" - now look closely on the palms of my hands. Do you see a huge M (in the wrinkles of my palms) on each palm? Now, it didn't show up as well on my left hand which is odd because it has the "stronger M", but I guess it's the angle. Sorry. But, yes, my initials are in my palms. Cool, huh?


Alright, I'm off to watch House and hang out with da Bubby (J's nickname). We're trying to decide where to go on vacation this year. I'd be happy going back to Hawaii again. But, we might try something different, ya never know. We're also trying to plan our trip to Jupiter, Florida (for Cardinals Spring Training).

Oh yeah - surprise, surprise, Mark McGwire didn't get the nod into the HOF. Like we didn't see that coming. What did I tell you guys?

He He, I Won An Award!

I know, I haven't been around too terribly much lately. I've been depressed and feeling sorry for myself...but, I've gotten sick of being like that. So, I'm done. Plus, Skittles gave me an award! How could that NOT cheer me up? I even got a trophy! Look at it on my sidebar, I'm so proud.

Let's see, what else is going on in Mikala's boring arse life? Oh, how could I forget, J comes home tomorrow! Can you believe it? Tomorrow? Two months flew by (well, not really, but still) and he's coming home tomorrow! I can't wait, I can't wait to show him all of our Christmas decorations. I can't wait to watch him open his Christmas presents, I can't wait to see his face, I can't wait to hug him, I can't wait to kiss him...I just can't wait.

I can't believe I can't think of anything else to say right now...it's so sad considering I'm one of the most talkative people in the world. Oh well...I'll come up with something!

Weird Night

I woke up with a pounding headache and aching knees. Yes, it's approximately 6:00 a.m. and I'm wide awake. You see, I have arthritis in my knees and I've had problems with my left knee since I was about 15. My mom, two cousins and my grandma all had/have severe problems with their knees, so I suppose I get it genetically - lucky me. But, there is a silver lining to this dark, dark cloud - I can now tell when it's going to rain. Seriously, I'm not lying. My knees were KILLING me earlier today and yesterday, so I told J that it was going to pour in the next 24 hours. Lo and behold, I wake up to a severe thunderstorm. It's funny, at work they ask me about rain instead of consulting the forecast, I'm usually better at telling if it's going to rain or not. If any of you live in St. Louis, you know that it's a 50/50 chance of rain here everyday and that's about all the information the weather forecasters give you - it's fun, really.

So, Saddam's dead. His hanging occurred at 6:05 a.m. local time (there). It's just weird to me. That man has been a thorn in the international society's side for twenty years or so and now he's dead. I don't know if any of you followed his trial, but I sort of did. The crimes he was convicted of committing were heinous and the man deserves to be dead. NBC reported cheers around Saddam's dead body after the hanging and more celebrations later.

Of course, on the flip side, violence followed the execution. What's frickin' new? Within hours of Hussein's death, bombings killed at least 68 people in Iraq (ya gotta wonder if that was because of his death, or just a normal day over there in Iraq). Of course, Saddam's supporters in the mostly Sunni city of Tikrit have been claiming Saddam a martyr. They ask other supporters not to be sad because he died the death of a holy warrior. Give me a break. That's all I'll say about that.

I'm pretty pumped after learning that my man, Chuck Liddell, beat J's man, Tito Ortiz in UFC 66. I have liked Chuck Liddell for the longest time and J has liked Ortiz for the longest time. We always seem to argue about a fight between these two and I'm just happy that I won! Thanks Iceman! I won't get too specific about the fight, because a lot of people don't like UFC, but just know that it was brutal and Chuck Liddell put a beat down on Ortiz! I love Chuck "The Iceman" Liddell!!

It's been a long, tumultuous year and truth be told, I'm glad it'll be over in less than 24 hours. I know, 2007 will probably be no different, but I'm ready to find out. Actually, I have a feeling 2007 is going to be a rough year for me, and I'm ready to fight it out. So, let's go.

Okay, I'm gonna try to get some sleep, I don't know if that'll be possible, but we'll see.

If I'm not back before tonight, Happy New Year!

The Good News Is...

I was able to get my Christmas shoppping done. Granted, mom was still with me, but I got it done. I started fresh today and we were able to get everything taken care of without any tears shed or high blood pressure - thanks MOM!

Here's who drew whose name:

Mikala - Dad

J - Mom

Dad - J

Mom - Bro

Bro - Mikala

First off, I got to mom's around 1:00 pm. I was running late because my neighbor finally came over and asked if he could get in my backyard to cut and get rid of all the tree limbs from his tree (the ones that fell during that ice storm - he's such a nice guy). Then, we headed out to Crestwood Plaza (which was unusally empty considering the date). We parked by Dillard's, the one at which I worked (and Linlee too). Since J had drawn my mom's name, I had to do the shopping for him so mom wouldn't be left without a gift to open while we were all opening ours tomorrow night. So, we had to head to Victoria's Secret (remember, it was just for lotion, nothing sexy - wouldn't that be awkward?). So, we hit Victoria's Secret and I buy mom's lotions for her. Yes, she was with me. Yes, she actually carried the stuff to the checkout and yes, I still plan to keep it in a pretty bag for her to open tomorrow night.

Since my brother picked my name and my dad picked J's name, mom had to do the shopping for them, as well. Yes, my brother is 35 and my mom has to do his shopping for him (dad has a legitimate excuse - he's never actually Christmas shopped on his own - I usually do it when he buys mom something, he'll just give me the AmEx or the cash). Mind you (about my brother) this is the same guy that graduated, with honors, from St. Louis University. Anyway, I told my mom that we could go ahead and get my gift now. That way I'd know what I was getting too. So, we walk the entire 2 miles to the other end of the mall to hit Macy's. We get all the way down to Macy's and that particular Macy's didn't carry the perfume I wanted. The only one that carried that perfume was the Galleria Mall Macy's. So, mom and I walked another 2 miles back to my car (a 4 mile walk for nothing - but it felt good).

We get back in the car to leave Crestwood Plaza and decide to head down to the Galleria. This was really easy...we parked about 4 cars from the Macy's door and ran inside. They had my perfume - YES, I'm getting my Juicy Couture perfurm. We paid for it and immediately turned around and left.

By this time I was so happy that things were turning out so well that I was pumped and ready for anything. After the Galleria, we had to head to Walgreen's to get the Cardinals Monopoly game for my youngest nephew, The Snake. He saw that we had bought it for someone else, and he made it very clear that he wanted one too. So, we run into Walgreen's, buy the game and look around for a few minutes (because mom still needed some ingredients for baking). We were in Walgreens all of 10 minutes when we were ready to leave.

After Walgreens, we headed over to Wally World to see if they had mom's baking ingredients and dad's favorite store-popped popcorn. We walk in and go get the popcorn (which hangs on a rack at the Blimpie inside Wal-mart). As we walk away to check for our baking ingredients, the guy sweeing yelled at us and said we had to pay for the popcorn at the Blimpie Checkout. My mom corrected him and said that she could pay at the regular checkout and that she does it all the time. Unfortunately, the guy insists, so we walk over to the Blimpie checkout. We pay for the popcorn and asked them if we could have paid at the regular Wal-mart checkout and they said, "of course". Go figure, but oh well, what can you do?

We finally head over to the baking ingredients aisle and they don't have what mom needs. It's official, we have to go to a grocery store (do you know how crazy grocery stores are this weekend?)!!

We head back to the Schnuck's (a local grocery store) by my mom's house and we get what she needs with relative easy, I might add. Both of us even bought a few Powerball tickets (no, I didn't win - y'all would be the fourth and beyond to know - there'd be me, J, my parents and all of you). Anyway...we are finally headed back home and it is only 5:00! Can you believe it? We got everything done today that we wanted to get done yesterday. I was so happy and so relieved (and less depressed). Plus, I get my perfume tomorrow!

So, mom and I headed back to her house to bake. Okay, fine, I took a nap because I'm getting sick and she baked. When I woke up I decorated the sugar cookies with icing and that was that. At 9:00, Beanie and I were headed home.

Now, tomorrow is Christmas Eve and I will have to be at my parents' house by 3:30 or 4:00. That means, I'll get up early tomorrow, straighten my house, wrap presents (I still have to wrap my dad's gifts and I told mom I'd wrap all of the gifts that she bought so she wouldn't have to worry about that while she was worried about baking and cooking tomorrow's delicious Christmas dinner), get ready and take off. Then, it's Christmas Eve celebration time!!! Woo HOO!!!!!

I'm so happy and THANK YOU FOR BEARING WITH ME MOM!!!!

Oh, and you want more good news? J got his box today. I had three Christmas gifts, a card and some cookies in his package. I immediately asked him to open one particular gift. He opened it and loved it. It was a mini replica of the World Series Trophy. Remember, he wanted one to rub it into the Houston guys' faces (since he's working down in Houston right now). Too funny.

Since this was one big ramble post, please excuse any typos, grammatical errors or spelling errors. I'm too tired to worry about it.

Can y'all believe tomorrow is Christmas Eve, 2006? My Gawd, where does the time go?

Merry Christmas!

Lito Bita Dis, Lito Bita Dat

Believe it or not, I'm going to brave the Christmas Shopping Masses tomorrow and go shopping with my mom. You see, I was lucky enough to get Friday off of work, so mom and I had a few odds and ends to finish up. I told her I'd take her out to eat too - so she was very happy to accept my invitation.

I still gotta get my Beanie some toys for Christmas (my dog loves any type of furry chew toy you throw in her vicinity)!

I hate to sound like a grinch, but I'm so glad Christmas (the shopping and getting ready part) is almost over. I'll be so relieved on Christmas Eve when it's finally time to just chill out with the family.

I'm kinda bummed because my cousin's son (Alex, he's not even 2 yet) is in the hospital hooked up to IVs right now. Apparently, his eye is swelling shut and they're afraid it will damage the optic nerve which would blind him. It's so sad that the little guy is in the hospital and I hope everything goes well. The doctors did say he'd be home in time for Christmas so that's awesome. I have a picture of the little guy hooked up to the IVs in my e-mail, but I'd rather not post it. I haven't talked to my cousin or his wife in a while and I don't know that they'd appreciate that.

But, there is some good news in the land of Mikala. I lived with my parents up until June, 2006. They live in a suburb of St. Louis called Wildwood. Their subdivision is gorgeous with a 30,000 gallon lake, trails, tennis courts, pools (yes, 3 of them) and a huge club house. Well, I don't know if any of you have heard of the "incredible disappearing lake", but that's my parents' subdivision. The entire 30,000 gallon of water seeped into caverns through a caved in portion of the lakebed. Well, guess what! The lake is full again - I'll have to see if I can get some before and after and after pictures! It may take me a day or so...so just keep watching for them.

Crazy Weekend

So, I had a busy weekend - I mean, it wasn't rush around busy, just didn't have time to lay around. Saturday, I woke up and had breakfast. Then, I had already decided to paint the doors in our house. So, from about noon to 7:00 pm, I painted doors (and I'm not done yet). Then, I did some Christmas stuff - wrapping, cards for the girls at work, etc. I finally got to sleep.

Then, Sunday, I woke up and had to be at my parents' house by 1:00. My mom, uncle and I went shopping for my uncle's girlfriend. I also shopped for J so I had some stuff to send him to open on Christmas morning (since he won't be home). I kept the original presents I bought for him here so that he has stuff to open when he gets home too. I miss him and I'm starting to have a really hard time with it. But, I digress.

My uncle treated my mom and I to this awesome Mexican restaurant in St. Louis called Hacienda. I love, love, love this restaurant. We ate and then headed to the Devil's Playhouse (aka Wal-mart). I bought a few things and we headed back to my mom's. I stayed there until about 7:00 so that we could pack J's box up to send. We got it sent off.

I ran home, put my stuff away from out in the car and started getting ready for work this morning. You know, laundry, lunch, etc.

But, that was my boring arse weekend. Kind of a useless post, huh? Sorry I couldn't be more interesting guys.

I've been kinda depressed lately (most likely because J's been gone so long) and I haven't really had much to say. I regret that, but what can I do?

I know I've been promising you my next installment of "The Gangs of St. Louis", but it probably won't be until later this week or this weekend. I'm sorry, the holidays have started to monopolize my time. Damn holidays! JK I love the holidays!

Talk to you peeps later!

All I Can Say Is...

WOW!!!

Read this and you'll know exactly what I'm talking about. Read and laugh.

Great Christmas Light Display

This is the coolest display! I wish I could do that. I'm going to have to hit up some of the electrical engineers at work to see if they do anything like this. Now that I think about it, I think my work should hold a Christmas Light Display contest - since I work with a ton of engineers. Too fun!

Could you imagine being a kid in that house? That'd be so awesome.

And, finally, is it just me or does the house look like a face? With the two wreaths on top looking like eyes? Maybe I'm losing it. Well, never mind, I've already lost it, but still.

Bestest Blog

Okay, in an attempt to have Bobby from Bestest Blog of All-Time stop by my blog, I have done just what he asks - I created this post titled "Bestest Blog".

I know a lot of you already visit Bestest Blog of All-Time, but if you haven't, you should stop by and browse. I think it's the second blog on my "My Fix" list to the right. It's a nifty site. You can nominate blogs for Bestest Blog of the Day and you can use the "Random Blog" button to surf the blogs that have joined Bobby's blogroll. This "Random Blog" button is much better than Blogger's "Next Blog" button because you don't get a bunch of foreign blogs (blogs that are in a different language other than English) and because it's just like a little community of friends. And, if you make a donation, becoming a Premium Blog, your blog appears in the "Random Blog" rotation more frequently. Plus, Bobby offers a 25% referral for anyone that refers another blogger who becomes a Premium Blog. Why not join? I did. I love it.

Be sure to stop by today! You won't be disappointed - I promise.

My "Pick-Me-Up" Song

Do you guys have a song that makes you feel better when you think the world is over? The song that ALWAYS brings me back from the brink of a total meltdown, no matter what is going on in my life, is "Ooh Child" by Beth Orton. It has to be Beth Orton's version though. I know a lot of people consider this song to be depressing, but it's not really. I wish they had it over at BestAudio so I could put it up on my blog, but oh well. This song is one of the only songs in which I pay attention to the lyrics. Don't get me wrong, I love the music too, but the lyrics are so simple, yet so strong.

I'm pretty sure you all know the song, but regardless here are the lyrics:

Ooh Child
Beth Orton (Warchild - Hope Compilation)

Ooh child things are gonna get easier
Ooh child things'll be brighter
Ooh child things are gonna get easier
Ooh child things'll get brighter

Someday yeah, we'll put it together and we'll get it all done
Someday when your head is much lighter
Someday yeah, we'll walk in the rays of a beautiful sun
Someday when the world is much brighter

Ooh child things are gonna get easier
Ooh child things'll be brighter
Ooh child things are gonna get easier
Ooh things'll be brighter

Someday yeah, we'll put it together and we'll get it all done
Someday when your head is much lighter
Someday yeah, we'll walk in the rays of a beautiful sun
Someday when the world is much brighter

Right now, right now, right now
You just wait and see
How things are gonna be
You just wait and see
How things are gonna be
Yeah, you just wait and see
How things are gonna be

Ooh child things are gonna get easier
Ooh child things'll be brighter
Ooh child things are gonna get easier
Ooh things'll get brighter

You Killed My Goldfish

YOO HOO!!! They fixed my Blogger - I have the "Edit Html" and "Compose" tabs back! Life is so great.

Okay guys, I may not be around for a few days. As you all know, we had a ridiculously heinous ice storm in the midwest(worst since the 70's) and I work at a local electric company. As of Friday, we had well over 1/2 a million people without power in our service territory. I work in Energy Delivery and I used to work in the Call Center. I got out of the Call Center in 2003, but during extreme storm restoration efforts, the Call Center calls back old Call Center employees to help on the phones. Well, guess who they called? Yep, me. So, I was in the Call Center taking calls today and I will be taking calls again tomorrow and Wednesday. I am unusually worn out by taking phone calls all day. I, by no means, mind helping out because I know how hard it is to take all of the calls. For example, between 7:00 and 11:00 this morning, we had taken 8000 phone calls. But, it's just that I am not the right personality for that type of job as I have a very short fuse.

How short is my fuse? Well, for example, you all know I love animals with everything I have in me, but if I hear one more time that "you people killed my pet", I cannot be held responsible for my actions. Why am I being an evil, animal hater? Because, when someone tells me they lost their pet since the power has been out since Thursday I immediately think their dog, cat, bird, ferret, hamster, etc. has passed. I do NOT think of a friggin' goldfish. I mean, don't get me wrong, it's sad, but don't goldfishes (is that even the right word?? I never did know with fish/fishes) die at the drop of a hat anyway? I had two separate customers tell me that they lost their pet goldfishes (again, I don't know if that's right) this past weekend. GIVE. ME. A. FUHREAKIN. BREAK.

I also had a woman tell me that her outage should have a higher priority since she has an asthmatic cat. Yes, folks, that's what I said, she believes her power should be turned on before the other 300,000 people who were still out today because she has to give her cat breathing treatments. Is that for real? Do people really have to give their cats breathing treatments? I mean, I certainly sympathize, but I just never heard of that. Now, if you've ever worked in the Call Center of an electric company, you'd know that the usual is that you have asthmatic children who need their breathing treatments (you'd be surprised at how many people have asthmatic children who need breathing treatments in the midwest- it's uncanny really). However, I have NEVER heard of an asthmatic cat needing breathing treatments. Wow. All I could tell the woman was to try to go to a heating shelter, Vet, hotel or a friend/family member's home. Trust me, if I had a switch that I could just flip at my desk, I'd be happy to do so. But, please listen, I DO NOT, NOR DOES ANY OTHER ELECTRIC COMPANY EMPLOYEE, HAVE A SWITCH TO YOUR POWER IN THE OFFICE.

Okay, I need to quit talking about it before my blood pressure boils way beyond the healthy point. I need to unwind before tomorrow morning.