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2010-03-05T18:05:00.001-05:00

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New Blog

2008-06-30T14:55:00.004-05:00

I am no longer posting here through Blogger, but will keep this site active as an archive. Please click here to visit my new blog. The site address is the same, but if you came across my blog through my Blogger profile, you'll need to click over to the new blog. See you there!

Scaredy Cat

2008-06-28T11:25:00.001-05:00

We've been hit by a lot of storms lately. Zoe used to have no problem with storms, but last year started to become scared when she heard thunder. She clings to us, crouches low to the floor and spends a lot of time in the hallway, basement or bathroom hiding when they roll through. Here she is hiding by the toilet during a particularly loud storm:

This video shows Zoe during happier times after a Pounce treat:

She usually does this licking thing for a minute or two after every treat. It took a few tries to get it on video because she moves around to different spots in the room while she's doing it. For those of you that have pets, do they have certain things they do all the time that make you laugh?

Flower Power

2008-06-24T20:09:00.001-05:00

I got a late start this year with some landscaping projects and finally finished everything on Sunday. I started 3 weeks ago and am so relieved it's done! I removed some stuff, put in some new things, landscaped a new area and planted flowers.

Left of the porch
I planted the daylilies on the ends a few years ago and they look GREAT this year!

In front of the porch
A couple of these lilies were already here when we moved in. I added more a few years ago to fill it in and add more color.

Next to the garage
I pulled everything out this year except the hosta on the far right. I added a miniature rosebush (far left), daisies (next to the hosta and rosebush) and a bleeding heart (middle). I have to thank Jen for giving the daisies and bleeding heart to me from her yard! They are doing great so far!

Back corner of backyard
Kev requested that I plant something here because it's a difficult spot to mow. I put in 3 peonies and can't wait to see if they bloom this year!

We've lived in our house for 5 years and this is the first time I've felt really proud of how our yard looks. Now I can sit outside and enjoy it!

Breathing Easy

2008-06-18T18:58:00.000-05:00

It's been 7 weeks since septopalooza and I can't believe how it's changed my life! I know that sounds cheesy, but it's so true. I had a little soreness up until last week, but now the only remaining side effect is that my left nostril hurts a little when I rub my nose. That's the side where my doctor did the turbinate reduction.

After sniffling nonstop day in and day out to the point of driving myself and Kev (not to mention my family, friends and co-workers stuck sitting next to me - I'm talking to you, Sara, and before her, Jen) crazy, I no longer sniffle every 5 seconds! I used to blow my nose so much that I carried tissues around with me at home. Gross, I know. We went through at least 4 boxes of tissues every week. I'm convinced that the Puffs Plus revenue is down solely because those 4 boxes now last us a month.

I spent years thinking I had bad allergies and didn't know what was wrong with me. I'm so thankful to have found a doctor that pinpointed and corrected the problem. All the pain, swelling, discomfort and other post-op surprises (I'll spare you the gory details) were completely worth it!

Sarah's Baby Shower

2008-06-17T09:15:00.001-05:00

On Saturday, I attended my friend and former co-worker Sarah's baby shower.

Niki, Ineka, Sarah and me

The shower was really nice! The food was fabulous and Sarah and Scott got a lot of baby stuff that I'm sure they'll figure out how to use.

Sarah was part of my lunch crew when we worked together. I miss seeing and catching up with her every day, but I'm so glad we've kept in touch since she left!

Top 10

2008-06-16T09:39:00.000-05:00

The NKOTB video made it into the top 10 of VH1's Top 20 Countdown! They came in at number 10. I thought it would make it into the countdown, but was surprised it made it into the top 10.

I forgot to mention a couple weeks ago that I got tickets to their October 25 show in Detroit. Holly and I got FLOOR tickets! I'm not a big fan of floor seats for most performers, but for NKOTB, it's going to be a lot of fun to be able to dance and jump around! I know some of you mentioned you'll be getting tickets to see them when they come to your area. Were you able to get tickets yet?

Summertime Video

2008-06-09T10:00:00.000-05:00

The New Kids on the Block video for their song Summertime premiered on VH1 yesterday. Click here to watch it. And after you watch it, click here to vote it into VH1's weekly Top 20 Video Countdown. I watch the countdown every week and will be sure to let you know if it makes it!

I think the video is pretty good! I expected it to be a lot of choreographed dancing and was relieved that there was just a little of that at the end. I'm ok with them doing the original moves to all the classic songs, but not so much to new songs as guys in their 30's. What do you think of the video?

Hey, Hey Hockeytown!

2008-06-08T10:15:00.001-05:00

I took Friday off to go downtown with Holly, Noel and Bodie for the Red Wings Victory Parade. It was extremely hot in the unrelenting sun, crowded and miserable, but besides that, it was SO MUCH FUN! It was really cool to see the players and the Stanley Cup up close. The fans were taking pictures and cheering, but so were the players. They would go by on the floats thanking us and taking pictures of the crowd lining the streets. Hockeytown sure knows how to throw a party!

Here are some pictures:

Holly and Noel checking out the fountain at Campus Martius Park

Me and Noel

Kris Draper

Chris Chelios (far left) saluting the crowd with a beer

Henrik Zetterberg wearing the Con Smythe trophy

Captain Nicklas Lidstrom hoists the Stanley Cup!

Classy Bars Serve Boone's Farm

2008-05-26T19:00:00.001-05:00

After putting in a half day of work on Friday, Kev and I headed to Alma for the weekend. On Friday night we went to Club Rox to see the Dirty Americans. The bar served Boone's Farm and it was hilarious watching everyone walk around drinking it straight out of the bottle. I would've been excited about this maybe 10 years ago when my body could still handle a bottle of Boone's!

Kev went biking with Dusty on Saturday morning while Sarah and I went to the Highland Festival. The day was topped off with dinner at Pizza Sam's with all our peeps that were in town and hanging out at the beer tent. Here are a few pictures:

Sarah and I looking like twins in our matching outfits

Kev, Chris, Heather and Holly

Noel and Ethan dancing

The weather was beautiful and we had a fun weekend hanging out with family and friends! How did you spend the holiday weekend?

Totally Worth It

2008-05-20T15:53:00.002-05:00

I bought the $40 pillow! I've used it for a few nights now and it is the best pillow I've ever owned! My old one was filled with a mix of down and feathers. It was fine when I first got it, but after a few years it just wouldn't stay fluffy anymore. I was waking up in the middle of the night almost every night with my neck in a weird, uncomfortable position. I haven't woken up during the night since I've been using the new one!

Thanks for all your comments urging me to buy it. I read them and told Kev it was unanimous: my peeps have spoken and I have to buy that pillow!

Adults in Costumes = Good People Watching

2008-05-19T19:10:00.001-05:00

After spending a few hours at Motor City Comic Con on Saturday, I am relieved to be married to a normal person who just happens to be a comic book fan. I mean, there are fans, then there are FANS. We left feeling pretty good about ourselves after seeing way too many adults in costumes, several of which were unfortunately SPANDEX. Oh, and let's not forget the BO. As the hall got more crowded, the smell of BO was hard to escape. That being said, it was some of the best people watching EVER:

Captain America

Rainbow Brite

Erik Estrada - you know you're jealous I got that close to him

Star Wars characters

I think I deserve a chick flick date after this, don't you?

In Case You Missed It

2008-05-18T11:03:00.001-05:00

New Kids On the Block performed together for the first time in 15 years Friday on the Today Show! They started out the show with a mix song that included their old hits like Step by Step, Hangin' Tough, Please Don't Go Girl and The Right Stuff. Their next song was Summertime, their new single. I was amazed that the entire crowd seemed to know all the lyrics since the song was just released. Their last song was another old one, Tonight. If you missed it, click here, here and here to watch.

I know it should seem weird to watch 5 grown men from an old boy band sing and dance on stage together, but I think I speak for all of us when I say that they can do whatever they want and their old fans will eat it up. I mean, just look at the crowd while they're performing. It's full of people in their 20's and 30's screaming their names, jumping, dancing and singing along. We're definitely some of the most loyal fans!

Their website has been updated with more tour dates. They are coming to Detroit October 25! The shows are selling out within minutes and I really hope I'm able to get tickets! Who else is planning on getting tickets to the Detroit show or elsewhere?

Is $40 Too Much to Spend On a Pillow?

2008-05-14T17:37:00.002-05:00

I was in Target a couple days ago looking at pillows. I squeezed and fluffed so many of them that I started to feel overwhelmed and couldn't decide on one. Feeling defeated, I gave up and was on my way out of the aisle. That's when I saw the Serta Supreme Memory Foam pillow. It felt wonderful and not foam-like at all, but with a price tag of $40, I left without buying it.

Now I can't stop thinking about that pillow. What if it's the most comfortable pillow I'll ever own? I've always been a two pillow sleeper, but now that I can actually breathe like a normal person, I don't think I need the added height of an extra pillow anymore. Does that make it ok to spend such an excessive amount on only one bed pillow? I went back to Target today with the intention of buying it and testing it out. I left with pink nail polish for my next DIY pedicure instead. I need your help! Should I buy the pillow and find out what's so supreme about it?

Cinco de Monica on Diez de Mayo

2008-05-11T10:43:00.000-05:00

It was kind of a rough week. I went back to work on Monday and I knew right away I had pushed myself too much by going back only 5 days after my surgery. I felt so miserable by the end of the day that I didn't even want to go out to dinner for my birthday. We went to the A&W drive in so we wouldn't have to get out of the car. Saving the day? Eating cake in my pajamas and playing Scene It (one of my bday gifts from Kev) when we got home.

I felt a little better each day after that, but didn't do so well on Thursday. I was working on something that had me leaning over my desk for about 4 hours. Leaning forward for that long put a lot of pressure on my nose and the pain started to get unbearable. I left work early, took some pain meds and laid down for the rest of the night. I made sure to lean back in my chair all day Friday to keep that from happening again.

We celebrated Cinco de Monica last night with dinner at a Mexican restaurant. I even got to have a margarita! That more than made up for how things went earlier in the week!

Recovery Update

2008-05-04T11:18:00.000-05:00

Today is the 4th day after my surgery and I'm doing pretty well! The first 2 days were probably the worst. It was really hard to sleep the first day and night with the packing in my nose. I actually started to look forward to pulling it out. I got to remove it on Thursday morning. I'll spare you the details and just say it was pretty wretched. But, once it was out I got a preview to how well I'm going to be able to breathe once all the swelling is down! That definitely lifted my spirits! My parents came on Thursday night and stayed with me Friday while Kev went to work. They were a huge help and I was so happy to have them here.

I haven't taken any pain meds since Friday night and feel way more coherent. My nose is a little swollen and stuffy, but it's not too bad. It'll clear itself out about 10 days after surgery. I have moments where it's completely clear and I can't believe how great it feels to breathe. It's those moments that make me absolutely sure that the surgery was worth it!

I'm going back to work tomorrow for Cinco de Monica. I'm looking forward to getting out of the house, but am a little nervous about remembering not to lift things or bend down for the next week. For those of you that work with me, you know how difficult that is when the printer always gets jammed or needs paper. I guess I'll be off the hook for helping fix it this week ;)

Thanks again for all the comments and emails you've been sending me while I've been recovering! It's really helped to know you're thinking of me!

Recovery Buddy

2008-05-01T14:00:00.001-05:00

Zoe hung out in this spot with me almost all day and night yesterday.

I was pretty uncomfortable yesterday, but am feeling a little better today. Thanks for the comments and thoughts you've been sending my way!

Septopalooza '08

2008-04-30T16:07:00.002-05:00

For those of you checking in, Monica's Septoplasty went aces today. We got to the hospital at about 8 am and were home by 1 pm. Nurses gave her high marks as a patient. She's recovering well and keeping down the pain meds without issue. Post surgery meal: Vernor's and saltines.

The surgery was done in the hospital's children's ward, which was even more bizarre and awesome.

She'll be taking it very easy for a few days and might even feel up to e-mail tomorrow. Maybe. I don't know, she just had surgery.

Thanks to everyone for sending good vibes through the airwaves.

-Kev

A Visit From Ferndale's Finest

2008-04-28T19:17:00.003-05:00

We were in the middle of cleaning the house yesterday when one of our smoke/carbon monoxide alarms went off. Figuring the battery was low, we took it down and removed the battery. About 5 minutes later another alarm went off. This one is a digital carbon monoxide alarm. And it said in bright red capital letters: GAS.

We threw Zoe in her cat carrier in case we would have to evacuate and called the fire department. They parked the big red fire engine in front of our house and I'm sure we instantly became the talk of the neighborhood. They took readings all over our house and tested the furnace and water heater. They didn't register any levels of carbon monoxide or gas. Their best guess was that both alarms had low batteries. Which didn't really make sense since one of them plugs into a wall outlet.

After they left, I went back to cleaning and it happened again! This time it gave a gas level reading, which according to the manual, is considered a high level of gas. Since the fire department had JUST left and it went back to 0 right after that, we didn't call them to come back. Luckily, it didn't happen again.

As I was reading the entire carbon monoxide detector manual last night, I came across a section that lists some things that can trigger the alarm to go off. The very last thing mentioned is cleaning products. I had been mopping with the Swiffer Wet Jet when it went off the first time. And went back to mopping before it went off the second time. I've used the Wet Jet before, but had just replaced the mop solution yesterday. I looked online today and sure enough, I found other people that had the same thing happen.

What kind of cleaning solution have I been using that is detected as gas by a carbon monoxide detector? Does anyone else use the Swiffer Wet Jet? Have you ever had this happen with that, or any other cleaning products? I love the convenience of the Wet Jet, but am thinking about switching to something a little more environmentally friendly. Let me know if you have any suggestions for something else that is easy to use, but maybe not so full of chemicals!

One More Week!

2008-04-23T11:05:00.003-05:00

My surgery is one week from today! I've been fielding calls from my surgeon's office, the hospital and the anesthesiologist during the past week to go over stuff. The next call I'll get will be from the hospital next Tuesday afternoon letting me know the time of surgery and when I have to arrive at the hospital the next day.

I'm getting a little nervous as it gets closer, but am trying to focus on the outcome rather than the surgery itself. I just hope they schedule me for early in the morning. I'd rather get it over with and not have to think about it all day!

Overdue Congrats

2008-04-22T09:40:00.002-05:00

While in the midst of the car buying whirlwind, I forgot to post some baby news. Congrats to Chris and Holly, who welcomed their second child, a boy, on April 10! Bodie McNeill weighed in at 8 lbs. 11 oz. and was 22 inches long. Big sister Noel shares my Cinco de Mayo birthday and will be 3 this year.

Chris and Holly will be moving to Farmington Hills from East Jordan next month. We are very excited that they're moving to our area and can't wait to see them more often!

Let's Take Some E

2008-04-14T21:00:00.001-05:00

Be careful what you ask over your Saturday morning coffee. You may set wheels in motion, so to speak, very quickly! On Saturday morning, I asked Kev how his car research was going. He's been doing online research for a few months and we've been planning to trade in his car in May. Ironically, he had looked up some cars that morning and found a really good deal. He told me about it, but said he should probably wait a few weeks. I urged him to go check it out. Good deals don't come up very often and it may not be there in a few weeks.

Long story short, he went to the dealer, test drove it and got all the details figured out. We went back tonight to drop off Grady, his 2000 Ford Focus, and left with his new car, this 2007 Honda Element:

It's such a fun car! It looks brand new and only has 10,000 miles on it! As we were driving home, I noticed there was a CD in the player. I took it out to see what it was, but couldn't tell because it was a CD-R. I put it back in the player and the first track was Bruce Springstein covering a Tom Waits song. Kev is a HUGE Tom Waits fan. It's like the car was meant for him :)

Sisqo Would Be Proud

2008-04-13T14:55:00.000-05:00

Do regular diapers make your baby's butt look big? Maybe you should try this.

New SVH Books

2008-04-10T19:20:00.000-05:00

I loved the Sweet Valley Twins and Sweet Valley High books once upon a time. I owned most of them and regret the fact that I didn't keep them. I also didn't keep all my Baby-Sitters Club books, but that's a different post for a different day.

On Tuesday, new versions of the first two books in the SVH series were released: Double Love and Secrets. The books have the same plot, but they've made changes to appeal to today's teens. This article talks about some of the changes that were made to update the characters' fashion choices.

At first I was surprised that they would make changes to the books and release them again. But, if it gets more teenage girls into reading books that were a rite of passage for most of us, then I'm all for it! Did you read the SVT and SVH books? Do you think it was a good idea to update the books for the new generation of readers?

What Happens in Vegas

2008-04-07T20:06:00.001-05:00

We got back from Vegas on Saturday night. It was a fabulous trip with lots of walking, eating and best of all, warm weather. It was close to 80 every day. It made me so happy to wear sandals for a few days! Read on for a recap of our trip, or click here to see Vegas in pictures instead.

Kev flew out on Tuesday for work and I left on Wednesday. My flight was delayed a couple hours and by the time I landed in Vegas, took a taxi to our hotel (New York New York) and got a key to the room, I hadn't eaten in 12 hours. My first Vegas meal was a slice of pizza and a beer, probably the most satisfying beer I've ever had after a long day of travel! After I ate, I walked the strip and took some pictures, then went to the spa for a facial. It was exactly what I needed - a full hour of relaxation! Kev met me in our room after that and we hit the strip for some dinner and my first Fat Tire beer since September. We met my boss, who was also out there for a few days, for a drink after dinner - more Fat Tire at our hotel! I ended up being awake for an insane 21 hours that first day.

On Thursday, Kev had to work. I checked out of the hotel in the morning and couldn't check into our new hotel (Bally's) until later in the day. I spent the day shopping at Miracle Mile (Planet Hollywood) and the Forum Shops (Caesar's Palace). I finished my afternoon off with a frozen margarita at an outdoor cafe at Caesar's. Dinner was at Toby Keith's I Love this Bar in Harrah's and it totally sucked. I don't know why we thought we would like it. We don't like country music, but assumed it would be like any other theme restaurant with pictures up, but a pretty normal atmosphere. It wasn't. There was a live country band and did I mention we hate country music?

Friday was the highlight of the trip. We booked a tour before we went to Vegas with Pink Jeep. They picked us up at our hotel and took is through the desert and up into the mountains to Mt. Charleston. On the way, we saw several police cars pass us. We didn't think much of it until we saw a police SUV off roading through the desert with a low flying helicopter not too far behind him. Our tour guide thought they were either chasing an escaped convict from the nearby prison or looking for a mountain lion that attacked someone. I still don't know what was going on. Mt. Charleston is a very small town at about 8,500 feet in the Spring Mountains. It was so pretty and peaceful up there. The last part of the tour was a hike in a canyon. It was so amazing since it's nothing we'd ever seen or experienced before! Friday night dinner was at Stripburger, which is Kev's favorite find in Vegas. He's eaten there twice before and was very excited to take me there. We finished the night with a trip to the top of the Eiffel Tower and a walk to the Bellagio to see the fountain and lights show. When we got back to our hotel, we finally gambled for the first time on the trip. We spent and lost $20 on the slots.

Kev wasn't a big fan of Vegas before this trip. He'd been there three times before this trip for work and never really got to experience it as a tourist. He admits that he likes it more now after being there with me. I'm glad because I want to go back someday! There's just so much to do and see there and you can only fit so much into a few days!