BaLOGna & cheese

blogging on the go!

2010-03-02T13:33:00.000-05:00

Rock on, I finally discovered blogging from my BlackBerry. And just in time, too, since I have mad time to kill in the Sarasota airport!

Trip to Florida was great, but the weather was kind of chilly...not Maine chilly but in the 50s for the most part with a lot of wind. Didn't get to try out my new bathing suit, but did manage to burn my nose and cheeks (face cheeks!!!) yesterday during a day trip to Clearwater Beach and area...

Spent some QT with my Grandparents which is always nice. Saw some jungle animals, got some Bingo in, and of course hit the outlet stores next door! PS there is now a Lacoste outlet! Woo! For those of you who usually see me in clothing not resembling a preppy rich girl, I do like to buy the stuff, and whip it out on occassion...like when I have more than 15 minutes to get ready in the morning (which would limit me to weekends btw).

Anywho...so here I sit because the plane im supposed to be taking off in 6 minutes from now has just left Charlotte NC after standing in line to get de-iced. Its sunny and warmish in Maine, and snowing in friggin NC. Damn you, Al Gore!

So, I'm now slated to leave somewhere around 315 or something. We'll see! I suspect getting into Portland later than expected tonight, which will suck for 1)Nick who is picking me up and 2)me who misses my doggies terribly!!!!

So, for now I'm rockin out to some DEF LEP on the 'phones, blogging, texting, and facebooking to stay busy. I love my BlackBerry!!!!!!! You should get one.

What the...its a new post!

2010-02-07T17:25:00.002-05:00

So, coincidentally, my last post was in October 2008...and I cleaned out my fridge today which included tossing out a coke bottle of Sunny D that I bought for my JUNO costume...in October 2008. It must be fate.

Or something.

Anywho...how have you all been? I dont even know who's on here anymore. I have become obsessively addicted to facebook (online and on blackberry), so I ditched the lengthy process of logging into this thing, posting links to pictures, formatting, blah blah. But...I cant really rant or rave much on fb, or...when I do, people hide me or delete me. Which is fine, don't get me wrong, but Id rather have a captive audience for my daily tidbit observations a la Seinfeld than pissing people off with my incessant chatter so much that they feel they need to delete me AS A PERSON FROM THEIR LIVES!!!!!!!!

Which, by the way, someone Ive been friends with for 10 years did, because his girlfriend wasnt comfortable with him having "ex people" on his facebook friends list. We dated for like...2 months. We were friends before that...for 10 years. UM...OKAY! Wtf, people?

McGee is eating his nylabone on top of the Lorax stuffed animal I bought him and Ellie. This is awesome. Seriously. What would I do if I didnt have the dogs to entertain me? (Id like to imagine I would have some sort of life, in which I would enjoy skiing, hiking, etc...but I doubt that.)

I think Ill leave it at that for now..this was kind of enjoyable, so maybe Ill actually get back on and keep it updated. I have a vacation coming up so that could be fun. :)

Until next time ----

Michigan!

2008-11-16T21:26:00.012-05:00

In October, Eben and I flew out to see Emily and her new fiancee Stilian, in their home in Ann Arbor Michigan. We spent a long weekend out there (about 4 days), and really enjoyed it!

The Saturday we were there, there was a big game: Michigan State vs. UMichigan. What made it bigger was that State won the game, and they had not won against UM AT UM in like 20 years!! Insane. The celebrations around town were pretty cool. Also, the fighting among drunk fans was pretty comical.

Eben and I got to help Emily pick out her wedding dress!! Very cool. She looks beautiful, I cant wait for the wedding. It's going to be in the end of June on an island off Midcoast Maine. And, Im going to be a bridesmaid!

Here are some pictures from the trip:

We carved pumpkins together (well, I watched Eben and Emily do it).

Here is Emily and her scary cat pumkin:

And Eben with his Nightmare Before Christmas-inspired pumpkin:

Eben and I posing in front of "Beaner's" Coffee downtown Ann Arbor:

Here is a picture of the VERY FIRST Border's store!!! Ooh, ahhh...

Just a cool ass looking movie theatre downtown:

Ann Arbor is extremely liberal, and stuff like this was EVERYWHERE:

University of Michigan - Go Wolverines!

The gorgeous ceiling of the UM Law Library - I wish the photo did it justice!!It was soooooo quiet in there with all the studious students!!!

Just a nice building on campus:

Here's what we did most of the time: sat and chilled, and had beer and wine....awesome:

Halloween Fun

2008-11-08T15:36:00.005-05:00

Me as Juno:

Partygoers:

Chillin Homies:

This was my first shot at Juno, an early October Halloween Party:

3 Car Sandwich.

2008-10-19T20:39:00.008-04:00

You know, most of the time, Im honored, nay excited, by the prospect of being the middle of a sandwich. You take that however you like. But...Saturday (yesterday), me and my Saab were the peanut butter and jelly to a Mercury and a Honda SUV.

We were all headed together from a wedding to a reception. For those of you from Lewiston-Auburn, you are aware there are a couple of different ways to get to Martindale. I was thinking we were headed for the further one, called Martindale (rd., dr., who knows?). My friend Laurel, whose husband was driving the Mercury, told Bob (the husband) "we missed the turn! turn around!" when we passed the first road, Beech Hill Rd. I, of course, was admiring those stupid big planes by the airport, and not paying attention. All of a sudden, I see that Bob is stopped cold in front of me. Me going full speed. I slammed on the brakes, let out a colorful dose of explitives, and bam! Hit the Mercury with the passenger side front of the Saab. Then, BAM! again! The CRV hits me from behind.

First of all, I thought Bob was fucking with me, and I was rip shit. See, we play jokes on each other and such, and just before this at the 4 way intersection, he sat at the stop sign for like 30 extra seconds to amuse himself. Turns out he was not a psycho and just stopping to piss me off, he was genuinely stopped, he says he had his blinker on (who knows, I wasnt paying attention obviously), and we all actually had a lot of laughs. Seriously.

So, we all had a good half hour to wait for the Auburn PD while we joked around and inspected the damages. I felt okay at the time, highly impressed at the structural integrity and safety of the Saab. Today though, Im feeling pretty sore in my neck and back. Just overall kind of achy. And looking at the car again today is depressing. The back bumper is coming off (slightly), and my passenger headlight is smashed. It still works though! There is a big dent in the front next to the light. The back bumper is all scratched up.

I ordered a replacement headlamp assembly - not OEM - for $300!!!!! Christ. Just a friendly reminder that even though that Saab is paid off, it will always be a Saab. And steal generously from my wallet.

Here's some pictures for your perusal:

Oh, and in case you are wondering, we did all make it to the reception, which was beautiful. We even made it in before the wedding party was announced! (bonus). Bob bought me a shot 'o Jack, and I had a shitload of Cran and Vodkas. Here's a couple pictures from that:

Cindy, one of my BFF's at work and her hubby the math teacher at LMS ;)

The beautiful bride Linda (my coworker/landlord!) and her proud Papa

And me, giving it to Bob up the ass, much like I did earlier in our vehicles. Good thing we have a sense of humor, eh?

Ice, Ice Baby...

2008-09-25T18:39:00.003-04:00

Yeah, that's right. That's Vanilla Ice, a/k/a Rob Van Winkle. He was at Mixers in Sabattus last Friday night, and it was AWESOME!!!! He was shit faced. But cool. And, though it was only supposed to be a meet and greet, he surprised us with a sweet song...I bet you know it...it goes a little somethin like this: "Allright stop: collaborate and LISTEN! Ice is back with my brand new invention!..."

You know you are jealous. Just admit it.

Vacation! Day One.

2008-08-09T17:55:00.002-04:00

Im on vacation! Finally! My first 2-week vacation from DHHS, ever. Im psyched!

So, my first day - get this - the SUN came out!! It seems like it hasnt been out for weeks!! I slept in until noon (nice), cleaned the house, did the laundry (brought the doggies with me, it was kind of fun), and was able to breathe.

I dont have a whole lot of plans for this vaca - softball monday night, Tyler monday night and Chuck-e-Cheese Tuesday, work on Thursday (yea, doesnt fit does it? I have a hearing in the afternoon unfortunately), cousin's b-day party at Club Texas (toast) on Friday, my birthday on Saturday (softball in the AM, and Portsmouth overnight!!), and...that's it! Next week is empty so far.

Oh, and I got a hair cut last monday. It's different, and high maintenence sort of. Which, as you know, is not me! Im doing what I can. And dont ask how much it costs. All I will say is it was done in the old port.

June and July

2008-08-03T15:57:00.010-04:00

In June, I spent an evening and a beautiful day in Bar Harbor. It was early June, so it was mostly devoid of tourists. I met up with my good friend Eben from high school, and we went out on the town and enjoyed some beverages:

At this one particular bar (in picture), this girl comes in and says we just have to try a Scorned Woman shot. Sounds good to me. Perfect really. However, the ingredients include jalepeno pepper vodka and tabasco sauce (and a little grapefruit juice thrown in for good measure). Check it out:

It was absolute misery, but apparantly it's a local favorite.

Anywho, the next morning while Eben sobered up, we walked along the oceanfront path, and around town. We ate gelattos (tasty!), did a little shopping, and sat on a bench in the center of town people-watching (I think that was my favorite part). Eben left after a while, and I spent the rest of the afternoon enjoying the scenery:

June and July kind of flew by - work's been rough as usual, but I've gotten some good outcomes for some kiddos so far this summer which is always nice.

I did the Relay for Life for the American Cancer Society in June at ELHS in Auburn. A few of my friends including Holly, Crystal, Grace and Tara joined me on the walk. It is an all-night walk-a-thon around a track. Our team was one of very few that was still around in the morning at the closing ceremony. It was really moving to be part of something like that. Here is a picture of some survivors on the beginning lap:

In more selfish news, I bought myself a nice Blackberry Pearl last month, which totally rocks! I love it! Im not big on making phone calls, or getting them really, so I use it primarily for internet, texting, GPS, etc. It's super sweet:

And...I have seen my nephew quite a bit this summer. We had a family gathering last month up at my parents' house that was nice. Here's Tyler on his swing:

Oh, and my most recent break up this summer (yeah, another one!) did a couple things for me. First, it fueled this kind of emotional break where I decided to take charge of my moodiness and irritability and finally do something FOR REAL about it. I started seeing a psychologist and that is going awesome! And, Im realizing that somehow, I am a magnet for troubled men who I feel the need to emotionally take care of. Well, no more! So, Im taking a break from all men, until I figure out how to stop ignoring those gigantic red flags that always made me feel pity and compassion instead of telling me to run for my life!!! like they should have.

The negative effect of the break was that I have been doing a crapload of online shopping. But the positive spin was that the last bf had really good taste in clothes, so what Im buying is top notch. Whether my bank account likes it or not.

In one week, I am taking my first ever 2 WEEK VACATION! I'm so stoked. Haven't made much for plans. Am taking Tyler to Chuck-e-Cheese one of the days, and am celebrating my birthday on the 16th in Portsmouth!! Im thinking of both travelling up east to see Luke and Becca's new place (provided the fleas have retreated! hehe), checking out Monhegan Island for a day, getting myself a massage...etc. Pretty much it's going to be all Angela, all the time. I can't wait!

Ltns.

2008-05-13T20:34:00.021-04:00

Here's a little glimpse of what I've been up to during the past few months:

This winter, my Grampie's lung cancer came back. He's been doing chemotherapy for many months, and I saw him quite a bit during his treatments and spending time with him. His tumors shrunk big time, and he has stopped the chemo, and is feeling a ton better! We're all very happy about that.

We had a nice Easter with my Mom's side of the family out in Oxford, with a nice breakfast buffet then an Easter Egg hunt. It was FREEZING outside, but it didnt stop the kids from enjoying the day.

Here is a cute one of Tyler sharing his goodies with my Grampie:

A little shih tzu update: the kids are doing very well. They recently got hair cuts, but here is each of them beforehand, one of Ellie basking in the sun, and one of Mcgee being rudely awakened from a nap!

In the end of March, I went to Florida to visit with my grandparents and to soak up some sun for some MUCH needed R&R.

After several days, I really missed being back home, and was able to catch up with some work friends the night after I got back:

A couple weekends ago, I spent some time with Tyler and we got some cute pictures taken together:

Finishing up my round of pictures is last night at softball - well, mostly post-softball pictures. I did great, for once! I got 3 good hits, and two runs! I have a good feeling about this season. A bunch of us went out to Fast Breaks after the game, and here are some silly pictures of us (and the Iron Man figurine I found in the dirt who turned out to be my good luck charm):

My work update is that the past 6 weeks have been absolutely brutal. Isnt that always the way when you get back from vacation? Ive had to do some pretty tough (emotionally) things, and its been kind of a whirlwind. That at the same time as finishing up my two classes for the semester and doing a bunch of writing was kind of shitty. BUT, the good news is I have decided to take the summer off (from school, that is!) so I can relax when I get home, do absolutely nothing if I so choose, and can enjoy my time! I am going to take another week sometime this summer for vacation.

Oh, I have caught up on Lost by watching every single episode on abc.com over the past few months. It rocks!

And...Vote for David Cook on American Idol!
..Seacrest out!

rESpoNsiBiliTY

2008-01-30T19:13:00.000-05:00

So, I did my taxes. I'm getting a $2,500 refund this year, yeaa! I didnt even have to have babies! (Hope Credit for grad school, bitchin). Anyways, so I was psyched at first about the realistic in-reach tropical vacation...until I added up all my credit cards (yes, I had 0 credit cards until last September when Mcgee got sick, and now I have 3). So, I'm about $4 grand in debt on those, including a personal loan (just a wee one). So, with the influence of my very smart and responsible parents always in my head, I decided to pay off the personal loan, the Best Buy card, and the Gap Visa. That will leave me only with my Citi card which has 0% interest. And, I should make it out with a little left over money to put in the savings. Then, when I get $2 grand in savings, I will take a trip to the tropics. In the meantime, I might spend a few hundred to fly down and visit my grandparents in Florida for a week or so (free lodging and food, yea!). We shall see.

Weight Watchers

2008-01-27T13:12:00.000-05:00

Hey all! I know Im almost constantly on a diet, but I think Ive finally found one that is practical enough to stick with it! I joined Weight Watchers on January 10. So far, its going awesome. I go weekly for weigh ins, and attend the occasional meeting. The points values are totally available on soooo many foods, that its simple to just eat whatever I want as long as I count it. Me likey. Anyways, my intial goal is to lose about...probably 40+ pounds. So far I am down 11! Yay!

Oh, and in anticipation of a massive tax return, I have decided the carribean is in need of my presence. So, the only thing left is to actually plan the trip, decide when to go, and oh yeah, see if I can get anyone to go with me. No one has any money or vacation time, so that stinks. To be honest, I think it might be tres relaxing to just go by myself (yes, I remember Natalie Halloway)...my Mom probably wouldnt allow that.

Back in school again - Im taking a class on Counseling Groups and Counseling Theories. Good times. Work is pretty good. Overall things are pretty fab.

Check out my myspace for some sweet pictures of when I met Ron Jeremy this weekend! heheh.

Poochie update :)

2007-11-25T17:53:00.000-05:00

Hey all - thought I'd post some pictures of the dogs since it's been a while. Mcgee looks pretty normal, and walks around like he has eyes. He looks right at ya when you talk to him, still tries to peek out the window in the car (kind of weird), and can follow other dogs or humans around quite smartly. He definately walks into shit a lot, but its become more comical than tragic. Does that make me a bad mother? Eh.

Here is one of Mcgee outside, with the slide that he bumps into a lot:

This is Mcgee my gay boy trying to hump Jared's dog Beau. Beau is such a trooper to put up with Mcgee's blind gayness.

Here's Mcgee looking through his toybox:

And, here's my babies, pooped and sleepin on the couch, as usual:

My baby.

2007-11-04T11:32:00.000-05:00

Mcgee had his second eye taken out on Friday and he is recovering very well. He is sleeping a lot, but is getting around okay and is eating/drinking fine. He doesnt even need that stupid cone on his head, which is nice for him, and for me!

I have begun kenneling him during the day while I am at work (4 hours or so at a time), and it is working nicely!! The first day he pooped in it, but hasn't since. He's doing awesome. And, Im not frustrated coming home having to mop the floor for 30 minutes.

Im hoping he has a full recovery in the next week or so, and we'll be good to go, back to normal! No more medicine. Just blindness to deal with - which he is really a trooper about. :)

Motherhood is tough !!!!

Arrrrgh.

2007-10-23T20:39:00.000-04:00

The battle continues with Mcgee. He is having his second surgery probably next Friday, to remove his remaining eye. He is in pain, I think, so it's for the best. The good news is that the price is about half it was for the first one. Why, I don't know. I'm not gonna ask. (Pity?)

The problems continue, having a blind dog. I come home every day to pee and poop like EVERYWHERE in the kitchen/bathroom. It's linoleum so it's cleanable, but I am washing the floors every night, several times. Now, Mcgee wasn't very well trained to begin with, and now he's just saying fuck it, and walking in it, and tracking it ALL over. I took a shower with him and Ellie tonight (good times), because they both smelled like pee and poopies.

Im hoping he gets the hang of the place soon. It will be very discouraging to have to scrape and mop poops every night. The place is starting to smell. Ewww.

In other news...work is a major pain in the ass and Im busy as hell. Im plotting a week off for no reason other than to BREATHE. That should be soon actually...

The car is running smoothly (knock on wood). She's got 189,200 miles as of tonight.

Glaucoma really bites the big one.

2007-10-11T20:07:00.001-04:00

So, Mcgee is now blind in his "good" eye. :( The pressure was way up, and did not decrease with some major medications (one of which was a 2.5 ml bottle of eye drops which cost me $81.99). He's medicated to pieces, he's sleepy, and his eye hurts. :( He's basically just laying around all day. He bumps into things, but has really become accustomed to it rather quickly, I think. He can find things via smell and he can come and find you when you call to him. Very sad. Im sure this will get better, and easier for his Mommy to handle!! but for now, he's not very happy. Poor baby.

For about 5 weeks of veterinarian care and medications, I have spent $1200. Oh, and yesterday, I got an estimate for car repair for $1100. (I need to replace part of my muffler, and replace my gas tank!! as if!!!).

So, I'm broke as a joke. Luke's wedding is happening at kind of a bad time because I am putting the dogs in a kennel, BUT kind of a good time because I need a friggin break!! Im really looking forward to the wedding and all the festivities around it. :) Should be very fun times. Yay Luke and Becca!!!

McGee

2007-10-04T13:23:00.000-04:00

So..Mcgee had his eye surgery. He got out of it okay, but he is very, very sleepy. His face is sore and he hates that silly plastic cone he has to wear over his neck! I stayed home today to be with him so he could have a big chunk of time without the cone to get some rest. He should have the cone for 2-3 weeks. Keep him in your thoughts as he recovers! :)

South Beach

2007-09-03T16:46:00.000-04:00

I have always been skeptical of low/no carb diets because of my imagined dependence on carbohydrates and sugar in my life. I swear to god, if I had to pick only one food to subsist on the rest of my life, it would be bread. So, when my coworker suggested the South Beach diet to me a week and a half ago, I figured I would never be able to do it.

(I am starting to sound like an infomercial, sorry).

Anyways, I am so tired of not fitting into my pants, and winter is coming, so I decided to try it. I started Monday August 27 (any good diet starts on a Monday, after a nice pig out session at TGIF right?). Today is Monday September 3, and I am 9 pounds lighter!!!! I know you skeptics will say, "that's too fast, youre starving yourself, etc." Well, skeptic - I would have been with ya. However, the first 2 weeks are super restrictive for a reason. And I am not starving. I am eating tons of protein, vegetables, and lean meats. No sugars, very few carbs (like, those in the veggies and the occasional glass of skim milk). Ive actually had to force myself to eat as often as they want me to, because frankly the food just isnt tasty (lets keep in mind Im coming from eating pizza and chips and not vegetables and chicken for the past several...um, most of my life).

Anywho - after the first two weeks, you can re-introduce a few good carbs, like multi grain bread, high fiber cereal, and fruits (can you believe that I am excited to be allowed to eat fruit in 6 days? Shit).

Let me tell you. I am not craving carbohydrates and sugar. And yes, I have exposed myself to them. I am missing alcohol, but not physiologically, just socially. ;) That I think has also aided me in my weight loss.

Here's to losing another...hmm.. like 20-25 pounds! Ill keep ya updated.
A

Chelsea Handler's One-Night Stand Etiquette Course

2007-08-06T20:04:00.001-04:00

Hilarious.

Victorious!

2007-07-09T18:00:00.000-04:00

We had a makeup softball game yesterday against the number one, undefeated team in the league, and WE WON!!!!! 10-8!!! One of the other teams who beat us actually cheered for us when we were walking off the field, and slapped us high fives. It was friggin awesome. And, I actually hit the ball and scored. Fantastic. Yay fun!

4th of July

2007-07-05T10:47:00.001-04:00

I finally gathered up the gumption to get my first motorcycle ride on the 4th, with my friend Calvo's Dad. We drove through Winslow and Waterville, and it was absolutely awesome!!

Calvo & I enjoying our beverages on a lovely tour of Messalonskee Lake! We crammed that party boat full of people and beer, and had a blast! Plus I got the fabulous sun burn out there that I've been after all summer!

The two proud Captains. Captain Morgans I mean. (Calvo's boyfriend Chris and his nephew Teddy)

What a beautiful day.

Family

2007-07-04T08:56:00.000-04:00

Last week, my cousin Ryan was up from Tennessee, which was a total wonderful surprise! Ryan is in the Army and has served in Afghanistan and Iraq for three tours already...he is returning in the spring. He is a medic, and he is my hero! Here are some pictures of all of us at my grandparents:

The garage sale gang!

Me, the cousins, my sister & my Dad

Me, the cousins, the sister, and my Grandma

Me, Ryan, Lisa & Aunt Helen

Ryan and my Dad enjoying some wingies.

The family who takes shots together stays together.

Still kickin'

2007-06-22T20:04:00.000-04:00

Ch-ch-ch-changes

2007-06-09T20:03:00.000-04:00

Do do do.

Some things have changed since I was last on here. Firstly, there will be no more posts of me and Matt having a grand old time, because we're not. So! It's okay though. I truthfully feel quite relieved and less stressed being out of the relationship.

Work's going really well. Maybe it's the nice weather, but it's fun with my coworkers, things on my caseload are going on without a hitch...it's quite pleasant.

I have reached a major milestone - I owe less than $2 grand on my Saab! Woo hoo!

I bought a new lap top yesterday at Best Buy. It's a Gateway, it's wireless, it's fabulous. It's so much faster than my 2002 Compaq piece or crap, it's amazing. I was blaming time warner, and should have been blaming the machine for that wicked slowness. Im amused that my meez on myspace actually moves freely without freezing now. Yes, its the important things, like my meez, that makes this $800 purchase worth while.

We've missed the last couple softball games - holiday and weather. Looking forward to Monday's game. Am enjoying things, and again, the bonding with coworkers is really quite nice.

As for like...fun trips or whatever...not really. Though I am scheduled to go to Hot-Lanta in a couple weeks for work, and when down there will meet up with my cousin JR and it should be a really good time. Havent seen him in several years. Also, am plotting a trip to VEGAS BABY in October. Actually tagging along with a friend. Who cares man. Opportunity knocks. Am taking 4th of July week off, and will be the first vacation since Christmas! I am in desperate need for this one. No plans, and I like it that way.

School goes well. It's brutal actually. There's tons of work involved, projects, etc. Its sort of a pain in the ass. But, hey. Im learning some new things and only going into half as much debt as I did for undergrad. So. Thats good I think.

Enough of this babbling. Especially since I think Im the only one who reads these. And I already have a good idea of what's going on in my life. ;)

Oops.

2007-05-07T20:30:00.000-04:00

So its been a while since Ive posted. I suck at this, truely. But here's some recent photos to keep you entertained:

Here's me go-karting, kicking major ass:

Here's a sweet one of little Eleanor:

Here's a lovely shot of us doing Irish Car Bombs on St. Patty's Day at Grittys:

A lovely one of Matt and his family and Me (parents, brother, sister in law, neices) at his Change of Command promotion Ceremony in Bangor at the ARMY reserve base:

Good times in the snowbank:

Matt's neices Zoe and Melinda, and his nephew Buddy :)

SO Smaht

2007-03-23T21:45:00.000-04:00

I got into graduate school, everyone. *clap clap* hehe.

Good times!

I feel validated, I have to admit. I know lots of people out there get into grad school no problemo, but I actually know a lot of people who dont get into USM for some programs because theyre so small and selective. Yay for me.

I did unfortunately learn that to be vested in Maine State Retirement for 100% health care benefits, you only have to work 10 years where I work already...and once I am done with school, I will have vested 9 YEARS. So...Im thinking I mis-stepped a bit. But...I can always work another year before venturing out into guidance counselor land.

Then again, 3-4 years from now...I could have like...a kid or be poppin one, and live in a house with a white picket fence and change all my plans??? Holy crap.

Im getting old!

:D

update!

2007-03-09T21:46:00.000-05:00

Hey all!

It's been a long time since I updated this thang, so here it is, the scary details of the past 9 weeks:

-I had my USM grad school interview last week. It was very brief! Frighteningly so. I did a little writing sample too. I find out at the end of this month. If I get in, it will help determine a couple of things:
-where more specifically, to look for a house with Matt
-if I should transfer to the Portland office

-There have been a couple of upper management changes around the office, so I'm awaiting how that will affect me. My unit is startilingly stable, which I love..and my boss is awesome. So I dont anticipate major troubles, but who knows. My caseload continues to increase. :(

-Got the dogs groomed again, and I hadn't done so since November! (Coincidentally, this was the last time I got my hair cut!!). They were looking so scroungy. Ive decided to do it every other month...just have to remember to plan ahead because this lady is booked solid.

-Me and Matt joined my family for some sledding and snow shoeing this weekend. It was just me and Matt that did the snow shoeing, across my parents' lake. Turns out it was very slushy! We thought we might fall in, which was scary in light of all of the fatalities with lakes this winter!

-My sister's birthday is today, and for those of you who don't know, she is the Heather on my myspace! She has finally joined that fabulous community. Her page is coming along nicely. :)

-My parents 27th anniversary was Wednesday!

-My friend Kelly found out she, too, is having a baby boy (too as in, like Barbie, not like as in I am !!!!) and she is excited.

-I had the flu on Tuesday this week, and it was the first time Ive vomited from a non-alcohol reason since childhood. It was miserable!!! I actually threw up in the Saab!!!!! I had to go to work that morning for court, and I barely made it out of the court parking lot before hurling onto my dash. *sigh* That was gross.

-I have not been keeping up with any reality tv, but have been deeply engrossed in some recent "True Life"s on MTV. Ive become a fan of the silly design shows on Bravo as well.

-Things are pretty good...moving along...I'm happy. So, there's the big update!!

The Creeping Crud!

2007-01-05T17:58:00.000-05:00

Last night was one of those nights when I remember why I do the job that I do. And I am proud.

We took in 5 siblings under the age of 3, because of severe neglect. I helped play with them, distract them, and most of all hug and hold them, because they were desperate for affection. They were infested with head lice and impetigo, and one of them peed on my leg, BUT...I was smiling the entire time. True, I said a lot of "ew!" like when being peed on, or when the little triplets were picking their noses and waving boogers at me, but they weren't real ews. Well, the pee was kind of gross actually.

And, when I got home I stripped bare on the porch, marched directly into a hot shower, and gave myself a lice treatment.

But I have a home. I have a safe home. And I am proud to do what I do. (Remind me when I develop impetigo after the 2 week incubation period).

Bah Habah!

2007-01-01T21:19:00.000-05:00

Matt and I spent a lovely mini-vacation in Bar Harbor last week. We stayed in this really cute B & B, and climbed a small mountain at Acadia National Park. The only problem ... it was 14 degrees and windy!! Here are some nice pictures:

Christmas

2006-12-30T19:27:00.000-05:00

Christmas this year was very busy for me. I was invited to be part of Matt's family Christmas, and of course to my own family's...unfortunately his family lives in NH, and mine lives in the woods of Maine. I had some driving to do!

On Christmas Eve-Eve, Matt and I headed down to NH for a nice dinner and Angela present fest with Matt's parents and aunt and uncle. After some serious drinking, we convinced everyone to a pool tournament, which...unfortunately through some serious repeat bad luck (8 ball style)...Matt and I lost to his Dad and Uncle Pete. Here's me taking a shot at Chuck and Pete, after they beat us the third time (well, technically after we let them win):

I headed back to Maine the morning of Christmas Eve, with a strong headache going on. I furiously did my best to cook baked macaroni and cheese (harder than you would think), and also to make chocolate chip cookies. I burned both batches of cookies, and ended up scraping them into the sink in disgust. The macaroni seemed good, and I left around 2:30 to head to Oxford to my Aunt's house.

Christmas Eve at Aunt Judy's was very nice. I got to meet 6 brand new bulldog puppies (6 days old!), and spend time with relatives I had not seen in a while. I got some good compliments on the mac & cheese too!

Here are some pictures of the little ones. This is my cousin Kendra's daughter Zoe, she is almost 3:
And this is my cousin Buddy's son, David, who just turned 1:

And here is one of my nephew Tyler and his Dad, Jon: After we had Santa greetings in Oxford, my sister, Jon, Tyler and I headed over to my Grampie's house in Minot, and spent some time with him which was very nice. After that, we headed to my house to grab the dogs and head to my parents' house.

I spent time at Heather and Jon's wrapping some final gifts, and did some laundry. I was finally in bed at my parents' around 12:30am. By this time, I was grouchy and tired, and not looking forward to getting only 6 hours of sleep!

I slept soundly, and woke up for the traditional Christmas Morning thing with my immediate family. Tyler was bombarded by gifts, most noteably this very cute hand-built barn that my parents made for him. He loves animals, and was very excited about it!

Also, I got my new iPod shuffle, which was a complete and happy surprise! More importantly, I got my AAA-Plus membership renewed, woo hoo! We had a nice Christmas, and Tyler actually got so tired of opening gifts he left like 5 of them wrapped under the tree!

I left at 10:00am to head down to NH, to join Matt's family for their afternoon gathering. I got there slightly late, around 1:15pm. We had a nice time, and some tasty rum punch! We did a Yankee Swap and only two people ended up swapping! Very quick! ha ha. It was nice spending time with and getting to know more of Matt's extended family.

I zonked out that night at 6:30pm!!! I slept for a beautiful 13 hours...ahhh, the holidays.

Groomed!

2006-11-14T19:42:00.000-05:00

I finally set my priorities straight and had the moops groomed last week - check out these cuties!

I highly recommend Lynne's Dog Grooming in Auburn on South Main Street! $25 a dog for a really nice job, including: nails, ears, bath, haircut!!!

SAAB Heart Attack, Part 763

2006-11-03T11:13:00.000-05:00

So, last week I paid $175 to replace my second front wheel bearing (replaced the other 2 months ago)...I went in today to Portland Saab to get my winter tires put back on, and to get an alignment (yes believe it or not, same price as indy guy/non-Saab guy), and get this news- I need $1500 worth of work done on my suspension!! Goodie! All of my bushings are shot, and my rear shocks need to be replaced. The Saab mechanic tells me about my driver side rear shocks: Ive never seen shocks this bad. You can actually pull on my wheel and it moves around. SO. Am currently at home in state of...disbelief/shock? waiting for car to be finished. Am going to take out a LOAN to pay for car repair, on a car I have a loan on still.

This is technically a regular maintenence issue...expected on a car with 163,500 on it...but FAAAAHHHHCKKK!!!!

Yet again am missing work for this piece of crap, but to tell you the truth, taking 8 sick hours is not so bad on a Friday...

The best, and only good part, of today is I am driving an '06 Saab 9-3 which is totally sweet:

Trippin'

2006-10-10T19:17:00.000-04:00

Today I drove home from Springfield Massachusetts, and check out the gas mileage I was sporting!!!!!!!!!!

How excellent is that? It took me going roughly 69 (yeah!) MPH for a rough total of 7.5 hours, but still. So, I was all hyped about how sweet my car was being (SVEEET I mean), but was so kindly reminded of her "eccentricities" with this the entire way home:

Beggars can't be choosers - this baby got me to Springfield and back in one piece in a mechanically sound fashion. I thank the lord I wasn't stranded in that skeevy place any longer than I had to be!!!!

Gorgeous Portland

2006-10-10T18:56:00.000-04:00

A couple weekends ago, Matt and I went down to the Old Port to hang out...it was SUCH a gorgeous day, I was really glad to have the camera. It was a little chilly, especially on top of the hill, but once we got closer to the water, it warmed up. :) This is on the Eastern Prom...

Me and the Terminator

Here's one that sort of reminds me of the tropics!

This is a nice one Matt took of one of the thousand butterflies hanging out on these little white flowers. I felt like I was in a movie or something..it was so neat.

2Kewl4Skewl

2006-08-18T23:36:00.000-04:00

I registered for a graduate class today at USM that begins in 3 weeks! I'm going to check out their master's program in School Psychology.

Think of it - in 87 years when I have completed my graduate degree, (because I am attending on a part time basis), I could be a school psychologist in a podunk school in Maine somewhere, and get my summers off! Hallelujia! Wish I dove in sooner. Oh well - it's the right time now so I'm doin it.

Wish me luck, and don't mind me pathologizing you come the fall - my first class is about child and adolescent psychopathology. Yes, you're adults, but still.

Twenty-Seven

2006-08-18T23:12:00.000-04:00

So, I'm officially in my late twenties. So far it's pretty great - er, about the same as 26. On my birthday, Holly and I went to Funtown (our tradition now for several years!) and to Splashtown! I have to admit, I got an instant headache from the rides, and fear my Funtown adventures may be coming to a close as I age :P BUT Splashtown was awesome! Here are some pictures of the day:

God I love this one. Absolute joy - something not often caught on my face!

Why has no one told me I look absolutely super nerdy in my glammy Coach sunglasses?

Holly, rockin' it on the super swing - such a trooper, never kicks my ass for kicking her seat the entire time we're swingin' around...

Another joyous pose - yay for birthdays and friends!!!! and rides!

Holly is awesome for doing the Sea Dragon with me - she said this was the worst one for her, but it ended up that it was a much harder time for me - boo!

After all of that, I came home and Matt took me to dinner at Espo's - we hit up Schemengees where he kicked my ass 3 games to 1 (while listening to some SWEET tunes on the 'ole juke - you know what I'm talkin' about!!!), and then we ended with a birthday cake shot and a cape codder at Gritty's. Martinis - Beer - then more liquor? You know what that equals? Ang waking up at 5am in desperate need of a bucket! Damn! That, folks, would be the second time in one month that the Ang has fallen to the vomit gods. Someone find me an AA meeting - quick!

Otherwise, a truely fabulous birthday. :)

Fun Times

2006-08-08T22:48:00.000-04:00

Weekend before last, I enjoyed the northern Maine woods in Monson/Greenville. Took a tour of Moosehead Lake, got absolutely hammered and ended up yacking like I was back in college. Met some good people though, and had a fab time. This past weekend, more fun was had but was a lot more low key. Here are some pictures:

A gorgeous place in the middle of the woods - absolutely peaceful.

Moosehead Lake...

A wicked cute picture of me and Matt on the lake tour!

A memory of the hottest day of the year so far!

Why don't they call it hardball?

2006-07-27T21:09:00.000-04:00

So, I have to share a picture of my softball injury from Monday night's game. I played second base, and thought Id stop some huge guy's hit with my shin, I guess. And ankle. We had another game tonight against the Goose, and we lost 20-5!! Ouch! At least it's fun. :)

PS in case I get any crap, no I do not have a tan yet even though it's almost August. I am rather fond of my extreme whiteness. It's easier to find me in a crowd. Plus, a purple leg is way cooler, dont you think??

A Rainy Revolution

2006-07-24T17:15:00.000-04:00

Hello again! So I spent this past weekend in New Hampshire, and had a lot of fun. Friday night Matt and I hit Portsmouth - I think possibly every bar in existance - no, not really, but quite a few. It was a lot of fun. Also, if you want fabulous amazingly perfect PIZZA, check out the Portsmouth Gaslight downtown!

The next day, it was raining like a banshee all day, but we still hit up the Exeter American Independence festival...some revolutionary war thing. It was actually quite fun. I have some pictures to share:

Here is a picture of me trying to trick a goat into making out with me.

And here is one of Matt making friends with a llama!

This is one of Matt, me, and a guy dressed up as a Revolutionary War veteran. He had crazy eyes, but he was nice. :)

And here is a picture of Matt's parents' dog Bugsy. He's a Boston Terrier, and he snorts a lot. Very cute.

Good times had by all. =)

Dirty Shih Tzus

2006-07-18T18:18:00.000-04:00

Here are a couple of shots of the doggies. My plan is to get them groomed this week so they will stop being ugly and smelly. Of course even ugly and smelly, I love them to bits. ;)

Oh, and this new camera takes a year to actually capture a shot...because Mcgee has ADHD this has so far been a huge pain in the ass!

Welcome to the 90's

2006-07-17T20:44:00.000-04:00

I bought a digital camera tonight, finally. I just kind of got the idea in my head and drove straight to the store. Sony Cybershot DSC-S600...uh, yah, whatever. It's cute! And once I figure more of it out, this blog place is going to be filled with pictures of...exciting things that I do.

For those of you who are keeping track of my dating life, I spent the last 4 days with a really swell guy - maybe when I see him again I shall take a picture of us and post it! Indeed. Then you can clap for me. And it will be magical.

In other news...I have not been to work since last Thursday, and I'm back tomorrow. Naturally, I am crying inside as I have enjoyed my time off immensely - however, I am actually looking forward to being somewhat productive. I actually have a presentation to make to some local teachers at 9:15am about adolescents. Here's hoping I'm a good presenter! If not, here's hoping I'm a really good actor!

The dawgs are chillin' - they have not been pleased with my frequent absences this weekend though, and are pretty much attached to my ankles right now - quite literally. They need haircuts desperately. I do what I can, but often they come out like they have been trapped in some sort of Mexican prison camp. Well, Im not sure where that came from, but it seemed relevant.

Oh, and I now have two air conditioners in my one little apartment. It's delicious. CMP agrees with that. Here's to tripling my electric bill! *clink*

In the Beginning....

2006-07-13T00:13:00.001-04:00

Okay, so my friends will not join me on myspace, so I shall join them here! I am looking forward to posting all about my terribly interesting life for all to see! I'm hoping soon to get a nice digital camera, too, so I can post fabulous pictures of myself, McGee, Ellie, and whoever I happen to see on Lisbon Street who might spice up my blog page.

For all who may be interested, I paid off my student loan this week! I got this sweet check from work and threw it all over that loan, and plopped the rest in my savings account. Maybe if I can curb my shopping habits, I will make some headway there on that Saab of mine.

I think that's all for now, since I'm boring myself. We can't have that. Hugs and kisses, Ang*