3 Car Sandwich.

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...

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.

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

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.

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

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

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 :)

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.

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.

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.

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

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

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

Hilarious.

Victorious!

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

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

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'

Ch-ch-ch-changes

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.

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 :)