Another week

So, C (husband) and I did a thing for the HSTC this weekend for the Girl Scouts and we volunteered to take Petunia, my precious pig, for show and tell. Well, he (C) has been telling everyone that she's about 65 pounds. Well, being that I'm the one that plays with her and feeds her rotundness every day, I knew better. So, we have to get said pig into our Tahoe to get to the event. Iggy and Lola, our iguanas, were already to go, they are a travellin' pair, I tell ya! We take them everywhere and obviously, weight with them is not an issue.

But, I digress! So, Petunia, who HATES anything resembling a harness or leash has to be lifted into the back of our truck. I laugh now but no one was laughing on Saturday morning. There was a lot of squealing however and not in a "Deliverance" kind of way either! We hoisted her into the back and even covering the back in plastic (she tends to poop when she is in the truck) it was not a 1/4 mile before she let loose and so the remaining 30 miles we drove with eau de farm sinking into our clothes.

She did great with the kids (she likes to bite them because she doesn't like them!) and when it was all said and done, we wanted to weigh her because my husband was finally convinced that she's a porker. Keep in mind she is a 9 month old potbellied pig that we adopted from the humane society as Animal Control picked her up as a stray.

We thought we could get her in the wagon behind the golf cart and drive her to the building so we could weigh her. Nope, not happening. Thankfully, with the help of two AC officers, we got her on the scale. (insert drum roll...........) 132 POUNDS! Holy pig, Batman!

She is now on a diet!

My loving husband installed a fabulous faucet in the kitchen yesterday since the previous one which was 20 years old was completely shot due to the great well water we have. I've never been so happy in my life. Doesn't take much these days! Thank you, honey! You are the best!

I posted some pics from Saturday and yesterday taken with my BlackBerry. Should have all the kids including the iguanas on the porch taking a dip in the hot tub that is not hot due to a shot heater, but most loved it, only Sam who is blind in one eye didn't like it a bit. Lola also was not into swimming and sunk like a rock when I put her in. We are hoping that she's preggers and will soon have lots of eggs!!!

So, that's it for now. Gotta get a new dryer. The motor in this one causes it to sound like a jackhammer so I have to get all the drying done before Chris gets home since it drives him up a wall and I don't blame him.

Enjoy the pictures!

Virginia Tech Tragedy

I don't have much to say about what happened this morning at Virginia Tech that has not already been said by the press however, the only thing that comes to my mind is that my heart goes out to the families and friends of those who have lost their lives as well as those who have been injured. It is a sad societal marker when something like this happens on what feels like a regular basis.

Monday, monday......

So, I don't know what the heck is going on with the weather, but it's freezing here! We finally had some rain yesterday but not nearly enough and then it got VERY cold last night. It's April, for pete's sake! Last week it was 90 degrees and now if it's past 55 degrees it's time to turn the a/c back on again! The poor iguanas are freezing again. No wonder they are in a foul mood. At least the pig is a lot tougher when it comes to temperature changes.
Taxes are due tomorrow. Good thing ours were done months ago. So, today I am in the process of finishing up the thank you notes and cleaning the house.
Oh, and we now need a new dryer. The motor on this one is on it's last leg. Add that to the ever-growing list of things we need and can't afford.
"Meet Joe Black" is on tv so I'm going to take a break and watch it while I eat my lunch. That reminds me that I need to go on a diet. I am determined to lose 20 pounds since I am fat. I took one look at our wedding pics and decided that I am too plump for my taste so it's time for slimmin' down. Oh joy. I can hardly wait.
Tomorrow is Amie's birthday (sister in law) so we will be going out to karaoke to celebrate with her and get her drunk! :) Isn't that what family's for?

Easter already!!

Hard to believe that it is already Easter weekend! Yes, since the holidays I have been buried up to my neck in wedding planning, but goodness, this year is flying by!

I am currently still up to my neck in writing our thank you notes to all our friends and family who were so thoughtful and generous to us on our wedding.

We finally got rain last night. I can't tell you the last time when I was able to fall asleep to the wonderful sound of raindrops on the skylight in our bathroom. It was heavenly although apparently we were sleeping so soundly that when Chris' on call phone went off due to an emergency (twice!) neither one of us heard a thing until this morning. Not a good thing!

Now it is a rarity for the phone to go off during the middle of the night but when it does, it's an emergency that requires Chris' immediate attention and usually a trip to HSTC in the middle of the night. Hey, it goes with the job! Anyway, he took care of what he could when he got to work this morning.

So, I have been seriously thinking of going back to school to do something different. At the moment, I am enjoying the fact that I don't have to work thanks to Chris but at some point, I will have to re-enter the work force. When this happens, it would be nice to have a career that I am excited about, hence the going back to school idea. I need to do a little more research and see what interests me.

We have a new iguana, Worf, that we brought home last week. He's pretty beaten up from the females that were sharing the cage with him at his previous home so he's got his own area with Sam, our other female, on the porch and he seems to like it. That is as much as a 6' injured iguana with a really bad attitude can like anything. He's never been very domesticated so Chris is working with him a little at a time so I can eventually get closer to him since he scares the crap out of me. He gets Chris with his tail on a regular basis and leaves quite a welt when he tries to defend himself. He has a really badly injured toe that we are hoping won't fall off. I taped it the other day and he seems to be doing ok with it, however, I don't know if I got the tape on it in time. I will take some pics of him and post them on here. Will do them with Sam in the picture so you can see the disparity in size between the two of them.

OK, back to writing my thank you notes. My hands are cramping which is why I take breaks to type and do something else with my hands other than hold a pen and write thank you notes which, to me, are all starting to sound the same! Aaarrrrggghhh.......hard to make them sound original. Any ideas would be helpful!

Finally!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Here we are! Finally married and all the stress and planning was well worth it. The ceremony by the river was perfect. Florida weather actually cooperated! The ceremony went by too quickly but everything was exactly as it should have been.
This is Chris and I right after we were married and before we started drinking! You should see the pictures of the cake cutting!
Anyway, I have hundreds of thank you notes to get out and a house to clean so I'm gonna get right back to it but I thought I better post this ASAP! Email me if you want the link to the others.

T Minus 24 hours.....

So, the next time I post I will be married. I am SO ready for all this stress to be over with. Last night was my bachelorette party and I certainly made the most of it. It was only my best friend Jennifer, but it was perfect. Went to one of our old stomping grounds....a lovely hole in the wall bar filled with great people and a jukebox! What more could you ask for?
This morning was a little rough. I do remember having to be walked to the house from Jen's car last night when she dropped me off and Chris laughing at me but I have recovered and none too soon since I will be doing it again tomorrow! No mixing though. Gets ya every time!
So, tonight, I have to abandon my home and go to Jen's since Chris and I decided to be a little traditional and not see one another until the ceremony tomorrow. I hate not sleeping in my bed. Thank God for Valium!
I promise to write longer posts next week when I have recovered from temporary wedding madness.
Now I gotta go and get hitched! Yee haw! :)

2 Days

So as I type this on my new crackberry it occurs to me that in 48 hrs all this stress will be over! It is worth it and I will share the pics.but I need sleep now! More later!

12 days and counting.....

Yes, only twelve more days until I get married. And I still have a list as long as my arm to complete before Chris and I can officially get hitched.
My grandfather passed away this past Sunday at age 91. Although I miss him terribly, he lived an extraordinary life and that was reflected in all the people who came to pay their respects. The hardest part of the service was the Hononr Guard folding the flag that draped his coffin and then when they presented it to my mom with the thanks of a grateful nation. There wasn't a dry eye.
I wish he had been able to come to my wedding but he was too frail.
So, the dress is ready......it fits perfectly which is a miracle since David's Bridal is notorious for screwing things up. My tiara is ready. All I need is flip flops and figure what I'm going to do with my hair!
I know it's been a while since I have blogged, I was in the hospital for 6 days after a very serious asthma attack so I lost a week there.
Anyway, this is short since I'm in the process of writing some thank you notes. I shall post more later and put the pictures up there as soon as I get them! :)

Arrivals and such........

Today, for the few minutes I was actually home, I checked the mail and found that my tiara had been delivered! Mail from Hong Kong doesn't take too long at all! Anyway, it's perfect and I can't wait to wear it!
Then we checked our email and our wedding rings have been mailed as well! Another thing that I cannot wait to try them on!
So, I'm experimenting with this My Space thing and it's so far nothing to write home about but I have been able to find a lot of people on there that I ha lost touch with over the years and it is nice to catch up with them. Other than that, there is no use of other than to keep the youth of America pining away in their chairs. My user name on there is the same: Hellofachick should you decide to stop by to chat!

TOP TEN TIPS..........From your pet!!!!!

10. My life is likely to last 10 to 15 years. Any separation from you will be very painful.

9. Give me time to understand what you want of me.

8. Place your trust in me - it is crucial for my well being.

7. Don't be angry with me for long, and don't lock me up as punishment. You have your work, your friends, and your entertainment. I HAVE ONLY YOU.

6. Talk to me, even if I don't understand your words. I understand your voice when it's speaking to me.

5. Be aware that however you treat me, I'LL NEVER forget it.

4. Before you hit me, remember that I have teeth that could easily crush the bones in your hand, but I choose not to bite you.

3. Before you scold me for being lazy or uncooperative, ask yourself if something might be bothering me. Perhaps I'm not getting the right food, I have been out in the sun too long, or my heart may be getting old and weak.

2. Take care of me when I get old. You, too, will grow old.

AND THE #1 TOP TIP FROM YOUR PET IS ...Go with me on difficult journeys. Never say, "I can't bear to watch it," or "Let it happen in my absence." Everything is easier for ME if you are there. Remember that I love you.

Monday

It is Monday again and that means back to work. The weekend went entirely too fast! Petunia the pig did, however, get her new home built in the backyard so we have our porch back once again. That is after the hazmat team disinfects it so we can enjoy our fish and turtles, get the hot tub working, etc. I do admit that I miss having her on the other side of the door, but she (Petunia) was becoming the Houdini of getting out of confined spaces like the porch with a locked door! So, it was time. C did an incredible job of designing and putting together Petunia's new pig penthouse and we hope that she likes it and feels comfortable there. She's so young and it is hard to remember that because she is so smart!

So, when we go check on her before work we can see how she did last night. She was very happy to get her blanket that her Dad brought her. It was a tad chilly last night and we didn't want her to feel like she was banished to the outdoors without any of her things. As soon as the blanket was down on the ground, Petunia was right on top of it and she was making her happy sounds.

Next is the iguana showcase! We finally have all the materials to make it and I think that Iggy, Lola, and Sassy will be much happier in there once it is finished. I know that Iggy will be happy to have his ladies back as he has been in "quarantine" because he has a little to learn in the romancing department! This usually results in him getting bit by the females and looking like he was on the losing end of a bar fight! Poor Iggy! He is such a great iguana. I will post some more pictures of him as well as his ladies on here so you can see what I am talking about. We also have to build a large iguana holding area in the back yard because we will be getting more iguanas, however they are not as domesticated as the three we have roaming around the house at any given time. It definitely is funny when someone comes to visit our home for the first time and they see a 5' red iguana (Iggy) sitting next to the entertainment center sleeping. Usually the first words out of the person's mouth are, "Is that thing real?". Yes, he is real, no he does not bite unless you smell like fruit, and we are not in the habit of keeping dead reptiles around the house! Yuck!

C works so hard and then has to come home to build more animal areas for our ever-growing zoo. It is certainly not easy and I try to help as much as possible but some things I am just not able to do! I do try to keep them clean, keep their homes clean, mediate any incidents that may occur, keep them happy and fed, the usual things a Mom does for her kids! That's how we view every one of our animals! They are great! Only a few are being fostered for the HSTC and that is because they cannot be kept in their regular facility because of temperature, amount of care, etc.

OK, going back to sleep! I just got up for a drink because I was coughing so much. I am trying the patch for my quitting smoking and it seems to be better than the lozenges........for me at least. Although I still feel like I can't quite shake this virus or whatever it is!! I do have to say that I have not had one craving for a ciggie since I put the patch on which was somewhere around 5 pm last night. And especially this morning, I thought I would crave one but I can't breathe as it is so I don't think that is conducive to craving a cigarette! C is doing awesome as well as far as not smoking around me and being VERY supportive! I know that I can't do this without him. My biggest thing is that I will gain weight and that scares the s*&t out of me! I'm sure C would agree with me! Nothing worse than envisioning your bride walking down the aisle (or dock in our case) and she's 20 lbs. heavier than she was before. So, I'm trying to keep track of what I eat and keep active.......which would be easier if I can get over this flu or whatever it is.

Finally! The Elusive Engagement Announcement!

So, after many, MANY emails to the local newspaper requesting that they put the engagement announcement in as soon as humanly possible since we don't have too much time and all that, I received an email stating that it would be in this Sunday's paper! FINALLY!
I woke up this morning to check and to clean our computer desk since I think a family of hobbits has taken up residence in it, checked the local paper, and there is was in all it's glory! And, being that this is a very small town and people have nothing else to do, even on Super Bowl Sunday, than to check the Lifestyle section of the paper to see who is getting married and who has gotten married. Pathetic, yes! Am I as guilty as the next person, YES!!!
So, I'm up very early this morning and I will be going to Dunkin Donuts in a bit to surprise sleepy fiancee with breakfast since we have to build a pen for Petunia since she has trashed the porch. And I'm not talking a little mess. For a 60 pound pig, she has made a mess of gargantuan proportions! But, she will be outside from now on! She was like MacGyver out there with her collections of coax pieces, bolts, nuts, etc. I am convinced that she saw that we had a tv out there and was trying to hook it up so she could watch her stories!
Anyhoo, here is the link to the engagement announcement should you wish to peruse it: http://www.tcpalm.com/tcp/milestones/article/0,,TCP_24454_5321654,00.html

The Meeting of the Parents

Yes, we have survived the meeting of our two sets of parents! Whoever decided that it was a good idea to have the two families meet before the wedding was drunk and basically a sick bastard! Really! I have no problem with them meeting the day of the wedding, especially since we are the ones footing the bill! I can definitely see if this was your usual "take out a second mortgage on the house 'cause the baby's gettin' married" type of wedding, but it's not!
However, like the well-bred children we are, we took our parents to Carraba's for dinner and they actually liked each other and had a good time! Never mind that all day Chris and I have been sick with anxiety and scenarios going around in our minds that were less than perfect. But, that's all in the past now since they liked one another.
Dad (Chris') is going into the hospital on Tuesday to have his leg amputated. After 20 years and over 45 surgeries to try to save the leg, he and his dr. decided that it was time to do away with it. He's is a good frame of mind......as good as you can be when you know you are losing your leg. And, we don't know if he will be walking by the wedding, but it would sure be great if he were and it would be a great wedding present!
So, this week, posting may be sporadic since we are staying at his parents house Tuesday and perhaps a few other nights to watch the place and make sure Taylor gets to school, etc.
Wedding plans are moving forward..........our rings were ordered, I found a person to perform the ceremony and I meet with her in a couple of weeks. We have the photographer and only need to check on the cake and get the invitations out! So, the ball continues to roll on that front.
In the midst of all this wedding stuff, I almost forgot that I have a birthday! 18 days away.....obviously I won't be doing anything since everyone is poor! Besides I would rather have a nice wedding!
Later!!

Seeds to a money tree, anyone?

It would be wonderful to have seeds to a money tree so that I could continue to pay for this wedding. I just ordered our rings today and there went another wad of cash. But, it's well worth it since we both found the Turkish bands we wanted and will get them well ahead of the wedding which is another great thing!!

Only have a few more large items to get. The engagement announcement is running this weekend so that should be followed quickly by our invitations, created lovingly by Jen!!! She is so good at this she could easily do this for a living and make a TON of money!

Here is Chris' ring.....which was supposed to go right here instead of where it ended up! So, he's happy with it and that's all that matters. Mine is perfect for me since I also have a solitaire to pair it up with and they should look good together.

Feel free to post suggestions as to what Chris should do for his bachelor party! He didn't get one for his first marriage and I really want him to have one this time since it's a tradition! Go out with the guys, spend too much on strippers, get piss drunk while other strippers rub him and then he gets dropped home to me and I'm the one who won't walk for a week! Kidding! Almost......so if you have cool, cheap, fun ideas, any feedback would be fabulous! :)

OK, time for bed. Actually, time to watch more tv and then go to bed! Later guys!

Piece #684....

So, the rings are done, the dress for everyone is done, Jen and I are doing the flowers, and I found a tiara i love and Chris loves and everyone loves. and it's not expensive! So, I shall be ordering it today!

This is so exciting and fun and SO less stressful than my first foray into planning a wedding. That's due to the fact that I have the BEST planner and BEST friend anyone could ask for. Jennifer is a genius when it comes to getting things done!

So, here is a picture of the tiara that I'm getting.

It goes so well with the whole theme of the wedding and it's perfect instead of a veil which I hate anyway.....especially the blusher thing. Shades of "Sixteen Candles" and the bride walking down the aisle completely out of it on muscle relaxers! Who needs that nonsense?

So, that's it for now, I will probably post later but I have to finish this guest list so I can get it completed!!!!!

Hangin' 'Round the house....

So, just hanging round the house today recuperating from my ER visit. The dr. blithely told me that if I want to reach my 40th, I have to quit smoking. So, that's what I'm doing! Even Chris, ever my rock and support, is quitting with me which makes it a little easier!! I can't thank him enough for making this great sacrifice for both of our lives.

Tomorrow it is back to work although I could use the extra day off but tomorrow is short and I get to leave when it's time to take Chris to work!

OH, I posted a picture of what my wedding ring will look like. Chris wanted to get Turkish Wedding bands which are kind of like puzzles. If taken off the wrong way, you actually have to pay to get the solution to put them back together.

The guys are getting their wedding wardrobe together. Looks like I will be wearing my champagne colored sheath dress with Chris wearing a shade of green and khakis. With the other colors, I think it will be stunning and tropical and different and casual and fun and, most of all, comfortable! So, let me know what you think of our rings! :) Chris' is six bands instead of four like mine is and his is going to be gold, not the tri-color gold. I got these pics from the site we intend to purchase the rings from and that's Puzzle Ring. Check out the site because the craftmanship is amazing and each ring is handmade! It will definitely be cool to have wedding bands that no one else will likely have.

Our Family!!!

I realized that I had never posted the picture of Christopher and I and Megan and Rachel (his girls) while they were here for Christmas!
I hate this one of myself since my head looks WAY too big but I love this picture because it's the first family picture we have taken! :)
Enjoy!

I found it!!!

I found the wedding dress! For obvious reasons, I can't post it here since it's a secret until the wedding day! But, thanks to Jennifer, my best friend and Matron of Honor, she found it while the David's consultant continued to bombard me with ridiculous dresses that I would not wear even if they were free! But, somehow, Jen unearthed my perfect dress......only snag being that the sizes they had...one was just my size which makes me nervous because I would have to not eat for the next two months and that is not happening and the next size up (they were missing MY size) was like a gunny sack on me and too big for alterations. So, they suggested ordering. The first ETA on the dress was 12 weeks. I laughed a bit too loud and stated that I did not have 12 weeks.....they now think I'm pregnant or something and went back to recheck. So on March 10, that is the last ETA date my dress can arrive. And all they have to do is pull it from a warehouse, steam it and let me try it on. It's paid in full and it better look good.
I decided on no veil but either on a wreath of flowers around my up swept hair or one gardenia or something in the middle of the bun in the back or a simple tiara like a wreath.
The dress, I have to say, is fabulous. Simple with no patterns....just a sheath dress with a tiny train in the back which Jen, who I should refer to as St. Jen, will do the bustle on so I don't step on it and neither does anyone else. The shoes we decided on are flip flops. Since all the girls are wearing different colors and dresses, we can dress the shoes up as we please.
Anyway, that's it for the dress hunt. The largest thing has now been checked off the list and the rest from now on is details and making sure everyone sticks to the time line!

Let the Hunt Begin!

So, today with the help of my best friend Jen, we are setting out in search of my perfect wedding dress. Said dress will fit perfectly and need no alterations, will (of course) be free, and will be the only one like it in the entire world so no one else will ever be able to wear this style of dress again. HA!
I've been down this road before and I know how it works. Especially when David's Bridal is concerned. The only store location of David's in my area is 50 miles away in West Palm Beach. Dreaded place of malls, Nordstroms, i.e. places that require oodles of money which I don't have!
But, I am determined to have a great day with Jen and to ignore the snooty bridal coordinators who think they are the only ones on the planet who can get you into a wedding dress!
So, I don't have lots of time to post at the moment, but I will update you when I return and you can tell me what you think of the dress!
Keep your fingers crossed for me! :)

Wedding Update!!!

The countdown to the Englishman-Howlett wedding has commenced! Hence the link to our "The Knot" web page updating family and friends to our fast approaching nuptials!
So, check it out and keep updated on the level of stress and lack of money.


http://weddings.theknot.com/pwp/view/co_main.aspx?coupleid=6406047240507321&MsdVisit=1

New addition

So, after 6 years dealing with the Dell I purchased in 2001, we finally got a new computer! :)
Computer, widescreen monitor, the works.
I feel human again.

Chillin'

So, sitting here, chillin' w/Chis, Deanna, and Mikey (on his way from work). They are watching "Cheaper By the Dozen II" and I can't stand that movie so I'm sitting here posting. What is wrong with me?
Too bad I didn't have a decent camera to take pictures of my iguanas mating. It's like Animal Planet porn or something! Not too bad, actually.....pretty interesting!
I'm already catching shit on posting from the significant other! He claims I spend 20 hours a day since we got the cable modem. Pish posh!
Anyhoo.....just a short post since I'm sitting here and can't listen to my music. Withdrawl!

The Hardest Decision

As I already have posted a million times, I love animals, and especially my two black cats, Felix and Oscar. Well, when Chris moved in, the boys moved to the porch which they LOVE! More lizards and such. They are eight years old and I adopted them from a shelter while I lived in Tallahassee. They are litter mates and neither them nor I have been parted from them.......through all my moves, hurricanes, etc. But, for about 5 years now, Oscar has suffered from a congenital condition which I will not get into here and this morning while tending to a beaten up Felix (it's Oscar every time) I really just can't put him through any more suffering and that's exactly what it is. He's never gotten over about 5 lbs. and he's losing weight and it would be selfish and cruel of me to keep him in this condition (which after many vet's opinions is incurable and painful).

So, I talked to Chris and I decided to have his put to sleep. I'm obviously upset and second-guessing this but it's the best thing. So, Monday will be the day. I don't know how Felix will react since he has never been separated from his brother or his Mom.

This really sucks. I am posting a picture of the two of them as a little cyber tribute to the Terrific Twosome they have been, not to mention the companions that saw me through MANY a tough time.

I love you, Oscar and I will NEVER forget you and I am so glad I took so many photos of you and your brother.

Oscar Englishman, 1999-2007

Pigs.........Literally

So, this pig, Petunia, is one hell of an alarm clock. See, being unemployed and tending to the relatively lazy zoo we had enabled me to at least sleep longer than Chris. NO MORE!
Somewhere around dark thirty, I hear the incessant (not to mention LOUD) grunting and little tippy taps of her tiny hooves on the wood floor. And, in the span of two days, she has learned (since she sleeps in the living room) to ram herself on the bedroom door in an attempt to wake me up so she, Princess Petunia, can be fed.
As I sit here, she is tormenting Iggy our beautiful red iguana. Eventually she has to learn that he will kick her ass regardless of her size since she insists on rooting around him while he lays on his "throne" near the DVD and PS2 collection. Apparently he loves that stuff. Typical man!
No matter how much I scold her and talk to her, Mother Nature has a way of taking care of these things by herself and then it's up to us to nurse said pig who will have had the shit kicked out of her.
Speaking of nursing animals, Bogey, Chris' parents' Golden Ret. will be joining us for the night. She is only 4, AKC reg., beautiful, but is now suffering of seizures and we need to keep an eye on here while the 'rents take a trip to Ft. Lauderdale for the evening. Now, Bear, our dog, and most dogs, esp. pure breeds, will have seizures, but Bo's are apparently really bad. She is undergoing tests to see what is causing them. Well, tonight, the pet motel is gonna be full!
Really, though, I do at least three loads of laundry a day, mostly towels and such from cleaning up after "the kids". And, believe me, there are many times a day I wish I would have just had a kid! (not a goat....tee hee) At least they get to a point where they can bring you coffee, do dishes, make their own beds, feed themselves, etc.....you get the point. Alas, no kids to be had 'round these parts. A) we have a small home and B) someone had a vasectomy 10 years ago!
(keep that last one quiet!)
OK, thx to Shumpy who added me (again) to his blogs......it's my own fault for not posting here with any regularity! And, to think, he was at the same Buffett concert here in WPB and thru all the mayhem and adult beverages in the parking lot prior to the concert, we didn't even know one another were there. Of course, I do remember a late night phone call he made to me stating he was coming down, however I was most likely in a state of some sort and completely blocked it out! My apologies! :)
Alright, the animals and Chris need to get up! More later!

Long Time Away

So, I can't believe it's been three months since I have posted anything! Horrendous and unacceptable! Won't happen again since yesterday we finally got the cable modem installed and so no more dial up for me! Needless to say, I am happy about that since I have felt a bit cut off between not working and the holidays and everything that we went through.
One new announcement.......November 14, at the Jimmy Buffett concert in WPB, Chris proposed to me! So, we are in the middle of planning our wedding which is going to take place on March 31, 2007. Yep, not a lot of time there! And definitely not a lot (or any!) money but whatever we scrape together will be just fine! You see, I learned the first time that it is the marriage and not the wedding that matters.
Our brood of animals have increased to include three iguanas all over 4 feet, a pot bellied pig named Petunia who is the newest member, Bear the Cataoula and our pride and joy (he's starting his therapy dog training soon!), two cats, endless fish and turtles. That doesn't include the ducks we had and promptly shoved off to another foster parent with the HSTC since I really don't do birds or snakes! Hey, there has to be a cutoff at some point!
Anyway, I'm back and better than ever. HA! Hey, just a year older with the grey hairs to prove it.
Later....and I don't mean months this time......pinkie swear!