No No No... NO SNOW! Go Go Go... GO TEBOW!

Part I:

Snow is in the forecast for the next 9 days - ish.  Crap.  It's the middle of January, the man that eases in and out of chimneys has come and gone.  New Christmas sleds are already packed away because it's been a stagnant, sunny, sometimes cold winter.  I've been screwed out of the "9 month winter" - meaning my house isn't going up for sale any time soon.  So why's it gotta go and snow on us now?  That's just stupid.

Due to the forecast though - I thought I should probably go pick up the backyard.  Remember - we have 3 dogs, 3 very big dogs and they eat twice a day.  Their bathroom is our  backyard.  Right?  I went and picked it up a few weeks ago and "advised" both my spouse and youngest child that next time was their turn.  I realized today, that neither of them had gone out there yet so I bucked up after going to the club, going to get the air checked in my tires and then picking up more meds for my poor Boone who's limp is worse and we can't get in until Monday (ish... again).  I put on my winter boots, super warm fleece sweats, hat... and went to task.  

I told someone earlier - "That which does not kill us, makes us stronger."  Well sure as shootin' (I could take that another direction), it has!  I spent and hour out picking up FROZEN pooh... which *seemed* heavier and also meant I had to make more trips to the waste bin because... well, if you have dogs and you can imagine frozen pooh - you know.  So I am now stronger.  

But Zach is getting stronger now too because when my nose froze and my arms and legs had had enough - I sent him out to do the back 40.  "Hey," I told him, "that UW sweatshirt wasn't FREE that just arrived yesterday."  So... that worked out nicely.

Part II:

I know it's unrealistic to think that the Broncos can win today against the Pats...  BUT they were leading for a while the last time they played and Tom Brady has enough trophies for the time being.  Right?  

I'm a Broncos fan more than I am a Tim Tebow fan.  There's some stuff you see about him and it's moving as all get out.  He says and does a lot of really good things.  But sometimes I think it can't all be 100% legit.  Sometimes I think there's a bit of an act going on.  Sometimes.  But then there's this - and there are way more athletes that don't do stuff like this - than do.  That's gotta say something.

and then this:

Looking forward to some Tebow Time this afternoon and a few Mile High Salutes!  Let's gooooooooo!!!!  

Lights Out?

It was a Friday (today) and I was listening to Pandora on my computer at work.  I had been sort of putting off a part of this job that I thought was going to be uber time consuming and something that I didn't actually get "formal" training on... so I was a bit apprehensive.  Anyhow, after I got back from lunch with the great Linda and Greg (& Rita too) I took those two piles to task!  And I found that it's super easy!  So that prompted me to turn up my music a little louder and tap my foot while I processed those things.

Anyhow - at some point I heard someone talking but I didn't think they were talking to me and I couldn't see from back in my cubicle/office area who it was.  And to be honest... my music was loud enough to drown out the "background" noise in the hall.  So whoever it was re-spoke and asked me if I was so bogged down that I was staying.  I finally stood up and it was the G.M. and I laughed and said no, was just working through something that I knew I could bust through.  He stopped for a few seconds, chatted and then said "Have a nice weekend."

I sat back down and looked at my clock - it was about 4:38.  I realized then, that when I stood up, the hallway lights were out.  So I stood back up and went to see uhhhh... what was up.  Lights out throughout the lobby, our offices, down the hall, accounting... gone.  Poof.  People were gone.   Sure the programming and master control people were still downstairs, but upstairs?  Me.  It made me wonder if I should look at my employment papers to see if Friday's 5:00 p.m. was something more like 4:30.  I mean... it was o' dark thirty at the office.  Everyone was gone.  I was pleasantly surprised BUT wanted to get through one of the piles so tapped to my fabulous shuffle of Pandora stations.

I've never worked somewhere before where lunches aren't semi scheduled or timed... and certainly,  no one was leaving and shutting off lights before E.O.B.  This prompted me to then get all warm and fuzzy inside... made me feel like doin' the hand jive - then and there.  So "Grease" was the next station I typed in on Pandora.

Hope you have one heckuva hand jivin' night!  I'm off to play couples bunco, minus my couple counterpart.  He's off playing in a racquetball tournament leaving me and Wack to fend for ourselves.  Good news is, when it's couples bunco - that means I don't have to cook dinner!  Yee haw!

HAND JIVE!

The Cabo Diet

My gal pal Cheri mentioned the other night that she was going to have to get her "Cabo Diet" on.  I nodded in agreement and then began to wonder what the "Cabo Diet" needs to look like for me and Big Pappy.

Jeff knows what he has to do - but apparently when he was adopted, his parents signed the waiver on his will power and common sense.  It's okay... after almost 22 years, I'm use to.  So his strategy is a little different than mine.  And while it shouldn't affect me - it will.  (Will power affects his intake.  Common sense affects his clothing choices.)

Jeff:  You want a cookie?

Me:  Yes.  No.  Yes... Shit... NO!  

Jeff:  Make up your mind... do you want one or not?

Me:  I want one, but I am not having one.

Jeff:  (Already with cookies in hand...)  (*&*^$^%$%^ (under his breath, but loud enough for me to hear)  -shuffles back to the pantry and puts the cookies away.  Then proceeds to pout and glare at me because I made him feel guilty (even though all I did was decline the cookie) for taking a cookie in the first place.  The reason why is, because he sees me practicing self control, and at least sometimes succeeding and what he hopes is that I'll just eat the damn cookie, so he can, and then we're both failing at the diet/self control/will power.  But when I chose to not have the cookie, extra serving, snack, chips... what have you - he pouts.  

And ladies... you know it, I know it... ladies around the world unite in the agreement - that when I guy pouts, it's almost as bad as when they are sick.  Gads.

So my Cabo diet this week has been, back to my 10 oz shake in the morning, yogurt mixed with granola for lunch and then a regular dinner.  I've mixed in a pop around 3 pm for the last 5 days due to my training at work and may continue as long as my weight isn't going up because of it.  

The tricky thing for me has been the no hormones thing due to no parts.  The whole total hysterectomy just threw my body out of whack and one day I'm just where I want to be weight wise and 2 weeks later I'm up 8 pounds.  That really freakin bites.  I think (knock on wood) that I've finally gotten the dosage right where it needs to be on my topical lotion which is 1/8th of what they prescribed for the lotion.  If I were using the full dosage - I'd weigh 220 pounds by now.  Seriously.  It threw me ALL out of wack.

But over the last 6 weeks, and really just the last couple of days is when I realized it, this dab has done the trick.  So hopefully with the holidays and snacks behind us and Cabo ahead of us... it will continue to work in my favor.

I'm not sure what excuse Jeffy Pooh has... but even the knowledge of him knowing it's easier for guys to lose weight than girls doesn't inspire him.  No matter where we're at weight wise - come Cabo Time... it is what it is!

The countdown is on baby!!!

Dear Cabo:

Dear Cabo,

I've missed you the past 9 months.  But I have spoken of you to friends often.  Unfortunately a little too often as I threatened that if we, here in The Can, had another 9 month winter - I would put my house up for sale, learn to speak espanol and live in Los Cabos, in a hut on the beach if I had to.  

So what goes and happens?  We have nearly zero snowfall this year (I'm NOT complaining), my grass still has green spots (that has NEVER happened in any winter I've ever lived through up here) and if we're being realistic... if the 9 month winter were to be counted - it would have started towards, oh, say... NOW - which would take us to October... followed up by the "real" winter.  Hmmmm... That could suck.

So, I'm not moving to your neck of the woods this year - and trust me, you're not the only one disappointed with that.  BUT, we are going to see each other again - very soon!  I'm counting down the days until we have some sweet, sunshiny time together!  

I will admit - it sure makes a difference not having to pay for passports this year!  Cha-ching!

The cloudy day we had in 2011

Enough Is Enough!

When I was in the 5th grade I had Mr. Houchens (Houtchens?) and his favorite saying when he got fed up with us squirrely, energetic 11 year olds... itching at getting to the 6th grade and being rulers of the school (at 12) was this... in a very loud, very very loud way: "ENOUGH IS ENOUGH".  

It prompted my best pal Danielle and I to take in a hand held tape recorder (remember those?) and time the Donna Summer/Barbra Streisand song "No More Tears", to start at the part where they sing "Enough is enough"... right after that.  So Mr. Houtchens would yell "Enough is enough!" and we turned on that baby to go "is enough is enough is enough".  We got some time in the hall for that little antic.  Good times.  Good times indeed.

Fast forward to today - when I woke up to whining dogs, ready to eat at 5:30, and "gently" nudged Jeff to go feed them, I picked up my semi-wonderful iPhone (because we all know that Siri is the best iPhone) to see what was awaiting me in my work email.  I opened up all of my mailboxes at once and found an email update from Caring Bridge.  We had a Caring Bridge for Jeff's mom after her stroke, I created one for my friend Angie after her accident a year and a half ago, we were subscribed to Austins' updates when he had his leg amputated and was battling cancer... and then there's my friend Pat.  

I met Pat when I went to work at the school district.  He's a few years older than me, has a middle schooler and a senior (whom is betrothed to my Zach Attack) and a beautiful, funny and equally as crass and wicked as myself, wife - Robin.  Throughout most of my life, most of my closest friends have been guys.  Maybe it's my love of sports, or the fact that I hate shopping that makes that all work.  Pat and me?  Our friendship blossomed over my love of Adam Morrison... and his jackassy need to make fun of my infatuation - back in the day.  Stache and all.  We talked sports, he would swear a lot and I would follow suit.

Four years ago Patty had a sign that a trip to the doctor was in need... he followed that up with an immediate check in at the hospital and a kidney removed.   They found cancer in him... and not some regular cancer - but rather, one that was most often found in children.  Over the past four years he's had countless surgeries, bouts with chemotherapy and radiation and all the while his wife and daughters have stood tall,  laughed and joked their way through this using laughter as the best medicine.  They had faith.  And he's beat it time and again.

But the hernia he was diagnosed with just before Christmas was not, in fact, a hernia.  The "C" word is back and it's spread to his lungs.  The tumor that was diagnosed as a hernia is inoperable.  Robin posted on Caring Bridge that Pat said to her "It's been a good run."  Fuck that.  Pardon my french (yes, I know that's not really french).  No... don't pardon it.  I mean it... fuck. that.  Where is God now?  

You've never met a more accepting, fun, wildly insane, spontaneous, clever FAMILY than Pat, Robin, Erin and Gina.  No family should have to endure the wicked that is "cancer"... but we all will be touched by it.  But it should never "happen" to those who are still watching their kids grow up.  So should it discriminate?  Absolutely...  IF it has to be out there - they why not?  Manifest itself in criminals, people already in jail, killers (except Dexter), deadbeats, addicts...  and so on.

So where's Tom Houtchens when you need him to yell... a mighty, fierce and deserved "ENOUGH IS ENOUGH!"  I raise my fist to you... the one who is making the decisions that are affecting my friends, family, me - over these past 5 months or so.

You're apparently not listening...  

What Shirt Do You Love?

It's 9:28 and well past my new bedtime...

This is just an extension of yesterdays post and it's this simple:  In most recent order of "Sarah's T's" - Jeff and I tacked on 30 extra shirts.  We knew Rob would want to pay for them all, so we didn't tell him and when our guy called to say when they'd be done, I asked him to split the invoice and give Rob a different amount when he called to pay the bill.  Why?

Because, and thankfully so, we had an idea... a "promotion" if you will.  For the first 25 people who write a check - made payable to Mt. Baker High School with "Sarah Baisden" in the memo and mail it to us - they get a free t-shirt.  We will mail it - shipping and handling on us!  The money will go to the scholarship, the t-shirt will go to the person who makes the donation!  Simple as that.  Well... except that the donation must be equal to, or exceed $15.  That's it.  

If you're a regular small or medium or a ladies small or medium - you can choose between the below colors:

Royal with White

White with Red

Otherwise, you can choose between the original pink or black shirts!  There are 5 XL WHITE with RED shirts that are a part of this Dough-Nation Blast Promotion!

Now that you're done reading this, listen to the catchy tune again!