Glory Days

Tonight I had dinner with my dear friend Kevin. It was nice to go out and just spend time with him talking about things. On the way back to his house we were listening to Totally 80's on the satellite radio. It got us talking about when we were teenagers and how we dressed in the 80's. Before long we were calling one of my brothers to laugh and reminisce. It was fun and I haven't laughed that hard in awhile. I hope we don't wait too long to do something like that again.

You know how much I like my new car . . .

I love my new car! It is averaging 31 miles per gallon . . . pretty impressive for an SUV! I've also started enjoying the satellite radio. It's nice to not hear a bunch of commercials and bs.

Happy Birthday Chad!

Happy 4-0 to my bro! I hope you had a great day!


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Funny Videos

Where did October go?

I can't believe it is almost the end of October. The only thing that doesn't make it feel like the end of the month is we didn't do the time change.

On a nice note, last week was actually tolerable at work. I think things are starting to calm down. Finally! It probably helps that I don't have to stress about school anymore.

Not much else going on. Just trying to do projects around the house.

Simple . . . Not!

So with all this "spare time" I have after finishing school, I decide to start tackling projects I've put off for the last two years. One being, painting a hallway. Sounds simple right? Wrong! There's taping the ceiling and the base boards, sanding bumps, filling in holes, etc. I've been working on it since 9 a.m. this morning and still am not ready to paint. Ugh! To think I want to paint two bathrooms, a kitchen, and two bedrooms by Christmas. Yeah right!

Hybrid Baby!

Yesterday my new car came in! I couldn't resist and went an snatched it up right away. It feels good to drive a Hybrid. I feel like I'm doing something good. I have to admit it was a little harder giving up the Jeep than I thought. I never was a big fan of it, but it was Gary's car and he loved it. I didn't think it would bother me, but it is weird.

Go Green (Hybrid I mean)!

My Sweet Boy

Last night there was a terrible accident on the freeway close to our house. It was so bad, that at first we were told the freeway would be closed for 2 hours and it ended up being 5 hours. I found some footage of the investigation online on one our our local news channel's website. Elijah happened to see a picture of one of the cars and asked me what happened. When I told him there was an accident and people got hurt, he said that we need to pray for those people. I thought that was so sweet. We did. I haven't heard anything else about the accident since. I hope the prayer helped.

Hallowe'en

Last night we went to Hallowe'en in Greenfield Village. It was fun. They had it all laid out where you walk a certain path and from time to time there was a stop for trick or treat. We walked out with some candy, some Beanie Babies, some chips, and a lot of fun. I highly recommend it. The best part was an encounter with the headless horseman!

The Joys of Traveling

I had to go to Minneapolis for a business trip. Funny thing about that. There is a certain airline carrier that is the hub in Detroit and the hub in Minneapolis. So you would think that the airfare would be pretty reasonable right? WRONG. So wrong that I had to not only fly with another carrier, but I also had to connect in O'Hare.

So I get to the airport on Sunday to find out that my connecting flight in Chicago has been canceled. Nice. The bumped me to a flight two hours later. You would think that wouldn't be too bad, but since I was there such a short time, my schedule was planned to a tee, even on a Sunday. That meant now we were off schedule.

Needless to say we had to scrap some tours of the competitor hotels and go right to dinner. It was nice and I was more than ready to go back to the hotel for some sleep. I was scheduled for a tour at 7 a.m. the next morning.

By the time I had to leave Minneapolis, I had logged 30+ hours over 2 1/2 days. The town is fabulous and really had a good time.

Coming home was another joyful venture. It was discovered at check in that we were scheduled with a different carrier than the one we flew in on. Then they didn't mention to us that they bumped up our connecting flight by one hour. Add to that the fact that we sat on the runway for 30 minutes waiting for approval for take off thanks to wind in Chicago (I thought that was the windy city). So, we didn't realize that our connecting plane was about to leave until we were in Chicago and saw on the screen "final boarding." WTF. Do you know how big O'Hare is? Did I mention that we seriously walked about 10 miles in downtown Minneapolis earlier that day, touring the competition? Needless to say at one point while trying to hustle it to the gate, I wanted to say just put me on the next flight. But we made it. So close that they shut the cabin door as soon as we walked on. That was close.

I'm Done!

I officially finished school! Yippee! Everything was due Monday, but since I was traveling, I finished on Saturday night. It feels weird to be done. I still feel like I'm on break. I just don't know what to do on the weekends now. Maybe I can get a life again . . .

Two Days . . .

Two days and I am done! I can't believe it is almost here. Now I just have to buckle down and finish some stuff. The only thing that puts the pressure on is that I'm going on a business trip again. Today is my key day to wrap up because tomorrow and Monday will be tight. Wish me luck!

Happy Anniversary!

Happy 20 year anniversary to my mom and stepfather. I can't believe it has been 20 years! Time goes too fast!

The Last Week

It's official - my last week of school. I can't believe that two years ago I was just starting my program and here I am finishing. I'm so excited, but I'm also so unmotivated!

Happy Birthday to my cousin Marc. I hope you had a great day!

Cleveland Rocks

I'm writing this from my hotel room in Cleveland. It is the third hotel I've been to today and I've only been here for five and half hours! Tomorrow I have a meeting and lunch appointment and I'm out of here! Nothing like a quick trip. I won't even be here 24 hours!

Less than 10 Days!

In less than 10 days I will be DONE with school! I am so excited, I can't believe it is almost here! I finished my final project -- with a little stress of course! Now it's just postings, homework and some quizzes. In some ways this two years went by fast and in other ways it seems like a lifetime ago.

Elijah is doing well in swim class. He made some great strides in his last class. He also tested in karate and has officially earned his yellow belt. He is very excited about it. School for him seems to be going well. He said he likes wearing a uniform.

Not much else going on. I have some business trips in the near future. It's almost October, can you believe it?

Enjoy your weekend.

Another Crazy Week

It was another crazy week at work. The month is going way to fast. The last several months have gone too fast. What is with 2007?

The only good thing is that it gets me closer to being done with school. Yippee! This weekend I have to finish a big project. It seems odd that it is due at the end of week four (of six), but on the other hand, it will be done and just leave quizzes, homework and postings for the next two weeks.

Not much is going on. I found out that my car will be built the first week of October. I have no idea how long it will take to get it after that.

Elijah is enjoying school. So far so good! Enjoy your weekend!

Motivation

Tomorrow wraps up week three of my last class (aka half way done). Anyway, the only thing that stinks is the homework. This week I have to complete 58 problems, but only 30 are graded. WTF? During the entire six weeks, I have to do 160 problems, but only 86 count toward my grade. Why waste my time? Combine that with my almost-done-itis and I'm really lacking motivation to finish the work. UGH!

It's Getting Close

Graduation stuff came in the mail today! I can't believe it is almost here! I had to fill out the graduation application and order my cap and gown. I'm excited, but I'm also wondering what am I going to do when I'm done. Will I really have a lot more time? I guess I will see if a few weeks! Yahoo!

Happy Birthday Natalie!

Happy Birthday to my niece Natalie. I hope you had a great birthday!


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Bon Voyage Coco!

Gary's niece Coco has taken a job on a cruise ship in the Hawaiian Islands. She's leaving today for five months. Last night we got together to see her off. We'll miss you and wish you all the best!


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Never Forget

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Never forget those who lost their lives on this day six years ago, and those who gave their lives to fight for this country. Regardless of how you feel about the war, never forget those who are out there fighting.

For the last few weeks our office has been collecting items to send to the troops in Iraq. Today we mailed three boxes (the boxes that a case of paper comes in). Thank you to our office for picking up the postage. We wanted to let the troops know that we are thinking about them and appreciate all they do.

The First Week

Elijah finished his first week of school and seemed to really like it! We'll see how the next week goes -- the full week.

Still waiting on grades from the last class. Who knows when that will happen. I'm irritated, but over it at the same time.

Yesterday was a crazy day. It went so fast that I felt like I lost the day. Hopefully today won't be the same. Work is still crazy. I hope it becomes manageable soon. I don't know how much more I can take!

Enjoy what is left of the weekend!

A Couple of Birthdays

Happy birthday to Laura and Chelsea. Laura is my niece and Goddaughter and Chelsea is Kevin's daughter. Both were born on the same day, but different years. I hope both of you had a great day!


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The First Day

Well, the first day of school has come and gone. That was fast! Elijah woke up this morning excited, but a little nervous. He kept expressing concern about the "late bell" and wanted to make sure he was in class by that time. We got to school and lined up outside. He was doing pretty good until he realized I could not walk him inside, fortunately we had a few minutes, so he was able to relax about it.

I took the day off so I could pick him up. I got a little nervous because I saw kids coming out and I was thinking he would panic if he didn't see me, but I found him. He said it was good, but of course he couldn't remember anything they did. (he seems to have selective memory when it comes to 'what did you do at school today').

Tomorrow is a full day. We'll see how that goes!

Two Days

Two days until Elijah starts school. Part of me is excited and the other part of me is sad. I can't believe how fast the last several years have gone by.

I was finally able to finish my tax class. It feels good to be done. I can't believe I am now in my last class. It seems surreal. That is until I get a letter from the company that has my student loans. They didn't waste any time to let me know that I'll be paying back loans next April.

Thanks to all the rain we had not too long ago, the mosquitoes are running rapid. I don't know if it was a mosquito or a spider, but something bit me and my foot swelled up like a balloon. It's getting better, but not completely back to normal.

Enjoy the rest of your weekend!

Tired

Well, so far I can get into the system for school. The bad news, all my previous work has been wiped out. So I'm hoping that the professor knows all the grades because my sanity could not handle redoing all those quizzes! He gave us until tomorrow to finish the course. There goes that break I was supposed to be on!

I took the day off today. Originally it was because Elijah's summer camp ended yesterday. Now I realize that I did it to keep me sane. Yesterday I worked 14 hours and still have work to do. I'm trying to figure out how I can squeeze in some time to go in today.

Tuesday is the big day: Boy starts school. I'm starting to freak out a little. This is going to be tougher than I thought -- I figured since he's been in daycare since he was 3 months old that this would not be much different. It is.

If you pray, say one for me please. I need strength to keep putting up with the massive volume at work. I need strength to finish this class and my last class, and I need some strength to send my sunshine to school on Tuesdays. Thank you.

Happy Birthday!

Happy Birthday to two of my cousins: Pam & Brooke. I hope both of you have a fabulous birthday and I wish you all the best!

What happend to August?

Can someone please tell me what happened to August. I'm still trying to figure out what happened to June and July and here I am thinking the end of August already? I don't know whether to laugh or cry.

They restored the old version of the system we use as school. I came up at 5 p.m. today, however I still cannot get in. I guess the passwords were reset and the one they told me should work doesn't. I'm about over it.

Elijah had orientation at school today. I think that is putting me into midlife crisis mode. We were sent home with a nice big manila envelope with policies, procedures and a list of things I have to volunteer for. I'm already signed up to work a lunch - thank goodness I had already requested the day off.

Not much else is going on. Work is still psycho busy. I've almost reached my saturation point.

Just in case you were wondering . . .

They still don't have the system up yet for school. WTF. I don't know whether to laugh or cry.

Work is psycho again. I don't know how much more I can take. I'm actually debating going back to caffeine. Let me remind you that it is has been 11 years since I have had caffeine. The last time I was this desperate was when Elijah was born and he had his days and nights mixed up.

If you pray, say one for me. I need some strength. Thank you.

Grand Rapids -- WOW!

It's been about 10 years since I've been to Grand Rapids. The last time was with Gary for a mountain bike race. I remember that we spent most of the time in a suburb and only went downtown to go to the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum. I highly recommend going to the museum by the way -- regardless of your political affiliation, it is a great experience for all.

On Friday, myself and seven others from work embarked on a journey to the great town of Grand Rapids. The occasion was the near opening of the first J.W. Marriott in the Midwest. The hotel officially opens in about three weeks, but we got a preview! Let me tell you that in my 13+ years in the hotel business in addition to all my other years of travel, I never seen a more amazing hotel. This is a one of a kind work of art. If you ever go to Grand Rapids, you have to go to this hotel and check it out. There isn't one room with an amazing view. The entire building is glass so you see everything. Wow - that's all I can say.

BTW, the nightlife has picked up a bit as well, so if that is your kind of fun, this is your kind of town!

Twelve Days Later

It's been twelve days since the university took down our online platform and it is still not up. A note posted at 11 p.m. on Friday said that they decided to go back to the old platform. Two days later the old platform is still not up. They are offering us the option to finish the class with the new deadlines that the instructors will notify us of after the system is back up, or drop the class and retake it at no additional charges. Since I was on the last week of class, I don't think I am going to drop it.

This experience has taught me that they were not adequately prepared for this, and did not seem to have a good plan to handle the situation. That is disappointing, but I hope they learn from it and will be better prepared next time. The fact of the matter is, you should never assume that an upgrade will run smoothly. I don't think anyone expected it to be this bad, but just simple planning of doing this while we were on break, could have cut this inconvenience down from 12 days to 5 days.

I just keep telling myself that I'm almost done.

It's almost humorous now

If you can believe it, the system is still down. Who know when I will get to finish this class and actually start my next class. Do you think it is divine that it worked out this way? I'm beginning to wonder if I am meant to finish this degree.

Work still sucks. The volume does not appear to be slowing down at all. I worked another 12+ hour day and will need to be there bright and early tomorrow morning.

Elijah received his teach assignment in the mail. We get to go meet her next week. I can't believe he starts school in less than two weeks. Where did summer go? Where did 2007 go?

Happy Birthday Janinne!

Happy Birthday to my sister-in-law Janinne. I hope you had a great day. I wish you a year of happiness!


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Time Warp or Twilight Zone

So I finally got an email from my instructor last night saying that he will accept assignments until Sunday night (instead of last night since the lovely system has been down). Sounds good except what about the class that starts today? Well, he sent an email that the system should be up at 6 p.m. today, if not, he'll let us know where to go from here.

I emailed my academic advisor last night to ask her if she knew if they were setting up new dates, or was it up to the instructors. She emails me this morning what was posted on the website (gee thanks, I would have never found that). So I respond that I need to know if I'm juggling two classes this week, or is everything getting pushed. No response yet. Thanks for the help.

Surprise, surprise . . . the system was not up at 6 p.m. and still is not up. My head hurts. This has been a nightmare. A bit of advice . . . if you are going to school online and they say they are going to do an upgrade and the system will only be down for a few days -- do not pass go, do not collect $200, run now and avoid the Christmas rush.

Is it the last day of class?

I sure would like to know the answer to that question. Today is supposed to be the last day of class, but Blackboard (the program we use) is still down. They keep telling us that we will have time to make up the assignments and won't be penalized, but I just want to get the class done. I took today off work in order to finish. Needless to say this day -- actually this weekend, has been frustrating. I called the university and they were in a mandatory meeting. I guess it was to discuss the problem. Hey, maybe someone should have anticipated these problems in advance and waited until our break to do this. What an idea.

So at this point, I don't know if they will just push everything forward a week -- putting me at finishing a week later. If they will push everything forward and cancel the break -- so we will make up the week and stay on schedule, or just have us finish one class and start another at the same time -- creating a big burden on me.

Still Not Fixed

Just a follow up on the system I log into for school. I can now log in, but I get this message:

"We are currently experiencing severe response time problems with Blackboard and are working diligently to resolve the problems. We ask for your patience.

We sincerely regret the inconvenience this outage is causing students and faculty."

I can't get into the discussion board, the area to submit assignments, or any of the important areas I need to access for the class. I hope there was a critical reason behind them doing this upgrade during the last week of class.

Who knows when I'll get in - I guess I'm on my own. Hope for the best.

Time Flies

August is moving about even faster than July. Where does the time go? This is my last weekend of this class. The last class starts on Tuesday. It's hard to believe that almost two years of graduate school is close to an end. I'm starting to feel the pressure of the last time I graduated: what now? Do I want to stay where I am? Could I move out of state? What do I want to be when I grow up? Ugh . . . the pressure! :-)

Speaking of school. I'm still scratching my head on the methodology behind this one. About two weeks ago they posted a note that they were going to upgrade the system we use to participate in class, submit assignments, get grades, etc. Now we will be on break starting August 28, but for some reason they decided to do this upgrade on August 14 and keep the system down until 6 p.m. yesterday. My first thought is why wouldn't they just wait until we are on break? It would seem to be easier because then if there is a problem (I know we all like to think that there won't be problems, but I've been through enough system upgrades to know that there is always some sort of problem), it wouldn't interfere with our studies. Well, as my cynical mind thought, there was a problem. Now the system is still down and they expect us to be able to get back on at 6 p.m. tonight. There was also a note that our instructor would extend our assignments. That sounds great, but class ends on MONDAY. Do you think we can get an extension on ending the class and postpone starting the new one? Whoever approved this upgrade during the last week of classes needs to get their head examined. What was the big rush that couldn't wait two weeks?

Work was psychotic again. I spent the last three days working 12 hour shifts. It will look nice on the paycheck, but I am tired. I also missed saying goodbye to my brother-in-law because of it. He and his wife are off to new ventures in Houston. I didn't see them often when they were here in Michigan, but it seems strange that they will be so far away.

Not much else is going on. Less than three weeks until Elijah starts school. Orientation is less than two weeks away. His karate instructor said that he will be testing for yellow belt in September. He is also going to start taking swim lessons. Needless to say I think September is going to be busy between me finishing school and Elijah getting used to school.

Enjoy the rest of your weekend.

Crazy Week

It was another crazy week! On a lighter note, I received my LAST schoolbook in the mail. I can't believe I'm in the home stretch!

This week was some rainy weather, which makes for good sleeping -- unless you need to get to work! Then it makes for a tough morning.

On Tuesday night some jerk in a big truck hit our mailbox. We know it's a big truck because they failed to realize that they left their mirror behind at the scene. Of course our "pleasant" (facecious) mail lady will not deliver our mail, so we are stuck going to the post office to pick it up. I will take a week to get the parts.

Thursday night I was graced with an obscene phone call. Either he truly did mean to call someone else or was really dumb because his number popped up on caller id.

Friday night Elijah was messing with the tape dispenser and knocked it off the counter onto his foot. I had to take him to urgent care because I couldn't tell if he broke one of his toes. I felt so bad for him, but it ended up he didn't break anything. Thank God!

Today we went to a birthday party were they had a portable petting zoo there. That was fun.

Trying to stay motivated to finish this class. One more week and then I start the last class. I can't wait!!! Enjoy the rest of your weekend!

Birthday Wishes

More birthday wishes!

Happy Birthday to Lindsey! (Gary's niece)
Happy Birthday to Terry!
Happy Birthday to Ryan! (Elijah's friend)
Happy Birthday to Michelle (cousin)

I hope all of you had a great birthday!

How Nerdy Are You?

A friend of mine had this on his blog, so I thought I would give it a whirl. I guess I'm a little "nerdier" than I thought! (He was a 93 - AKA Supreme Nerd BTW -- but that's what we love about him!):-)

Big Choice

Well, I told a dealership to order me a 2008 Mercury Mariner Hybrid yesterday. He said it would take 6-8 weeks. Other dealerships said 8-12 weeks. We'll see when it comes. I'm excited but I'm also a little nervous about having a car payment again. I've had a lot of new cars that I used to lease, but this is the first time that I had the opportunity to actually order exactly what I want.

On another note, happy birthday to my sister-in-law Suzette. I hope you had a great birthday!

I'm officially half way through my tax class. It's been a bit of a challenge, but I think I'm over it. I'm so ready to be done. Of course I would like an A in every class, but considering the hours I've been working and my family obligations, I think I'm doing well. Now I have a lot of thinking to do about my future plans. Pressure . . . ugh!

Enjoy your weekend!

Happy 18th Josh!

Happy 18th birthday Josh! By dear friend Kevin's oldest son is 18. It's official . . . I feel OLD! Wow! Anyway, I hope Josh had the best day ever . . . so far!

More Birthdays

Happy birthday to my oldest and dearest friend Kevin. It was two days ago, but I didn't have a chance to go online to post him a note. Today is his grandson's 2nd birthday, and this coming Wednesday is his son's birthdays. Three birthdays in seven days for the same family. Isn't it funny how things like that work out?

Decisions Decisions

I started looking at new cars. I think I'm going to get a Hybrid either Escape or Mariner. No one seems to have any, so I would have to order it. I did get lucky and got to drive a Hybrid Mariner. It rode nice and has some great options. I feel good that it helps the environment in addition to my pocketbook. Even better is that with the Ford Hybrids you get a $3K tax credit. Yee Haw! Nothing official yet, but I'm pretty sure I'll do it.

Birthdays!

Happy birthday to Nicole (Co-Co), Trinity, and Melissa! The all had birthdays within the last 10 days. I wish you all the best! Love ya!

What is the deal?

It was another crazy week at work. It's pretty bad when you are working 10-12 hours a day and another 6 on Saturday, but still in the weeds! I turned over 20 groups to come in next week. What is with next week? Seems like everyone wants to have a meeting then.

It was public safety week at Elijah's dojo. A policeman was there one day, a fireman another, and Jax the police dog on the third day. Elijah seemed to enjoy it and he learned some stuff too!

Not much else is going on except schoolwork! Yippee! Only this class and one more. That is the only thing that is keeping me sane at this point!

Enjoy your weekend!

Do you feel lucky? / Answer the Call

Well, it's 7/7/07. The day that everyone feels is a lucky day. Seems like another day to me. Other than the Live Earth concerts. All day I have been thinking about Live Aid from the 80's. I found myself watching way too much of these concerts. It has also been educational about we as individuals can do to make a difference. Check it out. Answer the call.

Two to go

Another class is done! Two to go. This is the first time that I am on break in between classes, so I don't know what to do with myself. I can't believe that I am almost done! I can't wait!

The next class is on taxes. For my final project I get to do a tax return for a company. At least this class seems more interesting than auditing.

Elijah has had a week off from his summer camp. I can tell that he's been enjoying a week without a schedule. It's hard to believe it's July already and soon he will be off to big boy school (that's what we call it since daycare has been "school" for so long).

Not much else is going on. Went back to work today and it was busy. I worked 12 hours and still was nowhere near to being done. I just hope it gets better soon. They only way I can describe the workload to you is to tell you to imagine drinking water out of a fire hose. That is how the work load has been lately.

I've been thinking a lot about Gary lately. I don't know why he has been so strong in my mind. "The Wedding Singer" was on cable tonight. I was thinking of Gary well before then, but that movie always makes me think of him since he was such an 80's guy! You are welcome to share those stories. Don't be shy . . . I could use a smile and a laugh . . .

Happy Independence Day!

Happy 4th! I didn't make it to any festivals, carnivals, or a bb-q, but it's still an important day - a day to celebrate our freedom.

Happy Canada Day!

For those of you who are Canadian, Happy Canada Day! I always thought it was interesting that their holiday is close to ours.

Not much else I going on. Just trying to wrap up this class. Starting Tuesday I'm on break for a week and then I start my next class. Two to go! I cannot wait to be done!

Enjoy the rest of your weekend. Hopefully you have some time off as well!

Insomnia

Can't sleep. I don't know if it's because of excitement to have five days off starting tomorrow, anxiety over finishing the class I'm in (Monday is my last day of class), delight over having a week off of school (starting Tuesday), or the stress of getting everything in order to be off work for a few days. Whatever it is, it stinks.

Tuesday I went to Chicago for business. It was a day trip. I could only get a 9:30 p.m. flight home, so that was the only bummer. Or so I thought. . . turns out that a couple of the airlines, including the one I was on, was experiencing delays. Needless to say I left later than anticipated and got home at 1:30 a.m. On top of it, I flew into O'Hare -- aka the massive beast of an airport where you have to walk a mile to get anywhere. Poor planning on the shoe part caused me to have a miserable day.

Not much else going on. Just trying to finish this class. It's the project that is getting me down lately. I'll be glad when it's over.

Happy Birthday Blane!

Happy Birthday to my brother-in-law Blane! I hope you had a great day and I wish you all the best!

Unbelievable

As I was leaving work today I happened to catch a quick glimpse of CNN. It was doing a report about a school that has banned hugs and handshakes. WTF? I saw some woman commenting that it cuts down on harassment in the schools. Do you think it cuts down on humanity too? What is the world coming to when a student gets suspended for hugging another student. Are we so afraid of offending someone else that we should compromise our beliefs? I feel this is going way too far. I found the article online if you are interested. It infuriates me and makes me feel even better about putting my son in a catholic school where he will learn amongst other things, how to love and appreciate the differences in others.

Komen for the Cure

Elijah and I headed downtown early this morning to participate in Komen for the Cure. It was a great experience for Elijah. I have participated before, but it has been a long time. Thank you to those who made donations for our walk.

I'm still sick and now it's in my chest. Needless to say between that and the heat, I was pretty wore out when we got home.

Enjoy your weekend.

Summer Colds - No Fun!

I've got a summer cold. Yuck! I stayed home yesterday because I felt lousy. I couldn't breath or sleep last night so I ended up getting ready for work at 5 a.m. It was nice to leave work earlier than usual, but traffic stinks.

Elijah is trying to learn to ride a bike without training wheels. It's pretty interesting because he doesn't feel confident yet. This would have been up Gary's alley, but alas it's me, the not so outdoor enthusiast. Oh well I suppose.

My Boy

Last night was a graduation ceremony for Elijah and his class. It was very cute. They sang a few songs, received some awards, overall had a good time. Elijah has been at this place since he was three months old, so they gave him, along with a few other children, bouquets of flowers for being there so long. It definitely was a milestone moment.

Today he went and belt tested in karate. Yesterday is Sensei came to his class at daycare and showed the class a few tips on defending themselves. Anyway, he now has a white with blue stripe belt. He's starting off in the advanced class one day a week, so they said that the next time he tests, he may go right to yellow belt (usually next would be white with purple stripe and then white with brown stripe).

Other than that, not much going on. I'm struggling in auditing and spent part of the week last week looking for a tutor. If you know of anyone, please let me know! Enjoy your weekend!

Ugh!

I know I mentioned before that it has been pretty busy at work. Well yesterday and today have set a record. I've really taken more calls in the past than I did yesterday, but it didn't feel like it. Basically we are short three people on our team right now. On top of that, another member of the team just went on maternity leave, and another team member is going on vacation for three weeks. So technically we will be short five people. Add some random time off a few illnesses and basically we are in the weeds. So, my team of six is down to three, in addition to other teams being short a few members. Yesterday we had four people taking calls that normally a team of ten to twelve would do. Then today I lost my network and my local support is at a meeting in D.C. Needless to say I spent an hour on the phone with support who wasn't able to do anything except tell me it should be fixed tomorrow. So, tomorrow I will be going in to do work that I haven't been able to do for the last two days, in addition to adding more to my workload as I speak with more customers and confirm more events. I am ready to scream!

Oh, did I also mention that this accounting class about auditing is driving me crazy. The material is going over my head and the instructor (I say that because he apparently doesn't have his PhD yet), is anything but helpful. Thanks!

If you pray, please say one for me. I need it!

Marriott's New Venture

Yesterday, Mr. Marriott appeared at a press conference where he was introduced by none other than SPONGEBOB! The announcement was that Marriott is partnering with Nickelodeon to open Nickelodeon Resorts by Marriott. At the end of the press conference, Mr. Marriott was hit with the green slime! You can catch the podcast if interested. It's a little long, so if you actually want to see the slime action, go to about 28 minutes into the press conference. On the down side, the first resort won't open until 2010.

In case you don't know, Mr. Marriott has his own blog. You can read his thoughts on the new venture and being slimed. Check it out!

End of May Already?

Where is the time going? I can't believe we already blew through May! Yikes!

Happy Birthday to Keith. We don't talk much, but I still hope he had a good day.

It's almost the weekend everyone! Yahoo!

Is it Monday or Tuesday?

The bad thing about starting the workweek on a Tuesday is that you are off the whole week. Not to mention everyone calls you on Tuesday needing everything "right now" because they feel off their schedule! What a crazy day at work.

Not much else going on except my break from school is OVER! Boy that was quick!

A Nice Break

I've been on break from school since Tuesday and it has been so nice. I'm starting to realize what I've been giving up over the last year and half! Only three to go!!

Not much else is going on. Work has been crazy busy, but yesterday was nice and slow. I was actually able to catch up on some things! Elijah spent the night at his grandpa's, so I actually went out and had a good time with some work friends. It was a good time. Of course I left early, but at least I got out!

Other than that, I'm trying to motivate myself to do some home projects. I haven't gotten very far yet, but I'm trying!

Enjoy your weekend and holiday!

Happy Birthday Aunt Linda!

Happy Birthday to my Aunt Linda. Elijah sang on your voice mail, so be sure to listen! I hope you had a great day!


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One More Down, Three to Go!

I finished my Financial Reporting and Analysis class! Overall it was a great class, but the quantity of homework was way over the top. I spent 18 hours on Monday finishing up projects and homework. Needless to say I am exhausted.

Of course the next class has already started: Auditing and Fraud Detection. I get to do an audit of a company (pick from a list). I'll be doing mine on Starbucks. It should be interesting. Wish me luck!

Not much else is going on. Work is busy. I'm tired after a weekend of massive homework. I can't believe that the holiday is almost upon us. Where is the year going?

Elijah is staring in the advanced class in karate. He seems very excited about it. He had to get sparring gear, so that's really cool to him! Other than that, he's about to graduate from the whole daycare thing. I can't believe he has been at the same place since he was three months old! Time does fly!

Happy Mother's Day

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Out of Touch

Sorry I haven't had a chance to write. I can't believe how fast the last ten days have gone by. We had a great time in Florida, although Elijah developed a double ear infection the day we were to leave. I had to take him to urgent care. Needless to say, he could not fly home. So, it was either stay there another 3-4 days or drive home. I opted to drive because my schedule was way too hectic back home to take more days off!

By the time we got back from urgent care, figured out the game plan and got to the airport (to return the car rental and pick up another), it was 2 p.m. last Saturday before we hit the road. We made it to the GA/TN boarder before stopping for a power "nap". We were on the road again by 7 a.m. the next day. All in all it was just under 20 hours. I thought we did well considering it was completely UNPLANNED!

So, now I'm struggling to catch up with schoolwork. If anyone is strong in accounting, please call me and help me get through this!

Elijah is doing better and we are back to the old routine. After Tuesday, I'll get back on my regularly scheduled posts! Have a nice weekend!

Tuesday Already?

Yesterday we went to Islands of Adventure. We bought the overpriced Express Passes and managed to ride everything that you can ride on it. For the first time we did Poseidon's Fury. It was cool, but the wait was way understated! We then spent the majority of the day on the water rides. Getting wet on a hot day is a good thing!

After it was back to the resort and off to miniature golf . . . for everyone except me. I got to stay back and do homework. I love learning accounting, but it is definitely more time consuming since I don't have much experience.

Today we did Disney MGM. Elijah was back in daredevil form and dragged Kevin on the Tower of Terror! It's pretty bad when you are psyched out by a 5 year old! Elijah didn't scream, but Kevin did. In case I forgot to mention, my dad bought my dear old friend Kevin a ticket to come down as a surprise for me! After ToT, I took him over to Aerosmith Rockin Roller Coaster. He enjoyed it. The rest of the day was spent beating the heat and visiting the usual attractions. Followed by time at the pool. What a day! Not sure what is planned for tomorrow!

Disney Quest

Last night we went to Disney Quest. It's an indoor virtual theme park. It's been a long time since I've laughed that hard! We did a virtual Jungle Cruise where you got into a raft and had to paddle down a virtual river. They even sprayed mists of water on you from time to time! Then we did Pirates of the Caribbean where we were on a ship and had to shoot other ships and steel their gold. Another game was where you were the ball in a pinball game and had to use your body to move the ball. There were 6 adults playing and Elijah. In the end Elijah won! It was funny to see the look on the other people's faces when they realized they were beat by a 5 year old!

Back Again

We're back in Florida again! This time we are staying at Horizons by Marriott. It is a family-friendly pirate theme resort. Elijah is having a blast! This is the first year that he wants to swim every day! There's a pirate splash park, pirate ship in the pool, waterslide, miniature golf, activities, and lots more! It's been about 87-90 degrees at 4 p.m.!

If you can, please do

I received the annual TKE Foundation report. I am delighted to tell you that Gary's memorial scholarship is almost at the minimum level to start awarding a scholarship to members in Gary's chapter. Currently the fund is at $3,247.63 (it earns interest). $5K is needed to start awarding the fund. If you are able to give anything: $10, $25, anything, please donate in honor of Gary. Any donation to the foundation is 100% tax deductible. You can mail in a donation or make a secured donation with a credit card online. Thank you. A link to do this online is at the top of this blog.

Castaway Bay Once Again

Friday we drove to Sandusky, OH to spend the weekend at Castaway Bay. It's an indoor waterpark resort that is a part of Cedar Point. Since "America's Roller Coast" is not open yet, it was a weekend of water. I spent the time studying, but Elijah had a blast. Now I'm home, feeling overwhelmed by all the things I need to do to get ready for vacation. Ugh! I hope everyone had a great weekend! The weather was beautiful here and there!

Columbus, An Intersting Town

I went to Columbus, OH on Wednesday for a business trip. We got back yesterday. The hotel we stayed at was fabulous, but I must say that I encountered some interesting people along the way. I wouldn't know where to begin in describing it, other than imagine being a bar/restaurant when all of a sudden you are overwhelmed with over 21 women (a few men, but they were only about 1% of the total), coming in excited about the Christina Aguilera concert they went to. It was something and the selection of attire made me flash back to the 80's. I really think some were caught in a time warp. I would have thought of it as a one time thing, but the next night wasn't much different in regards to the choice of attire. All I can say is never a dull moment!

Happy Easter!

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If you celebrate Easter, don't forget why you do . . .

Some Assembly Required

Well, I spent the day (that I took off work), assembling everything I bought at Ikea last week! Needless to say my hands hurt from all the assembly. I still have a bookshelf to do and finish the 'loft' in Elijah's room.

Not much else is going on. It's cold here and that stinks, but starting next week I'll be doing some traveling - business and pleasure, so hopefully I can get some sunshine somewhere!

Happy Birthday Laurie!

Happy Birthday to my sister-in-law (Gary's sister) Laurie! I hope this year brings you everything you want!

Also, happy belated birthday to my cousin Robin!


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What's with the weather?

I'm so tired of this crazy weather that I should pack up and go to Florida for a week! Wait, I am -- in THREE weeks!

This weather is driving me crazy. I can't believe that I actually drove home today and it was snowing!

Who's Foolin Who

Your April Fool's Day Prank Should Be

Switching the Ladies' Room to the Mens' Room

What April Fool's Prank Should You Play?

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Elijah Story

After karate we were heading home and saw some cows out. I pointed out the cows to Elijah and he said "yummy!" I asked him what was yummy (I was a little mortified), he replied "They have delicious milk!" Too funny!

A guy I work with in Kentucky said that his daughter and wife were driving and saw some cows. His daughter said that "those are new cows." When his wife asked why they are new, she replied: "they still have the tags on!"

Wild Week

It was a crazy week at work! I felt like a hamster on the wheel, going fast, but getting no where. At one point I said I was so in the weeds that I needed to go get my weedwacker!

Yesterday we had a going away party for someone in our office that transferred back to one of our hotels. After a little celebrating at one of our fine establishments, we moved the party to the Post Bar in Dearborn. Not too bad . . . wish they were around when I was in college. The thing that ticked me off is that Dearborn has changed all their public parking lots to private lots for a $$$. Now I wasn't out very long (I was on a deadline), and it only cost me $0.50, but it was the principle of it!

Went to the hair salon today. My one hairdresser is doing much better, so thank you for the prayers. Anyway, I wanted to get a little color and came home with a lot of color! Lets just say I look a lot different! When I came home, Elijah asked me what happened!

Finished Econ and got an A-. Not too shabby, but I little miffed that both econ classes costed me my 4.0 GPA! Oh well. The new class has started - Financial Reporting and Analysis. After Monday, I'll be off for a week thanks to the holiday! 4 to go counting this one!

2 Days!

Just two days left and this Econ class is OVER! I have to admit that neither econ class have been enjoyable and both have destroyed by 4.0 GPA! Next up is an accounting class. I sure hope this is the right thing to do!

Elijah went to see the Easter Bunny today. He asked him for superhero toys. Later he asked me why the bunny was wearing glasses. I replied that he must have cut back on his carrots!

We've got a birthday party to go to tomorrow. Happy Birthday Kiara! We can't wait to celebrate tomorrow!

Enjoy the rest of your weekend!

We Miss You Gary!

If you didn't know, today is Gary's birthday. I found this poem online and thought I would share:

Birthdays Do Not End with Death
Birthdays do not end with death,
But last as long as love,
A maelstrom of memories
That grace and honor move.

And so we celebrate your day
By visiting your grave,
A place that you have left long since,
But is all that we have.

Dear spirit, come and join us here,
Your loved ones by your stone!
Come sweep across the barrier
To claim us as your own!

Happy birthday, dearest one!
Oh, happy, happy day!
Not even the most bitter night
Can take this joy away!

Let the Birthday Celebrations Begin!

Lots of birthdays coming/going.

My cousin Scott 3/15
Patrick (friend from work) 3/17 (St. Patrick . . . get it!?)
Gary 3/20
Jenny (Gary's niece) 3/21
Uncle Chuck 3/22
JAS 3/23
Kiara 3/24
Becky (friend I used to work with) 3/27

Seems like I've encountered someone who is 3/19, but I can't remember who they are . . .

Now if I can find some birthdays on 3/16, 3/18, 3/19, 3/25, & 3/26, we could have a really good stretch of partying!

Happy Birthday everyone!

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Happy St. Patrick's Day! If you're Irish, I hope you are having a great day. If you want to pretend to be Irish, have fun playing! :-)

When Elijah realized it was St. Paddy's Day, he said he needed to find the leprechaun because he wanted a pot of gold!

How Much?

On Thursday I was driving to work and my "check gages" light came on, I looked down and the temperature was approaching 260! I'm on the freeway and I'm wondering when I should panic. Then, just as fast as it came on, it went off.

After work, I'm driving home and it does it again, and again, and again, and again. After the fifth time, (on a 30 minute drive), I thinking that I don't want to be driving this car. So, I take it to the dealership. They say I probably need antifreeze, so I tell them to go ahead and do an oil change too. No big deal!

Well, it was a big deal. Come to find out there's a problem with the radiator and the water pump. And when they were getting ready to do the oil change, they noticed a leak, something else, yadda, yadda, and before I knew it, they're quoting me $1,600! WTF?! I ended up checking around and eventually told them to go ahead and do it (I did ponder just getting another car, but it's so nice to not have a car payment).

The classic was when the work was done. I called the cashier to give her a credit card over the phone. She asks if she can call me back. She calls back and leaves me a voice mail that they can't take a cc over the phone. WHAT?! I've only done it four or five times before. Not to mention my car in in Plymouth and I'm in Bingham Farms and I happen to be working later than the dealership is open. I call and ask for the manager. After professionally reading him the riot act-- How many times I've done this. I wasn't told in advance. I'm not in a position where I can get there before it closes. Due to the amount of the services I can't ask someone to cover it and I'll pay them back, that there is a Jeep dealership two blocks from my work and I can give them my business . . . he made an exception! But not before telling me that they are doing this because people were disputing their charges. Then fax them and authorization form! I also pointed out that I've done this before and I haven't disputed charges! Unbelievable!

So, I picked up the car. Haven't been in it much yet, but it had better purr like a kitten after dropping those $$$!

I Want My Hour Back!

I don't know about you, but I'm missing that hour that was taken away from me on Sunday! I can't seem to get the right amount of sleep and as the week goes on, I'm getting more and more crabby!

This last weekend was busy with parties - Sunday we started with a bowling party and ended with a swimming party!

Yesterday was a beautiful day and got me excited about Spring. I cannot wait for the warm weather to stay! Bring it on!

Less than two weeks left of Econ. Thank goodness! I have not enjoyed the class as much as I hoped I would. I got my book today for the next class. It's the hernia edition (big, thick, heavy book that will probably give me a hernia), so I can't wait to see the syllabus!

I was going through some stuff and found a song that Gary wrote for me on our last vacation. He never shared it with me, so I had no idea that it even existed until after he was gone. I haven't read it in awhile, so of course I was sobbing as I read it today. I still can't believe how long he has been gone, and how much I still miss him.

Not much else is going on. Busy at work. I feel like it's January based on the volume. The only way I can describe it to you is to compare it to drinking water out of a fire hose! Crazy stuff!

I've been working on improving this site. Scroll to the bottom for a surprise!

The New Belt

Elijah took his belt test today! The new belt is white with a long green stripe. He can't wait to wear it to class next week! Happy Saturday!

Bring on Spring!

This week was interrupted with a cold/flu/sinus thing. I was miserable the last few days. I'm starting to feel better, but I still have the cough. We all know that can linger on for awhile. All I know is that I'm ready for some Spring weather and some sunshine!

The weekend will be busy - Elijah is belt testing tomorrow and he has two birthday parties Sunday. We were also supposed to go see a Disney show at the Fischer Theatre, but it was canceled. They were nice enough to credit me for the tickets, but I lost the $4.25 per ticket service fee that Ticketmaster charges. Nice! They could have at least offered me a credit on my next purchase, but no. Remember that whenever you are buying tickets from Ticketmaster.

Enjoy your weekend!

Prayers Needed

One of my hair stylists had a gallbladder attack a week after I did. He's still in the hospital! His was infected and I guess the infection spread. Long story short, this poor guy has had 5 surgeries in the last five weeks. I feel so bad for him and his partner. If you could please say a prayer for him, his name is Ron. Thank you!

Happy Birthday Leslie & Andrew!

Happy Birthday to my sister-in-law Leslie (it was yesterday, along with Dr. Seuss), and Andrew who becomes a teenager today! I hope both of you get everything you wish for!

Tired

Just before my surgery, my blood work showed that my liver was jacked -- like when you have mono. All I know is that that I have been so tired lately and I'm not sure if it's because of that or readjusting to working 50 hours, school, parenthood, etc.

Econ is going okay. The professor seems to be better than my first impression. I'm having some motivation issues, but I'm trying to work it out. I'm doing a team project on the airlines. I have to admit that I'm learning more than I thought I would. Kind of makes me want to try some of the other airlines besides NWA! 4 classes after this. I am so excited!

Happy Birthday Madison!

Happy Birthday to Gary's niece Madison! I hope your day was great. She's Elijah's play buddy and he can't wait to come over to celebrate her birthday!

Tis the season for birthdays, so more to follow in March . . .

Happy Birthday Bobbie and Nikki!

Happy Birthday to two of my cousins: Bobbie and Nikki. They are on different sides of my family, but share the same day. Sorry I'm a day late, but I hope you both had great birthdays!

Back to Reality

I survived my first week back to work. In some ways it seemed like a long week and in other ways it went fast. After sorting through about 300 emails, I found myself feeling like I never left. I'm very tired and can't wait to sleep in tomorrow.

Elijah had picture day this week. The big thing is that they took pictures in a cap and gown! I can't wait to see them!

Other than that, not much is new . . . have a nice weekend!

It's the Weekend!

Well, it's my last weekend before returning to work on Monday. I'll be doing homework and trying to adjust my schedule back to normal.

Not much else has been going on. Just trying to do homework and catch up on household chores such as laundry and cleaning.

Enjoy your weekend!

1 More Down and 5 To Go!

I finished Statistics! I am soooooo excited about it. I also got an A - a true miracle! Today starts Applied Economics. This will be the last class before I go into the concentration area of my MBA! I can't believe only 5 classes are left!

I went to the doctor yesterday for my post-op check up. I guess one of my gallstones was 1 inch! Yikes! That would explain why during my attack I had an actual flashback to when I was in labor with Elijah! I'm feeling better each day!

Great News!

I just got a letter in the mail that Elijah has been accepted to catholic school! It's the school that is apart of the new parish we joined last May. I've really missed my old church, but I'm so excited that Elijah was accepted to this school! We went on a tour a couple of weeks ago and seemed to like it! Yippee!

One year later

It was a year ago that my sister-in-law lost her battle with breast cancer. Although we were not close when she passed, we have a long history together that dates back to junior high school (most now call it middle school). I wish we could have had that last conversation, but I will always remember what a great time we had at a fellow classmate's wedding reception. I found this poem on the Internet. The home page indicates: "There are over 1500 poems here, many written for special occasions, which you are free to use for any personal or non-commercial purpose."

One Year Ago You Died, and Still We Mourn by Ludwig Senfl
One year ago you died, and still we mourn,
Nor will our mourning end till it be night,
Even as time turns our tears to light
Years hence, when this may be more easily borne.
Each moment of your passion and delight,
As clear as sunshine, bountiful and bright,
Remains our fortune now that you are gone.

A week later

Well a week after surgery, I am doing much better. I started driving on Wednesday - that was rough, but I'm doing okay now. I haven't made long trips, but seem to be okay taking Elijah to school and short errands. I'm also getting around much better and don't experience as much pain when I get up and down. It just feels like a giant bruise across my stomach.

I'm trying to stay focused on school and finishing this statistics class. I'll be so happy when Tuesday comes around! Next class is another econ, but hopefully the professor is better than the last econ professor they subjected me to.

Other than that, I'm just taking it easy. I'm starting to get a little anxious for things to do, but I'm also trying to take it easy to help make sure I recover.

Happy birthday to my nephew (and Godson) Nicholas. I hope you had a great day! I miss you!

Enjoy your weekend! Stay warm!

My Update

Well, I'm moving around a little more. I still feel like I've been kicked in the gut about 10 times and then did 200 sit ups. I'm winding down on the pain medication. Being groggy and a little out of it, is not for me. However, if it starts hurting, I'm taking one! I'm down to 2-3 a day, which considering you can take them every 4-6 hours, I think that's pretty good.

I'm trying to use the time to catch up and get ahead of school work. The plan doesn't work so good after taking a pain pill . . . if you know what I mean! By this time next week, I'll be in a new class. Five to go counting that one. It feels good to be in the home stretch!

I've also been trying to catch up on shows and movies. Surprisingly, I'm enjoying the show The Girls Next Door. I'm amazed at how they live and their stories are kind of funny. I've also been catching up on CSI, Without a Trace, and I started watching The Sopranos since they started showing episodes on A&E.

Not much else is going on. Hopefully tomorrow I will feel up to driving. Although with it being so cold outside, I'm not that motivated to go out there!

Happy Birthday Lois!

Happy Birthday to my mother-in-law, Lois! I hope you have a great day and a great year. Maybe Elijah and I will see you soon!

I'm Okay

Well, I had my surgery yesterday. Apparently I didn't have gallstones, but gallrocks! They said when I do my follow up, they should have the size of these "bad boys", but on the camera, they looked pretty big. Here's the recap:

Wednesday evening I started getting a sore throat. Needless to say I was in a panic because I didn't want to have the surgery postponed. I started loading up on vitamin C and tea. Thursday I called my doctor and indicated I needed to see him right away. He listened to my lungs and said they were clear. As a precaution, he gave me an antibiotic shot (been a long time since I've had a drop my drawers for a shot at the doctor's office). I went back to work and continued my vitamin C, decaf green tea regimen. About 4 p.m. I got a call from the hospital that my surgery had been moved up. Be there at 7 a.m. for 9 a.m. surgery.

Friday morning I woke up to nasal drainage. My mom was convinced that we would get there and they would postpone. We get there about 6:50 a.m. About 7:15 a.m. they took me back to get prepped. I mentioned my nasal issue and they told me to talk to the anesthesiologist. At about 8 a.m., they let my mom and dad back to see me. About 45 minutes later, the doctor comes in to tell us that there was a error made in the OR schedule and they accidentally canceled a surgery and did not notify the patient. That meant that my surgery would be delayed. Needless to say, they did not take me to surgery until 12:30 p.m.! I was out before they even got me in the OR thanks to a "relaxer" they gave me on the way.

Evidently they made me sit in recovery for two hours -- time didn't mean much to me, but that is what my mom said. They would not let her or my dad see me until they took me to my room. The procedure was supposed to be outpatient, but since I was still coming out of the anesthesia at 6 p.m., they decided to keep me overnight. I didn't sleep so well - between not being able to get comfortable, waking up to coughing (which really hurts), and waking up to being parched, it wasn't a good night. I also had a slight fever before bed.

This morning I was visited by three different surgical residents (all at different times). Fever did not come back, so they released me. I'm sitting in a chair that slightly reclines. I took a little nap. Getting up and down is anything but fun, but I'm moving around okay. I'm trying to muster up the energy to do homework. Class is almost over!

Enjoy the rest of your weekend!