26 Hours

I am so flipping excited to go home and be with Chris. SO EXCITED
I will not even let the fact that Black Berry Messenger has been down all day dampen my spirits.
Moved my train time up, so I am there earlier.
Kris and Jay roll through on Sat.
Family time Sunday
I love this.
Schmoop has been in bed for an hour singing his own version of Jingle Bells...which somehow includes I miss my daddy.
And I just discovered with the help of the nice lady on the phone that I spend exactly 96% of my work day playing.

Merry Holidays everyone.

Long Over-Due Update...

Heres what's going on in my neck of the woods...

Well you know Chris and I moved in together. It has been a interesting transition since I haven't been back to PA since the move. I have been in MA getting used to the new apartment in Dover. It is a great little place but I really miss seeing Chris. I am looking forward to when we don't have be apart anymore. Although it means leaving my job which to me is heart wrenching. I love the babies and I know I will see them still but it wont be the same.

Christmas time is upon us and I am racking my brain trying to figure out how to do the visiting. I am planning on being in PA Wed-Sat then going to Upstate Sat-Monday then back to work on Tuesday. I need to figure out how to get back to Boston on Tuesday AM. I am probably going to have to fly from Rutland. I would love to have my car but if I do that I have to drive to PA and then To NY and then back to Boston...it is head spinning trying to figure it out. I should just drive I suppose.

I am looking forward to spending the holidays with Chris. Decorating the apartment and tree is going to be fun and I am sure help make it a bit more homey. His family is going to join us for appetizers on Christmas days.
I had better get my cook on really quickly. :)

Cheese and Crackers anyone?

I am so excited to give gifts this year. The one I am most excited about is for Nicole and Joey. I spent roughly 25 hours working on it. It arrived yesterday and when I saw it I got misty eyed. I will tell you more about it after I give it to them, which I am doing tonight since they are going out to dinner and I thought it would be the perfect opportunity to do it. Since it is about family and they are going on for their anniversary.

Thats pretty much all thats happening. Not very exciting. Looking forward to seeing my sister and her family over the holidays that is for sure. I love this time of year. Christmas is my absolute favorite holiday.

New Apartment Pictures.

We made it. After almost 9 hours in the U-haul we pulled in and parked.
Spent the first night on the floor.. well Chris did I got the twin inflatable. You should have seen the look on his face when I said "did I mention that this is a twin inflatable?" priceless. LONG LONG LONG two days. Our apartment is up three flights of stairs thank goodness I hired help. They were great and had everything up in about an hour and a half.
Here are some pictures of our new place. Mind you there are still boxes piled high in the guest room waiting to be unpacked. But, I am sadly headed back to Boston today. But, I miss my kids too !

Three Days

Chris is coming.
We are packing up the U-Haul.
Driving south!
Holy Crap- This is awesome.
And I need to pack.

Memory

?Why is it I can't remember what I did yesterday, but I CAN pinpoint the exact location of a padlock I purchased 4 yrs and 5 moves ago?

Must Be My Week

To play how many people can I piss off?
Apparently I am doing very well.

Friend

i got off the phone tonight with a friend and realized that sometimes I am not the best friend.
But, it is not intentional. Yes, I can be selfish and self-centered. I know that.
But really I don't mean it. I love my friends and value them for who they are and the relationships we have, whether they are constant or have fallen a little to the side it doesn't make them any less amazing in my book.
Because yes, my friends are amazing.

Moving

As so of you know I am pulling up my tent stakes and moving. I know SURPRISE SURPRISE!
I am sure you are thinking again? It seems my hobbies are moving, partially unpacking, and then repacking and moving again.
So being true to my self yes I am moving again.

Ironically as I was thinking to myself yesterday, WOW! six more weeks in this place I had better hurry and turn this spare room into a guest room. Just so I can find things more readily when I pack them up, a feeling of excitement came over me.
I am really excited about this.
A new place, a new town, no more claw living above me, no more moths... this is going to be a good thing.
Lots of good things are happening.

My sister and Jack are coming to visit Thursday.
My mom is coming Friday.
My Father and Kathy my also be heading to Beantown as well.

I know there are loads more things to share with you but now is not the time.
I am working... very hard.

Perfect Day

Yesterday.

Young @ Heart- cried through the whole thing... sobbed is more like it.

Whip it- Great Date Movie

The Gaslight- Yummy French Food.

Stewie and Ramona.

Are We That Immature That We Post Insults Through Facebook?

So this is really annoying me.
As many of you know ions ago I dated Rick. We broke up yet remained friends. He and I have been through a lot. But manage to keep in touch from time to time.
Well, as many of you know I am not stellar at keeping in touch but it doesnt mean I don't love you any less. *Disclaimer*

So, last night I had an MRI because I have been having these vicious headaches. I was lucky enough to see my scans last night and see all the different dimensions of my brain. It was pretty cool.

So I status updated that I had seen scans of my brain- Mistake # 1
I get all sorts of responses.
A couple of Which were from Rick making snide remarks on how I had finally found a brain, how I was crazy, calling me a loon...yadda yadda. So someone else also cracks a joke about them actually finding my brain to which Rick replies I know right.
Well that pissed me off.

BACKSTORY-
I had read a few weeks ago on his FB that he was having some back trouble I did ask what was going on, no response.
Also he mentioned the day before yesterday something about his MRI to which I also wrote "Mine's tomorrow".

So I feel I did make a slight effort to find out what the story was and he should have known that I was having an MRI...
ANYWAY

I texted him this morning and was like I don't think you cracking jokes at the expense of my brain MRI is that funny.
To which he sends a barrage of messages telling me how self-righteous I am only thinking about myself and how I should get a life or a sense of humor and that He was not in the mood for dealing with self indulgent people... That I made no effort to contact him when he was dealing with his back issues and paralysis... Which I did not know about.

THEN
He posts a wall posting on my FB saying the same thing. What a horrible person I am...
SERIOUSLY what are we twelve? You need to post our tiff on FB?

Anyway I am done venting about it.
Thanks for listening.

I need to go think about myself a little more.
Michele

I WIll Not WEBMD I Will Not WEBMD I Will Not WEBMD

So, I just need to keep chanting this to refrain from accessing the world of too much information that sends me into OH MY GOD I have.... mode!
My lymph node is again swollen and sore for the third time since August. I noticed last Sat that it seemed a bit tender and then at dinner the other night I think I may have had a chair rail rammed into it. It is completely sore to the touch. I know I have been fighting off some weird illness for weeks now since I am so exhausted I can barely scrap myself out of bed everyday and my brain literally makes me say words I don't intend to say. It is like some random boggle game going on in my head sometimes.
I am headed to my Dr on Tuesday so maybe she will figure out what it is. I still say it is all Lyme related but I haven't been able to get a clean test since I have been on antibiotic for this and that for so long.
All I know is my leg is sore, my lymph node is sore and my brain is not working properly oh and did I mention the headaches.

Quick Visit From Mary Grace and Tim

So yesterday I was visited by Mary Grace and Tim after their plane landed in Boston. They are in town from Aston Rowant, UK for MG's 10 year college reunion. They stopped by Nicole and Joeys with 3 lb. of Cadbury Dairy ilk and a HUGE bottle of Robena in tow. It was great to see them even if it was very brief.

Sigh.

Spider Update

I finally got sick of the spiders and took matters into my own hands.
I had been very much against spraying any kind of spider killer around the car but after speaking with the man at Toyota and realizing for them to go in and try to find the nest and replace everything it was going to cost me around $500. I spend five dollars at the grocery and got some Hot Shot.
I sprayed inside the engine all around the wheel wells and the grill of the car.
This morning no spider webs to be found. I know it is too early to be certain but I am hopeful that after a few rounds of spray that this issue will be resolved.
Sidenote- this stuff is so potent that just the mist of spray that landed on my arm managed to turn my whole arm red and inflamed. It did go away after a shower though.

If You See A Crazy Lady

Wiping her car with lemon juice stop in and say hello, I could use the company.
So apparently the spiders of Waltham have followed me to Dedham. They had better stay here too !
I have been researching online ways to get rid of them naturally. I read one way to repel them is to spray lemon essential oils, well I dont have any but I have lemon juice....so I went out and wiped all my door jams and window frames and anywhere else I have seen spiders or webs...Maybe tomorrow I will not see any...maybe.
I hate SPIDERS.

Kevin and Roes Wedding

As many of you know Kevin (my old roommate) and Rosetta (my friend) were married on Sept 6th.
The wedding was amazing. It was great to see the old Newbury Gang and I think my date even managed to have a good time. It was a very lovely setting in North Andover MA called the Stevens Estate. The weather was perfect for the ceremony and a bit chilly at night. They had a belly dancer and a breakdancer perform to really showcase the differences in cultures. Rosettas family is from Iran and England and Kevin is a true Irish Bostonian, but they merged perfectly.
The belly dancer was amazing and she spent a lot of time at the Newbury table. I would have loved to see Ed and Sweeney's faces.
Here are a few pictures from the evening.

Sicko

So this weekend was supposed to be all about hanging out and a very fancy dinner at Sorrelina.
This weekend ended up being vomiting and sleeping all day.
Close. But no cigar.

Life Lessons

It has been an interesting few weeks here at work.
As many of you know there were two of us here and then Adrienne was offered a position as a teacher and accepted the job. In turn, this has left a position here open for someone to come in and help with the kids and take over the position when I eventually leave.
I want someone who is awesome to come in but it is hard to interview your replacement when you are not going anywhere for a while. I think the girl they have decided on ultimately is the best choice and the most qualified for the job. I am hesitant because she seems to have a strong personality and I do as well. I hope that we can work together well and not butt heads.

My other company is think is shutting its doors. I am not sure but I am fairly certain that today could be the day... I am waiting to hear. I did go in yesterday and clean out my desk and got all my personal stuff out. I feel really bad if it does close down, it was a great concept. I will keep you posted.

Babies R Getting Bigger

It's The Most Wonderful Time of The Year...

That's right folks... it's apartment hunting time.
My lease is up in November and I have again started the hunt for an apartment.
After a Sunday of searching I think we stumbled across the winner !!!
This is getting easy. Yet, exhausting.

More details to follow.

In other news my sister Kristen and Nephew Jack are set to visit in October. Which I am really excited about. I haven't seen either of them since last December. My mother is also set to visit that weekend and coincidentally her brother will be here in MA that weekend as well. I am predicting a bit of a reunion. I am really looking forward to it.

I'm attempting to get back into my blog

After a pretty long break I am going to start blogging again. Mind you, most of these posts will be BORING but ehhh whatever.
I decided I would start out this week by showing you all my new awesome shoes. Thanks to Maggie I am in love with Dansko clogs and usually allow myself a pair or two for the fall season. Well the new ones arrived yesterday and they are pretty cool.

Here Goes Another

I have been having fun with my new Mac and the babies are my new subjects. I have been playing with IMovie all day and you are all lucky enough to "suffer" through my results... at least the babies are cute !

Its Like Hunting Vampires

Picture hunting for vampires...holy water, crosses, strands of huge garlic.
Only with Bay Leaves and Spearmint gum.

I am under siege!!! I have been overtaken by these stupid Indian Moths.
Apparently they come in on dry goods like cereal or grains. I have been seeing them for a while now and have tried all I can think of to get rid of them.
I have read up on the internet.
I have thrown away all the food in my cupboards which makes entertaining house guests quite interesting. All the food I do have now lives in my fridge.

After speaking with a friend I have purchased cases of bay leaves and spearmint gum, both of which are supposed to deter them.
I have a hunch they are coming up through the basement but I have yet to prove it.

Until tonight I happened to see one in the hall...I caught it which my ninja like reflexes...and somehow lost it between the hall and the bathroom. But anyway, I went back into the hall to day my 30x or more daily scan of every nick or blemish in the interior of my apartment. I am a little obsessive....

Where crouching down to examine a nick in the baseboard I see two baby moths in the heating grate.

So now do I not only have a bay leaf shoved in every 20 cm space in my apartment...spearment gum jammed in the left hand corner of every drawer of my kitchen even bedroom dresser ....all my heating vents look like this...


So please don't envy me as I make my pathetic patrols around the apartment.
No wonder no one comes to visit.

Pictures from England

Updated Apartment Pictures

So after listening to many of you tell me that I have neglected my blog I am finally sitting down to update. That being the case these posts will be completely out of order and most likely backwards. But at least I am blogging.
Here are some updated pictures of the apartment that none of you have come to see for yourself. Yes, that was a dig and also an open invite.

Cole's 40th Birthday

Last Friday Nicole threw her self what I dubbed her 40th Wedding. It was in Dover at Ray and Maria's home, which is really beautiful. Nicole was gracious enough to include all her closest friends who were turning 40 this year in on the celebration. Great food, amazing company and a lovely excuse to get all dressed up.

Pictures Until I post Again

Greek Easter

Just returned from a great weekend.
First half spent in Farmington NH with Ms. Britty, Ms. Bethany my other mother and their close friend Sylvia. It was amazing to see everyone and my mother gave me some amazing jewelery. I love the earrings and she also gave me a bracelet which has three very special beads on it. They were beads that belonged on a necklace that was my great great grandmother. It was a very sweet gift.
I came back to MA today and had Greek Easter with Eli and Co. Everything was amazing. The food, the company, the house...I even had my first Crystal...I am going to share some pictures with you of the day. Hope you enjoy.

Cancer article on my brother from PostStar.

A cancer men would rather not consider
By Meg Hagerty


In the late summer of 2007, Matthew Foster, then 25, felt pain like he had been kicked in the right testicle.

"It was really sore every single day," Foster said.

Then the pain went away.

A week later in the shower, he felt something abnormal in the same spot.

Foster was worried and told two friends, who urged him to see a doctor. He waited two weeks but then went to the Whitehall Health Center.

He was referred to Dr. Vincent Cooper, a Glens Falls urologist, for an ultrasound, and was diagnosed with cancer. Shortly afterward, he had his right testicle removed in a procedure called an orchiectomy.

Following the surgery, doctors found cancer in lymph nodes on his back. An inverted "v"-shaped scar remains on his torso.

"I'm working on a baseball diamond," Foster joked. "And I really don't want to finish it up."

He had follow-up chemotherapy, which ended a little more than a year ago.

At this point, Foster is cancer-free.

According to the National Cancer Institute, in 2008 there were 8,090 new cases of testicular cancer in the United States and 380 deaths, accounting for 1 percent of all male cancers.

Cooper said the testicular patients he sees are most commonly between 20 and 40, but older men develop it, too. He cautioned, however, teenagers also get it.

"Testicular cancer is a very fast-moving cancer. The nice thing about it is it's probably the most curable type of solid cancer, but it can also spread fairly quickly. When we find the lump, we usually like to move in within a couple weeks to get it taken care of," he said.

Cooper said he thinks testicular cancer should be talked about in school. Men need to be familiar with their anatomy and educated about what is normal and abnormal, he said. He recommends once-a-month self exams in the shower.

"You may get concerned about different lumps that you feel and be rushing to the doctor. A simple five-minute talk to kids about what they're looking for, how often they should do an exam would be extremely helpful," he said.

The subject, Cooper acknowledged, can be embarrassing for men, especially teenagers.

Foster said he took a pragmatic approach.

"You've got to weigh the difference of 'Do I want anybody to know and start poking around down there?' or 'Is it going to make me sick to the point where they can't fix it?' "

Men will usually seek medical attention because they feels a nodule inside the testicle, at times with pressure or discomfort.

Cancer of the testes can metastasize to the lymph nodes in the back. It also can spread to the brain or lungs, Cooper said.

The usual first step in diagnosis is an ultrasound.

"The key distinction is, is this thing they're feeling inside the testicle itself? There's a lot of bumps and lumps around the scrotum that are not dangerous," Cooper said.

If a lump is found within the testicle, there is concern for cancer. A CAT scan is done of the chest, pelvis and abdomen to determine if the tumor has metastasized.

Treatment can involve a radical orchiectomy, or removal of the testicle, depending on how aggressive the cancer is. A slower-moving cancer can be treated with radiation.

Side effects to radiation can show up years later, however, so doctors want to be careful about exposing young men to the treatment if it's not needed.

The cancer itself, and the treatments, can affect fertility. Doctors usually recommend to younger patients that they bank some sperm before the surgery.

"Even though they may have another good testicle left, sometimes just going through the trauma of the operation can decrease sperm production for a period of time of the other testicle," Cooper said.

The risks of recurrence are "fairly low" after treatment, but a lot depends on the size of the initial tumor, according to Cooper. Even if the cancer reappears, with treatment, the cure rate is high.

"(Men) may be in a little bit of a denial because if they go and (doctors) find cancer, then they're going to have to lose their testicle. Men do fine with one testicle -- it provides testosterone and sperm," Cooper said. "Usually, visually even with one testicle it looks fine. However, (for) people who may be self-conscious, we have testicular prostheses."

The prosthesis is made of silicone and feels like a testicle, he said.

Foster has been back to work at International Paper Company in Ticonderoga for almost a year.

He said the experience has made him open to experiencing more in his life, while before he might have held back.

"I thought two weeks (of waiting) wasn't a lot, but it had enough time to travel from where it originated up into my abdomen, and they removed a four-and-a-half-inch tumor. You don't have to be 20-anything. You could be 15. Who knows?" he said.

Post Post

I know I haven't posted anything in a while. Life is pretty boring.
Went to Montreal and got tattooed which granted was a lot of fun.
Love my new tat and Bessie's is amazing.

Work...

Sick kids...

Sick me...

No dates...Decided the only way I am going to meet someone new is if he shows up at my doorstep. On a different note, I have picked up the online shopping.

Will add some pictures...

Three Reaasons I Have Been So Busy...

When

When did I become so irrational?
What is wrong with me?
I need a vacation from everything.
Why do I get irritated by things I know ARE, but seeing it just makes me growl.
I am not making sense.
What has become of me.
Maybe I need to sleep for a few months.

My Update

For those checking in.
She is doing really well...
everything went as planned...
She is a superstar.

Viva La Montreal

Well I finally booked our hotel for a weekend in Montreal.
Bessie and I are heading up for two nights of fun.
I know we are going to head out on Sat and get a new tattoo so that will be fun!
I need to find the perfect script for mine. I will show you pictures when it is finished.
I haven't had a new tat in like 11 years. Nicole suggested I get Eli's face tattooed on my arm but I might skip that :)
I am looking forward to getting away from work for a moment, too bad I am heading north and not somewhere south where it is a tad bit warmer.

I went to see Ryan Adams the other night at the Orpheum with Sweeney. I was SO TIRED...he was in a great mood for once but the band sounded awful, it was like some offshoot of Hee Haw. Not so good. Sweeney and I tried to go to the Silvertone as well but the line was out the door, up the stairs, and down the sidewalk so we opted to go somewhere else. The place we chose, not so good.

I ran into Kara at the show, last time I saw her was in Atlanta at the airport after the beefparty. Kara is the A&R rep for Warner Music. It was nice to see her again.

Because I Do Nothing All Day

This is what eating Bon Bons looks like.

Woodworking

I find it interesting when people from the past crawl out of the woodwork.
Tonight, right now it is CW. I haven't spoken with him in a while and kind brushed him off.
I deleted all the numbers, un-friended on Facebook, you know all the usual things.
So tonight he has been in constant contact...
I did relent and add him back as a friend.
I will let you know when I figure out exactly what he wants...

Pictures From Sweeneys Retirement Party

Lack of Postings

I have been seriously slacking in my blog posting lately.
As most of you know I have been putting in a lot of time at work so that is really where my focus has been.

Last night we had a retirement party at Union Street for Sweeney. It was very much fun. Old schoolers like Marcus even showed up (I love Marcus) and it was generally a very awesome crowd. Mike and I were talking about how the people we met and worked with at Newbury had become our families, it is very true. I will share some pictures when Roe gets them posted...
The best part was while getting dressed I get a text from Mike telling me Tyrone is there. I tell him to tell him hi and that I will be there soon. He texts back that T will wait for me but to hurry since he has go to leave soon. As most of you know I have had a thing for him for YEARS, maybe it is the uniform? Anyway, I text Mike back and tell him to commit a crime if he has to but keep Tyrone there. Which starts a hilarious start to a texting barrage between myself and mike.
That man is very very very fine.
Anyway, needless to say ...he is not as good of a kisser as I had imagined. I don't know what I expected...maybe fireworks after 8 yrs of waiting, oh well. Ok maybe it was due to the fact that we were outside and it was so cold my nose was running and I was trying not to sniff but then again trying to keep my snot from running down my face...
So the rest of the gang shows up and of course I have to tell Kevin since he knows of the mutual interest between T and I. He spits his beer out and just laughs...
Mind you all of this happened before I even had a sip of beer.

Rest of the night was great loads of friends, good conversation, new Dunny's, pictures of Marcus' new baby Calvin, spending time with Roe, seeing Thom...

Pet Peeve

I think my hugest pet peeve is quickly becoming people who do not follow through if they say they are going to do something and then never actually do it.
I understand I am not perfect but if I say I am going to do something for someone I really try and do it.
I don't just say something to make things sound nice and never follow through with what I say I was going to do.
It is annoying.

The Schmooop Loves Snow...

So Itchy

I am so itchy.
I have a rash.
It is all over...

I called the on call DR. he assured me I would live through the night.
Take some Benadryl...I hope sinus and headache Benadryl works....
Ugghh itch...

Hives.

Christmas to New Years in Pictures