Extra, Extra, Read All About It!

Here in Minnesota, it is truly Fall. I think the high for today is 60...brrr. What a change from the past couple of weeks! Last night there was a frost advisory. I had to bring in all of the rest of my plants and watch Tucker for awhile to ensure that he didn't make a snack out of them. He has this thing about leaves...he loves to eat them. It started when we first brought him home and played with him in the yard...goofy dog.

I like that the weather is getting cooler. I like living in a state that actually has seasons. I don't know how well I would do in a place like Arizona or Florida where it seems to be the same all year round. That, and all of the people complaining when the temperatures dip below 70. It would be funny to live in a place like North Carolina where, when it snows about 1/4 of an inch, people FREAK out! No driving, school and work are closed...crazy people. Derick did turn the heat on yesterday because it got cold. I don't know why, but in the summers he makes the house a freezer and in the winter it becomes an oven...is there no happy medium?!

I was able to get caught up on "my shows" last night and for that, i was very happy! How I Met Your Mother and The Big Bang Theory. The latter is one of my all-time favorite shows! So good! So it was just pretty much a night of relaxation as will tonight be as well. I have to pack an overnight bag since I will be staying at my parent's house to take care of Mitzy for them Thursday night through Friday. Too bad that she freaks out when she sees other dogs, otherwise we could bring her over to our house to play with Tucker.

{New news}

Derick got a call back for a job up in Grand Rapids, MN. He has an interview up there next Wednesday morning. He also has an application in with a school in St. Cloud and in Chanhassen. I have everything possible crossed that one of them comes through for him. I know that the distance would be rough if he got the Grand Rapids job. He would have to stay up there and come home on the weekends, but we will just have to cross that bridge when we come to it.

We had a surprise wedding shower for a girl at work! She is getting married this weekend! So that was fun! Her team got her one of those portable firepits and a beautiful cake! The following are the pictures I took of the moments! I threw them together to show her and threw in a little design flair, naturally :)
I got the green light from my boss to attend a one-day Photoshop training class at the Mpls Convention Center in October! I am really excited as I have never attended one of these before and it looks pretty interesting for a full day's worth of classes, and it's going to be expensed to the company as a continuation of my training! Whoo hoo! Even better!

I also have to plan a Potluck for our team for October (since I seem to be the only one for this task) and plan our team "Meet and Greet" open house through HR. And oh yeah, by the way, get the rest of my job accomplished in the meantime.

I might also explore and entertain the idea of entering a design contest for my mom's work. It is pretty in-depth as far as the designing goes: pick a theme, design a logo, trophy and slogan (and one more thing I always forget). The top prize is a $500 visa gift card and there are 4 runner-ups of $100. Anything would help at this point.

I am also back freelancing for my old neighbor for her starter-at home business. This is really fun for me as she has a good style and is easy to work with!

Oh, and on top of THAT, I went with my mom on Monday night to her Avon President's Club dinner meeting and somehow talked myself into grabbing extra books to route in my townhouse development. We'll see if I get any bites there. That would also bring in more money with not a ton of extra work. *sigh* there is no rest for the wicked...

-L

We're walking...we're walking

The ADA Walk for Diabetes went GREAT!! The weather was AWESOME, the turnout was GREAT and the Camp Needlepoint Team was the first place team! Yessss! It was so great to see all of my camp friends again and to be a part of something that was that huge! Derick and my mom accompanied me on the walk this morning, and, Tucker started out with us too, but then we were told that no dogs were allowed. So Derick took him home, came back, and lo and behold, we saw three other dogs on the walk route...lame. Oh well, it was a great, tiring day! After the walk, we came home, made lunch and pretty much took a nap. We were exhausted! (and now it is 12:30am and I cannot sleep - darn naps!)

On another note, I had my "lady parts doctor" appointment just this past week and I swear to you that not one doctor thinks that a diabetic should have a baby or that is is not in your best interests. NOT that we are ready or even THINKING of it right now, but you know doctors - trying to tell you things way before you need or want to know them. It is just depressing the things that they tell you. I also think that some, if not all of the expectations for diabetics on a medical scale, compared to "normal" people are just plain absurd. There is pretty much NO possible way that one person can achieve a diabetic stage of "Nirvana" - healthwise. It is just not that way with us, I am sorry. I would like to for once, have a doctor who IS a diabetic and gets it - really gets it. Not that I do not like my doctors. That is not the case. Just the fact that I feel like they do not really fully and truely understand and for that, I sometimes feel completely and utterly alone when it comes to my health, which has been a lifelong deal and I am in it for the long haul. Goody. I love my camp friends who get it and we can all say something without the nagging, the ridicule or the plain weirdness. We've all been there.

Sorry, I don't really know where that came from, just thinking of my last doctor appointment as the paperwork from my bloodtests sits in front of me - need to file that. Haha maybe that is my new career path -- Endocrinologist. I'd be up for it. I commend Dieter for going with that (he is a fellow camp counselor who is currently in school perusing said career path.)

Well, since the leaves are somewhat turning and falling to the ground and the weather has been getting cooler, I decided to pull out some of my Halloween and fall decorations. Now, when I say few - that is what I mean - FEW. I don't have many things fall-ish, which I am sure will change in later years if I have inherited that "decorating for every conceivable holiday gene" from my mother. But that is alright with me that I do not have many things as I am liking the new minimalist approach I want to be perusing more anyway (Living in a townhouse will do that to a person - limits your space to save and store things).

After the Walk today and lunch, and nap, Derick and I played lazy and had a Big Bang Theory season 2 marathon. Wow I absolutely love that show. I could watch it almost all of the time and to top it off, one of my all-time favorite episodes was one of the ones we watched! (the Christmas one with the gift-swap -Penny vs Sheldon).

I am going to start a new book - The Time Traveler's Wife. and No, I have not seen the movie yet. I prefer most books to movies as they turn out to be so much better than the movies themselves. (take Twilight --books = awesome. movie = horrible beyond most reason.) So, in my geek-dom, I am pretty excited about that. I might also be playing a board game with the hubby tomorrow (for my sake, pray it isn't RISK) and might try baking a new cookie. That seems to be a new weekend tradition. Nice.

Hmm, I think that is all of the updateable things that I need to get out at this present juncture.

Until then,

L

The Game of LIFE

I have some positive things to post for this blog entry!

First of all, I had my 4-month diabetic dr. appointment last week and we changed my insulin doses so that I am giving one more unit per carb choice and WOW has that made a WORLD of difference! I was a perfect bloodsugar for almost 2 days straight. I wish it were that easy to figure out and maintain it ALL the time! So that was some good news anyway!

Derick helped my dad finish off his laundry room (my mother was pretty happy with that one!!) He then borrowed some of the mud putty and brought it over and mudded our garage screws and the tape that is in there so that we will be able to eventually paint it and make it look nicer in there (his idea, not mine - I mean, it's a small garage...I could care less...)

The American Diabetes Association Step Out walk is THIS weekend! This Saturday!I am pretty pumped! We have already beaten our fundraising goal! Our initial goal was $5,200 (for 52 years of camp) but we already have somewhere in the neighborhood of $8,500!! We are also trying to get the biggest group there - 80 people! So that will be exciting to see if we can actually pull that one off!! Regardless, I am really excited to do the walk and see my camp friends :)

My uncle texted me today offering up 2 Wild pre-season tickets for Thursday night!! So that will be awesome if I will actually be able to go. I have to do a floorset that day all day, but we shall have to hope and pray that I get out of EP at a decent hour...who knows how that one will work out.

I think the only thing better life-wise right now was if Derick could get employed somewhere. He has been trying really hard, but really, no one is hiring! Even for normal jobs, everyone seems to be cutting back pretty well. Not good. I know that he would rather be working than home all day - although he has been addicted to a computer game recently...

Hmm, other than that, nothing else really to report! I am looking forward to the fall time of the year, the cooler weather, the changing and falling leaves...yay! Derick brought in my box of fall decorations/halloween stuff, so that made me get a little more amped for it!

-L

Why I walk

Hello family and friends!

This is just a quick note to inform you that on September 26, 2009 I will be walking to fight diabetes. As most of you know, I am a diabetic and have had Type 1 diabetes for 20 years. I have walked for diabetes in the past, but this year, a few more things hit home for me and made me realize that this is a pretty big deal to be able to get together with people and step out for this cause.

If you know me, you know that I do not like asking for money. Nothing is different about that today, but if you do have an extra $5 or $10 dollars lying around, it would be most useful to my walk team this year. I have set a goal of $150 to raise by the walk date, and with your help, even a $5 donation will help me get there. If you cannot support in that mannor, maybe you feel that walking along beside me would benefit you better. If you go online, I have created a personal webpage for my walk fundraising goal as well as a blog that I will update until the walk happens.

http://main.diabetes.org/site/TR/StepOut/StepOut311058010?px=5241432&pg=personal&fr_id=6486 There you can read more about "Why I Walk" and you can pledge money or join the walk with me at that site. I will also be blogging more from that site on updates just before the walk!

If you would like to walk alongside me, here is the information that you need to know, and let me know if you are interested and then I can follow-up with you later.

Date: 9/26/2009
Location: General Mills World Headquarters (Golden Valley, MN)
Registration Opens: 7:30am
Event Start Time: 8:30am Kids Diabetes Dash - 9:00am 5K, Walk

Thank you and see you soon!

State Fair Goodness

This past Sunday morning we ventured to the Great Minnesota Get Together - The State Fair!!

We went again this year with Paul and Jenny C (and baby) like last year! It was still the same delicious fair!

Let' see if I can remember everything that was consumed by Derick and or myself...

1. elephant ear


2. mac and cheese on a stick


3. fudge puppy


4. long dog on a stick


5. sweet martha's cookies
   

I guess we didn't do too bad this year. It seemed like we ate more than it looks like we did. Maybe because that is the main attraction?

It was still fun. We decided to root through our change jar and bring all the quarters we could find in there, so my wallet and pockets were weighted down for a couple of hours at the fair! What a busy fair weekend it was! I thought that Sunday was really busy, and on Monday when talking with my boss, I found out she went all three days of the weekend and Saturday, you could hardly MOVE! Yikes! I mean, people-watching at the fair is one thing, but smashing against people is not my idea of a great time (granted I have been in a moshpit a couple times before...). Not only do you have the PEOPLE to contend with, but the majority of the people seem to have these hazard/annoyances called strollers and wagons. Note: These contraptions should be banned from any large-populated event or happening. If your kid is not suitable to walk or you are too lazy to carry them, they should probably not be there because, let's face it, children don't usually start remembering things until they are 4 or 5 at the haziest memories. Let's not push it people.