Liz Terry's Blog

Thursday, 7/29/10

Headed back up to Minnesota this weekend with my sister and niece.  Hey, I love that 10 hour drive twice in one month!  I said to both of them half jokingly - "Let's sing on the way up!"  They were like...uhhh, no.  Not singers.  We'll see where Amanda's going to school in the fall, shop like crazy and who knows what else.

Wondering if your tomatoes are doing well. Mine look better this year than last but still not producing gabs of fruit like I thought they would.  I get so excited when one little grape tomato turns red and it's time for picking!  The farm share is better than ever.  Last week we were inundated with food...eggplant, corn, cukes, zukes, beans, broccoli, lettuce, carrots, onions...I can't even remember what else.  Last night I made this great eggplant recipe and then scarfed down like three slices of it, along with my new ULTIMATE FAVORITE: swiss chard.  I know, who knew?!  I had it as a kid and it was ok but now, it's like...so amazing.  A little butter and then add some balsamic vinegar and a little salt when it's done and my oh my. 

Monday, 7/19/10

Holy smokes, it's been a busy time...I bet for you, too!

Last week went to a radio conference in Minnesota...drove up by myself and had a good time, except for the bad weather I ran into.  Ended up staying in Menomonie because it was pouring rain and I couldn't keep driving...once it cleared up I drove around town and found this great little antique store.  It was fun to see some of the places I went with my college boyfriend who went to Stout a long time ago.  The drive home was equally good...the hills and green fields were so pretty, and I stopped at another antique store in Hixton.  They have a few - gonna have to stop there next time!

Saturday was my high school class reunion.  I had to leave the convention early to get there but it was worth it - saw people I hadn't seen in many years.  Good to connect again, even though it was 150 degrees outside (we had it in a shelter at a Reedsburg park).  Most people look the same! 

Good reading:  if you're a dog lover, "Dogscaping" is interesting, about what to do in your yard to make it better for you and your dog...I'm also reading "Enemies of the People" by Kati Marton...and a book on organic gardening (darnit, I forget the title now...).  Finished the Oprah book and lent it to Sue Peterson...it was a good one! 

Thursday, 7/9/10

You probably know I love love love dogs...and really all animals...so this won't come as a surprise that I'm mentioning this.  Please, during the hot summer months, do not leave your dog in your car!  Leave them home in the A/C!  This story breaks my heart...that poor dog.  And, if you see or hear a dog in a car on a hot day (even a warm day) look around and find it...then report the license plate to the store.  At least then the owner will be reminded that it's too hot out to have the dog in the car.  Think about your pet.  If you do not want it, consider surrendering it to the Humane Society where someone will.  Here's the story from Channel 3000:  http://www.channel3000.com/news/24169812/detail.html

Friday, 7/2/10

I'm pretty deep in Kitty Kelley's big biography of Oprah and it's been hard to put down.  If even some of these things are true, it certainly paints a different picture of the queen of daytime talk...(I guess she's the queen of a lot of things...).  I put a hold on it a long time ago and finally it was my turn! 

The last couple nights have been so beautiful.  Concerts on the Square was perfect - Bob Bonner and I had a great time hosting the first Magic winners of the season at our primo table.  Last night, Steve dug out his RC cars and played around with them (Burt was going NUTS!) and I...exciting, just wait...picked weeds.  Then our neighbor stopped by and we had a nice chat with her.  All of a sudden it felt like it was about 6 when really it was nearly 9.  I love that you can stay outside so late!  I'd totally be doing yardwork all night long if I could...picking and planting and watering and watching.  Isn't summer fun?  Have a safe and happy 4th!

Friday, 6/25/10

Trip to Cleveland went fast but it was relaxing and fun with Mark.  We made decisions left and right and I think by the end of last Friday we were both really done with tile choices, light fixtures, wood options and carpet colors.  Poor Mark was a little overwhelmed!  I said - think of the people that build and start from scratch...instead of here where there were standards and then upgrades...a much smaller group of options.  We drove around the Cleveland area a lot - it's really beautiful, with lots of trees and green spaces - saw the stadium/downtown, the lake, hit some balls at the range, went to his church and checked out his new townhouse and the area there.  Other than a bumpy landing during one of my four flights, everything was perfect.  And, Mark even sent me flowers to say thanks.  He's a good one. 

Poor little Burt is still having trouble with allergies.  I'm checking into acupuncture now, which I have a good feeling about.  He's on a new pill for the time being and it's working well, so hopefully we will not have to go the steroid route.  That's a last resort because of the internal problems it could cause.  I'm just not comfortable with that yet.  You should have seen me yesterday - he's such a big dog that I have to stand over him and basically squeeze him so he doesn't move!  And even that is hard because he is SO STRONG.  Even the vet was like - wow, you're big!  So I'm trying to get antibiotic goo on his leg and then I have to get a t-shirt on him, so he won't lick or rub the stuff off...so he spent last night with one of my old t-shirts on.  I've always wanted to dress him up, though...

Wednesday, 6/16/10

It'll be me and Betty White...in Cleveland.  I'm off to see my brother tomorrow for a long weekend.  His job is going to get super busy after this weekend and I wanted to be sure and get out there.  We're planning to check out the big farmer's market, maybe visit the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, see where he works, eat at fun restaurants (Mark, like me, and everyone else in our family, loves to eat) and I'll help him choose the finishing touches for his new townhouse.  It'll be finished in a few months so he gets to pick the light fixtures, cabinet stain, kitchen countertops, flooring, etc.  That'll be really fun!  I know Steve is...ahem...looking forward to me being gone!  

Summer book report includes an A+ for the one I mentioned below, "Not Lost Forever" - my God, it's just terrible all the things that girl had to go through, but her resilience in every situation is something I really took from the book.  I just grabbed "Dewey" (about a library cat?! Sounded interesting) and some trashy book on Michael Jackson's last months...and now am reading "Staying True" by Jenny Sanford, whose husband, Mark, is the disgraced governor of South Carolina.  THAT one is really good.  Turns out he was kind of a tight, insensitive jerk before they even got married.  And, in between, I'm reading "The Education of an Urban Farmer" which is all about this woman (and her boyfriend) and how they turned this ugly, empty plot of land in Oakland into a big garden.  Go to the library!  It's FREE!!  Take your kids, park 'em at the free children's series most libraries have and get lost in a book yourself...

Friday, 6/4/10

Yard report:  MULCH IS DOWN!  Yeah baby.  Finally.  I could not do that for a living.  My knees hurt so much from multiple weekends of kneeling in that stuff.  Now I just need to slow down enough to enjoy it. 

Recent books I've read/am reading that you might be interested in:

• Currently reading Chesley Sullenberger's autobio (the pilot who landed in the Hudson River) called "Highest Duty."  Excellent book.  He's so genuine.  I'm just at the end where they landed in the river.  Can you imagine...
• Also reading "Not Lost Forever", the story of Carmina Salcido, who was nearly murdered by her own father...but she survived. 
• Started to read "Paul and Me" about Paul Newman written by a friend of his but was drawn more to the Sullenberger book.  If you're a fan of Newman, though, you'd probably like it. 
• Also picked up "The Encyclopedia of Country Living" - at least I think that's the name.  It's an oversized book with, like, a million tips and directions on everything from training your country cat to making your own baskets. 

When I go to the library, I just head for the New Non-fiction shelf and choose from there.  Normally I find a bunch of stuff there.  Right next to it is the "Lucky Day" shelf, where you can find extra special books to check out for just a short time.  And another favorite part for me is the magazine area...don't you wish sometimes you could just sit at home in your comfy clothes, maybe on the deck if it's summer, and read all day?  I do.

Thursday, 5/27/10

Happy to report marital harmony existed at our house for the most part last weekend.  We did get a lot of landscaping done but there's a lot more to do.  I've been pulling weeds and planting this week like mad...in between the terrible heat and storms...but once it's done, then it's so nice to just sit back and enjoy the yard, ya know?  I'm hoping my tomatoes do well this year - I have some in the ground and some in pots so we'll see how they do in each planting situation.  Bought some peonies, too...a white bush and a fuschia bush.  Reminds me of my parents, where peonies line the whole backyard.  Beautiful. 

Finally got my compost bin that I've been wanting FOR LIKE FOUR YEARS!  Missed the big Dane County sale a few weeks ago but happened upon some at the Monona Farmers' Market last Sunday.  Steve thinks it'll be an eyesore but I can't wait!!  Great little market, btw...got some tomatoes, garlic, salad and some of Stella's cheese bread. 

Speaking of that bread, I made the mistake of leaving it unwrapped on the counter...yep, you guessed it, Burt ate it.  I had had MAYBE five slices so he definitely got a doozy of a loaf...I kept a close eye on him that night because of all the red pepper flakes in there but no problems.  He's so cute that it's hard for me to be mad at him when he does stuff like that. 

Friday, 5/21/10

Love this time of the year.  Windows open, birds singing, people are in a good mood because the sun's out and it's finally warm... I've determined that I'm perpetually project-focused...I love projects and even if we had a new house, I think I'd find some sort of project to do.  Right now, it's landscaping.  Out with the scraggly bushes and in with something more fun.  Steve's kinda like - do we have to do everything this weekend?!  And I'm like - yes!  Poor guy.  So we've got beds to weed, bushes to pull, flowers to plant, etc...and I'm all about it.  And, in a scary example of total domesticity and adulthood, we bought (and are very excited about) a...CARPET CLEANER!  Geez, Steve was waiting for it to be delivered like it was Christmas.  So we took it down to the basement and used it, all the while marveling at it like "Wow!  Look how much dirt it picks up!" and "We are going to use this, like, all the time!"  So this weekend, while my focus is on outside stuff, he just wants to clean the carpeting throughout the house.  Wait - marriage is about flexibility and compromise, right?!  Brings to mind a great story from one of Steve's former co-workers, whose client said something like this to him:  "This relationship is about giving and taking.  You're gonna keep givin' and I'm gonna keep takin'!"  We'll see who wins at my house this weekend. 

Tuesday, 5/11/10

Cheers!  Back from a week in England.  Steve had to be there for work so we spent a couple days in London on the front end...went to the Churchill Museum and Cabinet War Rooms (even if you're not a huge history buff, it's cool to see the rooms where he ran the war effort, in exactly the same state as they were when they were left decades ago), saw Kensington Palace and the Princess Diana Memorial Fountain in Hyde Park, visited the Natural History Museum (amazing!!) and had a great time walking around rainy London.  Took the train up to Lincoln, then, where we spent the week.  Lincoln's cathedral was built around 1067 and it's breathtaking.  HUGE.  Across the road is the Lincoln castle and wall; along with the Roman ruins around town and the famous Steep Hill, which is what you walk up to the cathedral, filled with teeny tiny local shops, the city is all about "old."  Old cobblestone streets, old houses, old clothes (several great vintage stores)...and I loved it.  I walked around every day, sightseeing and shopping, while Steve worked.  That's the way it should be, huh!  Fantastic food as well...little Belgian chocolate shoppes, candy stores and cafes.  Even the corner sub place, which was a chain, had great bread and sandwiches.  If I could just snap my fingers and be there again, I would, but the traveling to and from there was a drag.  On the way back to London from Lincoln, we took a train to the King's Cross subway station, hauled all our luggage on the subway to Heathrow at rush hour, took a shuttle to the hotel, stayed over, got back to Heathrow, waited for several hours as the volcanic ash delayed everything, finally took off, and by then we missed our connection in Minneapolis.  So we got there really late and along with the rest of the flight tried to catch a shuttle to kind of a shady hotel, had a few hours sleep, got to the airport early and took the 37 minute flight to Madison.  YES!  Home again to sunny, blue skies.  Oh, did I mention that Burt got sprayed by a skunk at Steve's parents while we were gone?  So the whole house smells like skunk.  Another bath is in order. 

Friday, 4/23/10

If you've never seen the "5 Browns", definitely try to do so.  They're five siblings from Utah that all play the piano on the same stage at the same time.  Crazy!  My niece, Amanda, and I saw them a couple years ago here in Madison and this time, they were at the Pabst Theatre in Milwaukee, so my sister Chris (Amanda's mom) organized a girls' night last Saturday...Chris, our sister Kim, our Mom, Amanda and me.  All five Browns were born within 6 1/2 years and all went to Juilliard basically at the same time.  They said at the concert that the oldest started playing at home first and then all the rest of the kids wanted to play, too...so eventually they had five Steinway grands at their house.  UM - CAN I HAVE JUST ONE PLEASE?!  Their pianos travel with them now.  Interestingly, they're all married - we wondered how long the touring would go on as they wanted families, etc.  They stayed after and met with anyone who wanted to stay, so we had them sign our book for us...very kind and warm. 

Burt just turned four...what's that, 28 in human years?  He sure acts more like a real four-year old.  Just last night he ate another stick of butter.  And yes, I had it back on the counter but evidently not far enough.  Earlier in the night he had tried to get one and I caught him...lots of teeth marks but never got it down.  Then later, I heard this little noise and ran to the kitchen - I'm serious, he ate that thing in about three seconds.  Gone, done, goodbye.  Earlier this week, he ate some money...the book I mentioned above that the Brown siblings wrote?  My Mom bought mine and I tried to pay her back before she left my house but she wouldn't take the money.  So I stuffed it in my pocket; then, when I was downstairs and washing clothes, I found it, so I put the five one dollar bills and one $20 bill in the side of the laundry basket, then put the basket on the floor upstairs by the steps.  Later, I came downstairs to Burt lazily laying on the steps...and below him, one dollar bills shredded...then I realized, where's the 20???!  He was laying there so cute and precious, having just eaten my money. 

Monday, 4/5/10

Just back from a few days in beautiful Mexico...a short vacation but fun nonetheless!  We stayed at the Dreams in Cancun, set right on the tip with amazing ocean views.  A wonderful resort except for the dolphins they keep captive there - super sad...so sad that I could barely walk by them each day - for guests to swim with and have a  "dolphin experience."  No thanks.

Easter weekend went by fast.  We do the whole basket thing at my parents but I missed that this year because it was Steve's parents turn on the rotation.  I called my fam Easter Sunday and talked to everyone for almost an hour and got the minute-by-minute scoop on who they saw when they went out, what everyone was doing, etc.  My Mom hides little eggs with coins in them for my niece and nephew and the rest of us (well, not Steve and I this year) get some money in a bigger egg.  Someone always ends up re-hiding someone elses, so that makes it even crazier!  It was extra hard to be away this year because my brother was home from his new job.  But, we had a good time with Steve's aunt and his parents yesterday.  Ran into an old friend that I grew up near at my in-law's church yesterday...turns out her husband grew up right down the street from Steve.  Small world...and proof once again that Reedsburg is the center of the universe!  I'm tellin' ya!! 

Thursday, 3/18/10

A couple big birthdays in my family meant a party this past weekend for my nephew (now 16) and my Mom (now...older!).  Corey got a car - a cute little black Matrix - and my Mom now loves Vera Bradley pieces so we got her a few of those.  I actually think my sister, Corey's Mom, was more excited about him getting a car than he was, just so she wouldn't have to drive him around everywhere.  He takes his test soon!  I remember getting my license - it was January and there was a bunch of snow in Reedsburg.  At that time, we had a DMV center there that was open all the time so I took my test in the middle of the day with the big family station wagon.  All went well until I had to parallel park...on Main Street...in the winter...in between two cars...with a big ol' wagon.  And then I left it in reverse when I was done!  I did pass, though.  I got to take my Dad's old full-size dark red Chevy Blazer to school that afternoon (I remember being nervous driving to school by myself, especially through the stoplights) and showing everyone my shiny new license.  No one in high school really drove new cars back then...a lot of the guys had big farm trucks or old classic cars and the girls just drove whatever their family had.  That Blazer was tough!  I think that's why I still love big trucks. 

Wednesday, 3/9/10

I know Becky and Diane are always interested in Burt antics so here's one for the books...  That dog turns 4 this spring and I thought he'd be wearing down a little by now, but NO!  Last night, I'm upstairs and it's quiet downstairs...and when it's quiet, we know something's going on.  I go down to the kitchen and he does look a little guilty but I don't see anything out of order...until I realize one of the two sticks of butter from the stovetop are gone!  Ate the whole stick, wrapper and EVERYTHING!  I had them out so they'd reach room temp and I could bake with them...and thought I had them back far enough...and geez, the last time he ate a big stick like that was when he was little so I thought we were past that. 

Tuesday, 3/8/10

CORRECTION on the pickle recipe!  I did the reduced-salt version and it did not turn out that well.  Yikes.  So, if you are planning to make the recipe below, follow it exactly and don't reduce the salt. 

My nephew turns 16 this week.  I think I know how parents feel when their kids grow up before their eyes.  It is SO ODD that he's going to drive!  He's no longer a boy...he's tall, muscular, his face has filled out and his voice is so low now!  That happened, like, overnight.  I'm just barely getting over the fact that my niece is a freshman in college, for cryin' out loud.  Happy Birthday, Corey!  We'll be at my sister's house for a big party...I've gotta come up with a couple fun recipes before this weekend...

While I love snow, I'm desperately hoping we don't get any more...just not in the mood for any kind of flooding this spring.  Been there, done that, thank you so much.  The downside is that the dog is tearing up the lawn but hey, he loves it and it's fun to watch him do it!! 

Monday, 2/22/10

I'm sort of embarrassed to say this to you but I just finished reading Ozzy Osbourne's autobiography.  I am not a fan of his music and really just got the book because I like autobios and he seemed interesting but I've gotta tell ya - in parts, it was hilarious.  I mean, there were times I was laughing out loud and even crying it was so funny!  (Warning - the language in the book is bad).  Now in the process of reading Julia Child's autobio called "My Life In France."  Geez, I couldn't be any further apart on those two, huh...

Made homemade pickles this past weekend.  I found some pickling cucumbers at the Monona Copps and I was running out of the last batch I made so it was perfect.  Here's the recipe I got from my Mom:

• 9 cups water
  
• 3 cups vinegar
  
• 1 cup pickling salt
  
• Cucumbers (I just bought about 3 lbs., which filled the bucket)
  
• Onions
  
• Garlic
  
• Dill
  
• Ice cream bucket or something to let the pickles pickle in
  

Boil the water, vinegar and salt.  In the meantime, clean the cucumbers and slice them into spears if you want.  Layer them on the bottom of the bucket along with chopped garlic, onions and dill.  Do this repeatedly until the bucket is full.  Pour the boiled brine over the cucumbers and cover with a plate or something to keep the top layer of pickles in the brine.  After three days (or earlier if you like the taste), take the pickles out of the bucket and put into jars.  I use some of the garlic, dill and onions in the jars as well as the brine.  Refrigerate.  They should last for several months...unless you eat a lot of pickles!  

Wednesday, 2/17/10

Watched some of the Olympics last night.  The Games were always a big deal at my house when I was a kid, especially figure skating because my Mom loves it.  So I'm in and out of the room doing a bunch of stuff last night and I catch the beginning of the Canadian couple Davison & Dube.  The announcer says something like "They're skating to "The Way We Were", because that's the only thing they felt they could skate to...they used to be a couple, now they aren't, and this was the only song they felt they could use."  So right off the bat I'm thinking - what a story!  And then the music starts and it's the most beautiful version of that song I have ever heard...and their skating, while not perfect technically, was really emotionally moving.  Of course I'm making up all these stories about why they're not together anymore - She fell in love with someone else and now he's dying because he has to skate with her every day...or they tried to be a couple and they just weren't compatible in real life so skating is all they have together...  Good Lord!!  I'm slightly embarassed to say I was crying at the end of it!  It's just my kind of song...soaring melody, big instrumentals, complicated but beautiful piano.  Here's a link to another of their performances with the same song. 

Monday, 2/8/10

There are days when you're like - wow, what a great day!  I always hope that I'm aware enough to actually recognize those when they're here.  I had one of those days Friday, 1/22, but kept forgetting to tell you about it.  Three things happened that day that were exciting - Steve got home from a long business trip, my good friend Beth had her second baby Jack, and my brother Mark accepted a very cool new job.  My family went to a going away party for Mark given by his co-workers and it was seriously one of the best nights of my life.  Seeing someone you love so much be so loved by others was amazing!  He was so peaceful and happy with his decision and that meant he could really enjoy the night and just savor the laughter and storytelling.  I was proud to be a part of it but mostly proud that he's such a cool guy and the best brother. 

My sister Chris was up this past weekend and we had a blast!  Shopped at that antique mall on Odana Road - a good one, btw...it's huge! - and she found a great flower painting at the St. Vinny's right next door.  I snagged a couple chalk pieces at the Stoughton Antique Mall and she got this super cute wall pocket that's a cuckoo clock!  It was the perfect blue for her newly redesigned living room.  She's going for the cottage chic look.  Oh, and we had lunch on Saturday at The Green Owl Cafe, an all vegetarian/vegan place on Atwood.  We shared the Middle Eastern Platter for a light lunch...yummus to the tummus. 

Tuesday, 1/26/10

I just got my first issue of "Mother Earth News" (Christmas gift from my sister Kim) and am reading it cover-to-cover!  I'll share some of the cool Earth-friendly tips and ideas soon.

It's Restaurant Week and I wish I was going out every night, but can't swing it this week.  Hope you are able to support our fabulous local restaurants!

Just got "The Gradual Vegetarian" from the library and am reading that in between Robert Wagner's autobio.  I swear I just read a review of the Madison vegetarian restaurant Green Owl Cafe (I even cut it out but can't find it!) and would like to try that one as I move through the former book. 

Friday, 1/8/10

Some good books I've read recently that you might want to try:

• "True Compass" by Ted Kennedy - I think the Kennedys are interesting and this book, while thick, is an easy read.
  
  
• "My Sister's Keeper" by Jodi Picoult - Fascinating.  Really well-written.  I don't usually pick up novels but this was exceptional.
  
  
• "Here's The Story" by Maureen McCormick, better known as Marcia Brady.  She's been through a lot and her story was intriguing...and the Brady memories were funny!
  
  
• "My Journey With Farrah" by Alana Stewart - heartbreaking story from a best friend's perspective. 
  
  
• Currently reading a book by NFL quarterback Kurt Warner and his wife Brenda called "First Things First."  It's about their family rules and their faith.  They seem like cool, down-to-earth people.

Wednesday, 1/6/10

As I sit here with my wonderful dog Burt sitting by my desk, I am SICKENED by this article from Channel 3000 - http://www.channel3000.com/news/22142790/detail.html.  I am trying to find out what I (and you) can do to be sure disgusting people who beat animals are punished appropriately.  Do we call the police department?  E-mail legislators so that the laws get tougher re: people who do this kind of thing?  I'm going to find out.  I don't get it - how could you possibly hurt something so little and innocent??  Makes me cry for that poor puppy.   

Monday, 12/28/09

Hope you had a great Christmas!  My side of the family was together - my Mom insisted this year because we all had the same big gift and she wanted us to open it together - and that's always really fun.  Turns out the gift was a pencil drawing of our family home...each of us got an individual one, not a print.  And then my parents put a timeline of things we've experienced in the house on the back...yeah, I was crying!  I always tell my parents that when they are ready to move they should tell me first so I can wrap my head around not being in that house.  They've been there almost the entire time they've been married - like, 45 years! - and it's the only family home I've known.  I had a good time giving our gifts this year...my sister loved her bird ornaments, my brother's gonna have a great time with his session with an interior designer (he just doesn't know it yet), and my nephew's coming up for another snowboard trip with Steve and me.  Last year we did the same thing, except I was so scared of the big hills that Corey either went alone or Steve went with him.  A nice "together" family event...Corey probably liked it that he ended up alone.  Don't most teenagers prefer that?! 

Wednesday, 12/16/09

Well, my Mom never cries.  I mean, I think I've seen it a couple times in my whole life, so for her to tear up at something, it's gotta be good.  I talked to her this morning and said I'd e-mailed the holiday memory that I'd recorded and that would be on Magic 98 during our "98 Hours of Christmas Magic" and did she hear it yet...no, but she'd find the e-mail and listen, she said.  So I'm talking to my Dad and we hear in the background - "I'm tearing up listening to this!!"  It was a really neat Christmas memory from years ago...here it is.

Sunday, 12/13/09

I think I read that it was made for little money and I'm sure no one had any idea it would become this big...I'm watching "Dirty Dancing" now for about the 8th time this month!  I remember when it came out - there was no way my parents were going to let me go see it in the theatres...probably thought I was too young, it was too racy (now look what movies are like!) and the title?!  But I remember when I first saw it...I was in Milwaukee with my friend April and her parents and we were staying at April's aunt's house.  I guess they rented it and there I was...plopped in front of the TV on the floor, watching this forbidden movie.  I still love it all these years later!  I totally wanted to be Jennifer Grey - the curly hair, the way she could dance...even the summer getaway she and her family went to seemed much more exciting than whatever I was doing at the time.  I never thought Patrick Swayze was that good looking but he was ripped and it's still fun to watch him dance.  Favorite part?  Has to be the end, where they finally get to dance together...and she gets the lift right.  Whenever Magic plays  "I've Had The Time of My Life" I crank it and think of that.   

Monday, 11/30/09

This Christmas I'm working hard to get gifts my family and friends will actually use and like, vs just buying something to buy something.  And, I asked for really cool things, too (not that I need anything - I really don't), that help the environment...like a rain barrel from Sustain Dane, an Earth Machine compost bin, a subscription to Mother Earth News and I suggested donations to the Dane County Humane Society and to my childhood church camp, which had to close for the winter because they now don't have enough money to stay open all year. 

I love the annual Wish List that comes out with Isthmus around this time of the year.  If you're not familiar, it lists area charities and the items they need - real, tangible things you and I can buy and donate.  I like this kind of giving - I feel like I know where my money is going when I do stuff like this.  Last week, for example, I bought some dog treats and a couple bottles of bleach and dropped them off at the Dane County Humane Society because both were on their list. 

That Isthmus issue is currently in a big stack of papers I need to reread (seriously, that pile is soooooo big) but I'm going to cut out the lists of my favorite charities and pick up a few things here and there.  An easy way to help!

Tuesday, 11/17/09

Picked up some good books at the library the other day. Every time I go there I think - what a great idea this was, way back when. I think libraries are neat. I've got a bunch of things on hold (I think I was like 157 on the list for Ted Kennedy's book - should be about next summer!) and also head right for the "New Nonfiction" section and see what's interesting there. Reading Bob Barker's autobiography right now (I'm a huge "Price Is Right" fan and love that he's such an animal activist)...also got Billy Graham's biography and a book on the mafia. Quite a variety!

When Steve and I were up north we grabbed a movie from the B&B library - Tom Cruise's "Valkyrie" - and watched that. Gotta admit - it was really, really heavy but we talked about it a lot on the ride home. I admitted I should learn more about that time in the world's history so since then, I've run across a couple books that I've read. It's hard for me to read stuff like that - willingly - but also good to be informed of what happened and this book told it in great (and disturbing) detail. So for awhile, I went from this book to Bob Barker's because the former was so sad. I mean, you can't believe some of the things in this book...that people would really do that to other people. Anyway, if you are interested in it, it's called "Album of the Damned."

Let's end on a happy note. I finally went to IKEA in Chicago this past weekend. Good Lord, how could I have missed this place for all these years! I just wandered around...bought a few things...and wished I could buy a lot more.

Wednesday, 11/4/09

Sorry it's been so long since we've talked!

I bet you watched the game Sunday. I'm so tired of the Brett Favre saga. I can't believe people dwell on this sports stuff so long. It's like - get over it! Letters to the paper, radio sports shows dedicated to it, blah blah blah. So we lost, he won, move on. I understand the Pack might be an escape like People magazine is for me (I'm sure some people think that's a waste of time...and I agree! An expensive waste of time at that, too...) but come on...

In other news, my parents bought cemetery plots and it was surprisingly not weird to hear about it. I grew up going to the cemetery in Reedsburg...whether it was for a funeral (in a small town you know everyone and inevitably are going to be attending a lot of funerals/visitations) or because my Mom had to tend to the flowers she put on the family graves in the summer. So we'd walk around and say "Wow, I can't believe he died!" or "I did not know she passed away!" and reminisce about the people we knew. So for me, it's not a really weird place. I think it's a good conversation to have, too, so you know what your parents/spouse want. I appreciate that they took care of it and in the process, got to pick out what they wanted. For my Mom, that was a space under a beautiful tree where she once heard a bird chirping...birds mean a lot to both of them, so that's special that they got the perfect spot.

Monday, 10/19/09

Had a great weekend away for our anniversary. Visited a couple state parks way up north - Lake Wissota and Brunet Island - that were really cool. No one else was around at this time of the year but the leaves were beautiful and the crisp air was just fine. I love this time of the year and don't mind the cold. Stopped by a few antique stores (I dragged Steve there, actually) and found a cute pair of chalkware bears (I collect chalkware, mostly fruits) as well as an old Yellowstone National Park plate with Old Faithful and bears/deer on it. Love that stuff!

So the Burt saga continues. That dog...I swear. I don't think I mentioned to you that he ate a few of my CDs recently. Had a small leather case of CDs on the floor - just for, like, one day - and we were gone and he got into it. I mean, literally ate some of the CDs, along with some of the plastic cases and shredded things all over the first floor! I was really worried about something hurting him internally but we watched his poo(p) and he was fine. Last night, we'd just gotten home and Burt was getting reacquainted to his house...sniffing the open dishwasher (I open it up and pull out both trays to dry the dishes...better for the environment than running the dry cycle). I was in the other room when all of a sudden this HUGE CRASH BANG BOOM comes from the kitchen and there's Burt, scampering across the floor, dishes flying everywhere because the lower dishwasher tray is attached to his collar! By the time I saw him the tray was off of him and bouncing all over, with more dishes flying around. I yelled, very calmly, for Steve and then just busted out laughing!! The absurdity of it was hilarious. Burt must've stuck his head way back in the dishwasher to smell something and then gotten his collar stuck on the big tray, then ended up dragging it across the room. A couple plates broke but that was about it. Poor Burtie!

Monday, 10/12/09

After a busy weekend, don't you wish you could have a free day to just veg around the house? This last weekend, it just felt go go go. Saturday, I went to the Oregon Firefighters/EMT Craft Fair at the middle school - always a good one - and found some Christmas presents - goat milk soap, wood carved Santas (super cheap), a whirligig for my Mom (she loves 'em) and some other stuff. Stopped at Eugster's Farm Market on the way back to Stoughton and got a bunch of sweet corn - almost done for the year - and froze it last night. Almost 18 cups from 13 ears, for $5.50! I think that's totally worth the time to get it off the ears and into the freezer. Yesterday, I played piano at church, we had a birthday party for a former neighbor and then we volunteered. We got home and it was nice out - chilly but nice - and so I got to work cutting back all my flowers and putting all the pots away for the season. Felt good to get that done. Then I did the corn and a bunch of other stuff inside. Still have to freeze some tomatoes and peel all the apples I got at the orchard a couple weeks ago...

Thursday, 10/8/09

Hope you had fun at Magic 98's Taste of Home Cooking School a couple days ago. I was there all day helping set up and making some of the recipes you'd see later. Man, I had quite a time with that Flank Steak Santa Fe but it was worth it! Can't wait to get into that magazine and check out the recipes. One of my favorite parts of the night was meeting little Nicole who was there with her Mom and ended up being our volunteer to help during one of the recipes. You'd have thought she was an actress, the way she played it up with Kit, our Culinary Expert. And when I introduced myself to them earlier in the night, I said "I'm Liz" and Mom says "And your husband is Steve and you have a dog, Burt..." and it took me a second. Then I was like - hey, you must read my blog! So thanks for reading this.

Steve gets the "Husband of the Week" award for e-mailing me yesterday and suggesting a date night. Fun! He made a fab dinner and we ate by candlelight. It was really nice because I didn't see him much the day before because the Taste of Home event lasted late into the night. And, it was good to see my Burtiekins, too! I love that dog.

Friday, 10/2/09

I can't remember if I told you or not but I made some refrigerator pickles and they turned out great! I've got a bunch of jars in the fridge. Easy to make...cukes, brine, some spices, and then you let them sit for a few days on the counter. I should get the recipe for you, although it's probably too late for your batch.

Really hope Chicago gets the Olympic bid today. I think it'd be so cool to have them so close to us. Steve asked this morning if I'd want to go and I said yes - why not? It'll never be closer. But the traffic...oh my.

It's apple orchard time...the annual tradition that I make both Steve and my Dad go on. My Mom's a trooper but my Dad will continually complain (in a fun way) about it. I think we're a little early for color but maybe we'll go again. :) We're heading to Reedsburg sometime this weekend to go to the orchard with my parents...I can just taste the caramel apple on the car ride home. Mmmmmmmm.

Tuesday, 9/22/09

Well, I've gotten some perspective on my weekend after seeing the news reports of the flooding down south. After the water damage we had a couple years ago and then some storm damage last year, I can just imagine what those people are going through. It's weird when the place you consider your safe zone - your house - is no longer safe and you can't be in it. THEN where do you go? So I'm still sad about the dog...I don't think that'll go away for awhile...but I'm over the piano. Just thinking about the animals trapped in the flood down there makes me sick to my stomach.

On a lighter note...if this rain makes you want to snuggle up and read, here are a couple books I've had fun with recently. I've always liked Kathie Lee Gifford and while she could be a little annoying about her kids on "Regis & Kathie Lee" she did write a very funny book called "Just When I Thought I'd Dropped My Last Egg." A bunch of short stories from her life...she's hilarious! I also just read Michael J. Fox's book "Adventures of an Incurable Optimist" and that was really good, too...a lot about his struggle with Parkinson's but also his perspective on life and stories about his family. I'm now reading "Made From Scratch - Discovering the Pleasures of a Handmade Life" and it's all about living sustainably. She grows her own food, keeps chickens, bees...all kinds of things...and it's fascinating! Got 'em all at the library - love that place...

Monday, 9/21/09

I'm glad last week is over. Just mentally tiring with big decisions to make and having to make them quickly. Long story short - I found this GREAT dog I wanted to adopt from the Dane County Humane Society. Steve liked her but wasn't in love like I was...and, she was a pit bull, so we both had some hesitancy about that. But we looked into everything and talked to people with pits and I felt good about what we could be for her...a warm home with loving parents. So we're pretty much ready to do it when Steve's Dad has some "thoughts" for us (he happened to be staying with us at the end of the week when we were going to get her)...but by then Steve and I had decided not to get her anyway. He just wasn't ready while I was. It was just hard not getting her when I was so excited to...I mean, we had visited her like five times last week. She was my girl!

Earlier in the week, like Wednesday, I'd randomly heard from an old college boyfriend (whom I hadn't talked to in years) and he was offering me a free grand piano - he's a realtor and his client just wanted to get rid of it. Talk about freaking about - hello, a grand piano is my life's dream!! So I'm super excited and then I go to see it and it's...very...very...old, like 100 years old. We make another visit to see it with a piano expert and he says yep, there's a good chance this thing'll never sound good again and if you want it to, plan on investing about $10,000. DANGIT!!!

I went from complete excitement to being really bummed out. I'm glad it's a new week...

Friday, 9/11/09

My sister seems to be doing ok since my niece left for school; she said the only time she's really had trouble with it is when she sets the table for four...and then remembers it's only three now. My sister is a pretty stoic person - never one to cry at movies or really anything (I saw her cry at a funeral once, that's it) but I wasn't sure how she'd take all of this. It's her first child and her only daughter! But Amanda's doing well and while she plans to switch rooms, she seems to be excited about college so far.

I'm so disappointed in the tomatoes this year. It's a major bummer that my deck crop is pretty much at a standstill...and that's not saying much since they were small and hard to begin with. I'll try to grow them again next year and see if different plants make a difference. My zucchini never took off, either...

However! My peppers are doing really well and I just planted round 2 of the lettuce for the year. Hope I missed the really hot weather so it doesn't turn bitter.

I talked about this yesterday on the air while I filled in for Amy Abbott - Segoe Rd is such a beautiful stretch of street, right in the middle of Madison. All those trees make me want to live there...reminds me of the street I grew up on with a big tree canopy. In the fall, before the leaves fell, it was the most gorgeous, colorful burst of nature. Can't wait for the leaves to turn this year!

Monday, 8/31/09

Hope you had a good weekend. I think we've had about two free weekends this entire summer so it was nice to be home yesterday and clean the garage (yes, I did go to church first :). This is right up my alley - Steve, not so much. I'm Shop-Vac-ing all over the place, tossing this and recycling that. Anyway, nice to see a clean garage this morning.

Burt ran away last week. Steve was mowing the lawn and he was there one second, gone the next. An hour later, there he was...sauntering down the street and when he saw Steve, he just laid down in the shade and waited for him! It wasn't funny in the middle of it but on the back end it is. Strange timing as I found out after Burt came back that my parents' dog was hit by a car that same day - ran out in the road and - SCREEEEEEEEECH - the Jeep hauling a boat driving by almost did it. Beau had a black mark on his head and his paw was bruised but that was it. Ugh, that'd be awful to have to deal with that. I could not handle it.

I got the nicest thank you package from my niece Amanda for the weekend she spent at our house. The hand-written note said "Thanks for being so interested in my life...I think of you more as a big sister than an aunt...I look up to you and want to be just like you when I'm older..." She sent this super cool umbrella we saw at Target - she wanted nothing to do with pink/red and loved blue/green. I could not understand how she did not love this pattern! So she bought it for me and said to think of her when it rains. It did rain the very next day and using that umbrella was a specatular burst of sunshine, just like her...

Wednesday, 8/26/09

Meryl Streep has been in some great movies lately. I finally saw "Mamma Mia" with my niece when she was visiting. I was like OK, this is going to be total cheese but it turned out to be really good! (We only got it because it's Amanda's favorite movie...I wanted to watch "The Holiday" which we also rented, but was overruled and we watched "Mamma" first). Still cheesy, but great music and Meryl Streep was fantastic. The set was gorgeous, too. I just saw "Julie and Julia" at Sundance with a couple girlfriends last week...tres bien, as Julia would say! She's amazing as Julia Child and since I went to France years ago in high school, it was fun to see that setting as well. And then "The Devil Wears Prada" was on TV and I caught some of that last night...talk about opposite roles...from that to Julia Child is about as far of a gap as you can have. She's so cold and calculated as Miranda Priestley and so joyful and easygoing as Julia Child. Really talented!

Wednesday, 8/19/09

I think my destiny in life is to live on a small farm, raise animals, have a bunch of dogs and can food all day. (That means Steve is gonna have to make the big bucks to pay the mortgage because I want to live in an old farmhouse on a lot of land). Seriously! I'm really into the idea of sustainable living, growing your own food, raising animals that eat well and are treated humanely and trying to live a simpler life. I am in love with the magazine called "Organic Gardening" and also have been scooping up any other magazines at the library about these topics. I think it's the culmination of reading about older folks who've made it through life with less (and were just fine for it) and knowing that we can't all just keeping taking, taking, taking without some sort of consequence on Earth. I'm not going off the deep end here, just trying to make small changes in my own life that cumulatively can make a big difference...and just think if we all made those changes! For me, it helped to think about where things came from...like the food you buy in the grocery store. I went to get a can of mushrooms awhile ago and looked on the back - they were from China. No thanks! I'll go without or eat fresh ones. Just thinking about little things like that has helped me realize it's about more than me, right here, right now.

Wednesday, 8/12/09

Turns out about three people read this blog - my sister Kim, you and my niece Amanda! Who knew. Amanda told me this last weekend when she was up and I got in trouble for not writing more often. How is that my young niece chides me for something?!

We had such a good time. Her graduation present was a shopping trip for college and I swear, we drove hither and yon (my Mom always says that - I've always wanted to write it, not even sure that's how it's spelled!) and shopped like crazy. Talk about feeling old. I remember shopping with my Mom at that age and thinking - hurry up, wouldya! And here I am, the exact same way. Like, I cannot shop for eight hours straight anymore! We bought all the boring stuff - laundry detergent, Ziploc bags, a can opener - and some fun stuff like dishes, an umbrella and an alarm clock. We wanted to hit the Farmer's Market but that was the morning it stormed so badly; we also wanted to paint pottery somewhere but didn't get to that, either. So, now we'll have something to do when she visits this fall...and just when I thought she'd be coming here to see ME she said "Oh, and we can hang out when I come to Madison to see my best friend Haley (who's going to the UW)...and I'll be coming like five times because I'll miss her so much. Maybe I can stay with you?" I guess I'll take what I can get... :)

Wednesday, 8/5/09

If you are a state park kinda person and haven't visited Governor Dodge State Park near Dodgeville, you have to go. We went to celebrate Steve's birthday and had a great time. It's a big park with two lakes - both with special places for dogs, which rocked, because Burt loves being in the water - a couple campgrounds, hiking trails, picnic areas (we packed one, of course!) and horse trails. We saw a sandhill crane in the marsh near where we were throwing sticks for Burt - super cool!! I took like 50 pictures of it. There's also this waterfall you can hike to - an easy, close hike from the road - and it's beautiful! Probably better in the spring instead of now when it's so dry but really cool nonetheless, and right up the trail is the spring house that feeds the waterfall. It was used by the Stephens' family - I guess their homestead was on this land and the waterfall is named for them - as a cooling area for their milk, etc., way back when. The best part about these park visits is that it's so inexpensive to get a park pass, you're outside enjoying the beautiful Wisconsin countryside (I know that sounds cheesy but really! We have a lot to see around here) and it's an easy drive so you don't have to be gone overnight. Love it!

Wednesday, 7/22/09

My flower garden is officially outta control! The flowers look great - I haven't killed anything - but the weeds are everywhere. Probably didn't help that I accidentally put Miracle Grow on them last week. HELLO!! I was watering the flowers around this at-the-time-small weed patch and was half paying attention as I moved the watering can around and then realized I was fertilizing the weeds!! So last night, as it was trying to rain, I got out there and dug up a bunch of them. Helps when the ground is wet - you can finally get the whole thing, root and all.

Someday I hope to be the kind of gardeners that my Mom and sister Chris are. My Mom's getting tired of it - too many big gardens, too much to do as she gets older - but my sister rocks it! I mean, it could be in a magazine it's so beautiful. At my niece's graduation party the other weekend Chris' flower garden was in perfect form...everything was blooming, no weeds (I could learn a thing or two) and the landscape just was breathtaking. She got lots of compliments and it was neat to just sit back and watch her enjoy the comments. She really deserved it - it's a lot of work.

Oh, and Amanda's party was really cool. She has fun friends. At one point, Amanda, Chris and I started dancing in the sunroom by the food - a great song was on the radio - and then all her friends ran in and joined us! No shame in breakin' it down!!

Friday, 6/26/09

The news about Michael Jackson is so weird. First of all, I would not have guessed that he was 50. And he's dead! It's like, really? It's almost like we think celebrities will never die. That's one concert I wish I could have gone to...had he done a North American tour I think I would've tried really hard to go. Bet his concerts back in the day were amazing. He was creepy sometimes, yeah, but I remember him from the 80s when his music was really popular. I grew up with it. I remember sitting in my friend Tressa's brother's bedroom listening to "Beat It" and "Billie Jean" thinking that they were the coolest songs. Then in high school, my boyfriend made me a mix tape (God, they were the best weren't they!) with "I Just Can't Stop Loving You" on it (I know, we were cheesy). And later, I remember it was summer and I was driving in my convertible with the top down on my first date with my college boyfriend and he was like "You're listening to Michael Jackson?!" Surprised he didn't end it right there but I was like "Yeah!!" Pretty pivotal artist for my generation, I'd say...

Thursday, 6/18/09

So my niece's graduation was super fun. It turned out to be a nice day and we were all hot in the bleachers, which was better than being wet. Amanda loved the signs, especially since we were the only family really doing it. Another family had a sign but it was pretty weak. My nephew, Corey, was not thrilled with the attention the signs brought on us and really doesn't want us to make them when he graduates in a few years. Party pooper!!

We used our new tent for the second time this year when we slept outside of my sisters' that night before graduation. Tent worked well, especially since it rained steadily all night...other than a bit of wetness in one corner, we were all good. Burt still doesn't get the whole sleeping in a tent deal, however. He was soooooo tired from playing with my sisters' dogs all night so we thought he'd fall asleep fast and hard, but still just sat next to us all night long, staring at Steve. This happened not long ago when we used the tent the first time at Devil's Lake. I think it's pretty funny but as time goes on and Burt's not falling asleep, Steve is less and less amused. I mean, just picture it - the dog is sitting there, in the dark, just staring at Steve. So Steve wakes up and Burt's right by his face staring at him. I don't know, something about it makes me laugh really hard!

Friday, 6/12/09

Ahh...the sun's out, it's Friday and it's so nice! I was off last week and while we didn't go anywhere, it was nice to just be home and enjoy being off. We did some yard work, I played with Burt a lot, we went to the Dells for a day and cleaned the house. Luckily, we had good weather. Btw, we rode the Ducks in the Dells (the Original Ducks) and it was my first time - it was so cool! I hope you have some Dells Kick Off Cards so you can ride them for free. It's a beautiful trail to the water and then when you're on the river, so peaceful. I hate to say it but the most interesting part was seeing where Lake Delton fell apart last year. You go right by it.

Amanda graduates tomorrow. I'm making big signs! We'll hoot and holler and embarrass her but hey, that's what family's for, right?!

Thursday, 5/21/09

What a strange feeling I have. My niece turns 18 tomorrow and it is so weird! I just talked to her on the phone and I thought - My God, she's an adult! She's going off to college next year and I had hoped it would be here in Madison but it didn't work out. I had it all figured out - I'd cook for her at our house, she could stay over, I'd take her out to dinner when she was stressed and buy her groceries. All the things my sister Chris did for me when I was in college. Her graduation is coming up and I swear, I practically bawl just thinking about it! And her mom/my sister, who's not an emotional person, is also having a hard time with it. I mean, it literally seems like yesterday we were celebrating her 1st birthday at her parents' little apartment...and then it was Christmas when she was a toddler and she was pouting over some gift I got her (a pink dress from the Gap when she wanted toys!)...and then she asked me to come down from college and participate in VIP day in her class (how cute!)...and I still remember all the times she came up to stay with me before I got married. We would go to a concert or something musical at the Civic Center/Overture and go out for a fancy dinner. Once, we skipped arm-in-arm all the way from the Monona Terrace to the Overture Center. People looked at us but we didn't care! She's got such a fun spirit, beautiful smile and joyful heart. She laughs a lot, plays piano like you would not believe and is super smart. I'm so lucky to be her aunt. Love you Amanda and Happy Birthday!

Monday, 4/20/09

So about four years ago I bought this great coffeemaker...espresso, cappuccino and coffee maker in one. It was the day after Thanksgiving and I got out early to buy this $100 thing for a mere 50 bucks. I was super excited to use it and then that Christmas, I got sick and lost my taste for coffee. Fast forward to a couple months ago and I'm back to drinking coffee but buying it at the coffee shop, which you and I know is now considered a luxury that I should maybe be giving up due to budget issues. Then I remember my coffeemaker, now down in the basement! Well, I'm not big on directions (no patience for that stuff) so luckily I married Steve who is a peach and reads it all and figures it out. And this morning, I made a pot of Steep & Brew's Vanilla Almond coffee. I had to add a bunch of half and half and some sugar but it was yummy!

Wednesday, 4/15/09

Easter was really fun - I hope you had a good weekend, too. As predicted, it was total chaos with five dogs but it turned out ok...especially since Burt was not the naughtiest this time around! After we left, a couple of the other dogs got my Mom's homemade pies from the counter (rhubarb and pecan, both sooooo good), dragged them to the dining room and ate 'em up. No one noticed for a little while and by then the dogs were just sitting under the table licking the pans!! FOR ONCE it was not Burt's fault!

Speaking of naughty dogs, Steve surprised me with a movie night last night and got "Marley & Me." First, you must read the book. Everyone told me that for years and I never read it...finally did and was so glad. The movie is good - Jennifer Aniston is very sweet as Jenny Grogan but Owen Wilson didn't portray John as well as he could've, I thought. The movie is much more about John's life struggles than about the dog, which is the center of the book. The book is just a hundred times better. See the movie but read the book first. I just wanted to snuggle my little boy all night after seeing it.

Thursday, 4/9/09

All holidays are important and fun at my parents' house. We've always made a big deal of Christmas (the biggest), Thanksgiving, Easter and Father's/Mother's Day. My brother is always really busy with his NFL job and my one sister and her family are the world's busiest people (I mean seriously - can you answer your phone once in awhile?!) so when we all get together, it's special. I thought for sure I'd told you the story of my Mom's "Let's Make A Deal Game" but maybe I haven't. So I'll tell you quick - a few Easters ago, after the traditional egg hunt outside in my parents' yard after Easter church, we start to play "Let's Make A Deal" in the driveway by the garage. My parents have three garage doors on the barn and so one of my siblings is playing Door 1, the other does 2 and then it's my turn for 3. My Mom's Monte (or is it Monty?) and she has this big wad o'cash she's trying to give me instead of what's behind Door 3. I'm thinking - I can't take my Mom's money! But I'm worried about what's behind the door...maybe a donkey!! (I loved that part in the show - what goes around comes around maybe?!) Anyway, I choose Door 3 and someone opens the doors and it's my parents' car...ok, I think...so I'm told to open the back doors of the SUV and it's a big new TV! I'd been using my super-small TV since college and they had gotten me a big one. Turns out the whole thing was planned with everyone else - they were all in on it - and I never had a clue. That's my Mom for ya - she's so creative and fun.

So, while I'm not expecting another big game show moment, I'm looking forward to this weekend when we all will meet at my parents' for a big dinner Saturday night. It will be chaos as usual - my parents adopted a dog - Bo - so Burt will meet him and my sister is bringing her family's two big dogs along with the neighbor dog they're dogsitting. That's five dogs, two parents, four siblings, two spouses and two grandkids...and the house isn't that big! And, while we won't all get to go to church together on Sunday, we will have each other and the real reason for Easter in our hearts.

I hope you have a Happy Easter with your family and friends!

Monday, 3/23/09

I've been working hard to not work so hard on the weekends, to slow down and sit around a little more, hang out with Steve and the dog a little more, etc. It's difficult for me but I think it's helping me mentally. So this past weekend, I parked it in front of the TV for a couple of my favorite movies, both of which I stumbled across on TV. "Under The Tuscan Sun" is so good...I love Diane Lane...and what girl hasn't dreamt of leaving everything behind and buying a little villa in Europe, on your own? And then "The Holiday" was on last night - Steve was like "Oh, GREAT." Another one about leaving your troubles behind and starting anew - and interesting that both have the male element that does the woman wrong and she triumphs! LOVE IT! I especially love the country house in "The Holiday"...something about the English countryside, crackling fire in the fireplace, clawfoot tub... If you haven't seen these movies, grab your girlfriends, get some fun appetizers and enjoy!

Wednesday, 3/11/09

Well, this is exciting news! We bought a new toilet. Steve actually bought it alone but we checked them out together last weekend. My goodness, is there anything more adult-like than this?! Here we are in Home Depot, looking up at all the possible choices wondering...why don't they put these down closer to the floor? Shouldn't you be able to kinda try them out for size?! Sit on 'em, get a feel for it, see if it fits. I'm not being gross here, I'm serious! I just find it funny that that's the way they're displayed. And so technical now, too...like rating systems for how fast they flush and how much...um...I think they refer to it as "matter"...can get pushed through at once. I swear I'm not making this up. When was the last time YOU bought a toilet?!

Monday, 3/2/09

I don't know who started it in our family but someone got a Mushroom Kit and then we all wanted one. I think my Mom got one, then my sister and I finally got mine for my birthday awhile ago and it's pretty neat. You buy a box of compost and spritz it with water everyday for a couple weeks and then button mushrooms start to grow. Right now it's living in our lower-level bathtub, so Burt won't eat the dirt. We picked our first few over the weekend and a couple of them are huge, like the size of my fist! Much bigger than the buttons you get in the grocery store. I think the box cost $40-$50 so it's not necessarily cost-effective but there is something to be said about growing your own food. Now we're just trying to figure out what to do with all these mushrooms! We'll get a second crop in a week or two, and, if we're lucky, a third after that. Then you can recycle the dirt by putting it in your houseplants or growing seedlings in them before summer. I love it!!

Thursday, 2/26/09

It's thundering right now, which is slightly disturbing considering it's February 26th!! I am so ready for green grass and flowers and all that happiness but I AM NOT interested in all the rain and storms that come with spring and summer. Seriously, it's pouring right now! It sounds like the roof is going to cave in...wait, I just looked...that's because it's hailing! Don't you prefer snow, which we can track and really prepare for, instead of abrupt rain and thunderstorms? And at least you can be outside while it's snowing, which you really can't do with rain. Travel safely the next couple days!

I'm looking forward to a quiet night of TV and homemade popcorn with Steve and Burt. We don't agree on much TV but we do on The Office and ER, so hopefully both are new tonight. Can't wait to see George Clooney back on ER...I think I heard today that'll be March 12th.

Thursday, 2/12/09

I was listening to Magic today while out doing errands and I heard a Journey song - Faithfully - and I just had to chuckle because man, there was a time when all that song meant to me was high school, my boyfriend at the time and a specific dance. I mean, I couldn't imagine at the time that I would ever not feel strong emotions when I heard that song. Of course, in high school, you can't really see past Friday night and going out with friends but here I was, at the stoplight on the way to Target, living my adult life, and that came on. It brought back memories...wow...but it's amazing how we move on with our lives and songs just go right along with us. Sometimes they take on new meaning as well, with our new experiences.

Tuesday, 2/4/09

Well hello, a month later! We're past the inauguration, Super Bowl and already into February...weird! Steve and I are excited for his sister's wedding later this year and we've both been asked to be in it (I think we're even standing up together, which will be cute...say it with me...awwww). Caryn and I have been on the phone a lot about details (good thing I kept every little scrap of paper from my wedding) and it's been fun to go through the process again, except I'm not paying for it and I'm not nervous about everything!

We distinctly remember when Burt calmed down the first time - it was after he'd been fixed and we were pretty happy because by then, frankly, we wanted to send him back. It happened again more noticeably in early 2007 and, much to our surprise, it's happening now. He's just gotten so mellow at home and we're LOVING IT!!! He's going to be 3 this spring so I suppose that fits in with the lab timelines I've heard from other doggie parents. I think it's time for another little puppy!!!

Wednesday, 12/31/08

In some ways, 2008 went quickly and in other ways, verrrrrrry slowly. I've never been really into New Year's and reflecting on the past year/resolutions for the next year. I over-think things enough as it is - I don't need to make a point of it! But this time around, I'm really going to try and appreciate the good things 2008 brought me and my family because there were plenty of not-so-great things. Things to be thankful for: getting through my Dad's cancer scare (they caught it in time earlier this year and his check-up later in 08 was momentarily dicey but turned out ok), Steve wasn't hurt worse in his bike accident, we got through our storm damage issues, another year of marriage, having a job and that we were all together for my parents' surprise wedding anniversary earlier this month. Considering we all didn't make it home for Christmas, that anniversary celebration was pretty special. So, in 2009, I'm looking forward to good health for my family, lots of fun memories made when the whole family's together, more adventures with Steve and Burt and a storm-free summer! I'm gonna have to get with Gary "Indiana" Cannalte for that last one...I think he can help!

Happy New Year!

Monday, 12/22/08

I love the snow but yeesh enough is enough! I don't like it when it interferes with travel and I have a bad feeling my family is not going to get together later this week because of it. I hope your travels go well.

Spent last weekend with Steve's family but we had to leave early due to the super cold weather and it was a good thing we did - the roads were not great. White-knuckling it is no fun! It was fun while we were there, though, and the snow fell - the Fox Valley got about six inches. We were snuggled inside with a fire, family and lots of yummy food. Plus gifts! It was a change after we were first married to spend Christmas away from my family but it's getting easier every year and memories like we made last weekend help that. Plus, we celebrated Steve's sister's engagement with some champagne and lots of wedding talk!

Merry Christmas to you!

Friday, 12/12/08

'Tis the season to pack a bunch of stuff in! My oh my.

Last weekend was crazy busy with two surprise parties...one for Magic 98's Pat O'Neill for his 25 years at Magic 98 and one was for my parents' wedding anniversary. Both turned out really well - Pat couldn't have been more stunned and my parents' thing was a series of surprises...all of the kids (my siblings) came to my brother's and we jumped in the house, then we gave them a scrapbook I'd put together of memories, pictures and notes from a bunch of family friends, then the limo came, we went to dinner and then had cake, one with a picture of them on it. I think that technology is so cool. Anyway, a chaotic but fun weekend!

I was thinking about what I'd get as Christmas gifts for my Magic Crew co-workers if money was no object and I had all sorts of connections. Wouldn't that be fun!

For Pat O'Neill, a one-on-one lunch with Carly Simon...he's always loved her.

For Bob Bonner, lots of snow which means lots of money for his landscaping/snow removal business.

For Amy Abbott, a bunch of cool bird feeders for her backyard and a clear, easy drive both home and to see her boyfriend (she's not a big fan of the snow...)

For Lanette Hansen, a surprise meeting with Jillian from "The Biggest Loser" - she'd freak out!

For Jim McGaw, more hours in the day since he seems to always be running behind and a Personal Assistant to keep him organized.

For Kathryn Vaughn, someone to buy all of her artwork and give her a big commission, too.

Monday, 11/24/08

Ok, in a much better mood now that it snowed! LOVE IT! I love to watch Burt scoot around like a seal...I love seeing other animal tracks in the snow...I love the way it quiets the neighborhood...I love it on the trees and on the real evergreen garland on some houses (like my parents')...and I love to see Steve out shoveling and not me! :) I am lucky that he does all that.

Speaking of Burt, check another thing off the "he's eaten it" list. Had a canvas tote bag on the kitchen counter with rice cakes and peanut butter in it. Steve got home the other night and Burt had grabbed the whole bag from the counter, ate all the PB (opened the jar and everything!) and didn't even touch the rice cakes...

Wednesday, 11/19/08

As much as I love Christmas and the holidays in general, there's a part of me that wishes we could just go from Thanksgiving to the new year and be done with all that other business. Everything just turns stressful and it somehow is not as fun as it should be. Nevermind the real reason for the season - that gets lost, too. Sending out cards, buying the perfect gifts, decorating the house, cooking and baking, work stuff, traveling, blah blah blah. And forget about trying to do something extra, like a surprise for someone...because inevitably someone will say something and then poof, all that work is down the tubes. Yeesh! I'm such a Scrooge today. It needs to snow...then I'll feel better about it.

Friday, 11/7/08

I think I've told you how I love trucks. Steve and I have wanted a Toyota Tundra for a long time - the big one - but we just can't do it. Mostly because of gas prices but also because of its impact on the environment. But man, now that the snow is coming, I'd LOVE LOVE LOVE one!! A big black one passed me the other day on the Beltline and I'm sure they thought I was a freak because I just stared at it as it went by thinking "I'll never have one like you!"

Tuesday, 11/4/08

You better have voted today! I did, early, and already there was a line...took me 25 minutes, which wasn't bad, except that there was a guy and his two kids right behind me and they were rambunctious. I love that word. Anyway, the boy kept clicking this toy he had (the entire time- he was like 10-11) and the girl (younger, probably 6-7?) had this headband that she kept fiddling with. I was really happy they were there and were excited about the voting process but everyone was looking because they were so loud! I asked my Mom - because I was annoyed with them, does that mean I wouldn't be a good mom or does that mean I'd try to be sure my kids weren't that annoying?! I was seriously worried about it. She said, (and I know this) that sometimes you can't control your kids and that you develop more patience for that kind of thing once you're a parent. Then she said people probably thought they were my kids because I was right next to them! Great.

I know what Amy Abbott meant in her blog that it would be weird to not vote on Election Day...I don't think I could do the absentee thing. There's something about going in the day of, filling it out and putting it in the counter-thing. What is that thing, anyway?!

On another note...food...I'm working really hard to eat better. I packed lunches today for Steve and me that included a high-fiber wrap with turkey, green peppers, avocado, lite cream cheese, tomatoes and some spices. I also packed a bag of soy chips, rice cakes with peanut butter, a banana and some apple juice. I e-mailed Lanette because I've been talking with her about my new approach and we had a great conversation recently about eating better for ourselves and for the animals involved. And, ok, I wanted a little pat on the back for eating all this stuff!! Here's what she wrote back: My Lord!!! I AM so proud!!! I actually bought free-range eggs last week based on our conversation a couple weeks ago. We’re so good.... J

Thursday, 10/30/08

I've got three big fans of this blog - they're about the only ones that read the delicious content, I'm sure! - and they're my sister Kim (hi sissy!), my friend Perry and an old family friend named Jamie. Jamie especially has been on me to say hello to him and share this one story from a long time ago. It doesn't really represent my family very well, though! And I'm not sure I was even born when it took place but Jamie was reading the blog and said hey, how come that story isn't in there?! So here it is. My sisters - and frankly my whole family - can be naughty, like playing little tricks on people and stuff like that. I guess once many years ago they asked Jamie if he wanted some peach juice (my Mom canned peaches so we used to drink the juice) and he said yes and instead they gave him liquid grease! NICE, huh!! Of course, to this day, every time we see Jamie, he brings that up and retells it and adds several more embellishments. Part of why it's funny is because HE is one of the funniest people ever and he tells it so well.

And hello to Perry as well. He's also very funny but in a different way - like we share stories about our lives and he can just relate. I so appreciate friends like that. And he's very thoughtful and always makes time for me. So Perry, here's your shout-out, too! Fall's a good time to catch up with old friends and meet for a warm cup of coffee or lunch. I love this time of the year for so many reasons and that's one of them.

Monday, 10/27/08

Oh my, that wind yesterday was crazy! I thought the trees would blow over. We picked yesterday morning to finish cleaning the garage (Uh, duh! First, we should have been at church and second, it was freeeezing) and we finally finished. So the cold and wind and overall discomfort was worth it. Nails are in bins, shovels hung up and shoes put away. Still some stuff to sort but it's minimal so that's a huge relief to just be done with it.

We're done with our farm share but I've still got a bunch of food to freeze. Potatoes everywhere, lots of carrots and some squash. The freezer is full already! And I'm running out of potato ideas. Steve's not a big broth-y soup guy so I can't do too much of that. I've got to use up a few leeks as well as beets so I'll be tackling that one of these nights.

We've been without the Burt for several days now. He's hunting with Steve's dad...and having a great time, I'm sure! He lives for the cold weather and can go, go, go on days like this! It's weird without him but we're getting a lot done both inside and out. If he'd been around when were doing the garage, he'd be into everything! But he's a peach and I miss my boy.

Thursday, 10/16/08

Finally able to schedule some time with my girlfriends for a night out. Kristin just had a baby and also has a toddler, Sarah is out of town a lot and I've been on vaca and busy here. So, because Kris couldn't venture far from home because of the baby, we went to a fantastic wine tasting at Bistro 101 in Mt. Horeb. Five courses of food and wine...my fave was the first course - fresh mozzarella with pine nut pesto on mixed greens...and the dessert was a big portion of tiramisu. We rated each wine and it varied but mostly agreed on the Pinot Noir from Mark West. It had been a long time since we'd gotten together and it was fun to catch up and laugh about old memories, as well as compare how much gray hair we all have. I'm in the lead with none...so far.

Tuesday, 10/14/08

More driving! We celebrated our wedding anniversary up north again...same B&B...even better leaves on the way up. Dropped Burt off at my parents this time and took the very scenic route from Reedsburg through LaValle and on to Mauston. I forget the highway now but it was just stunning. We missed peak up north by a few days but it was still beautiful. I hope our anniversary never becomes just another day. Love you Steve!!

So we're back to pick up the dog at my parents and - I might have told you this - for Burt, going to my parents is like going on vacation. Going to Steve's parents is like boot camp. They're loving but strict and very much practice the Cesar Millan way (we do, too, but I don't follow it as closely as I maybe should, thus resulting in the dog being naughty because he doesn't know who's in charge). So, my Mom is all about lots of treats, she thinks it's funny if he grabs a shoe and prances around with it, they're not big on commands, she likes to overfeed him, etc. But, both my parents love animals and especially dogs and certainly do this with all the best intentions and genuine doggy-love in their hearts! I say Mom, whatever you do, don't feed him people food and for sure nothing from the table. We've worked hard at that so he doesn't beg. She says OK and we leave him for the weekend. We get back and he's doing well - tired from running around, but good. Right before we leave for home, she gives him a little rawhide bone and then we find out it's the 4th in about 24 hours. Yep, just as I thought, we're in the car on the way home, Burt's in the back seat and he just let's 'em rip. I mean...THE NASTIEST gas you have ever smelled!! I guess I forgot to tell my Mom that's what happens when he has rawhides?! Now we're home and he gets a bath from Steve because he's been laying in my Mom's flower gardens all weekend. After that, he just looks sick...like the sick you were when you were a kid and you ate too many chocolate chip cookies. Your stomach just feels awful and you know you shouldn't have eaten them but you can't help it. Poor boy...he alternated between sleeping and passing gas all night long...and actually sometimes he did both at the same time. He's doing fine now but Mom, no more rawhides! :)

Tuesday, 9/30/08

Wow, back from a much-needed vacation! The short story - we drove out west to Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks (a crazy amount of driving - something like 55 hours in the car!) and spent time in neat places like Cody and Jackson Hole, WY. Stayed in amazing B&Bs as well as Old Faithful Inn and the Lake Yellowstone Hotel. Both parks are unbelievable...the wildlife, the trees (perfect timing to see the leaves change), the geysers, the old hotels...it was so far away and remote (a lot fewer people this time of the year - in fact, many of the park's lodges close very soon for the winter), so it felt a week's vaca was a month.

Then, jetted to Milwaukee yesterday for the Celine Dion concert. That new interchange is great, I'm sure, but it screwed up our drive in and almost made us late! I guess I should get my own map next time since my sister Chris said "Oh, I know where we're going!" We sat on the floor - the best possible seats I could buy - and she ended up walking in on our side of the Bradley Center, about seven people away! We were about 10 rows from the stage. She sang all the classics, a couple news ones and some covers as well. Other than the drive in - and out! Hello, get some cops on the streets down there to help direct traffic...yeesh - it was a really cool way to end my time off.

Thursday, 9/18/08

Have you been loving this weather or what?! The rain prediction last weekend scared me a little but it turned out ok and now the grass looks so good! Except in the parts where little Burt does his duty...

Anyway, it was so nice to drive around with the windows down the last few days and have the windows up at night as well. The fields look good, the trees are just starting to change (most of them - there's one across the lot from us here at Magic and it's done - it's a dark wine color now) and we'll only smell the glorious fragrance of fresh-cut grass for a little while longer. I drove by some city workers mowing a boulevard (I think I was on Whitney Way toward University) and I just breathed it in as I went on my way. This is definitely my favorite time of year. Just enjoy! The snow will be here soon.

Thursday, 9/11/08

Seven years after 9/11, it's still hard for me to really think about it or watch TV shows about it. A documentary was on not long ago about the towers and that day...I watched it for awhile but just got sick to my stomach thinking about all the people trying to get out. What makes it even more strange is that I was in NYC with my Mom in October 2000 for a broadcasting event; we didn't go up in the towers but drove by in front on a tour bus. We could have just as easily gone there in the fall of '01. Years before that, I was in town for another broadcasting event with a group from college and we did go up in the towers - I distinctly remember the lobby, waiting in line for the elevators, going up, being at the top. In fact, I just ran across that photo album last weekend and it was so weird to see those pictures of us at the top.

The hardest part, though, is that I have a picture of someone who died that day. When my Mom and I were there, we went to the Today Show to be in the crowd outside. VP Al Gore was coming to the show that day so many of the streets near Rockefeller were closed and there were lots of police around. We got to talking to a couple cops and because I thought one of them was cute, we asked them for a pic. So there I am in the middle of these two young police officers. We went on our way and they theirs...only after 9/11 did we begin to think that maybe our short-time friends were affected. We know a former cop from Long Island so he did some digging for us and it turns out that one of the guys died that day. My Mom called his father and they talked...it was difficult for her, I remember that...and I ended up speaking to him some time later as well. She sent him that picture - it was meaningful to him because the other guy was a good family friend so seeing the two of them together (minus tourist me in the middle) was a special keepsake.

His name was Joseph Vigiano and he was actually memorialized in a 2002 documentary about that day called "Twin Towers." Here's the description from Amazon:

Twin Towers began as a documentary about New York City's public safety workers and became a relevant record of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. Law and Order producer Dick Wolf was looking for a new reality show and found a perfect, exciting group to film: NYPD Emergency Services Squad 3. This elite force is on call for a variety of extreme situations--armed sieges, rescues on ice, climbing massive bridges to help potential jumpers--making it a natural for Wolf's type of TV show. The program never aired, but the footage shot is the backbone for this Oscar-winning documentary short. The squad--who always wants to be first to the scene--took a heavy blow when the twin towers collapsed: 14 men died, including Joseph Vigiano, a talented officer who had roots in public service (his dad and brother were firefighters). In a brief 33 minutes, we hear from father John Sr. and the men of squad C about the brothers, the job, and that fateful September day. The film doesn't have the verisimilitude of 9/11 nor is it a dynamic film; it feels more like an excellently produced segment of a TV news magazine. Yet this tribute is unquestionably moving, effective, and a testament to everyday heroes. --Doug Thomas

My Mom bought the film and to this day, I can't watch it. I just can't do it. What's worse - the worst - is that they lost two members of that family that day.

Here's info on the film...on the cover of the DVD is a picture. I had my picture taken with Joe, the one on the right. I don't keep the picture of the three of us up at home - I've thought about it but every time I look at it I'm just so incredibly sad for him and his family. But, that's the easy way out...and I suppose in tribute to him I should have it up because he certainly didn't choose the easy way out. That would have been walking away from the towers that day...and he walked in.

Friday, 9/5/08

So I was in bed last night with the windows open and the ceiling fan on and it was COLD but I loved it. I went to bed early and it was great but the best part was the cold air. I think I've told you that I grew up in an old house that was often heated with our big wood stove in the downstairs living room. That meant that the heat basically stopped at the upstairs staircase and you were on your own after that! Multiple layers of clothes were very important as were big blankets. It's not like we didn't have heat...it's just that it was definitely cooler upstairs. We all joke that you could see your breath on those cold winter mornings and that there was ice on the INSIDE of the windows as well as the outside! So, I'm very used to - and love, actually - cold air around me/blowing while I sleep. Somewhere out of the blue last night I thought of my old house and that we used soap stones...old thin slabs of stones with handles that you'd put on the wood stove and warm up, then put in your bed to help you stay warm all night. I loved ours! My Mom made this little sleeve for it so you wouldn't get burned with your skin directly on the stone. I'd let it heat up, then carry it upstairs to my bed for my little feet. I'm not interested in having a wood stove now but sure wish I could have a soap stone again.

Wednesday, 8/27/08

My sister and her family were in the Dells Saturday (at Noah's) and I decided to go at the last second. I used to work in the Dells years ago so really can't stand to go there unless absolutely necessary - like anything, too much of a good thing is still...too much. People don't know where they're going, traffic's always backed up, everything's crowded, blah blah blah. So, initially, I was like, well, you guys have fun with that! But then I zipped up there and really had a good time. We laughed like crazy watching each other on the rides - our favorites were Black Thunder, Black Anaconda, Stingray and the Big Kahuna. Geez, the price has gone up, though! I paid $35 bucks! Should've brought that Pepsi can with the discount...

Thursday, 8/21/08

I just heard from a friend that she didn't get the job she wanted - and frankly, very much deserved. I really truly thought all this time she'd get it; in fact, when it was first posted, we talked about it and I said then that she'd be perfect. I feel so genuinely sad for her. She's a super positive person so I'm sure it won't set her back for long but it got me thinking about the emotions we have for other people and situations.

When I found out my best friend had a miscarriage right before my wedding but didn't tell me because she didn't want to ruin my big day, I swear my heart broke into a thousand pieces. To make it worse, she told me over the phone because we live in different parts of the state. I remember being on the phone with her and just crying so hard for her and for the tough decision she made not to tell me...and also that I wasn't there for her during that time.

So, today I'm bummed for my jobless friend...I'd like to tell the committee that didn't choose her what a big mistake they made!! Then again, I believe that everything happens for a reason so there must be something else even better coming her way!

Tuesday, 8/19/08

Oh, my...I've never done this before. I forgot my sisters' birthday. I feel terrible. I was talking to my brother yesterday and he's like "Did you call the girls on their birthday?" (because each of us calls the birthday boy/girl and sings to them really early in the morning) and I was like "NO!!!" For a moment there, I actually forgot when their birthday was...he had to tell me. It's been a long, long summer for a lot of reasons and I just spaced on it. So I e-mailed them and said hey, I hope all those years of awesome presents made up for forgetting! Luckily, they're old enough not to worry about that stuff and said it was ok but I still feel bad.

I seriously cannot believe that the Taste of Madison is, like, next weekend! Unreal! While I'm excited for the Magic 98 stage (RPM is back - yes! I know it's because John Ford Coley missed Lanette and me from last year.), I wish it didn't signal the end of summer. However, since I love to eat 24/7, I am looking forward to that part of it...chocolate chip egg rolls...curry dishes...Michael's Frozen Custard...and whatever else I can find!

Monday, 8/11/08

I think I've mentioned that my niece goes to college in a year. I'm already having a hard time with it and then I talk to my sister - her mom - and we're both like "OMIGOD! It can't be!" I just hope she is accepted where she wants to go and the decision isn't super stressful...there's enough going on your senior year of high school and I think it's even worse now with so much competition between students. Chris and Amanda (along with Corey, my nephew and Amanda's boyfriend) were up this weekend to tour the UW and they asked me along - it was really fun. After I got over the fact that I'm old - and my sister is really old - next to all those kids, we had a good time walking around the campus and hearing what campus life might be like for her. I'm trying not to get my hopes up...after all, it is her college experience, not mine!...but what I really want is to be close to her so having her here would be really great. We keep talking about it...she can come over to the house for a home-cooked meal, do her laundry, whatever. I have great memories of going to my sister's house when I was in college and I loved hanging out with Amanda and Corey (who were really little then!) and Chris would take me grocery shopping. I just want to be there for her like Chris was for me.

Wednesday, 8/6/08

Last weekend was fun - went to the Timber Rattlers game in Appleton with Steve and his parents to celebrate his birthday. Boy, the atmosphere is fun but the game was sooooooooo boring. I am NOT a baseball fan - could it move any slower?! Lordy. I think I reread the program like 15 times...and then you have to pay attention to the batters in case of a foul ball. That's too much work! Then on Sunday, came back down here and went to Blue Mounds State Park...beautiful scenery both in the park and from the two observation towers. We're both afraid of heights - me more than Steve - so climbing up those is always a little tough. I gotta talk myself through it and he has to be behind me on the way up (so I don't stop) and ahead of me on the way down (so I focus on him vs the height). Anyway, I just think our state parks are the coolest things. We've been wanting to get to Devils Lake with Burt but just haven't found the time. Bob Bonner loves camping at Wisconsin State Parks and always says Wyalusing is cool...have to check that one out.

Thursday, 7/31/08

Finally got to a Concert on the Square...last night was the final one of the season and I joined Jim McGaw at the Magic table. Fabulous music from the Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra and just being there, on the Square, is always so exciting. Our table was really fun, too, with our winners Anne, Janet, Mary and Tamra (and their guys!). It was cool to see their reactions - a couple of them had never been to a Concert before! It's always a happy moment when you can be around people who are excited about music.

I feel like I've been bombarded lately with fresh produce. I can't remember if I told you but Steve and I are getting organic veggies this summer from a nearby farm. It's part of the Madison area CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) and you can choose from a ton of farms based on where you live or what you're looking for. My parents got a veggie share from a farm near Reedsburg several years ago and continued it each year, just loving it. Ours is really affordable when you work out how much you'd spend at the grocery store in a regular week, plus now I don't have to do the shopping! I just pick up the share at one of the other member's houses and that's it. The food varies each week and along with it we get a description of everything, how to store it and sample recipes. Earlier this week, I spent the whole night using stuff up...I made pickled beets (I was just praying my hands wouldn't turn red or my new friends at the Concerts on the Square table would think I was a real freak!), fennel and cabbage slaw, zucchini bread and cucumbers in that vinegar-y dressing. I still have to use the eggplant and we get several bags of lettuce each week so we're eating salad like crazy. It's been fun to see what we get each week and then find recipes to use the food. Steve has also been a real trooper, trying things that he normally wouldn't. He especially liked the kohlrabi..."I know why I like this," he said. "It's bland!" Might be a good idea for you if you have kids...they can get in on finding recipes, learn about the food and then help you make it.

Friday, 7/18/08

I am grateful my parents are such animal lovers...my Mom, especially. We always had dogs when I was growing up and so I couldn't imagine life without my dog, Burt, even though he does drive me nuts a lot of the time! My Mom throws out handfuls of raisins each day onto the deck for the birds and has several feeders around their big yard and she fills them all the time. My Dad even does now that he's retired! When I was growing up, if there was an interesting bird or animal in the yard, we'd rush to the big windows to see it. (Once, there was a mountain lion in the field behind our house...we got the big bird scope out to look at it...but the DNR basically said my Mom was crazy and there was no way that animal could have been in our area. Well, I did see it!)

So, now that I'm an adult, I look for and appreciate the presence of animals in my life. And, it's really hard if I'm involved in something difficult for an animal. Just the other evening on the way home from work, I was inches away from hitting a deer. I hit one a few years ago and I just felt awful...worse for the dead deer than for the damage to my then-truck. A couple years ago on the way to Burt's parents' house, we ran across a big snapping turtle in the middle of the country road. I made Steve get out and see if he could get it to move across the road...he tried while I stood watch for traffic. It didn't work so well since the snapper kept um, snapping! Now, my hanging plant in the front of the house is going to die because there's a mourning dove right in the middle of it on her nest with two eggs and I can't water it. I didn't see her last week until I was right on top of the plant with the watering can and then I screamed super loudly (Steve came running like "WHAT'S WRONG?!!) and she flew away. That's when I saw the eggs. And, a couple days ago, a toad got into the garage and hid under Steve's car so there was no way I was taking the dog outside that night...he'd probably eat the poor thing. So Steve found it the next day and let it go in a nearby field. Not only do I feel blessed that my parents raised me to love animals but also that I married Steve who feels the same way about them.

Wednesday, 7/16/08

It's embarrassing to admit but I'm a big fan of the Tori Spelling reality show "Tori & Dean: Home Sweet Hollywood." I'm not a big TV watcher but when that's on, I plop down and have to see the whole thing! I was never a big Tori Spelling fan - she always annoyed me in 90210 because Donna was so ditzy - but I really like the way she comes off in the show...real, honest and fun. It feels like I'm admitting to reading the National Enquirer because, let's face it...these shows aren't that educational. But dang! They're fun to watch and escape your own life for a little while.

Friday, 7/11/08

Forgot to tell you I met Rick Dees at a recent radio conference in Minneapolis. How cool!! I used to listen to his countdowns as a kid and told him so. (I'm sure I sounded like every other weirdo fan that he's talked to!) I remember really loving the part of the show where the singers sang "Rick Dees and the Weekly Top 40" and thinking that was the best part, along with Rick's voice. He was very nice, took his time posing for pictures with everyone and looked good, too. Here's a picture of us.

Friday, 7/11/08

I just got done reading a scary but powerful book. I literally could not put it down. It's called "Escape" by Carolyn Jessop, a former member of the fundamentalist arm of the Mormon church. They practice polygamy and that's why they're on the outs with the rest of the church. The things she and her kids went through...unreal. All kinds of abuse...it's hard to read...but then she escapes and her life is totally different and for the better. It's especially powerful if you're a woman because in that culture, women have no say in anything. Until the end and her escape, I really had a hard time believing stuff like this happens in real life...but I know it does.

Now I'm into another good book...definitely not as serious but pretty juicy! I'm not a crazy Tom Cruise movie fan and ok, he's hot, but there's something about him that's a little odd...and I'm strangely fascinated by his relationship with Katie Holmes. So when I saw this one on the shelf at the Stoughton Library, I thought it was a good pick. It's the unauthorized biography of Tom Cruise by Andrew Morton (he wrote one on Princess Diana that was pretty controversial, if I remember right) and right now, I'm reading all about Scientology (Morton calls it a cult) and how Tom Cruise really catapulted it to where it is today. It's also just the start of his relationship with Nicole Kidman so it's getting good!

Monday, 6/30/08

Aren't you just loving this weather?! This is what summer is about. However, I still have a little trouble being so fair-skinned and venturing out in the warm months with shorts. The rest of the women in my family - my mom and two sisters - tan really easily. My sister, Chris, is like "Miss Tan of the World"; she works at a greenhouse during the day and is so bronzed. Yeah, yeah, I know it's not good for us and I haven't been in a tanning bed for years but sitting next to her is a little tough. I'm pretty pasty! I have that Jergens self-tanning lotion but just haven't used it yet. I need to look at Marcia Cross (from Desperate Housewives) and try to feel good about being so pale. She makes it seem glamorous!

Tuesday, 6/24/08

Back from vacation and then had to deal with some storm damage. I sure miss the days when summer meant a real break from things, when the big decision was whether to read a book in the treehouse or go down the street and play in the crick with my friend Sarah. My biggest problem was that I had to go to swimming lessons early in the morning when the water was cold. Now, I hardly know when summer's here. It would be great if the U.S. would adopt the European vacation plan...several weeks would be cool!

Luckily, my parents have not been affected by the flooding in Reedsburg but we know so many people who have. The worst part is that insurance won't cover these losses and the debris piles are huge. When I was little, I used to think a flood would be so cool because you could go everywhere in a boat. Ummm, after having water in an apartment years ago and then water in our basement last fall, I've obviously changed my thinking on that. I just keep thinking about those people who can't get back in their homes...what will they do? Where will they go? How will they pay for remodeling or a new house? Those affected deserve our thoughts and prayers.

Friday, 5/30/08

I just got back from the DMV at Westgate, where it's ironic that the name of the thing is "DMV Express." It doesn't open weekdays until 11:30 (I sure hope they're doing paperwork or something back there from 8 'til then...that's a heckuva good time to start!) and closes at 6:45 with a 45 minute break for lunch. I got there just at 11:30 thinking I'd beat the lunch crowd but oh no, I was like 20th in line. So I wait...and wait...and wait...and then I get to the front and just before I talk to the guy, I see the sign that says "Cash or check only at the Express location" or something like that. Oh - and don't be thinkin' that I should have seen the sign during the hours I spent in line because it's posted at about waist level right at the counter (therefore covered by others in line) and the other place it's posted is blocked by this big industrial fan they have in the office. So SERIOUSLY! I'd like to know who carries a checkbook with them every day anymore and really, who carries cash? I think I have six bucks in my purse right now so forget about the $40 needed to get a new license. I bet if I polled Magic listeners, the results would be in my favor. So now I have to go back...and wait in line again. I'm gonna turn that fan on and blow their paperwork all over!!

Wednesday, 5/28/08

It's funny, the way we talk to our pets. I grew up really truly thinking that our dogs were a part of the family. While we didn't allow them on the furniture, they were basically people and we definitely didn't treat them the way we now know we should a la Cesar Milan. The dogs basically ran the place...respect for the owners? Ha! Not that they piddled wherever they wanted and ate freely from the table, but more like my Mom was interested in unlimited treats and lots of choices for the dogs. We often gave the dogs a "smorgasbord" of treats...we laid several treats on the floor and let them choose which one first...and then they could eat the rest of them, too! So, it's no surprise that I find myself speaking to Burt as if he could ACTUALLY ANSWER ME!! This morning, as I let him in the last time before I left, I said out loud "Now where were you? Mom gets worried when she can't see you, little Burt!" He just bops his tail around, runs over to the treat jar and wonders why I'm taking so long to get there.

It's also amazing that he even knows his name, considering all the nicknames we have for him. Burtrum is his given name but we call him Burtie (short for Burticans, my sister's favorite name for him), Burtis, Burter, The Burter, Little Burt and the list goes on.

Thursday, 5/22/08

Happy Birthday to my niece, Amanda, today! Man, she's 17 already!!

My parents and brother just got back from Washington, D.C., and had a blast. I can't wait to go there. Steve's a big fan of national parks so we've been visiting those for vacations recently but I think there are so many cool things to see in the U.S. alone that you'd never be able to visit everything. D.C. is definitely one of those places. My Mom said she had a difficult time at Kennedy's grave and that Arlington in general was hard to see. I read somewhere about the cemetery and how there is someone that manages the burials, to be sure one procession doesn't cross another, etc. That seems weird to think of a cemetery as so business-like.

I must have bought the cheap tulips because mine sure didn't last long. The neighbors up the street have some that have lasted for weeks! I ended up mowing ours down last weekend and it actually looks better. I think I need to invest in some bulbs that are higher quality than the ones I have! I guess tulips and other bulbs fall far down the list of things to buy...

Friday, 5/16/08

I can't imagine why, but I realized this morning while driving to Magic that I actually missed being on the Beltline the last three days. I've been at training downtown at the UW and so I completely bypassed the Beltline. This morning, though, as I drove in, I thought "Wow, I missed this." I think what I missed are all the things I look at while driving...marveling at how big that Bergstrom flag is at the Hummer dealership, the progress on the office building just off Todd Drive, how green the trees on the edge of the Arboretum are (or, in the fall, how great the colors are!), wondering what the early-morning golfers are thinking at Odana and hoping the Whitney Way exit isn't too backed up each day. When the sun's out, traffic is moving along and people are behaving on the Beltline, it's not too bad! How come that doesn't happen more often?!

Friday, 5/9/08

Every time I eat something unhealthy now, I always think of darn Lanette and her healthy eating habits! I hate it!! Last night, I made cupcakes with this great mix...it's Duncan Hines butter recipe and it's made with, like, a stick of butter. No wonder it's so creamy and yummy! I swear, though, as I was making it, and then the homemade chocolate frosting following, I was thinking about Lanette and how she would not be proud of me at that moment! I really do spend a lot of time at the store looking at labels and trying to buy the right stuff but this was on clearance and I just couldn't resist. I'm not even Catholic and I feel like I should be going to confession over my eating habits!

Tuesday, 5/6/08

Spent the weekend in Milwaukee for my niece's junior prom and my nephew's confirmation. Holy smokes, I remember when they were born! I feel really old. It was nice to have a day off, though, and fun to hang out with my whole family. Steve stayed here because he still can't move very well. That all started when my sister said we can only have eight family members attend the confirmation - 118 confirmands and it was a big church but it still was packed! - so Steve thought he'd take one for the fam and said it wouldn't be a problem if he stayed home from church! Nice. As it was, the service was over two hours, but it was a really good one where the pastor said something special about each kid and then their Bible verse was read. We also saw Larry Harris, former Bucks GM, who sat in the pew a couple rows over. His son was confirmed as well. When he came in, it caused a little buzz with everyone. I don't care about his job...I just thought he was kinda hot!

Tuesday, 4/29/08

We're getting ready for lots of home improvements this spring/summer. Organizing the garage is first on the list, if we can ever get good enough weather and both Steve and I feel up to it. Last week, he was biking with Burt and the dog went in front of the wheel and Steve crashed. Luckily, he was wearing a helmet but did get hurt in other places and he'll be out of commission for awhile. I was looking forward to getting a lot of stuff done this past weekend - I'm not one to just lay around on the weekends unless I'm sick or super tired...let's go! Get stuff done! - but it didn't turn out that way. I was carrying a laundry basket down the carpeted stairs in my slippers and then slipped about 2/3 of the way down, bouncing twice on my tailbone. Ummm...pain like never before. I'm screaming for Steve to come help me but he can't move very well from his bike accident! So, we were quite the couple...he was in one room, I was in another and neither of us could move. We're getting better, though.

Wednesday, 4/16/08

Happy Birthday wishes to my friend Kristin and to my puppy Burt!! I can't believe my little boy is two already. (Steve's like, you have to stop treating him like he's a person! I always call him "my little precious one!") We are celebrating tonight with some fun treats...I have them hidden in the bag and I haven't let Steve talk about them because Burt will hear! Every time he starts to say what the treats are I'm like "SHHH!" But I think I can tell you since Burt won't be reading this...he'd rather be outside than online.

He's getting a big rawhide, some sticks (I think they're beef or maybe lamb and rice) from MadCat and two things from the new Tabby & Jack's store...peanut butter yogurt and some peanut butter ball treats. Total coincidence they're both peanut butter treats - luckily he'll eat anything! I think I'll try to find a birthday party hat and put that on him...I'm sure he'll LOVE it...and get some pics!

Friday, 4/11/08

I have realized that I am an emotional eater. This became very clear last night. As you were at work yesterday afternoon or driving home in the rain, I was bailing out water from our basement window wells. I got home and thought "Hmm...I should just check the window wells, just to be sure..." The thought of water gushing through the windows or under the walls and onto the floor like late last summer made me nearly frantic. And then I realize they are nearly full!!! I sprint inside, the dog's going nuts, and check the basement where there's already water on the window ledge. OK, two seconds of PANIC is followed by rational thoughts like how to stop the water inside and out. I then spend the next three hours mostly outside either bailing water out, trying to catch the flapping tarp, fixing the broken plastic window covers, dealing with a muddy Burt (who's really enjoying the high winds because of all the fun items that have now blown into our yard, which he then carries around), a quick trip to buy a bunch of tarps and exchanging phone calls with my Dad and Steve. Did I mention Steve was OUT OF TOWN during this time? I left him a voice mail early on in the chaos, which I'm sure was really coherent because at that point I was pretty much bawling! It didn't help that I was cold and soaked in water and mud.

So, eventually, my neighbor helped me fix it for awhile, enough to let me warm up at least, and then the rain held off for a bit which was key. Then I started to clean up the kitchen...all the plastic bowls for bailing, towels for cleaning muddy Burt, all the dirty clothes, the floor full of our muddy prints and then...it was as if the angels sang from above...a light at the end of the tunnel...I thought...CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES!!!! If only I had thought of this sooner, I might have dealt with everything better! And it was at that moment that I realized I'm an emotional eater. Lemme tell ya that THAT revelation, unlike the cookies, was not so welcome! I distinctly remember standing in the kitchen, looking out the window at the intermittent rain, eating the raw batter. So bad, I know. But so good.

Friday, 4/4/08

I love catching up with old friends. I had lunch with my good friend Perry and my gosh, we just laughed the whole time! He's hilarious! Sometimes I think about the stories he tells and I just bust out laughing when I'm by myself at home or in the car. I'd try and tell you some but it's one of those "Guess you had to be there...right" things. Mostly it's just everyday stuff but I'm sure you know someone who just makes you laugh about the dumbest things.

I whacked my ankle on the bottom of the bed the other morning. I was up early and didn't want to wake up Steve so I didn't turn the light on...plodding along and then MAJOR PAIN. Steve woke up then anyway so I shoulda just turned the light on in the first dang place! Burt's always so hyper so I was hurrying and, ya know, tired from just getting up and I guess I'm a little klutzy, too. Steve always says "How can someone so athletic be so klutzy?!" because I have a tendency to trip on the sidewalk when we are walking and stuff like that. Anyway, it's much better now after a day of being swollen and really sore. I looked at it and thought "You really are a klutz!"

Finally, a radon update. They recommend you do multiple tests to be sure you really have a problem before you look into mitigation...yep, we have a problem. I feel like every time I go into the basement I'm sucking in huge amounts of radon. It feels weird to think that there's something wrong or not safe about your house...

Wednesday, 3/26/08

A fun surprise to be able to meet and interview Jewel yesterday! She's every bit as beautiful, kind and down-to-earth as she seems. Bet Jim McGaw wishes he wouldn't have been on vacation this week!

Easter was fun at my parents' house. We went to church (I know I shouldn't complain about church but I hate it when we sing songs that nobody knows!! Can't we just sing all the same good songs every year?!) and then did the annual egg hunt outside but it was a little different with all the snow. No, we're not looking for real eggs (Burt would've eaten them!) - each of the kids have a big egg to look for and the Easter Bunny usually gives us money and then my niece and nephew look for mini eggs filled with change. Added up, they get quite a haul each year! It was interesting this year to notice how my niece and nephew are interacting these days. She'll be 17 soon and he's 14 and boy, she has no time for him. I wonder if I was a little snotty pants like she is when I was that age! Probably...yikes. It started when Corey rehid Amanda's egg - he was pretty proud of himself but she was super annoyed. So for the rest of the afternoon she sulked around. I guess it's hard because I still see her as this perfect, cute little girl that was happy all the time and now she has her own personality and is a typical teenage girl. And poor Corey, he's so easygoing and just wants to tease her but I think she'd like it if he lived in the basement and never came out! Hopefully they grow up to be good friends like my brother and I did. He's like my best friend!

Tuesday, 3/18/08

I had about 15 things going on at once last night when I thought "I'll make some blueberry muffins for tomorrow morning!" A simple task, you'd think, especially when it's from a box. However, I was making dinner (a couple things on the stove and salads on the counter), monitoring Burt so he wouldn't eat aforementioned salads on the counter and listening to Steve's phone conversation with his sister. So, I'm mixing the muffins and thinking...hmmm...it's pretty soupy. Well, that's what happens when you neglect the muffin directions! Instead of putting 3/4 cup of milk in, I put 1 & 3/4! Then I'm trying to figure out how to siphon off some of the milk, except it's now a globby, liquidy mess. Then...a brilliant idea...add flour until it's the right consistency! Great idea until you taste the muffins, which LOOK normal but now have a very slight hint of blueberry flavor and are otherwise absolutely tasteless.

Monday, 3/17/08

My thoughts of a spring vacation are fading fast. It's especially hard when co-workers jet off to warm-weather destinations like Jamaica and Mexico and I'm stuck here hoping the sun will shine at some point during the day. We just found out we have a radon problem in our house and that it'll cost a pretty penny to fix it. I'm just glad I finally ordered a test (they recently offered them through the county at a reduced rate of $10) and we did it. It's definitely not like carbon monoxide, which you can detect. This is odorless and colorless and, from what I've heard, is the second leading cause of lung cancer. So, if you haven't tested your house, better do it.

It was only a couple days after this news that I went to the dentist (a two-hour appointment, for heaven's sake!) and found out I have serious jaw issues. No, my mouth hasn't locked shut but I'm sure Steve would like that sometimes! It all started in January when I wasn't sleeping well due to stress and woke up with terrible headaches and jaw pain. Turns out I grind my teeth at night (which I guess I've known for awhile but it was never really an issue) and my bite is all screwed up. So my dentist is trying to explain all these terms and costs and I'm like "Huh?" because I went in at like 4am (ok, it was 7:30 but that's early for the dentist). I still have to decide what I'm going to do but they want me to wear this mouthguard at night (and during the day as much as possible), then come in for all these appointments and finally they'll fix my bite/jaw with...get this...BRACES or crowns and veneers. Um, I don't know anyone my age that is getting braces so I'm real thrilled about that choice! Plus, the cost!

This is one of those "adult" moments for sure...when you have to spend your money on radon mitigation and dental work instead of spending the week on a beach in Jamaica.

Tuesday, 3/4/08

Remember hearing about the Beltline backup on Friday, 2/22, due to a hazardous materials spill? Seems like a long time ago....but YEAH, I was stuck going eastbound (just across from the St. Vinny's on the frontage road) waiting for that mess to be cleaned up! I'd left Magic early hoping to get a jump start on the weekend (we were going skiing up north) but instead got stuck with several dozen other people. After we'd not moved for about 45 minutes, we started getting out of our cars, stretching and eventually most of us just turned our vehicles off. Imagine standing on the Beltline...that's what we were doing, just talking. I remember saying "This is the only time we'll be standing here." I was in constant contact with the Magic Studio, which made me feel like I had some control over things (really I didn't) and it was cool to tell people I worked for Magic and that we were covering it and they should listen. Many already were! Finally, after almost two hours, they started to turn cars around and sent us down the Verona Road on ramp. By that time, the rest of the roads were a mess and it took me another hour and a half to get to Olbrich Gardens, my original destination!

I hope you don't get the ickiness that's going around. I was sick all last week, like I-could-hardly-move sick...some form of the flu. It felt like I was in a bad movie when I walked into the Urgent Care Center on Wednesday night. Several people were wearing surgical masks to contain their horrible coughs, another woman had the recycle bin next to her in case she - ahem - got sick and there I was, slouched in the corner. I'd schlepped on some clothes, pulled Steve's winter hat on to cover my flat hair and just prayed I wouldn't run into an ex-boyfriend! Those are always the times you see people like that. Thank God I didn't because boy, was I the picture of hotness. The best part is that there was a TWO-HOUR minimum wait to get in and it did end up taking that long. After getting medicine when I was done, the whole ordeal was almost four hours. Anyway, I'm getting over it and I'm so glad. Get a lot of rest and wash your hands so you don't get sick!!

Friday, 2/22/08

It was so nice to drive in today under the rising sun with (mostly) clear streets. Seeing the sun makes a big difference! And I guess the fact that it's Friday helps, too...

I remembered Amy Abbott's blog entry from a few weeks ago about the new restaurant Icon on State Street and went there last night with a couple girlfriends. We used to go to the White Horse Inn a lot but now it's closed so, I'm thinking that the proximity of Icon to Overture will mean it's our new fave spot. I'm all about trying small portions of a lot of things and that's what Icon is; plus, everything is really reasonably priced. My chocolate mousse cup (FAB, by the way, with strawberries and whipped cream...) was $2.95! Highly recommend trying the restaurant.

I just heard Gary "Indiana" Cannalte predict another winter storm for Monday into Tuesday!! Enjoy the weekend, then, before the next round arrives.

Monday, 2/18/08

I finally took the Christmas tree down (almost there - just the lights left). Good thing it was fake! I really could keep it up a lot longer - maybe all year? I guess that's kinda weird, huh. I didn't want to take it down until we knew about my Dad...somehow having the tree up and decorated made me feel good, like everything would be ok. That's just Christmas in general for me, though - it makes me feel like all the world is ok.

I might be the only person loving this snow. I actually wished it would snow the forecast 10-12" yesterday instead of raining. Hey, if it's going to be winter and cold, I'd like to have snow. Today, the trees were so pretty with the twinkle of the ice and the soft coating of the snow. Many picture-perfect scenes as I drove in today. I love to find those glimpses of beauty during winter...I try not to get so caught up in the brown slush, cold weather, slow traffic and ongoing shoveling that I forget about all the wonderful things to look at during this season. And what's more fun than watching kids play in a big pile of snow that the plow left? Just brings me back to my childhood and making forts with my friend Sarah. They were the best!!!

Thursday, 2/14/08

I will forever remember today as a very happy day...it ties with my wedding day for happiest ever. I just found out my Dad's cancer hasn't spread!!! Our prayers were answered. I haven't been able to blog for awhile because of this - it's just been a heavy time and I've been focused on my family. He's a pretty private guy so I won't go into details but he had a check-up, they found some bad stuff, he had successful surgery and then the wait was on. A terrible wait. I felt totally helpless and very dependent on the doctors and on God. All of a sudden not much else mattered. I thought every phone call would be the one with the results. It's one thing to think about your parents getting older but another to - BAM! - have to consider something like cancer. I believe it has strengthened my already-strong relationship with my parents...one good thing out of this. I feel grateful and very blessed with this news! Thank you for sharing in my happiness today.

Sunday, 2/3/08

A few days away from home certainly makes you appreciate it! I was at a work conference and just being in another city made me happy I live here. It was surprising to go out to eat at restaurants where smoking is still allowed - as a non-smoker, I'm a big fan of the ban. My parents both smoke so smokers, believe me, I know it's not great and I feel for the business owners that have had this judgment handed to them but boy, it's great for the rest of us! Anyway, do you feel it's necessary to wash everything you took on a trip, whether or not you wore it? I just feel like transporting it makes it dirty and I can't put it back in the closet without washing it again. Is that weird?!

Totally not watching the Super Bowl tonight...just don't care, I guess. If it were the Packers, I'D BE THERE!!! DANG! So, decided to cook some fun meals for the week and catch up on folding laundry.

Saturday, 1/19/08

I came to work early the other day, not long after sunrise, and the sky was a beautiful gray that contrast sharply with the crisp white blanket of snow on the ground. As my car chugged along in the extreme cold, I wondered if such temperatures are meant to keep us inside...is it the Earth's way of shutting down for awhile? It didn't seem right that I was out and interrupting the quiet of the morning.

Speaking of interrupting, the other day I was shopping and just needed to get a couple quick things and zip back out. I was at a store that's probably known for relaxation but I was not about that at the time. I walked in with a mission and the woman there asked if I needed a relaxing massage...no thanks, I said, I'm in a big hurry and need to buy this and go. The gal behind the counter is explaining the rewards program so the woman ahead of me in line is taking forever as she's trying to decide whether to join and how much is it and what can I get with my points and blah blah blah. Finally it's my turn and I tell her I just need to buy this one small thing and then she also asks me if I need a relaxing massage. Again, no thanks, gotta go. Perhaps I'd like a list of places where I can buy products? Um, no thanks. I then pre-empt her rewards presentation with "I heard about the rewards and thank you, but I'm not interested." After making a big deal of giving my card back to me (which, I admit, was very customer-friendly), I finally could leave! It was a good reminder to be aware of verbal and non-verbal cues from others...get the hint!

Sunday, 1/14/08

GO PACK GO!!! What a great game! I admit I'm not the most rabid fan but I was so fired up by the game that I couldn't watch with Steve because Burt was getting crazy every time I yelled at the TV! And now to see the Giants beat the Cowboys is unbelievably sweet! I hate the Cowboys. Did you see Jerry Jones on the sidelines after they lost?! Mmm...buh-bye! I have a good feeling that the Pack will win this weekend and head for the big game. It's a great time to be a Packer fan...

Monday, 1/7/08

Happy new year! Seems like Christmas and New Year's were about two months ago...you know, all the hubbub and chaos and then...nothing. And now, all our snow is going away! I hate that!

I hope you've been safe with all this fog. And now, outside the Magic building, do I hear hard rain and thunder?! Anyway, Steve and I went to the Fireside on Saturday night (great show, by the way..."Best of the Bands") and boy, coming home was very difficult in the fog. We went about 30 mph. Considering Steve's tendency to drive very slowly, I do believe this is the only time we have agreed that going that speed on a highway was appropriate!

Monday, 12/24/07

Had Steve's mom's family over yesterday for Christmas fun; some chose not to come due to the weather but most made it. We ended up eating early and I didn't get the two big pre-made meals I had planned on from Sentry Hilldale (couldn't get in to get them!) but we managed with other food. And then we opened presents; it was fun to see the kids open theirs! I got exactly what I'd asked for - cookie cutters and a salad/fruit spinner.

I hope your Christmas is filled with all the people you love (including your pets, who are "people," too!!), yummy food, fun memories, as many hearty laughs as you can stand and the peace and joy that comes from knowing the reason we celebrate all this is because of Jesus' birth! Merry Christmas!

Wednesday, 12/19/07

This is why my Mom will always be the "Queen of Christmas"! Found an amazing surprise on the front porch last night...a box from QVC...and I knew what it was right away. Mrs. Prindable's caramel apples!!! YES! I've mentioned these fantastic apples in this blog before but the only time I bought them was for my Mom and our family celebration a couple years ago. My Mom knew we were hosting Steve's family for Christmas so she sent them to us...eight huge apples, two of each topping: cookies and cream, chocolate chip, M&M and chocolate crisp. I had been inhaling my Mom's Christmas cut-out cookies (seriously, I cannot stop eating them) the entire night so I wasn't very hungry for these apples but I managed to have a couple bites and OMIGOD it was unbelievable. Did I mention they're like 50 BUCKS?! Ridiculously expensive but, if you love caramel apples or food in general, it's worth it. This also proves once again my mother's ability to give the best gifts ever. She prides herself in this and last year, when Steve asked for only gift cards, she was in a noticeable funk for most of the holidays. She must've snapped out of it for this year, thank goodness!! So, when Steve's family is over for Christmas, we'll be enjoying these apples...if they last that long!

Monday, 12/17/07

I was doing laundry last night when Steve yelled, "Hey, Dan Fogelberg is dead." I couldn't believe it. I sort of thought - like many people with cancer - that he would just beat it.

When I was in high school, my Driver's Ed teacher proposed to an English teacher in front of the whole school while "Longer" played in the background. To this day, I remember how excited they were and what a special moment that was for them. That song was one of my favorite to play when I was taking piano lessons, too.

And, I think like many people, I have strong emotions about the song "Same Old Lang Syne." Just last Friday, while answering phone calls during our Holiday Wish fundraiser, I spent some time with Kristi, a behind-the-scenes Magic staffer that helps us out on busy days. That song came on and I shot up and said "OMIGOSH, I love this song!" and turned the radio up. She hadn't heard of Dan or the song so I told her she HAD to listen, especially to the words. As he's singing, we're sitting there in total silence, until the end when the two former lovers part ways again. And then, with tears in our eyes, we both said we had goosebumps! That song was so amazingly written that you can clearly picture yourself at every stage...in the grocery store, trying to find an open bar, talking and, the worst part, saying goodbye. Whether or not you've lived that exact scenario, I'm sure you have had similar feelings of "that familiar pain" of a former flame...I know I have. I always laugh, too, when I hear it because I used to think he said "...we drank a toast an hour" but he's really saying "...we drank a toast to now." I remember thinking, that's a lot of toasts!!

I admit it - hearing that song, along with other Fogelberg tunes this morning on the Pat & Bob show, made me cry on my drive in. But I'm grateful to work here at Magic where we can play those songs for you and you can share your feelings about this amazing artist. The power of that community, especially on days like today (and last Friday during Holiday Wish), is unbelievable.

Wednesday, 12/12/07

Had the day off yesterday - took a vaca day to get ready for Christmas - and boy, was it fun being at home while the snow fell! Got the tree up, watched some TV and cleaned as well. Burt and I had a good time! Today, it was so beautiful on the drive in to Madison from Stoughton, with the white fields covered with untouched snow that looks like fondant. It just reminded me of a big wedding cake and all that frosting. Many of the pine trees were also full of snow, their big branches weighed down by the heavy stuff, and there is one house that has HUGE icicles off every inch of the roof!

Thursday, 12/6/07

Happy belated birthday to my brother and happy early anniversary to my parents tomorrow - 44 years! That's amazing!

It's so hard to keep some Christmas traditions alive. When I was in college, my close high school friends and I (along with a bunch of other people we sang with in high school) caroled all over Reedsburg. It was such a fun night with awesome singing, good food, a chance to see old friends and I loved playing piano while everyone sang after we ended up back at my friend Kristin's house, who always organized everything. Now, most of us are married, some with kids, some outside the country for work, and it's too hard to get together. I hope we can revive that someday. It really was magical and people were so thrilled when we knocked on their doors...an old-fashioned tradition that's not done much anymore.

This year, I don't think I'll be ringing the Salvation Army bells, either. That's something I did for several years with friends Kristin and Sarah (same participants in above caroling!). It was wonderful to get together with them around Christmas and since we sang carols, we always made people smile and give more money! We did go the easy route and chose locations that had us inside vs. out! This year, Kristin has a new baby, Sarah's parents are both sick (Prayers and good thoughts for them appreciated!!! I grew up with them so they're like my second set of parents) and I've been busy getting everything ready for Steve's family Christmas at our house. They know I'll be thinking of them and vice versa but it's just not the same when we don't carry on the tradition.

Tuesday, 12/4/07

Here comes the snow! I love it and wish we'd have snow - new snow - consistently throughout the winter. If it's going to be cold, I'd like snow. I just wish I was home sledding or getting ready for Christmas while the snow globe swirled outside!

I have to tell you about an experience I had last night. I needed a wreath and some boughs for Christmas decorating and stopped at the tree place (Smith's) in the Rocky's parking lot on Mineral Point Rd. They were about to close and I zipped out of my car, asked how much everything was (very reasonable) and said "I'll take it!" The owner helped me take the stuff to my trunk and then I asked "Ohh...do you take credit cards?" And he said no...so I started to take the stuff out of my trunk. Then he said "Oh, you can just come back tomorrow and pay me then." Seriously! I told him that I worked near there and that I'd definitely be back tomorrow and I thanked him again. Who does that anymore?! Such a spirit of Christmas! I would like to think that most people would have gone back the next day and paid him - as it was, I remembered there was an ATM at Rocky's and got some cash right away - but I'm thinking, unfortunately, a lot of people wouldn't. Maybe around here they would, where it's a pretty small town. Anyway, it just made me very happy and I hope you'll shop at Smith's Tree Farm for your holiday stuff because they certainly deserve the business.

Thursday, 11/29/07

Big game tonight! People are so excited around here and I think it's hilarious that some people will travel to the Fox Valley to watch the game in a hotel room!! Best time to shop will be tonight, that's for sure!

Speaking of shopping, it happened again last night...I was at Target and I made sure to pay special attention to where I parked as I went to shop and then...came out of the store...approached my car (thought it was my car) and...nope, not my car. DUH!!! Seriously, I am an adult that functions pretty well in daily life so how come I can't find my dumb car at Target!!! I then realized I was several rows over. I swear, that parking lot is the black hole and I just get sucked into it every time. And, the best part, I recall talking to myself the entire time...

Friday, 11/23/07

I get razzed for this all the time but I love QVC (I might have told you this already). I used to make fun of my mom for watching and ordering and then I tried something (their Northern Nights sheets) and now I'm pretty much addicted to watching it! I sorta feel like it's the television version of Magic, except we don't sell stuff 24/7...you can have it on all the time and the hosts are, for the most part, really cool. One year, I ordered a batch of the most amazing caramel apples to be delivered to my parents' house for Christmas...and it cost me a pretty penny, like $40 for 6 apples! Totally extravagant but my mom and I had been hearing about Mrs. Prindable's apples for years so I finally splurged. Totally worth it!! So now I was just on the QVC website and dreaming about those apples...

Wednesday, 11/21/07

Just finished doing the morning show with Bob - we had fun. A nutty day here! Probably with you, too, as we all get ready for Thanksgiving and shopping this weekend. I think Magic has the best listeners in the world so thank you for spending your time with us! We've got an awesome couple days for you, with the Thanksgiving Special tomorrow and the Sneak Preview on Friday (starting early at 5!!). I'm excited to listen and hope you and your family/friends have a wonderful Thanksgiving! Blessings to you!

Sunday, 11/18/07

OK, I just wrote a blog and something happened with my computer and everything was erased. WHATEVER!

I was saying that my mother-in-law's birthday was yesterday so we all went out to Cloud 9 for lunch. She was super embarrassed that we had a cake there and sang to her...I loved it! Last year, I made a carrot cake for her that was terrible so this year I think I made up for it with a moist chocolate cake. Thank you Betty Crocker.

And, I'm almost done with my Christmas shopping. I try to pick up stuff throughout the year so it's not so hard this time of the year. I know Jimmy McGaw waits until the last minute to get his done...no way! I like to at least try to find something that each person will really like and hopefully it's a surprise. I even keep a chart of what I want to get/end up getting/spending on each person each year in a file that goes back several years. That way I don't repeat gifts! I don't know why I tell you these things!

Monday, 11/12/07

Helloooo. Hope they get that writers' strike figured out before it affects "Brothers & Sisters" Sunday nights on TV. That is such a good show. If you have a close family, or wish you did, check this one out. It reminds me so much of my family sometimes.

The holiday dilemma has been solved...we are splitting them up and I just found out we have to host Christmas! I'm such a Type A that I just found out a couple days ago and it's already got me planning the menu (I'm all about appetizers and desserts but not so much about baking a big ol' turkey...I'd probably cook it with the plastic on or not cook it long enough), making a list of things to fix around the house (Steve is loving that) and stressing about the kids spilling grape juice on our new carpet in the basement (from the flooding). Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh! I'm trying to remind myself that it's less about the food and house and more about being together...remind, remind, remind.

Friday, 11/2/07

I have a feeling this "where to go for x holiday" discussion/debate doesn't get any easier, does it? We just started talking about it the other night and of course, nothing was decided. The next morning, my sister began a string of e-mails about Thanksgiving and who was going where and when and should we have dinner this day or that day and when would we all know what our plans were?! The funny part is that usually that e-mail comes from ME and this time it was from someone else! So, to factor in what Steve's family is doing is not something I'm used to, but totally understand that it's important...to him and his family. It's just hard to me to imagine not being at home for every holiday at some point...each is a big deal for my family and always has been. The house is decorated beautifully on the outside, whether it's with big Easter eggs in the front trees or for Christmas, with evergreen swags and red bows on the porch. And inside...maybe someday my house will be as warm and inviting and wonderful as my parents'! It's just moving outside my comfort zone, I guess, and I gotta do it because of my hubby (good thing I love him and his family is very cool, too, so it's not like spending time with them is bad or anything!). So...if you're dealing with the same decisions as we move into the holiday season, I'm right there with ya!

Monday, 10/29/07

You might have read below that I was super excited to go to the apple orchard; well, it never happened with my family (My dad and brother went without me and Steve was not very interested at all...) so I decided to go yesterday by myself. I was here at Magic, on the air at the last minute for someone who was sick, so I thought going to the orchard would be a relaxing way to end the afternoon. I drove out of Madison (I thought I knew where I was going) and proceeded down a country road or two (or seven)...after about 20 frustrating minutes, I figured out I wasn't going the right way so I backtracked and finally got there after about 40 minutes. OK, I'm saying to myself, this is gonna be great...fresh apples for applesauce and pie, a gooey caramel apple just for me and just the fun of being at the orchard. I walk in and there are lots of kids around picking out pumpkins while the parents are happily snapping pictures...and then there's me BY MYSELF. I felt like such a dork. Who does this family thing alone?! I keep on going to one of the buildings (the place was a little confusing with like four different places to go) and then, before going in, I see this big sign that lists all the apple varieties they have. OH, and there, in the corner, it says "Cash or check only". Ummmm...no. I never have cash and who carries a checkbook anymore?! I know no one, other than my mother. So, I dejectedly walk back down the driveway and slink into my car.

I did end up getting a bag of fresh apples at another place on the way home (and a caramel apple!) so it turned out ok.

Thursday, 10/25/07

It's late for me but I've finally started listening to Christmas music (I usually start in the summer). I was at the Family Christian Store the other day and they had a couple CDs by the checkout - one Point of Grace and one Messiah (the entire thing). I bought both and am loving them! I was rocking out to the Hallelujah Chorus this morning on the way to Magic...probably the only person on the Beltline jamming to that song on the way to work!

Tuesday, 10/23/07

Went to Bluephies on Monroe Street last night with my friends Kathy and Claudia...we had a wonderful dinner, caught up and the best part is, no matter how much time passes between our dinners, we pick right back up like nothing has changed! It's great to have friends like that, isn't it? And, of course, I had to order the chocolate chip cookie dough egg rolls...Kathy was like, "What are THESE?" so I had to share...which was ok!!

Looking forward already to a low-key weekend...haven't had one at home in awhile. Lots to do there! It seems like the housework and cleaning never end, right?!

Wednesday, 10/17/07

I don't catch it every week but "Boston Legal" is such a good TV show. I think the writing and camera work are amazing. William Shatner's character is so weird, it's funny! And he acts the part so well...I end up really believing he's like that in real life. Maybe he is...I dunno. My favorite part is at the end of the show where he and that other guy (James Spader?) sit on the patio and discuss their day and life itself. I'm laughing now just thinking about last night's conversation! I also liked it last night when the woman James Spader (or whoever) likes came into the office and tried to have a conversation with him and he was just frozen...then, the best part, she just got up and left! You go, girl! Move on!

Tuesday, 10/16/07

Enjoyed a wonderful first wedding anniversary at a fabulous bed & breakfast up north...hard to believe it's already been a year! A totally blissful one, right, Steve?!

I had a bit of a stomach bug yesterday...stayed home because of it. Unfortunately, I had sushi on Sunday night as we got back into town and now...just the thought of it makes me a little queasy. SUSHI, of all things! The tragedy! I remember a time in college (maybe I told you about this already) when I made the best dinner for myself...my mom's ham noodle bake, asparagus and bread pudding. Yeahhhh...something about that didn't sit well with me and I was soooo sick that night. I have eaten asparagus once since then, haven't had bread pudding at all and as good as my mom's casserole is, can't do that one, either. Don't you hate that? Food you love that you can't eat.

Tuesday, 10/9/07

So I went to Pottery Barn...like a kid in a candy store! Of course, there's always more that you want to get than you have money for...but it was still fun!

I've been warming up to mums this fall...never been a big fan of the flowers but I've seen several yards with them and they look great. Deep purples, dark reds, bright yellows...I think it's too late to do someting this year but maybe next. I should also get some more bulbs in the ground...always fun to see what you planted when they come up in the spring!

Wednesday, 10/2/07

I am so ready for the fall weather...I love this time of year but this 70s/80s stuff just isn't right! Going to the apple orchard is always an annual tradition with my family so we'll have to do that soon...and my dad always moans and groans about it ("It's such a long drive!" he'll say) but I know deep down he likes it! We take the long and winding road to the orchard, take our time picking out apples (and tasting them!), buy a caramel apple for the drive home and pile back into the car to enjoy the leaves falling on the country roads. Perfection.

Girls, you know how it is when you find a gift card in your purse that you THOUGHT you'd used but you hadn't? It's like "YES!" I was cleaning my purse last night (I swear everything from high school on is still in there), found a few Pottery Barn gift cards (from the wedding last year) and I thought, oh, I spent those but I'll just check online to be sure. Well, imagine my surprise when every one of them was still good! And I'd have been happy with 25 bucks but they're worth a lot more...holy smokes! Cleaning out my purse was totally worth it.

Wednesday, 9/26/07

Steve and I went to the Packer game on Sunday with another couple. Super fun! Could we have picked a better game to see? And we were in row 10 at about the 20 so we saw all the action up close. Bart Starr stayed at the same hotel we did so I met him...that was pretty cool, too! My parents were at the game so I was able to spend time with them and my brother as well. Man, afterward we stayed and tailgated for a couple hours and still ended up in heavy traffic on Hwy 41 south. But, then I think about the 25,000 people (or whatever the number is now) on the Packer season ticket waiting list and then I think they'd kill to be in a traffic jam after a game.

If you've tried to watch "The Office" on NBC but turned away after a few minutes, I swear, just give it time! I have told so many people that I never used to like it but after the second or third episode I watched, I started to get it. It's THE funniest show I've ever seen and even though I mostly watch it just to see/hear Steve laugh, I do really enjoy the humor. It premieres tomorrow night. You can never laugh too much!

Thursday, 9/20/07

Thinking about Jim McGaw these days and hoping that he is...I don't know...how could he be anything but devastated? That he is coping ok, that's what I hope for. I could not imagine a parent dying. Jim handled his mother's illness with such grace and humor and I really admired that. Still missing Bob here at Magic and I hear we're going to check in with him tomorrow morning so hope we get some news about when he'll be back! Appreciate you listening while things are so crazy here!

Different subject. If you're at Target West, hope you can go through Lou's line. She was so sweet when I visited this afternoon! I needed to quickly buy a shirt for a dinner I'm going to tonight (of course, I ended up grabbing a few extra shirts just because they were so cute!) and we had a nice chat while she was checking me out. As I was leaving she said, "It was a pleasure meeting you! I hope you have a good day!" and it was so sincere! Not the usual service you'd get in a big department store so I appreciated her smile and kindness.

Hope you got to see the Tony Bennett special on PBS recently; it was an hour-long show on the recording of his duets album. It was amazing! All these great artists like Diana Krall, Sting, Michael Buble, Tim McGraw and many others...and they showed them singing in the studio and then they all talked about what it meant to them afterward. I've also been loving the "Anne of Green Gables" segments on PBS. LOVE LOVE LOVE that series! I finally got it on DVD last year for Christmas (my friend Sarah and I used to be totally in love with Gilbert Blythe! OMIGOD! At one point I really did think I'd marry him) so if you've never seen, be sure to watch.

Monday, 9/10/07

Spent the weekend finishing the grout work on the basement tile and it's looking really good. Steve is pretty proud of himself - and he should be, for all the time he spent working on it! - and it's neat to think that we did this ourselves vs. hiring someone for it (ok, Steve did most of it with his family but still...). I'm still getting used to the thought that there is always something to do when you own a house...I don't do well with that kind of thinking. I love looking at a clean house, flower gardens with weeds removed and everything in its place...guess I'm gonna have to work on that. It feels like it'll never end!

Steve and I had dinner with our friends Beth and Matt last night and they asked me to be their daughter's Godmother! I'm the Godparent to my nephew but it seems extra special to be asked by someone not in your family. Ella is just a peach and I know we'll be close as she grows up. I'm so honored.

You might have read Amy Abbott or Pat O'Neill's blog...they both write about what's happening to Jim McGaw and Bob Bonner. Long before I worked here, I admired both as I listed to them for years; then, to work with them was so great because they're both so talented, funny and fun. Jimmy trained me when I first started here (along with Kathryn Vaughn! Can you imagine?!) and Bob and I have always had a neat friendship. Pat's right - we pull together when something bad happens to our "family" and we'll do that as long as we have to to support Jim and Bob. Amy said in her blog that it's been hard not to see Jim laugh and I agree - many days, he's the one lighting up the room with his jokes and laughter. My heart just fell when Jimmy told us about his Mom and I couldn't get to sleep the night Pat called and told me about Bob's heart attack. I've been thinking about (and praying for) both of them - and their families - every day since.

Tuesday, 9/4/07

Most days, I can't call this work. I get to turn my radio up as high as I want to, I work with a really fun group of people and we have the best listeners. Nonetheless, Taste of Madison is still work for us (I didn't say hard work, but it's still working!) and this year, as Lanette and I set up, we were both thinking...OK, another year of Taste, another year of not getting to eat while everyone else does. But, this year, we were really geeked out as our main band was rehearsing on Saturday afternoon. We got to set up to the sounds of John Ford Coley and "I'd Really Love To See You Tonight" and a couple Survivor songs, along with Robbie Dupree and others. As the night wore on, we got to meet new listeners and talk with old ones, we both got to zip around the square and try some food and then...the Rock & Pop Masters started and we heard the familiar piano beginning of John's (we're on a first-name basis with him now - ha!) song and we were like "AHHHHH!!!" We screamed as we zippered in between people on the way to the front of the crowd, where we swayed to "I'd Really Love To See You Tonight". He just smiled at us - I'm sure he thought we were total freaks but we really didn't care - and kept on singing. The other highlight was the encore, when Jimi Jamison of Survivor sang "Eye of the Tiger". Unbelievable. On top of the great show, they all spent time with people afterward, signing stuff and just talking. It was very cool! Needless to say, the remaining part of the weekend was not as fun as we laid tile in the basement. It's almost done, though...

Thursday, 8/30/07

I guess what they say is true - you never appreciate something until it's gone. All those rainy days made me really appreciate the sun and beautiful, calm summer weather. The last couple mornings have unveiled the most gorgeous sunrises and you just have to stop and breathe it all in. For some reason, "sunrises" doesn't seem like the right word...hmmm.

Anyway, you tend to get wrapped up in your own life and then you realize other people have big things going on, too! My friend Sarah is moving this weekend to her first house so I'm really excited for her! Beth is a new mom and going back to work soon so she's feeling a little nervous about that, which I'm sure is tough. And Kris' baby boy is about to crawl and now says "Mama"! I think that's why I have really paid attention to the sun rising each morning the last few days...it's totally corny but it shows that even after all that rain and all that frustration, tomorrow will be a new and wonderful day with more challenges and exciting adventures to face!

Monday, 8/25/07

Love starting the day and the week at the dentist - YES! No cavities to report, though, so I must have hid the brownies I ate yesterday pretty well. The days leading up to the dentist are always filled with mystery and intrigue as I hide the treats I'm eating. I wish I was a salt lover but I'm definitely in love with sweets.

Basement is scheduled to be fixed this weekend - if the RAIN WOULD EVER STOP!!! Come on! We are going the tile route vs wall-to-wall carpet and we're both excited about that. We found some really great carpet on clearance over the weekend, and the tile happens to be as well, so the cost isn't as high as we thought, and we're saving by just getting some carpet bound and placing it on the tile. Now that a solution is clear, I feel much better. The week or so in there where things were really up in the air drove me crazy. Soon I'll have all the furniture put back and I can go back to worrying about whether my plants are watered, vs whether my basement is watered. I definitely like that idea.

Monday, 8/20/07

The weekend started out deceptively well. I left work after a frustrating day and we were happy to be on the way to Milwaukee to my sister's house. Great drive with the windows down (so Burt could stick his face out to the wind, jowels flapping and nose just a goin'!), fun time at my sister's house and I got to see my niece and nephew as well. Woke up really early on Saturday to deal with Burt and my sister's two dogs but it was relaxing sitting in her garden enjoying my coffee (meanwhile, the dogs were absolutely crazy playing with each other, which was great because it made Burt tired).

I know you're wondering where I'm going with this...so we get home, go to Steve's work picnic and it's starting to rain, which is fine because we're relaxing at home and talking about how nice the weekend has been. I made homemade chocolate chip cookies and soup and was excited about going to bed early for once. I went downstairs to check the laundry when...wait...the carpet is kind of lifting here...that's strange...WHOA! Then I realize the carpet under me is wet and getting wetter. Turns out there must be a leak in the two window wells because the water is seeping in behind the walls and coming through by the baseboard. Steve is now outside, in the thunderstorm (I keep thinking he's going to be struck by lightning), bailing water from the wells. I'm shoving towels up by the cracks and trying to move all the furniture. Burt is psycho because WE'RE frantic...ok, I'm more frantic than Steve who is quite calm. That's why I married him!

Long story longer, our awesome friends Amy and Tony stop by to help us and we ended up removing all the carpet (totally went underneath) and we put plastic outside to stop the seepage. I went to sleep around 3 or 4am on Sunday, Steve awhile after. Yesterday we carved a path in the living room around all the stuff from the basement and made sure the dehumidifiers were emptied. It could have been much worse - I feel so bad for those people in Oregon - but still, not fun and clearly it will be expensive to get it all back together. Did I mention I ate about 20 cookies during this whole debacle? Sure glad I made those!!

Wednesday, 8/15/07

Happy Birthday to my sisters today! You guys are OLD!

I think this happened awhile ago...I brought blueberry muffins in today and forgot the DANG BUTTER!!!!!! They're so dry and pasty without the butter. I'm obsessing about the butter! I'm sure I'll be fine. :)

Monday, 8/13/07

Ahhh...back from the spa and a wonderful weekend. My friends Sarah, Kristin and I were at Sundara Inn & Spa (in Wisconsin Dells) for the day on Saturday to celebrate our birthdays (Sarah's treat!). We lounged in our big, fluffy, chenille-like robes and had manicures and pedicures and, of course, talked about everything from husbands to babies to cooking to gossip from the hometown...and lots in between that I can't tell you about! Then we went to the new outlet mall - found a few things but didn't feel like trying stuff on (You know how that is...hmmm...will this fit? Hold it up, guess, then decide it's too much work to take everything off). I did buy a big, juicy chocolate chip and pecan covered caramel apple that we shared on the drive back to Sarah's. We made lots of appetizers, drank too much wine and watched chick flicks all night. If you haven't seen "The Holiday", you totally need to! Great movie. We crashed in the living room and made monkey bread on Sunday morning, then ventured back into our normal lives. Yesterday, Steve's Dad came over and helped us do a few things around the house and then we all went out to dinner. Hope your weekend was just as fun!

Wednesday, 8/8/07

My Mom was so proud when I told her I was making blueberry pie! Yes, Mom, not the canned filling! I hate that stuff. So syrupy and fake...blechkkk. I got a ton of blueberries from Eugster's Market (Hwy 138 between Stoughton and Oregon - fun place) and used most for two pies - froze one for this Friday when we have another couple over for dinner and made the other. I don't think Steve has had any and I've had about four pieces! Here's to using fresh ingredients from local places and making great food!! I love that.

Like a ding-dong, I wore the wrong socks while walking this morning and now am getting ANOTHER blister in the same spot as the other just a couple weeks ago (caused by the same problem - wrong socks). Duh! I even set my stuff out before bed. So now, gals, you'll understand this...I wore slingbacks today and one is on properly and the other is flapping away.

Monday, 8/6/07

I swear I'm still on Hawaii time. It's so hard for me to get up in the morning! Man. Celebrated Steve's birthday last week - you might have heard me talking on the air that all he wanted was...raspberries...yes, raspberries. So, that's what he got! You can bet your bippy that I'll be asking for more than fruit when mine rolls around!!

This morning, Burt ate a bar of soap. He climbed right into the tub (it's the one we give him a bath in) and snatched the bar so I had to pry his mouth open and fish it out from WAY back in there. He sat down and smacked his lips for awhile after that one. I can't imagine it tastes very good!

Forgot to tell you that while we were in Hawaii we ran into someone from...guess where...REEDSBURG!!! Totally serious. We were on the beach just down from our condo and Steve was wearing his Green Bay Packers shirt and I was wearing the pink breast cancer Packers hat. This guy goes "Hey, are you from Wisconsin?" We say yes and he says his wife is from Portage and he's from Reedsburg. I spaz out and say "GET OUT!" and then playfully slap him on the chest saying "I'm from Reedsburg, TOO!" Turns out he went to school with my Mom and his nephew and I went to high school together. He was in Hawaii for a relative's wedding and was staying right down the road as well. After he left I said to Steve, "This further proves that Reedsburg is the center of the universe!" And he just nods his head and says "Whatever you want to think..."

Wednesday, 7/31/07

Back from vacation. It was a long one - we were in Hawaii for two weeks. It was supposed to be our honeymoon destination last fall but with the earthquake there we decided to go out west. Boy, it's hard to get back into the swing of things after being away for so long! We had a wonderful time, though...we snorkeled, went to Pearl Harbor, hiked inside the crater at Haleakala, went to Volcanoes National Park (missed the lava flow by two days - dang!), ate sushi, drove the Road to Hana and more. We had a little rain to deal with toward the end on the Big Island because Hurricane Cosme (which by then was a tropical depression) was 100 miles offshore and still dumped a bunch of precip on us, like, way more than they usually have so we had flash flood warnings, etc. Here's my advice if you're thinking of going to Hawaii - it's beautiful and worth it but expensive and not the type of trip where you want to lay around, unless you're super rich. It was an eight-hour flight from Chicago so it's not like three hours to Mexico or anything and you have to take so much time off from work for it to be worth it that you want to see as much as possible while you're there. At least that's what we thought. We visited Maui, Oahu and the Big Island...our fave was Maui but the Big Island was pretty, too. Honolulu was super busy and just chaotic. But, the whole thing was really fun and I'm glad we got to go there! It's good to be home, though...I missed my house. And my dog!

Hope you're getting a chance to cook some fun new meals this summer. I'm totally into kabobs on the grill - chicken or steak, mushrooms, onions, peppers, squash....yum-a-rino! I made strawberry shortcake last night, too...the real stuff...and red potatoes with butter and chives from the garden. Seriously, that was one of the best things about Hawaii - the food! I used every opportunity to remind Steve that we wouldn't find seafood any fresher so we should have sushi every meal! And Cocoa Krispies for breakfast...

Friday, 7/6/07

Hello again! Most of last week I was in Minneapolis for a radio conference - it was fun to get away and not have to worry about the dog waking me up at 5am! I saw Chris Rice perform, Jim Brickman was there as well and I met Bob Eubanks (former host of The Newlywed Game) in the elevator. I said "Hey, you're Bob Eubanks!" and he said "I used to be!" and then I laughed and he asked where I was from. Just then we got to his floor. Could I have been a bigger dork?! "Hey, you're Bob Eubanks!" was really intelligent. He was there speaking at the convention but was the last person I expected to see on the elevator. He looked old and tan but was dressed well. Everyone asked about that - How'd he look?

I think I mentioned my niece is now driving. My sister and her husband got her a car. I can't complain since my parents did the same for me about a year after I got my license. It's weird, though, because she talked the other day about driving to see me and driving to her job and driving here there and everywhere. I think my sister is just glad she doesn't have to cart her around now.

My parents are putting their dog down today, which is really sad. They adopted her from the Humane Society (Sauk County) a few years ago and found out when they got her home that she was deaf. They didn't know her age, either, but thought it was between eight and 13 years. She's had fun at my parents - they really catered to her which I just love - so, while I'm sad, I do feel that she had a much better life than before. She arrived at the Humane Society as a stray or maybe someone had dropped her off somewhere. I can't even imagine. The poor dog...deaf and lost. But she lived wonderfully toward the end of her life and I'm grateful for that.

Hope you got to see some fireworks on the 4th. Steve and I went with Burt to the Stoughton extravaganza with our friends Tony and Amy. We usually sit in the same place but this year joined them somewhere else. Burt did really well with all the noise and all the people, which is surprising since he went NUTS at home when the neighbors were shooting off all the illegal stuff. I will never understand the appeal of doing all of that but I guess it's a guy thing.

Oh! Don't you just love it when you find an old CD or piece of music that you haven't heard in awhile? I was doing the bills last night and found my "Phantom of the Opera" CDs and it was awesome! I got the goosebumps just remembering the fabulous performances I've been to of that show. I was listening on my discman (no, I do not have an iPod and don't want one) and Burt kept barking at the warbling he was hearing through the headphones! I was trying to expose him to some quality music. :)

Friday, 6/22/07

Ahhh...it's been a crazy week. The wedding last week went well, but the church was not air-conditioned and it was about 90 that day so...you can just about guess how the wedding party was feeling! A funeral on Monday (the relative I played piano for at Hospice recently...I was honored to play piano in the funeral as well), then Burt got into a bunch of stuff at home on Tuesday morning (ate the dishcloth, my sunglasses, a Ziploc container, a bill and some medication) so I spent a good portion of the day with him at the vet...oh and did I mention that during this time Steve was out of town??! OF COURSE! I did have a great time last night with some friends at Eno Vino, celebrating my friend Sarah's 30th birthday. We've known each other since we were 3! And tonight, I'm looking forward to fish at Toby's...and maybe a Bloody Mary! Here's to a new beginning next week...

Wednesday, 6/13/07

Thank you so much for your contribution during our Gilda's Club fundraiser last week! What a response from our listeners! YOU are the best. I'm slowly getting back to normal...a week of rising at 4am and going to bed after 11 has made it hard! Burt now thinks it's normal to get up at 5! NO!!

I'm playing piano for a coworker/friend's wedding this weekend in Fond du Lac. I'm super excited because I'll be playing a grand piano...until I can get my own, I'll take every chance I can get to play one. And, the music is really good so that's always more fun. Enjoy the beautiful weather!!

Friday, 6/8/07

Hope you've been listening to the "Concert for Gilda's Club"...maybe you just heard me bawling my eyes out on the air?! We were talking with Kim Feller and her two children; Kim's husband, Mike, passed away from cancer. She is an amazing inspiration to anyone who is dealing with this terrible disease and she spoke of the importance of the Gilda's Club in Detroit where she and Mike lived. Until we got on the air with her, I thought I'd be able to talk about it without crying but no such luck! I told her that I had just gotten married in October and I couldn't imagine what it would be like to lose my sweetheart and asked if she could explain how Gilda's helped her through that. I know the combination of no sleep for the last week and the craziness of things here contributed, too. I know it's for a good cause but I still feel a little sheepish after that! I guess it's just opening your heart and sharing that makes you vulnerable, but certainly we're all feeling emotional here as we raise money for such a good cause. Cancer has affected so many people I know...my high school choir teacher Sherri Miotke; my Dad's cousin Larry Otis; our family friend Fran Fish Kelly; another family friend Diana Curtin...the list goes on and on for my family and I'm sure you know people, too. I gotta say that my friend Kristin has been so supportive the last couple days as we've been working on this goal for Gilda's Club. If you can, please donate and know that you are making a difference. Gilda's Club is free to anyone affected by cancer and we need one, here! LET'S DO THIS!!! Thanks so much for your support.

Thursday, 5/31/07

It was fun to hang out with my sister, Chris. We did have sushi and it was divine! I even tried a new roll, which is BIG for me. We also did the Farmer's Market (Could the arugula be any better right now?! MAN!! So good.) and the flowers so now, after several hours of planting, I am set at home. I always seem to end up with an entire flat of extra annuals...how does that work? Somewhat similar to the mismatched socks in the laundry all the time! We did not end up going to Devil's Lake, much to my mother's relief. She calls me and says "Now if you two are going to Devil's Lake, don't be climbing on those rocks! Someone just died there the other day, you know!" Yes, Mom, I know. I just smile because she is so cute. I also played piano last weekend for a relative that's in hospice here in Fitchburg - if you ever get the chance to volunteer there, do it. It was really rewarding. I am hoping to get there more often.

Thursday, 5/24/07

My sister is coming into town tomorrow. We both love sushi so I'm super excited to eat that with her!! And, we'll have to shop, of course...and I need her help picking flowers for my yard. She has quite the green thumb. Seems like everything is overgrown and in need of some color so I gotta get going on the flower-planting. We'll also go to the Farmer's Market on Saturday - my first trip of the year - and then she'll head home. Her daughter, my niece, just turned 16. I literally cannot believe she is old enough to drive. Seriously! It's just not right. I remember when she was born. This must be what Pat O'Neill is feeling since his daughter graduated from college recently, and Amanda (my niece) isn't even my own kid! But we've always been very close and I love her to pieces.

Hope you have a fun and safe weekend! We might go to Devil's Lake and let Burt play in the water, or we might go see Steve's aunt and uncle's new little Doberman puppy. Remind me that even though it's super cute, I do not want another dog...

Wednesday, 5/23/07

Back from vaca and some excellent training. Steve and I were in Colorado a couple weeks ago for his cousin's wedding at the Air Force Academy. Beautiful area - Colorado Springs - and the campus is pretty cool, too. We stayed a couple extra days to do some sightseeing and drove up Pikes Peak (yikes, as someone afraid of heights, it was tough on the way up but totally worth it!), visited Garden of the Gods and some other awesome nature hikes and waterfalls. It was fun to spend time with his parents and grandma (she's in her mid 80s and is really fun) and other family out there. Burt was at my parents - I think they thought it was going to be easy and then realized little Burt is a terror! The training was at the UW - first time in the Fluno Center...wow. If you ever get the chance to take some classes there, do it. We had great instructors.

Now it's back to work as we prep for the big Gilda's Club fundraiser in a couple weeks. Seems like yesterday we were talking about this and it was just after the new year. Hope you'll be around to listen and help us June 6-8!

Thursday, 5/10/07

Hard to come to work today! The little voice inside my head - we have conversations! - said to play hooky but we're getting ready for a little vacation so, you know, always a million things to do before that. But, haven't the days been glorious? So beautiful! I love to see how the trees change and begin to cover the roads with their leaves. Spring is so wonderful here. Too bad Steve is allergic to lilacs or I'd have them everywhere - mmmm!!

The other night, I left Magic late and I couldn't believe all the traffic on the Beltline. It was 9:15pm and seriously, there were as many cars then as there are sometimes in the middle of the day! Where are people going at that hour? I just can't believe the traffic on that road sometimes. And good luck trying to use an alternate route - they're packed, too. Sara Freeman once suggested that they build a double-decker road (right over the current one!) to alleviate traffic - love it! Enjoy the sun!

Monday, 5/7/07

Kim looks great - it was so fun to laugh at all of our silly jokes. Isn't it fun to reconnect with old friends? Her husband was such a peach, too...putting up with all of those women!

Steve started putting up a closet organizer last night around 8:30. It's something I've had for awhile and he's been "getting to it" for quite some time...I'm learning this is how guys are! Or maybe just him?! And I knew it would happen...around 9:30, he was starting to get really irritated about the whole thing and then decided that he'd wait until his Dad came down in a couple weeks to help him. In the meantime, all...and I mean all...of my clothes are in another bedroom on the bed. That kind of chaos drives me NUTS. I guess what goes around comes around, though. When I was in high school, I made a meal for my French class quarterly project - we just had to cook something "French" at home and then report on it. Well, I decided to make ravioli (from scratch), chocolate mousse and all this other stuff I don't even remember. My Mom and I (I mean, I cooked it all alone!!) started it at like 8 one night and didn't eat until around 10. So, I guess I deserved the closet thing?

Thursday, 5/3/07

Excited for a fun night! You might remember Kim Fischer, who hosted "Magic 98 Love Songs" years ago...Kim now lives on the west coast and she'll be back in town for a few days. We used to share an office and laughed so hard at the dumbest things. So I'm looking forward to sharing all those stories again and absolutely freaking her husband right out! He'll think we're so weird. Then, my brother will be in town for work so hopefully I can see him. And, I'll get to see my parents today but not for a happy occasion...a family member (my Dad's cousin's husband) has cancer and I'm so sad to say it's not looking very good. We're going to visit him after lunch. I wrote about them before...they are, hands down, the nicest people on Earth, and it pains me to see this happening to him. I am not looking forward to that part of the day at all.

Tuesday, 5/1/07

Happy May Day! I used to love this time as a kid - we'd make May baskets at school and then give them to our parents. My Mom and I made them, too, and delivered them to the neighbors. Now I get to pass that fun on to Magic listeners - hope to meet you today!

So we stained the deck this past weekend, only to find out today that we did it wrong. I guess you're supposed to put the second coat on right away, as the first one is still wet. Then they both absorb into the wood. I'll blame Steve for this one because he insisted on a second coat and now the guy at Menard's said it will probably peel and we'll have to strip it and DO IT OVER!! Our friends Cody and Tracie said they're going to get rid of their wood deck and install a maintenance-free deck...sounds like a great idea right now! And we were so proud of ourselves this weekend...we stood out there like new parents, admiring our deck. What a deal...

Friday, 4/27/07

Looking forward to a low-key weekend. We have lots of lawn stuff to do, plus we need to stain the deck one of these days. That just seems like a big ol' chore right now! Steve's aunt and uncle are coming down on Sunday for brunch so that'll be fun - we're going to the Concourse and I haven't been to a good Sunday brunch in a long time. You know me - I love food!

Steve just got back from a work trip and - get this - his plane was hit by lightning on the way! YIKES! They were on the way to Detroit and right over Lake Michigan, I bet, and he heard this big crack and then saw a flash of red out the window. The pilot came on and said "I'm sure you heard that...we just got struck by lightning. All the instruments are fine..." Um, if that had been me on the plane, I would have probably flipped out! I asked my brother (who flies all the time) and he said it's totally rare and I shouldn't worry. But I was much happier when he got home last night.

Thursday, 4/26/07

I don't watch much TV - Idol, The Office (hilarious, you must watch it!), Grey's Anatomy, Brothers & Sisters (on and off), Extreme Makeover Home Edition and some stuff on TLC and HGTV. But I ran across the Gene Simmons (from KISS) show called "Gene Simmons Family Jewels" and I hate to admit it but it is so funny!! I've seen a few episodes and my favorite is the one where he loses his wallet in NYC and the cab driver gives him a hard time about giving his daughter's horse away earlier in the show. It was just one bad thing after another while he was there - he also lost his costume and the hotel manager found it in the hotel kitchen where all these employees were trying it on. I'm serious, I was laughing so hard.

The cool thing about working in radio is that I get to listen to music all day. When a good song comes on, I can crank it without worrying that someone near me might be offended at the volume. That's just what we do around here - turn it up, baby!! And you might find us dancing in the hall, too! So I really enjoyed last night's Idol and all the artists that performed, particularly Annie Lennox. Wow, that was powerful. And so was Kelly Clarkson. This sounds corny, but to know that music can affect people and make a difference is so neat. That's how I felt last night and how I felt last year with our Concert for Gilda's Club - hope you'll be able to listen and help us out again in June.

Thursday, 4/19/07

Finally, Sanjaya is out of American Idol. After his awful performance on Tuesday, it's about time. I really shouldn't comment since I've never voted - I don't have the patience or time to sit there and redial for two hours - but geez, the guy was terrible.

We gave away grape hyacinth bulbs as favors for our wedding (to match the fall theme, they were in a burlap "bag" and tied with twine) and they're finally coming up in the yard! We had several left over so I was able to plant them everywhere. My Mom is quite the gardener and our house always has beautiful flower gardens so I'm hoping to be on my way to that. Spring is such a fun time, seeing what bulbs you planted the year before!

It's hard for me to understand this Virginia Tech thing. I have no idea how someone can be so angry that they'd want to do something like this to innocent people. It's to the point where I can't watch it on TV because it's so awful. Without kids, I'm sure my connection to it is different, but I do have a niece and nephew and if that happened at their school and something happened to them...I just don't even know. I would have a very, very hard time with forgiveness, even though as a Christian I know that's what's right. Those poor parents and families. I guess all we can do is pray for everyone down there and remember the Weston folks as well.

I must end on a happier note. Burt turned one on Monday and we're happy that he's calmed down so much! Thank goodness!! He's still rowdy and naughty but most of the time he's a cute little boy. We took him on an extra long walk on Monday night as his present.

Tuesday, 4/10/07

Easter was a total blast. We went to Steve's parents on Friday and I went to church with them - Steve stayed home...still sick - and that was great. Good Friday service is so good...really makes you think. We left Burt with them Saturday and drove to my parents where the whole family was...chaos! Without Burt it was much better than Christmas, when all we did was chase him around. Dinner was hilarious Saturday night - as usual, we told and retold the same stories but it's still so funny. Sunday, Easter church services and a big egg hunt outside...the kids (teenage niece and nephew) get the small eggs with money and the adults get the big eggs (with money, too). I put together two baskets each for each of my parents so they had to find those - it's cool to see them become kids again for a few minutes while they're searching the house! It's a tradition to get bubbles, sidewalk chalk and a paddleball for Easter so my Mom's basket contained all three, plus some fun socks, long underwear (she wanted it) and fun candy. My Dad's had the usual Buddy Squirrel nuts. When I was younger, we'd ALL get paddleballs and it would drive my Dad nuts!! The only bad part of the weekend was that I forgot all of my makeup at home (realized this on the way to Steve's parents...luckily I had a spare set (but it was my old stuff...I now wear the new mineral powders) in the car and Steve's Mom had a bazillion freebies from Clinique so I used some of that) AND then I forgot my dress pants for church at the in-laws. SERIOUSLY! I had to go to Sunday Easter church in jeans...I was so mortified. I figured God was happy I was there and hopefully didn't care what I wore - I did have good intentions. Other than that drama, everything was really good. I hope you had a great Easter, too!

Wednesday, 4/4/07

Did you vote yesterday? Shame shame (I know your name) if you didn't. I always leave the polling place and think of all the people that don't have the opportunity to vote (in other countries) and how we really take it for granted. My hubby was out of town and didn't get an absentee ballot, for example...I was like "How could you forget that?!" i just remember going with my mom as a young girl and even back then, voting was a big deal. She'd drag me to the town hall and we'd go in the booth, close the curtain and it just seemed like this very exciting, mysterious thing. And to this day, NO ONE (and I mean no one, not even my dad) knows who she votes for in any election. She always says that it's private and that's why they have the curtains. I don't have a problem telling people, especially Steve, because I think it creates some interesting and worthwhile conversations about important topics. I'm so glad Steve and I share the same political views, though. His parents are almost total opposites - and, my parents are alike in some ways but in others very different - so it makes for a rocky discussion when they talk politics. Someone always ends up frustrated or mad. I guess I would, too. I'm always amazed at James Carville and Mary Matalin - I just eat them up when they're on TV. Their dynamic is so interesting.

Tuesday, 3/27/07

Filling in for Jimmy McGaw today. I think he's faking the flu and just laying around at home! Steve and I are having the now-familiar "Where do we go for x holiday?" discussion. His family doesn't do much for Easter but it's a big deal at my parents...my Mom makes a big, yummy dinner, we all go to church, we look for eggs outside and my niece and nephew get baskets inside. I totally realize it's not necessarily fair to always go to my house but...OK, I guess I have nothing on this one! The big thing this year will be the fact that everyone will be home - brother, sister, sister and family (husband, two kids, two dogs, one cat and the other dog they're babysitting) and my family (husband and dog). HELLO!!! Burt will be into everything, the cat will be on the kitchen counter (driving my Mom nuts), my brother will take too much time in the bathroom (don't all guys?!), my sister will take super-long naps and my other sister will just get stir crazy after awhile. Meanwhile, my niece and nephew will be looking for things to do, my brother-in-law and Dad will be sleeping, Steve will be tired from running after Burt, my Mom will be worried that we're all having a good time, the other two dogs will be jumping on everyone and I...I'll be playing piano, by myself, with the doors closed. The great part is that while all of this is totally predictable, that's what makes it so cool. Family is what it's about! I hope your family celebration is just as fun - and crazy - as mine will be!!

Friday, 3/23/07

I'm going to have lunch tomorrow with an old grade school friend of mine - it'll be fun to catch up. We always laugh about how we dressed back then and the massive amounts of hairspray we used. I still CANNOT STAND the Aussie brand because she used to put so much of it on. Maybe this will be the weekend I actually clean out my car, too! I'm super excited for Kathryn Vaughn to be back on Magic Sunday Morning this weekend as well. I know she's anxious to play her favorite music for you and update you on where she's been so tune in Sunday from 7am 'til 12noon - it'll be GREAT!

Wednesday, 3/21/07

Today is a day for staying home in bed. Man, rainy days are hard to get through - you just want to curl up on the sofa or in bed with your favorite book or movie. I'd be watching "The Sound of Music" (got it for Christmas - I know, I'm a geek) or reading my book "Smart Couples Finish Rich." I just finished a good book on Bill O'Reilly and one of the best books I ever read was "Love You Mean It" by a group of four 9/11 widows. Very moving...couldn't put it down. I grew up going to the library with my mom and so I love the place now! I'm always checking out tons of magazines and books. Tonight would be a good night to go!

Friday, 3/16/07

Happy Birthday to my mom today! I wanted to get up early enough to call the Magic Birthday line but just...couldn't...do it. Made homemade chocolate chip cookies last night with my new mixer (the BIG Kitchenaid - got it as a wedding gift) and I gotta say they're pretty good! After I figured out how to maneuver the speed thing - only after I turned it on too fast and flour flew everywhere...my jeans, shirt, floor - it worked pretty well.

Are you the kind of person that's always thinking about yourself and analyzing everything? I overanalyze, I admit that; poor Steve, he's a saint for living with me! One of the things I've been thinking about lately is the fact that my brother came through Madison yesterday on his way to the Badger game in Chicago and he didn't have time to stop and see me. He always says I'm good at giving him guilt trips so I made sure not to make it a big deal and he never reads this blog so I'm good, I think. But geez, couldn't you find a half hour to go have coffee with me? The other thing that's bothering me is the dissolution of a business relationship I've had for a few years with someone. I think it's hard when you are friends and business associates with someone - it's often too complicated. So now I'm thinking how I could have done things differently but really, in regards to both situations, why am I wasting time on it? Both are over and done with. I'm so much like my Dad that way...a thinker. I guess it's better than not thinking about things at all.

Wednesday, 3/14/07

Wish I could say I've been on vacation all this time but, alas, I've been here in Wisconsin! Random thoughts...for the most part, disappointed in American Idol this time around. Other than a couple of the girls, the pool is not that good. When is Sanjaya gonna get voted off?! He's terrible. For the first time this year, went to the dog park last weekend with Burt and Steve. Burt's the dog, Steve's the husband, in case you didn't know. It's fun to see all the dogs interact and Burt just loves water so he took every opportunity to step in all the puddles and splash around. I'll be hosting Magic Sunday Morning this weekend - really excited! We'll be playing extra great music. I always listen but the last couple weekends have been super good, I think. And, finally got my hair cut. Just too long...and for spring, you need something a little lighter. Color is coming soon...it's grown out way too fast from before the wedding. Not too much exciting going on but it seems like this time of the year, we're just getting organized and set for spring. I can't wait!

Monday, 3/5/07

Really glad last week is over. Between filling in for Amy Abbott while she was gone, doing Jim's shift last Friday with all the bad weather and still being sick, it's been a long few days. Yesterday I went home to my parents in Reedsburg, which was really fun. The drive there is just gorgeous...I never use the Interstate anymore because it's so fast and so boring. Highway 12, which used to be a total nightmare, is now so beautiful. The sun was shining, the fields were so crisp and perfect with the snow and since I went in the morning, I was able to listen to "Magic Sunday Morning". It's a miracle I'm still alive after commuting to Magic on that road for several months while doing weekend overnights when I first started. I used to leave Reedsburg late at night - about 10pm - and drive to Madison on Hwy 12 and then drive back in the morning after my shift. I did this for about five months back in 1999...Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights. CRAZY! That highway used to be so bad, plus I was going through a terrible breakup and I remember just crying my eyes out on the drive, so yeah, I'm thankful I didn't get in an accident back then. I did lose my hubcaps, though, right around the turn to Mazo. I was driving back for church on a Sunday morning in the summer and I was dead tired...all of a sudden I hit a big pothole and BAM! two hubcaps go rolling into the grass. I actually kept driving because I was so tired...and then I turned around because I knew my Dad would kill me if I kept going. So I'm trudging around in the wet grass in my nice clothes looking for my stinkin' hubcaps (it was only a Dodge Shadow...who cares anyway?!). I only found one.

Thursday, 3/1/07

Between hacking every five seconds and the worst back pain I've ever endured, it's been a challenging week! You never realize how much you value movement until you don't have it. I couldn't sleep, sit, walk...nothing. Well, I was walking but it was at a very strange angle...about 90 degrees. Putting my shoes and socks on is still tough; I plop on the floor and sort of swing the sock around and hope it catches on my foot. I've seen a couple chiropractors so I hope I'm on the mend - it's certainly much better today than it was on Monday. Then, last night, I was at the mall on my way to meet some friends for dinner (at the new Granite City place at West Towne) and the minute I stepped out of Williams Sonoma, I knew I was in trouble. You know how you get that tickle and NOTHING will help? That was me...coughing, gagging, sneezing, nose running, eyes watering...I'm sure I looked like a mess. I tried to walk faster but my back still hurt and every time I'd cough it would spasm. I finally made it out to my car and drank a bottle of water before I felt better. Is it the weather or what? I'm sick of this cough hanging around!

Thursday, 2/22/07

It's hard to see your parents sad. A close friend of my parents - Helen Huber - died yesterday morning. My mom is pretty stoic and rarely cries but she's been having a hard time with this one. Helen was so vibrant and fun - I can still see her smile and turning to talk to her when she sat behind us in church. She fought the lung cancer for a long time but it had spread. This is also a hard situation because both my parents smoke and I'll be honest, I would like to use this to "teach" them but I know that's not right. I guess I just don't understand how you wouldn't want to quit when you see a close friend suffer. I'm sure they do want to quit but just physically can't. I'm so happy they passed the smoking ban in Madison...it's been so much more enjoyable to go out and my health isn't being compromised. I could go on and on about smoking and how much I hate it but that doesn't do much good. I just want my parents to quit. I'd do anything to make that happen.

Then, we heard a close relative of ours (who already is fighting cancer) had an "episode" last night at church and the cancer may have spread. The worst things happen to the nicest people - seriously, Bev and Larry Otis are about the nicest people in the world.

Yesterday, I was driving back to work from my chiropractor appointment...the sun was shining, people were zipping by me on the Beltline and I looked over to see this guy in an old truck leaning over the wheel. He just looked sad and I felt bad for him, not even knowing him. I just realized that you never know what someone else is going through. Everyone has something...job troubles, marriage issues, health concerns, worries about our country and the world, etc. It's pretty depressing if you think about it too long! And then, last night at Target, I had the nicest exchange with a woman...I was lingering in the lamp section (Seriously, we have like one lamp in our house! It was past time to get some and I bought about 10 of them) and she made a suggestion on the type of shade I should get. We talked for a little bit - turns out she's an interior designer - and when she walked away I said "Thanks! I'm so glad I ran into you!" and she rubbed my arm and said "No, thank you! I was happy to share!" It was such a simple conversation but yet so meaningful. My point - just be nice to people! You never know what it would mean to someone who might be going through a tough situation.

Friday, 2/16/07

The chess set went over very well - he was surprised and really liked it. And the pizza was yummy but the best idea of the day was mine (ha!) - to get a custard pie from Michael's Frozen Custard. Soooo good. Way more custard than I should have but hey, I'm married now so who cares. And then, after the presents (I got my favorite chocolates from Troll Truffles in downtown Stoughton, some flowers and other little stuff), we went to our separate rooms and he watched the Badger game and I watched American Idol. How exciting!

Tuesday, 2/13/07

Tomorrow's the big day...my first Valentine's Day as a married woman. I think Steve feels lots of pressure, much like most men, don't you think? Pat and Bob were talking about it this morning and they were pretty funny. Steve rarely reads this so I think I'm safe to say that I have a cool idea for him - he's a really good chess player so I think I'll get him a nice chess set. Nevermind the fact that I have no idea how to play and really don't care to learn - the whole thing seems really boring to me...I'd rather watch HGTV! :) But, you know, we wives do what we can to make our hubby happy. And, a heart-shaped Rocky's pizza will make him happy - ok, any shape pizza would make him smile but the heart makes me feel better about it. And...here's a cheap idea and one that I haven't done for awhile...heart shaped Jello Jigglers! Cheap and easy. Good luck with your gift-giving dilemmas for tomorrow. Homemade coupons always work well, too.

Friday, 2/9/07

Just had lunch with my parents at Hubbard Avenue Diner. Great strawberry rhubarb pie and very good ice cream, too. YUM! Moms are just great for personal presents...I just turned the big 3-0 and I got the neatest rain gauge, garden plaque and thermometer. Wow, just rereading that...you know you're an adult when you're excited about those things. We saw the cutest baby there, too...a little fuzzhead that was so perfect she looked like a doll! It's times like those that make me want to have one but then I think not...just...yet!

Monday, 2/5/07

It's a Monday. Burt's back (Saturday) and in the chaos of the morning routine, I forgot my work bag with my planner. Hasn't happened in awhile - so tough without it!! Burt's better behaved - God bless Steve's parents! - so we are adjusting to a different way of disciplining him and he seems to be responding well. The bad part is that I can't talk to him like he's a little baby anymore...I guess it doesn't reinforce that I'm in charge. Makes sense but it's hard for me to think of my little puppy as a dog and not a baby.

I might be the only one out there that didn't watch the Super Bowl yesterday. I watched a little but thought the commercials were pretty bland (particularly the crab one for Budweiser...the frogs were way better) so I continued cleaning. Not much else to do when it's that cold out and so I cleaned all weekend. I went to the Super Bowl years ago...when it was in Minneapolis...and it was cool. The one thing I remember about that trip isn't the game but the fact that I had the chance to see Frank Sinatra perform and went instead to see the NFL Challenge (I think that was the name) with a bunch of hands-on sports activities. Can you believe I chose that over Sinatra?!

Friday, 2/2/07

I spent last weekend in Springfield, MO, for a radio conference...what a long drive! We did drive right by the Arch in St. Louis and Missouri is at least hilly, unlike Illinois, so there were some redeeming points to the drive. They were just beginning to recover from the terrible ice storm that went through there the week before - cars were still pinned under fallen trees and the tree devastation was unbelievable. There will literally be no shade this summer because all the trees broke.

No Burt around the house this past week - I have to admit that it's been nice! Steve's said about a hundred times "Don't you miss him?" and I say yes but it's so nice to sleep in a little and have a calm, relaxing night without him tearing up everything in sight! We get him back tomorrow. Right in time for all the cold weather and taking the little bugger outside all the time!

Thursday, 1/25/07

Happy Birthday to my friend Sarah today! She's an old friend from elementary school. It was neat to see several old friends at my wedding - they all sat together with their husbands and were so engaged in conversation they never even danced!

By now you know I'm obsessed with food. I love to eat. In fact, it's 8:17am and I'm already looking forward to lunch! I think I'll have sushi. Anyway, was thinking yesterday about some faves here in town that I should share with you. The apple croissants at L'Etoile (I guess it's the downstairs cafe call Soleil now) are unbelievable - real apples (not the fake, syrupy junk), flaky crust and a hint of frosting. I once trekked several blocks in the rain while in a suit and high heels just to get one (OK, two). Yeah, I looked REALLY good after that...but I didn't care! Love the macaroons at Marigold Kitchen - soft and chewy. Rolling Pin Bakery has amazing pinch cookies with raspberry jam and Scott's Pastry Shoppe has wonderful chicken salad (I always get it on their homemade wheat bread with swiss cheese and lettuce) and great cutout cookies. Hmmm...now that I read this, they're all sweets! Steve always says I have the biggest sweet tooth of anyone he knows. OK, my sushi secret is the Sushi Box on old University. Affordable, fantastic sushi and they're the nicest people there. I am so hungry now!!

Monday, 1/22/07

I am becoming my mother. I might have told you about this before but she wears the weirdest clothes when she lets the dog out in the morning...nightgown, sweatpants, sweatshirt (over the nightgown, which is over the pants), socks and clogs. Nothing matches, either. Minus the clogs, this is what I now wear when I let the dog out. I'm sure the neighbors leave their blinds closed until it's safe and I'm on the way to work! She has even tucked her nightgown into her pants and gone to the store for milk!! Yes, this is my mother...she's so cute.

I guess I thought to tell you this because I didn't change out of my pajamas all day yesterday, which makes me feel like a total slob. I didn't even go to church! Hope my parents don't read this or I'll be in trouble. That is bad that I didn't go. But I did get a lot done at home - Christmas tree down, bills paid, dishes and laundry done, great dinner made - so I don't feel quite as bad...

Saturday was Steve's Christmas party, which was actually fun this year! We sat next to some great people and then I played Roulette for the first time (with fake money) and LOVED it! But it'd be totally different with real money. I just can't watch my cash slide across the table like that. Then, I won a beautiful ladies watch and Steve was hoping for the men's version but didn't get it. Too bad...I won a pair of watches years ago and still wear the one I kept but gave the other to my boyfriend at the time. Who knows where that's at now! And here's another question relating to that...what am I supposed to do with the jewelry I got from other guys prior to getting married? Can I still wear it? Should I sell it? That would feel weird, I think. There are some nice pieces...nothing expensive...but fun to wear. Hmmmmmm.....

Monday, 1/15/07

I like the snow! The drive in wasn't that bad this morning, either, surprisingly. I hate to drive home in it but I love when it snows all day. My Mom always says it's like being inside a snow globe. You could just gaze outside all day. I feel bad for our listeners that are stuck inside offices (or cubes) without windows, although you probably get a lot more done than the rest of us!

Steve and I are trying to get on a new health kick. He wants me to run a marathon - or at least a half one - later this year with him (he's a runner) and I said I'd work on it. What was I thinking?! I'm the type that, when the urge hits, I'll zip down the street and get Michael's Frozen Custard and frankly, not feel that bad about it. I'm blessed with good metabolism but I know at some point it'll catch up. So I'm trying to have us eat healthier...like today, I packed in our lunches (yes, I sometimes pack his lunch...I know, that's so old-fashioned) rice cakes with peanut butter! You should have seen Lanette's face when she saw me eating it - a mother's pride!! So we'll see how far this nutrition thing goes...

Wednesday, 1/10/07

I've been going to the same eye doctor since I was a little girl and today I had my first appointment with the new guy here in Madison. It was a little weird...new place, new people, new procedures...and I always have to defend my eyecare practices, like never taking out my contacts early enough or wearing my disposable lenses too long (Hello! They're two-week lenses and I wear them for a month minimum. I know...that's bad). So today I had to sheepishly admit to these things, which I don't like doing. With the old one, he knew and while he wasn't happy about it, he politely admonished me and we went about our appointment! Now, I can't see because my pupils are so dilated from those drops they use...I look like an alien. I've realized I'm not the best with change.

Monday, 1/8/07

Happy New Year! I am missing the snow and wishing we had some. It's just not right. Everyone has been talking about this Al Gore movie on global warming so I'll have to see it - I have a tendency to stick my head in the sand on these things and it's time I really learn about it.

I've been sick - the annual Christmas cough and cold. Finally getting over it, though. Steve got sick as well so we were a really exciting couple on New Year's! My Dad is always like "Well, maybe next year you'll learn and won't push it so hard before Christmas!", in his "Dad" voice, you know.

Congrats to my good friend Kristin and her husband Rick, proud new parents of a little baby boy!! That is so exciting! I know sooo many people who are either pregnant or just had a baby...and, of course, that brings many people to ask me about my personal situation! Burt is enough at this point, thank you so much...

Thursday, 12/27/06

Hope your Christmas was fun. Mine was good - interesting, but good. First Christmas married, first one with a dog (Burt) and first one where we had to split our time between families. Turns out we should have stayed at Steve's parents! (Sorry Mom.) Burt got into sooo much at my parents - it really is not a dog-proofed house - including Christmas tree ornaments, shoes, socks, paper and...this is the best...a bag of suet. Yep...he ate the whole thing! Jumped up and tore it right off the branch out in the yard! Needless to say, digestive problems followed until he....ahem...expelled the mesh bag a couple days ago. We didn't get much sleep Christmas Eve because he kept us up - poor thing! - so we were on the way home early on Christmas Day to sleep at home! Good thing my family is really easygoing and understood that he's just a little puppy.

All in all, though, it was great to spend the holidays with both families. My parents house, especially, was so festive. My Mom has a huge nativity set and all kinds of other collections and the house looked amazing. Plus, my whole family was home, which doesn't happen all that often, so it was crazy fun! And there were a couple Christmas cookies left for me...and I did steal a couple jars of pickles, too! (see below)

Wednesday, 12/20/06

Ah, yes...the time of the year when I beg my dad not to eat all of the Christmas cutout cookies my mom has made. She makes the best - hands down - cookies ever. Nice and light, thin...with homemade frosting, of course. And sprinkles!! I love the sprinkles. So my dad is just eating them like crazy and I said there better be some left when we get home! He's blaming it on my mom and says she's doing it. YEAH RIGHT!! They make homemade pickles each summer and he won't let me take those home, either! He loves to eat just as much as I do so I think we're both kinda territorial about our food, especially when my mom makes it because it's so good.

I wish we'd have snow for Christmas. That's a big bummer. I think I'm one of the few people that likes snow. I love to be home when it's snowing so you can take a walk and enjoy the peace and quiet (well, not with Burt this year)...curl up with a book on the sofa or just hunker down and watch QVC. Seriously, I love that network!! The friendship part of it always reminds me of Magic.

Tuesday, 12/19/06

I stumbled on the Miss America pageant last night - I haven't seen it for a couple years and I guess it's off network TV and onto cable (CMT). My mom and I used to watch it religiously every year when I was a little girl. She would always sing the theme song to me and tell me I could be Miss America, too! Now that I think about it, the memory is very sweet. I know there are some people who have problems with the pageant, and pageantry overall (Lanette will probably kill me for saying this), but there is something so wonderful about getting caught up in the whole thing as a little girl (without going overboard) and dreaming that one day that might be you. I thought the talent portion was a little weak, though. The first runner up played the piano and was amazing - one of the others did a tap routine, the first woman sang (not very well!) and two did a ballet routine. I'm not a dancer and don't know how hard that would be but I thought the piano was the best and she should have won.

In between watching the show, I was cooking treats to give to our neighbors. I got a great cookbook as a shower gift and I'm using it quite a bit - it's the Southern Living magazine cookbook. I made cranberry jam and chocolate nut clusters and have plans to make white chocolate dipped pretzels and these cranberry cookies tonight. I also have to wrap all of our presents - yikes! The days are going by so fast. Hope you're getting all of your stuff done, too.

Thursday, 12/14/06

Thanks to Magic fanatics and longtime listeners Jean & John Dabel, I've not had the most productive afternoon! They always bring in treats for us around Christmas and they're famous for their bourbon balls! I mean, you have never tasted such a treat! The flavor just pops in your mouth...mmmmm. I have had at least three and I always take my time eating them because they're soooo sweet and so good. So I'm constantly taking a bite, doing more work, taking another bite.... Anyway, thanks you guys! It's always good to see you and your homemade treats are awesome.

I did finally get the Christmas tree up earlier this week. I stayed up until 5:30am on Monday morning getting it set up, lights on, etc. Now I have to do the ornaments and I have a lot! I guess I won't have time to get the garland up outside this year. Did you get all of your stuff up? I know lots of people that just ran out of time this year.

Tuesday, 12/12/06

Oops, forgot to wish my parents a happy 43rd wedding anniversary here last week. I did remember to send flowers along with my siblings. Forty-three years is a long time!!

I did some major cleaning and organizing this weekend. We both took off yesterday and got the tree up - no ornaments yet but we're getting there! - and I'm still putting away things from the wedding. It felt sooo good to get things in order, although my closet is still a mess. One of these days everything will be clean...I can hope, right?! Then Burt will come along and eat the toilet paper, the Christmas tree and the garbage and we'll be back where we started.

Tuesday, 12/5/06

Happy Birthday to my brother today!! In other family news, my niece is now driving. SCARY! I remember when she was born! I also remember making the drive to see them in the Milwaukee area when I first got my license and how big of a deal that was.

I'm not a big Internet user - just to check e-mail and visit cnn.com and people.com. Last night, though, I was looking through old magazines and came across two cool sites: Restoration Hardware and The Container Store. If you like decorating and/or organizing, these are for you.

Monday, 12/4/06

Steve and I were in Green Bay this past weekend. We were celebrating my brother's 40th birthday with my parents, my brother-in-law and nephew and some other family. My brother just loooooves to tell stories and of course, just like every other time we all get together, all the same stories came up about me when I was younger. I will not be sharing those stories with you - nice try!! Maybe another time...

I am a big fan of the ABC show "Extreme Makeover Home Edition" and religiously watch it every Sunday night. Last night's was so good - I cry every week but last night was especially touching - because the people were so genuinely thankful for the house. It was a mom and dad with their son and daughter; they were living with the dad's mother in her small apartment because a contractor had ripped them off and taken nearly $50,000. Then, the mom gets cancer and doesn't know how much longer she'll live. So that made it extra sad. Anyway, I like watching it because it makes me feel positive, that there are good things happening in the world. I think it would be the coolest show to work on. And then this morning, I hear Pat & Bob play one of the best holiday wish stories ever (Trig & Jeannete from 2004) and I'm bawling on the way to work!! But again, great people who totally deserve help and are so grateful. That makes it so worth it.

Thursday, 11/30/06

I cannot believe that it's December tomorrow. I was just telling my hairstylist that all of October is gone since we got married in the middle of the month. Up until about two weeks ago, I was putting the wrong dates on my checks - I was putting 10/1 instead of 11/1, etc.! I feel like my parents when I say "Time goes by so fast!"

Tonight, the Magic Crew is ringing the Salvation Army bells at Copps on Whitney Way from 4-6p. I also rang the bells on Tuesday night with my high school friends Kristin and Sarah - it's an annual tradition for us and we've done it four years, I think. We usually sing carols and have a great time. The funny thing this time is that I rang it myself from 6-6:30 and kept wondering where those two were. Sarah has a habit of always being late - and sometimes going to the wrong location (once we were at Pedro's West and she went to Pedro's East! We were on the phone with her and she's like "Where ARE you guys?" and we kept saying "We're RIGHT HERE!" and only then did we realize we were in two different places!) - so I didn't expect her to be there but Kristin is almost always on time. So Kristin calls at 6:20 and she said "Where are you?" I said "I'm ringing the bells!" and we soon figured out that I had gone to the WRONG LOCATION!!! DUH! I got Tuesday's location confused with tonight's and went to Copps when Kristin was at Shopko West. I didn't look that bad because Sarah didn't arrive until 7pm when we were already half done. I assure you, though, we're at Copps on Whitney Way tonight from 4-6pm. See you there!

Wednesday, 11/29/06

I swear I'm losing my mind! I leave the house in the morning and forget whether I shut the garage door or not. Then, like clockwork, I turn around (at almost the same house every time), go back down the street and see that yes, I did shut it, and then I turn back around AGAIN. The annoying thing is that I've never left it open - and probably never will - but I'm in such a zone-out mode when I leave, I can't remember a block later! SERIOUSLY! I'm so mad at myself every day that it happens.

Burt wasn't feeling well this morning. He woke us up at 5 because he was...well, I'll just say it...barfing. Poor little thing! I think he's eating the rotten pumpkin that the neighbors threw out. Anyway, what a great way to wake up! And then today has been cold and icky. Hope you have a warm, cozy night at home. I think I'll make some hot chocolate. Hey! Did I ever tell you that you must have toast with your hot chocolate? Yes, dip it in and then eat it. It sounds weird but it's sooooo good.

Wednesday, 11/22/06

It's busy, busy, busy around here! Most people are gone so the rest of us run around like chickens. Hope you'll get a chance to listen to two awesome days of music - tomorrow, it's the "Thanksgiving Special" from 9am to 7pm and on Friday, it's the "Sneak Preview to 98 Hours of Christmas Magic". Before I even worked at Magic, I always loved the days of special music.

I hope you are able to enjoy yummy food tomorrow and be with family and friends that you love! Here at Magic, we're thankful for you as a listener and that you invite us into your life every day. Happy Thanksgiving!!

Monday, 11/20/06

I'm excited for Thanksgiving! I think I mentioned before that this is the first year I'll be going out to dinner for turkey day. Normally, my mom cooks this huge meal (seriously, my mom is the best cook ever!) for everyone and we eat all day, sleep, watch football, etc. It's a little sickening, actually, when you think about it. But this year, since I'm newly married, we're into this thing called COMPROMISE (a new thing for me! ha ha) and we'll be celebrating at Steve's parents and they always go out. So I'm actually a little worried about not having enough to eat all day! I'm used to snacking here and there, a little pumpkin pie for breakfast on the Friday after, that kind of thing. Honestly, until I met Steve, I had never known anyone that goes out for Thanksgiving dinner. It will be an adventure!

Then, on Friday, Magic will be playing Christmas music from the early morn til Delilah starts at 7. That will be extra fun because I listen to Christmas music starting in the summer...everyone will be shopping, getting ready for the holidays and hopefully in a good mood! Be sure to tune in.

Friday, 11/17/06

It's so blaaaaaah this time of the year. At least today we have some sun. I'd just like to get into winter and have some snow. After the long (hour and a half) drive home last Friday, I really did appreciate the snow. Steve says he hopes I enjoyed the pristine white yard last year because we won't have it anymore with little Burt! Paw prints all over the place! It was pretty funny last Friday because it was the first time he'd seen snow. And since the deck was full of it the poor guy didn't know where to go potty...so he ended up doing it on the deck. And, the cutest thing happened the other night. I was playing piano and he came up and sprawled across my feet...while I was trying to use the pedals! So, of course, I couldn't play anymore because the sound was so distorted but that's ok because it was sooooo cute. He always wants to be by us, which is a good thing. Did I tell you he's now 66 lbs??? He was born on Easter so he's about 7 months old! He's gonna be a big boy!!

Wednesday, 11/15/06

Little Burt is doing better. His paws seem to be fine, which is good, and I'm mostly over my terrible guilt. I think we'll look into half-day daycare next time...

We have been furniture shopping the last couple days. It's been fun! Luckily, we basically agree on what to get and the only dilemma now is what kind of wood. We're looking at dressers - seriously, the clothes are everywhere...strewn room to room upstairs...and it's because we don't have anywhere to put them! I can't stand the unorganization! I keep saying that if I just had like two weeks off of work to get everything organized I would feel much better.

Do you watch The Office on NBC on Thursdays? If you don't, you SIMPLY MUST!! It's hilarious. I hated it in the beginning and now I can't miss it because it's so funny. This week's show should be a good one...

Thursday, 11/9/06

What a beautiful day today! And yesterday, too. Puts you in a good mood. Had some weird 24 hour flu yesterday, though, so that was NO FUN. And poor Burt (our dog)...we took him to daycare on Monday and he played so hard that his paws are raw! I feel so bad, you have no idea. Took him to the vet and got some antibiotics and all should be fine now but I have tremendous guilt for him being in pain.

Did you see the Chicago concert on Tuesday? Amazing! We enjoyed a great dinner at the Orpheum beforehand - I had the salmon, best I've ever had - and then the concert was unbelievable. My favorites were "Saturday in the Park", "25 or 6 to 4" and "Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is". Steve liked the songs from the 80's...not such a 70's fan. Overture Hall was rockin'!

A couple more wedding pictures are posted - here's the link to the Magic 98 Scrapbook.

Tuesday, 11/7/06

It's been tough to get back in the game after being gone so long. I was really used to this vacation thing! And now Christmas is around the corner and I usually have at least half of my shopping done by this point. Yes, I'm one of those weirdos that has a Christmas file and puts ideas in all year long and I review previous years' lists of gifts so I don't give the same thing over and over. Do you give gifts to everyone in your family or draw names? Steve's extended family draws names, which saves money, but there is something really fun about finding that perfect gift for someone and seeing their expression as they open it.

A friend of mine got married in May and we just received their thank you note (although in their defense, they had a lot of other personal junk going on) so I don't feel too stressed to get ours done. I've read that we have a year, right?! I won't wait that long but I'm also (uncharacteristically!) not crazy about starting them, either!

If you've never helped out the Salvation Army ring bells around Christmas, you should! I've done it the last few years with my good friends Kristin and Sarah and we're planning to again this year (click here to link to the easy sign-up online). It would be a fun family event!

Monday, 10/30/06

Well, hello again! Where to start?! I'm now married, back from my honeymoon and back to work. Lemme just say that two and a half weeks of vacation is easy to get used to! This morning on the Beltline I was kind of out of it. Steve did most of the driving - ok, all but like 5 hours - so I went several days without being behind the wheel. And, if you think Madison traffic is bad, try L.A. traffic. That is sheer madness. Traffic jams for miles. And the smog is soooo gross. You can see it from miles away. I was happy to return to the rolling hills and clean air in Wisconsin.

The wedding was pure bliss...all our family and friends there to help us celebrate. We've heard from many that the ceremony was fabulous and I attribute it to our fabulous pastor, Jeff Vanden Heuvel, from Messiah Lutheran Church on Cottage Grove Road. If you are looking for a church, seriously, try it out. You will love it. You will be revitalized in your faith! The reception was wonderful...great food at Chula Vista Resort, absolutely breathtaking decorations (thank you Lori from Gratitudes!!!! I just love her.) and tunes from Magic 98's own Jim McGaw. I tried to get Pat O'Neill to save me a dance but he didn't...what a poop! Steve and I stayed 'til the end and had such a great time. The next day we were supposed to head to Hawaii but the earthquake had just happened out there and things got a little sticky...long story short, we didn't go. We ended up flying to L.A. as planned but then rented a car and proceeded to put 1,500 miles on it as we went to the Palm Desert/Palm Springs area, Joshua Tree National Park, Hoover Dam, Vegas, Arizona (Grand Canyon, Sedona, cliff dwellings, etc.) and then back through Palm Desert again on our way back to L.A. It was so cool to just be adventurous and see where the day took us. And hey, if you can't have fun on your honeymoon no matter where you go, you married the wrong person. Now it's back to reality as we picked up our dog, Burt, on Saturday, and we're back to the chaos! I'm very happy, though! Being married is fun and a cool new chapter in our lives.

Wednesday, 10/11/06

Just a few days to go! I'm still sick but hoping to get over it. Can you believe this weather? I thought when I planned this wedding that we'd have beautiful fall color - and most years at this time we do - but not so. SNOW! That's crazy. Anyway, nothing you can do about it so we'll just have to have extra fun despite the weather. This whole thing has a been a good learning experience - I've said this before - about letting go and not stressing about every little thing. That's something that's hard for me! So, I'm anxious to marry my man and celebrate!

Friday, 10/6/06

I knew this would happen - I'm sick. This usually happens before big things in my life, usually with holidays. Christmas, Thanksgiving...all things that require some work/prep beforehand just end up pushing me to the brink of health. OK, not that far, but I have this cold and I'm not hungry...and dang, I like to eat! So I've got the Allegra and the nasal spray (yum huh?!) and the OJ...and Steve even gave me a shoulder massage last night! I went to Urgent Care and said "Look, whatever you've got, give me, because I'm getting married and I can't be sick." Hopefully it will be gone in the next few days. It was actually pretty cool at the doctor's office because the ladies in the front listened to Magic and were hoping to win the Birthday Game cash! I've been to a few different businesses this week that had Magic on - that's really rewarding to see people enjoying the station! I heard us at Gratitudes, Fine Designs Sofa Gallery and Kinko's. Good choice!

Tuesday, 10/3/06

First of the wedding meltdowns today. Thought I was going to have someone put my makeup on for me and it turns out they can't do it. I can go there but the place is on the west side and I don't have the time to do it the day of the wedding. So let's just say when I found out it will cost big-time money I sort of flipped out when I hung up the phone. I was like "Get a hold of yourself!" but then I started crying and I think the recent stress just took over. I've not been feeling well, things are getting hectic and I think it just hit me. Poor Steve - he called at that exact time and I just let it go! But he listened and said that I'd look great without makeup (of course I was bawling and said "NO I WON'T!") and that made me feel better. Then I heard from my florist, who's awesome, and she said the decorations we'd planned for at the reception won't work because red dogwood isn't available because it's been too warm. She's been praying for frost, she said, and I said NO! because if it freezes all the leaves will come off the trees and we won't have fall color. I mean seriously...the absurdity of all of this really is getting to be too much!! And then she called back to say that the company she's ordering the big vases from (for the tables at the reception) has gone out of business and they are no longer available! Today has been a good lesson in patience, understanding what's important and just dealing with stuff. In the whole scheme of things, no one will notice that the vases are round vs. square...except me! :)

Thursday, 9/28/06

Ever have one of those days when you wear the wrong outfit, your hair looks so gross and then you're late to work? Yeahhhh. I always pick out my clothes the night before so it's not so hectic in the morning and usually, I'm awake enough to make good choices. Today, though, I put on this white shirt with a pink button down over it and it couldn't have looked worse. Just fit wrong, didn't lay right, wrinkled (even though I ironed it), whatever. And stuff is always too short! I should start a clothing company for tall women. My sister would buy and I know the twins would (Magic fanatics Beth and Anne Johnson). So I changed into something else but had to be sure it didn't need ironing because by this time, I was running behind. And so I'm not liking what I have on today. Then my hair wouldn't cooperate and seriously, I'm this close to getting it all cut off, wedding or not.

On the way in to work, it was a beautiful morning and I was trying to focus on that but people always drive too slow. How can you drive UNDER the speed limit? I guess I can't comprehend that. I don't believe I've ever driven under. I guess I'm admitting that I speed...but I never go more than 7 over. The point is, the guy in front of my was lolly-gaggin' like you would not believe. LOLLY-GAGGER!!!! When you say that out loud it makes you feel better. Now that I'm at work and laughing with Pat, Lanette and Jimmy, my day is just fine. Thank goodness for funny co-workers.

Tuesday, 9/26/06

I have very little to report on other than the wedding and the dog. Burt was neutered a couple weeks ago and he is soooooooo much more calm...calmer?! I think it's calmer. Anyway, it's nice not to have to watch him every single second to be sure he doesn't jump up on the kitchen counter or knock the bills off the table. But, I strangely miss the old Burt and hope he gets some of his kick back. I'm sure I'll regret saying that sometime soon when he rips up my pillows! I do love the fact that I can snuggle with him because he's more docile.

The wedding is fast approaching...I feel like I've been saying that for years. Sure wish it was tomorrow! But everyone says to enjoy this time so I'm trying; I'm a planner, too, so part of it is enjoying the planning portion of the experience. I hope we have a day like today - sunny, leaves changing, a little cool. I don't want it to be warm, that's why I chose October. I have another fitting for my dress this weekend - this is, like, the 32nd fitting! - so I can check one more thing off the list. Am I forgetting anything??! Guess I won't know 'til the day of.

Wednesday, 9/20/06

The bachelorette party was awesome! We had such a great time. Wish I could share pictures with you but I can't. You know, what happens at bachelorette parties, stays at bachelorette parties?! We were actually good girls and had a lot of fun laughing, eating, drinking, laughing some more and telling old stories. Have to say hi to all the girls there: Kari, Chris, Kim, Jill, Tracie, Caryn, Betsie and Sarah. We stayed at the Renaissance Resort & Spa in Wisconsin Dells...the coolest place. We had a great view of Lake Delton, very spacious condo (3 bedroom, 2 bath) and it is decorated so beautifully. You will not be disappointed if you stay there.

Happy Birthday to my Dad today!! Love you, Dad.

Yesterday, I wasn't feeling well so I stayed home and I saw the weirdest thing. There were thousands...maybe tens of thousands...of black birds in the fields behind the house. I mean, it was like from the movie "The Birds" - I half expected them to whip through the windows and come after me! There were so many of them and they'd swoop down to the field, hide in there for a bit, then fly again, all together. I have never seen so many birds in one place.

Thursday, 9/14/06

Look out! My bachelorette party is this weekend! It will be fun to see some old friends way back from grade school, hang out with my sisters and have them meet new friends and Steve's sister, too. I'll let you know how it all goes!

Did I mention the house is done being painted? We finally paid someone to do it, thank God. It's awesome...and I love the thought of giving the paint to a professional, leaving the house and coming back to find it all done. Give 'em a check and that's it! I'd totally rather pay for it and don't think I'd ever try to paint an entire house again. I have no idea what we were thinking! No wonder my parents just groaned when I told them we bought 17 gallons of paint and intended to paint the whole place. They knew better...

Wednesday, 9/13/06

No cable TV in my house so there is never much to watch, therefore I don't watch much TV. But last night, I was so tired and frustrated with the dog I just crashed on the sofa and ended up watching Celebrity Fear Factor and G. Gordon Liddy was on the show. Man, that guy is unbeatable! I don't know very much about him but am intrigued and will have to pick up a book from the library on him to learn more. He was unflappable and it was cool that he's 75 and was beating all the young people on the show.

I already bought my first - and hopefully last - bag of candy corn! I'm proud of myself because I haven't eaten the whole bag but pretty much ate half of it on Saturday, right after I got it. It's addictive! And so bad for your teeth...sorry to my dentist in advance. Luckily it only comes out one time per year.

Thursday, 9/7/06

Going a little crazy with last minute wedding plans. It's coming up quickly! All of a sudden there are a hundred little things to do...who's taking care of breakfast and lunch the day of? What time do the girls have to start getting their hair done so we can be ready for pictures? Finalizing flowers, music for the ceremony, food, more music for the dance, getting the marriage license (gee, there's an important part!), registering, etc....all while remembering that it's about Steve and I, not all this other junk. But it will be here and gone before I know it so I'm trying to remain calm and enjoy all the chaos! Back to work...

Tuesday, 9/5/06

Don't you just feel good when you've crossed several things off your to-do list? The painters came yesterday and the rooms look so good - cross that off (and the best part? I didn't have to do anything except call them!). I sent the wedding invitations today and that felt great to be done with those. Burt has a new kennel - he was getting so big for the other one - so that's done! Well, Steve did that one so I can't take the credit. I'm excited that we're getting close to the wedding and it's feeling like fall...I love the cooler days, leaves falling, football, etc. Pretty soon it'll be time to go to Eugster's (between Stoughton and Oregon) for a big pumpkin! Let's not rush it, hey?!

Oh, and you have to read Jimmy's blog today. He's so funny...

Thursday, 8/31/06

Wish I had big plans for the weekend - I don't! I'll be at Taste of Madison on Sunday and I'm excited for our stage. Then on Monday, the house is being painted (inside) and I'll be finishing wedding invitations. Addressing those is quite the project! So, I guess those are big things but wish I was going somewhere. Whenever I see a plane in the sky, I always wonder where it's going...who's on there...is their trip for business or pleasure...and I just wish I was traveling somewhere. I guess the trip downtown to Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. will have to be enough this weekend! Hope to see you at the Taste!

Monday, 8/28/06

Had a great weekend away from Madison. I saw my best friend in Oshkosh on Friday, then spent the evening with my brother in Green Bay. We went to a fabulous restaurant that night called Pasquale's...it's in DePere and my brother goes there nearly every Friday night with co-workers. It has the same down-home feel of your own kitchen, with regulars coming in each week along with new faces. I had the seafood ravioli with alfredo sauce...yum! Make it a point to go there if you're traveling through the area.

Saturday, Steve and I took Burt (our dog) to the big Ducks Unlimited Great Outdoors Festival in Oshkosh. That was a blast! So many dogs, exhibits, things to buy, things to try. You have to go if you have a Lab or any hunting dog. On Sunday, I had a wedding shower with Steve's family, which was great fun! Of course it's fun when you have 14 women laughing, telling stories and eating together!

Thursday, 8/24/06

Today, I wish I were still in bed. Last night, Burt was all worked up with the storm and he didn't go to sleep until much later than usual (around midnight). That, coupled with the thought of being sucked up into a tornado while I was sleeping, kept ME awake until after midnight. Normally, I just put earplugs in, turn the fan on and pray for the best while I fall asleep; however, now I realize that's pretty foolish and shouldn't be done. I dreamt about tornadoes - several of them - and running from them. At least Lanette was with me, in my dream (I think because her voice was the last I heard before falling asleep...I had Magic on and she was updating the weather). I woke up around 3:30 and checked the situation again, then fell back asleep...only to dream that a plane crashed into Lake Monona and caused this huge wave. For some reason, I was near there and had to scramble to the roof of this building and tied myself to it. Evidently I have some issues to work out!! Then, to top it off this morning, I was so hungry here at work I had to eat my two-day old bagel, cut it with a plastic knife (took, like, 10 minutes) and then I realized I forgot THE BUTTER!!! I love butter. I was so hungry I ate it anyway. I am sure reading this has enriched your day so much! :) Hope you have a better day.

Wednesday, 8/23/06

Took yesterday off to spend the day with my Mom here in Madison. I treated her to a spa day at Cameo Spa Salon and, after she got over being nervous, she had a great time! She just wasn't used to someone fawning all over her like that, I guess...and I think it's generational, too. Women my age are totally into treating themselves to a special thing now and then but I think it's harder for the older gals. She kept saying "This is for high-powered women, not me!" She had a facial, a pedicure and then got her hair done at my regular stylist in preparation for the big wedding day! It's always hard when you take a day off in the middle of the week and I'm having a difficult time getting back into it today. Good thing I'm taking Friday off, too! Finally going to see my best friend's new house in Oshkosh...she and her family moved in, oh, like a year ago! Geez Louise.

Thursday, 8/17/06

Yesterday, I was in Wisconsin Dells for a meeting and had the chance to visit the new Tanger Outlet Mall...wow! I grew up near there - in Reedsburg - so that will be cool for the people that live in nearby towns, although I hope it doesn't hurt the downtowns. Great stores, though! I'm excited. I'll be there again tomorrow night with Amy Abbott for an appearance from 7-9pm...join us if you can!

As Bob said this morning, the lawn is getting a little crunchy so I'm glad we're getting some rain today. Hey, if you've read my earlier entries, I should be at Target right now!! Where's the hail?!

Tuesday, 8/15/06

Have to say Happy Birthday to my sisters - they are getting old! I won't say how old, for their sake. We do this thing in my family where we call each other on our birthday and sing, very early in the morning. And if we don't hear from someone by like 10am, we're thinking, why didn't they call?! It's almost as if the birthday is not complete unless we hear from everyone by 8am. So I did call both of them this morning and reached one; we typically don't leave singing messages so I'll try to catch her later today.

Speaking of singing, I love the fact that my whole family likes to sing. Not that we're great at it but we enjoy doing it. A few months ago, most of my family (my Mom, Dad, sisters and niece...my brother wasn't there) was in the car on the way to a dinner out. It was several miles away so we started singing. We did the old favorites: "Kumbaya", "Tell Me Why" and "Do Lord", to name a few. "Tell Me Why" is one of my parents' favorites from years ago and only they know the words to the entire song, so we end up listening to them at the end. Even my Dad sings! How cool is that. And if my brother were there, he'd sing, too. He always (jokingly) says "On a scale of 1 to 10, where's my voice?" And I say, very convincingly, "Oh, Mark, totally a 10!"

Friday, 8/11/06

Do you ever go to a certain place and the same thing happens every time? It seems like whenever I go to Target, it rains...and I can never find my car!! When we had the big hail storm a couple months ago, I got caught at Target. I had just bought 13 big glass candle holders for my wedding, was heading to my car and the sky was very dark. I thought I could get there in time...then it started sprinkling...then, of course, I couldn't remember where I parked. Just then, it started to hail. I finally found my car by pressing the emergency button. And, it wasn't like I could just whip all my purchases in the car because they were glass, so I had to gingerly place them in the car, all while being pelted with the hail! Let me just say I looked like a big ol' drowned rat when I got in the car...hair wet, no makeup left, clothes all wet...nice.

The reason I tell that story is because I've been at Target a lot lately - wedding stuff - and seriously, it's raining every time! I've gotten better at actually looking where I park before I go in, though. I think I'm so excited to shop that I don't even pay attention to my park job.

8/6/06

Just got done hosting "Magic Sunday Morning". I'm tired! Got up around 4:30 and, of course, the dog then woke up, too. Good thing he's so cute at night when he's tired...he lets me snuggle with him (it's about the only time because he's so rowdy the rest of it). I always tell Steve I want to pop Burt's little head right off it's so cute!

Finished painting the main floor bathroom yesterday. It's a dark green and required a couple coats. Finally, it's done and now all the tape can come off, fixtures back on the wall, etc. Now, only the basement, master bedroom, bath, guest bedroom and finishing the hallway are left! As my Mom would say, "Bald-headed Agnes!" Don't ask where that came from...I have no idea...but it's hilarious when she says it. It's sort of a multi-use phrase for "No way!" (surprise) or "I can't believe it!" (incredulous). She uses that along with "Good God Gertie" and some others that I can't remember because I'm so darn tired!

7/31/06

I can't believe that it's nearly 85 outside this morning and I'm freezing inside! I swear that we'll never have a climate-controlled workplace...always too hot or cold. Although I'm probably the problem in that I'm always cold.

You know it's going to be hot when you take the dog out at 5am, or at 9pm, and it's already/still hot and muggy. I grew up without air conditioning - my parents finally got central air a few years ago when they upgraded the furnace - so I know what it's like to live with just fans and the breeze from the outside. I remember going to my friend Sarah's house when I was little and LOVING the AC...and when I'd stay overnight, I'd hog the vent! Maybe that's why she never stayed at my house... Anyway, I also appreciate that I did grow up that way because now I like to have the windows open to feel the breeze on those perfect summer days. I think there are a lot of people that never open their windows, even when it's nice outside!

7/28/06

I feel like my parents...I always thought older people talked about the weather all the time and it's exactly what I'm doing! But it's so darn hot, you can't help but dwell on it. My fiance was in Death Valley National Park a year or so ago...now that's hot. Like 125 every day! I love Wisconsin's change of seasons and am looking forward to fall (maybe because I'm getting married??!).

Yesterday, when Amy Abbott and I were at Car Wars, I got to test drive this awesome Dodge truck. Dual cab, 4x4, leather...yum. Amy - and longtime listeners Kate and Shirley - were so surprised that I like trucks! I grew up with them and have always felt comfortable driving them; in fact, up until I leased my Honda two years ago, I drove a Chevy Blazer...with a grill guard, too! Saved me when I hit a deer a few years ago. So that Dodge was pretty sweet and I drove it around the parking lot at the Alliant Energy Center, and felt cool for at least a little while. However, even though it was a great deal for 25k, it's not in my budget.

7/27/06

Went to my first Concert on the Square of the season last night with my friend Jill. What a treasure this event is for Madison...wow. First, the music was unbelievable...it was a Celtic theme and this a capella group sang and it was brilliant, plus there were bagpipes. It was warm..."close", as my mother would say...but when you're in the company of good friends, good music and the beautiful Capitol, you can't complain. However, I'm so bummed out by the lack of respect people show while the concert is going on. Maybe this really bothers me because I'm a musician and I wouldn't want people talking when I'm performing. We sat near a group of middle-aged women who talked throughout the entire thing, plus the woman and her date behind us were talking loudly and the large group of young women to our other side was having a big ol' party. Where are your manners?! I'm not trying to be Miss High & Mighty but this lack of consideration for the Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra performers, for Maestro Andrew Sewell and for everyone around is just disheartening.

On another note, going downtown yesterday just reminded me what a great city this is. The sun was shining, the Square looked great...one of those times when you say, "Man, I'm so blessed to be in this moment right now." Jill and I met the nicest WCO volunteer on our way out, too, and he sold us each a raffle ticket. Turns out he's volunteered with his wife for all but the very first season of Concerts on the Square! That's so cool.

7/21/06

My fiance's bachelor party is this weekend - if you see a bunch of guys misbehaving, that's probably them! I'm sure everything will be fine...right?! Luckily my party isn't for a few weeks so what goes around...

I had to take Burt to puppy class alone on Tuesday. It was hard! He was pretty wild since he just got back from my future in-law's house where he was for a few days while we were both gone. This week, one of the dogs (Stella, a cute chocolate lab) got in trouble for growling at another dog and had to have a time out! It was pretty funny. And then, since all the other dogs wanted to be by Stella, she had to go behind this makeshift fence! Poor thing!! Her parents were just laughing, like we all were.

Hard to believe none of my potted plants on the deck were hurt by the storm a couple nights ago. The patio table and umbrella blew over but none of the pots...strange. I hope we don't have another storm like that anytime soon, although I'll take thunder and lightening over high winds/tornado anyday.

7/17/06

Lanette Hansen and I got back Saturday evening from a broadcasting convention in Minneapolis. We were there Wednesday through Saturday. What a fun time! We learned a lot, laughed even more, made some contacts and heard interesting people speak. I had to calm Lanette down as we sat in the front row to hear Gloria Steinem give a speech. She's getting into radio and it turns out a former boss of mine (from my college days) is working on her new show! It was also fun to meet Leigh Nash (you'd recognize her from the group Sixpence None The Richer); we had a Polaroid taken together or I'd link to it. I didn't think anyone used Polaroids anymore!

I also found out that Lanette is a food freak just like me! We had some of the best sushi I've ever eaten on Wednesday night when we arrived (at Martini Blu); we were so hungry, hadn't eaten in hours and you know when that happens, the food tastes extra good! We laughed about how we think about food all the time, from being excited when we go to bed about breakfast the next morning, to planning our snacks for the day before we leave for work. My Dad and I are alike like this - he loves food and loves to eat - but my Mom just eats to sustain herself. I couldn't imagine that and am grateful I enjoy one of life's simple pleasures...good food.

7/12/06

Last night was our first puppy class with Burt. We're going through Dog's Best Friend. He did well! There are so many cute puppies there - his classmates, I call them - including a puffy golden retriever named Clover (who's a little older and a lot bigger), a small beagle, a husky (I think) named Eclipse and another yellow lab named Heidi. There are about 10 dogs total. We went through "sit", "come", had puppy playtime (Burt was crazy! He was exercising his "natural" tendencies, which will be taken care of in a couple months) and the instructor talked alot. I felt like such a Mom - when the instructor took Burt in the middle of the room to demonstrate something, I was smiling so big and thinking, "That's my Burt!" Several of the dogs have barking issues but Burt didn't bark once. He also knows sit really well and even with all the commotion of a new place and all these new dogs, he listened to us. Then, when we got home, he got a treat...Michael's Frozen Custard's new K-9 Custard! He LOVED it!

7/10/06

Ya know, this is like the 5th time now...something happened over the weekend and I said to myself "I gotta talk about that in my blog" and then I forget what it was!

I finally washed and vacuumed my car; Lanette Hansen and I are traveling later this week and she really deserves to sit in a vehicle that's clean! I grew up never going to carwashes - we always did it ourselves - so I'm used to scrubbing the ol' car in the driveway. I rarely see people doing that anymore. Luckily my fiance does! Great minds think alike...ha ha.

NOW I REMEMBER! I was going to tell you about registering for my wedding on Saturday. Seriously, it took me four hours to get done...at one store! First, I looked around and decided what I wanted...then, the scanner didn't work (only later did I realize that all the stuff I'd scanned didn't go through) and on top of it, the place was crazy busy. I'm sure people thought I was homeless or something because of the way I was loitering around the store! Then, I treated myself to a fabulous piece (Okay, two pieces!) of Godiva chocolates. I was actually talking to myself in the car while eating them, complimenting myself on a fabulous choice of chocolate. I got the almond one and the raspberry truffle. After all my hard (!) work that day, it was a glorious ending.

7/6/06

Anyone want a dog - for free?! Only (half) kidding. I'm happy obedience training starts on Tuesday because we need it. I've heard that it's more for the owners than for the dog so I'm looking forward to it.

I just got back into the habit of checking out movies from the library. It seems like the movie store never has any of the good titles (they're always checked out), plus it's getting expensive. I got four the other day from the library - a couple war movies for my fiance, one on Mt. Everest and a National Geographic video that captured all these amazing moments on tape. I love the library; I'm always getting books there, too. My Mom and I used to go all the time when I was a kid and she can read 3-4 books per week.

7/5/06

I'm feeling bad that I didn't do much this past weekend. But it was nice to sleep a little extra! We tried to register for our wedding but it was...interesting...so we didn't get much accomplished. Needless to say, HE was all about making it quick and I was hoping we'd take a little more time with it and be thorough! Ahhh, even before married life I can see I will need to be a better compromiser. Is that a word?

I've never understood the desire for people to pay lots of money for fireworks and light them off in the driveway. When I was little, we went to a big neighborhood party down the street and did the little cones and the snakes that grew out of the pellets but never big stuff like you see now. Last night and this past weekend, the neighbors were lighting big, loud ones that went over the house and I was freaking out that the roof was going to start on fire! Plus, they were doing it at like 11pm! Hello - I'm trying to sleep! I guess people just celebrate differently...or maybe it's a guy thing.

6/29/06

I promise not to dwell on my dog but man, he is so stubborn! You tell him "no" when he bites and he just does it over and over. Maybe it's because I'm not used to labs - I've heard they're smart, and he really appears to be (he's learning tricks very quickly), but he just doesn't listen. Maybe this is payback for when I was a kid and didn't listen to my mom, although I thought I did!

We've been invited to a friend's house for a pre-Elver park fireworks party next week. I've never been to this fireworks display so I hope we'll go - I've heard it's great! And, it's the Stoughton Fair in a few days and that fireworks display is also good...it's a tradition for us to go and watch it at the Fairgrounds. Have a good 4th if I don't talk to you before then! Be safe and enjoy time with your family!

6/27/06

Well, I didn't go to the family reunion. I'm probably in trouble with everyone...I know my parents weren't thrilled I didn't go! I'm so tired from that darn dog - I slept most of the day! I'm normally not lazy on the weekends but was this last one. Michael Buble's concert was amazing...we've been hearing from lots of listeners that went and they enjoyed it, too. I did get a chance to meet him - yes, he's good-looking, very nice and down to earth. I thanked him for coming to Madison and told him Magic listeners loved him! He and my fiance talked basketball and they actually spent the most time talking of anyone in the room. I'm like, hey, I'm over here!!

Playing piano for a wedding this weekend; I haven't done that in awhile so it will be fun. It's outside at Olbrich so I'm hoping for good weather for them! It's always an honor to be asked and the music (mostly Jim Brickman songs) is fun to play. Can you believe it's almost the 4th of July? Holy smokes. I hope we can finagle (Yes, that's the right spelling - I checked it! I love that word) our schedules and go to Rhythm & Booms. We used to watch it on the hill near the Interstate and Cottage Grove Road and now there are condos/apartments there.

6/22/06

Going to see Michael Buble tonight - hope my fiance gets done with a work trip in time to go with me. I saw a DVD of one of his performances and it looks really fun! Hope I can pull some strings and get to meet him but I'm not sure.

Burt is getting bigger every day and hardly seems like a puppy anymore but rather a small "big" dog. I think he's going to be huge as an adult - his paws are so big already. We keep seeing adult yellow labs and realize that the time is going to go by fast so, while he's biting like crazy and not sleeping all that well, we have to appreciate him while he's little! Luckily, he's a loving dog and I hope he'll stay that way. I pass a house on the way to/from work and every day I see a black lab sitting in its kennel and just wonder why the owners got the thing in the first place. It reminds me that spending time with my dog is important for him...and for me.

My family reunion is this weekend. My family always laughs at this but when we all get together, for some reason we will go off and eat lunch with our own immediate families. Why is that?! Isn't the point of the reunions to mingle and mix? I'll be bringing Burt, too, see we'll see how that goes with all the new people.

6/19/06

Fun to be home over Father's Day, spending time with my family and especially my parents! Sometimes the drive seems long but I always remember my brother telling me a story about a guy he works with. My brother wasn't sure if he was going to go home for Mother's Day one year and this co-worker said "Hey, you go home and see your Mom. If I want to see my mother, I have to go to the cemetery." So, while not the happiest thought it helps you realize that family is so important and you have to make the most of your time with them!

Anyway, it was the annual Butterfest celebration in Reedsburg (Were you aware that Reedsburg was once the butter capital of the world?! More per capita butter than anywhere else.) and I went to see the parade, had a Lion burger at the festival grounds and bought a couple pieces of pottery at the art fair. I was very grateful for air conditioning this weekend!

6/15/06

I'm so happy today's Thursday! It's been a long week...actually a long several days...since we got our new puppy (Burt, yellow lab) two weeks ago tomorrow. He's such a handful, much more than I ever thought, but he's super cute and I love him! He starts puppy class soon so I'm anxious for the help. I wish he wouldn't eat my flowers on the deck...they are all just finally blooming and they're beautiful! He especially likes the petunias and I had to put up the geraniums because he was eating those like crazy. OK, I realize I'm now sounding a bit obsessed about my dog! But that's all I've been doing is playing with him, taking him outside, playing some more...