The Honeymoon Is Over

Another Happy Customer

2012-01-12T20:51:00.000-06:00

I can't help but share my most recent and as expected, positive, interaction with Zappos.com. I think my exact words when I hung up with their customer service rep (was it Christina I was talking to?), was "how are they so nice?"

Story goes a little something like: my folks bought me some Hunter boots and liners for Christmas. The boots are grey and the liners ma purchased were green--and boy oh boy did they clash. So those had to go back and get exchanged for charcoal. As for the boots, I wore them one day after Christmas and unfortunately the insole of the left boot rode up the back of my heel as the day went on, making for a very uncomfortable fit.

I had emailed Zappos a few times to figure out how to do the exchange and they said I should call--they'd be available 24/7. So finally, I did tonight and with ease, the transaction was completed. But this wasn't your normal transaction--the customer service gal was so nice! Chatting me up, asking what I was doing this weekend (and when I said going for a training run for my half-marathon, she made conversation about that). Looking up the gift order was easy--all she needed was my mom's email address. And, apparently the boots were $35 cheaper when my mom ordered them than they are now, but the gal just waived that. I was slightly worried about the boot exchange since they had been worn once, but they chalked it up to a defect--no questions asked. Additionally, since my mom and I are both VIP customers, my order is shipping tomorrow for arrival Monday.

Gift returns and exchanges can be difficult when you're in the store, standing across the counter from an associate. Thanks for making this process easy, breezy, beautiful, Zappos.com.

Success

2012-01-09T21:12:00.000-06:00

As a follow-up to my past blog post, I have to give a huge shout out to Southwest for helping me book my airline ticket to Austin! I really appreciate them listening to me and helping me with the process. I was agitated with the events of last Tuesday, but they have redeemed my faith in their customer relations after all. LUV ya' SWA!

What do I also LUV? That I have officially reached my fundraising goal for the 2012 LIVESTRONG half-marathon! $500 down? CHECK! Plane tickets booked? CHECK! Training--working on it!

Letter to Southwest Since I Exceeded their Character Count on their Email Form

2012-01-05T14:39:00.000-06:00

Dear Southwest:

On Jan. 3, I started the entirely-too-long-of-a-process to book my flight from Kansas City to Austin, where I will be running in the Austin LIVESTRONG half-marathon. I’m running with my uncle, a cancer survivor, and his nephew, also a cancer survivor (stating this to put into perspective that all of this is for a good cause). By the time we run our 13.1, our team will have raised $2,000 for the LIVESTRONG organization.

This debacle started when I found a flight to purchase on southwest.com. To Austin would be flights 1509/3388 departing KCI on Sat., Feb. 18 at a rate of $39, and the return flights would be 1198/3072, departing Austin after the race on Sun., Feb. 19.

Because I had a one-way voucher that expires on Jan. 26, I called 800-I-FLY-SWA to make sure a voucher-worthy seat was available for the Sunday flight. I wanted to confirm that before I paid $50 to extend the voucher. The nice man on the phone ensured me there was and said I should book the flight quickly, which I did. I completed transaction one of paying the $50 fee, extending my voucher and booking my return flight home from Austin. Easy as pie, as is typical when booking and flying Southwest.

Because my other flight would not be with a voucher, I then went to complete my separate transaction of booking my $39 flight to Austin; this was minutes later. I got an error message when I tried to select my flight, so after refreshing the webpage, imagine my shock when I see the flight price had risen from $39 to $178! An increase of $139 in a matter of minutes! I was floored!

I immediately called 800-I-FLY-SWA back and explained the situation to them. I was floored what I was told by Southwest—a company I covet for customer service: there was nothing they could do for me. They gave me another number to call: 214-932-0333. I called the number and got a response I don’t think I’ve heard in the 21^st century: a busy signal. I looked at my phone, back and the number I scribbled down, and back at the phone. They matched; I must of written it down wrong. I tracked down the number on Southwest.com and low and behold—it was the right number. Because of the wonder that is the iPhone call log, I can prove that I called 214-932-0333 at 5:01 pm, 5:05 pm and 5:13 pm Central—being greeted by a busy signal all three times.

It’s about this time I call 800-I-FLY-SWA back and tell the woman that answers this time what is going on. I paid $50 to extend my voucher, went to purchase my $39 flight and it went up to $178. I’d either want the $39 rate or the $50 refunded. She told me she can’t do either, but that my newly extended voucher is now good through Jan. 3, 2013…to which I wanted to respond with, “at this time, I hope to never fly your airline again.” Alas, there’s nothing she can do; I need to call customer relations and she gives me the number: 214-932-0333. I explained I had called that number and it was busy. She said again there was nothing she could do, that I needed to call customer relations.

“Then who am I talking to?” I asked?
“Customer service,” she replies.

Oh, I see. Not.

It’s around this time I send an email to Southwest asking for someone to call me back and also tweet to @southwestair “@southwestair your customer relations line has been busy for an hour now. What's the trick to get thru?” And then I pack up and head home from the office, because my colleagues are tired of me getting worked up about all of this.

5:40 pm

6:15 pm

6:21 pm

6:24 pm

6:38 pm

6:52 pm

7:02 pm

7:19 pm

7:42 pm

Those are the next attempts at getting through to customer relations, again, only to hear the dreaded beep, beep, beep.

Finally, at 8:02 pm I get through. No busy signal! But the greeting on the other end did tell me they closed at 8 pm.

Yesterday, I received a tweet back from @southwestverity and she and I tweeted back and forth about her helping me, which I appreciated. But what if I wasn’t on Twitter; how would I have been helped? This morning I received a response to my email, but ultimately I asked for them to call me, which didn’t happen.

At this point, I’m just disappointed that I was told no twice and basically ignored 12 times by a company I’ve long admired for customer service. And unfortunately, I’ve shared my thoughts with many friends, family members and co-workers.

I guess what I want is this:

1. Let’s get this flight booked. I’m going to Austin. I’d like the $39 rate that disappeared in front of my eyes. If that isn’t possible, I’d like to be told if there is a voucher seat available for the Feb. 18 flight I referenced above. My uncle has a voucher that I can extend and will use for that flight if a voucher seat is available. (They are transferrable, right?)

2. Please recognize the annoyance Southwest has caused me the last few days. I’m a loyal customer. I travel frequently and SWA is my preferred airline. I accept rules and policies. I just felt I wasn’t listened to during my communications and the inability to talk to who I apparently needed to talk to added fuel to the fire and was frustrating. I like you; like me back. In the end, I’ll continue to fly Southwest and I’ll probably even fly Southwest to Austin (though there is a $59 on Delta I’m seriously considering). Please just show me a little LUV cause I haven’t been feeling it thus far in 2012.

Sincerely,

Wendy Fitch

Happy birthday grandma!

2011-10-23T21:12:00.000-05:00

I was struggling finding good invitations for my grandma's 80th birthday and totally hit the jackpot with Shutterfly! With the capabilites to upload a photo like I wanted to and free shipping, 20% off cards AND 20% off my total order, I'm very happy with my final product and the price I paid! I saved $50!

Stationery card

View the entire collection of cards.

One year.

2011-07-21T22:31:00.000-05:00

I had a crisis to deal with at work today. It was an all-hands-on-deck-camp-out-in-a-war-room-pull-in-the-big-dogs type of crisis.

It was not how I was I anticipating my Thursday to go.

Not unlike the same Thursday one year ago when I got "the" phone call that we should get to Omaha.

I was not anticipating that day's occurences either.

It's been a year. One whole year that 365 days ago I thought none of us would survive to see. I thought the pain in our chests; the inability to breathe; just might be too much for us all.

But here we are. Approaching July 22, 2011.

And we survived.
But not without being changed.

Short Life

2011-07-14T22:23:00.002-05:00

On March 5, 2011, TFitch bought the Sunfaded Stanton Short from J. Crew on the Plaza in Kansas City. I know the purchase date and the style because we still have the receipt. I like the shorts--he bought them in a pewter-ish blue--but TFitch wasn't a huge fan. He thought they were too short. (They actually fit him and weren't baggie.) But as such, he wore them less than a handful of times.

But he did decide to wear them to my cousin-in-law's 40th birthday party on July 2. Looking dapper going into the bounce house, TFitch came out of the bounce house with 2/3 of his boxers exposed and a hole in his Sunfaded Stanton Shorts from the crotch to the hem.

This annoyed me. Yes, a 31-year-old man was in a bounce house. But other adult men were in the bounce house too and they didn't come out semi-nude. If these were shorts Trevor loved to death and wore everyday, that would be one thing. But they weren't. They were basically in new condition. I wasn't accepting that high of a cost per wear.

So I took them back.

I found the receipt and even the original J. Crew bag the shorts came to Sloppy Joe in, and last weekend I trekked back to the scene of the purchase. I explained the situation to the cashier. She had to talk to the manager. She came back and said there was nothing they could do.

I asked to speak with the manager.

The manager, Lesley I'd later find out her name to be, came out. She wasn't helpful. "The fact that they've been washed and worn ... blah blah blah ... " ... "we can't tell if their defective."

Not defective? Do I need to show you the photo of my grandma grabbing my husband's boxers through the hole in his shorts? (I didn't show Lesley, but I'll show you.)

My POV was simple:

These shorts are basically brand new. Minus the gigantic rip, you can tell they don't have a lot of wear and tear. I think it's unacceptable to pay $60 for a pair of shorts that lasted less than four months with minimal use.

Lesley still wasn't convinced. I finally told her that was fine; that I was done buying clothes at J. Crew. Why would I spend the money their store charges if more than likely the garment would fall apart after two to three wears.

FINALLY she started to come around. She was pissed about it. I didn't care. She made it difficult. She scanned my credit card and my receipt and said there was no record of my purchase. She asked if I had returned them once before, which really made my blood start to boil. (Was she accusing me of lying?) She called the J. Crew batcave to have them look up the transaction. Amazingly, she gives them my credit card number and they can recite back to her that not only were those shorts purchased on that ticket, but so were three men's shirts and two women's tank tops.

Boo to the freaking yeah.

Five hours later and with mixed reviews of J. Crew, TFitch and I depart with a crotch-intact pair of Sunfaded Stanton Shorts that he probably will never wear because he hates the damn things anyway. And I'm fine with that. In the entire scenario, I wanted J. Crew to acknowledge they had a disappointed customer. The proof was in the pants. I wanted them to be disappointed that their merchandise failed. That they hoped it would never happen again and we'd be satisfied customers here on out. Instead the consumer had to fight for what they wanted. We had to ask for the manager to come out. We had to push her to give us what we wanted. We were honest and transparent with the story. We told you the shorts were in a bounce house, but they are chinos for crying out loud. You don't sell china dolls. And I remain strong on my point that other people were in the same situation and their (likely from Banana Republic) shorts didn't rip.

On JCrew.com, they post the following:

"Quality is our highest priority. Always has been, always will be."

Neither quality in their products nor their customer service were demonstrated to me last weekend. Maybe they should take a lesson from Zappos.com.

DVinoR

2011-05-17T20:24:00.000-05:00

I'm not one to really imbibe during the week, for no reason other than one drink often turns into two and two into three and three into hating my alarm clock. But after a little stressful bump at work today, I couldn't be more relaxed tonight than I am now: with a glass of vino and the Desperate Housewives season finale on DVR. Thanks to Shannon for the wine, Cline Cashmere.

It's delish. (And for the stemless wine glass too. I have always wanted a set!)

I received a few recipes after my last post; many, many thanks. To BZ and whoever else is interested, here is the recipe for homemade Runzas. Super easy and super delish.

2 tubes crescent rolls
1 package ground meat (I use turkey, but beef is the recipe)
Cabbage (Either a head or for a shortcut, use bagged chopped coleslaw. No one tastes the carrots)
One onion
Shredded Mozzerella
Salt and Pepper

(This isn't a verbatim recipe, but hopefully you get the idea):

Brown the meat with the onion. Place cabbage on top and steam. Meanwhile, lay one crescent roll out in the bottom of a 9 x 13 pan (greased). Once cabbage is tender, spread meat, onion and cabbage mixture on top of crescent roll. Top with Mozzerella cheese. (Just go ahead and use an entire bag. You know you want to.) Top with the other crescent roll rolled out. Bake approximately 25 minutes covered with foil and an additional 5 uncovered to brown top. Serve with tons of ketchup. Very bueno this way!

There you go. Just like grandma used to make.

Reciplease

2011-05-10T21:27:00.000-05:00

For the better part of living in Sloppy Joe, my weekdays have looked a little something like this:

Hour 1 (6:30 - 7:30 am): Shower/Get Ready
Hour 2 (7:30 - 8:30 am): Drive to work
Hours 3 - 13 (8:30 am - 6:30 pm): Work (that departure time is pretty generous, but let's do easy math here, people)
Hours 13 - 14 (6:30 - 7:30 pm): Drive to Sloppy Joe
Hours 14 - 16 (7:30 - 10:30 pm): Eat dinner, do whatever needs to be done around the house, iron and pack lunches for the next day, etc.
Hours 16 - 24 (10:30 pm - 6:30 am): ZZZzzzzzz

As you can see, that 3 hours of personal time, doesn't leave a lot of time...and the last thing I want to be doing then is cooking dinner! I've done a really good job (if I do say so myself), of cooking for the week on Sundays. Whether that's browning taco meat, assembling the casseroles so they are oven ready or chopping veggies for a cobb salad, by Sunday night our fridge is usually a beautiful sight.

That said, I don't enjoy slaving away in a kitchen all day and night Sunday, either.

I'm looking for some new recipes I can make ahead on Sundays and eat during the week. Preferably fairly simple. Crockpot meals too: what can I dump in the pot, put in the fridge Sunday and simply toss in the crock's skeleton (sounds interesting) on my way to work in the morning. Or lastly, I'll take tips on good multi-purpose ingredients (example: boil 6 chicken breasts, shred two for BBQ chicken sandwiches, cube the other four and marinate in wing sauce for buffalo chicken salads).

I know the notion of easy, weekday recipes isn't something I'm just looking for, so share, share away. I'm sure all of us busy gals no matter the occupation, just want some good ideas to get foods to the hubs and kids stat. I look forward to reading what you cook up. In the meantime, it's time to take the homemade Runzas out of the oven. I'm starving!

KC BBQ Review: RJs Bob-be-Que

2011-05-09T23:22:00.000-05:00

The hubs and I decided that while we're living in the suburb of Kansas City that is Sloppy Joe, we need to take advantage of trips to "the City" and go on a Bar-B-Que sampling tour. Kansas City is renown for barbecue; I mean, there is a wikipedia page on the subject. It must be legit. It's something we need to do during our time down South.

The sampling tour kicked off Sunday--Mother's Day--at RJ's Bob-Be-Que in Mission, Kansas.

Overall, I'd give RJ's ****** (six out of 10 stars). Not terrible, not the best thing I've ever had.

Off the bat, I was disappointed when getting these salad dressing packets. Want to get on my good side? Give me a side of good, tasty, not-too-thick foodservice Ranch. TFitch and I often comment on a restaurant's ranch. ("Mmm, this is good ranch.") I realize how fat this is, but it's the truth. While the Marzetti's dressing was just fine, it didn't add any stars to RJ's review. However, the salad itself was pretty delicious.. Craisins and dill pickles were included. Random, but pretty delicious. It actually inspired TFitch and I to add Craisins to our salad tonight at home.

In terms of atmosphere, I'd say 7. I like dive BBQ joints (but am a little leery of one place my bro and his GF want to take us to. They swear it has delicious food but they were shut down temporarily because of rat poop in the smoker. Ew.) RJs was a good environment. Few things, though:

1. We went on Mother's Day. We waited about 10 minutes for our table, which wasn't horrible. However, we wanted to sit on the nice, big patio, but they insisted it was full. Funny thing was no one was out there.

2. It was a little warm in the place. Naturally cold-blooded, I'm not often warm. I guess those smokers and grills do kick out some heat.

3. It was a bit smoky in the restaurant. Not nasty Marlboro smokey, but BBQ smoke smoky. I just wanted to open a window to cool down and air out the place. Overall, not terrible but enough for me to notice.

4. Just a little cramped. As much as I am sure the table next to us was full of nice people and I was fascinated trying to figure out their family dynamics, I did not want to spend Mother's Day with them.

I ordered the Memphis Po Boy with Chicken for my main meal. TFich ordered it with pork. I thought it was decent. I had to eat it with a fork because the cole slaw made the bun too soggy. (But you could tell it was a good tasting bun.) The chicken was pretty good, some parts were a little burned, but good chicken overall. I substituted cheesy corn bake for the french fries. It was weird but good. It was essentially Velveeta cheese with corn with chunks of ham in it (which were little morsels of deliciousness). Didn't taste much "baked," though. Feedback on the cheesy corn bake was mixed, but it didn't keep me from eating my condiment cup of it. I'd give my meal a 6.

My brother got the three meat sammich and couldn't stop raving about the chicken. His girlfriend got the pork butt burger (true story--what they're known for). We all took a pull of it. It was okay. Kind of weird, but it was exactly what you'd think it would be. Ground pork butt formed into a hamburger patty. She wasn't a fan of this for her main meal.

We ordered a slab of ribs for the table for everyone to try. I was not impressed with the ribs. They were burned and dry. TFitch makes much better ribs in his smoker at home. I have two ribs a try but just wasn't impressed. I'd give the ribs a 2.

Our bill for two people came to nearly $50, which I thought was a little expensive. This is with Diet Cokes to drink (no alcohol). However, we put the ribs on our ticket, which was $15.

One selling point for RJs is they sell Bernadette's Cupcakes and Cookies (and if you're a mom you got one free Sunday! Sucks for me.) Bernadette made my friend Rachel's wedding cake and I hired her for a cupcake order some years ago for my grandma's 80th birthday party. They're tasty.

So, that's my review of RJ's BBQ in Mission, Kansas. It was featured on Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives, so be sure and check out Guy Fieri's review. And check back soon for a review from another infamous KC BBQ joint.

La la la la-la la, la la la la-la.

2011-04-14T15:01:00.004-05:00

I listen to Mix 93.3 in the morning and they always seem to be talking about things I could easily contribute to. The other day they were talking about bad vacation stories. Hello...have you heard about my father being deported from Canada?

Today they were talking about the Smurfs movie coming out soon. I so badly wanted to call in, but that's never something I would do. (See label of post.) So, let me confess right here, right now, that I was, at one point in my life, OBSESSED with the Smurfs. I'd watch them on Saturday mornings and then--and THEN--I'd call my grandma to make sure she watched. Me, in a voice even higher than the one I have now, would ask any question I could to try and stump her.

Seriously.
How wonderful of my grandma to watch Saturday morning cartoons on a weekly basis, just so she wouldn't get bitched out by her six-year-old granddaughter.

That's some love.

I'll have to ask my grandma if she remembers the Poppa Smurf quizzes (if only I was as punny then). She darn well might.

Widdle Baby

2011-04-14T14:50:00.001-05:00

I'm a second cousin for the 13th time! Today my cousin and his wife welcomed their son Brody Nicholas to the world.

I vividly remember the day his brother was born. It was February of 2008 and that night TFitch, my bro and I hosted a surprise 50th birthday/30th anniversary party for the 'rents. During the party my aunt was telling me all about her newest grandson, going on and on and on about how cute he was. (She also said he was partially such a beautiful baby because he was delivered via a c-section. I had never heard of that before.) For some reason I remember that interaction and conversation very clear. I like the memory.

So today, congrats to Luke, Emily, Abbie and Brennan and welcome to the world Brody Nicholas! You have a happy Nana angel looking down on you!

Glee's Anatomy

2011-03-31T20:41:00.000-05:00

Let me just say that I love musicals.

Mama Mia.
Wicked.
Phantom of the Opera.

But Grey's Anatomy the musical has GOT to go.

We live without TV for four weeks--I go without watching Grey's Anatomy much longer--and then the one night I get jazzed about it, I tune into McSoprano? WTF? And if I'm Sara Ramirez, I'm a bit pissed off.

"Hey Sara. We're going to kill of your character, and sing and dance about it. You cool with that?"

I'd like Calli to live but this episode must die.

Stat.

Fa la la la lame.

Alzheimer's

2011-03-30T09:57:00.000-05:00

My grandma was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease last year. Before then, I knew people that had relatives with the disease, but hadn't necessarily been impacted directly. Now, I'm just trying to learn more and more about it and will probably be using the blog as an outlet. If you know of anyone that's been affected, read of anything of importance with regards to the disease or--what I'm most intrigued about--how to make a difference in fighting Alzheimer's, I'd love to know. With regards to the last, I've supported many, many causes in the past without a direct connection. Mostly because it was a good cause I'm scared will affect me or my loved ones in the future (e.g. breast cancer), or because it was a fun way to support a cause. (Drinking beer for charity? Sign me up.) Well, now I have a reason to support the Alzheimer's cause and want to do anything and everything I can.

CNN.com just posted this article on dealing with Alzheimer's patients when they get violent. My grandma hasn't gotten violent, but you can definitely see a side of her personality we hadn't before. (She's dropping the f-bomb!) I cringe thinking about the fact my grandma could actually turn physical. And mean.

One of the things I find most amazing about the disease is long vs. short term memory. My grandma can't remember where we live nowadays (to her credit, neither can I). But I made a Shutterfly book for them from Christmas with old photos and she remembered their first apartment, her maid-of-honor (and funny things about her), could easily point out photos of my dad and uncle as kids, etc. It was pretty amazing that part of her memory is still there, whereas hours ago is not.

The brain is pretty remarkable. Here's to the day when Alzheimer's is a memory we'll all forget.

Reason 2,392 why I love my dad.

2011-03-29T22:32:00.002-05:00

On Mon, Mar 28, 2011 at 4:21 PM, Wendy Fitch wrote:
Holy crap. They grow up so fast, don't they? One day they're in doggie diapers, the next they have worms and are destroying your house.

Mom and dad: is it totally ridiculous to ask you to ship us her "I'm the birthday pup" shirt that's hanging in my closet? I totally forgot about it and I feel like she needs it. She's worn it on April 1 since 2008.

Kalin and Lindsay: interested in coming to St. Joe for dinner Friday night? Maybe a litle OK Joes takeout for us and a Land of Paws birthday treat for the guest of honor?

Woof love,
A proud doggie mom

On Mon, Mar 28, 2011 at 5:48 PM, Mary Hicks wrote:
LOL Wendy E-mail Dad where the shirt is at because he will have to do it, I'll be vacationing!!!!!!

From: Wendy Fitch
Sent: Monday, March 28, 2011 9:57 PM
To: Ron Hicks
Cc: Ron Hicks; Kalin Hicks; Lindsay Fetter; Trevor.Fitch
Subject: Re: Macy is turning 4!
Dad: it's hanging in my closet. Would you really do this for widdle Mace?

On Tue, Mar 29, 2011 at 10:10 AM, Ron Hicks wrote:
Wendy,

What address do you want this shipped to?

From: Wendy Fitch
Sent: Tuesday, March 29, 2011 10:23 AM
To: Ron Hicks
Cc: Mary Hicks
Subject: Re: Macy is turning 4!
XXXX North S%&@ Drive
St. Joseph, MO !)@*&

So, if you go in the master closet, you'll see a rack of Macy's clothes on the top right. It's the little pink shirt that says, I'm the birthday pup!

On Tue, Mar 29, 2011 at 10:47 AM, Ron Hicks wrote:

Found it

There is nothing theraputic about an hour drive when you realize you left your breakfast and lunch at home and the nearest exit to turn around is 10 minutes ahead.

2011-03-08T08:34:00.002-06:00

At least I didn't forget the coffee.

It's amazing how theraputic an hour commute with a good cup of coffee is.

2011-03-07T08:34:00.002-06:00

That is all.

Happy Monday!

It's good to be back.

2011-02-08T20:34:00.000-06:00

My husband, quite the blog follower, I've learned, asked me tonight why I "never update my blog anymore." While he laughed at my response of, "oh, I do. I just changed the URL so you can't read it," the truth is blogging takes a lot of time. At least for me. But, I must remember, like anything in life--everything in moderation. I don't need to write novel-long blog posts. Just like 15 minutes at the gym is better than nothing, just like a quick 20-minute power nap rocks more than no nap, a little blog update is better than three months of radio silence. And, while my Words with Friends games might start to suffer, consider me back into the blogosphere.

Working for the weekend.

2010-11-12T23:40:00.000-06:00

Today was a 19-hour workday.
On a Friday.
1289.53 miles from home (according to Mapquest.)
Away from TFitch.
Away from friends.
Away from widdle Macy.

Two more days to go.

I do it, because I need to do it.
I do it without complaining (so I hope).

I do it because I hope to God I never, ever have to write this,

Or this,

This,

Or this,

Or this.

No matter how many hours.
No matter how many weekends.
No matter how many nights away from family and friends,
I will do what I can so no one I love is lost because of this disease.

Unsportsmanlike Conduct

2010-10-19T17:19:00.003-05:00

I found this article unfortunate--that Nebraska receiver Niles Paul was heckled by his own fans after NU's 20-13 loss to Texas last weekend.

Nebraska fans are said to be some of the best in college football--it even says so on one of the entrances of Memorial Stadium. But if you need a third-party endorsement, you'll find many. Most recently, after his victory in Lincoln, Texas head coach Mack Brown complimented Nebraska fans. Good sportsmanship is expected of those who wear the scarlet and cream, even by Bo Pelini who has better things to do than worry about his fans.

During the Texas game, TFitch and I had the pleasure of sitting in the burnt orange section. While most of the Longhorns were very nice, the guy next to me was less than. Not only was he obnoxious and drunk (spilling his scotch all over me and his neighbors to boot), he was downright rude. A few comments that I remember him shouting:

"Hey Nebraska. Your "jumbotron" is about as cool as AIDS."
"Nice stadium, Nebraska! We have high school stadiums bigger than this."
"Oh, there's 85,000 people here? I didn't know 85,000 people lived in Nebraska. I know no one makes $85,000 living in Nebraska."

Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me...

Did I care he was spewing stupid, obnoxious shit? No. Trust me; none of the lame comments coming out of this one guy's mouth hurt my feelings. But it did interrupt me and distract me from watching the football game. (We watched the second half of the game at a bar, simply because I didn't want to deal with the terrible Texan.)

Let me reiterate one phrase...football game.

It's a sport, people. A sport. A recreational past time. A game, which is by definition "an activity engaged in for diversion and amusement." It's not the whole world. Newsflash: there's more to life than football. Two dear friends (MU fans whom I love dearly) emailed me this week, telling me they were sorry for my loss. My heart started racing for a minute while I figured out what they were talking about. I hadn't heard that since my aunt died. Did someone else pass away and I was the last to know?

Don't get me wrong--I love me some Husker football. I've been affectionately named "Ultimate Husker Fan" by my husband. But does football make me stoop so low as to yell petty comments to opposing fans? No. That I'd remind a player to his face his gloves were made of butter? No. Pretty sure Niles Paul was at the game too.

Remember those people on the field--the ones you're yelling at--were born in 1990. How old, and silly, does that make you feel, to yell at these kids? No one's dying out there. Life WILL go on. Contrary to popular belief, the Huskers leaving the Big 12 is not going to be the end of the world. Maybe put that energy into something a little more meaningful; maybe give that attention to your friends, family or volunteer for an organization. If we all put as much energy into the other aspects of life as we do college football, we'll all walk away with a win.

Southwest Slam Dunk

2010-10-18T14:40:00.001-05:00

As a marketer, I'm always looking for effective ways (or non-effective ways) brands reach me. I have high expectations, which is why I was impressed with my Zappos experience last year.

Southwest just broke through the clutter with a Rapid Rewards direct mail piece. I can identify an airline's miles statement immediately, and do you know what I do with them? I don't even open them; I just rip them in half and throw them away. It's either them trying to get me to sign up for their credit card to "earn miles faster!" or some other offer I'm just not interested in. So when this piece landed in my mailbox last week, I was intrigued. It was packaged differently; not just an envelope.

When opened, a pull-out note on top thanked me for my seven years of membership and a personalized luggage tag was on the bottom.

The piece worked for a few reasons:

1. The packaging was unique and stood out from ordinary mail/envelopes.

2. It was personalized with not only my name, but the number of years of membership.

3. Along the same lines, it was unexpected. Think of big milestones--typically the first or something ending in either a five or a zero. Seven is different. It's thoughtful. It's unique. Kind of like Southwest.

4. It's a nice piece. The luggage tag is something I'll use, and I'm normally not a branded-chotchkie kind of girl.

As marketers, we constantly talk about moving your target audience from awareness to loyalty. From drink tickets to free checked bags to unexpected and personalized customer interactions, Southwest knows how to retain passengers for life...says the girl in 16A.

Thinking of you

2010-10-12T23:00:00.000-05:00

I've been thinking about my aunt a lot lately. It's happened the last few times I traveled to Kansas City (where I am now) since this is where I was when I received the news, and the memory of packing up and heading to Omaha in a fury is still fresh. Plus, last weekend we attended the birthday party for three of my cousin's four kids and there was an obvious void from the gathering--their nana.

In the same vein, I think about my cousins and my uncle nearly every day. I wonder how they are doing; how they are coping. We've been getting together a lot--more in the last three months than the last three years combined. Though, even when they are top of mind and I'm right next to them, I don't ask them how they are doing. To me, it's a stupid question. How the hell do you think they're doing? Their mom/wife died. So instead, I avoid it all together. I ask what's going on. I keep it light hearted. I avoid the elephant in the room.

I hate that I do that, but I do. I just don't know what to say; I never have. I know that's not an excuse and that everyone probably feels the same way. I'm going to work on it and try to find the right things to say; the right things to do. In the meantime, I hope my hugs and presence convey to them that they are always in my thoughts. The same goes to my friends who have lost parents--too many friends that have lost parents. I hope you know that you are always on my mind.

If any of my readers have been comforted or comforted others in particular ways, I'd love to know what was said/done as a sign of support.

In my next 30 years...

2010-09-01T21:50:00.001-05:00

I remember my Facebook post last September 7 semi-vividly; I talked about fearing my thirties. And as I have my first birthday celebration tonight (thanks, Laible's) I still do hate the inevitable 3-0.

I don't know what it is, but I hate the fact I'm turning 30. Hate, hate, hate it. As a kid, I couldn't wait to be older. Be old enough to not have to wear a life jacket on the boat. Be old enough to babysit. Be old enough to drive. Be old enough to drink (like that made a difference--haha, just kidding mom). And suddenly I want it all to sllllloooooowwwww down.

I think it's a combination of things. I think I expected more out of myself at 30 than I've accomplished. I've always wanted 4 kids. I'm 0 for 4 at age 29 and 359 days. To borrow a quote, I am "pleased, but not satisfied" in my career. Don't get me wrong, I love who I work for and what I do, but the go-getter in me just pictured more by now. We live in the house that, albeit a great house, isn't the home we will make for the rest of our lives. But there's nothing we can really do about that, and it's frustrating to me at times.

I guess I dread 30 for two reasons:

1. For not being able to identify a large list of achievements over the last, even eight years (since I graduated college)

2. Well, 30 is just a reminder of how quickly life passes by. Where does the time go?

I do know the best is yet to come and I don't look back on the last 29 years with disappointment or regret (although I do think I would have kicked ass at student council). I've been listening to to Hottie McGraw's "My Next 30 Years" for the last year now and there's a line I really like. Contrary to popular belief, although applicable, "drink a little lemonade and not so many beers; maybe I'll remember my next 30 years" is not the line I'm thinking of. Moresoe, "my next 30 years will be the best years of my life." I'm taking that to heart and will try it live it each and every day. Know why? I don't have a choice. Those 30 years are coming whether I like it or not. Better make each one count.

No Words

2010-08-20T23:15:00.003-05:00

I've been composing a post in my head all day. I'm in the Twin Cities for the Susan G. Komen 3-Day for the Cure--one of my clients. The post was going to be titled "love what you do" and focus on how much I enjoy and value the opportunity to work with this event. I wanted to talk about how, although it's hard, long work--although we work weekends away from friends and family and it's long hours--been up since 3:25 am in fact (and that's sleeping in)--I wouldn't change my job for another job in the world. How I feel like every minute I spend working on this account is making a difference. How I want everyone to be so fulfilled in their profession. I planned to share the moving story about Steven and Gilbert--two male participants I met at the Opening Ceremony this morning. I'll still share Steven and Gilbert's story, but the post overall has taken a turn.

As part of the event's media relations' team, I have the privilege of hearing all sorts of compelling stories. Today I stumbled upon two men with bright pink beards. After simply asking one of the men, "may I ask why you are walking?" my life has been changed forever.

I posed the question to Steven, the taller one. Steven lost his wife Ruth to breast cancer three years ago. Ruth was an oncology nurse.

The irony.

Steven has been walking in the 3-Day ever since. I asked if the two gentlemen were friends. They actually met while walking in Dallas a few years ago. Steven was walking in honor of his late wife. Gilbert was walking because his wife didn't have breast cancer--and he hopes she never does.

Fast forward to this weekend, when these two grown men decide to fly from their hometowns in Dallas to the Twin Cities for a different 3-Day for the Cure experience. When these men spray paint their beards pink and walk 60 miles in the fight against breast cancer. Every time I saw Steven and Gilbert today, I smiled. Their tale warms the heart. It is sad--there was an unnecessary loss to breast cancer--but the action these two gentlemen take is incredible.

My heart is still warmed by Steven and Gilbert.
And I still love my job.
But now I am pissed, now I am upset and this is why the blog post I've been thinking about all day has been derailed.

I may be jumping to conclusions--I am waiting for verification--but I am very troubled by something I saw on Facebook. A dear friend of mine, Lizzie, was tagged in a Facebook album. The album was titled "a tribute to Kelln Zimmer." My heart sank.

I admit I don't know Kelln well. She and Lizzie were Kappa traveling consultants together and that's really the extent of our relationship. But I heard SO much about Kelln from Lizzie's traveling tales and I know we met once or twice over the years.

I also know Kelln had breast cancer.

I don't know what happened to Kelln--but I have a bad feeling that breast cancer took her life. And even if it didn't--her life was still cut too, too short and breast cancer should have NEVER been a part of it. It shouldn't be a part of anyone's life. And it still is.

It's frustrating on so many levels. It's frustrating that given all the time, energy and money put into the disease, people are still getting diagnosed. Survival rates are increasing--and that's good--but that's not enough. No one should EVER have to hear the words, "you have breast cancer."

It's frustrating personally. It's frustrating I lost my aunt to (basically) arthritis one month ago, that my grandpa had a heart attack one week ago and that my grandma has Alzheimer's. THESE are the causes I feel compelled to support since they are my reality now, yet I feel like I must support breast cancer out of the fear I or a friend or family member will be diagnosed with breast cancer. And statistics show one of us will.

In fact, I found out just yesterday that my friend's grandma has breast cancer. It's a fresh diagnosis. She sees her oncologist for the first time Monday.

It's sad.
It's maddening.
It's distracting.
It just plain sucks.

We shouldn't lose people in their 20s to breast cancer.
We shouldn't lose anyone to breast cancer.

I'll do everything I can to support this fight. I'll do everything I can to support the diseases impacting my family currently. And I hope you'll do the same.

July 22

2010-08-03T12:27:00.001-05:00

It was business as usual July 22; in fact, it even felt like a busier than normal day at the office in Kansas City. I drafted letters to send to media contacts in Chicago in preparation for the upcoming 3-Day for the Cure. I had productive planning meetings with my team. I completed expense reports. And as afternoon neared, I was getting excited for a night out at Zona Rosa with my cousin and aunt and uncle to hear Ron Cooley (their relative on the other side) play guitar. Little did I know an email I received around 4 pm that day from my dad, with the subject line "call me ASAP," would derail the day's--and following days'--productivity.

When I called him, he was frazzled. He was looking for my mom; asked which salon she typically visited for pedicures. My grandma had called my dad and said the family had been told to go to the hospital--that my aunt had gone downhill and downhill quickly.

I was shocked. She had been diagnosed with histoplasmosis just four days before. A diagnosis was good--so I thought. We knew it was serious, but at least they knew what she had and how she could be treated. Sure, she had undergone a minor procedure that morning to explore a bile duct leak but as my mom told me via gchat, she wasn't in "imminent danger." I remember laughing at that statement. It sounded so dramatic.

After I talked with my dad and tracked down my mom at Kala Nail Salon (thank goodness for routines), the texts came in. "She's real bad. She coded," was the first. And then another, "They revived her. But they have to breathe for her." As I began to shake, I immediately packed up at the office and headed to my brother's house. I packed up my belongings to hit the road back to Omaha. He and I debated a lot. Does he go or not? Do I go or not? There had been many ups and downs in the three weeks she was in the hospital and was this simply another down. "I could use the time in the office," I remember selfishly saying; still shocked I actually debated that. Once my bro decided to go, would he ride with me and rent a car to come back to KC? After all of these trivial questions, we hit the road in two separate cars; a 180-mile brother/sister caravan.

I, on I29, kept in touch with my dad, in Methodist Hospital, for the beginning of the drive. But when TFitch called around 8 pm, asking where we were and saying that we should go straight to the hospital--that he was heading up there--I knew it was bad. I just knew and even asked TFitch that if he got bad news while we were on the road, to just not call; to wait until we arrived.

It was all I could do for the rest of the drive to not think about the situation at hand. I had gotten a new cell phone the day before which wiped out all of my friends' phone numbers. Luckily, I knew a few off the top of my head and called. I called any number I could remember just to chat and focus on something else.

When we pulled into Omaha, my brother and I talked, trying to figure out the quickest way to get to Methodist. After a three hour car ride, we were worried about minutes.

The caravan from Kansas City pulled into the almost empty parking garage and TFitch got out of the Audi and walked toward me.

"Did she die?" I asked.
"Yeah," my husband somberly told me.

After that, I remember being locked out of the hospital and having to go through the Emergency Room entrance--one of my biggest fears in life normally, the ER, but I was numb to it. I remember Dr. Tarantolo waiting by the door for my brother, husband and I to take us to join the rest of our family and telling us in his most compassionate and sympathetic voice he was sorry for our loss.

Our loss. Our loss. To the three of us, she might have only been our aunt, but she was our aunt. An integral piece to a close-knit family. And my heart continued to break for those whom had lost something even greater. A wife. A mother. A nana.

I remember the hospital resembling a maze and finally getting to the family waiting room on the intensive care floor. I remember someone tapping my mom on the shoulder to point out that we had arrived and I remember my mom sobbing and hugging me so hard that her little midget frame (hey--I need some humor too) was pulling me down. I think we stood like that for 10 minutes. I remember my aunt--whom had also traveled in from Kansas City--telling me "we didn't make it in time, either."

And then I remember the request to go join the rest of the family in my aunt's ICU room. I remember the walk down the hall, I remember the events in that room so vividly. I remember seeing my aunt's body and not even recognizing it as hers. I remember where my uncle and cousins were positioned in the room. I remember looking onto Omaha through the window on the top floor of Methodist hospital, thinking the world was carrying on as normal out there while a group of 15 were inside breaking apart.

Twelve days later, I remember July 22. I remember it as I pull out those expense reports dated 7/22 with my messy signature. I remember as I email off those letters with July 22 in the dateline. I remember as I complete my missing timesheets (a perk of advertising agency life) and I peruse my calendar to see what I did that day. I remember as planning deadlines near and the work that came to a standstill has to be picked back up.

And we'll continue to remember. Today. Tomorrow. For weeks, months and years. We'll remember the day that changed our lives forever. And we'll always remember Aunt Deanna.

To my husband

2010-07-30T12:32:00.002-05:00

Plans would change at a moment's notice. You rolled with it.
Five adults and two tornadoes--I mean children--overtook our home.
There have been late nights and early mornings.
You picked up this person, ran that errand, dropped off that person and did it all over again, and again and again.
Most importantly, you were a shoulder to cry on and quick with a hug.

This week hasn't been easy for any of us, but you've done everything in your power to offer your support. You've embraced the hours and hours of family time, the tears and the stories--even the ones told over and over again. At many of the gatherings, I was too busy washing dishes or chasing around kids to even get to spend time with you. In fact; I don't remember the last time we went to sleep at the same time. But you have been by my side--by my family's side--throughout all of this. Thank you for being such a caring, supportive and patient person during this trying time. (The fact you want to strangle a certain person in my family--who shall remain unidentified--will be our little secret.) I love you.

Sadness

2010-07-28T14:15:00.001-05:00

My aunt died Thursday.

She went to the hospital July 4 with a fever and vomiting that had been lingering for a few days. Her gallbladder was removed a few days later—a simple solution, so we all thought. Instead, things spiraled out of control. Her temperature would rise and fall and rise and fall. Her lungs filled with fluid—28 pounds of fluid to be exact—and her oxygen levels got dangerously low. It was one thing after the other and one day would be filled with good news, the next—bad. But we never thought it would come to this. (Ultimately her arthritis medication, Humira, shut down her immune system and wrecked havoc on her liver.)

There has been a lot of mourning since Thursday. In the hospital room that night as we held hands as a family and prayed around my deceased aunt. A few hours later as we walked into my uncle’s silent home—one typically filled with laughs and conversation. At random times throughout the weekend—when the next family member would arrive from out of town or something would trigger a memory. Monday at the mortuary upon seeing my aunt resting peacefully in her casket and witnessing her nine grandchildren seeing the same. Yesterday at her funeral when we said our final farewells. But today might be one of the hardest days yet. My cousins have returned to Kansas City and Austin; my home is now silent. There are no errands to run or plans to make; things to distract us from reality. Instead, we have to return to our lives. Return to work. Pick up where we left off. And it’s hard. Today is hard. For the first time in a week, I’m alone. I don’t want to do anything. I don’t want to catch up on my emails. I don’t want to make travel arrangements. I don’t want to think about selling ice cream. I don't want to clean my house. I just don’t want to. But I will. I know each day will get easier, but that’s no consolation for how heavy my heart is today.

Furniture Fun

2010-07-02T16:49:00.000-05:00

I realize as a Nebraska native and fan of Warren B.'s that I'm supposed to ooh and aah over NFM. And that place is great. But I'm pretty obsessed with our new basement furniture from Bassett.

If you're in the market for new furniture, check it out. It's custom and not outrageously expensive. We ordered our furniture on June 12 and they said it would take 8-10 weeks. It was delivered today--less than one month later.

I highly recommend it. And if you live in Omaha, be sure TJ King is your designer! He's the bomb diggity!

Macy agrees!!

And...happy day.

2010-06-02T14:51:00.003-05:00

My 82-year-old grandma is on Facebook.

Sad day.

2010-06-02T10:10:00.000-05:00

Happy Friday

2010-05-28T10:07:00.001-05:00

I love days when happiness fills the air, and today is one of those days. Not totally sure why: it’s not like a best friend is getting married or a new baby is entering the world. But the fact it’s the start of a three-day weekend, we are heading to Lake of the Ozarks AND I met up with Carrie and the girls last night for Sex and the City 2 is enough to make me smile this beautiful Friday morning.

Who’s seen SATC2? What did you think?

I loved it. Watching the flick in the awesome Fork and Screen might have contributed to the fact that I loved it so—I mean, who doesn’t like to enjoy a few Boulevards while watching a movie!?! But I did really like it, cool theater or not. Puns galore, and you know how I’m a sucker for those puns. The Abu Dhabi trip tied in fairly naturally and I was worried that would be way too forced. And most importantly, more in this movie than any other SATC episode or flick did I feel I, and my girlfriends, could relate to Carrie & Co. Don’t get me wrong—my friends and I aren’t riding camels in the desert any time soon. In this flick, the girls just seemed a little more down to earth, and that I enjoyed. Some of the chicks I went with last night enjoyed the first SATC movie better. I did not. It was depressing! Yes (SPOILER ALERT), in the end, Carrie and Big got together. But who wants to watch 90 minutes about a woman stood up on her wedding day so depressed she can’t get out of bed? Not this happy-go-lucky gal.

So, I recommend it. That said, I recommend a lot of bad movies (well, good to me, bad to others), but if you are in the mood for a fun, chick flick, SATC 2 won’t disappoint.

Or maybe when it’s on DVD I can have the entire blogosphere over to watch it on the Fitch’s new TV.

Um.
Yeah.

Lesson learned: don’t send husband TV shopping with his friend or you might end up with a television larger than your stand.

And to this I say ew.

2010-05-13T15:24:00.001-05:00

Typo

2010-05-13T08:43:00.001-05:00

I realize I make typos in my blog. That's pretty atypical for me in non-blog life as I have to write and proof and write and proof all day for work, but I think that's why I am a little more lenient in this space.

Typos so drive me nuts though--especially in professional settings--so when I spotted this typo in US Weekly's enewsletter this morning I had to share. Who sees it? Leave it in the comment field--let's see which readers have eagle eyes!

Follow the blogger

2010-05-13T08:27:00.002-05:00

Do you read my blog?

Ya' know--stop by and check it out once in a while? See what words of wisdom I have to impart.

If so, why not become a follower? All the cool readers are doing it. It's very easy--simply click "follow" down and to the right of this post and you will, in no time, become an official follower of "The Honeymoon is Over." I don't haze my followers nor do I make them go through a new follower orientation. So do it. Let me know you're reading. Maybe you'll get a Christmas card out of the deal. And then you can get posts delivered right to you via Google Reader. Ooohh--maybe I'l have a giveaway for my followers. This will be so much fun!

Okay, first things first. Just go ahead and follow.

Please?

Doing what it takes

2010-05-12T21:37:00.003-05:00

I write this post as I am sitting in bed behind a locked bedroom door.

I had great intentions of chillaxing in the basement tonight and catching up on DVRed Grey's and Desperate Housewives episodes, but it is storming quite a bit and I got scared.

I got scared.

TFitch is in Denver for a few days on business.
He's been gone 15 hours.
There's a little thunder and lightening.
And I got scared.

Which begs the question: how did I do this for a year? How did I not get "scared" when he was working in Kentucky--11 days there, three days here--for 385 days.

I did it because I had to.

I had no choice.
It was a decision we made.
Getting scared, or for that matter, mad, frustrated, sad or lonely would do nothing.
I did what it took.

Now, don't get me wrong--it wasn't roses and sunshine all the time. I had my moments. I had my breakdowns. My tears. But for the most part, I like to think I did what it took.

I will; however, admit I didn't do it alone.

My friends were fabulous, but especially Josh and Shannon with whom I would have been lost without. They truly went above and beyond the call of friendship duty. Rides, dinner dates (x 1,000,000), "Can you please come over and help me with XYZ"-requests. And the same with my parents. From watching Macy or stopping by to let her out when I couldn't get home in time, to changing porch lights at a moment's notice.

Let me not forget Macy who was excellent company.

When you have to, you do what it takes. I like to think I did. But I know I didn't do it alone.

As for tonight, I've heard great things about Hulu.

If this was a Successsories picture...

2010-05-11T20:18:00.000-05:00

...it would say "patience."

Good finds at the Goodwill

2010-05-07T13:16:00.002-05:00

I recently found some awesome blogs* that have inspired the thrifter/DIYer in me. So, last night I went to the Goodwill by our house to shop around.

Among my purchases--totalling $14--were:

These gems. Aren't they beautiful?

If you say yes, you are LYING! They are hideous as is--hence their temporary home at the Goodwill! But you know what they say! One person's trash is another person's treasure. Wait until I get about 18 more of these, give them a fresh coat of paint and they display the postcards we collect on vacations! I can't wait! The postcards are currently hanging on a bulletin board in our home office. YAWN! Not sure where I'll display these--might need a bookcase, and I have an idea for that!--but soon they'll be just what I had in mind. The only question now is the color! I'm thinking either white, black, gold or maybe something totally different! I'll be sure to keep you posted on how this project progresses. Our office needs some help, but it's a struggle. We're at the mercy of the electrical outlets and phone cords (Internet) and in addition to being cute, the office needs to be functioning since it is where I work. More to come, more to come.

The other gem I am most excited about (bought five things total) is the medium Wilton Armatele bowl for $4.99. It's in great shape and matches one I already had at home. This bowl retails for $39.99. A little soap and water and now my find is good as new.

Happy Friday! I have an itch to hit up some garage sales, but it's not going to be very warm in Omaha this weekend.

* Blogs include but are not limited to: Remodelholic, Domestically Speaking, My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia and more.

O! What a City.

2010-05-07T09:39:00.001-05:00

Omaha.

It's more than steaks.

It's more than some place in middle America.

It's a whole lot more than a lot of people think, which is why I'm so thrilled CNN and Southwest's Spirit Magazine have both profiled our great city within the last week.

Read.
Watch.
Visit.
Know what makes Omaha part of The Good Life.

Nashville

2010-05-05T10:29:00.000-05:00

A few bloggers I follow are from Nashville and they have been chronicling the flooding taking place in their hometown. I had no idea until I saw the photos on their blogs. I realize I was out of commission a lot last weekend with Legally Blonde and running, but it doesn't seem this travesty is getting the attention it deserves. Maybe it's changing. Nonetheless, visit Beth's blog to see for yourself the devastation taking place in Nashville...and keep all of Nashville's residents in your thoughts.

I was running.

2010-05-03T11:01:00.020-05:00

It's over. The training--over. The anticipation of what to expect--over. My first half-marathon--over. And I'm full of emotions: happiness, sadness, relief, muscle pain.

I can't stop looking at the pictures from yesterday and reliving it; you'd think it was a vacation or something. It's all still so vivid.

Start line: after hitting play on my Shuffle and "Eye of the Tiger" comes on---which I downloaded (kind of) as a joke but was coincidentally the first tune on my playlist: "Is this happening? Am I in a movie? Whelp; here goes nothing."

Mile 1: "Hello Kappa house! Man, I need to pee already. Ah, there's a bunch of Kiewit people in this. TFitch could have ran with me. And, hey, there's a group of Kappas. Hey sistas."

Mile 2: "Hey! There's TFitch and my bro! I thought they'd be having Bloodies at The Bar. Hey guys! What a fun surprise."

Mile 3: "If this was a 5K, I'd almost be done. Which would be nice considering how much I have to pee. Excuse me team of three frat guys that are walking. This chick needs to pass you. Ha ha ha ha ha. Hey, that shirt that says 'this sounded like a good idea months ago,' is funny. Isn't that the truth!?!?"

Mile 4: "Cool; our first water stop. How nice they put lids and straws in the cups so the water doesn't splash all over. I'm thirsty, but I have to pee too bad to drink and the porta-potty lines are too long. Think I can hold it for nine more miles? Excuse me, spectator dude that's smoking? The runners do not appreciate breathing your carcinogen into their lungs at this time."

Mile 5: "This isn't so bad. I'm kind of on running auto-pilot. Hey - there's the Person family! Hey Pitsy!"

Mile 6: "I can't hold it any longer. Porta-potty, here I come. Yum. Some fast food restaurant smells delicious. DAMNIT; I broke a nail!"

Mile 7: "Alright, approaching the Bike Rack, where I told TFitch and Kalin to stop and see us. It will be fun to see them. And more than half-way finished. I can do this! I'm so glad we drove the route yesterday so I know where we are going. Hey, Coty and Lucy!! Wasn't expecting to see you out here! That was a fun surprise!"

Mile 8: "I don't see them. They must have bailed. They're probably drinking. Oh, there they are; up on the right. Hey fellas! Good to see you here! I'm feeling pretty damn good!"

Mile 9: "I lied. Going to try this Gu Kelli recommended. It's in my pocket. The guy said Orange Sherbet was a good flavor. Here goes nothing. Ohmigod, ohmigod, ohmigod. I am going to barf. Spit spit spit spit spit this shit out. Back into my pocket the Gu goes. Oh, and fantastic. A freaking hill. Well, might as well run as fast as possible and get this hell over with. Ah, Otoe street. Makes me think of the Neals. I love the little kids giving high-fives. Sorry to these kiddos though; after that hill I just can't do it now."

Mile 10: "I thought this course was flat. I'm going to try one of these orange slices (which will leave my hands a sticky mess). And maybe some Gatorade. I haven't had any Gatorade yet. That sounds like it will give me some energy since the Gu did not. I wonder how they fill all those cups. Do you think there's an assembly line and one person fills, one person lids and one person straws? I wonder what would be the most efficient. Is this Antelope Park? Where are we?"

Mile 11: "10th and A street. That means we're almost done! But I know we have to at least go past O street, and since we're just now approaching B, that means we still have C, D, E, F, G, H, I, J, K, L, M and N streets AND the stadium is past O street. I might die. Dear God, please grant me the strength...I could really use some Rhianna right about now. Uh huh, uh huh."

Mile 12: "OHMIGOD. Surely this water stop indicates mile 12 but there is no sign. I need a sign. I need a freaking sign that says '12.' This freaking sucks. Give me some water. No lids and straws? Shit. I'm not stopping. Instead I will pour it all down the front of my shirt and use it to cleanse my hands from the sticky orange residue. Ah, here's O street, which is full of bars. Damn a Boulevard Wheat sounds awesome right now."

Mile 13: "Ah! The 13th mile marker. I think I am going to cry!" and I kind of do

Finish Line: "SSSUUUUHHHHH!!!! I'm done! I can't believe I am done! That went fast. That wasn't sssooo bad. It was awesome in fact! I need some water stat. How cool to be on the 50 year line INSIDE Memorial Stadium. I did it!"

Since I continue to relive yesterday morning mile by mile, that must mean it was a good experience. But will I do it again? I'm not sure. This was personal challenge I made with myself months ago, that I successfully completed. I'll never have the experience of a first half-marathon again; do I want to compete with the feelings I have today? I don't know.

What I do know is how awesome it was to have the amazing support from friends and family like I did. While Josh and Shannon were ultimately there to cheer on Dianna, it was so nice to be able to see them in the stands after. TFitch and Kalin--who chauffeured us to Lincoln at 5:15 am on a Sunday (the morning after a golf tournament, nonetheless) and played route stalkers--were awesome and made a huge impact. It was one of the first things Lindsay and I discussed after crossing the finish line. Mom and dad--now I think you know why I was so excited to have you come to Lincoln. And to my friends that mailed cards, sent text messages, left voicemails and posted Facebook messages--thank you.

For now, I think I'll continue to reminisce about what a great weekend it was and the fact my first 13.1 is done.

Vitamin D is for dogs

2010-04-30T14:16:00.002-05:00

I love the sun.

I think there is no better feeling than skin burning from the raidiant star high above.

I realize this is not smart--stupid in fact--and I know I've made some bad decisions when it comes to the sun. I never wore sun screen in high school. Once I actually got second degree sunburns over my entire body becuase I laid out for about 12 hours straight--on a lake--with zero SPF protection. But nowadays, as my skin is the moly grail of sun damage and I've had a suspicisous spot on my back removed (benign, luckily), I'm trying to be better about wearing SPF.

Anywho, you know how they say people and their pets resemble each other? Check this out. We have an entire home for Macy to chillax in, and she opts for the spot in the sun--betwen the bed and ironing board in our master bedroom.

Ah, my little sun-worshipping pooch, Macy.

Does Banana Boat come in canine?

To renovate or not to renovate...that is the question.

2010-04-28T10:06:00.003-05:00

We're staying in Omaha for a few more months--yay! More to come on that. But with this comes some questions about casa de Fitch. I'm getting the itch for a new house (two-story, privacy fence, three-car garage...ahhh!), but if we're only in Omaha for one more year, moving doesn't make sense and I know that. So, the question is...do we embark on some home projects to enjoy for our remaining time in this home or do we save the money and put it toward projects in a new residence? Specifically, I've been toying with the following (some for years):

Deck: We love having BBQs but we are outgrowing our deck space. The idea is to redo it and make it larger. This is; however, a pricey project and some revamped landscaping would have to happen around the new deck as well. To expand or not to expand...that is the question.

Flooring: We currently have laminate flooring in our kitchen, bathrooms and entry way. Blach. But it is definitely low maintenance, which I can't complain about. What I'd like to do is tile all of the current laminated flooring, rip out the carpet in the master bath and replace with tile and rip out the carpet under the kitchen table and tile that area too. I had this priced out once and it will cost about $4,000. To tile or not to tile...that is the question.

Countertops: New countertops would also be grand...but they'd also cost a few grand. Should I wait and let granite be a perk of a new house? To granite or not to granite...that is the question.

Landscaping: Some landscaping--around the power boxes in our backyard and on the side of our house where grass doesn't grow so well--would be nice. But again, we're looking at a chunk of change for this (and I do NOT landscape on my own anymore). To landscape or not to landscape...that is the question.

Driveway: With TFitch's work truck in the driveway now, I'd like to widen our driveway and make it a little easier to maneuver in and out of. I don't think it's that big of a project, but I do think there are sprinkler heads that need to be removed, etc. To concrete or not to concrete...that is the question.

I have a feeling we should sit tight and not invest in these projects. But at the same time, if we're living here for another year, we should love our house. Do any of these increase the value when we sell our house, or does it just make it sell faster--or do they do neither? I'm so torn as to what to do.

What would you do?

Lettering in Life

2010-04-18T17:47:00.000-05:00

During yesterday’s nine-miler, I got to thinking about how it’s almost funny I am running a half-marathon. I didn’t excel at sports as a child. I tried, but I was far from the star athlete. I enjoyed softball, but my parents reminded me how much I (read: they) loved boating and how my weekend softball tourneys would interrupt that. I was on JV tennis in high school for three years. I’d call me “fine.” I cut out of tryouts senior year because of a heart murmur that showed up during my physical. And, as a senior you couldn’t be on JV—had to make varsity—and I knew that wasn’t happening. Thank goodness for the heart murmur, right?

Not being a great athlete at Millard North High School; however, was hard. Hard because letter jackets were super cool at our school. At any given party there would be an assortment of black Reebok high tops scattered in the entry way and a pile of blue-wool and grey-sleeved jackets on the couch. And obviously, since I didn’t letter in a sport, I didn’t have a letter jacket. (I did letter in academics but that was not the cool letter—sorry Josh. Only kidding, buddy.)

While thinking about the irony of me—the non-athlete—running 13.1 miles, I thought “so what?” Who cares if some 18-year-old could run the 40 in record time or can make three-pointers like it’s nobody’s business? Is that what matters in life? While in 1998 it might have seemed so, the answer is no.

And that got me thinking about a lot. My job I love. My home. T Fitch and his great job. Macy. My incredible friends. My family. The fact that I have raised $4,600+ for breast cancer research and walked 120 miles over six days to show my commitment to the cause. Kappa. A college degree.

The list goes on.

Whether I’m walking around in a North Face fleece or a Banana Republic trench, these are the accomplishments I am proud of. I don’t need them written on my back to remind me.

Someone get Eric Crouch on the phone...how’s that letter jacket fitting nowadays?

Lara Bar(f)s

2010-04-15T15:42:00.001-05:00

I like food.
I'm really not afraid to try any food.
I get pissed when someone won't try just one bite of something. I promise it won't kill you. (Unless of course you have a severe food allergy, in which case, don't try just one bite. At least not on my watch.)
Sure there are foods I don't care for--red meat, sausage, that's all I can really think of--but I'll always try them and will even force 'em down. This stems from my younger years. One time on a Disney vacation--I was about 10--I ordered escargot and lemon meringue pie in the same meal. Besides the obvious question as to what 10-year-old can eat a three-course meal, those typically are not the fave foods of a one-decade old person. In fact, the waiter ended up telling my parents I had a "sophisticated palate." I love that.

So, when I just took a bite of the Cherry Pie Lara Bar and nearly lost my Firehouse Sub lunch, you know it's bad. Bad bad bad bad bad.

Bring me snails anyday but please keep me away from those taste bud atrocities.

Dear half-marathon,

2010-04-13T20:07:00.000-05:00

Sometimes I really hate you. Sometimes I hate that you make me run a long, long way on a Sunday. Sometimes I hate that you make my knee hurt and me worry that I won't be able to run 13.1 miles--and that I'll feel like a failure on the 50-yard line of Memorial Stadium in front of the other 7,999 runners and their onlookers. Sometimes I hate I paid $50 for two+ hours of RUNNING.

But sometimes I really love you. Sometimes I love that you make me run a long, long way on a Sunday--because I always feel better once I do. Sometimes I love that you make me feel strong, give me confidence and let me prove to myself I CAN DO THIS.

It's a love/hate relationship. But I think I'm ready for ya.

Friday Facebook Find

2010-04-09T08:44:00.001-05:00

This one I call, "things that make you go hhhmmm..."

Macy vs. Riley

2010-04-08T09:15:00.004-05:00

Riley the smiling dog was on the Today show this morning. Macy took one look at the TV and went ballistic. I only caught the tail end (pun intended) of Macy giving Riley a piece of her mind, but it was pretty funny--especially since she doesn't bark at other dogs on TV!

Don't Wait.

2010-04-06T13:32:00.002-05:00

The pastor referenced this story during our Easter service and I thought it was great. I am getting better about living in the moment but I think it's something everyone struggles with at some point. What are you putting off for another day?

My brother-in-law opened the bottom drawer of my sister's bureau and lifted out a tissue-wrapped package. "This", he said, "is not a slip. This is lingerie." He discarded the tissue and handed me the slip. It was exquisite; silk, handmade and trimmed with a cobweb of lace. The price tag with an astronomical figure on it was still attached. "Jan bought this the first time we went to New York, at least 8 or 9 years ago. She never wore it. She was saving it for a special occasion. Well, I guess this is the occasion." He took the slip from me and put it on the bed with the other clothes we were taking to the mortician. his hands lingered on the soft material for a moment, then he slammed the drawer shut and turned to me. "Don't ever save anything for a special occasion. Every day you're alive is a special occasion."

I remembered those words through the funeral and the days that followed when I helped him and my niece attend to all the sad chores that follow an unexpected death. I thought about them on the plane returning to California from the Midwestern town where my sister's family lives. I thought about all the things that she hadn't seen or heard or done. I thought about the things that she had done without realizing that they were special.

I'm still thinking about his words, and they've changed my life. I'm reading more and dusting less. I'm sitting on the deck and admiring the view without fussing about the weeds in the garden. I'm spending more time with my family and friends and less time in committee meetings. Whenever possible, life should be a pattern of experience to savor, not endure. I'm trying to recognize these moments now and cherish them.

I'm not 'saving' anything; we use our good china and crystal for every special event-such as losing a pound, getting the sink unstopped, the first camellia blossom. I wear my good blazer to the market if I feel like it. My theory is, if I look prosperous, I can shell out $28.49 for one small bag of groceries without wincing. I'm not saving my good perfume for special parties; clerks in hardware stores and tellers in banks have noses that function as well as my party-going friends.

"Someday" and "one of these days" are losing their grip on my vocabulary. if it's worth seeing or hearing or doing, I want to see and hear and do it now. I'm not sure what my sister would have done had she known that she wouldn't be here for the tomorrow we all take for granted. I think she would have called family members and a few close friends. She might have called a few former friends to apologize and mend fences for past squabbles. I like to think she would have gone out for a Chinese dinner, her favorite food. I'm guessing-I'll never know.

It's those little things left undone that would make me angry if I knew that my hours were limited. Angry because I put off seeing good friends whom I was going to get in touch with-someday. Angry because I hadn't written certain letters that I intended to write-one of these days. Angry and sorry that I didn't tell my husband and daughter often enough how much I truly love them. I'm try very hard not to put off, hold back, or save anything that would add laughter and luster to our lives.

And every morning when I open my eyes, I tell myself that it is special.

Every day, every minute, every breath truly is,....a gift from God.

Ann Wells, LA Times

Macy is 3!

2010-04-02T09:57:00.002-05:00

(aka 21 in people years.)

She got after it last night.

Happy birthday, widdle Mace!

Don't worry; I was her DD. Humans don't let canines drive drunk.

The Original Smiling Dog

2010-04-01T16:44:00.005-05:00

There's a lot of buzz over Riley the smiling dog.

Well, I'd like to introduce you to the original smiling dog: Macy Fitch.

Photo circa Halloween 2007.

So put that in your kong and smoke it.

Cakes

2010-04-01T15:08:00.002-05:00

Lovely readers,

Do you know I make cakes and cupcakes on the side? I do. I haven't been very busy in the last year because I have a new rule that I regrefully have to decline an order if it's a weekend when TFitch is in town. They just take too much time. I really do love it, though, and wish I had more time to devote to getting better. Anyway, you can check out some of my creations on my Sweetie P's blog here.

If you do have an upcoming cake or cupcake need; however, please let me know. I'd love to make you something sweet if I am available!

Love Affair

2010-03-30T09:10:00.000-05:00

Do you love my gorgeous lilies? (Some are still blooming!)

I was surprised with them Saturday morning. They're from Zappos.com and no, that's not my new nickname for TFitch. You all remember my affinity for them from this and this. Well, a few weeks ago Zappos asked if I would be willing to participate in an interview for a book on exceptional customer service. The author, Shaun Smith, had talked to Zappos on the subject and asked if they had a customer he could talk to. Apparently I came to mind. I spoke with Shaun and it was fun! I never tire of telling about my experiences with Zappos. Hopefully I was exciting enough as to not get cut :) Nonetheless, Zappos sent me flowers to thank me for my time. I'm pretty sure we're dating--I mean the infatuation is mutual.

Diet Shmiet

2010-03-24T11:58:00.005-05:00

I am LOVING this photo of Kristin Chenoweth getting ready for the Ellen show drinking a Coca-Cola Classic.

Not Diet Coke.
Not Coke Zero.
The real, calorie and sugar-ladden Coca-Cola.

You go girl!

I've always thought she was darling and I'm PRETTY (read: VERY) obsessed with her as Glinda (remeber: the "a" is silent). I love seeing that she's cool enough to have a regular soda pop before appearing on national TV.

If you were going to be on Ellen, what would be your pre-show drink of choice? I think I'd go with vodka to calm my nerves! :)

Friday Facebook Find

2010-03-19T22:38:00.001-05:00

Because the fake baking, that face and boob claw are not okay.

Uninspired

2010-03-18T19:58:00.002-05:00

It's been a week since I have blogged - yikes! I was doing so well. It's not really for lack of content; in fact there has been a lot going on which is part of the reason why I haven't had time to sit down at the computer and write. Emilie's wedding. Spring Break in Omaha. One year since "Owensboro" was mentioned. A man marrying a woman from a video game. (Thanks to Sarah O. for that one!) And of course, Facebook Fridays which I've already screwed up in not posting last week! (See Emilie's wedding.) And while I could force out these posts right now, I just don't feel like it. So instead, I think I'm going to curl up on the couch with some Girl Scout Cookies (LOVE the Lemonades) and do a whole lot of nothing.

Hopefully some inspiration will come to me soon.

WTF

2010-03-10T08:40:00.008-06:00

While we were in Florida last month we were explaining to some friends that our monogram, kind of, is WTF. (I recognize in a real monogram the last initial is in the middle but this is for Wendy & Trevor Fitch.)

They died of hysteria.

Fast forward to yesterday when a package lands on our front porch. Turns out, despite the 8,452 beers we had in the Sunshine State, they remembered the story. As such, our very first WTF monogram! :)

It makes me smile everytime I see it!

Coming Soon: "Facebook Friday Finds"

2010-03-08T22:35:00.002-06:00

Do people understand Facebook?

Do they understand when they post status updates or photos, OTHER PEOPLE CAN SEE THEM?

I'm constantly amazed by what some people post. As such, I'm starting a new series called "Friday Facebook Finds." On, you guessed it - FRIDAYS - I'll be sharing examples of content that will make you tilt and shake your head and ask "why."

Stay tuned...and e-mail me your submissions to wendy (dot) fitch (at) gmail (dot) com.

13.1

2010-03-08T10:24:00.004-06:00

I'm officially registered for the Lincoln half marathon and I'm so nervous! 13.1 miles is a long way to go!

Yesterday I had plans to run four miles around Lake Zorinsky, but ended up getting in closer to six. It felt pretty good. I was definitely pooped toward the end but I did finish. My legs are sore today, though! It was supposed to be 53 and sunny yesterday, but instead it was about 40 and overcast. It was chilly standing still but once you got running it was fine. We need some nicer weather so I can continue to run outside. I'm getting a little sick of the treadmill, although my friend Shannon and I had a date last Thursday night at Urban Active during Grey's Anatomy and we both got in pretty good runs!

In other news, I've got my eyes on these Tory Burch shoes and think they might be my reward for crossing the finish line May 2.

My question today is (actually I have two):

1. Any training tips to pass along?

2. Any good places to look for Tory Burch Revas on sale?

TTFN!
Wendy

Spaaahhhh

2010-03-05T16:09:00.009-06:00

My brother's GF is coming to Omaha with him this weekend, and since he's got some work to do she and I are hitting the spa tomorrow. I realize spas book far in advance, but I called 19 spas over lunch today until I found one with times that would work for us. Seriously! Can't women decide on some last-minute pampering?!?

We are going to Urbane in the Old Market, which I am excited about. (I love me some Aveda!) My skin has been SO dry and flaky the last few weeks, so I couldn't be more jazzed about a facial. (Especially since my dad's paying for it. Thanks, Ronnie!) I'm getting just a normal facial, but what I've realized as I've been researching spas is all the different types of facials available. Oxygen boosting. Microdermabrasion. Anti-aging. Seaweed. Glycolic Peels. I know nothing about these different types of offerings...should I be doing something different, especially as I approach 30 and my wrinkles and dark spots worsen? (DAMN IT.) Anyway, would love any thoughts you have for next time!

Parenting Practice?

2010-03-04T16:46:00.005-06:00

Dear Lord. In the last few days I feel like I've got a toddler on my hands. In reality, it's just a five-pound canine, but you'd hardly know it.

First, the whole "escaping from the kitchen" escapade. I mean seriously. Does that resemble a tot climbing out of his/her crib at night? Yeah, kind of.

And just this afternoon. I had a nose-to-the-grindstone kind of day, cleaning clips in Vocus for those of you who know what that means! :) So, I let Macy join me. (I know - going against what I said in my previous post in that Macy doesn't get to go to work with me. Hold your criticism - it was just for this afternoon.) At one point I look over and my heart melts. She's sound asleep on her stuffed animals.

(I took a picture to send to my dad because he spontaneously bought her that duck she's perched on.)

Moving on. So, I'm working away. The space heater's going. It's a productive afternoon in the Omaha office. Until I hear Macy gagging and she BARFS ALL OVER MY WHITE CHAIR. No signs. Was perfectly fine, sound asleep. And then WHAMO. Impromptu yellow chunks all over the cushion.

Sweet and no, I did not take a picture of that although I considered it.

And now the cover is in the wash and it was not easy to take off so I am sure I'll never be able to get it back on the cushion. And smart me had cut off the care instructions which I am sure read "dry clean only."

So, yeah. In two days we've got sneaking out and impulsive ralphing. When's she gonna ask to borrow the car and start hiding vodka in her kennel?

Awesome Antiquing

2010-03-04T09:02:00.009-06:00

My friend Annie got me into antiquing, and I love it. Granted, I've only been twice - both times with her, Starbucks in tow - but I just love hunting for pieces to mix old with new.

When TFitch and I were in Springfield, Ill. last weekend (where Annie & Co. now temporarily reside, much to our dismay), we let the boys watch the little one and Annie and I headed out once again in search of some treasures. We both found some great things - a successful trip by Annie's standards - but my best find was this pair of Chanel earrings for $5! They're the real deal with "Chanel" engraved on the back of each.

I've already worn them and am in love! They are clip-ons, and while I thought about putting posts on them, I am kind of thinking I want to keep them in their original form.

If these earrings are anything like those we've found in a Google search, they're worth a few hundred dollars! And to think I almost passed them up! So glad Annie convinced me otherwise!

I know Emilie once found some awesome Stuart Weitzman pumps at a thrift store and Pammycakes can score some awesome stuff at TJ Maxx. What's your best thrift/antique/bargain store find?

Canine Colleague

2010-03-02T11:01:00.009-06:00

We got Macy in 2007 while I was working from home and ever since I thought it would be a good idea for her not to come to “work” with me. (I use quotation marks because work simply means our home office in the basement.) I didn’t want her to get used to chilling with me all day, and, more importantly, she doesn’t know how to control her barking sometimes. A problem during conference calls.

As such, I devised a commute to the basement that would make Macy think I was really leaving the house. I put up the baby gate in the kitchen (as we always do when we leave), tell her I’m going to work and to have a good day and then head out the garage. Only instead of getting into my car, I shut the garage door, tip toe in our front door and sneak downstairs to the basement. At lunch or when I’m “coming home from work” – same thing. Tip toe upstairs, quietly open and close the front door, open the garage and walk into the kitchen to be greeted by the pooch. Worked like a charm.

Until recently.

Obviously during my 15-month sabbatical from working from home, there was no sneaking around. So when I started working from home again in January (which my readers probably know nothing about since I haven't blogged in an eternity), I got back into the same routine as before. Let me tell you – if you are my neighbor or driving down Armstrong Street while I’m sneaking into my own house with coffee, water and a breakfast of some sort, it’s quite the sight. Regardless, the first few days Macy barked a lot more than I remembered. I e-mailed TFitch, telling him I either got louder or Macy got smarter. His response? “I guarantee the dog is NOT smarter.” But after what I witnessed this morning, I’m pretty sure she is.

I was sitting at my desk this morning and I heard Macy barking upstairs. Not unusual. Then, I realize it’s pretty quiet and I heard a sound I couldn’t exactly pin point. Then I figured it out. It was tiny paws scratching at the basement door. I thought about leaving her there, but then I thought either 1. the door would be scratched to crap come lunch time when I leave the confines of my basement or 2. she’s probably bleeding because I have NO idea how she escaped. I greeted the little turd and there was no blood but a big, huge smirky smile. Her face was a combination of “Hey! There you are! I’ve been looking for you!” + “Took you long enough – I’m exhausted” + “You bitch. Why would you quarantine me to the kitchen? I thought we were friends.”

More than anything, I had to know how Houdini dog made her way downstairs so I head upstairs to the scene of the crime. Baby gate still vertical (this is an entirely different story, but yesterday it wasn’t tight enough and she barreled through it). That tells me she didn’t push it over. I’m thinking she jumped over it, when I realize what she had done. There’s a small little indentation between the cupboard and baseboard (kind of hard to explain). There’s currently a five-pound dumbbell in the space because for a while she was pulling up the carpet there. (You’re not going to buy it from this story, but she really is a good dog!) Well, this morning, Muscleman Macy pulled the five pound dumbbell out and over to reveal the “hole.” This is amazing because she’s only five pounds herself. After that, she squeezed her five pound figure out of the hole and came downstairs to join me. Here's the process (or most of it) in reverse...

Judging by how hard she worked to free herself from the kitchen, I’m sure at some point she would have scratched her way through the basement door. This dog is driven!

And now, here she is, working with me until noon when we’ll see if the eight pound dumbbell will keep her contained. In the meantime, she’s plum tuckered and being a lazy little office assistant. If only she could fetch me coffee refills.

Too fast.

2010-01-09T17:42:00.004-06:00

Shopping.

BBQ.

Corona Light.

Smoked ribs.

Up in the Air.

Sleep in.

Impromptu lunch with friends.

More shopping.

Impromptu spaghetti dinner with friends.

Hide and seek with Stella.

Sleep in.

Hair cuts.

Rock Bottom Brewery.

Creighton basketball.

Flat tire.

Night cap.

Sleep in.

House cleaning.

Pedicures.

Holiday Bowl.

Victory.

Preparation.

Dinner.

Gift exchange.

Welcome 2010.

4 am dance party.

Hangover.

Godfather's.

Snuggie.

Couch.

Nap.

Attempt at beers.

Catchphrase music edition.

Sleep in.

Snuggie.

Couch.

Nap.

Cabin Fever.

Slumber party.

Taken.

He's Just Not that Into You.

Lazlos.

The Orphan.

American Psycho.

Nap.

Taco Bell.

500 Days of Summer.

Sleep in.

House clean-up.

Oil change.

Gym.

Grocery store.

Chili dinner.

Office re-org.

Bill sort.

Christmas decoration storage.

Scrabble.

Sleep in.

Village Point.

Grandma's.

Gym.

Stuffed Peppers.

Sleep in.

Shucks.

Grandpa's birthday.

Hot dogs and Mac & Cheese.

Wii tournament.

Cupcakes.

Sleep in.

Cupcakes.

Sons of Italy.

Messy interstate.

Surprise, Annie!

3 am dance party.

Hangover.

Don & Millies.

Nap.

Godfather's.

Bloody fingers.

Superglue.

Sleep in.

Bank.

Good Fortune.

Sad goodbye.

Nap.

Bella Vita.

Sad goodbye #2.

Christmas with friends (that just so happened to take place on New Year's Eve)

2010-01-06T22:59:00.005-06:00

TFitch and I are in a dinner club with a group of friends. In our dinner club, the host and hostess choose the menu and provide recipes to everyone else to make. We have a lot of fun (and by a lot I mean a LOT of fun), and we've stumbled upon some great recipes we've all made repeatedly. Each year we have a Christmas-themed dinner club and exchange gifts. We hosted this year, and opted to have it on New Year's Eve since everyone had sitters anyway.

Our menu was divine...

Appetizers (didn't get a photo):

Almond-Stuffed Dates Wrapped in Bacon

Seared Sea Scallops with Spicy Dipping Sauce

Golden Yukon Potatoes with Blue Cheese, Bacon and Chives

First Course:

Golden Mushroom Soup

Entree:

Beef Tenderloin

Asparagus Bundles

Four Cheese Mac & Cheese

Dessert:

Cranberry Cobbler

Signature Drink:

The O Fizz (or O! What a Fizz as we renamed it late in the evening)

Here are some photos of the tables and ambiance. We had to set-up a 6 foot table since our dining room table only seats 10 and there were 12 of us. We opted for two tables of six so they were even. Enjoy!

Appetizer Table

I asked everyone to e-mail me photos of their favorite ornaments, which I used for place cards

Resolutions

2010-01-04T22:16:00.003-06:00

Hello friends! I hope everyone had Merry Christmases and very happy new years'! I'm unemployed for another week before starting my new gig, and I'm loving every second of it. It's just the amount of brainless downtime I needed before diving into something new.

Four days into 2010, I thought it was time to publicly announce my resolutions for the year. And without further ado:

1. No more cussing. I'm doing okay. I really had started getting a potty mouth, so I've resolved to stop. TFitch's language is NOT helping things, though.

2. Save $XYZ. I'd rather not publicize this amount, but I will tell you we had a financial resolution last year, too, and I'm happy to say we met it! This one's a little ambitious but I'm hoping we can do it.

3. Run in a half-marathon. And that half-marathon will be in Lincoln on May 2. Who wants to train with me?

Anyone else sharing their resolutions? If so, what are they? Let's hold each other accountable!

PrayforKate.com

2009-12-24T09:19:00.003-06:00

Last night I stumbled upon the story of sweet, sweet Kate McRae. Kate is a precious five-year-old little girl who was diagnosed with a malignant brain tumor in June.

It's a story I can't rip myself from. It's not a tale for the faint of heart; but the bitter reality is there are kids just like Kate all across the world. This Christmas my thoughts are with Kate, the McRaes and the other children and families facing this serious illness and spending their holidays in the confines of a hospital. I continue to think about and pray for all of you.

Four years.

2009-12-10T08:00:00.001-06:00

iPissed

2009-11-23T21:17:00.003-06:00

I'm sure T Fitch would disagree, but I take responsibility for my own actions. Can't shed those measly five pounds? Have I been doing everything I can to lose 'em? Probably not. Can't be bitter. Sad I have 10 nights in a row without a husband? Check. But is this a decision we made? True dat; can't be bitter.

Then there are the things beyond my control that really just irk the shit out of me. They tend to cost a lot of money, and in the grand scheme of things aren't all that important. But these are things that cause me to grind my teeth, my blood pressure to spike and me to blog. Take for example my iPod. My old one was in my office drawer and was stolen a few months ago. Awesome. New video iPod - working perfectly fine during my cleaning escapade yesterday. Today - broken hard drive and I'm out $250. Had I dropped my iPod and shattered it into a million pieces, I wouldn't have nearly the annoyance I have now that my iPod's hard drive just decided to stop working. Maybe it's because I like to be in control. Regardless, here's a big fat UGH to my iPod. I do have to thank sweet Jeremy at the Genius Bar for trying as hard as he could to save the iPod, and not laughing at me when I was visibly upset once he pronounced it dead.

RIP iPod.

PTTO

2009-11-17T12:46:00.004-06:00

Was a success and this blog post and this blog post from Girls Inc. attendees made all the preparation and efforts worthwhile.

Amended: Nov. 19 - 8:38 pm

True story Pammycakes - your PTTO blog post was JUST as awesome. :) Readers, be sure to check it out here! And you can check out photos from Metro Monthly here.

PTTO out WOOT!

Mac & Cheese

2009-11-11T21:59:00.004-06:00

I anticipate tomorrow with mixed emotions. Shock that November 12 is already here. Frustration a goal wasn't met. Nerves something will go wrong. Relief that it will all be over. Smiles.

That's right - smiles. Since January, Shannon and I have been engrossed in planning Paint the Town Orange. Sure points along the way were trying, time-consuming and overwhelming. But all in all, I've sincerely enjoyed the last 10 months. I've enjoyed the lunch meetings at Noodle Zoo, the spreadsheets, the mirage of e-mails; you have to when you're doing something for the greater good. And when you're engrossed in something so involved, the only thing that can make it better is to have one of your best friends by your side. There are not a lot of people I could do something like this with. Shannon was an irreplaceable partner in crime. When I was busy, she was there. My weaknesses were her strengths. We made exhausting and tough, strategic and tactical, major and minor, decisions together. We pushed each other. And we're better for it.

Thank you to my fellow YW Partners members for putting your trust in me and your support, and thanks to Shannon for being an incomparable cohort and most importantly, friend.

Let's do this!

Big Bird

2009-11-04T13:20:00.003-06:00

Big Bird is on Google today! Still trying to figure out why. Regardless, when I clicked on Google this morning, I instantly smiled! I love Big Bird! And I don't remember his legs being so cute. I heart the orange and pink color combo! Reminds me of my new skirt from Boden.

I'm also going to use this opportunity to confess I love the movie "Big Bird Goes to Japan." The "Ohio" scene just cracked me up! All the Japanese were greeting Bid Bird with "Ohayo" - a way to say hello in their language. Big Bird thought all these people were from Ohio! I admit I did make my high school Japanese class watch the film. I don't think they appreciated it as much as I did.

Making Halloween Happy

2009-10-30T10:18:00.004-05:00

I'm in Yucktucky for work+T Fitch, and don't have a lot of plans for Halloween other than a much-needed Husker victory (hopefully). We decided to leave the Johnny Castle and Bab y costumes in Omaha. And, I'm such a bad dog mom; since I was going to be out of town, I didn't even buy Macy a costume. :( Change that: she'll be a Maltese that misses her mama this year.

A few weeks ago during our monthly GNO, we got together and stuffed trick-or-treat bags for the kiddos in the pediatrics unit of UNMC. (Thanks to JHite for coordinating and delivering.)

Stickers, pencils, glow sticks, jumpy things, activity books - they should like them! (If I wasn't such a ding dong and realized latex balloons were no-nos in hospitals, they would have gotten those too.) I can't help but think of little lads that have to spend holidays in hospitals. (The worse place in the world as far as I'm concerned.) Making those bags was so fulfilling and - you know how I love the power of numbers - inexpensive when eight people contribute to the cause. My request is for all of us to make the holidays - any holidays - happier for those that need it. The girls and I have sorted cans at the food bank and (unbeknownst to them :)...) we've adopted a family in-need from the YWCA Omaha for Christmas. It's not that we're money bags and have a lot to give. It's not that at all. But we all are very fortunate for what we have, and realize we do have the power to make someone's holiday a little brighter.

What suggestions do you have on ways we all can make the holidays happier for those that need it?

She may only be five pounds.

2009-10-27T20:22:00.003-05:00

But she fills this house with energy!

Of course, you've by now figured out I weigh more than five pounds and I'm obviously talking about widdle Macers. She's not here tonight and it's lonely! I'm heading to Yucktucky tomorrow morning (work + T Fitch) so she's at her foster grandparents' for a few nights. (My parents are in NYC and yes, I'm jealous.) After I dropped her off I went to the gym, and it was so weird to walk into a completely quiet house! (For a few minutes I miiiiiiigggghhhhtt have reveled in it.) But now I want my furry friend, my security system, my snuggle buddy, back!

Anthropologie

2009-10-21T21:50:00.003-05:00

You know how the seasons change and then you feel like you need to stock up on weather-appropriate attire? It just gives me a shopping itch. I didn't have an itch today; rather a relentless desire to go SHOPPING! Pammycakes and I hit up Anthropologie and man oh man; I remember why I don't visit there often. It is because I LOVE that store! I came away with this cute dress and some winterization tips, and a super cute skirt that, as Pammycakes said when I grabbed it, "wow - that isn't even on the Web site yet." Even better - Anthro let me use my 15% off birthday coupon even though it was for September.

I'm planning on wearing the dress to Wine Til Nine tomorrow, but thought it could also be cute for Paint the Town Orange since it's orange. After much consideration, I don't know if I can wear it to two semi-similar social events that close together. Looks like I might need another Pammycakes consultation before November 12! And I'll for sure have to peruse some accompanying shoes on zappos.com!

Please Support YWCA Omaha

2009-10-14T12:19:00.003-05:00

The last few months, my good friend Shannon and I have been immersed in planning an event called Paint the Town Orange (PTTO). This event is being held the evening of November 12 at the Scott Conference Center in Omaha. PTTO is a fundraiser for YWCA Omaha and all proceeds fund the organization's mission of helping women and their families build lives of strength, growth and stability.

I'll get right to it: we'd love the support of our friends, family, colleagues, Twitter followers, Facebook friends and blog readers. You are our keys to success. Our goal is to raise $20,000 for YWCA Omaha and we can't do it alone. No matter how cute the decor, how great the speaker or how tasty the dessert (and it will be tasty), we can't make a substantial contribution to the cause without you.

So what can you do? You can buy a ticket here. There are a variety of ticket levels. At the same web site, you can also choose to buy a ticket for an underprivileged girl to attend – a perfect option for those of you that want to support the cause but are unable to make it. You can also buy a raffle ticket ($10 each or three for $25) for a chance to win awesome prizes – including a gorgeous citrine and diamond ring from Borsheim’s. And we’ll gladly accept donations. (E-mail me for those latter options.)

If you do choose to attend, you’ll be surrounded by darling boutique items and hear words of wisdom from Liz Funk, author of “Supergirls Speak Out.” You can read more about her book here. We saw Liz on the Today Show one morning and knew she’d be perfect for PTTO.

I’ve only been involved with YWCA Omaha for one year, but I know it’s a great organization and believe the money we are raising is helping a deserving establishment. I’ve heard women’s testimonials as to how the YWCA Omaha has saved their lives. It’s an essential part of our community. Thank you for supporting this endeavor I’ve chosen to embark on, and more importantly, the women of Omaha.

Doggone it, dad.

2009-09-30T13:07:00.003-05:00

My dad is the king of e-mail forwards. Some are funny. Some are not. Some result in the "your mailbox is exceeding its size limit" e-mails from IT. And some bring tears to my eyes. Like this one.

A Dog's Purpose? (from a 6-year-old).

Being a veterinarian, I had been called to examine a ten-year-old Irish Wolfhound named Belker. The dog's owners, Ron, his wife Lisa, and their little boy Shane, were all very attached to Belker, and they were hoping for a miracle.

I examined Belker and found he was dying of cancer. I told the family we couldn't do anything for Belker, and offered to perform the euthanasia procedure for the old dog in their home.

As we made arrangements, Ron and Lisa told me they thought it would be good for six-year-old Shane to observe the procedure. They felt as though Shane might learn something from the experience.

The next day, I felt the familiar catch in my throat as Belker 's family surrounded him. Shane seemed so calm, petting the old dog for the last time, that I wondered if he understood what was going on. Within a few minutes, Belker slipped peacefully away.

The little boy seemed to accept Belker's transition without any difficulty or confusion. We sat together for a while after Belker's Death, wondering aloud about the sad fact that animal lives are shorter than human lives. Shane, who had been listening quietly, piped up, ''I know why.''

Startled, we all turned to him. What came out of his mouth next stunned me. I'd never heard a more comforting explanation. It has changed the way I try and live.

He said,''People are born so that they can learn how to live a good life -- like loving everybody all the time and being nice, right?'' The Six-year-old continued, ''Well, dogs already know how to do that, so they don't have to stay as long.''

Live simply.
Love generously.
Care deeply.
Speak kindly.
Remember, if a dog was the teacher you would learn things like:
When loved ones come home, always run to greet them.
Never pass up the opportunity to go for a joyride.
Allow the experience of fresh air and the wind in your face to be pure Ecstasy.
Take naps.
Stretch before rising.
Run, romp, and play daily.
Thrive on attention and let people touch you.
Avoid biting when a simple growl will do.
On warm days, stop to lie on your back on the grass.
On hot days, drink lots of water and lie under a shady tree.
When you're happy, dance around and wag your entire body.
Delight in the simple joy of a long walk.
Be loyal.
Never pretend to be something you're not.
If what you want lies buried, dig until you find it.
When someone is having a bad day, be silent, sit close by, and nuzzle them gently.

ENJOY EVERY MOMENT OF EVERY DAY!

Is it 5 pm yet? I need to rush home and squeeze widdle Macers.

Happy, happy birthday T Fitch!

2009-09-24T08:53:00.001-05:00

He's officially 30 today! Man oh man how time flies. Macy and I are sad we are not in Yucktucky to celebrate with him today. (I'm kind of sick over it.) Photo birthday wishes will have to suffice.

Morning Observations

2009-09-23T16:34:00.002-05:00

1. Dear woman that walked from the parking garage to the parking garage elevator to the building foyer to the building elevator ALL while reading a book: what novel is so good you can't take your nose out of it to push "9?" Just curious.

2. Dear sir that smells like Old Spice + cigarette smoke. Your scent is not pleasant at 8 p.m. after a cocktail let alone at 8 a.m. pre-coffee. Cologne or cigs. You make the choice, but one of 'ems got to go.

3. I really enjoy Pat & JT in the morning. And a lot of times they talk about stuff I want to call in about but I'd feel really dumb, so I don't. But that doesn't mean I don't answer the question to myself all the way down 480, 680 or whatever other way I decide to take into work. Today's question was which songs annoy you. My answer: Shout.

I

Freaking

Hate

That

Song.

You know it; the one that reunites every senior citizen at every wedding reception. You know: "you make me wanna SHOUT..."

It's more like, "you make me wanna poke my ears out with a cocktail stir."

It honestly makes me nauseous to think about.

So my question is this: what songs do you, oh fun readers, despise?

That darn Zappos.com

2009-09-14T19:16:00.004-05:00

They got me again!

A little history: I like to have fun with my gmail account. It's why the signature for that account from my blackberry reads: "I have big thumbs and this was sent from my handheld with itty bitty keys. Please forgive any typos."

Well, when I was on the Breast Cancer 3-Day a few weeks ago, I set my vacation notice (basically the out of office functionality for gmail) to read something like "Thanks for your e-mail. I am currently hitting the pavement in Denver, walking 60 miles in three days to put an end to breast cancer. I'll respond to your e-mail when I'm back." I then included contact information for Shannon in case someone was inquiring about Paint the Town Orange.

Fast forward to today when I just got our mail at home. Opened a birthday card for Trevor from Southwest. Cool. Behind it - an envelope from Zappos. I'm thinking it's a birthday card to me or a "thank you for a recent purchase" note. Nope. Not at all. It was so cool it made me tear up! (But I am lame like that sometimes.)

This is what the handwritten note read:

(Dated 8/28/09)

Hello Wendy!

While working through emails from our amazing customers, I came across your auto reply. Normally we mark them as auto replies, but yours caught my eye. I just wanted to let you know what an admirable thing you are doing! We at Zappos are proud to have you as a customer, and as part of our family.

Thank you for being a wonderful person.

Ashlee - customer relations rep at Zappos

(With a big 'ole "THANK YOU" on the top)

I mean seriously. I can't get over it. I have friends, family and colleagues that didn't even acknowledge my participation in the Breast Cancer 3-Day, and I get a card from Zappos.com.

Zappos - you SERIOUSLY rock. I am in marketing/customer service shock. And if any of you have heard my recent complaints about Master Tailor and Urban Active, you know I was starting to lose faith in customer service. I love that I can now gloat about a company that has gone above and beyond. I've made one purchase from Zappos.com. One. And this is what I get. Unfreaking believable. Now I don't have to feel guilty buying shoes, 'cause I'm gonna go hog wild at Zappos.com. (

Trevor's Turning 30

2009-09-13T17:37:00.005-05:00

Trevor is turning 30 in a few weeks, and since this was his last weekend home before the big day I orchestrated a surprise party. It was a homerun - literally! Trevor is a huge, huge MLB fan, so it was a baseball-themed party. He spent the day at the football game with our friend Sam, and around 7 p.m. finally walked into 30 of our closest friends and family members wishing him a happy birthday. His expression showed he was in fact surprised. Here are the details:

Event: Trevor's 30th Birthday

Hosted by: His manager, Wendy

Table scape: Big props to my mom for assisting with this one. Since I was busy cleaning and baking/decorating a cake, she really stepped up to the plate (baseball puns never get old). She found some darling "take me out to the ballgame" ribbon, and also incorporated mini wooden bats and stadium snacks - think cotton candy, peanuts, seeds and big league chew - throughout. She used pages from newspaper sports sections as the base of the main table, which featured an autographed Derek Jeter baseball as the centerpiece. (Trevor's birthday gift from my parents.) My folks also had a special plaque made to go over one of my brother's old baseball trophies which was the centerpiece of the bar. Lastly, we printed off and framed photos of Trevor in his various MLB jerseys from throughout the years, and topped everything off with Baby Ruth bars. Appropriate for the soiree, and tasty too.

Menu: Stadium food! In addition to the snacks, fans munched on hot dogs and turkey dogs; hamburgers, cheeseburgers and fries from Don & Millies (Trevor's favorite); nachos and popcorn. I made a jersey-style cake and decorated chocolate chip cookies to look like baseballs.

The invitations: The invitations were darling and made by Sabrina. I don't have an electronic versio right now, but will post it when I do. They looked like baseball cards, and a stick of gum was even included when they were mailed.

Photographic proof:

Alright Already

2009-09-03T21:19:00.010-05:00

I've caught some slack for not updating the blog recently from my friend/colleague/personal shopper/fellow blogger Pammycakes. Truth of the matter, I've been a little busy and Twitter is much more efficient. But, I guess some pretty cool shit has taken place the last few weeks, so here goes nothing.

I've honestly been trying to compose a post recapping my 2009 Denver Breast Cancer 3-Day journey, but have been struggling to find a way to appropriately retell some of the best three days of my life. And as I sit at my computer Doogie Howser-style, deleting and rewriting and deleting and rewriting, I realize that I can't. No words I write will accurately describe tambourine lady's moves or demonstrate the support shown by the family with the two little boys. Nothing can depict the feeling radiating through us Sunday afternoon when we walked through those two inflatables to a myriad of clapping people, or how necessary that stop at Pete’s ice cream parlor really was. And I can't even begin to tell you how sick I am of candy.

What I can tell you is this:

Go Nike on me and Just Do It. If you get the chance to walk in the Breast Cancer 3-Day, do. It will push you physically and emotionally. You’ll have to work to raise $2,300 and complete 60 miles, but once you do I promise you will be changed forever and for the better. And maybe it’s not the Breast Cancer 3-Day for you – maybe it’s a 5K or maybe it’s an Ironman triathlon. Whatever it is, if it’s something that pushes you as hard as anything has pushed you before, it will be life-changing.

Act like a bra and be supportive. Walking for eight hours straight three days in a row can wear on you. And one of the things that got us through was seeing friends and family at the public cheering stations. Kristi’s friends and family, Kelli’s family, April & Co., Steve and Mrs. Pickles…visiting all of them at the second cheering station on Day 2 made a world of difference. We had hit a low and that cheering station turned us around. And if you can’t be there in person, there are ways to show your support. Post-event pedicures. Voicemails and texts. All of that meant a great deal. So next time you know someone that can use your support, do something cheer them on. I guarantee it will be very, very appreciated.

"I'd like to thank the academy." I've always wanted to say that. But seriously. It's nearly an academy of people that helped me get to and through the Breast Cancer 3-Day. I couldn't have done it without the 40+ awesome people that donated to me or T. Fitch's help during the unforgettable garage sale. I couldn't have done it without training walk buddies - which includes but is not limited to the PALS, Shannon, Michelle (pre-break) and Meghan (you too of course Em - ours just got rained out). My rides to and from the airport. The Rubecks for watching Macy. I didn't do this in a silo. Thank all of you - and you know who you are - for making this happen. You contributed in one way or another to an event that raised $2 million for breast cancer research and community education programs. Pat yourselves on the back, ladies and gents.

Team Footloose rocked. Seriously. Kelli, Rachel, Kristi and Sarah – what can I say. You will forever have a special place in my heart. The five of us did something incredible together, and there’s this sort of bond you form over Gatorade, moleskin and miles of sidewalk. Thank you for participating and sharing in this adventure with me. And I have to give huge props to my buddy Sarah. At 30 years old, she is a breast cancer survivor. You've taken a journey more challenging than any of us could imagine and you are a hero.

And with that, I've got a five-pound Maltese scratching at my leg. I promise to blog about Meghan's awesome wedding festivities very soon. And if I don't, I'm sure Pammycakes will IM me about it :)

Put Me In Coach

2009-08-20T13:38:00.002-05:00

T Fitch loves MLB. I love Coach. That said, I think I just figured out another reason why we work so well.

Legend has it that many years ago, a Coach handbag designer was mesmerized by the aesthetic qualities of a baseball glove. Its supple leather and durable structure stood the test of time, and thereafter became the inspiration for Coach handbags. Coach has come a long way since then, taking a hint from one American pastime and employing it in another: fashion.

Zappos.com-er for LIFE!

2009-08-14T10:05:00.004-05:00

I had my first Zappos.com experience, and I'm in love.

It all started last Friday when I was shopping for latte-colored shoes for Meghan N. Scott's wedding. I found a pair at Von Maur - these Me Too Jeanettes. They were super comfy and cute, and I remembered Brooke endorsing them. I had looked at a lot of shoes and decided I just wanted to get these and be done with it. However, they didn't have my size and I was slightly gun shy about spending $90 on them. That evening, I decided to give Zappos.com a whirl. I found a 6.5 and just decided to purchase. Shipping was free and no sales tax - so it was almost a bargain.

This morning, I was showing fashion-extraordinaire Pamela the shoes. (She had just shown me some cute shoes she found for Julia to wear when she is a bride in a few weeks.) She mentioned how Me Too was a good brand and I said I hoped so since I spent $90 on them. That's when she said, "did you pay that for them?" and pointed to the price. They were 19% off - marked down to $72! "OMG," I shouted in excitement and I immediately picked up my phone and called Zappos.com's customer service department. The phone number was right on the main page, so it took me all of about two seconds to get to the customer service department. I was connected with Kiesha right away and in about two minutes and explained the situation. I learned Zappos.com will issue price adjustments if the purchase has been made within the last 10 days. She instantaneously credited my card (of course reminding me it might take up to two business days before this is reflected in my account) and then told me I'd be receiving a VIP e-mail. I apparently should bookmark this URL because I'll get free shipping or something - I don't even know I was just like "What?!? This all seems too good to be true."

Zappos.com had me on a high; my phone just rang and apparently my "This is Wendy" answer was more enthusiastic than normal. T. Fitch was on the other line and his response was "hi, chipper" or something like that. I had to tell him the entire story. And it's true - Zappos.com just made my day and I'll definitely use their site when ordering shoes in the future. Zappos.com and I sure got off on the right foot - pun entirely intended.

Guilty

2009-08-12T09:28:00.005-05:00

I sometimes feel guilty running errands or doing things solo when Macy could be a part of it. For example, I'll go out of my way to visit the bank or Walgreen's just so Macy can go for "a ride in the car." (Don't you wish your life was as simple that going for a ride in the car just made your day?)

I often feel bad she can't go running with me. But she just can't. Her two-inch long furry legs just can not keep up with my long and lean ones. (That's a joke if you didn't catch the sarcasm.) But alas - I've found a solution.

Insert this sturdy, lightweight, well-ventilated jogging stroller that holds up to a 45 pound dog. (That means Macy could being 39.9 pounds of toys along with her.) It's even got a Maltese model!

I e-mailed this to my family in case they were looking for birthday ideas for me. However, I have a sneaking suspicion I won't be receiving this considering one of the two criterion Trevor set forth before we got a dog was that I "not carry it around in one of those bags." (The other was that we pick up after every poop in the backyard. Come to think of it, I've broken both!) Anywho, I don't anticipate this being wrapped and tied with a bow come September 7. And I'm honestly okay with that. I actually admit I laughed at a lady with two Maltese in a stroller a few years ago at the Arthritis Foundation walk. I simply yearn for the day when I can jog with my dog!

Google Analytics

2009-08-11T10:08:00.004-05:00

I recently installed Google Analytics to monitor site activity for The Honeymoon is Over. Don't worry, I can't see who you are or what you are thinking when you read my posts. (Or can I...?) What I can see is how many people visit the site, how long they stay, etc. One of my favorite analyses is the ability to see how people stumble upon this blog via search engines. A few of the top keywords are (totally unedited here): "oh pat" lyrics kkg, i am so happy that i am a kappa kappa gamma and freshmen 15.

"Freshmen 15" cracks me UP! I guess I should write more about being a chunky Kappa and maybe my site visits will increase!

In other news, I just had a conversation with a colleague about modifiers and dangling prepositions. Man I love grammar! (When writing anything besides blog posts, that is. Here I have my own permission to write, write, write and break all the rules.)

Damn it feels good to be a debt-free gangsta.

2009-07-31T08:33:00.004-05:00

Well, not totally debt free, or really a gangsta for that matter, but I sure am feeling good!!

The credit card T Fitch and I used, ahem, kind of a lot when we first got married is paid off as of today! And man, does it feel GREAT! We only had a few thousand dollars on our credit card, which I know may sound like a lot to some people. However, we were way, way less than the average credit card debt per household - $8,329 at the end of 2008 (Source: Nilson Report, April 2009). And the few thousand dollars on our credit card - well I wouldn't change that for the world. Without it, we'd have never paid the bar tab on our honeymoon cruise, went to Florida for the Gustafson's wedding or on our December 2007 cruise. Totally worth it. But then the bastards at Discover raised our interest rate and we knew we had to do something. I admit I was late on a payment - it was due on Christmas day and that's back when I didn't know the luxury of automatic bill pay and was a slave to my checkbook for hours each month. The tipping point was when we paid $180 in interest one month! A few months ago we transferred our escalating Discover Card balance to a Citi card with a zero-percent rate for 12 months and paid it off in three months. Voila. And here we are today: feeling good.

In a sense, I'm glad we went through the ridiculous interest rate b.s. It was the eye-opening look into credit cards I needed. Unless you can pay them off in full, they are bad. It really made me understand how people can get buried and buried and buried in credit card debt. Recently I saw a couple on the news that was paying THOUSANDS of dollars each month in INTEREST. They just began to drown and couldn't get out.

In the end, I consider it to be a good learning experience, and I'm very, very glad to say we haven't used a credit card in at least one year. This experience has taught us to be better savers and planners. If we don't have the money saved, we don't do it. From what I am told, that philosophy appears it follows Dave Ramsey's advice. I need to read up on his suggestions, but I know two friends that have found it very useful - including Kerry. (In glancing at his Web site; however, I find it funny people are paying for materials to help them get out of debt. Almost seems counter-intuitive to me.)

All said, it's a happy day for the Fitch household and bank account. Maybe we'll go out to dinner to celebrate - using cash of course.

PS - Huge props to Citi. Without the Citi card, we'd be in a heck of a mess. In the meantime, our Discover card has been canceled.

Happy 60th Birthday Joyce

2009-07-28T21:53:00.004-05:00

My mother-in-law turned 60 in February and we had a party for her to celebrate. Here are a few photos of the table scape. A tasty dessert bar was set-up in the basement, though we unfortunately did not snap a pic of it. The bright decor is always fun to use, and I am a HUGE fan of my darling present-shaped candle holders! Is it inappropriate to use them as a centerpiece for my own birthday?

Born to Entertain

2009-07-27T21:25:00.000-05:00

I love to entertain and host get togethers. I think it was ingrained in me at age one-day. My mom's kind of an entertaining pro. (She's blushing and smirking as she reads this.) No, seriously, she's good, and it's turned into a passion of mine. If I could, I'd love to own an event planning company. (And bakery. And dog boutique. Man, I have a lot to get started on.) Anyway, I thought I'd do a better job of sharing photos from festivities I host. I try to throw shindigs as economically as possible (T Fitch may beg to differ), so you're not going to see celebrity-status soirees here, but entertaining Wendy-style nonetheless. In this post I've included the most recent fiesta I had a hand in. (I'll start taking better photos later.)

Event: A Couples' Shower for Meghan and Scott (Fiesta Theme)

Hosted by: The Fitches, the Rings and Kelly Slattery

Table scape: Red and aqua dominated the table scape. It's such a great color combination and also matched the invitations.

Menu: Spicy Corn Dip, Black Bean Salsa, Bean Dip, Rotell Dip, Chicken Quesadillas, Mini Shredded Chicken Tacos, Fresh Guacamole, Veggie Enchilada Spirals, Regular Margaritas and Wild Blue Margaritas

The invitations:

Photographic Proof:

In the next few days, I will post photos from past get togethers. In the meantime, party on party people.

Four Babies and a Wedding

2009-07-14T09:31:00.005-05:00

Lots of exciting news in my friends' lives lately! First, a dear friend of mine was married in Colorado over the weekend. April and I actually lived just a few doors down from each other on the ninth floor of Sandoz in Lincoln, and we were both advertising majors so we'd see each other around Andersen Hall. She then got a job at Barkley - the job I was applying for, but that's neither here nor there. Luckily, I joined the firm a few months later and we became good friends. We had a few fun NYC experiences together - such as my Lion King of a makeover from Sephora (never get a makeover from a man that just got back from the GLBT parade in Chicago...I'm just saying), literally going to the Lion King together, being on The Today Show together and meeting Michael Keaton. April has a beautiful voice and also sang in my wedding. I wasn't able to attend her nuptials, but I did get to meet up with the newlyweds and a group of their wedding guests at the Rockies game Saturday evening. It was so great to see them! The last time April and I saw each other was during a brief rendezvous at DFW airport - thanks to Rachel's clever Facebook skills. I love that April is a friend you can go a year without seeing, and you can have a great time the next time you reunite. April is a dear friend and wish her and Matt all the best. Congrats.

And you know what they say "first come loves, then comes marriage, then comes a baby in the baby carriage!" Well, four other friends have fairly recently found love, then tied the knot, and now are new parents! Four babies between July 9-13. That's a lot. A huge congrats to Bill and Katy on the arrival of Miles, Sabrina and Tom on the arrival of Alivia Miyoko, Melissa and Ashley on the arrival of Will and Mike and Denise on the arrival of Katherine Eileen. I am so happy for each of you and wish your families the best. Can't wait to meet all of your little ones. It looks like a trip to Baby Gap is in my future!

Brush, Floss and Smile

2009-07-10T13:21:00.004-05:00

One of my clients is the Nebraska Dental Association and today I witnessed their annual Mission of Mercy event. Wow. NMOM is a two-day event in which hundreds of dental professionals from across the state volunteer their time to provide free dental care to those in-need.

Did you catch that? Free.

I admit I take dental care for granted. I always went to the dentist twice a year (except when I had the tongue ring and I was trying to hide it from Dr. S.). I grew up around dentists and now have a lot of friends and family in the profession. I wanted to BE a dentist. (Still have the dentist Barbie Michelle gave me.) But there are a lot of people that simply can't afford a trip to the dentist or don't have access to good dental health. Take these two stories I heard today:

1. An elderly man who was told by his dentist he needed four crowns. They are about $600 each. He was saving up for them, until he learned about NMOM on the news this morning. (Yay for the PR team :).) He can now put that money to good use on something just as important.

2. A woman with four kids was nearly in tears she was so moved by NMOM. Her one year old had two open heart surgeries last year. Because of the medical bills, finances are tight and they had to cancel their dental insurance. Today she and her four kids were able to get a much-needed dental check-up.

I've never seen anything quite like NMOM. It transformed Papillion-LaVista South High School into a fully functioning dental office. Patients registered and then went for a medical and dental exam to determine the services they needed today. They then went to anesthesia, if necessary, and then it was off to their service - anything ranging from a simple cleaning to oral surgery. I wish everyone could have experienced if first-hand. Omaha media was all over this story. I'll post links to the most powerful clips as they are posted online.

In a related, yet totally unrelated note, dentist Barbie is going anywhere from $79.00 - $99.00 on Amazon and eBay. I'm glad I didn't toss her out 906's window after receiving my biology grade! (Michelle, Megan and Shannon - I know you are laughing right now.)

Chicago

2009-06-25T20:33:00.004-05:00

I love Chicago. It is no Omaha, but it is right up there. I think I'd move to Chicago in a heartbeat.

For some reason, I feel right at home in Chicago. I don't know why. It is not like it's anything like Omaha. But I got to thinking, while strolling down Michigan Avenue this evening, I've been to Chicago a lot. Like really a lot.

1. I think the first time I was in Chicago was when we met the Hartfelders here (I'm in Chicago now, so it is the proper adverb usage) soon after meeting them in Florida. Memories from that trip: meeting Jim Harbaugh (I was 10 so I didn't see the "hotness" my mom and Debbie were talking about; but in looking at photos of him now...HELLO JIM HARBAUGH!). I digress; other memories of that trip: playing games at Excalibur, Ed Debevics, the kick-ass funky outfit I wore and overhearing a woman making fun of it, on the flipside of that outfit - the outfit of pumps (as in Nike, not heels), tightrolled overalls with one strap down, a hypercolor shirt and dangly peace sign earrings. As if that outfit wasn't bad enough - Amy and I BOTH wore it. The SAME day. Double dose of 1991 coming straight at ya! Last memory (I can't believe I have such vivid memories of a trip that was nearly 20 years ago) - running into my sixth grade teacher - the teacher I had at that time - in the lobby of our hotel. (To make matters more ironic, she was from the same town in Michigan the Hartfelders were from. Detroit is one thing, but we're talking Swartz Creek - population 5,000. Such a small world.)

Alright, this post is getting long already. Gonna speed it up:

2. High school prom dress shopping circa 1998. Five girls and three moms went. It was a great time, and most importantly, we got great dresses. I vividly remember taking a limo from the airport to the hotel (we were SO cool) and Kristina Conrad rolling down the window saying "Pardon me, do you have any grey poupon?" FYI - Trevor. Just be prepared I will be taking our daughters prom dress shopping in Chicago.

3. That trip was a bad influence for Emilie and I, as we then went to Chicago twice, if not three times, during college just to shop. One time we tried to add culture to our trip and visited the Art Institute of Chicago. We lasted, oh, I don't know, 20 minutes, and then it was to Michigan Avenue! Two places we always had to hit: Filene's Basement and Cheesecake Factory. That's good for the Freshman 15!! We would stay at her aunt and uncle's gorgeous home in the 'burbs. I laugh thinking about it actually - Em, you know what story I am thinking of. "Can you guys just hold him down?" Priceless.

4. Trevor and I took a trip to Chicago in college. I gave it to him for his birthday. I was actually really cute (go me) in giving it to him. I took him to Windy Cities, a hot dog store in Lincoln where he worked - for hot dogs, not money mind you - and told him about our trip then. (If any of you know me well, you know I don't eat regular hot dogs so it really WAS a big deal!) Anywho, we had a great time in Chicago. But, my most vivid memory was my credit card getting declined by the hotel. So, I s'pose, thanks for taking ME to Chicago for YOUR birthday, Trev :).

5. Again in college - this time we drove! Ugh. A few of us advertising majors tagged along with the AdClub to tour J. Walter Thompson (RIP). And of course we then hit the city. I vividly remember Cari xxxxxxxx Ferguson getting pulled over while driving the 16 passenger van from Lincoln to Chicago. Fake IDs might have also been involved at some point. Not really sure. The school trip to Chicago is a bit fuzzy, ironically enough.

5. We made a pit stop in Chicago in May 2004 on our way to South Bend, Indiana, for my cousin's wedding. Trevor was in Arkansas and I was in KC at the time, so we, and my mom, dad and Kalin, all met at Midway and enjoyed Navy Pier before heading back to the airport to pick up "the grandmas" and head to Notre Dame country. I should also point out it was in South Bend, at Olivia and Todd's reception actually, where Trevor asked my dad's permission to propose to me. Sigh. My folks and extended fam spent a few days in Chicago after the wedding, and apparently had a hoot. Trevor and I had to head back to bring home the bacon.

6. In September 2006, I walked 60 miles in and around Chicago with Lizzie, Shannon and Michelle during the Breast Cancer 3-Day. So, that was obviously a memorable experience in the city. The day before the event started - when we had to fly to Chicago - was my birthday so Shannon and I did some damage on, where else, Michigan Avenue. That was a fun day.

7. Last May, Trevor and I vacationed in Chicago for a few days and stayed with his sister Alissa. We had a great time and we both attended our first Cubs game, which I loved. That was a fun trip because we had a real life, local host to take us around, guide us on the L, etc.

8. I've been to Chicago a lot for work. We used to have monthly Breast Cancer 3-Day meetings here, but they were typically day trips. (Love the 5 a.m. flights!) But when we'd come with Blue Bunny for the FMI show, we'd stay a few nights and make the most of it. I think I attended FMI in Chicago three times. And then there was last May, when all of Barkley PR went to Chicago for the Cause Marketing Forum. And after the CMF, Sun Dee (with AMC), Kelli (with Kohl's then), Lindsey, Rachel and I all reunited for an evening of fun and Sex and the City. 'Twas the premier and we all dressed up like the characters we were most like (thanks to a quiz). No, those photos will never be shared. Ever.

So, while I'm in Chicago again tonight, I now remember why I feel so comfortable strolling around Chi-town's downtown area. I have a lot of memories here in what I believe is one of the greatest cities in the world: The Wendy, err, Windy City.

PS: Southwest, feel free to let me know if I should expect my free voucher at my home or personal address.

The Risleys

2009-06-19T14:17:00.004-05:00

I've really enjoyed following my former boss' blog lately. His family has grown quite substantially over the past days - they have adopted two children from Colombia. This process began two years ago so it is simply amazing to see it all come to fruition.

I've been undecided on whether or not I would adopt children if we were unable to have our own. Of course we haven't yet been put in that situation. To me, if we were unable to have our own children I look at it as a sign we were meant to do something different with our lives. But seeing the joy these kids have brought to the Risleys and the Risley's devotion to these kids might just change my perspective.

These posts have given me chills, smiles and tears. It is such a heart-warming tale, and I invite you all to follow along here.

I will be so pissed if I get robbed on my way into work.

2009-06-16T20:03:00.005-05:00

A 21-year-old woman was robbed at gunpoint this morning in the parking garage I, and many of my dear readers, park in every day. I am still very frightened by this. The garage is not necessarily desolate and I have, for the most part, always felt safe...sometimes even leaving at 6/7 p.m. by myself.

Maybe the Easter bunny was onto something with the stun knuckles. But even if you don't have 945,000 volts to carry around with you, let this be a reminder to everyone to be aware of our surroundings. I know I am guilty of talking on the phone when walking alone somewhere. (Have you ever walked into a store talking on the phone and then walked out not remembering where you parked? I sure have.) There are a lot of unexplainable people out there, and sadly we need to be cautious of them.

In the end, the woman thankfully wasn't hurt and the loser only got away with $12 or $21 or something ridiculous like that. I will say this: if I was robbed at gunpoint, well, I hope the burglars like nonfat skinny lattes because the only thing of value they'll find in my wallet is a Starbucks gift card.

Not feeling like a million bucks

2009-06-10T16:23:00.004-05:00

I'd say I'm having one of those days. Back to back meetings. Deadlines. Told by a boss I need to "tone it down" when I'm talking on the phone. Cold sores. (Those pesky things seem to always be present when I'm having days like this.) But I can surely tell you I'd take all of those things over this:

Israeli woman loses $1M as daughter dumps mattress containing life savings

JERUSALEM (CNN) -- It was supposed to be a pleasant surprise, but turned into the shock of a lifetime.

A woman scours a garbage heap in Tel Aviv for her mother's missing mattress.

A woman in Tel Aviv, Israel, gave her elderly mother a new mattress as a surprise gift, throwing out the old tattered bed her mother had slept on for decades. The gesture ended up bankrupting Annat's mother, who had stuffed her savings of nearly $1 million inside her old bed for decades, Annat told Israel Army Radio.

A massive search is under way at the city dump, where security has been beefed up to keep out treasure-seekers who have heard Annat's story in Israeli media.

Annat, who did not want to reveal the rest of her name, told Israel Army Radio that she woke up early Sunday to get a good deal on a new mattress as a surprise for her mother.

She fell asleep that night, exhausted after lugging up the new mattress and hauling down the old one to be taken out with the trash.

When her mother realized the next day what her daughter had done, she told her that she had been using the mattress to stash away her life savings and had nearly $1 million padding the inside of the worn-out mattress.

Annat ran downstairs, but it was too late. The garbage truck had already taken away the money-stuffed mattress.

Annat alerted the two major dump sites in the Israeli city in an effort to locate the bed, but so far she has had no luck. Yitchak Burba, one of the dump site managers, told Army Radio that he and his men are working relentlessly to try to help Annat find the million-dollar mattress among the tons of garbage at the landfill.

The publicity has triggered a wave of people also trying to find the mattress and its contents for themselves. Burba has increased security around the dump to keep them out.

Annat told Army Radio that when her mother realized her queen-sized bank had been tossed, she told her to "'leave it.'"

"'The heart is crying but you know we could have been in a car accident or had a terminal disease,'" Annat said her mother told her.

Annat is also taking the situation in stride.

"It's a very, very sad story but I've been through worse," she told Army Radio. "It's a matter of proportions in life ... people need to know how to accept the good and the bad in life."

Don't be fooled by the thought that I got I'm still, I'm still Wendy from the blog

2009-06-03T13:45:00.005-05:00

If you have forgotten who I am, I understand. It's been two weeks since I have blogged, and that wasn't even a legitimate blog post. I do thank Sabrina and Pamela for the blog suggestions. Sooner or later they'll appear.

For now, I have two quick things to say while I finish my diet Coke. While there is still diet Coke in my can, well then, it is still my lunch hour.

1. I love mixing corn and pasta. Just had it for lunch and mmm mmm good. Kind of like taters mixed with corn on Thanksgiving, or really anytime you have corn and taters. Why limit it to one day? But then again, what isn't awesome when you add corn? Pop + corn. Good. Corn + dogs. Good. Corn + bread. Good. Corn + hole. Good. Corn + husker. Good. Corn + on the cob. Good. Corn + acopia. Weird Thanksgiving decoration.

2. I had the privilege of checking out the Omaha Habitat for Humanity's Building Blitz today. Wow. In one week, three homes will be constructed by Sullivan Homes, Hearthstone Homes, and the M Group. The fourth home on the block will be completed as part of Women Build, a program in which only women build the home. (Don't women build every home?) tee hee hee go chicks. Anyhoo, like I said - wow. I became intrigued by Habitat when I went to the Women's Build lunch a few weeks ago. I had NO idea the people that receive the homes actually work for them. They put in 350 hours of sweat equity on their own home. They take classes ranging from how to unclog a toilet (I've never taken it) to personal finance. And finally, they actually make payments on the home. The thing I liked about that is it shows they are committed to their home. They take responsibility. They are vested in it and will not take their gift of a home for granted. Pretty cool. One of the things that surprised me, saddened me, the most, was the house on the condemn list across the street from the Building Blitz.

This picture doesn't even truly do the house justice. It was awful. My Habitat contact told me there are 400 homes on the condemn list (I got nervous I wrote condem list for a second but then realized condom is really spelled that way, not condem. Wow. You know you need to wrap up a blog post when you work in the word condom) around Omaha. Imagine a family living in that. Imagine living across from that. It was just really eye-opening for me. Normally I'd drive by and tell Trevor to look at that "piece" but today it hit me. That is/was someone's home. And Pavlov says a home is non-negotiable. HELLO COLLEGE PSYCH CLASS! See mom - I paid attention in school!

I learned two things about myself today:
1. I really hope to get involved with Habitat for Humanity soon. Maybe then my pink Kiewit hardhat will get some use.
2. I hope my kids never get "condemn" in a spelling bee.

Ahh. That was a good diet Coke.

Are you there blogosphere? It's me, Wendy.

2009-05-18T10:34:00.002-05:00

But the truth is, I don't feel like I have anything to blog about. When the queen of random posts doesn't feel like she has anything to blog about, you know times are tough. Therefore, I'm open to suggestions...or even a guest blogger? Thoughts?

Pawfessor Fitch

2009-04-30T14:12:00.004-05:00

Trevor left his glasses in Omaha. But before we shipped them to Yucktucky, Macy thought she'd try them on. Doesn't she look so studious?

Quiet on the Set

2009-04-29T13:47:00.006-05:00

And Action.

If you know me, you probably know I kind of like celebrities. When traveling to NYC or Vegas or anywhere else star-worthy, it's my personal mission to spot celebs. I once drug my family across the Strip to hang out at MGM Grand solely because that is where the country music awards were taking place. I'm the girl that before a vacation to the Big Apple went through a year of past US Weekly issues and made a spreadsheet of celebs, the NYC joint they were spotted at and the date...and then we subsequently made reservations and ate lunch at Dos Caminos because Ashley and Jessica had recently been there. I'm not embarrassed by my obsession, though I did blush a bit when I thought I saw Samuel L. Jackson in Times Square and freaked out, only to realize I was standing outside Madame Tussauds. True story.

Well, who knew I'd see on of the biggest celebrities of all right here in Omaha. George Clooney is in town filming "Up in the Air" and a few of us mosied over there this afternoon. And even though we were 100 feet or so away from him, let me tell you this: he is still hot.

And that's a wrap!

Pranksters

2009-04-26T17:44:00.005-05:00

I like harmless pranks. Trevor likes harmless pranks. Our friends like harmless pranks. A few of my favorites:

1. When Josh was selling his BMW and had it parked at a corner convenience store with a for sale sign on it. Trevor and his friend Bill made a NEW sign that read "Bad Credit. Must Sell." with some outrageous price and Josh's phone number. Needless to say, there were a lot of interested parties calling Josh.

2. Trevor purchased and now owns a license plate frame that says "Cowboy Butts Drive Me Nuts," and he enjoys putting it on his friends' cars totally unbeknownst to them.

and now, number 3. Friday night Josh pulled a little harmless prank on Trevor (with Wendy on the assist). Please see below. Another great one for the record book. Trevor and I went to buy beer Saturday and I laughed the entire way to the store. Of course it was the one time he wasn't carded. We did make sure he knew about it before he left for Yucktucky Sunday - the last thing we needed was a cranky TSA agent banning him from the security checkpoint.

Guest Blogger: Macy Fitch

2009-04-24T13:21:00.004-05:00

What up everyone? Macy Fitch here. My mom's been kind of busy and has fallen off the blogging bandwagon, so she asked me to pawticipate in the bloggin' for her.

We picked up Trevor from the airport last night. Man, this is going to get old real fast. It's a haul from our house to Eppley. It's cool though. I just lay my head on my carseat (no neck muscles required that way) and take a catnap. Though this begs the question on whether or not dogs take catnaps.

I also had a birthday at the beginning of the month, which I see my mom neglected to blog about. Yup, I'm two. My mom is pretty rad though. She made treats for the pups and cupcakes for the humans to take to Bark Avenue that day. Everyone thought I was pretty cool. The owner of Bark Avenue asked my mom if I was turning one and my mom said "no - TWO!" and then I think she might have got teary eyed. She said I'm growing up too fast. I don't see why she's complaining. Next year when I am three, or 21 in human years, she says all the adults are going on a bark crawl in my honor. Anyway, I did get some pretty cool shit for my birthday, including this shirt my mom keeps saying "fits me extremely well."

What else to blog about? Well, she said I'm supposed to give a shout out to Emilie and Eric. He finally got around to pawping the question. So that's pretty cool. My mom said it's been fun to hear all about the wedding planning.

She also said I'd be remiss if I didn't also point out that Meghan N. Scott got engaged in December. Man, is she behind on blogging about monumental occassions or what? So she also tells me to say congrats to them. What I want to know is what the heck remiss means. I'm a dog, not an English major.

Another one of my mom's friends got engaged in March. She works with Julia and I've met her and her fiance Michael a few times. I've also played with Michael's fun kids once. They tried to chase me around their yard but I was super tired and kind of a lame-o that night. We'll have to do it again. Michael and Julia celebrated their engagement in Vegas, actually the same time my mom and Trevor and Josh and Shannon were there, but I guess they didn't meet up. My mom just keeps calling the entire trip a blur.

Stella Neal turned one [April 9]. Stella is the daughter of Annie and Sam. Stella likes pizza, and playing with her cat. That's at least how Jim Siedlecki wished Stella happy birthday. I know my mom and Trevor were thrilled they were able to celebrate with her. Stella's a pretty cool chick. I really like her because she thinks I am hilarious.

Well, I think I've done my mom's dirty work for her and shared all the updates. This was pretty fun - thanks for reading. Maybe I'll get my paws on mom's keyboard again soon.

WOOF!
Macy

Q: What do you get when you combine a brother that has been jumped with a now-overprotective father?

2009-04-17T11:30:00.005-05:00

A: Stun Knuckles in your Easter basket.