Trevor's Turning 30

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

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

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!

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

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

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.

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

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

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.

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

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

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

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

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?

A: Stun Knuckles in your Easter basket.

It's not every day you feed a giraffe while wearing a business suit.

We fed giraffes Thursday and it was the coolest. I'm talking they ate sweet potatoes, new potatoes and carrots right from the palms of our hands with their long, black tongues. They are my new favorite animals (besides Macy of course).

Emilie, Shannon and I and a bunch of other cool ladies are on the silent auction committee for Zoofari, an awesome biannual fundraiser for the Omaha Henry Doorly Zoo. Zoofari is a big deal - in 2007, more than 1,000 people attended, raising more than $2 million. It draws some of the biggest names from Omaha, including that billionaire guy. Getting a close-up look at these fascinating animals made me realize how awesome the Omaha Zoo is and why what we are doing is so important. It's about raising money to bring captivating exhibits - polar bears, penguins, sea lions and more - to Omaha. Not only is the Zoo important to the local economy (in 2007 it's overall economic impact on Omaha was $86.3 million), it's also the state's largest classroom. Each year more than 85,000 students and teachers participate in the Zoo's school group program and educator training. We're lucky one of the country's top dog Zoos (animal pun intended) is right in our own backyard.

With that, a guilt trip and shameless plug: if you have something you'd like to donate to the silent auction, just let me know. We'll go ape shit for anything you can provide.

Lucky/Unlucky Weekend

I love day-drinking which is probably why I love Las Vegas. We did a lot of day-drinking last weekend in Sin City.

Day-drinking began upon check-in at NY NY with mimosas for the girls and red eyes for the fellas.
Fast forward to 9:33 a.m.
If this picture had a time stamp it would probably say 10:23 a.m. This is at the point when I tweeted "Damn, I love Vegas" because it was around this time when we exited the MGM Studio Cafe with our Bloody Mary's and red beers. Drinks to go = more reason to love Las Vegas.
It's probably 11:14 a.m. at this point. By now we've migrated from NY NY to MGM to Walgreens for Alka Seltzer Morning Relief and to Planet Hollywood for Wheel of Fortune slots which paid out the opposite of a fortune.
And this is post gambling-run at Paris - here we're on our way to a 4 p.m. lunch at Caesars.
And this, well this is just proof of what happens after a long day of drinking.
After our day-drinking stint, we retired to the room for a little three hour catnap (detoxing). We rallied and went downstairs around 10 p.m. It was a rough start - coffee and Baileys for the girls and RBVs for the boys. We wandered the NY NY floor for a while because it was so packed. We ended up venturing to Excalibur for some gambling and a great time with a cover band at Dick's Last Resort. Then it was off to Luxor for some more gambling (stupid popcorn slots!), more "CRAAAANNNDDYYY drinks" (Cranberry Vodkas) and RBVs and then we wandered to Mandalay Bay. That place is so gorgeous. At Mandalay Bay we played a Wizard of Oz slot (especially for Rachel) and the guy sitting at the Wizard slot machine next to us was from Omaha. RANDOM! After losing our asses even more we cabbed it back to NY NY, had breakfast and called it a day. At 7:35 a.m. That my friends, is what I call a rally.

I should also note that while we were out getting our asses kicked by drinks and dealers, my brother was getting his ass kicked in Kansas City. For those of you that don't know, he got jumped leaving the Brooksider Friday night (also his last day at Sprint). He and another friend left the Brooksider around 2 a.m. The buddy went one way to catch a cab, my brother the other way to his car. All of a sudden he looks over and sees his friend getting the shit kicked out of him. So much blood apparently that my brother thought his friend was dead. My bro ran over there and the 5-6 black guys (just stating the facts) started wailing on him. That's about all he knows. He was knocked out cold and woke up at St. Lukes the next day. He was given a CAT scan which appeared fine. Other than his eye swollen shut and a lot of cuts and bruises and soreness, he's recovering well. His friend has a broken nose and the same soreness/bruises/etc. I found out about this Saturday morning, which kind of put a damper on our last day in Vegas. So, to the assholes who did this to my brother - for not only beating up my brother for no reason whatsoever, but for also making our friends and family worried and uneasy AND for distracting me while I was on the vacation I was looking forward to for months, I say go fuck yourself. (Sorry mom but I think you would agree.)

Kalin's story aside we were able to chill by the pool and enjoy $11 Miami Vices and get a little sun. It was much needed.
And now we're back from Vegas and it totally sucks. Vacation went too fast, can't stop thinking about Kalin and it's 38 degrees. WTF? Oh, and just a little something else going on - Trevor's moving to Kentucky for a year. We're really calling it extended travel. He will come home every other weekend which is good. All in all, it's a good career move for him and things could always be worse. Plus, once I train Macy to take the trash out it won't be a big deal at all. Hardy har har. Like I said - things could ALWAYS be worse - but a little good news would be more than welcomed right about now.

Going Green

I just stumbled across this picture in my files, and given that it's still St. Patty's week, I needed to post it.


This is St. Patricks' Day circa 1988. Pictured in this photo (from L-R) are my mom, my arm (my mom's fro blocked my face), my grandpa Andy, my grandma Lorraine and Kalin. My dad must be the one taking the photo, which is really too bad; I'm almost positive this was the era of his molester moustache.

St. Patty's Day was a big tradition in this house. Notice and enjoy the "shamrocks" on each place setting and atop the toothpicks in the cabbage and corned beef. (Funny story about me: corned beef and cabbage used to be one of my favorite meals - second only to chicken fried steak. I enjoyed it so much in fact that when we were on a cruise in 1990 over St. Patty's Day, that's what I ordered for my lunch one day. I will tell you from firsthand experience corned beef and cabbage + rough seas do not mix.) Anywho, those lovely three-leafed clovers were made by moi. I also loved pouring the food coloring into the adults' beers and Kalin's and my water.

Not only does this picture bring back from terrific memories, I also made a few observations:

1. Mom - good call on your new 'do.
2. Mom - good call on ditching the country decor and moving on to Elan. Goo! I mean I know rust was probably in style and that wallpaper was the cream of the crop, but let's never go back there again, mmkay?
3. Mom - pinch. The sweatsuit, yup, that's right - sweatsuit - you are wearing is red, not green.
4. Mom - I don't think 3/4-length shirts were in at the time (but sweatsuits clearly were). So my question for you is why the heck my sleeve hits be at about my elbow?
5. Kalin - was that water glass so heavy your scrawny little four-year-old arms needed two hands to hold it? The funny thing is now your arms could bench press me, mom, grandpa Andy and grandma at once.

Breast Cancer 3-Day

I've been contemplating registering for a 2009 Breast Cancer 3-Day ever since I took my new job. I just knew I'd kind of miss it. But I was also struggling with whether or not to sign up: on one hand I have at least one person to walk Denver with (Kristi) and someone to train with in Omaha (Dianna). But, it is the weekend before Meghan's wedding AND I have to raise $2,300 to participate, something I'm worried about because of the fundraising I have to do for Zoofari, Paint the Town Orange and Wine 'Til Nine (Shannon and I are involved again this year). I'm worried I am going to tap out my fundraising sources. However, I totally and 100 percent believe in the power of numbers. I haven't been on Facebook since February 25, but I think I have around 300 friends. (I'm so cool.) If each friend donated $7.60, I'd reach my fundraising goal lickity split - and $7.60 doesn't seem like that large of an amount, does it? So please, if you can, donate $7.60 to my Breast Cancer 3-Day efforts. I'll of course accept more :). It's actually a very small price to pay if you think about what you are donating to: a world without breast cancer.

We're also open to new team members. Let me know if you are interested in walking 60 miles over the course of three days August 28-30.

Visit my Breast Cancer 3-Day page here.

Thanks in advance for your support,
Wendy

Dear Sprint

Thank you for laying off my brother, especially after making him move to Virginia for eight months. At least we're saving money on the deal because we'll be canceling our Sprint plan.

Sincerely yours,
Wendy

PS: As Emilie would say, suck it.

Unlucky Leprechaun

I don't understand how some people are so dumb as to try and steal $2.5 million in cars from their own dealership. It appears to me Mr. Patch should have kept his gig as the friendly face on Lucky Charms boxes. (Maybe it's a publicity stunt and he's just trying to get attention before St. Patty's Day.) Story and photo courtesy of Omaha.com.

Patch

81-vehicle theft looks like an inside job
BY MAUNETTE LOEKS
WORLD-HERALD NEWS SERVICE

SCOTTSBLUFF, Neb. — Three Scottsbluff auto dealership executives are expected to be under arrest by this morning after they packed up their belongings, loaded 81 new vehicles onto trucks and left town.

Scottsbluff police, with help from federal authorities, tracked the trio across the southwestern United States on Wednesday as many of the vehicles were sold at auctions.

Felony theft charges were filed in Scotts Bluff County Court on Wednesday against Legacy Auto Sales owner Allen Patch and two of his senior managers: comptroller Rachel Fait, 37, and general manager Rick Covello, 53.

Detectives located Patch, 52, at his attorney's office in Tooele County, Utah, and were waiting to arrest him. Scottsbluff Police Capt. Kevin Spencer said he had not been arrested as of 8:30 p.m. CDT.

Fait was arrested in Tooele County earlier Wednesday. Covello is expected to turn himself in to Scottsbluff authorities today.

According to police, 81 new Ford and Toyota vehicles were loaded onto auto transport trailers from the dealership over the weekend and Monday evening. Scotts Bluff Deputy County Attorney John Childress said the vehicles, among them sedans to pickups, are valued at more than $2.5 million.

According to court documents, plans to title and sell the vehicles at auto auctions were in the works for weeks.

A Utah company, Rausch Transports, told police that Fait contacted them last week, saying she needed cars taken to auctions in Las Vegas and Salt Lake City.

According to police, dealership employees converted manufacturer documents to ownership titles at the Scotts Bluff County Clerk's Office on Feb. 26 and 27 and then Thursday, Friday and Monday.

It is not unusual for a car dealership to obtain vehicle titles, Spencer said, but in this case, "the cars weren't theirs to sell because they were owned by a Toyota financing company."

A dealership sales manager not involved in the case said that with the titles, a dealer can sell vehicles for cash at an auto auction.

The thefts appear to have been motivated by Patch's financial difficulties, according to Spencer. Platte Valley Bank had been overseeing the dealership's daily operations for about three months.

According to an arrest affidavit, two employees told police that Fait was suspected of embezzling money from the company. One said Fait had taken more than $46,000 from the business and kept a large backpack filled with cash.

Authorities had tracked down at least 36 vehicles, including 16 sold at a Salt Lake City auction and seven recovered from a Salt Lake City dealership. Vehicles were also found in Las Vegas, but that number was not available. Police found seven vehicles parked at the Western Nebraska Regional Airport in Scottsbluff.

Rob Brasher, owner of Brashers Salt Lake Auto Auction in Utah, confirmed that some of the stolen vehicles had been sold at his business. He declined to comment further, saying he needed to talk to a lawyer because he was trying to work out issues with Toyota.

Doug Bergener, a manager at Bargain Buggys in Tooele, Utah, a suburb of Salt Lake City, said he and his partner have known Patch and Fait for nearly 20 years.

Bergener said he heard recently that Patch and Fait were shutting down the Scottsbluff dealership, and he offered to buy 10 used vehicles.

The vehicles arrived at the Manheim Utah Auto Auction in Woods Cross, Utah, aboard an auto transport truck Monday morning.

But they weren't used cars. They were 2009 Toyotas. Corollas. Matrixes. Yarises. Tacomas.

"All new — brand new," Bergener said.

Following standard procedure, Bergener financed the vehicles through the auto auction and had 90 days to sell them on his lot before they went back to the auction.

By Tuesday, Bergener had sales pending on four of the vehicles. Then he got a call telling him not to sell them because the vehicles were stolen.

Bergener said Patch told him that he paid for the vehicles and had titles for them.

"I don't think anyone can prove anything's illegal at this point," Bergener said. "We've know Allen for 15 years and never knew him to do anything underhanded. There's been no reason not to trust him. He's always been honest. It'll all come out in the wash."

Police said they were confident they would be able to track down most of the vehicles. Spencer said transport companies must register with ports of authority when entering states and are required to carry a bill of lading, a document issued by the carrier acknowledging that the goods have been received.

According to the arrest affidavit, Joseph Carlson, a representative of Toyota Financial Services based in Overland Park, Kan., told police that Toyota owned all the cars, having lent the dealership "millions of dollars in operating expenses." Carlson told police there was no reason to convert car documents to ownership titles except to "convert them (the vehicles) to cash."

Childress, the deputy county attorney, said the transportation company based in Utah appears to have been another victim and was not knowingly involved. He said the company had been paid with a fraudulent cashier's check. An arrest affidavit said the company had been paid $18,000 and had been cooperating in locating the vehicles.

Miranda Cervantes, an employee at Legacy Auto Sales, said employees arrived Tuesday morning and found most of the cars missing from the lot. The desks used by Patch, Fait and Covello had been emptied, and their computers had been taken.

Police found similar circumstances at the trio's homes. Spencer said police went to the home of Fait and a home shared by Patch and Covello. It appeared that most of their belongings had been removed, Spencer said, and both homes were posted for sale.

Toyota representatives were at the dealership Wednesday, conducting an inventory of vehicles. An official from the Nebraska Motor Vehicle Licensing Industry Board, which regulates vehicle registrations and personnel, arrived late Wednesday morning.

The business remained open and was being overseen by Platte Valley Bank.

Young Professionals

What IS a young professional? Does that make college students wanna be young professionals? When do I become a middle-aged professional? Does Omaha have middle-aged professional organizations? We shouldn't overlook the middle-aged professionals. At what age am I an old professional? Will Kohl's combine their senior citizen discount with a happy hour for old professionals? "Excuse me old professional, here's your Metamucil on the rocks. How was work today? Your teeth didn't fall out during your presentation? I'm glad to hear that. And yes, that mumu is 30 percent off."

Zak's Going Home!

Yippee! Zak is going home and believe it or not, we have American Airlines to thank! Very cool of you to step up to the plate, AA. Sorry for talking smack about you all the time. Now if your flights would start being punctual and you'd stop charging for checked luggage, you might be my favorite airline.

In all seriousness, thanks and job well done American Airlines.

Read about AA's donation here.

Spare a nickel?

Last night I teared up after reading this story on Omaha.com and then seeing it on the news. The deceased truck driver's son was talking about how Zak was his dad's riding companion since he was a pup. The family is trying to get Zak back to California as he's the biggest memory they have. Tear in and of itself. But then I think about it from Zak's perspective - his owner is gone. The man he drove around the country with is no more. Although in great hands at the Nebraska Humane Society, he's got to be awfully lonely... and no doubt missing the Californ-i-a temps. So spare some change and let's get Zak back. I like to think about the power of numbers. If 300,000 Omahans donated $.05 each, we'd raise $15,000. And that's pretty rebarkable.

It's times like these when a camera phone comes in extremely handy

Fact:

Celine Dion was mesmerizing and her concert was one of the best I've been to.

The Omaha World-Herald approves, too.

Whoops

Turns out T Fitch reads the Mrs.'s blog, and isn't so thrilled about the $160 sweater.

Busted.

And this would be why it kills me to buy things full price

Disclaimer: I'm throwing out prices in this post - not to be all "I spent $XYZ on this" but rather to paint a picture of how I got owned by Von Maur.

I bought a Free People (I love that brand) sweater from VM before Jackson Hole. I was desperate for clothes to take and something to wear with my new Uggs (of which you'll hear more about). So, I bought it at full price - something ridiculous like $160. Totally unlike me but it was either wear old, balled-up sweaters or invest in something new. I chose the latter.

Going back to those Uggs - T Fitch got me some for Christmas. I exchanged 'em for a different style (kind of an unnecessary element to the story). Bottom line: Uggs = full price.

Fast forward to last night when I'm killing time at Von Maur before a KKG Advisory Board meeting. I'm perusing the sale rack in Expressions - my favorite department at Von Maur and home to the Free People section. What do I see on the rounder? (Thank you Gap job for the proper store fixture terminology.) The freaking sweater I bought for $160 or something ridiculous like that. Now - I'm going to give you a few seconds to sit before I tell you the sale price.........................................


..................................................................


................................................................................


................................................................................................... $32.

If my College Algebra skills are any good, that's 80 percent off the original price. Slightly pissed, I walk to the shoe sale room and what do I spot on the shelf? My freaking Uggs, slashed from $180 to $155. Not a ginormous difference, but on sale nonetheless.

And that, my friends, is why I have a very hard time buying anything at full price.

In other VM news, our friend who works in Von Maur's men's department and was standing right next to one of the 12/5/07 victims as he got shot (I think it was Gary Scharf - the man shot on second floor), spoke pretty openly about the incident to us Friday night. More importantly, she spoke about the amazing support the Von Maur family offered the victims' families and the store employees. Two things that stuck out in my mind: the Von Maur family paid for all eight of the victims' funerals and attended all eight of the funerals. How incredible is that? The stories she shared about how awesome Von Maur was and continues to be make me a shopper for life. (Even if they put clothes on sale after I pay full price.) A few other things I found totally moving were the stories of some of the brands Von Maur carries. From buying merchandise back to a personal phone call from Ralph Lauren to a personal check to the victims fund from Steve Madden, it once again shows that this was a tragedy affecting more than Omaha and makes me want to tell Mark Boal from Rolling Stone to go to hell yet again.

An Oblogatory Post

In keeping with my at-least-a-post-a-week pact, I must write something. But I don’t have anything in particular to blog about so it’s gonna be random. Here goes.

1. My backspace key on my computer is sticking and it is driving me nuts. NUTS I tell ya.

2. My work bag has turned into my nonprofit bag. It’s chockfull of YWCA, Zoofari and Kappa stuff. And if the Coach tote I absolultey love breaks because of volunteering, well, then, that's where I draw the line.

3. Grease is the word. But I really only think there is one Danny Zuko and Sandra Dee – and that would be Johnny T and Olivia Newton John.

4. I’m super stoked about the YWCA event Shannon and I chairing. Don’t know when it will be so just go ahead and block out November.

5. TFGIFF! That is the R-rated version of TGIF. You know - when you REALLY mean TGIF.

6. This morning at the Omaha Home Show, housed at the Qwest Center, I saw what appeared to be a homeless man. "Hm, I wonder, how he got in if he's homeless?" I asked myself. "He must not be homeless. He must just be dirty and smelly and raggedy and pushing a walker that just looks like a cart a homeless person pushes." That was around 11 a.m. Around 2 p.m., when I'm driving back from a lunch at Noodle Zoo (the one where I got really jazzed about the YWCA event Shannon and I are chairing) who do I see crossing the street at 42nd and Dodge? The dirty and smelly and raggedy man from the Home Show, pushing his cart. I shit you not - crossing Dodge Street right in front of me to get to the Family Dollar. Clearly homeless, clearly at the Home Show to get free shit. Don't know how he got in (they take tickets you know). But what I can tell you is that dude can hoof it!

Pretty in Pink

I love me some pink: pink camera, pink cell phone, pink Clarisonic. But the pink blog was getting a little too much. It looked like I was the corporate blog for Pepto Bismol. I was pinking it was time for a change.

Howdy

I follow a handful of blogs and I find it lame when they are not frequently updated. Static for more than a month is way too long. (But I can't complain too much - Sweetie P's blog is a culprit.)

When I'm trying to ease into the day with a cup of coffee and a quick perusing of Omaha.com and my bookmarked blogs, I'm annoyed when there isn't any new content. But I have to practice what I preach. So, I'm going to try to post at least once a week in an effort to keep this blog semi-fresh and readers coming back for more. Even if it's a quick hello.

So, that's essentially what this post is. It's a hello. Which is why it's pretty boring. But at least you're getting some action. (That's what she said.)

Oh Happy Day

You can now actually set up folders in gmail. It's amazing! I think I've died and went to an organized inbox heaven.

Potty mouth

There's been a lot of buzz about this Michael-Phelps-smoking-the-weed-out-of-a-bong image. There's a lot of "he's human" and "under so much pressure" talk out there. I don't care. Did he not go through D.A.R.E.? We're all human and under so much pressure, yet the last time I smoked the pot was, I don't know, NEVER. I'm not trying to be some goody goody and high and mighty, but need I remind the American public weed is illegal? I'm pretty sure if little unknown me can get away without ever having smoked pot, a super-athlete, Olympic legend, millionaire can as well.

And if that is a diamond-clad Omega watch on his wrist in that picture - aka one of his sponsors - we'll that is just extremely poor judgement. Isn't that like drinking in your letters?

Exit high horse.