I flew in Friday night to stay with my mom for the weekend. She was in a nasty accident last week after a Holiday Inn Van made an illegal left turn out of a parking lot and almost hit her on her bicycle. She stopped suddenly to avoid hitting her and fell off. She broke seven ribs and punctured a lung. She was in the hospital for five days. So I decided to come up and be of some use (mostly by driving her around since the narcotics prevent her from doing so). She is in a lot of pain and VERY stressed out (as usual), but she will recover. There is some extra fun drama added in because the police did not cite the driver and reports seem to be mysteriously missing. Hopefully, that all gets resolved tomorrow.
I'm headed back to Colorado tomorrow. Bernie's been at home all weekend and had some fun without me. He went golfing and out to dinner with some friends today. Now he owes me some golf and dinner. School starts up in two weeks. I am getting anxious about that, well mostly just the teaching part. I'm sure once I get the hang of it I will be fine. What should they call me? Amanda? Mrs. Meier? Professor Meier? I don't know. A lot of them will be close to my age so I need some sort of respect. Mrs. Meier makes me feel like an elementary school teacher. I have permission to use professor, but I don't want to mislead people.
The little one seems to be doing well. We heard the heartbeat again last week and everything was progressing normally. We will find out the gender on Sept. 8th. I can't wait to shop for gender specific items! I've recently gone on a maternity clothes shopping spree, so it's someone else's turn. Also, we became an uncle and aunt again on Friday. Bernie's sister had a boy named Grant Bernard. He was a big boy at almost 9 lbs.
OK, it's time for bed. I need to get up early to drive my mom on some errands before I leave.
Sunday, August 10, 2008
Tuesday, July 15, 2008
Sunday, July 13, 2008
Summer in Colorado
It's nice here most of the year, but the summer is still a bit hot for my taste. I have always been somewhat of a whimp about the heat. I just try to go out in the mornings and evenings as much as possible. Now most of my flowers and tomatoes love the heat. I will have to post some photos since everything has gone crazy out there.
We've been back from our forays into seeing the families for almost a week. Overall, we had a good time. We went to three very different weddings. The most unique one was for our friends Bob and Melissa who got married on her parent's ranch in Stanford. The ceremony was in a pasture and we sat on hay bales. It was really beautiful (a little hot) with the views of the prairies and mountains. The reception was in a barn that had been cleaned and shined. It was great. They fed all almost 400 people and had a live band (not that great). One of the weddings in North Dakota also had 400 people and a Catholic mass-which is all a bit much for me. It was also 4th of July themed per the bride's desire. Again, a bit over the top for my taste, but she seemed pleased with all of it. The last one was for one of Bernie's high school friends. This one was significantly smaller and also lovely. However, as I am not supposed to drink, I have had enough raucous partying for awhile. I think Bernie has too!
I think everyone knows now, but for an official announcement...We are having a baby in January (the 24th to be exact). I was actually 12 weeks yesterday. We have known since 4 weeks but have been slow about letting the news leak because of the whole first trimester paranoia. But things seem to be going well. I actually had an ultrasound at 10 weeks and got to see the heartbeat and even the arms and legs move. At our appointment last week, we heard the heart beat. Very exciting stuff.
Now that the news is out of the way, I will continue with rambling about the trip. The most non-positive excitement we had was related to my dad. I don't remember if I ever posted about his sink. Well, the faucet has been broken since November and the water was running about a gallon a minute since then. He was very stubborn and would not let anyone fix it because "God broke the faucet and if I have enough faith, God will fix it." Yeah, he has pretty much gone off the deep end, which when coupled with his physical decline is not very much fun. Anyway, we got into Great Falls and stopped by his house first. He warned me it was bad, but I was unprepared. For the past month the faucet had basically been flooding the kitchen. The carpet was soaking squishy wet and it was dripping into the basement. It smelled horrible and there was mold growing. When I asked him what he was doing, he said "still waiting." So my family and I basically had to force him to get it fixed. At first he was very upset, but has since done an about face and said that he isn't going to fight with us anymore. He is bizarre.
I will be done with my summer class in about 10 days. Then the preparation for my final class and teaching begins. It should be fun to be big and pregnant in front of up to 150 undergraduates! Not so much looking forward to that.
We've been back from our forays into seeing the families for almost a week. Overall, we had a good time. We went to three very different weddings. The most unique one was for our friends Bob and Melissa who got married on her parent's ranch in Stanford. The ceremony was in a pasture and we sat on hay bales. It was really beautiful (a little hot) with the views of the prairies and mountains. The reception was in a barn that had been cleaned and shined. It was great. They fed all almost 400 people and had a live band (not that great). One of the weddings in North Dakota also had 400 people and a Catholic mass-which is all a bit much for me. It was also 4th of July themed per the bride's desire. Again, a bit over the top for my taste, but she seemed pleased with all of it. The last one was for one of Bernie's high school friends. This one was significantly smaller and also lovely. However, as I am not supposed to drink, I have had enough raucous partying for awhile. I think Bernie has too!
I think everyone knows now, but for an official announcement...We are having a baby in January (the 24th to be exact). I was actually 12 weeks yesterday. We have known since 4 weeks but have been slow about letting the news leak because of the whole first trimester paranoia. But things seem to be going well. I actually had an ultrasound at 10 weeks and got to see the heartbeat and even the arms and legs move. At our appointment last week, we heard the heart beat. Very exciting stuff.
Now that the news is out of the way, I will continue with rambling about the trip. The most non-positive excitement we had was related to my dad. I don't remember if I ever posted about his sink. Well, the faucet has been broken since November and the water was running about a gallon a minute since then. He was very stubborn and would not let anyone fix it because "God broke the faucet and if I have enough faith, God will fix it." Yeah, he has pretty much gone off the deep end, which when coupled with his physical decline is not very much fun. Anyway, we got into Great Falls and stopped by his house first. He warned me it was bad, but I was unprepared. For the past month the faucet had basically been flooding the kitchen. The carpet was soaking squishy wet and it was dripping into the basement. It smelled horrible and there was mold growing. When I asked him what he was doing, he said "still waiting." So my family and I basically had to force him to get it fixed. At first he was very upset, but has since done an about face and said that he isn't going to fight with us anymore. He is bizarre.
I will be done with my summer class in about 10 days. Then the preparation for my final class and teaching begins. It should be fun to be big and pregnant in front of up to 150 undergraduates! Not so much looking forward to that.
Tuesday, June 24, 2008
Trip Preparations
We are getting on the road tomorrow for the rest of our summer vacation. We are driving to Great Falls, staying for six days and then going to North Dakota for six more. It's a long haul. In the process of the trip we have three weddings to go to. I'm saving the gift shopping for when we get to Great Falls where we don't have to deal with sales tax.
We just got back from Vegas on Friday. The Elton John concert was amazing (at least for my mom and I). Other than that it was hot-105 every day. This caused me to be very tired. And they wanted $10 for a margarita by the pool. I could make two pitchers of margaritas for that much. I'm glad I've finally had the Vegas experience, but I don't mind if we don't go back for awhile.
Oasis news! New single on September 29th and new album on October 6th. Happy Birthday to me! Concert announcements should not be far off.
I have half of my summer class behind me. It's a Community Health class called Stress Management. The teacher is a very popular lecturer and writer on the subject. Our first three days consisted of drawing pictures for art therapy, numerous methods of meditation, and journaling. Next time we are going to do some yoga and tai chi. Life is tough. He is making us write a 10 page paper, so it's not all fun and games.
What else...we are going to order a new car very soon. We have decided on a Prius. It may not be the most attractive car around, but it's hard to argue with 44-50 mpg.
We just got back from Vegas on Friday. The Elton John concert was amazing (at least for my mom and I). Other than that it was hot-105 every day. This caused me to be very tired. And they wanted $10 for a margarita by the pool. I could make two pitchers of margaritas for that much. I'm glad I've finally had the Vegas experience, but I don't mind if we don't go back for awhile.
Oasis news! New single on September 29th and new album on October 6th. Happy Birthday to me! Concert announcements should not be far off.
I have half of my summer class behind me. It's a Community Health class called Stress Management. The teacher is a very popular lecturer and writer on the subject. Our first three days consisted of drawing pictures for art therapy, numerous methods of meditation, and journaling. Next time we are going to do some yoga and tai chi. Life is tough. He is making us write a 10 page paper, so it's not all fun and games.
What else...we are going to order a new car very soon. We have decided on a Prius. It may not be the most attractive car around, but it's hard to argue with 44-50 mpg.
Monday, June 2, 2008
Disgusting, horrible moment
I was eating a nectarine just now. It was really really good, perfectly ripe. I was toward the end and almost threw up all over the table. There was a live grub-like worm crawling around. I don't know if I will be ever be able to eat another one again. I told Bernie and he had zero sympathy. Then I called my mom, who did give me sympathy, but also reminded me that worms were how cavemen got their protein. VOMIT.
Thursday, May 22, 2008
My flowers are planted!
I finally got them into the ground last weekend. I have four hanging pots, five ground pots, and a whole bed filled with flowers. As well as two tomato and two pepper plants. It's my first foray into vegetable growing, but one tomato plant already has a small green thing starting. Some of the flowers look a bit sparse, but with some fertilizer, they will fill out. I'll post some photos below:
We had a good time with the family we had in town. Emily and I especially had fun together. She managed to help me plant flowers and make brownies. We made it up to Rocky Mountain National Park and did a brewery crawl in Ft. Collins. There is no shortage of breweries in this part of the world. Marlena ended up coming down for a surprise visit (mostly to see her boyfriend) last week also. She stayed here for one night and helped me flower shop. It was nice to spend some time with her. Things remain drama ridden in her life. I don't know if it will ever change.
Today was an exciting weather day. There were tornadoes that touched down in the area. The caused some pretty significant damage. Bernie is still at work dealing with that, even though he should have gotten off over an hour ago.
We had a good time with the family we had in town. Emily and I especially had fun together. She managed to help me plant flowers and make brownies. We made it up to Rocky Mountain National Park and did a brewery crawl in Ft. Collins. There is no shortage of breweries in this part of the world. Marlena ended up coming down for a surprise visit (mostly to see her boyfriend) last week also. She stayed here for one night and helped me flower shop. It was nice to spend some time with her. Things remain drama ridden in her life. I don't know if it will ever change.
Today was an exciting weather day. There were tornadoes that touched down in the area. The caused some pretty significant damage. Bernie is still at work dealing with that, even though he should have gotten off over an hour ago.
Thursday, May 8, 2008
Please...let it be time to plant my flowers.
I can hardly wait to plant flowers this year (which is not so different from the past couple of years). I should be thankful that I get to plant them two weeks earlier here, but my patience is wearing thin. Next Wednesday will be the day. I have mostly stuck with easy sun-loving varieties like petunias and geraniums. Last year, my mom and I managed to drown a couple of pots of dahlias. I'll be trying them again, along with some more temperamental impatients, zinnias, and a couple of hydrangea bushes. I am so excited (insert domestic dork comment here). I also want some hybrid lilies that don't smell like shit.
Our Vegas plans are in order. We are leaving June 16th and coming back on the 20th. My mother will also be joining us. I am in preparation for a wild time. The next week we are headed to Great Falls and Bismarck for a week respectively. We also have a day of week-killing planned at our land near Helena. I actually don't think I told anyone about our land. It's 20 acres about 10 miles outside of Helena. It is in the mountains, part near a creek and the other part on a hill with a nice view. We bought it as an investment, but it may become a retirement destination. Pictures are below.
This is the view from the lowest part. On the left where all the trees are is a small stream...
Said stream...
And the view from the hill.
Exciting I know.
Bernie drove halfway to North Dakota this past week to pick up his fishing boat from his parents who had been keeping it for us since the move. He's most excited to get it out on one of lakes. After important household chores like replacing the landscaping trim and finishing out the garage of course.
My last night of class was yesterday, so I am officially finished with this semester. I was much stricter and smarter with time management this time around and as a result managed to get two 100%'s and two 99%'s in my four classes. I always say college is about learning what they want from you and giving it to them. I'm not much of a rebel in this category. I want the grades and I'm willing to work for them, even if it means working to please other people. A 4.0 should be very helpful if and when I want to get my PhD.
Bernie's sister and her family will be here Saturday for a few days. We plan on a brewery tour and Jeremie wants to go skiing. One of the resorts here plans to stay open until June, which is a crazy time to go skiing in my opinion. Jeremie works for Intel as an engineer and he has just finished his sixth or seventh year (not sure). After that amount of time, Intel insists that every employee take a paid six week sabbatical (what a terrible idea...OK, I'm just jealous). They plan on driving from Phoenix to here, then to Minnesota, North Dakota, Yellowstone, Oregon, and down the California coast. With a two year old and a wife who is 6 months pregnant. I'm not sure that the trip sounds like much of a vacation myself.
Our Vegas plans are in order. We are leaving June 16th and coming back on the 20th. My mother will also be joining us. I am in preparation for a wild time. The next week we are headed to Great Falls and Bismarck for a week respectively. We also have a day of week-killing planned at our land near Helena. I actually don't think I told anyone about our land. It's 20 acres about 10 miles outside of Helena. It is in the mountains, part near a creek and the other part on a hill with a nice view. We bought it as an investment, but it may become a retirement destination. Pictures are below.
This is the view from the lowest part. On the left where all the trees are is a small stream...
Said stream...
And the view from the hill.
Exciting I know.
Bernie drove halfway to North Dakota this past week to pick up his fishing boat from his parents who had been keeping it for us since the move. He's most excited to get it out on one of lakes. After important household chores like replacing the landscaping trim and finishing out the garage of course.
My last night of class was yesterday, so I am officially finished with this semester. I was much stricter and smarter with time management this time around and as a result managed to get two 100%'s and two 99%'s in my four classes. I always say college is about learning what they want from you and giving it to them. I'm not much of a rebel in this category. I want the grades and I'm willing to work for them, even if it means working to please other people. A 4.0 should be very helpful if and when I want to get my PhD.
Bernie's sister and her family will be here Saturday for a few days. We plan on a brewery tour and Jeremie wants to go skiing. One of the resorts here plans to stay open until June, which is a crazy time to go skiing in my opinion. Jeremie works for Intel as an engineer and he has just finished his sixth or seventh year (not sure). After that amount of time, Intel insists that every employee take a paid six week sabbatical (what a terrible idea...OK, I'm just jealous). They plan on driving from Phoenix to here, then to Minnesota, North Dakota, Yellowstone, Oregon, and down the California coast. With a two year old and a wife who is 6 months pregnant. I'm not sure that the trip sounds like much of a vacation myself.
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