1.17

I joined a gym today, less than a month after our exercise classes stopped at work!  I really thought it would take me longer to get back on the wagon.  Woo hoo!

Friends (if any still read my blog): would you attend a monthly or quarterly friends dinner?  I'd like to host it most of the time (because I like having people over), but would also be open to making it a rotating thing.  Assigned pot luck so no one is breaking the bank.  We'd all cook a little more often than we currently do (my guess).  I need to learn how to cook more than my 3 fall backs!  :oP  Open to anyone we all feel comfortable having in our homes.  Your thoughts?  

Day 987

Holiday Hangover ... it happens every year!

Indy friends, let's plan a good night to go out for Devour Downtown.  Nothing makes me happier than food and friends. :)

Day 981

Yet again, I'm left baffled by God's plan for our lives.  Today, my Grandpa G (dad's dad) passed away unexpectedly from a heart attack.  He was a pretty healthy 73 year old guy and very happy.  Christmas was his favorite time of year, as he l-o-v-e-d to put on his Santa suit and make good use of the beard he's been growing since I was a toddler.  It was seriously a life calling for him.  Kids would "recognize" him out at dinner and he'd just wave and say hello...I sometimes felt like I was with a celebrity. :-P

I'm thankful that my Grandma was there with him (that he wasn't driving, alone, or outside) when it happened.  My mom had just called them (they live in Ohio) to talk to them about the snow just a few hours before.  He simply went outside to get their trash cans (strong winds blowing through), then came back inside to continue playing his games on the laptop.  When Grandma came back in the room, he was slumped over on top of the laptop.  She did CPR on him for 20 minutes.  Due to the snow, it took the paramedics about half an hour to get to them.  We believe he had already passed at that point since even the paddle shock didn't revive him.

Even though I'm sitting here typing this out, it doesn't seem real at all.  We just saw everyone on Sunday!  Grandpa and I took a funny picture because I won some money on a scratch off lottery card he gave me for Christmas.  He was in great spirits, healthy, and happy.  I honestly think I'm still in funeral mode / numb / tired from all of Grandma's (mom's mom) funeral events, since that was just earlier this month (seems like 3 months ago).  I just feel horrible for my Grandma.  She's always with him; they were always together.  She just retired too, so they're supposed to be taking it easy together and enjoying retirement!  I think the sweetest thing is this: after my Grandma Pat passed about a month ago, we talked about what they would want in the event of their passing.  Grandpa said that his big thing was to not put out any photos of him in his Santa suit so any children present wouldn't think that Santa died.  Considerate even in death.

If you would, please pray for my family.  This is almost a 180 from my Grandma Pat's passing.  Grandpa was healthy and didn't have a prolonged illness at all.  None of us were prepared for this, and no arrangements had been made.  It's going to be a rough few weeks for everyone, but especially Grandma, Dad, and my aunts.  Please keep them in your prayers.  Hopefully, my mom can work her magic as she always does to get arrangements made and keep everyone in high spirits.
I've already told my Grandpa (mom's dad - the one I see all the time) and will say to my Grandma (dad's mom - in Ohio) to not get any ideas.  We're on a roll of one a month and really don't need it to continue.

Last thought: he passed quickly and on the day after Christmas.  Could Santa ask for anything more?  I think not.

Day 980

Merry Christmas, friends!

Day 979

Wonderful Christmas Eve Children's Mass + dinner with the Betz's!

Day 939

I don't understand what women with hips did before skipping the pantyhose became socially acceptable.  Sitting makes you feel like a fat stuffed sausage.  It's not super fun.  I only wore them to dull the blinding light that radiates off of my pale legs.  Note: they were black.  I'm so anti-skin colored pantyhose since I'm not (literally) an 85 year old grandma.  Don't you ever wear pantyhose with open-toed shoes.  Don't do it!  (Why am I ranting about pantyhose?!)

I made a chocolate chip cookie pie tonight for work tomorrow.  You have no idea how hard it is to resist taking a bite!  That's the thing about pies, you can't cover up a taste test.

On a completely different note, have you heard this Maroon 5 song?  Every single time it comes up, I think of "Pretty Woman."

Day 938

I'm get-tin a smartphone, y'allllll!  I got it for 99 ceeeeeents.  I'm pretty sure I spent too much time at the AT&T store and have now somehow convinced half of my brain that I can pull of a semi-ghetto southern accent.  Don't worry, I know I can't.

Who's ready for Halloween?!  ---> THIS GIRL <---

I want/need more happy in my life.  The highlight of my day really, really shouldn't be a piece of plastic/metal/cell phone stuff.  

Day 832

Good things are happening. :)

Day 805

Despite the not so stellar turnout, today's Colts Tailgate Tour in Bloomington was fun.  The weather was beautiful, the people were nice, and I got to dine at Laughing Planet for dinner and Chocolate Moose for dessert.  Yum!

Day 710

I'm so grateful for the sunshine, the warm weather, the rather stressless day, and the higher sense of peace I have today compared with the craziness of last week.  Don't get me wrong, I'm still me.  I can still bust out a jam in the car and freak out (in a gooood way) over ... almost anything.  :)

Day 632

Merry Christmas friends, family, and blog readers!

Day 629

You know when you've been uber productive, you finally sit down, and just exhale with a big ol' "ahhh..."?  Well, that's what I just did.  However, my mind is also reeling with all of the things I need to do before tomorrow's shindig and before Christmas.  My brain and body need to agree so I can fall right to sleep when I get there. :oP

P.S. Totally diggin' Fitz and the Tantrums.  You too?

Day 618

I did some Christmas shopping today AND wrapped said gifts, hooray!  Now, I'm off to get ready for RaeAnn and McKay's holiday shindig featuring my first (of 3) white elephant exchanges of the season.

Day 613

I made a pie, and it was yummy.  The end. :)

Day 611

I made dinner, wahoo!  Honey Sauced Chicken with egg noodles and then some Corn & Potato Chowder for my lunch this week.

Day 609

I am jammin' to Mariah Carey's "Merry Christmas" album.  It totally gets me in the mood for Christmas. :)

Day 606

My house is decorated for Christmas - hooray!  Too bad I won't have time to have a party so people can actually see it.

Day 421

Apparently, I'm not busy enough.  I've got too much free space in the brain to think about things I don't need to think about.  So, I've decided it's high time to have another shindig.  I don't know when, and I don't know the theme (yet).  I'm open to suggestions, so leave a comment for me! :)

...Can you believe my last party was right before CHRISTMAS?!  That's just terrible...

Day 272

I made a scavenger hunt as part of Ryne's Christmas gift.  He had to follow about 20 clues all around his house, and it was fun to watch him figure it all out.  A few times I had to stop him from looking in the wrong place (because another clue was hiding in that spot).  I think he enjoyed it. :)

Day 270

Christmas in Ohio!