The year in review

2008 has been a whirlwind year. I know pretty much everyone will agree with me on this, as a child we think that the years tick by so slowly, then as we get older they tend to travel in a pretty normal time. Now that we are adults all we can think is , wow where did the time go? It seems like just yesterday we were still trying to remember to date our check with 2008. In just 2 short days we will be in the year 2009.

What has the past year brought to my small family? Well in March or April I found out I was going to be an aunt. Also in March Jake and I celebrated our 12 year anniversary.

In May I started bloging, played in my first roller derby bout, and hit a deer.

In June the inaugural season for the Stateline Divas concluded.

In July we found out one of our teammates was heading to Denver and wished her well, only to be left with a feeling of betrayal a few months later when she joined a rival league to spend her last few months in Illinios with. We understood her reasons for doing so, it just didn't make the hurt any easier to deal with.

In August Jake and I traveld to Iowa. The first real motorcycle trip we have taken since moving up here in 2002. We went with my aunt and uncle their friends and our neighbors. We had a great time away from home on the road and look forward to more trips in the future.

In August My roller derby team also started the process of reinventing ourselves with new skaters and a new board of directors.

In October my constant search for a new job was given a boost of urgency with the announcement that my company was going to be relocating to Florida.

November and December came and brought with them falling gas prices, a historical presidential election, a new niece named Lyndi, well as another Illinois govenor arrested on corruption charges. Another revelation brought to me in December was the fact that in just 5 short months I will mark the 15 year anniversary of my high school graduation.

Well that is all that I can honestly remember about 2008, though I am sure there were more events that will come to me later.

Who says the parking lot is full?

Jake and I went out to eat today. We drove around the parking lot looking for an open space, there was one couple pulling out so we waited. After they had left Jake noticed that they had been taking up two parking spaces. Now I really couldn't fault them as one of the spaces was half filled with the snow the plows had piled up, Jake on the other hand declared "That is what 4-wheel drive is for." and pulled in, climbing the small hill. "There, now if anyone else decides to eat here, they can have front door parking as well."No one parked beside us. I think they were worried we would slide into them from the side, but if you look we are parked inside the lines.

Cabin Fever

I feel as if I have been stuck in the house for too long. Oh, sure I have gone to work and to the store, but I haven't seen any of my friends in over a week, and we haven't had practice since either the 12th or 15th, it has been so long, I can't even remember. I am feeling trapped. The good news is though that my kitchen counter is no longer a catch all, at least for the next few weeks. Now I have to work on the living room.

On another note, I have slowly been upgrading my wardrobe (if you can call a closet full of t-shirts a wardrobe). I decided that if I am applying to all of these office type positions I had better start dressing the part. I really hate clothes shopping. I can never find what I like in a cut that looks good on me. The hardest part about starting to dress grown up is I am going to have to learn how to do my hair, and make up. I haven't worn make up in so long, the only make up I have really ever worn was eye liner and mascara.

Anyone want to teach a tomboy how to apply make up?

Luck, Smuck!

I swear, if it weren't for bad luck I'd have no luck at all. Sunday morning, very early Sunday morning I was driving home from staking with a few friends. We were having some really heavy winds and of course a snow storm. I was doing fine, driving down a road that only had one lane open, huge snow drifts the size of my car were in the other lane. I wasn't going fast, but I kept enough speed so my little Accent would not get stuck halfway through one of the drifts. I was just topping a rise when I saw ahead of me a car in the ditch and a squad car on the road with it's lights on. I took my foot off the accelerator, didn't even touch the break. Apparently the loss of momentum was all the evil snow drifts were waiting for. The next drift I hit I bounced off of instead of plowing through. I ended up in the ditch as well, only looking the way I had just came.

It wasn't as bad as it sounds. I was only a foot or so off the road, I got out of the car and cleared a path for my front tires and was able to drive back out onto the road. I got out of the car and took stock. I had what appeared to be a softball sized dent in the front driver's side quarter panel, low, between the wheel well and the door. No biggie, but the door is a bit hard to open. When I get home and look at the damage in the day light it still doesn't look to bad, but every time I open the door it catches on the fender. After opening the door for 3 days it is really bad. I can now only open my door half way and the dent has gotten much worse. Now I have to call the insurance company. I really hate calling the insurance company, that just means I am going to have another bill and be without my car.

An Interview.

Jane posted this earlier this week and I haven't posted in a while so I thought I'd give it a go.


1.) If you were set for life with money and never had to work for a living again in order to keep the lifestyle you currently have, what would you do? Would you work, and where? If not, what would you do with your free time?
Yes, I would work. Depending on where we ended up living I would work part time in a book store. A mom and pop type of book store where I could put in 20 hours a week and still know when the newest releases came out.


2.) On the motorcycle, for you, personally - helmet or no helmet and why? For everyone else, legislated by the state, helmet law or no helmet law and why?
Personally, Helmet. A couple of reasons. First I bounced my head off the street a few years ago when an idiot with no tail lights stopped right in front of me and the entire driving lane I was in was covered in oil. Secondly, I hate trying to comb my hair out of all the tangles. No matter how well I think I have pulled it back, it still gets all tangled up. I think it should be a personal choice for people over the age of 18 and their families. Just because you are wearing a helmet doesn't mean it's going to save you when the time comes. Maybe your destiny is to be an example for someone else.

3.) Have you ever been in love with a car? If so, what was your first car-love, and did you ever own it?
I don't think you could call it love, but I really like the VW Beatles, especially the convertibles. I haven't ever owned one though. If I never get one, it won't be a big deal either. Now Motorcycles is another story. I Love the Heritage Softail Classic, with the big windshield, three head lights and all that leather. Dream bike that I one day hope to have.

4.) What is the largest city you would feel comfortable living in? What is the smallest town/most rural area you'd feel comfortable living in?
The largest would be something the size of Rockford, and that is even too big really. I don't mind visiting and being close enough that I can run to town, but I am not a big crowd person. Smallest...see that farm house out there as you are driving through the country? The one whose closest neighbour is a half mile away? now see that the nearest town is 10 to 15 miles away. That's what I want. Lots of room to move, no one peeping in my window.

5.) Do you have tattoos? What and where? Do you ever plan on getting one/more?
Nope, no tattoos. I have thought about getting one for many years, something with a dragon in it, but I have never gotten around to getting one, probably won't happen any time soon if ever. If I did get one it would be on my right leg, above my ankle, though.


Bored and looking for ways to pass your day? Care to play along?
1. Leave me a comment saying, "Interview me."
2. I will respond by emailing you five questions. I get to pick the questions.
3. You will update your blog with the answers to the questions.
4. You will include this explanation and an offer to interview someone else in the same post.
5. When others comment asking to be interviewed, you will ask them five questions.

Let it snow, let it snow

I am not going to say I hate the snow. I actually love how pretty it is, especially when it hasn't been disturbed yet. I don't mind driving in it as long as there isn't much traffic and the drifts are minimal. With that being said it has been snowing since about 2-2:30 and it is now ten till midnight. The projected accumulation is 3 to 5 inches. Of course it will have stopped by the time I have to go to work tomorrow and the roads, major roads that is, will be passably clear. Just in time for another round of freezing rain and snow again on Thursday. The only problem I am currently having with our weather is that it chooses practice days to dump on us.

Well, stay warm and dry everyone.

And mom, I still like four seasons up here better than the two down there. Love you.

Too much to do, too little time.

Isn't that always the case? First off it didn't help that I spent over an hour and a half at Wal-Mart waiting for a prescription refill, that I was told would only take a half hour. I will say I was able to get all of my Christmas cards addressed, and about half of them stamped before I ran out of postage. I also got one package packed, addressed and sealed All that's left is to take it to the post office on Monday.

Yesterday we had 3 parties we were invited to attend, and of course all of them started at the same time and were in 3 different towns. So we opted to go to the party we had already paid for. Jake's shift party is always fun. We had a great dinner and got to watch lots of drunken karaoke before someone walked into the stand holding the monitor causing the small (thank goodness) T.V. to fall to the ground. Luckily the D.J. wasn't too upset and continued to play dance music the rest of the night.

To day is another day of laundry and dishes. With only two of us and the fact we hardly ever are at home to eat a meal it is pointless to do dishes every day so we end up doing them when we run out of clean ones.

Then I also have to run to the store for food for the week. Yeah the day is already half over and here I sit in my p.j.s blogging. ☺

Not Surprised, but still disapointed

Yesterday the Governor of Illinois was arrested for trying to auction off a senate seat to the highest bidder. While I am not surprised that he is corrupt it saddens me that the main reason I am so mad at him is that he let one of my friends down.

For the last few months My friend and I have had a difference of opinion about how the Gov was handling a budget crisis. He chose to close several state parks around the state, including 2 just down the road. What he failed to realize is that while some parks he was closing were not making money others were in fact pulling in a profit. I could see the good business practice of closing a park that could not support itself but closing something that was making money just didn't sit right with me. Yes I know it was a political play to get a budget approved by closing parks in one specific area, the area of the party you were fighting against, but come on. There are other areas that could have been cut. Say for instance the money spent flying back and forth to Chicago from Springfield, and how many planes was it reported were at the Governor's beck and call?

No, my friends, I am not sad because yet another Illinois Governor has been arrested what saddens me the most is how he has made my friend feel.

Shame on you Mr. Blagojevich.

Oh Lazy Day

For the longest time now it seems as if we have been constantly running, all week it's been work and derby, then on the weekends Its been hunting, friends and more roller derby. This weekend I have left the house once. I debated about leaving today to deliver some items to Jake's mother, but decided he could take it to her tomorrow.

Although I really just wanted to stay in bed this whole weekend I have been slowly working my way through a mountain of laundry and playing stupid games on line. I have also been catching up on my writing. I am all caught up on the things I needed to respond to.

I think this is the first weekend I have actually relaxed a bit, the sad part is that because I have relaxed my weekend away Monday is now much closer than is comfortable.

Boo to you Monday, go away.

Harvest Complete

Well the first day of second season for firearm deer hunting was this past Thursday. Jake was up before dawn and at his mom's house bright and early in a balmy 6 degree temp. The ground was covered in snow. He made his way to the tree stand and before his feet had the chance to get cold he filled his tag. A 2 and a half year old doe.Now we have her at the processor for them to do their magic and turn all that meat into jerky, snack sticks, summer sausage and of course steaks and chops...mmm we will have meat in our freezer!

Correction

For the record, I would just like to say that I spelled my neice Lyndi's name the way James sent it to me in a text message.

So the correct spelling of James and Nicole's little peanut is Lyndi Jean Thompson. All the other information provided in the previous post is correct to my knowledge.

Welcome my Niece Lyndi Jean

At 8:38pm Arizona time December 1st 2008 James and Nicole welcomed Lyndi Jean Thompson into the world. I have posted this to my Brother and sister-in laws page at Nicole's request.
I figure it is now safe to post here so any of our family that happen to read my blog but not theirs will get the info.

Lyndi weighed in at 6 lbs 4 oz and was a tall 19 inches long.
Mom and baby are doing well and dad is already getting down to the buisness of dirty dipers. Way to train him right Nicole.
Grandma is totally in love with the newest bundle of joy to drop into our lives.

Snowing

Well it is the third day of December and we are getting our second snow storm. It snowed Sunday night and it was supposed to start snowing last night. Well the storm was about 9 and a half hours late. I woke up this morning to cloudy but clear skies and now, looking out my office window I see it is snowing like crazy.

The rush to find a new job has stalled. I finally decided that the only way I am possibly going to get out of my current position is to apply at a temp to hire job agency. I have an interview with them next week. Keep your fingers crossed. I know I have been asking that of you a lot recently and they have probably cramped up by now, but every bit helps.

Who would have thunk it?

Well, as most of my readers would know, I work for a company that answers phones for a lot of magazine titles. You would be amazed at the phone calls we get. Most of the calls I answer are standard where is my magazine, I want to buy a gift for someone, or...did you get my payment yet. Occasionally we get phone calls from a secretary for someone who is nationally known and too busy to talk to us common folk who actually have to work for a living. Well tonight was one such night for me.

I got to answer a call from Governor Palin's secretary. It turns out someone has been prank subscribing one of her children to all sorts of magazine subscriptions. Now before you go and say it is abuse of power having her secretary make all the calls to cancel the accounts in all fairness they were being sent to government offices.

I really had no point to this post other than saying I was one person away via phone from a nationally know person for 180 seconds tonight.

Oh, by the way as of 8:38 tonight I am officially an Aunt. I will wait until my sister in-law or brother update their blog before I post anything here. For those of you I actually talk to I will tell you in person later.