Never eat Mexican on cheat day...

I've been pretty diligent about my diet and exercise program, however, I had a cheat day yesterday because I ran out to lunch with some girls from work and 1) I was starving, 2) Lunch was free and 3) I had been craving mexican food like something awful. We're talking, I would take down someone for queso and taquitos. I had queso and a chimichanga because they didn't have taquitos. And...I was sick all day from it. Mental note. No mexican on cheat day. At least, not a lot of mexican.

Oh and as a side note, for the life of me I cannot get a damn photo to upload. If you have a blogger blog and can do it, please let me know. Mine has gone postal here lately and it's bothering me.

In other news since I'm awful and do not blog like I should, things are going well at home. We have the girls' room organized and it's so cute, but Addie still does not like sleeping in the twin bed. She pretty much says "no" and climbs out. Even with the Spongebob sheets, she's not buying it. She did lay down in Maggie's bed saying "Ah Hannah" (Maggie has Hannah Montana bedding) but that lasted about 5 minutes. It's a work in progress.

The dogs have a new "shared" crate and they seem very happy in it together. They hated being separated during the day, so we brought in one large crate with a dog bed and they seem pretty darn content. Let's hope that lasts!

Scott gets his blackbelt in two weeks (well - he has to pass his test but I have faith in him) so that's going to be a big deal in the house. He already claims to be a "lethal weapon" which always cracks me up. He tells Maggie to tell the boys that her daddy is a "lethal weapon". Ok Rambo - chill out there.

Oh - and just a quick vent. Have you ever had to deal with someone that has the personality of a doorknob? I mean, seriously? You want to ask them who crapped in their Wheaties? I know I'm not always Pleasant Princess, but come on. I deal with a girl that literally has GOT to be the single most hateful person on this planet. Cold and frigid doesn't even begin to cover it. What kills me is the scowl. The constant scowl. Ugh. Ok - vent over for now...

For those that are interested in the pay sites, e-mail me with the e-mail you want the referrals to go to. I'm still sending stuff over and have been pretty happy with my rewards so far. (I've hit about $200 in gift cards) The $25 link below is still working, too. Quick $25 - can't beat that. Scott and I are thinking about using it for our e-bay auctions instead of paypal since there are no fees. Hopefully, more people will get on board with the program. Back to the pay sites, if you want the referral, let me know ASAP because one of them is changing their points scales and if you get in before June 1st, you'll be on their current pay scale which is better.

Happy Wednesday!

Ok - try this one

Someone commented that the offer expired, but it's extended. This is for a new site that is like paypal, only FREE. From what I understand, the owner was the developer of AOL and is hoping to take over some of Paypal's market share. Hey - for $25 free bucks - he can have my business for a while. (Although - I rarely use paypal, but I might use this for e-bay - I've got a few things to list!)



On the other note, I received some e-mails and YES - I do belong to a few sites that PAY you to surf them and quite frankly, it's pretty awesome. I recently made $125 in Visa cards which I plan to use for vacation in a few weeks. I was actually turned onto them by another friend (Amy G.) and she has done fairly well with her account. She gets Target gift cards, which are next on my list since I am going to start earning $$$ for Maggie's birthday and Christmas. I have plans - LOL! The one is backed by Google, and totally legit. (I can see their analytics lining up sometimes when the page downloads) The other, is publicly held, so they're working on investors, too. It's all good!

With regards to the diet, I keep working out and watching what I eat but that damn scale has not budged. NOTHING. Nada. Zip. Zero. Zilch. Last night I worked out for nearly an hour (as I have been doing) but I pushed harder. I went faster on the treadmill (did 2 miles instead of one), had more tension on the cycle and went 10 minutes longer and had more tension on the rowing machine. What's a girl gotta do? So frustrating! Oh well...

At least I have a three day weekend coming up. Plus, the Cincinnati Cyclones are in the Kelly Cup playoffs and I'm going on Saturday night. Gotta root for the ONLY winning team in Cincinnati. Plus, I love hockey. Imagine that. A girl that enjoys watching men fight, enjoys hockey. That's right - check 'em into the boards. Nothing makes me happier than when a big enforcer defenseman takes someone to the center ice and pummels them. Makes the game WAY more interesting! After the game, my boy Tito is fighting in the UFC. So, I'll come home and watch that. I blame my brothers. They watched Rocky when I was little and I have just always loved boxing, etc. I even told Scott that when I get more of this weight off, I might take it up at a local training place. (The guy also trains some UFC fighters) We'll see...

E-mail me if you have any questions on those sites. If you want a referral, let me know!

Want to make a quick $25?

I'm all about earning money online these days. It's part of my "Dave Ramsey pay off Debt" plan.

E-mail me if you want me to refer you to a few places that pay you to surf the web! (Use the button on the side that says "No pimping") :)

Ginger

The buttons and the pins and the loud fanfare...

Ok - so I apparently SUCK as an NKOTB fan because I completely forgot (UNTIL today) that they were on the Today show on Friday. Totally forgot to set the DVR and everything. I think this diet is rotting my brain. Anyway, watched it on YouTube (what did we do before YT?) and I have to say - when they did "Tonight", I became a giddy, gawky teenager again. Donnie hasn't missed a beat. I keep waiting for him to put on some overalls and wear them down with no shirt. I also would pay good money to see Jordan do "Baby I Believe in You" with the white shirt (unbuttoned - remember that?) and the wind blowing on him. Oh yea...wait - Jon is my favorite. Stick to Jon...

Back to reality. I've been a bad blogger and I apologize. I've been so swamped lately at work and with this new diet, working out, trying to be positive and organized, blah blah blah.

So, I'm pretty pissed off about this week? I worked out FOUR days, at least an hour each time - doing treadmill (fast pace), rowing machine, weights, cycling, you name it. Watched my points and food and I did not lose ANYTHING. I leave in about 15 minutes to weigh-in and there is no hope for me dropping two pounds before 10. So, I am PISSED. I feel like one of those people on the Biggest Loser that does everything they can and doesn't lose but 1 pound. Heck, though. I'd take the pound right now. Happily. Nothing. Nada. Since I started, I have dropped 12.2 pounds - averaging 3 1/2 per week. This week. Nothing. And, I worked harder!

I'm sitting here in a defeated moment. I'm not giving up. I have a lot going on. Vacation is in four weeks and I will be in a wedding next year, so I need to keep working at it. Plus, I feel better. That is probably the biggest change. I actually FEEL better. I was running the other day and didn't even get winded. Can you imagine? Fat girl didn't get winded. Ha!

Alright - I have a lot more to say but I have to run. Fat camp is calling.

I promise to be better about blogging!

Alright - so I'm 31 and by golly - I'm going!

You know I'm a HUGE NKOTB fan. I don't care - call me a dork or whatever but from the time I was 12 until about 14, I had posters of these guys ALL OVER my walls. I had the tour jacket, went to concerts, listened to their tapes until they wore out, wore the t-shirts (I still have a few of them) and would die for Jonathan Knight.

Now, I'm 31, happily married and STILL love the NKOTB in a nostalgic sort of way. It just takes me back to being 13 again, when life was simple, my dad was still here, all I had to worry about was buying stamps for my pen pal letters, etc.

So far out of the tour dates they've announced, the closest is Chicago. I have a few friends that are willing to do the drive but I'm trying to figure out if I can convince Scott to let me go. He thinks it's stupid. I think it's me FINALLY getting to live out my childhood dream to meet the NKOTB. They are selling VIP tickets where you get a ticket in the first 10 rows, a meet and greet (DID YOU READ THAT - MEET AND GREET!) and a few other perks. Cost - $350. Is that a bit pricey? Yea. Am I willing to sell stuff I own to do it? Yep!

Here's the deal. I'm 31 now. I'm an adult. When I was 13, I didn't have any money and sat wherever the tickets were that my amazing parents bought for me. Now, I can control where I sit to an extent and I plan on it. You only live once and for 18 years I've been waiting for this. (OMG - I'm old!)

So - here I sit, trying to think of how to get to this concert. It's sort of like being 13 again. LOL!

Oh - and on a side note, I lost 3.4 lbs this week. I probably need to lose another 30 to fit into my NKOTB t-shirt. I'll get there, though. :)

It was just a small anaphylactic reaction...

Ok - so apparently my swollen lips were no laughing matter. Yesterday morning after I wrote the blog, I ate breakfast and took my 2nd dose of my new antibiotic. Truthfully, I thought the lip puffiness was from the codeine but I was wrong.

About an hour after taking the antibiotic (avelox for those of you in pharmacology), I became a bit disoriented and my tongue started to swell as well. When I realized I was talking out of my head and a bit like Sylvester the cat, I called my doctor. She wasn't in but her office manager said "GET TO THE ER RIGHT AWAY"...

Uh...ok...oh shit.

Fortunately, I work literally ACROSS THE STREET from the hospital. I couldn't walk there because I basically couldn't walk a straight line so one of my co-workers dropped me off at the emergency entrance. Just a note - ER rooms FREAK when you're having an anaphylactic reaction. My wait time was non-existant as they took me into the back pretty quickly and had the doc there right away.

I got a nice coctail of benedryl, prevacid (who would have thought), steroids and an IV for about four hours. That knocked me out and when I woke up, the swelling had gone down. So, they let me go home.

Now I have yet ANOTHER new antibiotic and more anti-histimine and allergen meds than I know what to do with. Just another fun day for me. (Oh and by the way, I passed on the additional steroids because they make you hungry. That's the LAST thing I need right now)

Week 2 of Fat Camp...

So, this one time at fat camp, I saw a brownie and I knew I shouldn't eat it, but I did...and I was so naughty.

Ok - so I'm totally kidding. It's week 2 and I'm adjusting to fat camp but I think part of it is because I have bronchitis and am so damn sick that I really don't care if I eat or not. I had a great first week weigh-in - lost 5.4 pounds. (Take THAT reformed Twinkie eater!) This week seems to be doing well, but I haven't been able to go to the Y because the slightest bit of exertion causes me to start hacking like Marge Schott. Hence, no Y so far. I might try it tonight if my lungs give me a break. I actually MISS the rowing machine. (What the hell did I just type?)

Well - stupid blogger won't let me post photos again, so you're just going to have to picture this one in your head. Yesterday the doc gave me cough syrup with codeine in it so that I could sleep. I take it - sleep ok - then wake up this morning to swollen lips. That's right - I must be allergic to codeine or something. This happened to me two years ago when I had an allergy to Ibuprofen. Swollen lips. I look like Jessica Simpson's plastic surgeon got a hold of my mouth. Lovely. Plus, because I normally have chicken lips I have a slight speach impediment because my lips are in the way. Lovely. So - not only do I hack every 10 seconds but now I have been possessed by Angelina Jolie's lips. Great. This is going to be a fun day!

Oh well - at least I'm down 5.4 pounds. (Did I mention that?)

In other random exciting news, my good friend, Laura, got herself engaged this week. SO excited for her and can't wait to start helping her with the wedding planning. Hopefully all of us are going to KI this weekend to ride the rides. (Ok - so Laura, Scott and Maggie will ride rides. Me and Chad will stand back and shake our heads and go "Hell no - I'm not getting on that!") It's all good...

Maggie and Addie are great. Addie's potty training is going VERY well. The kid is obsessed with going on the potty - I don't even have to ask her, she just hollers "I go pee pee" and she makes a beeline for the bathroom. Of course, it's embarrassing in public but we'll work on that. One thing at a time. Maggie tied her classmates shoes to the playground equipment. She was triple-dog-dared. I explained that we do not tie our friends to anything and hopefully she got the message. I also told her that a triple-dog-dare doesn't mean squat. She needs to infinity dog dare back - that'll teach 'em. (Just kidding - she is more upset by being embarrassed when I tell family members her story which I hope will teach her to not do anything like that again or else Mom will tell EVERYONE)

That's all for now. I'm sitting here staring at my lovely 100 calorie bagel (1 point if you're counting people) with 1 tbsp of reduced fat peanut butter. It's about the size of a golf ball but oh so filling...(at least that's what I tell myself)

Have a good one!

Earthquakes, layouts and fat camp...

First and foremost, I have to say that I had the most FABULOUS time with my friends this past weekend. We went to our favorite little retreat for some scrapbooking, I got 17 pages done (which is slow for me - trust me on this!) and I indulged because I knew it would be my last hurrah for quite some time. Truth be told - last summer's clothes are too tight. Ugh.

I have to tell you this funny story about the earthquake. Where we stay is a B&B and the house is older so you always have that "what if" notion that there may be some paranormal activity. To add to this is the fact that Scott watches Ghost Hunters all the time and I'm one of those people that's SUPER freaked out by the paranormal. If I watch Poltergeist, I don't sleep for WEEKS and can't stand to look at my closet. SO - with that said, I'm up on the 3rd floor and in a corner and thankfully two other girls were also up there. At about 5:30 on Friday morning, my bed starts shaking. Not moving. SHAKING. Like, something is grabbing it and shaking it. I wake up completely freaking out and yell out "What is that?" because I'm half out of it.

I run downstairs because I'm SURE that it's paranormal and there is NO way that my ass is going back up there. Everyone else is coming out of their rooms with the same issue. So- at least whatever poltergeist it was, it wasn't just shaking my bed. We turn on the TV and find out it was an earthquake. Who would think of an earthquake in the midwest? We were in Indiana, closer to Illinois, so we felt quite a bit of it. Long story short - that was my embarrassing moment where watching too much Ghost Hunters definitely bit me in the rear. I really have GOT to stop watching that show!

Monday marked the start of my newest session with Weight Watchers. I haven't really been on plan since September and gained back about 15 of the 35 pounds I originally lost, so before I would have to start again at groud zero, I decided to take charge. I'm not going to lie. Usually the first week or so, I'm pretty pissed off and bitter about it. That would be my mood today. Right now, I'm hungry and will probably not eat for another two hours. That's annoying. But, hopefully it will pay off in the end. I would like to lose about 20 - 30 pounds before vacation (which is June 15th). We'll see how that goes.

Of course there is this big part of me that is more about fat acceptance than the dieting piece. Oh wait - WW isn't a diet, it's a "lifestyle". Yea - so anyway, a big piece of me is more about the pizza than the turkey but whatever. I'm hitting the "Y" a few nights each week to work out and we'll see if I get results. That coupled with a healthy diet should yield something, right? One of my favorite quotes ever was during The Biggest Loser Season 1 when Kelly lost some weight and she goes "Diet & Exercise! Who knew? I must go tell everyone!" I thought that was pretty funny. Of course, last night while I'm on the treadmill these two girls get on the treadmills next to me in the row and I hear the one ask the other if she's going to run and the girl responds "Is there a bear behind me? If not, then my ass isn't running - I'll walk fast". I about choked on my water I was laughing so hard. Sounds like something I would say.

Well, before I blabber too much I better end this post. Stupid blogger won't bring up my photo upload, so I can't upload any photos. Sorry about that. I know blog posts are annoying to read when there are no pictures.

New photos, etc...

Hey everyone! Well, this week has been better in terms of my self-esteem. I seriously do appreciate all of the "love" from everyone that posted. Thank you again. It means a lot because when you're down, it sucks to get kicked - but it's the friends that pick you back up and dust you off. So, thank you!

I am making some changes for a healthier me again. We joined the YMCA last night - so I'll be hitting the workout rooms and the good thing is Addie and Maggie can go to separate play areas while Scott and I work out. I'm hoping it's a good thing. It seems like it will be. (Crossing fingers)

I'm also heading out of town tomorrow night to go on a scrapbooking retreat with some good friends. I can't wait! These weekends give me back my sanity. I miss my family terribly while I'm gone but the time to just sit in my pjs and enjoy my hobby (and sleep in) are so valuable. Plus, you get waited on hand and foot which is totally worth it. No dishes to do, food to cook, etc. (Although, Scott might argue that I never cook and he's probably right) In any event, I can't wait!

I also thought I would post a few photos for you - I know I'm bad about it so I'm making an effort to be better.

Here's Penelope. She has not quite figured out how to pose for the camera like Achilles. She's always on the run so it's hard to get a good photo of her. She also looks A LOT different than he does. The good thing is - she's put on about 2 pounds since we've had her so her ribs do not stick out anymore. She was enjoying a bone here and getting ready to jump off of the couch when I snapped the pick. She cracks me up! She's a good girl!

Here's Mr. Achilles enjoying his squeaky toy. We have two of those things because they fight over them. He's also chillin' in their IKEA dog bed. He loves that thing. Penelope prefers the couch - Achilles is all about the dog bed. Notice his color coming in and he looks like he has on a "mask". We sometimes joke and call him "Batman" now. He's also becoming a little piglet. If Penelope doesn't eat all of her food right away, he's over there munching on it after he's ate his. He's so darn cute. We really adore our pups!

Addie got a new haircut about 2 weeks ago. We chopped FOUR inches off of the back of her hair into a cute little bob. Everyone loves her haircut and it looks much fuller, too! My mom swears it's made her meaner. The day she turned two, it was like an instant moment where she decided she needed to tear hell off of hinges. So cute, yet so mean! LOL!

As for Ms. Maggie, she is 7 1/2 going on 17. Our hands are full with that girl. She had her Father/Daughter dance two weekends ago and tonight she's headed off to Build a Bear with her Girlscout troop. (Whoever invented BAB needs to be smacked!) She's still totally into HSM and the other day she bought a pillow with Troy on it. (I bought it for her because I remember my NKOTB pillow - they're cuter than Troy, but whatever...)

Scott also got his Senior Red Belt last week in TKD so just two more months until the black belt. He's already getting excited about it. I'm so proud of him but if I have to sit through another four hour testing with a 2 year old that is running around like a screaming chicken, we might need to have a talk. Belt or no belt, we might be throwing down the gloves. LOL!

That's it for now. Hope everyone is having a great week! Oh- and if you read my blog and you have not created your MyCraftivity.com page, yet. What are you waiting for???

Thanks and a survey...

I wanted to thank everyone for your support - it truly means so much to me to know that I have friends that are not going to judge me. I just don't understand it. Oh well...just add it to the string of things I have had to deal with for the past 13 years. Good thing I adore my hubby!

On a more positive note, I thought I'd do a quick survey that I saw on my friend Karin's MySpace page. I like surveys. They're easy and quick! (Fun to post and fun to read!)

Here goes:

Hi, my name is : Ginger

But you can call me : Ginger - not Gina, Jenny, or bitch.

Never in my life have I : smoked a cigarette.

The one person who can drive me nuts is: see above - LOL!

My high school is : located in the ghetto

When I’m nervous : I pick at my fingernails. I know, it's gross but I can't help it.

The last song I listened to was : Barracuda sung by Heart with Fergie. Heart Rocks.

If I were to get married right now it would be to : I'm already married - and he's great.

My hair is : in desperate need of a dye job.

When I was 4 : I was in pre-school and pretty darn demanding from what I hear.

Last Christmas : was a lot of fun. Spent time with family, opened gifts, didn't have any awkwardness.

I should be : online paying my bills

When I look down I see : my keyboard, mouse and Pentel RSVP pen that Karin bought me.

The happiest recent event was : getting my tax refund. Whoo hoo!

If I were a character on ‘Friends’ : I'd be Monica - not by choice but because I'm neurotic. Plus, she was the only one that was ever fat.

By this time next year : I hope to have my house redecorated. (I can hear Scott groaning now...)

My current gripe is : trying to declutter my house. I HATE clutter.

I have a hard time understanding : why people feel the need to judge others - especially those that are overweight. (I am REALLY on this right now!)

There’s these girls : What kind of question is this? Like I really care about those girls?

If I won an award, the first person I would tell would be : Scott

I want to buy : furniture from IKEA

Where do you plan to visit : I'm going to Orlando in June.

If you spent the night at my house : you would see why I'm crazy - two kids and two puppies are a lot to maintain.

The world could do without : do you want an alphabetized list?

Most recent thing I’ve bought myself : some Steve Madden shoes. They are crap. The sole is already coming off. I've worn them MAYBE four times.

Most recent thing someone else bought me : lunch

My middle name is : Elizabeth

In the morning I : want to call in and sleep late.

Last night I was : worn out and went to bed fairly early.

There’s this boy I know who : grew up to be a great dad - and I'm married to him.

If I were an animal I’d be : a dog. Sleep all day, run after things, act stupid and it be totally acceptable.

A better name for me would be : She who does not take crap

Tomorrow I am : getting ready for my scrapbook retreat next week

Tonight I am : going to dinner with Karin and Kayla

My birthday is : in 2 months - what are you getting me?

Nothing is worse than a reformed Twinkie eater...

I really do not know how to start this post today. I'm battling a plethora of emotions right now - from anger, to hurt, to downright depression, back to anger, etc. Here's the deal people - why is it socially unacceptable to discriminate or make fun of a person based on gender, sexuality, race, age, etc., but it's perfectly fine to mock weight? Help me to understand this.

Let me set the scene for you. Yesterday, I am at a party with Scott's family. It's his cousin's first communion. We should be happy, everyone should be celebrating, right? Well, we're sitting outside on some picnic tables and I'm sitting there minding my own business with about 10 other people. All family members. Remember that - FAMILY members.

My oldest is across the way playing on the monkey bars and my little one is playing with bean bags. I'm sitting there enjoying the sun (because it's been so dreary here lately) when I hear my father in law say "Hey Ginger - we can make ten-thousand on America's Funniest Home Videos". He then proceeds to tell me to go over to the swing where my husband's cousin is swinging (she's a bigger girl, too) and get on the one next to her so they can videotape it and send it in after it collapses.

What? Ok - did you just call me out in front of all of these people? You really did not just do that.

Once the shock wore off, I said "Thanks for singling me out in front of all of these people". Yea - thanks a lot. It wasn't bad enough that I was having a particularly bloated day, but now you've managed to call me out as being a Fatty McFat in front of the ENTIRE FAMILY (at least 9 people were sitting there) and tell me that I'm fat. Thanks. That felt GREAT.

I went into the bathroom and cried. On the Biggest Loser last season, Holly (one of the contestants) said that the one thing that you always remember are the comments people have made. It's so true. That one will stick with me for a LONG time. It stung. I don't think he could have come over and slapped me and it stung any worse. Words can be much more powerful.

The problem is this. He's a reformed Twinkie eater. His weight goes up and down. When he's on the downslide and losing weight, he decides that it's time to pick on heavy people. When he's on the upswing, he keeps quiet. Right now - downswing. Like I said. Nothing is worse than a reformed Twinkie eater.

So, here I sit, beating myself up for not being a size 2. I've done this my entire life. Battled the comments, the discrimination, etc. I wear a size 18. There, I said it. I'm an 18, people. I'm also 5' 9", and even at my thinnest (when I was a bulemic at 19) was a size 10. I'm never going to be a 2. Can I stand to lose some weight. Yes - I know that, though. You don't need to tell me. Do you think overweight people are in denial? No - we're not. We KNOW. But, what we need is for you to love us just as we are and accept us. The rest will fall into place. Oh - and before anyone starts posting about diabetes, cholesterol, blood pressure, etc. Doesn't apply here. My cholesterol is in the 120's, bp runs LOW and diabetes is not an issue. I don't fall into your sterotype.

I just had to get that off of my chest. It's been a long 24 hours. A lot of beating myself up. I've dealt with this my entire life, though. You would think that I would be used to it by now. But, I'm not. I guess I just want people to take me as I am. It's sad when I can be having a perfectly content moment and someone just come in and shit all over it - for no good reason really.

That's all. Just venting in between tears and anger. If you're reading this and you're the type to make fun of the "fat person" remember this - we have feelings. It hurts. You might not care, but you should.

So many boy bands...so little time...

So, the NKOTB appeared on the Today show this morning. Since it's the time that I drop Maggie off and head to work, I drove in while on the phone with my good friend, Karin, to see what was going on. I was DVRing it, but you know - it's like being 13 again and I had to know what was going on. They didn't appear until later and I was in a meeting, however, they do have the video posted on MSNBC. Which, I watched during lunch! (And was unable to link here but if you go to MSNBC, it's there!)

I would have been one of the screaming fans. Heck - if I would have been at home, I would have been screaming at the TV. This is just so exciting! The last time I saw them, I was 17 and they were doing a tour of their last album, Face the Music, and the venues were small. I had third row because a friend of mine and I waited outside in line ALL DAY (skipped school) to get into Bogart's early. That was a good time and I'd gladly do it again.

I already have a line-up of girls that are going to the concert with me. Maggie is a bit upset that I might not take her. I'm not sure, yet. Does she really need to see Mommy get all giggly like she does when she sees the Jonas Brothers? Maybe. But, if I'm out with the rest of my 30-something friends, we might make it girls night out. I just hope they plan a date near Cincinnati!

So, coming down from my NKOTB high (which reminds me that I need to dig through my mom's attic for all of my stuff!), on another boy band front, Nick Lachey is singing the National Anthem at the Reds game tonight. My brother works for the Reds and I have made him PROMISE me that if he meets Nick, they have to call me. (He did this before with my favorite Reds player, Hal Morris. I'll have my phone on me all night)

That's all in the land of boy bands and reliving my teen years! LOL!

Onto the family. Scott and Maggie get their belts tonight (which is why I won't be at the game) and then we have a fairly busy weekend planned. Penelope is home from being spayed and Achilles has healed quite nicely from his neuter last week. I almost bought him a shirt that said "Sorry Bitches - I'm fixed" but figured that might be too much. A good laugh, though. Oh - and Addie is still embracing the terrible twos. I'm considering Nanny Stella. If she just wasn't so darn cute!

You know it was just a matter of time...

Before I talked about the New Kids reunion. Oh yea - that's right - NKOTB is back. The five bad brothers from the Beantown land are reuniting and on Friday will be on the Today Show. I'm setting my DVR tonight, baby! Why am I so excited? Well, because I've been a New Kids fan since I was 12. My last concert was when I was 17 and trust me - I've been waiting for a reunion ever since.

But, here's what's funny. I think my favorite "kid" has changed. Back in the day, hands down, it was Jon. I had posters of him EVERYWHERE in my room. There was not one single square inch of my walls that was not covered with a photo of Jon Knight. I was really lucky because my aunt worked for a magazine distributor at the time, so she would bring me STACKS of teen magazines every month. I would spend time meticulously cutting out the photos of Jon and putting them in photo albums. (Hmmm...the start of my scrapbooking? Maybe!)

So - I went online today to find my favorite all-time photos of Jon. These were the ones that hung right above my bed so that they were front and center all the time. It's hilarious how I remember EXACTLY which ones they were. Here - have a chuckle:







The one where he is pointing was my all-time favorite. Now, I look at it and I'm like "Uh...ok..." He's still cute, but not drool on my pillow, daydream in class and scribble "Ginger Knight" cute. (All things that I may or may not have done at the time) I have to admit - I still like the photo of him cuddled-up with the bear. Swoon.

Back to the story at hand. I found some updated photos of the band and one of Jon from this year and he has aged well. Considering he is 39 (Holy COW!), I think he looks pretty good. I just can't picture the New Kids at 40. Of course, I'm 31, so I should be able to, but to me - they're still 21. I digress...

Here's Jon today:



He reminds me of someone but I can't quite pin it. I'll have to sit on that one for a while.

And, here's the band. Joey still does nothing for me. Danny - eh. Jordan has moved up a few notches, but the surprise for me has been Donnie. I never cared for him post "The Right Stuff" video. But, hello Mr. Wahlberg. You're lookin' pretty fly in this photo. No, wait...it's still Jon. Sorry Donnie. Jon is still my favorite New Kid.



I hope they turn this photo into a poster. I am SO hanging it in my office.

What about you? Who was your favorite New Kid. (Oh - and I realize some of my readers are too young to even know who they were. Thanks for making me feel old - LAURA STOLLER) LOL!

Meet Penelope!

This is Penelope. She is the newest member of the Rohlfs household. Penelope is an American Hairless Terrier just like Achilles and the story of how she joined us is somewhat sad, but with a happy ending.

Approximately 2 Fridays ago, I received a phone call from Achilles' breeder. She was asking about him and said she had a question for me. She proceeded to tell me about this pup that a family in Columbus had purchased. They were threatening to put her down because she growled at the dad and snapped at him. She told me that she knew the pup, that the dog was not aggressive and she could not figure out what was going on but she asked if Scott and I would like to have her. We wouldn't have to pay for her - just pick her up in Columbus from the family and give her a good home.

We talked about it and we knew we could handle two pups. Since she's only approximately a month older than Achilles, we figured it wouldn't be too bad, so we made arrangements and we took her. The next day, we drove to Columbus and picked up our new pup.

Truthfully - I have to say, I think that something serious went on with her. I don't want to make accusations but she was approximately 4 lbs underweight, had not been bathed or had her nails clipped in a while. (They had her three weeks) She would also shake and cower when you got near her. To say the least, she obviously had some trauma.

We brought her home, bathed her, trimmed her nails and started feeding her good food. She has since warmed up to all of us, is playing with Achilles now and is a very sweet dog. Her original name was Maggie Blue, but we had to change that because it would be pretty difficult to explain to your daughter why your dog has the same name that she does. Plus, being a Ginger, I've had my fair share of people saying "My dog is named Ginger". Yea - ok. Thanks...

Anyway - just wanted to show off our newest addition. She is so different from Achilles, yet they are so much alike. I'll need to get a good picture of the both of them. She's still a bit camera shy, but I'm sure that she'll get more comfortable with it as she spends more time with us. I'm just glad that the breeder thought of us as a family for her. I'll be sure to post new photos soon.

As for an update on the rest of the family, Scott and Maggie and their TKD testing on Saturday and both passed. Scott is one belt away from black belt. It's hard to believe. I already have his speech planned - I'm sure that will be one worth blogging about! Maggie is back in school after Spring Break and Addie is still Addie. We cut about 4" off of her hair, so she has the cutest little bob but boy is she mean. Her "chucky" photo below is just the tip of the iceberg for that kid. About 2 weeks ago she took a sharpie to Scott's parents house. A total of 8 walls and a leather couch. Need I say more? I'm just glad it wasn't on my watch. LOL!

Heeeerrreee's Addie!

Lots to post but I don't have all the photos. Just this one of Addie trying to get into my nephews room at my mom's house. I'm telling you - she's mean. LOL! She's a cute little pumpkin, but she's meaner than a striped spider. (However mean they are - it's a saying my mom always uses)



My nephew sent me this photo. He recently bought a Rebel XT and he's always snapping photos of the kiddos. But, this one takes the cake.

I'll post more soon. Promise!

My baby girl turned 2 this week!

I know - bad Ginger. Not blogging like I should again, but it's because these past few weeks have just been crazy. It's not like I don't WANT to blog - I just can't seem to find the time to do it. But, I have the time right now for a minute (while uploading other things on another window) so I figured I'd get it done. :)

Big news this week was that Ms. Addie turned 2! We were very busy last weekend with birthday parties galore. On Friday, we celebrated with Addie's "Man of her dreams", Colin, as he celebrated turning 2. They were born literally hours from each other, delivered by the same doctor, etc. I think it's destiny for them. :)

Even though St. Patty's Day is Addie's birthday, we had her party on Sunday so that friends and family could all be there. Try cramming way too many people into a few rooms. It was craziness! Plus, Addie is not about singing or attention which just makes her moody sometimes. Here she is as we're singing "Happy Birthday" to her. Last year, she covered her ears. This year, she just stared at everyone or her cake -glaringly.




We also brought our dog to the festivities. He was the hit of the party because he's a good pup and well, he's hairless, so he stands out a bit. Here is my good friend, Missy, and her daughter Alexis holding Achilles. (Whom we have affectionately renamed Batman due to his markings coming in looking like a mask)



Oh - and of course, I'm posting this photo of Laura and Karin because it will drive Karin crazy that I did this. LOL!



I just love those girls!

I think everyone pretty much had a great time. I would post a photo of Maggie but in most of them she's either making a terrible face (she's in the pouty stage of life right now) or she's giving me the cheesiest grin ever. She's excited, though, because tomorrow I'm signing her up for cheerleading. I told her dad that she's going to get to pick and she decided to take a little time off from tae kwon do to cheerlead. It's what she wants to do, so I'm letting her do it. I figure she's old enough to decide these things. We'll see how that goes!

Oh - and big news also on Addie's front. Last night we bought underwear! Ms. Addie has been using the potty quite a bit lately and she decided she wanted some Elmo panties, so I bought her a pack. My mom is trying them today, along with a small potty to see how she does. She's been keeping her pull-up dry so why not try the transition? Wish us luck! (those pull-ups are PRICEY!)

That's all for now. Hope everyone is doing well and have a great holiday weekend!

I've been tagged

I've been tagged on a few blogs, so I'm finally getting around to posting my 7 random things. The deal is, you post 7 random things about yourself and then tag a few more of your blog buddies. :)

Here are mine:

1) I hate mayonnaise and eggs. HATE them. They gross me out. If either/or is on a plate with my food, I won't eat it. There's no scraping it off. It cannot TOUCH it whatsoever. I freak. FREAK.

2) I'm missing 8 of my adult teeth. My mouth was too small for the size of my teeth. (mom's jaw, dad's teeth) So, I had 8 of them cut out - four before braces and four after so that it wouldn't shift the work they had already done.

3) I had REALLY easy labors with both of my girls. Six and eight hours respectively. I was induced both times and the girls are both born on the 17th - Maggie in July and Addie in March.

4) I wear a size 10 shoe. Have worn that size since I was in the 5th grade. Maggie is well on her way to the same thing. She already wears a women's 6.

5) I live a mile from where I grew up. So much for being adventurous and moving far away from home.

6) I went to a private, Catholic college on a full-ride scholarship. I thank God for my alma mater every day. (I was one of the rare "public school" kids)

7) Betty White and the guy that played Enis on The Dukes of Hazzard and John Michael Montgomery are distant cousins. They're all on the Hasty side.

There are my random facts. Hope you learned something new about me. At least, something that will not incriminate me in a court of law or cause me to never be able to be elected for President.

Now to tag some friends - since most of my friends already tagged me, I might be double-tagging you. Here goes: Heather, Teresa, Janna, Barb, Laura, Angie, Trisha, Jen and Josie.

Oh - and for those of you wondering how our pup is doing, here he is from last week.

Why are people A$$holes???

Ok - so I'm at home today for the 2nd time this week because I have terrible vertigo, nausea and headaches. Why? Well, because I was slammed into last week. Granted, accidents happen. I get that. Everyone and anyone can have them. Here is what pisses me off - the circumstances. The guy that hit me was an illegal alien from Mexico. He spoke NO English (or claimed he didn't), was driving without a license or insurance, had a carload of people with him and basically I'm the one stuck with a lot of the bills.

Fortunately, my insurance is covering almost everything except the $500 deductible, which I cannot get back because this guy has no insurance, he basically moves from place to place (according to the cops), has no bank account and they cannot confirm his official ID because he gave them multiple names that he goes by. His car was registered to another illegal - apparently in America you can register a car without a license or insurance.

This all went down last week, and then yesterday I get a subpoena to show up to court to testify against him. That is - IF HE SHOWS. Of course, if he shows, I might try to get my $500 and I might be taking out of his ass. (Well, I want to, but unlike a lot of other people, I OBEY THE LAW) The court date is at 9:00 am while I'm normally at work, so I'll be missing more work because of this jerk. (Who was speeding when he slammed into me - I was stopped in traffic and he rear-ended me) I have to say, the cop did arrest him and tried to do what he could, but the issue lies with our own laws and government. I think we need tougher laws on illegals, and we need to address uninsured motorists. Thank GOD I had uninsured motorist coverage, but really - there needs to be harsher penalties for this crap.

Oh- and to compound this - Scott went outside today and our OTHER car has been hit - on the passenger side door and we're not sure when that would have happened but obviously they knew they hit it (white paint on my car) and they didn't bother to leave a note or try to contact us. Once again - Assholes. I hope they get theirs.

Sorry for the vent but can you tell I'm fed up?

MyCraftivity.com - Have you signed-up yet?

Ok - so at work we've just launched this ultra-cool social networking site for crafters. It's called www.mycraftivity.com and let me tell you - I LOVE it! Basically, we're going to have FREE (that's right - FREE) projects, books by the chapter, giveaways, and all sorts of really cool stuff.

I am so excited to be a part of it and truthfully, I hope if you get a chance you register and check it out. It's basically MySpace for crafters. The social networking feature is SO fun and we'll eventually be adding all sorts of bells and whistles in the near future. If you craft or have an Etsy store, it's a great place to network with other crafters and get the word out about your stuff. If you own a store, you can create a group and send messages to your customers if they're members, too. Or - you can just network with other friends who also like to do various types of crafts. I know that I've really been into the scrapbooking and knitting part of the site, but there are sections for virtually EVERY craft.

Check it out if you get a chance and add me as a friend. I'm gingerjane!



On a side note, my wedding and anniversary rings will be changing very soon. I had to take them to the jeweler to get "dipped" which means they plate a platinum alloy over the gold. I've recently become allergic to something in yellow gold, so I had to take this step in order to be able to wear them. I get them back on Wednesday and I can't wait!

Here's the ring!!!

Ok - I'm at home today because there is a ton of snow and ice and my mom was freaking out at the thought of me going to work (God love her) and Maggie was out of school, so I'm working at home today. Anyway, I thought I would take a quick break and show you the diamond ring from my hubby!

Sorry for the photo but I used my photobooth program to take the photo. I'm pointing at the ring - it's the one at the top of my wedding set. It looks much more beautiful in real life, it's really gorgeous.



This is how Scott gave it to me. On Wednesday (Feb 13th) I returned home at about 9:00 at night from CHA. I was WORN out and tired and cranky because I had not had dinner so I came in and began to eat something quickly. Scott insisted on taking a bath immediately which sort of ticked me off but quite frankly I was too tired to argue about it.

Scott has this habit of taking a bath and then forgetting to grab a towel out of the linen closet so he usually will holler for me to get one. That's what he did that night and I proceed to go into the bathroom and I'm griping the entire time about why can't he get his own towel. I yank one out of the closet and the ring box falls on the floor. I took one look at it and sort of blanked out and then shut the door. I reopened it and picked up the box and that's when Scott said something about opening it and I started crying immediately. Basically, he set the entire thing up because it's our joke about how he can never grab a towel and that night he wanted me to grab the towel and be surprised by the ring. You have to know Scott. He's not the most romantic guy - but he's perfect for me.

Apparently, he took the girls to the jewelry store while I was at CHA and Maggie helped him pick out the ring. I actually went to the store to get my wedding set cleaned to match (trust me - I didn't realize how messy it was) and the girl that waited on me told me about how sweet he was when he was in there. (She recognized the ring) She was like "I KNEW he wouldn't wait until August" because Scott was originally going to give it to me for our anniversary in August, but he couldn't wait. What a guy!

So - that's the story behind the ring. Silly but sweet. :)