So, I know, you don't have to tell me...

So, I know I'm falling back into my old ways here with no blogging, but I've been super busy at work and super busy at home which equals no blogging time.  So, I promise to get back on here within the next couple of days to do a really good post and then to keep up with it....PROMISE!

Come as you are, as you were.....

So, 20 years ago, these guys right here:

Released this CD right here:

And changed the face of music and the way I look at music forever.

Music is super important to me and I don't know what it would be like if I didn't have music in my life.  Nirvana is one of my all-time favorite bands and Kurt Cobain is one of my favorite people who I really feel like if his soul had not been so lost, what an amazing group they would have evolved to be (even further past what they had already become in their short tenure).

I just bought the Nevermind Remasters Super Delux edition and I'm totally pumped to listen to it when I get in my car tonight (because I don't feel like "Smells Like Teen Spirit" would be appreciated by my co-workers!)  But, while I'am here I'm listening to Jon Stewart interview Dave Grohl (who I heart) and Dave Novoselic on XM (I had to renew like 2 weeks ago and that is the ONLY reason that I renewed!).

So, the other day I was sitting outside with my kids and the neighbor boys were listening to their iPod's.  I heard one of the oldest ones (who is 13) say, "OMG...this Kesha song is by far the best song yet!"  And, I'm not going to lie, it saddened my heart....Kesha!  Seriously!!!  I mean, it's okay to heart her every now and again on the radio, but, yikes, what is our youth coming to?!?!  Maybe I should give them a little education on what good music really is!  I know that one of my hopes for my own kids (besides being happy, healthy, smart, polite) is that they have the same love of music that I do and that music speaks to them the way it does to me...

Happy rockin everyone, have a good day!

You could say it's been a while.....

Hello there! (If there is anyone left who even would think about looking at my blog!).  Well, just like the title says, you can definitely say it's been a while.  I have not blogged in so long, but have kept up with a lot of blogs that I love and it makes me a bit jealous to read all of these wonderful ladies funny, caring, and tear jerking blogs.  I know that I wanted to get back into it, but I just have not gotten around to it.  Plus, to be honest, I don't know how to make my blog fun and fancy (hint:  if you know how, let me in on the goods!).  And, I just really don't think I'm all that funny and my life just isn't that interesting for others to want to keep up with me...or so I think. 

Well, what has my family been up to lately?  Well, I'm now working at Cincinnati Children's Hospital in Critical Care.  I love my job and love this place.  We (all Northern KY/Greater Cincinnatians) are so lucky to have this resource right in our back yards.  What amazing things happen here!  I've been here for almost a year (next month) and hope that I remain working at this hospital until I retire!

Scott is still coaching baseball and is now teaching (at the high school now) and working on his second master's degree (in Education Administration).  We apparently like school in this house because guess what?  I'm back in school too.  I started over the summer at the University of Cincinnati in the Master of Health Administration program.  So far, it's going pretty good and it's been pretty manageable, but my second semester just started today and I have yet to look at the syllabus, so we'll see what I'm thinking by tonight.

Parker started Kindergarten!!!!!  Can you believe it??  Kindergarten.  I have no idea how in the world my baby is old enough to be in school already.  I just feel like it's all going entirely too fast and that before I know it I will be talking about his first day of high school.  He is doing really really good and I'm amazed at how much he has learned just over the past month.  He has really come so far (not that he was super far behind to begin with, I mean, c'mon...he's my kid so he is smarter than smart! lol).  He has some friends he knew before hand in his class, so that makes it all the better and although he asks me every night if he is off the next day things are running pretty smoothly (that is if you ignore the morning fights about socks, shoes and what pants he is doing to wear that day!).  He also lost his very first tooth the other night and the tooth fairy made her second appearance at our house.  (Why the first tooth and her second appearance?  Parker had to have a tooth pulled back in the spring, and the tooth fairy even makes collections and payouts for teeth that were pulled out.  To me, how could he help it, it was circumstances beyond his control!).



Now, Beckett....my sweet little Beckett.  He is getting ready to turn three in less than a month and I hate that he is growing up.  Three, almost three!  I can remember when Parker was three, and when he turned three (it was a Scooby Doo party).  He is doing all sorts of awesome stuff and talking up a storm.  He cracks us up (and everyone in the family and on the street).  We love him soo much, and right now he is getting super spoiled being the only grandchild with grandma all day long (all the older cousins are in school for the most part now).  His favorite place is Chuck-e-Cheese and he asks to go there on a daily basis "I go Chucheese - I shoot  ball, pay games!"  Last week he went twice!  (I must say that I absolutely despise this place because of all of the nasty germs floating around the place...ick)  But, he loves the place and then throws a major temper tantrum when we try to get him to leave, which drives me pretty bonkers.



He sleeps with his bat, glove and ball almost every night....you think he's gonna like ball?


Oh - and we also have a new puppy that we got last year right before Christmas.  His name is Jack and we rescued him from a shelter in Evansville, IN (yes, I drove over 3 hours to get a puppy).  He is supposed to be a labradoodle, but Scott and I are determined that they lied.  He's staying pretty small and he doesn't really resemble one.

Jack as a puppy - we got him 2 weeks before Christmas





Parker and Jack sleeping out a tornado warning in our basement

 

Jack loves toilet paper (and stuffed animals, down comforters, shoes, Oakley sunglasses, baseball gloves and wrestling figures)

And, Chompers...well, he's still being Chompers.

So, everyone is doing pretty fantastic if I do say so myself.  We are ending the summer and moving into fall, which I'm super excited about because it's my favorite time of the year.  It's been cool and rainy, which, call me weird, but I like that every once in a while.  I would like it a lot more if I could stay cuddled up in bed all day long, but, someone has to pay the bills!

So - I plan on sticking with the whole blogging this again....I like it and it does me good.  Plus, it's been really nice to look back and see all of the things I wrote like 2 years ago. 

Alright peeps....I'm out for the day.  Finishing up some work and heading to see one of my very best friends and her new baby Jack who are in from Nashville (so excited, although my baby fever is in high gear so I really shouldn't be around new babies right now!)



Wow....it's been a while!

I cannot believe that it's been so long since I've wrote something on here!!! I was just thinking about this this morning as I was getting ready for work.

Well, lots of things have been happening. I had a really nice four month break from work which was awesome. I loved spending every day with my kiddo's and getting to see everything with them, instead of hearing about it from my mother in law. I got a new job working at a university (which I will not mention names) working at a certain college in the university working for the Dean. I'm not going to mention names because to be honest, I hate this job and will bad mouth it repeatedly until I find a new job.

Beckett turned one years old on October 6th and we had a big party for his first birthday with family. Parker turned four (who the hell did that happen so fast) on January 10th and he had his first party with his friends (well, three friends, and the rest were cousins!). Scott and I celebrated our 5th wedding anniversary (woo hoo) and oh, yeah...Rachael had a baby.

Yes, you read that right. My sister had a baby. It's a long story. He was quite the surprise, but he is awesome! And, they are doing wonderful, which is all that ever matters right?!?!

Two more big things....I will finally be done with school on April 14th. That is my official last day of college (well, until I return to get my Master's) and graduation is May 1st. Not sure if I will be going to that because Scott has a game and isn't going to be able to make it, and if anyone is going to be there I really want him to be there.

Second....Saturday is my 30th birthday. Usually I'm really excited about birthday's, but not so much this year. I'm actually kind of depressed about turning 30. I feel like my twenties went entirely too fast and I didn't even realize it, and then I thought, "Oh my god, then I'll be 40 before I know it!" I love my life and I love where I'm at and wouldn't change any of it, but I would like to re-do my twenties just one more time.

I'm sure I'm not the only one who wants that.

Well, I'm sorry it's been so long, but I promise to get on here and keep everyone up to date more often. I will not disappear for 6 months this time!

So sad

Today is my last day at work. I'm a bit sad. I really love my job here and I really love all of the people that work here too. Everyone here is so nice and welcoming and hilarious. There are so many things that we joke about and play around about (Mike with his Nerf gun). I was very lucky to be a part of this wonderful group of people at this wonderful company. I'm going to hate to see everyone go, and I'm worried about everyone finding a job. This is a hard time to have to find a job. It's gonna be rough.

I'm sad. I'm nervous. I feel like I have a huge weight on my shoulders. I feel like I've let my kids and Scott down.

I've never NOT had a job. Since I was 16 years old. It's gonna be different. Different for sure.

It's a sad day. For a lot of us.

Goodbye to all of my friends. The laughs that we have had are priceless. I'm going to miss them greatly.

The Fair is in town! The Fair is in town!!!!

Well, it's that time of year again. Time for the Alexandria Fair...or the Worlds Fair for everyone who lives in Campbell Co.

Everyone here loves the fair. It's always Labor Day weekend and it's a great time to go and stand by the beer booth and see friends that you have not seen in years! I love it and look forward to it every year. It's just one of those things that you must go to each year! Good times.

Tonight is the opening night. We go to Jeremy and Shawns house (my cousins) because their house is right on the entrance of the fairgrounds and we watch the parade (yes..there is a parade!) and then we take the kids down to ride rides (well, Parker at least) and grab a bite to eat.

I love this time of year (and it also helps that it has been insanely beautfiful here for the past week, temps in the low 70's, cool every night and sunny sunny sunny!).

Yea for the Worlds Fair!

Laid off

Has today's economy affected your family? How you spend, if you go on vacation? Well, it wasn't really touching us much. Until now.

My company did their third round of layoff's on Tuesday. And, you guessed it...I was one of the not-so-lucky one's. I got the boot.

But, not just me. Last September they laid off 15 of my great co-workers. In June they laid of 2 of my co-workers and then on Tuesday, after a nice motivational e-mail from our president to ALL of our company telling us that they were beginning layoff's immediately, all but 8 of my co-workers were laid off on Tuesday morning.

It wasn't not an easy morning, let me tell ya. This is the third round of layoff's in just one year, so it's almost like everyone knows the deal. But, this time it was different. The first one last September was out of no where. So, it caught all of us off-guard and we had no idea how to take it. Then in June, same deal but it wasn't most of the department, only two people, so it was like a little smack in the face unlike a punch in the gut. Then, this one..was expected. We've all seen it coming for the past month or so, it was just a question of who, when and how bad. We knew that our particular site was in a nice downward spiral. Our projects had been cancelled and they sent out a new organizational structure chart a couple of weeks ago that conveniently left the our group here in Cincinnati out. So, that was clue number one. The a few short days later we got an e-mail saying that all of the projects that we had and were working on had been cancelled. Eww...punch number two. Then, they walked around and changed all of the locks on the doors (but said that they didn't know who had the previous locks and wanted to change them to keep track of who had what key...yea right). Then, came the e-mail at 3:30 on Monday afternoon that had ALL of us sitting in the middle of our department wondering if it was going to be that day. It wasn't. Our manager didn't even acknowledge it. So, all night Monday night I thought about it all night long, wondering if it was going to be me, or if was going to be the entire department or the entire building for that matter. Tuesday morning we came in and we had a meeting. They were disbanding the entire R&D department and only keeping 1/3 of the department and then getting rid of 2/3 of the department.

The morning sucked to be blunt. We all just sat around waiting. We quickly found out that they were meeting with the people that they were keeping first, and as the morning wore on, many of us figured it out that we were not the ones that they were keeping. They called all of us in (16 of us) and told us as a group (classy, huh?) that our positions have been eliminated and that September 25th was going to be our last day. They handed us our severance packets and sent us home.

We went to the bar.

And then to one of my co-workers house's and drank some more...and talked, vented and laughed. Rough day.

I'm not sure that it has hit me completely or not. I know that it has happened, but I think because we do have to come back here for a while that it just doesn't seem real. People are taking it how they are, and some of us are taking it okay and some of us are not taking it very well at all. It's hard for many because there are people who have been here for 30 years and this is the only job that they know and they are going to leave. And, there are people here that have their lively hoods resting on their jobs (cough cough...me) and it's sad. It's sad that a group that works so stinkin hard and get's along so well and could conquer anything that was thrown their way---and our company feels like they just didn't need us anymore. So, it sucks.

September 25 is our official last day here, but if we get all of our projects transitioned over to whoever is going to take it before then we can head on out of here. So, I'm hoping to do that before next week I can have everything done and all of my personal stuff taken home and Friday can be my last day. I will be paid up until the 25th and then I get 6 weeks of severance from there, so I have a short amount of time to find another job. I would love to take some time and spend it with my boys, but, I cannot afford to do it. So, it's job hunting time for me....which I hate.

I'm sad...I'm sad for me, and I'm sad for the 25 people in my department that lost their jobs this week. It's not fair.

It's not fair.

Where is my beer?