so jealous

My friend Sarah totally got to meet Nelly at the Rams game Sunday. She emailed me the pic as proof........................ Sarah was with me when we went to see Nelly in Memphis last year. SUCH a good time. She officially sucks.

blah, blah, blah

Ick-what a nasty Monday morning! It's cold and rainy here in the STL. Dude-I saw a pickup truck upside down on Hwy 70 this morning. Not a good thing. There were accidents everywhere, because, apparently once it starts raining, people think they have the green light to drive like even bigger idiots than usual. It took me an hour to get to work this morning.

I'm in a really good mood today for some odd reason. Not that I'm complaining-I'll take it. Haven't had a lot of good mood days lately it seems. I'm trying to snap out of whatever funk I'm in. For those around me that I am torturing, I apologize. I'm trying, I promise.

Well, I'll keep this short because I have 14 cases today (the most I've ever had), so I will be a busy little bee from probably 11am-on. Have a good icky Monday. BE CAREFUL OUT THERE!

Happy Friday the 13th people!

Today has been pretty crappy, lives up to it's name. I think I'm just gonna go home and go to bed and hope for a better tomorrow. Be safe out there.

Click

Every time I have ever watched a movie with J, undoubtedly I fall asleep. It never fails. Doesn't matter what movie it is (although, if it involves Vin Diesel or Nicolas Cage, you can be SURE I'll fall asleep fast). I don't know what it is, movies just make me sleepy. Must be that short attention span....Anyway, last night J and I watched the movie "Click" with Adam Sandler. And, for the first time ever, KD stayed awake and J was the one that fell asleep! Ha! The tables finally turned. The movie was ok (best line was his like 5 year old kid saying "daddy, have you been smoking crack?"), it got weird near the end (as any movie with Christopher Walken would). Just wanted to have this occasion documented as it is not likely to happen again for a long, long time.

people are Cardinal crazy!

Wow-there is a woman at work walking around with a Scott Spezio goatee on her face...good times (she also just happens to be related to Harry Caray-coincidence?). Yes, people are Cardinal Crazy around here! Good luck Cards-hope you beat the crap out of the Pond Scum!

Ugh...I hate sleepless nights

I so couldn't sleep last night. I don't know why, because I was really tired. As I laid there staring at the ceiling fan, I grew more and more frustrated. As I watched the clock go past midnight, I grew more and more frustrated. I really, really hate nights like that. Especially when you get up to start your day after having virtually no sleep and it's nice and cloudy outside-perfect sleeping weather. So, I'm thinking it's gonna be a Skittles and Diet Coke kind of day. Consider yourselves warned.

me sleepy

yea......I slept in today. Then I took a nap. And I wasn't even out that late last night...I'm a wuss. My girls and I went to see Ivory Tiger play last night. A good time was had by all. I saw my Aunt Diane do shots...that was some good times! I was waaaaaay hyper last night (ok, maybe a little drunk-don't worry mom-I wasn't driving!!!), don't know why. I had fun and was home by 2am. Not bad. Now, here I sit on a Saturday night, blogging...exciting, huh? Guess I'm just too damn old to go out two nights in a row. Wow-when did that happen?

Too bad the Cardinals didn't win today-hope they do tomorrow. Hope they get to play the Pond Scum. Ok. I really have nothing else to say. Is it wrong to want to go to bed at 8:16pm? Nahhh.....

Just for J.....

Suppan is bringin' da HEAT!

Ok, so Suppan doesn't really "bring the heat", it's an inside joke that my brother and sister would get. In all seriousness, I wish the Cards luck this weekend, hope they win the series tomorrow. Hope they get to play the Pond Scum (sorry Aunt Diane!), that would be cool.

Have a good weekend y'all. Ivory Tiger tonight baby! I'll see ya there. Later peeps.

supporting Uncle Jimmy

Ok, so me and a couple of my friends are going to see Ivory Tiger tomorrow night. Should be some good times. I haven't seen them in awhile. Other than that, not a whole lot of exciting stuff going on this weekend. There will be the usual grocery shopping, laundry and apartment cleaning-that's always good times.

I haven't really had any blog material this week. My life is boring, sorry.

TV freak

I can't get enough of Deal or No Deal. Dude, the contestants on that show are FREAKS. It's such good times. I mean, really my choice in TV shows is limited given that I only have two channels-4 and 5 (because I am too cheap to spend $50 a month on freakin' cable!!!). So maybe that show isn't really all that good, but it's all I got.......

Woo hoo! The Cubs finish DEAD LAST in the entire NL!

Yes, it's true, my boys finished dead last in the entire freakin' league. Did you expect anything other than that? And now Dusty is unemployed. Can't say I'm surprised. He took them from playoff material in 2003 to dead last in 2006. That doesn't say much about his managerial skillz. I feel sorry for the poor fool that inherits the Cubbies. Then again, sometimes all it takes is the right coach to turn a team around, so if Joe Torre is available, that would be great.....thanks.

I still love the Cubs, always will. And, yes, I'm gonna say it.............THERE'S ALWAYS NEXT YEAR!

well I thought I was feeling better....

This illness just doesn't want to go away. Now everything is draining, which I know is a good thing but it still sucks. What also sucks is that I am so freakin' hungry. What is up with that???? This post will be short and sweet. We are swamped at work because you know the weekend is a good time to get admitted to a psych hospital, so my caseload today is bigger than it's ever been. Yee haw! Hope everyone has a good Monday. I'm just gonna try to get through the next 8 hours then go home to my bed and my box of Kleenex......

Happy October to ya!!!!

That's what our crazy drunk neighbor said when we were living at Georgetown-remember Red? That guy sucked!

It's October! Yay! My absolute favorite month. I put up my Halloween decorations today. I had fought the urge for long enough. It's officially Halloween month, so let the decorating begin! I LOVE IT!!!!!!!!!!!!! Of course, it doesn't really feel like October since it's 80+ degrees outside, but that's ok!

I'm feeling a little better today, but still way weak. At least my head doesn't feel like it weighs 100 pounds anymore.

Mom-love that courthouse web site! Of course, we always knew the Salem government was corrupt. Whomever started that blog is pure genius!

Have a good week y'all. I'm thinking of an Ivory Tiger outing this coming Friday. If anyone is interested, let me know. They are playing somewhere in Fenton. Go to the link for their site to see for sure!

blah

that is how I feel. blah. Whatever illness I have, it is totally kicking my butt-and taking names. As I type, I feel my fever breaking-a good thing, but I feel gross.

The open house at Red and Jon's was good. Great food Red! The thing about having a cold is that you get way freakin' hungry-or at least I do. And I was happy to get to spend time with my niece Chloe (so what if she's a dog-she LOVES her auntie!). I'm sorry Red, but that dress you had on her was a little much-I think it may even constitute animal cruelty....Mom and Dad were in town for the day too-it was good to see them. A good chunk of the extended family was there too and, as always, it was great to see them. What I did not like was the fact that my little cousins that are 14 and 13 are all taller than me. That just isn't cool. I fell asleep on the couch at one point. I would have stayed asleep but I heard Grandpa yell "what's the matter with Kerri-bird?". That woke me up.

The multiple showings of the wedding video were almost too much to take. It did convince me I should never drink again-or at least not give any speeches when drunk again. The video really was pretty darn funny, but it is hard to watch yourself on video. Do I really talk like that? At least I didn't look fat-I was pretty happy about that. RED-that video doesn't leave your house-understand?????

Well, it's 9pm. Too soon for another Sudafed dose (you don't have to worry about me trying to make meth out of it, don't worry. Although you can take the girl out of Salem......). Speaking of Salem, mom, what is that web site again? I totally want to see it. Ok, now I'm rambling. I think I'm done for today. Family-I love you, great to see you, and thanks Aunt Jan for changing the date of your family dinner so I can go out dressed like a pirate! :)

$1.99 for gas is the greatest thing since sliced bread

Really. Isn't it sad that we are excited about $1.99? Hell, I didn't even need gas but I stopped by to fill up just because I wanted to catch it while its under 2 bucks....I've missed the days where $10 can get you plenty of gas to make it until the next payday....so, I totally have a sore throat today and my ears are popping-never a good thing, I'm pretty sure. My throat started hurting last night (Mike-did you notice me drinking like 8 glasses of water? That was why!), I shrugged it off, took some Benadryl and went to bed. When I woke up this morning, I pretty much felt like crap (although I'm in a good mood!), I feel weak and tired...sounds like I have a GREAT weekend ahead of me, huh? Yea.....

So my parents will be in town tomorrow, very excited to see them. My sis is having an open house at her house-really it is an excuse to publicly embarrass people by showing the Wedding Video...I recall Robert (the best man) and I being interviewed by some dude claiming he was making a video, I have no idea what I said to him, but I'm sure it was good, whatever it was. Yikes......

Hope everyone has a good weekend. TGIF! This week went by pretty fast though. I have a feeling I'll be spending my weekend in bed, with kleenex and DayQuil/NyQuil/Benadryl....good times. Guess I won't so much be bringing sexy back, huh?

I can't take it....

Ok, I can't watch "The Biggest Loser" anymore. I was totally tearing up last night when the Red Team got to open care packages from home (don't laugh at me J!!!!). I mean, come on, one lady got a painting her kid made of her hand prints. Tell me you wouldn't cry. And next week? They are going on a cruise and the winning team gets to see their family. I am such a sap in my old age.

Happy Birthday Jill!!!!!!!!!!!!

Very happy birthday to my friend Jill (who apparently has super-cute hair!!!!). Hope you have a great day girl-I'll see ya tonite at the beer garden yo! If I remember correctly, Schlafly's has a really nasty whiskey flavored beer-I don't recommend drinking it.....dude, it seems like I am wishing someone a happy birthday every other day. From Sept-Dec, just about everyone I know has a birthday. It's an expensive time of year....not that I mind. I always want the birthday person to feel special! So Yill-I will see you tonight, have a great day, and if you need a DD, just let me know!!!!!!!!

random thought of the day

ok, so at work, they apparently like to have food days-A LOT. so today, i promised i would bring in my home made chili now that it really is officially chili season. but then i thought about it-do i REALLY want to carry that big ol' crock pot full of chili all the way up to the office? i'm pretty sure the answer is no.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY JESSE!!!!!!

I want to wish a very Happy Birthday to J. He's like 106 today (ok, not really). J-I hope you have a wonderful 32nd birthday, and I hope the next year is all you want it to be. HAPPY BIRTHDAY, HAPPY BIRTHDAY, HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!!!!!! Luv, KD

Halloween costume confirmation

It's official-this year, the girls and I are going to be pirates for Halloween. Perhaps inspired by the Pirate Fest this past weekend, Robyn and Erin came up with the idea and I am fully on board. I mean come on, who wouldn't want to wear a patch on their eye all night?

Monday again?

How is it that every time I blink, it's Monday again? What is up with that? Hope everyone had a good weekend. I had girls nite out on Friday. We hung out at Gitto's (my favorite!) and just sat and laughed and had a couple of beverages. It was fun. Saturday I did lots of fun stuff-grocery shopping and running errands. Not really good times, but necessary. Sunday I just chilled and now here I am on Monday. I am looking forward to seeing my parents this weekend-they will be in town for Red's open house. That will bring September to a close, then it will be my favoritest month of all-October! People get ready-I'll be recruiting folks to go to haunted houses with me soon! :)

Have a good week everyone. I'm gonna try.

In honor of the St. Louis Pirate Festival this weekend

In honor of the Pirate Festival this weekend, I, Kerri Michele Davidson, plan to drink Captain Morgan (a pirate-get it????) all weekend long. It's the least I can do to support the pirate cause. And to those attending the festival-I've been given word that Johnny Depp will NOT be there. Sorry for any distress this may have caused.

TGIF

It's Friday! Yay! I have had a headache every day this week-not good. I'm blaming my allergies. I've been in a good mood, just had a headache. Well, one more day of work then the weekend begins! I am having a girls nite out tonight. I think me and Allison, Tanya, Erin, Robyn and Karen are going out to have some good times. I need to get out of the house. Although it's gonna suck come Saturday morning when my landlord comes over at 9AM to fix the shower. 9am-really? On a Saturday? Is that necessary? I'm looking forward to it though. Just hope this headache goes away so I can actually have fun. I got reviewed at work this week and am told I am doing a great job. That is evidenced by the fact that they are now piling on the work-not that I mind. I pretty much work non-stop the entire 8.5 hours I am at work but it at least makes the days go by fast! It's pay day too, which is fun. I could actually afford to fill my car with gas this morning. See-it's the little things that make me happy. That, and I can actually go grocery shopping this weekend. The kitchen is bare.

Hope everyone has a great weekend. Be safe, have fun, don't do anything I wouldn't do (what does that mean anyway?). If you are out and about this weekend, remember to bring sexy back.
Thanks.

Happy Birthday Renee!

Happy birthday today to my friend Renee. Hope you have a great day girl! It was great seeing you (and the other girls) at Book Club last night. We don't care what other people say-just because we no longer read books doesn't mean it's not a book club dammit!!!!!! I LOVE BOOK CLUB!!!!

Happy Birthday Timbo!

Happy 23rd Birthday to my baby brother, Tim (also known as Timbo, Creep, Timbo-pistachio and Timmy Davidnut). I hope you have a great birthday kiddo. And, as usual, your sister is late in mailing your card, but will do so soon! I love you much and i miss you TONS!!!!!

not good

ok. So, this morning, I got up at my usual time (6:32-those 2 minutes make a difference), showered, got ready to go to work. I was all over it and quite impressed that I was ready with a few minutes to spare. I packed my lunch, grabbed my keys, got ready to walk out the door when I realized that I still had my towel on my head. Uh.....yea. Clearly I didn't get enough sleep, or too much sleep, or maybe the Benadryl still had a hold of me. Whatever it was, I was a little concerned about my ability to function the rest of the day. So far, so good. I drove to work safely, although I did flip some a-hole off who blew past me and another car (when we were in the exit lane), nearly killing us all (this is the 2nd time this week I've flipped someone off. J would be so proud!). Work has started ok, so maybe the whole hair in a towel thing was a fluke. We shall see. The day is young.

My co-workers are singing church hymns

See, they are all as crazy as I am. Church hymns and show tunes. I'm scared. And our team leader is quoting Snoop Dogg. Wow. Did I go to the right place, or what?

It's only 9:30am and I am already wacked out

Amy just sent me back to my desk. She said it's quite clear I've had either 1. sugar or 2. caffeine. Well, my friends, the answer to that would be-I've had BOTH. So there. Plus I got enough sleep last night. Watch out world. I'm sitting at my desk watching my Justin Timberlake bobblehead, well, bobble. My co-worker Jeff turns it around when he is helping he at my desk because he doesn't like Justin staring at him. Can't say I blame him. Dude-I need to calm down. Don't worry-I'll hit a wall (not really hit a wall), and I'll crash and be sleepy. It's bound to happen. It's an improvement over yesterday because I had a big, giant headache. Well, it's gone today. Girls Nite Out on Saturday. If you're a girl and need a night out, let me know. I promise I won't get drunk and sing karaoke....ok, I shouldn't make promises I can't keep, huh?

Well folks, have a GREAT Tuesday. Later.

pretty uneventful day

what an exciting Saturday. It started with me sleeping about 10 hours, getting up, reading my People magazine, fell asleep on the couch to the sounds of Notre Dame football, woke up at like 6pm, realized I had pretty much wasted an entire day (and really wasn't all that upset about it), made some dinner, and now here I am, 11:30pm and as tired as I still am, I can't sleep. I blame it on the nap....or my freakin' allergies. I felt like crap all day. I know I need to take my prescription allergy medicine, Zyrtec, but it makes me feel drugged up for like the first two weeks I take it. I can't hardly function. Thats fine if I'm trying to sleep but not real cool when I'm trying to work. Or drive.

Ah, the joy of hanging out with toddlers.....

So, I went to my friend Val's little girls 2nd birthday party after work today. Let me tell you how entertaining it is to be around a bunch of 2, 3, and 4 year olds. Such good times. I had Carrie's little guy Reed (age 4) ask me if I wanted to come to his house. He also informed me that their puppy "took a huge pee" in the house today. He was cracking me up. Kept saying "you know what?" and talking a mile a minute. And the birthday girl really had no interest in anything birthday related. She walked off in the middle of opening her presents to go play on the playground. She DID sit for cake though. We tried to get Carrie's 7 year old son Parker to recite his Boy Scout pledge to us but he got all embarrassed and wouldn't do it. My friend Krista was there too with her 2 year old Hannah Grace. They were all just so freakin' cute. Two is a good age. They're hilarious. I had a really good time. And people, let me tell ya, Val's home made macaroni and cheese is quite possibly the best thing I have ever eaten in my life. Seriously. Seriously, I wanted to eat the whole crock pot full. I didn't. But I wanted to.

already lovin' Survivor: Cook Islands

Watched the season premiere of Survivor last night. Yep-I'm already hooked. Something about watching crazy people on TV appeals to me....

Wanna give a big birthday shout out to my girl Sarah who will be TWO! Sarah is my good friend Val's little girl. Her Blues Clues themed party is tonight. I'm sure it will be rockin' good times!

Don't really have much planned this weekend. As is typical of a non-pay week, money is limited and at this point I am conserving what I have for gas. It's sad, but true. I ain't complainin' though, I have all I need. Hope everyone has a great last weekend of summer!!!!!

Here's the pic I was telling you about

Horses have antlers and deer have horns

Ok, so last night J asked me if I wanted to ride with him to his new job site so he'd know where it is. I agreed, besides, there was nothing on TV (with only 2 channels, that's bound to happen, and besides, we were pissed off about Toby not winning Rockstar Supernova. It was a bunch of BS, I tell ya! Whatever Tommy Lee!!!). So, off we went down Hwy 44, cruisin' along, when all of a sudden, traffic came to a halt. A complete halt. I mean down-to-one-lane-halt. Our nice little 30 minute drive turned into a nearly TWO HOUR ordeal. In a word? It SUCKED. That is, until I started hallucinating people running alongside the road (I SWEAR I saw someone....). When you are sitting in traffic going 4 miles an hour (literally, we clocked it), you can either 1. get pissed off or 2. make the most of it and laugh. So......we laughed (mostly). The place we were looking for was in Wildwood, we were on some BFE country backroads, I tell ya. And it was dark. I think we were in the middle of some deer attack. We saw tons of them. And some of them had horns (ok, I know they are really antlers, but thats what I kept calling them). Then, we saw a road sign that said "watch for horses". Well I'm sorry, but thats funny. I peeled my eyes for any sudden horse movement from the side of the road. We didn't see any, thank God. After following some jacked up directions, we finally found the job site. The house is freakin HUGE. All the houses around were-would have been great to see them during the day. Anyway, our little adventure turned out to be pretty fun. I laughed till I cried at times. I think we were slap happy, at least I know I was, we didn't get back until nearly midnight and I was waaaay too wired to even think about sleeping. This is a problem when you have to get up at 6:30am. J-thanks for the good times.

never forget

11 years to the day we lost Grandma B. Still seems like yesterday. It's hard to imagine what things would be like if she was still here. I will always remember her sense of humor (for those that know me-I blame her for my sense of sarcasm because that's where I got it!!!). One of my favorite memories of her is the time she took my sister and I to the mall, we were probably 14 and 12 at the time. We went into a music store and the teenage boys behind the counter were talking and doing a lot of cursing. Well Grandma marched right up to them and informed them that their language was offensive and that they were NOT to talk like that in front of her granddaughters. Red and I, of course, were WAY embarrassed, but looking back now, it was pretty funny. I also liked when I would come over to visit her and Grandpa, before I left she would slip a $20 in my pocket. That rocked. If anyone wants to continue that tradition, just let me know! Thanks.
Yes, Grandma was awesome and is still very much missed. I know she would be proud of all of us. And yes, is probably sitting up in Heaven laughing at us because we are a bunch of nuts! I love you Grandma!

Is anyone else loving the new 101.1 radio station????

At first I was heartbroken that The River was gone. What? No more Steve and DC? What in the hell am I gonna listen to in the mornings on my drive to work? Well, I am happy to say that the new format is AWESOME. I mean, hello, I got to hear old school Bobby Brown, Madonna AND "U Can't Touch This" by MC Hammer all in the same day. How cool is that? It totally takes me back to high school and even junior high days (hello, "Cold Hearted" by Paula Abdul!!!). If you get the chance, tune in to 101.1 (that is, if you're in St. Louis). By the way, does anyone know if Steve and DC have been relocated to another station or are they gone forever???? Say it ain't so!

How dare they stop making Breck shampoo!!!!

Grandpa is upset. They stopped manufacturing his favorite shampoo that he has used for like 50 years. Its a travesty, I tell you. I got to hear all about this yesterday after church (I also got to hear about how his Schnucks no longer carries his favorite jelly, but that is a whole other story....). Lucky for Grandpa I am a cheapskate and have spotted his favorite shampoo at the always ritzy Dollar Tree. Yep, for a dollar a bottle, Grandpa's Brecks shampoo is still in stock. Heck, for that price I could get him a couple cases of the stuff. So, if anyone ventures out to Dollar Tree, pick up a bottle or two for Grandpa-he likes the "regular" formula-no dry or oily hair here! Also, if you happen to be in the jelly aisle at Schnucks, Grandpa is in need of Smuckers red plum jelly. It's a must have.

Had a pretty good weekend, not a whole lot to report. I made home made chili last night-it was way good, if I do say so myself. Went to brunch with my former co-worker Sue and her 3 year old. 3 year olds crack me up-they are just so funny at that age! I managed to get myself out of bed and went to church yesterday. It was just me and Grandpa in the back pew. There was this little kid in front of me counting like The Count on Sesame Street (you know "1 ah ha ha, 2 ah ha ha, 3 ah ha ha.....). His parents were way embarrassed because everyone within earshot was laughing. It was too cute.

So, this mornings drive to work was a bit stressful. It was POURING and you know how St. Louisans drive when it's raining. Pure chaos. I made it to my desk in one piece. I know you were concerned.

Happy Grandparent's Day!!!!!

I just wanted to wish a very happy Grandparent's Day to my wonderful grandpa! I love you very much PawPaw! Hopefully I get my butt up early tomorrow so I can go to church and see you!

Prayers and love to my baby cousin Ben

I know there is a post about this on the fam blog, but I also wanted to make note on my blog. My cousin Ben, who is in the Air Force, will be stationed in Qatar starting Monday, Sept 11 (irony on the date?). Now, I hear not a whole lot of dangerous stuff is going on in Qatar, nevertheless, I worry about Ben being over there (he is only 19 for God's sake!). Ben, be safe, know that your cousin loves ya and I am SOOOO glad you got to have your 21st birthday celebration before you left! :) Ha!

Rockstar:Supernova ROCKS!

This show is AWESOME! Every week, glued to the TV screen, I tell ya! Anyone else watching it? My favorite is Toby. He rocks. You must watch-it ends next week, so make sure to watch Tue and Wed!

PMS rears it's ugly head

Yep-I'm cranky. And tired. And easily irritated. And cry easily. PMS is here-full force. NOT fun for anyone involved, especially those around me. I am sorry in advance for any pain and suffering I may cause in the next couple of days. Thank you.

Cafeteria on site at work=T-R-O-U-B-L-E

It's just not a good thing, having a cafeteria in the building I work in. Not only is it convenient and only 3 floors down, but it also has really good food. Restaurant quality. This could be bad. Let us all remember-I threw my fat pants away. There is no room for error here. This is going to require really, really strong will power. Today, I resisted the urge to get the cheese covered chicken enchiladas, or the buffalo chicken caesar salad. It was difficult-but I did it. Instead, I opted for a regular salad with plenty of fresh veggies (I draw the line at lite dressing, however) and Diet Coke. So far, so good. I must now resist the urge to go back down there and buy out all the rice crispy treats they have available......

Today is a holiday...and I didn't have to work...WHAT?

I didn't know what to do with myself. A holiday that I didn't have to work. I was confused for a minute, but quickly got over it. Too bad I spent the bulk of my weekend feeling like crap. Yep-those fall allergies have hit full force. I think I slept like 18 hours yesterday. No wonder my body wanted to get up at 7am this morning. I didn't let it, of course, that would be crazy! I had to bow out on doing Gabe's supervision this weekend-I swear I'll make it up to ya girl!

Well, hope everyone had a great Labor Day. I guess it isn't so much celebrating what Labor Day stands for (what does it stand for, anyway???), but more about getting together one last time before the weather cools down and fall begins. There was no family get together this year (what was up with that?). I didn't leave my apartment much but did have the joy of watching that Larry The Cable Guy movie......over, and over, and over again. Don't ask.

Now is time to wind down as I must be up by 7:00am to get to work in the morning. Tomorrow is my "late night". The whole "late night" concept at my new job still cracks me up as "late night" to them is working until 5:00 or 5:15pm. I LOVE it. After nearly 6 years of working until at least 11pm, I think I can handle 5:15 once a week....yea, I'm adjusting to this day shift thing just fine....

Happy birthday real quick to my friend Mike D and my friend Matt Harris (who just moved to Florida with his wife and is truly missed by everyone back in the STL!). Hope you boys both had a great birthday this weekend.

Also Happy Birthday to my cousin Jackie (Uncle Jimmy's daughter). Wow-is she freakin' 13? I can't even believe it, but it's true. My baby cousins are getting old. They're gonna catch up with me soon...

Happy One Year Anniversary to my blog!

My blog is officially one year old. Wow-who would have thought that I could come up with a whole year's worth of mindless, stupid crap? It was difficult, but I managed to do it. I ROCK. Here's to another fun filled year of me rambling, whining, bitching and babbling. Enjoy!

It's official-the "ber" months have begun!!!!

My favorite time of year has begun! Yay! I absolutely LOVE SeptemBER, OctoBER, NovemBER and DecemBER. Get it? The "ber" months? Ok...I thought it was funny. Anyway....along with the unofficial start of fall, I also have the ever fun seasonal allergies. They have come on full force this week. Right now I have been sneezing just by sitting in my living room, my head hurts, I'm congested. Good excuse to take Benadryl, if you ask me!

Went to happy hour tonight with the old crisis line crew. It was good to see the ladies. Was Maria drunk? I wasn't too sure, but she was laughing an awful lot... :) I hear that my old cubicle now houses pictures of Joey Lawrence and Corey Haim???? What the??? Stephen has lost his ever loving mind. As for the "robots or pirates" game-I'm going with pirates. Robots are kinda creepy.

Speaking of creepy-I was sitting in the living room just a little bit ago and the TV turned off by itself. The remote was sitting on the table-I didn't touch it. So, I'm just a little freaked out right now. I think either JoJo or Sparky did it.....

The new job is going well. I'm starting to "get it". Actually, today my trainer told me that I was "whizzing through" the work. I asked her if I should play stupid so I wouldn't have so much work to do....I tried to explain that I am used to doing about 100 things at the same time at work, so balancing a bunch of cases and trainings is not too hard to do. I know the job will get harder but for now, it's starting to make sense. My co-workers continue to be great. Today my boss bought our team pizza-that was way cool.

Hope everyone has a great Labor Day weekend. I don't even know what to do with myself-I haven't had Labor Day off in like 6 years. Weird. I think I'll spend it sleeping or something productive like that. Adios people.

this whole getting up at 6:30 thing SUCKS!

I mean seriously, the sun is barely up. I feel like I just fell asleep, then all of a sudden that damn, evil alarm is going off. That alarm is truly one of the most horrifying sounds ever. I hate it. I think I am starting to get adjusted to going to bed earlier. By 9pm I am exhausted and can barely keep my eyes open. It's sad, but true.

Nacho Girl

My career as Nacho Girl is over. No more concession stands for me. Two hours of making nachos, hotdogs, pretzels and running around like a crazy person was enough for me. I'm tired. And we all smell like grease-not cool. It actually was kinda fun. But I'm never doing it again.

home hair highlights and the Dent County fall festival-2006

Uh.....yea. So I was whining and complaining (I know you're surprised by that) about how it is so freakin' expensive to highlight my hair at the salon. I'm talking like over $100 usually. So, mom and I got the brilliant idea to do home highlights. Uh.....well, I figured the worst that could happen is that I would look like a bigger freak than normal, so I said what the hell!

Tonight from 6-8pm I will be working the concession stand at the Dent County Fall Festival with my parents. Rockin' Saturday night, huh? Yes, I will be grilling hamburgers, hotdogs and serving people nachos. Yippee. After that, I am going to the movies with my little brother to see Snakes on a Plane. It's gonna scare the crap out of me, I'm sure. I will be blogging later to let y'all know how the gig at the Fall Festival turns out. Wish me luck.

swarms of hummingbirds???

Dude, I saw the freakiest thing today at my parents house. Sitting down to eat dinner, I looked outside and saw a freakin swarm of hummingbirds-there were like 100 of them (ok, not really, more like 10-15, but it was still a lot of hummingbirds in one place). It was quite creepy and kinda gave me the chills. Ewww.

Driving can be hazardous to your car's health

There I was, Monday morning, my first day of my new job, driving on Hwy 70, listening to Steve and DC on the radio when all of a sudden I hear a "smack" on my windshield. Something big and ugly had hit it and before my eyes I saw the crack start to grow, and grow, and grow. It's a good 18 inches long now and may not be done growing. There is quite the chunk broken out from where the unidentified object hit my car. I was really hoping this was not a bad sign, as I was already nervous enough about starting a new job. Turns out, it wasn't. J did help me find a place to get it fixed, guess I should call them, huh? That car has been nothing but bad luck-I love it, but bad things happen to it-it has a couple of dents already, paint chipped off, someone door dinged me. It's beginning to look as ghetto-rific as the Crapalier.

You really don't want to be at 170 and 40 during 5:00 rush hour....

Ok, so I started my new job this week. So far, so good. It is a LOT to learn, but luckily I'm a quick learner. If you show me how to do something once, I usually get it. We're doing a lot of training right now. I'm getting antsy, I want to get on the computer and do this already! It's been rough adjusting to being an 8-4:30 person. Still having trouble sleeping (even w/Tylenol PM-I think I'm immune to it), but I know that will pass w/time. All my co-workers are great, my supervisor is great (any sup that will say the "f" word at work is alright w/me!). I'm glad I have friends that already work here. Makes the transition easier. Wanna give a shout out to my favorite old co-worker, Stephen. I know it isn't the same w/out me, but it will all be ok! Hell, maybe I'll come back and do those 4 hours a week, who knows?

lunch with Grandpa

I got to have lunch with Grandpa today-always a treat. I drove up to God's Country (aka Florissant). I let Grandpa pick where he wanted to go-I knew it would be one of three choices: IHOP, Jack-in-the-Box and/or the deli over by the Myer House in Florissant. Well, the deli place won out, so off we went. Lunch was good (tuna sandwich for me, BLT and coffee for Grandpa). The company was the best part. You realize how precious time is spending it with your only grandparent. We talked about a variety of topics-the American Legion, bowling, woodwork, Jefferson Barracks, and Cardinals/Cubs baseball, to name a few. I love my Grandpa very much and promised him we would do lunch more often. He also wants me to go bowling with him sometime. Now, this is a man who used to be on a bowling league. He tells he he did pretty crappy this week-only bowling like a 160. I informed him that usually I barely break 100, so I'm pretty sure I'm gonna get the crap kicked out of me by a 78 year old man!

The Clowns in the Closet

From left to right, we have Jo Jo, Sparky, and their little friend, Petey. Jo Jo and Sparky apparently live in my closet and taunt me at night. I'm convinced they're gonna kill me one of these days. Look at the evil bastards! You gotta watch that Jo Jo-he's one bad mo-fo. I think even Jesse is scared of Jo Jo. Let me know if you wanna come over and party with them though. I'm sure they're good times.

ick

me don't feel good. i feel really weak and tired. it's only 8:30 and i want to go to bed. maybe i'm withdrawing from all the sugar i had all week. or maybe, i'm getting sick. whatever the case, i feel like i could sleep for days non-stop. $20 says this girl doesn't make it till 10 tonight......

Happy Birthday Amy!!!!

Happy Birthday to my girl Amy! You rock-party on! Such a lucky gal-starting Monday, Amy will get to see my smiling face 4o hours a week....sucker....Luv ya Aim!

My last day at the crisis line

I haven't cried-yet. I've come close. I mean, come on, when the vice president of the company calls you into his office to wish you well and give you a hug, tell me you wouldn't tear up. I walked into the office today to sea of red and blue crepe paper and balloons everywhere-my exact comment was "it looks like Spiderman threw up in here". I know, I'm not right. The decorations were cool, what was a little creepy, however, was someone had made probably a hundred copies of my picture from my employee ID and plastered them around the office. I was a little disturbed having to stare at myself all day. When I finally made it to my desk, I found a princess crown and several presents, including a 12 pack of Diet Coke and two 1 pound bags of Skittles. These people know what I like. Rumor has it Stephen did the decorating in the middle of the night (such dedication!). There was tons of goodies (brownies, cookies, cupcakes)-I am soooo on a sugar high right now. I can't seem to stop eating the brownies. I KNEW I shouldn't have thrown away my fat pants!! Damn. The princess crown is a bit small-either that or I just have a big fat head. I can't believe I only have 3 hours left. I've been taking some calls, for the last time. I've spent a lot of time shredding paper-again (been doing that all week). It's the end of an era at the crisis line. The place will definitely be quieter and less obnoxious with me gone. J-we gotta find a place to put the, um...interesting gifts I received, such as the angel statue, the red/yellow cow, the elephant candle, and the barbie doll (I'm not sure, so don't ask). I think I'm starting to come down from my sugar high....getting sleepy now......

nice chat with my boss

I had a very nice meeting with my manager Bart today. He was very, very sweet and I believe genuine when he says he'll miss me working there. He was very complimentary (and anyone who knows me knows how hard it is for me to take compliments). Bart is the one that hired me 6 years ago (sucker!!!) and trained me and really gave me the foundation to be a good counselor. Of course, we've had our moments throughout the years, if anyone at work could push my buttons, it was him. Yea, we had some real knock down, dragouts throughout the years! But in the end, he's one of the people I respect the most in the world, certainly as far as clinical/counseling skills go. Yes, I know I am being quite sappy this week, but I just can't help it. My attachment to these people is very real, and I will genuinely miss them. Tomorrow will be rough for sure as it is the official last day. I'm gonna try not to cry but can't guarantee it.

Happy Birthday Cabin Boy!

Today is my friend Brian's (AKA Cabin Boy) birthday. If I remember correctly, he was born the same year I was making today his........30th BIRTHDAY! Brian-if you're out there in cyberland somewhere, I hope you have a great birthday, hope you are doing well! One good Cabin Boy story-he used to drink Aftershock in college, would then just exhibit some bizarre behavior, such as ramming his head into the wall. You fellow CMSU people that read this blog know what I'm talking about!

How to Maintain a Healthy Level of Insanity in the Workplace

1) Page yourself over the intercom. Don't disguise your voice.
2) Find out where your boss shops and buy exactly the same outfits. Wear them one day after you boss does. This is especially effective if your boss is a different gender.
3) Make up nicknames for all your coworkers and refer to them only by these names. "That's a good point, Sparky." "No, I'm sorry, but I'm going to have to disagree with you there, Cha-cha."
4) Send e-mail to the rest of the company telling them exactly what you're doing. For example: "If anyone needs me, I'll be in the bathroom."
5) Hi-Lite your shoes. Tell people you haven't lost them as much since you did this.
6) While sitting at your desk, soak your fingers in Palmolive liquid. Call everyone Madge.
7) Hang mosquito netting around your cubicle. When you emerge to get coffee or a printout or whatever, slap yourself randomly the whole way.
8) Put a chair facing a printer. Sit there all day and tell people you're waiting for your document.
9) Every time someone asks you to do something, anything, ask them if they want fries with that.
10) Send e-mail back and forth to yourself engaging yourself in an intellectual debate. Forward the mail to a co-worker and ask her to settle the disagreement.
11) Encourage your colleagues to join you in a little synchronized chair-dancing.
12) Put your trash can on your desk. Label it "IN."
13) Feign an unnatural and hysterical fear of staplers.
14) Send e-mail messages saying there's free pizza or donuts or cake in the lunch room. When people drift back to work complaining that they found none, lean back, pat your stomach and say, "Oh you've got to be faster than that."
15) Put decaf in the coffee maker for three weeks. Once everyone has withdrawn from caffeine addiction, switch to espresso.

late night sugar rush

Well, I'm on my third cake this week. Too bad I threw out all my "fat pants". It has been quite the Last Week of Work. Tonight I was given another cake, complete with Barbie decorations (don't ask). I now have the whole call center hopped up on cake. It's gonna be a long night for all. J-be glad you won't be home. It make take me awhile to calm down. I'm wondering if I'll get more cake tomorrow........

blah Monday

maybe I'm having Skittles withdrawal. Feel blah today. And everyone at work keeps telling me how upset they are that this is my last week, which just makes me feel bad. I really need to quit feeling guilty about things I have no control over, huh? Cleaning out my desk has been quite the process. You accumulate a bunch of crap in 6 years! I shredded a pile of paper today probably a foot high. I really didn't think anyone needed copies of my time off requests from 2001.

Skittles overload

Today, I learned that my staff at work really do love me. I walked into the office today to find balloons all over my desk with "good luck" signs everywhere. The best part however, was the bottles of Diet Coke and the several packages of Skittles on the table in the kitchen. They DO know what I like. Just when I thought it couldn't get any better, my co-worker Gabe came in and presented me with a homemade Skittles cake. It's a red velvet cake with red icing and Skittles on it everywhere. I have died and gone to Kerri heaven.....I promised J I wouldn't be too wired tonight...must pace myself. I'm gonna miss these people, I really am.

I'm a hazard to myself....

and, no, I am not singing that Pink song. Seriously people, just today I managed to 1. scratch the crap out of my leg with a stick (all I was doing was walking, mind you), 2. totally blacken my ankle with a bruise by climbing on playground equipment (don't ask) and 3. cut my finger with a pizza cutter (purely accidental, I assure you...no mental health people, I am not a "cutter", thanks though).

I'm pretty sure I should not be allowed out of the house. I told Jesse today that maybe I should start wearing a helmet. Anyone know where I can find a good one? Thanks in advance. Seriously, I took the girls to the park today (it's across the street from the apartment). Our mission? To free Henry and Gary. Who are they, you may ask? Well, they are the turtles who have been living with us for a couple of months now. We decided the boys would be much happier in their natural environment (Salem was too far away, so the park had to do). And, really, I think we were tired of cleaning up after them-those things go to the bathroom-A LOT. Anyway, so the girls and I found the perfect spot by the lake, surrounded by trees. Henry was all over getting the hell outta dodge. Gary was a little slow-then again, it's always been my theory that Gary is a little slow...we did get sidetracked by some stoners with a guitar (don't ask), but managed to let the boys free. The girls and I then kicked the soccer ball around (who knew KD had such mad soccer skillz, huh?). We then ventured on to the playground where the hideous bruising incident occurred. We tried to score the swings but some other kids were there, so finally, we returned home. The ironic thing about the pizza cutter? I went running through the apartment with it in my hand to answer my work phone (I'm on call all weekend). The girls informed me I was a bad influence because you really shouldn't run with a pizza cutter in your hand-thanks girls, point taken. No, I didn't cut myself while running. No, this girl cut herself while cutting the pizza. Now, that takes talent. I rock.

Want to know a way to horrify two 10 and 11 year old kids? Tell them you think their dad is hot. That will traumatize them for life. Seriously. It was fun.

So I'm sitting here typing at nearly 1:00am-probably shouldn't have taken that two hour nap from 5-7, huh? Work has called like five times, I'm cool with it though because after tomorrow night, I never have to be on call again-yay! Maybe I should try to get some sleep, I do have to work tomorrow (today, whatever). Hope everyone had a good weekend. I'm off to start my very last week at my job. I'm a little sad about it. It's kinda surreal. Six years is a long time to be at one place. I'm gonna miss it. Ok, maybe not the stress of the job so much, but the people. There really are some good people there. Enough sappiness for now, I'm off to bed. Nighty night folks!

mental health humor

full moon II

Another co-worker just asked if we could unplug the phones. Stephen and I politely informed her that that probably would not be a good idea, given we are a suicide crisis hotline and all......

It's the full moon

A co-worker just asked me why it has been so freakin' crazy tonight. I had to break it to her that it's the full moon. This fully explains the craziness. There is some correlation between the two. It explains why my boss Bart sings in the call center, why we are so busy at work and why I poked myself in the eye with my headset. This is scientific fact people. Look it up.

The extended Baumgartner clan

Aunt Cheryl, Uncle Nick, Michael and his wife Kim, Jeff and his wife Jessica


Aunt Jan, Uncle Craig and Kelli



Aunt Mary, Uncle Ron, Clint, Ben, Rachel and Kira


Uncle Jimmy, Aunt Diane, Grant and Jackie
Aunt Paula, Uncle Jay, Greg, Chelsea, Patrick

My mom is from a pretty big family. Here are some pics of her sisters and brother and all of their families. Is it possible for like 40 people to all look alike?

more vacation pics

The Davidson gals-my sister, mom and me

My sister and I


These pictures are from my mom's camera-they are some of my favorites from our trip.

I am gonna wet my pants laughing.....

Ok, so there is a story behind this one. So, we took a day trip to Charleston and went to Ft. Sumter (Yes, it was at Uncle Jimmy's urging-he is a Civil War freak!!!). Anyway, mom and dad and I went into the museum (really because it was 105 degrees outside and the museum had air conditioning) and were looking at all the pictures and facts about the war (that Abraham Lincoln was psychic y'all!) when my dad whispers "hey, is that guy cross eyed?". Well, mom and I looked and of course started giggling, then the people behind us were like "oh my God he IS cross eyed". Of course my mom had to take a picture of it. It was freakin hilarious, guess you had to be there.

Yes, Aunt Cheryl, I'm stealing pictures!

This is my entire family on my mom's side. Cute, huh?

My Grandpa with the great-grandchild of the family, Kira

Here's my family! My brother-in-law Jon, my sister Kristy, me, dad, mom and my brother Timbo

My parents

Newly posted on the fam blog thanks to Aunt Cheryl. Like the matching shirts?????? :)

I swear I got attacked by a crab....no really.

I'm back! Did ya miss me? I had a good time in Hilton Head, but sure am glad to be back home. I missed my boy and, more importantly, my bed (no offense baby-but I slept in the floor for seven nights...it takes it's toll). Anyway, I'll try to keep the Saga of the Family Trip fairly short (yea right). Here goes.......

So, the trip down there was fairly entertaining. From dad informing us every 100 miles how far he had driven that day to Tim spilling an entire box of Skittles in the seat (with me laughing so hard I truly thought I was going to wet my pants), good times were had by all. Tim and I picked up a job application from Wendy's fully intending to fill it out (Tim wanted his name to be "Turd Ferguson"). Mom informed us all that "country music is queer" (thanks mom!). Dad was upset that we were going through the Smoky Mountains in the dark because he couldn't see anything (hey, I wanted to see some toothless hillbillies too!). I again almost wet my pants laughing when mom agreed to play my iPod and my 55 year old father started dancing to Tupac's "California Love". My family is insane.....We had a stimulating discussion about Lance Bass telling the world that he's gay (like we were surprised by that one). I brought up the fact that Lance Bass once wanted to be an astronaut, to which my brother said, and I quote "only gay people are astronauts, just look at Neil Armstrong". What? We stopped in Atlanta that first night (the "ATL"), then proceeded on to Hilton Head the next day.

As you can imagine, the majority of the time, we just sat on the beach. A family full of fair skinned people, mind you. It was pretty cool to get to hang with all of my family (and by all, I mean aunts, uncles, cousins, second cousins and, of course, grandpa). We were together a lot but did our own thing too. There was whiffle ball and football on the beach and Tim and Ben's new sport-"wave shredding". Yes, those two are awaiting their endorsement deals and plan to be the first ever wave shredders at the X-Games. Uh.....yea. The nights entailed all of us meeting out by the pool where Uncle Jimmy and Uncle Jay entertained us by playing the guitar (with a rousing family rendition of "Wanted Dead or Alive", complete with the whole fam getting to sing the Richie part).

We thought Uncle Ron broke his leg in a freak wave runner incident. Turns out it was just severely bruised. At least he still scored some Vicodin! I was surprised I made it the whole week injury free, after all, I'm the girl that runs into my cubicle wall at least 3x a week and hits myself with the car door pretty much daily...well, I was injury free until Friday. That was the day all hell broke loose (ok, not really, but the melodrama makes for a better story). There I was, out in the ocean with my family, having a good time, laughing at the wave shredders when all of a sudden I felt this piercing pain on my right foot (kinda felt like being sliced by a knife, which I know about since I tend to accidentally cut myself with the kitchen knives when chopping things). Anyway, I lifted my foot and noticed blood pouring from my foot. Not a good thing when you are in the middle of the ocean and there have been recent documented shark attacks....luckily, my family is full of medical people and there was a nurse and a doctor right there. Not to worry folks, I'm gonna make it. I don't know if it was really a crab that attacked me, I guess I could have stepped on a shell or something, but the crab thing sounds a whole lot more dramatic, don't you think?

So, overall, it was a good week. I missed J tons (he should already know this) and was getting quite homesick for him. I'm back in the swing of things now. Today went back to work where I now have only 9 more working days. It is sad for sure, but I am ready to move on to my next job adventure. Well, I'm sure I'm forgetting some funny shit that happened, but I can't remember it all right now. Peace out party people.

posting halted

Hey all! I may not be posting for awhile (I know, you are saddened beyond belief). Tomorrow I am leaving for Hilton Head, SC with my family (I know you're jealous). While my Aunt Cheryl will surely have her laptop handy, I'm not sure how much blogging I will be doing. Here is what a family vacation entails:
1. Mom and dad singing "oldies" in the car
2. Eating at Cracker Barrel at least once in every state we drive through.
3. Me and dad both getting bored by, oh say.....Monday.
4. Mom and her sisters getting tipsy on pina coladas.
5. Me and Red's hair getting GIGANTIC as a result of the fresh sea air.
6. All of us coming up with one liners that are sure to stick around for sometime (does "if driving 90 is wrong then I don't wanna be right" ring a bell? Or how bout "it's these kids back here".)

Then again, I may have to blog as a sort of trip diary. Gotta capture the good stuff while you still remember it.

Anyway, hope everyone has a great week. I will be back in St. Louis on Saturday August 6. Be good everyone.

Oh, and J, sweetie-thanks a million for getting "More Human Than Human" in my head. No really...thanks......Have I mentioned that I luuuuuuuuv you? :)

The idiot test

http://www.fuali.com/test.aspx?id=741516d0-8635-449e-8e7b-914071fd3d36


Apparently, I'm 63% idiot. Like anyone is surprised by that one........

The "Are you an a**hole or b**ch" test

http://www.fuali.com/test.aspx?id=dd4c0ca6-a554-4cbe-b0e7-bc17462a412e


Apparently, I am 25% bitch. Who knew (besides just about everyone that knows me)?

ha ha ha

go to www.uglydress.com

it is freakin' hilarious! here are some examples from the site, and, yes, I am working hard today....

It's never a good sign when....

It's never a good sign when you wake up with a headache. The workday has not even begun, nothing has even happened to cause your headache, yet you already have one. That is what I woke up to today. It is of the migraine variety-complete with nausea. I'm not in a bad mood, just not feeling real great. I did get to spend a very nice (and rare) afternoon with my boy (baby-I am very glad that your baby girl is ok!). I made him some lunch and cleaned the "squirrel" cage out (right, J?), and endured a creepy Nicolas Cage movie while J finally got some sleep (for those that are not aware, my sister and I strongly feel that Nicolas Cage is one of the creepiest people on Earth. I mean, hello, have you seen City of Angels????). I'm glad for any time I get to spend with J this week. I'm at work now and hoping the handful of ibuprofen I just took will get rid of this headache. If not, it's gonna be a long, long night.....

Just another manic monday.....

I'm getting very sleepy. I think it's because my boss was feeding me chocolate today. The afternoon was a little rough, very busy, definitely called for some chocolate. Unfortunately, when you get that sugar high, you also get the sugar crash. That is where I am right now. I find myself distracted today for some reason. My boy may know something about that..... :)
The count down to vacation is on. I have mixed feelings about it because I am really gonna miss J-a lot. But I am looking forward to not working for a week and spending time with my family. I'm sure the week will go by fast and I will be able to torture J with my presense once again!

Grandpa is ok. He's been hanging out at.....Harrah's?????

I talked to Grandpa today-finally. Yes mom, you're right, he is being stubborn and insisting on staying in his home. He has been sleeping in the basement, however, to keep cool and has been eating "McDonald's hamburgers". And....he has been hanging out at Harrahs. Of course! Why didn't I think of that? He's fine, we talked about our trip next weekend-he is a bit concerned that his fishing gear isn't going to fit in the car....

pictures of this week's storms

I saw that orange sunset on Wednesday. Freaky, isn't it? I just can't believe how much damage has been done. People are without electricity and now water-and no telling when it will all be back up and running. I hope my grandpa is ok-I tried calling him, but all the phone lines are down in Florissant. If anyone talks to him, let me know! J said that you wouldn't even recognize Granite City right now. It got hit both Wednesday and today. What a freakin' mess......

Thank God no one is hurt

Yes, Wednesday night we got the storm from hell here in the STL metro area. I was at work, one of my co-workers had just come from North County and mentioned it was "real ugly" there. No sooner did she say that, that all hell broke loose. Trees were sideways, the sky was part orange, part gray/green. It was freaky, to say the least. I emailed J to see if he was ok down in South City. About two minutes later, he emailed back to let me know that it had just hit there. Well, the power went out at work (which is never a good thing when you are a crisis hotline), so here I was, handing out lanterns and flashlights to people-because you know the phones were still working. So, we took crisis calls in the dark. Our computer guy came in, discovered half the building had power, so he ran a bunch of extension cords and we managed to get three computers up and running. Long night. Once on my way home, the damage was unbelievable. Traffic lights out, trees everywhere. The storm got us good. J told me Granite City got it pretty bad-that made me nervous since his kids are there and all his friends, but everyone is ok! The girls are with us now because they still don't have power at their house. We were lucky, the apartment never lost power. Thank God my sister got an earlier flight in from Chicago-originally she would have been trying to land during all that crap! Now the clean up begins. There are tons of people without power still and tons of trees to clean up. But for the most part, everyone is ok. Let's hope this doesn't happen again for quite some time.....

Good thing I got that extended warranty

Uh, yea.....so my car that I just got at the end of March is about to hit 10,000 miles....yea, you heard me right-10,000. I haven't put all those miles on myself-J has helped me a bit, but most of them are my doing. It's under warranty for 100,000 miles, which should happen sometime before Thanksgiving......at least she gets good gas mileage-at $3.05 a gallon, that is a must because I so do not want to take the bi-state bus to work.....

Mixed emotions

Well, I thought the day would never come, but I am officially resigning from my job. I've been there nearly six years and honestly thought I'd never go. Sometimes, however, you just know when it's time. And now is my time. My new job will certainly be a change-I'm entering the world of managed care.....gone are the days of working nights, weekends and holidays. I'll be working normal people hours, no weekends, no holidays-I won't even know what to do with myself. Leaving work when the sun is still up? That's crazy talk! I am really going to miss a lot of the people I work with-some have been there longer than I have. You certainly get to know people when you work with them day in and day out for six years. I broke the news to my team on Sunday and several said I was going to make them cry...I'm not trying to make anyone cry! Tonight, two of the girls on my team informed me that they are plotting to beat me up for leaving...I'm pretty sure when you're plotting against someone, you shouldn't give them the heads up.....

Welcome Grayson Nicholas!

Grayson is finally here! My friend Shannon and her husband Bruce welcomed Grayson on Sunday. He arrived a week early, had to be delivered via c-section because he was nearly TEN POUNDS! He's a big boy! Congrats to Shannon and Bruce. I can't wait to meet him!

Nice day for a 5K

What a turnout for the L6! Wow, there were well over 1,000 people-not bad for a first ever event. It did happen to fall on the hottest day of the year thus far, but no biggie. My sister is the runner in the family-she finished a very respectable 4th in her age group. I, on the otherhand, walked. My walking partners were my brother-in-law Jon and his other wife, Robert (right Red???). I also walked with my friend Val and my friend Krista's husband, Scott (who is Laura's brother). Not to mention Miss Hannah Grace who was very graciously going to let me ride in her jogging stroller. I figured it probably wasn't very cool to con a 2 year old out of her stroller, so I let her keep riding....I also ran into my friend Sean (as in Channel 5 Sean) who I hadn't seen in a million years. As predicted, it was a very emotional day, especially when Laura's husband Jeff got on the stage to thank everyone. I'm pretty sure there wasn't a dry eye in the place. I just hope that the money raised today will in some way help out. Jeff also announced that they are forming a foundation in Laura's name to help others with traumatic brain injuries. Very cool.

Well, now that I'm home, I'm quite sleepy. Getting up at 6:30 on a Saturday will do that to you. J is in GC visiting his baby girl, so I think a nap is in order for me. Nighty night y'all!

Hank the Tank-AKA 50 Cent

Exactly a year ago, our boy Hank was shot twice in the side. We assume he was out being bad (i.e. chasing cows) and one of the local farmers shot him. I remember little Stubby running up the driveway, she was like Lassie, trying to tell us that something was wrong. I went to the back door to go see her when I saw Hank laying there in a pool of blood (sorry to be so graphic). I, of course, freaked and yelled for mom and dad. He totally didn't look like he was going to make it, he was in shock and could barely move. Stubby was licking him trying to stop the bleeding. We tried desperately to get a hold of a local vet, but reached only answering machines. Dad faced the fact that he was probably gonna have to put Hank out of his misery, a task I'm sure he didn't look forward to. Mom and I took Stubby in the house and cried and cried and cried. We love our Hank! And, this was right after our beloved Spaz died. Dad was going to get Hank onto the scoop-thingy on his tractor to take him out in the woods, but good ol' Hank put up a fight. It was as if he was saying "hell no fool, I ain't gonna die!". In the meantime, one of the vets returned our call. I'm not sure where this guy got his degree, but his response was "if he makes it to the morning, he'll be ok". What? We tried to make him as comfortable as possible and prayed he would make it (just hours later I found out my friend's sister-in-law had been in a horrible car accident-it was NOT a good day!).
Morning came, mom woke me and Tim up and told us to look outside. Well, there was our boy, standing (albeit painfully) with the most pitiful puppy face I have ever seen. Hank is one tough boy! The buckshot may have shot some stupid into him (come on, we all know he isn't the brightest), but he was alive.
Hank is perfectly fine now. True, one of his bullet holes has yet to heal, but otherwise, he is happy and healthy. And he now stays out of that farmer's field....

The L6 race is tomorrow....

Tomorrow will be a very emotional day. It is the day that we will all remember what happened a year ago to the day. My friend Krista's sister-in-law, Laura, was in a horrible car accident while driving to work. Laura remains in a coma to this day. Tomorrow there is a 5K race taking place in honor of Laura. As you can imagine, her medical bills are astronomical, not to mention the emotional strain it has put on her family and friends.
What I hope to take from this is to remember all the people that I love and to be thankful that I have them all in my life. Because you never know what is going to happen in life. Something like this makes you remember to not take things for granted. So, tomorrow, I will give my money for a good cause and hope and pray that someday Laura will wake up from her coma.
Take care of yourselves, and each other! Love-KD

Say it ain't so.....

My friend Erin just emailed me the most devastating news ever. I'm not sure I'll recover.......

Rivers Cuomo Says Weezer Is Done
The Associated Press
NEW YORK -- Rivers Cuomo says that, for now, Weezer is "done." Cuomo, the band's bespectacled songwriter and frontman, told MTV that while he remains in touch with his bandmates, "we've never mentioned getting together."
"Really, for the moment, we are done," he said. "And I'm not certain we'll ever make a record again, unless it becomes really obvious to me that we need to do one."
Weezer has released five albums since forming in 1993. The group took a considerable break between 1996's "Pinkerton" and 20

01's self-titled disc (typically called "The Green

Album"). The band's last release

was "Make Believe," in 2005.
The liner notes of that album led to conjecture that it was Weezer's last. They included a quote from a parting soliloquy in Shakespeare's "Tempest," the playwright's last play.
Cuomo, 36, said he has been writing songs, but said, "I don't know what'll happen with these songs — if anything. ... I certainly don't see them becoming Weezer songs, and I don't really see the point of a solo career. So we'll just have to see."
Jim Merlis, a spokesman for Geffen said that the label had no official response, but did add Cuomo has made similar statements in the past.

My friend Christi

Just got these pictures from my friend Christi. One is of her little family: her husband Jim and her little girl, Shelby. The other, obviously, is Shelby. I haven't seen them in ages even though they live here in St. Louis. Christi was my college room mate at good ol' CMSU (a million years ago now!). That girl and I had some good times, thats for sure! The fact that neither one of us ever got arrested is amazing (although we did have to bail a few of our friends out of jail). Just wanted to share these pics!

Uh....

Is it just me, or does Hilton Head Island look like a shoe?

stress, stress and more stress

Yea...I'm near my breaking point. Stress level is definitely high right now. It's not just me though, which, in some weird way, makes me feel a little bit better. It seems to be just about everyone around me (which makes me a little paranoid-is it me causing the stress? I sure hope not...). Work is crazy right now. I am trying to keep my head on straight when I'm there, but it is getting hard. One of my fellow supervisors even said to me last night that she was about to burst into tears. Yea, we're all feeling it. I worked late-AGAIN, for the 2nd night this week. As soon as I got in my car I started crying and did so the whole way home (I also cried myself to sleep). I guess that helps me relieve some of the stress. I was having sharp, shooting pains in my side too, but, oddly enough, they went away when I got home....hmmmm....I am trying to keep things in perspective, it's just really hard right now. I took Benadryl so I could finally sleep last night. Well, one didn't work, so around 2:30am I took another one. I still had a pretty restless sleep and totally did not want to get up today. I only have 8 more working hours until my weekend starts. I'm counting down now...

What I do know is this-J, I love you. Thank you for last night. As my Grandma B always used to say "this too shall pass". I gotta believe that right now...and hope that I'll be back to "normal" Kerri really, really soon.....

What I need to remember is that I have a great family, great co-workers who are feeling my pain, great friends and one great boyfriend. I'll try to keep this in mind next time I have the thought of hurling myself off the 2nd floor balcony at work...(and NO people, I'm not really gonna do it, so don't go calling the crisis line or anything!).

Remember this for next time

Don't eat a bag of Skittles just a couple of hours before you plan to go to bed or you'll be like me. Yes, last night, the sugar high was fun, I won't lie (I think my co-workers would agree with that one!), but once I got home and tried to go to sleep, it soooo wasn't happening, and in the worst way too-I was totally tired and wanted to sleep but was still wired from that sugar. I tossed and I turned, then I tossed some more. It wasn't cool. Not sure what time I finally fell asleep, I do know it wasn't a good sleep, so I may be a bit more delirious than usual today. Sorry to anyone who may have to see me or talk to me or live with me today..... :)

Happy Birthday Aunt Cheryl!

Just wanted to wish my Aunt Cheryl a very Happy Birthday today! Hope you get to do something fun! I'll see you in a couple of weeks. Let's pray for no sharks and no hurricanes!

It's not my fault

One of my employees gave me Skittles tonight. So, it is totally not my fault that I am way hyper and have the shakes right now. Not my fault. Someone here at work just asked me if I was on crack. I'm pretty sure there isn't any crack in Skittles....

what?

No blogging for me the last couple of days. That is because I have done nothing but work and sleep. Pretty boring blog material. I don't even have anything interesting to say, nothing to make sarcastic comments about-I got nothin'. Sorry to my faithful following who like to read this blog, I know I have let you down. I promise to have more blog material in the future.

Who needs sleep anyway?

I mean, seriously. Sleep is overrated (I say this as I am downing Diet Coke and sugar like it's going out of style). It is perfectly normal to get to bed at 6am and be at work by 1pm. Right? I'm not at all bitter that while I'm slaving away at work, a certain someone is sleeping peacefully at home....not at all bitter. At least his thumb hurts..... :)

Had a good weekend. Actually got to hang out with J all weekend which was pretty cool. No work, no kids, no nothing but hangin' with my boy. SOMEONE, I won't say who, decided that getting drunk Friday night would be a good time. Oh, it was a good time, alright. "Someone" was freakin' hilarious and obviously having a good time. "Someone" was cracking me up. We saw Uncle Jimmy's band, Ivory Tiger, play. It was good to see him again, it's been a little while. We started to talk about vacation, but J and I had to stop that-we are already having separation anxiety and I haven't even left yet! I'm gonna miss that boy so much! Anyway, I took care of drunkboy, made sure he made it to bed safely. We proceeded to sleep most of Saturday away, went grocery shopping (ramen noodles and peanut butter, right baby?), then headed back out to Eddie's for a less intoxicated evening. It was a good night just chillin, had fun hanging out after the bar closed. Still managed to not get to bed before 6am, but whatever, it's cool. I'm not complaining. I'm at work now, gonna be busy, can't wait till 9 so I can leave and go see my baby!

uh, yea......

My co-worker gave me a Burger King crown today. Not sure what I'm gonna do with it other than insist that staff refer to me as the Queen of the Call Center. Think that will catch on?

My boy is wonderful

J has been so awesome. I am having a really crappy week and he has been nothing but supportive and trying to make me feel better. J-I love you so much!!!!!

I am on the countdown to the end of my workweek. Seven and a half hours and counting....is that sad? I live for the weekends anymore (and time with J). I know that by the time I leave for vacation with the family I am definitely gonna need some relaxation time (although I hate the fact that I will be away from my boy for that long!). I'm thinking a Benadryl induced sleep may be in order for tonight. I haven't been sleeping well all week and my body feels it.

Sorry to be such a downer. Just one of those times where stress is high. I know it will get better eventually. Just gotta hang in there.....

Happy 4th of July y'all!

Is everyone having a good holiday? I am spending mine at work. So far, so good. I am actually getting some work done. I was upset to find that staff had brought in Krispy Kreme donuts though. That is just pure evil. I realized I could totally eat the entire box, so instead, I am staying clear of the food table so that I can show some restraint. Can't stay a size 4 if you eat a box of donuts....AND I have to sport a swimsuit in a couple of weeks at Hilton Head. Nothing like pressure. At least I am getting off work tonight at 8, I'll actually get to spend the evening with my boy, which always makes me happy. Well, hope everyone has a fun and safe day!

The day before a holiday and all's well

Yes, while most of the world is off work today and tomorrow, I am working. Luckily, today has not been too bad, although I have been plenty busy. I will be celebrating the 4th of July....at work. My boss was nice enough to let me work noon to 8, so at least I could see some fireworks if I wanted to! My team and I plan to be obnoxious and wear head to toe red, white and blue tomorrow. I came to a sad realization today that my staff are clones of me. Everyone is sarcastic, likes to laugh a lot, and doesn't take too many things seriously. It's a little frightening. I don't know if they were that way before or if I have influenced them in some way. Anyway, they are good times and I love them all.

Happy Birthday to my friend Eric today! Hope you are having a good one! Hope you are taking care of my favorite city (Chicago).

Hope everyone has a fun and safe 4th of July!

Happy Birthday Parker!!!

My friend Carrie's son, Parker, is SEVEN today! Woo hoo! Happy birthday Parker, hope you are having a great day!