Wedding Vows

So I went to a wedding on Saturday. I love weddings. I really do. In fact, I will quietly put myself in the huge-sucker-for-weddings camp long as I think they're not one of those where the wedding speeches last longer than the marriage itself. And this one was a good one. It was beautiful. They're in love. They'll stick forever. For better or for worse. And this time, it was the better or worse, sickness and health business that was almost a bit too much for me to handle. Because who doesn't reflect on their own lives and marriages when the vows are said by the smiling, teary-eyed, completely in-love couple? And while I smiled and thought, "These kids have really got no idea what they've just said..." it was also the precise moment that it hit me how much Beerman and I have lived up to our own vows with each other lately. And I realized truly, just how thankful I am for it.

You Know the Day's Going to Get Weird...

...when it starts off by seeing a DOT worker SKIPPING down the road. No lie, I saw a man, approximately 6' 2", about 35 years of age, with an orange and yellow vest on, skipping down the road with fairy hands toward his coworkers. I've got to believe it was some sort of joke, but I had to look away to make sure all these drugs I've been taken haven't been affecting me. What's weirder is while I looked away, I turned only to see a woman singing wildly while heating up her eyelash curler against her car's heater vent. Whoa... That was some weird ride into work. ****************** I'm officially on the planning committe for the upcoming November 9th Jingle Bell Run/Walk at the zoo. I have $5000 to raise in sponsorships between now and then. Anyone got any leads? Beyond that, it means I need to have a big ass team. So go to the top-right of my blog and sign up you and your family members and friends to walk with me and Team Arthur Itis at the zoo. It's for a good cause. And I'll even buy breakfast afterward.

In Honor of My 401(k) 201(k)

Knuckles, Neighbors and in the News

So I went off the junk because I was convinced I was "all better". Yeah. All better. Back on the drugs I go, and off go the rings. I'm losing my knuckles by the minute. Argh! ************ We have a wedding to go to this weekend. After a mad-frantic search for a babysitter, I decided to go ask our neighbors to give me the number of theirs. I hate to gank a babysitter out from under someone, but I was getting desperate. And lo and behold, they volunteered! I still feel incredibly guilty, but they live next door and have a 4 year old that C-man plays with regularly. We'll keep it an early night just in case, but happy day - we found someone. ************ http://www.news.wisc.edu/15598

Behold... Knuckles!

After 6 days of drugs, creams, and complaining, I once again have knuckles. Amazing. Now I just need to heal my innards from the toll the drugs have taken. Sigh... Beat one devil back only to be chased by another. ************ Riley has fully embraced football season: And C-man has now worn his AJ Hawk jersey to school 2 days in a row. Despite this, he still only wants to be a baseball player for Halloween. And he feels Ned Yost's firing was unjust. He is the only one in the house to believe this.

Harvesting What's Left

The end of the summer harvest is always so bittersweet. Here are a few of the absolutely mouthwatering, eye tantalizing things we've been getting this week: Fresh, citrusy tomatillos: Heirloom tomatoes (purple cherokee, green zebra, and amish paste): Chamomile drying for a great cup of tea

Cardamon (cilantro seeds) for future tasty stews (and my favorite beer, hint hint):

Ike, You're Killing Me

This rain is killing me. Steroids, steroid creams, drugs... none of it seems to help make my hands not resemble the Michelin man's. Plus, C-man is begging to go outside and play baseball. I am going to go take him out to get our Ryan Braun mini magnet of the all-important daily mini-Brewers magnets that come out each day. ********************** Taking time out of our baseball game to smell the roses:

The healthy and the not so healthy

Last night C-man wanted pancakes for dinner. Then I remembered that you can put 3/4 C of sweet potato puree in pancake mix, and figured, what the hell. I used our little bear form, put blueberries on for eyes and a mouth, and he gobbled them up like a champ. Check that off as one item he'll eat that's a bit healthier. Before bed, I took out some chocolate croissants I got from Trader Joe's to proof overnight in the oven I had set to go on at 7 a.m. After a night of C-man's night terrors (yikes), what a welcome bit of heaven to wake up to. Warm, buttery, chocolatey croissants. C-man declared, "I love these!" Me, too. ************************** Yesterday, on my way BACK to the rheumatologist for MORE drugs to try to get my finger swelling down a bit, I stopped at Starbucks. While waiting for my grande latte, I got to chatting with a guy... who actually asked me out! HA! Guess that's what not wearing my rings will do. Anyhow, I've been bragging to Beerman that he'd better watch out, because I'm one puffy babe who men want. :-) Good thing he's not the jealous type, because I've been kind of obnoxious about it. ************************** In case you haven't noticed, you can sign up to be in or donate to the November 9th Jingle Bell Run/Walk for Arthritis by clicking on the links to the right.

Day Off

I took a day off work so I could take a day off pretending to be feeling okay. I can't sleep. My rings don't fit on my hands. I can't bend over. I have zero appetite. After a week of this, I am a zombie.

One of those...

There are days, and then there are weeks. It's been one of those again.

Wordless Wednesday - Yo

Funny stories about my kid from last night

Why you might not want to pick up our Koosh ball if you’re at the house Scene: “Naked time” Otherwise known as the 1 - 2 hour time-period between bath and bed where my child refuses to wear clothes. “Na-na-na-boo-boo. You can’t find the “*prickly ball” *Koosh ball “Where’d it go?” “I’m squinching it in my butt!” After 4 days of not pooping... C-man races to the bathroom, shouting "You guys stay right here!" Wait 4 minutes. "Mom and Dad, I have something to show you!" As we parade into the bathroom to see his glory, he proclaims, "Look! It's a giant mustache!" Nightly bedtime ritual C-man comes into bed to give me "hugs and kisses". As he returns to his bed, he closes my door. Wait 5 seconds. Door opens. "And don't make a peep!" Slam.

At least the hot dog won...

Add this one to my summer favorites list...

While at Virmond Park on a gorgeous day, after a wonderful picnic with some of our earlier farmers market finds, laying on a blanket in the sun while Beerman pushes C-man on the swing, this is what I hear: "Daddy, I see a cat cloud ' Meow!'" "Well I see a dragon over there" "I see him too. He goes way back over the lake. But look at that rhino. Whoa, he's big!"

Last days of Summer

It's everywhere - with the boots/skirt combo, wildcard talk, football has begun, air turned a bit crisper, school starting, and Indian Summer festival this weekend - summer is winding down. So to give it its due, here were my favorite things about this summer, in no particular order:

• Smell of fresh garden cucumbers, still warm from the sun
• Watching the tomatoes grow, ripen, and get eaten up by the deer/squirrels/varmints just minutes before I was to pick them
• Farmers markets
• Lavender, thyme, tarragon, rosemary, sage, dill, chamomile, mint... sigh...
• Geocaching
• I got a promotion and Beerman kept his job
• Winning Brewers baseball
• Gorgeous basil that grew almost as high as my shoulders
• A potty trained kid
• Twilight, New Moon, Eclipse, and Breaking Dawn
• Democratic Convention and Barack Obama
• Outdoor movies on the "gazebo screen"
• Building a butterfly garden and watching it grow to host so many beautiful things
• Cooking with C-man (making ice cream and muffins, usually)
• Eating ice cream at "our table" at the local Baskin-Robbins with C-man, and then him squealing on me to Beerman after
• State Fair and the Big Slide
• Teaching C-man about the glory that is s'mores and pudgy pies
• Watching C-man run the bases at Miller Park (hopefully we'll do it again Sunday if it doesn't go another 12 innings like last time!)
• Breakfast on the farm
• Zoo trips
• Watching C-man fall in love with fireworks (even if they are still too loud)
• So You Think You Can Dance!, and the Mole
• Arthritis Walk to Irish Fest

It was a summer that definitely had its downs, but overall, it's been worthwhile. Thanks, Summer.

Beerman on the Radio

Listen to Beerman live at 3:25 today: www.xxsportsradio.com

Whooopeeeeeee!

Beerman has a job. The changes include: new title, managing both facilities and teams here and in Colorado, and now reporting up to the Director of International something or other. In other words, same pay - more responsibility, but in an elevated position. So after he turns in his paperwork this morning, he officially has a job located here. Thank God I put 2008 on notice. Things have really been looking up for us lately.

As the sayings go...

"But you are wrong." ~ C-man to Beerman about the name of the monkey on his new favourite show (I'm using a "u" because it HAS to be Canadian. Who else would create a kids show about a moose?) Elliot Moose. His name is "Socks" in case you cared. "I really want to punch them all in the face." ~ Beerman about all Republicans

Political Humor

Because these are too good to pass up:

"Five kids? Does anyone in that party understand the concept of pulling out?" –Bill Maher

Happy Labor Day!