It's my blog and I'll party if I want to!

Tomorrow is my birthday. I will be turning 29! My last year in my twenties. I am actually looking forward to 29 and I am even kind of excited about what 30 might bring.

I had a birthday bash/house warming party, because along with my new age I also have a new house (well, new since August). I have been working on my backyard like a fiend trying to get it ready for the party.

First I had some pavers laid. They turned out so well. Even better than I expected.



After that I decided I wanted a flagstone patio…but I had spent all my money for hired help on the pavers. That meant I had to do the flagstone myself. And when I say myself I really mean, me, Mike (he was out there from beginning to end), Jen, my dad, and my brother Alex. They all helped me dig a giant hole, then lay gravel and sand and eventually the flagstone itself.




Look I even have some garden beds because I am going to try and be all 'urban farmery' (raised beds made by my brother Sam) Oh and P.S. The sand on the flagstone in this picture has been spread out more and not all piled up in several spots.

Since the majority of my backyard was now complete it was time to PARTAY! Except the weather decided to go all crappy on me. I fretted that it would rain the day of my party and that would have been terrible. I have way more yard than house and the whole point of the party was to have people hang out outside, not be squished together inside the house! Fortunately the day of the party came and the weather was beautiful!

I had a lot of fun. So much fun in fact that I didn’t take a single picture (and I call myself a blogger, sheesh!)

Speaking of fun, now that I have completed most of the outside work I have turned my attention to the inside. I am thinking paint colors and art pieces and possibly a new vanity for my bedroom or the spare room. There is just so much I want to do!

Also, in honor of my birthday…I am going to be doing a review/giveaway! My very first on this here little blog. Stay tuned!

P.S. As a birthday gift to me, you should all donate to my Relay for Life Team! Come one, cancer sucks so give me your bucks.

Camping, what's that all about?

I went camping over the Memorial Day weekend. I am not a camper. I don’t like bugs, I am terrified of spiders, I hate when my hands and nails are dirty, and I have trouble breathing well on normal days, let alone when I am huddle around a campfire trying to stay warm.

The plan was to head out Saturday morning, meet up with our friends who had staked out a site the night before and camp through Monday morning. We only made it to Sunday, early afternoon. It looked like it was going to rain either that evening, night or early the next morning. Now I already stated I am not a camper. I am REALLY not a camper when it involves me getting wet insert 12 y/o boy giggles and jokes here. I don’t want to have to try and figure out how to feed myself while battling the rain or have to pack up the tent and all the camping “stuff” in the rain and subsequent mud.

When those grey clouds started to move in, Mike opted for us to leave and head back into town. Smart, smart man.

I guess for me I don’t see the appeal in packing up all my worldly belongs (minus anything remotely electronic) and trekking out into the woods. I mean, I have a perfectly comfortable bed (that I don’t spend enough time with) at my house. I have a stove and indoor plumbing and refrigeration and insulated walls that keep the heat in. And I have internets and TV. Why do I need to leave…ever?

Camping is supposed to be relaxing? It stresses me out to the max.

Did I have fun? Yes. It was nice to spend time with friends and just hang out, tell jokes and eat s’mores (lub me some s’mores). It was nice to not really think about what was happening on FB or be tied to my computer and blackberry. But this little bit of fun does not outweigh my dislike. For me there are more cons than pros to camping.

Will I go camping again? Most likely. Mike enjoys camping and so do several of our friends. But I will not initiate any camping trip. It will not be my first choice in how I want to spend my time off. But I will and I won’t hate it and I will smile and do my best to be pleasant. I will be a good sport. And as I sit in a camp chair, trying to ignore the dirt under my fingernails while roasting a marshmallow and drinking a beer, I will imagine I am at a 5 star hotel with direct path to the beach and beautiful view of the ocean with a fruity drink complete with an umbrella in my hand.

P.S. You should donate to my Relay for Life Team! http://main.acsevents.org/goto/ehauk

The one about bad pussies and strippers

You know your job is good when you end the work day discussing strippers.  And it is completely work related and relevant to the work we do!  For real.  I couldn’t make this stuff up if I tried.

As class let out and people filed out there were smiles on the faces and giggles could be heard fading down the hallway.

Do you know some of the self employment costs strippers might have?…

Me: What do we consider self employment?

Me: Blah blah blah, meet these criteria, blah blah blah
(I am sure this is how I sound to the class)

HS: And remember we may get people coming in who say they are drug dealers or prostitutes and they won’t have receipts to verify their income.
(Hi Helena! Everyone say hi to Helena)

Student: Yeah and strippers.  Would we consider them having to purchase ”outfits” as an expense?

Me/HS: It could be, but could also depend.  You and I have to purchase clothing appropriate for our employment, but would we consider that a cost?  Possibly.

**This is where I have the best line…EVER**

Me: Another cost they might incur, grooming costs

The laughter was immediate, some were in utter shock, and I couldn’t help but giggle myself.

Class: *snickers*

Me: Come on, you all know what I am talking about!

Ah yes the day ended on a positive note, even if there is one very trying student in the class.  But hey, there is usually one and she will only make me a better trainer in the long run.

My mind lives in the gutter, geez.  Why do you think I have to wash my hair so often!  And here is evidence that I have even corrupted my cat.  I give you miss Maggie doing her impression of what dirty girls do:

You’re welcome and good night!

P.S. You should really donate to my Relay for Life team! http://main.acsevents.org/goto/ehauk

Because slamming my head into the wall sounded like a good idea

For the past day and a half I have had a splitting headache, sometimes called a migraine (I personally prefer the term MOTHERF****** B****). A headache so bad that the idea of stabbing my own eyes out actually sounded appealing because the pain would be less than what I was currently experiencing.

I left work early Wed afternoon and completely opted out of work on Thurs. I have an hour commute and the thought of driving made me want to cry and probably would not have been the best idea as my vision was slightly blurred and I was nauseous. And I couldn’t even imagine looking at a computer all day long, my eyeballs throbbed just thinking about it.

It was brutal.

I slept when I could, in a dark room, a cold pack over my eyes, snuggled with my Jackie. I found the thought of food completely unappealing. Me not be interested in food = major problem. I love food. I eat food even when my tummy is upset because it just might make it feel better.

I have been drinking lots of water just in case this headache is the cause of dehydration. I hate having a headache. The stress of it causes my shoulders to tense up, adding to the problem. The muscles in my neck are as hard as rocks.

Migraines suck ass!

Fortunately the pain is now just a dull ache, more a residual pain left over from the debilitating pain of yesterday.

P.S. You should donate to my Relay For Life team. All the cool kids are doing it!
http://main.acsevents.org/goto/ehauk

Relay For Life

I Relay for Grandma Sue, Grandpa Charlie, Carole, Fern, Cindy and little Ezra. I Relay for everyone I love - Family & Friends - who have ever heard the words "YOU HAVE CANCER".

For them I Relay.

Every dollar raised is $1 closer to finding a Cure. One step closer to "YOU HAVE CANCER" being words no one has to hear again. It will become a thing of the past.

I honor Grandma Sue, Grandpa Charlie, Carole, Fern, Cindy, and Little Ezra by participating in Relay For Life and raising money to eradicate cancer. Every breath they take after hearing that heart stopping word CANCER is another breath they take as a Survivor!

My goal in participating in Relay For Life is to make every single cancer patient a survivor and ultimately cancer free and healthy.

I am asking for your help in reaching my personal goal of raising $250.00 for this year's Relay For Life. Help me raise the funds so we can say someone else is a cancer survivor. Every donation is appreciated, $1, $5, $10, $25...nothing is too small!

If you would like to donate please click on the link I have posted to my participation page.

Thank you for your support.

~E

http://main.acsevents.org/goto/ehauk

I may have been absent from here, but I was still busy!

It’s been awhile since I last blogged. I just haven’t had the inspiration. I can’t form the words to tell a story. Or my stories aren’t very fascinating or interesting to me so why would they be interesting to you.

Since the last time I posted:

• My brother got married
• I have been traveling up a storm with work
• I had a paver patio put in, in my backyard
• I planted 3 trees in my backyard, each one requiring a ginormous hole…have I mentioned the “dirt” in my backyard is actually clay after the first 18 inches?!
• I became addicted to Dexter, I have watched all 3 seasons on DVD and I really think season 4 needs to get over already and released on DVD.
• I am in the process of knitting a grocery bag, it’s challenging but actually looking like a bag and not a knotted mess. (P.S. I am in a knitting group and this only my second project EVER, the first was a scarf)
• My car and I were in a minor collision with some tire debris kicked up by a semi while driving home from work one day on the interstate going 70+ mph. I am fine; the car was a little banged up.
• My car is now fixed
• The chunk of my front spoiler that was ripped off in the above mentioned collision can still be seen on the side of road.

That is my last month in a nutshell.

I have been keeping up with all of you lovelies though. Never fear, I continue to stalk your pages and even occasionally leave a comment or two.

What’s in the purse

Several of you have done the “what’s in your purse” posts and today I decided to jump on that boat!  Besides, I just got a new purse so overall my purse is pretty clean and I am not embarrassed by what may be inside.

My brother is getting married this weekend and I needed a dress for the event.  Jen and I headed to the outlet mall. I found a dress I really like and discovered that there is a Coach store! Sigh, I love me some Coach.  Along with my new dress I now have a new purse and wallet:

But I know you are all here to really see what is inside the purse and not the purse itself…but you must admit, that is one beautiful bag.

1. Stamps, yeah, I carry stamps in my purse. I am the person when you ask, “Does anyone have a stamp?” who responds, “Yes.” and then gives you one and doesn’t even expect you to pay for it.  Also there is my bluetooth (I hate that thing, but I commute everyday around 80 miles each way and driving and talking on the phone is a no-no). Lastly is a nail file, hang nails are a bitch!

2. My new beautiful wallet, nuf said.

3. My work ID badges and if you look closely you can also see the pair of earrings that I discovered in the bottom of my purse.

4. The love of my life…also known as my blackberry.

5. Gum, essential.  And several pens and a sticky note pad sometimes you just need to leave a quick love note.

6. My Starbucks gift card and my punch card for Dutch Bros, another coffee place – drink coffee much? Check! The other card is the business card for my landscaper guy who is starting next week.

7. Inhaler, vital if I want to keep breathing; eye drops and no I am not a stoner, I have issues with my tear ducts and sometimes my eyes dry out; lip gloss and hand lotion, it’s important to keep the lips and hands soft and smooth and kissable ;)

8. Keys, several pairs. One set is to my house and my parents house and the second set are my work keys.

9. And lastly…my passport! You never know when you might need to make a quick get away. It is important to always be prepared, just in case.