Jaime and his Mama....

For those of you who have been anxiously awaiting more pics... here is James! Took this when I got here tonight. :-)

And... US.

Memorial Day Sabbath Service

Hubband did the scripture reading today at church, and produced a slide show honoring all those who serve as a Memorial Day Tribute. The show was conceived by our friend MattieG (also pictured here...introducing the slide show and with his gal, JenH). It was a great program... we're trying to figure out how to post it so all can see. Once we do... watch out! >wink<

I can't believe Im saying this....

but MySpace? Just made my day! I haven't been there in a while, in fact, I RARELY go there as I have this here little blog to keep me satisfied with life, the universe, and writing. HOWEVER, a close girlfriend from college just berated me on IM for not accepting her as a friend since she asked me WEEKS (ok, DAYS) ago so I went back to check... and found not 1, but EIGHT add requests and TWO of them? Were from people Ive been LOOKING FOR FOR YEARS! Im quite pleased.

Those of you who regularly read my blog know that my friend from High School and I used to tramp through icky weather to partake of used books and omelettes.... you also will know that I have told that story/memory at LEAST 2x on here and each time reminisced that I really needed to find her again. Well, SHE found ME! Hurrah! Its good to be back in touch....Takes those "mean reds" right away from here, that's for sure!

Then there is Der Kerkermeister. We tried to find him before our wedding 2 years ago as he was a close mutual friend to both the Hubband and myself during our WWC years. We searched, we called, we tramped through blinding snow (ok, maybe not that one)... all to no avail. And now? When I did a search for him LAST WEEK, nothing came up...and today? HE ADDED ME! WOOT!

So. MySpace... the antipathy of all that is good internet.... is good internet. For today at least. ;-)

Its the little things that get us so excited....

From Pooleyaticus:

5.24.2006
Almost Famous: the Caryn Diaries
hummingboyd: OMG
hummingboyd: OMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMG
Christi: WHAT?!
Christi: YOU GOING TO BLOGHER?
Christi: YOU GOT IT?!!!
hummingboyd: AMALAH ANSWERED MY QUESTION IN ADVICE SMACKDOWN!
Christi: WHAT?!!!!!!
Christi: Ohhh!
Christi: Which one?!
hummingboyd: it's me me!
Christi: WHICH?!
hummingboyd: lurker about the pictures
hummingboyd: first quesiton
Christi: HEEEEE
Christi: that's hilarious
hummingboyd: still reading her response
Christi: cause I then BLOGGED about her whole shoe thing!

Prayers

Hey all, please keep Q in your prayers. She is entering her 9th month of pregnancy soon and is feeling a lot of pain and contracting and other not fun but leading up to labor type things....Here's wishes for her to feel better, sleep well, and labor easy. :-)

Shoes

I love shoes. Seriously, and deeply, and the affair has gone on for years. Unfortunately, Im not in a place where I can indulge that love of shoes. Lack of money, lack of space, etc. But I went to Amalah's advice blog this morning and she linked me to Nordstrom for shoes. It was better than coffee... on the first page of the sandal site, I could have spent $300 on 3 pairs in the first 10 listings! Then, I scrolled down the page, my breath grew short, my eyes grew large.... there are like 35 PAGES of shoes just in the Sandal section. Its like, some sort of online heaven that costs more than Disneyland in July. Little calculation... if I like 3 pairs on each page, and I bought them all... that would be around 10500. For about 100 pairs of shoes. Do you think I can save it up by next summer? I am buying a house, so there'll be lots of space.... right?

A doodily day

Yes, yesterday was a "doodily day". I get straight to work even earlier than usual, only to be slowed on my energetic path through the internet by the server. For some reason, it thinks I need about 2 minutes to save each PDF file I am downloading, as well as about 2 minutes to open each folder and subfolder. It also appears to think that I need to open each of those folders EVERY time I try to save something. Also, internet bugs out on me periodically. Growl. Phone rings.

"Hello?"
Its Hubband.
"So, are you still coming with me today?"
"Huh?"
"To the AVT bowling thing, are you coming? You were gonna work early so you could come"
"Oh. Um. I forgot. I worked early so I could go to pottery"
"There will be pizza there"
"Pizza?!"

I call Q.
"Hey"
"mphle slumphf"
"Oh. Sorry, didnt mean to wake you up"
"Smis phok"
"Did you still wanna do pottery today?"
"Uhhhhh. yeah. later. doc appt at 215"
"Ohhhh, ok. I meet you then?"
"245... maybe 3"
"Cool. Go back to sleep"
"mmph"

I call Hubband back.
"Q has a doc appt, I can still come with you to the bowling thing"
"Oh. cool. I will be right home to change"

Crap. Must dress. Where clothes? Oh yes, in laundry. Hubband arrives home. We snack (me celery, him cheese).

Finally. Ready to go. WHAT?! NO OTHER FAMILY GOING TO BE THERE? *embarrassed* I sit down with his team and we have fun. They all know me, after all....I leave promptly at 2:45, with hubband trailing his team (5th frame, he had 5 points...)

He tells me later that he did better the next game though.

Oh, and it all turned out good at pottery too. I got the primo parking space, finished the bowl I was doing for Q, and indulged in some Mint Chip ice cream from Popsies. :-)

Then... we went to Burlington, where I read and Hubband practiced with the mens choir. Then we went and oogled the appliance section at Sears (If our kitchen was bigger, oh the fun we would have!) Then... I went to the bra section at Macys. I hate buying bras. I could do a whole other blog entry on how I despise the bra-buying thing. HOWEVER, I only had 2 bras that fit me (sort of) so I had to get more. Hubband was very oroud. I got 2 more bras... and I did it in the 5 minutes before the store closed. :-D

A Few Things....

Stolen from MissZoot who stole it from someone else ....

I AM: Hungry and my nose is cold

I SAID: I wouldn't go to Hubband's practice tonight, but I think I will

I WANT: It to be July already so the condo would be packed, the house closing over with, and the move to Memphis begun...

I WISH: I could suddenly be given a gift of about $350.00 so I could go meet my new nephew and be there for his dedication.

I HATE: People who leave their turn signal on for miles and miles down the highway... oh, and really loud chewing noises.

I MISS: Living in NYC and being near my sisters

I FEAR: Being left by the people I love....

I HEAR: The dryer running and a prowler flying over

I WONDER: When Hubband will be home for lunch...

I REGRET: Forgetting that Hubband's AVT buddies invited me to bowl this afternoon with them

I AM NOT: The best housekeeper in the world, but I try...

I DANCE: Whenever I can

I SING: a lot by myself, but I get embarrassed in front of others.

I AM NOT ALWAYS: Patient.

I MADE: a really great roast the very first time I ever tried to roast anything that had actually been alive at some point (ie, COW)

I WRITE: A lot of medical stuff, and not as much on my novel as I'd like.

I CONFUSE: the proper use of "lay" vs "lie" all the time

I NEED: New bras. I only have 2 that fit me...

I SHOULD: Be getting dressed right now since Im going to be going to the AVT lunch and then to Pottery with Queenie as soon as I finish my work day.

I START: Planning way to soon for things...any thing...

I FINISH: Books in record time.

I BELIEVE: in God and true love and second chances.

I KNOW: just enough to be dangerous.

I CAN: Touch every finger of both hands to the wrist corresponding to those fingers...

I CAN’T: Seem to get the hang of making eclairs (Cream Flat anyone?)

I SEE: A bright red flowered bush outside my window

I BLOG: To keep my creative juices flowing and to catch my family up on what's going on with me.

I READ: all the time...

I AM AROUSED BY: Hubband :-).

IT PISSES ME OFF: When my friends or family are mistreated

I FIND: Hubband's keys and wallet at least 2x a week when he forgets where he put them the night before

I LIKE: fresh flowers

I LOVE: beyond the obvious (God, friends, family), I love Mehak Indian restaurant, cooking, baking, browsing the library, quiet time, a crackling fire, and dipping corndogs in ketchup and mustard, and reading gossip blogs.

Happy Anniversary, Ash and Steve!

My sis and her hubby are celebrating their 9th anniversary today by going on their first date since their son was born in April. Have fun guys! Maybe you should make it a nap... >wink<

Love you!

SYSBAH!

It is hard to believe that yesterday at this time I was unaware of the SYSBAH and the extreme impact it would have on my life. Also known (since yesterday) as the Boyd Clan WarCry (see SHANDRAKOR, from the Deathstalker series), I was at first a scoffer. After joining in a soon-to-be routine SYSBAH chant, complete with hand gestures (punch your arm out in front of you, with the last two fingers down and the thumb and first fingers up, each time you holler the WarCry), I was a convert to the cause.

What does SYSBAH mean you ask? Well, according to the Genus Pooleyatici, it is a translation from ancient Boydus that roughly means "Pass the Ketchup". And now, the WarCry.

SYSBAH! (Hand punching motion, as above)
SYSBAH! (Hand punching motion, as above)
SYSBAH! (Hand punching motion, as above)
CONFIDOOOOOOOOO! (Confido is on our clan crest, you see. It means "I Trust")

Now, wasn't that thrilling? Aren't you glad I posted this little docuhistory? I thought so. Now, Im going to go drown some of my satisfaction in a good cup of pumpkin spice and stop scaring the kitties....

Doing the Jitterbug

Its amazing to me that while neither Hubband or I got the jitters before our wedding, or when making huge lump sum payments to various debtors, or even about each other during a 7 month separation, we buy a house and immediately freaked out. Even more funny is that Hubband freaked out on the "WE MUST GET EVERYTHING DONE NOW NOW NOW" while I went "Hey. Wait. This is DONE. Its taken care of.... PARTY!!!!!!!" For those of you who do not personally KNOW Hubband and myself, you will know that this is role reversal of a huge and elaborate kind.

I think we did pretty well though. We had a fun socializing PARTY time with Q and her Hub-unit (OMG her empanadas are to DIE for...and homemade salsa...and I poached some pears in loganberry wine sauce that we then slopped over ice cream....Im still not hungry yet), came home and waded through the final contract for the house, signed it, scanned it, and sent it on its merry way back to TN. Then? I went to bed, read for 10 minutes and zonked. Hubband? Worked at his computer doing all sorts of chore type computery things until just after midnight.

I think we BOTH felt better for the experience this morning. Of course, now I have 5 loads of laundry to fold, 5 abstracts to finish editing in the next 3 hours (sooner if my bionic brain can kick in...), about 50 resumes to review for potential new hires, a set of pediatrics review, dishes, must pack for the weekend in WW with the Pooleyatici and C-Mom, run errands, and if I can figure out to work it... babysit a 4-year-old for about 5 hours for some friends who have overlapping work schedules. >gulp<

And every once in a while I get the queerest little jitter in my brain because HOLY COW, WE'RE BUYING A HOUSE.....and then I do the jitterbug across whatever room Im in and throw my fists in the air while whooping with joy.

Multiple Squee, Ouch, and Shaky Knees

And all of those are wrapped up in one tidy little package located on a quiet little street in Memphis, TN. We are pleased to announce that we are soon to be the proud owners of a HOUSE. We have an agreement with the owners, the contract is on its way here to be signed, and we close in early June. WAHOOOOO!!!!

Here she is....



Isn't she a beaut? We're really excited... been calling and emailing people all day long to give em the news! :-)

Awesome

I went with Hubband to the church in Burlington last night for his Men's Group choir practice. I sat in the church all alone with my laptop finishing up some work I wanted to get out yesterday and just felt so blessed and at peace. I also was treated to some GORGEOUS sounds as the men practiced. They need a little more practice, but WOW. :-) The group is singing for the groundbreaking ceremony in 2 weeks. Our church just bought a few acres of land next door to the current church and will be expanding the buildings, etc. over the next couple of years...

Im glad Hubband is singing again. I could tell he enjoyed it. He spent the rest of the evening being goofy. :-)

Baby Shower...

I threw a joint baby shower for Queenie and Wendy on Sunday, and only now am I feeling up to talking about it. I know the guests of honor had at least a LITTLE fun, but I have to say it was the strangest vibe and the least... LIVELY baby shower I have ever thrown. For one thing, most of the people who came seemed to not know it was for TWO mothers...I didn't help any, since I got flustered when I had to ask one of the guests of honor to help me solve a kitchen emergency at the 11th hour and then forgot to A) introduce myself to everyone who came, B) introduce the mothers of honor, and C)have everyone introduce themselves. >sigh< Things just got worse after that... the games had fitful participation, half of the people left before the gifts were even opened, and there were several complaints about the refreshments being "too vegetarian" (Question: how do you serve carnivorous cold treats to women who aren't supposed to eat nitrates?!). The gifts were a hit though, on both sides (Pooleyaticus and I scored BIG with the UFO diaper bag... we almost got tears!) and I figure I can at least look back at it and laugh. The girls also will be getting some neat nursery acoutrements as each guest (or team of guests) painted a tile to be strung on ribbon and hung in the nursery. :-)

Anyway, I hope that both Mothers-to-be felt honored and special at the shower, as that is what really matters most in the end. Congratulations, you two! Now, don't you DARE go into labor on the same day!!!

Here are some photo highlights for your perusal....

Queenie and Wendy's Baby Shower

My Secret Indulgence

At least one of them... is the WB show Supernatural. I love the whole show, every episode is somewhat scary, always interesting, and plays in a nice linear line. I saw the finale for this season today and HOLY COW!!!! Could they have ended it on more of a cliffhanger? I was so stunned I IM'd Pooleyaticus in all caps for a good 5 minutes... Of course, the funniest part was that it took her almost that whole time to figure out I was talking about Supernatural, not Smallville... hehehehe.

PHISHING ALERT!!!

I received, for the first time ever, a phish in my email! I got a letter from "paypal" saying that my payment for 270+ dollars had gone through to attwireless, then a link that said "log in to paypal to dispute if this is not your charge". Hubband and I went and checkd out their links, putting in false passwords and such so they couldn't capture any data on us beyond the email addy they already had. Turned out they accepted the false password as real, and said "to confirm your identity..." then asked for credit card, mothers maiden name, addy, SS#, etc. They had done a good job making it LOOK like PayPal. We turned them in to PayPal and received this note back this morning:

Thank you for contacting PayPal. We appreciate you bringing this suspicious email to our attention. Commonly referred to as phishing, these emails are sent by fraudsters
in an attempt to collect sensitive personal or financial information from the recipients. PayPal takes phishing threats seriously. Our fraud prevention specialists are working 24/7 to help protect you and enable the community to stay safe. After review, we can confirm that the email you received was not sent
by PayPal. Any website which may be linked to this email is not authorized
or used by PayPal. Our fraud prevention team is working to disable any website linked to this email.

I feel like Ive done at least ONE good deed for the day! Now, to decide if it counts for yesterday or today....

My new look...

Now Im looking for a new name. Have to give lots of kudos to MissZoot for the design! I wanted something fun and different and she has free templates for blogger....

Still no news on the house, Im editing and editing and waiting and waiting....

Our House...

We have officially submitted an offer to buy our first house! >gulp< Keep those prayers coming and the fingers crossed and the shamrocks green....We should have at least a counter-offer by the end of the week. :-)

Welcome to Siena Kent Williams!

I have to give a shout out to the newest baby in our little circle of friends! My boss and dear friend Judd and his wife, my one-time coworker and dear friend Pia, welcomed their firstborn on Tuesday, April 25, 2006, at 9:30 p.m. Siena weighed in at a healthy 6 pounds, 7 ounces and was 19 inches long. Welcome to the family, Siena!!!

As promised...

Graceland pics!

The Jungle room... you can't see it, but even the ceiling is carpetted.

Priscilla and Lisa Marie

Formal living room with stained glass partition to the music room

His grave...

Sequins and wide sleeves... its Elvis, alright!

Graceland swimming pool...