I'm still alive

Just popping in from my work computer to tell you that I am still alive.  We bought a new computer in January.  It took us a few weeks to get around to setting it up.  We transferred everything from our old computer to an external hard drive, then set up the new computer, then transferred everything from the external hard drive to the new computer and then....................the new computer was apparently made out of straight garbage because we could never get it to work.  We spent hours with Costco Concierge services and Dell trying to get it to work.  We couldn't ever get it to connect to the internet without blocking every single site.

  So, after two weeks with nobody being able to figure it out we finally gave up and we returned the piece of trash yesterday.  We were also unable to wipe it (because, remember, the internal components of this $1,000 "computer" are made out of garbage) so our files and pictures will most likely be re-sold to someone else and they'll steal our identity.

I have a laptop at home, but I have no pictures stored on it.  I can use my work computer, but I have no pictures.  And what is a blog post without 4,500 pictures?

We're buying a new computer today and hopefully things will work better.  It'll take me a few days to get everything transferred over.  I'm also taking a 13 hour neurosciences class this Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.  But I promise I will not let the blog die!  I will be back.  With stories of trips to California and the ER.

.......to be continued.......

Galentine's Day 2018

Last year Maryellen hosted a Galentine's Day brunch at her house.  As a reminder, Galentine's Day is a holiday Amy Poehler's Parks and Rec character Leslie Knope created that occurs every year on Feb. 13, the day before Valentine's Day. As Leslie herself explains on the show: "Oh, it's only the best day of the year. Every February 13th, my lady friends and I leave our husbands and our boyfriends at home, and we just come and kick it, breakfast-style. Ladies celebrating ladies. It's like Lilith Fair, minus the angst. Plus frittatas."  Basically, it's like Valentine's Day, only instead of celebrating the love you have for your significant other, you spend it with your best girlfriends, who are, after all, your soul mates, and therefore deserve a holiday all to themselves, too. 

Here's a quick recap from last year

This year Lauren was hosting our Galentine's Day brunch on the 11th.  One of these days we'll actually be able to have it on the 13th.  I just checked.  In 2021 the 13th will be on Saturday and in 2022  it will be on Sunday, so we can do it on the 13th two years in a row.

I haven't done my nails since the end of December, so it was time to get festive.

Miguel Valentine has been kept in Maryellen's closet all year, but he was back for another year of festivities. 

Lauren had a great slideshow of all of our get-togethers running on the TV. 

I found, bought and brought this perfect decoration.

We all contributed to the spread. 

Lauren had heart shaped pasta. 

See the cute little hearts?

I made these raspberry crumble bars.

Brenda was out of town, Joni was sick, and Cynthia did not fly in from California, but we did facetime with Cynthia while she got ready for her niece's birthday party. 

We were playing a game and writing stuff down and when we looked up she was blow drying her hair.  It was funny. 

We played a mad-libs type game where we had to create a funny story. 

Time for pictures with Miguel Valentine and the new Galentine's Day sign. 

Group shots.  A small group this year. 

Collages

Lauren is going to keep Miguel Valentine all year.  I have volunteered to host in 2019 so I will keep Miguel Valentine next year. It's a fun little tradition we've created here. 

A change of plans

We were supposed to get together for a Christmas Party with Laura and her family and Chelsea and her family on December 23rd.  It was cancelled because Laura was sick, Spencer was sick and I was sick. We rescheduled for January.  January was cancelled because Laura's girls, Sara and Samantha, were sick.  We rescheduled for this past Saturday, February 10th.  It was cancelled because Michael was sick.  So, instead of driving to Tucson on Friday night for the Saturday party, we stayed at home and watched the opening ceremonies for the Olympics.  We got Costco pizza because it was National Pizza Day.  

This is the only picture I took all day

Since we didn't go to Tucson we had an unexpected Saturday at home.  

I organized the pantry, focusing mostly on the Penzeys. 

Ginger took a nice nap that I interrupted. 

So peaceful.

Ah, this is the life.

What mama?  Why you wake me up?

Well, I can't relax now. 

A new bed might help.  Yes.  It works. 

We had gone to IKEA on Friday afternoon and despite my telling him to not run around, Elliott was running around and smacked his face on a box. 

The resulting wound. 

This is why we went to IKEA....to get this shelf to hang behind the washer and dryer.  Michael hung it up while I was out running errands.

I ran some errands on Saturday.  One of them was to Target.  I'm pretty sure I never mentioned anything about this on the blog, but I have a New Year's resolution to buy no new shirts and dresses until June.  As soon as I made it I modified it to allow me to buy one of each as soon as I lost ten pounds.  Well, as of Saturday I had lost eleven pounds, so I happily purchased a shirt I've been eyeing at Target. I ordered the dress from Old Navy.  The total for both was $25.  The point of the resolution is more to just curtail buying stuff I don't need and less about saving money, but the low cost does make it better.

We watched the Olympics on Saturday night.  Elliott got bored and started playing with legos. He built this huge tower and wanted me to take his picture, but for some reason he hugged it and knocked it over just as I took it. 

The new tower.

I wish they could play like this all the time. 

A fail to start the week

Several weeks ago Elliott brought home paperwork for a Monday field trip to see the ballet at the Herberger Theater.  Neither of my kids have ever had a field trip on a day I wasn't working so I jumped at the opportunity to chaperone.  I got to school at 10:00 am last Monday, the 5th, expecting to board the buses and leave at 10:30.  Well, turns out I was wrong on the time.  Very, very, wrong.  I should have been there at 9:00 am for the buses to leave at 9:30, so everyone was wrong and I was left sitting in my car crying while another mom who was on the field trip sent me a message telling me Elliott was awfully worried that I was missing.  So, I drove to downtown Phoenix, parked in a close by parking garage and ran down the street to meet them.  I missed the part where they had all the kids go up on stage with the dancers, but I did get to see the whole ballet part.  I just wasn't allowed to take pictures during it.

Once the ballet part was over they had a band come out. 

I was able to move closer and sit next to Elliott once they started playing. 

The guy playing the bass is Marcus.  He also plays with our friend Blaine, so I sent Blaine this picture and told him Marcus was cheating on his band.  Then Blaine sent the picture to Marcus and Marcus was all freaked out thinking Blaine was there at the theater. 

They brought some of the dancers back out to dance with the band. 

After the theater they took all of the kids to the park to eat lunch. 

We were finally able to get a picture together. 

I had to be able to show of the perfect shirt I wore to the ballet. 

Not pictured: my sparkly pink shoes. 

One of my co-workers gave me this little Valentine Piggy on Tuesday the 6th. 

He went perfectly with everything I was wearing that day:

heart earrings

heart purse

heart shirt

Elliott and I had some cuddles when I got home from work. 

And we took Spencer's 10 year-5 month pictures that evening.  We did them on top of his new loft bed. 

On Wednesday the 7th the curtain I ordered to hang at the end of the loft bed was delivered. 

We also got the wall shelves hung back up. 

On Thursday the 8th I remembered to take a picture of what Spencer looks like leaving for school every morning. 

I will remind of him of this someday.  Probably when he's in his 30's. 

Our weekend plans got changed completely so my next post won't be as lively as I had hoped, but there is still fun to be had.