Goodbye, My Sweet Serena Abigail

Today was one of the roughest days of my life! I had to put my kitty, Serena Abigail to rest. It all started on Saturday, when she started acting funny. She wanted to go outside and kept crying. My cat, who was Siamese and known for their vocal-ness, NEVER cried a day in her life. That was the first indication. I thought it had something to do with the fact that I wasn't home the latter half of the week. So, Sunday rolled along and the crying continued. All day and all night to the point that I never really slept. So, I made the decision to take her to the vet first thing on Monday morning. We went to the vet and they had felt a mass in her abdomen. They really didn't have the technology to (ultrasound and such) so they referred me to another vet that I went to today (Tuesday). Her symptoms were strange to me. She would eat, but she drank more water than anything. She tried going outside, something she would never do, and along with the water, she also drank out of the toilet and tried to take a shower with me! For a cat, that's completely out of the question! It turns out that the mass was on her kidney and was causing kidney failure - hence the reason why she was trying to drink absurd amounts of water and was trying to go outside.....to go away. We had to make the painful decision to put her to sleep. One that I had a very difficult time with, considering I got Serena 9 years ago, as a kitten, and as the "band aid" to the passing of our black lab, Bubba, who we had for 14 years. Serena was Siamese, adorable, soft and playful. I will miss her with all my heart and soul!! For those of you who have never heard of the Rainbow Bridge, this is for you:

Just this side of heaven is a place called Rainbow Bridge.

When an animal dies that has been especially close to someone here, that pet goes to Rainbow Bridge.
There are meadows and hills for all of our special friends so they can run and play together.
There is plenty of food, water and sunshine, and our friends are warm and comfortable.

All the animals who had been ill and old are restored to health and vigor; those who were hurt or maimed are made whole and strong again, just as we remember them in our dreams of days and times gone by.
The animals are happy and content, except for one small thing; they each miss someone very special to them, who had to be left behind.

They all run and play together, but the day comes when one suddenly stops and looks into the distance. Their bright eyes are intent; Their eager body quivers. Suddenly they begin to run from the group, flying over the green grass, their legs carrying them faster and faster.

You have been spotted, and when you and your special friend finally meet, you cling together in joyous reunion, never to be parted again. The happy kisses rain upon your face; your hands again caress the beloved head, and you look once more into the trusting eyes of your pet, so long gone from your life but never absent from your heart.

Then you cross Rainbow Bridge together....

Serena Abigil, beautiful Siamese and my special kitty!! You will always be loved and missed!! 4-12-00 - 6-23-09

Lonely Summer

A lot has been going on and it's finally died down.......completely!

Craig and I just finished a run of "Little Shop of Horrors," which was amazing!! Since theatre is where we met, I find it extra enjoyable actually doing a show with him, which is usually once every 3 years or so. He was a perfect Seymour and it was truly an awesome experience.

I also finished my first semester back at school (after an 8 year hiatus). 2 classes with an A- in English Comp 102 and a B in Anatomy and Physiology. Pretty good for giving it the "old college try." I have to take a College Level Algebra during our Summer Session II and then Intermediate Algebra during the Fall along with Anatomy and Physiology II and Psychology.

Like I said though, it's finally died down. I am finding myself BORED out of my mind. I wake up, eat some breakfast, do dishes, go for a walk, watch some TV, wait for Craig to get home, make dinner, do dishes and then watch more TV and go to bed. It's an absolute mess! Most people would relish in the fact that they get quiet time to spend with themselves......well, not me. I need social interaction, someone to talk to. I can only clean the house so much, do so much laundry, prep dinners for the week, go grocery shopping.....etc. I guess I'm not really made to be a housewife. I respect anyone who does it, but it's just not for me. I feel lonely and some days are worse than others. I feel like I'm gonna go out of my mind!

There is a silver lining though - we have a huge party for July 4th that I can prepare and plan, and once school starts (July 6th) I'll be busy there as well. Who'd ever thought I'd be yearning for summer to be over?! Ha!

Battle of the "Bands"

6 "Bands"

One very LARGE flat screen TV

Playstation 3

ROCKBAND!

We attended and participated in the first annual "Battle of the Bands - Rockband Style" this weekend. There were 6 Bands, food, plenty of alcohol for consumption, beer pong for spectators and those waiting to play, costumes (including a trophy for best costume), and a winning trophy to the band who attained the most points throughout the evening. We had a blast!! Craig and I were the co-lead singers for our band which was named Anal Wreckage. Unfortunately our star guitar player, passed out from too many shots halfway through the competition, but we made it to the end and kicked butt!

The team we won against, who changed their name sometime throughout the evening, and, of course, after several beers, were a bit unforgiving to the point that well after the event, I had a sing-off with their lead singer to proove that we were just that much better! :-) All in all it was an awesome evening and everyone had a great time. The costumes were to DIE for! Picture this.......a very skinny guy with a hairy chest and legs, fake tatoos all over his chest including Cookie Monster, Spider Man, Budah, and some other random tats, thin, black suspenders, and a Diaper that was so nicely decorated with Hannah Montana stickers and glitter glue. Add to that a bike helmet that had an orange mohawk glued to the top of it, a small figurine of a meercat and a goat superglued to each side and a pair of goggles reminiscent of the child from the movie "A Christmas Story" who, "likes the wizard of Oz." Yes, that was my husband's costume....I was so proud, and so shocked at the same time!!

I highly recommend that if you have Rockband or Guitar Hero World Tour, to host an evening like this. It doesn't have to be all out like ours was, but it is an inexpensive way to have fun with a group of friends, dress up if you like, and act like a rockstar!

ROCK ON, EVERYBODY!!!

Snow Day!

It's been snowing since 6:00 pm last night. For those of you who haven't been to the "Garden State," especially in the winter, you would need to know the following things about Jersey Winters:
- It usually doesn't snow. We get blasted with a snow storm every few years and we get a dusting once in a while, but nothing trememdous.
- It is very COLD! Recently, however, our cold spells have been 20 below one day to 60 degrees the next day.
- Our precipitation usually consists of RAIN. Cold, dark, dingy, grey, RAIN.

The snow, today, is absolutely beautiful. The forecast is calling for our snow to end sometime around 4:00 pm today. The odd thing about this little snow storm is the fact that it's not little and they're considering it a Nor'easter. Winds are steady at 15 mph with gusts of 30 mph. Whew!!!

There is something peaceful and serence about snow. It's quiet! We live in the NORTH, right next to a major city (Philly) and I can usually hear the train, that's only 2 blocks away every 15 minutes as scheduled. Today.....nothing. The only sounds I hear are the wind whipping the wind chimes in the back, the occasional shoveling of one of my neighbors front sidewalks, and the intermittent car driving by on Haddon Avenue since almost everyone is off from work and/or school (with the exception of my hubby.)

The snow does remind me of the few snow storms we had when I was growing up. The first one was when I was about 4 or so. My dad was on the Ski Patrol before he moved to Jersey and he bought me little red and white skis with little yellow ski boots. I put on my blue snow suit, ski boots, and trekked outside with my skis and poles to "ski" down the little hills my dad made for me in the yard.

Then there were about 4-5 snow falls between the ages of 7-12 in which the snow plows would make gigantic mountains of snow in the cul-de-sac right behind my house. We would take our sleds and zip down those hills for hours on end, or until our fingers were frozen.

The ages of 13-15 found me trekking through the woods near our house to the old landfill. Now it had been closed for years by that point so it was completely covered with grass and snow at that point and boy, was that a trip! Again, pure pleasure of sledding in the cold, frozen, tundra of what we like to call home, New Jersey, the "Garden State."

Now, I don't even want to go out in it. There are many reasons why, including the fact that I lived in Florida for 3 years and miss the warm winter sun, it's too damn cold outside, and we'll I really have no desire to actually go outside and shovel. Ugh! So, I will continue to sit inside all day, in the warmth, praying that Craig is ok driving today, and delve into my Anatomy & Physiology studies. This time next week, we won't have to worry about snow! We'll be in Sunny Florida!!!!

Ok...Ok...

So I've been busy....extremely busy!!

LIFE UPDATE:

COLLEGE: School is going well. I am the oldest in my English Comp class by about 10 years, but am really enjoying the scholastic side of my life again. Anatomy & Physiology is tough, but I adore my teacher, Dr. S. She's a retired physician who has an absolute love for A&P. She's precise, to the point, and very thorough. AWESOME! My math teacher is very thorough too, but I'm hanging in since numbers aren't really my thing. English is a breeze. I really enjoy reading, writing and poetry. All in all, I'm doing well in my classes. I had to take the ACT's this past Saturday - bleh! Again, I did well on the reading and English portion, bombed the math section, and did ok on the science section. I've pretty much resigned myself to the fact that I will not be getting into the DMS program with this fall and I'm ok with it. It will give me that much more time to bring up my GPA, take the ACT's again (maybe twice, if needed) and take some more pre-req courses to keep my brain going full speed ahead!! It's been intellectually stimulating and I'm looking forward to the future!

Theatre: "A Chorus Line" was a smashing success! The cast put so much hard work and dedication into the entire show and I was so very proud of them. Our director, Jodi, was amazing and you could see the love through each scene, song and dance. Craig and I recently auditioned for "Little Shop of Horrors," which happens to be one of my favorite shows of all time! Craig was cast as the lead, Seymour, and I was cast as one of the three urchins - the greek chorus - of the show, reprising my role as Crystal. I played it when I was in Florida at OCT in a very last minute, fill-in, type of situation and am so excited to be playing it again! Also, I am the recipient of a Julie Award (after our company's founder) for Best Supporting Actress in a Musical for my portrayal of The Sour Kangaroo in Seussical. It's been a great theatrical season as well!!

Vacation: We'll be leaving for SPRING BREAK on March 6th and heading to sunny Florida to visit my parents, watch the World Series Philadelphia Phillies during Spring Training, catch up with some great friends, go to Disney for a day and throw in some relaxation some time or other. We return the 15th so we'll be spending an entire week in the warmth and sunshine. Can't wait!!!!

That's about all that's been going on....with the exception of the return of LOST!! If you do not watch the show, you should. Simple as that. Start at the beginning. You can even get the episodes on Netflix. You will not be disappointed!

TTFN!!

It's Been A While.......

First let me start by wishing you all the happiest of holiday seasons and a joyous and prosperous New Year. I know I've been MIA for a bit, but so much has been going on and I just needed to get my life back together.....well......almost.

Updates: G-Mom is still in a cast and has another appointment with the doctor on Monday. Hopefully she'll be in a walking cast by then. Thank you for all the prayers sent her way. It is greatly appreciated!!

My mom was up from Florida to help take care of my Grandmother which just so happened to be during Thanksgiving - so it was awesome having her here. It's funny. Growing up I viewed my mom as the disciplinarian who was very strict. Now, that I'm older, she's my best friend. I talk to her almost every day and I realize just how much I miss her and my dad.

I officially start school on January 20th! I will be taking Anatomy & Physiology, Intermediate Algebra and English Comp II. Basically I'm taking pre-req courses to enter the DMS (Diagnostic Medical Sonography) program in the fall. I need to pass these classes with flying colors and take the ACT's to get into this program. It's very competitive, but I know that this is what I want to do. It's funny, I thought that I would be an assistant for the rest of my life. You never know what life may hand you.

We also had a nice holiday season. Visited family and spent some quality time together. In the midst of it all, I'm Stage Managing "A Chorus Line" which opens January 23rd. It's close to cruch time, but this cast is amazing and I am so very proud of them. It's difficult not being on stage, but I admire each member of our cast and their dancing ability. Awesome, just awesome!!

In other news, we successfully purchased our airfare and reserved our car rental to go to Florida to visit my parents and attend Phillies Spring Training! We even saved a good chunk of change and are itching to see the Phillies back in action. Will we be seeing a repeat of World Series Champs?! Only time will tell. As Craig says, "every time we go to Spring Training, the Phils win the World Series." (That was only once! lol)

BTW - we're catching up on LOST Season 4! Season 5 starts January 21st!!!!!!!!!!

As One Door Closes, Another Door Opens

Well, this week has been quite a ride. As I sit here on Saturday morning, listening to the wind chimes in the back yard and the rattling of the windows, I've gone over the events of this past week in my head over and over again. Let's go back a few days, shall we?

Monday, was a typical Monday for me.....almost. I've been trying to go to Bible study at my church on Monday mornings. It's a select group of "Career Women" that get together at 6:30 am and discuss books in the Bible. We're actually studying Ephesians right now. Please know that I am NOT a morning person. I like to stay up late and sleep in. Reluctantly, though, I got up and went. I was very proud of myself too. After that I went to work and in the evening I went to ballroom dancing. Yes, I've been taking ballroom dancing and it is absolutely amazing! So that was Monday.

Tuesday, again, I went to work and received a phone call from my uncle around 10:00 am. He said, "Your grandmother fell down the basement stairs and broke her leg badly. She's in the hospital and she's going to have to have surgery. I can't get in touch with your mom, so please call her." Wait for it..........WHAT? That's all the info. I got, at first. I called my mom and my brother, filled them in on what was going on and then called the husband. The tears started to streak down my face. My grandmother and I are very close and she is my last living grandparent. All I could picture was this 75 year old woman falling down 14 steps. And she only broke her leg? Ummmmm, did the doctors check the rest of her body? It turns out that she missed the last step and stumbled at the bottom of the stairs, tried to balance and ended up breaking her tibia and fibula at the ankle. They sedated her, put the bones in place, put a splint on her, woke her up and sent her home to my aunt and uncle's house until she met with a bone specialist the next day.

Which brings us to Wednesday. I go to work, again, as usual. The day is moving right along. I get in touch with my aunt who told me that my grandmother saw the doctor and that she'll need to have surgery on Friday. They're admitting her to the hospital right now. Ok. I spoke with my grandmother. She was in high spirits and just ready to get it all done and over with. At 75, let me tell you, she is healthy, has all her wits about her, and has a strong will. She'll be fine! I, apparently, will not be. See, later in the day I received a phone call from my boss (who was in Texas at our Home Office for meetings). Let me lay it all out for you......My boss works for a Health Insurance Company. He oversees all of the production for the US and gets paid overrides off of what policies are sold for the week. My boss hired me to be his personal assistant. The company wouldn't pay for him to have an assistant so he pays me to work for him out of his pocket. I book all of his travel, formulate reports for him, and since he travels so much, basically keep the office going for him. Well, the company that my boss works for decided that even though our nubmers were 33.6% above where they were this time last year, we're still not hitting our goals - so......my boss was the "sacrificial lamb" and was forced to resign. The week before Thanksgiving. Happy Thanksgiving and Merry Christmas.....oh yeah, have a Happy New Year, too!

Never in my life have I EVER lost a job; in any capacity. The worst part about this is the fact that since the economy is in such an awful place, my boss is getting blamed for it. Let's face the facts here. If someone is in somewhat of a financial bind because of the economy and they're pretty healthy, they'd rather pay their mortgage to keep a roof over their head than buy health insurance. At least until their financial situation gets better. To boot, the CEO, who actually did the "firing" only had to tell one person - yet it affected 5. (My boss, his wife, his son, my husband, and me).

Let's move on to Thursday, shall we? I go into work and meet up with my boss. I was working on some of his non-residential licensing so I actually still had work to do. We talked about my options. Here's the funny thing - since September I've been thinking of going back to school to be an ultrasound technician. I think that it is something that I'd really enjoy doing, and I know that it's a somewhat secure job in today's economy and society. The word unemployment even came up. I can't believe it. I think I'm still in shock. I've been paying into unemployment 11 years now, so why not? At least to help me during the holidays. Then I started talking to some friends who have been laid off and in my situation. They went back to school and unemployment paid for it?! WOW! I got to leave work early on Thursday since I didn't have any actual "work" to do.

On Friday, my boss gave me the day off. I went to the hospital and waited with my aunt and uncles while my grandmother was in surgery. She made it through swimingly and she now has some scrap metal in her leg - a titanium plate and 6 screws to be exact. I usually HATE hospitals. This time, with the possibility of maybe working there as a UT, I realized that it's not so bad. Maybe there was a reason all of this happened. Is there something more out there for me?

I will go into work on Monday for a few hours, and it will basically be that way until the second week in December. My boss is going to shut down his office. I'm sure he will find something in the same field, as he is extremely talented. This weekend, and any other down time I have, I will look into unemployment and what my options are for schooling. This is a crappy time of year to have this happen, but as one door closes, another door opens.