Saturday, December 27, 2008

Christmas 2008

Christmas this year was great. All of us were together and in good health (minus mom who has bronchitus). This year I received the following: a new printer (which I needed desperately condsidering mine died a few months ago) which is a photo printer, copier and a scanner, a tea kettle, Major League 3 Back to the Minors on DVD, a new robe (from Bath and Body works), some printable cds, and some comfy lounge socks that match my robe.
Loki got a huge bone, silly puppy was soo excited and did not know where to start. We have since cut up the bone in smaller portions. She loved the bone, and let us unwrap our presents in peace.
I hit the mall day after christmas and picked up a few more things. Two cowl neck sweaters from NY and Co, some lotion from Bath and Body Works, two DVD's from Target (Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2, and Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian), and a new tea kettle (mom got me a black one, but I wanted blue). Going to return the black tea kettle t/m. Today I went back to Bath and Body Works and exchanged my perfume for the cheaper version Bath and Body Works is going for a new look and is selling off their older look and so its on sale. I picked up the newer style of the perfume, and then saw the sale online. So I exchanged it, and got some money back! I also placed an order online for another perfume which wasn't available in the stores (Sweet Pea- very popular scent). I also ordered a discontinued scent last night, along with some new shoes (they are grey and adorable).

Friday, November 28, 2008

Boots w/ da Fur!!

Today is Black Friday, and boy oh boy are there some deals to be had!
Sales, Glorious Sales!! I did half of my Christmas shopping today. I got my brothers and my dad's gifts, and part of my mom's gift. Best Buy- I got a nice protective cover for my iPod w/ an arm band, 3 iTunes cards-packaged together, normally $30 got it for $25 (got the last one too!!!!). Also picked up a nice GPS System (esp for me as I get lost ALL THE TIME!!), a Garmin , plus a nice case to carry it in, that was on sale too.Target- found Mark's present, along with Night at the Museum for $6. Payless- got my boots w/ da fur and a pair of heels for half off (except they weren't wide width and they were on sale for $9....but I got them for half off!)
Dad also did good on sales; he bought a saw last week, and it was on sale for 40 off this week, so he went to Lowe's where he got it and got money back. With that money that he got back he got a shop vac (that was on sale) and a storage unit for the garage...I am so proud of him!
All in all, it was a very successful day!

Thanksgiving 2008

Happy Thankgiving to all! Hope yours was as good as mine!!

Sunday, November 23, 2008

Scouting for Food 2008

Yesterday was the annual Scouting for Food. Last year we collected 1154 boxes of cans, and this year we collected 1212 boxes of canned goods (at the Fenton Firehouse)!!!! This was my 6th year doing this, and I had a blast! We not only had boxes soley of tuna, we also had mac'n'cheese boxes. We had 12 boxes of tuna, and 8 boxes of mac'n'cheese (that I am aware of). I did a little bit of everything again; making boxes, getting cans out of the cars, putting cans on the table, boxing dry goods, plastic, glass, cans, labling the boxes, and carrying it over to the truck. We took our annual family picture in front of the piles of cans; minus Mark as he was unable to attend. The weather was decent; cold but dry.
This year I left Scouting for Food earlier than usual as I had a bridal shower to go to. So I went to Suzanne's Bridal Shower and had a lot of fun! Then V, Sarah and I booked it over to the movie theater to see Twilight. V and Sarah ended up paying the adult price of $9, whereas I paid the student price of $8 (the student price). I didn't ask for the student price, however that's what I paid. It pays to have good genes ;) I did enjoy Twilight and will purchase it when it comes out on DVD. It wasn't as good as it could have been, but it was a nice escape. All in all Saturday was a lot of fun, tiring but fun! I can't wait until next year's Scouting for Food!

Wednesday, November 05, 2008

Change for the better?

History was made last night. Barack Obama became the first Afrian-American to be elected president. The final results were: Obama w/ 349 electoral votes and McCain with 173. One happy note: Missouri did remain red by going w/ McCain :) This was perhaps the most important election in years. Either way history was going to be made; either a female VP or a black president. Personally, I voted for McCain, and think that the wrong candidate is heading to the White House. Voting turn outs were amazing. I spent about 45 minutes in line; I brought a lawn chair and the line moved well so the wait wasn't that bad. After voting I collected my free donugt from Krispy Kreme (yummy), and mom and Mark got free coffe from Starbucks. I hate coffee so I got a frappuchino. Dad said he saw on the news that some Black Panthers (whom I have absolutely no respect for) were standing outside of a polling place, blocking the entrance to McCain voters,stating that either way an African American would be president. (Don't they know by doing that they are pushing us years back- come on ppl drop the race issue). Kudos to the man who said "I'm former Army, you don't scare me." and pushed them aside and voted. I know that Obama does not support this action in any way. So change is on its way... or so people say. But will this change be for the good or bad? No one is exactly sure. Hopefully, America got it right, and Obama will pull us out of this economic mess. As long as my taxes are not raised and goverment doesn't control my healthcare (as were mentioned on Obama's platform) I'll be happy. So congratulations to Barack Obama, I wish you luck- I'm going to remain a Republican and support McCain but I accept Obama's victory.
Note: Security had better be double for Obama, we unfortunately have some sickos out there who can't see beyond the color of someone's skin.

Sunday, October 19, 2008

Updates

Here is the latest in JBear's world:
*Home Repairs: The kitchen is 98% done; we are waiting for the rest of the cabinet handles, and a new door. It looks awesome! The new floor is fantastic; it looks like a ceramic floor but its not. Its called Dura Ceramic. Its really neat. The whole house is more earthy and open. The siding and roof are done. The gutters are being installed t/m! Hopefully that won't take too long. I will be glad when all of the hammering is done. We are repainting the front and back doors as well as the garage door a nice red color. The next room to be re-done is our office. We have to de-junk it first and then re-paint it. Should be interesting.
*Apartment: Isn't going to happen anytime soon unless I get a job. I got layed off (really don't feel like going into it). So I'm back with Office Team, hopefully I will get some temp work soon. Meanwhile, I need to call the apartment comlplex and explain the situation to them and see if we can push the move in date back a few more months.
*Knees: I am in physical therapy at the moment. My knees are still hurting, most of it comes from my knees not tracking right. So we are taping my right knee so that it does that. I have my good and bad days with my knees. As it is I am limlited on the temp jobs I can accept. I can not stand for longer than 5 minutes without pain; so there goes the idea of me working at any retail place.

*Random Note: The store Linens'n'Things is closing for good. They went bankrupt and were sold last week. They are having liquidation sales right now. So if you need house stuff, go there and get it for a decent price.

Thursday, September 18, 2008

What a mess!

Okay so the past month, our kitchen has been a mess. Our icebox leaked and flooded our kitchen. Luckily we caught it before it got to the carpet. So the floor in the kitchen was ruined, the wallpaper got messed up, the lower cabinets got warped. So we filed an insurance claim, figuring we would get a new floor.....we are and then some.... Because the lower cabinets are 20 years old and we can't match them we are getting new cabinets. We are also getting a new counter top b/c they can't fit the old one on the new cabinets. That also means new sink and faucet too. We also got our kitchen repainted and wallpapered. B/c our kitchen opens up so much to the living room, our living room, hallway, entry wall, and stair well got painted too. So we had to pick out a color. Mom wanted to keep the green color but she wanted to go a bit deeper in color. While, we were debating color choices, the painters suggested having an accent wall. So thats how we ended up with two different colors. We now have accent walls in Honeycomb, and the other walls are Vegan (or sea mist as I call them). Mom and I picked out a new wall paper that has a nice trim at the top. The Honeycomb color makes the room warmer, earthier and opens it up more. The deeper green looks great. So they started painting on Tuesday, and now the living room and 3/4 of the kitchen are painted. The wallpaper will be done next Thursday. Another great thing; our insurance paid to have a crew come in and pack all of our living room and kitchen up for us. Not only did they pack it up, they will (and have) put everything back where it belongs (give or take a few things that we re-arrange to make it personal). The DVD shelves I have to re-organize; I categorize and then alphabetize the DVD's (for those who know me, this shouldn't suprise you), one unit down, one to go. Our new cabinets and counter will be installed w/in the next two weeks. When that happens, the crew will come back and pack up our stuff and then put it back when they're done. Then the floor guys will come and put our floor in. Then life and the house will return to normal! So by mid October or so our house will look amazing. Did I mention last week we had our new roof put on, and we should be getting new siding and guttering put on soon as well? The roof and siding were expected and planned. The whole kitchen fiasco was an unpleasant suprise, but it turned out for the better. Mom had been wanting a new counter (the current one has super glue on it from my tower making days). Unfortunately, we had to choose a new kitchen floor b/c the design we have has been disconintued...and we only had this floor installed last October! Oh, we are also getting new curtains. I will probally make an album of the event with plenty of before and after pics. I soo can not wait until things return to normal...or as normal as things get around here.

Sunday, August 24, 2008

One Step At a Time

One step at a time...really good advice...I just gotta take it. My knees, especially my right knee, have been really hurting lately. So this weekend I tried resting and icing my knees. My little brother, Mark, reminded me that I am in recovering and I need to let myself do exactly that; recover. Its just hard, I want so badly to be back to my normal self. But he's right, I have to slow down and take it easy and recover. My stitches come out t/m, and the doc will check out my knees and let me know how I'm doing. However, I am the one who really knows how my body is. So I am going to do my best and try to slow down and recover. I am going to try to take things one step at a time, one day at a time. Eventually, I will get back on track, but I gotta be patient. As hard as that is. And its easier said than done, but I will do my best. So....I will try to take it slow, allow my knees time to recover and be patient.

Saturday, August 23, 2008

I'm moving out!

Yep that's right! I am moving...well not until November 7th. I signed a lease today for a two bedroom apartment in Park Meadows in Manchester. The second bedroom is really small so that will be my office. The master bedroom has a walk-in closet!! So I will have plenty of room for my clothes and shoes. The office/den (2nd bedroom) also has a closet, so I can put my dresses and sweaters there. I have a nice little dinning room, a linen closet in the bathroom, a nice living room, and a patio! Of course my patio will have lots of flowers. I will have hanging baskets, flower pots, wind chimes, and some little patio lights. I got a really good move-in deal, so my rent is actually lower. My cat, Phantom, will move in two weeks after I move in when everything is settled and no more loud noises. Hopefully, he will adjust and be able to stay there with me. Otherwise he will have to return home, which will break my heart. I am hoping Phantom will love it there and will become King of the Apartment....or at least the den where I'll put his litter box and a tunnel for him to hide in (so he can have a hiding place). I signed a 13th month lease, one month free (the first full month). So December I won't have to pay rent:) My apartment will only be 10-15 minutes away from my office (when the Fenton office opens up). So I will be saving a lot on gas money. I am close to home, so I can do laundry there and visit the family. I will be close to Froggiegirl and Gimlet, and I know Manchester very well; so I know where to do my shopping and banking. I am sooo excited about moving in. I will def. have a little party when I'm all settled. I am excited for November to get here, meanwhile I will be saving my money, looking for a bedroom set, and getting other little things for my apartment. The bedroom furniture will be the most expensive thing. I already have a great entertainment center, I'm taking the old loveseat and rocker (which are in great condition) from downstairs, grandma's kitchen table and chairs (its small but perfect), and my corner desk from the office here at home. I picked up another sphere chair for my apartment, so now I have two courderoy chairs; the faded one will go on the patio and the other will probally go in the office or the living room. That's all for now, so stay tuned for more news!!

Wednesday, August 13, 2008

Olympics 2008

The Summer Olympic Games in Bejing, China 2008 started last Friday and I am officially addicted. I have been watching swimming, gymnastics, syncronized diving, beach volleyball, and waterpolo. Mostly I have been watching Michael Phelps in swimming. The guy is amazing! He has already won 4 Gold medals and is on pace to win 4 more! He was part of the 4x100 men's relay, which had an amazing finish! The Bejing games are amazing. As always swimming and gymnastics hold my main attention. The men's gymnastics team took bronze and the Women's gymnastics team took silver. They were both great. The judges however need to stop kissing China's butt. Seriously, the Chinese athletes can do no wrong (even when they obiviously do), and everyone else is full of flaws. It is majorly apparent in gymnastics. The judges need to be replaced with more impartial judges. All of the athletes are incredible, and the judges need to realize that. At least the swimming judges are impartial and focusing on the performance by the individual athlete and not the country they are representing. Phelps is not the only amazing swimmer there, Matt Grevers is another one. He stands 6'8" and has an amazing stroke! Not to mention he is really HOTT! Kudos to all of the US Swimmers; they are all amazing and very disciplined. So I will be watching the Olympics until it is over. There are still a lot of events left. So go team U.S.A!!

Look Ma, No Crutches

Yesterday, JBear had bilateral arthiscopic surgery. Translation Double knee surgery; I had my knees scopped and cleaned. I am doing great. I am already moving around w/o crutches for short distances. I am eating (major suprise for me b/c usually I can't eat anything for a few days until the drugs are out of my system). My ankles are normal size and not swelling, and I can move them around w/o pain. I am resting and taking it easy. Surgery went great and I'm on the road to recovery.

Saturday, August 02, 2008

Ode to Tax Free Weekend

There is a very special event that comes once a year, every year. No, not Christmas. Something almost as good. It is Tax Free Weekend!!!! This means you can purchase clothes, shoes, back-to-school supplies, and supplies without paying taxes!! It is awesome. Every year, fewer and fewer cities participate (the loosers). However, South County Mall and Crestwood Mall (which should already admit its dead and just give up) participated. I went to South County in search of a dress for my dear friend V's wedding, a pair of shoes, and whatever else I fancied. I went to JCPenney, and voila! I found the perfect dress, and it was on sale. However, it came up even cheaper when it was wrung up. Plus it was tax free!!!! Then I ventured to Payless, in search of the perfect shoes to match. I had seen a pair the other night when I was shopping w/ V, Sarah, and Meghan. Luckily, I found those shoes, in my size, and another pair of shoes. Unfortunately, the second pair of shoes were a 1/2 size too big. So the store called the Crestwood store, and put the right size on hold for me. Plus I got a coupon for $3 off when I exchanged the shoes. Long story short, the final price on the shoes were $4!! So now I have these kickin' red shoes! I also got some bubble bath stuff from Bath and Body Works. Buy one, get one 50% off. Plus I had a coupon, so I got a free aromatherapy lotion for my mom. All in all it was a sucessful shopping trip. I love Tax Free Weekend!!

Saturday, July 26, 2008

JBear got a new job!!

After 3 years of searching, I have finally found a REAL job!! It is a full time job w/ benefits, paid sick days, paid vacattion, and the potential for bonuses!! I am going to be a Staffing Coordinator for ProLogistix. ProLogistix is a staffing company for manufacturing, factories, and warehouses. Right now I am going to be doing a catch-all posistion. I will be learning the Staffing Coordinator position, and the Front Desk Coordinator posistion. For three months I will be working in the Bridgeton office, it will be an annoying long drive, but in Novemeber (hopefully) they will be opening an office in Fenton (my hometown), and I will be moving to that office!!!! I am sooo excited about this job. The guy who hired me is excited about me joining the team, and thinks that I will be a great addition. I start training on Monday, and I put my two weeks notice for Pucks. My new boss is willing to work around my Puck's schedule (which isn't much). And he is willing to work around my surgery too. So I'm going to train for 2 weeks and a day, have my surgery, come back Friday or the next Monday, and resume training. My awesome mother is going to drive me until I can drive again. So for three months, I will be dealing with the nightmare that is 270 traffic, however, it will be worth it when I relocate to the Fenton office.

Sunday, July 20, 2008

Update

It is already the middle of July; where has the summer gone?! I am amazed at how fast this summer is going. Here is what's going on in SoCo Bear's world:
* The 4th of July was spent in St. Charles w/ one of my fave, fave, fave brothers Erin. We enjoyed sweet tea, gossip, and a fantastic display of fireworks. After the fireworks we returned to Erin's dorm and met up w/ another fave brother of mine; Kelly. We then went to Dennys to eat and chat.
* My book club is on our third book; this month we are reading The Princess Bride. Previous Books were Sickened, and Emma. We have met twice and are planning on meeting at Denny's in Early August for our third meeting.
* Another group, Kyle's Killer B Movies, has also begun meeting. We enjoyed our first night of horror movies. The theme was 'When Animals Attack'. We discussed future themes, and are trying to figure out when we can meet again.
*Saturday, July 26th OneRepublic will perform for Live off the Levee. Hopefully I will be in attendence w/ several friends.
*The 5th Annual National Volunteer Coference for Alpha Phi Omega will take place on July 31st thru August 3rd in Independence, MO. I will be once again attending this. I am sooo excited!! This conference provides an excellent opportunity for me to a) escape St. Louis (if only for a few days), b) catch up w/ my alumni brethren, and c) gain more skills that will not only help me as an APO Alumni, but aslo as an employee. Not all of the workshops are about APO, a few are directed towards obtaining employment and making yourself more valuable as an employee. Last year I had the former APO president (who helps people w/ resumes and cover letters proffessionally) customize my resume and cover letter; it worked great!!.
*I had two cortizone shots on Wed for my knees; one each. Those hurt! Hopefully they will help out my knees which have been bothering me for quite some time now. I saw a new knee doctor last week and had X-rays and MRI's done (fun fun). The end result: surgery. Not to worry, its just orthoscopic surgery; basically going in and cleaning things up. I am having both knees done at once (what I call a double whammy). This shortens the recovery time to 3 months. I have done this before, back in 2004. D-Day is August 12th. No worries, I'll be up and about and causing mischeif within no time!

Cardinals start off the Second Half right

The second half of the baseball season is under way. The Cardinals have started things off right; they have won their first three games. The are currently playing the San Diego Padres (the series stands 3-0 at the moment). It is the bottom of the eight inning, and the score is 5-3 Cards (Third Baseman Troy Glaus just hit a three-run homerun!!).
Ryan Ludwick and Albert Pujols made their first and seventh, respecively, appearences at the 2008 All Stars Game. Pujols went 2 for 3 and Ludwick made an impressive catch. Sadly the National League fell 40-3 to the American League. But the game went 15 innings, so we at least gave them a run for their money. Mark Mulder's highly anticipated return was cut short after 20 pitches. Mulder started experiencing elbow pains, and it is likely his season is over, and quite possibly his career. Adam Wainwright is progressing nicely and should rejoin the club in August. Chris Carpenter began his 30 day rehab assignment in Double A; and reports are looking good. The Cardinals are 2 games behind Central Divison leaders the Chicago Cubs (boo), and three games ahead of the Milwaukee Brewers (better known as the Brew Crew). The Brew Crew comes to Busch Stadium next for a 4 games series. The Cards then head to New York for a 3 games series against the Mets, and then they head South for a 4 game series against the Atlanta Braves.
The July 31st trading deadline is fast approaching;pitching- thats what the Cardinals need. The Cubs and the Brew Crew have recently obtained high octane pitchers. The Cards need to follow suit. General Manager John Mozeliak is waiting until the end to better address the needs of the team. Mozeliak is saying that Carpenter will return before Wainwright. Say what?! However, he does admit that outcome is a bit fuzzy yet. What the Cards need to do is keep playing good baseball and focus on what they have rather than what they don't. There is still a lot of baseball left to play, so the Birds on the Bat need to remain focused.
*Por Siempre: Let's Go Cards!!

Friday, July 04, 2008

Happy Independence Day!!

Happy 4th of July to all! I am off to St. Charles tonight to hang out w/ one of my favorite brothers, Erin, and see some fireworks!! Enjoy our nations birthday and see some fireworks tonight!! Happy Independence Day!!

Wednesday, June 25, 2008

Random

Okay so I haven't blogged in a while (yes I am well aware that it has been a long while froggiegirl), so here's whats up with me:
EMAA- We had our second annual EMAA BBQ on June 7th, and it was a great success! We had chicken and beef kabobs, plus veggies, chips, fruit, brownies, cookies, and much more! JKO was the grill master, with Marlene and Courtney prepping the Kabobs. Tonight we are meeting up again at the Missouri Botanical Gardens for a concert. Tonight we'll be hearing some jazz, funk and motown! We are also having a little picnic. We are going to a Cards game on August 22nd (my dad is joining us for this one). I am officially registered for the National Volunteer Conference!! I am soo excited; I can't wait to see all my alumni brothers again!!
Cardinals: So far I have been to 4 games; 2 wins and 2 losses. I will be going again w/ the family on July 1st to see the Birds on the Bat take on the Mets. Since mom is origninaly from NYC and a reformed Mets fan, this will be an interesting game. Cards won the series against the Boston Red Sox, and smashed the Detroit Tigers last night 8-4. Cheating pitcher Kenny Rogers (think the tar incident). Aaron Miles is on fire; he has the highest batting average in interleague play. Yadier Molina is back behind the plate after missing a few games after a scary collision at home plate. Albert Pujols is looking to start tonight after being on the 15 day disabled list for a left calf strain on June 10th. Mark Mulder is making some progress: he might be pitching for us soon!!!
Let's Go Cards!!
Loki: Loki is back to her hyper puppy self. Poor baby suffered from severe spring allergies that put her on steriods for 3 weeks. Poor baby was sluggish and wasn't her playful self. She is back to stealing things, playing with her toys (she now has a stuffed fox), and swimming in the lake. She continues to provide us with daily entertainment.
General: I picked up a new swimsuit from Sports Authority on Sat, a two piece I could do laps in and still get a tan (that is if I don't burn first, suprise, surprise). I also got a sleeveless top to work out it, I am going to start getting serious about working out again. My knees are in bad shape and I'm seeing a knee doc soon, so I want to get my legs strong. Plus I want to be more in shape and healthier. I am finally comfortable with the way I look again, and want to keep it that way and still enjoy fatty foods (ie ice cream, chocolate and other stuff that is bad for you but sooo good). The summer is flying by soo quickly, its almost July!! That's crazy! I am going to try to hit the pool as often as I can, as I love swimming. Froggiegirl and I have already made one trip to Chesterfield pool, the first of many I'm sure. It was so refreshing to be in the water and relax! That is all for now. I hope do to a guest blog by my dad soon!

Tuesday, May 13, 2008

New Camera!!

I have a new camera!! My old one had been acting up and I could no longer take a decent picture. So I upgraded. Big time. I got a Blue Nikon Coopix 10.0 Megapixel camera. However, getting a new camera was not as easy as it seems:
April 30th: The camera goes on sale at Best Buy online; so I order it.

May 8th: I order a 2 GB memory card online (yet another good price-technically paid same amount for 1GB for a 2 GB), try tracking my camera order- can't do it so I call Best Buy help; apparently my particular camera (I wanted a blue coolpix) is sold out and they do not know when they will get it in. I am told I might have to wait until June 7th to get my camera! Ack! However, I got a good price on the camera and I want the blue one, so I extend my order.

May 9th: I recieve an email stating my camera is on its way!! The email also provides a link to UPS where I can track the progress of my camera. I also get an email stating that my memory card is at best buy. I pick up my memory card.

May 10th: My camera arrives in Hodgkins, IL where it will sit for two days....

May 12th: My camera arrives in Earth City. My economic suprlus check (which is providing most of the means to get this camera) comes in the mail!

May 13th: My camera arrives to my house!!! I have taken some pics with it, and am enjoying my new toy.

Wednesday, May 07, 2008

Birthday Recap

So on May 5th, JBear turned 26. Yikes, I'm getting up there in years. Well since my bday was on a Monday (I'm rather like Garfield in hating Mondays), I decided to celebrate my birthday all weekend. Saturday night I went to dinner at Chevy's. I was joined by Froggiegirl, Gimlet, Liz and her son Andy, and my friend Adam (who I hadn't seen in almost 5 years!). Of course, I recieved a sombrero and an ice cream treat as the restaurant waiters sang Happy Birthday to me. Adam suprised me by giving me not only a card but a bag of chocolate (yay!), and a gift certificate to Best Buy (I got a nice camera case for my new camera- more on that later). After Chevy's we decided to go to Fritz's for ice cream (and so I could spend more time w/ Adam b/c he showed up late). I had a delicious Strawberry Cheesecake Sundae (ty Froggiegirl). Sunday night the family and I went out to Outback where I enjoyed a nice ceasar salad, steak and baked potato w/ butter and cheese. I had the Chocolate Thunder from Down Under (Brownie w/ ice cream and choc sauce) for dessert. When we got home, we played "birthday" b/c mom is spending the week at 6th grade camp. I got a docking station stereo for my ipod w/ a remote control and a iTunes card from the parents. From my brother I recieved a teapot. I hate coffee, so I drink tea. Originally, I thought I wanted a crazy daisy teapot from Harney and Sons. However, upon discovering the brown betty at World Market, I changed my mind. However, mom had already ordered the teapot along with some Spiced Plum tea (which is quite yummy). So I got to choose which teapot I liked best. Ultimately the brown betty won. Today, I went to World Market to buy some tea strainers and a tin of Paradise Mate tea (another yummy tea I discovered). On my actualy bday, Monday, May 5th, my brother and I went to the zoo. It was a beautiful day, and we had a great time. That night, dad and I went to Cold Stone Creamery for my free ice cream (I signed up for their bday ice cream club). It was Dad's first time there, and he enjoyed it. Oh and to cap it off, the Cardinals defeated the Rockies 6-5. All in all my birthday was very good. What made it even better was all the people wishing me "Happy Birthday". Oh, and Froggiegirl (and I suppose Gimlet) got me a card, bottle of Vanilla Bean Lotion (a seasonal fave of mine), and an iTunes Card. Much love to all of my friends and I loved all the well wishes and presents!! Now I am typing this and enjoying my first cup of Spiced Plum tea w/ honey. I am quite pleased w/ the outcome. My new teapot works great!

Sunday, April 27, 2008

Weight Loss 2008

As many of you were unaware, I went on a diet starting in January of the new year. First off let me state that no one pushed me to diet. It was my choice. Not because I wanted to be pin thin like Hollywood seems to think is so great. I went on a diet to feel better about myself and my health; my knee doctor told me to keep my weight down to keep my knees in good shape. Plus some of my clothes for work were not fitting me, so it was either get a new warddrobe or diet. I chose the less expensive route. So I started dieting and exercising. The first 15 pounds came off easily. So far I have lost 20 lbs!! I am now eating better, exercising regularly, and am generally healthier. My clothes fit much better and I am comfortable with the way I look again. My curves are back (real curves not the curves created by clothes), a very important thing to me. I am happy with my appearance and that is the important part. I dieted because I needed to change the way I felt about my self and the way I was eating. I am still losing weight, its just more of a maitenence mode now.

Santana, Santana, Santana!!!

On Wednesday, April 23rd, my mother and I had the opportunity to see Carlos Santana (my fave artist) in concert! It was awesome!!! The music was incredible. Santana really knows how to play that guitar! The level of playing the instruments was out of this world; the bongo players had a duel and at one time one of them was using his elbows to play! The keyboarder was in a world of his own, the drummer was awesome. The vocalists (besides Santana) were really good; good, clear, stong voices. I knew the majority of the songs, only a few I didn't recognize but enjoyed. Songs played were: Black Magic Woman, Maria Maria, Oye Como Va, Smooth, (De Le)Yalleo, Foo Foo, Corazon Espinado, and the night was finished with one of my new favorites: Into the Night!! I was salsa and merengue dancing in the aisles; we were on the floor, row 22, seats 11 and 12 (right on the aisle). We had great seats!!! Mom and I enjoyed ourselves. Dad was oringally going to go w/ me but he had a boyscout event that he had to attend. So dad's loss was mom's gain. I picked up a Santana shirt that had the concert cities on the back and a CD called Food for Thought. Mom and I enjoyed dinner at Hard Rock Cafe at Union Station prior to the concert. This was by far the best concert I have ever been to! Carlos Santana really knows how to put on a good show!!

200th Post!!!

Like the title says this is my 200th post, so I thought I would do something. So here are some general updates on JBear's life:
Flood 2008: The water receeded and 141 was open Monday morning, mere hours after it was completely underwater. The new levee in Valley Park held and officials were pleased. A bar in Fenton was saved from the rising waters.
The tax man cometh: Daddy finished the family taxes the weekend before April 15th, even tho we were grnated an extra month to do taxes. Why? B/c we live in St. Louis county and St. Louis County was declared a federal disaster area (even tho the water never touched our home), so we got extra time. Amazingly I am getting some money back! I am getting $300 for the Economic Stimulus thing- that is going towards a new digital camera! I also get some money from State and Federal (whoohoo).
APO: I attended my 5th Section 49 Sectionas (what can I say? I'm addicted) which was held at Wash U on April 3rd -5th. Andy and I taught our 4th (and possible last) Salsa class. It went great. We added some new moves and did some more freestyle. Sectionals were awesome and I got to hang out w/ my fave brothers from Lindenwood and E Pi. Not to mention other brothers from Beta Psi and Epsilon. Two weekends later I attended E Pi's Spring Service Day- April 19th. The service event was at the YWCA in Alton, IL. It was a youth service project. E Pi had a full day planned for the youngers. I assisted brother Sloane in the pool, so I got to float in the pool most of the day :). That of course made me happy. That night I was present as new brothers were welcomed into the E Pi chapter, and then danced the night away. I got to meet some fab new brothers and had an awesome time! I of course got to spend some time with one of my favorite favorite favorite brothers, Erin K. I love that girl! :)
Loki: Loki continues to do well and find new ways to stir up mischeif. Currently the poor baby is suffering from spring allergies. So we are constantly washing her face and paws, putting lotion on her face and giving her benadryl every 6 hours. As a result, she is sleeping a lot. As the weather turns warmer, Loki will be getting more exercise via walks, swimming, retrieving and general Lokiness.
Home: As a result from the last big snowstorm, our mailbox and post had to be replaced. However, mom is picky on her mailbox so the post was replaced first and we tried to salvage our barn house mailbox. Alas, we were unable to save it. So we have a new cedar mailbox that sort of resembles a barn. New numbers are on the post and all in all it looks good.

Saturday, March 22, 2008

The Great Flood of 2008

Okay so everyone knows (or should know) that the rivers are cresting. The Meramec River near my house has risen so high that the intersection of 141 & 44 is completely underwater! Yesterday I went around and took lots of pictures of the flooding. I have uploaded those photos and you can view the pics from my back road here. Also click here and here for pics of 141 at 44 and downtown Fenton. I played "mountain goat" yesterday, hiking all over to get pictures and am now paying the price. I went back earlier this afternoon to get more pictures. I will probaly be going out again around 4ish to take more pictures and see how high the water has gotten. This is crazy! It is like 1993 all over again! Just getting to the other side of 141 took me a half an hour where as it usually takes me like 2 minutes or less. Traffic on Westbound 44 is bumper to bumper b/c 109 at Eureka is now closed in both directions. Weathermen are forcasting that this flood is going to be worse than 1993. Luckily I live on really elevated ground, so I don't have to worry about being flooded myself. If I do, then somebody had better build an ark! I will upload my video on here as soon as it uploads on facebook.

Tuesday, March 04, 2008

10"+ Snow

Well, today St. Louis and other nearby cities got hit by a BIG snow storm. As of 45 minutes ago, we had 10 inches in our front yard. It took me an hour to get from The Saint Louis Art Museum (work) to home. I dont' think I did over 30 mph the entire way. It was an interesting, hair-raising journey home; I almost got stuck going up a hill, I fish tailed a lot, I ended up going sideways while going down Smizer Mill to enter my street. Thank goodness there were no other cars nearby. I made it up our hill to our house by encouraging my car (I kid you not), I down shifted and prayed I'd make it. I made it into our driveway (thankfully it was shoveled), and noticed that our mailbox was crooked (apparently dad took it out trying to get into the driveway himself. Dad and Golum (hermanito) were down a few houses helping a neighbor get unstuck so they too could get into their driveway. So now I am safely ensconsed in my warm house, watching the snow continue to fall heavily. Snow is supposed to tapper off around 6ish or so the weatherman says. Loki has already played in the snow once, and I'm sure she'll play in it some more before the day is done.

Thursday, February 21, 2008

New Features

Okay so I have decided to add a new feature to my blog: Guest Blogging. I have spoken to my dad (my hero, baseball guru, and all around great and knowledgable guy), and he has agreed to do some guest blogging here. This has be in the works for a few months now. Mainly he will be contributing to my baseball blogging, but he may blog about other things. So stay tuned, I don't know when I'll get him to blog but it will be soon.

A Blog from Froggiegirl

Okay so I regularly read my friend froggiegirl's blog, and today I found the following blog and decided to copy it. Special thanks to froggiegirl for sharing this. Froggiegirl recieved the following in an email:

All you animal lovers-this is pretty simple... Please tell ten friends to tell ten today! The Animal Rescue Site is having trouble getting enough people to click on it daily to meet their quota of getting free food donated every day to abused and neglected animals.It takes less than a minute (How about 20 seconds) to go to their site and click on the purple box 'fund food for animals' for free. This doesn't cost you a thing.Their corporate sponsors/advertisers use the number of daily visits to donate food to abandoned/neglected animals in exchange for advertising.Here's the web site!
www.theanimalrescuesite.com
*I have visited the site and clicked. It will be added to my faves and will become one of my daily websites that I visit.

Saturday, February 09, 2008

Tragedy in Kirkwood

Thursday night, tragedy struck Kirkwood, Missouri. A man Charles Lee "Cookie" Thorton, walked into a city council meeting with a loaded gun and killed 5 people before he was killed too. Thorton walked in, killed a cop- took his gun and then started shooting. The five victims of Thorton's rampage are Kirkwood City Council members Connie Karr (apparently she worked at Maritz- one floor beneath my dad) and Michael H.T. Lynch, Kirkwood Public Works Director Kenneth Yost, and Kirkwood Police Officer Tom Ballman and Sgt. William Biggs. Thorton shot the town's mayor twice in the head. Mayor Mike Swoboda is currently in critical condition at St. Johns Hospital. He aslo shot Suburban Journals reporter Todd Smith in the hand. Smith was covering the meeting. One person managed to get out of city hall unhurt; City Attorney John Hessel. Hessel had both guns pointed at him, and thought he was dead. Then he threw a chair at him, and the guns aimed to the right, he then threw 2 more chairs. So he started running. He saw Thorton coming after him, then Thorton tripped over one of the dead bodies. He managed to get out after cops, responding to the gunfire, entered the building and shot the gunman dead. According the the survivor, Thorton was aiming specifically at Councilman Yost, Mayor Swoboda, and himself. Click here to read his story. Apparently a fued had been going on between Thorton and Kirkwood for years. It all started off with parking tickets for his parking of his trucks on the street for his construction business. A total of 150 tickets, Kirkwood let these tickets slide- forgetting about them. These tickets escalted to several lawsuits, resulting in denials, going to appeals. Thorton felt his rights were being denied. Though what made him snap is a mystery. One of Thorton's brothers said that Thortons actions were justified and that "he went to war". Justified! How can you justify the murders of 5, maybe 6 (hopefully not) innocent people! Sick, thats what that is. There is no justification for the actions of Thorton. What he did was wrong, evil, and unjust. Everyone on the news and people interviewed keep refering to Thorton as "Cookie", a nickname of his. Don't call him "Cookie", hes not a cookie, hes an insane murderer, a jerk, a destroyer of lives, etc...
Some people are calling this a "race" issue. It's not a race issue or a black vs white issue. It has nothing to do with race! Get over it! One reverend in Kirkwood said it best "This is not a race issue, this is a people issue". This was a horrible event. It was not a race issue.
My thoughts and prayers are with the victims families as well as Mayor Swoboda and his family.

Wednesday, January 30, 2008

Cleaning house

So on my off day I was quiet busy. I took Loki to the groomer, gave Phantom a bath (he is not mad at me-suprisingly), had lunch with dad, and then started cleaning. I cleaned my bathroom, dusted the living room, vaccumed the living room, cleaned the fireplace, placed Climber's cat statue on his grave, picked up the big branchs the crazy wind knocked down in our yard (some bigger than me), did laundry, dejunked some, and FINALLY got enrolled for my company's insurance!!! I called again today, after calling last week, and finally got a resolution. I have been trying to enroll since January 6th. Now I will have insurance again...good thing to, after this pair, I'll be down to my last pair of contacts, I need some of my prescriptions refilled, and I need to go to the knee doctor and get them fixed (be it physical therapy, surgery, or a shot). Loki is home from the groomer, and she is all fluffy(her tail is fluffier than usual!) and sweet smelling! She is soo happy, she got to play w/ all those other dogs, and then she got home and I washed all her squeaky toys and blankets and they taste different!! All in all it was a good day, busy but successful.

Wednesday, January 16, 2008

New Birds on the Bat

Here are the New Cardinals:
Troy Glaus- 3rd Base- from Toronto Blue Jays
Jason LaRue- Catcher- from Kasas City Royals
Matt Clement- Starting Pitcher- from Boston Red Sox- he had shoulder surgery and subsequently did not pitch in 2007- welcome to the National League (the real league), now learn to bat.
Cesar Izturis- Shortstop- from the Chicago Cubs (booo!)- welcome to a winning team.
There were some call ups from the minor leagues. Spring Training Starts soon (February!!!) and the end of that will finalize the active roster. Who knows, maybe there will be some more players to leave or to become a Cardinal. Maybe some good starting pitchers! That's what we need!
*Por Siempre: Let's Go Cardinals!!

And Playing for the Cardinals is....?

These days its hard to know who is playing for the Cardinals what with all the line up changes. First there was David Eckstien (mom's favortite player) who was released. He has signed on with the Toronto BLue Jays. Why: Cards want younger players, less of a paycheck. Then Jim Edmonds (the best center fielder ever!) was traded to the San Diego Padres. So Taguchi was let go. Also departing the Birds on the Bat; backup catcher Gary Bennet, infielder Miguel , infielder/offensive player Russel Branyan, pitcher Mike Maroth, pitcher Troy Percival, catcher Kelly Stinett, pitcher Kip Wells (should have traded him long time ago), and offensive player Preston Wilson. Now Scott Rolen has been traded to the Toronto Blue Jays for 3rd Baseman Troy Glaus. Why did Rolen leave; differences with manager Tony LaRussa. The departure of General Manager Walt Jocketty should have been a sign of the changes to come. Why they let Jocketty go, I don't know. Right now, the Cards are cleaning house. Getting rid of vetrans, opting for younger players (who get much smaller paychecks). Personally, I think they are nuts. But who knows, maybe this is what we need.
At least Pujols (signed until 2010), Molina (there until at least 2011), and Chris Carpetner (at least another year or two left on his contract) are staying.
*Por Siempre: Let's Go Cardinals!!

Labrador Retrievers #1 Dog in US- again!!

Further proof that Loki is the best dog in the world:
According to The American Kennel Club, the Labrador Retriever is the most popular dog in the United States! Is this a suprise, hardly. You can't beat a Lab's temperment; I used to use my old dog Shadow as a pillow all the time and as long as you petted her she was fine. They are great with kids; endless amount of patience. And the picture if you click on the link is of a White/Blonde Lab. This color is the most popular color now. When we got our Black Lab Shadow, black was the "in" color, then Chocolate. The AKC recoginzes 3 colors of labs; Black, Chocolate, or Yellow. There are some "silver" labs, but AKC does not acknowledge that color. Golden Retrievers came in 4th. The German Shepard came in 3rd. Suprisingly, the Yorkshire Terrier came in 2nd. I woudn't have thought they would even make the top ten. They are the most anoying dogs ever. There are two that live accross the street and all they do all day is bark! And their owners never do a darn thing to shut them up! Personally I would put them on a list of worst dogs. I would have placed Golden Retrievers as 2nd or 3rd and German Shepards in 2nd or 3rd. Both breeds are great dogs.