All about River!!

So our new puppy River has been with us for 3 whole weeks!! She is happily adjusted to her new home and life. She and Loki get along great; they do play fight- like siblings. They may nip at each other but never anything serious. River got her stitches (from her spaying) out last Monday (Sept.12), we were finally able to give the little girl a bath. Which she needed. She visited the vet and got a clean bill of health, well minus the parasite but that is totally treatable and is almost gone. She goes back to the vet next Monday for another well puppy visit. River likes to follow Loki all over the place. We don't worry when she goes outside as she tends to stay close to Loki. She is still getting used to the leash. However, she can already sit on command and understands "go outside" and "bedtime". She likes her crate. Occasionally she will cry, really howl, but that's only if a) she can see people or b) she is really wound up. Most of the time we can put her in her crate and she is good.

The Vacuum Cleaner = Evil! Yes, puppy is scared to death of the vacuum cleaner. She runs out of the room and trembles. Something must have happened to her before she came to us, but she is young enough we can get her over this fear. Loki isn't afraid of it, she just doesn't like it and therefore barks at it.

River loves to play with toys, especially Loki's. Suprisingly Loki is okay with this. Often she brings a toy to River. This way River is distracted and Loki can get TLC. Loki is still spoiled rotten, we are making sure that we spend time alone with her too. Loki and I still have Loki/Jenny time- where she sits by me and I put my arm around her and rub her chest. Eventually she lays down and rolls over so I can rub her belly.

River is a lap dog...or so she thinks. She loves to run towards us and dive into our laps. Sound famliar? That's b/c Loki used to do that. Loki still thinks she is a lap dog.

Having two dogs is quite the adventure. I have to keep constant eyes on River. Two weekends ago I had to take her and Loki (b/c Loki likes to follow me too) to the bathroom with me as I was the only one home. I am constantly saying "No River!" I so did not miss those rose thorn puppy teeth. Generally where ever Loki is, River is nearby, and vice versa. Whatever River does/gets, so does Loki. We treat them equally. Although Loki doesn't get as many treats as we don't want her getting fat. River, on the other hand, we want to gain weight. Little girl is still pretty skinny. She is gaining though. She is getting bigger too. Pretty soon she will need a pinch collar (or as we call it 'power steering') and we will be able to really start training her. Loki will go through training as well. So far the Monkey See, Monkey Do theory is working quite nicely. Let's hope it continues!

Loki vs. River

Since we now have two dogs I thought I would blog about both of them and do a little Since we Photnowcomparison on the two.

Loki

Breed: Labrador Retriever (pure)

Age when adopted: 7 weeks Age now: 5 years

Weight then: 8.2 lbs Weight now: 62 lbs (solid muscle)

Color: Yellow

D.O.B.- February 8, 2006

Literal Meaning of Name: Loki is the Norse God of Mischief

Story behind the name: We were searching for the perfect name for her when I suggested Loki, my parents asked "What does that mean" I explained and we all decided it was perfect for our mischievous puppy

Nickname (s): Lokilu, Little Rodent (dad's nickname),

Fave toy (s): Frankenmoo and Squeaky the squirrel

Song: I like to Move it (this is her theme song), Brown Eyed Girl (this is what I sing to her), and the Nudzzle song (silly song mom sings to her in the morning

Photo on top left is Loki when we first got her Photo top right is Loki today

River

Breed: Labrador Retriever mix (dad was pure Golden Retriever, mom was Lab mix)

Color: Black w/ white splash on chest

Age at adoption: 9 weeks Age now: 11 weeks

Weight then: 8 lbs (skinny little girl) Weight now: 16 lbs (starting to gain weight)

D.O.B- June 23, 2011

Literal Meaning of Name: a natural stream of water of fairly large size flowing in a definate course or channel or series of divering and converging channels (ty dictionary.com)

Story behind name: Again, coming up with a name was hard. I was really pushing for Sahara (as she was getting really big drinks of water), Dad came up with River b/c she was constantly peeing. River suits her perfectly as she is constantly taking in large amounts of water and then getting rid of it.

Fave Toy (s): Draco the Dragon, whatever Loki has

Nickname: Little girl, River Rat (dad's), River Pup (mine...interestingly enough that was the name of my univerisitys former mascot),

Song: None as of yet.

March to the Arch

Yesterday was September 11, 2011. It was the 10th anniversary of 9/11. Back in July my friend Cindy told me about this event taking place on Sept 11th called March to the Arch. It sounded cool, but I wasn't quite sure that my schedule would allow me to do it. The week before the event, Cindy reminded me and I said "I'm in". As it was the 10th anniversary I really wanted to do something besides avoiding any and all footage of 9/11.

March to the Arch is a 21 mile long walk starting in Chesterfield, MO and ending at the Gateway Arch. I know my limits, so I decided that walking a portion of the 21 miles would be good enough. There was no way I would be able to walk all of it. So the plan was to meet up with Cindy at Art Hill in Forest Park. However upon arriving in Forest Park, parking was insane. So Cindy suggested I park and meet them at Mike Duffy's off of Clayton and Big Bend. I ended up walking from there to the Arch. It was a bit further than I originally planned, but whatever. I'm really glad that it worked out that I started out at Mike Duffy's. I was part of 400-500 people to walk up Art Hill amid all of the flags there. St. Louis did a memorial for the 9/11 victims by placing a flag for each person lost on Art Hill. What made it unique, is the fact that on each flag pole was the name, photo, their age, where they were working and the home town of each person. Words can not describe the emotions and feelings that were running through me when I walked towards Art Hill and seeing the flags in person. Walking up the hill was an amazing feeling and about half way up people started applauding us. I really didn't feel worthy of the applause then, I hadn't walked that far. The people who had started in Chesterfield, were definately deserving of the applause. At the top of the hill a small ceremony was held to place two flags; one to represent firefighters and the other to represent the workers lost. The first few miles weren't that bad. I had a few twinges but I was in continuous motion so it was easy to push it aside and focus on the walk. We were lucky in that we had beautiful weather, a bit hot but nice and sunny. The closer we got to the arch, the harder it was keep walking. I soo wanted to quit at Union Station. I won't lie; I was really tempted to hop on the Metro Link at Union Station and take it to the Arch. However, Cindy and I made a deal; neither one of us would let the other quit early. However, what kept me moving was the the thought of the firefighters and first responders charging into the burning towers, running up stairs amid toxins and smoke. The pain they willingly endured in order to save the lives of others motivated me to keep moving and ensured me that the pain I felt was for them and was worth it. I stayed hydrated (2 bottles of water and 2 12 oz of gatorade), and enjoyed 2 bananas to keep up my energy. I also had some twizzlers for sugar intake. All of that helped, believe me. Keeping hydrated really helped my joints. Once we got to the Arch grounds we followed the Marine Corp. Color Gaurd down to the Arch and were rewared to more applause. This time I felt worthy of it. Once we reached the Arch we were allowed to relax. The guy who started this march gave a short speech and another man sang The Star Spangled Banner and another moving, inspirational song (beautiful voice). Then we all sang America the Beautiful...then we were allowed to touch the Arch. Touching the Arch after that walk was an incredible feeling; I did it! Bad knees and all! I still can't believe I did it. A school bus took marchers back to their cars. It felt sooo good to sit and enjoy the ride. I came home starved, sweaty and exhausted. Most of all proud. Today I woke up with my left knee swollen and my right ankle tight. So I wrapped the knee and put the ankle in a brace. I am achy and sore, but it was worth it. So no matter how much I complain of the pain, I do not regret what I did for a second. I was able to honor those who lost their lives on September 11, 2001. So for now I'm "Zombie Walkin" for the moment. I'll be fine in a few days; rest and hydration will help. For more information on March to the Arch, click here http://www.marchtothearch.com/.

River

This blog was written two weeks ago and I forgot to publish it. More details about the new puppy. Enjoy!

Last week we adopted a 9 week old black labrador retriever mix. Her name at the time was Tina Turner. We named her River. River likes to drink mass amounts of water and she also pees a lot. This is how she got her name. She is 10 weeks old and gets her stitches out on Monday, which means then she can get a bath! Yay! Puppy is smelling a bit funky. Loki was groomed on Friday so she is all sweet smelling and fluffy. River and Loki are getting along better. They are playing and chasing each other a lot. It is a bit of a mad house here. River thinks everyone is a living chew toy, so we have to have something nearby to offer her as an alternative. I haven't had an opportunity to upload photos of her yet as whenever I get home from work, River takes up all of my time. Today I honestly felt like a stay at home mom to two kids. I can trust Loki, but I can't let River out of my site. I have only gone to the bathroom alone when River is a) being watched by Mark or is b) in her crate. Wherever Loki goes, River goes and vice versa. Last night, toys littered the living room and I had two crazy dogs nipping, chasing, "talking" at each other. River is doing a lot better in her crate. She only cries in it when she can see us, or when she knows you are in another room and could therefore potentially let her out. Right now I am hiding out in my room. River is sleeping in her crate, and Loki is out cold in front of my tv. I wanted to watch the baseball game and play on facebook in peace. Not possible with a 10 week old puppy who is into everything and peeing every 15 minutes (so it seems). I will post more pics of her soon. Now it is time to wake the baby up to go outside and play a bit. Then bed time for both of us. I love having 2 dogs, but at times they drive me crazy. I love my Lokilu and River tho.

10 years later

T/m is the 10 year anniversary of 9/11. 10 years ago, it was Sunday night and I was recovering from knee surgery I had had on Friday. Mom was helping me get comfortable for the night at the hotel we were staying in; I was a new student at SMS, but I wanted mom around to help me for a few days while I got back on my feet. My biggest worry for the next day; how I was going to a) make it all over campus on crutches and b) make it to all of my classes. I had no idea of the horror that awaited. I woke up September 11, 2001 around 8:30 AM, my first class wasn't until 10 AM, but showering was going to be an ordeal. I remember coming out of the shower and seeing smoke coming out of a building on tv. I asked mom what was on TV, at the time she thought it was some action flick. It wasn't until we were sitting down to breakfast we relized it was live tv. We saw the second plane approach, I remember saying "There's another plane" and watching it crash into the tower. I still went to class, one let out early, I got out in time to see the towers fall. I remember that all of my classes except for math were either cancelled or let out early. My math professor was horrid, we asked him "Do you know what is going onout there?" and he replied "That's not important right now, this class is important" and kept us the entire time. I was in shock. Then I heard that a plane had crashed into the pentagon. I wanted mom to call my dad and brother and have them leave St. Louis. I didn't know what was going on, but I wanted my family out of a major city. Mom said they were fine where they were, St. Louis wasn't big enough to warrent an attack. I heard later that a friend of mine's father was supposed to have been in the pentagon that day, but for some reason (I forget) he wasn't. I remember worrying that my friend in basics was going to be called out and sent to war. I see now it was an unreasonable fear, but at the time I wanted all of my friends and family in one location: I don't know for sure, just somewhere safe. I can still close my eyes and see that second plane crash into the tower, and then see the towers fall. There is a movie out based upon the heroic actions of some of the firefighters on that day; I haven't watched it. I can't bring myself to. I close my eyes and change the channel whenever images from that day come on. T/m I am joining my friend Cindy Almon at Art Hill for March to The Arch in rememberance of those lost that day. The plan is to walk from Forrest Park to the Arch...we shall see how far I can make it. I have seen pictures of the flags that are on display at Art Hill, it is a sight to be seen. T/m is not going to be an easy day. My thoughts and prayers will be with those who lost loved ones that horrible day. Our flag is already on display out front. I will never forget the horrors of that day. I will never forget the emotions of hopelessness and sadness I felt that day. I will never forget 9/11. I hope and pray that one day justice will be served for all those who lost their life then. Until then I will continue to support our troops and remember. Always remember 9/11.

Meet Puppy Noel pt 2

So our new baby is called Tina Turner for now. We will be changing her name to something that fits her personality better. What that name will be, I have no clue. So for now we call her the baby. Since we met baby on a Monday I suggested the name Luna which is Spanish for moon. Lunes is Spanish for Monday, so Luna for short. Other name ideas: Sahara (if she drinks like Loki does- that's her name for sure), Raine (it might rain t/m), Madrid, Dakota, Jubilee, Arizona, Pandora, and Persephone (Perrie for short) - in keeing with the goddess names. Now will we pick one of these names? No clue. Watch we come up with a name not even mentioned. We usually let our animals name themselves as dictated by their personalities.

Ex: Climber-adopted at shelter, cat was climbing the gate to get eye level with us

Sparkle- her eyes sparkled at me when we adopted her

Shadow- silly girl scared herself when she saw her reflection in the dishwasher

Loki- she was/is constantly mischievious.

Hints as to her personality: very curious, loves belly rubs, loves to be craddled like a baby, gives kissies, loves to play hard, was very sleepy/calm when we met her and when Loki met her.

What does that mean? Not sure. However, baby will have a name soon enough. Mom took a lot of pics when she and Loki met, so those will be posted on facebook soon enough. I can't wait until she comes home and joins our family! And now the Noel family is a family of 6!!

Meet Puppy Noel!

It's official! We are adopting another dog! She comes home t/m. About a month or so ago, mom decided she wanted to adopt another dog. Dad finally agreed/ caved (however you want to look at it) So began the great search for a puppy. Mom wanted a chocolate labrador retriever, she didn't care if it was a pure bred or not. Dad still wanted a pure bred. So I began looking on the internet for puppy. Eventually, dad decided that adopting from a shelter was fine. It was decided that we would not get puppy until mid- August. This would be after mom and dad's Canadian vacation and boyscout camp. However, after some discussion, we decided to adopt a black lab puppy instead of a chocolate. As soon as I changed the parameters of our puppy search, I came upon Patti LaBelle on Adoptapet.com. Patti was a black lab mix puppy, solid black and absolutely adorable. I immeadiatly texted mom and told her I had found our dog. Mom e-mailed the shelter, which is located in St. Charles, stating that we wanted to meet Patti. So that afternoon mom picked me up from work and we drove to Five Acres Shelter, formerly the St. Charles Humane Society. We arrived there and saw some black lab puppies hanging out in the back of a truck with some people milling around it and talking. We initially went over to the truck and met Tina Turner, a black lab mix with a splash of white on her chest. When mom picked her up, she grunted...Loki grunts all the time! We learned that Patti LaBelle was inside, however someone had arrived a few minutes before us and had picked Patti. So we went back outside to take another look at Tina. Within a few moments we knew this was our puppy. She was a black lab yes, however unlike our previous Black lab Shadow; Tina had a splash of white on her. Which made her different and we didn't feel like we were replacing Shadow. Tina loves to be held/cuddled like a baby. I held her while mom filled out the application. Then we had to head home not knowing if we would be approved. The next day, mom got a phone call stating that granted our dog, Loki and the puppy got along, Tina was ours!! Unfortunately, Tina didn't have all her puppy shots yet. So we would have to wait two weeks before we could set up a meet and greet between Loki and Tina. Fast forward 2 weeks to August 29th (today), we had an appointment to meet with puppy at 5:30. I was so worried that the two would not like eachother; I was worried that Loki would eat/ attack the baby. However, when mom and dad took Loki to meet Tina, they ignored each other! Tina was more interested in sniffing his foster dad's shoes and Loki was more iterested in the foster dad. Tina and her siblings were fostered at a home instead of staying at the shelter. Loki didn't even react when dad picked up Tina an cuddled her. So that made it official. T/m morning they will spay Tina and she gets to come home at 5pm!!!!

New Look

So I was bored and decided to change things up. Wonder if anyone will notice the changes besides me? Oh well. I think all the littel changes I made are more me. I stuck with the water background and colors; I am obsessed with water.

Highlights from NVC

The drive there:

Cindy and I rocking out to her Disney playlist and chatting about all sorts of things.

We saw a UFO!

The conference:

Learned a lot of new stuff that I can take back to my students

Howl at the Moon!!

The drive home:

Cindy and I rocked out to my Boy Band playlist. Cindy's highlight- O-town! My highlight- Backstreet Boys!

Saw a sign for Churchill museum (this will be a road trip later) in Warrenton, MO...although I don't think the museum is about our beloved Region 8 Director Jenn Churchill :(

"Hot Tasty Butts" very interesting billboard

NVC Day 3 & 4

Saturday, July 30th:

Saturday morning came waaay too early. And the rain continued until mid morning. Unfortunately, Fenton didn't get a lot of rain. The morning at breakfast, it was acknowledged that Section 49 was the section to party with!! Yea! Saturday I was in APO Leads training all day. We got out for lunch and then right back to it. I was able to leave my training session early so I could attend the Region 8 meeting. I wasn't sure if I was supposed to talk about something at the meeting or not so I asked to present first and then get out. It turned out I didn't have to talk, but it was still good that I only missed a few minutes of the meeting. There was a lot of important information discussed. Our meeting actually finished up earlier than our allotted time due to the genious thinking of Katrina and Jenn G (they insisted on typing up an itinerary with time slots- which really helped us move along) Our fabulous Region 8 Director, Jenn Churchill wasn't and still isn't a fan of it, but it worked really well. So we had time to chill before the banquet that night. The banquet food was good; we had steak (thank you Bob London!) and veggies. Our dessert that night was layered chocolate cake. We had been served dessert at our two previous lunches as well (Carrot Cake and Chocolate Cake on Friday and then a Banana Nut Cake on Sat). After the banquet we all treked over to Bdubs yet again. But first I stopped by one of the Board of Directors rooms and got a much needed glass of wine (thank you Bob London again!!). It was really hot and humid on the patio at BDubs. It felt just like St. Louis. Except this night there were no occasional drops of rain like there was on Friday night. I got a loud "Heeey!" when I walked out on the patio...this was the standard greeting to every new brother who came outside. Former president Maggie Katz got the loudest greeting. I got to hang out with a brother from Arizona and talk with Maggie. After BDubs the room to be in (hey Section 49 had a rep to protect) was Cindy and Cindy's room. Cindy, Jenn G, Bill, and myself stayed up till 4 AM that night/morning. I finally collected on the back massage that Bill owed me from Nat Con. It was great to just hang out and talk with everyone.

Sunday, July 31st:

Again morning came too early, even though we didn't have to be at breakfast until 9...staying up until 4 didn't help ;) My alarm on my phone went off and I should have gotten up and been downstairs on time...however I ignored it and slept a little longer. I still managed to walk (or stagger per Bill) in around 9:15 AM. I hadn't missed anything and I wasn't the last one in either. Our last activity before the conference ended was to think of the next big thing for APhiO. We had to come up with ideas of what the fraternity should do; my group had two really good ones. 1) Horton 1- a private jet for the National Board (we didn't present this to the group but it was liked by members of the board) and 2) an alternate APO spring break. The APO spring break would be gathering students from all over to one area to do a big service project all week. Our idea was voted number one and will be looked into!! All too soon it was time to pack up, load up my SUV, and head home :( NVC was a lot of fun and I am really glad I was able to go. I enjoyed my vacation and my time with my brothers. I can't wait until the next time I get to see my alumni brothers! Regionals in Fort Collins, CO? I don't know yet, but we shall see!

NVC Day 2

Day 2, August 29th:

Day 2 had the convention in full swing. Breakfast was served b/t 7-7:45. After that we had open houses for the different programs: Scouting, Risk Management, Membership Development, Leadership/ Service, Alumni/ International Relations, and 2 others. We were encouraged to attend 4 and get an idea of what each one was doing. I got some great ideas from each one. I also learned what each one program was working on. After the open house we had our solo workshop for the day (the program directors and their staff had a lot to do that day and needed the time) and then the rest of the day was free time! Translation: (for me at least) Pool Time :) I attended a Risk Management workshop, and really got a lot out of it. It was a really good workshop and I'm very glad I chose to attend it. The National Office also had an open house 3-5.

I got about an hour in the pool (which felt wonderful) and the hot tub (awesome). Cindy and I hung out and talked. After pool time we went to the Open House at the National Office. This was my second time visiting the office, and yes I signed the wall once again :) I also got to tour the office, which is awesome. It was Cindy and Erin's (my roomie) first time there. I did pick up souvenirs. They were having a sale so I got a Volunteer Staff polo, a fitted t-shirt, and something for my dad. I love visiting that office! Maggie Katz the former National President was there. I left my camera at the hotel, but Cindy and Erin brought theirs so I have proof that I was there.

After visiting the National Office we headed back to the hotel to change and then I headed off to Howl at the Moon with Jenn G, Emily, and Scott. Howl at the Moon is a dueling piano bar in Kansas City, MO. We were only 15 min or so from KC. Jenn G won a free happy hour for 100 of her closest friends, and she decided to redeem it while all of her alumni brehtren were in town :) It was awesome to go into a bar and be able to breathe! It was smoke free!!!! The smokers had to go outside! We got two one dollar drinks, and free snack bar. It was really crowded at the bar, but it was worth it. The piano players were all very talented, all of them could sing, play the piano, drums, and guitar! Other brothers joined us later on. I got to sit at at table w/ some really awesome brothers (Cindy, Jenn G, and Bill) for a coupla hours. You wish you had friends cool as me :) We left Howl around 11ish, and headed back to the hotel. After a brief stop at Bdubs (yes we went here every night), the hang out place that night was mine and Erin's room. Oh and that night, it rained!! It was the first rain I had seen in 2 weeks, so I was excited.

National Volunteer Conference 2011- Day 1

A week ago I had the hgreat opportunity of attending Alpha Phi Omega's 7th Bi-annual National Volunteer Conference. This was my second NVC and I had an absolute blast. It was also my first vacation since Nat Con in December. It was only 4 days but it was great! I took Thursday and Friday off from work so I essentially had a 4 day weekend. I got to hang out with some really awesome brothers I haven't seen since Nat Con. I also got the opportunity to gain new skills and learn new information to bring back to my section. So here is what went down:

Day 1: August 28th

Got up finished packing/ doing laundry. Got my nails done with mom. While I got a pedicure mom did some final grocery shopping. Mom and Dad left for a 2 week road trip to Canada and the 5 great lakes on Friday. Cindy was my carpool mate and got to my house about 3ish. We hit the road and enjoyed Disney music all the way down :) Independence, MO was our destination. The funny part about the drive was that Chad and Katrina (who was supposed to ride down with me, but there was a change in plans) actually left my house a half hour before Cindy and I took off and we still beat them there! We made really good time and got there about 6:30 PM. We checked into the hotel, checked into the conference and then met up with some other brothers, Jenn G, Bill, and Abigayle. We went over to Buffalo Wild Wings (Bdubs) for dinner. Good thing too: I was starving! After dinner we returned to the hotel and went to the main conference room for our opening speaker and a networking activity. Our speaker was a former FBI agent and spoke to us about Cyber security. It was very interesting and I learned some new things. Our networking activity split us up in groups based on our professions. Well my profession (Receptionist/Admin Asst.) wasn't mentioned, so I went to the group that was closest: Construction ( as my company builds modular buildings). Our first activity was to make hats out of construction paper. Ours were Construction Cones, thankfully we had some crafty people who made them. The challenge was which ever group got done first, got ice cream first from our ice cream social. We were third. It was entertaining and fun. After the activity we retreated to Cindy and Chad's room and hung out for a few hours. All in all Day 1 was pretty good :)

My life lately

It is already mid- July. Good grief, where did this summer go? Time really seems to be flying by. I've been pretty busy, even though I've had time where nothing is going on. So here is what has been going on:

*Baseball: So far I've been to 4 Cardinal games! My record is 2-2. (2 wins-2 losses). I have gotten to go to these games w/ really cool friends. My last game I got to reconnect w/ my little brother from Alpha Phi Omega! It was awesome. We were in a suite, which it self was really cool, but even cooler was Rob and I got to chat and see an awesome game! Pujols hit a homerun and Tony Cruz hit a double to win the game in the ninth. All in all it was a good time.

*Metrolink- I have become quite the Metrolink traveler! So far I have used it on 6 seperate occasions. I have used it for transport to all baseball games, to check out Marine week (which was amazing!), and to see the Maroon 5 concert (which was cancelled- boo). Next week I am heading downtown again to see Barenaked Ladies for Live off the Levee. I'm excited! I like traveling downtown and am sort of getting to know it better. Don't quote me on that tho, I still could (and probaly will) get lost downtown. LOL- I have no sense of direction.

*Alpha Phi Omega- I have been able to do activities with both my chapter and my alumni group. I attended a BBQ/ meeting for my chapter. So far Gateway Alumni Association (my alumni group) has only done a May event (June was too busy, and so far July is so busy and really really hot). However, it looks like we have an August Event; trivia night for Sectionals! The Railroaders have an event too; going to the zoo! I am super excited about both and hope for a good turnout for both activies.

*National Volunteer Conference (NVC): Only 12 more days I am off to Independence, MO for an exciting conference just for alumni! 3 1/2 fun filled days w/ some really awesome brothers I haven't seen in a while. Conferences during the day, and at night? We shall see! I am really excited and nervous about the one workshop I'm doing, but I am feeling more confident about it as the days go by. I am really excited about the roadtrip there and the conference itself! I can't wait! I get to take a mini-vacation for 4 days! Whoohoo! Have I mentioned I am excited?!

*Loki: Loki is awesome and being mischievous as always. She has only gotten to go swimming once (so far!), as LVL has been way crowded.

*Weather: Oh my what a spring/ summer it has been! First we had all the tornadoes (which we are not done by the way) and now we have intense heat. There is an excessive heat warning until Friday at 8 PM! Temperatues in the upper 90's and Heat Indexes in the 100's. So glad my work and home and car have A/C. Loki has wanted to play retriever, but I only let her fetch a few times as it is so hot and she doesn't know when to quit and I really don't want her to get overheated. I would love to take her on walks at night but it is too hot for either one of us. So for now it is retrieving toys in the house will have to do.

Birds on the Bat

I haven't blogged a lot lately. Work, and other things getting in the way...and I will admit laziness. However, I am now taking the time to blog about one of my favorite things: Baseball! The Boys of Summer are back!! After months of waiting baseball season is finally in full swing!! Horray!!
Spring Training started off great, Wainwright and Carpenter looked solid. And then Wainwright hurt his elbow and had season-ending Tommy John Surgery (I wish him a speedy recovery). Carpenter is doing really well, he just needs support from the bullpen. His record is 0-2 but there should be at least one win, the bullpen cost him that one. Jamie Garcia has really stepped up (3-0 record) and has been a reliable starter. Kyle Loshe is also showing more promise than he did last season- he seems to have more control of the ball and his mechanics seem improved. He also currently has the lowest ERA of the starting pitchers at 2.01 and a record of 3-1. Kyle McClellan is also doing extremly well, he also has a record of 3-0 with an ERA of 2.16.
After getting off to a slow start, the Birds on the Bat are starting to heat up! As of right now, the Cardinals are in first place in the NL Central with a 12-11 record and a .522 record. Critics have said the Cards will finish in 4th place this season. My vote: its too early to tell so the verdict is still out. Ask me again in August. We have some new Birds on the Bat (as always) this year.
First up is former Astro Lance "Puma" Berkman. Berkman was one of the Astros "Killer B's". Whenever he came up to bat, they would play that awful buzzing sounds. Berkman played firstbase while in Houston. He has transitioned to the outfield specifically right field- as we have Pujuls at first base- and seems to be doing really well. He has been hitting really good and has made some good defensive moves. All in all, he is a great addition to the team.
Ryan Theriot- a former Chicago Cub, don't hold it against him- he was one Cubbie I didn't like coming up to the plate- I knew he could hit. Theriot seems to be heating up and fitting in well with the club. The FSN announcers have compared his hiting style to that of former Cardinal David Eckstien- not a big power hitter like Pujols, but capable of producing timely hits.
There are some other new additions, but honestly these are the two I have heard the most about.
Even though we lost ace Wainwright, the rest of the starting pitchers have stepped up and are producing. It is our bullpen that needs the most work. I know, easy for me to say. Unfortunately a lot of the game is mental. I admire the players and the way they can play. I really admire the way the can stand up to all of the pressures and critisms of the game. Its only April and (thankfully) we still have a lot of baseball left! I get to go to my first game of the year on May 3rd with my baseball buddy JR and then again on May 7th (again w/ JR).
As always, all of my facts (numbers/ERA's) can be checked on the Cardinals website. My opinions are just that. At the moment, I will respectfully decline on opinions of manager Tony LaRussa.
Por Siempre: Let's Go Cardinals!!

Rising Waters

St. Louis has been through some rough weather lately. And it doesn't appear we are going to get a break any time soon. Since my last posting about the tornado I have learned more about it. I found out that the tornado traveled 22 feet and was a 1/4 mile wide (the width of my street- two lanes plus a nice shoulder on each side). This tornado made the one that hit Sunset Hills and Fenton back on New Year's Eve look like nothing. Not to diminish what happend then, its just this tornado inflicted a lot more damage. Miracuously no deaths! KMOV did a fantastic job of covering the storm and it seems like everyone had a lot of warning and a lot of information about the storm! Obviously that helped. I keep reading and hearing more about the tornado. The one thing I heard that made me soo happy was that of the volunteers coming out and helping everyone! I love hearing stuff like that, proves that there are caring people in our city. Some people have been helping by reaching out to friends and asking for things. Every little bit is appreciated I am sure. Times are going to be tough, but I think we are going to come out of this okay. It appears that there really are some wonderful people in St. Louis.
Now going to the title of my post: Rising Waters. It has been raining constantly since (and even before) the tornado it. (did St. Louis turn into Seattle and I missed it?) The ground is saturated from previous rainfalls so there is nowhere for the water to go. So the rivers are cresting. One levey, in Poplar Bluff, has already failed. One road by my house has been closed because it is under water. I heard that the levey gate in Valley Park was going to close, but it remains open. News casters are saying that the Meramec River is going to crest t/m at 24 ft. I would imagine that before that the levey gate in Valley Park will close. I am really worried about this flooding. My house will not be affected; I live on top of a big hill. If my house floods somebody better be building an ark and collecting 2 of each animal (except for squirrels and geese). What I am concerned about is 141 at 44 going under. If that happens, I can still get to work, it is just going to take a lot longer to get there. I really don't want that to happen- and call me selfish if you want- I just don't want to have to use all that gas considering the gas prices! I mean really, do the oil companies think we are made of money?! All we can do now is wait and hope for the best.

EF4 Tornado Hits St. Louis

Friday night, April 22nd, Good Friday, St. Louis was hit by an E4 Tornado. Lambert Airport and surrounding areas suffered the most damage.
Tornados are graded on the Fujita scale from 1 to 5. They are measured by how much they "eat" aka destroy. The higher the number, the greater the damage. This link gives you an idea of how they grade each number.
St. Louis suffered incredible damage; houses were leveled, Lambert international had a roof taken off, windows blown in, and a teriminal flooded. Debris littered the halls of Busch Stadium. The pictures of the damage I have seen are enough to break my heart. Miracuously though, there were no fatalities. All that damage and not one life lost. God was truely watching over St. Louis Friday night. Even those of you who do not believe in God, you have to admit there was something greater watching over us. I was fortuate in that all of my friends and family are safe and unharmed by the storm. Others were not as fortunate.
President Obama has promised Federal Aid to the victims. This and insurance will help. Let me repeat HELP... but not solve all the problems. It takes a long time for insurance claims to be processed. It will take time for the Federal money to arrive and be properly distributed. In the meantime, people will have to rely on the strength and love of their friends and family. The generosity of strangers will also be a booon to them. Those with Tornado insurance will have advantages of being able to rebuild faster, the insurance will provide them with money to get a hotel, get food and clothes. This will HELP, not solve. And it will take time for insurance to get the money to its customers, and while they are waiting they will have to use precious funds for the basic necessities just to survive. I am not saying all this to be cold or rude, nor am I minimizing the situation, as it has been suggested to me. There are some amazing people out there who have already stepped forward and are helping the vicitms. A friend of mine is reaching out to her facebook community and asking for small donations to help a friend of hers who lost her house. She is not asking for a lot, just small things; gift certificates for food and clothes, and donations of diapers. It may seem small but in the long run it is a lot. Remember that the tiniest ripple in the pond can produce the largest waves. Translation: even the smallest acts of kindness can make the biggest difference. KMOV asked for stories of people doing good for a special segment on Monday, so I submitted what my friend is doing. The news needs to highlight more stories like this more often. I am impressed and awed by what people are doing to help out. There are truely some amazing people in St. Louis. For those of you who want to help, click here for ideas.

Oh what fun we have in Legislative Session

As I mentioned in previous posts, I spent a day and a half of my vacation in legislative session. On the day I left for Atlanta, I got a call from Marlene, our section chair, asking me to be the Section Chair Designee. What that entailed: I was to sit with the other section chairs and have a voice but no vote. Meaning I could speak my mind on issues but could not vote. I was also on the floor to make sure that the delegates from my chapters in my section were okay; were they understanding the issues, did they have any questions, or did they need anything. I was honored to be asked and really glad I was able to help out my section. I only hope that I did a good enough job. If the thanks I got from the delegates and Jenn C are any indication, I apparently did so :) I heartily thank Jenn Churchill for the mini memory card game and the mini crazy eights game as well as the activities pad for keeping me sane. I must have played that mini memory card game over a dozen times, I completed almost every activity in my activity pad and played many games of crazy eights with Travis. I did pay attention to the issues and sent/responded to notes from my delegates. I made sure everything was okay and got anything if they needed it. Big thanks goes to my awesome roommate Abigayle for saving me the first day by bringing my hoodie to me! I would have froze w/out it. Also major thanks to Jenn C for giving me meds for my insanely painful sinus headache I was annoyed by all day on the 29th. It finally went away around 6ish. It was awful! Before I found out that I was going to be on the legislative floor all day, I had planned on being a runner or doing whatever Marlene, our section chair, wanted/needed me to do. I went out before I left for ATL and got goodies for the delegates. Each chapter received a goody bag which contained the following: a toy car, crayons, and a few pieces of candy. Region staff also provided goody bags to all delegates. They gave us mini card games (I got the memory card game), an activity pad, candy, a protein bar, and a bottle of water. Even though at times I was ready to bolt or felt like I was going insane, I did enjoy my time spent. I sent encouraging notes; such as sending chocolate candies to Epsilon for voicing their opinion on an issue, a protein bar to Beta Psi (they will tell you I encouraged them to fight) with a note stating that they could either fight over it or be brothers and share it. Unfortunately I trashed all the notes I received the first day :( However, I kept the notes from the second day. Oh yea, Jenn C also provided us with BINGO cards which not only kept us entertained also kept us awake and paying attention to what was being said. President-now past president :(- Maggie Katz saying "Sacred Cows" was a square as was a brother being ruled out of order. Past President Fred Heismeyer mentioning Indy racing, Danica Patrick or showing off his tie -he failed to wear a tie on the first day when this square was on our sheet, nor did he talk that day :( Our BINGO sheets were a hit, I am predicting that next Nat Con, there will be a lot more BINGO Cards :) I only spoke once at the mic, and that was right before the session closed and that was to heartily thank Maggie Katz for her years of service and state that I was going to miss her. I also congratulated John K. Ottenad (JKO- and yes there was a square stating "a brother refers to John K. Ottenad as JKO- which I did) on his election as Vice President of the Fraternity. If you couldn't tell from all the previous posts, I had a great vacation and a fabulous time at National Convention. Hopefully I will be able to attend the 2012 National Convention which is taking place in Orange County Anaheim, California!! I have never been to the west coast. So I'm really hoping to go. Apparently the weather there in December is about 67 degrees. And according to the bidding chapter, the beach is nearby. As I have never swam in the Pacific Ocean, I will definitely be visiting the beach. Who wants to bet that I will go swimming?! For those of you who just said "yes, crazy girl will go swimming" You are correct. I might just go in just to say I have swam in the Pacific Ocean. We shall see! Hurry up Sectionals, I miss my brothers!!

Oh yea...we did use a frivolous motion to have Maggie Katz do 'I'm a Little Teapot'- it was hilarious!

New Year's Eve Atlanta Style

New Year's Eve- December 31st: Nat Con was officially over, so I got to sleep until 11:30 on NYE. Wandered over to the mall (I think this was trip 6 or so) for lunch. Picked up Moe's and then headed to the Region Suite to eat and watch the parade. The Chik-Fil-A bowl was that night, so the hotel was super crowded. The hotel was booked, what with 1,800 brothers staying there for our convention, plus the bands for the football teams and attendees and other guests. Watched the parade w/ Bill. The parade was pretty good. Loved the bands. Didn't like the float that played "Baby, Baby" by Justin Bieber....really didn't like how Bill tried to keep it in my head. Visited the World of Coke w/ Chad, Abigayle (who was my awesome roommate) and Bill. It was awesome! The majority of my pics from this vacation were taken there. I have to say the Tasting room and the museum were my fave parts. I tried coke products from all over the world. I loved the coke products from Latin America (they use real sugar and less of it, so their sodas aren't as sweet as the sodas in the states). I tried a ginger ale that was really good. Picked up souvenirs for the family, shot glass for my brother, mini polar bear for mom, baseball for dad, and 2 mini contour and a holiday shirt for me. That night we went to dinner at Pacific Rim Bistro, a few blocks from the hotel. It was really good. I had a chicken breast stuffed w/ crab and cheese, covered w/ sauce, a glass of red wine, and then fried cheesecake for dessert. Tried endame for the first time, loved it! Dinner was wonderful; wonderful food and wonderful company! Hung out in JKO's suite (which was phenomenal!!) A little bit before midnight, we ventured to the 2nd floor of the hotel, circled it and at midnight welcomed the new year and sang our toast song! 300 brothers singing the toast song, it was awesome!! Went back to JKO's suite, and hung out there until about 2ish. Hotel didn't quiet down until about 3 AM.
New Years Day- January 1, 2011: Slept until 10:30 AM. Finished packing, checked out, got a hot chocolate and watched NCIS in my room until 10 till noon (official check out time). Headed downstairs, where I bid farewell to my brothers (some I won't see until Sectionals, others possibly NVC) and headed off to MARTA. Took MARTA to the airport, checked my bag, and went in search of my departure gate. This time I opted to walk all the way to Terminal C and not take the train. Work off all the calories gained from the week. Oh was I tired by the time I got to my gate! Picked up lunch at Moe's (yes I loved this place- like Chipotle but not as good). Texted brothers while I waited for my plane. My plane was on time (I flew Airtran and I have to say I was very impressed with them! I would definitely recommend them and fly with them again if I can't fly Southwest!). Flight was uneventful and again we arrived in STL early. Atlanta was wet and cold when I left. Upon arriving in STL, I noticed that all the snow had melted, thanks to high temps on NYE. Glad to be home, but sad to be finished with my vacation and away from all my brothers. My vacation was much needed and a lot of fun! Hopefully, I can take another mini-Vacay at the end of July to attend NVC in KC, MO. We shall see. Until then I will contend myself with attending chapter meetings and then sectionals in April. Remember: APO is for Life!!!! To see more pictures from my trip click here.

Nat Con Day 4

Day 4- Thursday, December 30th: This was the final day of the conference :( Didn't have to be on legislative floor until 8:30 AM as we had gotten through the meatier stuff the day before. Legislation went well and we ended up finishing a lot earlier than planned :) Brother John K. Ottenad was elected & voted as Vice President of the Fraternity!!! Brother Mark Stratton was elected & voted President of the Fraternity. Brother Glen Kinder was elected & voted as one of 6 Program Directors. At the final regional meeting, it was a unanimous decision to re-elect Jenn Churchill as our Region Director. 2 of the section chairs, Travis and Megan surprised Jenn w/ a birthday cake as it was her birthday. Everyone enjoyed a nice yummy piece of b-day cake. Brother John K. Ottenad was presented with the Region DSK (Distinguished Service Key) by two Alpha Phi- Wash U (his home chapter). The girls who presented it were so cute in their presentation. JKO was shocked and humbled by this. JKO definitely deserved this award, everything he has done for our region and the sections has been much appreciated. Visited the Fraternity store where they were having a sale, unfortunately the shirt I got was not on sale, but it was worth it! Also picked up a convention pin. I sat with Jenn G and the Epsilon chapter at the Awards Banquet where I was pleased to see Beta Psi (my father's chapter) win the National Scouting Award. An award they have won for the past 8 years (Nat Con is held every other year & Beta Psi has won this award at the last 4 conventions). I also had the great pleasure of seeing Brother George Kober receive the National DSK- the highest honor! Well deserved!!!! and he is of Region 8, Section 49- my Region & Section !!! Attended the Sleepless in Atlanta pajama dance for a little while, then headed up to the region suite to hang out. Bid farewell to Steven & Keely (who drove down there) who had to leave super early the next day to be back in the STL as Keely had to work New Years Day.

Nat Con Day 2 & 3

Day 2: Tuesday, December 28th: Get up around 8ish and go get Keely & Steven registered (checked in really) for Nat Con. This process ends up taking us most of the morning. My badge finally gets fixed so I can be on the legislative floor t/m. Afterwards we visited the Fraternity Store (yes I visited this place frequently) Grab subway for lunch (ty to Gilbert for walking w/ me to the food court). Get to my one and only workshop (my fault- I was lazy and didn't feel like going to the others before then-plus I needed to help my brothers). I end up leaving early as my stupid allergies decide to act up. Head over to mall to drug store to pick up claritin (thank goodness for that drugstore!), then back to the hotel to chill until the Fellowship Banquet. The Fellowship Banquet was great! Sat w/ Jenn C, Jenn G, Katrina, Bill, Keely, Steven, Chad, Glen and Kevin. Dinner was great, with the exception of the green beans which were over cooked (a bit chewy for my tastes). Classic cheesecake for desert :) So far this convention is awesome! After dinner there is the swing dance w/ a live 17 piece orchestra! Only stayed for a little while as I had security duty 10- 12. Chilled in my hotel room until it was time to go downstairs and report. End up getting a call from Scott (brother from SLU now living in GA) wondering where I am...I still had 5 min before my shift started and I was exiting the elevator. Was team Bravo- patrol went great! Love doing security detail. No real problems, one of the brothers mentioned eating jelly beans and we all began demanding that security get us jelly beans! We did get jelly beans thanks to Bravo Whiskey :) Again ended up in bed after midnight
Day 3- Wed, December 29th: Get up really early to be on Legislative floor by 8 AM. Legislative session doesn't start until 8:30 AM, which allowed me to go to the coffee shop in the hotel & get hot chocolate and a banana. Legislative session goes well, get to enjoy lunch w/ the Great Maggie Katz and Beta Psi :) Return to legislative session, and manage to finish early around 4 :) Head off to Regional Meeting. Get dinner at the Mandarin place across the street w/ Steven & Keely. Chill in Region Suite for a while (yes this was the place to be and many times I hung out there). 11Pm I head off down to the Make-A-Wish Carnival (where we ended up raised $7,000!!) with Bill & Steven. I only planned on staying for a little while either bounce in the Bounce House like an idiot or play laser tag. Ended up getting thrown in "jail"- you could put brothers in "jail" after setting a bail price, and then brothers had to raise enough money to "free" them. Thank you brother Tom! Many pics on facebook for your viewing pleasure of yours truly in "jail". Quite entertaining as many of my brothers will tell you. My jail cell was a black tarp wrapped around 4 posts, w/ the "bars" made of duct tape. There were 2 chairs inside so I was able to sit down for a while. In my time in "jail" I chanted "Attica, Attica, Attica, Attica!!", sang 'Sweet Caroline' and helped a brother escape :) The jail break was fun! I didn't partake in the escape but I helped lift part of our "jail cell" so the brother could "dig" his way out. Got out in time to see Jenn C (who by the way is our fabulous Region Director) get pied :) Travis and Larry were also pied. It was great! I didn't get to bounce around or play laser tag as I gave my tickets up to bail myself out. Big thanks to all brothers who donated tickets (esp Steven who gave all four of his free tickets up- upon entering the carnival we were given 4 free tickets after that tickets were 25 cents each). Originally planned on staying to see Jenn get pied and then go, but my imprisonment changed that. All in all it was fun. I had a great time! Again ended up in bed well after midnight. This was a common thing among most brothers.

A Phi O's National Convention Day 1

Two weeks ago (wow, has it really been that long?!) I was blessed with the opportunity to be able to attend Alpha Phi Omega's 41st National Convention in Atlanta, GA from Dec 27- 30. I arrived in Atlanta around 12:40ish on December 27th and left in the late afternoon on the 1st of the new year! I had an absolute blast in Atlanta! This was my first real vacation in 4 years and it was amazing! I got to fly for the first time in 4 years and live in a hotel for a week! This was my second National Convention; I attended the Nat Con in 2004 when it was in Denver, CO. I served as one of my chapters voting delegates and had a blast. This time around I figured 'I'm alumna, I don't to sit on the legislative floor all day, I can attend workshops!' Well that was not to be, but it worked out in the end. So here is my experience at Nationals:
Sunday, December 26h: Go out and run errands w/ mom. Get my nails done, come home and start packing for my vacation. I check in online for my flight. Around 7ish I get at call from one of my alumni brethren; Katrina, she calls and tells me to check my flight as Marlene's (Our current Section Chair) flight got cancelled and can't get re-booked until Wed. We had a white Christmas this year and received about 3 inches of snow. The roads were much better on Sunday and mom and I had no problems driving. However, Atlanta was being hit by a snow storm and the airport shut down. I checked Airtran (my airline) and everything was okay. Monday morning the roads will be better, flights will resume and everything will be good.
Day 1: Monday, December 27th: Wake up at 6 AM after getting about 3 hours of sleep (was way too excited to sleep), I don't have to leave the house for the airport until about 8ish as my flight doesn't leave Lambert until 10:13 AM. I am too excited to get back to sleep, so I get up, check my flight- flight is on time, no cancellations :)- shower, and finish packing. Arrive at airport about 8:40ish after a detour to McDonald's (mom must have her Egg McMuffin...and I want a Sausage Biscuit). Check my bag, bid farewell to parents, go through security without a hitch (no body scanner just a metal detector) and head off to my departure gate. While waiting for my flight, I get a call from Marlene who asks me to represent the section as the Section Chair Designee at Nationals. I am beyond honored to be asked and readily agree. Board flight, enjoy free wi-fi on flight, arrive in Atlanta after a smooth and speedy flight (we actually arrived 10 min early). Start walking towards baggage claim, took me 3 terminals to figure out that the train in the airport actually went to BC. Haul my bag of the carousel, head towards MARTA (think Metrolink only with lots more connections), meet up some brothers :) and head off to the hotel. After checking into the hotel, I wander downstairs to register. Come off the elevator, see tons of brothers and exclaim "Brothers!"...one actually had the audacity to call me 'Sister', started walking off, but came back and pointed and said "Brother!" and went in search of registration. Register, even tho I have to change my badge so I can get on legislative floor (this doesn't happen until Tuesday morning). Venture into the Fraternity store and purchase my first souvenir: a APO teddy bear :) Encounter Jenn Churchill and go up to Region 8 Suite where we chill until the Region 8 meeting (me alternately calling & checking on my chapter (The great Sigma Alpha) to see where my brothers (Keely & Steven are). The Region meeting goes off well (Discover Jenn C is referred to as Octomom by her home chapter hehe), get to see many more brothers I have missed and meet new ones :) and after the meeting: Dinner! I am starving as I did not eat lunch (but I had breakfast which is odd as I usually don't eat breakfast). So Chad, Bill, Jenn G, Jenn Churchill, Lindsay, Travis, Larry Ent and myself (& others whose names I can't remember at the moment-sry) head over to the attached mall's food court for dinner where I discover the awesomeness that is Moe's Southwest Grill (for evidence that it is awesome, I ate there at least 4 times during my stay in ATL). This is the first of many trips to the mall; it was a long walk. So I ended up getting a lot of exercise at Nat ConKeely & Steven arrive 15 or so min before OC. Attended the Opening Ceremonies that night where Nat Con opened w/ a bang: the Atlanta drum line performed for us- they were incredible!! The Convention Staff gives us glow sticks and the convention begins! Keely & Steven are starving so I take my second trip to the food court only to discover it is closed (apparently it closed at 6PM). They go in search of food elsewhere and I head up to the Region Suite to figure out the game plan and chill. End up going to bed around midnight or so.

Bienvenido a 2011!

So 2010 is over and 2011 is here! 2010 was one of my best years ever! I got a job, a new car, got active w/ my chapter, Sigma Alpha, again, went to National Convention (will go into detail about that on a later blog), and just really felt like this was my year. I loved 2010 and am even more excited to see what 2011 has in store for me! So Happy New Year, Feliz Ano Nuevo and Welcome to 2011. Beinvenido a 2011!!