Argh!!

I think the title is self explanetory. This is how in a nutshell I am feeling right now.

*Editors Note: No one person is responsible for my being stressed. It is a combination of several things.I will start to feel lots better once finals are over and grades are in. Hopefully I will pass all of my classes, I know I passed three of them for sure, just worried about Legal Environment of Business and Business Statisitics.
**I think Loki grew while I was in Columbia! She looks bigger! Scary how fast she is growing!!

Coming Soon...

Right now my countdown is blank-this is temporary...I will have a countdown to graduation-walking in May and recieving my diploma in August!!
More Loki pictures are coming!! Someone has stretched her legs and inflated her paws yesterday I swear! She is getting to be all legs and paws!! She is adorable, and the light of my life and my new best friend. My late cat Sparkle was my jewel and best friend- she has been gone for a few years now; Phantom and now Loki help me cope w/ her being gone...I swear there are some days I miss her sooo much! And my Shadow too!! I can't believe she has been gone almost 2 months! It almost seems like yesterday she was looking at me with her sad brown eyes and looking adorable!
I will try to change my blog pic to a bear as I am now the So Co Bear.
That's all for now folks!
Let's Go Cardinals!!

Birthday Hints and Random Stuff

Don't know if anyone acutally pays attention to the time this blog is published. It is quite later than my usual. Why? 1) Can't sleep- too stressed, and 2) sick.
So here are some birthday hints for those of you who wish to get me something for my upcoming bday (May 5th) Editors Note: Just b/c I am having a party does not mean ppl are obligated to get me stuff...just showing up is good for me.
1) Small Cherokee Charcoal hobo bag at Target
2) Gift Certificate to any of the following stores: Bath & Body Works, New York and Company, Best Buy, Kohls, Target
3) Beer- Bud Select- note if you get this for me, there had better be a lotto ticket or something w/ it- kidding....or am I?
4) Money is always appreciated
5) The new Shakira Cd would be nice, or any of the other cds: Rob Thomas; Lonely No More, Some Hearts by Carrie Underwood
Thats all for now

*IMPORTANT* Your's truely will be "graduating" in May- meaning I am walking accross the stage May 14 at 6 pm, but I don't get my diploma until August. This is major esp for me and my family! I am the second generation in my family to graduate from college (and HS) and I think the 4th or 5th in my extended family to graduate from college. I would love to have lots of ppl there...there won't be a party until end of August- so no cards or gifts (should you wish) until then!
I so can not wait until I am finished with UMSL for good! It is a good school and I have enjoyed my time there. However some certain teachers and facutly members have made my time there difficult and are trying to prevent me from graduating on time! GRRR!! Sorry UMSL, I wouldn't expect any Alumni donations anytime in the near future (for at least 25-30yrs).
I will miss my fraternity, Alpha Phi Omega, and my brothers the most! Joining A Phi O was the best thing I ever did in college...through it I have made awesome friends (Froggiegirl & Gimlet, Rachel K, Elizabeth, Rob...to name a few) and had some amazing opportunities! I will miss my fraternity the most when I graduate...however that doesn't mean I am going to be an overly active Alumni member...don't get your hopes up on that one- ain't gonna happen!

Random Question

For anyone who has seen West Side Story, you will understand this question.
If my mom is a Shark (Puerto Rican) and my dad is a Jet (American), what am I??

Take that cubbies!

The St. Louis Cardinals opened up the weekend series with the Chicago Cubs with a bang. South paw Mark Mulder was on the mound, and pitched a wonderful 8 innings. The final score for the night was 9-3. The game finished in a timely manner, most of the time the cubbies went 1,2,3 or as I was saying last night "sit down and shut up". The game was awesome. So how did we score the runs:
1st inning: Pujols hits a monster two run homerun- earning his 1,000th hit w/ a homerun. This was his 11th homerun of the season, setting a new Cardinals record for homeruns hit by a single player in the month of April. Big Mac only hit 10 homeruns in April the season he slugged 70 homeruns.
2nd inning: Cardinals bust it open with 5 runs. Juan Encarnacion, who is still struggling a bit at the plate, hit a single, followed by catcher Yadier Molina who also singled. The Cubbies Pitcher Jerome Williams then issued consecutive walks to Aaron Miles and Mark Mulder. Aaron Miles loaded the bases, and the walk of Mulder sent Encarnacion home. Then shortstop David Eckstien comes up and hits a blooper into right field and scores Yadier Molina. Bases loaded, no outs. John Rodriguez comes and hits a sacrafice pop fly into left field, Aaron Miles scores. Pujols steps up to the plate and smacks a hard double down the third base line, scoring Mulder and Eckstien. The cubs starting pitcher was removed from the game....what a pity.
4th inning: The cubs only run scoring hit comes off of the three run homerun hit by Cubs Catcher Barrett.
5th inning: Jim Edmonds hits a two run homerun to give the Cardinals their final score of 9-3.
Reliever Braden Looper finished the game. Mark Mulder's record is now 2-0.
Click Here for the official report.
My take on the game: It was awesome seeing the Cardinals pay back the Cubbies for the sweep in Chicago. Hehe. The Cardinals smacked the Cubs down. Sad news for the Cubbies; their star first baseman Derek Lee will be sidelined with a broken wrist, in two places, (ouch) for 2-3 months. Former Cardinals player John Mabry turned Cubs player expects to recieve more playing time b/c of this.
Sidetrip: Mark Mulder, Jason Marquis, Sidney Ponson, and Jeff Suppon will all enter free agency come the end of this season. Mark Mulder seems the only likely candidate we will be able to hold onto. Maybe Jason Marquis, but thats a big IF. Suppon will probally want big bucks, and more than likely will go to another team, it would be nice if he resigned with the Birds on the Bat, but we wish him well in his future endevors as we Cardinals fans do with all of our players who sign with other teams. As for Ponson, I have not seen him perform or gotten a feel for his talent, so I can pass no judgement on him thus far. Mark Mulder has stated that he is willing to listen to the Cardinals; he is a Midwesterner, raised in Chicago and now living in St. Louis- he prefers it here, even tho he did play on the West Coast.

Lokea'ai Lokai'lu

One of my little Loki's nicknames is Lokilu. I also call her Lokea'ai Lokai'lu (LowKayI Lowkaylu). Loki is getting soo big. She went to the vet on Tuesday and everything checked out okay. She now weighs 13.8 lbs. Pretty soon I won't be able to pick her up and carry her. I used to be able to cart her around tucked under my arm, have to use both arms now. She is getting longer too. She now has a front, middle and back. Before she only had a front and back. Her fuzzy fur is starting to go to its sleek adult look. She has that V on her chest that adult labs have. My little Loki lady is growing up. She now 'sits' on command. Next step is learning 'down'. Have to start looking for Obedience Classes. A puppy's brain is done growing at 12 weeks, and its at this time you want to start training them. Lab's are exceptionally smart and willing to please. Shadow was trained at The Dog House, and this is where we want to take Loki, b/c they are the best. Shadow did very well, and her training stuck with her all her life. Loki went swimming for the first time last weekend. She wasn't exactly sure what do to. I will be getting a baby pool for her soon. We got one for Shadow when she was a puppy. She loved it. I used to chuck walnuts into it, and she would go diving for them. (glug glug glug). LOL. I plan to do this for Loki. She is already retrieving. My dad has her retrieving and then diving into his lap...it's cute now, but wait until she is 60 lbs. Her paws suddenly look bigger, it's as if someone inflated them. She is no longer afraid of our cat, Climber, (the tyrant). King Tut still chases her, has batted at her nose, and cornered her, but silly puppy goes back for more. So Climber's reign of terror over Loki is over. Pretty soon, Loki will be chasing Climber. That will be entertaining. I don't think my fraidy cat, Phantom, has even seen Loki. I will have to bring him up when she is in her crate, and introduce them. Phantom is so scared of everything he only comes up when everyone is sleeping. He hasn't come up to my room in months. Phantom is a very odd cat, he is a total sweetheart; he loves headbutting you for attention, and he purrs loud. He is terrified of loud noises, I love him tho. Stay tuned for more exciting Loki updates and her adventures!

Random Things

Update on me: I had my epidural shot for my herniated disk in my lower back yesterday. I was sedated for it. I don't remember getting the shot, yay! One minute the doc was saying start the sedation, then the next the nurse is telling me to wake up. It helped that I was really sleepy before. I almost fell asleep before the sedation meds went in. The nurse who put my iv in was super nice and really good at her job. She froze my left hand first, so I only felt a slight pinch when the needle went in. The freezing hurt more than the needle. And I hate needles. I was a happy camper after it, don't remember much about what they said, lucky for me mom was there to listen. Doc said it would be 2 to 5 days before I feel anything. Hopefully it will only be 2.
* I just found out that I don't have to take my final in my Advanced Management and Organizational Behavior class!! I have an 82% before doing the big presentation...which should go well. I also have 25 extra credit points!! Gotta love extra credit. Hopefully I will do well on my next test in my International Marketing class, and I won't have to take that final either.
*The St. Louis Cardinals rock!! They had a short but sucessful road trip. Tonight they take on the cubs for three games. An article in the paper said that the Cubs have a 21-51 record against the Cards with Tony LaRussa as the manager. Mark Mulder takes the mound tonight, for some odd reason Mulder does better at night games. So Go Cardinals!! Beat those cubbies!

Weekly Loki Update

Okay this is a new feature for my blog, and hopefully my faithful readers will enjoy this. This is the weekly Loki (my adorable yellow Labrador Retriever puppy). Loki is growing up fast. Gone is the puppy belly, she is now looking slim, and taller. Loki now weighs 12 and a half pounds! Her legs are getting long, and her paws are starting to get bigger. Her paw size will give us an indication of how big she will be when she is an adult. I'm thinking she is going to be a big one!! Our beloved dog Shadow, RIP, was 100 lbs at her heaviest and 93 lbs at her healthiest. So I'm used to big dogs and much prefer them to little yappers. So I'm really hoping Loki will turn out to weigh 85 lbs (her mom weighs 65 lbs and the dad was 85 lbs). I can't wait until Loki is able to go down the backsteps w/o us having to carry her. She can go up the stairs no problem, but going down them is an issue. I don't blame her, even I don't like those stairs; they are steep and open. However, once Loki is able to go up and down the stairs on her own, everybody will be grateful. Also can't wait until I can let her out into the backyard on her own; currently she is on a leash as she is too young and little to be on her own. Not to mention there are a few spots in the fence that have to be repaired- Loki has already wiggled her butt through one of the holes and frolicked in our neighbor's yard. No big deal, our neighboor is awesome, plus theres also the fact that he doesn't know that Loki got into his yard. Loki is also getting more bold in regards to the cat- she actually barks at the cat and is winning some of the staring contests. That's all for now folks. Stay tuned for the further adventures of Lil' Loki!

Cardinals Home Opener

Yesterday was the Cardinals Home Opener. All the bells and whistles were pulled out for this one. Hall of Famers Bob Gibson, Ozzie Smith, Red Schoendiest, Lou Brock, Stan 'the man" Musial, and soon to be Hall of Famer Bruce Sutter were all in attendance for this historic event. The 2006 St. Louis Cardinals rode out to home plate in stylish red and white convertibles. Yadier Molina, Mark Mulder, and hitting coach Duncan remained in the bullpen preparing for the game. And what a game. The first ceremonial pitches were thrown by Cy Young Winner Chris Carpenter, and MVP Albert Pujols. Catching these pitches were two time Cy Young Winner Bob Gibson, and former MVP Willie McGee who suprised fans by walking onto the field. For a home opener, this one is going to go down in the record books. Mark Mulder was on fire! Not only did he pitch 8 great innings, he also got a double and a homerun. Both were the first in his career. Yadier Molina wen 0 for 4, however one was a sacrafice fly to get a runner in. The game started off with little action, until Brewers infielder Bill Hall will go down forever in the record books as the first player to hit a homerun in the new Busch Stadium. Would have been a lot better had the first homerun been hit by a Cardinal, but the Cards won the game, so the end result is what matters most. Albert Pujols was the first birds on the bat to hit a homer. Scott Rolen delievered a two-out, two-run double, and made a spectacular catch, and then throw to first base on his knees!! Welcome back Rolen!! Any naysayers of Rolen being at 100%, can now officially shut up. The Cards had a nail bitting 9th inning, but Izzy managed to hold on and give the Cardinals a 6-4 win. The Cards record now stands at 4-3. Where we stand in the central division is not an issue yet, so let's worry about that come July or August. In the meantime, let's just enjoy good old Cardinals baseball!! In a fabulous new stadium!!
Let's Go Cardinals!!

And that's what we call a sweep!

The St. Louis Cardinals started off their season with a flourish! They swept the Phillies in their first three games!! Cy Young Winner Chris Carpenter claimed his first of many victories, Mark Mulder didn't get the win Wed night but Brad Thompson did, and Jason Marquis won his first game. Jason Isringhausen(Izzy) has two saves under his belt. This team is on fire! We head to the windy city, Chicago, next and take on our nemisis the Cubs! Everybody knows what CUBS standfor right? Completely Useless By September (or Summer depending on their season). Jeff Suppon will take the mound this afternoon. Yadier Molina is doing fantastic. He drove in the winning run Wed night. He is looking a lot better at the plate, and his defense is really sharp too. Albert Pujols has three Homeruns already, Scott Rolen has a grand slam under his belt. WOW!! Newcomer Aaron Miles has managed at least two hits a game! I love baseball and I especially love the St. Louis Cardinals! I can not stand the fans in Philly- they boo at everything; each other, their own team... good grief. They are almost as bad as the Cubs fans who throw any balls hit into the stands by the opposing team back onto the field!
Let's Go Cardinals!! Go Molina, keep it up!!

Lady Loki

Here are some pics of Loki. She is wearing the Valentine's dress from Build A Bear Workshop. She looks adorable, however my father and brother didn't approve. Oh well. Also there are two pics of Loki in her blue bandana from Petsmart.

That's a Winner!

The Cardinals played their first official game yesterday against Philadelphia and won. They beat the Phillies 13-5. MVP Albert Pujols had two homeruns, was walked twice- he had a perfect day. Aaron Miles, the suprise of Spring Training, got a single, two doubles, and a triple. He was a homerun short of the cycle. Everybody got at least a hit, including Cy Young Winner Chris Carpenter. Yadier Molina looked sharp behind the plate in what appears to be new gear; it is mostly black with red highlights and Cardinals on the sides of his helmet. Third baseman Scott Rolen, after being booed his first time at bat, hit a grand slam after the Phillies intentionally walked Centerfielder Jim Edmonds. Jim Edmonds started things off by scoring Albert Pujols by smacking a double in the first innining. Albert Pujols hit a solo homerun in the second inning to make the game 2-0. However, if you caught the game, or at least the first two innings, you probally saw the look of discontent on Pujols's face. He certainly did not look like he had just hit a homerun. His second homerun was much further, maybe that made him smile. This is the second win for opening day for Carpenter. Mark Mulder starts Wednesday, a night game. For those of you who remember; Carpenter is best in the day, and Mulder (the vampire as he was dubbed by the St. Louis Post Dispatch) does his best work at night. The Birds on the Bat got off to a great start. The home opener in the new stadium, Busch Stadium, is Monday April 10th!!
Let's go Cardinals! Sweep the Phillies!!

Loki

We finally named our puppy last night. It was my idea too. The decision on her name was unanimous, instantly everybody said "yea!" Puppy Noel is now known as Loki. The name Loki comes from the Norse God of Mischeif. Of course, we refer to her as the Goddess of Mischeif. I believe her registered name for UKC will be Jenny's Goddess of Mischeif Loki. Loki is constantly exploring, very energetic, and chewing on everything. Including hands- Gimlet described it the best- her teeth feel like rose thorns. Puppy needle teeth hurt! We try to provide her with an alternate chewing source as soon as she starts nibbling. Mr. Hippo (a fleecey hippo with a squeaker inside) is her favorite toy. She loves to chew on it and carry it around. The toy is bigger than her head, so its very funny when she does that. Last night she claimed another item as "hers". We have had a stuffed squirel with a squeaker in it for a while, orignially we were going to scorch it and place it on friends mailbox, that resembles a generator. However, last night, Loki wandered over to where it was under the coffee table, picked it up, and placed it in her crate. So the squirel is hers. It was the cutest thing.

Introducing Puppy!

It's official, there is a new puppy in town. Yesterday afternoon, we got a female yellow labrador retriever!! She is soo tiny and sooo cute. Puppylupagus is her nickname. She doesn't have a name yet, but here's the ones that are in the running: Aqua, Misty, Raine, Sunshine (I put that to appease mom, but puppy will not be named Sunny). I am pulling for Raine b/c when we got her it was raining. One of the vet assistants came up with Aqua...it has potential. Puppy went to the vet this morning and was a good girl, everything checked out okay. Puppy weighs 8.2 pounds, so right now I can carry her around. Which she is making me do; we go to Petsmart to get her a "puppy" leash, a brush, and some tennis balls. I put her down, saying she is going to walk...nope she just sits there, while everybody oohs and ahhs over her. So I ended up carring Puppylupagus throughout Petsmart. Froggiegirl and Gimlet might come and see puppy tonight; be prepared to lose your heart to her. I love this puppy so much already. I am going to foot the bill to get her registered, so her official name will be Jenny's something. I am also going to be one of her main trainers. If ya wanna see pics of her, go here.

World Baseball Classic

Well, Puerto Rico was defeated by Cuba (4-3) and ergo got knocked out of the tournament. Domincana and Cuba advanced to the semi finals. Team USA was defeated by Mexico, so Team Korea will face off Team Japan. So now I guess I'm rooting for Dominicana w/ Albert Pujols on first base. Cardinals third base coach, Jose Oquendo (who was the manager for Puerto Rico, Catcher Yadier Molina, new pitcher Ricardo Rincon(Team Mexico) returned to Cardinals Camp. Molina enjoyed playing for Puerto Rico, and even though he was the back up catcher for Ivan Rodriguez, it still was a honor and great experience for him. Molina is quoted as saying "It was unbelievable...It was likeplaying in the World Series. Everybody was excited" Another great qoute from Molina : Quotable: "I wasn't expecting the crowd. That many people there, I wasn't expecting that. That surprised me, like 22,000. That many people live in Puerto Rico?" -- Molina, on World Baseball Classic attendance in San Juan(stlcardinals.com).

It's the little things...

Friday afternoon we recieved a sympathy card from out vet in the mail. The vet and all the people in the office signed it. We also got a little card called the Rainbow Bridge- it talked about where animals go to heaven. It was so sweet. Mom and I almost started crying.

There's no one to greet me...

Tuesday afternoon, we took our beloved dog, Shadow, to the vet to be put to sleep. Silly dog didn't realize what was about to happen. She was all happy, she has always liked people and going to the vet. I gave her one last hug and a kiss before we left. I started crying after that. We were just about to leave when dad found Shadow's fave toy as a puppy, her wooby. So I ran that in to the assistants to put with Shadow. It feels so odd not to have her with us anymore. I come home from classes, and there is no dog to greet me and demand food. No heavy breathing, or silky ears to pet, or sad innocent brown eyes to gaze at. I came home Wed, and upon remembering that Shadow was gone, said out loud "This sucks". It really does. We are discussing getting a puppy. We have all agreed that the new puppy will be a Labrador Retriever, just like Shadow. It will not be a black lab, that would be like we are repacing Shadow. And we're not, that's impossible, no dog will ever come close to replacing my dog. I want to get a Chocolate lab, dad does too now (I've lured him over to the chocolate side, lol). Mom and troll boy want a yellow lab. Dad wants to wait until summer when mom is out of school to get the new puppy. Mom, Golum, and I don't want to wait that long. So we are slowly trying to wear down my dad. I am hoping to get a puppy either next Thrusday or Friday b/c I only have one week until spring break, so I can be home all day with puppy. Since I can't go to New Orleans with my brothers as I wanted to, I am doing absolutely nothing. So hopefully, we will be getting a puppy soon.

How do I say goodbye?

This is going to be a long and hard week for my family. After 13 wonderful years with our Lab, Shadow, we have decided to put her to sleep t/m afternoon. We believe that she is in a lot of pain b/c of the way she keeps falling and breathing so hard. How am I supposed to say goodbye to my dog when she looks like shes happy? She looks at me with her big sad brown eyes and I can't say goodbye. I feel horrible for what we are doing t/m. She won't feel any pain, she'll just get sleepy, go to sleep, and never wake up. How am I supposed to rationalize putting her to sleep when she is still acting like a puppy one minute and falling over the next. What if she feels like we're abandoning her? She has no clue what we are going to do t/m. She doesn't know that tonight is the last night that she will sleep on my parents bed. That t/m is her last day with a family that loves her so much. I hope she understands that we love her and we are doing this so she won't be in any more pain. Silly dog doesn't have a clue why we are all so sad. Shadow has been with me since late elementry school, all through middle and high school. Almost all they way through my college years. I love my dog so much, she is family, and I don't want to lose her yet.

World Baseball Classic

The World Baseball Classic is in full swing. All four pools have started playing. Pool One has already produced two teams to advance to the next round: Japan and Korea. Mexico of Pool B has advanced to round 2. USA will play South Africa today and will have to win to advance to play Mexico (who they beat 2-0), Japan, and Korea. Puerto Rico is doing very well.They beat Panama 2-1 in their first game and then they smashed the Netherlands (who the heck was on the Netherlands team and how did they assign players?) 8-3. Needless to say with their 2-0 record in round 1, they advance to round 2. Puerto Rico is looking really sharp, they have great defense and strong offense- a very good combination. Puerto Rico is a dominant force, and play Cuba tonight. They beat Cuba, and Cuba goes home. Puerto Rico will also square off with the Dominican Republic and Venezuela. St. Louis Cardinals Albert Pujols(Dominica) and Yadier Molina (Puerto Rico of course) will face off in round two. Dominica has a strong team, they defeated Venezuela 11-5 their first game. The stakes are higher and things are getting much more exciting. I will be cheering for Team USA to kick butt, and watching avidly Puerto Rico as they take on Cuba. When Puerto Rico plays Dominica, I will cheer Pujols on good saves and hits, but ultimately I will root for the home of my ancestors; Puerto Rico. Third (or second-depends on how you look at it) generation Puerto Rican in the states. My grandfather was born in Newy York, NY a month after his family imigrated there in 1930. So my family hasn't been here that long. This is my mothers side. Dad's side? Don't know much, just that they have been in St. Louis for some time- definately longer than my mom's family has been in the states. So Go Team USA!! Go Puerto Rico!!

I hate needles!

Whoohoo! The doc has three options before sending me to the neurosurgeon and let him give me his options. So lots of options before ppl even think of sending me under the knife! So it looks like I am going to get an epidural- a big old shot in my lower back. Can you say ouch? Seriously, I can't stand needles, I even hate IV's (and I've had more than my share of those thank you very much). "It'll just feel like a bee sting" they say soothingly. Bee stings hurt!!! So what the doc wants to do is have someone who does these things all the time and shoot steriods into my back, just below my spinal cord. The cord isn't there but the nerves are. There is small chance (very small) that something could go wrong. Unfortunately for yours truely, I happen to slip into those small percentages almost every time. Ex- this only happens with 10 % of patients...I was one of that percentage. Even my doc has noticed I do this a lot. Not my fault, by any means, I am just odd like that. No comments from the peanut gallery please. Wish me luck, I probally have to call the doc on Monday and get the injection set up. Oh joy!

You're too young for this....

That's what everyone keeps telling me about my back. Well, apparently my body doesn't give a rat's tail about my age. I got my results from my MRI, if you hadn't figured it out by now. I have a herniated disk. The doctor wants me to see a neurosurgeon, and I tell my parents this and they both say "You're not having surgery!". Umm, I didn't know surgery was an option at this point. Way to freak me out, thanks. So now I'm scared b/c I don't know whats going to happen or how I'm supposed to get better. My Spring Break plans are gone; I can't go and do what I want b/c my stupid back. Great. Could somebody please invent a shot that cures everything and give it to me? When that is invented, let me know!

I got Cardinals Tickets!!!

After spending 5 and a half hours waiting online, dad and I managed to get tickets to a game in the new Busch Stadium. Our tickets will be mailed to us in 4 to 5 weeks. We are going to the August 31st Game vs. Florida Marlins. We have really good seats too. We are in section 232, row 3. Meaning instead of walking up to our seats, we actually get to go down some stairs!! We are right off of first base, foul ball territory!! Definately will have to bring a glove. Odds are we won't catch a foul ball, but we will enjoy ourselves all the same. At the moment, this is the only Cardinals game I will be attending all season. But things do change, like last year I petsat for Froggiegirl and Gimlet and they took me to a Cards game for it!! I will definately take that again instead of money, when I petsit when they go on their honeymoon. Hint, Hint. Okay, seriously, I don't know if I will only get to go to only one game or if I will get the opportunity to catch more than one. If you ever have an extra ticket on hand or can't go to a game you have tickets for call me! By August 31st I will have graduated from UMSL, so going to a Cardinals game and having awesome seats is my kind of celebration!! So until that day, I will be catching every game on FSN Midwest, WB 11, KTRS 550, or online via gameday. Here's hoping for another winning season. Let's Go Cardinals!!

Spring Training and World Classic Baseball

So spring training is well underway for our Redbirds. Catcher Yadier Molina left Saturday to report for Team Puerto Rico. Third base coach Jose Oquendo is excited and thinks that Puerto Rico's chances are good. General Manager of the Cardinals offered Oquendo some advice, telling him that he doesn't need his backup catcher. Puerto Rico's backup catcher is Yadier Molina; Ivan Rodriguez is the starting catcher. Puerto Rico played the New York Mets (Mommy's fave team b/c she is from Queens, New York) today in an exibition game. Puerto Rico beat the Mets 6 to 1. Yay! Highlights : Carlos Beltran drove in two runs with his single. According to a report on the game, the Puerto Rican team looks sharp and extremly alert for a team that had assembled two days earlier. I caught a few innings of the game, and did see Molina behind the plate, also I saw the new Molina jersey with his new number, 4, on it today while at the St. Louis Dugout at South County Mall. Puerto Rico plays its first offical game on Tuesday, March 7th at 8 PM. They are scheduled to play Team Panama at Hiram Bithorn Stadium in San Juan Puerto Rico. Team USA is also scheduled to play on Tuesday at 2 pm vs Team Mexico at Chase Field.

Whiter Teeth

Okay so on Thursday I began using Crest Renewal Age-Defying Whitening Strips. They are supposed to remove up to 20 years worth of stains. I'm only 23 so I didn't fit into any of the age brackets, but this one was a dollar cheaper than the Premium Whitening strips. I have to wear these strips on my upper and lower teeth for 30 minutes twice a day. Today is day three, the date I should notice some difference, and I am happy to report that I think my teeth look whiter! I am going to be soooo happy if this works. Then I will happy nice white teeth for Froggiegirl and Gimlet's wedding!! How exciting is that?! My teeth have always been okay, but not as white as I wanted them. With lipstick on you can really tell how white or in my case how not white they are. So after months of saying I was going to do it and procrastinating and being cheap, I went ahead and purchased the strips. I am happy with the results so far, and considering that the gauruantee is 100% satisifaction or my money back w/in 60 days of purchase, things are looking up.

MRI

So I had my MRI this afternoon or as I named it Merciless Reverberating Irritant. I went the wrong direction on Tesson Ferry and ended up being three or four minutes late to my 2 pm appt. Usually not a problem, b/c doctors or xrays don't run on time. Wrong. B/c I was late, I did not get an open MRI like I had insisted on. No, I got the CLOSED MRI. I was not happy. So I had to hurridly fill out some forms, and just as I sat down, they called my name. This little old lady was sitting in there saying she was next. The person doing my MRI said that there were two different slots; one for MRI's and one for mamograms(which the little old lady was having I'm guessing). The little old lady reminded me of my grandma. Not the nice grandma, but the mean old tyrant inside my grandma's body. So since I had this closed MRI, I had to calm myself big time. Thank goodness I know how to do this. I thanked GOD at least three times that I'm little. The lady who did my MRI told me to lay really stiff and when I heard the noises it was important to breathe normal and relax. So I listened to the radio on the headsets (the left side was the only side working), relaxed my body, closed my eyes, pretended I was on a beach and tried to take a nap. It worked. I was only midly irritated by the noises. Towards the end, I'd had it. My right knee (which has two screws in it about inch/inch and a half long) from a previous knee surgery started hurting and burning. So I intentionally caused pain in my thumb in order to direct pain to another part of me, and so I ignored my knee and didn't panic. It took about an hour. So I treated myself to chocolate ice cream with sprinkles, oreos, and chocolate chips for being so relaxed. Results should be in t/m. Hopefully the doc can figure out what the heck I did to my back and I can get better. I am so sick of my back hurting. Its so irritating.

World Baseball Classic and Cardinals news

Spring Training is officially underway and the Cardinals have a new coach. And its someone they know very well; former left-fielder Larry Walker!! He is enjoying his new job, and is of course being ribbed by everybody. Third base coach, Jose Oquendo, who is also the manager for the Puerto Rican Team for the World Baseball Classics, is giving him a hard time insinuating that Puerto Rico is going to beat Canada. Puerto Rico has a really good line up of imposing players. Here is their story. Juan Encarnacion arrived in Jupiter yesterday, and Devi Cruz and Juan Mateo are expected t/m. A few other players are experiencing problems with visas; such as Ricardo Rincon, Hector Luna, and the three players above mentioned (thats why they are just now arriving to camp even though Spring Training started on Monday with full workout on Tuesday). The Cardinals, even with several new editions to the roster are still expected to be the team to beat in the National League. Scott Rolen is getting healthier and expects to back to top shape in time for opening day (Notice the counter I have). That's all for now. Be sure to check back later on next week for more Cardinal updates or do what I do and visit their website everyday! (or at least I try to).

Spring Break

So this year Spring Break is going to be very different. One, I'm actually getting out of St. Louis, two: its a cheap trip, and three: I could very well get lots and lots of service hours for it. Where am I going or thinking of going? New Orleans, LA. I am thinking of going with a group of students from Campus Crusade for Christ to help rebuild after the wrath of Hurricane Katrina. So far, I know of three of my brothers in my fraternity that want to do this. I think I want to go, it will only cost $30 and for that we get three meals a day, a place to sleep and warm showers- not the Ritz, but thats okay. I just don't want to drive. I want to have someone else drive their car; I will help with some of the driving and hopefully ride down with my brothers. So what should I do?

Changes

I was inspired to give my blog a "facelift" by my friend Froggiegirl who recently renamed her blog. So I chose my same template- just selecting it as new so the date of the posts wouln't be huge as they were before. What's with the new name? Well I grew up and still reside in South County. When I was younger I had a website through AOL called Bears Den. So this is the more mature title or new age(whatever you want to call it). The bear part remains as my nickname from day 1 on this earth has been Bear. Hope you enjoy it. There should be a counter coming soon aluding to how many days until Opening Day!!

This could soo open a can of worms, but I am going to be brave and put this up.
http://kevan.org/nohari?name=JBear

Spring Training!!!

The boys are back in town, the boys are back in toooowwwnnnn! Well, not quite. Catchers and pitchers reported to Roger Dean Stadium in Jupiter, Florida today. Workouts start Friday, February 17th. Two of the pitchers will be a few days delayed due to visa problems; Ricardo Rincon and Juan Mateo. Starting catcher, Yadier Molina, has decided to change his number. Molina will be starting his third season in the big leagues with the new jersey number 4. This means I have to go and get another Molina shirt (oh darn ;) ). The reason: Molina wanted a smaller number. Molina, teammate John Rodriguez, and third base coach Jose Oquendo will not be in camp long however. The three will be leaving to begin preparing for the World Baseball Classic; they will be representing mi abuelo's home land Puerto Rico. I can't wait until baseball starts up full swing again. Until then, I will have to be content with the Olympics and then the World Baseball Classic. Go Team USA and GO Team Puerto Rico!!

Check this out.

I kinda stole this idea from Liz, but what the hey. This window is used in a lot of my business classes. Click here.

Olympic XX Winter Games, Torino 2006

The Winter Olympic Games are offically here! I will be watching avidly Speed Skating, focusing on short track- watch Apolo Anton Ohno- he is really good! Singles figure skating, of course bobsledding. I want to watch the Snowboarders Halfpipe for the first time- there is a 19 year old redhead, Shaun White aka "the Flying Tomato" who is expected to do really well. Well, the Flying Tomato from California snagged the gold medal for the halfpipe. For all Olympic Info go here. C'mon Team USA! Let's get some Gold Medals!!
Also, a point of interest: Michelle Kwan, who was granted a private trial for the Olympics- and won a spot on the team, has withdrawn from the competition. In my opinion, she should have not requested the special treatment- she was hurt and in no shape way for the Olympics. This withdrawing after special treatment b/c of her name is not good. Here is her story.

SNOW DAY!!

Yea Baby!

Update: The official reason UMSL closed was because there was no power on North Campus. I'm not sure if there was any power on South Campus. The emergency generators were on. SSB was very dark and creepy. The escalators in the MSC didn't work (and this is different from any other day how?) . It was snowing and the roads were slick, but ultimately it was the lack of power that resulted in our "snow day".

Commericials

Every year millions of viewers turn the tv sets on to watch the Super Bowl, well to be more honest: most watch the commercials. Budweiser did a good job this year creating commercials that grabbed the 1 and 2 slots in the ranking. "Magic Fridge" and The little clydesdale were ranked 1st and 2nd respectively. Froggiegirl and I enjoyed the hamster from the McDonalds ad. The cyldesdales playing football with the "streaker" (the just sheered lamb) was funny. Pepsi did it again (I completely agree with Froggiegirl's boss Jason on this) they spent the most money to get ads on, and their ads were the worst ones. "Brown and Bubbly"?? Are you kidding me?! Horrible. Diet Coke didn't have to spend a dime and they still got product reconition- being the stunt double for Diet Pepsi in the Jackie Chan bit. Very smart Coca-Cola. Even though their soda can got smashed, they still got publicity. So the joke is on Pepsi, who spent millions of dollars to produce these horrid ads, Coca-Cola comes out on top! AB proved once again their brillance in advertising- sticking with classic, timeless symbols- the Cyldesdales. For the record, I did watch the game- my Steelers were playing- of course I watched as they slammed the Seahawks 21-10!

Steelers are Superbowl XL Champions!

Congratualtions to the Pittsburgh Steelers!!! My team won the (extra large for me and froggiegirl) Super Bowl and I couldn't be happier! The first half of the game wasn't impressive, but the game really came to life in the second half. The last five minutes of the game was when all of the crucial plays happened. Quaterback Ben R (really long last name) #7 did a great job. Jerome "the Bus" Bettis announced his retirement from the AFL following his teams victory- what a way to go out! An estimated 90.7 million people watched the Steelers trounce the Seattle Seahawks, apparently this is the largest Superbowl audience since the Steelers played in the last title game in 1996. This year's audience was 5% larger than last year's Super Bowl. Well, duh. This year a really good team was actually playing in the Superbowl! (New England Patriots vs. Philadelphia Eagles). After the game, after the presentation of the trophy (given to team coach Bill Cowher who then presented the Vince Lombardi Trophy to 73-year-old owner Dan Roone) and MVP (Hines Ward) award, the post-game show came on with three broadcasters dressed in awful tweed (or something equally icky) sports jackets and mock turtlenecks. What I want to know is: What mook told them that they looked good? At one point, after returning from a commercial break the guys had to be told "GO" to actually start their speil! The guy in the middle, I forget his name, looked like a walrus- so we will call him Walrus man. He looked bored and out of it- totally unaware of the world around him. What I need a pic of him and photoshop two walrus tusks and then you will get a better idea of what I'm talking about. Then one idoit had to mention that Mike Martz was "haunting" the Seahawks. What the?! This comment came out of nowhere, I wonder if somebody dared him to do it.

Time to defend the cops

The police officers of Hazelwood and one officer of St. Louis City are on probation while an invesitagation of police abuse is on. The day after the big 11 minute car chase (or van chase as the vehicle was a full size van), protestors were lined up, quickly calling the police involved in the chase and beating, racists. Only one pereson there seemed to have a brain. He was the one holding the sign in favor of the police. A few days ago, in Hazelwood stretching into the city, a police officer was in hot pursuit of a van. The van apparently rammed the cops car and then sped away. The police immeadiatly took up the chase. The van had no apparent thought to the saftey of others as he wove wreaklessly in and out of traffic. The van also sped past several school buses. The van sped along Martin Luther King Drive, in the turn lanes, running stop lights, stop signs, making illegal turns and the like. The chase lasted approximately 11 minutes, news channel 2 caught the entire chase on their cameras in a helicopter. It took three cop cars to ram into the van before the van finally stopped the suspect then took off running, with the cops in pursuit. They finally caught him and tossed him to the ground. In the video you can see the officers hitting him, but you also will note that the suspect is fighting back, thus making the hits necessary. The officers finally got handcuffs on the guy, and escorted him to a patrol car. There they pushed him against the car to search him for weapons. They told him to stay there, but he didn't listen, he kept moving away and spitting on the ground. They finally got him into the cruiser and had more trouble shutting the door. The suspect kept preventing the officer from shutting the door by placing his legs/ or feet against it or outside the car. The next day, people were all too quick to jump in and accuse the police officers of racial profiling. However, at the time that the officers were pursuing the van, they were unable to determine the race of the driver. Like that really matters as the driver had no thought to the safety of the other drivers on the road. Apparently the driver's lawyer says that his client was looking for a safe place to pull over. Yeah right. I don't call driving a reckless speeds, passing school busses, and getting rammed by three patrol cars just to stop the vehicle looking for a safe place to pull over. Running away from the cops doesn't help that theory either. I am supporting the police officers actions that day. They did exactly what they are supposed to do; get dangerous drivers off the road. UPDATE: The car chase began when he failed to pay for gas, and then rammed the cop car who tried to stop him from going anywere. The driver isn't too intelligent if he has that many infractions against him and decides to ram a patrol car and then take off at reckless speeds. The officers are on paid leave. Hopefully, the FBI will soon see that the cops were doing their job and the cops can return to active duty. However, I don't expect this to be anytime soon as there are morons out there who will do whatever they can to impede the investigation. These same morons are the ones accusing the officers of racial profiling. If you ask me, its the protestors who are racial profiling. Well, you can't fix stupid.

What Language Should You Learn?

So I took another quiz (for giggles), and the answer they came up with made me laugh so hard! This is histerical. Anyone who knows me will intstantly see why I am in a laughing fit over this!!

You Should Learn Spanish

For you, learning a language is about career advancement and communication. Knowing Spanish will bring you tons of possiblities for jobs and travel. Bárbaro!

What Language Should You Learn?

Random Quiz

Okay so I did this random quiz, I think its pretty accurate.

You Are 27 Years Old

Under 12: You are a kid at heart. You still have an optimistic life view - and you look at the world with awe. 13-19: You are a teenager at heart. You question authority and are still trying to find your place in this world. 20-29: You are a twentysomething at heart. You feel excited about what's to come... love, work, and new experiences. 30-39: You are a thirtysomething at heart. You've had a taste of success and true love, but you want more! 40+: You are a mature adult. You've been through most of the ups and downs of life already. Now you get to sit back and relax.

What Age Do You Act?

On Notice

The following people are on notice. My brothers Andy and Emily top this list because they got me sick! Thanks a lot. The next time I see either of y'all, there had better be flowers and a card......chocolate would really help get you off my list. The math department of UMSL is on my list, well mainly the chair. My little brother is on my list (actually I don't think he ever gets off my list) for irritating my parents. Now for the inanimate objects; my back, which has been hurting for almost a month now and I am really sick of it. Why can't there just be a button you push and wham! Everything is all better!
*Update: I have been informed that my back doesn't qualify as an inanimate object as it is part of me. It's still on notice. I will see the doctor again on Wed, let's hope we can figure out what the heck I did! Cuase, yea, I still don't know what I did to my back nor what is exactly wrong with it! Ooooh, it's a mystery!!

Baseball

Baseball season comes a bit early this year in the form of the World Baseball Classic! From March 3-26, 16 International teams will compete to become World Champions. A number of Cardinals will be present and accounted for in these games. Albert Pujols is representing his home country, Dominican Rupublic. Yadier Molina joins older brother Benjie in playing for Puerto Rico. John Rodriguez will aslo play for Puerto Rico. Juan Encarnacion, a new bird on the bat, will be playing along side Pujols for the Dominican Republic. New hurler Sidney Ponson will be representing the Netherlands, along with Mark Mulder- who, according to reports, is supposed to pitch for Team USA. Ricardo Rincon will be representing Mexico. New York Yankees Alex Rodriguez and Derek Jeter are set to represent team USA. Who am I rooting for? Usually, the answer would be a no brainer, but as I have Puerto Rican heritage, its a bit different. I will be pulling for all of the birds on the bat to do well. I will cheer on USA and Puerto Rico, may the best team win!

Steelers

Congrats to the Pittsburg Steelers, AFL Champions!!! C'mon Steelers, win the superbowl!!

Brown shoes

After months of searching, I have finally found a cute pair of brown shoes!! I am soo excited, now I can finally wear my NYC brown pants with something other than my boots. I also got lace replacements for my boots as the one lace is shot. I also got two long sleeve shirts from New York and Co (Red and Yellow), they are very soft. Then I stopped at Clinque (my fave makeup brand) and replaced my eyeliner, and two lipliners. All three were dead- good investment as they last me three to four years. So a bit expensive, but totally worth it. Now I am going to go rest up, I am exhausted after this weekend. Regionals was awesome, I love seeing all of my brothers and catching up with them and hanging out with them. I'm going to miss some of them! I hopefully will see some of them at Sectionals at SIUE (E Pi)!!

Regionals!!

This weekend was an absolute balst!! Alpha Phi Omega's Regional Conference was this Fri and Sat. I had soooo much fun. Friday I got there and got to see Jen F. and Rachel K.(a former Sigma Alpha brother who is now a member of SLU'S Delta Delta chapter- where the conference was held). My salsa class with Andy the flirt went great! Our morning session had more people, but our afternoon session learned a bit more. I had soo much fun. Thursday night after Froggiegirl's work open house (which was awesome), I went salsa dancing with the flirt to get ideas on how to do our workshop. I love to salsa and it was soo cool to teach others to do what I love. B/c Andy and I were presenters we got access to the Presenter's Lounge (oooh ahhh), so we snagged bottles of water from there, and I took a nap there after lunch. Got a great service/fundraiser project from the session "Sweet Charity". Had lunch w/our advisor and former section chair Roach, our current section chair Beth, Andy, Kenny, Edwin, Missy, Emily(who was a hoot Friday night- thanks for dancing w/ me chica), Tanya, another person, Marshall and his friend, and Rob. This was only the day. That night we had this awesome speaker, his story is soo amazing- he has a book coming out soon- must read! We had a live jazz band playing as we entered and ate. We had this yummy cheesecake for desert. Andy and I got certificates and thanks for doing a workshop, unfortunately they spelled Andy's last name wrong. Sorry flirt. Then we danced the night away with a cool DJ, so much better than the one we had at homecoming. I learned how to do a bit of swing dancing (ty Andy), did the electric slide, the macarena to a country song(lol), the cha-cha slide, YMCA, some salsa w/ Andy, danced to thriller, did the timewarp (soo fun!!) and danced to all the other songs. The flirt strutted his stuff for Michael Jackson's "Billie Jean"- he was sooo good. The music was awesome. Here are a few of the songs they played.... Cotten Eyed Joe, My Humps, Gold Digger (still not fond of that one), Doncha, Amzaed, Since You've Been Gone (gotta go out and get her new CD-= heard another one of her songs I love), and Gasolina!( a latin song Amber requested- must get their cd! I love latin music- this song was flat out amazing!)
Oh yea, one of the brothers in attendance proposed! Of course she said yes! Everybody cheered and applauded! She looked soo happy, and his proposal was very romantic. That man is sooo brave to propose in front of a large group of people! I can imagine its tough when its just the two of you, but multiply that by 20 and still do it well! WOW!! Lucky girl got a ring with three diamonds. Nice ring, too much for me. I don't want a diamond engagement ring- I would rather have an emerald or a saphire with a little single or cluster of small diamonds around it. But to get that I would have to become engaged which would mean I would have to have a serious boyfriend. Meaning I would have to get a boyfriend in the first place. But hey, I am young and have a lot of time for that. I want to graduate before I become engaged. Froggiegirl is engaged to Gimlet and even she said being engaged and being a student would have been too much, and since I'm a bridesmaid and I've seen her do the planning- I have to say I agree!

Welcome to 2006

Okay I am going to put down some resolutions I will try to keep.

1) Get in better shape, so that when I have to have knee surgery again (why pretend that its not going to happen, better to suck it up), recovery will be smoother.
2) Get in better shape to keep me from having above mentioned surgery sooner.
3) Try to have more patience with my brother...thats gonna be hard.
4) Keep my desk in my home office and my room better organized and cleaner than in the past. (This one I will definately do b/c my desks were soo messy I was getting ticked)
5) Go on vacation before I start my real job after graduating. (Doesn't have to be out of the country- tho I would prefer it. Could be going to Tampa to visit the cousins, or to San Antonio(my second fav. city), go to another ballpark w/ Dad).
6) Try to go to the Cardinals Spring Training this year!

Okay now lets see how many of these I actually am able to do. 1, 4, and 5 are going to happen. I am going to work out more w/ Froggiegirl. I am a big organization freak so my desks will get cleaned. And I will go on a real vacation before I start my real job- I have to b/c I don't know when my next vacation will be after I start working full time in the real world.

Happy New Year?

New Years Eve was lousy. I was sick and my little brother had some friends over, and decided to be a jerk to me. I finally watched my movie- Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants (ty Missy), He had the tv blaring so loud downstairs that I could hear it upstairs. So I was sick and miserable, and being treated like an outcast- unwanted by the masses. Close to midnight I got my countdown(even tho I had to bargain for it, like some common criminal), when it turned 2005 I was in Denver and we were in the streets and it was like "Happy New Year!!". No count down, so I was determined to have one this year (last year). Then I went outside and screamed along w/ my brother. I screamed it in Spanish too ( I speak Spanish, I am Hispanic, and I wanted to do it!). Brother decides to scream "Speak English!" What a jerk, its my right to speak/scream in Spanish. It was not the greatest time of my life to say the least. Next new years I am having a great party! I'm tired of this boring stuff.
Also of note, my mom did get my Spanish shirt I thought she had cost me. So when I went shopping w/ Froggiegirl and Angie- I wore it. Gimlet met me and Froggiegirl for dinner at my fave place, Chevys. Yummy food!
Happy New Year Y'all! Welcome to 2006, may it be better than the year before it!

I got a Digital Camera!!

Ya! I finally got a digital camera after months of begging! I have a Canon Power Shot A610 w/ 5.0 megapixel. The zoom is amazing! I think that is my favorite xmas gift. Of course I am loving my other gifts, Season 1 of Stargate Atlantis, a warmer cardigan for work(I am soo cold in my office right now, so not funny), a big memory card for my new camera, Now Thats What I Call Music 20 (various aritsts, really good mix) , and a pin to wear that looks like a pointseita leaf. T/m I gotta go venture to the stores to exchange my cardigan for a larger one, need more shoulder room, and I gotta find a nice camera bag- not to big, just big enough to hold the camera, spare batteries, charger(which I gotta get too), and other little things (so I can use it as a purse too). Merry Christmas y'all!

Update: I bought a small camera case at Best Buy- very nice and the price wasn't too bad. Good news- I don't have to buy a charger as the chargere my parents have for their camera works with mine. Got the right size cardigan. Also got some cute pants from NY & CO- on sale. Also found a really cute shirt that was a dusty red and said Tome Coca-Cola Bien Fría (translation Drink coca-cola good cold) but didn't get it b/c mom said we would get it on our way back out. So I hid it, went to NY & CO, and then we went back to JCPenney- it wasn't there! So mom cost me a really cute (cheap too) shirt!

Early Christmas Presents

So last night after working my 10:30 to 7 pm shift, I met some of my friends at Breakaway Café on Natural Bridge Rd. I got to see my friend Liz and her adorable son, Andrew for the first time in almost a month. Little Andrew is thisclose to walking! He is only 9 months old! Hey, I was 9 months when I started walking too! Anyways, all of the gifts I gave were hits. I also love every gift I recieved as well. From froggiegirl, I recieved a Sexy Little Bear(mini teddybear) from Victoria Secret, and four mini lipsticks on a key chain. All of this was in a clever and I'm sure it will prove to be useful in the future, red bag with a outlined heart in rhinestones. From Gimlet, I got one of my fave lotions, Vanilla Bean Noel, from Bath and Body Works, he also got me Cucumber Melon body wash (a nuetral scent that even guys like! go figure). Missy got me the DVD Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants- a movie I absloutely adore!! Missy- Thank you!! I really wanted this movie. My friend Liz got me this incredible book about my all time favorite baseball team, the St. Louis Cardinals-Few and Chosen Defining Cardinal Greatness Across the Eras. I am already on chapter 5 of this book, and it is quickly becoming one of my fave books!! Andrew, the adorable 9 month son of Liz, (who suprisingly can already shop) got me a blue scarf that are oh so fashionable today. Its a fuzzy scarf, not the traditional sort, a gift that was totally unexpected which makes it that much better. So far "Santa" has been good to me. Hopefully, my family will like their gifts as much as my friends enjoyed theirs. So to all my friends who read this blog I have one thing to say: THANK YOU SOOO MUCH!!!!

Vigil

Daddy got Vigil!!!! For those who don't know the world of Boyscouting, vigil is the top honor for the Order of the Arrow. I am soo proud of him. He was sooo excited to get it, it is a very big honor, and then doubly suprised to see me and my little brother at the ceremony! This is a big honor for him, but his Silver Beaver that he won last year is still the highest honor ever.

Santa's Coming

Santa is coming to town. Have you been naughty or nice? I like to think I've been a bit of both! ;) Our christmas tree is finally up... did that Sunday night. I have finished all of my shopping and have wrapped all of my presents I am giving. I've been pretty good this year, so I don't think I will be getting coal. If Santa really likes me he will give me Cardinal tickets for the 2006 season, and a digital camera. We'll see. As usual my room is off-limits to both of my parents (normally mom goes in my closet to borrow shoes or a shirt of mine) as I am hiding presents for both of them. Always happens. Its hard to believe that Christmas is only days away. I have Friday and the following Monday off of work. Yahoo!

I'm Done w/ Finals!!

'Nough said!

Leavin' on a Jet Plane

Yea I'm leavin' on a jet plane, don't know when I'll be back again....Its moving time for my team, we are moving back to our orginal building, this time on the second floor, on Friday. So the end of day on Friday everything must be packed up and ready to move. Oh joy!

Finals

It is finals week. I have taken one and have two to go. First up was my Marketing final. I go in, stressed of course, and instead of giving us the final the professor starts teaching! What the?!! And he wanted us to do an evaluation! Department policy says that the eval must be done and turned in before finals week. Also on the day of the final, you just get the final, and thats it. You don't teach. This teacher was horrible! So naturally I gave him the lowest rating possible. I have a calculus study group this afternoon at 2:30. I have had two sessions with a tutor over this where we have worked on the final review. The final review, if completed and handed in, is worth 7 extra points. So of course I will turn it in. I need all the bonus points I can get. So I will study with them. Then go home to study for my thrid final- Financial Management. I will study and create my cheet sheet. An index card. Not much, but still its worth a lot to me. I think I will take this final t/m evening, instead of Thursday morning at 7:45 AM!! So calc final at 12:15 to 3:15 and then home to study some more and then back up to campus to take my Finacial Management Final at 7:45 PM. Yes this sounds like a better plan of action. I think I can I think I can I think I can. Gotta keep saying that while I take my calc final. Wish me luck, I need it!

Cardinals

Mark Grudzielanek was not offered arbitration and subsequently he is no longer a Cardinal. Matt Morris was offered arbitration and he is also leaving. We traded Ray King to Colorado for second-baseman Aaron Miles and outfielder Larry Bigbie. The Cardinals are apparently close in closing the deal for signing a two-year deal for left-handed reliever Ricardo Rincon. Rincon will turn 36 early in the 2006 season, has a 4.34 ERA for 2005. He has spent the past three plus seasons with the Oakland A's. So if he signs that will be another american leaguer to switch to the "good" side-meaning national league. My opinion is that the American League is not real baseball. One guy gets paid to hit the ball, thats it, he is the desginated hitter, and the pitcher just throws the ball, doesn't go to bat or anything. National League on the other spectrum requires their pitchers to be able to swing the bat. Designated hitters? Yeah right. Last year, when the Cardinals signed Mark Mulder, he was quoted as saying he was excited to actually get to bat. He's done pretty well adjusting to real baseball. Back to my orignal posting... Anthony Reyes is expected to be pushed up to the starting line-up. But is he ready? He was good the one time he came and started a game for the red birds. Then everybody was like "oh he's awesome, he is so next year's starter". Um, hello we have only seen this guy in action once! That is not enough to prove he is ready for the big leagues full time. I am still skeptical, but hey if he can do it then thats great. More money saved. Reggie Sanders and Julian Tavarez were also declined arbitration. Tavarez has a nasty temper that he needs to get under control. He went and broke his hand after a bad outing in the world series!! Hello how dumb can you be?! Sanders is good, I would love to see him as a Cardinal again, but I wish him the best of luck with his new team. Same with Grudzielanek. I just found out that the Cardinals Winter Warm up is on the same weekend that Dad is going fishing and I am attending a regional conference for my fraternity. I soo wanted to go too! Oh well maybe next year. I am thinking of starting a countdown to Spring Training... I can't wait until baseball season starts again!! Go here for more details on Rincon, and here for Winter meetings summary.

New Birds on the Bat

The Cardinals have added two new players to their bench. Catcher Gary Bennet and infielder Deivi Cruz, both from the Nationals. Bennet will back up catcher Yadier Molina, and Cruz will replace Abraham Nuñuz, who signed with the Phillies. A contract was indeed offered to pitcher A.J. Burnett, however there was larger offer from Toronoto, which he has accepted- 55 million for five years. Big mistake on his part, as the Blue Jays aren't even on the radar. They are in the same division as the Boston Red Sox and the New York Yankees. Red Sox have finished 1,2 in the last two seasons. His loss. However, not to fear the Cardinals always have plans that the public doesn't even know that turn out to be goldmines; case in hand the signing of Pitcher Mark Mulder, David Ecstien, and Mark Grudzielanek. Speaking of the talened second baseman, General Manager Walt Jocketty is pesimistic on Mark Grudzielanek's return to the 2006 lineup. Grudzielanek was an excellent additon to the team, and blended nicely with the organization. He and shortstop David Ecstien made up for the loss of Edgar Renteria and Tony Womack. Hopefully, Grudzielanek, a free agent, will re-sign with the cardinals. If Grudzielanek signs with the Birds on the Bat, then our infield is set. For more on trading deals and the like, go here That's all for now folks. Stay tuned for more Cardinals updates. I can't wait until Spring Training!!
Goal for this year: Go to Winter Warm-up!

There's a New Sheriff in Town

That's right. There is a new sheriff in town. I just reorganized our medicine/ towel hall closet, and woe to the person who messes it up first. Let's just say they will ultimately regret it. Next target: The hall Coat Closet. Maybe not today, but definitely soon. I am a major organization freak, I am downright mean about it. When I organize something, like the pantry for example, if I don't see an expiration date and I don't know when it was purchased- I toss it. So when I organize something it looks really good.
Christmas shopping: Still haven't started, but I now have definite ideas for my dad, brother, froggiegirl, and gimlet. Mom's gift is still in the air, Liz- I'm still working on it, same with Missy. Me-I need to write a list out for "Santa" aka my parents so they have an idea what I want. For Gimlet and Froggiegirl- I would love a gift certificate to any of the following locations- NY and Co, Best Buy, Bath and Body works. I will do my shopping soon, I promise, other wise I'll go nuts. But first I need to focus on finishing the fall semester... Almost there just a little further...One week of classes left!!!!! Then 3 finals, and I am done!! Until Jan. 17th that is, but then it will be only two more semesters until I graduate!! There is a light at the end of the tunnel!! Whoohooo!

Random Rants

Okay, I haven't bloged in a loong time. So here goes.
Scouting for Food- Wonderful day, largest one day canned food drive that orininated from Gravois Trails (my district) we got lucky with the weather. Even though the truck was parked in the wrong spot, it still worked out. I did a little bit of everything; took bags out of trucks, dumped the cans on the table, directed cars where to park so we could unload them, boxed the canned good, found dry goods and boxed them, told scouts what to do. I love this service project.
St. Louis Cardinals- Cal Eldred and Larry Walker are retiring, they had great careers and will be missed. John Mabry signed a one year contract with the Cubs-bad move on his part in my opinion...he is so talented and the Cubs suck. Abraham Nuñez our hero for the fall, signed a three year deal with the Phillies- It sucks we lost him, but we wish him good luck. It appears we are in the hunt for the contract of free agent A.J. Burnett- the hard throwing former Marlin. Johnny Damon, is another free agent the cards might look towards, I think this would be a bad idea, I don't think he would fit very well in the Cardinals Organization. However, things are still up in the air and can change. The winter meetings are coming up, and if you will remember, Mark Mulder wasn't signed until after the meetings. So a lot of things can happen between now and opening day folks. Congratulations to short stop David Eckstien, who was recently married.

Life in General- Thinks have been really crazy with the semester drawing to a close, and all of my projects are suddenly due now. At least one of them is done, my other project will be finished on Monday, and then I can focus on my final project which will be done Wed. Then I can focus all of my energy towards final exams. My schedule for next semester is locked, so now if I can just finish this one everything will be good.

Santana

Carlos Santana, my favorite artist, just released a new cd: Santana all that i am. I am loving it!! Latin/Salsa is my favorite type of music. Santana's new cd does not fail to deliever. You can tell its a song by Santana when you hear his legendary skill on the guitar. Santana is the best guitaritst in the world. Any guitar, best guitarist hands down. He doesn't smash his guitar either like some knuckle-heads think is soo cool to do. Yes, Jimmy Hendrix was good. Santana, however, is awesome! So far my fave songs are track 3 I'm Feeling you featuring Michelle Branch(she was also on his cd Shaman) and the Wreckers. I also am really loving I am Sombody featuring will.I.am (Black Eyed Peas) track 6. Track 7, Con Santana, is also really good. I first starting listening to Santana back in high school, when Smooth featuring Rob Thomas hit the radio. I absolutly love this song! Then Maria Maria produced by Wyclef Jean came out. Migra and Corazon Espinado featuring Mana are also favorites. So naturally when Shamen hit the stores, I went out and bought it. My favorites on this Cd are You are my kind featuring Seal, Aye Aye Aye, and Hoy Es Adios featuring Alejandro Lerner. I was really excited when I found out that Santana was realeasing another cd! Cry Baby Cry featuring Sean Paul and Joss Stone is another great song. I highly recommend this cd! My father is also a big Santana fan, he has an older Santana: The Best of Santana. Great songs include Black Majic Woman, Jingo, Evil Ways (my marching band played this once, soo cool) and Oye Como Va (my cell phone ring at the moment). This Cd Santana all that i am is definately one of his best. Unlike some artist who produce two or three really good albums and then have some not so good ones, you can expect Santana to deliever hit after hit. This Cd does not dissapoint. So if you love Latin/Salsa music, then Santana is for you.
Carlos Santana Rocks!!!!!!
Update: Earlier I wrote that Santana didn't play electric guitar- my bad. I have now fixed that.

Random Thoughts

Okay so I couldn't come up with a creative title. Oh well. I ordered/bought my bridesmaid dress. It was expensive- ouch! At least gas prices are coming down. Right now QT is at 2.19. Reports are indicating that it will go under two dollars!! Wow!!! Paid my credit card bill, most ever, just from getting gas- that hurt too. Tuesday was Froggiegirls B-day, so that night we all met up at Chevys and celebrated. Chicken fajita and a margarita on the rocks! Yum!! This Sunday Froggiegirl and I are going to another friends birthday party at Dave and Busters. She is turning 21! Gotta get a card for sure. We now have all of the Star Wars on DVD. We just got Star Wars The Phantom Menace on DVD today. Of course we got Star Wars Revenge of the Sith the day it came out.

Me + Computers = Trouble

As you can tell from my title, I had a disagreement w/ a computer. So I moved to a new building w/ my team. I get into work, after taking the stupid shuttle (I waited in the cold for that miserable thing!)I go and start setting up my new desk. So I move my mouse and log on. I begin to smell something funny....like something was burning. Didn't pay too much attention to it as my computer wouldn't allow me access to certain programs which I need to do my job. So I call the tech guys... and hold forever before finally giving up and doing a job for my boss. So after that and running to the cafeteria for a salad, I try tech guys again, this time I get through. After explaining stuff, they said that they would look into it. Meanwhile, I can't do anything until my computer is fully operational. So an hour passes, and I get a call from a tech person who again makes me explain the sitch on my computer, so she says she will be up in 10 or 12 min. She comes up and starts fixing it. So she fixes my computer, and then goes on to fix my phone (I am still smelling the funny odor). She smells it, so she tells me to call the tech guys- she thinks my computer is going to blow up. Oh fabulous. So I call tech, explain the new problem, and they tell me to turn off my computer and they will send someone up to investigate/ fix my problem. Guy comes up, determines I need a new monitor. So he goes away, and then returns w/ new monitor. Still smell something burning. So he takes my tower downstairs to clean it and see if that is a problem too. 12 or 15 min later, I get my tower back. So I only had my computer fully operational for the last 20 or so minutes of work. Fun day!

Bring on the Rain

Okay, so I've been complaining to my friend, Gimlet, that he needs a new post. Meanwhile, I haven't posted in almost 2 weeks!! Okay, so I have no right to tell him to do a new post until I do so myself. The Cardinals season is over, they lost in game 6 5-1, after their miraculous game on Monday night 5-4. The Astros (morons) were 1 strike away from winning the pennet, and Eckstien gets a hit, then Lidge walks Edmonds, and then Pujols comes up on a 1-0 count and hits a monster homerun. Had the dome on the stadium not been closed it woulda gone out of the park. As it was it almost hit that blasted train- now that woulda been funny. I can't complain though, the Cards had a great season, better than most teams, who didn't even make it to the playoffs. So I am as always, a Cards fan- regardless of what happens. Now everybody has to cheer on the White Sox, I so do not want to see those dumb 'stros win the World Championship!! That would be horrible. Well back to my topic title, it is raining here. No thats not entirley accurate, its pouring and lightening and thundering. Great! Except the stupid satalite signal gets lost every time a storm like this hits, yes everytime. No matter what my parents say, it does go out whenever we have a storm. Oh well, nothing I can do about it. There is so much that happened recently, but dinner is on its way, so I will have to post everything else another time. Quick run down on things. Homecoming was fun, though I think I had more fun last year, not exactly sure why though. Le sigh. I am moving to a new building for work. We'll see how that goes. I've had numerous tests, some have gone as expected, others, eh whatever. As long as I pass and graduate in May I will be happy. Okay, dinner will be here momentarily, and I should clean off the table so we can eat.
Go Cards! I have been a Cards fan for over 23 years, and I will continue to support the best baseball team in the world!!

APO and other stuff

Last night my fraternity had its pledge ceremony. We brought in 18 pledges!!! My pledge class was only 5 people. I am soooo excited!!! Its kinda daunting though, we have never had a class this big. Hopefully, all of them will activate. I have a new little, Mitra (Metra). My previous littles, Michelle and Rob, went on to become presidents. Anybody noticing that my littles go on to greatness? I'm kidding, well maybe not.... Rob and I were grinning big silly grins after the ceremony. We have a new thing for the meetings; a gripe box. I decided to write one. So after the meeting ended I wrote on my paper "Rob is a dork. J/K" I gave it to Rob and he laughed. I thought it was an entertaining way of gripping.
The Cardinals won their first playoff game vs. San Diego Padres yesterday 8-5. I was sitting in my International Business class w/ one ear plug in, listening to the game. I actively participated in class, and the prof. never had a clue. This is the second time I have done this. Last time we were in the playoffs, I listened while I was in Spanish class, again Prof. never had an inkling that I was listening to the game. I was in my car when Reggie Sanders hit the grand slam. Thank goodness, I ended up screaming for that, I woulda been in so much trouble in class- I don't think I woulda been able to keep quiet through that one. The ninth inning got a little scary, but we pulled though. Next up Game 2 at 3 pm. If you have an extra ticket and want to share it w/ your fav. Cards fan- look me up!! I am sooo jealous of my friend, Kerri, who gets to attend t/m's game! Let's Go Cards!!!

Time to work out

Okay so I worked out on Sat, even though I wasn't feeling 100%. Actually I really wasn't even feeling 50%. I wasn't about to use that as an excuse not to work out. So I did, and my muscles were sore afterwards. Note to self: do not go overboard on new machine b/c it looks fun. I discovered that I can run; I haven't really been able to run w/o lots of pain in my knees. So I jogged a bit, did stairs machine, stretched, and swam laps. I love swimming!! I feel so at ease in the water! After swimming laps I relaxed in the hot tub, got out did some more laps including a 25 (one lap) of butterfly. Well to be honest it really wasn't all out butterfly- it was a drill, three strokes w/ right arm, three strokes w/ left arm, and then put it together for three strokes. I was drained after that- doing butterfly is a lot more work. It is so sad how out of shape I am-compared to high school that is. I used to do three hours of swimming 5 days a week, and sometimes I hit the gym on the weekends! I could do a 75 (3 laps) of butterfly before feeling drained. I could do a 500 (20 laps) in under 8 minutes! I wish UMSL had a swim team- I would be so much better shape if they did- cause I would push myself to make the team. Oh well. Well, mom is having knee surgery and will need to do some physical therapy for it on her own, so I will have a work out buddy!! Well at least on the machines, not in the water-that will be more like me swimming and her watching.

Nervous Energy

Have you ever been sitting around and you get the urge to do something like go on a walk or go work out? I have a bad case of nervous energy today. I need to go to the pool and swim some major laps. That is why t/m I will go to the Rex Plex and hit the machines, then the pool, and finally the hot tub. I can almost feel my muscles going through the motions of freestyle. That's when I know I really have to get into the water. If my stupid shoulder would quit popping, I would be great. So that's where I will be t/m after a training session for what I still haven't figured out, I said I would go and now I'm stuck going. Not that I mind- I just really want to work out. I think I will stretch tonight while watching the game. For anyone who just said "what game?" You need to be hit! The Central Division Champions, The St. Louis Cardinals are playing tonight!! Cards vs. Brewers (stupid Brew Crew are going down!) Chris Carpenter is going for win #22. Pity that Dontrelle Willis got there first. Oh well, Carpenter got to 17, and the other wins first!! Cheer on the Cardinals tonight!!!

Football!

Okay, it is that time of the year again, Football is back!! The St. Louis Rams are at it again. Their record it 1-1, but the season has just begun. The Pittsburgh Steelers(my other fave team) are 2-0!! Watching football and baseball at the same time is hard. I still do it, flipping back and forth. Shouting at the umps for a bad call (Umps are famous for not giving the right calls for the Cardinals) or trying to predict the reason why the yellow flag was thrown (I know offsides, false start, facemask, holding, and I think illeagal formation) Now that the Cards have clinched the central division title (GO CARDS!!), my dad feels we should watch the Rams instead of the Cards and if we are losing or Ray King is pitching(what the heck was he doing the other night??? He shoulda been behind Molina they so coulda thrown Dunn out! He had to go back and tag the base. Had King been where he should have been, Dunn woulda been out!)- then I agree. However, baseball is far from over and I am not willing to miss one moment. Oh yea, the Blues are back. Big deal. Postseason playoffs are rapidly approaching, and we must watch the Cards win! I love Sports!!
Lets Go Cards!!

No classes!!

For the first time in my history of attending UMSL, all of my classes have been cancelled!!! Why? Apparently some of the nasty storms we expierienced last night knocked out the power on north campus!! Whooohooo!! So I got to sleep in, I slept til 12:30, guess my body really needed the extra rest b/c I never sleep that late. Maybe they won't get the power fixed and classes will be cancelled t/m too! I seriously doubt that, but hey a girl can dream. No classes, no classes!! Lalalalala! (part taken from Lion King's hyennas w/ their "No king, No king! Lalalalala!") UMSL should cancel classes more often, I like this!

Alpha Phi Omega

Okay, so I went to Mizzou this weekend with Hilary and Rob. I attended the first Section 35/49 Fall Leadership Conference. Kudos to the co-chairs who did a fantastic job on it. I had a lot of fun getting lost, we couldn't find the campus. Then we couldn't find St. Louis Bread Co. So we decided to get out and walk, this turned out to be a great idea, because we passed a great bar, Harpos. In additon we ran into a girl who knew where Bread Co. was. So we enjoyed breakfast, showed up late to registration, and then attended a session on how to make meetings more fun. The person in charge of it was dressed in a cow suit and had a cut out of The Rock up front. Needless to say the session was very entertaining. I also attended a bylaw session, this was very beneficial. I also attended Launch, which suprisingly was actually good and proved useful. A three hour session of sitting and listening to lecture, was not high on my list. We left Mizzou early b/c I wasn't feeling too good. Got home around 6ish. All in all, it was a very good conference. Tuesday night we turn our potentials into pledges, we are very excited about the number of people interested in pledging. I will report later with how many pledges we have.

Cardinals are Central Division Champs!!!

Oh yeah!! The Cards are Central Division Champs again!! Back to back!! I just got a new Cards t-shirt w/ that on it last night from my parents. Unfortunately the Cards lost to the stupid cubs today. Oh well, we are the champs. Lets go Cardinals!!

Cardinals

Okay so the majic number for the Cards is 11! We beat the Cubs yesterday. We had a very good road trip. The Roster has just expanded to include 7 brought up from Triple A. They include; Anthony Reyes, Adam Wainright, Randy Flores, Chris Duncan(Dave Duncan's son!), John Gall, Mike Mahoney, and Skip Schumaker. We have seen Reyes, Gall, Mahoney, Flores, and Schumaker in action. We know they are good. It will be interesting to see how Duncan and Wainright do on the major leage level. Reyes and Schumaker are the two who were called up very briefly. However, both players obviously impressed LaRussa enough to call them up when the roster can expand. Jason Marquis appears to have gotten out of his slump; he has won his last two starts. Chris Carpenter became the first 20 game winner in baseball this season, shutting down the Rocket and the Astros. Clemmens only made it through 5 innings, while Carpenter completed the game. We have two more games with the Cubs, who suprise suprise, are not in the running for the wild card. Then we play the Mets. I will be in attendance on Friday the ninth vs. the Pond Scum Mets. My mother hails from Queens, New York and rooted for the Mets, and now to irritate her we boo the mets and call them that name. Let's Go Cardinals. Beat those Cubs!!!

Update: Tyler Johnson was also called up and he pitched for an inning last night. C'mon Cards!! Majic number is now 11!

Katrina

The devestation caused by Hurricane Katrina is unreal. A category four hurricane hit a city that is below sea level- New Orleans. Which is under 20 feet of water right now. It is going to take a long time to drain that water. The citizens there have been told to evacuate the city without knowing when or if they can return to where they have called home. The citizens were warned about this hurricane and told to leave. Many did not heed this warning and as a result thousands are dead, missing, or trapped on roofs. On News Channel 5 they were showing people in Alabama who were chanting "help!" and getting mad at the other citizens of the U.S. for not helping them. There is no food or water. City officials have said they need to get out of the city within 24 hours. Places such as the Superdome that were safe havens for victims are now being evacuated. They are being transported to the Astrodome in Houston. They were taking them by the busloads yesterday, today they are supposedly going to be flown out on 737's. New Orleans is a complete disaster. The people are looting and shooting to get food, whats worse is that some of the police officers have turned in their badges and joined the looters. Yesterday the evacuation process was stopped when some idiots started shooting at the rescuers. I mean c'mon, you are screaming for help and then when help arrives you shoot at them? Oh yea that's how you get more people to come down and help you. They were told that Katrina was coming and they were not safe and that they needed to leave. But did they listen? Nope. Now some democrats and some liberals are blaming President Bush for Katrina. They are saying that it is his fault because he has done nothing to stop global warming. Look there is nothing that man could have done, no one could have stopped Katrina. It was a force of nature, and as we can't control nature, there was nothing that could have been done other than to wait until the wrath of Katrina was done. Several college students are displaced by Katrina are now looking for a place to go. The UM schools are opening their doors to those students. UMSL has a bit on their home page saying how the late fees will be waived and students will be placed in classes. The American Red Cross is taking donations to help those hurt by Katrina. Alpha Phi Omega and Pi Kappa Alpha will be collecting donations for the Red Cross on the UMSL campus soon. More info on that to come. Pray for those hurt by Katrina.

Update: The American Red Cross and the National Guard are doing everything possible to get supplies to people. President Bush is working as hard as he possible can. As for being able to go down to the areas affected by Katrina, we can't-its too dangerous. The Missouri National Guard was sent to help those areas. Evacuation is not as easy as it sounds, some people are trapped in attics or standed on roofs. Rescue teams are working as fast and as hard as possible to save every life they can. Calling people names or raging at them because things are going fast enough for you isn't going to get you anywhere. Money and donations are coming in from every venue and being distributed as we speak. There are somethings in this world we can not control. All we can do is whatever is humanly possible and pray. I live in Missouri, the worst that happens to us is tornados and I hate those awful things. I have seen damage from floods, tornados, fires, heavy storms, and earthquakes. My heart goes out to all those hurt by Katrina. All we can ask is be patient, help is coming, and when they come, don't shoot at them.