Infamous Thoughts by Missus O

Baby O likes SUN!

2007-02-20T11:17:00.000-08:00

palm springs belly february 16, 2007

so i'm officially firing myself from blogging....almost fired anyway. i'm terrible at keeping this up to date! here is an old post that i'm putting up late...

Mister and I just returned from a mini vacation in Palm Springs. It was heaven to get out of the dark and rain for a few days. I couldn't get enough!

I love waking up there... having some coffee outside on the patio, relaxing then going for a nice long walk in the sun. Getting some pool time, hiking, shopping, reading...ah. I think I could get used to that lifestyle a little too easily.

I hung back and did my own thing (sun worshipping, shopping, exercising) while mister and his ma golfed it up. He was in heaven. I think that's the ultimate place for us to vacation considering we both keep ourselves so busy there.

Hiking at Indian Canyons was really awesome. The weather was perfect (the whole time we were away actually) and the views were beautiful. I love to look out and see mountains and palm trees.

One night we went to Flemmings at the River in Rancho Mirage. Oh my word. I had petite filet and mister got lava cake at the end. It was SO GOOD. I almost never eat red meat, so it was certainly a treat. My former, non-meat eating self, would cringe to hear me say those words, but I do love me some filet!

Our house is nearly complete. I snuck my there this morning on my way to work. The bathroom looks like a million bucks and the kitchen is beautiful as well. The cork floor is down and turned out looking really cool. I love it all...what a luxury to have this remodel done. We really needed it and I'm sort of happy we had to wait 4 1/2 years before getting it done. It makes it all that much better to have really lived in the house as it was with all the quirks-vinyl and chipped tile counters...

ziva and the club of love...

2007-01-29T12:55:00.000-08:00

There's nothing quite like getting a new hair cut and eating a super yummy sandwich to brighten a pregnant girl's day. Just when you are feeling gross and ugly you can turn it all around with a little trip to the gym and the dial of your nearest and dearest salon.. you are magically transformed into a new (and much less negative) woman...oh and add the delectable turkey and bacon sandwich in there as well with a dash of non-portland-like January sunshine.

Mister and I had a really fun weekend. The weather here was amazing, lots of sun and not too cold. I love it when there is no rain! Maybe it's just me, but every single day that is dry around here I feel like busting out into heel clicks and "hallelujahs"...

Baby O is growing by the second and I think I might be feeling the little one move around, but this being totally foreign to me, I can't be certain. In just two short weeks from today we will find out what this little baby is...boy or girl. Mister is convinced it's a girl, but I think boy and lots of people who know me have guessed it's a boy as well. We shall see on the 12th!

Back to my weekend, so Friday night was uneventful. I rented some really bad B rate movie Step Up, which was mildly entertaining but left me about ten to fifteen years dumber. It's a jr. high sleepover movie to the max. Channing Tatum was pretty fun to look at for a couple hours however. I hacked and coughed my way through a sleepless night and woke up the next day feeling even crankier.

Saturday I dragged my negative, pouty and growing butt to the SW Community Center. A place I sincerely love. It's a true community center with a big pool and lots of families and kids around. No big old meat heads to dissuade you from picking up a dumb bell in the weight room or make you feel stupid for only doing the elliptical before calling it a day.

We went over to our house to take a look see at the remodel progress. I am really happy to report the bathroom is coming along very nicely and the tile work in the new shower looks incredible. I should slap myself silly for not taking before pictures to post, but maybe I'll go take some while the remodel is in process.

Mister treated me to dinner at Jopa. They have the best grilled vegetable salad you've ever had in your life. It tastes like summer...a season I'm frequently day dreaming about!

Yesterday was super nice out yet again so after my hair cut (thank the lord for Christopher at Ziva, he worked his magic on me) we took a long walk down around 23rd. I ran into some friends which is always a nice surprise. We rewarded our hard work with sharing a "club of love" sandwich from Ross Island Grocery. That place honestly is so good it's out of control. Turkey, Bacon, Tomato, Lettuce...on toasted bread. Oh good god. After a long day of indulgence we realized a trip to the gym wouldn't hurt. Turns out it did hurt, but hurt so good. Am a tad bit sore today.

Have a good monday!

Rapidly Growing...and weird dreams...

2007-01-23T09:28:00.000-08:00

15 1/2 weeks pregnant: 1/12/07

It's been a long hiatus. Just a few things have changed since last time I posted (in JULY). Brandon and I are expecting a little bean this 4th of July. I keep having dreams that the child will have firecracker red hair. That's not saying much considering I also have dreams that our baby is super human, is a boy then girl, is a 10 year old straight away...I am starting to realize the myth of strange dreams when you are pregnant is true. Having a lot more really scary dreams too. I try not to remember those ones.

Speaking of dreams, the other day Brandon woke up in a panic. He dreamed he was being attacked by a cougar. He was holding a small child and the cougar bit a chunk of his arm off. I shouldn't laugh, but it was pretty funny to see him all worked up over his nightmare considering I've been having the craziest dreams of my life lately. Maybe it's rubbing off on him.

Work lately has been pretty boring. I mean, I'd be lying if I didn't say that I'm really looking forward to maternity leave. It's not that I don't love the company, because I really do. It's just that I don't love my actual job (who does?)...I've been thinking a lot lately about the future and what in the world I'm going to do with my life. I mean, besides being a mom. You all know me, and this is nothing new. I am and always have been thoroughly confused about what I want to do with my life. You'd think with all the random jobs I've had and all the time I've spent pondering the subject I'd have come to some answers! But alas, I have not. Lord knows I'll have an abundance of thoughts during those up at 3:00am feeding and diaper changes. Stay tuned. Come July I'll be posting about wanting to become a horse whisperer or some damn thing.

I attribute my craziness to lack of sunlight. Thank GOD we are going to Palm Springs next Month. I absolutely cannot wait to feel my skin warm up from the sun versus a space heater.

until next time...

missus o

I'm Baaaaaaaaaaaaaack.......

2006-07-13T09:18:00.000-07:00

No, I didn't keel over and die. I'm still here, just plugging away.

Yesterday I was hosting the Refugee All Star band (at work). What a trip! They were very sweet and soft spoken before the show...then lights on and they rocked it out for the big performance. If you haven't heard their music, it's definitely worth checking out. It's days like these when I truly love my job.
http://refugeeallstars.org

Moving on...

Mister and I have had one crazy and hectic summer so far. June was spent traveling nearly every single weekend. Mostly to the beach and to the Deschutes River, throw in Seattle for good measure and you've got yourself a month of being away on the weekends. What's that song, "everybody workin' for the weekend"? livin the dream here folks.

So you know how I'm slinging candles, demonstrating for Gold Canyon? Last weekend, I demonstrated for a home party through a co-worker (who I don't know from Adam mind you). It went really well and was a big success. It was fun to meet some new people and that happy, smiley dimples sort of way.
http://www.mygccandle.com/sparks

Piper is becoming cooler by the second. I just love this dog. I know most people do tend to love their dogs (or other pets) but I mean it when i say that i love her. she's so cool! if i were a dog i'd want to be her. you may think this is strange, but i'm so serious.

first of all, she's really athletic and energetic, but she can also be really chill and loves to be near us. she will just lay on her purple dog bed and entertain herself if we are busy (well, not always...some days she's deliriously chasing me around the house licking the lotion off my legs, biting at my shoelaces and stealing dirty socks from the laundry basket...). actually, come to think of it, scratch that. she's not so big on laying around unless we are in the room. the other day i came in the living room and she was standing on the chair sniffing at the book case. no no.

secondly, she gets to go on long walks almost every day and harass her neighborhood friends (other dogs that are generally older and think she's terribly annoying); she gets to swim in rivers and lakes and hike on weekends and play on the beach near the ocean! now that's a great dog life!

last but certainly not least, she's really beautiful. she's really dark brown now and has nice shiny hair and green eyes. i know people who really love their ugly dogs, but it's hard to resist cuddling and kissing your dog when she's this gosh darn cute.

i sound like a complete wacko. i realize this. if i have to get reincarnated as an animal though, a dog i hope to be (then cross fingers you don't get freaks, lazy or mean owners). being owned, not so sweet in any form of life. am i completely deranged for thinking about these things? maybe so.

Well, that wraps up reading rainbow for today. that's about all i got for now. this weekend mister and i will be in town for the second time in a ROW! woo hoo!

be nice to your dogs.
mo

Hit the Beach! In the Rain!

2006-06-09T15:56:00.000-07:00

Mister Man and I are heading to the beach tonight...it's cloudy, rainy and in the 60s, but oh well. It will be fun regardless.

We are taking our golf clubs "just in case" although we both know darn well the weather will be even worse there than it is here. I mean come on, Oregon Coast in June? It's almost comical to think we'll plan an outdoor activitiy other than running to and from our car in the rain.

I love the coast. It's so peaceful no matter what time of year, what the weather is like or who you are with (well, there are exceptions. i don't think i'd love being there with a psycho but you get the point).

We met with the remodel designer again this week. This was SUPPOSED to be the week we signed the contract, but she came in 20k OVER budget with no real hard explanations as to why. Mister was not sweet on that. He decided take a few days to let the steam escape from his ears and to think about what this remodel is really worth to us, to the value of our home etc. In the end I'm confident we will go forward with it, but if I've learned anything in the 2 1/2 years I've been married, it's when NOT to push the mister. He cannot be pushed and have it end in my favor. He can be pushed and have it end up in my face however. I don't like that result so much. Patience is a virtue that comes so easily to him and is rather difficult for me. I'm working on it.

Oh...i'm also an official candle lady now. "oh boy" you say. but it's actually really cool. I'm a complete candle freak and spend entirely too much money on them. My mom bought me this one called "birthday cake" a couple years ago and I've been scouring the earth for it ever since. I had long ago burned it up or out or whatever and had thrown the thing away. anyway, it's a private company that only sells through distributors, so when i figured that out last time i was home visiting the folks-i promptly came home, did my research and got myself enrolled to be a distributor for the company.
http://www7.mygccandle.com/sparks

chigity check it out.

have a good weekend.

your mentally sun-drenched, but physically soaked,
mo

Mushroomin

2006-06-01T16:18:00.000-07:00

Went on the annual memorial day morel mushroom hunt with my parents, mister and piper this weekend. my brother is usually always with us...but alas he was off baking himself on the beaches of maui. rough. the mushrooms were tougher to find this year, but we managed to find a gallon or so between the four of us (piper wasn't much help although i did stick her nose by the bag of morels in hopes of training her to detect them...didn't work). we fired up the bbq and cooked up some burgers and morels when we got home. oh yum.

we got to see our great friends, rachel and sennett while we were home as well. they are just the best. i love hanging out with those two. we ended up randomly playing darts at barley hoppers, then mister and sennett got in a face off with these total dark sharks. they got hosed 3rd game into it. we sat by and laughed while sennett took down a diet coke that he thought was a long island. oh the simple pleasures in life. you might wonder how a person could mistake a dc for a long island. the only explanation is very simple. it was late and we were drunk. his taste buds could no longer decifer i guess...

i got to go on a few long runs while i was home, which may sound odd, but it's hands down my favorite thing to do when i'm visiting there. i love to run the bridges over the snake river. it's so beautiful and peaceful! we took piper on her first swim as well and she was hesitant until i rolled my pants up and hopped around in the river with her. she's a funny dog. i think she's going to be an absolute monster (huge). her paws are off the charts.

mister played in a golf tourney with my pops all weekend. it came down to the wire and out of over 100 teams they ended up in 3rd place! we didn't get out of town until 6pm on monday night so that was a long drive home. not too terrible though. we rolled in around 12.

So...back to portland. i have to preface this by saying we've had some beautiful weather in the past month (not so much this past week). now, I know I'm suppose to hate the rain. But, when you think about the major upside of not having to water your garden, yard or flowers...well, it's kind of nice. At least it's not cold out today. Wow, am I in an optimistic mood or what? Hold on to your hats folks! This good attitude is bound to come and go on a whim.

mister had a baseball game last night and they won yet again. Games are so much more fun when you are winning or on a winning team. There is nothing worse than playing your ass off and the rest of the team either a) sucks or b) doesn't give a crap. i know games are "just for fun" and all, but personally I think they are much more fun when you are winning! he plays tomorrow and saturday as well. ever since i got a "warning" for bringing little miss piper i'm pissed at the guy and don't want to go as much since i have to leave my dog at home. poor little thing spends too much time inside anyway. it's just wrong to go spend a couple hours at a park without her.

anyway, mister's sister is having a baby and her baby shower was today. she looks so dang cute with the belly out there. i love weddings, birthday parties, baby showers all that stuff. it's so fun. people don't get together often enough unless there is an occassion it seems. this weekend i'm going to a friend's 30th bday party downtown. a bunch of girls going to dinner and dancing. will be a riot. i'm sure i'll have stories to tell.

that's all i've got folks.

happy friday coming your way.

RIVER RATS

2006-05-22T16:07:00.000-07:00

the mister and i went to his family place on the river this weekend. i haven't been there in a long time and it was heaven. saturday we got a little hike in, played with piper in the sunshine and got a little tan!
i love going down there. it's secluded, the river is a stone's throw away and you can relax and let your brain take a time out from the every day routine. that's a beautiful thing.
we are planning our annual trip to the russian river in the wine country (california). we are going to attempt to drive this year. it will be monumental for us as we have not had the time or resources to take a legitimate "road trip" together in the past. it's long overdue and i'm pumped. it takes about 11-12 hours to drive down there from portland so we are thinking we'll split the driving days in half...tackling oregon to the boarder on the first day then the home stretch on the 2nd. we'll be able to stay there 5 days this year and that is (again) something to smile about. we are crazy about the russian river and also crazy about our friends that invite us every year. that place is a dream; every detail from the river, the old cabin and it's screened in sleeping porch, the outdoor shower, the rickety walk down to the landing...the lazy river you can swim in, paddle down, float on...wine valley surrounding, quaint little town center with amazing shopping and restaurants. what more could you possibly want in a vacation? i don't know. i think it really is the best.
i just found out today that my parents had to put our family dog down this weekend. she was a fourteen year old yellow lab named Brylly. such an amazing dog and we loved her every day for 14 years. she was spunky and definitely a part of the family to the fullest extent. we'll miss her.
hope all is well out there in the worlds of all of you.
we had this great thunder storm last night and it reminded me that summer is not so far away after all...

mo

oldies but goodies

2006-05-09T15:38:00.000-07:00

I talked to a friend last week that I haven't spoken to in ages. I mean literally, haven't talked to her in SO long. it was really great just catching up. i love those few friends that you can just pick up where you left off with. there's no wierdness or hurt feelings for dropping off the earth for a few months, they just pick up and go with you from where you last left. just one of those simple things in life that i really appreciate.

Piper is keeping us so busy. It sounds so completely lame and dorky, but i was naive to think owning a small little freakishly energetic pup wouldn't change life a little. i still love it, but my god does that little thing ever have enough energy to propel a small space craft...she's a bit psycho in the morning and at night. the two times mister and i are completely wiped out of our minds. got to love it. the amount of 5am energy piper puts out is cosmic.

anyway, the kiddies and my sis came to visit last weekend. those little boys really tired piper out...oh and mister. they tired him out too. ad and i were running around doing errands, going to the nike employee store, to the mall, etc. and before you knew it we'd been gone all day...meaning mister had been home with naughty girl and the two boys taunting her. that man has more patience than i could summon in my entire life. thank heavens for that!

mister has a ball game tonight and tomorrow night we're going to see our friends new little baby girl. the weekend will be here once again before i can say "visitors" with my ma, dad and brother coming into town. steven aka "bruce" is hawaii bound early next week...lucky little devil.

one last departing nugget. the next time you feel too tired to open your eyes in the morning, think about this; standing out in the frosty air at 5:30am in a robe and slippers with a dog peeing mere inches away from your tired sorry ass. then mentally stand there and wait as she proceeds to attack your legs wanting to play and whinning like hell, as you silently plead to go back in the house... all before a cup of coffee. now that's a good morning piper style.

dreamily,

mo

Introductions: Piper O'Leary, Dog Wonder

2006-05-04T14:26:00.000-07:00

Well folks, it's official. I've recently purchased the most adorable puppy on the planet. Just look at that face.

It's been days since i've had the chance to post. Not that anyone was holding their breath...but i must explain myself. This weekend (Sunday to be exact) i finally convinced mister to let me get a dog. I've been begging and pleading with him to get a puppy for hmmmmm roughly 3 1/2 years now. one thing you have to know about mister. he's intense. the guy is not easily persuaded. nor is he rash or quick to make hasty decisions. THEN THERE'S ME. i'm just about as opposite as they come. once i get a hair-brained idea (turns out most of my ideas are of this particular classification) i have the tendency to just run with it. for expamle, there was a stretch of about 2 weeks (i'm not talking years and years ago either) when i convinced mister i was going to make a living creating homemade cards. oh yeah. right. i honestly was in my craft room (aka dungeon unfinished basement) working away for hours on end to complete a small handful of homemade cards. who in the hell would buy them is the first question (which i refused to address) and secondly i'd last about two seconds holed up in a freaking basement cutting up construction paper shapes and pasting decorations on them. that's just about as advanced as a kindergarden student...not even! preschool! was my ultimate plan to solicit my 3 and 5 year old nephews as my laborers? lastly, and my personal favorite, it would be humanly impossible to create enough crappy cards to even pay off the cost of SUPPLIES to make them!!! i would literally lose money.

i'm all about impulsive decisions...much to my chagrin.

So...turns out a 7 week old puppy is a ridiculous amount of work. no joke. i mean people kept saying "oh this is good practice before you have a baby". and i've discovered that analogy has some truth to it! never leaving her unsupervised, up in the middle of the night, feeding her, cleaning her, many trips to the pet store, figuring out how to tame her teething, taking her outside to pee every five seconds, saying "no piper" a million times over and over as she runs to chew up anything and everything in her path..oh and the lovely destruct-o mode of tearing things up if you turn your back. got to love that my house cleaning duties have increased triple fold.

ah yes, she's a bundle of puppy energy-there's no doubt about it..and i love every second of her chaos and i have to say...mister is into it. he comes home to see "his girls" after work and she races up to see him. just too cute.

my mom and sister are getting a real kick out of hearing my horror stories of her chewing this and that, peeing in the house etc. they think it's real hilarious. my little nephews are coming to visit with my sis this weekend so we'll have a good time...

sending out a little puppy love

Bruce Lee Tropics Bound

2006-04-26T13:55:00.000-07:00

(wallowa lake)

My little brother called me last night. He's suffering from some serious pre-summer ADD. He's an architecture student which demands A LOT of his time (and that's being conservative). Anyway, he's off to Maui for the summer to be a surf bum and restaurant boy. It feels like eons ago that I myself was moving to Hawaii for a few months hiatus from post-graduation from college life (other-wise known as putting off time before I had to find a "real job"). It was FIVE years ago already and to be honest, I cannot believe it's been so long ago. I'm genuinely happy for him. I think everyone should have that sort of experience at least once in their life. Move off to a place that you know virtually no one and just figure out who YOU are without the norm of your everyday life around you. I keep telling him it's going to change his life. He must think I'm nuts, but I do believe in some way (big or small) it will do just that.

Mister and I are trying to figure out if we can swing a trip to Germany this summer. An old friend is getting married and she and her fiance came all the way from Germany for our wedding (she was in it). We would really love to...it's just that the wedding is in the end of August, so I don't know how that will shake out. Summer is always slow to arrive and quick to pass.

My hopes for this summer are not all that lofty:
1. go camping at LEAST three times; one being a trip to Wallowa Lake
2. ride my bike as much as possible
3. have a picnic in washington park.
4. take mister to multnomah falls (he's native to portland and has still never been...CRAZY i tell ya)
5. have friends over to bbq
6. take as many three-day weekends as humanly possible
7. become un-sucky at golf (or at least attempt to)
8. don't kill all the flowers and greenery the mister and i so painstakingly worked on planting this spring. i have a bad track record with this one.
9. tackle the wine country with vigor as done the past 3 years in the russian river valley, ca

i think that sums it up. god, i cannot wait until it's hot enough outside to sit by a pool with a good book! that sounds amazing. too good to be true. that's the beauty of the seasons. whatever season it isn't at the time, you think you LOVE and you miss it like crazy. i'm always saying "fall is my favorite" in the spring or "i love winter most" in the summer (or mister's favorite-" i can't wait to wear sweaters and coats and ski" when it's 100+ out). thank goodness i live in the northwest i suppose!

that's about all for now...i've been a bad blogger lately. maybe because i journal too and doing both is just about enough of the writing already!
mo

Twirly Swirly Gumdrops

2006-04-19T15:51:00.000-07:00

It's only 11:45 and I feel like I haven't been fed in days. Why am I so hungry???? i'm literally making myself wait until at least afternoon before i dive into the cottage cheese and fruit i packed for lunch. yummmmmy.

On to more important topics. What is up with the whole Tom Cruise melt down this year? I mean honestly. i cannot go to the store, look at a magazine, watch tv OR even listen to the radio (XM satellite to boot!) without hearing something about tom cruise and katie holmes. What is the deal? Is he just sort of whacked out or is it just my imagination? Poor girl got sucked into his weird zone and just did not even see it coming. One minute she's eating up the attention from a man she probably fell in love with watching top gun as a kid... and within less than a year, with the snap of a highly-publicized finger, all of the sudden you are engaged at the eiffel tower, touring the world but never really speaking in public (maybe because tom is so busy making out with you in major PDA), then for good measure cap it all off with giving birth to his baby along side an out of control media frenzy, a manic freaked-out tom who is widely criticized and viewed as a bit nutty and a slew of scientology "advisors". right. what a nightmare.

What is even MORE disturbing than that little warped recap is that I, who actively resist the urge to be a complete and utter media junkie, KNOW all this information! I mean...who in the hell really CARES! It seems like these stories are so in your face, it's hard to not just wonder what is going on, or what is going to happen next. like they are in a freaking soap opera! it's so pathetic. what a fishbowl. a co-worker of mine NO JOKE refers to the celebrities on a first name basis. when the whole jennifer aniston/brad pitt thing was going down she would call me with tidbits. just brought things up in our everyday conversation, as if we were their buds "did you hear that jen tried to call brad when she heard about angelina?". oh yes. that must be true. oh, star magazine! oh yes, for sure then. absolutely. and now what to do with this piece of very reliable information? spread the word! oh yes!

no no. no one really wants to talk about it. we all might read about it and hear about it, but i have to say... i draw the line at having involved conversations about these people. it's just ridiculous.

more later.
mo

basketball, baseball and beer...

2006-04-12T15:26:00.000-07:00

the three B's of manhood according to the life of my mister the past few weeks.

He's ramping up for the old HS basketball alumni tournament and in full-on guy mode lately. His only message to me today (just for an example) was something like this: "this saturday 5pm baseball game; next saturday basketball at 1pm; doubleheader at 5pm. i need to hook up some gear before then". um, yeah, my day is going really great. thanks for asking you little sweetie!

oh well. i'd much rather have a manly man than some sappy girlie man. he must be extra manly to reflect all the girlie crap i sling at him on a daily basis.

we went to the valley to visit the parent's this weekend. my sister and her two boys were there and my brother came for a night. those kids are so dang cute. crazy and very cute. the littlest guy (we'll call him miniman) just turned three and says the most hilarious things. he is totally obsessed with spiderman and any action hero for that matter. he pretends he can spray web from his hands with sound effects and all, jumps and runs rather than walk and is constantly catapulting himself off of everything in sight. it's great.

my sister and i took them to the pool and the older one (who currently goes by dash) wore his goggles the entire car ride. it's especially entertaining, because over half the time they are upside down, inside out, you name it. he just wears it like a champ.

this week is just plain nutty at work. sewing lessons start tomorrow night. oh yeah baby. i'm going to be big time. it all begins with a pillow. it's going to be the best damn pillow you've ever seen.

sappy love songs

2006-04-12T14:25:00.000-07:00

You look at me...and then a song begins
Played on a million...velvet violins
My head goes reelin’...and around it spins
Fantastic...fantastic...that’s you
You whisper darlin’...and before my eyes
A blaze of fireworks...light up the skies
My heart grows wings...and away it flies
Fantastic...fantastic...that’s you
You perform miracles
Whenever you hold me near
Tender, warm miracles
That make me surrender dear
And when you kiss me...heaven opens wide
And there you are...inviting me inside
No wonder angels up there...have staring eyes
Fantastic...fantastic...that’s you
Yes, and when you kiss me...heaven opens wide
And there you are...inviting me inside
No wonder angels have...those staring eyes
Fantastic...fantastic...that’s you
I said fantastic...fantastic...that’s you

Anger Ball

2006-04-04T15:44:00.000-07:00

I recently caught myself going to the dark side. Some days I am in and out of being such an anger ball. It just doesn't do anyone any good, including myself. Honestly, who wants to act mean and angry? I don't get it. These people sometimes suck you into it and before you know it you are even fouler than they are! Beware of this phenomenon and resist the urge to go down with 'em. Things seem a little brighter and all around better when you lighten up. Don't you think?

Today it is beautiful and sunny. yippee! to top things off i had my exhilaratingly fun ww mtg today and lost another pound. a pound sounds so measly, but you know what? it's the small things in life that make a big difference...at least that's the game i'm talking.

this weekend i'm heading home to visit the parents. my big sister and her two little guys are going to be there from seattle so that's always so much fun... and my little brother will come down from wsu. mister really loves these trips back to my home town. he really does! he has some old baseball buddies there that he usually visits. he was just asked to be on a competitive team for the summer and is going to take batting practice this weekend. no doubt he'll be incredibly sore... which leads me to this hilarity. last night we are watching tv just relaxing. i was hooked on watching this jeremy piven show on the travel channel (my absolutely FAVORITE) on India (a place i'm dying to visit). anyway, mister man had just "warmed up" with several minutes of arm circles-he was doing conditioning exercises i guess. so i'm watching my show and the rest goes something like this...
mister: "i'm going to be so sore"
me: "from what"
mister: "from that conditioning"
me: "you mean the arm circles?"
mister: "yeah, i bet in a couple minutes you'd be more sore than ever in your life"
me: "from arm circles"
mister (deadpan): "yes. i challenge you. right now"

Is this for real? Are you kidding me? An arm circle challenge at 10pm Sunday night with your wife? I, of course, was forced to politely decline. maybe tonight i'll be forced to whoop his ass in arm circles. just the thought of how serious he was kills me! he's so funny. very entertaining. i'll end my post today with this nice loving quote from my man (and really, I quote):

"I’ll put you through the ringer missy. You won’t be able to lift your arms."

ha! we'll see big talker. we'll see...

...SUN?

2006-03-31T13:32:00.000-08:00

The sun came out for a long overdue appearance this morning. Boy does that make me a happy camper. Yippee! i'm in love with this sunny friday.
I was thinking about some clever topic to discuss today, but alas, I am all out of clever today. so...

Updates: I know you must be eagerly awaiting news on the Mister-so i'm happy to report he is much better today (thanks to some strong medication for the bronchitis). He hacked it up pretty good last night and boy is that brutal for the wifey. I literally got up in the middle of the night and put in ear plugs. not joking. did the trick though, got up and felt good enough to indulge in a 4.5 mile sun-filled joggy jog.
I must sound like a sun crazed lunatic, and maybe i am. i keep threatening the mister through all this rain that i'm moving to so cali or hawaii, but i don't think he's buying it. i don't know what i'd do with myself living in a sunny place. i think i'd be so manic people would most likely avoid making contact with me! or not.
i rented a few flicks yesterday to watch over the weekend. i'll give you the pleasure of a full report on monday (no sighs or groans now. it will be sooo incredibly riveting - or not, we'll see)
1. a history of violence - starring viggo mortensen
2. memoirs of a geisha - i think i'm the last female on the planet to see this
3. derailed - got to love j. aniston - lets see if she can pull off a "thriller"

Am going to a BBQ tomorrow at my old friend Pammy's new hacienda. she and her man just bought a house so that's super exciting. Then off to dinner with the other mother (my mama-in-law), other brother (bdog snr) and mister. peruvian at Andina. yummmmmmmmy.
Got to peace out before i bore you to tears.
sun-filled weekend wishes to you all
xoxoxoxo
mo

Tale of the Gym Rat and Hybernol Harry-and a shout out to little bruce lee

2006-03-29T14:37:00.000-08:00

So apparently the Mister is down for the count.
Poor poor buddy. Fever is 101 again today and he is in bed imitating the hybernol spoof from the days of Chris Farley on SNL. I've never seen him like this! You normally can't force that guy out of the office and the past couple of days he's been calling me asking for this and that-orange juice, emergen-c, a hug, some water, the thermometer...ah boy. I can't hardly stand it knowing all those germs are in the air.
This morning he faked me out. He got up and dressed and attempted to work. I was flying around the house like a mad woman, ripping off sheets and febreezing in a frenzy to get the sickness feeling out of our house. anyway, an hour into it i got the text. "im sick". before you could say lysol i was out the door and off to the gym. got to keep myself moving so i don't fall into the sitting on the couch with sick boy scam. the texts continued as i worked up a sweat on the stairmaster "i need oj" etc. poor guy.
by the time i came home and left him again (fully supplied with meds, oj and soup of course) for work he was back where he started-in bed (a clean bed mind you as i pulled the superwoman cleaning job first thing this morning)-covers pulled over his sick little head. until he's 100% i'm going to work my speed cleaning magic to make sure it doesn't recycle BACK to me where it started! contrary to the 8 year old mind, being sick at home in bed is just no fun at all.
So...I watched American Idol last night. one word. pathetic. it was just absolutely terrible. every single singer just tortured me. I'm hoping they can pull it together and start making it entertaining again or i'll have to peace out. not that i really need to be watching ai every five seconds, but it is usually a pretty good show.
with that said, i'll stop torturing all of YOU and end this post.
A BIG FAT SHOUT OUT TO MY LITTLE BRO. HAPPY BIRTHDAY BRUCE. YOU DOMINATE.
xoxoxxo
mo

Mister Pushing 30

2006-03-28T13:30:00.000-08:00

Mister turned 27 yesterday. Might sound young to some of you and to others, well, not so much.
Poor guy got my flu so he's laid up at home as we speak. I probably shouldn't have prompted him to get "fresh air" yesterday after work. It was only 3 1/2 miles and we walked slow...so I'm trying not to feel too responsible for him being completely crushed today. His birthday was a pretty low key non-event, just the way my Mister likes it. A buddy that was in town from LA came over for a bit and then bdog sr. (mister's brother). We had a little homemade cobbler (that was pretty killer if I do say so myself). I made them in little individual Le Creuset ramekins and they looked just perfect. once again, i have to remind my readers that missus o cannot and does not cook. i can bake, but my cooking is rough to put it nicely. perhaps this is why i shamelessly admit to baking sinful and fattening treats that the men in my life love to love (aka mister, dad, brother). Moving on...after cobbler and pressies we lamed out with an episode of Prison Break (which is actually quite good) and called it a day.

Today! Today I woke up and went running before work. It seemed like such a wonderful idea, especially after the small helping of cobbler last night-which i am pretty sure is not on my "i must lose weight" diet. you know what they say about deprivation though...not sure exactly what they say, but it's not good. back to my run, literally with each step i took my legs got heavier. i swear it's true. i think by the end of my 4.3 they were about 200 lbs each leg. i must have looked pathetic. whatever, it's done and i'm happy. had my good ol' ww meeting today as well and i guess my decision to get back with the program was a good one because i lost 3 lbs this week. whoo hoo. break out the confetti.

until next time...
mo

You Give Me Fever

2006-03-27T09:52:00.000-08:00

I've recently had time to ponder the difference between staying home sick as an adult as opposed to when you're a little kid. Apparently I picked up the good ol' flu when I was home visiting my folks. Knocked me straight out. Just when you get all confident about how healthy you are, making comments like "oh, i haven't been sick forever" or "i rarely get sick"...yes, well that's about when you get hit with it-slapped across the face with the infection stick repeatedly.
I woke up last wednesday feeling below average. i won't bore you with the details. bottom line is that I tried to power through it-all that mind over matter crap-but it wasn't working for me. 5 days, several doses of various over-the-counter medication later i'm feeling somewhat better. not normal, but better. i did make productive use of my sick time however.
So here is what I've come up with in my analysis of adult sickness.
No matter how old you are, when you opt to stay home sick, you want your mommy to bring you tea and a hot water bottle and watch movies with you. The urgency to get off the couch and vacuum is still lingering, because now as the adult you are the only one TO vacuum (because lets face it, the mister doesn't really get into housework). lastly, it's BORING...no, it's BEYOND BORING to be stuck at home. I'm just not a fan at all. after the first few hours i felt as though i might go insane. i even took the time to organize the mister's closet and every single drawer, including matching each sock with the right mate and grouping his millions of t-shirts according to style, color and function. now that's borderline pathetic.
My lesson for today is, don't get sick. and if you do get sick, try your darndest to actually rest. staying home is sometimes counter-productive. at least in my world.
-the feverish missus o

Fat Camp

2006-03-21T13:15:00.000-08:00

Let me start by saying two things: I may not be "fat" and it may not necessarily be a "camp" per se, but that's the mind set I've adopted for Operation Make-under Missus O. Yes, that is Make-under. I'm in desperate need of simplification...Starting with my mind and body. (stepping up on my soap box now)
For those of you who know me (which means everyone since no one else reads this somewhat pathetic blog), i'm a quite active and health conscious kind of gal. I watch what i eat, i hit the gym several times a week etc. blah blah blah. now, herein lies the problem. I'm a hamster on a wheel. Not really improving anything, just kind of holding steady, but yet shocked that nothing ever changes? not so sweet and i've had just about enough.
I walked into a good old Weight Watchers meeting yesterday and signed myself on up. Many people may be ashamed to admit it, but hey, i am who i am so here it is. i want to feel healthier and get to the place i've always wanted to be, but never quite am. it's the dreaded 10-15 lbs. most of us tend to carry unwillingly (in mind that is). every time i think intelligently about this it's just plain embarrassing. i mean really. if i'm not the factor in control of how i feel and look, then who is? it's a big fat joke-pun intended- so wish me luck on my journey to self awareness. lol!
On to more interesting topics...
I'm at the brink of chaos at my house. the mister and i are planning to remodel the kitchen and some other spaces. in theory it might sound "fun" or "exciting". in reality it's a big fat pain in my ass. and might i add - a big fat pain in the mister's ass since i tend to displace my "whoa is me" on him. poor mister o. he should win the gold medal for patience. and the gold medal for hard work while we're at it.

the mantra i've adopted is something a great friend told me via a coffee mug gift. i've used it nearly every morning for that first cup of coffee since...SIMPLIFY. you may not think this is profound. but when you live in my head, it's nothing less.

for today, peace out.
Mrs. O

I'm almost Irish. An ode to my Mister

2006-03-17T10:22:00.000-08:00

Happy St. Patrick's Day!
My mister and I are driving six hours to visit my ma and pop today. This is how Irish my guy is...First he all out rejected the idea of leaving on such a holiday, "how can we be driving out of town on St. Patrick's Day?" he said. Well, that wasn't the end of it. He continued, "There are a lot of parties I need to go to." Right. "Working Parties" no doubt. Here's how that conversation ended with the lady, i made a suggestion and we made a compromise. He gets to hit up a few battle cruisers (boozer otherwise known as pub), knock back some Guinness, enjoy some soul music irish style; Then, at last, he'll come home to the missus having folded and packed clean underwear for the trip. i'll drive (and drive and drive)...all the meanwhile rocking out to something wonderfully nostalgic like Tommy P, Willie or Frog Holler. Those songs make you just want to get on a horse and ride in a prairie. really. Then once the mister is fast asleep - i make a mad dash to the lame girl music that i secretly love, you know what i'm talkin about ladies. i'm talkin some serious Alison Krause or Tori Amos (gasp!). I might even cap it off with some 80Âs power ballads. I donÂt know if IÂll have time. As a rule of thumb, he starts getting fitful during the third repeat of steve nicks Ârooms on fireÂ.

Hope everyone has a great day. Drink a green beer, or some green water at very least. Get in the Irish spirit and donÂt forget to pinch your neighbor if theyÂre wearing red (I always hated that stupid rule. There was always the one boy who pretended he thought the rule was to kiss your neighbor and I fell victim to him a few times).

Spoken like the almost Irish woman that I am (almost)Â
Imeacht gan teacht ort.
No no! Oops, wrong one. That means: May you leave without returning.

Is fear rith maith nÃ¡ drochsheasamh.
A good run is better than a bad stand.

Missus O

The day the Miss became the Missus.

2006-03-16T15:55:00.000-08:00

New Years Eve 2003
McCall, Idaho (aka the greatest place on earth)

Snowshoeing in Vail Missus O' Style

2006-03-16T15:33:00.000-08:00

This photo was taken while visiting a friend (Sean) in Vail over New Years. Whoever thought snowshoeing wasn't fun obviously didn't go with guide like him. March your sorry ass up a mountain (groan) then reward the effort with a little bubbly (cheer!)

Me and the Mister O' take NYC

2006-03-16T15:28:00.000-08:00

Me and the Mister O in NYC this January 06.

The Big Day - Missus O' Style

2006-03-16T11:48:00.000-08:00

I am finding this so entertaining right now. Everyone and their brother have a blog...
so after reading many a friend expose's and realizing it is just a great excuse to loop folks in on the intricacies of your daily life in thought...here i go.
I cannot promise any thing "fun", "educational" or necessarily exciting by reading this.* More or less, it is for my own entertainment, and of course for those family and friends scattered about that i don't call regularly enough to have a clue what is going on with me...i mean REALLY going on with me. (Cue the dramatic music)
Sorry folks, nothing too thrilling today. My friend, Anna is meeting me for lunch, i'll get back to my desk, hack away at the to-do list and head to the gym on my way home. Woo Hoo!!!
*disclaimer: i don't subscribe to grammar rules, spelling rules or any other rules in writing. so please, for those of you who feel compelled to correct me, mock me or think 'how did she pass 4th grade with that terrible writing?' spare me the shame and let me just think you can read the post without picking at it. thanks. really.