Tagged by Wall Balls

If you were stuck in the Big Brother House which 10 people would make your stay most eventful?
What is the Big Brother House.

If you never had to worry about money again what one cause would you donate the most time and money to?
AIDS

Cash, check or charge?
Cash

How many times have you moved in your life?
5

Where did you meet your significant other?
Work she was the intern. ROOAARRRR!!!

What is your most expensive habit?
Tattoos

Do you hit the snooze button or get up as soon as the alarm goes off?
Funny... I used an alarm clock very few times but was able to get right up when it went off. Now that I am with Jessi I sleep in 9 minute intervals after 6am.

Who was your favorite teacher/professor/instructor?
Mrs. Clow, my 3rd grade teacher and 6th grade Math teacher

What did you have for dinner?
Steak, Rice, Fried Green Beans, Bread & Butter, Steak Juice and Ginger Cookies

What is something you love to do but feel like you never have enough time to do it?
Spend time with my baby, read, woodwork, garden, be outside, camp

What brand of shampoo do you use?
What ever Jessi buys me. Tea Tree, I had to ask.

Who was your first grade teacher?
Mrs. Kartz- so did my brother before me and so did my little cousin 20 years later.

What is your favorite candy?
Snickers

Who was your first boy/girl friend?
Now if we are talking about the girl I never talked to in the 6th grade but "went to" all the parties with and broke up with at Christmas time because I could not get her a present then that would be Robin.
Now if we are talking about giving someone your heart, all that you have, are inspired by on a daily basis, wanting to share every waking moment with and needing to share everything with. Well that would be My Baby.

How much time do you spend on the phone on a daily basis?
1-2 hours, depending on which kid is having a crisis.

Do you crack your knuckles?
Yes, every chance I get... yup just did it again.

What was the last book you read?
Does Anything Eat Shit?

Do you turn off the water when you brush your teeth?
Yes

Do you believe in Global Warming?
Yes, Al Gore did not invent it. So I try to ride my bike to work as much as possible.

Do you vote in every election (local and national)?
No

Richard LeBlanc you are it!!!

Tagged by Amity

If you were stuck in the Big Brother House which 10 people would make your stay most eventful? By eventful, do we mean drama? In that case, the most conflicting personality types would be: Nicki, Wally, Dad, Aaron, Aaron's brother Matt & his partner Nelson, Linda Molloy, Dan, My friend Patrick, and Heather K.

If you never had to worry about money again what one cause would you donate the most time and money to? National Marrow Donor Program, and the SPCA.

Cash, check or charge? Depends on who's paying.

How many times have you moved in your life? 7

Where did you meet your significant other? I was interning at CFS- he was the caseworker, I was lined up to be his boss, and thankfully he resigned. That would have been interesting and fairly unethical.

What is your most expensive habit? Traveling.

Do you hit the snooze button or get up as soon as the alarm goes off? Aaron says he has become accustomed to sleeping in 9 minute intervals. I heart snooze buttons.

Who was your favorite teacher/professor/instructor? Mrs. McCabe (High school) English & Woman's studies or Dr. Levassuer (Undergraduate) Disorders of Personality or Rob Chalif (Graduate) Group Work.

What did you have for dinner? Last night? 3 sips of chicken noodle soup, half a glass of ginger ale, 3 saltines and the ear off of a chocolate Easter bunny.

What is something you love to do but feel like you never have enough time to do it? Be outside, garden, read, write, do crafts, play with the pups, see friends and family, travel, work.

What brand of shampoo do you use? I only use Paul Mitchell products.

Who was your first grade teacher? Mrs. Giguere.

What is your favorite candy? Anything choc/peanut butter or choc/raspberry. Although I am known to like sucking on hard clove candies.

Who was your first boy/girl friend? Suni Sukduang 332-8744. I loved that boy. We were together for 8 years, but broke up in the 4th grade (we went to different schools and long distance relationships were hard to maintain at 10 years old.)

How much time do you spend on the phone on a daily basis? As little as possible. Maybe 1 hour (including work calls.) I hate the phone, I hate it, it's stupid... Alexander Graham Bell is my arch enemy, I hope he dies. (oh wait he is dead.) The phone is such a point of contention between me and my peoples (friends, family) I hate it, I feel useless just sitting there talking into a piece of plastic. Don't call me, Ill call you.

Do you crack your knuckles? Yup, Carpals meta-carpals and phalanges.

What was the last book you read? I started Pieces of My Sisters Life on the plane but didn't get too far. I'm not much of a reader these days. I have to read so much for work so it loses it appeal for me. I do read Yankee Mag cover to cover each month as well as Dog Fancy and Readers Digest. I read US Weekly every week too. Does that count? And I read 13 blogs per day!

Do you turn off the water when you brush your teeth? Always- pet peeve, why waste it?

Do you believe in Global Warming? Yes, but again, I hate Al Gore. Not that he created it but, he is the spokesperson.

Do you vote in every election (local and national)? As much as possible. I got to represent for my peeps. I am a bit of a political blowhard.

Wally, you're it!

Washington, DC: Day 2

I miss Aaron. He's at home, sick. I hate being so far away when he isn't feeling well.

So, just an update on my trip; today was pretty uneventful. I went to 9.5 hours of conferences, but still got the opportunity to go shopping, walk around D.C., and go to two of my favorite stores: H&M and Urban Outfitters. I went crazy while shopping and I should have left my cash at the hotel.

There was one conference I went to (there are several sessions that go on simultaneously and you can choose where you want to go) that I found to be interesting. It was entitled "Breaking the Silence" and discussed treatment interventions that are sensitive to the LGBTQ (Lesbian, Gay, Bi-Sexual, Transgender, Questioning) population. It was an awesome, pertinent, and profound conference.

Here are some pics from today. Tomorrow we are skipping part of the seminar to go to the zoo.

Hilary and I, just outside of Chinatown.

I had to take a picture of this, one of Aaron's sponsors.

There is this strange walkway outside our hotel. It is beautiful- but there is no explanation for the purpose of it. Isn't it strange that I want some sort of explanation for beauty?

I would totally do this. Brilliant!

I love this. This has made my morning, and I hope it makes yours too.

Washington, DC: Day 1

So, it's going to cost me $29.98 to blog for the next three days. Well, I'm lying. It's not going to cost me, it's going to cost Child and Family Services. I need to be able to access my email and the only way I can do that is to buy the Internet for 3 days.

Aaron took the day off from school today... he wasn't feeling too well and I think he really wanted to bring me to the airport himself. I was glad to have the company before I left for my trip. I spent a good part of the day packing, running errands, and being Aaron's "snugglebug." After I was all packed up and lugged my suitcase downstairs, I think Rocko was none-too-happy that I was leaving :(

I am here safely. It's a little lonely but with me is a really great friend, Hilary. We are already annoying people because there are some really uptight therapists here, and we like to have a good time. When it's time to work we'll roll up our sleeves, but, when it's our private time we're all about having fun. It's not like we are obnoxious, we just don't want to be talking adolescent treatment 24/7. We are in DC people! Live a little!

The flight was okay, but not the best of flights. There was some turbulence and I hate to fly, so I watched my life pass before me with every little bump and sway. I also hate using the bathrooms in an airplane. I have bathroom anxiety to begin with, so to think my life could possibly end while crouching over a toilet in a 2X2 airplane bathroom is a HUGE fear. Thankfully the flight was only an hour and a half from Manchester to DC, so I only had to use the latrine once.

We landed safely, managed to get to baggage claim, and take a taxi to our hotel. Now, you have to realize how much of an accomplishment this is for me. I have been sheltered- my entire life- by my brother, sister, and now, Aaron. I never have to drive or think about maps, highway systems or the like. Truthfully, I just say where I want to go and it gets done with no expectation that I need to make any effort to do it myself. In theory it is nice, I know I am spoiled. But in reality, it has set me up to be in a position where I feel like I can't do it. Today I did! I felt so self-sufficient and self-reliant.

This is my room. I love it, except the blankets, which are down. I am allergic to (everything) down. I'll peel them back and be sure to take my medication. I brought plenty because I know the cherry blossoms are out.

My room, as you can see, has a view over the courtyard. I am on the sixth floor so I can discreetly spy on people below me. I am loving this.

Tomorrow is my first day of the conference. I am going to head off to bed.

Aaron, you would laugh as some things never change. Here I am, laying in bed wearing my sweatpants watching TruTV. You would like it here right now, the weather is beautiful and I can't stop thinking about how much you would love to be riding your bike in this weather. Also, there were so many "I-spy" opportunities between landing and walking to find a place to eat. I wish you were here, and I miss you. B&B!

Phantom Dogs

Does anyone know what Phantom Limb is? It's truly fascinating. Apparently, if someone loses a limb they still have sensations, like itching, as if the limb was still there. In short, if you lose your arm you could still have an itchy finger. It's your brain and nerves playing tricks on you. It is an actual medical condition.

Because I am going to DC and had to do a bit of packing, I asked my ex to take the dogs until Friday. The pups get a lot of anxiety when they see suitcases, because it usually means they aren't going somewhere. I dropped them off yesterday.

This morning I thought I heard their tags jingling throughout the house.

Happy Easter to all. We hope your day is filled with the blessings you count daily.

Lots of Love,

Aaron & Jessi

On the road again...

Q: Where can you find cherry blossoms, 60 degree weather, the Smithsonian, and Pennsylvania Avenue?

A: Washington, D.C.

I leave on Monday, flying out of Manchester, to go to Washington D.C for a conference all next week. I am beyond excited, but also nervous (I hate to fly.) I am definitely looking forward to spending time with Hilary, a coworker I don't get to see often, doing some sight seeing, and eating like a Queen (the company is covering every expense.)

The seminar is JMATE 2008 (Joint Meeting on Adolescent Treatment Effectiveness.) I have a king bed reserved for me at the Grand Hyatt Washington. The hotel is gorgeous and right in the middle of everything. You can access the metro through the lobby to easily get to museums and monuments. While I will be there for business, I'm going to go to the Smithsonian and the zoo (at least.) One of the best things about the hotel besides my room- take the virtual tour, is the Starbucks located in the lobby. My boss is going to hate my expense report this month!

I can't wait! I fully intend to take lots of pictures and keep you updated. I will be bringing my laptop (I do have to work) but may find some time to blog!

The Cherry Blossoms are out! I love DC!

Obsess Much?

As you all know, I am utterly and completely obsessed with animals. All animals. I love every living creature. Almost every one of them, even snakes. The only creatures I don't care for? Spiders, mosquitoes, and ticks.

My obsession extends far beyond 'normal' when it comes to my dogs and cats. We (both Aaron and I are crazy about our animals) spend inordinate amounts of time with them; walking, grooming, having conversations with, and giving lovies to them. We also spend inordinate amounts of money on them. Even my family understands my obsession because they buy them gifts at Christmas and call on their birthdays. It's nuts. My brother probably spent more on my dogs this year than he did on me- he bought a bag of $13 treats for them a couple of months ago, among many other things!

I think about them all day, can't wait to get home to see them, and have been considering training them as therapy dogs so they can come to work with me. They have clothes for every season and life jackets for when they go kayaking with me. They love the outdoors and aren't typical chihuahuas- they would never sit in a doggy purse (I've tried.) They think they are big dogs and love to hike, but when it's time to snuggle, I have two very needy mama's boys.

The boys (and the sexy cat) sleep with us every night. They have free access to the bed, via the doggy stairs we bought for them. They have two sets of stairs; one in the bedroom and one in the living room. I don't want to put them out by making them jump up and down from the couch/bed.

The other night the following conversation took place.

A: OMG, I am so tired of sleeping like a pretzel.

J: Why are you?

A: Because Manny sleeps horizontally and I try to hold him while still spooning you and Rocko is between my legs. (Bing ALWAYS sleeps with Mama.)

J: Well move them!

A: I can't. (said shyly)

J: Why not?

A: Because Manny cuddles up to me and looks into my eyes. I can't stand it, he is too cute to move. I feel too bad.

J: So pretzel it is?

A: (sigh) Yeah.

Last weekend Aaron and I were laying around the house, playing on the computer, just vegging out when we decided it was time to give the boys a bath. They get one every month, but they were especially stinky because as the weather is improving they have been going on longer walks, splashing around in the mud!

As you can see, it was about noon- I hadn't even showered yet! (BTW- this is usually what happens if I try to blog anywhere but at the kitchen table.)

Manny's face when Daddy said he was getting a bath! Pure terror!

Manny is really good about taking a bath. He is reluctant at first, but likes being scrubbed and cuddled. He loves when I use the sprayer with warm water to rinse him.

Shredda had to climb up on the counter to witness the whole thing. She was gloating!

Mama washes the boys and then Daddy gets to be the hero, comforting and warming them.

Rocko spying on everything. He went through this at the salon a few days earlier.

There is a Vet Tech at the hospital I bring B&M to. We actually bring all our animals there, (except my bird who I bring to a specialist) and they love every one of our pets. We never leave there empty handed, as they special order things for the boys (at no cost to me- they bought us the robes!) They call themselves "Auntie" and spoil the pups rotten! One of the vets there gave me his home phone number because I have such OCD when it comes to my guys... I will call for the most ridiculous reasons (Bing blinked twice in a row, does he have something in his eye? I need to bring him down!) I even went so far as to bring Bing down and sat with him for a good part of the day while they gave him fluids via I.V (but he was in fact dehydrated.) And shamelessly, I took part of Tuesday off to spend the morning with them because it was so beautiful out. I know, it's nuts!

Bing, on the other hand, HATES to get a bath. He will literally run and hide. Here, Aaron is trying to calm him down, because he has worked himself into a tither, whining and dry heaving all over the house. This is the only picture we took of Bing, because it took both of us to bathe him.

Rocko- AKA The Sexy Cat's new haircut. He loves to sleep on the TV in our bedroom. Most nights we are forced to watch TV with his tail dangling over the screen.

Seriously people. We need to back away from our pets. We are crazy. I rue the day we have children!

Wednesday, Oui?

Today's Wednesday, Oui? is sponsored, in part, by Aaron.

Back story: Most of you know I am fiercely independent but, sometimes, I am struck by sensitivity and vulnerability (yes Virginia there is a Santa Claus, Jessi isn't completely emotionless.)

Last week I was licking my wounds about something or rather saying, "I didn't feel loved, felt ugly, frumpy, on and on..." basically I was PMS-ing.

So, Aaron's solution?

The "Jessi Fan club" of course!

I came home from work and he had made this tee-shirt with those iron on letters. I relish the thought of him perusing the aisles of JoAnn Fabrics.

And yes, he was doing the dishes. And yes, I know I don't have anything to complain about.

Later, I go into my craft room to find more tee-shirts and a various assortment of letters.

J: What are you planning to do with those?

A: Make more tee-shirts.

J: That say what?!

A: I love Jessi. (Said in a know-it-all tone.)

J: And um, where do you plan to wear these tee-shirts?!

A: Everywhere, to the gym, races, Market Basket, you know, like a regular tee-shirt.

J: Oh, okay. (Gloating)

February Vacation wrap-up, Aaron's 30th

We got back from North Conway late Wednesday night. I had work on Thursday, but Aaron had the entire week off because it was school vacation for the Manchester School District. I left him a list of chores to do, one of which was to bring the sexy cat for a hair appointment on Friday, which he did; Rocko came back a new man.

Come the weekend, it was back to celebrating. Aaron's birthday was Monday, March 3rd. His 30th birthday. I, of course, had big plans for him. We woke up early and went out for a big breakfast, then off to get a couples massage, it has become a tradition that he gets a massage on his birthday. What a great time, boy oh boy did we need it, just laying there for an hour at the mercy of a massage therapist after skiing, ice skating, and hiking just days earlier was heaven.

After an hour, we managed to peel ourselves from the soft blankets and heated table to head to Boston. The Molloy's and myself had made reservations to take Aaron to the Medieval Manor. OMG, if you haven't been there, it is a must see. Jim, Aaron's dad, called ahead of time and got Aaron's name on the King's menu. I will explain exactly what that means later.

The Medieval Manor is a dinner/show combination. When you get to the castle you are put in a "holding tank" of sorts where you buy booze and wait for your party to be called. When they call you, you're let into the courtyard of the castle and seated near the "stage." The person who is your server is also a member of the cast, and they give you a certain number of tokens. The tokens correlate with the number of people you have in your party (we had 6). Each token represents a pitcher of beer or a carafe of wine.

You get 6 courses, all of which you have to eat with your hands. YOU DO NOT GET SILVERWARE and if you ask, they will humiliate you from the stage. You have to request the King's permission to go to the bathroom, or the right is earned by a member of the audience. For example, Aaron had to do the "I'm a little teapot" dance on stage in front of everyone to earn the right for the entire restaurant to go to the bathroom.

The show is actually really amazing. The servers/actors do a great job of putting everything together while still serving you, it's a comedy, and the tap is flowing. The show is really interactive with the audience, and they keep it really small. We made our reservations almost 2 months in advance!

The best part was poor Aaron. As I said, Jim got his name on the King's menu so all night they were announcing that Aaron was turning 30. At one point Aaron had to go up on stage with another girl who was there for her bachelorette party. They were asked to put their hands behind their backs and given a long loaf of french bread to have a sword fight with. How does one have a sword fight with a loaf of bread with one's hands behind their back??? You can figure that one out. Needless to say, Aaron's long sword defeated the bride-to-be easily. He broke her ill-equipped loaf by his skillful ousting with his well endowed bread. The King called him "the poster child for Viagra" I got the whole thing on tape, but it is way too long to post here.

Matt & Nelson (it isn't too hard to figure out which one is Aaron's brother!)

Linda Molloy

Jim Molloy

Aaron, getting his "teapot" on.

Aaron, at Matt & Nelson's, half-in-the-bag.

We had an amazing time, and drank way too much. Later, after the show, we went back to Matt & Nelson's to drink more and have some cake. I provided the cake, Aaron wanted this gourmet $30 dollar cake from a french pastry shop, so we had that (I am usually pretty stingy, but for Aaron's 30th, I spared no expense.) Matt & Nelson put penis candles on the cake and it was hilarious. I have attached a video of Aaron "blowing" out the candles. Nelson's dad makes wine, has a small vineyard, and large wine cellar (what a shame ;) Later, we went to the cellar and Linda, Jim and myself had some moonshine. Yikes... one sip of that and I was two sheets to the wind!

On Monday, Aaron's actual birthday, I made him a nice meal and more cake for us! Whew, I better stop eating like this! Between Aaron's birthday and our mini-vacation, it was a week to remember!

I packed Aaron's lunch for school.

Poor Aaron had to go to work on his 30th.

I worked a short day on Monday to be sure I was home before him to prepare everything!

February Vacation: Day 5

We woke up early, heading down to my favorite part of the Inn, the breakfast nook. They serve everything you could possibly imagine in this cute "Funnyfarm-esq" eating area. I love the intimacy of this Inn.

Good thing we had a big breakfast because we were not prepared for what we saw when we went outside. Mother Nature delivered 18 inches of snow in North Conway February 26, 2008. I know there are many nay-sayers out there, but this my friends, is a dream come true for any skier. We checked out of our favorite Inn and it was off to Cranmore Mt!!

We skied for an entire day. The conditions were unlike anything I had ever experienced before, but unfortunately my knee didn't hold up that well. I fell the day before when ice skating. I did manage to get a full day of skiing out of it, but night skiing was out of the question.

We left the mountain and headed back to Concord... we were exhausted and could think of nothing but our own bed in our apartment. We love to go away, but love to come home too.
All in all it was one of the best (and cheapest) vacations we have taken in a long time. Although short, we filled it with lots of activities.

February Vacation: Day 4

So before I begin I have to tell you about how Aaron and I spent a ton of time, the night before we left, packing. We try to pack lightly, but when it comes to food, we don't skimp; I hate spending money on food. In order to understand why we packed so much food, you must realize that we were going to North Conway to go skiing, among other things, and food at ski resorts is so expensive. We packed very carefully, and left right on time. As we were traveling along the Kancamangus Highway Aaron realized he forgot our cooler with all the food in it, and I teased him relentlessly all week long.

Something that usually seems to happen to us, is that the weather never cooperates with our travel plans. It seems whenever we go somewhere, (Montreal for example), there is some kind of extreme weather situation. This time we traveled in a blizzard! Forecasts were calling for several inches, but we were bound and determined to go on vacation.

We arrived at our Inn, again we always try to give money to local business; and stayed at the Merrill Farm Resort (to see our last visit there, click here.) Once checked in, we called to make reservations to go on a sleigh ride. Our reservation wasn't until 4:00 so we had plenty of time to kill, and North Conway is the perfect place to kill time.

We stopped in at a great little cafe for lunch, town was so quiet because of the weather, so we had pick of any restaurant with very little wait. The name of the restaurant was something like the 'Stairway Cafe' and it was too cute for words. We split the most amazing wrap and french onion soup.

We also stopped at my favorite milk stand to get fresh farm milk. I love milk, and this little farm is adorable with fair prices, and they sell little maple candies that I can't seem to find anywhere else. We stocked up and were off to go ice skating and on a sleigh ride.

Nestlenook Farm is located in Jackson, NH. One of my favorite things about Jackson and Nestlenook is that you have to cross over a covered bridge to get to this small town. What a beautiful place. The minute you enter into the village at Nestlenook, it is almost like a time warp.

When we first got to Nestlenook, we immediately went ice skating. They have a huge pond with quaint bridges and music playing. The ice was perfect and there were little islands that had huts with fires burning. We skated for a couple of hours, then went and got some hot cocoa before our sleigh ride.

The sleigh ride took us all over the property of Nestlenook, rich with history and, as you can see, wildlife. The horses were well cared for and the old Austrian sleigh was comfortable, equipped with blankets to keep you warm. It was snowing lightly which made the ride even more romantic. We stopped once to feed the reindeer who lived on the property.

After our sleigh ride, we went to a few shops in North Conway then back to Merrill for tea time. The snow was really starting to come down, but that didn't stop us from going back out to find a place to eat. We stopped at Decades, but the wait was over two hours; so we went back to the Muddy Moose, where we often frequent when in North Conway. My meal was absolutely delicious. Aaron's was not, he said it was yucky and dry. He ate very little of it, but we decided to take it home anyway. Shamefully, I carry a sharpie in my purse at all times (in case if feel the urge to 'tag' buildings) so we clearly labeled his meal.

His yucky maple pork chop.

We retired pretty early, because we had a long day ahead of us. It snowing with no end in sight.

We needed our beauty sleep...