Things You Might Not Know About Me:

1. I love whitewater rafting.
2. When I was a kid I wanted to learn to fly and do aerobatics.
3. I was Mrs. Madison, Mrs. Dane County, WI Young Miss of America and 1st runner-up in a National talent competition.
4. When I was little, I liked to play with frogs, toads, snakes, salamanders and worms.
5. I didn't play with dolls until I was around 12 years old.
6. I got an A in classical ballet at UW Madison when I was 30 something.
7. I got an A in sex--Psychology of Sexuality at UW Oshkosh.
8. I never even considered being a nurse until 6 years ago.
9. I was an aunt when I was seven years old.
10. I met Johnny Depp (oh, did you already know that?)
11. I went to Catholic grade school. (But I still got an A in sex--go figure).
12. I went to business school when I was 18.
13. I started college when I was 21.
14. I graduated from UW Oshkosh.
15. Mike and I met while doing community dinner theatre.
16. I can act. I really miss it.
17. I danced my whole life, even when I was pregnant.
18. I HATE algebra and all other math too.
19. I don't feel my age.
20. Mango's are my favorite fruit.
21. I have five great-nieces.
22. I wish I was smarter.
23. I love my friends!
24. I saw Star Wars in the theatre when I was six. I haven't seen the sequels or prequels.
25. I went to the principal's office once in 4th grade.
26. My girls were almost named: Angela, Gessica, or Sofia.
27. I had three ferrets when I was a kid.
28. I grew up on a miniature horse ranch.
29. We had two pet racoons.
30. My first boyfriend lasted for 6 years (too long!)
31. I got a train from Santa when I was little.
32. I also got a race car set.
33. I love to sing at the top of my lungs when I'm driving.
34. I love tropical places more than anywhere.
35. I was a Gilligan's Island & Brady Bunch fan.
36. I think God Rocks!
37. I liked hard-rock in the 80's.
38. I hate being cold.
39. I really am 39 years old.

Two More Days

of school! I have a lot to accomplish during that time, so I will try to limit my computer time. I will be trying very hard to not go on blogs or facebook until my exams are done. Thanks for understanding. You don't have to write a comment, because I won't be checking them until after Tuesday! Ciao for now!

Snow Day!!!

This is a picture from a snow day last winter. We molded the shape of a cat. We even used pipe-cleaners for whiskers. Unfortunately it turned out looking more like a rat. I wish you could see it better. I did a great job on the tail and back leg, but the picture is too white to see it.

Here is our Christmas tree from last year. I would assume you are tired of looking at my Thanksgiving post. This is my way of procrastinating.

Happy Turkey Day!

Today I am thankful for:

• My wonderful friends
• My loving family
• My home
• Food--especially chocolate
• Books
• My kitties: Mia and Carbon-Buddy
• Sunshine
• Smiles and Laughter
• Learning
• Internet & blogging (LOL)
• The gift of life, love, and amazing grace

Disclaimer: This is not an all-inclusive list.

A Week in the Life

A Week in the Life of a Nursing Student:

Monday: Get up early, study butt off for exam. Drive to school. Walk many miles (or so it seems) from the parking lot to the school. Find a quiet place in the library (good luck with that) and study butt off some more. Suddenly remember that an assignment is due. Oh sh__! Quickly finish the assignment, which by the way, is about a completely different topic than the exam. Go take exam. Walk many miles again and drive home to do more studying for tomorrow's exam. Kids arrive home from school. Try to get them to do their homework, feed them a snack and drive them to religious ed. Meanwhile, husband comes home and the "dinner conversation" is held. "What do you want to eat?" "I don't know. I don't feel like cooking, do you?" etc. etc. (same old conversation every night). Dinner is made and husband eats while kids are picked up. Husband leaves for 2nd job and kids and I eat eat at 7:30ish. Try to get kids to bed. Attempt to study more. Get distracted by internet. Drop into bed.

Tuesday: Repeat most of Monday, except after class drive to McDonalds. Eat while driving to work (School-age child care teacher).

Wednesday: Go to hospital for clinical. Pick a patient. Go through patient's chart and learn anything and everything you can. Write up drug cards for the 20+medications the patient takes. Take kid to gymnastics. Attempt to write up a pathophysiology report on one of the patient's diagnoses while being the supportive parent watching gymnastics.

Thursday and Friday:
Arrive at the hospital and start at 6:45 am. Quick look at patient's chart, labs, progress notes (all on Epic, by the way). Grab a machine and go to the patient. Talk to patient, take vital signs and then do quick assessments of the patient's body systems. Administer medications. Get patient ready for physical therapy. If lucky, cap an IV, and take out a catheter. Write and write and write (assessments, care plan, lab diagnostics, etc. etc.) Thursday work after clinical. Friday crash until the kids come home. Perhaps watch an episode of Lost (I'm now on season 4).

Saturday & Sunday: Arrive at 2nd job (Certified Nursing Assistant) before 7:00 am. Find out what part of the building I will be in and who I will work with today. Get report from night nurse. Care for patients (use your imagination, if necessary). This week I had to de-louse someone and deal with a wacked out patient that was in alcohol withdrawal. Don't worry--her fingernails didn't break the skin. Had a special moment with a dying patient. Come home and learn about all of the fun stuff husband and kids did while I was gone. Crash early.

Notice that it doesn't say anything about cleaning the house. That is what it looks like too--like a tornado hit.

So if I don't answer your e-mails or interact on Facebook or blogs--you know why. I really should be doing a lot less of those things (as hard as that may be). If my blog stays up longer than a week, you will know why.

Don't waste your time reading this.

I've been too busy to blog. However, I couldn't stand looking at my Halloween post anymore. See I was serious--big waste of time.

TRICK OR TREAT!

It's really hard to blog when the trick-or-treaters keep ringing the doorbell! Rod--I remembered to put on the lights. Here is a picture of my own pirate with a mini-pirate and a cheerleader. Interesting combination.

Last night I spent a couple hours working on carving this pumpkin:

It looks a lot better in the dark. This is the first time I ever did a cool pumpkin. Usually I have done scary eyes and jagged teeth.

Here is the mini-pirate in-training:


HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

Today is my Birthday!

October 28th

The one birthday wish that I had for today was to do really well on my Musculoskeletal exam.

That wish was granted--I scored a 90%!

(I really needed a good score to bring up my grade.)

Mike and the girls want to do something for my birthday tonight. So I am brainstorming for ideas.

If you have any, let me know. The key requirements are "inexpensive" and "suitable to drag your kids along".

Have a great day!!!

In Honor and Memory of my Brother

This October 24th my brother Steve would have been 50 years old. I can't even imagine him that old. He was 44 when he passed away from lung cancer. Here are some interesting things about him:

He was the best big brother in the whole world.

I was 11 years younger than him.

His favorite drink was Miller Genuine Draft.

He once had a really cool, blue Trans Am. He let me learn how to drive in it. I was so afraid that I would hurt it.

When I was little he would go sledding with me.

He drove me to the bus stop when it was raining.

He loved Pink Floyd and Led Zeppelin.

He was kinda stuck in the 70's, when it came to music.

He played a practical joke on me one time. He put a timer on my stereo so that it turned on full blast after I went to bed. Scared the crud out of me.

Family was very important to him.

He loved the mountains and going out West. His favorite places were Wyoming, Montana, and Utah.

He took his son out West for a special trip during the year before he passed away.

He loved fishing.

He also loved ice fishing. (I think anyone who goes ice fishing is crazy. Burrrr.)

He took me and my friends to Great America, Summerfest, and other fun places.

All of my friends thought he was cool.

He is one of the main reasons that I decided to become a nurse.

I love him and miss him very much.

Pull Up a Chair--It's Bonfire Night

If you imagine it, can't you just hear the crackling and popping of a bonfire?

There's something special about hanging out around the fire. Swapping stories, telling jokes, and making s'mores. Mmmmm--yummy!

Hanging out at the campfire is one of the only reasons I even go camping. I love staring into fire and watching the dancing flames.

Do you have any special bonfire memories you would like to share?

Surgery--Behind the Scenes

When I got to the hospital today, my nursing instructor asked me if I was ready to go to the O.R. (operating room). He made arrangements for me to observe a total hip replacement surgery.

As we wound our way through the hallways I wondered how I would ever find my way back. I never realized how big and confusing the hospitals are, especially when you go behind the scenes. My instructor had another nurse take me to the locker room to change into surgical scrubs. Then, I was brought to the pre-op area, to meet the patient that would be undergoing surgery. I watched how the nurses work and I pondered when I would ever be as confident as they are. Next I had to put on the poofy hair cap and the cloth booties that go over your shoes. Then off we went to the O.R.

Before entering the room I had to put on a mask with a face shield. It is really hot to breathe in a mask; kind of like trying to breathe under a blanket. One of the first things I noticed was the large quantity of tools that are used in just one surgery. There were trays and trays of torturous looking instruments. After the patient was put under, the anesthesiologist talked to me about the drugs used in surgery. Then I watched the nurse place the urinary catheter. My instructor told me that I would be able to do it, but I was talking to the anesthesiologist, so I missed the chance to ask. Besides, the nurse was "on a mission" and I think she preferred to do it herself.

It is really fascinating to watch the OR staff working. They are like a "well-oiled machine". It was really rather intimidating for me. I feel like I will never be as knowledgeable as they are. I was able to assist with positioning the patient and then I was told where I could stand to watch the surgery. It was difficult to see, but still very interesting. The surgeon even took the time to meet me and tell me what he was going to be doing.

Without getting too graphic, I will just say that they showed me the difference between arthritic bone and what the joint should look like. They also showed me on the x-rays. There are a lot of sights, sounds, and yes even smells during surgery. (I think I can still smell it.)

When it was over, the surgeon put up the x-rays for the next surgery and asked if I was going to "stick around for the next one." I said that I could if I was able. He said I could! The next surgery was a total knee replacement. He told me that I would be able to see a lot more.

It was really fascinating to watch. When all was said and done, I went to the post-anesthesia intensive care unit with the patient. That was quite the experience too! The patient kept trying to get out of the bed. The nurses told me that that is not that common. Most people don't do that. I was able to do a little bit more hands on stuff. For example, I had to keep putting the oxygen back on the patient, because he kept pulling it off.

What a cool experience! Then I had to find my way back to the locker room to change back into my clothes and then way back to the floor where my back-pack and coat were. Those hospitals are confusing!

I was really fortunate to have my surgical experience during my first week of clinical. Next week I will be caring for my own patient. I will be giving medications, removing a catheter, and working with IV's. Wish me luck. Now off to bed--it was a long day!

Playing Hookie WITHOUT OUR KIDS

I received an e-mail that my Monday class was cancelled. So I began planning all of the things I was going to do that day: laundry, homework, cleaning, etc. The kids went off to school and just after the door closed, my husband said, "I'm going to call in sick". My eyes opened wide, my mouth dropped open and I said, "What did you say? Are you serious?" He was! So I asked him what he was going to do. He said, "Well, we could go to the Wilderness." Yahooooo!

So we grabbed our swimsuits, jumped in the car, and headed to Wisconsin Dells. WITHOUT OUR KIDS! We had so much fun. We spent a lot of time in the gigantic wave pool. When the waves would come, Mike knew just when to push me in the tube toward it. This resulted in me either practically flying off of the tube or getting water dumped over my head. I can't remember when we last laughed so hard. We also were able to go on slides together. WITHOUT OUR KIDS! Here is a picture of the bottom of the "Dueling Mammoths" (we are not in this picture):



It was so nice to be together. Especially since it was such a spontaenous surprise date! Plus, nobody knew that we were there. We were so sneaky, that when we got home I quick threw the swimsuits in the washer. That way they kids wouldn't see them and know what we did. Hee Hee. Believe it or not, they never had a clue. I was worried that they would smell the chlorine in our hair. We got home about 5 minutes before they got off the bus. So, shhhhhhh, don't tell them. It's our little secret!

Big Sigh of Relief!

Let's see if you can figure this out:

You started an IV at 8:00 am at 35gtt/min. The equipment is calibrated at 15 gtt/mL. After 5 hours the IV is stopped. How much did the patient receive since 8:00am?

This is an example of one of the types of problems on my 2nd semester medical math exam.

I aced it!!!

That means life/education will continue on as scheduled.

P.S. Thanks God!

Finally Friends

Since I am busy studying, I thought I would share a few pictures of my furry friends. Here are Mia and Carbon-buddy sharing in some tuna water:

This is Carbon-buddy's favorite place--looking out the window behind the sofa.

Have a great day!

Study Night

I'm going to school to become a registered nurse. I have discovered, that during my first semester of nursing, I worked harder and longer than I ever did for my BS degree. The second semester is no different. I have numerous exams and quizzes every week, so I spend a LOT of time studying. I'm so glad that I am NOT younger while doing this. I can't imagine dating, hanging out with friends, partying, etc. while taking Nursing courses. Although, many people point out to me that I have two kids and two jobs. True! I'm not sure which would be harder.

Here are my nursing books. Yes--I use ALL OF THEM! I spread out on the kitchen table with several books at a time, my computer, my binders, and there is no room to eat dinner.

Tonight I am studying cardiac stuff: hypertension, angina, congestive heart failure, peripheral vascular disease, shock, and coronary heart disease. I need to know the medications, the side effects, the symptoms, the assessments, and the nursing diagnoses. Ugh.

So--there is a lot of memorizing to be done tonight. Technically, I shouldn't even be blogging, so I better get to it!

My Nephew is Home From Iraq!!!

My nephew, Lee, is home from Iraq for two weeks.

He wanted to surprise us, so he didn't tell ANYBODY!

This is Lee in 2004.

Now he is 21 years old.

Welcome home Lee!

Suggest a Caption for THIS Picture

Everyone has been blogging about cute and fuzzy creatures lately, which reminded me of this little guy. This prairie dog photo was taken in South Dakota in Badlands National Park by my nephew, Lee. It seems he might be trying to tell someone something. What do you think?

Nothing

.

Where were you that day?

9/11 was one of those days that people don't forget. Anyone who was old enough to remember knows exactly where they were and what was going on that day. It's like the Kennedy assassination or the space shuttle disasters. I remember when I found out President Reagan was shot and when I heard that Princess Diana had died. Mostly, I remember 9/11 because it was scary and we didn't know what was happening. Here is my story.

It started as one of those typical work days. I got ready for work and my 3 year old watched PBS while she waited. On that day she decided that she wanted to go to day care early. Since I didn't have to leave for work until later, I figured I could drop her off and continue getting ready.

When I got home I turned on one of the morning news shows. It was breaking news. I remember thinking how horrible it was, but then it only got worse. A plane hit the second tower. That is when someone on the news voiced that "this is no longer an accident, we may be under attack". Well, as someone growing up in the 70's and 80's, this was realllllllly scary. We always felt so safe. Things always happen "somewhere else".

I tried to get a hold of my husband at work. I got voice mail. I tried to call my Mom, I got her answering machine. As I was leaving a message, the 3rd plane had hit the Pentagon. My mom saved my message so that I could hear it. You could tell how frightened I was. I had a 3 year old and I was newly pregnant and I just wanted to be with someone.

But I had to go to work.

When I got to work we had to pretend it was a normal day. We set up a few fuzzy t.v.'s so we could keep abreast of what was going on. I don't think much was accomplished that day. Who could concentrate?

The other thing I remember about that September was how quiet the skies were. No air traffic whatsoever. When the restriction was lifted, I would panic a little bit when I heard an airplane. One time some military jets flew over--yikes. I said, "I think something is going on." My 3 year old picked up on that and kept copying what I said ever time a plane flew over. We really tried to shelter her from all of it, but even that was hard, because it was on every channel. I know she sensed something. I had to get over that airplane panic very quickly.

So that is my 9/11 story. I would like to hear yours. Will you share it?

Pay It Forward

How will you Pay It Forward today?

Have you seen the movie "Pay It Forward"? If you haven't, make sure that you do! It is one of those movies that really makes you think. Yesterday I started thinking about all of the people who have helped me with things over the last few years. Those people are Paying it Forward!

While I'm in school life is crazy. My priorities are family, school, and work, in that order. Unfortunately it makes our lives more financially challenging. So instead of paying for a babysitter once in awhile, we pay for textbooks. Instead of buying fun stuff we pay for gymnastics (so expensive!) or dance or swimming for our kids. We don't buy clothes for us, we buy them for the kids. This isn't meant to be a "pity-party" at all. It is reality. It is the sacrifice we make for my nursing education. I knew what I was getting into. Long term it will pay off.

So during my schooling I have had a lot of people that have done things for me and/or my family that are so appreciated. Most of those things have not been "paid back". They are just being good, giving people asking for nothing in return. For example several of my day care co-workers have watched my kids in emergency situations either without pay or at a really good price. Do they have to do that? Would I think any less of them if they didn't? No. They are Paying It Forward. My neighbor lets the kids come over to visit quite often. They think of it as another home. Does she need my pesty kids hanging around? No. But those little breaks for me are golden! A few of my brother-in-laws have helped us with minor repairs, painting, and car advice. Again-nothing in return.

There are so many other examples. Not all of them are financial however. Have you ever had someone say something to you that just makes your day? Or week? or Year? I had one of those experiences last week. A parent at the day care came up to me and explained that her son had a really hard first day of school. Just terrible, actually. She said that they asked him if there was one thing that went well for him that day (to focus on the positive). He said, "Well Dawn gave me a Jolly Rancher because I did something nice." (I praised him for doing a selfless and sweet thing for one of the other kids. I also gave him the candy). She said that after talking about that he perked up and went to school the next day without trouble. She just wanted to tell me that my one little act of kindness really made a huge impact on her son. She said that as a teacher herself, she knows that we don't hear about all of the little things that make a difference in a child's life, and she wanted me to know.

I could go on and on with more examples, but you get what I mean. My big goal is to be able to do something for these people in return. Then I think about Pay It Forward. I might not be able to do something for them but I have been making some effort to do little Pay It Forwards whenever I can. (The financial ones will have to wait for now :-) )

My challenge to you is to find something TODAY that you can do to Pay It Forward. I am very interested in hearing from you.

My Own Ghost Story

My own ghost story is not scary or creepy. It was really a cool experience. And I don't mean cold, either. There wasn't a cool feeling or anything. So here it is. . .

We were staying in a hotel in Iowa. It wasn't an old or creepy place by any means. Anyway, I was having a very hard time sleeping. I suffer from chronic shoulder pain, and I couldn't get comfortable. So I was WIDE AWAKE!

Our niece and older daughter were sleeping in one bed and my husband and I had our little one in our bed. I believe she was around 2 years old. So I was tossing and turning and couldn't fall asleep. Our little one had a tendency to sleep all over the bed--sideways, head down, whatever.

So at one point, I thought she was standing up in bed, so I reached out to grab her, but I ended up hugging my ownself. I tried repeatedly. I was confused, so I started patting around the bed to try to find her. I found her right where she should be, with her head on the pillow.

So I turned toward the area where I thought she was and saw what seemed like a person standing through the middle of the bed. As though the bed wasn't there. All I saw was the bottom half of a woman wearing a long nightgown. And then it faded away.

I looked around in disbelief, thinking maybe I saw a weird reflection of light. But I didn't. The room was as dark as can be. Then I said, "COOL!" I was in awe and not in the least bit freaked-out.

So now I know they are real. I never believed before. Or I didn't want to. But if my kids ask me, I say, "there's no such thing as ghosts", because I don't want them to be scared.

Now I think it would be kind of neat to see another one. As long as it's not scary, or creepy, or in my own house!

Stand Up!

Tonight on NBC, ABC, & CBS

STAND UP 2 CANCER

My support is in honor of:

Sue, Jim, Mike, Dad Tom, Dana, Lisa, Diane, Jordyn, Cliff, Abby, & Owen

In Memory of: Steve and Noelle

Hmmmmm. . .

Just when you think you are getting somewhere. . .

(These pictures were taken by my nephew, Lee

when we were "out-west" in 2004.)

O.K. it is a slow news day.

I haven't had a day off of work since August 10th.

I'm trying to study, but I'm just fried.

I WILL FINALLY HAVE A DAY OFF ON FRIDAY!

Kitty update: Carbon kitty is actually about 4 months old (according to the vet looking at his teeth).

He is named after the carbon fiber used to make race cars. He has a little tag made of carbon fiber on his collar.

He has been through a few homes before we received him.

He likes to nibble on my ears.

He takes off running out the door any chance he gets.

Mia kitty is in the hissing/growling stage. She was hiding in the basement since Friday, but now she has come out.

I have 4 exams next week.

My husband asked, "how can you have 4 exams if you only have two classes right now?" I said, "That's nursing school for you!"

Ciao for now!

Our New Baby

Announcing the newest member of our family:

Carbon Kitty

(we might call him Corbin)

3 months old

Adopting today 8/29/08

Mia Kitty and Minxie Bunny

My kitty is Mia. Mia means "mine" in Italian.

I've had Mia for almost 2 years.

I met a friend and at first I only knew her as "Minxie".

My 6 year-old named her build a bunny Minxie, "because Mommy's friend has a cool name".

Then I found out my friend Minxie has the real name Mia.

Which came first, the Minxie or the Mia?

The chicken or the egg?

The Sun is Setting on My Summer

This is my last day of summer. Tomorrow I start my 2nd semester of Nursing. On top of that I started another job (that makes two, now). I haven't had ANY days off since 8/10 and I won't have any until after Labor Day. I don't think I have ever worked so many days in a row before. But I digress.

This was a great summer. After my last final exam in May, I went to Beaver Dam and was able to see some of the filming of Public Enemies. My whole family went and we brought my friend's daughter. She is a middle schooler who just adores Johnny Depp. Who doesn't? Anyway, that was my reward to myself for a tough semester. One semester of nursing school was harder than my entire BS degree.

Then, in June, I went to St. Anne, IL with Osh and Evan, Blaznfire, and Shakenbsis. I was able to meet Johnny Depp in person. (See previous post from June). I would say that was the highlight of my summer.

Our family spent a lot of time at the Wilderness water park in Wisconsin Dells. We camped in Door County and visited our alma mater, UW Oshkosh.

I started to watch the tv series, "Lost" on the internet. I started with the pilot episode and made it thorugh season one and most of season two. I also rented tons of movies (caught up on a bunch of the Depp movies that I missed). I made lots of friends through the blog: Public Enemies Columbus, and started blogging myself.

Yeah, it was a lazy but busy summer. It will be hard to get back to studying again. Starting tomorrow, my internet usage is going to dwindle drastically. Nursing school takes up nearly all of my time. So if I don't post very often, you will know that I am studying my butt off! If I post too often--scold me so that I go back to studying. Hee Hee.

Goodbye summer, I will miss you. Until we meet again. . .

Ciao for now!

GREAT NEWS

Results are back. . .everything looks good. They are calling it Optic Neuritis. That means inflammation of the Optic nerve.

She should recover soon and will be able to see again!!!

THANKS FOR YOUR THOUGHTS AND PRAYERS!

Update--MRI Tonight

I spoke with Jamisue this evening. She is having an MRI tonight. She should have results by Friday morning. Please continue to keep her in your prayers.

I love you, Jamisue!

My Niece Needs Prayers

This is my niece, Jamisue:

She is 21 years old, just finished school and became a professional pet groomer.

A few weeks ago, she got engaged.

This is her today:

She started expriencing eye pain and now has lost vision in one eye. The doctors are in the midst of doing lots and lots of tests. It could be something very serious and she has no insurance.

Please say a prayer for her.

She is really scared and we are all worried.

Thanks in advance.

I will keep you posted.

Outside the Comfort Zone

Starting a new job can be challenging and exciting, but the part I hate is the feeling of being outside of your comfort zone.

I have two jobs. The first one, I have basically been doing my whole life, and have been at the same place for the last 5 years. It is "home". Many of my friends are there and my kids are there. It is fun and rewarding. I do it without even having to think about it. For me, it is as easy as breathing. However, it is time for me to start moving on and it is harder than I thought it would be.

My new job is very different and challenging. It is a very important experience for my future career. Right now, I am in the process of orientation. Yuck. I hate that I don't know anyone and I don't know "how things are done" here. I know it will get better, but I don't know if that knowledge makes it any easier.

Tomorrow I work at job number one. It would be so easy to just be lazy and comfortable and forgot all about job number two. I know I have to leave the comfort zone in order to move on to bigger and better things.

The other thing bothering me, is that a week from now, I go back to school full-time again. Our entire household is in the midst of another transition. The kids start back to school the week after me. It will be nice when we get into the new routine, and find our NEW comfort zone.

Wish me luck.

We are Olympians

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Lovin' the Olympics

I don't know what it is about the Olympics, but I love watching it. Winter or summer, there are so many different events that I enjoy watching. It's funny, because I rarely ever watch sports otherwise. Tonight I was watching synchronized diving. I never even knew there was synchronized diving. I was amazed the the performance of the Chinese synchronized divers. They really earned their gold. Then, I watched beach volleyball. It was so exciting that I was yelling at the t.v. I still don't get why people get so excited about professional sports, I find them mostly boring, no offense. This Olympic stuff is so suspenseful. Tonight I am hoping to stay awake long enough to watch the womens gymnastics.

In 1996, when my husband and I were newlyweds, my sister-in-law invited us to Atlanta to see women's gymnastics. Yes it was the year of the Dream Team/Golden 7, whatever they were called. We did not have tickets to see the top teams, but we were in Atlanta when they won. We saw many of the other teams and even they were quite phenomenal. It was so exciting to hear that Olympic music while sitting in the huge stadium. The locations of the events were referred to as "venues".

One of the neatest things about being at the Olympics, was riding the Marta train and finding an athlete standing right next to you. It was kind of surreal. Even though we only had tickets to one event, it was just cool being in the same city where you knew that World Records were being broken and gold medals being won.

The 1996 Olympics was the first time I actually purchased bottled water. I just couldn't understand why we had to pay for water--that used to be a foreign concept. They were charging like $3.00 per bottle. If you have ever been in Atlanta during the summer, you will know how important it is to drink water. It was so freaking hot and humid. Of course, there was none to be found, except for the bottles, so we had no choice except to purchase it.

The other fun thing about being in the same city as the Olympics, is all of the different languages that you hear. There were people all over the place that don't even speak English.

While we were in Atlanta, we went to the World of Coke. Check it out if you get a chance. It is really interesting, and you get to drinking all of the Coke products you want. Products from all over the world. We also watched Gone with the Wind and lots and lots of Olympics.

It was hard to go home, but we were only able to stay there a few days. One day after we arrived home, the Olympic bombing took place. That was quite shocking. I kept imagining that I had seen an unattended backpack while I was there, although I probably didn't.

If you ever get a chance to go to the Olympics--do it! The excitement in the air is like none other I have experienced.

GO USA!!!

Door County Fish Boil

Mmmmmmm. Fish Boil!


If you have ever been to Door County, Wisconsin, and participated in a fish boil, you know what I mean. The first time I went to Door County, I was NOT a fish eater (I have since had a change in taste). However, I thought I better give it a chance and I actually liked it. The fish is cooked with potatoes, onions, and carrots, in big black kettles over a fire:










My kids were not really thrilled with eating it, but they LOVED watching the men cook it. Here is one of them examing the raw fish. "Ewwww.":












The most exciting part of the fish boil is when they yell "Boil Over" and throw kerosene (I think) on the fire and it just goes "kaboom":

Whoooo baby! Just look at that cloud! They warned us to stand back and they weren't kidding. It gets REALLY hot. My face was so hot I thought I'd have red skin afterwards:

Then the water boils over, which pushes all of the fish oil/fat off the top of the water:

Then we all sit down and wait to be served. The fish was incredibly tender and moist and was served with lots of butter (or margarine if you prefer). The only downside, I think, is that you have to pick the bones out of the fish. Sometimes you miss them, so you really have to be careful.

Here is my favorite picture:

This dog was hanging out while it's people ate the fish boil. It was a very well behaved dog. Plus, it was so COOL! Would you believe, that when the person tried to remove the sunglasses the dog started whining? Then they put them back on the dog and it calmed down.

Tips for people who haven't been to a Door County fish boil:

1. Get reservations ahead of time, especially if you want to go on a specific night.

2. Try to forget how much it costs (you are on vacation).

3. Ask a friend or someone who lives in Door County where to go for a good fish boil. A few years ago we went to one that was just awful.

And that is all from this food critic. :-)

Ciao for now!

8/8/08 My Baby Girl is 10 Years Old!

Happy 10th Birthday, Chiara!

On 8/8/1998 at 7:44 a.m., the world was blessed with my Chiara!

Chiara is gentle and kind,

perceptive and sweet,

giving and loving!

She has made the world a better place just by being her.

Chiara hanging out with two of her oldest friends, Rachel & Abby, celebrating her birthday

at the MooseJaw in Wisconsin Dells:

We love you!!!