2008 Year in Review

I will not lie. 2008 was probably the most difficult of my life, right up there with 2003 (when my ex-husband went psychotic and we got divorced). To save you from reading my 249 blog entries of 2008, I have prepared my longest blog post ever to truncate the insanity of the year. Here's the rundown on what happened to me in 2008:

Jan 1, 6:00 am - Began driving cross-country to move to Canton, Michigan with my brother Jacob
Jan 4 - Moved in with the Pearce Family for two weeks awaiting our move-in date at our apartment
Jan 9 - While enrolled in 17 credits for school, began searching for full-time work
Jan 11 - Received a call that my father had been in a horrific car crash in Utah. He was taken in to a nine-hour surgery as I packed my bags and non-revved to SLC on the next available flight
Jan 12 - Appointed to by the family representative to make medical decisions for my dad
Jan 13 - Started his accident blog to keep family and friends notified (this link shows the extent of his injuries). Also told by Elder Dickson of the Quorum of the Seventy that the First Presidency of the Church was personally praying for his recovery.Word spread like wildfire and we had people all over the world praying for him.
Jan 14 - Called together a family counsel meeting with all family members, some extended family and our bishop to make a plan to run the family (groceries, paying bills, housework, etc)
Jan 16- Flew back to Detroit to prepare to move into my new apartment. Dad is trached and goes in for his third surgery. Still sedated and on life support
Jan 19 - Dad begins to breathe on his own without the ventilator, comes off much of the sedation. Rosie and I need a break, and go to California for 2 days to attend John and April's wedding reception.
Jan 21 - Dad's left leg is amputated just above the knee due to widespread necrosis. His right leg is injured, but not in as critical condition as the left.
Jan 22 - Flew back to SLC and tried to not get depressed with dad's ICU psychosis
Jan 24 - Dad is transferred out of the ICU to the 11th floor with the amazing mountain view
Jan 25 - I wait in the surgery waiting room for his "full amputation surgery" where the stump was shortened, revised and closed with sutures
Jan 26 - My friend Kathryn, a concert violist from California, gave my dad a personal concert in the hospital, and then we went out for some non-hospital girl time at the Tavernacle and Melting Pot
Jan 27 - My dear prophet, Gordon B Hinckley, passes away from incidents of old age

Feb 2 - Michigan receives a huge dumping of snow and Rosie's school is canceled. We travel into Ann Arbor for a day of frolicking and for two Fox Elipsus shows
Feb 3 - President Hinckley's funeral, and a special fast is held for my dad's recovery
Feb 4 - Thomas S. Monson is appointed the new president of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and dad passes his swallow test and celebrates with a chocolate milkshake
Feb 5 - I celebrate my 28th birthday with lunch at Chili's with Taylor and a homemade cake. As the greatest gift imaginable, my dad was transferred from the hospital to Aspen Ridge Transitional Rehab, which will become his home for the next 4 months. Also have a super-fun birthday with Taylor's pilot friends and a few neighbors a few days later.
Feb 10 - Rosie and I go back to SLC for 5 days to spend with dad at Aspen Ridge. Dad gets to visit home for the first time since the accident. Taylor's beloved car, The Silver Bullet ('97 Accord) bites the dust, and he replaces it with a green 2002 Civic
Feb 19 - I go to California for 4 days of ME time. Disneyland with Grant and Hollie, Disneyland with Clint, Liz time, and a lovely day with friends with Nathan McEuen in Ventura
Feb 22 - Dad has his 6th surgery, this time on his right knee. The damage is much worse than originally expected, and the long-term prognosis for the leg's usefulness is realized.

March 3 - Have two awesome interviews at University of Michigan Medical Center, and we celebrate as a family with Turkey O'Toole's at Bennigan's
March 7 - I get offers for both jobs at U of M, and accept the postion in Thoracic Surgery
March 8 - Rosie and I take an impromptu weekend celebratory trip to Providence, Boston, and New Haven to see 3 more Fox Elipsus shows
March 13 - I ship off to Boston for 5 days of Irish fun with my Irish Princess friend Nicole, and we spend the next few days with Terawrizt, Lethal Dialect, The Bawston Strangla, and Shaymin. I come down with a nasty illness that will plague me for the next month
March 18 - Drop Cola off at the airport, and drive to Nantasket Beach to watch the sun rise over the Atlantic Ocean, before returning to Boston for a few more hours of sightseeing and flight back to Detroit
March 20 - In an impulsive moment, I agree to head up the planning committee for my 10 Year High School Reunion
March 25 - Take one last trip to SLC before taking on the shackles of full-time employment. Nathan McEuen gives my dad a concert at Aspen Ridge
March 31 - I start my job at U of M, and New Kids on the Block officially announce their reunion tour

April 16 - Saw Ben Folds in concert at Adrian College with Mike and Erin
April 20 - Went to the ER for an grapefruit-sized ovarian cyst rupture. Diagnosed with PCOS.
April 25 - Assist Utah does an evaluation of my parents' home in Murray, and decide that the renovations to the house are too extensive to warrant a renovation. They will need to find a new home.

May 5 - Began my parent-dentist relationship with Dr. Kam, who received thousands from me in the next 7 months. He did a great job, unlike my CA dentist
May 15 - Complete the most difficult school semester of my life, and have to take an incomplete on my first class ever. Flew to California for two days for Chris and Mary's wedding, a trip to the Huntington with Liz, and to celebrate Syttende Mai with Brett
May 23 - Take a two-day trip to Palmyra, NY and Niagara Falls, by way of Ontario, Canada. We stayed with Alan, my old HS boyfriend, in Rochester. He treated us to Dinosaur BBQ. Yum!

June - My summertime slump. Thank you Prozac for fixing me.

July - Attended Grandpa Dale Bullock's funeral, dealt with a bad month of Taylor's schedule, cut 7 inches off my hair, Lissy's twins Sarah and Phoebe were born, spent a weekend in Northern KY with my old Ricks College roommate Stacey, and I went insane planning my HS reunion. Dad is done with Aspen Ridge My parents move out of their home of 15 year on Green Oaks Drive in Murray, and move into the Brigham Apartments in downtown SLC

Aug 2 - MHS X, the high school reunion, came off much better than all the nightmares that plagued me about it for weeks. I already knew everything going on with the people that attended because I read their blogs. I relinquish the responsibility back to the class officers for the next reunion
Aug 8 - Enjoyed the 2008 Beijing Olympics. I was a total Phelps Phan.
Mid-August - . Grandma Joyce in Portland decides to sell her house and move to SLC. My parents house goes on the market. I also reconnected with a bunch of my old Balmoral ladies through blogging
Aug 30 - My coworker Kay gives me the hook-up through a friend for tickets to the Utah - Michigan football game at the Big House. We wear red. Utah wins.
Aug 31 - Receive a random, smug message from Tim, the guy I dated right after my divorce, that temporarily sends me into an emotional tailspin. (History: I was madly in love with him, we were planning our wedding, and then he suddenly breaks up with me in a email. No contact for almost 5 years, then a message at 3 am after finding my blog) Actually, this is the year that EVERY man I ever dated got in touch with me through my blog or Facebook. Even Niko from Finland. Kinda creepy. Rosie and I drive to Lansing on a whim to meet up with Taylor for the night at his crew hotel.

Sept 2 - Rosie begins 2nd grade
Sept 13 - We spend Rosie's birthday in SLC, and have a wonderful family turn out for her
baptism
Sept 21 - After months of deliberation, Taylor decides to take the CRJ-900 upgrade in Atlanta. He puts in his bid for January, he gets assigned for training in October.
Sept 22 - Taylor turns 29. One more year till 30!

Early October - Begin revising resume and applying for jobs, and enjoy the most beautiful autumn that I've ever remembered
Oct 8 - Taylor and I celebrate our Four Year Anniversary We spend the weekend in Atlanta checking out neighborhoods and apartments, and prepare for Taylor's move to ATL.
Oct 17 - Spend a family day in HELL, MICHIGAN and go to the Christmas Store in Frankenmuth
Oct 22 - Taylor leaves for Memphis and Montreal for 10 days of upgrade training. The pilot widow lifestyle resumes...
Oct 25 - Rosie and I attend the New Kids on the Block reunion concert at the Palace of Auburn Hills. Best concert of the year
Oct 31 - Rosie and I fly to LAX to spend a warm Halloween Holiday in Cali.

Nov 7 - Have a phone interview with Emory for a position type-cast for me. A few days later I go to Altanta to have an in-person interview. Best one I've ever had.
Mid-November - I give my notice at work for mid December, and everything goes downhill fast
Nov 21 - Have a Girls Night Out with Hillary and Erin to see Twilight
Nov 25 - Start a Twitter account. Post 211 tweets in the next 5 weeks.
Thanksgiving - Road trip to Atlanta. A feast at Golden Corral, and a late dinner at Waffle House

Dec 1 - Accidentally inhaled an industrial chemical at work, and am sent to the ER for breathing treatments. Two weeks of asthma follow.
Dec 5 - I receive the job offer from Emory. Also, I blog about other significant December 5ths in my life
Dec 12 - Last day of work at University of Misery. Begin packing for 16 day trip in carry-on bags
Dec 13-15 - Snowy visit in Portland with Grandma Joyce
Dec 16-21 - Visit with family in SLC. Another ER visit. Attended Grandma Mary Taylor's funeral in Spanish Fork. Get upgraded to First Class while non-revving to LAX
Dec 22-28 - Visit with family and friends in Cali
Dec 29 - Pack up my apartment in Michigan
Dec 30-31 - Drive with a loaded car from Detroit to Atlanta, overnighting in Knoxville
Dec 31 - Ring in the new year with Taylor, Rosie, Hank, and Marissa in Atlanta

Girls Night Out

Last night, I grabbed my two best friends in Michigan, and went to see "Twilight" for a Girls' Night Out. Husbands stayed back and watched the kiddos, the soundtrack was a-blasting in the car, and we were ready for some hot vampire action. We stopped by the store first, grabbing some drinks and candy to smuggle in. Hillary (middle) and Erin (right) had never actually met each other, but Hillary recognized Erin, and I think they made fast friends. After the movie, we had appetizers and dessert from Chili's, and stayed up way past our bedtimes.

There's no way I could have survived my time in Michigan with these ladies. Here's a little about my ladies:

Hillary lived in the apartment next door to me. She is the only neighbor who came over to introduce herself in the whole time I've lived here. She has a deliciously adorable daughter, and Rosie loves to dote over. We both dealt with Absent Husband Syndrome for the first half of the year, as both men had to constantly travel for work. We kept up on American Idol together (although she voted for the wrong David) She moved a few blocks away in the summer, but we still saw each other all the time. She needed some extra cash, and I needed someone to flexibly watch Rosie on the days Taylor was on a trip. She was so sweet...she offered to let us stay over for dinner almost everyday that Rosie was at her place. We are both movie/music nuts and love to stay abreast of all the latest new releases.

Erin got to see my husband a lot more than I got to see him in 2007. Her husband Mike was Taylor's bunkmate at Jet U for 5 months last year, so we both suffered from Absent Husband Syndrome. When they both started working at DTW, Taylor lived on their couch for next-to-nothing for three months. Erin graciously kept a stiff upper lip when he was hard to live with, and let him stay much longer than originally anticipated. We met last November on the weekend I flew out from California to find a place to live. We ended up living within walking distance of each other. We share the same obsessions of Trader Joes, creative crafting, Keane, blogging/LJing, and the fresh organic produce. It was tough to have get-togethers for both of our families because Mike seemed to typically work the opposite days of Taylor. She's attempted to teach me to knit, and I still owe her a sewing lesson. We share the same pain of being drowning in debt from our husband's careers, and living of their anorexic paychecks. I introduced her to the Twilight series, so we'll always be connected through vampire blood.

Speaking of vampire blood, didn't I pull off the vampire look pretty well to see the movie?

Before I leave Michigan, I want to...

1. Go to the Motown Museum
2. Tour the Ford Rouge Factory and Greenfield Village
3. Eat a sandwich at Zingermanns
4. Have a GNO with all the ladies I love
5. Chill in Royal Oak and Ferndale
6. See a concert at the Fillmore Detroit
7. Bridge jump naked from the Ambassador Bridge into Canada (just kidding!)

If interested in assisting me fulfill this list, please let me know!

October Mega-Picture Post

Friday night we went to our ward Halloween party. There was a trunk-or-treat in the parking lot, then carnival games, donuts, and cider inside. Rosie wore her witch costume, and I threw together an disco fashion victim ensemble in about 10 minutes before going out the door.

In honor of Taylor's last Saturday in Michigan, we decided to do some touristy Michigan things. We went to pick out a pumpkin with Rosie, then drove to Hell. No seriously. Hell, Michigan. It's an itty-bitty town with about 4 buildings. The building in the pictures is the Screams Ice Cream parlor. You can top your ice cream with many creepy toppings served directly out of a coffin. There's all sorts of prank novelties, souvenir tees, and Halloween stuff...many priced conveniently at $6.66!

We then drove to Frankenmuth, Michigan's little Bavaria (and big tourist trap). There's a replica chapel like the one in Austria where "Silent Night" was performed the first time. The main attraction is Bronner's CHRISTmas Wonderland, the world's biggest Christmas store. It's like five Costco-sized buildings all in one, erupting with holiday cheer. Outside are many creches and nativities and Santa statues. We should have bought one of the "Pilot's are just "PLANE" fun" ornaments.

Next we decided that we wanted to see one of the Great Lakes, so we thought we'd drive up to Saginaw Bay. With a very inadequate map (on the back of the Christmas Store brochure) we drove up through one of the most depressed areas I've ever seen. Boarded-home after boarded-up home. Abandoned manufacturing plants. Post-urban decay. After getting lost for an hour between Saginaw and Bay City, we decided to just head back. We went to the Pearces', our surrogate Michigan family, and watched Iron Man in their home theater.

Overall, a great family day!

Trip to the orchard

Yesterday, Rosie's brownie troop had a field trip to the Plymouth Orchard. They learned about how the orchard works, about different types of apples, bee pollination, and took a hayride. We also noshed on fresh donuts and glasses of amazing apple cider. Yum!

Silly pumpkin!

The girls learning about the birds and the bees (I mean, how the bees pollinate the trees)

One of the hay wagons (this is not the one they took a ride on)

They got to pick out pumpkins at the end to decorate at the next troop meeting. Rosie specifically chose the one with "warts" because she wants to make an ugly goblin.

Eating delicious apples makes me happy!

When we got home, Rosie tried on her dollar-store chic witch costume (we spent $3).

Falling, yes I am Falling

This week the leaves on the trees have been starting to change for the Fall. This particular tree has been my favorite, and I enjoy it each day as I zoom by at 55 mph to and from work. It was fun trying to take this out the window on the way home! I can't wait till all the trees are changing.

Lansing

At the junction of the 69 and 96 - this sign was the most exciting thing I found in Lansing

Saturday evening, Taylor called me from DTW. He was waiting around for his last flight of the night to Lansing. This particular flight is pretty ridiculous, only 75ish nautical miles and 23 minutes away. He went into his usual complaint about being "stuck in a lonely hotel room with a comfy bed and nobody to share it." I realized that the next day was Labor day, and I didn't have anywhere in particular to be. Rosie and I decided to drive up to Lansing to enjoy the Hampton Inn on the airlines' bill. We left Canton about 10 minutes before his flight left, drove the 70 minutes to Michigan's state capital city, and got to the hotel at about the same time as the hotel shuttle. We grabbed dinner at Bennigans, bummed around the hotel room for the evening, and slept on Taylor's favorite hotel mattress. A decent free breakfast was enjoyed, Rosie and I did some school shopping at the Lansing Mall, and we were back home in time to enjoy an afternoon BBQ at the Medleys.

One of these days, I'd like to fly on his plane with him to somewhere cool. But in the mean time, we have Lansing.

Game Day

Halftime score

Rosie showing off her Utah pride

Wearing red in a "blue" city on game day is only safe if you are as cute as Rosie

(I'm a bit squinty from the sun)

We wore red. And Utah won. And Rosie didn't get a beer can thrown at her head.

Loyalty?

My co-worker Kay helped hook me up with tickets to today's Utah vs Michigan football game. Rosie and I are about to get ready to drive into Ann Arbor. Any guesses for what color we'll be wearing?

(Rosie is scared to wear red because someone told her she'd get a beer can thrown at her head)

A Jumble of Thoughts

- We decided to have Rosie's baptism in Utah. I had been convinced about California, then realized that a 2-day car rental at LAX would be $108 with tax. I can borrow my dad's car in SLC, and my aunt offered her home for a potluck afterwards. Taylor will have to fly in the morning of, so it will be late afternoon. If you're in SLC and want to come, let me know.

-I'm without my husband again on a Sunday. It's been 3 months since we've gone to our ward together. Thank goodness he has Sundays off for September. He actually has a good schedule for September, 15 days off.

-I cut off another 4 inches of hair yesterday, totaling 7 total inches chopped this month. The first cut wasn't quite drastic enough. Unfortunately, I haven't ever had medium-length hair in a humid climate, and my natural curl is overpowering my flat-ironed effort.

-I've been craving all sorts of things I can't get in Michigan: Honolulu Harry's sweet potato stack, La Tolteca's cheesy beans, El Pollo Loco, fountain horchata, Cafe Rio pork barbacoa, Leatherby's, In-n-Out animal fries, Federico's marzipan, Arctic Circle Pop Rocks Sundae, The Pie pizza, etc...

-I went to the Plymouth library yesterday. It's one of the neatest community libraries I've been to. Downtown Plymouth is a fun place- it reminds me of Star's Hollow.

-My sister Mary is leaving for BYU-Idaho in 10 days. Thinking about her has made me a little nostalgic for my year in Rexburg. I really liked my time there, but it's hard to think of anything past December without thinking of my courtship with my ex-husband. I only had one set of roommates when I was at Ricks, one of them was Stacey. In July I spent a weekend with Stacey and her family in Kentucky. It was fun to reminisce of our time together, the way we've changed since, and swap mommy stories. Her daughter is so much like Rosie, I'm planning on another trip so they can bond over Hannah Montana, HSM, Webkinz, and all the other stuff they love.

Success!

Rosie caught 10 fireflies!
(They're really hard to photograph while they light up)

6 Months in Michigan

I can hardly believe that our family has been living in Michigan for 6 months now! Here are a few of my favorite things about living here:

-Living in the same state as my husband!
-Fireflies!!! (Rosie and I counted over 70 of them last night)
-Diet Vernor's Ginger Ale
-Partying with the Pearces
-Leo's Coney Island
-Mike, Erin and Will
-The spectacular rainstorms and thunderstorms
-Hillary, Steven, and Elodie
-Jerusalem Garden in Ann Arbor
-Plymouth Township Park
-Pizza Papalis in Greektown
-The Henry Ford Museum
-Easy access to the rest of the country via Detroit Metro Airport on free flights

I don't know how long we'll live in Michigan. Taylor's under the impression that we'll figure out a way to move back to California in 6 months (as long as his airline survives the merger and he can get a bid for the ATL base and commute from ONT). If we do move back, I wonder if we'd be any better off financially than we are here (and we're currently NOT making it financially). I really miss my friends and family on the other side of the country and have felt a lot of loneliness here. We have made a few good friends, and I crave the time we spend with them. I am grateful for the good times we've had in Michigan (and the places we've visited while living here).

I just don't really know what to say...

With news like this ...it's hard to be optimistic about the future of my husband's career. I have no idea if my husband will be out of a job by the time the NWA/Delta merger happens. But with all the regionals that have gone under in the last two months, it doesn't look good for Pinnacle.

Otherwise, life's been kinda tough lately. Work stress is high, financial stress is high, and my health is hit-and-miss. Rosie's done with first grade on Friday, I'll be done with my semester officially within the next few days, and Taylor's been in SLC helping my parents move downtown this week. I'm trying to take joy in the little things. The new Coldplay album is fabulous, my air conditioner works, and I ate a really, really good orange yesterday. Michigan is beautiful and green, and I try to enjoy it as much as I can handle the humidity. We've had some breathtaking thunderstorms this week, and we've luckily not had to deal with flooding and power outages as other neighboring areas have. Lately I've been thinking about some quotes from Gordon B Hinckley:

"Life is just like an old time rail journey ... delays, sidetracks, smoke, dust, cinders, and jolts, interspersed only occasionally by beautiful vistas and thrilling bursts of speed. The trick is to thank the Lord for letting you have the ride."

"My plea is that we stop seeking out the storms and enjoy more fully the sunlight. I am suggesting that as we go through life we 'accentuate the positive.' I am asking that we look a little deeper for the good, that we still our voices of insult and sarcasm, that we more generously compliment and endorse virtue and effort."

"It isn't as bad as you sometimes think it is. It all works out. Don't worry. I say that to myself every morning. It will all work out. If you do your best, it will all work out. Put your trust in God and move forward with faith and confidence in the future. The Lord will not forsake us,...if we put our trust in Him, if we pray to Him, if we live worthy of His blessings, He will hear our prayers."

A progressively better week

Thank you for all of your well wishes this week. I've been in a lot of pain, and generally under the weather, but I'm sooo much better than Sunday. I have another ultrasound in a week to determine the size and changes in the cyst. Hopefully it won't require surgery.

Here's a few pictures from this week:

Here's my sweet Rosie. She's been a good helper this week.

This is my favorite car in Michigan. It typically sits dormant in the apartment parking lot, around the corner from us. It's rusted beyond belief, the trunk bottom has rotted out and the spare tire is almost touching the ground at this point. The whole car is full of junk...fast food wrappers, magazines, dirty clothes. It just sits there in an auto cocoon. Ah yeah!

This week was Administrative Professionals Day. I was overwhelmed with generosity from my coworkers. The doctors gave me that beautiful lavender plant and a $20 Panera Bread gift card. The thoracic research specialist gave me the other plant. The nurses and PA's gave me some cute serving dishes and prepared a really nice lunch. It's nice to be recognized for all the hard work I put in during the year...and this place really took good care of me.

This is me smiling at my desk.

Michigan is finally in bloom. The popcorn trees are blooming, the tulips and daffodils are bursting into reds and yellows. We've had a solid week of 70 degree plus temperatures. Unfortunately, it's going to cool down again tomorrow, and we might get another snowfall. I'm hoping to drive to Holland, MI next weekend for the tulip festival. Anyone want to carpool?

My first trip to a Michigan ER...

Sunday morning I woke up in crazy amounts of pain in my left shoulder, chest, and neck. I couldn't reposition myself in bed where I wasn't in pain. I had light pain in my lower abdomen, but it was the chest pain that was agonizing. Knowing the warning signs of AMI (acute myocardial infaction aka heart attack) Taylor rushed me over to St. Mary's in Livonia.

After two EKG's, an IV, shots of dilaudid and toradol, two chest X-rays, an ultrasound, and five hours...I was diagnosed with an 8-cm hemorrhagic ovarian cyst that had ruptured. Apparently the fluid from the cyst was irritating some nerves that go into my upper body, which is called referred pain. Unfortunately, all of the pressure from the ultrasound made the actual ovary hurt even more, with more fluid leakage. I've been on vicodin and bedrest since I got home. I hope to feel well enough to go to work tomorrow, but for now I'm laying in bed. I've got a follow-up appointment with my primary care doctor this afternoon...hopefully I can muster up the energy to shower before then.

A few good things

After such a downer post, here are a few good things....

-The Ben Folds Concert- Mike, Erin and I drove out to Adrian to see Ben Folds last night. It was over an hour each way on winding country roads, but the music was great. Even if the music wasn't good...it was worth going to see obese toga girl and the girl who danced like a maniac while everyone else stood still.

-A few tiny buds on trees- We might actually see some green in Michigan soon. I'm so sick of the color gray.

-Payday- We can pay most of our past due bills this month. It still blows my mind that Taylor's student loan payments are over $1500/month.

-Taylor- He gets home from a week of high-speeds to Montreal. I'll get to see him more than an hour a day until Sunday night.

My spontaneously combusting mind

Over the last few days, I've had a zillion things spinning through my head. I've been super stressed and thinking about all the things I could blog about...but tonight is just going to be a ranty, complaining emotion blurt. Usually I blog about the good things in life, but tonight I really need to vent. Reader beware.

So far work is going okay. My surgeon has been fine to work with, my coworkers are helpful and I'm learning a lot about thoracic surgery. My complaints are the yucky parking situation, e-learning courses and the expensive employee cafeteria. The drive to Ann Arbor takes 25-40 minutes, depending on the day. Whether I take M-14, Plymouth Road, or Ford Road...it's all about the same. The only parking lot I have been able to consistently find a spot at 7:30ish is the Glazier lot. It's a 15 minute shuttle ride to the hospital, and the shuttles run pretty frequently. The downside is you have to make sure you always bring everything you could possibly need when you leave in the morning. If you forget your lunch or employee badge...it could take you an hour to shuttle to your car and back. Also, I have to complete this super boring set of 11 modules in order to get access to do financial transactions on behalf of the department. I've done non-P.O. vouchers and purchase requisitions before...so the training just feels tedious, and it's hard to concentrate when I have people at my desk all the time. And the cafeteria...well, the food's okay, but I sure don't want to pay $6 for a food service sandwich. Meals are in the $5-$8 price range, but it's nothing spectacular. I've been eating a lot of Lean Cuisines.

Taylor had another incident with his car in the employee parking lot. First his car was sideswiped, now this week the back bumper was brutally scraped and dented. It's frustrating that this is happening in a lot that is "SECURE" and requires SIDA identification to enter. Oh, how I miss the honesty of people on the west coast who leave a note... Neither damage is bad enough that we NEED to repair it, but it's upsetting that his 6 week old car had no body damage when we bought it...and now has two major exterior flaws.

School is driving me nuts. Actually, it's driving me to tears. Going to school online can be useful, because you can study on your own timetable. Unfortunately, you are sometimes bombarded with additional study aids, and not given clear instructions of how to complete your courses. I've been enrolled in a 9-credit algebra and statistics survey since January. I haven't really put major time into it until this month (due to family situation in Utah, moving cross country, being sick, traveling, etc...) and until this last week I found out that I was following the wrong course of study. I tried to submit my first (of 13) assignments, and spent 2 hours on the first two questions! I'm so out of practice in math, and all of the review work that I've been focusing on the last 20 study hours has not prepared me for my homework. I'm almost done with the critical thinking and writing survey though...I should be totally done with that in a week or two. I am contemplating a leave of absence from school after my finals in May. As much as I want to get my degree, my family and sanity is more important at this point.

Our finances are a total wreck, thanks to the airline's 3 day direct deposit delay. Bank of America got Taylor's paycheck funded on a Tuesday, and he was supposed to get it the previous Friday. We didn't realize the error until Taylor's debit card was declined. Over the course of 3 days, we got hit with $455 of overdraft charges (mostly on transactions less than $10). There are no BofA branches in Michigan, so we had to get a family member to bail us out $250 to bring our account out of the hole. Unfortunately, that deposit didn't post till the next day, so we got hit with another $150 of charges, and the account was still below zero. It took several customer dis-service phone calls to BofA to figure out the error. We finally got $220 of the charges written off, but we were still left with only $150 in the account, and no student loan payments have been made yet this month. My first paycheck came, but it was only for a few days work. It was enough to pay my credit card, buy gas, and get groceries. We're going to have creditors hounding us for the first time ever. It's a terrible feeling.

We're also feeling the uncertainty of the airline industry. Just knowing what's been in the news with ATA, Skybus, Aloha, and Champion airlines has been worrisome. Now the word is that Delta and Northwest will announce their merger in the next day or two. It could be shaky ground for us. Hopefully, Taylor's airline won't have any problems keeping their contract, but the pilot contract is really shaky. There will be some picketing at the Memphis headquarters on May Day. Hopefully our pilots will get the raise they so desperately need and deserve. No professional pilot should be making an income that qualifies a family of three for food stamps.

I'm feeling lonely in Michigan. I have very few friends. I have quite a few acquaintances, but still nobody that I can just stop and their house and crash on their couch with no notice. I did finally meet up with Umeka and Brandon last night. It was the first time we actually got together. I found her on Myspace around the time we decided to move to Detroit. We went to Detroit Greektown, ate dinner at Pizza Papalis, walked around Ford Field and Comerica Park, and other downtown treasures. It was a rainy night, but it was a safe and interesting part of town. I wish they lived closer so we could see them more often.

I'm still feeling sick. Most of my physical symptoms are better, but my ear still hurts like crazy, and my teeth are almost always throbbing like crazy. I need to find a dentist and primary care doctor in Ann Arbor. Now that I'm double covered, out of pocket expenses should be minimal; however, my insurance plan is an HMO that requires a referral to see a specialist. I've got an Otolaryngology clinic one floor down from my office. Maybe I can sweet talk my current PCP into a referral without the drive to Westland. As for my teeth...who knows? I'm already paying $180 a month to pay off all the dental work I had done in December. Could I really have more that needs to be done after 3 months? I sure hope not. And we just won't talk about the weight I've gained since being sick....

I've got an extra ticket to see Ben Folds on Wednesday night, and Taylor's stuck on a high-speed that night. Anyone want to come? Only $15!

Pictures from Michigan

Tonight I decided to pull off a bunch of pictures from my cell phone and do a photo post of our live in Michigan. You will unfortunately see a lot of pictures from restaurants. Food makes as happy, and when we're happy we take pictures.

Taylor and I love grabbing sandwiches at Potbelly Sandwich Works, "A First Class Dive."

Luckily spring will soon be upon us, because we are sick of snow and freezing rain!

This exhibit brings a whole new meaning to the phrase, "This food tastes like cardboard."

Rosie has been enjoying her Brownie Girl Scout Troop. She had fun selling cookies for the first time, and was able to go on a field trip to the Ann Arbor Hands-ON museum. She got to dress up like, and learn about being a nurse. She got to keep the cap and mask to show us.

We found a department store the other day called Von Maur. We'd never heard of it, so we decided to go inside and take a peek. The whole store was way out of our price range for the next 10 years. I saw a denim skirt that was cute, but quickly placed it back on the rack when I saw the $300 price tag. The most disturbing thing we saw were these mannequins in the childrens' section. That alone was enough to keep us from buying Rosie $90 dresses and $15 socks.

Second-most disturbing was this shirt! Would anyone really pay $250 dollars for this hideous dress shirt?

Taylor and I have been fighting colds, flu, bronchitis, sinus infections, ear infections, and tonsillitis (between the two of us) the last three weeks. Here's Taylor at the pharmacy, waiting for his antibiotics to be filled.

Chick-fil-A is one of our favorite places to eat, but the closest location (not in a college cafeteria) is in Toledo, OH. Two weeks ago, our family took a roadtrip, 50 miles each way to Toledo for our chicken sandwiches, waffle fries, chicken noodle soup, and shakes.

Last week in the employee parking lot at the airport, somebody swiped his new car...and didn't even leave a note!!!

Taylor and I have always been big fans of Baja Fresh, and decided to go there the other night. Unfortunately, it was the most disappointing Baja Fresh meal ever! The pico de gallo, as you can see was inedible! The tomatoes were unripe, sour and crisp like apples. The sour cream was rancid, the tortillas dry, and my "enchilada style"burrito had only enough sauce to color the tortilla with a few specks of cheese. When I complained, they said there was nothing they could do because tomatoes were out of season. No apologies, no free food offerings, no smiles. I think I'll wait till I'm in Cali again to eat at Baja Fresh (or ANY Mexican place in MI...everything has been bland, overpriced, and disappointing).

Random thoughts on my last afternoon of freedom...

Yesterday I started my orientation with UofM Medical Center. Yesterday was a full day of patient safety, corporate culture, medication error reporting, HIPAA and JCAHO regulations, customer service videos, and all the other junk you're required to review upon hire at a hospital. This morning was a little better...ID badges, benefits, retirement, and parking. They let us leave at 11 am, so I spent the afternoon with Taylor unpacking. Yes, we've lived in our apartment for two months now...but with all the travel, we still had a lot to do. We cleared out about 15 boxes, organized our bedroom, spent 2 hours on Rosie's bedroom hurricane, and put up a few pictures on the wall. I start my job for real tomorrow.

My teeth have been hurting so bad lately. I'm not even sure it's my teeth, more like the nerves to my teeth. I had so much dental work done in November and December (over $3000 out of pocket after insurance) and I've never felt back to "normal." The left side's bite still feels wrong after two adjustments on trips to Cali, and the nerve flare ups have been occasional, but never less frequent than a few times a week. Since I got back from Utah, it's been constant pain on both sides. My new dental plan was in effect as of yesterday...and for the first time ever I have dual coverage. I need to talk to my new supervisor and see how soon I can take time off to see a dentist.

I'm so geeked for the NKOTB reuniting on Friday morning. If only I started work next week, I would SO be there...I'd fly out to Rockefeller Square and hold up my big sign while screaming till my lungs gave out. Yesterday, Taylor found a Russian legal download site where we found the whole NKOTB library for 10 cents per song. I downloaded about 30 songs. Unfortunately, my Ipod is on the fritz. The night before I left for Utah, my iTunes crashed, and I lost EVERYTHING. I had to do some mad file transferring to get it back, but I lost about 8 of my 25 GB of music. It's been syncing for 3 hours now...

Oh, and I got a call from Becky Anderson, the guidance counselor from MHS. I was having terrible luck getting anyone to call me back about renting MHS for the reunion, but she called me back (the day after Robin got the info). We chatted for about 10 minutes...she ended the call with "Glad to hear that you've turned out to be such a success." I smiled.

Out of Necessity...

Today Taylor wiped our eyes, sucked in our guts and walked into the AT&T store to change our cell phone numbers to Michigan-734 numbers. We have loved and adored our Cali-909 numbers, but it was soon becoming a financial burden to keep our status symbol that very few people recognized.

See, we have been able to utilize a very low total minute plan because most of our family is on AT&T and we have typically made most of our calls in the evening. But when we kept our 909 numbers, that meant that night minutes didn't start until midnight EST. We sucked through 1200 rollover minutes in February, and were getting to the point that we needed to either switch plans or switch numbers STAT. Also, Taylor went over by nearly 100 texts last month, which tacked on an extra $15 to our bill. And lastly, it was getting really annoying waiting until 1 AM to text our American Idol votes in.

They made us change our plan (since the really good price plan was grandfathered in from the original ATT -> Cingular switch over) but fixed things up (with ex-employer discounts and price overrides) so we now have 500 more shared minutes and unlimited texting for only $5 more a month than we were paying. Sorry to those friends who kept tempting us to switch to Verizon...it was still cheaper to stick with AT&T.

I sent out a mass text to everyone in my phone with the new number. If you need my number, email me at cuteculturechick@gmail.com