iPod D-G

Apparently this Ipod Case is supposed to resemble grass, but with the red click wheel, it reminds me of watermelon

Continuing from a few posts ago....

D: D.H.T., Damien Rice, Damn Yankees, Dan Fogelberg, Dan Wilson, Dana Fuchs, Dandy Warhols, Daniel Powter, Danny Elfman, Dave Matthews, David Bowie, David Gray, David Tolk, Death Cab for Cutie, Debbie Gibson, Debra Fotheringham, Depeche Mode, Dexy's Midnight Runners, Diana Ross and the Supremes, Dido, Dinah Washington, Dishwalla, Dixie Chicks, Donny Osmond, Donovan, Doobie Brothers, The Doors, Dr. Teeth and the Electric Mayhem, Duke Ellington, Duncan Sheik, Duran Duran, Dusty Springfield

E: Eartha Kitt, Echo and the Bunnyman, Eclipse, Elemeno-P, Elipsus, Ella Fitzgerald, Elton John, Elvis Costello, Elvis Presley, Enigma, Erasure, Eric Clapton, Esthero, Especially for Youth (best of), Europe, Ewan McGregor, Extreme

F:Faith Hill, Fall Out Boy, Fatboy Slim, Feist, Felicia Sorenson, Fergie, Finger Eleven, Fiona Apple, Firehouse, The Fixx, Fleetwood Mac, Flight of the Conchords, Foo Fighters, Foreigner, The Fortunes, The Four Tops, Fox Elipsus, Frank Sinatra, Frankie goes to Hollywood, The Fray, Frou Frou, Fuel, Fun Boy Three,

G: Gabriel Yared, Garth Brooks, Gavin DeGraw, General Public, Genesis, George Michael, Gerry and the Pacemakers, Gershwin, Gladys Knight and the Pips, Gliss, Gnarls Barkley, The Go-Go's, Go West, Gonzales, Goo Goo Dolls, The Grass Roots, Green Day, Greg Simpson, Gretchen Wilson, Guns N' Roses, Guster, Gwen Stefani

Two Cool Trips

I've been behind in my blogging for a while! I've been on two awesome trips in the last week and a half, which I need to give the run d0wn in case I otherwise don't blog about it.

California: I flew out of DTW Friday evening. The flight loads were pretty iffy, but a three hour flight delay got me a seat on the flight to LAX. I arrived in LA around 11:30, picked up my rental car and met Liz for fresh strawberry donuts in Glendora. I got in at the in-laws at 2:00 am, and was up again at 7:30. It was a super-hot, sunny day (over 100 degrees!) I visited with Lissy and Tyler, who are expecting twins this August (if not sooner). I did a little gift shopping, grabbed some In-N-Out, and rifled through the sweltering hot shed looking for my high school scrapbooks (no luck). Liz and I drove to Pasadena, indulged in marzipan princess cake and rum rolls at Federicos and continued on to the Huntington. The gardens were beautiful and relaxing.

After returning from Pasadena, I visited with my in-laws who had returned from a funeral. I grabbed a 20 minute nap, then drove out to Rancho Cucamonga for Chris and Mary's wedding reception. The ring ceremony and reception was beautiful, and I ran into a lot of friends I was hoping to see. I then drove over to Brett's to his Syttende Mai Norway party. I toasted to Norwegian toasts, and grabbed a plate of Scandinavian desserts to eat on the way to LAX. I dropped of the rental car around 11:30, and made it on the 12:30 flight no problem. Total time in California: 25 hours.

Upstate New York: Since Taylor was hired by the airline, most of our travel has been by airplane (except for our cross-country moving trips). Taylor, Rosie and I had the same three days off for Memorial Day, and despite $4.19/gallon gas prices, were itching to take a road trip. We left around 9 am, endured a 80 minute border crossing at Port Huron, drove through Ontario, Canada to Niagara Falls. We balked at the $20 parking fee to be in the closest lots to the Falls, and drove down the road to a $10 lot with shuttle service. The falls were beautiful and super misty, and a large rainbow stretched across much of the area. We got lucky with the Niagara border crossing, only having to wait 3 cars to enter the U.S. again.

We drove on to Rochester and met up with my old friend Alan, and his girlfriend Liz. We got reacquainted at his place, then drove downtown for dinner. The restaurant had an hour wait, so we drove to High Falls in the meantime.We returned to the restaurant and ate at Dinosaur BBQ, one of the best BBQ I've ever had! Alan also took us for a tour of his laser laboratory at the University of Rochester, where he is working on his PhD.

In the morning, we drove to Palmyra to see the church history sites. We hiked the Moroni Monument, watched a movie in the visitor center, toured the Joseph Smith and Frame homes, enjoyed the Sacred Grove, and finished at the printing press downtown. The drive back to Rochester criss-crossed the Erie Canal several times. We took Alan out for lunch at The King and I Thai, then hit the road back to MI. The best part of the return trip was the clear view of Toronto for much of the drive from the border to Hamilton. Someday the trip will be specifically for Toronto! We arrived home at midnight. Total trip time: 39 hours.

SOMEDAY I'd like to take a trip that I actually have time to relax...

iPod A-Z

I decided to go through the vast majority of my iTunes library alphabetically last week. Between an hour commute each way, and a full-time workday, it doesn't take long for it to add up. I just finished C. I've listened to at least 2 songs per artist, and up to 5 albums per artist. This is what I've listened to so far:

A: A-Ha, ABBA, ABC, Across the Universe soundtrack, Adam Ant, Aimee Mann, Air Supply, Alanis Morissette, Alicia Keys, All American Rejects, Allison Krauss, Allred, Alone Together, America, Amy Grant, Andrea Bocelli, Ani DiFranco, Anna Nalick, Anonymous, Antsy Pants, Aretha Franklin, Avril Lavigne

B: B-52s, Bananarama, Bangles, Barbara Streisand, Barenaked Ladies, Baz Luhrmann, Beach Boys, Beastie Boys, Beck, Bee Gees, Bela Fleck, Belinda Carlisle, Ben Folds, Better Than Ezra, Billy Joel, Black Eyed Peas, Blue Merle, Bob Dylan, Boston, Boyz II Men, Brilliant Absence, Bryan Adams, Buffalo Springfield, Butterfly Boucher

C: Cake, Carol Channing, Carpenters, Carrie Underwood, The Cars, Cary Brothers, Cherie Call, Chicago, Chicago Soundtrack, Chris Daughtry, Chris Isaak, Christina Aguilera, The Clash, Colbie Caillat, Coldplay, Collin Hay, Collective Soul, Corey Hart, Corinne Bailey Rae, Counting Crows, The Cranberries, Culture Club, The Cure

I want to hear your opinion....what's the most bizzare or shocking music selection on my list?

It's Over...mostly

I just submitted my term paper and attachments for my final for my critical writing and reasoning class. I had until midnight MST, but I've been up since 4 am working on it (as I have been 5 out of the last 7 days). I'm exhausted, I've got the minimum length...and I just can't THINK about it anymore. Never in my life have I been more relieved to turn in a "barely adequate" paper. At least that's how I feel about the quality of it. I talked to my academic advisor today, who said that the requirement was to have a submission in by May 15th, but there was a loophole that if it didn't meet the standards on the rubric, I would be able to revise and resubmit it by June 15. So I guess I'm taking advantage of the system...but in a twisted way it seems like exactly the way the worst semester of my life should end.

Tomorrow night I'm still planning on my quickie California trip. I'm hoping to get on the 7:30 pm flight out of Detroit. If I don't make it, I'll be able to coordinate with Taylor's high-speed and take the car home. I want to make it to the Huntington with Liz, Chris and Mary's wedding reception, see my in-laws, grab some In-n-Out, and hopefully see the ocean (Dockweiller Beach is about 10 minutes from LAX). Now that I can purchase Zed passes, I'm feeling a little more confident about flying non-rev on an almost full return flight. Cross your fingers for me!

Happy Mothers Day!

Here's Rosie showing the strawberries she cut up for the Mother's Day strawberry shortcake. She did a good job taking care of me with hugs, kisses, cards, gifts, breakfast in bed, and dessert. It was tough to have Taylor gone for the 2nd Mother's Day in a row, but he'll be home tomorrow night. I talked to my mom, mother in law, and a few mom-friends. I've been influenced by so many women in my life...it was great to talk to them.

To any of you moms who read my blog...

HAPPY MOTHERS DAY!!!

Procrastination...

Today, instead of getting my last two assignments of classwork done for my Critical Writing class, I only got about a paragraph and a half done. I'm sick of the topic I've written on all term, I know I've only got 5 more days to finish the class, have major writers block, and everything else to do seems so much more appealing. Today I have...

-Said goodbye to Taylor for a 3-day trip
-Been to the primary activity day
-Went grocery shopping and turned in our recyclables
-Paid ALL our outstanding bills (Thank you, economic stimulus check!)
-Babysat my neighbor's daughter
-Took a nap
-Took a walk
-Cleaned out the fridge
-Decluttered and took out 3 bags of trash
-Uploaded pictures onto Rosie's Myspace
-Made devil's food banana bread
-Made tentative travel plans for Memorial Day weekend (Niagara Falls, Buffalo, Palmyra?)
-Composed this blog

Part of the reason I'm having a hard time focusing is that I can't submit my current assignment until my prior one is graded (I turned it in 4 days ago, and it's still not graded). But I can't turn in my final paper until the current assignment is graded. There's such a time crunch, but my current assignment requires feedback from the last one. So it's a bit of a waiting game, but I'm hurried at the same time. The joys of online classes. *sigh*

Just 5 more days to go...

Dear Google Reader...

Where have you been all my bloggin' life? You're my new best online friend. It's SO much easier to keep up on my 340,238,123ish blogs that I love?How on earth did I not find out about you until mid-2008?

Your now ;)
Nicole

I'm actually okay...kinda

After posting that last post, I realized that 3 of the 4 prior posts were terribly negative. I'm really not that bad off. I still have $6.27 in my bank account, some groceries that haven't expired, and a husband that's coming home from a trip three-day trip tonight.

Over the last 5 months, I've gotten quite a few comments such as, "Wow, you're keeping it together so well, " or "You're a superwoman for doing all you do." I've dealt with a cross-country move, been unemployed and reemployed, watched my father teeter toward the brink of death and back, took a full-time course load at school, starting organizing my high school reunion, traveled over 30,000 miles, dealt with 5 weeks of illness, been a mom, wife, and a primary teacher. There's uncertainty in my husband's career due to the Delta/Northwest merger. I wonder if my life will ever be simple. I like having a busy life, having friends and social contacts and fun experiences, but it's tiring too.

I have plans to go to Chris and Mary's wedding reception in California in 10 days. A two-day vacation may be my saving grace. I'll try to get out the last flight to LAX Friday night and try my best to get back Sunday morning. I'll soak up the Huntington with Lizzie, celebrate Norway with Brett, see my in-laws, eat some In-N-Out, and see the Pacific Ocean. All that will be worth the non-rev hassle. Just 10 days to go.

Sometimes I wish...

...that I had a XANAX for the anxiety...

...and a VICODIN for the pain...

...and a PROVIGIL to keep me awake after a sleepless night

...and a COMPAZINE for the sick stomach...

It's been a rough day.

(Can you tell I work in the medical field? Don't worry, I'm not a drug addict. I just know my pills by being on Pharmacy and Therapeutics committee.)

CEREC SUX!!!!!

DON'T LET YOUR DENTIST FOOL YOU!!!!

As many of my blog readers know, I've had some pretty terrible experiences with my teeth. From my early years, I dreaded visiting the otherwise lovely Dr. Edvalson from church because I knew the visit would end up in bad news, pain, and unhappy parents who couldn't afford the fillings. I've had some pretty hellacious dental visits in my 28 years, but today took the cake.

I went to my new office in Canton today, as recommended by my coworker. I explained the last 8 months of my dental history, including which teeth had been worked on, pain, sensitivity, and rough edges. He looked in my mouth for less than a minute, and looked me in the eye and said "I've got some bad news."

He came to explain that all of the teeth that I'd opted to have CEREC work done on were done incompetently. The two teeth have have been pushing me toward the Vicodin bottle for the last month were full of decay, and would need a root canal ASAP. The CEREC material was breaking off in chunks, and as I held up the mirror as he scraped...I knew he was right.

For those not familliar with CEREC, it is a dental restoration product that uses 3D technology and CAD/CAM to make a tooth replacement that does not require a dental lab. When I was deciding between CEREC and other crown substances, I was talked into the CEREC because I was told that it will last several years longer than ceramic fused to metal. It can supposedly be done in one office visit, but for some reason I always had to come back for a second visit. CEREC should be used with discretion, as not all patients are good candidates, especially on molars. It also causes a lot of tooth sensitivity, which I've been experiencing for months.

When I had the work done last fall, I had a lousy HMO plan, but the feel schedule said I should have been paying approximately $400 for the crown and buildup per tooth. But for some reason, they kept saying that I was required to pay an extra coinsurance on top of that. All the work ended up being around $2000. I talked to my dental HMO several times, and they told me that it was basically up to the discretion of the office to determine the coinsurance amount. That should have been my first red flag.

Another gripe I had with the office was that I knew I had several teeth that needed work, but very little time till I was moving out of state. In once terrible visit, I was subjected to nearly 5 hours in the chair, being shot, drilled, and bonded in all four quadrants of my mouth. I had asked to have only the most VITAL teeth worked on, and they took the liberty of starting every tooth in one visit. I left the office with a 2 year repayment plan and a majorly bad taste in my mouth.

So here we are...needed a mouthful of work done again, still paying off my shoddy work, and having the worry that my new insurance companies (I'm double covered now) may deny the work because it is less than 5 years old (*#%^*&!!!)

My new dentist suggests that I get the Michigan Board of Dentistry, California Board of Dentistry, and an attorney involved. He said that a reputable dentist would take accountability and refund the work and help cover the cost of restoration, but I have a funny feeling they'll hire their own attorney and find a way to blame it on me. It's going to be an expensive, painful, time-consuming and messy hassle!

Shout out to my sista!

Mary in 2003

Mary in 2008

My sister Mary just got a new haircut, and she looks like a knockout! Amazing what a difference 5 years will make for a girl. My baby sister, the Watson caboose, will be graduating from MHS on May 30! Then off to BYU-Idaho she goes in the fall. Any bets on how long she'll last as a single hottie in Rexburg? Hopefully longer than I did!

Feelin' Ranty

I've just been in a bummer mood today. My weekend started out good, going out with Mike and Erin last night. I woke up this morning and went to the RS humanitarian project where I sewed baby sleeper gowns. But when I got home...it was homework time. I know I've got less than two weeks to go this semester, and it's stressing me out bigtime. I'm neck-deep into my critical writing class, and I'm way too critical of my own writing. So after I finished the assignment I was on, I decided to go to the gym. I went on the eliptical for 30 minutes, and after six weeks of "no exercise" doctors orders...it made me feel yucky. I left with crampy muscles, sweaty body, and a little dizzy. Then I came home to answer a cascade of HS reunion emails. I'd voluntarily agreed to help out with the reunion this year, but it's becoming a burden to coordinate. I have a few people willing to help, but I'm having a hard time delegating because it requires a lot of thinking to give direction. I've been linking up other MHS graduates on the reunion blog, and as I've read through those blogs...I've indirectly found negative feedback on the plans that have been decided. I figure in the last 3 months, I've put in 25 solid hours of emailing, researching, updating the blog, etc. I'm feeling a little taken advantage of...but it's self-inflicted because I agreed to help. *sigh*

Taylor decided to take on a tougher schedule this month, because the high-speed schedule only allows you minimum monthly pay. Finances have been dreadfully tight, so it's a good financial decision. But I've been savoring those hour-and-a-half evening together times (between when I get home from work and he leaves for the airport). It'll take some getting used to.

But in happier news, Michigan is abloom in tulips, daffodils, crocuses, and other spring flowers. The leaves on the trees are sprouting and the "popcorn trees" are full of white and pink blossoms.

Update on my Dad

Several of you have been asking for updates on my dad's progress. He's improving steadily, he's on the final fittings for his C-leg (computerized prosthetic), and he'll be done with his rehab at Aspen Ridge within the next few weeks. You can read up on him at his blog with lots more pictures.

The most shocking news in a while came this week, when Assist Utah came to do an assessment on my parents' house. It's 3 stories, with a steep driveway and curved staircases. To renovate the home, add chair lifts, and make it wheelchair accesible...the potential bid was $40-80 thousand! And this estimate would not include renovations to their steep driveway, which he can't get up on his own in the wheelchair. The planning, contracting, bidding, and construction could take upwards of 4 months, and he'll be ready to leave Aspen Ridge by the end of May. With this info, it appears that finding a new house is a better option long term.

It needs to meet quite a bit of criteria. The driveway must be flat or very slightly inclined. There must be an accessible door to build a wheelchair ramp. There must be doorframes at least 30" wide, which is wider than the standard 28". The toilet area and shower must be wide enough to allow wheelchair access. The list goes on and on.

We'll have more info within the next week or two what will happen with their housing situation. It'll be sad to have to give up the Green Oaks home. It's been 15 years of traditions and memories for my family.

I've been tagged!

I was tagged on this weeks ago, but better late than never!

1. The baby factor -I have approximately 23 friends that are pregnant right now, and 7 friends had at a baby within the last month. Do I feel a little left out? Yes, a little. Am I glad that I only have the responsibility of one? Absolutely! I was one of the first people I knew out of high school to have a baby, and didn't feel ready at the time. Yes, Taylor and I talk about it. and don't feel like the family is complete. I'll wait to have a baby when I darn well please! But please stop asking if my recently increased gut is a pregnancy belly. It's the result of a grapefruit sized ovarian cyst.

2. Soft foods - Since I had all the dental work done in December, I've been suffering from frequent tooth pain. I have sensitivity to hot, cold, and sweet to an extent I'd never experienced. On my left side, I'd totally given up on crispy, crunch, hard, and tough foods. I had three crowns put in on that side, and the angle of the bite doesn't feel quite right. Many of my eating decisions are based on how painful it that food would be to eat. I've been favoring the right side, but in the last three weeks I've been having a lot of jaw pain, and shooting nerve pain up into my eyes. I've got a dentist appointment next week to get it checked out.

3. Not private - I'll admit it, I'm not a private person. I guess that's why I blog. I very loosely hide any secrets about myself, and once the word is out...I blurt everything out without thinking. I also work in the medical field, exposed to all sorts of gross diagnoses and diseases. I think it's all fascinating, and blurt out details that would easily turn your stomach. Sorry...I try to hold back.

4. Necklines - I think I have a weird neckline. Shirts never really seem to fit me right. I usually wear boring crew and scoop neck shirts, because the boat, sweetheart, and square necks show WAY too much. And the V-necks...let's just say that that what shows is better than it used to be. Thank goodness for ModBe, Shades, and Downeast basics for covering the skin that always unintentionally peeks out.

5. Tea Fan - I became a huge fan of herbal tea when I moved to Michigan. It began at a Fairfield Inn in Kearney, Nebraska. It was bitterly cold, I don't drink coffee, and I didn't want to take in all the calories of hot chocolate. I took a few complimentary bags of Tazo's Wild Sweet Orange, and I was hooked. Currently, Stash's Licorice Spice is my favorite.

6. Michigan Drivers - I swear, I'm taking my life into my own hands when I drive in Michigan. There are ridiculously large potholes that never get filled, people try to drive 10 over the speed limit, regardless of the weather. Instead of right turn lanes, they opt for the "swerve" lane. Everyone has their idea of which country route is faster than the freeway, and every one I try disappoints me. Car insurance is more expensive than California here. And American vehicles are king...hands down.

7. Commercial Pilot? - It bugs me like crazy when I tell people that my husband is a pilot, and they follow up with, "Oh, a commercial pilot?" Oh, if they only knew the hellacious training he's endured, and the commercial license was way before the ATP test, type rating, physicals, sim sessions, airline training, etc. We'll be dirt poor for years because he's chosen this "professional" profession. He's worked his way up, and he's an AIRLINE pilot. Sure, it's for a regional with a questionable reputation, but he's got the black suit with the three gold stripes, and his white shirts with the sexy epaulettes. He's more than just a commercial pilot to me.

And who am I tagging? Anyone who hasn't filled out this silly meme since yet. TAG!

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.

More good things...

The 40 minute walk I took on my lunch break in sunny, 75 degree weather

The free tickets to the Ann Arbor symphony from one of the doctors I work with

The daffodils and crocuses that are finally in bloom (still haven't seen any tulips though)

Taylor's bonus check that covered this month's car payment

Finding a store that sells Coke Vanilla Zero and diet Vernon's ginger ale consistently

Putting on capris and sandals after work

Rice Krispy Treats made with strawberry flavored marshmallows

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).