MY MISSOURI FRIEND, TINA!!

So this is my friend from St. Louis, Tina. She has just recently been posting comments on my blog - so I thought I'd introduce her to my California friends as it looks like she may be checking in frequently!

We worked together at St. Louis Children's Hospital in the Pediatric Plastic/Reconstructive Dept. I was a medical secretary at the time and she was a transcriptionist. It was back in the year of 1991 - I think. We had a great time working together (man did we know how to flirt with all the docs!!) and it's all because of me that she's a successful independent medical transcriptionist! I was supposed to get a percentage of her salary as a thank you, but I'm still waiting for that check!! We were friends during some pretty critical points in our lives - purchasing our first homes, getting married, starting new things in our jobs, etc. Tina's a blast and I'm sure if any of my California friends met her you would love her too! We go through spurts keeping in touch - but I love the fact that when we do, it's all still the same and that's what friendships are all about.
We do tend to banter - and she has quite the sarcastic tongue, so don't be surprised if you see some of that come out in our exchanges!!

Oh yeah, Tina B. mind if I post your and Tyler's picture??

MY KNEE HURTS - BOO HOO

Darren's not here right now - went to see Die Hard. It's almost 10pm and I have no one to complain too - so here I am complaining to all you blog lurkers. Most of you know I don't have a knee cap in my right knee - it's just cartilage wrapped around two kite string size sutures. No protection. Well, tonight I got a burst of energy and decided about 8 o'clock to put a brick border around part of our backyard. Then I got these huge pots and planted tall blooming plants in them. I did everything I'm not supposed to do - kneel on it, bend it completely, use my legs to push or pull, etc. I had to do all those things for my backyard project and now my knee is on fire. It's burning, tingling, aching and now it doesn't want to work. When I use it too much like that it gives out and literally doesn't work. So my big ugly black brace comes back on. But I have a cute little strip along my privacy fence. I do the best I can - I'm trying to have a Home and Gardens kind of manicured yard on a Wal-Mart budget.

So thanks for listening - I like that you can't talk back to me!!! :-) If Darren were here he'd just say, "you know you're not supposed to....." which I'm sure you are saying too as you read this!!

I'm waiting for this really cool titanium knee to get approved by the FDA, then I'll be a Bionic Woman!!! They've been working on it since about 1999 and I've been following the progress periodically. How cool would that be?!

MY NEW STUFF!!! So we still have some work to do, baseboards, crown moulding, etc. We are getting plantation shutters on the rest of the windows in the house. Pictures need to be hung, a few more decorative touches....... We are almost finished with our bathrooms. Darren did one of the bathrooms himself and it's VERY cool. That deserves its own blog entry all by itself!! Once the office and the bathrooms are done I'll post a few more updated pics.



This is my new dining room and dining room table. LOVE IT!!! When we put both extensions in the table it seats like 700! Sarah Matulich, if you are reading this, we'll be inviting you and Bob over for a real midwestern Sunday dinner with Darren's mom's home made rolls and all!!







Side view of our island which gives me lots of extra storage space. And I love my matching stools!












Another view of my island with my very cool new stove! I used the grill part this evening - LOVE IT!! Love the two spice drawers next to the oven!



You would think I would have taken off my shoes in another room, huh?! One that I'm taking pictures of!! :-)




This is my new china cabinet that holds china given to us by Darren's mom. That's the wine bottle holder in the corner that goes with it. We don't drink it, but we like the way it looks when it's displayed. Maybe we'll become wine collectors and spend $10,000 on a bottle - or maybe not!!!







A view looking into our new kitchen. The lighting wasn't great - but you have an idea of what it looks like.












A little brighter view of our kitchen. Love the fridge, love the dishwasher, love the microwave (which also is a convection oven!) Love IT!!

I must be a grown up, I'm excited to have a sponge drawer and my favorite part of the kitchen is my garbage disposal button - not switch, but button on the rim of the sink.




Below are pictures of our new bedroom furniture. We painted the walls too - love the color. The furniture are big pieces, so we are currently going to rework the room and do some closet work so it will open up our room more.















So that's it - some of you have e-mailed me about pictures so hope you enjoyed the quick tour of our home!

WEEKEND AT THE WESTIN PALM SPRINGS!!!

We spent an extended weekend at the Westin and enjoyed some fun and sun along with a little desert heat. Unfortunately a water sprinkler or something broke under our room and we came back to our room about 10pm Saturday night to a soaked carpet. Not the entire carpet, but a huge portion. Then later in the evening the big black cockroach looking bugs decided they liked the moisture and paid us a visit! The repair guy worked on it until almost midnight, sawing, hammering and of course there were about half a dozen security guys hanging out, just because, talking, etc. They finally did move us to another room Sunday afternoon, but not before Darren and I had to talk to about three different people as the floor was still soaked and nobody was responding to us. Even Darren, who never gets frustrated or worked up was feeling that way. I told them that they say they are a luxury hotel, yet they don't respond to a guest's complaint about a soaked carpet and that I was amazed at the lack of customer service. One person tells us there are no rooms, another says there is, and yet another says no again. It wasn't even about getting a new room, just deal with the problem - hear us and respond. I asked two different people Sunday morning if the problem was fixed or if they were still working on it, were they going to suck up the water?? "I don't know." That's it. One guy said 'let me check', two hours later we were still waiting for his response. They did credit us the $40 hotel charge for our troubles. Whatever!!

But as you can see from the pictures it is a beautiful place. We spent Saturday night by the pool - the adult pool - which was really relaxing. It was perfect weather and the grounds are so beautiful to look at. We shopped - hit the outlet mall - and we have nine of our ten nieces and nephews Christmas already bought!! I love when you find that perfect give for the perfect price! Sunday we shopped more, went to a movie and hung out in our dry hotel room! Monday was a lazy day - but on the way home we decided to stop at the outlets so I could get those Waterford salt and pepper shakers I wanted Saturday but didn't get. They were already gone - bummer. I did find another pair, but they were $148 - couldn't bring myself to spend that much on salt and pepper shakers - but boy did I hold them a long time and ponder about it!!

It was a great weekend and our house was still intact from Matt and Kyle staying here! !! My recycle can had lots of soda cans in it and our fridge had lots of left over dips, slice cheese, crackers - things like that. I'm thinking there was a social gathering!!! :-)

WHAT DOES YOUR DRAWING SAY ABOUT YOU???

I've seen this on other blogs so I thought I would give it a try - I'm not so sure the person they are describing below is me. My drawing a little embarrassing since Jenny Platt did hers with a baby in one arm and a mouse in the other!!

http://drawing.feedbucket.com/

The results of your analysis say:

You tend to pursue many different activities simultaneously. When misfortune does happen, it doesn't actually dishearten you all that much.
You have a peaceful mind, viewing the world with calm and serenity. To you, life is not about struggle and strife but about existence and co-existence.
You are creative, mentally active and industrious.
You have a sunny, cheerful disposition.

I HAVE A BLOG?? WHEN DID THAT HAPPEN??!!

I see that Lori and Donna have still been checking in even though I haven't blogged for a while! Thanks for that!

I will take pictures in the next couple of days and post them. It is nearly complete and it's so beautiful! I LOVE IT!!! We are going to have a party soon - Darren's really set on having one, I'm not so sure. People want to come see it, I know, but I guess a housewarming party after a remodel sounds like a "come look at my new stuff," kind of party.

Darren and I are still married after the reconstruction! I do believe that saying is true, "if a couple can make it through a rennovation, they can make it through anything." I didn't do well during all of it - thank goodness Darren is a very patient man!

During all the mess I found out I had a lesion on my pituitary gland. It was causing a miscommunication between my gland and the organs that it's in control of. They were talking brain surgery! YIKES!! But thankfully Jesus came through for me yet again. I'm on a medication that's actually made for people with Parkinson's. Funny thing about it - if I had Parkinson's it would help all that Parkinson's does to a body, but since I don't, it actually causes those things - dizziness, at times extreme, weakness, headaches.....so weird. But the blood work that was so off the charts high is now coming down and things are starting to work again! Hopefully as my blood work normalizes the lesion will shrink and not turn into an actual full fledged tumor.

So for a couple of weeks I was quite the mess - but again, my patient husband and my Jesus walked along side me and held my hand.

Darren and I are going away for a three day weekend - just to kick back, shop, and relax some. I'm really looking forward to it. Kyle Cherryholmes and Matt Leuht (sp?) are staying here - we may need to redo our house again when we get back!!!! :o)

Now that all my whining and complaining has died down - although I wouldn't be me if I didn't do that a little bit! - I'll get back to blogging!

Are you happy now Donna?????