What the HECK is going on!?!?

I woke up around 8:00am to some loud ruckus coming from the apartment above me. The noise also sounded like it was coming from outside? I peek out my window and don't see anything, lay in bed a while longer, the ruckus is still going on at 8:45! Get out of bed, I needed to start my day anyway, and look out the other window in the spare bedroom. I saw a pile of furniture and a BBQ (with the coals) all on the ground outside! WHAT THE HECK IS GOING ON!!!??? Then I saw a guy from above throw a pillow down onto the pile, I jumped to the conclusion that this was a jealous husband, or a neighbor who just snapped and was going buzzerk! Not sure with what was happening, I called the apartment office and told them they need to get over here quickly, my neighbor has lost it, he is throwing stuff over the balcony out side making a huge mess and it doesn't seem right. She then told me that the maintenance guys are over there cleaning out an apartment, but didn't know they were chucking stuff over the balcony like that. So this wasn't a jealous boyfriend or some crazy man living up stairs above my apartment.


I looked out the window again and was watching them throw stuff over, and seeing it all just land in the ever growing pile of abandoned stuff! The guy said that the people who use to live in the apartment have been gone for 5 weeks straight, and never came back. The people just upped and left, leaving everything behind. The maintenance men are now there to clear it all out and have to have the apartment ready for others to move in by next Wednesday! WILD!

So I am watching them throw things out, and I see an Ab Lounge, SCORE! I asked if I could have it and they said, “Why not it is all going to be thrown out, anyway.” AUSOME! The Ab lounge is sold at stores for $100 and I have also seen it on infomercials and I have always wanted one, but thought it was too expensive to bother. But if it is free and Elvis has left the building then hey, I get a free Ab Lounge!

Thanks to abandoned furniture in the apartment above me, I will have Abs of steel in no time! LOL.

This was the highlight of my day, to what started out as a rude awakening.

Photos to come, as soon as BLOG will let me post them, I am having technical difficulty.
Leave a comment with what item you have scored in the past for free! I want to know.

Birthday Girl!

Thank you everyone who sent me birthday wishes. I had birthday phone calls, cards, E-cards sent to my email, and an Instand Message from a friend wishing me a Happy Birthday. You know who you are and you are so sweet to think of me on my B-day!

I pampered myself today, starting out with an hour massage, washed the car, (went to the grocery store) and then out to dinner at Fuji Sushi! Being 28 is fun!

I took this photo with my camera set to the timer. Titled: Living the life of a 28 year old. =)

Happy Birthday To Me!

It is official! Mark this day in history, August 19th, 2006. I am 28 and it feels great!

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So many people, women mostly, turn 30 something or more and they either lie about their age and say that they are 27-29, or say they wish they were 28 again... Well I am that age number now and it does feel good. Twenty-eight, the age most people say they want to be, the age of before they are 30+. It is strange to be the age everyone is striving to relive. I am in a good point in life; 28 is a good age, I just hope I enjoy this age number to it's fullest since it sounds like such a great age to be at. I hope to enjoy every age number I experience. The golden age of 50 will be great and turning the age of retirement (65?) will be nice, and hopefully I will be in good health on my 100th birthday too.

I think I have lived through a couple of memorable age numbers.

6 is when I was a big girl and started elementary school, also my little brother was born, turning me into the "big sister" I felt very special at age 6.

12 going into 13. I remember making a paper chain to count down the days to when I turned 13! 13 is the age that symbolizes me as an "official teenager", and I was no longer a "kid." thir-TEEN!

19 is when I started dating Andrew. Another great part to being 19 almost 21, some drinking of the beverages (water of course), and just being in college together.

22 I went to Korea and upgraded my flight last minute to first class! I had only been to Mexico before that, and we were young, and wanted to enjoy our 12 hour flight to Korea. I had never flown 1st class before, or ever since. Probably because my recent flights are all 2 hours at most, and I fly Southwest which doesn't even have the 1st class option.

23 and 24 was one complete age number for me to experience. The year didn’t have a stopping point. I was engaged to Andrew and was a bridesmaid in my best friends wedding two months before my own. Genoa and I had fun planning both weddings together and she was one of my bridesmaids as well. Every moment of 23-24 was fun, and romantic, and new hopes. After Genoa’s wedding then it was my birthday and I was turning 24 years old and getting married 12 days later! Then the holidays came around and these were the first holidays celebrating as newly weds.

27 is when we made a huge change in our lives by moving out of state away from California. California is where both of us grew up, our lives were molded there and we didn’t know anything about living in the snow, or Ohio. We were introduced that year to a whole new lifestyle change and also to our new career changes.

28 I will have to see what defining moments this age number brings me. Maybe we will be first time home buyers at age 28? Or finalizing all college education, to move onto the next step of clarifying where I want to go in a career direction. We are Missourians now at the ripe young age of 28, and ready to enjoy what life gives me.

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Once upon a time...

I dedicate this short story blog to my long time friend, Genoa. She remembers being in a class together in grade school where we were given a time limit to write a short story; and how I couldn't think of anything to write so I wrote down something like, "once upon a time, there was a girl...The end!" I couldn't think of anything to write and I was only given a short time to make something up! So here it is about 20 years later and I wrote this short story in 15 minutes, just for you Genoa.


Once upon a time there was a boy and a girl. The boy went off to the distant land of New York, to train for his new job for 7 weeks; while the girl stayed in the land of Ohio.

One day, on a sunny afternoon, the girl meet up with not one but two princes; named mover 1 and mover 2. They started an adventure off to the far off land of Missouri. Prince mover 1 and Prince mover 2 unloaded all of her belongings into the new castle. When the two Princes were finished they set off in their long white carriage back to Ohio to help out the next damsel in distress.

The girl was left all alone in the new castle, left to unpack and fend for herself until the day comes to where the boy and the girl are together once again.

The boy calls the girl each night to wish her sweet dreams, and calls her during the day to check in on her and see that she is safe and ok in her new Kingdom.

Soon the boy and the girl will be reunited in the magical land of Missouri, where they will live in their castle together, happily ever after.

The End


*cartoon of Andrew and Martiel~ drawn by a cartoonist at the PHC holiday party, Dec. 2005.

Two reasons to celebrate this weekend!

According to 123 greetings, an online greeting card site, there is a left hander’s holiday! It is on August 13, this Sunday. Happy left hander’s day to all of my fellow lefties out there! I am a lefty as well and I am going to celebrate it the right way! (Pun intended!)

This weekend is also my inlaws wedding anniversary. I would like to wish a Happy Anniversary to Judi and Bob. They have been married for 32 years! Judi and Bob have two wonderful sons, one of them being my hubby ~ Andrew, the other Jordan. They are expecting their first grandchild through Jordan and Kyoung in the fall. Andrew and I are also excited to become an Aunt and Uncle, but to become grandparents is a beautiful thing.

Myspace Codes: MyNiceSpace.com

Bob and Judy are living a beautiful life so far. They raised a family, been married for 32 years, have two handsome, grown sons, and two beautiful daughter-inlaws (Kyoung & I), and now to become soon to be grandparents...they have achieved alot over the years. Happy Anniversary you two for many more great moments to share together.

http://www.123greetings.com/

UPS man

Nosey little UPS man. I shut him up, hahaha.

I heard a load nock at my door, and answer the door to a UPS man with a package. He says, "Watch out this looks like it is from the IRS!" I replyed, "It's OK we work for the IRS." His face went pale, and then handed me the package like a scared little boy, "Have a nice day."

What is his story, is he backed up on taxes? hiding from the IRS? His reaction was timeless, I just closed the door and started laughing to my self. I don't know why so many people are scared of the IRS? If you pay your taxes and do things accordingly you should have no trouble. Don't worry about it!

The revised version of an email I recieved.

I received this original forward email from my father-in-law, then I typed up a
counteract to this email, pointing out that women are just as "happy" and have it
easy too. Enjoy.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
-----Original Message-----Sent: Wednesday, August 02, 2006 Subject: FW: Men
are HappierMEN

Men Are Just Happier People-- What do you expect from such simple creatures?
Your last name stays put. The garage is all yours. Wedding plans take care of themselves.
You can be President. You can never be pregnant. You can wear a white T-shirt to a
water park. The world is your urinal (GROSS). You don't have to stop and think of which
way to turn a nut on a bolt.

Same work, more pay. Wrinkles add character. Wedding dress $5000. Tux rental-$100.
People never stare at your chest when you're talking to them. One mood all the time.

A five-day vacation requires only one suitcase. You can open all your own jars.
Everything on your face stays its original color.

The same hairstyle lasts for years, maybe decades. You only have to shave your face and
neck. You can do Christmas shopping for 25 relatives on December 24 in 25 minutes.

No wonder men are happier. Send this to the women who can handle it and to the men
who will enjoy reading it.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Here is where I counteract the MENs happiness, and that women can also do these and
more!

“You can be President.” !!!! Women can be president too! (vote for Hillary or Ms. Rice) =)
A woman can choose to change or keep their last name or hyphenate it, they are happy
to have the option. The garage belongs to the wife, she parks her car in there and has it
all organized to her liking, you are parked out side. =) Women like to plan the wedding, so
they are happy too. If they don’t, they hire a wedding planner and “the plans take care of themselves”.

Being pregnant IS a happy moment. Women are happy to hold the gift of life, men are
sad they can't. =) Women have the helpful phrase, Lefty loosy, righty tighty” to help
remember the turning of a spout or screwing a nut.

“Same work more pay” not necessarily any more, the IRS pays by grade level and
not by gender for pay. David’s Bridal sells wedding dresses for $99, for happy women.
So it is not just the tux rental that is $100. I know of women starring at men’s chest
while talking, they are either distracted by the men’s pecks and strong frame, or notice
chest hair poking out of a buttoned shirt. =) “One mood all the time”, NOT! Men have
their temper and lazy mood, and steamed mood…

Now days a five day vacation, men bring more than one bag, the other bag is for all
of his techno gadgets, the laptop, iPod, cell phone, game player, mini radio, etc.

“The same hairstyle lasts for years, maybe decades” =) Only if the hair stays around
for decades to keep the same hairstyle. LOL. Gotcha!

Pass this on to the Men you think are tough enough to read this and to women you
know will get a good laugh.

New York New York it's a Beautiful Site...

I went to NY to visit Andrew over the weekend and figured we would site see the typical touristy stuff. There is the usual site seeing of the Statue of Liberty, Central park, Empire State Bldg, an art museum, etc.
Here is where the Twin Towers use to be, now at Ground Zero. A nice part to this was an artful cross made out of some of the remaining steal beams. It looked so empty there and to see the tall building next to where it once was is hard to imagine it is smaller than the size of the Twin Towers. Does this make sence? If the towers were here today the "tall" building in the photo would be seen as "short" in comparison to the towers. This just boggles my mind.



Instead of the usual touristy spots, we went to all of the non-traditional spots of New York. It was fun and we just played it by ear as to where to go next. We started by taking the subway down to the docks to buy tickets for a show at half price; we bought 2 tickets to see The Producers for Sunday.

The play was hilarious! The Producers was a play inside a play, too funny.






While we were on Fulton Street getting the tickets, we came across the Bodies Exhibit. This was truly modern, educational, and emotional. The Bodies Exhibit displayed deceased bodies preserved to show the human muscles, bone structure, blood vessels and even some very intricate details of the human body, like the lungs, or hands.

{***I warn you to stop reading if your just ate lunch, this part may be a little morbid, or uncomfortable to read, skip to the next paragraph where I talk about the rest of NY ***} There was one section where the fetuses were displayed to show the progression of growth starting at 2 weeks to 8 months stages of a pregnancy. This section I was most impressed by, and at the same time deeply saddened by it. I thought about how these babies didn't get a chance to live, and at the same time it was interesting to see their tiny toes, fingers and little back bone all formed at such an early stage, I believe was at 6 weeks. It really hit me when another girl gasped out loud at the next display I had not seen yet; I looked over to see a Mother body showing the 6 month stage of a baby inside the tummy still. This meant that the mother died during her pregnancy and so did the baby. This was the most disturbing to see, in the fact that this display was real and not a mock up model, it was once an expecting mother with family and friends. I don't know her story, she may have had complications with the pregnancy or died some other way, but she has now been donated to this museum for people to learn and scientifically examine. This whole exhibit was an experience of its own. I cried after seeing the baby section. Then there was a part displaying organs, like the heart, and lungs. The display showed a "healthy lung" all beige with some black specs on it. Then a “smoker’s lung” displayed with grey and black markings all around the lungs, no beige areas. I think if smokers saw this and ever thought about quitting they might quit immediately after seeing the smokers lung. I have only smoked about 4 cigars in my whole life time and NO Cigarettes, so my lungs are hopefully more like the beige lung with just a little black spot from those 4 cigars. I will defiantly not smoke after seeing that. The cigars I smoked were shared with Andrew here and there when we are in Vegas or more recently on the 4th of July in KY we shared a cherry flavored cigar; even then I was discussed by the after taste and decided it wasn't for me. I am glad I never got hooked on smoking. It would have been interesting to see a liver displayed showing the effects of alcohol. I do casually drink, and love my Apple martinis. I didn't see a ‘damaged’ liver on display.

This may all sound morbid to you, reading this. I guess it sounds worse than it really was. The exhibit was tastefully pieced together and thought out. The exhibit was not really gory or morbid at all. It was an experience to see and really educational. If you are at all interested to see it, the exhibit is located on Fulton Street, NY in Manhattan.

Next subject, we also went down to where the Statue of Liberty is and had a nice walk along the water front. I found my knockoff purses! Street venders were selling “Prada”, “LV”, “Coach”, you name it; they had them all there on the sidewalk for $20 bucks! You bet your bottom dollar I bought one! I of course had to get the matching wallet too. The guy tried selling me the wallet for $2o and I said, “Not when I bought the purse for 2o, I’ll give you 10 dollars.” He said 15, I said NO, 10, we settled at 12 dollars for the knockoff Prada wallet. I probably could have bought it for the ten, but was happy at 12. So I went to NY and found the knock offs which is exactly what I wanted. I don’t care if it is “Praduh” why pay $600 or more for a Prada if I can get a Praduh for $20! (The purse reads Prada on it, with the little triangle). I sort of wish I also bought a “Coach” one too. Oh well. If you are feeling sorry for me and want me to have the real Prada version, I accept gifts, and my birthday is coming up in August. (Wink, wink Mom).

We also went to the Museum Of Sex. There is a sign in the window reads, “Please no touching, licking, or mounting of our displays” LOL! It starts off with some history of sex shown through the Japanese and their comic strips and information about Geisha girls verses the brothel house women. Geisha girls only danced and looked pretty they didn’t do the sexual favors, as the women did in brothels. An interesting tid- bit of information is the married women shave their eye brows, so if a “call girl” worked there and didn’t have eye brows you should know she is married and unfaithful. The women with eye brows are not married. So in the comic strips there were drawing of some women working and they didn’t have eyebrows, they were the unfaithful ones in the story line. The museum went on to show DVDs playing cartoon porn, in Anime style. These DVDs and videos are now replacing the art of the comic books; and are now known as a lost art. Proceeding into the next section showed some footage of some of the first silent stag films made back in 1914 and were the start of Stag films, known today as Porn. I think the word Stag sounds more pleasant than Porn. “Porn” sounds so naughty, I would rather admit to watching a Stag film. ;^)

The last part of the museum was the toy inventions and 3-D art. Some of the displays had a red button to push and it would activate the toy, in order to see what it did. There were some wild ones there, one was a toy attached to the end of a power saw! (eek!) Andrew took a picture of my pushing the red button to one, and I jumped not knowing what the brief case did. (photo below)

The brief case has a toy that pops out and then spins around at the end of a pole. Strange and funny, to imagine someone holding this brief case in a crowded elevator some where downtown New York. I could just picture it. LOL
DON'T PUSH THE RED BUTTON!




Another part to New York that we saw was Wall Street. We came across the famous copper bull statue. I wanted to get a photo opp next to it; but everyone else was up near the front of the bull taking photos by its head, so I thought to go to the back of the bull and grab life by the balls!


Another tid-bit of information is this Trump building was originally built to be the tallest building in New York! Little did Trump know that today in 2006 buildings since then have been built taller than this "tall" building. Sorry Mr. Trump, you can put all the gold detail you want on it, but it isn't the tallest building in New York. Funny how we can't predict the future and at the moment in time we think we have the best of the best.

Andrew and I had a lot of fun in New York, even if it wasn’t the traditional touristy stuff we ended up seeing.