My Nephew, The Dancer

My little nephew Benjamin Scott can really bust a move...check him out at a wedding we went to last weekend.

My Cousin Is Famous!

My cousin Stephanie Durant won the "Love at First Sniff" contest sponsored by Gain and she got to take the stage with Mandy Moore at a private concert in Chicago. Check out the video below!

Lots of Shoveling!

Kristie and I have been talking about putting in a garden for a long time and with the Cavaliers still waiting for their next opponent, I was lucky enough to have this weekend off. So...we ordered up 5 yards of top soil and 5 yards of mulch and it was delivered on Saturday.

Okay...two things. 5 yards of top soil is a LOT of top soil. And 5 yards of mulch is a LOT of mulch. 1 yard of mulch too many, but we found places to put it eventually...plus we put it on a little thicker than normal. We actually used some of the leftover topsoil to build up some of the flower beds in the backyard and we added a River Birch tree and a few other plants.

Once we finished the garden, we added some deer fencing around it to protect our crops and then planted all of our seeds. Hopefully, in a few weeks we will see onions, peppers, broccoli, spinach, lettuce, cantaloupe and more sprouting up. We also have a bunch of tomato plants that have come back from last year.

We are glad we are finished so we can give our feet and backs a nice break! Pictures below.

Time flies

I can't believe it's been so long since we posted anything. Maybe a blog isn't really for us... :)

I have been swamped between work and school. I had my midterm for my Operations class on Saturday and I am sure that I did poorly on it. Oh well, at least there are other items that I will be graded on for that class. I had a group project in there already and that is turning out great - too bad it's not worth more points. I have a big paper due in my Negotiations class the end of April. I know what I will write on but now I just have to do it. I'll be done with classes April 25. I'll have all of May off before I start my summer class. I feel like I am just going through the motions now. I just want to be done with my degree as soon as possible. Don't get me wrong, I am getting a lot of out these classes but I feel like it's been going on forever. In about a year, I'll just about be done. And I cannot wait for that.

Jeff is keeping very busy also. The Cavs are doing so well this year (again) so that takes a lot of his time. He is also really good about helping with everything around here. He makes our lunches for us usually each Sunday for the week. That is so helpful.

I survived my 33rd birthday this week. Doesn't seem possible and I don't feel it. Well, OK, so I am getting some more gray hairs that I keep having to hide. That makes a little more real. We went to The Melting Pot in Fairview Park for my birthday - it was SO good. If you have never been, I highly recommend it. It is on the expensive side but it's nice for a special occasion.

We went to Jeff's parents house today. They had us over for my birthday which was really nice. Great dinner and lots of fun with our nephews Mikey and Dominic. They are so cute.

Winter time

We are surviving winter in Northeast Ohio. Over the last few weeks, we have gotten about a foot and a half of snow at our house. Living on the west side of Cleveland, we didn't anticipate getting this much snow, but we are dealing with it. The snow plows are running out of room to put the snow.

Jeff and I are continuing our work out schedule. Usually every other day there is cardio and some weights. Jeff keeps us rotating between arms, back, stomach and legs so that we aren't over-working any one part. I feel much better and my clothes are fitting better, I just haven't seen the scale move much yet. I am going to increase my vegetable consumption, I'm sure that will help. We are eating more fish. OK, I am eating more fish. Jeff has been eating a lot of fish for awhile now. I'm just trying to keep up.

My classes seem to be going well so far. I think I will get some good information out of both of them. I'm sure when the exam for Operations rolls around, I'll be nervous, but that's a given. A lot of the people that I first started in the program with are graduating in May. They have take a few more classes than me so they will be finished sooner. I'm jealous but I know that my time will go by quickly. I've met a lot of really great people in the program so far.

Getting back to reality

Well, it's clearly been awhile since I have given any updates. The holidays were full of uncertainty as we attempted to celebrate our holiday "firsts" without my Mom. She was sorely missed, most notably at the Christmas eve candlelight service at the church. We survived them as best that we could. My Dad is doing as well as can be expected at this point.

We spent time with all of the family over the holidays. I even got to see Amy, my best friend from high school. She is living in Florida now with her husband and two sons. They came up for a few weeks and Jeff and I went to dinner with them on Jan 3 in New Phila. It was so good to see her.

As for most of you, the new year brings resolutions. For me, it's no different. I have been trying to lose weight for awhile now and have made a vow for 2009. It didn't help that I found out I had high cholesterol in December when I went to the doctor. Now I have a really good reason to lose weight, as if I didn't before. It has actually been great motivation for me. Jeff has been coaching me. We are working out together 3-4 times a week and I have really been watching what I am eating. I'm a sucker for sweets, chocolate, breads, you name it. If its not in the house, I won't eat it. So, as long as I make sure there are other options for me in the house, I won't try to make anything I'm not supposed to be eating. I've lost 2 pounds so far, which doesn't seem like much, but I can tell a difference. Plus we are doing cardio and weights so I am getting stronger and probably gaining some muscle mass.

In addition to getting healthier this year, I am also going to get back to taking classes. I took off the fall term because I just wouldn't have been able to focus on anything. For the spring term, I am taking a Negotiations class as well as Operations Management. Negotiations starts tomorrow night. I think it will be a worthwhile class. I'm not sure what to expect out of Operations. I guess I'll find out soon enough.

I took Jeff to the airport this afternoon. He is flying to Phoenix for some NBA meetings. He gets home early Wednesday morning. I'll be hanging out with the two kitties in the meantime. They are good company to have. Happy New Year!

Vegas, Baby

Kristie and I spent last week in Las Vegas. Kristie had a Federal Student Aid conference at Bally's / Paris, so I thought I'd tag along for some fun. Kristie went on Monday and I ended up getting there Tuesday night.

Kristie's conference sessions were during the day, which left us the evenings to do dinner and sightseeing. Wednesday night, we took a cab down to Fremont street which is old downtown Las Vegas. For those of you who have not been there, I highly recommend you make the trip down there. There is a canopy over the entire street where they do a video light show each hour on the hour in the evenings. The casinos are older, but the gambling is different than the strip. During the day you might very well find $1.00 Black Jack tables.

The week we went, the National Rodeo Championships just happened to be in town, so there were tons of cowboys on Fremont street. There were a few free country acts performing on the street as well. We saw Lady Antebellum for a song or two.

The ride back from Fremont Street to the Strip was entertaining. We decided to take the double-decker bus (aka "The Deuce") since it was only $2.00 per rider. We were not quite sure how it worked, so when the bus pulled up and its sign read "SSTT" as the destination, we were hesitant to get on. We asked the bus driver where he was headed and he told me he didn't know. I proceeded to ask him this question a few more times, hoping for a better answer, but he kept telling us he didn't know. He did so as he tore our tickets and closed the bus door behind us and started moving. Eventually he led on that he was heading towards the Strip. Just a few moments later, some girls tried to get on the bus...they had hurricanes (Giant alcoholic drinks) and the bus driver wouldn't let them on. The one girl kept asking why not and the bus driver explained that open containers are not allowed on the bus. She then asked "Are you serious?" and then the bus driver replied "Are you serious?" and then the girl asked again..."Are you serious?"to which the bus driver replied "Are you serious?" This went on for a good minute. Kristie and I were bursting with laughter. Finally the bus left, without the drunk girl. A few miles down the road, we overheard the bus driver talking to himself. He was repeating "Are you serious?" over and over. So funny.

The next day we went up to the top of the Eiffel Tower. The view is really amazing up there. Especially when the fountains at Bellagio are going off. There is a HUGE construction project going on just to left of Bellagio.

Later that night, we went to the Treasure Island buffet which was amazing! They had ever type of food you can ask for, plus great desserts. We were super excited to go to see "Le Reve" at the Wynn that night. A friend of mine knows a girl who performs in that show so we were able to get half price tickets. We've never really seen a show before in Vegas. It was unreal. From what I hear, it is similar to Cirque du Soleil. There was a center round stage that was all water. There were probably a total of 40 performers that did amazing acrobatics and dance...the stage came out of the water. It was about 70 minutes long.

Oh...and gambling. We did okay. I lost a bunch at Ultimate Texas Hold 'Em, but made some back on Roulette, the Sports Book, and Black Jack. Kristie was hot on the slots so we ended up + $15 on the trip. Can't complain!