DHL Disaster

Dad phone got stolen when he was at work right before Christmas. We called and Asurion was nice enough to send a replacement right out. Thank God for insurance. Phone arrives and it won't work. It's been refurbished they tell me. Well, refurbished or not, it's not working. No problem, it's covered under warranty so we'll send a new one with a DHL tag to send back the defective one. Mom sat home all day waiting for the delivery which never came. She called Asurion to see what was going on, gets the tracking number and finds that DHL says they delivered it around noon yesterday. NOT!! I get on the phone to DHL at 9:40 with a very nasty lady who tells me (after "confirming" my number - which was wrong) that it'll be an hour or two before I hear anything. Keep in mind my mother's at home yet again waiting for this delivery which needs to be signed for. I say that's not acceptable and I want an answer by 10:30 a.m. No problem she tells me. Well, at 10:36 I call back because I haven't heard anything. "Ben" politely answers and apologizes for the trouble. He also tells me that I've got another 45 minutes to wait because she wasn't supposed to promise me an answer by 10:30. So now he tells me I'll have an answer by 11:30. Guess what, by noon I still had no answer so I call back again. This time I get an even nastier girl who tells me to "deal with it you'll have a call by 2:00". Deal with it? Is this customer service? I think not. I tell her my lawyer will handle it with her corporate office & hang up. Nope, not gonna bother. I call Asurion back to let them know what's going on. I get a very nice woman named "Karen" who spends the next hour with me on the phone and DHL trying to get it straightened out. By the end of the hour she told me I had to wait until all the drivers were back (did I mention he said he left it in my back hall..... odd since he'd have to get through a locked gate and door....... or he might have left it at the wrong house). We have to wait for them to declare the package lost then Asurion can send me a new phone and for all my troubles I'm getting extra accessories for the phone. I was so relieved to have delt with a nice person who not only calmed me down but got answers in an hour I couldn't get in 4hrs. To Little Miss Deal With It........ I've already sent your name and response in a letter to your corporate office. I hope something happens so you can "Deal With It."

Baking Boo Boo

My friend Caron gave me a starter bag of the Amish Friendship bread which turned out great. I got stuck with the following starter bags though because the ladies who agreed to take them are out until after the first of the year.... beyond the baking date.

Well, today was baking day; thought I'd put a loaf in the box to Dion. Glad I didn't just wrap it up and send it off. Part of the recipe says you can substitue the vanilla pudding for chocolate. GREAT!!! I love chocolate and this should be yummy, right? WRONG!!! It turned my bread GREEN!!! I'm talking Emerald City green. Ugh, ladies / gentlemen, still to the recipe.

RIP Bhutto

This morning I learned that PM Bhutto had been shot. While I mourn her loss and the positive change she would undoubtedly have brought to her country, I'm troubled that more people are attacking the US and President Bush specifically for not keeping her safe. She is a grown woman who knew what she was getting into. Where was her own country's security? Where were her own guards? I'm all for being a "Big Brother" to the world when needed but we're not the world Mother. At some point other countries need to take responsibility for themselves and stop blaming us. What would happen if we stopped everyone from attacking other countries? Then we'd be called lazy for not stepping in. We're basically in a no-win situation. My heart goes out to the family of former P.M. Bhutto and I hope whoever takes her place continues with her dream of a peacful Pakistan but please, stop blaming us for something we had NOTHING to do with.

Costly Cough

I got sick & tired of being sick and my family couldn't take my constant hacking any longer. Dad sore this natural stuff he buys at Wegmans would help.... I've been hacking up a lung for over 2 weeks so why not. So off to Wegmans we go and he buys this Bolthouse Farms C-Boost. You know what, at $3.99 for a large bottle, it's better than any perscription I tried. I've picked up a couple more of the large bottles and plan to make a small bottle part of my once-weekly regiment. It's got cherries, camu camu, apple juice and mango puree. It's a bit thick and a little too sweet for my taste but it's effectively stopped my cough and I couldn't be happier. Check it out!

Annual Abbott Christmas party

Well, last night was my annual Christmas party. I had been taking Dayquil and Nyquil for the last couple of days so didn't exactly feel like I was on death's door when everyone arrived. Of course we had way too much food, plenty to drink and the right amounts of fun & laughter. It's so great when we all get together! Glad Phil actually got out of that shirt, even if he was happy about "fitting" into something 3 sizes smaller!!!

Medical Update

I seem to have caught whatever is going around again. I just hope it's not that bronchial thing again I had 5 years ago. That was awful.

Anyway, I wanted to let you all know that the Metformin is working. My insulin resistance has gone down from 61.1 to 23. It's still high but much better than before. My thyroid medicine got upped from 125 mg to 137 but that's ok. I'm going tomorrow a.m. for a CAT scan. Apparently the left side of my body doesn't have the mobility that my right side does and my primary is concerned about the headache's I've been getting. He said a lot could be stress (um, yeah, it's the end of campaign so no shock there) but he wants to get it looked at just to play it safe.

We also talked about if I should have the Gastric Bypass surgery like my father did. He told me that he's had a number of patients go throught it with great success, he thinks I'd be a good candidate and warned that it's a long road to get approval and I need to get moving on it if I want to have this done. I'm 124lbs overweight and am at high risk for a bunch of nasty stuff so of course I want to have this done. Thing is I'd want it done in late April or early May which is my downtime at work. Mom want5s it done in July when it's her down time. So much for having it done together! LOL One site dad recommends is obesityhelps.com. If you or anyone you know is thinking about the surgery, here's a good place to start.

Happy, Heathly Holidays!!!

Makeover Mayham or Magic?

Last weekend things were going really well in regards to our bathroom make over and I thought we'd actually have it all done in time for the party on Saturday. Think again. On Monday dad was framing in the shower and hit a pipe. No big deal normally but it pulled one end out of the end from another pipe and we had a leak. It all dried out but here's the funny part. My mother and I were in the kitchen downstairs and she asked me to bring up the laundry basket. "Sure" I said, "just let me go to the bathroom because I've really got to pee." Well, you can guess what happened. That's when the pipes came apart and yours truly was right underneath.
Did I mention that on Sunday when we ran the water through for the first time to check for leaks, I'd turned the one shut off valve the wrong way and got a face full of ice cold water. Heck guys, if I stunk you could have just said so. I'd have taken a shower on my own! LOL

So tonight my father & brother got the pipes put back together, the heating vent is in, the new ceiling is up- and the walls are painted (for the most part) but we still won't be ready in time for Saturday. Instead of tile we'll put carpet down to cover the subfloor - sorry chris and those who read this & attend lol - and the walls won't be perfect but it'll be functioning and look totally different from the last time anyone's seen in. In fact, there's a lot of changes between this year & last. The fish are now gone (anyone want a 55 gallon tank?), the bathroom looks completly different, we've got a new light fixture in the dining room thanks to dad and I think that might have been in. Originally I included the bathroom being done in that list but a few more weeks and we should be all set to go. Good thing because on January 15th it's mom's turn to host the ladies from school and they'll be here. Kari's having a couple girlfriends sleep over for her birthday and I said they could be upstairs to keep them out of my mother's hair. Then before you know it, April will be here and it'll be my turn to host the annual girls night again. It's honestly one of my favorite nights of the year, right next to Christmas. We just let loose and have fun.
Ahh..... more to come.
Happy Holidays!!!

Potty Progress

It was a pretty banner weekend at my house. This weekend - mostly on Sunday - my brother & I got the frame up in the bathroom for the ceiling, installed the joists and put up the first piece of drywall. We didn't put the 2nd and final one up because dad's putting in a fan tomorrow and promised to start framing in the shower. Saturday was a big day for the simple fact mom & I got the fish tank emptied and the plumbing had it's first official run-through after being "done". No leaks except in the basement which my brother & father figured out. Apparently the guts of the one shut off valve melted so they just replaced it with one they had. The prime & paint are on the wall and if it keeps going this well, I'll definately be ready for my party on Saturday. I also just need to keep clear of the "bug" going around. Kari already seems to have it. Yikes! Kudos to my brother for all the great work he's done on the bathroom. He rocks!

1-2-3 Cookie

Got a great new recipe and made this cookie for my friends. You can change what you put in them (just look for the **) and it's sooooo easy!!!

1 packet (from the box) graham crackers made into crumbs
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1 cup chocolate chips ** - I substituted this with choclate chunks in one batch and choc/pb chips in another

mix
pour into a buttered 9x9 pan
bake at 350 for 30 minutes
ENJOY!!!!

Christmas Poem

A Different Christmas Poem The embers glowed softly, and in their dim light,I gazed round the room and I cherished the sight.My wife was asleep, her head on my chest,My daughter beside me, angelic in rest.Outside the snow fell, a blanket of white,Transforming the yard to a winter delight.The sparkling lights in the tree I believe,Completed the magic that was Christmas Eve.My eyelids were heavy, my breathing was deep,Secure and surrounded by love I would sleep.In perfect contentment, or so it would seem,So I slumbered, perhaps I started to dream.The sound wasn't loud, and it wasn't too near,But I opened my eyes when it tickled my ear.Perhaps just a cough, I didn't quite know,then the sure sound of footsteps outside in the snow.My soul gave a tremble, I struggled to hear,And I crept to the door just to see who was near.Standing out in the cold and the dark of the night,A lone figure stood, his face weary and tight.A soldier, I puzzled, some twenty years old,perhaps a Marine, huddled here in the cold.Alone in the dark, he looked up and smiled,Standing watch over me, and my wife and my child."What are you doing?" I asked without fear,"Come in this moment, it's freezing out here!Put down your pack, brush the snow from your sleeve,You should be at home on a cold Christmas Eve!"For barely a moment I saw his eyes shift,Away from the cold and the snow blown in drifts..To the window that danced with a warm fire's lightThen he sighed and he said "Its really all right,"I'm out here by choice. I'm here every night.""It's my duty to stand at the front of the line,That separates you from the darkest of times.No one had to ask or beg or implore me,I'm proud to stand here like my fathers before me.My Gramps died at ' Pearl on a day in December,"Then he sighed, "That's a Christmas 'Gram always remembers."My dad stood his watch in the jungles of ' Nam ',And now it is my turn and so, here I am.I've not seen my own son in more than a while,But my wife sends me pictures, he's sure got her smile.Then he bent and he carefully pulled from his bag,The red, white, and blue... an American flag.I can live through the cold and the being alone,Away from my family, my house and my home.I can stand at my post through the rain and the sleet,I can sleep in a foxhole with little to eat.I can carry the weight of killing another,Or lay down my life with my sister and brother..Who stand at the front against any and all,To ensure for all time that this flag will not fall.""So go back inside," he said, "harbor no fright,Your family is waiting and I'll be all right.""But isn't there something I can do, at the least,"Give you money," I asked, "or prepare you a feast?It seems all too little for all that you've done,For being away from your wife and your son."Then his eye welled a tear that held no regret,"Just tell us you love us, and never forget.To fight for our rights back at home while we're gone,To stand your own watch, no matter how long.For when we come home, either standing or dead,To know you remember we fought and we bled.Is payment enough, and with that we will trust,That we mattered to you as you mattered to us."PLEASE, Would you do me the kind favor of sending this to as many people as you can? Christmas will be coming soon and some credit is due to our U.S.service men and women for our being able to celebrate these festivities. Let's try in this small way to pay a tiny bit of what we owe. Make people stop and think of our heroes, living and dead, who sacrificed themselves for us.
LCDR Jeff Giles, SC, USN30t h Naval Construc tion RegimentOIC, Logistics Cell OneAl Taqqadum , Iraq

Funny Christmas Story..... not for the traditionalist!!

> > A Christmas Story
'Twas the night before Christmas--Old Santa was pissed.
He cussed out the elves and threw down his list.
Miserable little brats, ungrateful little jerks;
I have a good mind to scrap the whole works!
I've busted my ass for damn near a year,
Instead of 'Thanks Santa'--what do I hear?
The old lady bitches cause I work late at night.
The elves want more money--The reindeer all fight.
Rudolph got drunk and goosed all the maids.
Donner is pregnant and Vixen has AIDS.
And just when I thought that things would get better
Those assholes from the IRS sent me a letter,
They say I owe taxes--if that ain't damn funny
Who the hell ever sent Santa Claus any money?
And the kids these days--they all are the pits
They want the impossible--Those mean little shits
I spent a whole year making wagons and sleds
Assembling dolls...Their arms, legs and heads
I made a ton of yo yo's--No request for them,
They want computers and robots...they think - I'm IBM!
Flying through the air...dodging the trees
Falling down chim neys and skinning my knees
I'm quitting this job there's just no enjoyment
I'll sit on my fat ass and draw unemployment.
There's no Christmas this year now you know the reason,
I found me a blonde. I'm going SOUTH for the season!

Green & Cuddly

My friend Skip became a father this past September for the first time. With all the toy recalls - and the fact that Hannah's only a couple months old - he's asked for no toys this year for her but books instead. He'd like a teddy bear (she hasn't gotten her first one yet) but he wants it to be toxic free adn made in the USA if possible. Now, I'm fairly interested in the green movement so his request caught my interest. Here are 3 sites I think you should all check out:

nativeremedies.com - natural cures for whatever ailes you

naturaleco.com - eco friendly products for you & your baby. I love the organic toys.

thedailygreen.com - a website with great & easy tips for going green one step at a time or jumping in the deep end of the unpolluted pond.

Check them out & let me know what you think!
~J

Volunteer Firefighters Pull Through

Despite my hate of large crowds (which I've seemed to have developled in the last couple of years) I went to a benefit that my brother's volunteer firefighters put on for one of their own. Together they banded together to sell over 700 tickets, had over 200 baskets for a Chinese Auction, had 2 50/50 raffles that totaled over $700 raised for their "brother" and then there was an additional auction where you got to pick your prize. When all was said and done, the last number we heard thrown around was $10,000 raised. This is amazing and I'm so proud of all of them. Being a volunteer firefighter your "benefits" are bumpkiss but appreciated while you have them. The guy in this case was injured while answering a call. He broke both legs, an ankle, some ribs, his collar bone, dislocated his left shoulder and tore his rotor cuff. I believe there was also a break to his back. If memory serves correct it's because a guy ran a red light. Word to the wise folk - and I've said this because my cousin Jeff is a medic - the lights & sirens mean something MOVE!!!!!!!!!!!! Anyway they guy's doing great and I'm really happy it all worked out. There were guys there from all over River Road, Brighton, Sheridan, South Line, Ellwood and Kenmore. It's great when a group comes together and I couldn't be more proud of my brother for all the hard work he put into this.

Will I end up with Brad from the Bachelor???

I'm sitting here waiting for my brother to get ready so we can go to the gym. In all honesty he can take longer than me at times just to get ready. So, to pass the time I jumped on yahoo to check my email and came across this article:

http://dating.personals.yahoo.com/singles/datingtips/55223/when-shes-hot-but-hes-not;_ylc=X3oDMTFybmFnN3FnBF9TAzI3MTYxNDkEc2VjA2ZwX3RvZGF5BHNsawN3aGVuLXNoZXMtaG90LWJ1dC1oZXMtbm90BHp6A2Fi

My question is this (you'll understand after reading the article), if hot women are taking the average guys, do average women like me get the "leftovers" in this case? The leftovers in this case are the hot guys. Maybe this was the problem for Brad on the Bachelor. Both Jenni and DeAna were hot women. If this is the way that the world is trending..... I honestly have no problem with that! :-)

eMOM Radio Spot

http://www.emailourmilitary.com/projects-popup.html#10

Have a listen to eMOM's new radio spot. It's great!

Christmas packages / cards to soliders & vets

I've gotten many emails about sending Christmas cards / packages to Walter Reed attn "Any Soldier". I just wanted to say that I tried this last year and due to security concerns, these will only be returned. If you want to help by sending cards & packages go to:

www.emailourmilitary.com

This is the best way. They're a great group of people who are doing great work and need all of our help. I joined this great group almost 3 years ago and have loved every minute of it.

Happy Holidays All !!!

Veterans Day

IN FLANDERS FIELDS
In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place;
and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, flyScarce heard amid the guns below.
We are the Dead.
Short days ago We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,Loved and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throwThe torch;
be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die we shall not sleep, though poppies growIn Flanders fields.
John McCrae

**Remember them and say thank you before you can only wish to.
~Jenn

Sand & Stone.......... Sage Advice

TWO FRIENDS WERE WALKING THROUGH THE DESERT
DURING SOME POINT OF THE JOURNEY, THEY HAD AN ARGUMENT;
AND ONE FRIEND SLAPPED THE OTHER ONE IN THE FACE
THE ONE WHO GOT SLAPPED WAS HURT, BUT WITHOUT SAYING ANYTHING, HE WROTE IN THE SAND " TODAY MY BEST FRIEND SLAPPED ME IN THE FACE"
THEY KEPT ON WALKING, UNTIL THEY FOUND AN OASIS, WHERE THEY DECIDED TO TAKE A BATH
THE ONE WHO HAD BEEN SLAPPED GOT STUCK IN THE MIRE AND STARTED DROWNING, BUT THE FRIEND SAVED HIM.
AFTER HE RECOVERED FROM THE NEAR DROWNING, HE WROTE ON A STONE: "TODAY MY BEST FRIEND SAVED MY LIFE"
THE FRIEND WHO HAD SLAPPED AND SAVED HIS BEST FRIEND ASKED HIM,
"AFTER I HURT YOU, YOU WROTE IN THE SAND AND NOW, YOU WRITE ON A STONE, WHY?"
THE FRIEND REPLIED "WHEN SOMEONE HURTS US WE SHOULD WRITE IT DOWN IN SAND, WHERE WINDS OF FORGIVENESS CAN ERASE IT AWAY.
BUT, WHEN SOMEONE DOES SOMETHING GOOD FOR US, WE MUST ENGRAVE IT IN STONE WHERE NO WIND CAN EVER ERASE IT"
LEARN TO WRITE YOUR HURTS IN THE SAND AND TO CARVE YOUR BENEFITS IN STONE.
THEY SAY IT TAKES A MINUTE TO FIND A SPECIAL PERSON, AN HOUR TO APPRECIATE THEM, A DAY TO LOVE THEM, BUT THEN AN ENTIRE LIFE TO FORGET THEM.

Football Funny

A guy took his blonde girlfriend to her first football game. They had great seats right behind their team's bench. After the game, he asked her how she liked the experience. "Oh, I really liked it," she replied, "especially the tight pants and all the big muscles, but I just couldn't understand why they were killing each other over 25 cents." Dumbfounded, her date asked, "What do you mean?" "Well, they flipped a coin, one team got it and then for the rest of the game, all they kept screaming was: 'Get the quarterback! Get the quarterback!' I'm like...Helloooooo? It's only 25 cents!

Back in Buffalo

Hi everyone. I'm finally back in Buffalo and aside from my cousin, the only thing I really miss about Austin is the warmth!! LOL Ok, and Massage Envy, and Hannah D's, and Colver's. When I left Austin it was 80 and sunny; arriving in Buffalo when it was 48 and raining wasn't too much fun. I did get to do something really great though. Mom & dad picked me up with Kari because Donald had a board meeting for football. We went straight out to the dance studio because for their anniversary, dad purchased ballroom lessons for him & mom. Isn't that sweet!! 32 years and they're still newlyweds. :-) Well, there really wasn't a place for Kari & I to sit since it's so small in there. We sat on a bench outside & I helped (more like watched in horror) as she did her math homework. I haven't been out of school that long but when she starts her math homework I feel like I'm 100 years old. Mom & dad did great. Once the lesson had ended, Kari & I went inside and mom showed me the Fred Astair room. My bedroom is painted but a bit of a mush when it comes to a theme. Well, I found it. I want to make it look like a dressing room you'd see back stage and hang up b&w prints of Fred & Ginger. I've got my autographed Ginger photo somewhere.

Ok, on to the medical front. I was so busy this weekend I hardly remembered to take my synthroid but it didn't seem to matter. I didn't take my metformin because I felt so sick the last time I took it & didn't want it to ruin my weekend. Gotta get back on track & I'm so glad my doctor doesn't read this! Ladies & gentlemen, don't get off routine, I'm really bad about this and that's something I need to pay better attention to. I also need to make sure I focus on the gym. I thought I'd been doing so well until I got in the plane. The seats seemed smaller (or are my hips bigger?) and the seatbelts seem shorter ( or am I rounder?) I'm going to give myself until the middle of February. If I don't see a marked change by then, I'm going to talk to my primary about the gastric bypass like dad had. I'll of course have to go through the same steps and my only fear is that the insurance will decline me. I don't have heart disease (that I know of but of course will have to be checked for), I don't have high blood pressure (that's the best part about me), I don't have sleep apena (as far as I know but when I'm stuffed up I can snore to drown out the navy! lol). I am more than 100 lbs overweight (1 of 5 morbidity factors) and I can't remember what the last one is. Dad stopped talking about them when he rattled off 4 and said he had them all. Mom's thinking of doing it in the spring and that would actually be perfect for me as that's our slow time at work. I'd only have to be out 2 weeks because I work at a desk...... already got the PTO saved up! This isn't something I'm jumping into so please don't think I'm taking the easy road. I've watched dad go through the process so I'm very aware of what's ahead if I do this. The first day won't be too bad except for the waiting to go into surgery. The 2nd day will be hell because that's when the drugs really wear off. The 3rd day is when I get the blue popsicle and can tell if I'll go home. After that it's a lot of walking, no driving and taking it easy. Life won't be the same but I know my family will support me. Dad's done all the research and I know Caruana is the best in the business so I have no fear there. The important thing is that I'm too young to be this old. I've got a list of things I want to do in life (I crossed 2 off this weekend: Visit Austin, TX and Ride an elephant). Time to get moving on more. I've hired a couple of financial advisors - one's pretty cute to! - and have really made up my mind to get get my financial act together. I've pushed off & on for years when it comes to my medical health so I've just got to buckle down there. I'll keep you posted as I go forward.

For those of you who are curious, I didn't get to meet Iggy on my trip but that's ok. I'm still holding out for Travis. ^_-