list time.

last night i couldn't stop thinking about all the things i needed to do... sometimes i wish i could make a mental list, and then download it to my computer.

- go grocery shopping - lunch items and stuff to make lettuce wraps
- go to MVs house and drop off the checks for the pampered chef stuff
- post the bull riding video to the blog
- buy clinique cover up like SB has
- wax
- start on the place settings for SBs wedding
- get a list from her of the table names
- get a program from SB
- do vampbag website updates
- do FC work
- start going back to drawing as soon as LOST is over
- paint again
- clean the exploded red bull out of my glove compartment
- clean the milk off the back seat of my car
- make a new mixed cd
- finish reading the Lance Armstrong book
- finish HP 4.
- cut my afterwork computer time in half. only 2 nights during the weekdays.
- start taking nightly walks after dinner
- watch netflix dvds
- take my dress to be altered
- book my hotel room for HEKs wedding
- book my hotel room for BDs wedding
- put together the party favors for SB wedding
- update AR results

SB bachelorette party

this past weekend all the ladies were in town to celebrate SBs impending wedding.. we had drinks, shared laughs and snapped photos like paparazzi. :) it was nice to see all my friends too. i can't believe how long it had been since i saw LK and HEK. lucky for me it was just the beginning of an LK and HEK kind of summer!

also.. the sox took two of three games this weekend. haha. so good, so good, so good!

here is my version of the night. http://www.kodakgallery.com/I.jsp?c=dultmwy.2wx9ylau&x=1&y=wc5vtb

busy busy beaver

this week has been so busy. cath and i have been cleaning the house like madwomen in preparation for the Pampered Chef party we had. it turned out really well in my opinion.. and i am shocked at all the free things we are entitled to now just for having a party. its almost too much free stuff. :) i love having parties! but i don't love to go grocery shopping for two containers of $4 blueberries for the trifle recipe and coming home to find some pig that lives in the house ate almost a whole package! i nearly lost it when i saw that!

this weekend EH and SB come to town for SBs bachelorette party. i also have 3 other out of towners coming as well. i almost feel as though its my bachelorette party. :) hahaha..

i've been avoiding wheat for about a week now. this past weekend i had some beers while i was out watching the sox beat the yankees and the international UFC fight. on monday i had to take my heartburn medication. but since then i've been heartburn free. what have i been eating you ask? well. grapefruit for breakfast, peanuts as a snack. dry peanut butter corn cereal as a snack, cottage cheese with homemade pico de gallo, wheat free frozen meals (santa fe rice and beans, beef and portabello stuff, etc) rice, popcorn, yogurt, fruit, cheese... it hasn't really been that hard.

not eating pizza this weekend will be very difficult, as will not drinking beer. there is only so much wine a person can drink, ya know. :) maybe chocolate martinis will be in order!

bridesmaid dress.

i picked up my 2nd BM dress today. omg its so big, totally the wrong size, but that is what their measurements told me to order. :(

i could probably wear it over my winter coat and it will still be too big. i will have to try it on for all the girl this weekend and we can all have a good laugh. then i can have a good cry when i have to pay a zillion dollars to have it altered 2 sizes smaller. :(

this week is my pampered chef party. sounds like we're going to have quite the turnout. i'm getting really excited. :)

i like this one!

"Love your enemies is way too hard, she told me. We need a game everyone can win. Like what? I said. How about 'don't bite'?, she said & then she shrugged. I think it's best to start small. "
- story people

the ugly duckling...

so i'm headed to an area red sox bar (yeah!!! i found one) with my roommates tonight. MB, fresh from the sick bay is making his debut! i hope they have wine.

this week has been incredibly long and i am so glad its almost over. JBP is in town this weekend for a visit. we are meeting up tomorrow for the sox/yankees game in armory square. i can't wait. SF is coming too. it'll be a big old party!!

i hope the weather is this nice next weekend for SBs bachelorette party..

walking papers..

so MB got the okay to be released....tomorrow.. and his *index fracture* (i think that is what its called) is only a 14. it used to be a 15, so he didnn't seem to suffer that much damage, cause come on.. lets be honest, there is not much damage that can be done to his heart...

so to celebrate, cath and i are going to share a cobb salad from the bonefish grill with filet on top instead of chicken. aaaaaaannnnnnnddddd, its a completely gluten free meal!

day one of eating gluten free is going okay. i'm starving though cause i am not sure what i can and can't eat. but i plan on having a glass of wine with my salad tonight, shiiiiiiit.

waiting and waiting...

***Update***

they decided not to go ahead with the procedure, they are going to treat it with medication. however no word yet on when he'll be released from the hospital. cath said the next order of business is to get on them about releasing him. tommorow will be his 7th day in the hospital, wtf!!

****end of update***

i just talked to cath, MB is waiting to find out if he can eat lunch, or if they are going to do the procedure. they did two tests this morning, one where they simulate exercise on his heart to see if they did open up that artery any more, would it make a difference... and i don't know what the other test was.

but if they decide that it would be beneficial to open up that artery, they want to do it immediately.

i wonder if i could get some of that medication that would simulate exercise without actually doing it...SB or MK can you score me some of that?

gluten allergy?

i forwent watching LOST last night and went to bed early, i didn't even stir till 712 AM. and i fell back asleep and finally woke up again at 812. woo who!

i had one of my favorite dinners last night, sesame tofu and vegetable fried rice from oriental star. when it was time for bed i was FULL, and i started to get scared that i wouldn't sleep all night now with killer heartburn, but i noticed that even though i felt full, i didn't have heartburn...

well, i woke up this morning having had NO problems. and it clicked with me, last night my dinner consisted of tofu (bean curd) rice, broccoli and vegetables. absolutely non of those things contain gluten.... so i rethought my feelings on tomato products, i'm not eating just tomato sauce, its usually on pasta, or as a part of pizza with a doughy crust, or tomato soup with a grilled cheese... i also realized that beer is made with barley which contains gluten..

so.. i am going to try to lead a gluten free lifestyle and see if i can't clear up my digestive problems/middle of the night vomiting/heartburn problems...

these are gluten-full products. bread, biscuits, cakes and pastries, pasta, breakfast cereals, some manufactured soups and sauces, gluten is also 'hidden' in some foods such as crisps and similar snacks, as well as chips in restaurants. malt vinegar, soy sauce, mustard and mayonnaise, beer and whiskey.

the good news is these products are gluten-free. wine and cider, sunflower and olive oil, all fruits, salads and vegetables, rice, maize, sweet corn, nuts, potatoes, red meat, chicken, fish, eggs and dairy products.

so, i'm going to give it a try!

in MB news, he is still in Rochester, he had 2 tests this morning and then depending on what they find, he might need to stay longer, or we're hoping he might be sent home.. cath is going to call me sometime today to update me.

did anyone else rejoice like we did when sanjaya was voted off AI last night? i am so glad he's gone.

stressed out...

i might need to watch tonight's shows this weekend and make it an early night tonight... i am pretty tired and i think stressed out in general. i worked pretty much all day yesterday for a deadline and then i got an email this morning asking me if "i breezed through it". that email has made me so angry i want to cry right now... i think the letter was also a "polite" you're fired. ugh. i wish it was bedtime right now.

in MB news, he is in rochester, and the drs don't think they will do the angioplasty afterall. it sounded like his time there so far has been nothing short of a nightmare. he left syracuse at 330, and didn't arrive to his room till 730. apparently he sat around in a bed waiting to be seen, and apparently noone could figure out why he was there. the nurses on his floor are not helpful at all. at 730 they told us to call back in an hour to speak to him, then when we called back they said they wouldn't put us through to his room cause they don't allow phone calls after 8pm.. the nurse said she would bring him the cordless phone though. well. at 10pm when we hadn't heard from him, cath called back. oohh. they lost the phone.. good thing we called back. ugh. so frustrating...

its only wednesday, but this week feels at least 10 days long.

a day at the hospital...

well, today was pretty much a bust. we have been on guard all day to drive to rochester, but a bed didn't open up until 3ish. so, the ambulance came and strapped him in hannibal lector style.

his roommate must have hit the call button 10 times in the 4 hours we were at the hospital visiting. and dad said he peed his bed like 4 times yesterday. ugh. if i ever need to go to the hospital, i don't think i could be in there very long... there was this ever present dinging of patients hitting their call buttons, a woman coughing up her guts, roommates peeing the bed all day, the roommate also turned on his tv so loud we couldn't hear dads. ugh...

i took some pics..


MB, watching tv... note the tv guide in his pocket so he doesn't lose it in the transfer.


cath, loving the hospital...


i was able to get some work done in my remote office. phew!!

so tomorrow is go to rochester part 2. stay tuned.

we're off to rochester.

tomorrow we go to rochester, the drs were going to wait to try to dissolve the clot with blood thinners, but decided not to and are sending him to have a stent installed instead. he'll be there in case the 1% that could go wrong, goes wrong, he'll be at the hospital he needs to be at in case he needs a transplant. :( so. keep your fingers crossed and keep thinking the good thoughts. i'll pass along your well wishes when i see him tomorrow.

MB Update.

i spoke to cath this morning, MB has a clot in one of his arteries. he will stay in the hospital for a couple more days while they try to break it up with blood thinners. it is not known yet if he will need to travel to rochester.

what about this VA school shooting though? whoa.. i feel like it must be more than one shooter, or a total marksman.. jeez. the preliminary reports are 20-30 people dead. shiiiiiiit. damn that kid had good aim.. breaking news like this makes the day go by so much quicker.

not so good al...

this weekend was sarah's shower, and the shower went pretty smoothly. it was after the shower that wasn't so smooth. mike started feeling pains in his chest and sore/tightness in his throat. SB and cath took him to Olean General where they recommended he go immediately to st joes in syracuse. he's still there pending further tests tomorrow. please say some prayers its nothing.

here are the pics i took at the shower and then in the evening.
http://www.kodakgallery.com/I.jsp?c=dultmwy.cadrstmu&x=1&y=-ksgx5v

and the list just keeps getting shorter...

i don't know anyone that makes the time to watch TV/etc more than i do... i'm not really sure how to feel about that actually.. anyway... yesterday tom green was on the adam carolla show, so i logged into his website and saw that he had jeff probst on his internet show this past monday... in case you've never watched the tom green online show, it goes a little like this.. tom has set up a studio in his living room. he takes calls from anyone and everyone, he also takes skype calls, he has a cb radio that he can call truckers on.. all kinds of bizarre stuff.. the interview with jeff is about an hour and a half long, no commercials, etc. its pretty awesome, they drink beer and shoot the shit. check out his blog the interview is worth seeing , jeff talks all about how the crew lives off camera, how many people are on the crew, what he does when hes not hosting challenges, etc.. its cool.

this weekend i am off to olean/portville for SBs shower. good times will be had by all i'm sure. i'll take pictures, the games we have planned are going to be fun! in true brown/hunt fashion the bachelor party is the same night.. so i'm foreseeing some drama as our paths cross in their two horse town. :) i'll be sure to catalog it.

cath and i are hosting a pampered chef party in a week or so, and i am kind of surprised at the people that have said they want to come. i think its going to be wuite a little party. i am pretty psyched. some of the people i have not seen in a long time!! wooo who! let me know if you want to order something!

this coming monday is a holiday that only MA people know about. i think its officially called patriots day, but it might also be called evacuation day. whatever you call it, its a day off... it's also the day the boston marathon is run, and the red sox play their earliest game of the season. last year i went with a bunch of coworkers and had the time of my life. next year, if they are going, i'm so there!!

here is proof of the good time we had last year.



here is the whole album. :) http://www.kodakgallery.com/I.jsp?c=dultmwy.agw8wvvq&x=1&y=-ik5hce

AI..

i started reading lance armstrongs book last night.. it is a pretty compelling read. so far he's talked about his childhood, and how he started cycling, and now he has cancer. i started reading during DWTS and couldn't put it down..

last night was also AI, J-lo was the mentor this week. i personally don't think she should be mentoring anyone about singing. jesus... i didn't think anyone stood out as an outstanding performance. even blake sounded very karaoke i thought..

i do kinda love that ryan seacrest though. now i see what the buzz was all about back in the day when AI started.

tomorrow is the one month mark of HEK not updating her blog. that is the kind of lack of effort that i really appreciate!! someone else on my blog list is about to get blacklisted too... :)

home opener

today is the red sox home opener. of course i have a conference call for the first hour of it. :( MLB radio is a pretty cool thing though... i've been reading about the changes to the suites at fenway. that is something i will never see in person! but i am glad they are milking more money out of peopel that can afford it rather than raising prices for the common folk.

uchenna & joyce are sent packing.

just like uchenna and joyce, HEK & DD are sent home. they were so behind this episode that they didn't even get to do any of the challenges. sorry HEK and DD, you'll have to make dinner instead of going out for it. :)

EH is the only one with two teams left. but RH and MB are holding on...

i need to collect the money for this one.. next time i see you, pay me. :)

cathy david and mary & joe and bill
emily oswald and danny & charla and mirna
hope uchenna and joyce
mike rob and amber & dustin and kandice
reba kevin and drew & john vito and jill
ryan teri and ian & eric and danielle

weekend round-up

i'm watching Babel right now.. it's reminding me of "Crash" it's about 4 seemingly separate stories. i just realized that gael garcia bernal is in the mexican part of the story. rrrrrr. mexican weddings look like fun.

the hunts left this afternoon with their animals, and believe it or not, there was no damage, those dogs are getting better. :)

EH, cath and i got so much wedding stuff done. we are in good shape for the shower.

JBP is coming to visit in two weeks and we just realized that there will be a red sox/yankees game that weekend. wooo who!!! i sense some good times ahead.

sopranos and entourage start tonight, the tudors is new, and amazing race and desperate are also new..... the dvr will be working overtime.. shiiiiiiit.

mulligans...

last night we went down to mulligans for the craic. RH made us do shots. :) good times..


the bar, and mr romano tending..


this was the light above the bar reflected on the copper bar top.


cath and i. can you tell cath was having a good time?


one of the more painful looking posed shots i've ever seen.

crick in the neck!

i must have slept wrong the past couple of nights. :( IBs seem to be helping though... and red wine will help me as i work tonight!

i bought the MLB radio internet package this year. i figure i can tune in here from work when games are on since i won't be able to watch them on tv. its kind of neat, i can pick which station i want to listen to, home or away, so i can listen to joe castiglione each time. :) what happened to the other guy? i notice that MLB also fixed up their "gameday" simulation web monitor thing. the graphics are nice, pretty soon, they'll have actual models of the players so they can be accurate when they step up to the plate. that is still free, btw..

when i was setting myself reminders in my calendar for all the games i need to listen to i saw that in a little over a week is the patriots day/marathon monday game that i should be going to. :( that was so much fun last year, and i'm sure its going to be a ball this year too. if anyone reading this is going to the game, please call me sometime during the day! send me cell phone pics, have a beer for me! maybe i'll be able to go next year!

this weekend the hunts and their menagerie come to the 'cuse for a visit. much wedding shower shopping will be done. i can't wait! speaking of weddings, i saw the season finale of Bams Unholy Union last night. what a production their wedding seemed to be. so many stars were there. she walked down the aisle to a song that reminded me of a graduation song, it was pretty, i love graduation music.. :) Bam dyed his hair purple and wore a purple velvet jacket. very nice! everyone wore black, it was cool, black is a good color for wedding parties.

i would have learned a lot more history if it was more like "the tudors"...

in case you haven't watched any TV in the last week or so, Showtime has a new series they are pimping called "the tudors". its based on henry the 8ths reign in england. they got jonathan rhys meyers to play king henry. in the 50 minute episode that debuted last night there were about 4 sex scenes. niiice. i'm not sure i buy JRM as a king though, he seems very young. i am recalling this show from yesterday because i just ate this juicy pear, and it reminded me of a super sexy scene where king henry goes to town on this pomegranate. i will never look at pomegranates the same way again.

great, now my tongue and gums are swollen, damned pesticides!

cath was struck down last night... joe and bill couldn't catch a break... if i had to make a prediction i would predict oswald and danny make it to the end.. that's who i want to win at least. dustin and kandice did a pretty impressive job last night with the piano though.

cathy david and mary & joe and bill
emily oswald and danny & charla and mirna
hope uchenna and joyce
mike rob and amber & dustin and kandice
reba kevin and drew & john vito and jill
ryan teri and ian & eric and danielle