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I’ve been really really bad again at keeping up with posts. Just like TJ, my work gets pretty crazy at quarter time. And finding computer time at home is even worse these days.

So, what’s been going on?? Well the last week in September was not only my anniversary, but also my husbands birthday. So to celebrate his birthday, our anniversary and also my mom’s birthday, we went to Benihana. It’s one of mine and Dave’s favorite restaurants. It’s rather pricey, so we only make it there about once a year. With us (Dave, Gavin & I) was my mother, Dave’s mother and her husband, and Dave’s 21yr old nephew, Chris. We’re seated at a table and at the next table over is Roy Williams of the Detroit Lions with his family. That was pretty cool. Then towards the end of our dinner, a couple is sat at another table next to us. They were facing my mom and I. My mom nudges me and asks me.. "Who does that girl look like?" in that ‘I already know but do you’ tone. I look up and she looks just like Katharine McPhee. My mom is convinced it’s her. My father-in-law and Dave’s nephew are betting whether or not they are a couple because the guy looked so much older. My mom calls my sister in Indiana and tells her we’re sitting across from Katharine McPhee.. I tell her, "Mom, it’s not her." She’s begging me to take out my camera. The one time I don’t have my digital, and all I have is my camera phone. I told my mom that anything I take with my phone isn’t going to turn out, they are too far away. So, pretending to be calculating the tip on my phone, I take a picture and show my mom that you can’t see shit in the picture. She agrees. As we leave, my mom walks up to the couple and says to the gal that she looks just like Katharine McPhee. She tells my mom that she hears that a lot.

So here we are 2 weeks later and my mom and I are in a laundry mat washing my heavy quilt.  She’s panning through a People Magazine. She suddenly asks me, "Do you remember that guy that was with the Katharine McPhee look-a-like at the restaurant?" I sort of remember him, but not really. She then shows me a picture in the People magazine of Katharine McPhee and her "older" boyfriend. It WAS them! I’ve been scouring the internet, trying to find out why they were in Detroit. American Idol tour was already through Detroit back in August. The only thing I can figure is that maybe there’s a play in town that he is either performing in or admin of. Here are my phone pictures, yes they are a terrible quality, but you can still get the image. You can see a pinch of Nick Cokas, her boyfriend, in the first phone picture. The receding hairline matches the one from People Magazine (first image below). Click images for larger view. Sorry about my finger in a couple of them, I was trying to be inconspicuous.

It’s 5:04pm EDT as I start this post. Exactly 3 years ago at this very moment, I was walking down the aisle, floating on a cloud. I think back to 3 years ago and it all seems as if it was a dream. It was the most wonderful time of my life. I was the Princess Bride I wanted to be since I was a little girl. I had my beautiful white sparkly ballgown, I had a tierra of crystals and of course I had my Prince Charming. It’s been 3 wonderful, loving, and fun years. See more pictures here. Sorry they’re poor quality. I have yet to rescan them with my new scanner, but will soon.

So Sunday morning I woke up and decided as a treat I’d run up to McDonald’s for some breakfast. On the drive back, as I’m going through our subdivision, I’m sitting at a stop sign and notice coming from the corner house, is 4 girls. It’s 10 in the morning. These girls were obviously in bar/club clothes. It was hilarious to watch as these girls tip toe out the side door and race to their car. Three of them trying to get to front passenger side first. It was clearly one of those "morning afters" and I chuckled, reminded of those days in my life, "did I really look like that?."  I remember hitting the clubs with my friends. One or more of us would meet a group of guys or run into some we know. Several drinks later it’s one of those, "hey you guys should come back to our place for more partying."  The morning is torture. Sneaking in the bathroom hoping to remove what was once glamorous eye makeup off from underneath your puffy eyes and cheeks before any of the guys sees you.

On the way home, us girls would stop for coffee and gatorade to kill the hangover. We’d laugh about the evening. Talk about one guy in the group like "as if"  We’d reach whomever’s house it was that all our car were parked. Say good-bye and head home for a long nap. Only to do it all over again the following weekend.

Dave and I had only been dating a month. We were together the night before and I had spent the night with him. He left for work, allowing me to sleep in, I was off work that day. I was in his bedroom and heard his roommate in the living room pacing around and talking on the phone. I heard him say something like "dude, we’re at war" to whomever it was he was on the phone with and that he wasn’t going into work. I grabbed the tv remote next to the bed and turned the tv on, I was in shock and amazement at what I saw. The first building had just collapsed when I turned the tv on. I quickly got dressed and went into the living room where Dave’s roommate was glued to the tv. He and I just sat there, silent and astonished. It was Dave on the phone, calling from work. Kurt (Dave’s roommate) handed me the phone. Dave said he was coming home. As Kurt and I sat there… the 2nd building collapsed. Dave made it home and the 3 of us sat there in front of the tv for hours. Kurt eventually left and went to his parents house.

I remember that one of the most ironic things about that evening.. when the president made his speech, Dave and I were sitting in the parking lot of a Dairy Queen, having an ice cream.

After the president’s speech, on our way home… a song came on the radio that had me crying for the first time since I turned the tv on that morning. It was "When The Children Cry" by White Lion. Ever since then.. that song has been my 9/11 rememberance song. I request it each year on the radio. It’s an old 80′s rock ballad that fits perfectly.

All in all, this 3 day weekend was really no different than any other weekend. Partly because Dave still had to work, but mainly because I have every Monday off, so I get a 3 day weekend every week. Saturday I managed to get every last piece of laundry done. I got most, if not all, my chores done on Saturday so the rest of the weekend was left to just chill.

The little peeing culprit is back again. During my purposeful trip to the IKEA store last Thursday, I picked up a 3 bin laundry organizer so that there would be no clothes on the floor. As I’m doing laundry, I keep a small basket nearby to toss underwear and socks in as I’m folding clothes from the dryer. I don’t always get to the sock and underwear basket and it’s often there on the laundry area floor. Well, yesterday morning, I realized that I had no dress socks for work in my drawer, and knew I had some clean ones in the basket. As I looked in the basket for a pair of dress socks, I notice an area of items that were damp. I took a whiff.. and sure enough CAT PEE!!!!!!!!! This is pissing me off (no punn intended). This time she actually jumped inside the laundry basket to pee on the clothes. I’ve kept the litter box clean and up until yesterday morning, there had been no more incidents since I last mentioned it here. I know it’s the little one, Gracie, our newest kitty. I’ll probably call our vet tomorrow and see if there is anything I can do. She doesn’t do it all the time, and like I said before, it’s only pee. But it’s got to stop!!

My husband got a raise and promotion this past week. One that’s been in the works since the beginning of the year. The raise goes retroactive to March 1st. Dave says we can go shopping for fall clothes with the retro check. Looking forward to that. But more importantly, I’m glad Dave has been recognized and compensated for all the work he’s done. He’s taken on a heavy load of responsibility since his boss died last year. I used to work in the same industry, so I know how cheap these companies can be. I’m proud of him, though.. nonetheless.

Those of us who are Target junkies, know the feelings, the fascination with reasonably low priced home furnishings and accessories. It’s why we go to "The Red Circle Store", as Gavin calls it, for say garbage bags, yet find ourselves lingering around the candles, frames, tapestries, and simple furnishings. We can’t get enough and often find it difficult to come out of the store spending less than at least $80-100. It’s like men with Home Depot or the hardware department at Sears. It’s a shopping high unlike any other.

Well Target fans, there’s a new drug in town. This one is candy coated in bold yellow and blue and it’s name is, IKEA. That’s right.. the Detroit area now has it’s very own IKEA store. Opened earlier this summer, and in my former hometown no less. I hadn’t gone yet, because I heard the place is always jam packed. Then I received a taste in the mail, it’s how they reel you in, it’s the catalog. I was mesmerized with each and every page. So yesterday I met my mom and my aunt at the new IKEA store in Canton, MI. Even my 18 year old son wanted to go, that’s how much the curiosity of this store brings you in, that even an 18 year old male is eager to sample the buzz.

You start upstairs in the showroom, it’s what seems a never-ending maze of displays. From how to furnish a 327 sq ft apartment/dorm room to accessorizing your place of business or office. The ideas popping in your head for your own home cause this overwhelming dizziness. And there’s no such thing as sticker shock in this place. Even Gavin was enjoying himself. Not only do they have a supervised play area for kids, but all throughout the showroom, there are stratigically placed play areas for little ones. And the children’s department, Gavin didn’t want to leave. The lower level or the Marketplace is aisle after aisle of all the accessories and furnishings you saw in the showroom and then some. They even provide you with pencils, measuring tape, shopping carts, shopping bags, strollers, etc.

We were there literally 3 hours and still didn’t finish going through the lower level. When I got home I told Dave that our next date night, I want to go to the IKEA store with just him and I, that he’s got to see this place.

Mind you, I’ll never let go of my addiction with "The Red Circle Store" and I have a feeling neither will Gavin, but I have a new addiciton after just one fix and I can’t wait to go back. Have a safe and great holiday weekend.

My closest female cousin, who is 2 years younger than me, has 4 girls. Ages 11, 8, 5 & 2.  There is always something interesting going on at her house. I just called her to tell her about something interesting but unimportant. During the first 5 minutes of our conversation she instantly begins to tell me that she just got home from visiting my sister in Indiana and one of her daughters left something there, and since I’m going out there this weekend could I please pick it up; each child demanded her attention with one thing or another. Once her husband overheard that I was heading out to Indiana, he had to tell her to warn me that highway I-94 between Detroit and Indiana was construction 80% of the trip and to be forewarned. Next her 5 year old comes up complaining that her tooth was bothering her.. my cousin begins describing how her daughters loose tooth was barely hanging on and that her daughter is afraid to pull it out. The next thing I hear is her husband roaring.. apparently at that moment the tooth came out. Now my cousin and the rest of her family are all cheering her 5 year old. The child is crying, her gums are bleeding. "Hurry put some tissue on it." "Yeah, the toothfairy comes tonight."

After 5 minutes of all that, I finally found a break in the chaos to tell her why I called, only to realize I had forgotten what I was I was calling her about.

Last week my friend, Shannon, called me mid-afternoon here at work to see if I could meet her for dinner and a drink after work. So I made arrangements for Dave to pick up Gavin after work in my place, and got a "hall pass" for the evening. I met her at her house then she drove us to our usual place, Mr. B’s in Royal Oak. Afterward, we walked around Royal Oak. She wanted to stop in the Barnes & Noble bookstore for a CD. Music was on the upper level.. I walk toward the escalators and Shannon refuses to get on. She’s searching everywhere for stairs, an elevator, anything other than that escalator. I have known this woman for 14 years and NEVER did I know that she has a fear of escalators.  Once I discovered this, I began to play into it, and boy was I having fun. I kept telling her, "Come on Shannon, you can hold my hand".. she just repeatedly kept saying "shut up."  Apparently she had an escalator accident when she was younger and since then she refuses to go on escalators.  She blames it on her equilibrium, or lack there of, and that it’s the actual mount and dismount of the escalator that scares her.  I just find it shocking that it took 14 years for me to know this.

She tried reminding me of a time that she, myself and 2 other friends were at the mall and when she chose the stairs between the up and down escalator, we poked fun at her by going up and down the escalator several times in the time it took her to take the stairs.

I looked in the Directory of Phobias and apparently there isn’t one for escalators. There should be one because as I discovered in my search, it’s a pretty common thing. Shall we call it, escalphobia?

This is just absolutely amazing to me.  We have gone from the bottom ten last season to the very top in the league standings this season.  The summer has been amazing with our Tigers.  Lets just hope they do just as good in the playoffs.  The big question these days is, "Are the 2006 Tigers as good as the 1984 Tigers?" (which is the last time we won the World Series).  The 1984 Tigers were amazing.  I was a big Tiger fan in those days.  I had posters of Kirk Gibson on the walls in my bedroom.  My mom was friends with the then General Manager and we used to get box seats right next to the dugout.  Those summers surrounding I practically lived at Tiger Stadium.  It was a great moment the day they won.  I’ll never forget it, and after 22 years, we need it again.

This Saturday is Fallapalooza and Dave and I have a date night to attend. Fallapalooza is like the Lollapalooza Music Festival, only it’s local bands playing in the parking lot of a local Sports Bar & Grill named Falls Bar. We’ve got an all night sitter for Gavin, so we can really let our hair down and have some fun.  Most of Dave’s friends should be there, and they’re always a blast.

On another note.. one of our cats is chosing not to use the litter box.  I’m not sure which one it is.  Gracie, that’s our new kittie. She’s about 5 months old. We got her at about 9 weeks old after my Nikki died. Then there’s Boots, she’s 5 years old and has also been around since kittenhood.  Gracie, the baby, I do see her using the box, both of them in fact (we have 2 litterboxes for them).  We’ve never had a problem with Boots not using the litter box, even when Nikki was around.  Both Boots and Gracie get along great, they play together, sleep together, bathe each other.  This morning, I went down into the basement to get a pair of socks and I look down and there on top of a plastic grocery bag on the floor is a pool of yellow. That wasn’t there last night. And it was right next to the litter box, so the culprit is deliberately doing this.  We have a laundry shoot down to the laundry area and I’ve already had to throw away a couple of my favorite shirts because I went to toss them in the wash and got a whiff of cat pee.  This is beginning to upset me.  Both cats are great otherwise.. I just need to catch the culprit. What I’ll do when that happens, I don’t know.  How do you stop a cat from peeing on the floor? And it’s just pee because I haven’t found any cat nuggets laying around.  I’ve PineSol’d the whole floor.  The basement is beginning to stink and I’m sure it’s because whomever is doing this has a spot I haven’t found yet.  I’ll probably spend a good portion of tonight looking for it.  Wish me luck.