Spending the day downtown

It was another beautiful day, so we decided to go downtown. (Okay, I asked Jamie to take me downtown so I could take some pictures.) We walked Waterfront Park with all of the other people out enjoying the sunshine.

When Moxie has to be on a leash, she likes to hold it in her mouth.Then we walked around and found a restaurant with outside tables so we could have lunch.

I know I am...

Then we headed over to the St. Johns Bridge and to a local park.

And a smile to end our day.

The many shades of Makena Jade

Makena wanted her hair colored...again. She apparently gets bored with her hair easily. : )

First she had pink streaks with blue tips.

Then she had purple streaks throughout.

Now she has blond bangs with more purple streaks in them.

She says that this is her favorite so far!

Love Muffins

Last Saturday was the day before Valentine's Day - because we had plans for Valentine's Day, I made Jamie & Makena one of their favorite things for dinner. And, I made what I called "Love Muffins" for dessert.

They were chocolate goodness!

There is even a little heart in the syrup...see it?

Damn I'm good!

OH - I forgot about a picture that was taken of us at the restaurant (The Venetian) on Valentine's Day. They had it framed for us and everything.

Good Things #20 - a REALLY good one

Chemical exposure is increasingly linked to chronic childhood illnesses that include asthma, allergies, and obesity.

Yet, most of the roughly 80,000 chemicals in everyday products like cosmetics and food packaging have slipped through the regulatory system almost entirely unchecked for potential health impacts.

A new video from Healthy Child Healthy World shows parents why they need to be aware. Click here to watch

A Wake Up Story.

This is a short video with big meaning...I hope you take a minute to watch it and then share it with your family and friends.

Loving them

For Valentine's Day, Jamie and Makena made reservations for us at my new favorite restaurant The Venetian. Before dinner we watched the performance of The Taming of the Shrew and Women's Prize - two in one! Another funny, fun show at The Venetian - love it there.

(one of many pictures I tried to get of them)

We had a wonderful dinner - marinated mushrooms (all to myself), artichoke dip, bread, Caesar salad, pasta Alfredo, stuffed tortellini, lasagna. I didn't think I could take another bite until...

... the chocolate cake with chocolate filling and frosting showed up. Oh.My.God. it was delicious. And, it had our name on it.

what was left of the cake

Me & Makena

Thank you for a wonderful Valentine's Day - I love you both!

Good Things #19

I have used Catalog Choice for more than a year now and think it's great! There are a few magazines that don't work with Catalog Choice, but you can usually go directly to their website and ask to be removed from mailings.

Good Things #18

Did you know Hershey’s Kisses are wrapped with actual aluminum foil? It’s true!

Another thing you may not realize is that all of that aluminum is recyclable! Producing aluminum, which is mined from bauxite ore, takes a lot of energy, but aluminum can be recycled over and over again without losing quality (unlike plastic). Recycled aluminum uses 95% less energy to produce.

What does this mean to you? It means that each of those little kisses you eat on and around Valentine’s Day this year is a chance for you to do the right thing — by recycling the wrapper. You may not think that those tiny wads of shiny foil mean much in the grand scheme of things, but when you consider that an estimated 80,000,000 Hershey’s Kisses are wrapped each day, using enough aluminum foil to cover over 50 acres of space (that’s almost 40 football fields) it might make you want to kiss the recycling bin instead of the trash this Valentine’s Day.

An afternoon with Roses

Ivie Rose came to spend some time with me on Wednesday afternoon. When she arrived, she got out of the car and ran through the yard - getting the back of her white pants all muddy.

While we waited for them to wash & dry, we did puzzles, read books and ate yummy snacks.

Then we went for a walk. Ivie ran after Moxie, fell in the yard and got the front of her white pants all muddy. Loves me some "Roses".

A day of sunshine and grey clouds

Kylah and Kallie came over to play with us on Sunday. Hailee was here too, so we all decided to take a walk up to the park while it was sunny out.

Makena had her camera with her, I had mine and Kylah wanted one too - she used the small camera. I think she only took 4 pictures tho before running to play.

Kallie-Bug had gotten up that morning with a slight cough and runny nose, so we were sure to bundle her up for the wagon ride to the park.

Hailee was trying to hide from me & my camera. Makena told her to just 'give it up'. Hailee decided to make faces with Makena instead.

And then I caught her!
Yes, we were a bit worried about that giant.grey.cloud. We were lucky that it was traveling the other direction! It did turn out to be a beautiful day.

Moxie loves the park too.

The slide is fun...no matter how old you are.

Yes, they did this for me. Aren't they sweet?

C'mon Auntie!

Valentine-a-Gram

It's that time of year again! Send a Valentine-A-Gram filled with wonderful treats to someone you care about,and help provide nutritious meals to local seniors.

100% of the purchase price goes to providing meals for seniors.

Each Valentine-A-Gram is $29.95 and includes delivery by volunteers throughout the Portland and Vancouver metro areas. All boxes are delivered on Friday, February 12, 2010. Remember, quantities are limited, so order early! Orders must be placed by Monday, February 8, 2010.

Each Valentine-A-Gram includes:
2 Cinnabon classic cinnamon rolls, filled with legendary Makara Cinnamon, topped with freshly made cream cheese frosting.
1 Package of Seattle's Best Coffee
1 Seattle's Best Travel Mug
1 Jar of Makara Cinnamon
1 Orange Juice from Sun Orchards
1 Package of Cinnabon Cinnamon Almonds
1 Gift Certificate for a Jamba Juice
A special message from you!

I've been delivering the beautiful (yummy) packages for 3 years now and think I'll be signing up again this year! Go to www.valentine-a-gram.org to order, to volunteer or for more information.

Thank you for listening

I need to do a little complaining here...

1. Jamie has schemed up something for Valentine's Day and he won't tell me what it is.

2. Makena knows the Valentine's Day plans and she won't tell me either.

3. My favorite tortilla chips have too many carbs to eat two servings at one time.

4. My body HURTS! We started back at the gym, on a routine. I haven't been to the gym in 5 years, I haven't lifted weights in probably 15 years, so the past 3 days have been hell. I am missing the days of just walking on my treadmill! (Did I mention that it's only been 3 days?!?)

4a. I can barely dry my hair after taking a shower because my arm muscles ache.

4b. I don't even want to think about going up/down the stairs unless I'm going to bed because my leg muscles ache.

4c. Jamie makes me push myself - it's a good thing, I know, but it still sucks.

5. I have to go walk the dog now.

The men on my TiVo and why

1. LL Cool J plays Sam Hanna on CBS's NCIS: Los Angeles. Unfortunately he wears a long sleeve shirt in almost every episode. I don't get it...aren't they supposed to be in Los Angeles?

We'll start with LL Cool J because...what else is there to say but six-pack! For as long as I can remember, I've dreamt of LL. And, I'm pretty sure I still have a cassette tape of his.

LL Cool J has a successful musical career, owns a record label, has written books, has a clothing line and is an actor. Through all of this, he has remained loyal to his wife and children.

Plus, he's just nice to look at!

2. Taye Diggs plays Sam Bennett on ABC's Private Practice. You can sometimes find him without a shirt on the show - I TiVo it each week just so I don't miss it!

I also liked him in Rent and would love to see anything he's in on Broadway.

Taye Diggs also has a successful career and beautiful wife and new baby son (who shares Makena's birthday).

And that smile...

3. Matthew Gray Gubler plays Dr. Spencer Reid on CBS's Criminal Minds. And that's exactly why he's on my list. His character is intriguing - with a photographic memory, he reads something like 20,000 words a minute.

I could listen to Dr. Reid talk most of the day.

4. Michael C Hall is Showtime's Dexter - the serial killer you grow to love. He's trying to be a good family man while being sure to punish those that deserve to be punished.

Michael C Hall is currently battling Hodgkin's Lymphoma. I did recently read that he is in remission.

5. Nelsan Ellis plays Lafayette on HBO's True Blood. Lafayette is a flamboyantly gay cook with attitude. He's the reason I watch the show.

The WHYs of Amber's world.

Just a few "Whys" I've been thinking about lately...

Why don't cell phones ever work when a serial killer is chasing the victim? Does the cell tower know that the person is going to die and not need their phone anymore?

Why does it rain harder when you have to actually go outside? Is that Mother Nature's idea of a joke?

Why can't we, as drivers, "urge" pedestrians to walk faster by hitting them every so often? Seems like we might get them to cross the street faster next time.

Why does the deer crossing sign sometimes have "next 3 miles" under it? Do the deer know that they aren't allowed to cross the road in 3.5 miles?

Why do people that can't properly raise one child continue to have more children? Do they think they're going to get better with practice.

Why, why, why can't people use their blinker when driving? Is it really that difficult?

Why do you have to pee more when you actually see the toilet? Do your eyes tell your bladder that "it's almost time"?

Why do people buy vehicles that physically do not fit them? Do they think we don't notice?

Why is it that 'bad days' drag on and on (and on) and 'good days' seem to fly by? Is someone playing a mean joke on us?

Why do people smoke in their cars with their children? Do they really care that little about them?

Why do people just casually throw garbage on the ground? Is that really the world we live in?

Why can't we use "life" inmates at test subjects? Seems like they should be good for something.

Why don't people just listen to me?? I don't get it...

Transformation

I finally found my word for 2010 - Transformation

I want to transform myself back in to the "Healthy Me". I want to do this for myself.

Jamie and I have been discussing this for a few weeks now. We decided (with a little pushing) that I will join back up at the gym with him. This way, we can work out together and make each other accountable.

We've been looking at different trainings, worksheets to use and I've been looking through my menus and nutrition books.

Today I found Bill Philip's Transformation Challenge 2010. This is something that Jamie and I are thinking we would like to do too. More tools and information to help us along the way - what a great idea!

Looking forward to my transformation.

Yes please, lets graph my weight gain!

I had to get one of my prescriptions renewed, and in order to do so I had to have an annual physical with my doctor. You know, the fun stuff: get weighed, give blood for tests, give urine sample, talk about daily stresses...

I must have seen her so much in 2008 (due to my ankle) that I missed the 2009 physical. She wouldn't let me get by in 2010, so I had to make an appointment. And, because this is my anxiety medication, I couldn't delay (ask my family)!

The first thing they asked me to do was give a urine sample. Crap...I couldn't go on demand so I drank water and waited. Then a nurse called me back.

Side Note: I had complained about the previous nurse in 2008 because she showed me how to put my splint on backwards. I think they punished me by giving me the new nurse.

She said "hmmm" as she wrote down my weight. Did she not see me standing there? (Obviously, by the number on the scale, she couldn't miss me!)

We went in to the room where she told me she would then take my blood pressure. Usually this is the easy part; you get a pump attached to your arm, wait for it to tighten and then they tell you your numbers. Well, the new nurse took her good. sweet. time. and my arm fell asleep. My fingers actually turned white. She said that she would have to use my other arm.

Again, she took her good. sweet. time. and then said "Do you normally run low?"

"Uh, no - but my arms are asleep." I responded

"Hmmm" (again?!?) "We'll have to try to the other arm again." Before doing so, she had to massage my arm to get the blood flowing again. And finally, a normal reading!

Wheww...what's next?

My doctor came in - we went over exercise (currently none), food (I enjoy it a lot), alcohol (usually), family history (oh boy) and then she typed some things into the computer and showed me a graph of my weight. Wow...I didn't really need that now did I?

"I appears you've gained 10lbs in the last 2 years" she told me pointing to the graph

"Is that what it appears?" I laughed "It appears to me that I'm winning the race!"

No smile from the good doctor.

"Do you know your ideal weight for you height?" she asked

"Yep - it's my goal too, but I just haven't gotten there." geeshhh

And again she talked about exercise, food and alcohol. She reminded me that alcohol can make my anxiety appear less and relax me.

"So I should drink more every day then huh?" I laughed again

No smile from the good doctor.

"No, that's not what I said."

"I was kidding." my smile faded

After a few other joyful discussions, she told me that I should get my tetanus shot because I couldn't remember the last time I had gotten one.

"No thanks." I told her - which was apparently the same thing I told her three years ago. So, I gave in.

In walks back in the new nurse, and she had the biggest syringe I've ever seen.

She kindly pinched at my arm several times before jabbing the giant syringe. I'm sure she did it to make sure the injection was more painful.

Which is was for the next three days.

Can't wait for my annual physical next year!