Superman Who?

I'm recovering from staying up way past my bedtime.
Last night was the night that we went to see Superman. Me, my brother John, the girls, Mike and our friends Gary and Sandy. The only person who didn't actually SEE the movie was me. Sure, I was there. But about 30 minutes into the show I conked out. Mike makes a very good pillow and I slept until the last 30 minutes. What I can tell you is that the movie has a great beginning and wonderful end. The rest, well, they tell me it was great. I guess we'll have to go back this weekend and see it again.

I suppose I am tired. Maybe I amtrying to pack to much into my life? Who me? Nahhhhh.

Work is busy. Very busy. I have finally started to fell like things are gelling and I know what to do every day and how to make it happen. I knew that as soon as I reached this point I would be in up to my eyeballs. And I am. It is good, really. I thrive in this environment. I thrive with deadlines and goals that are almost impossible and I love feeling the pressure of having things depend on me. BUT. I know that the job, plus the house situation and planning a wedding does create some stress. Not that the wedding is stressful, actually so far it has been a breeze. But the house selling stuff sucks, there is no way out of that at all. SUCKS.

Tonight we are meeting with our realtor again to re-evaluate the market. Which I think is code for "lower your price." I am generally opposed to settling for less money at the moment (even though it will still be a profit) BUT I want to get on with my life, our lives. We drive by our beautiful new house (that isn't technically ours yet) and sigh. We want to move in, start making that house our new home. BUT, again, we're being held hostage a market that is flooded with overpriced property and a lack of buyers. Today there is a painter working on the exteriorer of my house and I hope that makes an impact. What do you do? Do you lower the price hoping that it will create an incentive for someone to purchase or do you hold out for the buyer that will pay what you want. So far, I have lowered the price once and that did NOTHING to attract new buyers. I'm frustrated and wondering if Mike and I will ever live together. Is that too much to ask? That we sell our houses before we are married? Please?

The good news is that I haven't had migraines and have avoided emotional eating and binging to destress. Good for me. I could have easily gained ten pounds, maybe twenty since embarking on this real estate venture. But I haven't. I haven't started smoking again either. That is pretty cool. Although I have my moments when all I want to do is drive into the gas station and buy a pack of ho-hos and a snickers and a milky way dark and eat them all in three minutes. It used to be something of a regular habit. The chocolte tri, plus a pack of cigarettes and a diet coke. (Love that, DIET coke). Heh. I am definitely a healthier me these days. Sports help. And so does having someone who listens and supports you day to day. It is easier to avoid the binges and the smoking cause I have Mike, someone that helps me want to avoid the unhealty me. For the first time I think that the dieting isn't about the weight. It is about wanting to feel good.

And, speaking of feeling good, I finally had a hit on Tuesday night's softball league. And it was a GOOD hit! I hit the ball hard and it went down the left hand line past the infield. Yeah me. I have been struggling so much to hit the ball on Tuesday night that it has had me so frustrated, but last night broke the cure. Mind you we still lost...but I wasn't as annoyed leaving as I normally am.

That's it! And, it is a holiday weekend! Woohoo. I am taking Monday off, so I have 5 days to play. Summerfest starts tomorrow...we're going on Sunday night to see Nine Inch Nails which I am very excited about. And the best part is that I can just sleep in on Monday. I love holidays. And fireworks. So, this 4th of July thing works out well for me.

Happy 4th everyone. Go be independent. Make your own fireworks. And be happy.

My Life Updates

• Did not sell the house to the couple who went through it twice. Not sure what to do about my house...I need someone to buy it, please? It is a lovely house.
• Work is great right now. Lots going on, lots to be excited about. I am out meeting really cool people. Tonight I have to attend a party at a very wealthy woman's house for my favorite politician. I will have a great time doing it. Yeah work.
• My car, my Camry died. It had almost 200,000 miles and it needs a new transmission. So, I have a new, old car. A 1995 Saab stick-shift convertible. It rocks and is fun to drive. I have always wanted a convertible, and now I get to drive around with my hair blowing in the wind. It is very fun.
• Mike and I did landscaping work this weekend at his house. We tore out at least 4 bushes, pruned the remaining shrubs down, and laid mulch everywhere. It looks nice and I am very proud of us.
• My sister, who was in town for one week went away on Friday. Not that I am ever happy to see her go, but it is nice to have my house back and not have one more person to worry about. And, she is super high maintenance. I love her. I do. But. I have my limits.
• Girls started summerschool today much to their chagrin. They wanted no part in having to go to school for two weeks, but in reality it is a great option. It is cheap. It is not really school, but more of a camp that they have structured activities and maybe learn something too. We'll see what the report is this afternoon when I pick them up.
• My brother John bought us Superman tickets for Tuesday night's midnight showing. Yeah. I'm psyched.
• That's it in a nutshell.
• Oh, that and I am doing amamzing on my diet. In over three weeks I have only had one breakdown day (my cousin's graduation party). I haven't had a single potato, single french fry, I have only had one 7oz beer (the cute mini-beers), no chocolate, no pasta, and no alcohol. I am doing just great and have decided that if I actually make it all the way to October 20th I should win something. Maybe I will buy the matching earings to my diamond ring. Or I will splurge and buy an Ann Taylor suit. I've always wanted one of those.
• Ok. Back to work. But the break felt good.

Impatient and Cranky

I haven't written in awhile. I've been busy at work, busy at play and trying to sell my house. At the moment I am desperate to hear from my realtor who showed my house yesterday to an interested couple. They have been through the house twice...and I am eager to hear if they are going to put an offer in. I am probably one of the most impatient people in the world, so this waiting thing doesn't suit me well. I'll let you know what I hear when I hear it. Just keep your fingers crossed. Maybe Mike and I will be able to move into our new house...or maybe I will have to keep playing the waiting game. I just want to know...should I start packing up my belongings and giving things to charity? I am ready to know. And ready to be done fretting about it. OK?

Random Thoughts While Drinking Lunch

• I have just put in another call to my neurologist about getting more drugs to break this fucking, yes I said FUCKING migraine. I have now had the same one since May 18th. That is 21 days.
• I said, "Drinking My Lunch" because I bought a case of Atkins meal shake things with net carbs of 2. I am back on the Atkin's diet. It worked once and worked well, this time I am aiming for 15 pounds in 135 days. So far, so good. (She says on day 2 and a half). I have a wedding dress that is hanging in my closet that I visit on a daily baisis that works for good motivation. I figure this is a good goal. A doable goal.
• I have two bloody knees from an uncoordinated, ungraceful and (sadly) unsuccessful fall into first base trying to beat the runner. The ground ball took a hop into my fore arm and slowed me up enough that the runner won, I fell and have bloody knees to show for it.
• Monday night's work event, "Dude's for Choice" was a success! We raised about $3,000 and had fun doing it. Even if it was at my ex-husband's bar. Assembly Minority Leader was on hand to give the rally cry and was great. I think it was a solid way to connect men into the pro-choice movement in the state. Fun times.
• Ok, back to rebuilding the email database. My least favorite part about this job. Not glamourous, but someone has got to do it!

Vacation = Over = Sad

We returned yesterday evening from our wonderful getaway, long weekend. It was fabulous. Wonderful. We need more long, get away weekends! We highly recommend them. And, I promise, there will be pictures to come as well...Mike and I took about 300 photos of the weekend.

We left Wednesday night after softball (in a game where we won 25-2, making us still undefeatead for the year, a game in which even I got a hit!). We drove all night to Sandusky, Ohio, which in case you care, is about one hour east of Cleveland. We found a hotel at about 6am and checked in for some power sleep. Afterall, there were giant roller coasters waiting for us in the morning.

We spent all day Thursday riding the rides...our favorite was a ride which you take off at 120 mph and shoot up 420 ft at a 90 degree angle and then come shooting back down 420 feet at the same 90 degree angel! It was awesomen. Go here for a complete viewing of rides that Mike and I rode. We highly recommend Cedar Point, but we would guess that the summer months might get jammed. We picked a perfect day with ovcast skies and never waited more than 20 minutes to ride the good rides. It was awesome. The learning of the day was that we are old. We felt beat up by the rides. Some were even mean to us. On several occasions we thought we felt stabbing pain and gut-punching going on, but it was jut the rides. Proof that youth doesn't last forever. How sad.

Friday morning we hit the road and road and drove another hour and a half to Canton, home of the NFL Hall of Fame. I was particularily excited about seeing the Hall. And, I have to admit that I shed a few tears when we entered the room where all the Legends busts are housed. It was pretty impressive. We also took about 50 photos...some of Mike and I goofing around. We learned a lot about the history of the game, saw neat artifacts and films, and decided that we should be hired as consultants to the Hall. There were things that could have been done better and we thought we had the right attitude and skills to make the Hall even that much better of an expereince...I am working (seriously) on drafing a letter to several African American leaders to help fund an additional wing/room/exhibit to honor some of the Pioneers of the Game. Currently the Pioneers are housed in a rinky-dink exhibit in the hall way, disturbing to me. Mike could be used to update and streamline the statistics and the data on all the enshrined players. They didn't have a uniformed system in place and I think that he is just the guy to bring the Hall up to par!

Friday night we drove into Cleveland and found ourselves a hotel within walking distance of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. We spent Saturday touring the exhibits, taking more photos, and again, thinking of interesting jobs that we could get at the R & R Hall. There was a special Bob Dylan exhibit that I found of particular interest, as I did the early gosphel days. Glad to see that Buddy Guy was in the Hall of Fame. I'm gald we made the trip...

Friday night we dined at a way swank restaurant. "The best place in Cleveland to be seen." We dressed up and had fabulous food and wine and warm chocolate cake. It was wonderful.

And, here I am, back at work. Preparing for an event tonight. Wishing that I was on the road again. Mike and I proved that we travel very well together. No bickering or fighting. :-) And, as soon as I get the photos I will send them, they are wonderful. And hilarious. Especially the one we bought at Cedar Point of us in the roller coaster as we took off at 120 mph. Amazing speed.

Amazing weekend.