Merry Christmas!

We hope everyone had a very Merry Christmas this year. Jeff and I sure did. We are always spoiled by our loved ones this time of year.

Christmas morning at Rick and Gloria's.

Jeff got me a brand new camera and a stand up kitchen aide mixer. I've been wanting a mixer for years and now I finally have one! I just need to decide what to bake!

My mixer and new spice rack.

Before and After - The Living Room and Dining Room

I don't have many pictures from before we started painting. I do have some of the PURPLE paint that was supposed to be brown......

These pictures are a little dark, but I think you get the idea. I want to add a bookshelf by the fireplace and a small table under the mirror in the entry way, just so it doesn't look so bare.

Before & After - The Kitchen

The kitchen is the first thing we tackled when we got the keys to our new home. We still would like to add a new dishwasher and eventually replace the counters and sink, but that's a long time coming. I think our paint job gave it the facelift it needed.

This is the kitchen before. Notice all the cows? They were big fans of stenciling.

After: We painted the kitchen a creamy custard and spiced things up with a red wall where the oven is. It's nice because it matches all of my cookware. And, check out the curtains. They're the first thing that I've ever sewed and put on display!

Our Pumpkin Party

I know it’s a little late to be posting, but better late than never. Last month we had our 4th Annual Pumpkin Carving Party. It started when Jeff and I were living in the apartment after our first year of dating. Only four people showed up to that one. This year was our biggest turn out yet. I think there were around 18 people there, including the kids. It was so much fun.

It’s weird to think that the first couple parties were about twenty-something’s getting their drink on. As I was looking around the room this year, most of us were married and there were four little ones ranging from 2 years to 7 months carving pumpkins with us. It was more about the kids then about the adults this year. It was great!

It’s crazy how things can change so much over the course of a year or two.

Hazel cleaning a pumpkin.

Josh and Sonja's son, Hunter.

Our Masterpieces!

Updates

It's been a while since I've posted a blog....Things have been moving right along in our home.

Jeff had surgery to repair his shoulder last Thursday. Everything went great and now we're just looking forward to his full recovery. The Dr. says that he should be back to full use in no time, he just has to wear a sling for the next three weeks and then he'll start physical therapy. The first week was a little rough, the night he came home from surgery I ended up with the flu and the first few days we were both pretty much useless. Getting his prescription for his pain meds was another hastle. The Dr. who did the surgery works in Reno and apparently California pharmacies can't fill a prescription for pain meds unless it's written on a California prescription pad. Thankfully, we had some leftover from our visit to the ER to get him through the night. I took him to the clinic the next day and they wrote him a new script.

We have settled nicely into our new home. I think the living room, kitchen and dining room are done for now, I would just like to add a few more touches. I'm hoping that a new dining room table can be one of our next additions, but those are so expensive. I still need to paint the master bathroom, but I just can't bring myself to lift another paint brush! I'm hoping that I'll get the urge after Christmas, but since we're the only ones who go in there I guess there's no hurry!

Daisy Mae seems to be accepting a routine....finally! The last week that she's been home with Jeff seems to have helped her get over her fear of men. Except when she gets into trouble, which isn't often. She does really well with our visitors and LOVES children which is a blessing because Jeff and I plan on having a couple of those one day! It's almost like she can sense what child likes to play tag and what ones like to be left alone. She likes it when my friend JoAnna's son comes over, they chase each other around the house until one of them collapses from exhaustion.

Now, we are just looking forward to our Thanksgiving. We toyed around with the idea of hosting Thanksgiving at our house, but I'm not quite sure I'm ready for that. (Remember my want for a dining room table?) We're looking forward to visiting with our families and seeing some faces that we don't get to see very often. Can you believe it's that time of year again? It seems like I was just getting used to 2008 and soon it will be 2009!

Home Brewing part II

I'm a slacker and didn't update this when I should have. Jeff and his dad were finally able to taste the beer that they brewed right before we moved into our new house. Jeff says that it's the best batch he's made so far. I know he's looking forward to brewing a batch in our new house. Here, he has so much more room to do it. It was always too cramped in the old house to really put the stuff where he needed it. I think he's planning on doing another batch soon, so if you decide you want some, bring your dark glass bottles to the house.

Doug and Jeff's Last Gig

Last Saturday was the last day Doug and Jeff dj'ed at the casino. I always have fun when they play, but I know Jeff is glad he's done for a while. Anyways, we had a great time and we celebrated Lily's 34th birthday! I'm glad the Momma could come out and play for a little while!

Catching Up!

I haven't updated this thing in a while. We've been busy with our new dog spending time with friends.

About 6 weeks ago, Jeff and I were finally able to celebrate our 1 year anniversary. I know it's was late, but we had been so busy getting our house in order that we were finding it difficult to schedule a night to enjoy each other. It sounds sad, but we really do enjoy spending our time with our friends and family. We decided to keep it low key and barbecued steaks. We did eat our wedding cake, and it tasted okay until you were done. Then it tasted like I had a freezer in my mouth! Another thing that we were able to do was have a bottle of wine that was given to us as a wedding gift from my Uncle Frank and Aunt Bonnie. They are probably the closest people we know who are true wine drinkers, and I thought the gift was lovely. They didn't' even know that the theme to our wedding was monogram, and they definitely didn't know that we were planning on a home brewed beer with a custom label as a wedding favor.

So, here's a few pictures..

It's Official!

Fall is here! Jeff started splitting the wood yesterday and we started a fire last night. It was nice and warm in our home and it was relaxing to watch the flames through the glass door on our stove.

Our Adoption

I went to the prison and picked up our new dog, Daisy Mae, on Friday. She’s a wiener/blue heeler who has been in the ‘Pups on Parole’ program at the prison for the last six weeks. I have always wanted a dog and now seemed like as good a time as any. She has the sweetest personality and always likes to be with people. She follows Jeff and I through the house all day long and then when it’s time for bed, she gets on her doggie pillow and goes to sleep. She doesn’t even move until we get up! She seems a little timid around men at first, but warms up to women and children right away. She growled at one toddler at Farmer’s Market, but I excuse it because he was coming at her at a dead run with a truck in his hands. She was scolded, and when she met Hazel, Rob and Lily’s daughter, she just sniffed and sniffed her.

Daisy has quickly become a part of the family. Jeff and I left for work yesterday and she was fine in the yard. When we came home for lunch she was gone! We searched everywhere for her. She has a dog tag, so we were hoping that we would hear from someone after 5:00p.m. Nope! I kept circling our neighborhood in the car and calling her name. She was nowhere to be found. Jeff and I were both so upset because she has become our baby. I kept thinking about all the other animals that could get her or her getting hit by a car. I kept both doors open that night hoping that she would find her way home. I wasn’t very optimistic because we had only had her for three days.

Later last night I was sitting on the couch and I heard what sounded like her dog tag clinking against her collar. I had thought I’d been hearing it all night long, so I dismissed it. Then I heard it again. I went to the front door and there she was! We were so glad to have her back home. She was so excited that she ran through the house and jumped on the couch, and then she’d come back and get some more love from us! That night she got a brand new bone and a couple bites of people food.

So, needless to say, Jeff and I are head over heels in love with her. She is now on a chain in the front yard until Jeff can fix the hole in the fence so I’m sure she’s whining her head off at the moment. But, at least she’ll be home!

Our Yard

The inside of the house seems to be coming along quite nicely. We've finished painting the guest bathroom, and I'll be moving on to our bedroom by next week. I've really enjoyed finding things that we like and using colors that we like to make our house a home. So far, that's been the easy part.

Now, little by little we are starting to tackle our yard. (The picture is actually one taken by the realtor in winter, so imagine everything green, and bigger!) Every time I look at it, I feel so overwhelmed. It's not that I don't want to do the work, it's just I don't even know where to start! Everything is very overgrown, and the plants have been there for years, so when you do try to pull it out of the ground, nothing comes up because the roots are buried so deep.

Jeff bought a weed-eater last weekend, so he was able to get rid of a lot of the overgrown weeds and bushes in the backyard. He was even able to take down the old swing set that the old owners were so kind to leave behind. We plan on taking it to the recycling center because the going rate for aluminum is something like 81 cents to the pound.

I've been busy trimming the rose bushes and taking a lot of the lower branches off of the trees. Some of the branches were even starting to lean out into the sidewalk and the street! I really love that job. There's something so satisfying about snipping long branches out of the way, and throwing them in a pile. It's easy to get carried away with it, and I told Jeff I could do it for hours if I were just a bit taller.

We have a couple of climbing vines that have been there for so long, thier vines look more like tree trunks. The old owners actually trained one vine to crawl up the support beam for the porch, and it's actually pushing the beam away from the house. It's a beautiful plant, but it's causing so much damage, that we have take it down. We've snipped the most that we can with the clippers, but Jeff will have to borrow his dad's chainsaw to get the rest of it.

Another worrisome object in our yard is the huge tree. It was planted very close to the house and the roots are starting to grow up under the foundation. The roots actually stretch all the way across the yard, and they are poking up through the lawn. We can't do much with it right now, but by fall we will be having it removed. Then, next year, we'll be putting sod in. I can't wait to see what our yard looks like by this time next year!

Chapter 5 Honeymoon Adventure - Conclusion

This is a conclusion to the 4 chapter series of our Honeymoon adventure. Unfortunately, I have waited over 2 months to write this (and over a year to post), so I’m sure a few small details have escaped my memory. Rest assured, I will attempt to recreate the tale exactly as I remember it happening.

Following a hellish experience getting to Jamaica, we had the time of our lives at the Couples resort. We were treated like royalty and waited on hand and foot. Our every whim and desire was catered to, and always with a warm smile. In short, it was everything I could have hoped for…and more.

Of course, the sad day came that we had to leave. This was Friday the 22^nd, and we were scheduled to be in Reno by 3:00 P.M. on the 23^rd. We were originally scheduled to return to Reno at 10:00 P.M. on the 22^nd, but some changes were made, and we ended up opting for a layover in Ft. Lauderdale. Our hotel reservations were made prior to us leaving Susanville, so we knew we had a place to stay that would be close to the airport (although after our trip over, I knew there were no guarantees). We left our suite to catch the shuttle to the airport at around 5:00 a.m. because our flight was at 8:00 and the trip from our resort to the airport was roughly an hour and a half. This was a very interesting ride to the airport, and due to a few too many rum punches the previous evening, I wasn’t feeling 100%. We made it to the airport, however, with no problems. We breezed through security at the airport and made it to our gate in plenty of time, which I was relieved about due to the fact that we couldn’t find our gate at first. We wandered around the airport for better than 15 minutes asking people along the way where our gate was. Each person we asked pointed in a different direction than the last. Eventually we found it, had plenty of time to stop by the Margaretaville gift shop. As we were in line to board the plane, I hear that famous mispronunciation “Jeffrey Ho-nee-uh? Please come to the check in desk”. I reluctantly abandoned my spot in line (leaving Annie there as a space saver, of course. No cutsees allowed at the airport, after all), and made my way up to the ticket counter where the worker was holding my wallet. I guess my mild hangover and long week contributed to my slow thought process, but I just stood there for a minute trying to comprehend what the hell was going on. Why is she holding my wallet? Is she a magician? Who picked my pocket? I guess it was only a few seconds later she said, “here you left this at the gift shop”. I thanked her very much, collected my wallet and jumped back in line. We board the plane and take the short flight to Ft. Lauderdale Florida. The plane ride was fine other than the fact I had the worst seat on the plane; the lovely aisle seat directly across from the lavatory. I’ve never had that many asses in my face and not had to tip. Apparently no one uses the bathroom before they leave the airport, because for that short 50 minute flight, from the time they turned the seat belt sign off until they turned it back on, there was a constant line of people using the lavatory. By the way, those are NOT soundproof doors on that thing, just a little fun fact.

I expected customs to be a big hassle, and it was anything but. We made it through customs and collect our purple luggage (I love those suitcases). We are both beaten down tired and just wanting some food and sleep. So…we’re staying at the Hilton this evening. I know we have to find a shuttle to our hotel. This took us about a half hour of trying to find the right place to stand (seriously), figuring out we had to call the hotel, then finding the right place to stand again. We eventually make it on the shuttle and are on our way. We arrive at the Hilton, and it is a very nice hotel. We get checked in and get up to our room. The room is nothing special, but has about the most comfortable bed I have ever been on. We eventually settled on where to eat, which was a restaurant in the hotel. It was a somewhat fancy Italian place.

Now, we’re still in our vacation clothes, I haven’t taken a shower since Jamaica, and I feel a little strange walking in this place with my shorts, flip-flops and a hat; but we’re hungry and don’t too much care. This is a nice place that has real cloth napkins and they serve us water out of a bottle. Oh well. So we look at the menu and Annie decides what she wants, I decide what I want. Now…we’re not exactly the most elegant ones there, and I think we were starting to get stares from the other patrons. We were joking around, laughing and generally just being ourselves as we would have in say…a pizza parlor. Pretty soon, and I don’t know how, but a glass of water got knocked over and water went EVERYWHERE. We just giggled to ourselves and I asked the waiter if he had a paper towel. I don’t know why, of all the things I could have asked for, I asked for a paper towel, but that’s what came to mind, and I kind of winced as it spilled forth, and out of my mouth. The waiter didn’t seem to catch it though, and he got us a terry cloth towel so we could clean up. Of course we were definitely getting some dirty looks from the other uppity people now. Our plates came soon after and the waiter put the meal we each ordered in front of us. Since we didn’t leave a bad enough impression on this place, Annie decided she wasn’t satisfied with what she ordered and would rather have what I was having. Since I’ll eat anything we trade plates. When the waiter comes back to find out if everything is good, I noticed him do a small double take at our plates…then just dismissed it. We finished up and got our check. I put my card in the little book and the waiter takes it away. Shortly after, he returns and says “I’m sorry sir, your card was declined, do you have another?” I’m doing everything I can not to just start laughing. I KNOW we had plenty of money on the card, so I was a little upset to find out it had been declined. I tell him I’ll go up to the room and get some cash. I leave Annie there and run up to the room. I believe the bill was like…$57.00 so I make it up to the room and retrieve our cash. $48.00. Oh man…all I can think is that we’re going to end up washing dishes the rest of the evening. I go down to the restaurant and tell Annie what is going on. We’re starting to get worried now. I ask the man if he can charge the meal to my room (since I already checked in with my card) and he says he can. It occurs to me later, the reason our card was declined was due to the fact that I used it to check in. They put a block on the card to guarantee I won’t over spend on incidentals. We returned to our room and I got the best night of sleep I think I’ve ever had.

This all has nothing to do with our trip home, but I felt like throwing it in, since it was pretty humorous, and just reminded me of our trip over. When something could go wrong, it did for us. Back to the trip.

We woke up in plenty of time to be outside for the shuttle. There were a TON of people waiting, and I just knew that not everyone would make it on one shuttle. We bullied our way to the front of the crowd and snagged a seat on the van to ensure we would make it to the airport in time. We did. Our flight was to take off from Ft. Lauderdale to Salt Lake City. As I sat there in the chairs waiting for our plane, I did some people watching. It’s something to pass the time. I was amused to notice there were a large number of passengers that were all clean cut, pale white people with blonde hair. They were everywhere. And they were all broken into large groups. I knew by looking at them that they were Mormons. Of course, Annie scolded me about making assumptions. Not that I have a problem with Mormons, I just think it’s funny how well they fit that stereotype. We get on the plane, and of course, there are a bunch of kids on this flight. This flight is going to be about a 5 hour flight. I CAN’T WAIT! So we board the plane and notice one little girl keeps hassling one of the flight attendants. By the way, all of the flight attendants are clean cut pale white blonde people. I feel like I’m in the middle of a cult. Anyways, the flight attendant happens to be this little girl’s mother. Great. The whole flight the little girl (probably about 10 or 11 years old) felt like she wanted to help her mom. This didn’t bother me too much, except that she made WAY too many trips up and down the aisle to collect trash. It was the other Mormon kids a few rows in front of us that would run back and forth switching seats with another family a few rows behind us. I wanted to trip those little shits like you wouldn’t believe. I had an aisle seat, so of course I was getting bumped every 5 minutes, or whenever I started to nod off to sleep. On top of that, they had a toddler that screamed from the time we took off, until the time we landed.

We arrive at Salt Lake City and I can’t wait to bid all those Mormon’s adieu. We walk up to our gate, and notice a sign for our flight to Reno. “Delayed”. Of course it is. I took this opportunity to find a little bar in the airport where I slammed a big glass of beer just to settle my nerves a little. We are delayed for a full hour, and finally our plane arrives. We get in line to board, and damn it if that same Mormon family with the running kids and the screaming toddler isn’t in line with us. I just had to laugh at this point. What else could I do? I could almost sense this whole adventure nearing the end, so that’s all that got me through it. We all board the plane and the flight goes well. The kids have settled down and there are no issues. The flight was very quick and we made it to Reno only about an hour late. Our good friend Sarah was there waiting for us and we made it home. We were never happier to see Susanville than that afternoon we returned. It was a hell of a trip.

Our Trip to the ER

Jeff played softball last night. He was in the outfield and a fly ball came his way. He dove left to catch the ball and landed hard on his left shoulder. It would have been a beautiful play had he not dropped the ball, and had not ended up on the ground writhing in pain. He has been babying his left shoulder all season.

Last year, a few of his friends took him skiing for his birthday. He isn't an experienced skier, and when he fell, he caught himself with his left arm and ended up popping his shoulder out of the socket. He was able to pop it back in himself, but his shoulder hasn't been the same since.

Fastforward to softball season this year. His very first day of practice, he ended up trying to catch the ball wrong, and popped his shoulder out again. He had done this a few other times before, and he just walked it off and was able to play their first game the next week. Well, he's been really good about watching how he's been catching the ball all season...until last night! It's playoffs, so they all really wanted to win, especially against the team they were playing. He tried to catch the ball, and popped his should out of socket again. This time was different though. He didn't get up as quick as usual and he decided to sit out the rest of the game. As we're sitting on the sidelines he tells me that his arm is going numb and he's having a hard time feeling his fingers and that he thinks he needs to go to the ER. I knew this was serious because Jeff NEVER wants to go to the Dr. for anything.

So, we head over to the hospital and get him signed in. Thankfully, there weren't many people there and we were called back in about 15 minutes. It took longer to see the Dr. They took x-rays and we waiting some more. Then the Dr. came in and told him that he would probably need surgery and she'll refer him to an orthopedic surgeon. They gave him a prescription, a sling, and sent him home.

Now, we are waiting to make the appointment with the surgeon so we can get this taken care of before it gets worse. Thank goodness for insurance! I'm just hoping for a quick recovery, and that he'll be feeling better sooner rather than later.

Go Wildcards!!!!

So, it's the playoffs in softball this week. Jeff and his team beat Michael Kirack's team. It was a big victory because this team has been a thorn in our sides for the last two months. They are very competitive, and it gets tiring. The people on Jeff's team are only playing for fun, and they don't sweat it too much when they lose. Kirack's team is always making snide comments and they play dirty. They were getting so frustrated last night because it was a tie game until the last inning. When they were making their rounds, high fiving and 'good-gaming', there were a couple people on that team who were being sore losers and pouting.

Now, the team is that much closer to the trophy! They are second right now, and they have another game tonight.....Sadly, Jeff won't be playing....Now for the story of our trip to the ER last night....

Announcment!

I've decided to start a new blog. I will still update this one from time to time, but this page is mostly for our families and it's just updates on how we're doing and what's happening.

There is a link to my new blog on this page. It's called 'Just Me'. And that's exactly what it is. I wanted a place where I could share my thoughts and feelings. I didn't feel right doing that on a page that was meant to represent the both of us. I think that people tend to think just because a couple is married, then one persons feelings must represent the others.

So, check it out if you like. Please remember that the writings on that page are just my thoughts or opinions. You don't have to agree with it, and I invite you to comment whenever you want, just be respectful to others and their opinions.

So Far, So Good!

Jeff and I got the keys to our house yesterday around 2:00. We had to wait the rest of the day to get off work so we could hustle over there and get started on our painting. Our plan was to have the kitchen painted by Friday, and we are way above schedule! With just one more coat of paint and some touch ups here and there, we should be done with the entire kitchen by tonight! I can't believe how quickly we got it done. My friend Sarah came over and ended up helping us until 10:00 last night! I guess she didn't know that when she signed on to be my maid of honor two years ago, that included home renovations, a year after the wedding! We have plans to start the living room tomorrow, and order our refridgerator on Thursday. We'll be moving everything out of storage on Saturday, and Sunday is our big trip to Reno to buy our end tables and light fixtures. Everything just keeps on moving right along. I'll post before and after pictures when we get everything done!

It's 11:15 on a Sunday.....

And I'm too excited to sleep! Jeff and I are supposed to get the keys to our house sometime tomorrow. I can't wait! It seems like all we've been doing is waiting, and I just want to be able to get in there and start making the place ours. We went to Ace today, and picked out the paint for the kitchen, and purchased our brushes and and tarps. I bought the fabric for the kitchen curtains yesterday. My mom is going to make them for me. I have been learning to sew, and I'm sure I could do them myself, but I want them to look good! :)

We're still debating on the paint color for the living room. We want something warm and neutral, but we're still not too sure. I haven't thought much about the bathrooms yet. I think our plan is to get the living room, kitchen, and our bedroom livable, and then do the spare rooms and bathrooms later.

We're planning on taking vacation the week of the 30th thru the 4th so we can really get things done. This week our goal is to get everything moved from storage into our garage so we won't have to pay for storage for another month. We're hoping that our friends Doug and Pat will be able to help us because they have trailers. We think we'd be able to get it done in two or three trips. I'm also wanting to get the kitchen painted by Friday. We have yet to order our fridge, but I want the kitchen done before it's delivered. I figure we'll put in a couple hours after work each night this week, and everything will be done in plenty of time.

So, if everything goes as planned, we'll be living in our house in two weeks. We can't wait!

Happy Anniversary to Us!

One year! I can't believe how quickly the time goes. At this time a year ago, I was walking down the aisle. Jeff and I are going to dinner tonight, but we won't be officially celebrating our anniversary until we have the house, and everything is moved in. We were given three bottles of wine as a wedding gift from my Uncle Frank and Aunt Bonnie. They have a bride and groom on them along with our names and our wedding date. We plan on drinking one for this year, and our 5th and 10th anniversaries. I'll take pictures of the bottles when I get them out of storage!

Here are some pictures of our wedding day.

We Have Finally Been Approved!

Whew! After 6 long weeks of worry, we can finally breathe easy. All of our paperwork went through, and we will get the keys to our very own home on June 23! That's not even two weeks away! I can't even tell you what a relief that is. We are both so happy and excited. We were starting to feel like we were going to live with Rick and Gloria forever. We have a meeting with the seller tomorrow so she can show us how to work the sprinkler system.....we have a sprinkler system! This whole thing just blows my mind! I didn't think that we were going to be approved for our loan, so I had pretty much said goodbye to this house.

I'm so glad that this chapter is finally coming to a close. We have so many ideas for this house. The first thing on our list is paint. They have cows stenciled in the kitchen, and I don't think they've painted since they bought the house in '91. I can't wait. We've already picked out some colors for the living room and kitchen, but we're still debating on our bedroom and the bathrooms. We're going to steam clean the carpets before we move in as well. We're planning on moving all of our stuff out of storage and into the garage as soon as we get the keys. That way we won't have to pay for another month of storage.

We need end tables, an entertainment center, a dresser (it didn't survive the move to storage), a vacuum, a refridgerator....the list goes on. We even need to restock the entire house with groceries, starting from scratch. Our storage unit couldn't have any food in it, so I think I may have some salt and pepper, but that's about it! Thank goodness Jeff and I don't have to make our first payment for a month or two. We need the extra money!

5 Years....And Still Kickin' It!

An old picture of us three years ago.

Five years ago today, Jeff asked me out on our first date and we've been together ever since. I know that our one year anniversary is coming up next week, but this seemed like an important milestone in our relationship. Besides, this last year has been a piece of cake. Our wedding felt more like a formality since we had already been committed to one another for so long. Don't get me wrong, things do change once that ring is on your finger, but really, Jeff and I knew we were going to be together for the rest of our lives, we didn't need a piece of paper to prove it.

Five years! In some ways it has flown by, and in other ways, it feels like time has stood still. I think back to the girl that I was when we met and it seems like such a long time ago. There's a part of me that wants to go back and tell that girl that everything's going to work itself out, and slow down! Enjoy these years. Jeff and I have come a long way in our relationship. Everyone says that the first year of marriage is the hardest, but for us, it was fairly easy. We had been living together for almost four years by the time we said our vows, and we knew everything about eachother. There were no suprises. There were no fights about dirty socks stuffed in shoes, or lost keys, because we had been through that before. We had both met when we were young, and we basically grew up together. It's nice to know already that we are capable of growing as individuals, but also growing together as a couple.

I won't say that everything has always been easy. I hate when couples like to paint a picture perfect relationship because it's unrealisitic. There are going to be arguments from time to time because there are two different people in the relationship. I guess if you married someone who was exactly like you, in every sense of the word, then there wouldn't be a problem, but what's the fun in that? I love that Jeff and I are different from one another. I think our differences compliment one another. We have had some really terrible fights in the past, but I think if we're able to learn from them, then they aren't that terrible. We're still learning how to communicate our wants and needs to one another, but we've come a long way. I know that there will be rough patches mixed in with the good times, but we'll be okay because we're willing to work on our issues as they come.

Happy Anniversary Sweetie!

All grown up. Heading to our Christmas party for work. December 2007.

Brew Fest '08

Jeff and I experienced our first Brewfest last weekend. We weren't even sure if we were going to be able to get tickets because when Melanie tried to buy them, they had sold out in 4 hours! She ended up being able to score 4 tickets and we were set to head down to Chico the Friday before the the event. The tickets were a little pricey, but you get your own pint glass, and all you can eat food and beer. You can't beat that!

We ended up just hanging out with Melanie and a few of her friends on Friday night. Her house has a pool and Jeff and I were itching to get in. We brought our Rockband and everyone had fun trying to be the next Kurt Cobain! (if you don't have this game yet, I suggest you check it out! It's hours of crazy, silly fun!)

The next day was the big day. I was a little worried. There were supposed to be 40 breweries there, and even though they only give you an ounce or two of beer, it adds up! We ate a big lunch and they were supplying finger foods at the festival, but I was still a little anxious. I was worried that I'd end up really drunk and would get too sick to enjoy the rest of my weekend.

The majority of the brewers that were there brewed beer that was a little too dark for me. Jeff had a blast. He's really grown quite an interest in the whole beer making process and he was able to try a bunch of different styles. There were beers there that he's heard about, but hasn't been able to try because they don't sell them in our area. This kind of thing is perfect for him because he was actually going to taste the beer, not see how drunk he could get!

It turns out that I didn't need to worry about getting too drunk. They would give me a pour of whatever beer I wanted, I would take a sip or two, and then dump it in a pitcher that was on the table. I was worried that it would insulting to the people pouring the beer, but it turns out that they were volunteers, and not the actual brewers. Overall, we had a great experience and we can't wait to go again next year!

**Annie's favorite beer at Brewfest....Kona Longboard Lager and Wyder's Pear Cyder

**Jeff's favorite beer at Brewfest.......Cashmere Brewing Co. Winter Ale

The Countdown Begins....

To the Sex and the City movie! It’s opening this Friday, and I’ve already got ‘Big’ plans. An early dinner, buy some cosmos, and sit back, relax and have some real girl time. A lot of people don’t understand why I loved the show so much. Yes there’s sex, but that’s not the only thing that is in it. It’s about women and relationships and incredible fashion. Stuff you just don’t get here in Susanville.

I’ve always loved that the girls in the show are so close, no matter what. It doesn’t matter if they have just gotten married, or they’ve had a baby, or they’re going through a horrible break up. They always make it to the coffee shop every week. They have fights and the next week everything is as it should be. That’s what real friendships are about. I’ve been looking for that kind of relationship all my life. I won’t say that I’ve been perfect. I haven’t been the best friend a person could have, I’ve made mistakes, but I’ve tried to make up for them. It seems like I’ve always been the one to come in second. I’m good enough to hang out with, as long as my opinion matches exactly to theirs, or if I’m willing to only listen to you and your problems, but as soon as I open my mouth to tell a story, all of a sudden they’re busy or they can’t pick up the phone when I call.

I’m not trying to complain, I just really miss my girl time. You know, that time where you can talk about the same things because you have a genuine interest in the same thing. Husbands try, but I know there are times where Jeff could really care less to watch Project Runway, or go shopping with me.

I do have a best friend, but Sarah moved to Chico in August and I’ve been missing her like crazy. I keep telling myself to stop being selfish and wish her nothing but the best, she is after all, going to school to help save lives. She’s coming home for the summer, but I know that this summer will pass by all too quickly, and then I’ll be in the same boat as I was before.

Don’t get me wrong. Jeff and I have really been blessed in the last year or so. Doug has always been a good friend to Jeff, and it’s wonderful that Sara and I get along so well. We’ve really been spending a lot of time with them, and I can’t wait until we can entertain them in our home instead of always having to go to theirs. Then there’s Rob and Lily. They are our t.v. friends. We usually end up going over there and watching a bunch of junky reality shows. It’s great to have couples like that to be able to spend time with, but I really crave that one on one time that you get with your best friend.

Gas Prices....OUCH!

We put in $20.00 in the tank yesterday and it didn't even get the little marker to the half way point! My little car does get good gas mileage, but it's actually getting to the point where it's too expensive to fill it all the way up. The last time I filled it all the way, it cost $41.00! I know that to some people, that's nothing, but I've had this car for almost 5 years and I've never had to put more than $30.00 in the tank and it would be full.

Jeff and I have been thinking about saving for a 4 wheel drive for the winter season. We would still keep my car because it's all paid off, but now, I think we're better off just using my car this winter. If we get the house that we're hoping for, then we could walk to work on the really bad days, or carpool....

I feel bad for those people with thier big Tahoes or Lincoln's. They must be spending a fortune. I know that the gas prices have affected my life in a lot of ways. Nevermind the money angle, but I haven't been making my rounds when it comes to visiting my family either. I usually try to go see my mom and my granny at least once a week, but now that gas is so expensive, I'm not getting out there as much as I like. I even told Jeff that if the gas prices continue to rise, we might not be able to visit our family and friends in Chico as much this year, and that really bums me out.

Wildcards '08

Jeff, Doug and Sara have been playing for softball for the wildcards this year. The team only got to practice three times and then it was game time. It's quite a busy season. So far they've played 5 games, and it's only been a week and a half! They lost the first 4, but tonight they finally won! Jeff usually plays the outfield. He tried playing 2nd base, but he reinjured the shoulder that was dislocated in a skiing accident last year, so they moved him outfield. It's been fun making new friends, and having an activity to do. I cheer them on, and take pictures like the paparazzi. I'm thinking of playing next year. It's been years since I played, but most of the people on the team haven't played in a long time. Besides, it's just for fun!





Here's some pictures of our team in action.

Stretching is a must.

Still great friends after all these years.

Summer '08

Our favorite time of the year is quickly approaching. Summer! Jeff and I both love the season. We like the long, warm days and the bbq’s with friends. Though last summer was pretty wonderful, we think this summer will be just as nice. Besides, it’s all in what you make of it.

On Our Agenda

1. Our anniversary! I can’t believe it’s been a year next month! Jeff and I have been together for five years, but this year seems to have flown by the fastest. We don’t know what we’re going to do yet, but we will be doing the traditional eating of the frozen cake top. My mom vacuum sealed it, so hopefully it will be edible!

2. Move into our house. This as you know, is tentative. If this is really our house, we will be spending most of the month of July painting and landscaping, and moving into our new house. We will be having an ‘open house bbq.’ I just don’t know when yet.

3. Go see Carrie Underwood. Doug and Sara bought me tickets to go see her in concert and it’s happening next Monday! I know that technically it’s not summer yet, but it’s still something I’ve been looking forward to. Country concerts are the best kind to go to, and we’re really close to the stage!

4. Beerfest in Chico. We love going to visit Melanie and her friends anyway; this is just something extra fun for us to do. Jeff is really big into beer brewing and this event will host most of the brewers in California, so it should be really fun.

5. Jeff and Doug DJ again! They will be dj’ing at the Casino several times this summer. It’s something that is really fun for Jeff and the current dj at the casino is just horrible. He can clear a floor in 3 seconds flat! It’s really nice when they get the chance to do this because people remember them from their previous dj jobs and the crowd is always happy to see them. They will also be doing a 24 hour stint for the Relay for Life.

6. Camping! We went camping last year, but it was more like camping in the desert. It was a reservoir and there weren’t many trees to relax under. This year, we’d like to go to Lake Almanor and have most of our friends come along. It should be really fun.

7. Softball. Jeff, Doug and Sara have started playing on a team. His first game is supposed to be this week. He says they’re like the Bad News Bears, but I think it will be fun. It gives us a chance to make some new friends and Jeff really loves playing the game.

8. Relax! We seem to have a busy summer ahead of us, but we are both looking forward to some relaxing. We will fit it in there somewhere!

Mother's Day Weekend

Aside from our house woes, life has been pretty good! We had a great Mother's Day weekend. We went and made dinner for my mom on Friday. Jessica came to town to visit, and we met up with Melanie in Lake Almanor for an early Mother's Day dinner. We ate at Luciano's, by the country club and the food was amazing. They had dinner rolls as big as your fist! Then on Mother's Day we went to dinner with Grandma and Grandpa Choo and Co. It was a good time. It's so nice to be able to be in town for these kind of things. I always joke that I'd like to move away from Susanville, but I really can't imagine missing these kind of get togethers and not being near my family.

And a quick note: There was a car wreck that killed two sisters over the weekend, and two teenagers were murdered on Sunday over in Westwood. I can't get these kids out of my mind and my heart hurts for thier families. I can't even imagine what these families must be going through right now. Especially the mothers, to lose thier children on Mother's day weeknd. So, if you're reading this, please send some prayers their way.

The Waiting Game

Will it ever stop? We have about another week and a half until we find out if we've been approved for our home loan, and that's only if this lady at the collection agency keeps her end of the bargain. I just hate not knowing if this will really be our house. Everyone keeps asking me when escrow closes, and I don't even know that much! I was definitely not cut out for these kind of negotiations!

Some things that I bought for the house before we find out about 'the mess' came in the mail yesterday. I'm having a hard time even getting excited about them because they may just have to go in storage if things don't work out the way we want them to. I'm trying to stay optimistic. I know that everything happens for a reason, and if we don't get this house, then it wasn't meant to be.....

A Slight Bump In The Road

Jeff and I got some upsetting news last week. The mortgage lady told us that we wouldn't be approved for our home loan unless we were able to pay off some stuff that was coming up in our reports. It really didn't seem like a big deal until we tried to contact the people to make a payment. They weren't contacting us, and we were leaving messages every hour. All the while the clock is ticking, and if we had everything paid off, we were sure we wouldn't be able to cover the closing costs. My goodness, what a mess! I was in tears the whole time, but things have a way of working themselves out.

I kept thinking maybe this is a sign....is this not our house? Jeff and I were scrambling to get this taken care of, and thankfully, we were able to contact these people and get it fixed. Now, it's a sit and wait game. The realtors are going to try to extend or escrow to July 1 so we'll have enough money to cover the closing costs. We just hope that everything will work out the way it's supposed to. I've pretty much told myself that if we get the house, it was meant to be, and if we don't, we continue to save money and move on.

**One shining moment in all the stress last week was that I got to hold a brand new baby.**

Welcome to the world Gabriella Delainey! Congratulations Amy, Carlos and family!

They Accepted Our Offer!

After a counter from the seller, and a counter back from us, the seller has accepted our offer on the house! Escrow closes on June 13, which is three days away from our one year anniversary. Our goal was to have a house by our anniversary, and we did it! It seems so unreal right now. (I'm sure it will feel very real the first time I have to write the check for our mortgage payment!). Even with a large downpayment, our monthly payment will still be high, but it's low enough that we're sure we won't be living from paycheck to paycheck, which was really important to us.

Jeff and I have been making so many sacrifices in order to be able to finally do this. Thank goodness Rick and Gloria were nice enough to open thier home to us so we could save enough money for the down payment. I think in this town, with the market like it is, it's the only way to go. Unless you work at the prison, and can just pop out a couple of overtimes!

Now, our heads are swimming with all the things we'd like to do to our house in order to make it a home. We are so excited to buy a house that has almost everything we wanted. It has a woodstove, two car garage, three bedrooms and two bathrooms, and is about 1388 sq ft. While it's not a dump, it does need a little tlc. Carpet is one of the first things on our list of things to do. Along with paint. We're hoping to get all of this done before we move in, so we're not having to work around the furniture. The trees need to be trimmed, and they haven't mowed the lawn yet, but that will be something we can tackle later.

It's just amazing that all of this is finally coming together and we are realizing our dreams. If you have any advice on how to save a buck or two, or some decorating tips, feel free to pass them our way!

We're making an offer!

Jeff and I are both so excited. Finally all of our scrimping and saving will hopefully pay off. We went and took a walkthrough on Friday. While this house needs a little love, and a fresh coat of paint, we really think it would be perfect for us. It has everything that we're looking for. Three bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, wood heat, a nice neighborhood and it's in town.

We have an appointment with the mortgage company today, and our realtor will be putting our offer in by this evening. Please keep us in your thoughts and prayers. Jeff and I are both ready to start our life as homeowners, and we're really hoping that this is our house. I'll keep you all updated.

My Crazy Day

Okay, so I didn't go to work today. I was not feeling great this morning and decided to stay home. Was I on my death bed? No. So I decided that Jeff and I would BBQ some good food for Rick and Gloria.

We were planning on the usual...tri-tip, asparagus, pasta...and then I figured 'what the heck, I'm home all day anyway..why not add something to the menu?' So I find a simple recipe that sounds good. Orange Sherbert Salad. Jeff and I go to Idaho's to go get the meat. For any of you who know of Susanville, you know that you usually have to hit at least two stores before you get everything you need. So, we head on over to Susanville Market and everything's going good until we look in the ice cream section and there is no pints of orange sherbet. The only size they had was the half gallon, and I figured we wouldn't want a three quarters of the container in the freezer. No big deal, I'll just go to Safeway., they always have what we need.

I drop Jeff off at work and drive all the way down town to Safeway. I get to the ice cream section and....no orange sherbet. They have lemon sherbet, and strawberry sherbet...they even have mango sherbet! By this time it's too late to change my mind. I decided what I want to make and that's final. I have the rest of the ingredients in the car and there's no turning back now.

So, I drive uptown and I end up back at Susanville Market. I got the half gallon of orange sherbert. I tell myself that it will be fine and Rick will eat it. (The man loves anything sweet!)

When I get back to the house, Rick is gone and Gloria is at work. I get my cookbook out and all of my ingredients. I even get to use Gloria's mixer. I love it. It's one of those stand up ones. I've made cookies with it before and figured I was an old pro. Boy was I wrong! I follow the recipe and add all of the ingredients. I check and make sure that the wand thingy is locked in. I turn it on....and orange mess goes everywhere! I hadn't checked to make sure the bowl was clicked in and it slipped out as soon as I turned the mixer on. My brain couldn't think quick enough to turn the dang thing off and I was wrestling with the bowl, and trying to move the mixer away from Gloria's t.v. that she has on the counter. I get it turned off and take in the damage. It's all over the front of my shirt, underneath the t.v., in the kitchen sink, on the floor, under the mixer, on TOP of the mixer...So I take a quick inventory to see how much I actually had left in the bowl and decided to finish mixing it and see what happens. I clean up my mess, start a load of laundry, since my shirt got spattered with orange mess, and pray for the best.

What a day!

Here's the recipe, in case you were wanting to try it out. I know it seems simple, but if you have problems operating any machinery, I'd think twice!

Orange Sherbert Salad

1 cup water
6 oz. orange gelatin
1 cup orange juice
1 pint orange sherbet
11 oz. can mandarin oranges, drained

1. Bring water to a boil in a saucepan. Stir in gelatin until dissolved. Pour into an electric mixer bowl.
2. Add orange juice and sherbet. Beat with mixer at low speed until smooth.
3. Fold in oranges.
4. Pour into serving bowl. Refigerate until firm, about 3-4 hours.

Why Susanville?

We're so close to being able to see our dream of being homeowners realized, and I can't wait for it to happen. Even though I don't know what house we're planning on buying, I'm already looking at paint and trying to get ideas of how I want to make our house a home. I'm also looking forward to just being alone with my husband.

I was talking about this with a coworker the other day and she couldn't understand why I would want to live here the rest of my life. She's from the bay area, and this is just a pit stop for her. She wanted to know why I wasn't anxious to go out and see the word. I figure that's what vacations are for! I told her just because I live in Susanville doesn't mean that I can't still travel! There are still roads that lead out of this place! I know that Susanville is a small town, and does not hold a lot of opportunity for young people. Jeff and I were lucky and just happened to fall into jobs that were right for us.

It's not that we have this burning desire to live in Susanville, we have a burning desire to live close to the ones we love. Jeff and I will have a family one day, and we want those children to truly know where they came from, and where their parents came from. It's important to us that our parents can actually be grandparents to our children, and have active roles in their lives. Jeff and I were lucky enough to have both sets of grandparents living close by.


My grandparents were able to come to all of my Christmas plays, and they were there when I went trick - or - treating, and hunted Easter eggs, they came to every birthday I had. Even now, when I'm well into my 20's and newly married, my Grandma Cannon stopped by my work on Valentines day to give me a hug and a card. I truly cherish these moments. It doesn't even have to be on a major holiday. Before we moved in with Jeff's parents, we would go over for dinner, or Jeff and his dad would sit outside and have a few beers and smoke a cigar. There are so many things that we would miss if we lived somewhere else.

If we stay in Susanville, our children will have the opportunity to really know not just their grandparents, but their aunts and uncles and cousins. The things I remember most from my childhood are the times when I was surrounded by these people. Jeff and I have been blessed with a large extended family and we don't want our children to ever feel like they don't know where they came from.

I understand people who decide to leave and go make a life for themselves. I always thought that would be me one day, but as the years go by, and we lose a family member, or someone gets sick, I remember why we are staying in Susanville. To be close to the people that matter the most.




Me and Granny Easter Sunday.
Jeff and his dad smoking a stogie.

Homebrewing

A couple years ago Jeff picked up a new hobby. I had never heard of homebrewing before, and when he first told me he was interested in trying it out, I thought it was gonna be one of those things that he does once, and then never does it again. I was wrong. He's kept at it and before long our spare bedroom was full of homebrewing paraphenalia. We even used his second batch of beer as a wedding favor for our guests. It was a big hit and even now people are asking me when he's gonna make some more so they can put their order in.

This is his third batch so far, and there is so much involved in making the beer. You don't actually get to taste the beer for about a month after the first day that you start the process. Here are some pictures of them bottling the beer. It happens about two weeks after the beer is 'cooked'. I will update again in another two weeks after we get to taste the finished product.

Below are photos of everyone filling up the beer bottles, and a picture of our favor at the wedding

Rick filling up beer bottles.

Putting the caps on.

Our wedding favors, June 16, 2007.

Our Jobs....

Since I've been talking about buying a house on here, I figure I should tell folks what we do to earn our money.

I work as a Human Resources Assistant for the Susanville Indian Rancheria. The Rancheria is a tribal entity here in Susanville. I started there as a receptionist and eventually promoted to HR Assistant. It's a very challenging job, and I usually learn something new every day. Just when I think I have my job all figured out...BAM! There's something new for me to do. I really enjoy the work. It's a great opportunity for me and it pays a whole lot better than Walmart!

I was working as a nail technician at Hilites Salon, but I decided that I didn't like working two jobs. I wanted to focus on being a new wife, and there were times where I'd work an eight hour shift at the office and then go work for three hours at the Salon. I liked the work, and talking to clients, but then there were unreliable clients who would never show up, and I'd spend my evenings or Saturdays waiting for them. I will keep my license current, so I will always have something to fall back on, but for now, I think I much prefer having a job that pays benefits and a 401k.

As for Jeff, he works as an IT Specialist at the same Rancheria. Before he started his job here, he was working in Herlong. The commute was horrible, and the days were very long, and he never knew if he'd have a job from one month to the next. He did enjoy his three day weekends though! He started here as an IT Assistant and eventually promoted to Specialist. Now he's the big boss in the department. Anyone who knows Jeff knows that working with computers is right up his alley! He doesn't really have many complaints about the job, even when someone calls him to walk all the way down to another building because thier computer won't work, and when he gets there, it's because they haven't turned it on yet! I'm not sure that he likes being a supervisor, but it does have its perks.

So, we work together, and we go home together every day for lunch. A lot of people have told me they couldn't work with thier spouse, but we seem to be doing fine. I think it's brought us closer together. When we complain about someone or get frustrated, we both understand how the Rancheria works, and I think it's easier for us to relate to one another on that level.

The Hunt Begins...

Jeff and I have finally decided that we have enough money in savings to start really looking at houses. Everyone keeps telling us that it's the prefect time to buy...it's a buyer's market and all that. I hope they're right. The interest rate continues to drop, but the prices that people are asking are still very high. Hopefully we'll be able to find a nice house and still be able to talk the sellers down a bit. We're not asking for much. We would like to get a three bedroom, two bath, that's in decent shape. We've noticed quite a few listings that are in our price range, so I'm sure we'll be able to find something that we really like in the next couple of weeks.

We are definetly ready to be out on our own again. Living with Rick and Gloria has been really easy, but we are both used to being out on our own. We had so many brand new things that we got after the wedding, and we were only able to use them for 2 months before we put them in storage. It will be like Christmas when we get to unpack everything!

We go look at the first two tomorrow afternoon. I'll take pictures and post them if they are houses that we really like. Keep your fingers crossed for us!

ENOUGH!

I was raised in a big family. No, not my immediate family, but my extended family. My mother came from a family of 10 and my father from a family of 11. Of course, a large family was normal to me, because it was all I knew. I remember being pretty close with most all of my family too. I remember family reunions and holiday get-togethers being chaotic, but fun.

Unfortunately, as time goes by, things change and so do people. Our families no longer have family reunions or holiday get-togethers. In fact, some of our families don’t even speak to each other anymore. Some of us just get too busy with our day-to-day lives, and others are mad about one thing or another. The latter is what I’ve finally had enough of. I’ve had enough of the bickering and gossiping and fighting. I’ve not once heard of a good reason either. In just about every instance it stems from hurt pride. Someone said something 15 years ago, and damnit if we aren’t going to hold a grudge about it. Well I say stop it! We only have one family. I couldn’t imagine being so mad at one of my siblings that I would cut them off completely for decades. That’s not to say we’ve never had our disagreements, but we get over it. If we don’t have each other, then we don’t have anyone.

I can’t say I’ve been perfect. I may not have feuded with my brother or sisters, but I have with my cousin. I’m not going to stand around and point fingers, but I said a lot of hurtful things that I should never have said. I was wrong, and I’m willing to admit that in a letter of apology, and take that first step to mend fences. I am willing to do this to try and get closer to my family, are you? I’m challenging you to do the same with someone in your family that you have lost touch with. Maybe you’re not fighting with them, but you just haven’t talked to them in a couple of years. I’m challenging you to make that first step like I am.

Bicycle...day 2

Okay, the first day did not go well. Sunday afternoon Jeff and I jumped on our bikes and headed down the street. Going down the road was a piece of cake, it was all downhill and we coasted the whole time. Coming back up was a different story! We turned around and I tried to pedal up the hill and before I knew it I was huffing and puffing, my legs were shaking, and I had sweat rolling down my face. That's not how I remembered it! It kind of scared me because I couldn't believe that I was that out of shape. I looked over and Jeff seemed to be doing just fine. When we got home, Jeff tried helping me figure out how to change my gears while riding. I was having a difficult time switching gears, watching for traffic, and pedaling up a hill. I also felt that the seat may have been a little too low. I had to walk the bike up Rick and Gloria's driveway. If I couldn't make it up a slight incline, there's no way I was going to be able to get myself up that driveway.


So, yesterday, Jeff and I decided to take a quick ride after work. I was dreading it the whole time. I wasn't sore from the day before, but I couldn't see how I was going to be able to ride again when I couldn't even make it up a street and back. Jeff helped me adjust my seat so I was sitting higher, he had also changed the gears. It turns out I was trying to pedal up that hill on one of the highest gears on the bike! No wonder I was struggling. We took a different route this time, and it was so much fun! We went up and down a few quiet streets and I wish we could have ridden longer. I still didn't make it up Rick and Gloria's driveway, but I'll get there.

Bicylce for two?

No, we're not actually going to ride the same bike at the same time! I did buy a bike today! Jeff already has a bike and we decided that we want to start riding our bikes to work. The weather is getting nicer, and our work is just down the road from where we live. Right now gas prices in Susanville are $3.59 a gallon, so this will also help us save money. I know we don't drive that far to go to work, but I figure every little bit helps! I'm looking forward to having another activity to do with Jeff as well. We've been trying to get into better shape, so hopefully this will help us with that too. Niether one of us has been on a bike in years! I got on it this afternoon, and while I could remember how to ride and keep my balance, I was having a hard time remembering how to shift gears and use the hand brakes. And I don't remember it being this physically hard!

Jeff has joked about trying to get all of our friends to join in our bike riding adventures...so watch out! We might invite you to join us one day!

Our Honeymoon Adventure

The following is a true story. It has been told the way it actually happened.

Please note: The following was written by Jeff.

This is not intended to sound negative, or take away from my overall experience which was simply amazing. I merely wanted to share my story of the adventure we endured attempting to enjoy our long awaited honeymoon. Besides, you couldn't even make this stuff up. As some of you may know, Annie and I got married on June 16^th, and planned a honeymoon to Jamaica. From here, our story begins…

June 17^th – One day wed and anticipating our honeymoon in a tropical location.

Of course, neither of us had ever been anywhere exotic. We had our passports, we were packed, we were ready. Following a storybook, dream-like, picture perfect wedding, we just knew Jamaica would be the same. After saying goodbye to all of our families, we were off. Our great friend Sarah agreed to take us to Reno, drop us off, and come pick us up when we returned on Saturday. This was a tremendous help to us because we didn't want to have to pay for airport parking. Our flight was scheduled for 7:56 p.m. and we arrived in Reno around 4:30. We had plenty of time to grab a few last minute items at Wal-Mart, and a bite to eat at the Olive Garden before we had to be at the airport. We arrived at the airport around 6:45 and got checked in. Everything was going perfect. Our flight was slightly delayed, so by the time we boarded and pushed away from the gate, it was close to 8:30. I wasn't worried however, because the flight to LAX only takes about an hour and fifteen minutes, and we didn't have to catch Air Jamaica till 10:47.

Now this is where the story starts getting interesting. We board the Delta plane, and I immediately notice this is not like any plane I've flown before. On my right, there is a row of single seats. On my left, there is a row of double seats. I become a little concerned because I think I've seen a plane much like this in the Buddy Holly movie. No problem though, as long as we make it to LAX. Finally the plane takes off and we start taxiing to the runway. I didn't notice anything unusual until after about 5 minutes we were still taxiing. I looked over to Annie and told her "we're just gonna drive there". Still in good spirits, we had a little laugh over it. Finally after what seemed like forever, we were in the air. I looked down at my watch and noticed it was 8:45. The flight went well, and the pilot was able to shave off a little bit of time in the air (or so he said). When we landed in LAX it was about 5 minutes till 10:00. I'm a little concerned that we will be cutting it close having never flown internationally and not knowing what to expect. The good thing is that our bags will be transferred, so we won't have to check any luggage. As soon as we land the pilot comes on the speakers and informs us that the gates are all full, therefore we must taxi and park in the hangar, then take a bus over to the delta terminal. Now I'm worried. We taxi for a long time again, and by the time we come to a stop, it is 10:15. Our next flight leaves in about 30 minutes. When we finally come to a stop, the pilot again comes on the speakers and tells us that there are two other planes in the same situation as us, so as soon as they get them unloaded and taken to the terminal, they will offload us. There is nothing we can do but sit there at this point. Finally it comes our turn to unload, and get on the bus. It's about 25 after 10 by now, and we are very worried. Everyone loads up on the bus, and we take the ride over to the terminal. Now, I must say, I had no idea where we were supposed to go, but we were running anyways. By a stroke of luck, we took a correct turn and ended up in front of the Air Jamaica desk. It is now 35 after 10, and our plane leaves in 10 minutes. I quickly found a Delta representative and asked him where we check in for Air Jamaica.

This…guy…ugh. He looks at me, and says I'm sorry, they closed the desk for check in, the plane is about to leave. He gives me a sort of chuckle and turns around. I say "wait no, you don't understand, our plane was delayed coming in from Reno, we just need to get on that plane, where do we go?" He states, "I'm sorry, there is nothing I can do, there is no one there to check you in". I'm doing everything I can not to punch this guy square in the nose at this point. I say "Please, we're on our way to Jamaica, it's our honeymoon, is there anyone you can call and let us go catch the plane?" He says no. I say "when does the next flight go out then, we'll catch that one." He tells me "It looks like you're going to have to wait till tomorrow. They only leave once each day at 10:47 p.m." He then turns around and prances off into the crowd.

Now…we have pre-paid for our 5 days at this resort. Now this joker is telling me that I'm going to miss an entire day. I look over at Annie, and I can tell she's trying her hardest not to break down right there. To tell the honest truth, so was I.

We just stood there at the empty check in desk trying to comprehend what just happened. We just missed a day of our honeymoon. We, of course, didn't purchase any type of trip insurance. The first thing I did was call up Expedia to see what my options were. I was put on hold, and my cell phone only had one bar left. I remained on hold until the inevitable happened…my phone died. We continued to stand there and I just stared at my watch. 10:50 p.m. That's when it hit me that we were stuck in L.A.

After just standing there for a while, the Delta representative found his way back over to me and informed me that someone would be over shortly to talk to us. I can't exactly remember what I said to him, but I'm sure it was something that would have gotten me scolded by my mother. Soon enough, a gentleman by the name of Terrance greeted us and listened to our story of what happened. I must say, he was a very courteous man, and seemed genuinely sympathetic to our problem. By the way, he happened to work for Delta, which surprised me since he was so helpful. He told us they would be able to provide us with a hotel room for the evening, as well as meal vouchers, and a flight out on the next available plane to Jamaica. Unfortunately this still leaves us a day short on our vacation. Whatever. I'm tired, cranky and starting to smell like a gym sock. Terrance directs us to the Delta Direct line where we are able to walk right up to a Delta rep. to get us a hotel voucher. It's sometime around 11:30 by this point.

This particular Delta rep. (I'm not sure of her name) was a little less helpful or sympathetic, however still fairly nice. Sometime in the middle of getting our hotel booked for the night it dawned on us. Our luggage… We checked it in Reno and it was supposed to transfer to Montego Bay Jamaica. I just knew that the luggage was somewhere over Texas now and we would be staying the night in Los Angeles without any fresh clothes. Can this get any worse? After receiving a voucher for a night in the Microtel Hotel and four $7.00 "meal" vouchers, Terrance comes back over to find us. He informs us that he found a flight out on Delta to Atlanta at 6:15 a.m. where we could catch a flight to Montego Bay and be there by around 6:00 p.m. This seemed much better than waiting till 10:47 p.m. so we took it. I can't say enough about Terrance for taking it upon himself to research this and find us a way there quicker. We would arrive on the same day we were scheduled to arrive, except instead of getting there a little after 6:00 a.m. we would get there around 6:00 p.m. We thanked him so much for this and collected our vouchers. The lady told us we would be able to catch the shuttle outside baggage claim. Great, now we're getting somewhere. We still don't have any luggage, so we asked if there was a way to find out if our bags made it on the plane or not. She directed us to the luggage office, so away we went.

We found our way down to the luggage office and was greeted by a very gruff, very apathetic Delta baggage Nazi. We told her our story, and she just looked at me as if I was speaking Japanese. I attempted again to explain why I was down there "bothering" her. She then reluctantly picked up the phone and made a call. I swear, I've seen this lady on the Maury Povich show doing one of those "my baby daddy" episodes. She just had that stereotypical L.A. attitude letting loose of a few special sounds best described like this: "pffffssshhh" While on the phone, a couple of the legible words I was able to catch her say to the man on the other end of the line were "purple bag?". I immediately said "YES, PURPLE, THAT'S MINE"

I'm going to stop here and say God bless Annie for registering for purple luggage, and God bless whoever supplied us with it. Of course I didn't care what color we got, and purple is her favorite color. I did have to give her a hard time when we first got it, but I couldn't be more happy with her choice.

Anyways, so they say they found a purple bag, and it would be sliding down that baggage ramp right now. I went to collect it, and only found that they had one. After I collected the bag, I went back to the office to tell the lady I still needed my other one. Again I endured a few more interesting noises from the "baby daddy lady" before she had her very sweet assistant look in the back. The lady promptly returned with a smile on her face and a purple bag in her hand. "Jeffrey Ho-nee-uh?" she asked? I said "Yes, Honea, that's mine. Thank you!" At least she seemed excited for me. I can't be certain but I thought I caught "baby daddy lady" roll her eyes and go back to whatever it is she was doing before I so rudely interrupted her.

Boy-oh-boy golly gee wiz this night sure is looking up! Now we just need to go catch our shuttle, get in the hotel and hopefully get a few hours of sleep. Remember, our flight leaves at 6:15, and by this time it's around 12:00. Off into the putrid L.A. night we venture to find the "Microtel Hotel" shuttle.

As we exit the baggage claim doors and look for the sign that tells us where to stand for our shuttle, I notice a flight must have just come in because it looks like an L.A. freeway just outside the door. There are cars, shuttles, taxis and limos zipping through the narrow corridor. I notice that the spot we are supposed to stand is across this road and on a concrete island. After standing next to a designated painted crosswalk for a minute or two and not having ANYONE even pretend to slow down, I take a daring step off the curb. On this road that is MAYBE 20 ft. wide, there are three lanes. I don't think there are supposed to be, but the drivers are using up every inch of roadway out there. I notice the lane closest to me, and the middle one stop as if to let me cross. I take this opportunity to start across. I do so with some haste, and notice almost too late that a taxi in the third lane is coming QUICK. I stop in my tracks and let him skid to a stop. The guy lays on his horn and continues to beep me a tune the whole time I'm crossing with my purple luggage. All I could do was give him a little wave and a sheepish smile like "my bad".

We reach the concrete island and stand among a host of others waiting for their shuttle. I keep looking and waiting, waiting and looking. "Microtel Hotel" I keep saying to Annie "stay on the lookout" I'm not sure how often shuttles come by for the hotels, but I DID notice a few hotels come by 2 or 3 times. After standing there for over 20 minutes, and re-acquiring that sinking feeling deep in my gut, I opted for us to just take a cab there. It couldn't be that far, and couldn't cost that much. Again we brave the freeway and hail a cab. As the cab driver is putting our purple luggage in the car, he asks where we're going. I tell him "Microtel Hotel". The foreign cabbie just looks at me. I show him our voucher where the lady was nice enough to highlight the words "Microtel Hotel". The cabbie then asks me the address. Of course I don't know the address, so I tell him this is all they gave me. At this point he reaches in and takes our purple luggage back out of the trunk and tells me I need to find an address. I just look at Annie with disbelief. She shakes her head and we re-enter the baggage claim area dejected.

I decide I'm going to go and look up the hotel at the pay phone while Annie uses the restroom. On my way over to the phones, I notice a supervisor looking lady I recognized from our earlier episode upstairs at the ticket counter. I briefly apprise her of the situation, and how I now need an address for the hotel I was comp'd because the cabbie has never heard of it. She tells me to go into the baggage claim office and ask the lady there to find out for me. The baggage claim office she is referring to happens to be manned by "baby daddy lady", remember? I politely thank her, and continue on to the phone books. She notices this and takes it upon herself to go into the baggage claim office for me. Just as I am locating it in the phone book she returns with a piece of paper and the address on it. I collect Annie and again we head outside to hail a cab. We find a cab, we give him the piece of paper, he stows our purple luggage, and away we go. Finally! It's creeping on 1:00 a.m. but we'll at least get a nice shower and a couple hours of sleep. On the way there, the cabbie tells us it will be $20.00 for the ride (!!!). We take the half mile journey into the quaint little town of Inglewood. Now…I don't know much about L.A., but I'm pretty sure I've heard Dr. Dre and/or Snoop Doggy Dogg rapping about Inglewood a time or two, which didn't exactly leave me feeling warm and fuzzy.

We arrive at the Microtel Inn and Suites and pay the cabbie. We collect our purple luggage and head in to the registration desk. Upon approaching the front door, I notice a young man in what I assume to be a bullet proof plexi-glass cage, eyeballing me with suspicion. Who knows, maybe it was my Bermuda shorts, flip flops and purple luggage, or the fact that it was 1:00 a.m. in Inglewood, and this pale white guy is wandering up to his door. Either way he hesitates…looks at me one last time, then pops the door open.

I walk up to the registration desk and encounter the same gentleman that let me in. I present him with the voucher for our stay and joke that Delta would like me to stay in the grandest suite available for my troubles. The man looks at the voucher, then tells me "Sorry, we don't have any vacancy" I laugh. I then say that Delta called a little while ago and booked a room for me since we missed our flight. The guy says "yeah, I know, Delta booked up all of our rooms by 8:00. They knew we had no vacancy, I don't know why they told you we did". I was just beside myself. I ask them if they happen to have a shuttle that could take us back to the airport so we could get this straightened out. He turns around and picks up the phone, dials a number and a second or two later a cell phone starts ringing in his office. The man takes the phone away from his ear, looks down at the cell phone…and then hangs up. The cell phone stops ringing. The man turns back to me and says "nope, no shuttle driver tonight". I look around to make sure I'm not on some hidden camera prank show. I thank the man and ask to use the lobby phone. He lets me do so, and I call another cab to come pick us up. We wait another 15 minutes or so for the cab to arrive, load up our purple luggage and make the trip back to LAX.

I'm beginning to think the Buddy Holly plane we were on crashed on the way to L.A. from Reno, we died, and are now in purgatory.

We approach the now all too familiar looking Delta terminal, and direct the cabbie to where we need to go. We exit the cab, pay the man another $20.00, collect our purple luggage and head back inside the baggage claim doors one more time. Once inside, we quickly find our way back to the Delta desk to find out what we do next. Of course when we make our way back to the desk, no one we dealt with earlier was there…wait, I take that back. The guy that chuckled at me when we first missed our flight was there prancing around as usual. I approached him to find out who we speak to about getting our room situation straightened out and he started to tell me everyone was gone for the evening and I would have to come back later. I think he saw my head turn three different shades of red, because he quickly glanced around and just as I was about to let him have it, he told me to go see the supervisor at the very end of the counter. Bruno...Bernard...something like that. We walked down to this supervisor, and explained our situation. He quickly looks at my voucher, says "there must be a mistake, I'm going to call them". I'm thinking that he better not send me back down there knowing there isn't a shuttle running and make me try to check in to that same hotel. After he calls the motel, argues with the guy in the bullet proof glass cage and hangs up, he calls another hotel to make our reservation. This time he prints out another voucher and hands it to me. "Ramada Plaza" this one said. Ok, I thought. I've actually heard of a Ramada. We ask him what time we need to be here to get checked in. He notifies us that as long as we are here 1 hour before our flight takes off, we will be just fine. He then showed us where we need to go when we arrive, and how to use the self check-in kiosk. Things are looking up. We ensure that there will be a shuttle running for this one before we head back down to baggage claim. We exit baggage claim with our purple luggage one last time, brave the LAX freeway one last time, and stand there on the concrete island waiting for our shuttle one last time. In about 5 minutes the shuttle arrived and we are once again off.

We arrive at the Ramada Plaza Inn and quickly get checked in. About this time I glance down at my watch and slowly start doing the math. It's 2:30 a.m. Our flight leaves at 6:15. We have to be there an hour early, so that's 5:15. The shuttle only runs every half hour on the hour and half hour. That means we have to catch the shuttle at 5:00. I smell like a gym sock (remember?) so I need a shower. The problem is, I'm not sure if I need to contact Couples to let them know we will be 12 hours late, and to have someone there to pick us up at the air port. Still work to be done. We go on up to our room and each take a shower. Now that I feel better, I need to find out how to contact Couples. I go downstairs and find out if they have a business center to allow me to look up the Couples website. They do not. The woman behind the counter is nice enough to go in her back office and look up the information for me, which I greatly appreciated. The only problem, is that the sheets she printed off for me did not have the phone number on it. Of course I didn't realize this until I got back to the room. Oh well, I thought. I'll just call Expedia and have them look it up for me. I take my phone out of my pocket, retrieve my phone charger and go to plug it in. "You have GOT to be kidding me" I say. The charger I have grabbed was for a phone neither of us own any more. Ok, I'll just use the in-room phone. I contact Expedia, and the very nice lady is able to get me the phone number. I call Couples and they tell me "No Problem Mon". So we're all set. I just need to…it's 3:15??? I just need to get about an hour and a half sleep. We set the alarm for 4:45 and drift away for a short power nap. Something shook me awake. I open my eyes and notice Annie is still fast asleep. I look up at the clock. It hasn't gone off yet…wait, it says 4:47. I don't know how or why I woke up, but I'm certainly glad I did. I set the alarm correctly, for 4:45 a.m. The thing that I didn't notice is that the clock was set on p.m. Geez. We spring out of bed, collect our toiletries and pack them away. We grab our dirty clothes and everything else we had and head on out to the lobby. We notice quite a few people starting to gather, so we decide to go wait by the curb as to ensure we will get a seat. I wouldn't notice until the night we arrive in Jamaica, but in our rush to get to the lobby on time, I left my cell phone in the room. I will never see it again.

Soon enough, the shuttle arrives and we get a seat right in the front. We approach that same Delta terminal we spent most of the night at, and notice lines running out the door, down the sidewalk, into the LAX freeway and anywhere else there was potential standing room. We cut right through everyone, and go to the Check-in kiosk. By the time we are able to actually get to a free kiosk, the time is now 5:33. I scan my ticket and the kiosk beeps at me. I scan it again, same result. Then an error message appears telling me to talk to a representative. As I'm trying to flag down a Delta rep, I notice a sign on top of the kiosk that says something to the effect of "No check-ins after 45 min. prior to your flight" 3 minutes!!! I missed it by 3 minutes!!! Now that sinking feeling deep in my gut is making an appearance again. I just knew we were going to miss this flight as well, and be stuck in LAX. Annie immediately finds a supervisor looking lady and pleads her case. The lady told us we should know that we needed to be here early, so Annie shoots back that Bruno, or Bernard or whatever his name was, told us that we only had to be here one hour early. After hearing this news, she gave the O.K. to one of the ticket counter ladies to check us in. We got checked in, rushed through security and headed to our gate. WE MADE IT! This living hell was about to end. We boarded the plane were off once again to attempt to enjoy our honeymoon. While on board this plane to Atlanta, I noticed our next tickets were already printed out, so we just had to go to the next gate, and bypass the ticket counter and security. I also happened to notice that under Class, we were listed as First. YES! We're going to be VIP's for an hour and a half. From the second we took off and left LAX behind, the trip couldn't have gone smoother…that is until our return trip home.

















Our long awaited Jamaican cocktail on our first night.