Looking Back, memories » Mi Vida Ocupada

Looking Back at 2011 {Survey Style}

Jan 092012

Where did you begin 2011?
Next door, with our neighbors

What was your status by Valentine’s Day? Not sure what that means but on VDay 2011 my honey and I and some friends went to Famous Daves for dinner

Were you in school anytime this year?
yes, teaching all year long

Did you have to go to the hospital?
nope, nor did I visit anyone

Did you have any encounters with the police?
yes, in early Dec. after I was rear-ended and became a victim of hit and run

What did you purchase that was over $1000?
No big purchases last year.

Did you know anybody who got married?
??? Don’t think so

Did you know anybody who passed away?
I didn’t lose any people but I lost my two kitties, Pharaoh (3-08-11) and Dusty (4-6-11)

Did you know anyone who had a baby?
My friends Mandy and Becky (I took her maternity photos) and Michelle’s sister Erin. My friend Kelly from college also had a baby. I hope I didn’t miss anyone! lol

Did you move anywhere?
Nope, still stuck in my crappy POS townhouse

Do you still have the same job as you did in 2010?
Yes, but they extended our school day by an hour each day. My contract went from 40-45 hours. Coaching Lego was an additional 5 hours. I also continued to write restaurant reviews for Twin Cities Restaurant Blog.

Where do you live now?
Hugo aka Help Us Get Out

Describe your birthday
Fancy dinner at Heartland Restaurant with E, D & D. Drank a lot of wine and had a great night

What’s one thing you thought you’d never do but did in 2011?
I never thought I would have to bury my two fur babies within weeks of each other. Still heartbroken

What has been your favorite moment?
The trip to Chicago and seeing Sade in concert

Any new additions to your family?
Jeff and Amanda got engaged, so I have a new future SIL. Hoping we can add our own addition asap

What was your best month?
August

Were you in a relationship this year?
Same relationship into the past three decades!

What music will you remember 2011 by?
Sade,

Favorite Night out?
Seeing Sade in concert,

Do you think 2012 will be better or worse?
Better, it has to be!

Done something you’ve regretted?
I regret every bad decision I make

Cut class?
No

Were involved in something you’ll never forget?
Coaching my Lego Team for the first time

Visited a different country?
Wish I could say yes

Cooked a gross meal?
You don’t really want to know! Too many times

Lost something important to you?
My cats and the Australian Opal in my favorite ring

Got a gift you adore?
the Statue of Pharaoh from Denise

Tripped over a coffee table?
probably

Dyed your hair?
yes. Red, in fact! First time being a red-head

Came close to losing your life?
Only in my nightmares

Read a great book?
Several! Great year of books: The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo series, Hunger Games series, The Book Thief, The Help, On the Corner of Bitter and Sweet, Shadow of the Wind, Kite Runner

Saw one of your favorite bands/artists live?
Sade, Eric Gales. So happy to have FINALLY seen them both for the very first time!! Also Skywind’s Reunion Show and Sevendust. Morcheeba

[[2011: Friends and Enemies]]

Did you meet any new friends this year?
No

Did you dislike anyone?
Yes, Steve S at Import Auto Sales. I will forever have a black heart against that man and his business practices and will never forgive him for the court date on the day of Dusty’s death. Long story and maybe someday I shall tell it here.

Did you grow apart from anyone?
yes

[[2011: Your BIRTHDAY!]]
Did you have a cake?
No

Did you have a party?
No, just dinner

Did you get any presents?
A couple

{2011}

Did you go on any vacations?
Trip to Chicago, geez, that reminds me to finish the video I started 5 months ago.

Would you change anything about yourself now?
Yes, I would be a much better cook! lol

[[2011: Wrap UP:]]
Was 2011 a good year?
Not a great year

Do you think 2012 will top 2011?
I sure hope so!

Thanks for reading, have a great day ;)

10 Years Later {Biggest Mistake of my Life}

Looking Back, memories 6 Responses »

Dec 142011

1o years ago today, on 12-14-01, I purchased my very first home. It was a new construction, half of a twin-home in a townhouse association. The cookie-cutter type. I was young and stupid and wanted more than anything to be a homeowner.

I can’t tell you how many times I have regretted this decision.

I do not love my house and have wanted to move for many years. Unfortunately I didn’t make the big move when the time was right and now I am stuck in a house with an upside-down mortgage.

In the past few years everyone has lost value in their homes but my neighborhood is even worse. There have been a massive amount of foreclosures, bringing the value of everyone’s homes down even further. Anyone who wants out just decides to short-sale their home, which only makes things worse for everyone else.

I received word the other day that one of the neighbors is selling their home for less than half what they paid for it 10 years ago. It makes me absolutely sick.

So today I am not celebrating the big move I made, but rather I am cursing it.

The only good thing to come out of living there is the fact that we have the best neighbors on the other side of our twin home. They are bffs and like family to us.

Every day I keep praying I win the lottery because I want out!!!!

******************************************************

In the past on this date I have blogged about:

On 12-15-10: Read Biggest Snow Storm in 20 Years = 2 “Snow Days” from School (12-15-10)
On 12-14-07: Read No worries….. (12-14-07)
On 12-14-06: Read Hey Animal lovers! (12-14-06)
On 12-14-05: Read 4 years has flown by….. (12-14-05)

Thanks for reading, have a great day ;)

Time Machine {Blog Archives}

Looking Back, memories, Web/Tech 7 Responses »

Nov 292011

I recently found a cool WordPress plug-in (it is called A Year Before for those of you using WordPress-installed blogs) that gathers all previous posts that were published on the same date (month-day) as the current day. It is a fun way to easily see what I blogged about each year on that date. This is located in the far right sidebar at the top of this blog although it would be much more convenient to embed it in each post, right? I wish it automatically did that, but I will probably add it manually to my posts when I remember to do so. I pulled today’s anniversary posts to show you an example of what I have blogged about on 11-29 of other years…..

On this date I have blogged about…

On 11-29-09: Read Pre-Thanksgiving Family Dinner (11-29-09)
On 11-29-09: Read A Much Needed New Look…. (11-29-09)
On 11-29-08: Read A Rockin’ Thanksgiving…… (11-29-08)
On 11-29-08: Read Thanksgiving…… (11-29-08)
On 11-29-07: Read Thoughts for Thursday: Hunting (11-29-07)

Thanks for reading, have a great day ;)

Sweet Memories of Pharaoh

Cats, Looking Back, memories 10 Responses »

Mar 222011

Pharaoh.

Baby Boy
Little Turkey
Monkey Boy
Little Shit
Stinker.
Lover Boy
Little Buddy
Little White Lion
Forever Kitten

He had a lot of names and they all fit him, depending on his mood.

It has been two weeks since Pharaoh died, and not a day goes by that I haven’t thought of him and missed him like crazy.

I want to do something special to honor his memory, so after a three-year hiatus, I plan to start scrapping again. I will be making a special mini album of Pharaoh and wanted to share my memories of him here as well.

Pharaoh joined our family in November of 2002. We had gotten his older brothers Phoenix and Romeo a year earlier, in the summer of 2001. We had been talking about getting another abyssinian kitten for some time but then in October 2002 an older Russian Blue named Dusty came into our lives unexpectedly. We had plenty of love to give to our furry family and just a few short weeks after we adopted Dusty, we decided to also buy the abyssinian kitten we had been desiring.

He was just ten weeks old when we got him from the breeder in central MN. He was just a little runt and oh so stinkin cute. Here he is eating with Phoenix, Dusty and Romeo.

I’ll never forget the night we brought Baby Boy home. He was so small compared to our other cats and we were not sure how they were going to react to him, so we kept him in the room that at that time was our office. In there he had food, water, a bed and a litter box. At one point in the night I went in to check on him….except I couldn’t find him…..anywhere!! Where could this tiny cat be? I checked in the vents, I checked in the closet…. he was nowhere to be found! Panic set in and there was only one other place to check…. the big wooden desk. I pulled out the filing cabin drawer and sure enough….. there he was!!?? After inspection I come to find a small 4″ round hole in the back of the drawer that was meant for computer cords, etc. That little stinker had crawled right through the hole from the back of the desk!! Abyssinians are notorious for their inquisitive and highly energetic nature, so we knew we were going to have our hands full.

Almost instantly after meeting Phoenix, Pharaoh recognized his own kind and the two of them bonded very strongly…

Phoenix and Baby Pharaoh

Pharaoh also loved his brother Romeo (who was with us until he died unexpectedly in Aug 2003)

Romeo, Pharaoh & Phoenix

Pharaoh was also Dusty’s little buddy

Pharaoh never really grew out of that kitten phase. In fact, we called him our “Forever Kitten”. He never got bigger than 8 lbs at his heaviest and was always a runt. He was such a cute little shit.

One day in 2003 when he was just a year old I caught him taking a nap with all the stuffed animals in our guest room

Here he is lounging next to Bagheera from The Jungle Book

He always had an obsession with the sink. How cute is he??!!

He could cuddle up and sleep anywhere. He had many favorite sleeping spots

Pharaoh was a dreamer. Confined to a life indoors, he spent a lot of time in one of our many windows, watching the world outside. **Make sure to keep reading and you will find a story about his escape one hot April day!**

Like I’ve mentioned, Pharaoh was a freeze baby. He loved to sit on the heating vent in the dining room when the furnace kicked on.

My camera caught him in mid-yawn (atop that heating vent again!)

Every morning since Pharaoh was just a kitten, he used to hang out with me in the bathroom. He would sit in the toilet or counter while I showered and then run off with my hair binder. Little shit! He would come back and hang out while I put on my makeup and did my hair, etc. He would always give me kisses at this time too, and more often than not he would jump into my arms so I would snuggle him.

We joke that each of our cats is another species of animal. Pharaoh is a monkey. With his long, lean body and extra long tail and the tendency to jump around from high places, that is who he was. He also loved to sit on our shoulders.

He loved to be held close to the heart. He was a lap cat and always wanted to snuggle. Part of this is because he was a perma-freeze baby, part because he just truly liked to be around us. Since he was a kitten he had the habit of jumping up into your arms, even if you were standing! I could never read a book or work on my laptop without Pharaoh being part of the mix. I admit it was kind of annoying some of the time and Pharaoh got shooed away quite a bit :( He was always into everything!! Even though he had a million toys, he could entertain himself with just about anything. I smile thinking about that little stinker in all my ribbons and supplies when I was an avid scrapper. At the time it drove me crazy!! One famous line in our house was “You’re lucky you’re so cute, Pharaoh”

As sweet as Pharaoh was, he was also naughty at times. I’ll never forget one unseasonably hot day in April, 2004. I found the following story in an e-mail that I sent to friends and family on 4/29/04

So, you know how it was really nice out yesterday? Before I left for work I opened a window on the 2nd story of our house just slightly. At 3:30 pm while I was in training at work the vibrate on my phone started going nuts for about 5 minutes. I snuck out into the hallway to check my voicemail and it’s E saying, “Pharaoh broke through the window screen and jumped ship.” This is when panic set in. Anyone who knows anything about abyssinians knows that they are one of the smartest, most highly energetic and curious cat breeds. Apparently once Pharaoh got outside he didn’t know what to do…my cats have never been outside other than supervised visits on the deck…he sat outside the window on the lower level while his brothers sat on the other side of the window keeping him company. So when E discovers the broken window screen, he sticks his head out the window, sees Pharaoh, and pharaoh takes off, knowing that he was in trouble. So where does an indoor cat go when he discovers freedom for the first time?? THATS WHAT I’D LIKE TO KNOW! I rushed home from work, grabbed some pictures and paper, and started putting “Lost Cat” signs all over the entire neighborhood. The community in which I live has many townhouse developments surrounded by wilderness in every direction. I literally walked around every space within a one mile radius over and over, calling for Pharaoh and jingling his favorite cat toy, posting posters, handing out fliers, having the neighborhood on the look-out, knocking on neighbors’ doors, and filing police reports in Washington and Anoka Co until 9:45 last night. I was exhausted all day before this from getting less than 5 hours of sleep to stay up and watch my T-Wolves and had a bad case of allergies, so you can imagine how I felt after pounding the pavement for nearly 6 hours in 90 degree weather, with my emotions on high. We had many fears that someone had found him and would keep him, he would get hit by a car, he was totally lost and would never find his way back to our house when every other house looks exactly like ours, or he had been eaten by a large bird or something. The worst part was our other cat Phoenix, frantically searching the house for his missing brother. Phoenix already lost his best friend when Romy died last summer, I couldn’t bear the thought of him losing his brother as well.
I came home, put some tuna outside the lower window and laid down to think. I was thinking about the upcoming storm that was predicted for last night and just prayed he would find his way home or someone would call with information. I knew the little shit was terrified, but also afraid that he might like this newly discovered freedom in the wilderness of Hugo and not come home.
Well a little after 10′o’clock, the phone rings. My neighbor’s dog was going nuts and when he went to check to see what it was, he saw Pharaoh!! We all quickly went out with our flashlights and tried to catch the scared little guy. He ran into the open garage of some neighbor I had never met, so I knocked on the door, asked the guy to shut his garage and let me come in to get my cat!! Poor Pharaoh was cowering under the car and didn’t want to come out! I eventually got him out and brought him home. What a reunion! Phoenix was so relieved he practically licked all the fur off him (LOL!) and chased each other around the house. I think Pharaoh was very happy to be back home and we were all able to get a good-night’s sleep!
Ahhh, if only I could re-live this adventure through Pharaoh’s eyes so I could really know what he was up to or thinking about! - Kristi

Yes, Pharaoh was a little stinker. I am glad I had that story saved in my work e-mail archives ;)

Remember a few months back when that little Turkey ate through this bag and box of chow mein?! I LMAO every time I think of it. Apparently he found chow mein irresistible. lol

Hungry Kitty Chews through bag of Chinese Food

Speaking of food, he always had something to say and he said it persistently in his high pitched little cry….. especially if food was involved. Or if he wanted food to be involved! He wasn’t shy if he thought he was going to get something out of it. He would try to be nonchalant and affectionate if food was around, but we could always see right through him because we knew what he really wanted!

There is so much I could say about this very special kitty, so I will take the liberty of adding to this post as more memories come to mind. I also hope to start working on his scrapbook…. possibly even this week!

I miss that little stinker

Thanks for reading, have a great day ;)

I Am Not 1/8 Irish {as I Have Always Thought}

Culture, Looking Back, memories 5 Responses »

Nov 102010

…… Turns out I am only 1/16 Irish!

This revelation came to me this weekend when I was at my parents’ house celebrating my mom’s birthday. We must’ve been talking about our ancestry when my mom mentioned that she is 1/8 Irish. I was like “How can YOU be 1/8 Irish if I am 1/8 Irish?” She’s like, “You’re not, you’re a 1/16″. (You always get exactly half of what each of your parents is)

Not that it is a big deal ( I consider myself 100% American), but how did I not know this after 33 years?? Apparently my mom’s dad’s mom was not 100% Irish like I thought, she was 50% Irish and 50% French.

Not only that, but all the German I thought I was is a mix of Austrian too!

So my ancestral make-up is actually 5/8 German-Austrian, 3/16 French, 1/16 Irish and 1/8 Belgian

Basically, I am a mutt??!! Hey, it’s the American Melting Pot!

Do you know what your ancestral make-up is? Please share if you feel comfortable!

Thanks for reading, have a great day ;)

Schweigert Hot Dogs are ONCE AGAIN official Twins’ Dogs

Looking Back, memories 2 Responses »

Mar 292010

A few weeks ago a Big Announcement was made that Schweigert Hot Dogs would be the Official Hot Dog of Target Field, the brand-new home of the Minnesota Twins.

For many Schweigert is a household name (or at least familiar) but for me, it is much more. Or at least it WAS. You see, when I was growing up, my dad was CEO of Schweigert Foods. I literally grew up on Schweigert hot dogs. This is what we always had in the house and what we always ate. And despite knowing what goes into a hot dog and getting an up-close-and-personal tour of a hot dog factory, I have always loved hot dogs and always will!

Having a dad who was President of the Schweigert Corporation had a lot of perks. The company had season tickets (with the very best seats!) to all the MN pro sports teams: Twins, Vikings, Timberwolves and North Stars. Naturally we got to go as often as possible. I was able to sit in the very best seats to a number of memory-making events: Games 1 & 7 of 1987 AND 1991 World Series where Twins won the World Series. Unbelieveable moments. I saw the very first ever Timberwolves game in Oct 1989 at the Metrodome Vs. Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls. I also got to go to nearly all of the North Stars Playoff Games at home when they went to the Stanley Cup in 1991. My brothers were both Bat Boys for the Twins and met every one of the ’91 Twins World Series Players. My brother Brian also got to go to the Superbowl in 1992.

Brian also modeled for a few Schweigert Ads, including this ad in the Sunday Paper (which was also a Giant Billboard on a local freeway). (Sorry Bri, I had to do it!)

Schweigert was acquired by a new company in the early 1990′s and in 1992 my dad left Schweigert to start his own Consulting firm. Schweigert kind of fell off the map after his departure. We never really looked back (but did miss all the great tickets!). We continued to eat Schweigert hot dogs not only out of loyalty, but also preference. It seems as though Scweigert Hot Dogs are making a come back to the new ballpark and I couldn’t be happier! The four varieties sound wonderful:

The Original Twins Dog
This traditional pork and beef Tenderbite® hot dog will be made from the same recipe as the hot dogs served in the team’s first ballpark – Metropolitan Stadium – and will be available at many of the ballpark’s concession stands.

Twins Big Dog
This quarter-pound all-beef Twins Big Dog will replace the hot dog formerly known as the Dome Dog and will be served at portable grills and select concessions stands throughout the stadium.

Dugout Dog
An old fashion pork and beef hot dog in a natural casing, named the Dugout Dog, will be vended in the stands at Target Field by retro-attired vendors during all home games. The Dugout Dogs will be steamed in vending boxes and placed in a bun when ordered, not pre-wrapped.

The Dinger Dog
An extra-long, pork and beef hot dog, will also be available at select Hennepin Grille locations at Target Field.

Thanks for reading, have a great day ;)

Stop! Hammer Time

Funny, Looking Back, memories, Video Blogs, Videos 20 Responses »

Jun 092009

I may have mentioned before, but my little brother Jeff started a new blog last year called Funny Video Search. On his site he posts funny videos that he finds (or that people send to him), then he makes commentary about it. For one reason or another, Jeff finds stuff from the early 1990's the funniest and he loves to somehow connect the funniness he finds to me and the stupid things I used to do when I was just turning a teenager. Recently he posted the following video and blogged about the awesome MC Hammer Pants I used to wear circa 1990. Its true! I did have at least one pair of mom-sewn Hammer pants of my very own. They were the bomb! Check out this video, it is great!!

Watching this video was great! Those gold lame MC Hammer pants are the best! You can even buy a pair here. I had to laugh at all the moves of the dancers, totally brought me back in time 20 years. Just to prove that I once could do some of MC Hammer's moves back in the day, here I am making a fool of myself by trying to do the "Chinese Typewriter" that Hammer made so famous. Hope this makes you smile today!

36 Years Ago…..

Family Gatherings, Looking Back, memories, Weddings 7 Responses »

May 192009

I wanted to quickly say Happy Anniversary to my parents who celebrated 36 years of marriage today. I don't think they read this blog but I wanted to recognize this special date anyway :)
Here are my parents on their wedding day (5-19-73)

Mom and Dad,

I love you! Thanks for always loving and being so good to each other :)

Taking it back to the OLD school……

Family Gatherings, Looking Back, memories 7 Responses »

Jan 122009

My dad recently found this old-time photo that our family had taken about 20 years ago at the old Paul Bunyan Land in Brainerd, MN (which sadly has closed), so he scanned it and sent it to me and my little brothers.
Since I have been too busy to blog anything else lately, I thought I would share :)

Don't we look tough and intimidating!!??? LOL

The Ghost of Halloween Past…….

BFF, Holidays, Looking Back, memories 10 Responses »

Oct 312008

Found a couple old pictures of me on Halloween in past years, thought I'd post a few…..
I was about 3 years old on this Halloween, dressed as a gypsy. See the terrible look on my face? If I remember correctly, I got sick with the flu later this same night and puked my brains out!! LOL

Here I am as Bat Girl

Not sure if this was Halloween or not, but I was dressed up in one of my dad's suit coats & tie! LOL

And I cannot believe I was ever a CLOWN!!! I HATE clowns!! I look like a little creep!! LOL

How about me as a UGLY WITCH

I am pretty sure I did NOT dress up between ages 12-19, so fast forward to college years! I am the farmer on the right side. I am so embarrassed about the stupid cigs I used to smoke back in the day (GROSS! PS Its been over 8 years since I have touched a stinkarette)

I made a pretty good Devil!

Here I am as a Mensa Nerd (not too far off the mark! LOL) with Kimmy who was J-Lo that year

Then I was a Purple Lady

And here is last year semi-dressed as a witch

It is going to be a surprise what I dress up as this year (a surprise to me as well since I still haven't figured it out!)
Hope everyone has a Safe and Happy Halloween!

Happy 80th Birthday, Gram!!

Birthday Shout-outs, Family Gatherings, Looking Back, memories 9 Responses »

Jul 012008

Here is my Gram when she was a young woman….. (Yes, my mom looks a lot like her!)

Since I scanned so many photos of my grandparents for their upcoming anniversary, thought I’d share a few of them over the years….

Indiana Jones!!

Looking Back, memories, Movies 7 Responses »

Jun 032008

I went to see the new Indiana Jones movie last week and I loved it!!

I know it was cheesy in some parts, but then again, isn't that how all the old Indy Movies were too??!!

I was a huge fan of Indiana Jones as a kid. Those movies were (collectively) one of the 12 movies I was able to watch as a kid. (We didn't have cable and we were restricted as far as what we could rent-strict mom!)
This is pretty much "the list" of videos I remember seeing over and over:

Old-School Disney (non-animated) like Chitty-ChittyBang-Bang and Swiss Family Robinson
Indiana Jones
The Goonies
The Karate Kid (series)
Ghost Busters
Sixteen Candles
Police Academy
Princess Bride
Willy Wonka
Adventures in Babysitting
Never Ending Story
Coming to America
Star Wars (series) and Ewok Adventures

Who else loved the Indian Jones movies? What was your favorite movie as a kid? What movie can you recite on demand?

4 years ago today….

Looking Back, memories 6 Responses »

Apr 102008

…..My younger brother Brian married his high school sweetheart, the love of his life, Michelle.
What a beautiful wedding it was!

For those of you who know Brian and Michelle, you can just tell they were meant for each other! They are both hard-working and extremely wonderful parents to Annika, Bianca and Bennett. Just look at this beautiful family!

If I had some wine I would raise my glass to Brian and Michelle!

Congrats and Happy Anniversary you two, I love you!!!!

Thoughts for Thursday: Old Saint Nick…..

Looking Back, memories, Thoughts for Thursday 3 Responses »

Dec 062007

Happy Saint Nicholas Day!!

Does anyone know what I am talking about?? Click above link.

Celebration in the United States (from Wikipedia)

While feasts of Saint Nicholas are not observed nationally, cities
with strong German influences like Milwaukee, Cincinnati, and St. Louis
celebrate St. Nick’s Day on a scale similar to the German custom.^[5] On the previous night, children put one empty shoe (or sock) outside, and, on the following morning of December 6,
the children awake to find that St. Nick has filled their previously
empty footwear with candy and small presents (if the children have been
"good") or ostensibly, coal (if not). For these children, the
relationship between St. Nick and Santa Claus is not clearly defined,
although St. Nick is usually explained to be a helper of Santa. The
tradition of St. Nick’s Day is firmly established in the Milwaukee and
St. Louis communities, with parents often continuing to observe the day
with even their adult children.

When my brothers and I were kids, Old St. Nick came to our house every December 6th. We would put our boots out on the front porch and later in the evening we would hear the doorbell ring and when we opened the door, nobody would be there, but our boots would be filled with candy!! It was a very fun tradition, one I miss.

I think this may be one of my only connections to my German heritage, sad as that is. I didn’t even realize this was a German thing to do in the U.S until I just looked it up.

Just curious if anyone else celebrates this or not?

* *******************************************************************

Old School Adventures…..

BFF, Looking Back, memories, Surveys, Quizzes and Questionnaires 9 Responses »

Nov 072007

I am putting a twist on the "7random" post that everyone is doing these days. Since it took so long to get to this post after being tagged by a million people, I am going to go all out and tell ya seven adventures I’ve had that were pretty scary at the time….

1. Once in the middle of winter when I was 16 years old, my friend Amy and I went out with our friends, Keith and Eric. She had a 12 am curfew and lived on the opposite side of the lake from where we happened to be and we only had about 5 minutes to make her curfew. We were near a boat launch and Keith got this great idea that we would "take a short cut" across the lake….in the car! I thought he was kidding until we found ourselves on the ice. We got about half way across the lake when the piece of crap car keith was driving got STUCK in the snow. Like majorly STUCK. It was freezing A$$ out, this was before the days of cell phones, and we were SOL. We tried rocking that dang car to get it unstuck, but no such luck. We walked around the lake, knocking on fish shacks to see if anyone was around to help us. No luck. We knew we were in trouble in more ways than one. About 30-45 minutes after we got out on the lake, a miracle happened. A huge truck happened to appear about 1/4 mile away…we were able to flag the fishermen who were driving it down and they somehow helped us get unstuck. We made it back to Amy’s house over an hour late, frozen to the bone. Thank GOD she had a huge hot tub that we could all warm up in. I have been terrified to drive out ont he ice ever since then. How stupid was that idea!!!?? Do you remember that Keith? I know you’re reading :)

2. Speaking of Keith, we used to hang out and get in all sorts of adventures together…. how about another time when we were 16…..the entire Sauer clan (that means all the aunts, uncles and cousins) stayed at the Embassy Suites downtown St Paul for a family get together. The weekend we were staying there also happned to be right before my 16th birthday and was taking place during the St Paul Winter Carnival, so my dad let me invite a few friends to come hang out at the hotel pool, etc. There were at least a million people staying in the hotel that weekend, including the entire Winter Carnival Royalty. To make a long story short, my friends Keith, Amy and Eric were sitting in the sauna and I was just about to go in the sauna too. Well keith was just messing around "pretending" he was going to punch the little glass window in the sauna door. Unfortunately he slipped on some water that was right in front of the door and put his fist right through, with me standing right in front of the door on the other side. Not only did Keith cut the fu*k out of his entire hand, I had pieces of glass embedded in my face and all over my chest and stomach and arms, each with trickles of blood flowing down my body. It must’ve looked really bad! I didn’t dare move for risk of cutting my feet up on the glass that was everywhere, so i stood there until help could come clean the glass up. The hotel managment thought I was one of the carnival princesses and was tring to find my "chaperone". Moral of that story…don’t ever even pretend to put your fist through a window because it really sucks when it happens!

3. One year while on spring break in Cancun, my friends Kim, Katy and Laura and I went on an excursion called the Jungle Tour. They put us on these old-school (like 20 years old) giant 2-person jetskis that we would drive across the ocean to a coral reef where we would then snorkle. So I am driving the machine and Kim is on the back of it with me. I had never driven one of these effin things before and it happened to be a very windy day and the swells were like 4 feet high. Every time we would gain speed we would crash into a wave and go all slow again. Well this was a pretty scary experience…..we were with a guided group, but ended up being very far behind the rest, to the point that we couldn’t see them anymore. So we are trying to catch up and I am holding on the the steering wheel for dear life because there was NO WAY I was trying to fall off in the middle of the ocean. So we hit the biggest wave ever and then the jetski suddenly stopped. I was like, omg kim, that was scary. Then I realized Kim was no longer behind me. OMG, where is KIM???? KIMMY!!! I am in the middle of the ocean, waves 4 feet high and I cannot see my best friend anywhere. The killswitch had been attached to her so when she fell off, the jetski killed. I was stuck and could not go anywhere, just bouncing in the waves looking for Kim, hoping I would find her before the hungry sharks did. I saw her head bouncing up and down about 50 yards away, but I could not paddle the large jetski in the waves with just my arms. It was terrifying for me, imagine how Kim felt! Finally I got to her. We ended up waiting on the jetski until the tour guide realized we were missing and had to come back looking for us. This incident has caused a deep fear of large waves and small boats for me. I haven’t ridden a jetski since and I will never again do so in the ocean.

4. One time in 7th grade Bradie and I had the day off of school. I had slept at her house the night before and in the morning since we had no school, we walked a block to my house so I could take a shower and get dressed, with the plans to hang out and enjoy our day off of school. Unfortunately when we got to my house, all the doors were locked and no one was home. So I did what we sometimes had to do in this situation….crawl through the basement window. I let Bradie in the front door and then jumped in the shower. 5 minutes later Bradie come in the bathroom and was like, "The police are here". But she says it in a non-dramatic way so I told her to shut up and get out of the bathroom! A few minutes later she comes back in and says, "I am serious, krissy! The police are here and they want to talk to you. So I quickly get dressed and find a couple fo officers standing in my house, letting me know the neighbors had called the police about a break-in. They needed to verify that I did indeed live there. Despite the fact that my picture was all over the house, they needed to call my parents, who were extremely hard to track down that day. My dad had just started a new job and I didn’t know how to get ahold of him. Finally they did and my dad verified I was indeed his daughter, that I was NOT skipping school. But the whole thing pretty much sucked. I don’t think I ever broke in that way again!

5. Another story with Bradie…. One night when I was in 8th grade my parents went out for the night to the Whitney Houston concert, so I had some of my girlfriends over….Jessie, Jenny, Andrea and Amy were already at my house and Bradie and Chelsea were walking on their way over from Bradie’s house. Before Bradie and Chelsea got to my house, there was a knock on my bedroom window. I looked out and no one was there. It wasn’t for about 5-10 minutes that Bradie and Chelsea showed up. I was like" Thanks for knocking on the window, real funny!" Bradie swore that she didn’t do it, but I didn’t believe her because she liked to prank me every once in awhile. So we were all hanging out for a few hours and then later Chelsea’s mom had to come pick her up. We were all sitting in the living room watching out the picture window for Cheslea’s mom, when out of the bush on the side of the house come two men wearing all black with black ski masks on. We screamed bloody murder and the men ran across the yard and scaled the fence. Amy’s dad was a sheriff so she called him right away and he came over in his squad. They combed the neighborhood but never found anyone. Luckily he stayed until my parents came home late that night. I was scared out of my mind for weeks!!! A few weeks later some weird creepy kid who lived in my neighborhood called me out of the blue and confessed that he had been watching me in my back yard on several occasions and that it was him and a friend that night.

6. One time back when I was in college I went camping with Lanee, Kim, Sonja, Danielle and a few other friends. We were at Willow River State Park in east central MN, a very secluded campground with very few other campers that weekend. There weren’t any bathroom facilities anywhere, just a water pump an an outhouse several hundred feet from our campsite. So late one night Lanee and I walked to the pump to brush our teeth before going to bed…it was pitch-black out and we had but a measley little flashlight with us. We had just finished at the waterpump when we heard movement in the woods right next to us and then we a flash of something white- something big….I screamed bloody murder and then ran as fast as I could back to the campsite, Lanee following me. I didn’t dare turn around to see what was chasing us, but I just knew it was either Bigfoot, a bear or worse…a psychopath who was lurking in the woods watching us (yes, I have a great imagination!). Some of the guys went to investigate and saw a large patch of grass that had been matted down from whatever creature (probably just a deer) had been laying there. I don’t know who was more scared, me or the deer, but its a miracle I didn’t PIMP!!!

7. Speaking of PIMP, I will admit about the last time it ever happened to me. I was a 7th grader and it was fall, so it was dark really early. A week or two earlier, Jacob Wetterling, a boy who lived about an hour and a half north of the Twin Cities, was abducted while walking down the street with his brother and friend. The thought of being kidnapped scared the crap outta me, and since they never found out who did it or ever found Jacob for that matter (still no word on him 18 years later), the kidnapper was still at large. I was walking home from Bradie’s house with my friend Tracy, when a car that was driving behind us suddenly started slowing down, then stopped behind us. As we walked a little further, the car would again move a little further then stop. After this happened halfway down the block, Tracy and I just KNEW that is was the kidnapper and that he was coming to get us. I was scared for my life as I ran through the backyards to get to my house. And yes, I PIMP I was so scared. Turns out our kidnapper was really just the evening newspaper delivery man, but he sure scared the piss out of me!!! Literally.

So there ya have it ;) A few random adventures in the life of kristi.

I hope you enjoyed that…it took forever to type! LOL

Does that count as two days worth of posts or what??!! Oh shoot, tomorrow is Thoughts for Thursday. I’ll be back!

The Boogeyman

Looking Back, memories, Random Thoughts & Updates, Thoughts Wanted 3 Responses »

Oct 222007

Not much new to report, but I did get to watch a couple of movies yesterday…

Firewall with Harrison Ford and Boogeyman.

Now I just have to confess right here and now that when I was a child, I believed in the Boogeyman. He lived in my basement!!!! (Which was very creepy and unfinished for the most part until I was a teenager. Secret rooms and everything).

Why did I think the Boogeyman lived down there?

Because my dad told me so. Many, many times.

Why the heck would a parent tell something like that to their children????

It scared the heck out of me until I was probably 14 or so. No kidding.

If I had to go to the basement for any reason, I would run as fast as I could to the top of the stairs because I was always afraid the Boogeyman was right behind me and was going to get me.

NEVER would I sleep down there until I was a teenager, and then only if I had friends sleeping over with me.

This movie last night was pretty scray, although the Boogeyman in the movie lived in the closet, not the basement.

I am going to buy my dad this movie and make him watch it!!! I want him to get the sh*t scared out of him so he knows a little about the trauma he caused in me. (PS I love my dad, but I still don’t understand why he used to say that crap.)

Anyone else care to admit they were afraid of the Boogeyman or some other creey phenomena????

Anyone scare the crap out of their kids with horror stories like that????

Oh, how I have changed!

Looking Back, memories 7 Responses »

Sep 202007

Thanks to so many of you who were kind enough to leave positive feedback about my new ‘do. I think I will get used to it soon enough :)

I thought it would be interesting to take a look back at how I have changed in the past 8 years or so. Following is a progression of school pictures taken each year since I began teaching in 1999. I didn’t scan last year’s photo and this year’s has not been taken yet. Its so weird to look at these photos because I don’t think I look anything like the first five. Apparently I had some major hair issues…perms, blonde….and very unflattering styles that emphasized my round face.

This prompted me to look through my different profile pictures taken every couple of months over the past 2 1/2 years.

Hair style makes a big difference, doesn’t it?? Not to mention the angle of the camera. I was actually much thinner at the beginning of these photos, but you’d never know it by the roundness of my face and terrible hair. Hopefully I am the type of woman who just keeps looking better with age!

Thanks for reading, have a great day ;)

Labor Day weekend 10 Years ago…..

Looking Back, memories 6 Responses »

Aug 312007

I very clearly remember the details of this very weekend, 10 years ago.

I had been living by myself in my college apartment in St Cloud for the summer, taking classes and working while all my roommmates had gone home for the summer, but I was actually in the Cities staying at my parents place for a few days before heading back to school.

I remember being at a bonfire with some friends when I heard the tragic and shocking news that Princess Diana had been killed in a car accident. Very, very sad, yet it didn’t affect me personally.

The following day Katy and I drove up about 20 minutes past St Cloud to spend the day with Lanee, Roger, his daughters, Danielle and Kimmy, who were all camping at Two Rivers campground. It was an enjoyable day.

Later that night Danielle, Katy and I went back to my apartment in St Cloud to meet up with some of my roommates who had just moved back to school that very same day. We partied our butts off that night! Kim did not come with us, but ended up going back home to the Cities that night.

The next morning at 7am the phone rings. So waking from a deep, hungover sleep, I answer the phone.

It was Kim, and she was bawling. "OMG, Sonja!" She says, but is crying so hard she can’t say anything else.

I am thinking, "OMG, what happened to Sonja???!!!"

Then Kim tells me some of the worst news you could ever expect to hear. She had just found out that Sonja and Lanee’s mother had died from a heart attack the night before, while she was camping on the St Croix River. Lanee did not even know yet, as she was still camping and because it was still so early, no one could get ahold of her to tell her.

OMG, how do you tell your best friend that her mom is dead???? Kimmy was the one to call and tell her the devastating news.

Shortly after, Lanee calls me and says in the most surreal voice, "My mom is dead". I was like, I know honey. I am on my way up there to be with you. Instead, she asked that I meet her at a Burger King off the freeway, so that I could bring Danielle (her cousin) to be with her on the ride home. Roger and his girls were still at the campground, trying to get everything packed up.

Meeting Lanee at that time was heartbreaking. She was still in complete shock.

It was worse seeing Sonja later that day. My heart absolutely broke to see her in so much pain. There were many issues between them that were never resolved. Her mother’s death has affected her in so many ways.

My poor, sweet girlfriends lost there mother at the age of 43. Sonja was 18 and Lanee 20.

In loving memory of their mother, Angelica :)

My friend Cassie’s dad passed away that same weekend.

Very sad weekend, unforgettable events.

Its hard to believe it has been 10 years.

This is always a very hard time of year for my girls. Please think some positive thoughts for them :)

Peanut Butter & Jelly

Friend Time, Looking Back, memories, Showers, Special Events 6 Responses »

Aug 152007

I know it may seem silly, but my friend Leslie and I have had these nicknames for each other since we were three years old. She is Peanut Butter and I am Jelly. You see, Les and I went to preschool together at Oak Hill Montessori and our moms carpooled since we lived so close to each other. We would usually go to either my house or hers after preschool and whenever our mom’s would ask us what we wanted for lunch, I would say "peanut butter" and she would finish it by saying "jelly"!

Now my dear old friend is on her way to motherhood…just 6-7 more weeks or so and her little one will arrive :) One of Leslie’s friends threw a baby shower last night at her home in Coon Rapids. All went well (except the fact that I got lost because my exit off the freeway was closed and had to take a 10 mile detour).

I feel very fortunate that I was able to reconnect with one of my oldest (or longest?) friends. It will be fun to see Leslie as a mother!

Senior Year of HS….

Looking Back, memories 3 Responses »

Aug 102007

Saw this little questionnaire you are supposed to fill out about your senior year of high school. Thought it might be fun to look back at my graduation year. 95-95-999995!!!! (If you went to school with me and remember this chant, give a shout-out!!!)

Fill this out about your SENIOR year of high school! The longer ago it was, the more fun the answers will be!!

1. Who was your best friend? My best friend was Mary Ellen, but the girls I hung around 24/7 were Katy, Nicci, Nora and Mandie, but I still had a ton of friends from many different groups!

2.What sports did you play? I was in a BAD car accident the summer before senior year (hit by a repeat drunk driver) and could no longer play any sports because of my sever injuries, but I had played soccer for 12 years prior to that.

3. What kind of car did you drive? I was not allowed to own my own car, but I drove my mom’s 92′ Grand Prix (teal) or my dad’s ’89 Mazda 929.

4. Friday night… where were you ? One of the clubs with my girls…Ragin Cagin, The Industry, TNT

5. Were you a party animal? I was always fun and loved to go to parties….

6. Were you considered a flirt? Definitely!!!

7. Were you in band, orchestra, or choir? NO! and you wouldn’t even ask this if you ever heard me sing! LOL

8. Were you a nerd? As far as school was concerned, yes. I have always been an honor student. I think I was pretty popular though, many groups of friends in my huge high school (class of 650)

9. Did you get suspended/expelled? Are you kidding me???!!! NEVER! I would never have disappointed myself or my parents like that.

10. Can you sing the fight song? I bet I could if I found myself back at the games…I could definitely do the White Bear Beat!!!!

11. Who was your favorite teacher? I can’t remember his name, but he taught speech. My speech class was one of the best classes I ever had!! Every single person in that class took turns bringing in food every day (donuts, etc)…..it was like a constant potluck!

12. Where did you sit during lunch? I didn’t…I was done by 11:30 every day, then went to college classes for the first half of the year, worked the second half of the year.

13. What was your school’s full name? White Bear Lake High School South Campus

14. School mascot? White Bear (duh!!!)

15. Did you go to prom? Yes, with my senior year boyfriend, Otho. Our group included Bradie (Erling), Steph (Cale), Erin (Brian), Andrea (Fred). Fun times at the Embassy Suites!!

16. If you could go back and do it again, would you? No, absolutely not. I was in a lot of pain that year from my accident and had to go to too many Dr. appts and therapy, etc.

17. What do you remember most about graduation? I was scared out of my mind. I was more nervous than I had ever been in my life!!! I was also hoping and praying Bradie would make it!! I also remember that I was up for a stretch of 65 hours straight over graduation weekend with the senior party and everything else I had going on.

18. Where did you go senior skip day? We had an organized senior day. Roberto’s banquet hall for breakfast, then Valleyfair (I did not go to Valleyfair though)

20. Were you in any clubs? I started the SADD chapter at my high school and became the President. I was and always have been very passionate about anti- drinking & driving. That car accident changed my life.

21. Where did you go most often for lunch? I didn’t eat much back then….

22. Have you gained some weight since then? Ummm, practically a 100lbs! j/k, but yes, a lot of weight.

23 Who was your February-formal dance date? It happened to be on my 18th birthday, so I had a crew of girls and we all got dressed up and went together! (Gina, Katy, Amy, Nora, Sandra, Leslie, Mary and then me sitting in the chair).

24. Are you planning on going to your 10 year reunion? It’s already past (2 years ago).. And NO I didn’t go.. I was at Matt & Colleen’s wedding that night!

25. Who was your home room teacher? I don’t think we had home room by senior year, did we? I think they just added 15 minutes on to 1st hour.

26. Who will repost this after you? Anyone is free!

27. Who was your high school sweetheart? Depends on the year, but I would say J, J & O.

28. Do you still talk to people from high school? Yes, many people :) I usually know whats going on around town!

29. Did you win prom queen or king? We didn’t have anything like that, but NO!

30. Where did you work during your senior year? I worked for my insurance agent at American Family Insurance.

ETA: Here are my senior pics!