Thursday, October 25, 2007

Some hoppin grass hoppers

Just for giggles:

These are some hoppers of grass having a time on my patio furniture. It was really quite impressive actually. Our lady of the afternoon only had one back leg and was still able to hop with glory. Oh how the circle of life finds its way .... glorious.





PS There is a bit of humpin going on in this insect world. MM CHIK AH CHIK-A-MMM

Puppy Party

More back-tracking.

Sept 22 was Costello's Birthday. 3yrs old and still the best Pu ever. (21 in dog years). We had a small grill out. Hotdogs and the like with all the fixins. Brownies for the people and one fine cake for the canine party goers.



The yummy cake: Liver with peanut butter "icing"



Me and my special birthday boy.

Babies all around. (Catch up)

A bit of blog catching up.

My friend Liz from undergrad is full on prego and due in Nov. My friend K and I threw her a shower back in Sept to celebrate the occasion. This was complete with a full spread of food and yummy chocolate fountain. There were of course NO baby games.

(I do not believe in melting candy bars in diapers and smelling them, eating baby food and guessing the substance, or embarrassing a mother to be by measuring string)

One "game" was played but it was not of the listed variety. The shower had a "princess" theme and as guests arrived were pinned an identity to their back. Throughout the shower each person was to ask others yes or no questions to determine what "princess" they were. The end.

All in all I deamed the event a big success.



There was also a bit of "dress-up" to be had. Tiaras required.

Pictures.

Saturday, September 22, 2007

I'm a slacker.

So I've been called out on my slacking in the world of blog. This will be short but sweet but there are plenty of pics to keep you occupied.

The news is that I went to the Club National Championships last weekend. (for triathlons that is). For those not totally hip to the info I've started competing and training for these events this year. My first race was the KC Women's Tri that I did with my frieds MG and CLJ. That was a good time. The second go around was the National Championships. This year they were held in STL (handy that) at the Innsbrook Resort. I rocked it out that day, kickin ass with a 2nd place finish in my age group. WOOT!! Here are some fun pics, enjoy!

(A good number of these are also of the other girls I went with that weekend).

Wednesday, June 06, 2007

It's just like riding a bike! And I need everyones help!

Well actually it's not "like" riding a bike ... it is riding a bike.

Being a crazy person I signed up for a 150 mile bike ride but for a really good cause. I'm participating in the MS 150. For those not familiar with Multiple Sclerosis it is a very serious depilitating and eventually fatal disease that effects people of all ages. People are most commonly diagnosed in their 20s-50s.

I have known a few people over the years that have this horrible disease and for those that have to suffer through it's effects on a daily basis there is as of yet no relief in sight. THERE IS NO CURE!

So I figure what's my sore bum from riding a bike all day compared to a life of living day to day not knowing what new symptom will show up or if that day is my last. To this I hope anyone that can will be willing to put a little pain in their pocketbooks for this cause. Every little bit will help and it is all much appreciated. I have a pretty ambitious goal for this years ride so I need A LOT of support.

To make donations my website is: http://www.nationalmssociety.org/goto/awelch

Please forward this on to everyone you know; friends, fams, repost it in your blog. The only way to reach my goals of not only donations but spreading the word on this disease and how it effects us all is with your help. THANKS ALL!

For more information on Multiple Sclerosis:
www.NationalMSSociety.org


Monday, April 30, 2007

Underwear Purgatory

So for all those not aware I've taken on the challenge of the Triathalon with Ms. G-love. Today was not my first biking day but it was my first day back on a bike. The previous bike workouts on my schedule were completed on spinning bikes at the gym due to the fact that I don't own a bike yet.

I found that one of our local bike shops rents bikes and the rest is history. An hour and a half and one sunburn later I had a much better experience than my last adventure on a bike. For those not hip to that fateful day it ended ... well actually started with one major crash and burn a lot less skin significant bleeding and ended with 3 months of physical therapy.

As for today my ride started out really pathetic. There was not what I would call a fear more like intense nervousness. It was a toss up between that 4 year old that just got their training wheels off and the 85 year old at the wheel of their 87 Caddy riding the brake like there's no tomorrow. Once my triathalon buddie, Crystal, and I were off the road, out of traffic and onto the MKT trail things got a little better. I managed to start boosting my bike confidence .... some much needed bike confidence. I was cruzing by the time we were heading back the shop to return the rental bikes. Not too bad but the next go around I've made the mental note to wear regular underwear. Boy-shorts tend to shift when you're peddling on that bike for miles. I experience what I have now dubbed underwear purgatory. It's not quite in; it's not quite out; but it's definately not comfortable. Bad bad news. Ahhh, all in a days ride. :0)



It's never to late, to start riding again.

Thursday, March 29, 2007

A Temporary Bought of Bell's Pausy

So I haven't been to a dentist in 6 years ... big deal
:0|

Okay, so bigger deal than I would have wanted. But being a college student with no dental insurance doesn't really lend itself to getting a cleaning every 6 months.

Let's back this up about 3 weeks. ....

Imagine if you will, you are on a long drive and you haven't had to brush your teeth in a while. You have over the course of the day accumulated a nice bio-film on your teeth and it's bugging the crap out of you/grossing you out a bit. With no facility or utensils for the task of cleaning your choppers your resort to scrapping them with your fingernail for time being until you can give them a proper scrub. (Are you grossed out yet?)

So in the process of cleaning my pearly whites with my nails of fingers I encountered a sensitive ridge like area on one of my teeth. This was quite concerning and I immediately scheduled myself an appointment with a DDS.

This ended up being a little slab fracture of my enamel up by my gum line ... it happens, a lot of people have this. There was not decay and I was ordered to use sensitive toothpaste from now on .... so, good news here ... bad news is I have cavities. I have always had bad teeth so this was not surprising. Of course worse news is the dentist that I saw wanted to charge me an arm and a leg to fix them. No way says I!

So Today:

I went for my second opinion/fix job appointment with a reputable gentleman with reasonable prices today. 3 cavities are in need of fixing. There was unfortunately not enough time in the appointment for all to be resolved but we did get the head honcho. Of course I had to go to work immediately after my appointment with half of my face still ragingly numb and exhibiting an immense lack of motion.

I have conveniently included my radiograph for you viewing pleasure: (You can see I've already had to have a big of work done :0( )

The lovely circle on the bottom outlines the one we annihilated today. The topmost circle has the other two in it's grasps, they are directly across from each other.




One down, Two to go!

Saturday, March 17, 2007

Erin go what the hell?

There's nothing like waking up to a nice Irish morning ... blizzard????





I was just getting excited about spring time, the improving weather, everything beginning to turn green. And what should be more green than St. Patrick's Day? But the Top 'O Dis Mornin' shows a fine white holiday indeed. Let me tell you how fun it is to walk the dogs in that kind of weather. I had to break out the scarves and mittens that I had so carefully tucked away for the improving weather ... or shoved in a box in my closet with wanton actually but that's not the point.



I was hoping this would be a fine day for running about the District looking for leprecans and pots of gold. Unfortunately; aside from the dinamic Missouri weather system, I'm on call this weekend and am not able to partake in the full amplitute of the fine traditions of my people. So order Pionta Guinness, le do thoil for me and beannachtaí na Féile Pádraig oraibh!


So I will continue to leave you with a few sayings in hopes that as you get ar meisce on your beor uaine, you have one for me too. And if I see you around Tabhair póg dom, táim Éireannach!! Because let's face it, it's been a long time since this lass saw some action. Happy Lá Fhéile Pádraig! Erin Go Bragh!


Wednesday, January 17, 2007

It's a Leiopleurodon, Charlie, a magical Leiopleurodon!

This is for you Ms. Gants!!!

Oh! When you're down and looking for some cheering up then just head right up to the candy mountain cave. When you get inside you'll find yourself a cheery land such a happy and joy-filled and perky merry land. They've got lollipops and gummy drops and candy things. Oh so many things that will brighten up your day. It's impossible to wear a frown in Candy Town! It's a mecca of love and candy canes!

They've got jelly beans and coconuts with little hats, candy rats, chocolate bats, it's a wonderland of sweets! Ride the candy train to town and hear the candy band! Candy bells! It's a treat as they march across the land.

Cherry ribbons stream across the sky into the ground. Turn around, it astounds! It's a dancing candy tree! In the Candy Cave the imagination runs so free! So now Charlie please will you go into the cave?



http://filmcow.com/charlie
theunicorn.htm

Saturday, January 06, 2007

Please enjoy your tour, but mind your step and the radioactive equid.

So pre-illness days of recent I was fulfilling my duties as a student ambassador for the college of vet med. We've been doing tours etc for the 100 out of state interviews that came in over the last three days (obviously I missed day three doing to my rapid onset disease state). So beyond that fine experience I had two days of non-stop walking and talking.

My first tour mishap came when I was in our food/production animal area. The path of our tour is rarely interupted and I had been informed that it practically never would be since it never had been so when "Mr. I've given the most tours of anyone" told me he had never run into a problem. So it was a nice change to come to a dead end half way through since they had to seal off part of the hospital due to a loose Bull .... hmmm "Let's go to the equine clinic and come back to food animal later shall we?"

My tribulations did not end here. On another tour, thankfully not the same one with the Bull incident, we had come to the point of the tour of the equine clinic where we visit our treadmill. This fine contraption is mostly used for research but is also utilized in the diagnosis of equine lameness. It also happens to be at the very back of the equine portion of the hospital. Our tours are restricted on the areas we can go, especially in equine (contamination can be a real bitch), so when you reach the treadmill the only thing to do is turn around an go back the way you came. But WAIT!! What is this??? While my group was checking out the treadmill of lameness the clinitians were bringing a horse back from radiation therapy. Good thing for us proximity is a problem. It's not usually a good idea to expose your tour group to radioactive animals, as everyone with this animal was clothed in their haz-mat esk suits. Needless to say my tour group was stuck at the end of a long hallway with nothing to do but stare at eachother for about 10 minutes. Awesome.



Does anyone have any questions while we wait??? No??? Damn.

Allergies ROCK!!

So most people attribute allergies to having stuffy sinus problems. How lucky those people are that they can take fantastic medications such as phenylephrine or pseudoephedrine to give them the glory of breathing again.

I on the other hand, am blessed with the reverse situation. I only recieve sinus problems due to non-allergy associated causes and am allergic to the fine decongestants that would give me a smidge of relief.

(Can you tell this is a fabulous venting post? LUCKY YOU GUYS!)

So as the infection has spread from my sinuses to my left ear, which is now excedingly painful to the touch, I get to continue on with my missery. My only outpost on this journey of discomfort is the lovely substance refered to as mentol. AHHHH menthol, my only sollus, I can almost breath when I slather it all over my face so I look like a wet fish.



Yup, this about says it all.

Monday, January 01, 2007

New Years Shindig

So after all my traveling over this fine holiday break I decided I didn't want to do anymore driving for New Years. Result? A happenin gettogether at my house. Here's the resulting photo spectacular from last night. Enjoy! Hope everyone is having a fantastic new yar of their own.




Enjoy the spread, and the photos.

okay -- more link problems ... this is the link:
share.shutterfly.com/action/welcome?sid=1AZOGzdy0YsXuQ
woot