Pat & Ran Est. 2008

Summer Reads

2011-07-22T13:14:00.000-07:00

I love summer. Not because of the sunshine, the nice weather, or being able to spend time at the pool (because honestly, living in California, I can enjoy all of those things for about 9 months out of the year). I love summer time because summer is when I get to spend hours upon hours curled up on the couch, A/C cranked, with a good book. And this summer, unlike last summer, there is no boring textbook or class reading assignment calling my name. This is strictly pleasure reading, and I love it. Here's a few of the books on my summer reading list:

I read Water for Elephants en route to Jamaica, and on the beach. :) This book was awesome. My only complaint is that now I won't be able to see the movie (I have a personal rule about not seeing movies that were adapted from books I've read; my general consensus is that the movie can NEVER compare). But that's alright, I don't care much for that Twilight actor anyway.

I received this book from a coworker as a thank you for some work I did last school year. This is a good book to have sitting on your coffee table to pick up and flip open on those days when you feel like nothing is going right. It's full of short chapters (sometimes only a sentence but up to a few pages), of things that are, well, awesome. The author even has a blog that is updated daily with awesome things. [Burps that taste good really are awesome!!!]

Onto a more serious note. The Invitation was a gift from a friend, mentor, and fellow social worker. If you're into spiritual self-help books along the lines of The Four Agreements and The Secret, you will love this book. This is one of those books in which I've flagged several pages, to re-read and refer to in the future. Here's one of my favorite excerpts:

It doesn't interest me where or what or with whom you have studied.

I want to know what sustains you from the inside
when all else falls away.
I want to know if you can be alone with yourself
and if you truly like the company you keep
in the empty moments.

And speaking of The Four Agreements, this book was also a gift from a colleague. I haven't started this one yet, because the student in me feels the need to go back and review The Four Agreements before I move onto The Fifth Agreement.

I keep hearing rave reviews about this book, but I'm waiting to borrow it from a coworker. I can't wait to start reading it!

And of course, I have to have a few junkie memoirs thrown in (I'm a junkie memoir junkie, ha!). Fall to Pieces was written by the now ex-wife of Scott Weiland, of the Stone Temple Pilots. Very interesting read about an average girl who gets caught up in the crazy rock n' roll lifestyle.

And on the opposite end of the spectrum, Russell Brand's Booky Wook. One word: boring. Maybe it's just because I don't understand British humor, but when I finished reading this book, I felt like I must be stupid, because surely I should be able to see the humor in the stories he told (or at the very least understand what the hell he was talking about). I'm grateful I bought this book used, but a little sad that I will never see that $7 again.

Since I only have two books left on my list to read, and it's only mid-summer, I would welcome suggestions from my fellow bookworms. What are you reading???

BABIESSSSS!!!!

2011-07-22T12:32:00.000-07:00

Yes, the title of this post does deserve all caps. Why? Because my oldest friend, Jonna, was blessed with 2 beautiful twin girls on June 6th! We were fortunate enough to spend an entire afternoon cuddling these beautiful babes (Pat even held one!). They were only about 3 weeks old at the time, and were tiny, fragile, and absolutely gorgeous! So without further ado, I present to you, Presley and Elyse!

Look at that face!!!

What a little sweetheart!

Sleeping soundly.

Doing double-time. Easy peasy (when they're both asleep, haha!)

I think I'm in love....

Playing Catch {Up}

2011-07-01T09:57:00.000-07:00

June was such a whirlwind month. We spent the first two weeks of the month traveling to Montana and then Jamaica, squeezed in a baseball game in Oakland, and wrapped up the month by cuddling two brand new baby girls (more on that in the next post). We were literally out of town every single weekend. Which is probably why I woke up this morning and thought, "Where did this month go??? How can it possibly be July already?!?!"

We were invited by some good friends to a huge rivalry game between the Giants and the A's in Oakland. I absolutely LOVE watching baseball, because it seems to be the only sport that I fully understand (surprising given I've grown up with 3 brothers who are all sports fanatics). So even though Pat's a Red Sox fan through and through, we decided it would be fun to go watch the two bay-area teams battle it out. We made sure to arrive a few hours early, to give ourselves time to tailgate and save some money on $6 hotdogs and $9 beers. And we both made sure to wear neutral colors, as we determined before leaving the house that since our group would consist of both A's fans and Giants fans, Pat and I would be playing the role of neutral Switzerland for the day.

Supposedly because I brought champagne to tailgate (it was leftover from graduation), I'm a Giants fan. I maintain my neutral stance.

My photographic skills went by the wayside once we actually got into the game (I may have slightly over-indulged in the aforementioned champagne). But as you can see, I was in good company. :)

Oh, and for all of you that care, the A's won, which was none too pleasing for the Giants fans. I was neither excited nor upset by the outcome of the game. However, fun was had by all.

A Caribbean Dream

2011-07-01T09:33:00.000-07:00

Ahhh Jamaica. We fell in love with the island when we went there for our honeymoon a few years ago. We vowed then that we would return at some point. And what better time than for our 3rd anniversary, as a celebration of 3 years of wedded bliss (no easy feat given the major obstacles we've had to overcome in 3 short years). Here are a few pics of our vacation adventures. Most of the 6 days were spent lounging on the beach or in the pool, drink in hand. We did, however, spend one day ziplining through the rain forest. Unfortunately, that's the only day of our trip that was not documented with my camera, as I was a bit busy wetting myself (not literally, but my mind was preoccupied with other things, such as being scared as hell and visualizing both cables snapping and me falling 300 ft to my untimely death). Enjoy the photos!

Now onto planning our next adventure. The wheels are already turning...

Survival and Graduation

2011-06-20T09:03:00.000-07:00

After an extended hiatus from the blog, I have an important announcement to make. It doesn't feel quite right saying that I graduated (been there, done that, twice), so I'll say this instead: I SURVIVED grad school, and lived to tell the tale!!! Here is proof:

All of my biggest supporters came over to celebrate, and it was an absolutely perfect day. That time immediately following any sort of graduation is so precious, full of hope, excitement, and a sense that the world is your oyster.

My biggest supporter of all is my incredible husband, without whom I would have given up and thrown in the towel a long time ago.

_______________________________________________________________
Three weeks after my "survival celebration", we went home to Montana to celebrate someone else's achievement.

My little brother, Trevor, is now a high school graduate (an honors graduate, at that, woot woot!)

With 2 out of 3 of my brothers. Cody wasn't able to make it to Trevor's graduation because of work. **This is where we really need my mom and her expert photography skills to Photoshop him in, maybe peaking his head up in the background (because that's something he'd so do anyway).

Being back in Montana was a nice chance for Pat and I to reminisce about the memories of college, and the place where it all began, Montana State University.

So these, my friends, were the wonderful days that came and went. Days of perfect sunshine, cold drinks, and making memories of celebrating big achievements with those that mean the most to us. Pretty great way to start the summer.

I am, in fact, still alive!

2011-04-15T10:41:00.001-07:00

Thesis deadline is a week from today, YIKES!!! One week from now, I will be ready to rejoin the land of the living. Anxiously awaiting my re-emergence into the real world. I'll keep you all posted. Thank you all for your patience and support! :)

On Hiatus

2011-02-20T09:38:00.000-08:00

Sorry guys, but my life has become completely overtaken by this monster that some call a thesis. I don't have the time or energy to put toward the blog right now, so it's on hold for the time being.

Three months and counting until I return to the blog world....

New Year, New Possibilities

2011-01-02T10:12:00.000-08:00

January is one of my favorite months. I love the new possibilities that come with a new year. I love the sense of being able to start over fresh. 2010 was one of the best and worst years of my life. Pat & I had some difficult struggles, most of which I'd rather not talk in depth about in this forum. (Those of you that know us well are familiar with the medical problems and family issues that we were faced with this year.) But we've also had some incredibly wonderful times together, as individuals and as a couple. We were blessed to travel a ton this year (Disneyland, Vegas, Montana, New York), we survived a difficult year of stress and struggles that come with graduate school, Pat got a much-deserved promotion and raise at work, and we kicked off the end of 2010 with a whirlwind 2 weeks of seeing both sides of our family in New York and then Montana, and celebrated the end of 2010 with some great friends.

I have a feeling 2011 will be a better year for us. There are so many new possibilities ahead. I will graduate in May, we will be traveling to Montana in June to celebrate my little brother's high school graduation, followed by a much-deserved week of relaxation in the Caribbean. 2011 is full of promise for our little family of 2, and I can't wait to see what this year holds.

Cheers to the New Year! We sincerely hope your lives are as blessed as ours.

I'm Embarassed

2010-12-13T15:46:00.000-08:00

I have been a bad girl lately. A VERY bad girl. Every ounce of my energy is going into the million other things going on in my life right now (traveling, holidays, school, work, internship, THESIS), so the blog has taken a backseat. As soon as this week is over, I'll be coming up for air, and hopefully doing some much-needed updating. Hang in there with me.

Much love and holiday greetings to everyone!

Fall in Pictures

2010-10-24T14:03:00.001-07:00

Every ounce of writing energy I have is going toward the first 2 chapters of my thesis, so you all are going to have to put up with a post of mostly pictures.

Labor Day Weekend in Ventura & Santa Barbara:

{Crushcakes in Santa Barbara=best cupcakes EVER!}

The late summer wedding of our friends Robyn & Phil:

The Montana State vs. Sac State football game (In case there is ever any confusion among our friends and family, my loyalty will always be with Montana State above Sac State. Go Cats!):

{Tailgating}

And last, but not least, a weekend trip to Montana to watch my little brothers play football:

Ty (the younger of the two)

Trev & I. His team is undefeated right now. :)

Nothing says fall like a little Friday night high school football. Oh, and windstorms and terrential downpours if you live in Sacramento.

This post ought to tide you over for awhile, right? I can't promise I'll be back to blogging in full force anytime soon, but I'll at least check in once in awhile.

Stay Tuned

2010-10-04T16:15:00.000-07:00

If there are still any loyal readers out there (Mike, I know you read this, you may be the only one these days), please don't abandon me. I am a terrible blogger lately because this little thing called my thesis has completely taken over my life. I still have some pics to post from Labor Day weekend (I know it's been a month, so sue me), as well as from the Sac State-MSU football game this past weekend. I will try to make time to get to it on Sunday, so please be patient with me.

Goodbye Summer

2010-09-03T11:27:00.001-07:00

So here are the last of our Summer 2010 pictures from the last month or so. About a month ago, we went to a bbq/birthday/poker party for one of my good friends and her fiance, whose birthdays are only about a week apart. It was a great time with good food, yummy drinks, and great company. Here are a few pics from that:

Me with Dee, the birthday girl and Bride-to-be (her wedding is coming up in November).

You should never underestimate the importance of good, quality girlfriends. This is my California support system. :)

Rewind to July, when we spent the day in the Bay Area for an Oakland-Boston game. Tickets to this game were my "paper" gift to Pat for our first wedding anniversary, although by that time last year, Boston had already been in town so we had to wait until this year to go to a game. Unfortunately, Pat's coveted Red Sox lost, but we had a blast nonetheless.

Wearing our Red Sox gear (Pat's shirt was my "cotton" anniversary gift this year; it's one of those certified team shirts and he wears it at least once a week).

The Red Sox Emperor. This guy was a character.

Pat enjoying the game (minus the horrendous sunburn. Poor guy).

I've been saving the best for last. This is my favorite recent picture of us, taken at Dee's party:

Hope everyone had a fantastic summer!

I'm a Bad, Bad Blogger

2010-09-03T11:07:00.001-07:00

I cannot believe that I did not post at all in August. Not once. I hope you all haven't given up on me after my unintentional hiatus from the blog. It's just that, well, it's been a busy summer. And living my life has gotten in the way of my blogging. How is it that summer always seems to fly by so fast? And now it's September, back to my routine. Work, Intern, Study, Workout. Rinse & Repeat. Not that I am at all bummed. My long-awaited summer of what was supposed to be relaxation and rejuventation turned into a summer full of traveling, research for a few different projects I've been working on, class, training for my first 5k on Thanksgiving and recovery from my procedure in June (which really put a damper on said training). Oh, and cram a move in there as well. A pretty stressful move, with a doozy of a landlord who got so sick of our "constant demands" that he hired a property management company so he would not have to deal with us (um hello, general cleanliness is not a "command" so much as it is common courtesy). Speaking of the move, here is a picture of our new place:

Anyone who has been to our last apartment will be able to easily tell how much of an upgrade this is for us. We have a garage that we can fit both cars into (plus some storage), an actual guest room, which is actually serving as a workout room at the moment since it is housing my treadmill, two and a half baths, and an office. [The downside: we also have stairs. Lots and lots of stairs. Which didn't really concern me during the move, as I did not yet have the ok from my doctor to lift anything heavy. Ask Pat and Cody how they feel about stairs, however, and you will get a totally different response.]

I promise to be a better blogger from now on, and thanks to all of you who probably thought I was going to let the blog go.

Now we're off to SoCal for the long weekend. You know what that means--beach and sunset pictures will be forthcoming. Happy Labor Day Weekend everyone!

Montana Family (Dogs Included)

2010-07-20T08:57:00.000-07:00

Noticably absent from these pics, of course, is Pat. Unfortunately, he was only around for the first few days (most of which I wasn't feeling that great), and not much went on the way of excitement during that time. Also missing is my stepdad, who was in Washington for a baseball tournament for most of the time I was in Montana. Such is the life of a baseball dad, I suppose.

The Homeland

2010-07-20T08:43:00.000-07:00

Sunsets, mountains, the Yellowstone River, fishing, cow crossings. Oh, and my Happy Place, on a chair with the sun shining on my legs with a good book in hand. :)

The Time I Needed an Emergency Appendectomy

2010-07-20T08:16:00.000-07:00

By now, I think most of you who read this blog are well aware of the events preceding our 4th of July trip to Montana, but just in case, here's all the details.

I woke up on the morning of June 28th with a killer stomach ache. Aside from your average indigestion or heartburn, I never get stomach aches, so I immediately knew something wasn't right. Although I tried to convince myself that it was some sort of flu bug, so I immediately crawled back into bed to try and sleep it off. Later that afternoon, the pain had moved to the right side, and I called my mom, who advised me to at least get checked out at the Urgent Care. They took one look at me (or feel rather), and sent me straight to the ER. After roughly 3 hours of waiting (the ER was one busy place, as that day was the first triple-digit day here in Sac and there were many people suffering from ailments caused by the heat), I was finally admitted. After a couple nasty cups of that orange, sugary contrast fluid and a quick trip through the CT machine, the doctor diagnosed me with an infected, swollen appendix. Apparently there were three of us who were admitted that night for appendectomies via the ER, and I was second on the list. I went in for surgery around 2:00am, and was back in my hospital room around 4:00. I spent the next 12 hours in the hospital, and was released upon being able to prove that some of my body's systems were back in working order (I'll spare you the details), and was back in my bed less than 24 hours after entering the ER. The surgery was laproscopic, so it was minimally invasive (I only have 3 small incision marks which are now mostly healed). But this left me with the false impression that my recovery would be easy (boy was I wrong). And I was absolutely crushed about the prospect of canceling our trip to Montana to see friends and family. So after all of 24 hours at home, we packed up the car and made the 15-hour quest to Montana. Pat drove the entire way (have I mentioned how much I love this man??) while I rested comfortably in the back seat, knocked out by narcotics and sleeping like a baby. Those first four days or so were more painful than I anticipated, but I'm proud of the fact that despite my seemingly bad luck when it comes to medical issues, we were able to make our trip and spend some time with loved ones. Pat left Montana after five days, as he had to be back to work, and I spent the following week in Montana, and then jetted off to Las Vegas to visit my friend Christie for 5 days.

[Let me make the following disclosure about spending time in Vegas with someone who actually lives there. We did not booze it up. We did not go clubbing. We did not gamble. We didn't ever even set foot on the Strip. Totally different experience than what you'd expect, right? There's a whole Vegas scene that exists beyond what goes on downtown, you should really check it out if you have a chance].

Anyway, as usual, I have many, many pictures from my travels over the last few weeks, so I'm going to have to separate them into a few posts.

First of all, here are a few pics from my latest hospital stint:

An artist (or rather doctor) rendering of the size and location of the appendix.

Pat trying to catch a few winks. He slept for all of 2 hours before having to leave to view a townhouse that we were looking at renting (we're moving this weekend!!!!)

Ok, that's all for now. More pics to come...

My Summer Reading List

2010-06-21T08:57:00.001-07:00

Soooo, I find myself having lots of free time these days (maybe too much, but that's another post for another time). I've been occupying my time by reading books and practicing guitar (I use the term "practicing" loosely, as I gave myself a headache from "practicing" a couple weeks ago, so I'm not sure that I've hit that level yet where I can call it that). Anyway, I've posted my reading list below, and I would welcome anyone's suggestions about good reads for this summer.
{Oh, and it's worth mentioning that I don't read books about science fiction-related topics, vampires, witches and/or goblins, or any sort of black magic. I'm 25, not 13.}

The titles in bold are books I've already read this summer:
The Night of the gun by David Carr**
Tommyland by Tommy Lee**
Don't Try This at Home: A Year in the Life of Dave Navarro by Dave Navarro**
Tweaked: A Crystal Meth Memoir by Patrick Moore**
(**See a pattern here?? I like junkie memoirs, so shoot me.)
Nineteen Minutes by Jody Picoult
The Pact by Jody Picoult
Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson (I intend the read the other 2 books in this trilogy if I like this one)
The Wedding by Nicholas Sparks
Shutter Island by Dennis Lehane
The Fifth Agreement by Don Miguel Ruiz

And I will probably re-read a few of my favorites (I love re-reading books because I always seem to catch new something the second or third time that I didn't get the first time around).
The Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz
The Bridges of Madison County by Robert James Waller
Scar Tissue by Anthony Kiedis**
A Million Little Pieces by James Frey**
(**again with the junkie memoirs, I clearly have a problem)

Further reading suggestions would be much appreciated. :)

Woman On the Run

2010-06-15T09:17:00.000-07:00

I'm doing this new thing, this thing called jogging (Allow me to pause for a moment for a quick Anchor Man reference: "Jogging?!? Yogging?!? I think the 'j' is silent. Apparently you just run.") That's right, I run. Not from anyone or anything. But for fun. I even bought myself a pedometer to track my time and distance (although I have yet to run outside because of fear from passing out due to heat stroke). And I'm actually enjoying myself. Who would have thought, me, a runner??? Weird. Seven months ago, when I was all but sedentary, spending the small amounts of spare time that I did have writing papers and reading, I never would have imagined myself as someone who gets on the treadmill and runs, without stopping, for 45 minutes at a time. But as it turns out, I actually enjoy running. I enjoy it so much that the 2 or 3 days a week that I don't run, I miss it. My body misses it (but my body also needs a few days to recover, so I don't make the mistake of overdoing it and risk an injury). Running ranks right up there with writing, for me, in terms of its therapeutic value. When I'm stressed, nervous, or just need an outlet, there is nothing that can substitute for cranking up the IPod and running, getting lost in my music and my thoughts.

I guess I don't have a clue what the point of this post is. I just felt the need to share with everyone my status as a reformed Hater of All Things Running.

I'm cutting out of here now, time for my run.
xo

Still Feels Like Home

2010-06-09T10:39:00.000-07:00

6/7/10

2 Years of Wedded Bliss

Show love with no remorse, climb onto your seahorse, this ride is right on course. This is the way I wanted it to be with you, this is the way I knew that it would be with you.

~From "Dosed" by the Red Hot Chili Peppers

Guitars Galore

2010-06-04T15:24:00.000-07:00

About nine months ago, I had an idea, a revelation of sorts. Don't ask me where this wild hair came from, but I decided I wanted to learn how to play the guitar. Millions of people play the guitar, heck, there's a store up the street the size of a small grocery store called Guitar World. How hard can it be? I bought my acoustic guitar right after Christmas and tore open the wrapping, only to realize this stringed instrument was as foreign to me as the Latin language. So I called upon my friend Google to research basic lessons for where to even begin. And I ran across a quote:

" Sometimes you want to give up guitar, you'll hate the guitar. But if you stick with it,you're gonna be rewarded"
-- Jimi Hendrix

I'll be the first to admit, I never jumped on the Hendrix bandwagon. Many of my friends, early on in high school, developed an admiration (or obsession, one might say) with the guitar playing and lyrical stylings of the late Jimi Hendrix. I never thought he was anything special. Until the day I picked up this instrument and tried to make it play a sound that would have any sort of semblence to actual music. Boy was I humbled. And frustrated. My fingers were (and still are) sore. I've been hesitant to share the news with too many people, because I'm afraid that someone will (gasp!) ask me to play for them, and I will die of shame and embarassment due to the fact that six months later, I still don't know how to play a full song. [I blame grad school for stealing away my precious practice time.] But yesterday afternoon, as I sat amongst the mess of books and printed tabs, I heard the sweet sound of a few notes when, played back-to-back, actually resembled a song! And somehow, my fingers were the ones creating those sounds! That was just the movitation I needed. So I thought this would be a good time to share with y'all a few pics of my guitars (Pat bought me the Fender Strat for my birthday a few weeks ago. Using the language analogy above, how in the heck am I supposed to begin learning how to speak Italian when I've barely learned the basics of Latin?!?!)

I will never be pretentious enough to label myself a musician, because owning a guitar does not make a person any more a musician than owning a gun makes one a hunter. But I look forward to one day being able to play my babies songs as their daddy rocks them to sleep at night, and to bringing my guitar camping to provide some old-fashioned homemade music.

For now, I think I'll just focus on getting through a whole song.

Done and...Done!

2010-05-20T09:54:00.000-07:00

Both with my early twenties, and the first half of grad school. As you all have surely noticed, I've taken a bit of a hiatus from blogging. The last few weeks have been busy, stressful, and emotional. I'd rather not get into specifics, but it's been a really difficult time for me. However, things are improving now. I'm on the up & up, and feeling optimistic and regenerated by the prospect of some relaxation this summer. My last day of school for the semester fell on my birthday, last Saturday. We celebrated by having dinner and drinks with friends. Here's the birthday cake that Pat got me from my favorite bakery. Yummm

And a pic of Pat & I, out celebrating.

Speaking of birthdays, I was thinking about where I was and what was going on in my life at this time last year. Remember this ?? Can you believe it's been a whole year since the lump has been removed? I was trying to take a picture of the scar I have left as a reminder, but I was finding that it's faded so much, it doesn't even show up on my camera. Wow, what a difference a year makes.

Much love and peace to all,

She's Gone Crunchy!

2010-04-20T10:57:00.000-07:00

Sorry for the lack of posting lately. I'm having some serious motivation issues at this moment, which is affecting both my school work and the blog.

Anyway, I thought I'd switch it up for this post and take a moment to talk about this article. My best friend, Jess, who works for a greenhouse manufacturer and lives a green lifestyle sent me a similar article awhile back. Now I know you all are probably thinking that I'm turning into some sort of hippie, but at least read the article completely before making that assumption. I must say that I used to be of the "might-as-well-eat-anything-you-want-because-everything-we-eat-and-do-will-give-us-cancer-anyway" mindset (and I still am, to a certain degree), but I also think that the chemicals we put in our bodies can have major effects on the way our bodies function and how we feel. I can't honestly say that Pat and I follow all the "rules" on this list, but we have been buying only organic apples and potatoes, and drinking organic, rBGH-free milk for the past year or so. We are lucky to live in an area where we have easy access to inexpensive organic produce and dairy products. I'm not sure how much stock there is in the whole corn-fed beef thing, so if anyone cares to set me straight on this, feel free. And I have to say, I know that microwave popcorn is terrible for me, but it just tastes soooooo good. It's going to take awhile for me to kick that habit. I looked into "jarred" tomatoes at Trader Joe's, and I'm not sure the extra expense is worth it for me; I think I'll stick with preparing the tomatoes myself. And the salmon, well that's not a problem, because I don't care for salmon (blech). I guess what I'm saying is that we are not perfect, but these small dietary changes make me feel more confident in knowing that what I eat is nourishing my body rather than harming it.

Just some food for thought (pardon the pun).

Easter Weekend Perfection

2010-04-06T10:11:00.000-07:00

A few of my favorite things:

The beach

A beautiful sunset

A beautiful sunset on the beach

My Jack Russell nephews, Dodger and Bear

My husband (he's pretty great, but most of you already know that)

Hope everyone had a fabulous Easter!

Easter Beach Adventure

2010-04-06T09:41:00.000-07:00

Vistapoint lookout pics:

The view from Cody's front door. Only about 5 houses down from the beach. (Living this close to the beach=ridiculously expensive. But worth it? I'd say so).

Cody and Bear-Dog at the beach, running off some steam.

Because I have so many pictures of the beach, and Blogger doesn't do well with photo-heavy posts, I'm going to separate the pics into a few separate posts. [I should really look into switching blog hosts. Any suggestions for hosts that handle multiple pictures well would be greatly appreciated. ;) ]

On serendipity

2010-03-28T09:12:00.000-07:00

ser·en·dip·i·ty /ˌsɛrənˈdɪpɪti/ Show Spelled[ser-uhn-dip-i-tee] Show IPA
–noun
1.an aptitude for making desirable discoveries by accident.
2.good fortune; luck: the serendipity of getting the first job she applied for.

[This whole idea of fate, and things happening for a reason, has been swirling around in my head for weeks. I have sat down to write this post three separate times, but each time I couldn't figure out how to properly express the thoughts going 'round and 'round in my mind. So please be patient with me as I attempt to articulate my feelings in a way that I hope others can understand.]

Serendipity is not only my word of the week last week (as per my Droid "Word of the Week" app), it's also something I strongly believe in. It brings to mind the idea of fate, that things have a way of working out just the way they were meant to. My mom has always told me, throughout some tough times in my younger years, that I am exactly where I am supposed to be, and that God has placed me there for a reason. I also believe that God has a hand in placing people in your life that you were meant to meet. People that have the ability to change the entire direction of your life. People that lead you to your next great adventure.

Throughout the last 6 years, I have met several people that have had a role in changing my life's trajectory.

There was the "mutual friend", who shall remain nameless, that provided the link between myself and the person who would eventually become my life partner. It it wasn't for him, I wouldn't have been in the right place at the right time to meet my future spouse. Those of you who know the story of Pat and Randi may find this all a bit weird, especially given the sticky situation that marked the beginning of our relationship. But to this person who introduced me to my hubbs, I am forever grateful.

There is Patty, the boss who opened the doors to new career opportunities and gave me the chance to work with some of the most interesting, diverse adults and youth I have ever met. She helped me to find my passion, and gave me that push I needed to pursue my goals. And most importantly, she believed (and continues to believe) in me. She has become my mentor, a role model, and most importantly, a friend.

I also have a friend, Anne, without whom, I would not be where I am today. I met Anne when we first moved to California, and I was working at a residential treatment facility for teenage girls. We only worked together for a few months, before Anne left to work with said boss (mentioned above), but she was the one who suggested I apply for the job I have now. She is the one that led me to Patty, who would push me to go back to school. She is the one that opened that door that would change the course of my professional life. I don't feel as if I can adequately express how fortunate I feel to have met Anne, not only for what she has done for me, but also because of the amazing person that she is.

I don't know how or why I came in contact with these people; serendipity does not mean that we understand why. I do know that I can now say that I've lived the lesson my mom has taught. I always used to think that what she was telling me was one of those things people tell themselves to make themselves feel better in the midst of a bad situation. And that may be true (although it didn't ever do much for me, sorry Mom). But it goes deeper than that. In every situation, every person that you meet, every conversation that you have, you are there for a reason. God has a plan for each of us. Sometimes it's difficult to figure out how to find the good in a bad situation, or to find meaning in something that that tests our faith. But serendipity goes hand-in-hand with patience. In other words, the meaning sometimes comes later. On my wedding day, almost 2 years ago (wow, can you believe it's been that long???), I realized that serendipity was the reason I met the person who would meet me at the end of the aisle and vow to love me forever. And now, three years after meeting Anne, and two years after meeting my boss and friend, I understand that these people came into my life for a reason. Some really great things blossomed out of some pretty bad situations.

With that, there's my thoughts on serendipity. Things for allowing me to bare my soul.

I Can't Quit You

2010-03-23T09:26:00.000-07:00

When I wrote my last post a few days ago, I attempted to add a few pictures I had taken on my phone. But alas, I did not know how to sync my phone to our computer, and my resident IT guy was out on the golfcourse. After a crash course last night, I'm good to go now. Here are a few pics I've taken in the last month or so:

This is why I ♥ springtime in California. Cherry blossoms and almond trees, in full bloom.

Throw in a sunrise and a sunset, for good measure:

And this, my friends, was the most delicious salad I have ever made (spinach, iceberg, butterleaf, red peppers, carrots, avocados, feta, and pomegranate vinegarette, yummmmm)

Oh, and did I tell y'all that I decided to chop about 4 inches off of my hair?? Back to my old A-line haircut, like I had right after we got married (however, it's much darker now). Also, ignore my silly face. I was taking this picture in the mirror, trying to make sure I didn't get my camera in the shot. Haha
Okay, that's enough random mishmash for now. More to come later. T-4 days until Spring Break!

I'm still here!

2010-03-21T12:38:00.000-07:00

I promise, I'm still here. I'm just on a blogging haitus. Midterms are over and I'm now frantically trying to finish a literature review due in three days. The good news? Spring Break starts on the 27th.

I'll be baaaaaack...eventually. With stories and pictures. Thanks for your loyalty and patience with me. :)

Another Post About My Crappy Immune System

2010-03-06T14:20:00.000-08:00

I hate the fact that I am only able to post right now because I'm laid up on the couch sick. (Otherwise I'd probably be studying, reading, writing a paper, folding laundry, mopping the floor, or some other mundane domestic task). Actually, I'd rather be doing any of those things than sitting here on the couch, advil and water in hand, typing yet another post about how inept my immune system is. I woke up on Thursday morning with a stiff neck, which was further exacerbated by a run-in with a tree branch in which the branch pulled a clothesline move on me, snapping my neck back and bringing tears of pain to my eyes. And then yesterday, waves of nausea came. And a headache. Luckily, the headache and tummy problems have subsided, leaving me with a stiff and wore neck/back/shoulder. (After spending a few minutes on WebMD this morning, I have determined that I have either influenza, bacterial or spiral meningitis, a pulled muscle, or any combination of the aforementioned. I have come to the conclusion that WebMD is not your friend. Especially if you are a borderline hypochondriac to begin with.)

So I decided to pull myself up by the bootstraps this morning to go run some errands with Pat. Luckily, I'm feeling a little better. And I have managed to convince myself that what I have is probably not meningitis, but just a tweaked neck and some of sort of coincidental co-occurring stomach bug. Send me all your healthy vibes, as this coming week marks my busiest week of the semester (aside from finals week in May).

And because I have nothing witty to say, I will end with that.

Til next time,

Pausing for a Post...and 10 Things Tuesday

2010-02-16T09:06:00.000-08:00

Hello out there blog world! I hope I haven't disappointed my readers too much with my lack of posts lately. But school is in full-swing again, and you all know how much school interferes with my blogging. Speaking of school, I'm in the midst of beginning a research project to support my thesis next year (scary). I'm in the process of writing up the proposal right now, which is due tonight (nothing like waiting until the last minute). I don't know where this nasty procrastination habit came from, but it seemed to crop right up around the time I started grad school. I've been buried in this proposal for the last 3 hours or so, so I decided now would be a good time to pause to partake in a trend in the blogworld known as "10 Things Tuesday". I'd be fooling myself if I thought this was something I could keep up every single Tuesday, but I thought it might be fun to participate this week. Here are 10 random facts about hubbs and I that some of you may not know:

1. For being an IT guy, Pat is pretty old-school when it comes to using the newest, trendiest technology in his personal life. He doesn't own an I-Pod or an Apple computer (which are staples for most IT guys). He just recently got a GPS from his mom for Christmas (thanks Lori!!). He keeps up on the newest technology, but he's just not interested in owning all the little gadgets. And he all but refuses to touch a computer during his free time in the evenings and on weekends.

2. We don't "do" Valentine's Day in the Groff household. It was romantic and fun when we were dating, but we both agree it's kind of silly to designate one day to show our love for one another.

3. One of Pat's favorite pastimes is working on his car. As a matter of fact, he just bought new leather seats for it (complete with seat warmers) that he installed himself.

4. I got just this new phone, a Droid Eris:
After having the same phone for almost 3 years, it's been a major transition for me to learn how to use a touchscreen phone. But my husband, ever the supreme source of knowledge on all things technology (see #1), informed me that touchscreen technology is the new direction for all cell phones, and the sooner I get used to it, the better. I am scared to death of this phone right now. In the 4 days I've owned this phone, I've made numerous calls to the wrong numbers, sent texts to the wrong people, and have been completely unable to figure out how to access my voicemail. Verizon has informed me that they offer a short tutorial class in their stores on Sundays to teach new users how to use their smart phones. I just wonder how much a class would be able to teach me about operating a phone that is clearly smarter than I am.

5. Pat will eat anything (and I mean anything: dairy items that are a few days expired, overripe bananas, stale chips and cereal, etc.) EXCEPT for cottage cheese. I've made a few attempts to hide cottage cheese in certain foods, like blending it up with cream to put it in lasagna. But he always catches me. I think it's a consistency thing???

6. Have I mentioned my desire to own this camera yet? Yes? Ok, very well then.

7. Judge if you must, but I do not care for the Olympics at all. In fact, I'm slightly annoyed with the fact that the Olympic games have interferred with normal daily programming. I have a huge amount of respect for the athletes, and all they have accomplished to qualify for the Olympics games; I just don't have any interest in devoting a huge amount of time to watching the events.

8. Pat and I are dying to go back to the Caribbean. A plan is in the works to take one more vacation to Jamaica, the Bahamas, or St. Lucia in the summer of 2011, to celebrate my graduation and have one last child-free hurrah.

9. Speaking of kids, we had a discussion the other night about the trend of parents treating their little girls like princesses, decorating their bedrooms in all things princess, and calling them "Princess" as a nickname, which we both agree is APPALLING. Neither one of us has any desire to inflate our little girl's ego to the point where she develops a sense of entitlement about what she "deserves". I understand how parents think that can be cutesy, but I think it's a slippery slope.

10. Pat has expressed interest lately in going back to school as well. He is not seriously looking into any specific programs or anything, but grad school is a definite possibility for him.

Alright, that's it for now. Hopefully you all have learned something new about one or both of us as a result of 10 Things Tuesday.

'Til next time,

This is what's dominating my thoughts these days...

2010-01-31T17:41:00.000-08:00

This is not just any random selection of social work books. No siree. This is what $350 in grad school books looks like. Four books, two of which are used and in fairly crappy condition. And I'm looking at spending another $200 more for books this semester that I will be ordering online. Don't even get me started on the the decrease in class offerings in combination with the increased tuition. Because those two things together equal a poorer quality of education for California college undergraduate and graduate students statewide. Today is one of those days when I'm wondering whether or not grad school was a good life choice. Feel free to attempt to convince me otherwise...

Entertainment in its Many Forms

2010-01-18T18:51:00.000-08:00

This last post is a mishmash of random pictures. Once again, bear with me. If you've made it through the previous four consecutive posts, you can surely grit your teeth through one more. :)

The first pics I have to post are of our new entertainment setup. After venturing down to the campus bookstore this weekend to get my books for Spring semester (which starts in exactly one week, eeek), it became apparent that our poor little bookshelf that we purchased at IKEA a couple years ago, was just not cutting the mustard anymore. When a bookcase becomes so packed with books that books have to be moved to get to the books I really need, it's time for a change. We've been tossing around the idea of buying a new entertainment stand for a long time (remember this post??). Since so many entertainment centers now incorporate full bookshelves, and because our only bookshelf is packed to the brim, we decided that the time was right. Before you say it, I am fully aware of the fact that what we ended up with looks nothing like what I originally wanted. But Pat's not so big on white furniture. And I'm not so big on black, bachelor pad looking furniture. Plus, we purchased a computer desk for me in white over the summer. Marriage is all about compromise, and I think we did a pretty good job of compromising on something we both liked.

I couldn't get a full view picture of the entire setup because the room just isn't big enough for me to zoom that far out.

There are tall bookshelves on each side. (Sorry for the blurriness. Again, I blame the camera, although I do suspect that lighting was an issue in this picture too, due to the glare of the tv and the candle on the coffee table.)

The last few pictures I have to post are of a beautiful sunrise that I woke up to last week. Pictures like this need no introduction. What a beautiful image to wake up to.

Montana spoiled us with beautiful sunrises and sunsets whereas where we live now, these are few and far between. I'm thinking this is because of the fact that there simply aren't clouds around very often (I know, boo hoo, it's a rough life in sunny California, right?). But I caught a glimpse of this the other morning and was able to snap a few quick pics before work. I can't wait until I have a new camera to take these beautiful sunrise and sunset pictures (hint, hint to my hubbs, if you're reading this [I know he is because I always have him read posts right after I clock the 'publish' button. Tricky, tricky.])

Ok, if you have made it through all of these posts in one sitting, I commend you. As of now, you all are caught up in everything new and exciting in our lives. As always, thanks for reading. :-)

A Post that Needs no Introduction

2010-01-18T18:10:00.000-08:00

This, folks, is what 14 hours in Disneyland and California Adventure looks like. As I relive the experience through these photos, my feet ache with the pain that can only come from 14 hours of walking.

First thing in the morning, when we were excited and ready to go.

Yes, these are real-life green army men. Kinda creepy, I'm not gonna lie.

Classic Cody, wearing 3-D glasses for the Toy Story ride.

Standing in line for the Indiana Jones ride.

The Paradise Pier roller coaster. Best ride in the park.

Don't let Mickey fool you. This ride will jack you up (Especially if you have motion sickness. Then again, if you have motion sickness, what would you be doing in an amusement park? Logic FAIL).

I took quite a few pictures, but many of them turned out blurry. Pat blames user error. I blame the camera. I'm holding out hope that one of these days Patrick will agree to let me buy this beauty. I've been swooning over this camera for months.

After 14 hours in the park, including 3 meals of overpriced amusement park food, we were completely tuckered out by the end of the day. Even the 2 block walk to our motel seemed too exhausting to handle. Somehow we managed to make it back just in time to pop open a bottle of wine and watch the fireworks. We slept for close to 12 hours that night, before venturing into LA one last time on Sunday to hit the farmer's market and eat the best fish tacos I've ever had. Hollywood Boulevard and Rodeo Drive are overrated. The Los Angeles Farmer's Market is a much better tourist stop if you're really interested in getting a taste of the diversity that exists in this city. Very highly recommended.

My final commentary on Disneyland. If it's really the happiest place on Earth, why do all the parents leaving the park look so miserable? Riddle me that.

Ok, that's it for this post. I'll be writing one final post this evening to bring y'all up to date about the 2010 happs in the Groff household. Thanks for bearing with me through all the rambling.

Beaches and Sun and Handbags, Oh My!

2010-01-18T17:15:00.000-08:00

I know I promised a plethora of posts between yesterday and today. My best intentions for this blog have not always come to fruition. But this time, folks, is when I deliver.

As a little disclaimer, I must admit that I learned a major lesson on putting my foot in my mouth during our trip to Southern California last weekend. To give you a little background, Pat had suggested moving to Southern California instead of Northern California when we first started discussing moving away from Montana. I swiftly shot down the suggestion, because of a particularly strong opinion I had about LA (the word I used in reference to the City of Angels is reserved only for mature audiences only). Besides, I thought, Pat has only ever spent time in Huntington Beach and Hollywood. What does he know about Southern California? Truth be told, it would have been a lot harder to make a start in an area with such a drastically higher cost-of-living than we were accustomed to in Montana. However, after having spent the weekend in Santa Monica, Malibu, and Anaheim, my opinion has changed. Drastically. You'll understand when you view the pictures below just how beautiful this area is. Especially Santa Monica and Malibu. It's easy to see why so many celebrities and musicians call this place home. 75*, surfing, Frisbee on the beach, all in the month of January. What's not to like? $1700/month for a studio apartment with no refrigerator. (Yes, I looked on craiglist.) ::gulp:: Oh yeah, that's right. But seeing the smile that crossed my husband's face as we approached the Santa Monica boardwalk was awesome. And you really can't buy that kind of happiness, right? That feeling of freedom and serenity that engulfs you when you're dipping your feet in the water, feeling the cold, wet sand squish between your toes. That, my friends, is priceless. So I fully intend to spend the next 16 months attempting to convince the hubbs to move to Southern California when I'm finished with my masters. I'll let you know how that one works out... In the meantime, here are our pics of Santa Monica and Malibu:

Ahh, refreshing. I never said the water was warm. ;)

Santa Monica Pier

A lovely couple from Texas (who were surprisingly chipper considering their team had just lost the BCS game the day before) offered to take our picture on the beach.

Patrick on the beach.

Happy as a clam after a few beers and a buffalo chicken sandwich at Sonny McLean's, a New England-themed sports bar in Santa Monica. This may be, by far, my best bargaining tool.

The sunset crept up on us as we were driving up the Pacific Coast Highway to Malibu, so I was forced to take a few pics from the car.

We finally stopped to take a picture at a public beach in Malibu. Incredible. I'm a sucker for a pretty sunset.

There were so many highlights to this trip. However, the best part came during our stroll on Wilshire in Santa Monica after our delicious lunch at Sonny McLeans. There was a designer handbag outlet on the corner that we had driven by a few times that I was dying to go into, if for no other reason than just to do some window shopping. My amazing husband, knowing that I was dying to go check it out, was not only a great sport in offering to venture into the store, but also surprised me by offering to buy me one!!! I have bought many a purse and handbag throughout my 24 years on this Earth, but this one rivals all. I always used to mock people that spent ridiculous amounts of money on a purse. Well now that I own one, I can understand the importance of owning a quality handbag. Without further aideu, allow me to introduce my new purse!

In the days since I've owned this bag, my love for it grows with each new compliment I receive. Perfect size. Perfect color. Perfect bag. Simple as that.

Stay tuned, another post will follow with pics of our main reason for venturing down to SoCal in the first place: DISNEYLAND!!!

And now, some lyrics.

2010-01-17T15:40:00.000-08:00

To go along with my recent 90's grunge kick, here are some lyrics from one of my all-time favorite bands. The words of this song seem to fit well with the theme of new renewals and moving past heartbreak. Just when we think we've overcome a really difficult challenge, there's always something else waiting in the wings to test our faith.

If you've never heard this song, click here to hear it.

Wheels by Foo Fighters

I know what you're thinkin'
We were goin' down
I can feel the sinkin'
But then I came around

And everyone I've loved before
Flashed before my eyes
And nothin' mattered anymore
I looked into the sky

Well I wanted something better, man
I wished for something new
Yeah, I wanted something beautiful
I wished for something true
Been lookin' for a reason, man
Something to lose

When the wheels come down (When the wheels come down)
When the wheels touch ground (When the wheels touch ground)
And you feel like it's all over
There's another round for you
When the wheels come down (When the wheels come down)

Know your head is spinnin'
Broken hearts will mend
This is our beginning
Comin' to an end

Well, you wanted something better, man
You wished for something new
Well, you wanted something beautiful
You wished for something true
Been lookin for a reason, man
Something to lose

When the wheels come down (When the wheels come down)
When the wheels touch ground (When the wheels touch ground)
And you feel like it's all over
There's another round for you
When the wheels come down (When the wheels come down)

To New Beginnings...

2010-01-17T14:21:00.000-08:00

Attention all. I have a very important announcement. I have finally overcome my writer's block. I plan to celebrate with a plethora of blog posts within the next 24 hours. So hang onto your pants, this is going to be fun!

What's is the fuel to my creative fire, you ask? 90's grunge music. Laugh if you must. I'm not kidding. What spurred all of this? A book I received as a Christmas present (Scar Tissue by Anthony Kieidis, who is one of the many musical geniuses of my generation. I've been raving about this book for weeks, I could go on and on about the insight I gained from reading this book, so much so that I read it twice in a little over a week. But that's another post for another time). The Red Hot Chili Peppers, Nirvana, and Foo Fighters have been on constant rotation in both my I-Pod and my car. In fact, at the very second I write this, the song "Everlong" is blaring through my speakers, via my 90's grunge Pandora station. :)

Speaking of newfound motivation, I feel as if I have to discuss how much I love this time of year. I'm not huge on New Year's Resolutions (or any other situation in which there is all this societal pressure to set unrealistic goals that ultimately set people up for failure). However, I do love the sense of renewal that happens when one year ends and another begins.

2009 packed a punch. Y'all are fully aware of the health issues we were faced with in 2009. For this reason, 2009 tested our marriage. 2009 was full of life-changing events that were tough on our families, leaving many feeling hurt and angry (to put it mildly). Although I do believe that positive outcomes can come from just about any situation, some relationships suffered permanent damage in 2009, which may or may not be repairable. And that is hard. So I find myself looking to 2010 with great optimism for what the future holds for our little family. 2009 was the very beginning of great things, and I have unwavering faith in the fact that 2010 will be the continuation of these great things, for both us and our families and friends.

In honor of the new year, here are some pics of our New Year's Eve. We spent the evening at a rather low-key party with some close friends. This was the first year since we've been in California that we rang in the new year somewhere other than home (and actually stayed up until midnight, for that matter).

This is my best CA girlfriend, Danielle. Love her! ;)

Happy 2010!

Ahhhh, feels good to be back. :)

A Photo Montage

2009-12-31T09:03:00.000-08:00

I'm feeling incredibly guilty about not writing anything inspiring or witty today. But for some reason, I'm just not feeling it. I uploaded these pics and sat here, attempting to channel my best creative juices. But I've got nothin'. So in lieu of a word-heavy post detailing all the fun goings-on, here's a photojournal of our Christmas holiday.

I think that sums it up pretty well. Happy Holidays, and here's to twenty-ten! Cheers!

One day (and one surgery) at a time...

2009-12-22T08:43:00.000-08:00

Hello All,
I had such high hopes of writing post after post after post to make up for lost time. But I find that I am enjoying my time off so much that I haven't gotten to that. Although, I have lots of new info to share, as it's been a busy couple weeks.

First and foremost, a VERY HAPPY BIRTHDAY to my amazing stepmom, Karyn. Hope you have an absolutely wonderful day and an enjoyable week off!!!!

Well, I am officially finished with my first semester of grad school. One down, three to go. I have been tossing around the idea of going on to get my DSW (Doctorate in Social Work), because if I am going to do so, I have to start thinking about my thesis right now. Most schools only accept 7-10 students per year, so it's a highly competitive program. Although that thought is in the back of my mind, I can't get ahead of myself, because so much could change in the next 17 months. Summer 2011 is going to be a busy time, between Trevor's High School graduation, Mom & Jeff's 20th Wedding Anniversary, Mother's Day, and my birthday, which all fall within about 3 weeks of each other. I have been crossing my fingers that Trev's graduation and mine will not fall on the same day.

Moving along to other (not so great) news, I am looking at having to have a couple more surgeries in 2010, much to my dismay. No need to worry, both of these surgeries are outpatient and relatively minor, and not related in any way to the Great Lump Scare of '09. I thought 2009 was the end of the surgery business, but I was wrong. It's always something, right? Anyway, those of you who are familiar with my history know that I have bad sinuses. I've had two previous surgeries to fix structural problems, and my Ear, Nose, and Throat Doc is recommending one more to address some swelling and infection issues. I'm trying to get this one scheduled for January, so I can get it over with before school starts again. I also have to get a gum graft done sometime this year (might be pushing that one off until the summer). One surgery at a time, that's how I roll. ;)

Otherwise, we have been super busy around here getting ready for Christmas. Both Lori and Michelle will be joining us, in about 12 hours actually. We actually spent the better part of Sunday cleaning and getting everything ready. My wonderful hubbs, God bless him, spent about 8 hours helping me do an intense deep clean on Sunday. What a good man he is. :)

And with that, I guess I will wrap things up. Happy Holidays to all of our dear family and friends!!! We are so grateful to have you all in our lives!

Blogging is my Therapy

2009-12-09T20:22:00.001-08:00

Because of my chosen line of work, I'm very well aware of the fact that everyone has to have some form of release. Some people do yoga, some people drink, some people take drives. I write. I don't just write bits and pieces here and there. I vomit words onto paper (believe me, I have notebook upon notebook from my middle school and high school years in a box in the garage to prove it).

You might even say that writing is my therapy. Blogging has actually been my first experience at putting some of these words out there for others to read, analyze, scrutinize, whatever.

The fact I've been too busy even to blog speaks volumes about the current state of my mental well-being. To say that I am all out of sorts is a gross understatement.

Lately I've been feeling as if I'm going to explode because I have so many thoughts, so many words, that need to be released. So consider this blog post as my mini crisis session, to get me through the next week until I can sit down and return to my previous state of conducting weekly (and sometimes bi-weekly) "sessions" with y'all. I promise that I will be back and better than ever, after Tuesday December 15th at approximately 5:55pm (but who's keeping track???).

::6 more days, 6 more days, 6 more days::

Hello Blog?? It's me, Randi.

2009-11-21T08:33:00.001-08:00

Hello there, blog. It's me, Randi. You know, the one who used to write entries all the time?? I'm so sorry if you feel ignored lately. But I promise, I'm going to make it up to you starting RIGHT NOW.

I'm finally getting around to posting some pictures from our weekend in Las Vegas. What a great trip full of great food, great drinks, and great friends! I'm convinced that having a stress reliever like this midway through the semester is just what the doctor ordered!

Here's the view from our room at Planet Hollywood:

And, a beautiful sunset on the strip, a little blurry, but I'd say it's a fitting depcition how a weekend in Vegas usually plays out.

And here's us at dinner at my all-time favorite sushi place, RA. Thank you, Christie, for introducing me to this place a few years back. My life has not been the same since. :)

There were other people on this trip besides us, and I did take lots of pictures. But they were more towards the end of the night, and, well, you know how that goes when you're in Sin City...

Coming soon: pics of Lake Tahoe!!! Stay tuned.

V-E-G-A-S!!!!!

2009-11-06T15:36:00.000-08:00

::insert "A Little Less Conversation, A Little More Action" theme song here::

So today is the big day we have been waiting for since this summer. Time to meet up with our Bozeman friends in Las Vegas! woohooo!!!!! Guess who needs a vacation??? This girl right here. If only I could figure out how to do away with this guilt that's plaguing me over taking a few days off from reading textbooks and writing papers. Pat keeps assuring me that once I we approach the runway conveniently located right behind the strip, glass of wine in hand, all my worries will disappear. I guess Vegas has a way of doing that to you.

Pictures to come...

I got nothin'

2009-11-01T09:10:00.000-08:00

For all those who are worried (or maybe 'annoyed' would be a better word), yes I am still here. I've had a few people comment about how I haven't updated in awhile.

Let's see...
Two weekends ago, Lori came to visit. We had a blast, doing some shopping, eating a few meals out, and going to Apple Hill (a local series of small wineries, apple orchards, and pumpkin patches). Unfortunately, the whole time she was here, we did not take one picture with our camera. Big fat FAIL on our part.

We celebrated Pat's 27th birthday while Lori was here. Pat doesn't like to make a huge fuss about his birthday, so we kept it pretty low-key.

Other than that, just plugging along. We will be meeting some of our Bozeman friends in Vegas next weekend, and it's going to be a blast!!!! But weekend vacations during the schoolyear=lots of preparation work ahead of time for me, so I best get back to my schoolwork. I'll try my best to actually take some pics during this trip (Am I even related to my mother????)

Oh, and for those of you who are curious, I did NOT contract H1N1...yet. It has spread very quickly here, though, so I'm sure it's just a matter of time. Speaking of which, have you heard about this? I love NPR, by the way, it's really the only news source I read anymore.

Til next time...

Awesome.

2009-10-20T12:26:00.001-07:00

Guess how I spent this morning? In a tiny room in close quarters with a kid who is sick with the flu. I didn't think much of it, until we got to work and I realized he was still wearing the wristband from being admitted to the hospital after testing positive for H1N1 (he was released on Sunday night).

Now I generally think that the media has instilled a lot more hysteria in this Swine Flu business because someone behind the scenes has ulterior motives (which is not to say that I wouldn't immunize our children if we had children). But I personally know about five people who have contracted H1N1, took a few days off, and bounced back within a week or so. I just really, really, REALLY cannot afford to get sick right now.

Immune system, don't fail me now!!!!!

Please send your healthy vibes my way. That is all.

::healthy thoughts, healthy thoughts, healthy thoughts::

I'm supposed to be writing a paper...

2009-10-10T13:10:00.000-07:00

...but I need a little break.

I ran across a verse the other day that really resonates with me. In fact, I printed a copy of it that is hung at my desk at work. It's a verse from the Bible, and it represents a way of interacting with others that provides an alternative to the way our culture (and government specifically) has historically treated certain groups of people.

"If you do away with the yoke of oppression, with the pointing finger and malicious talk, and if you spend your lives on behalf of the hungry and satisfy the needs of the oppressed, then your light will rise in the darkness, and your night will become like the noonday."
~Isaiah 58:9-10

This represents something really powerful to me. In fact, it almost brings me to tears to think about how things could change for the better if we all chose to live by these words.

Grad school has required me to do a lot of self-reflection, looking inward to examine myself and how my beliefs and actions could influence my professional practice. I'm not going to lie, it has been a difficult process. It is tough when you come to terms with the fact that you've acted in ways that have oppressed the very people that you could one day be serving. There's an intrinsic sense of guilt that is pushed to the forefront, and it's hard to get past thoughts and behaviors of the past to move to a place of acceptance and self-forgiveness. In fact, I don't know that I will ever reach this place.

It makes me sad to think that not everyone is forced to engage in this same level of self-examination. Being forced to challenge the beliefs you've internalized over the course of a lifetime is HARD work! But it's also empowering and motivating. Some of my opinions have changed drastically. And some have been reinforced. And many others will continue to evolve over the course of my lifetime.

My schooling has challenged me in ways I never thought possible, and it's still only the first semester! But I can't wait for what lies ahead. Life is nothing if not exciting and unpredictable.

I love this man

2009-10-04T14:48:00.001-07:00

Right after I posted about my, ahem, flabbiness, I had Pat read what I had posted. And as I was bopping about the house, doing dishes and finishing laundry, he proceeded to tell me how crazy I am for writing what I wrote. This is why I married this man, people! I ♥ my husband. That is all.

The Next Time You See Me...

2009-10-04T13:45:00.000-07:00

This post is to serve as a warning to all family and friends that the next time you see me, I may not be the same Randi you all know and love. Well, I will be in spirit, but probably not in body. Allow me to further explain.

This is what my typical schedule looks like:
Monday-work all day, homework in the evening
Tuesday-work in the morning, then classes 3-9:20
Wednesday-work all day, class 6:30-9:00
Thursday-internship all day, homework in the evening
Friday-internship all day, homework in the evening
Saturday-varies, usually consists of at least a few hours of homework and some quality time with my hubbs, and I have class all day one Saturday per month
Sunday-housework day! chores, cooking for the week, laundry, and, yep, you guessed it, more homework

What I am trying to say is that any activity or hobby I may have had pre-GS (grad school) no longer exists. In the interest of time management, I've been forced to trim the fat (pardon the pun), and cut out anything in my life that takes time and is not absolutely necessary. That includes working out. Thus the change in my physical appearance that you may notice the next time you see me in person. I know I was never the most toned person to begin with (and these Rockafellow bat wings seem to only add insult to injury), but please do not be alarmed when you see the old Randi + a few extra pounds. I want to keep up with my workout routine, I really do. But at the end of a long day, if I have time for myself (which is rare these days), I just want to cuddle with my husband and relax, DANG IT! I think I deserve that, no??

So to all the friends we will be meeting in Vegas in about a month (::SQUEEEEEEE!!!!), to my dear mother-in-law Lori who is coming to visit in 2 weeks, and to my family, who we will be seeing over Thanksgiving: please go easy on me (I know you all will).

Until next time,

This will make you smile.

2009-09-24T07:42:00.000-07:00

I regret to inform my loyal readers that I don't really have anything new and exciting to report this week. Here's what my schedule looks like:
Work/Internship, Class, Workout (if I feel up to it), Read/Homework, Sleep, Repeat
Pretty boring, huh?

I do, however, feel compelled to share my new tv obsession with y'all. I came home last night to find my husband watching a show on Fox called "Glee". After giving him a hard time for a few minutes about watching a musical-comedy tv show, I found myself getting drawn in. And by the time the episode ended, I was howling with laughter (much like my mother is known to do).

Please, I'm begging you, watch this clip!!! You will not regret it. There are few things funnier in this world than the sight of a high school football team performing a choreographed dance routine to Beyonce's "Single Ladies". You'll have to FF to about 2:30 to get to the dance routine. If you watch the beginning without having watched the whole episode, it probably won't make much sense.

That's all for now.

A Castle Fit for a King & A Dream Fulfilled

2009-09-13T08:57:00.001-07:00

Usually I would try to come up with some witty lead-in. But as I wipe the sleep from my eyes, I realize that I am just.too.tired. Please prepare yourselves for the randomness that is this blog post. Ordinarily, I would have the time to post about all of these things separately, but since my time is not my own anymore, I'm going to jumble them all into one post. Bear with me, folks.

First things first, I thought my parents might appreciate a picture of my first day of grad school.

With the first two weeks of school under my belt, I'm feeling pretty good.

We decided to head south for Labor Day Weekend. I still spent a good chunk of the weekend getting my reading done for school, but we were able to take one day to visit the Hearst Castle in San Simeon. Just to give you a brief history, during their heyday in the early 1900's, the Hearst family owned approximately one fifth of all newspapers in the United States, plus 8 radio stations, movie studios, and a magazine publishing company (which the family still owns and includes such magazines as Good Housekeeping, Town & Country, and Cosmopolitan). William Randolph Hearst inherited over 250,000 acres of land when his mother passed away, and he decided to build a 60,000+ square foot castle into the mountainside. Ever seen the movie Citizen Kane? That movie is said to portray Hearst's eccentric personality. Anyway, when he passed away in 1951, the family donated the property to the state of California. Actually, they still own the property itself, but they allow the state to use the castle as a historical monument. (Only in California can your house turn into a historical monument simply because of the fact that you inherited a large fortune that was built primarily by your predecessors. But I digress.) This place is truly something to see!

Although this looks like a church, this is actually the front entrance of the house.

Here is the view of the ocean from the house. My lens was dirty, so pardon the smudge.

Here is the dining room. Interesting story behind this: Hearst sat in the very center, with new guests sitting next to and across from him. When Hearst would extend invitations for weekend visits, guests were expected to move one chair further away each time they came. When they reached the end of the table, they had overstayed their welcome and were not invited back.

The Roman Bath House. A portion of these tiles (the yellow ones) were actually made of 24-karat gold, and this entire room is covered in tile from the bottom of the pool, to the walls, to the ceiling.

Here we are by the outdoor pool. This was my favorite part! It's hard to capture the beauty of this pool with a camera.

Ok, onto other things. Last night we attended a concert that I have been looking forward to for months! One of my favorite bands since middle school broke up a few years back and then decided to get back together and do a reunion tour. I know most of you who read this are not huge punk fans, so I'll keep it short. We got to see Taking Back Sunday, Weezer, and, ::drumroll please:: Blink-182!!! The concert lived up to all my expectations. Here's a pic of Pat & I on the lawn. (I just realized that Pat is wearing the same shirt in the Hearst Castle pics as he is in the concert picture below. He does own other shirts, I swear. He just happens to really like that one.)

Alright, I think that's it for updates. It's hard to believe that we've crammed so much into the last few weeks.

To quote one of my favorite songs, "I'm alive and well," and life is very good right now. Peace out.

Ho-ly Crap.

2009-09-02T18:12:00.000-07:00

Well I can officially say that the duties and responsibilities of my new life as a worker/grad student/intern hit me smack dab in the face this week. Hard. Like a knock-the-wind-out-of-you and then blow-your-socks-off hard.

Each of my classes require at least 3 hours of reading each week. Multiply that by 4 classes, and that's 12 hours of reading!!!!! In fact, in the last 24 hours alone, I have read a whole book, start to finish. (It's called The Working Poor by David K. Shipler, and it's a must-read for every American who desires to more fully understand the way that the economy affects the lowest wage earners in this country.)

Although this feeling of being overwhelmed and anxiety-ridden is sure to stick around for the next two years, I truly feel blessed to be involved in such an esteemed, competitive program.

And now, dear friends and family, I must log off so that I may attend to the 300+ pages of reading that has staged a hostile takeover of my so-called "holiday weekend".

I'm a Big Girl Now

2009-08-27T08:52:00.000-07:00

Tuition fees, paid.
Parking permit, bought.
Textbooks, purchased.
School supplies, check.

And in regards to my internship, I officially have my own caseload. Scary.

Holy cow, this is really happening!!!

T minus 2 days until my first class and my official entrance into graduate school.

::Randi grabs paper bag. Breathe in, breathe out. Repeat.::

Blogging About Politics. And my Favorite Things.

2009-08-20T09:50:00.000-07:00

Before you get the wrong impression of this post because of its title, please know that blogging about politics is NOT one of my favorite things. I've never been the type of person who has strong political affiliations. Don't get me wrong, I do have opinions about certain issues (and candidates, for that matter), but the point of this blog is not for me to preach about my own opinions.

So I vowed to myself, for the sake of my readers, that I would never post anything political on my blog. And I intend to keep that promise. But you all should know that I am having a very hard time doing so because of one particular issue that I feel strongly about involving health care reform. Those of you who know me well know how I feel this way, and why I feel this way, because of the state that I live in and the exposure that I've had to underprivileged populations, along with my own experience with health care costs and dealings with a greedy insurance company who can't seem to ever make an error in my favor.

So with that, I will change the subject. Keeping with your suggestions (thank you to all who commented on my last post), here is my current list of my Favorite Things, with some pictures included:

The Nest Great website for finding recipes, getting decorating ideas, and overall just being a newlywed.
half.com This website has awesome deals on textbooks!!!
I've been swooning over this entertainment stand for about a year now. One of these days we might actually buy it.

My new laptop!!!!! It's a Dell Studio 14 and I ♥ it!!! I bought it in red for school.

This Moroccan Oil Hydrating Mask. It smells sooooo good, and it works on any hair type!

These books, which are a few of my summer reads:

Beautiful Boy by David Sheff

The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger

Hope's Boy by Andrew Bridge

Okay, I think that is all for now. Keep those comments comin'!

Hello Out There!!!!!!

2009-08-17T11:31:00.000-07:00

Is anybody there???

I swear that I can hear the echo of my own voice in this place.

Is it because my posts have been dreadfully boring???? I sure hope not. But if that is the case, I welcome feedback and helpful criticism on topics that may be, more, well, interesting & entertaining.

When no one leaves comments on my posts, that leads me to believe that no one is even reading the blog anymore.

::insert whiney temper tantrum here::

Here's an idea, if you read my posts and like or dislike the content, leave me a comment! Please, I beg of you!!!!!

That is all.

My Dearest Mother

2009-08-11T18:21:00.000-07:00

Today, August 11th, celebrates the anniversary of the day my mother was brought into the world. This year is a particularly important birthday for her (although I won't mention specifics), so I thought it fitting to mark this momentous occasion with a post dedicated to my amazing mother, who's always been my role model for what a great wife and mom looks like. (She's also one hell of a strong woman!!!)

Allow me to clear my throat.

:: ahem ::

"Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday Dear Mah-ahm, Happy Birthday to you!!!!!"

I love you Mom!!!!!

A Compilation of Sorts

2009-08-10T08:30:00.000-07:00

The post you are about to read has absolutely nothing to do with anything that is going on in the lives of P & R right now. Our personal lives are a bit in shambles right now, due to some family issues, and I've spent the better part of last week trying to fly under the radar, because blogging about what's really going on around here could cause some serious drama. So instead I'm going to add an entry that I hope will humor y'all.

Our local newspaper in Montana, the Bozeman Daily Chronicle, is overall a reputable newspaper (as far as small-town news media goes). However, the content included in the daily police reports is one exception. My older brother made somewhat of a game out of taping the particularly hilarious ones to the door of his bedroom, a tradition which I continued when that bedroom became mine. So during our last visit home, my mom gave me a stack of police report pages that she had saved for me. Instead of keeping the hilarity to myself, I'm going to do my good deed for society by sharing them with everyone. Please understand that this post is meant to be taken sarcastically, and with a grain of salt.

Enjoy!

June 6th, 2009: "A woman reported that someone is dumping their trash in her dumpster. She said she went through the trash and found evidence of possible suspects."
June 7th, 2009: "Police arrested a 39-year old Bozeman pickup driver for assault and cited a 37-year old Bozeman bicyclist for disorderly conduct after the bicyclist became upset, believing the truck had cut him off. The two exchanged words, the bicyclist said the driver should have respect for bikes, then ran the front of his bike into the truck. The driver jumped out and punched the bicyclist five to eight times in the face."
June 7th, 2009: "A woman reported to police her ex-boyfriend was threatening to let her birds go while she was out of town. However, the birds did not appear to have been released." (Phew, I was worried)
June 8th, 2009: "A man in a red sports car convertible was reported for asking two small girls to find his small dog. An officer determined he really was looking for his dog."
June 8th, 2009: "Domestic abuse was reported on River Road, where a daughter said her 56-year old mother had been drinking and hitting her (NOT funny). There were no weapons, she said, but stated that her mother is a weapon (hilarious)."
June 9th, 2009: "A boy tipped over a porta-potty in Kirk Park around 1pm. His parents were notified and the porta-potty was returned to its upright position and cleaned." (Thank goodness those of you who regularly use the restroom in Kirk Park can pee in confidence).
June 12th, 2009: "A man was seen behind the mall around 10 am with something over his head doing push-ups and stretching. He was waiting for the theater to open."
June 17th, 2009: "Four of five high school kids with flashlights near a trailer court on East Griffin Drive 'looked like they were up to no good', according to authorities." (Oh dear God, no!!!! Someone call 9-1-1!!!!!)
June 18th, 2009: "A deputy checked on a man who was shining a flashlight outside on Pebblebrook Road around 12:30am. The man was searching for his keys and 'unfortunately the deputy was not much help in locating the keys either.' " (darn!)
June 18th, 2009: "Several gallons of red Jell-O were dumped into a boat parked on Sunfield Drive staining the seats and carpet 'as well as leaving a very large sticky mess.' The case is being investigated."
June 20th, 2009: "A resident of Boylan Road asked to speak with an officer 'about noise associated with tee time at the golf course'." (Boo)
June 21, 2009: "Bags of 'poo' were left on a Highland Blvd. resident's doorstep several times before he called it in. He also advised officers that one bag came with a note asking him to pick up his dog's 'poo'." (Dear dog owners: please pick up your 'poo', lest you risk ending up with your dog's 'poo in a bag on your doorstep)
June 25th, 2009: "A woman couldn't stain her deck because three dogs were running loose in the area. She described them as a 'beagle, a little white hairy thing, and a medium white hairy thing'." (Thank you, ma'am, for such a helpful description!)

And now for my personal favorite. Believe me, this one is a true gem.

::drumroll please::

June 15th, 2009: "A person reported his brother was calling him nonstop and conversing about nonsensical topics such as two-handed swords and Kentucky Fried Chicken. The person requested a welfare check after the conversation topics got more serious."

The previous message was brought to you by the folks at the Bozeman Daily Chronicle, who apparently have nothing better to do than post the minute details of every single random police report (ridiculous, irrelevant content included at no extra charge).

Happy Monday!

Home (aka Montucky, Bozeangeles, MAN-tana, Livingstone, etc etc)

2009-08-04T09:45:00.000-07:00

Whew, I cannot believe how quickly this summer is going by! I feel like just yesterday I was whining and complaining about being bored, and all of a sudden I blinked and July was over. This has been, by far, the busiest month we've had in the 2 years we've lived here. Between the ongoing recovery process, Bakersfield for the 4th, having family in town, San Fran for a weekend trip, my Portland trip to visit one of my best friends, and then Montana for a week, this month has been packed full of excitement!

I can never seem to take enough pictures of Paradise Valley when we are visiting Montana. I have hundreds of pictures of this place I love so much. Here is my favorite from this trip:

Here are some pics of our floating adventure on the Yellowstone. The river was really brown and blown-out. And believe me, the water was smokin'. But luckily, the weather held out for us and we had a great float!

We spent a few days at Pine Creek camping and enjoying the mild weather. (Pine Creek is the campground right up the road from our wedding site, FYI). This place holds lots of memories for me, and it always makes me feel nostaligic to spend time here. I truly had a blessed childhood to be able to grow up in such a beautiful place.

We took a walk down to the church camp and attempted to recreate some of our wedding photos.

Recognize this road???

As much as I detest sitting in the car for 15 hours on the drive to and from Montana, I love having this time to talk about anything and everything with the best conversational partner a girl could ask for. :) On our long drive back, we discussed (among other things) the feeling of being out-of-staters for the first time since we moved away. Although I miss my family terribly, this is the first time I was truly happy to return to California and all the things the future has in store for us. Although Montana is "home", I can't shake the feeling that home has become more about where my husband is than where I grew up. This is where we have built a life as husband and wife. Someday, we hope to continue that life in Montana. But for now, home is California.

Famous in a Small Town

2009-07-23T15:28:00.000-07:00

Do y'all (It's this new thing I'm trying out, **See Footnote) think its weird that I keep dreaming about Kenny Chesney & Miranda Lambert songs or waking up with lyrics randomly stuck in my head???

I'm guessing it's just the residual affects from listening to 5+ hours of country music last Saturday night. We had an absolute blast in San Francisco at this concert! Even better, the tickets were free (Pat got them through work), so we justified spending big bucks on a room 8 blocks away from the stadium so we wouldn't have to worry about driving all the way back to Sac. Here are a few pics from the concert:

The concert was supposed to be Lady Antebellum, Sugarland, Miranda Lambert, and Kenny Chesney. Sugarland cancelled, unfortch. But we had a great time nonetheless! I love love love Miranda Lambert, and this concert showcased just how beautiful her voice is. If you've never heard of her, please click here to hear my favorite song of hers.

Here is the only decent pic I was able to get of Kenny, because of how far away our seats were and the whole lighting issue.

Let me tell you, one of the most interesting parts of this concert, aside from the acts themselves, was the entertainment provided by people-watching. It's not everyday that a huge country music act comes to a city known for its flamboyance (for lack of a better word). The concert-goers at this event were truly the most diverse group of people that I have ever seen in one condensed area. I entertained myself before the concert by pointing out the real Stetson hat and Wrangler wearing cowboys/girls from those who went to the nearest trendy mall store for a cheap pair of boots and straw hat. Some (read: Pat) call this strange; I call it talent. What can I say? I'm a country girl.

Which brings me to my footnote about use of the word "y'all''. Upon discussion with my husband and a few close friends, it has been unanimously decided that I should have been born in the south. I'm thinking Georgia, specifically. Why, you ask? First of all, I heart sweet tea. It's my new drink of choice. And should McDonalds ever stop selling it, I will resort to making it myself, ungodly amounts of sugar and all. 2. I have been craving southern comfort food. Patrick can attest to this, as I spent the majority of the day in the kitchen a few weeks ago, making fried chicken and creamy mashed potatoes for dinner. And it was delicious! Now if I could only find a recipe for hushpuppies... 3. I think the word "y'all" should be grandfathered in to Webster's dictionary as a socially appropriate word for everyday interaction. As much as I have tried to incorporate it into my daily conversations with people, I still get weird looks and friends laughing in my face. But I tell ya what, I would rather hear "y'all" then the word "hella" any day of the week.

Maybe I am living in the wrong state. Lori & Lynn, we might be South Carolina bound soon, if I don't get rid of this "Southern Fever".

Well, I'm off to Portland, see y'all in Montana next week!!!!!

Summatime Take I

2009-07-23T15:02:00.000-07:00

Hey-Ya!!!

Summer is a busy time around here, as I'm sure it is for our family and friends who regularly (or maybe not so regularly) read this blog. All of a sudden, it seems, things went from 0-60 just like that. We had my dad in town last week for a few days, and then Patrick won tickets to a concert over the weekend, so we had a whirlwind week or so. Things have slowed down just long enough for me to get a few errands done around here before our next adventures begin. I will be headed to Portland this weekend to visit my best friend, Jess, and then off to Montana on Monday, where I will meet up with my hubbs to spend some time with friends and family. Poor Pat is driving up here all alone, which I would feel bad about, except for that this whole arrangement was his idea. He suggested that I spend a weekend in Portland and then fly directly to Montana, so as to avoid that hellish 14-hour drive.

[As a sidenote, I must say that one of my absolute favorite qualities about my husband is that he is far and away the most considerate person I have ever met. He always put other's needs (okay, mainly mine) before his own. There is no questioning what is going to happen, he just does it without a second thought and without complaining. Somewhere along the line, someone ::cough cough Lori & Lynn:: taught him VERY well! And for that, I am very grateful. He's an amazing husband, and I cannot wait to see how great of a father he will be one day (not anytime soon though).]

Without further ado, here are some pics of my dad's trip to Sac, during our drive up to Tahoe:

Ex.Haust.Ted

2009-07-19T19:16:00.001-07:00

Hello Friends.
It has been a busy last few days in the land of the Groff's. Between having my dad here, spending a night in San Fran for a concert (yeah, Kenny!), and a baby shower today, I am absolutely BUSHED. As we speak, I am sitting on the couch in my pj's, getting ready to hit the hay. I know, I know, it's only 7:20. But I'm struggling to keep my eyes open, as I wait for Pat to get home from golfing. This scenario has 'old woman' written all over it. But such is the life of Miss Randi, and this lady needs her beauty sleep. So I will update the blog with pics in the next day or two when I have caught up on my sleep. Nighty night.

Inactive Duty

2009-07-14T07:34:00.000-07:00

Hello All
I seem to have bounced back from my lazy phase. At least that's what the cinnamon rolls in the oven and perfectly clean house would suggest (I got up at 5:00am this morning to make them from scratch). I think in part, my lack of motivation has had a lot to do with my restrictions on working out. I had to make an impromptu visit to the orthopedic surgeon last week after finding a bump on my shoulder, at the very tip of where my scar is. When we went down to visit my brother over the holiday weekend, we spent a majority of the weekend in the pool. The doctor had no problem with me playing in the pool, but he did have a problem with me playing volleyball in the pool. Luckily, the bump is just scar tissue. But before I found that out, I had to sit through a pretty harsh lecture. The doc reminded me that I've just had a major, invasive surgery, and even though I'm young, I still need to give myself another 4 weeks for my body to bounce back completely, otherwise I'm going to undo everything I've had done and end up back in the Operating Room.
::gulp::
I am officially on "inactive duty", meaning no exercise except walking until August 15th. I didn't realize just how active I was until I totally lost the ability to do the things I want to do. I miss lifting weights, using the elliptical machine, and doing situps. And I miss having a somewhat toned stomach and arms. But I don't miss these things enough to compromise my body and healing process. And that's what I just have to keep repeating to myself when I hear the workout room calling my name.

In other news, my dad and stepmom will be spending a few days with us starting tomorrow. My dad is in Reno for a work-related trip, and decided they would drive the extra couple hours to come down and see us. Since this will be their first trip to Sac, we are SUPER excited to have them here!!!! We are planning a dinner at our favorite local restaurant/brewery as well as a day trip up to Tahoe. I'm off to Portland for the weekend next Friday, and then we will be headed back to Montana for a week in the end up July. Lots of fun stuff in the next few weeks. Yipeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!

Jack Russells Unite!!!!

2009-07-08T09:05:00.000-07:00

I'm feeling rather lazy today. So allow me to present to you, our 4th of July weekend in photos.

Hope everyone else had a wonderful holiday!

Free & Clear

2009-06-29T14:05:00.000-07:00

Finally finally finally, I am happy to announce that I had my very LAST lump-related doctor's appointment today!!!! I saw my orthopedic surgeon today, and I'm embarrassed to admit that I would not recognize him if I saw him walking down the street. I felt like I was meeting him for the first time today, being that he was never a part of my case until Dr. Khatri had me in the Operating Room. He apparently was in to check on me while I was in recovery, but anesthesia drugs prevented me from remembering that. Anyway, he instructed me to avoid circuit training for 4-6 more weeks (boo), and keep a thick coat of sunscreen on my scar anytime I am in the sun for the next year (yikes). But otherwise, I am good to go!

I also just spent about 30 minutes on the phone with his nurse, getting referrals for primary care doctors as well as helpful suggestions for what to do about some of my recurring health problems (mainly sinus infections). She was more helpful than I could have ever hoped for! Getting some inside info from her on how to address some of my medical issues helped take the sting off the fact that I spent 2+ hours this morning, waiting in the office to be seen by my doctor. Just goes to show that a good nurse can make all the difference.

::insert a shout-out to my awesome cousin Corrine, who is no doubt the best nurse there is in the ICU at Billings Clinic!!! ::

I hope to not have to waste any more of my valuable time in doctor's offices or waiting rooms for a long time to come!

I have chills.

2009-06-25T09:14:00.000-07:00

I don't know how many of you are familiar with the show "Crossroads" on CMT. CMT (Country Music Television) pairs a country artist with someone a little more edgy (Taylor Swift & Def Leppard, for example). But they have been promoting a new episode that will air this week, with Jason Aldean and Bryan Adams. They have been playing this video non-stop for about 2 weeks, and I have been frantically searching for it to post on here. I remember loving this song when I was younger, and it really is a beautiful love song (hint hint to my friend Emily who is getting married next summer--perfect 1st dance song). This rendition of this song literally gives me chills. Enjoy.

"Heaven"

You've Been Spoiled

2009-06-22T08:39:00.000-07:00

Too all of my loyal blog readers,
I fear that I have spoiled you all with multiple posts per week (and sometimes per day) throughout the Great Lump Scare of '09, as I have had quite a few people ask why I have not updated since last Sunday. It's only been a week, people!!! Plus, there has been few exciting events to post about in the last week, which is just the way we like it, thank you very much. I can see that I'm going to have to wean you all off slowly, as I will have less and less time to post come September. So take a deep breath, and feel free to enroll in a 12-step meeting to aid in your withdrawl in the coming months. It's not going to be easy, but I have faith in each and every one of you.
Find your happy place.

Napa Valley, Minus the Wine-Tasting

2009-06-14T14:54:00.000-07:00

As promised, I am posting some pictures of our drive through wine country last weekend. If only we could have stopped to do a tasting or two.

::sigh::

Napa is now high-ranked on our list for places to visit in the near future. When you look at these pictures, it will be easy to see why.

One of the winding, tree-lined 2-lane highways. So quaint.

Rolling hills, palm trees, and vineyards as far as the eye can see. Perfection.

Please ignore the glare. I am still fine-tuning my "photography-in-a-moving-car" skills.

I would give anything to live in this house!

This is the Robert Mondavi vineyard.

My stepmom is planning to spend a milestone birthday in Napa a few years from now, so I guess we have a good excuse to spend a weekend scoping it all out. Strictly business, of course. We do, after all, have to get a feel for the area in order to be good tour guides for our guests!

Let Them Eat Cake!!!

2009-06-08T09:06:00.000-07:00

Yesterday Patrick and I celebrated our one-year wedding anniversary. We've had many people ask us if it feels like it's been a whole year. On one hand, it feels like it was just yesterday. Pat & I took the time to discuss what we were doing at certain times of the day exactly a year ago, all throughout the day yesterday. What a day it was! My dad even sent me a text picture of his snow-covered front yard to remind me that the weather in Montana is exactly like it was during the same weekend last year (snowy & cold). For those of you who weren't able to make it, allow me to show you a picture that illustrates my point:

If you look closely at this photo (which also happens to be my very favorite wedding picture of all), you can see the snowflakes falling. Not ideal weather, but it sure made for some beautiful pics!!! One of the things I remember most about that day was not how terrible the weather was in the hours leading up to the wedding; it was how the sky seemed to open up during the few minutes leading up to the ceremony and for a few hours during the reception. It was like God was there with us, his blessings pouring down on all in attendance.

You'd never guess by looking at these pictures that it had been snowing earlier!

I guess the point I was trying to make is that our wedding feels like it was so recent, yet we also agree that we feel as if we've been married for longer due to the challenges our young marriage has endured over the last few months. If these last few months are any indication of what's ahead, we know that together, we can love our way through anything. :)

Now, enough of that mushy stuff. I decided that it would be fun to start having pictures taken of us every year on our anniversary so we can look back at previous years and see how much we've changed and how far we've come. With that, here is year #1:

I guess I'll also throw in some pics of our cake, for good measure. I was worried that we had lost our cake topper because I had not seen it since the wedding. But alas, it was still on top of the cake.

I wasn't sure how the cake would fare after a year in the freezer. But my mom did a great job of wrapping it up tight and, aside from a minor freezer burnt taste of the butter cream frosting, the cake tasted delicious! The fondant roses taste exactly the same as they did a year ago. And this time, we were really able to sit and enjoy the deliciousness of our cake with no distractions. Yummmmmm.

That's all I have for now. We did take quite a few pictures on our drive through Napa over the weekend, but I didn't want to overload this post with pictures, so I'll post a few of those at a later date.

Thanks to everyone who sent their anniversary wishes!

WARNING: Graphic Images!!!!!

2009-06-04T18:34:00.000-07:00

**Disclaimer: This post contains images that may not be suitable for all audiences (i.e. those who have a weak stomach). View at your own risk.**

I wanted to post a few pics of exactly what my incision and drain site look like, for anyone who might be interested. If anything positive has come out of this whole ordeal, it's that my sensitivity to pain, needles, blood, and other medically icky things has decreased drastically. I am actually fascinated by the mechanics behind this whole operation (no pun intended), and I figured that there must be others out there who feel the same. So here are a few pics.

Proceed with caution!!!!!

Last chance...

This picture was taken on 5/31. At this point, the drain was in place (although I forgot to photograph the bulb into which the drain empties) and the incision is held together by one large steri-strip. ((This picture is of the left side of my back, under my shoulder blade. And that thing on the left side of the picture is my left arm. I realized after the fact that this pic might be hard to make out if you don't know what you're looking at.))

((This picture is the same area of my back, slightly hunched over.))

This picture was taken this evening (please excuse the formatting issues). Although the stitches were removed today, the steri-strip is still in place to hold the skin around my incision together. The drain was also removed today, which was a far more painful process than I was expecting. Yikes! I spent the majority of the day after my appointment resting on the couch, reading, and popping pills to ease the aching/throbbing pain. I am very relieved to be done with the drain!!! I feel so liberated, knowing that I no longer have to walk around at work with my drain clipped to my clothing in a professional office environment or worrying that I'll snag it and begin "The Great Blood Flood, Part II".

Considering all I've been through in the last few weeks, I feel as if today was a huge milestone, and we have so much to be grateful for. God is good.

Dear Friends & Family

2009-05-31T07:30:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was probably the worst "recovery" day I've had since this whole process began. It was not due to physical pain or discomfort, however. It was just an emotionally tough day. I've had people tell me how envious and jealous they are of all my downtime and the fact that I get to spend endless hours on the couch watching daytime tv, reading magazines, and surfing the net. But the only thing I can say to those people is that the novelty wears off after a few days, and pretty soon it becomes the most emotionally draining experience to have so much time alone with your thoughts. I spent most of yesterday alone. Pat went golfing (which was much-deserved after spending so much of his time caring for me), and while I was happy that he got to do something he wanted to do for once, it was also a very emotionally trying day for me. I broke out in tears sporadically while on the phone with my mom, and when our phone call was cut short, I called 2 of my girlfriends, only to end up crying even harder because neither one of them answered (I'm not trying to make you feel guilty at all, Jess & Christie, you would not have wanted to talk to me anyway, believe me!!!).

My mom reminded me of an important life lesson to help me through my tough day yesterday. And that lesson is that, no matter our circumstances in life, God has placed us there for a reason. There is something pure and significant that will come from this difficult time, and my goal right now is not to find that purpose, but to depend on our Savior to provide me with the strength, grace, and humility to overcome this obstacle.

This post is not meant to be a "poor me", "feel sorry for me" post. Rather, I'm hoping to turn my mood around today and remind myself of all we have to be thankful for. Which is why I wanted to take a minute to write a quick letter to our friends and family, who are constantly standing behind us and sending us messages of love and support our way. If you read this blog, this message is intended for your eyes.

Dear Friends and Family,
Patrick and I truly cannot put into words how grateful we are for the love and support that you all have shown over recent months. You have provided us with an invaluable tool to aid in the healing process. And this tool comes in the form of out-of-the-way trips to visit, care packages, phone calls, emails, and cards. For your thoughts and prayers, we cannot thank you enough. This difficult process is made so much easier by knowing we have all of you backing us, and there is no doubt in my mind that my recovery has been easier because of all of you. Thank you all!
All our love,
Pat & Randi

Don't read this post if you have a weak stomach!!!

2009-05-29T09:37:00.000-07:00

For those of you who thought I was on the up & up, you were WRONG! But it's ok, because I was wrong, too. I thought this last hospital stay would be the end of the great "Lump Debacle of 2009". But sadly, it was not.

I went to the doctor yesterday for another post-op appt. Upon seeing how pale and gaunt I looked (no doubt due to the fact that I've been spewing each day's worth of nutrients and have lost 6 lbs in less than a week), the doctor decided to do what he should have done all along and order a blood transfusion. Those 2 words are very intimidating. My brain congers up the image of a nurse with a stack of syringes full of blood, shooting them into my arm, one by one. However, the actual process of a blood transfusion is not nearly so scary. It's actually just like having an IV drip, except instead of fluids dripping into your tube, it's blood. The only remotely annoying part of this process was how long it took (4 hours!!!). After being "hooked up" for only 1/2 hr, my face was already getting color back. And halfway through the process, I became genuinely famished for the first time in a few days. It felt good to have my true hunger back. And by true hunger, I mean my body's actual need to have nutrients without the impending threat of that nauseous, "she's gonna blow!" feeling to follow.

So after some TLC from my hubbs in the form of a hearty dinner of mac and cheese and veggies, along with a good night's sleep, I feel alive again! I actually feel like I'm going to live now! Believe it or not, I was unsure for a few days there.

On another note, the doctor made light of my situation during my appointment yesterday by suggesting that I tell all my friends about his new weight loss program. "Dr. Khatri's Weight Loss Plan" involves losing about 1/4 of your body's blood, taking mass amounts of iron and painkillers, and puking your guts out for a week. Boom, 6 lbs gone! Just like that. And no, you will not have to change your diet, because you will lose your appetite all together and nothing will taste good. Hahaha, no offense, Doctor, but I wouldn't wish this misery on anyone!

So with that, Pat & I wish you all a wonderful weekend! Get out there and enjoy the late spring/early summer weather! And while you're doing so, think of me, cooped up on the couch for what seems like the rest of my natural born life. Enjoy!

Home Sweet Home

2009-05-25T19:27:00.000-07:00

I am pleased to announce that, upon breaking my personal record for the most nights spent in the hospital (something I am NOT very proud of), I was finally discharged today!

I have mixed feelings about being home. Don't get me wrong, the last thing I want is to "donate" more to the money making venture that the healthcare industry has become. But the nightmare of Friday evening/night replays over and over in my head, and I am not sure that I have the emotional (or physical) strength to go through that again. I trust my doctor's judgement, but I also have my reservations, being that the physician's assistant told me not to worry when the "Great Blood Flood" first began on Friday night.

So I guess it's time to update on the events that transpired to get my doctor to sign my discharge orders. I had a contrast scan last night (man that iodine shot is one crazy sensation!), and the results looked normal, meaning there were no hematomas or clots. They had again restricted my food and water intake after breakfast yesterday, so I was allowed to eat again at about 9:00 last night, as surgery was ruled out indefinitely. Praise the Lord!!!

This morning my doctor did his rounds with his "posse" (UC Davis is a teaching hospital, so there are about 7-8 doctors, including residents, that travel with Dr. Khatri). He made the decision that he would start to transition me off of IV pain medication, and send me off with a prescription for Folic Acid and Iron to help replace some of the lost blood. Transfusion was officially ruled out because my numbers increased slightly and stabilized in my blood draws taken last night. I have struggled for most of the day with pain management. I find that the pain is significantly worse now than it was during the first go-around.

So here I sit with about 5 different medications, again laid-up on the couch. I detest living on the 3rd floor right now, being that I have to stop and pause after each flight. My doctor has recommended that I get up and walk around a little bit, but at the risk of passing out and falling down the stairs, the only walking I'll be doing is laps in my apartment. Ugh. I don't ever recall feeling this exhausted.

I am so grateful that we reacted the way we did, and went to the ER to get the care I needed. But it also feels like a huge setback. After having done everything right, it's so frustrating to be in this position again. Who would think that a small snag would cause such a major problem?

We're really hoping that this will be the last blog update on "the lump" for awhile. But as we have learned, life can be very unpredictable.

Hope you all had a better weekend than we did. :)

Murphy's Law=My New Life's Mantra

2009-05-24T10:05:00.000-07:00

Hello all.

I'm writing this post from a hospital bed, because, as some of you know, I was admitted to the hospital again on Friday night. I was feeling really good on Friday (maybe a little too good actually), and as I was up and around, I snagged my drain tube on our doorknob. There was no pain associated with the snag, but the clear fluid that had been draining turned quickly to bright red. At about 9:00, blood started gushing out of my drain site (where the drain is stitched into my body). We rushed to the ER and I was admitted a couple of hours later.

Friday night was hands-down the worst night of my life. They had put a pressure dressing on my drain sight, and I bled through it in a matter of hours. I did not sleep more than about 45 minutes total, because of the constant poking and prodding, blood draws, and having to have my drain emptied constantly. I was bleeding 100cc of fluid ever 1 1/2-2 hours. At one point the nurses started talking about blood transfusions, and I had one specific blood draw to get my blood typed and was told to be prepared for the possibility of having to have a transfusion. Very scary. Luckily, my doctor was on-call yesterday, and he came in first thing yesterday morning. He suggested that we wait to see if the bleeding slows on its own, as he would prefer not to do surgery. (FYI, surgery would involve opening the site up to find the bleed and put a suture in the bleeding vein.) But that meant no food or drink all day yesterday. At about 7:00 last night, my hemoglobin were stable enough that they scrapped the surgery idea (at least temporarily) and allowed me to eat dinner. I have never tasted such a delicious meal in my life!

Last night went a lot more smoothly. I was still woken up every few hours, getting blood drawn and my vitals checked. But the bleeding has slowed significantly. Unfortunately, my hemoglobin levels dropped slightly overnight and those levels are holding right around 8 (12 is normal). So the next step is to do a CAT scan to make sure there are no hidden bleeds or clots. There's also a strong possibility that I will need a couple units of blood, as I'm feeling pretty weak and exhausted.

My brother came up from southern CA to be with us yesterday. I feel as if my poor hubbs has to bear the burden of dealing with all of this by himself, so having Cody here is helping immensely.

Thank you all for your continued support. I'll update again when I have more info.

I'm a Big, Fat Liar

2009-05-21T15:29:00.000-07:00

I broke my promise about posting yesterday afternoon, and for that I feel terrible. I will tell you all what I've been telling Pat since I got home from the hospital. I simply cannot be held responsible for anything that may come out of my mouth while under the influence of narcotic painkillers. And I do have a valid excuse for dropping the ball yesterday, I really do. There was an epic battle raging in my stomach between caffeine and painkillers. For future reference: Coffee+Oxycodone=worst nausea EVER!!! I will be steering clear of the caffeine for the duration of my recovery time.

Anyway, on to the good stuff. Let me preface this by saying that I love love love my doctor. He's sensitive to my needs and was able to give my condition the urgent attention that was needed to move the process along. That being said, I had a terrible hospital experience.

My surgery went well, just not exactly according to plan. An orthopedic surgeon had to be called in once my surgeon opened me up and found a quarter sized bone spur connected to my scapula. So that had to be shaved off, and my whole shoulder blade had to be moved out of the way to remove the cyst. I came out of surgery with quite a few stitches and a drain attached to a tube that goes into the incision. For this reason, my doctor decided it would be in my best interest to be admitted, at least for the night. The only problem was that he wanted to put me on the Oncology Floor (with the rest of his patients), and there were no rooms available. So I spent in excess of 12 hours in multiple recovery rooms, waiting for a room to open up. I find it ironic that they would call such a place a "recovery" room, because between the beeping of machines, hustle and bustle of nurses, and the woman next to me complaining constantly, there was absolutely no recovery taking place during that time. The only way to "recover" in such a place is to be unconscious. And sadly, most of the people in that room were. So, I did what any drugged-up, frustrated person in my situation would do. I bawled my eyes out. Luckily, not long after that, I was admitted to my room.

The fun doesn't end there, however. I ended up in a room with a girl about my age, whose boyfriend was coming and going late into the night. Even when he did finally leave, she spent a good hour arguing on the phone with him. And they must not have gotten the memo about the restriction on cell phone use in patient rooms, because both of their phones were ringing constantly. I was already struggling with sleep because the morphine drip made me itch worse that I ever imagined possible (talk about an itch you can't scratch). But I made it through the night and begged my doctor to release me the next day. After taking me off the IV meds and stabilizing me with oral painkillers, I was finally able to go home.

With the help of my wonderful mother and amazing husband, the next few days went fairly smoothly. Pat has been sleeping on the couch with me every night since I got home from the hospital, waking me up every 4 hours to take my meds, and helping me to the bathroom. And my mother, God bless her heart, did all of my laundry, cooked a few meals, and vacuumed. I was NOT happy to see her leave on Monday.

But alas, the healing process has begun, and I find that I feel just a little bit better each day. Last night, for the first time, I was able to sleep for almost 5 hours straight! I had the first of 2 post-op appointments today. My surgeon felt it would be best to leave the drain in place, as my incision is still producing quite a bit of fluid. I will be going back next Thurs to get the drain removed, as well as my stitches. I have quite a bit of nausea that comes in waves and hits like a ton of bricks. But it usually subsides on its own with no vomiting involved (minus the incident halfway through this post where I had to run to the bathroom and release the contents of my stomach into the porcelain god). My doctor thinks this is just the result of prolonged use of Percocet, and he is keeping a close watch to make sure this doesn't turn into a regular thing.

I also got the final report from Pathology today. They had sent the entire mass of fluid, along with the piece of bone, to the lab. Their firm diagnosis is a bone cyst. Dr. Khatri used a fancy medical term for it, but I cannot remember what the word was. It is completely benign, and the only thing they're concerned about is the very small chance that it could come back. All in all, that's a diagnosis that we couldn't be more pleased with. It's been a tiring road to this point, but we finally made it! I was telling one of my girlfriends that I feel like a weight has been lifted from my shoulders, literally and figuratively. ;)

And with that, here are a few pics taken over the last week. ((Please ignore the terrible condition of my skin. I tend to have nasty, stress-induced breakouts, and due to recent events, this one is a doozie.))

My beautiful flowers!

The bouquet on the left is from my grandparents and aunts & uncles (thank you all, they're GORGEOUS!), and the pink roses are from my daddy. :)

My mom & I. I cannot put into words how comforting it was to have her here.

This is how the cat and I have taken to sleeping. She's such a little cuddlebug when she wants to be. And she is enjoying every last minute of my days spent at home.

In closing, I want to thank you all for taking this crazy roller coaster ride with us. It is your love and support, along with the strength and grace of God, that have gotten us through this.

Pre-post to the "Big" Post

2009-05-20T08:33:00.000-07:00

I'm working up to writing my big post with my surgery update. I promise. I've been under strict orders to wear my sling anytime I'm not in bed (how does one type with a sling on??), so typing has been nearly impossible. Couple that with the fact that Percocet does a number on my stomach, and my ability to think clearly, and you can understand why it has taken me so long to work up the energy to sit at the computer desk and write the long-awaited entry for my loyal readers. But please know that it is coming. Soon.

I'm Alive.

2009-05-17T08:27:00.000-07:00

Just wanted everyone to know that I made it home last night after 2 days and 1 night in the hospital. I'll write more later, when I'm feeling more coherent and less fuzzy. We've been totally inundated with emails, phone calls, texts, and myspace messages. Thank you all for your love and support!!!! We are truly blessed to have such wonderful friends and family.

In (Not-So) Loving Memory of My Lump

2009-05-14T20:54:00.000-07:00

Dear Lump,
I am afraid that this is my final farewell. Your days of being poked and prodded are over. We have dealt with some trying times together, both good and bad. But your fate has been decided, and you will be meeting your maker (in the form of an oncologist holding a scalpel) in a matter of hours. I hate to say it, dear lump, but I feel as if my life will be richer without you. No more will I have to worry about the embarrassment you bring me, and no more will I fear that others are gossiping about the young lady with the lop-sided hump back. May you rest in peace, you selfish jerk.

And We Have a (Likely) Diagnosis!!!!!!

2009-05-11T16:38:00.000-07:00

The doctor's office just called to give me the lab results.

::Drumroll, please::

And the mystery lump is... a CYST!!!!!!!! (Are you freaking kidding me, the surgeon could not have figured this out?????) I almost fell off my chair!!! All of this worrying, multiple doctor's visits, hundreds of dollars, thousands of dollars spent on the part of the insurance company (hello $2200 lab bill, thank God for health insurance) for a freaking cyst?!?!? This story seems to have such an uneventful climax.

Thank you Lord, for this wonderful day, for giving us the strength and grace to get through this, and for our wonderful friends and family, because their prayers have no doubt helped us pull through.

Four more days, and hopefully we can put this all behind us.

A High School Girl?? Seriously?!?!?

2009-05-11T11:40:00.000-07:00

I find it more than mildly amusing that I have been mistaken for a high-schooler not once or twice, but about five times since I started tutoring high school-aged kids. I thought maybe the badge I wear that says "Placer County Office of Education, Foster Youth Services Tutor" might be a dead giveaway. Or maybe the beautiful rings strategically placed on the 3rd finger of my left hand. I actually had one teacher jump down my throat just today, and threaten to send me to detention for not having a hall pass! Now I know I look young, but do I really look like a teenager?!?!?!?? This has gotten me thinking that I might need to upgrade my work wardrobe to something more "teacherly" or maybe start wearing my glasses more often (which I think make me look more intelligent, thus older as well). Probably, though, I should just get over it and enjoy the amusement that comes from flashing my badge at an unsuspecting teacher, just to prove her wrong.

This, ladies and gentlemen, has been Randi's Random Thought of the Day.

You'll never look at red Kool-Aid the same again!

2009-05-07T20:26:00.000-07:00

Sorry I wasn't able to post sooner, I've been on the phone for what feels like all day, and then we had to go to the grocery store after dinner (which is my hubby's absolute favorite week night activity).

So the news is good. Really good actually. Turns out my oncologist thinks my general surgeon read the ultrasound wrong and there are no tumors at all!!! Just this giant, ugly, fluid-filled sack. But before I tell you that story, let me tell you this story. Let's do a play-by-play of what happened when my oncologist decided to do an impromptu biopsy of the "tissue" in my lump.

Pat: Looks at me and mouths "Should we tell him there's just fluid in there???
Me ::violently shaking head no:: (for fear of being one of "those" patients that tries to tell the doctor how to do his job)
Doctor does his whole spiel about what he's going to do with the freakishly long, clicky instrument that's meant to extract solid masses of tissue
Pat (going against my instructions, bad husband, tsk tsk): "Actually, we've had this biopsied and the fluid has been drained twice. The last time she got it drained was 3 weeks ago."
Doctor (half listening, half focusing on doing the biopsy and simultaneously getting squirted with the kool-aid colored fluid that comprises my bump): "Huh, look at that. There's no tissue in there, only fluid."

I only wish that there could have been some sort of gushing explosion ("This is why I now have a lazy eye") to add to the comedic element of this scene. But alas, I did not get my wish.

Now I realize that this makes my doctor sound like an idiot, but it wasn't entirely his fault. My surgeon coded my last procedure wrong (believe me, I have the EoB from my insurance company to prove it), which led my oncologist to believe that there might be tissue there to extract.

Anywho, he had told me earlier in our conversation that out of the 800-1000 new cases of Sarcoma per year in the U.S., he usually treats about 50-60 of those cases. And he is 98% sure that what I have is not cancerous. Just a balloon that continues to fill up with fluid.

So our next course of action is surgery (surprise surprise). It's going to be an exploratory-type surgery, being that my case is unusual and he is unsure about why this condition exists within my body. I believe he used the term "enigma" in reference to my case (::Randi curtsies::). My surgery is scheduled for next Friday, May 15th (aka my birthday, best day ever, the day the world was blessed with my presence, etcetra etcetra). The best birthday present I can imagine is a clean bill of health, so in my ways I am very grateful. As my doctor so wittingly stated, "I have a great present for you, a four inch scar and the memory of going under the knife on your birthday." Ah yes, methinks I will never forget my 24th birthday.

Another Double-Post Day

2009-05-06T17:16:00.000-07:00

I cannot believe that tomorrow is the day of my appointment with my new oncologist. I've had such a busy last couple of weeks at work that I thought these 2 weeks would fly by. While I still spend my workdays being chronically late everywhere I go (shhh Michelle, please don't tattle on me), I'm also feeling like this has been the longest 2 weeks of my life.

One part of me feels almost a giddy excitement at the prospect of finally getting some concrete answers and a diagnosis (only 6 months, 4 doctors, and 1 surgery later). But my anxiety has gotten exponentially worse over the last 8 hours, and probably will continue to do so until my appointment tomorrow. The unknown is frustrating, but at least it's familiar.

Well, it's time for me to get out and get some fresh air. Pat's having a drink with his coworkers tonight, and I need to get the h*ll out of this house before my anxiety turns me into a crazy woman (haha, it actually might be too late for that). I'm going to go take a walk and enjoy our sunny, mild weather. I'll post an update tomorrow.

Hugs,

A Shot of Inspiration...

2009-05-06T07:54:00.000-07:00

...for someone who is dealing with much harder struggles than myself.

We just found out today that the father of one of our best friends in MT has Stage IV Pancreatic Cancer. It's been a long 3 months for Justin and Jess, who have been dealing with the ups and downs of this diagnosis from 3,000 miles away. The progression of this terrible disease took a turn for the worse on Sunday night, and they made the decision to catch the next flight to Maine. By the grace of God, Justin's dad condition has since stabilized, but they have decided to pack up and move to the East Coast to be with Justin's family during this difficult time. No doubt Justin and Jess are exhausted from the roller coaster of a ride that they've been through over the last few months. My prayer for them (and all those who are dealing with the struggles that come with chronic illness) is that they trust in the Lord to give them the strength and energy to handle whatever comes next.

Those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.
Jeremiah 29:11

You are in our thoughts and prayers. We love you guys!

Is it the weekend yet???

2009-05-01T06:36:00.000-07:00

TGIF!!! Don't get me wrong, I love my job. But I've been so ridiculously busy this week that I've been running habitually late every single day this week!!!! And those who know me know that I detest being late to anything. Looking forward to a relaxing weekend.

Another Drive-By

2009-04-29T16:24:00.000-07:00

I am all out-of-sorts this week. One of my coworkers is out ill, and I have taken on more work to make up for her absence. So needless to say, I'm working more than my usual 20 weekly hours. I know, I know, 3o hours a week. Big deal, right? But I have also had to take on the task of re-teaching myself Geometry this week, as one of the kids on my caseload needs extra help in that area. AHHHHH!!!! I feel like I'm in high school again! Thank God for my wonderful, amazing, incredible husband, who spent a good 2 hours of his time last night helping me re-learn some of this stuff.

Anyway, what I was getting to is that I apologize to all my friends and family if it seems like I've fallen off this week. I promise I am not ignoring you! As soon as I can get past the feeling that there are not enough hours in the day, I will take some time to return phone calls and emails that have been piling up over the last couple weeks.

I've found myself wondering a lot this week about how I'm going to add F/T school to this whole mix in the fall, if I can't even handle it right now. I predict that when the rubber meets the road, I'll fall back into the same patterns that were so familiar to me during my undergrad. I just have to keep reminding myself of that. When I start to get down on myself for feeling so overwhelmed, I love to flip to this passage in my bible:

"I can do everything through him who gives me strength."
~Philippians 4:13

Until I can get my bearings, please go easy on me. :)

Blood is Thicker Than Water

2009-04-26T16:44:00.000-07:00

I've been thinking a lot lately about the phrase, "Blood is thicker than water." This is one of those cliche sayings that we've grown up hearing our whole lives. But after experiencing what I have over the last almost 24 years, I'm not sure that I totally agree. Take, for example, the case of the child(ren) who are raised by a family friend of a drug-addicted, young, single mother. Although those kids are not her own, in a biological sense, that family friend is able to love and care for those kids in a way that their birth mother never could. Or the foster youth with no biological family to speak of, that ages out of the system and comes to know his church elders as his "real" family, even though there are no blood ties. There's even the case of the biological family who, despite being related to each other in the literal sense, becomes involved in such an intense conflict, that they end up disowning each other and never speaking again.

Family is a relative term (pardon the pun). Being a family doesn't always coincide with having unconditional love for each member, just as being unrelated doesn't always mean that the parties love each other any less. I believe that you can come to love another individual in the same way that you love a family member, regardless of whether you share blood or not. I have to believe this, because it's such a big part of my passion for my profession. And I choose to believe this, because otherwise, what hope is there for some of the kids that I work with? Just because Patrick & I have amazing families, whom we share a mutual understanding that revolves around love and respect, that doesn't mean that this is the norm for families in America today. In fact, I would venture to say that our "normal" family unit is actually going to become the minority by the end of our lifetimes, if not shortly thereafter. All the stress and chaos in our culture tend to contribute to conflict, and this conflict is often what tears families apart. Couple that with the amount of children who are currently in foster care (who generally have very slim chances of reunification with their biological family, or any family member for that matter), and the American family is headed in a new direction altogether.

My suggestion would be to amend the saying that we are all so familiar with:
Blood may be thicker than water, but love is thicker than anything.
~Goldie Nash

Recovering from the meltdown

2009-04-22T19:37:00.000-07:00

I met with a few good girlfriends for coffee on Monday,and I was explaining to them how everyone keeps telling me how amazingly calm I have been throughout this process. Many a time I have heard people say, "How are you not freaking out???!?!?!". In the last few weeks, I've at a loss for words for what to respond to this. I guess it's because, deep down, I know that things will be alright. But if I would have thought a year ago that I would be in this position now, I would have for sure predicted myself to be the picture of stress and anxiety. What I realized talking to my girlfriends was that I have not let myself get emotionally involved because then that would mean that all of this is really happening. Consciously, I am aware of that, yet there is still is a slight disconnect. It feels like I am talking about someone else when I explain my situation to people. My girlfriend, Dee, reminded me (after having recently lost her grandfather to cancer) that I might need to make this real in order to fully prepare myself for the reality that I could be facing. I refuse to become pessimistic, but I do need to be honest with myself. Agreed, Dee. As hard as that was, you'll never understand how grateful I am that you were brave enough to tell me exactly what I knew but didn't want to hear.

So after 3 frustrating days of dealing with phone call after phone call to doctor's offices and our insurance company (and still no closer to a diagnosis than I was 3 weeks ago), it finally happened. And let me tell you, it was not pretty. Poor Pat walked in the door from work, only to find my bawling my eyes out on the phone with my mom. I spent a good couple hours sobbing, and a couple more holed up in the bedroom reviewing some of my favorite bible passages. Then the lovely hubbs took me to a Sonic for a creamslush (one of my favorite treats), and I instantly felt much better.

It felt oddly liberating to get that out of my system. Quite frankly, the meltdown served as the swift kick in the ass that I needed to realize that I need to advocate for myself in order to get a diagnosis and treatment. And surprisingly enough, the UC Davis Cancer Center called first thing this morning to set up an appointment with an oncologist (who is FOR SURE in our network, I already checked). I will be seeing a doctor on May 7th for a consultation, and they will be scheduling the surgery for removal shortly thereafter. (The San Francisco specialist is completely out-of-the-question because he is not in PPO network, and the receptionist informed me yesterday that I would have to wait until early/mid summer to be seen. No thanks.)

Finally, we are making some headway!

Positive energy, prayers, thoughts, you know the drill... :)

We are bad pet parents...

2009-04-20T13:31:00.000-07:00

Here is the video I was wanting to post. Just an example of what we do for fun during our downtime. The only difference is that we now have a video camera to document it. Our poor, poor kitty! Be sure to turn the volume up to get the full effect. :) And yes, our cat plays the air piano.

An Ultrasound Pic...

2009-04-17T10:15:00.000-07:00

...and this is definitely not the kind of ultrasound picture I imagined to be carrying out of a doctor's office at this point in our marriage (if you catch my drift).

I went to see the surgeon for my post-op appointment yesterday, armed with a list of questions. I wanted to make sure we were pursuing the right avenues with the next doctor (i.e. determining FOR SURE whether these tumors are cancerous or not). He assured me that the doctor he is referring me to in San Francisco is a world-renowned orthopedic oncologist who specializes in dealing with sarcomas and other types of benign cysts. I voiced my concern over wanting to get this situation under control in the next five months, before grad school starts. He reminded me that my case is very rare (as many of the surgeons he consulted with had never heard of such a thing), and that it would be in my best interest to seek the best possible care for myself, regardless of the timeline.

Unfortunately, the best medical professional for dealing with my condition is not a preferred provider with our health insurance company, so now I'm in the midst of making phone call after phone call to my insurance company to try and obtain a pre-certification to be treated by an outside provider and therefore be covered at the higher level. Ugh.

In the meantime, here's a picture of my ultrasound.

The way the doctor explained it to us is that these tumors are going to be especially difficult to remove because of their placement below the muscle but on top of bone (my rib cage).

I can slowly feel the panic starting to set in. I've been fighting it for awhile, but I feel as if a meltdown is inevitable.

I still am encouraged by the fact that my doctor's speculation is that this is something benign and harmless. And I know that, whatever the following months may bring, with the grace of God, we will lean on our faith and get through this. I guess my anxiety stems from the fact that school starts in less than five months, and I was hoping to be done with this by that point. And don't even get me started about the financial aspect of this situation. Seeking the best possible care could cost us thousands and thousands of dollars (especially if our insurance decides to cover my treatment the outside provider level). I know, I know, you can't put a price on your health. But the fact of the matter is that obtaining the treatment I need could come at the cost of my continuing education. We absolutely cannot afford a huge hospital bill and grad school tuition. It's not even a possibility.

::Randi begins breathing into paper bag::

Keep those optimistic thoughts coming; I have a feeling we are really going to need them in the next few months.

A Drive-By

2009-04-15T13:21:00.000-07:00

I don't have much time to write, since I'm working from home today. So I'm going to attempt to do what my fellow bloggers call drive-by posting. Just a few quick sentences with a longer update later.

My surgeon called this morning to let me know that, upon talking to some orthopedic surgeons at UC Davis, he has decided to refer me to a doctor at UC San Francisco. Apparently this doctor is one of the top drs in the world (yes, I said WORLD) for dealing with lumps and bumps of this nature. His specialization is orthopedic oncology. I'm really hoping that this doctor will be in our approved provider network, or that we can have the surgeon write a letter stating why I need to see this doctor so that our insurance will cover my care at the higher level.

::fingers crossed::

Big news, I mean HUGE!!!!!!!!!!!!

2009-04-14T07:08:00.000-07:00

I am too excited to even attempt to come up with a witty lead-in to the 2 huge pieces of news that I have to share. So I'm just going to spit it out.

I got an official letter from Sac State yesterday congratulating me on my acceptance into the Social Work program!!!!!

::SQUEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAAAL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!::

Finally the waiting is OVER!!!!! It's such a huge relief to hear that, especially since the acceptance rate is already only 33% (and that's on a normal year; this year it was probably lower due to the fact that more people attempt to go back to school when the economy is struggling). Here's a picture of me with my acceptance letter. :)

We decided to go out to a nice dinner to celebrate. We're looking at 2 years of being absolutely broke, so that may be one of the last times we get to do that. We told our waitress that we were celebrating my acceptance into grad school, so she was kind enough to bring us this sundae:

But that's not all we were celebrating. I also found out today that I *probably* don't have cancer! My doctor called to give the lab results, and he told us that the fluid came back as having benign cells and a little bit of blood. But no cancer cells!!!! And he was fairly sure that if the tumors were indeed cancer, the cells would have shown up in the fluid. However, he is still referring me to another doctor (and orthopedic surgeon) to figure out how to go about removing the tumors so as to prevent this balloon from filling with liquid again. (**As a side note, words cannot express how grateful I am to be seeing another surgeon and NOT an oncologist!!!!!**) I will for sure have to have a fairly serious surgery for this, and the doctor indicated that I could be looking at months of physical therapy and potentially the loss of some mobility in the area, depending on where exactly these tumors are located (under muscle, cartilage, etc). But I will gladly take that anyday over the alternative!

Thanks so much to everyone who has been thinking and praying about us. Your positive energy has been nothing short of amazing!

Mmmmmm, Easter Dinner!

2009-04-13T08:54:00.000-07:00

Happy (Late) Easter to everyone!!

Not much new to write about, but I thought I'd take a few minutes to show off the delicious Easter Dinner I made for us yesterday. I've never cooked a ham all by myself, let alone a huge feast. But I decided this year to make the attempt, so that I'll have plenty of practice for a few years from now, when we get to host a big holiday meal and have everyone over to our house. And surprise, surprise, everything actually turned out (minus a few small snafus).

On the menu this year:

Ham, rolls, green bean casserole, and deviled eggs. I also made lemon bars for dessert, but I didn't photograph them because, despite their yummy taste, I am still working on the presentation part.

I was also hoping to post a video we took last night of our cat dancing (ok, she doesn't really dance, but hubbs stands her on her back legs and makes her look like she's dancing), but I can't figure out how to hook this video camera up to the computer. I'll have my "computer guy" take a look at it tonight.

Happy Monday everyone!

All Hail the Mini Eggs!!!!

2009-04-09T15:47:00.000-07:00

I love Easter, because this is the only time of the year that they sell Cadbury Mini Eggs!

I fully intend to stuff myself full of them in the next few days. If they weren't so dang expensive, I'd stockpile them to eat throughout the year. Yummmmmm.........

Positive Energy & A New Puppy

2009-04-08T17:54:00.001-07:00

Wow, 2 posts in one day! My loyal fanbase is no doubt thrilled about the prospect of multiple blog entries in one day! (Don't get too used to it, this may be a fleeting phase). I must say, though, that I find this blogging thing to be very therapeutic in articulating my feelings about everything that's going on in my life.

Regarding the power of positive energy--
According to "The Secret", positive thoughts are 100X more powerful than negative ones. **As a side note, if you somehow haven't read this book because you've been living in a cave for the last couple years, click here . ** My boss is also a firm believer in the idea that, for every negative interaction, there should be two positive ones. Since this blog has taken on a rather negative twist over the last week or so, I decided I better rectify that by posting for the second time today about something else that makes me smile besides music videos: puppies!!!!!

I truly believe in the power of using animals as a therapeutic tool. Coincidentally, we had been invited down to my brother's house for a doggie party last weekend. Now I do not do very well at relaxing. Those who know me well know how much of a busybody I am. But following the advice of my doctor (and my mother) to "not overdo it", I finally felt ready to get out of the house and do something last weekend, after 3 full days of lounging on the couch. So we decided to take my brother up on his invitation to come down to his house for his dog's 35th birthday party (that's 5 human years, FYI). You can imagine our surprise when we walked into his house to find a new puppy that him and his girlfriend decided to get. Let me tell you, it was love at first sight!

I am proud to introduce, my new "nephew", Bear!

He's a Jack Russell, and he's only 6 weeks old, but he is the love of my life!!!

He's just like a baby (a human one, I mean). He gets into everything, isn't potty trained, and spends the majority of his time sleeping. In fact, Cody's girlfriend has taken to wrapping him up in a blanket or towel and swaddling him like a baby. One might find this to be weird, but I challenge you to think that after looking at these pics:

How can you NOT fall in love with this???

There was plenty of dog-friendly cake to be had by all dogs at this birthday party. But considering there were about 6 cupcakes plus one small cake to be eaten only 4 dogs (and one of them was Bear, who was fast asleep on the couch for most of the festivities), these dogs were no doubt feeling it the next day. I think Dodger was experiencing what my mom would call a "food hangover". Poor guy, it was evident to everyone that he was beyond full to the point of being uncomfortable. Even the next day, he still wasn't quite himself. But he was still sweet enough to pose for a pic with his favorite "Auntie".

And here's one more pic, just for good measure. (Please also take note that it was about 80 degrees that day, so we spent a good hour dangling our feeties in the pool before we hit the road to head back home. Sorry to my MT friends and family, I just had to rub that in a little.)

Nothing like a new puppy to make your day better.

'Til next time,

Finally, something NOT Lump-Related!!!!

2009-04-08T07:20:00.001-07:00

In the rush of getting ready for work in the morning, hubbs and I like to sit down and watch a few minutes of tv together. It used to be the news, but since that's gotten so depressing lately, we've been watching music videos. Well it seems like all of a sudden, this video is on every time we turn CMT. It's "The Secret" in action (right Robyn???). I can't even tell you why, but I love this video (actually, I think the better term would be "obsessed"), despite feeling just mediocre about the song itself. Here's the link:

Taylor Swift "White Horse"

Enjoy!

Waiting...still.

2009-04-07T16:56:00.000-07:00

And the news on the home front is..............
No news until next week.

Yup. That's right. More waiting.

I called the doctor's office this morning, expecting to get my lab results. What I got instead:
1. The lab results are not in.
2. My doctor is on vacation for the whole week.

Apparently it is the practice of my surgeon's office that the doctors themselves are the only ones allowed to deliver pathology reports, so as to prevent the patient from receiving inaccurate results or misinformation. Makes sense, if you think about it.

While there are a few people in my life who are upset at the prospect of being in limbo for another six days (and rightfully so), I really could care less. My take on it: it is what it is. The results aren't going to change whether we find out now or a week from now. Besides, I would rather speak directly with my doctor, who is familiar with my case and who can immediately make the proper referrals. I would actually prefer that option versus the alternative:
(This is the hypothetical situation that plays out in my head)
Nurse/Receptionist/Whoeverelsegivestestresults: "You have X (disease, condition)."
Me: "Okay, so what do we do now?"
Nurse: "I'm really don't know at this point. The doctor will determine that when he comes back from his vacation."
This situation is an example of one in which I might not be so patient. I would hate to hear the results without an immediate follow-up from my doctor regarding what to do next.

So there you go. Yet another lesson in patience that God must feel I need. One of my old friends emailed me the other day with a simple message of encouragement, reminding me that God never puts more on our plates that he knows we are capable of handling. Thanks for the reminder Brit. :)

F.R.O.Z.E.N.

2009-04-06T19:21:00.000-07:00

What a productive day I had today! I preoccupied myself with all kinds of activities to keep my body (and brain) as busy as possible. I did about 6 loads of laundry, vacuumed, cleaned the bathroom, and mopped the kitchen floor. I'm almost embarrassed to say that we hadn't cleaned since before my family came 3 weekends ago! So it was a much needed, deep clean. All day long, I've had all this crazy drive to get things done. Only when I stopped to sit and relax did I realize that my Energizer Bunny go-getter attitude today is really just the result of nervous energy. The pit in my stomach confirms it.

My mom called today to ask if I had followed-up with the doctor about my test results. I was told to call the office either today or tomorrow. The excuse that I made to her, and to myself, was that I was too busy today and that if I didn't hear from them by the end of the day, I would for sure call tomorrow. I even picked up my phone to dial the numbers, but I completely froze.

Once Pat got home from work today, I came to the conclusion that I haven't called because I wanted to enjoy my last 24 hours of "freedom", so to speak. My life could potentially change drastically with these test results, and all I wanted was 24 more hours to live my regular life. One more day to go about business as usual. So we enjoyed a long walk after dinner, and we're now relaxing on the couch, getting ready for our favorite night of TV. And for now, I'm pretending that tomorrow is just another day, not the day that could change things forever.

Do not read this post if you are easily offended!!

2009-04-06T07:51:00.000-07:00

**Disclaimer: This post is not intended to offend any of my family or friends who have been so wonderful and supportive over these last few days. It is simply my attempt at articulating some of the feelings I've been having lately. Please do not take it personally.**

There is one phrase I have come to detest hearing over the last 5 days: "I'm sorry."(or any different variations of that phrase). Who knew that such a seemingly genuine sentiment of support could morph into something that makes my stomach twist into knots?? I just want to scream from the rooftops, "I AM NOT DEAD!!!! THERE IS NOTHING TO BE SORRY FOR!!!!!"

I realize that a certain amount of blame for my disgust falls on me, for providing details of my medical status so publicly on my blog, so for that, I take full responsibility. But my intent in doing so was to keep people in other locations "in the know" (which is about 90% of our friends and family). Believe it or not, telling the exact same story of the events which have conspired in the last four months, over and over, is nothing short of exhausting.

That being said, keep the positive energy comin'! I truly believe, that with the support of our family and friends and my faith in our Lord and Savior, we will truly have a positive outcome.

Psalm 37:7-9 Be still in the presence of the Lord, and wait patiently for him to act.

The Infamous Lump That's Taking Over My Life

2009-04-02T10:35:00.000-07:00

I usually like to try and keep my posts light and optimistic. But I feel like I owe it to my faithful readers to be honest and upfront about an issue I have been dealing with lately. So I apologize in advance for the dreary tone of this post.

In November of last year, my doctor spotted a lump below my left shoulder blade. Judging by the size and texture of the bump. he diagnosed it as a lipoma (which is just a benign mass of fatty tissue). Here's a picture taken yesterday:

Because he was largely unconcerned about it, we decided to take the "wait and see" approach. In the following couple of months, hubbs and I noticed that the lump was growing and growing. Around the end of February, I decided to make an appointment with my dermatologist to get a second opinion. My dermatologist immediately decided that this medical issue was beyond the scope of his practice, so he referred me to a general surgeon. In keeping with the original diagnosis, my surgeon decided it would be best to remove the lump, because of how quickly it was increasing in size. Yesterday was the "big day". As I was prepping for surgery, getting my IV inserted and such, the surgeon decided he wanted to run the ultrasound machine over the lump and see what exactly was inside. What he found inside changed the whole game plan. Turns out the lump itself was a fluid-filled sick that was the result of many small tumors in the soft tissue of my middle back. The surgeon decided it would be best to drain the fluid and send it to the lab. Once we receive lab results, we will be able to determine what steps we need to take next. The doctor stated that, regardless of the outcome, these tumors will need to be removed through a fairly serious & invasive surgery that could damage muscles of my middle back and shoulder. It was also mentioned that this issue might be best dealt with by an oncologist at the UC Davis Hospital in Sacramento. Anytime the word "oncologist" is spoken, there is the assumption that the "C' word is present, which is enough to scare the bajeezus out of anyone.

I kept thinking all throughout the afternoon yesterday, and into the evening that turned into a sleepless night, that someone is trying to play a horrible April Fool's joke on me. This absolutely cannot be happening. What a rude awakening it is to go in for a seemingly minor outpatient surgery, only to find out that the course of your life could be changing forever.

During times like these, I find it helpful to refer to two of my favorite passages in the bible:

In all ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. Proverbs 3:6
With God, all things are possible. Matthew 19: 26

I know that the best I can do right now is lean on my faith to keep strong, and to put my life in God's hands, for He has a plan for each and every one of us.

Thank you to our friends and family for your support and prayers.

Allergies, Taxes, and Waiting (these are a few of my least favorite things)

2009-03-26T08:28:00.000-07:00

:Ran drags her sneezy self to her computer to write this post:

Being that this is our second spring here in Northern California, I feel like I should already know about the times of the year when the pollen is a flyin'. Apparently, I wasn't ready for my allergies to hit me like a ton of bricks when I woke up a couple days ago to the worst pounding headache I've ever had. And it continued alllllllll day long. Silly me, I thought I was getting the flu! So after rearranging my entire day's schedule to accommodate my sickness (I love my new job for this very reason) and taking Advil faithfully every four hours to no avail, my lovely husband pointed out that the so-called flu might actually just be allergies instead. So I turned on the news and listened to report after report of how bad the tree pollen is, popped a daytime allergy pill, and BAM, no more headache!! Much thanks to my wonderful hubbs for his suggestion, he really knows me better than I know myself sometimes!

Onto other news, we recently completed the arduous task of filing our taxes. Well, that's not completely true. We recently met with our tax guy, who we paid to complete the arduous task of filing our taxes for us. When he called me yesterday to report back the results, we were less than thrilled. Even though our income was significantly higher than it was last year, our refund is about 1/3 of what we were expecting. My CA friends who have heard this have given us a couple helpful suggestions for decreasing our tax liability: have a child or buy a house. My older brother, however, recommends against the latter (and for good reason). We are still not convinced that real estate is a worthwhile investment in this state for the short amount of time that we plan on staying here.

Still no word on my grad school application. I work with quite a few graduates of the MSW program at Sac State, and they've all told me the same thing. The Social Work office moves at a snail's pace and will wait until the last possible day to inform applicants of their decision. And that decision might not be a concrete answer, at that. There still is the possibility of getting wait-listed, which would mean another 2 months of waiting before I would have a for-sure answer. Better put on my patience hat!

And with that, I will sign off. I am constantly reminded by the news media of how fortunate we are to have what we have in this shaky economy. We have college degrees, stable jobs, and great health insurance. God is good.

CA with the MT Folks

2009-03-18T08:51:00.000-07:00

We had an absolutely wonderful weekend with my family! It's always amazing to me how long I spend looking forward to visits from friends and family compared to how fast those visits fly by. I love the anticipation of knowing people are coming to see us, but I cannot express in words how much I hate the feeling I get when our visitors leave. And even more so with my immediate family. Watching my family drive away in the suburban with those oh-so-familiar Montana license plates was heart-wrenching. Not knowing when we will see my family again seemed to make the pain multiply.
On a brighter note, we had so much fun showing my family around the area. On Saturday, we did a lot of shopping and driving around. T & T (the younger bros) were in hog heaven after visiting an all-baseball store nearby, and there is no doubt in my mind that they could have spent hours cruising through every sports store in the greater Sac area (even being the non-shoppers that they are). On Sunday, our plans to visit the Hearst Castle in San Simeon were quickly derailed when we realized that it was going to take six hours in the car to get there. My loving hubby came up with a great idea of where to go instead, so we made the trek down to San Jose to tour
the Winchester House.

I can't even begin to describe how creepy and eery this place felt. This really is a unique house with a very interesting story. Here's the website: http://www.winchestermysteryhouse.com/

Otherwise, things around here are going quite well. I'm starting to get into the swing of things with my new job. There are so many things that make this job so much more enjoyable and fulfilling than any other job I've ever had (and the pay doesn't hurt either). I'm still on edge, waiting to hear back from Sac State about the status of my MSW application for grad school. I should be finding out before April 1st, so the countdown is on. Talk about waiting until the last possible minute! I have an upcoming procedure on April 1st to remove a lump that has formed on my left shoulder blade and is growing at a rapid pace. The surgeon seems largely unconcerned about it, so that's a huge relief.

Pat is doing well, his company has been telling him for quite some time that they have "big plans" for his future. If only we could pull out of this dang economic recession, maybe we would finally see those "plans" come to fruition.

In the meantime, we're just enjoying this beautiful weather and eagerly awaiting springtime in California. I think my parents would agree, after their visit last weekend, that it really is a beautiful time of the year here. We are truly enjoying our time here and can't wait to have more friends and family come to visit. I hear there are some killer deals on airfare right now! (hint hint).

Roll Out the Red Carpet, the Family is in Town!!!

2009-03-13T06:34:00.001-07:00

:SSSQQQQQUUEEEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAAAAALLLLLLL!!!!!!:

That's the sound of my excitement about the fact that my family is coming to visit this weekend!

So, in honor of that, I decided to post some pics of them from our wedding:

I can't wait to finally be able to show them all around Sac! However they are only going to be here for a long weekend, so I'm not quite sure how much we're going to be able to cram in. Regardless, I could not be happier about their visit! I'll post again after our exciting weekend!

The Great Groff Furniture Extravaganza!!!!!

2009-03-06T08:30:00.000-08:00

Hello to my loyal fanbase (all 3 of you)!!!

Happy Friday morning to everyone! Today is going to be a wonderful, perfect, absolutely amazing day! Why, you ask??

Because today we will finally be getting our new couch that was purchased over 2 weeks ago!

Yes, that's right, we have been couchless for 2 whole weeks! I now understand the meaning of the phrase, "You never know what you have until it's gone." That quote has never rang truer for me than in these last couple weeks. This may seem silly to some, but you never realize how much you actually do use your couch until it's no longer there for your tv-viewing pleasure. We have endured countless hours of sitting on the hard, cold floor, watching hours of tv and finding no comfort whatsoever. Ok, I suppose I should correct myself. "We" haven't been suffering on the floor; Pat has been suffering on the floor. Randi gets too aggravated after about 10 minutes and usually ends up enjoying these mindless hours of tv watching in the comfort of her own bed. This has made for some very early bedtimes in the last couple weeks (I always associate bed with sleep, so if I'm in bed, I get tired). But I am pleased to report that, starting today, we will no longer take such seemingly silly things as living room furniture for granted. For today, we have seen the light. Here's the pics of the couch and area rug that we purchased:

In other, non-furniture related news, I have officially completed my first full week of work. It's been slightly overwhelming and very busy, but overall I can breathe one huge sigh of relief because I can honestly (and finally) say that I love my job. It is such a breath of fresh air to be in a supportive environment, doing something I love, and making pretty good money doing it.

Have a fantastic weekend, all. Hubbs and I will be relaxing on our brand new couches for the majority of the weekend. Be jealous.

IT'S OFFICIAL!!!

2009-03-02T09:42:00.001-08:00

I just received a call from the Placer County Office of Education and I am happy to report that I am officially a permanent employee!!! I have an orientation tomorrow to go over benefits, and I'll be starting on Wednesday morning! I've known for a couple weeks now that I would be receiving the job offer, but was waiting for the paperwork to clear with HR. I am ecstatic!!! For all of you who have been with me throughout this difficult journey over the last 9 months and who have listened to endless hours of venting about how much I detest my job, THANK YOU!!! I am so blessed to have such patient family and friends. :) From this day forward, I promise to be a more optimistic and overall pleasant person to be around. I'll post again after my first day.

Here's the link to the county's website, if anyone wants to check it out:
http://www.placercoe.k12.ca.us/Pages/default.aspx

Dear Starbucks

2009-02-22T12:35:00.001-08:00

Dear Starbucks,
Please stop correcting me when I come in to order a drink and don't use the "proper Starbucks lingo". Starbucks is not true Italian coffee, and therefor the use of such words as "grande" and "venti" just sounds plain ridiculous. Having worked in coffee for quite a few years myself, I fully understand what the word "skinny" means. However, refusing to conform to the Starbucks corporate moguls' attempt to re-program my coffee-ordering habits, I prefer to say "nonfat milk" and "sugar-free syrup". As long as the barista can translate my drink order into Starbucks-ese (which was no doubt drilled into her head during her tedious training at Starbucks College), please do not patronize me by "correcting" my order. Thank you kindly.
~A True Coffee Lover