Monday, December 15, 2008

Over the Weekend

It was a pretty busy weekend. After getting caught up on the week's laundry, I spent Friday night wrapping Christmas presents while Tom worked on some music he was converting to "tab" (you'll have to ask him what exactly that means). I'm only halfway done with wrapping... ugh. Every year I say I'm going to do more gift cards... why haven't I done this yet?

On Saturday morning I got ready for our weekend visitors - Mandy, Austin & Bailey would be coming to stay and Josh & Jess would be coming for the day for our "Game Night". We get together every 2-3 months to have a themed dinner and play games. We made homemade pizzas (including dessert pizzas) and played Yahtzee! (a first for game night), Dirty Minds (actually a really boring game) and some card games like Scat! and Pass the Trash. We also ventured into the hot tub but I pushed a wrong button earlier in the day that turned the heat off so the temperature had dropped a little too low to be comfortable. Oh well... maybe next time.

On Sunday we went to Cracker Barrel for breakfast. Our 1 star waitress was terrible but the food was good. And then we ventured to Towson for more Christmas shopping. The boys took Bailey - I'm sure they looked like the perfect little couple strolling a baby through the mall - and Mandy and I did some shopping but then treated ourselves to mani's and pedi's. A great idea after walking for so many hours.

The rest of the evening was spent relaxing (that is, after a half hour of trying to find where Bailey hid Austin's keys) and playing more Yahtzee! It was a really fun weekend. The only problem is that now I have this song stuck in my head and I keep singing it while Tom looks at me like I'm crazy...

"I am going on a trip... in my favorite rocket ship...
Flying through the air... Little Einsteins!"

Thanks Bailey Boo! Click Here to Read More..

Wednesday, November 26, 2008

Whoosh whoosh whoosh

We had an appointment today for our 12-week checkup and were able to hear the heartbeat. The doctor said it sounded good - the rate was 150... which everyone tells me indicates "girl" but who knows for sure. I've been starting to feel a lot better... fewer runs to the bathroom, less and less nausea.

This is good because I am so ready for Thanksgiving! Turkey day is my favorite holiday... what other holiday are there no expectations except to eat and be lazy?! I'm also glad I'm feeling better because I plan on fighting those crowds on Friday. I haven't missed Black Friday shopping since I was 18 and I don't plan on missing this year either! Besides, this year it is actually convenient... when I get up at 3 a.m. for my normal refrigerator run and bathroom break, I'll just throw on some clothes and hit the door!

Happy Thanksgiving!!!

Michelle Click Here to Read More..

Monday, November 17, 2008

Weekly Update

This is sourced from http://www.babycenter.com/.

The baby is currently about 1 1/2 inches long (the size of a fig). She is supposed to be almost fully formed but I won't know until my next ultrasound. She is also supposed to be kicking and stretching and hiccupping but I can't really feel that yet... maybe by Christmas.
As for me... well, not much has changed. The nausea has gone down just a little bit but there are still episodes of running to the bathroom (ex: Tom ordered pizza for his dinner last night and it had bacon on it... as soon as it came through the door my stomach turned and off I ran). It seems that with the nausea going down, the headaches have increased. I need to talk to my doctor about it next week b/c I'm getting 2-3 a week and I feel like I have to take a lot of Tylenol to get any effect.
I had a fun little shopping trip with Tom's mom on Saturday... my first trip to "Destination Maternity". I got several tops that will fit both now and hopefully through a good bit of the pregnancy. Thank god they actually have normal clothes and I don't have to wear a muu-muu or worse yet, something that looks like it's made for a 3 yr old - ribbons, bows, ruffles - yuck! I am torn though whether the highlight of the trip was the shopping or the most fabulous pretzel I have ever eaten from Auntie Anne's... It's a toss-up!!
Click Here to Read More..

Friday, November 14, 2008

Last Weekend...

Last weekend was something of an "eye-opener" for Tom and me.

On Saturday we went to the birthday party of Tom's goddaughter, Jordyn, who turned 3. As soon as we walked in, we realized we forgot the one accessory that every other parent brought... a screaming child with a sugar high. There were about a dozen or so kids between the ages of 1 to 5... this was the same number as the adults and yet we felt very outnumbered. Jordyn was adorable and very well-behaved considering the surroundings. One little piece of information we are going to store away for the day we have a dozen kids running in the backyard - the moon bounce is a HUGE attention getter and keeper. Those kids would have stayed in there all day if they could have. Despite the mayheim, we want to wish little Jordy a very happy birthday!!! We love you sweetie!!

On Sunday we went to another birthday party. This one for our goddaughter and niece, Bailey, who turned 1. A much different scene as there were only two other children (my nieces Shawna & Elizabeth) and a 5-month old friend who were there with the 25 adults to help Bailey celebrate. My sister and brother-in-law (Mandy & Austin) had prepared a really neat picture and video slideshow that we watched while we ate. It was crazy to realize how much Bailey had grown and matured (weird description for a baby - but it's true) in just one short year. Bailey had no idea what to do with her little cake so she just stared at the icing on her hands like it was really icky. Give her a few years and she will appreciate the value of cake & ice cream!! Bailey's favorite gifts were a talking Elmo that made her laugh, books - she absolutely loves books, and her baby Einstein videos that she immediately recognized the music and got up to clap and dance. Bailey is such a doll. I got to spend time playing with her and her new toys while Mandy cleaned up the party - what a treat! We love you little munchkin!!

We are counting down the weeks until we have our own little one to introduce to "her" cousins and friends... (FYI: I'll probably switch between him and her until we actually know the sex). But until then, we'll just continue keeping notes - which will inevitably be thrown out the window once we actually have a child. And I will continue in my current state of "Prego Hangover" - nauseus, headachey & moody, exhausted & throwing up every day. Good times! Click Here to Read More..

Wednesday, November 5, 2008

Big News!

Tom and I are very happy to announce that our family is expanding!


Yes, my waistline is very quickly expanding due to being pregnant and anxiously awaiting the arrival of a baby! I am due June 8th, 2009.
Right now the baby is about an inch long and the size of a grape. We've already had our first doctor's appointment, saw the heartbeat and were relieved to find that everything looks normal. Our next appointment is the week of Thanksgiving. We should be finding out the sex (if the baby cooperates at the first shot) the week of Christmas.
So far, I've been doing okay - not the best. A lot of nausea and very exhausted. The so-called "morning sickness" is basically all day long and makes it pretty difficult to concentrate at work. I'm hopeful that this clears up in the next couple of weeks though.
We'll keep you posted!


Click Here to Read More..

Monday, October 27, 2008

Happy Anniversary!

Today we celebrate our first anniversary! I love you babe!



This is one of my favorite "silly" pictures from our rehearsal dinner.










Click Here to Read More..

Thursday, October 23, 2008

Joe Satriani - Ram's Head Live October 22, 2008

Last night, as a birthday present, Michelle took me to see her favorite guitar player - Joe Satriani.



Here's the setlist

I Just Want to Rock
Overdriver (I think)
Satch Boogie
Ice Nine
Flying in Blue Dream
Ghosts
Revelation
Super Collossal
One Big Rush
Cool #9
(Not sure)
Stu's bass solo
Andalusia
Always With Me, Always With You
Surfing With The Alien
Crowd Chant
Summer Song
(encore - With Leslie West)

Birthday Blues/Stormy Monday
Goin' Down





Click Here to Read More..

Wednesday, October 15, 2008

Pug Tongue

Lenny is sleepy - as usual!


Lenny shows off his big pug tongue! Give me a kiss!





Click Here to Read More..

Monday, September 29, 2008

St. Lucia

A fabulous vacation! Beautiful water, warm, great food, lots of fun, very relaxing... I savored the sand on my feet up until the very last moment before we had to head off to the airport.



A tasty beverage on the beach at the Sandals Grande.
Fresh steamed rock lobster at the "Jump Up" street party.
Our perfect stretch of beach at the Sandals Regency... soft sand & crystal clear 80 degree water.
On a catamaran tour to the Piton volcanic mountain.
Visiting the waterfall at the Botanical Gardens.
Riding the zip lines through the rain forest.
A beautiful sunset before dinner.

It seems impossible to have such an incredible week and then have to come home to rainy cold weather. I'll be counting down the months until next summer and my next opportunity to lay on a beach with a cold beverage and a good book.
Click Here to Read More..

Hellish Rock 07/08 Helloween - September 23, 2008 - Ram's Head Live!

...


GAMMA RAY
Intro: Welcome
01. Into The Storm
02. Heaven Can Wait
03. New World Order
04. Fight
05. Empress
06. Valley Of The Kings
07. Rebellion In Dreamland
08. Heavy Metal Universe
09. Ride The Sky
10. Somewhere Out In Space
--------------------------------------
11. Send Me A Sign
HELLOWEEN
Intro: Walls Of Jericho / Crack The Riddle
01. Halloween
02. Sole Survivor
03. March Of Time
04. As Long As I Fall
05. A Tale That Wasn't Right
06. Drum Solo
07. Mr. Torture
08. Eagle Fly Free
09. If I Could Fly
10. Paint A New World
11. Dr. Stein
----------------------------------------
12. Medley:
- I Can
- Where The Rain Grows
- Perfect Gentleman
- Power
- Keeper Of The Seven Keys
----------------------------------------
13. Future World ( w/ Gamma Ray )
14. I Want Out ( w/ Gamma Ray )
Click Here to Read More..

Wednesday, September 24, 2008

Lenny's Surgery

The surgery was successful... but scary...


Lenny had to go to the vet for surgery today. Many of you know that some of his nicknames are "Mr. SnaggleTooth" and "Mr. StinkyBreath". Well, at his last vet visit a few weeks ago, the decision was finally made that he definitely needed some dental work. To what extent, we weren't sure b/c Lenny hates having his mouth touched and the only way to survey the damage would be to put him under general anesthesia. In addition, Lenny developed a lump of fatty tissue on his underbelly about 2 months ago and we elected to have it removed (even though the vet thought it was fine) since he would already be asleep and we didn't want to put him through a second surgery a year from now.


So after tons of snuggling and dozens of hugs and kisses and having Mommy sing him his favorite song ("Beautiful Boy" by John Lennon), he marched to the vet's office in true "General" fashion. He was out for several hours, had 14 teeth pulled, the rest were sandblasted, the lump was removed, a mole at his ear and the mole on his upper lip were removed. He is currently recovering and most likely enjoying the painkillers. I'm sure he'll be back on his feet soon enough - scanning the perimeter of the yard, barking at anyone that passes by the front window of the house, and humping the life out of his stuffed doggie.

He will remain Mr. Snaggletooth (with the few teeth he has left) but hopefully no more Mr. StinkyBreath.

So my words of wisdom for all you dog owners out there... start brushing those teeth early! Get them used to you sticking your hands in their mouth and touching their teeth! If it's part of their routine, it is sooo much easier... the same with cleaning those ears and clipping the nails.


Click Here to Read More..

Thursday, September 4, 2008

Pugs - Zoey and Lenny

I can't get enough of these guys! They don't care about anything except giving love, getting food and sleeping... What a life!
I dare you to try to get me out of this bed!

Peek-a-boo!





Mommy & Daddy already got out of bed but it's still sleepy time! So glad we have each other to lean on!




Taking a nap with Daddy... Zoey has her little pink pig and Lenny has his doggy. How cute!!
Click Here to Read More..

Tuesday, September 2, 2008

Last Big Party of Summer 2008

This past weekend was Labor Day Weekend and we hosted our 3rd Annual Labor Day Party. There were close to 30 adults and 6 kids. Lots to eat and drink and plenty of activities. A good time was had by all and a few lessons learned as well...

1. Need to establish "House Rules" for beer pong. Lots of confusion here... still not sure what the issue is but apparently some are more competitive than others... Isn't the object of the game to just have a backdrop for drinking?

2. Need to enforce age limit on Slip 'N Slide. Although this can be entertaining for people of all ages (when used properly), the object of the slip 'n slide was for the little ones who are too small to be in the pool with the big kids but still have fun getting wet... when not enforced it is (1) too dangerous for bigger kids and (2) I'll be nursing my grass back to health till next spring. ugh!

3. Obtain extra gladware to distribute leftovers... If I see another baked bean or macaroni, I might just go into convulsions. And we all know that I didn't need half a 7-up cake to finish off myself... a score for the tastebuds but negative score for the thighs. (No, I didn't actually finish it all off... just a piece... okay, two pieces.)

4. CAMERA?! Didn't realize until much too late that I never got the camera out... thus no pictures in the post or to add to snapfish, facebook, myspace, etc. (although... this means one less thing to do!)

Well, that's a summary of some of the lessons that we'll have to incorporate into next summer's parties. For this year, the pool will only be open a few more weeks... and the Tiki Bar will close shortly after... and then the holidays will be here. How depressing! Click Here to Read More..

Wednesday, August 20, 2008

The Concert List

I've been to a few shows over the years. Not as many as I'd have liked, but a few. I thought it'd be interesting to see the list all in one place... So, here it is...
















































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































No.



Date



Headliner



Opener



Venue



City



1



07/28/89



Metallica



the Cult



Capital Center



Landover MD



2



03/19/91



Jane's Addiction



Red Cross



Smith Center, GW University



Washington DC



3



06/20/91



Gun's n Roses



Skid Row



Capital Center



Landover MD



4



11/07/91



Queensryche



No opener



Baltimore Arena



Baltimore MD



5



04/01/92



Metallica



No opener



Capital Center



Landover MD



6



04/02/92



Metallica



No opener



Capital Center



Landover MD



7



07/17/92



Gun's n Roses / Metallica



Faith No More



RFK
Stadium



Washington DC



8



10/18/92



Kiss



Faster Pussycat



Capital Center



Landover MD



9



01/19/93



Megadeth



Stone Temple Pilots



Towson Center, TSU



Towson MD



10



07/17/93



Van Halen



Vince Neil



Merriweather
Post Pavilion



Columbia MD



11



11/05/93



Vince Neil



???



Hammerjacks



Baltimore MD



12



02/28/94



Yngwie
Malmsteen



???



Hammerjacks



Baltimore MD



13



08/14/94



Metallica



Suicidal Tendencies



Merriweather
Post Pavilion



Columbia MD



14



01/26/95



Megadeth



Corrosion of Conformity



Michael's Eighth Avenue



Baltimore MD



15



06/17/95



Boston



???



Merriweather
Post Pavilion



Columbia MD



16



10/06/96



Kiss



???



US Air Arena (Cap Center)



Landover MD



17



04/01/97



Kiss



???



Baltimore Arena



Baltimore MD



18



04/08/97



Metallica



???



US Air Arena (Cap Center)



Landover MD



19



07/22/97



Boston



No opener



Merriweather Post Pavilion



Columbia MD



20



11/09/97



Ratt



???



Xhale



Frederick MD



21



03/25/98



Yngwie Malmsteen



???



Daytona's



Baltimore MD



22



08/22/98



Jimmy Buffett



???



Merriweather Post Pavilion



Columbia MD



23



03/11/99



Better Than Ezra



???



Bohager's



Baltimore MD



24



05/22/99



Dave Matthews Band



Santana / the Roots



Veterans Stadium



Philadelphia PA



25



07/17/99



Lynyrd Synyrd



The Marshall Tucker Band /
Great Train Robbery



Aberdeen Proving Ground



Baltimore MD



26



08/10/99



Rollins Band



???



Nation



Washington DC



27



09/10/99



R.E.M.



???



Merriweather Post Pavilion



Columbia MD



28



03/02/00



Agent Orange



No opener



Fletcher's



Baltimore MD



29



07/01/00



Kiss



???



Nissan Pavilion



Bristow VA



30



07/04/00



Metallica



Korn
/ Kid Rock



PSINET
Stadium



Baltimore MD



31



07/15/00



Dave Matthews Band



Ben Harper / Ozomatli



Veterans Stadium



Philadelphia PA



32



06/09/01



Dave Matthews Band



Macy Gray



RFK
Stadium



Washington DC



33



03/24/02



J. Mascis



???



Fletcher's



Baltimore MD



34



10/04/02



The Rolling Stones



???



FEDEX Field



Washington DC



35



11/02/02



The Misfits



???



The Silo



Reading PA



36



12/20/02



Andrew W K



???



Recher
Theater



Towson MD



37



08/09/03



Aerosmith



Kiss



Nissan Pavilion



Bristow VA



38



09/13/03



Dave Matthews Band



???



Nissan Pavilion



Bristow VA



39



09/28/03



The Reverend Horton Heat



Southern Culture on the Skids



Recher
Theater



Towson MD



40



10/05/03



Stryper



No opener



Recher
Theater



Towson MD



41



11/08/03



G3 - Satriani-Vai-Malmsteen



No opener



AJ
Palumbo Theater



Pittsburg PA



42



04/06/04



The Darkness



The Wildhearts



The 9:30 Club



Washington DC



43



10/17/04



Metallica



Godsmack



MCI Center



Washington DC



44



03/06/05



Motley Crue



???



MCI Center



Washington DC



45



04/02/05



Carl Filipiak



Special Event— "Hendrix Tribute Night."



Recher
Theater



Towson MD



46



04/11/05



Collective Soul



???



Recher
Theater



Towson MD



47



04/30/05



The Misfits



???



Sonar



Baltimore MD



48



05/04/05



Foo Fighters



Coldplay,

Billy Idol
, Good Charlotte,

Social Distortion
,

New York Dolls
, Garbage, Echo & The Bunnymen,

Interpol
, They Might Be Giants,

Louis XIV
,

The Bravery
, Gold Mind Squad



M&T Bank Stadium



Baltimore MD



49



05/12/05



Wednesday 13



???



Jaxx



Springfield VA



50



06/19/05



Judas Priest



Queensryche



Nissan Pavilion



Bristow VA



51



10/03/05



The Rolling Stones



???



MCI Center



Washington DC



52



12/03/05



Yngwie
Malmsteen



(some band from Trinidad)



Rams Head Live



Baltimore MD



53



04/17/06



Joe Satriani



Eric Johnson



Rams Head Live



Baltimore MD



54



06/23/06



Dave Matthews Band



???



Hershey Park Stadium



Hershey PA



55



06/24/06



Lynyrd Skynyrd



3 Doors Down



Aberdeen Proving Grounds



Aberdeen MD



56



09/16/06



Brad Paisley



Sarah Branch / Eric Church



York Fair



York PA



57



04/13/07



G3 -
Satriani-Gilbert-Petrucci



No opener



Warner Theater



Washington DC



58



05/18/07



Heaven and Hell (Dio's Sabbath)



Megadeth



Merriweather
Post Pavilion



Landover MD



59



07/21/07



John Mayer



Ben Folds Five



Hershey Park Stadium



Hershey PA



60



08/10/07



Dave Matthews Band



???



Post Gazzette Pavilion



Burgettstown PA



61



08/25/07



Kenny Chesney



Sugarland



Nissan Pavilion



Bristow VA



62



09/19/07



Genesis



No opener



Wachovia Center



Philadelphia PA



63



09/28/07



Bob Dylan



Elvis Costello



Merriweather
Post Pavilion



Columbia MD



64



09/29/07



Steve Vai



Mark Wood



Borgata
Music Box



Atlantic City NJ



65



10/23/07



Danzig



Gorgeous Frankenstein



Rams Head Live



Baltimore MD



66



11/01/07



Van Halen



No opener



Verizon
Center



Washington DC



67



01/06/08



Trans-Siberian Orchestra



No opener



1st Mariner Arena



Baltimore MD



68



03/01/08



Flogging Molly



The Reverend Peyton's Big
Damn Band



Rams Head Live



Baltimore MD



69



03/15/08



Shamrock Fest



Multi-band



RFK
Stadium



Washington DC



70



04/26/08



Megadeth



Children of Bodom



Merriweather
Post Pavilion



Columbia MD



71



05/10/08



Kenny Chesney



Brooks and Dunn



M&T Bank Stadium



Baltimore MD



72



06/18/08



Iron Maiden



No opener



Merriweather
Post Pavilion



Columbia MD



73



06/22/08



Pearl Jam



leo and the pharmacists?



Verizon
Center



Washington DC



74



06/27/08



Dave Matthews Band



the Black Crowes



Hershey Park Stadium



Hershey PA



75



07/31/08



Poison



Dokken
/ Sebastian Bach



Merriweather
Post Pavilion



Columbia MD



76



08/07/08



Judas Priest / Heaven and
Hell



Motorhead
/ Testament



Nissan Pavilion



Bristow VA



Click Here to Read More..