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Crazy short post today. I forgot about NaBloPoMo until just now...

Please go vote tomorrow!!

Fakesgiving

I decided I wanted to cook a full blown Thanksgiving dinner. Then I realized my fridge is full of food for another party I am throwing on Tuesday. So I invited some friends over to join our celebration and cut down on left overs!

Here is the menu:

Turkey Breast (A frozen cook in the bag thing from Target...it was my only option)
Sweet Potato Casserole--- my aunt's recipe
My Oma's Stuffing
Green Bean Casserole
Butternut Squash
Salad -- with dried cranberries substituting the dried cherries
Cranberry Sauce
Store bought rolls
Store bought apple pie


Slightly over board? Yes, I think so. Oops!

Schedule

I do crazy things to my schedule. People think I'm a little nutty. Example: throwing our House Warming and Joe's 30th Birthday Party within three weeks of each other. In addition tomorrow I am having a small Fakesgiving (basically an excuse for me to cook a huge dinner), having a friend over for a food and tequila filled election night party and having my grandma from Wisconsin come over for a dinner in two weeks. I spent a ridiculous amount of money on food the past three days. I was visiting my grandma and wanted to take advantage of the no food tax in Wisconsin to stock up on party non perishables and the alcohol I'd need for all said events....I'm sure that whatever the Wisconsin liquor tax is less than Crook County's.

In other scheduling news, I also have two AFSP events coming up. Including Survivors of Suicide Day November 17. I will be going back to work a seasonal job in about a week as well. My cousin and I have also set a date for our annual Christmas baking day. Oh! And it looks like one of Joe's friends will be staying with us for the second half of December.

I know this is all pretty boring to read, but my calendar looks nutty! And this is just slightly more chaotic then usual. I don't do bored well.

Tomorrow I will post some of the Fakesgiving recipes I used! Yum!

November

Right after Joe and I got engaged we adopted two adorable kittens. I named our girl tortoiseshell November. It was the month that we started dating and the month we were planning our wedding. Joe named our boy tabby Tiger. They were adorable and curious. They loved climbing and snuggling. They stayed very attached throughout their four and a half years together. They would frequently play, and I'd often seen them cleaning each other.

Vemmy was a pretty typical cat. She had the softest fur I'd ever touched and the biggest paws I've seen on a cat. She liked sleeping, hiding when people came over and permanently claimed one corner of our bed.

She was a big fan of her wet food...but only Mixed Grill. And you should have seen the way she loved catnip, it was absolutely hilarious. Both of our little guys liked to sneak out on our balcony. Vem gave me a heart attack because her favorite spot was behind our grill. On the outside of the railing. And Q-tips! Girlfriend would dig through the garbage or nudge open our cabinet to find them.

She was always a Mommy's girl. When we went to bed she'd come up and snuggle me. One night when I was feeling sick she came and sat with me in the bathroom. The night before we thought and prepared to put her down I was a mess. Sobbing lying in bed. In the worlds biggest example of irony, my baby girl who was struggling to breathe, came and comforted me. She was the sweetest girl.

She was so welled behaved during her final month of doctor visits. For the most part she was calm and cooperative. Eventually we settled into a medication routine. And my family was amazing with keeping an eye on her when I had to be gone for several hours. And my good friend joined me to the  trip to the cardiologist. I wanted another adult there to help me remember stuff and Joe was stuck at work. Joe and I truly grateful for all of the support we got during that time.

Vem was a really sweet girl, and Joe, Tiger and I miss her and her snuggles. I miss sharing the end of my side of the bed and getting middle of the night snuggles. We hope she is comfy in kitty heaven and getting lots of hugs and kisses!

NaBloPoMo 2012

I haven't been blogging lately. I just haven't made it a priority. However lots of happened, so I figured I will use November to get back into the groove with National Blog Posting Month. I did it last year and it was a lot of fun. I have to get those creativity juices flowing again! I hope you hang around to see!

Crazy Week

So much has happened in the past eight days. I had intended to write about each event, but things just kept snowballing!

First, last Tuesday I went to my first Crosstown Classic! It was a wonderful time, although you would be surprised how hard it is to give away a ticket! I went with my mom, my cousin and one of my friends. It was wonderful weather and a good game, unfortunately the Sox did loose. Of course, they did win the next day!

Thursday was a whirlwind! I had my very first outdoor skate (to prepare for Sunday's Pride Parade). Afterwards I hurried up to Old Orchard Mall to a Janet Evanovich book signing! I was truly lucky to have a wonderful friend who waited in line for me so that I could make sure my first out door skate wasn't in front of 850, people.

Saturday I had my first AFSP even as the Outreach and Education Committee Co-Chair. We had our annual Bipolar and Depression Awareness Day. We had a good turn out!

And Sunday I skated with Derby Lite in Chicago's Pride Parade. It was a hot day and a long skate. But it was an awesome event to be apart of!



But the weekend also brought some heartache. Our little November had to be taken to the hospital. We learned that there was fluid in and around her lungs and her heart was four to five times too big. What this basically means is that we will probably only have another year with her. Tomorrow she goes to see the kitty cardiologist so that we can learn how to care for her for our remaining time with her and get a more specific prognosis.

That was my week in a nutshell!

AFSP Overnight 2012-San Francisco

June 9th and 10th Joe and I volunteered for the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention Overnight Walk in San Francisco. This was Joe's second walk and my third. As always it was an amazing experience. We met some amazing people, supported hard working walkers and helped make a difference in the stigma towards mental illness and suicide.

One of the most touching parts for me was a woman we met in the park where our Rest Stop was. When we arrived we had to clear out the park. While most of the people were upset with us, one woman was curious. She wanted to know more about us. As we continued setting up, I went over and chatted to her a bit. I wanted to thank her for understanding our need to empty out the park. While talking to her I learned that she had lost her brother to suicide in the past month. Being able to direct her to resources and plant a seed of hope meant a lot to me.

After we closed and cleaned up our Rest Stop, we made our way back to the site of the Closing Ceremony's where the Luminary bags were lining the end of the walk. The above is the one Joe decorated. I dedicated one to my struggle and another to the people who  have struggled along with me.

We are looking forward to hearing where next year's location is! *Fingers crossed for Chicago.*

2012 Garden

Last week (at least I think it was last week, my random lifestyle has my weeks all blended) my mom and I finished planting our garden. Like last year, I am taking advantage of her double lot and we are co gardening a bunch of vegetables.

Here we have asparagus (year 1), peas and some tomatoes.

kohlrabi and spinach

Peppers, broccoli and carrots

Pickles, cucumbers, zucchini and yellow squash

more tomatoes (we can them for year long use)

some green onions, but the late summer/fall home of Brussels sprouts! Yum!

Herbs. On the left is thyme, rosemary, dill, cilantro and chives. On the right is basil, parsley and sunflowers.

Cool Things About Being a Derby Girl

Here are some of the cool things about being a Derby (Lite) Girl:

1. I get emails from someone named Glass Kicker
2. I had a mouth guard container in my purse.
3. I get to exercise in a women's only class
4. I can wear polka dot shorts like its no big deal
5. It's pretty bad ass :)

It's Been Awhile

So, I have not done a lot of blogging lately. Life has been pretty hectic, so much stuff going on! First, its the last week of the semester. That translates to PROJECTS, PROJECTS, PROJECTS. At least they feel like they are all CAPS in my head. Derby has been pretty big, too. I am preparing (buying out door wheels and parade uniform) to roll in Chicago's Pride Parade. Really excited about participating in an extracurricular Derby event. Speaking of Pride, I'm still sun burnt from last years.... Also, there has been a lot of activism and volunteering to participate in. I am working with my committee to put together an AFSP Town hall and a Bipolar/Depression Awareness Day. Joe and I are also preparing for our vacation/AFSP Overnight next month. We are really looking forward to some time away from it all. So one top of all those commitments, there is also a house, two cats and a husband to take care of. I will try to get back to blogging more regularly. I miss expelling creative energy.