My Blog

now this to me is pretty funny

Gab — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 14:24:59 GMT

http://youtube.com/watch?v=xpcUxwpOQ_A

Never made it out of the house today.

Gab — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 23:32:28 GMT

Wow it is amazing how fast time gets away from you when you don't have a fixed schedule. We were going to go to the grocery store today and run over to Babies R Us. Nope, didn't even take a shower until 3:30pm. I did however do some personal work (research for the store) and a little bit of stuff for the office today so the day wasn't a total waste. Oh and Lynda has slept the majority of the day... even when she was eating she had her eyes closed. I think we will go take a nap now.

Yesterday was a big day for us... Might be TMI for some

Gab — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 18:19:24 GMT

So after the first week (which was sorness hell) we started to get out of the house and do stuff. We've spent a good deal of time at Lance's shop... have to beat the customers off of Lynda with a stick. We've gone to the grocery store, we've run around and done errands getting wedding prezzies, b-day prezzies, baby shower prezzies, father's day prezzies etc. Yesterday Lynda was 3 weeks old... we had some BIG new stuff happen. We introduced the binky (pacifier) yesterday. Took a few tries but we got it worked out. We went to a breastfeeding and new mommies support group that was rather nice. There were 7 of us there... though apparently often the groups have 15 or more mommies and babies. I exchanged number/e-mail with 2 of the other mommies so that was good. I pumped milk for the first time yesterday and got a decent amount of for the first time. When Lynda woke up at 3 am, Daddy got up, put the bottle of mommy milk in the warmer, changed Lynda's diaper, and then fed Lynda from the bottle. She drank most of the 2 oz that were in the bottle (with no problem as I understand it) and then daddy put her back down in the co-sleeper and she went back to sleep fairly easy. I think the process was around 20 minutes. This morning she woke up around 6:30 or so and went on to the boob to eat wtih no problem. A big concern I've had is the risk of nipple confusion but so far so good. Today we are just hanging around the house not doing much. A little bit later we will go and run a few errands and make dinner for when Lance gets home.

Whoo Hoo

Gab — Sun, 01 Jun 2008 01:29:09 GMT

I was able to take my rings off of the necklace and put my rings back on my fingers today. I weighed myself yesterday and am a pound or two less than what I weighed when I found out I was pregnant (at 4ish weeks along). I am not "dieting" but I am trying to be more physically active, however, since I had put on 20 pounds from quitting smoking a year before I got pregnant I think most of the loss is (as I have been saying all along) the quit smoking weight. I also seem to have gotten pretty good genes in the stretch marks department because I have very few and what I have are very minor... and I do believe that the lotion I put on my belly almost every day DID help to reduce the stretch marks but keeping the skin moisterized and therfore more elastic. again I say Whoo Hoo!

We're home

Gab — Fri, 23 May 2008 05:44:06 GMT

We're home finally, we're tired, we'll talk to you all soon. Lance will upload pics to the website soon.

We are on our way to the hospital

Gab — Mon, 19 May 2008 23:52:22 GMT

I wish she would have waited just 2 more days but it is what it is. Most likely tomorrow little miss Lynda Elaine will be with us. Soon as I finish this burger we are off to the hospital. Talk to you all again in a few days. NO I WON'T BE CHECKING TRIBE FROM THE HOSPITAL.

We are about to become a 2 vehicle family

Gab — Sun, 18 May 2008 22:20:01 GMT

If all goes well and according to plan, by the end of the week (hopefully by Wednesday) we will own a second vehicle. We've been half assed looking for a second vehicle for 3 - 4 months now but with the issues we had last week and learning that parts for the Tempo are going to be hard to come by and mostly will be used from here on out we realized that we really have not choice but to get a second vehicle. In addition, since our schedules are going to change and we won't be commuting together most days for the next year or so it is just that much more necessary. We will be getting a Mini Van. Although I hadn't really pictured myself becoming a Mini Van kind of person... It will hold up to 7 people and or it will hold lots of STUFF. For example, when it is time to do faire we will be able to take the seats out and fill it with tent, bed, chest, weapons, etc and have the second car to transport mom or dad and baby. Life as we know it is about to get really interesting.

Turns out...

Gab — Fri, 16 May 2008 20:34:04 GMT

that 90% of the Ford Tempos that were ever made were 4 cylinder. I bought my car when it was 1 year old with just under 10K on it and it was a 6 cylinder. How was I possibly to know at the time. In addition to that, though I complain about how rickety and crappy my car is, in reality I've taken pretty good care of it over the years which is why it is 14 years old with 140K+ on it and still runs actually quite well. So much so that Ford started discontinuing many parts for this make and model about 4 years ago and I am now having a terrible time locating what I need. NOBODY has the part I need new. I have a guy at a junk yard working on tracking down the part I need used and he is supposed to call me back within an hour or so. However, looks to me like we are not going to have a whole lot of choice, we are going to have to get another vehicle sooner than we had anticipated. The search is on. Keep your fingers crossed that we finally find the deal of the century out there.

Well at least...

Gab — Fri, 16 May 2008 14:51:17 GMT

I have the ability to do work from home. With the pregnancy and knowing I wasn't going to be able to physically be in the office full time my boss and I agreeed it would be a good idea to set up the computer so I could do work from home. Since the car is going to cost me around 2 days pay to get fixed (so far as I'm figuring at this point) at least I won't loose an entire day of work to being stuck on stupid at home. Besides, stuck on stupid means stuff like Jerry Springer and General Hospital (we don't have cable) and really I can only tolerate so much of that drivel before I start wanting to pull my hair out. I've already done 98% of the "nesting" I was going to do before the baby gets here.

I FRIGGIN SWEAR!!!!

Gab — Fri, 16 May 2008 03:32:46 GMT

try try try to be positive and have things go my way and have one nice really good day but nooooooo! Car had to go and "throw a belt" and it turns out that the pully is also bad. Have no idea how much this is going to cost us... probably a few hundred at least cause we are looking at probaby 3+ hours of labor. And of course it had to be on Lance's Birthday which was already stressful for him because of the normal everyday crap at work. Lance was so pissed about this on top of everything else he was almost in tears (his own words just now). So much for that nice dinner we were going to go have... instead it's delivery. At least it happened this week instead of next week cause then we might be having to deal with no car and a different kind of delivery.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY LANCE!!!!

Gab — Thu, 15 May 2008 15:47:30 GMT

Hope you have a good day.

Holy moly what a consumer rip off

Gab — Wed, 14 May 2008 18:57:23 GMT

So I had to go buy a new cell phone yesterday and it turns out that sales tax is paid on the full retail price of the phone regardless of any discounts applied to the phone. So I paid $189 but had to pay sales tax on the $299 retail price. I'm rather pissed. AND THIS IS LEGAL (SORT OF). WTF?!?!?!?!?! below is an article from the SF Gate from 2005 that someone forwarded to me this morning because I'd asked them about this issue and this is what they dug up and the "law" remains the same. I think people need to start complaining (and should have been all along). The original article can be found on SFGate.com here: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2005/05/06/BUG5NCKUCQ1.DTL --------------------------------------------------------------------- Friday, May 6, 2005 (SF Chronicle) Beware California's hidden cell phone tax David Lazarus Gillian Cropp, a San Francisco medical researcher, ordered a new cell phone from Nextel. When it arrived in the mail the other day, she discovered that she owed $74.99 for the handset (which she expected) and $19. 12 in sales tax (which she did not). That's a nearly 25 percent tax. Or is it? Cropp learned -- after wading through a series of Nextel service reps - - that despite paying a discounted amount of $74.99 for her phone, she was being taxed for the more than $200 full retail price. "I was incensed," she said. "If you get a reduction on the price of a car, you don't still pay taxes on the full price. It's not right." It is, however, a California regulation. Moreover, that regulation may itself violate state law, making the charging of these high sales taxes illegal. We'll get back to that after a closer look at why wireless customers are being hit with sky-high sales taxes. Regulation 1585 of the state code on sales and use taxes specifies that all cell phones will be taxed at the full retail amount, regardless of the price paid as part of a special offer. Anita Gore, a spokeswoman for the California Board of Equalization, told me the regulation resulted from uncertainty among industry players about how much taxes are owed amid deep discounting of handsets. The agency, which collects a total of about $38 billion in annual sales and use taxes, decided that price reductions by wireless service providers shouldn't affect how much the state can pocket every time a cell phone is sold. "The phone is worth a price," Gore said. "It's discounted if you buy a service plan. That doesn't make the phone worth any less." Such thinking may be fine for deficit-running state officials, who need all the revenue they can get their hands on. But where does it leave consumers? As usual, pretty much on their own. "It's up to customers to watch for this," said Michael Shames, executive director of the Utility Consumers' Action Network in San Diego. "Typically, this won't be disclosed by the carrier as part of their terms and conditions when you get your phone." Verizon Wireless is one of the few providers that does disclose in the fine print of ads and on signs in stores that sales taxes are based on the full retail price of the handset. On the other hand, ads running in newspapers this week for Nextel are more typical of the way most cell phones are marketed. They feature a Motorola phone that's being offered for free if a customer signs up for two years of service at $49.99 a month. What the ads don't say is that the full retail price of that handset is $149.99. In San Francisco, where consumers pay a sales tax of 8.5 percent, that ostensibly free phone will in fact come with a levy of $12.75. Sales taxes vary slightly from county to county. Matt Sullivan, a Nextel spokesman, acknowledged that the company doesn't disclose in its marketing that California customers will be required to pay a sales tax at the full value of a handset. "We realize this may cause some confusion," he said, adding that the company may revise its invoices to better reflect the state regulation. Another potentially confusing element here is that the state regulation appears to contradict separate statutes in the California Revenue and Taxation Code. Section 6006 of the code defines a sale as "any transfer of title or possession, exchange or barter, conditional or otherwise, in any manner or by any means whatsoever, of tangible personal property for a consideration." Meanwhile, Section 6051 says a sales tax will be imposed on "the gross receipts of any retailer from the sale of all tangible personal property sold at retail." Charles Moll, a tax attorney in the San Francisco office of law firm Morrison & Foerster, said these two sections make clear that a sale transpires when a customer purchases a good, and that the sales tax pertains solely to the price paid during that transaction. "The tax is not imposed on the value of an item," he said. "It's imposed on the retail price you pay -- the consideration that the customer pays to the retailer." In the case of cell phones, Moll said, Section 6051 indicates that the customer is responsible for paying a sales tax only on the price charged by the wireless provider, discounted or otherwise. As a result, he said, the Board of Equalization's regulation on taxation of cell phones shouldn't apply. "I believe the regulation is invalid," Moll concluded. The Board of Equalization's Gore responded by citing yet another section of the tax code, Section 6012. It defines "gross receipts" as "the total amount ... of the retail sales of retailers, valued in money, whether received in money or otherwise." Those last two words, Gore said, are the key when it comes to cell phones. "The 'or otherwise' is the service plan," she said. "You don't get the phone (at a discount) if you don't take the service." Roy Crawford, a tax attorney in the San Francisco office of law firm Heller Ehrman, said he agrees with the agency's thinking. "It's a fair defense, " he said of Section 6012. But Moll at Morrison & Foerster countered that the agency's logic doesn't hold up. "The question is whether part of the service plan is going to the cost of the phone," he said. "It's actually a separate thing." Moll observed that if the service plan in fact represents a portion of the handset's true value, then the cost of the plan should go down if you tell the wireless provider you don't want a new phone. "Is this going to happen? No," he said. "You have to pay the monthly service fee whether or not you get the phone. Clearly, the service fee has nothing to do with the cost of the phone." Ken Muche, a Verizon spokesman, confirmed that most service plans don't recoup the cost of handsets. "We subsidize part of the price of the phone," he said. "It's a loss for us." In any case, Gore at the Board of Equalization said her agency is comfortable with the sales tax and will continue imposing the charge on consumers until a court says it can't. "The regulation allows us to implement the law in this way," she said. "It's never been challenged." David Lazarus' column appears Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays. He also can be seen regularly on KTVU's "Mornings on 2." Send tips or feedback to dlazarus@sfchronicle.com. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Copyright 2005 SF Chronicle

Oh yeah and...

Gab — Tue, 13 May 2008 23:57:17 GMT

I lost all but 5 phone numbers when the cell phone took it's dunk. Which means if I had yours... Beth, Andrea, etc... I don't anymore so please PM it to me.

UGH

Gab — Tue, 13 May 2008 23:26:43 GMT

Saturday -- Sucked Sunday -- Mostly ok Monday -- Sucked -- had to change my Dr's appt, had to run around fixing a serious mistake someone else made which screwed all my plans for the day starting at 10:30am-- major stress and the baby sure felt it too. Today -- Sucks -- had a bad bad headache this morning, dropped my cell phone in toilet and had to go buy a new one, the lady who I'm training for while I'm on leave didn't come in today and only left the message on my voicemail which I don't check from home... she should have left it with the main desk. Did some work from home this morning but her not being her messed up the purpose of me working from home in the first place. I really really hope this week gets better. Most of the stuff needing to be done around the house is done. Suit case is almost completly packed... just need to add a few more of Lance's items and a few more toiletries and we should be good to go. Got the car completly cleaned inside but had a piece of drywall in the car yesterday so I need to get it vacummed again. And for some reason the windshield wasn't cleaned inside very well. Did get the car seat base installed and figured out how to take the car seat in and out so that's good. Friday is supposed to be my last day in the office and Monday we get the bathroom fixed. I know things will be fine it just feels like the world is conspiring against me right now.

Blah

Gab — Fri, 09 May 2008 22:39:56 GMT

I don't know why but just in the last few hours I've gotten really tired and sleepy. Blah.

Silly little things that make us happy

Gab — Tue, 06 May 2008 16:45:42 GMT

So I've had my current cell phone for almost 2 years now. I liked my old phone but it didn't have a camera and we'd be out places and there would be things that I'd say I wish I had a camera, I'd take a photo of that. So Lance insisted I get a new phone. I'm not into all the fancy bells and whistles of cell phones these days... I do 2 things with my phone... phone calls/phone book and the occasional photo... maybe 50 total since I've had the phone, but I've been glad to have it. I think I've sent less than 20 text messages cause it is just not my thing. Annnnywaaaay... So finally after about 18 months my battery was no longer holding a full charge for 2 -3 days and I was plugging it in more often to keep it charged up. We went to the store next to where Lance works and bought what we thought was a brand new battery. Well actually Lance questioned the guy cause he thought it wasn't new and the guy insisted it was. Also, even though the owner usually gave us a discount on things this guy charged us full price. So I go and charge up the battery and it barely lasts 24 hours before it is down to 2 bars and barely 48 hours before it is going bladeep. WTF??? I give it a few more day and tries for full charge. Nope... this battery is worse than my old battery. We got the thing on Tuesday, the following Monday I'm going to take it back but the store is closed. The store is closed the rest of the week. Then we find out that the store has gone out of business. Pissed...both of us. Lance says we need to call Motorola and I say but they didn't sell it to us why would they replace it for us. Then someone else a few days later says that they had a similar problem and Mortorola will replace the battery for up to 30 days... besides it's California law. Ok, I go back to Lance tail between the legs and say go ahead and give it a try. He does... it works... they send us a new battery and we have 30 days to return the bad battery. The new battery got charged up on Wednesday night. It took until Sunday to go to 2 bars and it took until using for several hours yesterday and then this morning keeping it open for about an hour to wear it all the way down so I can charge it back up to finally use up all the juice. I am very happy to have a new cell battery that works the way it is supposed to and keeps a full charge like it should. I hate being taken advantage of and that's how I felt with the worker at the store that is now out of buisness. I'm very happy that Motorola stands behind it's product and Lance had no problems getting the battery replace. They sent him the new one before he sent the old one back. They said if they didn't receive the old one back within a specified time frame he'd be charged for the new one.... otherwise no charge other than our postage to do the replacement.

End of the faire season for us for this year

Gab — Mon, 05 May 2008 04:28:06 GMT

Well, it's been an interesting run this year. I've really appreciated the flexibility I've had through my booth this year to be able to work limited hours so I'm not on my feet all day and I haven't had to dress out when I didn't feel like it. I've made enough friends that I can keep myself busy and not get bored by wandering around slowly throughout the day when I'm in 21st C. clothes and that's pretty nice. I was really hoping we would make it out on the Saturday of 6th weekend but really today was very hard on me. I had difficulty standing or walking for more than 10 minutes at a time. Even though it was a little cooler than yesterday, I was pretty warm. I had to lay down for a little while as well and though I didn't actually sleep, it helped because the belly and back were getting kinda achey. Up to this point, it has been an adventure that has had it's ups and downs and aches and pains but now I'm really at the point where things are uncomfortable and verging on painful. For example, I got my stockings on this morning on my own but this afternoon when I changed there was no way I was going to be able to get my regular socks on. I've been saying all along that she is not allowed to be early and if she is a few days late that is ok and I still really do mean that but now I'm at the point that I'm going to have some serious discomfort getting there. As of now, she is due in 18 days. I had many people ask me this weekend when I was going to pop, why she wasn't born yet, why I was still out doing faire, am I ready for it to be over and have her be born already and I've had lots of people tell me I need to slow down. Now the baby is telling me it is time to take it easy and slow down so now I will. I think all in all, considering all the problems I could have had being in a higer risk group this pregnancy has gone well and I'm ok with where we are at. I went into this with my eyes wide open and I think that has really helped alot. Some of you we won't see until next season, some we will see if we make it up to Casa, and some of you we will see at Ft. Mac. I doubt we will see mostof you before the wee one gets here though. I'm sure when she gets here we will post pictures and don't forget we have the website which I'm sure we will post pics on as well. If you don't have the web address or the password just PM me or Lance and we wil send to to you. Thank you all for the support and the great time we've had this year. Can't wait to see you all again next year or sooner.

Another question for the mommy's and daddy's

Gab — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 22:58:47 GMT

I told Lance that he needs to pull some things out for himself to pack in the suitcase... mainly a few changes of clothes for himself. His response was that after the baby gets here he can go home and shower and change his clothes there since we only live a 10 mintue drive 20 in rush hour from the hospital. Then he said (I'm sure jokingly) that he could also go and sleep in the nice big comfortable bed at home. I'm guessing -- from everything I've heard -- that he like most new fathers is going to have a very hard time tearing himself away from both of us for more than a few minutes at a time even with others he trusts there with us. What do you all have to say? What was your experiences? Thanks. Oh and honey if you do go get a cheeseburger... you had better damn well bring one back for me if you know what is good for you!

Question for all my mommy and daddy friends

Gab — Tue, 29 Apr 2008 15:59:56 GMT

Well, it's about time to start putting together my hospital suitcase. I have a pretty good idea of what I'm going to need but.... What would you suggest I pack? What did you forget that you wish you'd brought? What was the one or two things that you took that you couldn't have gotten through without? I know I need something to wear home for me and for baby. I know we need the car seat. I've told Lance I'm taking his robe. I know I want my own toothbrush and probably my own toothpaste and a few other toiletries I know I'll need. Some music. Ok what else?

The ups and downs of my b-day today.

Gab — Tue, 29 Apr 2008 03:37:37 GMT

So I woke up this morning to seeing that Lance did a ton of stuff last night around the house and finished cleaning up some thing I had started and also did some things I'd been asking him to do and he even did some things I hadn't even asked him to do so that was pretty cool. Then on the way to work there were some moron drivers but hey this is LA and "nobody walks in LA" We get about 1/2 way to work and my phone rings. It is the bakery of the grocery store I'd orderd my cake from on Friday telling me that they don't make that cake. It was supposed to be ready for pick up at 9am and the phone call was at 8:15am. I was furious to say the least and it also made Lance very upset to see me so upset. Then when we got to Lance's work the parking lot filled up right before our eyes and I had to let Lance out around the corner because it was also street cleaning. This also meant I couldn't get my breakfast. I left to go to my Dr's appt. and got McD's. eeeh too much salt. Lance got me the # to another store that was a bit farther away but it turned out they had the cake I wanted and since what I wanted was pretty simple they deco'd it for me even though normally you are supposed to order 24 horus in advance. Then one of the best things happened today, the Dr. put the monitor on my belly and I got to listen to the baby's heart beat for 5 - 10 minutes. I also asked him how big he thought she was and he said around 6 lbs. I've gained 5.5 lbs in the past 2 weeks. I've been gaining 1-2 lbs a month so this has been the largest gain in this kind of time frame but again he is not worried. I took 2 minutes to pop on to tribe when I got into the office and it was REALLY nice to get a few b-day wishes PM'd to me... it made me smile and it made me blush. We had my cake around 2:30pm and of course SHE did a lot of eye rolling and such but whatever she's just a jerk. A little after 3pm the boss's husband and daughter came by the office and gave me a card that the daughter had printed in and drew a heart in for me and they gave me a box of some really nice cookies from a place in Beverly Hills so that was really really nice. For dinner we went to Acculpoco (sp) Restaurant cause it's what I decided on kinda last minute. It was pretty good and Lance tried to pull a fast one on me by telling the waiter in spanish that it was my b-day thinking I didn't understand enough spanish to know what he was saying. I did and told the waiter to please not do any birthday singing thing. so that pretty much was my day.

Today I'm feeling tired and irritated

Gab — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 20:41:42 GMT

it isn't just HER today... it is just a lot of little things and the hormones. Also, I haven't been this physically and mentally tired in almost a month. It is getting more uncomfortable to sleep. I had a bit of a coughing fit last night... though my throat is finally getting better and I'm really hoping when we are out at faire on Sunday I don't re-irritate it AGAIN. Then several hours after the coughing fit I woke up, strectched my leg out and started to turn only to get a nasty cramp in my calf. Both of these caused me to be awake for around 1/2 hour each. Right now I'd really like to go home crawl into bed and sleep for several few hours. Thank goodness we have left overs from last night so I don't have to answer the "what's for dinner" question tonight.

Thank you Patrick

Gab — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 22:09:56 GMT

I just want to take a moment and say thank you Patrick for being a pretty darn'd great booth owner whom I believe "gets" the over all picture (there are other booth owners too that get it... I just don't happen to work for them). Thank you your willingness of being a voice of reason and gathering and sharing important information for us all this week. Thank you for the conversation you and I had on Sunday that I'm sure as you can see has influenced my input into the conversation that has everyone up in arms. Thanks for letting me be a "Toadette" and thanks for being a generally good guy.

Early B-day pressie from the hubby (don't tell him I told you but he can be so schmoopy at times).

Gab — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 14:16:50 GMT

Ok so my b-day isn't until next week but last Friday when we went to do the hospital tour Lance got me my b-day pressie early. And to make it even sweeter we were grouching at eachother just a short while earlier because the timing of all 4 appointments were really tight that day and he is the kind of person who would rather be an hour early than 5 minutes late. SOOOO. Several months back when we first went to the hospital to do the pre-registration and we had just started putting Gabriella's Goodies stuff in his store and were looking around to get ideas we went into the hospital gift shop. Walked all around it for 10 minutes and as we got to the end we came across a stuffed animal that you squeeze the leg and it makes a noise. Now I used to be one of those really really annoying people who would go into a store and press the button on 3 or 4 or 5 of them to hear them all.... drove Lance nuts. This one though... well at first Lance said... no... but then... because the pork/bacon/pig conversation was in high swing here on tribe we pressed the button. When we left the store we were laughing soooo hard. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9JewgskrfyY So as we finished up the tour in the lobby of the hospital, I went to the restroom and Lance ran into the gift shop and asked the lady for the pig and said please hurry before she comes out... it is a present. As we were leaving I looked over at the gift shop and made the sound (as I had done several times now when we went to the classes and such) and Lance said nope they are all sold out so I shruged and said oh well... are you sure how do you know. As we are walking, he looks over at me and says you reall wanted that pig didn't you. I said well yeah kinda. He said here take the bag and carry it... and as I'm taking the bag he says... oh by the way... open the bag.... uh ok... AND THERE WAS THE PIG.

hoping for a positive week

Gab — Mon, 21 Apr 2008 14:29:56 GMT

So, I'm getting pretty tired of most all of my posts for the past few weeks being kind of negative about that frikin b**ch at work. I've promised myself that I am going to try really hard to make this a more positive week with a positive post or two. So to start out... Our new hire starts today. She seems really nice and I have a very good feeling about her that she will work out. I will be working with and training her over the next few weeks (hopefully prevent her from getting corrupted by HER) Also, she has skills that we aren't hiring her for but keeping in mind with a strong possibility of utilizing in the future when I return from maternity leave. On Wednesday is Admininstrative Professionals Day (Secretary's day) and as an office we are going to see Madame Chocolate in Beverly Hills. I'm not much of a chocolate person but it will be intersting to see. Speaking of chocolate, I got to try one of Vera's chocolates this weekend.... it was a honey clove.... I ate it in 3 bites and had 3 mouthgasims. Now I really want to also try the cinnamon. I'll have to go back before the end of the faire season. Friday we see the doctor again. Now that we are getting close it is visits weekly. And I'm scheduled to start my leave in just 4 weeks. Kind of seems like 4 weeks and I'm still not going to be ready to pop. I am having aches and pains but I really don't feel like I'm 8 months pregnant. Saturday no faire because Lance has to work. Sunday however, we will be out. Monday we stop on the way to work to pick up my cake that I will order on Friday because I just know if I don't order it, it will be wrong and it's my birthday... I want what I WANT in a cake. So that's the plan. We'll see how it plays out. Hope everyone else has a good week.

Some good news before I have to go in the office today and deal with HER

Gab — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 14:08:29 GMT

We hired someone yesterday. Boss wanted her to start today but because of Dr.'s appt today and I will be out on Friday she will start on Monday. Monday will pretty much be all orientation. Also, myself and the billing manager will take her out to lunch on the company dime since the two of us will be her supervisors. Not that it matters but she is a good Catholic lady from Philly. I have a feeling if HER pushes her wrong, she will put HER in her place. She got laid off from work 5 years ago and had a baby around 1 so took the opportunity to be a stay at home mother while her husband worked. Her kid is in Kindergarden 2 blocks away and she lives 2 or 3 block away in the other direction but it is walking distance. And now she wants to get back in the workforce. Also, she has other skills that we think will be very good for the office all around and if she is available and wiling we may make her full time by the end of the year anyway. Finally, though I'm not worried about my job being taken away from me, she is someone who has a little experience but no where near enough to do all of what I do so that little wiggle at the back of the brain is satisfied that my job is safe.