Big relief

It's finally happened. The hubby found a steady job. He will be opening an office here in Stillwater OK, for an insurance agency based out of Arkansas.

Advantage One was a competitor when Beau was working for ABIA in Tulsa and OKC. Long story short, the owner of Advantage One always had a great respect for Beau and how he ran his offices. He and Beau, through happenstance, ran into one another via a message board on Yahoo. When He (the owner of A1) found out that Beau was a free agent, he nearly pissed himself with glee, because he wanted him to work for his company.

Not only that, but A1's new office was to be located in Stillwater. SO, when A1 found out Beau was a resident, he practically crawled through the phone lines to get Beau to sign on. After all the legalities and scouting for a location, the new office will be open on Feb 1. Beau will actually start his first day Jan 29, to set up shop and make sure the new office is ready for business.

I have not said anything to anyone about this, because for the last 10 months we have been through a roller coaster of "great opportunities" that never seemed to come to fruition.

Insert WHEW here.

Back to reality

I'm baaack! Lots of avocados. It rained. It was cold. We had a great time. I got drunk with my Mom. I miss them already. I want to move back. More later.

Just click your heels 3 times and say...

..."There's no place like home."

Beau and I are going to California next week to see my parental units. I talked to my dad this afternoon and he said that if I wanted to come home, he would buy the airfare. It is his Christmas gift to me. WOW!! I couldn't ask for a better gift. They usually send me money every year. (Hey, I don't mind that!) But this is so much more meaningful. We booked the flight and have the rental car all reserved. We will be leaving next Thursday the 7th and will return Monday the 11th. Short visit, but I can't swing any more days off than that. Well, I probably could but I didn't want to ask. Anyway, we're going home!!! I'm so excited I think my cheeks are going to explode.

Our little genius

Here is a picture of our newest addition. We have called him Einstein due to the wild hair that grows from his ears. I apologize for the quality of the photo. My husband took this with his phone.

Getting better is making me sick

So, I started taking an injectable medication last Tuesday for my diabetes. It's not insulin, but rather a very new drug designed to slow the metabolism and even out glucose levels. I knew the risk of side effects when I started taking it. But, damn, it sucks. Sunday night, right after eating, I became violently ill. Uncontrollable vomiting and (to put it politely) gastrointestinal distress. I have been sick like a dog ever since.

I missed work on Monday and went home early yesterday. Now I am sitting here at work, still fighting back the nausea. I talked to my Dr. and she assured me that these are the typical side effects and shouldn't last more than a week. A week??? Good lord and butter. How am I supposed to get this diabetes under control if

1. I can't keep my other medications down?
2. I cannot eat anything for fear of losing it 2 minutes later?
3. I get dehydrated, because water isn't even staying with me?
   

So, getting better, is making me sick. What a drag.

OK, I'm finished complaining.

On a happy note, we got a new kitten. He is gray and white and as sweet as can be. He still has not told us what his name is yet, but these things take time sometimes. Right now I just all him Little Buddy. So, Gilligan has crossed my mind more than once. LOL Took him to the Cat Clinic on Monday afternoon, and he got a clean bill of health and got his shots and stuff. I will post a pic as soon as I get one.

Look what we got!

I bought this beast from my boss. He has let me make payments for it. It is going to be nice to have a vehicle that has hauling capabilities. It's a 1986 Chevy Blazer, with removable hard top. It may not be pretty, but it will get the job done.

Any ideas for names??

We never even cut the watermelon

Had a BBQ on Sunday. We had such a great time! At least I think we did. I know I did. I hope everyone did. We cued 3 big ol slabs of meat and had beans, bread, deviled eggs and the obligatory veggie trays. Surprisingly, most of the veggies got eaten which is kind of unusual.
All the usual suspects attended, Steph and Lynette and their three teens, Lauren, Heather and Nathan. Megan came down from Kansas. Lashell made it just as we sat down to eat and it made the evening perfectly well rounded.

After dinner we all sat out on the patio with our respective drinks and "did the weirds". We played hangman, drew silly (not to mention disgusting) pictures and made up silly songs. We laughed and carried on. Just like the good old days. I had gone out and found a seeded water melon so that we could have a seed spitting contest, but we got too busy being stupid, that we never even cut the water melon. Oh well!! Thanks everybody for making this weekend so fun and memorable!!

The latest on the visit

Beau talked to his mom last night, and it turns out that she will be coming here with Em (that's my step-daughter). They will be coming on or around the 5th of July and leaving on the 10th. Only 5 days. *sigh* I'm so weird. As nervous and apprehensive as I had become about this, I am so disappointed that the visit will be so short. Also, as much as I love Beau's mom, I was kinda hoping for a little exclusivity. But Beau and I talked last night and he made a good point. For all intents and purposes, Em really doesn't know either one of us. She is close to her grandmother, and this way she will be comfortable having someone she knows with her. This will be the door opening for future visits.

I am so thrilled that Beau and Em have this chance to reconnect. It has been a long time coming and I just have all the optimism in the world that this is the new and fresh start they have both been needing for so long.

Big changes ahead

Beau got a message from his mother last night that she has talked to his ex, and that arrangements have been made for his daughter to come stay with us. When, and for how long, we don't know yet. She turned 15 today and I don't know what to expect. I don't know her at all.

Needless to say, I am a bit apprehensive. Don't get me wrong, I am really looking forward to meeting her and getting to know her. I just don't have room in my life for teenage drama and conflict. With the diabetes, the ongoing toe healing, and now I found out I have advanced periodontal disease and will need to have 2 more of my teeth extracted. I am already doing 95% of all the housework, I do most of the cooking, and work full time. I'm tired a lot and don't feel so great much of the time. There will be some adjustment and changes in our life. Whether she stays for 2 weeks, or 2 months, or even 2 years. I have always been a dynamic person by nature, but at the same time I have become pretty content with the routine in my life.

To all the muthas out there

Happy Mammiotosis Day to all you Mothers out there. I hope it is a peaceful and joyful day full of love and appreciation.

A place for your butt

Beau and I finally were able to buy a brand new sofa!!! It's not a hand-me-down or a crappy Wal*Mart futon. It is a real sofa!!! It is a 3-piece sectional. One end is a recliner and on the other end is a pull out sleeper. I am so excited!!! It's a doeskin color, so I will be able to pull color into the room with throws and pillows. Good ol' tax returns. Here it is in green. I couldn't find a pic of the right color.

It's so nice to have a comfortable place to rest my butt.

Parental Units

First off, let me say, that I am no longer going to apologize for lack of postings here. Those of you that know me, know that it's just ME, and besides, I'M NOT SORRY AT ALL!!! lol. So, with that having been said, I'm sorry I haven't written in so long... LOL, just kidding.

My parents rolled into town on Wednesday and have been spoiling me by getting me little fun things, taking me out to dinner, and today my Dad surprised me with a new bird bath for my yard. I love it!!! But I don't care about all the little gifty things (don't get me wrong, I am a Gemini and I love presents), but truly, I am having such a great time having them here in my home. I love relating to my parents now as a "grown up". Having them here has been pure joy. I love them so much, and miss them terribly. Saturday we are going to do the old fashioned Fleischer family backyard BBQ fun time. I am really looking forward to it. I will let you know how it went. Hopefully I will have a few pics too.

Ciao for now peeps!

Another day, another dollar

Well, I'm off to clean up the fire some more today. Not really looking forward to it, but blah blah blah... I don't get it though. These people have more cleaning supplies than Procter and Gamble, but they live like pigs. Thick layers of dust everywhere (not soot, DUST), cobwebs so thick, it looks as though they are getting ready for Halloween. Don't even get me started on the toilet. *shudder* Thank god we aren't cleaning that. Well, frankly, I would just say "Hell, no!" LOL.

I just don't understand how people can live like this. I was in that house for only one day and my allergies and asthma were almost out of control. Sneezing and wheezing. Beau went to the drug store and got me some allergy medicine and I am keeping my inhaler in my pocket. Hope it works, because I need the flippin paycheck.

OK... enough about that shit. On a lighter note, here is a picture of my kitty, Figaro. How cute! I may have to puke!! LOL

Would you like fries with that?

Well, we moved to OK and are pretty well settled in now. I love this house!!! That's the good news, the bad news is, I still have not been able to get a job. Cripes, if something doesn't come through soon, I am going to end up flippin burgers somewhere. Don't get me wrong, there is nothing shameful about that, but I have too much experience in other fields. Oh well, we do what we have to do eh?

In the meantime, we got a new kitten. He is a grey tabby and we have named him "Figaro". He is sooooo friggin cute. Last week we had a bit of a scare with him. He became lethargic and stopped eating. Took him to "The Cat Clinic", (where Steph's wife works as a surgical nurse) and got him rehydrated and put him on some meds that are intended to treat intestinal viruses and parasites. Something is working because he is just about back to his old self. Eating, drinking, and playing like a maniac. Last night he was doing acrobatics on the couch chasing my wiggling fingers. He is going to be a great cat.

Cosmo, the ten year old has been 'tolerant' at best, but she is getting better. I don't think they will ever be "friends", but at least I know she won't rip his little face off. Actually, she is a big ol pussy, because this big old cat is afraid of the little bitty. LOLOL

On another note, my B-Day was last Thursday and we had a party on Saturday. Steph, Nettl and Lauren (Nettl's oldest) came over and we had lots of food and wine. Steph and I ended up sitting outside for most of the evening, talking laughing and generally doing the weirds. Steph ended up staying the night, and the next day we whiled away the time watching the Food Network and bitching about the hosts. Something we have been doing for years. It used to be court shows, but now it's cooking shows. Some things I learned: Steph and I both hate, Bobby Flay and Emeril, and have similar opinions regarding most of the other hosts. Too funny, even after years of living in completely different zip codes, our similarities are still remarkable. I had a blast.

Long overdue update

Well, here it is mid October and I am just getting around to posting again. Hard to know where to begin really.

Since I lost my job in March I have been on unemployment. I had been seeking employment here in the Leavenworth area, but could find nothing that would pay enough for us to live on. Sometime in June, Beau and I began to toy with the idea of moving to Oklahoma. It wasn't really meant to be a serious discussion. Just more of a passing comment. But, just for gits and shiggles, Beau talked to one of his bosses about their Oklahoma offices and would there be any work for him down there. Again, not really expecting a serious discussion. But lo and behold, it just so happened that the District Supervisor for the OK offices had just been fired and they needed a good replacement. Really?? Hmmm. "What are the chances you would consider me?"

Turns out the chances were better than good and the higher ups were absolutely thrilled about the prospect. They have a great deal of respect and admiration for him and just about jumped at the chance. So, ok... now we really ARE moving to OK. My best friend and his family live in Stillwater OK (Which is what prompted the first discussion to begin with.) So, it only made sense for us, that if we are moving all the way to OK, living in Stillwater was the only way to go. So we put the house up for sale and set out to find a new house in Stillwater. That was the beginning of August. Since then we have packed up most of our stuff, gotten rid of our sofa and loveseat and crossed our fingers everyday that this would be the day we got "the phonecall". We have had several people looking, but so far no reasonable offers. We have done a lot of painting and redoing of floors and general maintenance to make the place more appealing, but so far, the right people have not found the house yet. Or the house has not, as of yet, found them.

Upon our trip to Stillwater in August, we found the house of our dreams. (Well, of the the small reasonable realistic dreams anyway.) It is a really cool looking 2 bedroom 4 bath (yes, I said 4), with a kitchen to die for and 424 square feet of mostly unfinished space upstairs. I know this sounds more like a nightmare than a dream, but thee is just something about this house that we fell head over heels in love with. The snag, we have to get our house sold before we can even think about bidding. Or otherwise put in a Contingent upon sale clause in the contract.

Well after we got home, we deliberated, and decided to go ahead and put in the contingency bid. So I called our realtor, she got the paperwork together, we sent the earnest check and not 2 seconds after pushing the send button on her fax machine to send us the contract, her colleague walked into her office and stated "Oh, did you hear, that house on Will Rogers just went under contingency." We had been snaked out!!!!!! By another contingent!!! *sigh*

Broken hearted and with tears in my eyes, I called Beau and told him of this. Oh well, to be honest, we really needed that $500.00 earnest money to pay bills anyway. But, that was so not the point. Looking back, it would not have worked anyway, as here we are 2 full months later and still no offers on our current home.

Oh but wait there's more! About 2 weeks ago or so, I got an email from our OK realtor. "There were some title problems with the house you guys wanted, and the buyers cannot wait for them to fix it. They backed out. The current owners are going to get the problem fixed before they put it back on the market." The house is waiting for US!!! This is the second time a buyer has backed out. So the house KNOWS who is supposed to live there!! But, we are still in the same boat, "no selly no buyee". But, the traffic of lookers has picked up significantly. I suppose it is just a matter of time before the house picks its new owners.

Meantime, Beau's bosses need him to start work, so they have sent him to OK for 2 weeks. 2 WHOLE WEEKS!!! They made arrangements for a hotel, and he can visit with our friends on the weekend. That way he won't get too lonely and he can do his laundry too. But I hate this. He left this morning at 10. I didn't think I was going to, but as soon as he drove away, I started to cry. I am going to miss him so much. Luckily I have returned to working. I got a job a couple of weeks ago, just in the nick of time as my unemployment ran out. I sell carpet. I really enjoy this job too, which kinda sux because I know I cannot keep it. Oh well. We do what we gotta do in this life to take care of ourselves.

One more thing before I sign off. We got a dog. A miniature Beagle. We call her Daisy. She will be a great companion for me until my Angel comes home. Everyone, continue to send out good vibes that this house will find its new owners soon. I can't deal with this limbo shit anymore.We just want to be able to move on with our lives. It that too much to ask??!

Homeward bound

Well, I just booked a round trip flight to Oxnard. I couldn't be more excited about it!!! Unfortunately my hubby cannot go with me and that makes us both very sad. But, I get to see my mom and dad, and I was in so much denial about how much I have missed them. Not to mention the kids! My niece and nephews. My older brothers 3 kids. Shandi, the oldest, and the only girl, will be 16 in June. Joshua, the middle, turned 14 in October and Nathan, the baby, just turned 12 in April.

When I was still living in Cali, I was these kids secondary caregiver. That is to say, I was the daycare. I took care of them while my brother and sister in law went to work each day. I changed their diapers, I made their breakfasts and lunches and I felt as though I was making a difference in their lives. Shandi was only 5 when I left California. Now she is about to turn 16. I have missed so much of their lives. 10th birthdays, lost teeth, first report cards, first crushes, baseball and basketball games and swim meets. The more i think about this, the more sad I become. I am not unhappy with my life now. I love my husband with all my heart and he loves me. We have built a great life together, and I am looking forward to all that lies ahead. But, I have always regretted missing them grow up. Those kids are so much a part of my heart. I cannot imagine what it must be like to have kids of my own. I will probably implode. :-)

Hopefully I will know what it means very soon. The oldest, Shandi, could not pronounce my name when she was growing up, so it came out "Deedee". This is what they all call me, and always have. Though they spell it "Dede". So Aunt Dede it was, and is. Anyway, I can't wait to see them. If I win the lottery I am moving back to Cali. Unfortunately that it what it would take. It costs a fortune to live there now. So I am stuck here in the midwest. Kansas of all places. Who would have thought that this Valley Girl would end up in Kansas??

Anyway, I will leave on the 2nd of July and return on the 10th. I am so excited about this trip, that part of me is already sad about coming back. I'm a weird.

Expanding the family

Upon much discussion and a few tears, my husband and I have decided to start trying to get pregnant in May of this year. There are many factors regarding this decision. One of them being that if I get preg in May or June, then I won't be going through hot flashes and shit like that in the middle of the hottest summer months. Also, this will give me time to begin to prepare my body, taking the proper vitamins, getting some exersize and hopefully shedding a few pounds. All of which will help to ensure a healthy pregnancy. Also this would mean the baby would arrive in a bout a year from now. Time to get finances under control and to do research on daycare etc...

Whew, there sure is a lot to think about. My age is a consideration as well, no matter how perfect everything goes, I am considered high risk simply for being over 35. As well as having been diagnosed with uterine fibroid tumors a few years ago. Luckily the little buggers are on the outside of the uterus. This drops the chances of complications by like 75 to 80%. I'm not saying they are not a concern, but I do think I am more concerned than I need to be. I have an appointment with a new OB/GYN next month. Hopefully she will be able to let me know exactly what my concerns should be and get me going on what to do about them. There is no cure for these little bastards, but there are certain kinds of therapies available. More than likely we will just leave them be.

The more I think about all this, the more excited I get. I knew almost from the moment I met Beau that I wanted to have his child. Something I never thought I wanted before. I know now that it wasn't that I didn't want to have kids, but that I didn't want to have kids with Michael (thats the ex). It's funny how being with the right person makes all the difference in the world. I love my husband so much, and having a baby with him is just another way for us to share our love. The love we have for one another is abundant, and there is more than enough to share. Our little love cups overfloweth like crazy! I imagine that with a child in our family, we will be swimming in all that beautiful squishy green love goo. LOL Nice visual huh??

Late introduction

As I was driving to work today it occurred to me that I never made a proper introduction. So here goes.

My name is Debra, though most of my friends call me Ville. (It's short for Debzville). I am a 36 year-old female, married and currently living in Kansas, although I was born and lived in California until the age of 24. At that time I had just been married and my now ex-husband and I moved to Colorado, where we spent the next 5 years. In the fall of 97 we separated and I moved to Kansas City Kansas.

On Halloween of that year I met and fell in love with the man I am now married to. His name is Beau. It was love at first bite and he moved in with me immediately. We lived together for a little more than five years, then last March 3 2003. (03-03-03) we were married. It was a very intimate ceremony. Only the 2 of us and 2 of our closest friends, along with a preacher (we called him Brother Love) and his sister Ollie. The ceremony took place in the coziness of our own living room. It was perfect. I wouldn't have changed a thing.

Not long after we decided to buy a house. Now we live in Leavenworth, Kansas and are still gooey-eyed over one another. Feels as though that may never pass and I am glad.

I am an office manager for a brick company and my husband is a Senior Agent for an insurance broker. With any luck we will get pregnant sometime this year. I will keep you updated on that. Anyway, thats the gist of it. If I have left anything out I am sure my friends will be the first to chime in and add the appropriate information. I hope anyone reading this is having a good day