September 11th

Well today is the 8th anniversary of 9-11... It's 8 years later and we are still at war. We are still sending our babies to battle, hoping and praying that they come home safe! To all the men and women that serve, have served, or are thinking of serving this country, THANK YOU! Thank you for doing what you do! So that we can live the lives we live. Thank you for all your sacrifices. Thank you for leaving the comfort of home, the arms of your loved ones to protect the rest of us. Thank you.

Do you remember where you were when the planes crashed? I'm pretty sure everyone does. Me, I was at work, sitting at the R.A.S Desk in Salt Lake. Warren walked in at about 7:30 and said, did you hear? When he told me, I thought he was pulling my leg, as he usually was. But no, he was not, and it was just after he walked in that we heard about the second plane. it wasn't long before the office was a buzz. I remember that sence of just waiting for the other shoe to drop. One plane, then 2... Then the 3rd into the field in Pa... planes were grounded... it was... surreal. Rumors that our CEO and other execs had left the building in Denver, but other workers were still there... not knowing if anything else would happen. if.. when.. It makes me wonder how folks in these war torn countries survive? How can life go on when you don't know if a suicide bomber will chose this place, or that place to kill themselves and others..

That day... It was so odd, to have a call center so quiet, there were no calls for most of the day... eerily oddly quiet. With everyone listening to the radio, trying to get internet to come up (there were ways around the proxy servers at work). We had a TV in the break room, but no TV reception (it was there for the VCR). We did our best to get a TV Station to come in, we had sound, and a bunch of fuzz for a picture, so I didn't really see the tape of the planes hitting the building until that evening when I got home. I remember Wade let me use his cell phone so I could call my Mom. He is a sweet guy! He knew I was from NY, but didn't realize I was from Central NY. Either way, he handed me the phone and told me to call to verify everyone was OK, she was, and said that they were closing her work for the day (she worked at the Federal Reserve bank). I also called my brother, and we made a 'plan' if anything happened in our area, we would all meet at his house. Luckily we didn't need the plan.

So, It's eight years later, and as I type I am surprised by the clarity in the memories... I don't even know if I could tell you what happened last weekend, but this day, 8 years ago, I guess I can tell you what happened. If you see a member of our Military, Thank them! If you are a member... THANK YOU! Thank you!! And to Jayge, my step son, who is about to head over to Iraq in just about 8 weeks.... be safe! We are proud of you!! We want you and your entire unit home safely!

Vacation extended

What a week it has been! We put just over 1700 miles on the car... had to buy 2 new tires... and extended the trip from the original plan of 4 days to 8 days. I guess we are flexible :)

We have been planning this anniversary trip to Las Vegas for months. Keith and I planned to go to Vegas with our friends Brian and Jackee (who are also celebrating an anniversary this month). We planned a few days in Vegas along with tickets to see Diana Krall in concert at the Palms. Then a few days in Mesquite Nevada, just to check out that town, and let the boys do some golfing. It was supposed to be a long weekend trip. Things change...

Where to start... As a last minute decision we decided to drive instead of flying (and it's a good thing we did), it is only 5 hours or so away. So Keith and I left here last Saturday morning. It was a fun drive! We saw a bunch of hot air balloons as we were leaving the Phoenix area. It reminded me of the good old Boise days... was it the river festival... Yeah I think it was river fest when all the balloons would launch everyday... oh the good old Boise days!!!!

We got to see the Hoover dam! It was a first for me, pretty awesome sight! They are working on a bridge to connect Arizona and Nevada, and it is now connected. I was hoping to see it not yet connected, but no luck :( a few weeks ago our local news reported that the two sides were about 6 feet apart, but they have since connected it. Cool sight to see!

After the dam, we headed into Vegas to meet up with Brian and Jackee, who had landed a few hours earlier. Let the drinking begin :) We got our Vegas on! :) Happy Vegas everyone! :) Here is a photo of us outside Jimmy Buffets store. We were wasting away in margarittaville :)

On Saturday night we went to the Concert... it was INCREDIBLE! Diana Krall is awesome! I love the sound of her voice, and her down to earth way... If you get a chance, go see her! Here's us as we crossed the street from our hotel to the Palms.
Sunday was a great day, we headed to Downtown, drank a bit on Fremont street... gambled a bit... ate a bit... giggled a lot... it was a good day! I can't say too much... what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas... LOL! :)

The four of us at some brewery somewhere on Fremont street... I think it was the lucky 7 brewery... they had good beer! a funny bartender.. and yummy garlic cheese bread! mmm!


On Monday we checked out of the hotel in Vegas, and headed to Mesquite... Good times there also! It was only about an hour drive to Mesquite. I have to say, the town is smaller than I imagined... I think there are more casinos in Jackpot, than there are in Mesquite... but it was fun! The guys golfed both mornings, they got to check out two different golf courses. We did a bit of gambling :) and a bit of poolside sitting. The pool had a water slide, that was a LOT of fun... I guess we are still kids inside :) Here is a shot of me going down the slide... weee!
We did relax, and have fun, and definitely enjoyed catching up with friends we never see... we got a bit of sobering news while on vacation. Keith's Grandma Fuller passed away. The funeral was planned for Saturday in Salt lake city. So we made the decision to just head north, heck we were already half way there! This was when we realized it was a good thing we drove to Vegas instead of flying. Things always have a way of working out, don't they!?
We did stay in St George one night, then we headed to the salt lake area. It was a fun road trip! We checked out downtown Ogden, it is a cute town, and neither Keith or I had ever really checked it out before. This is us in downtown. What a view!


Were are we... it is now Friday (the 14th). We are in Salt lake, Keith's Dad drove up from Texas. So we went to cousin Duane's house to visit with family. I had never meet many of the cousins, so it was nice to meet new folks. I can't believe that Dad and Randi made the drive from Texas in one day... they drove non stop! Crazy! thankfully they made it safely! I have to say, I have a pretty cool father in law! He always puts a smile on my face, I guess Keith got his sense of humor from his dad :) they are funny boys! We visited until late Friday night. Luckily we got to sleep in for a bit on Saturday.
Oh on Friday afternoon, we got to buy 2 new tires for the car. I don't know how it happened, but my front tires were BALD! not just showing wear, but bald!! So we spend Friday afternoon shopping for tires. We ended up at Costco, got a good deal, I think. Did you know that you can fill your tires with Nitrogen instead of Oxygen? I guess Nitrogen has a larger particle, thus it doesn't leak as much... and there is no moisture, so there is no expanding and contracting with temperature variations. I did not know any of this a few days ago... now I do! So my car tires are now filled with nitrogen. Oh, and we named the car... I have had her for 5 years and she has gone nameless. Somewhere along the way Keith and I named her Sam! short for Samantha. and she has a mascot... I got a stuffed cat while we were in Vegas, so now the cat sits on the back window area, and she is Sam's new car mascot!

Saturday afternoon we had the services for Grandma Fuller, then we headed back to cousin Duane's house for dinner. Vicky had prepared buffalo roast... mmm! so good!

Randi, Dad and Keith at the cemetary

Mom, Keith, Kristin and Autumn

Dad was in charge of the beer... he found himself a cold one!

Sitting around after the services, cousin Duane, Dad, Elivia (sp) her cat Alex and Vickies feet.

Keith, Glen, Aunt Donna and Randi

It was nice to see everyone again. I feel slightly guilty that I was in the Salt Lake area and I did not see any of my own family... but there is always next time, right. I guess this trip was all about Keith's side of the family.

Sunday morning Keith and I piled into the car, we planned to leave at 5... I think we did good, it was 5:20 am as we were pulling out of the driveway. We had a GREAT drive home. Since Samantha had new tires, the ride was much smoother :)

The moon as we were heading out at 5:20am on Sunday morning

I am not going to lie, the 12 or so hour drive home was not something we were looking forward to, but we made it! the drive was beautiful. Southern Utah is a beautiful place! We stopped at Glen canyon dam and walked through the visitors center, took a few photos from the middle of the bridge.

On the road....

Large rock at the Glen Canyon dam


View from the bridge looking south of the dam Or was it west... ?


Keith in the parking lot of the visitors center

Rocks on the side of the road somewhere not far from the grand canyon

Well that about sums up our last week or so. It is nice to be home. Hercules missed us! I was worried about leaving him, but he seems to have survivied, even if he won't leave my side :) I'm not complaining.
I guess that's it for now, it's almost bedtime here... good night all! :)

My little cutie patutie!

I have to share how cute my little snookums is! I may have been pampering him a bit in the past few weeks. I've been a bit worried about how he is going to adjust to being the only cat here. And he has developed some odd behaviors.
First he has started napping in the closet, among my shoes... he has always had a thing for shoes, but usually it is just to drop his toys into them, then fish them out... but now he is napping on them (he lays so he leans on them). Strange! Now he had brought his ball up there with him, and is using it as a pillow, SO CUTE! (see photo). This is the same ball that he will yell at from time to time. Really, he yells at it.. I wish I knew what was going on in that little cute head of his!

Hard day

It's been a hard weekend, on Saturday morning, Kitty left us. I'm sure he is somewhere now chasing, and of course catching moths, without worrying about his legs hurting him anymore. He is jumping up onto anything and everything he sees! And I am sure that he has found someone to scratch his ears for him!

We tried to make the last few days he was here filled with all he loved. On Thursday he got cheese snacks.... On Friday I had tuna for lunch, just so that he could have the tuna juice, then I picked up a bit of cat grass from the pet store for him to nibble, he LOVED grass! He got treats when he looked up at me with those loving blue eyes... and for Friday and Saturday morning, he didn't have to eat the Rx cat food, he got just the fancy feast stuff that he liked. He had put up with the Diabetic diet for long enough.

We gave him lots of kisses and rubbed his ears and belly the way he liked... I made sure he had his rubber band to chew... Kitty loved rubber bands! When I worked in Twin I would come home with them on my wrist, on 'accident' so he had a fresh supply of them to chew through... I guess I stole office supplies for him :)

Despite trying to make him happy... and thinking I was ready for this... it still hurts me to realize he is gone. I keep expecting to see him come waddling down the hallway. Or hear his soft whisper of a meow when he wanted something... We went to rent movies this morning, and I expected to see him sitting at the top of the stairs, waiting for us when we returned.

Yesterday when 7pm rolled around I almost lost it completely... Kitty got his insulin injection twice a day, 7am and 7pm... I guess I don't have to worry about being home at those times everyday anymore. sigh.

It has never been a burden to take care of him, in fact, he has made me so much stronger! I used to hate needles! When the vet told us he had diabetes, I told Keith he would have to do all the injections... but then Kitty didn't mind them at all... so after just a few days of Keith giving him the medicine, I decided to 'gave it a try'. Nothing to worry about, it's easy! I need to not be scared of the unknown!

To anyone who has had to make the decision to put a pet down, I am sorry! I never knew... I had no idea how hard it would be... I am sure we made the right decision... but it doesn't help the pain. And to see Keith right now.... man... that hurts more.
I wrestle with the idea of 'playing god'. Do we really have the right to make this decision? In the end I suppose I decided yes we do. Kitty had a full 15 years here... July 9th 1994 was the birthday on his adoption papers... Kitty was only a kitten when he came into Keith's life... and it's been a good one... R.I.P Kitty... we miss you! (kisses on your head)

Kitty photos

Just a few photos of Kitty this morning :)

Our Babies!

Well I am not mom to a human baby, but I have my two fur babies! Kitty and Hercules.

First there was Kitty. He was part of a package deal, I got the cat, and Keith together! A great 2-fer deal! :)
Kitty moved into my apartment in 2000, and that was before Keith 'officially' moved in :) Keith and Kitty had already been together for a few years. Keith was spending a bit of time at my place, and not so much time at his house, so he decided to bring Kitty over to my apartment.

Well just a short time after that, Keith was headed out of town for the weekend (I think he was going to Texas to see his Dad and Sister, but my memory could be off). Anyway, I was in charge of Kitty... so about 2 hours after Keith left... I couldn't find the cat. Seriously! I had a TINY one bedroom apartment... and the cat was no where. I started thinking that he may have snuck out the door somehow, he was a fast, agile cat after all. So I walked the neighborhood looking... I couldn't find him anywere. I went back to the apartment and again looked every where for him.. no luck. I was dreading calling Keith to tell him I lost his cat... when I heard noise in the cupboards above the washing machine. There he was, he had somehow gotten into the cupboard above the machine... and was napping on a stack of towels! I thought I had looked everywhere for him... I didn't think to open the cupboards to look.. crazy cat! I am still not sure how he managed it... but he was there.

About a year after that, I was moving to a new apartment, and Keith decided to take Kitty back to his house. I quickly realized I needed that love that a cat can give... enter Hercules!

I've had Hercules since 2001, I adopted him at 6 weeks old from the Pet Smart parking lot. They were having an adoption fair, or something. There were tents out front, and shelters from all over the valley were there to try to match up us pet lovers with our new fur babies. He was so tiny he fit in the palm of my hand! I remember being scared he would hurt himself if he jumped off the bed, so I would put him up there at bedtime, then in the morning, I would let him down... I guess he has been spoiled since the begining.

I ended up with my little bundle of spastic joy! He started out as the calmest cat! It was about a week of calm cat... then he started sneezing... and I realized he was sick... after a week of antibiotics, I got to know the real Hercules! My little spaz! :) I do believe he is afraid of the dark, he sleeps in the hall way near a night light we have put out for him. If there are no lights on he tends to meow loudly into the corner of the room, so that it amplifies his voice. Smart cat!

It was in 2002, when Keith and I moved to Boise, and 'officially' moved in together, that the cats got to meet eachother. Let me tell you, it was a tough car ride, from Salt Lake city, to Boise Idaho, with a LOUD cat in the car! :) I had Hercules in my car, and Keith was with Kitty in the truck.
After tormenting them with a long car ride, we introduced them to eachother... At first it was as if they didn't like eachother, they would hiss, scratch, and show their teeth to eachother. They continued this 'fighting' sharade until one day we walked into the apartment and found them cuddled together on the couch! The door opened, we saw them, they saw us, looked at eachother, hissed at eachother, and Kitty ran off to the other room... but the charade was over. We realized we had been played by the cats. They were actaully getting along but must have realized they got more treats and such, if we were worried about them. I guess they do rule the house!

Well here we are years later, there are a few grey hairs, a bit of a wider mid section, and I suppose I am not only talking about the cats here :) We have had a great... almost 10 years together for me and Kitty, and it's been longer for Kitty and Keith... I will not forget the good times... Kitty was a lap cat.. he liked to be on your lap when you were reading, he liked to stick his head between you and the book, so that it made it hard to read :) seems like so long ago... He's been sick for a while... one thing leads to another, and yet another. He's been a trooper!

blah blah blah.... Sometimes I think I want to write... but the words aren't there... or they are, but when I reread what I have written... I feel the need to delete it.... why do I have such a hard time getting the ideas/thoughts from my head to the keyboard??? is there a filter in my fingers? :)

Anyway... that's all I guess I have for now... good night all.