St. Thomas and St. John

Let me first start off by saying what a great deal I got from cheapcaribbean.com. For $249.00, I got 4 nights (we could only use 3 due to work) at the Marriott Frenchman's Reef Resort on Morningstar Beach and a RT ticket from LAX to St. Thomas. So if you are looking at going to the Caribbean, check out the site for awesome deals.

Day 1

My friend Lisa was unable to go on the trip due to medical issues that she is having (such a bummer, I was totally missing my partner in crime!). I bought my mom a ticket instead. It cost $1,200 for her ticket for the same flight. I was so pissed but my mom really needed a vaca and I just wanted to go because I had never been to the Caribbean. So we flew the red eye and finally arrived in St. Thomas at 3pm the next day. I reserved a Jeep Wrangler a while back and didn't realize that it didn't come with windows. Now keep in mind, Tropical Storm Erika just passed 3 hours before and it was still a tad bit wet. The Budget lady said she would down grade me to a Jeep Liberty for less money. Woohoo. It was actually bigger and the windows were a big help. We got in the car and started driving. Now in St. Thomas they drive on the left and the steering wheel is on the left (eye roll), so it took about 10 seconds for me to adjust and then it was no problem. Mom was freaking out though...lol...so then we were driving down the main highway (single lane and packed). Natives drive fast and wild, tourists drive slow and tend to stop for no reason. We got half way through downtown and there was the first accident. A tourist went on the wrong side of the road and had a head-on with a native. Both cars were totaled. Glad it wasn't me. We arrived at the Marriott about 5 minutes later and we checked in. We received our free ocean room upgrade and a gift certificate for $50 at any restaurant in town (thanks cheapcaribbean.com!). We took a shower and a quick nap and then went to dinner at the hotel. We had a total 180 view of the harbour and had a wonderful meal. We stopped at Rumbar on the way back to our room and had a delicious pina colada. Yum yum yum.

Day 2

On day 2 the last bit of tropical storm Erika passed through (dumped about 6" of rain in a hour) so mom and I decided to go and get some food (no lunch, since we slept in until 11am). We ate again at the hotel while the storm passed through. We jumped in the car and drove down to Kmart. There was a rumor in the hotel that the next day was going to be sunny and warm (definitely a beach day) so we went to Kmart to get a foam cooler and some towels. I brought my US Diver gear with me so no need to purchase that. It started to clear up a little and we continued our adventure around the island. We arrived at Magen's Bay, a beach that was rated in the top 10 by numerous travel mags. The nice gentleman at the gate let us in free because the rental shack and restaurant were closed because of the rain (which completely disappeared at that time). Mom and I looked around and we were the only two on beach. It was calm and peaceful. So I disconnected my line, put on my Aquaguard, got on my snorkel gear an dove in. I say a baby octopus, numerous yellow tail, and a few eels. There was also a white fish that kept digging itself in the sand every time we got closer to it. It was amazing. When I got out of the water, mack was there. He totally surprised me and flew in (he was at Atlanta for business and flew in that morning). Mom got to relax on the beach while we snorkeled. We then visited a ice cream shack and had the most amazing Rum Raisin Ice Cream. We went to Coki beach next, which was rated the top snorkeling spot on St. Thomas. I would definitely agree!! A little boy was feeding the fish Pringles and we decided to get in on the action. The fish were jumping out of the water to get them. Bob, with a Jamaican accent of course, was there making $4 drinks with fresh fruit. They were wonderful. We went back to the hotel for dinner and then back to the bar for happy hour. Mom went back to her room while Mack and I enjoyed a Mojito and played Wii with others at the bar.

Day 3

On day 3 we drove over to St. John. The storm had finally passed, we boarded the ferry and arrived in St. John 20 minutes later. We decided to go to Trunk Bay first because we were told it gets busy as more people make their way over there. Trunk Bay has a underwater trail that you follow that describes the fish and plant life in the bay. We did the trail while mom relaxed on the beach and then we continued on. We visited the old sugar plantation, and visited a half dozen other beaches. We took the ferry back to St. Thomas and went back to Magen's Bay. This time the beach was packed. Parties of hundreds were there of locales. We could barely find any space on the beach. We hung out for a while and then decided to go back to the hotel to chill out. Mack had to leave that night (tear) but it was an awesome surprise to have him there. Mom and I went and got dinner and turned in night because we had to get up early for out 8am flight. On day 4 we woke up at 5:30am (ugh) and made it to the airport at 7am. We turned in the rental car and went through immigration. We were lucky enough to upgrade to bulkhead on both flights home (thank you AAdvantage card). We got home around 6pm (our flight was delayed a half hour due to a broken screw on the door latch in Miami). I have such bad luck with planes. We picked up mom's car at The Parking Spot at LAX (the best deal ever...print a coupon off online and you can valet your car for $13.95 a day). They had the car pulled up when we arrived so I jetted home in 26 minutes (I beat dad's record of 38 minutes...hahaha). We had the next day off from work which was a blessing. It allowed my sunburn to cool down a tad before returning back! Overall, we had a wonderful trip and it was well worth the small amount of money that I actually paid. Best of all, I earned 5,200 mileage points. So close to that free flight!!

America's Best Hospitals 2009-2010- GO UCLA!!!

UCLA Rocks...I love my doctors there!


America's Best Hospitals: 2009-10 Honor Roll
They're the best of the best—the 0.4 percent of all hospitals with high scores in 6 or more specialties.
By Avery Comarow, U.S. News & World Report
Find more

America's Best Hospitals
America's Best Children's Hospitals

America's Best Hospitals, an annual ranking of the country's elite medical centers, is a tool for patients who need medical sophistication most facilities cannot offer. Unlike other rankings and ratings that grade hospitals on how well they execute routine procedures like outpatient hernia repair or manage common conditions like low-grade heart failure, the U.S. News approach looks at how well a hospital handles complex and demanding situations—replacing an 85-year-old man's heart valve, diagnosing and treating a spinal tumor, and dealing with inflammatory bowel disease, to name three examples. High-stakes medicine.

This year, the 20th for Best Hospitals, institutions are ranked in 16 specialties, from cancer and heart disease to respiratory disorders and urology. A total of 4,861 hospitals were considered; 174, or less than 0.4 percent of the total, were ranked in even one of the 16 specialties.
In 12 of the 16 specialties, those in which quality of care can spell life or death, hospitals were scored on reputation, death rate, patient safety, and care-related factors such as nursing and patient services; the 50 highest scorers were ranked. Scores and complete data for unranked hospitals are available as well. In the other four specialties—ophthalmology, psychiatry, rehabilitation, and rheumatology—hospitals were ranked on reputation alone, because so few patients die that mortality data don't mean much.

Here are a few of the details: Reputation, which counted as 32.5 percent of the score, was based on three years of specialist surveys—a total of almost 10,000 physicians were asked to name five hospitals they consider among the best in their specialty for difficult cases, without taking into account cost or location. A mortality index, also 32.5 percent of the score, indicates a hospital's ability to keep patients with serious problems alive. Patient safety, new this year, made up 5 percent of the score; it indicates how well a hospital minimizes harm to patients. And a group of other care-related factors, such as nurse staffing and available technology, accounted for the remaining 30 percent.
Of the 174 hospitals that are ranked in one or more specialties, 21 qualified for the Honor Roll by earning high scores in at least six specialties. This demonstrates unusual breadth of excellence. Johns Hopkins Hospital tops the list, as it has every year from 1991 on. (The Mayo Clinic was No. 1 in 1990, Best Hospitals' first year.)
Hospitals are listed by total points. A hospital got 2 points if ranked at or close to the top in a specialty and 1 point if ranked slightly lower.

Rank Hospital

1 Johns Hopkins Hospital — Baltimore, MD
2 Mayo Clinic — Rochester, MN
3 Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center — Los Angeles, CA
4 Cleveland Clinic — Cleveland, OH
5 Massachusetts General Hospital — Boston, MA
6 Presbyterian University Hospital of Columbia— New York, NY
7 University of California, San Francisco Medical — San Francisco, CA
8 Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania — Philadelphia, PA
9 Barnes-Jewish Hospital/Washington University — St. Louis, MO
10 Brigham and Women's Hospital — Boston, MA
10 Duke University Medical Center — Durham, NC
12 University of Washington Medical Center — Seattle, WA
13UPMC-University of Pittsburgh Medical Center — Pittsburgh, PA
14 University of Michigan Hospitals/Health Centers — Ann Arbor, MI
15 Stanford Hospital and Clinics — Stanford, CA
16 Vanderbilt University Medical Center — Nashville, TN
17 NYU Medical Center — New York, NY
17 Yale-New Haven Hospital — New Haven, CT
19 Mount Sinai Medical Center — New York, NY
20 Methodist Hospital — Houston, TX
21 Ohio State University Hospital — Columbus, OH

ATTENTION PHRIENDS!!

OK...all of my PHer PHriends listen up!!

If you guys are interested in getting more involved with PHA and meeting others that have PH and/or caretakers of PHers...this is your chance! We need your help!!

Focus groups are being formed to help PHA develop points of connection, targeted information and programs that meet their specific needs for the following groups. If you feel you fit in one of these groups please click on the link below and take a quick 3-4 minute survey.

• Newly diagnosed patients
• Patients whose PH is related to another disease
• Families with children with PH
• Caregivers of PH patients
• Young adults (18–30) with PH

This is your chance to make a difference and get your voice heard. If there is something you want to bring up to PHA that could help others out, TAKE THIS SURVEY. If you have creative ideas that you feel other PHers and their caretakers would be interested in, TAKE THIS SURVEY!! A small group of people will be selected to participate but all will be informed about the outcome of the first focus group. PHA needs our help. They have done so much for us, it's an easy way to return the love!

To participate, click here or click on the link below:

http://www.phassociation.org/focusgroups.asp

Thank you and love to you all!!

No more IV Remodulin?

I saw this on the PH message boards...I find it very interesting...especially for those of us who fear line infections from IV or site pain from Sub-Q...I wonder if UCLA is in on the trial...if anyone hears how this goes or is part of the study, can you let me know how it goes? Thanks!!

My doctor told me at my visit that in August they will probably be starting a trial using an implanted pump for Remodulin. It will be the stage one safety study and 10 PH centers will be participating.All I can tell you is that the pump would be implanted in the abdomen and it would be refilled once every 3 months by a PH nurse from Accredo, Caremark, or at the PH center. It would have an internal catheter going directly to the heart, similar to IV. However, there wouldn't be the risk of being dislodged, site infections, or pain that exist with the current pump delivery systems. Forgive me if this has been posted before, but I haven't been on the boards for months and I don't feel inspired to go back and search. If anyone knows more about this new pump method please feel free to chime in.

I wonder what the risks are for this "implanted" pump...hmmm...I would also like to know the study name for this...

Question for my PH peeps!!

So I called Accredo this week. I usually order my supplies 2 times a month because they always send 14 days worth of supplies each time. So I called my girl Anita and left her a message on her voicemail that I needed to put in a new supply order. I usually do it on the 1st and 15th of each month. Because I am going to Arkansas at the end of this month, I ordered next month's supplies a little early so I would get the box while I am still in California. So Anita called me back the next day...which kinda peeved me. What kinda customer service is that? I even called her supervisor who said she was in that day. Hmmm...coming from a customer service background, I am a little picky about other company's CS styles. Bad habits are hard to kill. :)

So when she calls me back she says I can't place a order because I can't place 3 orders in one month.

...Cricket....Cricket....

When did this start?? I used to be able to order supplies anytime I wanted. Does anyone know if Accredo is tightening their policies on supply orders??? I found this kinda irritating.

So I of course threw a fit with Anita on the phone and they let me order my supplies early. But come on, I was down to half a vial left, which is 2 more line changes for me. If I dropped the bottle and something happened to it, I would have no backup (which always makes me nervous). Plus when traveling, I always bring an extra week of supplies with me in case I get trapped where I am at, sometimes I bring an extra 2 weeks of supplies if I am out of the country.

I just found this kinda irritating that I pay good money through work to get better benefits through Blue Shield than the typical employee at Hampton, yet I get this crap all of a sudden. So I called Blue Shield and they said they had no problem with me ordering 3 times a month if I needed to. So this must be a new Accredo policy.

Has anybody tried ordering 3 times in one month lately? Just wondering if anyone else got the same "lecture" that I got.

Hmm...I am talking to Dr. Saggar about this BS...

Micheal Jackson 1958-2009

I was shocked to hear that Farrah passed away this morning (even though most of us have heard and watch her personal struggle with cancer). But I just about dropped on the floor when I had heard that Michael Jackson passed away today in the afternoon. I can remember as a kid dancing to his music, watching the Thriller music video every Halloween, and listening to heartfelt songs such as "Childhood" which he described as his own childhood autobiography in a musical format and "Man in the Mirror" which to this day, I still listen to on my ipod. I don't know if I believe all the rumor that were told about him, such as the skin bleaching, the sexual abuse of kids, mystery illnesses, the drugs, etc. It is so sad that everyone was so quick to assume today that he overdosed on meds, which in the end may be true, but cut the poor man some slack. But one thing was for sure, he struggled throughout his life, dealing with one thing after another, and all he was looking for was some sense of being "normal" and a sence of acceptance. He was a tortured soul. But you can tell, anytime he was around his fans, he felt loved, accepted, and at peace. He was one damn good singer and song writer. No one will ever match his brilliance in the music industry.

I believe that Andrew Sullivan best describes Michael:

"There are two things to say about him. He was a musical genius; and he was an abused child. By abuse, I do not mean sexual abuse; I mean he was used brutally and callously for money, and clearly imprisoned by a tyrannical father. He had no real childhood and spent much of his later life struggling to get one. He was spiritually and psychologically raped at a very early age - and never recovered. Watching him change his race, his age, and almost his gender, you saw a tortured soul seeking what the rest of us take for granted: a normal life.
But he had no compass to find one; no real friends to support and advise him; and money and fame imprisoned him in the delusions of narcissism and self-indulgence. Of course, he bears responsibility for his bizarre life. But the damage done to him by his own family and then by all those motivated more by money and power than by faith and love was irreparable in the end. He died a while ago. He remained for so long a walking human shell.
I loved his music. His young voice was almost a miracle, his poise in retrospect eery, his joy, tempered by pain, often unbearably uplifting. He made the greatest music video of all time; and he made some of the greatest records of all time. He was everything our culture worships; and yet he was obviously desperately unhappy, tortured, afraid and alone.
I grieve for him; but I also grieve for the culture that created and destroyed him. That culture is ours' and it is a lethal and brutal one: with fame and celebrity as its core values, with money as its sole motive, it chewed this child up and spat him out."

May Ed McMahon be introducing Michael Jackson in private performance to Farrah.

It has been a tragic week for the entertainment business. May all rest in peace in heaven.

Jon and Kate: The Saga Continues...

Didn't we all know it would come to this? Sad thing is that they are going to drag 8 kids through all their crap...just wait until they are in their teens and they can google their parents name...that is when it becomes shameful...

For facebook users...click here to see video.

Did You Know? (Part 3)

Another excellent did you know video, this time on the enviroment....enjoy!

For Facebook friends...click here to see the video.

If you are on my blog, you will see the video below.

Great marketing...Part 2

So as a follow up to my pitch about T-Mobile, Trident went and copied them and did "Single Ladies" on Picadilly Circus. What is up with this type of marketing in the UK?

Hmmm...


For Facebook Users...click here to see video.

Great marketing...

As a marketer, it is always amazing to see how companies get so freaking creative when they have an unlimited budget. My budget on the other hand is very small (about 10K a month) and most of that goes to consumer research for up and coming meetings.

Here is one of the best marketing idea ever (in my eyes). T-Mobile spent soooo much money on it, but it was so worth the investment. Hence, one of the reason's why our company's cell phones are contracted with T-Mobile.

Liverpool Train Station:

Here is the preview movie to their marketing experiment:

For Facebook users...click here to see the video.



Here is how it turned out:

For Facebook users...click here to see the video.



The public's reaction:

For Facebook users...click here to see video.

Did You Know (Part 2)

This is another awesome "Did You Know?" video from our marketing meeting yesterday. Obviously my favorite part was the song. I think this one is my favorite to date. Enjoy!

For my Facebook users....click here to see the video.

If you are on my blog, you should see the video below:

Did you know? (Part 1)

At work we always start our meetings with a new "Did You Know?" video...

In our marketing meetings this week, we were shown another movie that was just fantastic. So I thought I would share all the past "Did You Know?" videos over time. They are quite fascinating. And as a marketing team trying to sell new innovative products, it always opens up our eyes (or at least my eyes) to what the world is really like, and not just how I perceive it.

Feel free to leave your comments regarding the videos if you would like. :)

For Facebook users...you won't see the video below....click here to see the video.

If you are on my blog...you should see the video below:

What we really do at work...

Sadly, this is what we really do on casual Fridays at work...let's just say, not much gets done!!

This is Suzie (one of our two fabulous production artists at work) and I testing out my new

Flip MinoHD....

Mayonnaise Jar and 2 Cups of Coffee

I was once told that when things in your life seem almost too much to handle, when 24 hours in a day is not enough, remember the mayonnaise jar and 2 cups of coffee.

My professor stood before our philosophy class and had some items in front of him. When the class began, wordlessly, he picked up a very large and empty mayonnaise jar and proceeded to fill it with golf balls. He then asked his students if the jar was full. We agreed that it was. The professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured them into the jar. He shook the jar lightly. The pebbles rolled into the open areas between the golf balls. He then asked the students again if the jar was full...we agreed it was. Our professor then picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar. Of course, the sand filled up everything else. He asked once more if the jar was full. We responded with an unanimous 'yes'. The professor then produced two cups of coffee from under the table and poured the entire contents into the jar, effectively filling the empty space between the sand. We all laughed.

'Now,' said the professor, as the laughter subsided, I want you to recognize that this jar represents your life.

The golf balls are the important things - God, family, children, health, friends, and favorite passions--things that if everything else was lost and only they remained, your life would still be full.

The pebbles are the other things that matter like your job, house, and car.

The sand is everything else -- the small stuff.

If you put the sand into the jar first, he continued, there is no room for the pebbles or the golf balls. The same goes for life. If you spend all your time and energy on the small stuff, you will never have room for the things that are important to you. So...pay attention to the things that are critical to your happiness. Play with your children. Take time to get medical checkups. Take your partner out to dinner. Play another 18. There will always be time to clean the house and fix the disposal. Take care of the golf balls first -- the things that really matter.

Set your priorities. The rest is just sand. One of the students raised her hand and inquired what the coffee represented. Our professor smiled. 'I'm glad you asked. It just goes to show you that no matter how full your life may seem, there's always room for a couple of cups of coffee with a friend.'

Tomorrow, have a cup of coffee with a friend. I know I will!

It Came!!

I love my Flip MinoHD. It's awesome. The design I created looked awesome (kinda feared it would looked cheesy...but it doesn't). The 'rents were surprised on how awesome my design turned out. I will film a video tomorrow at work and see how things go. Tomorrow I am going to be slammed at work (TONS OF FREAKING WORK TO DO). So I will try my best to get something up here.

Well I am going to bed...Farm Town is totally addicting. I am trying something out for the first time tonight. I think I have learn that if I plant potatoes at around 9pmish, they will be ready tomorrow when I get home from work. I am slowly getting higher up in the ranks...not as fast as some but just doing it steadily.

Laters!

The Flip is Coming...Yay!

It's on its way! Find my house this time Mr. UPS Guy!!! Pray that no one steals it off my front door step!!


ALISO VIEJO,CA, US
06/10/2009
4:38 A.M.
OUT FOR DELIVERY

ALISO VIEJO,CA, US
06/09/2009
8:30 P.M.
ARRIVAL SCAN

LONG BEACH,CA, US
06/09/2009
7:40 P.M.
DEPARTURE SCAN

06/09/2009
5:36 P.M.

ARRIVAL SCAN
LOUISVILLE,KY, US
06/09/2009
4:13 P.M.

DEPARTURE SCAN
06/09/2009
12:02 P.M.
ORIGIN SCAN Tracking results provided by UPS: 06/10/2009 11:02 A.M. ET

My Flip is almost here...

Can't wait...should arrive tomorrow...time to start making videos!!! Yay!! Pray that UPS doesn't loose this package!!

States I Have Been Too...

Put an X by the states you have been to. The average is 8; how do you match up?Should you choose to play, here's what you do:Copy my note. Click on “notes” under tabs on your profile page. Select "write a new note" in the top right corner. Paste the copy in the body of the note. Delete my X's and O's and add your own. Change the number at the top, and add your title. Once you've saved, don't forget to tag friends (including me) on the right. Tag the same # of people as the # of states you've been to. Just for fun, put an O beside the states where you have lived.Airports don't count!Neither does driving straight through.

Alabama
Alaska
Arizona X
Arkansas X (this summer...sigh)
California OX
Colorado X
Connecticut
Delaware
Florida X
Georgia X
Hawaii X
Idaho X
Illinois X
Indiana X
Iowa X
Kansas X
Kentucky X
Louisiana X
Maine
Maryland
Massachusetts
Michigan
Minnesota X
Mississippi X
Missouri X
Montana X
Nebraska
Nevada X
New Hampshire
New Jersey
New Mexico X
New York
North Carolina
North Dakota
Ohio
Oklahoma X (this summer...sigh)
Oregon (this summer...woohoo)
Pennsylvania
Rhode Island
South Carolina
South Dakota
Tennessee
Texas X
Utah X
Vermont
Virginia
Washington (this summer...woohoo!)
West Virginia
Wisconsin X
Wyoming X

My New Baby-Flip MinoHD Camcorder

Thanks Mom and Dad for the AWESOME birthday gift. It was exactly what I wanted and I even got to design my own MinoHD. I took this picture in Laguna Beach last year and I slapped on my photography logo right on it.

I love it.

I can't wait to post some videos up here (especially when Lisa and I go to St. Thomas in September!).

Thanks again Mom and Dad...I love you and you're the best parents EVER!!...but you already knew that...

First Celebrity Case of the Swine Flu

First Celebrity Case of the Swine Flu

Poor Kermit. I think we know who gave it to him....

Just heard that the swine flu can now be found in every state in the contiguous US. I also heard that a group of kids have the swine flu at our local elementary school about 5 miles away. It's amazing how fast things spread. I did see this picture on facebook (I think) and I found it to be hilarious. It cracks me up every time I see it.

Jon and Kate- Episode 2 and 3

I was dying to watch the new episode of Jon and Kate this week. I have been watching the show for the past 3-4 years now, and I think the kids are absolutely adorable, that Kate is a total bitch towards Jon, and Jon is such a wimp for never saying anything back to Kate when she makes her snippy comments to him 24/7.

Lets first address Kate's birthday weekend. It totally cracked me up that the kids and the show totally got her when they surprised her with her trip to Ace of Cakes. I thought she was going to chew off the heads of the producers or the bus driver if they didn't tell her where they were going. Some of us know that a cake made by Ace of Cakes is at least 1k (that is their minimum amount). When I met Duff and Mary Alice last year, they were totally awesome and their cakes in "real-life" are worth every dime. Plus they taste awesome as well. So I can't image what it cost for all the "kids" cakes plus her cake to be made by Duff. Cha-ching!

I thought it was hilarious that Jon just happened to be gone the exact same weekend as her birthday. What husband does that???? So to me, it is SOOOO obvious that they are no longer together but staying together just for the show. Little did they "forget" to mention that he was there with the chick that he is seeing (I think her name is Deanna). It was plastered all over online. And it's obvious that he did the charity work with the handicap just for press and to get the trip for free from TLC. I get that his dad worked with handicap kids and he looked up to him for that, but come...he was just there to spend time with his girlfriend on vacation. See more info about this here...

http://www.usmagazine.com/news/kate-gosselin-spends-birthday-with-kids-while-jon-hangs-with-girlfriend-200975?page=3&utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=daily

So when Kate goes on vacation with Maddie and Jon stays home with the kids, it cracks me up. Again, they are separated...will they ever show a episode of them, together, in the house??? I thought it was interesting that Jon put the swing set together but said he would "finish it next time"...when is next time?? When you come over next?? Obviously he isn't living there anymore if he is making this comment.

**Sigh**

It's just interesting how TLC spins the show to make it look like they are still together when most viewers can plainly see the lack of being together, the lack of romance, the lack of togetherness (anyone else notice how far apart they were on the chair again!?!). To me, it is obvious that there is nothing left in their marriage to save.

Awesome movies...

Since getting our new extended cable service I have been watching some pretty awesome movies recently. I thought I will list them here so in case you are looking for a new flick to watch, check these out (most of the time you can find them on HBO or Cinemax).

Movie: 27 Dresses

I have seen this movie a couple of times and I enjoy it each time I watch it. Even though I am not too big of a fan of Katherine, the story is pretty good and moves along. I give it 3 out 4 "Lindsay Movie Stars".

Movie: 88 Minutes

I have only seen this movie once. I am usually a fan of Al Pacino so I figured it would be good. If you like suspense and things that run on a time line (like "24", etc.), this one is for you. And of course, if you like Al, you will like this movie...he is awesome as the lead actor. Leelee Sobieski is also in it if you like her. I would give it 4 out of 4 "Lindsay movie stars".

Movie: Made of Honor

I have seen this movie a couple of times as well. Story line kinda moves slow, and reminded me a lot of "My Best Friend's Wedding". Virtually the same story line but takes place mostly in New York and Scotland (not Chicago for those who watched MBFW). I would give it 3 out of 4 "Lindsay movie stars".

Movie: Far and Away

I have seen this movie so many times and I just love it. I am a big fan of Nicole Kidman and Tom Cruise, so put them together and you know you will have an awesome movie. If you like romance and adventure movies put together, especially "love conquers all" movies, you will like this one. I would give it 4 out 4 "Lindsay movie stars".

Movie: What Happens in Vegas

Another good movie with Cameron Diaz and Ashton Kutcher. Story has lots of humor plus the romance element. I would give it 3 out of 4 "Lindsay movie stars".

Other good movies:

The Brave One- Jodie Foster

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button-Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchett

The Other Sister-Juliette Lewis

The Others-Nicole Kidman

The Other Boleyn Girl- Natalie Portman and Scarlet Johansson

Bedtime Stories- Adam Sandler (good for kids)

Bee Movie- Good for younger kids

The Golden Compass-Good for older kids and up...another Nicole Kidman movie

A Perfect Murder- Michael Douglas and Gwyneth Paltrow

Save the Last Dance- Julia Stiles

Rendition- Reese Witherspoon

Just Like Heaven-Reese Witherspoon

Sweet Home Alabama- Reese Witherspoon

The Secret Life of Bees- Dakota Fanning and Queen Latifa and Alica Keys

Man on Fire- Dakota Fanning and Denzel Washington

Summer 2009 Travel...

I can't wait for the summer vacations to begin...last year we (mom, dad, and I) had an awesome time Europe (England, France- Nice, Paris, Cannes, Provence, Lyon and Monaco and Monte Carlo). This summer we got some awesome deals on flights ($29 each way after taxes) through Allegient Air. Our first trip is happening at the end of June. We are going back to Arkansas to visit my Aunt and Uncle as well as my cousins and second cousins. We will only be there for 4 days but lots happen in the South within a few days! Then we are going to cash in our free night in Vegas at the Hilton for my dad's birthday in July. It will be nice to lay out and get some sun. After that we have our company picnic for 450 people that mom and I are planning along with a few other people from the Activities Committee at work. Then in August, we are going to Bellingham, Washington which will be very exciting because I have never been to the Northwest before. We are going to be there for 8 days and while we are there we are going to drive north to see Vancouver and then we are driving down to see Seattle. Then in September, Lisa and I will be going to St. Thomas and St. John's for a week for a little R & R...we are renting a jeep wrangler soft top and we are going to explore the islands. So I am glad I saved up all my vacation time through out the year for this summer. I am actually shocked that I have enough hours but I will just squeak by with 17 hours left over in September. It will be nice to have a break from moving and house hunting. It will be my first time visiting the Northwest and Canada so it will be big milestone that I get to mark off this summer too (first time to Europe was last summer). Well that's it for now. Lots of little stuff in between...PHA on the Road, birthday's, etc.

Memorial Weekend...

What a great weekend it has been so far, and it's not even over yet!! :)

Yesterday I got to sleep in for the first time in weeks (usually I am up early helping mom box stuff...dad is really clumsy so we try to keep him away from packing things...so on that note, who else is going to help her?). I slept in until 10am, took a shower and made my way downstairs. In the kitchen is my mom trying to line the drawers with liners (we used to call it Contact paper, I haven't a clue what they call it now). She totally sucks at this so I take over (my neat-freak OCD side comes out). I look over and there are two guys working on getting out the HUGE scratch (more like dent) out of the top of our dining room table (thank you moving guys). They did a pretty good job...I was impressed and can't even see it now. Saturday was filled pretty much with unboxing the kitchen stuff but we did take a break because we ran out of soap for the dish washer. Mom has to wash every dish that is unpacked ("it might be dirty" is her rationale...see where I get my OCD-like tendencies now?). So we walked over the shopping center next to our neighborhood. We stopped in Pavilions and got the soap and then we decided to grab a bite to eat at Pacific Whey Cafe that is right next to use. Lunch was sooooo yummy. I got the ham and cheese sandwich with soup and it was yummo! Mom copied me and got the same. So once we got back we finished unboxing the dishes and food and put the dishes in the newly lined shelves (thank you very much) and just had enough room for the dishes we brought (half of them are in storage, crazy...I know). Then dad came home and we went to Outback Steak House. He signed another large job up so we had to celebrate (and after cleaning all day we were in no mood to cook). When we got home we watched 7 Pounds with Will Smith. That was definitely an interesting movie. I can't tell if I liked it or not. It was so-so I guess. So then dad went to got see Men at Work with his buddy George at Coach House (yes his second concert of the week...Jimmy Buffet was on Thursday). Mom and I watched 88 minutes. It was really good.

Today I was the first one up (very rare...usually dad is up by 5am but I think his partying this week is catching up to him). Went to Lowes to look for Mom's birthday gift...a BBQ. Yes, that is what she wanted. So no luck finding an affordable gas grille that also had a rotisserie (which is "must" for mom). So then we go to Tommy Bahamas for lunch. Yum! I got the flat iron steak with salad. It was delicious. Mom got a free desert since it was her birthday. She picked out a upside-down, pineapple cheesecake and dad and I shared the key lime pie (our fav). We used our $200 gift certificate that our realtor's gave us for having our business for selling our house (hell they make 50K off it, $200 is the least they could give us back). It was a generous gift though, don't get me wrong. Then we went Wal-Mart and Home Depot and had no luck. I went to Aymee's grad party then and they continued on to Costco and Sears. Finally at Sears they found the BBQ on sale with everything she wanted. I, in the meantime met Aymee and the gang at Lonestar for her grad party. Had a great time and spent a little bit of time with my little godson. :)

Then I came home and got in my PJ's and watched "21" another excellent movie but I had already seen it, and then caught up on my shows that I recorded. I started to watch "daisy of Love" which I find to be totally ridiculous and stupid but so addictive. I think the whole "Daisy" chick is such a freaking bimbo and she acts like she is in high school. She has the maturity level of a 15 year old. And the guys that she is dating on the show think their shit doesn't stink but come on dudes, you look like freaking idiots!! But when a new episode comes on, I am totally addicted to it.

I am excited for tomorrow. First off, no work...yay...so more sleeping in! Then I need to plant my bulbs and plants that I stole from our old house that I wanted to keep (my prized iris clumps, etc.). I am going to clean my room some more (needs a little reorganizing) and then I am going to start on Ayden/Lisa's room/Office so if anyone visits, they have a spot to stay. I also have to refill my bird feeder (they ate all the seed out of in 2 days...such little pigs compared to my finches at the old house). I did see the baby hummingbird today drinking out of it's feeder. It was so stinkin' cute. It was probably the size of half my finger. I am going also help mom clean the back patio, set up the patio furniture and put the BBQ in it's new home, and then hopeful go to the grocery store...get some real food (I am so tired of eating out 24/7) and maybe having a little fish for dinner with mom's famous fried rice. Then I am going to watch the season premiere of Jon and Kate plus 8 which is going to be fantastic. I love the drama of their relationship. It's so stupid. He cheated on her. He just needs to come out and freaking confess it. The body language of the both of them sitting in the chair gives it all away that they marriage is in shambles. Before he used to but his arm behind her while in the chair, now you can fit a third person in between them and they can barely stand each other. I hope they really address the issue instead of saying, "We're working on it". So tired of hearing that. And seriously, if you want to be out of the public's vision....stop the show. But even now, you are too late. It isn't like you didn't know fame was going to be like this. And Kate says she is doing it for the kids...well duh. That's the only way they can afford to pay for things for the kids be neither have a job. And she didn't write that freaking book, she just incorporated her ideas into it. Check out the inside cover and you will see.

Well that is enough for tonight. Hope everyone has a fantastic holiday tomorrow. Mine will be busy with more unpacking and arranging of furniture.

Nite nite! :)

The Wednesday after "the move"...

So today is officially the last day we own our house on Topanga Canyon. It's kinda bittersweet. Good memories happened at that house (getting ready for HS prom, graduation from UCI, having Mickie (adopted grandmother) and Pebbles (family pup) both there...but the time has come along to move to a new house. Still can't afford to get my own place yet (darn 401K needs to grow faster)...but I will get there someday. Plus with my IV line, I still need to live with someone that is trained to do my meds in case I can't make a syringe up on my own. The move went well on Monday, only thing that got damaged was our dining room table got a HUGE scratch on the top of it. Allied Moving Co. is sending a gentleman out on Saturday to fix the table (mom was pretty pissed that they scratched her new dining room table that she adores). Boxes are everywhere and are driving me nuts. At least on this move, I was smart. Anything vitally important to me (laptop, cellphone, work clothes, charges, meds) were hand-carried over and are safe and sound. Tonight I am working on setting up the tivo. This time a have a new HD cable box and it is going to make it a little bit more challenging this time because I never had to set it up with a cable box before. As a backup, I have setup the DVR downstairs just in case I miss my precious shows. Juan is going to be coming by today to help fix things up at the condo again. Mostly hang photos. I might take it easy today and just direct and watch the Mentalist that I recorded last night. I sure hope the episode was good. I love that show. And Simon Baker is quite a hottie...his wife is a lucky woman!...hehehe...

Well, I better be getting back to work. Nothing much going on over here today. I did my project that I was assigned this morning (took me a whole 15 minutes to do it). So now I am just a lost little puppy with nothing to do until 4pm. I did take my lasix today, and like usual, I feel like crap and I have to go pee every 10 minutes. Lisa would have been proud of me that I didn't just blow it off...

Back to websurfing...oh...I mean "work"...

I will write later...

Goodbye Dino...Hello LCD...

Well after 10 years my dino Magnavox 36" TV is going away. I am dumping "dino" and I bought my first LCD High Def TV at Costco. I got it for 1K at Costco (at Wal-Mart it was 1600 for the exact same model). It's 47" which I can almost guarantee that I will be able to see the titles of the shows on my Tivo without squinting like an old lady. Best part is that it has the new advanced surround sound system from Vizio.

Cox cable man comes to the new condo tomorrow at 8am to install the TV's and hook up the new cable lines etc. and hook up our wireless internet as well as our land line telephones.

Last items in the house are being boxed tomorrow and then we are ready to move to Newport beach on Monday at 7:30am. Allied better take good care of my stuff on the ride over!

Nite nite peeps!

American Idol Finale Tickets...

Damn I was just too slow...should have checked my email earlier...oh well...name is still on the top of the list for next year....


Congratulations! Due to your place on the waiting list, we are notifying you of seat availability to the final tapings of American Idol at The Nokia Theater in downtown Los Angeles, next Tuesday, May 19th and Wednesday, May 20th!!

IMPORTANT: PLEASE READ ALL INFORMATION CAREFULLY! THIS CHECK-IN VOUCHER HAS NO MONETARY VALUE TO ITS HOLDER AND MAY NOT BE SOLD OR EXCHANGED UNDER PENALTY OF LAW; ANY SUCH ATTEMPTED OR ACTUAL SALE OR TRANSFER OF THE CHECK-IN VOUCHER INVALIDATES IT AND IS GROUNDS FOR SEIZURE OF THE VOUCHER.

On Tuesday, May 19th we are taping both the full dress rehearsal and the live performance finale. The full dress rehearsal is a taping of the entire show including all performances and Ryan Seacrest. The only thing you don't see in the rehearsal is the judge's comments. On Wednesday, May 20th we are taping the live results show.

YOU MAY ONLY REQUEST TICKETS TO ONE OF THESE TAPINGS. Please remember vouchers are distributed on a first-come, first-served basis. Thank you and enjoy the show!!

PLEASE NOTE: All vouchers are free. Due to the immense popularity of the show, there is a system in place to ensure that as many fans as possible get a fair chance to see the show. Therefore you will only have this one opportunity and then you will be removed from the waitlist. We are unable to make special accommodations. Therefore, if you click on the following link and are sent back to the waiting list because the shows are already full or if you are receiving this email and are unable to attend this date, please rejoin the waitlist any time after Wednesday, May 20th. Thank you for your understanding. Please use only one of the links below and make sure to enter your information correctly and choose the correct number of vouchers. If all links are full, please check back periodically over the next few days as we may releasemore tickets. Please use the link below for the rehearsal on Tuesday, May 19th (12 PM arrival):


Please use the link below for the live performance show on Tuesday, May 19th (1 PM arrival):

Yeah Right, sorry peeps...not letting anyone screw up my place in line!

Please use the link below for the live results show on Wednesday, May 20th (1:30 arrival):

Yeah Right, sorry peeps...not letting anyone screw up my place in line!

If you aren’t able to request tickets to one of these tapings, tickets are available to Idol Extra! Join us after the finale on Wednesday for an intimate interview with the Idol contestant to be voted off. Idol Extra will wrap up the results and the season and gives you one last look at the most recent Idol contestant to get voted off.

Tickets are also available to live tapings of America’s Got Talent next week! May 18th-21st at The Orpheum Theater downtown. Join new host Nick Cannon and judges David Hasselhoff, Sharon Osbourne, and Piers Morgan in the live audience as the best amateur performers from around the country compete! judge!

THANKS FOR A GREAT SEASON!!

DAMN....

TGIF!!

You would think starting off your Friday at the DMV would be a clear signal, omen, smoke signal, whatever you might call it...that today was most likely going to be a crappy day. Luckily I turned it around and it wasn't too bad. So here was my day...kinda boring but somewhat entertaining in a sense:

6:45am: wake up to my enemy...the alarm clock...no good looking man next to me in bed...damn, just a dream and not reality!

6:50am: shower

7:15am: Clothes on and heading out the door

7:30am: Set off alarm to our side of the building...quickly put in code before police come. I as successful today! Work starts...put on the first pot of Starbucks breakfast blend coffee on for the team. I don't even like coffee. I grab my cup and make me some yummy Orange Spice Tea.

8am: Check email. 57 emails in my inbox. Zero were junk mail. Lovely.

9am: Co-workers trickle in. Angry that they get to come in later...but happy when I get to leave at 4 and they have to stay later on a Friday night. Lindsay...happy hour...coworkers...no happy hour!

9:15am: Create merchandising unit for Wal*Mart. Created 8 foot planogram in 30 minutes. New record!

9:45am: Send planogram to president of company and VP of sales. Grab purse and drive to DMV.

10am: Arrive at DMV early. Appointment at 10:20. Got number and started waiting.

10:05am: Number called, got new plates in hand, new registration card but have to wait in second line for tags.

10:07am: Man lets me cut in line, hands me tags, out the door. Yay...quickest time in DMV ever!!!

10:30am: Back at work. Extension 204 ringing. Hello mom. Mom notifies me that she is driving to rental to let carpet guys in. The lady who owns the rental never showed up with the key. What a dim-wit.

10:35am: Create 8 FedEx shipping forms for boxes that I am shipping out later.

11am: Go home, put on plates so I don't get pulled over or have issues with the toll road. Call mom and ask her if she wants me to bring her lunch. She says to bring her Del Taco.

11:20am: Drive to Del Taco, got food, hopped on Toll Road and drove to condo.

11:35am: Saw carpet that the owner picked...mom and I shake heads...why did she pick that color...oh well...we are only there for the summer.

12:00pm: drive back to work.

12:20pm: Arrive at work, start Home Depot project. Must create packaging for 23 skus.

2:20pm: Done.

2:21pm: Pack items. Lots of bubble wrap and boxes. Slapped on the FedEx forms and push the boxes in lobby for pickup.

3:30pm: Meeting with Kim (President at work). Learn that my research got us 16ft of retail space in the home improvement dept at Wal*Mart. Ya baby!

3:45pm: Learned that we are getting bonuses and raises. I love our company.

3:50am: Spoke to CMO and he says there is a good chance of getting a promo. Manager sounds good to me.

4:00pm: Grab laptop and go home. Pick up dad and extra paint. Talk to neighbor about moving. Neighbor sad to see us go. Oh well...everyone has there time. Ours in now! :)

4:20pm: Leave for condo. Mom calls 3 times between here and there. Geez mom!

4:35pm: Dad sees carpet and shakes head. Says...why did she pick that color? Our thoughts exactly!

5pm: Carpet guys are still working on second floor. They guess they will be there until 11pm. Eek! Mom arrives and we decide to walk over to Taco Rosa for happy hour. Yay!

5:05pm: Ordered a blended margarita (first drink in 5 months). Yum. Got chips, salsa, and guacamole for 4 bucks. What a deal.

6:15pm: Walk back home. Check out the new pool in the complex and notice they have a section for toddlers. Ayden will love that. Can't wait to see him soon. Checked out tennis court. Brand new. Eyebrow raises. Dad says we will have to get some rackets. Find shortcut to shopping center we just came from. hmmm...very cool. Dad says he will go this way to Starbucks for morning coffee or to taco rosa for happy hour. Dad is so funny. Check out spa. Looks nice. Can't wait to move in.

6:30pm: back at condo. Carpet guys are still on second floor. Still have the staircase left and the family room. The rest has wood floors. *sigh* we decide to leave.

7pm: Back home. Hit a little traffic on the 405. Speedy toll road got us home quicker though. Ran inside and started the shower. Ahhh....long day....got on PJ's, helped mom pack two boxes before her show came on (ghost whisperer)...I crawled upstairs and jumped on the laptop. Flipped on the Tivo...

9:42pm: Still answering emails. Working on PH stuff. Now starting to look for flat screens on sale to go buy this weekend. Costco looks the best. Our TV from there now works pretty well. Hmm...now typing blog...

So that's my day in a nutshell...it was busy...tomorrow will be just as busy. **sigh** I just loving moving...fun times. :)

Work...work...work...

Has anybody else ever noticed that you can go weeks with nothing to do at work and then all of a sudden...BAM!! A ton of work comes your way....egh...it is so frustrating. On Monday we are moving, mom and I are trying to pack all the crap we have, and of course I get 3 new survey projects at work. Normally I'm busy just doing one. But now I have 3 at the same time and I have to create a PowerPoint presentation for Mr. Kelley, our president at work for his Wal*Mart meeting next week. That's due on Friday. Eek! No pressure!!! Yeah right...**sigh**...Out of 250 employees, he picks me to do it. I feel it's an honor that he thinks so highly of my presentations but come on, just this once, couldn't you have picked someone else? Oh well...another "atta-girl" for my yearly review...I better get bigger raise this year or a promotion! :)

I know I can do it, just means that I have to be quick and make sure I dot my "I's" and cross my "T's". I am just thankful that I have next Monday off (at least for now) and maybe next Tuesday, depending how the move goes and how much we can unpack on Monday. The grout guy came today to redo our showers at the rental. The owners of the rental picked the guy (we got our own quote for 560 bucks...yes it was that bad...but it included both showers). This guy came in and only did my mom's shower and he only went half way up. He totally did a half-ass job (excuse my french). So it looks like I will grouting my own shower tomorrow. But we did get our new trash compactor today in the kitchen (which the owner replaced because the previous tenant broke it). It work really well so at least that was a trade off. Window cleaners come tomorrow. They are cleaning all the windows, high-pressuring the house walls, and then cleaning all the screens and shutters through out the house. We have used, "Window Valet" before at our house now and they do an excellent job. Juan from work and I are going tomorrow to install more door hardware, bath fixtures, cabinet hardware, shower heads, etc. Should be fun and Juan is such a nice guy to help us out for free. It will be awesome once the new carpet is in Friday (that will make a big difference). I am hoping to oil the wood floors tomorrow too. Can't forget to do that!

I can already tell that the house cleaner that the condo owners hired to come on Saturday aren't going to a good enough job for mom's standards. So I can only imagine that I will be there with her on Sunday, cleaning everything they miss or going over the house twice. Why does my mom have to be such a neat-freak? At least she doesn't iron the sheets anymore. But that's why I love her...we always have a clean house to come home to. I can't figure out how people can live in a dirty/messy house. Yuck! Plus for some odd reason, I think she thinks a clean home, lowers my rate of infection. I can see how that can help. I really think she is trying to figure out some way to help me. Every little bit counts.

OK...I am done rambling. Goodnight everyone. Busy day tomorrow. If I have time I will post an update!

My Silent PHriend...

Check out new videos I found on Pulmonary Hypertension from my peeps on Facebook...the more information that is released, the higher the chances an undiagnosed PHer will find treatment!

Part 1:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Rot22kHXO0

Part 2:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3RE8pCia2UY

Part 3:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z2uq3YxB50Q

Mother's Day...

Mother's Day was definitly interesting this year...

We went to Las Brisas for brunch...I had a yummy Filet Mignon which I get every year, mom got the same thing, and dad tried the Lamb Filet. Afterwards we visited the condo and did a few minor repairs with Mack's help. Then we went home and packed...and packed...and packed! We did 2 trips to the storage unit and one trip to Goodwill. I organized my clothes today...about half is now going on the next trip to Goodwill and I packed up the guest closet and office. Mom and Dad focused on the garage and filled up the dumpster that we got over the weekend. I was proud of Mom because she threw away a lot of her holiday crap. She is very sentimental and has a hard time parting with her crap. She did good though and got rid of a lot of stuff we don't even use to decorate anymore.

Tomorrow is another day at work. We have a usual monday marketing meeting at 10am till 11am. Then I have a meeting with Alex (our CMO) regarding a research project for Wal-Mart. They are seeking new research regard future products that we are trying to pitch to them. So that means lots of work coming up. Then we have our Consumer Intercept Project coming this wednesday in Chicago, IL. We are testing out the new Wright's new logo design (the company we just bought out). It will be interesting to see how consumers respond to Vertis' crappy design. I personally think we could have designed something better "in-house" but oh well...not my department. But come on, think about it, men buy screen door closures 99 percent of the time...so why would we create such a feminine logo? (The new one is in a "girly" font type...I hate it...can't you tell?) So I hope the guys in the intercept hate it so we have to start all over again with a new logo. Here's an idea...let's focus our marketing and brand towards the consumer!! What a concept!! Oh well...

Other than that, it should be a slow week at work. Rumor has it, action is going to happen though. I think some people will be fired this week. I am getting the "vibe".

As for the condo...window washers come on Wednesday and they are going to high-pressurize the siding of the house as well. Thursday the grout guys are coming to redo the grout in all the showers. Friday the carpet team is coming in and installing the new carpet...Saturday the cleaners come to clean the place from "head to toe". Sunday mom and I will come in and get the last few things cleaned, probably bring some organizational things over as well as the things we want to hand carry. I am hoping to get my bathroom setup by Monday. I found some wonderful things at HomeGoods...I got a modern looking shower current that is robin's egg blue and chocolate brown. I also found a chrome magazine rack and a chrome shower curtain rod by Moen that gives you a little bit more room (it's curved). I also got some new modern looking accessories like a soap dish, tissue box cover, trash can, etc. as well as these adorable towels that were imported from Australia. They are so soft and best of all they were six bucks a piece. I got new hardware and light fixtures through work and I am going to switch out all the cabinet hardware as well.

Well...I am heading off to bed...this is me signing off!

Nite nite!

Mother's Day Weekend!!

This weekend is Mother's Day and the fam has a lot going on. Yesterday I had Evelyn @ Bell Tower Florists create a beautiful bouquet for mom in her favorite vase. It turned out awesome (like usual). I was kinda suprised about how few flowers you get now for 100 bucks. Before you used to get quite a bit, but now...it seems to get to be fewer and fewer. Evelyn says it's because of the increase prices in gases and I know flowers cost more at the flower mart too (I was just there with my aunt mom's ago and it looked like the prices went up again by 10-20%). So it all makes since. Tomorrow we are going to Las Brisas for brunch. I made my reservations 5 months in advance. Most people know that after february you can't get in on mother's day. I learned that the hard way one year. After that we will be visiting the condo and do some repairs. We will be replanting the front yard next week. Yay to new flowers! :)

This is the arrangement that Eveyln made...you did an awesome job girlfriend!

Today mom and I went to the new beach condo to do some clean up in the yard (4 trash cans later) while Mr. Kim and his crew (his wife and two other guys) finished painting our house. They re-stained the fireplace, the cabinets and the staircase as well. They repainted every room and even hit the front door. We got two qoutes for the job...3500 and 2000 from Mr. Kim. So the choice was obvious. Mr. Kim was neat, quite and precise as well. Juan from work is coming over next week to install the new door knobs, cabinet hardware, shower heads, light fixtures, etc. The window cleaners come on wednesday and they are going to power wash the outside of the house as well. The new trash compactor is coming thursday. Friday the new carpet is being installed and the grout guy is coming to re-grout all the showers. Saturday the cleaning crew is coming in and monday we move in. So it's going to be a busy week next week.

On top of that I have to pick up my new personalized plates that my doctor got me for my 4 year anniversary of my survival (that's we call it) on friday from the DMV. I saw Saggar last week and he said my blood tests looked awesome. Everything was "normal" including my liver enzymes. This is the first time in 5 years they have been normal. All through out my treatment, my enzymes always remained high. Now they have finally dropped. he listened to my heart and still heard the S4 reguritation but over all I was doing well. He said I didn't have to come back for a year and he gave me the ok to go swimming in St. Thomas with my PICC line. Yay!

Next week I start my big research project at work on behalf of Wal-Mart. The buyers at Wal-Mart want consumer research that proves that shoppers want one-stop shopping in our catagory: hardware. That's an easy duh! We want to get the bath hardware account, the home lighting, security lighting, portable security, and cabinet hardware accounts there at Wal-Mart. I just have to prove that consumers want to find it all on the same aisle. It should be no problem. I just have to run a new survey through InsightExpress and make sure that the results are bias to our products!

So busy week next week. I am hoping to take two days off so I can help mom unpack. I think I am going to take off the 18th and the 19th. I know I have over 100 hours of vacation at work so it should be no problem.

Ohhh and I got 4 season tickets to a Angels Game coming up...I am hoping Lisa will feel well enough to go.

That's the update...