THE DIGITAL STORY OF THE NATIVITY

Happy Thanksgiving!

Shannon's picture of her side of the table. Isn't Nathan's turkey beautiful? That rainbow thing at the top is my my Jello mold. It was tasty too.

Ok... So I am a bit late. But in my defense I have been very busy.

We headed to Clinton Wednesday evening, arriving around 9pm. Mom and Dad were home, and very excited to see Weston. I went to work making my Jello Mold. Shannon and Dad headed out to Wal-mart for some last minute buys. 

Linda and David arrived at our house around 9am Thursday. We headed to Nathan's house in Morrison, Illinois, around 11am. Once there, we played and hugged the little girls and took a tour of their new home. I swear it's twice the size of my $830 apartment for the bargain price of $500 a month. So annoying. And then having to explain to my family why we couldn't have something similar in Des Moines. "Um, yeah, we could, but in Des Moines it would be $1300 a month plus utilities." They don't get that. Then again, none of them understood a $900 mortgage payment either. They think $700 is too much. I wish. Man... if our mortgage payment had been $700 or less... we'd still have a house, and the money to enjoy it. Possibly the money to have another baby. 

Ok... ignore my ramblings, back to Thanksgiving. Nathan made a deliciously 36-hr brined turkey. It literally fell off the bone and onto my plate. I wish i had remembered my camera and had taken pictures; Nathan did that good of a job. He also made a delicious gravy (always a competition in our house) and mashed potatoes. We had the usuals: green bean casserole, California Casserole, Sweet Potatoes, my huge relish trays (1 whole tray of pickles and olives), my Jello Mold,  rolls, and I am sure that there was more. There was dressing (stuffing?) but it didn't make it to the table, not getting done for hours. (Nathan was not happy with Mom's recipe/suggestions.)

Overall Thanksgiving Day was delicious and a lot of fun. I got to play with my wonderful nieces, Zoey and Paisley. Gave all 3 kids baths. Zoey took one look at Weston and was like, "What's that?" OMG... Shannon and I just fell on the floor laughing so hard. 

Shannon and I did the whole shopping thing. Wal-mart at midnight, slept in the car in the Target parking lot from just after 2am to 3:50am. Then we hit Target at 4 (very disappointing) and she and Dad went to Wal-Mart to hit the electronics sale at 5am (Shannon picked up a Wireless Printer for $44.) We crashed into bed at 6 am. Friday was a haze. We ended up going for a ride with Mom and Linda in the afternoon, unshowered! Had a reheat of Turkey-Day for dinner and then Linda and Dave headed back to Cedar Rapids. 

We cam home yesterday afternoon. Stopped in Williamsburg for some sale shopping for Christmas. I spent very little, but did find an amazing deal for Mom's Christmas gift. 

I guess the point of this post is to detail that I had a great Thanksgiving. This year we have a lot to be thankful for. Mom is still with us and fighting Strong. She has become such an inspiration in strength these past 9 months. My wonderful baby boy in growing up to be such a little boy! And it's a huge difference. I miss the baby he was, but am so obsessed with the little person that he is. I am Thankful to have such an amazing family. We stand by each other and do everything we can to help each other out. I realize that this is not common. My family doesn't have a lot. We've had more at times, we've had less at times, but no matter what, we help with what we can, when we can. We don't buy brand-new-off-the-line cars when our family is struggling. It's not who we are. So... I am thankful to have such a loving, giving family. I am thankful that I can help them when I can, even if it's just laughs. 

I hope you all had a wonderful and delicious Thanksgiving holiday. Get ready, Christmas is 23 days away, which means my 31st Birthday (egads!) is only 24 days away.

NEWS!!!!

Last night, my Little Boy went potty on the Big Boy potty for the first time all by himself. (this picture is from our practice session with the diaper on about twenty minutes before the big event that he came back to the potty for. We didn't encourage this last trip, but were so happy with the results!)

I got so emotional. Who knew?

I guess this is the first step to independence. My baby is growing up. At the price of Pull-Ups, no more babies in diapers until that expense is replaced by Spiderman undies.

Happy Birthday, DAD!!!

Celebrating Dad's birthday in Cedar Rapids at Aunt Linda's.

Mom, Aunt Linda and Uncle Dave had horrible Sinus colds. We had a wonderful Shrimp lunch at Red Lobster, and celebrated with Carrot Cake, Apple Pie and cupcakes from Kathy's Bakery in CR. It was all delicious, but so much! After the celebration, we rolled ourselves back to Des Moines since it was a Sunday.

Weston Trick or Treating in Altoona!

He was a really great Knight and kept the kingdom safe!

1st Place!!!

Not the best picture since it's a cell phone and my snakes are crazy, but you get the idea.


Yea!!! First Place, again. 3 out of 5 years! If I had been here on the 3rd year, I bet I would have won then too. Maybe.

Anyway, I got an awesome travel mug, a $10 Target gift card and bragging rights for another year. I am thinking of taking it easy next year... yeah right. :)


Happy Halloween!!! More pictures to follow soon.

Halloween is this Sunday. I am dressing as Medusa for work tomorrow. I am quite excited about it. I hope it works as I intended. I have super-glued my hands together more times than I can count. But I want to win. This is my 5th Halloween at Onthank, and I've won 2 so far, lost the 2nd year, and missed the 3rd year (and Weston's first) when my father-in-law passed away. I have a reputation to uphold. So far I know that my competition is a nurse, Al from Toy Story 2, and Trinity from the Matrix. I think I can easily beat them. It's the unknowns that I worry about. Tonight I need to finish my Toga, paint my nails Green and figure out my shoes. It's a high of 48 degrees tomorrow... so the shoes are the issue. Also... need to make the Famous Pineapple Spread (Dip) for the potluck. So much to do. Pictures to follow.

Hobbie the Hobby Hermit

Last night I made 1 Adult Cancer Bracelet, 2 children's Cancer Bracelets, these 2 Diamond Bead Bracelets (sorry that you can't see the amazing amount of Sparkle, hence our name for them), and 2 strands of a 3 strand Diamond Bead Necklace. In under 2 hours. I was on a roll... until my hands went numb. But it was worth it. I love the sparkle of the Diamond Beads, and I can't wait to see Jeramie, Zoey and Paisley's faces when they see their Cancer Bracelets. Planning on buying from a Wholesale Company and investing in the Cancer Bracelets as a way to raise money for Leukemia Research. Just call me Hobbie Hermit!

LIKES:

1. Making pretty things.

2. Tomorrow is Friday.

3. Picking up my Meds at Walgreens.

DISLIKES:

1. Flu Shot related stiffness in my arm.

2. Random Debilitating Exhaustion resulting in sleeping at one's desk.

Wendy's Big Score 2010

the color of hope

This weekend I made Cancer Awareness Bracelets.

Each bead represents a type of Cancer. Obviously there are some repeats.

Orange = Leukemia; Pink = Breast; Teal = Cervical & Ovarian; Yellow = Bladder & Bone; Dark Blue = Colon; Clear = Lung; Lime Green = Lymphoma; Black = Melanoma, and Lavender = General Cancer. I obviously couldn't represent every form of cancer. So I chose the ones that I know have a connection to the people around me. If I missed anyone, well, then it's Lavender for the misc. cancers and I am sorry. Also, I attached a Charm to each. Mine says "Believe." Mom's is "Love." Shannon's is "Hope." and Linda's is "Peace." Stores charge over $20 per bracelet. Are they giving the $10+ proceeds to charity? I hope so. If I decide to market these... My new brand will be called: MAD@Cancer (Mom's initials: Mary Anne Damon). Any interest?

Likes:

1. Having an impromptu Girls Night Saturday evening. Thanks Danell and Shannon!

2. The Amana Colonies in the Fall. I forgot to take any pictures, but it was a wonderful afternoon with the family yesterday.

3. My second to last class of Tai Chi is tonight!!!!

4. Cheesecake! My friend Adam brought me homemade cheesecake for my lunch!!!

Dislikes:

1. Weston's horrible sleeping patterns on Sundays. It does not make for a good week.

2. Lean Cuisine's Pasta with Ricotta and Spinach. It had too much spinach, not enough seasoning. And it is not a friend of my tummy.

3. Uncle Dave is in Germany... so not liking the high Terrorist Threats right now. :(

It's the Weekend!

This picture of Weston was taken at Spring Lake Park in Cherokee, Iowa, on September 11th. It was the Iowa/Iowa State Game and we were visiting Scott's Mom and Sister. Weston was bored in the apartment, so Aunt Carol and I took Weston to the park. And he was so cooperative while I played with my camera. I love this picture of him. He looks so calm.

Likes:

1. Today is Friday. And it's a Bye Week, so no Hawkeye Football this weekend, time to rest and be away from the tv.

2. HuHot tonight!!!! Goodbye cravings!

3. ValleyFest is tomorrow in West Des Moines. It is the premiere marching band competition in Central Iowa. And I'm a Band Geek!!!!

4. We're headed to Cedar Rapids Sunday to see Uncle David off to Europe for work. Then we're headed to the Amana Colonies with Mom and Aunt Linda for Octoberfest Fun!!!

5. I got my test results back from my diabetes appt and I am doing so well!!! My A1C (which is the fool-proof way to tell if I've behaved over the last 3 months) went down from 7 to 5.9!!! And the doctors are usually happy with a 6.5! Yea!!!

Dislikes:

1. Dad isn't feeling too well, plus work, so we won't see him this weekend.

2. Uncle David leaves for Europe. Always a little scary.

Not too many dislikes today. Just the way I like it!!!

... for the game at hand

New rule: If I have nothing to Post, I will post a previously un-blogged picture and my likes and dislikes for today. Because there is one thing I learned from Lowe's... For every problem, offer a solution. Basically work in harmony, for every negative give at least one positive. So... here goes:

This picture was shot on September 5th. We were in Clinton working on Mom and Dad's house, deciding what of our childhood we wanted to donate or keep. (Kept surprisingly little.)
It took tons of pictures before we figured out how to shoot Paisley so that her big, beautiful blue eyes were open. But it was so worth it. So... this is our niece and Weston's cousin, Paisley AnneMarie Damon, age 17 months.

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Likes:

1. Mom is doing so well that she and Aunt Linda spent yesterday shopping (!!!!) at the outlet mall in Williamsburg, and then they went to the Riverside Casino. They were gone almost all day! Just like "old times." (tear. happy tear.)

2. Chai Tea Frappucino with a shot of Sugar Free Vanilla from Starbucks. It makes me amazingly happy. And it tastes like frozen Thanksgiving.

3. Also, I like that it's Thursday and that means a night with Shannon!

Dislikes:

1. How no one really knows that October is Domestic Violence Prevention Month, but everyone focuses on Breast Cancer Awareness. Why can't we focus on both?

2. And Lab Vampires, aka Phlebotomists. Today, a Vampire drew 2 1/2 large tubes of blood from the little vein she found in my hand. It hurt then (she had to keep pushing it in further to keep the flow) and it still hurts like a b#?%"*h now.

Sorry...

For those of you following... I have been so bad lately. I had a really great post going about our Sept 19th trip to Adventureland, complete with pictures. One minute it was there, the next all I had were the pictures. :( So, it's been hard for me to jump back on the wagon.

So... for now, all is well. Mom is doing so great. She went shopping today at the Outlet Mall near Cedar Rapids, she spent a week with Dad in Kansas City, and they visited us in Des Moines last weekend. We're going to try and walk through the Amana Colonies on Sunday. For more on Mom, join her Carepages, it's like my 2nd Mom-centric blog.

For now, I need to get going, but I will come back and put up lots of pictures! ASAP.

Thanks for hanging in here with me.

Carrie Underwood Make-Up Tutorial by Kandee

dinner

So... you'd think that on Labor Day of all days, I would take a break from cooking. It makes sense, right? Not so much really. I saw this as an opportunity to make some big things that i normally wouldn't try on a weeknight. First up, Lasagna Rolls. These fabulous mini lasagnas come from the Back to School section on Betty Crocker (.com) Since I volunteered to try to have 3 meals frozen for my sister (the Grad Student) per week, I have been on the search for freezable meals. Some time when I get time (second weekend in October I think) I am going to make nothing but freezable meals for all of us. I also made Laura Grotelueschen's Stuffed Shells; I froze 4 meals of the shells.

I decided on the fly that we were having the lasagna rolls for dinner tonight. They were fabulous! Get the recipe here. I froze 2 meals of 2 rolls each. One for Shannon, one for me. Each with sauce on the side. So simple. But, I did run out of filling. So, I made Laura's Florentine filling for the shells and used it on the Rolls. Granted, I got less stuffed shells, but I still had dinner for the family. There are currently no pictures of the shells... because they are obviously frozen and uneaten. I'll try to take some pictures before those are devoured.

Below you will find Shannon's dinner. 2  Lasagna Rollups, one traditional with red sauce, the larger one is the Florentine from Laura's filling recipe - also with red sauce. I think Alfredo would also be delicious. I had the same as Shannon.

Scott and Weston had the version below. Everything is the same as the traditional Betty recipe, except that the boys had a meat sauce instead. But Scott loved it!

Shannon left tonight with 5 meals: Goulash, Lemon-Basil Chicken with Mushroom Rice Pilaf, Lasagna Rolls, and 2 meals of the Stuffed Shells. One more to go and I'll have her covered for 2 full weeks! Pretty good haul for a Monday.

New Photo Book: Jones Family Stories; Volume II

Click here to view this photo book.

LOST in 3 minutes worth of Post-It Notes

Thank you to my friend Erika in LA for sharing this awesome video!!! (and my love of LOST!!!)

This guy, Alex Day, is pretty damn cool.

Mom update

Mom is still very week. Her Blood counts, including white cell counts, are not coming up. She has to have transfusions of red blood cells, platelets, or both every 2-3 days. She has to have these transfusions in order to survive each day. I think that is the scariest thing I have heard in months. Well, that, and Scott saying these exact words to me Monday afternoon after spending the weekend with the family, "She's wasting away."

Yeah... he said that out loud. He also told me that he's scared. He's so scared of Weston losing his MieMie. Scared of Mom not seeing Weston grow up. He voiced my fears. And yet, while he's saying this to me in the car yesterday, all I can think is What about me? What do you think will happen to me if I don't have a Mom? Who will I talk to every day? How will I survive? How will Aunt Linda survive? Shannon? Nathan? Dad? Where will Dad live? What will he do? All of this ran through my head in under 10 seconds, I swear. And then the guilt for thinking these thoughts. The guilt for writing them is weighing on me this very minute, but how could I keep it all in? I've already exploded once in my life from withholding all of my emotions; I'm not sure I could survive that again. Not with everything else. Not while Weston and Scott are here to watch.

Mom had a bone marrow biopsy on Tuesday. The results can go one of two ways. First option is that there is less than 3% cancer cells found. This means that the leukemia is still in remission and the blood count problem is related to an infection or medicine-induced. As a precaution (because this has happened before, though not this badly) the doctors have stopped all of her meds (about 17 different pills a day) until they narrow down the problem. Option number 2 is the one we all dread: Her leukemia has come back and is resisting the Chemo, etc. We're praying it's a simple pharmaceutical problem. Hopefully we will have the biopsy results tomorrow.

We also found out last week that Mom is not eligible for a stem cell or bone marrow transplant. Dr. Jameson very bluntly said that the transplant protocol will kill her. Transplants are 10 times harder on the body than a single round of Chemotherapy. Right this minute, Mom couldn't survive a round of Chemo, let alone a transplant. Every Round of Chemo is dangerous for her, so a transplant is out of the question.
Mom has fallen 3 times at home. These falls have also greatly weakened her. They have caused bruises and aggravated her hip and back pain.

She's trying to keep her spirits up. Last Saturday, we went to a Cedar Rapids Kernels game. Mom was exhausted after a day of infusions in Iowa City, but she had a great time and even made it through the post-game fireworks.

This weekend, we're headed back to Cedar Rapids to hang with Mom so that Linda and Dave can head to Clinton to continue getting our house ready for sale. Dad is working in Nebraska and can't get away. He's been told that he needs to "get his head in the game and step up" at work. He needs to get back to normal. So... working 60+ hours a week while his wife is beyond sick. Right... PSC Bastards. I don't wish this on any one, but a day in our emotional stockpile might put them in their place.

Alright... that's all for now. I ask that you please keep my Mom in your thoughts and prayers. I have a firm belief that positive thought and energy pushing in the right direction gives birth to miracles. And I think it's time for a miracle.

finally coming to terms...

I have finally hung something on the walls of our apartment. I gave in. I had hung a picture and a decorative key holder during the first week and haven't touched a hammer or drill since. Call it laziness or whatever you like. I prefer to call emotional detachment. This apartment isn't permanent. It's temporary, like a live-in hotel. Only at hotels, they cater to fixing the problems, unlike our landlord. Why do I care about hanging anything up? And I still feel nothing but malaise when it comes to this place. I do not want to live here. I do not want this to be my child's home. I can't dream in this place.


Pushing my emotional issues aside, something needed to be done. So, I've begun hanging pictures. I have all of these matching frames from our house. And I had gotten our family pictures back from Target, so it made perfect sense. After a week, this is all I got done. And this took me 2 days. Right now I am at an impasse. I have pictures, I have walls, I just don't know how or where to hang anything. When we hung our walls in our house, my friend Jason was there to help. Jason has crazy eye for detail and when combined with Shannon's need for perfection and my corner rounding laser level - I had an awesome, unique wall-scape. But, alas, Jason is busy and I don't want to beg him to come hang my pictures. I want help, but I also want to do it myself. Really, What I need are ideas. Like where should I hang our wedding picture? Which used to be the focal point over our fireplace. Or Weston's pictures? Do we do a wall dedicated to just him? That would be the whole hallway that I have left. (About 4 feet) I had so much more wall space, and shelf space in the house, that now I feel overwhelmed about hanging much up. So... I need a fresh pair of eyes. I can wield a hammer and a level. I'm quite good at the decorative stuff. :)

Anyway, so I am trying to overcome my insecurities. Trying. I am even reading Eat, Pray, Love (I'm on Bead 22.) I'm enjoying this woman's tale of her pursuit for personal happiness. Not sure if I want to see the movie, but I'm getting through the book. Only 86 more Beads to go.

Here's a view of my walls so far:

This is the super skinny wall above the couch with the cutout view of the kitchen. The plaque says, "Having someplace to go is Home, Having someone to love is Family, Having both is a Blessing." Scott's Aunt Linda gave us this as a house warming gift for the first house. Who knew I would need to be reminded of those words so much now? It's become an inspiration and I have already thanked Linda for her gift again.

This is the wall between the kitchen and the bathroom. It's like a half-hall wall since you can see half the wall from everywhere in the living room. On the top is our hand made "Jones" doilie. On the left, our most recent family picture. On the right, our family picture from last year with us kissing Weston. The picture on the bottom center is now hung so that the bottom of the frame is in line with the other 2 frames. (I had to buy sawtooth hangers for my frames.) It's Weston's newborn photos of his whole body, his hand holding my pinkie finger and our wedding rings on his toes. Love it! (And yes, that is my DVD shelf. And yes, it's full and overflowing. And yes, we have another full cabinet. I know, I know. But we like to be entertained.)

That's it for now. More to hang. And once I do, I will post more photos. And I will try to blog more. Promise!!!

a retrospect

Weston turned 2 years old Saturday, July 31, 2010. He has changed so much. I love everything about him, he's a human sponge with a major attitude. I miss the baby that he was every day though. He was an amazing baby for the first-time parent experience. In honor of Weston's 2nd birthday, here is a retrospect of his last 2 years. (If you want the birth story... there's a link in the last post.)

Weston was 15 minutes old here. I call this his cover shot. I missed it since I didn't get upstairs for 3 hours after the c-section. Missed all the good cover photos. He looks so calm and awake. Like being born wasn't that big of a deal for him. :)

The youngest Cubs Fan! Probably not, but he was a week old here. Look at those lips! Angelina called. She wants to know how we stole her lips.

4 months old... big difference from week one. My Little Elf saying Merry Christmas with an argyle sweater on top! Such a round head! I don't remember it being that round. Thank goodness his ears have seemed to tucked in.

6 months old with his favorite toy at the time, Leo the Lion, courtesy of Auntie Shannon. He was just starting to sit up completely on his own, and could stand up holding just my fingers. He was the happiest baby, and went to a hockey game that night, and he cheered!

Weston's first black eye! Of course he was crawling by this time and pulling himself up and falling off everything. At 9 months he seemed like such a big boy. He was such a tiny thing compared to right now.

Happy 1st Birthday Weston! He was still a little unsteady and still has such a round head, but he was definitely independent. He was very sick here, getting over a virus that caused a 103 temp. But he was a trooper. He had 2 birthday parties and pretty much ran the show. He was starting to talk, but I seemed to be the only one who could understand.

Christmas 2009, Weston was almost 18 months old here. Our friend Jason came over to take family pictures. And they were some of the best family pictures we've ever had. Weston was so comfortable around them that it was almost easy, plus it was our last Christmas in our house. I came back in and did the photo editing and recoloring. At this time, Weston was learning to climb and jump off of everything in sight. He was also learning his colors and our favorite thing he said was, "Reee-dee, Seet, Doh!" (Ready, Set, Go!)

Yesterday in the Ball Pit that Auntie Shannon gave him for his birthday. He looks so comfortable!

At 2 years old, Weston is stubborn and prone to tantrums (apparently normal in 2 yr olds.)

He is also brilliant. He can count to 13, sing his abc's, and recognize about 6 letter by sight. "W" is obviously most recognizable. He runs fast, jumps high, and plays hard. He is a voracious reader, always asking questions. He knows who our President is, what state we live in, and his favorite place is "Downtown."

Weston has the best smile. And he has gotten over a first time quietness with strangers. If I introduce him, he says "Hi, name." He always says hi to the check-out clerks at the grocery store. He blesses you when you sneeze, and he doesn't like to be dirty. He loves water - pools, sprinklers, baths, showers, leaks and puddles. He like to do the "Go Crazy" dance from Yo Gabba Gabba. The best part? He possesses and loves his people. "My Linny", "My MieMie", "My Shannon", "My DeeDee". His people are his. They are in his life and he gives them all the love he can. And he doesn't forget easily. He is a super social little boy. I like to think he got the best parts of both of us. And I can't wait to see what this year brings.

At 2 years old, Weston weighs 27.22 pounds and is 34 1/2" long. Very skinny (!!!) and healthy!

2 years ago...

Two years ago this week, this is what I looked like.

Look at my feet! Oh my, they were so swollen. As was just about everything else.

Two years ago I was making all sorts of freezable dinners. I had big batches of Chili, Cabbage Soup, and Sloppy Joes (all diabetic friendly) simmering in various pots to go into the freezer so that Scott could have a cooked meal if I was just too busy or tired. Little did I know how tired we would both be and for how long. (For the record I have been exhausted since December 2007, when I was pregnant.)

Two years ago I was just pregnant. I could sleep and wake up on my own schedule. I could do anything on my own schedule, except potty breaks. Scott and I spent our last weekend as a couple doing everything we could think of. We went to movies, saw an I-Cubs game, had a late lunch at a bar downtown. It was our last weekend.

Two years ago, I was in Prep Mode. Besides the cooking I was constantly working on Weston's room, making sure we had the things we'd need and that they were where we'd find them the easiest. I was so excited about what he'd look like, would he have brown eyes like me? But I was surprisingly, oddly, calm. Like I knew everything would be ok. I bounced on my workout ball to get things moving. I ate healthy and swam a lot. (If you are able, trying swimming when you are very pregnant. It's awesome to feel the baby floating inside of you, while you are floating, like you are both weightless.)

I am not going to go into the birth story. But if you are interested, just check out 3 or 4 posts, starting here.

Last year I was so overwhelmed with his first birthday (and the fact that he was so sick.) that I don't think I took as much time to look back. And besides, Weston was still a baby at 1. Not now. Now he's a toddler. He walks, runs, talks, throws tantrums, smiles on purpose... he can tell you when he wants something, when he loves you, he has a real personality. But he can still melt your heart when he looks at you.
This picture is of the first time that the sight of him truly melted my heart.

See that bump on the right (our left) side of his forehead? to this day, when he falls, that's the part he hits and scratches/bruises. It doesn't looked that pronounced, but maybe it is....

Iowa Gurls Official Music Video

Heebedee Heebedee Hub-Hub-Hahb!!!!

 Whenever anyone asks about my job, you know... do you like it? I have always answered the same, "Not always, or usually, but I love some things I do and I love the people I work with." The next question that doesn't revolve around the current job usually is something like, "What was your favorite job?" Most people would expect me to say the Secretary of State's Office or my current job, since I am still there. (ha!) But they'd be wrong. My favorite job that I've had in the last 14-odd years of working? Damon's Grill. It's gone now. Closed in April of 2004. But for those of you that need a reminder... it was in the Holiday Inn on 50th Street in West Des Moines, which is now a Sheraton. 

I was 19 years old. A college sophomore in a sorority, in need of cash. (I've always seemed to be in need of cash.) I'd been drinking for a year and thought that qualified me to be a bartender. (again, hahaha, right.) I started by looking in the phone book. (Pre-internet) I saw an ad for Damon's Grill, and it seemed like magic. My last name was Damon, a somewhat unusual name. It was meant to be. So I filled out an application. And I waited. And waited. and waited. Finally I got an interview. At the time I was also working at Drake's D-Shoppe, the Secretary of State's Office and had just started as a bridal consultant for David's Bridal (a horrible experience that can be discussed later.) At my interview, I sat at a high top in Beethoven's trying to look all professional for Darin Boots. We talked. He told me that they did train bartenders, no experience required. But (but?!?!?!) They weren't hiring bartenders, only servers. But it was a step in the door, I could be a bartender in months. I was hired after my 2nd interview. Which was good because I had quit the bridal business.

I had a rough start: evil trainers who didn't share tips after I did all the work, blisters, ill-fitting uniform shirts, you name it. But then I settled in. I started working a few nights a week. I really enjoyed it. I loved socializing with most tables. I made friends, great friends. I grew up at Damon's. I had 3 amazing managers, though a few times I wanted to beat them to death. Darin reminded me so much of my Dad in size and personality. I used to get hugs from him when I missed my dad more than I could bear. And I know that he probably took advantage of that sometimes... especially when a shift needed covered. Eric was a like a big brother, a total teddy bear. You could get away with almost anything if Eric was there. Especially during the days... 4 projection screen TVs and no customers = fun for us all. He is also the only manager to make me cry in front of him. Over broccoli. Don't worry, I totally let him have it once the tears were dry, and I've never let anyone talk to me like that again. And then there's Andy. The Hot One. (The one who sang the Title to this Post all the time. I've been singing it to Weston since he was born.) He was like a big kid. He flirted, probably a little harassment, but it was ok - it was Andy. He was always joking and he made you feel great, just as you were. Don't get me wrong... he could rant and rave and yell with the rest of them. They all could. But they could drink with the best of them too! I was a server, a hostess, and a Bartender. I did it all, had it all. An illicit fling with another employee... best friends made... crushes bloomed and wilted (can anyone say Matt Kiel? Allison can, maybe Katie too, definitely Katie Nickrent can)... drinks poured and shared. I made a life-long friend in Jess Nelson, now Jess Jones. She was a sister when I needed one, a bridesmaid when I wanted one, always a friend - still is to this day. She actually introduced me to my husband. It's a weird circle. If it weren't for Damon's, I wouldn't have my family. It's funny how it all turned out.

Andy Pederson found me on Facebook yesterday. I have reconnected with some of the best years and people of my life. It's brought back so many great memories. Its funny to see the families and babies of the people who shared my single life. Who watched me through college; who watched me fall in love with Scott. You see, I left Damon's April 2nd, 2003, to move to Sioux City to be with Scott. I clocked out at 2pm, changed clothes and returned to the bar. Andy made me my first and last drink at Damon's. Apparently this was a tradition. Jess and I had our last dinner there during their last week being open. It was so sad, but it felt right to have one last hurrah. I'm not sure if I have any pictures from Damon's, I can't remember taking any. Maybe all I have are the pictures in my memories: Going to Friday's after close, then shutting them down. Doing Karaoke at Mulligan's. Drinking at Bradley's (which I did not like.) Becoming regulars at Limey's. The Jukebox at Limey's (God how I miss Limey's.) Days spent playing hooky with Matt Kiel, the endless car rides with Matt. Becoming family with Jess, watching her babies grow up. Burke... we'll also leave that one alone. (Shut up, Shannon and Jess.) There are so many things, so many memories.

 Now to give you an idea of what a day in the life was like... rent the movie Waiting. It's about 65% like that. Ok... maybe 80%.

And I will leave you with that.

Now and Always,
Erin Damn Damon

 (another Pederson name.)

Congratulations, Mrs. Brown!!!

April and Glen Brown... or is it Glen Brown and April Barkley-Brown?

Yesterday one of my best friends got married! April and I are sorority sisters. April and I didn't have an easy bond at the beginning. We really didn't even like each other. The funny thing was, we were together for the biggest events in our Chi Omega time together: We were initiated together. Secretly in pairs. April was my partner. Then we spent time in seclusion until the next pair joined us. Awkward when you're not really friends. Now the second event is really in 3 parts. Part 1, In early 2000, April and were named Rho Chi leaders to represent Chi Omega during the 2000 Fall Rush. Basically we were chosen to help new students navigate through their way through the Rush process visiting each sorority house. It was a huge honor to be entrusted with. April and I started to bond over the impending work when our Chi Omega National President visited. (Part 2) It wasn't good. Nationals was closing our house. Shutting down our chapter. Making us find a new home. April went on to live with one of the worst roommates in history, and I ended up with another XO and a a runner-up for the roommate list. And Part 3, April, myself and our XO sister Katie ended up in the worst Religion class ever. We hung out together during and after class, joked about our rough beginnings and became great friends and sisters. 
So... one of my best friends got married. She kissed some frogs to find her prince. Glen is a good man. He is kind and generous and supportive. He loves my friend sincerely. He understands her history and appreciates the woman that she has grown to be. I am grateful that she has found the love that she deserves. They will build a life together, a family. Their wedding was beautiful and a lot of fun. She looked amazing. And I didn't suck at miniature golf nearly as much as I was used to. (Yes, there was miniature golf at the reception held at Toad Valley Golf Course. Unlimited if you could handle the 96 degree heat and the 1 million % humidity. I didn't even venture to the course until 8:30 pm. And it was still hot.)  Anyway, it was a blast. Chi Omega women all together. Husbands hanging out together at the table. I just realized that Scott and I didn't even dance once. Weird. But we mini golfed together. That's enough, right? 
On a side note, I just want to give some notice to my husband and sister. Scott has blossomed so much in the past almost 8 years. He isn't afraid to talk to most people and actively goes out of his way to join the group. Last night he sat on the sidelines a bit, letting me laugh and dance with all of my friends. I had a wonderful time, and he's to thank for most of it. My sister Shannon graciously took care of Weston most of the day since the wedding was at 1 pm and the reception started at 6 pm. Weston had so much fun and cried when she left this afternoon after our visit to Mom. He literally spent all day Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday with her. Mom and Dad were supposed to watch Weston this weekend, but her health hasn't let her leave the hospital yet. So Shannon jumping in has helped us out so much. Kudos to Scott and Shannon for making my weekend so wonderful.

Chi O girls after the ceremony at St. Anthony's in Des Moines:
 Me, Jayme, Brandy (bridesmaid), Liz, and Marci.

views...

Weston passed out on me around 6:30 tonight after an active day out with Scott and I. We both napped a few hours. We moved him to his bed once it was determined that he wouldn't even wake up for food. A few hours passed when we heard crying through the monitor. So I go in after 11:30 to find Weston standing at the end of his crib, crying with his arms reached out. So I pick him up and he immediately curls into my shoulder and wraps his arms around my neck and starts playing with my hair. I love that feeling. We sit down and he falls right back asleep. About ten minutes later, he starts fussing and twisting. Next thing I know, this is my view: A sleeping cover model. again. :) Good night all!

my week...

Weston at the Park with Shannon on Tuesday.

So Weston's daycare was closed this week (a vacation with their daughter's dance team at Nationals in Branson.) So, I had Monday off work and we went on a play date with my friend from high school, Lisa and her 3 beautiful children. Some errands in the afternoon and a chiropractor appt and the whole day was gone. Tuesday I worked while Weston spent the day with his Aunt Shanny. They played a lot, and worked on the alphabet. Weston can sing the alphabet, and can recognize the letters D, G, T and W by sight. There may be more, but I can't remember. He's just so smart! Like a sponge.  Wednesday, Weston and I headed to Iowa City to see my Mom. We spent a few hours with her before both she and Weston needed a nap. Her blood and white cell counts are taking forever to come back up. We're ll worried. But today seems to be an improvement, even if it's incredibly small. Weston spent the evening in Cedar Rapids with his Linny and Dabe (Aunt Linda and Uncle Dave.) They all had a blast while Mom and I hung out watching Top Chef and planning Weston's 2nd birthday party. On Thursday morning, just as we were leaving Cedar Rapids to head back to the hospital, Mom said that she was too sick for visitors. While incredibly sad to not see her, it did get Weston and I on the road earlier than I thought. So we headed back to Des Moines to go to Blank Park Zoo with Shannon. We circled the Zoo two times and were disappointed to find the Zebras gone and signs for Penguins, but unable to find them. Weston was scared to look at anything up close or for too long. But he enjoyed the petting zoo, especially the baby goats, and the Sea Lions. We finished the day at the dilapidated Southridge Mall. Where we saw 4 of the 5 Blue Angels flying overhead. Shannon and I were once used to seeing the Angels every day when they practiced at the Naval Air Station where  we lived (Pensacola, Fl.) Scott's inventory got finished early so he was off today. We bounced around the usuals, Target, Hy-Vee, before coming home. Weston fell asleep before we could go swimming. So, it was an easy day. We have my good friend April's wedding tomorrow and a visit to Mom planned for Sunday. Here are a few pictures that Shannon and I have from yesterday.

Weston pointing at a Camel!!! He was so excited!

Our Blue Angel is the small speck just to the left of middle.

This is the scariest creature on Weston's Earth. Weston practically cried at the Seahorses. Until he got the "horse" part and neighed at them.

the baby giraffe who looked like he was coming over to say hi, but then changed his mind at the 10 or so preschoolers getting into trouble next to us.

Souie the Zebu. I blogged about her (him?) last year. Souie came close enough to pet. 

The baby goats!!! I love them!!!

Cream Puffs!!!

So, tonight is my husband Scott's 41st birthday. I generally try to make it special. I try to make all birthdays special. I think birthdays are a gift, and should be celebrated as such (Remind me of this when I hit 40.) Anyway, I had planned to cook him his favorite dinner tonight (spaghetti), go to an I-Cubs baseball game tomorrow and Adventureland on Saturday. But that wasn't meant to be. We have a party to attend in Sioux City on Saturday, and I am afraid tomorrow's baseball game is going to be a downpour. So, my birthday plans kind of road on tonight. I decided a week ago that I wasn't going to do a traditional birthday cake. I wanted something special. So I broke out a recipe for my Grandma Stahl's homemade Cream Puffs. (And by homemade, I mean that she got it from a very old Betty Crocker Cookbook.)

So... as I leave work, Scott calls to say that the power is out in the neighborhood. Hmmm... no cooking, no a/c. I ask him to make a choice, and we ate out. It was ok. But I think that's because I had my heart set on making him Spaghetti.

Obviously by the title of the post, I came home and made Scott the Grandma's Cream Puffs. My friend Sue suggested that I blog the process, so here you go:

Grandma Stahl's Homemade Cream Puffs
You will need:

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.

1 cup Water
1 stick Butter (1/2 cup)
1 cup flour
4 eggs beaten

4 oz. Instant Vanilla Pudding Mix (I use sugar-free) (that's 4 small boxes!)
1 cup Milk
2 cups Heavy Whipping Cream.

ok... here we go:

Step 1: Bring the water and butter to a rolling boil in a medium sauce pan.
Turn the heat down to low.

Gently blend in the one cup of flour until the mixture is smooth.

Add all 4 beaten eggs and mix together until the mixture is very smooth, slightly shiny, and almost ball-like.

Drop the warm dough onto ungreased cookie sheets, about 3" apart.

They are best left free form. Imperfection is perfect. Bake at 400 degrees for 35-40 minutes. Check at 30 minutes, because mine were a little darker than usual, new oven though. Golden brown is the ideal. Remove from the oven and let them cool on their pan in a cool, dry room with no breezes. Think souffle, they will collapse if too much air moves around. your goal is a solid outside with a soft, air-like pastry on the inside.

The ingredients for the filling. Couldn't be more easy. Except you'll need 4 of the small puddings.

Beat the pudding and the milk until smooth, about 1-2 minutes. Add the half and half. Beat for another 2 minutes until soft peaks form. Refrigerate immediately if not eating right away.

The finished cream puff!
Assembly: Using a serrated knife, cut the top 3rd of the puff off. Remove it. Spoon the filling on the bottom, replace the cap of the puff. dust with powdered sugar and enjoy!

Store the cream in the refrigerator. Store the puffs in an air-tight container, also in the fridge. Should last a few days if they aren't gobbled up by then! :)

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!

Scott's Birthday about 3 years ago, or 4, he looks so happy!

Happy Birthday to my wonderful Husband, Scott!!! He is 11 years older than me for the next 6 months, and I love it. Though, the other day, someone was telling me that they thought he was 35. And that's why I keep him around, Ladies. Because he's hot, and he ages really slowly! We should catch up to each other when I'm 60... We'll average our looks to 65 years old. :)

He's a great man, and I am thrilled to have him around. He's a catch. He does dishes, laundry, bathrooms, diapers. Literally, the best husband ever. :)

Happy Birthday, Honey!!! Here's to 50 more!!!

working on this...

"May today there be peace within. May you trust that you are exactly where you are meant to be. May you not forget the infinite possibilities that are born of faith in yourself and others. May you use the gifts that you have received, and pass on the love that has been given to you. May you be content with yourself just the way you are. Let this knowledge settle into your bones, and allow your soul the freedom to sing, dance, praise and love. It is there for each and every one of us."

Share the Happiness!

About as good as finding a Fruit Roll Up in the bottom of your purse on the ride home from work. ;)

Mom...

So, my Mom is in the hospital battling Round 4 of Chemo.
She has caught yet another infection while in the hospital. You would think that the hospital would be a safe place. That especially the 7th floor, the Bone Marrow Transplant and Adult Blood Cancer floor or the 4th floor, which is technically the Leukemia floor. But yet, their are dust-bunnies floating around, and if you wipe up a spill on the floor, it shows how dirty the floor is. It's ridiculous. The hospital is more dangerous for her than we are. This intestinal infection is so painful for her that my dad says that her doctors have her on Morphine. But if all goes well, she should be released to home tomorrow.
And I just got off the phone with Mom. She sounds awful. She is in so much pain. And then the morphine makes her kind of out of it. There is no way she will be released tomorrow. Until they get this infection under control, I have no idea when she will be released. The sound of her today... I haven't been this scared since the first night. She was sobbing from the pain. Sobbing from the fact that she thought I was crying (which I wasn't), sobbing when she realized that she forgot Scott's birthday (he wouldn't care.) Everything hits her so much more when she is in physical pain. It's like she can only handle one kind of pain at a time. If she is being attacked physically, then she has no defense against the emotional pain. If she's battling emotions, well then she's the strongest person ever. This bitch, Cancer, is hitting on both levels at the same time. And it's hard. She is also suffering from Neuropathy. Which is when you lose the feeling in a part of your body, it can also be accompanied by pain. Mom's neuropathy is in the heels and toes of her feet. Socks even cause traumatic pain.
So... now I feel like vomiting. The feelings inside me are threatening to choke me to death. They sit on my chest, trouble my dreams, follow me around. It feels like a blanket pulled too tight around my entire body. And while I needed to express my feelings, I also need to look toward the future.
Above is a picture taken of my Mom in May. The one and only time she visited our new place in Des Moines. She was resting in Weston's room and I was showing her how I was storing my formal dresses in Weston's closet. She said that she has never tried on a true formal dress. Really? Really?!?!? So I whipped out one of my favorites. This is the one I was supposed to wear at Shannon's almost-wedding. I love it. The color, the fit, the price ($104!!!) So Mom tells Scott to stay out and gets into the dress, and she looks amazing! I have decided to give her this dress for the Cancer Prom that I am throwing for my Mom when she beats this damned disease! We're throwing her a prom (because she never went.) and we'll have a cover charge with all proceeds going to Cancer research!!! As soon as she wins the war!!! Because, we all know she will. And it just might be a beautiful raspberry formal dress that pushes her ahead.

Love you, Mom!!!