Spady Family

Hey everyone if you have a chance please visit this blog... http://www.bethjansenphotographynews.blogspot.com/ and read the post on Nov. 18th. This family is having to endure some horrible stuff and if there's anything anyone can do for them please do so. I don't know them personally but I found out about them from one of my favorite photographers. She does some amazing things...not only with photos, but as a human. Tis the season.

Just a Blonde's Take

Bridget

My Apologies

I'm so sorry dear blogging family for neglecting you for so long. My small crazy world has been unusually busy and so much has happened since I last posted. I'm also sorry that this post is going to have no rhyme or reason...I've got too many random bits of info to share that this is going to be all over the place. So let me get you all up to speed...

Well, currently I must admit I'm just a little bummed. My brother was here on leave for a few weeks and just left again this Sunday. This time saying good bye wasn't nearly as hard knowing he'll be home for the upcoming holidays. His visits are always too short and I feel like I never get enough time with him. But I cherish the moments we do get together and anticipate our next meeting. And let me just brag about him for a moment...instead of my Marine bro spending all of his money on getting wasted and taking out hot chicks he took his two sisters out (I was a little mad, I wanted to pay...what can you do though? I'm not taking on a weapon of the government...as he calls himself) And Sunday when my parents came by the house to help me with my new garden (I'll elaborate) they presented me with a gift little bro bought for me. It was the ENTIRE Sex and the City TV series collection in the Hot pink fuzzy box and all! I think I may have mentioned a story about how I wanted it and would probably buy if for myself at Christmas. And apparently he got lil sis an Ipod! What? I couldn't and still can't understand what made him do that, (and not that I even care about getting gifts) but the thought was so nice and I love him for being so generous and sweet. Anyway moving on...

So like I mentioned I now have a garden in my back yard (thanks to the wonderful help of my parental units) My dad cut limbs, tilled the earth, and repaired a fence and gate...my step mom helped me dig up roots, measure, design, pick plants and oversee dad. She's a wonderful project manager! It's not quite done, I need to add a few more plants and some rocks and mulch, but overall I think it's a success! Tonight dad and I will be putting in some sod for the part of the yard that got torn up in the construction of my new porch...ahhh, yet something else for me to share! Now the hard part will be keeping everything alive! I've taken some before and after pics so those I'll share with you all soon!

So my new porch!! For those who hadn't experienced the worst back porch ever let me just tell you. Before the porch was made up of giant square cement pavers that had warped and sunken over the years which created a giant mud pit. When it rained water and mud would collect and my "back porch" suddenly became a giant bowl of mud and water. Not too much fun when you have two dogs you have to let in and out all day. So I contacted a friend that I know that does concrete and had him come out and pour me a new porch. (Again, before and after pics on their way). I must say I'm pretty happy with the end result. We had our first patio party a few weekends ago and it was just lovely! We finally got to season our Chiminea and bust out the pottery barn patio lights. Hopefully with the new garden many more patio parties will take place.

Moving right along, I must tell you all I'm super excited to share that me and the drummer will be embarking on our first trip together soon! We will be heading to the Big Apple, The city that never sleeps, the melting pot of America...yep We're going to NYC! We fly into Newark Airport in NJ and will be traveling back and forth from the shores of Jersey to the busy streets of Manhattan. The whole reason for the trip is so we can see one of our favorite singers, songwriter, producer, most hottest man ever play at Maxwell's in Hoboken NJ! Yes, you are correct I speak of the genius that is Butch Walker!!!! For those who haven't had him shoved down your throat by the drummer he is musical loveliness! Check him out...you will not be disappointed. There aren't many musicians that I believe that put much emotion much less every ounce of their souls into their craft anymore. I was (force fed) introduced to Butch Walker when me and the drummer started dating. He always had him playing in the car or on the computer. So I thought his stuff was pretty good...I fell in love when we went to his show last year. The drummer to this day jokes that he could have asked me to marry him and I wouldn't have known because I was fixed on Mr. Walker. Hearing Butch Walker's music live is unlike anything I've ever experienced. I've always liked music but I've never been one to obsess or ooze about it. I don't consider myself a "music person". But all I know is something happened in that venue and some way somehow I fell in love with Mr. Walker on a level that I've yet to understand. It's not a romantic love or even a love for a friend...it's something so different. "Snap" Whoa what just happened? How did my post end up here?? OK, so now you see why we are flying half way across the country to see a concert. Nuf said. I'm excited to see all that the city has to offer and to be able to share it all with the drummer. Anyone have any good ideas on what to see or do? I've got a list going including but not limited to...The Bronx zoo, Coney Island, Ground Zero, The statue of liberty, Times Square, Wall street, Central Park, shopping (of course) and any local pub or cafe that looks too good to pass up!

And my last bit of info that's kept me away for so long, is my new position!! Yep, this blondie got herself promoted! It's quite different from what I was doing before so I've had to endure lots of training. I'm way pumped though and it's a nice change. I'm actually the boss instead of being bossed. I think that's what's been the hardest thing to overcome. Getting used to telling others what to do instead of taking orders and doing it all myself. Oh, just another step into becoming an adult. (when do we ever actually become one?)

Well, my lovelies I hope this starts to make up for my absence. I promise to try and not leave for so long again. See you all again if not before my trip, but after!

Just a Blonde's Take
Bridget

KNOW YOUR GENES?

May I present to you....Axel, the new 4 legged love of my life (not to exclude Riley). The drummer and I have been looking at adopting a new dog for a while now and we finally found him! I was chatting with a fellow co-worker the other day and it came up that she was a foster mom for our city's Humane Society. Well, I hadn't been on (stalking) their website yet so she showed me the link and I immediately spotted him. I emailed the drummer his pics and info (as I frequently do with other dogs...It's almost an illness) and told him that I thought that this was the one! He fell in love as quickly as I did and the next thing you know I'm filling out the online application. Now there was a little mix up with his name and picture at first...(they accidentally put his picture with his brother's name...Ace) But everything was quickly sorted out and we got our little (huge) puppy boy.

So, now that we've gotten him home and we're sharing our good news with family and friends the question of, "what kind of dog is he?" keeps popping up. Well? We don't really know? With Riley it was easy...A Golden Retriever (I got her from a breeder, she's got papers). But since Axel was abandoned on the side of a country road along with his siblings we don't know what breed his parents were. And his adoption paperwork only makes things more confusing...according to those and the website he's a Lab/Saint Bernard/Hound/Shepard mix? So being the proactive (annoyingly curious) mommy that I am, I searched the web for this:

It's a Pet DNA test that you do at home! You just swab the inside of their cheek with the test swab in the kit, put it in the envelope provided and send it off to the lab (no pun intended)(even though I think it's really cute to think there's a Labrador in a lab coat and goggles testing swabs...awwwe). In a few weeks they send you back the results with a cute certificate that tells you exactly who your dog's ancestors are! Pretty cool I think. I can't wait to find out just exactly what breed Axel is. Not only will it make my response to "what kind of dog is it?" a lot more simple, it will also provide us with valuable information about our pet like physical and behavioral traits that are specific to certain breeds. What I can tell for now is that he's going to be a Super Sized Big Boy (his paws are already bigger than my 75 lbs. Golden's). So I'll definitely let you all know what breed(s) Axel is when his test results come in, but in the meantime do you know your pet's breed? Do you know your own Pedigree? Can you guess what my puppy's chemical makeup consists of? Can't wait to see if anyone is right!

Just a Blonde's Take
Bridget

CELEBRATING THE 4TH

As the 4th of July approaches us this week, I can't help but find myself somewhat sad. The sight of American flags hanging from every possible place and talk of fireworks only makes me miss my baby brother more. You see my brother is a part of the Marine Corps and is in Iraq as we type. I worry/think about him everyday and this week I find my thoughts wandering to him even more. I come from a very Patriotic family. My dad always tried to instill in us the importance of country and to uphold the ideals of our founding fathers. The constitution was almost regarded as highly as the Bible in our house. He had it posted along with the amendments on our refrigerator (the place where all things important are posted...school papers, reminders, pizza coupons). So naturally my brother wanted to defend and serve his country by joining the Marines. Now I have to say, with the exception of my father, everyone was pretty shocked and upset that my little bro decided to join the Marine Corps during the middle of a war. Not that we didn't support him in his decision or weren't proud as hell, but just worried of what that might mean in the future. A moment I will Never forget is seeing my brother for the first time after he completed boot camp. The drill Sargents had us all (family) confined to a small roped off square. All our boys came jogging out of the barracks chanting their steps. They paused in front of us staring straight ahead as we all yelled and screamed. I remember seeing my brother out of the crowd and the look on his face. It was like a dream. I could barely scream...my voice cracked...I was so excited and so over joyed that I was starting to cry as I yelled. I couldn't get it all out fast enough. The graduation was a 2 day affair, and that first glimpse of our loved ones only ended up being a tease. They had to go back to their barracks and get ready. The next day they graduated and I've never seen more relief on more faces in my whole life. I have a dear childhood friend who is also in the Marine Corps and was stationed in a nearby area. He came to my brother's graduation and presented him with a Marine coin that was given to him for good luck by another Marine before he left to fight in the war (my bro is supposed to pass it on to someone else before their first tour when he gets back). It was such a thoughtful and meaningful gift. And I felt so touched and honored that he thought enough of my brother to give it to him. I'll never forget that weekend. I got to see the ocean for the first time and it was with my brother who was starting a new chapter in his life.

The Family at my bro's graduation in San Diego

Sister, Me, Brother, Dad, and Step Mom

At the Ocean

I can't bring myself to watch the news anymore (not that I was an avid watcher before) I'm constantly afraid of what I might hear or see. I know myself well enough to know that I would drive myself crazy with worry. However despite all the worry and sadness I feel. I can't help but have a huge sense of pride. Pride in my brother, my country, and our military and their families. I now know how hard it is to see your loved ones get on a plane and not be sure if that's the last time that you'll ever see them. To know that where they are going is directly in harms way and that they are doing it all for their country. And I can't help but feel ashamed that I'm not strong or courageous enough to do it myself. This will be the first 4th of July that I'll celebrate since my brother has been gone and I know it will be hard to watch the fireworks without being a little sad and missing him. So with the rockets red glare and the bombs bursting in air I'll be rooting for all our troops. HOOORRAAAHHHH! SEMPER FI

Happy 4th Everyone!

Just a Blonde's Take
Bridget

BOGGLE!

(Flickering lights) And then blackness. That was last nights scene as I was trying to finally organize my closet. From what I can guess, we lost power due to the high winds. Probably some 100 year old tree lost one of it's trunks. The whole street was black. I was really glad not to be alone. The drummer just got in town earlier that day from working out of town or else I would have had to endure the darkness with just Riley. It was kinda sweet, b/c it was our first power outage together much less in our new house. The drummer couldn't believe I was able to light our whole house with my out of control collection of candles. (As I was unpacking them the other day I was wondering why a person could have so many and contemplated on throwing a few away) Whew, glad the pack rat in me prevailed and I had them all to use (see sometimes you really will need it). Anyway, the drummer and I were sitting at our kitchen table sipping on a couple of cold drinks just staring at each other not really knowing what to do with ourselves. The drummer just looked at me and said, "we rely on electricity way too much!"...I just started laughing and thought about people long gone and how they dealt without electricity. Then I started to wonder what in the hell can we do besides just look at each other...can't do laundry, can't watch TV, we can have sex I exclaim (his eyes brightened) wait nope not a good week can't do that either. Wait I have the perfect idea...we can play Boggle!! The drummer looks at me unamused and asks, "what in the hell is that?" It's a game I say and it's really fun. For those that have never played it's a spelling game where you shake a rack of lettered cubes and get them all in a space and find random words within the allotted time. It's really actually pretty fun. I'm not even a good speller and I can do it. The drummer seems a little leery about playing a spelling game, especially since he isn't a good speller either. But I convince him with my lovely charm and we play. He was really pretty good for his first time. I'm not sure who won since he didn't keep track,why play?, (the Monica side of me) but I'm pretty sure I did! So it's getting late by now and there's no sign of the lights coming on soon, so we go to bed. I tell the drummer to blow out the last candle and turn off the lantern. As soon as he does the lights and everything else we had plugged in turned on! ARE YOU KIDDING ME?? Oh well, we had fun and it was all sorta romantic. We got back up turned everything off again and headed to bed, Again. So my question to all of you is what do you do in a power outage?

Just a Blonde's Take
Bridget

Sex and the City

So I took some time today to take a quiz that my lovely friend Deb had posted on her site and here are my results. I have to say they don't really surprise me, even though I thought I had a little more Samantha in me than this quiz indicates. Here's the link if you're curious as to what character you are. http://quiz.ivillage.com/astrology/tests/sexandthecity.htm


You scored 50% Carrie Your answers peg you as a Carrie-type, much influenced by the Air Sign qualities associated with Gemini, Libra and Aquarius. Like confident Carrie, a sex columnist, you're curious and perceptive, always seeking answers and never satisfied with the superficial. An Air Sign influence can lead to indecision and an avoidance of tough issues, like with Carrie and her on-again, off-again attachment to Mr. Big. Forward-thinking, incredibly intelligent and witty, you just exude quirky charm. You'd be utterly bored by someone who's just a pretty face or hot body -- though you don't mind looking and flirting! You're more turned on by an equally smart and funny mate, someone who challenges your mind and makes you laugh. You love to talk, so you need a good listener who's open to playful and eccentric ideas about love and lovemaking.

You scored 20% Samantha You identify with Samantha's bold and liberated Fire Sign qualities, characteristics associated with the Signs of Aries, Leo and Sagittarius. You're strong, audacious and larger than life -- and you take what you want! Sometimes you can even be thoughtless and selfish, as you get so caught up in craving immediate gratification and excitement that you overlook someone's feelings. Your personal style likely reflects your desires: sleek, low-cut, revealing just a bit more than might be considered acceptable. Watch that you're not coming on too strong, though. You could scare potential suitors off with all your drama. If you seek so much attention, the more basic qualities of the Fire Signs could be burned right out of the picture. Show less skin or cleavage and more of your creativity, your vibrant leadership skills and courageous generosity!

You scored 20% Charlotte A romantic at heart, you chose the answers that demure Charlotte may have chosen. Strongly influenced by the intuitive, profound and sometimes naïve Water Signs -- Cancer, Scorpio and Pisces -- you're like a mother, a mystery and a poet all in one. Though on the surface you may seem innocent and all about seeking the good in people, beneath the surface, you hide secret yearnings for intimacy, for attachment and ideal love. You're seeking a knight in shining armor, a soul mate, someone who will complete you and tether you to the earth when you get carried away with your fantasies. You're super-sensitive, soaking up the moods of others; you emote freely, crying at commercials and sappy movies. You also provide a shoulder to cry on and open arms for hugs. Be careful that you're not so wide-eyed and trusting that you get taken in by some cunning wolf in sheep's clothing.

You scored 10% Miranda You chose many of the same answers that Earth Sign-like Miranda, the cynical but pragmatic lawyer, might have chosen. Just like Miranda's had a tough time deciding whether to give in to the affections of Steve the Bartender, you don't give your heart up to just anyone. Miranda shies away from a relationship with Steve because he's 'just' a bartender, not something more conventionally ambitious or stable. Those with powerful Earth Sign qualities -- characteristics associated with Taurus, Virgo and Capricorn -- are cautious in love and seek stability and status over nearly anything else. Earth Signs provide a steady, realistic attitude and they can bring order out of chaos. A little-known Earth Sign fact: Incredibly sensual, you seethe beneath that smart, expensive business suit of yours, yearning for intimacy but hesitant to give up your material needs, your career ambitions or your responsibilities for a passionate moment that might not turn out the way you'd hope.

Hopefully I will be able to check out the lovely Warren Theatre this weekend and watch this much awaited flick! Can't wait for the pink Cosmo!

Just a Blonde's Take
Bridget

IT'S ALL COMMING TOGETHER

"Is it hot in here, or is it just me? I wonder if these people have the ac on or what?" Just a couple of thoughts that crossed my mind yesterday as I was writing a nice big check for my new couch. Now, just a little history...I USED TO BE a big spender. I would spend a few hundred dollars on clothes or this and that at the drop of a hat. (I kinda had a problem, I'm an emotional shopper). Well I used to be anyway. I've changed my ways (can you say Budget Queen?) and now that I know that I'm like that I can prevent some pretty serious binges.


So going into the furniture store yesterday after work and buying a couch was a pretty huge deal...more than I realized at the time. I had to call and confirm my choice with the drummer. I remember at one point saying, "remember it's the one with the tufted back" to which I quickly came back with "I mean, with the buttons?". Like the drummer knows what the hell tufted means (forgot who I was talking to for a minute)!! So the ever so eager and surprisingly helpful sales lady asks, "have you made your choice? You going with the Berkley? WHAAAAAAAAAA, WHAAAAAAA, WHAAAAAAA, (alarms sounding in my head) Mini panic! Do I? or Don't I? AHHHHHH!!!!! (Ever so confidently, like the good pageant trained girl that I am) Yes! I made my fabric and wood color choices and before I knew it woman salesperson had my ticket drawn up and my plush total ready! Now don't get me wrong, I didn't spend a fortune. I was reasonable. But having gone from ultra Save mode to spending mode has been a little more difficult than expected. I mean, I swear I felt my throat closing up last night. Who makes themselves physically ill by spending money?? Jeeze! Next on the agenda...Refrigerator! Doom Doom Doomm!

Here is what all the stress was about...only difference is mine is a little lighter in color!

*And I scored a super sweet deal on a treadmill!! I'm on a role!

Just A Blonde's Take

Bridget