Life Is Just So Daily

Friday, June 30, 2006

Sardines.

I dont like sardines.

Thursday, June 29, 2006

Updated the Baby Gage Montage...

Create your own video at One True Media


Enjoy!
...can you believe he's walking? Damon said he was walking over at Memaw's house today....

Guess who is walking....

Last night, Baby Gage walked across the living room!!!

One day last week he took 4 steps...
Then last Friday he took between 5 & 10 steps (it happened so fast that I lost count!)

Yesterday, I came in from work...and Damon had the Old Skool Rap station on for Baby Gage to bounce to. So, I picked Gage up, and we danced a bit. Then, I put him down, and walked away from him. He walked toward me! So, I went a little further, and Gage kept walking!

It's so cute!
He's so unsteady on his feet...and he wants to go so fast....and his little arms are up in the air as he just toddles around.
I love it!!!!

Tuesday, June 27, 2006

Happy Tuesday.

Well...it's Tuesday.

Last night after work we did a little yard work. Oh, what fun.
It's so hard to do yardwork with a baby at home. It's like you have to take turns getting out there b/c the baby needs to be watched or entertained.
Luckily, yesterday he was content for a while in his jumper with a bottle of juice & Cheez-it crackers.

Here's Damon...working on the sprinkler system...


Here's Baby Gage on the back patio....






Then of course we watched "Hell's Kitchen". We're addicted to that show.
I cant believe that girl Sarah is so sneaky & let Virginia take the heat when really Sarah was lying. I hope that Chef Ramsay watches the darn video replays & calls her on it.
Ugh! And Tom...I was soooo ready to see him go.

Young & the Restless: what's going on with Victor? Brain Tumor? Dementia/Alzheimer's? I'd be sooooo mad if I were Nikki...walking into Gina's & he's all hugged up with Ashley toasting after selling his portion of the company out from under Nikki....oh, I'd be so mad.
(Yes, sadly, I keep up with this stuff.....)
I'm glad that I PVR it though, b/c then I can watch an hour long episode in less than 30 minutes. I skim a lot of it & get to skip all of the commercials. It's not like I devote 5 hours per week to Y&R.

Okay...gotta run!

Monday, June 26, 2006

Update from the weekend....

On Friday Gage had his 9 month check up. Thank goodness---no shots. He did get his little toe pricked & we discovered that he is NOT anemic. He's also developmentally advanced. He's above 70% in all of his measurements (I'm at work right now, and dont have the paperwork with me....).

On Friday afternoon we took him to the park for the very first time. And---I am THAT mother...what? We are THAT family...that family that goes to the park in all matching outfits. And guess what---it was NOT planned if you can believe it. We each wore a white top with khaki shorts. Obviously one of us dressed Gage...but it wasnt an intentional move to dress him in khaki & white. It just kind of all worked out that way....

So....at the park....






Then we went to Tyler for Jessica's wedding (David is my mom's husband, and Jessica is his neice). Anyway---Jessica was sooooooo beautiful, and sadly, I have no pics of her from the wedding b/c mostly I missed it. Gage didnt really want to be quiet in the church so we had to excuse ourselves. I will just have to trust that they are really married---I missed it all.

Anyway...here are very FEW pictures from the reception...


Gage slept through it (above) and he poked his little fingers through his blanket at some point (below).







And then on Sunday...Baby Gage tasted people food. Apparently...according to the pediatrician...he may be hesitant with his baby food b/c he may be bored with it.
So, he loves pork chops with rice & tomatoes. He does not like anything vanilla flavored. He does not like lettuce or cheese or green olives. He reeeeeally does not like pea baby food.





How sweet is this? He still finds his thumb every now & then...


And of course, Baby Gage likes strawberry cake!

Thanks for my birthday cake, Mamasita!

Sunday, June 25, 2006

The Rating System...

Okay, I have a problem with movies these days...

I went to Blockbuster on Friday night for a movie.
Seems to me, you cant find rated movies anymore...they are all the "UNRATED" versions. What's the point in having the rating system, if those rated versions arent going to be available to me?

And as a parent---I'm going to rely on the rating system.

In the future--I dont know how fun it's going to be to even take Gage to the video rental place. I mean, there are all kinds of movie covers that are....not appropriate for children...and will fuel LOTS of questions. For example: American Pie Band Camp dvd case. Let's see...it boasts that the main girl on there is Gynger something-or-another, a porn star...oh, I'm sorry: former porn star. It also features a shower scene pictured on the dvd case with little black "censored" boxes over the breasts of the 3 featured females. Oh, and you can guess: it's the unrated version.

Seriously: what's the point of having the rating system anymore?

The 40 Year Old Virgin: only offered the unrated version.
Hostel: only offered the unrated version.
American Pie Band Camp: only offered the unrated version.
Date Movie: only offered the unrated version.
Wedding Crashers: only offered the unrated version.

Were the rated versions shown in theaters??? I dunno...

Which led to a conversation between my husband & I...
Damon: "Pretty soon they're going to be showing full nudity on regular TV." (meaning not cable or dish...)

Okay...(1) Was that a wish, or truly your thinking? & (2) It will only be fully nude women b/c that's the way it is. Nude women are somehow acceptable--but you show a fully nude man & it's got to be NC-17... (I really dont know how true that statement is..I'm just saying it seems that way.) So sexist.
Not that I'm pushing to see a lot of naked men on tv or in movies...but I know that a lot of naked women on tv can make a lot of us women feel uncomfortable, not attractive, etc. I think it's only fair that if you offer the eye candy for the men, thus in turn making some women feel crappy...that you should offer the eye candy for the women & make some of the men feel the same way. Or, to avoid anyone feeling bad---keep the nudity out.

Ugh. Okay I'm done for my rant.
Points being these: bring back the ratings--nix the the unrateds, and make male & female nudity ratios equal.
There, I've given my $0.02.

Wednesday, June 21, 2006

Happy Wednesday....

Happy Wednesday morning.

I'm tired this morning b/c Damon & I were up late talking. It all ended well....

Here's stuff to mention....
On Monday evening---Gage took his FIRST STEPS with no assistance from furniture or mom & dad. He took his steps independently!! Of course, since then, he doesnt really seem interested in walking on his own anymore....

This morning, on the way to work, I heard the "Drop It Like It's Hot" song. It ALWAYS makes me think of Susan. So, Susan---that's officially your song in my book.

Dad took my car yesterday & worked out the battery issue. I got to drive his car home. I call his car "Super Fly". It's a teeny-tiny white hatch-back with limo-tinted windows (we call it limo-tint b/c it's soooooooooo dark). So, the car looks like a little fly. Man, I was zip-zipping around in that thing. It really moves!
Anyway...met him over at Pop & Gammy's & had a light dinner with them.

Oh, and Dad gave me my birthday gift. It's the most beautiful D&B purse that I wanted. I'm loving it. Carrying it today.

If anyone is expecting an email from me today---you may just have to wait. I cant get into yahoo right now for some reason....
hmmmm....

Supposed to be having a disaster drill today at work. Those always suck!!!!!!
(they help us in regard to preparedness....but not much fun to work through them...)

Movie Reviews:

The Chronicles of Narnia: loved the books as a child. So, I expected to love the movie. Instead, the memories of the story in my head were better than somebody else's version of the story.

Memoirs of a Geisha: didnt finish it. Couldnt really get into the story, and Damon was watching it w/ me. He was reeeeallly not into it, so we just turned it off. I have to say though, from the 30 minutes or so that I saw, it looks like a lot of hardwork went into making the movie (I.E. the scenery, the costumes, etc....)

LeDivorce: I love Kate Hudson. I have yet to finish this--but I think overall it's a pretty interesting movie.

Book Review:
"...something falling on white snows"....something like that. I'll have to get back with you on the exact title.... Anyway. I cant keep going w/ reading this. Imagine a whole group of the women that you love the most: your sisters, mothers, & best girlfriends. Now, imagine every terrible thing that you dont want those women to go through: loss of a child, rape, abuse, etc. Well, every chapter is about some horrible thing that has happened to each of the women. Anyway...it was NOT a stress-free easy read. It was just sad & not what I need right now for entertainment.

The Apprentice is over.
Little disappointed, but whatever.

New show we like to watch: Hell's Kitchen. We like it.

Oh, and also, I am now watching the show, The Hills. LC was my favorite on Laguna Beach, which I became addicted to while out on bedrest. So here's what I have to say to LC: what the heck were you thinking sneaking your friends into that party, and then letting them sit where they were not supposed to sit. You are so going to blow it with your internship....and that little blonde roomie of yours. She's going to bring you down. Dropping out of school....she's a brat of an employee. She really needs to discover that you have to crawl before you walk, and if you want to be an even coordinator, you have to put in your time doing the grunt work. You dont just get to jump in & coordinate an event. And, even if they did let her do it---she wouldnt have a clue!

Okay, that's it.

Tuesday, June 20, 2006

Head Shots.....

No, I'm not talking about photos...
Today was another day to get shots in my head.
It freaking hurts!

So this morning, I was blow drying my hair. Damon asked me about my dr's appointment. I told him that I was going to get checked, but I didnt think I needed any more shots.
He pointed out a spot at the crown of my head.
Um...I didnt know that was there. He's taller than me, so he's seen it for the past 2 days, but said he didnt want to tell me because he wanted to make sure it was a spot, and knew that it would be upsetting to me.
Here's the deal: I have this condition, I cant change it, I cant take it away. It still nauseates me to the see the spots, but I dont cry when I find them anymore.

So, I started checking my head. I have 4 new spots.

Crown of my head:


Small one on the right side:


And two on my left side that are connected; the one on top is larger than it appears b/c in the picture, some of my hair is swept over the spot:


So....lots of shots this morning.
Sucks to be me today.

Monday, June 19, 2006

Ginger Is Married!

On Saturday night, Ginger got married.
It was such a wonderful wedding & reception. I had so much fun. It was so nice to get away & get swept up in watching my childhood friend get married!

Here are some pictures from the reception...



The bride...












And this one...the picture DOES NOT do the ring justice. I just cant seem to take pretty ring pictures. In real life, it's FABULOUS!


I had a great time!

Friday, June 16, 2006

Binkie Dude with Attitude...



Gage has recently rediscovered the binkie.
I guess it's because of the teething & his little gums hurting....
And he cant just suck on it regularly....he has to cock it to the side & flip it, and turn it, and it's soooooo cute!!!

Busy, Busy....

Okay, on Wednesday I was at work, and I got a phone call that Damon had been in an accident.

He was taken to Baylor Dallas, and then later released that night.
Thank goodness!

Yesterday I had to drive out to the tow place where they'd taken his truck. It didnt look as bad as I thought, but apparently that's because when the car hit Damon in his truck---their car went UNDER his truck, and the majority of the damage is underneath. I guess that's what happens when a little bitty car hits a big tall truck....

Luckily, the other couple is okay. They walked away.
Damon went to the hospital but was later released.
And now, we're all just sorting out the details, and Damon is soooooo sore. Bless his heart....





And, the way that they had the truck sitting at the tow place, these were really the only pictures that I could get. Now it's been moved to some other place for an estimate...etc.

Oh, what fun.

Wednesday, June 14, 2006

"Ouch!"

Baby Gage has a new fun thing....
He likes to pull my hair. I squeal, "Ouch!", and he thinks it is the FUNNIEST thing! He just giggles....it's so cute!





Now, here we are reinforcing his hair pulling behavior because we think it's cute & funny. I'm sure we're not going to think it's so cute & funny when he's 2 & doing just to be mischevious, or being mean to other little kids.
I guess we need to work on our parenting.....

Vacation....

Now, let's focus on the positive from our trip....

Pictures....



















The Good, The Bad, & The Ugly...

Okay, while we had a good time on our trip (it was productive for us, our marriage, etc....) and we enjoyed each other's company....
I would not suggest this resort to anyone. Sure, the water was beautiful & the white sandy beach was beautiful...but, we can thank Mother Nature for that....

Anyway... Here's a copy of the letter that I am sending to customer service at the corporate office in Florida....

To Whom It May Concern:


I am writing this letter, and enclosing pictures, to express my utter disappointment in your resort in Punta Cana. We were there in June at the Occidental Grand Flamenco in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic; room...

I really do not know where to start this letter.

We arrived at the resort at 2:45 in the afternoon. Total travel time to get there was approximately 22 hours including flights & layovers. Check in time was 3pm, according to the sign posted in the lobby of the resort. At 3pm, we attempted to check in. We were told that our room was not yet ready, and that we could go to the buffet & get something to eat. Let me further paint the picture for you: I was wearing a dress & sandals, my husband was in a suit. We went to the buffet, but could not find a single clean table in the dining area. Also, the food was being packed up. We were told that the buffet was closing, and that we would need to go over to the snack bar for hot dogs & hamburgers. So, we did. Again, I stress that we were quite hot in our clothing & went to the snack bar to allow time for our room to be ready.

After an hour & a half of waiting in an open lobby with no air conditioning, we’d had enough. The fact that our room was STILL not ready was no longer acceptable. We wanted to change clothes, we wanted to shower, and we wanted to be able to enjoy a little of our first day on vacation.

A gentleman named Francisco told us that he would check on our room, which he did. FINALLY we were able to get into our room while they were still cleaning & preparing it.

What a relief it was to finally be in our room; and yet, the disappointment continued.
At this point I request that you refer to the enclosed pictures. {I enclosed pictures of things that pissed me off....}
The lock on the door to the room---busted off. Splintered wood in the doorway.

The shelf in the closet where the safe sits---busted. More splintered wood.

The tub area---rusty & dirty looking.


I booked this trip as a romantic get away for my husband. The whole trip was a surprise to him. I was so embarrassed that this was the resort I chose. I felt as if the resort itself was such a poor reflection of my feelings toward my husband. (“Gee honey, I love you so much that I wasted our hard earned money on this!”)

There were other things at the resort that bothered me. Obviously they bothered me enough to include them in this letter.

The main restroom off the main lobby was always filthy. It is the restroom closest to the main pool & buffet, so it is a heavily trafficked area. It needs to be cleaned more often.

There was a pond area at the resort also that was filled with stagnant water. It appeared that a pump for the fountain was broken, but it resulted in a foul smelling pond attracting all kinds of insects. It was not pleasant to pass on our way to and from the beach.


The resort boasts of multiple restaurants. When we got there, we tried to make a reservation for ANY of the restaurants. They were all booked up until days after we were leaving. We later spoke to others who were staying there for 12 days. They said that they made reservations for every night of the week, and sometimes just wouldn’t go. At other Occidental/Allegro resorts that we’ve been to, you only get to eat at the restaurants once during your stay; allowing more of the guests to access that INCLUDED feature. So here’s an example of something that I paid for, but didn’t get to enjoy.

The webpage for the resort never indicated that the beach was “top optional.” Certainly I know that women not wearing a bathing suit top is culturally acceptable in some parts of the world, and I don’t expect your company to control the actions/behaviors of everyone. I just wish I had known prior to booking the trip. And one thing my husband said, “I’m glad we didn’t bring our son.” The information presented to me was that this resort is a family place, is kid-friendly, & features a kid’s club. Among American standards/morals, nudity & children aren’t usually coupled together. I just think that if going topless on the beach is a common thing at this resort, then it needs to be disclosed prior to booking the trip, and then again at the resort. That way, if people are uncomfortable with that, they can stay by the pool rather than the beach, or keep their kids off the beach.

When booking the trip, I was told that all kinds of things were included, such as kayaks, windsurfing, and horseback riding. It leads you to believe that you will be doing each of these activities right there on the beach, at the resort. With the horseback riding, yes, they technically offer it. You get to go to a nearby ranch, not on the beach, for a 30 minute lesson. I hate to stereotype all Texans by any means, but for my husband and I—we are very well trained in the arena of horseback riding. We don’t need a 30 minute lesson. I was really looking forward to horseback riding on the beach—which was offered, if I wanted to pay extra for that. Stating that you offer horseback riding at this beach resort is a bit misleading, while it remains technically correct.

Another thing that bothered me: actions/behaviors of the uniformed hotel employees.
1) We could not pass through the lobby without a uniformed employee constantly trying to upgrade our room, or upgrade our package. I already paid for the trip. I was very displeased at this point—and hounding me for more money only contributed to my anger. The last thing I wanted to do was give that resort ANY more of my money, regardless of what they promised to deliver. They had not made good on the promises made with my initial reservation, so why would I believe that the “upgraded package” would be any different? And the hassle of being stopped every time I walked through the lobby was frustrating. I was ON VACATION! I didn’t want to stand there waste vacation time.
2) Offering drugs & hookers. Yes, you read that correctly. Uniformed employees (one in particular, an employee named “Bill”) were behaving inappropriately with paying resort customers. I am not the only one offended by this. On our last day at the resort, a woman from New Jersey was also upset by this employee. He asked her if she had any marijuana. She was there with her husband, 2 year old son, and 4 year old son. She was very offended by this man, and began yelling at him. Not something that you particularly want to witness while on vacation, and yet she was completely justified. We (my husband & I) overheard him approach her about drugs, and the whole situation could have been avoided if he had never opened his mouth in the first place. A couple of days before that, we overheard that uniformed employee trying to set up an overweight American man with a prostitute. The man expressed that he was not interested & kept walking. I understand that you cannot control the behaviors/actions of random people who happen upon the beach. But uniformed employees directly reflect the resort, and the company name.


My husband and I have been to the Allegro resort in Aruba, where we became engaged.
My husband and I have been to the Occidental Allegro Papagayo in Costa Rica, which was our honeymoon.

The Allegro in Aruba was fine.

The resort in Costa Rica was phenomenal. And, until going on this trip—I don’t think we fully appreciated just how great your resort in Costa Rica is. The customer service there was exquisite. The food was better. The amenities were better. It didn’t offer as many activities as the Punta Cana resort, but the people who worked the resort in Costa Rica were nicer, friendlier, and just more customer service oriented.

There were 3 bright spots at the Punta Cana resort:
1. The beautiful water & white sand beach.
2. A waiter that we had a majority of the time; his name was Mercado, and he was the NICEST person at the whole resort. We actually looked forward to chatting with him during our meal times.
3. The spa. Although the services were not included in our package, I knew that ahead of time. The prices at the spa were reasonable, and the services offered were varied. The employees there were a pleasure. My husband enjoyed one spa session, and I enjoyed 2. The Metamorphosis Spa is a little gem there at the Punta Cana resort.


All in all, I am embarrassed that I took my husband to the Occidental Resort in Punta Cana. I am embarrassed that I gave your company my money. I feel tricked for believing that your company would deliver on all that was promised. And if I worked for Occidental Resorts right now, I would be ashamed that this is the ultimate product/service we are offering under the Occidental/Allegro name. We were considering joining the Vacation Club, but not now. I will never return to your Punta Cana resort.

I hope this letter will spark some changes. I really don’t think I can express to you how disappointed I was. I work hard for my money and vacation time. When I spend money on a resort & use my vacation time for traveling, I expect to have a good time. Perhaps my expectations of your company were just a bit too high.



Thank you,

....................................................
So anyway...that's what I'm sending, but it includes the actual photographs of the yucky stuff.
Occidental Grand Flamenco in Punta Cana, DR sucked.

Tuesday, June 13, 2006

Fear & Blow-drying...

So, did I ever post about Baby Gage's fear of the vacuum?
He was so scared that I had to hold him when the vacuum was on. His little hands were shaking & he was holding on soooooo tight!
He's kind of getting over that. I've parked the vacuum in the living room for a bit, and we've played on the floor around it. And, if Damon is home & entertains Gage while I vacuum, then he's okay.

I thought he would also be afraid of the blow dryer. So, I was blow drying my hair, and Gage crawled over to me, and just started crying & wanting to be held. I turned the blow dryer on low & cool air. I blew his hair. He just sat there in a little frog position...and would lean his face into the air, closing his eyes & blinking slowly. He LOVED it! He loved to get his hair blow dried. I mean, his hair was already dry, but he loved the cool air blowing on him. It was so cute & funny. Then, he crawled back into the living room & played some more. When I turned the blow dryer back on---he was back over to me & crying. He didnt want me to dry MY hair---he just sat there again & let me blow dry HIS hair!

He's so cute & funny!
:)

Sunday, June 11, 2006

We are home from our trip!

Well, we are home. And, it's been super busy since we got home.
I swear---Gage GREW while we were gone!

Top teeth---one is in, and the other front tooth is on it's way down.

His hair...he looked like a little ragamuffin, so he got his first hair cut when we got home. And, he went swimming for the first time. Loved it. Totally a water baby!

Damon's in a golf tournament this weekend, so we've been busy with that.

Our trip: the ocean & white sandy beach were beautiful.
One thing I wish I'd known prior to arrival: it was a topless beach. Ummm about that. Tell me this: why is it okay for Damon to....take in the view, so to speak, but it's not okay for me to go topless? Whatever Damon.


I'll write more when I get a chance later this week.

Friday, June 02, 2006

Pardon my lack of blogging....

Pardon my lack of blogging...but I will be laying my behind on the beach for the next few days.
I'll have post all about it when I get back!
With pictures of course.

:)

Thursday, June 01, 2006

Dream House...

If I got to just build a house from scratch...
I would do something either contemporary looking...or buy an old building in a small town & renovate it into like a giant loft house.

It would be energy efficient, and water efficient.
It would have solar panels.

I would have stained concrete floors.
I would have pipework showing.

It would be 2 stories, at least. I want an upstairs & downstairs.

And here are some pictures that I would love to just move into!


I would like a living room like that.


This bedroom example...this is like a compromise between my style & Damon's style. I'm anti-sleighbed, and he LOVES sleighbeds. I could handle the sleighbed if the rest of my room were urban-eclectic like this...

Oh, and I would have a garage.
I've never had a garage.