Acai Berry Diet Products ARE Available at GNC

When I originally started researching the amazing Acai berry products, I was under the impression - as I'm sure a great majority of online ad readers were/are - that these pills were only available via free acai trials. Which of course lead to a continuation of said 'trial,' along with a nice, hefty monthly charge of ~$80.00.

While I merely ordered 2 separate trials and then immediately cancelled, I wondered how I could continue taking these great products after I ran out of my trial bottles without having to deal with a pre-determined monthly supply, charge, etc.

My wedding was the main motivator for trying the Acai berry "diet" pills, but since we got married in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, it wasn't only a dress I had to fit into. I was actually much more worried about being in front of all my friends and family on the beach in a bikini! Thanks to the Acai Noni Burner trial I got, I ended up shedding that last extra baby fat I just couldn't ever shake.

Of course, my sister chalks it up to working out harder, eating healthier and stress, but I'd already been exercising hard and eating healthy for a couple of months, and while I wasn't unhappy with how I looked, I wanted to lose that extra 'padding' around my hips, butt and stomach. About 2 weeks after I started taking the Acai Noni Burner and Total Cleanse religiously (I took them for about 8 or 9 days sporadically to see how my system would react - I haven't had good luck with vitamins in the past) I started to notice I was literally trimming down day by day.

In fact, by the time I slid into my wedding dress the day of, I'd shed so much 'fat' that the dress which had fit me snugly not even a month prior was now LOOSE! It was great.

My sister-in-law commented on how I "didn't have an extra ounce of body fat" and wanted to know my secret - I told her about the Acai products. Long story short, when we got back from Puerto Vallarta she started her own research and actually found a plethora of Acai berry products at GNC: pills, powders and liquids.

Keep in mind these products haven't been evaluated by the FDA, so be sure to talk to your doctor before starting any...wow, just sounded like a commercial. But, you get the point. Enjoy!

My European Line German Shepherd has Patellar Luxation

For those wanting further clarification on why NOT to purchase a German shepherd from Kozies Shepherds:
This past winter my European-line German shepherd, Zada, was diagnosed with luxating patellas. Dogs have "knees" much like we do. In their back legs, the ligament and patella (knee cap) on their legs fit into a sort of "groove" which is their knee joint. It's a fairly common knee joint affliction which can be caused by a traumatic injury or genetics.

When a dog has patellar luxation, the knee cap basically dislocates. While at first this isn't painful to the dog - unless caused by an injury - it does cause them to hold up a hind leg and hop along until the ligament/patella pops back into place (most often when the quadricep muscle relaxes/lengthens again). Over time, in ~50% of dogs this turns into an affliction of both hind legs. Also, the longer the dog lives with the condition, the worse it becomes as arthritis inevitably occurs as a result.

There are different 'Grade' levels for this disease, and while Zada is only a Grade I, she's also less than 3 years of age, and already showing the signs of patellar luxation, which is sure to become a chronic nuisance.

Also, since she displays the classic 'knock-kneed' stance associated with this affliction, and since there wasn't a traumatic injury, this makes me firmly believe it's an inherited condition; not an accident.

Numerous sites I used for reference for this post give the same warning:

"Keep in mind that patellar luxation is a heritable disease and we do not recommend breeding affected dogs. It is also very common for the disease to affect both legs." (Claws & Paws Veterinary Hospital)

"Patellar luxation should be considered an inherited disease." (OFA)

"...in the absence of trauma and breed predisposition supports the concept of patellar luxation resulting from a congenital or developmental misalignment of the entire extensor mechanism. Congenital patellar luxation is therefore no longer considered an isolated disease of the knee, but rather a component/consequence of a complex skeletal anomaly affecting the overall alignment of the limb, including:

• Abnormal conformation of the hip joint, such as hip dysplasia" (ACVS)
  

Just another checklist item to be aware of when researching dog breeds (also, in reading further on the sites mentioned above, you can read a list of the 'most commonly afflicted' dog breeds).

A List of Portmanteaus

The other day I was inspired yet again to search around for clever portmanteau words (words created from the combination of words and meanings, such as smoke + fog = smog) and assemble a list of my favorites:

Afterthoughtfulness: A husband's uncanny ability to ask if his wife needs help with a household task at the exact moment that she is finishing it.

Alcoholiday: A weekend entirely lost as a result of excessive drinking.

Amabergasted: My sister was amazed and flabbergasted I had nerded out enough to assemble a list of my favorite portmanteaus.

Begetcetera: Multiple births.

Brickormortis: A bad housing market.

Cinemaddict: Someone who feels the insatiable need to a) constantly attend the movie theater or b) buy every new movie that comes out on DVD.

Convenieccino: When you don't have time to make coffee in the morning so instead you purchase cappuccino from the gas station.

Ethiccup: A brief, involuntary suspension of one's moral principles.

Euphemistress: One's "niece."

Foxymoron: A perfect 10 in looks and IQ.

Hasbian: She used to be a lesbian.

Leotarp: Plus-sized workout wear.

Malaproposition: "Hey, babe, want to preamble over to my place and copopulate?"

Mantastic: A fantastic man.

Mulligangster: A hit man who is afforded a second shot when his first is not successful.

Orgasmithsonian: A museum of pornography.

Penultimatum: I'm going to tell you this only one more time after this . . .

Prostituition: A whorrible way to pay for college.

Punditto: Talking heads who keep agreeing with each other.

Teatery: A Hooters restaurant.

Slothello: A quick tempered Moor who, overcome with jealousy, wants to kill his wife, his friend and himself, but never gets around to it.

Smirting: Flirting while on your smoke break.

Snatulence: The embarrassing and involuntary event when you expell air from the hind end while sneezing.

Splog: A spammy blog.

Subterraneanderthal: A subway groper.

Swipeout: When you've maxed out all your credit cards.

Tatooth: When someone's adorned their teeth with gold initials, diamonds or the like.

Spring Trail Riding

I realized I forgot to blog about our Girls' Ride this spring. Every Mothers' Day weekend a bunch of us gals head out to Pillsbury State Forest (near Pillager, MN) to horseback ride, camp, and of course eat, drink and be merry.

My mom has been doing this for over 25 years and while the number of women in the group has
fluctuated over the years, there are some core family friends who always come. It's a really fun weekend, normally starting on a Thursday afternoon and lasting until Sunday afternoon.

We ride twice a day normally but one day we'll pack a lunch in our saddlebags and head out for 5 or 6 hours. In state forests, dogs can be off-leash on the trails, so there are at least a couple of dogs with us, too.

It was a tad chilly this year, but still good weather for riding horses, since you never want it TOO hot. Everyone had a great time, and no one got hurt - thankfully! - even though we did have one bucking-bronco episode.

We all leave happy, tired and relaxed on the last day...already looking forward to our next Girls' Ride in the fall at Kathio State Park.

Tucker Gets Brushed

Every dog owner knows that all dogs have a spot. It's a place where if you scratch the dog, he can't help but thump his hind foot in appreciation.

While this happens much easier on some dogs than others - for instance, I have to really hunt to get my Zada to even oblige with an obligatory twitch - I do believe Tucker is giving Dani the definite "thumbs-up" on this brushing session. Watch closely as at one point BOTH hind legs are going at the same time!

A Bit of Country in the City

The wind picked up today. I've noticed - living in the city - this means the trash creeps around. Where I grew up in the country, it's only leaves that move about from place to place when the spring breezes begin to blow. Just one more thing to continue getting used to as I enter into my seventh year of living in the Twin Cities.

There are times when I'm overcome by longing for the quiet countryside...it's times like these when I must needs find a way to bring a little of the country to me - though I might be in the midst of the city.

This early evening, out with Zada, I realized I haven't been up north to relax for quite some time - especially without snow on the ground - and I was missing the solitude and peacefulness of the country. While the sun sank lower in the western sky I plopped on my back - on Wheelock Parkway - with Zada at my side...

Naked tree limbs clack gently together while cirrus clouds scud high overhead. The wind sighs softly through the mostly-bare branches of the trees, as if coaxing the spring buds into full growth. Through my fish-eye lens view I can see the new growth of the nearest tree, golden against the robins-egg blue of the sky.

A pair of geese hails with their nasally honk as they fly overhead; I turn to see which way they've gone but they elude my vision. After they depart, a songbird flies across my heavens. I know not which kind he is, but his happy trilling gives tribute to the dawning season, reason enough for me to remain content in hearing his song.

Even the rapid panting of my German shepherd lying nearby reminds me of lazy country days, when I had nothing more to do than wear myself out in the great outdoors. I breathe in the clean air slowly and revel in the moment - it's as close to religion as one can come these days, and if there's an argument there, then one has never experienced it for herself.

The constant susurration of cars on the parkway reminds me of where I am, but it's enough - right now - to focus on the simpler elements of nature and pretend I'm elsewhere. The slanting rays of the setting sun lengthen, stretching their fingers eastward as if they, too, don't want to see the day end.

I close my eyes and take a deep breath...for now, I've come as close as I will to transporting myself out of the suburbs and back into the country where my life began.

Minneapolis House for Sale

*Updated November 2, 2010*

It's finally time. Time to bite the bullet and realize I cannot put it off any longer – I have to put my house on the market. Even in tough times, there comes a moment of truth when you know that holding onto an extra house and waiting for the market to turn around just doesn't make sense. In fact, at this point I'm willing to GIVE it away – for real.

I'm certainly no green thumb, so while the little Russell Avenue property doesn't have what most would consider to be curbside charm, that's easily fixed and it's really "what's on the inside that counts." Right?

It's a 1927 story-and-a-half house with ~1,100 square feet (finished) plus a basement with laundry, 3 bedrooms and 2 full baths. Hardwood floors dominate the main floor – except for the kitchen (linoleum) and bathroom (tile) – and the upstairs consists of linoleum (made to look like wood), tile, and carpet in the bedroom.

A nicely-sized front porch sits on the East side of the house, while on the West (in the back yard) there's a smaller "mud porch" with carpeting which is excellent for coming in when it's raining, leaving boots, coats, etc.

The kitchen is an eat-in kitchen with stainless steel appliances (gas stove, refrigerator), space for a small dishwasher, and plenty of cabinet storage.

Along with the kitchen and living room, the main floor also houses two bedrooms and a bathroom. I always used the West bedroom – which is the smaller of the two – as my actual bedroom; using the other as a combined office/study. The bathroom on this floor has a built-in cabinet and drawers which accommodate towels, sheets, bathroom toiletries and more easily.

The roof is new; new windows were installed before I bought it in 2005; updated electrical and plumbing; central air; drain tile and sump pump; entirely fenced yard.

Upstairs there is a space large enough for a home office – easily accommodates computer desk, bookcase, chair, etc – along with a small bathroom and nicely-sized bedroom.

I actually used the upstairs bedroom as a TV room, since it was cozier and then the large TV wasn't taking up space in my cute, "formal" living room downstairs.

The yard is a standard, city-sized lot and the garage is a one-car, detached garage. I haven't priced it yet – though of course it'll be much lower than what I paid for it 5 years ago...sadly in this market there's not much else I can do. In fact, if someone would be willing to take it off my hands I'd make it happen. Just need to get out from under the mortgage.

Click, Flash

I just finished watching the movie Sex and the City...for the 2nd time. Tsk, tsk, I know. Clint's out with his cousin and I treated myself to a girly night. So shoot me.

Realizing I've neglected to blog for almost a month, I decided to snap to it and throw up some more Puerto Vallarta pictures. This post is saved for those images captured by my trusty little point-and-shoot Canon camera, which in a pinch treats me just as well as my SLR. In a different manner, but since I can - and do - carry it with me everywhere due to the small stature, I find it's much more reliable in "quick, get the camera" situations. Yet it still performs just as well under the posed shots :)

It got so I didn't even carry my DSLR down to the beach - my P&S is just so much easier to haul around. Whether taking self-portraits or asking someone else to do the honors, the ease of use and small size wins out in my opinion.







This is especially true for nighttime, when I didn't have a big beach bag to accommodate a larger camera - in fact, the entire 2 weeks I ventured out at night with nothing more than a teeny khaki purse for essentials. Which included, of course, the point-and-shoot camera!

I was glad of a compact picture-taking device the few times we happened to run across something which needed to be documented - if only for future laughs (and this blog). Such as finding a random Blue Heeler on the beach...in Mexico. My sister confessed later she'd seen the same one, but still. Or, speaking of dogs, I had to capture a couple shots of Dani's humongous friend one night...biggest dog I've ever seen in my life, bar none. *Click*

And since my Canon point-and-shoot focuses with much more ease than my Canon 30D, it came in handy to get some cool "swirly" shots of the Mexican bailarinas we happened across one night...I just might blow up one of my myriad shots of this sequence because they turned out pretty well!



It would seem this little contraption is easily pawned off on others to take pictures in one's absence, too...I gave it to Clint to capture the moments when he and the boys were "at sea" on the fishing boat, and although some sunblock or other greasy substance was swiped across the lens, he delivered!

Whale Watching in Puerto Vallarta

Mostly because these are the photos I have done - to date - I've decided to outline a fun day Clint and I had post-wedding in PV: whale watching!

While I've been heading down to Vallarta since I was 11, I've never gone officially whale watching down there. I've only been twice in my life, actually - once in Boston when I was 16 and then last May when Clint and I were on the Oregon Coast.

Each winter there are approximately 300 humpback whales which hang around in Banderas Bay while stopping off on their journey to mate and reproduce. According to some whale watching information I found, these whales are "Californian." Must mean they say "duuuuude" a lot.

We DID see several humpbacks on our 4-hour tour, and although none of them decided to breach, we got the pleasure of seeing that at breakfast one morning, so I consider it a wash :)

Not only did we get fed breakfast, lunch, and all the Coronas and margaritas we could guzzle; the crew was extremely passionate about whales as well as knowledgeable - we found them immediately after we got into deep water and kept seeing them.

The crew also took us closer to a couple of sea turtles resting. Bobbing on the surface of the water like coconuts, it's difficult to tell if they are, indeed, turtles until you're extremely close. They showed off their shells and flippers for us quite nicely.

Later, we tooled across the bay to Los Arcos to see the Blue-Footed Boobies, gulls and pelicans. The water was crystal clear that day - we could see all the way to the bottom just from the boat! Too bad those in the wedding group who went snorkeling didn't have such a great experience :) You know, so they'd have been able to better see killer fish coming out of the depths...

We even ran into a mother humpback and her calf extremely close into shore near Los Arcos - evidently they were recuperating from each getting hit by a boat the week before. We weren't told if it was a whaling boat or not, but either way, both seemed healthy and were taking advantage of the peaceful, warm waters to rest up and do a little feeding.

On our way back to the marina, we saw a couple more whales as a bonus, along with some mating mantarays! Of course, we couldn't really see those - even though they, too, were very close to the boat - because their black bodies made it hard to discern body parts from waves. Still a very cool day!

A Morning in Paradise

It's still dark outside as I sit in the tiled kitchen and listen to the waves rolling lazily onto the beach. The gentle susurration of the surf mutes any noise I create as I slink about heating water for organic tea. My only illumination comes from a wrought iron chandelier, one of the many charming attributes of my parents' beach condo in Puerto Vallarta.

I'm patiently awaiting the dawn, when I can venture out onto the sand for my seaside morning walk. I type alone, since the rest of my family still lies wrapped in peaceful slumber. I myself spent a somewhat fitful night of getting used to a new bed and looking at my watch - "is it time to get up yet?" - whether through excitement of waking up for my first full day in paradise or habit, I'm not sure.

Although I'm eager to start my day, I can't help but feel the inherent peacefulness to this place, as if the sweet nature and laid-back ways of the Mexican people have soaked into the shore itself, or maybe it's the other way around. It's at once a calming and invigorating realization that no matter what fortunes the day may bring, they'll leave me feeling rested and happy.

By minute increments the surf, sky and beach are becoming visible - sunrise is approaching. It's time to wake up the muscles with some exercise...and, speaking of waking, the family is slowly stirring. The day has "officially" begun!

Goofy Dog

We're still doggy-sitting my parents' goofy Golden retriever, Tesa (until tomorrow). Mom went down to Puerto Vallarta in the beginning of February, and Dad followed a week later. Since Daddy-o was working long hours, they didn't want to leave Tesa in her kennel all day, so I offered to take her.

I figured she and Zada could wear each other out and since we're already exercising one high-energy dog, what's one more?

Of course, we figured out quickly we couldn't leave them alone together while we were at work - even with Tesa as company, Ms. Z still decided to chew on stuff and be naughty :)


It went swimmingly - the dogs get along well, and settled in as roommates immediately. Tesa does have a few proclivities, some of which we've been working on:

• Barging through any open door she sees
• Charging up the stairs regardless of the placement of OUR feet
• Taking off after any woodland creature which catches her eye
• Begging for food
• Making weird noises and contorting into seemingly uncomfortable positions

This last one is amusing, to say the least. I'm going to try to get her on video - or at least my point & shoot camera's video option - before we send her off, because it's rather humorous listening to her and Zada play "racecar" style. I can't even describe it well but they lie down on the floor and chew on each other's faces while whining in synchronized pitches that is hilarious to behold.
She also likes to hang out on her back - which is odd, since being upside down normally makes dogs extremely sneezy - and with her soft, mooshy Golden skin it turns her countenance into a frightful-yet-funny display of teeth and wrinkles.

All in all, tho' I think she had fun at Auntie Sarah's, something tells me she'll like to get back to her country-dog existence! Zada will certainly miss having her playmate around :)

Free Trials for Acai

Here's a follow-up to my 'research' on the Acai product free trials. On January 20th, I ordered a free trial of the Acai Noni Burner, which I received a week later and have been taking every day since. Give or take, anyway :) Oh, but so far I've only taken it once a day (wanted to acclimate the tummy).

Since I took the liberty of ordering a different free trial yesterday for Nature's Best Acai & Total Cleanse, I realized I hadn't given myself a reminder to cancel the Noni Burner.

I keep receipts and usually save confirmation emails so I had no trouble finding the website address to check up on the terms. Of course, after the 16th day of the trial, they start billing $79.95 per month for every subsequent bottle of pills they automatically ship.

I wrote an email but then also noticed I could cancel right from the site (verifyyourorder.com). When I attempted to cancel, a chat box popped up and an 'agent' asked if she could assist me. I told her I wanted to cancel and she looked up my account. Before I could even tell her WHY I was cancelling (I ended up telling her "vitamins make me nauseous; this one's no different...sorry!"), she said they'd hate to lose my business, so could she offer me the bargain price of $39.95 per month?

Right out of the gates. Depending on how important this little "diet" pill is to everyone, keep in mind you might be able to get it not only half-price; you possibly could haggle them down even lower.

Seriously, if this stuff works, I wouldn't mind paying $1 a day versus $3. Honestly, I've trimmed down a tad, but who knows if the Acai berry pills are the cause - I'm also working out and watching what I eat. Like right now - I'm watching myself eat 2 cookies :)

http://ping.fm/p/VHLIJ - Sarah Bernierblog: www.sarahbernier.blogspot.com/"Todo el mundo sonre en el mismo idioma."(Everyone smiles in the same language.)

http://ping.fm/p/TgNyF - Sarah Bernier | SEM Specialist | Linnihan Foy Advertising, 612.238.3014

Ping.fm: the ultimately lazy method - or time-consuming, however you want to look at it - to keep your networks up to date on all the boring stuff you're doing RIGHT NOW.

Social media is cool. But not Cuil.

Acai Berry Product Trials

In this day of Internet-driven life, the old adage "caveat emptor" (buyer beware) has made a switch to "caveat venditor" (seller beware). Why? Because we consumers are researching the heck out of multiple products, services and potential providers online before settling on which one is best for us.

But, scams still abound and for the unsuspecting, trusting or just plain ol' dumb consumer, the venditores can still win.

Take for instance all the hoopla about the amazing "new" wonder-fruit, the Acai berry. It grows in the Amazon and is evidently chock full of antioxidants ("they" say 2x that of blueberries, which is a lot, but beware...*), amino and essential fatty acids.

Sounds great...so what's the catch?

For starters, these berries only grow in the Amazon - they need a tropical climate - so they're hard to come by. In fact, they're full of seeds, which means they rot quickly after being picked*. So, it's downright impossible to get the actual fruit here in the U.S. - unless they're in pill form. This means they're expensive.

Ok, no biggie. Any GNC or health market will have them on-hand, right? Not according to what "they" want you to believe! (However, GNC DOES carry plenty of Acai berry products, available either online or on the store shelves.)

Hence, the online craze. The 'net is FULL of free trials, low shipping offers, and endorsements by big names like Oprah, Rachael Ray and others.

That's all well and good (last time I checked, Oprah didn't have to worry about expensive vitamins) - but the tables have turned...caveat emptor, people! While I didn't get "caught," I'm sure there are many people who have ordered their 14- or 15-day free trial for this product, then have had to deal with receiving more product and of course being billed heavily to their credit card every month thereafter.

I read reviews and learned some about the Acai berry here, and ended up ordering Nature's Best Acai here. Of course I didn't read the fine print until AFTER I'd ordered. No biggie, I have 2 weeks to call and "cancel" my subscription, which is now in their database.

Along with the Acai pills I ordered some Colon Cleanse here - yes, I do believe in detoxification of the body - don't judge me, I'm getting married and I want to lose all of the stomach chub by any means possible :) I'll also have to call this company to cancel the trial - after reading up on the Acai I checked the terms of service on this site to get the information.

There's a reminder in my MS Outlook calendar to call and cancel BOTH trials...before I get billed the "super low rate" of ~$80 per month PER product. Yowzas.

Now, I can totally justify paying money for good products which have a better chance than most of elongating my life and making it a healthier existence: good bed, good shoes, good vitamins. But, some people might think that money can fall from the skies and that free lunches DO exist. For you, I'd suggest reading all asterisks before making a decision.

Keep in mind: just because it's endorsed by cutie-pa-tootie Rachael Ray and Oprah** doesn't mean it won't come back to bite your credit card. They certainly don't have to worry about $100 per month for berry extract :)

Another thing to keep in mind - so far it seems the FDA has NOT evaluated the Acai products. So, we circle back: caveat emptor.

*You can read all about acai fruit at Wikipedia and decide for yourself whom to trust...

**Again, after looking this up (other than on the numerous sites selling the products) I found out this isn't true. According to Wikipedia, each berry - about the size of a grape - contains one large seed.

***Also according to Wikipedia: "In late 2008, lawyers for The Oprah Winfrey Show began investigating potential claims against supplement manufacturers who suggested that frequent Oprah guest Dr. Mehmet Oz had recommended their product or açai in general for weight loss."

One Month to Wedding

As of today, I have exactly 1 month to prepare for my wedding.

YOIKES!

However, Clint's clothes - along with those of his best man - have been tried on, purchased and tucked safely away.

We're in the process of obtaining a true head-count and choosing the meal for the reception; I still have yet to compile the iTunes playlist or figure out the sand ceremony.

Details, details...

On a much less stressful note, my "bachelorette" party is this Saturday! Should be fun - and relaxing vs. wild. Let's face it, I'm 30 now :) Dinner, drinks, and LOTS of chatting sounds perfect to me!

I also have my 2nd dress fitting tomorrow afternoon...I have a feeling she'll need to let out the hip area a bit, since I'm a bit rounder than I was post-Italy. In my defense, it's from strengthening muscles, not gaining fat. Doesn't mean I'm not watching the diet more than ever now!

Stranded on 169 Southbound

This past weekend I went up to my parents' for a bridal shower...had a couple of really fun days up in the northland. I went hiking with the dogs, ate some good food, got to see a bunch of friends and of course, scored some awesome presents :)

Heading back today, however, was a different story. I drove the Durango (which Clint bought from my sister at Thanksgiving) because my lil' Honda's having some issues. Plus with the snow, etc. I felt safer driving the big 'un.

Well.

Nothing noteworthy for the first couple of hours - stopped for gas in Deerwood, got some Sour Patch Kids (which I promptly inhaled and am still nursing a raw tongue), sang along to the iPod, NBD.

Then I started noticing the RPMs were acting weird again...i.e., all of a sudden without me changing the gas the RPMs would race up to ~2,200 or slam down to ~1,700.

It wasn't bad, just annoying...but then when I slowed down for the light in Zimmerman, I noticed a "buzzing" noise in the engine. Got going again, and all hell broke loose. No matter if my foot was on the gas pedal or not, the RPMs were jumping all over the place - it got so bad I couldn't even go 60 without the car jerking.

I pulled over to the side - couldn't even find the hazard lights for about a minute (give me a break, it's a "new" car) - and called Clint, my mom, my 2 uncles and my sister. I might've been on the verge of a nervous breakdown. (Meanwhile, Zada - who played like a MAD WOMAN for 2 days - contentedly slept on, unaware, in the back.) Both uncles conferred - could either be an electrical problem, a transmission problem, both, or even more....one of the uncles lost me when he started spouting out a bunch of terms which I cannot recall at the moment but either way, it ain't lookin' good.

Good news, though - my mom had left ~30 mins before me, since she's babysitting my sister's kids tomorrow (MLK day) and I caught her while she was shopping at Arbor Lakes. She came back and brought her AAA card with her - of course Clint and I don't have that - and I got towed to some random place in Elk River. But not before we had to transfer all my shower gifts from the Durango to her CRV...which was full because we're also celebrating Amy's birthday so there was a cake, Mom's bag, a sewing machine (longer story), plus whatever else she has in there. Oh, and since the back was full, that meant Zada had to leave her comfy, king-sized snoozery and trade it for one cushion's worth of seat...

Mom then brought me here to my sister's house where they promptly had me open a bottle of vino. Now I'm patiently waiting for the pork chops to cook and I'm sure my dog is wondering why on earth she's stuck outside with no food.

Sigh. BREATHE.

IF our tub wasn't broken - of course the drain thingy doesn't work so it doesn't hold water - I'd zip right home after this and take a nice, long, hot bath. Of course, I have to use my mother's car in order to zip anywhere, since Clint has my car. Oh, how I LOVE when things don't go the way they're supposed to!!!

Wedding Planning Status

Other than the setback with the apostilles on our birth certificates, our wedding plans continue to chug along smoothly. Granted, we still have some loose ends to tie up, but overall this is pretty easy. I find that whenever I'm freaking out about something, it's really just me creating drama that I THINK is there, when it's really not a big deal.

Music
I battled with my iTunes for over a weekend - yes, I'm using my iPod for the wedding - and was getting frustrated but I got it all figured out, and purchased a bunch of new music. Ahem...not necessarily for the wedding; songs I've wanted for a long time. BUT, I did get an instrumental song for "walking down the aisle," and also chose the song for the end when Clint and I are heading back. Not sure he's as enthusiastic about it as I am, but let's be honest: unless it's something from Mötley Crüe, he won't like it :)

Those are the only 2 songs during the ceremony; everything else on the iPod will be for the reception. And, since there will NOT be a dance, all we have to do is throw on a bunch of Sinatra-type songs and we're good to go.

My Dress/Attire
My dress was safely tucked away in the downstairs closet until last week when I had my first fitting. I'd gained several pounds since I'd tried it on in October, but that just means the alterations will be cheaper, since she won't have to take it in! I have another fitting planned for the end of next week, and if she needs to let the hips out (let's face it, when I work out I get a tad rounder :) then we'll plan another quick fitting for the week afterward.

The alterations gal is SUPER-nice and very accommodating, since she'll have had only 1 month to get in 3 fittings and all the altering. Mom's leaving for PV on February 4th and she's bringing the dresses down with her since she'll go first-class. Thanks, Mom - makes it a lot less stressful for ME to travel!

I have my shoes, I have my hair thingies...I'm all set!

Clint's Attire
We haven't even purchased anything for Clint yet...I guess we'd better get crackin' on that. I've already done the research on pants/shirts; it's just a matter of actually getting them. Of course, according to him, all he needs is a pair of flip-flops, swim trunks and his "tux t-shirt". My mom didn't laugh at that one :)

Showers
I'm heading up North tomorrow for my first bridal shower. It's going to have an undercurrent of "horse" since it's basically all the horseback riding lady friends! Should be interesting. I have a feeling there'll be games - which I despise - but I get fed and evidently I get gifts. Plus I get a weekend up at the Bernier Ranch & Spa, which is always good.

The following weekend is THE shower/bachelorette party, hosted by my sister and long-time friend, Kristen. It's not the buck-for-a-suck type of bach party; more like a we're-over-thirty-and-we-just-want-a-night-of-dinner-and-drinks get-together. Evidently it's being held at Muffuletta in St. Paul. We'll hang out for dinner and drinks, then whomsoever wishes can make the short trek over to the Dubliner Pub for Irish music and more cocktails. Even Mom is coming!

Last - but not least - my soon-to-be aunt-in-law is throwing a shower for the Danks' side of the family the first weekend in February. I thought that was extremely nice of her, considering she'll have just returned from a long vacation in New Mexico visiting grandbabies. Thanks, Aunt Vickie!

Whew. I think that's about it. And the rest, as they say, is in the details...