My Family?

(Disclaimer: None of the thoughts/ideas expressed in this post reflect my feelings towards my immediate family - mom, dad, Kelly, and Matt.)

I think we all know where this is going? If you ask me (which I know you didn’t but I’m going to tell you anyway) there are two kinds of families:

1. Families who offer love, caring, COMPASSION, ethics, HONESTY, fairness, common sense, reason, PEACEFUL CONFLICT RESOLUTION, respect for oneself and others – all of the values necessary to live an honorable and prosperous life in harmony; And,

2. Families who act carelessly and in a GREEDY fashion – or those who lack values such as to be kind, caring, honorable, neighborly, generous, compassionate, fair, and peace-loving.

It is my belief that there are families out there who are lucky enough to possess a sense of “Family Values” who are considerate and careful with their decision making and actions making sure not to leave behind a polluted world for our children. Unfortunately, mine isn’t one of them.

As far as I’m concerned, “Family” was a hollow, empty word when I was growing up – And still is, a word that is just “said”. People who barely talk to each other or who may even be disgusted with one another can “CALL” themselves a “FAMILY” but in reality, they are and always will be incapable of caring about and taking care of one another the way a family should. (Or at least one that considers themselves to be more than a bloodline.) Loyalty and love should not be something that family members (or people in general for that matter) should feel that they “owe” anyone but rather should be a voluntary action.

So why am I surrounded with pessimism, selfishness and greed when all of the things necessary to live in harmony with one’s community and self are something dissimilar? It reminds me of that old saying, “You can pick your friends but you can’t pick your family.” But just because you cannot choose your bloodline that does not mean you that cannot choose your loyalty? Especially if the loyalty that you are more than willing to surrender will NEVER and I mean NEVER be returned. The sad part is that even though our faith wants us to be humble... The pain and heartache overpower us into uncontrollably feeling something indifferent.

That being said, at this point in my life, there is a big part of my family that can and will only be a “bloodline” in my eyes. These are the people that choose greed (such as saving a buck and doing so without tact) over compassion, fairness, reason, and peaceful (or at least tactful) conflict resolution. These are the people who choose to love some more than others even though it continues to break hearts. These are the people who you discount salary for and lose hundreds so they can put it in their pocket thinking that maybe – just maybe, they’ll do something nice for you in the future and then you get let down. These are the people who are more than willing to go out of their way! But only if it benefits them. These are the people who live to compete with the one group of people they should never even think about competing with. These are the people that care so much about what makes them happy (because life is too short you know) that they are willing to hurt others in exchange for self-gain.......................... And unfortunately for me, these are the people who surround my familial existence. These are the people whom I have no choice but to love. These are the people whom I have no choice but to respect.

But these are the people I DO have a choice to spend time with. And I DO have a choice to be loyal.

“A self-realized person would never be pessimistic about achieving what needs to be done in the world around them and in their lives. Self-realized people will be following their profound sense of conviction that, - - evil will only triumph when good people do nothing to stop it.”

lam

I Had A Plan But God Has A Better One?

I have to believe this. I was recently forced into making a life change. My place of employment made a decision to let me go after three years... Not based on something I had any control over... Not based on lack of education, skills or ability... Not based on a lack of desire to learn or to improve... BUT based on poor judgement on their part? So, it makes me wonder? Why DO bad things happen to good people? How could someone I had trusted so much do something to intentionally hurt me?? And then I think... will I ever actually need the answers to these questions? There is more to life than a job. And that is what it was... a job. How many jobs does one have in their lifetime? Fifty years ago, could have been one or two, maybe even three (although unlikely). Today, could be 10 or 15! So there you have it folks. I have already worked for six different companies and I am only 26. I have lived through a book's worth of chapters yet there is still room in that book for more. It sounds like I am doing alright I know (that all of my rocks are in check) however, the truth is... I was devastated. I knew I wanted to make a change. I just wasn't planning on doing it this soon and that is where divine intervention comes into play and I'll tell why I believe this!

Everything in my life has fallen into place thus far especially when it comes to my career. You see, when I graduated High School I had no idea what type of career I wanted to pursue. I knew I had the brains to do whatever I wanted but there was nothing that I passionately wanted to do. At the same time, I had influences in my life that helped make the legal field look somewhat more appealing to me. (A lot of you already know this story so feel free to skip ahead. For those of you that don't keep reading!) So, my father, in an attempt to try and guide his confused teenage daughter into choosing a career path the best way he knew how, handed me the CCAC course catalog. As I flipped through, already somewhat interested in law, I came across the Associates Degree in Paralegal Studies section and that was it. I made my choice. So for two years I studied the legal field and learned, if anything, what the hell a Paralegal was. When my community college experience was near end, my advisor not only "advised" me to get my BA but he encouraged me to apply for an internship so that I could gain "office" experience while simultaneously finishing my degree. And that is what I did. The internship I received was with a firm that had an office in Monroeville as well as an office in Oxford Center, downtown. So it just so happened that when I transferred from CCAC to Point Park University to work on my BA, I was also able to transfer my internship location to the downtown office. Luck or something else? Funny how life works sometimes isn't it? My next journey left me young and determined and with that I was able to complete my BA in Legal Studies within the next year and a half all while gaining paid office experience! When my BA journey ended, it was time to find a real job! During this process a friend of mine recommended a placement agency. I worked as a temp for awhile but it wasn't long until I landed my first "real" job at Thorp Reed & Armstrong. (And I have to take a minute to say this part because they're all reading: It was there that I had made some of my best friends =) A year and a half with that firm not only taught me a lot but also happened to get me through (financially) to my wedding. After that event took place, now on my own, I sought to find something a little closer to home. I made the decision to leave TRA for a small law firm in the Cranberry area. Unfortunately, a month into the new gig I knew it wasn't for me so a temp I was again! Until one day, a recruiter that had worked with some time earlier that year called me out of the blue with a lead on the Pepper Hamilton position. (It was a long shot as I had zero experience in the field but I nailed the interview and they were desperate I think.) Either way, the offer was extended and the position, mine. At the time I started there (almost 3 years ago) I knew nothing about Intellectual Property. Intellectual What? I swear I had never even heard of it! And they hired me? Stuuuupid! But what an awesome opportunity for me let me tell you! I was 23 when I started working there and I was a fighter. During my time with them I had went from essentially nothing to eventually gaining my own office, a title change, a promotion, an extensive raise, etc. What more could a girl want? But with power comes envy and with envy comes malice. Trust no one.

Now here is where it all fits together... (I know it's been long but I promise it will make sense).

Now I am jobless. I think back to 4, almost 5 years ago at the time I worked at TRA and this is what I gather: I was unhappy with my career and I had no real passion for it. I remember spending numerous lunchtime hours on the phone with Pitt inquiring about their Elementary Education program. Really. I had worked in the legal field less than two years and I already wanted out. So why didn't I do it then? What happened that made me decide to stay doing something I didn't really even like? Why didn't I make the change four years ago? The answer? Opportunity. Someone or something (a higher power if you wish) placed opportunities at my fingertips that I couldn't bear to turn down. It was this sequence of events that led me to Pepper Hamilton and it was there that I had conjured up a plan to finally leave the field. I had a plan. I really did. I enrolled in Drexel University's School of Education Online. I was finally doing it. I didn't care if it took me two, three or four years to complete it, I just felt relief to know that I was finally working toward a more positive future. I started in the Spring of 2009. (It's still coming together I promise.) Just recently (Spring), I completed a quarter and made a decision to take the Summer quarter off. After all, I wasn't in any hurry because I knew I was eventually getting out! But something changed during my time off... Self-Doubt. I became weary of my decision making skills and started second guessing my instincts, even wondering if I should just give up and focus on the "path of least resistance" (i.e. the Paralegal career)... and that is when, low and behold, I was thrown a life twist. Something that I never thought could happen in a million years... happened. It was unfair, unjust, unlucky, uneverything but it was also my answer. Here I am wondering if I should quit the school I had just started and give up on one of my dreams when God provided me with the opportunity to answer my own questions...

Jobless on unemployment (although I forgot to mention the Real Estate License. Isn't it funny how I decided to go and get THAT out of the blue not thinking that I would ever actually need to do it full-time. It used to just be my hobby =), I have two options: 1. Find another Paralegal job and continue to slave away for some of the world's most sinister beings, or 2. Re-enroll in Drexel's accelerated program and take advantage of this opportunity (see, there's that word again) to be able to acquire my Elementary Education Teaching Certificate in less than a year's time. If I pass up this opportunity now I may never have a chance to get it back. The Lesson: He may not always answer us the way we want him to but he answers. This experience gave me the insight I needed to make a life-altering decision. And no, I'm not "lucky" in this way. Anyone who has faith can have similar experiences. You just need to ask. So, in conclusion... yes, I had a plan BUT maybe God has a bigger plan for me than I had for myself.

lam

First Blog Post Since March!

I'm blogging again! Honestly, I need to do it. It not only documents all of the major/minor events in my life but it is my outsource... my way to vent! I know I haven't posted anything since March so I have a lot of catching up to do but don't worry, that is about to change and it's not the only thing that has changed! I am jobless at the moment. I promise to write more about that later but for now I just want to say that I have no excuse not to keep you guys informed on what is going on in the Macik household! So hold me to it and don't stop checking! More posts to come, a promise is a promise =)
lam

More To Come On This...

Two more days until I am 'home sweet home'. After 24 hours of traveling (including sleeping in the backseat of a GMC truck) we arrived in Winter Haven, Florida. This was exactly 7 days ago. Today I write to you from Thomson, Georgia. Nothin' like southern hospitality to keep you sane on a 9 day adventure with none other than.... Matt and Jeff! Although I love them both.... THEY DRIVE ME NUTS!!! And although truly lovely down here in the 80 degree weather.... I MISS PITTSBURGH! I can't wait to come home! Oh..... wait, I guess I should mention the reason why I am down here in the first place? Well.......... Racing. (<- As if you couldn't of guessed it yourself! Ha!) Yes. It is the start of the 2009 GNCC Series for the guys and it began in River Ranch Florida on Tuesday, March 3rd with the 2nd race of the series to follow in Washington, Georgia - tomorrow. I must say it has been an interesting week. Believe it or not, it has also been a lot of hard work! Both for the 2 guys... and for me (for putting up with the 2 guys). I will not lie.... some days it took everything I had - other days - I just let my frustration fly right out of my big fat mouth! Overall, it has been a good trip so far. As for some quick stats, Matt placed 11th in his class (which is great for not having rode his dirtbike for 4 months!) and Jeff placed 6th in his class (with a flat front tire =) Of course the most important thing is that they both had fun and no one got hurt =) In between races we were able to take a break and relax in Orlando at Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure theme parks which were totally awesome! Now I hate to do this to you because I definitely have more to talk about and some great pics too so stay tuned!, but for now... I am going to go relax at the "Scottish Inns" and get back to my South Beach Diet book while the guys watch Supercross!

P.S. Don't forget to "Spring Ahead" tonight! In my perfect world, there would be no clock.

lam

Expect The Unexpected….

So I used to hear people use this saying a lot… and lately I've got to thinking about it? And for the record, I don't think it works. No matter how hard one tries to predict the so-called "unexpected" 99.999% of the time they will be wrong! Seriously, the things that happen in "Lee Ann World" I would have never "expected" or "unexpected"…. So why is it that this saying was ever even used in the first place then? No one can "expect" the "unexpected"… or, can they? Damn psychics. All I am saying is that it doesn't work for me. Am I confusing anyone?

lam

I can't believe I am doing this... Facebook that is!

Yep! I am jumping on the facebook bandwagon. Everyone I know is doing it! I am always late with this stuff.... as in MySpace, Blogging, Facebook.... I am always the last one on! Every time I think I am strong enough to resist, peer pressure gets the best of me. SO here I am now with a myspace page, a blog and a facebook page. Honestly, I don't know how they all keep up with this crap! I end up spending too much time on one and forgetting about the others... although, there is nothing wrong with a little networking these days, right? I mean, if I didn't give into these online temptations how would I have ever been able to locate the guy with whom I had my first kiss just to say "hi" again? That is like so totally important! (And I am so totally being sarcastic!) But I guess it is nice to see what people are up to (by looking at photos of them partying, drunk off their *sses!).. That's always fun! Well I guess I shouldn't be cuttin on it since I'm doing it too (not getting drunk and taking pictures of myself but "facebooking"... if that's even a word?). If anyone wants to be a dork with me, I suggest you do the same. If you're already a dork, check me out on facebook =)
lam

Random Post: Hmmm.... have you ever wondered what was on my ipod playlist?

Don't Laugh! IF you do... Maybe you should ask yourself this question... "What's on yours?" Haha.. Oh, wait... Do you even have one? That's what I thought! Now read on!

Gin Blossoms - Hey Jealosy

Ashley Tisdale - He Said, She Said

Miley Cyrus - Girls Just Want To Have Fun, See You Again, 7 Things

John Mayer - Waiting On The World To Change

Miranda Lambert - Kerosene

Ryan Cabrera - On The Way Down

Taylor Swift - Tim McGraw

Emmy Rossum - Slow Me Down

Amy Lee/Seether - Broken

Big and Rich - Lost In This Moment

Angela Via - Picture Perfect

Train - Meet Virginia

Marcy Playground - Sex & Candy

Mindy McCready - A Girl's Gotta Do

Rancid - Ruby Soho

Bad Religion - 21st Century Digital Boy

Gavin Degraw - I Don't Want To Be

Kerli - Walking On Air

Slipknot - Wait and Bleed

John Mayer - Free Fallin'

Sarah Connor Feat. Ne-Yo - Sexual Healing

Paramore - Misery Business, When It Rains, Born For This, That's What You Get, For a Pessimist I'm Pretty Optimistic

Ok.... So I know you're either singing some of these songs in your head right now (or out loud), saying to yourself, "I remember that song!", saying to yourself, "I should download that." Or, to the contrary... "I can't believe she listens to that!"

Random taste... I know.

lam

Spinning Class May Be The Death Of Me...

As I make an attempt to get in shape for bikini season... I think I might die (if I don't pass out, fall off my bike and smash my head off the wheel first.) I'm up to like 4 or 5 classes a week now.... what is wrong with me! Maybe I just shouldn't eat so much?

Lee Ann's Top 10 Favorite Foods:

1. Chocolate
2. Seafood (especially Alaskan King Crab Legs =)
3. Steak
4. Birthday Cake, Ice Cream & Donuts.
5. Mentos (the fruity ones)
6. Pizza
7. Chinese
8. Kaya
9. Mexican
10. Every dessert on the face of the planet!

I like everything. No wonder?

lam

Friends...

After an e-mail that I recently received from a friend of mine, I became inspired to write this post. I hope you like it!

Since it is February (and the month of love) I thought I would take a few moments to say a little something about the people in my life that I love. Of course I love God (who is always first and foremost) and then there's my husband (and our cats), my Mom & my Dad, Sister, and Grandparents, even Great Grandparents (in my case), In-laws, Nephew, Aunts, Uncles, Cousins (cousins' husbands and kids) and last but not least are "our friends". I often stop to think about all of the people I have met on my journey to 25 and almost 3 quarters… and I wonder where some of them have gone on their journeys? Like for example, my old friend Jonathan (who trained me when I was doing my internship at Papernick & Gefsky). We did the same job (messengers) so we ended up hanging out a lot and even hung out outside of work a few times. When my internship ended we attempted to stay in touch. I knew one of his goals was to go to law school and that he wanted to study abroad in Israel (see, we were only 19-20 then so we were still in college). I remember trying to call him a few months later and his brother answered his cell phone and said he was in Israel and he would give him my message. I never did hear from him. I guess that happens though. I do feel and always have felt that people touch our lives for a reason. So I'm sure there is a reason I was friends with Jonathan for that short 8-month period of time? Anyway, it's like how all of us wonder what happened to the people we went to grade school and high school with. Early after you graduate you're curious because you not only saw their faces day-in and day-out for at least 12 years but you also grew up with them. But what happens is at some point during and after college you start to forget about most of them and may even find yourself not remembering the names you once thought you'd never forget. I'm sure this same feeling happens after 4 years of college. As most of you know, I commuted throughout my 4-year journey so I didn't have that same opportunity to make those kinds of "college friends" that others make.. My point is, we all know that feeling in one way or another. And I really don't think we'll ever stop wondering about those people that touched our lives (even if we can only remember their faces and not their names or vice versa)… I guess what I'm trying to say is that the cycle never ends. There are always going to be people that come into our lives maybe for a short period of time or maybe a long one, maybe we'll remember their names and maybe we won't, maybe we'll stay in touch for a long time, maybe not. We have friends that we have known since we were kids (I have one who will always be like a sister to me and I think she knows that - even if we only talk 2 or 3 times a year) and the friends from High School who we will always stay in touch with… same with college…. And then there's work. If you think about it- how many of us at 25, 27, 30, 32 have worked at more than 1, 2, 3 or more places already? And that is the time where I, personally, have made most of my closest friends. Work. Seems strange, right? You always hear people say, "Don't mix business with pleasure" or, "Work friends will never be your real friends". Just so you know- I don't believe any of that! I have made some of my closest friends at work. Whether they are the ones you just like to go and party with or the ones who you’ve become so close to you feel like you can tell them anything or the ones that just stick to you like glue where maybe you didn't "hang out" a lot and maybe you don't tell them everything, but you've shared memories with them and you know that they will always have a place in your heart and yours in theirs - I have made all of these types of friends. Some of them I still keep in touch with and some I don't really. I'm sure down the road I will unintentionally forget about some of them and some of them I will never forget about. Werid how life works when you actually sit down and think about different aspects of it 'philosophically'? Anyway, back to the subject.. the purpose of this post is to express my love for all of my friends - old and new - nomatter what kind of friend you are to me, you've touched my life in some way, and therefore, you should know that you will always have a place in my heart. And if you didn't know, you do now. =)
lam

FACT: Cats like Nachos!

He stole it.. and he ate some of it. Who would have thought?

Happy Valentine's Day To ME

Just braggin' because they're so pretty!



Even though we drive eachother nuts sometimes, he's still my sweetie.

And surprisingly, he still sends me flowers even though he knows they'll be dead soon.

(P.S. Not all girls know what to do with them when they get them.... cut stems? What? Remove leaves? What the? Plant food? What the heck is that? I'm learning.)

lam

New Furniture

We did it! We finally broke down and bought some new furniture for the living room! It's the big, comfy squishy kind. And you have NO idea how long we've been waiting for this stuff! Let's see here.... I believe we ordered it in late November! That's Roomful Express for you! Ok, ok.. so I understand they were backed up over the holdays... that's why when they told us "late December", I accepted with no problem. However, late December came and went and we were then told January 6th. Ok, ok, again, no biggie, only 2 weeks! Well (you guessed it!) Jan. 6th came and went and we were told Jan. 20th! (yep! you guessed it again!) Jan. 20th came and went and FINALLY, I said FINALLY on Feb. 10th our furniture arrived! It's about time funiture people!!

Awwww.... Poor Kitty!

Just until we make sure.... black cat needed to get rubber claws put on his feet. Haha! I actually feel kinda bad? Not only did we take his "manhood" but now we're taking his self defense. (Well, he does still have teeth!) It's just temporary until we make sure he doesn't scratch the furniture. They're funny because they're like artificial nails - literally - you glue them onto the cat's real nails and you can even buy them in different colors! Haha! (And - NO - I wouldn't do that to him!) That is why he got "clear".
lam

Catz R Kool

For all of you "dog people" out there - you don't know what you're missing! Cats are cool. I've never laughed so hard in my life at the crazy things they've been up to. And we've been having some fun with their names too!

Thompson & Tuxy (their real names) a/k/a:
T-Diddy and Kitty-Cent
Jack Bauer and Kitty Dubaku (for those of you who are 24 fans!)
Orange Cat & Black Cat

Trick & Treat
Snuggle Bug & Love Bug
Sweet & Sinister

&

"The Boys"



Tuxy a/k/a Whoobas, Mortemer, Blacky, Stupid, Little Mister, Mister Pickles, etc.
Thompson a/k/a Tomilson, Sweetie Cat, Snuggle Bug, Fluffball, Li'l Lion, Orangy etc.

(Can't really see it in this pic but Matt's coffee mug says, "Real Men Like Cats!" Haha... it was his Christmas present from Tuxy.)

But no matter what we call them - they're still "mischievious". So the other day I was hanging out in the living room when my sixth sense warned me something was up! I walked into the dining room only to find black cat standing next to a pink plastic cup on it's side and a puddle of water. At the same time, Thompson managed to knock over the entire container of cat food! The little furballs are smarter then you think let me tell you! Because despite the fact of how mad I was at them - it was partly my fault! Orange cat just happened to be a little hungry (since I hadn't fed him yet that day) and black cat's water dish was empty. Darn cats. How dare they try and teach me a lesson!
lam

Victory Rewind: Congratulations, Pittsburgh Steelers!

I know i'm rollin' a little bit backwards here (due to my bad procrastination habit) but I thought I'd post these pics anyway just in case!

For those of you who couldn't make it to the victory parade.... you didn't miss much. This is what I saw....

(Me and my work friend Christina - aren't we cute?)

Did I really see Santonio 3 times! Or, was it just my imagination?

(Next year guys please wear your jerseys.... I can barely recognize you with them on let alone without them from the view of the city-county bldg. steps!)

Oh yeah, here is my video of the stage.... ha! Funny.

Lesson here: If you were upset because you couldn't take off work and you thought you were going to miss something important.... you didn't.

lam

No Power, No Problem!

Since the "class 2 hurricane-like winds" managed to take out our power last Thursday night… what better thing to do then prepare to "camp" in our own freezing, cold, scary dark house! (Or at least Matt thought so!) After I was late for work Thursday morning, got stuck in traffic on my way in, called the electric company only to find out we were stuck like this until Friday the 13th (go figure), Matt decided to come home from work Thursday night, light about fifty-million candles, accuse me of trying to burn the house down, build a fire in the fireplace and ask me if I wanted to blow up the air mattress so we can sleep next to it. Really? Both of our parents live within like 3 miles of us.. (and both offered for us to spend the night). But what could be more exciting then trying to rough it out ourselves? (Especially if you're a boy.) Fine. I'd better get used to it. Like my Dad says, "We live in an area that when the dog farts the power goes out." (In our case it's when a cat farts.) So we made macaroni & cheese (gas stove), ate, put all of our perishibles into coolers and packed them with ice (which in turn Matt thought would be a good time to CLEAN the fridge), strung flash lights in the bathroom, got showers, and chilled (literally) by the fireplace…. Until about 9:00…. When the neighbor called and asked us if we knew the power was back on since all of our lights were still out! My reaction: "Yes! I don't have to wake up at 6AM and drive to my parents house to get ready for work!" Matt's reaction: "Aww, man!". Apparatly he was having a blast? We sat there for a minute until he finally said in a somewhat disappointed voice, "just turn the lights on". No problem! And I didn't even miss "The Office!" Can it really get much better than that? Yes, it can. Matt said he was going to go down to the basement and check the furnace to make sure it came on… well, when we woke up at 6AM with ice cubes for noses he realized - he never did check it. His response: "Well, I said I was going to but I didn't really think I had to." Really, now? You didn't think you would have to check to make sure the furnace came back on in the middle of the winter?
lam

The "New" Kitty

Hmmm…. Where do I start?! First of all, we've been seeing this kitty around the neighborhood for quite a few months now. He is a very sweet and friendly orange tabby. Although not exactly fair to the cat with no-name… or, "The Cat" we named him "Thompson". He is really one of the sweetest cats I have ever met. Here's the story: Monday, January 5th, 2009: it was a cold, breezy Monday night when Thompson came to our porch. We were making dinner and from the kitchen we heard these strange crying meows coming from outside. Low and behold, he was back. We knew he was around but hadn't seen him for about a month or two. This time, he had a bloody red patch on the side of his face. =( We shared some of Cat's food with him and put a warm bed and blanky on the porch in case he needed a place to stay warm for the night. (Our hearts wanted to bring him in but unfortunately, our minds couldn't exactly agree on it.) We really didn't know what to do because we both have really big hearts when it comes to animals. We kept pacing around the house stressing ourselves out by talking about our different options while Thompson slept on his bed on the porch (and ate every morsel of food!). I told Matt that night that instead of us getting all worked up about it we would just leave it up to God and he would help us make the right decision. (I wanted to ease Matt's mind because I knew how much he was worried about him - he's such an animal lover… it's so sweet.) The next day Matt called me at work and said he felt guilty for not bringing in the orange kitty. We both knew he was in need of veterinary care and most likely a warm, loving home too. That night we put food out on the porch and called for him but he never came back. We really thought we weren't going to see him for another month or so. The next night (Wednesday, Jan. 7th) he did come back! Either God answered our prayers or he must have taken a liking to us or both. (I'm not quite sure yet why God wanted us to go broke though! $250 in Vet appointments later... and more to come...) I'm sure there's a lesson there. Anyway, we brought him in and made him a kitty haven in the basement with yummy, chicken and fish flavored morsels, fresh, cool water, warm blankets to lay on and a few toys to bat around. Can it really get much better than that? He was one happy (and lucky) cat that night! By Friday Matt had taken some time off work to take him to see the Vet. We found out the poor kitty needed antibiotics (for the cut on his face), worm medicine, flea medicine, a variety of vaccines and a plain ol'darn good checkup! Niether the Vet nor us are exactly sure what happened to his face? He could have gotten hit by a car and slid across the ground, or, gotten into a fight with an another animal? I'm mean really we have no idea where he's been or what happened to him but we do know he definitely needed that checkup. The Vet did say cats can travel as far as 10 miles or more! Over the next couple of days we came home from work and took turns spending time with him in the basement. See, here's the reason he is in the basement: According to the Vet, there is a possibility he could have feline leukemia or feline aids which could take 6 months to show up positive in a test if he would have gotten it say maybe from that cut on his face like if he got into a fight with another cat that had it or something like that. (It is actually more common than you think.) So, in order to protect black cat's health we got him vaccinated for feline leukemia but since it takes about two months for the vaccine to get through his system we need to keep them separated until at least March 13th. And trust me, i've been counting down the days! It is really hard to see Thompson living in the basement. He likes to snuggle us and be petted so we know he wants to be upstairs with us in the worst way! It's definitley a work in progess but eventually we will (hopefully) have two happy and healthy cats in our lives! They are both so different and have such unique personalities that they really are great additions to our little family of two. I posted some pics of Thompson. His cut is looking a lot better since the day I took the pics. The anitbiotics have really helped it heal. There is a part of us that worries he is someone else's pet and that that person misses him very much. We did check Craigslist and the News Stations' lost & found pet sections online. And the neighbor's house since we started seeing him about the same time she moved in. (But since we found out she is in jail right now she isn't getting him back even if he is hers.) On that note, we found nothing! I just hate the thought of knowing I possibly stole someone else's cat! Sounds silly - but true! But I also hate the thought of knowing that he had spent most of his time outdoors bearing the frigid, wintery weather conditions in need of medical care. Even though the basement isn't the warmest room in the house it has to be better than the cold, wet snow! At this point, we're just hoping for the best and looking forward to introducing black cat to his healthy, new orange brother =)
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SuperScratcher

I couldn't pry him off of it if I tried! Lazy Cat. That is what his name should be.. lazycat. At least if he actually scratched the thing (like he's supposed to) he'd be getting some exercise! (His Vet calls him "o-v-e-r-weight"! Yikes! That's partly my fault - Apparently, I feed him too much =) So all he does is lay on it, sleep on it, cuddle with it, hide behind it, attack it... and lick the catnip off of it. But no matter what the stuipid thing does I'll always love him and think it's the cutest thing ever! If anyone is thinking right now "Geez, Lee Ann is turning into one of those crazy cat ladies!" (Especially now that I've adopted another!) Please TELL ME! I don't want to be a CRAZY CAT LADY! The cats are like our babies though - "the boys" - we call them and we treat them like kids if you ask me! We play with them when we get home from work and bring home toys when we go to Wal-Mart. OMG we sound so loony. The funny part is this would be so "acceptable" if they were DOGS! But because they are cats we sound crazy! Don't we?! Haha.. Below is a video of "no-name" or "black cat" playing with his cheesy chase (one of his "Wal-Mart" toys!) - it's SO cute though! (As you will see in the video - I had to help him out a few times.. =)
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The Things We've Been Up To!

Christmas completely wore me out! I'm done. I am more than happy to wait another 12 months for it. Maybe this year I'll start preparing a little earlier (yeah, right… doesn't everyone say that this time of year?). The decorating, the cleaning and visiting and cleaning and shopping and wrapping and cleaning and eating and drinking and partying and wrapping and shopping and then undecorating, tree removal and cleaning again… need I say more? And to top it all off I learned this year that guys will never "get" it. See, they leave it all up to us by excusing themselves with that famous line that goes something like, "Well, you're so good at it." Shouldn't you try it at least once! And really, what man could be that bad at shopping (well… nevermind that one), wrapping (well, okay there's another), cleaning (OK - NEVERMIND!). He's right, they ARE bad at it! But he did a darn good job at cutting down our tree and hauling it home! Needless to say, I became completely overwhelmed while tackling my Holiday duties. Somehow.. a time that is supposed to be joyous and full of life left me with the after-holiday blues and completely drained, with 0 energy to spare! In the meantime, on Jan. 7th, we adopted a new kitty. He was a stray and he requires a lot of attention but I keep telling myself that he's worth it because most likely we saved his little life. =) Don't worry - you'll hear more about him - he's gonna get his own post.
Some other things that have been going on… Matt's been gearing up for the races this year. Working hard to get his bike together for his first race of the year on March 1st. See, we're doing the whole GNCC series this year. Well, not me, but Matt and Jeff are. That means.. 13 races.. at least 10 different states and a lot of hard work on his end and patience on mine! Like i've said before though, it's definitely worth it. I get to see so many different places, even if it's just a small town with a barn and a cow =) I get to see it.
Just recently, I treated myself to my very first laptop! What a luxury! Of course I will use it for Real Estate and also when I go back to school but even for "blogging" it is a nice addition to our home. Afterall, I sit at a desk all day. In no way do I want to come home and sit at another one! With the laptop I feel more mobile =)
Hmmm... what else? I don't know! We seem to always have something up our sleeve! I'll keep you posted!

lam

"Traditional" Christmas Day '08

Travel, travel, travel…. Now I know it is no where near what other people have to go through on the Holidays but I feel like we spent more time rushing around from place to place then we did actually enjoying the day! Since we didn't get to bed until around 2 a.m. the night before we "accidentally" slept in on Christmas Day =)

Matt's mom was having brunch around 10:00 a.m. so that was stop no. 1. Orrin and Wendy came (Matt's brother and sister-in-law) and brought little Derik to open the presents Santa left for him at Grandma's house. Matt and I were SO excited to give D his gift from us!

We bought him his first Harley (this is one special present since Mom, Dad, Uncle Matt and Grandpap all ride Harleys!). It truly is the cutest little thing… not your typical rocking horse - those are for girls! D got a rockin' Harley. Although a little too young to understand it now, in a year or two, I think he'll really appreciate it =) I posted some pics of Derik and his new bike. Actually, these are the only pictures I took that day! And they are by far the cutest! We exchanged gifts with the family and shared a wonderful meal together (thanks to Mitzi - one of the best cooks I know =)

After helping clean up and letting our food settle it was on to Grandma P's house (my mom's mom). She was having dinner at 3. We were already so stuffed by the time we got there our bellies couldn't handle much more! But thankfully Gram was already prepared with extra empty cool-whip containers to fill with goodies for us to take home with us. And man did we eat for the next couple of days! We hung out with the fam for awhile but still had one more person to see… Matt's Dad.We planned for him to come visit that evening but once we got home he called and said he wasn't feeling good and that he wasn't going to be able to make it. =( By that time we were hungry again so of course we heated up our leftovers! Gotta love Holiday leftovers! It was about 8:00 or so by the time Matt and I got to exchange gifts with eachother. This was a first for us since our usual is to get up early Christmas morning and exchage but since Christmas Eve left us so exhausted this year we just didn't make it out of bed in time! I think we both had a very nice Christmas this year. We were definitely spoiled by our families and by eachother but feel very blessed to have such wonderful, loving and giving people in our lives.
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