Super Tuesday

WHO WILL IT BE?



So today is the big day for California (and other states) voters for the Democratic primaries. In case you are wondering, Jason was on the corner of Oak Grove and Ygnacio this morning from 7 - 9:30am and he will be heading back out this afternoon with his Obama signs. He said the honks really helped motivate him and his iPod kept him entertained.

I drove by and took a picture but didn't get a great shot. It was a little challenging to do while driving.

Scavenger Hunt

Last weekend, Melissa and I had a bday scavenger hunt and it was SO MUCH FUN! I was a little scared that not everyone would enjoy themselves, but afterwards everyone begged to have another.

Here is how it worked:

Teams of 5 were formed (we had 6 teams of 5) and everyone had a driver in the group. Each team was armed with a digital camera and list of tasks to complete around town. Melissa and I came up with a list of about 40 tasks with different point values assigned depending on the level of difficulty. Everyone had 2 1/2 hours to finish. We had a pitstop for all teams to meet at Artie's half way through.

Here are some of the tasks our team completed. Hopefully I'll have more pics soon. Thanks to everyone who participated. It was definitely a memorable event and tons of fun. Made me feel like a kid again.

Team must karaoke together


Propose with an engagement ring

Long's was a popular destination. Who knew they had such beautiful rings.

TP Someone's House

Sadly, Lex's parents got hit due to the close proximity to another task that had to be completed at NGHS tennis courts.

Guy to get make-up done at counter


*Mike and Jeramy were good sports!

Get in the Back of a Cop Car



Perform I'm A Little Teapot

Eat, Pray, Love...I did Love it!

I just finished reading this book last night and have jumped on the bandwagon of fans. I know you've probably already heard this by now, but I highly recommend this book. It is entertaining, thoughtful, helpful, adventurous and an enjoying read.

Simple Summary: The author brings you through her 1 year journey of traveling to Italy, India and Indonesia in pursuit of pleasure, devotion and balance.

My favorite paragraph from the book:
I keep remembering one of my Guru's teachings about happiness. She says that people universally tend to think that happiness is a stroke of luck, something that will maybe descend upon you like fine weather if you're fortunate enough. But that's not how happiness works. Happiness is the consequence of personal effort. You fight for it, strive for it, insist upon it, and sometimes travel around the world looking for it. You have to participate relentlessly in the manifestations of your own blessings. And once you have acheived a state of happiness, you must never become lax about maintaining it, you must make a mighty effort to keep swimming upward into that happiness forever, to stay afloat on top of it.

Jason has wondered why I suddenly am persuading him that we should travel to Italy this Spring. I'm blaming the book!

Introducing You To Mika

The first song on my playlist is by Mika. I had to blog about him since I absolutely love his album and think it is something everyone might enjoy. His album, Life In Cartoon Motion is amazing and has a wide variety of fun dance songs, funky ballads and slower inspirational tunes. He is coming to the Warfield in Februrary, so we are hoping to be able to experience his music live.

Change He Can Believe In

I'm very proud of Jason! Last night he volunteered at the Obama phone banks to make some calls to local Democrats and Independents urging them to get out and vote next Tuesday. He said about 1/3 of people listened, 1/3 he left messages for and 1/3 of people told him to never call back. On Super Tuesday, he has been asked to stand on a corner and hold a sign. I can't wait to drive by and take some undercover pics. I imagine it being very similar to those guys that direct you to look at houses that dance with signs. I hope he does some good dance moves.
Jason loves following politics (it was his major and my minor), but I am getting ready for the primaries to be over. I love Chris Matthews, but he has been in my living room every night for the last few months. We will see what happens next Tuesday. Should be exciting.

Marley's New Mansion

So I came home the other night and Jason had purchased a new crate for Marley. I was amazed at the size he picked out. I think it is quite possibly the largest crate manufactured (probably made for Great Danes). I asked how it fit in his car and he then proceeded to tell me that he walked home with it (NO JOKE). Yes, he carried this crate about 1 mile from Pet Food Express to our house in the dark. So if you happened to see some man walking down Oak Grove after work carrying an extra large crate...it was Jason. The things we do for our beloved pets. (and yes, I'm pretty sure this thing can be broken down into 2 pieces to fit in cars)

Latest and Greatest

Had to post some of my favorite new pics.

This Month In Diablo

I was so excited to see at work that Diablo Magazine is featuring the Walnut Creek aquanuts on the cover this month. Some of the pictures they are featuring brought up some hilarous memories of my time with the team. Although I wasn't the best of syncronized swimmers, I have some of the most amazing memories and friends from these days.

Here are some of my favorite memories...
-Our trips all around the country. We got to travel to so many places. The best part wasn't the competitions, but was the nights. We were always getting into some kind of trouble in the hotels and who wouldn't love being away from home and sharing a hotel room with 3 of your best friends at the age of 13?

-My daily carpools with the Wynstras and our "Hook" trio. Mrs. Wynstra always brought us to Sweet Affair and we always had so much fun.

-My duet partner, Jamie Heil. Of course we had the most amazing suit, designed by Ross (her Dad).

-Practical jokes, secret santas, dance classes with that woman with awful 80's hair, stretching, land drills (is that what it was called?), knox gelatin, the show, Pam Edwards, The Josaphasens, Natalie Schneider's Olympic car, nose clips (I wonder how many we actually bought), the gross showers, the cold mornings and the wonderful amount of blush we would wear.

Truly the best part was the friendships I made. We were with each other for up to 4 hours a day and even some mornings. These girls became some of my closest friends and I am so happy that I am able to look back and smile at all the wonderful memories.

Wisdom Tooth Surgery

A few months ago Jason discovered what he thought was a new tooth in the back of his mouth. Turns out, after a consultation with Dr. McMillan, it was a wisdom tooth. He had already had his wisdom teeth removed in high school, so this was a mysterious new arrival. Yesterday he had a quick 5 minute surgery to have it removed. I was amazed at how quickly it came out. Not only did he come home with some Vicodin, but also came home with the tooth in a little box as a souvenir. Picture above is Jason holding not only his wisdom tooth, but also 3 of Marley's teeth that have fallen out this weekend.

An Extra Prayer

Please say an extra prayer for Tyler today. He has been having some complications with his liver and is undergoing tests today to hopefully figure out the root of his jaundice. An ultrasound yesterday showed a blockage and we are hopeful a solution will be figured out today once another test is done. This little guy has been through so much and is an inspiration to us all.

Good Luck McMillan Family. We love you so much and pray for some good news.

I've Been Tagged

So I was tagged by Kristin Andrus. I didn't know what it really meant, so she gladly gave me instructions to answer the following questions.

5 Things I Was Doing 10 Years Ago:

1) Had just moved into the Pi Beta Phi sorority house with my new roommate Lauren.
2) Just started dating a boy at ASU from Walnut Creek named Jason.
3) Was interning at a hip hop radio station where I would attend local events such as Ladies Night (SCARY!)
4) Finding any way to get into the bars with any kind of fake ID.
5) Studying broadcast journalism with dreams to someday be on the news.

5 Things On My To Do List:

1) Fold my clean laundry
2) Pay any old, lingering 2007 bills
3) Buy some gifts
4) Go to the grocery store – I had nothing to eat this morning
5) RELAX after work (explains how #’s 1 – 4 might not get done)

5 Snacks I Enjoy:

1) Ice cream, gelato or frozen yogurt
2) Hawaiian BBQ Rings
3) Cheese with anything
4) York Peppermint Patties (Frozen)
5) 100 Calorie Snack Packs

5 Things I’d Do If I Was A Billionaire:

1) Have a daily maid
2) Buy another house in Tahoe and at the beach
3) Get even more animals and build them their own bedrooms
4) Start a non-profit
5) Shop for all my groceries at Whole Foods

3 Habits:

1) Worry too much
2) Have to check 5 times before I leave in the morning if the hair straightner is turned off
3) Have to check 10 times a day that the cats haven't gotten outside

5 Places I’ve Lived:

1) Marin, CA
2) Clayton, CA
3) Walnut Creek, CA
4) Tempe, AZ
5) Concord, CA

5 Jobs that I’ve Had:

1) My life also began at the Heather Farm’s Snack Bar
2) Helped women and MEN try on Speedos at the Downtown WC Speedo store. The store quickly went out of business.
3) Intern at numerous radio and tv stations throughout college
4) Account Executive at both Pickett Advertising and ARC
5) Currently…Senior Project Manager at Diablo

I tag the following people: Hillary, David McMillan and Jamie

Party of 5...in my bed

So last night was the first night where all 5 of us were in bed together at once. Yes, it was an exciting event for our animal household. Marley was asleep in bed with us (yes, we have gotten into the bad habit of having her sleep with us). She makes us laugh with all her funny positions while sleeping and sometimes even sleeps on Jason's head. Then, next up was Sage. She quickly went under the covers on Jason's side. Then a few minutes later up popped Serena on my side and I had her go under the covers. It probably only lasted for about an hour, but it was so fun to think that they are all getting more and more comfortable with one another.

Congrats Dad!

So my Dad has finally retired. He has been counting down for the last few years and I'm so happy to announce that as of Friday it is official. We attended a wonderful celebration at the Hilton in honor of him on Thursday and my sister and I surprised him with a speech. Of course, we added in a few funny stories and I think everyone really hearing about the Walt Lietz outside of the office. Danny also put together a beautiful slide show of my Dad's life starting from when he was a baby.

It was so nice to meet so many people that my Dad has managed through the years. Each person was so sincere with only the nicest comments to say about him. He will truly be missed. A lot of people have asked what he wants to do with his time, but I know he will keep himself busy with gardening, taking classes, art, many other projects and hopefully a little time relaxing.

All my love to you Dad for all your hard work. Your strong work ethic, dedication and drive has helped shape me into the person I am today.

2007...What A Year!

Well...I do have to admit, we are so excited to be ringing in the New Year. 2008 is sure to be our year. I thought it would be fun to do a quick look back on all the happenings of 2007. It was definitely a challenging year, but one that I've learned so much from.

So here it is...

2007 started off in January with me being diagnosed with mastocytosis. It is a very rare blood disorder where your body produces too many mast cells which can lead to some complications. Luckily with some minor lifestyle changes, I am so grateful that I am able to live a totally normal life. This diagnosis made me realize that you never know what tomorrow will bring, so you must live every single day to the fullest without worrying about tomorrow.

Scott celebrated his first birthday in January and shortly after Heidi announced she was pregnant with #2. We were all excited to find out he was another little boy (nothing better than brothers, less than 2 years apart). Tyler was born in September and I was able to experience the miracles of a live birth (with no meds). Thank you Heidi for letting me be a part of such an amazing event and thank you for also allowing me to realize I will never try to go natural as you bravly did.

Tyler underwent open heart surgery days later and now 4 months later is doing really good. Heidi and Danny have been so strong through it all and I'm so proud of them. I feel a very special connection to Tyler since we both have a congenital heart defect. Luckily mine was corrected through surgery at the age of 3, so I hope I can be a good support for him as he grows up.

My mom was also diagnosed with CLL, a form of leukemia. She battled a tough virus in October, but now seems to be doing great. I'm so grateful for my close relationship with my parents. They are my everything and I always look forward to our time together. I know my mom is going to do great this next year.

OK...so that was the hard times, but we also had a year filled with lots of fun, so here are some of the highlights...

*Jason and I went to Vegas in February. We had never traveled there together, so we had a blast with just the 2 of us. Sadly the fire alarm went off during our Beatle's Love Show and activated the sprinklers, but we did enjoy gambling, eating, dancing and the Blue Man Group.


*In April, we went to San Diego to meet up with my mom's side of the East coast family. We all met up in Escondido for a weekend of relaxation. It was great to see everyone.

*Amber and Adam moved back to Ohio, but we sent her off with a girls weekend to Napa.

*In May, we celebrated Jason's 10 year high school reunion. Jason had a dinner on Friday night and then we both headed to an A's game on Saturday.

*Took a quick trip to Denver in June to visit Ryan and Kimberly to celebrate their wedding. It was fun to see where they live and meet their friends.

*In July, Jason and I were both in Heather and Nate's bridal party. We had a good time walking down the aisle together and they had a beautiful reception at Wildwood Acres.


*In August our best friends, Ryan and Lauren moved away to Austin, but we visited them in October. Although they are far away, we know they are a quick plane trip to visit.

*In September Jason flew to North Carolina for Brad and Audrey's wedding, while I stayed home to be with my family during Tyler's surgery. Jason fell in love with North Carolina and I can't wait to go back with him someday.

*My 10th year high school reunion came in October and I had a great time on the planning committee. We threw it at Shadelands and everyone had a great weekend. Loved seeing friends!



*In November, we welcomed Marley Zipper Maddox to our family. We now have a mini zoo, but since I'm such an animal lover I couldn't be happier.


As we now approach 2008, I look forward to a wonderful year. There is sure to be challenges along the way, but I've learned as long as you keep looking forward before you know it another year is here.


Love to EVERYONE for all their support and friendship.

CHEERS TO A HAPPY, HEALTHY AND MEMORABLE 2008!

Insomnia

Last night I experienced some major insomnia. Was up from about 1am to 3am. Not sure why...maybe too much excitement running through my head after all the holiday activities. Usually I wake up Jason and try to get him to talk, but he wasn't feeling good (has a cold), so instead I just sat there trying to clear my head. I didn't want to turn on the light since it would wake up the pup, but after a 1/2 hour of not going back to bed I started to contemplate going to the living room to read.

All of a sudden out of nowhere up popped Serena. My tortoise shell cat, the love of my life. It really was as though she could sense that I needed a little extra love. So she climbed into bed and under the covers and snuggled with me all night. I didn't mind being awake since I could give her some much needed extra love (now that she doesn't get as much with the arrival of the pup.)

Not everyone understands cats and I'm the first to admit I was NOT always a cat person until I got my own. They are amazing animals that are all unique in their own ways, have funny quirks, are independent, loving and are creatures of ritual. I love them so much and they bring such happiness to our lives.

I got Serena about 4 years ago right before Christmas as a surprise present for Jason. Lauren and I visited the pet store and they were having Feral Cat adoptions (little did I know what a feral cat was at the time). I saw a little kittie named Sparky and thought it was a sign. Sparky is the name of the ASU mascot and where Jason and I went to school together. I figured as long as Sparky was nice I couldn't pass her up. So I held her and immediately she began to purr. So loud that I thought something was wrong with her. But a little girl came up to me (true story) and said, "You know the louder they purr, the more they love you." After that I was sold. I brought home Sparky (later named Serena) and gave her to Jason in a box. We tried telling him it was a turtle, but opened the box to find out we got a cat. One week later, we got another cat Sage. And that was the beginning of our family farm.

Merry Christmas

Wishing you and your family a Merry Christmas and wonderful holiday celebration.

I look back on this year and realize how thankful I am for everything. Wishing you a holiday filled with happiness, health, love, and peace.

A little note on the dove since I love the story behind it:
In Judaism and Christianity, a white dove is generally a sign for peace. The Hebrew Bible describes a story in which a dove was released by Noah after the Great Flood in order to find land. The dove came back carrying an olive branch in its beak, telling Noah that the Great Flood had receded and there was land once again for Man. (Genesis 8:11).
The motif can also represent "hope for peace" and even a peace offering from one man to another, as in the phrase "extend an olive branch". Often, the dove is represented as still in flight to remind the viewer of its role as messenger. "

Visit The Wish Dish

I love to write and I love online shopping. So, I decided to start a blog that combined those two things...blogging about my favorite online shopping finds. I took a little inspiration from my good friend Oprah (her favorite things show) and started my blog, The Wish Dish.

Please visit my site at The Wish Dish

Address:
thewishdish.blogspot.com

You might find that last little item you are trying to find that perfect person in your life or better yet, yourself. You can also link to it from this site on the left side. Happy Wishing!

She's Growing by the Day

I now clasify Marley as being in her adolescence, no longer a puppy. She is getting so big, I can barely carry her anymore. I would guess she is close to 30 pounds. She continues to show us daily how sharp her teeth are, but is learning her potty training day by day.

We love her so much and can't believe how much joy she brings us. We often look at her and are mesmerized by how cute she is. (However she is currently trying to bite Jason as we speak.) When times get frusterating, we simply try to laugh and realize she won't be like this forever. Look at her cowlick on her nose. It is our favorite part about her. What character.

Work Holiday Party

We had our work holiday luncheon yesterday at Bridges Restaurant. I feel so lucky to work with such fun, creative and wonderful people. I've made some great friends at work this past year and I've realized one of the most important things in a job is the people. My favorite part about our holiday parties is that my company takes a survey and then puts together a publication to pass out at the luncheon titled, "The Worker Bee". It is hilarous to read through and this year they asked if anyone was a celebrity lookalike. Of course I got Kelly Clarkson...but then I also got Mandy Moore and my boss (next to me in the red) and I got that if we were combined together we would be some woman from CSI. Hey, I'll take 'em.

After the luncheon, a few of us headed to downtown Walnut Creek. I ended up staying out til about 9:00PM. By then I was exhausted...but it definitely worth it.

Dinner with Jen and Keith

Friday night we headed out to dinner with our friends, Jen and Keith. I truly feel so lucky to have met Jen while working years ago at Pickett Advertising. She has become one of my best friends and I feel like we have known each other forever. I'm so grateful for her friendship and the 4 of us always have such a good time together. Keith has become a helpful mentor to Jason and is always so inspirational with his strong work ethic and great career advice.

Keith owns a nutritional bar company, NuGo (Nutrition To Go) and it has become a growing success with all his dedicated, hard work. NuGo bars can be found at Costco and many other grocery stores. So next time you see them, try one out. I guarantee you'll love them.



Find out more here:
NuGo