Out of our league?

Well, tomorrow we meet with a realtor/friend who will be helping us decide if we are completely nuts for thinking we could own a home at this stage of our life, or if we indeed have hope. Houses here in Texas are incredibly cheap! We are currently looking at brand new houses in great communities for around $100,000. All of these houses are at least 3 bedroom, 2 bathrooms and 2 car garage. Many of them also include all appliances, blinds on all the windows (saves money on curtains), a fireplace and walk in closets. It blows my mind that we could get all we want and much more for this price. These same houses in Milwaukee would run at least $200,000 if not more. We are throwing money away every month for rent that could be going towards a morgage. The issues we're concerned about are taxes and insurance (based on our huricane experience last year, we'd be sure to get flood insurance)!!! Buying a house now could mean having it paid off by the time we're in our 50's or much sooner if we ever get some raises! :) If I learned one lesson from my parents about house buying...it's have the house paid off by retirement. So, here we go...wish us luck! We are very excited about this possibility. So excited in fact, that I have even mentioned giving up my truck. And for those of you who know me, I will have a very hard time even thinking about getting rid of my yellow baby...but, if it means a house, I'm happy to do it.
Well, we will keep you updated!

Our Vacation...Finally!

Alright, so here is the promised blog entry about our vacation! Sorry it took so long! The vacation was busy, productive and relaxing at the same time!
We got a lot accomplished for our wedding! We chose a photographer and a baker for the cake. We also saw our ceremony and reception site for the first time! It is beautiful! My mom and Dave's mom could not have picked out anything better!
Over the weekend we spent tons of time with family during several gatherings! It was a great time! I finally got to meet all of Dave's family as well. Everyone is so friendly and welcoming. I'm honored to become a part of their family.
Then on Tuesday my mom and I drove down to Champaign to visit Michael and Traci! The drive was not nearly as hard as I anticipated. The time went fast and I never even got close to falling asleep while driving (a very bad habit of mine). I was so happy to see their house...it's gorgeous! It is cozy, but not small; modern, yet warm and welcoming. It was perfect! They have done such a wonderful job decorating, it looked like something out of Trading Spaces! So, we spent that day and the next going out to eat (we ate a lot), walking around downtown, driving through Champaign and visiting back at the house. We also went to Allerton Park!!!! Michael has had many entries about this gorgeous park, and he was right. It's huge and beautiful. We had a blast exploring the trails and checking out all the funky statues that filled the property! I got a chance to take some more artistic photos with our new digital camera, which I must say turned out pretty good! Of course the time came when we had to say good-bye, which sucks!!! I miss my brother and Traci a lot! At least when I lived in Milwaukee I got to see them several times a year and now we're averaging about once a year.
Dave spent his time hanging out with Jenny and Don and Lynn and Matt while I was in Champaign. He misses all of them like crazy and I know he highly enjoyed that time. Not to mention, playing with Nathan and Grace! By the time I got back from Champaign, Dave was back in Houston. I had 2 more days in Milwaukee which I spent hanging out with mom and dad and going out to eat lots more!
It was a wonderful time! We are both extremely glad we got to see so much of our family while we were there, but it was also good to get back home. Every time I refer to Milwaukee as "home", Dave corrects me and says"Houston is home now". And you know he's right, it does feel like home. Milwaukee will always hold a special place in our hearts. It is of course, where we grew up, but it does feel nice to get back to our lives; and that, for us, is here. Thanks to everyone for making our vacation so perect! Now, it's your turn to visit us! :)
Laura

If you could only be so lucky...

So for all of you that think I have this cushy, easy job...think again. Let me tell you about my Friday at work, and tell me if you still think the same! It started pretty normal; people yelling at me because there was going to be a hold on their check and they wouldn't be able to use the money this weekend, (to which I tell them to take their lazy butt to the check cashing place like all the other bums). After that it was the usual homeless woman coming in telling us she has $50,000.00 in her account and she wants all the money out. Oh, she also has an account at The Bank of the World!!! Have any of you been there before...well me neither. She then decided to hit the bullet proof glass we recently had installed and told us we were keeping her money, and that she is awaiting a wire transfer from her work, but she hasn't gotten it in the mail yet!? Yes, read it again if you need to. She is waiting for a wire transfer in the MAIL! To top it all off, after she "calmed " down, she very hastily said that we needed to change her address to HOMELESS! WHAT!? Basically picture a black Stan Laurel with no top front teeth and a few inches shorter...this is my nightmare. After that mess happened, we went on to our usual ritual of deciding what was for lunch, which, coincidently, is my favorite part of the day. In the end, it was chicken...and mighty fine chicken if you ask me. So, as I am getting back from lunch, there is a gentleman at one of the teller windows trying to cash a check. Only problem...the check is forged. YEAH! I'm not sure if he really knew what he was doing or not, but he sat down the entire time as we called the police and had him arrested. I actually think when he looked at me and our eyes crossed paths he stole a piece of my soul. Ever had that feeling? Not good. Turns out he said he had gotten the check from the company last week for work he had done...only problem, the check was dated for today! "I'll pay you on Tuesday for a hotdog today..." For those of you that remember that comic strip, it kind of sounded like the same scenario. Anyway, he was taken away, but then everyone and their mother decided to come in the the bank. It was nonstop from about 12-5, which is when I left. Ugh, I don't know why I put up with it, but there is something generally satisfying about my job. Sparing the lesser details of the day, that was it in a nutshell. Now the next time you want to ask me how work is going, keep this story in mind. If I say fine...don't ask any more questions, because there won't be a good story attached:)

I have twins!

So, I know I promised more entries about our trip...maybe I'll get to that later, but right now I must inform everyone of my good news! I am a new mommy of twin monkeys!!! Our pair of Pygmy Marmosets had twins about 36 hours ago! They are first time parents, so the first 10-15 days are critical! The dad pygmy marmosets carry the babies almost exclusively, until it is nursing time. Then, he will pass them to mom one at a time. This is a very difficult process. Many times the babies accidently get dropped to the floor and they are usually picked up right away, but with new parents you never know. We are keeping a very close eye on them and limiting our noise and activity around them. In fact, my supervisor, my fellow keeper Maria and I are the only ones even allowed in the room where they are being housed. They are a very important pair to the population in the United States and they are a very high profile animal for the zoo. Once we announce their birth, which won't be for at least 2 weeks, they will be all over the news (like many of our births and deaths at the zoo are) and we will have many requests to view them by potential donors to the zoo. A wish that may or may not be granted dependant upon their progress and health. Anyway, this is probably more information about these tiny monkeys than any of you ever cared about, but I am very excited! The fact that Maria and I have made these delicate primates feel comfortable enough to breed, give birth and accept their babies (thus far) is something that we are very proud of. This is one of the many reasons I have become a keeper.

So, the pictures included show adult pygmy marmosets. They weigh between 130-150 grams at full grown. The babies are about an inch long and weigh approx. 20-30 grams!

Reality

So, our vacation has come to an end and we are back to reality. Unfortunately, reality has found us no time to write on our blog. We had a great time with family back in Milwaukee, but are having a hard time getting back into a routine here in Houston. The temp has warmed to around 85 degrees daily and is only going to get warmer. Quite a change from Milwaukee's 40 and raining the day I flew out. Oh well. So, to our loyal blog audience, I promise we will have an entry or two real soon about our trip. For now, however, it is back to that previously mentioned "reality", which for me is the zoo.
Laura

One Shining Moment

What a spectacular time of year! Not only is getting nicer outside (I caution against using the word warmer), but it's March Madness! It doesn't matter if you are Duke or Duquesne, if you are in the tournament, you have a shot at winning. There is always a 12 beating a 5, and there is always drama with every game. To see the faces of the players, win or lose, is to look into their soul and realize what this game truly means to them. It's not about the money...yet, and it's not about the magazine covers or photo shoots and dinners at the 5-star restaurants. For most of these kids, the sheer enjoyment of being one of the 64 teams lucky enough to be invited to the NCAA Tournament will last them a lifetime. For most, there will be no more basketball after college, which is why there is so much more emotion for them. Even if you don't like college basketball, or even basketball in general, give it a shot. Watch all the smiles, the tears, and especially the heart that comes out in every game for the next 2 weeks.

Speaking of basketball, I met Rafer Alston at work the other day. Most of you may know him as "Skip to my Lou" from the AND1 mixtapes. He was a streetcourt "legend", and he's been on a couple of different NBA teams, most recently the Houston Rockets, which is who he plays for now. I remembered he played for Milwaukee a few years back, and I mentioned that to his sister, who was actually the one in the bank, and she ran outside and asked him to come in. Surprisingly, he was awesome. Very friendly, and he truly seemed appreciative. He gave me an autograph, and spent a few minutes talking with me. I don't know...kind of cool if you ask me!

While on the subject of sports, baseball is right around the corner. I love thinking about baseball because, for me, it really does remind me of Sunday afternoons with my dad. Now, we've only been seriously going to Brewers games for the past 4 or 5 years, but Sunday's were our days together. It didn't matter how good or bad the Brewers were doing. What mattered was whether or not the hot dogs were tasting good that day, or if we would have to get some brats or sandwiches to last us the afternoon along with our peanuts. No matter where I am or where he is, every Sunday during baseball season will always be our day!

Last, but certainly not least, we will be home on Thursday! We have a lot going on while we are home, but it is much needed, indeed. Things have been extremely stressful for me at work lately, and I really need to get away. A trip home will no doubt help heal the soul.

Less Than 2 Weeks!

So, Dave and I leave for Milwaukee in 13 days! We are both desperately in need of a vacation! The madness at my work continues, and everyone at Dave's work has had a vacation, but him! It'll be great to get back home and see family and friends! Although, how is it that vacations go so quickly? Dave and my mom have yelled at me for doing this in the past, but I'm already sad about it being over. It just goes so quickly! And this time, we have more planned than ever! We will not only be doing some homework for our wedding (like finally getting to see the ceremony and reception site we have booked), but we also have a wedding to attend! In addition, we have a baptism, a memorial service for Dave's much missed Grandpa, and I have a mini-trip within a trip to see my brother and sister-in-law in Illinois! It seems impossible that we will have time to do all of this, but I think we have it planned well and I know our families will help us to make good use of our time.
I am extatic to see Michael and Traci! My only trip down to Champaign is when I helped them move. Since then they've purchased their own house, which I hear is beautiful and I can't wait to see! I've convinced my parents to take the 4 hour drive with me. A big part of that decision was everyone's fear of me falling asleep behind the wheel. Anyone else ever do that? Well, if you have, you know how much it sucks. I actually went to the doctor recently about my sleep issues and she said if they don't improve after what she recommended than I would need to get a sleep study performed on me! A bunch of electric equipment stuck to my body while I desperately try to fall asleep knowing full well that I am being watched and am in a cold empty room...sure, that'll solve my problems! I don't know if I was more irritated at that, or what the doctor "recommended"... a cup of coffee in the morning (which I gave up a month before this appt.), no naps, exercise, go to bed at the same time every night, get up at the same time every morning and take 2 Tylenol PM caplets every night before bed. I will admit that the Tylenol has helped me get some of the best sleep I've ever had, but I'm still tired during the day and even the doctor can't motivate me enough to exercise! Oh well, at least I don't have to worry about falling asleep on the way to Illinois, or at least if I do, I won't be the one driving!
Laura

Posting, blogging, writing...whatever!

It's been a while since I've put anything on here, and I guess it may seem as if I have nothing to say. Well, I really don't. Very few things throughout the day stick in my mind, and therefore I have little or no reason to write about them. It's not that I'm boring or anything, I just like to play video games and watch movies a little bit more than trying to be cynical:) Alright, alright, here it goes:

Looking forward to getting a new book tomorrow. True, Don Quixote has been sitting on my shelf for a few months, and I still have every intention of reading it, but it takes time. Not a book you can stop and start night after night. I need to read it on a vacation when I can devote some time, and put myself into the story. Anywho, the book I will getting is called, "Why My Wife Thinks I'm An Idiot". It's by ESPN sportscaster Mike Greenberg, better known as one half of the hilarious duo from Mike & Mike in the morning on ESPN Radio. So, the book deals with his thoughts on an everyday basis, and why his wife basically disagrees with everything he says or does. Very funny from the excerpts I've read, and even Laura has laughed while reading some of them. Check this out:

But the doctor did have a great deal to say to my wife and, frankly, the language she used was absurd. Am I really supposed to know what a uterus is? I mean, does everyone? Apparently my wife thinks they do. “How in the world can you not know what a uterus is?” she asked. “Well,” I said, “I don’t have one.” “You don’t have a satellite dish, either. But you know what that is.” “Do you know what rack-and-pinion steering is?” I asked. “No.” “Well, you see,” I said, “I don’t make fun of you.” “I cannot believe you would compare rack-and-pinion steering to my uterus.” I realized there was no good end to this conversation. “Well, does anyone want to tell me what a uterus is?” I asked. Without blinking, the doctor pulled down a roll-up picture of a frontally nude woman with her abdominal cavity on display. And I immediately regretted not having pursued the rack-and-pinion line of questioning. By the time she finished, I needed a stiff drink.

Funny to me because at some point in time down the road, after the wedding, I see a conversation like this coming to fruition.

What else? Oh yeah, my sisters birthday is coming up. Very funny card I got for her. Even I impressed myself on this one. Her type of humor, my type of humor...it's all the same!

Maybe I make some "interesting" comments here and there, but I think they are all valid. Maybe not valid, but I think someone might find them useful. Now that I think of it, I don't really say many useful things. Maybe I should try this whole "thinking before talking" thing people keep harping me about. Huh, interesting.

Do I really need to work anymore? I mean, why can't I find a sugar-mama to support me and make things easier? No worries, and all I have to do is turn on the charm for a couple hours out of the day. Come to think of it, that's what I do at work anyway:) HAHA, BOOYAH!

Last but not certainly not least, baseball fans around the world lost one of the great players ever tonight. Kirby Puckett died at the age of 44 from a stroke he suffered a few days ago. Growing up in Milwaukee, I couldn't help but hear about Puckett and the Twins all the time, especially after they beat the Atlanta Braves to win the 1991 World Series...unfortunately I remember nothing of them beating St. Louis in 1987, so I can't comment on that. Nevertheless, one of the happiest and brightest stars of the game has been lost far too early. My condolonces to any and all family members or Twins fans out there.

Alright, I'm running out of steam here. I think we need to get Q-Tips or something for Laura. I always knew she had a lot of stuff in her ears blocking the inbound flow of information, and now my point has been proven. Alas, I will leave you all with words of wisdom that I learned once from a very wise man: Don't stop believin'...Hold on to that DREAAAAMMMMMMM whoa whoa!

Where's The Mosh Pit?

On Monday night we went to see Less Than Jake, and if you read the previous post you know how excited Dave was to see them! I too, was excited, but I only know a few songs and wasn't sure what to expect. So, we headed Downtown to The Engine Room where I found us in a crowd of people from 15 years old to 30 years old. We witnessed a variety of "punk"clothes that we thought had long gone out of style! Dave and I hung back for the first band and made cracks about the type of people that we were sharing this night with. We then snuck up among the first two rows and waited through 2 more bands before Less Than Jake came onto the stage. During the third opening band, a huge mosh pit opened up on the floor. Dave kept asking me if I have ever been to a concert like this and my answer was consistently no. We ended up on the outer rim of the mosh pit with sweaty, overly-excited boys stumbling into us. It was gross, funny and highly entertaining at the same time! I laughed pretty hard, but no, I won't be looking for any more mosh pits soon! When Less Than Jake came on the crowd went wild, including me! Oh my God do they have energy!!!! They were running and jumping all over the stage! They paid attention to the crowd like I have never seen before. They told us jokes, threw several things out into the audience, got us involved and never lacked the energy they had when they first came out! They played mostly old songs that everyone knew, including the 4 I had memorized! To Dave's surprise I jammed out all night, clapping, dancing and singing! I even screamed when the lead singer Roger came close to us! I think he looked at me!!!! Now, it wasn't quite as exciting as when Tim McGraw looked at me (I swear he really did) when I was in the fourth row of the Tim and Faith concert, but it was close! Anyway, I'm really not sure why these guys aren't more famous, but I won't complain, at least I kn0w who they are! So, if you haven't checked them out yet, I highly sugest you do so! Listen to "The Ghosts of Me and You", or "The Science of Selling Yourself Short"...my 2 favorites! Now I may never be as big of a fan as Dave is, but I am definitely on my way and you can bet we will be at the next concert here in Houston!

T-minus 1 day!!!!!!

That's right, tomorrow night Laura will be experiencing her first Less Than Jake concert. We will be at the Engine Room here in Houston around 7 or 7:30. Now, I've see these guys about 10 times back in Milwaukee, and every time the show was better than the last. The last show I was at was last May at The Rave. Not only was I right up in front (as usual), but I was lucky enough to catch one of their guitar picks that they threw into the crowd. Less Than Jake, to me, is like Aerosmith to Laura. And for any of you that know Laura, you know how much she LOVES them, and would do anything to see them.

Actually, now that I mention Laura, I am very surprised how much she has gotten into LTJ. I never thought of her as the type of person who would like this music, but I guess I was wrong. I'm not saying she's a "diehard" fan or anything like that, but she can sing along now with the best of them:) For any of you that have never heard any of their songs, do yourself a favor and check them out. You won't regret it. Just follow the link on the side of the page, and enjoy! Hopefully after tomorrow night I'll have some cool merch to tell you about.

So, we'll be talking to all of you in a few days, and try to give Laura a call on Tuesday morning so you can hear how much fun she had:)



"Well I'm half awake and half a world away, all my past mistakes and every misspent day, proves that I'll never change, I'll always stay the same...I wouldn't have it any other way"

Oh What A Night

Greetings and Salutations! So last night Laura and I went over to my cousins house to hang out, get some food and play some games. He and his wife invited over two other couples, so we knew it was going to be a good time. After a good couple of helpings of chicken fajitas (and rice of course), we started to play a game called Catch Phrase. Basically, for those of you who are unsure about what it is, you are given a word and you have to describe it without saying that word or trying to rhyme it with anything. We split it up as boys vs. girls, and let me just tell you, I have not laughed that much when playing a game in a LONG time. I mean, I know it sounds easy, but some of the things people were coming up with just from only getting one description were hilarious. We really got into this game, and it is certainly going to become a member of our family very soon.

Anyway, back to the real reason for this post. Now, my cousins, as with most Mexican families, are big into boxing. So of course, the Mosley/Vargas fight was on last night. Now, I am not necessarily big on fights, and I know Laura hates boxing with a passion, but last night was something to watch. In case you missed it, Mosley won on a TKO with 1:22 left in the 10th. Vargas didn't get knocked out, but his left eye was so swollen, the doctors at ringside couldn't even see his eye! Now, most fights I've seen have been somewhat boring and uneventful, but this was truly a sight to see. The fight was good, the action was good, and it was interesting to see round by round Vargas' eye get more and more swollen. I'm not saying that I will be watching fights on a regular basis from now on, but I had to put in my two cents after last night!

So, a fun night of games, a man becoming hideously disformed from a fight, and a lot of good food! Who could ask for anything more!!! In case you are all interested in seeing what I was talking about from the fight, here is a picture of Vargas after the fight.

The Four Queens Sports Fatigue

I’m so done with the four biggest “Drama Queens” in sports right now:

Brett Favre: The headline in the papers said “Aikman predicts Favre retirement”. Wow. So it’s come to this. Other QB’s wildly speculating on a subject everyone (including those in Wisconsin) are totally sick of. Enough. Please.

Roger Clemens: He’s retired. He’s not retired. He’ll play for the Astros. He’ll go somewhere else. He doesn’t want to travel. He wants to play one season with his son. His mom said before she died that he should retire. He still hasn’t made a decision. Ugh.

Barry Bonds: I’m so tired. Ohhhh. Everybody get off my back. I’m gonna retire after this year. No I ‘m not. ESPN is hounding me. I hate Pedro Gomez. Here, Pedro, have this exclusive. Oh yeah, ESPN is doing a reality show about me. But I hate them. Shut up already.

A-Rod: I’m gonna play for the Dominican. But wait, you’re American, born in America! Okay, I’m not gonna play at all. Oh wait, now I am. For America. But I don’t like how the WBC portrayed all this. How come nobody likes me. Zip it, cooler!

Green Thumb?

So, I did it again...I sentenced another 2 innocent plants to death. This Monday when Dave and I had a day off together we went to the Houston Garden Center in search of some flowers to brighten up our front entry way. Well, this is not the first time I've done this. Every time my mom came to visit (3 times) we went out to find me some "hardy plants". And every time, within only weeks I killed them. It is quite depressing seeing as my grandma (Grammy) and my mom are expert gardeners. My dad and my brother are also decent gardeners. How is it that I can tell if an animal isn't behaving normal or is sick at the slightest sign, but I can't remember to water a plant? I thought I had come to terms with this lack of talent, but I recently discovered that I have not. I still want to be good at it. It is hard for me to accept. So, we approached a lady who worked at the store and Dave proceeds to tell her that I have this disability. She points out a few plants and then looks at me and says, "even these need to be watered at least once a week"! She gave me a look like I was unworthy of such a responsibility. We purchased a Geranium and an African Iris. Hopefully this time I will do my part in giving them a better life than the plants before them! :) If not, Dave claims that he is pretty good and often planted flowers back at his house. Ron... Yvonne... can I count on him?

Cavalia

So, last night Dave and I did something quite different than our usual movie or t.v. watching. We received 2 free tickets to the production Cavalia! For those of you who don't know it is a mix between a circus, a ballet, an opera and a comedy show! I really don't know how to accurately describe it, but it was amazing! The key element was 37 trained horses! Mostly, unbridled and unrestrained, I was in awe of the amount of control and trust the horses and performers had for each other! In addition to the beautiful Lusitanian Stallions there were acrobats, contorsionists, trapeze artists, dancers and so much more! If you blinked you missed something! The show reaffirmed my absolute love for horses and partially makes me regret buying a car instead of a horse! Mom and dad- remember those discussions!? All in all, I highly recommend it if it comes to a town near you!
Laura

"us" recently

So, for those of you who haven't seen us in awhile...here we are. This is a couple of weekends ago at a friend's birthday party. I didn't think we looked any different, but I was just looking at a picture of when we started dating (back in October of 2004) and I guess we do. It's probably due to the fact that I had short (chin length) blonde hair! I can guarantee I'll never go short again, but the color...well, if any of you really know me, it changes constantly! So, your guess is as good as mine as to what it'll look like in a couple weeks...months...years! And Dave has different glasses and his hair is done slightly differently. Anyway, this is one of my favorite pictures of us, so enjoy!
Laura

Valentine's Day

So, have you ever had your significant other tell you that they weren't going to get you anything for a particular holiday??? Well, Dave and I decided just that. We both agreed that we show each other everyday that we love each other and don't need this "Hallmark holiday" to show our love. Also, we figured it would save some money. O.K......so, I knew I would get him a card, and I have to say that I figured he would get me one as well; but, that would be it. Nothing else, right? Wrong! I came home on Sunday night to a huge surprise! I carpooled that day with a co-worker, so she dropped me off in front of our apartment, instead of me going in back like I normally do. I noticed immediately that the blinds were closed. They are NEVER closed when Dave is home. So, I knew something was up. When I walked in, all of the lights were out and there were candles EVERYWHERE!!! Dave had love music playing on the computer too! I followed the candles into the kitchen where there were more candles, a HUGE display of red roses, a card and 2 wine glasses! I then preceeded (as tears ran down my cheeks) to the other side of the apartment. Same story...more candles. Except this time instead of roses, I found Dave waiting for me! We toasted to "us" and after one glass of wine we went out to dinner. We had a wonderful time at dinner and continued to toast to ourselves back at home until the bottle was gone. We talked all night and listened to cheesy love songs. It was very romantic! I have to thank Yvonne, Lynn and Jenny for teaching Dave how to treat women well. I have to asume that growing up with 3 women would help to teach a man that! :)
Anyway, the lesson here is that I no longer will trust Dave when he says he is not going to do anything for me! Even though he says it was "nothing", it meant the world to me!
I hope all you women out there can say you had just as good of a Valentine's Day as I did!
Laura
P.S. Thank you so much honey! I love you!

Talking about everything is nothing...A spoof!

Whoa, hey there! How ya' doin? You kind of a... snuck up on me. Not cool! But, since you're here, just sit right back and you'll hear a tale...

If you remember, a couple of weeks ago Laura put up a post on talking to her mother about nothing. Well, even though I give her a hard time about it, I understand this. I know how much she loves her parents, and how much better she feels when she can keep some sense of normalcy after moving away over a year ago. Talking to her mother for hours on end about what the weather is like, or what they are wearing, or how their favorite shirt just doesn't look the same on them anymore makes them both happy. And I respect this. Nevertheless, I do not follow this trait. When I get on the phone, not just with my parents but with anyone, I like it short and to the point. Give me the days exciting events, and that's all I need. And if you think this is limited to only phone conversations, all I have to say is...NOT SO MUCH! This is the way I am in life as well. Long, drawn out stories do nothing but bore me. I mean, sometimes a story needs a lengthy explanation, and I understand that. However, most of the time a simple A,B, C story would work for me. I don't need background information and what everyone was wearing or who was standing where, just give me the facts! Too much talking can kill your mind. Oh yeah, you didn't know that!? Well it can. I can back this up with scientific proof, but that would be too much info:)! To make a long post short, I love the rambling part of Laura as much as I love any other part, and I would never want it to change. Just don't expect me to turn a conversation about my jeans into a 30 minute mini-saga, complete with illustrations and guest speakers!!!

Super "Sloppy" Bowl

Well, it's been a while since I have put anything on here, so what better day to start up than today! Here are a few of MY TAKES on the game today, and some other interesting things you may not have known.

- This may be the second most boring Super Bowl to date. Clearly no teams can beat the snooze-fest that was Super Bowl XXXV between the Ravens and the Giants back in 2001. Don't get me wrong, I like the Steelers, but really, there is no contest here. I don't want to see Seattle. I don't even think Washington wants to see Seattle. They're boring, and they haven't faced a tough team yet.

- For all you betters out there, here are some interesting ones for you to think about before the game:

*Team to Win the Coin Toss - Seahawks: (-105) Steelers: (-105)

*Will Either Team Score 3 Straight Times w/o Other Team Scoring - Yes (Conversions Excluded): (-145) No (Conversions Excluded): (+115)

*Over/Under FIRST Made Field Goal of the Game - First Made FG o34.5: (-105) If No FG -- No Action u34.5 : (-125)

*Over/Under FIRST Punt of the Game (Must be an Official Punt) - First Punt o42.5 : (-115) Return Yards Don't Count u42.5 : (-115)

*Total Number of Different Players to have a Pass Attempt - Pass Attempts o2.5: (-180) Pass Attempts u2.5: (+150)

Just a few to wet your whistle. For more, check out: http://msn.foxsports.com/nfl/story/5299120

- Here are some fun little facts for Super Bowl Sunday:

* Most Super Bowls generate $100 million in merchandise sales bearing the Super Bowl logo. The all-time high was Super Bowl XXXI, Green Bay over New England, $120 million.
* The Super Bowl is the top at-home party event of the year, surpassing New Year's Eve, (Hallmark Cards, Inc.).
* Super Bowl Sunday is the second largest day of food consumption behind only Thanksgiving (American Institute of Food Distribution).
* The NFL licenses 50 companies to produce products bearing the Super Bowl logo - everything from party plates, invitations, aprons, helmet chip and dip sets, banners, pennants, dishes.
* The average number of people attending a Super Bowl party is 17 (Hallmark).
* Ninety-five percent of Super Bowl watchers watch with at least one other person (Hallmark).
* An estimated 14,500 tons of chips and 4,000 tons of popcorn are eaten on Super Bowl Sunday.
* The California Avocado Commission says that on Super Bowl Sunday, Americans scarf down eight million pounds of guacamole.
* Sales of antacid increase 20 percent the day after Super Bowl Sunday.
* Six percent of Americans will call in sick the day after Super Bowl Sunday.
* Super Bowl Weekend is the slowest weekend for weddings.
* Sales of large screen TV's increase five times during Super Bowl Week (National Electronic Dealers Assoc.).
* Fans spend an average of $15 on food and drink at the stadium during Super Bowl (Service America).
* Fans spend more than $50 million on food during the four days of the Super Bowl weekend (Thursday-Sunday).
* Fourteen miles of soft-drink pipeline leading to 160 dispensers serve fans at the game.
* Nine of the 10 most-watched TV programs of all time are Super Bowls.

- Finally, I hope everyone does enjoy today. We are going to be heading out to a friend's house for the first half of the game, so I'm praying it will be enjoyable. The Rolling Stones, I could do without. After the whole Janet thing a few years ago, I fear we are going to be seeing nothing but The Stones, Aerosmith and Paul McCartney. Oh well, it was fun while it lasted. So to everyone out there, HAVE FUN TODAY!! Afterall, it IS the Super Bowl, no matter how uninteresting it may be. My pick, you ask. Simple: Steelers 27 - Seahawks 13! HAPPY EATING!

Dave

P.S. Unfortunately my brother-in-law will not be in this years Super Bowl. However, he was in last years :-) Matt, this one's for you...

Don't Inhale!

So, I'm not sure where to even begin this post. All of you know that I work in a building that is very new; not even a year old, to be exact. Well, just like all new buildings, not everything is done perfectly the first time. We've had issues with many of the animal enclosures since the opening of the building last March. One of the aquariums has been the biggest headache of all. This particular tank has a large tube through it that kids can crawl through. It was intended to hold piranahas! It was a very anticipated part of the building, however, it has never held piranha due to a leak. Over the last 10 months a variety of tactics have been used in order to fix this tank, but none have been successful. For those of you who think this should be easy, please keep in mind that this tank isn't all glass; it's walls are all rockwork except one. So the leak is not visible at all. At one point we had the construction workers come back and they used 70 gallons of some type of foam in the tank to fix the problem. It, of course, didn't work, and I could have bought a house with the amount of money that they spent on this foam! So, anyway, we made the hard decision of paying a new contractor to come in and clean up the mess, instead of the old ones trying to fix what they did wrong. Although it will cost the zoo a lot more money, at least it will be done correctly. So, we closed our building to the public about a week ago and the construction began. The piranha tank was/is the priority so that is where they began. Within a day of drilling they found 12 different toxins in the rockwork of the tank that would have easily killed anything we would've put in there! All of these "toxins" were obviously used unbeknownst to us. A few days later (Sunday) another keeper came running into my area and told me that we need to secure our animals and get out of the building now! Turns out that their drilling released a toxic fume into the air. After hours of phone calls to our supervisor and curator, who were both off that day, we got clearance to re-enter the building. Apparently, the amounts were not high enough to really harm humans, despite several of us coming down with headaches, watery eyes, upset stomachs and stomach cramps. Once our supervisor and curator got there we were told that for the animal's safety we were to move them all out ASAP. This was music to our ears, as all of us keepers were so scared for our animals. On the other hand, we have over 250 animals in our building and it wouldn't be an easy task. It took 25 people (other departments came to help), over 7 hours to find places for the animals, tear down caging and set it back up in the new locations and physically move all the animals. It was a long night to say the least. In the end, all of the animals are safe, which is what matters most to us. Hopefully, we can find some way to make the original contractors liable. As for me, I have the bruises and scratches to prove the animal's reluctance to move out of their beautiful exhibits, and I am sore in places I didn't even know existed. So, if anyone asks me "how's work?", expect me to grunt and roll my eyes. On a happier note, I have today and tomorrow off to recoup. And after all of this, I'm sure I'll be happy to go back to work on Thursday. It's great to be able to say that I love my job...in good times and in bad!
Laura

Did someone say Super Bowl Party!?

With the Super Bowl only a week away, it's time for everyone to start plugging their ears and stop tuning in to ESPN for their "round the clock" Super Bowl coverage. We have plans to go to a party on Sunday for the game; something I personally don't like to do. However, as many of you know, I like a happy home, so we are going! Anyway, I was reading an article on Steve Czaban's website about Super Bowl parties, and I thought to myself, "Self, this is a sign. You need to show this." So, as much as I would love to take credit for this list, it is through the creativity of another that I have this. Without further adieu, here are the people most likely to come to YOUR Super Bowl party:

The Gambler: Sits there stone silent, rocking back and forth like Leo Mazzone. Spends inordinate amounts of time on cell phone during timeouts and halftime covering his mouth. Eventually erupts with either a loud “YES!” late (usually when the over hits) or a muttered string of expletives followed by a hasty exit without saying goodbye to anybody.
The Boozer: As soon as you said “free beer” he would have showed up to watch girls softball.
The Snoozer: Guy who can’t hold his liquor and BBQ and ends up slackjawed snoring by halftime.
The Jerry Markbre: Knows every rule in every situation and is always ready to let everyone know about it.
The Pete Morelli: Thinks he knows all the rules, but almost always misinterprets them.
The Bitter Fantasy Guy: Insists on recounting every trade his team made all year, before losing in the final.
The Chatty Kathy: Woman from work, who insists on yapping all game about office gossip.
The Coordinator: Guy who uses phrases like “Z-Whammy, Slot-Bingo” to pretend he knows the plays.
The Nostradamus: Fearlessly predicts every play before it happens. Eventually is right, and won’t shut up.
The Bitter Wife: Can’t understand why husband won’t leave when game is still going on in 4th quarter.
The Anti-Martha Stewart: Host with a paltry selection of food and snacks, but thinks its some great “spread.”
The Duece Staley: Guy who shamelessly drops a withering “deuce” in the bathroom.
The Scout: Single/divorced guy who spends way too much time in kitchen, working the ladies.
The Vocalist: Guy who shouts “ooh” and “ahhh” at even meaningless plays.
The Mel Kiper: Somehow claims to know at least a half dozen NFL or ex-NFL players personally.
The Bad Dad: Lets his son run around trashing the house, spilling food, and generally causing havoc.