Foreclosed on Filing Cabinets

The hospital I work for is on the move.  We are moving down the street into a huge state of the art brand new hospital.  It's exciting. 


...and chaotic!

The regional HR manager handed me a stack of labels this morning to track down furniture in various parts of the hospital that will be moved with us into our department.  In other words they are taking furniture from one department and giving it to a different department when we move.  It's an interesting concept and I'm sure there is a method to the madness.

In the meantime I armed myself with the HR secretary as a navigator to help me track down this rogue furniture.  Ha!  It didn't stand a chance!

That is until I came upon a tiny office with 1 filing cabinet.  It must be a very special cabinet, like Indian in the Cupboard special; because when I tried to tag it with my label the current owner looked like her home was being foreclosed on.  Not wanting to be a bureaucrat or a cold heartless banker I did the right thing...I did not label it! 

Yes that is correct I am a defender of foreclosed on filing cabinets.  The smile on a secretary's face is all the thanks I need.  No no no I'm not a hero.  Just an average ordinary office furniture labeler. 

I should also give credit to my trusty navigator without whom I would have been lost in the wilds of a hospital in transition. 

The Boa Constrictor Upstairs

There is a snake living upstairs.  At least I'm pretty sure there is a snake living upstairs, because Maren spotted a large aquarium with heat lamps through the window.  Why does she have to be so observant? 

I'd rather being an unsuspecting victim than a suspecting one.  Now I'm watching my back, looking under the bed, checking the ceiling vents, the toilet, the shower....ugh!  You get the idea.

I keep expecting to come home and find a snake stuck inside my dog's crate because once it ate Molly it couldn't fit back through the cage.


However, my dad did a pretty good job of convincing me that the snake couldn't get through the plumbing or the ceiling vents.  That is until he told me to see how difficult it was to lift the grill off of the vent...I did it with my pinky finger.  Eek!  Back to panic mode!!!!

Well, I may be forced to move after all...gulp!

Colleen Forestire

I knew her as Grandma Colleen. I grew up thinking that she was somehow my biological grandma, but in actuality she was a close friend to my grandmother Irma. 

I can't remember when exactly she became my pen pal, but I have very early memories of pulling out my mother's old type writer to respond to a letter my grandma Colleen had written me.  Her letters were always typed up on two cards that came from the ASPCA.  She had an abundance of cards from them, because she donated to their organization. 

She would always send pictures of the things she was doing and people who came to visit.  Her letters were always very interesting and filled with details. 

She had a real passion for traveling and sent me a detailed account of a trip she took to the orient.  She sent me a beautiful necklace from Tibet that I treasure, because of the story behind it. I think she may have been an influencing factor in my desire to travel and see the world.

Now that I'm older I realize how spoiled I was by the lavish attention that she paid me.  I'm so grateful for that experience of writing her letters faithfully for years in my childhood.  The letters began to dwindle as I became a teenager, and got too busy with all my extra curricular activities. I'm sure I must have appeared ungrateful at that time, but I hope she knows I recognize the handprints she's left in my life.

Easter Puppies

Look at these little 6 week old cuties!

Tami can't resist 'em!

 ...for some reason this picture makes me want to sing Mary Had a Little Lamb:

Speaking of a feeding frenzy...

 I like how the chubbiest puppy just pushes everyone else out of the way:

 Here's Misty the mama playing with one of her babies. 

 So cute I can hardly stand it! 

"I don't need a plan! What I need is a puppy with big brown eyes to lick my face and make me feel all better!"  ~SGT. Bilko

I snapped a quick shot of the propeller as I was boarding a teeny tiny airplane.  My flight on this little hopper plane got delayed an hour due to "mechanical problems".  It was a white knuckle ride home, but I survived!

Feeding Frenzy

While I was gone over the weekend several packages showed up for me.  Maren, was kind enough to set all of them aside for me until I came home last night.

I immediately opened up my package from the GAP which contained the cutest little ballet flats ever!  Ok maybe not ever, the point is it was exciting to open!

I ignored the other 3 packages, knowing they were stuff Ben ordered and I am to send to him asap. 

Maren wondered why I didn't open the others.  I explained that they were stuff Ben had ordered...she still didn't get it.  She said it's still fun to see what's inside.  

Silly Maren.

Here's what was inside the first package I opened of Ben's:

"Feeding Frenzy--Prey you are not the victim"


Har Har they are so punny!!

The Dessert Diner...Oooh La La!

In between Elijah's races Tami and Adam had the brilliant idea to fill the time by taking me to this scrumpdidliumptious place called the Dessert Diner.  Catchy isn't it?

I had a hard time picking out just one...so I had two!

 This looked like something Ben would like.

 This looked something I would like!

 But then again so did all of these....

 and this one looked really yummy too...how could I choose just one??

 I'm not sure if this one looked good...or if someone spilled a can of paint...I can't decide!  Either way I thought it looked neat-o!

Still having a hard time deciding on just one piece of cake!  Even Humphrey Bogart was giving me the eye...like 'listen lady just choose already'!

So you see why I had to have two!

And here are the two delightful people who brought me to the happiest place on earth... oops I mean the Dessert Diner.

I ate their cake too.  I'm fast.  Just like Elijah.  'Here Tami and Adam let me take your picture...now just slide those pieces of cake right over here for one second'.  Ha!  Sneaky and fast!  A dangerous combination :)

Elijah's Race

While I was in California visiting the Brubaker's I got to go see Ben's little brother Elijah race.


That's him #263 without any shoes on.  Don't worry he put shoes on for the race...I think!

 It looks like they are having an intense discussion doesn't it?  Well they are.  Elijah wants us to come back 5 hours later to see the other race he's in.

 Oh look they decided to do it and everyone is happy!  Yay we are going to see Elijah's second race which he referred to as a 4x4.

I thought it involved lumber, but I can assure you it does not.

 This is a 4x4 race.  4 laps, 4 runners.  1 runner for each lap.  Elijah was runner #3...he is really fast!

And there he goes!  Leading the pack!

Racer #4 is ready to go.  He has his eye on Elijah as he approaches the end of his lap.

 Runner #4 moves further inside the track to take the baton from Elijah...too bad I missed the hand off!  That's how fast Elijah is...I blinked and I missed it!

 Runner #4 is really fast too.  Oh look he's back already!  Wowza way to zip around that track runner #4!!

It was a very close race!  Notice the time that the four runners were able to complete a mile?  Just goes to show 4 runners are better than 1!  Haha!  Get it??  You know like 2 heads are better than 1?  I crack myself up!