Cougar Hunting

I never heard of this until yesterday!!

Urban Dictionary: cougar hunting:
Cougar Hunting – See Cougar- Pronounced ‘Ku-Grr Hun-Ting’ – The act of pursuit of cougar’s in a bar, sporting even, at a funeral, or other appropriate “hunting” venue. The active hunter seeks a fiscally sound cougar, and then moves in for the kill. Avid cougar hunters will often have 2-3 cougars in the same pack. The goal for a cougar hunter is to establish a good base of experienced females who love to spend money on their young hunters, while retaining limited to no ties to commitment."

The reason behind this.

I was at a party yesterday and here I was listening to some 21 year boys talking about their conquests at the local bars and this is what they were talking about...cougar hunting. My old ears perked up...they scored according to them.
In all reality this is what I thought Cougar Hunting was. (not quite like this, but like an actual hunt they do with guns) I never heard of this before until yesterday. I couldn't believe it was in the Urban Dictionary. I do need to get out more. Yikes!

Bumble Stumble Almost Crumbled

I am ready for the weekend. It is a long one too. For some reason I was thinking today was Friday, but whatever I am done until Tuesday!! That is when I get to start teaching those adorable second graders I met the other day or little Monkeys?? :)

This is the most organized it will be all year. Once they arrive for the year, game on. It's all about the learning.


All ready...
sorry if this is a boring, but this took me forever to do. I moved all of my furniture around and did some different things. So excited....

Until....this happened.....

So, I am driving home today...windows down, sun roof open all the way, listening to some great tunes....enjoying the moment and loving that my week is done and I can kick back relax and savor the last summer weekend. Until I feel this splat...it freaked me out...what could it be? It must of been a bug..no big deal until I look and there sitting on my right side( almost rested my arm on this OMG) is this huge bumblebee. I thought I was going to freak...thankfully no one was around me ( I was on a country type road), I literally stopped in the middle of the road and threw this thing out the window. I guess I see why people have the windows closed and air on instead.

I was trying to take the picture while driving...I took the picture and then threw the big bumblebee out the window. Yikes I say!

Harley Fun and An Award Too

Harley Davidson celebration weekend begins! In honor of it's 105th, there is a huge party this weekend in Milwaukee, WI. So, tonight a parade kicked off in Kenosha where I live.(we are about 40 min. south of Milwaukee). My Dad has a Harley and will be attending the festivities this weekend with my Mom. They are jazzed up to see Bruce Springstein in concert at this fest. How cute is that? I think she needs to sport some true black leather this weekend. My mom the biker babe. :)
My son Brandon first rode the Harley a couple weeks back. He loved it, so my Dad offered to take him and be part of the parade. He was so excited to be part of all of this. He was beaming from ear to ear. The parade route took them about 7 miles and they ended up at Lake Michigan for a fest that is going on tonight. They will stick around and eat food and listen to some music. Brandon adores his "Gramps." They are buddies in every sense from Harleys, fishing, and even XBox 360. (Gramps bought one and is into Guitar Hero...so he could keep up with Brandon).





Getting ready for the big ride.





Grandpa and Brandon (What cute Harley boys)











I need a better camera...I could of taken many more pics.

This is them on the parade route. There were more than 1,000 bikes. Awesome parade. I loved seeing and hearing them roar down the street.

****************************************************************

On a different note... I was award this blog trophy by Confessions I was so touched by this I was estatic!! So thank you, thank you!! I just started blogging at the beginning of July. My sister Newly-Wedded Wife gave me the itch. Thanks ! I nominate you too! I so love blogging...sometimes I just ponder at things I could blog about. It is such a huge stress reliever some days.

I would like to do the same to others who make me smile at their lives. The wonderful award goes to:

• Just the Girl with Something to Say...
• Seeking Sanity
• The Chronicles of Sahm
• Mommyvents

Thanks Ladies....you are great!! There are many more too! I just named a few.

Back to Life...Back to Reality

The title of my blog reminds of this 80s tune. Crazy. At least I won't be teased anymore about my lazy summer days.

I should be working instead of blogging. I started this morning. My alarm went off around 5:30 am. I haven't gotten up that early in practically 3 months. It is so hard getting things done on the first day back after summer vacation. I end up chatting with people I haven't seen all summer and then there goes 1 hour when I should of been getting ready for Back to School Night. That is tomorrow...yikes I have a lot of work to do. Not only do we chat, we sit through meetings and ridiculous blood borne pathogens videos. It is the same one every year. Don't forget to wear gloves type of thing. Yeah I know...I have seen this for the last 14 years!!

I am happy to be back at school. I am excited for the year to begin. I am also excited about posting a picture of our Miami Vice leader. The white suit was a glowing today!! I am trying to find a way to take the picture without him noticing. I need someone to help me out. I don't want to get busted.

I really need to get to work! Until later....

Rockin' Hard

We rocked so hard last night I didn't get out of bed until 9:00am. That is unheard of around here. I am always up bright and early. Today I had to force my head off the pillow so I could get some much needed Ibuprofen for the pounding headache I had. Once I finally rolled out of bed and ate, I felt fine.

We started the night by going to see one of our favorite bands. They are called Boys and Toys. They were the band that played at our wedding and my husband works with the singer, so we have seen them many times. They proved they are still a rockin' playing rock from the 70s and 80s and even music of today. The crowd was great...I fit right in. (I didn't feel old).

With this event, the bands that are scheduled only play for about an hour and the next band comes on. We stayed for the next one called 89 Mojo...very good band. We "moshed" to the Violent Femmes. OMG...that brings back memories from back in the day. LOVED IT. "Why can't I get just one kiss...Why can't I get just one f.ck..." Oh yeah, we were screaming those lyrics. "Gone Daddy Gone, Love is Gone" Anyone else know the Violent Femmes?


We decided to go to some other bars that were participating in the event. More bands, huge crowds, lots of beer, shots, and dancing. Most bars had a waiting line to get in. The best part was the "drunk" bus that picked you up and brought you to bar to bar. That whole experience reminded me of college...we had a drunk bus that would pick you up and bring you home safely.

This was the "drunk" bus. A wild ride...can you imagine

a bunch of people in their 30s and 40s shouting like maniacs?!

I was so trying to get a picture of a group of girls who belonged on the show "What Not to Wear", but my camera sucks...very obnoxious flash...so by the time our group was trying to figure out a way...the skanky whoes left (spelling is so off on those words). The outfits were a black spandex mini dress with this hole by the boobs that made them look like balloons were coming out of the shirt. Hookers they were I swear. Yikes.

The bus was a great idea...the only thing that really sucked was that it stopped running at midnight and we had to walk a mile back to our car. Nice....the walk helped exercise the booze out of my system. Can't wait til next year. So much fun. I will post just a few of the pictures.





Getting ready to go out. Mr. Handsome and I.




Pat, Cari, and Tricia...Rock out!






Cari and Tammy (me) . We were the girls singing in this bar

with the 2 man band. Bust a Move...(song) Remember that one?!

This was the sign that was posted on the bus. Awesome!

The conversation with numerous people on the bus...talking about

other things they would rather lick. Think gutter people.

The boys waiting to get in. We went in before them. So sorry boys.

Rocked out at this bar. They were playing ZZ Top...so 8os rock was the

theme for the night. Sure made me feel like I was in college again.

Brew Crew

We went to a Milwaukee Brewer game last night. We had a great time and it also helps that the Brewers WON. The final score was Brewers 10 Pirates 4. We had really high seats...it didn't really matter because we had a lot of fun.










Madi and Emma...see just how high up we were. Glad no one was afraid

of height...that would of been a HUGE problem.







My little man...Brandon...







Brandon and Tyler...Go Brewers.


Tailgaiting...Alyssa, Madi, Emma




It was retro night...GO Brewers...Emma, Carter, me
Emma and Carter...best buds since birth I swear.
Cari, Amy, Tammy...enjoying beer (Leinenkugels of course)
I was taking it easy....Cari had it goin' on.
Brandon and me (As you can see I didn't have a chance to color...blond or



gray?...not sure at this point)
















Paige and Alyssa...Go Brewers




Having a great time at the game.




Mr. Handsome and me....cheers!



This is all Emma wanted...a pink finger. She was thrilled.













This is exactly what we did...just as it says on the cup.

That picture was such an accident, I can't believe it turned out.

Great night with great friends and family.

****Disclaimer***Sorry about all the space at the bottom of this. I couldn't figure out how to make it go away without deleting and starting over. I still am figuring out all this blog stuff. I've been only doing this for about 2 months. I guess I have a lot to learn. :)

Where Did the Time Go This Summer....

OMG! I can't believe this is my true last day of summer vacation. I go back to work on Monday. I have procrastinated all summer....now today I am going to torture my children and bring them on endless errands. Can I get it all done in one day...probally not, but I will try.

• Drop off forms at Doctors (physical forms to be signed) I've had them since May.
• Get eyebrows waxed...why does it need to be done every month? I hate plucking..tried this morning...gave up after my eyes starting watering.
• Dye my hair. The sun has really bleached it out. My son asked me the other day "Mom, when did you dye your hair blonde?" Maybe he was seeing too many gray hairs popping through. WTH? You turn 40 and seriously everyday I find at least 4 more. I tried to pluck them out...fear of going bald on top stopped me. hahaha
• Go to the outlets and find good deals for the kids...have to look cute for Back to School.
• Buy groceries in bulk so I don't have to do it again for at least another month. I hate grocery shopping...I would rather go to the dentist.
• Do laundry...A tells me I need to wash whites...no socks or undies...I should teach her how to do this. She will be 12 in 6 weeks.
• Make a dish to pass for our Back to School luncheon at school. I may forget this...there is always more than enough food to go around. No one will notice.
• Get the truck packed for the Brewer game tonight. Which reminds me I think I will have the perfect Christmas card after tonight. Yes...the whole fam has Brewer attire to wear. How cute...a picture in front of the Stadium supporting our favorite baseball team.

I know I am forgetting something. This is the start of a terrific weekend...wouldn't you agree?

Off to torture the kids.

Wonderful Wednesday

I was going to try and do a Wordless Wednesday post...but I am so excited that I had to post that I can work out again!! Not run... I can bike, fast walk, and do some mild weightlifting. Game On!!

After my five mile bike ride...wanted to start out easy.

Zena...just because she is cute.

Growing up Too Fast

My oldest daughter is entering Middle School this year. I am a nervous wreck for some reason. I had this dream that I secretly (or tried to be) attend classes with her. I wanted to be there to hold her hand or something. She is sometimes shy, so I have been trying to encourage her to be confident in herself and talk to kids to get to know them. That is such a hard thing because she thinks I am being insensitive or something. Everything I say or do lately can lead to tears for sure.

Anyways, the biggest dilemma I have been having for a while now is do I get her a cell phone? I want her to have one for my own peace of mind, but does she really need one? Is she going to suck all of my minutes up and break me on the texting that she may do? She tells me that EVERYONE has a phone....I don't think everyone...but a lot of kids her age do. So,today I am going to go and probally give in and do it. Peer Pressure ( I feel like it anyways).

Over the weekend we were awakened by some boys who obviously have cell phones that wanted to talk to her. (could tell by number) Mr. Handsome tried to be nice to them and say we would appreciate you not calling for A at Midnight!! You should call before 9pm. Kids....

There will be rules for usage and also leaving the phone in my room overnight...don't want to find her texting or talking at 2am.

Saturday Entertainment...so cheap

EC having fun with the kids.
Mr. Handsome giving the kids a ride.

Cheap entertainment. The kids couldn't get enough.

"Tri" Like A Girl

Alyssa finished her first triathlon this morning. It was such a great experience for her. She tried her best and she finished. She completed the swim, bike, and run in 44:52. There were so many times during the race I felt so much emotion for her. I am very proud of what she did and look forward to many more.

Getting ready for the swim.

Coming out of the bike transition.

Way to go girl!!! So proud of you!

The girls celebrating their triathlon finish!

Congratulations!!!

Tri Madness Weekend

I can't do a triathlon this weekend so instead my daughter is doing one for me. I so wish it was me too, but with the surgery the other day, I am out for a while. Oh well, I will be the biggest supporter of her tomorrow morning. Go A Go!!

She has been watching me for years racing and training, so she thought she needed to give it a try. She really hasn't been training, but she is physically fit and is in soccer. However, last night she did a 1.25 mile run in 8 min 55 seconds. So proud of her.

So, finally we gave in to her request and she will be competing in the the Jr Triathlon tomorrow morning here in Kenosha, Wisconsin at Pleasant Prairie Park~ Lake Andrea. She will be in the age group with 11-12 year olds. I am so excited for her. She has already written down a list of what to bring, eat and drink. How funny.

She will be swimming 200 meters, biking 5 miles, and running 1.2 miles. She has been working with P.. her friend(like her sister) for a while. P is doing the tri tomorrow as well.

I'll post some pics tomorrow and show everyone how she did.

The girls at the Danskin Tri Expo 2008!

Go Girls Go!! We are so proud!!

Whacked Out Wednesday

Whacked out indeed. I am listening to all of the commotion while laying on my favorite chase lounge. (in pain can't move)

EG found a mouse in our window well and of course it is alive. She wants to catch it because she is afraid that the toad that is in there with it will be eaten or something. So she is looking for the butterfly net. She can't find it so she has B get it. B retrieves the mouse and lets it go. Zena (our dog) chases it all around the yard...kids are screaming...yelling at Zena...and yes Zena finally gets the mouse and it is now a dead mouse. The kids bury the mouse in the garden while B describes how its guts were oozing out of its body. Lovely...

Yesterday B instead of burying a mouse he proceeds to tell me about the injured bat that has made its way to our yard. At least it wasn't killed and they returned it to the nearby woods. I was in the hospital yesterday and didn't see this, but he took some pictures of the bat. How sweet of him.

The bat nestled right by the sandbox.

Trying to fly, but can't. B returns it to the woods.

Worthless Wednesday

Since last night my legs feel much better. I can now walk. I never knew how much that meant to me until yesterday when I couldn't walk at all. I now understand the reasoning behind so much numbing. I couldn't feel the pain at all yesterday. Today... I feel pain and a lot of it. I feel like I am 90 and hunched over when I try to walk around the house. Thank goodness for Oxycodone every 4 hours. A true blessing.

I have Mr. Handsome waiting on me along with my oldest daughter. They are so sweet and keep asking me if there is anything else I need. I wish I could say a few beers, but that wouldn't be smart since I am on pain pills.

I am truly tired of watching TV. At least I am caught up on my favorite Soap Opera~ General Hospital. I was so behind...now I am right on. Gotta love the mob and Rick Springfield. :)

I am also trying to finish a graduate class...which I am almost done with. Yes!

The weather outside is cloudy and in the 70s, so at least I am not sad about not being at the beach.

I am also going through my lesson plans for the upcoming school year. I am getting so excited to meet the new group of second graders I have this year. That is always a bonus...new group with new experiences. Every year is different. Gotta love my job.

However, one last bad thing....the femoral block they gave is still present in my legs. I can walk, but I still have a little bit of tingling and numbing. I will be patient...it will go away.

The Day From....

Today was the big day...dreaded surgery. You are probally thinking why is she blogging? You should be resting. I really am. I am sitting on my arse in front of the tv watching the Olympics and I feel mentally great. I am awake. So, since I can't do much else, I thought I would give a recap of my not so good day.

7am Arrive at hospital, get checked in, put on lovely hospital wear, and settle in the pre-surgery room.
7:30 am~Get asked a million questions, check blood pressure, and put the IV bag in. It took 3 tries before they could get it too go in properly. I have some bruising...thanks for the memory. :)

8:00am~ The anestilogist(spelling is way wrong I know) came in to talk to me about what he was going to do. It sounded fine...I wouldn't remember or feel any pain. Great...I hate to be in pain. Phew!

8:30 am~ The surgery nurse talks to me about things. Asks me a million questions. The Dr. is running behind. Great more waiting.

9:30 am~ Not to bad of a wait. I was scheduled for 9am. I put on the blue shower cap, get wheeled into the surgery room. The nurse injects me with a sedative and I am out. I don't remember a thing until I wake up coughing and taking very deep breaths. I was told at that point they were removing my breathing tube. I stay in recovery for about an hour.

10:30 am~ I am ready to go back to the Pre/Post operation room again. I am so hungry and thirsty. I haven't drank or ate since9 pm the night before. I drink some water, a sprite, and have some toast(that is all they would offer me) I really wanted FOOD people. I guess that's all they have...who knows.

12:00 pm~ Husband is sitting with me (bored out of his mind..he's been there the whole time) and looking hungry. So he eats real food in front of me ( I didn't eat it. I thought the last thing I need is to puke).

1:00 pm ~ I am ready to use the bathroom. They always say if you can pee you can leave. I was thinking how great that would be. I was so ready to go home. WHAT??? Yes, I have a major problem. My left left is still numb from the femoral block the Dr. gave me in surgery. They say it should wear off soon. Wait a while...can you hold it? Yes, I say.

2:00 pm~ Okay now I have held it for a lot longer. I haven't peed at all since 6:30 am. So now I need to go. However, I still can't feel my leg? What is the deal? The only answer I get is everyone is different. Be patient...I am f...ing paralyzed. How can I be patient. So after refusing the bed pan. They pull me out of bed and wheel me into the bathroom. ( I was blessed with a Graduate Male Nurse today...he was in training...so I feel like a total idiot).

3:00 pm ~ The nurses are chatting (small space) they seem to think I may have to stay the night. Crap I was thinking. I so don't want to do that. The Dr. comes in and has a talk with me about the numbing...all he can say is be patient. Give it 24 hours. WTF I am thinking. So, he decides he will discharge me because handsome husband was sitting there and he looks fit to handle all 120lbs of me. The doctor actually called him Handsome ( how funny or weird).

3:45 pm~ Finally, I am being released with Mr. Handsome and a brand new pair of crutches. What a way to spend the day. See I was thinking I would be home around lunchtime. Boy, was I wrong. Get to the car and on our way home. YES!

4:10~ Get home have to pee again (saline from iv, soda, and water it's time) I make my way into the bathroom with crutches. I must of forgot I have temporary paralysis so I stand....DAHHHHH I fall and hit my head on the tub. Mr. Handsome thought WTH were you thinking? I was crying at this point feeling like a total dummy.

5:00 pm ~ Dinner is served. My sister made the best Italian Beef for us. I was glad she did. I was starving. It sure hard to swallow after having a tube shoved down your throat. Thanks Trish for the great meal. She even took the younger 2 kids for a sleepover. It is sure quiet around here.

6 pm Still numb and feeling antsy. I will just keep taking pee breaks. It is such a pain in the arse for sure.

7 pm Still numb...can't walk yet. Feeling helpless.

8pm~ Typing my day to you all. Still numb and at one point wondered what rock was on my lap...dah it's my numb leg.

8:30 pm Done for now...still numb...going to now watch Big Brother 10. I love reality TV. So I will let you all know if I am one of the rare few that actually have this numbing for 24 hours. Until tomorrow.

Last Chance....Before...

Tonight is my last workout for a while. I will make the best of it. It's like I am on the Biggest Loser and getting ready for the big weigh in...last chance workout. I love my class that I go to. It is like going to bootcamp. The instructor is highly motivating, we do different things each class, and I have made some good friends. I hate missing it. But I will have to for at least 3 weeks. (dreaded surgery tomorrow morning)

Not only is this the last of the workouts, it is going to be a while for sex too. My husband is so cringing at this. So, he thought we needed to go at it like crazy. Sadly, I couldn't come through this past weekend. A kid sleepover on Saturday (can't take the chance...I am reserved I guess), and last night had the biggest stomach ache. I ate my favorite Mexican Food this weekend and I paid the price on Sunday. So, tonight is the night. I better make it memorable because it is going to be a week if not longer. Then the Red Dragon will come and then it will be longer yet.
So....
I will just have to read on how everyone else is keeping in shape. I signed up for a run at the end of September. I should be good to go by them. I BETTER BE!! I am also hoping to do my first 10K in November.

Party Planner

In the last week I have taken on a new role...Party Planner. I've planned a Brewer game with 19 friends and bought all the tickets. I have rented a 3 bedroom cottage in Door County, WI(awesome place) for Pumpkin Patch weekend in October with a smaller group of friends, and this morning I am trying to coordinate a night out at the end of August. I am calling it my last hurrah before I go back to work on August 25th. This event is called Rock the Block. It is a group of bars that have bands, you pay one cover, get to go from bar to bar, and there is a Shuttle Bus that will take you to these places. It is an awesome event because it is a fundraiser for the Boys and Girls Club. I went last year with a Bachelorette Party and had a great time so I thought this year an outing with friends would be just as fun. http://www.happeningsmag.com/kcms/modules/tinycontent/index.php?id=22 Here is the link...so if you live in the area...you should think about coming. I am posting some photos from last year.

Getting ready to go out...

My sisters and my Mom.

I am glad we we safe from crime that night. :)

Rambling on about Nothing on Wednesday

This is the last hurrah! We are leaving for a short camping trip up north WI. However, not too north. This will be my last chance to do anything physical for at least 3 weeks. (The dreaded surgery next week) So, we will be swimming, hiking, biking, running, fishing, and of course drinking. There is nothing like a cold beer while sitting around a campfire. Can't wait. This way I won't have to read or listen to all of the Brett Favre drama that is going on...that is another story. I'll just read my James Patterson mystery "You Have Been Warned", my running magazines, and take nice long naps inbetween.

Ran this morning. It felt so good to sweat like a pig and pretty much smell like one too afterwards. JK I did a 2.5 mile run. Short and sweet. I have to pack everything before hubby comes home from work. Which reminds me, I have to go back to work in 2 1/2 weeks. Yikes! I love summer, but it always goes so fast. I have a lot to do before the first day of school.

I also have to say that I have made addicts out of my daughters. They are literally addicted to Starbucks. EG is swilling down a Frappie as I type. Alyssa begs me everytime we even attempt to drive anywhere...Can we stop for Starbucks? OMG if I stopped everytime they wanted it, I would be busted! She hates to part with her own money, but doesn't mind spending mine.

Enough of this rambling today. We are off for a couple day retreat.

One more thing I promise...it is just our family no other campers we know. That ought to be interesting. ( We usually bring friends to keep the kids entertained) The kids may drive us nuts crazy by the end of the week. I'll post pics later this week.

Sluggers get Slugged

Boys will be boys! I love the Brewers....but come on already. You are suppose to be professionals. I am a professional teacher...you don't see me acting like this. Let's pull off a win tonight Brewers and no more drama ...please.

State Fair

I am not a huge fair person at all. However, yesterday was a beautiful day outside. So we thought...let's go to the fair. I think everyone in Wisconsin thought that as well. The fair was packed!!

We met some great friends there. It was great because the kids had their friends to keep them occupied and entertained. It was a "yes" day. Whenever it is a yes day, it is an expensive day. We sure dropped a couple hundred dollars in no time at all. We ate, drank, did the famous slide, listened to music, looked at all the animals, and did endless amount of walking. The kids really didn't complain...no reason too, they pretty much got whatever they wanted.

One of the highlights to the boys was laughing hysterically at the animals and all of their "jewels". See picture below...

This had the boys almost wetting their pants.

They loved the cows. They were so cute.

The famous big slide. There goes B down the hill.

For me the highlight was enjoying Summer Shandy. (There was plenty of it flowing). So glad we went. A great day with family and friends.

What to Do? What to Do?

After scheduling the dreaded surgery I will be having very soon, I went for a 3.2 mile run last night. It felt great. It was probably one of my faster paced runs too. How can I quit all of this? In two weeks I won't be running like that. It truly makes me crazy. I know it is only a few weeks of a setback, I should get over it, but it really bites!! I even thought about canceling the surgery for a winter date instead. I'm not sure of what to do. It might be easier to heal when the weather outside sucks and the kids are in school. I'm really on the fence about this. Or should I suck it up and get it over with. Not sure???

Also, I report back to work in a few weeks as well. I was off for the summer...I am a teacher. I'm worried about getting my classroom set up? How much lifting will I really be able to do? I am feeling very obsessed about this can you tell?