Thanks a lot you f****r. You want fries with that?

I have 10 nieces and nephews. They range in age from 7 - 2 1/2 months. My sister, Heather and her husband Matt are responsible for 6 of the 10 munchkins. I'll be one of the first people to admit that when all the kids get together it's LOUD in the house! I like to watch my sister's kids once in a while to give my Heather and her Matt a break. Recently I was going to watch Heather's bunch and I had this awesome idea to take the kids out to eat. When I announced my plan to Heather and Matt, they both told me I was nuts. I'm the Auntie, I like adventure.

I took the kids to a coney (simple and cheap) and spent the next few hours wrangling kids, high chairs, booster seats, french fries, chicken tenders, chocolate milk and sundaes. All in all the evening out with the kids was a success. I was complimented by the waitress and the manager on how well behaved the kids were. I was pretty impressed with myself and the kids. Heather and Matt's kids are very well behaved. I'm not saying they are the *best* behaved kids every day of the year, but they are well behaved.

I bring this up because I came across this article (author unknown. 2009) the other day. I know there are kids who go into restaurants and are not that well behaved. Everyone has been there. I was a waitress for a few years, I know how much fun the table with kids isn't guaranteed to be. But, this goes too far.

The ironic thing about the couples visit to the restaurant is that they were sitting in what was named The Kid Zone (a kid friendly part of the restaurant). If a server is going to work in the kid friendly part of the restaurant, I would think they should have a bit of patience. Kids can be very cranky/crabby when hungry, throw in not allowing the kid to walk around and you're not going to have too happy of a kiddo.

I do think the waitress went too far by, even if it was a joke, calling the little girl a little f****r. The restaurant manager should have offered the family a bit more than an apology.

________________________________________________________________________________
Daily Mail Reporter - writer unknown Thanks you little f*****, family horrified after restaurant bill makes clear what waiters think of Molly, two http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1212583/Family-horrified-getting-restaurant-describing-year-old-daughter-little-f--er.html September 11, 2009

updates: sort of

I really slacked on adding blogs to this site. I took a class that focused on blogging. until I find either more interesting things to blog about or I make the time to blog more, I am going to add a few blog posts from my blog I started for that class.

I really hope to start writing again and keep this blog (semi) up to date.

Happy New Year everyone!

What's going on?

It's been a while since I blogged. So much has been happening. As I mentioned in my last blog, Drew lost his job. Drew has landed a small contract job in Cleveland. Nothing too exciting - he is still looking for a full-time gig. We have been asked if we want to stay in Cleveland, our answer is always the same - we will go where ever Drew gets a job. Since Drew is working during the day, I help him out by looking for jobs online for him. The other day I found a job in London, England and a job in Africa - would we really move out of the country? You bet we would! Of course, living out of the country would make my commuting a bit hard and Drew and I wouldn't see each other all that often, but we'd move out of the country in a heartbeat.

Speaking of commuting. "Commuting" from Cleveland to Detroit stinks! I haven't been "home" to Cleveland in over three weeks. I never thought I'd say this but, I miss Ohio =[ I'm going home this weekend. I believe I will get to relax a tad and (hopefully) not have to worry about too much homework.

Oh yeah, homework. This semester is stressing me out so freakishly bad. I'm going nuts. I have so much writing and writing and writing to do. I'm not a huge fan of writing. At all!
I knew I was going to have some assignments and what not to do. That's understandable, but yikes! I've had so much to do and I feel as though I have no time to do any of my work. I have one class in particular I think I'm having trouble with - Ethics. I don't want to assume I am going to fail the class, realistically, failing the class is not an option. I graduate in May, taking a class over again isn't going to happen. If I don't pass Ethics, I don't graduate. Plain and simple. Next semester I will more or less be in the same boat. A tough class that I MUST pass. Failing, again, not being an option.

I have to keep my head in the game, stop procrastinating, do my homework, and pass. Sounds easy enough. Doesn't it?

No G'news is Good G'news?

When I started my blog for a class I vowed to keep up with writing once the class ended. Since my last blog entry was May 11, I think I've done a pretty crappy job. Here is a quick update of what's been going on -

We moved! Drew was offered a job in Lakewood, OH. It was a Director of Marketing job. Drew moved down to Ohio in May and I moved down in June. Unfortunately, Drew lost his job in July. Drew and I, for now, are staying in Lakewood. Since I am only 3 hours from Detroit, I am going to "commute" to Lawrence for school.

Heather had her baby! On July 1 Anna Maria was born. A super healthy, adorable and lovable baby has joined the ranks of the Siekierski clan. Peter (the oldest and only boy) seems to be adjusting really well to having 5 sisters. The one that didn't adjust too well was Margaret. Margaret was the youngest for a split second. When I took the kids to meet their new sister Margaret wanted nothing to do with Anna. It took some time, but Margaret has adjusted. Margaret and Lily call Anna dolly, because Anna looks like a doll to them.

Drew has been back and forth with health issues. As I type this, Drew is in the hospital. Drew hasn't had any major hospital stays in a long time. Drew has been in the hospital for 4 days and the doctors still can't figure out what is going on. It would be so beyond wonderful if the doctors could figure out what is wrong with Drew and he and I could live normal lives. Although, at the point, I'm not really sure what normal is. As far as Drew and I have known, normal is pain meds, constant pain, involuntary shaking, sweating, weight gain, loss of appetite, doctors appointment, IVs, tubes, blood draws and a general feeling of shittyness.
I really hope something comes of all this. Drew would love for all this chronic pain and such to go away so he can focus on getting and keeping a job. Wouldn't that be nice?

So, this wasn't much of an update. I don't blog for 2 months and this is all I come up with. I'm telling you, when I'm not in school, I live a pretty boring life. Dig?

What Not To Wear

I went to a fashion conference with my sister over the weekend. The conference was promoted as a modesty conference, I wasn't sure what to expect I was going more for the opportunity to spend a day with my sister. The conference was AWESOME! I had such a great time and I really learned a lot. The idea behind the conference was to teach women to learn about what colors look best on them and how to coordinate outfits to look your best. I learned what colors go with my hair and my skin tone. I found out I'm considered "clear", fortunately for me, that means I can wear A LOT of different colors (lots of bright colors and such). I learned about what cuts look best on me to fit my body type and how to make myself look younger and thinner. I also learned about accessories and purses. How to pick the right size purse that isn't too small or too big and how to coordinate shoes with my outfits.

Don't get thrown off by the conference being a Modesty Conference. It wasn't all about wearing shirts up to here and skirts down to there. It was about how to dress modestly, make yourself feel good and confident when you choose the clothes you do and basically how to avoid looking trampy with clothes that are too tight or plunging or just should not have been manufactured.

I had an awesome time. I am hoping Shari (the woman who spoke at the conference) comes back to Michigan soon. My sister has already talked to some people at church about possibly booking a What Not To Wear conference at her church.

Goodbye Girl

August 2007 Drew and I rescued our dog Harlo. When we got her, there was no way of knowing her history. All we knew was that Harlo had been abused by her previous owners and abandoned. From day one Drew and I were absolutely in love with Harlo. The first week we had her, I was sitting on the couch with Harlo, I went to pet her or something and she snapped at me. Halo had her mouth turned up and her teeth showing. I had never had a dog I owned show so much aggression towards me. Drew and I talked about what happen and decided it was Harlo adjusting to new surroundings. A week later, Harlo barked and snapped at Peter. Drew and I decided that was Harlo protecting us. A few months after that Harlo jumped the fence at our old house and attacked a Beagle walking with it;s owner. Harlo drew blood on this dog and beat it up pretty bad. Drew and I again made up an excuse for Harlos behavior. Last year on Halloween, Laura brought her dog over so we could all hang out and pass out candy. Harlo went nuts and attacked Milo (Laura and Christian's puppy) going right for Milo's neck, breaking the skin and requiring Milo to go on to weeks worth of antibiotics. Drew and I decided that was Harlo protecting us. New Year's Eve, Harlo barked and bit our friends daughter. When Drew and I were in DC we had Harlo boarded. We came home to find out Harlo was no longer allowed at the puppy hotel she stayed at because Harlo bite one of the workers, breaking the skin and requiring the girl to go to the emergency room.

After quite a few incidents and excuses, Drew and I finally reached our breaking point with Harlo. Sunday, just after Drew left for Cleveland, Harlo was at one of the front windows barking at a passing dog. I was trying to get her away from the window by talking to her. I was about to approach Harlo when she turned around barking at me, while lunging forward, snapping and trying to bite me. I was scared. It's not a good feeling when you are scared of your own dog. I called Drew and through lots and lots of tears, Drew and I decided we have to get rid of Harlo. Making that decision was probably one of the hardest decisions I have ever had to make. I have been crying non-stop since the decision was made. I've tried to rationalize not getting rid of her. I asked a friend of mine who does animal rescue what to do, she told me once the animal turns on its master, the situation will only get worse.

I've been so torn. Harlo has been so calm and cute the past day and a half. I am going to miss her so much. Harlo became such a big part of our lives so quickly. Drew would tell me having Harlo home with him when he was sick helped him get through the really tough days and Harlo helped him stay sane.

I'll miss you H.

RIP Harlo Jean Bufalini

Margaret

Saturday night Drew and I went out for dinner with Laura (Drew's sister) and Christian (Laura's boyfriend). After having a relaxing dinner and a few drinks we came home to relax - I was still recovering from working 13 hours on Friday and another 5 hours on Saturday. For some reason I decided to leave my phone at home. I don't usually do that. My phone is just about as important as underwear, it's always on.

We got home from dinner and I checked my phone. I had two voice mails. The first message was from Matt (brother-in-law) telling me that Margaret (my 18 month old niece) had a seizure. Apparently they were all eating dinner and Margaret just had a seizure and stopped breathing. Margaret began to turn blue and Heather called 911. Luckily. Margaret started breathing before the paramedics got to the house, but she was still taken to the hospital.

The good news is, Margaret came home from the hospital that night. Margaret has been sick for a few days and while she was eating dinner, spiked a fever and the spike in body temperature caused Margaret to have a seizure. Thankfully this is rather "normal" in kids. Margaret is going to be fine. Drew and I were so scared when we go the news. I am so glad and thankful Margaret is going to be fine.

The Mistake By The Lake

Last week Tuesday Drew had a job interview in Cleveland, OH. Last week Thursday Drew got offered the job he interviewed for in Cleveland, OH. Last week Friday Drew accepted the job in Cleveland, OH that was offered to him. Last week Saturday Drew started packing his things to move to Cleveland, OH. Yesterday Drew left for his temporary home, The Courtyard Marriott in Cleveland, OH.

Drew and I are officially moving to Cleveland. I am going down there this coming weekend so he and I can look for a place. We are debating about whether we want to rent an apartment or a house. I think we're leaning towards an apartment (bummer). If we rent an apartment we'll save money, but we probably won't have enough space for all our stuff, so we'll probably have to rent a storage unit to hold onto our junk for a year or two.

I am really excited to move. Of course I am going to miss my family and friends up here, but I think the move is going to be good for us. Drew has found a new doctor to go to. Drew's doctor is right at Cleveland Clinic and the Cleveland Clinic is 3 blocks from Drew's office. The new doctor is a non-narcotic doctor, which is awesome! Drew has been wanting to get off the narcotics for a long time.

It's going to be an adjustment when I get down there. I won't be fully moved for a few weeks. I have so much stuff to do up here before I go. It's going to be a crazy few weeks.

So, I Sat On Some Kiddos Last Week

Last Saturday was supposed to be lazy day. It started out lazy until I received a phone call from my sister. Heazy asked me if I could babysit the kids Saturday evening. I thought about it and said why not. A few hours later I packed up my stuff and went to sit on some kiddos.

As I was driving to Heather and Matt's house, I got this crazy idea to take all five of the kids out for dinner. I arrived to the house and announced to Heather and Matt what my plans for the evening were. Both of them looked at me in amazement and told me I'm a daring person for wanting to take all five kids out at once.

The kids were so well behaved, I was amazed!!! I was such a proud Auntie. The kids ate well, didn't fight or scream or anything. I had such a great time with them. I spoiled the kids with dinner and dessert. When we got home, I put the babies to bed and set up the older three for a "sleepover movie night". I had the kids get into their pajamas and bring down a blanket and a pillow and lie down as we watched Sleepy Beauty. Peter, Evelyn and Mya were all alseep with in 45 minutes of the movie starting. It was really cute. A good time was had by all. I love babysitting the kids. They are the best kids in the world!

I Gots My Hair Did

Last week I went to my sisters house and got my hair done. Heather colored my hair, this time we tried something different.
Last time we colored, my roots were not quite flaming, but they were gold. Not like gold, bling bling, but gold. It was bothersome. Last month when I went to get my hair trimmed Rebecca, who does a fantabulous job trimming my hair, suggested when I color I try going darker than usual. So this time when Heather colored me, we went with a Medium Ash Brown instead of a Light Ash Brown. Wow what a difference! I am so excited with how my hair turned out. My hair is a bit darker then usual, but I like it. I was really afraid the darkeer color would wash me out because some days I am so freakishly pale, but nope, no washing me out.
Speaking of washing out. I was also afraid of how much color would fade out when I washed my hair. So far, not much. This time I am really happy with how my hair looks! I'd post a picture, but all you guys really need to do is just look up from your computer and take a peak.

How Did I Get The Job I have Now?

There is a message board I frequent. One of the guys on the board asked people how they ended up at the job they are in. This is the answer I posted about my job.

Out of high school I was going to school to be a high school English teacher. I got bored with the classes and realized I really didn't like English and didn't want to be a teacher. growing up, I always told my dad I wanted to work in radio or TV. My dad told me I had to pick a better career and one where I could make real money. My dad was very against the Broadcasting industry. After my dad passed away, I dropped out of school. I was convinced I could get by without a degree. Dead end job after dead end job, I decided to "chase my dream" and go back to school for Broadcasting.
I was taking a Video Production class. the class was held in our schools studio. A few weeks into my class I approached my now boss, with my resume in hand and said if he ever needed any help around the studio I would be willing to work with him. I handed him my resume and didn't expect him to hire me since I had no experience. he hired me on the spot, I started a few weeks later. to show him how much I wanted to work with him, I worked my first three months without pay (I did eventually get paid for those three months)

I absolutely love my job. every day is different. I have learned so much being a Production Assistant. I have worked on some awesome shoots. Since starting my job I have been able to add director, producer, camera operator and audio operator to my resume.
I work with three of the best people on the face of the planet. The guys I work with are my extended family. If given the chance, I wouldn't change my job for anything. I am still a year from graduation, so I may have another year working here. Just today I was telling on of the guys at work how sad it's going to be if I ever have to leave my job. Since Drew is looking for work out of state, I do have a slight chance of having to leave my job. The idea of leaving makes me so sad

Weight Watchers, My Parents, Job Hunting

I am going to start Weight Watchers. I'm not looking to get super Tori Spelling skinny, but I know I need to lose weight. I am unhappy with how I look and how my clothes have been fitting. I can complain all I want about it and the only person who can do something about me is me. Thanks to my friend Sonja for saving me the money and giving me the WW points system. I guess we'll see how losing weight goes.

Today is April 16. 43 years ago today, my mom and dad got married. My dad died shortly after my parents celebrated 31 years together. Happy Anniversary Mom and Dad. Mom, you are the best, I love you and Dad, I love you and miss you more every day.

So as you probably know, back in January, Drew lost his job. Drew has been sending out resumes daily looking for a job. I have began to help him look for jobs and let me tell you, it's not fun. It's so tedious and pretty boring. I go to a site and one by one go through a list of about 200 cities. If something looks good, I forward it on to Drew. Most of the time the jobs look shady. Unfortunately with the way things are shaping up with the economy, shady jobs seem much easier to come by. It's so frustrating to go from job posting to job posting.
I really hope something comes up and Drew can start working again. Drew is just about going stir crazy being home every day. Keep your chin up Drew! You'll find something.

Planning A Day With Pie

Mya is my sister's middle child. Being 3, Mya isn't quite big enough to play with Peter (6) and Evelyn (5) and isn't little enough to be treated like the babies Lily (2) and Margaret (1). Poor Mya is stuck in the middle.

Mya is the best little (big) girl ever. Mya is so caring and loving. Mya is also very well behaved for 3. Some days are rougher than others for her, but she tries so hard to be such a good girl. When Mya does have a bad day, she will apologize to her parents and let them know why she is cranky.

I've been thinking a lot about Mya and how hard it is for her to be stuck in the middle. I decided I am going to spend a whole day with Mya. I talked to my sister today about the idea and Heather loved it. Heather thinks Mya is going to love spending a whole day with her Auntie. I'm not 100% sure what we're going to do yet. I'm thinking I'm going to take her shopping, out for lunch and possibly for a pedicure. I have a friend who owns a nail salon, so I'm hoping I'll be able to get Mya in for a pedicure, I know Mya might be a little young but she'll love going to a salon.

I'm really excited to spend a whole day with my Mya Pie! It's going to be so much fun

Easter

This year Easter was at my Moom's house (Moom is a nickname I gave my Mom a few years back and it stuck, I'll tell that story later)). Most of the family gathered for golf, too much food and an Easter egg hunt. I say most because two of my brothers weren't able to come in town for Easter, but we were able to celebrate with my Moom, her husband Gerry, my sister Heather, her husband Matt and their kids Peter, Evelyn, Mya, Lily and Margaret, my brother Scott, his wife Nicole and their kids Logan and Veda, my step brother Joel, his wife Imelda, daughters Sofia and Vivianna and Imelda's sister from Mexico, my step brother Jonathan, me and Drew (whew!)

Easter was a lot of fun. We sat around eating and watching golf. Other than Gerry, no one in the family plays golf. I follow golf, so it was nice to have The Masters on,I learned rather quickly that I am much better at watching golf than playing golf. Gerry is a big Tiger fan and I am a Mickelson fan, so we had some fun trashing one another.

After we ate and ate and ate and ate and ate and oh, yeah ate, we had our Easter egg hunt. So much fun! When Drew and I got to Gerry and Moom's, we went around the house and hid eggs, Drew went back out later and hid more eggs. Total we hid about 60 eggs for the kids to find.
This year Evelyn wanted me to be her "egg adult escort" (each kid has to have an adult hunt eggs with them), Mya wanted me to be her "agg adult escort" as well, so I had double the egg hunting to do.

Sofia ended up "winning" the egg hunt. Sofia cleaned up! After hunting eggs, we went back in to eat some more and watch more golf.
I was beat by the time I had to drive home from Dearborn. I was thinking I was going to come home and go right to bed, not so much. I got home a little before 8:00 pm and didn't go to bed until after midnight and I slept in until 10:15 this morning. Easter took a lot out of me

The Return Of The Great Family Vacation

Last year my family went on a vacation. We rented a cabin on Crystal Lake for a week. It was awesome! We had such a great time. My brothers came in from Oregon and New York City, and the whole family got to sit around lounge and relax. The family planned on going this year, but my mom and her husband, who treated us kids last year, decided us kids were going to pay our share this year. We were all about it until jobs started getting cut and numerous people in my family lost their jobs. Originally the cost was going to be $500 per couple to cover the rental cost. If money were coming in, it wouldn't have been that big of deal.

After discussing the family vacation over and over again, it was looking pretty grim that we would be able to go this year. Not any more! My mom sent an email to all of us telling us Gerry, her husband, didn't like the idea of not taking the family vacation this year, so he decided to treat the whole family and pay for the cabin! What an awesome surprise! I can't believe he did that. It was so sweet of Gerry to spring for the cost of the cabin this year.

I am so excited to spend another week on Crystal Lake this year. It's going to be so much fun!

There Is A New Sheriff In Town

There is something about me not everyone may know: I ABSOLUTELY hate Phil Collins. I don't know why. I just do not like the man. I don't think he is a particularly good singer or drummer. I say he may have had something to do with Genesis becoming an awful band (I know Peter Gabriel choose to leave Genesis, but come on couldn't Mike Rutherford have piped in? Who decided to move Phil Collins up from drums to vocals?) I believe I used to like Phil Collins years ago, but I guess I outgrew that. I liked Michael Bolton too, but I outgrew that. Although, I don't hate Michael Bolton.

So why is Phil Collins my ketchup? The one other thing I hate as much as I hate Phil Collins is ketchup. Ketchup is gross. So why associate the two? I was sitting in a job interview once and the interviewer and I got to talking about music. For some reason Phil Collins came up and I shuddered. She asked me what was wrong and I told her Phil Collins is my ketchup. Puzzled, she asked me to explain, so I told her about Phil Collins and ketchup and how equally wrong and evil both things are. It didn't take much explaining, she knew where I was going with this and she let me know that Dave Matthews Band is her mustard.

I think I may be on to something. Name your least favorite band/musician and your least favorite condiment and you have your own Phil Collins is my ketchup. Let me know what you come up with =]

Ode To The Mustange Driver

Ode to the Mustang driver,
driving up and down the street.
Your muffler is oh so loud,
only you think it is sweet!
The noise from your muffler,
woke me from my slumber.
If I had moved a tad quicker,
I would have taken your license plate number.

I was woken up this morning by some guy driving up and down our street revving his car. I know with it being Spring, people want to get out and enjoy the weather. I don't understand why people with loud mufflers feel the need to dive up and down and back and forth on residential streets making so much freaking noise. I'm guessing they do it on residential side streets because people can get tickets for loud cars, and probably stay off main roads.
I'm not a car person. I never have been. I don't really understand the fascination with muscle cars and cars in general. I just wish they'd stay off my street when I'm trying to sleep

Birkenstocks Changed My Life

I have foot problems. When I was 6 I fell and broke my leg. I was in a full leg cast for about 6 months. Back when I was little casts were made of heavy plaster. Due to wearing a full leg plaster cast for so long, my growth plate on the right side of my leg was thrown out of whack, resulting in my walking with a slight limp. After years of of limping, my hip has begun to act up causing pain. I was also born with no arches in my feet. Having no arches has caused me to have very weak ankles. Weak ankles have caused me plenty of sprained and bruised ankles over the years. Shoes have always been an issue with me.
When I met Drew he owned a pair of Birkenstocks, Drew highly recommended I get a pair. I was hesitant. Brikenstocks seemed so pricey to me. Drew insisted it was worth it. I gave in and bought my first pair. I fell instantly in love with Birkenstocks. Birkenstocks are so comfortable. When I wear them, my feet feel great. I am given what would be a natural arch, which really helps take pressure off my feet when I walk. When I wear Birkenstocks, I am able to be on my feet for 10 plus hours at a time without my feet aching or swelling. The style of Birkenstocks is so neutral I can wear them with just about any outfit. That really helps when traveling because I don't have to worry about bringing multiple pair of shoes. Birkenstock has a lifetime guarantee with their shoes. If/when the souls of the shoes wear down, send them back to the company and they will replace the souls for you. That alone makes the price of Birkenstocks worth it.

I am on my third pair of Birkenstocks. I will be a fan for life. I guess you could say Birkenstocks changed my life

Criminal Minds

Wednesday night, 9 pm on CBS, one of the greatest crime shows ever created is on; Criminal Minds. Criminal Minds centers around a group of people who are serial killer profilers who travel to different cities and help solve crimes. The group is known as the Behavioral Analysis Unit or the BAU.

The writing on the show is great. It's well thought out and researched. The ratings for the show have stayed steady since the shows premier, even with two major cast members leaving the show and being replaced. The way the show centers around the BAU chasing after their unsub, is suspenseful and always has a twist. Knowing the storylines of the show are based on actual cases studied by the BAU gives the show more of an eerie feeling. It's a great show, the cast works well together. Anyone who is a fan of true crime stories should check it out. Wednesday nights, 9 pm on CBS

I Admit, I May Have Waited To Long

I had an assignment last week to write about TV ratings and what people are watching. I clicked on the link my professor gave us, read the article and well, didn't write the assignment. I had every intention to write it, but I have had other things to do. I had some down time this morning, went back to the link my professor gave me and what do you know, I can't find the original article I was reading. Stupid me closed out the window with the article.

Why do I do this to myself? I tried writing the assignment a few times last week and over the weekend, but I didn't like where I was going with the assignment, so I walked away from the assignment for a while. If I sit and stare at something I need to write and force myself to write it I usually end up writing something I'm not happy with. I hate what kind of student I am. I am by no means a "book smart" person, I'm not 100% sure I am even a "smart" person. I can be witty and funny, but not so much "smart". Is it my own fault? Am I just not trying hard enough? Am I lazy? Am I unmotivated? Am I......no, I am not dumb, I am just me. Not a great student, not a scholar, just me.