Apartment rebuild

The day after

One month later...front/back of building

Today

It was been almost 2 1/2 months and the old apartment building is coming along. That is a good thing because I was about to lose my mind seeing the burned out building every day. I am sure I am just being dramatic but it freaked me out every day and I relived it in my mind. Maybe I should just go see a therapist. lol. It is exciting that it is being worked on and that in a few short months it will look normal again. I know, I have issues. But, I am at a loss of what to write about.

Wrong on so many levels....

What is in his mouth you ask??

So I figured when we moved from our tiny town of West Lafayette, Ohio I thought the city life was going to be so much different. Well, today, that all changed. I work in an eastern suburb of Cincinnati (inside the loop) and a few of the ladies I work with live about 20 minutes further outside of the city. Let's just say what happens in the country should STAY in the country!!

One of them was talking about how when she came home the other night there were dead squirrels in her sink!! Apparently the neighbors had been out hunting (in the front yard)?!? I am horrified to think that they we in her sink but the fact that she was excited to have them for dinner the following night!! OMG! So I lived a sheltered life...I only thought that Laura Ingalls ate squirrels. I did not even her anyone in West Lafayette say they ate them. Because my mouth was stuck in the shocked/open position, she calls home, tells who ever answered the phone to take a picture. So she comes in today and says how yummy the squirrels and the tiny eyes...ugh, and then she had a picture. SHE IS NUTS!!They still have the damn teeth in them!!

Family

Cannon River

When you live away from your family & friends for so many years I think you learn to appreciate them even more. I spent the past week back at home in Minnesota. I had the best time I have ever had when I went home.

My Aunt June & I

I got to hang out with my parents, sister, nieces/nephews, and my friends. I also was able to see a bunch of people that I went to high school with as well.

Lisa, Sandy, me, and Miss Maddy (front)

It almost makes me want to move back home again. But there are two reasons that it will not happen, one, it's too cold for my husband, and it's too cold for me! ha ha!

Posts

Well, I have taken a bunch of pics and have a few sarcastic comments to put up here but I am too tired. Hopefully tomorrow I'll get back in the swing of this thing..lol

My drama

So, this past week has been pretty miserable for me. A week ago Sunday my husband and I were hanging out in our apartment and all of a sudden he hears someone say, "Oh my God," looks out, and sees that our apartment building was on FIRE! I about crapped my pants! We got the cat, the bird, wallet/purse, shoes, and car keys and that was it. The way it looked the whole building was going to burn down. Luckily for us it was only 2 apartments and a bunch with water damage for most tenants. We for the most part came out unscathed physically but I am an emotional wreck. Everything makes me jumpy and we have temporary furniture in our new apartment (we had to move out) until our stuff finally arrives tomorrow so I feel unsettled.

We lived on the left, 2nd one down

This has changed my outlook on a lot of things in life. Things that used to upset me or stress me out are far less important. All the little things that we have are only things and the friends and family we have are the most important. I am thankful for everything we have and grateful to have a wonderful support network. We also met our neighbors and everyone came together to help each other out which was awesome.

Too bad this was the first post in a couple of months. Oh well, gotta start again somewhere. Anyway, thank you to all with the well wishes. It has been greatly appreciated.

Orange Blossoms

Oh how I miss the orange blossoms. When I lived in Arizona I would skate on the greenbelt in Scottsdale. Every spring the orange trees near Osborn Rd and it smelled wonderful when you would skate by. While at my father's house I found an orange tree that was blossoming and it was WONDERFUL!! Sigh...I miss that smell.

San Francisco

I was so excited to head to the bay area. We flew in to SFO last Wednesday and my father picked us up. We did the usual touristy things, Pier 39, Fisherman's Wharf, Marin Headlands, Sausalito(sp), and then over to the beach near the Cliff House. From there we headed to his house in Milpitas. After living in West Vegas for 2 years and moving to Ciny I thought it was big here. San Fran is HUGE, there is so much traffic, and it took forever to get any where, on top of my father's bad driving. The funny thing is, I never thought that when I lived in Phoenix that it was that big and after being in San Fran, it's not.

In-n-Out

For all of you who are NOT by an In-n-Out all I have to say is, "I'm sorry." We were in Cali last weekend for my brothers wedding and had it 3 days in a row. I love the double double. The best is this pic we took at our first stop. The sign is twinkling!! ha ha

Blooms

The sure sign that spring is almost here is the little sprouts of green on the trees. Crocus are coming up and soon there will be tulips. Only a week or two and it will be all green!! YEAH!!

Hummingbirds

Anyone who knows me knows that I love birds (especially my parrot Skipper). When I was a little girl I apparently found a dead one and buried it in my grandparents backyard in a checkbook box. Was that the start of this waiting to see a "live" hummer? The big bird excitement in my life right now is waiting for a hummingbird to show up at my feeder. There is a website that tracks their migration northward and every day I look to see how much longer I have to wait. Hopefully I will see one by this weekend. I'm ready. Feeder up, sign saying open for business, all I am missing is the little birds...sigh.

This is picture from on our deck last summer

A - Ault Park

We have lived in Cincinnati for about 2 months now. I have seen signs for Ault Park as I drive to the store or the BMW Starbucks (that is usually that is all that is in the parking lot). So I finally decided to see if I could find it and I did. It is beautiful. It is at the top of one of the hills and you have scenic view of the Little Miami River Valley and different parts of the city. I can't wait for a few more weeks until everything is green is the flowers are blooming. I LOVE SPRING!!

Blizzard

I thought spring was here?

Well, moving 3 1/2 hours south to Cincinnati hasn't worked out so well in the weather department. We have had snow every single week. Yesterday morning I woke up to no snow and 45 minutes later my car was covered. By lunch time pretty much everything was shut down. I work for a large bank and the only way we close is when it's a level 3 snow emergency. I got my wish today!! No work...whoo hooo

My poor car (today)

City Life

Well, have officially been here in Cincinnati for almost 2 weeks. It is all that I had hoped the city to be...sigh. Starbucks, Kroger, shopping! YIPPEE!! City living also comes with traffic as well as not really getting to know your neighbors when you are in a communal living situation. I have met a few of our close quarter neighbors but we don't really know their names. I am sure part of it is because it's winter and it's cold out.

I have to say that I am going to miss our house. We had great neighbors who looked out for us. They loved that we kept all the birds fed. I noticed that there are cardinals around our apartment so I plan to put a feeder on our deck. Wish me luck!!! I also await the arrival of the springtime birds...robins & hummingbirds. I saw a robin on my lunch today and I see that the hummingbirds have started their migration!! YIPPEE!!!

Truckers

As I was driving down the road the other day I spotted this truck in front of me. I thought that for a second I was hallucinating, but I had my new crackberry with me to take a picture as proof. One last thing on my way out of Coshocton County!

Internet

Well, I still live in the country, my husband in the city, and I have no internet at home. I sit here in the library after work on Saturday surfing with my laptop. Sigh, at our apartment I can hack into about 22 wifi networks. Um, yeah. Apparently they did NOT get the memo that you should be able to get wifi at local shops. Wait, WE DON'T HAVE ANY!! So, for the next few weeks I have been banished to the library...sniffle.

What I will miss...kind of

Once we move, I will miss the comfort of going down the street to the "K" Store in my comfy lamb chop slippers. No one thinks a thing about it. Maybe the fact that I feel I can do this and no one cares means that I have lived here a little too long.

Maybe just a few more!!

Again, another thing to look forward to. Not seeing dead deer in the back of pick up trucks all over town.

Moving on up!!

Well, we are busting out of the country and moving to Cincinnati! WHOO HOO!! My husband has taken a job there and I shall follow, with out a doubt!! We can actually buy beer with out having to make a 10 mile on way trip! We can go to sporting events that DO NOT include Ohio State and most people won't be as wacko about OSU down there either! Football, baseball...restaurants and shopping, oh my!! Did I say I was excited?