by Sarah | Jun 18, 2012 | 45 before 45, All About Denver, All About Erik, All About Marriage, All About Me, All of Us, Bucket List, Random
*Please excuse the crappy quality of this picture. I assure you the original is AWESOME…my phone just took a really crappy photo of the photo…
Two months ago Erik & I went to St. Louis. It was a “knock some sh*t off Sarah’s bucket list while getting the heck out of dodge & being child-free” weekend. We had a great time. The highlight of the trip (especially for Erik) was the Anheuser Busch Beermaster Tour.
Running in a close second was the Star Trek Exhibit at the science center. Depressingly, pictures were not allowed in any capacity – except for those that they themselves took & you had to pay for (mind you, it was an expense I didn’t hesitate to pay…but I digress).
Erik & I spent over an hour looking at everything on display. Pointing out errors in the placards (seriously? You’re going to allow blatant errors in a ST exhibit? Shame…). Soaking in the dozens of costumes on display. Erik took this killer picture in the original series captain’s chair (depressingly not set in an actual set – but against a green screen). Toward the end I about passed out as I beheld the TNG bridge set. In geek heaven I wandered around, had my picture taken in the captain’s chair, kept wandering. I sat in Data’s chair, people…DATA’s CHAIR.
Geek heaven.
In the past few weeks there’s been an emergence of an up and coming geek.
The teen has been watching anything & everything Trek (or Trek-approximate) in our house. Considering Erik has ALL the movies (some in double w/ Blu-Ray and Standard) – and Netflix carries all the series – this is a lot of Trek. He also has a Play Station Star Trek game that I don’t remember us having…but he’s been playing pretty non-stop
First it was the movies. All of them. From The Motion Picture to the new Star Trek.
Then he tried the series. Much like me, the Original Series didn’t float his boat much – and he stopped watching it within about 3 or 4 episodes. In the past two days he has watched the entire first season of The Next Generation. I know he’s chomping at the bit to get to Deep Space Nine, but seems dedicated to watching them in order. The proper order.
The kid is my kind of geek.
Wish I could take full credit – but I’m pretty sure most of it goes to my movie-obsessed husband whose fail-safe “I don’t know what to watch” movies are the Star Trek movies.
Either way – the new generation has started it’s Trekkie-love. And I couldn’t be more proud. After all, this is something we can share as a family. Most of the time, we don’t agree on much (that is difficult to do with a teen).
by Sarah | Jun 14, 2012 | All About Erik, Crap, Depression, Special Needs
[flickr id=”6202967832″ thumbnail=”small” overlay=”true” size=”small” group=”” align=”left”]I talk freely about almost everything here. The kids, their ‘challenges’, my challenges, the days that I feel like giving up and the days of great joy.
There is one thing I never talk about – except in passing. The one subject I never dive into for numerous reasons.
My husband of almost ten years suffers from severe, often debilitating depression.
Most of the time we manage. I am the silver-lining girl. I push us forward, I find the light at the end of the tunnel for him.
But sometimes it overwhelms and consumes.
And one of those times is now.
Erik & I, despite living with this for 10 years, are now making the hardest push we have ever to tackle this.
Together.
So little by little you will see us both start to open up about this here.
When he is ready. When we are ready.
Until then, I only ask that you send good thoughts, positive energy, or prayers (whatever is your preference) in his direction. While we search for answers for the best possible course of action toward a positive future. A future he deserves after his incredibly long struggle.
by Sarah | May 1, 2012 | All About Erik, All About Kennedy, Random
[flickr id=”7082668411″ thumbnail=”small” overlay=”true” size=”small” group=”” align=”left”]This morning the littlest angel could not be pleased.
Food – rebuffed.
Clothes – put on only after being directly ordered.
Hair – brushed through crocodile tears streaming down the angelic cheeks.
Finally we pushed, what was wrong with our Kennedy? Did she not feel good? Could she be tired?
“No.” Kennedy sniffed. “I don’t want Daddy to leave.”
Leave? What of this leaving? Where is Daddy going?”
“I don’t want Daddy to go to work.” ~insert dramatic sobbing and flopping onto my lap.
The girl – she has found her love of Daddy. After a few years where she sometimes acted as if Daddy was crap and Mommy was all that…we have had a turn. Everything is for Daddy, ‘like’ Daddy…and can she sit with Daddy to watch TV. Or snuggle. Or…
Either way, she will have to learn – Daddy has to go to work, and she has to go to school.
Meanwhile I just sit to the side and smile. I knew this day would come, now I get to watch Daddy enjoy the affections for a while.
by Sarah | Apr 30, 2012 | All About Denver, All About Erik, All About Kennedy, All About Me, All About Molly, All of Us, Crap, Random, The Teenager
[flickr id=”5888961016″ thumbnail=”small” overlay=”true” size=”small” group=”” align=”left”]We have had birthday parties, track meets, doctor appointments and chaos the past few days. While I try to get my head on straight (and work on the blog redesign ~cough~) I’m going to have a little fun with some random subjects of note.
* Thank you for all of your well-wishes for Erik. The doctor appointment went really well. While he does have to go back next year for another endoscopy, the doctor isn’t overly concerned with the findings. As far as Erik’s continuing symptoms we are on a “Try a little of this…then try a little of that” program. We’re hoping to find something that works and eases his symptoms.
* Yesterday I finished the (final) self-edits on my novel ~insert cheering and mad boogie dancing on my part~. That means I will begin work on the site redesign pretty hard-core in the next couple of weeks. I plan on a new round of submissions and I want this site to shine by then. The first changes I make will be mostly cosmetic changes. After that I’ll be working on more functional changes, but they’ll happen once the feel of the site has been updated.
* Teaching a teenager accountability and empathy is HARD ~insert whining here~.
* My Kennedy has proven finally that she comes from the husbands blood line She may look just like me…but lately she has been obsessed with cleaning. That is SO not me.
* We had the girls family birthday party yesterday. They got so many cute clothes…I’m so jealous! My SIL and MIL got them a ton of new little outfits – and then both my Mom and SIL on my side got them clothes too. We have full closets and the girls cannot WAIT for the warm weather to come back so they can start wearing the skirts upon skirts that they got.
* Hubby bought an elliptical. I hate the elliptical…but having it sit in my little house, I actually use it because I feel crappy if it just takes up all that room for nothing. Between that and my continuing love/hate relationship w/ Jillian Michaels & her exercise DVD’s I may just start feeling good about myself again. Maybe.
* I swear, I will be talking about the Bloggy Boot Camp experience soon, after all it is a 45X45 item…but between my straight focus on my novel the past week & the fact that I’m still trying to process everything that went on that day, it’s been relegated to a “Very soon” post. Hopefully before the end of the week.
* I have a new job application sitting in my kitchen. It’s a job I’m certain I’ll be able to get (I’m super friendly w/ the managers at this place). It’s just a matter of “Can I” and “Should I”. This time I have to very carefully weigh all of the factors and not forget one like I did last year when I tried to work. I have some new factors to consider this time around, ones that may seal the deal.
*Speaking of jobs, I also have a chance at another possible opportunity. It’s something that I have to write up a proposal for and see where it goes. It would be helping out someone local and that really excites me. I just need to sit down and write…especially since that’s part of what I’ll be doing for her…writing. LOL.
* Did I mention that raising teenagers is HARD?? ~headdesk~
by Sarah | Apr 26, 2012 | All About Erik, Crap
[flickr id=”6293299563″ thumbnail=”small” overlay=”true” size=”small” group=”” align=”left”]For a few months Erik has been sick. After about two months of issues, he finally made the call and went into the doctor.
After a handful of tests he was sent to the specialist (A GI doc). He then had to go through more tests of the minor outpatient surgery variety.
Then came the waiting period. You know, the part that SUCKS.
His follow up appointment is Friday.
Two days ago we got a letter from the doc. It had the biopsy results. With several mentions of “pre-cancerous” conditions.
All of which my husband Google’d.
As a (slight) hypochondriac myself I try to not Google medical issues that pertain to me (I will Google for others). I know that if I Google for myself I stress more. It builds in my head.
And that’s what’s happening to the hubby now. One of the conditions in the letter could end up serious, and it’s sort of freaking us both out. The poor guy has been doing his best to keep calm and all of that – but depression and stress don’t mix well (although he has been doing a stellar job overall).
Tomorrow we meet with the doctor. In the hope that he will ease the worst of our fears and have a good, clear plan for where to go next.
The worst part – is it doesn’t seem like either of the ‘conditions’ in the results has anything to do with the symptoms that sent him to the doctor in the first place. The symptoms that are still plaguing him.
All we wanted is answers. In its place we got fears, more questions, and no resolution to the original problem.
by Sarah | Apr 25, 2012 | All About Erik, All About Marriage, All About Me
[flickr id=”7114409929″ thumbnail=”small_320″ overlay=”true” size=”small” group=”” align=”left”] From the time I knew we were going to St. Louis I knew i had to do a brewery tour. In my head I had the images of Laverne & Shirley on the line and I wanted to see that in person. I wanted to abuse my camera and get loots of pictures.
The day I went to sign up Erik & I for the tour I saw the price – $25 a person. I gasped, choked, and hit ‘pay’. I sort of hated that I was paying that much money when I don’t even like beer.
It was the best money spent the whole weekend (Star Trek Exhibit aside). Worth every penny.
The tour is amazing. If you ever go, skip the free tour. In advance shell out the money for the Beermaster Tour. It is worth every penny if you do – and worth every penny if you don’t – like beer. The campus of Anheuser-Busch is amazingly beautiful. The buildings are lovely and well maintained. Just stunning. The tour guides are well informed, friendly and didn’t sound practiced/scripted.
With the beermaster tour you actually go out on the bottling floor, walk among the machines. Up close and personal. I really felt like Laverne (or Shirley) out on that floor.
Oh, and at the end of the tour you’re left in the suite with an open fridge of many flavors of beer and told to sample what you want. (For the record, my husband ‘sampled’ four of them LOL).
now without further ado – I give you pictures. Because words alone can’t pinpoint all the fun that was had.
[flickrset id=”72157629519577434″ thumbnail=”small” photos=”” overlay=”false” size=”small”]
*Please excuse the crappy quality of this picture. I assure you the original is AWESOME…my phone just took a really crappy photo of the photo…