It's been sooo long!

Hi. Yeah. Um....yeah. So I've taken some time off from this place. Anybody still reading?

I've been considering starting back up. So hopefully this weekend I can put something together if anybody is still out there.

A(nother) Trip to Omaha

I've spent quite a few weekends in Omaha recently. My sister who lives there is building a house. So we went there to help her move to an apartment when they sold their house. Then my niece had her 4th birthday party. Then my nephew was baptized. And this past weekend I went to watch my niece and nephew while my sister and her husband did some moving-related stuff. It was a rare chance to spend time with them by myself. Usually when I go to Omaha, I go with my other sister and her family.

I mentioned that my niece is 4, but I want to also mention that my nephew is 7 months old (and about 30 lbs). OK. He's not 30 lbs. But he's past 20 lbs. That's for sure. He's a tank. And he's not just fat....he's tall too. So....lifting him can be a bit of a workout. And swaying him to sleep in my arms while standing...yowza. But it's great. This kid smiles more than any baby I've ever known. Even when he's upset he takes a brief moment to smile.

And his big sister is amazing. She's very protective of her brother. If he's upset she'll come in and tell him it's OK because she's there. It's very cute. And she's also very smart. She amazes me often and this weekend was no exception. She flew through puzzles that I had no idea she could do. She also is very insightful and asked my I "don't live with a boy." Well, her exact words at first were, "Why do you live with two cats and nobody else?" Kind of hard to tell a four year old that it's because I'm a loser that nobody wants. ;)  Luckily I was able to distract her since I didn't want to spread my woes to her....

She also loves doing hair. So I sat for her while she poked, pinched, "braided" and balded me to her heart's content.

It was a great day. It was also nice to spend time with my sister. With her in another city, we rarely do get to spend time together. So while it included 4 hours on the road...I think it was well worth it.

New shoes...

So, last night I decided to take a spin around zappos.com for the first time. I've known of Zappos for a while, but never had shopped it. I found some boots (yes, it may be warm weather, but I still likey my boots from time to time). I was going to buy more shoes, but since I didn't need to meet a quota to buy for free shopping, I stuck to the boots I found for now. I purchased them and just checked my shipping order. The boots will be here on Wednesday. Now THAT'S service. Free shipping that comes mere days after ordering on a Sunday?!

I'd heard they had good service, but I didn't expect THIS. I am quite likely to be shopping there again. (In fact I'm fighting the urge right now)

Dangerous.

A Good Day for Nephew

Note: This post is mostly for posterity. I needed to have it written somewhere to make sure I remember it someday.

Today was my oldest nephew's first day of Kindergarten Orientation. He was nervous about it. In fact he couldn't sleep last night he was so nervous. And my sister tells me that once he got to the school, he was fine. But the best part, the part I want to remember is that after he was done, he told his mom that it was "the best day of his life."

I just love that. I hope that his love of school continues. He's so eager to learn right now. He actually didn't enjoy preschool because they didn't learn ENOUGH. They played too much.  Now, he loves to play, don't get me wrong. But I love that he wants to learn so much. Again, I hope that continues. And I may be a little biased, but the kid is VERY smart. He can already read basic words. He really and truly craves more.

I, for one, can't wait to watch him learn it all.

Nature and all it's glory

It's thundering right now. Thundering with some lightning and so far only raining lightly. I LOVE it. This is the sound of comfort to me. I even have a special radar page I coded to refresh with the latest radar images. Like I said, I love it.

And while I've been enjoying the show, I've been shopping for produce and local food online. It's the Iowa Food Coop. I joined several months back and am so impressed with the quality of real, local foods I get there. Grass-fed beef, wonderful goat cheese, free range antibiotic free eggs, homemade bread, organic lettuce, asparagus, and soon to come...locally grown strawberries. Really, there's so much more.

The reason I bring it up today is because the June shopping cart opened today (there's only pickup once a month) and I'm so happy going through all the different offerings (628 products this month). I just wanted to share my find with anybody from Iowa that's interested. It really is a great way to buy local, fresh, tasty foods.

Sorry if that sounded like a commercial. I clearly get no money for talking about them. Instead it's just a joy for me to share this with others.

And now it's back to watching the storms.

A Full Day = A Tired Webgal

Hello all, yes, I'm still blogging at a better pace....miracles do happen!

Today I took my usual trip to the Des Moines Farmer's Market. Now if I haven't said this before, I'll say it now (though I'm really sure I've said it before), I LOVE the farmer's market. I typically go very early to make sure I get in on the "good" produce before it sells out. Today was no different. I was there in time to snag some Iowa grown strawberries (score!). But first I had to stand in line for a really long time to get my breakfast burrito. I love that burrito, but the line is a little nuts. I think I'll try the crepe stand next time. I've also been meaning to try the papusa stand (loved them the first time I tried), but haven't been in a papusa state of mind that early yet.

I also scored some fresh eggs and some chemical free radishes. I saw a post on Green Lite Bites for roasted radishes and I was intrigued. And hey...a bunch of radishes was only a dollar. Awesome!

One last thing I had to try was a suggestion from Kristin of Iowa Girl Eats. I typically buy goat cheese from Northern Prairie Chevre (and LOVE it). But she suggested I also try out Reicherts Dairy Air, so I did and wow! Great taste and texture! I'll be visiting both places. (I got the chive chevre, by the way)

So after my wonderful hour downtown I headed home to relax a bit before my first giraffe feeding shift of the season at the Blank Park Zoo. YAY!

It was insanely busy when I got there. Seriously...it's a beautiful day, but I haven't seen crowds like that this early on....in well, ever. But it was great! It was literally the first public giraffe feeding of the year, so I was a little worried we'd even get the giraffes to visit the feeding deck. I did not need to worry. All four visited at one time or another. Though two were definitely the most interested. New this year is that instead of feeding the Rye crisp like cracker, we are feeding them romaine lettuce, which was another thing I wasn't sure would go well, but it did (after a little prodding for one picky, spoiled giraffe). The three feedings lasted on average an hour (and that's a loooong time for giraffes to feed). So it was a great success. One of the people I helped feed was even brought to tears by feeding a giraffe...as it turns out it was a life-long dream of hers. Aww. And then I started crying too because I'm a bit empathic that way. What a great moment to be a part of.

I was so happy to get to see and interact with the giraffes again. I never tire of them and their unique personalities.

And now that I'm home, I'm ready for a night of relaxing and catching up on Tivo. Hope everybody else had a great Saturday as well!

Gleek

So...in the interest of attempting to get back into my blogging groove I thought I'd admit my love of "Glee". Yes, it's true. I'm a Gleek.

I'm sure this came out of my near-obsession with "Wicked". OK....it's not a near-obsession. It's a bona fide obsession. And...to my delight the original Elphaba, Idina Menzel, has been appearing on it lately. Squee! Her voice is simply stunning.

And as much as her voice is great, it almost doesn't compare with several cast members on "Glee". I just absolutely LOVE this show.

And here is where I admit something else. I dream of being able to play the lead in a musical of this proportion. Here's where all those who truly know me start laughing. Yes, it's true. But alas, I can't carry any sort of tune, so it's not meant to be. But that won't stop me from being the best singer ever in my car.

it's been a long, long time

Yes, I've neglected this blog...yes, I doubt many (if any) of you check back anymore. I have my reasons, but maybe I should just get past them. I say that work doesn't give me access anymore, but I could blog at night. I rarely think of it, but I could. Or maybe I'll set up that feature that allows me to email in a post.

Anyway...not that much is really new in my life. Work is as work was. Same old, same old.

I need to lose weight. Same old, same old.

I need to exercise more. Same old, same old.

I've injured myself many times. Same old, same old. 

On the positive front, giraffe feeding at the zoo starts again this weekend. Yes! SO EXCITED for that. Hopefully I'll come up with more to write, but given a recent question about why I never write, I figured...I'd write.

uh....hi

It's been a while. I don't have a good excuse for not blogging other than life is boring. Or so I think.

I guess I could blog about any of the following...

• my recent dating experience
• work
• working out at 5:15am every day
• being sick

....but I just don't think it'd be all that interesting. Or maybe I just haven't felt like writing. Either way...I apologize for not writing lately...if anybody still checks. To show how sorry I am, I will share the following video from CuteOverload.com. It's a favorite of mine right now. 

A Monday Laugh to Share

I found this in my RSS feed this morning. Laughed heartily. Enjoy!

A Little Funny to Start the Year

from icanhascheezburger.com

What is it about "Sound of Music"

I'm watching "Sound of Music" on network TV. What is it about this show that makes me watch it every time I see that it's on? Is it the music? The love story? The general sense of warmth? All of the before?

No matter what, I enjoy watching it. It's a calming, happy traditional movie. It never changes. The lyrics are as familiar as always. I even find myself singing out loud to certain (if not most) of the songs.

(Completely related...my cats have left the room [and the floor] to escape the sound of my singing.)

Favorite scenes:

• Maria's singing on the hills.
  
• Maria's first appearance at the manor.
  
• Liesel and Rolf's dance to: "I am 16 going on 17...".
• The thunderstorm scene with all the kids.
  
• The dance...where the Captain and Maria dance (oh, the tension).
  
• The dance...when the children say goodnight (love the parody that Family Guy does too).
• Scene where Georg and Maria confess their love.
  
• Perhaps one of my most favorite, visually speaking,...the scene with Maria in the cathedral as she walks down the aisle with long train flowing as she steps toward the Captain.
• Singing at the festival...when they win and don't appear.
  
• The scene in the cemetery with Rolf...not sure why this is...but it is...something about the setting and the tense situation.
• And of course the scene where they cross the mountains by foot.

Anybody else watch it or have a favorite part?

Anyway...this is a favorite and I hope you enjoy it too. If not....well... :-p  Auf Wiedersehen to you and you and you.

...and Merry Christmas

It's been a rather...unremarkable day here in Webgal land. With the roads still awful, the snow still falling and absolutely no stores open, I've spent my day huddled on the couch with a blanket, my TiVo remote, my laptop, and the occasional cat.

But I'd still like to take a moment and wish everybody a Merry Christmas.

Merry Christmas Eve

Well, I'm home from a day of family fun and Christmas enjoyment. Time to relax and catch up on my RSS feed. And what is this? Cute Overload has this posted:





And this....



Enjoy!

The Longest Day

Well, it's finally here. The Longest Day. This is my last work day of the year, so I know it will drag. (I took vacation for the days that aren't holidays.) And to top it off...freezing rain predicted today. Of course, it's a complicated storm that nobody can tell when the freezing rain will start...so I'm at work (rather than take an extra day off). And I will be at work until the freezing rain starts and THEN I'll go out on the roads. Hm. Not too smart.

Part of The Longest Day includes not wanting to work. At all. I can't even fathom it. (And so that's why I'm writing another blog entry)  There are about 2 other people here at work today, so I don't imagine any requests for web work. I'll mostly be starting at Google Analytics and sneaking peeks at Amazon and reading my RSS feed (hopefully others are blogging today too).

Oh...and one more thing...Happy Festivus. :)

What's Fat?

Yes, three posts in three days. A miracle!

I'm watching "Where are they now?" on Biggest Loser tonight. And for some reason, I hit a upon a thought.  The thought is that people don't understand. If you've never been fat, you don't understand how hard it is. Even today I read a Facebook status of Jillian Michaels that said she didn't understand how people gain weight over the holidays. That made me mad. She can't truly champion the overweight if she doesn't understand how easy it is to overeat during this time of year. It's not just the sweets. There's the emotional factor too.

I tend to keep my overeating to myself. You'll probably not see me do it. I'm a closet overeater. And lately, it's been out of control. I know it. I see it. I FEEL it. Yet, so far, I haven't stopped it. And yet I WANT to. I just can't seem to do it.

There are other factors at play that I've been thinking  about recently. Factors I need to deal with. But even now, I prefer to defer. And in the deferral, I defer my health. I defer my well being.

I know I'm making a choice. I just don't seem to make the right one right now. (a consistent problem for me)

But with time comes possibility for making the right choice. And I need to make that for myself. Not someone trying to help me make it (a coworker "helping me" by not telling me about treats or a family member saying something, anything about my weight or weight loss). I think I need people to stay silent about gains or losses. I NEED it. If someone asks me about "how it's going" I over-analyze that. No matter what. No matter your intentions.

Anyway...hopefully I can make my re-committal soon. I know it's a choice I just have to make. I know, I know, I know.

A Christmas-Time Scene

Scene: A Christmas tree with presents under it; cats and Webgal nearby resting, watching TV.

Actors: One cat by said tree (known as Goodcat), one cat sleeping on couch (known as Scratchycat), and one Webgal on couch watching TV

....and scene....

Goodcat makes noise by Christmas tree that makes Webgal turn to see what's going on.

Webgal:."No, Goodcat, that is not nice. No playing with the presents under the tree."

Scratchycat's ears perk up.

Goodcat continues making noise.

Scratchycat jumps down from safe, undestructive resting place to survey the situation.

Webgal sighs in resignation and figures packages will be full of scratches by morning.

End scene.

'Tis the Season...

I just came across a new Simon's Cat video to share. Enjoy!

Can't think of a title

Yep...it's been a while again. Grr. I'm not happy with me.

What's been goin' on? Stuff. Exciting, no?

Today, I took the day off from work. Much needed. Even though I took a day off only about two weeks ago. And I'm looking forward to next week's two-day holiday. I won't go into my work stuff though.

Anyway...I got some stuff done today. Nothing too exciting. Cleaned out my car (much needed). I went grocery shopping to get supplies to make what I expect to be an amazing soup tomorrow (thanks to Iowa Girl Eats). And I put up my outdoor Christmas lights since it was so nice out. Now, before you head to the comment button, I'm not turning them on yet. That will wait until after Thanksgiving. I just figured it was good to take advantage of the warm weather and a day off to get that done.

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Last weekend I went to see "Rent" at the Civic Center. It was kind of a last minute purchase, but I'm SO glad I did. It was amazing! I was front row. I was 10 feet from the actors. My first reaction when I sat down, was that I was too close and that I'd miss out on things. But then the show started and I had actual eye contact with many of the actors, including Adam Pascal and Anthony Rapp (original Broadway cast members). It blew me away. So glad I bought that ticket. (And I may just have a bit of a crush on them.)

Of course, now I'm as obsessed with "Rent" as I am with "Wicked". I listen to the soundtrack all the time and even bought the DVD (I only WISH "Wicked" had a DVD I could buy).

Next up at the Civic Center..."Lion King". I haven't bought tickets yet, but I probably will. And should. Have wanted to see that show for a while.

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Well, that's all for now. I'll try to be better at this blogging thing. I swear. (More for me than you 4 readers.) :) I need the "talking" time.

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Edited to add: Holy Moly that soup is good!! If you like Chicken Tortilla Soup, make this.

A little early...but awesome