So if you had asked me three months ago about holding off on treatments for seven months I would have talked like the world was coming to an end. It felt like that for the first month. But now that we're three months into our "financial break" from treatment it's gotten a lot easier to handle. We had thought that if Jeff gets the promotion at work that we might do an IUI/Injects cycle in the middle of fall but but now I'm not so sure. We still have some bills left to pay off, and his 40th birthday party to pay for, and Christmas. Oh and a trip down to Oklahoma to see my folks for Thanksgiving - yes peeps the amazing has happened! Target actually agreed to give me Black Friday off so I can have mom's cooking for Thanksgiving for the first time in four years. I am so damn excited I can't tell you.
So now I'm thinking since I've come to terms with holding off until the new year for treatment that we may just keep with that... but of course that may all change if he gets it and gets the highest amount raise possible (if he gets it the raise could be anything from a 20-40% raise OMG!) If all the sudden we have that much more money I may say "screw being conservative - bring on the drugs!!" I kind of feel like we deserve something to go right after all the wrong in the past few years. OK really all that's gone wrong is TTC and me finding anything marketing related so I can use my years of experience in advertising instead of wasting away in retail these last two years. But still, can we get a break please? Karma did we do something to upset you? I guess we'll see soon enough, he should find out by the end of the week. Actually he was supposed to find out three days ago but since his company is always so slow to make hiring decisions, I'm not surprised they hadn't done anything yet.
But for now can I just brag at how great he is here at home? I worked 16 hours this weekend. As usual, he's making dinner (he does this on the weekends). But I came home today after working 5am-1:30 and he had lunch ready for me, dishes done, kitchen cleaned, bed made and now while he's cooking dinner he's putting away the clean dishes. Yep - this man is a keeper! My dad never did anything like that so I guess it still surprises me.
For now, I am looking forward to next weekend. I have a three day weekend (Yep, I got labor day weekend off too. Suckers!!) as we have the Founders wrap up party Saturday, a wedding Sunday, and a BBQ at his parents on Monday. Drinking & relaxing are def. on the menu after this week - in six days I'm working 54 hours. It's so nice to now have several things to look forward to in the fall!
Ice bar in Vegas 2012
Sunday, August 28, 2011
Saturday, August 6, 2011
Founders Days 2011 - a look back
((Warning, this will be a long post mainly for me to look back on in years to come.))
A little back story...for 51 years my town has put on a four day festival. Last year, during the 50th year's fest a historic rain fell Friday night of the fest. Jeff and I were asleep in the board's rented RV as "park security". We walked out of the park in shin high water from the flooding creek. The fest was canceled Saturday & Sunday.
Fast forward to 2011. Jeff was made this years President as no one else wanted to be responsible for the "make it or break it year" because if this year had a bad turn out, the fest would die from last years lost revenue. We needed it to be a good fest. The month beforehand, we'd been having a drought. Only half an inch of rain had fallen...we were happy because we wanted the park as dry as could be. Then the Friday the week before the fest - - another historic rain fall. More than 7 inches fell that night. It was the largest rain fall in history for a24 hour period. We arrived at the park at 8am Saturday morning to assess the damage. It looked horrible, there was a new stream running though the middle of the park once the creek broke it's banks. There was a 20 foot pond in the middle of where people listen to bands.
We spent hours the next two days making back up plans, repeat visits to other parks, and talking to the board members and village higher-ups. The board all wanted to move it, but the village wanted us to say put if possible. By Monday, it was decided we would stay. The park had dried out a bit and we were told the public works department would do whatever was needed to get it ready. Jeff & the board worked Morning into late night Monday through Wednesday to get it ready. The layout, the electric, the carnival, the stage, the food vendors, etc. etc.etc.
Wednesday night came and we were all in the park drinking after a long days work. With everyone's smart phones we saw that many storms had gone north but that one was headed straight for the park, about to hit at 10pm. The electricians light posts were up,and as the guys raced around to get them down- our friend and board member Skippy had a light pole's cord snap and 50lbs of light equipment fell on his elbow. It was quickly decided that we would be spending the night in the RV while he was going to the ER. Elbow is broke, he's in a cast, we have rain, and now we're down a board member.
The next morning, the sun came out. The fest was set to open at 4pm. More mulch was spread in the wet areas and we were ready to go. The carnival opened to special needs kids at 4pm then the general public at 6, the card board boat regatta got underway at 6pm, and the band "Pirates Under 40" started playing Jimmy Buffet tunes at 7pm. It was a great start. And yes, again, we had rain - but it held off until after 10pm when the park closed. And since Wednesday & Thursdays rains were not record level, just a mere inch, the creek stayed in it's banks.
Friday and Saturday continued with nothing but sunshine. :) We had great bands, a wonderful parade, a huge crowds! Friday night alone we went through 39 kegs of beer! Saturday night, I had a mini break down when the co-chair of the 5k& 10K run backed out because her "babysitter fell through". She's done it for years, this was my first year. I didn't know what I was doing. I started to panic. And on only 4 and a half hours of sleep, it got the best of me. I started to cry. Jeff promised as someone who had done it before, he would help me and everything would be OK. Thank god for wonderful & supportive husbands!! It turns out it was actually her twins second birthday, I don't believe she had a baby sitter. I believe she planned to flake out at the last minute all along. Which still boils my blood. If she wasn't going to be there, fine but why not be honest up front? So I could have someone else as my co-chair the whole time?
But Sunday morning 6am came up fast. Another day of just 4and half hours of sleep. Everyone said I pulled off the run wonderfully...but to be honest I felt like a chicken with my head cut off. Running around not knowing what on earth I should be doing. But none of the runners complained, and we had 176 of them so I guess that's a good measurement of how it went. Afterwards, I went home to finally take a much needed nap. Only to arrive back at the park for the regional battle of the bands, and finally relaxing on the riverfront for the finale - the best fireworks around. Afterwards I was so tired, I left the gang and passed out in the RV before midnight. I know I missed out on fun, but the sheer exhaustion was too overwhelming.
All in all, this was one of the best fest's the board has put on. The town loved all of it. And for those of us volunteers? There was blood, sweat, and yes- my tears. But so many nights of laughs and drinks with great friends. I had a secret fear for days that the fest would go bankrupt and be no more. And it would be on my husband's shoulders that he was President the year it went under. I can't tell explain the huge relief I feel from having a successful year now behind us. And I'm soooo looking forward to the wrap up party with the board on Sept. 3rd. It should be legendary! And yes, I've already started making a mental list of how to improve the run for next year. :)
A little back story...for 51 years my town has put on a four day festival. Last year, during the 50th year's fest a historic rain fell Friday night of the fest. Jeff and I were asleep in the board's rented RV as "park security". We walked out of the park in shin high water from the flooding creek. The fest was canceled Saturday & Sunday.
Fast forward to 2011. Jeff was made this years President as no one else wanted to be responsible for the "make it or break it year" because if this year had a bad turn out, the fest would die from last years lost revenue. We needed it to be a good fest. The month beforehand, we'd been having a drought. Only half an inch of rain had fallen...we were happy because we wanted the park as dry as could be. Then the Friday the week before the fest - - another historic rain fall. More than 7 inches fell that night. It was the largest rain fall in history for a24 hour period. We arrived at the park at 8am Saturday morning to assess the damage. It looked horrible, there was a new stream running though the middle of the park once the creek broke it's banks. There was a 20 foot pond in the middle of where people listen to bands.
We spent hours the next two days making back up plans, repeat visits to other parks, and talking to the board members and village higher-ups. The board all wanted to move it, but the village wanted us to say put if possible. By Monday, it was decided we would stay. The park had dried out a bit and we were told the public works department would do whatever was needed to get it ready. Jeff & the board worked Morning into late night Monday through Wednesday to get it ready. The layout, the electric, the carnival, the stage, the food vendors, etc. etc.etc.
Wednesday night came and we were all in the park drinking after a long days work. With everyone's smart phones we saw that many storms had gone north but that one was headed straight for the park, about to hit at 10pm. The electricians light posts were up,and as the guys raced around to get them down- our friend and board member Skippy had a light pole's cord snap and 50lbs of light equipment fell on his elbow. It was quickly decided that we would be spending the night in the RV while he was going to the ER. Elbow is broke, he's in a cast, we have rain, and now we're down a board member.
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| Skippy high on Pain killers in ER |
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| View from Riverfront during Cardboard Boat Regatta |
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| My wonderful husband giving plaque to the Village President |
All in all, this was one of the best fest's the board has put on. The town loved all of it. And for those of us volunteers? There was blood, sweat, and yes- my tears. But so many nights of laughs and drinks with great friends. I had a secret fear for days that the fest would go bankrupt and be no more. And it would be on my husband's shoulders that he was President the year it went under. I can't tell explain the huge relief I feel from having a successful year now behind us. And I'm soooo looking forward to the wrap up party with the board on Sept. 3rd. It should be legendary! And yes, I've already started making a mental list of how to improve the run for next year. :)
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