Take a bite out of the big apple

I recently took a trip to New York City with my mom, one of her friends from college and her daughter (a resident of the big apple). Spending time with people that live in New York is an interesting experience because it is so different than life anywhere else. They don't have to drive anywhere, everything they need is a short walk away, they have the best shopping, interesting historical sights and tons of people to watch.

We stayed in a really nice hotel on the Upper East Side and got BED BUGS. Well, mom and I didn't, but my mom's friend did, even in her LUGGAGE. It was totally disgusting. We didn't realize until after we left the hotel that my mom's friend had bug bites on her leg. Then mom said "come to think of it, I killed a few bugs while we were there" Unluckily for the hotel our flights were canceled so we had time to go back to the hotel (not to stay) and let them know that perhaps they should inspect. GROSS. Even typing about it makes me itch. I took photos of the bites because they were going to inspect and then give my mom and her friend a refund (of course...BED BUGS ARE GROSS) and will now remember the bed bugs for life :) If you would like your own copy of the photos, I can hook you up :)

Seeing people interact and exist so differently from us made me wonder...how would our lives be changed if we changed just ONE choice in our lives. If I had decided to stay in OK for college, what would I be doing now? If I had decided to move to New York, who would I be? One life choice could have drastically changed my entire existence. I'm not a believer that there is one person out there that is our soul mate. Would I be married? Would I have met someone like Scott? Would I have met Scott? Would I be a teacher? It really made me stop and think about where I was, and the life choices we have made recently, and how they potentially changed our lives forever.

What would have happened had Scott not gotten the job in Colorado? We were happy in Kansas, we had friends, and I liked my job (although Scott didn't hence the job search), we liked our house, we had a yard for the dog, we were getting paid well (in regards to our professions), and we had the two cutest nephews to see every week.

Now we live in Colorado, in a condo, without many friends (yet), with smaller salaries, Scott's working more hours, we have no nephews, the dog has no yard, and starting my new job makes me anxious. So one life choice caused an avalanche of new, scary, exciting and different opportunities.

I think the thing that is the most reassuring, after thinking through all the life choices we make, is I know that I am happy. I know I married someone that I can trust, that I find handsome, that is kind to everyone, makes me laugh, and above all that I love very much. I know I love to teach, I know that I love being closer to my mom and Bob and Luke.

I think it boils down to this. Life is what you make of it. Whether you're an investment banker that has the cash to buy designer clothes and chase celebrities or a 2nd grade teacher shopping at Target, if you're pleasant and kind to others, your life path will continue to be full of hope and enjoyment.

And it never hurts to travel to the opposite spectrum and experience life through others eyes for a bit.

I'm all over the place...

I have a lot on my mind, so this blog is appropriately called "all over the place"

I think I must be the most difficult person to live with. I don't know how Scott does it. Anyone who knows me, knows that I suffer from TERRIBLE anxiety. How I still manage to keep friends is beyond me, the way I make their lives miserable with all my off the wall worries. I have been on meds for a couple of years, and found they have helped TREMENDOUSLY. I was even able to go off them for a while, but with the move, getting a new job and living away from Scott I decided last Christmas to go back on. My anxiety is directly related to sunlight, I believe. It's always worse in the winter, so I was hoping to go off my meds this summer, once all the big changes were out of the way, and although I don't feel anxious, I can see all the warning signs, and am a little worried (anxious about anxiety? Now that's just rediculous right?) that if I'm this anxious in the middle of summer, what will WINTER be like!!!

I noticed on my last drive to the Springs with Scott that I jumped and grabbed the "oh shit" handle every time he touched the breaks (something I only do when I'm anxious). I noticed while tutoring my leg is constantly bouncing, and not just a little tappy-tap-tap, I'm pretty sure they can feel it downstairs (something I do when I'm anxious). I have ZERO cuticles left on my fingernails, I stop to take deep breaths, and I have a hard time focusing (all signs of my anxiety). What's worse, is noticing all these things makes me anxious that my anxiety is getting bad again. Two falls ago I suffered two severe panic attacks, and want nothing more to do with them. Here's the funny thing about that though: it's out of my control. You would think, seeing all the warning signs, that I would be able to fend off the attacks, but it just is not so. I have done some behavioral psychology, so I'm hoping that I can rely on that to help. So if you're going to be around me, and I'm driving you nuts with my worries, questions, and constant leg bouncing, bear with me. I know I'm doing it, and I'm trying my best to get it under control :) I can't be anxious about losing my friends/husband too!!!

Do you know how you've found the person you want to spend your life with? I know I have. Here are the reasons why:

1.) He answers every rediculous quesion I ask, and helps me find the humor in my anxiety.
2.) If I feel his answer is unsatifactory, he will research and find ways to help me realize my irrational thoughts are, in fact, irrational.
3.) We know all the same drum solos to our favorite songs.
4.) He does the funniest dances, when it's just us. Dances I know he's too shy to do in public but can crack me up at any time.
5.) We can drive in the car on the way home from lunch and do the Mario Lopez dance together, and think we're hysterical.
6.) He likes to cook, and doesn't expect help, just company.
7.) He's really nice, to everyone.
8.) He doesn't try and outshine me :) He lets me be the loud one, and compliments my overeagerness with his calmness.
9.) He doesn't get upset when I make plans, forget to tell him the plans, and spring things on him last minute.
10.) He's nice to our dog.
11.) He loves kids.
12.) He likes to hold hands, but doesn't need to be over affectionate in public.
13.) No matter what hair product he buys for himself he always likes mine better.
14.) If there is a new brand of toothpaste, he has to try it out.
15.) And last but not least he will watch High School Musical as many times as I want, knows the songs, and can answer trivia facts if asked (that's true love...)

I told you this blog is all over the place.

We were talking at lunch today, about how everyone that I am close to (really close to) didn't like me the first time we met. After years of friendship and marriage all of my close friends have opened up that at first, they thought I was over the top, and a little hard to be around. I was anxious (of course) about this, and was asking Scott what I need to do to change, since I'm about to make a whole lot of first impressions at my new job, and he really helped by saying I really should do nothing. I may be over the top at first, but my friendships last a life time. He may not have said that in so many words, but that's what I took away from the conversation. I love the friends that I have, and feel blessed that they have stuck it out this far :)

I'm anxious that this blog is too long, and I'm anxious that I've been too sappy. So talk to you on the flip side (after my trip to OK for Renee's wedding!!!!!) I'm anxious about flying there :)

Happy Fourth

I was walking tonight with Scott, lamenting the fact that we wouldn't be able to upload photos until we unload the things from our storage unit, when he reminded me that all the cords and software we need are sitting in my nightstand, RIGHT beside where I sleep every night :) Lucky me! I should have complained to him earlier!

I have a few funny photo's and stories to go with them...(some of it may be repetitive. Bear with me)


I already told you how we piled into the Yukon to take the trip to the half-a-Walmart. This is Luke and Amy all buckled and rarin' to do a little kickball shopping.







These are my cousins and I inside the half-a-Walmart. Ever since my mom married Bob, I've gotten to spend a week in Perry Oklahoma. The joke is that the first time I went there, I commented on how everything in Perry is half-size, even the Wal-Mart. It's been the Half-a-Walmart ever since. What's amazing is how everyone relies on the Half-A-Walmart for EVERYTHING. Need a card? Half-A-Walmart. Out of milk? Half-A-Walmart. Car broke down? Half-A-Walmart. Cow got out? Half-A-Walmart...it's truly amazing :)


My mom had the brilliant idea to have family reunion shirts made to celebrate the occasion. The nice part was that they were all different colors. When we were getting to choose our colors, mom thought it would be nice if all the Ward/Franeys had yellow shirts, but Luke and I rebelled. I chose red, and then mom said that red looked better on me than yellow anyway, and decided she too needed red. Here I am with my cousins. This pic started out as just me, Luke and Mark, and slowly progressed. I have pics of the progression, but thought I would spare you, since they aren't your family, and you prob. don't think it's as funny as I do :)


My cousin Brian had a 4-wheeler that he broke out one night. I was SO excited to ride, it was my first time ever, and it felt like the perfect thing to do in Perry, Oklahoma. The only problem with 4-wheelers is that they can flip, and crash, and bones can break, and heads can crack, and I tend to have anxiety....so once I got on I immediately was worried about being injured, or finding a rattle snake nest, or running into one of the random cows that were surrounding us by the second. I let Megan drive first, but every time she got about 10 miles an hour I would scream hysterically that I wanted off, would bury my head in her back, and squeeze for dear life. It's the one time my mom says she's THANKFUL I'm so loud by nature, she knew where I was at all times. We drove the 4 wheeler to a small lake on my cousin Brian's BROTHER'S property. Brian describes his brother as WT, we thought jokingly, but it's no joke. We traded drivers, and now I was in the control seat as we passed by the house that Brian's brother lives in. We were only going about 5 mph because I was constantly on the lookout for something that might cause us to flip to our death, and we stopped to wave at Brian's brother, and he stopped to wave...WITH HIS SHOTGUN....so I booked it to 10 mph and we went back to the pasture. We figured we were safer with the cows.

Last but not least, on July 4th, mom, Scott, Grandpa and I set out to run a 4 mile race up in Monument Colorado. The race started around a lake, and was mostly downhill. It was a fantastic race. It was Scott's first official race, and he was so excited to get a number and get a chance to run with other people. Until now, it's been me and the dog :) We had to get up at 5:45 to be ready to run, but we were up and rarin' to go, even grandpa :0) I actually ran my best time, under 11 min. miles, and that was WITH a very slow first mile. My grandpa has Alzheimer's, and mom and I wanted to make sure he made it around the lake and onto the right path. He gets lost easily. He doesn't run very fast, but hey, he's 81, and he's running. That's something! Mom and I took off after he got on the path and ran like the wind :) For the past few days I've limped around (after twisting my ankle), making Scott feel guilty for making me do things like dishes and errands :) I think my time is up, he's onto me :) Here is a pic of the shorts I mentioned yesterday that I made for my mom and me.



( I got better at pics this time...and adding pics is ADDICTING!)

Family Reunion and Such

Well I made it back safely from Oklahoma, even though, being used to the dry and cool climate of Colorado, I almost melted every afternoon in the Oklahoma heat. I'll admit it. I've become a temperate climate brat. I can't take the HEAT!

The reunion went well. The interesting thing about reunions and being around family is this: At first, for the first 24 hours or so, everyone pretends that they are all friends, there has never been bad blood, and no one has a foul thing to say. As the hours tick by, feelings start to get hurt, arguing and whispering behind closed doors begins, and alliances are formed. Amazingly...THIS DID NOT HAPPEN at our family reunion (until the last day...no one is perfect).

The reunion was a lot of fun. My aunt, uncle. grandma and cousin decided there was no need for a hotel (having nothing to do with the fact that the Perry hotel consists of a few rooms for rent in homes around town...) and so they pooled together and found beds/bathrooms for all. I was cast out into a camper with two of my cousins while my mom, Bob and Luke slept in the house with running water (luckies...).

I survived "camping" and even took a shower or two when allowed back into my aunts house. I spent most of my time with my cousins playing board games and playing outside. My aunt has a huge backyard, so we decided we would make kickball teams and play a few games. The only problem was that we had no kickball. So we decided to go and get one (at the local Wal-Mart, which technically is a half-a-Walmart seeing as how you can see everything Wal-Mart has to offer the second you step foot in the door). My aunt, cousin and grandma cooked the food for the whole weekend, so no one had really left the house for over 24 hours, so all of my cousins (12 in all) decided to pile into my uncle's Yukon and drive to the half-a-Wal-Mart. Since there are no strangers in Perry, and everyone is someone else's relative, we made quite the scene walking into the half-a-Wal-Mart only to leave with ONE kickball. I think we made the local paper:)
Once we got back to the house we made bases and got the game underway. A couple hours into it we all had to bale on the game seeing as how we all thought we were going to die of heat stroke. I thought FOR SURE it was 100 degrees, only to find it was 88, and relatively cool for an Oklahoma summer.

The next afternoon I played a riveting game of Life with my brother and younger (9 years old) cousin Logan. Logan, being the youngest, was OF COURSE in the lead. It's always the case. And of course, since he was in the lead, he was an easy target for Luke and I as we were trying to choose who to pick on. I was a little worried at first, seeing as how MOST 9 year olds really don't like to give up their money/lose games, but Logan was a champ. He seemed almost happy to pass 120 thousand across the board over and over again as Luke and I tried to take control of the game, and in the end, he STILL kicked our butt. I should have learned a lesson, seeing as how if it had been ME that they were picking on I would have probably tossed my game board and screamed "I QUIT" but sadly it shall not come to pass. I tend to win well and lose poorly :)

Poor Luke was a really good sport on the drive down. My back was still really hurting for some reason, and about 4 hours into the drive I thought I was going to have to bale out on the plains of Kansas and hitchhike my way home, but instead I decided to lie on my back, across the backseat, leaving Luke about 8 inches of backseat to himself. Not only that, but as I'm lying across the backseat, I made him watch Hairspray, over...and over...and over...

He has a special place in heaven :)

Scott and I spent the holiday with my family and ran a 4 mile race on the 4th (Scott's first race). It was a lot of fun. Scott made excellent time, and I got to run with my mom almost the whole way which was really great. I made a pair of matching shorts for my mom and I to wear in the race that say "Happy Fourth" across the butt. Mom was a little less thrilled than I was to wear the shorts, but she was a good sport. I didn't try the shorts on when I bought them, I just found the cheapest pair at Wal-Mart (a whole Wal-Mart this time) and ironed on the letters. Turns out the shorts were a little shorter than we would have liked, but who are we to keep all the other 800 runners from seeing my work of art. As we were running, mom and I were picking out people that we thought we should surely beat, to keep our momentum going. A young girl passed us, and I noticed that her shorts were so short it was as if she was running in underwear. I started to verbally abuse her in my mind but realized suddenly, all the people behind me were probably cursing my own rear-end, and let her off the hook. She was fast...I probably would have died trying to beat her anyway.

As we were running there were two water spots, and at the second, I could see it in the distance and kept imagining how wonderful a drink would feel since we were running towards the sun and it was getting warm. I must have been a little TOO excited, because I got the cup of water, got far enough away that more water was out of reach, and tripped, twisted my ankle, and dumped the ENTIRE contents of my much anticipated water on the path to my left. So now, not only did my ankle hurt, but I was wet and STILL THIRSTY. Luckily mom took a little pitty and shared or else I would have had to turn back and then my time would have suffered (since we all know mom and I were in the lead...and in contention for medals.....)

All in all, I would say it was a great success. Now we are home, the dog is sleeping, Scott is watching t.v. and we're getting ready for a fun trip to Oklahoma for a friends wedding. I got some tips on working with photos, and I"ll try to post some, I got a few to share :) Especially of my butt-eating fourth of July shorts :)

The husband checks in ...

Well, Sarah said I could use this, too ... so I hope she meant it. If she didn't ... this might be my last post. Ever.

Anyway, I had a couple thoughts tonight, and she's not here ... and I miss her ... so I feel like writing.

My first thought stems from tonight's Royals game. For those who don't know, I'm truly obsessed with this awful franchise. It's a lifelong gift from my father, and I don't think Sarah is that grateful for his generosity. Anyway, something happened in the game -- KC is at Baltimore for a four-game set -- that really epitomizes why I love this game in general. Actually, two somethings happened.

Here's the scene of the first: After being down 5-1 and clawing back to 5-3, Ross Gload stands at the plate with a runner on first and third. The pitcher, I don't remember his name, he probably won't be around long after this smooth move, stands behind the mound and sizes up the situation. Then, like a bazillion pitchers before him have done, he climbs on the bump and digs in with his right foot. (He's a righty). Then, with his left shoulder facing home plate, he spins the ball in his hand behind his right thigh.

Then ... he drops the ball.

Balk.

Runner on third comes home. Unnamed pitcher pounds his glove in frustration. Royals pull to within 5-4.

I've watched a majillion (I don't know if that's a word, but I don't want to use bazillion again) baseball games in my life, and I've never seen that happen before. It's been said a lot about baseball ... "You'll always see something new" ... but that's, obviously, not always true. But tonight, it was true. Good times.

Then, and this wasn't as amazing, but it was nonetheless spectacular. With the Royals still down 5-4 in the ninth, Miguel Olivo pinch hits for Mark Teahen ... and hits a game-tying home run. That's happened before, but as he came to the plate, I truly thought he was going to tie it up. I swear to goodness. Then the Royals won the game in the 11th, mainly thanks to this guy, The Mexicutioner.

Also -- and this is something that just popped into my head -- I cried a smidge (JUST A SMIDGE!!) during a Make a Wish segment on SportsCenter tonight. A little boy who lost his sight when he was little really wanted to meet Smarty Jones, so it was all set up. And for full effect, the little boy was a New Yawker all the way, and had been talking all the way to the stable about this, that and the other thing. But when he knew he was in front of Smarty, it all went away. And he just stood there, and pet his hero.

I don't know what it is, but things like this have definitely gotten to me more lately than when I was younger (like I'm an old whipper-snapper now!). This little boy got to me. Stories of Sarah's elementary school kids get to me. A story of one of our friends having to give away one of their labs got to me.

I don't know.

The beautiful Kansas skyline.

My husband and I before the move.

My dog wants to make sure he's packed...

My friends at my going away party.

Friends, I stink at uploading photos onto my blogger. I need some tips. This took almost an hour, and it's only 4 photos. Aparently I'm blogger challenged. You guys all do a beautiful job. Tell me HOW! :)

Folk Yeah

I'm about to embark on a journey to Perry Oklahoma for a family reunion. I'm going in a car with my mom, Bob and Luke, just like old vacation times. Scott has to stay and work...or so he SAYS. I didn't know much about the family reunion at first, just that it was happening and that I'm bored as dirt, so I thought "Hey, I'll go"

Turns out the family reunion involves sleeping in a camper, wearing "Camp Franey" t-shirts, playing organized games, swim suits (my mom says hers has a skirt attached) and prizes :) Should be some quality Oklahoma fun.

I wish we had our actual computer, and not Scott's laptop, at our disposal. I want to post pictures of the condo and this family reunion, but alas, we do not have an adapter that will work with this computer, so the pictures will have to wait until August. By then these moments will long be forgotten in your memories, so I'll just have to paint you mental pictures in the meantime.

My latest past time is making fun of Scott being from the Lake of the Ozarks. I keep finding ways that he qualifies as "folk". For instance:

He was on a bowling team
He has, at one time or another, survived on cheap t.v. dinners
His first job was frying food at the bowling alley.
He has stories involving rocks, lakes and fish.

Remember, this is just a joke. If you also were on a bowling team, you eat t.v. dinners, you have fried food, and you have stories with rocks lakes and fish, you are totally not folk :)

I digress: My mom has decided that after 53 years of crooked teeth, she wants straight, beautiful teeth and has gotten braces. Before she could get the brackets on the bottom, she had to have a tooth pulled, RIGHT in the middle of her mouth. Long story short, she's had to reschedule appointments, and now, I am heading, to Perry Oklahoma, with a toothless mother. TALK ABOUT FOLK!!!!!

I've never been more proud, and have assured her I will document this time of her life with plenty of photos.

In all reality, she looks fine, Scott is not folk, and Perry is KIND OF a nice place to visit. I attribute all of this because of their relationships with me. I'm their upgrade.

Talk to you Wed (hopefully with many mental pictures to share).