Our Commitment Ceremony - ENJOY!

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Whistler BC

bear
Originally uploaded by kauleen_randi.

Yep, I got this close. See that railing?? I was standing on a dining deck. I'll maybe get more into the story soon, but for now - enjoy my findings of a bear! IT WAS AMAZING!!!!!!!!!!

Randi

CSA / Fruits and Veggies

We are in the midst of a great time of year. K and I have been able to participate in a program called Community Supported Agriculture and have since June 9, been recieving fresh, organic, veggies, fruits, and etc. It was been exciting to see what we'd get each week. We've gotten a few things that we are still trying to figure out exactly WHAT to do with them (ie, swiss chard!) but we're planning on making something this week. :) This past week, for example, we got: Radishes, scallions, kale, lettuce, raspberries, strawberries, herbs, artichoke and swiss chard. YUM!!! :)

Also, today Kauleen and I went and picked strawberries. We had planned on buying a flat to make jam, but for half the price we could pick our own (and had our own containers). Welll........we ended up picking 30lbs!! (can we say, strawberries coming out our ears!) We'll be freezing them, giving them to friends and family.....and enjoying some jam with them (We already made 4 batches today!).

Off to rest and relax.
Randi

Life's Quirks

I am long due for a blog entry. :) I have been so busy latley that I haven't even gotten on the computer to do my "normal" routinely activities - and my dad's room has the computer in it - so I've been a bit out of commission.

I am enjoying sometime by myself right now - in a quiet household. Oh the joys. It has been everything but that around here latley, making it a bit more stressful (although it's been fine - just not routine) and we're ready to have that back. My dad will be gone this week and then we'll be heading into retirement week (June 30th, yep, you heard it - MY DAD'S RETIRING!!) :) At the early age of 49, he is blessed to be able to - truly blessed. :) So, with the retirement party scene, then the 4th of July, I'm going to have a household full, plus some. I am going to need a vacation!!! (and a massage!!)

I just finished out the local rotary rose sale last week, helping my boss and an older man in the club. He sold 256 dozen roses!! THAT was his best ever. He used to own a funeral home and knows lots of people. He even sold to a wrong number that he dialed! (funny man!) I am glad that is over - er - I should say - mostly over. There's still the counting of money, but for the most part.......we're done and I'm more than glad!

I didn't get too many comments on my little video, so I hope you all enjoyed it. :) We are in the process now of figuring out a sewer pump (where we want to put the cabin as to where the sewer runs - is not under ground! eeeeeeeekkkkkk!) So, we'll bury it under ground (our line) and then pump it to the correct line. That is just the beginning. We need to have a ditch dug for water and sewer, a concrete slab poured, and our dates are tentatively set for August 11, and 12. YAHOOOOOOOOOOO!!! :)

I've been in the wedding mode around here latley trying to get some things planned for the bridal shower and make sure everything is coming along as it is supposed to be. THAT'S been stressful too. I paid a little bit more than I had wanted to for a place to have it (our house is just not big enough) but it was really where the sister wanted to have it - so that's kind of cool. Lots of memories for us in this building for wee little up until now. It'll be kind of cool to reflect. :) AND...it'll be a dinner bridal shower - which'll be a little "unique" in itself. Hopefully maybe with some music and dancing too - we'll see.

Susie went in today for her 3 month check up on her thryoid - we should be getting the bloodwork next week sometime. It'll be interesting to see what it is at.

The cats have all been real pains in the rearends latley. We love them dearly, but getting awoken every night to a yowling deaf cat who can't hear when you yell, and when you squirt her runs farther away and yowls louder - GRRRRRRRRR! (oh, and did I mention I have a squirt bottle by my alarm clock for squirting purposes? It is used almost every night!) Rosa's been a turd, and I think its just that everyone is out of their routine. Kauleen bought some flea medicine today to see if that'll help. We don't have fleas, but sometimes I think the cats are bothered by them. It seems to help.

Works been going just fine - sure has picked up some latley, but I'm just treking along. I have a lady coming in this week to take over the courier job. I just hope it all works out with her - I haven't ever had a good feeling. :( I was held back for the current courier to move ahead of me. Kind of sucks. There are somethings coming down the pike at work that someone is moving. If that's the case, it'll make Kauleen and I not be able to have vacation anymore together. If that's the case, I'll probably be finding another job - and/or we'll move.

I hope you all are doing well. Love to you all.
Randi

RE: Cabin Movie

The old mobile area is K's and mine. The views are all from our property. The put together "motel" and "cabin" are on my parents property.

Hope you enjoy!!

Cabin

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Walk-N-Roll

Tomorrow K and I will be riding our bikes (my brand new bike *big grin* ) and we'll be riding back! :) It will be my first real ride!

We got us a bike rack for the car too. We'll be toodlin' all over soon!

More later!
Randi

Long Time No Post!

I am enjoying my peaceful night of being able to piddle on the computer and K is enjoying laying on the couch enjoying her personal time as we state it "frying her brain" on the TV. :) The Mariners won, BTW.

Lot's has been going on latley, A LOT!!

We've had a lady out for going to be a month for a hysterectomy from work and that has been exhausting. (Short-handed, and then people out sick!) There's a lot of work to be done and backlogging to be catching up on.

Did I tell you I have 10 more working days than I am on vacation? :o)
I AM SO EXCITED!!!!!!!!!!!!

My parents have had great things going for them latley too - with the chance for my dad to retire (and/or kind of have to for medical insurance purposes, long story) so he made the decision to be done in 2008. Well, this week he moved it up to JULY of 2006!!!!! K and I are celebrating with him. Hopefully my parents will get out some and enjoy the outdoors, each other, and just life. They have both worked their butts off to get here - and they better enjoy it! :)

We got the cat (Susie) fixed on May 1st. That was not enjoyable for K. She took her early on Monday A.M. and turned around and had to get her Tuesday P.M. but during rush hour traffic. 1 hour 15 minutes of constant "Meow, meow, meow" on her back kicking the cage, screaming. :o( Poor kitty! She's home now and we sing a little diddy "Radioactive, Radioactive, Radioactive Kat!" :) In about 1 more week we can go back to regular cat litter (now using flushable) and should be good!!

We spent all day in a seminar today. oh joy. I needed the day in lieu for being so sick! :( They did give away 6 IPODS, but guess what? I didn't win one!! Oh well! I learned a lot.

I've been helping with with a Rotary Rose Sale at work too. My boss has deemed me "Rose Secretary" for some reason (although I have nothing to do, nor do I or have I ever planned to attend a rotary meeting?) so I've been helping this older man who used to own a funeral home he sells over 200 dozen. I am inputting into a spreadsheet for him and then come June 8 I will have labels made and we'll deliver all of them. It's been fun but has been VERY time consuming also.

K and I will be celebrating our 5th year together tomorrow. (dating wise). We're gonna go get a pedicure *giggle*.

Peace out!

Tulips

tulips
Originally uploaded by kauleen_randi.

I think this picture is very cute. I actually took it while sitting in the passenger side (and it was out the driver side window) while waiting for the lovely tulip pedestrian non-stop traffic. :) Pretty fun picture. Enjoy!

Kauleen In The Tulips

kauleentulips
Originally uploaded by kauleen_randi.

This picture was also taken on Easter Sunday. Once again, please disregard the beauty of me - I hadn't done anything.

Kauleen

Randi In The Tulips

randitulips
Originally uploaded by kauleen_randi.

This was taken on Easter Sunday. Please disregard my beauty as I did nothing to myself today.

It's Friday!!

I made it through a week of work and am so happy it's Friday! :) I am still not back to my 100% and still sound stuffy, but I think its allergy season for me now too on top of fighting whatever it was I was fighting. So, Clairton has been my friend! :)

We have decided to do the radiation treatment on dear Susie, and have made her an appointment on May 1st. Bless her little heart. She's a trooper and will pull through many more years I'm sure. :)

We have to do some major grocery shopping this weekend. We are out of food!! We haven't done a good shop in over a month! Money has just been too tight!

Speaking of money, doesn't it really stink that it gets us know where in the huge grand scheme of things? It's all about living greater, bigger, better......but gets no where.

We have quite a few BIG bills to choke up in the next month or 2 and are pinching pennies and trying to cough up gold where we can. We're selling all of our extra goods we can on EBAY - even things we think won't make much! We hope to make it without having to charge things. WE CAN DO IT!!

In June, we start our Community Supported Agriculture Program. We'll be getting fresh, ORGANIC, fruits, veggies and herbs - and also fresh flowers every week until October!! We are so excited. It cost us $235 (approx. $15 a week) and its all over the world. If you want to know more, search CSA or Community Supported Agriculture in your area and see. SOME even deliver!

We had plans to go to my cousins for Easter, but they have all been sick and I cannot afford to be sick and/or BE sick, as we have a lady out for a month due to a surgery. I'm the only one in my department. I HAVE to stay healthy, period. SO, we're going to get us a ham (to eat on for a few weeks!!) and just chill in our jammies!! CANNOT WAIT!!

I guess that's about it for now.........I'll write more soon.
Randi

Cloudy Days.....Isn't It Spring??

Today is the perfect day to cuddle up inside and watch CHICKEN LITTLE! (yep, we watched it - yep, I fell asleep! LOL but what I watched was pretty good!) We also rented last night The Squid and the Whale - a pretty good movie I thought, although it was a bit weird. :) More real life than most movies nowadays.

I battled sickness all week. I was home, in bed...resting. I finally broke my fever of 101.2 on Wednesday (bless the anti-biotics) and went to work Thursday and ended up coming home. I had no energy!!!! I decided to just stay at home and take it easy. Guess what? I'M STILL SICK!!!!! I feel quite a bit better, but I have been sick now for almost 2 months. (Between my sinus infection and now what they say maybe have been pnemonia). I JUST WANT TO BE BETTER!!! I will go to work on Monday and then here within the next week or 2 we will be short handed as someone is having a hysterectomy - and gone for 4 weeks! *eeekkk* So, I better stay healthy!!

We took Susie to the vet today as the other day she was having some "kitty tremors". We called it kitty parkinsons. LOL Just her head was shaking and it was pretty scary. Well, 6 months ago, we took her in for a senior checkup and her thyroid levels were high but not over what they would want. 6 months later, they are off the charts and she now has hyperthyroidism. Bless the cat at 16 years old - she's still getting around! She's our most fun cat (and would be more interactive if she could hear) so now we are having the discussion as to how we treat this. There are a few options. A) Pills everyday - not maybe just 1, but maybe 2. SUSIE, is NOT!!!! a good pill taker. She eats it, then spits it out. We are not wanting neccisarily to stay home every day to be able to give her a pill either (and/or depend on someone taking care of her to give her a pill) B) Radioiodine therapy. (we are leaning towards this option). Susie would have to stay in a hospital for 5 nights :o( but chances are it'd be cured 100%. One time shot - no pills. So....................we'll see!

My sister got all moved into her new apartment with the boy. They are liking it.

Memorial Day is not too far away and K and I can't wait to be able to get to the property and do some digging, working and playing. We'll be getting the septic inspected around then too.

I'm going to sign off for now - hope all is well.
Randi

Sick Again!

I am sick again and am heading to the doctor here shortly Boy do I feel like crap. I can't wait for the day in which I am healthy again.

Bah Humbug.

Evening Thoughts...

I haven't posted on here in awhile (as stated in most of my blog posts) just because life gets too busy. I hate that we (people) spend so much time at work with co-workers and so little time gets spent with loved ones. I am one of those blessed people who love and work with my honey. :) I am blessed for that!

We went to my mom's last weekend to help my sister move and celebrate her 27th Birthday. I can't believe she is on her way to 30! THAT seems old! I remember when my parents were in their 30's! (Now now, for those who are older......it just seems to a 20 y/o that 30 is like "parent" age!) Her apartment is pretty nice and her and the boy will be living together, despite a few dislikings - it's what is best right now for both parties. They are getting married in September. I am glad we were able to go over and help my mom out with her moving. We worked all day Saturday and then we went and played bingo (although we were all wiped!) and got home at 9pm. Nonethless, it wasn't a very relaxful weekend at all - but got a lot accomplished.

This weekend we have no plans other than to maybe go to a local Garage Sale / Antique thingy at the local fairgrounds - maybe to a WoodWorking show from the local high school. Otherwise, we plan to just chill out. K's heading out with some friends Sunday to go to the opening day of the Mariners (her birthday present). I hope she has a good time.

Mom's last day of work is Friday and she is totally excited! She will be preparing for multiple garage sales (at her house and in Coulee) and then hopefully will get the house sold, and be able to relax and enjoy her travels which ever she plans to do!

We tried last month for a bambino......and K's cycle was all messed up. (We've never had it be so odd - really!) So, we've decided to stop for the time being (and take it as a sign) and just enjoy the summer together and our new cabin! I'll be trying in the early fall maybe? (shrug) I can't wait, but yet - do enjoy the spotenantey of things.

We are right now in the midst of getting the important things out of the way for the cabin. We will be getting the septic checked (first and foremost) and are crossing our fingers it works - and that it is good enough to be put on record. (Yeah, its a little weird - no record of it!) This is our first hurdle. Second hurdle, that we can actually BUILD on this lot. There has never been a building permit issued, so we are just *assuming* it is buildable, but people do that all the time, and it ends up not being buildable. So, by the end of May, we should know all of the above. :)

We've been discussing getting a little bit bigger cabin - maybe a 14x20 rather than 12x16 - just so if we wanted to move into it with all of our feline friends, then we wouldn't be AS crowded. K's stated that we'd build them ramps throughout the house to climb to and fro on. My #1 thing I'd rather have the bigger cabin for - is stairs - and not a ladder. I'm afraid as we grow old and feeble we'll not be able to handle them as well. So, we'll see - like I said, one hurdle at a time.

Works been going pretty good. I'm ready to retire. :) I'll never be able to retire (medical) but would like to really find something I enjoy doing - wether it is ebay, or something else. I get paid pretty good where I am at, so don't see myself moving anytime in the near future :) I have been helping out with the local Rotary Rose sales too. My manager is the Rose President this year, so I have been nominated as his "Secretary" so to speak for it. It makes things somewhat stressful sometimes trying to get my actual job done and the rose secretary stuff - but it is only till June.

A few blurbs to specific people:

Ronnie and Frank - When is Chloe leaving for Summerhill? Please, please get her a blog so she can write while she's away of her doings (if she wishes!) and maybe even an address? Maybe I could send her a little package of some sort.

Too - I don't know what the trouble has been - but I'll send you the link to my blog again and see if that works. Did you get my cookies?????? :)

Erin - How is Erik doing??

Crickl - Your post on your blog about your Bible was *amazing*. How weird that it'd end up in NY in a U-Haul that you never were even in! too weird!

Ok........I have a cat sitting here staring me down wanting some attention - better tend to her.
Love to all!
Randi

Not So Faithful

I haven't been that faithful at posting on my blog just because life has just been too busy.

I've been battling a case of antibiotic mess up with my body and have been feeling quite icky the past few weeks. I'm headed to the doctor tomorrow.

My sister's wedding is getting more and more planned and that isn't too far in the future.

K and I are trying to put some concrete plans together as to what we want to do in the near future with the cabin, baby, etc. :) lots of good stuff.

I'll write more soon....
Randi

Good Song!

http://www.sonymusic.com/labels/BMGav/CarrieUnderwood/CarrieUnderwood_JesusTakeTheWheel_VidFull_450.asx

Listen/watch this movie of Jesus Take The Wheel by Carrie Underwood.

GREAT SONG!!

Saturday Early Morning Nothings.....

I don't have time to write much of blog posts during the week, its just too busy. By the time we get home, get dinner, read the paper, and relax....I'm ready for bed! So, I guess I'll have to catch up on weekends! :)

We have been trying to eat better and exercise and have been doing pretty well other than this week! IT SEEMS WE ATE OUT A LOT!!! K and I were stating that we don't want to eat out again for a long time!! (It was K's birthday week - and so everyone wanted to take her out to lunch, dinner, etc. from work!)

TODAY IS HER BIRTHDAY! :) she is 38. I got her 4 weeks of guitar lessons and we are getting massages today at 2:45pm! :) She and I are both excited for that! Last night we went out with a group of girls from work and had drinks. BOY, that puts me out of my comfort zone - but - for her birthday, I did it! It wasn't too bad, really. Kind of weird people who hang out in those joints, let me tell you!!

We went to an auction a few weekends ago for a local schools fundraiser and we bought raffle tickets - and guess what? I got a call yesterday that I had won a camping basket! I am so excited! We'll pick it up today. :)

Tomorrow we will go to a friend of K's for dinner and otherwise we really do not have any plans for this weekend.

I have been battling a cold for about 3+ weeks now. At first it was a cold, no biggie. I dragged out for a bit, so I thought it was allergies (something I was blessed to recieve last year!) and so I started taking allergy medicine (flonase) and got a migraine so quit that and just kept taking clairtin. Well......here I am headed onto my 4th week and nothing has helped and now green stuff is coming out - infection! YUCK! I called on Thursday and have to wait till Tuesday to get some antibiotics. I don't *feel* that bad, really......just sick of blowing my nose and choking on drainage! :o$

We hope to get our cabin on our property this summer. We had originally thought we'd have to wait a year ($$ wise) but decided we could probably save enough to put it on this summer - later (July-Sept). WE ARE VERY EXCITED!! I keep teasing K that once we get it on.....and we're pregnant - that we'll quit our jobs and move into it. Truthfully, we may do that someday.......it'll be awhile.

Hope all is well everyone else.

Goodbye to Bugs

Bugs, a very loving, black cat, is gone tonight. He is buried in our backyard. M is now with out any cats. That would be very lonley.

I'll post more later this week - for now - I hope everyone has a good week and that it is as short or as long as one hopes it will be.

Happiness and health to all.

Relaxful Day

Today I had a very relaxful day. K and I didn't get in the shower until after 12!! We got up and read our paper and drank some coffee - oh I love that! :) We then made waffles and ate some breakfast! They were yummy!! We then worked on a rough draft for the cabin, discussed some finances, and then got showered and started some laundry etc. It was just very relaxing. We put some stuff on ebay, and then we went and had dinner tonight for K's birthday at THE KEG. Upon returning home tonight, the phone rang immediately. It was M, K's friend.

Rather than having a relaxing night tonight.......she is with her at the vet trying to figure out what is wrong with one of her cats. I feel bad for K as she was wanting to relax and take a bath and just enjoy each other today (after a busy, hustled weekend) before the busy work week and here she is getting swept off again to rescue another friend! :( *huge sigh*

I hope this work week goes by fast!! I have been the courier and word processor and our courier has been going to school PT (so when she isn't in the office, I am courier) Well...in the middle of March she will be full time and let me tell you, I CANNOT WAIT!

Gotta go.....they had to put the cat down and she's bringing it here to bury - HORRIBLE.

More later.