Where would you live?

If you could live anywhere in the world, where would you live?

My answer is not simple, as I don't have one place I want to live forever, but I'd love to live in numerous cities for about a year each. Experience it all, and move on to a new experience. Places I'd like to live include:

(in no particular order)
1. London
2. Germany (anywhere)
3. Australia
4. LA
5. NYC
6. Sweden/Finland/Denmark/Norway
7. Home in the Plains of the US. Nebraska/Kansas/Oklahoma

Where would you live?

Much Love!

Dessert

I want a dessert as I sit here watching some Fool's Gold and chatting on the Internet. Dessert...something sweet!

Things that would do!

1. Cake Batter Ice Cream with Cookie Dough from Cold Stone

2. Oreo Cheesecake from Cheesecake Factory

3. Chunky Monkey Frozen Custard..which is...Bananas and Brownies from Rusty's Frozen Custard

4. Banana's Foster from my Kitchen

5. Peach Pie from my Kitchen....a la mode

6. Original Cheesecake with cherries from my Kitchen.

7. Brownies...from my Kitchen

None of these wonderful Desserts, do I have!

So I will be sad, and have fewer calories in my belly...and finish my movie and head to bed. Night all.

Love

Veterans Day

Thank you to all of the Veterans and active Military Personal that are protecting this great nation! I don't know many who are in the service personally, but I do thank all for their service! Hopefully someday we'll be able bring our fighting men and women home from the wars they are fighting. God Bless you, and be with you!

For Michael who will be heading away soon, I'm so glad you are married to my dear friend Emily, Take care, Thank you and God Bless.

Michael with his Bride and the Bridesmaid's

Much love!

Tornado and Pumpkin

Well...I'm not sure if you all know, but my new (not so new) kitty's name is Tornado, or Tory for short. Yes, I am very aware that Tory is more of a girl's name, but I didn't feel that any of the other wonderful meteorology names that suited him. So...he's my Tory. He's sweet, I've had him for over 2 months, now and he's growing so much. See...

The first week I had Tory (4-5 weeks old)

What a sweet little thing.

Aren't I cute? And how tiny am I? 4-5 weeks old
Now look at me, I'm so big, but still so cute! (14-15 weeks old)
I was really worried about how Pumpkin would react to a new cat invading his house, but to my shock and surprise, he took to the little kitten very well. They get along well and they play together. Sometimes I think Tory gets on Pumpkin's nerves, but he is very patient with him. I think they like each other ;-) I think these pictures I took the last couple days speak for themselves.

Sleepy time
This sleepy time comes after a bath and bite match. Pumpkin trys to bathe Tory and he bites him back after a while. Then they finally calm down and go to sleep. So Sweet!!!

I think the majority of this story is in the pictures, so I will leave you with that.

Love to all!

Thoughts?

I know I've been in a political mood the last few days...I think I'm just getting it out of my system. I have a couple more thoughts, political ones..if you don't want to read my rant...stop now, this is your warning.

1. Socialist society...USA? Come on. A conservative party wants small government in their personal lives because a government that takes care of people is a socialist government. Well I'm sorry...but people don't want the government, until it will help them with something good.

Take for example, any natural disaster, what is the first thing people want done? The state to declare it an emergency area, so that the President can declare it a federal emergency and get government funding....all that big bad government's not so bad anymore is it?

Yes, people do want others to blame for things they've done themselves, but that is not everyone. When you work 2 jobs to take care of your kids and gas is so expensive that you can't get to work...telling that person to find another job...not necessarily the right thing, telling them to move so that they can live in a city where there's public transportation...well if they can't afford to buy gas, how are they going to afford to move? Yes, there are tons of jobs out there, but a minimum wage job at McDonalds if you are lucky enough to work full time will not get you but about 12,000 a year...that's not enough to live on easily. Helping out those people is not a bad thing, give them some help, BUT also expect them to learn from this and move on to take better care of themselves.

2. Marriage Rights

California, and other states that shut down marriage propositions...what is up. People don't want the government in their financial life, but it's ok for the government to be in your religious and personal life? When is this ok? Everyone is entitled to believe and say what they want (PLEASE DO!), BUT...since when is it ok to discriminate against a group of people (especially in a religious environment)...did we rewind 100 years? Will it too take another 100 years for the people in the US to figure out that the whole reason that the US was formed was to separate Church and State. Where do these religious views belong in the government?

3. Adoption Rights

Arkansas? What is up with not allowing any unmarried couples (homosexual or heterosexual) to adopt a child. Do you know how many children there are that need/want a loving home. An unmarried couple will not love a child any less than a married couple...same with a homosexual couple. Everyone feels love and everyone feels the hate that is spewed around. Why can't we just all embrace God's word and love our neighbor and let HIM be the judge of us?

4. Affirmative Action

Nebraska??? Hello??? Again, did I just warp back a few decades? I totally believe that someone should get something on merit, but sometimes there are people who are just as good, that will be looked over because of a conscious or unconscious view of a certain group of people. If this is the case, then names, ages and genders should be taken off of applications. Affirmative action is not all bad.

While I'm on Nebraska...but skewing from Affirmative Action...what is up with Nebraska's Safe Haven Law....The last state in the union to even pass the very needed law, and yet they do so badly, by allowing anyone to drop off a child, which in Nebraska law is someone under the age of 18. Crazy! Dropping of a 13 year old child is the utmost in rejection. Something a child of any age should not feel. What is wrong with some of these people. However, this does acknowledge the fact that there are problems with the social system as well.

I think this is the last rant on political issues for now, out of my system at the moment. I welcome any feedback.

Much love all!

Where you go for pictures for a wedding on Staten Island...the Beach!

Funny Thing from Facebook

This is the funniest thing I saw on facebook Tuesday night/Wednesday

1. Multiple people's status message's read late Tuesday night: "I'm moving to Canada"

Response: Ok, now people...this just shows a lot of ignorance, because Canada is a lot more liberal than the US, in fact the US is one of the more conservative countries in the world. That statement just does not work in your favor.

Picture of the day:

The bridal party

Frustrated Rant

I'm currently very frustrated with the rhetoric of some people around the country. Can we please just support and give the president-elect a chance to do a good job, before we assume he will fail. I mean, come-on it's pretty much fact (not just opinion) that the last 8 years have been a downward spiral. AND! The current president is still in power, so lets give a new administration and everyone a chance. I know I'm liberal on some issues, but even if Mr. McCain was elected, I too would hope that everyone would expect me to give him a chance to see what he could do with his power, and if I didn't at first, tell me too, just as I am saying here. Some times we just need to see it in writing, or hear it. While I may not share all the same views as McCain, he is a fine man and would deserve my respect and support as my president, can we as a country not do it vice versa?

No one's saying you have to share the same views as him, no one is saying you can't question him, but assuming a new administration will fail, well that's just not ok. We are all American's, we vote and elect by majority, this year a majority has spoken, again you don't have to like it, but he will be everyone's president. We need opposition, and different views, or there wouldn't be balance in anyone's life let alone a government. So please, I'm not asking you to change your views or even like it, just give everyone a chance. I feel is is a human and kind and Christian thing to do.

My rant for the day! I apologize if I have offended anyone, that's not my intent...just to bring out a topic that I've been thinking about.

Much love.

The Beautiful Emily and me prior to her Wedding!

Election Night and History has been made!

It's 10pm and Barack Obama has just been announced as the President-Elect This makes me very happy! I'm happy that this is all over though, I'm sick of all of it and ready for something new.

I have tears in my eyes... to believe that our country has actually done something so historic and wonderful and AMAZING!!!!

I'm so excited and wish great things for this country!!! We have the chance now, we can get out of this place that Bush has taken us to.

Love to you all, and God Bless this Wonderful USA!

It's been a while....life goes on.

I do exist! See...

I hadn't planned on writing this tonight, and frankly I've gotten really bad about even checking my friends blogs, so no hard feelings if you've stopped checking mine. I'm not all that interesting anywho.

I can't quite believe it's November already. 52 weeks ago today, I was offered my job, and by Wednesday it will be 366 days since I was offered my job. It's hard to believe that it's been a year, an amazing year, but a year nonetheless. I'm anxiously awaiting my 1st anniversary and all the good that comes with it.

At my wonderful job, I have been full swing into training for the last couple months. My whole life is training, but it's hard core since mid September. I've got DLOC (radar training and certification), local office Winter weather training, and on the job training. I'm LOVING it all! DLOC is fun, I've had one teletraining course, and many hours on the WES(weather event simulator) and many many many hours on the Learning Center (web training modules). I have my next Teletraining next Wednesday and I have about 12 hours of training to do before that...and only 4 shifts to get it done. Plenty of time eh? Yea, it will get done. I'm registered in the first residency course (go to Norman for a week of Radar training and final certification) for the last week in January, and then I will officially be able to issue warnings! Lots to do that's for sure, and I'm keeping plenty busy, it will be January before I know it!

On the "on the job training" side of the house, I just finished a 7 day stretch of Midnight shifts. As I expected, I loved them! The 7 days didn't feel at all like 7 days, and I learned so so much. I did the forecast for 4 days, and actually felt like I knew what I was doing. It's crazy...my education is useful! I wrote the AFD 4 times...all me, which is by far the most intimidating part of the process, that and the deadlines. I do feel that, while I'm far from good, but I do feel comfortable doing it myself, and the continued training will just keep that going! I am working the short term desk on Friday this week which will be interesting as we are backing up an office and I will be doing two office's work. Will make it interesting for sure! Christmas day is my big reveal...well not really, but it is the first shift that I am on where I am the person doing the job without any "trainer" on the same shift. It's just Mary-Beth, the DAPM and myself that day till the evening shift comes in. It will be a blast!

I will try to post more in the upcoming days about my life the past few months....a week in NJ/NYC....Tory, my kitten of fury...and life as it goes for the next few months.

Love