Reflections

It's been a while so here I go.

The biggest news is that a year ago today I quit smoking!!!!!! It had to be one of the hardest things I have ever done! But I am so happy I did. Not only did I save $2000!!!!! Yep that's right 2000 dollars!!!!! $5.50 times 365 equals about TWO THOUSAND DOLLARS!!!!!!! But I feel better and smell better, I never realized how much smoking smells! I can't even be around it now! Yeah, I pretty much rock!!!!

I never did a year end recap so here are my thoughts on 2008-

It pretty much sucked!!!!!!
Last winter Dennis and I barely had a job, we shoveled snow to pay the rent, If you're saying, well, it's good exercise you clearly have never shoveled snow for 12 hours strait. It pretty much sucked. I had the brilliant idea to quit smoking during all of this, Yeah, that's a sure way to put a damper on a relationship! Oh! and on top of shoveling I decided to get a part time cleaning job that required me to drive all over the friggin state of Maine! Yeah, Good times! (I really do have a degree from RIT, I swear! I just worked these crappy jobs to entertain myself)
Eventually summer came along and I quit the part time jobs and started painting... again!

One day I looked in help wanted section and saw a really cool job, I had applied to this company before but it didn't work out. the strangest thing happened... they called back and I got the job!!! Holy crap! I now had a job that I didn't have to take a shower when I came home from work and I could actually use my brain!!! Oh! and someone else signs my paychecks and gives my health insurance (first time in 4 years!) So I've been there for almost 6 months and it's going great! We're breaking records with sales, I like to think I played a role in that!:)

Dennis worked at Public Works in Cape again last summer, they treat him like shit even though he's the hardest worker there. Then that ended and he got a even crappier job stocking shelves at Hannaford....at night! This was while I was working nights at weekend at LL Bean (which sucked, no need to get into it, just be nice to the people the next time you make a catalog order)
But after a couple months at that job he got a new job at Time Warner!!!!! It pays well, good benefits and....free cable!!!! I haven't had cable since college! He has to do training in Waterville for 6 weeks, I miss him so much, I really didn't think it would be this bad. But he's home all next week then 2 more weeks of training then he's done!!!!

After I had dinner with Alicia on Christmas Eve I came home and watched It's a Wonderful by myself and cried because I was sad that Dennis was working that awful job and he wasn't here with my but mainly because it really is a wonderful life! I am so grateful for everything I have! I have a crazy puppy that kisses me when I'm sad. I have awesome friends, most of them are far away but they're still there, I have a family who drives me crazy and most of all I have Dennis who I am so in love with it brings me to tears!

Then on January 21st an amazing thing happened. This country elected a normal person. Never in my life has en election affected me so much. We watched the inauguration at work and I cried, well, I did the oh, my nose is running kind of cry you do in public. Things are going to change! This nation is going to go back to the country my grandparents worked so hard for.

So the moral of this story is. Life sucks sometimes! Suck it up and deal with it!!!! I truly believe that good things happen to good people, you just have to get through all the bad stuff! It just makes you stronger!!!!!

The sun came out on Saturday

RIP Cooper

Ol' Cooper passed away yesterday. He was Dennis's parent's dog, they got him when Dennis lived in Arizona then he moved to Hawaii then to his final resting place in the mountains of Maine. The other day they came home and poor ol' Coop couldn't move so they took him to the emergency vet and found out that he has a basketball size tumor in his stomach so they had to put him down.
There's nothing sadder than the look on a boy's face when he finds out that his dog died.

HEAVEN'S DOGGY-DOOR

My best friend closed his eyes last
night, As his head was in my hand.
The Doctors said he was in pain,
And it was hard for him to stand.

The thoughts that scurried through
my head, As I cradled him in my arms.
Were of his younger, puppy years,
And OH...his many charms.

Today, there was no gentle nudge
With an intense "I love you gaze",
Only a heart thats filled with tears
Remembering our joy filled days.

But an Angel just appeared to me,
And he said, "You should cry no more,
GOD also loves our canine friends,
HE's installed a 'doggy-door!"

--- Jan Cooper --- 1995

Happy New Year!

New song

I recently discovered Pandora, thanks to Lina!

I just heard a song I've never heard before!

Unbroken Chain, by the Dead of course!

Blue light rain, whoa unbroken chain,
Looking for familiar faces in an empty window pane.

Listening for the secret, searching for the sound
But I could only hear the preacher and the baying of his hounds.

Willow sky, whoa, I walk and wonder why,
They say love your brother, but you will catch it when you try.

Roll you down the line boy, drop you for a loss,
Ride you out on a cold railroad and nail you to a cross.

November and more, as I wait for the score,
Theyre telling me forgiveness is the key to every door.
A slow winder day a night like forever,
Sink like a stone, float like a feather.

(instrumental)

Lilac rain, unbroken chain, song of the sawhet owl.
Out on the mountain, itll drive you insane, listening to the winds howl

Unbroken chain of sorrow and pearls, unbroken chain of shy and sea.
Unbroken chain of the western wind, unbroken chain of you and me.

My Thanksgiving Vacation

Hi!

So I just have not felt like writing a blog lately!

Not much has been going on. Peak starts this week at LL Bean so I'll be working my ass off.

Thanksgiving was pretty fun. We went up to Dennis's parents house. Our friends Nate and Theresa came up with their baby Axel. Dennis's brother Ben is friend with Nate and they have been living in London for a while and they just moved around the corner from us, random! Anyway, we left in the morning and had a really nice day! I drank! a lot! I haven't drank in soooo long! I witnessed some serious ping pong games, it's big time in the Steck household! My parents were up the street at the Cole's so they came over for dessert. ELTON MADE ME A COCONUT CREAM PIE!!!!!!!!!! A little side note..Elton is Megan's dad and he makes, by far, the best coconut cream pie EVER!!!!!! I shared half and we took the other half home, we ate half a pie in two days! So good!

Keeda chasing something...imagine that!

Nate and Axel.

The Steck Ping Pong Championship

It gets pretty intense!

My baby is still the champion!

Cooking the night before

A walk after dinner.

More chasing.

My mom and Ben on his first Thanksgiving.

This is one of my favorites!

Keeda thinks that I don't know that she sleeps on the chair!

Relief!!!