Seven.Caged.Tigers

My Bloginality is INTJ!!!

The weekend went as planned. Quiet, unassuming, and actually on the boring side. JT and I went out to eat Friday night (to Applebee’s, nowhere special) in the middle of a monsoon. The rain was coming down in sheets and the wind was blowing ridiculously hard. But we were hungry, darn it all! Funny thing is that this morning, Michigan awoke to a Spring snow. Not just that, it seems that people have already forgotten how to drive on it. All of the metro Detroit expressways were stopped up with accidents. Stupid people.

We did some cleaning and other boring stuff. Also met with JT’s family for some time on Sunday. My mother will be in town tonight to spend two nights with me. We’ll probably go shopping and spend much too much money. I like being a girl.

I’m doing the Friday dance. Okay. Not really. I don’t dance. But what I am doing is being VERY happy that the week is over with. The days seem to have dragged more than usual. All I’ve wanted to do is go home and rest. Though I do think that I’ve been a little sluggish (sick?) lately. Oh well…I’m still doing my daily exercise routine as much as I’d like to quit. Why stop doing something that is clearly working so well?

There are supposed to be thunderstorm this morning and tonight. I hope they are good ones…big bangs and flashes. I love storms. I love watching, smelling, and listening to them. Yes. I’m a freak.

Reading through everything I wrote yesterday, I am shocked at how right/wrong I was. Ms. DeMato sucked, but Mr. Clark picked a kick butt song so he’ll stay. Trenyce on the other hand didn’t seem at all happy to be singing a country song. It will be interesting to see who is kicked off.

Yesterday was rather warm in Michigan. So warm in fact that JT spent much of the evening working on the yard. He got some raking done, but made a discovery. Apparently the moles have multiplied. Our entire yard is a mushy trap. The tunnels are everywhere, and I’d estimate that the number of moles has probably doubled. With that said, I called my mother who in turn went to Ace Hardware up north (dad is a retired teacher and now works there for “fun”) to look at mole stuff. I told her to buy whatever they suggested. So when she shows up on Monday or Tuesday of next week, JT and I will be armed to kill/dispose of the moles. Ewww…

In better news, it seems Spring is officially on the way. Our iris our beginning to pop through in the garden and the grass (that’s not been destroyed by moles) is turning green. Now, if Michigan would stay warm for an extended time I’d be happy.

Tonight is American Idol night and for once JT will be at home to watch it with me. He’s on vacation for a week between semesters…so I get to eat decent, home-cooked meals and not just Shelly-cooked meals (all of ya’ll who know me that anything I cook is generally out of the freezer or cupboard and in no more than one package). Anyway, without even seeing the performances tonight I’d like to play Crystal Ball.

Who will get kicked off tomorrow? Hmmm…I’m betting Corey Clark and Julia DeMato are pretty close to being kicked off. Also needing to prove themselves more are Carmen Rassmussen and Joshua Gracin. The one thing that sucks with Joshua is that he’ll probably stay on an eon because he’s a military guy. But I hope not, his talent is fading. He can do a few songs well and otherwise, well, kind of is boring. The best performers are still Ruben Studdard and Clay Aiken closely trailed by Kimberly Caldwell and Trenyce. But as with all things with American Idol one bad performance can lead to a quick eviction.

So tonight should be an evening of TV watching, food eating, bike riding, and cat petting all spent with JT. What girl could want more?

The weekend was plenty relaxing. JT and I saw Dreamcatcher, the film version of the Stephen King book by the same name. As far as freaky alien movies go, it rocked. Seriously. I even recommended it to my Dad…he watches quite a few movies these days.

We also made a trip to Kensington Metro Parks and JD’s Key Club. Of course not at the same time, in the same day, or dressed in the same clothing. But both were very nice nonetheless. I’m convinced JD’s has gotten more popular. They were handing out tickets to get in by 8pm on Saturday night. Basically, that means you get sent to the basement and wait for your number to be called. JT and I forturnately got in at 7:30pm, but that means nothing since we couldn’t get a table and got just two stools at the bar. Kensington on the other hand was beautiful and relaxing, though the still water smelled like sewer. We just plugged our noses in the swamp area and kept on walking. Briskly.

It’s Friday and my hair is red. No. Not slightly reddish brown, but flaming red. I got my paws on this new hair dye that is both the normal color plus another part that includes a highlighting kit. It’s been years since I was red, so I thought it high time. All the ladies at work say I look “summery.” I suppose I’d have to agree with that statement.

The weekend should be relaxing. JT is done with classes for a week and a half or so. Therefore, for once, he won’t be slaving over his soon-to-be-due research paper. I’m hoping that we can possibly catch a matinee of Dreamcatcher…ya’ll know I want to see it!

So…the war is on. I’m nervous, anxious, and uneasy about the whole thing. I have been from the start. I just hope that everything comes out decently well…but time will tell. In lieu of my speechlessness, here’s an adorably tired kitten. Not mine, mind you, but a cute one anyway!

According to the DADA Server:

Your secret name is tioncol.
The animal which symbolizes you is gila monster.
The color of your soul is gray.
The celebrity you most resemble is dennis quaid.
Your special pain or illness is sinus headache.
Your most important time of day is autumn.
The shape of your life is circle.
And the flavor which identifies you most is vanilla

If nothing else, that’s really, really fun…

I can’t believe how ridiculously warm the weekend was! The temperature rose to a balmy, sunny 65 degrees (or so). Most all of the snow has now melted and at least in the case of my front yard and driveway, it has turned into Lake Washington. Today is supposed to be the last of the warmth for a while. It really is a shame that I’m stuck inside at my desk. But oh well…a girl has gotta earn a living!

JT’s classes wrap up this week. Though unfortunately he has only a week break before he’s back to the grind. Though this next semester should be MUCH better with fewer papers and more computer programming and database stuff. I’m not sure the poor guy could handle much more of the lecture/essay test/research paper gig.

Finally, Dewey is officially the devil cat. He decided a few nights ago that it was time to wake up at 1:30am in the morning. I’m not sure what threw his schedule off so drastically, but I suspect it has something to do with his laziness and sleeping habits. I’ve never seen an animal so incredibly slow and uncaring in my life. Not slow supid (that’s Max), but physically slow. He is (at least according to my scale) 18lbs. And the funny thing is that ferret-cat (JT’s new name for Max) eats a whole lot more than he does.

Ah yes. The weekend is almost here. I can almost taste the sweetness of freedom. Then again, it will be over before it even feels as though it’s begun.

This morning I got the most amazing e-mail from Amy. She is pregnant and both she and Brian are elated. Go figure. The girl who up until a few year ago said she wasn’t getting married and wasn’t keen on having children is the first of my friends to have a child. I’m extremely happy for them…they’ll make a gorgeous child and wonderful parents. It’s just too bad that she has to live a world away in Japan.

Bad, bad, bad Shelly.

I’m sorry for not updating in a few days. It’s slipped my mind…and I’ve not been sleeping too well to boot. Anyway, all is well…JT will be finishing his semester next Thursday. He will then have only about a year left of grad school before earning his Business Information Technology degree. Honestly, I can’t wait for it to be done so that I can once again be selfish and have him home all of the time rather than only once in a while. Plus, when he’s done he should be able to help out again with housekeeping. And all of you out there know just how much of a housewife I am. Or not.

This morning presented a bit of a driving challenge. It snowed last night and on my way to work I expected more snow. Well, I was wrong and instead was greeted with sleet. It took me an hour to get to work (less than thirty miles) and traffic traveled on average 20-40MPH with the occasional complete stop. But I made if in safely. JT on the other hand was stuck in what was described by radio as “a barely moving parking lot” on 96. Yikes! I guess for once I was fortunate.

Last night was American Idol. Or at least the vote return show. I honestly had no idea who would end up at the bottom of the list. I didn’t agree with the judges about Corey. I honestly thought he sucked. And aside from that I wasn’t keen on Vanessa, Kimberley Locke, or Josh Gracin. In the end, the bottom there were Vanessa, Kimberley, and Julia DeMato. Seemed fair enough to me, especially when Vanessa was voted off. While she was adorable and all, she didn’t have a boatload of singing talent like most of the others. Boy do I feel like a teeny-bopper for watching (and enjoying) that show…

The weekend went well as did family game night with my cousin, her husband and her kids and my aunt and uncle. The night was planned pretty spontaneously but my family can do just about anything at the drop of a hat. One again, Jeremy found himself as Dakota’s playmate. I guess the little guy had so much fun that when he awoke at 6:30am Sunday morning he wanted to call Jeremy to come over and play. Not that it comes as any big shock, JT loves kids.

Dewey has invented a new game. He’s a pretty innovative cat and easily comes up with his own sorts of entertainment. Anyway, the cats have two superballs and three (or so) less bouncy rubber balls. Dewey has taken it upon himself to entertain both Sara and Max with his antics. Basically he will drop the ball down the basement steps and play with it as it bounces. Then, lo and behold, he will grab it and tote it back up to the top of the steps. This goes on until he is tired (he’s rather obese so it doesn’t take too long), but it is a really funny activity. I’m just waiting for them to lose the balls down the sump pump. In fact, I’m pretty sure that they’ve already lost a few toys down there considering it is basically an open hole in our basement floor.

Finally, it looks like Lindsay and Russ are getting married in the Florida Keys for sure. I’m really excited for this trip. It should prove to be relaxing and fun…most definitely a once-in-a-lifetime sort of vacation. Or in JT’s case, twice in a lifetime. Darn him for doing so much travel in his past…I’m jealous!

This week has absolutely flown by. It seems like just yesterday it was Monday…but now it is in fact Friday. My exercise routine is coming along. I’m riding the bike for about 4-5 miles a night and eating better and in much smaller portions. Believe it or not, but I have lost over ten pounds in the last month. Only a few more to go (understatement of the year). I guess the rate at while my weight it peeling off goes to show that I was never meant to be even close to heavy.

This weekend should be pretty relaxing. JT and I have very little planned. He’s got lots of school stuff to do while I have nothing at all. Maybe some time on the couch would be well spent. Saturday night, we’ll both be headed to the neighboring town for “familiy game night.” My cousin decided to put it together and invite pretty much everybody. It looks like there will be about 8 adults there (my cousins and an aunt and uncle). It should be a nice time and fit neatly into my relaxed plans.

Well…southeast Michigan is blanketed in snow. Some might even call it a lot of snow, but I’d prefer to call it simply a dusting. By no means is 6-8 inches overnight warranting of snow emergencies (as in neighboring city Brighton). I laugh at the face of nature…is all you’ve got? Seriously, I’ve seen so much worse in my life. More specifically on my 19th birthday in 1995 I saw five feet fall overnight in Sault Ste. Marie. That was followed by three more feet within the next few days. The national news said nothing about the craziness of the time, and instead reported on a foot gotten in Syracuse, NY. Yeah. Right. As if that’s a disaster…

Anyway, last night was the wild card show for American Idol. Simon promised a twist. I figured it would be the return of somebody, maybe Frenchie, to make the number an even nine. Instead, the show’s creators and judges decided on a final roster of twelve instead of ten. Woo-hoo. Of the wild cards, one would be chosen by American and the remaining three by the Judges. I suspect the following will move on: Clay Aiken (what a voice!), Kimberly Caldwell, Trenyce, and probably Chip Days. We’ll see tonight though for sure.

One final thing. I want to offer my congrats to Robin. Seriously…things seem to be really coming together for that band. Now if they could just agree on a name!

Jennie and Ray had a beautiful wedding on Saturday. The church was HUGE, so large that it would have been impossible to miss the civic-center like size from the road. Large, but gorgeous of course. The reception was wonderful. Held at a brewery in downtown Detroit, the event was perfect. I couldn’t help but be jealous of the lobster tail that was served. Then again, the two got the location for cost since the owner was the Best Man. JT and I will probably check it out on a normal weekend to see what it’s like…though I assume it’s pretty darned cool.

I purchased the perfect tan/red/navy bedroom set (not furniture, but duvet and the like) yesterday from Bed Bath & Beyond. I thought for sure JT was going to have a coronary at the price, but I swiftly stated that the whole thing was cheaper than just the duvet I wanted from Pottery Barn. I’m excited to do the bedroom in red. Anybody who knows me will also be very aware that red is by and large my favorite color.

Here’s a taste of the new decor: