Christmas

Christmas - I love it so much! It signifies the birth of Christ, and for me creates such a warm feeling (important when it's below zero here in Minnesota). I love the snow, and the lights. I need to take a picture of my mother-in-law's house and her decorations. It's fantastic! There's also a house I know of that really goes all out. Unfortunately it's kind of a drive (more than an hour from my house). But, maybe I'll drive it anyway. I would hope I could make a photo show the awesomeness of it all. =)

No traveling for us this year - our days off just didn't coincide, and we took time off at the start of December. Brian and I are doing a small Christmas with each other (we usually shop hard for each other), as we are going to Germany next August. The saving for that is going to be interesting... :)

Ok - back to Christmas. If you have (more) photos to share of decorations, please do. I love seeing them all. I got a really cool video of someone's house in Ohio that really went all out, I've attached it here so you can see it. It's amazing! My sister thought it was anti-climactic, and hoped for some sort of explosion at the end. Since this was really someone's house, that didn't seem very good. :)

Love to you all. May you have peace this Christmas season.
Denise

WICKED!!

So, my niece Heather and I went to the play Wicked in Chicago. This play is based off the book "Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West" by Gregory Maguire. OMG - what a fantastic play!! We saw it at the Ford Theatre in Chicago, and this is not a traveling troupe. The props used are much more extravagant than traveling troupes. Right above the stage is this awesome dragon that moves and lights up. Traveling troupes don't get this - I would assume it's too much to take with and make work in other theatres. And Glinda, the good witch, came down on this metal mechanical bubble (that she was harnessed to). I know for a fact the play in St Paul did not have anything like this.

Oh, we had such a wonderful time! I had just read the book before we went, so I followed it quite well. There are some VERY big differences between the book and the play, however. Not bad differences, but I remember thinking "hey, that's not how it's supposed to be." But, they have to make concessions, and change some things so it can just be a 3-hour play.

Heather and I stayed at the Congress Plaza Hotel - very old hotel and very old building. We were impressed with how high the ceilings were - but were completely unimpressed with having to PAY for internet access. Seriously - what kind of hotel charges for internet access anymore? Well, this one did. We thought it was a crock of total crap.

Not trusting the drivers of this city, we took cabs everywhere (which was almost worse...cab drivers are horrible drivers, and we thought we were going to die a few times). This worked relatively well as long as we were in the right places to catch a cab. Holy buckets...not easy right after a play lets out!! We froze our toes off trying to find a cab back to our hotel. Then we took a cab to go to dinner - we picked Bennihana's, a chain restaurant that does teppanyaki cooking (YUM!). Well, there was a parade of lights going on, so there were blocks and blocks closed for driving traffic. Our cab driver got us as close as possible (costing us 50% more than it normally would have taken, of course), and then we found out the restaurant was closed! DAMMIT! So, we hoofed it around, trying to find other places to eat, and ended up at the Hard Rock Cafe.

If you haven't read this book, and like stuff like this, I would highly recommend it. This author takes stories and gives you a different perspective. This story is all about the life of the "wicked" witch of the west, before she comes across Dorothy in Oz. It tells you why she is so keen on getting those ruby slippers. =) It also portrays her as not really that wicked. Very awesome book, and an easy read.

Heather and I are next going to Rent in St Paul in March. I personally have seen this play four times, but she has not seen it. I can't wait!!!

Perception

So, I generally think of myself as a fairly perceptive person. I feel I think things through, and try do to the right things most of the time. However...I'm learning - painfully - that just because I think something is the right thing to do, doesn't mean it's the right action for others. How is it possible to feel so positively about something...and turn out heinously wrong? For people affected in this process, how do you make amends? I'm afraid that I have forgotten about putting myself in another's shoes, and seeing it from their point of view - and this is something really good to remember! I'm also forgetting one of my favorite prayers - the Serenity Prayer:

"God, Grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference."

Wisdom is not always an easy thing to come by. Often, a painful lesson is tacked to it. Darn tacks. I guess my posting today is about stopping and thinking. Just because I intended something one way, doesn't mean the perception will be what I intended. I need to stop and think...then act ONLY if it is something I can change.

Love and peace
Denise

Fall!

I can't even tell you how much I love fall. Do I wish my wedding would have been last weekend or so? Yes - so many more colors now! Of course, it's also been very rainy, harvesting is going on, and campaign has started - so I did it the best way I could. :) Anyhoo - FALL! I love the colors in Minnesota in the fall! I love when the temperatures start to cool down, the dust settles, pollen is not in the air, and my allergies/asthma can settle down. Late summer/early fall has been very rough on my poor lungs. :(

Oh well - on to better things. My friend TS just told me about making chili this past weekend. I like to make chili, but 1) can't figure out a way to make a small batch and 2) it never turns out how I want. I want a nice thick chili, but you could still put some crackers in, and it won't just dry out. I generally stick to black beans because I can stand their texture and they are small. We have to keep the level of spiciness down so the hubby will eat it and enjoy it (plus, my body just can't handle that stuff anymore).

I grew up not liking my dad's chili much - probably too many beans. But, now I wish I could come closer to his - it was nice and hearty and thick. If anyone cares to share - an email would suffice, or you can comment and give me a link or a recipe - I'd love it! I promise to try it and let you know how we did with it. Of course, if we get lots of recipes, it may take a while. ;)

Sorry it's been so long - I'll try to post more often. =)

Pictures?

Our fabulous photographer, Don, took over 400 pictures, and did quite a bit of photoshopping to them - all in less than a week. What a man! Friends and family added a bunch more in. Would love to see if more people are willing to share photos - may have to send some sort of evite or something... Anyhoo, we have a lot of deciding to do. I want to get pictures printed for albums, and for family...but some just aren't worth printing. Like, the picture my sister took of just my ear when I was getting my hair done before the wedding. LOL.

I downloaded a free software to create photo books. I'm pretty excited about this! I need to organize the pictures that I want to use for them (once Brian and I go through them together), put them in some sort of chronological order, and get the books made. These will make nice gifts for the parents and grandparents. I will print a lot of the pictures and put them in an album. Fun to look at and remember the day.

So, anyone who reads the blog - if you haven't already sent me a link for uploaded pictures, please do. I love getting everyone else's camera perspectives.

And, I love being married to Brian. As my dad told me during our father-daughter dance, "I always knew Brian was the one for you. I'm so happy for you two." Man, I couldn't put it any better. Ups and downs, inside outs. I love him.

We made it!

Friday, September 12, 2008, was a beautiful, sunshiney, perfect day. It was my wedding day. Oh my, I'll never forget it! Were there moments of stress in the day? Definitely. For instance, taking the pickup into town to get our hair done - would it get us to town...or run out of gas? It's 3:55 PM, and the priest is nowhere to be found... We found him at his house, having a rest...he thought the ceremony should be at 5:00. :) The limo didn't show up - thank God for a family of mini vans.

The day was beautiful. It was the best day of my life.

Who can tell me all the things I need to do to officially change my name now? Do I have to wait for our certified document to do it all, or can I start now? Any help would be great!

It's strange to think my name is different now. Denise Nohner. That's me. I'm a wife. OMG!

Suddenly - serious rambling - sorry. :)

Have you ever just gone along in life, and all of a sudden, something just really hits you? Like, maybe you're driving to work, and you suddenly realize that you are behind the same car every day of the week, but never paid attention. Or, suddenly one day, your age really hits you - like how did I get to be over 30?! This is how I'm feeling today...how did my wedding day suddenly get to be only three days away?!?! Three days. Not much time in the big picture of life. But, suddenly, these three days are full of "what should I get done today" questions. I have this really great list of things I need to do each day, and have been crossing them off since last week. Last night, I went to Sam's club to get the ribs for the rehearsal dinner, and now I can't find my list. I know it sounds dumb...but I feel lost without my list! Do I know what to do today? Yes...for the most part. I just hope I don't forget something. That's my biggest heart attack factor today - what if I forget something?!?!?!?

Carol and Heidi are hitting the road today (and, of course, Jay). They are taking time from work, their families, and just their own lives, for Brian and me. It's such an overwhelming thought, and it makes my heart pound. Actually, as soon as I wake up in the morning, my heart starts to thud, and my brain starts to just buzz with "what to do". It's maddening. :) I am looking forward to the rest of this week so much - have for a very long time. But, I also can't wait for it to be over and done with. So much has gone into preparing for these few days...time, money, laughter, tears. OMG - I swear I tear up at the dumbest things right now! Of course, this is just a natural occurrence for me - I'm just like my mother.

Ok, all I'm doing is rambling. Can you see how horribly bad my mind is today? I better just cut this off, and get back to work.

I do say a prayer today for all those traveling to Minnesota for this wonderful wedding. I pray for Terry and Maggie on the road up somewhere in Cananda - I hope they hit the lower 48 soon! I pray for those who are having a hard day, a good day, a big day, a small day. God, give me serenity, courage, and wisdom. Thank you God, for blessing me in so many ways.

Love to you all

SparkPeople.com

For many who know me, I have struggled with my weight since the middle of high school. Once I got my driver's license and stopped riding my bike, I started to gain. My senior year should have been one of the most wonderful years of my scholastic life (to that point), but it was my worst. Somehow, I really ballooned (to 180 pounds). I had to tolerate such nicknames as "jumbo", "whale ass", and "fatty". My self-esteem was already very low from other happenings in high school, but this was a real downer. I have never forgotten these things - they still haunt me today.

Over the years, I have tried various things, only to peter out and stop. This, too, has added to my horrible self-esteem. Many of my friends and family have had to boost me up on many occasions when I am especially stuck on my pitty pot. I know it is within my own power to do something about this, and I am going to keep trying until I achieve the results I want.

Enter www.sparkpeople.com. My friend Tonya S pointed me to this site last week. I checked it out, and unfortunately spent a lot of my work day reading things, getting motivated, and signed up midway through the day. I posted my own introduction on the page, signed up for some groups, and am reading things daily. Now, I just need to implement. I know what to do to control my food intake. I know what to do to exercise so that I am healthier. I know what to do, but haven't been motivated to do it. Now, the motivation is back, and I'm ready to roll.

I wish I would have found this site a year ago. But, I didn't. I am who and what I am right now in this instant in time. I am worth more than I think I am, and I can succeed at whatever goal I set. Whatever the mind can conceive and believe, it can achieve. I always thought Coleman Orr thought this up, but I found out today it was Napoleon Hill. Thanks Napoleon. I will believe and achieve. My profile is public, so if you choose to check this site out, look me up. I'm in there as piserpower.

Denise

Internet Radio

As I mentioned in a previous post, we are unable to put music on our computers at work (since they don't know if we stole them or not, they prefer to ban them). So, I've been listening to my mp3 player, which is great...but redundant. The music that plays in the bathroom at work is either internet radio, or satellite radio. One station is called .977 - and I finally heard their website information and decided to check them out.

This is great - when you choose to listen to one of their channels, it opens a media player of some kind, rather than streaming on the internet (ok, maybe it's still streaming, but I have no idea how to tell if it's doing that or not). The thing I have found with other streaming stations is they do not consistently keep a signal going. This internet site (http://www.977music.com/) is Minnesota-based, and has nine channels for your listening pleasure: The 80s, The Hitz, Country, Rock, Oldies, The Mix, Classic Rock, Comedy, and The 90s. I invite you to have a listen if you like some variety. A word about the Comedy channel - it's not filtered in any way, so swearing occurs. You should be careful listening to this at work if you don't have headphones. I am thoroughly enjoying the music and content on this site.

This one time...at band...

So, for many who know me, I was a percussionist from sixth grade until I graduated high school. No, I was not a drummer, or as Mr. Felt said, a "dummer". I have a colleague at my new job who plays in the St Cloud Municipal Band, and has encouraged me to come and give them a try. I let her know this would not happen until after the wedding was over. I have, however, contacted the conductor, and all percussive instruments are provided. I am on my way this evening to listen to a concert in Barden Park in St Cloud (on the SCSU campus). My friend plays the euphonium (not the baritone). I'm excited at the prospect of getting into something musical again. For some reason, singing in my car or the occasional karoake contest doesn't count.

Ok. Went to the concert. What fun! The band played fun songs. It was Circus night, so the theme of songs was very circus-y...but they played them well. It's not a huge band, but put out some very good sound. I got recruited to run the camera and video the concert - not too hard since I just had to turn it on and pause between performances. I felt bad - the conductor had set the camera to only have an hour of time - and the concert went about an hour and 20 minutes. He said he puts the videos on You Tube, so I'm going to have to check those out as well. I do not know what the schedule for performances is like in the fall, but I may just have to go and give this a try. :) I couldn't tell if they are limited in the percussion area due to number of people, or instruments available. The conductor told me they have a good range, so will have to see.

See Mom - I will do something musical in my life. :)

What a weekend!

My highschool classmate Amanda arrived on the train Friday morning from Williston, ND. She has recently gone through some emotional crap, and needed a girl's weekend away. Another classmate, Danielle, and I took Friday off so we could greet Amanda from the train. After a wonderful breakfast at Keys Cafe in St Paul (the original Keys), we meandered our way back to Danielle's townhouse for some rest. Fast forward to a day of shopping, walking around, catching up, and just enjoying our time. After dinner at Buca de Beppo, we packed bags and headed to my house in Paynesville. Poor Brian - converged upon by four women (Amber joined us for dinner and fun). We drank a couple beers and watched the opening ceremonies for the Olympics.

Saturday brought about my bridal shower - given by Brian's family. The town of Eden Valley has a tradition I've never seen before. There are three stores in town (used to be more, I'm sure), and flyers are placed at these stores, announcing the shower. People in town will contribute money toward a gift or gifts from the store, and their name is recorded on a sheet of paper. Saturday morning, the girls and I hit all three stores to shop for household gifts before the shower began so we could display these items for all to see. What a fantastic idea! The three stores were Bills Bargains & Variety, Valley Meats and Grocery, and Lost and Found. Millie at Bills said when she was married 45 years ago, this same tradition was in place. Back then, she said, if they got fifty cents, they made out very well. I was happy to pull in over $100 combined for all three stores, along with the gifts from the people who attended the shower. Wow - what an experience! We played some fun games, visited with some wonderful people, and had a very nice lunch. Brian was nice enough to send me into town with the truck, which was perfect for hauling back our loot. I had such a lot of fun!

After that, we won't mention the rest of the goings on of the weekend. It involved more beer, tattoos, and a whole lotta fun. :) Amanda's saying is "good friends, cute boys, and cold beer - all make it fun". I think that sums it up.

Dance to the Music

So, our bathroom at work has speakers in it to pump music in for our listening pleasure. Nowhere else in the building do we have music - and we cannot put music on our computers. We can listen to mp3 players if desired, and many do (at least, they do in the development area). I am one of those persons who needs something like that to keep from being distracted from the goings-on around me. No, I am not distracted by the music in my ears - just conversations around me. Also, complete silence distrubs me.

Anyhoo - back to the bathroom. I do not know who in the company is in charge of the station, but it changes. I think it's on a random rotation from satellite radio. But, there are times when a really good song is on...and I just don't want to leave and miss the song. I've been at the sink washing hands kind of moving to the music... Thankfully, no one has come in. I did walk in one day, and a gal in there looked at me with the "deer in the headlights" look, and I asked if she was grooving to the music, and she just said "yeah, a little bit." It was funny. I stopped by her desk after that and told her I did the same thing, and was waiting for the day to get busted busting a move.

Lately, instead of listening to my mp3 player, and constantly draining the battery, I've been doing live stream to a couple radio stations. One is Lite 99.9 in St Cloud, and the other is 103.7 The Loon in St Cloud. Right now, on 99.9 is George Michael's "Father Figure." Good stuff. Who doesn't love the 80s music? Oh - wait - most of the kids I work with don't. They were all born in the 80s, and think it's really stupid music. But, for the few of us here who are over 30, we like the 80s.

I had a request from MaddieB for wedding drama stories. To be honest, I don't have a lot of them. I picked the colors, and don't have family who tried to push me in one direction or the other. Ok, maybe my sister tried to get me to have pink.... And, looking back, I wish I would have. It would have been so easy! haha. She told me I'm impossible, or something to that effect. But, as far as the planning of stuff, it really hasn't been a dramatic affair. I've been lucky. As it gets closer, I'm sure I'll have issues.

I'm trying VERY hard not to become a bridezilla...no good! I nearly went off on my dad on the phone this past weekend, though. He tried to tell me that my timeline for pictures after the wedding isn't going to work, and it's going to mess everything up. I started getting kind of owly on the phone with him, and finally just told him I was going to hop off. But, he raised a good point - it's possible. So, I am trying to come up with a Plan B if I need one. I am also going to communicate the "schedule" of pictures for after the ceremony to those who need to be there. I think we'll be ok. As Dad says, "It'll all work out."

Getting Started...

Ok - like my AK auntie, I am new to this. If my fellow colleagues knew I was only just exploring the blogging world, I am sure I would be the brunt of many jokes. They are all very technically savvy (being developers), and have tons of blogs, and have had them for years.

I am hoping to use this forum to keep y'all updated on wedding plans (for now), and then how life is going in general. Should be fun, and I'll try really hard not to make it boring.

As of today, we are 38 days away from the wedding. Plan are going well - I don't have a whole lot left to do. At least, I don't think I do... I have been making lists, and that's all well and good. However...it's keeping track of those lists, and checking things off. I have created a couple lists...and have no idea where they are. :) I know it'll all work out, right Dad? I still have things to do - such as figure out once and for all what container we are using for the table decorations. We have gone through quite a few options, and hope we have finally settled on something. Just need to see the finished product from Carol. Boy, what a help my big sister has been, too! I would not have gotten half the neat stuff we have if it weren't for her. Big kudos to my big sister!!

Other than that, the new job is going really well. I've taken over the Business Analyst spot for one of our teams, and the change is good. One of the developers was acting in this role, and now he can focus solely on developing, and leading the team in that endeavor. We use the agile methodology for software development, and I have high praise for it. It's an adjustment, and I'm happy to say the teams are adapting really well. They are really awesome to work with, and I'm learning a ton. I'm glad for the switch, the shorter commute, and the challenge....but, I miss my friends from my last job. I keep in touch with a few, and that makes it a bit easier. But, it's hard to let that team go, and it still lingers for me.

I'm not as poetic with words as my brother-in-law, but I hope you'll come back and check in again. I'll try to post a few times a week. Love to all!

Denise