stickyfeathers

a review of sorts.

so, i made it home thursday night.  holy crap, a long drive.  it wasn't bad and i even nodded off some of the way home (no, i wasn't driving).  when we got to about moose lake, it was snowing.  in duluth it got bad.  just as we were leaving duluth, we heard over the radio there was a pretty bad accident at gooseberry.  the roads were glare ice.  the accident ended up having a fatality, so when we got to two harbors, we took the 'back road' home.  that tacked on a little more time with all the snow and i was so anxious to get home.  eh.  when i got home, the house looked like a class five tornado blew threw and i would have to set up incident command to get things back to normal...but i was just so happy to be home.

i had friday off as i had enough hours from the week to flex.  it was a good thing too because i was having some withdrawls from my guys. 

the weekend was good.  we got a new ceiling fan/light up in the front room.  i also reorganized tucker's room a bit and went through some clothes i was storing for when he was 'older'.  well, now he is 'older' and i took them out, washed them...and will be putting them all up in his closet tomorrow night.  the house is still a bit of a disaster, but i'll get crazy cleaning this weekend before tucker's birthday party on march 31.  i got the invitations out (most of them...eh, a few stragglers) on friday.  i am really looking forward to that.  should be a good time...more about that later though.

this of course, isn't all i wanted to write, but my mind is a blank.  i am sitting here and there are a quadrillion and one things that go through my head to do, get done, should have did...and then i wonder why i don't accomplish the 'list' of things in my head.  egh.  mission for spring: organization of the brain.

i've been adding new pictures of tucker for you all to see.  enjoy! 

my little devil.

a shot of my. little. devil.  yeah, he's been quite a card this weekend.  i will do an update on the past week or so later today, but i had to share this picture with you.  i took it last night.  this is what i'm dealing with.  a cross between sweet little child and ruin your house in a minute child.  gotta love it.

the urho parade.

today we went to the st. urho's day parade.  yes, a finland tradition it is.  this year the parade was shorter but it was still fun to bring tucker.  what did he love most?  when the snowmobiles went skidding by on the pavement making lots of noise and watching the tires of the big trucks go by.  i have so much to post about the last week and this weekend...but i'll get to that later surely.  here is a shot of our little family in front of west branch during the parade.  it was the best shot i got and i don't think tucker is even looking.  go figure.

i am home!

yes, finally...home at last.  more tomorrow.  i'm beat.

our governor is...smart.

i voted for minnesota's governor tim pawlenty.  i am so glad i did.  today he spoke to us and he is so knowledgeable.  is has taken this state from a budget deficit of 4.5 billion dollars (yes, billion), the largest in state history, to a 2.2 billion dollar surplus.  now, if you ask some people here, they would say he did this not by raising taxes but by increasing the fees people pay for things (like licenses and such).  well, guess what people.  who cares?  does the couple extra bucks we pay for things like that really matter?  no.  our taxes did not go up, sure the fees did, but in my opinion it was a better way to raise the money needed to get out of debt.  think outside the box.  be creative when finding a solution.  we can't keep expecting more from the state if we are not willing to pay for what we want. 

in his talk, he gave us an update on the situation overseas.  he has traveled there on many occassions and shared a background and update on the situation taking place.  it does relate to what we are doing here...our greatest threat of a terrorist attack comes from that area.  part of his speech i think i forgot because i was just staring at him thinking, gosh, i'm glad we have a nice looking governor.  okay, some of you are going to get sick of hearing that but gosh, look at the man.  there was media in the crowd for him, as many are speculating about him becoming a vice presidential candidate for john mccain.  he says he is not interested though and is committed to staying governor.  let's hope so.  :)

oh, man.  i'm getting way into politics, but honestly, it is a passion.  along with, photography.  along with missing my son and husband, i am so anxious to meet my new baby...my digital canon rebel xt which is sitting in a box at my house right now.  ugh.  i wish i was home for so many reasons!

well, unlike many here, i'm already in for the night.  tomorrow is the new director's workshop which i am looking foward to.  then i get to go home!  whooohoo!

young lady?

if someone at this conference calls me a young lady i'll scream. okay, so only one guy said it but it is just so stupid. why it bother's me, no idea, but it does. i don't even remember the dude that said it. i only remember that he was an old man. :)

the conference is going great. much better than i expected.  there is a lot of networking going on (not just beer drinking or telling stupid cop jokes either).  i really am learning a lot.  tomorrow morning the governor will be here.  okay, i'm just excited because pawlenty is well, pretty good looking in my opinion.  i have heard he is a good speaker too.  i guess i am just happy to look at him.  i'm not supporting anyone from the republican party for president (uh wait, i support obama, but if he isn't the nomination for democrats and hillary is...that's a different story).  we were told that the 2008 republican national convention that is being held in minneapolis...would be our 'legacy'.  oookay.  i'm sure the governor will mention that and a bunch of other crap, but again, he will be nice to look at.  wow, here comes the political talk here.  i'll stop.

more about governor hot stuff's presentation tomorrow.  hahaha!  i am a dork.  :)

all settled @ the inn.

thank god for wireless internet.  i have access in my room...so nice.  this place is very geared toward the business world and i like it.  i did not bring my camera, but if i would have, you people would have wanted to be staying with me in this suite.  the only things missing are...my child and my husband. 

i called matt twice tonight...the first time to tell him i would call him after dinner.  and he's calling me before he goes to bed.  the huge sappy mother in me brought a pair of tucker's little pj's with.  the ones he wore last night.  i know, huge dork, but they smell like him...no, not the poopy diaper him, but the baby fresh him.  i love that. 

looking over the conference information i got excited when i seen that governor tim pawlenty will be here on wednesday to address us.  i'm also looking forward to listening to the department of public safety commissioner, michael campion speak tomorrow.  it should be an interesting conference.  i'm sure i will learn a lot, but it is a little overwhelming at the same time.  i feel like a goldfish being dropped into a minnow bucket...like i stand out because i'm fairly new and i don't have the same contacts as everyone else.  but hey, that's why i'm here right?  cook county is showing me the ropes and i much appreciate that. 

well, enough about work, or wait, enough about everything.  i'm ready to sit and relax...something i haven't done forever.  ahhh.  i would love to hear from all of you reading this.  leave me a comment so i have something interesting to read after a long day of schmoozing. 

going to brooklyn...

...brooklyn park that is.  this afternoon i leave for a conference and i won't be home until thursday night!  i am going to have huge tucker withdrawls.  oh, i will miss my hubby too.  i have not been away from either of them for this long.  yesterday i cried (just once) thinking about it.  icky.  okay, so he has went to stay overnight other places...this is just  three of those nights all smushed together.  i can do it.  i can do it.  oh, i'm going to be a huge sap each night before bed...when i'm thinking about my boys.  i just know it. 

the conference is the governor's homeland security and emergency management conference (i know you are all jealous you are not going).  i'm riding down with cook county's sheriff and their emergency manager.  i really am not looking forward to this.  we are staying at the northland inn, which looks like a pretty nice place, but it's not home.  i'm not bringing my laptop, but i hope i can log on down there and let you know that i have not died of boredom. 

out on the town.

we went to dinner tonight with nana jamie, uncle corey and jessica.  tucker enjoyed himself.  we ate at lemon wolf...yum.  nana took tucker for the night so we could hang out with friends and have a night together.  had a good time with house and jenn!  we miss hanging with you guys...had a great time!

teeth!

so here is the best shot i have of the two, yes two, teeth that tucker has right now.  his face is messy because he was eating and that is the only time he is still long enough to get a shot of his mouth.  i can't wait until they are up a little bit more...that will make for some great pictures.