When it rains....

Yes, it's me.. don't fall over or anything! :P
This is a bad news/bad news/good news kind of post. Alan lost his job at ADT on the 6th. They instituted a new policy with a no tolerance clause & we got a little nervous as the policy has to do with employee numbers... which Alan has had trouble with in the past. ADT wants it's employees to get the call over with ASAP using any means necessary (i.e. sending service men out that the customers have to pay for), but Alan would do his best to help the customer over the phone (thus not needing to send service men... yada yada). For 6 years his numbers have been borderline, and that practice (tho MUCH more customer oriented than what ADT WANTED him to be doing) finally got him into trouble. Stupid policy, stupid company.
BUT, we are looking at this lose as a blessing in disguise... Alan hit the pavement pretty hard looking for another job & by the 15th had an interview. Granted, it was at Burger King for minimum wage, but it was SOMETHING & just down the road from us. He started work there on Monday (19th). Seems like the moment he stepped out the door when the phone rang.... Best Buy wanting to set up an interview. He goes for that one tomorrow (22nd). He is still looking for that 'great' job, but at least he's got something here in town instead of going 50 miles away to Kansas City. I will keep you posted....
Thankfully, we had put some money into savings, so we SHOULD be fine financially. We have cut back on a lot of 'extras' living more frugally. The biggest DOWN side to all of this (for me anyways) is that unless some amazing job comes along in the next couple of weeks... our plans to visit Michigan this summer are no longer. I haven't been to MI since we moved 7 years ago & was looking forward to it very much, but with things in limbo here, I can't justify spending that kind of money. *SIGH* I miss everyone & hope you think of us in June!
Gratz to the Millers on the sale of their house, hope the move goes smoothly! Grats to Suz & Jim on their new place & dog! Gratz to Marc & Jamie on their expected bundle AND on the marriage of Marc's oldest! Give Britt an extra hug for me!!
Hugs & Kisses & lots of love to you all!

Disney

This is the lobby of the Swan & Dolphin resort hotel we are staying at in Orlando. SO Disney! Right along with the prices and the fantasy world some of the presenters live in. Guess I'm a bit cynical about those who spout "best practices" and haven't been in a classroom in years, or decades. Hope today is better. But the mattress was wonderful ~ the brochure says it is a Heavenly mattress. That might be a brand name, but it was sure comfortable. It was nice to get to know some of my co-workers better so I'm glad I came.

Goliath and more

Hi Family,

A lot has happened since Feb. for us in Chicago. We moved out of our high rise, and into a nice condo right near the lake. We have a free parking space, full laundry room, jacuzzi bathtub, office, and a very nice kitchen. So far, everything has been great with this space, and have enjoyed meeting new neighbors/friends.

As most of you saw on FB, Jim and I adopted a dog named Goliath from a family that could no longer keep him in their home. We have been tremendously blessed with such a great dog, he hasn't had any accidents inside, he only barks when he feels someone is coming in our apt (& at other dogs' barks...), and is very lovable/sweet. Every day we make sure to take him out for at least an hour walking/running, plus bathroom breaks. He loves going on walks, and doesn't pull hard on the leash very often. He does get excited about other dogs walking by, especially small ones, so that's really only when he barks/pulls hard on the leash. We took him to the vet last week, he's about 60 lbs, we thought he was way underweight, but he's only supposed to stay around 65 lbs., so he won't get much bigger. He has definitely brought joy to both our lives.

I had a falling out with the one and only executive producer at Kurtis Productions back in February. It's a long story of what happened, so I don't feel necessary to explain, but I no longer work there. I still am on great terms with everyone else - my immediate supervisor Matt, the manager Diane, all the editors/producers, and most importantly, Bill Kurtis and Donna. I have worked with BK on a few projects since its happened, so everything is cool b/w him and I. This is just a bump in the road for me, I'll be back working TV soon, but in the meantime I'm making $$ serving tables at Leo's Coney Island, and freelancing with another media company.

Jim quit his job at the small restaurant - Magnolia Cafe. He worked there 3 years and could no longer put up with the owners' vicious wife. It was a long ways coming, and it took him only a matter of weeks to find another job. He now works downtown at a new hotel/restaurant called Sable Kitchen and Bar at the Palomar hotel. It opened a few weeks ago, and has already received rave reviews, so it's going really well, and Jim loves it.

As of now, I plan on making it to the reunion in June. I doubt Jim will be able to make it seeing as he works all weekends, and won't have vacation for a year. Maybe next time!

Love you,

Suzanne

New address: 837 W Montrose Apt GDN

Chicago, IL 60613

Change of plans

Aunt Di's post of earlier this morning inspired me to update the family on our change of plans.

Everything is moving along nicely here; I've got everything organized for the rummage sale (and have already presold $100 of stuff with two buyers!) and our house is getting emptier by the day as we move stuff to the pole barn.

Late Friday Scott asked me if I'd checked the Michigan Sex Offender registry to double check the neighborhood we're moving to in Midland. Well lo and behold, the next door neighbor was convicted of breaking and entering and rape back in the late 80s. Yeah, we aren't moving there. With Scott traveling as much as he does, that's just not going to happen. I'm moderately worried about Carolyn, but they have a high fence in between their properties and Dave and Sam are almost always home when she is, so there's not as much risk...me home alone almost constantly with two small and distracting children is too much for us to stomach.

Well, it just so happens that our next door neighbors have a duplex available less than a mile from here (which we found out about *after* we'd signed the lease on the Midland house) and it was still available when I called Karen frantically Friday evening. We took it sight unseen, and the landlord in Midland was very understanding about the situation and has released us from that lease. So, on May 8th, we'll be moving less than a mile from here (I hope to have a lot of the small stuff done the weekend before.)

No word confirming Scott's travels this week. It seems they're starting to allow flights in Europe, and as long as he can get to Amsterdam, he can take the train from there. We'll see...

Monday

We had the same rainy kind of day and it was welcome. We needed it. I got things ready for the Orlando trip; got groceries. Many of you know I've been having trouble sleeping; 3-4 hours a night was average and definitely not enough. After a year of trying this and that medication combination, I got a referral to a "sleep doctor." I learned that he's actually a Pulmonologist who has become a national expert in sleep disorders. He says I have "advanced sleep phase syndrome." It is a disruption in one's circadian rhythm. 1% of "seniors" get it and it has a genetic component (and is most difficult to treat.) He prescribed Rozerem (melatonin) in the a.m. and Ambien CR in the p.m. I was also to purchase a Medical Therapy Light visor (at a cost of $200) and wear it from 7:30 to 9:00. I was skeptical enough of the unorthodox use of Rozerem and a light that I got a second opinion. This doctor confirmed the reputation of the first, but he had no clue about the course of treatment. But his opinion of Dr. Feldman (combined with my own research) was enough to convince me to order the light. It'll be another week before it gets here; the medication alone is NOT working. We'll see.

Sunday

We have a rainy, gloomy day but enjoying the peace, tranquil feeling of the day. Dad/G'pa is on a new med for arthritis and it makes his sleep about 3 hours every time he takes it, 4 days now. His pain is less but he doesn't feel much either. He is unstable walking and is dizzy some of the time. We see the pain man tomorrow for a shot in the hip and will talk to him about these reactions.
Skype is a fun thing to use but so is Chat, getting lots of enjoyment from this computer.
I'm rambling so will say enjoy your week and feel our love.

Spring has come to Farwell!

You can definitely tell it's Spring! Ray went to the first small animal swap of the year today and came home with 7 chicken: 2 roosters and 5 hens. They are all the pretty black and white speckles except one orange hen. They are bantam chickens which are like the toy breed of chickens. One of the girls promptly laid a little bitty egg. We're looking for some fencing now so we can get some goats. Yup, Spring is here.

What's going on??

Oh my gosh, things are CRAZY right now. But crazy good.

We sold our house and found a rental in Midland. We are closing on our house on May 15th, and the builders are scheduled to break ground for the new house here in Freeland on the 17th (of May.) We are working on finalizing plans and details about the house...we've had lots of time to think about it and love our builder, so it's been a smooth process *so far.* They have guaranteed us a 5-month build. We'll see. Joni has been a Godsend and is helping us with our appliances. So good to have somebody "on the inside."

The house we found in Midland is PERFECT and get this...its back yard backs up to Carolyn's!!!! She and her husband are both teachers, and her 18-year old son Sam loves the kids, and they all love Gus, so we plan to have a GREAT summer with the Browns. Scott says he's going to have to worry about me sneaking out at night, to which I told him, "well, you'll know where to find me. Probably drinking wine with Carolyn in the back yard."

So we have lots to be excited about.

Scott is traveling a ton, in Toronto this week, and leaving again on the 24th for two weeks in Belgium. He gets back the day before we move. So I am busy packing things to go to storage in our pole barn, things to go to the new rental, and things to sell in our rummage sale taking place on the 22nd, 23rd, and 24th. Yikes.

I'm also walking in the March for Babies on 5/2, which is a 6-mile walk. If you're interested in making a much-appreciated contribution, you can do so easily at www.marchforbabies.org/tvano1991

This is a cause that is near and dear to my heart as one of my friends lost a baby last month after her premature birth. In addition, many of the women in my mothers of multiples network have had to suffer through having a baby in the NICU, and it's absolutely heartbreaking.

Anyway, things are hopping. There's never been a better time to offer to help, especially if it's in the area of taking two active toddlers off their mama's hands for just a bit. :)

Hope all is well with everyone. We are SO excited for the family gathering this summer.

Good morning!

We made it back from Buffalo on Sunday evening...our drive home was spectacular! Traffic was flowing well and the weather was gorgeous! We kept the sunroof open for a good portion of the drive and listened to a Robert Parker "Spencer" novel on CD...it was as enjoyable as a 6 hour drive can be! :)

Monday night I went to bed not feeling so great and didn't sleep well. Woke up achy and with a slight fever. Spent the next couple days lying around the house. Feeling better this morning, though. Heading out to 4 stores in the south part of my territory this morning then, if I'm still feeling well, I'm meeting Adrianna for dinner since I'll be in her neck of the woods.

Hope all of you are doing well...xoxo

Back to Work

We had a great time in Vegas. The weather was perfect the first 2 days, then turned chilly and very windy. I don't know how people live where it is so dry; our skin felt the low humidity from the start. Maybe it just takes some getting used to - like our steamy summers. We didn't gamble much; just visited the various hotels and attractions. More in the NL.
The flights both ways were uneventful but I forgot about jet lag and the time difference messed with us a little bit. I picked up a virus somewhere and spent the last 2 days of my spring break ~ and Monday ~ on the couch . Went back to work yesterday and feel pretty good, just some stuffiness left over.

Happy Easter

...to everyone!

Bummer for the Spartans but you can't sneeze at the Final Four two years in a row!

Easter Weekend

Eric, Mozart and I are heading to Buffalo this afternoon to spend the weekend with my Aunt Chris and family. It's a 6.5 hour trek but totally worth it for quality family time. :)
We wish you all a very Happy Easter!