Little Man Peters...

AKA...Jacob. I hear Jacob is a sleeper, which is good news for Michelle and Carl. I just got the first wave of pictures, all of which Jacob is sleeping. Maybe someday, he will open his eyes and smile for the camera. Here is the miniature...

Please, don't rip my face off..

....because I am so cute. Gina got a new puppy this weekend. It is half bulldog and half basset hound. Her big belly and small face kill me. I want to rip her face off and put it on my desk, so I can pet it all day long.

Welcome to the family Myla!

Oh Cherry Cordial...

Damn Hershey for only having the Cherry Cordial Kiss for part of the year. I hate seasonal candies. I love this tiny bit of cherry chocolate heaven so much, I signed a petition to have it made all year.

You can do it too at this link.

Let It Begin

The Steelers have named Mike Tomlin the new head coach. I know he doesn't have 'head coach' experience, I know he is very young (34), and I know he has a different view on defense.
But I am not going to doubt the Rooney's choice in head coach selection. They have done great in the past. Welcome to the "Burgh" Coach Tomlin!

Note: Tomlin looks like Omar Epps.

The Power of Baking Soda

In between making chili and dressing up Isabella, I decided to try a few new cleaning techniques. I have always heard baking soda is a good cleaner. But I have never really used it. I usually save the baking soda for.. um..baking! But I decided to try a few new cleaning tricks today.

1.) Added some Baking Soda to my bath and made a home made body scrub with it. I added a little baking soda to my favorite body soap. Baking Soda is an excellent and gentle exfoliatant.

2.) Added some to my toothpaste, sprinkled a little Baking Soda over the toothpaste.

3.) I used it as a sink cleanser. Baking Soda doesn't scratch the stainless steel, but leaves it looking brand new in no time. What am I, a commercial?

4.) I wipe down the faucet every time I clean the sink. But I never really turn it over and give it a good clean. Today, I found there was a lime deposit on the faucet. I guess I never really turn my faucet around just to look at it. Anyway, I used a Baking Soda paste on the deposit. I let the paste sit there for a couple minutes and the lime deposit came right off.

I have turned to a new cleaner. Its cheap and it really does work. I love Baking Soda!



Note: Check your faucet for lime deposits

Let It Snow..

I love it. Don't get me wrong, I was happy with the 70 degree weather we had a couple weeks ago. But I was looking forward to a little bit of snow. Its pretty, it fun, it makes you want to do certain things. When I say certain things, I mean: make chili, watch football, dress up Isabella, and play in the snow. Here is a snapshot of our Sunday. It was delightful.

The Libertine

This movie got mixed reviews. You either hate it or love it. Marc and I went to see this when it first came out, I loved it. We watched it again last night and I love it even more. I am not giving this movie a 'thumbs up' because of Mr. Johnny Depp's face. But I am giving a 'thumbs up' to Mr. Johnny Depp's performance. Do yourself a favor, watch this flick.

Friday Night (cont)

A note regarding the picture of Vicki, a stranger and myself. Vicki thought he looked like Bill Cowher, so we snapped the picture.

"The" pictures...

Here are the much anticipated "Marc and Amy" pictures from the new camera.

We are here, we are happy and we are not afraid to get our pictures taken.

Friday Night Dance Off

A group of us went to Bunker (formerly Champion Billards) in Leesburg, to see Gonzo's Nose (DC cover band). We got there around 6:30, ate dinner and had a few drinks before the band came on. I have to start off by saying, I didn't have a lot to drink. Actually, I have been on a drinking hiatus for about a month now. I am not sure what is going on, but at this point in time, I am over drinking. Don't get me wrong, I definitely enjoy a Guinness, just not in the amounts that I use to.

At any rate, we all had a blast. Some of us had more to drink than others. The drinking was responsible for things/events to become unruly. Some people that do not do shots, asked for shots. People that never dance, started to dance. It was quite delightful. As a result---dance off 2007.

This wasn't pretty, but it was fun.

The Eagle Has Landed!

Michelle had Jacob Ray Burgos last night around 11:30. Jacob is a mini, 6lb 3 oz 18in. Everyone is happy and healthy. Pictures will be posted when I get them. I tip my hat to Jacob!

First Pictures With New Camera

Here is Swiss (aka Pisser). I think I like the new camera.

A Present For Me...

Marc emailed me at work and said he picked up a 'little' gift for me (while he was out at lunch). I was thinking it was candy or maybe a DVD, but I was wrong. He bought me a new camera (Cyber-shot® DSC-W100 Digital CameraDSC-W100). Yes, we have a new camera, that means bigger and better photos. Thanks Marc!!!

Well look at you

Michelle was due Feb 8th-ish. The baby, however, has another plan. He wants to come out and see the world, EARLY! At some point (probably) tonight, this will be the baby's first view:



Note: Michelle, hope everything goes as smooth as it can. On a side note, I am afraid for your life. You are a brave lady: 13yr, 1yr, and a new born. Can't wait to meet my new nephew!!

HELP!!!

I am getting so much work done today. Its one of those days where I can put my headphones on and just go to town. I was so engulfed in my work, that I just realized I have been listening to David Allan Coe's "You Never Even Call Me By My Name" for about an hour (on repeat). I must have hit a button or something to put it on repeat. Nonetheless, its officially stuck in my head now.

Thanks David Allan Coe, for getting me through this work. Job well done!

Note: Some may ask why I have this song in my musical library. My answer: Because it rocks! Minus the fact that I just heard it about 30 times today.

Please do yourself a favor...

...and watch American Idol. Even if its for the auditions (the best part of the show). These auditions are filled with drama and worth your time. Everyone needs a few laughs at the end of the day.

PS Paula looks drugged out -- its going to be a nice ride

For all you Non-Fennec-Fox-Lovers...

I am not sure why these people have so many animals, but it is certainly heaven to me. Look at the baby Fennec Fox. Someone was fearful for our crops and livestock if we got a Fennec Fox, the only thing I am fearful for is the fact I may rip his ears off.

Have I ever mentioned..

...that I really do not like Ray Lewis. I especially hate his celebratory dances. Just wanted to put that out there.

New Purchase

Marc and I went to the new Clydes (at Willow Creek) on Friday. This place is enormous. It has a completely different feel than the Clydes in Tyson's (the one I go to all the time). Its filled with Loudoun county artifacts from the mid 1800s. Its really a nice place. We also experienced the Ashburn suburbia happy hour, quite amusing.

After dinner and a couple drinks, we went shopping. I was looking for a little table to store some of our ever growing dvd collection. We went to the Storehouse outlet, we found out it has closed! Oh No, I loved that place. Next, we made our way to Crate and Barrel--nothing! On to Pottery Barn--negative. However, I did find something that caught my eye. Remember my story about buying the big shoe chair? The clouds parting and the angels singing. Well, it happened again. I found an enormous rolling pin. I had to buy it. Either Marc actually thought it was cool too, or he just gave up trying to stop me from buying such 'things'. Not sure which one it was, but we walked out with the big rolling pin and a new duvet cover. I plan on putting her up on the wall in the kitchen or in the dinning room. Marc says it belongs in a Waffle House or some other restaurant. He also says the Fennec Fox belongs in the Sahara, not in Leesburg. The rolling pin is in our house, maybe a Fennec Fox will be too? Anyway, here she is!!

Note: I like to buy small versions of large things and big versions of small things (if that makes sense). Have you ever seen the mini models of tents at REI? This would qualify as a mini version of something large. Although, they never let me buy them from the store ;-(

Marc's Knee

This is a knee and some ligaments (not Marc's knee). During your lunch hour, click on the picture to enlarge!!!

Marc has been having some problems with his right knee. Its been happening more and more as of late, the obvious thing was to go to the doctors. The doctor did some movement tests and found that the knee cap was not out of place. Marc didn't think it was his knee cap, but something is out of whack (if his knee keeps popping out of place). The doctor said he may have a minor tear in his ligament. Now, I am not a doctor and don't get paid the big bucks. Instead, I make maps and don't make any money. But mark my word, Marc will be back at the doctors for another knee check in the near future. There is definitely something out of whack, since this keeps happening. Poor Marc ;-(

Note: As you may know, I am a total needle-phobe and hate going to the doctors. But the above picture is rather interesting to me, go figure?

Tip o' The Hat

Most of you know that I often "tip my hat" to people. I tip it for several reasons; have a good day tip, thank you tip, you hit the nail right on the head tip, sure go get me a guinness tip, etc. No, I do not really wear a Top Hat (although I would love to). But keep in mind, the Top Hat is my hat of choice, when you see me 'tipping'.

A good friend of mine has a two month old adorable baby daughter, Taylor. He showed me this picture he took over the Holiday and I knew I had to post it. This kid is going to do amazing things in life. Want to know why I say that? She is tipping her hat at an early age. Seriously, are you kidding me? She is tipping her hat (and secretly saying thanks for changing my diapers)!!

I tip my hat to Taylor!!

This one is for Marc Renkes...

You may or may not know that Marc is a Michigan Football fan. So the 'blow out' last night in the Florida/OSU game, made Marc smile. Nothing is better than seeing your rival fall to the ground (in the sports world).

Similar to the Steelers knocking Cinci out of the playoffs this year (every little bit helps a bad season). Nonetheless, Marc went to bed with a smile on his face (minds out of the gutter please).

New Years Eve (Late)

I forgot to post about New Years Ever 2006/2007. We were invited to a couple parties on NYE, but we decided to stay home. I can't remember staying home by ourselves on NYE since we've been in VA. We ended up playing pool, having some beers, eating crab legs, drinking champagne, watching the ball drop then watched a movie. Oh, we also replaced our "old" money with "new" money on our window sill (a tradition I learned from Granola--my grandma).

It was a delight. Although, its always a delight spending time with Mr. Renkes. I hope we have 100 more years together to ring in the new year.

Here are the big crab legs, they were so big I had problems cooking them.

What a Colorful Weekend

It was 70 degrees on Saturday. Marc and I broke a sweat taking our Christmas lights down. It was delightful. Although I was a little nervous it was 70 degrees Jan 6th, it was nice to open up all the windows and let the house breathe.


I had a small task on my mind this weekend, I wanted to finally paint our master bathroom. I wanted to paint it two colors, tan-ish/taupe and a sage/sea green. Marc was not very happy about this. I thought if we taped the bathroom and painted one color one day then paint the other color the next day, it would be less stressful. It was nice to break it up, but it still took forever. I am not sure why it takes Marc and I so long to paint one room. The ceilings are high, the rooms are big, and there are always two colors going on.. maybe that is why. Still, its never a couple hour task.


Here are some before and afters of the master bathroom.









So, the green is not really what I thought it would look like. But, the tan-ish color is a delight. Neither of the colors show that well in the photos. After everything was done. I lit some candles, ran some hot water, added some bubble bath and some oils and took a swim. I sat back and enjoyed the room. Its so much better than enormous white walls.



Note: Marc--Thanks for getting up in the cove this time! And I have to thank God for giving me an awesomely TALL husband. He can reach so many places while painting that I can't.

Mr. Bill

We tip our hat and thank you for your 15 years as head coach of the Stillers. If you take another coaching job for more money, I will put a curse on the team you go to. If in a year you decide to coach again, you better come back to the "Burgh".

And I am done.

New Favorite Thing

If you have HDNET, do yourself a favor and watch The Peking Acrobats. They are awesome. I will see this act live some day. Oh wait, they will be in Madison, WI March 25th. We know some very special people that live there. I think it may be a date! If that doesn't work out, they will be in Bethesda, MD March 3rd. If you are in the area and would like to attend with me. Let me know, I want to buy tickets ASAP.

As God as my Witness...

....as God is my witness they're not going to lick me. I'm going to live through this and when it's all over, We'll never have garbage in our yard again.

I don't know if its the fact that we live at the bottom of a hill in an end unit townhouse. But, Marc and I always find someone's garbage in our yard. It happens every other week, Marc or I end up picking up some paper or plastic out of our yard. Its not the end of the world. It just gets annoying that we have to pick up after people all the time.

This happens because some people can't put their garbage in garbage bags. They just fill up their garbage cans, completely overloading them to the point where the lid does not fit. Since we are on a hill, the slightest breeze is going to come along and knock the can over, when that happens, the trash will find its way into our yard.

Again, we are ok with picking up a piece here or there.

Today, when I got home from work, I found this in our yard.

What is that?? Its like we live along a Highway or something. Well that did it---I took action!

I sent a message to our HOA, suggesting they send letters out to the community (reminding them the proper way of packing their garbage cans). See that big brown box? Well it had an address on it and it was filled with packing peanuts. Guess what I did. I wrote a note to them and we put it on their door. I warned Marc this may make people hate us. But there is NO way I will be picking up all those peanuts. Marc, Jane and myself know how bad that is (we were the good neighbors once and picked up all of ours -- in a wind storm).

The neighbors came home, but I don't think they saw the note on their door yet. But they will. And when they do, I hope they pick up their trash. I know I must sound horrible right now. But I hate picking up packing peanuts (especially when they are not ours). For the love of God, no more packing peanuts.

I will let you know what happens. In the mean time, other neighbors will start to hate us. As we stand, all of the garbage is still in our yard. We look like Sanford and Son. I have a feeling there is going to be a battle among us neighbors. Let the games begin.

We Triumphed!

Marc and I are watching Lord of the Rings (the fellowship). Its on the big screen and its loud (is there any other way to watch this movie). Anyway, right after I posted the entry about the garbage, I heard a plastic bag outside. I am actually amazed at myself. Seriously, the TV was blasting. I kinda felt like the Aunt Bethany when she hears the squirrel in the tree on Christmas Vacation. Good News! We triumphed. We won the battle. Our neighbor parked his car right up by our lawn and had a broom/dust pan in hand with a plastic bag. I think we all won here. He learned a valuable lesson tonight. He will always remember to secure his garbage cans (especially after Christmas). And Marc and I, well, we won't have broken backs from picking up hundreds of packing peanuts. It truly is a great day!!

I tiny little dog she will have....

My Aunt JoAnn has a tiny little dog. The shirt she put on (Tamara) is hysterical. Please keep in mind that this dog is the size of a coffee cup. Tamara is small and miniature and you can put her in your pocket for a rainy day. I am kinda afraid for her life, I don't know how she walks on such little legs. Nonetheless, she is adorable and part of the family!

I am the winner....

The Steelers did not make the play offs. In fact, their season was basically a disgrace. However, I will sleep well tonight knowing that I won "the bet' again. I win...I get a case of beer!

Guinness please ;-)

Note: To the person that owes me this beer, I seriously only need a 12 pack! Good season.. see you next year. I may be giving you a case....

Bernie

Bernie's MySpace picture

My lovely husband...

....is ENORMOUS. Look how big he is compared to Aunt Marlane.

Too funny not to show

Marc said he wants a shirt like this too! ha ha ha



(Patrick looks scared and nervous)

Happy 1st Birthday, Patrick!

This is what a smash cake is....

Pour some out..

Steelers vs Ravens

The Steelers didn't win this game or make it into the play offs. But we had a blast at the game! We hung out with family and friends and it was quite a delight.

Marc finally wearing ear muffs and me looking like Tiny Tim (the hat was too big but it was warm).

Most of the tailgating gang...

..the other part of the tailgating gang.

The girls...