There's no better way to say it--I WON FIVE THOUSAND DOLLARS!!!!

I still can hardly believe it!!!! Let me give you the background. There is a restaurant that I frequent here in town, the Corner Bakery. I love this place. They have the best turkey sandwich I've ever eaten, the Uptown Turkey sandwich, and I am quite familiar with turkey sandwiches. They also have the best Baked Potato soup, so good that I order it even in the 100+ degree Texas heat in the summer. And did I mention their Chopped Salad, cuz I love it too. I usually go eat at the restaurant at least once a week, sometimes 2 or 3 times in a week. Well, every time you get your receipt they have a survey to fill out with a chance to win $5000 in their quarterly drawing. Week after week I would fill out the survey. I got quite good at in fact, it wasn't hard, I mean I already love their food so the survey was just a few minutes of my time. I kept thinking, the $5000 giveaway is a numbers game and I frequent the restaurant so much and religiously fill out the survey that I was bound to win sometime, but c'mon, who knows anyone that really wins those things anyway-right?
Well this Monday it happened to me. The sweepstakes company called me Monday night. As soon as the voice on the other end said Corner Bakery, I knew I had won the $5000 and I went crazy, screaming and jumping, FINALLY it happened to ME. So I just have to verify that I am a legal US resident, over 18 and don't work at Corner Bakery and I will get a nice ole bump to my pocketbook in around 2 weeks. It was the icing on the cake, following a great birthday weekend in Kansas City, be looking for all those details in my next post.

I am so sick of diapers!!!

Why would I be sick of diapers you ask? My poor furbaby Cricket has a bladder stone issue. She first started having bladder stone problems in September 2008. Back then we went ahead and had surgery to remove the stone. We kept her on special, prescription Science Diet food since then in hopes of keeping her pH balances in check. But early this December I noticed Cricket squatting a lot to go potty, the tell tale sign of her bladder issues. So we went to the vet and x-rayed her and he said her bladder was filled with little stones. Well, just great, Cricket always seems to conveniently get these stones when we are headed on a trip to KC. Last time it was over Labor Day and Ryan's birthday, this year she was gonna be in KC for two weeks over Christmas. Instead of putting her in the crate for 23 hours a day we decided to put her in doggie diapers. It was a great idea, she could be out with the family and she could squat as much as she needed too. The stones put pressure on her and make her feel like she has to go ALL.THE.TIME. This time the vet said we could feed her a different type of prescription food to dissolve her stones but it could take up to MONTHS. Let me tell you, having a dog on specialty foods and diapers is not cheap. We pay $30 for 12 days of food and $20 for 4 days worth of diapers. I know its no fun for her either and I'm sure its painful, even though you wouldn't know it since she is still her crazy, hyper self. But it makes me think, if its this much work for my furbaby, I don't think I'm ready to head to mommyville anytime soon, lol!!!! It's crazy the things you'll do for your pets, gawd I love her!!!

Cricket sporting her doggie diaper!!!

My New Year's resolutions!

Is it a bad thing to have too many??? I know I could just get by with one but I have plenty of lofty ideas for 2010. I hope I can stick with them!

-Become more organized! (I have been watching the show Hoarders and it has enlightened me to get this house way more organized. On top of that we are not blessed with basements here in TX so by getting organized I can use the storage space we do have more wisely)

-Go to church more often! (This one shouldn't be that tough since its sad to say that our church days are pretty much non existent but I would like to start going at least once a month)

-Run a marathon! (This is actually the one I am most apprehensive about. I am nervous about my foot and the training involved in running a marathon. But I never believed I would be able to run a 20k even so I just have to keep positive)

-Pay off debt! (I have this one pesky credit card that I just can't seem to get rid of. I need to make a few better decisions in my spending to get that measly thing knocked out)

I think these are definitely accomplishable but that's easy to say on day 1 :)