It's been a while...

I couldn't believe it when I saw we hadn't posted since July! I guess time really does fly sometimes! Our last post was about our vacation to Vegas and I guess not much has really happened since then. There was my Mom's birthday (August 18Th) and a family get together at our house with my Mom's side of the family. It was a great time; happy and bitter sweet as it was the first time we'd all been together since my Aunt Jo died in December. Needless to say, there were laughs and a few tears. Deb's been gone since Friday as Labor Day weekend means the annual McInturf Family Camping Trip at Mohican. I went last year but passed this time as my allergies were HORRIBLE from being outside the whole time. The dogs and I just hung around the house and relaxed. I attended our fantasy football draft last night and after 4 hours of picking and strategy's, I think we came up with a pretty decent team. Team Gridiron Girls is ready to go! I've posted a few photos from the months gone by. We've got another vacation planned in October as we're heading to Melbourne Beach, Florida. I friend of mine has a condo there and she's letting us use it for free! It was an offer too good to pass up! I'm sure we'll make a stop at Disney World and will have some new things to post about when we get home. Take care!
Kelly

We took my Mom to The Buxton Inn for her birthday dinner.

Mom, Cathy and I in front of the fountan at The Buxton Inn

My second cousins Chase, Tyler, Chad, Whitney, Brianna, Kacie, Nathan, Jordan and Jayven.

Me and my sister Cathy with our cousins Chrissy, Stepahnie and Terri.

Vegas Vacation!!

Well, we're finally home from our vacation in sunny and HOT Las Vegas. And when I say hot, I mean hot! The temps never dropped below 100 degrees the entire time we were there! Deb was the big winner out of the group ( eight of us all together: Deb's parents, brother Chris and his wife Amy and brother Tim and his girlfriend Molly) as she won $1,200 on the slots! I was playing a machine next to her when she hit and she literally turned ghost white as those credits kept going up and up! My luck, on the other hand, wasn't as good. Overall, I think I lost about $650 which was not my plan at all! Oh well! I took the money to play with and that's what I did! In the end it was nice to be away from work for a week. I've posted a few pics but I think Deb's posted most of them on her facebook page so you may want to check them out on that site. Me, Deb and her parents did see the off Broadway show "Jersey Boys" at The Palooza Theater and it was a great. It's about Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons. It was very entertaining and the music was fun to sing along with. Next year I think we'll vacation on a beach somewhere so I won't lose so much money and it'll be a bit more relaxing! Take care! Kelly:)

Deb and I during the tour of Hoover Dam. Don't you love our hair! It was 105 degrees that day and we were standing 725 feet in the air. Needless to say, our hair couldn't stand up to the heat! :)

Paris Casino at night time.

Outside shot of The Flamingo from the bridge that crosses Las Vegas Blvd.

This is the inside of the Palooza Theater. They had strands of lights coming down that gave the illusion of raindrops falling. It was awesome!

We stayed the The Flamingo, one of the oldest hotels and casino's in Vegas.

Kel's Birthday

Well, today capped off the final celebration of Kelly's birthday week. We had lunch at Buca di Beppo in Columbus with her Dad, his wife, her daughter & family, along with Kelly's sisters, Cathy & Sarah. As always, the food was delicious & we had a lot of fun.

Kel's birthday was last Monday and that evening we went to her Mom's house for tacos, which also, were yummy and desert was provided by me - a semi-homemade, lemon cake which, if I do say so myself, was terrific!

Kel got a new bicycle and so that she doesn't have to ride alone, I got myself one too! I am sure that a wreck and/or a trip to the ER is probably not far behind, but hopefully not! She also got 2 c/ds (one being the Essential Michael Jackson collection) and 2 Star Wars lunchboxes and a Derek Jeter bag.

Photos of all her gifts, the cake, and the family are below. Enjoy!

Next update will be from our Vegas trip - we are one week away!! Can't wait. Until then....

Sleep Apnea Test...

Look! It's the bride of Frankenstein! Not actually, but scary I know! I was fortunate enough to undergo a sleep apnea test on Monday night. I dragged Deb along so she could snap a few photos of me after I was hooked up and ready to go. I arrived promptly at 7:45 pm and of course had a small delay at the registration desk. Once that was settled; off to the sleep clinic we went. After some paperwork and a short video; they started wiring me up. The whole process took about an hour an a half! Poor Deb! She was tired and I'm sure a little bored but she stuck it out! Now, the pics ARE NOT FLATTERING and I'm probably crazy for posting them, but oh well! It is what it is! It wasn't easy sleeping in this stuff but I did from 11:00 p.m. til 5:30 a.m. The tech said I do have some apnea but it wasn't severe enough to apply a C-PAP machine to me during the night. I follow-up with the doc in a week or so to get the final verdict. My favorite part of whole get-up was the straps they placed directly above and below my boobs. As you can see; it did not create an attractive look! Well, until next time; I'll keep snoring away!

Kelly

Starwberries on the Sqaure...

Well, its that time of year again! The annual Strawberries on the Square Festival in downtown Newark. Its a weekend of fair-style food, carnival rides and local entertainment. We're not talking Ohio State Fair status but its kinda of tradition here in Licking County. Deb and her office mates always head over at lunchtime on Friday and then she and I hit it over the weekend. We headed over today and it was a gorgeous afternoon. It was sunny but not too hot and there was a nice breeze. Needless to say; I put on quite an eating exhibition! Started out with a steak burger, then moved on to french fries. We then headed straight to the strawberry shortcake stand and ate away. For some reason I was still a little hungry - scary isn't it - so I finished up with a corn dog! By the time we got home, I needed a Pepcid and 2 tums! We ran into our friends Kim and Mel so we spent some time together eating and laughing as we people watched. We hadn't seen them since the NKOTB concert. My friend Tracy was working the strawberry shortcake stand so I snapped a few pictures of her in action. All in all, it was a nice afternoon. Getting ready to settle in for the night and hopefully watch the Cavs win Game 6!

Kelly

Attention All Dog Lovers!

I am helping my friend Anne find a home for a precious and sweet dog. The poor guy was found by my friend's daughter at a soccer field. He was thin and hungry and had obviously been abandoned. He's been stying with Anne and her kids for the past 3 weeks or so but they can't keep him as they are renting their home and no pets are allowed. They've named him Pete and he looks like a black lab mix. Anne says he is the friendliest dog she's ever been around and is very lovable. As you'll see from the pictures I've posted; he is great with kids and would make a wonderful family pet. He loves the water and spent several hours swimming over the Memorial Day holiday. Anne thinks he may be around 2 years old and he all ready knows several commands. Pete even goes to the door when he needs to go outside! He's been staying in the garage during the day and sleeps with one of the kids at night. "Sweet Pete" also spent time with other family dogs on the holiday weekend and got along with them wonderfully. If you or someone you know is interested; please respond to this post as I'll be checking it daily. Anne hates to give him up and she hopes to find him a safe and loving home. Please help Pete if you can! Thanks!

Kelly

Post Memorial Day Update...

Greetings everyone! I know its been a while since our last post - we're not as quick at it as some people! Well, we made our trip to Erie, PA with Julie and Kim and it was a GREAT time! We did find some beach glass which was the main focus of our journey. Kim found the best piece of all - a big, bright yellow piece of round glass. It looked like a giant lemon drop! I did find a very small piece of red which is the rarest color to find, so I was pretty proud even if you need a magnifying glass to see it!! :) I've included some pics of our findings and of the two restaurants we ate at as well.

Monday was of course Memorial Day and Deb and I spent all day with friends out at Buckeye Lake. We took an awesome pontoon boat ride and of course ate and drank until our hearts were content! It was a GREAT day and we can't wait until next year! I've included a photo of Mama Cardinal sitting on her nest which she conveniently built in our clematis! She's a little hard to see but if you look real close and in the middle; you'll see her red beak. We only saw one baby and two other eggs in the nest, however, we think she may have abandoned the remaining eggs.:( Hopefully she just moved them to a different locale!

We're off to Cincinnati the weekend of June 5th so our next update will be highlights of that trip! Take care!

Kelly

Spring Update

A lot has happened since the NKOTB concert - there has been Easter, Mother's Day, and of course, the 1st day of Spring! YAY!!! I am ready for some warm, sunny weather!! I won't bore you with the past - if you keep up with facebook, you know most of it already anyway. I have posted some pics below of our daffodil that bloomed - isn't it pretty? We didn't plant it and have no idea how it got there, but it has bloomed the last couple of years - I call it our "rogue daffodil"! LOL!! Also pictured is Kelly, her sister, and her Mom on Mother's Day. We treated her Mom to a delicious buffet at the Granville Inn. My Mom is in Myrtle Beach, so she got a phone call! :) Finally, and most interestingly, I have posted a pic of the owl that we spotted on our driveway a few nights ago. Isn't that a hoot??? (cheap pun, I know!)

Coming up we have some exciting trips. This weekend, we are setting out on a journey to find us some beach glass. For those of you who have never watched the travel channel, some lady was collecting beach glass on a show we were watching and we (well, Kelly and Kim) decided it would be neat to try and find some for some crafts. I'm looking forward to this adventure with Kim & Julie to Erie, PA and hopefully, we will find some glass. If not, I am sure we will have loads of fun anyway!!

The first weekend in June we are setting off for a weekend getaway to Cincinnati where we will be taking in a Cubs v. Reds game, probably stopping by the Newport Aquarium, and hopefully, getting to see Kel's "Aunt" Lorna who has been very sick. We are looking forward to that weekend because it is the first time in a very long time we have gotten "out of dodge", so to speak!

Then, of course, there is the family trip to Vegas in July. We can't wait for that!! We will try to keep the blog updated, but if you get tired of waiting, jump over to Facebook!

--Deb

NKOTB - Take 2!

Last night was the New Kids concert - it was as fun as the first! This time, we were joined by Kel's Mom, who took the place of her sister since Cathy just had knee surgery and couldn't go. Also joining us were our friend, Kim Fair, and her aunt Mel. Kim went to H.S. with us and she was with us when we went to the Ohio State Fair to see the New Kids back in 1989 - 20 years ago - how time flies!!

Anyway, we started the night at Spaghetti Warehouse - I love that place! Our Host was strange and tried to seat us at the wrong table, but he assured us that his map was messed up and that was the problem (not that he was just an idiot!!). Anyway, once we got straightened out and realized we were at table 203 and NOT 202, we were good to go!

We missed the opening act - it was some young, up and coming artist that none of us heard of, so it was no biggie.

New Kids performed - pretty much the same concert that we saw in Cleveland, but they changed it up some - it was great! Lots of energy in the crowd and again - floor to ceiling - EVERYONE was standing throughout the concert! Crowd participation was at its best!! My kind of concert!!

The fun really began when we left the concert. We entered the parking garage at the same spot we drove in. Rode the elevator up and low and behold - NO CAR!! We walked around for a few minutes and we finally found it - across a concrete barrier. No problem, right? We would simply walk down around the corner and get to it! We walked around the corner - NO CAR!! What??? We went back up - there it was! It was the craziest thing!! We could see it, but we couldn't get to it! I STILL don't know how we were supposed to get to it. I finally climbed the wall and drove down to the bottom where everyone met me!! We must have spent 20 minutes in that garage trying to get to the car!! If that situation didn't provide for a good enough laugh, the next event did! When we got to the attendant, she asked for the ticket which had fallen into a crevice between the dashboard and the windshield. They spent at least 10 minutes trying to dig it out (as opposed to just waving us through since we had already paid!!) I have NEVER been in a parking garage where it was so difficult to get out!! We laughed halfway home about that!!

Here are some pics and a video! Enjoy!!

--Deb

Mary, Kim & Mel gettin ready!

Kel trying to get the ticket!

Addicted to Facebook!

Ok - so the blog has taken a backseat to Facebook - at least for me. I am finding it hard to keep up to date with all of my television shows AND the computer sites and the blog is losing the battle. In any event, here I am now. The Final 13 is set for American Idol and there isn't a single contestant that stands above the others yet. Right now, I guess I am rooting for Alison, Danny, and Anoop. That could all change in a heartbeat though! I am MOST excited cuz Kelly Clarkson's new CD drops this coming Tuesday, March 10th. I have listened to most of the tracks on Youtube and with the exception of a couple songs, it is really great! I have already pre-ordered it on itunes and plan to make a trip to Target or Walmart on Tuesday to pick up the actual CD. I know, I am a little obsessed with my girl KC, but in my book, she ROCKS!! She is also scheduled to perform on AI and Good Morning America next week, so the DVR is set!

Since the last blog entry, Baxter is doing much better now that his pain meds have taken effect. He is still a little gimpy at times, but he is doing pretty well. He still can't jump much, but that might not be a bad thing.

As many of you know (if you read my facebook), Kelly has purchased a new car. I have posted a couple of pics below. It is a 2008 Subaru Outback and it is much nicer than her Jeep which was one of the most uncomfortable vehicles I have ever rode in!

We have booked our trip to Las Vegas with my family in July. We are staying at the Flamingo for 4 nights. I know it will be the heat of summer, but I really can't wait!! It should be a lot of fun.

That is all I can think of for now. Again, here are the pics of Kel's new car and also, some random pics from my birthday at Moretti's and lunch for Kel's stepmom & stepsister at City Barbecue last month. If you can't wait between blogs, join Facebook and request to be my friend!

--Deb

Injured Pup...

I'm sad to report that our little man Baxter is on the injury list. Three weeks ago he had some x-rays and it was discovered he's got significant arthritis in both knees. Last week, while running and slipping on the ice; he hurt himself. Final diagnosis was a a partially torn ACL. He's not a surgery candidate due to his age (10 yrs) and the bad arthritis. So, its limited activity (yeah right) and pain meds. Fortunately, he doesn't act like he's in horrible pain; but he's limping and holds his leg up at times. Of course, it's hard for us to see him this way!! Needless to say, he's getting a lot of extra attention and lovin' right now. Hopefully he'll be on the mend soon. We'll keep you posted!

Kelly

Cool Logo!!

Hello everyone! I hope you're enjoying the cold weather as much as we are. Yeah right! I consider myself a winter person and even I'm sick of the cold and especially all the ice. Ugh! Super Bowl Sunday has come and gone and this year's game was another good one. I was pulling for Cardinals but at least the game was exciting. We went to a party at Debbie's and had a bunch of delicious food. I brought along a Reuben dip and it seemed to go over pretty well. Kim liked it so much she said I'll have to bring it to all the get together's from now on! In case you're interested; here's the recipe:


16 oz. Sauerkraut
16 oz. shredded Mozzarella
16 oz. shredded Cheddar
16 oz. corned beef (cubed)
1 cup Mayo
Cocktail size Rye bread



Mix all ingredients (except bread) in mixing bowl and transfer to 9x12 casserole dish. Bake uncovered at 300 degrees for 45-60 minutes or until cheese is bubbly. Serve hot and spoon dip onto bread. After cooking; dip can be transferred to a crock pot on low setting if taking to a party or get together. It's that simple! I bring a bottle of 1,000 island salad dressing in case you want add some to the dip once on the bread.

For those of you who know me; its no secret I'm a huge Yankees fan. My Mom likes to joke around and calls me a "Yankee Girl." I found this logo online and its from the old Yankee Girl Tobacco product line. I thought it was kinda neat so I decided to post it. I'm not a smoker but I liked it anyway. C-ya!

I'M SICK OF WINTER!

Well, winter has hit us full force this week starting with the ice storm on Wednesday (at least I got out of working that day, though)! More snow last night and they are calling for more this Monday. I don't know about all of you, but I am ready for spring!! That groundhog had better not see his shadow on Monday!!

Sunday brings us the Super Bowl - Steelers v. Cardinals - can you say BORING!!??!! At least I can root for the Cardinals since, as a lifelong Browns fan, I can't bring myself to root for the Steelers! I think I am looking more forward to the commercials! We are going to Debbie's house for a Special Superbowl Party - so at least we will have some good food and fun with friends!

Tuesday is my birthday - big 37. Not too much special planned. We are going to Moretti's Italian Restaurant next Saturday with Kim & Julie, so that should be fun. I have never been there before, but I hear the food is great! I would also like to catch the movie "He's Not That Into You" sometime - it comes out on the 6th & looks really funny. We'll see. We don't make it to the movies very often.

We did go last weekend and saw "Mall Cop" with Kevin James. It was really entertaining and funny and I enjoyed it a lot more than I thought I would.

Nothing much else to report, so I'll sign off. Enjoy these pics of the crew enjoying the winter weather (or not!)

--Deb