Core THIS Bit@*

I started seeing a personal trainer. I met with her last friday and discussed my goals and we started my workouts today. Now, let me tell you...this trainer (her name is Christie) is a petite pretty blond who is all muscle and a real good motivator. She isn't intimidating and really quite sweet.

However, 15 minutes into my workout SHE LOOKED LIKE THIS!!

Christie (a.k.a. Witch Hazel) is smiling because she gets some sort of demented pleasure watching someone do squats until they are about to pass out and leg lifts until your shaking so much you look like a parkinson's patient. Allthewhile, she is repeating "we must work on your core.....we must work on your core..." WTF! I got your core....Arrgghh

Susan finally got a new (used) car. I think she got tired of the duck tape holding up her fender (I thought I applied it quite well, actually). She got a Nissan Altima 3.2 V6. It is neat AND practical. It even has tiptronic shifting, if you so desire. Of course she was getting nervous when I drove it and was fooling around with the shifter, the Bose stereo and the Sun roof all at once....she has no sense of adventure!

If I don't die tomorrow after my workout with Christie...I'll write more. If you don't hear from me, please call the police...I think she is trying to kill me.

Just Wait Until Next Year

99 years and counting.....sigh. Truth be told, I really wasn't expecting much from the Cubs in the post season. They just weren't good enough, I knew, to win the pennant. But...I certainly didn't expect them to get SWEPT! Their division was just so week, winning it wasn't an impressive accomplishment. As Susan said, "Yay, we're the best of the worst!"


Well, there is always next year. And hey, it will be the 100 year anniversary of the Cubs world series win, so maybe they'll get lucky....already can't wait for spring training '08.

On a brighter note, college basketball season is starting up. I do have high hopes for my GMU patriots. They return all five starters and have a good recruiting class that includes a 6'10" Romanian. They play my friend Alison's K-State Wildcats on Thanksgiving...everyone knows I'm a betting person so we may have a friendly wager.

Andy told me a funny story the other day. Uncle Kenny and Aunt Vesta paid him an Anne a visit at Twin Lakes State Park. Apparently when Aunt Vesta took her wig off and laid in on the couch, Rocco mistook it for some sort on hairy invading creature and proceeded to attack it! OK, you have to know both Rocco (Andy and Anne's hyperactive mutt) and Aunt Vesta to get the visual....but trust me, it is funny stuff.

Things are busy at the Reeder abode. The hot water heater broke last Friday. Susan had to take a cold shower....I staid stinky all day until "Paul the Plummer" came to install a new one. Thankfully, he is a nice guy and installed it first thing Saturday morning....Cindy was complaining about my stink and we don't want Cindy upset. Speaking of Cindy, dad has got her so spoiled that he even cooks her own lunch with his. I told him to stop and have to monitor what he gives her. The other day I caught him giving her Chili...CHILI! I can't even begin to explain to you the odors and sounds coming from her later that night. I told him if he did that again, I was going to make her sleep with him!! She has him wrapped around her little paw...and sits there innocently gazing up at him when he is eating a sandwich, giving him the ol' "mommy never feeds me, look at my cute floppy ears and puppy dog eyes." routine. I think I at least have him trained (yes, that is right....HIM trained...Cindy, as you know, is un-trainable) not to give her anything spicy and to limit it somewhat. But whothehell knows what really goes on when I'm at work. Those two are trouble.

HOOSIER....daddy?

My mother was from Bloomington, Indiana...home of Indiana University. My dad and several aunts, uncles and other relatives attended IU. But, other than a great uncles and aunts and second cousins....I have no more living relatives in Bloomington, IN. All of my extended family that read this blog are from nothern Indiana...outside Chicago...just saying....I know.

Back to more important things. My Cubbies are frustating the Casa de Florida de Reeder these days. Rich Hill goes tonight at 6PM in a must win for the boys in blue at Wrigley Field. Forget the damn curses and the scape"goats"....just win the damn game! The big three need to start hitting (Soriano, Lee and Ramirez) or the Cubbies are doomed and us fans will have to fall into the all too familiar "wait until next year" mode. Speaking of Cubs. Everyone knows what a big Steve Stone fan I am. I was extremely disappointed when he "left" WGN in the Dusty Baker era. I read his blog which he updates weekly. You can see it at http://www.stevestone.com/ . But, lately....I gotta tell ya, he sounds more like a bitter old man that a critical analyst. Read for yourself and let me know what you think. I usually agree with most of what he says...

Hokies against the Clemson Tigers at the same time today...what is a girl to do!

GGGGGRRRRRRRrrrrrrrr...Go CUBS!!

Goddamnit! You would think that as long as some people have known me, they know not to engage me in their perky, joyous chatter early in the morning before I have had my coffee! Don't you hate it when you just got back from the cafeteria with your coffee and some cheerleader saunters into your office (uninvited) and plops down in a chair (also uninvited) and proceeds to go on a 10 minute ramble about something you could give a shit about??!!....OK, I'm calm now.

I am officially Mitchell's favorite Aunt. I gave him mom's old cell phone. I had a family account with three numbers for me, mom and dad. And, since the Stalinist cell phone company won't let me cancel one of the numbers for the next year....I figured Champ could use the phone. Man, was he happy....of course my "most favored status", I'm sure, will be replaced by something Pat or Susan cooks up....but I'm enjoying the title while I have it. Now...what can I do to buy....er...um...I mean deserve Matthew’s gratification.....all part of my evil plan to become the coolest most awesomest Aunt in the world!

Speaking of Pat, She is going back to graduate school. She is attending U of Minnesota and is working towards an MS in International Relations...or somethingorother. She is joining us down here next month for Thanksgiving. WOHOO!
Could this be the year the Cubs break the curses of the Billy goat and Bartman? I sure as hell hope so. I am so excited that their overspending summer resulted in a division title. As Susan puts it, "we are the best of the worst" in the post season! Despite the worst record in the post season, I have high hopes. Other than the Diamondbacks starting pitcher tonight, I think the Cubs outmatch the Backs on paper...keep your fingers crossed. With the 10PM ET start though, I doubt I will see much of this series. I can't stay up that late....I am forty ya know!