Wednesday, November 30, 2011

NaBloPoMo...it's been nice

So way back at the beginning of the month, I decided that I would participate in a little blogging activity.  I did my very best to blog everyday, and including today's post I will have blogged 23 times in the month of November.

This is a really big deal for me.  I just started this blog less than a year ago, and I'm still trying to figure out where to take it, how to best design it, and what exactly to write about. 

I followed a few of the NaBloPoMo prompts from BlogHer, but I also just blogged about what I was doing and the (what I think is) fun things happening in my life.  There were probably one or two posts asking for advice, or complaining, but hey, that's what this is all about for me.  It's my place to write and share/document what I/we do.  Some of it is fun, some of it is boring, but all of it I love.

I'm really glad I took on the challenge to blog everyday this month.  I wish I could have done a little bit better, but this really opened me up to the blogging world and gave me so many more ideas.  I'm looking forward to many more days of blogging ahead!

Tuesday, November 29, 2011

Eat, Drink, and Shop Local in the 216

I love the city of Cleveland.  I've lived in the area my entire life, and besides for the 4 years that I was in college and the 2 years after when I was a temporary east sider, I have lived in the West Park neighborhood.

First with my parents growing up.  Then, after college when it came time to buy a house, I knew right away that I would be headed back to my old neighborhood.  A little over two years ago, I bought my own little house in Cleveland, and despite some headaches that come with homeownership, I have loved almost every minute of it.

The reason for this post is partly because I love the city and want to blog about some of the amazing local places to eat, drink, and shop, and partly because I would love to win a contest that is being put on by Chef's Widow, who also loves to shop local.

Check out her contest here.  It is awesome and I am trying my absolute best to win it!

I have to confess, I probably don't shop local as much as I could, but I sure love to eat and drink local.

Last week Ben and I went out to eat three times, all at local restaurants.

On Tuesday we visited Crop Bistro where we are never disappointed.  The drinks are delicious and the food is oh so yummy.  We have met and talked with Chef Steve Schimoler and he was so fun.  He loves to talk food and drink, like any chef would, but was so inviting and kind.  Each experience we have had was amazing and I would recommend it to anyone and everyone.

I also dined with my girlfriends at SOHO and although it is a new place, we had a great time.  The food was good, the atmosphere was fun, and the service was great.  So far this seems like another great place to add to Ohio City.

I had Saturday night off thanks to Morganne who picked up my shift and Ben only had to serve so he was done with work early.  This does not happen very often so we headed to Dante where we knew we could enjoy some tasty late night food and a quiet drink.  The food and service here have always been wonderful and if it were up to me, I would buy everyone I know gift certificates here for the holidays.

Of course I brunched last week at Market Garden Brewery.  I took two friends their for the first time and we had lots of fun eating and drinking and trying not to watch the Browns too closely.  That was just too painful and there is never any reason to ruin a good brunch.

These are only a few of the delicious local places to eat and drink.  I love frequenting local restaurants and taking new friends and family there.  It is so important to Ben and I to enjoy fresh local foods and we know we can do this at so many local Cleveland restaurants.

Another way to shop local is to visit a locally owned hair salon.  I see Nikki at Bixels  in Mentor.  When you walk in the door you are greeted like a friend, not just a client.  The owner is always there chatting with customers and making you feel welcome.  It is an awesome little salon that has been open for just over a year.

Banyan Tree is a local Tremont shop that has great gifts, for your family and friends (and even for yourself!)  I especially love the earrings they carry.  I have more pairs than necessary but love them!

One last way to shop local is to visit the Etsy shops of local artists/craft creaters.  Two shops that I like to tell people about are Joyful Star which is run by Ashley who has an awesome blog, and ohh my posh which my cousin just started about a month ago.  This is a great way to support local shop owners, in a little bit of a different way.

I hope you will buy at least one local item this holiday season, even if it is just going to a local restaurant instead of a big chain.  Try something new, have fun, and support your city!

Monday, November 28, 2011

thanksgiving recap

I've been spending the last hour trying to figure out how to use Picasa to create a photo collage.  Well, let's just say that I have not been successful and since it is late, I've given up.

So instead of a really cool post with an awesome layout, you are going to get a little list of family pictures from our first Thanksgiving at our house.

the boys watching football and playing with the dog

the hosts!

mom, grandma, and uncle joe

heather, mom, grandma, and me
beautiful ladies

ben's family
 Just a few of the things that I am thankful for.

Sunday, November 27, 2011

busy weekend wrap up

What a wonderful weekend.  I have so much to be thankful for, and this weekend was another reminder of lots of those things.

Friday morning at midnight I went out shopping with my mom and we were able to accomplish lots of Christmas shopping.  I got home about 6 am and was completely exhausted but had a great time.  We've been Black Friday shopping for a few years now and I can't imagine not being a part of that crazy hectic day.

When I got home at 6 am I went to bed (if you can call it that), slept for a few hours and then woke up and went to work Friday night.  By the time I left you could barely make it through the bar without having your feet stepped on 20 times and a million people rubbing up against you.  Why people pay to drink at a place that is wall to wall crowded is just beyond me.  I don't get it!

Since I had slept so late Friday I was not tired enough to go to bed when I got home, so I started decorating for Christmas!  As of right now all of the decorations are up and the tree is in the process.  I ran out of lights so I have to stop tomorrow so that it can be finished (I love Christmas decorating).

Saturday morning we woke up and did lots of house chores.  We had to paint the chipping wood on the garage door and the side of the garage, we cut back the rest of the rose bushes, and we tore out the attic insulation.  Yes, a very busy morning/afternoon, but very productive!

I had the night off work so I went to dinner with my mom and sister, and then ran a few errands to try and finish up my shopping.  I met up with Ben after he was done at work for a quick bite to eat in Tremont, and then we met up with Melis and Anthony for a drink.  It was so nice to be out on a Saturday night like most of the other people our age.  What a change from what we are used to!

Today started with church, then more errands, then brunch, and ended with cleaning up/organizing the house and a quiet little dinner here.  I am so thankful for everything this weekend brought, and even more thankful for all of the other blessings in my life!

Thursday, November 24, 2011

happy thanksgiving

Today we hosted our first real holiday with both families over.  We had them in shifts, but everyone was still here.  We took some pictures but those will have to be posted later.  Right now, we are hanging out on the couch, watching Charlie Brown Thanksgiving.  I am getting ready to go shopping at midnight with my mom because I am a crazy person (so excited!!!)

There is so much to be thankful for today, and I cannot put into words just how lucky I am to have such wonderful family and friends.  Happy Thanksgiving!!


Wednesday, November 23, 2011

SOHO, Crop Bistro, good friends, and a new dishwasher

I have not done the best job this month of keeping up with NaBloPoMo.  I've been trying...I really have.  Instead of dwelling on what I didn't do though, I'm just going to keep writing whenever I do have the chance...like now!

Yesterday night was our November monthly dinner date.  The girls drove out to the westside since I'm always heading east and we met up at SOHO  in Ohio City.  It is a fun little restaurant with great atmosphere and a pretty delicious menu too.  I had the sweet potato bisque and fried green tomatoes, which I could have had another plate of if I had room. 

After lots of catching up, they headed back east and I headed to Crop Bistro to meet up with Ben for a drink.  We ended up staying out way later than I had planned and meeting up with more people than I thought possible on a random Tuesday night.  It was a great night though, and it made me realize just how lucky I am for the wonderful people in my life.

I spent today doing my best to get everything ready for dinner tomorrow.  I ran a few errands and then had to be at home because we were having a new dishwasher installed.  The old one wasn't working right and instead of having someone come look at it, we decided we should just get a new one.  Probably not the best idea because the guy who put it in said there was a part that had never been taken out of the new garbage disposal and that was causing it to not drain properly.  Basically, we most likely did not need a new dishwasher.  Right now, I'm trying not to think about that part, and instead focus on how quiet and nice the new dishwasher is in the kitchen.

Now it's off to bed to get some rest because we are hosting Thanksgiving tomorrow...yikes!

Monday, November 21, 2011

the lights are up!

This past Saturday, the afternoon weather was gorgeous.  It was sunny and warm...the perfect day for putting up Christmas lights!

I know, I know, Thanksgiving is on Thursday and Christmas decorations should not be up yet.  I (kind of) agree.  Let me explain.

No one really wants to put Christmas lights up in the freezing cold when there is a blizzard.  The best time to put them up is when the sun is shining and your fingers are not turning into little icicles.

Ben and I had the time Saturday before work and we got all the lights up outside.  I just need to get the wreaths put up and we are all set.  Don't worry, they are not turned on yet (but I really want them to be!)  To be completely honest, if we were not hosting our first Thanksgiving dinner at our house this year, I would probably have my tree up already!

Here's to the start of another happy holiday season!

Sunday, November 20, 2011

just a tab bit frustrated

My phone is not working right...AGAIN.

About 2 weeks ago I was unable to make a phone call at all.  Pretty strange because that is the main function of a phone.  Now, I rarely make a phone call, but it is still a pretty important function.

So I took it to the store and they "rebooted" it or whatever you have to do to fix a broken phone. 

And yay!  I could make phone calls.  Except I couldn't tweet pics, access my alarm clock, or listen to an entire song using Pandora.  One problem fixed, three more began.

So today I spent about 2 hours on the phone with customer service and now I have no contacts again.  What a huge waste of time and I've basically gone backward! 

I guess if this is my biggest problem right now I should be happy.  I know there are people out there dealing with much worse than a malfunctioning phone, but it's driving me crazy!

Ok, enough complaints for one night.

Thursday, November 17, 2011

a thank you

The month of November is a wonderful time to remember to be thankful.  I've been trying to think of one thing everyday that I am thankful for and tweet it  but there are just those days when not even one tweet makes it's way into the Twitter world.

Today is a day that I am thankful for being thanked.  Sounds weird right?  I feel wrong even being thankful for such a thing, but having someone thank you is such a great thing.

I try not to talk about work too much on here.  I love my job and can't imagine doing anything else, but working in a school is something that I have a hard time mixing with this blog.  I worry so much about being scrutinized for anything and everything that I post (even though there is only one person who know that I am even writing this blog!)

But today, I just feel the need to share something great.

Tonight was the first night of parent teacher conferences.  Everything went well and I have no complaints about this at all, but I do want to brag just a little.

After one of my conferences ended tonight, before the family left, they stopped and said how thankful they were for what I do with their child.  They were so happy with everything and they just wanted to make sure I knew how thankful they were.

It was such a nice thing to say, and I'm not even sure if they realize how much I would appreciate it.  After many crazy things that have been going on these past few weeks, it was exactly what I needed to get me through the night.  Being appreciated for what you do, what you love to do, and what you can't imagine not having in your life, is just an extra bonus.

Today, I am thankful that someone appreciates what I do and is thankful for that.  What a nice little day I ended up having.

Wednesday, November 16, 2011

a favorite place

Do you have a favorite place?  I don't know if I can pick just one, but one of my favorite places has to be my parents kitchen table.

This is the place where we sat as a family every night as long as I can remember for family dinner.  It was something my parents were big on.  The only time we were excused from dinner was for sports or work once we were in high school.  My mom always prepared dinner, and we were always there to enjoy it.  I can't imagine what people do who don't eat dinner together every night.

Most of the time we talked about our days and caught up with what was going on.  Sometimes we just ate in silence because we all had so many things to do.  Either way, I can't imagine my days without dinner at the kitchen table.

Now when I go home, I love sitting around the table for basically the same reason.  We talk, we eat, we laugh, and we have a great time.  It is the perfect place to catch up with the family and feel exactly like I did every night growing up.

What's your favorite place?

Tuesday, November 15, 2011

laundry

Something that I just hate doing is laundry.  First you have to sort the clothes.  Then you have to wash them.  Then, some have to be in the special load of cold water.

Then, even after you wash them, sometimes you have to sort them again.  Only some can be dried, so those go in the dryer while the others get hung up on the line.

A huge problem I have is not having enough room in the basement to hang up all the clothes that can't be dried.  Even with a drying rack, I sometimes still run out of room.

And don't even get me started on ironing. 

Every part of this process is like pulling teeth.  Too bad I'm not so rich that I just have someone to take care of this horrible chore for.

Well, enough complaining for one night.

Sunday, November 13, 2011

sunday funday

Today began with one of my favorite things of the school year.  It was our Girls on the Run 5K!!


We ran the race this year in Peninsula in the Cuyahoga Valley National Park.  The course was so beautiful and the weather could not have been better.  I buddied up with one of the girls and we finished in about 33 minutes.  She was so pumped and had such a great time.  I was happy to run with her, and she definitely is the reason that I finished so fast!

Afterward, I came home and Ben and I acted like grown ups for the rest of the afternoon.

It all began when we decided earlier this week to host Thanksgiving at our house.  Yep, crazy, but that way we don't have to travel which is something we both hate doing.  We will work the day before and the day after, and I will be out shopping at midnight, so it will be nice to have it here.

Since we are having Thanksgiving though, we needed a new one of these:


Ours broke awhile ago, and I've just been waiting until the last minute to go out and get a new.  Literally the last minute because it will not be delivered and installed until the day before Thanksgiving.  Just in time right!

Later this week I get to spend a bunch of money on tires for my car...oh how I love being a grown up!


Saturday, November 12, 2011

book club

I recently posted about how I finally have my best friend back in CLE.  I am still so happy about this and enjoying all the time we get to spend hanging out and having fun.

While she lived in Columbus, a few of her friends started a book club.  Since she had such a good time with them, she wanted to start one here.  The group e-mail started and everyone got excited.  I think she said there are 8 people who are all signed up, ready to read and drink wine of course, at our monthly meetings.

I am so excited for it to start.  We were thinking after the holidays will probably be best, but I'm already looking forward to our first book!

Friday, November 11, 2011

three wishes

I'm working through NaBloPoMo to post every day this month.  I've only used a few of their prompts, because I've been doing my best to write about things that come to my mind, but sometimes I like the prompts and don't have anything on my own mind!

Today is 11/11/11.  Of course everyone is making a huge deal about the numbers.  Today is also Veteran's Day.  I would like to take a minute to thank every veteran in this country.  If it was not for the men and women who gave their lives to protect our freedom, who knows where we would be today.  I don't think we as a country can ever thank them enough.  Happy Veteran's Day to all of you!

Today's prompt was to make 3 wishes, so here it goes.

I wish for my parents to be able to see me walk down the aisle and see their grandchildren grow up.

I wish for their to be a cure for Lymphoma, so I did not have to worry so much.

I wish for healthy happy children, when the time is right.

What do you wish for?

Thursday, November 10, 2011

everyone has a different definition of clean

There is never enough time in the day/week/month for me to feel like my house is truly clean.  Of course it is livable and I think by many peoples standards, it's really clean.  But I live in it, so I know where all the dirt is and what should be getting clean.

I think the house needs to be vacuumed everyday, especially with one of these hanging around.


She is covered in hair and seems to shed all year long.  She sits on the couch and sleeps on the bed, which means her fur is EVERYWHERE.

Does it bother me?  Of course it does.  But do I really have time to vacuum the house everyday?  Not if I want to have fun, relax, get papers graded, or work a second job.  I have learned to live with the fact that sometimes there will be dog hair on the bed, on the couch, and on my clothes.  I do my best to vacuum as often as possible, but I'm getting better at just not doing it too.  It is not a matter of life and death, so sometimes I just have to give it up.

The kitchen and bathroom are my pet peeves.  When those are clean, I really do feel like the rest of the house is clean, even if it is not.  I always clean them once a week, including swiffering or shark mopping the floor.  I often wipe them down throughout the week with a Clorox wipe just so they feel extra clean.

To me, this makes all the difference in my house being clean.  Some people probably think this is to much, while others think I'm not clean enough.  I try my best, and Ben is really good at helping me, especially when we are having people over.  That is the exception to me trying to be calm about cleaning.  When people are coming over, I flip back into crazy mode and feel like it has to be absolutely spotless.  On a typical week though, it is just light cleaning with some maintenance throughout.

What are you cleaning musts?

Wednesday, November 9, 2011

country music

I am a huge country music fan.  I've been listening to country music for as long as I can remember and I can't imagine not hearing a country song at some point during the day. 

Why country music?  I really don't know.  My parents listened to it for years as we took weekend trips to "the land" and while we were there camping with our cousins, it was just on the radio.  I mean, we were in the middle of Cosochton, Ohio, where there isn't much on the radio except country music.

So it's kind of just something that stuck.  Is it always the best music?  Probably not.  Are many of the songs about the same old country stuff?  Yep.  But that's part of what makes them what they are.

You always know what you are getting when you turn on country music and I like that.  I've seen Kenny Chesney, Rascal Flats (twice), The Dixie Chicks, and yes...Billy Ray Cyrus in concert.  Maybe that's what started it all.  A concert in 1995 with our neighbors from across the street where we all sang "Achy Breaky Heart" at the top of our lungs.

Oh, the good old days!

Tuesday, November 8, 2011

jammy buggars for girls on the run

Tonight Ben and I met up with his friend Jay at Jammy Buggars in Lakewood because they were donating 15% of their proceeds tonight to Girls on the Run.  How could I pass up such a wonderful opportunity?

We had the chance to try a great new restaurant, have some yummy food, drink some Christmas Ale's and have a good time with friends.  All while donating some money to an absolutely wonderful cause that I will support through and through. 

I cannot get enough of this great program that I am so lucky to be a part of.  If you ever have a chance to make a difference with something that you are passionate about, do it.  It makes you feel great and you are making a difference at the same time.

What more could you ask for?

Monday, November 7, 2011

balance

I'm working on being a better blogger and trying my best to participate in NaBloPoMo.  This means that today I'm actually going to follow the prompt and write a little about balance.

Making family time is important to me. How do you balance your children, relationship, and work life?- Ricki Lake

I'm still trying to figure out how I balance my own life, let alone how I make time for the other important people in my life.  So here is my best attempt at explaining how I balance all the important stuff.

Ben- We see each other Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday nights, sometime Thursdays if Ben gets the night off.  We try our best to make dinner those nights and eat together.  Of course during the week we both have school work to do, so we always have to squeeze that in somewhere.  We try to spend time together Saturday morning before work, but that is also a good day to run errands and get house stuff done.

Family-  Sundays are typically our family day.  We either head to the eastside to see Ben's family or hang out at home and have dinner with my family.  This is important to both of us since we spend so much time working and we enjoy spending time with our families.

Friends- Of course I always have my monthly dinners.  This is something I look forward to all month and can't imagine not having.  Since Melis and Anthony finally moved back to CLE, we spend time with them about once a week.  Sometimes on Sundays for Browns games, or other times during the week for dinner.  We do our best to hang out with couple friends and our own friends to keep that balance.

Work-  There is never enough time for this.  I often take things home and leave them in my bag because I need a break.  I need time with my dog and Ben, or time to go outside and enjoy the sunshine.  I do my best to keep the balance in my work life and still do the best job that I can.

Balance is hard.  I'm finding there are so many things I want to do and just not enough hours in the day.  It takes awhile to figure out how to prioritize and decide what can just get left alone (like vacuuming everyday, totally not necessary).  I'm working on balance and trying my best, but I'm sure it will be something I always have to work on.

Sunday, November 6, 2011

a day for family

What a beautiful weekend!  The weather we had in Cleveland could not have been any better.  The sun was shining, there was barely a cloud in the sky, and the air was the perfect crisp fall type of air.  It was wonderful and I could not have been more thankful.  Beautiful weather like that just makes you happy and puts you in such a great mood.  Especially when we know snow is just around the corner!

Ben and I spent the day visiting family.  This morning we got up and headed to the eastside to visit with his mom, grandma, and brother for brunch.  We took Breckyn with us and she got to run around on their property and play with his grandma's puppy Abby.  I like Abby because she is a bad dog, and she makes Breckyn look like a good dog!  I know that is so bad, but it makes me feel like I'm raising a half way decently behaved dog (is that really the right way to say that?)

His mom showed me some new knitting projects that she is working on and even gave me 2 pieces for the project that I'm working on with Knitting Club at school.  I can't wait to show the kids Tuesday and hopefully it will help to motivate them to get theirs going.

We headed back to the westside, ran some errands, and then headed over to my parents house for dinner.  We left Breckyn at home even though my sister's dog would have loved to see her.  She was plenty tired and could have used the rest. 

We caught up with my parents and had a delicious dinner.  Of course there is never enough time to sit around and talk and laugh, because we ALWAYS have something to do!

Ben headed to his Chapter meeting and I headed to JoAnn Fabrics for some crafting stuff that I'm going to motivate myself to work on, which means I have to get off this computer now.

Hope your weekend was wonderful!

Saturday, November 5, 2011

how do you break up with your hair dresser?

courtesy of planetgreen.com
I love my hair dresser.  She is fun to talk to, knows lots about me, and I've been going to see her for 4 years.  We have lots to talk about for the 2 1/2 hours that I am with her every 9-10 weeks, and she knows exactly how I like my hair done.

However, her salon is 45 minutes away.  Which makes a 2 1/2 hour hair cut and highlight take 4 total hours out of my day.  That's a ton of time.  And it puts a big $150 hole in my pocket.

I am going to see her next Wednesday and I know I will be happy with her work.  The problem is, I really don't want to keep driving out there and paying that much for a hair cut.

What do you do?  How do you break up with your hair girl?  Where do you find a new one?  Am I really over paying or is that what other salons charge too?  This is stressing me out!

I know I will just end up continuing to go see her because I will feel horrible if I don't and then I won't have to spend time trying to find someone new.  Basically I'm stuck.

Any advice is welcome.  Who is your hair girl or guy?  What is their fee?  Am I crazy?  (okay, don't answer that last question)

Oh Friday

I must begin by saying that I am pretending that this post is occurring on November 4, 2011 because this is the first time that I have had a chance to sit down at the computer and actually post today.  It just so happens that my today is November 4th, even though the time of day is telling me it is November 5th.  Nope. Not me.  Not there yet.  In order to help myself achieve my November goal, right now it is still Friday.

Friday. Friday, Friday, Friday.

Most people look forward to this day of the week because it means the weekend is here! Not to be a downer or anything, but Friday is my absolute longest day of the week.  Here is a little run down of my day.

I woke up at 5:55 am, got ready, ate breakfast and headed out the door.  I was at work by 7:15.

I worked all day with the kids and it was a good day.  Fridays at school are usually a little more laid back.  We get work done, but the atmosphere is just a little more calm in my mind.  I left work at 3:45.

When I got home I changed, got ready, shoved some hummus in my face, and left again at 4:50.

I was on my feet all night at work until about 11:30, when my day finally ended.  Whew!  Thank goodness.  By the end of today I am more exhausted than I ever am any other day of the week.  I can barely keep my eyes open to finish this post!

Working that long barely gives me time to eat, post, read the paper, remember to go to the bathroom (too much?)

But, it is all for a good cause right?  Someday I will have my savings built back up and feel good about all the work I've done. 

Plus Ben is at the bar working so there isn't really much else for me to do.  On Fridays I look forward to my bed and pillow more than anything else, so I think that is where I will go right now!

Thursday, November 3, 2011

how much do you rely on your cell phone?

Yesterday my phone unexpectedly stopped making calls.  You know, the thing that phones are SUPPOSED to do.  Yep, mine wasn't.

I was furious.  I couldn't make a call, I appeared to have no contacts, and I had no idea what I was going to do.  I was home alone so I started freaking out that something would happen and I would have no way to get a hold of anyone and I would just be left to fen for myself.

Then I realized I could still text and I calmed down a little.  Once I stopped panicking, I started to get angry and when Ben got home I yelled at him about it, which is something I always do.  Of course that did not solve the problem, but I felt a little bit better.

Luckily I took it to Verizon today after work and all of my contacts are back and it's working just fine.  PHEW!

All of this made me think about just how much we rely on technology.  If I didn't have my cell phone I have no way to call anyone.  We don't have a house phone because it's not really necessary and we are trying to save money.  Of course I have a computer and that allows me contact with the outside world, but without my cell phone I almost feel naked at this point.

Is that really okay?  Do other people feel this way?

Wednesday, November 2, 2011

Hello November! (How did you get here so fast?)

October is over and I can't believe it.  I love the season of fall so much and just wish it could last a little longer.  Today was a beautiful Cleveland fall day and you couldn't help but just have a smile on your face with all of that sunshine.  I even got outside after work and cut back most of the Hosta plants and all of my Mums.  It didn't even feel like work since it was so nice and I took Breckyn out to keep me company.

So apparently there is something called National Blog Posting Month.  I first read about it on Ashley's  blog and had to Google it because I thought it was a made up word.  Turns out, it's real.

Well, I thought this was the perfect time for me to really dive head first into the blogging world.  I am going to be a part of NaBloPoMo!  I know I am a day late, but I am not going to let that stop me.  Instead I will try my best to post everyday.  I'm following @nablopomo and @BlogHerBlogging on Twitter to help me stay on track and give me some writing ideas because sometimes at the end of the day, there is just nothing left up there.

I'm really excited about this and can't wait to see how it all works out.  Thanks again to Ashley for the idea!