Sosa

That's what it is according to Kate! She loves orange sosa out of her own bottle! Sorry that it is sideways, but I can't figure out how to turn it! LOL

Pillow Fight

Sleepovers

We had our first sleep over at my apartment (not my house mind you, Josiah says that it is an apartment not a house!) We had so much fun. The giggles and shouts of children are so contagious!

By about 9 o'clock, we had gone through soda, ice cream, candy, and (of course I fed them dinner!) taco bell! hehe

 So when I suggested that we start heading to bed, they were no where near ready. I stuck them all in the bath tub, yes all four! I did this because they all wanted to sleep in the bedroom. So I had to move my futon and a chair into the bedroom so that we had enough room. One on the couch, one in the chair, and three on the bed...good thing I got a queen!

Before we made it to sleep though of course we needed to break in the bed! Shhhhh...my sister would probably kill me. :-) They were having so much fun that I started taping them. That, not surprisingly, made them ham it up even more!

I am having some problems uploading the videos, but I will try to post them again.

Comfort

I found this picture the other day, and had to choke back the tears. My unit The unit I used to serve with just left this past week. It has reminded me of those first days of deployment. They are full of uncertainty and emotions. The bond that is formed as you work side by side with others during dangerous and fearful times, it is stronger than blood. It doesn't matter if you are from the south, the north, a large country family, or an only child from the city...when you depend on people everyday for everything, you are tied to them.

I wouldn't want to go back to active duty. I was ready to go, but that doesn't mean that the bond to those people is broken. So as they are going through their first days of deployment, I am here...a civilian...wishing with all my might that they have everything they need to get through. To all my 94th buddies, you all have grown and matured so much in your short time with the unit. No one could be prouder of how you all have pulled together. Take care of each other and bring everyone home.

Vote

So I have now been voting for a whole eight years now...I know, I know that's not long, but I have to share my frustration. I love voting. It is like the core essence of freedom, being able to choose who controls the country while we are all living the dream. Ok, so it sounds a little corny, but hey, that's me.


Back to my frustration...most of you probably thought that I would say something about people not voting. Nope, that annoys me, but hey, it's part of our freedom. My frustration is not being able to find out all the issues on a ballot and who is running for what and what they stand for. You know this is quite annoying.


Here's my fix for this election. I have gotten the ballot off of the following link


http://www.franklinmo.org/County_Clerk/Elections/2010_Elections/November_Election.html


now this is only for Franklin County, but you should be able to get onto any county web site and look up the ballot for your area.


Now you can be informed and vote...two of our great freedoms in this country.

Too much...

I have done some thinking over the past few days and had some revelations...that really shouldn't have taken me so long to see.


     Leaving the military has been very...ummm...interesting. {haha to say the least}. For anyone who hasn't done it before, it is a little like high school graduation. You wait and wait, dreaming of the day that it happens and then when it is over...you realize just how much you miss it. Oh, you remember the bad days, at least I do. People always ask if I would go back in...NO WAY! I remember the stress and strain of never being able to come home or sleep (kidding, well sorta! haha) But being a part of something so much bigger than all of us...is just an amazing feeling. On the flip side of that, the absence of belonging to such a life changing organization leaves you at a loss for how life is supposed to be or happen.
     With this loss, I have been "living". Going through the motions of moving on...starting college right away, job searching, moving into my apartment. All things that have been great and ways to move on with life. The problem is that when you are going through the motions, you aren't truly living!
     Life is too much. Sometimes that is bad...too much pain, too much heartache, too much struggle. But then there is that time when it just too much and those tears of joy come. Too much love, too much laughter, too much....life. With this in mind, I began thinking about what I am doing. Right now I go to school full time and the GI Bill pays my housing expenses. I don't have to work, but that doesn't mean that I shouldn't. I have too much to give not to use my extra time to help others.
     So here is my question...is your life too much? My challenge...use your too much - the bad to encourage others, the good to help others - and you will find that God takes the too much and turns it into just enough.

The VA

You know there is nothing that makes me miss the army less than the VA. Long lines, slow doctors, and very bad directions, all make for a day of pain! So on a day like today, when I have an appointment at the VA, I find it very hard to be in a good mood. :{

So I think that I need a joke....


Adam was talking to God one day, and asked, "why did you make Eve so pretty?"
God replied, "So you would love her".
Adam then asked, "why did you make her such a good cook?".
God replied, "So that you would love her".
Adam asked, "Why does she have such a heavenly smile?".
God said "So you would love her".
Finally, Adam asked "Why did you make her so dumb?"
God replied, "So that she would love you!".
 
LIVE! LAUGH! LOVE! Have a great day!

Today...

...on my table - school stuff...pens, pencil, printer, papers, study guides, flash cards, binders, books, computer....need I go on? LOL

...in my kitchen - COFFEE!!!! My favorite part of being out of the military is having morning coffee. It never really went well with PT...yuck. Anyway, back to my kitchen, ummm oh I have choc. chip cookies in the fridge waiting to bake.

...on my "to do" list - You know those cookies in the fridge...yeah...those need to be baked, packed up, and shipped to SPC Calloway who has been begging (yes, Calloway, you have been begging) for some cookies since he deployed to Iraq four months ago. Oh and I have an appointment today to get my knee checked out...the joys of military wear and tear.

...in my closet - Just wearing jeans and t-shirt today...figure school and dr appointment doesn't warrent anything more! Plus...flip flops!!!! Getting my fill before winter comes and I have to pack them away for socks :{

...in my Bible - John 4:6 "...and Jesus tired as he was from the journey, sat down..." Ok, so I know that this little portion of a passage isn't really great, and some might say that it is just details and there is nothing to learn there. Here's what I see though...I see a man. Someone who has been going strong and hard, who is human. A man who needs rest. The world's demands have beaten hard on him and he just needed a break. So he sat down, not giving up, but taking time to get refreshed before continuing his journey. It shows me that it is ok to be a little tired, to have to sit down and take a break before jumping back into the journey. It tells me...it's ok...and I love that God can reach down, put his hand on my shoulder, and without saying a word give me that comfort of knowing. So know today...it's ok.

...in my house - I have the windows open, fans going! I love this weather! Beautiful.

...what I am listening to - well right now the news :[ I have to watch it for school, but after I am done...gonna turn on JOY FM to get my fix before school. And of course the birds outside because the windows are open...then there is always the occasional car starting or person yelling...hehe the joys of living in an apartment complex.

Hope you all are having a great day. Let me know what you are up to!

Ok Ok Ok

Here is my first post in like forever...according to most of my readers. I have moved into my new apartment. It only takes thirteen minutes to get to school, which is really exciting! Speaking of school, it keeps me very busy and sometimes more stressed than I should let it, but overall, it is good. Since moving, I am obviously trying to get settled and make this place home...at least for the next two years or so. I am decorating (no laughing, I can be very domestic when I want to be : P ) and loving the space that I haven't had for many years now.
    I do have a dilemma though. I am now trying to decided the best way to get to know my neighbors. So if you have any suggestions, I would love to hear them.

Assessment...

Over the last few weeks, I have walked into a million houses. (Ok that's exaggerating! It's probably only a thousand! LOL!) The thing is that I walk in and I start to assess everything I see. What were these people thinking? How did they live? Did they EVER clean? Then I started thinking...how many times a day do I assess people? What is she wearing? Does she even have a full length mirror? Why would you treat your children like that? But rarely do I ever stop to think about the struggle that is going on in that person's life. We all have them. Some might show a little more than others, but they are all there if you just take a moment and look. A death in the family years ago that has never truly healed. A mask that has been worn for so long that looks so good, but it's weight is about to kill the person who constantly puts it on. A wife who is trying her best but can never seem to measure up to her husbands perfect standards. A mother whose child has turned out to be the one who the whole town knows as the "bad kid". A dad cashing his pay check wondering where, when, or if the next one is going to come.
 Every day, we pass people who need what we have, a peace. Yet instead of reaching out and helping, we judge and walk right by just adding to the pain that they feel. Can you imagine what it would be like if Jesus had reacted the same way to the "sinners" he came into contact with? You and I would be right down there on the bottom of the canyon of despair with no hope of ever getting out. I love the fact that he didn't and I would hate the fact that someone doesn't have the knowledge that they can get help out of that very oppressing canyon to live on the level ground that the cross has provided.

Back again!

OK...so I know that my posts have been more non-existent than ever, but with good reason...I am happy to report.

I am HOME!

The end of my active duty contract is 24JUL2010! So I am on terminal leave, looking for a house, a job, a brand new life basically! It is an exciting time, but also a crazy one. I have a lot of mixed emotions about leaving my soldiers to go to Afghanistan without me. I know, I know. I did my time. They can do theirs too, but they are like kids. My kids. You get them when they are new to the army and you raise them. Hopefully, right, instilling the army values and training them with all the knowledge that they will need to survive and thrive even in the worst of situations. So even though I am ecstatic to be home, and on to new things, there are parts of me that still play in that motherly area of the NCO...needing to watch her babies while they fumble their way through the grenade launching, missile exploding, heat ridden desert summers, frost bitten winter mountains, and oh yeah the boredom of this coming deployment.

-To the 94th BSB S6 shop, remember: There are no boundaries on a commo dog. I am watching you! They can talk about ya, but they can't talk without ya!
My love to all,
SGT Rudloff.

This is the first time I have tried to put some other type of filling besides a spread inside a cake. This cake ended up four layers of chocolate cake with strawberry inbetween two and whip cream icing in the middle layer.

It was by far the hardest one I have done yet. The strawberries made the cake shift and move and my whip cream icing losted its fluff so after I had gotten the outside iced the cake fell and I had to do some repair work. But here is the final product.

Time

I have 83 days left until I go on terminal leave and 99 days left until my ETS dates. This being said, it feels like last week I had 83 day left to terminal leave and 99 days let to ETS. Time usually flies by but over the past few months it has become a turtle crawling along. I usually have so much to do that I can hardly find time to breath...I mean I cannot believe that the past three years are already gone. Between basic and AIT and Polk and deployment then back from deployment and becoming an NCO...well the time to sit with nothing to d hasn't been there. I have found that I really hate to not be busy.Don't get me wrong, I like to curl up with a good book or watch a tv show series as much as the next person. But I really miss people...my people. I miss having people to go to the gym with, having my phone beep non-stop from all the texts or phone calls. Yes, it has been a stressful, long journey through this monster we call the military, but there wouldn't be one ounce of me that has regretted any of it. I have loved and hated the whole thing. Right now I am in the deep hatred spot, where you just want to walk in and tell your boss exactly what you think of him and how you think the company is doing with some really well chosen words. But since I can't I will settle for complaining to you all and telling you all how miserble I am right now...that way tomorrow I can walk in just like I did today with a fake smile on my face telling everyone hello and biting my tongue to keep the "word vomit" at bay!

Busy doing nothing.

So I haven't updated in forever...no excuse. I am not busy, just so "not busy" that there is nothing to write about.

How about some pictures of the latest cakes? Thats always better than the boring going on around here~

This one is strawberry cake with buttercream icing, but I put strawberry jello in the filling between the layers. It turned out really yummy!

This small cake was left over from cupcakes...I try never to waste an opportunity to practice, so here is my practice. I didn't make the icing for this particular cake so it is a little well un-coordinated color wise but hey practice is practice right!!!

This one was before I started class...you can tell because it isn't flat on top...it slopes!  :~P I really like the simplicity of only two colors, but I think smaller lines would have been more ellegant.

The first cake I made at cake decorating class. We were supposed to write Happy Birthday on it, but since I didn't know of anyone's birthday, I just left it blank.

Well, that is my life for the past couple of weeks. CAKES...very interesting hobby...my commander and 1sg had tons of fun with me taking baking classes as they call them. But hey it makes mondays something to look forward too.

~It's SPRING~

~Here is how I know it is spring...this is pollen off of only ONE of my window sills. Spring is in full bloom down here!~

~This is the landing outside my door. Yes, all that yellow is pollen. Just yesterday it was clean!~

Maybe I should coordinate a little better!

The color scheme on this cake is off. I think that there are too many different ones and they don't really go together, but I had icing left over and since I don't have a big fridge I actually made the cake specifically for the icing this time. I had certain things I wanted to practice too, so here it is.

This is the first time I have actualy used roses that I have made. I have practiced them a lot...just to scoop them all back into the icing bowl to do it again. Mostly because, I don't really like a lot of icing on my cake, so I think everyone else is the same. Haha...I have learned that is not true.

Here's another experiment...

I have been atempting to create a filled cupcake. This is a raspberry filling. I had a little trouble though because it was too thin. Cream cheese and things with that consistancy work great and are really easy with this new cake decorating tip that I have...jellies or jams would probably work, but I think they would be too sweet so I used fresh fruit. It was interesting to do, but tasted great and had a different look too!

Then I got tired! HAHA. Here are the rest that I didn't fill.

Remember those days that seemed to last forever. The ones that started early in the morning and ended with a cool bath just after dusk. Those days where you would fall into bed so tired from running through the woods, picking "food" for your "little house on the prarie", and talking to the pretend indians that you were oh so scared of! Those memories always make me smile and sometimes laugh. We were so carefree back then at my house. My sisters and I would be outside all day together, and then ask my parents (after much debate over who should ask!) if we could sleep together, as we all had separate rooms. Fun times and good memories. I can't wait to make more.

The braid bread

The other day I was chatting on MSN with my friend from Costa Rica. We were making plans for my next visit and revisiting all the great memories that we made the last time I was there. As part of my language learning, I would read the recipes and bake hoping that I usnderstood what it was saying to me. This is one of the recipes that I brought home.

It is just bread, but before it is braided, I put sweeten condensed milk, cinnamon, nutmeg and all-spice inside. It makes a great breakfast bread.

....and then

Those two words are so powerful. I mean apart they are words that hold things together, but together they create. ...and then he kissed her. ...and then she took her last breath. ...and then he walked away. ...and then she was alone. ...and then.

There are so many life changing thing that happen after and then. We all are hoping for the ....and then they lived happily ever after. We wish and pray all our lives for that type of ending. One that is exactly what we have been hoping for, but there is the other ending. The one that we all dread and pray never comes.

I got one of those today. I all started with a follow up appointment at my batallion PA's office. We talked, she charted, I descibed. You know the usual things you do with your doctor. And then...(there are those two magic words) it happened. She was wrapping up our session and telling me what needed to be done. She said, "I will talk to Dr. Adams (the Brigade surgeon) about getting you another evaluation...and then start the process of moving you into the WTU (Warrior Transition Unit = the injuried soldiers unit). This will mean extending your ets date by a couple of months. Sorry, but I don't want this coming at you from left field."

So there it is. My "and then". One of those that changes your life. Maybe it seems extremely small, but when you are living it any "and then" feels huge. 

Practice makes perfect

So I have stopped baking for a minute and started practicing!

 Here are just a couple of the designs that I have tried out. I am not great at any of them yet especially making tight roses, but I am working on it.

Anyone have a favorite icing flower that they have used in the past?

You know its a bad day...

Not even gonna go into it. But here is the product!

It isn't one of my greatest...I like the design, especially the weave, but I think it needed the stars on the bottom layer too. You might be able to see, the top layer is offset (not intentionally), so that kinda throws it off too! And I am still having trouble getting my icing consistency right. If you look close you can tell that the white icing is too thin, and the brown icing is a little too thick. Any helpful hints would be greatly appreciated!

Dinner

Just a salad, but I decided to make it restaurant quality tonight! Just for one!

I have changed a few things that I do with my salads lately.

• 
  
  One I only use spinach...not lettuce anymore. It is better for you and I have found that for me it tastes just as good.
• 
  
  Two - I stopped getting fresh tomatoes and started using canned. Especially in the winter months, I have found that canned tomatoes are cheaper and taste sometimes better than the fresh.
• 
  
  Other than that I just throw on some carrots, boiled eggs, chicken, parmasan cheese and finish it up with my special salad dressing.

I love salad and for me and my army weight requirement standard that is a really REALLY good thing!

Decorating brownies

Ok, so I really think that brownies never turn out...well...cute. You know they have that brownie pan that seperates the brownies as they cook, which I think was such a smart idea. But as I have established in earlier posts, I am WAY too cheap to buy it!LOL. So I have tried a couple of new things.

1. I now dump my brownies before I cut them. It helps a little with the breaking tops and crumblings.

2. I have tried to use a spatula to cut them, but I think that a really big knife would work well too.

3. I have cutened them up! (Is that a word?) Anyway, I have tried to make them something more than just plain brown.

So here they are...

oFF

Today was a training holiday for the 94th BSB. The day started out with me thinking about the future. It is an amazing feeling to be getting ready to start another type of life. There are so many things to do, but it is all so much like a book that is in the middle of a story...the author is still deciding which end to use. How do you choose and where do you look? You would think that it would be very simple having military experience, but in reality...who really cares whether you know how to don your nuclear protective gear in less than five minutes head to toe or that you can hit 32 out of 36 with an M4 or M240B. Those skills don't really translate too well into civilian world. Trust me, I have talked to many of my battle buddies who have gotten out and they are saying the same thing.
     Don't get me wrong the idea of freedom...oh my...and it being just around the corner! There are no words to describe how much I am wishing that day here! It is exciting and thrilling!
     My only hesitation is...what do I do now? So here's the deal, I want your opinions.

Tell me what you think I would be good at...a good direction for me to go in, a career choice that you think I would be good in, or an area for me to consider.

LET ME KNOW!!!!!

Third times a charm!

Good thing this was my first time!

This is my first atempt with fondant. It was fairly easy, but i made a few mistakes along the way. One thing is for sure...there is no patching up with fondant! But it was a fun try.

I decided to use the leftover icing for leaves...kind of a funny green but it worked ok I guess!

The Cleaning Ritual!

Crazy I know, but I have to say that I love DEEP cleaning.  I am horrible at keeping my "spaces" free from clutter inbetween these cleanings. Jeans can be thrown over the back of the chair instead of folded in the drawers, beds just get climbed back into at the end of the day, and dishes will always pile up so why do them right now. These thoughts (along with many other that make my mother cringe!) are how my life goes. But there is one day a week, usually Saturday or Sunday afternoon, that you can find me singing into my broom with the radio or dusting in time to the beat to get things clean around here. Since today happens to be that day (since CSM Farrow is coming by for room inspections tomorrow!) I thought I would share a few of my favorite things to do while cleaning:

• Radio settings: For this time, it HAS to be country...I have tried contemparary christian, jazz, classical (which really slows me down...haha), and even soft rock or oldies. The radio usually has too many commercials. I pop in a cd that has the best of Reba McEntire, Brooks and Dunn, Tracy Lawerence, and Keith Urban.
• My drink of choice: I like to save my soda for this time. Makes me not so guilty cause all the calories I am spending on the soda, I am outputting into the cleaning. Ok, so maybe I am not, but it makes me feel better anyway!
• Food: I usually pick up something fun for my lunch or dinner...so that I don't dirty the dishes I just cleaned up. Plus, it is like a reward for finishing my job
• Clothes: I always have to remind myself to change before I start. I cannot tell you how many shirts or pants I have bleached because I forgot to change. I prefer to wear shorts cause on your knees with bleach means funny looking pants! So I throw on a t-shirt and short and I am ready to go!

With all these things, it usually only takes me about 5 minutes to get into the mood. I have had people stop by and they always look at me really weird when I answer the door happy and tell them I have been cleaning! But hey, to each his own, right?

More self prescribed therapy

Here are a couple more cakes that I made today.

It was one of those cakes that I hated while I was doing it. Couldn't get it done fast enough! It was a little more dfficult than I was used to.

So after I got done with that really annoying butterfly, I did a funny cake with the leftover batter I had.

Both of these turned out better than my last cake!

 I was so frustrating at the time that I just started

 slinging icing everywhere....

VERY THERAPUTIC!

I highly recommend it as stress relief, but definately not for show! Yikes!

Cheap Cheap Cheap

Ok..so I admit it! I am CHEAP! LOL! I love to save money, especially on things that I have to have, like grocerys, health and beauty items or clothing. So my newest hobby is coupon clipping. I make my grocery list and then try and find a coupon for as many items as I can. There are several sites that I use for this quest.

First...
     You can always do a google, bing, or yahoo search for the product you are looking for. This way is really aggervating because it will pull up all sorts of surveys and questionares to take or sites that you have to register to be able to download coupons.

So...
     I recommend a couple of sites that you try first.

http://print.coupons.com/Couponweb/Offers.aspx?pid=14505&nid=10&zid=py13

http://www.couponalbum.com/index.htm

http://coupons2.smartsource.com/smartsource/index.jsp?Link=QKMLBTO57RA5I

     This site has different coupon sites that you can go to...it is usually pretty good, especially for it's restaraunt coupons.

http://www.wow-coupons.com/index.php


     Here is one for bigger items or well non-grocery items

http://www.thefind.com/

Second...
     Thing that I have found that has saved me a few dollars is a Price Book. It is kinda a wish book of the bigger things that I want or need. Each page is for one item...on this page I put a picture of the item I want (if I have one), the description, and then the price. Here's how I save though...I put the price under the store that has the product at that price. So if Wal-Mart has it as $150 and Target had it at $148, I know this and save a couple of bucks, especially if I find a coupon for that store or that item. It helps me know where to go and what store to look for a coupon for!

Third...
     Another way I save is samples. I know sounds cheap right...well, it is! So there are some sites that give you samples of things you normally buy every day. I have gotten tooth paste, tooth brushes, shampoos, soaps, cereal, granola bars, make up, perfume...you name it. Now it is only a sample, so there isn't much of it. But it is good for a guest basket for your bathroom or snacks on a road trip! Here is one site that usually has some pretty good samples...or like I said before you can google it.

http://www.freeflys.com/FreeSamples


Hope these ideas help you on your savings!

Test

As a child, I hated that word. Now that I am a mature adult, I realize...

..how right I was.

Yesterday, I had an EEG and a BEAR test at my neurologist's office. It is funny how nervous we get even when we can't "fail". Anyway, I won't get the results back until the 23rd...so more waiting! Hear a theme in these last few posts about my health...it is a lot of waiting. But I am not a good waiter!

You would be surprised

how often my life throws me curve balls! So I am driving over to get gas the other day on post when this thought comes to me...did my car get renewed when it was in missouri? So I open up the glove box and sure enough...it was due in January while it was in Missouri getting fixed, but no one caught it then! So I made a rush trip home to Missouri, a trip that usually takes me about 12 hours, to get the jeep inspected and registered. It took me about 23 and 1/2 hours to get there but I made it and got everything taken care of. I just made it back to post about 20 or 30 minutes ago.
The only thing I can say for sure about this trip is that it taught me something about myself...I have no future of criminal activity! I kept looking over my shoulder the whole way home and I only had an expired registration. I don't know how people deal with the guilt of the criminal life. LOL!

THE PERFECT PA

In the military before you see an M.D., you see what is called a P.A. (Physician's Assistant). They evaluate you and send you to the correct clinic if you need. Up until now, I have been ok with our PA, but today I fell in love with her! She took over an hour and a half. Everytime one of the specialist "can't help", she comes up with more encouragement and a new idea. Today, I walked into the clinic very depressed and defeated, feeling like we were pretty much at the end of the road and I was going to be like this for the rest of my life. She took her time, listen to me, watched me cry with tears in her eyes, and even called me by my name, my first name, while reassuring me. It kinda restored my faith in the army. There are still soldiers out there that are compassionate and helpful, caring and willing to fight for you. I had thought that I was the only one left that really felt like being a soldier was an honor. I guess not though.
   So with all that said, my perfect pa said that she couldn't do anything. I know that it sounds crazy, but she said we wait. That after all the appointments stop, that is when we act and push, and fight like mad for something else to be done. Here is were we sit...waiting...again...but maybe with at least one person on our side.

     (But don't let her know that I told you...she wouldn't want to lose her reputation!)

Blog Hop - Snow snow snow

Well, I live in Louisiana and we have only had this one bout of snow this year.

But, my favorite snow picture is not very clear, but the beauty of it isn't what makes is special. It is the location of the picture...

FOB Rustamiyah, Iraq. At times over there it was

hard to see the existance of God, but when it snows

 in the desert you can't help but realize that God is 

 everywhere!                          

AND COUNTING!

150 DAYS

So I went to my pre-separation brief today. It was very informative and now that it is over I have so much to look over and research. I better get to it!

Again

Just a short update...I got another appointment with a new neurologist in March. This neurologist is in Alexandria, a city about 45 minutes to an hour away from Ft Polk.  I am praying that the doctors will be able to find the problem and start to repair it. I would appreciate all of those who will join me in my prayers.

Thank you!

My self-prescribed therapy

When I get annoyed,

 frustrated, mad, upset, or just need to think,

I bake.

E-V-E-R-Y-T-H-I-N-G!!!!!

Chocolate Chip Cookies

Double Chocolate Chip CookiesMini Pumpkin Pies

Applesauce Muffins

And that's just the stuff that made it to the oven...I still have peanut butter cookies and spiced pinwheels to bake! Call me crazy, but maybe I will start tomorrow off on the right foot...at least a sweet one.