Short Update...

(Immigration Services Office & my truck in the reflection haha)

Eleven more sleeps until I pick up my husband!! I cannot wait. I was hoping that on Valentine's Day I could return with him to Czech Republic but it seems like I will not get my travel permit until March 13th :( This is the Immigration Services "goal" and not a definite. The Department of Homeland Security has ongoing efforts to assist Haiti in designating Temporary Protected Status (TPS). I miss you Adam ♥

America's New Deadly Obsession

Thanks "Oprah" for bringing this to the attention of everyone that does this. I am guilty myself, and fortunately nothing has happened to me or my family, and I want to keep it this way. That's why I choose to write about it tonight. Again, I'm guilty of talking and driving, and always thought I was able to handle it. This show made me wake up! I went "cold turkey" and stopped.

Once you see the personal stories of hearts broken on this episode, you will think twice. http://www.oprah.com/oprahshow/Watch-Oprahs-No-Texting-and-Driving-Show

Facts:

~"The human brain isn't equipped to concentrate on 2 things at a time"

~"Talking on the phone or texting while driving is just as dangerous as driving after having four drinks"

~"Whatever it is, it's not so important that it can't wait until you stop * If the message is that important, pull over."

~"The minute it takes to pull over is someone's life saved"

It is an epidemic to the safety and lives of those behind a wheel. IT CAN HAPPEN TO YOU!

I committed to not use my cell phone in my car yesterday. I was the 57364 person who submitted my pledge on Oprah's website :) There... beginning immediately, I will do my part to help put an end to distracted driving by not texting or using my phone while I'm driving. I will ask other drivers I know to do the same. It's a very important way to make a big difference!

Truly awakened & inspired, Thank you "O"!

"ARRIVE ALIVE DON'T TEXT AND DRIVE"

They're in the race...

Yes, Jeff and Jordan will be competing on the new season of The Amazing Race which premieres Feb 14th! Jordan is the winner of Big Brother 11. They hooked up on the show and are still together ♥
Here they are at the LAX airport over the Thanksgiving weekend heading to Chile along with 10 other teams. Good luck Jeff & Jordan racing almost 40,000 miles!!

My Sunday...

...included a marathon of Jersey Shore and Fashion Police (SAG Awards edition). Just like the Golden Globes, I love watching fashionistas on the red carpet ~ how they dress and all... One of my favorite ceremonies cuz winners are chosen by their peers. Fashion Police had great critics per above. Honest opinions on fashion hits & misses. Gotta love it!

Kate Hudson won for best dress in her gorgeous white jersey gown. Beautiful "do-it-yourself" hair. Phenomenal!

Every red carpet needs a worst dressed and that being said, Patricia Arquette unfortunately won that title this year. This is where I'd love to step in and say DON'T DO IT... Khloe said it in one word : Mermaid!

Just had to watch Jersey Shore to see for myself what the commotion was all about. After the 1st episode, I almost stopped. But decided to keep watch. Well, one thing lead to the other and I watched it ALL. It grew on me. Shout-out ~ Thank you MTV for giving me something to do LOL! I read this morning that they are trying to renegotiate a deal with the crew. They are asking or more money to appear in the 2nd season. We'll see what happens...

Proud, Proud, Proud!

Check out this lovely face on the front page of the Czech Rep hockey website!! (http://translate.google.com/translate?hl=cs&langpair=cs%7Cen&u=http://www.hcpce.cz/&client=tmpg) Then scroll down.

Obviously, I need some help from Google translator to understand what they wrote about my hubby. He's doing so well over there and I just can't wait to join him... Great work babe!! ♥

Thuuuursday!

Shadow and I on a recreational drive ~ No destination and no rush :) Just plain fun!!

Severe storms strolled through Florida yesterday. We had early dark skies, strong winds, heavy down pours and lightning in my neighborhood (per above pic). Thank goodness no tornado touch down!

The Lovely Bones

I went to see "The Lovely Bones" with Tiffany. It was a movie that had tons of possibilities. The first 45 minutes were real good and the last 30 minutes were also great. However, my thoughts of the 45 minutes in the middle, which were full of unnecessary visual effects, were boring. Fast forward please lol...! It veered off into a magical other world resembling the land of Oz. It could have been so much better like the movie; "Along came a spider, The bone collector or Kiss the girl" but the whimsical imagery just was to much for me ;)

Me & My Shadow :)

Literally, she follows me everywhere! It's cute. Today, while I did cardio, Shadow followed my leg with her head. It went up and down, up and down... I just had to laugh :) She's something else and we love her. That's my girl ♥

**21 days until I see Adam**

Obsessed with Perfection

There she goes again under that "Hollywood scalpel" at just 23 years old. But this time, she got 10 plastic-surgery procedures in 10 hours on November 20th. She calls it a spiritual transformation....!? WHAT.

1- breasts enlarged (triple Ds and she wanted H for Heidi?!?)

2- chin reduced

3- nose redone

4- mini brow lift

5- botox in forehead

6- ears pinned back

7- fat injection in lips & cheeks

8- liposuction

9- back redone for curvier look

10- fat injection in butt

If you ask me, it's surgical torture! She is looking more and more like Jenny "plastic" Lee.

Milestone

A precious milestone - One year ago on Jan 14th, we bought our cute little Shadow girl. I just took this picture today while we were hanging out outside. It's finally feeling like Florida again :) I'm so thankful for our German Shepherd. She's been a blessing and we love love love her ♥

CHEEEESY!! I know, I know... but I had to post this pic of us just getting home from an afternoon of playing at the dog park. We are both pooped!

Annnnd finally... A shot of my new hair color ~ Brown!! I must admit, it's great. Yes, I still have a few highlights but it's mostly all brown. Love it!

He's coming home!!

Couldn't really dream of feeling any more excited than I do know. Adam is coming home!!!!! It's a short visit (Olympic Break) but we'll take it ;) When he told me that his flight was booked, I was beyond stirred emotionally. Best news so far this year! Can't wait babe, to go pick you up and give you the BIGGEST hug EVER ♥

Golden Globes

Last night, I watched the 2010 Golden Globe Awards. Mother Nature decided to play spoilsport as a steady rain dampened red carpet parade. I'm sure it was not ideal for those actresses who had straightened their hair. Sandra Bullock, who won for Best Performance in The Blind Side (well deserved!), said she might end up looking like Chia Pet if she got any wetter LOL!!! That's her husband behind her making sure she stays dry.

"Avatar" and "The Hangover" took the 2 biggest prizes at the ceremonies. I was suppose to go see Avatar on Saturday but it's a 3D film. Can't do 3D because I will get nauseous haha! I know I will. "Glee" won best TV musical comedy series. I've been hearing so much about it. Wonder if it's worth watching... Does anyone have feedback?

Girls Night

A few pictures with some of the girls at Stonewood Grill. Look how NOT okay I am in front of Kim in the 1st pic. Um, hellooo... Get in the back tall one, lol! Once again, dinner was really fun and yummy. Mmmmm, bleu cheese chips. Now I'm starving for it!!

Cruisin'

Yesterday, Shadow and I went for a little drive on the beach. It was gorgeous but still cold! Shadow loves to stick her head out the window and breath in all that air.

Wanna know what Shadow is looking at.....

...the birdies on the beach! She'd have a field day if I'd let her run loose.

I'm looking forward to the day Adam returns from Czech Republic so we can do this together ♥

Magnitude of Destruction

Just finished watching the heartbreaking coverage of the earthquake on "AC360". Anderson Cooper has been doing a tremendous job reporting in Haiti. He is one of my favorite news anchor. The pictures on TV are horrific and I can't imagine what he is witnessing. To see the chaos devastation must be so hard. My heart goes out to the Haitian people. May all the divine goodness of the universe be cast upon these poor people... That they may recover somehow.

The Blue Screen of Death...!

This is what appeared on my laptop!!!! It's never a good sign when you see "The Blue Screen of Death" (also known as a pain in my side).....! I'm far from being a trained PC technician but I'm trying my best to fix the problem. I am not sure what is malfunctioning and it's frustrating.

Dear Laptop,

Please tell me what's wrong!

Sincerely,

Monique

The Blind Side

Finally, I went to watch "The Blind Side" Saturday night with Melissa S. It was inspiring and soooo good! Sandra Bullock was different in this film which was great. Her acting talent is unreal. A true heart-warming story which you should go see :)

Lighthouse

While my parents were in Florida, we visited Ponce Inlet's Lighthouse & Museum. It's Florida's tallest lighthouse and one of the tallest in the U.S. It was interesting to read about the 3 keeper's dwellings and how people lived there in 1867. No designer shoes, I can assure you of that!! I couldn't make it up the 213 steps. I might have gone up 10 hahaha! But my parents went all the way to the top :) In the gift shop, I found these funny "diet spoons". Had to take a pic! If you are a lighthouse-lover, it's a must see!

Record-Breaking!

Temperatures across Florida hit "record-breaking lows".... Is this a joke, 14 to 34 degrees across the sunshine state. Brrrrrr!!

Well, I hope that not all of my plants & shrubs die from these extended freezes. Most of all, the billion $$$$ citrus industry. Did you know that Florida provides 40% of orange juice to the entire World!! Farmers are sleep-deprived working around the clock to ensure crops & groves survive. Let's pray they do!!

Overdue & Long Holiday Post!

Well hellllllo there! I need to get myself in gear and get some Holiday pictures up here!! My last 2009 post was about my husband, so I want to start 2010 by writing about him also :)

Adam continues to amaze me with his dedication to perform well in Czech Republic. My hubby is pretty much sacrificing everything in his life to do this (bigger than we imagined) job, and I just want to praise him! While I miss him terribly, I am darn impressed with his accomplishments. Balance isn't really happening, but you know... for one hockey season, it's okay. It has to be! We are both so eager to get back into the swing of a normal routine... back into "our life". I don't think any of us thought we'd be living apart for months...!!! We keep rolling with it. I ♥ you Adam. Keep up the great work!! (Thank you for being YOU)

Now... A little catching up (with pictures!)

~We spent the 23rd with the Arble family. It was fun! Ray played guitar and we all sang along.~My mom & Ray traveled to visit me and stayed for a whole month :) It was so great to have them with me during the Holiday Season!! A Christmas evening picture (above) of them as we left to go to a dessert party. I brought a Skor square and mom made an ice cream sandwich square. Yummy!!

~Me, Trish, Kim & Melissa, Christmas night after eating several delicious desserts. So thankful to have found such great friends!

~Shadow's 1st Christmas!! One of my highlights on xmas was having Adam on Skype while I gave Shadow her Christmas gifts. Yes, she's a pretty spoiled girl ☺

~Shadow at the dog park on New Year's Eve. Last time this year big girl!!

~Dec 29th, nice dinner with the Dapuzzo's & Smith's!

~Dec 30th, Went to the Nascar experience... Dear brother, get down here so we can do this with you! Fun, Fun, Fun..

~Last but not least... Haaaappppy New Year! We did some dinning out on New Year's Eve. Nice & quiet with great people ;)

That about covers it for tonight. I hope you all had a wonderful Holiday!!

Night :)