All I want for Christmas..........

"Give The Jew Girl Toys"

A Very Zach Braff Christmas

Things you CAN'T do without a pool.

Cristina's Perm

Cristina's Hair.

She looks very cute! It suits her.

There are several new posts, so don't forget to scroll down. Love you all!

~Monica

Why don't Men Cry More?

Because this is what it feels like as a man to watch another man cry.

Pictures

As promised:


Pictures from Halloween and Thanksgiving


~Monica

Update

Hello Everyone!

First of all, Tony, love the clip you posted. Although it was sad and made me want to cry. THANKS!

Working is really cutting into my computer time. Things are going well though albeit very busy with all of our schedule wrangling. We had a houseful here at Thanksgiving. Chaotic, but always a nice time. We are taking a little rest until everyone arrives again for Christmas. This will be the first year we have hosted Christmas in our home and we are really looking forward to it.

The job is going just fine. I cut my hours back a bit which is very nice. I was pretty wiped out by the end of the day. There really isn't much stress and the pay is pretty good. I can't complain. Although I admit, I miss my alone time.

Cristina is doing great. She just got her hair permed. Very cute! She is getting awesome grades and stays super busy. She seems to thrive in a very active schedule, so we are doing our best to accomodate her while trying to keep our sanity.

Amanda is also doing great. She misses her friends in Maryland quite a bit which is hard. We are trying to forge some friendships here in the neighborhood. She is thinking of taking up Karate. We will see how that goes.

Carlos is doing well. He was offered a job opportunity in Tennessee....see I don't even know if I spelled that right....so he can't work there! Well, the problem, is that he would be away for at least a year....we are not too keen on that prospect. Career-wise, it could be a good move, but it isn't imperative for his advancement. It just opens up some possibilities for our retirement. What this has done, is force us to really talk about where we want to retire. We had thought that it would be here in Northern Virginia, but now we are thinking that we may land elsewhere. He has asked to have his name taken off the list after much soul searching. It may end up with him having to take this job anyway, but for now, we are out of the running.

Well everyone, I will try to catch up on my e-mails tomorrow as I have the day off...although to be honest, a day filled with TiVo looks very appealing! I love you all!

~Monica

Kiwi!

Robert Schimmel

Carlos, Tony and I will be seeing him tonight at the Improv! Fun!

By the way, don't let your children watch this clip :)

F-14 Catapult Footage

Here is some footage and audio from F-14 catapult launches. Since these are Navy aviators, there is some foul language. Kiddies beware.

Office Space

Office Space.....the thriller.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

Today is the birthday of one of my most favorite people in the world. Can you guess who it is????

I love you!!! Happy Birthday!

Working....

Hi Everyone! I am so sorry I haven't blogged lately. I have now started working full time, and as a result, I am pretty freaking busy. I have to tell you, I really like my job! There is no stress and the people I work with are so nice! Not a bad gig.

Ok, to my regular readers:

Yvette- I hope you are well and the kids are thriving. Thanks for reading. Sorry I suck at keeping up!

Tony- I am glad you come up every other weekend or so or I would never talk to you anymore. I miss our MSN chats.

Michelle- Are you going to Iraq? You look amazing! Keep up the great work!

Jerry- I can't wait to see you in a few weeks!!! WOOOOOO! Go Cowboys!

Eileen- Oh my gosh, just a few more days! I am so excited for you, and as a mother who misses her daughter very much, I can just imagine the joy in your heart. I share your joy, Eileen, and I am so happy for you.

Dad- Are you enjoying your XM radio? I hope it doesn't suck! HAHA!

Novella and Delfin! My silent readers! I love you guys and can't wait to see you next month!!!

Does anyone else read??? If so, post and be known! I love you all so much! Bear with me, once I get a regular schedule, I will post more often.

Peace!

Another Career Offer for Monica

Because I love her, I figured I would help Monica in finding new career fields in case her current job doesn't fulfill her.

Halloween is Almost Here!

And to commemorate this special holiday (it's the only day Monica can leave the house and not get strange stares), here's a Simpson Halloween moment for you all. Enjoy!

NRO Autumn Ball

On Friday night Carlos and I attended the NRO ball. It was a lot of fun. If you would like to see pictures, here is a link to my old blog.

Wacky Ball Photos

We really had a nice time. Carlos showed off his killer dance moves. Next time I will bring the video camera!

In work news:
I am no longer a slave to small children and their rich parents. I now work here:

My New Job

Yes, now I am a slinger of gourmet food. Wooo! I start tomorrow. I have to take 11 more tests. I laughed and thought the girl was joking. No, I really have 11 more tests to take. I will have a BA in Grocery Arts when I am through.

Love you guys and hope you have a nice week! Did you enjoy the video? Amanda looks so sweet!

Extreme Skyflier

Yesterday we went to King's Dominion. Tony, Amanda and I went on the Extreme Skyflier. You can't hear Tony, but read his lips....he is saying....."I hate you guys. I really hate you guys"! HAHAHA! Enjoy!

Because I Care

As Monica suffers through Carlos' claims that he is "at his college weight" (I swear he says this all the time, which ends every argument with Monica running away crying afterwards)here is an article I found that will probably spread some light on the situation. We should get him some help.

Want a Trip to Australia?

Yea, I know. I'm going to Hell.

Something disturbing in the Force........

This horrifying scene is what I came upon this morning.




I don't know what's worse, Yoda's body in the stapler, or his decapitated head being forced to watch.

Gnarls

Gotta love me some Gnarls!


In work news, I decided the telephone route wasn't working, so I went in there to see what is going on. The lady pulled out my file and there were about 50 copies of a pamphlet called "Methamphetamine Addiction". She took them out and said they were misfiled. HAHAHA! Nice, freak out the new hires! Tomorrow I will go in and fill out the final paperwork. Then she said I have about 11 more tests to take on-line. Good Lord!!! Do I get a degree when this is all finished?

Some More of Monica in the Forest

Here are more pictures of Monica hanging out in the forest.


Look at the balance she shows. She was truly made to be in the wild.


Sadly, the person with the camera could not focus too well on Monica heading into the forest for the first time.

Zip Line

Yesterday I attended the field trip for Amanda's class. We got to go on a zip line! Wooooo! I will include some pictures:


Amanda looking irritated that her mother is taking her picture! "Mom! You suck"!

I decided that I looked "special" in my helmet. (Just like my son)

Walking across the wire....50 feet above the ground. Psh! I wished it was higher!
Amanda decided to dangle instead to pull herself over to the platform. Once you get to the platform, you are attached to another rope and get to zip down through the woods. Very fun!

In work news: there was an error with my social security number and they haven't been able to get my test results back. I am not worried about the results....but my last day at the sweat shop is Friday. Then I will be unemployed! Nooooooo! I have a cleaning lady I need to keep! HAHAHA! (Don't judge me, we all have our priorities). :)

I'm a quitter!

I finally did it. Her dog died, and I quit. I am sure it was a great day for her. I felt like dirt but it had to be done. Yesterday when I went into work everyone seemed to be cool about it. She put an ad on Craig's List. Here it is if you are interested in seeing all about my FUN job! HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

my old job

She left out the part of the children peeing on the floor and cleaning it up. FUN!!! FUN I tell you!

I still haven't heard back yet about the drug testing. I hope they will be calling me soon as my last week at the old job is next Friday. I guess I will either be going to my new job or starting Narcotics Anonymous.

Oh the twists and turns.......

Sorry I haven't blogged in 10 days. Busy, busy, busy! We were in Virginia Beach over the weekend as Carlos was attending ceremonies. The F-14 was decommissioned and they had their last flight. *sigh* Poor Carlos. I am sure that was a bittersweet moment for him.

As always, I had a fantastic time hanging with my best friend and her family. We went to a retirement party on Friday and it was amazingly fun!!! These are some crazy-ass people!

Guess who called me on Friday night? That's right! You guessed it! The other job! They wanted me to come in for the final phase.....THE DRUG TEST. Luckily, they don't test for alcohol or I would fail miserably. There was a fair amount of drinking this past weekend. Today I took the drug test and it was the strangest thing! I had to put a stick in my mouth and stick it under my tongue for a few minutes. My mouth felt like the Sahara. Then the lady starts talking to me and expecting me to answer. Annoying!

So tomorrow I will quit my job. I almost quit today but my boss was extremely sad because her dog is dying. I didn't have the heart! I have to do it though. So tomorrow it is. I will no longer be the slave to small children everywhere. I dread tomorrow. I dread it like you wouldn't believe! I would rather have e-coli again! Does anyone have any spinach?

Ahem: Survivor Drowning?

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - The controversial new format of the CBS reality show "Survivor" -- dividing teams of contestants by race -- proved the series' least-watched debut episode since its first season, Nielsen Media Research reported on Friday.


Finally, people are realizing what I already knew...

Most Painful Show Ever Gets Second Season

On of the most funniest shows ever just got a second season on BBC: Extras. This show stars funny-man Ricky Gervais as a movie extra. Now, I write painful because this twit manages to make an ass out of himself, which in turn causes me great discomfort while watching (ask Monica, she can tell you all the funny details).
If you want to see what I mean, check out this clip from the show. Ricky is the one dressed as a soldier.



And in case that's not enough, here the female character, Maggie, tries to show that she's not a racist.

Cristina

Just a quick post as I have to get ready for work....Here are some pictures of Cristina at her riding lesson yesterday. I love watching her ride! You can click on the picture to see a larger view. Have a nice day, everyone! Love you!

Keep Up People!

I have the day off today! HOORAY! So I thought I would post a little bit about what is going on in the VA Rippe home. Tony is also posting and there is activity in the comments section....snarky comments and such...so don't fall behind! I am a very happy camper today because SURVIVOR starts! Woo hoo! I also listen to a Podcast about the show which is funnier than hell! Here are our new multi-cultural hotties:



Sorry about the small picture, but I won't even remember who they are until they get down to about 10 people.

Last night I broke down and bought these from Amazon:




I am a complete LOST freak and listen to several Podcasts about that show too. I love delving into the mystery and clues in the show. Absolutely riveting. The show starts up again October 4th. I can't wait. I also can't wait for this show:




In case you were wondering, it's Battlestar Galactica. It took me awhile to catch on as Starbuck is a girl and that pissed me completely off. Plus, the idiots wear their tank tops backward. Seriously, I couldn't watch it. But then everyone started raving about it....and me, being a weak person, had to try the drug to be cool....now I am hooked. I watched most of the second season on my iPod. I look forward to seeing the 3rd season on the new TV.

I am not going to work at the second job. I think the reason they didn't call me was because I wasn't too flexible about my weekend hours. I told them I didn't work Sundays and I preferred not to work Saturday. For retail, that's not all that acceptable. It's cool though. My job is getting better as I am becoming more comfortable with all of the processes. I use the drive to listen to Podcasts, and that is very enjoyable for me. I trust that I am where I am supposed to be for now.

Cristina is riding again. I will try to take a picture at her lesson today. She looks so beautiful on the horses. She is in her element when she is there. It is worth it for me to have a job just to see the joy on her face. She also started up with piano again. Her teacher comes to the house. I pay a little extra for that, but to avoid the traffic around here makes it worth it. Plus, I can get stuff done around that house and don't have to sit in the car for that time! Woo!

Amanda is making some very nice friends. She isn't involved in any activities yet (except for CCD), but she is seriously thinking about Karate. That will be interesting!

Carlos is in LA this week, so I am catching up on my television and chick-flicks. We are taking the girls to dinner on Friday and then going to the pub. I look forward to kicking his ass (And Tony's, if he is there) at darts. It is a little known fact about me that I am a wicked-good dart thrower! Sometimes I even hit the board!

Training Pants

Hey everybody. Sorry I haven't posted in a while, I'm actually in DC on a training trip and have very little spare time. I'll be back next week! In the meantime, enjoy demon-child here training as well.

Tony is scary!

Tony complainied that he looked "harmless" in his picture. I honestly don't know which picture he is referring to. Well, to keep him happy, I have posted a picture of Tony looking fierce! What creeps me out the most, is how long his finger is! Freakish! Kinda remindes me of this guy:

Cubicle Warriors

For all my friends and family that work in a cubicle. Quick! Look busy!

Rearranging

While Carlos is off in Reno partying with his flyboy buddies, I have decided to rearrange my office. I didn't like having my back to the door. Creeped me out something major!

Nemo, meanwhile, surfed for some porn. Bad Kitty!

My Birthday

Here's what my office-mates did to my desk. With friends like these...

 

Birthday!

Today is my special son's birthday! Happy Birthday Sweetie! See if you can guess how old he is!!!








Tony, Gary Coleman wants to wish you a VERY special Happy Birthday.

Today was the first day back at school! Here is a picture of Amanda and my "special" son. The short bus came and picked him up today and he didn't wet his pants like he usually does with excitement. We are so very proud of him!!!



RIP Steve Irwin. My heart goes out to his wife and kids. I was seriously bummed out the entire day yesterday.


No word yet from the other job I applied for. I am waiting to hear back if I have a criminal record. I still don't know what decision I am going to make. I am tempted to put the offer on the table of my current boss and see what she says. Perhaps she will offer me a raise?! Who knows. I found out today that I could be working as a lunch lady at the school cafeteria for more money than I am making now! WTH??? I would have to wear a snazzy hair net and I just don't think I am cool enough for that!

Decisions

So I went for my "interview" today. It was the strangest interview experience of my life! First of all, when I smiled at the interviewer, she said "Wow! You have a great smile! I want to hire you right now!" (I kinda thought she wanted a date!) She asked me why I wanted to work for the company, I gave my answer, and she asked me no more questions. I guess I gave the right answer because she moved me straight into the testing phase!

I was sat down at a telephone and told the test would take about 20 minutes. I was told it was an honesty and integrity test. Here is a sample question: If you were to walk up to a vending machine to purchase a soda, the machine malfunctioned and you got it for free, would you still insert the money into the machine? Heck no! You know how much money I have lost in those machines over the years? I couldn't say that though.... Press 1 for yes, or 2 for no. Facinating!

After completing the 20 minute exam of conscience, I sat nervously by while my new girlfriend called back to check my scores. I guess I passed because I was then moved on to the computer testing phase.

I was sat down to a computer and had to complete a 50 question exam to ensure I can count and read. Once I completed the exam, my GF came by to see my scores. Once again, I passed (I guess) and was told there would be a criminal check done on me. So now I wait while they find out that I have no criminal record. Then my new GF will call me and stick a q-tip in my mouth for a drug test. (Is that when she is going to hit on me?) I will certainly pass that test too.....then I will have a decision to make....

I found out that the $2 extra is only if I work full time....otherwise, my salary would be the same as it is now.

The Closet Can't Hold Him Anymore...

John Travolta is claustrophobic. He couldn't stay in the closet any longer!



I especially love the headline. Hehehe... headline.

They called!

I have an interview scheduled for tomorrow! Oh man! That's awesome! It really comes at a great time as today was a really crappy day at work. My boss was stressed out and took the last day and 1/2 off. Because she is a micro-manager, we had a pile up of things she had to check off before we could process them to the sales floor. I don't know if this makes sense, but she had the audacity to come in today and bitch about us taking too long processing things into the computer system. I told her that everything was indeed processed and waiting for her approval. That shut her up, but we were all pretty pissed. I like working with the customers, but everyone is always so stressed out at this shop. It isn't fun. Like I have said before, I don't hate it.....I tolerate it. For $2 more an hour, 20 miles a day less driving, and less stress..........I hope I get this other job! Wish me luck and say a little prayer.

Love you!

The Pimp is Busy

I'll pimp out your blog this weekend. I'm a little... tied up at the moment.

I need pimping!

Dude! This blog needs pimping in a big way! BTW, don't be surpised if Tony starts posting here. I guess that is one of the bennies to this blogger. I could add you all and it could just be a bunch of family postings. Pretty cool, aye?

Get By With a Little Help...

Here I come to save the blog! Now you can read my madman ravings here as well as on my other blog, Sorry Attempts.
Now Monica and I just have to find something interesting to blog about...

I've started a new blog.

I can't take peer pressure. I just can't. Tony complained about my old blog, so I am starting a new one over here. I have actually had this one for awhile, but I didn't use it. I hope that I can add pictures and stuff, but for now I don't know how. I suck.

I went to my job today and had a hard time looking my boss in the eye knowing I put an application in elsewhere. Then I realized that this other place may never call me for an interview and I settled in. I am such a loyal person and I hate letting people down. I know that if I quit my job, my poor boss would be heartbroken. Trust me, there are only 5 of us that work there, so if I leave, it's a pretty big deal. Then she went out and bought us all lunch from the local gourmet market. How can I let this poor woman down?

Anyhow, I am off to fiddle with the blog.

Love you guys!