More House updates

Moving day is quickly approaching! I have 4 days left to finish up some odds and ends at the house and finish packing my stuff. Luckily, my parents and the handyman have been working like crazy to get everything done. I'm not very handy, so I'm not allowed to help too much because the job ends up taking longer than if I just stay out of the way.

Here are a few pictures of the finished dining room, minus the new light.

I'll post more pictures this weekend or early next week once my furniture is in and the boxes are unpacked!

House Updates

This week, my pap and grandma came up to visit. While my pap was in town, he replaced all the lights upstairs for me and the outlets on the first floor.

hall light

bathroom light

Luella came and faux painted my bedroom so that it would look like it had a suede finish to the walls.





The crown molding is now finished in the living room and dining room.


There is still a list of things that need done, but the end is in sight! Move-in day is hopefully the first weekend of November!!!

10.07.09 Pens vs Phoenix

On Wednesday night, I had Penguin tickets in a section of the arena I had never sat in before- the Igloo Club! Those are the blue seats on the sides of the ice near the glass. We were in West Igloo 3, which is directly behind the Penalty box and across from the Penguins player bench. The view from the seats was amazing! There were no blind spots of ice that you couldn't see and siting across from the players was fun. Also, Igloo club ticket holders have their own bathrooms and concession stands that are behind the seats. Small lines= awesome! There's also a small eating area with tables. I cam home with over 230 pictures at the game. Here are some of my favorites:

More House updates

As many of you know, I am the world's worst painter- apparently a roller can also leave strokes the way a brush can... who knew??? So, I hired Jim Bowser to do some work on the first floor for me. He has been busy this week. So far, he has removed the old, yucky blue carpet, painted the living room and dining room, and put up the crown molding in the dining room. You can also see that he is beginning to frame out the picture frame moldings for the dinning room as well. My new silver dining room light finally arrived from Hite's, so once Jim is done working in the dining room, I will switch out that yucky yellow one for the new one. YAY!

10.02.09 Stanley Cup Banner Raising

On Friday, October 2, 2009, the Penguins opened their season at the Mellon Arena for the last time. It was also the night of their Stanley Cup banner raising ceremony. The ceremony began at 7:30. Four giant screens were created around the JumboTron to show a video that recapped the season beginning when Dan Bylsma was hired in February. Highlights of each playoff series were shown in the video as well- Max’s “shhhhhh!” in Philly, Marc’s stop on Ovechkin in Game 7, Geno’s hat trick against Carolina, Jordan’s goal in Game 4 of the Detroit series, and Sid being handed the Stanley Cup. When the video ended, the giant screens were dropped to the ice to revel the Stanley Cup with a spotlight shining on it.

Next, Paul Steigerwald came out to thank the fans and to introduce Mario, upper management, and the coaching staff. Then, each player was introduced onto the ice. When all the players were on the ice, they gathered around Mario and the staff to watch the banner raise to the roof. It was so neat to see them stand and watch the banner go up. Jordan and Max touched the cup as they skated by it to the bench.

Work in Progress...

Since closing on my house on September 15, my parents and I have been working non-stop to paint and and spruce up my new house. So far, we have the two extra bedrooms and the hallway painted. Also, the blue carpet downstairs has been ripped out so that the original hardwood floors can be sanded and resealed.

living room

dining room

extra bedroom

office

New House... Step 3- Walk through

Tonight I went for the final walk through of my house. The house looked so different tonight without any furniture in it. I can't wait until the painting and floor refinishing can begin. I think that once that starts, it will begin to feel like my house.

I bought a house!!!!

Lakemont Festival

A group of Learning Express people (both past and present) got together to go to the festival at Lakemont. It was so much fun to spend the day together. Bella, Camryn, and Kendall had a blast. Here's Bella riding the train.

New Home... Step 2- Home Inspection

Today, was the inspection for my new house. Luckily, there were no major concerns that would keep me from wanting to buy the house. There were a few little fixes, like a shut-off valve that the inspector recommends that I fix. Woohoo! Everything is still on schedule for closing on September 15th.

I also learned that the original hardwood floors are under the carpet in the living room and dining room and found someone who refinishes floors. I told him to pencil me in for the middle of September. Once the floors are finished, the house will be able to be painted and then I would be able to move in my furniture!!!!

So exciting, but yet so overwhelming at the same time!

Check out facebook for pictures of the house

New Home Owner... Step 1

Yesterday, I put an offer on a house in Juniata. I found out today that my offer has been accepted by the home owner. I have already scheduled the home inspection for Saturday and will be meeting with the bank tomorrow morning. If all goes well, the closing date listed in the contract is September 14. Other than some new paint and some new flooring downstairs, the house doesn't need much work.

Trip to Kelli's- Friday

Friday morning, Kelli, Aaron, and I headed to one of my favorite breakfast places in the world... IHOP! I LOVE their chocolate chip pancakes. After breakfast, we went to a little park in Warrenton and played on the playground. Here is Aaron reading in the car during our trip.


After the playground, we spent the rest of the morning and afternoon hanging out in Aaron's playroom. He has a small kiddie pool full of balls from a ball pit. He had so much fun hiding his cars under the balls and wanting us to find them.

Where'd it go?

Soon, it was time for Aaron's nap and time for me to head back home. I had so much fun staying with Kelli, Alek, and Aaron. I can't wait to go back and visit and for them to come visit me in Altoona.

Trip to Kelli's- Thursday

On Thursday, Kelli and Aaron had a baby swim class at Warrenton's new aquatic center. The pool was so neat. It had a water slide, a small lazy river, and a gradual entrance like at the beach. Aaron cried through some of the class but loved the lazy river part.

After swim class was over, we headed for Vienna to hop on the Metro to go into DC. We got off at the Federal Triangle stop and walked to block down to the Natural History Museum. We ate a picnic lunch outside the Museum and then took Aaron inside to check out the bug room and the Discovery center. We also went to the Spark Lab at the American History Museum.

On the Metro on the way to DC

Watching the trucks during our picnic

Playing at the American History Museum

We had so much fun, even though we were only there for a few hours. Aaron is such a pro ridding the Metro and we had a blast watching him entertain the people on the train.

Laughing on the ride home

Trip to Kelli's- Wednesday

This week, I went to visit my friend Kelli and her family. I got to her house in the afternoon on Wednesday and we hung out until her little boy woke up from his nap. As we were deciding what to do, somehow Wegmans came up in conversation- once Kelli found out that I had never been to a Wegmans, I was ordered to get my shoes on and get in the car. I had so much fun- can't wait until I can get to the one in State College. And, who knew I'd be so excited over a grocery store?!?!

After dinner, Alek watched Aaron so that Kelli and I could go see the Harry Potter movie. As a movie (separate from a book), it was very good- the special effects were wonderful. As a movie, based on a book... heh... it was ok. There were some things that were changed and added that I did not approve of. Burning Burrow, anyone?

Staying at Kelli's sure was good for my sleeping schedule... I was asleep by 11!

Round 4, Game 4- Pens vs Wings 6.4.09

Last year, when the Pens made it to the Stanley Cup Final, I wasn't able to get tickets. This year I decided I was going with or without a ticket. Fortunately, I was able to get tickets to Game 4 and Game 6.

Before the gates opened, we walked around the arena to look at all the people who were sitting in the grass to watch the game on the screen. The crowd stretched clear across the street into the parking lot across from the arena. A few people had even brought their couches to sit on to watch the game.



To watch warm-ups, I sat in the first row right behind Marc. At each playoff game, fans are given a rally towel when they enter. Someone decided to make the Stanley Cup out of their rally towels.


Here are a few other pictures from warmups



It was so loud inside the Mellon. I have never heard the arena as loud as I did for Game 4. Before the Pens even took the ice, people were chanting "Let's Go Pens!" Geno scored in the 1st minute of the game, and the arena got even louder. Unfortunately, Detroit scored at the end of the 1st to tie it and then at the beginning of the 2nd to take the lead. The arena got really quiet until Detroit had 5-on-3 advantage. Jordan Staal scored a short handed goal to tie the game again. Within 2 minutes, Geno made a great pass to Sid who scored his first SCF goal, and then 4 minutes later, Tyler Kennedy scored to give the Pens a 4-2 lead. The building erupted when John Barbaro announced TK's goal. It was so loud that you couldn't even hear the announcement that Detroit had called a timeout after the goal.


Leaving the game was just as loud as being inside. Everyone was yelling and cheering as they walked to their cars. People were beeping their horns and yelling "Pens in 6!"

Round 3... Pens vs Canes... 5.21.09

My dad and I went to see the Pens play the 'Canes in Round 3 of the 2009 playoffs. Upon entering the arena, everyone was given a really cool t-shirt that had a close-up picture of the eye from the penguin and underneath the eye, it said, "The real eye of the storm". This game lacked the intense emotion of the games against the Flyers and the Capitols- it barely even felt like a playoff game, let alone an Eastern Conference final game, until the middle of the 3rd when the Pens began to dominate.

Sid scored a goal in the first few minutes of play, but the Canes scored soon after to even the game. The score went back and forth through the first and second. At the beginning of the third, Geno decided to take over the game and scored 2 of his 3 goals. His third goal was absolutely incredible; after watching the replay hundreds of times, I still cannot believe that the puck actually went in the net. To score, he won the face off, threw the puck to the wall, beat the center to the puck, skated with it behind the net and then shot it on the backhand while turning away from the net to score the goal.

This goal got Geno a hat trick, and it was the first hat trick I have been in attendance for. It was so neat to see all the hats on the ice and watch the players while the ice was cleared. Geno actually looked upset that he had to wait while they stopped the game to clean the ice.

With about 7 minutes left in the game, they showed a few Steelers on the jumbo-tron and played Renegade during a tv time out. My dad looked at me and said, "If we were at Heinz field, we'd be standing for the next 7 minutes." With a minute left, Tyler Kennedy scored an empty net goal to give the Penguins a 7-4 win.

The Pens went on to sweep the 'Canes and earn a trip to the Stanley Cup Final.


I had great seats for this game. Here are some of the pictures I took.

Kris during warm-up

Really cool signs hanging on the F balcony

Pens bench during the national anthem

Hats on the ice for Geno's hat trick

Players waiting for the hats to be cleared

Pens win

And so the house hunt begins...

After I knew that I was hired officially by H'burg, I headed off to the bank to get a pre-approval letter for a house loan. So far, I have only been looking at houses online and driving past some of the ones I think I may like in order to weed out the worst ones, but after 3 days of this, I am EXHAUSTED! I can't even imagine what it's going to be like once I actually call a realtor and start looking inside the houses.

Wish me luck.... I'm going to need it

Happenin' Weekend in Kittanning

I spent most of this past weekend in Kittanning.

On Saturday, my cousin, Kristie, had her thirty-faux birthday. She decided to have a bonfire to celebrate, which of course meant it stormed for most of the afternoon/ early evening. Eventually, the rain cleared out and we were all able to head outside for our picnic supper. The food was excellent and all the little kids running around were so cute. I'd post some pictures, but when I turned my camera on that night, all I got was a black screen and a "change battery pack" notice.


On Sunday, my Aunt Janet hosted our annual family reunion. My grandma took her famous fried chicken that she makes in her cast iron skillet that she got as a wedding present in the early 1940's. *Yum... SOOOOOO goood!!!!* Kristie and I were in charge of selling 50/50 tickets and we collected $200. Next year, I think we should charge a commission so we also make a profit.

Here is the only picture I took on Sunday

New Job

After three years of being an hourly employee without a contract, I was hired by Hollidaysburg Area School District. I will be a Title 1 reading teacher at Foot of Ten Elementary School. I am so excited to be working as a reading teacher and working for Hburg!


*Mini wave in celebration of me* *Awoohoo!*

Update on what happens when I am bored

I decided to keep the ugly blue 1998 prom shoes for Lilster to play with when she comes to visit me in a few years. Her mom and I had so much fun playing dress up as kids, I figured I'd start saving some weird clothing items for her.