She Moves On

(some of you smarty pants will recognize the title as a Paul Simon reference)

As I type this, I am soaking up the sunshine on my back patio! Yep, that's right...my patio. It's a gorgeous day filled with sunny skies, the birds are chirping, the neighbour's dog is barking (yikes, hope that is not a constant) and I am enjoying my new address.

Life has been a little crazy lately to actually post to my blog, but today I'm taking a time out from unpacking, organizing and cleaning to sit out on the patio and actually enjoy my new home! So far, I'm loving it!

I officially moved in on Saturday with my "crew" of family and friends arriving on the scene about 9am. (I might take a moment here to comment that when people help you move, they definitely love you. It's a lot of hard work and I so appreciate the people that helped out!) Anyway, things were pretty smooth sailing until we tried to get the couch into the basement. That was not going to happen. It's ok though...I want to get a new couch anyway, so this will push me to start looking (measuring tape in hand)

Despite the misty morning, we finished up around 2pm and I was left with mountains of boxes to sort through and decide where everything was going to go. Well, I'm still sorting but definitely making progress.

As my apartment at the nunnery emptied out, it looked so sad, bare and hollow. I know I'm a bit of a sentimental but I had a lot of good memories from my time there. As with every major change, as a new chapter begins, we must close the book on another. Today I made one final trip to get my mail and do a sweep through all the cupboards. As I closed the door for a final time I was definitely feeling a little nostalgic.

However, my mood has not been overly melancholy! My first night at my new house already felt like home. Things are starting to take shape and I even cooked in my kitchen last night! I now have a dishwasher which is a great addition to my life :) My neighbours are all super nice and I think it's going to be a great little spot for me.

I had my first guests on Tuesday night. My friends Sarah, Amanda and Mallory came over to hang out on the patio. Unfortunately it got a little chilly after about an hour so we headed to the basement but it was nice to play host. Already looking forward to my first par-tay in August. Not sure I want to call it a "house warming" as I don't want people to feel like they need to bring a gift. I will need to give this some thought.

OK...that is enough about my transition into my new house. I'm going to go and enjoy the sunshine.

PS no photos yet as things are still a mess!

Celebrating the Man I Call Dad

The month of June always brings my dad's birthday followed by Father's Day. So, naturally it's a time to reflect on one of the most important men in my life.

My dad is many things: a farmer, a butcher, a carpenter. He's a jack-of-all-trades, therefore he can do pretty much anything that needs to be done. (at least in my eyes!) He's quiet and shy but can speak his mind. He dropped out of school at a young age to help out his aging father on the farm...but can do mental math like no one I know.

As a kid I can remember riding in his pick-up listening to an orange 8 track cassette of Johnny Cash. (still a favourite) Helping on the farm was just part of the deal, so spending time with Dad usually meant picking up rocks (with thrilling rides in the front end loader), hoeing milk weed, handing him tools or just catching a ride to the mill when it was time to pick up or drop off. One of my most memorable chores was waxing the combine. Yes...I waxed a combine!!

As a farmer, Dad was an early-riser and expected you to be too. Many Saturday mornings I woke to the sound of the constant clink of his spoon in his coffee cup - not so much to stir his morning java but to ensure the household was rising from their slumber. Occasionally he'd really out-do himself and ring the doorbell, which would ring in every room in the house. (thanks to our 80's state-of-the-art intercom system!)

My dad has gone through a lot of personal challenges in his years. He had lost both parents by the time he was 40 and three siblings by his mid-fifties. He has endured the ups and downs of depending on the land to make a living and survived raising four kids. (including three girls!) Although we don't always agree on every issue, he is my dad and has made me who I am today.

Yesterday I had the great pleasure of walking the aisles of Home Depot with Dad as we shopped for things for my new house. I was a little surprised at the great nostalgic feeling I had as I pushed the cart and listened to him explain where we needed to go next. Perhaps part of me remembered those trips to the hardware store or "Websters" in Wyoming as a kid and perhaps part of me realized how much has changed in those years.

So, this June I wanted to pay tribute to my dad...John David Mills.
Love you dad.

Lunching with Murr

Lunching With The Bag Lady

For quite some time, I have heard people talking about a little place called The Bag Lady, here in London. It is a very small but funky restaurant that I often pass on morning walks. Urban Spoon recommends it and it's popped up on Twitter as well. I decided it was time to check out this Bag Lady.

However, I think I chose a rather humorous time to check out The Bag Lady. My friend Murray and I had plans for lunch and catching up. I thought TBL would be a good place to go...and it was. It was just hilarious to see the juxtuposition of Murray there.

Picture, if you will, a burly man with "beefy forearms" (as Nick Paparella likes to say) picking me up in a rather large pick-up truck. We had to park on the street as the parking lot was a little small for Murr's truck. We walked in and I had to chuckle. Besides being small, the place was stacked with retro chotchkies. Not being one to make a fuss, Murray took it all in stride and walked up to the counter to order his sandwich.

I must admit, the food was great and the atmosphere was fun however, Murray was the only testosterone in the room. We both had to laugh when 8 ladies wearing purple and red hats pulled up seats in the table next to us. No doubt they belonged to the Red Hat Society.

Later that day, I texted Murray to say thanks for being such a great sport. He wrote back to say that the food was great and it would be a good spot for the next Teamsters' meeting :)

A Rewarding Experience

In a previous post, I wrote about winning an award from IABC and London Life. Well, last week my friend Amanda and I attended the Virtuoso Awards. What a fun night!

When I saw that the ticket said "cocktail attire" I had planned on wearing a new dress I had purchased on a recent excursion to Great Lakes Crossing with Kim. However, the day of the event, the temperature dropped and I was reluctant to wear a sleeveless number. I tried on a few other options but just wasn't happy with them. I texted Amanda to complain about this and she suggested using a scarf/shawl. Great idea! I was all set.

I picked Amanda up and we headed for Museum London. It was a very funky atmosphere with being at an art gallery, swanky hors d'oeuvres, chill music and lots of people! We made our way around the room and saw a few familiar faces from Fanshawe. When it was time for the awards presentation, I was one of the first ones on stage. One of the instructors from Fanshawe presented the award and she was very excited for me. I got some nice hardware as well as a cheque for $500 ...sweet!

Here are a few pics from the evening...

Surprise!

Tonight I had an unexpected surprise. My sister Jo-Anne had suggested the two of us go out for dinner to celebrate my completion of the CCPR program at Fanshawe. To me, it was simply making it to the finish line. But Jo-Anne thought it was important to celebrate all my hard work, long days and determination. Sure, I thought...why not?

She emailed me yesterday to say Nick decided to join us as well. So, they arrived in the family mini-van to pick me up. Since I'm moving, they brought lots of boxes for me and as we were transferring them to the house, I noticed a balloon bouquet in the van. I didn't think it was a good idea to take it with us to the restaurant...that would be embarrassing. Jo-Anne seemed a bit disappointed, but brought it inside. Awww, had I known what she had planned, I would have just let her take it with us.

When we showed up at Foolini Koolini's, we were walking up to the door and I suddenly saw my mom & dad. I knew something was up because they would not be just hanging out downtown London on a Saturday night! So, Jo-Anne had coordinated the whole family to go for dinner in my honour.

Wow, I felt so special. After all my work over the past year it was so nice to feel like it mattered and that people were actually proud of what I had done. I really hadn't thought a lot about it, but tonight I certainly felt like I had accomplished something. And as a little reward for this, they got me a wireless magic mouse! It looks so fantastic in the box...in its own acrylic case. Sleek and stylish. I can't wait to get it set up and start using it!

Thanks to Jo-Anne & Nick, Mom & Dad, John & Karen and Connie & Steve. Love you all.

House Photos!

Finally...some photos of my house.

What A Week!

So, they say that things happen in threes. To follow up on my last post about my new house, in the same week I also started a new job AND won an award!

"A new job?" you may say? I thought she still worked at the TV station. Well...I do. This is a part time job that more or less landed in my lap around the same time the house stuff was all happening. It started when I attended a "thank you night" at Fanshawe for all people/businesses that were involved with our program this year. As I walked in the door, one of my teachers was standing there talking to someone and said "Oh, there's Janice now." It turns out that Jackie was speaking with Marc (my new boss) about a position he had available and she thought I'd be perfect for the role. I just happened to walk in at that moment.

So, I spoke with Marc for a few minutes and he gave me his card. I followed up with emailing him my resume and after a few emails back and forth, I had landed myself a part time job! This works out perfectly for me as I can keep the security of my job at /A\ while I gain experience in the communications industry. The Achievement Centre is very flexible with what days/hours I come in so it works well with my existing schedule.

My first day on the job was the day I bought my house, so it was rather surreal! Since then I have been learning the ropes and will be facilitating a weekly newsletter and managing web content. Last week I was already designing a new brochure for them! I know there will be other duties added to this, once I am familiar with the operations.

On my third day on the job, I got an email from Fanshawe College that I am the recipient of The London Life Fanshawe College IABC London Award of Excellence for 2011. I wasn't exactly sure what the award was or why I was receiving it, so I emailed one of my teachers. She replied back that indeed, I had won the award which is for the student with the top marks. Wahoo! All my early mornings and long days had paid off...literally! Jackie informed me that the award comes with $500 cash. Perfect timing for "found money" with lots of things on the list to buy for my house.

Home Sweet Home

This week I became a homeowner. What an exciting plunge I took, but it doesn't come without a great back story!

I had been casually looking for a house for the past year and a half. However, with returning to school, it was put on the back burner.With two weeks left in my program and lots of end-of-term projects looming, I discovered a house that looked absolutely perfect for me. My friend Kim went with me to check it out and it lived up to my expectations. So much so that I called my parents to see if they would come and look at it.

We wandered through the house with other possible buyers during its first open house. My dad (who tends to be a pessimist) could only say that it had squeaky hardwood floors. Indeed, it was the perfect little house for me. However, my head was spinning with the end of school looming and wondering if now was really the right time for me to jump into home ownership. I decided that perhaps it was best if I waited. There would, after all, be lots of other houses for sale.

Several weeks passed, I finished school, and I happened to notice online that the house was still for sale and the price had actually dropped! Hmmm, my interest was rekindled. I drove past it again and around the neighbourhood. I talked about it with my friend Duane, thought about it some more and went to look through it once again. This time I took my friend Murray with me, who has been my go-to guy about such matters since I have known him. We discussed over lunch and after going through the house, Myrrh gave it a solid thumbs up. I was on the verge...but actually making an offer was a big decision. I needed the weekend to think about it.

Over the Easter weekend, I thought about it some more and crunched the numbers. I considered the pros and cons and by Monday, I emailed Lisa to say I wanted to make an offer. I was so disappointed when she emailed me back to say someone had put an offer on it THAT DAY. I couldn't believe that it had sat on the market with no offers for four weeks, and as soon as I was ready, someone else was ready too. This was the beginning of a roller coaster ride of hopeful optimism and then disappointment.

As the rules go, I wasn't allowed to make an offer until the buyer decided to accept the counter-offer or sign it back to the seller. Lisa was convinced he would sign as he knew someone else was interested. (disappointment) However, she emailed me to let me know that he signed it back with another offer which opened it up to me. (optimism) So, as was Lisa's suggestion, I went in with my best offer. Later that afternoon I found out that a third offer had entered the mix. So, although my offer was beating the first one...the second one was competition. I increased my offer as high as I felt comfortable, but in the end it wasn't enough. The other offer won out. (disappointment)

Lisa reminded me that the offer could always fall through - you just never know. But, that doesn't happen very often. I was convinced that the house was gone, but was awaiting the final word. In the meantime, I was pretty disappointed to have missed out on the perfect property. Anything else I looked at just didn't compare.

Nearly two weeks passed before I got a call, text and email from Lisa while I was driving to see my mom on Mother's Day. The offer had fallen through and the house was available again! I couldn't believe it. I knew at that point it was meant to be. In fact, I had said that to my friend Bruce...if this deal falls apart, I was meant to live in that house!! So I texted Lisa back to say YES!

The next few days were again filled with ups and downs as I had a verbal agreement to my offer when another offer came in. Unfortunately, they had to bring it forward to the seller and it was higher than mine. But, since the house was meant to be mine....the seller decided to go with me. She just felt like that was the right decision.

So, after a week of appointments, paperwork, home inspection, more paperwork and even getting my very first lawyer...I am the proud owner of my first house. I will post more details about the property itself soon. Stay tuned! (but I will say... front porch and hardwood floors!)

Tribute to Mom

I'm sure that most people think their mom is special, and I am no exception. With today being Mother's Day, it's a time to celebrate moms everywhere. I'm pretty sure that when you become a mom, you gain super-hero powers. Moms require less sleep, can fix anything, have a healing touch and seem to know all the answers...until you become a teenager anyway.

My mom fits this criteria and then some. Long after everyone had gone to bed, she was switching a load of laundry from washer to dryer, packing lunches and making sure all was set for morning. She seems to have the ability to fix/mend/alter/clean/create ANYTHING...sometimes making me wonder if she actually performed a micro miracle. (one Christmas comes to mind when I was creating a Peter Pan costume for my nephew and we were up late into the night on the 24th. Sweat was beading on her forehead when I asked what I could do to help. She told me to pray. lol. Well...she pulled it off!)

I'm not sure if it's because she's a nurse or just part of being a mom, but she could always make me feel better when I was sick - knowing when you needed an ice pack, a band aid or gingerale. She had endless patience in the early years with teaching the alphabet, numbers, reading, tying shoes, etc. She always had time to sing a song and listen to how my day was. She drove me to piano lessons and then waited while I fumbled my way through. She navigated through many family vacations, reading the map while finding a campground WITH A POOL. She stayed up countless times, helping to finish school projects or book reports. She sacrificed so much for her four kids. Thanks Mom!

Of course, there are other moms in my family too... My sister-in-law Karen was the first to have a baby and we were all so excited to welcome Abby into the family, followed by Josh and Kaelyn! Some moms have more obstacles to overcome than others. My sister Connie had lots of those, but we were all delighted when she was able to adopt Madison. And a few years later, Jo-Anne added two adorable boys to the mix. I hope that some day I will have the privilege of being called Mom as well.

So Long Lightfoot

When my friend and co-worker, Scott Lightfoot, told me he had a job offer in Toronto and was considering accepting...I was totally excited for him. For as long as Scott has been on-air with us, I have said he is our best reporter. He just has a sense for news and always portrayed a professional image on-air, yet was lots of fun behind the scenes.

There is just something about Lightfoot that make people immediately feel comfortable and open up to him. I've always told him this as he always knows the gossip in the newsroom first! People confide in him. Yet, he never betrays that confidence. He is a great listener and always has great perspective on life (despite his sarcastic and jaded persona) Scott is a talented photographer, creative gift-giver and keen on gadgets - he's taught me a thing or two about wii games and iphone apps. :)

So, I was happy for him that he was embarking on a new adventure. I remained happy for him until the night before his last night in the newsroom. We were sitting around talking and the reality hit me that he was MOVING to TORONTO! I know I will still see him occasionally, but friendships just aren't the same when you no longer work together. In fact, in that moment, I got a little verklempt.

I met Scott during my first year working at the station. I was filling in as Associate Producer on the morning show "New Day" while they searched for a new co-host. Part of my duties was to co-ordinate guests hosts that were either auditioning or making a cameo appearance. I clearly remember Scott remote-hosting from the front of Museum London to promote the "Flicks at the Forks". He's come a long way... :)

So...we made it through Lightfoot's last day - complete with a giant microphone cake. The newsroom was pretty quiet as he made his way out that night, carrying his box of desk contents. But, we haven't seen the last of Scott. As soon as we figure out his new schedule we will have a proper send-off and I'm sure it will be quite the party!

Life's Changes

I can finally say I have a few minutes to sit down and update my blog. Yes, my classes are finished and with the exception of one online exam, I am finished the Corporate Communication & Public Relations course at Fanshawe!

It doesn't really seem that long ago that I decided to take the plunge and head back to school. It was a year and a half ago that I started this journey - first with online courses, then part-time status in September and full-time status in January. The past four months have, by far, been the most challenging simply because of the schedule I've been keeping. Each day I was out of the house early in the morning (some days by 7:30am others by 9:30am) and returned after work at midnight. As you can imagine this was exhausting.

The last few weeks were filled with final projects and presentations and although the end was in sight, they were tough. I'm happy to say that I did survive and complete the course with honours.

Returning to student life after so long of being in the working world was a bit daunting. However, by easing my way back into it, I actually enjoyed the whole process. Along the way I met some great new friends and had some fantastic instructors as well.

I'm not sure the reality has hit me that I won't be waking up at the crack of dawn and driving to Fanshawe anymore. Perhaps in a week or so it will seem more real.

please click on photo for animation

OK...I know I've been missing for a long time, but I have been SOOOO busy. School is almost done - one more week. I have so many blog posts composed in my mind but haven't had time to write them. Soon.

In the meantime, enjoy this animated bobblehead I made for one of my classes! He he he.

Welcome Madilyn!

On February 7th, my oldest and most cherished friend embarked on an amazing adventure. Karla Ann became a mom!

Even before giving birth, Karla had the most mom-instinct of anyone I know. She is naturally maternal and already has the domestic thing down with cooking, sewing, canning, knitting, etc.

It was fun to watch her progress through her pregnancy and prepare for the arrival of her little girl. Yep, they found out ahead of time that it was a girl. This provided ample time for name selection and preparing for the little bundle. As the due date grew near I could tell she was becoming a little more anxious. It is, afterall, a big responsibility to come home from the hospital with.

Unfortunately, baby Reycraft did not arrive by her due date and each day that passed was one day closer to an induction. KA was really hoping to go into labour naturally, but was induced on the morning of February 7th.

By 2pm I got the call from Mark. They had a healthy, yet unnamed baby girl that weighed in at 8lbs 2oz and has RED HAIR!! Everyone was doing great. Later that day I learned that her name is Madilyn Marie. Isn't that adorable?

 Mark & Karla are thrilled with their new addition and they are all getting to know each other. I have to admit, she is a little sweetie.

Stay Tuned

Yes. I have been slacking in my blog posts as of late. Projects for school, projects for United Way as well as connecting with people in the "real" world, rather than virtually, have all played a role.

There is lots to blog about and will be forthcoming in the next few days. Stay tuned for a brand new baby, published books, a trip to Florida and so much more!

Blook

Are you a faithful follower of "My Place In The World"? I will soon be publishing a book of my first five years of blogging. If you would like to order a copy, please let me know ASAP.

My Dear Aunt Peggy

CELEBRATING AN AMAZING WOMAN

On this day, 86 years ago, a tiny little baby was born. My grandparents' first daughter. She entered the world prematurely and although I don't know exactly how much she weighed, I've often heard her say they used a man's handkerchief for her diaper. They named her Cathleen Irene Mills, but when one of the Irish neighbours came by for a visit, he told my grandparents that name was too big for a little thing like her and she needed a good Irish name like Peggy. Believe it or not, that name has stuck with her for 86 years! Some folks call her Cathleen, others call her Kay but to me she will never be anything but Peggy!

Peggy grew up on a farm and worked just as hard as any of her brothers, helping her dad with work in the field and her mom with work in the house. Her self-sacrificing spirit meant she was always there for anyone that needed her. When she was a bit older, she became somewhat of a midwife. There was no training involved, but she would go and help deliver neighbourhood babies and then stay for a few weeks after to help out the mom. I thought it was really cool when I discovered that she actually lived at the Petrolia Hospital for a time. We were driving by the older part of the hospital one day (which used to be a house) and she pointed at the turret and said "oh, I used to live up there". Awesome.

Since I can remember, Peggy has been an important part of my family and I am so proud to call her my aunt. (although she is more like my grandma) She is a strong woman of faith and the most giving person I know. Her determination and courage has been an inspiration to me, as I think I've blogged about before. So, I'd just like to take this space to wish her a happy birthday! Love you lots Peggy!

Words Words Words

This evening, I was in the mood for a good game of Scrabble. I play Scrabble online quite a bit, but there is a big difference between the Facebook version and the real-life version. The non-virtual kind requires you to play in real time which puts some pressure on!

My opponent tonight was my sister Jo-Anne. To begin, I said we could either draw a tile to decide who would play the first word, or we could just decide who has the bigger word. Since I play a lot and she does not I opted to let her play the first word. I immediately regretted my decision. She played ALL of her letters - a bonus of 50 points! That means she started with an 80 point lead. Yowzers.

After a few moves, Nick came over and asked if I was actually going to let her play the word STINGEY. When I asked why, Nick explained that stingy is actually spelled without an E. Jo-Anne and I were both in disbelief...although more-so me as I could've saved her from getting those 80 points off the top!!

The game progressed at a rather slow pace with Jo-Anne frequently commenting that she should play more often as she was just not seeing the words. For some frustrating reason, the board just did not progress in a good way. I had both the Q and the Z and could have played the word QUIZ (hello? points!) but could not find a place to play it. Augh.

As the time passed, I had to laugh when Jo-Anne commented "when did this board get so obnoxious and ignorant?" I had to laugh! It was just not working for either of us and we were both really just hoping to end it. However, the letters in the bag were multiplying like the loaves and fishes! For this reason, when Jo-Anne asked if re-exit is a word...I agreed that it probably was :) Nick overheard this conversation and asked her to use it in a sentence. (that is always the test!) After a moment, Jo-Anne came up with "well, you know...like with an actress...'can you please re-exit the scene, we need to get that again' ...so, you know...re-exit." Ha ha ha...favourite moment of the night.

We nearly made it to the end of the game, but I'm sad to say we did not actually play all of the tiles. But, a good time was had by all!

Me & Oprah

What do Janice Mills and Oprah Winfrey have in common? A lot, it seems. I have picked up on some interesting facts about Oprah that I have in common with her. Interesting. Included in that list:

• we both LOVE Paul Simon
• we both have a phobia of chewing gum
• we both drive VW bugs
• we both love scrabble
• we both love The Sound of Music

Where is the pause button?

So I'm almost done week two of my last term at schoool. I'm exhausted. This schedule is getting the best of me. Mondays and Tuesdays are spent at United Way before heading in to work. Wednesdays and Thursdays I have class from 8am until I go to work. Fridays are a bit of a reprieve as I just have class from noon - 3pm. However, I think Friday mornings will be spent working on group projects as that is the only time slot available for such things. Augh!

I haven't even taken my Christmas decorations down yet. I have not yet sent a birthday card to my Grammie and her birthday was one week ago. If you know me, you know it is not like me to miss a birthday! So...I will probably disappear for the next few months and see you all in April. Seriously.

2010 Retrospective

I can't quite believe that we are already 10 days into 2011. How did that happen? Life has been busy and I have not posted much on my blog. But, today I thought I would take a few minutes to reflect on the past year.

2010 was a transitional year for me. Lots of life changes, but all things that I'm happy to have done. I started the year off by taking 2 online classes at Fanshawe College. I had decided to head back to school in the 2010/2011 school year for Corporate Communications/Public Relations. By taking the online classes, I would free up some time in my fall schedule. I'm so glad I made that choice! So from January - August, I completed a total of four online classes. It kept me busy and got me back in the mindset of reading text books and writing papers.

My sister Connie opened a tearoom appropriately called "Connie's" in January. I am very proud of what she has accomplished in the past year. It is a fantastic little place on Petrolia's main street and she's doing great things there! I've been able to help her out with some design stuff including business cards, etc. so it's been a fun learning experience for me too!

Sometime in the spring, I decided to make some changes in the food I eat. There was a series of events that prompted this change including but not exclusively an episode of Oprah, watching Food Inc., seeing Paul McCartney in concert (he's a veggie) and seeing the changes my sister made in her diet after surviving colon cancer. At first it was a conscious effort but over time, it has just become a natural decision and I feel great!

In May I made the trek to New York City with some friends. It has always been on my "to do" list and it was such a fun trip! It has now made it's way on to my "places to return" list! June saw the annual Moore Reunion, which my family was hosting this year. We planned an Olympic theme and it turned out AWESOME! I spearheaded this venture but was proud of how my family came together and pulled off the best reunion yet. You can check out details here.

As I mentioned earlier, I saw my very favouritest celebrity again in 2010. In August I headed to the big city to see Sir Paul McCartney rockin' out on stage. What can I say? I love Paul. He makes me happy. And speaking of celebrities...it was soon time for the Toronto International Film Festival. Lots of good times spent star gazing this year! Highlights for me included some of my fave TV stars: Dwight Shrute, David Silver, Ross Geller and Kirk from Gilmore Girls!

September was also time to head back to school. Wow, what a transition! It was a little bit scary but mostly fun to sling on my backpack and slip into the classroom. I'm loving my program so the classes are actually cool and don't feel too much like work. I've met some great new friends and been a part of some pretty cool projects. Just fourteen more weeks and I'll be officially finished.

Oh ya...also in 2010 my bestest friend since forever ago found out she's going to be a mom! What an exciting adventure she is embarking on. I know she will be a terrific mom and I can't wait to meet the little bambino.

So another year is officially in the books and another one just opening up before us. Can't wait to see what lies ahead in 2011.