Meet You in St. Louis

I can not believe that this year has passed so very quickly. Thinking back, I remember all my family members telling me how fast time passes as you age, and I had no clue. Grey has grown into a miniature man already with all of his walking and talking. Big and I are unofficially living together and are extremely happy with our little "family". Tucker is the center of our universe and that is just how we like it. At this point we think he is about 112lbs and he is under the impression that he is a lap dog. Too funny, right?

With a new year comes new beginnings for me. Kyla, my person, is moving to St. Louis for a new job and a new life. I am completely excited for her taking a huge leap and getting to renew life as she knows it, but I can't help but feel selfish in wanting to keep her here. She will be getting a great job that will relieve her of the many stresses she has in her life, and for that I am grateful. But for the life of me I have no clue how to exist without seeing her face ever day or laughing with her constantly. I know that she isn't moving to Tibet or anything, but I just loved having heart to hearts with her face to face. She and I just understand each other on a molecular level. We catch each other finishing sentences or correcting mistakes because we know what the other one really meant. She is and always will be a special sister to me. Just as much family as my own Bug is to me. I will miss her every single day. However hard this may be, I have to keep smiling and keep my chin up because she is struggling with the loss of Tennessee as it is. She has assured me on multiple occasions that we will talk constantly and I really do hope so because I don't think I can stomach the loss of another friend. I bet you guys out there don't know that this isn't the first but the second job we've had together and it has been amazing and an ultimate pleasure working with such a close friend. I know that she will do excellent no matter where she travels and she will wow whom ever she meets. I just hope I can quickly learn to cope without her in my day to day life. I also hope she misses me just as much as I will yearn for her. I am sure that she will.
So Kyla, this blog is for you my deary. You sent me the other day saying that you relationships never work. It has stuck with me every since. They do work because it has worked with me. We will just be the loves of each others lives forever. I love you baby girl.

Until next time, does anybody have a tissue? Because I will need them.

The Reason

I am so very sorry for those of you who read this, that I haven't blogged in quite some time. With great joy I will tell you that I have been busy with Big decorating for Christmas and purchasing useless things for everyone. Ok, so they are not useless, they are awesome!
Saturday I had to run up to the office to check on a few things so while I was out I had the bright idea to brave shopping for Big something. Oh my good gracious! The parking lots were just as congested as every one's colds have been. It was just simply, insane. Two out of five stops were accomplished, but that was plenty thank you. Everyone seemed so grouchy and stressed and I had to ponder on when did the most wonderful time of the year stop being so wonderful? Money is so tight everywhere, but people don't want to disappoint their kiddos so they charge up the cards that got us all in trouble to begin with. It was like a marathon race in Target. I tried to get completely finished with everyone but gave up due to the crowds of rude people and screaming kids. Now, I love children and understand how people can't find child care at the drop of a hat sometimes, but seriously people come on! It was a nightmare. So I got the essentials that I needed other than Christmas (aka Tide) and hit the road.
Ever since Thanksgiving we have been saying over and over that we needed to get the lights outside up and running because we look so scrooge in the back of the cove without color or illumination when the neighbors on both sides look like they live at the Griswold's. The guy to the left of us even has a huge arch of lights that they all have to drive under in order to enter a mini version of Christmas city that is equipped with that program with the music. You know the one I am talking about where it plays music and the lights on the house "dance" along with the beat. Now, I love lights like any other kid but we just can't pay the light bill on that kind of extravaganza. Big did decide that we were in desperate need of some wattage so the bushes were decorated and there are two huge trees on the front stoop along with two smaller ones in front of them. All of the lights are white, unlike the neighbors who decided on multicolored all except the four white deer in a row, and are quite classy if you ask us.
Tucker has made up his little mind this year to ignore the fact there are four new additions to the decor in the house. The large tree was placed in the dining room in hopes that he wouldn't knock it over. Now I think it wouldn't have mattered where we put it because he just will glance right over it like he doesn't care at all. I do think he has liked that we have been leaving him in the house unattended while we run errands here lately. He has been such a super good boy too.
All and all it has been a decent holiday season so far and hopefully any more shopping I need to do can all be done online. People remember the reason for this season.

I have a twitter account, geesh who doesn't these days, and I follow @dailybible which sends me a bible verse every morning. Other than occasional emails of devotion from my Nana, love you, this could be the only piece of the word I receive some days. The one I got this morning was, " She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn." Luke 2:7
He is the reason we all are here, but not the reason we are stressed. I am putting faith in him everyday that he will carry me through.
Until next time, I will try not to be as much of a stranger and Happy Holidays!

Update

I know it has been quite some time since my last blog and I am truly sorry for my absence but I have been swamped at work and unfortunately my laptop is not very conducive for this due to being so small.
Here is a very brief catch up for you guys that keep up with me:
Recently, Big and I have bumped our relationship up and notch or two you might say. I am basically living here with him and Tucker these days. My Mom and I painted the bedroom a gaucho green recently and we are completely in love with it. I feel like I am slowly but surely placing my own little homey touches on what Big like to refer to as his "cave". That is very much what it is like being here. Most of the walls are just plain white with absolutely nothing hanging on the walls. With the new paint, came a new motivation to decorate and actually live in the space he calls home. This past Thursday we picked out new bedding to match the new room. This was of course after Big and I found the deal of a lifetime on a brand new Plasma television for the living room. We took the flat screen that was presently in the living room and hung it on the wall in the bedroom which after many holes in my newly painted wall (blog subject all on its on) we decided that we love and don't know how we ever made it without it.
Tucker is just huge. Here lately I have been hinting big time for him to have a little brother or sister to play with. I sometimes feel like he needs a puppy to dominate. This would at least give me a rest for he tries to let me know he is my boss every single day. We had to buy a fleece blanket today for the end of the bed due to the new comforter. Tucker doesn't seem to mind at all, in fact her prefers it. Silly puppy.
Today we braved the Wolfchase area, not the mall but Target for some pillows. Once we passed through those automatic doors something came over me and Big. There were tons of people and we realized collectively that Christmas was on it's way and we had better get some gifts taken care of. Most of the time I have the hardest time with certain family members, but this year it was so easy. I am not completely finished but I put a major dent in all of my shopping. I can't believe it! It isn't Thanksgiving yet and I am almost complete. Sweet.
I am going to get off of Blogspot now and finish setting up Big's new computer.
Until next time, take care.

Painting and Freaking

Last night, at the Big residence, we decided that the samples of paint that I had purchased were going on the wall. This process has been an ongoing discussion for SEVERAL weeks now and I made a decree that we would stop talking and start doing.
A beautiful burnt orange was purchased, along with a very dark brown and a green color that had been previously approved by Big. I have to admit that I was very excited about the green until the first brush stroke. I absolutely loved it but not for that room, but more than that I knew that Big would just freak out. And he did! He said he thought it was too menacing and way too bright for his bedroom where he wants to relax. I agreed. The leather brown color I picked, I thought surely he wouldn't like because it was so dark, but he seemed to be okay with that one. Men.... Who knows?
I will be venturing out again to Lowes after work today to see if I can grab some more paint samples and get some instruction on faux finishes because he said that's what he liked. I, of course, had a mini panic attack wondering how in the heck to do those types of finishes well. Some people read about it and think, Oh I can do that, but then it turns out terrible. I don't want that. Kyla has been tons of help to us with picking out the colors and some of the brand names.
After I put a second coat on the squares I had painted, I noticed that Big was camped out in the office having what I suspect was a freak-out moment. I stood in the doorway and asked, very carefully, if he was alright. He said that he was tired and fine. Reluctantly, I turned and went on about my way hoping deep down that I hadn't pushed him too hard or too fast. Two years into this little dance we've been doing and I am still terrified of going to far with him. Well, there's really no going back now because I put the paint on the walls so this weekend we will be painting or at least I will be.
Until next time, have a great Thursday and does anybody want to help me paint this weekend?

Halloween Bash

Huge Halloween bash this past weekend! I am terribly sorry that I haven't gotten a chance to write sooner to tell you guys all about how much fun it was. The party of 200-400 people took place in a gorgeous Germantown home that belongs to the parents of some of Big's friends. For those of you guys who don't know, Big once dated a friend of mine in the past and so she and Kyla had been previously to this huge party before. I went two years ago when Kyla was dating one of the sons of the owners. This year I went with Big who dressed up in solid black and went as a swat guy complete with guns and a hat. I decided after some searching to go as a punk rock witch. Which was a sexy version of a purple and black witch costume that sort of was tattered and torn looking. Very Gothic! Just like my Dad stated. After getting my hair done complete with bright lavender highlights and make-up done it was a few pictures and then off for the evening. We had an amazing time dancing and laughing at all of the costumes. Hollie and her husband dressed as matching pirates. Jennifer was Little Red Riding Hood. Hollie's friend went as a very sexy pirate and her husband as an army man. I was and am always in complete awe of how intricate some of the costumes were.

I bought calf-high boots for the dress and had unfortunately never worn them. I danced until I thought my feet would fall off! I could barely walk at the end of the night as we stayed and helped with a bit of the clean up. Our hosts were so gracious and we had a blast. Hollie did think to bring a camera that she dropped a couple of times. Oops!

Some of the pictures are quite comical and all over the Internet! Oh well. Hope to get another invite next year because it was really cool.

Have a safe and Happy Halloween.

Change in the Weather

Really not liking this weather change.
I am so sorry that I haven't written as often as I normally do, but I have been feeling a little under the weather here lately. I can't seem to chase away this congestion in my chest enough to stop coughing. I have had to drag out older clothes with those dreaded long sleeves. Ugh, I really like spring and fall but winter just isn't my season. I hate winter. Everything is dead outside and when the wind blows it sends a chill straight down to your bones. On the other hand, Big, loves winter weather and everything about it. He always says that the clothes are one of his favorite things about it. I just hate feeling all bundled up and toting around all of the crap that you have to. Gloves, scarves, hats, chapstick, and coats just get heavier and heavier as the season goes on. Oh, and who exactly decided that winter would be the longest of all the seasons? I would like to see someone about this. I miss pool days already.
I have been so busy here lately and so many things have been going on. My baby nephew turned 1!!!!! We had a get together at the McDonald's for his little party and he had the blast of his lifetime. All the children running around and all the new gifts were almost too much for his little senses. And as if that wasn't enough, we let him have his own little birthday cake to eat and play in. It was so hilarious watching him devour that cake and get it all over himself. Too awesome. I can't believe that it has been a year since the little miracle came into our lives.
Maggie, my bestie, came for a very short visit for her fall break. Big and I had dinner with her and it reminded me of just how much I love being with her and just how different we two are. She and I caught up on our current lives, which wasn't too much considering we email daily, but it was so nice to talk in person. She had never met Big and wanted so much to see what all the hype was and has been about for the past two years. He didn't disappoint. We all got along famously and even went back to the house after dinner. For the past couple of days since dinner with her, we have been trying to convince her to come back up for this coming weekend for the Halloween party. Hopefully she will attend. Well that's all I've got for today.
Until next time, happy hump day and stay warm

Baby Steps

Well the weekend was wonderful and I made it through without killing anyone or someone killing me. In case you didn't know, the O'Reilly Mid-South Nationals were this weekend and my Uncle Clay was racing.
Big came out and met the family! I know, can you guys believe it? I think we took this relationship to another level during the weekend. He acknowledged that he loves me! He didn't say "I love you", but he did let me know that he did. Hey, one baby step at a time right? Can't rush into these things.
I have been mentally preparing for the big Halloween party that I have been invited to and yesterday I did find a costume. Not the one I went to get, but a very cute Punk Rock Witch! I can't wait to see what type of make-up fun we can have with that one.

P.S. Does anybody know where I can get some cheap hooker boots?

Big Last Day of September

Today, two years ago, is the day that I met Big for the second time. We first met first about a year and a half before that when he was actually sort of dating a friend of mine. We went out to a Rob Thomas concert on Mud Island during a winter month (not sure which) and froze just about to death. While we conversed then back and forth, there was a connection that even my friend couldn't deny. She has always said that he was my type and never was hers to begin with.
We reunited at a cook out that some of his friends were having a couple of years ago. At the time, another of my friends was dating a friend of his. She dragged me out of my house where I had been pent up for some time due to a slight bout of depression after a nasty break-up and a bad one-night-stand type of experience. After he called and coaxed me into going I ended up having a great time. The attraction was an instant type of friction that just swirled around us. Funny to me now, thinking back, how natural it all felt even though I was in a strange environment with strangers. Now here I am all this time down the road and it's really hard to imagine my life without him in it everyday. He has been a true friend along with a great companion for the last little bit of my life. He calms me down in a way that I have yet to even understand. I just feel safe and secure when he is in the room with me and there is nothing quite like it.
My hope is that he thinks of me the way I am thinking of him right now and remembers all of the good times that we have had. I am wishing for many more to come.

This weekend is the National Event here at Memphis Motorsports Park and I am going to get to share my family's passion with Big, finally. There was a line in Speed Racer the movie where they are trying to explain racing to an outsider. The mom said that it was like a religion, and this is for certain when referring to our family. It is in our blood and nothing excites me more than to share it with someone new that has never experienced the smells, sites, food, and the noises. Sounds so loud that they can shake your insides. Can't wait!
Until next time, happy last day of September

Fall is Coming

While writing this right now, I am attempting to not get Southwestern style soup all over the keyboard because you guessed it, I am now sort of sick. Happens this time every single year and yet I still seem to be taken off guard like I can't seem to remember.
It all started with Big getting deathly ill (you know men) and wanting me to come over and see him. Yesterday I went to the store to get the ultimate sick foods, but then it struck me. What are sick foods for Big? My sick foods may not match up with his sick foods, uh oh. I got the staples like orange juice and Chicken Noodle Soup, but what about Shells and Cheese or ice cream? I decided that since I knew what he did or didn't like that I would just go ahead and get some stuff. I wanted to cook something spicy in attempts to open up his congested chest so that he could feel better. However, about the time I got in the house and put things away I felt dizzy and went to lay down. Two hours later, my tummy was growling and I ventured into the other end of the house for food. He had fixed a pot of soup and shared with me. Then we both went to bed early.
This morning, Big popped right up out of bed with little issue. Me on the other hand, I am dragging butt today. I don't feel too hot and am trying all kinds of home remedies. I even got a sinus rinse and tried that. It worked pretty well but watching me try to do that was quite hilarious I am sure. Only Tucker got the pleasure of doing that. Speaking of Tuck, he was my prince last night while I was up and down. So worried and attentive he was while I searched for more meds and constantly blew my nose. Got to love the puppy dog. As for Big, well he was very sweet and lovey this morning now that he feels a bit better.
Hopefully, this spicy soup will give me just the boost I need for the rest of the day.
Until next time, Welcome Fall! We have all missed you, but you could have kept this cold.

Downhill Slide

This morning I began thinking that I should at least start to think about buying Christmas gifts early this year. Maybe go ahead and start, oh, right now. It always is a tough task to get it all purchased and wrapped on time not to mention the financial aspect of it. Earlier I made a list of things that I knew would be good and other things that my peeps have spoke about wanting. I want to get a jump on things this year. Of course, I say this every single year and never really do it, so my goal is to do it. Hopefully, be almost finished by Thanksgiving and not shop any after that.
I hate the whole mall experience as it is most of the time, but people just go nuts after that turkey dinner. I suppose they realize that there is very little time left to get in some much needed shopping so they all rush out, together, and buy things. Personally, I despise crawling over people and miles of sales racks. No thank you.
So today I will start to order things and purchase things for the select few that my checkbook allows me to buy gifts. Got to love the holiday season.
Halloween is just around the corner and I have no clue if I should dress up or not this year. Maybe I will get to.
Until next time, be thinking about what you guys want for Christmas ( you know who you are)

100 blogs later...

This is my 100th post!!!!!! And it is definitely a celebration. I just finished cooking a meal for that special man in my life. At the store earlier I wondered if I could actually handle this or not, but I did it. It felt like such an accomplishment to do it and not kill us. If I do say so myself it wasn't too shabby.
I glanced back through some of my earlier posts to try and see my progress over 100 blog entries and it has been just as interesting as most soap operas. From fights with my families, to couples therapy, to funny stories, and the recent loss of a four legged family member. It hasn't been quite a year, but it has been one heck of a ride. My life is beginning to settle in a bit and I can't say that I can complain about that. I remember asking God for a break from the craziness that is my day to day. I think God is preparing me for anything that could possibly happen to me in the near or distant future.
I really enjoyed blogging more than I thought that I would and will continue to do so while it is still an enjoyable hobby. Like I have stated in the past, my life has always been a constant swirl of entertainment for the people around me. Most of which love me and will always laugh with me and not at me. This blog is for you guys. I love those of you who have stuck by me through all of my turbulence's and joys. You all know exactly who you are too.
I hope you all enjoy my little short stories as much as I like to share them.
Until next time keep reading and take care

Dinner and a Show

I am going to write a brief little story right now about what is going on. A couple of nights ago, Big and I went to the grocery store and picked up a few things. His house always seems void of food or at least, good for you food, so we decided to remedy that. We bought chicken cordon bleu, which I didn't know what that was. If you just said chicken breast stuffed with cheese and stuff I would have understood, but cordon bleu doesn't even sound like stuffed with stuff. I digress.
While we traveled up and down the aisles and picked up semi good things, I never imagined that he wanted me to prepare these meals. So imagine my surprise today when he called in a huff and asked me to cook the chicken cordon bleu. I hesitated and asked what he wanted to go with it. He quickly said that he did want a meal, but we had none of the necessary ingredients to make that happen.
So here I sit, nervous, making a list of things that I should go and pick up at the grocery store for this so called "meal" that he wants me to cook for him. Me! The one for two years has stated over and over again how I don't cook! What is he thinking? I like to eat, but that's as far as it normally goes. I mean, come on Big. Well he is the one that will have to smile and eat it if it isn't up to par so maybe the joke is on him. So for those of you out there that cook, throw me a bone and help a sister out by giving me some pointers. The only thing he said by way of help, was that he wanted potatoes. Ummm.... Hello what kind and how do I fix those? Stressful doesn't even begin to describe it. I know there are some of you out there that are laughing wondering what the big damn deal is, but I barely build sandwiches and this is a big deal.
Until the next entry (which I am sure will be one of humor), HELP WANTED! Strike that NEEDED

Weekend Rendezvous

This weekend was certainly filled with exciting outings and some television drama. It was and always is fun when I am hanging out with the girls.
First, Saturday night we went out to Zoo Rendezvous which was wonderful. I ate until I couldn't eat anymore and don't even get me started about the drinks. Of course this event is for charity and tons of fun at that. Anybody that has an opportunity to attend next year, I highly recommend you come out and support our Memphis Zoo. To all the restaurants that we stopped at while there, you guys out did yourself. Awesome displays and delicious cuisine! Pictures will follow soon.
Second, Big and I could barely wait for the much anticipated season finale of True Blood last night! While we were watching it, we had no idea of the drama that was going on during the VMA's. Poor Taylor Swift, but sweet Beyonce gave her a moment to shine later on in the show. For those of you who didn't watch the award show, Kanye West decided that he was unhappy with the results of Best Female Video so he decided to run on stage and steal Taylor Swift's thunder by blurting out that Beyonce had "one of the best videos of all time". Everyone was scratching their heads and screaming at the television at the same time. When I realized that I was getting text after text from Twitter, I decided to try and log on to see what the heck was going on. After several minutes of what I am going to call a "busy signal" I finally got on to Twitter. It was entertaining. Never a dull moment at MTV.
Until next time, have a good Monday and try not to steal somebody's thunder today. It's not nice.

Missing him...

For the past couple of days, my lost puppy has been on my mind. I don't understand this whole process and how long it will take for me to stop being sad about it. For some of you, this must sound just silly that I am still mourning the loss of a dog, but it just hurts sometimes.

I pray daily for the peace of mind that I did the right thing by letting him go when I did. But I also try to dismiss these thoughts all together because what is done, is done. Part of me yearns for a puppy now even more than before but the rest of me wants nothing to do with that idea because that means more pain down the road. Maybe I am just having one of those girl days where you can't keep your emotions in check or maybe the love I had for him was like that of a family member. I have pictures of him everywhere and when I glance over at them I often forget that he is gone but quickly remember.

Not exactly sure why I felt the need to share that information but there you have it. I don't have much else to report right this minute due to being so busy at work.

Until next time, happy short work week

First Game of the Season

I am not that big into football but I have to say that here at the end of the second quarter of the Memphis vs Ole Miss game I am hooked. For those of you who don't already know, my younger brother Nathan is a trainer for the University of Memphis and is a former football player himself. My mother is screaming at the top of her lungs and often scaring the baby so then he screams at the top of his. It's comical and sad at the same time. Mom has always gotten really into sports games and acts as though she is in the stadium within hearing distance of the coach and players. 

Grey is decked out in his little Memphis shirt and we are anxious to see how this game is going to turn out because Memphis isn't doing all that bad. 

I have been hearing Grey scream, Da-DA at the television for the last few minutes. So I will now join in and say loudly, LET'S GO MEMPHIS.

Until next time, Go Tigers!!!!

Labor Day Weekend

I've been sitting here thinking about writing and knowing that I have absolutely nothing to say.
Grey, Mom, and I traveled out to Shelby Forest to see Dee Dee and to get into the pool. Uncle Cliff said, while trying to locate a hole in one of our very large floats, said that we would have to be pretty darn tough to get into that water. It was very cold but we got in just the same. Grey decided that he wanted to stick his little toes in for a few minutes, but otherwise he just watched me and Leigh swim. Or actually, it was more like jumping and trying to stay warm while holding our drinks in the air.
I am trying to be excited that college football has begun again. I don't really understand the game that most of my high school weekends were spent enduring while I was in band. So I have recently asked Big to explain it, slowly. I know that this will be hilarious and definitely blog worthy after we spend an entire football game sitting in the living room trying to learn. At least I will possibly be able to keep up with the rest of the world. I am constantly checking the news and politics, but football seems to be more popular and maybe I can get on board, finally.
Until next time, have a great labor day weekend, and be safe.

Kidnapped

Hang on to your britches guys, I was kidnapped this weekend! No not by mean people, but by my own Mommy and Dee Dee. You see we were having our usual day at the pool on Sunday when we ran out of Crystal Light for Margaritas! (Eeek) Tragic right? That's what we thought too.

Dee Dee decided that we were going to travel to the General Store in Shelby Forest to check and see if they had some Crystal Light. Unfortunately, they did not have what we needed but little did I know this would only be the first stop on our little adventure.

After traveling quite a ways from the store we stopped at the boat ramp there by the river. I am always in awe of how pretty and peaceful those brown muddy waters are. While standing there over-looking a beautiful scene I decided to find my Rudy a rock to mark his resting place. I found one that took quite a bit of effort to retrieve. Victory was ours! I got my rock.

After leaving there, it was off to find some elusive lake that Dee Dee partied at when she was in high school. I was beginning to get car sick in the back seat of her SUV as she speed over hills and down through woods while constantly looking from side to side. All I could see out of my window was a very steep cliff with nothing but trees and no civilization in sight. Oh Lord. We finally reached what actually ended up being a gorgeous lake in the forest and walked around. All three of us decided it would be the perfect spot for a blanket and a book or in Dee Dee's case an audio book. ( ;) love you) I didn't even want to go on this trip but it ended up being really neat to just travel on such a pretty day that was almost too cold for the pool. Believe it or not, we ran into my great uncle and aunt while we were there. Crazy, right? Doesn't matter where we go, we run into someone we know.

I love spontaneous trips especially when we three get together. Never know what we will get into. So I didn't want to go and was basically forced at the promise of a brownie at the end of it, which was wonderful by the way. So getting kidnapped wasn't so bad.

Until next time, savor those moments that are special in their own way

Rudy Lyn Williamson

I am going to try and keep this short, but forgive me if I get a little carried away. In the last blog entry, I mentioned that something sad happened to me on the Friday before my birthday and now I believe I am ready to explain.

After 14 years of loyalty, sweetness, and just plain ole cute, my dog is no longer with us. Rudy was the most amazing little Shit Tzu anyone could ever have asked for. He was my baby.

He was very old and very sick so I am sure that he is now thankful to no longer be in pain, but the wake of his loss has devastated our family. He will be deeply missed by all who ever knew him.

I also want to thank all of you who called and reached out to me at this time, knowing and understanding just how difficult dealing with this loss has been for me. Without all of you I don't know how I could have stood it. I did take him to the vet and had him put down. I remained in the room until the end along with my Daddy and I have to say that it ranks way up there on my list of hardest things I have ever endured in my entire life. The guilt of having to make the final decision has chewed me up inside and I have to turn to prayer. Taylor, who is only 6 years old, didn't take the news in stride like we all had hoped. She asked me on the way home if Rudy was in heaven. My response was an instant, "YES". On the other hand, I have had to do some soul searching on this one. I think that I have decided that God has a place for the animals in heaven. I don't care if it is actually true or not, but this is the brand of doggy religion that I am buying into these days.

For everyone that knew Rudy, or knew how special he was to me and my entire family, keep us in your thoughts and prayers as we try hard to navigate through life without our Rudy. My Dad, bless his heart, is still trying to adjust to the break in his routine. So, I know this blog wasn't what my Dad thought that it would be, a tribute. Rudy deserves a tribute, don't get me wrong, but I don't think that I could even begin to describe how incredible a puppy he was or how he transformed our lives. Rudy, we love you and we will continue to miss you so very much.

Until next time, Again keep us in your thoughts and prayers.

Happy 25th Birthday to Me

Today at 11:06 am I will turn 25 years old! I am having a hard time this morning thinking about how young and grown up that sounds all at the same time. If I feel that way, I wonder how my parents feel having a kid that has grown up to be 25. I do not have a lot to report this morning. I have been awake since about 5am. No actually it was 5:23 am exactly when I rolled over this morning and realized that it was this birthday that I have been excited about and dreading for a year now. I wanted to have so much to report by the time I reached this age, but sadly no such luck. Or do I?

Yesterday after noon while driving to Drummonds, I was talking to a long time friend of mine Jullay and she reminded me about how blessed I am. I get on this blog and out in the real world sometimes and talk about what I don't have and forget about what I do have. She expressed about how jealous she has always been about the close knit connection that I have with my family. It just stopped me, cold. I am so very blessed with this family that often is a source of entertainment for me, friends, and blog entries. Yesterday was a pretty tough day for me and they were there for me. They have all called and texted to tell me how sympathetic they were for my situation. What situation you ask? It will be explained in a blog to follow. I can't write about it today because it is my birthday and I am attempting not to cry. Back on topic, I really did want to say thank you and I love you guys from the bottom of my heart. I love my family even if I do get angry and make fun of them sometimes.

So, Happy Birthday to me today. I do have some great plans planned for tonight. Big and I have reservations for a wonderful meal. Before the formal celebration begins, we are going to have girls day at the pool today. Lord knows that I am in need for a drink. Family, this one is a thank you note from Meggie on my birthday. I love you and will never forget why I do.

To my Mom and Dad today: I love you and I know you love me. This day in the history of our lives is a special day as well as several other days, but this one is my day. Thank you guys for being amazing parents that taught me about values, loyalty, generosity, strength, and compassion. I could not have better roles models and would never trade that. I love the two of you so very much.

Until next time, Happy 25th Birthday to Me today, and it didn't feel as bad as I thought it would.

Fun, But Not Too Much

We are nearing the end of the most recent audio book which is "The Time Traveler's Wife" and I have to say that I loved it, but I am reluctant to go and see the movie because it may be a tear jerker. Kyla and I both have become so enveloped with the story that we are almost sad that it will end soon and I suppose we will quickly have to replace it with something else. It has been very good though and I would certainly recommend it to anybody. This week and weekend wasn't all that eventful for me, but I did have some to report.

Mom, Dee Dee, and I went out to the fish fry at Mirimichi on Friday night. For those of you out there that have no idea what I am talking about, Mirimichi is a very nice, newly made-over golf course that Justin Timberlake re-did and now owns and operates. It used to be Big Creek golf course which is where he learned to play golf as a young kid, so when it was put up for sale he quickly felt sentimental. He has turned what was just a couple of golf holes into the beginnings of a beautiful resort. We were completely overwhelmed and awed by how pretty everything was in comparison from what it used to be. A couple of beers and good friends made for a great time out at the fish fry. New location for Girl's Night? Possibly. If you have a chance, please get out there and take a quick look and bring your golf clubs if you can play. It was wonderful.

Pool time was entertaining as it normally is and we drank as we normally do, but this weekend I broke a float! Can you believe that? So Saturday night after dinner with Big we had to run to Target so that I could replace that one that had a blow out. Going to Target with Big always helps me connect to my inner child because it brings his out and into the open. He loves toys!!! One of these days he will make one of those great Daddies that really enjoys playing with his kiddos and this makes me fall even harder when I think of it. All of the Transformers, GI Joe's, Star Wars and Hot Wheels are just almost too tempting for him. His nephew is almost at that age where those are what he wants, but Grey is far away from being there. He does have a toy box in every single room in our house, but for right now they are sweet little singing toys, not the angry looking figurines that we were looking at. Nothing makes him happier than to remember the ease and simplicity of his childhood, so I enjoy just watching him relive a happy time.
I told you guys it wasn't a very crazy weekend, but I have to say that it has been nice just not doing much of nothing.
Until next time, go see The Time Traveler's Wife because I have a suspicion that it will be great.

Friday Funny

SAD NEWS...
Please join me in remembering a great icon of the entertainment community.
The Pillsbury Doughboy died yesterday of a yeast infection and trauma
complications from repeated pokes in the belly. He was 71.
Doughboy was buried in a lightly greased coffin. Dozens of celebrities
turned out to pay their respects, including Mrs. Butterworth, Hungry Jack,
the California Raisins, Betty Crocker, the Hostess Twinkies, and Captain
Crunch. The grave site was piled high with flours.
Aunt Jemima delivered the eulogy and lovingly described Doughboy as a man
who never knew how much he was kneaded. Doughboy rose quickly in show
business, but his later life was filled with turnovers. He was not
considered a very smart cookie, wasting much of his dough on half-baked
schemes. Despite being a little flakey at times, he still was a crusty old
man and was considered a positive roll model for millions.
Doughboy is survived by his wife Play Dough, three children: John Dough,
Jane Dough and Dosey Dough, plus they had one in the oven. He is also
survived by his elderly father, Pop Tart.
The funeral was held at 3:50 for about 20 minutes.
If this made you smile for even a brief second, please rise to the occasion
and take time to pass it on and share that smile with someone else who may
be having a crumby day and kneads a lift

Morning Shoe Routine

In the spirit of the title of this blog: I want to tell you a story about shoes today. Every morning I get out of bed, shower, dress, and then go out side to meet the world for the day. Of course, this sounds so sweet and nice but really it's so difficult for me to complete most of these tasks and be at work on time. Unless I have spent the night with Big, I normally arrive at work late which is bad I know. My Mom scolds me almost every day about it.

Anyways, the routine changes a bit when I get ready over at Big's house due to getting up before the sun with a morning person and a black Labrador that is insistent on no one leaving him in the backyard for the day. I know that I have written many blogs about Tuckie that portrayed him as being mischievous or bull headed, and he is those things, but he is also very intelligent sometimes even more so than we would like. Funny how we humans get into a routine and don't realize that we are also projecting this onto the animals around us. He eats at the same time every night and if you don't have food in that bowl he will stand in there until you get up to feed him. He knows the difference in a Wal-Mart sack and a Target sack. Let me explain this: When we go to Wal-Mart it is normally for just groceries, but when we go to Target a rawhide bone almost always accompanies us home. When you come in the door with the sack he will stand there until all of the contents are emptied so that he can survey them and retrieve the thing he loves most in this world, a bone.

So that being said, this morning Big didn't have to go in to work and it was just me having to get up and go into work. Unfortunately, I was being teased a bit about having to go work while they could do nothing all day long without me. Ugh. When I was getting my shoes out to put them on, Tucker, decided quickly that he wasn't having it. So the tug of war began with a little bit of pushing and rubbing up against me. Then when I lifted my foot off the floor with my tennis shoe in my hand the puppy tried to take it away from me while Big and I laughed. After this was unsuccessful only because he couldn't take it from me, but not otherwise because I still only had one shoe on, I was hopping in an attempt to trick him. It didn't work. With a black blur he was between my legs trying so hard to prevent me from leaving him. I laughed so hard that I thought I would cry and then he turned to his left which almost sent me flying through the air and onto the floor. Big yelled from the office for him to stop between laughing fits because he had witnessed this entire escapade. I finally got the shoe on and then Tuckie was defeated so he ran into the office to check Big's feet for socks and shoes. To his delight, Big didn't have either of those things on his feet and so the dog knew that he wouldn't be completely alone today.
My poor tennis shoes have almost been a victim to Tucker on several occasions. He is just so sweet but so smart. I have to say I really love that puppy and I can't remember what we did before. I imagine we were bored or possibly empty but for now he is the main topic of our conversations these days. Love you Tuck~Tuck.
Until next time, have a wonderful day and love your puppies because they are our best friends

Throw Me a Bone

I've been sitting here thinking about what I want to say because I am out of sorts today. I can not understand life in general sometimes and why we all have to trudge through murky mud until we can achieve happiness. Why is this so dang hard for me to be content with just me? Who knows. But I am really sick of lusting after other people's lives and wondering when mine will ever develop.
I am constantly talking about how wonderful he is. And he is. So why is it that we can't seem to get on and remain on the same brain wave? If anyone knows why any man does what he does please just text me, email me, call me, or send me a letter because I am totally lost. If have been accused of self-fulfilling prophecy here lately and maybe that is true but I am wore slap out these days. I want to settle down or at least feel settled and normal. I want to have companionship that is everlasting. Truthfully, I wonder if it is all imaginary. Married people don't seem all that happy to me these days, but Big and I are happy when we are together. I suppose all marriages and relationships start off that way. Euphoric afternoons that accompany perfectly pleasant dates are all that consumes your mind when it is new and fresh. So what happens two years in when you are still stuck in a rut? I have no idea. I can't seem to live without him and I am scared to continue living with him. It hurts that he just seems to be satisfied with rowing this boat right along on it's present course, but what am I to do? If anyone has any sort of guess as to what is the right thing to do, please by any means, contact me and give my an ear full. I do love him more than I have anyone in many years, but now I am just building walls around my heart. Brick by brick he gets further and further away from me, while at the same time the more minutes I spend with him the more wrapped around his pinkie finger I feel. Love Stinks sometimes and it's wonderful other times. I just wish there was a road map to this journey. Don't we all though, ladies. It's all good and I am sure tomorrow I will wake up refreshed and over it, but today I just don't get men and I don't think I ever will.
Until next time, could somebody please just throw me a bone....

Stay In Touch

I hate to admit it, but I have bought into the information super highway by way of having a Myspace page, a Facebook, and even a Twitter account that I constantly check. What would we do without our constant ways of keeping up with all of our confidants? Who knows. We pretend that this is our way of keeping in contact and for the most part it is. I comfort myself with that thought. How else would I keep up with all of my friends from high school and their growing families and adult accomplishments? So I labored under the assumption that this is just how we communicate these days and that I am very "in touch" with my friends, until today.
Yesterday, I made a "comment" on Facebook to a friend of mine about her status update. It said something like, " I just couldn't get any sleep last night". She was just recently married and her honeymoon was over just a few weeks ago so I assumed that the newly-wed syndrome was keeping her awake. So I cracked a little joke in the comment box about how she should control her new hubby long enough to get some sleep. I have known her for some time and I wasn't worried that she would find it offensive. Knowing her, she would have gotten a really good laugh out of it.
Today I received a text with an inbox message from my friend. (Yes Facebook and Twitter notifies me every time I get a hit on them because I am, for sure, addicted) In her message she starts off with, "I guess you hadn't heard". I should have known I was in trouble right then. You guessed it. They are going to get divorced after just a few weeks of marriage. Of course I was shocked and saddened by the news thinking how terrible it must be to think that this is the guy for you only to have him severely disappoint you and then in turn divorce ensues. She explained a bit of the issue in the message knowing that if she didn't that I would certainly write her back to ask. Instantly I wrote her back telling her just how much of an ass I felt like by writing the joke and she responded back stating that she didn't mind because I didn't know. She did assume that we all knew because of the information that is posted day after day on our Facebook pages, so she was the one that was shocked when I had no idea of her current dilemma. Moral of the story is, don't assume anything, because, as they used to say, it definitely makes an ASS out of U and ME.
Until next time, Stay in touch for REAL.

"Break a Leg".... or not

It's only Tuesday now, but it feels like it should already be Friday. What the crap? This week is slowly creeping by without any hope of speeding up. I had to be here around 7am this morning due to patients awaiting my arrival, and I ain't going to lie I am quite sleepy.
After a trial and error process that lasted for an hour, Big and I decided that Tucker has somehow hurt the middle joint in his front left leg. He keeps limping around the house, however, he has yet to yelp or cry in any way. Big kept saying that he was a big boy because he wasn't complaining at all about it other than favoring it by lifting it or not laying on it. If it isn't better by morning I am sure he will be taking a car ride over to the vet to make sure that he isn't seriously injured. We watched him like a hawk last night to try and keep him from jumping hard off of things or running. Mostly we were unsuccessful with this particular mission though. He has a mind of his own.
Not a whole lot to report today other than that. I know that I have been trying very hard to keep to this diet or eating change that I am going through. I don't see major results yet, but I have gotten my first compliment from an outside source. It's tough and easy at the same time to eat better. I feel better about it and I think I even just feel better in general. I did cheat a bit last night when Big and I decided to have some Taco Bell though. I figured since I didn't do bad at all the entire weekend, other than some Margaritas, that I could have a taco or two. Anyways, I am back on track this morning and trying to just get up and get moving.
Until next time, keep your fingers crossed for Tucker.

Ain't No Sunshine

Take a second and be thankful that you still have a roof over your head and that the big bad storm that no one was really prepared for nor even really knew was coming got your home or vehicle. As I drove into Cordova this morning I was thinking that maybe it wouldn't be all that bad until I topped the hill at Costco and then I could really take in the damage. I was able to whip out my camera and take a few pictures that really don't do it any justice at all. I was in awe of how in such a short amount of time the storm turned into a life or death situation. I have yet to hear of any injuries that were serious or any fatalities at all, so thank God for that. My lab took no damage at all not even the small trees that line the medians in our parking lot. We are less than mile away from where it all went down and we were hoping for none of the clean up that poor Kohl's is going through today. It savagely ripped the left side of the building apart while there were people inside including employees and shoppers. The cars in the parking lot looked as though they had been pushed around in a large circle and the had very little glass remaining in all the windows. The majority of the stores in the shopping center there suffered some damage along with most of the street lights. When I was sharing this information with Big, he told me to check Channel 3's website for storm photos and all I can say is, Wow. I was so thankful that I left this area a bit early to run home because at five minutes after closing time I would have been sitting right in the muck of what was a pretty nasty beast. The families and businesses are in my thoughts today as they assess all of the property ruined and try to put their lives back together. Please say a prayer for them, it must be devastating to have to endure the fear and then the effect.

Oh, and if this weather doesn't ease and the rain doesn't quit I believe my friend Hollie is going to loose her mind. She and her family have decided to put a swimming pool in this summer hoping to be able to use it at least a month before the heat went away. Last year we had a drought in July and August but not the year she is trying to do yard construction. Everyday that the rain comes it just pushes her date further and further away from finally getting most suburbanite's dream, an in-ground pool. Yesterday, she just grunted as I read her NOAA's rendition of how the weekend's weather would play out because, you guessed it, RAIN.

Until next time, keep Cordova and other affected areas in your thoughts and hope for sunshine.

Neighbourhood Watch

Why is everything these days about race? I know this question is blasted probably countless times a day, but I am always thrown off guard. I was stunned this morning to learn about Professor Gates and what has happened to him during these turn of events. He had returned to this country from China and then home from New York City only to find that in the darkness of his front doorstep that the door was jammed and no matter what it wouldn't open. Tired and extremely frustrated, he tried with all his might to just get into his own home. Meanwhile, his next-door neighbor called 911 because she was certain that this was a burglary taking place and she didn't want the culprits to get away with it or worse possibly break into her house. This sounds very neighborly and extremely considerate that a lady saw someone potentially harming the sanctity of your home so she called the police. So imagine my surprise when I read this article about how she has been ridiculed and called a racist. You see Dr. Gates was in fact arrested by the police that arrived and even though he is a brilliant Harvard professor known for his intelligence he lost his cool with the cops. They arrested him with a charge of disorderly conduct which was later dropped. The neighbour has been receiving threats via phone, mail, and her Internet. It even states somewhere in the article about how afraid she has been to come forward and speak about the incident. Maybe it is just me, but I am really confused on several points here. Why is she the villain here? She was just doing something that we would want our own neighbours to do for us in the event of a break-in. Why didn't Gates just keep his cool with the police? He was in all actuality trying to "bust" into his own house in the night. Grant it, it was his own home and the police should have understood. Which brings me to my next question: What the heck were the police doing out there throwing him into a car even after being told the whole story?!? Ok I can see that they showed up in defense of his property and thank goodness for that, but why after they identified him did they continue to hound him to the point of arrest. Why didn't they just say, "Have a good night Mr. Gates and sorry about the confusion"? Who knows why. Last question, why did Mr. Gates have to become disorderly? He hasn't spoke out yet and we all may never know, but I don't believe it was because he was of a different race than the neighbour. So I just can't understand why they can't just give the sweet little lady a tiny break just for being kind and reporting what must have looked like a possible theft attempt.
Now the media has gone crazy saying that it was a racial issue. Look, I wasn't there and neither were the media so I hope that everyone makes up their own minds as to what they think. Frankly, I don't really care one way or the other but I do feel sorry for the neighbour and it is certainly taking up a lot of the news cycle today. As my Mom says, "Must be a slow news day". Although, I say slow but I did read that Colin Powell interviewed with Larry King Live and discussed how both parties should have just taken a step back and chilled. He even called Dr. Gates by his nick-name (Skip) indicating that he knew him personally. Wow, anybody else impressed that Colin Powell is his friend? Powell also talked briefly about racial profiling and how you have to rise above it and keep on trucking along. Okay, so give the next-door neighbour a pass because she was following protocol on breaking and entering and drop the racial crap because we are all over it.
Update on Carb Cut down: I am a couple of days in and am already missing my carbs. To be honest, I just really am missing my sprite and peanut butter. I have had some peanut butter in very small amounts but nothing to brag about. I have also been at Big's for the past couple of days and have slacked on working out big time. Wait, does cleaning house count? So when I get home tonight I will hit the floor running, literally. Until next time, take care and watch out for those neighbours they just might do something neighbourly.

Carbs? No Thank-You

Today is the day that I begin a new habit, counting calories. I have tried to diet in the past but I am convinced that I am going to eat better and exercise more frequently so that I can too see the results that the people around me are seeing these days. My friend Hollie, who by the way is a skinny bitch, has started eating way less carbs and way more protein. Within two weeks, she has seen incredible results. I am going to follow her lead by not thinking that weight loss or healthy eating comes in a bottle with a magic promise of working. It's not that simple. I am going to have to go without eating my Sheridan's frozen yogurt along with many other vices of mine. Speaking of yogurt, don't eat that unless you work out a whole lot. It isn't very good for you at all. Carbs are my own personal evil because that seems to be all that I eat or even like. Well, I say that but I do appreciate foods that contain protein such as: turkey, tuna, salmon, hot dogs (turkey), and some cheese. When in the store this morning, I found myself comparing nutritional charts and making smarter choices with fat, carbs, and protein. I hopefully will get the hang of this thing really quickly and feel so much better. Everyone I know always says that they should eat more healthy and exercise more. I run and am trying to make myself do at least half an hour of Pilate's after each run, or maybe before the run. I'm still not sure. Uncertain of how successful I would actually be, I hope that everyone holds me accountable around me and help me get through the first couple of days of adjustment. At first, I know that I will miss my carbs but I know that the rewards will be very nice if I can ever get my big ole butt back down to a little bitty tush. Sigh. It will happen. And I will let you guys know about my progress along the way because I know everyone has cravings and I know that mine are going to be killer.
Grey Update: Baby Grey finally, no wait, FINALLY cut a tooth!!!! We are so thrilled! He is like a different kid since the tiny white square began to poke through his little gummies. He's been laughing and smiling more, oh and he has learned a new phrase: Uh Oh. Yep, he says that when he falls down or when he drops something on the floor. Mom has worked really hard to teach him this new catch phrase and he's got it down. Maybe even too much so. I went and snagged him Sunday morning and took him upstairs to play in my room for a bit. We got into my bed for him to just roll around for a bit. He would stand up in the middle of the bed and try to reach out and grab my alarm clock which he loves. I knew he hadn't finished his nap, so I put the pacifier in his mouth in hopes that he would drift back into dream land. He would then grab at it and throw it onto the floor out of my reach while proclaiming proudly, "Uh Oh!" Ugh, Grey. It was just too cute. Until next time, wish me luck and say no to carbs.

Jeremy Mayfield vs. NASCAR

I just got finished reading this article onJeremy Mayfield and I am appalled that NASCAR could do such a thing. It looks like they are falsifying documents to continue on with this apparent conspiracy to remove Jeremy from racing. More than likely Mayfield will never drive again, but for this defamation of character I hope he makes NASCAR pay. He was rooming with my Uncle Clay when they went over to Iraq, and my uncle has nothing but good things to say about him. He just seems like a good ole boy to me. NASCAR needs to seriously back off! He's been through enough already over inaccurate information and ex-family members coming out of the wood work for money. Oh yeah, the article didn't really go into how the Mayfield family has speculated that their ex-stepmother had something to do with the premature death of their father and how they were soon to be seeking legal action against her. She may or may not have been paid off by NASCAR, who knows, but I hope she has learned that trying to tell those lies doesn't pay. Ugh, can't people just get a life? I hope that Jeremy hangs in there and takes them down. My thoughts and prayers go out to his family because this must be so hard to witness unfolding around them. Until next time, stay dry in this weather and keep your fingers cross for Jeremy Mayfield.

Tabloids and Those Who Love Them

How many of you guys read the newspaper? Or get online for the sole purpose of checking a news media of some kind? As nerdy as it sounds one of the most used apps on my Ipod Touch is USA Today because I am a news-o-holic. I love politics and the scandals that surround it. Most people don't enjoy hearing about laws passing or the elections of officials like I do. I think I just like being in the "know" on today's current affairs. If you don't share my love for politics or the news in general I still think we may have one type of media in common. Tabloids. Oh, I love the tabloids. Today I walked into Walgreen's to get some much needed supplies (take my word for it) and I almost made it out without a careless purchase. I layed my selections down and looked over my right shoulder and there it was. US Weekly with Jessica and Nick on the cover. Yeah, I couldn't resist. It just jumped right off the small rack and onto the counter. I love reading about total strangers that through the media we pretend that we've come to know personally. We follow their drama, chastise or praise their wardrobe, judge their taste in men, and pay big money for the first glimpse at their babies.
Personally, I can't hardly help keeping up with Jennifer Aniston because I just think she's amazing and has a grace about her to be envied. I almost religiously followed her boyfriends then her marriage to Brad and then the saddest break-up in history. They were America's sweethearts then crashed and burned because he had an affair with a seductive witch. Wait, don't get me started on her. Doesn't even matter because, they sold magazines just like Jessica and Nick do. I love it. It just makes me excited to see a new issue on the shelves and I don't have any issue with the fact that it is probably complete and utter crap. I just always assume that there has to be some truth to some of it otherwise all they would do is print retractions all the time.
I just hung up the phone with Mr. Big and we were talking about it, the Jessica and Nick hope that the tabloids have given us all. He was a fan of the show, yeah you heard me right. He said last night that he thought it would be very romantic if they got together after everything they have been through. Hey Mr. Big, I think there may be a reason they call people hopeless romantics, because there is very little hope to that actually happening. But as I sit here I am sure that there is a possibility. After living my life, I always expect the unexpected especially when it comes to matters of the heart. He just laughed when I said that I thought Tony was never any good for her and that Nick was such a sweetheart. You can make this assumption because y'all have hung out before right? And they would never have a public persona right? He was making good points as he normally does, but I can't help but feel like we do know them. We are there for their every move and tragedy. Hopefully you don't I am crazy for loving this stupid little guilty pleasure and even if you are judging me right now you know that in those check out lines of whatever supermarket you are in you glance over and read all of those covers. You wonder if it's true and then you pick it up and flip through it while waiting your turn with the cashier. I don't know many people who don't at least read the headlines. Why do we care about these people and their lives? Who knows, but we all contribute to this huge empire and love the drama of the celebrities lives. Until next time, have a great day and keep me posted on Jessica and Nick.

Very Lazy

This weekend was slow paced and somewhat boring, but I enjoyed being slow paced and boring for a couple of days. Friday night I just spent some time in my own bedroom catching up on some DVR and kissing on Grey baby. After what seemed like a Will and Grace marathon, I decided to pass out and call it a night. Saturday morning I didn't move from the bed until around 10am but only to pee and eat a little something. A sandwich and some sprite later I climbed back in the bed to continue watching tv. Big called at around 2:30pm asking me what I was doing. And yes I was a bit embarrassed that I hadn't accomplished the first task on my Saturday off work. He was at work and I'm sure didn't want to hear all about how I hadn't done one thing so I just said that I wasn't doing a thing.
We left for the ball game and I noticed that Mr. Big wasn't in the best of moods and he seemed tired. I did help him stretch out a little bit, but it didn't seem to help with his demeanor as we drove over to the fields. He played a decent game and believe it or not I enjoyed just watching while sitting outside. His Dad came and kept me company for a little while by talking about his new motorcycle that he just purchased. He was so excited to be out and about on it that he almost resembled a child with a new toy. LOL.
On Sunday morning I got up and headed to the pool, of course. I mean what did you think that I was going to go an entire weekend without soaking up some sunshine. Not a chance. The water was a tad bit chilly from this weird July weather we are having these days and it took us all three a couple of minutes to adjust to it. We have been used to it being like bath water for quite some time now so there was some squealing and gasping all over the pool at random times when the water crept over the sides of our floats. My Dee Dee just jumped right in with a very loud and emphatic, "YEAH". I guess she was trying to convince herself that it wasn't all that cold even though it was a bit icy. A very relaxing weekend has again come and gone. I am beginning to think that I really need more of a social life than what I have. Anyone have any suggestions out there? I am soon to be 25 and am kind of a fuddy-duddy I think. LOL.
Until next time, have a great Monday and help me with my social make-over if you can.

Hot then Cold

So very sleepy today! I can't even describe how I feel right now. I guess I would have to say that I am so stopped up that I can't hear, speak, or blink without realizing that I have the dreaded summer cold. For the life of me I can't understand it because I slept with the fan turned off last night and due to the storm we had this morning I even got to sleep in a little bit extra. Thanks weather ;) Plenty of water is passing through my lips and sliding down my throat this morning along with a bagel and almost an entire apple. Fruit is a daily part of my breakfast and mostly it is apples that I eat because they are very easy to cut up and eat with my hands. This way I can talk on the phone at work or do other monotonous tasks while still eating my green apple. Well an apple a day hasn't kept the cold away I am afraid.
Whenever I get to feeling badly I fight my own mother about whether or not to go to the doctor. I am completely serious when I say this, but I would rather be beaten with a bag of hammers instead of going to the doctor's office. Despise is not a good word, but it is the closest I can get to without saying any ugly words about how I feel about taking off work to go and sit around all day long in an office waiting room while it takes them years to process their paperwork. Working in a medical office myself, I understand about taking their sweet little time because we aren't people to them, we are chart numbers the same way they are to me. Some of them are special and stand out but for the most part we don't know them personally. Anxiety aside, I may be trying to get an appointment if the Sudafed doesn't kick in soon enough. It never fails that I develop sickness when the weekend is approaching. Ugh.
On another note, I slid into some things while pulling my car into the very wet garage this morning and scratched my car a bit. Luckily it was only the bumper that was assaulted and it didn't look too disturbed by it all so I reluctantly realize that I couldn't change it and went on to work. Maybe I can talk Mr. Big into helping me get some touch up paint even though I didn't appear to be any damage to the paint. It was raining and dark in the garage so it was hard to tell. I have still yet to go out and look at it in the daylight. The rain still hasn't let up out here where I am.
Until next time, stay dry and stay well

Frugal

When I was little and money was given to me for working or holiday, more than most of the time the same old comment would come out of some person's mouth, "Don't spend it all in one place". I used to think it was a silly statement and also why did that individual care how I would spend the money the had gifted me. Now I realize that there was a lesson being taught there by older wiser folks who had dealt with managing savings and incomes. Savings is a touchy subject with most people because here and now it is so very hard to stick to a plan of saving money. I hate having to worry about money and whether or not it will run out or not sometime soon.

I have several friends going through issues with their own finances and the finances of their significant others. As a whole, we (the women) have collectively decided that men aren't too good with saving money, but after some further soul searching I have to disagree. There are some men around me right now that have absolutely no issue handling their spending or their savings. Normally, when I look through my check book to investigate the current mystery saga of where did all the money go I find that I have "nickled" and "dimed" myself into a low balance. I am not a huge shopper girl that has to be in the mall every weekend looking for the newest and hottest trends. I am completely content with just running into Old Navy for a quick run through but only when I am in need of something specific. Maybe I should put myself on a much more strict budget so that I can save more money. Lately, I have been desperately trying to pay off some bills so that I have a bit more breathing room and so that I no longer have to worry with owing someone money. Yikes, this being an adult thing is really no fun these days and I have a hunch it is only up hill from here.


I suppose that I need to pray for help with learning better discipline and control when it comes to all the aspects of my life. On that note, I am trying to exercise and eat much better because while I was doing so last month I felt better in general and now that I've slipped a bit I am noticing a difference. Even this morning, after getting a full night's sleep I was still exhausted. So discipline.... here I come. Maybe, no hopefully.


There is some satisfaction that I get from paying a bill on time and without worry of bouncing any of the funds. That part makes me feel like a grown up even though I am really resisting it. I thought that this was something that people grow to love, but recently I found out that fact just ain't so. A friend of mine has been finding out surprises about her live in boyfriend for about 3 months now. Some of which have been quite serious and definitely expensive for the resolution, but she has stuck by him in trying to persuade him to work it all out. He has a terrible credit score from a reckless youth which included no discipline of his own. She loves him and is clawing at his bills while trying to rectify this problem. This week he came home and parked the car around the back of the house so that the view of it was blocked from the street.... yeah you guys guessed it. The bank is looking for the vehicle and he was a bit behind on his payments. After three phone calls and a screaming match, my friend got to the bottom of the confusion while taking diligent notes and shaking her head. He was almost 9 payments behind. AH! Boys. What would they do with out us around right? When she questioned him on his behavior he gave a response that he had completed paying off the car and didn't really care to pay the interest! This generated much needed laughter for her and for me when she told me about it and as a matter of fact we're still cracking up somewhat. Are you kidding me? In that moment I thought her head would explode but she just sat in silence and laughed at the ridiculousness of it. And even though I thought he would most certainly be a dead man this morning, she has decided to be his personal financial advisor. Honey, all I can say is that I wish you the best of luck at this point in your relationship and if you need anything please don't hesitate. He will be alright as soon as she gets him back on track, and from what I know about her it will be more funny stories to come.


Any advice on how to change habits from spending whenever on whatever? I sure hope that my transition isn't as painful as other's have been and that all of my plotting and planning gets me back on track soon. Until next time, just laugh and be frugal

Big Birthday Weekend

Don't you just hate Mondays? I know I sure do! Even my brother wrote on his Facebook status this morning about how much he truly hates Mondays. After having a wonderful weekend I just really didn't want to roll out of my very comfortable bed this morning and get in the shower to get started with my day.
Never will I ever ask for sympathy for a hangover, but last night after drinking all day long at the pool I was nursing a terrible headache along with some neck and back tension. Maybe it was due to the two Margarita's and the one beer that I consumed. My Aunt has decided that to drink less calories we must just replace it with more liquour. So the drinks are getting stronger every weekend. Side note: I drink EXTREMELY quickly. The minute I get it, I suck it down until there is nothing but ice left in there, set it aside to wait for the ice to melt, and then begin again until it is all gone.Mmmm... tasty. It wasn't good for me yesterday at all. I also never take medication unless I am just dying and this definately qualified as a "I might die right here" situations. My head hurt so badly that even walking down the steps to get some pills was excruating pain with every single one of the sixteen steps. Yep, there are exactly sixteen steps down. Alright, so after taking the Excedrin (two I might add) I went straight up to bed and passed right out. This was at about 6:30pm.... So at 10:20pm when I awoke with the television blaring and completely dressed, I did feel some much needed relief from the headache but knew that I needed to eat a little something, wash my face, and go to bed for real. However, at this point I was wide awake with no hope of returning to my previous state of slumber. Ah, sleepless nights.... Ugh. They just piss me right off especially when it is Sunday night and I know that the alarm clock will go off shortly after me actually falling asleep. At 3 am I finally feel back asleep only to be awakened three short hours later. Fun night!
The weekend was craziness, but tons of fun. The 11th was both Big's and Kyla's birthdays which is always fun to coordinate, but this year I spent the day with Big because she went to the Zoo with her man. We spent the whole weekend celebrating his birthday with his family and several events. Thursday night we went to eat at Texas de Brazil which was absolutely amazing in every way. The food was scrumptious and the service was excellent. Friday night we ventured out to see Transformers 2. Very entertaining even though it was over two and a half hours long. Saturday we got up and played with Tucker and then his little cousin puppy came over (Max). This was hilarious. Tucker has never had a play date with Max before and there was some adjustment that had to be made to each other. Max was very drawn to me for some reason, and Tuckie just wasn't going to have all of that. He pushed and shoved Max away from me in a sweet little kid way but simply wasn't going to tolerate any affection that I showed him. Big filled the pool and Tucker got in, but we were unaware that Max-a-million is not a big fan of water. I kept thinking while Big's sister was telling us over dinner that he hates water that he's a Labrador or at least partly. She said he doesn't retrieve or swim. Oh, so he just looks like one but isn't one at heart. LOL. He was very sweet and loving to me the entire time he was there. We did have some sucking up to do to Tuck-Tuck when we returned to the house after dropping cousin Max off at his home. After that, Big's family and I went to eat out for his birthday which was fun and entertaining being that his nephew and niece are young and quite animated. All in all it was a great week and weekend for my Mr. Big and me. He was so appreciative of his gifts and outings that he even stopped me and thanked me for making this a very special birthday for him. I felt all warm and fuzzy inside. So, I guess another one bites the dust. Next stop is my birthday in August. Until next time, don't drink too much!!!! Ever!

Respect

After thinking on this topic seriously for a couple of days, I have decided to go ahead and write a short soap box rant about how this is MY blog or at least I remember it being the last time I checked. For the most part I am very concerned about hurting some people's feelings when I include them in some of my stories; however, I will not apologize for leaving someone out of it. Very few things in my life are all about me and what I feel or think so no matter what is said from this point on please understand that in the address line of my blog it says mindful musings of MEGGIE. There is another blog that I follow titled "It's My Blog, That's Why" and in the introduction she proclaims how she will not be held responsible if you the reader are offended in any way by her ramblings. It is almost like a warning label for those about to enter her world. I completely can relate and respect her gesture. So I will continue to be brutally honest and also will try hard to be respectful to others. I hope you can appreciate it, but if you don't then... well... click off.

For those of you that love my stories and experiences, I love you guys and I hope you continue to keep up with me. Until my next post, take care

No Results....

For the past several months I have tried to loose some weight so that I could be more comfortable with myself and give my poor little knees a break for a change. After trying pills, starvation, crazy diets, and now running, I am having a very hard time taking it off. I don't have a baby to blame the weight gain on like most women, just ignorance and laziness on my part is at fault. While dating my ex for over four years I forgot all of the rules about not eating heavy after 6pm at night or that Coke will put on about 10lbs a year. Well, in my case probably more because I was drinking several cans of Coke a day along with eating whatever fast food I chose to put into my mouth. Yeah, I know you guys are reading this now thinking, "why is she feeling sorry for herself now when it is so obvious she didn't care at the time?" But I am really regretting how I feel about myself now. Mirrors are no longer my friend and shopping is just out of the question. I used to love to go and by clothes but now I cringe at the thought of having to pass through the doors of a store and then tediously having to try on size after size, ugh it just makes me feel nauseous just thinking about it. Recently I have began to run which is rewarding in it's own way, but with the good comes the bad as well. I have always struggled with my joints over the years and the high impact of the treadmill hasn't been the best experience for me to endure. After some research on the Internet, Dr. Google, I am making some changes to the stretching routine and also the amount of time I spend warming up. It seemed to be helping but for right now I have given it a short break to try and bounce back from some of running's painful woes.
Normally, I feel so good that I exercised at all and here lately I have been a little slacker. It's just so dang hard for me to eat all those yucky so called "good for you" foods when really tasty tempting junk food is staring me in the face. And then to get up early in the morning to work-out is just awful. Wait, who am I really kidding there? LOL. Anybody out there that knows me personally knows I ain't getting up early for anything unless it is mandatory and I am normally kicked out of bed even then. (Thanks Big) Anyways, I usually run at night when I get off from work and boy do I have to do it before my bootie hits a chair or the bed because I won't run after that. You guys know what I mean right? Okay, on with my story now.
The point to this rant is that I am not seeing results yet. As a matter of fact, I've gained weight! I am not used to working and not seeing anything happen because back in school when I wanted to loose a little weight I just would stop eating and run. Yeah, it would just fall off no problem then, but now that I am older it just won't cooperate with me. Everything that I have read says do not under any circumstance stop eating altogether because it will stunt the metabolism. Hmmm.... wish someone would have told me that years ago while I was starving myself all through high school. Maybe I jacked it up years ago and am just now starting to get back on track with it. For a long time I didn't even have hunger pains, but now that I have made myself eat breakfast I am beginning to actually get some tummy pains when I need to eat. Also, while doing all of that research no matter where I turned it says NO ALCOHOL! Ummm... Hello.. what kind of summer is that? You know those commercials about people trying to quit smoking but having to re-learn doing everyday tasks? I am so seeing me trying to swim without a margarita in my hand! Yep, I have trained myself into a routine: bathing suit? check. towel? check. pool? check. float? check. Margarita? priceless oh and check! Any suggestions from you guys out there? I am getting very frustrated right now with working and not eating certain things and then.... nothing. There are so many tricks that everyone talks about and I am listening to most of them and giving them so serious consideration, but for the most part I am just trying to change my habits. This probably will be the best thing for me for the most part. I suppose it will take a substantial amount of time to take it off just like it did to put it on. Until next time, wish me luck and if you have helpful tips I would LOVE to hear them.

Overhaul

Blog Overhaul!!!! I need to do some more work but here is the new look I've been searching for. Hope you guys enjoy. I need to send a shout out to my sweet little brother Nathan for his part in getting the background into place because it was more difficult than I even thought when I started trying to change it. So thanks Nathan, you're awesome!
Back at work today, wishing I was at home still in bed. All the tweets and some of the Facebook updates were people stating how they needed a much longer weekend. Can't blame you guys there at all! I felt like it just flew by.
For those of you living under a rock, the funeral services of Michael Jackson are going to be held tomorrow and I am sure will take up all the air time on every channel. Keep his family and especially his children in your thoughts and prayers for I am sure they will need it. Also, I have been praying for the family of Steve McNair. Very sad to loose a loved one for whatever reason. Until next time, have a great Monday!

Happy 4th of July

My weekend wasn't a normal 4th of July weekend for me, but it was nice and relaxing which was a nice change of pace. I didn't have a million family gatherings to attend which typically only constitutes a lot of driving for me and very little time to actually visit with friends and family. Nope, just a relaxing Saturday in the pool with family was all I needed to complete the holiday. Even though I was a tad bit disappointed that I didn't light so much as a sparkler, I was just glad to get to spend some quality time with my loved ones and Big.
Today was my Dad's birthday and we celebrated it with Cokes and Pizza. However easy and tasty this was, it was not in typical fashion of a dinner at Dad's. Altogether it was a success. Nobody had to worry with cooking or presenting food. It was just grab a paper plate and scarf down some slices of Pizza. Grey talked and walked all over the house in his little shoes that were so cute on him. Taylor just chased after him so concerned that he would fall and hurt himself. Made me remember how protective I felt over her when she started walking.
Other than that, there isn't much to report. I feel almost disappointed to post this sad little blog, but it was an update on my weekend all the same. I really need to get myself an exciting life here pretty quick or I won't have anything to write about. Hopefully every one's holiday weekend was satisfactory and they all had safe fun times. Big is on vacation all of next week, but today he felt a little under the weather. I know he sures is hoping on not being sick on his much needed week off of work. Until next time, good luck getting out of bed in the morning because I know it will be too hard for me.