Where everyone knows your name....

I love being back home in Sumter. You can't leave the house without running into someone you know at Doolallies, Baker's Sweets or Wal-mart. It's so fun to catch up with people you haven't seen in months or sometimes years.

Note to self: When in Sumter, never leave the house without make-up.

Was it good for you, too?

Let me just preface this by saying, I fully understand and appreciate the reasons behind airport security requirements and am grateful to the men and women who work to keep us safe in the air.

That said, I just got molested by airport security.

Since you basically have to strip before going through the metal detector it took four of those little plastic bin thingies for all my various potentially hazardous items (laptop, 2 cell phones, snow boots, toiletries, coat, scarf and a long pretty necklace with which to choke the little kid who kicks the back of my seat). And lucky girl that I am, I was randomly selected to experience the latest and greatest in screening technology up close and personal.

You see, the new Indianapolis airport is only three months old and they have all these great new toys with which to torture protect the fine citizens as they attempt to escape the frozen tundra that is currently our fine city make their way to their gate.

Not only did I get the metal detector and the fancy little 'puff' sniffer machine (you know, the one that blows you're carefully arrange hair all to hell?) but I also got this:

Screener: Please spread your legs.

Me: That's easy enough.

Screener: Hands above your head.

Me: Um, okay.

Screener: Now, from the rear.

Me: Excuse me?

Screener: I meant 'turn and face the rear of the machine'.

Sure, you did.

Good families don't....

Let a little thing like 50 below zero get in the way of seeing each other.

My sister Katie seems to be having a hard time remembering that A Promise is a Promise no matter how much snow is on the ground. I guess I will have to Wait and See and see if she will come visit me From Far Away.

I am not above bribing her with Something Good or threatening to Get Me Another One(sister, that is!) if she doesn't come see me soon.

I will Love Her Forever, whether she comes to visit or not. But I just need to know one thing:

Katie, aren't I worth $29.95?

__________________________________________________________________

*If you have never read the children's books by Canadian author Robert Munsch, you and your children are missing out! My personal favorites are Love You Forever, Something Good and Good Families Don't.

Feta makes anything betta'

I have been tagged half a dozen times in Facebook with this '25 Things about Me' thing, so since you are all clearly dying to know more about yours truly, here you go.

1. I put feta cheese on just about anything - hamburgers, spaghetti, Lean Cuisines. It is my firm belief that feta makes anything better.

2. I quit piano lessons after two years. I begged and whined until my parents let me use that money towards extra dance lessons. Yeah, I haven't danced in 15 years and I regret my choice every time I hear someone play the piano. My (future) children will all play instruments and they will thank me when they are older.

3. I hate manicures. I am too Type A to walk around with chips in my nails but I am too lazy to keep them looking nice.

4. I think green Skittles are the best flavor.

5. I always order the exact same drink at Starbucks. The few times I have ventured into other drinks, I have been bitterly disappointed. My motto is 'go with what you know'.

6. I am a Southern gal, who absolutely hates iced tea and grits.

7. I met my husband on the first day of college. I am fairly certain that he doesn't even remember meeting me that day.

8. I overuse the words 'seriously' and 'whatever'.

9. I am dreading the big 3-0. I am still two months away from turning 28.

10. I talk to my dogs like they are human. (I am home all day, every day by myself. You would do it too.)

11. If I could do anything in the world, I would design wrapping paper, tissue paper, ribbons and other gift-wrap items.

12. I hope to become a mother this year.

13. I love cupcake frosting. The best kind is white icing you get at a mass retailer bakery like Wal-mart or Kroger. Food City in Knoxville, TN has the best frosting I have ever tasted. I will gladly trade you the cake part of my cupcake for the frosting part of yours.

14. My middle name is Ryan, my grandmother's maiden name.

15. I had a hideous bowl cut from 1st to 3rd grade. My mother has a thing for bowl cuts. (She did it to three of us! Only Emily survived the mortification of the bowl cut, because Katie and I were old enough to 'save' her from mom! You're welcome, Emily.)

16. I can only read one book at a time. Props to people who have multiple books going on at once.

17. I am more aware of my facial expressions since I noticed lines in my forehead recently. (See also #9).

18. I think Taylor Swift makes an awesome CD but you couldn't pay me to go to her concert. I have never heard a live performance from her that wasn't slightly off key.

19. When I was a kid I wanted to be a lawyer or a fashion buyer.

20. It drives me crazy when people mispronounce 'preferably'.

21. I don't really have a favorite color. It changes all the time.

22. I sometimes wish I was a redhead.

23. I fell asleep on our first date. (And he still asked me out again!)

24. I have vague dreams of becoming a runner but zero self-discipline to make it happen. It sounds like a good idea, in theory...

25. I wish I lived closer to my family.

Now it's your turn to tell us everything we never wanted to know a little bit more about you!

Bartender, make mine a double! (...Or Why Nate is Lucky to Still be Alive)

Depending on who you ask, we got ten to twelve inches of snow last night. I wanted to measure it myself in one of those cool yard-stick-in-the-snow pictures but of course, I don't actually own a yard stick, so no cool yard-stick-in-the-snow pictures on this blog.

(Note to self: Buy yardstick.)

Anyway, so this morning at 5:30AM (yes, AM. Did you know that 5:30 comes twice a day?) Nate's cell phone rings. It's his boss calling early to say don't come in, take a snow day, I'm serious, don't try it, stay home. To which a normal person would say, HECK YEAH, burrow back under the covers and snooze half the day away, right?

Not Nate. He was up by 6:00AM, parked in front of the TV where he watched the Weather channel for nearly two hours straight. I mean, who does that? He was literally pacing the house, waiting anxiously for the moment the snow plow would come liberate him from his snow-encrusted prison.

Sadly for Nate, said snow plow never came, just as I told him it wouldn't. The snow plow doesn't plow our cul-de-sac for whatever reason. He didn't believe this until he took an hour long walk around the neighborhood (in a foot of snow) and discovered that every single cul-de-sac is still full of snow. Being the good wife that I am, I definitely didn't crow, 'I told you so' at the top of my lungs upon his return.

Most days I am grateful for my husband's incredible work ethic, but today with all his pacing and window gazing and weather channel watching, I really just wanted to kill him kick him in the shins. Someone is paying you to stay at home today, try to enjoy it!

The puppies have enjoyed the snow immensely. We took them out this afternoon without their leashes and let them run to their hearts content. The snow is too deep for them to get very far so we knew it was a safe bet. They had a ball running through the tire tracks made by the neighbor's SUV. Lola was hysterical when she walked out too far and got of the packed snow - she started to sink and clawed like her little life depended on it. Which of course only served to dig her deeper into the snow!

The snow is almost over the fire hydrant!


Lola enjoys a tire track furrow this morning. They were running so fast this afternoon I couldn't get any good pictures!




Our poor little bushes might never be the same.


Lola tries to figure out how to get up into the yard from the shoveled driveway.


No new pictures of Oliver today. He was busy doing his little snow angels, as always. Good thing I put their little snow jackets on them to preserve what little was left of his trip to the beauty parlor yesterday!

Don't you just want to eat them with a spoon?

Look at Knox's little newsboy cap! So adorable!


Viv looks just like big sister, Shiloh. Such a little angel face!


I hope my kids are this cute some day.

Ain't that always the way?

Remember a few posts ago when I said this? Forget it. It was temporary insanity brought on by a short stretch of warm-ish weather. I am most definitely not used to this yet.

Tonight Indy is expecting between 3 and 6 inches of snow. Apparently that would be more snow in one night than we have had in the entire month of January. But this morning dawned clear and a little sunny so I went ahead with the puppies appointment at the beauty parlor this afternoon.

Cut to three hours later and it's time to go fetch them, but it has been pouring snow for at least an hour and it's looking pretty bad out there. So I call my darling husband in the hopes that I can trick cajole him into coming home early and picking them up on the way.

________________________________________________________________

Me: Hey, babe, have you checked the weather lately? It looks pretty bad. Think you might be coming home early?

Him: Nah, if I leave now, traffic will be bad. I'll just wait until the regular time.

Me: Are you sure? The weather is pretty bad.

Him: Yeah, I'm sure. Why?

Me: We-ell-ll, the puppies are ready to be picked up and I was thinking you could get them if you were coming home soon.

Him: Nah, you better go. I'm going to be awhile....If you're leaving you probably need to shovel the driveway before you go.

Me: I'm sorry, say that again? We must have a bad connection...I thought you said I should shovel the driveway.

Him: That is what I said.

Me: Really bad connection here. Gotta go! Bye.

_________________________________________________________________

Shoveling snow while it is still snowing is a bit like pissing in the wind. You end up cold and wet and only marginally better off than you were before you started. I shoveled like a champ for about 5 minutes before my arms were ready to mutiny and start beating me to death with the shovel. After a full 20 minutes of shoveling the longest driveway known to man, I turned around to realize I could no longer see the driveway where I started. Damn snow.

Duty done, I hopped in the car, turned the heater up full blast and set out toward PetSmart. I thought I was getting better at this driving-in-snow thing but apparently not. I was tenser than a stage mom at the Little Miss Universe pageant. I am that driver all the Northerners are swearing at and flipping off as they fly by me in the slow lane.

Riding with the puppies in the car is never a good time for the parties involved. Oliver hops back and forth from driver to passenger seat and jumps at the window every time you use your turn signal. Lola will paw at your chest and howl a blue streak for the first 15 minutes of any car ride (wouldn't you know, about the length of time it takes to get to PetSmart!). I briefly considered putting them in the trunk for the ride back home, but figuring that a fender bender was a distinct possibility in this weather, decided against it. To my surprise, I think the furbabies could sense their mommy's distress because they were amazingly well-behaved until we reached our neighborhood.

Once we turned into a street they recognized, all bets were off. Lola was howling and Oliver was jumping at the door to get out. By the time we got into the garage, all I wanted was a nice glass of wine and a few minutes of peace and quiet.

So I open the car door to let us all out and Oliver literally rolls out of the car directly into the muddy tire track left by my front wheel. SERIOUSLY?! ARE YOU FREAKING KIDDING ME?! All of that stress plus $40 down the drain and now he is covered in mud from snout to tail!

Needless to say, Oliver got a not so gentle bath and is now sporting an interesting haircut on his tail (where the mud just would not come out). And I will spend my snowed in evening sipping a glass or three of wine while researching those doggy groomers that come and groom them in a little truck parked in your driveway. Adios, PetSmart.

Yummy in my tummy

Every January and June, Indianapolis has a festival called Devour Downtown. Two dozen of the priciest best restaurants in town offer special pricing on favorite menu items. A few of the restaurants are familiar to us but most of them are what we would consider 'special occasion' places (if it costs more than $50 a plate, that's a special occasion kinda place!). And since everyone knows there is only ONE place I like to go to celebrate my special occasions, we haven't tried any of the yummy places on the Devour Downtown Winterfest list.

Until last night that is. Last night we checked out St Elmo's Steakhouse with some friends. I had fiery shrimp cocktail (they are not kidding on the fiery part!), macaroni and cheese with gouda and shrimp, house salad (the house vinagrette is a-MAZ-ing), filet mignon with mashed redskin potatoes, green beans and raspberry cheesecake. Let's just say, I was definitely not counting calories yesterday and I was in a serious food coma by the time we made it home.

The food was delicious and more than enough to fill me up, but coming in at $120 for the two of us, I must say I would have rather spent my moolah at the Melting Pot. And on the way to the car, Nate actually admitted he would have rather gone there too!

It's finally happening...

I never thought I'd see the day, but I think I might be getting used to this Northern weather. I went outside today in 40 degree weather without my coat on....and I wasn't even cold.

I actually told someone I was happy it had 'warmed up' for the day.

Gasp. Choke. Cough. Some one come save me before I turn into a Northerner!

Open dishwasher. Insert dish.

After more than five years of indentured servitude wedded bliss, Nate has finally come to understand a few key things.

1. I only 'cook' things that come out of a box or the freezer.
2. I will use any and every excuse to avoid vacuuming the house.
3. Reading my book quietly while he plays video games constitutes 'quality time'. (Don't judge. We're in the same room. He's happy. I'm happy. It works.)
4. Starbucks makes any day better.
5. If he was looking for Martha Stewart, he married the wrong woman.

He's still got a few things to learn (like where dirty dishes go and how to work the washing machine) but I think I'll keep him.

Imagine how much easier his training our early years of marriage would have been if we'd had this handy guide back then?

DICTIONARY FOR MEN - Nine commonly used (and frequently misunderstood) female phrases

(Original author unknown)

1. Fine: This is the word women use to end an argument when they are right and you need to shut up.

2. Five Minutes: If she is getting dressed, this means a half an hour. ‘Five minutes’ only means five minutes if you have just been given five more minutes to watch the game before helping around the house.

3. Nothing: This is the calm before the storm. This means something, and you should be on your toes. Arguments that begin with ‘nothing’ usually end in ‘fine’.

4. Go Ahead: This is a dare, not permission.

5. Loud Sigh: This is not a word but a clear non-verbal statement. A loud sigh means she thinks you are an idiot and wonders why she is wasting her time standing here and arguing with you about nothing. (See # 3 for the meaning of 'nothing'.)

6. Don't worry about it, I got it: Another dangerous statement, meaning this is something that a woman has told a man to do several times, but is now doing it herself. This will later result in a man asking 'What's wrong?' For the woman's response refer to # 3.

7. That's Okay: This is one of the most dangerous statements a women can make to a man. ‘That's okay’ means she wants to think long and hard before deciding how and when you will pay for your mistake.

8. Thanks: If a woman is thanking you, do not question, or faint. Just say “You're welcome”. This should not be confused with the similar but entirely different 'Thanks a lot'. ‘Thanks a lot’ is pure sarcasm. DO NOT say “You're welcome” as that will bring on a ‘Whatever’.

9. Whatever: Is a woman’s way of saying F--- You.

Thank you, may I have another?

If you are a sucker for a cute puppy, check out the new addition over at The Reality of Happily Ever After. She has the cutest pics of her new puppy, Elly Mae.

Kind of makes me want another one....

Memory Lane

Speaking of the Dance of Joy, does anyone else remember that from Perfect Strangers? I just had a major flashback - tie-dyed shirts, jeans skirts and permed hair, all doing the Dance of Joy in my parent's living room.

Doing the Dance of Joy in my chair

It's finally here! Tonight!! I am so excited I can hardly sit still. It's going to be a long 11 hours, 31 minutes and 52 seconds....

WARNING: Woman in the mirror may be crabbier than she appears

Consider yourself warned...

Ode to my Electric Blanket

Dear Electric Blanket,

Where have you been all my miserably cold life? You have won my heart with your feather-soft folds and your toasty warmth on a frigid winter's eve. Your pre-heat setting is unlike anything I have ever known.

You are a cruel mistress, whose siren call lures me all the day long, while I toil in my chilly office, dreaming of the hour when I can lie beneath your heated embrace once again. Were it not for your long and cumbersome cords, we would be together all the day long.

Until tonight...

love,
Sara

(Thanks, Grandpa and Grandma!)

Desperately seeking laughs

Was it just me or was Desperate Housewives ridiculously sad last night? I teared up at least a half a dozen times! I was more upset over Eli the handyman dying than I was when Bree's husband Rex died in Season 2.

The best line of the night, though, had to be Lynette to Tom, while on the phone for a job interview and going into labor - "If you don't let go of this phone, I'm going to give birth to your baby right here and then beat you with it."

Ha! I actually laughed out loud at that one.

Why you shouldn't invite Duke Power to your next birthday party...

Apparently today is the coldest day on record in Indiana since 1977. Yup, you read that right. 1977.

How did I celebrate? By donning a tank top, turtleneck, sweater, tights, yoga pants, wool socks and faux-fur lined slippers.

How did the puppies celebrate? By curling up on the his-and-hers matching blankets that Grandpa and Grandma gave us for Christmas. 'Him' being Nate and 'Her' being me, but Oliver and Lola seem to think they were meant just for them.


And how did Duke Power decide to celebrate this momentous day? By letting our power go out. For over two hours. The power on our street went out at 4:00, when it was -2 outside and dropping just quickly as the sun was setting. By 5:00, the house was chilly. By 5:30 the house was not only cold but also dark. By the time Nate got home at 6:15, I could barely bend my fingers.

Since we couldn't see in the dark, let alone cook, we headed out to dinner at Bob Evans. Sometime between when we left at 6:45 and when we returned at 8:00 the power finally came back on, and the house was relatively warm again.

Thankfully the outage was relatively short-lived (although it didn't feel like it while I was shivering my behind off in dark!) and I learned a valuable lesson - I need to be better prepared for weather-related outages like this. We have one flashlight in the entire house and I was surprised to find it actually working. We really need a couple of small lanterns for power outages and I need to have them readily accessible throughout the house. I also need to acquaint myself with our circuit breakers a little bit better. And I remembered that I never bought a fire extinguisher for the kitchen in case of emergency (yes, I realize that had nothing to do with the power going out, but the thought of an emergency jogged my memory). Not exactly the kind of shopping I had in mind for this weekend but clearly very necessary!

Where everyone knows your name

YEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!

I just bought my plane ticket for a visit home! Two weeks from today I will be winging my way to South Carolina to see my baby sister strut her stuff in a beauty pageant and mourn celebrate my mom's 50th birthday.

Watch out, ya'll, here I come!

C-C-C-C-Cold

Cold would actually be an understatement for the weather today. I think we topped out at 1 degree sometime around 2:00pm, but the wind is ferocious,something like 10 to 15 miles per hour. Despite woolly socks, slippers and a floor heater, I haven't felt my poor little toes all day. And I'm pretty sure the snot froze in my nose this morning when I walked the dogs. (You wanted to know that, right?)

But despite the fact that my Southern blood is not thick enough for this frigid tundra, I am actually kind of enjoying it. It snowed all day yesterday and I spent half the day staring out the windows in my office, enjoying the beautiful scenery. And today was even more beautiful with the sun shining bright all over the snow.

My view from the office windows.


Our house in the snow. So pretty! Sigh.


The view from the front porch before anyone else comes home and wrecks the beautiful white snow.



It's also hysterical to watch Oliver and Lola try to figure this snow stuff out. They are too short to walk in it, so they kind of bunny hop everywhere instead. Oliver loves to get out there and roll around in it. The minute he gets out there, he flips over on his back and wiggles around like he's making a snow angel. Cracks me up every time!

This is what he looks like when he gets done. He's a mess.


And then there is Lola, who doesn't even like to be in the grass any longer than absolutely necessary. Poor baby is so low to the ground, I can't even tell when she is squatting to do her business. She does her best to stand with as few feet touching the snow as possible. And miracle of miracles, she is doing her business immediately after getting outside. No dilly-dallying and sniffing bushes. She is all business when there is snow on the ground!


So at least for today, I am loving the snow. We shall see how long that lasts - probably until Saturday when I actually have to get out and go somewhere in it!

PSA

We interrupt your excuse for not doing whatever it is you should be doing right now regularly scheduled programming for this Public Service Announcement.

Our Christmas pictures are finally up on Flickr. Check 'em out.

We will now continue with your regularly scheduled programming.

Thought for the Day

Not Me Monday

Because reading about other people's 'not me' moments makes me feel just a little bit better about my own not so bright moments that totally didn't happen this week...

This week, I most certainly did not miss the bedroom door and run into the wall instead because I was walking up the stairs in the dark...at night...while texting on my phone. Not me!

I also did not hit my head on the new shelves in the powder bathroom because I forgot I moved the trashcan to the other wall. I mean, who walks around in the dark all the time like that? Not me!

I did not spend last Wednesday freezing my butt off until Nate came home from work and realized he forgot to turn up the heat before he left for work that morning. Who would just shiver all day long in a 62 degree arctic tundra and never once think to check the thermostat? Not me!

And finally, I would never, ever, in a million years look at a dinner menu and tell Nate I had no idea what 'duh-vIled' [pronounced like 'vile'] tilapia is. Because obviously that word is 'deviled', as in deviled eggs. Duh. Who would look at that word at least six times, and give it serious consideration, and still get it wrong? Nope, not me!

Open Apology....(Or Why My Husband Totally Rocks)

As he reminds me daily I have been totally remiss in not posting about the fabulous Christmas gift Nathan gave me. So please take a few moments to be totally jealous let me brag on my darling, thoughtful husband.

Over Thanksgiving weekend we spent an afternoon shopping in the little downtown area here with Nate's parents. We'd heard there were several great little antique and craft shops and had never taken the opportunity to check them out. Poor Nate and his dad were very patient while his mother and I crawled over this one place in particular. It's an indoor market with dozens of little tiny 'shops' inside with everything from baby clothes to Christmas ornaments to furniture. I could literally spend hours there although I limited myself to just one hour that afternoon.

Anyway, in this market was one shop in particular that had several great pieces of art, beautiful candlesticks and this giant leaning mirror that I fell in love with. I dragged Nate all around, showing him each piece, asking his thoughts (which ran along the lines of nice, fine, great, etc) and explaining where I would put each piece, if I should be so lucky as to ever have them. I was fairly certain that he did not pay a lick of attention to a word that I had said.

Fast forward to Christmas day. We are in North Carolina with family and I am opening a gift that looks suspiciously like a game for my new Wii Fit. I made a big production of saying, 'Ooh, I wonder what this could be?', thinking I am being all funny because everyone can tell this is clearly a video game, right?

WRONG! Well, technically, it was a video game (or at least the case for one) but taped to the front of it was a picture of a mirror! Not my mirror (he couldn't get the camera away from me long enough to get a shot), but as soon as I saw it, I knew what must be waiting for me at home in my basement!! You could have knocked me over with a feather, I was so shocked and excited! Not only did he go back and buy it for me, but he even arranged with the neighbors to borrow their SUV and sneak it into the basement when I wasn't home. To think, it was sitting under the stairs in my very own house for days and I had no idea!

That just goes to show, ladies, that you never really know when he might be paying attention after all.

So here is my beautiful leaning mirror, which is the first piece in the sitting room in our bedroom. Little does he know that he has created a monster. Now that there is a mirror, I need a lamp (so I can use the mirror at night, sweetie!) and the lamp will need a table to sit on (you don't want it on the floor, honey, that's a fire hazard!) and the table I want matches this beautiful armoire (it's a set, sweetheart!)....

The weather outside is frightful....

...but the deals at Victoria's Secret are delightful!

Just in case you want need a new winter coat, check out this super coupon code over at Victoria's Secret - an additional 50% off already marked down coats! Cuddly new winter gear may be just what you need to get you through the frigid dull months ahead.


I will be exercising incredible self control and not ordering any of these beauties no matter how badly I want to.






If you need me, I will be in the coat closet reminding myself of the 17 reasons I do not need another winter coat.

My OTHER favorite time of the year

What is one of the few good things about the month of January (along with annual clearance sales and the return of LOST)? It's Girl Scout cookie time! Well, at least cookie ordering time. Now I will wait with eager anticipation for my two boxes of Thin Mint cookies to arrive in March. I always order my own from the kids who come to the door and Nate orders his own from work. If he wants Thin Mints too, he better order his own! I take great effort to make my two boxes last and have been known to go postal on Nate when he dares to lay a hand on my carefully hoarded cookies.

What is your favorite Girl Scout cookie? Check out the new poll in the sidebar!

Everything you never wanted to know

I saw this 99 things list over at Kiss My Pink Tiara and thought it would be kind of fun.

Here's the rule: Bold the things you've done & post on your blog!

1. Started your own blog
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band (singing counts, right)
4. Visited Hawaii (came home to Guam and asked Dad why we didn’t move to Hawaii instead)
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Been to Disneyworld
8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a praying mantis
10. Sang a solo
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris (best trip ever!)
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning (Not a fun way to spend your honeymoon!)
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown your own vegetables
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France (Who goes to Paris and doesn’t see the Mona Lisa?)
20. Slept on an overnight train
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitch hiked
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Run a Marathon
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run (Hahahahahahaha...right.)
32. Been on a cruise (Thanks, Grandma and Grandpa!)
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. Seen an Amish community (worst Black Friday EVER!)
36. Taught yourself a new language
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied (satisfaction with what you have is a choice)
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing (Not on actual rocks, though. Hello? That’s dangerous!)
40. Seen Michelangelo’s David
41. Sung karaoke (This will never happen. Ever.)
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had your portrait painted
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person.
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris. (We visited it but the line was too long.)
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Been in a movie
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies
62. Gone whale watching (Nope, but I ‘owned’ one once. A very cool gift from my Aunt Jo)
63. Got flowers for no reason
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma (This involves needles, right? Yeah, that’s what I thought.)
65. Gone sky diving
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp (Very sobering and thought provoking)
67. Bounced a check
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy (I’m sentimental, what can I say?)
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten Caviar (And promptly spilled it all over my lap. Those little suckers are hard to clean up!)
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London (But no Prince William. Sigh.)
77. Broken a bone
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Kissed a stranger at midnight on New Year's Eve
86. Visited the White House (Well, not exactly ‘visited’. We stood outside the wrought iron fence and took pictures. That counts, right?)
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
88. Had chickenpox (They popped up the day of a big trip to Busch Gardens. I went anyway with strict instructions not to touch anyone. Wonder how many people came home from BG with the chicken pox?)
89. Saved someone’s life
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous
92. Joined a book club
93. Lost a loved one
94. Had a baby
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a law suit
98. Owned a cell phone (Um, who doesn’t these days?)
99. Been stung by a bee (Not just any old bee, either - a boonie bee. Those little devils sit in the sleepy grass and just wait for you. Stupid boonie bees.)

Going through the list kind of made me want to start one of those 'Life Lists' of things I want to do in my lifetime. I'll have to give it some thought, but here are a few things off the above list for starters.

Give more than I can afford to charity
Watch a lightning storm at sea (Doesn't this sound beautiful?)
Run a Marathon (Maybe not a marathon, but definitely a 5K)
Ride in a gondola in Venice
See a total eclipse
See Niagara Falls in person
Visit the birthplace of your ancestors
See the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
See Old Faithful geyser erupt
Buy a stranger a meal at a restaurant
See the Sistine Chapel in person.
Kiss in the rain
Start a business
Take a martial arts class
Visit Russia
Serve at a soup kitchen (Ashamed that I haven't done this already)
Fly in a helicopter
See the Grand Canyon in person
Walk in Jerusalem
Save someone’s life
Sit on a jury
Join a book club
Have a baby

I Heart Bangs

I just finished watching last night's episode of The City and I am totally jealous of Erin's fabulous hair. I have been dying for thick, luscious bangs like hers for months. Sadly, my one and only experiment with bangs (circa 1995) was a gigantic flop. I have a big fat cowlick right in the middle of my forehead that makes a big gap in my bangs. No bangs for me, this season or ever again.

So.jealous.Not.fair.


Picture courtesy of MTV.com.

xoxo, Gossip Girl

The only good thing about the first Monday after the holidays?



Gossip Girl is back!! And hopefully better than ever.

Will Blair be able to get through to grief-stricken Chuck?

Will Dan and Serena be up for Round 3?

Will Rufus and Lily find their love child?

Oh, Gossip Girl, how I have missed you!

WANTED: Self-discipline

Anyone know where I can find some?


I promised myself that after New Year's Eve, I was going back on The Wagon with my eating habits. I have basically let myself eat anything I want since Thanksgiving and my jeans have recently reminded me of why this is a not-so-good idea. But despite my displeasure over the current state of my bottom half, I cannot seem to get my rear in gear.

Working at home has been murder on my eating and exercise routines. Like, literally killed them because I basically don't do anything anymore. I was disciplined for a long time but after we left Knoxville, I just never got into a good routine that works. I know that I should take advantage of not having a commute and use that time wisely but here we are a year-and-a-half later and so far all I've done is think about it. I plot and plan at night when I can't fall asleep but come morning, I find every excuse in the world to run to Starbucks or just snuggle up with a book after work, instead of doing what I know I should do - exercise.

I know it is cliche to do this at this time of year, but I figure maybe if I say it publicly here, I will be shamed motivated into finding my self-discipline again.

Going to eat sloppy joes and have a glass of wine (or two) on my last night of freedom.

Dead girl walking....

Ringing in the New Year....literally

Okay, maybe it's more like 'hooping' in the New Year but that doesn't have nearly the same ring to it.

Nate and I had an awesome time at the neighbor's NYE party last night, eating yummy desserts and kicking butt at Euchre (well, Nate was kicking butt - I was just happy not be dead last). We got home around 1am and Nate decided it was time to bust out his skills on my new Wii Fit (thanks, Mom and Dad!). I promise, he was perfectly sober just inexplicably hyper.

Let me tell you, there is no funner way to bring in the New Year than watching your husband Wii Hula Hoop in his boxer shorts. I was dying laughing. I didn't even need to 'work out' on the Wii because I got plenty of ab exercise laughing hysterically at his hula hooping efforts.