EDUB is just my street name...

I would like to go on record

2009-07-05T20:58:00.006-04:00

This was one of those blessed weekends where things went exactly as I might have hoped they would. I will admit that I was skeptical about my plans, because I was just going home to my parents' by myself. How cool does that sound? Psh. Anyways, my dad and some of the members of their church have been working on a construction project for the last few weeks. I got the opportunity to go and work with them on Friday. Something that may or may not be interesting about me is that I kind-of dig manual labor. I love construction work. It was really fun to work alongside my dad and friends to help a family who has been ravaged by cancer. Sweet times. They're almost finished with their work - hopefully this week they'll pass inspection and trim everything out! I'm proud of all them - and sad I only got to work one day!

My new buddy and me rockin' the "GIRL POWER" crew:

How many people does it take to put siding on a house...?
Frank, me, Dad, and Mary Alyce - apparently.

After we finished work that day, at my request we went over to my parents' best friends' house (my second Mom and Dad) for a cookout. Another something about me: I LOVE a cookout. I also love Frank & Cherryl so it was doubly fun. I have no pictures of my feats of eating agility, but I may or may not have eaten hamburgers and hot dogs like there was no tomorrow.

Luckily, there was a tomorrow, and it included the best 4th of July I can remember. Mom and I went to her family's lake house for the day (Dad stayed behind to work with the construction crew). I grew up going all the time, but I don't think I've been since I graduated high school (over 8 years!). I had recently talked to my oldest cousins about it on facebook, and it worked out that a lot of the family went down for the day. I love the lake. It's like the beach in that you don't have to wear anything but a bathing suit all day. They had an inflatable pool set up on the deck for the kids, and if we weren't in the lake, we were all siting in the pool. It was so relaxed and it was the PERFECT day. I got to play with the jet skis and water ski for the first time in AGES, and I'm happy that it worked out well. Also, it should be mentioned that my 60-year-old Aunt Becky and my mom also skiied for the first time in ages - all of us getting out of the water on the first try. Boo-yow!

I love this picture of the dog in "his seat" on the deck.

STYLE. (:

This picture makes me laugh so much. If you carry your wife from the lake in a trailer behind a lawn mower...you might be a redneck.

I've decided that it's good to have a little redneck on the 4th of July. It's perfect for me. We finished off the day in the sun with some meat from the grill and my grandma's acre peas, watermelon, and corn on the cobb. Delish.

After our delightful day at the lake, Mom and I came back to watch the fireworks with friends...right on the banks of the St. Johns River. I don't think we could've had a better seat with the breeze blowing right off the water, and the show was great!

I finished off the weekend today going to the church I grew up in, with friends who have known me since the day I was born. There's something that's just special to me about that, even if I do miss my own church. It was sweet. Mom fed me well before I left their house, I was cranking the tunes on the way home with my dog, and now I'm in "my chair" in my house watching the same Deadliest Catch marathon that's been on all weekend. Can life get any better? (Well, maybe once I'm not sore from the skiing - but it's a price I'm happy to pay!)

I love everything about this weekend. Thanks for listening. (:

Shhhhhhh...

2009-06-29T22:11:00.004-04:00

You know what I love? --A good gimmick.

Yesterday at church, my beloved pastor gave us a good word from James 1:26 - about keeping a lid on our smart mouths. He challenged each of us to go 24 hours without saying anything negative. We were each given a rubber band upon exiting that we are to wear on our wrists each day - and if we slip up, we're supposed to switch wrists. The object, of course, is to wear the band on one wrist for a full day. My favorite part of this whole "experiment" is that everyone is talking about it. At dinner tonight with friends, we were able to laugh and hold each other accountable (and maybe only change our rubber bands a few times). I've never had so much fun being held accountable. Try it!

My Chicago

2009-06-09T21:55:00.012-04:00

I realize I was in Chicago (or at the very least, on the youth choir tour) for 7 days, and I only gave my frillions of readers 5 days' worth of posts. That could be because life falls apart when Lea exits my life. I spent almost every moment of the first five days with my friend, and then when she left EARLY on Saturday morning from Chicago is when it all started to go awry for me. Amber and I did the final room check that morning before we left Moody and we told all the girls it was at 8:45AM. We were ready early and sat around in our room making sure to give the girls adequate time to ready themselves. Everything went well and all was ship-shape. That is, however, until we realized (when The Director texted me) that we were supposed to LOAD THE BUS at 8:45. Room check was to have been at 8:30. Chaperone FAIL. Anyway, we traveled to Nashville that day and sang for The Next Door that evening. Those women were SO gracious and sweet and I wish I could have stayed. That evening we stayed at the Comfort Inn. Lights out at 11:00PM with a wake-up call at 5:30AM. I do love a scheduled 6hrs of sleep. (: However, The Director and I got an extra hour on account of the face that when the light switch is turned off in that particular hotel, none of the electrical outlets work. We didn't know that when I plugged in my cell phone charger to the phone that had our alarms on it. Needless to say, it did not charge and in fact DIED. Luckily our Crew Chief called The Director's cell phone 15 minutes before it was time to load the bus. We had the privilege of riding on the bus all day and giving our home concert with no showers. De-lish! (: Lea is never allowed to leave early again.

Anyway, it turned out all right in the end. Lea and I were still able to dance in the balcony while the kids were singing their last fun song. Good times!

I've thought a lot about why I have loved this trip so much, aside from the people who played a big part in my adoration. Here's what I've got so far: The Director, at each and every concert, turned around to the audience and told them that we were all there to sing about God's love for them. In nursing homes and rehab facilities and homeless shelters and half-way houses and cerebral palsy care facilities, they were told simply that GOD LOVES THEM. It brought to life the meaning that Jesus came to care not for the well, but for the sick. I'm so happy to have been able to experience even a small part of ministering to people on the fringes that even Christians have a hard time dealing with. Thank you for praying for us and for following along.

Here are two more of my favorite trip quotes, since I must finish what I started:

"I need to drop a duty."

AND

"I have been watching you this whole trip and I think you're beautiful. May I please have my headphones back?"

And some of my favorite pictures from the trip for your enjoyment:

Ferris wheel at the Navy Pier

Just a fun picture of some fun kids

Some of my favorite chaperones (at the Navy Pier)

I love this kid as my kin. I always wanted a brother.

Matching sunglass provide a photo op if nothing else. (:

Fun with my girls!

Why, yes, I do love bribery.

At United Cerebral Palsy

Skipping up Michigan Avenue!

Trying to choose my favorite miniature room at the Art Institute of Chicago.

Millie and me hanging out with the Monet. Yum.

Day 5

2009-06-05T21:30:00.004-04:00

I have had a great day in the city of Chicago. We took 5 chaperones and 3 youth to the Frank Lloyd Wright Home & Studio tour today (2 1/2 hours!) and then forged our way to the Chicago Art Institute. I am in love with the Art Institute and I found my new (and maybe only) favorite modern artist.

More about our day on the tour blog. I was with Lea so it was a blast!

My quote of the day is actually from yesterday but we talked about it today. From a youth on this trip:

"If I put on more eyeliner, I can pass for 14!"

Because those 14-and-up clubs are the BOMB!

Traveling to Nashvegas tomorrow!

Day 4

2009-06-05T01:39:00.003-04:00

So technically it's Day 5 now. But for the sake of my OCD and posting every day, I haven't gone to bed yet so it's still Day 4. We've had a great day at Pacific Garden Mission and United Cerebral Palsy.

We decided today that Tina is our Hyper-Witnesser. My favorite quote of the day is from this morning when Tina was a few minutes late to the bus:

"What is Tina doing, leading someone at Moody to Jesus?!"

My other favorite might be, "Grady, give that homeless man a cupcake!"

The hits just keep on coming here, people. Tomorrow is our fun day, and I'll be heading to the Frank Lloyd Wright Museum and the Chicago Art Institute.

I LOVE these kids and they're doing such a great job. Keep praying and check out the tour blog.

Day 3

2009-06-04T00:42:00.004-04:00

This day has been great. The kids sang two concerts at rehabilitation centers, and then we all went and prepared meals at Feed My Starving Children. It was an amazing experience and I think it made an impression on all of us. Plus, we got to wear these sweet hats:

I cannot look at that picture without laughing really, really hard. Thank you, Lucas.

My favorite quote of the day comes from The Director (I hope her husband's reading) and it's a pot-calling-the-kettle-black sort of situation:

"This is a parable...of the hypocrite and the 6th grader."

Here's hoping we continue to forget myself, follow Jesus.

Day 2

2009-06-02T22:36:00.004-04:00

We finally made it to Chicago! It's such a great city and I am LOVING IT. Hop on over to the tour blog for a play-by-play (click the button, people).

My favorite quote of the day is from our illustrious bus driver, Charles. (Who, when I asked very politely if I might call him "Sir Charles" responded, "You can call me Charles.") :

"I like everybody, but some people I just don't wanna be around."

As a side note, we started Sonshine mail today, in which the kids and chaperones can write encouraging notes to other peeps. I may or may not have gotten a little teary over some of our GREAT kids...

And here is perhaps my favorite picture from our architectural cruise his evening (during which we FROZE, fyi).

Day 1

2009-06-01T21:48:00.003-04:00

Favorite quote of Day 1:

Erin: "There's nothing worse than a bad band."

Lea: "Hell. Hell is worse."

How true that is.

I don't want to be dead inside

2009-05-31T21:27:00.002-04:00

I'm leaving in about 8 hours to chaperone my church's youth choir tour to Chicago. I'm really looking forward to a week of wearing myself slap out with those kids. We (and by "we" I mean "they") are going to sing for, and hopefully minister to, all different kinds of people. I feel like I've reached one of those points in my life where I look around and I'm not quite sure how I got to a place of such complacency. Let's just be honest. I have been looking forward to going on this trip because I know it will be something new, and I have heard tell of how God has moved on trips past. I just know it's going to be awesome. Please pray for us as we go. And if you have a hankering, click on that handy little button to the right and read about our progress.

forget myself, follow Jesus.

I've saved up a lot of most of the exciting things

2009-05-28T10:43:00.009-04:00

I feel like I haven't blogged in half a lifetime. And since lifetimes are counted in seasons of American Idol, that would be just about right. (: And now, I will tell you about my life in a series of photographs.

My sister and I went home for Mother's Day since we are the best daughters ever. What really cracks me up is this picture from George on the way to Jacksonville. She doesn't ever settle down on car rides, and this is her favorite position. Right over the shoulder of the driver. I don't understand it, but I find it HILARIOUS.

Amanda and I took our Mom out to The Melting Pot as a surprise. Dad was so good because we left earlier than we needed and he drove all around town just confusing her. I think we did well because she was SO surprised and we all REALLY loved that fondue. We also got a chance to try a family-squish self portrait. And who doesn't love that?

The next big moment (at least that I photographed) was me trying my best Lea impersonation in honor of the 24 season finale. Since I've been hooked into the show by one of my favorite families in town, I decided we should throw a 24 x 24 dinner. That is 24 different foods, and 24 pieces of each food item. 24 carrot sticks, 24 wings, 24 Twizzlers, 24 chocolate covered strawberries, 24 mini pizzas, 24 Sweet Sixteen donuts, etc... Y'all, it was a feat of 576 proportions. I will do just about anything to get teenagers to think I'm cool.

This past weekend was my cousin's fiance's bridal shower. Unlike the other 75% of my family, they don't live in Florida. I traveled to Athens, GA with my grandma, aunt, and mom to stay on the farm with my other aunt. I have decided that I LOVE the farm. There is so much pretty all around. My uncle built their house by hand, and grows a whole bunch of whatever he wants in his huge garden. A whole bunch of strawberries were ready to be picked when we were there, and we seriously had strawberry-something with every meal. It was awesome. I made jam! This is a picture of my cousin Whitney, Grandma, Aunt Becky, Mom, me, and Aunt Tere after Andrea's shower.

Speaking of Andrea's shower, some day I hope to accessorize as well as this Georgia Peach. You know the one. She seriously was my favorite part.

I did almost die walking around on the farm. Here is my proof:

I didn't let that stop me from having loads of fun with my new best friend the next day! I haven't really been able to sit well since, but I'm not sorry! It was the first time ever that I've ridden a horse that wasn't on a trail, following a leader. It was amazing.

So yeah. That was a run down of the things I've been doing. Some day I will tell all the fun stories from Adventures In Lunch with Meghan because that is blogging GOLD. For now, though, I have to ready myself to travel to Chicago for a week with 50-something teenagers. You can check out the youth choir's progress from June 1-7 here. Pray for us!

American Idol - Top 7, part deux

2009-04-21T21:04:00.002-04:00

Oh, the drama of DISCO NIGHT. I'm just going to go ahead and say up front that if there is any week of this show that has the potential to be trainwreckian, it is this week. Disco. People could crash and burn. This is a very narrow genre regarding the realm of greatness. And for the love, can Lil please sing some Donna Summer?

01 Lil Rounds - "I'm Every Woman" Okay, Chaka Kahn is the next best thing to Donna Summer. Remember when Mandisa sang this? That was fun. I'm glad to see that Lil has some of her sass back this week. I still don't think it was pitch-perfect, which is unfortunate. She did have fun but it didn't rock for me...I agree with the judges, though, she's been all over the place. I AM sad about it, for what it's worth.

02 Kris Allen - "She Works Hard For The Money" Y.I.K.E.S. I'm scared for my little boyfriend... And immediately, I am on board. Number one, I can finally say for certain that he is playing the guitar. Number two, THANK YOU KRIS for giving us something unexpected with your arrangement. Once again, I love him.

A lot of women are known to shop in the men's department, but not many men are willing to shop in the women's. What the?! Further proof, ladies and gentlemen, that I should be fast forwarding through everything Paula says.

03 Danny Gokey - "September" I love this song, first of all. Nothing new with the arrangement, and it's exactly what I would have expected of the Gokey. I really loved the bridge, but that was mostly the backup singers' fault. (: Y'all, he is one of the best vocalists. Ever. KARA! FINALLY MAKING THE NOTE THAT HIS PITCH IS ALWAYS RIGHT. It is, people. It IS. I do agree with Simon - at "this stage of the competition," he'll have to do something surprising soon.

04 Allison Iraheta - "Hot Stuff" NICE hook at the beginning. I had to remember what song this was at first. I like that she gave this a rock anthem vibe. I think it was pretty great. It totally made me laugh at the end when the band didn't cut off on her cue. It feels like me in church band practice, because I am always doing that and no one ever pays attention to me. (:

05 Adam Lambert - "If I Can't Have You" I do enjoy the low-key Adam. Maybe I just love a faux-hawk. I think he made a good choice, as I actually do believe that he is emotionally connected to the song. I think it was great, as it always is. I LOVE LOVE LOVE that I never know what to expect from him. It felt a little reminiscent of a Steve Perry/Journey ballad - just me? (I love Journey)

06 Matt Giraud - "Stayin' Alive" How apropos. I'm actually having fun with him this week! I think he did exactly what he wanted to do. I'm not super-crazy about the end, but I think for the most part he hit his notes! It was pretty decent.

07 Anoop Desai - "Dim All The Lights" I like the beginning, since I think Anoop is at his best when he doesn't over-work things. I really like how he sang it. Even the second half, bringing back the disco beat, I think it was really smooth. I'm not sure that it was exciting enough to keep him out of the bottom three, but I liked it.

For my money (which would be exactly $0.02) I still think Matt and Lil are (and should be) going home. I will also renege and say that these kids did a lot better with the disco than I expected. Good times!

American Idol - Top 7

2009-04-14T21:55:00.002-04:00

Songs of the cinema, tonight? This sounds like a fun theme. It's interesting, at least! Quentin Tarantino? - Hi, weird movies...I'm skeptical of you as a mentor.

What have you got for us, kids?:

01 Allison Iraheta - "I Don't Wanna Miss A Thing" from Armageddon. This feels like a perfect song choice for her. A ballad, but edgy nonetheless. I think it started off well, but for me it got really funky in the middle. And when I say "funky, " I mean "she didn't hit her notes." That's certainly out of character for her. It felt disjointed and a little low? It never quite got there for me. Wasn't my favorite, but Paula and Simon love it? She is FOR SURE the girls' best hope, but I just wasn't feelin it. Maybe it sounded different through the TV. That's always my fallback.

02 Anoop Desai - "Everything I Do" from Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves. Another ballad...I think Anoop's figured it out? I also think Quentin was quite right; Anoop's gotta make it a little dirty. I think this is such a pretty song. I think he sang it very well. Same ol' Anoop, I guess. It's nothing I'll want to download later, but it's pretty.

Is it just me, or does Randy look a little reminiscent of Charlie Brown with that sweater? Just in blue... (: I bet it drives Simon CRAZY to not get to talk after each one. I'm glad I still have Kara.

03 Adam Lambert - "Born to be Wild" from Easy Rider. Oh, the guyliner is back en force. I seriously don't see how anyone can beat him at this point. He's not necessarily someone that I would like to listen to all the time (I sometimes grow weary of The Scream), but he is surely a brilliant vocalist. My favorite quote ever: "You dare to dance in the path of greatness." -Paula WHAT?

04 Matt Giraud - "Have You Ever Really Loved A Woman" This is such a pretty song. I like that he's getting back to the piano and putting his brilliant soul vibe back in there. I think he totally lost it vocally in the big part of the song. I prefer his easy falsetto. It was a mixed bag for me.

05 Danny Gokey - "Endless Love" I love his voice. And I'm totally digging the harp on stage (that was for my mom). I think I heard the first iffy note from him...but I quickly forgot it. I really liked it. I think it was really emotional for him and I do NOT know how he sang it. I would love to see him bust out a totally unexpected arrangement soon. Just once, at least.

06 Kris Allen - "Falling Slowly" from Once. I don't know this movie or this song. But I know that I have a crush on Kris. I think it started a little rough. To me it feels sorta choppy. It is really nice for me when he sings higher. I think it was pretty good, but maybe too obscure of a song choice.

07 Lil Rounds - "The Rose" OhmygoshIcan'twaittohearhergogospel. I have been waiting for this moment for all my life. I like that she kept it pretty at the beginning. I think there are some really wonderful moments, but some of it felt just a touch off to me. That hurts my feelings just a little bit. Simon is right, though, it's not the Lil we came to love. Lil's right, too, though...she did what she thought they wanted her to do.

I do not want Lil to go home, but I think she was the weakest link. I also think Matt and Anoop could be in danger. I think Quentin actually added some nice constructive criticism for the singers.

PEACE.

Girl George antics

2009-04-13T21:05:00.003-04:00

I will unabashedly tell you that I think my dog, George, is the prettiest dog ever. I can also say for certain that she's perfect for me. 1/2 Golden Retriever and 1/2 Yellow Lab is pretty much my favorite combo ever. You'd think, however, that a dog who is that particular half-breed would love being in the water. She never has. Her one exception is that she'll chase after any water that moves. She doesn't like a bath but loves drinking from the hose. I recently caught some of her particular brand of crazy on video at my parents' house and their pool. I don't know why this makes me laugh so much...but it does.

George makes a splash from E Dub on Vimeo.

This Friday is better than all the others

2009-04-09T23:24:00.002-04:00

I'm so thankful for Good Friday. I'm thankful for my church that leaves our sanctuary open all day for a time of quiet reflection. I'm thankful that they make me remember. I'm thankful that I get to pause without being sidetracked for at least a few moments on one afternoon. I'm thankful that it's tradition to have lunch with my best girl friends and take the afternoon off of work so we can participate and reflect and talk amongst ourselves together. I'm thankful for my friends who love me more than I deserve. And mostly I'm thankful for a Savior who goes to indescribable lengths in pursuit of me. And you. Thank you, Jesus, for this Good Friday.

Also:

BOOM.

American Idol - Top 8

2009-04-07T22:22:00.003-04:00

I have always loved the songs-from-the-year-you-were-born theme. Usually it's some sweet 80s song that I know and love. I hope these people work it out!

01 Danny Gokey (1980) - "Stand By Me" This arrangement to me started a little weird. At first I thought it was getting a little too boring, but when it kicked into a little bit more of the groove, I liked it. I sure do love it when he hits those high notes. Boy can sing.

02 Kris Allen (1985 a June baby, yeah!) - "All She Wants To Do Is Dance" I love the funk vibe. I would go dancing with Mr. Allen. And I don't even dance well. I thought it was a lot of fun.

03 Lil Rounds (1984) - "What's Love Got To Do With It" Finally, a powerhouse song! And shoot, it feels a little weak to me. A little pitchy, and a little boring. She can SING! Where is the Lil that made all these people look like children?

04 Anoop Desai (1986) - "True Colors" Hm. Cyndi Lauper? I do like the acoustic, sort-of R&B arrangement, and I think he's singing it well. I really do like Anoop a lot (hello, such a nice guy). This feels right for him, finally. I wouldn't have expected it, but I really liked it!

05 Scott MacIntyre (1985 another June baby!) - "The Search Is Over" I love this Survivor song. Who knew he could also play the guitar - what?! That's awesome. But goodness, in my humble opinion, he's vocally just not hitting this song. And by "not hitting," I mean, "I can't take it."

06 Allison Iraheta (1992) - Good grief, that girl is a BABY!! "I Can't Make You Love Me" I LOVE this song. I think Bonnie Raitt is a great choice for her (though I also think she can sing just about anything). I think most of the emotion of this song is lost on her, but I didn't hear a bad note, that's for sure. I don't think heartbreaking ballads are the best for her rocker self, but I give her credit for trying to take it down a notch.

07 Matt Giraud (1985) - "Part Time Lovers" This is seriously one of my favorite Stevie Songs. I think it's a good groove for Matt. I really like what he did with it, and I really like it when he hits those high notes!

08 Adam Lambert DANGIT!!!!! MY DVR DIDN'T RECORD ADAM!!!!

And my life feels as though it's hanging in the balance. I. Must. Know.

**UPDATE** Here's the YouTube video. I don't think it warranted the famed Simon-Standing-O, but see for yourself:

Always be victorious

2009-04-03T14:47:00.003-04:00

"Victory is mine, victory is mine! Great day in the morning, victory is mine! I drink from the keg of glory...Bring me the finest muffins and bagels in all the land!"
(A frillion Shrute bucks to anyone who can name both the authors of the quote in the title of this post and the one above.)

I wrote this response to Home Depot's form letter at approximately 11:15AM EST:

I feel as though you responded very poorly to my concerns, but I did want to send a follow-up letter to address these unfortunate circumstances. Frankly, I don't think you “carefully reviewed” anything I've said. I am once again disappointed that a company to whom I have been very loyal feels that I should wait an additional 3-5 business days for a resolution to a situation that has been ongoing for 8 weeks. This is unacceptable. My concerns are valid and after your lack of due diligence, I assure you that I will be taking my patience and my patronage elsewhere in the future. At the very least I would expect a phone call before the close of business today.

By 1:30PM I had received a call from the installers, who will be at my house with my new garage door on Monday morning. By 2:45PM I received a call from Brittany in Home Depot's Customer Care Department. She verified that I had an installation scheduled, apologized for their oversight, and will be sending me a HD gift card for my troubles. Thank you, Brittany in Customer Care, for taking care of your business today. I hope we never speak again. (:

This says it all

2009-04-03T09:40:00.002-04:00

Epic battles ensue...

My letter to the Customer Care department at Home Depot yesterday at approximately 11:30AM EST:

To whom it may concern:

I ordered (and paid for) a custom garage door from your website on February 4th and received a confirmation e-mail saying that someone would be out to take measurements within a few days. The measurements were taken on February 11th. I was told that it would be 2-4 weeks before installation, and that if any additional work was required I would be told shortly.

I waited the full 4 weeks but I never received a call. I called my local Home Depot store on March 11th and spoke to one of the expediters there. Apparently the manufacturer had not received the measurements (taken on 2/11) until the previous day. I was not informed until that time that I needed to pay an additional $100 for a header that was needed. I paid over the phone and I was told that it would take 7-10 days before the installation would be scheduled.

I once again waited until March 23rd and never received a call. I once again called my local Home Depot expediter, who informed me that my [standard sized] garage door was not in stock on the 11th, but it was to ship on a rush order on Friday, March 27th. I was then told that the installer had put me on a “priority” list and would call me to schedule the installation time by Monday, March 30th.

As of this moment on April 2nd, I have not received another call. I have called and left several messages once again with the local Home Depot offices this week and have not even been given the courtesy of a return phone call.

I believe I have been extremely patient but my patience has reached its end. I have been almost two months without a functional garage door and I feel that the customer service I have received has been very poor. I would like this situation rectified as soon as possible.

Thank you,
E

The response I received from the "Customer Care" department of the Home Depot at approximately 2:00AM EST:

Dear E,

Thank you for contacting The Home Depot Customer Care.

We apologize for your experience with our company. We have carefully reviewed your concern and found it necessary to escalate it to our Resolution Team.

However, before we can escalate this issue, please provide your telephone number including the area code.

Once we receive this information, we will forward it to the Resolution Team. They will then contact you within 3-5 business days.

Your record number with Customer Care is 533xxxx.

We greatly appreciate your patience and patronage. Again, our apologies for the circumstances you encountered as a customer of Home Depot.

If you do not hear from us within 3-5 business days or would like to speak with a Customer Care professional, please call us at 1-800-HOMEDEPOT (1-800-466-3337, Prompts: 3 then 6). We would be happy to assist you.

Sincerely,
Kiran
Customer Care

Now, I would like someone to tell me what part of my [very polite] letter makes them think that I would be thrilled to learn that my concerns had been escalated to the Resolution Team? I'll receive a call back within 3-5 business days?! -Delightful!

They CLEARLY did not "carefully review" anything. And they can forget both my patience and my patronage.

And that is all I have to say about that until I leave the tunnel of fury.

Lord, please help me.

Customer service and street gangs

2009-04-02T21:30:00.005-04:00

I would like to preface this entire post by saying that I like to talk the talk...but if you know anything at all about me, it is that I am very non-confrontational. But with THAT out of the way...

I don't know if you are aware, but there has been an absolute epidemic around here of customer NON-service. Within the last couple of weeks, I have encountered not one but three separate people who have experienced what we'll call customer service "nightmares" with three different companies. It all started with my pal Lea and the absolute TRAVESTY of customer service she and her eldest daughter experienced at Forever21. She is much better with all the words than I am, and you can read about it on Lea's blog in parts 1, 2, 3, with resolution in part 4. In response to the first episode, my friend and I decided that we would form a street gang to deal with people who have no concept of customer service (this was before we got all convicted in part 4). She even let it slip that she has a SCARF with SKULLS on it - because nothing says tough like a scarf. Don't we look awesome with our prison tats?

Nothing says tough like glitter, dresses, high heels, and an art show. Any applications for membership can be sent to me with the subject line "forNEVER."

So I'm telling you, the timing couldn't be better. The ink hadn't even dried on our charter when I encountered my very own customer service issues. Suffice it to say that I ordered a new garage door from Home Depot...two months ago. And I paid for it...two months ago. I was told it would take 2-4 weeks for installation. I gave it the full four weeks until calling my local HD. At first I encountered a very nice man who returned my phone calls and seemed to be helping. However, that appears to be all in vain because several of the deadlines he gave me have also been blown to smithereens, and now no one will return my calls. I left several messages at my local store I wrote a very clear letter to the HD Customer Care office this morning...all to no avail as of yet. We're getting ready to build a new deck out back. I'll be getting my lumber at Lowe's.

Anyway, at an emergency forNEVER lunch meeting this afternoon, I discovered that Meg's been having another run-around from a small company from which she was placing a very LARGE order for FSU! I mean, to everyone out there, if it's going to be 11 weeks, don't tell me it'll be 2 weeks and then keep upping the ante.

As part of our meeting, Meghan and I also established forNEVER's responsibility to shout good customer service from the rooftops. As the first: J.Crew, J.Crew, J.Crew. They have GREAT customer service. I shopped there twice the last time I was in Jacksonville, and I had a personal shopper who even remembered my name the second time I came in the store. They bent over backwards to make sure that I was taken care of. They get our recommendation from two highly stylish ladies. (:

American Idol - Top 9

2009-03-31T22:33:00.004-04:00

I just realized that I don't have solitaire games on the Mac. What's up with that? I have chess. I like to play games while I'm watching TV, so I just pulled up chess. Let's all be honest, I don't have any idea how to play chess. I'm just moving pieces all sorts of ways.

So back to our regularly scheduled programing; the theme this week is any top download on iTunes? I'm interested to see what they choose without a real genre holding them back.

01 Anoop Desai - "Caught Up" by Usher. I don't know this song. I don't know that it's doing a lot for me. I think he's saying "homies" too much for me. It's not enough melody for me, but whatever. My favorite backup singers sounded a little weak tonight, too. I agree with Randy - the vocals were good, it just wasn't the right song for him. I also agree with Kara - he played it safe and didn't do enough vocal riffs. Paula just said "balladeer" - that could be the highlight of her night. Simon thinks it was a mess because Anoop came across as a wannabe, and I sorta agree.

02 Megan Joy - "Turn Your Lights Down Low" by Bob Marley/Lauryn Hill. Strangely, I don't know this song, either. That's disappointing. Maybe it's BECAUSE I don't know it, but it's not great for me. It feels like it's too low for her, and she's having to push through the break in her voice. It was, in the words of my great friend, "not quite good." I agree with the judges - not fun, monotonous, and not the right choice.

Can I please also point out that the judges keep saying "falsetto" for girls? That's not right. Girls don't have falsetto.

03 Danny Gokey - "What Hurts The Most" by Rascal Flatts. Sweet! I know this song! And I love it! Has anyone seen the video for this song? It is SO. SAD. I don't know how he can sing this song without breaking down. And even though I think he's singing the fire out of this song, I feel like I can tell there are places that aren't as smooth as we've heard from him in the past. It's how I would imagine an emotional bubble affecting his voice...call me crazy. I don't know that I agree fully with Simon that it was Danny's best performance, but it was a ton better than the first two.

04 Allison Iraheta - "Don't Speak" by No Doubt. I think Gwen Stefani is a great vocal choice for her. I think she can sing for sure. It's not blowing me away, but only because I don't think it's anything NEW. It still sounded like No Doubt to me. Let's pause - Randy just commented on her outfit. I agree with Kara - it wasn't her best, but it was good. She tried too hard.

05 Scott MacIntyre - "Just The Way You Are" by Billy Joel. I don't think that Scott really needs to "strip things down" anymore. I'm so bored by him. It's such a pretty melody that, sadly, I don't think he can carry. And who in their right mind did that to his hair?! There are some pretty good parts, and there are some parts that make me clench my muscles. I don't want him just the way he is. I'm sorry. That vibrato just drives me a little nuts. I KNEW the judges would love it, but I just don't agree.

06 Matt Giraud - "You Found Me" by The Fray. I don't like this song. It is absolutely ALL OVER the radio station(s) in town, but I refer to it as the "I hate God" song. If someone can explain to me how it is ok for it to be played on the Christian radio stations, I would greatly appreciate it. I just can't make it work. I don't think it started well for my friend Matt. It was too low for him. I like the little changes he made with his arrangement, but I don't think it was his strongest vocal at all. It feels like he's just trying to sound like The Fray, instead of singing normally. The judges and I are all on the same page. I don't want him to go home, that's for sure.

07 Lil Rounds - "I Surrender" by Celine Dion. C'mon, girl. I think she looks so pretty with her new hair. And again, I think she can sing like crazy, but I would never have picked Celine for her. I'm also going to make a conscious choice to believe that the pitch problems are just something awry with the cable feed... Randy's right, though, she needs more swagger. I definitely don't want her to go home, either, but I was not impressed.

Awwwwwwwwwww, y'all, Lil's daughter is so cute! She hugged Randy for DAYS. Precious.

08 Adam Lambert - "Play That Funky Music" by Wild Cherry. I knew he couldn't stay unplugged for long. I'm really liking his groove. I really like the verses. I must say I'm growing a little weary of The Scream. Overall, I think it was perfectly Adam. The boy can sing the paint off the walls and I think he hit every note. It was definitely not as boring as the rest of the show.

09 Kris Allen - "Ain't No Sunshine" by Bill Withers. Holy cow, he can play the piano, too?! Dang. No fair. I love this song. I love his cool, bluesy, jazzy arrangement. And I'm sorry, but I just have to say it. He is sexy. I LOVED IT. He had so much COOL going on! I think it was beautiful and interesting, which is pretty much all I ever ask for from my musicians. I'm so glad the judges love it as much as I did. He gets my vote for sure.

I think Megan will be on her way this week. I also think Scott and maybe Anoop or Matt will join her in the bottom three. Only time will tell...

Such and such

2009-03-30T21:23:00.005-04:00

Contrary to what may be popular belief, I do actually have a life. For instance, as I type I'm watching some cheesy Lifetime movie and waiting for 24 to start. See? (:

For starters, I would like to show you this:

That, my friends, is Mary Grace, who is possibly the coolest kid ever. And she's wearing a tutu. She is the daughter of one of my very best friends, and it was her first birthday party. It was so much fun watching her eat cake for the first time. She had never tasted anything that sweet before but her life has never been the same since. I can't wait to be friends with that kid.

I've been house and dog sitting for her parents all this past week while they were away. It was nice to come home and hang out with my own dog. I had missed her. Is that weird? We got some bad news last week that my friend's dog, George's mentor, had to be put down. Reesey was lit'rally the best dog EV.ER. She was a Christian so I know she's in heaven. She led George to Christ. (:

I will be praying for my friend; this has hit her very hard in an already difficult time in her life. If you are reading this, I'm sure she would appreciate your prayers, too.

Last night, I finally got to meet one of my new neighbors. She's apparently 12 years old and named Raven, which I think is cool. You know what else is cool? -She came and knocked on my door at 10PM to tell me that a huge limb had fallen in my front yard.

Upon further inspection, it was determined that it was blocking half of the street in front of my house. Since the city road people were closed on a Sunday night, I had the distinct pleasure of calling the police for the first time in my life. Now, if you know me at all, you know that I am terrified of calling people that I do not know on the phone. I felt very brave. And the nice officer even hiccuped loudly into his phone while I was talking to him, just to break the ice. They responded very promptly and the guys with chainsaws came out around 11PM to clear the street. It was quite the eventful evening.

Yay for fun times!

Oh, and also within the last week, I have succumbed to the Twitter craze (just for you, RD). Follow me at your own risk. (:

@1edub, OUT!

American Idol - Top 10

2009-03-25T22:09:00.002-04:00

I promise I will try and blog about something besides TV as soon as I can think of something interesting that I'd like to share with the whole world. For now, though, you have my permission to go on thinking that I have no life! But I do.

I'm house sitting for friends who have a sweet HD TV, but [gasp!] no DVR! This makes it hard to fast forward through Paula. That smarts. Plus, I stayed at church too long (if there can be such a thing) and missed the beginning...stink.

I love Motown music, and I'm excited for our theme this week. Also, I heart Smokey Robinson. He's so sweet. Let's Get It On! (:

01 Matt Giraud - Man, I missed him! But I heard Simon say he's one of the frontrunners now, and that song suited his voice, so here's hoping it was good!

02 Kris Allen - "How Sweet It Is" Sounds good in rehearsal; pretty cool! Smokey was so nice to him! What in the world is he WEARING? I love the hook at the beginning. I love the vibe. I love the way he's singing it. He is quickly becoming one of my favorites. He is just PRE-SHUS. ROCKIN. Kara's right; he made that his own and did everything right for that song. I disagree with Simon when he said that, "to be a star, you have to be conceited." I love that Kris is not. I love Kris. He gets my vote tonight.

03 Scott MacIntyre - Is he wearing PINK SKINNY JEANS? What is up with the wardrobing tonight? I would like to go on record now and say that I am against man-skinny jeans. "You Can't Hurry Love" I like how he started, and I love his three backup singers; like his Pips! I still can't get over his piano skillz. It still feels karaoke to me, but mostly just because I don't love his voice.

04 Megan Joy [Corkrey] - "For Once In My Life" I would like to say right now that I LOVE Stevie Wonder. I'm not sure that I love her this week. I loathe it when they walk out into the audience. And may I say that she shouldn't be above the crowd in that dress? I don't know that she's really hitting it vocally for me on this song. I agree with Randy (and Kara, and Paula, and Simon) - "I didn't feel that one." It was a little too forced for her.

05 Anoop Desai - "Ooh Baby Baby" I like it when Anoop sings. I think he's got a great voice, and I think he's doing well on this song. It's not a "blow me away" kind of song, but I think it was really pretty and done well.

06 Michael Sarver - "Ain't Too Proud To Beg" Go on ahead and CHURCH IT UP, Michael! I love that gospel feel, but you gotta hit it! It's falling a little short of the mark for me. I don't think he's hitting all the notes he would like. MARK YOUR CALENDARS: I agree with Paula, that it felt Vegas-loungey. And -oof- I also agree with Simon, that Michael is "taking part in this competition," without a chance of winning.

07 Lil Rounds - I will admit, I have been looking forward to her singing some Motown since I heard that was the theme this week (and not just because she's black - but still). I'm thrilled. "Heat Wave" Work it! Smokey's right - she can sing the phone book and it will be good. It was nothing new and not super-exciting for me, but I still want to be her BFF. Y'all, Kara KNOWS WHAT SHE'S TALKING ABOUT. She's speaks the music language. She and Simon are both right - Lil gave an authentic tribute to Motown, but it wasn't enough for her to bust out her killer vocals.

08 Adam Lambert - "Tracks Of My Tears" I think it's really great that he got to ask Smokey what inspired him to write this song. His Zac-Efron-in-Hairspray hairdo is cracking me up. I LOVE LOVE LOVE the unplugged set. I love it. I think that arrangement was amazing; so fresh and unexpected, but in a really good way. Oh, Guyliner...

09 Danny Gokey - "Get Ready" For reals y'all, this might not be a surprising arrangement, but he can sing anything. I am amazed by the subtle ways that he changes the melodies and/or rhythms in ways that WORK. He is an incredible singer, I don't care what anyone says.

10 Allison Iraheta - "Papa Was A Rolling Stone" I'm not as familiar with this song as with the others, but I do like the funk she's bringing. Man, that girl can SANG! I think she hit it. The judges do, too.

I cannot BELIEVE that Simon drew a mustache on Paula's face. But it's pretty funny. (:

Kris and Adam are my favorites from tonight. With the way they've done this "Top 13" it's really hard to pick the best-of-the-best. I really like it, because there's really no one that stinks! I think Michael and Scott and Megan Joy may be in trouble...

American Idol - Top 11

2009-03-17T21:46:00.004-04:00

I would like to start off this evening by saying that I made pasta salad tonight. That's right, I said it. I had all the ingredients and it just hit me. I apologize for sticking my foot in my mouth earlier. I take it back. This pasta salad has bacon.

I just found out that this is country night. YEE-HAW. I am not afraid to say that I am a fan of the [good] country music. And I just watched Randy Travis invite Carrie Underwood to join the Grand Ole Opry after she sang his song, "I Told You So." (This is in her live video for the song, which she ROCKS, in case you haven't heard it.) I'm excited to see what these kids do with the genre.

01 Michael Sarver - "Ain't Goin Down Til The Sun Comes Up" I love this song. I wouldn't have sung something so lyric-heavy on this show, as I favor more melody-heavy songs. But I think this song rocks, and he sounds good on it. Um, I don't like that he added a cheesy !key change! I also think he didn't quite have the lungs to sing all of that, but it was pretty good. The judges miss the big singer notes, as did I.

I will now go on record so far this season and tell everyone - DON'T TALK BACK TO THE JUDGES WHEN IT'S NOT YOUR MOMENT ANYMORE. That irks me, people.

02 Allison Iraheta - "Blame It On Your Heart" I love this song, too. I think Patty Loveless is so fun! I liked Allison singing it better in her rehearsal with Randy, when she wasn't pushing the rocker voice so hard. But overall I think it's a good song (a little mad) for her gritty voice. I like her and I think she can sing for real, even though there were a couple of parts where it felt like she was out of breath or it was too low. I don't know if I'll call in my vote for her, but I liked it.

03 Kris Allen - "To Make You Feel My Love" Ohmygosh I love this song, too! I just heard it on the radio randomly the other day. It'd been a long time (since "Frequency" - anyone?) and I was reminded of how pretty it is. Ooh. He's so cute, and he's got a little of that hotness going on singing this song. Delish. I honestly thought he used his guitar as a little bit of a crutch because he wasn't that great of a singer, but I think he sounds so good on this song. I love it. Paula called it pitchy? I'm not sure about that. Simon and the rest of the judges loved it. Thank you.

04 Lil Rounds - "Independence Day" This is a huge song. Bless her heart, learning it in a week! I think it's sweet of her to admit that she doesn't rock the country, but she wants to try and do it justice. Just sing it out, girl; tell me about the day of reckoning, bff... Country is definitely not her genre, but she can definitely sing. It was just okay for me, because it just seemed awkward. I love her for trying it, though. Y'all, HAHAHAHA, Simon just called her LITTLE. Also, I wish the judges would stop suggesting other songs for her - too little, too late, fools!

Is anyone else nervous about Paula maybe losing control of her upper half in that dress?

05 Adam Lambert - Okay, Adam and Randy...AWKWARD! "Ring Of Fire" My first thought is CREEPTASTIC. But I actually think that, aside from the weird factor, it's awesome. It was NOT country at all, and hardcore Cash fans are probably going nuts. I, however, am not a hardcore Johnny Cash fan, so I think it was perfectly Adam. I feel the exact same as Kara: "It was strange, but I liked it! It left me confused and sort of happy!"

06 Scott MacIntyre - "Wild Angels" I think Scott is a terrific piano player. I still do not love his voice. I'm not as familiar with this song, but it feels like old karaoke to me. I'm just saying. I'm uncomfortable with the judges' bickering. I want Paula and Simon to stop having fights in front of the kids. I agree with them overall, though, that he needs to step it up.

07 Alexis Grace - "Jolene" I think it's a good song choice for her, and I think the interaction between Alexis and Randy was sweet. I think she sang it well, but it didn't blow me away. It felt a little forced to me. I think the judges are feeling the same, but it's just so awkward between us right now I can't even tell.

08 Danny Gokey - "Jesus Take The Wheel" I'm going to start to sound like a broken record, but I just love listening to this boy sing. I love the way he put his licks in there. That boy has got some serious musical chops, y'all. Also, I would be remiss if I didn't give him a shout out for giving Jesus the shout out. He gets my vote!

09 Anoop Desai - "Always On My Mind" Oh, Anoop, sing to me! I really like it. This song has such a sweet melody that, forgive me, I lose a little when Willie Nelson is singing it. I love that Anoop just sang his heart out instead of trying for the cool factor. He'll get my vote, too. I'm with Randy - "That arrangement was dope, dude!"

10 Megan Joy Corkrey - "Walking After Midnight" I think this is a GREAT choice for her unique voice. There were a couple of notes that she didn't quite hit (her voice sounds scratchy), but I really liked the arrangement. I still cannot stand to watch her perform with the spazzy thing. She has the flu? She's been in the HOSPITAL? Dang. She gets my vote just for that.

11 Matt Giraud - "So Small" This is a great song. I had a God-moment with this song once, and it always takes me back to that moment...I have a soft spot. I like Matt's arrangement. He, too, is an exceptional pianist. There were a few notes that didn't sound like they made it vocally, but I really like the feel. (I think he connects with the songs and the audience so much better than his mini-me, Scott.) I disagree with Simon with regards to the fact that Matt out-sang Danny, because I seriously doubt that. But I did like it a lot. So there.

I think there was some that were just okay, and some that were great. Overall, I think Randy Travis did a GREAT job as a mentor. He wasn't fluffy, but he was nice while he gave some really good advice. Also, if Kara and Randy weren't there tonight I might have gone crazy over Paula and Simon. Kara knows her stuff, y'all.

So that's all I'm going to say. I think that Michael, Alexis, and Scott may be in danger. I'm hoping it's the latter two, but there's no telling.

If you're reading this and you have thoughts, I'd love nothing more than to hear them. (:

Love and stuff,

The Madness strikes again

2009-03-15T00:26:00.004-04:00

Y'all, I'm totally into basketball now. I have never been a basketball fan, since I stink at playing it and I didn't (don't) understand it. Then, one of my favorite kids played on his high school basketball team this year, and I went to a couple games. His dad was able to aptly answer my questions, and I was hooked. It's great timing since my beloved Seminoles actually have put together a decent basketball team this year. Today, I watched them beat No.1 UNC in order to play in the ACC Championship game Sunday. It was AWESOME, and that is all. Oh, except for this: BOO-YOW!

American Idol - Top 13

2009-03-10T22:04:00.002-04:00

So a Michael Jackson week, you say? I don't know about that. Who can rock those songs? Let's see, kids.

01 Lil Rounds - "The Way You Make Me Feel" I love this song. I think she's singing it pretty well (and of anyone, she can probably pull it off the best), but I'm just not feeling it the way I normally do. Ooh. I changed my mind. Wait for it...she's kickin' it now. Randy liked it. Kara said it right - she is crazy good. Paula of course thinks she looks nice and soft - what? Simon said that the second half was better than the first and he hates what she's wearing - DITTO. She's still my BFF.

02 Scott MacIntyre - Oh, the Von Trapp family singers... "Keep The Faith" Sometimes he's good. But most of the time, I just feel like he just doesn't have the chops. I like that he can play. He can sing, but he doesn't always hit the note for which he's aiming. That's sort-of a deal breaker for me, I'm sorry America. And I'm sorry to my high school voice teacher, who loves him and his voice. But he just learned that piano this week. That's pretty good. And y'all, if Paula says "magical" one more time, I think I might cry.

03 Danny Gokey - "P.Y.T." I like the vibe at the beginning. I like the whole vibe. I wasn't sure he could pull off MJ, but I just got a little bit of the goosebumps. I love his gravelly voice on this song. And I would like to point out to the world that his pitch is SPOT ON. I want to love you, Danny Gokey. Is Paula crying? Stop it. I agree with Simon - the vocals are BRILLIANT, but the dancing is hideous. Aw, I love Kara - she thinks he's just got JOY when he sings. So true.

04 Michael Sarver - "You Are Not Alone" This is such a pretty melody. I think it's the best MJ song for him. It's not doing a whole lot for me, but I'm glad he picked a song that he can just sing. He had a couple weird notes, but overall I think he's precious. I'm glad the judges like him. I do, too.

Is anyone offended if I say that I fast-forward through everything Paula says?

05 Jasmine Murray - "I'll Be There" I forgot about this song. I think of it as a Mariah song. I might forget about it again in a few minutes...I think she's precious and she can sing pretty well, but she's got a habit of just pushing some of it out too hard and it goes flat. Yikes. The judges are just a little underwhelmed, I think, as am I. Awkward.

06 Kris Allen - "Remember The Time" I love that he's playing the guitar. It adds a whole new level of cool that I didn't know he had. I was pretty sure that "Man In the Mirror" was the only Michael song he could sing. I think I may have been wrong. He's not as good a singer as, say, Danny, but I think he worked the vibe. He lost it vocally at the end, which is sad. The squeaky scream is not sexy. Aw, Kara said he spent a lot of time helping out the other contestants with the guitar. That's sweet.

07 Allison Iraheta - "Give In To Me" I'm not super-familiar with this song, but I really like her rocker voice. That girl is so young, but she can really work it. The judges are right - she's just GOT IT.

08 Anoop Desai - I just love this kid. He is PRE-SHUS. "Beat It" This song is actually a little harder vocally than I thought at first. Those intervals are killer, and I think he's too tired to quite hit them all. I think he tried his best to rock it but it didn't quite make it. But I really want him to stick around! I'd also like to add that he said "Yes ma'am" to Kara. Y'all.

09 Jorge Nunez - "Never Can Say Goodbye" I don't know this song. The start was rough, but he gets better when he sings he higher. Overall, it made me a little sleepy. I like Jorge, and he can sing for sure, but I didn't feel the song. Neither did the judges. Sad.

10 Megan Joy Cockrey - I love that she's a FONT editor! That is so much fun. "Rockin' Robin" Interesting choice, for a solo. Hello, 70's. I think I like it. She is like a pinup. Is that weird for me to say about another chick? I'm saaawry, but it's true. Anyway, I'm a fan of her and the song. The judges weren't such huge fans, but who cares about them? (:

11 Adam Lambert - "Black & White" This is such a fun song. It's not my favorite song for his voice, because he's such a screamer that I think he needs a rockin song. But wait! - Now he turned on the strobe lights and had a Queen moment. That was better. But still, this is such an EASY (as in, easy to jam to) song, and it felt too forced for him. Paula's going crazy over it - me, notsomuch. Simon called an "entirely different league than anything else we've seen tonight," which is true, performance-wise. It was different. I didn't love it as much as the judges, but he did do it well.

12 Matt Giraud - "Human Nature" I love him playing the piano. I think he had a cool vocal on this song. Light and soulful. It lost it with the pitch a little at the end for me, but I do love him. He is talented. I agree with the judges - just a solid performance.

I just paused because my sister challenged me to try and do a push-up in a handstand. I can only halfway do it. That is some tough stuff, and I'll probably be sore tomorrow.

36 Alexis Grace - "Dirty Diana" I think this is a great song choice for this bluesy chick. I. LOVE IT. I think she totally rocked it. The judges didn't feel it as much as I did, but I don't care.

There's another change to the show that involves the judges? And apparently we'll find out tomorrow...yet another ploy to make us watch tomorrow's show. Which I will not do. I can't handle the drama. I hope Jasmine and Scott go home. Or maybe Jorge. That's my $0.02.

Bad sign

2009-03-07T00:03:00.002-05:00

One might have a problem with reality if she is so desperate to pretend she's cool that she watches "Step Up" formatted for TV on a Friday night. Y'all. That is some of the worst acting I've ever seen. And TNT is for REAL playing it fast and loose with their usage of the phrase "New Classic." Anyway, if the alternative is "Bring It On," then I'll always pick the dance movies (I typed dance moves first. Freudian slip. Or something!) Don't judge me. (:

I did actually watch FSU win in baseball tonight! It's my new sport. It'll work until football season, right? (:

That elusive WILD card

2009-03-05T21:37:00.002-05:00

I don't know what this show is doing to me right now. They are going crazy this season! At first I wasn't sold on this whole Road to the Top 12. I'm in it to win it now, though. But this wild card round is nuts! Another 8? Not even another 9? I am kinda glad that the judges are picking the final three, though. I think that adds an element of NOT STUPID to the whole thing. From jump, I'm rooting for ANOOP AND MATT.

01 Jesse Langseth, singing "Tell Me Somethin' Good" - Interesting choice for her. It's starting off a little strange for me. It's too funky of a song, in my humble opinion. I liked it better on the bluesy "Bette Davis Eyes" - where the good melody wasn't residing with the backup singers. Anyone? I agree with the classic Randy: just ai'ght for me. Kara's right, too, though: Jesse's got a cool, soul vibe. It's nice that she gave Simon some RESPECT, because he was nice to her. I don't think she's 1/3. Too bad, Jess.

02 Matt Giraud, singing "Who's Loving You" - Good start, Matt. I love his voice. I love that he is SINGING. Ooh. Boy can get up and go, that's for sure. He's like a white Ray Charles. I'm a fan. But I've been biased since "Georgia On My Mind." Hello. The judges are right - he is so benefitted by going back to the bluesy feel. My vote is thus: IN!

03 Megan Joy Corkrey, singing "Black Horse and the Cherry Trees" - She looks like she sings. I'm a fan of her rocking the red lipstick with the tattoo sleeve. :) I think this is a cool song for her very unique voice. I still do not love her "dancing." There's just something about this chick. Simon's right: we don't get the karaoke vibe from her. Just cool.

04 Von Smith, singing "Sorry Seems To Be The Hardest Word" - Something about this kid just kinda weirds me out; I can't help it. I think he can sing, but I don't like him tonight as well as I did earlier this week. He's not singing well tonight. If I was a judge, he wouldn't get my vote. Oops.

05 Jasmine Murray, singing "Reflection" - I think Jasmine is precious. I also think she can sing. I love that she's singing this song, but it doesn't sound like Mulan. I also like that she powered through most of the song and then knocked it back a notch at the end. Get it, girl.

I can do without the bickering between Paula and Simon. Paula just cannot let it go, and I don't understand. Just stop it, Crazy!

06 Ricky Braddy [Bobby], singing "Superstition" - This is one of my favorite Stevie Wonder songs! It just makes me want to dance. If only he wasn't distracting me with his leggings... I do love his voice, and I think he's got a really cool performance going on tonight. It's much different than his last song. I like that he's bringing the funk. I wholeheartedly agree with Kara: You can sing your butt off! This is maybe the first time this season that I wholeheartedly DISagree with Simon and Randy - they didn't like the song choice, but I think it was rockin!

07 Tatiana Del Toro, singing "Saving All My Love For You" - WHY THE HECK IS SHE HERE?! I cannot take the drama. The squinty eyes and the crying and the loving all of America...it does not resonate with me. She's got a pretty good voice, but I think there are better singers. Plus, she's sung this song twice? -Because she couldn't learn a new song in a day? Like all the other contestants? Cheater. HOLY COW, WHY CAN'T SHE JUST BE QUIET?

08 Anoop Desai, singing "My Prerogative" - I love Anoop. I love him singing this song, even though he's already sung this one, too? What is up with that? At least we get to hear him sing all of it. He just rocks. WORK IT. That boy can sing, y'all. And look at his sweet face! I don't know why Simon called him "not the greatest singer we're gonna hear." Psh. Randy and Kara are right - he killed that song. My vote: IN.

And the RESULTS:

JASMINE

Sorry Ricky Bobby. I'll miss you.

MEGAN

Goodbye Tatiana. I will not miss you. I'm sorry.

- Uh, there is not enough room for Anoop and Matt. I'm nervous. -

Wait, MATT AND ANOOP! Yay!

Okay now it's gonna be hard from here on out! Wow me, people. I am waiting to be wowed.

American Idol bandwagon - 36 Group 3

2009-03-04T19:45:00.003-05:00

Here's something about me: I like having a schedule. I like having a plan. I dislike it when my schedule or plan gets whacked. But something ELSE about me is that I LOVE my DVR. So my American Idol notes will proceed as if we planned it a day late. (:

I have stayed away from all other synopses of this episode so that I am pure and unbiased. Please tell all your friends. (: Anyway, I hope these people are good tonight. My little nerdy crush (Alex) is in this bunch, and my BFF Lil'... here's hoping they pick some good stinkin' songs!

I would love a "Simon Cowell Week," by the way. PLEASE pick our songs for us, Simon.

01 Von Smith, singing "You're All I Need To Get By" - Hm. Not a fan of the start. Too low and shaky. I don't really think he can pull off Marvin Gaye, to be honest. But he does sound pretty when he hits those high notes, I will for sure give him that. Overall, it wasn't too shabby but I don't think I liked it as much as the judges. Haha, he reminds Simon of Clay Aiken...

02 Taylor Vaifanua, singing "If I Ain't Got You" - She is an Amazon, y'all; she's so tall! I think she's sweet. I think she's doing well with this song! She's got a little bit of The Spazz when she sings, but I think she sings well. I appreciate that she didn't try and scream it, and she sang on pitch. I love that Kara just said, "What's it like to go shopping with Taylor?" By the way, I totally think that I would love shopping with Kara. Simon doesn't get it because, well, he's a man. She sang this during Hollywood week? That's cheating. I do think that Simon's right; it was a little lackluster.

03 Alex Wagner-Trugman, singing "I Guess That's Why They Call It The Blues" - I love this kid. He's soooo cute. And he can sing! I love that he can sing but he DOESN'T LOOK LIKE IT. I also love that he is hilarious. I don't understand why he was "dancing." Or growling. Hahahahaha...he just dropped the mic stand. That is unfortunate. I wish he had JUST SUNG. I think that's such a pretty melody, and he kinda jacked it up. They're gonna eat him up, I think. Aw...poor thing. I agree with the judges. But I love Kara - "At least you do you." Amen.

04 Arianna Afsar, singing "The Winner Takes It All" - ABBA, woooo! I think this is a pretty song. Is she in rhythm? It's hard to tell... I wish she didn't add so much vocal fluff, but man the girl can sing when she chooses to. She loses it when she tries to push too hard. It's better when she shows off her control. Aw, judges...I think they're a TAD too hard on her, saying that it was the worst ever, but I kinda agree that it was a little boring. And hello? Paula? We agree! "Sometimes it's just better to stick to the melody."

05 Ju'Not Joyner, singing "Hey There Delilah" - I want his kid. I think Danny's friend sang this song better. Cooler. I'm yawning a little right now. He can sing, but why-oh-why did he make this song a ballad? Psh. Randy loved it. Psh. Kara liked his spin. Psh. It was boring! Oh, Paula, no one cares what you say anymore, it's so sad. Simon, my last hope for agreement, let me down again. He liked it, too. *Sigh* I am overruled. I do like that he said he just wanted to pay respect to the artist/song and sing the melody. That is commendable, my friend.

Coming up, the drama twins...I miss Kristen's cute red hair; she might be lying when she said "Oh I love Nathanial." I don't, and I'm not lying.

06 Kristen McNamara, singing "Give Me One Reason" - I think she's got a cool voice, but holy DOUBLE TIME! I like her gritty voice, but I'm not a huge fan of her arrangement. Ooh, but KEY CHANGE! Correct me if I'm wrong, but that's the first of Season 8. Hello, cheese. I don't understand why the judges are harping on her outfit, but I agree with their assessment of her rock genre...wrong song, but good voice.

07 Nathanial Marshall, singing "I Would Do Anything For Love" - Meatloaf. Remember when he sang with Katherine McPhee? Awkward. Oh, the drama...I am not a big fan of this guy. Not my favorite voice, and coupled with the theatrics, I can just do without. Oh my gosh, Simon: [I won't do that...] "Nathanial, I think you probably would!" Hilarious.

08 Felicia Barton, singing "No One" - Oh, she's the one who slid in because that record deal girl got cut! I think it's funny that there has been no talk of that. I think she's doing pretty well, but it's just pretty basic for me. She looked cool, though! I'm glad the judges liked her, but I'm not confident she'll make it through.

09 Scott MacIntyre, singing "Mandolin Rain" - I've never heard of this song. Oh nevermind, I do know the melody. I hope you don't hate me, but I don't like him. And it's not because he's blind. I think he has a passing relationship with the center of the pitch...I'm just not a fan of his voice. He is totally rocking that vest, though. Man the judges love him, and I just don't really get it. And Kara said she wants America to see him play and sing at the same time, but we did that already, and I think he kinda ruined "Home" by Daughtry! I don't understand, even Simon will be "amazed if he doesn't sail through to the next round." I mean, he's a great guy, but I'm not feeling it, dawg.

10 Kendall Beard, singing "This One's For The Girls" - I think it's hilarious that she's from Texas and auditioned in Puerto Rico. I love this song. I know it's a little cheesy, but Martina? - She rocks. And it's kind-of "my song" with some of the chicks I love at church. So anyway, I'm totally glad she's singing it. But I'm not totally glad that I don't love her singing it. I love her yellow dress. But I think she's just a tad flat on pretty much all of it. Sorry babe. And the judges and I are back on track - they agree with me! Woo-hoo. She's 100% country, and I'll go out on a limb and say that I'm 99.9% Sure (anyone know that song?!) she won't be back.

11 Jorge Nunez, singing "Don't Let The Sun Go Down On Me" - Aw, his Puerto Rican self is so cute! I have never heard him sing before right now. He's got a pretty voice! I think he's rocking this song! The judges like him, too. I'm glad. I like him. He is SO. PRECIOUS.

12 Lil Rounds, singing "Be Without You" - I have really only heard her sing briefly, but I LOVE her. She looks SMOKIN', by the way. She's a great performer; possibly the best out of all of them. I just think she rocks. So do the judges. I'm quite happy.

ALL THAT being said, I actually called and voted for Lil a few times last night. Just because I had it on good authority that I should do so. I'm so glad. If I could vote again right now, I would do it again! I would vote for Alex, too, just because I want to see him come back and not growl. I'm conflicted about who my third wheel would be. Everyone else is kinda plateaued for me. Here goes nothing, America! Ooh. Just kidding. I'd vote for Jorge.

"Retreat"

2009-03-03T22:59:00.004-05:00

So I had such lofty intentions of doing my "usual" American Idol blogging, but alas, I have not even watched it yet. I spent all evening frying bacon to put in a pasta salad. Because let's be honest, if I'm going to ever make a pasta salad, it will have some bacon in it. We have a staff retreat at work tomorrow. This is ridiculous on so many levels. I'd love to tell you about it.

Number one, we're going to "retreat" to the fifth floor of the building IN WHICH WE ALREADY WORK.

Number two, our groups have to plan an activity for the whole staff that will take about 20 minutes.

Number three, we're eating salads. Salad is maybe my least favorite food group. There is only one salad in the entire world that I would order at a restaurant in order to forego, say, a steak. And this is mostly because they don't have a steak on their lunch menu. But I digress. Our staff was split up into groups of four and we were given a salad category. Our's is pasta salad. For the love. I don't mean to offend all you italian-dressing-peas-and-tri-colored-rotini-lovers out there, but I loathe pasta salad. So each member of our group had to find a different recipe for pasta salad and make it for tomorrow. Me, with my sure-no-problem attitude, claimed "anything with bacon."

So I don't think anyone really looked up the actual definition of the word "retreat," but I'm pretty sure this doesn't apply as "a quiet or secluded place in which one can rest and relax." Oh, well, I will go and I will not complain any more than to, like, the entire world on the internet. Next time I'll volunteer to put my happy little behind on the planning committee and suggest something different.

Pardon my bite this evening. I'm trying to find the humor in all this stuff because it has been a rather long day, and did I mention I didn't get to watch American Idol? I don't know what I'm going to talk about tomorrow...

In the meantime, the highlight of my day has been the unveiling of my new apron. This evening marks the first time I have bought or worn an apron, ever. I'd like to thank Anthropologie and Bacon Grease for this moment:

p.s. Sorry for my messy kitchen.

p.p.s. I might try and make up for my lack of AI tonight, tomorrow. Pins and needles, friends... (:

The Fashion Golden Nugget

2009-02-27T12:51:00.002-05:00

The best fashion advice I have ever received came to me about two weeks ago in a voicemail from a friend:
"I have this to say to you - don't wear skinny jeans if you aren't. Thanks."

Words to live by, people.

You are an enigma wrapped in a schizophrenic

2009-02-26T22:42:00.004-05:00

So apparently, all I have to talk about these days is my favorite TV. I promise that I do actually want to give a run-down on my recent weekend activities (ooh, fun for you!), but Burn Notice is just too good to pass up. This is one of my favorite shows ever. It is funny James Bond, and in sunny Florida, too! Spies meet fast cars meet fabulous clothes meet dry humor, and we have a recipe for delight.

I love the combo of a super-spy with an old FBI buddy and a romantic interest in an Irish guerilla. These people kick some serious boo-tay, friends. I love them. They can do anything. Michael's (super-spy) ex-fiance makes an appearance in this episode, which makes for some excellent sexual chemistry. I'm not sure how I feel about it, seeing that I am a HUGE supporter of Michael and Fiona (IRA expert). I hope she doesn't stay on the show. But she is pretty.

The bad guy this week is a total blowhard. I loathe him. I also loathe the other bad guy. And I want them to hurt someone...but only in the name of good conquering evil, of course.

Ok so if you haven't seen it, you should check it out. I might find myself talking about it on the world wide web all over again. (:

THE SEASON FINALE IS NEXT WEEK? But we've only just begun...dangit, USA.

American Idol bandwagon - 36 Group 2

2009-02-25T20:50:00.004-05:00

Live blogging, here we go: (How's THAT for a fancy intro?)

01 Jasmine Murray, singing "Love Song" - bless her heart for sticking through Hollywood week with the CRAZIES. The girl's got some chops, for sure. I didn't totally love the song, but I thought she did pretty well. I love the original, but it was just kinda strange.

- Also, I'd like to add that I think Crazy Paula is back. And stop boo-ing Simon! -

02 Matt Giraud, singing "Viva La Vida" - I cannot get over his "Georgia On My Mind" performance. YUM. I really like his voice. I think it's hard to take that Coldplay song and really rock it. I don't know that I believe it was the best for his soulful voice, but it wasn't terrible. (Yes, Kara just spoke my mind. Boo-yow.)

03 Jeanine Vailes, singing "This Love" - Holy legs! She sounds pitchy. I'm not feeling it. Also, I'm not a big fan of watching her sing, with the flailing. Kinda crazy for me. That's all I've got.

- And plus, I have so say that I think Ryan is so cute. I love his outfit. -

04 Norman Gentle (Nick Mitchell) - SERIOUSLY, why is he on here? One of my BFFs LOVES Nick/Norman. You think you know a girl... But for reals, I think he is funny and absolutely insane. And really, hot a completely horrible singer, but there's no way he should be on this show.

05 Allison Iraheta, singing "Alone" - She seemed a little, uh, nuts in her interview? Bless her, she's so young. They're calling her the Dark Horse...I'll be the judge of that. (: It is BRAVE to rock a Heart song, especially on the first night! OOh. And I think she IS rocking it! Holy moly! How is it possible that she has that kind of vocal prowess? I loved it. Okay. And Paula just said that she worked the microphone stand? What the heck does that even mean? Oh well. Get it, girl!

06 Kris Allen, singing "Man In The Mirror" - Uh, oh, with the MJ...I'm nervous. Like Ricky Bobby, I've never heard this guy sing before. I think he's super cute, and he's got a good stage presence. I think if he was going to sing Michael, it was the best song for him. Not terrible. I really can't believe that Simon liked it that much. I'm more inclined to agree with...Kara. I do like him.

07 Megan Corkrey, singing "Put Your Records On" - I love this song. And I loved her in the auditions, and I do remember her. I hope she does it well. She has such an interesting voice to me, and I really like it, oddly enough. I just think she's so cute, and I think it's awesome that she rocks those tattoos. Sorry, mom.

08 Matt Breitzke, singing "If You Could Only See" - I think he is precious. He's a tad bit awkward on stage, but maybe it's just because of the pauses in this song where he's not singing. I don't think this song is really a singer's song, but he did okay. I agree wholeheartedly with Simon.

09 Jesse Langseth, singing "Bette Davis Eyes" - I think this is a cool song for her voice. I am maybe a little saddened because there was nothing new about her arrangement. I think she's nice and she's got a good cool level. (Thank you, Randy, for using the word "cool" - I wholeheartedly agree.) I love that she actually delved deeper into REAL feedback from the judges, without being sassy.

10 Kai Kalama, singing "What Becomes of the Brokenhearted" - He's just not working it for me. I dunno, he's never really reached my soul. I think he's a nice guy and a pretty good singer, but it was just alright for me, dawg. We could be friends, but I didn't like his particular brand of karaoke.

11 Mishavonna Henson, singing "Drops of Jupiter" - Interesting song choice, I think. She's got a pretty cool voice, too. I kinda like what she did with her interesting song. She's not one that has really reached my soul, either, but I liked it overall.

12 Adam Lambert, singing "Satisfaction" - Pretty good hook, to start. Still, not so much a singer's song, though I think he made the best of it because he has got some CHOPS. It is so crazy to me how he can just scream away like that, but on pitch! It's so surreal. I think I like it. I think he shall forever be known to me as "Guyliner." Okay, THANK YOU, Randy, with the Twilight reference (Edward, hi), and the perfect vocab word for his performance: manic! And Kara, you're totally right.

My votes tonight are for Kara and Randy. But really, I'm going to actually call in and vote mostly for Allison. Then Adam. Then Matt Giraud, just because I know he's awesome.

I'm tired!!

Real-life funny

2009-02-18T20:16:00.003-05:00

Y'all. I would like everyone on the internet to know that I saw, in real life, a man whose hair looked like this:

I have had several chuckles over that today. It might last me quite a while. (:

American Idol bandwagon - 36 Group 1

2009-02-17T20:31:00.005-05:00

Okay I am forced to now blog about my American Idol thoughts. I'm a little frustrated after last week (hello? Tatiana?), and I'm even more frustrated right now at their thoughts for how we get to the Top 12. At first, I thought it was going to be a pretty neat new development. The top male and female voting earners in each of three groups of twelve these next three weeks...plus the next top earner in each group...and then a final three from a wildcard round. BUT - Y'all, Danny and Anoop are in the same group! And Michael-the-Roughneck! What is a girl to do? Carrying on...here goes nothing:

01 - Jackie Tohn, singing "Little Less Conversation" - First, let me say, Olivia Newton John much? Anyone else taken back to the end of Grease by her outfit? I thought she was entertaining, and not a horrible singer, but she didn't do much for me. I agree with the judges.

02 - Ricky Braddy, singing "Song For You" - Who is this kid and why haven't we seen him before? That boy can SANG. Once again, I agree with the judges, and especially Simon, that he won't make it through because he's not been featured enough. No "star quality." And I think I'm going to call him Ricky Bobby from here on out, because SHAKE & BAKE!

03 - Alexis Grace, singing "I Never Loved A Man" - she can sing, too. Maybe one of my favorite females so far. And I do love her pink tips in her hair.

04 - Brent Keith, singing "Hick Town" - There is possibly not another song tonight that seems to fit a contestant more. He is so cute (hello, dimples), but I'm not sure he can roll on past the other boys with that. Again, I do agree with the judges.

05 - Stevie Wright, singing "You Belong With Me" - Hm. Stevie. Bad song choice, I think, and weak vocals (which, don't hate me, but is characteristic of Taylor's songs). I think the nerves hit her HARD. And hello? -Is that Paula, making real, constructive criticism? Also, I'm totally proud of her for not crying on national television. Bravo, Stevie.

06 - Anoop Desai, singing "Angel of Mine" - I love his R&B singing, but I wish he had sung something a little more upbeat and BLOWN THE DOORS OFF. I think that boy can sing. And may I please just say that he totally doesn't look like he can sing? That's my favorite. I also love that he is so well-spoken. That's all.

07 - Casey Carlson, singing "Every Little Thing [S]he Does Is Magic" - I don't think it was as fun for me as she had hoped. I love the song, but I think she cheesed it up a little bit. She doesn't have the "cool" to sing The Police. All in all, it wasn't fantastic for me. Judges, we are of one mind this evening.

08 - Michael Sarver, singing "I Don't Wanna Be" - I like the words of this song for him. I do wish he had sung more of a singer's song. I think he had a couple of pitchy moments, which makes me very sad because I do love him so.

09 - Ann Marie Boskovich, singing "(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman" - C'mon, girl, if you're going to sing it, you've got to SING IT! I don't think she really worked it. But I could be friends with Ann Marie, I think. It's too bad since I don't think she'll be on the show much longer. Or really should be. I do love looking at her sitting next to Ryan. (: Love that shawty!

10 - Stephen Fowler, singing "Rock With You" - I do love some old school MJ...but I don't think he really hit it. It was a little boring in my opinion. I'm glad he admitted he wasn't yet comfortable singing without the piano, because it felt like it. It's too bad.

11 - Tatiana Del Toro, singing "Saving All My Love For You" - I just can't get past her personality. She's got some power to her voice, but it was a little pitchy in some parts. Overall, not too shabby but I want her gone. I'm sorry.

12 - Danny Gokey, singing "Hero" - My word I love his voice. Just a little bit of grit. Delightful, though I wasn't crazy about the song choice at first. And then, he kicked it! Thanks for that. Hello, my favorite.

Okay I think I might have to vote now. I will say this final thing: It drives me CRAZY when they boo Simon. Hello, general public? - Simon is almost ALWAYS RIGHT. That's all.

Thank you, and goodnight. (:

Belated Valentine

2009-02-16T17:57:00.005-05:00

Three posts in one month! Must be some kind of record for me...at least for this year. (:

My life lately has been a little lackluster. I don't have a whole lot to say except a play-by-play of my weekend. Woo hoo! De-lightful. The boy was in town for Valentine's Day. I was quite happy to spend some quality time with him since it's been a little while since I've seen him. We got to catch up on some TV Friday evening, because that's what all the hot couples are doing these days. (: We are both fans of The Office, Burn Notice, and Psych, so we watched all three.

All I have to say about The Office is this - SHE LICKED THAT CAT. Oh my word, I like Angela less and less these days. But I still love the Creed quotes: "$7,000 for a cat? I can get you a kid for that."

Burn Notice is one of the most delicious shows ever. Not only is it filmed in my fair state, but those characters are the ultimate in COOL. And they drive cool cars. And they like mojitos. And they kick some bad-guy boo-tay. This week Michael got stuck in a bank heist and had to ruin the robbers' lives. Not only did he overpower a cell phone jammer by hot wiring a broken phone to a massive ethernet cable, but then he froze the inside of a gun with liquid nitrogen so that it broke apart INTO the shooter's hand, plus Fiona got to blow up some stuff. Delicious.

Since it was on Friday the 13th, Psych was creep-tastic this week! All psycho killer stuff and I will admit that I jumped a few times. I love Gus and his attempts at bravery. That show is some good comedy.

On Saturday I tried my hand at making my favorite sugar cookies. All for my man. I've loved these sugar cookies for my whole life and I would like everyone to know that I made them FROM SCRATCH. I made that dough and I let it chill and I rolled it out and I baked it and then I iced them with the icing I also made from scratch. However, there was no heart-shaped cookie cutter in the whole of Tallahassee so they were just...round. Boo. Because I am so dedicated, I free-handed two hearts. Anyway, I went over to his house and we made homemade pizzas together - and they were DELISH. Then we played some Wii and watched Get Smart. I think that movie is hilarious. Here are some of my favorite V-Day pics:

Yes, I took a picture of them baking in my oven. I'm proud of it. Don't judge me.

The finished product:

Thank you, everyone, I am a "bodybuilder" in the Wii Fit. As evidenced here:

And I have been sick with a fluish head cold ever since. It was a good weekend, folks, and totally worth it. Hopefully this week will be good, but even if it isn't I've got next weekend in Atlanta to look forward to! I can't even stand the excitement.

TV weekend

2009-02-08T20:15:00.002-05:00

And now, I would like to comment on the Grammy's.

Starting with, "Let's Stay Together." Al Green, I love you. And you've still got some CHOPS!

And of course, now my TV isn't working, and I get no picture. I will try my hardest-best not to throw something. Thankfully I can still get the sound, enough to be listening to Carrie Underwood right now. It's really too bad that girl can't sing. Seriously. She is one of my favorite singers ever. But I wish she had sung a less...shall we say...trampy song. But still. The girl is out of control good!

And now, for my soapbox. I like Sugarland, I do. They are a mystery to me, since the way she sings drives me a little nuts but I LOVE all their songs. But I am so angry that they won a Grammy for that song. I hate that song. Sure, the melody is pretty, but she is singing about being the "other woman." Why is that okay? Stink. I love Lady A the best and I'm sad they didn't win. I would've been ok with Rascal Flatts, too. But whatever. Sugarland... you cut me deep, Shrek.

Okay and my cable is officially freaking out. I've got nothing right now. But I still haven't thrown anything, so I consider my evening a success.

Hello, bandwagon

2009-02-01T21:20:00.003-05:00

25 Random things about me:

1. I love doing this stuff, but I do not like feeling obligated to do so. Nor do I like obligating anyone else to do so. Thus, if you'd like to share 25 things about yourself, feel free, and I will love to read it!

2. I like challenging myself and I do not enjoy being told I cannot do something. This is most especially applicable when it comes to feats of strength and agility. Scrappy? Yes.

3. I love the water. I love to swim and ski and boat and just be close to the water. This is possibly what I miss most about living in Tallahassee - I miss the beach and the lakes and the rivers in and around OP!

4. I wish I could play the piano by ear. I took piano lessons for 8 years and I love to play. Except I stink. I am constantly amazed at how much my ability to play my old songs is based purely on muscle memory.

5. I have always wanted to work in covert ops. I love a spy game and I once tried to tail someone.

6. My lifelong dream is to be a backup singer.

7. My other lifelong dream is to be a record producer.

8. My other lifelong dream is to be the "professional driver, closed course" on the car commercials.

9. I named my dog George, though she is a female. This is because of the Nancy Drew novels. I love Nancy Drew. Nancy loved her BFFs, Bess and George, both females. George also liked feats of strength and agility - she was awesome.

10. I like math.

11. I am not a girly girl. I'm making peace with that. But I LOVE clothes. I LOOOOVE J.Crew.

12. I am not a fan of talking on the phone. I like to say what needs to be said, but I am not a chatter.

13. I don't know how to dress in the winter.

14. I laugh silently. It frustrates me because I do not feel it adequately expresses my enjoyment of the funny.

15. I have a touch of the OCD. Not the clinical kind, though.

16. I am a rule-follower by nature. However, if I'm going to follow rules I'd like for there to be a POINT.

17. It's true, I enjoy manual labor. This perhaps stems from my love of World Changers. I love roofing and construction because I like making something and seeing the results of working hard.

18. I like matching my underwear to the rest of my outfit, even though no one else will know but me. And I do the same with argyle socks.

19. If I ever build my own house, I will have an outdoor shower.

20. I think I would be a great architect.

21. I once had a "moment" with God, sitting in the parking lot of the Tallahassee Mall at sunset. I love Him best at sunset ever since.

22. I hate being videotaped, but I would make an exception only to be on What Not To Wear. Clinton, Stacy, and I would have SO much fun!

23. I have been to at least 5 Point of Grace concerts. Don't judge me.

24. "What I'm saying is all I really want is someone to hold me and tell me that everything is going to be all right." I like using movie quotes in my everyday conversations.

25. Sometimes I like to pretend I'm in a Cosby lip-sync.

and p.s. I love facebook. (:

Love,

With an assist from Lea

2009-01-25T21:54:00.003-05:00

I sometimes need a kick in the behind. I cannot write to save my life lately. It is a vicious cycle, ladies and gentlemen...not having anything to write about, then not writing, then having stuff to write about and not knowing how to say it, and then getting out of the habit. So anyway, here I am today. I haven't written anything since "Merry Christmas." For SHAME.

So I mentioned a cute boy who happened to have redesigned my blog. That was a highlight of the Christmas season. And see? He is cute:

That's us at the wedding of the century, before we left town for the holidays. It has been termed "wedding-palooza" because some friends of mine from church got married and asked our praise team to sing about 7 songs, total. At first I thought it was a little much but it now marks not only the start of their life together, but the most fun we've ever had singing together. I'm telling you, there was some worship happening, and it was awesome. So anyway, there's that.

I was home with my parents (and their parents) for the holidays and we actually had a little more drama than I find is really necessary for our family. But we survived, and it was good times. I received contributions towards my new favorite toy...a new MacBook. It. Is. Delightful. I'm thinking I want to get one of these. Any thoughts?

Ok and then after the holidays I had to go back to work. It's not my favorite work. I'm praying about that. But it is a job, and make no mistake, I'm thankful to have it. I've just been plugging along at that for a little while.

Meanwhile, my favorite TV shows are all officially back on! New episodes of The Office, Psych, and Burn Notice have been keeping me busy. I was growing weary of holiday marathons. Now, everyone pretty much loves The Office (right, Robyn?), but if you are reading this and have never seen Psych or Burn Notice, please do so right now. Hulu is your friend.

More on Psych and Burn Notice later. Probably with some American Idol thrown in there for good measure. This has been rough. Thanks for sticking with me. Hopefully I'll get back in the swing of this soon. (: Leave some love if you'd like.

Merry Christmas

2008-12-25T11:05:00.006-05:00

I would like for everyone to have a very Merry Christmas!

Also, please notice that I have an awesome boyfriend who surprised me with a re-designed blog. Is he spectacular or what? Thanks, TP. (:

It's my caprese salad

2008-11-20T23:13:00.007-05:00

I stinkin' love The Office. I am stinking right now at this whole updating-of-the-blog thing, but I'm going to try and give a nice run-down soon. I just had to get one her and spill my guts over tonight's episode. WHY IS IT SO FUNNY? For me, it wasn't even as funny or as quotable as the past few episodes have been. A little lackluster, people. Until that outro. Number one, Ryan is an IDIOT. Number two, I LOVE JIM AND PAM (but I was so nervous when he took her to the house). Number three, the art studio?!!--that is so hot. Number four, Michael totally screamed when he saw Toby. Though I am holding onto my love of Holly-for-Michael, I will be glad to get back to his crazy, outspoken hatred of Toby. It makes me laugh a lot. Okay and number five, Creed...when the cops came in. My word he is insane. And funny.

Okay so I always have to re-run my favorite quotes:

Michael: Well I do have cause. It is be-CAUSE I hate him.

Michael (to camera): You wanna see some real high caliber acting? Well, Mr. Kurt Russell, you are about to be served.

Jim: Why'd you come in here?

Dwight: To socialize. And inform.

Dwight: What is my perfect crime? I break into Tiffany's at midnight. Do I go for the vault? No. I go for the chandelier. It's priceless. As I'm taking it down, a woman catches me, she tells me to stop. It's her father's business. She's Tiffany. I say no. We make love all night. In the morning, the cops come and I escape in one of their uniforms. I tell her to meet me in Mexico, but I go to Canada. I don't trust her. Besides, I like the cold. Thirty years later, I get a postcard. I have a son, and he's the Chief of Police. This is where the story really gets interesting. I tell Tiffany to meet me in Paris, by the Trocadéro - she's been waiting for me all these years; she's never taken another lover. I don't care. I don't show up. I go to Berlin. That's where I stashed the chandelier.

Trent Monk is in the living room

2008-11-04T22:19:00.007-05:00

So this all started for me back when I decided it would behoove BooMama and me to be BFFs. Thus began my quest to be as cool as her. (:

TONIGHT, ladies and gentlemen, Trent Monk played in my very own living room. I am beside myself with glee and I feel like a real grown-up person. He played some of my most favorite songs from his Monk & Neagle days..."Beautiful You," HELLO! He also played a new song from his upcoming solo album called "Me and You" - and it was great. In addition to those favorites, I laughed my boo-tay off when he covered Gnarls (with a G) Barkley's "Crazy" (which I call crazy AWESOME), and Outkast's "Hey Ya." L-O-stinkin-L. Anyway, it was delightful. I will now show you...some pictures.

We packed it out...

The gear. (Because yes, I find it interesting. You don't have to.) (:

Fun with gadgets!

Real musicians make out with their guitars.

Now, I love me some Robyn. It is all because of her that this night happened. She is livin' LARGE and TAKIN CHARGE!

And because I love you, my friend, this is for you - POUND IT:

Even though you can't see the sticker in this one, I like this face (still for you):

Oh, yeah.

Me, Danny, my sister Amanda, and Trent...welcome to my humble abode.

So that is my night of greatness. I might have to write about this a few more times since I tend to leave things out when I'm excited - OH! By the way, three girls came that NO ONE KNEW. They just saw it on the internet and then showed up at my front door and came in my house like everyone else. I thought they were my sister's friends...and welcomed them and introduced them to everyone...before my sister came in and then introduced herself to them - WHAT? So yeah. But overall, it was an AWESOME evening and I loved all of it. I pray huge blessings over Trent and if you get a chance to check him out, DO IT. You won't regret it.

Instead of farmers fighting AIDS...

2008-10-24T09:47:00.003-04:00

So not a single real-life friend of mine has seen the latest episode from The Office. This hurts my feelings. So I turn to you, Internet. I just need to run down a few of my favorite moments, because I thought in general that episode was hilarious.

I love Creed. He is CRAZY. "Nobody steals from Creed Bratton and gets away with it. The last person who did this...disappeared. His name was...Creed Bratton." What. In. The. World?

I also love Andy with my whole heart. "You're always safe with me. I'm a very good screamer." What a man.

Okay, and is it just me or is Holly just absolutely the most perfect person for our Michael Scott?! Even when he is insane (and we all know he has those moments, people), she totally goes with it! It never ceases to surprise me. But I think they are kinda precious.

I thought Darryl got arrested in real life? But let's be honest, I'm glad he's still been in the show these last few episodes. He/Michael cracked me up last night. "Michael gave me a list of his top 10 Bruce Springsteen songs. Three were Huey Lewis and the News, one was Tracy Chapman 'Fast Car', and my personal favorite, 'Short People.'" Hahahahaha - the whole time Michael kept talking about Bruce, and it was SO Huey Lewis playing. I was just dying over that. And the squeaky gavel.

Oh, and I love Phyllis and Bob Vance, Vance Refridgeration, who bid $1,000 on her hug. That's hot. (:

I love The Office. My life is so enjoyable sometimes.

Week in review

2008-10-17T10:48:00.005-04:00

In an effort to not have a post in which I list things, I thought I'd write about my week. To me it has felt busy, but I'm sure writing it all down will prove that it...wasn't. But here goes.

I can't even remember as far back as Monday. I'm sure it was just another manic day. That happens sometimes. I was not inspired to come up with a theme for Music Mondays, so here in my office we've taken a break this week. I'll be back on track next week.

Before I tell you about my Tuesday I should first explain for those of you who don't know that I have adopted myself into a Tallahassee family. And they're okay with it. One of my BFF's, Laura, has one of the best families ever. Every Sunday we have lunch with sisters, brothers-in-law, the most handsome nephews ever, Mom, Dad, and Grandma. Oh man these are good people. I do not think I can adequately express how I love them. Anyways...on Tuesday, my adopted dad had both of his knees replaced. Everyone else was at the hospital all day but I was stuck here at work because I forgot that I had a meeting at 3:00 that afternoon. So I got up there just in time to see him after he came out of recovery. And I'm happy to report that everything is as well as can be expected. It will be a long rehab, but the doctor actually called his old knees "hideous", so this will be far better in comparison.

Wednesdays are always pretty busy. Here's a fun story about this Wednesday: when I got out to my car to go to work in the morning, I discovered not only that it was unlocked, but that the contents of my purse, makeup bag, console, and glove compartment had been strewn all about my front seat(s). This caused me some concern because either I had become a messy sleepwalker, or someone had been in my car without my knowledge. It is even more mysterious because whoever this person is did not take ANYTHING except for one wallet (I have two) with only one credit card in it. He or she did not take my "real" wallet, my iPod, my camera, or the cash that was in my purse. So, yeah. Just enough to give a girl the CREEPS.
Then I went to work. Then for lunch we went up to the hospital to check on the Pops. He's still doing well, sitting in a chair and making jokes. I kinda love him.
Then I got a message from someone in town saying that he had found my wallet with my credit card. That was the only thing with my name on it, so I guess that's how he looked up my phone number. He found it on the side of the road on the street where I live while he was running on his lunch break. Things just keep getting weirder. Nothing was missing, and I went to pick it up.
Then like on most Wednesday nights I went up to the church to hang out with the youth choir. I found out that they are doing their summer choir mission tour in CHICAGO and I am already chaperone #1. It will be awesome.
Then we had praise team rehearsal, which is normally on Thursdays but we had to make an exception. Because you people care about that. (:
Then directly from rehearsal I went to gymnastics. It was kind of a low-key workout, but still fun. I love that stuff.

So Thursday. I took the morning off work so I could take my lovely dog to the vet. We had a nice visit and she did so well. They trimmed her nails, which made me really happy since she won't let me do it. She doesn't have any diseases, plus she's lost weight! We are a healthy, happy family.

After work and such I had to go up to the church for a little bit again to work on the media stuff for Sunday, but had to rush home in order to be there for FSU's football game! The Thursday night voo-doo never works well for us. I think I developed an ulcer during the first half, but we left NC State with a W! It was thrilling and since I was so hyped up and had recorded The Office episode during the game, I had to stay up and watch that, too. So awkward...but I love those guys. I'm glad Michael finally 1.) didn't listen to Jan and 2.) made a real move with Holly.

Tonight, I am excited because my friend Meagan and Caitlin are coming to town and staying with me, and I also get to babysit for my friend Amy's kid, who is pretty much the best baby ever.

Tomorrow is our mission blitz day with church, and as per my tradition I have signed up to do either 1.) roofing, 2.) carpentry, or 3.) painting. Every year it is the same. And every year the man who is in charge doesn't think that I have the capability to do roofing. And as of right now, no one has called me to let me know what I am doing. Tomorrow. Psh. So I'm thinking I'll show up and just go with the roofing crew no matter what. (:

Sunday always proves to be a good day, what with the church and an afternoon with my girls.

I hope everyone has a great weekend. I have nothing but love for you [both]. (:

Music Mondays

2008-10-06T22:09:00.005-04:00

Theme for this week is: songs with a state name in the lyrics (does not have to be in the title).

For starters--

1. "Tennessee Christmas" by Amy Grant. Duh.

2. "Tennessee Bwoys" by Grits. Oh yes.

And just so you know I'm not only filled with love for one state,

3. "All My Exes Live In Texas" by George Strait. (Don't hate, that used to be my most favorite song when I was a little tyke.)

Whatchoo got for me? Updates pending...

*Updated to add:

We are BLOWIN' UP this week! It's only Tuesday!

4. "Country Roads Take Me Home" by John Denver

5. "Sweet Home Alabama" by Lynyrd Skynyrd

6. "Mississippi Girl" by Faith Hill

7. "Georgia On My Mind" by Ray Charles

8. "Midnight Train To Georgia" by Gladys Knight & The Pips

9. "The Night The Lights Went Out In Georgia" by Vicki Lawrence / Reba McEntire

10. "Georgia Rain" by Trisha Yearwood

11. "New York State of Mind" by Billy Joel(s)

12. "California Girls" by the Beach Boys

13. "California Dreaming" by The Mamas and The Papas

14. "Carolina In My Mind" by James Taylor

15. "Oklahoma" by Rodgers & Hammerstein

16. "Hotel California" by the Eagles

17. "There Is No Arizona" by Jamie O'Neal

18. "Ocean Front Property" by George Strait

19. "Greyhound" by Dave Barnes

20. "Indiana" by Jon McLaughlin

21. "That 70s Song (In The Street)" by Cheap Trick

22. "Private Idaho" by the B52's

I still thirst for more, people. Bring it on. (:

A little piece of my happiness

2008-10-02T15:33:00.008-04:00

Inspired by BooMama, I'm counting happy things today.

Here's what works for me right now (in no order of importance):

1. My pretty dog
2. Pumpkin Spice Latte season at Starbucks
3. Steak. Filet Mignon to be exact. At Longhorn to be more exact.
4. Seersucker, herringbone, houndstooth, and paisley things
5. Thoughts of Hawaii
6. Beaches in general
7. Watching a sunset
8. Galoshes
9. Bobby Bowden and the Seminoles, winning
10. Post-it notes
11. Crossing things off lists written on post-it notes
12. Malapropisms
13. Time with shecons
14. Making up words like "shecons" with my favorite girlfriends
15. Listening to good music
16. Singing good music
17. Thoughts of a movie with a cute boy Friday night
18. Shelly, who will speak in BAPS and Malibu's Most Wanted quotes with me
19. Quoting funny things
20. J.Crew clothes/catalogues
21. Craig + Lewis
22. A good book
23. Gymnastics
24. My Jesus, the painter (can I get a witness?)
25. Being 25...my favorite age

Music Mondays

2008-09-29T22:07:00.005-04:00

This week's theme: songs with the word "run" in the lyrics. C'mon, people. I will make updates throughout the week, but leave some love in the comments!

Just to get us started:

1. "Faithfully" by Journey

2. "Run to You" by Whitney Houston

*Updated to add:

Psh. No one? Robyn, I don't know if we can be friends anymore. (:

3. "I Run to You" by Lady Antebellum

4. "In The Long Run" by the Eagles

5. "Take It On The Run" by REO Speedwagon

6. "I Ran (So Far Away)" by Flock of Seagulls

7. "Shadows of the Night" by Pat Benatar

8. "Runaround Sue" by Dion

9. "The Fox" by Nickel Creek

10. "Somebody Like You" by Keith Urban

11. "Whenever I Run" by Keith Urban

12. "The Lighthouse's Tale" by Nickel Creek

13. "Running on Empty" by Jackson Browne

14. "Long Train Running" by the Doobie Brothers

15. "Vultures" by John Mayer

16. "I Think We're Alone Now" by Tommy James & The Shondells / Tiffany

17. "Band On The Run" by Paul McCartney

18. "Run For Your Life" by The Beatles

19. "Runaway Train" by Soul Asylum

20. "Runaway" by Bon Jovi (and if I were you I'd YouTube the video...the 80s...)

The return of The Office

2008-09-26T08:31:00.005-04:00

I am so excited that The Office is back on!! It may be a sad state of affairs, but I don't know where I would be without Dwight and Andy and Michael and JIM AND PAM and sweet, sassy Stanley... It just brings so much enjoyment into my life. There, I said it.

Now, about last night's episode, I have a few things to say. If you haven't seen it (and you want to), then maybe you should not read this anymore.

#1. I LOVE THE PROPOSAL!!! I was sooooo nervous how they were showing us Pam's friendship with nice-but-not-at-all-Jim-boy at school. The Office writers, if you did that to me, someone's gonna get hurt. BUT THE PROPOSAL! It was perfect. I love that it was so spontaneous and not the perfect-fairy-tale moment. It was perfect Jim and Pam. But let's be honest, I would've said yes so much louder and faster than Pam. (:

#2. Angela/Dwight/Andy. I don't even know what to say. Poor Andy! And the booty calls (or pages, as the case may be), though funny in their blatantness, TOTALLY ruin what I love(d) about Angela and Dwight's relationship.

#3. I need Michael to just work it out with Holly. But that is some hilarious stuff.

#4. Kevin's specialness revealed...poor Kev, but that is seriously some of the funniest comedy ever. "Wait, back up. Do you think that I'm retarded?"

#5. More favorite quotes:

-Andy: Every little boy fantasizes about his fairytale wedding.

-Michael: No, no, no. I don't wanna hear moaning. This is a good day. You guys accomplished something big. You lost a ton of weight, literally. A lot of weight. And I don't care what any stupid scale says, you guys are all gigantic losers.

-Michael: Does anyone have any idea what the number one cause of death is in this country?
-Dwight Schrute: Shotgun weddings.
-Jim Halpert: That's not what that is.

-Andy: Andy Bernard does not lose contests. He wins them. Or he quits them. Because they're unfair.

-Ryan: I've even started volunteering, giving back to the community.
-Jim: That's great....You're talking about your court-ordered community service?
-Ryan: I don't need a judge to tell me to keep my community clean.
-Jim: But he did right?
-Ryan: Alright.
-Jim: Alright.

I can't wait for next week!

Music Monday

2008-09-22T15:32:00.005-04:00

So I've been a slacker. But my favorite game (besides Balderdash) is back! It's the return of Music Mondays, people. Where your host (ie, me) picks a theme for the week and we come up with songs pertaining to that theme. It helps pass the time at work, what can I say?!

This week's theme: songs with the word "hero" in the lyrics. Can anyone guess which show I've been watching during my Shecon Sunday afternoons? (:

So here's what we've got so far. I'll be updating throughout the week, so to the two of you who are reading this: BRING IT ON.

1. "We Don't Need Another Hero" by Tina Turner
2. "Hero" by Mariah Carey
3. "Wind Beneath My Wings" by Bette Midler
4. "My Hero" by Foo Fighters
5. "Jukebox Hero" by Foreigner
6. "Hero" by Enrique Iglesias
7. "Holding Out For A Hero" by Bonnie Tyler

**Updated to add
8. "The Glory of Love" by Peter Cetera (way to go, JS!)
9. "The Greatest Love of All" by Whitney Houston
10. "Hero" by Nickelback
11. "A Lot Like Me" by Dave Barnes

Join my entourage

2008-09-15T18:29:00.003-04:00

Inspired by my smart friends, I have added the "follow me" application. So, if you wanna...here's your invitation to hang out. (:

More church fun

2008-09-15T18:21:00.003-04:00

I am not sure that I have enjoyed anything quite so much as this:

That sweet spin move and the "moonwalk" and the break down...gold. Plus, the keyboard of TRUTH!

Well I feel sheepish

2008-09-09T17:37:00.008-04:00

I have cried over what I'm about to show you. With sweet laughter.

I received the following e-mail from a friend of mine who serves as an accompanist for our church. Said e-mail was written by a dear church member who will be singing a solo this Sunday. My friend put it in the category of "taking things a little far..."

Names have been changed to protect the innocent, except for including the pertinent detail that the writer's last name is actually "Lamb." Thus, the puns. All other text is completely as written.

Have fun:

Hi ______,

Looks like "ewe" are stuck with me for solo this Sunday. I'm very please that "ewe" will be accompanying me and I "wool" be looking forward to it.

Will be singing a simple John Peterson song (everything I do is simple) entitled "I Believe In Miracles."

Please let me know when it will be a good time for "ewe" to rehearse. I am semi-retired and flexible and want to meet when it's most convenient for "ewe." Will drop the music off at the Church on Wednesday.

Blessings from the "Sheep Shed"

______ Laaaaaaaaaaaaaaaamb

For some odd reason, I couldn't get Hot Chocolate's "You Sexy Thing" out of my head when I finished reading. I feel that someone should tell this person that song may not be an appropriate choice for our traditional worship crowd?

In addition, the above e-mail was then followed up with another gem:

Sounds good to me. I "wool" be there.

Sin "Shear" ly,
The "Wooly Bully"

It's just too much. Sinshearly. In the words of my dear friend, "We need to make Wooly Bully code for something. That is too good to let slip away."

Indeed.

THAT hardcore

2008-09-08T20:40:00.005-04:00

I ripped my hand tonight at gymnastics.

It was just a few swings on the bars, and BAM!

Don't worry, bloggers, I'm not going to let it crush my hopes and dreams of the 2012 Olympics. I've still got my game face on. Now I just come equipped with some kickin' Band-Aids!

VICTORY

2008-09-07T00:02:00.004-04:00

I know we played Western Carolina. I know we were supposed to crush them. But I just LOVE it when we meet and exceed all expectations. These days, you never can tell. As far as home openers go, this was my JAM!!! Even after a 2 1/2 hour rain delay...we had 561 total yards. It was a shut-out with a final score of 69-0. We scored TEN touchdowns and only missed 1 extra point. Welcome back, boys... (:

I've been waiting for this moment for all my life

2008-09-03T21:27:00.006-04:00

I remember, don't worry...

It's almost MY football season. I can feel it coming in the air tonight. Oh, Lord. Last week was a momentous occasion with the start of NCAA football and all that jazz. But this...this is MY week. My friends take the field again this Saturday.

Last weekend...not a great weekend for the ACC. And I just know you SEC peeps out there are sitting smugly in front of your little computers and you're just going to make us eat the ACC for breakfast. But Florida State remembers greatness.

This could be our moment.

I am a Seminole. I always have been and I always will be. I love college football, all of it. But I grew up a Seminole. I come from the Seminole line, if you will. I graduated from Florida State. I work in this building:

Plus, lest anyone forget...winningest coach of all time. He's mine, too. (:

That's all I have to say for now. I might have to sing the fight song or something later in the season, so that's something for everyone to look forward to. Right now, though, nothing gets me pumped for football like my favorite Phil Collins song. Just picture the team coming out of the tunnel through the mist in slow motion. Oh yeah. Sing it.

I cannot believe my eyes

2008-08-29T15:21:00.004-04:00

Oh, the joys of working on a college campus...

It was 12:30PM. The sun was shining, and I was taking a nice little walk across the courtyard back to my office. As I looked up, I noticed a pair of plaid pajama pants walking in the opposite direction. Bad enough, but my annoyance soon changed to outright dismay as I continue to notice said plaid pajama pants are on a male, with no shirt on. It was just hung over his shoulder like he couldn't be bothered with, you know, clothing himself. I just don't get it. Plaid pajama pants. He was outside in broad daylight. On campus. There were PEOPLE around.

Happy Labor Day weekend. Here's hoping no actual labor has to take place. (:

Fiesta on

2008-08-26T21:01:00.005-04:00

So I realized that Robyn and I STINK at taking pictures. A whole Siesta Fiesta weekend in which to partake, and I end up with five pictures on my camera. And none of them have our new friends in them. Dangit. So, if you new friends are reading this, just know that I love you with my whole heart, just not with my photography. Here's what we do have, though!:

After the longest stay in the airport, EVER, we received a present in a tiny hilarious bottle of Tabasco sauce. This was at 1:30AM. Give me a break, people. It was cute!

I love this face. That's the sunrise, folks.

Well, I figure if we only have one picture together, this one is alright. If you like that sort of thing. (: I would also like to point out, again, that it's SUNRISE! And I'm not still in bed.

There's always going to be something special about a rainbow. At sunrise. In a Jesus-filled weekend. Who's WITH ME?! Precious Lord.

Just look at Him go.

I still might have more to say about the weekend later. It seems to be all the rage. My mind is still blown, honestly. I have been hit with a burning desire to hear from God about the direction of my life right now. It's the first time ever I have been so consumed by the questions of "What am I doing here?" and "What do I want to do?" It has just come out of nowhere, really. I had a plan once, before I came to college (7 years ago). This weekend, I happened to tell my new friend Annie of said plan, and she responded with, "Do it!" God has really allowed that one comment to plant its seed in my heart and mind. I don't think being in my job or staying at my church or with my friends or at my house in Tallahassee is wrong. I don't think I made a wrong choice. I just think I made the choice by default. If this is where I belong, then it's where I belong for now. I will be working with my Lord in the coming forever to find out if there's something else out there for me. I don't want to stay still. Ooh. It hurts a little. Though my flesh may fail and my spirit may grow weak, He remains the strength of my heart; my portion forever.

So, oops, that got a little deeper than expected for a second. I would like to leave you with the current travesties of my life, as discovered by my trip to Publix tonight:

#1. They no longer make regular watermelon jello. Oh, they may think they're getting away with putting it in the pre-packaged cups, half and half with another flavor, but it's SUGAR FREE, for crying out loud. What a crock! I think I may have cried a tear or two when I saw about three different kinds of strawberry jello boxes, and no watermelon.

#2. They did not have Wheaties! I think this may be against the law, especially in this Olympic season. I wanted to collect a box with Shawn Johnson and Nastia Liuken or Michael Phelps. But I got nothing. Just...nothing.

Not your average fiesta...

2008-08-24T21:07:00.005-04:00

...but a FIESTA nonetheless!

It's always a bittersweet moment when something you've been waiting on for so long is just...over. Life is but a breath and what-have-you, and the Siesta Fiesta is now just a memory. I'm having trouble right now deciding what to include in this post. I have what may soon be considered a good story about the flight to Texas. But that just might take up valuable space on a post in which I want to talk about so many other things. I could talk about how I was nervous about branching out "on my own". But that's boring, and plus, I am an heiress so we have no use for insecurity any longer.

I think instead I'd like to chat about how pleasantly surprised I am by the weekend. Nothing ever happens as expected, so I suppose I should stop expecting certain things from my Savior. I, along with I AM SURE about a frillion other people, got a good swift kick in the pants from God, through sweet Beth this weekend. It was a shot-out good time, and I needed it so badly. I am one of those people that needs processing time after hearing something deep. So I may be able to nutshell some of what Beth talked about...in approximately 3 years. It was so good. Why is God just SO SWEET to me sometimes? Even when I am so dumb and I have to hear things eighty-four times before they even begin to sink in, He chooses to be nice to me. Just nice. We are not a mystery to Him, and He knows what we need. I might have to go on about that later.

I made friends this weekend. I went to a pajama party with a bunch of bloggers. Let's be honest, I wasn't sure it was my cup o' tea. A land unknown is not often a fun time for me. But y'all, it was HILAAAAARIOUS. Even without my sidekick for the weekend, I met people I didn't know before! And they were nice! And fun! And funny! And we are SO best friends now. Sorry about your luck, Annie, Jackie Sue, and Kathy. (Jackie Sue, your perch on the best friend list is precarious after you posted the breakdancing picture...something to work on for you...) Also, I met BigMama and BooMama. They are total rock stars and I heart them a lot.

Anyway, I love everyone but I have got to sleep. A weekend like this, no one gets any sleep. And I supposedly have to be at work on time tomorrow. Here's hoping!

Muscle Control

2008-08-18T22:25:00.002-04:00

To my great pleasure, I happened to catch the women's Olympic trampoline finals this evening. I am a fan of anything that involves tricks. I love the trampoline. And, in my shortest post of the year, I would only like to add that I would give each of those ladies a gold medal for not wetting their leotards. I am IMPRESSED.

Feverish

2008-08-12T09:52:00.003-04:00

I doubt that I can adequately express how excited I am to see this video on the TV. Perfect = Jim-Dwight-Andy trifecta. I can't wait for this show to come back. Plus, it's combining the Funny I love with the Olympics I love!

Speaking of the Olympics, I cannot get enough. I stayed up WAY too late last night because I just cannot stop myself from watching. Men's gymnastics? That stuff is INSANE, people. I love to watch it and just dream about the amount of strength it takes to do those tricks. I am SO SO SO excited to watch my girl Shawn Johnson and the rest of the women's team tonight. There will be no sleeping for me this week. I'm going to make it to work only by the grace of God.

A new favorite? Synchronized diving. Who knew? That is awesome. Diving is a very close second to my favorite Olympic sport of gymnastics. I just think it is incredibly cool. Also, there's the element of danger because my stomach drops to my toes every time their head comes close to the board. I live life on the edge. Vicariously, of course.

I think I might be in love with Michael Phelps. I mean, who isn't? He makes that swimming stuff look EASY. USA!!!!

So that's all I've got for now. Olympic fever.

Best Weekend Ever

2008-07-21T21:50:00.005-04:00

I have wonderful friends in whom I just delight. DELIGHT, people. We love God, we love each other, and we love to have a good time just being. With each other. You can read more of these sentiments at one of these said friend's new blog. I do not wish to repeat her words. I only wish I could convey how much I love these people. It is very sad to me that a lot of my favorites now live in different places. It makes reunions like these bittersweet. Caitlin, Meagan, and Jordan all came in town this weekend from their respective new towns. Taylor is in town for the summer. The rest of us just used them as an excuse to par-tay! We are a group who loves to take pictures, and we did not disappoint ourselves. I think I now have about 813,727 new photographs now. Here are some of my favorites:

We like games. We learned a new one (SIGNS), and it provided much laughter and gaiety. I'm sitting with Jordan and Luke, mimicking Jordan's "sign".

Jordan, mimicking Luke's sign. Awesome.

Luke with Meagan's sign.

Fun times after dinner...#1

#3, for reals

Where would I be as a gymnast without Meagan's guidance and support?

Right about...here.

I love the dancing !

Me and my boys of summer, Taylor and Jarrod:

So there you have it. Just a little taste of the glory. I miss all those moments! I love the summertime. In Jesus' Name we pray, amen.

Good clean fun

2008-07-10T17:08:00.002-04:00

This makes me want to put in a pool and set up a video camera.

And out of the darkness...

2008-07-08T22:42:00.002-04:00

I am SO not consistent with this whole blogging thing. I find myself trying to ferret out the interesting facets of my day-to-day existence just to blog about them. You know, because I can and stuff. And then I, you know, don't blog. I'm already tired and have some bible study to do before I sleep, so I'm only going to give you the highlights of my recent (month and a half) life: I am taking gymnastics. For "big kids". I stinking love it. We do all areas of gymnastics. I'm currently sore from holding my head up whilst spinning around the uneven bars. Yes, it is true (I am Nacho).

More later. For now, let me just say that I have a new favorite gymnast, and I can't wait for the Olympics. I discovered this week that they are going to have Beijing On Demand, so I won't have to miss anything! This little peanut is the most amazing thing I've ever seen...and a whole foot shorter than I am.

Check it:

Just some funny

2008-06-05T09:04:00.003-04:00

First, I needed this today.

Second, inspired by The Boo, I found the video below. I do not even know why I find Dave Barnes so stinking funny. But I do. Because he is.

Music Mondays

2008-06-02T22:40:00.002-04:00

Theme for the week: Songs of Summer.

This is what I do for fun with my co-workers--think of as many songs as possible that say the word "summer". Show me what you're workin' with, people. It'll last all week long.

Here's what we've got so far on this week's theme:

Summer of '69 - Bryan Adams

Summertime - Porgy & Bess

What Time Is It - High School Musical 2

All For One - High School Musical 2

You've Got A Friend - Carole King

Summer Lovin' - Grease

Summertime Blues - Alan Jackson

Boys of Summer - Don Henley

Summer In The City - The Lovin' Spoonful

Summer Breeze - Seals & Crofts

A Summer Place - Andy Williams

All Summer Long - The Beach Boys

The Summer Knows - Summer of '42

Walking through the park and reminiscing

2008-06-02T22:10:00.003-04:00

I. Love. The weekend.

I have to tell you that I've had a string of pretty pleasant ones lately. This is mainly because of two things: hanging out with good friends, and fun in the sun. I love to be outside in the sun in the Florida summer. Call me crazy.

This past weekend, my sister's church was having a beach day at St. George Island. She invited me to come! This is a big deal because my sister never asks me to do anything. With her. And her friends. And let's be honest, I very rarely do things with people I don't know. But I've been missing the beach and yearning to do things outside my comfort zone (weird?), so off we went.

Highlights of the day:

1. Feeling like a college kid again, riding in the car with a bunch of college kids (holler out the window, etc)

2. Seeing a new cute boy for my sister to like, instead of the not-so-nice one who just moved away.

3. We SURFED. I. Am so proud. Of myself. I had never been surfing before, but since a bunch of her church friends had multiple surfboards, I got to learn! And let me tell you, I "caught" every wave I tried, and stood up for what I believe to be a respectable amount of time. Even long enough on the last one to strike some victorious and cool surfer poses. Thank you.

Bittersweet: this was my first trip to a beach since my return from Hawaii. I discovered that I truly will never be the same. How can it ever get better than this?:

Too bad I don't have any pictures of surfing. Good story, huh? And then I found five dollars.

Praying

2008-05-22T10:31:00.003-04:00

Y'all, if anyone is reading this, please pray for Steven Curtis Chapman and his family. If you haven't heard, his youngest daughter died in an accident in their own driveway yesterday afternoon. This also apparently involved one of his sons. I don't know them personally, but I know that they are a wonderful Godly family and they could use our prayer and support right now. I can't imagine the difficulty or pain in their current circumstances.
Father God, comfort them as only You know how. May the Holy Spirit bring supernatural peace and forgiveness and healing in their hearts. We don't know how to deal with such things, but we recognize that in YOU lies all power and You know what is needed. Come, and bring your help.

I wish it was last weekend

2008-05-21T21:30:00.004-04:00

Work is still crazy. Y'all got to pray for me. Praise the Living Lord Jesus, He is strong enough to hold me together. Otherwise...I don't know.

Anyways, let's get down to the nitty gritty...this past weekend was SO MUCH FUN. My friends Emily and Mike got married, and they are so good together. I wholeheartedly support their marriage. It was such a beautiful ceremony. Everyone looked so good, and (since I'm a music nerd), the music was AWESOME. My friend RJ sang Dave Barnes' "I Have And Always Will" with Justin playing the gui-tar, plus my girls Laura and Meagan sang Avalon's version of "Great Is Thy Faithfulness" with Ashley Rae playing the piano. I could've cried through the whole thing. Not only because great is Thy faithfulness, but because I always want to cry at weddings! Anyway, it was happy. It was like a wonderful reunion of so many old friends and co-workers. It was just so nice having friends again! Then, there was the reception:

Oh my word, I miss these girls so much (except for Laura, who still lives here). I'll have to post a video of the little one's famous "switch kick"; she packs a punch in that 4'11". (:

L to R: Laura, me, Meagan, Caitlin, and Stacy

Jarrod and his dates

Same fabric. Different shoes. Different brands. But all coming together in our feet.

p.s. I need a pedicure.

Dresses, pockets, and cake to go for Jessica and me. In Jesus' Name we pray, AMEN.

We stayed until the very last second because we just couldn't bear to part ways again...but THEN...dinner and the after party:

These boys make me laugh so much!

Taylor & Jarrod

This is what "Dancing With The Stars" does to a relationship--

Adam and Stacy doing their lifts!

No after party is complete without a performance to the "Wicked" soundtrack by the new best friends, Jarrod and Jessica.

They're just nice to be around.

So there's a little bit of my life in pictures. I wish I could post more but I'm just tired now. I've been sick for a few days and I'm on my way to get some nice rest!

A couple of things I'm looking forward to:

1.) The feel of my head on my favorite pillow.

2.) Seeing my dog tomorrow.

3.) The end of the work day Friday.

4.) A Sunday without a looming Monday.

5.) SIESTA FIESTA...

Blank

2008-05-16T09:48:00.003-04:00

I haven't blogged in a while. I'm spent. I've got nothing. Life has been a bit insane the last few weeks. Work is not so hot. People frustrate me sometimes. It has sapped my strength for blogging.

I will say that I love The Office. Still. Even though I am also terribly frustrated that nothing worked out according to my plans on the season finale last evening. There were some good times, but then...well, you know. Sorry if you don't watch the show. You should.

My friend Emily is getting married tomorrow. I'm so excited for her, and I can't wait to go to the wedding! There will be dancing, so...as I sit on the fringes and watch other people make fools of themselves, it could be some good blog-fodder.

I got some new things from J.Crew yesterday. This dress, this dress (which, incidently, is not the soft rosy pink as it appears...think bright pinky-orange, people...), and some SHORTS in this pattern. I love J.Crew. And I'd like to thank the economic stimulus payments for this opportunity. What do y'all think?

I'm working a 1/2 day today. Summer flex-time schedules have arrived. I'm excited. I'm also getting my hair highlighted for the first time. Pray for me, people everywhere.

That's all for now. Peace and love. (:

Just too much

2008-05-08T15:37:00.004-04:00

Since this week was the 100th anniversary of "The Great Escape", starring Steve McQueen, that has made for some talk around the office, which has brought an ineptitude of mine to the forefront. I would like to confess it to you now. Much to my shagrin, I had to admit that I did not know (until Tuesday) who this famous "epitome of cool" was. I apologize to everyone.
Now that I am an expert, however, I have been overwhelmed by the striking similarity between Mr. McQueen and another of my favorite Hollywood actors. Is it just me, or is it almost too much handsomeness?

P.S. I heart James Bond. Most especially as played by Daniel Craig. That's all.

A sad, sad day

2008-05-05T21:10:00.003-04:00

I am an accountant. I took the classes, I have the diploma to prove it. This is what I do at my job. BUT...I have discovered a horrible truth: I cannot do math. As part of the "fun" at work, I was presented with this challenge:

There are 7 girls in a bus.
Each girl has 7 backpacks.
In each backpack, there are 7 big cats.
For every big cat, there are 7 little cats.
Question: How many legs are there in the bus?

I got as far as 7 x 7 = 49 before I had to bust out the calculator. I can no longer do simple multiplication in my head. Give me 2's, 5's, 10's, I'm good. Start asking me about 3's and 8's and 7's and I am going to need to cheat. I think this was a question from "Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader?". I haven't ever seen the show, and if it's going to make me feel this dumb, I never will. I just want to say that I'm sorry to everyone for letting you down. I think I'm going to join the circus now. I hear FSU's is good, and I think I missed my calling as a trapeze artist. Or maybe a tiger trainer. Or something.

Fluffy fingers

2008-05-01T22:10:00.004-04:00

I lu-hoooove The Office! We were rewarded this evening by going back to some really classic funny (note #3-4). Some of my favorite moments include, but are not limited to:

Number ONE - The face. In concrete.
Number TWO - Angela + Andy. Doing Mad Libs.
Number THREE - Michael getting real life advice from Darryl.
Number FOUR - Michael hating on Toby.

Since the DVR is my favorite modern invention (next to the iTunes/iPod phenomenon), I will be watching tonight's episode a couple more times this week. Because I am THAT cool. And, I LOVE quotes...so if you've got some favs, chat it up! Oh, and Ryan needs the Lord. People do.

Songs of the Week

2008-04-30T14:01:00.003-04:00

So am obsessed lately with our "theme weeks" here at work. I pick a topic for the week, and everyone who wishes to play my little game brings a song to the table related to that theme. This week, it's all about songs that have a woman's name in them (and for the love, I cannot find a way to say that sentence that feels right to me...it's just awkward grammar...I need perfect prose, people). Anyway, we have compiled an even greater list this week than last week's "songs about the sun". Here's what we've got so far, and the week's only half over:

Come On Eileen – Dexy’s Midnight Runners
Oh Sheila – Prince
Oh Sherrie – Steve Perry
My Sharona – The Knack
Amanda – Boston
Mandy – Barry Manilow
Billie Jean – Michael Jackson
Lucy In the Sky With Diamonds – Elton John
Someday, Sarah – Dave Barnes
Grace’s Amazing Hands – Dave Barnes
All That Noise – Dave Barnes (Liza)
Annie – Dave Barnes
Adeline – Dave Barnes
Barbara Ann – The Beach Boys
Could It Be Magic – Barry Manilow
Sweet Melissa – Allman Brothers
Breakfast at Tiffany’s – Deep Blue Something
Help Me Rhonda – The Beach Boys
Layla – Eric Clapton
Annie’s Song – John Denver (and, since I listened today, Travis Cottrell)
Wake Up Little Susie – The Everly Brothers
Sweet Caroline – Neil Diamond
Roxanne – The Police
Fancy – Reba McIntire
Cecilia – Simon & Garfunkel
You Can Call Me Al - Paul Simon
Maggie May – Rod Stewart
*also, about a frillion "Maria" songs...but I am overcome so thus choose not to list all

Please feel free to add on some of your favorites to my list! I would be lost in all the craziness of my job if it weren't for this funness!

My sister the graduate

2008-04-27T23:28:00.003-04:00

This weekend my baby sister (she's my only sibling but I like to call her "baby" anyway) officially joined the elite group of individuals known as Florida State University Alumni. Now, I talk a big game about the horrific idea of sitting through a college graduation, mostly because there's about 2500 people and it takes 3 hours. I mean, I didn't go to mine, so why would I subject myself to that for someone else's glory? However, since she made the smart decision to be a Psychology major, and they graduate on Friday night instead of Saturday morning, I was there for her. (: I actually surprised myself by having a good time. Since, as I mentioned, I didn't actually "walk" in my graduation (please, College of Business graduates on said Saturday morning at 8:00AM...no, thank you) it was as if I was living vicariously through her pomp and circumstance. All the academia can really go to your head. I've started having thoughts of getting a Masters degree and even a Doctorate because they get those sweet hoods! Who are we kidding? Anyway, with the family in town it was a big party.

Sitting on our front porch. She's pretty.

The spread.

Because THIS is what makes the boys wanna holler. (:

Amanda Leigh with our parents.

We came. We conquered.

This picture makes me laugh. Not only because I think it was my first time actually getting in that proverbial fountain, but because we clearly didn't need to pull up our skirts that high.

Songs of the week

2008-04-23T22:32:00.002-04:00

At my job, we have started a little friendly competition of sorts. Each Monday, I pick a theme and throughout the work-week we have to come up with songs having to do with said theme (Encore-style). I LOVE this kind of stuff. This week, the topic is: SUN.

So far, this is what we've got:

Walking on Sunshine
Sunshine Superman - Donovan
Sunshine On My Shoulders
Good Day Sunshine
I Can See Clearly Now - Jimmy Cliff
You Are My Sunshine
Tomorrow - Annie
All Creatures - David Crowder
Sesame Street theme
Ain't No Sunshine When She's Gone
Soak Up The Sun - Sheryl Crow
All I Wanna Do - Sheryl Crow
Here Comes The Sun - The Beatles
Island In The Sun - Weezer
Lights - Journey
Sunny Days - Jars of Clay
Heavenly Sunlight
I Wanna Be With You - Avalon

Whatchoo got? Anyone...anyone...Bueller...?

There is no justice in the world

2008-04-23T22:18:00.002-04:00

Or on American Idol. America voted...and they were WRONG...

Carly?!! Jigga-WHAT?!!

Worlds apart

2008-04-22T10:40:00.003-04:00

"Here we stand, worlds apart, hearts broken in two...two...two..."
I would just like to say that I am LOVING Journey (the band) today. God blessed me by putting this song on the radio as I was pulling into work this morning. There really are few songs that do as well at getting me pumped up for the day. That driving bass = hot. And plus, the video is HILARIOUS. I love the 80's--such fodder for some good laughs. Who out there has a favorite Journey song? Holler back. (:

My girl George

2008-04-21T21:37:00.003-04:00

So since it has been such beautiful weather here lately (yay, Florida!), I was hanging outside with my baby girl last night. She is so cute, I just had to take some pictures. It has been a while since we had a photo shoot, anyway. I just thought I'd share.

This is how she tells me she's really ready for me to throw the ball. She never lies down more than that; always ready to spring into action!

The face. She uses this on me all the time. TSNF!

A nice candid shot of her with a volleyball in her mouth. And yes, it's tye-dyed (sp?).

By the way, if I don't know you (ie, Robyn, you can't play), and you can tell me from where in literature I named my dog, you can be my best friend. Trust me, people are lining up for this show, folks. (:

The More You Know

2008-04-21T13:51:00.003-04:00

I could not resist finally blogging about The Office. This show is so gut-wrenchingly awkard, but I find it SO funny. My favorite quotes from last Thursday's episode:
Michael--"What is it like being single? I…like it. I like starting each day with a sense of possibility. And I’m optimistic, because every day I get a little more desperate, and desperate situations yield the quickest results."
Michael--"What part of 'shornt' don't you understand?"
Jim--"I haven't proposed to you yet?"
Andy--"I lost a penny out of my loafers, Oscar!"

I also like that I can have this show in common with people I work with. We send around a daily Office quote just for kicks, and I just found this video:

Break out your confetti

2008-04-15T23:09:00.003-04:00

I think The Biggest Loser is the most amazing reality show on TV. I laugh, I cry, and then I go work out because I feel like a slob. And tonight, history was made and my prayers were answered when Ali, everyone's favorite female, beat out all the boys and won it all! 112 pounds!!! Nothing like a house full of girls screaming their lungs out at a television. Even if you don't watch the show, you should at least check out the website and see the before/after photos. That is some crazy stuff! Anyway, that's all. I'm excited!

American Idol bandwagon

2008-04-15T21:17:00.004-04:00

I'm no Travis Cottrell, but now that I am hanging around Bloggyville, I couldn't resist a live update... (:

David A-it was okay, but c'mon, can I get him to stop singing the cheesy songs? It's just getting a little irksome that everyone keeps lapping him up. I mean, dang.

Carly-I am TIRED of this girl getting a bad rap. She's the bomb. I'm tired of her always getting the "just a'ight for me, dog" feedback. Plus, a Paula comment: she looked so pretty for once!

Syesha-I thought she kicked it bigtime. I love those runs.

Brooke-First, I wanted her to play the guitar like in the mentor vid. I miss those Carly Simon days. I think the piano playing made her nervous, though I give her credit for it. I couldn't do it. I also think she's HILARIOUS with her shoes. I kinda dig her version. I might download it from iTunes since they can take out the nervous.

*PAULA IS CRAZY: "You two look great together on stage right now." Who cares?

Kristy Lee-I want her gone. That being said, I happen to actually think this was one of her better nights. Maybe it was because the dress hid that horrible stance. I did have to close my eyes, though, so I just didn't have to watch her. I love Simon: "-Really? You didn't give me chills." (:

David Cook-It's hard for me to come back after the "give back" written on his hand last week, but seriously, I love his arrangements. "Always Be My Baby"? Hot! Not so much my favorite vocals when he's all down low like that, but still.
p.s. Did you see that huge drum set? That was cool.
p.p.s. He cried!

Jason-My little cutie (except for the shoes). I like the acoustic set. He's a little pitchy, which is a shame, because it's hard for me to hear past that, but I like that arrangement. Maybe, Randy, it's because I think I would like that crazy luau.

I think America will vote the bottom three: Syesha, Kristy Lee Cook (please?), and Brooke. Runner up is Carly. Who knows.

Apprehending

2008-04-14T20:45:00.002-04:00

So, I have been running consistently now for 12 days. And if you are familiar with me on any level you are probably having to go fetch your jaw off the floor--but it is true. The next shocker may be that I'm actually enjoying myself. Now, we won't get carried away because so far I'm only up to two blocks (yippee skippee), but I'm doing remarkably better than I expected. All this stems from my Living Proof Live conference weekend at the end of March. If you don't know Beth Moore, you should. She partnered with Jesus to get all up in my business a couple weeks ago. Before that time, I have been in a spiritual wasteland for so long. It is the most agonizing pain of my life, but my prayer for that weekend was that God wouldn't let me leave still feeling numb. And PRAISE HIM, He still answers my prayers. Beth was bringing the Word from Philippians 3...you know, "Not that I have already attained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me." Now, there's a lot of really cool word-play going on in the chapter that Beth can explain a lot better than me. But I had a few of those moments that I like to call God winking at me--when He just shows up and makes me sure that He's been listening to my thoughts all along. I love those moments. To further explain, this idea of a pursuit or a chase in my relationship with my Savior has been vastly important to me. Nothing quite bursts my heart like realizing the depths God goes to when He comes after me. He is always on the hunt for us--what an amazing concept! Something that stuck (I guess the hardest) to me from the LPL weekend was this idea of us running our race towards Christ in exactly the same manner. With "eyes on the prize" focus, following Him with a purpose! I realized that I have been spiritually sitting on my miserable bottom in this wasteland. I did not find God because I wasn't really seeking. I haven't been even strolling after Him. It made me sorry. But I'm telling this story here with the conclusion that I am literally picking up the pace. I have made a commitment to run (my least favorite form of exercise) for 40 days, since I like the symbolism in my life. If you read this (bless you), hold me accountable! So far I've gone 12 days, and I don't want to give up as I am so prone to do. "I do not consider that I have already obtained all this, but one thing I do: forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead..." By the grace of God, I can run two blocks. And He and I use that time to show off for each other. Boy, is He good. And that wasteland STINKS.

The basics

2008-04-14T20:30:00.003-04:00

So I figure that since this is my foray into the blogging community, I should first begin with something of myself. What better way to do that than with a list of 10 random facts? So here you are:

1. I LOVE singing with other people. I have a life-long dream of being a backup singer.

2. I think God is such a good artist, with sunsets especially.

3. I love bodies of water.

4. I have another life-long dream to be the "professional driver, closed course" in all those sweet car commercials. 1/2 backup singer, 1/2 driver of sports cars.

5. I enjoy being absorbed in the fantasy of a fictional book. Since reading the "Twilight" series, I have decided I could date a vampire. I live life on the edge.

6. I enjoy eating a Snack Pack.

7. I consider myself a connoisseur of music.

8. I like driving on roads of seamed concrete. Good rhythm.

9. I enjoy dancing but ONLY when no one is watching.

10. I might have a mild case of OCD, but only because I like things the way I like them. And I jest, but I do actually consider OCD a fascinating disease.

And we're all yearning for more... Ha!