Itchy, Scratchy

So, I went to Books-a-million with Jonathan & Jennifer at lunch today. They had some crazy Christmas hats and I was thinking about getting one to wear to our Christmas lunch tomorrow. So, I tried some on and of course took some pics with my camera phone.

I decided it wasn't really worth the money and didn't get one. We got back in the car and headed back to our offices and my foreheads starts itching like crazy. I look in the mirror and my forehead is broken out in hives. Apparently I was allergic to the fabric in the hats! I'm so glad I didn't buy one. I'm ready for it to be closer to 5 so I can take some benedryl and stop itching! AHHH!

Christmas Moose

When I was about 5-years-old, I told my parents and Santa that I wanted a Christmas Moose. They had no idea what I was asking for. So, they went through sales papers and showed me every moose they could find and asked if this was it? Nothing was. So for Christmas that year, I got a bunch of mooses. They never figured out exactly what it was that I was asking for, and I was so young I don’t remember. But I was happy with all of the mooses that I did get. My favorite, which I remember having for years and years, were the Rodney and Rhonda Reindeer that were Hallmark’s Christmas special that year. Every year since then, I have gotten some sort of Christmas Moose.

So, last night I had been planning to go get a real Christmas tree. It rained, of course, and no one was available with a vehicle that could carry a live tree. So, I went to Target instead to get the lights and the stand so that I would be ready when weather permitted. There, I spotted a moose and I knew the moment I saw it that it was meant to be my Christmas Moose of 2008. He was a bit of a pain to assemble, but well worth it. I absolutely LOVE him!

Vacation Time!

I’m looking forward to Christmas, of course. But even more so, I’m looking forward to our New Year’s trip. Scott and I are going to Orlando for the Capital One Bowl. We’re going to leave few days early and go to Disney’s Magic Kingdom on New Year’s Eve. I am so excited you’d think I was 10 years old or something? But I have never been so I am thrilled. Last year, we went to New Orleans for the Sugar Bowl and it was one of the best vacations I have ever had, so I can only imagine how much better this one will be. And I have to think that the fireworks at the Magic Kingdom will have to be incredible, right?? We haven’t decided exactly what we’ll do on Friday before we come back but I’m leaning towards Universal Studios. If anyone has any other suggestions, feel free to let us know!

I won! I won!

I just wanted to share some exciting news of my own. Mary Kay Andrews, author of the New York Times bestselling Savannah Breeze and Blue Christmas, had a recent contest where readers were asked to submit a story about their worst/best renovation project. I submitted a blog I had written about renovating my upstairs bathroom in January of 2007. It was announced today that I was chosen as the winner! My story will be read on a video which will be posted on her website (www.marykayandrews.com) as well as HarperColllin's (publisher) website. I will also recieve an advance copy of her new book which does not come out until June 2009.

In case you are interested, the following is the entry that I submitted.

Allow Me to Recap
Tuesday night I began to work on my upstairs bathroom. I was working by myself, so I opted not to remove the toilet yet, but to begin tiling the floor and put all the solid pieces down that wouldn't need to be cut. I also left the sink in place since it is fixed to the wall and doesn't actually touch the floor. I can't even begin to tell you what a big mistake that was. The removal of the sink and toilet in the downstairs bathroom was so easy that I had a very skewed idea of how easy removing these should be. Those do-it-yourself shows that tell you to do ALL demo first… weren't kidding.

Last night, I lured my good friend, Q, over with pizza for dinner in exchange for his help. While I had somebody to help, I figured the first thing we should do is remove the toilet since I didn't think I could carry it out of there by myself. I had no idea what I was getting us into. The tank came off the toilet with minimal water on the floor, but the bowl was a different ballgame. For whatever reason, the bolt that hold the toilet down will not come out, so I am going to have to get a metal saw or something and just cut them off. So, we moved to the sink next. Very quickly, he realized that I didn't have a pipe wrench or any sort of tool to disconnect the pipes in order to get the sink out. Before leaving to fetch the tools from my brother's house, we notice that the water supply for the toilet is dripping on the floor, so we put it in a bucket to keep the water from getting on my freshly laid tiles.

We trek across town (in a small Honda with a large daisy painted on the hood I might add) to get the tools and end up running a friend of Q's to get his truck and taking a little longer to get back then we expected. We get back with the tool and go upstairs. Q sits on the floor under the sink to disconnect the sink and suddenly his rearend is completely soaked. Apparently that little drip had overflowed the bucket and had made its way over most of the bathroom floor. There was water everywhere! We dried up what we could but I knew that getting all the adhesive wet meant that I was going to have to take up all those tiles and start all over again.

The sink came out without too much work but the mounting plate that was screwed into the wall was a different story. I get out the power screw driver and Q starts to take the plate off. On the first try, the screwdriver spins out of his hand whirling to the ground, bouncing off his foot and then breaking one of the tiles. (And, yes I laughed at him). After what seemed like an hour of drilling and wrenching the stupid plate, we finally got it off.

The next project was to knock off the tile toothbrush holder, soap dish and towel racks which are mounted into the wall. After the other frustrations, we were both ready to swing the sledgehammer a little bit. I knock them all off, managing to break yet another new floor tile. Then, trying to make the leftover broken pieces smooth, Q uses a coal chisel and the sledgehammer. His hand slips off scraping against the broken tile and suddenly, there is blood. And do I have band-aids in my house?? Of course, not! So, what do we use? That's right… duck tape!

So, after we get him all patched up, we start removing the newly laid tile from the floor. Might I remind you, that I had decided to tile over the existing tile on the floor rather than demo it up. Yet, another bad idea. The old tile was coming up with the new tile. Now, I have to demo up all that tile before I can begin laying the new tile. So, basically… last night we undid any progress that I had made. And yes, the drip is still going. I managed to rig up some larger buckets to catch the water and I only hope its large enough to hold it all until I get home for lunch today to empty it.

Luckily for me, Q has agreed to come back tonight for round two. I'm surprised since every time he comes over he seems to get hurt. This past summer, he worked in my yard and got stung by wasps. I think he even tripped on my stairs once. My house is a Q-danger zone. Maybe I should buy him something better than pizza? So, wish us luck that tonight goes a little better… or at least that there is no blood involved this time!

Bathroom Update
I am officially a moron. My dad came by on my lunch break and looked at the damage and helped me figure out how to cut the bolts off the toilet bowl to get it out. I had the toilet tubing running into long tray catching the water which drained down into a large tupperware container so that it wouldn't overflow by the time I got home from work. Dad said it looked like a rube goldberg contraption.

His question, which never once crossed my mind... or Q's either apparently... was why we didn't just to do THIS:



Can you really call this progress?
This is a picture that was taken of my icky pink bathroom before the renovation process began. The walls were pink... the floor was pink... Can you say "YUCK!"?



This is the current condition of the bathroom...



I got the beadboard on the walls last night, but they were pretty warped. So it required wedging 2x4s in there to hold them flat to the wall while the liquid nails dried. My bathroom looks like a jungle gym!! But the tiles are looking great and I am really happy with the color I chose.

I'm getting really excited. I think I have at least reached the halfway point on this project. Let's just keep our fingers crossed that I will be able to get a lot done this weekend since it is a 3-day weekend. I'm so glad it is Friday and I can work on it late tonight and not have to get up early in the morning.

oh my...

What a mess... This was earlier tonight and I got almost all the tile off. We duct taped some plastic sheeting up in there so I can take a shower. Sigh... I am so ready for this to be finished.



30 Things I Learned This Weekend

1. Concrete is heavy, even if broken into small pieces.

2. Just because you have a masonry bit for your drill that says "for concrete" does not mean it will drill through it easily or even at all.

3. When using tools in a two story house, what you need will always be downstairs when you are upstairs and vice versa.

4. Flying busted concrete is unpredictable and painful, especially when it is unexpected. I highly recommend eye protection.

5. There is a maximum number of times one can swing a sledgehammer in one day.

6. Montgomery City Waste Management cans have a maximum weight. Wheels and the can will bend if this weight is exceeded, possibly turning over and spilling heavy concrete in your front yard.

7. Concrete is not flexible and this is not negotiable.

8. Large chunks of concrete in your front yard serve as not only lawn decoration, but a new perch for pigeons and other birds.

9. It will rain as soon as you put wood in the back of a pick-up to bring it home.

10. Sheets of concrete backer board will fit in a convertible if you just put the top down. (Note: they will also scratch the paint if you slide them across the car as you put them in/out)

11. You should always be friendly to your neighbors. You never know when you might need them to help you carry something heavy from your car into the house (See 10)

12. When cutting pieces of wood, you should mark which piece you intend to use and make sure you have the right one before you pound nails into it and carry it upstairs to put in place.

13. People who say, "measure twice, cut once" know what they are talking about.

14. When you call someone and ask them to bring you a tool, you will most likely find another way to accomplish your mission before that person arrives with said tool.

15. What you planned to accomplish today almost never translates into what you did accomplish today.

16. Don't laugh at someone when they hammer their own finger. Remember karma. If you laugh, it will happen to you moments later.

17. Sometimes spare parts can be found in a wall. Don't panic if you unexpectedly remove a piece of pipe, as it may not have been connected to anything in the first place.

18. If you are sitting in a tub pounding on the wall and you feel something wet on your head, don't accuse the person behind you of spitting on you. Consider first that they showerhead may be dripping.

19. When using a sledgehammer on one side of a wall, don't be oblivious the fact that you are affecting the next room. You should check the status of the other side of the wall at random intervals. The wall may crack and chunks of plaster may fall out in the next room.

20. If you are a good climber, you do not necessarily need a ladder to get into an attic.

21. Make sure an ice pack, tourniquet, large bandages, and a crow bar are at least close by as they may be necessary at some point in the process.

22. Color is subjective to its environment. Just because golden brown looked good in the downstairs bathroom, doesn't mean it won't look like poop smeared on the wall in the upstairs bathroom.

23. Demolition dust can travel much farther than you think it can.

24. A loyal dog will follow you up and down the stairs as many times as you go, even if you tell her you will be back in one minute.

25. You can't convince a barking dog that the knocking she just heard was your hammer, and not someone at the door.

26. A dad who's back hurts too bad to push out the garbage can at home can still use a sledgehammer on his daughter's bathroom wall.

27. Do not say "I told you so" to someone with a sledgehammer in their hand.

28. Do not say "Measure twice, cut once" to someone still holding a power tool.

29. Allowing someone to break for dinner, usually translates into letting them quit for the night.

30. The most necessary tool to survive a renovation project is a good sense of humor.

Keys, keys, keys...

So, I guess I jinxed myself by blogging yesterday about my blunders. I was planning to do some shopping after work yesterday, so around 4pm I went to my car and got my jeans and tennis shoes out of the trunk to change in to. I came back in the building, changed clothes in the bathroom and then went back to my desk for the last hour of the day. Then, I shut down and got ready to head out. When I started digging around in my purse, my keys were not there. So I dig through the bag of clothes and checked all the pockets, still no keys. Then, it dawned on me. I must have laid them down in the trunk while I was digging around for my jeans and tennis shoes. I have no extra set of keys.

A co-worker offered to take me home. I decided I may as well and just wait until in the morning to call either the dealership or a locksmith figuring they’d probably charge me an after hours fee if I called this late. We get to my house and I realize that I don’t have a key to my house either! So, we move along to plan B. She takes me to Wal-mart where I do some shopping while I wait for my mother to get in town with keys to my house. I decide to stay there and make due until the morning. I almost panicked when I discovered I was out of TP in the upstairs bathroom, but luckily there was a spare roll in the downstairs bathroom since I had no way to go get more. How embarrassing would it be to have to call someone to bring you TP?

So, this morning I realize that my overnight bag was also in the trunk from where I had spent the night at Scott’s the previous night. That bag included things such as my good hairbrush, hair straightener and my only stick of deodorant! I did the best I could with my hair and mom picked me up. I called the dealership when they opened and was told that they could in fact cut me a new door key if I could provide proof of ownership and identification. So, I gather those things and we head to the dealership (making a pitstop at the drugstore for some deoderant). On the way there, I get a call from a co-worker.

Co-worker: Amy…
Me: Yes?
Co-worker: Do your keys have a little flash light on them?
Me: Yes!
Co-worker: I have them at my desk.
Me: Where were they?
Co-worker: They were found in the ladies room.

Talk about embarrassing! I’m just thankful that I had not paid for a new key or paid a locksmith to find there were no keys in my car! And I was even more thankful that I had a keychain on my ring that led them to our offices. The restroom that we use is public for the whole building and they would not have had any idea where to bring it without that keychain. Whew!

Couple of Blunders

SUNDAY

Sunday afternoon I had my purse sprawled out on Scott's bed and digging through the contents. Scott: What are you looking for?
Me: (frustrated) My keys!
Scott: What's that in your hand?
Me: (more frustrated) My keys!

MONDAY

Monday morning when I was leaving Scott's house for work, I stopped by the gas station in Valley. While the gas was pumping I ran inside to grab a muffin for breakfast. The cashier messed up while ringing up the guy in front of me, so I had to stand in line longer than normal. The sun was streaking in the window and right into my face where I was in line. I stood there with my hand shielding my eyes thinking, "I sure wish I had my sunglasses." I finally checked out, got to the car and reach for my sunglasses. They weren't there. Becuase they were on my head. I'm sure I looked like an idiot in the store my my hands over my face when I had sunglasses on top of my head all along.

TUESDAY

Tuesday night, as I mentioned before, Scott & I went to dinner with some friends at Olive Garden. We ordered some drinks and an appetizer. When the appetizer came out, I looked down at my lap and realized that my napkin wasn't there. I peeked under the table and couldn't see it. So Scott, being the gentleman that he is, offered to get it for me. He leaned over and almost had his head in my lap reaching all over the floor. Kelly, looks at me confused and says, "What is he looking for?" When I told her, she pointed across the table at my silverware which was... yes, still wrapped in my napkin! At that moment, Scott says "Well, where the hell did it go!?" I burst out laughing. I don't know why, but I was certain that I had already unwrapped my napkin and placed it in my lap. I can't explain it. Poor Scott. I don't know how he deals with me.

But I'm sure glad he does!

Sneaky, sneaky

So, last night Scott & I ate at Olive Garden with some friends. I guess what I had for dinner did a number on my stomach because I was really gassy afterward. Luckily, it was of the silent but deadly variety, but it smelled like garbage! So, a while after we got home, we were standing in the kitchen. I walked away from him to let one loose in the bedroom. Unfortunately for him, he walked in right after I did it.

Scott: (wrinkling his nose) Something smells bad in here!
Me: (stifling the giggles) What does it smell like?
Scott: I dunno... Like bad food or something?

He walked back outside before I burst out laughing. The person who said women are evil creatures... may not have been completely wrong.

Popeye, You're My Hero!

Boy, has it been a long time since I blogged. I've been swamped with things at work... which is when and where I usually do most of my blogging.

Halloween has come and gone. It was another great one. I made my and Scott's costumes this year. We were Popeye and Olive Oyl. For those of you who don't already know, Scott is almost half a foot shorter than myself, and he's bald so I thought this costume choice was hilarious for us. And I don't think I did such a terrible job.

Scott to the Rescue!

Usually on Sundays, Scott and I lay around and watch NFL and don't do much. This was not the case yesterday. We were at my house this weekend and Scott helped me get a lot of work done in my back yard since he'll be leaving for Korea on Saturday. There was an enormous pile of leaves in the yard and we decided to burn them in my brick fire pit.

So we were out in the back yard burning and supervising the fire. I'd like to mention at this point that Scott was wearing some of my clothes because he didn't think to bring anything that he wanted to work in the yard in. I won't go into detail because he might kill me if I did, but I'll say he was wearing some jeans that I can no longer fit into with the legs rolled up about 4 times. So after a big cloud of smoke starting billowing around the neighborhood, we heard sirens. I just knew someone had called the fire department thinking it was my house on fire and not leaves. Not to mention, it may or may not be legal to burn leaves within the city limit. Scott was more worried that some firemen were going to show up and find him wearing women's jeans. Even Scott said he looked like a homosexual, his words, not mine.

So we had been out there about an hour or so. We had the back door open and we saw a bird fly into the house through the open door. I went running in and saw that the bird had made it through the laundry room, the kitchen and was now in the dining room. My dining room has very large windows with no blinds. The bird was flying into them repeatedly. It then became Scott's job to capture the bird, not harming him, and put him back outside. Why? Because I was going to be the one holding the camera.

I got him a towel and he caught the bird. It took two or three tries because Scott was afraid he'd hurt the bird if he squeezed too hard, so it got free from him a couple times. But eventually he got him out and he flew away unharmed.

Later, Scott called his dad to talk about football, but also told him about the bird. Scott told him, "It's always an adventure with Amy." And his dad laughed, but added that I kept him young. I'm going to have to agree with that one! So, I want the thank Scott for all his help! He was willing to work even if it meant he had to wear womens' jeans and catch birds!

You Got Hit in the Face With What??

For the last two evenings, the weather has actually been really nice in Montgomery. I decided to take advantage of that and get some work done in my back yard. The first day, I chopped down a massive amount of bushes and trees and drug them out to the road. I was really amazed at how much I got done in less than two hours. I wish I had taken a before and after photo, but I didn't think about it until after. But the brush pile I created is taller than my trashcan by the road if that gives you sort of an idea of how much I accomplished.

So last night, my mission was to rake all of the leaves off of my back patio and into the grass. My theory was that the next time my yard man comes, he could run over them with the mower because it has a bagger, therefore, picking up all the leaves saving me the hassle of bagging them. And let me mention that these are huge ass magnolia leaves that are a big pain in the butt and attract roaches. So I attempt, at first, to use my leaf blower but quickly realize its not moving the leaves. One, because the leaves have been there so long they are all stuck together and two, because there are so many small branches and limbs mixed in from recent storms.

So picture this, I'm holding the leaf blower and it doesn't seem to be doing much. So I decide to move some branches out of the way. I lean over to pick one up, not bothering to turn off the blower. So the blower points straight down below me, shooting dirt, leaves and even a worm into the air. You guessed it, the worm hit me right in the cheek. At this point, I am so not a happy camper. I throw down the blower and finish raking all of the leaves into the yard by hand.

I got inside and I'm pouring sweat. So I head straight to the kitchen to wash my hands and face. As I'm standing there I hear scratching noises. So not only did I get hit in the face by a worm, but I think that my furry little friends might be back. So, I call Scott. Like this is really going to accomplish anything since he is an hour away, but I needed to vent!

Scott: Hey baby. What are you up to?
Me: I raked the yard and there's roaches and worms everywhere and I was using the blower and worm hit me in the face and now I think there's a mouse in the kitchen and I don't know what to do and why do you have to live so far away I need help!
Scott: I'm sure it's just a little mouse. And you got hit in the face with a what?
Me: A worm. And I don't care if its a little mouse. He's in there pooping on stuff and prob trying to eat my food and I'm scared to open the cabinet because he might jump out on me and I'd poop in my pants if he did.
Scott: Well, umm... I'm not feeling so good myself so I'm going to go lay down. Why don't you do the same. I'll call you later.

So, I did search through the cabinet and drawers and don't find any evidence of a mouse. But I know I heard something? Anyway. That was my day.

So, I Did It Again

Those of you who read often will remember a few months ago, when I had my embarrassing incident at lunch. My co-workers still make fun of me every time we see the scruffy guy with the ponytail in the cafeteria.

Well folks, I did it again. This time at least I didn't sit with the ponytail guy. I just didn't notice that one of my co-workers was already seated at a table and so I sat at the empty one next to him. So when the third co-worker came to join us, he laughed and said "Well, Amy... do you just not want to sit with us today?"

Sigh. Honestly, I think I sat my lunchbox down then went back to get a fork and the first co-worker sat down while I was up. But logistics don't matter to them. I'll always be the one the one who screws up. It's ok, though. I'm used to it.

For Once, Karma Wasn't a Bitch

I can’t believe I forgot to post about this last week. Last Wednesday night, I had planned to cook dinner at my brother’s house. When I got off work, I headed to the Wal-Mart in Millbrook to pick up the groceries I needed to make dinner. My brother and his wife, Jennifer were going to stop somewhere and get his haircut, and theoretically, we should have arrived at their house about the same time. But about the time I am leaving Wal-Mart, Jennifer sends me a text message saying that they still haven’t started cutting Jonathan’s hair yet so I could come to Prattville and pick her up if I didn’t want to wait. I figured I’d better go ahead and do that since I just bought chicken and didn’t want it to get warm in the car. So I loaded the groceries into the car and headed to get her.

When I got there, she asked if I minded running in Target with her real quick to make a return. No problem. So we drove over to Target which is in the same shopping center. As we started to get out, I reached for my purse and it wasn’t there. I thought maybe I put it in the trunk with the groceries. Checked. Not there either. Then panic set in. I must have left it in the shopping cart in the parking lot at Wal-mart!

So, we jumped back in the car and I flew back to Wal-Mart. It had been at least 10 minutes and I was praying it was still there. I drove up to the cart corral and there was the cart, no purse. So I jogged up to the guy who was collecting carts in the lot and he took me to customer service. Someone had just turned in a purse. I gave him my name and described the purse. He came out carrying it and I was so thrilled!

Ordinarily, I don’t carry any cash. But the weekend before I had gotten out about $100 after the whole ticket fiasco when we were considering purchasing another pair of tickets. I assumed the cash would be gone but was just hoping that my debit and credit cards would be in place. I was shocked. The cash and everything was still there. I was amazed. Actually, I was lucky that I left it at the Millbrook Wal-mart and not the one in Montgomery or I probably wouldn’t have even gotten the purse back!

So here’s where it gets weird. As we are getting back into my car, we look up and there are a bunch of carts pushed into the parking space in front of my car (Yes, Jen those people are assholes). In one of the carts, there is a purse. We realize that is probably belongs to the person who is backing out so we start yelling and waving at her. Her reply when she realizes she left her purse, “Oh my God, my husband would have killed me!”

But what are the chances that immediately after rescuing my purse, we would save someone from losing hers? Karma works in mysterious ways!

What's that on your face?

First off, let me start by saying congratulations to my brother on his new job. It’ll be a promotion and a raise. I’m pretty proud of him!

Second, we had a get together for dinner last night to celebrate his new job. I cooked tacos and baked a cake at their house. I was in the kitchen cutting pieces of cake fresh out of the oven. It was a chocolate upside-down cake with fudgy icing. As I was cutting and putting pieces onto plates, I got some of the icing on my thumb. Obviously, since it was right out of the oven my finger felt like it was on fire. My instant reflex was to put my thumb in my mouth and lick the icing off. As I slung my thumb upward toward my mouth, some of the icing slung off and landed on my nose. So not only did I manage to burn my thumb and my tongue, I also burned my nose. My brother was the only one who witnessed this but since he laughed so hard others came into the kitchen and saw me before I could get the chocolate off my nose. How embarrassing! And I think this is yet another thing that only I could manage to do.

Anyway, congratulations Jonathan!

An Amyism Strikes Again

I am still shocked about the outcome of today. No, I'm not talking about the scores of any of the games. I'm talking about me.

For those of you who don't know, I bought tickets back in May to the first Georgia game. I bought them that early because I wanted to give them to Scott for his birthday in May. I finally got the tickets in the mail last week. I felt kinda ripped because the tickets were not as good as I was told they were going to be, but nevertheless was still totally excited to be going. Especially, since the first game was not going to be televised since we just played Georgia Southern. We got just a little lost on the way here and it took us 4 hours when it should have only taken about 2.5, but part of that was traffic.

Well, we got up early this morning, got ready and headed toward downtown Athens. It was a bit of a hassle to find a parking spot but we managed. It was a bit of a walk to the stadium, a lot of it was uphill. So of course, Scott was just fine and I thought I would have a stroke at any moment since it was hot as hell and I'm totally out of shape. As we finally reach the gates to the stadium, I reach to my back pocket to pull out our tickets. Not there. They were there a few block back. Not there now. The tickets were slightly longer than my back pocket and stuck out just a little bit. I'm not certain whether they just wiggled their way out of my pocket as we trecked up hills, or if someone slipped them out of my pocket. it wouldn't have been hard and I'd never have noticed. I was stunned. We had little cash on us. Just enough to buy food. We were asking prices for pairs of tickets and people were asking outrageous amounts. Once it was only 15 minutes before kickoff, there were few people around the gates selling tickets. We were sweating like pigs, more me than Scott. So we headed outward, either looking for a cheap pair of tickets or an ATM machine. After kickoff, people still had not dropped the price of the tickets so we decided to head to the restaurant where we'd parked Scott's Jeep and hope they were carrying the game even though it was only on pay-per-view. No dice. They were playing the radio broadcast inside and at least they had A/C. We sat inside through most of the first half then decided to go back to the room and try our luck with the radio there. At least we'd be able to listen to it loud and not be fighting to hear over all the people talking.

At this point, I have to say how much I love Scott. Most people would naturally blame me and yell or be pissed off at me for losing/getting the tickets stolen. Not Scott. Never. His response, "nothing you can do now. Let's just make the best of it." God, do I love him. I'm so lucky! I'm still mad at myself and pretty bummed about not being able to see the game live, but it means more than anything in the world to me that I have someone who is so supportive.

So, right now we're in our hotel room in Athens. We're about to get dressed and ready to go out somewhere in Athens. We're looking for somewhere nice to eat that has large TV's on which we can watch the Alabama vs. Clemson game. If anybody reads this shortly who has a recommendation, give me a call or shoot me a text on my cell phone.

How Lucky too Have Opposable Thumbs

I am minus a thumb today. Well, not really. Minus the use of one anyway. It's there, it's just so swollen and sore that I can't really bend it or put any pressure on it. It's very pretty too. A lovely shade of purple!

Yes, I shut my own thumb in the trunk of my car. Not my whole thumb, just the tip. How does one do that, I know you are asking? I don't really know. I just wasn't watching when I shut it. I was too busy looking in the back window searching for the flip-flops I couldn't find.

So I just wanted to share my misery. I'm sure this will be really funny once I don't feel like a cartoon character where he just hit his thumb with the hammer and it goes, "whump, whump, whump" and blows up like a red balloon. It just feels that way, when really it looks like this:

I'm amazed at how hard it is to do very simple things while trying not to use your thumb... like hook your bra, button your pants. And I didn't realize just how week my left hand is. It's gonna be a fun few days. Sigh.

More Photos from Kayaking

I just wanted to share some more photos. These are the ones that were taken with the disposable cameras on our rover adventure.

Jonathan and Jennifer. I took these two before the first flip when we lost our camera:
First flip. Me floating away, Scott getting back in the kayak:

Safely back in the kayak:

Us catching up after the rescue mission (notice I have no paddle):

All back together again after the rescue mission:

I love our faces! I think I had just yelled at him not to flip us over:


The aftermath, happy to be OUT OF THE WATER:

Seriously, who am I?

I went to lunch today and was really surprised at the topic of conversation I chose. Football? I mean seriously… me, Amy, willingly discussed football? And not only that, but I knew off the top of my head the names of players, coaches and different teams’ schedules. And not just Georgia and Auburn either, but several other SEC teams. And it wasn’t just limited to college football either. I even discussed NFL.

This time last year, I MAYBE could have named 3 Auburn football players’ by last name. That’s it. Until last season, I was what you could call football ignorant. Honestly, what I knew about football I learned from an electronic handheld game. And at the time, I didn’t know what I was doing, but I did know that I only had for chances to move my dot at least 10 spaces. (Stop laughing guys.) I now know that I was trying to go at least 10 yards in 4 downs. Who woulda thought?? Granted I still don’t know some of the penalties but I am getting much better.

Until recently I would have rolled my eyes and said, “Ughhh, the boys are going to talk about football” and found something else for myself to do. Not anymore. Now that I am more informed, I feel more inclined to join the conversation and learn even more. I have never been so excited about the start of college football season. Ever. I have Scott to thank for this. He is very patient with me. If something happens during a game and I don’t understand the call or the penalty, he is always more than happy to explain it to me. Granted, I have learned that it is best to wait until a commercial break or a timeout to ask for said explanation, but I always know that he is happy to teach me more about football. It is just one of the many things that I love about Scott. He’s always patient with me, not just about football.

So, I said all of that to say how excited I am that college football season starts in less than 2 weeks. I’m absolutely thrilled! I bought tickets to the opening Georgia game in Athens for Scott’s birthday. It’s a small team so I’m especially glad that I got the tickets because the game will not be on tv and I would go insane having to listen to it on the radio. Granted, I’m not the happiest about missing all of the other games that will be on tv that day, but our game is early afternoon so I’m sure we’ll catch a lot of them.

My biggest debate for this season is related to NFL. I’ve never really watched too much NFL. Previously, my only opinions have mostly been that I don’t like the Cowboys and I do like the Greenbay Packers. But this year, I can’t decide… was I ever really a Packers fan? Or just a Brett Favre fan? I just don’t think it will be the same to cheer for the Packers without Favre but I don’t think that I can see myself cheering for the NY Jets? Am I alone in this? Is anyone else having this battle with themselves? I think for now I have decided that I might just cheer for the Colts instead, as I have always hat the hots for Peyton Manning as well. I guess we’ll see once the season starts how I feel when I watch a game. That’s what its all about anyway, right? Cheering for whom you feel most loyal to?

So, for now it’s GO DAWGS all the way! And for NFL, TBD. Happy football season everyone!

Book Recommendations & a Funny Story

I’ve been reading a new series of books recommended to me by my cousin. They are the Stephanie Plum Mysteries by Janet Evanovich. I’m obsessed with them. I have read more books in the last few weeks than I have read in probably the last year. Of course, I’m not getting much sleep in order to do so. I find myself glancing at the clock at midnight thinking, just a few more pages. Then again at 1am. They are good murder mysteries but they are hilarious at the same time. I highly recommend them.

Without giving too much away, I will tell you that the lead character is in her early-thirties and has found herself taking a job as a bounty hunter with no experience at all. This as you can imagine, gets her into all sorts of trouble and embarrassing situations. In the book I was reading last night, a person who she was trying to capture broke into her apartment and attacked her. Not funny, but this leads me to my funny story for the day.

I was laying in bed reading the book and had just turned off the tv so it was totally quiet in my house. My bedroom is on the second floor. I heard a strange noise coming from downstairs. Of course, immediately my heart starts racing and I picture someone breaking the window of my front door and reaching through to let himself in. I squeeze my eyes close in hopes that the sound will go away and no one will be there. It doesn’t stop.

I creep out of bed and tiptoe around upstairs looking for something, anything I can use at a weapon. Sadly, the best thing I can find is a heavy handled hairbrush. I don’t even own a baseball bat or a gold club. I am defenseless. So I put myself in my hand and am prepared to call out, not sure who, but someone. I tiptoe down the creaky stairs and see that the front door still looks secure. I peek around the corner and the back door is fine too. I still hear the noise and can tell its coming from the kitchen. I walk around the corner to see that a large piece of paint from the ceiling is hanging down and the ceiling fan is chipping off small pieces that are clattering to the floor.

This is not the first time a chunk of my ceiling peeled off, this is just the first time it happened while I was home and scared the bejeebus out of me. My house was built in 1930 and there is not hood or ventilation system over my gas stove. So it just steams the paint right off. Guess I should put that at the top of my list of things to repair… right after I change my underpants.

Parker

For those of you who don't already know, my best friend had the most beautiful baby boy 2 weeks ago. I went over to cook dinner for them last night and got to feed Parker. While I was feeding him, Scott called me on my cell phone. The following conversation occured:

Scott: What are you doing?
Me: Feeding the baby.
Scott: You are what?
Me: I’m fedding the baby.
Scott: Umm... Welll... Uh? Isn’t he uh?
Me: What?
Scott: Isn’t the baby breast feeding?

I just cracked up. Men.

Me, Scott & Parker: 1 day old

Congrats Scott!

Scott started his new job at the new Kia Motors plant in West Point, Gerogia a week ago today. I just wanted to say how proud I am of him and all of his accomplishments. He was one 20 maintenance employees to be chosen out of 43,000-plus applicants. I'm so extremely proud of him! The following photo and clip of an article appeared in the Valley Times newspaper:


KMMG's first hourly associates hired for West Point operation
WEST POINT - Monday, Aug. 4 will go down as a special day in the lives of 28 hourly production and maintenance team members at Kia Motors Manufacturing Georgia as they became the first group out of more than 43,000-plus applicants to begin work for Kia's first North American automotive manufacturing assembly plant.

River Rats

Sometimes I get this crazy idea that my life is not exciting enough and decide to try something new. Of course, I’m not usually brave enough to try it myself so I rope someone else into trying it with me. This past Saturday, Scott and I went kayaking with my brother, Jonathan and his wife, Jennifer. Scott has been kayaking and canoeing before but its been over 10 years. The rest of us had never even touched a kayak.

So Saturday morning we pack a few soft coolers and buy a couple waterproof disposable cameras and head to the rental place in Wetumpka, Alabama. I was pretty nervous but I tried to act like I wasn’t because Jennifer was a lot more nervous than me and I didn’t want her to chicken out on us. Once we got out there it was great. The water was smooth and the weather was beautiful. Scott managed to drop his sunglasses in the water before we even got good and started. We were paddling along talking about how we should buy kayaks and travel around to different places. Through the first section of choppy water Scott and skimmed over the top of a rock. Jonathan and Jennifer were busy laughing at us when they skimmed and got stuck on a rock. But they scooted until they were off of it.

In the very first large rapids Scott and I flipped over. Scott says its all my fault because I got scared and started saying, “We’re going over! We’re going over!” So of course we did. It wasn’t so bad. I got drug over some rocks and sucked in some water. But overall, I was glad I had gotten it out of the way and wasn’t so scared of the water anymore. I did lose my sunglasses and Scott lost his hat though. We lost our camera too but Jonathan and Jennifer rescued it. But we got back in and were off again. The next rapids, we actually stayed afloat. We even cheered. But the cheering was short lived.

Through the next set of rapids we hit a rock and run aground. We had to get out to get off of the rock. As soon as we got back in, we hit another rock and flipped over again. All the while, Jonathan and Jennifer are just floating right through like its nothing. This time we lost our cooler and they managed to rescue it too!

The next set of rapids, you guessed it, we flipped again. I fell into a place where several currents converge into a swirl. I was hanging on to my paddle (because they cost you $35 if you lose it) and trying to swim out of it with water shoes on. I absolutely could not swim out of it. Jonathan and Jennifer were just at the top of the rapids paddling backwards to keep from running over me. I kept yelling, “I’m stuck” and “I don’t know what to do” and there mouths would move but I couldn’t hear what they were saying over the sound of rushing water. After what seemed like eternity, I banged the paddle on a rock that was under the water just a couple of feet away. I managed to get a grip on it with the very tips of my fingers and pull myself on it. I had to constantly hang on to stay on the rock but at least I was out of the way from oncoming kayaks and canoes.

So, once I climb up I see Scott probably 50 yards ahead and he is scrambling onto a larger rock island. And I see the kayak floating away from him. So here I am perched on a rock in the middle of the Coosa River, Scott is on a rock further ahead (just out of shouting range) and our kayak is floating off to who knows where? As I sit there, several other kayaks come by and I can see them looking at me holding a paddle and looking around seeing no boat. A man and his daughter come by on a tandem kayak and I see him pull up to the rock that Scott is on. The little girl climbs off on the rock with Scott and the guy begins to paddle upriver towards me. I see him signal “I’m coming to get you.” I am absolutely amazed at this man’s strength as he manages to paddle all the way up past me and then wedges his kayak against a rock close to mine. I hand him my paddle and he outs it in the kayak with his. Then, he stands up and reaches out to grab my hand and pull me to the rock he is on. I hear him say, “Oh no.” I look over and see both of our paddles floating away down the river. I frantically start waving at Scott and the little girl hoping maybe they can catch our paddles. No such luck. So I get in the kayak with the man, saying “My name is Amy by the way. And thank you for rescuing me.” As we start to float down the river, we are both doggie paddling out the side to try and maneuver the canoe to the rock that Scott and the man’s daughter were on. As we get close, Scott throws a paddle to us and the man manages to reach it. From the big rock, I can see Jonathan and Jennifer probably 50-100 yards further up the river. They have our kayak tied to theirs and they are paddling as hard as they can upstream.

Courtesy of Google maps, here is a diagram to show just how spread out we are:


Another man on a kayak comes up to us and offers to take Scott up to ours so that he can come back for me. As Scott climbs on, I notice he is missing one of his water shoes. Scott gets our kayak and gets to toward the bank where the water is not rushing as fast and finally makes it back to me. At this point, I am on the verge of tears. We were told that Moccasin Gap was the biggest rapids and I was terrified of what might happen if they got any bigger. We rest on the rock for a minute before getting back in, and yet another man comes by, searching for an expensive pair of sunglasses that the river claimed. I ask him how many more rapids there are and he says that we have just crossed the last one, and that Moccasin gap was actually the rapids where we flipped over twice. My reply, “Oh thank God!”

It is then that I learn that my Jennifer and Jonathan had seen a snake while trying to bring our kayak back to us. And Jonathan had pretty much worn himself out trying to paddle so far upriver and were just going to float the rest of the way. So Scott starts paddling us a l ittle faster to catch up with them. We passed several kayaks and kept thinking, “Is that them? Nope.” But when we finally reached them, we knew it was them because they were both slumped over not moving like they were dead. I think if they had not been with us, they would have had a wonderful time since they didn’t flip over once! They did manage to save our camera, our cooler (twice) and our kayak!

So, overall I have to say it was an exciting experience. I don’t know if I will ever go kayaking again or not. I would say in a lake or something, sure. But if there are rapids and rocks involved, I’m not so sure. But I can say that I tried it and survived, and we got some great stories out of it. I’m sure I left out a lot of the details, but so much happened and so fast that its hard to remember it all. But I want to say a big THANK YOU to David who rescued me from that rock, even though I doubt I would ever be able to find him and really thank him myself. I can’t imagine how we would have gotten out of there if it weren’t for the kindness of those complete strangers.

To our surprise, my parents were waiting at the rental place waiting to take our pictures when we returned. And I suspect to make sure that we actually did return. The following is a photo that Dad took. Notice Scott is holding his one remaining shoe. I’ll be sure to post some of the photos from the disposable cameras as soon as we get them developed.


Total rescues by Jennifer and Jonathan:
Our camera
Our cooler (twice)
Our kayak

Total goods claimed by the river (from just me and Scott):
His sunglasses
His hat
My sunglasses
One of his water shoes

Scratch and Sniff

Two weeks ago, I went to the doctor with a sinus infection. No biggie. Had one plenty of times. He prescribed some amoxicillin which I’ve had a thousand times as a kid. (Note to Men: you might not want to read the rest of this paragraph.) Well, as a woman, I did the smart thing and ate some yogurt everyday while on the antibiotics to prevent getting one of those wonderful “secondary infections.” No such luck. I got one anyway. So I treated myself with some over the counter stuff and it went away.

Over the next couple of days, I start to itch intensely. Not in one particular area but all over. On my leg one minute, my chest and neck the next and then my lower back. I’m scratching everywhere like a monkey. This goes on for a day or two. I’m thinking I’ve had an allergic reaction to some new clothes I wore or maybe some soap or something. I wash all my clothes and even the sheets. Still itching and scratching. After a couple more days of this, I’m afraid that my friends and co-workers are going to worry that I have fleas. So I go back to the doctor and tell him what’s going on. He says that I’ve had an allergic reaction to either the antibiotic or the over the counter medicine. I told him I’d had that antibiotic before so I didn’t think that was it. His response: “Well, you develop allergies to different things with age.” Thanks, so not only do I look like I have fleas but I’m also getting old.

Soooo… he calls in some prescriptions to the Wal-Mart pharmacy near my house. Might I remind you on any given normal day a Wal-Mart in Montgomery can induce a panic attack. I drove to the drive-up window about 10 minutes before 12. I ring the little call bell 3 times and no one answers. Remembering that they close for lunch, I think they must have left 10 minutes early. So, I decide to pick up something for lunch, go home and sit on the couch till 1 and come back.

I do exactly that. Except I decide that I’m not in such a hurry to get back to work and wait until 1:30 since I figure there will be a line when they open back up at 1. I pull up to the window and ring the call bell three times. Again, no answer. So I park my car and decide to brave the Wal-Mart crowd because I am certainly not driving back here 3 times in one day. I walk around the corner to the pharmacy and the roll gates are down and they are closed. There is a sign that says “Closed for lunch from 1:30-2:00.” It is now 1:35. It would have been really nice for that sign to be posted on the drive-up window.

No need for panic. I decide to shop around and pick up a few things I need anyway. I get three different packs of light bulbs, a new bath mat that is on clearance and a picture frame that I’ve been needing for something. I get back to the register and wait the remaining 5 minutes before they roll the window back up so that I’m first in line. I get two separate prescriptions and put my things on the counter. The check out girl just looks at me and says, “There is a 5 item check out limit back here.” Are you kidding me?! I say nothing but when she sees the very irritated look on my face, she decides to say, “I’ll do it this one time but just so you know from now on.” I pay for my items and still say nothing for fear that my head will explode if I open my mouth. I just got out of there as quickly as possible. So, I’m back at work. Wishing that I wasn’t and wanted to share this adventure of a day/week.

Best Halloween Ever

A few years ago, some friends and I went to a local pub on Halloween night. It was a weeknight and we had not indulged in the whole costume thing, but did go to a pub that was having a costume contest. There were the normal playboy bunnies, witches and vampires and a few that were a little more over the top. One guy was wearing a fake coffin around his neck with his head popping through. Though obviously homemade, it was pretty impressive.

So, a while after we got there, we are all sitting around a table enjoying our drinks and checking out people's costumes. My boyfriend (at the time) was running really late from a rehearsal and I was occasionally glancing at my phone to make sure I'd not missed his call in the loud crowded bar. At this point, I notice a powerized wheeler chair come zipping through the front door. My first thought is, "OMG, what a tacky costume!" And as I look a little longer I feel a little guilty and ashamed realizing, this is not a costume. The man is paralyzed from the base of his neck down. He can't even move his head. There is a small tube running into his mouth that he blows to go forward and sucks to reverse. I start to wonder what sort of enjoyment he might get out of coming into a bar, but think to each his own and go about my conversation with friends.

A few minutes later, I hear his wheels turning and turn to see that the man has pulled his chair right next to mine. I smile politely and say hello. And the following conversation occurs:

Me: Hello.
Wheely: Hello. Where's your costume?
Me: Oh, I didn't have time to get one with it being a work night and all.
Wheely: Oh. Do you have any candy?
Me: No, I don't.
Wheely: I have a blow pop in my pocket if you want it?
Me(outside):Umm, no thanks. I'm good.
Me(inside): OMG, WTF? Are you seriously hitting on me?

I'm looking around the table at my friends who are pretending not to be listening and trying not to laugh. I check the time and my phone again.

Wheely: You must be waiting for your boyfriend to call?
Me: Yes, actually I am.
Wheely: Well, I guess I better BLOW on outta here then.

He laughs, wiggling the tube in his mouth. And with that, he wheels off. I look around the table and my friends burst in laughter. I was joked on for weeks about it. But what was I supposed to do? How can you be mean to a paraplegic?

On another note, I ran into the same guy a couple weeks later at a big bingo casino here in town. I can't imagine how gambling could be fun for him... watching someone else put his money in the machine and pressing the buttons for him? But you gotta admire that he doesn't let his situation get him down. Wheely still likes to party.

Sometimes Karma Works In Your Favor

Yesterday, I was asked at the very last minute to go over to the Dexter Avenue King Baptist Church for a photo shoot. (For those of you who aren’t in the area, this is the historic landmark where MLK preached from 1954-1960.) I didn’t want to be IN a photo because my face is a little “peely” from the sun I got at the beach. But when I got there, the co-worker who was supposed to be taking the photo had not arrived. It was hot out there and all the other volunteers were whining about not wanting to wait out there too long. I just happened to have my new camera in my car. So I volunteered to take the photos myself. My ulterior motives of course were, if I was TAKING the photos I didn’t have to be IN the photos.

This morning, as I grab my camera out of the car so I can upload the photos to my computer at work, I look around and realize that I left my camera bag at the church. And not just AT the church, but on a bench outside the front of the church. I had my camera, but not the lens cap, cords, manual, extra batteries, charger and $100 bag. I drove back by the church but I already knew it wouldn’t have survived a night in downtown Montgomery.

I trudge into the office and ask the secretary to contact the church and make sure no one there happened to see it and pick it up for me. I seriously doubted this would be the case. I had pretty much accepted that it was gone. They hadn’t seen it.

So I get to my desk and I’m telling a co-worker what happened. And I can’t believe what he tells me. The co-worker who was supposed to take the photos in the first place, showed up very shortly after we’d left, recognized my camera bag and she has it with her!! For once, karma has worked in my favor! I am so thrilled. And I am extremely lucky. What are the chances that someone I knew would be the person to find it?

Note to self: Get an ID tag for your camera bag!

What Better Than a Blue Dancing Gorilla?

I mean, really? I consider myself fairly savvy when it comes to marketing schemes. It does happen to be what I went to school to do. But sometimes, I just totally can't understand what the marketing team was thinking when they came up with their campaign. This is one of them. What in the world does a blue dancing gorilla have to do with getting a degree? And if you don't have time to go back to school, shouldn't you be busy working rather than playing with the dancing gorilla? As you roll over the gorilla, he dances and when you scroll off of him he stops. Seriously people. Think again.


I also got the following e-mail the other day. Normally I don't pay too much attention to crap mail, but my interest in becoming a writer lead me to at least skim the e-mail. It's well designed and someone obviously spent some time and money on it. But apparently, the writing classes offered do not include lessons on proofreading as they encourage you to get "accedited" today!

With a Hint of Salsa

I ran to the grocery store on my lunch break today. I am expecting company for dinner and thought I’d save time by picking up all the ingredients this afternoon. I swing by my house to stick the groceries in the fridge and let out the dog I am sitting. I head to the front door and one of the plastic bags begins to tear. And why is it, that when a grocery bag tears, the only item that hits the ground is the one in a glass jar? You got it. I am now sporting my nice black strappy sandals with a hint of thick and chunky salsa. Not only did it break splattering salsa all over my shoe and between my toes, but it managed to cut my leg as well. Go figure.

So, I go in and eat lunch sitting on the couch and I keep getting a whiff of something awful. I figure the dog has made a mess and begin checking all around for it. But I don’t find anything. Finally, when she is sitting next to me on the couch I figure it out. The dog is farting. Silent farts, but most definitely deadly farts.

So, I get back to my office and a co-worker is working on my computer for a bit. My office phone rings and its my mother, so I answer anyway. The following conversation occurs… and bear in mind my co-worker can only here one end of it.

Mom: Are you busy?
Me: No, I just got back from lunch.
Mom: So, how is Pookie [dog] doing?
Me: She’s good but I think her stomach is upset.
Mom: Oh no, did she poop on your floor?
Me: No, but she smells really bad!

{{co-worker looks at me with her mouth hanging open}}

Me: A dog, not a person.
Co-Worker: Good, cause I was going to say I wouldn’t want to be your friend.

I seriously think at first she thought I was talking about her. Nice.

Excuse me, is that a fungus?

Scott and I had our trip to the beach this weekend. We got in pretty late on Thursday night. Once settled into our room, we grabbed a blanket and headed over to the beach with a little flashlight. We laid out there for hours listening to the waves, watching little sand crabs pop up and talking about all the things we normally don’t have time to discuss. It was a really good start to the trip.

Friday afternoon, we made our drinks and packed our cooler and headed back out onto the beach. The weather was great. Hot, but great. After sitting on our blanket for just a little while, I decided I better go ahead and put some sunscreen on. I had a can of SPF 15 that sprays on and thought I’d just put some on my chest and shoulders. I pulled out the can and pointed it at my chest, pushed the button, and the can basically spit on me. Just a few little spurty bubbles came out. I guess we had used it all the previous weekend at a pool party. I have a pretty good base tan so I figured I would be alright and had some SPF 50 if completely necessary.

So we enjoyed the afternoon swimming and meeting other people on the beach. Scott is far more social and less shy than I am, and so we met several very interesting people while there. He always amazes me with his ability to meet and hold conversations with perfect strangers. I wish I were more like that.

After about five hours on the beach, Scott looked cooked. Despite my insistence that he needed some sunscreen, he never applied any. When we got back to the room, I noticed that I was a bit pink myself. Upon further inspection, I noticed something that looked like a fungus growing up my chest. It took me a few minutes to realize exactly what it was. Everywhere that the sunscreen had “spit” on me had left little white circles and everywhere else was red. Luckily, now a couple of days later the red has faded and I don’t think you can tell anymore. But that just goes to show just how well even SPF 15 works!

And on a side note, the great conversation on Thursday night did include some discussion about commitment and the future of our relationship. Nothing was necessarily decided, but I was able to express my concerns and let him know how I’m feeling and what I’m thinking. I don’t know which direction that will drive him, but I do know that I got through to him and made an impact. He knows that he’s got to figure out what it is that he wants. I can only hope that in the end, he decides that he wants the same things that I do. For now, I’ve decided to give him a little more room to breathe, think and hopefully to miss me. So, we’ll see how it goes. Wish me luck!

Found

I found this shopping list in a book store a couple of weeks ago. I read it, laughed and then laid it back down. Then, I remembered Found Magazine / Found Blog! I went back and picked it up. My favorite part is that Condoms is at the top of the "other" list and that he needs to remember to bring 8 pairs of "draws." Hilarious!

A Big Day

I usually post all of my blogs both on here and on MySpace. That started when MySpace got firewalled at work, I could post on blogger then copy it to MySpace when I got home. But lately, I've been posting a little differently, because completely different sets of people read each blog. Scott, for one, only reads the blog on MySpace so I feel like I can post things on here that I might not post on there. Like this one...

Thursday, July 10th Scott and I have officially been dating a year. We are taking a trip to the beach for the weekend to celebrate. In my eyes, a year is a huge milestone. Yes, I've been in several other long term relationships (a 7-year and a 3-year) but I still feel like making it to the year mark is kind of a defining moment? You seem to either make it only a few months or you make it a really long time? I hope that makes sense. To me it does.

For those of you who don't know, Scott is about 10 years older than me. He's also been in a previous very long term relationship. It lasted for 10 years and never resulted in a marriage or any children. At first, I was thankful for that... in the sense that I've found someone who comes without the baggage of a divorce and/or children. But lately, I've wondered whether its a good thing or not.

We've reached this milestone and I feel like its time to make some sort of decisions? I know that I want to get married and have children. And we often have the "if we get married" or "if we have children" talks. But he freezes up when it comes really talking about it. He also has trouble freely saying I love you. I tell him almost daily. Sometimes I get a "You know I do" or sometimes even a "ditto." But only Patrick Swayze can get away with the ditto business. Scott is no Patrick Swayze.

Scott's mother died in a car accident when he was only 13 years old. Obviously, the suddeness of her death has caused him a lot of problems. Any time I bring up his difficulty with expressing his feelings, he blames it on losing his mother. It's not that I doubt this is the truth, but I feel like its always the conversation ender. Like, "Well, my mom died." And what else can I say to that? And if it is the truth, then I think after more than 20 years, its time to talk to a counselor of some kind and deal with it? Am I wrong?

Anyway, my reason for this post is... I feel like this weekend is going to be my breaking point. I haven't given him sort of ultimatum or anything. I wouldn't do that. I'm not stupid. I want Scott to want to marry me, not be bullied into it. I just feel like a year is enough time to be able to make a decision about what he wants? If he just never wants to get married, I think its only fair that he let me know so that I can move on and look for someone who does. I'm not saying I want a ring this weekend, but I do need to see some sort of progress. I need a sign that we are on the same page and headed in the same general direction with this relationship.

I know that a lot of my hurry is based on the inconveniences of this relationship and I try not to let that be a huge influence. But Scott lives an hour away and works almost every weekend. This requires me to most of the driving back and forth. Might I remind you of the price of gas? Not to mention the time. I get a lot of thinking done on those drives, but after a year, I'm ready for a change. I don't think that is asking too much.

Is it?

Too Old For This

A few months ago, Scott and I decided to join the world of Guitar Hero. I know, I know. We are probably… well, HE is probably too old for that. But who cares, right? So we went to Best Buy to buy the guitar for his Wii. While we were in there, we browsed the other selections. They had Rock Band set up and we’d never played that before. There was a little girl about 8 years-old playing on the drums. I waited my turn to play. When she put down the sticks and walked away, I quickly picked them up. Then, I realized that I didn’t know how to select what song and what difficulty, etc. The little girl noticed and offered to help. She took the drumsticks back and banged on certain drums to make the selections. So, I figured it out. Each drum has a colored ring that correlates to the color of the selection on the screen. Got it. So she hands them back to me.

I wait for moment and realize it is waiting for me to make one more selection. I reach out and bang on the drum to let it know I’m ready. Just as I did, the little girl reaches out to hit it with her hand. You got it. I banged the back of the little girl’s hand with the drum stick. Hard. She just looked back at me rubbing her hand and said softly, “Owwww.”

I apologized several times. But those of you who know me, know I didn’t do so without laughing. I could hardly play for laughing so hard. Scott told me I was going to get us kicked out of BestBuy for abusing small children. I wouldn't be surprised.

Yes, I Said That

In my second year of college, I was awarded a full scholarship from the Graphic Design Department. The board who voted on the scholarship recipients consisted of two of my professors as well as some other staff members. I remember well day I received the letter letting me know that I had been chosen. I had class later that day with one of the professors. We had a test so I made a mental note to remember to thank her at the end of class.

We sat there quietly taking our test. Maybe ten minutes into the class, the guy who sat across from me came running in late and out of breath.

Prof: You sure are late today and we're taking a test.

Late guy: I know, I'm so sorry but my apartment got broken into and someone was there putting on a new front door.

Me: {{without thinking}} They stole your door?

{{awkward silence and everyone is staring at me}}

Late guy: {{making a face like I was a moron}} No, but they did kick it in...

Yeah. True story. Of course, I realized what I said as soon as it came out of my mouth. But by then, it was too late. I'm sure that professor was thinking, "And we just gave this girl a scholarship?"

Just Curious?

I have a blog tracker. It's not very detailed but it gives me enough information that I can usually tell if my hits are from people who google something obscure and stumble into my blog, or if they come to it from another blog, or if they link to it from my myspace page or something similar. Most of my hits come from obscure places/countries but recently someone from Birmingham on a Mac on Bellsouth has been reading my blog on a fairly frequent basis. I was just curious as to whether or not you are someone I know, or just someone who happened to find this blog and enjoy it? Either way, I hope you'll let me know who you are so I can quit wondering. And for anyone else who reads every now and then, feel free to let me know. (Except you in Denton, TX... I already know about you, ha ha.) Enjoy reading!

It's Gettin Hot In Here!

**Warning: This post may cause mental images that you may not wish to have. Just sayin'.

This past weekend Scott's A/C went out and we were not able to get anybody to come out and fix it "after hours." So, needless to say, with the heat index reaching over 100 degrees it was pretty darn hot in there. He had to work on Saturday and called to check on me while he was in his office. The conversation went like this:

Scott: Hey baby, what are you doing?
Me: Sitting here naked in front of a fan watching TV cause its hot as hell in here!
Me: (hearing an echo) Wait? Am I on speakerphone?

Nice.

The Boots

I’ll start the new chapter off with a fairly mild tale that will embarrass only myself. Just after high school, I hung out with a group of guys who I guess you would refer to as “techies,” one of which was my fiancé, Aaron. We pulled many all-nighters trying to beat the latest video games. This often required late night trips to the local Wal-mart for munchies.

One such night, I had recently purchased a lovely pair of the knee-high “hooker boots” that were oh-so popular that year. I bought a budget pair that I thought would be wonderful because they laced up the front for looks, but also had zippers up the side so you didn’t have to unlace them to take them off. This was a good idea in theory. The problem was, the top two laces were just those hooks that you wrap around, so every time I unzipped the boots they would slack and the laces would fall out anyway. Thus, requiring you to both lace and zip them up every time. It took way too long to get these boots on, let me tell you.

So that night I was wearing these boots at a friends’ house when the guys decide to make a run to Wal-mart. I asked Aaron if he would drive so that I could just put the boots on in the car and save us some time. He agreed and we headed out. I sat in the passenger seat in the dark feeling my way around to put the boots on. I felt the zipper and slipped my foot in and shifted my it around trying to wedge it into the bottom of the boot. It didn’t quite feel right and I thought, “Well, maybe I am trying to put the wrong shoe on the wrong foot?" So, I asked Aaron to turn on the light for a minute so I could see what I was doing.

When the lights came on, I looked down and began to laugh hysterically. My foot was inside my purse. Aaron looked over and saw it too.

Aaron: What the hell is wrong with you?

Me: (still laughing) I dunno, I just felt the zipper and shoved my foot in??

Aaron: Okay, I understand the zipper part, but didn’t you feel all the stuff in the bottom of your purse?

I have no idea. But I know that I laughed till I cried. I laughed so hard that I still didn’t have my shoes on by the time we made it to Wal-mart.

Something Old, Something New

So, I’m sure you’ve noticed my lack of blogging lately. It has not been for a lack of time, but for a lack of material. I’ve been dating someone seriously for almost a year now, which has removed my need to do stupid things such as drive halfway across the country for a horrible first date. I’ve gotten a new car which has a functioning gas gauge and even a little light that comes on the remind me that I will soon need to stop for fuel. I’ve not been “hitting the bars” and having drunken wild stories to tell. Things have become…I wouldn’t say boring, but maybe more stable is the word? It’s nice. It’s comfortable. It’s definitely much safer!

But this has caused a hole in my blogging. This, I can fix. I have only been blogging for the last two years or so. I have PLENTY of stories from pre-blog days. So, here begins a new chapter in my blog. I will delve into my past and dig up the kinds of stories that you always end up rehashing at 3am at a Waffle House or the first time you meet some new friends. I love those nights and those stories. I hope you will too. Bear with me though, I will probably go way back in some of the blogs which will require that I introduce several “characters” that I may or may not have ever mentioned before. I hope you stick it out. And please, PLEASE give feedback. I am considering publishing a book that would be comprised of stories much like the ones I will post here. Feedback, good or bad will help me decide whether or not this is a worthwhile endeavor, so I’d really appreciate it.

And in advance, my apologies to any friends who might be embarrassed by future posts…but you knew this day would come, didn't you?