Gotta Love It!

Do you know what tomorrow is? It's Confederate Memorial Day and I'm so excited. Why? You ask why? Well, obviously... because its a state holiday and I am off work!! That's why!

So, since I have the day off... you must be asking what I will be doing? I am going to buy a lawn mower. Yep. Isn't is exciting? Since the wheels fell off my mower in July of 2006 my yard has not been mowed since. I'm not even a little bit kidding. There are weeds that come up to my shoulders and I am not a short girl. The neighborhood cats LOVE my yard because they can hide from unsuspecting small birds and such. So, I apologize to the cats... but their haven will be gone tomorrow when I bring home my very first own lawn mower. Oh, the excitement. I hope I can sleep tonight!

So, goodnight to all you suckers that have to get up early and go to their jobs!!

Strikes again!

On my way to work this morning, I stopped at the grocery store and bought a 20 oz. Mt. Dew and a strawberry Sunkist. I drank the Mt. Dew and put the Sunkist in the refrigerator at work. I just went to get it, and PRESTO, its gone! The refrigerator "borrower" has struck again!! I am soooo mad!

I mean, I know the drink only cost a dollar and some odd change. That is not the point. The point is, I went out of my way this morning to get a drink that we do not carry in our vending machine here and was saving it for this afternoon because I don't normally carry cash for the vending machine. What do you have to do to protect a drink? Maybe I'll put lipstick prints all over the lid next time and it won't be appetizing to anyone?

I did send out a company wide email saying "If you accidentally picked it up, please let me know." I've gotten some pretty funny responses but I was hoping for a tattle tale. No takers so far. I'll keep you posted.

Pain in the Ass

Yesterday, I decided it was time to start going to the tanning bed. I am going to be in a wedding in about a month and thought I should look nice for it. Plus, I hope to go to the beach sometime soon and don’t want to blind anyone with my whiteness.

So, the tanning bed I used to go to has a new location fairly close to my house. I get out of my car and head up to the door. I pull on the door only to find that it’s locked. I’m thinking, “Surely they can’t be closed at 5:00 on a Tuesday” so I squint to look through the glare on the door and into the store. I’m startled when I realize I am face to face with a good looking blond fellow. He laughs and motions me to use the other door. A little embarrassed, I chuckle and head over to the other door. When I get inside, I realize the door I was trying to come in is lined with chairs full of people who are all laughing at me for trying to come in the wrong door. The blond guy is doubled over in his chair laughing, to which I say jokingly, “It wasn’t that funny.”

I go up to the counter and give them my updated address and pay to restart my membership account. When I am done, I turn around to take my seat and the good-looking blond guy says, “So, how have you been?” Oh, great! I even know this guy… I think? I guess he could see the confusion on my face and says, “You don’t remember me do you?”

Searching his face, I say “You look so familiar and I’m trying to place you…”

To which he says, “The last time you saw me I had very long blond hair.” Then I realize he is someone I went to high school with that I haven’t seen in seven years. Great! It’s always nice to run into someone you haven’t seen in years, and manage to make yourself look like a moron. And to top it off, I stayed in the tanning bed for a little too long and I burned my butt. Literally… just my butt. Gives a whole new meaning to “pain in the ass.”

Wardrobe Malfunction

This was an extremely busy weekend for me! I feel like I didn't have a chance to slow down and rest for one moment. Friday as soon as I got off work I ran home and changed into some painting clothes and headed to my bestest friend's house to help her paint and install new doors on their house. I also chopped vegetables and made spinach dip for her wedding shower the following day. I ended up not getting home till nearly 2am.

So needless to say, I was not happy to hear the alarm go off early on a Saturday morning. But I had agreed to help out at a car wash fundraiser given by the Pike Road Volunteer Fire Department. So, I went out there to help for a few hours, then had to rush home and change clothes and get ready for the wedding shower. I had bought a new white dress from American Eagle a couple of months ago and was excited to finally have a good opportunity to wear it. This is the dress:

I thought it looked cute and was appropriate for the occasion. I was, though, slightly embarrassed when I arrived at the shower and was informed that the pale pink waistband on my panties was visible through the back of my dress. But whatever, they are just panties, right? About and hour into the shower, it starts to pour down rain as we expected. Guests began to leave to beat the worst part of the storm. My mother had arrived a bit late since she had taken my sister to an appointment. She was sitting down to eat so I offered to move her van to let someone else out. Bad idea. Very bad idea. My pretty white dress got soaked and became completely see-through. Luckily, when I re-entered the house, the first person to see me was Jennifer's aunt who quickly told me she could see straight through my dress and was well aware that I was not wearing a bra. Greeeeat! I at least had the forethought to bring jeans and a t-shirt to change into after the shower. So, luckily I was able to change before too many people saw my personals!

I did get the chance to sleep in a bit on Sunday morning. I had to work at American Eagle that afternooon until close. We got a whole new floorset in and I think I literally want one of everything! We got some new shirts which I think are very creative and cute. The words are printed on the inside and show through to the outside. The ONLY problem that I have with this... is that everytime I refold all the shirts and get that table looking nice, someone comes right behind me and goes "Oh cute, what does it say" turns them inside out and throws them back on the table. Thanks... really. That's what I am here for apparently. So be warned... if you come in to shop, and I know you, and I see you do such a thing... I WILL kick you. You have been fairly warned.

Double Duty Day!

I'm sure you have an idea of what is coming just from the title. So here goes...

I went to Burger King today to pick up lunch for me and a friend. Since I ordered two drinks, I recieved the following drink holder:

And the title was enough to make me giggle, but I read the description of the Double Duty Box. Since you probably can't see it in the picture, it reads as follows:

A lot of people wonder why it was decided upon to make a two-cup carrier as opposed to say, a one-cup or three-cup carrier. Well, a one-cup carrier is called just a cup. So that was pretty much out. And a three-cup carrier would have to be shaped into some strange triangle, and balancing that contraption would be more trouble than it's worth. So we settled on two. Hopefully it serves you well.

I was entertained. So, I get back from lunch and I call a certain theater here in Montgomery because I saw a commercial on tv last night that led me to believe that a certain play I was interested in seeing had been extended through this weekend. I was told by the box office representative that no, it was not, and she didn't know anything about a commercial. I was pretty confused and actually was beginning to think I was crazy so I emailed the administrative office to inquire (mostly to prove to myself that I was not, in fact, insane) and that such commercial did exist. I received this reply:

Dear OmySue:
Thank you for your input. The performance run [certain play] was cut short due to low attendance. The final performance was Saturday. Our ad spaces are purchased in advance and do not reflect this update. We do apologies for any incontinence or confusion this may have caused.

I overlooked it at first, but yes, he said incontinence! Certainly he doesn't think that I was so upset that I peed myself? I'm thinking he meant "inconvenience." I'll continue to hope so anyway!

Addicts

Ok, this video is pretty long... but if you have EVER been even a little bit addicted to MySpace, you will appreciate it. Especially "the angles".... ha ha ha!

I mean EWWW

I went back to work at AE last night. It was the first night in over a week. It was nice to have a break. So, I walk in and the store is a wreck with clothes piled everywhere that need to be put back. Before I even get clocked in and get my name tag on, a customer is asking for a fitting room. I grab a key and head back to let the woman and her daughter in. I decide to open the big room in the corner for them, since the daughter will probably go in with her. I hold the door open for them and hear them say "Oh my god, that's disgusting."

You might recall an incident at AE that I previously posted about. And I thought I was shocked to find dirty thongs on the floor? But I can't even imagine how this happens?

I mean, seriously? I have several questions for the person who left the nasty maxi pad stuck to the floor in the fitting room. First, what were you doing taking your panties off in the dressing room? If you were trying on a swim suit, 1. you are not supposed to do so without underwear on, and 2. you certainly should not do so while on your period and not wearing underwear. This is the only logical explanation I can think of for this accidentally happening? Or was this just a sick person who thought it would be funny to leave something that gross out for someone else to have to clean up? I don't know. And I really probably don't want to know. Needless to say, I was more than ready to go home when we closed last night.

No Perverts Here

I went to lunch today with my mother. She picked me up at my office and we headed to one of our favorite lunch spots, The Marina. We pulled up to a stoplight just before the interstate and stopped right behind a bright red pick-up truck. We were just sitting there talking, waiting for the light to change, when at the same moment, we both got quiet. I look over at her to see that the same thing has caught her eye. There is something bright red hanging down from the hitch of the truck in front of us. She sees me looking at her funny and says, "Does that look like what I think it is?" We both laugh and the light changes. I quickly whip out my camera phone thinking I have got to get a shot of this! Mom even speeds up so I can try to get a better shot. No such luck... my camera phone is just not that good.

So, when I get back to the office, I do a little research on the internet. I am thinking certainly there is a logical explanation for what we have just seen. I was relieved to find out that we are not in fact perverts, but we had seen exactly what we thought:

Just what everyone needs! Get Your Nuts Today!

Ouch

You know what hurts? Flushing money down the toilet. Not literally, of course. But I paid my speeding ticket from the Nashville fiasco today. Sigh... I have gotten several a few tickets in Alabama before and none of them have ever cost nearly as much as the one I got in Tennessee! What is the deal?

So, anyway. I have shifted the focus of my house rennovations. Since it is warming up, I have started to work in the yard. I think my neighbors are more excited about it than I am. I am pretty sure I have heard cheering and clapping from some of them as they walk by and see me digging up overgrown bushes in the yard. Apparently, I was "that house" and didn't realize it.

I made lots of progress this weekend. I took a break on Saturday night to celebrate St. Patrick's Day with my friend Kelly in Auburn. Her husband asked me if I had a fight with a barbed wire fence. Apparently, you should wear sleeves, gloves and shoes other than flip flops when removing rose bushes. Who would have thought? And I even managed to get sun burned on Sunday afternoon.

Once I get all the plants in order, I am thinking of putting a small koi pond in my yard. I've been doing some research and it doesn't sound like it will be overly difficult. My biggest question is whether or not I have to get permission from the historic society to put it there. I am thinking I would rather go ahead and do it, and ask for forgiveness later than to ask for permission. For right now, I don't even know who I would contact to find out? But I'll just save that for when I get closer to getting ready to start that project.

And another project I am still thinking about... a book. I was thinking that I could just collect all of my crazy stories, my "Amyisms," and put them all in one book? I've been blogging for about a year now and have posted over 200 times?? And thats only the past year. Surely I can think of enough crazy stories to make one book? Would someone publish it? But would it sell? I don't even really know where to begin? Sure, it might just turn into a bathroom book, but I think it is worth a ty, right? But I guess, like anything else, its just one step at a time. Any suggestions or comments are welcome.

Contagious

It's contagious. Yes, duty giggling is contagious. I got a phone call from a friend this weekend and he didn't even say hello, just DUTY. He must have been reading my blog. And also, this:
OMYSUE - Where Are You?
Thanks, Siz! I needed that today!

Duty

I watched (well, most of it before I fell asleep) a WWII movie last night. Patton. Like I have said before, I can’t resist a laugh anytime a person says “duty” no matter what the context. Well, last night in the movie someone came in shouting “Where is the duty officer?” I couldn’t resist. I giggled and looked over at Jason and said, “He said duty.” Then, they said duty about 5 more times and I had to stick my head under the covers to keep from laughing out loud. I could never be a duty officer because I would just laugh all the time. I’m so mature. Jason was probably glad that I fell asleep and he could watch the rest of the movie without my constant giggling.

On another note, I got my hair cut last night for the first time in over 6 months. Nothing too drastic… but I now have bangs. Still getting used to them hanging in my face while I work. This is not the best picture, but you get the idea:

Karma Force Field

Last night, Jason and I were sitting around watching tv. He's still suffering from a broken heart and often mopes around looking depressed. I'm not usually the "there, there, *pat pat*" kind of friend. I'm usually the "I'm going to aggravate you until I make you smile and forget about what's making you sad" kind of friend. So, sitting in my big over stuffed chair I pretend that I am going to throw a pillow at Jason's face while he is lying on the couch. He flinches and laughs and so I go to really throw it this time (and unknowingly to me) the fringe on the throw pillow has managed to snag itself on my little toe. I fling the pillow and suddenly my baby toe feels as if it were just ripped right out of the socket! I look down to see that while it is still there, there is something that looks like rope burn around it. So, later... seeing another sad face, I ball up a napkin, reach way back and to throw it when suddenly a big cramp shoots through my upper back. I think Jason has a karma force field around him and everytime I try to mess with him, it just bounces back at me! I guess I need to just leave him alone!

Non-karma related incident for the night (or so I think anyway):
I cook heat up some chicken noodle soup for us for dinner. I decide I want a grilled cheese to go with mine. I prepare the sandwich and heat up the frying pan. I usually butter one side, throw it in the pan, butter the other side and then flip it. Just as I am ready to flip the grilled cheese, I realize all the spatulas are dirty and in the dishwasher which is running. So, I quickly dig in the drawer for anything that I can use. I find a rubber scraper, which is one of those cheapy dollar store ones that don't withstand high heat. I jam it under the sandwich tearing it up and smearing the cheese all over the pan. The cheese sticks and begins to burn and let me tell you, burned cheese does NOT smell good and it smokes a lot! I continue scraping and throw the pile of burned cheese mess onto a small paper plate. I carry it to Jason in the living room and say "Are you sure you don't want a grilled cheese with your soup, because I'm doing a really good job!" He looked at the mess and laughed, although I am sure he already had an idea what was going on judging from the cursing and smoke that was coming from the kitchen.

I chunked the blob in the trash and started over. And this time, had a spatula ready!

Brief Update

I am swamped at work and not much time to blog. My car wouldn't start again yesterday so I am borrowing Jason's for the day again. Hopefully, we can check it out and get it cranked, otherwise at least get it to a mechanic tonight. I also have to work at AE tonight which further complicates the situation.

Tuesday, I had a terrible migraine. I am so busy here at work that I could only afford to go home for a long lunch a try to sleep it off. It worked for the most part, but man is that getting old. I have an appointment with my doc to discuss the migraines next week.

Yesterday, around 3 (after the car broke down) I started feeling feverish. I got chills all over and all my joints started to ache. I had several errands to run (in Jason's car since mine was dead) and did all of them right after work. I picked up Chinese food and a movie on the way home. I took tylenol as soon as I got home and soon after felt the fever breaking. It's strange though... I've never felt JUST a fever. It's usually coupled with a sore throat or a runny nose. But I had no other symptoms. Let's hope it doesn't come back again or that it was not a sign of things to come, because I CANNOT afford to be sick right now. We ate and watched Borat which I have to say was quite funny and made me feel a lot better!

This morning, I am light-headed and woozy. I bent down to get something out of the bottom dresser drawer this morning and thought I was going to pass out on the floor. My vision went black but I didn't actually pass out. I'm feeling okay right this minute though.

I picked flowers in my yard for a lady I work with whose birthday is today. We are taking her to lunch to celebrate and that will be a much needed break for me from working. Then I'll have to run by the house and let Jason take me back to work so he can get to school. Boy, am I glad to have him around or I would be stranded all the time!

I've been really stressed here at work this week and next week is only going to get worse. So check in on me folks! I need contact with the outside world!

Coffee Break

I don't drink coffee everyday. But some days, its just necessary. But I am pickky about the way I drink my coffee. I put in way too much sugar and use either milk or liquid creamer. So, often I bring my own bottle of flavored creamer and put it in the refrigerator in the breakroom with a label on it so people will know who it belongs to. I don't ever mind sharing. But I would prefer people to ask first, so I am aware that I may be out or running low and know I need to buy more. But someone has been using it without asking. I had suspected it for a while, but this week I brought a brand new bottle and have only used it one time... yet it is almost empty. Shall I put it back in the fridge this way? You think I will get in trouble?

Leave the Pieces

I've heard this song on the radio a few times and really related to the lyrics. I actually thought it was the Dixie Chicks when I first heard it, but learned today that it is actually The Wreckers. Here's the video if you'd rather listen and watch than read the lyrics.

Leave the Pieces As You Go

You're not sure that you love me
But you're not sure enough to let me go
Baby it ain't fair you know
To just keep me hangin' 'round

You say you don't wanna hurt me
Don't wanna to see my tears
So why are you still standing here
Just watching me drown

[Chorus]
And it's alright, yeah I'll be fine
Don't worry 'bout this heart of mine
Just take your love and hit the road
There's nothing you can do or say
You're gonna break my heart anyway
So just leave the pieces when you go

Now you can drag out the heartache
Baby you can make it quick
Really get it over with
And just let me move on

Don't concern yourself
With this mess you've left for me
I can clean it up, you see
Just as long as you're gone

[Chorus]

You not making up your mind
Is killing me and wasting time
I need so much more than that
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah

[Chorus]

Leave the pieces when you go
Oh yeah
Leave the pieces when you go
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah,
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah,
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah,
Leave the pieces when you go

Danger to Myself

The strangest things happen to me. Really. Just a few minutes ago, I was stretching in my chair. I turn my head to stretch my neck... and uh oh. My earring is caught in the sleeve of my lacy shirt. I wiggle for a second thinking surely I can get loose. Nope. I manage to stand up with my ear stuck to my shoulder and walk toward my officemate saying "Waaaaayne, I think I could use your assistance?"

He laughs and says, "You hooked it in there pretty good, didn't ya?" But he was able to free me without any damage to the earring, my shirt, or my ear! I'm just glad its Friday and I will be going home soon.

Learn Something New Everyday

So, after the day I had on Tuesday... you know, breaking the scanner, no fork at lunch and then spilling my cactus... my day continued.

When I finally clocked out and went to go home, my car wouldn't start. Of course, I was supposed to be heading to work at AE. But I called and they were able to get someone to cover my shift so that I could deal with my car. My dad comes and we try the obvious first. We jump it off and it starts right up. I breathe a sigh of relief thinking "Good, it's just the battery." But to be on the safe side, we drive it to an AutoZone to let them test the battery and make sure I don't need a new one. They test it and say that it's fine, but once again the car won't crank. So they Auto Zone guy asks me... "When is the last time you checked the water in it?" And I am thinking the radiator? I had no idea that you could, much less should, put water in your car's battery?? He added water to the battery with something that looked like a turkey baster. I know he thought I was a moron. So, I leave the car running in the parkiing lot at Captain D's so that the battery can recharge.

When I leave, I decide to go to my parent's house, just in case it still won't start. Then at least I won't be stranded somewhere with no ride. I go inside and visit for a while. I'm sitting on the couch and their yorky, Jax, jumps up on the back of the couch. I hear a burping sound and then something warm all down my back. Yes, he threw up on me. I don't know how that much yucky stuff can come out of such a small dog. Luckily, I had a clean shirt in the closet in my old room. It was a long day.

Another Monday?

It does feel like another Monday. This morning, I managed to accidentally rip the feeder tray off of the scanner on my desk. I suppose it is not meant to be used as a handle to open and close the scanner? Then, I thought someone was going to pick lunch up for me today so I didn't have to spend 20 minutes of my lunch hour in a drive-through... but that didn't work out. So I went to Wendy's with my mother to pick up a salad. The weather was so nice that we decided to stop and eat at the park a few blocks from my house and eat at a picnic table there. I had been craving one all morning so I got one of those mandarin chicken salads (which I highly recommend if you haven't tried one). I pour out the almonds and the little chow mein noodles all over the salad. Then I pour on my two packets of oriental dressing just to discover... the morons at Wendy's failed to give me a fork for my salad. We stayed while mom ate her food and then frustrated, I head back to my house to get a fork and get my car and head back to work with my salad... which I might add is no longer crispy but pretty soggy. At the corner of my block, I run into Thaddius which has been the only bright point of my day so far. It never hurts to be called beautiful!!

So, I get back to work and eat my salad which still tastes good even if it is soggy. When I'm done, I somehow manage to turn over the small cactus that I keep on my desk. It looks like the poor thing vomited dirt all over my desktop. Just greeeeeat!


It's just one of those days I suppose. And I have to work at American Eagle tonight when I just want to go home and crawl in bed. Oh well... hope everyone else is having a great Tuesday (that doesn't feel like a Monday!)

Burned Out

Yes, I have been slacking on my blog duty (Yes, I said duty... he he). I don't really have anything overly exciting to report. I had a busy week and wasn't feeling well most of the weekend so I didn't do much of anything. I bought a new ceiling fan for my bedroom since I can't seem to make the old one stop squeaking. That's exciting for me... maybe not for you or for whichever sucker I con into hanging it for me. I'm sure I could do it myself... but its an old house and the wiring is quarky and electricity scares me. So, I think I will leave this one to someone who has some experience.

But overall, I'm just burned out. Burned out on work, burned out on my routine... just in general, in need of some sort of vacation. The weather is warming up so maybe its about time to head down to the beach for a couple of days. I was hoping to go in a couple of weeks but money is going to be tight because of the not so cheap speeding ticket I have to pay. But I'm sure I'll figure something out soon.

Pineapple!

This makes me so happy. I've watched this video like 10 times already this week.

I Don't Trust Myself

I've always liked John Mayer but recently I've been listening to him a lot more than usual. The more I listen to the words and the music the more and more I like him. This song in particular struck me today. Just thought I would share it:

"I Don't Trust Myself "

No, I'm not the man I used to be lately
See, you met me at an interesting time
If my past is any sign of your future
You should be warned before I let you inside

I will beg my way into your garden
I will break my way out when it rains
Just to get back to the place where I started
So I can want you back all over again

Who do you love?
Girl I see through, through your love
Who do you love me or the thought of me?
me or the thought of me?

Hold on to whatever you find baby
Hold on to whatever will get you through
Hold on to whatever you find baby
I don't trust myself with loving you
I don't trust myself with loving you

A Best Friend

So, I haven't blogged much this past week. There has been a lot going on and I wasn't ready to talk about it yet. I needed to sort things out and decide how to handle it on my own before I allowed other people's opinions to influence me. But I guess now I am ready.

Jason is back. Not back in the sense that we are getting back together, but he is back in my life. The hardest part of our break-up was that we both lost our best friend. He and Holly broke up and he needed a friend, so he came back to where he knew he would always find one. This week has been a roller coaster but now that things are settling down a bit, I know I can handle this. I've missed having him around and telling him all the funny things that happen on a day to day basis. It's really great to have him back. I went to see the new play that he is in at AUM and have gotten to see a lot of people that I lost touch with after our breakup as well.

I know that if we can move past the hurt we went through before, we will be the best of friends and it will be a bond that lasts forever. This time, I don't have to worry about him disappearing. Relationships come and go but a real friendship is forever.

Playing Tag

I was tagged by Lioux Zhurr to list 5 things you don’t know about me. I am in turn tagging Jennifer Shell, Whiskersh55, Bubbles, Ash Mahoney and Q. This was actually kind of tough for me. I blog about almost everything so it was difficult for me to think of 5 things that you probably don’t already know. So here goes…

1. I have several phobias, some of which I think are odd:
   
   
1. Water. Not swimming pools but of lakes and oceans. If I can’t see the bottom, I am terrified.
   
   
2. Small Spaces. This extends beyond traditional claustrophobia. I am afraid to put things over my head/face such as masks, goggles, hats, helmets, etc. I have always wanted to go for a ride on a motorcycle, but can’t conquer the fear of putting on a helmet.
   
   
3. Crowd Anxiety. Wal-Mart is the devil and often gives me panic attacks. I even have prescribed medication to deal with it.
   
   
4. Losing teeth. I have a re-occurring nightmare about losing my teeth. It began when I first got braces in the 6^th grade and I dreamed that I got hit in the face with a ball, and since my teeth were wired together, they all came out at once. But what was really odd, was they looked like those chattering teeth toys with gums and all.
   
   
2. In many ways, I can be anal retentive and/or OCD about certain things:
   
   
1. When I chew food, I do one of two things. Either I evenly divide the food in my mouth and chew equal parts on both sides. Or of it is something small, like candy or popcorn, I eat one on one side, then the other, alternating. I have no idea why I do this? I guess I subconsciously feel that all of my teeth deserve equal cavity opportunity?
   
   
2. The toilet paper MUST be placed on the holder in the correct direction. The loose end should come over the top and hang down. I have even changed the direction of the TP at someone else’s house.
   
   
3. When eating candy such as skittles or gummy bears, I eat them in color order from the ones I like the least to the ones I like the most. This does not apply to M&Ms because they don’t have individual flavors. (Yet, if I have a handful of M&Ms, I will pair them up by color and chew one of each color on each side of my mouth).
   
   
4. I hate grammatical errors and misspellings. (Yes, C-W D, I do too). I also hate to correct people so I try to use the word correctly in my response in order to show them the proper spelling. I don’t think anybody ever really notices this.
   
   
5. I won't eat chicken off a bone nor will I eat shrimp with tails. I guess I don't want my food to resemble the animal that it used to be?
   
   
3. I cannot stop myself from laughing every time someone uses the word “duty.” I know it is childish, but sometimes I even giggle and say “He/she said duty.” There is a commercial on the radio for the National Guard that begins with a deep voiced male saying “Duty… Honor…” and I laugh every time.
   
   
4. While I am anal about some things, I am completely incapable of being organized about certain other things. I misplace my keys almost everyday. I have also locked my keys in my car more times than anyone I have ever met (two times with the car running and once with my dog inside).
   
   
5. Contrary to popular belief my screen name is not "Oh-My-Sue" but "Omy-Sue." My best friend growing up often called me Amy Sue (even though Sue is not my middle name - it's Elizabeth). Her baby sister said "Ah-mee" rather than Amy. So, Omy Sue kind of stuck.
   

Celeb Look Alikes... not really

I don't think I look like any of these people, but its still pretty funny:

http://www.myheritage.com

Back to Work

I think I am actually glad to be back at work today. It at least feels normal. My weekend was a little bit crazy... well, even crazy in Amy standards. Yes, Friday was bad but on Saturday and Sunday some really great things happened. I'm really looking forward to the next few weeks and seeing how things go. I don't want to talk too much because I don't want to jinx anything, but let's just say life is getting better. What more could a person ask for than a best friend, right?

The Movie That Is My Life

So, I'll start at the beginning... what other place, right? Bear with me, it's a long one... but well worth the read!

I left work at noon and Friday and did the last bit of running around I needed to do in town before head to Nashville. I had taken my car on Thursday night to get the oil changed at Wal-Mart and after 3 hours they called and told me they wouldn't be able to do it because my car rides too low and they couldn't get it up the ramp. So, I had to take it to an express oil on Friday and pay nearly twice as much BUT I only had to wait 10 minutes.

So I get on the road about 2:30 and the drive up was pretty nice. I did realize that maybe I should have brought some warmer clothes when I saw icicles hanging out of the rocks along the side of the road. I made it to Nashville right around rush time... good timing, right? Got to my friends and we headed out for dinner and drinks. I met several people and had a great time socializing at the restaurant. But we both had more than we should have since once of us needed to drive home. A stranger in the parking lot even told us that we should flip a coin to decide who should drive. But being unfamiliar with where I was, I obviously was not driving.

So, we make it back to his place and he passes out almost right away. For those of you who don't know me, I suffer from insomnia. I have trouble sleeping in my own room and in my own bed much less somewhere that I am unfamiliar with and where there is a cat that I am allergic to. And I also suffer from anxiety attacks. After sitting up for a while and not being able to fall asleep I start to break out in hives and I'm still not sure if it was from the cat or just anxiety. So, what do I do? I get my bags and tiptoe out to my car and leave at one o'clock in the morning. I figured if I was going to not be able to sleep all night I may as well be on the road headed home.

So, I get about 10 miles outside of Nashville and I'm just driving along going with the flow of traffic when I see blue lights in the rearview. I look down and realize I'm going more than 10 over the speed limit and yes, he is coming for me. So, in my pajamas I got a speeding ticket in Tennessee.

I drove much slower the rest of the way and was almost to Birmingham when my car started to choke and I suddenly realized... it was 4am, below freezing outside, I'm in my PJ's and I am out of gas. I was so busy focusing on staying awake that I wasn't paying attention to the gas gauge. So, I thought I was lucky because I was close to an exit ramp and was able to coast down to the bottom of it... only to find there were no gas stations in sight at this exit. There is only a sign that says "Hwy 31 Left." Almost in tears, I call that highway patrol only to be told that they don't respond to distress calls after 10pm on Friday until 6am on Monday. Which is funny... since they don't seem to mind being out writing tickets during those hours. So, they transfer me to the Warrior Police Department (which is a very small town just north of BHM for those who didn't already know). I tell the woman dispatcher where I am and she says she will send an officer to help me. She also told me not to worry that I was in a safe part of town, to which I replied that I wasn't worried because there was obviously NOBODY where I was.

After a few minutes in the cold, Officer Steve Keitges pulls up and asks "Are you the lady that doesn't know how to read a gas gauge?" I explain that my gas gauge is broken, as well as my hazard light switch. Afraid that someone might not see my car and plow into it, he requests another office come sit with my car with the lights on until we get back with a gas can. As I climb into the car with him, I assure him that I have never ridden in a police car before... to which he replied, "It could be worse, you could be riding in the back." As we ride, he jokes on me and I explain how I ended up on my way home to Montgomery at this hour which he, of course, finds hysterical. He says, "Well, your night didn't turn out all that bad. You ended up here with a good looking man like me." I laughed and he told me I wasn't supposed to laugh at that. It really was nice to have someone with a sense of humor at this point and time!

We get the gas can and get back to my car to find the other officer out of his car and shining his flashlight into the bushes. Officer Leitges hops out and asks if there is someone in the bushes. And there was... a huge coyote! So, at this point I am thinking about just how glad I am that I didn't get out of my car and try to walk to a gas station and possibly risk being eaten by a coyote!

I mean...seriously people? How does this stuff always happen to me? I have talked to several people on the phone today and told this story. For some strange reason, most of them have said "This could only happen to you." I think they are right. And somehow, I think it is all karma.

So now I am home and trying to relax and recover from my eventful Friday night. At least I am off all weekend and have time to recoup. Please, by all means... comment on this one. I have to know what you all have to say!

Road Trip!

I actually have the weekend off from AE! So, what am I going to do? Your first guess would have likely been work on the bathroom or some other home improvement project. But nope! I need a mini-vacation! So I am packing up and going to Nashville for at least part of the weekend. I've already nominated someone as my official tour guide... but something tells me we will likely only make it to see a couple restaurants and then mostly inside of some local bars. Otherwise, what kind of vacation would it be??

Anyway... so now I am really looking forward to Friday getting here. I am taking a half day Friday from the Bar to go get my oil changed and maybe even have an estimate done on the damage to my car from the wreck. Who has time to drop off their car at the few approved places my insurance will pay to fix it?? AND who has a $500 deductible to dish out in order to fix it. NOT ME!

Hurry up Friday! I'm ready to get out of town!

Aww, how sweet!

I got flowers. No, not for Valentine's Day. Just for no reason at all. Aren't they pretty??

Ok, so here's the whole truth. They were having some sort of meeting upstairs and had leftover flowers. They know I like flowers so they gave them to me, LOL. But flowers are flowers, right? And they look nice right on top of my "to do" pile!

Product Marketing

Also while I was venturing through Wal-mart, I decided to look for some chapstick since I seem to have lost my strawberry flavored kind. Right next to the chapstick was this and I couldn't resist taking a picture of it to post:

I mean, seriously? Couldn't they have come up with a better name for this product and more conspicuous packaging? For the poor people who need it, couldn't we have come up with something other than a bright red box with HERPLEX printed on it to scream out "I have a cold sore!" Come on package design people... think again!

Dirty Baby in the Dirty, Dirty

Since my hair dryer had a blow out, I ventured to Wal-Mart last night at 9:30pm. Bad idea. I pick up my few items and head to the checkout where I discover that the only lanes that are open are the self checkout lines. This is not a problem for me and I usually use them myself. But, this leaves no other option for the white trash idiots who do not know how to operate the machines. I got stuck in line behind a couple with the dirtiest baby I have ever seen in my life. I do underatand that babies are messy and a little bit of dirt and drool is to be expected. But this kid was absolutely filthy. So filthy that I could not resisit sneaking a picture with my camera phone with the sole intention of posting it on my blog today. So, here it is for your enjoyment... chocolate covered white trash Alabama baby:

And yes, the WOMAN pushing the cart is wearing a plaid lumberjack-looking jacket over her nightgown style dress. I thought for a moment that maybe I shouldn't post this for fear that these people might actually see it, but no chance that they could A) afford a computer and internet access and B) grasp technology to the point where they could use a computer or get on the internet.

Update: I debating about just deleting the comment I received on this post. But instead I decided to elaborate a bit more. I focused my picture on the dirtiness of the baby. What you could not see in the photo was the older son (maybe 9 or 10 years) dressed in more expensive name brand shoes and clothes, carrying some sort of handheld video game. Inside the shopping cart were some necessities (no wipes or soap) but potato chips, candy, snacks and most importantly a large case of beer (and not the cheap kind either). I do not believe that these people were hurting for money, but rather have a disregard for public hygiene. I "judged" their level of intelligence based on their choice to appear in public in that state and their failure to be able to operate the very simple checkout line.

And lastly, this is my blog and my outlet for my thoughts and opinions. I always appreciate comments and feedback on what I write, positive or negative. But if I write something that offends you, feel free not to read my blog anymore.

Duh!

Yesterday was certainly a Monday. I was attempting to take a picture of myself to send to a certain someone. I kept mashing the button and no flash. So, I kept turning the camera around looking trying to figure out why, before I realized... it was taking video instead of stills. Here is the product of that escapade: DUH!

Monday, Monday...

So, this morning my blow dryer had a blow out and wouldn't work. For those of you who didn't already know, I have naturally curly hair that I usually blw dry and straighten everyday. So, today I am nappy headed! Then on the way to work, my oil light came on. What a way to start a Monday!

So here is something that made me laugh this morning. It's one of the funniest "Whose Line Is It Anyway" clips I have ever seen:

This is how you do it!

I often browse through real estate around Montgomery. Fixing up older houses has always been a fascination of mine, so I watch which ones are bought and sold and how much the prices increase after rennovation.

I have a feeling this house in particular might have a little trouble getting sold based on their advertising campaign. Here is a photo of the front of the house. They could have rolled the garbage can in from the curb, but overall, not so bad:

But here is the kicker... is that a body wrapped in that blanket??

I can see it now... the realtor showing the house. "...and this house is very reasonably priced. The previous owner, Earl, died... yes, that is him wrapped in the blanket. We'll have him removed if you make an offer on the house."

Seriously... who thought this was a good picture to showcase the bedroom?

Animator vs. Animation

As a designer, I have a great ppareciation for the amount of time this probably took to create. And its pretty darn creative.

New Line!

We were sooooo busy tonight at AE. So, busy that we made paper airplanes and paper hats. It was an exciting evening. Here is Calvin modeling the AE Paper Hat line by Amy Shell:

Help! Let me out!

Ok, some of you may think that I am evil for laughing at this. But if all parties involved laughed, its ok to laugh with them, right? So, the following conversation occurred between a friend and I recently through IM's. But before you read it... here are a couple of definitions for those 'challenged" people who don't know online abbreviations or terms:

LMAO = laughing my ass off
OMG = Oh my God!
piss giggles = Hang on, I have to run to the bathroom before I pee in my pants!

Friend: my boss telling me about his trip to mobile to bury his wife’s father

Friend: about her mom
Friend: who has Alzheimer’s
Friend: she pooped her pants
Friend: and it got on her pants
Friend: no spare pants
Amy: OMG!
Friend: so there in the rest area
Friend: and her mother is trying to walk out of the restroom with no pants on
Friend: his wife had to hold her mother in the stall
Friend: and a smell to high heavens he said
Amy: oh my
Friend: he went on an adventure to find sweat pants for her all over town
Amy: lol
Friend: he said then when he turned on the heater in the car you could smell it
Amy: ooooh no!
Friend: so if he turned on the heater which it was freezing yesterday you smell poo!
Friend: too funny
Friend: i was laughing
Friend: he said yeah it is funny and we laughed about it all the way home in the car
Friend: cause his wife was telling everything her mother said and did while he was gone to get the pants
Friend: she was yelling HELP HELP HELP
Friend: let me out
Friend: im ready to go
Friend: HELP HELP
Friend: GET ME OUT
Friend: HELP
Amy: lol
Amy: OMG, i just snorted I laughed so hard
Friend: piss giggles
Friend: can you imagine some 80-90 year old in the rest area with poop pants yelling
Friend: HELP let me out
Friend: lmao
Friend: too funny

I can't help it! It's hysterical and I had to share!

Free Day!

I actually didn't have to work today at Amercian Eagle so I had the whole day to work on my bathroom! Dad came over this morning and helped me get the toilet re-installed. It was a little tricky because part of the flange broke off when we were getting the toilet out. Once we got it back in there, I decided to go buy a new seat and lid with brushed nickel hinges and a brush nickel flusher handle to match the faucet on the new sink. With those put on it, it looks like a whole brand new toilet.

I also got a toilet paper holder stand (since the old holder is now behind the beadboard) and a glass shelf to go in the shower that I can put shampoo, conditioner, etc. on. I got it installed just a few minutes ago and I have to say I am pretty happy with the way it looks. I drug the new sink upstairs and just set it in there so that I can get a better idea of what the finished product is going to look like. So here are a few pics:

Kick Butt Workout!

So, I finally bought myself one of those exercise balls today. I also got a video to go with it. I figured the stretching might make my back feel better. WRONG! That video is only 10 minutes long and it KICKED MY ASS! I am sore in so many places. But I guess that is a good sign that it will actually work! So, to anybody looking for a good ab workout, I recommend you get yourself an exercise ball. But be prepared, it takes some good balance... I almost busted my tail a couple of times. I'm sure it will get a little easier with some practice.

Still Sore

I'm pretty sore this morning so I'm not going in to work. I just figured I'd give my back a rest since I have to work all weekend at AE and I didn't think sitting upright at the computer all day would help it any. So, I'll be home resting if anyone needs me!

Uggghhhh!

Yes, I had a fender bender on the way to work tonight. Tore up my car and I've got some pretty nasty whiplash. The car is still driveable it just looks banged up. Since my Camaro has such a pointed nose it just wedged right under the other car. Yes, I rear-ended him. And guess what... he just happened to be an auto insurance agent. Oh, the irony! So we stood on the side of the interstate for about 30 minutes freezing our tails off waiting for a cop to come do the police report. It was just a lovely evening. But just for the record... no, I was not on the phone and no I was not speeding. Traffic just came to a very sudden stop and I couldn't swerve off because there were guard rails beside me.

So me and my sore back are getting in bed and I just hope I feel better tomorrow!

Karma Strikes Again!

I got called in to work tonight. I wasn't there 5 minutes before a co-worker farted on me. No kidding. She didn't realize I was in the stock room with her and just totally farted. She was completely embarrassed. A few minutes later, someone else is standing next to her and I say to them, "You'd better not stand too close to ______, bad things are happening." And at that exact moment, a box fell on my head. What else could it be but KARMA! Later, a customer hit his head on a sign and I laughed at him. And then I lost one of my favorite earrings and never found it. So, I am going to bed. G'night everyone!

Boy, it smells good in here!

I bought myself some perfume a couple weeks ago. It was a little box set that came with a big bottle, a small travel bottle and a bottle of lotion. I put the small bottle in my purse but haven't used it yet until today. Sitting at my desk, I remembered I didn't put any on this morning and thought... "Oh yeah, I have that little bottle in my purse." It's that new Be Delicious by DKNY and the bottles look like little green apples. The lid was on pretty good and when I yanked it off, I discovered that the little bottle is not in fact a spray bottle... as it poured on my desk. Great... Well, I smell good and so does my desk.

But here is something that doesn't smell good and made me smile today:

Skanky Thieves

Friday night, I was asked to work at AE even though I wasn’t scheduled. We were putting up the new floor set so I agreed to come in. (Secretly, I was wanting to try on the new dresses that came in our spring collection – sooo cute!) But I am so glad I came in. We had some suspicious looking people in the store, huddling in the corner near the women’s undergarments. The manager went to the back and called security. Four guards promptly showed up and planted themselves around the store. The intimidation factor must have worked because they six people quickly left. After they were gone, we walked around the store picking up garments that had the sensors removed. I have no idea how they get them off but they were ready to head out the door with them. We thought we had successfully thwarted their plans.

A little while later, I was out on the floor refolding some clothes, when one of my co-workers, T, comes up laughing and says “Come here, girl, I got something to show you.” She leads me over to the dressing room and says, “Tonight is the night!” As she starts to open one of the doors, I am expecting to see a massive pile of clothes that we have to return to the proper places on the floor. Not at all… this is what I saw:

Yes, it’s a pair of hot pink thongs! No, we don’t have any of those in the store right now. Apparently, someone tried some on, decided to keep them and was kind enough to leave their dirty pair behind. And I mean D-I-R-T-Y! The picture does not do it justice because there was a skid mark. I mean… seriously? First, if you have that sort of problem, don’t wear a thong. Second, if you have to steal some clean panties, be kind enough to take the dirty pair with you as well.

My manager came in with a big pair of rubber gloves up to her elbows and scooped them up with a swiffer pad. T got a good picture of her picking it up. Wish I had it to post. So, to say the least… Friday night was an interesting night at American Eagle!

More Progress

Tiling inside the shower is finished, including some new decorative edges that I picked out yesterday. I got it cleaned up in there and all the molding is cut and ready to be installed. I even got the mirror hung! I also took the sink out of the box and it looks so good. I can't wait to get it in there! More to come, but here are a few pics of the progress.




I know the lighting is bad, but I'll take better ones soon.

Random & Useless Trivia for the Day

A large sweet tea from McDonald’s looks like a lot more when poured in the floor board of a Camaro.

Pigeon feathers can unknowingly make their way into your living room and onto your furniture.

Splinters and saw dust are hard to remove from socks and even harder to remove from the insides of your shoes.

Space heaters will blow circuits in old houses, especially when it is raining and your breaker box is outside.

Do not playful hit someone on the backside with a piece of tile while they are tiling your shower (especially while they are holding a pocket knife) because they may panic and think the tiles they just installed are falling off the wall.

Note to Self:

Always check the direction of the showerhead before turning it on. Hosing a freshly painted ceiling is probably not the greatest of ideas. Also, be sure to make sure the shower curtain that you just hung back up... that you put the liner INSIDE the tub. Otherwise, why did you really hang it?

Woo hoo!

Tiles are going up pretty quickly on the wall inside the shower. I am getting so excited! It's all really starting to come together and I can really see what it is going to look like in the end.

Blue Da-ba-dee!

The walls and ceiling are now blue. I love it. It's a little dark in there right now, but nothing a new light won't fix... right, Brian??

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Accomplishments

So, renovating really is a learning process. Despite the setbacks, miscalculations and other things, we did manage to get a lot accomplished this weekend.

When I thought my arms were going to fall off and I couldn’t hammer any longer, my dad and brother came over to rescue me. We managed to demolish and remove all of the concrete in the walls down to the studs inside the shower. I was able to get concrete backer board (yes, in my Camaro) to put up. Luckily for me, the backer boards are waterproof so I can shower in there once again. I picked out the paint color and I have put a test spot up on the wall and think I am going to love it. It is starting to look more like a bathroom and less like a cave, so that has got to be a good thing! Here are a few pictures of the progress of the weekend:

My brother, Jonathan looking, oh-so-happy to be helping!

The test spot of paint (the blue, not the poopy brown)

The new tiles on the floor (no more pink!)

The shower with the backer boards up... soon to be covered with the same tiles as the floor.

On the agenda tonight is to paint the walls above the beadboard and the ceiling in the blue. I alos would like to put a final coat of white paint on the beadboard, but we'lll see just how much my arms can handle. Then, tomorrow night I plan to start tiling inside the shower. I've never tiled a wall before so this should be interesting. I'll be sure to keep posting pictures. I am getting so much response to the "30 Things I Learned" that I may post a blog of all the comments I have gotten.

It's great to know so many people read this stuff and actually enjoy it! Thanks everyone!

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.

ouch...

My whole body hurts... but its off to the races again. Hopefully soon the labor intensive parts will be over and I won't hurt so much. Making progress... slower than I had hoped, but certainly progress. Will post more when I have time for a longer break.

oh my...

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

Good news, bad news...

The good news (well, GREAT actually) is that my little (well, younger actually) brother got offered a state job yesterday! Not only is it an increase in pay and better benefits, but he also gets a state car (well, van actually). He announced this to me last night while we were eating dinner together at Panera Bread.

The bad news is... I am still a moron. For those of you who aren't familiar with Panera... they have trays and real silverware that you empty and return to a designated area. I walk up beside my brother dump my trash and set down my tray. He looks over at me with his mouth hanging open and a "What did you do?" look on his face. I look down to see that I just dumped my trash in the designated bin for the silverware... not for the trash. We both begin laughing so hard that I have to walk away from him to attempt to regain my composure. I laughed so hard I cried... and even snorted... earning a disgusted look from another Panera patron.

Yep... that's me.

I want a guy...

Just a little something sweet I picked up somewhere...

Can you really call this progress?

This is a picture that was taken of my icky pink bathroom before the rennovation process began. The walls werepink... 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 also went to home depot last night just to pick a some 2x4s and a few other small supplies. I ended up leaving with a new bathroom sink. I had a pedestal sink picked out that was going to be rather expensive. Last night, they had some new shaker style cabinet sinks in stock and more importantly... ON SALE. I love it! In a moment, I had a guy with a forklift getting it down for me and I was headed out the door with it. This is what it looks like:
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.

Gambling vs. Relationships

In many ways, the dating game is much like gambling. You scout it out and pick the table where you think you stand the best chance. You sit down knowing that the odds are that the house will win, but the excitement of the chance to win big draws you in. You know what you stand to lose, but the butterflies of hope that this could be “that time” make you play the game.

You are dealt your hand and can change a card or two, but ultimately must work with what you are given. If you think it’s a bad deal, you can fold and walk away, losing only what it cost to get in the game. But if you choose to fold, you’ll never know what you might have won and you don’t get to see the opponent’s cards. So, most often we choose to bet, either bluffing or honestly believing that you can win this hand. You can only win big if you bet big. I am an “all-in and lay your cards on the table” kind of girl. The stakes are high... risking your feelings, your pride, and sometimes even your heart. But the winnings could be so much more... companionship, trust, loyalty and best of all, love.

Sometimes you bet big and lose it all. You can then choose to gather what you have left, move on to the next table and hope for another chance... or you can choose to pack up, go home and give up. So you must choose for yourself whether you can handle losing over and over in the search for the time that you will win big. With practice, you can learn better ways to play your cards and also learn when to just walk away. How many times can you lose to the same opponent before you give up on playing with them? I’m still deciding myself. I’ve shown all my cards and for now, it wasn’t enough. But I know that I am happy knowing that I played the game, even if I lost in the end. Playing fair is all you can really ask for and I got that.

After the last big game I played, I chose to pack it up and go home. I felt like I had lost so much that I would never be able to play the game again. This round proved me wrong. I was afraid that I would never feel that “spark” again... but now I know I can. And one day, that spark will be mutual and I will win. Someday... someday.

The Importance of Spelling

The importance of correct spelling has been an ongoing joke amongst some of my fellow bloggers... but this article sums up just how important it can be. A simple misspelling can really "land" you in a terribly embarrassing predicament.

So much to do!

I am at work but I can't seem to focus. I keep running through my mental "to do" list for projects at home. I've got to go pick out the grout color and buy it so I can complete the floors. Then, I am ready to install the beadboard on the walls. And those of you who really know me, know how big of a clutz I am. I am scared of power saws... for me, thats just asking to lose a finger! I want to get the walls and floor all done during the week so I can begin demolition of the tiles inside the shower. Monday is one of those state holidays in Alabama and I will be staying home to celebrate Martin Luther King, Jr. and Robert E. Lee's brithdays... and of course, to work on my bathroom. Since I only have one shower in the house, I needed to wait until I have a couple days off work to devote to finish it. So, don't be too surprised if I show up at someone else's house with a bar of soap and a towel this weekend.

Also this weekend, I am going to see James and the Giant Peach at the Alabama Shakespeare Festival. I read the book when I was in the 3rd grade and remember loving it! I'm really looking forward to seing how they pull it off and I know the company will be good. It'll be a nice break from the rennovation projects. I know its only Monday... but I am already looking forward to the weekend!

Do I HAVE to go back to work tomorrow?

It's Sunday. It's raining and thundering... and I love it! I am taking a break for a moment from working on my bathroom. I took a break all day yesterday, since I worked at AE most of the day and then went to a bonfire. It gave the tiles plenty of time to dry. So, today I went and got the beadboard and quarter-round for the walls (in between the bouts of rain). So, I am all set and ready for this next week!

This weekend has been really good. I bought myself some new clothes and some new perfume. I saw some friends I haven't seen in quite a while... and I must say, I am really happy to have certain people back in my life. Good friends are hard to come by these days.

Hope everyone else had a great weekend too!

Woot Woooooot!

Ok... please note the name of the person they interviewed... Bubb Rub and Little Sis! And his "Wooot woot" is priceless!

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 of 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:

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 sink 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-yourslef 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 them 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 butt 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.

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!

Q's pimp-mobile!

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