Tooting My Own Horn

Can I just say that I'm proud of myself? After tiling the countertops last week, I decided to tackle tiling the kitchen and laundry room floors. While Scott and I were in TN visiting his family, we made a trip to Home Depot to pick up some supplies to help his cousin finish his basement. You can’t take me into Home Depot without me finding something I “need.” I decided to price out buying a wet saw versus renting one. They had one for only $88! SOLD! So my souvenir from our trip to TN was a wetsaw and some tin backsplash tiles. I was thrilled. So when we got home, I picked out my tile color and got all my stuff together.

Saturday, I put most of the solid tiles down and then left for Valley for the weekend. I used my wet saw on Tuesday night for the first time and was surprised that I actually did a good job and managed not to cut off any limbs or appendages. I did cut myself a couple of times, but only on the sharp edge of a cut tile and NOT the saw thankfully.

One note about wet saws: The little safety guard not only keeps you from touching the blade and little bits from flying out into your face…but it also keep the stream of water from shooting directly into your eyes. I found this out the hard way.

Last night, I grouted the kitchen and I am amazed at how well it turned out considering my lack of experience. I’m really impressed that I was able to do this completely by myself. Scott helped take the quarter round off around the floor and moved the refrigerator for me, but other than that, I have done this all myself. Thus, the tooting of my own horn. I’m a little proud, can ya tell?

Anyway, so the kitchen is almost done. I just have to clean up one more time, seal the grout and put down new quarter round and then its on to the laundry room. Here’s a pic of the progress, but keep in mind the tile is still a little hazy from the grout:


I know they look a little orangy but they are actually tan. I can't wait until its all done!

Did I Mention How Awesome I Am?

Well, how awesome I am with a little help from my friends? Justin, Jennifer and I re-tiled my kitchen counter last night and I must say it looks pretty darn good! (Hard not to look a considerable amount better considering it was previously done with small pink floor tiles.) It hasn't been grouted or anything yet, which is why the lines are so dark in the photo below. I'm debating now on what to use as a backsplash since the new and shiny tiles make the old ones look dingy?

Just Another Lunch

I just got back from lunch with several co-workers. I paid for my lunch in the cafeteria and looked ahead where a co-worker, Tommy, was already sitting and holding a table for us. I realized I hadn't gotten a knife and went back to get one. I walked back to the table, sat down and started arranging my trey. I looked over at the table to my right and there sat Tommy laughing. I looked up and realized I was sitting with some old scruffy guy that I didn't know. I was totally embarrassed. I moved to the right table and another co-worker, Brian, came walking up behind me laughing so hard he about dropped his trey. We tried to have causal conversation but every time Brian looked at me he started cracking up all over again. Go figure. I'm an idiot.

Decisions

I can be such a strange person. Or so I’m told. I have often called myself the most indecisive person in the world. Sometimes I absolutely cannot decide what I want for dinner, which shirt I should wear with these pants, or what color I should choose for this particular design. But it seems like the more significant and more important things, I seem to be able to decide upon with no problems. I guess when it comes to how I feel about something or someone, I can really decide what is the right thing to do. I decided what car to buy in a day? Yes, I did some research on the internet ahead of time so I know a little about what I had in mind. But when I saw it, then drove it, I knew it was what I wanted.

I guess I can say the same about big decisions in my person life. It didn’t take me long at all to decide that Scott is just the kind of person I’ve been looking for. And the strangest part is that it took me completely by surprise. We went out on a few dates but I was blind to him for several reasons. For one, I was still a good bit tangled up with “the ex” and all the craziness that surrounds him. I think I also was not expecting the man of my dreams to come in quite the package that Scott is. Please don’t get me wrong; I’m not saying there is something or anything at all wrong with Scott. I’m simply saying that being a nearly 6 foot tall, 25 year old (at the time) female who lives in Montgomery… I didn’t expect to be so completely compatible with a 5’7”, bald, 35 year old (at the time) man who lives an hour away from me. But I’m so glad that I was completely wrong. And more importantly, I’m so glad that he was patient enough, or perhaps persistent enough, to stick it out long enough for me to realize how wrong I was.

After about the second informal double date, I pushed him away and told him I only wanted to be friends. And at the time, I was certain that was what I wanted. But we continued to bump into each other through our mutual friends. The more time I spent with Scott and got to know the real him, and not the guy who was trying too hard to impress me, I really enjoyed his company. After a fun Friday night just hanging out, I decided on the spur of the moment to invite him to go to a concert with me… that night... in Pascagoula, Mississippi. So our first real date, the first thing we ever did alone together, we drove (part of it accidentally) through two states without my even knowing his last name! The conversation on that drive was so entertaining that we managed to drive 75 miles past our exit. I think that says a lot about our compatibility.

After that trip, I was sure Scott was what I wanted. The only uncertainties I still had then, were whether or not he was still seeing other people and whether or not he was interested in being in a relationship? It didn’t take long for us to iron all of those sorts of things out and we’ve been practically inseparable since, despite the physical distance between us. And I must say, this past year has been one of the best of my life. Being with Scott has taught me what being in a real, mutually beneficial, open and honest adult relationship should be like. I’ve never been able to trust anyone the way I trust him and its such a wonderful feeling.

So, what spurred this sudden confession of emotions? Because Scott is trying to make a pretty big decision himself right now. We’ve been looking at houses. And when I say WE have been looking, I mean that we are looking for a new house for him for now, but with the potential of it being our home if we eventually decide to get married. We’ve found one house that we both absolutely love. It’s a beautiful and huge historic home in Lafayette, Alabama. It is more than 150 years old with 6 bedrooms, 2.5 baths and a pool. It’s everything we think we want in a house. But with a house of that age and size come many responsibilities. And Scott, unlike me, is not one to make a rash decision of this magnitude. So, I guess in a way, this is my way of expressing how I feel about the situation. I want him to know that I love him and support him no matter what. Either way, I’m really excited to be beginning this new adventure with him and can’t wait to see where the road takes us next!

My Trip to the Governor’s Mansion

I had lunch and then headed over to the Governor’s Mansion about 12:30. It was still sunny but the wind was beginning to pick up. I stood inside the gate directing people towards the front of the mansion where they would begin their tour. Around 2:00, the bottom fell out and it began to pour. Brian, the previously mentioned co-worker, and I seeked shelter in the carriage house at the back of the mansion. It poured for only a few minutes before almost completely stopping, so we headed toward the mansion to see what the game plan was for the rest of the day. As we rounded the corner of the house meeting up with a security guard and an unnamed man in a suit, we walked up onto a nice marble porch surrounded by marble columns. Allow me at this point to remind you, that I did not come to work dressed for this occasion and was wearing flip flops which have almost no tread on the bottom. You guessed it, my feet flew out from underneath me. I hit my butt first and then my head too. I laid there for a moment mortified, with my eyes closed thinking, "I did NOT just do that." Since my eyes were closed, the 3 men around me panicked thinking I was knocked unconscious. Actually they thought that I had hit my head on one of the columns that I missed by merely inches. They scooped me back up to a standing position and I insisted that I was fine. And I thought I was. I continued to help and direct traffic and pass out lemonade but as time went on, my head began to pound. I even stood, with a wet butt, listening to the guest speaker on back patio next to Patsy Riley (the Governor’s wife, for those of you not from Alabama). I left early and went ahead and got on the road to Valley since they were predicting tornadic weather to hit Montgomery within the hour. I felt like someone had beat me up. And today, I’m even worse. I think I pulled some muscles in my neck? I guess its kind of like whiplash in reverse? And no bruises have appeared on my butt/hip yet but I can feel that they are coming. When I told my brother about it, he laughed and said he was sure there was a security guy somewhere watching the footage of me falling over and over again. Maybe he’ll send it into AFV and win $10k??

Anyway, I just thought I would share my embarrassing and painful moment for the laughter and enjoyment of others. Today, I’m laying around Scott’s house watching the rain and resting!!

Wardrobe Malfunction

So, there is a Tourism event today at the Governor’s Mansion and they had been asking for volunteers to help. I didn’t volunteer because I heard a co-worker say he had plenty of people for Friday. But now that Friday is here, and its looking like its going to storm...suddenly some of the people who volunteered are not available. Well, all the volunteers are supposed to wear our Sweet Home Alabama polo shirts. I didn’t wear mine because I wasn’t planning to help. But I was asked to help this morning since so many people backed out. There were some XL men’s polos left in the closet so I got one of those even though its a bit too big. Problem 1 solved. Problem 2 was... I wore a black bra under my black and white shirt today. The polos are white and very thin. Its supposed to storm. Not a good combo. Luckily for me, I remembered that I had packed a nude colored tank for my weekend trip to Valley and it just so happened to be in the trunk of my car. But this did require me to treck through the building and out to the parking deck to get the tank. I was told by a certain sarcastic co-worker...”I don’t know what you were told, but this is not a Girl’s Gone Wild Governor’s Mansion Special.” Nice. No worries though. Karma will get him.

DUH!

I just had one of those "DUH!" moments. I brought my iPod with me to work today to charge up for the drive to Valley tonight. (I'm thrilled b/c my new car has an input so I can plug it straight ini and no longer have to use an FM Modulator!) I plugged the iPod into my computer and iTunes popped up. For a moment, I thought... “Ooooh, maybe the previous guy downloaded some music on this machine and I’ll get it for free?” It was empty and for some reason I was very surprised. Then I remembered... the guy I replaced is deaf. I supposed he really didn’t have a need for any music. Hmm. Total brain fart. At least its Friday.

I’d Like to Introduce…

My new car! I’ve never had a brand new car before and if you’ve read my blog ever before, you know my luck with cars. I’m so excited to have a car with a working gas gauge, windows that roll up and down, no holes in the roof to leak when it rains, etc.

For Once Counting on Karma

I was walking up the large hallway of my new office building today. I had a lot on my mind. I’ve been stressing a lot lately. My sister had surgery this morning. My grandmother in North Carolina whom I haven’t seen in over three years was taken to the emergency room and admitted to the hospital today. I’m worried about my financial situation since I won’t get my first paycheck from the new job for a month. So, I walked and ahead of me I notices a woman passing by and something fell out of her pocket. As I got closer I realized it was money. Without a thought, I scooped up the money and dashed toward the elevator where I had seen the woman waiting to get on. As I came around the corner, the doors were beginning to shut and I yelled, “Ma’am! You dropped your money ma’am!” She managed to hit the button and the doors opened back up just long enough for me to reach my hand through and give her the money. It wasn’t until I began walking away that I realized what I had done. Without even a but of thought, I gave the money back to the woman when it would have been so much easier to pick it up and put it in my own pocket. Especially when I’m worried about money. Especially when I needed that exact amount of cash to play Bunko tonight. But I didn’t. I guess I judt don’t think that way. The right thing to do seems to be the natural thing to do. I want to believe that it only makes me a good person and something to be proud of, but the fact that I am missing that devious gene also makes me susceptible to the kind of people who do have it. I am too trusting. For now, I’m going to hope that I created a little bit of positive karma in my favor. I’m going to hope that it helps get my Grandma home safe and sound. I’m going to hope that it helps my sister heal up fast. Maybe its wishful thinking, but what’s wrong with that?

Wierd Mood

I'm just in on of those weird moods. I have a lot on my mind so I'll just start there.

I started the new job today. I was extremely excited to find out that my new title is "Assistant Art Director." Being an Art Director is my dream job, so being assistant to one is just one step closer. The department is smaller than I expected it to be. There are about 20 of us. I guess that's a lot less names to have to learn. Everyone seems really nice and several people seem just thrilled for me to be there. I had been really nervous about starting. I was a relief to get the first day out of the way.

Valentine's Day was wonderful. I fully expected Scott to have nothing planned. But I was wrong. His Jeep was in the shop most of the week and I stayed at his house, letting him drive my car to work. So on his way home from work that day, he called and told me to be dressed and ready when he got home. He showered and dressed quickly and we headed out, him not telling me where we were going. First, we went to a store in LaGrange where he told me to pick out a really nice dress. I was surprised and completely didn't expect that. So, I shopped around and he bought himself a suit. I had a little trouble in the first store finding a dress that was right, but at the second store i found several dresses in no time. In fact, I couldn't decide between two dress. One was a "little black dress" that was pretty fancy and even made Scott's jaw drop when I came out in it. If that doesn't make a girl feel incredible, nothing will. The other dress was a little less flashy but I felt like I would get more use out of it. Namely the wedding we were going to the following Saturday. So Scott insisted I got them both.

Then, he surprised me with dinner. He took me to dinner at the Piedmont at Calloway Gardens. They have a romantic Valentine's Day special. It was wonderful. I was even brave and tried some things I had never had before: lobster spring rolls and smoked duck! After dinner, we went to a little drink bar they had and sat by a big fire drinking martinis and beer. It was extremely romantic.

But typical of ANY day spent with me, you know something had to go wrong. Remember, that his Jeep was in the shop so we had to take my ghetto-mobile on our romantic date. So here we are, all dressed up and headed home and my car begins to overheat. We make it from Pine Mountain to the Wal-Mart in Valley. We shop for coolant in Wal-Mart wear a little black dress and suit. What else could be expected with me?

Adding the coolant seemed to do the trick for the time being. We leave my car at his house for the weekend and head to Montgomery to attend Ashley and Will's wedding. Once we get back to his house on sunday, we decide to take my car for a test drive to make sure its safe for me to drive back to Montgoemry. No such luck. Overheating again. It spends all of Monday in the shop, so I am once again stranded at Scott's with no car. And the problem with the car turns out to be more expensive than the car is worth to fix. They fixed enough so that its still driveable bbut I just have to make sure it doesn't overheat. So I'm driving Dad's car for now. I'm planning to trade in the ghetto-mobile (if they'll even give me $5 for it?) and try to get something else. I'm just having a little issue getting affordable insurance with my poor driving record. Yeah, I know... nobody's fault but mine. But still, I can't help but be frustrated...

So, that's where I am. Home after my first day of work. Sitting in bed watching Mike Rowe crawl into small and dirty spaces. And somehow I feel like my whole world has kind of turned upside down? Not necessarily in a bad way? But just different. I've spent every day for over a week with Scott and it feels weird to be alone. It felt extremely weird to pass by the State Bar today and head to a new job. I just feel weird. I can't explain it any better than that. I think I should just go to bed.

Another One of Those Days

Once again this morning, I woke up to find that I had no hot water. A trip down to the basement revealed that it was once again full of water and my pilot light was out. Yes, I got a new sump the last time the basement flooded. Yes, it was working properly. Yes, there was a kink in the hose preventing any of the water from being pumped out. So I unkinked the hose and the water started to flush out. I called my grandmother who lives nearby and asked if she minded if I used her shower since I knew I didn’t have enough time to wait for it to heat up. I get ready and manage to make to work only about 15 minutes late.

So, Dad came over to the house at lunch to help me get the pilot light relit. No such luck. Luckily for me, Scott just happens to be coming to Montgomery tonight because it’s my brother’s birthday and we’re all having dinner. She gets to be the next one to attempt to relight it.

So once Dad was unsuccessful at lighting the pilot light, I go into the kitchen to make him something for lunch. I have been in Valley since Friday, so this is the first time I have really been in my kitchen since then. I discover that a loaf of sourdough bread has been invaded by some sort of rodent. And it was ON THE KITCHEN COUNTER. Which means there were little nasty mouse feet on my counter. So to say the least, I am not a happy camper. I have looked all over the house and I haven’t found any droppings or any other sign of them, but I know they have to be around there somewhere.

So, now my debate is what sort of traps to get? I know not to use poison because they eat it and die in the walls and you smell them for weeks. But I don’t want to see a smashed mouse in a trap either. So, that leaves me with the sticky traps or the kind that closes up and captures the mouse. But then what am I supposed to do with it? I’m certainly not going to touch it! And I think I would feel like a horrible person if I just threw a mouse in the trash to starve to death? I don’t think I can do it? Anyone have any suggestions? Or does anyone want to volunteer to come remove a mouse when I catch one?

I'm beginning to think I should sell my house and get a little apartment so there will be a maintenance man to call when these things happen!

Update: I left out the part about my car. My keys keep getting stuck in the ignition. It used to happen only in the winter time when it was really cold outside in the mornings. But if you didn't already know, it feels like springtime out the right now so its not the cold. I have no idea what to do about it? I didn't think I was going to be able to get in my house at lunch because I couldn't get my keys out. (This of course was before I realized the fact that I could take my house key off the key ring and use it to get in - DUH!) So if anyone has any suggestions about what might be wrong or what I can do to fix it, feel free to let me know! I'm hoping if I just leave the keys in it, someone will do me a favor and steal it!

Grrr....

I've been so stressed these last few days. But alas, I have something funny to blog about!

I went to lunch today with my mom and sister. We went to a little mom and pops place around the corner. I saw the HR lady for my new job there. Had a nice lunch. When I got back to work, I went up the elevator. As soon as the doors closed I saw my reflection in the doors and realized that my sweater is buttoned crooked. Its a grey fleecy sweater and it may not look the greatest but it keeps me warm when its this cold out. But buttoned crooked it makes me looks like the homeless bag lady on the corner. So I walked around like that my whole lunch and now the HR lady probably thinks I'm "special." Oh, who am I kidding? I AM special! Nothing I can do about it now.

I did, however, call my mom and sister as soon as I got to my office and ask why didn't one of the two heifers bother to tell me I was buttoned up crooked? They swore they didn't notice. Suuuuuure. Likely story.

Update & Thanks

I have to start off first by saying that Scott is the bestest boyfriend EVER! He came to my rescue yesterday with everything we needed to get the water out of my basement and to get my hot water heater back up and running. In the short time I was home alone trying to figure out what to do, I managed to get my clothes very wet, bang my head on the duct work in the basement, get a severe cramp in my neck and shoulder trying to use a hand pump, pump several gallons of water into my mothers shoes (while she was wearing them nontheless), yet not successfully removing very much water from the basement. So, thank God for Scott!

Let me remind you, Scott lives about an hour away. Which means that after an entire long and hard day at work, he got straight on the road to drive an hour to do even more work at my house. Now that’s one hell of a guy! What more could I ask for? I can’t possibly put into words how grateful I am, not only that he knows how to do these things, but more importantly that he is willing to help me do them. It’s an amazingly wonderful feeling to know that I have a partner that I can truly count on. So thank you again baby!

Good News & Bad News

I’ll start with the good today. I got a new job! My last day at the Alabama State Bar will be February 8^th. I will be starting as a Marketing Specialist/Graphic Designer for the Alabama Department of Tourism and Travel. It’s a pretty decent pay raise and after a probationary period I will receive an addition 5% raise. And those of you who know me, or even just read my blogs, know that I am in desperate need of a new(er) car and I might actually be able to afford to get one after this. Hallelujah!

And onto the bad news. Last night I boxed up some Christmas decorations (a little late I know) and was headed to the basement to put them away. I was carrying a fairly large box down the dark narrow stairs and no, this time I didn’t fall. When I hit the bottom of the steps, my entire foot was submerged in water. About 4 or 5 inches deep. It’s not uncommon for there to be a little ground water on the floor down there but there is a sump pump that is supposed to keep it fairly well drained. Apparently not. We had a pretty heavy storm on Thursday night in Montgomery, so I assumed the water got in then and I haven’t been home to discover it since then. Knowing there is nothing I can do about it this late in the evening, I proceed about the other things I need to do.

This morning, as I am preparing to take a shower before work I doscover that I do not have hot water. Gee, I wonder if this is related to the amount of water that is in my basement? I am still hoping that the water is indeed from the storm and that it is high enough to have put out the pilot light on the water heater, which also resides in my basement. I’m hoping that the water heater did not break and flood the basement which would likely be much more costly to fix/replace.

So for now, I am at work wrapping up some things around here. I’m headed home about lunch time and Scott (AKA My Mister-Fix-It) will be coming to help me get the water out, determine where it came from and whether or not I will HAVE to call a plumber to fix whatever is wrong. So, keep your fingers crossed for me. I have faith that Scott can get it done without me having to spend a fortune!

WALL-E

I think it's the graphic designer in me (even though Scott's says its the kid in me), that absolutely loves animated movies. I love them all but Pixar by far has made my favorites. I was so excited to see this preview today! I can't wait for it to come out. He looks like the robot from Short Circuit. And the noise he makes when he thinks he ran over the bug is adorable. I want a WALL-E!

Karma Strikes Again

As I am sure I have mentioned before, Scott and I are leaving for New Orleans tomorrow. Once again, I am ready for the vacation. Our tickets to the Sugar Bowl arrived by FedEx this past Saturday. Apparently they had been attempting to deliver them for a couple of days, and since no one ever uses the front door at Scott’s, he had not noticed the stickers on the door notifying him of the attempts. Saturday morning, Scott had to work and I was at his house alone sleeping in. About 10:00am the dogs start going crazy and there is a knock at the door. I scramble out of bed and quickly throw on something that is respectable enough to go to the door in. I go to the back door first, since that’s where most people come and realize that no, the person is at the front door. I run out just as the FedEx guy is about to drive off. Luckily, he sees me and stops. As he steps out of the truck, his foot lands directly in a deep hole hurdling him head over feet through the front yard. I manage to stifle my laughter and ask if he is okay. Though embarrassed, he is not hurt. I sign for the tickets and get back into the house quickly before I explode with laughter. Then, I proceed to call several people and relate the story so they can laugh too. Over the next couple of days, I continue to tell the story to more people and enjoy a good laugh at the expense of the poor FedEx guy.

Bad idea.

Christmas Eve. Scott and I are getting ready in a hurry so we can make it to both of our families Christmas festivities. He’s upstairs at my house finishing getting ready and I go ahead and start down the stairs. Hearing my heels on the wooden stairs… ‘clunk, clunk, clunk,’ as I go down, Scott calls “Be careful” from upstairs. No more had the words gotten out of his mouth when “KABOOM!” Luckily I was only two or three steps from the bottom so I didn’t have far to fall. I turned my ankle a little and bruised my butt and palm which took most of the weight when I fell. Karma. It really is a bitch.

Then, yesterday I called in sick to work. I had been to Valley for Christmas with Scott’s cousin Chris who had just gotten in town. When I woke up, the rumbling and sloshing sounds in my stomach were a clear indicator that it would NOT be a pleasant hour drive to work. So, I stayed at Scott’s not feeling well and sleeping in. When I got up after lunch time, I was pretty hungry and decided it should be safe to eat by now.

For those of you who have never been to Scott’s allow me to explain first. Next to the stove, the cabinets are high like the ones that would go over a refrigerator (although the refrigerator is on the other side of the room). So, I’m stirring pasta and cooking at the stove, and stop to go to the bathroom which is directly around the corner. WHAM! I catch the very corner of the end cabinet right above my temple. And I did not catch it softly. I saw stars and was dizzy. I thought for a moment that I might have given myself a concussion.

Today, I am fine but my head is extremely sore in that whole general area. Every time I glance in the mirror I expect that whole side of my head to be black and blue. But not yet. So I am expecting the bruises to appear just in time to look great in all of our New Orleans pictures.

So, all I have to say is I am sorry that I laughed at the FedEx man. When will I ever learn about this karma business?

Why I Need This Vacation

Here are just a few reasons why I desperately need this vacation...

1. I bought the exact same Christmas gift for my mother twice in the same week.
   
   
2. I mailed out 60+ Christmas cards out with the WRONG return address on them. (My house number is actually '2041' for anyone that got one.)
   
   
3. I split my favorite pants last night getting in Scott's Jeep.
   
   
4. I bit into a bone in my cheeseburger at lunch on Wednesday and thought I had broken my tooth. Fortunately, I did not.
   
   
5. I busted my tail on a project at work, only to find out there was already a template they wanted to use… and was told there was no sense in me "recreating the wheel."
   
   
6. I discovered that I had made a major miscalculation in my checkbook and have far less spending money for the trip to Gatlinburg than I previously thought.
   
   
7. I spilled, yet another, full glass of tea in my car… this time in the driver's seat as I was getting out.
   
   
8. I have apparently completely lost a gift that I bought Scott for Christmas. It was only a gag gift so it is not that big of a deal, but just the point!
   
   
9. The "Service Engine Soon" light is coming on in my car nearly every day, and I am just waiting for the excitement of finding out what breaks next!
   
   
10. I got my eyebrows and lip waxed so I would "feel purdy" on the trip. My skin had a bad reaction to the wax or the lotion and I have broken out a rash across my forehead and lip. So much for feeling "purdy."

Baby Photo

We are playing the "Guess Who is Who?" with baby pictures at our company Christmas party this year. I finally remembered to bring mine in and I thought I would post it here too just for fun. I think they will probably guess that its me by the eyes if nothing else. What do you think?

Time Passes

It's funny how the time passes. This week has seemed to go by so slowly. I have so much to look forward to in the upcoming weeks, so I just want this one to be over! Next Friday, Scott and I are leaving for Gatlinburg and staying in a cabin with Jennifer and Justin. Scott and I will have been dating for 5 months (feels like much longer) next week and I think that's a good excuse to do some celebrating while we are there! Also, I haven't been to Gatlinburg in years and I have never been at Christmas time when all the lights are up. I am hoping that there is at least one snow flurry while we are there. Not enough snow to keep us from going out, but enough to enjoy. I thought when I moved to Alabama after living in Ohio and Maine that I would never want to see snow again… but I do miss it.

Then, the next week is Christmas. I have been buying presents since Halloween and it has been killing me to keep them hidden and not give them early (except a couple which I did give early). I'm really looking forward to this Christmas. The holidays last year were so hard on me. I was single and living alone for the first time. Don't get me wrong, I always love to spend time with my family during the holidays but it still felt pretty lonely not to have a significant other to share it with. This year… not so much. I have really enjoyed putting up the tree and taking pictures and sending cards with Scott. (If you've given me your address, expect your card in the next few days.) He's not a scrooge like most of the guys I've dated and he's happy to help me put up lights and watch silly Christmas movies. He's so great. Its so much fun to sneak around buying, wrapping and hiding Christmas gifts. I can't wait to give him all the things I've gotten.

Then the next week, we will be going to New Orleans for several days. The main reason for the trip, of course, is to go to the Sugar Bowl to see Georgia play Hawaii. But we plan to do some sight seeing while we are there as well. And I have no idea what we'll be doing when we ring in the new year, but I'm excited to be spending it there. The only time I have ever been to NOLA, it rained the entire day and the Essence Festival was going on so it was a madhouse. I'm looking forward to having the time to shop around and do all the things I want to do. If anyone has any suggestions for places we should go or things we should see while we are there, feel free to let us know!I hope everyone else is doing well and feeling as great as I am right now! It's almost Christmas!!

Just sharing...

I just wanted to share (even though it’s a little late)! This is my birthday cake from Scott. No one has ever gotten me a birthday cake but my parents, so it was pretty special to me. Thanks again, baby!