The Stace Place

It happened.

2012-02-02T09:03:00.000-08:00

It happened. It finally happened. I made curtains! The most domesticated task I've ever completed, and I'm quite proud of myself. I mean, do you even know how much IRONING is involved with this???

Here's a crappy picture for you. Go ahead and drool because they are so amazeballs. All 95 inches of these panels are lined, baby.

Restaurant Week(end)

2012-01-23T10:52:00.000-08:00

Each day I proclaim, "I'm going to lose those last 10 pounds!" but by noon I'm like, "Nah, I'm fine with looking like Rembrandt's Bathsheba for the rest of my life." Ain't nothing wrong with a few soft parts, right?

Now that you know what I look like when I get out of the shower [awkward]...let's get on with the story, shall we? This weekend I faced a particularly difficult challenge: Making curtains. Not fancy curtains, mind you. Just 2 panel curtains (i.e. sewing together rectangles of fabric). Still, this project made me loathsome.

My first instinct was to leave town; take a little mini-vacation somewhere...anywhere. Get as far away from the curtains as possible. The weekend getaway idea wasn't entirely practical, so I gave myself a compromise: Stay home and treat myself to a nice meal in celebration of Nashville Originals' Restaurant Week.

Sean gleefully obliged to being my date when I dangled the Bacon Old Fashioned in front of his nose. After all, we hadn't been back to The Patterson House since our anniversary. Here's how we tickled our palates...

FRIDAY
The Patterson House - You'll feel transformed when you enter this gem of a bar, hidden in the Midtown section of Nashville just off Music Row. Once you're invited past the heavy velvet curtains, brothers Benjamin and Max Goldberg will wow you with their eloquent cocktails, homemade bitters and fancy ice. The menu takes a back seat to the amazing drinks, but everything is made fresh and we haven't been disappointed.

HIS: Bacon Old Fashioned
HERS: All Do Respect
Shared: Hummus with Grilled Bread and 1 stolen fried goat cheese ball (thanks, Sherri and Keith!)

Cha Chah - Nashville Chef and restauranteur Arnold Myint consistently serves playfully creative and delicious dishes. I'm a big fan of everything AM, and I knew he would put on a good showing for Restaurant Week.Could I have used RW as an opportunity to try a new establishment? Yes. SHOULD I have used RW as an opportunity to try a new establishment? Probably. DID I? NO. Because I heart Arnold. I want to be just like him when I grow up. Arnold truly enjoys the art of designing a menu, and it shows.

Starters

HIS: Tempura Scallops with Kimchee, Soba Cake and Sesame Soy Reduction
HERS: Duck Liver Pate with Pumpernickel Currant Toast, Cippolini Brittle

Main Course
HIS: Pan Seared Sea Bass with Sunchoke Latke, Beet Puree, Pickled Mustard Seeds, Basil Oil
HERS: Masala Lamb Loin with Curried Parsnip, Charred Eggplant, Cherry Chutney

Postres
HIS: Dark Chocolate Mousse, Bourbon Raisins, Almond Tuile
HERS: Creme Fraiche Cheese Cake with Market Berries

SUNDAY BRUNCH
55 South - Three words: Fried Pork chop Sandwich. (okay, 4 words.) It's probably a dangerous thing that 55 South is so close to my home. Especially on Sunday mornings when I have the occasional hangover and feel like eating my weight in cheese grits and fried oysters. Sorry, 55 South...I just realized I might be trashing up your joint...This is a really nice place, trust me.

Bottomless Mimosas*
Starters: Cheese Grits (Fun fact: yes, fat people order starters with their brunch.)

Main Course
HIS: Pecan Pain Perdu "Lost Bread" - French Bread French Toast Topped with Pecans, Praline Syrup, and Powdered Sugar with a side of bacon
HERS: Eggs Florentine - Poached Eggs over Creamed Spinach and an English Muffin topped with Fried Oysters and Hollandaise (and a healthy dose of hot sauce, added by yours truly)

*We had to make an unfortunate trip to Wal-Mart for the curtain project, so alcohol was a must.

Thoghts become Destiny

2012-01-17T14:16:00.000-08:00

"Watch your thoughts, for they become words.
Watch your words, for they become actions.
Watch your actions, for they become habits.
Watch your habits, for they become character.
Watch your character, for it becomes your destiny."

If you've stopped by before, you know that this blog is primarily used as a forum to share the latest happenings from our suburbanite lives. For example, updates from our most recent weekend would include things like: dinner with Trev & Meg at their new place (and ruining their carpet with red wine), seeing Wicked Divas with the Nashville Symphony, Sean watching football, me hanging out with my Little Sister, baking fresh bread and attempting a coconut cream pie (it failed).

Sometimes I use this blog to share my feelings...like how I might be stressed or feeling blue about something.

Yesterday I almost employed this blog as a soapbox to share my recent distaste with Fashion Bloggers. I don't expect anyone to actually CARE about my feelings towards fashion bloggers (or anything for that matter). It was just a topic that humored me at the moment. And, thankfully, that moment has passed.I mean, what a DUMB post that would've been, right? Reading my blabber about bad outfits...sheesh. I definitely don't want my destiny to be droning on about bloggers (unless it pays well. and if that's the case then sign me up!)

My grandmother was always a negative thinker. She was an incredibly smart woman, but was always the first to lob an insult or launch into criticism. I mean, to the point you didn't want to spend too much time with her because it would make you angry...
I loved her in my own way, but I certainly don't want to be like her. Negativity can be humorous if used in the proper way, but it's also a very dangerous tool. I believe my grandmother spread a LOT of negativity around her world while she was still on this earth...and to her dying day I don't think she ever understood why bad things "happened" to her. I've definitely learned from her. And I need to remind myself more often to change my THINKING for the better.

So, this concludes my peaceful hippie thoughts for the day. The end.

Making Plans

2011-12-30T13:58:00.000-08:00

I bet you thought I was gone for good, didn’t you? Ah haBUT I’M NOT!

For the record, I really dislike starting almost every blogentry with some sort of explanation or apology regarding my lengthy absence.But, I feel like I have to acknowledge the fact that I don’t regularly post.Then again, I guess you guys are used to it (or SHOULD be by now), so you and I have an understanding about the way this works: I think about postingall the time. I only post when I can. Sometimes I start a post only to scrap itbecause it makes me feel like a narcissist always blabbing on about myself…andthen sometimes I follow through with posting because I accept my narcissistic tendenciesand just go with it. You, on the other hand, are foaming at the mouth,anxiously awaiting my next update. That’s how it goes, amiright?

Moving on…

There is SO MUCH to share with you guys right now. Lots ofchanges, lots of positive vibes and good feelings, happy things. First, let’s celebratethe end of Christmas and GET ON WITH OUR LIVES already. Sheesh. I don’t knowabout you, but I’m not buying a single damn thing for another 12 months. Notfor me, not for anyone…unless it’s wine. And it's important to note that all wine should be bought for and consumed byyours truly. Speaking of drinking, it’s New Year’sEve tomorrow night! I’m very much looking forward to having a few close friendsand family over for a fun night of games. We’ll don our favorite loungeclothes/pajamas and do whatever we can to stay awake until midnight. Then,assuming I still have my wits about me, I’ll make Midnight Breakfast for ourguests.

So what else is going on? LOTS. The new year is alwaysexciting to me. I look forward to new beginnings and making plans. I have abrand new planner that currently has NO PLANS in it, so I’m working on making afew things happen. It’s time for a little Listy-Lu (I couldn’t wait for this.This list was practically the whole reason for my posting in the first place.)

2012 – The year of…

- - A new master bathroom

- - And, as a result of the new master bath,probably new décor for the master bedroom as well (they need to flow. Duh.)

- - More yoga classes for Stacey. This is a MUST inorder for me to stay calm and keep a healthy, positive outlook on things.

- - More flying for Sean – and hopefully aninstrument rating!

- Stacey turning THIRTY. Blech. But, in order tocope with old age, I will treat myself to a fun trip. I’m thinking Vegas! Who’scoming with?

- More travel. You see, we're DINKs. Not only that, but we're DINKs in Small-town, Tennessee. Seriously, the most exciting opportunity we have in Franklin is running into Ben Folds getting FroYo at Sweet CeCe's on a Thursday night (true story). I'm really not complaining, but the truth is that life here can get pretty boring. So, if I'm going to be bored, I'd rather be bored on the beach or in a new town that I can explore. Then plan is to visit our friends who moved far, far away from us, and hitting up a few places that we've never seen before.

- Staying matched with my Little Sister. It's complicated. Her life isn't shiny and bright. In fact, it's kind of crappy. Hanging out with her isn't always fun (not her fault), but I think it's important for me to stay with her. I have no reason NOT to stay with her. We haven't really formed a close bond (not by my standards, anyway), and the truth is that we may never have a close bond. But as long as she wants to keep seeing me, then I will be there. This relationship is unlike any other, but I keep reminding myself that different is good. Getting out of my comfort zone will help me grow. Staying committed to something that doesn't benefit me is an act of selflessness, and Lord knows I need to be more selfless. He also knows I need to be better about keeping my mouth shut and quit bossing people around. ah, but it's so fun..

-- And finally, using my Kitchen Aid stand mixer. I vow to do more cooking and baking for fun (not just out of necessity) because I really do love being in the kitchen.

So...I guess this list should keep us pretty busy throughout the year! I look forward to sharing new happenings with you guys. You know, whenever I get around to it. MWAH!

It's NOT New Joisey

2011-11-29T18:56:00.001-08:00

The week or so prior to Thanksgiving, folks around the office were asking me, "Soooo...what are your plans for the holiday?" (as if they actually cared.) My response was, "We're going to visit Sean's family in New Jersey." And I'm not kidding you - every single person expressed sadness and pity saying something like, "Oh you poor thing - it's going to be so cold! Is it snowing there yet? Oh, that's awful...New Jersey?...that's like the armpit of America, right?"
No, friends, it's not snowing there yet. I realize that my fellow Southerners believe every state above Kentucky is the Great White North (and they're kinda right about that). But you may be surprised to learn that their weather is very similar to ours here in Middle TN. New Jersey trades out the tornadoes for quite a bit more snow in the winter, but that's about it. The day after Thanksgiving I was jogging outside in a t-shirt.

Secondly, it's NOT "New Joisey." I know you enjoy dusting off your 1920's mobster accent, but not all residents of NJ are from Hoboken. Yes, the folks in and around NYC (in North Jersey) carry the "Joisey" accent, but not the rest of the state. South Jersians have more of a Philadelphian/Delaware valley accent. Mind you, it's still a funny accent, but it's just not "Joisey."

And finally, what makes NJ the armpit of America? When did The Garden State get such a bad wrap? I'll be honest...the state of NJ wasn't on my radar until I met Sean's family, but I certainly didn't think it's residents carried the plague. I'm here to tell you, dear readers, that New Jersey is not all that gross. I can only speak for South Jersey (I hear North Jersey is a completely different place...) South Jersey is spread out and rural for the most part. There are lots and LOTS of pine trees. We drive along winding highways, passing lots of land, trees and beautiful old homes. The shore is full of quaint Victorian-era coastal towns that remind me of Downtown Franklin.

I feel rather sorry for residents of NJ, having to bear their scarlett letter known as Snookie and all things Jersey Shore. Sure, the Snookies are around if you know where to look (and SO fun to watch), but there aren't enough Guidettes ruin the entire state.
Once Sean and I hit the lottery, we're going to buy a vacation home in Stone Harbor. Or maybe even the Utz house in Avalon. It's rather cute, don't you think? All 14,000 square feet of it...

And in case you're wondering what it looks like in NJ during Thanksgiving - it's just like the rest of the country. Turkey carcus, full plates, and dad falling asleep at the dining room table...

Five Years

2011-11-16T08:11:00.001-08:00

Five years ago I stood here as a newlywed. Venice, Italy - the most magical place I've ever seen. I still can't believe we were here...

At the crack of November, weeks before Turkey Comas and Black Friday Fever set in amongst the rest of the country, Sean and I toast to a private celebration - our wedding anniversary. This date is a wonderful pause to the hustle and bustle of our suburbanite schedules, fall birthday celebrations and our annual Halloween party. And, it's the perfect excuse to treat ourselves to an expensive meal. He makes a reservation (which I think is adorable), and I try to remember to buy a card. He ALWAYS outshines me when it comes to the card. Sean can be very romantic when he wants to be, and his sweet words melt my heart.

We savor a slow meal together and say things like, "Can you believe it's been ___ years? Seems like just yesterday we were sharing our vows..." and "...do you want to have sex tomorrow night instead? Because I'm still really full from dinner..."

We went for fancy cocktails at The Patterson House this year. I guess "fancy cocktails" is an understatement - more like "Works of Art." This elusive establishment has made quite the name for itself in Music City, and we were excited to see what all the fuss was about. NO WONDER! The ambiance of the bar is executed perfectly - intimate without being claustrophobic, warm and inviting like an old English library balanced with elements of high glam and shimmer. It's a nod to the 1920's speakeasy without being kitschy at all. Our seats at the bar gave us a front row view into the craftsmanship of their stunning cocktails, and our tongues were equally impressed with the taste (Sean is still raving about his Bacon Old Fashioned). But don't just take my word for it:

http://jackwufilms.wordpress.com/nashville-2/nashville-best-bars/

http://www.styleblueprint.com/food-and-entertaining/evening-patterson-house/

Our evening wrapped with dinner at The Standard, and...let's just say we won't be going back. It was a total bust. The hummus and grilled bread from The Patterson House was more impressive than my filet at The Standard! But, a bad steak will never stop us from having a lovely date night. I was still making memories with my most favorite person in the whole world.

Mini Post: Tablecloth Traditions

2011-11-12T09:57:00.001-08:00

Even though I'm not hosting Thanksgiving dinner this year (Thank God), I still wanted to add a bit of festive holiday flair to the dining room. And here's what happened:

The table cloth you see was my Mimi's, and it was the backdrop for every holiday meal she and my Papa hosted throughout my childhood. I snatched it up last year and saved it from being sold in the estate sale. I absolutely LOVE the floral details, and I can't believe how well it blends with my modern tablescape pieces from Pier1.

Reflections on New Seasons

2011-10-25T16:00:00.000-07:00

I believe October marks the10 year anniversary of my Great Trip Out West - my move to Seattle (which, for those of you who don't know, only lasted a couple of months). I was 19 years old, working as a full-time bank teller, not in school...and I found myself facing an interesting life transition, but felt incredibly directionless. My good friends and mentors Vicki and Rick suggested I take the opportunity to explore life outside of small-town Tennessee, and I jumped at it.

Three days, 10 states, and 2,500 miles later I arrived in Seattle and felt more out of place than I ever had in my entire life. What am I doing here??? No, seriously...What am I doing?
I had just made my first real-life grown-up decision: Moving away from home with little-to-no parental consent. My folks wanted to be supportive, but at the same time had reservations about my choice to leave. And who can blame them? I had no plans other than to secure a job (which almost didn't happen). Boy, what I would give to go back to the days of being fearless and not planning for my future...

But what I didn't realize at the time is that I WAS actually planning and preparing myself for my future. That single decision to move away from home for 2 months - as silly as it seems now - really shaped who I am today. It helped me spread my wings, and I learned some very valuable lessons about myself, my friends and my family by choosing to leave.

Lesson #1 - Each of us should explore life from a different point of view for an extended period of time. Get out of your bubble! Break your routine! Challenge yourself.
Lesson #2 - You can always come home again
Lesson #3 - The boy you're talking to is never worth it (and you know it)
Lesson #4 - There's no such thing as the right way or the wrong way - we're all just carving out our own unique paths
Lesson #5 - To everything there is a season...

...and here's where I start rambling about seasons...
I vividly recall sitting with Vicki and Rick and explaining that I needed to move back to Tennessee. I felt that my grand idea to move out west was a big giant failure. I had absolutely nothing to show for my time in Seattle (other than clothes from the Gap and a ton of knitting needles). I made no friends, I had no full-time job, no place to live, and most disappointing of all, I did NOT meet Dave Matthews! I didn't see a future in Seattle, and running back home seemed like the smart thing to do. After all, I had a little brother who would soon be growing into a kid and starting Kindergarten. I had friends and family who missed me. I had the option for in-state tuition.

Yes, moving home was the path of least resistance, and I guess there's nothing WRONG with that...but Vicki and Rick did their best to encourage me to stay. Rick made reference to me staying in Seattle "through the season." I took his words literally and thought he meant for me to stay through the winter season, but he continued by saying that each of our lives has its own seasons...its own time to develop and mature, to ebb and flow, and eventually come to an end. Rick knew my season in Seattle hadn't reached its peak. It had nothing to do with the changing of the leaves or the temperature outside, but my 19 year old brain couldn't grasp this concept. I dismissed his wisdom pretty quickly, and within a couple of weeks I was back home eatin' biscuits and drinkin' sweet tea. MMMmmmmm MMMMMmmm

Hearing this bald, musician, wool-sock-wearing granola man (I LOVE YOU, RICK!) tell me that my life had seasons that weren't weather seasons because they were abstract seasons, seasons of change, of emotions and experiences, well...it was crazy talk.

Thankfully, I grew up. I matured. I'm now very familiar with this concept of abstract emotional seasons. I even accept the fact that I might experience several different seasons at once, all with their own impact.

Sean and Murphy

Fall in Franklin

Murphy P. Carroll

2008-2011

New Things

2011-10-10T13:47:00.000-07:00

Today I'd like to share a few new things going on in our wild and crazy suburban lives. HA! Who am i kidding? our lives are plain jane and often mundane. I guess that's why I find these new things so absolutely exciting.

The first is an item I've been eying at Yarrow Acres - one of my favorite shops on Main Street - for quite some time. My sweet mother-in-law Ann gave me a gift certificate for Christmas...last year. Okay, so it took me 10 months to go shopping, so what!?! I was thrilled to purchase this adorable birdcage. We're using it to display a pretty fern and an African Violet in the corner of our den (sorry the lighting is so dim).

Next in the "new" category are some extra awesome HALLOWEEN decorations. Woot woot! I love love love Halloween. In years past I've gone a bit overboard when shopping for new ghoulish decor, but this year I've been pretty strict on myself. I think spending less than $100.00 on new decorations is strict, don't you??? I'm so enamored with this new arrangement in our dining room that I sort of want to leave it up all year...

Okay, you caught me...Murphy isn't new by any means, but I still wanted to post an update. He's been living with doggy lymphoma for a little over 2 months, and his health is degrading a little bit each day. We're keeping him as comfortable as we can and spoiling him rotten in the meantime. Sampling bits of delicious people food has become a regular occurrence, and he LOVES it.

I saved the best New Thing for last...the PERGOLA. Sean, Trevor and Jeff busted their behinds this weekend to make this happen. Isn't it pergolicious? Sean will be doing more pergolating this coming weekend to finish the job. I'm ecstatic about our new outdoor living space!!! And unlike this guy, these posts aren't going anywhere.

"Alsome"

2011-09-29T08:48:00.000-07:00

When we saw Downtown Franklin completely blocked off by police cars last night, Sean and I suspected widespread criminal activity. Had we owned a 12 year old girl, we would've known it was an actual case of Bieber Fever spreading throughout town.

Bieber filmed a Christmas video on Main Street causing 10 million screaming tweens (and 3 adult homosexual males) to flood the DTF in layers of scarves and skinny jeans. Video evidence of the plague can be seen here:

http://www.tennessean.com/article/20110928/WILLIAMSON01/309280141/2318/NLETTER08/Justin-Bieber-draws-crowds-to-downtown-Franklin-for-video?source=nletter-news

Legend has it, high pitched squeals from the crazed fans were heard for miles around. Decibel levels reached 165-170, the same as a space shuttle launch.

News of last night's Bieber invasion came to me via text message from my "Little."

Hey watz up u can c dat im not @ skool cuz i went 2 c justin bieber last night n i stay intil 1 this mornin
im bout 2 sent u some pics n some video it was alsome
it waz nice like a every christmas present so dat waz gud

At least she knows how to spell Justin Bieber's name correctly...

Picture Pages!

2011-09-26T13:11:00.000-07:00

I present to you, dear readers, a showcase of some recent snapshots.

Here I am with ONE THIRD of my basil plant. That's right - there are 2 more outrageously large branches still hanging out in the garden. This bunch here made 4 jars of yummy pesto. I almost forgot to mention my pesto is vegan gluten free organic pesto, retailing at Whole Foods for just $99.99 per jar.

Sean's cup overfloweth with excitement about the start of football season. Specifically college football. We invited John & Bethany to watch the 2nd UT game of the season at our place (Sean and John's Alma Mater), and Sean got in touch with his Martha Stewart side. He iced these cookies on his own. Aren't they sweet?

Sean's allegiance to The Volunteers has been shaken up a bit by his new employer (a much more prestigious university with less tacky colors). We spent a recent Saturday afternoon cheering for the Black & Gold, and cheering for new jobs.

C'mon Get Happy

2011-09-25T19:57:00.000-07:00

August was great and then, not so great. Kind of all at the same time. Does that make sense? It was crazy, busy, fun, good, happy, bad and sad. I realize regular life includes all of the above, but August felt incredibly intense. Come to think of it, so does September.
Some August Highlights:
.I resumed weekly visits with my "Little Sister"
.New tenants at the Yellow House, which involved lots of cleaning and a mild amount of stress
.Wedding showers, dinner with new friends, visits with my grandmother, traveling for work, daily sessions at the gym in preparation for our trip to The Beach...

...and then, of course, there was the actual trip to The Beach itself.

Somewhere in the middle of it all, Sean received a long-awaited job offer, I was awarded Employee of the Month title, and then we found out Murphy has doggy lymphoma. We celebrated with each other, and cried with each other. The highs have been high, and the lows...well, they're a bit stinky.
Here we are at the end of September, and I now have a big case of The End of Summer Blues. The browning of leaves, the freezing 70 degree temperatures, and football - they grab my heart, rip it out, and stomp its ass on the ground. Each year I try to fight it, and fight it HARD. I'm seriously considering the purchase of a sun therapy lamp. Now more than ever I have to make a conscious effort to stay focused on the positive - things like making a giant pot of chili, a new season of Parenthood, date nights with Sean by our fire pit, and my favorite holiday Halloween.

I can't help but shed a small tear as I vacuum pack my bathing suits into the storage bag. And I'll be shedding actual tears when it comes time to say good bye to our sweet pup. I guess the fact that I'm here on earth to experience sadness and cry a little bit is a Good Thing. It means I'm real. Means I'm alive, and I can't complain about that.

Flying into Fall

2011-09-25T19:53:00.000-07:00

The series premier of Pan Am just aired its first 5 minutes, and of course, we are tuned in. Would you expect any less from Mr. Sean P. the Pilot? I don't know if I'll be able to get past the cheesy dialogue, and I'm not sure the rest of America's viewers will be able to either...

Speaking of flying, though...Sean is eager to return to the cockpit. I expect he'll be back in the air in a matter of weeks, continuing towards his instrument rating.

Back on the ground, we just returned from our annual visit to St. Louis to see our friends The Jensens. It couldn't have been a more beautiful weekend weatherwise. We welcomed the first days of fall relaxing with good friends, which is exactly what I needed to help combat The End of Summer Blues. Sarah planned a special TV Themed costume party to coincide with our visit. I just so happen to love parties AND costumes. It was so much fun, and I especially enjoyed meeting the rest of their St. Louis friends.

Thurston and Lovey Howell

Marge Simpson and Jimmy Neutron

and Dr. Who

I'm already looking forward to our next encounter with these crazy kids. See you in the Spring!!!

It's back to work tomorrow, and back to our normal routine. Only, this Monday will be a Fall Monday instead of a Summer Monday, and I'm not so thrilled about that. As part of my battle against the End of Summer Blues, I have plans to treat myself to some retail therapy. I'm also working on plans for the halloween party. My copy of this year's Martha Halloween has already been skimmed and tagged! I really want our guests to enjoy it, which means I need to keep the fun coming, and add new and exciting elements each year. But no pressure, right?

Update: Project Pink Chair

2011-08-04T09:03:00.000-07:00

I purchased this pink chair for $10.00 in January, and vowed to turn it into something beautiful. I still have high hopes for this chair. Unfortunately, it looks the same as it did 8 months ago, only it's in a different spot in my house (hiding in a dark corner of the bonus room).

I feel just awful about this. Somehow this poor chair earned a permanent position at the VERY BOTTOM of my to-do list. It's down there next to "learn to speak fluent Spanish" and "go back to school for a real degree."

Becoming a BIG

2011-07-29T12:49:00.000-07:00

You guys remember me telling you that I joined the Big Brothers Big Sisters program, right??? Despite my lack of posting about it, I most certainly HAVE been continuing the program. I thought it was high time I share some thoughts about my role as a "Big" with you.

Let me take you back to where it all started...
If you know me well at all, you're probably aware that I'm not one of those kid-crazed "let me hold your adorable baby" types. (gag. sorry, babies.) At one point in my life I vowed to never have children, but much to my mother's delight, I've since retracted that statement. I'm now warming up to the idea of eventually becoming a mother. Hanging out with my friends' children helped me realized that they aren't all diseased ridden brats...they're actually kinda cool.

I struggled with some pretty tough things throughout my own childhood (like depression), and there were people in my life that helped me along the way. They spent time with me, listened to me, and simply cared about me. Most importantly, they were good women who allowed me to partake in their lives and be influenced in a positive way. Just inviting me to hang around them helped keep me going, and helped keep me out of trouble. Looking back I realize that these ladies were my mentors. They didn’t solve my problems, but they somehow made me feel like tomorrow was worth living for...just because they were THERE. I hope to have the opportunity to do that for other kids.

I considered signing up for the foster system, but it didn't seem like the right fit for Sean and me. Then an email came through one random afternoon asking for a donation to BBBS. I contributed, but then started searching the site for more information. It seemed like something I'd really enjoy - 1 to 2 hours per week of one-on-one time with your "little." They encourage free or low-cost activities, and even provide a free pass to the YMCA during the weekly visits.

Just one week following my orientation, I was matched with my "Little" - a 10 year old girl who lives less than 2 miles from my home. I was STOKED to be located so close because I knew it would allow easy access and more opportunities for us to spend time together.

The Getting-to-Know-You stage has been moving rather slowly. Most kids are skeptical at first, so it's to be expected. She doesn't say much at all and hasn't yet opened up to me, but I do think she's enjoying our activities. I suspect some of the silence is her trying to feel me out and figure out how to interact with me. The other part is being a 10 year old girl, going through the crucial tween phase under less-than-desirable circumstances. There's also been a slow down in communication since she and her mother went back to Chicago for 2 months. They returned home just this week (in time for the new school year) so our weekly visits will resume.

Over the next few weeks we'll be painting pottery, going to a Nashville Sounds baseball game and visiting the county fair. Things we've done in the past include: walks in the park, visiting the Parthenon at Nashville Centennial Park, drawing/crafting, making dinner together, watching movies, painting nails, and rollerskating. (And yes, that was scary.) She also taught me how to hula hoop!

For her sake, I do wish that she were a happier kid. It's hard watching her struggle with enjoying life. It's hard watching an innocent kit be jaded and bitter at such a young age. I wish that I could show her that life is a gift and it's beautiful even though there are hard times. I want to be silly with her, sing along to the radio while we drive, goof around and laugh together. Despite my trying, she hasn't let those walls down yet. Or, maybe that's just not who she is or who she wants to be. Regardless, it's not about what I want out of the experience...it's about what she needs. And even though it feels as if we aren't really connecting, I have to believe that our time spent together isn't a total waste. I hope that I'm helping her in some way, like the women in my life helped me.

Upgrade!

2011-07-27T08:00:00.000-07:00

For the past 4.5 years I've been confined to a dreary cubicle for 40 hours a week.
That's about 2000 hours of dreariness each year. YUCK.

This week I had the opportunity to upgrade to a window seat. AHHHHHHH, it's bliss. Check out those rays from the SUN and the rolling hills and the TREES! I feel so alive. And yes, that's Kate getting a sun bath. She loves the new digs, too.

Practically Perfect

2011-07-21T14:35:00.000-07:00

'Maters are growin' in the back yard. Must be summer for sure.

After a couple of 100-degree days, we were pleasantly surprised by last Sunday's weather. I stepped outside with Murphy around 7:30 a.m. and realized it was going to be a GORGEOUS day. Sure, it was probably 85, but that's considered freezing during the month of July.

We sipped coffee and enjoyed a light breakfast on the patio while reading papers and magazines. Sean declared it was a bit too warm for his liking, but I was basking in the sun. We ended up taking a drive out to the "country." It's actually just 15 minutes away, but Leipers Fork is a small (very small), rural-ish community that's sure to remind you of a simpler time. Green rolling hills, fences and farmland, away from all the McMansions and over-crowded developments...

This is what greets you as you enter Leipers Fork:
Don't ask why. Because I have NO idea. It's not like either of those shows were filmed here or based on this community. I guess it's just some "bling" for their street?

Murphy joined us on the Sunday drive and LOVED catching new smells as his head hung out the window.

We rode back into town for a late lunch at Puckett's. BLT's on the patio, and Murphy managed to find a few leftover cornbread crumbs on the sidewalk to snack on.

*********

Now it's Saturday. A full week has passed, and we were greeted by another beautiful weekend day. Score! "The Boys" (as I like to call them) and I went to the P-A-R-K, and then headed over to the farmer's market for a stroll. Okay, who am I kidding!? We weren't strolling - we were on a mission. We went for one thing only, and it wasn't fresh produce. We were there for DONUTS. A good friend tipped us off to the best donuts that ever existed (thanks, John!), and he was not lying. They were amazing. If I try really hard I can still taste them.

Freshly fried donut, fresh air, a nice breeze, and sense of community...perfect.

And I'm already planning another round of BLT's for lunch today.

...as seen in South Jersey...

2011-07-06T11:47:00.000-07:00

I should've shared these with y'all a long time ago!

Pictures from our trip to South Jersey (NOT to be confused at all with North Jersey).
This is Sean's hometown. Where the roots are. Where there's lots of love, lots of charm, and the occasional greenhead. *more on greenheads later

Sean spent some Q.T. with his father. In between all the man-to-man talks and trips to Home Depot, they played with dad's new toy...

...a full refurbished 1956 Dodge Power Wagon. Ain't she purdy?

And in between all the fence building, there was also little of this...

One of the best things about being on the shore? Fresh crabs! This place was amazing. Just a little shed located on the dock in one of the inlets. They steamed us a bucket full of fresh crabs with loads of seasoning. I may or may not have licked the top of my crab shells clean before cracking them open....

MMMmmmmmm MMMMMMMmmm...
Dear Colonel Sanders,
Now THIS is what we call finger lickin' good.

Emily was able to coordinate a visit home, too, so we could all be together.
Sharing some sisterly love at The Lobster House

The parents treated us to a big feast.
When visiting The Lobster House, you must remember to deploy the patented Tom Carroll method of "super speedy seating and eating." To purchase an instructional guide, please e-mail:
t.carroll@lobsterhouseguide.com

Our view of the shore, Whale Beach.
Somewhere between Strathmere and Sea Isle City, I think.

It's known for being less crowded.
Yes, you've got privacy from crowds of Shoobies and shore goers, but you pay the price in greenheads.
Greenheads are giant flies with green heads. They'll bite you and drawn blood. We call them horse flies in the south. These suckers are giant, mean, blood-sucking machines.
note: the item in the photo above is NOT a greenhead. It's a seagull. But they're almost the same size.

When you visit Whale Beach, you have to park here:

It's a research station, better known as "the paint chips."
I think they're kinda cool.

No trip home would be complete without a visit to the boardwalk...and some Mack & Manco's pizza...and hot Johnson's caramel popcorn...and Kohr Bros. ice cream...
Yes, we ate them all...in the same night...in less than 2 hours...Don't judge!

Remembering to Dream

2011-07-01T08:45:00.000-07:00

I need to remind myself to dream. No, not the kind of dreaming you do at night - the kind that is supposed to motivate you and keep you striving for more.

Hi, I'm Stacey, and I'm in a rut.

Dreaming is challenging for me. Sure, there are fantastical places I'd to see and experience, and there are accomplishments and careers that I'd like to explore. But, I don't allow myself to think about those things. I shut them out of my mind as quickly as possible because I believe it's a waste of time.

I used to dream...like, a lot. It was called high school. I spent countless hours dreaming about escaping my small town and seeing the world, living on my own, finding my freedom and finding myself, starring in movies, finding happiness, opening a bakery, falling in love, becoming a photographer for Rolling Stone or National Geographic...

...but somewhere along the way I became jaded. Too jaded. Girl, get your head out of the clouds! Life just started happening, and jobs happened, and mortgages happened...

Don't get me wrong - I'm proud of what I've accomplished so far. My life is wonderful, and I have so much to be thankful for, but I can't help mourning those days when I felt like the sky was the limit. Nothing is easy anymore. I know too much about the bad things that can happen in life, the consequences. I have responsibilities to uphold. I went from being fearless to completely fearful. I guess reality sank in and I grew up.

Still, there are times like this - like these "rut" times - where I need to unleash my mind and let my spirit soar instead of locking myself down into the dark rut places.

So what if dreaming is a waste of time? Today I will try to dream. I will try...

Reflection: sisters

2011-06-26T14:06:00.001-07:00

Mom was pregnant with my baby sister in 1985. I was a mere 3 years old, but still aware that I would soon be playing the important role of Oldest. Big Sister. The More Mature One. The Favorite. And according to my mother, I wanted to exercise my new responsibilities by choosing the baby's name.

"Mom," I asked, "when the baby is born can we name her Rudy?" You see, much like everyone else who was living and breathing in 1985, The Cosby Show was my favorite.
"No, honey," she explained. "I'm not sure that name fits."
"Then what about Trudy?" nice rhyming skills, younger self!
"No, I don't think Trudy will work either."
"Okay..." I pondered for a moment. "If she's black can we name her Rudy?" Fair compromise, I thought.
Mom came back with, "If she comes out black, we'll have to find a new place to live because your dad will kick us out!"

My mom, as it turned out, had remained faithful, and my sister came out white. We also got to stay in the house. But wouldn't that have been a fun surprise?

My devout readers are aware that I recently took a trip to NYC with my sister. I posted about our adventures in sightseeing and our whirlwind 3 day tour of the city, but I failed to say anything about our quality time spent together as sisters. Mostly I figured y'all wouldn't want to read all the mushy gushy stuff I have to say about her. It's also very difficult to write about someone I've known my whole life, someone with whom I'm so close, and someone so similar to myself. She's just "sister" to me, and if you have a sister of your own, then you know how I feel about her. Of course, I love her! I admire her ability to take on anything and kick its ass. Her desire to always do the right thing, even if she doesn't agree with it 100%.

When we were kids playing Barbies, making up silly dances and almost killing each other over the last Capri Sun, it didn't occur to me that she'd one day be living in a different city with a Big Girl Job, 2 cats and a driving a responsible Toyota Camry. I mean, who moves away from home? Why would anyone do that? Sister did. Because she's fearless.

When sister was in 8th grade she got the most horrid haircut of all time. No, seriously. It was. (I'll spare you the pictures.) As if 8th grade weren't awkward enough, here she is walking the halls with a gnawed up mop on her head! Two years later she was on homecoming court as one of the most beautiful girls in the school. She never lets anyone keep her down.

Just recently, I told someone that my sister "...is a lot like me, except more tender hearted. She's like a nicer, more compassionate version of me. A little taller, blonder hair and a better butt." But don't mess with her or she'll whoop up on you with a wooden necklace or a butcher knife...or maybe just her bare hands.

Empire State of Mind

2011-06-13T19:14:00.000-07:00

Writing a blog about a long weekend in NYC is almost as intimidating as the city itself...

The first time I visited New York was for a school trip in 1998. Our high school band was selected to be the lead marching band for the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade. Every detail of the trip was pre-planned and pre-paid. Yes, I marched my way down the center of Times Square, saw Les Mis, toured F.A.O. Schwartz, snapped pictures of the Twin Towers and saw The Statue of Liberty herself...but for some reason I've always felt cheated out of a "real" trip to the Big Apple. No subway, no greasy pizza, no night life...Perhaps it's just that you can't truly experience the city in one visit. That, and the fact that I was too young to appreciate what I was seeing. Thirteen years later, I'm older, wiser and most importantly, legal. It was time to go back to (as Jay Z puts it) the concrete jungle where dreams are made of.

Now that my sister and I live in different cities, we came up with the idea for an annual meet-up between our birthdays (hers in April and mine in May). Only one condition: we must know someone who lives in the city so we can crash for free. NYC was chosen for the first annual sisters weekend because of Sister's college roomie. We were so lucky that Anna agreed to let us stay, AND that she helped us get acclimated to the city. phew! big help.

Three nights in NYC for $924.77, and this is the breakdown:

- $283.90 Direct flight from BNA to LaGuardia (would've been $20 cheaper, but I paid for Southwest's automatic check-in to ensure A Boarding)

- $14.10 Airport lunch. A veggie wrap and a water. seriously!?!?

- FREE! Getting lost at LaGuardia and unable to locate sister for 1 solid hour

- FREE! lots of frustration because no one in the city explains anything or gives directions. UGH!!!

- $2.00 bus ride from LaGuardia to the Upper West Side
- $5.00 (about) dirty Chinese food, General Tso's chicken
- FREE! THREE nights in a cute apartment at 102nd and Broadway, one block from the 1 Line

- $24.10 Breakfast food and poster supplies for the Today Show

- $29.00 7 day unlimited metro pass. Probably overkill, but more convenient that buying a pass each day

- FREE! Standing in line on a sidewalk at 5:30 a.m., getting my poster on TODAY and seeing Matt Lauer and Al Roker

-
FREE! The Mall of Central Park and beautiful weather on a Spring morning

- FREE ! Walking tour of Upper East Site ***included 5th Ave, Madison Ave, wealthy Carrie Bradshaw-like ladies with private drivers and a slew of private school students with mannies. Totally. Surreal.

- $11.88 lunch at Rockefeller Center's 'Whichcraft. Spicy Pork Sandwich with a side of marinated chick peas - so yum!!

- $36.00 Experience New York - access to Top of the Rock (priceless views!) and the NBC studio tour. ***Included watching a live rehearsal of SNL, host Ed Helmes of The Office and The Hangover, Kristen Wiig and Bill Hader, and passing Seth Meyers in the Hallway

- $72.45 a little shopping detour to H&M...so what? we don't have one at home!

- FREE! nap at Anna's apartment because we only got 4 hours of sleep the night before

- FREE! Private tour of QPrime's NY management office in Midtown near Time's Square plus dinner recommendation from a QPrime executive

-$169.13 delicious meal for sister and me at Trattoria Dell'arte @ 7th and W. 57th - breads, pastas, veal piccata, wine, tiramisu, and excellent service! Our server tossed us sweet chocolate to munch on and made suggestions on which bars to visit after our show. He was really surprised that we were touristas because this restaurant is typically for locals.

- $170 excellent seats for the hit Broadway musical Wicked

- $11.76 two drinks during the show. oops! BUT, we got to keep the Wicked-themed travel mugs

- $6.05 an everything bagel with lox spread and coffee at Absolute Bagels

- FREE! unable to interpret anything the locals said

- FREE! Walking tour of Upper West Side and Riverside Park (where some of You've Got Mail was filmed)

- FREE! Central Park's Strawberry Fields and Belvedere Castle

- $15.41 awesome burger, fries and giant milkshake at Shake Shack on Upper East Side (86th Street)

- FREE! using the bathroom at The Met and realizing we never made a donation oops!

- FREE! Alexander McQueen exhibit at The Met. Y'all, this is the most amazing exhibit I've ever seen in my entire life. I wish I could share it with all of you. The collections were inspiring and the exhibit was breathtaking. It's all sister and I could talk about for days!

- $48.99 giant coffee table book of the Alexander McQueen Exhibit so I can re-live the experience over and over

- FREE! walking tour of Chelsea ***included cobblestone streets, Chelsea Market, quick detour to Anthropologie, and Chelsea's beautifully renovated High Line Park.

I could've spent hours up there, but we had places to go, people to see...

- FREE! Dinner with friends at Eatery NYC (sister owed me one)

- FREE! Walking tour of Times Square - photo op!

- $20.00 Drinks and laughs with friends at McGee's pub, which happens to be the bar that inspired the writers of How I Met Your Mother. Big pours from the bartender upstairs!

- $5.00 at 1,2,3 burger shot beer
-FREE! Singing country music while walking the streets of NYC

- FREE! shouting expletives at the locals for stealing our table

What Happens When You Post Scrap Metal on Craig's List

2011-06-05T12:27:00.000-07:00

Scrap Metal - Backyard Pergola Frame

Thanks to our relentless Spring thunderstorms, our backyard pergola
blew down. Twice.

Now, it's just a pile of aluminum rods and columns sitting next to our
house.

For anyone interested, this may be a good amount of scrap metal to go
cash in - and it's yours for the taking. I doubt it could be built
again, especially since all the assembly hardware has already been
discarded. We will be having a garage sale tomorrow from 8am - 12pm,
so the first person who comes by tomorrow morning wins!

Attached is a photo of what it used to look like before Mother Nature
took out her fury on our awesome backyard accessory. Balloons, chairs,
and general state of put-togetherness not included. You just get a
pile of metal stuff.

Address: XXX Franklin, TN.

***Below are the original responses we received. The only edits I made were removing phone numbers. Enjoy.

SU SU
hi i am interested your pergola frame im in jackson tenneessee i coming to nashville sunday so if you can dont bay that to any body i want to take that of is ok please calle me @ 731-XXX-XXXX or send me msn thank u

Su Su,

Don't worry, we won't bay that to any body because we don't know what you're saying. And P.S. You may want to consider integrating punctuation sometime in the near future. It's fairly popular.

Jessica
I have interest please let me know you address to pick up, thanks

Dear Jessica,
The address is in the effing post. We've deemed you too dumb to take our scrap metal. I would call you "retarded," but I'm not using that word anymore.

Terrence
Hi, my name is tj. i have a scrap business and can remove the hole scrap pile away. if its still there I promise i will be there at your house between 7:30-7:45am. thanks and i'll even bring a few bucks to buy something at your garage sale. can someone call me to let me know its still there. i can start getting it tonight as well if you would like. the # is 615-XXX-XXXX or 615-XXX-XXXX ask for tj.

TJ,
You seem like a nice guy! I'll forgive you for using "hole" instead of "whole." But listen, we're not going to call you, lazy ass. Just come get the scrap metal! And even if we WERE going to call you, we definitely know to ask for TJ because that's how the phone works. Duh.

Mandy
Yea i was needin to talk to u about the gazebo please call if u still have it 615-XXXX909
$$Mandy$$
You can reach me at 615XXXX909

Dollar Sign Dollar Sign Mandy Dollar Sign Dollar Sign,

Damn girl! You got a long name. And for the love of GOD, WE AREN'T CALLING ANYONE. Also, no - you weren't needin to talk to us. We're the ones who started this conversation with our post!

Sheena
if still available please call 615-XXX-XXXX. thanks.

Sheena,

Really!? Another request for a call!? When are you people going to learn...

Mumzee
I live in Franklin also. Whoever picks your pergola up can have mine too. When mine collapsed I ended up going to the ER for 7 stitches. Pile of metal in the backyard....

Oh, dear Mumzee,
Where to begin? You have serious issues if you think we're about to strike up a chat-room friendship from a Craig's List post. I bet my garage sale money that you call radio personality Delilah every Friday night. No one gives a shit about your stitches. You're creepy and lonely.

Terrance
Hi, my name is tj.just wanted to remind you that if its still there I promise you I will be there at your house between 7:30-7:45am tp pick scrap up. thanks and i'll even bring a few bucks to buy something at your garage sale. can someone call me to let me know its still there. i can start getting it tonight as well if you would like. the # is 615-207-5637 or 615-471-1944 ask for tj.

TJ,
YOU DON'T NEED TO REMIND US OF ANYTHING! IT'S ONLY BEEN AN HOUR AND A HALF SINCE YOUR FIRST RESPONSE. ALSO, OUR LISTING CLEARLY STATES TO COME BY TOMORROW. IS IT TOMORROW YET? No. No, it is NOT.

Derek
are the metal parts bent at all?

Dear Derek,

Yes.

Kevin
I COULD COME PICK IT UP TONIGHT IF U WOULD LIKE TO GET THIS OUT OF THE WAY B4 UR YARD SALE IN THE MORNING OR I CAN NB THERE AT 7 AM

OMG, KEVIN! WHY ARE YOU YELLING AT ME!? WE JUST MET! AND ON TOP OF THAT, I OFFERED YOU FREE STUFF. Jeez, man. Lighten up.

Bella
Hi there. I am inquiring about the scrap metal that you have posted. If it is still available, I could come by in the am tomorrow and pick everything up? I have a large van so it would not be a problem. Please email or call at your convenience and let me know the best time to come by. I really appreciate your time. Thanks.

Bella
#753-XXXX

Dear Bella,

What a relief! Finally, someone NORMAL and polite. I was beginning to think that I needed to reinstate the use of the word "retarded."

Scenes from Inside the Perimeter

2011-05-30T19:48:00.001-07:00

May has been a total blur, and I have SO much to write about. A post about my trip to NYC is coming soon, I promise. But first I'll share the details of our friend-filled Memorial Day weekend in Atlanta (it's all the blogging I can muster before bed)...

To kick-start Memorial Day weekend we made the long overdue trip down to the A-T-L to see Luca and Adrienne. Or, if you're an extreme feminist, you may prefer Adrienne and Luca. Either way, they're the same 2 people and we love them dearly.

Because we're on a budget, the plans were simple: hang out, do some talking, eat at Flip Burger and laugh a lot. Oh! And get to the pool. We accomplished all PLUS some extras. One particular "extra" was our trip to Your Dekalb Farmers Market . Okay, I understand it's not YOURS because you probably don't live in Atlanta, but that's the actual name of the market. The market was INSANELY huge, crowded and quite overwhelming, but I'm so glad we got the chance to experience it. It was an impressive operation, and saw the most unusual foods I've ever witnessed with my own eyes.

Strange ginormous green fruit next to coconuts

Sean makes an important call on his snake cucumber phone

Because it's an international market, Luca blends right in

After the market, Adrienne had the best idea ever: Popsicles at King of Pops. Not having a sweet tooth, I wasn't particularly interested in a mid-afternoon popsicles, but I figured "what the heck?" We drove out of our way (raw meat and fish in tow) to a corner gas station where I spotted a food cart. Just a dude sitting under and umbrella selling popsicles. But they aren't just ANY popsicles. No, they're ARTISANAL Popsicles (or something like that...) Just know that they're effing amazing, k? I had a Banana Pudding Popsicle that I don't reckon I'll ever forget.

Dinner at Flip Burger in Midtown left us fat and happy. Sean and I each tried the chorizo burger which was topped with an egg over easy and finely shredded manchago cheese. And because we completely forgot about those popsicles we had earlier, for dessert we sucked down a Krispy Kreme donut milkshake and another that tasted like Nutella and burnt marshmallow.

Sunday was hot and toasty which made it the perfect day for a pool party. Listen, ya'll - I was born to be in the water! Luca invited a few of his friends, and the 7 of us toasted in the sun and took cool dips for several hours. Ahhhhh. Bliss. After our toes were sufficiently shriveled into prunes, we started the big cookout. It wasn't just any cookout, mind you. It was an enormous feast! Our group made a ridiculously large amount of food which consisted of ribeyes, shrimp, veggie burgers, grilled veggies, sauteed kale and Adrienne's homemade gluten free cobblers. The peach cobbler (although, free of gluten) was so tasty that I had 2 helpin's. The "flour" she used was coconut flour, and I must say...the slight hint of coconut was a nice compliment to the peaches. Hrrrmmmm...new idea for a recipe? Maybe so.

I particularly enjoyed the feast preparation. Maybe because there was so much energy in the kitchen. Maybe because it felt like a throwback to my old food service days. Or maybe it was because everyone knew their role and we just jived. As I kept saying, "It's like we live in a village, ya'll!" At any given time, there were 4 of us trying to use the stove or the same plot of counterspace. It was a little bit of chaos, but it worked out just perfectly.

One of the best things about the entire weekend (besides spending time with our cool friends) was the total lack of CICADAS. Yup, we got to leave those creepy red-eyed boogers back at home for nearly 3 days, and our weekend was so quiet without them. In all seriousness, we had a lovely time. We plan to use our borrowed box set of the Six Feet Under series to lure Adrienne & Luca back to Tennessee sometime in the near future.

Eight Days of May

2011-05-08T19:22:00.000-07:00

So far we're 8 days into May. How did we get here so quickly!? Is it just me, or did April WHIZ by??? Already it's been a very eventful month, and it's only been 1 week! I happen to really love the month of May. It's my birthday month after all! And I'm excited about what the rest of this month has to hold, but here's what we've been up to thus far:

Had an important meeting at work - trying to close a Big Deal, which would be awesome for the company and for me.

Wednesday we joined Phil and Linda for a game of trivia at Mellow Mushroom. 2nd place, not too shabby! And Thursday we celebrated Cinco de Mayo with our other great pals Jeff and Sherieda. A really fantastic Beatles cover band was playing at Sopapillas. I mean, who wouldn't have a Beatles cover band play on Cinco de Mayo??? As if that weren't exciting enough, we were treated to our very first hot air balloon ride. Yes, at a Mexican restaurant...with the fake Beatles...it was a trifecta of awesomeness. So we're 5o feet in the air, in a basket with a giant nylon balloon overhead. Besides Dark Side of the Rainbow, it was the most mind blowing Wizard of Oz moment I've ever experienced. Surprisingly, the ride up was very smooth, but I wasn't a fan of the giant blast of butane inches above my head.

Another exciting part of my week was having a nice chat with my brother. We talked about the impending 13 Year Cicada Swam that will be here ANY day now. Last time the swarm was here my bro wasn't even alive! He's never seen the swarm, and as a bug lover he's really excited about it. One full month of loud, obnoxious, ginormous "flies" who hatch from the earth to mate, lay eggs and then die. MILLIONS of cicadas are about to start swarming our area. Really, it's great...aren't their little red eyes so cute??

Saturday Sean and I attended The Great Tennessee Air Show in Smyrna. I was able meet his flight instructor and see the super teensy miniature plane that he flies every week. We left the air show and headed straight to The Plowmans' annual Derby Party. Big hat, cucumber tea sandwiches and mint juleps. Our horse didn't win, but a great time was had by all.

And obviously, with today being Mother's Day, I spend the day with my mama. (Bonnie is down in FL visiting her mother, so Sean had to borrow mine for the day). Church, lunch at Dumplin's and an afternoon at Arrington Vineyards. It was a truly beautiful day. OK, a leeeetle bit too warm, but I really can't complain. Mom got ME a Mother's Day gift - a new Pandora bead. I said, "But wait - I'm not a mother!" and she said, "But I wouldn't be a mama without you, so that's why you get a present."

I take that back - I am a mama of sorts. This is my baby Murphy on Friday night, sitting at the table with us during dinner. As we like to say, "He thinks he's a people."

The Big Sale

2011-05-01T11:15:00.001-07:00

This Saturday we rose extra early in order to hit the best neighborhood garage sale of the season: WESTHAVEN. Doesn't it just sound fancy??? I was down with a fever earlier this week, and despite the fact that I desperately needed to rest, I powered through the morning in the name of Dirty. Cheap. Bargains.

With mounds of disorganized junk spread across hundreds of acres, it's quite easy to become overwhelmed at neighborhood garage sales. This is why you must come prepared with a list of items you're hoping to score. On my list? because you know I love my lists...Colorful vases to add to my "collection," a rug for the den, picture frames, weed eater, chandelier for the bathroom, art/prints, an army green jacket, and scarves.

Even with a list I found myself becoming frustrated, distracted, and scared that we'd miss out on the best deals of the day if we didn't rush through. But at the same time, you still need to hunt and peck for those hidden treasures. There's truly an art to becoming a skilled garage saler, and honestly, I don't know that I care to ever become one. That's why Westhaven is the only sale of the year for us. In addition to Westhaven, we hit 2 other nearby neighborhood sales. Three hours and $40 later, we returned with our rewards:

4 Picture Frames
Preppy yellow belt
Vintage purse
3 classic piano books (sheet music)
2 novels
2 vintage hob-nob vases
*Electric edger

*this baby wasn't even for sale. Sean has been itchin' for an edger, and I saw it hanging in someone's garage. I thought it was part of an estate sale, but turns out it was the man's very own edger. Luck for us, he never uses it! And he offered to sell it to us for $10.00. SCORE.

And while I ~~know~~ don't think we haggled as much as we could have, I can sleep easy knowing that we reached an average of $2.86 per item. Woo!

Raechel Meyers, a local blogger and master garage saler, is my inspiration. She will WOW you with her mad skills.

All by myself...

2011-04-23T13:36:00.000-07:00

solitude
sol-i-tude
noun
1: the quality or state of being alone or remote from society : seclusion
2: a lonely place (as a desert)
3: something I desperately despise

Sure, I have the occasional need for alone time...which lasts about 3 hours, and then I'm ready to rejoin society. And my craving for alone time comes only once in a blue moon. What can I say? I'm an extrovert to the fullest extent. With my hubs in Chicago for a long weekend, I don't know what to do with myself. This is driving me CRAZY!!! I am literally a crazed person right now. I have *plenty to do to keep me busy - taking care of the dog, doing chores, errands, planting in the flower beds - but no one with whom to share it. I'm pacing, I'm feeling panicky, and I officially hate being alone.

**I had my first real visit with my "little" on Friday. Will share details in a separate post.

An example:
After a long, hard day at work Sean prefers to return home for a quiet and relaxing evening. So relaxing, in fact, that he may not lift a finger all night (except to click the mouse on his laptop.) This is how Sean decompresses and recharges his batteries. I'm quite the opposite. After a long day at work where my brain is fried to the point I have a stress headache, I want to throw a party, go to happy hour with friends, get people together for dinner, ANYTHING that involves human interaction. I don't even care if it's with strangers. I de-stress by mingling.

Sean left on Thursday night and won't be returning until late Monday. That's FOUR long nights of solitude for those of you who are counting. The minute I got home from dropping him off at the airport, I called and texted just about everyone I know who lives in a 20 mile radius. I think I was entering panic mode. I was desperate. See, knowing that I'd be crazy I went ahead and planned an evening with my friend Diva, but those plans fell through and she needed to reschedule. How dare she leave me in my hour of need! I wanted to do something...with someone...dinner...talking...drinking...whatever! Just anything to avoid being alone. Unfortunately, my electronic mobile device must've been broken because no one responded. So I moped...and I moped some more on Friday...and did some more calling and texting, but to no avail.

Friday evening as I was half way through a bottle of Cabernet and in the middle of streaming a Glee re-run , I got a call!!! An actual phone call. One of my failed attempts had returned my call from the night before and asked if I wanted to join a group of friends a The Bunganut Pig. ohmygodyesthankyousomuchforcalling! And as I was getting ready to walk out the door, a second friend responded and agreed to meet me there as well. It was bliss. The band sucked big time, but I was thrilled just to be in an energized environment.

I was also invited for dinner at Jeff and Sherieda's tonight. Yes, it was a pity invite because they know how pathetic I am right now, and no, I don't care. I'm going regardless! I'll be there with bells on.

Just one more day of being alone, and thankfully it involves Easter Sunday service with my mom and Jimmy. It will at least be something to help pass the time. There's not shortage of conversation when mother is involved...

Les News

2011-04-16T09:15:00.000-07:00

Last Saturday was full of outdoor activities and warm weather; today we're hanging out inside and doing chores. It's rainy and only 55 degrees (brr!) I'm fighting the urge to turn the heat on...

Work is going well for the both of us, and Sean is still flying once a week. It's time for him to start working on cross-country solo flights (which are destinations 50 miles away or more). In the next week or so, Sean and his instructor will be heading to Memphis to eat at Rendezvous (yum!) and see a Redbirds game. And at some point this summer (if I find the nerve) I'm planning to fly with him to Birmingham to eat at Saw's and visit the museum of flight. If it's one thing that will lure me into a small airplane, it's damn good BBQ.

This coming week holds some very exciting things for us. First, I'm meeting my "little sister" for the first time. Now, before your start thinking this is some secret love child that one of my parents kept hidden from me, let me explain: I volunteered to be a "Big Sister" for Big Brothers/Big Sisters mentorship program. I was fortunate enough to have wonderful "big sister" mentors enter my life when I was a pre-teen, so I'm excited about the opportunity to pay it forward. I was accepted into the program last week and matched almost immediately with a 10 year old girl who lives very close by. Monday I'll meet with my "little" and her mom, along with our Match Support Specialist. And assuming they like me, we'll begin weekly visits over the next year. I'm crazy-excited about all the fun activities that we'll get to share. Obviously, I'll keep her identity anonymous, but I do plan on sharing updates with you guys. Right now I'm a little nervous about the first meeting. Everyone keeps saying "Just be yourself!" Ha. It's just that, this is a very important first impression so I want to make sure it goes well. Wish me luck!

Tuesday is another exciting event...LADY GAGA. That's right, Sean and I will be seeing Gaga live and in concert. I'm preparing to have my mind blown by the most outlandish production of all time. You may be wondering how in the world I convinced my husband to see Lady Gaga. And let me tell you, it didn't take much work. He fessed up to being a full-blown pop-music fan several years ago. He also agreed to let me purchase Gaga tickets after he vetoed my request for a foreign exchange student. (Thankfully, he didn't ask how much they cost until AFTER I bought them...)

So there you have it - the latest news from the suburbs.

A Hot Spring Weekend

2011-04-10T19:47:00.000-07:00

What do you find yourself doing on a hot spring weekend? And by hot I mean, 85 degrees and humid...ick.

Friday my Sister rolled into town from Lexington. We had a nice dinner on mom's patio and enjoyed telling stories and catching up.

On Saturday Sean and I joined our 3rd annual MS Walk with The Pirates (a.k.a. my friend Sherri). Our team raised over $1500 this year!!! Many thanks to all of you who contributed to our fundraising efforts. The team walked proudly together through Edwin Warner Park on Saturday (sweating, of course) and then we celebrated over a Mexican lunch. Murphy got to join us at the restaurant, too, and he was one happy pup.

Following lunch, Sean attempted to re-build the pergola. And after a 4 hour battle (which included a trip to Home Depot), he lost the fight. But not for long! He got back at it again today with more nuts, bolts and duct tape, and he won!!! The pergola is standing tall on the patio this evening as if the pseudo-tornado never happened. I watched him laboring from my kitchen window, and all I can say is Thank God for Husbands. You heard me. I would have NEVER had the patience or the skill to re-build a pile of metal scraps.

Late in the afternoon, I met up with my sister and little bro for a walk in the park. The weather kept us hot and sticky so we didn't stay out too long. We tried to cool ourselves in the shade, but with no money to spend on the ice cream truck we decided to head home to the cool AC!

Saturday night turned into a lovely Date Night for Sean and me. Earlier in the week I stumbled across an ad for a pizzeria called Bella Napoli. Me being the pizza lover that I am decided that we MUST try it...and soon! The restaurant venue is adorable and romantic. Most of the tables are placed outside in a private alley, beneath a canopy of white Christmas lights. Sitting snug between the buildings reminded us of our honeymoon in Italy. Going to Bella Napoli gave also gave us a chance to see a part of Nashville that we'd never explored - Edgehill Village. As suburbanites, we've really lost touch with the downtown area so I think this date night helped us restore some of our coolness. Oh, and the pizza was delish! Perfect crispy crust, fresh ingredients...MMmmmmm....

Just as we were leaving the restaurant - bellys full and quite content - we spotted owner/chef Paolo. We know Paolo from his work at Valentino's, an up-scale Italian restaurant just up the road. Paolo may not know it, but he had a personal hand in making our honeymoon very special. Four years ago as we were leaving for Italy, Paolo insisted that we meet up with his sister-in-law in Florence. He made sure she had our names and the name of our hotel, and upon arriving (very late and with no luggage) we had a message from Emanuella, that she had been by to see us. Two days later Emanuella gave us a tour of the city and took us to her favorite restaurant. We had the most amazing time hanging out with her, and felt so lucky to receive local hospitality from Nashville all the way to Florence. I didn't stop and speak to Paolo last night because I wasn't quite sure it was him until after we got in the car...but next time I'll be sure to speak to him. And there will be a next time! (hopefully not too long from now).

I woke up early this Sunday morning, about 6:30, and everything was so quiet and beautifully lit by the morning sun. The air was still somewhat cool (anything is cool compared to 85), so I stayed outside a little longer and snapped a photo of my pretty pink dogwood. Then I fixed scratch biscuits for breakfast before heading to church. Church was followed by jog, which was followed by lunch at Sperry's with the family. We said our farewells to Sister - sad to see her go because I barely got to see her, but we'll meet up again next month for our Sisters Weekend in NYC!

Blown Away

2011-04-05T14:23:00.001-07:00

I was blown away when I spotted this mess in our back yard last night (pun intended). Yeeeeeiiiiikes!

For those of you who don't know, we used to have a pergola on our patio. It was my birthday gift from Sean last year, and we've enjoyed it so much. A nice, shady place to sit and rest a while...a place to take naps or eat lunch or read books on pretty days...a place to sip sweet tea (or swaayt taaay as we say down south...). Well, now my birthday pergola is just a big mess strewn all about the yard - poo!

Yesterday we experienced some pretty nasty weather here in Middle Tennessee. There was a tornado scare in Cool Springs, the part of town where Sean and I work, and I spent some time in the tornado shelter in our office. I may have actually ran down the hallway screaming "Auntie Em! Auntie Em!" The rain and winds were brutal, and clearly my pergola couldn't handle it! The darn thing just took flight right into our neighbor's yard and crashed into a million pieces.

Good. Better. Best.

2011-03-30T08:37:00.000-07:00

For this post, I was initially going to use the theme "The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly." It seemed catchy. And I enjoy categorizing things. I thought it also might be used as a weekly recurring post...but then I decided it sounded too negative. I changed it to "Good. Better. Best." Let's see how this shakes out...

GOOD:

Much like the changing of the seasons, my house is in transition mode right now...and I'm really trying hard to maintain a nonchalant attitude about it. Everything is still...under...control...No worries! Transitioning to my Spring wardrobe means the winter clothes are in piles across my bedroom floor, waiting patiently to be vacuumed into giant plastic bags. A can of vibrant teal paint is sitting in the hallways waiting to be lathered on my half bath walls. A bolt of bright floral fabric is leaning in the corner of the breakfast nook waiting to be cut, sewn and hung as curtains. A closet full of garage sale items needs to be sorted, priced and sold. A full list of to-dos and to-buys is scratched in my pretty red planner, but none have yet to be executed. But it's all GOOD...

BETTER:

The weekend. The weekend will be better. Better weather. Better fun. The weekend is when I plan on getting somewhat caught up on my list of to-dos. I'm excited to complete some spring cleaning projects: washing couch cushions, pillow, curtains and mattresses. The weather on Saturday is forecasted as 65 and sunny, and Emily will be in town for the arrival of her best friend's baby (and hopefully we can steal some of her time).

BEST:

Wow, this is tough. What deserves the title of "Best thing going on in my life at this moment?" I guess it could be a lot of things depending on which approach you take...Hmmmm...maybe the fact that I'm ALIVE? That's pretty darn "best" if you ask me! But seriously...I would describe "best" as something that can't be improved because it's perfect the way it is. And the award goes to...drum roll please...Nothing.

I've been marinating on this idea of "best" for almost an entire day. The idea seemed light-hearted and innocent when I started typing this entry, but now the thought of "best" has become completely overwhelming to me. The following is an email exchange between Emily and me. What a thoughtful and encouraging friend/sister-in-law I have! Her words on the subject of "best" are something that everyone should consider:

*****************************

From: Stace

Sent:Tuesday, March 29, 2011

To: Emily

Subject: the best

I need your help with brainstorming. I started typing a blog entry called "Good. Better. Best." I completed my "good" and my "better" but I can't for the life of me come up with a "best." I would describe the "best" as something that's the MOST exciting or MOST complete, perfect thing in my life. But sadly, I don't feel 100% content with anything...like, ever. I mean, a big part of who I am is constantly searching for improvement. SOooo...should I abandoned the "best" category, or do you have any suggestions? You're good at getting me thinking...

From: Emily

Sent: Tuesday, March 29, 2011

To: Stace

Subject: RE: the best

I would encourage you to think about things in a new way. Your phrasing, "But sadly, I don't feel 100% content with anything..." starts you off in a negative place. Is that really a negative thing? Do we find contentment in stagnancy? I would say that stagnancy is when we have the most room for growth...the most opportunities to expand and renew.

Your propensity to seek improvement is an investment in your life.

Do you want to go to work mindlessly every day and never question what could be? Isn't it wonderful that the opportunities are endless? Isn't it great that you get to carve out a new path every day? Nothing is set in stone. Things can always be changed and rearranged and tweaked. Isn't that the best? That, even with a schedule, you can make changes to it.

Also, I would challenge you to look to the things that make you feel secure and safe. While those things may be ever changing, they might be the best.

What do you not question? What do you know in your gut?

It is okay that you might not have an answer for that. It is okay if you do.

Think about how great it is that even if you don't have an answer...there is this space just waiting for something to move in. It is like a closet you never knew you had...just waiting to store treasures. No clutter...treasures.

****************************

And so, to finally share my "best" with you...since I've created a ridiculously large amount of suspense...it's my quest for flexibility (which includes adding color to my life!) and desire to grow, learn and change. THAT is the BEST. And do you know what's the BEST-EST?? The fact that I have a wonderful support system of family and friends who accept me for who I am and encourage me to think positively.

And just like that...

2011-03-22T15:54:00.001-07:00

...winter is gone! Woah. Who could be more thankful than this girl right here??? (points to self) Happy First Days of Spring, everyone! Forsythia and Dogwoods and Tulips, oh my. Bloom, baby, bloom! Isn't all this life and light invigorating?

Just when I thought I couldn't take anymore of the dreary, cold, nasty sky - voila! God, like, cracked open his 'Magic Box of Spring Fun' or something...

Speaking of FUN...Sean and I got to spend the weekend with The Jensen Family. These people rock:

I'm so thankful for nice weather. So thankful for SUN and DAYLIGHT. Thankful that we had the PERFECT weather and got to spend the weekend outdoors with our awesome friends. Hiking, walking, eating outside, sleeping with the windows open...it was bliss! Thankful for flip flops. Thankful that I can jog with Murphy without having to wear Under Armour long sleeves...and take him for potty breaks without freezing to death. Murphy appreciates the warm weather, too! Maybe even more than me. Murphy has been SMILING non-stop, and he can't get enough of being outside. Sunday he and I laid outside and dozed off in the sunlight. All I could see when I looked up were white puffy clouds, blue skies and Bradford Pear blooms. Beeeeeee-utiful.

Lucky Charms

2011-03-13T18:34:00.000-07:00

I found me lucky charms.

I've never found a four leaf clover, but God gave me amazing friends. He also gave me the most Irish looking husband ever! (love you, baby). And although it was like herding cats at times, Brewfest 2011 was still great loads of fun.

Front row: Sherri, Sherieda, Jonathan, Me

Back row: Bethany, John, Jeff and Sean

Now, if I could just find an efficient way to load the rest of the pictures....

Stay tuned for more!

Stace

A Roaring Weekend

2011-02-27T18:57:00.000-08:00

I'm not in a writing mood tonight. Maybe because I'm tired, or maybe because I'm distracted by the Oscars...or both. Regardless, I wanted to share a bit of our eventful weekend with you. I'll let the pictures do the talking.

On Friday, a wine tasting event to support Next Generation Heritage Foundation. We traveled back in time to the 1920's (some of these pictures were borrowed from Sean's friends on Facebook, so thank you friends!)

The band set the mood

The best dressed truly took us back in time

The lovely decor by Chase Rivers made the night magical

And our FRIENDS made the party! Some of the boys, Sean and Jeff

And some of the girls, Sherieda and me

On Saturday, an important day to come together and support family...

And on Sunday, a coconut pie (with flat meringue) made for my sweet stepdad on his birthday. After lunch and pie, he was kind enough to take us on a walk around town and share what life was like "way back when."

On a Tennessee Saturday Night

2011-02-20T19:07:00.000-08:00

I was on a business trip most of last week week which made me feel "Off." My routine was off, my days were off, and so, by the time this weekend rolled around I was excited about the opportunity to re-group. We did some cleaning, went out for pizza, ran some errands and took Murphy to the dog park. This moment made me smile:

At some point I made my favorite beverage, Jack and Soda...and then noticed that it was sitting right in front of our picture of the Ryman. A perfect Tennessee moment, don't you think?

Kate

2011-02-18T19:37:00.000-08:00

Here's a little quirky tidbit about my life: I have a plant named Kate. She sits with me at my desk everyday while I work.

Kate was given to me at my grandmother's funeral near the end of 2009, although, her name was yet to be given. At that time she was just a plain ole funeral plant. An "English Garden" to be exact. I brought her to work with me because, honestly, I don't really keep plants at home. (They tend to die). And I surely didn't want that basket at my house. I didn't know what to do with this plant, but it was a nice plant given by my father, and so I brought her to work.

An English Garden was all she was at the time. A small budding purple African Violet, a little sprig of a vine, and a spiky tropical looking thing in the back. The greenery added some life to my dreary cube, and it felt homey...as homey as a cubicle can be.

I don't drink much water at all (a fault that I'm constantly vowing to change), but I DO drink coffee at work. Crappy, murky coffee with 1 packet of Splenda. I pour a cup or two each morning, but rarely do I finish drinking the entire thing. It started out of laziness, really. Not wanting to place an open cup coffee in my trash can, I began pouring the leftover cold coffee into my English Garden. I figured it could use the moisture. I mean, coffee is mostly water anyway. At first I chuckled to myself as I poured the crappy coffee into the soil. It seemed so silly! But then she began sprouting new growth, and I realized that, yes, I was actually keeping a plant alive! (It happens very rarely.)

Because I don't sit directly beside a window, I would leave my plant at a co-worker's desk so my plant could bask in the sun over the weekend. He began referring to my plant as "Kate," as in Kate Gosselin...because of the spiky hair. It just stuck. So there she is, my plant named Kate. Still growing and thriving on coffee alone after 16 months.

My Girl, She is a Dog

2011-02-06T09:02:00.000-08:00

I stumbled across this jewel of a video today, and I knew that I *must* share it with y'all. It's a scene from Thanksgiving 2010 with the Hargis family (just a few short months ago). The video features almost everyone in the family singing along to a song my dad wrote in high school. The title "My Girl She is a Dog" suggests that his then girlfriend must've been quite the looker...

My favorite thing about the video, aside from the lyrics, is the chaos and movement as we try to migrate 20 people outside to the patio. Still, everyone is just 'a singin' away!

Up in Lights...Neon Lights

2011-01-31T19:48:00.000-08:00

Ahem. Hear ye, hear ye...Main Street is glowing once again thanks to a new sign. The lighting of the new Downtown Franklin Theatre drew a crowd of 2000+ people this past weekend. It's a pretty amazing sign if I do say so myself...

*click the picture to enlarge, and then hit your 'back button' to continue reading

Check this out! Franklin Girls Cotillion dressed as retro theatre ushers and passed out popcorn to the patrons. It doesn't get any more all-American than this sh*t, people.

*photos courtesy of someone on Facebook...

Mr. SPC attended Saturday night's festivities as a board member of the Next Generation Herigate Foundation. 'Next Gen' (as we locals call it) is responsible for raising the $100,000 that it took to recreate this work of art. It's an exact replica of the original 1937 neon sign that originally lit up Main Street. As if Downtown Franklin wasn't already vibrant enough, now we have the neon to prove it...

SPC says: "Although South Jersey will always be my home, it's nice to be growing roots in Franklin. It's a great town with a lot of character, and I'm glad to have the opportunity to be involved in the community. The atmosphere was electric on Saturday night. It's amazing to see thousands of people all excited and proud of their hometown, all there to celebrate this milestone. The Franklin Theatre is such a part of Downtown Franklin history, and having the opportunity to help restore the marquee has been special." Awwww, ain't he sweet?

Nashville Rises

2011-01-31T09:40:00.000-08:00

I love this place. I love Nashville, I love Williamson County, I love my HOME. I love the people here, the kindness, the music, the scenery. I'm thankful that Sean loves it, too, and that he chose to stay here with me and start our life together.

You should definitely click here to watch the trailer for Nashville Rises, a documentary about the Nashville flood. I realize that we aren't the first or last city to be affected by a natural disaster, and we aren't unique in that regard. But this film recounts the local story - our story - and it makes me proud.

Project Pink Chair

2011-01-26T10:38:00.000-08:00

Let me begin by saying that I'm not one of those super-chef/super-photographer/super-decorator/super-organized blogging ladies like Ree Drummond. Oh, of course I would LOVE to be...but I'm not. Still, my humble ways haven't stopped me from wanting to share this with you. This is my attempt to blog about home decor.

I have a NEW PROJECT: Project Pink Chair. She's sturdy with clean lines, and I really enjoy the curvature of the arms. Oh, and she was only $9.99!

Poor Sean...I dragged him to Goodwill last Saturday sharing my excitement about "my awesome find." He looked at me...he looked at the chair...he touched the chair...and then he said "ok, we can get it." I know he doesn't see my vision, but I do appreciate his faith in me (and my non-existent chair covering abilities.)

This is pretty much the look I'm going for:

I think it's clean, classic, and studious. My master plan for our bonus room/office/media room is English Library. Don't know if you can see the houndstooth detail in this photo, but I am IN. LOVE. with houndstooth. The chair above is listed on Overstock.com for $329.99. Obviously, my plan is to recover the pink chair for a fraction of the cost and come away with the same effect.

There's always tomorrow...

2011-01-23T09:52:00.000-08:00

Confession: I didn't do anything productive yesterday. Not a single thing. Just for the record, neither did Sean. I guess we are even.

It was a cold, still Saturday. Patches of snow are still left on the ground. I attended a funeral (my step sisters lost their grandmother). The burial was touching - someone released balloons. I lost the feeling in my toes. Everyone stood around afterwards, not really knowing what to do or what to say.

It made me sad. Sad for them because I know they are hurting. And sad for me because I remembered the burial of my grandmother just a little over 1 year ago. I don't like to think about death. Not just because our loved ones have passed, but because I'm afraid that I'm not doing enough living while I still have time on this earth.

Thinking about life coming to an end makes me feel like I'm not making the most of my days, not enjoying life to its fullest. Which is why I'm even MORE disappointed in myself for staying in yesterday and napping. I came home after the funeral feeling a little drained from weeping, and so I took a THREE HOUR nap. A Buffy the Vampire Slayer marathon was on, so I watched a big chunk of that, and played with Murphy.

Before I knew it, mom was calling to see if we wanted to meet up with the family* for a 6:00 dinner at Nachos. Dinner already! I haven't done anything all day!

Dinner was chaotic, and Sean and I were forced to calm our nerves with several beers. After a quick stop a Home Depot for a mop head, we returned home to watch District 9. I promptly fell asleep (had zero interest in a movie about aliens).

So today is a new day! A sunny day, a somewhat warm day. I plan on being much more productive, breathing in fresh air and smiling a lot. I better get started! It's just past noon and I'm still in my PJ's. Did you know that planning a week's worth of healthy yet cost-effective meals is a long, challenging and somewhat sucky task? Yes, well...it is.

*the family in this case consisted of my mom and step-dad, his 4 daughters, 3 sons-in law, 5 of his 8 grandchildren, and 4 random friends. I hope someone remembered to tip the server...

H2Oh No!

2011-01-18T19:03:00.001-08:00

Warning: This may just be the worst possible blog entry of all time, but I'm in a hurry. Forgive.

So...I'm sitting here at the computer paying bills, and updating my monthly BUDGET SPREADSHEET (I know, aren't you jealous?) and I realize that last year's January water bill is $10 less. So I pull out my Q1 Utilities stubs from 2010 and start comparing the bills...and that's when I realize that we have a spike in December both years in a row. Sure, there's a spike in July and August because we're trying to prevent every shred of green from turning to a crisp. But December? December is 1,000 gallons more in both years.

The first thought that comes to mind is the live Christmas tree. But are you kidding me!? We can't possibly be putting 1,000 gallons into the Christmas tree. And let me also share a personal winter secret - I shave my legs WAAAY less frequently, so I know for a fact that we're conserving bath water. I also feel that I wash less clothing in the winter months because we're usually layered up and I don't wash sweaters.

So what is it? Am I missing something obvious? My other guesses include:
- Cooking holiday treats and, therefore, washing more dishes
- Eating bigger meals which leads to more pooping?

And there you have it - the worst blog post of all time.

Snow Day!

2011-01-10T14:21:00.000-08:00

Grab the bowls and start mixing your Snow Cream, people! It snowed in Middle Tennessee today. A whopping 2-3" at my house, and that's plenty for me. The snow came with no ice which means that the roads are actually manageable. Still, everyone used this opportunity to skip work so I ended up being 1 of 3 people in the office. Here's a view from my window:

Sean and I plan on enjoying some homemade beef stew and French bread tonight and FINALLY getting the Christmas decorations put away. (Please tell me we aren't the only ones with Christmas things still strewn about the house...)

Can't see my face

2011-01-06T16:56:00.000-08:00

Can't see my face? I can't see yours either. That's because I deleted my Facebook account (GASP!) The good news for you, readers, is that you'll be seeing an increase in blog posts. Which actually means a LOT more of my ramblings, so now that I think about it, maybe you ain't so lucky after all...

What prompted me to delete my account? I'm not really sure. The idea just came to me during a casual conversation with friends on New Years Eve, and I decided to go with it. After all, it was the first day of a brand new year, and I felt like challenging myself. And YES, it's a challenge. At least once a day (sometimes twice, or even three times) I find myself wondering what's going on with all my Facebook friends. Who's where? With whom? Someone say something witty? Post pictures of their new babies? The truth is, 99% of the Facebook feed isn't important, and therefore, I don't REALLY need to know what's going on with everyone. I figure this will force me to reach out to people directly and focus more on the REAL relationships in my life (rather than the virtual ones). Sadly, because I was able to read all about my friends' lives via Facebook, I didn't always reach out to them to say, "Hey there, what's new with ya?" Because I already knew. So while we were up to date on virtually every aspect of each others lives, no one was actually interacting directly.

The voyeuristic side of me is a bit bored these days. Browsing my friends' news was definitely a good time killer while I ate lunch at my desk (or while I was supposed to be getting ready for work...or while I was supposed to be getting ready for bed). I wasted waaaay too much time stalking acquaintances, old crushes from high school, people we met at social gatherings, etc. My hope is that I'll actually contact my REAL LIFE friends directly and that I'll actually have something to TALK ABOUT since I don't have the luxury of reading hourly updates.

I'm looking forward to meeting you all again!!!
Now off to a nice Mexican dinner with my mom and stepdad...Adios.

Tabula Rasa? Not when you have Decidophobia.

2011-01-03T11:40:00.000-08:00

We’ve officially walked through the threshold into twenty-eleven, and all I feel is a big sense of disappointment. (I know, it’s only the 3rd and I’m already feeling let down???) The truth is that I’m disappointed in myself. The start of a new year presents a clean slate, the opportunity to turn over a new leaf and head a new direction, and while I have the utmost desire to do this, it’s difficult to move in a new direction when I feel so stuck. I'm just a few steps into the new year, but I can't see which way to go. It's like I'm blinded by a thick winter fog. Considering that winter puts me in a depressed mood, it may be better for me to start my new year in April. Just a thought...

Now that I think about it, getting myself “stuck” (as in: stumped, temporarily disabled, paralyzed, etc.) has been a recurring theme in my life.

I once got stuck during a piano recital and couldn’t remember anything past the first few measures. I was mortified. I quit taking piano lessons after that incident.

I got stuck while trying to choose colleges. I ended up going to UT-Knoxville and hating it. After taking a year off, I re-enrolled at MTSU and hated it there, too. I defaulted to in-state/local schools because it was the easy answer. In hind sight, I should’ve explored more opportunities further away from home.

During my time at MTSU, I got stuck while trying to compose term papers. Not just stuck on one or two, but like, ALL of them. Each time I was asked to write a paper, I went into complete hysteria. Just ask Sean – he sat with me through several crying incidents at his computer.

I get stuck when it comes to home décor. My entire house is beige – the walls, the carpet, my furniture, pillows, sheets and towels. Beige, beige and more beige. I enjoy looking at home décor magazines and websites, but there are just too many choices out there (and not enough money in my wallet). So, I choose to avoid the decisions and live with the beige.

The act of being stuck, my friends, is no good place for me. Canines have the inherent “Fight or Flight” response. My natural response to a challenge is stand still, cry a little bit and then poop my pants because I’m scared shitless. Rather than take the bull by the horns, I immediately turn into a depressed, self-deprecating, fearful mess of a human being. When there’s no clear path set for me, I struggle greatly to set forth in a new direction – any direction. Isn’t that so pathetic??? I just Googled “fear of too many decisions”, and apparently, Princeton University philosopher Walter Kaufmann identified this as “decidophibia” in 1973.

Decidophobia: people who lack the courage or will to sort through the different sides in disagreements to find the truth. They would rather leave the deciding of what is the truth to some authority.

That definition doesn’t hold true with all aspects of my life. I’m generally confident when making basic decisions such as, picking a place to eat for dinner or buying a pair of shoes. In fact, my friends usually turn to me when it comes to mapping out a plan. Unfortunately, when it comes to more important things like…I don’t know…WHAT TO DO WITH THE REST OF MY LIFE then I’m a complete coward. Kaufmann's definition of decidophibia brings up a good point, though: he says that these people are trying to find the truth. And I realize that I'm not seeking the truth. I'm just seeking a path. Specifically, the "right" path and the "cheapest" path. And it's stupid because there is no "right" path - only different paths. Each path will present it's own challenges, and each path will shape me in it's own way. I just WISH there were more FREE paths...

Scenes from Christmas

2010-12-25T06:43:00.000-08:00

I'm a good boy, I promise! Pllleeeeease bring me presents!

Murphy got a bacon flavored bone. Momma got some box wine. Everyone is happy!

I'm dreaming of a white Christmas? Guess my dream kinda sucked...

You're a mean one...

2010-12-20T08:50:00.000-08:00

Grinch: noun
1) A habitually irritable or complaining person, especially during the Christmas season
2) One who cannot tolerate the unnecessary emphasis on material gifts, excessive spending, spoiling, racking up debt all in the name of the Lord’s birth

Consider me a Grinch, and a proud one at that. I resist the modern day celebration and festivities of this Christian holiday. To be clear, I don’t hate the holiday itself, but I do hate the crazed obsession with shopping. Thousands of people flocking to the malls to buy more, MORE, MORE. Like zombies on fresh human flesh, they just can’t seem to get enough. The fact that malls are allowed to decorate for Christmas before Halloween makes my stomach turn. But more than that, the fact that people ENJOY the premature décor makes my blood boil. The thing that disappoints me the most is that all the buying, wrapping, decorating, caroling, tree lighting etc. has people “in the spirit.” Why aren’t you like this all year round, people? You need these things to make you happy? You need this music and these lights and this food to make you happy? Oh, and the Christmas-only-Christians…don’t get me started. I don’t buy into any of it (no pun intended). Christmas has unfortunately turned into a time for people to fake their way through togetherness, fake their way through happiness, fake their way through caring and giving, filling their voids with material gifts.

You’re probably wondering: how does someone end up this way? What led her into the darkness? How does one turn into a Grinch? Those definitely aren’t easy questions to answer. It’s a combination of many things…years and years of family dysfunction coupled with my own distaste for human nature. For starters, I never really believed in the “magic” of Christmas. Santa was a joke to me at the age of seven. Christmas was also a very stressful time of year for our family. My mom put immense pressure on herself to buy gifts and have everything perfect and be fair with the presents…down to the last penny. If my sister got a doll, I got the same doll in a different color. We got the same exact sweaters, pj’s, Barbies – you name it, and mom made sure she spent the EXACT same amount of money on us. Her quest for Christmas perfection turned her into a screaming lunatic. She’d eventually crack under the pressure, scream and throw things. Even as a young child, I thought “This isn’t worth it…all this STUFF just isn’t worth seeing her like this.” She was scary at Christmas (and other times of the year, but ALWAYS scary at Christmas). Mom was the Anti-Santa, if you will. I don’t blame her for my existing distaste for the holiday, but I can’t deny the fact that she did shape my opinion. And you know what? Now that I’m an adult, I find myself under the same pressures she faced…and I TOTALLY understand why she went bonkers. I, myself, have come close to going bonkers. There are other lingering issues that would take me years to explain – for example, FORCED togetherness. The fact that you have to spend time with people you don’t like simply because they fall under the category of “family.” That’s enough to squash anyone’s Christmas spirit if you ask me! And finally, the fact that people don’t accept my opinions or respect my desire to “opt out” is really, really frustrating. I’ve tried to opt out for years, but people treat me like I’m evil. I’m not evil, people! I just don’t want to do what you think I should do! In years past it’s gone something like this: “Please don’t buy me a gift – isn’t being together and sharing a nice meal enough of a Celebration? What’s that you say? No??? It’s NOT enough? You INSIST on buying me a gift because it ‘wouldn’t be Christmas if you didn’t’? Oh, I’m SORRY – I thought you could save your money and just enjoy TIME with ME, but I guess not…”

See, I told you there were a lot more issues…

My perfect Christmas would be:
- Only celebrating Christmas the actual WEEK OF CHRISTMAS
- Martha Stuart coming over to decorate my house (I really don’t enjoy decorating, and my decorations are crap.)
- Being with people I love, and who actually love and appreciate me in return
- Sitting around a nice fire, boiled custard, and some Rat Pack Christmas music
- Only visiting ONE house instead of SIX different houses (it makes for a loooong, tiring day)
- A few simple homemade gifts, and one surprise gift from my honey. He’s REALLY good at surprising me, and THAT's where I find the magic in Christmas.

Until next year,

Anniversary number four

2010-11-08T19:59:00.000-08:00

4 years. 4 years I've been married to the sweetest, most patient, kind-hearted best friend and lover a gal could ever have. (stop your gagging.) "Lover" doesn't have to mean naked. I just mean he loves me! Like, a lot. He makes me feel loved, which is a really difficult thing to do.

Four years doesn't sound like much, but it feels like it's been forever. I mean that in a GOOD way, seriously. I think it's just because I can't remember life before Sean. What did I do with myself!?!? He keeps me grounded and feeling secure. I must have been a mess before he showed up...

Sometimes it seems as thought we're opposites when it comes to executing our daily lives:
He's patient, I'm impatient.
He's a homebody, I'm making plans to go out.
He's non-confrontational and reserved, I go out of my way to state my opinion...loudly.
He's brilliant, and well...let's just say I'm "street smart."
He's into sweets, I'm more of a salty person.
He doesn't worry, I live for worrying (although, that one might be a generic male/female kind of thing)
He's a thinker, I'm a feeler.
He bought me a card, I forgot a card...oops!

Of course, we have our similarities, too...
Same sense of humor for the most part, which means that we like the same TV shows and movies.
Same values and ideas about family, work, home life, etc.
Same love for Jack Daniels and red wine.
We both know how to make fun of ourselves, which keeps us laughing and keeps us out of arguments

For our 4 year celebration we tried a new restaurant (well, new to us) called Cha Chah. We L-O-V-E Arnold Myint's (of Top Chef fame) other Nashville restaurant, Suzie Wongs...and we're sucker for tapas. We had a wonderful experience - food was fun, exciting, and super tasty. The smoked mussels and chili chocolate ice cream were my 2 most favorite dishes of the evening. Yes, chili chocolate ice cream! Believe it or not, it worked very well. Very rich and cocoa-y when it first hit your tongue, with a little kick of chili powder on the back end. The surprise burst of heat kept me coming back for more.

speaking of coming back for more, I really started to miss Suzy Wongs while I was typing this. I'm totally going soon. Who's in?

Cheers to four years, my love! They've been wonderful. And thank you for dusting the baseboards this weekend.

Boozefest II

2010-11-02T17:44:00.000-07:00

Confession: I'm a complete giddy mess on Halloween! As a kid, I got so excited about Trick or Treating that I couldn't eat my dinner. I still kind of get that way...So, it's only natural that I enjoy hosting Halloween costume parties. Or, better known in our household as Boozefest.

Get it? Boooooozefest.

Ha.

Sean dawned some blood spatter and went as everyone's favorite serial killer, Dexter, and I was the bride of Frakenstein. I think everyone had a good time. Here's some evidence:

And because one costume isn't always enough, we revived a couple of characters from previous Halloween celebrations and dressed up as a bloody doctor and Rainbow Brite for the kiddies on Sunday night. Check out my pride and joy, the fog machine (or Smokemonster for you LOST fans).

The End of a Veggie Tale

2010-10-18T19:23:00.000-07:00

Some of you may already know that Sean and I participated in a CSA program this summer. It all started with a Kashi ad in my Real Simple magazine...and then a quick browse on the Internet...and then sending a big fat check to some farmers in Hohenwald, TN. I had friends who participated in CSA programs before, and I was willing to give it a shot. It took a bit of convincing to get Sean on board, but he finally gave in and let me get my way. At times it was a bit overwhelming because there were too many veggies, and most of them I didn't recognize. Or, if i recognized them, I hadn't cooked them before. In addition to the vegetables, our weekly ration also included a portion of meat (chicken or pork) and a half dozen eggs.

The CSA box had to be picked up every Sunday at 2:30. The drive was only 3 miles up the road, but sometimes it was a challenge if we had plans to be out of town, or on the other side of town. After swinging by the pick-up station, we'd return home to take an inventory of the goods, and then it was time for me to find creative ways to cook, can or freeze the massive amounts of produce we had. At one point I had an entire crisper drawer full of red new potatoes...

Here's a shot of the last box we received a couple of Sundays ago...

...and our refrigerator afterwards. You can tell a lot about someone by taking a peek into their fridge. I'm curious - what do you think about Sean and me after seeing ours (click the picture to enlarge)?

Pros:
6 months of fresh, locally grown, organic produce
Supporting the local economy and farmers
Learning how to can and freeze
Trying new foods and testing new recipes
The farm sent a newsletter and a weekly email with the option to buy "extras." I regret never trying their homemade cinnamon rolls...

Cons:
Mandatory pick-up time. Not that it was terrible, just sometimes tricky to plan your day.
Not getting to choose what you want to eat. I subscribe to Cooking Light and Real Simple, and I love them for the recipes, but I didn't get a chance to try many of them because I needed to use what came in the box.
Excessive amounts of food. We bought the small box fit for 2 people, but there was SO. MUCH. FOOD. And they didn't give us massive amounts of the good stuff - just potatoes. Oh, and cucumbers. I would've much rather had a box full of heirloom tomatoes, but that's just part of the risk, I guess. I felt terribly guilty because some weeks I couldn't keep up with the cooking/canning/freezing, and I accidentally let a lot of food wilt or spoil.
Time. The time it took to catalogue everything. The time it took to meal plan and try to maximize all of the product. The time it took to freeze and can vegetables. I do not recommend this CSA box thing for working mothers. I'm not even a mother and I sure had a hell of a time keeping up with it!

I truly appreciated the food, the farmers and the program altogether, but I don't think I can subscribe to the CSA box again. I'd rather visit the farmer's market every weekend (where the same farm sells produce) and just gather what I need for the week.

a belated birthday celebration

2010-10-13T19:50:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday, dearest friend. We had the BEST time celebrating with you. In your true humble fashion, you postponed your birthday party so that I could join you. Just one more reason why you're so special...Cheers to another year of you, another year of being friends, and cheers to drinking too much wine and eating too much food!

Silencio Por Favor!

2010-09-23T09:35:00.000-07:00

Shhhh.

Be still.

Lower the volume in your head. Heck, just go ahead and turn your brain completely OFF. No thoughts.

Just be. Right here, right now, in THIS very moment. No before, and no after. This tiny pinhead of a moment is all there is.

I find it very difficult to "just be"...If you read Eat, Pray, Love then you might be familiar with her term "Monkey Brain." I have Monkey Brain, like, 100% of the time. It's crazy and disorganized up in there. Someone recently said to me, "Get out of your head." WOAH! That's major. I thought about it some more. "Get out of your head." It makes so much sense, yet no sense at all. I keep thinking about it, which probably means that it's stuck in my head...ugh

a busy weekend

2010-09-11T17:39:00.001-07:00

Murphy is currently sharing the computer chair with me, taking a little post-dinner nap. He loves to share the computer chair, any chair, just as long as he's touching one of us. He had a really big day today. We went to a Boston Terrier "tea party" (sans tea) hosted by a local BT rescue group. Not as organized and fun as I had hoped, but still a joy to see all the smiling black and white faces. Boston Terriers of every shape and size were all around. Murphy received many compliments on his long legs, lean body and his markings. He's quite handsome if I do say so myself...especially in his bandanna. We hung out at the park for a couple of hours, playing with Murphy's long lost cousins, and then he went for a dip in the creek to cool off before we went home.

Once we got home it was nap time for me (Sean watched football). I was exhausted! We stayed up late the night before. After work on Friday, both Sean and I needed to unwind. We hosted an impromptu happy hour at the house where our best friends joined us. Happy hour turned into Happy Six Hours, and it was so much fun.

Cut to this morning: I really wanted to sleep in, but we had the Boston Terrier tea party at 11. I was dragging, a little...After the tea party I squeezed in a nap, and then it was off to the Vanderbilt campus for tailgating.

For the past 28 years, a family friend has hosted an early-season tailgating party at his Alma mater, and this was our first year to be invited to the event. This was most definitely not your mama's tailgating, friends. Clues that we were not experiencing the "normal" tailgating traditions:
- Fully catered buffet, complete with wait staff and a floral arrangement
- china, silverware and white linen napkins
- men wearing suits (including a couple of seersucker)
- jewelry. lots and lots of gold jewelry.
- open bar with 2 bartenders, no tip jar
- 4 piece Dixieland jazz band

I think it's fitting that Vandy's colors are black and gold. Very classy. VERY. Classy. Orange on the other hand? Not so classy...

Needless to say, we had a wonderful time and were very thankful for the opportunity to join in on the fun. I was a little embarrassed to be wearing jeans and flip flops with a 3 week old chipped pedicure, but that wasn't going to stop me! We mingled with several friends and struck up some acquaintances with the other guests. Go 'Dores, I guess? We didn't stay for the game. Sean turned down a pair of tickets because he's more interested in watching some of the teams on TV tonight. I couldn't have been more relieved! I wanted to get back to the house to finish the weekend chores and go to bed early. I have another busy day ahead of me...

On the agenda for tomorrow: Helping mom purge 15 years worth of crap from her house in preparation for her garage sale. This is going to be an emotionally exhausting day. Mom doesn't enjoy parting with her belongings, even if she hasn't looked at it for over a decade.

Labor Day Weekend

2010-09-06T19:11:00.000-07:00

Sadly, we weren't at the beach this Labor Day weekend, or anywhere else for that matter. We weren't soaking up the last rays of summer. No lobster dinners, pina coladas, sundresses or sunburns. We were just here, at home. That's ok, though...we were lucky enough to have great company and perfect weather.

Sherri and Keith asked us out for a sushi date at Ru Sans, and following our raw meal we headed to Sambuca for some lounging and post-dinner drinks. Actually, we just went for drinks...the lounging was accidental (but much enjoyed!)

Sunday night we went south to Spring Hill to hang out at Shereida and Jeff's house. Because they have a fenced yard and a sweet doggy named Maddie, we're able to bring Murphy with us. It's nice that we can make it a "family affair," but Murphy is an embarrassment to our clan. He humps Maddie like there's no tomorrow! Poor Maddie...

We played games with S&J into the wee hours of the morning, and decided to crash in their guest room. This morning we were treated to a yummy, greasy breakfast at Cracker Barrel. So, technically we did spend the night out of town this holiday weekend...in Spring Hill, TN...where there's a barn across the street from Cracker Barrel...and where guests drop their pack of chew and bend over to reveal their rebel flag boxers. Ahhh, life is good

...and she's back!

2010-09-03T19:42:00.000-07:00

"If you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all." I think that pretty much sums it up.

After a 2 month+ hiatus, I'm back in the blogosphere. I don't even know why. Just shut up and go with it.

I was waaaay down in the deep, dark places of my brain where no one should ever go. The kind of place where you just KNOW for sure that you'll never be happy again. The place where you think oh my god do i need medication?

All I have to say is: BLECH! I hate that place.

So I went to yoga. And then I got this book. I talked to my beautiful, loving, wonderful, patient friends...a lot. I also talked to my hair stylist. And with the encouragement of my sister, I even talked to MY MOM. I know. It was weird...

And slowly but surely, my old self began to emerge from the shadows. Things are looking up. Way up. I even got a promotion. again, very weird.

I'm totally comfortable being in the spotlight as long as it's on my terms. The minute someone calls me out, makes a formal announcement about me, shines the light on me when I least expect it...that's when I get all weirded out.

It's not as if every single day was full of deep depression. I still laughed. I still enjoyed life. I still loved my husband, went to work, took care of my dog, made dinner...but along with all that was this underlying tone of sadness. I had some major changes going on in my life. Re-defining yourself doesn't always mean sunshine and roses. Doesn't always mean a new hairstyle or outfits. Sometimes it means digging up a bunch of deep, dark shit and getting dirt under your fingernails. And that's where I was...

I'm back now. Feeling good, feeling free, at peace for the most part...knock on wood...

Top 10 things on my brain:
10. Maximizing Labor Day weekend
9. Missing friends who live out of town, and wishing I could scoop them all up and take them to the beach with me this weekend
8. Thankful for my wonderful friends who continue to ride the Crazy Stacey Train with me
7. humbled by my promotion. glad that I have a wonderful boss.
6. Is summer really almost over? I don't know if i'm ready...Do my winter clothes still fit?
5. Ecstatic about my new mid-day dog walker
4. seriously need to organize the bonus room closets
3. Missing sister :( both of them!
2. I love my house, and where it is. I'm glad Sean chose this place.
1. Why are Sean and Murphy being so quiet right now...what are those boys up to?

The Seventeen Magazine Project

2010-06-19T09:05:00.000-07:00

Why wasn't I this awesome when I was a senior in high school? Check out The Seventeen Magazine Project. This project blog was so interesting to me that I just read evey single entry in one sitting. I swear, 10 years ago I didn't even know half of the words this girl uses in her blog. Pennsylvania schools must be better than Tennessee's. Either that, or I'm just retarted. (probably the later...) At that age, I didn't know how to think critically about the world around me. I mean, I guess I did to some extent, but I surely wouldn't have been able to crank out blog posts complete with charts, graphs, and open-ended surveys. The sad thing is...I went to college and became a Sociology major where I STILL didn't do anything like that.

All of a sidden I feel very disappointed in myself...for not being a better student, for not doing something with my education, for not applying myself. I don't reckon there's anything I can do about it now, so no sense in beating myself up over it. Besides, I'm officially on vacation for the next 9 days! 'Tis a time to celebrate.

I'm celebrating today by not getting out of my jammies. I'm supposed to be cleaning house, but I got sucked into that blog and haven't been doing much else. I should probably make myself useful around the house today. We've got a lot of cleaning and packing to do before we leave for Florida tomorrow! Adios, amigos - I'll be enjoying the beautiful sun, sand, and tar balls of the Redneck Riviera for the next 7 days.

i had the urge...

2010-06-15T18:54:00.000-07:00

...to get a mohawk.

I have a fabulous hair stylists - Miss Katie - and I had an appointment with her today. Given that I've been in a weird, depressed funk, I felt the need to sass things up a bit. Katie didn't give me mohawk (which is probably a good idea), but she did give me this 'do:

Inspiration: British babe Eleanor Jackson of La Roux. I'm really diggin' the song Bulletproof right now, and I'm diggin' my new hair.

Well, off to perfect my side-swept fauxhawk. Thanks, Katie!

Did you know?

2010-06-11T17:39:00.000-07:00

Did you know...
...that I want to lose 13 pounds? (preferably, in 1 week before I go to the beach.) Oh, that's right! We're going to Panama City in just 9 days. And I'm worried about oil being there, but oh well...I'll take a vacation where I can get one, oil or not. My dad is turning 50 (FIFTY!) and he'll have all his children there with him for the entire week. I hope my brother has a good time with us. It's going to be a challenge keeping him entertained all week. He always seems depressed, so I hope spending the week with us lifts his spirits. I know what it's like to be in his shoes, caught in the middle of a divorce and starting middle school. Been there, done that, glad I don't have to do it again. My heart goes out to the little guy. I'm looking forward to a week full of sun and sand. I haven't been to PCB in ages, and I can't wait to go to Shipwreck Island (the water park).

Did you know...
...that our stupid rental house sprung another leak? Yes, ANOTHER one. Not the one where the tree fell on the roof. No, that one got fixed. This is a NEW leak. The rental house makes my stomach hurt. I hope we're making the right decision by hanging on to it. I have bad dreams about the house falling apart sometimes. I fear that it'll suck up all our money (and by "all our money" I mean the teeny little bit that we have in savings).

Did you know...
...that I've been having a hard time focusing lately? Focusing on life, that is. Maybe focus is the wrong way to describe it. I feel very unsettled, and like I'm not doing a good job at...living. I think things are moving too quickly. My brain gets all mushy, I worry about crazy things, and then I get a heavy feeling in my chest. The world just feels like it's spinning around me, and I'm having a hard time keeping up. I like to think of myself as a very organized person, but lately, not so much...I wish everything would just sloooow doooown so I didn't feel like life was getting away from me. I really like to savor the small moments in life and I'm not doing much savoring right now. I'm trying to squeeze all my savoring into a few hours on the weekends, and I don't like that. A lot of my unsettled feeling comes from my job. Life is too short, and I feel like I'm wasting my days doing something I'm not happy with. Let me make an announcement to the world: I DON'T CARE ABOUT PCI COMPLIANCE! There, I said it. I'm zero point zero percent passionate about what I do. Part of me wants to be at least half way passionate about my career. The other part of me thinks that no one likes their job, and that's why God created retirement.

I think I'm going to go savor a glass of box wine and watch a scary Netflix movie. Maybe that will keep my mind off not being satisfied.

Memorial Day

2010-05-31T11:55:00.000-07:00

The beginning of summer.
No work!
Grillin' steaks and drinkin' beers.
Flying flags.
Finally painting the bedroom.
Catching up on laundry.
Making cupcakes for mom's birthday.
Finish mulching the beds.
Grocery, Target, Lowes...
...but more importantly, a day to remember the soldiers who died while serving our country. There's a national moment of remembrance at 3:00 p.m., which I just realized is NOW. Everyone, please bow your heads for a moment of silence...

Thank you, soldiers.

In other news, our Murphy dog got his Lifeguard license for the summer. If you were drowning wouldn't you want this cute pup to save your life???

Turning 28

2010-05-24T19:46:00.000-07:00

Turning 28 isn't anything special for me. Just another year closer to 30, but I don't mind. I've always wanted to be older...because I think older means wiser (at least I'm working on the wisdom), and I want people to take me more seriously. Each year that I age earns me another notch in the belt of wisdom, and so I'm always accepting of my new age. So here we are: TWENTY EIGHT. I couldn't have asked for a better day. I wanted to spend the entire day by the pool, and Susan was gracious enough to let me and my friends take over her back yard. The water was cold since it's early in the year, but it was quite refreshing once your body temperature adjusted. We baked in the sun, lounged around and sipped brews, and did a little swimming. Dad and Susan were amazing hosts and served BBQ and her delicious blue cheese cole slaw recipe - yuuuuuummmm.

So what now? What does 28 hold for me? I don't see anything special on the horizon, so I guess only time will tell...At the very least, I expect to be hanging out with these cool people a lot more:

With his Mr. Miyagi-like leadership, Jeff was able to coach Cannon how to "surf" on the pool floats. He was up here for 2 minutes without falling.

Kaylee doing some cheerleader pyramid stands on my back

Susan, Dad and my friend Melissa just chillin'

Me and Crystal under the shade

Thanks for making my birthday so fun!

Love (and mosquitos) are in the air

2010-05-16T20:40:00.000-07:00

Readers (all 3 of you),

Did you know that when your city experiences a 500 year flood that it will increase the mosquito population by 5 Billion? Yes...I'm certain that my calculations are correct. 5 BILLION. My flesh is being eaten alive every time I step outside.

People are still trying to clean up from the flood damage. My uncle's neighborhood in Bellevue was one of those that went completely under water, and he said it still looks like a war zone out there. Most the residents are still in the process of gutting their homes down to the studs. And whatever they rip out goes straight outside to the curb to wait for pick-up. Sean was able to take a couple of days off work to do some volunteering (hooray for the FedEx Office crew and their support!). Sean and a crew of 11 co-workers gutted 2 condos. Demolition can be fun if you're working on a do-it-yourself home project, but I suspect the families who saw their homes being torn apart were quite unsettled about the whole cleanup process. It's going take a long time to completely re-build. Here are some more pictures from the flood that I didn't have time to post before.

Sean and the crew from FedEx Office doing some demo to help clean up from the flood

The house where I grew up in Cottonwood - looks like the water rose to the 2nd or 3rd siding board and their floors got soaked. I think those green things are blow dryers.

This is a spooky image of the rear entrance to my mom's neighborhood. I think Tom White did a great job of capturing the flood images in Franklin

Several streets in Downtown Nashville are still closed for cleanup. Thankfully, none of Sherri's wedding venues suffered any damage, and she and Keith were still able to have their wedding on the 15th. It was my first time to be a bridesmaid - a job that I was honored to accept! We ran around for 3 days trying to fit in all the pre-wedding celebrations and last minute preparations. So much work to be done! I'm glad that I've already checked the marriage box :) Sherri's wedding reminded me of being caught up in that wedding whirlwind almost 4 years ago. I was glad to be there to help Sherri in any way that I could, and I was proud to stand up there with her in the ceremony. Friday night before the wedding, Sherri asked if I would give a toast at the reception. I'm not afraid of public speaking, but I was worried that I'd say something foolish to embarrass Sherri and Keith. Thinking of ruining their day is what made me nervous! Considering that I didn't really prepare and didn't write anything down, I think I did an OK job, and I got a couple of laughs out of the crowd. Both the ceremony and reception were held at a rooftop venue on Broadway called Aerial. The ambiance was set off by the neon lights of Broadway, the Nashville skyline with the "Batman Building", and a perfect view of The Ryman Auditorium. The setting was perfect and Sherri was a beautiful bride. Plus, they served yummy mac & cheese and AMAZING cornbread (it's really popular in the South...I don't know about the rest of the world).

The Happy Couple on their wedding day. Wait...this was just the cake topper.

Here's the actual couple on their wedding day just after they swapped vows

I took some time out from dancing to steal a shot with the bride

Jenny and Sherri having a good laugh while dancing

The view of Broadway from the wedding venue

Mother's Day Weekend

2010-05-10T20:17:00.000-07:00

Life is drying out and getting back to normal around these parts. While others were cleaning out their water-damaged homes last week, Sean and I went back to work. I feel like such a MAJOR JERK for not helping anyone clean up, but we did donate to the Red Cross. Believe me, I would've rather been ripping up soggy carpet than sitting in my cubicle all week...

By the time the weekend rolled around, you would've never guessed we just had a torrential downpour. The weather was more perfect than ever for a Spring day in Tennessee. No heat, no humidity. In fact, we were wearing SWEATERS. I couldn't believe it. The cool breeze made for a perfect weekend outside. On Saturday Sean and I took my mom to Arrington Vineyards for an early Mother's Day outing, and we met up with my aunt, uncle, cousins and a few of their friends. The sun was setting over the rolling hills, the jazz band was playing, the wine was flowing...it was bliss. I had never been to Arrington Vineyards before, and now I think I'm officially addicted. I'm already looking forward to our next trip - it can't come soon enough! All I could talk about on Sunday was wanting to go back to Arrington.

Sean says he doesn't like his "sunglasses face." I still think he's cute.

Me and Mom: Take #1. I'm pretty sure she will kill me for posting this picture.
Me and Mom: Take #2. Shadow and a cooler. Not good. Oh well, you get the point.

The view at Arrington Vineyards

On Sunday night we met up with Bonnie, Ed and Trevor for a Mother's Day dinner. This time we were chowing down at P.F. Chang's. We enjoyed catching up with the family and hearing about Bonnie's adventures as a wedding florist. Her schedule stays packed with all the weddings she books, so I'm glad we were able to snag her for the evening!

If I weren't so tired right now I write stories about how our mothers have inspired us. Let me just say that we love our mamas (no matter how much they may drive us crazy). We wouldn't be who we are without them!

Rain King

2010-05-02T19:17:00.000-07:00

(*pictures courtesy of FaceBook friends...I didn't go driving through town)

How about a Cherry Limeaid? Not so fast...

This is a street that Sean and I frequently use to get to work.

Here's the flower shop that Bonnie used to work for. Guess the roses are getting plenty of water right now...

Here's a car dealership about 1 mile from our house.

We knew there was a severe weather threat for Middle Tennessee over the weekend. My mom, sister and I were headed to Macon, GA for a friend's wedding, and our biggest concern was that the Derby parties would be rained out. Pretty silly, huh? There's always the threat of tornadoes, too. But who'd have thought that a near-Noah sized FLOOD would be coming?? Not us. The Nashville area hasn't seen this amount of rainfall since the 70's. It all came so quickly, and the Cumberland and Harpeth Rivers started bursting at the seams. Tornado sirens sounded throughout the night, and Sean and Murphy camped out in their "safe room" (our half bathroom downstairs.)

While the 3 of us girls were enjoying the wedding reception in Georgia, Sean texted me a picture of the TV...I-24 in Nashville was completely under water. Cars were stranded, people were being rescued by boat, and a floating classroom portable collided with a tractor trailer on live television. (I kind of wish I'd have been home to see that!) I've seen footage of flooding from other states, but never close to home. Never right in my back yard. This morning on the national weather channel they were saying "Franklin, Tennessee is under water." No one really cared about little 'ole Franklin until now.

Receiving all the text updates and pictures was similar to watching a story unfold on the news. It didn't become real until we started heading home today. First, we learned that only 3 roads were open in Franklin. We were so thankful that we made it home safely through all the rain and continuous flash flooding. Driving past all the standing water in town was kind of nuts. I've lived in Franklin for about 23 years and haven't seen it this bad. Sure, there were areas prone to flooding during a heavy rain, but nothing like neighborhoods being evacuated! During our 5 hour drive back to TN, we all received numerous updates from friends and family back at home. Some of them were saying, "You might not be able to get back! Just stay in Georgia!" But we kept driving, and the passable roads led right to my house. Mom had a difficult time getting from my house over to hers. Because of all the closures, a 10 minute drive ended up taking her almost 30 minutes. Her neighborhood has been watching the water rise into their yards for the past 24 hours. Her house remains dry, but the water is licking her front stoop. A kind neighbor rang their doorbell at 2 a.m. and told my step-dad Jimmy to move their cars to higher ground. Some of the other neighbors were not so lucky as many families had their cars completely flooded.

My uncle's family in West Nashville (Bellevue) was forced out of their home today. The water filled their basement swallowing the washer/dryer, cars, motorcycles, tools, speakers and anything else you keep in a garage. They were also without power, so they headed to higher ground (a.k.a. his in-law's house). It was risky, but with a 5 year old on his shoulders they decided to WADE their way through the rushing waters for several blocks until they reached the in-laws. Later that day, many families in his area were evacuated and taken out by boats. I'm so glad he and his family made it safely!

Check out the basement at our house in Nashville. There should be about 3 or 4 more steps that you can't see...

The flooding has caused a big giant mess for sure, but at least our homes weren't demolished by a tornado. Our tenants called to say that a big tree limb fell on the roof and now it's leaking into the house. Then later they called to report that the basement was completely full of water. Sean said it was at least 4 ft. deep. With me on the road, Sean kicked into full gear calling the insurance company and scheduling someone to check on the damage. He spent all evening using a pump to rid the basement of water. I'm thankful to have him! This is a major inconvenience to us, but we are safe...our family is safe...we still have our cars and other belongings that make our lives convenient. Sadly, some people have lost their lives because of this disaster. One elderly couple was trying to drive out of their flooded neighborhood and they got swept away by the water and drowned. It just breaks my heart...others may not have died, but they've got a house full of water and will spend the next several months trying to put things back together again. We have been blessed.

The farm that we bought our summer CSA crops from has been completely flooded. They lost all the crops, about 1200 chickens, and a $5000 fence that they just put up. I wish there was something I could do to help them. I really had my heart set on participating in their program this summer, and maybe many more years to come. I pray this devestation doesn't cause them to go completely under.

Last one for April

2010-04-25T19:08:00.000-07:00

April whizzed by my face quicker than a fastball from < insert a pitcher's name here >. Just 5 days left and we'll be in May?!? No, it just can't be...I'm not ready. April feels like it's been really busy, and I'm not sure I'm ready to move on yet. I wanted to do so much this month (like garden and paint the bedroom), but I guess my to-do list will have to continue dragging on into the summer.

Before we begin the final countdown to May, I thought I'd share some highlights from this past week:

- the weather has been gorgeous (except for threats of tornadoes on Saturday)

- work was nice, not too crazy. My team even snuck out to get Italian ice one afternoon. score.

- GREAT yoga class on Tuesday. Oooommmmm

- Sean and I had a successful shopping trip to Kohl's and loaded up on new summer clothes

- I counted 21 blue shirts on Sean's side of the closet while I was doing laundry today (that includes stripes and checks.) Does anyone else think this is a problem?

- My brother has been staying with us all weekend (he's 11). We played lots of Super Nintendo, watched Twilight and ate way too much junk food. Because of this, I didn't clean house as much. I feel like a slacker.

- Miss Irene (one of my Mimi's friends) had our family over on Saturday. She wanted us to visit with her since she misses my Mimi so much. Her acreage in Shelbyville was beautiful and she served a delicious lunch. I ate too much and was suffering from a food coma for the 2nd half of the visit. I thought I was going to fall asleep on her couch which would've been really embarrassing.

- and finally, we hit up the Franklin Main Street Festival today (along with 35,000 other people) It was NUTS, but we enjoyed eating street food, bumping into good friends and shopping on such a beautiful day.

Crazy Dreams

2010-04-22T15:09:00.000-07:00

If you've known me for more than 3 days, then you've probably appeared in one of my crazy dreams. (No, not those kinds of dreams...get your head out of the gutter.) Ever since I can remember I've had the most vivid and bizarre dreams, and I remember most of them! I recall dreams as if they were actual events. I even remember dreams that I had when I was 7 years old (like being with my Papa during a flood where there were alligators and snakes all around us). Last Monday night I had one of the strangest dreams of ALL TIME. And like I do with most weird dreams, I shared it with a few people. Of course, those people immediately said I was dropping acid because the dream is totally nuts. These dreams aren't like "Hey, my tooth is loose so I must be worried about money." No, I can't even begin to put any rhyme or reason to them, but if any of you readers want to take a stab at the hidden meaning behind this one then please do. I'd love to hear what you think. Here it goes:

Monday night I had a dream that resembled some sort of Adventureland complete with randomly funny pop-culture characters. I was walking through a pimped-out tree house with Captain Hook, and he was showing me around his home. It was like a grown up tree house – it had a kitchen and a bonus room with a pool table. He was, like, the real Captain Hook but more of a normal guy, and he wasn’t scary. All of a sudden, another man appeared at Hook’s tree house. It was either Captain Morgan or Panama Jack…or some sort of beach-y character like that. I learned that this Captain Morgan character’s real name was something like “Iggy” or “Spizzy” (I can’t quite recall), and he was wearing a vintage-like t-shirt and a cowboy hat. Turns out, Iggy was CAPTAIN HOOK’S EX-BOYFRIEND. I know, I know…hilarious, right?
They had been lovers at one point, and Iggy/Captain Morgan had come back to Hook’s place and it really upset Hook. I could tell they had a bad breakup. Hook started telling me “Oh, all he ever wanted to do was drink rum and write poetry.” . Somehow I ended up leaving Hook’s gay tree house and was wandering some ambiguous streets. I was on a long voyage, but I didn’t know exactly where I was going. I was walking, walking, walking…and I didn’t seem to have a map or any sense of direction. I wasn’t in the wilderness…I was around houses and towns, but I just didn’t know where I was headed. Then I ended up in a white-out blizzard. I couldn’t see ANYTHING. I could barely make out the shapes of houses and cars, but they were all covered with snow and it was very difficult to see what was just a few feet in front of me. But it was ok…because I had SANTA’S REINDEER WITH ME!!! Hahahaha! They were walking behind me, and I felt safe knowing they were there. I realized that I really needed to ditch the other reindeer and just ride on Rudolph’s back since he’s the one with the light-up nose…but then I looked at Rudolph and he was really small and frail. I could see his ribs and spine. Anorexic Rudolph? I was worried that Rudy wouldn’t be able to carry me on his back, and so the reindeer and i continued walking through the blizzard. We came to a very steep part in the road where it was difficult to walk uphill, and on either side of us were tall rock walls. The road kept getting narrower, and the walls were closing in on us….that’s the last I remember of that scene.

April Showers bring...Maximas?

2010-04-19T18:58:00.000-07:00

After 1 year of zero car payments, Sean decided to treat himself to a new set of wheels. Well, new to us - it's a 2007 Maxima. We've both been driving 8 year old cars and praying that they last. His Intrepid was on the brink of needing some major repairs so we traded it in while the gettin' was hot. He haggled with the salesman for FIVE HOURS until they finally met his budget, and he felt good about the deal in the end. I think it's a pretty sexy car, don't you?

Hopefully my Sable will hold out a couple of more years. She's been a good car. Not as sexy as Mr. Maxima, but loyal and trustworthy.

Saturday night we met up with a group of friends and saw an awesome local band at the Bunganut Pig. I danced my butt off, and Sean even did a little dancing too. I don't know what's going on with my hair in this picture, but I promise my cut doesn't look like it's been leveled off with a razor. I think there was a mirror casting a strange reflection behind us.

And this little booger has been keeping us entertained. He keeps us clean, too, with all his incessant licking. He's doing very well with training and behaving himself while we're at work. We ran for a solid hour on Saturday and he was tuckered out in the end. Now if he could just mind his father while they're on the evening walk...

Also, we are retarded because we talk baby talk to him. But wook at the wittle guy, he's just so tweeeeeet.

CSA

2010-04-15T14:11:00.000-07:00

I'm very excited...like, squealing, giddy excited. In just 2 weeks we'll be receiving our very first CSA crop share from Avalon Acres (based in Hohenwald, TN). If you haven't heard of a CSA before it stands for "community supported agriculture." A few friends of mine have participated in CSA's , and I've always been interested in trying it. I came across an online article about CSA's and it provided links to our local farms. I thought, "Why not?" I'd love to grow a garden of my own - and maybe I will one day - but in the meantime, I figured I'd just buy locally grown and organic produce. (I don't have enough yard or enough time to have a garden.) Surprisingly, I don't care so much about the organic part as I do about the local part. Check out some great benefits to buying from a local CSA farm:

-Keep your dollars in Tennessee by buying locally. Support the local farmer more directly. When you buy food from the conventional grocery stores .9 cents of every dollar goes in the farmers pocket. When you buy from our CSA 60-75% of every dollar goes in the farmers pocket. Your support DIRECTLY impacts small farming and the local economy.

-Assures more food dollars go to farmers and not truckers. Get rid of all the middle men who end up lowering the farmers income.

-Knowing where your food comes from (who, how, where).

-Eating healthier. Free-range meats contain CLAs and are the only way to get Omega 3s other than through fish. Produce that is picked fresh retains more of its nutrients.

-Enjoying a much broader variety of foods than you find in a store. You'll certainly try vegetables that you've never had before (or perhaps had as a child and never tried again).

-Knowing that animals have been treated with dignity. Supporting hormone-free, preservative free and chemical free meats.

-Preserving heritage breeds and seeds.

-Preventing antibiotic-resistant strains of disease.

-Saving petroleum and other resources.

-Enjoying what your state has to offer in food choices!

I'm looking forward to eating *super* fresh vegetables and trying new recipes. Avalon Acres' website provides lots of creative ways to prepare the food they'll be sending. In addition to 1/2 a bushel of vegetables, we'll also be receiving a dozen fresh eggs and one portion of meat. Mmmmm, bacon! The first delivery is scheduled for Sunday, May 2, so stay tuned for some cooking blogs.

Who am I?

2010-04-04T13:12:00.000-07:00

I came across this little article on usnews.com: Career Chemistry: The Best Jobs for Six Personality Types. I'm having a really difficult time figuring out which personality type suites me best, so I thought my friends and family might be able to tell me. Won't you, please? Weigh in on Facebook or comment on this blog and tell me who you think I am. I see a little bit of myself in each of these categories, but I can't decide which description is the clear front runner. Is there one? Surely I'm not equally balanced among these 6 options. Me? Balanced? HA! I'm a Gemeni. Even from birth I was born to contradict myself.

Realistic, hands-on people tend to be practical and straightforward. They like to work with concrete objects. (I'm practical and straightforward, but I don't know about the hands-on part. Seems a little too technical for me. Maybe instead of straightforward I'm just insensitive?). Careers compatible with this personality type: electrician, orthodontist, surgical technologist, biomedical engineer.

Investigative people are analytical, intellectual, and scientific. Typically, they like to gather a lot of information before making decisions. (Um, no...definitely not me. I make most of my decisions based on feelings and gut reactions.) And they question ideas that aren't backed up by rational data. Compatible careers: professor, software developer, physician's assistant, veterinarian, librarian. (I'm not very intellectual or scientific at all.)

Artistic people are creative and imaginative, as you might expect. But they can also be strong problem solvers, since they bring an intuitive mindset that complements the more rational approach others might offer. (Everyone loves to say that I'm artistic, but I prefer the term crafty instead. I believe that true artists find ways to express their emotions through their craft...and I simply copy other people's work. I've never created anything on my own. I find it difficult to think outside the box because I'm such a black-and-white rule follower. Need lists and boundaries and all that good stuff. Definitely not artistic.) Compatible careers: landscape architect, graphic designer, director or producer, interior designer, editor. (All of those jobs sound really intriguing, but it would never work out. I can't even decide where to hang a picture in my own house.)

Social people often end up in "helping" professions where attributes like patience, empathy and generosity make a difference. They're often strong team players good at achieving consensus. Compatible careers: school physiologist, mediator, nurse, physical therapist, social worker. (This category definitely speaks to me, and it's one I'd desire to be in. Unfortunately, I think I'm too rough around the edges. I need to do some growing before classifying myself here, but I hope that one day people will call me patient and empathetic. Definitely a social person, though. No doubt about that. And I really do want to help people. I just need to learn how to really help them rather than bossing them around.)

Enterprising people are competitive, energetic extroverts. (Extrovert, yes. Competitive and energetic? No. I take way too many naps.) They often end up as entrepreneurs or group leaders, and prefer to delegate the pieces of a project while focusing on the bigger picture. (Sure, who doesn't like to delegate? I usually end up as some sort of leader in a group setting, but I think this category might involve too much risk and politics for me.) Compatible careers: executive, financial manager, sales rep, sales manager. (Hmmm...my current job might be classified as sales rep. Maybe that's why I'm struggling.)

Conventional people, also described as orderly, are somewhat misnamed. They're not necessarily bland, thought they do tend to be reserved (ha! I'm totally not reserved), careful and efficient. These folks are who handle all the details that keep the trains running on time. (I do really enjoy paying attention to details...when I'm in the right mood. Other times I'm a big picture person. Either way, I consider myself to be extremely organized and efficient.) Compatible careers: accountant, actuary, financial planner, technical writer, building inspector.

So who do you think I am?

St. Louis Part I

2010-04-03T16:01:00.000-07:00

We made it back from St. Louis...like, 1 hour ago. Can you believe I'm blogging already!? I know, I know...it's very much unlike me to be updating the blog so soon. But, it was either Blog or Unpack...and I went with Blog. Wouldn't you?

We came home to a very happy puppy and an overgrown yard. Sean is mowing the yard as I type. Neither of us were prepared to come back just yet. Good vacations always end too quickly. We were just starting to settle in, learn our way around the city and bond with the Jensen kids...and now we're back in Franklin where we have busy schedules, career woes and home responsibilities. Yuck, yuck and more yuck. The first thing I did when we entered the house was open my calendar and start to organize our plans for next week. BIG MISTAKE.

...Easter Sunday service, visit with my family at noon, visit with Sean's family at 5, meal planning, grocery trip, give Murphy a bath, do laundry, back to work on Monday, try to raise money for MS, reserve D1 class for Thursday, confirm cookout time with my uncle, get a copy of rabies tags for Murphy, buy Amanda a birthday present, work out, cook dinner, coordinate logo consultation with Faby, pack for Grand Rapids, business trip to Grand Rapids on Tuesday and Wednesday, unpack from business trip, cook dinner, buy new blinds because our new renters already broke a set and they've only lived there 4 days, work out, squeeze in a much needed happy hour with Sherri on Friday, cook dinner (if still sober), go to rental house to repair the fence and hang new blinds for them, haircut from KC, family cookout, karaoke for my sister's birthday....oh yes, and run with Murphy every morning and go to work and fight with people all day...

But it'll be fine. I think.

At least I had 4 days in St. Louis to spend with my husband and good friends.

Sean and I took the Budweiser Brewery tour (free!), and I'm glad we didn't have to pay anything for it because it wasn't the best. Fun to see the Clydesdales and bottling factory, but not very heavy on the actual brewing process. I'd say 2 out of 5 stars.

Sean and I rented 2 of the Jensen kids (Sarah and William) for a day and took them to the Zoo - also free! It was hotter than blazes so we gave in and bought $18 worth of B&J ice cream. Kind of defeated the purpose of the free trip, but oh well...We really enjoyed the lazy and comical chimps. The hippos put on a good swimming show, and the penguins were super cute. By the end of the zoo trek the 4 of us were wiped out. We walked all over Forest Park (larger than Central Park in NYC) to get back to our car. We spotted a wading pool and cooled off for a bit before heading back to the house.

St. Louis has a lot to offer as far as tourism, and most of the sites are free. The City Garden is a quiet stop in the middle of the bustling city, and it's home to several quirky sculptures like this bunny. City Garden also has a great view of the Arch.

Another St. Louis must-see (or rather, taste) is Pappy's Smokehouse. We knew the line would be long since Pappy's was featured on Food Network and the Travel Channel, but we were willing to wait it out in order to try this famous Memphis style BBQ. Being from the south, we had to see if Pappy knew what he was doing when it came to pork. Even though the line of hungry visitors wrapped around the entire restaurant it seemed to move really quickly. I'd say we had our food and a seat within 30 minutes. And it was worth the wait! A generous portion of pulled pork on a sesame seed kaiser roll, sweet potato fries and garlicky green beans. The sauces were thick and rich with the right hint of sweet. Too bad Pappy's isn't part of the free stuff in St. Louis.

Alive and Kickin'

2010-03-29T20:36:00.000-07:00

We're still alive, I promise...

Spring has officially arrived and we're as busy as ever. It's like everyone came out of hibernation all at once. Our social calendar is full, we moved out old (and best) tenants last week, we moved in new tenants this week, we're slammed at work, and we're taking a mini vacation to St. Louis this week. AHHHH! I need more hours in my days. Sometimes I can't keep up with myself. I don't know how Sean does it...

Here are a few pictures from our early St. Patrick's Day celebration: Franklin's Brewfest. It was a blast! We met up with the most fun group of friends and tasted at least 30 beers while we roamed and shopped up and down Main Street.

So like I said, this week we're heading to St. Louis for a mini vacation. I'm so excited to spend an extended weekend with the Jensens. They are my favorite family of all time (besides the Waltons...but they were fake, so that may not count). The weather is supposed to be beautiful, and apparently St. Louis has a lot of fun (and free!) things to see and do. I'll update you upon our return!

Happy Springtime, y'all! I hope you're enjoying the early blooms and beautiful weather.

Sleep, Sheets and Zooming

2010-03-11T19:06:00.000-08:00

I am sooooo sleeeeepy this week. I guess I should clarify by saying that I'm more sleepy than usual. I'm naturally a tired person, always requiring more hours of sleep than the average bear. I love going to bed early AND sleeping in late. Yes, both of them...preferably in the same sleeping block. Getting 10 hours of sleep each night sounds like heaven to me. I usually get 7.5-8 hours of sleep, but it rarely feels like enough. By the time I take my last bite of dinner I'm ready to CRASH on my pillow. Tonight I'm trying to make it until 9:00 before I retire to the bed. For some reason I fear that if I go to bed before 9:00 it makes me weird or crazy or sick. I don't know...Of course, there are some nights that I give into my body and say, "YES let's hit the sack now. I don't care that it's only 7:45!!!" Most nights I force myself to stay awake so that I can: talk to my husband, clean dishes, watch a TV show, pay bills. You know, all that fun stuff that you're supposed to do while you're awake.

I probably shouldn't share this with you (Sean is going to die of embarrassment), but I think it's kinda funny. Several weeks ago Murphy was *zooming and he ripped our sheet. The fitted sheet. The one that you lay on. The bed was unmade (so what - you're not going to say that you make your bed everyday, are you? I sure hope not...) and Murphy zoomed onto the bed. His claw ripped the sheet. At first it was an innocent rip, maybe just an inch or two. Of course, we were frustrated by the fact that we have to buy new sheets, but we realize it wasn't Murphy's fault. We allow him to zoom and we also allow him on the bed, so he wasn't breaking any rules. It was just an unfortunate accident. The rip was so small at first that I actually considered mending it by hand. You know, with needle and thread or a patch or some tape or something...but of course, I kept putting it off. Each night as I tossed and turned, the rip would get bigger and bigger. Now the rip in our sheet is practically the entire length of our mattress. My entire side of the bed is basically 100% exposed mattress pad (which is just as soft as the sheet, by the way). The sheet has been ripped for so long that I'm completely desensitized to it now. I used to be shocked every night - "Damn - I forget about the ripped sheet!!! We need to go buy a new one. We'll do it this weekend...." I PROMISE that I'm going THIS weekend. We have a BB&B coupon and everything. I'm totally going...I MUST go...I'm starting to feel trashy by sleeping on a ripped sheet and exposed mattress pad every night (and being ok with it).

*zooming - To fully understand, you must visualize our upstairs floor plan. At one end of the house you have our bedroom. At the other end is the bonus room. There's a long hallway that connects the 2 rooms. Occasionally, Murphy will get a random burst of energy and decides to run the entire length of the upstairs. All of a sudden he just starts speed running from the outer wall of the bedroom to the outer wall of the bonus room as fast as he possibly can. He'll do about 4 or 5 laps before he finally stops. It's hilarious to watch, mostly because he goes SO FAST! One day I just yelled "Zooooooooom" as he was doing it, and it kinda stuck. Sometimes zooming involves a leap onto the bed before he heads back the other way. We don't know how to predict this behavior.

Things I've Learned from People

2010-03-03T19:21:00.000-08:00

This is just a brief thought that crossed my mind tonight. Obviously, the list doesn't represent ALL of the things I've learned, nor does it highlight all of the many wonderful people in my life.

Things I've Learned from People...

Love. Patience. Partnership. Trust. - from Sean

How to knit. Parenting skills. Love for the Lord. - from Vickie and Rick

Kindness. Laughter. Confidence in myself. - from Tonja

Loyalty. Inspiration. True friendship. - from Sherri

Good posture. Take your vitamins. - from Mimi

Catching up...

2010-03-03T18:35:00.000-08:00

I apologize for the long delay between posts. I know you've been DYING to know what's going on in our lives (haha, yeah right.) The past month or so has included:

-a romantic Valentine's day, complete with chocolate treats from Merveilleux Confections (tah. die. for.)

-dinners with each of our parental units

-Murphy had a doggy play date with his Aunt Casey and Uncle Shiloh

-a yummy frozen yogurt treat from Sweet Cece's

-showing the rental house a talking to potential tenants

-going with Sherri to try on her wedding dress

-spending the day with my Stepdad Jimmy for his birthday

-washed cars

-cleared the garage so that BOTH CARS fit, woo hoo!

And most recently - last weekend, actually - we attended a fundraising event called "3 Blind Wines" at The Factory (a.k.a. our wedding reception site). 3 Blind Wines is presented by Franklin's Next Generation Heritage Foundation, and proceeds from the event go towards saving the historic Franklin Theatre. Since Sean's store prints all of the marketing materials for the event, we've been invited to attend for the past 3 years. This year was definitely the biggest and the best so far. We had a great time ~~drinking~~ tasting wine with several other couples, including friends from work.

Unmarked bottles like the one seen below were scattered all about the reception hall. Hundreds upon hundreds of bottles. They were everywhere! The point of the evening is to vote on the best bottle of wine. The team with the most votes gets about 300 bottles to take home. How long would 300 bottles of wine last in your house?

(the wine marked #404 was my favorite)

Hibernation

2010-02-07T08:57:00.000-08:00

Since last weekend was "The Big Snowstorm" (all 4 inches...), we haven't had much to share with our friends and family. We've really just been hibernating and trying to stay warm, and I've been tackling a cold.

This past week was spent getting back into a normal routine now that all the snow is gone. And boy, it was a busy week for both of us. Work work work! Sean traveled to Louisville for his quarterly regional meeting, and I had a 2-day sales conference at our home office here in Franklin. With all the in-and-out and running around we were doing, I was thankful to have my mom and stepdad to help out with Murphy's potty breaks.

Yesterday was Saturday - the sacred day of laziness. We actually got several errands accomplished and a little bit of cleaning done. Murphy got to take his first trip to Petsmart for a nail filing and ear cleaning. And since it's been so gloomy and cold, I've been craving a warm, homemade soup. I whipped up some French Onion with Gruyere cheese for lunch...mmmmm.

Tonight, of course, is THE BIG GAME. I'm a little sad that the Titans won't be there. sniff. We're meeting up with Sherri and Keith to go to Linda and Phil's house (the same couple who hosts the annual gingerbread house party). Should be a good time! We don't really have any stock invested in either team. I'm sure Sean will pull for the Colts tonight since Peyton shares his alma mater. I might cheer for the Saints just because New Orleans seems way cooler than Indianapolis (even though I've never visited either). In the end, all I really care about is having a fun night with our friends.

Snow Cream

2010-01-29T17:07:00.000-08:00

Well, here it is - my very first edited video using the Flip. I wanted to put this on Facebook, but it never takes my videos. So, I'm using the trusty ole blog! Please forgive my shoddy editing work. I need some practice with the fading, but this'll do for now. You might notice I was talking quietly...that's because I was worried that the neighbors could hear me! So anyway, enjoy the clip. And don't forget to make your own batch of snow cream the next time it snows in your neck of the woods
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Extra Christmas Pics

2010-01-23T20:49:00.001-08:00

I found these gems on Sean's iPhone - leftover pictures from Christmas. Enjoy!

My Nonnie hosts a Christmas Eve Brunch every year.

This year she served petit fours as part of the dessert buffet.

Notice anything special about this tasty treat?

Sean and me at Dad's place on Christmas Eve

Amanda, Trey and Me

Dad with his kiddos.

A little bit of nothing much

2010-01-17T19:23:00.000-08:00

It's Sunday night, 9:30 p.m. Where has my weekend gone!?!?! I'm sitting here with a glass of red wine, back aching from cleaning all day. I want to take a bath and shave my legs for the first time in a looooong time. Perhaps I'll have time for a quick bath after this blog, and then maybe some knitting.

Not too much has happened around the Carroll household since Christmas and the New Year. Of course, we have Murphy now, and I feel like he takes up most of our time. We've been adjusting to him, and he's been adjusting to us. I think we're getting along quite well! He and Sean have had a few "power struggle" moments where Murphy was behaving very badly. But for the most part, he's a great dog. I LOVE to snuggle with him! He took a nap on my chest yesterday, and it was the sweetest thing ever! You have to understand that I don't have kids, and I've never held a baby for more than .02 seconds, so my new dog really IS the sweetest thing ever to me. We've gotten to a point where we can leave Murphy alone in the house (not in his crate) for a few hours, and he does great! VICTORY! No accidents, and our furniture is not ripped to shreds. When we return, he's just napping in his favorite chair.

Here's Murphy having a good laugh

As you may recall from my last post, Murphy thinks he's a cat. He jumped on to our kitchen counter with one leap...just like a cat. And he stole our dish sponge.

Now on to some non-Murphy related news...our jobs are going well, we're excited about the new year, and everything is pretty status quo. I don't have much to share, but I guess that's a good thing - No drama! We don't make any New Year's resolutions, so I can't give you an update on how we're failing our diets or anything Ike that. I can tell you, however, that we enjoyed a fire outside on Friday night as it was quite warm for January (low 40's). Dad's adorable lady friend took us to dinner and joined us in some fireside chatting. And today, after 9 months of being in our home, we finally bought curtains for the living room. My mom also gave me a quilt that was made by my great grandmother. I think it's just about the neatest thing I've ever owned!

Sean's Notes: I'm excited that our family has gotten bigger. I have a long list of house projects to keep me occupied (possibly a new kitchen!) I made cappuccino tonight, so that's a win for the new year. [I gave him a cappuccino/coffee maker for Christmas. He does a really good job at steaming the milk. I don't think I'll ever try to use that thing. It looks way too complicated.]

And, in closing...

2010-01-01T19:31:00.000-08:00

Last night and today we've been busy celebrating the new year - welcome, 2010! Did everyone eat their black eyed peas??? (And just in case you're wondering, I refer to it as twenty-ten. Yes, because it sounds better.) Even though my family suffered a tragedy this year with losing my two maternal grandparents, I can't help but think of 2009 as an overall good year. Sean and I were blessed with many things (like our jobs, a happy marriage, and a new house), and we made tons of good memories (see also: all my previous blog posts). One thing I'm most thankful for this year is being able to spend more time with my brother. Oh, and for my mean boss quitting on my birthday. Woo hoo! What can I say - life is bueno. I'm thankful for everything I have, and I'm looking forward to another good year in twenty-ten.

The week leading up to Christmas I was a nervous wreck because I knew that I was adopting the dog. Then finally, Christmas Day came and I was able to relax and enjoy the festivities. For Christmas we stayed in town, as we usually do, and spent time with our families. All in all, we visited with 38 members of our family in just 2 days. Phew! It was a whirlwind extravaganza filled with lots of laughter, food and presents, of course. Emily was in town for almost 2 weeks, and it was nice to visit with her again. My step-sister Jennifer also came down to Tennessee with her family. We had our traditional Christmas Eve brunch at Nonnie's house, and had a blast playing Name That Tune. Unfortunately, we didn't capture many pictures of the actual festivities. What I do have are the pictures you'll see below - enjoy!

Linda's annual Gingerbread Party with all "the girls."

This was actually December 5, but it's a great way to kick off the holiday season. We spend about 6 hours assembling our gingerbread houses, drinking "Jingle Juice," sharing stories and eating the delicious food that Phillip prepares for us. What a treat!

(Click the picture for a better view of our houses. Then click the back button to continue reading.)

Top row: Mom, me, Amanda, Cristina, Sue and Janice

Bottom: Jensi, Heather, Kelly and our wonderful host Linda

Not pictured: Phillip the chef (a.k.a. Linda's husband)

Another one of my favorite pre-Christmas celebrations is the Dickens of a Christmas event in Downtown Franklin. Sean, Sherri and I spent the afternoon shopping and enjoying the street fair activities. Here are the Dickens-era street performers doing a traditional group dance...

...and Sean and I bumped into Scrooge himself. Bah humbug!

With just 2 weeks to go before Christmas, Sean and I finally sucked it up and bought a Christmas tree. Trust me, it looked way better with the lights down low, the tree lit and the glow from the fireplace.

Christmas morning came with a special treat this year. Murphy joined our family! Sean was totally surprised, but he soon fell in love with the sweet puppy. They're best buds now, and Murphy's favorite napping spot is in Sean's lap.

For Trevor's birthday (12/26) we surprised him with tickets to the Titans Christmas Day Game. Here are the siblings - Trevor, Emily and Sean - tailgating before the game. Damn, it was cold!!! And we lost. But the 4 of us had a great time together.

Here they are freezing in the stands

Twins! Sean and his buddy Murphy both wearing argyle

Murphy thinks he's a cat

We stayed home for New Year's Eve and enjoyed the last dinner of 2009 - steamed lobster. These suckers were delicious. Our friends John and Bethany stopped by to help us ring in the new year. Mostly, they just helped us stay awake. We watched the ball drop and I made midnight breakfast for us. The majority of the first day of 2010 was spent in our PJ's. I made a pot of black eyed peas and cornbread, and Mom, Jimmy and Amanda came over for a visit. I'd say the new year is off to a great start.

Meet Murphy

2009-12-27T17:58:00.000-08:00

Before I post an official Christmas blog, I wanted to introduce the newest member of our family...a new dog! Almost 2 weeks ago, my sister rescued a Boston Terrier from the side of the road. She called me feeling terribly guilty for taking him to the Nashville animal shelter. He had a sweet temperament, he knew a few words like "sit" and "treat" and he seemed to be comfortable in a crate. I told her she did the right thing by saving him and turning him in. Surely someone would come looking for him, right? But her story tugged at my heart strings, and then I started thinking, "...maybe I want that dog..." I always talk myself out of getting a dog because I think they're too much trouble (and they are). But I really love Boston Terriers, and I was glad to hear that he was comfortable in a crate. After thinking about it for approximately .02 seconds, I decided to adopt him! A week after sister dropped him off, still no one had claimed him. It was 2 days before Christmas, so I decided to go ahead with it. I wanted to surprise Sean on Christmas morning, so the dog lived with my sister for a couple of days.

The anticipation of having a new dog was killing me, and my stomach was in knots for days. On Christmas morning before we woke up, sister delivered the surprise to our house. Sean heard something rustling at the door, and he shot out of bed. My sister opened our bedroom door, and here came the puppy wearing a Santa suit and hat. Sean couldn't believe it! Later that day he came up with the name Murphy, which I think is perfect. We wanted something that sounded a little "Irish Catholic" since the breed originates from Boston.

So far Murphy has been a delight. He's about 1 year old so he's got lots of energy, but he's sweet as can be. He tries to obey, and I think we'll be able to train him fairly easily. He hasn't had any accidents in the house (except for marking my bra on the floor). He's just the right size - not too big, and not too small. He's 28 lbs. - we're not sure if he's going to grow any more. So far we think he's pure bred because he doesn't resemble anything but a Boston. He's already showing interest in Frisbee catching, so I can't wait until he's trained a little more and the weather gets warmer. We're going to have so much fun at the park! He loves to suck on his fuzzy pillow, and he's obsessed with licking every part of Sean's face.

Don't forget Thanksgiving

2009-12-13T19:21:00.000-08:00

Is it really almost Christmas? For the past 3 weeks I've been meaning to write my blog about THANKSGIVING! I can't believe how quickly time has gotten away from me. As I'm typing this tonight, my eyes are closing and my back is aching. Life has been busy for us, especially this weekend. I traveled a little bit for work after Thanksgiving, so it took me a little while to get back into a routine. We've also been busy trying to prep for Christmas; shopping, decorating, parties, etc. I would love to write a long blog about the wonderful Thanksgiving holiday we had in New Jersey. I just don't think I have the energy to do it right now, but I don't want to withhold the pictures any longer. In short, Sean and I decided somewhat last minute to drive to NJ for Thanksgiving with the Carroll family. We had a great time with everyone, and we are so thankful for the time we got to spend with them. Here's a peek at our trip:

Sean and his father Tom. Both of these men could spend 24 straight hours on the Internet and never get bored for 1 minute.

On Thanksgiving Day, Uncle Brian organized a Wii Bowling Tournament.

Aunt Jolyn whipped all of us and took home the winning crown. Here she is in action. Just look at the concentration on her face!

Aunt Judi opened her home and her kitchen to all of us Carrolls. She prepared a delicious Thanksgiving dinner, and somehow she managed to fit us all around the same table. It was quite a feast. Thank you, Judi! We played games with each other all weekend - Wii bowling, Left-Center-Right (LCR), and Catchphrase - and spent a lot of time laughing.

Here Uncle Brian tries to take the lead in bowling, but he wasn't as good as Jolyn.

After Thanksgiving (on Saturday, I think) the family reunited at MomMom and PopPop's house for more visiting. The boys raked all the leaves for MomMom. Awwww, how sweet. I know she was very happy to have that big chore out of the way.
MomMom loves puzzles, and she had been working on a hard one. Here are Emily and Alissa helping her out with the puzzle. We all got in on the puzzle action and enjoyed the challenge. It had been years since I tried a puzzle! We got to the very last piece of the 1000 piece puzzle and it was MISSING! Turns out, MomMom had been hiding a piece in her pocket. She wanted to place the final piece on the board.

Friday night the whole family headed down to Stone Harbor for the street festival. We had a fun time roaming the streets and looking for Christmas gifts in all the shops. The wind was frightful, but we found some adult beverages to keep us warm. I especially enjoyed the string band playing music on the street corner in their brightly colored costumes. Later that night, Sean spotted this charming hat at an Irish store and we all FORCED him to buy it. It suits him to a tee, and I think he looks totally handsome in his new green hat.

Planning and List making

2009-11-16T18:00:00.000-08:00

***Be warned: I was so excited about this entry that I got carried away. This is a looong blog entry. I didn't realize how much I felt like talking about my planning and list-making. You don't have to read it. Plus, it makes me seem like a crazy person.***

I love my planner. It's a beautiful red leather book from Franklin Covey. Sean gave it to me for Christmas in 2007, and each year he supplies me with a new calendar insert. The red planner stays a home because it's my Life Planner...not to be mistaken with my Work Planner. Anyway, the feelings I get when I crack open my planner are comfort, peace, and calmness. Even if there are a million things for me to do, I find comfort in seeing them all laid out for me. Ahhhhhhhhhh...I love planning.

My planning is not a mental thought process. Well, obviously that's where it all starts...but really, my planning consists of one thing and one thing only: LISTS. Lists, lists, and more lists. Sometimes, even when I have the list squared away in my head, I still want to write its contents down on paper so I can look at the list...and be proud of the list...and feel comforted by the list. Wow, I am an honest-to-God crazy person, aren't I? It's just that, I have a major fear - Forgetting. What if my brain forgets the list? Or forgets one piece of the list? If I write the list down then I can see it. And if I can see it, I can't forget it. (unless, of course, I forget what I did with the list, but that's another story...)

Oh, I make lists of everything. Here is a list of some lists that I like:

- Weekend plans, which can include everything from cleaning to errands to dinner plans. On busy weekends I have to fight myself from doing and hour by hour agenda...because that would be TOO crazy.
- Christmas Lists - things I want, things I want to buy for other people. It's pretty straightforward.
- Party Planning Lists. There's nothing that makes me happier than planning a party! Listing out the menu is my favorite. I've gotten quite good at mapping out the buffet, showing exactly where each dish should go on the table. And I always list out the guests. You know, just so that I can SEE their name and so I don't FORGET anyone.
- Budget List - a spreadsheet of all our monthly expenses, estimated gas, eating out, groceries, etc. I check our bank balance almost daily...it's more of a compulsion. I know what it's going to say, but I check it anyway. And I try to balance the checkbook once a week. I edit the budget quite frequently. Each time we pay a bill, I mark it BOLD so that I know we're paid up.
- Purse List. This is the ongoing list of to-do items and tiny reminders that lives in my purse. Current contents of the Purse List are as follows:
. Scarf for ____
. Hat for ___
. Target - CD for ____
.www.mysoulsoup.com for ___
. Drywall repair @ Yellow house
. Paint stairwell @ Yellow house
.401k vs IRA
. Carroll address card
. Dad's videos
. Ann's pictures
. new ___ for Sean
. Transmission - replace a gasket on the pan (whatever that means...)
. Rent Public Enemies
. T-shirts for Alfred A.
. Etsy bridesmaid dress - 'amandaarcher' pleated collar dress
. yellow shoes
. replacement seal for under the doors
. socks
. CK free
. black shoes

BUT - the best list of all...the list I've kept going on a weekly basis for the past 2 years is my beloved List of Meals. I owe my sanity to the meal planning list! After a crazy day at work, I can stumble through the door and go straight to my List of Meals. Everything is there for me in black and white. No worrying about what to cook. No wondering what random items are waiting for me in the pantry. I know exactly what to make for dinner, I know that I have everything for the recipe, and I don't have to think twice about it. I don't even think ONCE about it! I don't think about it at all...it's so wonderful.

I take time on Saturdays (or sometimes Friday night...such a party animal!) to think about proteins, carbs and vegetables. What type of fish do I feel like eating? Will we have red meat this week? What's a good meatless meal? Is asparagus in season? Can I sneak in some cous cous into the menu without Sean noticing? Do we have pre-arranged dinner plans already? After I've thought it all out then I start building my grocery list (another favorite list of mine). My grocery list is categorized by department. I would never list broccoli next to butter or frozen brussels sprouts next to bread. No siree! The list must be in sequential order based on the store layout. I mean, why would you do it any other way?

Not too long ago, I had my trusty grocery list with me at Publix. A man actually said to me, "You're using a list? Now there's a concept!" Um, hello Jerk - who DOESN'T use a grocery list?

My favorite magazine REAL SIMPLE stole my heart when they featured an article on One Month of Dinners. What? You're kidding me! One month of meals already planned out for me? Yes, and complete with a grocery list. I was in hog heaven...

My List of Meals is never set in stone. Just ask Sean - I cross things out and rearrange them all the time. Sometimes unexpected things come up that interfere with dinner - an emergency, a last-minute invite from a friend, or I just don't feel like cooking after a bad day at work. And so, I stay flexible with the meals. Here's what we're looking at for the next week or so:

. Perogies w/ warm apple & onion slaw
. Cranberry stuffed pork chops w/ roasted carrots and red onion
. Salmon w/ cous cous (Yes, I did it!) & lemon-cilantro vinaigrette
. Cuban braised beef w/ red peppers and rice
. Beef soft tacos w/ Spanish rice
. Italian-herb sauteed chicken w/ pasta marinara
. Date night - Dinner & Movie (We're going to see The Blind Side...and I'm going to cry...)
. Trey's Birthday dinner - bring a salad and rolls to go w/ the steaks
. Nonnie's Thanksgiving Feast - can't wait!

If you made it this far, then God bless you...and thank you for reading about my lists. I really do love them. If you aren't a list person, then maybe I inspired you to start a list of your own. It can change your life!

heavy heart

2009-11-15T18:55:00.000-08:00

I've been living with a heavy heart for the past month. Sad about my grandparents dying, obviously. Sad about my family - my mom, my aunt, and even my uncle. Just sad. Being so up close and personal with death makes you think weird things. Makes you ponder life, and worry, and wonder...

Life goes on, and my days have been normal for the most part. It's not like I'm crying every waking minute of the day. I'm just living with a heavy heart. That's the best way I can describe it. The sweet moments are bittersweet. The chilly days are just a little too cold.

Also, someone I work with lost their job, and it makes me sad and scared. I have been worrying about that person (and about my job) all weekend.

Even though it's not very exciting or happy news, I still wanted to post an update this weekend. There have been some bright moments in the midst of my gray clouds. One of my dear friends Crystal is expecting her first baby. It hasn't really sunk in for me yet. I'm in a state of disbelief - Crystal can't be pregnant! But hopefully her belly will keep growing, and that baby will be here soon enough. Crystal will be the first in my ~~small~~ group of ~~three~~ friends to be a mommy. Ugh, let the aging begin...

Nashville has been experiencing beautiful weather, and I'm so thankful for it - the blue skies keep my spirits higher. Sadly, yesterday was a very lazy Saturday at the Carrolls, and we didn't get outside to enjoy any fresh air! I was so disappointed in us. But, for some reason I just wanted to lay around in pj's ALLLLL day. We didn't even get showers. But, we did brush our teeth and wash up enough to go Christmas shopping at the mall. Today we got in gear and spent some time outside. Sean worked on his car, and I went for a run. I said hi to strangers, and stopped to watch the kids at the skate park. It was nice. I've been trying to slow down and savor those small moments of beauty.

We watched the last part of Dexter Season 3 last night and it was AWESOME! I also made a hemp bracelet for my brother. His 11th birthday is next week (ah! He's getting so old). I don't know why I wanted to make it for him, but I really hope he likes the bracelet. I've been wearing it and washing it so that it'll be nice and soft for him.

One week from today is the Hargis Family Thanksgiving Feast, and I'm really looking forward to a fun day and GOOD FOOD! All 18 of us (minus my cousin Adam because he's away at camp), will be at Nonnie's house. It's sad to think that she's the only living grandparent I have left. I'm glad that I only live 2 minutes from her (or an 8 min. jog if I'm feeling like some exercise). I just can't believe it's time for turkey already. Where has the year gone!?!? Also, a week from Wednesday we'll be making the 14 hour drive up to South Jersey to see the Carrolls for Turkey Day. While we're dreading the long car ride, we can't wait to see everyone. I'm really excited! I didn't expect to be going, but Sean surprised me and said that he wanted to make the trip.

Well, with these last 30 minutes before bed, I'm going to work on some Christmas knitting...

For My Grandparents...

2009-11-08T18:10:00.000-08:00

Me and Mimi in 2007

Papa in 2007. He was sick at this time, but hadn't been moved to a home yet. He had difficulty making basic conversation, and he barely knew who we were.

My sweet Papa passed away tonight. I'm sad that he's gone...but really, it was a blessing. He had suffered from Alzheimer's for the past 4 (?) years. He wasn't really living...he was just existing. Almost like a vegetable. It was terribly sad to see him suffer like that for so many years, and so, I'm relieved that he's moved on.

The timing of his death is no surprise. It's common for couples to pass within a few weeks of each other (at least I think it's common. Maybe I only believe that because of The Notebook.) Mimi visited Papa every day in the nursing home. And since her death just 3 weeks ago, his health diminished incredibly quickly. I know that Mimi's presence, her love and her care is what kept him hanging on.

Some people say that Papa was a saint. No doubt, he was a good man. Saint? I don't know...I think they only say that because he put up with Mimi for the majority of his life. The man had patience, that's for sure. He was a quiet man. I regret that I didn't know him very well, but he wasn't the kind of person that really opened up. Maybe he would've opened up, but Mimi was always talking, so he never really had a chance. He was a thinker and a doer. She was a talker and a lay-arounder.

Papa loved to label things and make lists. (An obsession that I'm positive I inherited from him.) He was brilliant - an engineer, I think. His handwriting was small and perfect. He enjoyed taking pictures...almost too much! He had tons and tons and tons of photo albums (all labeled, of course). He would document every detail of Thanksgiving pictures, right down to a picture of the dinner rolls. He loved sweets, and coffee ice cream was one of his favorites. He treated my Mimi like the princess she believed she was. He cleaned, cooked and did all of the grocery shopping while he was still able.

I hope that he lived a happy life. I really don't know...it wasn't an easy life by any means. The family drama had to have taken a toll on him. From what I could see, he tried to be the calm, steady voice of reason in the family...and he was there to pick up the pieces. I guess it's all he could do.

It was a hard decision for Mimi when she chose to place him in a nursing home, but we all encouraged her to do it. It really was the best place for him, even though it seemed to increase the symptoms of his disease. Their home life with Roger was getting too strenuous. Plus, Mimi had trouble meeting Papa's needs (he couldn't do anything for himself like eat, shave or get dressed), and she had zero patience for his illness. Papa bounced from home to home, and was moved in and out of different facilities. His disease caused him to lash out at people, throw things, bite, etc. The nursing homes couldn't tolerate him after he became a danger to other residence. And so, they would kick him out. A lot of his behaviors were upsetting, but some of them were funny...like the time he strolled buck naked through the halls! He was the most quiet, respectful, well-mannered man that ever lived. He spent most of his life being overshadowed by my Mimi. And so, even thought he didn't realize what he was doing as he streaked the nursing home, I was proud of him. "You go, Papa! Let it all hang out!" I thought.

My mom, my aunt Susan, and my Mimi visited with Papa regularly. They did the best they could to keep him comfortable and cared for. I admire their dedication. I have to say, I shied away from visiting him because it was so difficult to see him like that. But, they faced it head on. The 3 of them fought over him...fought about his well-being, where he should say, what kind of medicine he needed. They even fought against doctors' bad decisions, and fought with directors of nursing homes. It wasn't easy for any of them, but they were there with him until the end.

I hope that I'm so blessed to have a family fighting for me and staying by my side when it's my time to pass. I know you probably hear things like this all the time, but each and every day that we're living right now is a gift.

Halloweentime

2009-11-01T19:26:00.000-08:00

Sean made an excellent point this morning: Rolling the clocks back should ALWAYS happen on a weekday. Who cares about sleeping an extra hour on the weekend? NO ONE. We didn't have a chance to truly appreciate that extra hour of sleep. The experience would've been much sweeter if the extra hour fell on a Monday morning. Anyway, it doesn't matter - my internal clock is still all out of whack.

This past week was busy and long, but it ended with a bang! I traveled to Springfield, MO to visit a customer on Tues/Wed. Four flights + a business meeting caused for a bit of mid-week anxiety. And because of my bereavement day and the business trip, things have been piling up on me at the office. I don't much like it. No one has complained and nothing has fallen through the cracks. Yet, I still feel like I'm doing a bad job because I haven't been 100% focused.

Still life is good. Here are some highlights from this week:

- The stupid Titans finally won their first game of the season.

- Sean is the proud owner of an iPhone! (he hasn't put it down...) He's been asking for an iPhone since it hit the shelves, so I encouraged him to go for it. I was happy for him and also quite relieved. If he didn't buy it for his birthday, it was bound to be a Christmas present...and I can't tell you how much I hate shopping for technology. ICK! I was dreading the day that I had to walk into the AT&T store. So, a big THANK YOU goes out to those who contributed to the birthday funds.

- I've been reading "The Five Love Languages" by Gary Chapman, and I really enjoy it. It's a quick and easy read, but it's full of wonderful relationship advice. I think every couple should read it! And in case you were wondering how to speak my love language, I think I'm an "Acts of Service" person.

- Let's not forget the biggest highlight of all - HALLOWEEN! We hosted a little gathering at our house, and enjoyed seeing all of our best friends decked out in costume. We didn't have as many trick-or-treaters as I expected, but the ones that we had were very polite! First, everyone said "trick-or-treat" so I was thrilled. You don't get candy at my house if you don't say the magic words. And almost everyone said "Thank you!" It was a major upgrade compared to those heathens in the city. Also, no one came dressed as a slut or a "student with a knife." (Yes, that was an actual costume one year.) Sean and I missed a lot of the kids because we were busy putting on makeup, but thankfully my sister was there to pass out the candy. She was a huge help! She reported that one kid was too scared of our house, so he passed us up. I was so proud...I think a tear came to my eye. Wait until next year, scaredy pants...It's only going to get better!!! Mwahahaha! But I digress...the party was lots of fun. I love costumes and I love our friends. And I even love my friends that didn't come in costume. Everyone gets a free pass...just don't let it happen again!

I wish I had more pictures to share because there were lots of fun costumes. With scissors for hands I was a bit handicapped. Even though we didn't have a dance-off, I hope everyone had a great time.

Sean wanted the house to look like a massacre, so I let him bloody up the front door. Don't worry, it washed off easily. I thought our yard decorations were killer (pun intended).

Our "mature" friends decided to capture their youth by dressing as hippies. Aren't they cute?

Sean was a magnificent Zombie Billy Mays. The costume is even better when you can hear his Billy Mays voice. It's spot on!

Sisters - Pink and Edward Scissorhands.

Me and my girls - Sherri as "Peyton from One Tree Hill going as the Angel of Death." It's a costume within a costume, and it makes my brain hurt. But she's hot! And Crystal as Scary Dead Doll. Doesn't she give you the creeps? Other popular guesses for Crystal's costume were Wendy's girl, Raggedy Anne, and a pirate. Wrong, wrong, and more wrong.

I truly loved Bobby's Bob Ross costume.

Our Boys: Keith as Mario, Sean as Zombie Billy Mays, and Bobby as Bob Ross

Mixed Emotions

2009-10-17T17:18:00.000-07:00

Readers,

The past 2 weeks have been full of mixed emotions like none other. A very devastating and embarrassing incident happened within my extended family last week. Even though it was all over the local news for 1 day, I don't quite feel like sharing the details in this blog. If you don't already know what it is, then just ask me offline. The events of that "incident" (which is what I will call it for now) and the people involved in it have been weighing heavy on my heart. Even though life continues to be full of blessings for me, the incident has kept me on an emotional roller coaster...going back and forth between peaceful and sad and angry quite frequently.

We had to bury my Mimi (my maternal grandmother) yesterday. In some ways it doesn't seem real. It just can't be real. She was such a lively person, and she had many more good years left in her. Even though she spent most of her time lying on the couch and talking on the phone (haha), her personality was bold and vibrant. Everyone kept saying "She was so in tact for an 81 year old." And she was! Her mind was very strong, and her body was holding up well. This was no way for her to go...I have to push those frightening images out of my mind from "that day" or else I will start to cry.

She paid the ultimate sacrifice for taking care of her mentally ill son for all those years. She knew that no one else could or would take care of him. He couldn't care of himself, and so there she was...stuck with him. She love him, yet hated him. She wanted him to be taken care of, but she hated the burdens that came with her responsibility. He was so sick in the head. It was draining to be around him for 1 hour...even when he was on meds. He had been off meds for about 1 year, and he was starting to lose it BIG TIME. In fact, he had just been released on bail and was awaiting a court date (for a separate charge) when the "incident" happened. I can't imagine how painful her daily life was with him. Not that she was an angel...but who is? I don't have kids, but I will one day (as long as my one, lonely ovary pulls through for me...) I just can't comprehend any of those mother-child emotions that must've been going through her heart and mind for all those long, tough years.

It's just sickening...I don't want to think about it anymore. Just know that it has been very hard, very surreal, hurtful, crazy, emotional...and yet, I knew this was going to happen. I said this was going to happen. I actually spoke the words, and we all knew it might come to this. There was just nothing we could do to stop it. She didn't deserve to go this way, no matter how mean she was at times. I learned yesterday during the funeral service that she touched many lives. I learned that she was a fun and very loving friend to many people. It made my heart so happy to hear those things. I NEEDED to hear those things because that wasn't my experience with her.

We should all live life to the fullest and be the best people we can possibly be. If there's anything good at all that could come of this, it has reminded me to cherish every moment and every waking breath. Life goes on for us right now, and we need to make the most of it.

The past few days have been tough, but like I said...life goes on. We've done some "normal" things around the house. Holding on to a routine is comforting through these times.

Yard Sale @ The Carroll's'! Sean mans the driveway while we wait for my dad to arrive.
Our neighborhood hosts community yard sale only twice a year. We have been waiting to unload our junk for 6 months. Of course, we had to go to Murfreesboro for the funeral, so my dad came over and negotiated with all the greedy buyers for us. I was so thankful for his help!!! Dad helped us make about $160, so now we can go buy a heater for Sean's car. He's going to need it very soon! The cold winter weather is creeping in on us.

After a day of mourning, you need something to cheer you up. Why not a ZOMBIE!? Next week is Halloween - my favorite holiday. We each have costumes that require special makeup, so we decided to test out my makeup applying skills. I think Sean is going to look like the best zombie ever.

Sean also grilled amazing steaks last night, as usual! We had bone-in ribeye steak seasoned with Cavendar's (for you dad!) and roasted asparagus sprinkled with parmesan, all paired with a delicious Cabernet. The cab was a gift from our housewarming party back in June. I wish I knew who gave us the bottle! It was a 2002 Oberon from Napa. No joke - It was quite possibly the best wine I've ever tasted. Bless you and thank you, whoever gave us that bottle! I want to go buy a whole case of it, but I'm scared of the price. Sean needs a new heater...I can't blow our money on booze.

Speaking of Booze...come to our Halloween party (cleverly titled BOOZEFEST - get it?) on Saturday @ 8:00.

Gifts

2009-10-12T16:36:00.000-07:00

Gift-giving is a weird thing. It comes with so many expectations. I LOVE to give gifts, as I'm sure we all do. But there are many things that factor into this simple act of kindness.

1) Money - "I would love to buy _____ for my mom, but it's just too darn expensive."
2) Relevance - "Will he/she like what I'm giving them? Or will they think it's useless and stuipd?"
3) Fairness - "Well, I didn't get something this nice for his/her spouse, so I need to find something cheaper."
4)...and my all-time favorite...Do they already have it? - "Does my dad already own ____?" No matter what the item is, the answer to that question is usually YES. He does own it. But this question also applies to other people.

The month of October is a big gift-giving month for me. I have 4 birthdays to support this month. Not to mention, Christmas is right around the corner. (Have you started shopping yet? Because I have!)

Anwyay, the whole point that I wanted to make is that buying gifts can be stressful even if we have the best of intentions.

My sister-in-law Emily is one of the easiest people to buy gifts for. For starters, I know her very well (and I'm married to her brother, so that gives me an advantage). If you are close to Emily at all, you probably know everything there is to know about her, as I do...and this makes it very easy when shopping for Emily. Actually, I never have to make a specific trip to the mall for Emily. Usually, I'm already out shopping at a store, and I'll see something very "Emily-ish" that catches my eye. She is always the first person I check off my Christmas shopping list every year because I pack away gifts for her all year. In fact, we already have 4 presents waiting for her in The Christmas Closet. She is always WAY ahead of everyone else. (Sorry, other relatives. I wish you were all this easy to shop for, but you just aren't...)

The Easy Gifters (like Emily) are a blessing and a curse at the same time. You see, I find so many things for Emily that I actually have to STOP myself from buying gifts for her. During Christmas season when we're out hunting for the Dad gifts (which are by far the most difficult to shop for), I'll spot yet another gift for Emily! It's very distracting and frustrating, and not very fair to the dads or to anyone else.

October 9 is Emily's birthday, and like I said before, we already have a pile of gifts packed away for her. I also had a few gift ideas tucked away in my brain. But for some reason, I thought to myself "Oh goodness...what if she HATES everything that we give her? And what if she dreads our presents every year?" Poor thing, we have never stopped to ask her what she actually WANTS. And so that's exactly what I did this year. I asked her what she wanted, and she kindly told me about a necklace that she found on Etsy.com.

**Sidenote** If you haven't been to Etsy.com then please do so IMMEDIATELY. Give yourself about 30-60 min to browse the website. The site offers handmade gifts from crafters and artists all over the country. This stuff is way better than anything you'd find at Target. Think of your favorite boutique on Main Street, and then multiply it by 1,000 and put it online. Voila! You have Etsy - a site full of brilliant, beautiful arts and crafts. The items are reasonably priced, and if they aren't, you can simply ask for a discount. The beauty about buying directly from the artist is that you can make custom requests and hopefully negotiate a price. And readers, this isn't the kind of crap you find at the flea market. These handmade items will blow your mind! I've found gorgeous dresses, jackets jewelry, pottery and pictures that are all one-of-a-kind. I also love the idea of supporting starving artists (mostly because I wish that I were one myself...) It's a comfort to me knowing that I'm paying someone directly rather than giving my money to a big corporate mess.

So, here is the necklace that I purchased from ChellasCollection.etsy.com. It's a chain with 2 map pendants. The one for Emily had a map of CMCH, New Jersey (where Emily was born) and one of Chicago (where she lives now).

Not only was the gift perfect, but my online transaction with the artist behind Chellas Collection was spectacular. We sent each other messages using Etsy's online messaging system, and Julie was so responsive and thoughtful. She personalized Emily's gift, handled the shipping and timed it with her birthday, and included a personalized note. She even sent me a follow up thank you note in the mail! For someone who shys away from online shopping, I truly enjoyed this experience, and I was glad to give Emily a gift that she really wanted.

Pumpkins and Stuff

2009-10-11T18:27:00.000-07:00

Hello, again! How about those Vols, huh? I couldn't believe their win over Georgia this weekend.. More importantly, I can't believe I'm talking about football like this. But, it was EXCITING to see one of our teams WIN! (You hear that, Titans? W-I-N? Let that word sink in for a while, Collins....) I was also glad to see Tebow back at it this week, cleaning up some tiger blood in Death Valley. Poor baby bonked his head...but I think he's better now.

Saturday was cold and cloudy. I started off the day by going to Jessica's baby shower. It was a really nice shower, and I was glad to see Jess and her baby bump. They drove down to Tennessee for the weekend. Jessica's mom and Ryan were at the shower, too, so that was a nice treat. I am so happy that Jess and Ryan are expecting. I think I've mentioned this before, but I don't usually care when people are pregnant (I'm sorry, that seems so heartless...but true) So, I actually care about this one! Also, seeing Jessica during her pregnancy makes it seem a little less terrifying to me. She is happy, healthy and carefree - just like her normal self! (only with a little guy in her tummy). I still didn't work up the nerve to touch her stomach.

After the baby shower, Sean and I had ZERO plans. None. Nada. The afternoon was ours for the taking, which never really happens to us. We were thrilled! We ran errands around town, shopped for our Halloween costumes, and even got a milkshake! Sean has chosen to be the zombie version of Billy Mays (the OxyClean infomercial man who died earlier this year), and I will be going as Edward Scissorhands (one of my favorite Johnny Depp characters). Both costumes will require a great deal of makeup to create that "living dead" look, so we'll have to do a dress rehearsal one night.

In addition to costume shopping, I also pulled out the decorations and started transforming our home into a creepy haunted mansion. Ok, not really...I only DREAM about turning our house into a haunted mansion for Halloween. Maybe one day it will happen. For now, I'll have to settle for this cute little tablescape.

We were lucky to have my brother Trey spend Sunday afternoon with us. In addition to the decorating, we carved pumpkins and baked some delicious gingerbread snaps.

Trey's pumpkin is on the left. Look closely and you'll see that it's a pumpkin chomping on a smaller baby pumpkin. Sean's is the while pumpkin with the evil, toothy grin. And mine is at the bottom - the skeleton silhouette.

Check them out in the dark!

What a Wonderful Week!

2009-10-03T20:00:00.001-07:00

So many great things happened over this past week, and I can't wait to share them with you. For starters, the weather has been gorgeous. (A teeny big chilly at times, but I can't complain...) It's hard to be in a bad mood when the sun is shining and there's not a cloud in the sky.

Sunday I enjoyed the weather by going on a 3 mile jog. I ran by my Nonnie's house and had a nice visit with her. She had been to Gatlinburg for a weekend retreat with her church group, so she shared some old-people travel stories with me.

I felt energized all week, and even made it into work super early one day. I've been challenging myself to stay away from sugars and dairy. I'm not a sweets person, but just having a piece of bread, cereal or even salad dressing can secretly add a lot of sugar to your diet. So, I'm choosing things that have no sugars or just 1 or 2 grams. Remember when I did that insanely healthy Gwenyth Paltrow diet? Well, I noticed that throughout the entire week, I never got shaky. By "shaky" I mean that feeling I get when I haven't eaten in a while. I was eating very little during the diet week, but never once did I feel like I was going to pass out. My guess is that I felt OK because I wasn't crashing - my blood sugar level was perfectly consistent (meaning ZERO). So, this week I focused on no sugars and no dairy in hopes that those elements would keep me feeling good. And I think it worked! Well, it worked until Thursday...but I'll tell you more about that in a minute.

First I want to tell you about our softball game. Tuesday night was frightfully cold. I think it got down to 42 degrees, and I was NOT in the mood to play softball. I had been spoiled by having 3 weeks off in a row (1 vacation and 2 rain-outs). We play 2 games each week, and this week was at 8 p.m. and 9 p.m. I really just wanted to go home, clean house, hang out with Sean, knit and go to bed early. We lost the first game 16 to 6, but came back in the 2nd game for our FIRST WIN of the season. I don't know how it happened, but it was kind of exciting. Thank goodness I decided to stay for the games because otherwise our team would've had to forfeit!

Wednesday night we received an email that the rental house was in need of more repairs. The fridge wasn't cooling properly, and there's a NEW leak (separate from the one we repaired earlier this year). Wasn't I just saying that there's always something to spend money on??? One of us - either me or Sean - has done something to offend the Rental House Gods. We have GREAT tenants, though, so at least we aren't having to deal with collections or damages.

Thursday was Sherri's 30th birthday, and about 20 of us went to Dan McGuinness to celebrate with her. No sugars? No dairy? HA - I blew it. Cheeseburger, french fries, 4 beers, 1 lemon drop, and a bite of chocolate cake. By the end of the night I was bent over in pain from intense indigestion. And need I say, I did NOT feel good on Friday either...

Friday was busy at work, and don't forget that I had to leave the office to go meet the refrigerator repair man (who was 30 min late). But thankfully, he fixed the fridge while he was there, and we don't have to buy a new one. I worked late that night, and then headed home to my hubby where we shared a delicious dinner and had a fire in the back yard. We sat outside for about an hour. I was knitting, and we talked and stared at the glow of the flames. All of a sudden, the fox appeared! Sean and I looked at the fox, and he (or she) looked back at us. It was quiet for a moment while we sat there in anticipation of his next move, but then he quietly popped back into the woods. He never made a peep or a sudden move. It was haunting in a way, mostly because we could only see him by the firelight.

This morning the alarm went off at 6:50 a.m. Too early for a Saturday, I know, but not if you're going to a GARAGE SALE! Yes, we did it and I'm so proud of us. There's a sickeningly fancy neighborhood called Westhaven just up the road from where we live. They were having a multi-family garage sale, so it seemed like a good opportunity for our first garage sale go-round. I mean, who doesn't want to rummage through rich people's stuff? Westhaven is perfect...almost too perfect. With it's charming streetscapes, perfectly manicured lawns and quaint neighborhood shops, you feel like you've entered a Hollywood movie set. Their website actually says, "...it looked out of a storybook." No kidding! Go here if you don't believe me...but be warned: you'll end up feeling like a piece of shit. But hey, maybe I'm being too hard on ole Westhaven. Nice homes, nice people, nice garage sale...I'd probably live there if I could afford it. WHO AM I KIDDING!? OF COURSE I WOULD LIVE THERE! The garage sale ended up being a success - we scored a pair of lamps for $10, which we needed for our bedroom. We spotted lots of other great buys, but we just didn't need them: like-new strollers, couches that looked un-used, fashionable dining tables, rugs, Pottery Barn dishes, curtains, and table linens, Coach bags, designer clothes (all too small for me)...It was the most surreal garage sale I've ever been to. One of the sellers was dealing change out of a Coach fanny pack.