I just wrote an entire post (shocking) reflecting on 2011, but it disappeared before I could publish it. Instead of trying to recreate it, I guess I'll talk about something else an pretend that that post didn't disappear somewhere in the Internet. I was trying to add a picture when I wrote the previous post, so unfortunately there will be no pictures until I have time to figure it out.

I had a good Christmas, albeit very different this year. I enjoyed spending time with my family and a few dear friends during my time off. My parents, Emma and I went to Gatlinburg for several days and I enjoyed the opportunity to read, sleep and just exist without a particular schedule--anyone who really knows my knows that I'm very much a creature of habit so freedom from my routine is nice, to an extent. Unfortunately, I think it's going to be a difficult transition back to work after being away for more than a week. I'm not going to like having limited time to cook (and shop!) once busy season rolls around. I guess since I know better what to expect, I'm really not looking forward to long nights and weekends in the office. I enjoy my job, but I really need some time for cooking, cleaning, reading and simply getting enough sleep.

Once I figure out how to add pictures to my posts, I'll try to write with more frequency--I can't do much worse than I've done this year!!

P.S.--I did try to attach a picture my Uncle made at my house on Thanksgiving. I'm not sure how it's going to look.

Oh, How Pinteresting…

I was going to insert the link for this from The Vintage Apple, but unfortunately the picture doesn’t work with my black background.  Oh, well…

I’ve recently (in the last few weeks) discovered Pinterest.  I’ve pinned a ton, but I’ve been most inspired by some of the recipes available.  I already blogged about the Self-Frosting Nutella Cupcakes I made a few weeks ago.  They were oh-so-good and I plan to make them again soon!

While I haven’t made any of these things yet, I’m really looking forward to trying them…

  Chocolate-Caramel Brownies

Chicken Bacon Pasta 

Chick-fil-A Chicken Nuggets

Olive Garden Fettuccini Alfredo

I could go on and on, but you wouldn’t want to see everything I have pinned.  That would get quite boring, eventually.

Maybe I’ll do this again next week with some non food-related inspiration from Pinterest!  I promise there is much more to the website than food! :)

My Daddy is the BEST

My sweet Daddy blew into town for a few minutes on his way home from Knoxville today.  He wanted to see me—and Emma, of course—but he also wanted to check on a few things for my house.  I’ve got some plugs that aren’t working and he wanted to see if the breakers were tripped (apparently, it’s not always obvious that a breaker is tripped) or if I needed to call an electrician.  Also, I haven’t been able to get my Blu-Ray player to wirelessly connect to the internet since the wireless transmitter was *missing* and he managed to find it in all of two minutes.  So, we’re 1-1 tonight—no electricity in the guest bathroom, but I can stream Netflix again!!

Thanks for the visit, Daddy!  Emma and I are always happy to have you come to our home!  We hope you can stay longer next time!

I’m probably going to get in trouble for posting this, but it’s the only “semi-recent” picture I have of Daddy on my computer.  Well, I have some others with Emma, but they both happen to be asleep in all of them!

Housekeeping

It seems like I’m never completely caught up with my housekeeping.  Since I was out of town for the Labor Day weekend, I’m finding myself especially behind this weekend.  I have several events planned through October and I know I’ll be very busy for at least five of the next seven weekends.  Whew, that sounds bad when I actually look at it on the calendar!!

I’ve been a little under the weather over the past few days.  I think it’s just a cold/allergies from the weather changing and getting rained on in Gatlinburg.  Anyway, I haven’t felt like doing much today.  I spent much of the morning watching the Food Network.  I’ve been cooking more lately and even baked cupcakes this week.  I haven’t had any motivation to try new things lately, but I was inspired to try some of the Pioneer Woman’s recipes after finally getting to watch her new TV show today.  I did sort my laundry, but I’ve only managed to wash my sheets thus far.  It’s getting late and I haven’t made up my bed yet.  Better get on that!!

I’ve got the dishwasher loaded and ready to go, but I’m going to wait until I go to bed to start it since Emma especially hates it.  Speaking of Emma, she really needs a bath, especially since my sheets are clean, but I think she’s managed to squeak out of that for tonight.

I did water my plants on the deck earlier today, but I didn’t manage to sweep the leaves off the deck.  That’s the only bad thing about my two trees in the backyard—the leaves are back practically as soon as I sweep off the deck.

I’m doing a good job of keeping the downstairs presentable.  I haven’t gone to bed with dishes in the sink in weeks.  I try to take my shoes upstairs when I change after getting home from work.  My coffee table is much better than it was for the first few weeks here, but I still have several things on it that haven’t found a home.  I haven’t found a good place to stash my purse yet, but I have a couple of ideas.  I think the downstairs will really come together when I finally get a dining room table and buffet, a rug to go in the dining room and hang all my pictures.  The pictures have been waiting for Dad to hang them for several weeks…the places are picked out, but I haven’t attempted to hang them myself…that’s Dad’s job.  He’s so good at it and always perfectly “engineers” the picture so it’s perfectly hung!  That’s one of the many reasons Mom and I keep him around!! :)

One random thing on my to-do list—go through my stack of magazines, tear out what I want to keep and throw the rest away.  I need to do this by Thursday since recycling comes that day and I’d much rather recycle them than throw them out.  Since recycling only comes on the third Thursday of the month, I better do it this week instead of holding on to them for another month!!

I better go accomplish some of my to-do list rather than just talk about it!!

Nutella Cupcakes

Yesterday, I was in a baking mood after I got home from work.  I decided to pick a recipe I’d found on Pinterest for Self-Frosting Nutella Cupcakes.  The recipe is simple and luckily uses staple ingredients, so I had everything on hand.

Self-frosting Nutella Cupcakes
1/4 cup butter, at room temperature
1/4 cup canola or mild vegetable oil
3/4 cup sugar
3 large eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
1 3/4 cup all purpose flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4-1/2 cup Nutella, at room temperature

Preheat the oven to 325F.

In a medium bowl, beat the butter, oil and sugar with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Add the eggs and vanilla and beat until smooth.

In a small bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder and salt; add to the butter mixture and beat on low speed just until combined. The batter will be thick. It needs to be in order to swirl in the Nutella!

Divide the batter between 12 paper-lined muffin cups. Drop a spoonful of Nutella on top of each, and swirl through the batter with the tip of a bamboo skewer, knife or other pointy object. Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until springy to the touch. Tilt them in the pan to help them cool. Makes a dozen cupcakes.

My cupcakes looked almost exactly like this picture.  The cupcake batter is very thick…almost as thick as a cookie dough.  Definitely not pourable.  I put a heaping spoonful in each muffin cup.  I put a dollop of Nutella in each muffin cup and swirled the batter and Nutella with a toothpick.  The only thing I would change is to more thoroughly mix the Nutella into the batter.  The top of each cupcake was nice and marbleized, but I didn’t get the Nutella down to the bottom of the cupcake.  Even though parts of the cupcakes weren’t chocolately, the cake itself is very like a pound cake, so it tastes good even without the Nutella.  I think I might add some orange extract to the batter next time…I’ve always heard that orange and chocolate go well together and I know orange extract is a good addition to Grams’ pound cake.

I took a few cupcakes to work to share with some of my sweet friends.  I know that guys will eat practically anything that’s cooked for them, so I thought they would be good guinea pigs for this new-to-me recipe.  They’re also having a crazy week with a big deadline on Tuesday and another tomorrow, so I thought they deserved a treat.  Cooking is much more fun when you have someone to cook for!!

Labor Day Weekend

After work on Friday, I headed east towards Gatlinburg.  Mom, Daddy and Emma went on Thursday morning and were waiting on me to join them.  Traffic was heavy for much of the drive, but it was a much easier drive than the trip home.  I finally got there around 10:30 (I don’t remember if that was Eastern or Central).  We stayed up a little while and then decided going to bed sounded like a wonderful idea.

We didn’t do much on Saturday.  We didn’t have ESPN so we couldn’t watch the Auburn game.  Daddy listened to the game on XM radio in my car.  I actually went back to sleep during part of the game.  It had been a long week and I guess I needed the sleep!  After the game, Mom and I went down to the pool and splashed around for a while.  We had to get out of the pool when we heard thunder and saw clouds begin to roll in.  I didn’t get another chance to swim and I’m afraid I will have to wait until next year before I get another opportunity.

On Sunday, we rode up into the mountains and in to North Carolina.  After we got back to the condo, it began to rain.  After lunch, we went to the outlet mall.  I got a few things from J. Crew and Banana Republic.  I could have picked out more things,  but I had to restrain myself and only buy things that I needed or were such a good deal I couldn’t pass them up.  After shopping, we stopped for dinner and then went back to the condo.  Mom and Dad had a movie to watch, but I read a book instead.  I pretty much passed out Sunday night.  I haven’t been sleeping well lately, so this was a pleasant change.

Monday morning brought more rain.  It rained all morning in Gatlinburg and the entire trip home.  It took about 2.5 hours to get from the condo to the interstate despite taking some back roads and bypasses.  I can’t imagine how bad it would have been had we gone the “normal” way through town.  There were also several accidents on the interstate and the approximately 5 hour drive ended up taking me 7.5.  Not my idea of an afternoon well spent.  Next time, we will either leave very early or later in the afternoon and hope to avoid the mass exodus.

I’m so glad this is only a four day work week.  Even though I slept a good bit, I don’t feel ready to start the week.  I didn’t get my laundry done or do any grocery shopping.  I’m hoping the rain will stop overnight so I don’t have to fight it driving to work and so I can get some things done in the afternoon that didn’t get done this weekend.

P.S.—I did take some pictures of Emma this weekend, but I haven’t had a chance to upload them yet.  I’m not even sure if any of them turned out.  It’s so hard to take a picture of a black blob that moves at the speed of sound! :)

Couponing

I’m trying to make use of coupons I get online and in the mail to make my budget stretch farther.  I’m not trying to be an extreme couponer, but I’m definitely all for saving as much money as possible!

Today, I finally organized all of my coupons.  I put them all in a 5x8 index card accordion file that I happened to have from my high school research paper days.  So far, I have the following categories: groceries, home supplies, toiletries, Emma, takeout and shopping.  The first four categories are self-explanatory, but takeout includes all of my restaurant and fast-food coupons and shopping includes coupons I have received in the mail for stores such as Kirklands and Bed Bath and Beyond.  I also have a section in the front that currently holds CVS Extra Care Bucks and %-off coupons from Banana Republic.

The only issue I have with this system so far is that the coupons are not organized by date.  I have many coupons that expire on August 31st, so if I’m going to use them, this week is it.  I’m planning on spending some time this afternoon looking at the various circulars to see if I can pair some of my coupons with store sales before Wednesday.

Hopefully, this system will work and I will be able to get some great deals by remembering to use my coupons!

A Productive Day

It doesn’t seem like I can sleep really late like when I was younger.  I think I tossed and turned from around 7:30-8:00 when I finally decided to get up and get moving.  Emma, of course, was ready to play!

After going outside, I started planning my day.  I bought some new clothes from Ann Taylor Loft and Banana Republic recently, so I needed more hangers to allow me to put everything away.  I don’t like folding clothes, so it’s wonderful that I have a huge closet.  Mom says I have to start taking one thing out for everything I put in!

After I got the hangers, I made a quick trip to Ann Taylor Loft to return a pair of pants and a skirt that didn’t fit exactly as I’d hoped.  Getting some money from that purchase refunded made my shopping trip yesterday not so bad!

I also had to run to CVS to pick up a prescription and get some of my hair products while they were on sale.  I think I’m stocked up for a while with mousse, hairspray and facial cleanser.

After CVS, I went to the Brentwood Kroger in the same shopping center.  I have been shopping at Publix lately and I have to say that, although I didn’t have a bad experience at Kroger, Publix is much better.  I was a little disappointed with the selections of fruit and produce.  I hope the grapes I bought are ok and I had to look hard before finding baking potatoes that I was satisfied with.  Maybe today was just an “off” day?

It was finally time to come home after grocery shopping.  Unloading everything is so much easier since I just have to carry the bags from the garage straight in to the kitchen.  Much better than the situation in Auburn (three flights of stairs) or at my old apartment (controlled access doors).  I unloaded everything and actually managed to fit everything in the refrigerator, freezer and pantry.  I need to seriously look into getting a deep freezer since I always have trouble fitting everything in my regular one.

Since I got home, I have eaten lunch and am now doing laundry.  I’m on my second of three loads and then I have a few things that need Dryel.  It’s really annoying that many of my work pants and shirts need dry cleaning.  First of all, it’s quite expensive.  Second, I don’t have a dry cleaners here and I would have to take things to Florence or ask someone who to use.  Instead, I try to use Dryel as much as possible and just take things in when absolutely necessary.

My weekend sounds so interesting, huh?  It looks like I’m not going to be here next weekend, so I need to get as much done while I am home.  I like to have a clean house before I go anywhere.  I guess that stems from my childhood when we would clean before leaving for a big trip.  It is nice to come home to a clean, freshly-made bed!

It may sound like a boring weekend, but I’ll feel so much better starting a new week if I know the house is clean, my laundry is done and I have food at home to cook.

Weekend Update

This weekend has been uneventful, but very good at the same time.

Friday night, I came home and immediately busied myself cooking dinner.  I made some of my favorite things and used my grill for the first time (Mom used it a couple of times when she was here, but I hadn’t actually used it yet myself).  Surprisingly, I pulled everything together and was able to eat before 8 o’clock.  Actually, I think everything was ready just after 7—this is remarkable since part of my dinner was a baked potato and those always seem to take forever to cook.  Emma and I also went on our usual evening walk.  I don’t remember what I did after that, but it’s pretty safe to say I watched some TV and went to bed.

Saturday, I woke up earlier than I wanted to and decided to go back to bed after taking Emma outside.  This was a big mistake since I felt sluggish for the rest of the day.  I tried to get going and attempted a CVS run which failed miserably.  I planned my trip around the wrong insert and nothing I planned to buy was actually on sale in the store I went to.  I got frustrated, put everything back and came home empty-handed.  I cooked dinner again and it was so yummy.  The best part of this meal is that I made enough to take to lunch tomorrow.  It’s much easier to eat at my desk when I have something good to eat.  I also caught up on laundry since there’s never enough time to do that during the week.  Emma and I were eaten up by mosquitoes on our walk and the humidity was quite oppressive, so we cut our walk a little short and visited with one of our neighbors and his dog instead.  It’s so funny how Emma is completely comfortable around a huge Lab, but is completely afraid of other small dogs close to her size.

Today, I had intentions of stepping out of my comfort zone and visiting a Sunday School class.  Unfortunately, a nightmare and a storm overnight interrupted my sleep and I didn’t move quickly enough this morning to get ready in time.  I only needed about 15 more minutes, but I didn’t want to go to a class where I would be a first-time visitor and show up late.  Instead, I just went to the 11 o’clock service.  This was only my second time to visit this church, but I have really enjoyed both services.  The minister is a very good storyteller and really captures my attention with his sermons.  I haven’t felt this way about a church I have visited before, so maybe this is a good sign for finding a church home in Nashville. 

I’ve also been working on a few projects for work that didn’t get finished last week.  I really hate working on the weekends, but I felt like I needed to since I spent much more time than was budgeted on one project this week.  I’m going to work for a little while longer on the remaining project I brought home, but I’m not going to lose the rest of my evening to tax returns.  I’ve got clean sheets that need to be put on my bed and a puppy that needs a bath, among other things that I’d rather be doing.

I don’t have many plans for this week.  Thursday starts a sale at Banana Republic and I have “Style Notes” to spend from my last shopping trip there.  There were some shoes I loved last time I was there, but I couldn’t justify spending $120.  Now, they are on sale online, so I’m hoping I that my size will be available in-store.  I’ve really been enjoying wearing pretty dresses and heels lately.  I think it has something to do with how much better you feel when you know you look nice.  I haven’t felt this way in quite some time, so it’s a welcome change from what had become the status quo.

I also ordered some new contacts and I need to go pick them up by 6PM one day this week…getting there by 6 is the challenging part. 

I just remembered…I have a doctor’s appointment Thursday afternoon that Mom is coming for…we can go shopping together afterwards!

Here’s to a great week!

I’m procrastinating…

I have a list of things I should be doing, but instead I decided to write something here…

I should be hanging up and putting away my laundry since I just heard the dryer buzz.

I should be starting dinner, but since I didn’t eat lunch until 2:30, I think I can wait a little longer to start marinating something.  Having a grill again is definitely nice!  I need more practice, though.

I should be working on the two returns I brought home with me since I didn’t manage my time well enough to get them done at work this week.

I should be sweeping my downstairs since I finally found my dustpan in—of all places—the floorboard of the backseat of my car.  I still don’t know how it ended up there or why I didn’t see it earlier since it was all alone back there.

I should be organizing my coupons, but I’m still frustrated from my failed CVS experience this morning.  Note to self: make sure the weekly circular you are looking at is for the actual location you are going to.  The store I went to uses a limited ad…not the full one I planned my trip around.

I shouldn’t be looking at baby things, but I am since I just talked to a sweet friend and found out the gender of her precious baby!  It’s crazy how our conversations have evolved from talking about classes and shopping to baby names and decorating houses!

I shouldn’t even be on here, so I guess I’ll wrap this up for now!

It’s ok…

I’m giving this a shot in an attempt to try to write more!

…to have really frizzy hair after a post-rain walk with Emma

…to have worked on the same project at work every day this week when I should have finished it in a day and a half—at least I’m learning! :)

…to go upstairs with Emma before 9PM—she needs lots of beauty sleep to be so cute!

…to be slightly very obsessive with my morning and evening routine—I do everything in the exact same order every day!

…to be really glad tomorrow’s Friday!

…to use my dog as an excuse to meet all my neighbors—she can’t help it if she’s cute and everyone wants to pet her!

…to try on three different pairs of pants before deciding to just wear a dress!

…to let a cute pair of shoes put a spring in my step and completely make my day!

…to be an old lady and end this now so I can lay down to bed by 10PM!

Second Wind

Why do I always seem to get a second wind late at night?  Especially on Saturday nights?  It’s not like I’m going to go do anything, but I seem to have trouble going to sleep on Saturday.  This makes things especially problematic since I prefer to go to early church services.  Right now, it’s 11PM and I’m not a bit sleepy…this could be from some medicine I’m taking, but I digress.  Anyway, I planned to go to 8:30 church on West End in the morning, but I might go to a different church at 11 if I can’t seem to get up in the morning.

I’ve already cleaned up the kitchen from dinner, unloaded the dishwasher, cleaned the counters and cleaned the sink.  My kitchen sink is porcelain and shows any and all dirt and grime.  I’ve never obsessed about the cleanliness of my sink before, but allowing this one to be dirty really annoys me…as does a dirty cooktop.  Also, I’m determined to keep the downstairs presentable (once I get it that way to start with) and this is one step towards making that happen.  If only I could find my pesky missing dustpan…

While I can’t sleep, I’m going to finish some laundry I have going and pick out some clothes for work next week.  Having a week’s worth of outfits picked out in advance should help with my morning routine.  I actually have enough closet space that I might actually move those five outfits to one of my “spare” closets!  I’ve never used the phrase “spare closet” before!  Eek! :)

If I get really ambitious, I might make Emma exceptionally mad and vacuum the upstairs as well.  My Saturday night is especially exciting, isn’t it?  It’s just so nice to have some energy for a change even if all I’m doing is housekeeping.

I’ve got a list of things to accomplish this weekend and I better get to it while I am motivated.  Motivation doesn’t last often for me, I’m afraid.

My First Place

I hope I don’t get in trouble for this blog title infringing on the name of the television show on HGTV! :)

So, I closed on my house on July 1.  I moved in on July 10.  Most of the boxes are unpacked, but it’s not photo-ready yet.  Eventually, I will post some pictures, but there are several areas that are just not ready for me to share with the world.  The main things I need are a dining room suite and a bedroom suite for my Master bedroom.  The bedroom furniture currently in my room will go to the guest room and I will use the linens from my bedroom at my condo in Auburn in the guest room.  I haven’t found the “exact right” things yet, but like I tell people, “I’ll know it when I see it!”

I feel like there are papers and random “junk” everywhere.  I don’t think my coffee table has been completely cleaned off once since I got here.  I’m trying a new system with my bills I receive in paper and also with my credit card receipts.  My paper shredder is upstairs in the third bedroom and I’m trying to figure out a better place downstairs for it so I don’t have a “things to shred” pile on the table every day.  I need to see if my coat closet has a free plug…that might just work!  I’m also getting tired of dropping my purse on the floor and putting my phone and other things on the bar in the kitchen.  I’m going to have to come up with some kind of system, but I need to be patient and not expect everything to be perfect immediately.  Easier said than done for this type-A personality.

My house is actually a townhouse, so every unit looks almost identical from the front.  My unit does not have much personality since the previous owners didn’t do much, if any, landscaping beyond what is included in the Homeowner’s Association fees.  It’s too hot to plant anything right now, but I’m planning on putting a large pot of my Grandmother’s on the front porch and maybe some mums for the fall.  I also have a large pot of curly ivy of my Grandmother’s that I plan to put on the back deck.  I do have hanging baskets on the deck now, but only the sweet potato vine is seemingly happy.  There is lantana in each basket, but this is the third year I have planted it and it just doesn’t seem to like me.  My favorite plant on the deck, however, is my moon plant.  I’ve had it for three years since Grams gave it to me as a cutting from one of her plants.  Unfortunately, it has never bloomed despite growing like a weed.  I have “threatened” it for the last two years that each year was it’s last chance and if it didn’t bloom, I would throw it away.  Although I am frustrated that it hasn’t bloomed yet, I don’t think I will actually get rid of it.  For a simple green plant, it is pretty and looks very happy growing along my fence. 

I’m planning on putting in some perennials in the back in future.  I would like rose bushes, but I don’t think there is enough direct sunlight for them to be happy.  I would also like traditional hydrangeas, but they wouldn’t bloom as well with indirect light.  I think I’m going to go with oak-leaf hydrangea, but I’m not 100% sure yet.  I have plenty of time to come up with a good plan for both the front and the back since I’m not going to do anything major until the spring.

Sorry this is so disjointed.  I’m trying to do better about blogging, but there are some things going on right now that I’m just not comfortable sharing about.  I might try linking up to some other blogs and doing something fun like “What I’m Loving Wednesdays” to break up the monotony.  I need to get my camera out as well…pictures would definitely help with making this more interesting! :)

A Good Day

Today was a good day!

I attended three different church services today...an all-time record, I believe. I sat in the congregation for early church, sang in the choir for late church and sang again for the evening service. Besides worship, of course, the day was so good because I had the opportunity to visit with my church family-many of whom I consider to truly be family. I haven't laughed and smiled so much in so long! Those special people that I have spent so much time with over many, many years truly made my day, helped to bring me out of my recent "funk" and remind me that I am so blessed to have so many people that care about me!

Sometimes, everyone needs to be reminded they are loved...I can't doubt the truth in that after today! :)

It's been a while...

I think I (finally) figured out how to blog from Mom's iPad. We'll see how it works!

I cut too my cable and internet back in late May after a billing disagreement with Comcast. They wanted me to pay much more per month and I wanted to pay less. ;)

Anyway, I didn't have Internet access at my apartment for a while and then I had issues getting service set up at my new HOUSE (more on that later). I finally have that all straightened out and squared away...knock on wood!

Today is my birthday. I don't feel any different, but 24 seems old. I have done major things in the last year like finish my Master's, moving to Nashville, starting a new job and BUYING A HOUSE!!! I don't know what 24 will bring, but I hope this year is better than the last 6 months...and let's just leave it at that. I do know there are exciting things ahead like decorating my house and a dear friend's wedding to look forward to. I think I'm going to jump on Bill and Giuliana Rancic's boat and declare this the "Year of Fun"! Goodness knows I need to be less serious and have more fun from time to time!

Gotta go...cake time!

House Hunting

I started “officially” looking at houses last Saturday.  Although I have been doing online research for many, many months, I resisted going to open houses or talking to a realtor until recently.  I went to two open houses right at the very end of busy season.  I spoke with a few realtors and a few bankers during the week after busy season ended on Monday.  I decided on a realtor last Monday and saw my first 6 properties on Saturday.  Kinda a whirlwind, right?

So, I was able to quickly eliminate three different floorplans at three different developments.  I’m still going to show at least one of them to the parents for comparison’s sake, but I know without a doubt that I don’t want to buy this one floorplan in particular…too much wasted space.

I’m left with a floorplan I really like and two different townhomes.  They both have good and bad things about them and are different despite identical floorplans. 

Mom and Dad (and Emma) are coming this weekend to look with me and I feel like I’ll be ready to make an offer by the end of the weekend.  I really value their opinions, so it will be quite interesting to see if they feel like I do after they see the properties in person rather than in pictures.

I feel like I should be saying “I’m a grow-up now” a la “I’m a big kid now” from the pull-ups commercials!  I don’t know if this is completely a good thing though since I’ve learned in the last 9 months that being “grown up” is so much harder than you ever think it is. 

Who knows…next time you hear from me, I might be under contract!

Starting the Process

I’m actually starting the process of looking at homes to buy.  I’ve talked with a lender and now I’m meeting with a realtor on Friday for a meeting/interview.  It’s a little scary, but so exciting.  I hope I’m not overwhelming particular when I had over my “wish” list and my “must have” list.

I’ve called a “family meeting” for this weekend to discuss how this is going to play out.  I want to have my parent’s full support in whatever decision I make.  I have learned that, when I don’t have their full support, I probably shouldn’t do whatever I was planning because it will prove to be a bad idea.

I’m just so excited to start the process I’ve been waiting for since I moved here…or before really!  Something about home ownership makes me feel like I’ll finally be grown up! :)

Busy Season is OVER

FINALLY! Those extra three days (because of Emancipation Day--which only exists in Washington D.C) were brutal!





I'm so excited to have evenings free again. Except I've already made plans for every day this week. Tonight, I'm getting my hair cut and highlighted for the first time since mid-February--can we say roots? At least my hair is somewhat close to the natural color so it's not too bad. Tomorrow, I think I'm having dinner with a good friend that I've known since we were 11. We've tenatively made plans, but haven't firmed anything up yet. Thursday, I have an appointment to try the new Shellac Manicure--it's supposed to stay chip-free and glossy for 14 days. We shall see...anyway, that's my post-busy season treat to myself.





I'm also thinking about doing a little shopping tonight. I really need some summer work clothes since I haven't worked in the summer since I was an engineering intern and, let's face it, we didn't really dress business casual. It was more just casual. I wore nice jeans more often than not, so I really need pants/capris. Especially after 5 years at Auburn when the official summer dress code is a t-shirt, shorts (Nike) and Rainbows. :) I don't know if I'll stick to my normal online shopping or not, but I'm actually thinking about looking at Target. I've only bought a few things there before, but I'm following a few blogs that post about cute steals they snag there. I don't know if my luck will be so good...we shall see!





At some point, I need to catch up on laundry. I haven't been caught up in at least two months and I'm ready to put winter clothes away. It would be nice if they were clean first, so I better get moving. :) I won't be here this weekend, but maybe next week will have a little more time at home and I can get my apartment in order again.





I guess that's all for now. Until next time...

Missing Her

Even though I haven’t talked to her on the phone for nine weeks tonight, I still miss talking to her so much.  I know I complained about how loud I had to talk or how many times she just couldn’t understand what I was saying, but I miss our talks.  I miss hearing about her day, what she ate, who visited and how she was feeling.  I’m missing our talks so much more than I did over the first seven weeks because for the last week and a half, I’ve known there would be no more phone calls.  I wish I remembered what exactly we talked about that last night.  I remember discussing the chocolate icing for Aunt Loverta’s cake, but really that’s it.  I’m sure I said “I love you” because I always did, but I wish I could pick up the phone and tell her one more time.

My Tribute

My sweet Grams went home to our Lord in Heaven Wednesday afternoon.  She lived a long, full life and left a legacy that will not be soon forgotten.  I am so grateful for the 23 1/2 years I was blessed to have her on Earth.  Now I have another guardian angel and she’s able to finally tell Daddy’s parents what it was like to be my Grandmother.

I didn’t get the opportunity to have two sets of Grandparents on Earth, so I was blessed with the very best set of Grandparents a girl could wish for.  From six weeks of age, I stayed with Grams almost every day while Mom and Dad worked.  Grandaddy came home to visit at lunch time, but most of the days were Grams and Katie time.  I even had a crib in Gram’s basement so she could sew while watching me.  I spent so much time in that basement as a child.  She would sew and I would visit with everyone who came for alterations while also watching tv and laying on the deep freeze (something Mom and her sister were never allowed to do as children—what Granddaughters get away with!).

No offense to Mom, but I feel like almost everything I know about cooking is because of Grams.  I can’t remember a time that I didn’t know how to make toast or scrambled eggs.  We made cheese straws together and I remember how proud I was of my first pound cake made from Gram’s recipe.  We made caramel cake together and Aunt Loverta’s chocolate icing.  She taught me how to make my favorite chicken with white sauce and her “rounds” and sometimes there’s nothing I want more than her version of boxed macaroni and cheese.  She would fry me an entire pound of bacon, but would make me eat bread or crackers so I wasn’t just eating bacon for a meal.  I never quite mastered fried chicken like hers.  Something about my breading just isn’t right.  I guess practice will have to make perfect.

I can’t sew that well, but thankfully, Mom can, so some of Gram’s skills will hopefully still be passed on to me.  I want to learn to make simple valances for my new home (once I pick it out) and I need to learn to hem my own pants.  Unfortunately, I never learned to crochet.  I think that particular skill passed on with Grams.  I don’t think I would have had the patience anyway.

Grams took me to school and picked me up every day (except Daddy’s Grandmother’s two days a week to bring me home in the afternoon) from Kindergarten to 5th grade.  I could always count on the “purple” Park Avenue being there waiting for me in the afternoons. 

Grams could grow practically anything imaginable.  Over the past few days, the plants and flowers around town have been much more apparent to me.  I think Grams is making them a little prettier than usual to tell me she’s ok.  I’m hoping to get a few cuttings of her plants one day and to try to continue her legacy.

Grams and Grandaddy were married for 65 years.  That alone is a remarkable achievement.  I know marriage is difficult, but they were able to make it work.  I said many times that there is nothing cuter than an old couple who still love each other.  Grandaddy looked so precious when he would kiss Grams and she lit up at the sight of him.  I hope I am blessed with the kind of love they shared (and I believe continue to share—death is not an end to love).

My Grams was a remarkable person—not perfect—but a loving, God-fearing woman.  I have no doubts about where she is because the Bible tells us that those who love the Lord, accept him, and ask him into their heart will be rewarded with Eternal Life.  That knowledge helps me to get up each day and put one foot in front of the other.

I love you Grams…until then…

Faith

There are times when I’m unwavering in my faith, but also times when I’m not so sure…I don’t understand why God lets people suffer when they are so ready to come home to Him for eternity.  I have to trust that there is a reason for everything He does.  It’s sometimes easier to say that than to believe it.

Grams is not doing well at all.  Apparently, some strokes can bring on dementia.  Basically, her body is still living and breathing and suffering, but I believe her soul has moved on.  The person who remains is not the Grams I love so much.  We lost her seven weeks ago tonight/tomorrow.  I want to mourn her, but it seems so weird to mourn a living person.

She’s coming home Tuesday to spend her final days in familiar surroundings in hopes that she will find some comfort and peace.  We don’t know how long we have left with her earthly body, but we are going to do everything to make her comfortable and to provide even a tiny bit of quality of life.

Why, God, do you allow people who so want to come home to you to linger?  Why don’t you open your arms to her and say to her, “Well done, my good and faithful servant?”

I miss her so much already.  I miss our phone calls every night.  I miss just hearing her voice.  I even miss yelling at her to get her to hear me.

I love you Grams.  Thank you for loving me and taking care of me all my life.  I KNOW I will see you again.  I won’t say goodbye, so instead I will say… until then.

Weekend Recap

Well, this weekend has been pretty uneventful…most would say boring.  I have slept a good bit and hopefully I’m recharged so I can hit the ground running for another week in busy season!

I left work around 6:30 (I think) Friday because I developed this painful rash on the back of one of my legs.  I really needed Benadryl, but I couldn’t take it at work and risk being too sleepy to drive home safely.  I grabbed dinner on the way home and shortly after eating I was passed out cold on the sofa.  I woke up around 11 and moved to the bedroom…fun night, huh?

I got to work Saturday morning around 7:45.  I really planned on being there earlier, but it wasn’t meant to be.  I was so sleepy when my alarm went off that I pressed snooze a few too many times.  I am slowly learning that I’m better off getting up when I wake up even if it’s an hour before my alarm is set to go off.  I couldn’t manage to drag myself out of bed at 4:30AM, but I think I would have had a more productive day overall had I gotten up and gone in to work earlier.  I worked until around 3, but I didn’t get as much as I wanted to accomplished. 

It started to rain shortly before I left work.  It wasn’t that hard, but it was enough that I didn’t want to go to the grocery anymore.  It doesn’t seem like I ever get good parking at any of the grocery stores and I just knew that the bottom would fall out right about when I was ready to leave the store.  Instead, I decided to challenge myself to not spend any more money for the rest of the weekend and to clean out my refrigerator/freezer in the process.   So far, I’ve succeeded in my challenge.  One more meal to go and I’ll have made it! :)

I’m also doing a little cleaning of my apartment.  Right now, I’ve got three more loads of laundry to go in addition to the one currently in the washer.  I guess it’s pretty obvious that I put off laundry until the absolute last minute.  I also need to run the dishwasher, but I can’t do that at the same time as washing clothes…there wouldn’t be enough water pressure, right?  Finally, I’m planning on cleaning my bathroom and cleaning up the kitchen from my cooking adventures this weekend.  I doubt all of this will actually get done, but making a list and a plan somehow makes me feel accomplished.

We’ve got three weeks left until the end of busy season.  I can’t adequately express how much I’m looking forward to working normal hours and not working weekends.

Maybe I can find something more interesting to write about before my next post…

ABCs

I have seen lots of posts like this one, but I finally decided to do it after seeing Lisa’s answers over at Diary of a Newlywed. Hope she doesn’t mind me linking to her blog…it’s a first for me to try to do that! :)

A. Age: 23

B. Bed size:  Full…soon to be Queen

C. Chore you dislike: Cleaning my George Foreman grill pans.

D. Dogs: Yes!  Sweet Emma…can’t wait for her to come back to live with me after April 18th!

E. Essential start to your day: On a work day, getting straight in the shower

F. Favorite color: Antique/Wedgewood Blue

G. Gold or silver: Both plus platinum!  I’ll take anything I can get! :)

H. Height: 5'8

I. Instruments you play(ed): Played the flute in from 6th-9th grade.  Took piano lessons in 4th and 5th grades…I think that’s all.  I can still play a little piano if I try hard enough.  I prefer to think of my voice as my instrument though.

J. Job title: Certified Public Accountant (Well, I passed the test, but don’t have the experience requirement yet)

K. Kids: One day…

L. Live: Nashville, TN

M. Mom’s name: Jane, Mama, Mimi

N. Nicknames: Kate, Little Buddy, Booster Baby

O. Overnight hospital stays: More nights than I can remember…bad memories

P. Pet peeves: People taking the Lord’s name in vain

Q. Quote from a movie: “My name is Andrew Shepherd, and I *am* the President.”-The American President.  This quote, and the speech that goes along with it, never fails to give me chills despite how many times I’ve watched the movie.  It reminds me of speeches of President Reagan’s that I’ve listened to.  I long for a president that can inspire me with “his” or “her” words and actually follow through with promises.  Michael Douglas for President!…haha, not really! :)

R. Righty or lefty: Righty

S. Siblings: Only!

T. Time you wake up:  Alarm goes off at 5:30, I’ve been snoozing until 5:45 lately.

U. Underwear: Of course!

V. Vegetables you don’t like: Let’s list those that I like…potatoes, black eyed peas…

W. What makes you run late: Packing my lunch for work

X. X-rays you’ve had: Chest, Ankle, Wrist, Knee, Teeth

Y. Yummy food you make: Hmm…I make lots of good chicken dishes…I also really like to bake…I made a Dobish Torte for Dad’s birthday two years ago.  I think that’s the most challenging thing I’ve ever attempted and it was quite good! :)

Z. Zoo animal favorites: Dunno…

Difficult Times

*Disclaimer:  This will be long and deep.  If you are grieving, this might not be the post for you.  This is one of my few outlets and I discuss my faith, my God and my family’s current struggles.  Please feel free to skip this one if you wish.*

Our family has had a very difficult week and a very emotional weekend.  I’ve cried several times today and I don’t think it would take much to set off another episode of big crocodile tears.

My Grandmother is suffering now.  Her quality of life is non-existent.  I barely recognize her as the person I love so much.  I think only part of her survived the stroke and the most important part, the part that truly made her herself has already gone on to eternal glory.

I’ve felt pulled to my Bible this afternoon and evening.  I need reassurance that there is a reason why she (and we) are going through such trying times and enduring such suffering.  I find myself thinking that she would have been better off had she never woken up even though those thoughts make me feel very guilty.  I know that the Lord only takes people once their purpose on Earth has been completely fulfilled, so there must be more left for her.  God wouldn’t allow such suffering without a purpose.  This all has to be for His Glory. 

This weekend, my prayers have changed from recovery to letting her go to end her suffering.  If she can’t get better (and we are continually told how bad her stroke was), eternal Glory with the Father is far better than Earthly suffering.  I have no doubt that I will see her again because I know she loves the Lord.  I can take comfort that I will see her again when it is my time to enter the gates of Heaven. As much as I don’t want to say goodbye to her on Earth, I will rejoice that she will be spending eternity in paradise and will be helping to prepare a place for me when my time comes.

Ok, the tears have started again…

I needed someone to talk to tonight, so I called one of the kindest, most compassionate people I know: our former minister’s wife and a dear, dear friend.  I don’t really fell “better” because I don’t think anything about this situation can be made better, but I was able to get some of the reassurance I so crave and just have someone to talk to.  Some things are easier to say to someone a little removed from the situation. 

Three verses that are bringing me some comfort now…from my Wesley Study Bible, the NRSV…

“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you.  I do not give to you as the world gives.  Do not let your hearts be troubled. and do not let them be afraid.  You heard me say to you, ‘I am going away and I am coming to you.’  If you loved me, you would rejoice that I am going to the Father, because the Father is greater than I.”

John 14:27-28

“Do not let your hearts be troubled.  Believe in God, believe also in me.  In my Father’s house there are many dwelling places.  If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you?  And if I go to prepare a place for you, I will come again and take you to myself, so that where I am, there you may be also.”

John 14:1-3

Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life.  No one comes to the Father except through me.  If you know me, you will know my Father also.  From now on you do know him and have seen him.”

John 14:6-7

I feel like I should end this with the traditional call and response from the United Methodist Church after scripture is read.  The minister says, “The Word of The Lord” and the congregation responds, “Thanks be to God”.  “Thanks be to God” indeed.  I give thanks for the life of my Grams and for the eternal life that all who believe are guaranteed. 

Quick Update

I started a long and emotional post last night, but I decided to hold off on posting that—maybe indefinitely.  To make a long story short, about three weeks ago, Grams had two very serious strokes.  She spent about 2.5 weeks between ICU and the regular hospital floor.  She’s now at a Rehabilitation facility and we don’t really know what the end prognosis will be yet.  It’s been a really emotional time and I really just want to be at home with my family even though there’s not much I could do at this point.

On the work front, we’re all working 60-65 or more hours a week trying to get out tax returns.  It’s much harder than I thought to work six days a week.  I’m grateful that, although we worked long hours during the week, I only worked two weekends during my internship.  Having that second day to rest and recover really makes a difference.  Only five more Saturdays to go…

I’m looking more and more seriously at houses and townhouses.  I haven’t allowed myself to go to any open houses yet, but as soon as April 18th comes around, I’m going to interview realtors and start looking.  I really don’t feel like it will take me a long time to make a decision, but I could be surprised.  I really want a house, but I can understand why Daddy wants me to get a townhome.  I just feel like a house is a better fit for me and I can likely get lawn maintenance done for less money than the HOA fees will be.  I guess it all really depends on what the HOA fees cover and how restrictive the associations are.  I don’t want to live at another place that will refuse to let me have my grill.  The George Foreman is getting old and I really want my grill back.  Actually, I think Mom and Dad promised to get me a new one since they got rid of theirs and are using mine and it was a birthday gift and all! :)

I haven’t gotten anything accomplished this weekend, save my tax return.  I’m missing one document and I have to wait for my Dad to do his return to finalize mine, but at least I know things aren’t nearly as dire as I feared.  I am about to get started on the mountain of laundry in my closet.  If I don’t, I might not be able to go to work next week.  I don’t think “lack of appropriate clean clothing” would be a good excuse in anyone’s eyes. :)

Once again, I promise to try to take some pictures and post them soon.  I haven’t done anything camera-worthy in so long and I haven’t had much time with Emma lately with everything going on at home.  I’m hoping my tulips will be blooming for Easter, so I might be able to get some pictures of Emma and my special tulips.  Grams keeps saying they won’t come up for another year, but she’s always surprised.  I’d love to take one to her and see if she remembers all the trouble we got into trying to dig the bulbs up.  They aren’t just a connection to Aunt Nancy, but also a connection to Grams the way she used to be.  Maybe they can be a bridge to that person again? 

Some of the infamous tulips, several years ago…oh the memories!

Weekend Recap

Last weekend was fun!  Friday night I just went home and did some cleaning since the real fun was set to start on Saturday!  However, before the good part could start, I had to go to work.  I was there at 6:40 Saturday morning and left around noon.  That was just all I had in me and I was expecting my visitors to arrive before long.  Mom, Dad and Emma were coming to see me!  They ended up arriving much later than I originally planned for and we didn’t get to go to the nice dinner I had planned for us, but it was still a wonderful visit.  They came both to see me and to attend the Nashville Predators game—a NHL team. 

Soon after they arrived, we set out for Bridgestone Arena and the game.  I had been to hockey games in the past (UAH Chargers—a Division II team about an hour from my hometown), but this crowd was unreal.  We had tickets from my firm in the club level, so we joined hundreds of other people going up the escalator to our level.  We quickly found our seats and settled in for the game.  I had a coat on and found gloves in my purse, but I quickly got quite cold (everyone that knows me knows I’m already freakishly cold natured).  Luckily, I had my Daddy’s hand to hold on to and he made the cold much more bearable.  At the end of the first period, I decided that I couldn’t go without food any longer.  I got some yummy nachos and a soda (caffeine free—I’m doing my best) and the spicy nachos also helped to warm me up.  Mom and I ended up sharing, but unfortunately Dad was sick, so he couldn’t share our drink (our family has never had a problem sharing drinks with each other).  The Preds ended up winning the game 5-3, which resulted in our tickets being exchangeable for a free Frosty from Wendy’s.  Mom and Dad enjoyed theirs Sunday and I got mine Friday night.

Mom and Dad also brought me some really sweet Valentine’s presents since Valentine’s Day was this past Monday.  I had planned on taking pictures of each gift, but I’m too lazy to get out my camera and then edit the pictures.  Hopefully, I will be motivated enough for a picture post since soon since it seems like Spring is just around the corner!

My Valentine’s gifts included: a new wreath for the front door (Forsythia—such a pretty yellow!), cherry blow pops (you can buy all cherry ones for Valentine’s Day), a dozen glazed donuts (yummy), some much-needed groceries, some pictures from the NC in Arizona (I didn’t have any recent pictures of Mom and Dad), a DVD of the NC game and most importantly—a little stuffed Emma to keep me company!  I have a pink one, but it’s a little cartoonish and this one looks EXACTLY like her…just a little smaller.  The face looks so much like her.  It’s the funniest thing, but Emma really doesn’t like Little Emma.  She wants to chew on her or push her off the furniture onto the floor.  I really should have taken some pictures…maybe I can do that one day soon…the lighting is too bad during the few hours I’m actually home and awake.  I’m really spoiled, aren’t I?

Sunday we laid around for a little while and then watched a movie on Netflix.  We had a late lunch from Corky’s BBQ after driving around looking at a few areas with homes I’m interested in.  Before I knew it, it was time for my family to make the trip home.  I have to admit, I was quite lonely the rest of Sunday night and Monday morning while I was getting ready for work.  I’m hoping they can come back and visit in two weeks…maybe we can make it work!!

This weekend has been low key—work, finally getting my hair cut and highlighted and trying to catch up on sleep.  Actually, I just remembered that I must do a load of clothes tonight if I plan on being fully dressed for work tomorrow.  I can’t ever stay caught up on laundry! :(

That’s all for now.  I’ll try to work on a picture post for next time.  Maybe it will be pretty and I can get some cute pictures of Emma—my favorite subject!

A night I hope not to repeat

This is going to be long.  And pretty boring.  If you don’t want to hear about my drive during Snowpocalypse: Nashville, you might want to skip this one.

They had been predicting snow for last night for about a week, I think.  It’s happened so much this year that I was really hoping it would pass us by.  But no.  Around 3:00 it started.  By 3:15 it was sticking to our parking lot at work.  I left at 3:30.  That’s when the ordeal began.  It ended at 10:30.  Seven HOURS later.

First, it took over 1.5 hours to get to the Honda dealership within sight (in normal conditions) of the office.  Once I got there, I made the decision to forego the rest of  Rosa Parks (I wasn’t yet halfway down the length of road I needed to go) and try other side streets that connect to the interstate.  First, I tried Dominican Drive.  Actually, it connects back to Rosa Parks, just closer to the interstate.  Once I saw the line there, I knew that people weren’t letting others turn left and I’d never get on the road I needed to be on so I could turn right back on to Rosa Parks.  So I decided to turn right on that road and see where else it connected to the interstate.  I ended up on 9th Avenue, Arthur Avenue and 11th Avenue before Jefferson Street.  This eventually led to 12th Avenue and a road that intersected the interstate.  Unfortunately, this little detour was the fastest I drove for the rest of the night.  The on-ramp to the interstate had a line probably a mile long and just getting on the interstate probably took another hour and a half.  I finally got on 40, but it was crawling (what’s slower than crawling?) until I got to 65.  65 was moving a little faster, but my first exit of choice, Harding Place, had an accident, a fire truck, an ambulance and a very long line of waiting cars.  So I decided to proceed to Old Hickory Blvd. (my second exit of choice) to give it a try.  It couldn’t be worse than Harding Place, right?

Well, the radio said that 74A, my exit was closed and it looked extremely backed up which seemed to confirm that something was wrong at this exit, so I took 74B with the intentions of turning around and heading the right way down Old Hickory.   Well, nothing is ever easy.  Taking the wrong exit probably added 1.5 more hours to my drive.  The traffic lights at Old Hickory and Franklin Road are a disaster! 

Hours later, after a crying fit and a screaming fit, I was finally making some progress.  Thankfully, no slipping and no lights indicating Automatic Skid Control came on like earlier in the day.  I also felt my brakes pump several times earlier in the day…aren’t those the anti-lock brakes?  As I finally got to my side of Old Hickory, I started to notice many abandoned cars.  It was bad, don’t get me wrong, but I don’t know if I would have actually abandoned my car.  In addition to worrying about what would happen to it, where would I have gone?  My next challenge was getting up the hill close to a neighborhood I really would love to live in.  There was a long line of cars basically not moving.  I could see that there weren’t any cars in front of the first ones and I couldn’t tell why they weren’t trying to go.  I was really afraid of starting up the hill and then being forced to stop and then not being able to get going again.  I realized that, in this situation, slow and steady wins the race.  Thankfully, some other drivers recognized this as well and we started up the middle lane of the road (just as bad as the regular lanes) and slowly climbed the hill.  I didn’t have any trouble climbing it, but I really just let the car go without using much gas.  I didn’t want to risk a fast acceleration.  I still don’t know why these people had parked their cars and gotten out.  I would have thought they had an accident, but there was no visible damage and the cars were spread out pretty far.  Maybe they just gave up and decided to play in the road?

Then comes the fun at Edmondson Pike.  Anyway, there are two 18 wheelers at the intersection of Old Hickory and Edmondson Pike.  One is partially in the fast lane to continue on Old HIckory and partially in the slow lane to turn left on to Edmondson.  The other is in the slow lane to continue down Old Hickory.  I was pretty far behind all this, but I eventually noticed that these same trucks were still there and no cars had been able to go except for those turning left onto Edmondson in the fast lane.  Well, these two trucks were apparently stuck on this itty bitty incline that I’d honestly never noticed before.  Thankfully, someone finally figured out that there was barely enough clearance between the trucks for cars to continue down Old Hickory.

Once I got through here, it was basically smooth sailing.  One more small hill, but I didn’t have any more trouble that I had at previous hills.  I finally get to Nolensville and there is the traffic again.  My heart sank.  There were so many abandoned cars going to my apartment and this made the tiny, two lane road even more hazardous.

I have never been so happy to see my building.  I walked in the house and went to bed.  Well, after a quick trip to the restroom.  It had been nearly seven hours at this point and I don’t know how much longer I could have made it!

I’m working from home today since Nolensville has not been plowed or salted, apparently.  I’ve been going out to the big picture window in the building’s common space and there’s absolutely no traffic when it would usually be bumper to bumper.  Thankfully I brought several things home to work on so I don’t have to risk a repeat of last night.  I’m still completely exhausted.  It’s amazing how hard driving (sitting) can be physically and mentally.

Thank you to everyone who saw my Facebook comments and rants.  I was not in a very good mood for a good bit of the journey, so I probably said more than I should have and not in the best tone.  For that, I apologize.  A special thank you to everyone who tried to make the drive easier for me…those who sent me texts, called, FB messaged me and especially those who prayed for my safety.  I love you all.

Please, Mother Nature, can we finally be done with snow for the winter?  Phil said we’d have an early Spring and I’m oh so ready!

A Day I Wish Would Go Away

I was trying to write something meaningful to pay tribute to someone I love very much.  But it’s just too hard, even eight years later.  There just aren’t words to express how I feel.

I hate February 8th.  I always will.  I wish I could take it off the calendar.

One Saturday down, many to go…

Today was the first Saturday I had to work during Busy Season.  I got up at my usual time and arrived at work a little before 7:15.  I got a fair amount done and I left around noon.  Unfortunately, I still have more that needs to be finished, so I’ll be working from home this afternoon and evening.  Really, it’s okay though because I’ll be able to get some things off my calendar and get some laundry done in between!  Trust me, the laundry situation seems to get out of control without warning!

Mom and Dad (and most importantly, Emma) are coming next Saturday after work to go to the Nashville Predators (NHL) and I know I won’t have much time next week to get the house ship-shape, so I’m planning on getting things in order before Monday and trying to keep it clean until Saturday.

Instead of writing out a list of what I want to get done before Monday, why don’t I go knock a couple of things off the list instead?

Until next time…

Big Weekend

This weekend is going to be busy, but so much fun!  One of my very best friends from Grad School is coming to visit tomorrow night and staying until some time on Saturday.  Saturday night, Mom and Dad are coming to spend the night before we go to the airport early Sunday morning.  Around lunchtime on Sunday, we are flying out to Arizona.  I have training for work Monday through Thursday and Mom and Dad are going for the BIG game on Monday plus a little R&R.

I don’t have a ticket for the game, but I’m still hoping that something will turn up.  My backup plan is to go to a restaurant in Scottsdale for a game watching party sponsored by the Phoenix Auburn Club.  That will be fun even if I’m not actually in Glendale inside the stadium.

I had to go to Walmart after working late tonight—I mainly needed some breakfast food for Saturday and Sunday—not everyone likes cereal for breakfast like I do (*hint* Daddy *hint*).  I sat down and ate dinner and now I got on the computer to talk to Emma on the webcam.  She got a haircut today and I needed to see how it turned out!  As a result, I haven’t gotten anything else on my list done tonight.  I’m going to go now so I can get up and get some things accomplished before bedtime!

Hopefully next time I write, Auburn will be home to a beautiful crystal football! :)