Wobbly bits

I'd like to start this post off with a mild confession:
My dear Colein, I broke my 21 days of no desserts!!! Well, not techniquely, being that the term "desserts" was never defined..., but I'm thinking that 20 jelly beans and 1 ice cream sandwhich might be in that definition. ;-) Sorry girl, I was enticed off the wagon, but I'm back on now! My wobbly bits (I love this nickname for my "un-fit" areas. Thank you Diary of Bridget Jones {and yes, it's a must that it be said in a British accent}) have conceded that the no dessert thing will definitely be beneficial to the jeans I had to peel off this morning because they were not work (or anywhere else for that matter) appropriate. sigh. :-)

My Mom.
That's what she is. She's My mom and though she may have two daughters, she's specifically mine. Back off Brit. God gave you Daddy for that quirky connection that you two have and he gave me Mom. So yesterday I received this:


which turned out to be this:


how perfect are these rugs for my kitchen aka area of unlimited color. I love you My Mom! Thank you soooo much!

I've been thinking how I needed a really neat t-shirt for the weekends. Well on one particularly rough Tuesday (that's a whole nother blog) I found my silver lining in this:


I love it! It's different.

So today has been full of smiles. It's MY Friday b/c me, KJ, Rance, and Shea are going to see my Aunt Bettie in Miami! I'll try to document our trip in photos, but I make no promises. hehehe Everything in Miami isn't meant to be captured on film, we all know about South Beach. ;-)

Lots of lovin! And have a wonderful Labor Day weekend. Gotta love the extra day of rest, right?!?!

He got me...

86 in a 70. yep.

There was NO denying it. I admit, I have a heavy foot on the highway (to work, going home, visiting someone, joy riding... the highway is just open road. seriously). This morn, just as I had complimented myself on doing great with time (was running early- go figure) and thought, "there aren't even any police out today"... Surprise... I was speeding and the "man" was out! sheesh.

He was really nice about it. Only wrote the ticket as though I was going 79 to save me $100 on the fee. Guess he was feeling generous and I was extremely appreciative. A friend once told me that she knew a girl who faked asthema attacks and got out of tickets, but I think he could tell from my defeated expression and the license and registration that I had waiting for him, that I was guilty as sin.

Like I said, I'm thankful. I've done 100 on that highway before (my Lexus-look-alike should really to blame... shouldn't a car shake uncontrollably at that speed. well, not her, she rides smooth as ice). Can you imagine the fee for going 30 over the speed limit!!! My goodness!

Driving school here I come!

Happy Wednesday! :-P

also

today marks the one year mark for Hurricane Katrina.
Although I'm not a Spike Lee fan, he's done a documentary called When the levees broke that I think may be a must see. It's on HBO now so if you happen to catch it, let me know what you think.

I've discovered

that we've got crunchy carpet.

Somehow life has played a cruel joke in that I (who could sleep thru a hurricane... and probably will) wake up and get ready for work earlier than kj (who stirs around if you so much as adjust your pinky toe in the middle of the night). So this morning as I was tiptoe-ing around I realized that it's pointless! It's not me that's denying him that sweet REM level of unconsciousness, it's our carpet. go figure!

happy tuesday!

Highway Warriors

This past weekend was full. Okay back up... my hair appt went... FABULOUSLY. My new beautician Naomi is young and stylish. Cute as can be. Not the least bit boot-legged. She's the first person who's ever done my hair that I've considered possibly letting her do some future experimental styles (nothing freeze dried, but a few curly dos to appease my other half). I'll keep you posted. Big sigh of relief!

On Sat we were in Kj's home town for the opening of the Interpretive Center. We were both designated to volunteer/work, but we were only there for an hour and I stayed under the press tent talking to a cousin. We never even went inside. shame! But put this on your "Must see before cataracts claims my eyes" list: It's a great depiction of Civil Right history and White Hall's claim to fame (besides the gaming center and being the home of Ben Wallace, but I digress). Next time we go home, we're definitely going inside. ;-)



We went to check on Rance and Shea. An hour and a half down the road. They're doing great! Shea treated me to my first ride on a four wheeler. Nothing makes you feel like a tougher girl then going 10mph into a ditch with nothing to hold onto but the sides of your seat. Sorry no pics. The few I took this weekend look like garbage, so I'm trying to convince myself that it's the camera and not me... :-( I haven't quite figured out taking pictures of things in motion, or things in the dark.

On Sun we headed back to WH and I met a million more of kj's relatives that I've heard by name, but never saw a face. There's something to be said about family and trust me, they make every moment worth while. I'm definitely part of the group!

Happy Monday!

What I'll be doing

next time I go to the gym. If you hear of a Floridian woman being killed by a treadmill... please call and comfort kj. ;-)

Roz's new workout program"

I'm stuck...

Nothing really new and interesting has been going on lately (thus the lapse in bloggin), so this post will probably be random little updates.

1) Today I have a hair appt. to go from wild to straight and manageable. (hopefully) It's been a while since my last hair appt. and with a new beautician I always have a fear that I'll go in with hair and come out with only a few sprigs (like that Smegal character from Lord of the Rings- which I've never seen, but I know he's the creepy looking wide-eyed, sprig haired guy). Not discrediting her skill, but hey, we've all heard the horror stories. The first beautician I called was named Aquanetta (like the hairspray) Brand. Aquanetta Brand, ummmm, no comment. But I could never get in touch with her, so Naomi, at the same salon, gets to tackle the challenge I present. She's got her work cut out for her that's for sure. ;-)

2) It's been raining a ton here! I'm talking deep periwinkle skies with thunder and lightening. I still love it, but we're no where near "hurricane ready" and everyone at work has me a little freaked out b/c they keep saying that this summer's been too calm. So in my head, I'm thinking Tropical Storm Debbie is more than enough reason to go buy tons of plywood and juice (if we only had water in our survival kit I'd dehydrate. Isn't that pitiful? ;-) )

3) On Tuesday 8.22 we celebrated the Madden Holiday in our house. For those of you with playstations, x-boxes, boyfriends, or sports addicted husbands, then you may understand the seriousness of this football video game. Let's just say in our house it's not something you mess with, and I can accept that... we all have our fetishes. :-) Mine is reality tv (project runway, top chef, even flavor of love if I'm flipping and it's on. shame.) and hgtv. It's insane how addicted I am to home improvement. I admit it! My name is Roz and I'm an HGTV addict. there. So in keeping the peace I've let kj have the front room with the large tv and banished myself to either trying to clean out that office (for which i've adopted the motto: it's gotta get worse before it gets better) or watching Grey's Anatomy dvds on my computer b/c the cable jack for the bedroom is on the opposite side of the room and I've been too lazy to get a long enough cord to run it around.

4) I believe I'm developing carpal tunnel. No worries. As far as I know there's no workman's comp for this at my job, which makes me focus even more on early retirement (30 or 31 sounds ideal). I'm thinking that all I need is 1 or 2 good inventions and I'll just ride that until I have some little minis (my new term for children) who "make it big" in the world and want to "thank" good ole mom and dad.

That's about it! Sorry no pics. I should take some this weekend b/c we're going to a Grand Opening in Kj's hometown (doesn't that peek your interest).

Hope you're having a Fabulous Friday! I've almosted finessed my "sneak out of the office thru the break room and return at 4:50, absence undiscovered" plan. hehehe is that just cause for dismissal??

lots of lovin!

:-)

This past weekend was jam full of activities. I'm telling you, I could definitely do with a Friday thru Wednesday weekend and a 2 day work week... :-) Call me lazy... hehehe
Anywho, there are always several things that make me smile, but this weekend I was able to capture a few with my camera. The photographer that I want to be needs a new camera, but I'll narrate the pics so you get the idea.

We went to visit our niece and nephews. On the way we go thru this little place that is Hobo crazy. Really. They have a Hobo festival, the are several Hobo stores and yard decorations, and tah-dah: even a school with the Hobo as its mascot. I'm sorry, I may have had a generic black bear mascot growing up, but to scream "Go mighty Hobo!"... I just don't see that happening. Seriously, it's a homeless man dressed as a clown carrying all his possessions in a napkin tied to a stick. That's not going to intimate anyone. The proof is in the picture. Sorry for the fuzziness, but KJ refuses to stop and let me develop my artistic-ness. He always says, "You know that sign is there, just get ready..." I wasn't quite ready ;-)



Here's G "flying" on the swing. He's hilarious to me. They have a bunny named Thumper and here's the most enlightening conversation we had,
G: Thumper's fat.
Roz: No, she's not. Why do you think she's fat.
G: Because she's going to lay babies.
Roz: So when something's fat it's going to have babies?
G: No, LAY babies. Rabbits lay babies, dogs lay babies, people lay babies...

(fyi-Thumper is not pregnant she's just very furry-thus the fat misconception)


And finally T made me laugh b/c here she is doing her "no hands" which took several trys. Her getting her hands up and me actually capturing the pic. The funny part... please notice the training wheels... my little dare-devil is still very proud of riding with no hands while coasting on four wheels...


Gotta love em!

Oh yeah and this made me smile on my way in to work yesterday:



Good Times. hehehehe
It's FL, don't ask.

One crumbly poptart...

is this morning's saving grace. Seriously, this might be the roughest Friday I've had in a while.

I woke up late this morn (1) only to rush around like a manic and realize that ALL of my bras are UNDERNEATH sweaty basketball shorts in the dirty clothes basket (no salvaging them there) (2) I thank the Lord for the lone little pink bra with no support hiding out in the very back of a random drawer. Unfortunately the tables had not turned in my favor yet b/c I then realize that I have NO CONTACTS and last nite's leisurely search for my glasses is now imperative... but wait, I'm late! So I just leave. Blind, jiggly bossom, and did I mention my hands are peeling(3)??? Yep, rough morning.

But low and behold I get to work and the plum I grabbed for breakfast is over-ripe (4) (or rotten whatever way you choose to see it) so I'm about to just pack things up and tell everyone that it's just not happening today when ********* in my "snack" drawer I discover one lone crumbly poptart********* And suddenly I'm okay again. God's given me my silver lining and I can press on with this blind, jiggly bossom, peeling hand Friday. ;-) Did I mention it's a brown sugar frosted poptart???? Ahhhh... God's goodness!

Happy Friday! No pics for this post... definitely don't want to have a visual, trust me. ;-D

The thing about moving...

is that the toughest things to replace are the things that don't technically belong to you.

I'm in the process of searching for a hairdresser (exhibit A please see below pic...) and a doctor. sigh. Dr. Brown, with your voice that's waaayyy too smooth to be a "lady-doctor", please move to Florida... and would you please pick up Veronica with her unlimited personal hair weaves and colors, but hands of magic for me? sigh.

Happy Thursday! And thanks for all the comments you all! I knew you were out there somewhere...
;-D

I've learned...

If a man buys this:


You'll come home to this:

And be able to eat this:


With minimal effort on your part. ;-)
Colleen - I'm going to have to sneak my recipes in some other time, but I'm NOT complaining!

Ahhh...the weekend

This past weekend was so wonderful that I didn't want to go to sleep last night because I knew that it would end. sigh. A quick rundown: I had 2 dates, spent time with my parents, and finished a project.

On Friday Kj called and suggested we meet up and then travel over to a place in PC that has bowling, rollerskating, pool, the works. I was all for it. The surprise is that it was just us! I guess I've gotten use to the couples we've gotten to know around here and us all getting together sporadically. Trust me, I'm loving that I'm meeting people, but every now and then it's soooo good to just go out on a "just the two of us" date. And that we did. We ate dinner, I whooped him in bowling (136 to 103), we shot 2 games of pool in which he made up rules, so therefore my victories went undeclared and then we headed home around 11. Only downfall is that the air conditioning was out in the place so my victory dances had to be cut short so that I wouldn't pass out from heat exhaustion. hehehe. Here Kj's concentrating very hard to make a shot that won't break the 800 rules he made-up. Seriously, we just played 8-ball!!!

On Sat my parents drove down and I can't begin to say how good it was to see them! Unfortunately I didn't get any pictures of us all together (my brain must have been on an excitement overload), but you know what we all look like so picture 4 huge smiles and there you have it. ;-)

KJ and I darted away for just a moment (literally) to go on our second date... the ball! Okay so the dress didn't zip ALL the way up, but we were able to rig it so that no one noticed. The love handles may have won the battle, but I won the war! We went to the ball and had a great dinner, good conversation, and yummy carrot cake (did I already mention food???). Didn't get a chance to dance, but everything happens for a reason and maybe that zipper wasn't meant for sashaying on the dance floor. ;-)



Lastly I finished my sister's apt. warming art. Actually mom and I finished it Sunday after dinner. Not bad for having no original plans and using materials I had on hand. I'd say that the frame definitely took a step up to improvement!


So it's Monday and I can't wait to see what this week holds! Oh yes- Sidebar: Watched 3 movies this weekend.
1) Inside Man with Denzel Washington - The plot was awesome, but I'm NOT a Spike Lee fan and since he directed it, there were many things I felt could have been done differently.
2) The Punisher - Gruesomely violent (a no-watch for my dear colein), but a really good movie. Reminds me of the movie where Steven Seigal wakes from the coma to avenge his family's death.
3) Match Point - This one threw me for a loop and I found it more disturbing than anything else. The plot is definitely unexpected, and I can't say it stunk b/c even with the opera and British accents, kj said it wasn't that bad. Just demented in my opinion...

lots of lovin!

Fun pants Friday!

Okay, this may be a rather long and random post, but seriously I had a million things happen yesterday that I wanted to blog about. So here goes:

It must be love that keeps us two nuts together. I told Colleen that I've started repeating "I can't change you, but I can change me" to myself when I start to wonder "Who is this man I've married"! These instances happened just yesterday:
1) While lying on the couch with my eyes open staring at the tv, kj comes in and changes to the NFL station just as they're about to do the reveal on HGTV. Reason: He thought I was sleep. (My eyes were WIDE open fixated on the tv!!!)
2) A few mornings lately, I accidentally use up just enough hot water to leave him with about a good 2 min of lukewarm before it's freezing. Reason: I'm just selfish... just kidding! I really do get overly excited about waking myself and steaming up the bathroom so that it's not cold when I get out the shower.
3) Just this morn I accidentally put a powdered handprint on his freshly ironed black t-shirt. Apparently it doesn't brush right off... Reason: It was an accident!

This weekend we're going to a ball. Yep, I love getting dressed up and my husband, in the spirit of loving me, finds these random occasions for us to do so. This is an Alpha ball raising money for some scholarship thing (Can you tell the specifics aren't important to me? Any reason for glitter and sequins and I'm in). Well I went to the consignment shop and found a dress for $40. Oh yeah, it came home with me... despite the little fact that it laces down in the back and where the zipper meets the lace, well, I can't quite get it to close all the way. So I thought this week I'd just eat a little less and exercise my butt off (literally). The plan was a no go. I've only been to the gym once so far (unless I squeeze in a step class tomorrow morn) and last night for example, I had fried chicken and guacamole with sun chips. Yumm, but not good for my ultimate objective. I'll let you know Monday how it turned out... Fingers crossed.


I found an inspiration piece for the guest bath. I knew I wanted to paint the shower curtain, but couldn't figure out with what. Well, tah dah I'm going with an Indian them (Middle Eastern not Native American)! Liz, recognize this sconce? :-D


In my creative revelations last night I stumbled upon and art project while "cleaning" the office. This is a project in the works that I'm going to give to my sister (Brit don't look!), but I think it's got such potential, that I almost wished I hadn't called her to tell her I was sending her a surprise b/c when it's done I may want to keep it... Mom always said to give the gifts that you want to keep for yourself, but I've told Brit if she doesn't like it, she is to SEND IT BACK to me. Colein, recognize the frame? HA! Im going to paint the matte black (b/c that's cheaper than buying a new one) and run with it.


Okay and because this post is wayyyy long I'll finish with my Fun Pants that Liz gave me when I went to visit. I love that I'm grown enough to wear white without getting it dirty and these make me feel like I could jump out a plane and soar for a sec before ultimately crashing down to my demise...


Happy "Fun Pants" Friday!!!

Umm... why

do they put black jellybeans in the bag with the fruity. I've pretty much determined that this is the great divider of people. Those who like black jellybeans and those who don't. They give the licorice lovers a bag of nothing but little black beans for their consumption pleasure, but for us fruity lovers, we must endure the occassional, "accidentally popped in some nastiness with the handful of fruity goodness" that comes if you a)eat them by the fist full as I'm trying to stop doing, or b) mistake them for the dk brown "chocolate flavored" ones.

also... why: do dogs not look when you're sitting at the light behind them trying to take their picture? These were some big dogs and could have easily been mistaken for cattle in my opinion...



lastly...why: do I have the following creatures lurking outside my window at work? Really! If this isn't an unsafe working environment, I don't know what is! (my coworker took these pics while I stood squirming on the "safe" side of the window) FL gotta love it! This is not going on my list...





Happy Thursday all!

Yes, another project

So I'm very excited that my parents are coming to visit us this weekend. This will be the first time that they've jumped across the state line to see us in our territory. :-) Knowing this I decided it best to finish up a few things left undone and of course to create another project so that the "in the works" category didn't get too low... So I've crowned our guest room completely. Really KJ and I crowned it, which I must say went really well. I'm more of the home project person in this marriage while he sits off to only come view the final result and render it a thumbs up or thumbs down. I guess on Sat he could hear that there was more sawing and hammering going on than necessary (turns out measurements are NOT my thing...), and he came to lend his wife a hand before she cut off her thumb (the little miter box and saw from lowes can be lethal)! Anyway, the guest room has been tackled with only the accessory shopping remaining and the guest bathroom, well, we started the crown moulding process in there, but ran into an angle that's got the best of us for the moment, so it's on pause.

The new project is the office. I've got some cleaning to do before the paint brushes come out. It looks like the closet in there had a rough night and was unable to hold it's contents. ;-)

So I hope all is well with everyone. If anyone is even reading this... :-D

Finding the lost

Liz, where's MY liz claiborne classics cd???? I know you have it. last time i heard it you played it at penny's shower at your mom's house (like i wouldn't recognize MY cd). just this very instant I thought of it. As the thunder rumbles and the rain poors down (this is a big afternoon thunder storm!) I thought how nice it would be to be curled up on the couch taking a nap or reading a great book listening to some laid back LIZ CLAIBORNE CLASSICS... but alas... I befriended a cd thief and didn't even know it. Don't deny it. I don't want to have to bring up evidence A) Pink and evidence B) City High.
Love you girl, despite your sticky cd fingers! :-D

Hello hello to anyone else who may have popped in to check on me today! I hope to be more interesting tomorrow, but for today, I'm on a small "locate my prized possessions" mission. ;-)

lots of lovin!

My niche

A photographer, I am not... but if I were, I think I've discovered my niche.
Driving Photos! Yes, I know it sounds a little dangerous, but I believe that's some of why I like it. It's sooo not dangerous at all. I just hold my camera and snap away (never taking my eyes off the road) and get the biggest kick out of the pics I get by chance. Yep, I believe this is what's going to put me on the map. ;-)
Reason #5 of Why Florida's Not Sooooo Bad
Traffic that lets you take Driving Photos!
This is a definite no-no, do-not-attempt for all my friends. :-D

Anywho. Tricey these first first two are for you! Going over the bridge the other day, I noticed the red car ahead of me had an AK license plate... But it wasn't you :-(
So I wanted to show you the water that you keep talking about. Love you girl!

The last pic is just proof for Reason #4. Yep, that's a storm a brewing...

Happy Thursday!

I haven't forgotten...

Reason #4 Why Florida's Not Sooooo Bad
Late afternoon 10 minute Rain Storms
You know how much I love rain and lately we've had a rainstorm (thunder, sometimes lightening, the works) everyday in the mid afternoon. I couldn't be happier. There's no sprinkling in FL. Just full out, the-bottom-fell-out-of-the- clouds rain.
Happy Sigh.

Benzes for Everyone!

Congrats Lisa!!!! I just couldn't keep it to myself! Lisa was just offered the internship at Mercedes Benz! This is such a BLESSING b/c this will give her the experience to accompany the (2nd) degree that she's working on! I'm sooo proud of her! Plus I love these reminders of how awesome God is and how if you just let him, he'll work wonders in you life!

So here's to My Lisa and the great news and inspiration she gave me early this Wednesday morning! ~i will take a gold or silver one please... are driving gloves necessary...hummm....~

Love you tons girlie!

Happy August!

Can't believe the "summer" is over. I'm not in school and I don't have any little ones in school, but I pass by several schools on my way into work and it means a longer commute for me. So bye bye days of leaving at 7:30 to make it to work by 8:05... (40 minutes flies by when you put your petal to the metal...) I already know that I'll need to give myself and additional 15 minutes for bumper to bumper school buses and carpools. Sigh...
Happy August everyone! Here are a few interesting August month facts:

• Sandwich Month (whooo-whooo love a good turkey salami with miracle whip)
• Foot Health Month (take care of those tootsies...)
• National Catfish Month (everyone should go to Cracker Barrell, home of the best fried catfish)
• Romance Awareness Month (ohhh-laaa-laaa - gonna definitely make sure this is observed.)
• National Water Quality Month (started to have water tested yesterday. long story. not a happy ending)
• 1st week- International Human Exchange Week (don't understand this. let's not exchange humans okay!)
• 1st week- International Clown Week (there's a clown that sells hot boiled peanuts on my way home. seriously)
• 2nd week- National Smile Week (shouldn't we observe this all year?)
• 2nd week- Don't Wait-Celebrate! Week! (to recognize small accomplishments) (I don't know who came up with this, but I LOVE it)
• 2nd Sunday- Family Day, Daughter's Day (Hats off to all us girl children!)
• 1- National Hobo Day (there's a highschool near here whose mascot is the hobo. really...)
• 5- National Mustard Day (spicy or just plain yellow, let your mustard flags fly high)
• 6- Friendship Day (Happy early Friendship day! So they make cards for this???)
• 9- Family Reunion Day (the cooper clan beat them to the punch.)
• 19- National Aviation Day (i think all of us who have flown before should take the day off work in observation...)
• 26- Women's Equality Day (we are equal for the most part aren't we??? hehehe)

Happy Tuesday! (Here's proof of the clown with the hot boiled peanuts...)