I'm going...

to see a movie BY MYSELF this weekend. I'm going to the crappy local theater (that KJ refuses to step foot near) sometime on Sat to see Knocked-Up (probably an extreme girl-movie that again, my husband will probably not step foot near. We can rent them, but asking him to commit to a theater seat that he's paid $83 {you all know like I do that the movies are waaayyyy over-price} for and no promise of action but the threat of a birth scene...yeah, not happening.). I'm considering it an adventure. It's been a minute since I went to the movies by myself. In fact if I think back, I don't know if I ever have, I think so, but maybe my intent to do so was so strong it overtook my memory...

Anywho, I tried to think of someone I know here that may want to go on my little outing with me. Ummm, the girl from the gym who gave me her number (twice) who I never called and haven't seen in months (still trying to cancel that membership...), if I could remember her name or find her number... maybe. Ummm, my neighbor who has 3 kids under the age of 5 and whose husband has been away for 2 weeks and is returning this weekend....she's probably going to be busy. Ummm, 65 yr old Ms. Mary who lives at the end of the street and is really friendly, who before we went out of town told me she wasn't feeling well and I still haven't made it 4 houses over 5 days later to check on her...don't know if this movie will be her thing (but if Menopause ever comes to town, she's my girl). And just for the record: I'm going to check on her tonight. There is the girl at the corner of our subdivision whom I'm obsessed with her home improvement efforts (she's doing amazing things in her yard and I confess: last night she left her front door open and I drove by 3 times to see what she's putting up to coordinate with her lovely living room wall color...), but it'd be hard to introduce myself without seeming psycho... So I resolved that I'm going by myself. I like me, and know that I'll be great company at the movie. Plus, I never hog all the popcorn... ;-)

Happy Thursday

Having to Share...

I teach Sunday School and Wednesday night class to the children at church. I've got the 8yr - high school group (seems like a broad range, but our church is small, so max I've ever had in class is around 9 students and most are between 3rd grade and 8th, and my younger ones are brilliant so I teach lessons on a higher level so not to bore the older ones), and I LOVE my class. The kids are kids. They're my kids. They have their good days where they're attentive and clue in to the lesson's theme immediately and their bad days when they don't want to pay attention and they gripe if I give gum instead of lollipops as rewards (to which they know I will take away the "prize" because a blessing is a blessing and should we complain if God gives us one thing when we thought we wanted another...). Anyway, I came to this church when they only had 2 youth workers/teachers (one recently moved to another city, so we're back to 2) and they had been there for a while and were eager to let me join the teaching squad so that we could rotate and no one would be burnt-out. Great!

Now here's the having to share part... Recently a new member has joined our church and expressed interest in teaching. So last night the other youth worker called me and said, "Sis. G wants to teach, so I thought that you and she could rotate with your class. That way you won't get tired or burnt out." Pause. I'm not tired, I'm not burnt out. I'm on a roll and I HATE rotating because we all have different teaching styles and I feel like I sometimes have to reprogram my class when it's my turn again. In my heart I know that it's only fair that I let this other sister teach also because I know I appreciate the chance and avenue to serve in this fashion and who am I to deny it to another. I would not have wanted them to have done me that way, right? Right. So I asked the other youth worker if it might be okay if we just establish that I teach on Wed. and she gets Sun morning. Am I giving her the shorter end of the stick? Honestly... yes. There are more kids there on Wed. and b.c we travel so much on weekends I often have to have someone substitute. So I'm going to offer her Sun mornings. Is that wrong? Am I keeping the big piece of cake to only share the crumbs??? I'm a good teacher (I am. Not bragging really, I just love my kids and know how the whole youth worker thing goes b/c I've been doing it for so long.) and I don't feel it's fair to make me do all the adjusting when "it ain't broke". Sigh, I'll let you know how it goes. ;-) Maybe Sis. G could teach my class on Sun mornings and the Nursery class (2-5 students on average from the baby in church to the 7yr olds) on Wed nites (giving the other youth worker a "break"). That way she gets to familiarize herself with both groups! Yeah, both groups... I think I just discovered the positive spin on how I'm going to present the idea to her and the other youth worker. This solution still counts as sharing, right???

Happy Wednesday!

10 on Tuesday:

1) Some days my job is a challenge (good thing, I love the feeling of conquring) and some days it's just challenging (bad thing, my attitude towards Jim's stupidity constantly a battle). Lately it's been more challenging then a challenge. I think I need a sabbatical.

2) Last night I made a scrumptous salad with strawberries and sharp cheddar cheese (and lettuce, carrots, etc, but the berries and cheese were the highlights), only to realize that my raspberry vinaigrette dressing had gone bad. Confession: If Kj had not walked in and MADE me pour the bottle out, my plan was to pour all the white stuff out b/c the bottom of the bottle looked fine. We ended up finding a quick recipe for vinaigrette dressing and made my own. Really, you can't eat a salad with berries with any other kind of dressing...you thought about it and other options seem gross don't they... RECIPE HERE {just fyi}

3) Kj and I had a couple over on Sunday nite (they're getting ready to move to TX. of course. I find a friend and poof, they're gone...) and we played Spades. Here's the catch, KJ was my partner. We've NEVER played together and it threw me off. Hard to trash talk your husband when he's on your side. Plus it was hard to read his signs and I wasn't about to give him mine b/c when Liz and Jon come to visit there's a rematch to be had! (needless to say, we lost... I considered it a courteous going away present...)

4) It's FREE MUSIC TUESDAY on iTunes! Wait, I just checked to see what the free song was and I'm not enthused about gats and explict lyrics. ::sigh:: but the free discovery download is nice and I always get the latin free song so I guess 2 out of 3 isn't bad. Oh and just because I had to see if I was spelling gat (slang for gun) right, I found out that the slang term is derived from this {another fyi}

5) I read this blog daily: Amazing Trips and I think she's hilarious. Taking motherhood in stride. ;-) {Today's post is on the serious side, but go to the one underneath it for a good giggle}

6) Okay, I'm listening to the free song I just downloaded and it's soooo good. He's name is Till Bronner and the free download is A Distant Episode. Beautiful! This is another song of his. See how soothing... I think I may buy the cd...{umm, yep, bought the cd via iTunes and I'm LOVIN' it}


7) I want to read this book. Baby Love I'm torn between returning to my local library that gives you 3 days to check out, read, and return a book (okay, probably a little more days then 3, but not many...) Mind you I owe them for my last overdue books that I never even got the chance to read... or, just buying it online and having it arrive in my mailbox. Does anyone know a cheap online bookstore?

8) My parents have finally closed on their new house. I'm really excited to see what items my mom decided to let go of after 30+ years of "collecting"

9) My coworker, Tina, went to Hawaii and brought me back this:

It's a good luck tiki man and it makes me giggle. I love that its hands are on its hips like, "I dare you to not feel lucky" I've also decided that if needed, it's the perfect weight to peg the aforementioned dept head in the back of the head when said stupiditity reaches its maximum. ;-) Talk about luck, hehehe

10) It's taken me way too long to do this 10 on Tuesday, but it's made me smile. Forget work, I'm grabbing on to little morsels of happiness however I can get um!

Happy Tuesday!!!

Weekend Adventure (wrap-up)

Shea is the wife of Kj's old college room-mate, Rance, and I believe that they're the couple that holds the record for having known/done things with us "as a couple" for the longest. Kj and I hung out with Rance and Shea when we were just dating (first time around). I went to Shea's wedding when I didn't even really know her, unaware that she'd be a constant presence in my life. hehehe And during the time when Kj and I had broke up, it was Shea who proclaimed, "I'm so glad you're back!" when we started dating again.I'm not hesitant to say that with Kj, no one else compared when it came to being his better half. She confirmed it for me. ;-)

Anywho, we decided we needed a "Ladies Day" so we headed up to Montgomery in search of an adventure... and that's exactly what we had.
We had plans to eat at the Montgomery Brewery Co, ride the lunch trolley to see the downtown sites, then head over to the Alabama Shakespeare Festival to catch a play. Perfect plan... until we got to Montgomery. We get to the restaurant and it's closed (what?!?!), apparently it doesn't open til 4 on Sat. Then we go to catch the lunch trolley to just go to another restaurant, but low and behold we can't seem to catch the trolley for the life of us (we waited at the Biscuits {the Mont. baseball team...don't ask...) ticket office...taking refuge in their shade... for about an hour when finally a trolly comes around), apparently, the lunch trolley only runs during the week b/c all the restaurants downtown are closed on the weekends, but our "trolley man" kindly suggested a local hotdog place. (You all know I love my hotdogs!). So we get to the hotdog place and when we walk in the man says, "You all want to eat here??? Ummmm, we should have turned around then, but we were starving so we braved it past the front door. Hole in the wall does not begin to describe our little eatery. I told Shea that it reminded me of being in the back of someone's great-grandmother's house, where everything smells old, and it looks old, and there's a thin layer of dust over most things, and a thick layer over a few things, but you feel like it would be insulting to just leave, so you sit... and order... and act-like you're eating (Shea pinched off pieces of her hamburger to create the illusion of eating, but I scarfed down my hotdog...an 85 rating has never scared me away... SHAME...). ;-) Yep, 15 minutes later we were back on our trolley and my stomach was gurgling (no worries, a few watermelon gummies set it straight). We seriously could only laugh, so far the day was not going as planned, but we were having fun. We got to the theater about 45 minutes before our play Menopause the Musical started. Just enough time to converse with the crowd of 60 -80 year old women in the restroom, get to our seats, and count the 23 men whose wives had dragged them to see a play about The Change. hehehe

We had a good time. By the time we got home we were exhausted, but we learned that 1) with or without our husbands, Shea and I can have a great time 2)downtown Montgomery dies around 5:00 Friday, only to come back to life on Monday and 3) a crowd of around 125, 50 -80 year old women may think it's unladylike to show bare leg and not wear pantyhose, but will laugh hysterically and hoot and holler if a microphone is uses as a prop when singing "good vibrations". really.





Hope you all had a great weekend.

The things we say...

I've been waking up the past couple of mornings around 5 something and simply rolling over knowing that I had about 40 more min of zzz's to catch. This morning when I awoke at 5:30 I decided to walk around the neighborhood.


The weather was perfect, I'd guess around 60 something degrees and I had my iPod to keep me moving. This morning I discovered 4 things. 1) I love walking around the neighborhood. There are 3 streets in our subdivision and all incline (or decline depending on your direction) so I feel like it's a good "wake-up body" workout if I'm walking briskly. 2) Walking around the neighborhood gives me a chance to see what people have done to their houses/yards without seeming nosey. (took my camera so I could get pics of some yard ideas for Kj)
3) I should grab my cell phone and leave the camera. After my 20 min walk, I rounded the corner only to see my sleepy-eyed husband (he doesn't wake up til 7:00) standing in front of our garage looking for me. Apparently when I turned off the alarm system it woke him up and when he came to check and my car was still there (when it's gone he knows I've gone to the gym), he got a little worried. I don't know where I could have possibly have taken off to or what danger I could have been in, but it was sweet and besides feeling bad for not letting him know I was going so he could get his additional hour of sleep, I felt very loved.
4) It's been too long since I worked out b/c my legs were itching like crazy, which I know has something to do with circulation, but it makes me think that the cellulite and fat cells are bumping into each other. I may have to start walking with a loofah sponge. hehehe

So, on the way into work this morn on the radio they were talking about the funeral the NAACP is going to have for the n-word. Kudos! I was brought up to know that the word is hateful when spoken by ANYBODY and I'm glad to see society stepping up and stating the same. I believe this campaign is targeting more so the entertainment industry because music is the only aspect that I can think of where the word is used frequently without consequence or being reprimanded. It's not slang. It's not cute. It's not okay.
The radio dj had Sinbad {the comedian... I love his stuff} on the show and he said that he was actually at the comedy club when the Michael Richard's (Kramer from Seinfeld) incident happened. He made the statement that he believed it might have been the first time some of the younger generations have really heard the n word in all it's true nastiness and hate. Good point. I think so many times we become desensitized to things seen/or heard commonly that we "gloss over" how awful it really is.

Okay so the radio broadcast this morn, coupled with an article I read yesterday in which a mom tries to explain to her son why his peers say he's "acting white" made me think about things that are said and should not be said. Granted, I don't say the n-word and I'm very cautious of offensive racial generalizations and terms, (like Indian-giver. A friend of mine works for the Southern Poverty Law Center speaking across the country on promoting tolerance of different races/cultures and intolerance to slurs/ symbols/ negative actions and such. Anyway, B. pointed out to me that terms like Indian-giver are in fact offensive.) but I do/did have the tendency to say the word heifer when referring to a female that had got under my skin. Maybe not on the same level as the n word, but still offensive to females, right? Sometimes when you hear the very thing that you say come out of someone else's mouth, you hear how bad it sounds. Some friends and I were at an event where a group was singing and a woman behind us, knowing one of the girls in the group, yelled. "You better sing heifer!" Not in a mean way, but in a "you go girl" kind of way. Still sounded bad. So from that moment on, I made/make a conscious effort to not use the term unless I'm actually referring to cattle. (I've have adopted Cindy's term chic {pronounced chick} like "You better watch it chic." or "Okay now, chic" when a lady's overstepping her bounds)

Soooo, what brought all this on... just that radio broadcast and a 45 min drive to work to think how just like a good sermon in church, it may not hit you directly, but indirectly you can find pieces of yourself to always work on. This morning I woke up with the intent to work on this ole body. I've also decided to include working on this ole mouth (the things that come out of it) and this ole attitude (I shouldn't let people affect how I present myself, my demeanor...). Yep, always room for improvement.

Happy Thursday!!

Remember when...

So I'm toughing it out and trying to meet a package deadline that I've been procrastinating on for a bit here at work. This morn I came, turned on my iTunes and got Billy Jean by Michael Jackson going (to set the work pace) and it hits me that this song is part of my childhood memories. I used to loooovvvveee Michael Jackson (still do love the old Michael, not the new...). That man could make some music. My dad bought me this record:


so that I could play it on my own record player and dance like a maniac in my room, and my mom gave me a Michael Jackson button to wear (we all used to wear buttons, it was the 80s, hehehe). Couldn't find an image of the button, but this type of button, just to jog your memory...


Anywhy, this post is not about Michael, but about childhood memories. Kj and I have this discussion quite often about how he can remember something that happened when he was 2 years old (he really can), but how my earliest memory may be from when I was 5 and then up until about 10, it's pretty sketchy. Shameful b/c I know that I should have some good memories in there when I look at old pictures, but I guess my mind choose what to hold on to and what to let go of. So, this morn as I was getting into "work" mode with Billy Jean blaring, I had a flash back of: dancing (a fast running in place type thing with arms flying) in purple sweat pants (mom says I didn't like jeans b/c they "felt funny on my legs"...I was an odd child), and a white t-shirt, in a little space by my bed until I was sweating and out of breath only to collapse on my bed and think, I love Michael Jackson. I was about 5 years old. I also thought Michael was saying that "the Jed is not my son" which is how I still sing the song. Such a good memory! It made me smile (22 years later), and then I ate my Frosted Flakes with strawberries and drank the milk from the bowl like my father showed me many years ago. hehehe That's another memory for another post. So here's to childhood memories. It's good to let your mind go back to a time before work and bills, don't you think? ;-)

Happy Wednesday!

10 on Tuesday:

1) Tried to cancel gym membership, but I'm under contract til 8/08 and they haven't added any classes for after 6, so the program still stinks and I'm doomed to the elliptical machine for $25 a month.

2) Made spinach and ricotta tortellini with a creamy butter garlic shrimp sauce and the meal was completely experimental (no measuring, no recipe, just a spice cabinet and lots of tasting) except for the tortellini, which unfortunately wasn't that good (trying new things... this one was a dud, but the sauce was a keeper. Can't go wrong with garlic and butter!)

3) Had to move my topiaries to the front door b/c the wind keeps blowing them over (and I've even put bricks in the planter). Kj thinks they look better there. I'm not convinced...

4) I thought my office mate was over there pooting, but it's just him scrapping something across his desk... I think...

5) Watched Norbit last night and it wasn't as horrible as we expected. Don't get me wrong, it wasn't good, just not as horrible.

6) My drive to get things done seems to be a "home" thing b/c here at work I'm tip-toeing all around the little deadlines I need to meet. sheesh!

7) When you make a conscious effort to try and save up some money, you begin to wonder more oft then not, "Where is my money going???" I'm seriously not seeing it.

8) It's been raining a lot here lately, only downfall is that it rains while I'm at work and by the time I get off it's still hot and muggy.

9) Yesterday I checked everyone's blog about 25 times apiece. Please post! I'm avoiding work people! hehehe

10) Is it really only Tuesday?!?! I was pretty sure my calendar was broken. hehehe

Happy (almost done with the work day) Tuesday all!

"Get it done" mode

This weekend was eventful. Really started checking some things off the wayyyy too long "To-Do" list. Okay, honestly I checked off 3 things (sent an invoice and sent 2 people their final logos for review), but those 3 things felt soooo good. But here's the stinky part about a "To-Do" list, just as soon as something's checked off, something else has the nerve to jump on board. ;-)
So this morn this is what I googled b/c it's an unchecked box on my list:


That's right. 10 Year Class Reunion!!!! I know I know, very few people get excited when they think back to those high school years, but I've never been with the norm. High school was a fantastic time to me! Not that, "I'm stuck in the 1994-98s and I don't want to move forward" kind of weirdness, but the, high school wasn't so bad and I have some great memories and a few growing pain recollections (a certain someone wanting to fight me in the hall for liking her ex-boyfriend and making fun of my sneakers {I'm sure I wasn't the only person who wore nothing but gleaming white keds and considered them to be perfect for any athletic activity}... oh C. Warren, I haven't forgotten... forgiven, but not forgotten...) that I look forward to rehashing with the AHS Class of '98.
So, as class pres, hehehe, I'm going to get the ball rolling. I've got my trusty internet see this list, my old high school phone number, and a few other 98ers who check this blog and have therefore been recruited to help me spread the word (yes, I'm calling you out: Colleen, Klancy, Candi, Monica, Lauren, Kendi... and any lurkers who think I don't know you're there...hehe). So get ready. I'm in a "get it done" mood and this is high up on my list. I wonder if this can be attacked like planning a wedding... Any words of wisdom out there???

Happy Monday all!

****Ahhh-hhaaaa: Called the school, no help pretty much said it's all on the person planning the reunion. Then I went back to my trusty internet and found the AHS Alumni. Just google the school and the city and you'll see the school webpage. Then click on the Alumni link on the left. This is going to be my saving grace, I believe. So log on and put your info in and pass the site to others please. Colleen and Klancy, you're up there already, but only 23 out of our graduating 200 something are registered. I may also have to resort to myspace... ::sigh::*****

Watcha watching?

Okay so I don't have a ton of tv shows that I watch. Pretty much it's just:
1) Girlfriends
2) One Tree Hill
3) Grey's Anatomy
4) America's Next Top Model
5) Lost

Those are the one's that I'm almost sick if I miss an episode (esp. Grey's. Thank goodness for the online full episode thing. And what do you all think about Burke {Isiah Washington} being taken off the show????)

Anyway since my regulars are all finished with new episodes for the season, I'm branching out and seeing what some other shows are about. The 2 new ones I'm testing are: Army Wives and House of Payne.
Let's start with Army Wives. I like it. It's a little dramatic, but it's Lifetime. I'm happy with the story line and anxious to see what goes on with the characters. Have you seen it?

Ummm, House of Payne... Was anyone else thinking that those first two episodes would be the last?
I'm sorry, but they just weren't good. Not funny. Not like a sitcom, but a rushed play. So this week we gave it another try. I watched the 3rd one (still not funny and I think Allen Payne may be getting on my nerves...) and fell asleep on the 4th (b/c you know right now they're doing those back to back episodes). Kj promises that the 4th got a little better, I'll have to rewatch it and see.

So for now I'm recommending Army Wives, but I may be pulling the plug on House of Payne (sorry Tyler Perry.) Do you have any shows that you watch that I should get in on (if not then it's Army Wives and reruns of the above that will fill my lovely DVR Thursdays. I tape all my shows and watch them on Thurs nite when KJ gets his hair cut so that I'm not swayed by his that doesn't make sense, what's wrong with her, that's not realistic, sarcasm...he's such a boy... hehehe)?

Happy Friday! Have a wonderful weekend!

I had a hunch

yesterday was going to be crazy. (see Wednesday's post, last part if don't want to read the whole...awww...)

So about a month ago, one of my co-workers was telling me about the practical jokes they used to play in to office. Moving all the furniture out of someone's office, having them arrested at work, placing signs detailing "fake" embarrassing medical conditions in the bathrooms of the opposite sex of those on the end of the joke... yep, they were some pranksters. Evidently, they've been in retirement, but like so many before them (Jordon, JayZ.. um that's all I can think of right now who's retired and then come back...) they decided to get back into it yesterday and thought I'd be the perfect candidate.

So preface: Whenever the sales guys come into the office (they live in different states) they always ask if I'm pregnant yet. I'm the ONLY person in the office young (under 40) and married. There's a few singletons, but they don't bug them about marriage near like they do me about kids. Hellooo, I work in the juvenile industry and they probably just want me to birth a kid so we can have a new model for our packages. hehehe So you may see where this is headed...

Yesterday before lunch people started coming by the office and sending me emails saying Congrats! What's your due date? Girl or Boy? EVERYONE in the office, president and all (our company is not huge). So I finally figure out that one of my dear coworkers in cahoots with the sales guys went to our receptionist and had her send this out to everyone (but me) in the office yesterday:


Are you serious??? LOL! They got me. Perfect set-up and I was bombarded by people who wanted to come see if I had started to show. hehehe

So anyway, by the time I left work yesterday my jaws hurt from laughing so hard and I had come up with about a million ways to say I'M NOT PREGNANT.

Today I'm wearing a bikini top and daisy dukes while holding my stomach in and parading around the office... just incase there's any left over doubt... hehehe

Having a song on your heart ;-)

I woke up this morning with a song in my head. This song to be exact:


It's my current car-dancing fav. Immediately I wish that I could gyrate my hips like the girls in the caribbean, but alas, I've changed my ways and don't dance like that in public anymore (hehehe) and my hips have NEVER been that limber. But oh, in the car... I'm getting it!
Anywho, I saw this on another blog the other day and decided how appropriate for my "Day of Song". The idea is that you go to your iPod (Klancy, your new Zune is perfect if you choose to play along), hit shuffle or random and then answer the questions below with the songs that appear in the play list. Easy enough. Let's see what I get...

How does the world see you?
Beautiful Disaster - Jon McLaughlin (Grey's Anatomy soundtrack)
Hummm, don't know if I'm flattered or offended. ;-) I guess I am a bit of a spaz, but disaster seems a bit harsh don't you think?

Will I have a happy life?"
My My My - Johnny Gill
MY life Johnny...will it be happy? sheesh, it's not always about you...

What do my friends really think of me?
The Guide - Borne
LOL! Some, I may lead, but for the most part I think we're walking side by side in life's journey.

How can I make myself happy?
Spanish Harlem - Ben E. King
I've always said I wanted to be fluent in Spanish... apparently not only do I need to be fluent, I need to teach it in Harlem... now that's a far cry from Bham so I don't know if that's going to equal happy oh wise iPod...

What should I do with my life?
Shawty Roc - Southern Style Dj's
Oh, you ain't said nothing but a word. I wonder if "rockin it out" is office appropriate?

Will I ever have children?
Back To My Roots- Lucky Dube & The Slaves
Ummm, little iPod, are you talking about when I was younger and wanted 5 girls so I could name them all after flowers??? Sorry, I don't think Kj's going to have that.

What is some good advice for me?
I Me You I'm Your - Jim Noir
Spit it out already! What's my advice?!?!?!

How will I be remembered?
All I Want - Toad The Wet Sprocket
Well, I guess that is true. I do really want to be remembered, but to say that's all I want is a bit understated...

What is my signature dancing song?
Smooth Criminal - Michael Jackson
Now you're talking! Someone please pass me my sparkly glove and black loafers!

What do I think my current theme song is?
Where Is Your Heart - Kelly Clarkson
Well, it's with Kj of course... should he be singing my theme song?!? That could be a loaded gun that I don't need to hand over... no telling what I'd get... ;-)

What does everyone else think my current theme song is?
Suga Mama - Beyoncé
Hehehe - I'm flattered that you all think I've got it like that.

What song will play at my funeral?
Ain't No Other Man - Christina Aguilera
True, I don't want that day to be sad, but this kind of rocking might have people talking...

What is my day going to be like?
Carnival Town - Norah Jones
Yep, had a feeling I was in for a wild ride today... it's only 9:30 so I'll have to keep you all posted. ;-)

Happy Wednesday everyone!

When

As I go further and further into adulthood, I realize that somewhere along the way the questions changed from Why? to When? Has anyone else noticed that?

• When do I support a friend thru a decision I don't agree with {just b/c I'm the friend and I'm sure they've given themselves enough grief already}? *** I started to remove this one b/c it's flagged some alarm in my girls. Then I thought, let me just explain... simply, I believe I worded this wrong. I'm the positive friend. Always have been, always will be. I'm honest, but I'm kind. I take pride in that. I WILL NOT SHOOT YOU DOWN. It's not in me. In the past, present and future, my girls and I have been on some rollercoasers in our day. I've had situations where all you can say is "What the crap!" and so have they. This morning I woke up and started wondering when, or if I'd ever spout off the first thing in my mind when things come up. I pray not! Slow to speak, slow to anger right. If I'm nothing else I'm understanding. I don't ever say, "I don't know how that could have happened," because quite frankly we don't know what we'll do in a situation until we're in it right? So the a-fore mentioned is not about anyone/thing specific. And I already know the answer to the "when?". Answer: Always. I will ALWAYS support my friends. I support the people that they are. Not always the decisions, not always the situations, not always the circumstances, but the people. I'm friends with fantastic people and through years of sifting the good ones stuck ;-) and we're all different, we handle things differently. Do I always agree? NOPE. Do they always agree with me? NOPE. But I voice my concerns in a kind and honest manner. I believe that's what has come to be expected from me and I like it that way. {Don't get me wrong, we've had our fair share of fussing}. Sooooo, no need to fret. This was something that seriously just popped in my mind this morn and as I was driving. Just a thought. Again, should have probably worded it differently, but was trying to post before jumping into the work pile.**** I'm okay everyone. Please return to the regularly scheduled post. hehehe*****
• When do I stop calling my last residence home {and focus on where God has placed me now}?
• When do I increase my investments {and decrease my general spending}?
• When do I stop comparing my old church family to my new {and really embrace loving my new like my old}?
• When do I decide to bring a baby in the world {and accept the responsibility of raising him/her to be a better person then I am}?
• When do I stop supporting {those who don't have the know how or desire to start supporting themselves}?
• When do I seek better opportunities {or do I realize that I'm in the best opportunity}?
• When do I give a personal experience to show I can relate {and when do I just listen, keep my business to myself and just nod agreement}?
• When do I call {when do I email}?
• When do I smile when I want to cry {when do I go ahead and cry}?

I think a lot of this was triggered by my recent decision to retire. When to let something go... This post kind of sounds sad, but I promise it's not! These are just a few that crossed my mind this morning. Some are things I've dealt with, some are things I'm dealing with.
The more I trust in God and give things over completely, the less I ask Why? That's a blessing. I'm not worried about the why's because I know they'll be revealed in time. It's the when's that get me. When to move and when to just sit still. The most pressing 'when' on my mind this morning??

• When do you cancel a gym membership? Seriously, if you haven't been in months AND the $25 could easily be contributed to something else AND the thought of waking up at 5am makes you sick to your stomach AND they don't even offer classes that you like so all you do is tough it out on the elliptical... then isn't it time? You can be straight with me... ;-)

I'm done.

That's right. I'm officially retiring from the freelance game. Hanging up my hat. Letting the fat lady belt it out. Throwing up my two fingers and screaming "Peace Out!" Been tinkering with the idea for a moment, but when I said it out loud this morning, it felt good. It feels right. I'm just tired, you know? I sit in front of a computer for 8 (sometimes 8+ hours) at work and when I get home it's around 6pm. From 6pm to around 10pm I do the cook, clean home, spend time with husband, thing and then I'm sleep. (Really I probably do all of that within the first 2 hours of being home to be sleep by 8pm hehehe) I'm getting to the point that I resent my computer and the work I used to enjoy so much. Never wanted to be bitter with the career that I love, so I'm going to get, while the getting is still good. Toodles freelance, I've got a million other things that I really NEED to get done. So I'm determined to knock out some long overdue and some "just come up" jobs by the end of next month (7/31/07 people!!!) and then my home laptop will be used for random internet googling only. Yep. And typing this up and posting it makes me feel all the more human and less hostile about the projects that I have at hand. There is an end, and I WILL meet it. {If you're reading this and currently I have something on my plate that is long overdue for you, I'm not going to lie, it would be wise to email me, but don't call. I'm lining up my targets in order of date needed, date job received, and whatever other cryptic method of organization I can muster up, and I'm picking them off one by one. If you email, I can put an end to your "why the crap is she taking so long" misery and give you an ETA (estimated target (or project) assassination). I promise I haven't forgotten, I'm just procrastinating the mess out of it... sorry....

On a happier front. Or really does it get any happier than announcing RETIREMENT? Anyway, I had a small goal of obtaining some topiaries for the front of our house. I consider it my contribution to my husband's yard (fore I am not a yard-work kind of girl and refuse to touch a mower. The yard is Kj's creative canvas like the inside of the house is supposed to be mine {sans the new "I'm not sure how that's going to look/work/go" creative interior design voice that has been developed by an unnamed member of this family unit of two}. So if you dip your paint brush and mark on my canvas, it's only fair that I can do the same to yours right? Okay, back to my topiaries. Well, I wanted the spiral ones like these:



but the cost is ridiculous! I also want them to be artificial as my green thumb well... because of its past performance the color is in question... so, I decided I'd make them. Brilliant, right?! So Saturday morn (when I should have been doing some freelance, but I digress...) I set off to Old Time Pottery in search of cheap greenery and some planters. Absolutely no luck on the greenery and the planters I picked up, well, I was pretty sure that they were going to have to go back (so sure that I had the cashier tape the receipt to the box). I was feeling kind of low and decided to stop by Michael's Craft store on my way home. My last ditch attempt in the 183 degree heat (really) to complete my dream topiary project. Low and behold, I believe God thought I'd had enough because I walk into the store and I see that their topiaries are on SALE. 40% off. Then I spot 2 "ball" topiaries that I immediately decide will do just as well as the spiral. Whoooo-hoooo! 1 splinter, a few sprigs of moss in my hair (one was on a top shelf and yes, I disregarded the sign and climbed on my cart and the lower shelf to get MY topiary by MYSELF with no store assistance), and $60 later I was the proud owner of these:



Don't they just make the house look lovely. I think so. The planters even worked perfectly! And no one else in our sub-division has them! It might have something to do with living in FL and these things not even looking like they really belong in a heat-stroke hot, no dirt, but sand, palm tree infested habitat... but I could care less. They so bring out the AL in me. ;-) So for the rest of my time here in FL, should you come to visit, we're the house with the green ivy balls by the garage (at-least until the direct sunlight turns them turquoise... but the Michael's lady said I've got at-least a year before that happens...)!

Happy Monday!

Because my mom

reads my blog (but never comments online just over the phone hehehe), I'm going to try to do better with updating on my randomness.

Today I look like a sheriff's deputy. See:


Khaki and brown??? What was I thinking? Leaving the house I felt like some orange accessories would have made this outfit POP, but all who know me know that I don't own a single colorful fashionable accessory. Not one. How do I even dare to call myself artsy-fartsy...

My Co-worker friend Rae is on vaca this week in Costa Rica. I'm mourning her absence by eating in all week for lunch (plus lunch being $7 min not including tip in our little work city with no dining options...it will kill a budget which I'm trying to establish/stick to). The great part is that I've been watching tv on my computer, catching up on a few shows I don't normally get to watch like: All of Us. See... Full Episodes Here
oh yeah- I also discovered 2 of my mom's homemade egg-rolls in the freezer this morn and gladly brought them along to make the lunch hour "special" ;-)

This past weekend I went on a youth trip with my old bham group. I absolutely LOVEEEE these things. Those are MY kids, and boy are they growing up quick. My little girls are hitting that boy crazy stage (12.5 and yes I was constantly reminded of that .5 during the weekend, hehe) and I want to publicly apologize to every youth chaperone that ever went on a trip with me some 15 years ago. I believe I had it just as bad (if not worse) than they do... This group is special because they're family. Yep, good ole church family that won't let me go no matter how many hours away I am.





Update: from my neighbor's Tastefully Simple party I ordered $26 (shipping pushed me over my $20 budget) worth of goodies and met 1) Ms. Mary: an older woman in our neighborhood who's originally from Gadsden, AL so she says we've probably got some of the same kin-folk {didn't have the heart to tell her that my fam is originally from NC}. I've decided that she was nice enough to be my older caucasian 10th cousin or so... 2) Ashley: who's husband is in the coast guard and often away from home, so her and her daughter Ava "would love my company any time". Used to be a vet technician, but now I believe she just adopts stray animals that the neighborhood kids bring to her (her words not mine). 3)Christy: Former AU alum who walked the campus from 98-02 just like me! When she asked what school I graduated from, I got a little stumped (duh: Fine Arts!, but nobody EVER asks that. Generally my answer is Auburn and that's good enough), so when she told me what 'school' she graduated from I like a moron didn't quite listen and ended up saying, "Oh really, what field is that?" and she had said something like Economics (still don't remember). Anyway, point being my question was answered before I even asked it and she laughed it off with me and that equals "nice person" in my book.
Did meet some unfriendly people who kind of tooted up their noses (for reasons unbeknown to me), but I don't remember their names and they live at the end of the street, and frankly I never make it down that far.

That's a general wrap-up of what's going on this way.

Watched a couple of good dvds. Domestic Disturbance and Apocalypto if you need some recommendations.

Been cooking some interesting dishes: Monday: Pecan encrusted tilapia and and sweet potato casserole (hadn't made this since Thanksgiving...) Last Thursday: Mini english muffin pizzas. My oven and I are getting reacquainted.

Life's great. Oh yes and Kendi and Derrick (parents to my wonderful god-baby, baby S) are in town (or really the vicinity) so we're all going to hang out on Fri nite. Have I mentioned how much I love when people come visit??? hehehe maybe only a few million times huh?

Happy Wednesday!

What's been going on...

Hummm, life's been pretty good. Just came off of a much needed long weekend (come to think of it, isn't every weekend much needed??). My friend Tericka came to visit and we hit the beach on Sat. Seriously, I haven't been to the beach during the day in over a year and something (definitely not since I moved to FL which is ironic because I love the beach...). It was a perfect beach day. Breezy, warm, rolling waves, the whole bit and it was great to just be able to lay around and catch up with her. She's doing great things and I'm proud of the woman she's become since we were roommates in college. My how we've grown, hehehe. If I was thinking I should have pulled out some of those old photo albums, next time you come girl, next time. We were (and still are) some hot mommas. ;-)



Sunday my honey came home (he'd been MIA since Thurs, out of town for a cousin's graduation) and we took a moment to get caught up laughing and talking. 3 days felt like forever! Sometimes I'm amazed at the fact that we can sit and not say a thing and it's just as good as when the conversation can't stop flowing. That was the case as we sat eating a quick snack before going to see Pirates of the Caribbean. I guess we missed each other because I was a little sad when it was time to go into our movie because I felt like it was cutting our conversation short. Good thing I married him cause I know just where to find him when I need some intellectual rousing...or not (we have the most random conversations, often including debates on biddies, flying snakes, and if cows will bite...)

Soooo, Pirates was good. I would say great, but I don't really have a strong feeling like it blew my mind. It was a good "third" and most times the third version of a movie stinks. This one put to rest some of the previous plot cliff hangers and still managed to create one for a possible fourth. Johnny Depp's an excellent pirate, but I'm sure he would love some more roles (did anyone ever see Chocolat? He was a pirate in that too...), but then again, what do I know? Money's money and all of the movie showings were sold out on a Sunday afternoon/evening...

Mon was spent getting our house in order. KJ tackled the outside and I proceeded to wash and fold 83 loads of laundry. sheesh! But the house is clean and that's a good feeling.

Tonight my neighbor is hosting a tasting party for Tastefully Simple. It's kind of like Avon, only food and I'm excited about meeting some of the women in our neighborhood. I'm pretty sure that I'm on the outs because my husband's not military, because we have no children, and because I work. Still, if they'll have me (hehehe) I'd like to know more than just my neighbor Sarah b.c I actually like our little sub-division and if I run out of eggs and Sarah's not home then I'm screwed. I'll let you know how the party goes. You know I'm a food addict, so I'm going with a $20 budget that I refuse to go over.

I guess that's about it. Work is work. Not bad, so that's a blessing. Freelance stuff is still piling up and I need to start knocking it out so not to tarnish my name should I ever decide to "work for myself" again.

Speaking of work, let me get back to it. I came in with a "get it done" attitude and needless to say, it quickly waned.

Happy Thursday everyone (or atleast to the 4 people I know for sure haven't given up on me and are still reading this blog)! ;-)

Wife Extraordinaire

That's my mission.

We've been on the go sooo much lately that I'd just about forgotten how to work all major household appliances (ie. washer/dryer, stove, vacuum cleaner... you get the idea). Well all that ended yesterday as I went to Publix (we were out of juice and gatorade, staples in our household) and came home not only with dinner for the night (Salmon fillets stuffed with crabmeat... add a little butter and Old Bay seasoning, bake for 30 with a side of rice...yum!), but dinner for the rest of the week! I tried something new. After getting last night's dinner started, I did all the prep work for the meals for the rest of the week: Turkey legs -Tuesday; Jerk lamb - Wednesday and since KJ's out of town on Thurs and Fri, I'll probably eat ramen noodles the rest of the time. Hey people, I'm cooking to impress and remind my husband of one of the many reasons he married me, but I myself am a low maintenance eater and can get by on chips and salsa with no prob. ;-)

So that's the only thing I have to report about "getting back on the ball" with. Tonight I'm going to try and tackle some laundry so that we don't have to move to a nudist colony or start wearing our clothes inside out (that didn't come back in style did it???). I've also got my freelance stuff VERY organized in my mind. Now all I need are 2 more sets of hands, 3 more computers, 6 more hours added to the 24, and I'll be in the clear. ::sigh::

Ummm, let's end on a better note then my disorganization shall we?

Look at my babies!

Baby D is soooooo unbelievably studdly. His momma jumped right on in there like a pro, not a trace of newbie in her (and if there is, she hides it well). This is one love smothered child.



And here's little Miss S, my god-baby. She's grown up so much and finally she came to me and didn't want me to go (she's a huge Kj fan, but I've been bribing her with gifts of literature {this girl loves her books} on the sly, so I think I've pulled ahead of him in the running of her favorite). Oh yea, and me letting her "drive" has nothing to do with her unbiased love for me. hehehe




Such a good feeling these kiddos make ya have.

Happy Tuesday all!

Work for Some...Pleasure for Others

Last week Kj had a work thing out in Vegas and being the wonderful husband he is, he let me tag along. ;-)
We had a great time. I think I seriously saw every inch of the strip, plus a few side streets to boot. We went in all the major casinos and asked them what their "major attraction" was so that I could take a million pics of us doing goofy things. We really did walk until I felt like I'd walked my feet off and was using only the nubs they had become. hehehe
My mom, sister and aunt joined us for the last half of the trip (after about 2 days on my own while Kj was working, I'd already decided that Vegas is more fun in pairs. hehehe). We celebrated my bday, my aunt's bday, my mom's bday/mother's day and for good measure, my sister just being able to make the trip (she messed her knees up pretty bad in a car accident a month or so ago- don't worry we rented a wheelchair for her to be rolled around in). KJ survived all of the estrogen and we had a marvelous time (I may have already said that, but when I think back to it now, I remember A LOT of laughter and that constitutes mentioning a wonderful time twice, don't you think?). Here are a few of my favorite pics from the trip. If you've never been, then it's some where to definitely visit, just to see. Talk about eye candy...an arsty-fartsy person like me was in a "creative utopia"!










Happy Tuesday!

Okay Okay

so I've been a little MIA. hehehe

more details on that later, for now I'll just say Viva Las Vegas. ;-)

Today, my Colleen gave birth to a beautiful baby boy.



Dash Ian D.
9lbs 4oz.

Perfect size for his Aunt Roz who is normally a little shy about holding newborns (they just seem too fragile). I think Dash knew that would be an issue so he decided to skip the tiny baby stuff. Can't wait to hold him close...

Congrats Team Dixon (John and Colleen and Dash makes 3)!

This is what

27 looks like (please excuse our matri d's photography skills hehehe):



Yep, that's 27 in the ruby dress, second from the right. ;-)
Yesterday was my birthday and as you all know, I love birthdays (everyone's really, but especially mine). I love getting more grown. I love that God has given me a chance to add another year to my name. I'm Roz and I'm 27. Has a wonderful ring don't you think? hehehe

Work was great (yep, you read right). I just like pep to know it's my birthday, it's not about presents or anything, I think that on this one day out the year, pep actually will give you less grief, just because hey "It's your birthday", and I take full advantage of that. I was telling Liz that I wasn't going to really mention it to anyone, but on Wed nite my bible class of teenagers were acting all funny (like teenagers I guess, too cool to answer questions, too inconsiderate in general) and I stomped my foot down and said "Come on you guys! You know these answers and if for no other reason, you have to atleast try because tomorrow's my birthday and this would be the best gift you all could give!" Yep, they instantly straightened up. As mentioned: I'm not above using my birthday for leverage. ;-)

So anywho here's a brief list of things I pondered on the eve of my bday that made me so grateful to be 27
1) I'm married to a wonderful man and I love the story of how we got to where we are. It's unique, it's quirky, it's sooo very much KJ and Roz.
2) My family comes second to none. They are the best. I'm very blessed to have been born into my home and to have married into another one that is just full of good hearted people.
3) My friends are my family. Plain and simple. Along the 27 year path I've met amazing people and you all just won't let me go and I'm so grateful for that.
4) I have the body of a 27 year old. Lumpy in some places, firm in others, but it's in great working condition and that's a blessing (especially if you remember that I had a "car wreck" phase of life where seriously, me and cars didn't go well together...)
5) I have a career that I enjoy, a job that on more days than not I'm creating something, and coworkers who make me laugh daily. I've been in worse situations (ummm, does "Panty Prison" ring a bell), and I can appreciate where I am now.
6) In general I believe people consider me to be a good person and that makes my heart feel good.
7) My faith in God has grown tremendously as I've gotten older and that makes "Life Decisions" less scary. You can't put a value on that.
8) My opinion matters, my advice does not go unheard.
9) At 16 I was allowed to drive and date. At 18 I went to college and established my being on the foundation I started under my parents guidance. At 21 I partied, studied, and loved in a way that I can look back and be proud of and tell great stories of. At 23 I moved to a city of my own and made it home. At 25 I was engaged and married. And well, 27... so far it's falling right in suit with being phenomenal.
10) That by the time I hit 30, my life will be even more intricate than it is now and that process is exciting.

Hope you all had a wonderful May 3rd. Thanks for thinking of me. Like I said, I love my bday and I love that you all not only let me keep my childish giddy, but play along. ;-)

Oh yeah and before we went to dinner, I learned this lesson:
NEVER try ripping off the tag of your dress (little plastic piece) while talking. That's just too much in your mouth and you may very well accidently inhale the little end of the plastic piece. (KJ's pretty sure it's going to just "pass" I'm hoping it's not scratching up my intestines.) In the future, I'll just use scissors, or pause and finish my sentence after the tag is removed. ;-)

Lots of lovin!

Happy Friday!

Weekend Wrap-up

Yep that's me... in the bay... KAYAKING!
;-)
On Saturday KJ and I were judges for an event where local high school kids participate in several categories to earn scholarship money and finesse their presentation/performance skills. It's an NAACP thing. KJ's category was Physics, mine was Classical Vocal. This is my 2nd year judging, but his 5th and I looooovvveee it. Nope, don't really know a thing about Classical Vocal, but I've got ears and I always give positive support (watch your breathing, very your pitch, great range, etc) b/c I'm proud of the kids for just trying. Anywho, I'm always glad that I get a Performing Arts category b/c the Science stuff is so not up my alley.

Oh yeah, kayaking... So, a friend from work called and asked if I wanted to go kayaking. Kj was watching the draft at a friend's and I'm all for something new. So I put down my donut (hehehe), dug out a bathing suit, grabbed some sunscreen and headed over to the bay. I had such a good time! I don't know how "far" we went, but we were out there from 2 til almost 7. I was pretty sure my arms were going to fall off Sunday morn, but they're fine. Guess my upper body isn't as out of shape as I was expecting (the lower bod is a whole different story...). So while we were out paddling, I saw a ton of jelly fish, some dolphins, and a water moccasin. Yep, the last one wasn't really a surprise b/c it had been a week full of snakes. No pics of the snake, but I did get one of the jelly fish near the shore (pretty sure most if not all of these were dead, but it's still gross non the less).



When I was driving home, it occurred to me that this is when living in FL is really kind of fun. The weather was perfect and I think I'm a growing fan of water activities. I'll keep you posted...

Happy Monday

This week I've learned:

1) Having a snake in your company parking lot does not justify grounds to go home. (Monday)

2) I've adopted KJ's "no food must go to waste" policy, only I believe I'm a bit more efficient b/c expiration dates mean NOTHING to me. (I just finished off the tetrazzini I made him when he had his wisdom teeth out on the 30th... and yes, I'm fine...) :-)

3) A weekend spent with old friends reminds you how you became the person you are.

4) Liz and I are Taboo Queens. It's amazing to men when you can say 2 or three random words and the other person gets the clue with no problem... ( Clue: bad with birth control Answer: Antibiotics!!!) Yep, we killed em.

5) My weight may vary within the same "range" it's been in for the past few years, but my body SHAPE had definitely changed. Yep, less muscle, more fat = same weight range.

6) Colleen and John are going to be excellent parents. I always knew it, but when I saw her for her birthday, it smacked me in the face that they're going to be the COOL parents that you see in movies, or read about in other peoples blogs...

7) Having a snake in the company office (Wednesday), that's stepped on by an employee, only to be carted out and flung into the woods, also does not qualify as a means to go home. (No one was hurt, but as I was leaving last night and a huge toad blocked my exit for 7 min, I decided that I might really be in the amazon, not FL...)

8) My b-day's next Thurs, and somehow I've "thought" all around it. Knew it was coming up, hadn't realized that it's next week. YAYYYY for 27!!!!

9) Whataburger does NOT drop extra fries in the bottom of the bag for you like McDonald's. If you order a small, that's exactly what you get. (Which resulted in me having, fries, 2 donuts, a bag of gummies, a snack size of Pringles select chips {haven't found a flavor I don't like}, and tea for dinner. Yes, I realize that this contributes to the problem in #5, but it was a boy's nite for KJ and I had a horrible case of the munchies...)

10) Big Lots now has a section of Pier 1 items. I went in for gummies and lipstick (no lipstick resulted in 2 extra bags of gummies...) and came out with a mirror for the entrance way and 2 decorative pillows (for around $115, the mirror alone was originally $150 and my final price includes the gummies). LOVE a bargain!!!

Happy Friday! (did ya miss me?)

10 on Tuesday

1) The gala was good. Got to see a lot of old friends and meet their new spouses. A few are even about to become family units of three.
Here we all are striking our "prom" poses. ;-)



2) Auburn has changed a lot. My first home there The Village (on campus apartments) have been completely bulldozed. All that's left is a grassy knoll (whatever a knoll is...)

3) Jim does really weird/rude things when it comes to others lunches or lunch times. Remember when he called my snack mix cat food?? Well yesterday as he was interrupting lunch for the up-tenth million time he pointed (very closely) and waved his hand over my jello asking "What's this, ketchup (or something equally retarded)" and out of sheer shock and repulsion, I whipped my head around and said, "Please tell me that YOU did NOT almost just touch my food!" Yes, neck roll included. Besides that, we're doing fine. ;-)

4) Going to see my Liz this weekend. So therapeutic and if you couldn't tell from the above, I need it.

5) Very excited that I just learned of the Public Library in our area. Can't wait to go check it out hehehe excuse the pun. (Yes, I am that dorky)

6) Birthdays are on the horizon (Colein's, my cousin Tasha, my aunt Bettie's, mine, my mom's). I'll be 27 soon and I've got a running list of things I've started in my 26th year that I don't want to carry over to the 27th. Things like freelance projects and some long overdue organization.

7) I've been doing really good work here lately, but only my sales guy is telling me so... hehehe I'm not going to lie, I want to throw my head back and say "I TOLD YOU that I CAN DESIGN"

8) Painted fingernails the other day and decided I don't do that near enough. I used to have quite the nail polish fetish, that Liz so happily supplied and indulged in too.

9) Just FYI the fake apple juice that's like crystal light is no where near as good as regular apple juice, but if you're cutting back on sugar... I guess it will have to do. On the other hand I think I enjoy watered-down juice (like you'd do for children half water half juice) more... may revert back to that.

10) Last night I came home to dinner cooked (Mexican Spicy Pork Burritos), a clean kitchen and a candle-lit house. Funny that the clean kitchen gets just as big of a smile as the candle-light. hehehe ;-)

Happy Tuesday!

One Gala- Two Dresses

This weekend we're headed to AU for the Minority Engineering Program Anniversary. Yep, Kj's thing not mine. I don't think we even had a Minority Arts anything! hehehe I think us art students were pretty accepting of all b/c after all we're the odd balls of the campus (I can still remember going to my logic class COVERED in charcoal from drawing that morning... pep probably thought I was the nastiest girl {and mind you I wore coveralls and took baby wipes to help undo some of the damage} ...).
So there's going to be food (yea!!), a live band (whoo-hooo), dancing (yesss!) and a lot of old friends to catch up with! I'm pretty excited. Black folks at AU bonded and became family because there were only 3% of us there anyhow, so I'm anxious to see how and what everyone's been up to.
We're grown. It's been 5 years since I was a student. I can definitely feel life's changes.

So anyway, last night I hit the town looking for a semi-formal dress for the dinner and happened upon these TWO!
Love BCBG and they were having a sale so where as one dress alone was originally $350, I got both of these for around $100. I figure I'll find something to wear the other one to... shoot, Tericka emailed me an awesome restaurant nearby (that KJ is all game for trying... THX GIRL!), so I think I'll wear one to dinner one night. I don't need much of a reason to put on some sparkle.

Anywho, guess which one I'm wearing this weekend by popular vote (Mine's and Kj's)....
Happy Friday!

I'm Addicted...

to recipes! Seriously! I love cookbooks, cook magazines, random recipes. Just love um. Don't really use them enough, I'm more of a staple meal cooker. The things that make me look like I can cook because I don't have to have paper in front of me to create the masterpiece. But still...if you have some good ones, throw them my way! Anywho. Here's one I found perusing a children's magazine that I'm really considering moving to Iowa to join it's graphic team. The layout and graphics are just so hip and inspiring and such a nice spin on what we see so often in the juvenile market, but I digress. The magazine is Child and the website does NOT do it justice.

Anywho here's a recipe they had for carrot cake muffins (which I think I'm going to really try since I LOVE carrot cake). Don't they look scrumptious??

*Courtesy of Child Magaizine page 50 of the May 2007 issue

And because Tricey tagged me (love blog tags, lets me know that you all know I'm out there lurking, hehehe)

10 Things I love about Spring (kind of tough b/c you know I love my winter, cold rainy days...)
1) RAIN ohhh, the earth smells sooo good when water drops from the sky
2) Bright colors (KJ used to call me Skittles to be funny b/c he said every outfit I wore in school was like my interpretation of the rainbow)
3) Shoes (now if I could just get my summer feet to do right...)
4) Spring breezes. Just stand still and feel um.
5) Lemonade, no ice, more tart than sweet
6) Babies being born (all that fall cuddling comes full circle in spring...doesn't it Colein? ;-) )
7) Sprinklers (it's too cool for swimming sometimes, but in the afternoon it's perfect "run thru the sprinker with a shower cap on your head so not to mess your hair up" weather)***This is of course for children, I as an adult woman do not do this...at least I haven't yet...***
8) Donuts. Random, I know but I loved a good glazed donut in the spring (summer, fall and winter too, to be honest)
9) Curiousity of summer. Is it me, but don't some really awesome "life events" take place in the summer?
10) Perfect bike riding weather (which I tried to do on Sat and succeeded in 30 min of huffing and puffing realizing that there are more inclines in my neighborhood than I thought and my bootie doesn't near fit on that seat like it used to...)

Happy Thursday! Think we'll get a new Grey's episode tonight??? Fingers crossed!

Mosquitoes and Insults via Stamp

Okay, so a few mornings ago I noticed this horribly itchy spot on my neck. Now it's an itchy bump. I just know it's a spider bite. Just know it! Kj on the other hand has diagnosed it as a mosquito bite and has prescribed the old folks remedy of green alcohol. Didn't know I'd married a doctor did ya? hehehe

And this year we had to pay the govt after having our taxes done (dog-gone my freelance "small business"!!!) so I decided to not send my check with a smile. I stuck a Wilbur the Pig stamp on the env to in essence "call the Man out" on the Pig that he/it is. heheheh Vindication! And yes, I'm fully aware that my actions are probably the equivalent of sticking out my tongue, but it does feel soooo good.



Happy Wednesday!

Ten on Tuesday

1) We've rented some really good movies lately. The Illusionist, Prestige, Stranger than Fiction, Holiday (okay this one I loved, KJ decided it was completely a Roz movie... he didn't enjoy it near as much hehehe)
2) Did you know that Movie Gallery has a policy that if you don't like a movie then just bring it back and tell them and they'll give you a free rental. It's called Play On Promise You can do that 6 times in the year. We don't use Movie Gallery (we're Blockbuster pep) so we're taking full advantage of the rental I got from there on Sat. ;-)
3) Jim (my dept head) has a bad habit of interrupting lunch if you stay in the office. I don't jump up. I simply let him know that at the end of my lunch I will tend to his little needs. He hardly interrupts my lunch anymore. I think it's a power thing in his mind. It's a power thing in my mind too. hehehe
4)We're going to visit my alma mater (Auburn) this weekend. Haven't been back in a long time. I'm anxious to see how The Plains have changed.
5) Jim commented that my snack mix looked like cat food, to which I replied (in all seriousness), "It's not."
6) The little boy next door was using the water hose to fill the drainage holes his dad dug when I got home yesterday. All I could do was watch him and giggle, b/c I'm pretty sure he wasn't suppose to be doing that.
7) Made Pizza Soup last night and it was good. It should be awesome today as Italian food is ALWAYS better the next day. (I think that's because all the seasonings have time to merge)
8)Today Jim said, "Roz you seem so happy and chipper lately, what's going on." And I told him, "This is my normal personality...funny you didn't know that."
9) Yes I know 3 of my 10 things have been about Jim, but I just write as things come to mind and I guess I'm appreciating how his ignorance doesn't effect me the same way it used to. I'm no longer as annoyed, it's more-so comical. Thanks for your prayers... God's listening. ;-)
10) I've been talking to my sister more lately. It's good. I miss her.

Happy Tuesday everyone!

Easter Weekend Recap

Thank goodness for 3 day weekends!

On Friday I was able to get completely caught up with house work (I even mopped, which I HATE to do and therefore avoid by all costs) and then meet a coworker for lunch. She had friends come into town so I ate with them and I must say that although I enjoyed hanging out with "girls", I miss my friends on days like that. I'm older than the girls I ate with and I couldn't help but feel "maternal" in a weird way. I guess our lives are in completely different stages. They were nice, don't get me wrong, just didn't feel like myself... I think I'm way too old to be establishing a new friend base. ;-) I then proceeded to shop/return things around town. It was too cold to go to the beach, but no worries, maybe another weekend. I did get these shoes (as I've decided to revamp my entire shoe collection), and I think they are very "Florida Roz". No heel in sight (as heels are completely "Bham Roz")!


Sat and Sun were pretty casual. Laying around the house or out running errands. Church on Sunday. With no kids to do Easter stuff with, all the festivities around town were lost on us. ;-) They do something here called the Easter Egg Dash that my coworker was telling me about. He said basically they just lay (don't even hide) hundreds of eggs down in a baseball or football field, line the kids up on one end and scream go. He said the whole field is clear in 3 mins flat and that's just the 5 and 6 year olds. ;-)

Have lost my "Must Complete Projects" mojo so I'm lagging behind in several things. Still have a closet to clean, photos to organize, logos/freelance things to follow up on, etc... I guess I'm in a spring time slump. I need a good rainy day to get me going...

Anywho, hope you all had a wonderful weekend. And FYI Payless is really stepping it up in the shoe dept. Go see for yourself. Payless

Workspace

What I'm opting to leave behind in lieu of a three day weekend...
Yes peps, this is my office and I know it looks like I'm building a fortress out of our products...
Sadly, it's seen WORSE days... ;-) In my defense, I'm in a creative field and we tend to be less organized. That's my story and I'm sticking to it...

Happy Thursday/Workday Friday!!!!!

Maybe we'll get a new Grey's episode tonight...

This morning

It was hard to capture the sun coming thru those clouds hitting the water (as I was driving), but my goodness... talk about peaceful! Makes me remember that I live in FL. ;-)
Think I'll hit the beach this weekend to get my summer brown... Anyone want to join me? Any takers? hehehehe

Happy Wednesday!

Ten on Tuesday minus Nine

1) My department head (I've decided to never refer to him as my boss) is back from China. He brought in donuts and little trinkets for the ladies. Hummm, way out of character. Is it bad that I woke up this morn and put on a red shirt and black pants and thought "Red and Black Venom Lack" (from the rhyme about how to tell if snakes are poisonous, red and black venom lack, red and yellow kill a fellow) and I'm using that as my personal mantra for the day? I'm trying to play nice peoples! ;-)

Happy Tuesday!

Weekend Wrap-up

On Thurs nite, KJ and I went to see 300. I don't know if it's my interest in beautiful cinematography or Roman history and Greek Mythology, but I LOVED this movie. I know, I know, it's gory and the plot was fundamental (said the critics), but I absolutely loved every bit of it. From the sepia tones, to the brutal beheadings, to the one liners I'm sure KJ got tired of me repeating on Friday ("This is going to hurt, this will not be quick, you will not enjoy this" repeated by the queen as she stabbed the man who raped her and then tried to blackmail her in front of the council - it was wonderful because these were his very words the night before). Anywho, I think this has been deemed a "man movie" but again, the gore is artistically done so if you're artsy fartsy with a tough stomach, go see it!

KJ had his wisdom teeth removed on Friday so I only worked a half day and proceeded to be Nurse Roz for the rest of the weekend. Please keep him in your thoughts and prayers as I hope that his recovery is speedy. I've managed to conjure up a fridge full of soft delicious morsels for him to eat (pudding, ice cream, jello, salmon pie, potato soup, minestrone soup...). One that I made up was Buffalo Chicken Salad. Kj's a huge hot wing fan and I know some of the agony of having your teeth removed so brutally from your mouth (you all know I hate the thought of losing teeth right???) is not eating some of your favorite foods. Those cravings are no joke when the food is on the "Can Not Eat" list. So I basically baked chicken breast in hot wing sauce, put the breast in my handy food chopper and added some ranch. It looked gross, I admit, but Kj ate it and said that it did indeed remind him of his beloved hot wings. ;-)

On Friday, I also started this. Whole Body Cleanse

Yep, I'm cleansing. I'd read about the Master Cleanse on line where you drink the cayenne pepper and lemonade stuff but I know I wouldn't have made it 20 mins on that , so I saw this in Wal-mart and thought it might be worth a shot. We'll see. So far I'm 4 days in and all is well. I feel cleaner I guess, hehehe.

Anywho, hope you had a great weekend!
Happy Monday!