Five Hundred Twenty Five Thousand Six Hundred Minutes

One year ago today, this is what I was doing:

One boy, one girl,

Two hearts beating wildly,

To put it mildly, it was love at first sight.

He smiled, she smiled, and they knew right away

This was the day they'd been waiting for all their lives.

For a moment the whole world

Revolved around one boy, and one girl

Happy Anniversay C!!!  I love you very much and can't wait to celebrate many more years together!

You also have the right to remain silent.....

Just a warning to you readers today, I am getting on my soapbox for a minute.  This won't happen often on here I promise but this has been on my heart all day.

If you have watched the news this week, you know that the Supreme Court is hearing the case of the people who protest at soldiers funerals.  It turned my stomach this morning to see some of the signs those people are holding at a hero's funeral. 

"Thank God a Soldiers Dead"

"God Hates the USA"

"Thank God for 9/11"

Everyone a little nauseous now?  I am.  It breaks my heart for the families who are honoring their son/daughter, grandson/granddaughter, husband/wife, or father/mother have to see that as they are going to say goodbye.  Sadly, the funeral is probably the first time they have seen their loved one in 18 months.  And they are greeted with such horror as they walk in or leave to do graveside?

The protesters are from Westboro Baptist Church.  Really?  This is what you feel God has led you to do?  Not feed the hunger or reach out to those who are lost?  You have to hold a sign that says "Semper Fi Fags" at a Marine's funeral instead?

I am disgusted. 

I am outraged.

I am heartsick for these families and all of our soldiers still far from home that have to hear about this.  Can you imagine if you were a soldier that hasn't seen your family in a year or more watching this on a news program patched to you on a base thousands of miles from home.  That the very people you are fighting for are greeting your fallen brothers and sisters this way.  How are they supposed to keep their morale up and continue to give it their best?  To concentrate on getting their jobs done to protect the rights of these poor excuses for Americans?

Just because you have the right of freedom of speech doesn't mean you should use it. 

What happened to the Country that banded together so tightly just 9 years ago?  Where there was no color, religion or any other differences.  We were all just Americans. 

We need to rally behind the men and women who are brave enough to do what most of us can't.  We need to support their families while their loved ones are away fighting so that we can enjoy the freedoms most other countries don't have. 

If you don't like the way things are here, maybe do something positive to change it.  Or leave.  Go somewhere else.  Go to an impoverished country riddled with hate and crime and see how "bad" it really is here.  Or better yet, go to the places these soldiers are dying and hold your sign up there.  Bet you won't feel so self-righteous then. 

After all, what we fear and hate in others, is often what we fear and hate in ourselves. 

Spilly McDroppy

So as some of you know, I have become notorious for dropping things.  I have cracked the screen on two iPhones and scratched C Oakley's by dropping in the last four months.  Anyone want me to hold their baby yet?

Today at lunch, I was eating some yogurt.  No big deal.  People do it all the time.  Well, I finished the yogurt and Kerri and I were chatting and I went to cross my arms.  When I did, my arm became all goopy with yogurt.

What in the world.  Apparently I dropped yogurt all over myself while eating it.  I don't know when it happened.  I must have been trying to wolf it down to quickly to notice. 

Anyhow, it was all over my shirt and necklace I was wearing.  I had to take the necklace off and wipe it with a napkin it was so bad.  I then ended up having to button my sweater because a big crusty yogurt stain is not professional. 

We laughed until we couldn't breathe.  Not sure why it was so funny but sometimes things hit just the right way to be absolutely hilarious.

I'm taking something not so messy for lunch tomorrow since I apparently just learned how to eat. 

Hope everyone had a great, spill free Monday!!

There are no snakes in New Zealand

I'm thinking of relocating. 

Yesterday afternoon, I was going to be a good wifey and help C cut grass.  I push the lawn mower to the back yard, open the gate, crank it up and begin my first row.  I notice some movement in front of the mower.  What do my eyes see?  A snake.  A snake.  A snake.

I let go of the lawn mower and begin a mixture of skipping, running, and hopping to go get C.  I'm sure I looked like a fool.  I was the kind of scared where when you open your mouth no sound comes out.  C is edging the front yard with headphones in so I begin tapping him on the shoulder.  I don't want to scare him since he needs all of his wits for battle. 

He looks up and asks "What?", like a concerned husband.  I calmly say, "There's a snake".  I guess it might have come out as "Ohmygoshthere'sasnake.  There'sasnake".

He asks where.  Can we pause for a minute and think about this question?  Where?  Hmm.  Maybe in the back yard where I was cutting grass? (Love ya C)

He grabs the shovel and we dart back to the backyard.  Now, by this time the snake was probably in Alabama but we (C) looked anyhow.  No trace of the snake. 

Behind our backyard is a nice natural area with a pond.  A lovely resort for snakes really.  I make C walk the entire backyard to ensure that Mr. Snake is gone.  He then asks if I'm ok.  Um no.  I'm not ok.

"What did it look like?", C asks. 

I then reply like a first grader, "It was black and yellow.  It could kill a fellow".  Seriously.  Thank you Mr. Snake Man.  That dollar in elementary school was well worth it.  I know a bad snake when I see one.

C then replies that it was probably just a corn snake.  I disagree.  We don't have any corn and it was black and yellow.  Fellows could be killed.  He was not sensing the urgency!!!

Nevertheless I cut the yard.  I was very proud of myself.  It was almost like desensitization therapy for a great fear.

Hopefully in the future we won't be bothered by snakes.  How is that possible you ask?  With this ingenious product:

I personally don't care if my backyard smells like old lady mothball clothes.  As long as the deadly snakes don't return.

Introducing for your entertainment....

FITTY TWO....

Today is my Mom's birthday.  She is my best friend, the giver of great advise, and the first phone call I make whenever I have something funny to say or a question.  I don't get to see her as much as I would like but talking to her everyday makes up for it a little. 


What is the woman who made me who I am today like, you ask?  She's a hoot!!  She made my Halloween costumes until the incident in third grade when I was Cinderella.  Why was there an incident?  "All little girls love Cinderella", you say.  That's true.  But I was Cinderella before she was a princess.  That's right folks.  I wore rags and she put soot on my face with eye shadow.  But to quote her, "It built CHARACTER".  My Mom is all about building character.:)


From the very beginning, we were BFFs.  We loved to play on Christmas morning.

Now, regardless of what she'll tell you, there were only two of us (not eighty-two).  And sure, we had almost the exact same haircut for a while...

but we also had fun.  We set up a tent in my grandparents living room and Mom crawled around it pretending to be a bear.  Sadly, my brother and I weren't very smart and sometimes thought it was a real bear.

I always had great birthday parties.  Especially the one where I totally won musical chairs but my mom gave my prize to someone else.  It's OK though.  I'm over it.  She did get me some in my stocking years later. (Please note that the package says for three and up and I got it when I was in my twenties.)

She is the youngest (by far :) ) of three.  She was always a tricky one.  When my aunt would go on a date, my grandfather had her trained.  She would say really loudly to my aunt in front of the date that "He's not the same boy who was here last night".

(There was some tape on this picture.)

She's seen me through a lot of tough times. 

I mean really.  What kind of outfit requires a hat and a rose?

She's also seen me through some great times. 

All in all, I'm sorry for all of you who are sad right now, because your thoughts are correct.  I have the BEST MOM in the world.  Happy Birthday Mom!!  I love you!

How many points is that?

So I couldn't decide if I was going to share this with the internets but it has become a part of my life so in the gesture of full disclosure, I am on Weight Watchers.  That's right.  It has been going pretty well and I am starting to see some results.  I've lost about 12 pounds which is way more than I have ever lost in the past.

I am very lucky to have a supportive husband who has been participating with me.  This is mainly because I am the buyer of the groceries, the preparer of the food and the packer of the lunches.  I have been keeping up with his points along with mine.  His program isn't as strict as mine because let's face it.  If he talks about maybe cutting down a coke a day he can lose 25 pounds. 

We women on the other hand have to work very hard to lose .3 pounds a month so it takes a little more commitment from us.  I have been back on the program for almost 5 weeks and I am really proud of how I'm doing so far.

Now I haven't been perfect.  I have "cheated" along the way.  Sometimes cheese dip is too good to pass up!!  I am also pretending to do Jillian Michaels 30 day Shred.  I say pretending because I did it consistently for a week and have since not put the DVD in.  She's mean.  And hateful.  But she has a rocking body so I will probs pick that back up come the weekend. 

Any recipes and/or helpful hints would be appreciated.

Fun facts of the day:  I have apparently lost just enough weight for my current size to be too big but I'm not completely in the smaller size yet so I was told the outfit I wore to work might come in handy when I become pregnant.  Thanks.  It's a compliment yes but I don't want to look pregnant just yet.  Maybe in 2 or so years (sorry Mom :) ). 

I'm super excited to continue to lose and see how I look.  It has been a sad amount of time since I've loved summer clothes :)  I have thought about starting a blog solely for weight loss but lets be honest here.  I can barely update this blog so another might be too much :)  I will continue to do updates for the two of you who might be interested. 

Stopping in to say hello

So it's been a long time.  I have definitely been slacking on the blog but in my defense it has been about 500 degrees here.  No exaggeration.  We have been busy with work and by the time I got home most nights I just cooked dinner and went to bed.  Exciting lives of grown ups. We've done some projects around the house and I will post pics as soon as my computer is in a better mood.  It seems to get angry whenever I want to do stuff like that :)

Our wedding proofs are up if you want to check those out.  You can use this linky to find them: http://gigglesnapsphoto.smugmug.com/Proofing/Wedding-Proofs/Ellie/10550862_FfmuR


Leave me a comment and let me know what you think!!!

The Great Wall of Entrekin

What a busy weekend here in Mississippi.  Saturday, C and I painted the kitchen.  MOST TERRIBLE ROOM THUS FAR!!  There are lots of tiny pieces of wall that are about a 1/4 inch thick.  I had to use a special tiny brush to paint.  Also we have vaulted ceilings in the kitchen which was a lot of fun for C stretching on the very top of the ladder.  It is now a very beautiful shade called Latte.

We then hung plantation blinds in the spare bedroom and office.  I channeled C's mouse extermination technique and had to punch one of the blinds in place.  I now have a busted knuckle on my right hand reminiscent of a bar fight I've never been in.  Punching hurts.  Tell your kids.

This morning C and I got up and headed to Lowe's.  It's become our new Wal-Mart since becoming homeowners.  We loaded up 42 flagstone retainer wall stones and headed home to build some flower beds.  I began to lay the landscaping felt in the beds while C helped.  Oh My Goodness.  I really despise this stuff.  I ended up having to buy knee pads because the ground hurt so bad.  Picture this if you will.  I have on gray cutoff yoga pants, a pink tank top and neon green knee pads.  It's a wonder we didn't get kicked out of the neighborhood. 

C wanted to go two high with the stones but I thought one would be enough.  I'm putting this in writing so C will have it forever.... C was right.  Two high was much better.  So we headed back to Lowe's because as everyone knows, one trip never does it.  We bought 72 more stones.  Not an exaggeration people....72. 

We finished the fabric and stone work pretty quickly and the front yard is beginning to take shape.  Of course we have to go  back to Lowe's tomorrow to buy some more stones but by the end of the week it should be completed. 

On a funny note of the weeked, C almost broke his wrist today.  I laughed for almost 45 minutes.  He had just filled up the gas tank and reached through the steering wheel to reset the mileage and had to turn the wheel sharply to avoid hitting a curve and it wrenched his wrist.  I told him I wouldn't take him to the ER for that because the reason was just too ridiculous to tell a doctor.  I'm terrible I know.

I will have pics of a finished deck this week barring weather for you as well.  The contractor is supposed to begin tomorrow.  I don't know if C will be able to sleep tonight.

Here's a pic of the front of our house and the progress thus far.

Here's hoping I can convince C we should paint the blue siding next weekend :)  You can also see the desert in the yard where we shoveled up all of the devil pea gravel.  Soon it will be as green and pretty as the rest of the yard.

The Snort Heard Round the World.... Or at least my office

This morning Kerri and I got on the elevator to head to our floor to work.  You know that awkward dance of button pushing when someone is trying to get on the elevator and you're trying to push the open button but you're really pushing the closed button?  It happened before my very eyes.

This lady was trying to get on and as soon as she crossed the threshold, the doors slammed shut on her.  It was a torturous ride to my floor.  The whole five seconds I was doing the cough thing to try and cover up my laughter.  I felt really bad for the lady and tried to hold it together but it was hard people.  Like trying not to giggle in church.

As soon as we got off and the door closed safely behind us, I was dying.  I mean falling apart at the seams.  If any of you have ever seen me really tickled you know I snort a little.  The sound of the snort that came out of me this morning was like the tornado siren had just gone off.  People were craning around the cubicles to see who was causing such a commotion.

That would be me. 

I had tears streaming down my face y'all.  I was all but bent over laughing at this poor woman getting rammed by the elevator doors.  I am chuckling as I write this because it was so funny. 

Please don't think I'm awful. I probably would be laughing even harder if it was me.  She wasn't hurt, only a little embarassed.  It was an interesting start to the day.

Hope everyone had a great Friday!

While shoveling ice with your little shovel, I saw that you had some biscuits..

Most hilarious comment of the Fourth.  This Fourth of July holiday began with the delivery of the dumpster.  The dumpster for which we were to fill with loads of horrific pea gravel.  Saturday morning we got up around seven and began shoveling around eight.  We had all the gravel up by 10:30.  Woot Woot.   We then tore down a dog house that was behind our house.

Let me just say that this dog house was better constructed that our house.  We took out 47 screws and took off four walls and the thing was still standing.  What the crap?!?!  So C knocked it over and it finally crumbled.  We loaded the pieces into the dumpster.  Now let me mention about this dumpster that it was so big that the entire neighborhood could have cleaned out their garages and we would still have room.  It was literally five feet tall and about 20 feet long.  That's a big dumpster to have in your driveway for several days. 

After we cleaned the dog house fragments up, we straightened the house and went to buy fireworks.  Kerri and I had tried to buy them the day before but just ended up meandering around the store like girls because we knew nothing.  Where was Joe Dirt when you needed him?

The fiireworks of my youth consisted of the snake thing that just wiggled across a patio that ended up looking suspiciously like a coal bodily function and the little army man that parachuted.  Also a bottle rocket or two.  In no way am I a firework expert.  Luckily, C knows about things that go boom.  So we loaded up some stuff and came home. 

Saturday night Kerri and her husband came over to watch the fight.  Alls I'm going to say is it didn't end the way I wanted it to.  If you know about UFC and who fought Saturday night then you know how I feel about the world. 

Sunday we got up early and cleaned out the flower beds, trimmed my crepe mertyls and tried to cut down some pompous grass.  Pompous grass has officially entered the same level of hell as coconut and pea gravel.  It sliced my ankle like only a razor could.  Needless to say, we have since purchased a chainsaw and the pompous grass will no longer live in my front yard come the weekend. 

Sunday night we feasted on crack dip, BLT dip, hamburgers and hotdogs, baked beans and potato salad.  Could we be more American?  The fireworks began with the pop things you throw on the ground and it sounds like a gun went off.  Another favorite from my childhood.  I must say the people in R&D at the pops plant have outdone themselves.  I threw a new and improved one and lost hearing in my right ear for the rest of the night.  I mean, those are for children.  Should they really sound like a scud missle landed on my patio?

Another funny comment from Kerri's daughter A happened when the neighbors began to shoot fireworks.  She stomped her little foot and exclaimed, "I thought we were doing it!"  She didn't seem to understand that we weren't the only people who celebrated the Fourth with fireworks.  Kids crack me up!

Monday C and I decided to relax by painting our livingroom.  It is now a lovely khaki green called Zeus instead of a flesh colored lame beige.  YAY for painting!  Three rooms down, five and a hallway to go.  I'll post before and after pics as soon as I get them uploaded. 

On a different note, my phone is broken and I plugged it in while talking on it and got shocked because the screen is broken.  What a life.  I guess that wouldn't happen if I didn't insist on dropping expensive things.  So far I've broken two Iphones and scratched C's Oakleys.  He's a lucky man to have such a graceful wife :)

Liquid Tans and Mustaches.....

Or a Freddie Mercury guide to fashion. 

Last week Kerri and I decided to try the new spray tan Versa.  We drive all the way to another town because the Palm Beach Tan closest to us didn't have the new stuff.  Turns out when we get there that they had just gotten Versa like that week.  Good to know after we drove about 20 miles. 

So we get the Versa.  The upside to this is that it's not supposed to have orange undertones so it shouldn't turn you orange.  I was very excited about this because a few weeks ago, I did the regular Mystic Tan and resembled an Oompa Loompa.

Kerri and I are both sprayed then hit the road to head back home.  My nose is an unnatural color about five minutes down the road.  I'm splotchy and spotty, it's not pretty. 

So I begin to freak.  "Oh My Goodness!!!  Do you think I'm allergic?!?!?!?!"  Kerri is laughing hysterically at me. 

"Stop making me laugh.  I'm going to cry my tan off" Kerri shreaks through the hysterics.

Thanks for being a friend Kerri.  I can always count on you to laugh at my pain :)

The tans ended up looking ok after a day or so and I guess we'll have to go back since we've already paid for them and all.

The mustache portion of this post is pretty obvious.  I feel I'm growing one and I don't want it.  Now, no one has said that I have one, this is solely a personal decision.  If you think I have one and haven't said anything please keep on with that train of thought. 

So I am going to get the wax at some point this week.  I'll keep you posted on that.  I'm sure it will be terribly painful and incredibly awful but at least my resemblance to Tom Selleck will be over.

No Rock of Love Here... Only Rocks of Loathing, Disdain and Pure Unadulterated Hatred

That's right y'all.  Hatred.  The kind of hatred I had only reserved for things like coconut.  Not the flavor of coconut, the consistency.  It's a little too fingernail-like for me.  But I digress.  The rocks.  The rocks that make me lose my witness.  As you know, C and I bought our first home earlier this year.  The one thing I didn't absolutely love was the landscaping in the front yard.  Because there were rocks.  Have I said rocks yet?  Have I mentioned rocks? 

There were two beds that had about 59 bazillion pebbles of pea gravel.  That's right.  If pea gravel were money, I could have paid the United States deficit.  So this past weekend, C and I decide we've had enough and we are going to shovel the pea gravel and take it back to the pits of hell from which it came.  (Dramatic?)  Saturday morning we clean out one bed that was gravel free.  It contained two extremely dead azaleas and some weeds. 

Let me say before I launch into the fit of the century about the rocks that we were under a severe weather warning due to intense heat.  But as everyone knows, it will be February before Mississippi isn't the temperature of Satan's right hand.  So, we begin to rake the pea gravel and shovel it into the truck.  We manage to get the smaller bed completely cleaned out on Saturday.

We also cleaned out the old mulch from around those little bushes.  The space in the middle was a giant bush we cut down and dug up earlier in the day.  We plan to sod the area where the rocks were.  Sunday morning my friend Kerri was kind (demented?) enough to come help the poor little couple.  One who is me and one who has back issues.  We shovel rocks and shovel rocks and then shovel some more, all while consuming massive amounts of gatorade so as not to DIE.  We load C's truck completely down and still have 3/4 of the big bed to go.

Just a little in the truck above.  His Titan looks like it's ridin' dirty now.  Like it has a drop kit.  Very sad little Titan.  We of course have nowhere to take said rocks on a Sunday so we call around on Monday and guess what...... the dump here where I live is only open Monday-Friday from 8-2:30.  Those are the MOST convenient hours for me. Hang on so I can clean up all that sarcasm I just dripped all over.

We have since come to the conclusion that we need a dumpster.  It should be delivered on Thursday so that we can celebrate the Freedom of our country by shoveling the rocks we have been enslaved to.  In the meantime, C and I feel as though we have been hit by massive Mac trucks so MawMaw here is going to take a bath in Icy Hot.

Down the Hatch

Today was rather uneventful.  I sat with Kerri for the better part of the day learning how to be her backup.  It was very educational and just a little conversational too :)  We went to the gym at 4 to "workout" and then came back downstairs to our desk to finish up for the day. 

We were just about to head back up to the gym (please don't think that we are all about fitness, it's kind of a job requirement for us) when Kerri decided to pop a prescription Naproxin for some pain she has.  Not thinking a thing about it she downs two with her Diet Coke.  Seconds later people and I mean almost immediately, she FREAKS out.

"OH NO!!!!  I'm only supposed to take one of these every 12 hours.  Regular Tylenol makes me tired.  I have to go to swim class tonight.  YOU DON'T THINK I'M GOING TO DIE DO YOU?!?!!?!?!?!"

By this time I am crying I am laughing so hard at her.  No.  If an attack by a vicious kitten doesn't do you in I doubt a strong Aleve will kill you. 

This provided us with quite the laugh.  Needless to say I am on standby in case I have to rescue her and her daughter from the Y tonight because she has passed out.  Does it make me a bade person that right now I am picturing her laid out on a lawn chair while her 5 year old is learning the doggie paddle.  Here's hoping she's not drooling!!!!!

A Dream is a Wish Your Heart Makes...

So, who's tired of my Disney references in the title?  No one? Good.  Me either! C and I have been day dreaming lately about taking a trip to Ireland and Scotland in 2011.  We are super excited and will be contacting a travel agent soon.  Our plan is to visit Dublin for 5 days then go to Edinburgh Scotland for 5 days.  Who is just emerald green with jealousy?  Maybe don't be jealous until trip is booked eh?  Life has a funny way of getting hectic right when we plan things.

So a list of things we want to see/do in Dublin:

1.  Visit the Guiness Brewery.  I mean come on.  I know that stuff is gross but how can you fly all the way to Ireland and not get a pint of Guiness?

2.  Kilmainham Gaol is the most famous prison in Ireland.  The leader of the 1916 Rebellion was killed here.  Who doesn't want to visit a prison on vacation?

3.  Trinity College and Library was founded by Queen Elizabeth I.  Enough said my friends.

There is a festival in Scotland we want to go to called The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo.  No, not ink for your body.  A festival of all things Highlands with a Bagpipe and Drum show.  Did you know that Scottish people spell drums drams?  See, this is educational for all readers :) We also want to tour the Highlands while we are there and replay the scene in Braveheart.  You know,  we plan to be the average annoying American Tourists!  C does this well.  I have about 900 pics from the aquarium at Atlantis to prove this.

If you ever want to see every fish in Atlantis, just let me know ;)

The thing we are questioning is whether or not we will try Haggis.  If you are unfamiliar it is basically a stew of sheep parts cooked in the stomack of the sheep.  Mmmmm, tasty.  I am all for trying new things but I might have to draw the line on this one. 

I will leave you with one question... Where would your dream vacation be?  Also a little video from a past Military Tattoo.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QvhXgCPtqw8

It's A Big Recap Charlie Brown!!!

Hello all.  Sorry it's been so long since my last post.  We have been busy little bees since we last spoke.  Two weekends ago C's mom and sister came for a visit to see the new house.  That Friday night we went to dinner then Saturday we ate breakfast and went shopping.  C's mom and I got some new Bare Minerals make up at ULTA and I have to say, I LOVE IT.  It is very smooth and natural looking and only takes a few minutes in the morning.  We also went to Belk and C's sis scored a new swimsuit.  That night, C grilled the best steak!  I don't know if we will ever go out for steak again!  Sunday morning we woke up and ate breakfast and then it was time for them to leave.  They had a long drive ahead.  We really had a great visit!

This past Thursday we went to the Back Doctor for C to get an epidural injection of cortisone on his sciatic nerve.  The appointment was set for 1:15 and C couldn't eat beforehand.  So like a good wife, I didn't eat either.  I am much like an infant when I can't eat and I was praying for the procedure to move quickly.  There were some chips and salsa just waiting with my name on them.  We left the Back Doctor at 4:45.  That's right.  So much for quickness.  I was kind of worried that C would be out of it when all was said and done but he was a trooper.  He was completely lucid which is great because he might have had to sleep in the car.  I don't know that I could have helped him all by myself.  I'm not kidding when I call him Big C.  He towers about a foot over me.  We went and ate Mexican then watched movies and napped the rest of the day. 

Friday I volunteered at an organization for adults with Down Syndrome.  What a blast we had!!  We ate hamburgers and hotdogs, did the limbo, played Bingo and had a Wii bowling tournament.  They are so great and truly a treasure to be around.  It was so much fun to hang out with them and I plan to do it again soon.

This past weekend C and I headed to Birmingham for a cookout at his boss' house.  Friday night we met his little brother's girlfriend for the first time and stayed up way to late talking to them.  We are definitely not as young as we used to be.  Functioning on little to no sleep is way harder than it used to be.  Saturday morning we were supposed to take breakfast to my friend Alicia who recently had a new baby.  C woke up not feeling well with a slight fever and being the neurotic I am I refused to take sickness to a newborn so we will have to visit them when we are all well!

We visited with C's dad a little for Father's Day then headed back Sunday afternoon.  What an exhausting week!!  I will definitely do better with the blogging guys.  My hiatus is over.  Sad that I already took a hiatus after a week of blogging huh?  Doesn't say a lot for my work ethic :)

Sing us a song Uncle Ted!!

I have a very awesome friend here in Mississippi.  Her name is Kerri and I met her at work.  She is one of the strongest women I know.  She has been through so much this year and I just stand in awe of her and how she deals so graciously with everything.  I am very fortunate to have made such a great friend so far from home. 

Sorry for my grainy picture.  I was at work and took it with my Iphone.  She appears much more clearly in real life :)

Now, one of the things she has suffered recently is quite traumatic.  You might want to ask your children to leave the room.  The following is very graphic and includes pictures of a vicious attach by an 11 week old kitten.....

Last night I received a text from Kerri saying that she had been attacked by Harley (11 weeks old) and had been left alone to die.

Harley has been sneezing and the vet recommended a dose of Benadryl until Kerri could get him in the next day.  Kerri, her husband Mark, and their neighbor prepare for battle.  Kerri is holding Harley like a football while the TWO GROWN MEN attempt to give poor Harley the nasty dish soap tasting children's Benadryl. 

There was blood shed people.  Imagine the horror.  She suffered numerous wounds.  All of a sudden she knew exactly how Roy of Siegfried and Roy felt when their 380 pound tiger Montecore felt.  She was in such a daze of pain she could do nothing but text me and relay the horrific tale.  One handed I'm sure. 

Imagine my surprise when I get to work this morning and she is there with all limbs still intact and her face on straight.  I did photograph the wounds because I am all about reporting the truth and only the truth.

The horror.  This is the most brutal of the injuries and apparently the bleeder. 

If you can't make it out due to poor quality of photography, there a litterally tons of scratches on the upper part of her arm.

The brutality was unprecedented. 

Kerri was most frightened that she would develop Cat Scratch Fever and Bell's Palsy and asked that I be kind to her during this tragic illness to which she was doomed.

Like a good friend I quickly assured her that that was not going to happen.  She laughed hysterically days ago when my head bounced off the corner of my car door.  Payback little lady.

All joking aside, Kerri is truly a great friend and I don't know how I would make it here without her.  I hope you're thoughts are with her during her recovery. ;)

Happy Wednesday!!

First off I want to wish a BIG welcome to Reagan Lynn.  She is the brand new baby girl of one of my besties Alicia and her husband Zac.  They have prayed for this girl for a long time.  I know she will be one of the trendiest dressed babies on the block :)

I also would like to wish a Happy Birthday to C's stepmom KK!  We love and appreciate her very much and I hope that she is having the best day!

Pirates vs Ninjas (Spoiler Alert)

That's right folks.  The age old debate among the nerds over which group is more cunning, death defying and cool.  Why am I bringing this up you ask?  Because another debate happened right before my eyes tonight.  Journey vs Queen. 

Ah yes.  Now you're with me.  This has been a long pondered subject in my mind since I was introduced to the bands years ago.  Which do I like more?  Which has more powerful songs?  Who do I choose? 

Really both.  I love them equally because they are so unique in their own rights.  Much like the performances on Glee tonight.  Come on.  You all saw that one coming right?  What has Glee done?  They have thrust two of the best bands in our faces making us choose.  Well tonight guys, I choose Journey. 

Mainly because of the love I have deep inside for New Directions and a deep seeded hate for that Jesse kid in Vocal Adrenaline.  Come on?  What was it, The Jesse Show?  I think not!  Not with the brilliance of all the misfits backed by their brillo haired coach.  Marvelous!!

The show tonight was FANTASTIC! I mean Josh Groban (Kill Yourself), Sandy, the news anchor Sue dated and Sue!  What group could be more entertaining?  I also loved the labor scene entwined with the performance of Bohemian Rhapsody.  If you have known me longer than like five minutes you know I love that song.  And yes.  I did the head bang.  It's in my blood :)

One thing I found slightly amusing was Quinn's rapid return to school mere minutes after delivering her baby.  I totally saw it coming that the coach from Vocal Adrenaline would adopt said baby.  I'm ok with it though because Idina Menzel and I have lots in common.  Our voices are so similar you wouldn't be able to tell who was singing which note :)

I must also point out that it was a nice change for crying because of the kids, Mr. Schu, and Sue rather than Jimmy.  Everytime he makes an appearance I'm crying like a baby.  Go back to Christine Jimmy!! You're supposed to be funny.  *TEAR*

So I leave all seven of you with a question...

What's your favorite Journey/Queen song?  Mine?  Bohemian Rhapsody and Faithfully.  I tried really hard for C and I to dance to that at our wedding.  Metallica was great though :)

So This Is Love...

Cinderella and I had nothing in common on our wedding days except we both wore a white dress.


The Friday night before our wedding was our rehearsal. I hadn’t been feeling great, but I chalked it up to the fact that I was getting married the next day. I began to cough a little at the rehearsal dinner but again thought I was just tired.

Saturday morning I awoke at my Mom’s house and knew right away that I had something a little more than a mild case of exhaustion. I looked like absolute crap. My mom and I head to the doc in the box to see what is wrong with me on the most important day of my life thus far.

Turns out I had the FLU!! Isn’t that what you dreamed about as a little girl playing wedding with your grandmother’s curtains? Me either. First let me say that the flu test is the most horrible thing in the world. They basically shove a Q-tip up your nose. It might as well have been a smoldering hot branding iron. I swear they touched brain.

I end up getting two shots. One a steroid shot and the other a shot of Ibuprofen. Steroid shot + fat girl + heavy wedding gown make for an interesting day y’all. I think I broke a sweat immediately after injection. On top of that I got woozy and had to drink that delicious stuff they give people for a diabetes test to bring my blood sugar up to a functioning level.

The nice Asian doctor gives me a prescription for Tama flu. Great! This stuff will knock the flu right out. Only you can’t take it and drink alcohol or be in the sun. Needless to say the meds didn’t make the flight to the Grand Bahamian Sandals resort with us. Who wants to go to an all inclusive tropical resort and not drink or be in the sun? Not this girl!

My mom and I then rush off to check into the hotel where the wedding festivities are to take place and I go get my hair did with my girls.

Kind of obvious in that last one that I wasn’t 100% huh?

The rest of the day went surprisingly smooth considering I had to be in a room set to 60 degrees so as not to melt :)

We got to our room that night extremely late and departed for the honeymoon at 6 am. That is six in the morning people. I don’t get up that early to go to work!

Here I am about to eat lunch the first day in the Bahamas. Aren’t I just the picture of health? I also had a cough that resembled a barking dog. Lots of people wanted to hang with us :) What with the swine flu and all.

If you give a mouse a coke can covered in peanut butter…

He won’t like it…
Several weeks ago, Big C and I were watching American Idol when I saw something scurry across the living room floor.  “Oh my gosh C, I just saw a mouse or a frog or something!?!?” 
“Whatever Ellie, you are just seeing things because you’re crazy”
Yup that’s me.  Sometimes I like to make up critters in my home for a little excitement.  Insert your sarcastic reading voice here.
I go on to say lots of mature things like “Nuh uh.  I’m not crazy.  I saw it butthead.”  You get the drift.
Well, the show ends and C goes to the bedroom to watch something else whilst I watch Glee.  Scurrying animal returns and now I am sure we have ourselves a mouse.  I delicately yell for C to “GET IN HERE AND PROTECT ME FROM THIS TINY TINY FIELD MOUSE”.
C comes in armed with his work gloves and a broom.  Not sure what’s about to happen but I’m sure he means business.
No mouse returns so he takes off his accoutrement and proceeds to enjoy the Glee with me.  Stuart Little almost runs across C’s foot at this point and he finally agrees that we have an unwelcome guest.  I begin to say more mature things like “I told you I wasn’t crazy.  I don’t know why you doubt me.”  I should win a maturity award. 
So little mouse is under our chair at this point.  C turns the chair upside down and it runs under THE VERY COUCH UPON WHICH I PERCH PEOPLE!!!!!  C is all “Get off the couch and help me Ellie”. And I’m all “ARE YOU CRAZY?  NO WAYS!!”
I arm myself with the broom and C turns the couch upside down and tells me to hit it or at least watch which way it goes.  The mouse runs towards me and I jump on our end table.  “Which way did it go Ellie?”
“I think it ran into your office” I reply.  “What do you mean you think?  I told you to watch it” C says.  “I can’t see through walls C!!” I say calmly. Yeah calm, right.
C goes into the office and turns that room upside down to no avail.  Stuart has retreated.  Let me just say that sleep tonight is not going to come easy because as we all know, mice love to crawl all over your face and stuff while you’re sleeping :)
C being the good husband to a crazy neurotic wife, youtubes a video of homemade mouse traps.  He constructs a glorious contraption consisting of a bucket with water, wire coat hanger, paint stirrers, and a coke can covered in peanut butter.  We set the trap where the mouse first appeared and head off for an uneasy night of sleep.
The next morning, C checks the trap and alas, no mouse.  We are getting ready for work when I notice from the corner of my eye, C hitting things in his closet.
“What are you doing?”  “It’s in here”, C replies.  “WHAT DO YOU MEAN IT’S IN HERE?!?!?!”
Yup.  Mouse in the closet less than three feet away from me.  C hits around some more and Stuart scurries into the water closet. 
I won’t go into detail on what happened next.  Let’s just say C is down a shirt and the mouse went to be with the nice people at Allied Waste that day.
We always knew that we would learn a lot about each other in the first year of marriage.  Lessons learned in this situation:  C learned that I don’t want to do things that might result in tiny little mice touching me and I learned that C is a good mouser.
For the icing on the cake of this post, pics of the homemade mouse trap:

Hello Internets!!!

Hello all five of you who will read this :)  I have decided to join the blogging world since all of my family and most of my friends live at least 3 hours away.  I have been married to Big C for almost a year and we have had a blast so far.  We live in Mississippi (hence the title of this blog) but our hometown will always be Birmingham Alabama.  It's where our peeps are.  We moved here almost two years ago because of his job.  Well, he moved and I followed :)  I knew better than to let my catch get away!  We are brand new homeowners and I assure you as the improvements continue, there will be lots of hilarious material for me to share with all of you.  Welp.  That's all the introduction I can give you.  Anthing else you want to know, just ask.