Live like there's no tomorrow!!

Rememberence of the Fourth 2010

2011-06-18T23:31:00.000-07:00

As the Fourth of July approaches and the lake gets in full swing for the summer, we must remember those who have lost their lives due to utter stupidity. I mean, crossing the road to get to a beer might be a good idea in theory, but was it really worth it? We definitely enjoyed a good laugh on the way to the store in the morning on Sunday! Kay, a Texas girl through and through, had to capture a piece of famous roadkill. Keep in mind SAFETY, above all, on the streets between The Dock and lakehouses. They're dark and two lane. In fact just take your boat, no armadillos will be harmed in the process!! PS. Forget the Bud Light, stick with the Dock Rockers!

Fort Worth Air Show 2011

2011-04-20T19:40:00.000-07:00

Unbelievable how close these guys get to each other!! Before the show they start out by taxiing to the active runway in formation even. Sunday the active was 17 with a mean headwind tossing around the small planes. At the beginning of their show, the Blue Angels do several passes with only 18 inches from wingtip to the capsule of the plane beside it!! This is God given talent and ability. The Blues' own C-130T Hercules got the crowd pumped up with a super slow flight. Not many people were sitting down for the main event. The music was rocking and the commentator one of the best!! Cleared for takeoff.

Happy Easter!!

2011-04-20T19:22:00.001-07:00

Look at the cute chickies!! Nana had these at a coffee in Mississippi before she came to Dallas. She and Kay made them with pretzel sticks, white chocolate, Jelly beans and marshmallow chicks!! They didn't actually look like they would taste good, but anything covered in chocolate has to be delicious!!

Then, here is my Easter basket!! Lots of tea for me!! Along with chocolate covered pretzels and Godiva chocolate Gems!! The Easter bunny was super nice to me. Hope he is just as nice to you ; )

Bruno House - Ransom Canyon

2010-11-12T10:39:00.000-08:00

On our first drive around the neighborhood then on our first walk mother took me all the way up the canyon to see this marvelous steel house overlooking the lake. It took him 34 years to build this before he moved in and died 8 months later from pneumonia as a complication of his cancer. He had a daughter who is now in school in Florida.

It happened to open for the second time ever to the public while I was there. The inside is just as weird as the outside. He lived very simple. Surely he was not completely finished with the inside when he moved in and died. The floors definitely weren't finished, but the kitchen was crazy. Only a refrigerator and microwave, no cabinets or stove. What a true bachelor pad, no cooking involved.

The most amazing part was the view of the lake from inside!! From every spot in the living room I was captivated by the stunning view!! We meandered around the relatively small spaces to the bedroom where the view was just as amazing, even from his bed he had this view. We never figured out how he was supposed to clean the outside of the windows as they were really dirty, but he was a bachelor and probably didn't care.

From the outside the house resembles a dog sniffing his oversize water bowl, the lake. On the inside I felt like I was in a spaceship about to take off across the water. To the left is a view from the vessel about to launch into the sunset. All the glass panes had to be specially shaped, sized and cut.

There were tour guides who knew Bruno personally. They just opened the house up to raise money for some neighborhood organization. She lives across the street and 2 doors down from this house, so she knew him pretty well. It was neat hearing her talk about him and the house. Then we asked her about 'the house' across the street. Ha. Mother calls is the Flinstone house. Somebody wanted a monument to his ego and built a house rivaling for attention right across from Bruno's. It was never finished either. The neighborhood tried to get him to open it up for the Art exhibit but never heard from him. She said he showed up when it was almost over and charged something outrageous to get in. She was funny in telling how much of a pain he was as a neighbor. It's obvious no one ever lived there because there's no drive way. We opted not to pay his fee and tour the inside.

Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta

2010-10-20T11:04:00.000-07:00

They go up in waves and have to be cleared for take off. So, the ones already in the air were in a previous wave than the ones waiting for take off clearance and just being blown up. This day was Flight of the Nations, where 2 balloons from each country represented here flew up first flying their country's flag. It was very neat for me picking out each country's flag. The only problem was that the flags hung down, not to the side like normal. One flag looked like Monocco, the second smallest country in the world, so I had no idea it would be represented or that anyone else even knew what it's flag looked like. Turns out, it depends on the way you look at that flag. Monocco's flag is Poland's flag backwards!! Boy I got a lesson in flags. The red and yellow balloon is flying Poland's flag, while the Shamrock flies Ireland's flag, no surprise there, although it resembles Italy. The coolest though was looking up to see the American flag on a balloon and the German flag hanging down from it's gondola. That spoke volumes to me personally.

Bad Beach Day Gone Good

2010-08-24T20:42:00.000-07:00

Finally a little ocean love. The water was frigid, but the sand felt normal between my toes.

Mother saved me from the bad weather. She was on the phone when I told her it looked a bit dark behind me. She looked it up on weather.com and said, "You better pick up your little towel, like now." Mere seconds later I was pelted with flying patio furniture scooting across the deck from a mean howling wind!! Hours later I find..... my sunroof open..

Gypsy Fun

2010-08-23T21:23:00.000-07:00

The ever popular Zagat rated sushi restaurant in Buckhead!! People fly into Atlanta to eat here. A friend and I found it by luck one time, hungry and staying in a hotel nearby. Funny thing, I never noticed these little stickers until another friend pointed them out at another local eatery!! This is the BEST sushi I've ever had!! So fresh!!

Then, on the way to Daytona I saw a billboard for an Aviation Museum. It was at Fort Robins, GA Air Force Base. Free and super big, several hangers later, a few smashed pennies and an hour and a half detour, back on the road again...

Discovery Park

2010-08-20T00:18:00.001-07:00

Hike through some brush, along a beach, hop some rocks, round the lighthouse to a nice enticing beach!! Moderately slow and low mileage on this one, but a great one to end on!!

2010-06-22T19:54:00.000-07:00

Attempting a boat backflip. So they say I was unsuccessful. Anything that looks like that is successful to me..... when we forget about the faceplant that took place shortly after Hunter took this amazing shot. This would be Back Flip City.....

This would be Rope Swing Craziness....

Zumba

2010-03-06T22:33:00.001-08:00

Zumba Basic 1 Class in New Orleans today!! So much fun and met some great girls!! Madison is not going to know what hit it.

NORTHBAY Neighborhood Happenings

2009-08-08T11:25:00.000-07:00

This is what I woke up to this morning on my way to train at 6:30 am. He was obviously going kinda fast in his new Tundra. That bridge didn't budge, but his truck sure is ruined. He ran from the scene of the accident.

By the time I got home at 8am it was gone. They couldn't get hold of the owner, but towed it off anyway. Another neighbor was out looking at it too letting his dog out. My big Bear ran her off from our yard though. She is the only dog in the neighborhood who can go on a walk without a leash. All other dogs flock to her and all I have to do is tell her, "No."

We use a leash walking around houses, but she likes to run around without it too. When it's time to put the leash back on I call her name, she comes to me, sits down and lets me hook her back up. She loves to get out of the yard and go sniff everything. She squats even when she has nothing else to let out. It's really funny. She is my baby Bear.

This is the house I want Amy to buy. She will be close to me, and we can drink wine and carpool to work in our dream world. We can plan all

our trips on her front porch or my back porch overlooking the water and dreaming about our vacations all over the world. We could go walk together whenever we want. She needs to cut her tree, but for the price of the house maybe they'll do that for her. It is a cute little patio home on a corner lot on Baytowne. She won't have as much grass as I do, so she won't have to rent a bush hog once a year. Maybe we can even have the same yard boy. Did anyone say sushi? I'm there.

Now this neighbor decided to rent a bull doser and offer all the residents a free wake up call at 7 am every morning, including Saturdays. They should be finished demolishing by the time Amy moves in though. Why would you want to tear down the back of your house? Why to build it back of course! I have a feeling this will not be the end of all this noise. It looks like they are building a new sea wall actually, which is necessary just very noisy for a very long time. Do you know what it's like to be woken up by a machine pounding pillars into the ground? All of us do after another lady complained enough to have her $900,000 sea wall built on the bill of Pearl River Valley.

There's never a dull moment in this place. It is a nice place, usually quiet, but things happen. We have a nosy neighbor, tons of walkers, joggers, kids, kayaks, jet skis, golf, clowns, birds, planes, turtles, alligators and all the kitchen sinks you could ever wish for.

Can you not see a RED CAR!!!???

2009-07-29T23:48:00.000-07:00

Dangit again!!! Lady, get off your freaking cell phone and watch where you're going!!! Maybe you shouldn't be running red lights any more!!! Get off the road!!! Another two weeks with a rental? Good grief! Can you just put a new trunk on there too? Then it would be like a whole new car. So much for the Braves game.

Mobster's Ball in Louisville, KY

2009-07-12T22:31:00.000-07:00

The Ball was an amazingly good time. We roared in like they did in the 1920's. We accidentally got thrown into jail, when Brad got Jo taken to jail. He bribed someone to take her to jail for $2. That did the trick as it was a lot of money back then. However, the accuser got put in jail with the accused when the court found out he stayed at her house. When they found out we were both staying at her house they put me in jail too. I was the first to get out with a little dance for the Godfather. Brad was the last to get out of jail.

One of the bartenders was also dressed up. Brad dubbed him "cupcake". He must've like it too, because our bar tab was only half of what it should've been at the end of the night.

There were some specialty drinks with Makers Mark and of course Dumante. This is the one I loved and stuck with, the Mobsters Kiss martini.

We also won lots of prizes. Brad talked the Godfather into giving him a Makers Mark wax dipped Fedora for a Makers on the rocks, a cigar later on in the night and I won him two money clips for twisting a cherry stem into a knot in my mouth. It was a fun time had by all and a time I will not soon forget.

A huge thanks to Lauren Frier Baker for letting me borrow her dress from, get this, a college sorority swap. Aren't we good girl to still fit in this!! High five!!

Pics Link

2009-07-05T07:17:00.000-07:00

Here's the link to all the pics so far.

Picasa Web Album

Flotilla Parade on Lake St. John

2009-07-04T16:44:00.000-07:00

The parade is the best thing that happens at the Lakehouse every year!! There were 2 boats that stood out to me. The overloaded KISS and PEACE pontoons. I will post a link soon when I get all the pics uploaded. This is what we look forward to every year. this year it was smaller than usual. We're not quite sure why, but there were only a few good ones. The winner will be in the paper tomorrow. If it's not one of these guys it was the "Beer for my Horses" boat who was not as good as he was last year. Happy boating!!

July 4th Lakehouse weekend

2009-07-04T13:42:00.000-07:00

The binoculars are always in use. What people look at is a mystery to me!! Being inquisitive and finally asking made me wish I hadn't. All the boys use them to look at the girls in their swim suits on the boats and piers. Okay this shouldn't be a surprise huh. That's what we girls get for not letting them put a pool table in the sun room.

Here's the stocked refridgerator. Thank goodness nobody has to "drive into town" now to get beer. The little store reopened that is only halfway 'into town'. I gladly ride with anyone who wants to go as long as they agree to stop at The Dock, so I can get my Dock Rocker.

You wanna see how girls use binoculars? We have nothing to look at besides beer bellies, Titleist visors, Colombia shirts, and drunk boys. There aren't any cute boys. Hannah wanted to try them out but didn't get very far.

Stanton Hall Natchez

2009-06-30T10:12:00.001-07:00

Hope and Isaac love to swim and are finally great swimmers!!! I was so impressed with their swimming this weekend. They went from being scared of the water last year to little fish this year. It can and does happen. We are sooo happy, and I'm happy that now I know they're actually related!! No relative of mine dislikes the water. They are full fledged swimming in the deep, shallow, under and on top of the water. It is amazing. They are five now and growing faster every time I see them. I love them to death and am so proud of them!!

Karaoke Mondays

2009-06-25T23:00:00.001-07:00

Will loves to sing and all things music. In my opinion it's actually pretty good music. Fenian's has karaoke Mondays. Apparently Last Call has karaoke on Sunday nights, because Will was late for work on Monday. hmm. Maybe it was the stripper at Last Call. When Will and Will came in and sat at the table closest to the DJ, he put himself on stage and sang the song about "when a stripper is crying". It was hilarious. He also dedicated that song to our table. It's a good thing I was not invited to that one. I wouldn't have found it as amusing. Well, the song they played when they called his name was not the song he requested. The DJ said someone had turned that request in with his name on it and that song, so weird. We all had a good time, but I didn't get to hear "Living on a Prayer" before I left. They didn't call it out until 1:30am. We all did have a great time as always!!

Natural Science Museum

2009-06-25T22:50:00.001-07:00

Today, Will and I went to the Natural Science Museum after I ran and napped but before work. It was soooo cool. The current display is "Monsters of the Deep". It is all about aquatic animals. Turtles, whales, and odd sea animals are all swimming around in the Museum. I would love to go back and spend more time. The manatee was so cute. Who knew how small it actually is compared to other sea creatures. There were tons of sharks ..... all kinds. It made us want to go scuba diving. Our next gay adventure will be the Mississippi Museum of Art. Neither of us like art, but with a coupon and some time off of work anything can be done. Will so cool; he will go to weird things like this with me. It was actually his idea the first time we went to a museum. It was cheap fun, and that was enough for us. We tried to go to the planetarium thinking the dinosaur exhibit was there, but it was actually at the NSM. We have yet to go back to the planetarium. One day....

Weekend in Natchez

2009-06-25T08:55:00.000-07:00

I had the best time with the kids in Natchez. I took them to McDonalds and church Sunday morning, then we ate lunch at Meme and Papaw's house before taking them back home. They are growing so fast!! Thank goodness it was time to put them down for a nap and time for me to go home. I love them so much, but it's always good to give them back too. hehe

Beer Bottle Temple

2009-03-29T22:36:00.000-07:00

Jenn and I are planning a trip!! Europe '09!! However, we were gratefully sorry that this did not make the cut...

Link

Bigger in Texas?

2009-02-05T21:14:00.000-08:00

Is everything really bigger and better in Texas? Texans sure think so. It's like this place is its own country or something. The big question is : Will Texas or California be the first to secede from the nation? When they fly the stars and bars they always fly their own flag next to it, leaving one to wonder which flag do they think is the real National flag? They probably refer to their own flag as the "Bars and Star". In every other state residents are proud to be Americans. However, in Texas people are proud to be from Texas.

The first thing I noticed immediately upon entering Texas is that people drive faster!! For real! I even told someone this who had already noticed it previously. What is up with that? Is their time more valuable than peoples' from other states that they think they have to drive like racecar drivers? Do they just do it because the commute takes longer no matter where or when they are driving? On that note, my dad told me to leave Jackson early to 'beat' rush hour traffic. Generally "Rush Hour" is from 5pm - 6pm, correct? Knowing the big city, I asked, "ohhh, about 3pm - 6pm?" So, I planned and happened to fall into my plan of arriving around 7pm to miss the 'rush hour'. Ohhhh Noooo! Traffic was bumper to bumper in all lanes with crazy fast drivers and road construction everywhere. This is not even LA traffic, like constant speed, drivers know what they're doing, moving traffic. It's a mess of congested commuters changing lanes and slamming on brakes with half their brake lights working, stop and go traffic. Some kind of rush hour!

Construction brings me to my next hap.....
The first and only sign I've ever seen to read, "Caution Worker Convoy Ahead". WORKER CONVOY!!! convoy??? Since we are in Texas and proud to be, is this the same as the "Texas Hispanic Highway Compound"? They are escorted by a state agency so they don't get sent back across the border? Really, are they ever finished with highway construction? NO, NEVER. They keep adding routes to reconstruct, so they can add members to their 'convoy'. Let's have octuplets by invetro, unmarried, so we can have enough workers to finish this project. Ohh, wait, that was California.

If Texas is so gung ho on being different and separate, why do some of their towns have the same names as places in other states? I mean seriously, I drove through Canton, Winono and Athens all in one small stretch. Seeing the first two made me wonder if I was on my way to the Mississippi Delta on I55 or still heading my original, western direction. In fact I had to turn on the Nav System like a true out-of-stater just to make sure this was still Texas. Then, Athens came along and I couldn't help but wonder if Athens, GA or Athens, TX came first. Either way could they not come up with anything besides the ancient Grecian name?

What does one think of when wondering what it's like in the 'Wild Wild West'? Dirt roads lined with swinging, double saloon doors opening to hole in the wall, honky tonk bars, right? So, they have to wear their cowboy boots to ride into town and go into the bar. Well, not so much. This state is further east than 1/3 of the United States, and no other state has as many western cowboy boot wearing honky tonks as this state. They don't wear these in Wild Western places like Las Vegas and LA. They are not a fashion statement anymore!! Apparently the mobile home look is in now. It's not possible to count how many trailer dealers lined the highway throughout the drive on I20. If it wasn't a mobile home trailer it was a horse trailer outlet. In other states a trailer is where country people live, but in Texas they have horse trailers worth as much as their mobile homes. And every other one was named 'Big Tex Trailers'. Maybe Texans just like options. There is a Costco within one mile of a Sam's club on Central Expressway. Capitalism in its most effective state, state of emergency!

Maybe it was the 8 hour commute that got me all loony thinking or it's just reality. Unless living in a trailer is cool, or working for a convoy is admirable, Things are not bigger or better in Texas.

Cotton Bowl ~ House Divided

2009-01-06T13:01:00.000-08:00

So how many households in America can say they were a house divided at the Ole Miss vs. Texas Tech Cotton Bowl in Dallas?? My guess is not many. One Mother/Daughter team got caught up in the fight to the finish. Mother's alma matar is Texas Tech, while I am no doubt an Ole Miss alum. Riding in seperate cars to the game, 8 hours away, was even necessary. However, mother had to drive her daughter's car to Dallas with TWO Ole Miss Alum window stickers on it. She didn't mind it driving back though. If you can't beat 'em Join 'em.

Do they sit together or not? Of course not. One chants Hotty Toddy while the other yells an all mighty "Raider Power". And that 'Guns Up' business, isn't that more racist than having Colonel Reb as a mascot. I mean seriously, if people showed me a hand gesture depicting a gun I would think they were going to shoot me. GET DOWN.

Who would win if Colonel Rebel got into a fight with Pistol Pete? They both have such equally large hats would they even be able to see each other? Colonel Reb may be able to beat Pete with his cane: shove it into his stomach, slap him over the back with it until he goes down then beat him to a bloody red pulp knocking his hat off and stealing his guns, because they don't really have bullets in them. That's about how the game went. Texas Tech just didn't show up with any bullets.

It seemed as though Texas had many Tech-nical difficulties all the way through. Thinking they had the game comfortably won before it even started, Ole Miss proved that the number 2 team in the Big 12 just can't play the boys in the SEC's number 3 team. Call me algebraically challenged, but doesn't this mean that the Big 12 must be the Flag Football League? It will all prove to be true in the BCS where Florida will stomp another non-SEC team. Nobody can touch the SEC. It is NO force to be reckoned with.

While Tech fans were storming out of the stadium named for itself, Cotton Bowl, Rebel fans were busy cheering on their new coach, "Houston - Nutt -- Houston - Nutt -- Houston - Nutt," as he received the Cotton Bowl trophy. Fans stayed long after the game was over to take in the moment and enjoy the end of a season long awaited, since Eli took us to the same Bowl. Victory was sweet for Nutt as well with his first bowl win in his coaching career.

We will be anxiously awaiting next season and seeing where our team will be ranked to start off the 2009 season.

Night Before Christmas

2008-12-24T21:08:00.000-08:00

'Twas the night before Christmas, and far out at sea
Our vessel was sailing, as smooth as could be

The stockings were hung from the balcony chairs
With hope that St. Nicholas would find them out there

The children were nestled all snug in their uppers
Having just settled down from a Christmas Eve supper

And ma and myself, we were covered in aloe
A bit too much sun, in a pool, warm and shallow

When up in the sky, there arose such a clatter
I leapt from my bed to see what was the matter

To the sliding glass door, I flew like a flash
Well, more like a saunter, and less like a dash

And what to my skeptical eyes should appear
But a great shiny sleigh, and eight flying reindeer

They circled our ship, from starboard to port
As the moon lit the driver, a jolly old sort

Who called to his team, in a happy retort
"Now Dasher, now Dancer," so on and so forth

We raced through our cabin and into the hall
To the very top deck, in time for us all

To be awed by the sight of Old Santa's sleigh
As he lightly touched down, by the midnight buffet

With a bundle of goodies thrown over his back
He rose in the air and dropped down the smokestack

Santa went straight to work, and later we learned
He found every child's cabin, from the bow to the stern

Insides and oceanviews, balconies and suites
Santa filled every stocking, with toys and with treats

Until all his deliveries had been handled with care
Then he noted he still had a minute to spare

So he surfed the wave rider, with nary a fall
While Dasher and Dancer scaled the rock-climbing wall

And Prancer, who had always been fond of the cold
Tried the ice-skating rink, a sight to behold

And then with a whistle, Santa summoned his team
And he bade us farewell, silent nights and sweet dreams

And I heard him exclaim, as he flew out of view
Merry Christmas to all, and to all, a good cruise.

~Lifted~

Momma Got Run Over by a Reindeer

2008-12-24T20:23:00.000-08:00

What happens when a deer jumps on the hood of an SC430?

Momma got run over by a REINDEER!!

Throw in Barnett's Body Shop and you get a bunch of ELVES who cannot tell the difference in up and down. Seriously, why would you try to put an aftermarket part on such car?!

SANTA was supposed to give the thing back yesterday; too bad his elves just couldn't get it together this year.

That's ok. In the mean time, well for the last 3 weeks, one family is putting "usual" wear and tear on a rental, some Cadillac suv they don't like. It's quite comical riding 'round in the Caddy.

As a passenger trying to move the seat back, someone realized the seat was not a power seat. Come on!! I'm guessing this is a pretty expensive car, and why would you make it without a power passenger seat? The bratty remark was, "UGH, no power seat!" To which the driver replied, "Cheap thing." This is what opened the whole can of worms!!

A usual cold blooded person on the way to the grocery store went further to look for the "butt warmers", more typically known as the seat warmer at which time she could not find them and remarked so. The disappointment continued... "Cheap thing!!" It doesn't even have a digital clock!! Who wants to try to figure out what time it is looking at a round one? Some people have to count the numbers to know what it says. Can't that be quite dangerous while driving?!

At some point all cars need gas, no joke. How many women does it take to put gas in a Caddy? How long should one be required to look for the gas cover release button inside a car? Normally they just have a little gas pump on them to let people know what it is. Oh, no, not this sub-standard. "But it doesn't have a lock on it." "Should we just wait for the gas light to come on?" "At this rate it may not have one." Who would've thought that you just push it like a cd player and it magically pops open? Come on! What kind of safety feacher is that? Blond proof, not criminal proof...

"It's a rental, we'll park by the buggy thing." And in the Target parking lot and unable to find one's rental: "How can you steal a rental?" "The same way you'd steal a normal car!"

All these things and who would think about eggs?! Really, is the price of eggs worth the wear and tear on a chicken's butt?

Tired!!?? Why!!??

2008-11-08T14:56:00.000-08:00

Has anyone ever told you, "You look Tired!"?

What did you say? Thanks?!

This is one of my favorite comments, from the peanut gallery. Why would someone say this, to make a statement, ask a question, or just generally prod into one's life about something which is none of his, or more frequently her, business? What leads one to ask this?

1. Target is wearing glasses today.

2. Target paired blue jeans with a t-shirt and a pony tail.

3. Target is drinking coffee, or the insane alternate, Red Bull.

4. Target ran in the door with 5 minutes to spare.

5. Target is just not speaking to initiator today!!

What are some of the reasons exhibit A, Target, would appear tired today? Keep in mind these sometimes have absolutely nothing to do with the reason why initiator would make a target out of Exhibit A.

1. Exhibit A just got hip, new glasses and would like to rest her eyes from countless hours of suffocation in contact lenses.

2. Exhibit A did not feel like putting together a cute outfit to wear to, um, class, much less the grocery store and bank errands!

3. Exhibit A was cold this morning so she decided to heat up some coffee/tea, or look cool and pay attention with a contemporary Red Bull can, sugar-free no less.

4. Exhibit A always runs in the door with 5 minutes to spare because she does not like to converse with classmates or be confronted by co-workers about taking out the dang trash. Plus she is drinking an energy drink, so of course she is running!!

5. Exhibit A does not feel like putting on a foux front in the presence of a loony blond today!!

One response from the target could simply be, "Yeah, I am, SO....!!!" Or make a conversation out of it to get a little much needed attention, "Why do you ask?" However, I am going to start answering with one of my notorious smart head remarks, and see how the perpetrator responds. My first encounters my go something like this:

a. "I went running this morning at 6am, and you?"

b. "The Vogue editor woke me up awfully early."

c. "I kept telling Ashton Kutcher I wouldn't go on a midnight motorcycle ride with him, but he wouldn't take no for an answer!"

d. "Martha Stewart says she sleeps only five hours, and I'll be damned if I'm going to let her beat me in that department too!"

e. "My boyfriend kept me up all night long. We needed some time together though!"

f. "I missed my weekly spa appointment, because I, ahhh, overslept."

I may be flying on the wings of Red Bull, but no, I'm not going to fake 8 hours of sleep with extra make-up, a slinky dress or a cucumber spa treatment. Know that blue jeans and t-shirts are a staple as well as a hot pair of glasses to enhance intelligence! If I appear ditsy today, it's just because I'm tired, who cares why! Tired eyes aren't always lonely stars; they can be sexy, sultry, or just plain cute.

Maslow Was Wrong

2008-11-06T14:09:00.001-08:00

I don't believe Maslow's Hierarchy of needs is 100% correct. There are always exceptions to the rule and Maslow does not allow for any exceptions. Some peoples' hierarchy may be skewed, like beef on the grill.

This first occurred to me when Will and I were having one of our normal discussions. I disagreed with him at first. However, with further evaluation, I realized the philosophical content had more to do with complex, psychological processes and less to do with primary, basic needs. Just as growth and development of the individual over a lifespan occurs at different intervals, so Maslow's needs may be met at adjuncting times.

The first example would be misplacement of Love and Belongingness. The individual in the quarter life crisis often experiences this. The young adult faces intimacy vs. isolation in Erikson's Psychosocial Development and would not choose the life of a hermit willingly. At some point the desire for affection, friendship, and partnership outweighs the need for safety and security. One would find all stability, protection, security and freedom from fear and anxiety in a mate. If one cannot provide his or her own safety and security, he or she would rely on another to provide it. At this stage, one cannot feel stable, protected (cared for), or calm without the presence of a mate or potential mate. One may think this is most common in females. On the contrary, males know they can never reach comfort without a female's presence, and hence forth are caused much anxiety and fear because their second "basic need" is Love and Belongingness, not safety and security. These masculine creatures were probably brought us with much love and affection from their feminine decision maker, and therefore find their security in the female's acceptance.

They aren't the only ones deviating from Maslow's Hierarchy. Lots of people put Esteem before Love and Belongingness. These people want to find self-respect, self-confidence, and feelings of self worth before they venture off to find their careers, hobbies, and being single. If another all mighty philosophy, God, was thrown into the mix, these people could argue that they find their Love and Belongingness in Him. Others just cannot get over their own vain, conceited, ways of the world. Work-a-holics often get wrapped up in promotions and bursting through the glass ceiling that they often cannot see past their work or themselves.

Whether the view from the bottom is straight up or a steady uphill climb, few ever reach the top of the peek at Self-actualization. No matter the order in which people place their basic needs, the climb up the mountain is definitely a rocky road. For the trail blazers who try to take a helicopter to the top, it can be lonely once they reach actualization. Who is to say anyone has even made it to the viewpoint? Only one Almighty can judge whether or not someone has reach his or her full use of individual talents.

Monologue PART I

2008-11-06T11:47:00.000-08:00

SK, MY SPORTS FRIEND

We practice exercising our mouths and sprinting in our heels. Our upper body workouts consist of football signs and fixing our hair; lower body moves, we'll let the men take care of that necessity. we are the quarterbacks of the team, the smart ones. this blond and this brunette think hard about plays, X's and O's, but fashion and style are what we're best at. Their coaches would say "men" is their specialty; they never forget that ineligible receiver downfield. He is a stalker and cannot take NO for an answer. Her appendix hurts, but she is still sporting that Mistletoe shirt. They both like to read, so why does everyone think they are so ditsy? Their relationship woes can be solved over a martini at Julip. did anyone say stapler, trash bag, or curling ribbon? Don't buy that new purse line!! It's ours, and we get a discount. Does anyone know anything about soccer? We must, we must, we must increase our bust. Did you hear about Jacqui? My monogrammed bag was supposed to be back last week. No, we don't sell Webkinz!! The bathroom is upstairs, our is OUT OF ORDER. Maybe you should look at the map right outside our door... For the LAST TIME...

Forget Gatorade. This team runs on sugar-free Redbull and Starbucks. I can't wrap that now!; my coffee is still hot. One internet junkie and one technologically challenged; these girls don't like generic. Cotton, it comes from the ground? I thought it was a boutique. PEACE. It sells out fast. the money is locked in the cabinet that is for files. Now we keep it by the toilet. We don't have those in any other letters. You said Debit, Lady!; put your pin in. I haven't gotten commission since August. She's not here today. We need a donation for our super, special, charity benefit for the Rectum Foundation and the Chimpanzee Animal Farm. Do you still have...? No, we sold out last year. Will you be getting anymore of these thingies in? They are always on back order. You still haven't picked up your graduation gift. When will it go to 75% off? There is NO gift wrapping and NO returns on sale items. I won't ever let my kid wear squeaky shoes. Umm, your child just ran out the door; you can't eat that sweetie. Where do all the Sharpies go? Ginger said, Ginger said, Ginger said... Where is Ginger? Yesterday she was baking, today she is sewing. You fell off the ladder!! I couldn't reach the top lock. Maintenance was supposed to come by.

Plumber, I'm glad you're finally working, but I don't want to see your crack. Who said crack? No I'm not. Somebody parked in my spot. Do you have any of these in the back? I can't stand up all day; bring me that orange stool; Ginger is coming! Use this cutsie hanger. That's an Ugly Doll!! You're right, we just got a new shipment. "Teens, Tween and Drama Queens." Does it sound like we have anything for boys? The charms are five dollars each. The radio isn't working and my iPod is in my car. I'll be back. She didn't take out the trash? No girl, but she looks like trash.

Freaky, your cell phone just jumped off the counter. It's my vibrator silly; I don't want my clients to hear it. UPS already came today. They ask me my last name every stinkin' day. It's a bath gem; you put it in the bath tub. I need a MomAgenda; can you order me a blue and silver floral one. It's November dumby, where were you the last ten months? I need two phone numbers, your drivers licence number and date of birth. I only have one phone number, and I can't remember it. My kid goes to that school that starts with a J and ends with an A. They don't have lockers there, but is this all the magnets you have? Jingle coins, jingle coins, jingle coins rock. Roll these up please. How long is 16 inches? Maggie is dancing today. You don't put that in the money bag.

We are a tag team. Offsides!! The speakers aren't working. I don't think there are any speakers. It's a touch screen; you don't have to use the mouse. But I have a gift certificate to pay for it. Also, can I buy a gift certificate for $20; my daughter has a tennis party to go to today. She is the best one on the team, and my son... They must be special kids, short bus special. Call me whenever he texts you, emails you or calls you. I want to meat tall, dark and handsome. It is a team effort. I need your help on make-up; see you on the field.

May the best man, err, woman, WIN!

Heads. Tails.

What Highland Village should look like!!!

GingerCRaps

2008-08-13T20:40:00.001-07:00

Work was tough today for about the first time since Christmas. We got sooo much new stuff in, finding places for it all was difficult. I still love all the people I meet who come in there shopping. People are usually so nice when they are shopping. I really believe in "Retail Therapy". Girls are so excited to get new back to school stuff, pick out gifts for their friends, and find cute new stuff. It is pleasing for me being able to help people (moms mostly) find gifts in their price range that they think are so cute. The gift wrap is so cute. It's not actually a job to wrap stuff, and people are so excited to see how cute the gift they will be giving looks so cute. Since I do not have nursing school on Fridays, I will be working here most Fridays. It will be relief from the pain and torture of sitting through nursing lectures all week. The merchandise is so cute and uplifting. Customers comment all the time how they would love to work in such a cute store. No one could become rich working here, but anyone could become poor shopping here. All the girls who work with me are so cool and nice too. I never thought I could work in retail, but this isn't really work it's so cute. Some pics I took today for our new Facebook group:

My Gingersnaps Wish List: (create your own on the discussion board in the new Gingersnaps Facebook group)

Natural Life stuff: Water Bottle "Let it Be", Laptop Bag "Let Peace Grow" (both shown above), Pin Cusion/Tape Measure, Overnight Bag "Life is Good", Earrings - peace, hearts, and circles; Two's Company Sequin Beaded Bracelet (shown above), Papaya Thank You Note Cards; anything from the Pacifica line (candle, scent or soap); Shingle Journal; Mainstreet Collection Initial Notepad; Bungalow 360 Crab Beach Tote.

Wine and Cheese

2008-08-12T21:23:00.000-07:00

Monday Night I went to a wine tasting with mother and some of her friends at Two Rivers in Canton. It was really nice. The wines (ones that I tried until I got stuck on one in particular) were good, and the cheese was really just as good as the wine. Well, I was extremely hungry too. I loved trying all the fine cheeses. The white wines aren't my favorite, and I only really tried two red wines. I got stuck on the

pinot noir of course, my favorite, or it got stuck on me. They gave generous portions and as many refills as you could drink. Mother is such a light weight; she was feeling good by the time I got there. The wines went by number. You ask for number one, then two, all the way through five. We wanted to eat afterwards, so we could all drive. haha There were no tables to be had in the house, but Bradley pulled some strings and got us the corner booth at the bar, perfect for the six of us. It was my first time to eat there, but the food was fabulous. It was a great beginning to the week, and a night of fun for all.

Nursing School

2008-08-08T13:09:00.000-07:00

Everyone wants to know about nursing school, so here goes. I have orientation on the 12th from 11:30 to 3:30, and my first day of class is the 18th. All my books I ordered off the internet are here as well as my uniforms and stethoscope. My "bookbag" came from Gingersnaps!! of course. I'll be the hip student with the Toss bag and cute notebooks. You have to do something to keep it fun and interesting. The Jansport/NorthFace backpack thing is just not me. I still plan on taking lots of weekend trips!! Hello Ole Miss football... so, I do not know quite what to expect. After getting my first bachelors' degree barely opening a book, I hear it's supposed to be very different here, we'll see. SO I'M NOT GOING TO UMC, big whoop. With a previous bachelors' degree, I will be making more than the average grad in my class. If I decide to make this a career, I will definately go on to get my masters as a nurse practitioner. However, being a nurse is not really my personality type, so we'll see how this even works out. My criminal background check finally came back. Supposedly I was a convicted felon, or somebody was. So the fingerprinting people aren't the brightest in the box.

I will continue to teach swim lessons at St. Dominic, as I really enjoy the kids (and the money). It makes me happy to teach people what I know to better their lives, but don't ever think I'll be a school teacher. I like the people I work with, and I get to work out up there too...with the doctors. haha well, I am excited about starting school. It will give my life a little more meaning besides figuring out which days it will be sunny, so I can lay out, or working at Gingersnaps for eight bucks an hour. My year and a half of goofing off and figuring out how to goof off next is coming to an end; it needed to. It's time for this life to have a little more meaning and challenges laid ahead...

ANWR

2008-07-26T19:07:00.000-07:00

What do you think of when you think of a national wildlife refuge?

Yeah, that's exactly what I think of too!!

MY SUV LOVES IRAQI OIL!!

WHY?

BECAUSE AMERICA WON'T DRILL!! MY SUV DOESN'T HAVE A CHOICE!!

I almost hit a dear on the way home. Why the heck do all these people want to save the freaking caribou?? Check out the caribou in the "national wildlife refuge" politics don't want to drill...

The ban on drilling in ANWR is such a political hoax. I don't want to drive a hybrid car on bicycle wheels or put ugly solar panels on the top of my house. So why don't they grow corn in ANWR so the caribou can eat and we can drive ethanol cars? Canada and Cuba are drilling where our political 'heros' won't.

I'm paying $4/gallon for gas, so the polar bears can live like this....

But please, RECYCLE!!! I don't want to live in everyone else's land fill!!

And.....our 'good ole boys' need to trade in their motor oil for cowboy hats and bull ropes..... yeah right.

Shock N Awe Softball 2008 Season

2008-07-13T20:18:00.001-07:00

So the season started off a little rough..... to say the least, but it was no easy task. Ok, Ok, I admit my favorite part was socializing after the games and cheering from the bench, but hey, I was a fastpitch player. The first picture was after our first win!!! There were only four teams in the league, and we were the only one completely consisting of, well, crackers. We didn't exactly play in Liberty Park, in fact you probably would not want to get caught there alone after dark, in fear of being offered some malt beer. My position, random out fielder/bench warmer, was totally a nececity, let me tell you. I think I let as many past me as I stopped. Dad would not be proud!!, and those hits, yeah I hope nobody taped those. What exactly does a strike look like in slow pitch. The one thing I never googled, gasp, slow pitch softball rules. All leagues enforce different rules or let certain rules slide. The Madison Baptist Church league does not really enforce many rules, but it's way more, way more up tight. There's NO drinking after those games...... Anyways we had a great time game in and game out, win or lose, because that's the caliber of people on the Shock N Awe. We even took a picture with the second place trophy!! Thank you Will for asking me to play and introducing me to these fun people!! Next, we will be playing kickball on Wednesdays!! Is there a benchwarmer position in that sport?

Happy Birthday America!!!

2008-07-06T21:10:00.000-07:00

July 4th was kind of unplanned. I was supposed to go to the lake house, but didn't really feel like going. So, Bradley and I went out to the country, and I mean the boon docks. Kristen and I were the only girls that actually came dressed for the occasion. The other blonde, southern girls were in dresses sipping martinis on the pier. Now, there's a time and a place for all things, think Julip on a regular basis. The boys found it amusing to slip and slide into the lake. It was the longest, soapiest, widest, country, slip-n-slide I've ever seen. I didn't partake in the activities, probably because I was way too sober. When Michael and Kristen arrived, it was on to the 4-wheeler riding. I've never seen so many of these things in one place at one time. It seemed like there were about 20 of them, like it's the cool thing to have.... So it was only my second time actually driving one of these things; I moved up from a piece of flair on the back thanks to Drew teaching me. I'm a city girl!! Bradley's used to these things. By the time we went, I actually knew what a deer stand was.... even though they look like tree houses!!!.... they are sometimes used for other purposes, like sitting in for hours on end looking for that big one....We found some trails, got lost, got dirty and made it back to the lake, finally. It was awesome!!!, but there comes a time in a city girls' life when she needs a shower!! Poor Kristen had to stay longer than I did with all the mosquitoes. The mayor of Ridgeland gave Bradley some VIP passes to the Balloon Races for us to use!!! We weren't really planning on going, but we got hungry.... It was a lot cooler than I thought it would be. So we got there pretty late. There is such a thing as fashionably late you know..... However, we saw all the important things: one balloon glow, the main singer (I forgot his name), and some good ole festival grub. It was a great end to a great day watching fire works light up the sky. The VIP parking was the best too!! We were out before everyone else and home packing for the lake the next day!!

It couldn't get any better!! A great July 4th at home with friends, then off to the lake for a relaxing weekend with family. Yeah, it's boring at the lake sometimes, but July 4th is when the lake comes to life.... The flotilla boat parade was hilarious as always. There were a few boats that stood out in particular..... the wagon with horses playing "Save a horse, ride a cowboy" totally should have won. There were a couple war ships with people shooting stuff like mardi gras beads, and the unforgettable tiki bar boat. It lost some poles later in the day that got caught in our engine, so we were none too happy about that. Mac and Lexi (the dogs) went on every boat ride with us.... They love the wind blowing on them. Lexi likes to drive with me every now and then, maybe she can see better. So, we almost ran out of gas one time, but I made it just in time to the pump. Mac and Lexi were glad they didn't have to swim back to the boathouse...
Our last night, Daddy treated us to the Duck's Nest. They have the best catfish in MS in my opinion!! It is soooo my favorite!! We had an awesome table by the water!! I gave Daddy his birthday and father's day present, a leather jacket for his next big venture into motorcycles, and a symbol for his red corvette with a paw paw license plate. haha We made it back to get ready for the big work week ahead (3 day work week for me)!! Somebody's gotta do it!!

Bahamas Introduction - June 13

2008-06-25T18:40:00.000-07:00

Queenie, the famous taxi driver, picked me up from the airport and took me around to run some of her errands. Drew sent her to get me, and she was on time and awesome. We saw some of her friends, went to the post office, and she introduced me to coconut water. I haven't found any in the states, and Sarah was mad. One of Hemmingway's drinks at Sloppy Joe's was made with coconut water, and she hasn't had it before. If I'd only known exactly what I was drinking..... Anyway, Queenie was hilarious as was the entire day and night. At some point in the day, a random old timey ship came in the channel. It looked just like it's name said, "Ghost Ship". We couldn't figure out if it had been pulled up from the bottom of the ocean or been used to commit some murder scene. It was just what I pictured when thinking about Bahamian ships. It was actually just used in a movie. Not long after that, the intern, appropriately named, Shitern, took 3 tries to splice a rope. He only figured it out after some help from the Ole Miss graduates, Drew and I. What are they teaching kids these days. It really wasn't that difficult. After some relaxing reading and recouping time in the hammock at the Gunk Hole in the backyard, it was off to an awesome night with Drew and the gang.
Grayson gave us all a round of laughs before we went out. Too bad the only two girls in the house didn't have a blow dryer. Who needs one of those? I don't even own a straightener. He thinks the heat gun off the boat will serve as a perfect blow dryer, and since he has long arms it shouldn't fry his hair. Well what do you know? Some hair got fried in the OGM III Beauty Salon that night. All the while talking on the phone......

We grabbed some drinks on the square before going to eat. Grayson saw it fit to order 18 beers and a bong. We didn't stay long enough to see the beers get finished before we went to an awesome sushi restaurant. They made reservations and everything. The fish was so fresh; I do think it might be the best sushi I've ever eaten. Even the saki was so smooth. The last time I had saki was in Las Vegas. The boys were checking out the top heavy chicks. Dinner was fabulous as was the night out on the town. My drink of choice for the night was vodka and cranberry. Drew showed me an awesome time of course, and I will remember it for a long time. At the end of the night he found Grayson asleep in the laundry room, his crash spot of choice.