gesu bambino

Did you know that Max eats the bubbles from my bubble bath? He does. It's weird. But that's beside the point. =^..^=

Tonight I filled out one of those crazy "getting to know your friends" emails--the holiday edition. It was kind of fun to think of my favorite holiday things. One of the questions was, "What is your favorite Christmas carol?" My answer was Gesu Bambino, as sung by my dad. If you have never heard my dad sing this piece, you are missing out on one of my greatest joys. If I can ever figure out how to make an mp3 from a record (yes, a true RECORD), I'll post it online so you can all hear it.

**I looked online this evening to find a suitable recording of this piece. I listened to both Kathleen Battle and Luciano Pavarotti, but neither could even begin to compare to my dad.**

This started me thinking of the gorgeous words and music of this piece, so I decided to post the words here. I hope Dad sings this on Christmas Sunday morning. (This is a request, Dad!)

GESU BAMBINO

When blossoms flowered 'mid the snows
Upon a winter night
Was born the Child, the Christmas Rose,
The King of Love and Light.

The angels sang, the shephers sang,
The grateful earth rejoiced,
And at His blessed birth the stars
Their exultation voiced.

O come let us adore Him,
O come let us adore Him,
O come let us adore Him,
Christ the Lord.

Again the heart with rapture glows
To greet the holy night
That gave the world its Christmas Rose,
Its King of Love and Light.

Let ev'ry voice acclaim His name,
The grateful chorus swell,
From paradise to earth He came
That we with Him might dwell.

O come let us adore Him,
O come let us adore Him,
O come let us adore Him,
Christ the Lord.

O come let us adore Him, adore Him,
Christ the Lord.
O come, o come,
O come let us adore Him,
Let us adore Him,
Christ the Lord.

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christmas card count: 19!!

crunch time

OK. I realized late last night how much I have to do before we leave on Thursday night!! We're leaving after Brian gets out of work (I'm PRAYING it's a decent time!) and driving to Greenville, SC. I'm hoping we'll be there by 2:00 am. Then we'll leave Friday afternoon for KY. Right now I have 4 mini-loaves of cranberry bread in the oven, and I need to jump in the shower and get a few more things done before they come out. I have a chiropractor appointment at 3, (something is poking me in the back), and then my scrapbook club at 6, which means I need to leave around 5 to fight the traffic. Whew! And I have to scrap something before then to share at the club!! Nothing like waiting till the last minute.

In keeping with the holiday spirit, I want to share my cranberry bread recipe. It's from my dear friend Alicia Harlow. Her husband Jason worked at VV with Brian, and they moved to CA at the same time we moved here. It was weird not spending Thanksgiving with them, since we have for the past 3 years! And Alicia always brings this bread. It's delicious! A departure from normal holiday treats, it's not too sweet, not too tart, but a perfect blend of both. Enjoy.

Cranberry Bread
(this recipe makes 1 loaf or 2 mini-loaves)

2 c. sifted flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
3/4 c. sugar
1 egg
1/3 c. orange juice
3 Tbsp. white vinegar plus water to make 2/3 cup
1/4 c. oil
1 c. coarsely chopped cranberries
1 c. chopped walnuts

Sift flour, soda, salt, & sugar; set aside. Beat together egg, orange juice, vinegar/water, & oil. Add flour mixture. Stir just until all flour is moistened. Add berries and nuts. Pour into pan(s) and bake 60-70 min. at 350. Cool overnight before slicing.

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christmas card count: 12!
PS--Jenni, I'm desperately trying to get my scanner to work so I can put Evan's picture on my blog! He is just TOO ADORABLE!! I can't believe how big he is!

one week from today

is Christmas Eve!! And we will be frolicking happily in Kentucky at my parents' house, where it's COLD and it feels like CHRISTMAS!! Today I have all the fans on, the windows open, and am wearing shorts and a t-shirt. It's just not Christmasy!

My new favorite Bath & Body Works scent is definitely Vanilla Bean Noel. I got the moisturizing hand soap and it ROCKS!! I wash my hands 40 times a day and then walk around sniffing them!! :-D

I got some sad news today from my mom. Friskie, their cat, has completely lost control of her bladder. I got Friskie when I was 14--that was 1987. She's 18!! That's pretty old for a cat, and she's an outdoor cat too! Anyway, she's apparently been peeing in her sleep. But the really bad thing is that she sleeps on the couch! Or in the chair! Mom is about to die, and I don't blame her. Poor Frisk. I dearly love that cat.

Here is a pic of some fun with gift wrap:
Aren't those so cute?? I had so much fun making them. They're punch-out boxes from Stampin' Up! that my friend Meg sold me. I painted them with these really cool irridescent watercolor paint things that belong to my friend Denise. They were so cool, I came home from her house and ordered some online that night! I also stamped on a few of the boxes. Can you guess who the polka-dotted one is for, Kari Dawn??!!

Here's a picture of Brian and I, all dressed up for the Radio City Christmas show, in front of our family Christmas tree:
And finally, here's me doing my America's Next Top Model pose!! haha!!
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christmas card count: 9!

an unfortunate event

Earlier today, I made a very upsetting mistake. I was playing free-cell solitaire, and I was marveling over the fact that I had won 45 games IN A ROW!! Go ME!! As I was looking at the statistics, at that big 45, I accidentally hit the "clear stats" button. I was immediately at zero. :-( I began playing again and now I'm up to 6 games won in a row. It will take me awhile to get back to 45!

See, I am a solitaire addict, specifically free-cell and spider. I've tried many 12-step programs, but none have worked thus far. :-P

Jenni, I'm DYING to see the card with Evan's picture! We'll be in Ashland from the 24th to around the 29th or 30th. Come see us! Or better yet, bring Evan to Disney!

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christmas card count: 6!

radio city christmas spectacular

Brian and I went to the Radio City Christmas Spectacular tonight. No, not in NYC, in ORL! It was awesome! The dancing, bright colors, and lights were fantastic! My favorite part was the living nativity at the end, with live animals and everything! The 3 kings walked right by us--we were on the aisle. It was cool! One of the sheep didn't want to face forward and kept turning around. The "shepherd" kept trying to get it turned back around. It was hilarious!

It was really nice to see a true CHRISTMAS show, complete with nativity. It's really been upsetting to me how everyone is trying to take Jesus' birth out of Christmas. I was so glad to see the nativity and hear "One Solitary Life."

I didn't get any Christmas cards yesterday, but one came today--thanks, Grandmama Carol! :-)

And now, for myself only, I'm going to make a list of things that need to be done before I leave for Christmas. This truly is for myself, so I can refer to it quickly and often.

THINGS TO BAKE/MAKE
1. **finished**
2. **finished**
3. **finished**
4. Hershey kiss treats--maybe
5. **finished**


THINGS TO DO
1. **finished**
2. finish up a few homemade gifts
--mb da
--chti mo
--pc hu ha
3. **finished**
4. store: diet pop, battery for camera
5. **finished**
6. make sure Cherrie can watch cats
7. **finished**
8. **finished**
9. **finished**
10. buy a few more gifts
11. **take car in for oil change/tune up--will do in KY
12. **finished**
13. cut Brian's hair (it's a shrub!!!!)
14. get a pedicure/manicure

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christmas card count: 3

four calling birds, three french hens, two CHRISTMAS CARDS!!!!

FINALLY!!!! I must admit that I've been having a pity party for myself because I haven't received any Christmas cards yet this year. My little Christmas card basket looks horribly empty on my kitchen counter. Poor me. Especially since I sent out over 100 cards this year!!

BUT--I just went out and got the mail, and there were TWO in there!!!! Yay!!!! So, thank you to John & Jeanne Sugg and David & Mona Webb for being the first to send me a card!! Both cards were beautiful. I'm blessed to have such wonderful friends who are really more like family.

I just wanted to take a minute out of my notedly UN-busy day to blog about the cards. If you were to drop by right now, you would find me on the couch, working on some homemade Christmas gifts, and you would notice two kitties sleeping peacefully in sunbeams by the sliding glass door. =^..^= Meg is gone (*sniff*) and I miss her already. I'm spending today catching up on laundry, bill-paying, and general clean-up around the house. Less than 2 weeks till Christmas!

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christmas card count: 2

delightful exhaustion

On Friday, Meg and I got up, had coffee (with Pumpkin Spice creamer-yum!), and headed out. We went to yet ANOTHER scrapbook store and then to the gym. We had a great time. I hadn't been to the gym in awhile, so all the trainers were giving me a hard time, but it was nice to be missed! We did a workout and then got lunch and smoothies at the gym's cafe. We took our lunch over to EA to visit Brian. So we ate in the EA breakroom and Meg got a mini-tour of the facility.

Then we came home, showered, rested for a tiny bit, and headed out to Sephora (yes, again) to get makeovers. It was so fun! We both had our makeup done all fancyish! We looked hot, if I do say so myself. And I only spent $14 this time. I was proud. We then headed downtown to hang out and have dinner.
Yesterday, we got up, had coffee (I love Meg being here, she gets up and makes coffee every morning!), and went to DISNEY!!!! YAY!!!! It was awesome. The guy who was signing us in was in the Dapper Dans, so we stopped and watched their show on Main Street. They were great. Then we had a quick lunch and headed to the rides. We started out with Pirates of the Caribbean, which was cute, but not very fast or anything. Then came Big Thunder Mountain Railroad--one of my favorite rides ever! I remembered it from 3rd grade, and it was just as fun as I hoped it would be! We worked our way around, riding rides and taking pictures, and did Space Mountain. Even better than I remembered!!!! Loved it, even though we had to wait about 30 minutes for it. We waited 10-15 min. for everything else, which was great! We even had our picture taken with Mickey!!At around 6:15 we got back on the monorail and went over to Epcot to eat. We had Chinese food in China and it was delicious! Now, Magic Kingdom was open till midnight, so we were planning to head back over there for the fireworks and some shopping. We wanted to be there by about 8:30 because the first parade started at 9:00 and we knew it would be a madhouse. We had just enough time to ride Test Track, which is a cool ride that simulates the tests they put cars through--so we were basically crash test dummies. It was so great! My NY student, Matt Maguire, had told me to be sure to ride it, and he was totally right. It was great fun! I think it was my favorite ride of the day.We got back over to Magic Kingdom and got on the train to Frontierland--so we bypassed all the parade traffic, which was wonderful. It was a coolish evening and it felt GREAT! We rode Big Thunder Mountain again and tried to ride Space Mountain again, but it was broken down, some kid told us. That would explain the crowd of people standing outside it. So we did a little shopping (for her cousin Aidan and my nephew Braden) and watched the fireworks. I took about 4,000 pictures. They were so gorgeous!!!! Then we got ice cream, did a little more shopping, saw part of the 11:00 parade, and took off for home. We got here around 12:30. What a wonderfully fun day!Today we're totally vegging out. Meg has been watching football. She's curled up on the couch with Max. :-) She has to go home tomorrow and I'm so sad! It's been awesome having her here. I can't believe how much stuff we've done this week!!!! We are totally exhausted, but it's worth it for how much fun we've had!!!!

i'm in my pajamas

No, I'm not ALREADY in my pajamas at 10:41 pm, I'm STILL in my pajamas at 10:41 pm!!!! Meg and I have been scrapping all day!!!! We got up, had coffee, put on Christmas music, and started scrapping. And we've only stopped for meals! We had leftover Mexican for lunch, then scrapped for several more hours, then I put a roast in the oven for dinner, then we scrapped some more, then we ate dinner, and now we're scrapping some more! I stopped for a little break because Meg is doing her journaling on my computer, so I decided to make a quick blog entry on Brian's laptop.

So we never even got around to showering today! It's been dreary and rainy, so it's been the perfect day to stay in and scrap. We've both been working on Christmas gifts, and Meg's gifts are so cute that she decided to make one for herself!! Too fun!

AND....we just found out a few minutes ago that we are going to Disney on Saturday!! My dad used to train a barbershop quartet that was really good, and they won lots of competitions, and now some of them sing at Disney, and one of the guys is getting us in for free! Yay! I cannot wait--I haven't been there since 3rd grade!! Do you know how long ago that was? That was like 24 years ago!!!!!!!! And it will be all decorated for Christmas, so it will be extra special. Don't worry, I'll take pictures.

Now I'd like to give a shout out to Brian's adorable cousin in SC--Hi, Brandi! I got your email today and it was great to hear from you!! Brian will be thrilled. Hope your boys are doing great! Maybe we can see you sometime soon!

Apparently some of my Christmas cards have made it to their destinations, because there has been a lot of activity on here! So, hi, everyone! Leave me a comment or two sometime!

MEGa fun

My fab friend Meg is here from NY. I picked her up last night at the airport and we didn't go to bed till like 2:00 am! (Well, I stayed up till about 3 because I was waiting on Brian to get home frome work!! He's in crunch mode right now.) And we got up at like 9, because our lawn service people were here mowing and she heard them and peeked out the window and someone was RIGHT OUTSIDE her window, weedeating! LOL! Poor Meg.

Brian went to work and Meg and I had coffee and breakfast, sat around and talked, and then took a VERY brisk walk around the neighborhood for 45 minutes. It was great! Then we showered and got ready and headed out for some shopping. We left the house at around 1:00 and returned at about midnight!! First we went to lunch--Chevy's--where we had chimichangas and floutas. They were delish! Then we went to Michael's and bought tons of ribbon, and then we went to a scrapbook store. Fun!

After that, we headed over to the Mall of Florida and went to ANOTHER scrapbook store, then to Sephora where we spent about 2 hours!!!! It was GREAT!!!! We put so much makeup on--my hands were covered in different shades of eye shadow, mascara, lip glosses--and I was sparkly all over from all the lotions and powders I tried. Awesome! We both put tons of different lip plumping glosses on our lips, and we ended up looking like a cross between Angelina Jolie and Goldie Hawn! Our lips were all swollen and red--it was so funny!

We both bought some stuff, and I left the store with purple glittery eye shadow and SILVER eyeliner on!!!! I looked like Jezebel, but it sure was fun! So we went to Yankee Candle, NY & Co., Bath & Body Works, Hallmark, & Aveda. I got this really awesome strawberry lemonade shower gel at Bath & Body--yum! Then we were starved, so we headed over to Logan's for soup, rolls, and an appetizer. Delicious. We finally returned home, brought in all our stuff, and showed it all to Brian. He was laughing at us because we were talking a mile a minute.

What a fun day!! Tomorrow we're going to stay in and scrap all day, I think. It's supposed to be rainy. Meg said we have to make a pact to do one project before we shower. Sounds good to me--that should guarantee that I'll get at least one thing done!

up, up, and away!

The hot air balloon ride was spectacular! We got up at about 4:15 am (!) and left the house a little before 5:00. When we went out to get in the car, our sprinklers were on! They are automatic and it's the first time we've seen them since they come on 2-3 times per week, at a very early time! It was nice to know they were working.

We arrived at the meeting site, hopped in a van, and drove to our take-off position. There were lots of other people, and I'd say around 15 balloons total, all in this big field. Brian got to hold our balloon open while they blew air into it with a fan. It was so cool! Then they sat the basket upright and the balloon floated upward. We climbed in and away we flew! It was awesome! We were riding with a pilot and another couple and their little girl. We left the ground around 7:00.

The ride lasted about 45 minutes during which we traveled about 20 miles. We could see Disney in the distance. We flew over lots of trees and lakes, and some houses--sometimes people would come out of the houses and wave at us. It wasn't scary at all, even though we were totally riding in a WICKER BASKET!!

We landed in a cow pasture on the back side of an orange grove. The balloons have chasers and it took awhile for ours to find us. When they finally found us and loaded up our balloon and basket, it was around 9:30 or so. Then they let us browse around the orange grove store--it was just like the apple orchards in NY except it was all orange stuff. We got to taste samples of the different types of oranges--yum!

When we finally got back to our car, it was around 11:30. We headed to Cracker Barrel, but there was a 40 minute wait and we were exhausted, so we got an order to go. We got home around 1:00, ate lunch, and had a delicious nap. It was a fabulous day, all in all! I would definitely recommend a balloon ride to anyone. It was so peaceful up there!

Today it was in the 70's--I have the A/C on! Go figure! Oh, and my friend Meg is coming from NY TOMORROW!!!! I can't wait!

If you'd like to see the rest of the pictures from our balloon trip, here is the link:
Kerri & Brian's hot air balloon adventure

suck it up

This week, I have been to Sears THREE times to try to buy a vacuum. Ours has bitten the dust, (haha, I didn't even realize I just made a joke!) and with the combination of cat hair and faux pine needles from putting the Christmas trees up, I REALLY need to vacuum! I went on Tuesday night, but no one could help me. I even went over into electronics and asked for help with a vacuum, but the guy said he didn't know anything about vacuums, and there was no one over in the floor department. Pretty much the same thing happened Thursday. So today, I called before I left and asked if there would be anyone working in the floor department. The guy said that yes, a few people would be there.

I got to Sears and was immediately approached by a short little lady. She insisted on showing me the Dysons, specifically the one that costs $549. She was showing me all the features and she would go, "ta-da!" After she had talked for awhile, I explained to her that the Dyson wasn't really in my price range. So she took me to the next Dyson, which cost $499. I promptly interrupted her and said that I had seen three vacuums online that I would like to look at--could I show them to her and have her tell me about them.

We went around the corner into the aisle and I showed her the three vacuums. Her demeanor immediately changed--these were only $149 and $179!! Oh, no!!!! She KEPT showing me the Dysons and then some Kenmore models for over $200. I was adamant that I wanted one of those three. She was totally uninterested. I pretty much picked out the one I thought was best, with absolutely no help from her, and purchased it.

After wandering around the mall for a bit, I drove my car around to the purchase pick-up place. I went in, scanned my receipt, and a man came out and brought me the vacuum. Then another guy came out and said that that wasn't the right one. I commented that it looked exactly like the one I bought, but he said that it wasn't the right model. He said they didn't have any of the model that I bought (!) and I would have to go around to the floor department and talk to them. Sigh.

I marched on around there and waited for about 10 minutes before asking someone in the refrigerator dept. to help me. He said he couldn't help me and pointed over my shoulder--there was my little lady. I went over to her and told her about my situation. She tried to sell me the Dyson!!!! Then the $200+ Kenmore!!!! I told her that I wanted the vacuum that I bought, and she said that they didn't have any, and I asked her why she didn't tell me that when she rung me up!!!!

I then told her that I was going to buy the vacuum somewhere else if she didn't give me the model they had in stock for the same price I had already paid. And I asked her why they have a model on the floor that they don't have in the back, but they have a model in the back that's not on the floor!!!! Ugh! Anyway, she finally gave me the correct model for the same price and I was on my way. Good grief!!!! Sears is on my naughty list!!!!

In other news, Brian and I are going up in a hot air balloon in the morning for our anniversary. Yes, our anniversary was in October, but it was too windy and we've been busy pretty much every weekend since then. We would've gone today, but Brian has to work every Saturday now. We have to be there at 5:45 am!!!! It's probably a 45-60 minute drive from our house, but I'm sure there won't be much traffic at that ungodly hour. We're getting up at 4:15!! And now it's late, so I'm going to bed. I'll post pictures of the balloon ride! I can't wait!

Oh, and the scrapbook Christmas party I went to was a complete blast! Those girls are all wild and crazy! I had a great time, and everyone was so nice and welcoming. Thanks for inviting me, Denise!! :-)

deck the hall

Last night, Brian and I put up the family Christmas tree. We turned all the fans up on high and drank hot chocolate, commenting on the cold weather! haha! We also watched "A Charlie Brown Christmas" while we arranged the branches on the tree. Brian had never seen it!! What did he DO when he was a child?!

I now have 5 trees up along with my ceramic tree. (Well, 6, if you count the one on top of the armoire that doesn't have lights on it. And they are all mini trees except 2.) I still have to put the ornaments on them. I'm not putting my snowman tree up this year. But I do have my snowman village up on top of the bookcase in the den! :-) I'll take a picture later.

Yesterday, I went to Memory Lane to a candle class, and my awesome friend Denise invited me to have lunch with her and Tina. They are SO NICE and funny and fun--I am so glad they have befriended me! Tonight I'm going to a Christmas crop/party with Denise and her scrap group. I'm so excited!!

Today I have to wrap some gifts, put the Star Wars ornaments on Brian's tree, go to the Post Office, fix up my gift for the party tonight, make chicken tacos for the party tonight, plan some stuff to work on tonight, make the bed, take a shower....and I hope to get all that done before I have to leave! I'd better get going!

a nice surprise

Look what is blooming by my front door! AND IT'S ALMOST DECEMBER!!!!

Speaking of December, I did a lot more shopping today!! (What do you think of that, Robbie! haha!) My FIL was giving me a hard time about all my shopping of late. Anyway, it was all Christmas shopping, and I even did some of my mom's shopping for her, since she's still out of commission. I love shopping. If any of you want me to do your Christmas shopping, I'll do it for a small fee. :-)

I also went to Memory Lane to pick up my kit from the book club meeting I missed. While I was there I ran into Denise and her incredibly cute and vivacious little girl, who's turning 6 in 10 days, she informed me! Anyway, Denise is teaching a cool Christmas candle class tomorrow morning, so I signed up. I'm so excited!!

I'm really getting into the Christmas spirit now. Brian is on his way home, and it's not even 10pm yet!! I've got his Star Wars tree up, and we're going to try to put the ornaments on it tonight. Last night, while we watched The Biggest Loser (and I cried yet AGAIN), I put the stamps and return address labels on all 90 envelopes for my Christmas cards. Now I need to sign them and stamp the backs. I've talked Brian into writing a Christmas letter, and he's come up with a really fun idea for it, so hopefully he'll get that done tonight.

Ooh! He's home! Gotta go and order a pizza.

rainy days and mondays

I'm taking a little break from putting up Chrismas decorations to blog. We returned from South Carolina last night at 11:30!!!! What should have been an 8 hour trip took 10 hours. I have just one word: traffic. :-(

Anyway, Thanksgiving was a huge success! We had a wonderful time. I just love Brian's family--they have always made me feel welcome, even when we were dating. So I just wanna give a shout out to the extended Sox family--hey, guys!! I had no idea that they were all reading my blog! Crazy!

I did everything I could to get some good pictures of Emma, but she's just too quick for me. She smiles at the camera for a split second--not even long enough for me to push the button! As a result, I got lots of pictures of the back of her head!!

I just wanted to share a few pictures from our holiday trip. I've just spent about an hour trying to get the pictures into a nice format, but I just can't do it!! So they're all in a big long line, sorry. (click on a picture for a bigger image)
Aunt Stacie and Uncles Greg and Marty
Uncles Junior and Pate
Emma and Brian's sister Amanda (with Brian's mom, Christine, in the background)
Cousin Becca
Brian's dad (Robbie) and Emma
Brian's brother's wife, Angela, and Emma
Cousin Robert
Aunt Patsy and Cousin Kelly hiding behind her
Cousins Drew and Allison
Aunt Laurie
Memaw and Brian

thanksgiving eve

Well, I'm finally feeling better! I had to miss my scrapbook book club, and I'm so mad about it. But I felt like death on a cracker, so I figured I shouldn't try to go and infect the others. I'm going to try to get to the store today and pick up my kit. Thanks for the posts, Denise! I'll see you very soon!

Yesterday, I ran down to West Colonial Drive to do some errands. I had to get envelopes for my Christmas cards, go to the bank, pick up my December kit from the Scrapbook Shak, go to the grocery store, etc. Well, on the 429, you have to pay toll. It's $1. (There is a LOT of toll to be paid in Orlando.) Anyway, I thought about it as I left, and thought I had a few dollar bills in my purse. As I approached the toll booth, I realized that I did NOT, in fact, have any dollar bills. So I started scrounging for change. I had 2 quarters, 3 dimes, 2 nickels, and 10 pennies.

I got to the window and handed the lady my change. She said, "I need a dollar." I said, "That IS a dollar." She sighed and said, "But now I have to count it."

What the heck! Isn't that her job?! I mean, come on, she sits in a toll booth all day taking money!

This morning, I was reading all my friends' blogs, and I came across this hilarious post by Sara. It reminded me of my favorite McDonald's experience. OK, not my favorite, but definitely the one I remember most. Here's the story:

We lived in Atlanta, and I worked part-time for a scrapbook store. It was a Friday night, and I had closed, so it was like 10:00. I was famished, so I stopped at the McDonald's drive-thru for some dinner. I'll refer (as Sara did) to the drive-thru voice as McD.

McD: Can I take your order?
Me: I want a hamburger, PLAIN, with pickles only.

**Let me interrupt myself. I must explain, again as Sara did, why I order my hamburger this way. If I order it with pickles only, I will get it with everything. So I must say PLAIN first, so they get it, then casually add the PICKLES ONLY after. I hate all condiments, so scraping them off is not an option. You can still taste them and the bun gets all soggy from ketchup or whatever. Yuck!**

McD: We no have hamburger.
Me: (thinking) What? This is McDonald's!
Me: (talking) Are you out of burgers?
McD: No.
Me: OK, then, I'd like a hamburger, PLAIN, with pickles only.

Now this goes on for a few minutes, with me repeating my order, him saying, "we no have hamburger," me asking if they are out of burgers, and him saying no. UGH! Finally, I said, "I'm just going to pull around to the window."

I pull around, roll down my window, and the guy grins and says, "We have hamburger."

WHAT!!!! I can still remember how mad I was. I don't even remember if I got a burger! LOL

ANYWAY! It's the day before Thanksgiving, and I'm quite excited to see Brian's family. I LOVE his brother's crazy wife, Angela. The Sox family is notedly quiet, and Angela and I can really bring some noise to the room! We both talk up a storm, and she has the BEST southern accent! We are going to have so much fun with the fam!

Now I have to do a few more quick errands, bake a cake, pack our clothes, and clean the house. I hate coming home to a dirty house when I've been out of town! Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!

sweater weather

Will I EVER be able to wear a sweater in Florida? Right now, I think not. Maybe in January. Right now it's 78 degrees and climbing! It's hard to think about putting my Christmas tree up while I'm wearing shorts and the A/C is on!!

But it looks like it will be in the 50's in Greenville this weekend, so maybe I'll be able to wear a sweater while we're there for Thanksgiving. It will be great to see Brian's family! Angela, Brian's brother's wife, is pregnant with a boy! Another nephew! And we'll get to see our niece, Emma. I'm sure it will be a relaxing time--I always feel very relaxed at the Sox home.

This weekend, I've been SLAYED by an enormous headache. It developed on Friday afternoon, and though "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire" was a fabulous movie, I couldn't enjoy it to the fullest with my head pounding! Saturday I mostly felt fine, but I woke up with the same headache on Sunday and it did not let up ALL DAY. And guess what--it's back today. I nearly died when I woke up this morning and it still hurt. I just spent about an hour laying completely still in the dark, breathing deeply, and it's a little bit better. Hopefully it will continue getting better, because I have my first scrapbooking book club meeting tonight, and I will be REALLY disappointed if I have to miss it!

praise for good things

I read an article the other day that said something like this: we sure do a lot of complaining/talking about bad things that happen to us. We do so much of it that sometimes we are afraid to tell people about the GOOD things that are going on--because we don't want to upset someone who's having a hard time by telling them that our lives are good at the moment.

That, as my dad would say, is hogwash. I'm ready to talk about the good things. Everyone has crappy days and rough times. But face it: we have a lot more normal days than bad ones. Let's celebrate those.

Today, my mom FINALLY had her appointment with the specialist, about her back. After 2 cancelled appointments and 1 rescheduled one, it was about time! They are either going to give her epidural steroids in her spine or do surgery. She's got to find out from her eye doctor if the steroids are okay. There's also a possibility that part of a disc has broken off and is laying on her sciatic nerve. Wouldn't that be wonderful! Then the doctor would just have to take out that little piece. Either way, if she has surgery, it won't be too invasive: a one-inch incision and everything done through a tube. Praise God! Relief for Mom is in sight!

















I spent yesterday with my fab friend Leslie, and her husband and son. They were wonderful! I haven't seen Les since my wedding! Anyway, we talked about scrapping and remembered our college days and wondered about old friends. It was a great time. We played with Joshua a lot, too. He is the cutest thing! Great big dimples, and a winning personality. Precious! His newest "game" is covering himself up with his blanket and then giggling like crazy when someone says, "Where's Josh?!" It so hilarious!


Tonight, EA is taking all the employees (and families) to the Universal City Walk to see the new Harry Potter movie. I'm so excited! Brian and I LOVE Harry Potter and we've been waiting for this movie release. We never thought we'd be able to see it for free at such a cool place!

Brian has to work tomorrow, so I plan to spend the day scrapping and working on Christmas stuff. I spent most of today cleaning so I won't have to do it tomorrow. I still have to vacuum before I get ready for our night out, but I took a little break to have a sandwich so I won't be tempted to eat a ton at the theater. Of course, just walking into the kitchen causes the cats to run over and beg. I don't know why they do this! They have fresh food and water! So they ended up feasting on some ham. I'm such a pushover! Now they are taking mega-baths.

Which is what I'm going to do, after I vacuum. Happy Friday, everyone!

a bit of shopping

Today I went to the Florida Mall and spent around 4 hours or so in Sephora. It is an AMAZING store, and I went with no makeup on so I could play. They have testers of everything you could possibly imagine makeup, body, and hair-wise, and they have little stations all over the store with lighted mirrors, tissues, a variety of makeup applicators, water, cleanser, sanitizer, etc. Kelly and Yanttze (pronounced Yancey) helped me--they did my eyes in lots of different ways, made my lips shiny and kissable, helped me find proper skin care products, found me an incredible foundation, and loaded me down with tons of sweet-smelling samples. When I finally left I was pampered, shimmering, scented in pink sugar, mai-tai, pina colada, and cotton candy--and my wallet was quite a bit lighter! But it had been awhile since I had paid that much attention to myself, so I figured I deserved it. Brian agreed--he encouraged me to make the most out of this time while I don't have a job. :-)

Anyway, here are a few of my favorite things I bought:

Urban Decay Shadow Box 2






DuWop Little Stars Lip Venom Glosses








Vincent Longo Liquid Canvas
Dew Finish Foundation




I also bought Stila eyeshadow, Smashbox brow tech, Philosophy cleanser, a brush set, and many other beautifying and pampering products. I LOVE it all!

When I left the Florida Mall at about 6:30, I headed to The Scrapbook Boutique on Sand Lake Road. It was a beautiful store with lots of new stuff. I'm quite proud that I only spent $11 in there--on ColorBox Fluid Chalk cat's eye ink pads (thanks, Sera) and some Christmas paper.

Brian was still working so I went on over to the Mall at Millenia. It was a FAN-CEEEEE mall! I went in Neiman Marcus, Bloomingdales, Pottery Barn (of course), Crate and Barrel, Tiffany and Co., Betsey Johnson, and many more stores that were way too expensive to buy anything in!! :-D I did, however, notice that Macy's was having a sale, so I ran in there and bought some awesome $70 shoes for $25! Nothing like a bargain! The shoes are brown pointy-toed sling-back heels. They are awesome. (Tara would be proud.)

AND....now for the big news!! My wonderful piano-playing friend Leslie is in Florida! Leslie and I were piano majors together at MVNU. We also lived in an apartment on campus together for 2 years. She and her husband and their adorable son are staying at the Jupiter Beach Resort, which is about 2.5 hours away from here. Scott is there on business, so Leslie and Joshua are just vacationing--and I'm going down tomorrow to visit them! I haven't seen Leslie since my wedding (!) and I haven't even met Josh, so I'm super excited! I guess I'd better get to bed so I'll be decent company tomorrow! But first I'll have some ice cream and watch America's Next Top Model. I'm lovin' all the drama! haha!

One final thought - my life certainly isn't perfect, by any means. But I'm so thankful that I've made the decision to be happy. Brian and I are deliriously happy, even though we miss our friends in NY, Brian has to work lots of overtime with no extra pay, it's hot, etc.--the list of complaints could go on and on. We all have many things to complain about, don't we? There are always people who are better off than us, it seems. But Brian and I are happy TODAY, in the small things. And just the thought of that makes me happy.

*******************

It's almost time to watch A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving!

holiday spirit

OK. I'll admit it. I'm listening to my Christmas music RIGHT NOW!!!! I get in the Christmas spirit in about October. It's been different this year, what with it being 9,000 degrees, but my trip up north changed all that! One day it was in the 20's! Yay! It TOTALLY got me in the spirit. I'm going to start decorating this week, mainly because it will take me awhile to go through all of our Christmas decorations and assess any damage from the move. Also, many of my Rubbermaid bins containing decorations were damaged in the move, so I'll have to replace those. AND, we're going to be in SC for Thanksgiving this year, and Thanksgiving weekend is when I usually decorate. And I go ALL OUT! I usually have anywhere between 3 and 7 trees! I bought a new one last year for Brian's Star Wars ornaments, so this year I'll have even more! And all of this will take even longer since it's our first Christmas in this house, so I'll have to find places for everything. I'm SO EXCITED!

My Christmas cards, all NINETY of them, are finished and just need to be put in envelopes, addressed, and stamped. I'm heading to the PO in a few minutes to get holiday stamps. I've also been doing lots of Christmas shopping! I had planned to shop some today, but the day has gotten away from me, so I believe I'll go tomorrow after my haircut at 11:30. My hair hasn't been cut since like AUGUST, which is unheard of for me, so I'm way past due.

Every year when I get out my Christmas CD's, I have a little personal celebration. Christmas music has special meaning to me. Some of my Christmas CD's remind me of certain times in my life, and when I listen to them, I'm taken back to those times. Others are just so beautiful, they bring me to tears--like Michael W. Smith's "Christmas"--the first time I play it each year I am moved by how exquisite the music is.

I want to finish with the words to a favorite Christmas song. These words capture what I'm feeling right now, and what my prayer is at Christmastime and all year through.


"Welcome to Our World"
written by Chris Rice

Tears are falling, hearts are breaking,
How we need to hear from God.
You’ve been promised, we’ve been waiting,
Welcome, Holy Child--
Welcome, Holy Child.

Hope that You don’t mind our manger,
How I wish we would have known--
But, long-awaited Holy Stranger,
Make Yourself at home,
Please, make Yourself at home.

Bring Your peace into our violence,
Bid our hungry souls be filled,
World now breaking Heaven’s silence,
Welcome to our world--
Welcome to our world.

Fragile fingers sent to heal us,
Tender brow prepared for thorn,
Tiny heart whose blood will save us--
Unto us is born,
Unto us is born.

So wrap our injured flesh around You,
Breathe our air and walk our sod.
Rob our sin and make us holy,
Perfect Son of God--
Perfect Son of God,
Welcome to our world.

holiday part 2

I have prolonged my trip! Yes, folks, I'm still in Albany, hanging out with my friends. We've been scrapping up a storm and I have completed 70 Christmas cards, and I'm almost finished with the last 20. I'm hoping 90 will be enough!!!!

Anyway, here are a few more pages of Braden I did over the weekend. Click on them for larger images. Mom, these are for you--I know they'll cheer you up!

b

This is my favorite page from the weekend. :-)

holiday

In my British books, they call vacation "holiday." They say things like, "I'm taking holiday in Paris," or "He's on holiday for the next week." Today, that word has double meanings for me, because I kind of AM on vacation. I'm still in Albany, hanging out at Sera's. And it feels like a real holiday, because I got up and she was cooking, so the house smelled great! And Jeff is off today, so he's watching tv, and the kids are out of school for election day. It's great! It feels like Thanksgiving.

The Crop-a-Lot weekend was grand. We had a lot of fun complaining about the lady who made "announcements" (obnoxious comments) over the loud speaker. And we complained about the extremely, annoyingly loud COUNTRY music pumping through the room. I did most of THAT complaining, because I despise country, except for the Dixie Chicks, Shedaisy, and one or two more.

We got a fair amount of scrapping done. OK, I did like 5 pages in 20 hours or something like that! Not so great, but we did a lot of talking and laughing, so it was worth it. Sera was not feeling her best on Saturday night and Sunday, but that's a whole nother story! Maybe someday I'll blog about it. But not today.

Anyway, since returning to Sera's, we've done quite a bit of scrapping. I did several pages of Braden, of course, and a few others for my 2005 book. I'll be posting some eventually. Today we're going to scrap, as soon as we're ready, and then Sera's having a Stampin' Up! party tonight, with Meg demonstrating. I finally get to see Jenn! And Sara's coming, too. And my friend Kerri Catalano. It'll be great to hang out with everyone! And buy some stamps!

I'll probably start on my Christmas cards today. I know it seems early, but do you realize that Thanksgiving is in 2 weeks and 2 days??!! I was hoping to have all of the Sox family's gifts done by then, so we can take them instead of shipping them. See, we're spending Thanksgiving with Brian's family and Christmas with mine. It's different than what we've done in the past, so we'll see how we like it.

on a roll

OK, I'm totally on a roll making Christmas gift tags! They are so quick and fun! Instant gratification! I really need to be preplanning pages instead, but I'm hooked. I've finally closed up shop for the night, though I have a few more ideas for tomorrow.

I went in the kitchen a minute ago and noticed that Max had a drinking straw. He was carrying it around and playing with it. Upon further inspection, I saw that he had gotten into the pantry and gotten it out himself! I guess he felt he had run out of toys!!?! At least he's not in here walking on my stamp supplies.

Brian's snoring on the couch in my office, so I guess I'd better turn in. Maybe I'll plan a few pages first! :-)

book talk

OK, it's time for another post about books. As many of you know, I'm an avid reader. I'm an even more avid listener of audio books. At any given time, I'll be listening to one in my car, listening to another one at home, and reading at least one. Sometimes I even have TWO going at home: one in my bedroom (I listening while I'm in the shower and getting ready) and one in the kitchen (I listen while I cook and clean, and sometimes I move it around to whatever room I'm in).

I know, I'm crazy. But I'm a definite multi-tasker.

ANYWAY, awhile back I started listening to the Bailey Weggins series by Kate White. These are murder mysteries, but not humorous ones, like the Stephanie Plum series by Janet Evanovich. (Last week I finished the latest one in the Plum Series: "Eleven on Top." NUMBER 11!!) No, Kate White's books are very different, but very good. They keep you guessing. I love it! Her first one was "If Looks Could Kill," and then "A Body to Die For." I just finished reading the third one, "'Til Death Do Us Part" and it was great! I've already reserved the fourth (and newest) one at the library: "Over Her Dead Body." Here's a link to her website.

Right now I'm listening to "Until the Real Thing Comes Along" by Elizabeth Berg. Her books can be a little strange at times, but they're always very interesting. They are mostly just stories about people, but they are really well written and the story lines are wonderful. When I finish this book, I will have read all of her books and then I'll start waiting for her new ones. :-) I've also read all the books by Jan Karon and Marian Keyes, and I anxiously await their new ones all the time.

Ooh, and I also continuously wait for new James Patterson books in both the Alex Cross series and the Women's Murder Club series. Both of these series are excellent--I would highly recommend them, if you're not easily scared by stories!

headachy thoughts

Brian and I both have headache syndrome lately. I personally felt like crap all day Sunday, and when I started feeling better around 6 or 7:00, Brian started feeling bad. Today I've had a headache all day, which is bad, because I really need to pre-plan some scrapbook pages and pack some supplies for my trip to Albany this weekend! But all I feel like doing is laying around on the couch.

So I'm going to Albany on Friday to visit my awesome friends, and coming back next Wednesday. I cannot wait! We're going to Crop-a-lot in Saratoga. I've seriously got to get packing! I'm a little concerned about bringing my precious scrap supplies on the plane, so I think I'll pack the irreplaceable stuff (i.e. pictures) in my carry on. This is going to be a great weekend! Don't worry, I'll post pictures!! :-D

One good thing from this rainy, sickly day: I bought tickets for Brian and I to go to the Radio City Music Hall Christmas Spectacular in December! No, not in NY. This year they're traveling, and they're coming to Orlando, and we're going! On December 14th. I can't wait! I LOVE Christmas!!!!

five years

Well, our 5th anniversary has come and gone, and it was fantastic! On Friday night, I cooked Brian's favorite dinner, complete with 2 desserts! I served it on our wedding china, which we've only used once (our first Thanksgiving in NY--we hosted dinner for about 9 people). We ate by the light of 5 candles, and it was so romantic! The menu: fried chicken, potato casserole, sugar snap peas, dinner rolls, and sweet tea. For dessert: chess cake and yellow cake with chocolate syrup. Yummy! (see photo below)



On Saturday, Brian had a big surprise planned for me. But on Friday night, someone called on his cell and said that we couldn't do our surprise on Saturday because of the weather. Brian explained that we were going to go in a HOT AIR BALLOON!!!! But the wind has to be less than 10 mph to go, so we're going to do it another day. I cannot wait!!!!

So we lounged around and then went out to dinner at Seasons 52. It was delicious! We started out with a rosemary parmesan flat bread. For dinner, Brian had pork with polenta and I had blackened mahi mahi with mashed sweet potatoes and seasonal veggies. My veggies were served in a hollowed-out mini pumpkin that had been carmelized. It was exquisite!

For dessert, they brought out this metal wire-looking container that was holding nine miniature glasses. (see top photo) We were able to pick which ones we wanted! Brian picked apple crumble and pecan pie. I picked red velvet cake and almond amaretto. And we shared key lime pie. All of it was scrumptious!!!!

All in all, it was a great anniversary and we're thankful to be married. The end!

new best day ever!!!!

Today was fabulous! First of all, I went to Memory Lane in Orlando for a class. We made a Christmas tin. Here's mine:


Of course, I totally copied mine from Tina, the teacher of the class. It was just so cute, I didn't want to change anything! I'm going to use it to store my Christmas lists, gifts I've bought, and receipts. I can't wait to get it all organized!

But the best thing about Memory Lane was the people. I could not believe how friendly they all were! They just started talking to me like I had been there forever! It was great! And I met Denise, an online friend of MY friend Sara's! They are on a design team together at Scrap Forums. She was so nice and I was marvelling at what a small scrappin' world it is.

I signed up for this cool book club thing they do. It's a book club using scrapbook idea books, and it's by Pine Cone Press. I'm so excited! The next meeting is in November, and I can't wait.

Afterward, I shopped in the store (only spent $15! woo!) and then met Brian for lunch at Applebee's. After lunch, I went shopping to get Brian some new jeans, and did some Christmas shopping as well. Fun, fun! I topped it off with a trip to Tuesday Morning to get Meg a scrapbook kit and myself some more picture frames.

Once I got home, I ran over and visited with my neighbors. Penny's daughter Sydney came over and we started making an altered composition book. She had to go eat dinner, so we'll finish it later.

Now I have to do some more scrappin', pick up around the house a little, and then work on my menu for tomorrow--our anniversary! Can't wait!!!! :-)

ms. pacman

Brian has been working LLLOOOOONNNNNGGGG days at work. This happens when his team (aka: people working on the same game) has a milestone (aka: deadline). They are working on a new game for X-Box called NFL COACH where you are the coach and you get to do all the coach-y things. So he's been working 12-14-16 hour days, and weekends too.

So, in order to see my husband, I went over to EA and had dinner with him tonight. Then he gave me a tour of the building. (He gave me a tour once before, but he was still pretty new and didn't really know his way around then.)

It's the coolest place! They just have the most amazing building! There are plasma tvs everywhere, hooked up to every game system imaginable, and Brian has 2 HUGE computer screens in his little office, and the screens fit next to each other to form one enormous screen! He has a TV and VCR/DVD in there, too! It's all too much.

They have a cereal bar with like 7-8 different kinds of cereal, and a fridge full of milk. There are 25-cent pop machines. There are all kinds of cool pictures, flags, helmets, etc. all around. There are bowls that are filled with candy each morning. Way cool. There's even an EA store where you can buy all kinds of EA gear from shirts, to games of all kinds, to coffee cups and more! AND they have a caterer who brings in dinner and snacks every night, for people who are working late!

But my favorite part is the arcades. There's one on Brian's floor--and it has real live arcade games, like you used to play at the local pizza place when you were in 5th grade. (ours was Mr. Gatti's--remember, Jenni? Jenni was the QUEEN of Ms. Pacman!) One of the arcade platform things has this dial, and you can choose between like 50 games. It had Frogger, Mario Bros., Ms. Pacman, Q-bert, and so many more! I played Ms. Pacman and it was JUST like the arcade! Joystick and all! I had a blast!

Then downstairs is an arcade with pool, ping-pong, foos-ball, darts, and more arcade games. There were 3 pinball machines right in a row. So I played pinball for a long time. I felt like a kid again! It was so cool! You must all come and visit and we will have video game/pinball tournaments while Brian is working!!!!

Oh, and I forgot to mention....you don't need any quarters or tokens!!!! IT'S ALL FREE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

sam's big adventure

Yesterday, at a little after noon, I was sitting on my couch watching TV when my neighbor Penny called to see if I wanted to take a walk. So I got my exercise clothes on, had a little lunch, and went over. It was in the 60's and the sun was shining brightly, so it was a perfect day for a walk.

We walked and talked for about an hour. Then we went to her house and had some iced tea. It was great.

When I came home, I said hello to Max, who was sunning himself by the sliding glass door. Then I did a double take. The sliding glass door was open (I had opened it because of the beautiful weather) and the SCREEN was open, too!! I knew immediately that Sam had taken off. After all, he is notorious for trying to escape. If you've ever been to my house, you know this.

Since I had been gone for over an hour, I began to panic a little. I called Brian and he headed home from work. (I know you think that sounds crazy, but these cats are our CHILDREN!!!!) I did a quick walk around the block, through people's back yards, calling for him in my high-pitched cat voice. I asked everyone I saw if they had seen him. I was proud of myself for not crying yet.

I eventually went over to Penny's (I had already been through her back yard) and asked if she would help me look. She was waiting on her adorable 10-year-old daughter, Sydney, to get home from school. She told me to check under their shed. So I went around and looked under the shed to no avail. On my way back around front, I saw Sydney coming home. I ran and got in my car to drive around and look. As I was pulling out of the driveway, I saw Penny and Sydney come out to start looking. I waved at them and told them I had my cell with me.

I began a very slow drive around another block, with the windows down, still screeching for Sam in soprano tones. You can imagine how this looked! I stopped everyone I saw and asked them if they had seen him. The answer was always no. I was coming around the curve, nearing Penny's house, when my cell rang. It said it was a Florida number. I answered it, and it was Sydney saying that they found him!!!! I rushed around to where they were, and there was Sam, laying in the grass at Penny's feet!!!!

I jumped out of the car and called him, and he came right over to me. Crazy cat! Caused me all kinds of anguish! I thanked Penny and Sydney profusely and called Brian, who was pulling into the neighborhood. We brought Sam in the house and I thought I had felt something in his paw, so I checked it out. On one paw, there was a lot of blood--like he had cut up his little paw pad. Then I checked the other one. There was a really sticky burr in it. Pretty deeply imbedded between two of his toes. Poor thing!

Every time I tried to pull it out, he growled, howled, and bit me. Brian finally had the genious idea of wrapping him in a towel (cat-taco style) so he couldn't see what was coming. Brian held his mouth shut and his back paws while I balanced him in my lap and pulled out the burr. Pitiful.

He's been fine since then. He's been purring and acting as usual. Sitting on the couch last night, Brian and I discussed the afternoon's events. I asked how fast he thought Sam ran out the door once he finagled it open. Brian said that not even a camera could have captured the blur that was Sam as he escaped to freedom.

In other news, the painters painted the majority of my house while I was gone. (INSIDE of the house, that is.) When I get the place cleaned up a little bit more, I'll post some pictures.

I have officially begun my Christmas shopping and preparations. Tis almost the season!!!!

after the rain

If Wilma came close to us, we slept through it. :-)

Seriously, it just rained a lot and the wind blew some. That's all. I'm SO HAPPY we didn't lose power or have any damage!!!! I hope Nan and Pops' condo in Ft. Myers is all right. Right now the sun is shining bright and it has cooled down a bit. I may have to go take a walk in a little while.

By the by, Friday is our 5th anniversary. 5 YEARS!!!! Brian has something planned for Saturday, and it's a surprise. I LOVE surprises!!!! I can't wait to find out what it is! Don't worry, I'll post pictures.

Today is Nan and Pops' 64th anniversary. And I thought 5 years was a long time!!!!

PS--Happy anniversary, Leslie and Scott! (the 18th) Yes, I got your email, but haven't had a chance to reply yet.

Also, happy anniversary, Jenni and Eric! I can't remember the exact date, but I know it's October. Popular month.

And, last but not least, happy anniversary Sera and Jeff. Theirs is the same day as ours, the 28th.

Cheers!

hurricane update and how to clean your washer

It's 9:43 pm on Sunday and we're watching some TV. It's pouring rain and there's the occasional clap of thunder and bolt of lightning. We brought the patio furniture in and the cats promptly sniffed it to death. Sam is laying on the patio table now, and Max is looking out the sliding glass door. He's already sharpened his claws on the chairs.

Brian's work will make a decision at 11:00 am tomorrow as to whether they will open or not. We hope NOT!!!! Then we'd feel like school kids having a snow day. Except it's about 4,000 degrees with like 4,000% humidity. Seriously, it's TOO HOT!!!! I went to the store today and bought lots of water and batteries. Now if we lose power, we can lay around in the closet, drinking water and listening to the radio and/or books on CD, while fighting over the teeny battery-powered fan Mom gave me. Sounds like fun, huh? Don't you wish you lived in Florida????

In other news, I've been complaining for a very long while, at least a year, about a foul smell coming from my washer. It's a smell like soured clothes, you know, when you leave them in there too long? Well, it still smells like that when there are no clothes in there. I've been telling Brian we need a new washer. This one is 10 years old, I got it when I moved to Nashville right after college. I was hoping when we moved, the sour water or whatever was smelling bad would drain out, but no such luck.

When I came home from KY on Friday, the smell was worse than ever. Of course, Brian hasn't done any laundry in 10+ days, and he's left the lid shut. It smelled rotten, but I had to do laundry anyway--you can imagine how it was piled up! B only had ONE pair of underwear left!!!!

So I got out the washer manual and looked up "troubleshooting." There was nothing about sour water, but I continued reading and found instructions on how to clean your washer. And would you believe....it WORKED!!!! My washer smells like new. I'm so thrilled. Here's what you do:

Put 2 cups of detergent and 1 cup of bleach in the washer. Run a cycle with HOT water. That's it!!!! It really doesn't take much to make me happy.

I hope B doesn't have to go to work. He's been working like 16-hour days for about 2 weeks, including weekends. We recorded a few movies from HBO, so we'll have those to watch if we have power. I HOPE WE HAVE POWER!!!!

the calm before the storm

It's Sunday afternoon, and we are awaiting Hurricane Wilma.

I came back to Orlando on Friday. When Mom and I left for the airport at 7:40 am, it was 50-something degrees and I was wearing a sweater. When I got to Orlando, it was near 90!

Nan is doing well. She went to rehab last night. She'll be there for at least 10 days, and everyone says it's wonderful. I hope she gets well soon.

Back to the hurricane. Right now, I can hear kids outside playing. It's overcast, but there's no wind or rain. In a little while, Brian is going to bring in the patio furniture and the grill. I think I'll also get the wreath off the front door and bring in the door mat. The schools in Orange County (where we live) have been closed for tomorrow. We're supposed to get strong winds, but the eye is not going to pass over us.

I'm a little apprehensive and a little excited. I've never been in a hurricane, although I've been in at least one tornado that I remember. Brian, growing up on the SC coast, has been through many hurricanes. He was even in Hurricane Hugo, which left his town without power for two weeks!

Please pray that we don't lose power. I can't stand it without my A/C!!!! I'm also praying that our house doesn't sustain any damage.

We'll keep you posted.

guilt

I was supposed to go back to Orlando on Tuesday the 18th. Mom and I left the house and went to pick up Nan and Pops--they had wanted to come with. Well, then Nan fell while trying to get into the car. It was HORRIBLE--I could see her wobbling, but I couldn't get out of the car fast enough to catch her.

What was I doing in the car anyway? Why didn't I get out and help her? Why didn't Pops or Mom help her, either? The whole thing is actually pretty much my fault. Pops got in the car and I heard Mom get in, and I guess I thought everyone was in--but Nan wasn't. I started going--very slowly, fortunately--and then I heard Mom yell and I looked over and saw Nan fall. I'm sure I will never forget that moment.

We aren't completely sure what happened. I know I didn't knock her over--the door was in front of her and I was going forward. I think it just surprised her and she jumped back and lost her balance. SHE says that the car ran over her foot and she pulled hard to get it out and lost her balance, but there's no evidence to support that. Her foot is fine, and I think it would be broken, or at least some toes would be broken, if that had happened.

Anyway, we managed to get her up and to the hospital. After awhile in the ER, the doctor confirmed that her hip was broken. They did surgery yesterday at noon and it only took a half hour. They replaced the ball joint and said it was an easy surgery and she would be fine. Today she got up and walked to the chair and sat in it for awhile. She's not in pain anymore. That same hip has been bothering her forever, so it's probably good that she had it replaced. She's acting like her normal self today. She'll have to spend a few weeks in rehab, but after that, she'll likely be great.

But I still feel horrible. WHY didn't I make sure everyone was in the car? I KNOW she has trouble walking, so why didn't I help her?

new favorite picture

I think this one speaks for itself.

a gift for braden

I made this paint can for Braden a LONG time ago, but I couldn't post it because I hadn't given it to him yet! And I didn't want him to see it, in case he happened to be reading my blog. He's only 5 months old, but he's the smartest and most precious baby ever, so I'm sure he's already reading and posting intelligent and interesting comments.

insomniac

That's me.

Here I am, awake at 3:27 am. I don't like it. I'm TIRED. I've been working hard. I've been standing up a lot. But I'm awake.

I'm at my parents' house in KY. My mom has a really bad case of sciatica. She has like 5 bulging discs in her back and some of them are bulging onto the sciatic nerve, so she's in excruciating pain. She needed help cleaning and cooking and well, just help in general, so I decided to come visit.

AND my brother and Kari, and BRADEN (!) are coming tomorrow, along with Kari's parents and sister. Brad is speaking at our home church for their homecoming. And they're going to dedicate Braden while everyone is here. Except Brian isn't here, and that makes me sad. He's on deadline at work, working like 12 hour days (or more) on an NFL coach game.

I can't WAIT to see my BABY B!!!! Every time I look at one of his pictures, I just get that much more excited to see him.

Oh, and the painters were at my house today, and they're coming back tomorrow. Brian sent me some pictures via cell phone (I have all the cameras with me--hello, BRADEN will be here!!!!) and my kitchen is now red, the front hallway under the chair rail is green, and the main area (above the chair rail, dining room, family room) are a buttery shade of beige. Tomorrow my bedroom will turn cobalt blue and my bathroom will become light blue instead of Big Bird yellow. I can't WAIT!!!! It's cool that I'm gone too, because I would hate to be there among the mess.

AND....I went to Weight Watchers today....I didn't expect to lose any because I haven't really been counting points, but I haven't been eating bad, either. Well, I lost 2 pounds!!!! That brings my total up to 5. I'm SO happy about that. My first mini-goal is 10. (I set that goal for myself, baby steps, ya know?) We're going to celebrate when I get to 10. I don't know what we'll do. Maybe we'll eat cake. Yum.

I'm going to attempt to sleep again now. About 45 min. ago I took some Tylenol and some sleep vitamins or something--my mom gave them to me when she got up to take her pain meds--so maybe that's kicking in. I'm starting to yawn a little....

i ~heart~ new york

These are my wonderful and amazing friends from NY. From L to R: Sara, Meg, Serafina, Jennifer, and me.

I miss my girls so much! I just got these pictures back from our last night together and had to share. Aren't they gorgeous?

See you soon, girlies!!!!

memories expo aka the best day ever!!!!

Today rocked.

It started out with me getting up at the break of dawn -(7:00 am!!!! Insane!!!! I'm rarely up before 10!!!!)- and taking off to meet my neighbor, Penny, at Kohl's for their grand opening. Penny is a wonderful Christian and I'm so glad she came over and introduced herself. Her husband is a computer geek like Brian, and they have a daughter, Sydney, who is 9 years old and adorable.

Anyway, we shopped at Kohl's for almost 2 hours! It was so fun! I got a new purse, a fall centerpiece for my kitchen table, and some Christmas gifts!! Yay! I love shopping early, and getting things on sale!!

After Kohl's, Penny and I went to Panera (yum!) and I had a lowfat bagel with lowfat HAZELNUT CREAM CHEESE!!!! It was heavenly! And iced coffee. Penny is so nice, and we had a great time.

Then I took off to a local scrapbook store. I couldn't find it (I was trying to remember directions I had read online about a week ago!) so I went to Home Depot. We needed a hack saw, so I picked that up. Then I called the LSS and got directions, so I shopped there for a little bit. It was not the most impressive store, but I bought a few cute things. The lady at the store reminded me that today, tomorrow, and Saturday is the MEMORIES EXPO at the Convention Center!! I had forgotten!! So, I hopped in the car and headed to downtown Orlando.

I FINALLY parked and found my way into the Expo, which was awesome! It was a bunch (I mean a BUNCH! Probably over 50) of vendors, all carrying SCRAPBOOK STUFF!!!! I had a ball. I didn't know a soul, but it was fun anyway. I shopped and shopped, and I stayed till they closed at 6:00. I met a really nice girl on the way out who lives pretty near me, and we exchanged phone numbers. She was SO NICE!

So, that's how to make the most of a dreary, rainy day. Spend time doing things you love. My feet are killing me, but I have some cool new stuff. My stash is pictured below. That pink and orange thing is like a tool holder--it holds a TON of stuff, and has pockets inside and out. SO COOL! (Click on the picture to see it larger.) Today was definitely my favorite day in Orlando so far.

freeze warning in florida

It was in the high 70's last night and everyone got out their sweaters. :-) Seriously, this is the first time in the almost 2 months we've lived here that I've seen a temperature below 80-something! It's REALLY nice!

I'm going to KY next week to visit my parents. They were supposed to come here, but Mom's back is out REALLY bad. She has a bunch of bulging discs, and one of them is bulging into her sciatic nerve!!!! She is in SO much pain. Hopefully I can help her out some while I'm there, at least by keeping the house up and cooking. By the by, BRADEN will be making an appearance while I'm there. (more incentive to go!) I can't WAIT to see him! He is the most precious baby EVER!!!!

Let's talk about books. There are a few I've read lately that are worth mentioning:

"Little Earthquakes" by Jennifer Weiner
I really enjoyed her other books, "Good in Bed" and "In Her Shoes," but this one takes the cake, in my opinion. It's a book about babies and it's really good. It's fiction, but a great story. BTW, "In Her Shoes" has been made into a movie and I'm dying to see it. I think it's either playing now or opening this weekend. Regardless, I hope we can go see it.

The Southern Sister Series by Anne George
These books are hilarious. Think the Golden Girls solving murders. The books are entitled, "Murder on a Girls' Night Out, Murder on a Bad Hair Day, Murder Runs in the Family," and etc. I've read almost the whole series--I have 2 more to read of 8.

The Stephanie Plum Series by Janet Evanovich
Again, hilarious. I really enjoy these books! There are 11 in the series, and I just got the 11th one today from the library. I've already read the other 10. Their titles involve numbers, such as, "One for the Money, Two for the Dough, Three to get Deadly," and etc. up to 11. Stephanie is a clumsy bounty hunter who gets into all kinds of trouble.

Anything by Elizabeth Berg
I was at the dentist a few years ago in Albany (my dentist was also my piano student) and the hygenist told me about Elizabeth Berg. I've since read almost everything she's written. I think I have 2 books left. My most recent read was "The Year of Pleasures." It's about a widow who moves to a new town. Good story. Her writing is very distinctive and always interesting.

Wolves in Chic Clothing by Carrie Karasyov and Jill Kargman
OK. Some of you know that I love chic lit. That is, literature that appeals to chics. :-) I LOVE a good girly story, hence my devotion to Sophie Kinsella and her "Shopaholic" series. This book is funny and shocking, with a twist that I did not see coming at all!!!! It is true chic lit and does not disappoint. For more info, read this review.

Anyway, that about does it for what I've been reading lately. Of course, I have my favorite authors, the top two being Jan Karon and Marian Keyes, but I've already read all of their books and am anxiously awaiting new ones from them.

they're baaa-aaaaack....

So last night, I had finished my (small) bowl of sherbet, so I took it to the kitchen, planning to start the dishwasher while I was in there. I flipped on the light and there was a HUGE roach on my kitchen counter!!!! It was right above the dishwasher! I screamed (I can't control this, screams just come right out when I'm surprised by a bug) and it ran into the crack between the countertop and the dishwasher. Brian came in and looked all around, but couldn't find it. So he started the dishwasher and came to bed.

In about an hour, he went back in to check. I stayed in bed and heard some smacking sounds. He came back in and said he had killed 2 roaches by the cat food. :-( Just yesterday morning, I was walking around the house thinking, "Man, this is great. I have stopped worrying about the bugs and I can just go around without being paranoid." And then this.

Guess who scrubbed the kitchen counters this morning for all she was worth.

This morning, I was using the guest bathroom when I noticed the toilet paper roll was almost out. I reached under the cabinet to get a new roll, and a silverfish fell out. I screamed, nearly peed on myself, and squished it. They're small, so I'm not afraid of them, but they're fast and they run around like maniacs. They do this crazy dance, I'll imitate it for you sometime.

I went about my day, went to Weight Watchers, lost 2.4 pounds!!!! Yay!!!! That brings my total to 3 pounds in 2 weeks. That made me happy. Then I went to Home Depot, Walgreens, Publix. Back home.

Brian and I watched The Biggest Loser and The Office on TiVo--it was late by then. I went into the guest room for some reason and noticed Max flat on his stomach under the computer desk. You could only see the bottom half of him. Well, you know what he was doing, don't you? Brian came in, moved the desk, and killed another HUGE roach.

Soon after, we were getting ready for bed and I noticed Brian had left a plate in the den. I took it to put it in the dishwasher, opened up the dishwasher, and saw a HUGE roach crawling on a bowl. More screams. Brian came and squished it. Good grief! I had had it by then!!!!

I came in the bedroom--there was folded laundry on the bed. I opened the cabinet under Brian's sink to put away some washcloths, and....you guessed it. Another roach. A pretty big one, too. Not a grandpa, but a full-sized adult.

How am I supposed to continue living in this house???? HOW????

funny felines

I was making lunch today when I looked up and saw this:

People where they're not supposed to be.

Yesterday, we moved the cat castle over next to the armoire. It had been in the kitchen and was crowding the table, and it was bothering me. (You can't see it in this picture, but it's right under the picture to the right of the sliding glass door.) Well, the castle is tall enough for them to jump up on the armoire, then up on the ledge. They are so cute up there, but they chew on my fake plants!!!! We'll be moving the castle again shortly.

Then guess what. Today at the gym I saw the NY Yankees guy again. His skin is leathery looking. Anyway, I was on the treadmill and I saw him sauntering around. Some of the weight benches are by this huge window--it's really a wall that's all glass--and I watched him walk over to a weight bench. I was thinking, "Is he actually going to lift a weight??!!" But instead, he took a seat and proceeded to stare out the window. Maybe he was waiting on a call on his cell!

On the way home from the gym, I stopped at a store called Tuesday Morning. I had heard of it before--there was one near Sera's old house in NY. But I never went. Well, today I spent TWO HOURS in there! It was so cool! I got these really awesome boxes to store things in in my office--they're solid blue, red, and lime green and they have striped lids of the same colors. Love it. I also got a bunch of Christmas presents!!!! (and some rock candy--only 1 point!)

When I got home, I got the mail while I was emptying out the car, and I stuck the mail in one of the boxes. When you enter our house through the garage, you come into a little laundry room, then into the kitchen. We always keep the laundry room door shut so we can come in and not worry about the cats (escape artists) getting out. So I put all my stuff on the washer and dryer, took the mail out of the box, and came in to start dinner.

In a little while, I noticed this:

SOMEONE didn't waste any time trying out the box, did he??!! And SOMEONE ELSE was quite nosy and had to inspect all the boxes!!

That's my exciting news for today. I'll post pictures of my office when I get the boxes organized.

froggie went a courtin'

Check this out. I was on the phone with my mom a little bit ago and noticed Max come into the living room carrying something in his mouth. He dropped it and it jumped. I screamed. I was SURE it was a roach! Brian ran over (he was cooking dinner, bless his heart) and said, "It's a frog!!"

Sure enough, it was a teeny tiny baby frog. Max kept sniffing it, licking it, pawing at it, walking in circles around it, biting at it, etc. I ran and got the camera. Not to be outdone, Sam came over to sniff and paw at it too. You just never know what might happen around here!

Incidentally, after the photo shoot, Brian scooped up the frog in a plastic cup and took him out to the grass. He's safe. No animals were harmed in this blog.

first layout in florida

Here's a layout I made of Braden at that crop I went to last week. Just thought I'd share!

friday night with the dunlaps

Our dear friends Don and Nancy Dunlap were in town for the weekend and invited us to dinner on Friday night, along with their friend Harold Ivan Smith. We'd never met Harold, but apparently he's written many books and is somewhat well-known in Nazarene circles. He went to Trevecca (TNU) and was there at the same time as my Aunt Stella. My parents went there too, along with Don and Nancy, and many other friends and family members of mine.

Anyway, we ate at Tony Roma's and had a marvelous time. As always, it's great to see a familiar face. I lived with Don and Nancy for awhile when I lived in Nashville. They have seen me through some really tough times, and I kind of see them as my second set of parents. They are wonderful people and I love them so much!



That's Harold on the left, then Nancy and Don, and me and Brian. I look Asian as usual, since my eyes practically disappear when I'm laughing. The really funny thing is that we were at a place called The Bad A** Cafe which was right next door to Tony Roma's. We got a big kick out of it, so we went over and took some pictures. It turned out to be a fab evening.

nano nano

Our ipod nano arrived yesterday. We had lots of fun uploading songs to it! I tried to upload a book from our library, but it will only let me upload it to my desktop, it's not compatible with Mac. :-( That's okay, though. I've been listening to it while organizing the office.

I went to my Weight Watchers meeting yesterday, and only lost .6 of a pound!!!! I was NOT happy to say the least, it was my first week! I always lose like 4-5 pounds the first week! (Can you tell I've done WW many times?!)

Anyway, then I went to the gym and worked some aggression out while listening to the nano. I love it, it has a great sound, and I can divide my songs into catagories, etc. It's the perfect thing for an organizational freak like me!

Memories Expo is coming to Orlando on Oct. 6-8. I might have to go over there on Saturday to see what's up. I've been behind in the scrapping world because of the move! But I'm getting caught up now. I've been on Lifetime Moments, 2 Peas in a Bucket, and Croppin' Paradise to see all the new stuff that's come out since July. I've ordered a few things too! :-D

office space

My new desk arrived this morning and I've spent all day putting it together. It's now in place, and this evening Brian has been setting up the computer and other electronics, and I've been sorting, organizing, filing, filling up drawers, etc. I'll post pictures when it's all done. I love it, though! It's so exciting! It's going to be a wonderful place to scrap and pay bills. I like to have a nice area in which to pay bills, since that's not such a fun task.

And the exterminator came back today. We've got to get rid of these bugs! They are much, MUCH better, though.

Next week at this time, my parents will be here. I'm SO excited!!!!

illuminations with tara

Our friends Tara and Joe are in town, vacationing at Disney. They invited us to join them on the Illuminations Cruise, and tonight we went. It was one of the most enjoyable evenings I've had in a long time!

We arrived on the dock at the Disney Yacht Club at about 8:15 pm. There was Tara, Joe, and their son Alex, along with Tara's sister and her husband, Joe's mom, and Tara's brother and his girlfriend. They were all SO NICE and we jumped on the boat. It was a beautiful evening, with a nice breeze coming off the lake. We floated around and saw lots of cool hotels and shops. We could see the Tower of Terror at MGM--it looked really cool, all lit up purple in the sky! The boat driver guide was SO NICE. He was telling us about everything! It was great.

We finally entered into Epcot, and stopped the boat under a little bridge. Then this amazing fireworks show started and it was the best one I have ever seen! I didn't even know fireworks could do that! This cool rotating globe came out into the middle of the water and it had TV screens on it and there were all kinds of things--animals, scenery, transportation, etc. It was spectacular.

Afterward, we said goodbye to Tara and her fam--they were headed back to MGM--and we walked around to the Boardwalk resort and went in some shops and stuff. We talked to lots of people (Disney employees) and they were all SO NICE!! Finally, we stopped and got ice cream at this retro sweet shoppe (delicious!) and walked slowly back to the Yacht Club, enjoying the scenery and ambience. It was fabulous.

It was also wonderful to see Tara, Joe, and Alex. They are SO fun and we are so grateful they invited us tonight.

soak up the sun(burn)

OK, I'll admit that my legs are pink, I have some burn marks on my shoulders around my bathing suit strap area, and my nose looks like Rudolph. And I was wearing SPF 30!!!! But I still had a great day.

We got to Daytona a little after noon and headed straight to the beach. David and Mona had been there since like 8:00 am. We sat under their umbrellas on their beach chairs and talked until we were hoarse, taking frequent ocean dips to cool off. OK, OK, I sat in the sun. I KNOW it causes wrinkles, but I had on sunscreen and I live in Florida now, so I should at least TRY to stop looking like a ghost!!

We stayed out till about 5:00 or so. For about the last 20-30 minutes, Brian and I went out in the ocean and rode the waves. It was so fun! The ocean was pretty choppy, so there were some fairly good-sized waves. We had a ball. I haven't done that in years! Usually when we go to the beach, the ocean (or gulf) is pretty calm, so we really enjoyed today's waves.

We went in and I showered (I can't stand the sand!) and Mona cooked dinner. They have a condo right there on the beach and it was really nice. She made what she calls "camp burgers." It was chopped sirloin, surrounded with potatoes, carrots, green peppers, and onions, topped with cajun seasoning and cooked all together in an oven bag. YUM! It was DE-LISH! She had also made homemade rolls and homemade cinnamon rolls for dessert! Scrumptious! It was a perfect dinner.

Then we sat around and talked till we were hoarse again, and Brian and I finally headed home at about 10:45. David and Mona are so fab. They are just absolutely pleasant to be around. They know all kinds of funny stories from when my parents were younger (pre-kids) and also from when I was little. I remember some things too. We were remembering all the trips we used to take in the motor home. We went EVERYWHERE in that thing! It was SO FUN! I love them like my own family. Well, they pretty much ARE part of my family!

I must say a few words about the crop on Friday night. There were only about 8 ladies there and the room was huge, so I didn't meet everyone, but I talked to quite a few people. The girl working at the store was super nice, so I hit it off with her. I did talk to one older lady about cats (of course)--well, she had on cat earrings and I complimented them, so we had to talk about our furbabies. Another lady was cropping alone so I sat at the table across from hers and we talked some. She was really nice.

Some of the people did a lot of Creative Memories, some did simple scrapping, some did elaborate pages--there was just an eclectic mix. I finished 1.5 layouts. I have to put the finishing touches on the last one tomorrow afternoon. It felt good to scrap again--I haven't done ANY scrapping since NY.

When I got home, Brian asked me if I met anyone, so I told him about some of the ladies. He said, "Anyone who you think you can hang out with?" I said, "Not really." He said, "There's no one like your NY friends. You guys are the Sex and the City of scrapbookers." I thought that was cleverly put--we really kind of are! (Except there are five of us. Well, I guess there are four now without me!) :-(

I really, really, REALLY miss my NY friends. I can't WAIT to see them in November!