Summer's Opening Weekend

We have officially kicked off my favorite time of the year! And I couldn't think of a better way to do it, well besides the fact that I missed SATC2 with my best friends.

This weekend I went to our lake house with my parents. Since life has been busy lately (when is it not right?) going away to where life is a little slower is just what I needed. No computer, no work, I did have a TV and phone but rarely used them. It was just so relaxing!

I spent most of the day soaking up the sun on the boat. I wish I had pictures to show you. The water and mountains are just beautiful. I also read 2 books over the weekend. Thanks, future SIL, they are truly handbooks for us Southern girls to live by :) Now I feel totally rejuvenated for another week at the office (and it is a short one!)

June is going to be such a fun month! I cant wait to take a roadtrip with the girls this weekend to our favorite city, another trip the following week to a dear friends' wedding where I get to spend time with other friends I rarely get to see, a new roomie for the summer, another wedding, and then the women of the family and our friends celebrate and welcome future SIL into the family!

Whew! I have a feeling June is going to fly by but it will be full of celebration and spending time with the people that matter most to me.

I hope you all enjoyed your long weekend and are as excited for summer as I am!

Have a great 4-day week!

A Sad Day in CVG

As of yesterday, the bar next door to work is officially closed. Apparently the owners didn't pay their taxes. This happened a while back before I started working here, and only lasted 6 weeks until they could get enough people to scrounge up all the money. We will see how long it lasts this time.

The past couple of days people have been in an out cleaning out the place. They tend to take a lot of breaks for a drink though. The locals keep walking by and are really sad that their hangout is gone. Now, they really have nothing to do during the day!

It will be interesting to see the atmosphere change now that it is closed. Will I still have exciting stories to tell? Most likely...The building is owned by the city, so I doubt they do anything with it for a while. And in the meantime, the strip club across the street will have to do.

Financial Lesson

"I like my money right where I can see it: hanging in my closet."

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Carrie, I couldn't have said it better.

Not Enough Hours

Do you feel like there just aren't enough hours in the day? With a full-time (and some over time) job, a house to manage, family obligations, trying to take care of yourself, and trying to build a social life on top of it all, it just seems that you can't fit everything you need to in one day.

I feel like I am so far behind on things. I can't tell you the last time that I really cleaned my house. Yes, I will routinely vacuum and dust as often as I can. But when it comes to really scrubbing things down and disinfecting the entire place, I just can't seem to fit it in! (It is on the agenda for tonight, so hopefully there will be no distractions.) The goal was to finish it this weekend, but my cousin was in town and every chance I had to get my chores done, I would get a call asking to meet them for dinner or something - and if you don't then you are being rude.

I realized over the weekend when I finally cleaned out my car that I am a few thousand miles late in getting an oil change. Oops. Add that to the list.

I am trying my best to come up with a routine workout schedule. But I have come to learn, nothing is routine anymore. I am lucky if I make my favorite class once a week.

Since I was a complete hermit this winter and nearly avoided having a social life, I have gone to the opposite extreme and have tried to say yes to almost every opportunity that arises. Oh, how I love summertime. This switch in priorities makes getting everything done more difficult, but is necessary and a bit more important at this point. Now it just comes to being creative and finding new ways to multitask to fit it all in. I realize I better master this skill now, because when I have a family of my own to take care of, it will only be more difficult!

Thank goodness we have a long weekend coming up. I am looking forward to a weekend getaway with nothing on the mind but a little R&R. Until then, I will be cramming to get everything else done :)

May we all have a fun (this weather is amazing, besides the humidity) and productive week!

Thank Goodness for Friends

"No matter who broke your heart, or how long it takes to heal, you'll never get through it without your friends."

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I love you all!

Happy SATC Week!

Can you believe it is almost here? SATC2 comes out this week! And just in time, I have finished watching the entire series! (It just took me 4 months or so...) I still have to watch the first movie to complete my SATC quest before the movie comes out.

I hope everyone is planning your GNO's to go see the movie with all of your best friends! I hope to see it with all of mine :)

Until then, I will leave you with some of my favorite SATC quotes. Enjoy!

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"I'm looking for love. Real love. Ridiculous, inconvenient, consuming, can't-live-without-each-other love."

Bad Hair Day/Month

A few weeks ago I went to get my usual trim. I am a little particular about my hair (any surprise there?) so I make sure I have a picture of the style I like. Usually I let my awesome hair lady do what she thinks is best, using the picture as a starting point. Last time I got a new style, I ended up really liking it! It usually takes a lot for me to actually like my hair. So I brought the exact same picture to get the same style.

Well, I walked out of there with a cut that doesn't even resemble what I had before! I was slightly disappointed because we typically rave about this hair lady! (You can see the evidence of her awesome work on MIML) What happened? I blame it on her being preggars. She is about pop any day now, and I think it was getting to her. She loved my 'do' that day, but I was less than thrilled.

I tried to be patient, let it 'grow' on me, if you will. It usually takes about 2 weeks for it to lay correctly, or so they say. Well I am in week 2 and it has gotten worse. Maybe it is because of the weather. Maybe I just can't do trendy hair. Maybe it is just a bad haircut. Maybe I am overreacting. As of today, I have had enough! My bangs don't swoop, there are too many layers that grab my natural curl and flip every way possible, and it just looks like a cut from like 10 years ago.

So I have decided to let these layers go and do my best with it until it is ready to be fixed. I have been contemplating growing it out for a while, so maybe this is my opportunity. (I love the idea of long hair, just not the way it looks on me.) I love doing different things with my hair, so maybe being a bit longer is just what I need. Now, long for me is touching my shoulders so I might let it go just a big longer than that - nothing too dramatic! Most people don't even know what long hair looks like on me.

I am at a loss, and just so over trying to find that perfect cut! (It is almost as hard for me as finding the perfect man...maybe I am just too hard to please?) Any suggestions or opinions of what I should do? Any suggestions of what to do in the meantime to tame these locks?

Excuse me, Say wha?

I must admit the only thing that kept me watching DWTS this season was having the local celeb competing. Unfortunately, last night was his last. I must say from where he started, I am so proud and a bit surprised that he made it to the final 4.

Congrats Ocho!

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So now the question is - what will become of Chad and Cheryl? That sure was one nice ring her gave her.

All in all, I was a bit disappointed with this season. The judges can say all that want that the standard was so high this season, but I just didn't get it.

I am excited because SYTYCD starts next week! I can't wait!

Just do it!

Sometimes even the smallest of actions can bring about great opportunities. I just buckled down and did a couple of small things that I had been hesitant about for the past couple of weeks.  They were some of those "just close your eyes and press enter" sorts of things. Why? I am not sure. Nothing really big or life-changing, but enough for me to feel a small personal victory for overcoming a slight fear.Will anything come out of it? Well I guess we will all just have to wait and see.

In the meantime, do something that you have been nervous or hesitant about doing!

Morning Storms

In case some people actually enjoy reading about my random life ramblings, I apologize that posts have come few and far between. I just don't have much to write about except for work and I am not sure you really want to hear more about that...

I am having the hardest time getting motivated this morning because it is storming outside. Not the run-to-the-basement-a-tornado-is-coming type of storm thank goodness (those terrify me) but the calming-rumbling-thunder-in-the-distance kind. You know, the kind where all you want to do is go to back to bed. Yea, no motivation to be productive...

Wish me luck as I try to get work done today. At least it is half-way through this week!

Happy Mother's Day!

I am so lucky to have the best mother in the world (yes I am a little biased.)

She is beautiful in every way.

I have learned so much from her, and can only hope that one day I am half of the mother that she is. Every day I noticed how I am becomming more and more like her.

(I had to put this one in, it was just too funny and completely shows our personalities. And my brother is in it it...see he does exist!)

She is truly my best friend and I don't know what I would ever do without her.

PS When I called to wish her a Happy Mother's Day, she said, "You too!" I had to remind her that I am not a mother. But then she said that I am Gabby's mom. Then when we went out for dinner, the host brought me a Mother's Day flower too. Why is everyone confusing me for a mom today? I guess my motherly instincts shine through :) It did get me thinking about what I am going to be like a mom...I feel like I will totally fit in the soccer mom category. What about you? What kind of mom do you think you will be?

Happy Mother's Day too all of the moms out there! I commend you all, you definitely have the hardest job out there and set the bar high for us future moms.

We Did It!!!!

I have gotten quite obsessed with The Biggest Loser this season (thank you, Sarah for getting me hooked). This season, a few of their challenges involved biking a marathon.

So I decided, if they can do it, I can do it! I mentioned it to my friend at work and she said she would do it with me. So there we were tonight, bot 2 hours and 12 minutes, sore butts and all just riding away.

But WE DID IT!!!!

Just over 26 miles...

Let the soreness come tomorrow!

Bedtime Prayer

...

God, I believe that in this moment I am in your presence and you are loving me.

God, you know my needs better than I know them. Give me your light and help as I review this day.

God, help me now to review the events of this day in order to recognize your blessings and my shortcomings.

God, I ask for your forgiveness for my failings and I thank you for all your blessings.

As I look forward to tomorrow, make me aware that you are with me, show me how to become the person you want me to be.

"...trust in the lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him and he will make your paths straight..."  -Proverbs 3:5-6