Birthdays, Weekend, Football...oh my!

I just had to give two birthday shout-outs: one to my wonderful father whose birthday was Tuesday. I love you, Daddy! I sent him a card that said "Happy Birthday" on the front and had a big blue grill and a little purple grill on the front as well. Inside, it said "from your little grill." I just loved it. My dad is such the grillmaster...and yes, I will always be his little girl.

And today is my cousin Sam's fifth birthday. This kid is a riot. I could tell you Sam stories for at least an hour because he is so darn hilarious. He has tons of personality and is such a cutie pie. I can't wait to see him next month and bring him his presents. This kid loves presents more than me...and that is saying a lot. The latest is that he thinks if you have "butterflies in your stomach," that you poop butterflies. Love that kid.

Hope you all have a great Labor Day weekend. Bert and I will be at the Georgia game tomorrow, cheering on the #1 team in the country! And I am basking in the Barack-ness of last night. Feels so good to see that the American Dream can still be a reality. And after the Olympics and the DNC, I desperately need to get back on a regular sleeping schedule. But it's all been worth it.

Silliness

I have gotten some fun ideas off of Laura's blog and it's just what I felt like doing on this rainy afternoon.

The first is a fun site called www.yearbookyourself.com. It's a must-do. Check me out through the decades:

I'm Totally Digging It

All right, the last in the 3-part series: What I'm Really Into Right Now.

I can see from the overwhelming (ha ha) comments from my last post that it depressed all of you reading it as much as it did me writing it. So, we shall move on to happier topics. Here goes:

1. Project Runway. I miss Christian from last season and all his fierceness, but this season is fab too. I don't have anyone I totally adore, but I am still shocked Kelli is out from a few weeks back. I like Suede, except I don't like that he talks in the third person. His dress from Week 2 is my favorite thing I have seen on the season thus far. I almost ordered one, but stopped myself. I really thought it was so innovative. He definitely made it work.

2. Pandora at home. Pandora is a great web site where you customize radio stations that play only music you like. Now that we have a great desktop, we have been listening to more music and I just love it.

3. Catching up. I've had lots of good phone convos this week. I have always loved talking on the phone and still have calls to return and friends to catch up with. Love it!

4. A good attitude. Due to a series of insane events at work, my attitude was suffering. Well, I decided to fake a good attitude - and guess what? I actually feel better and things are better. It's amazing what a difference a good attitude makes. Let go and let God.

5. Yummy food. No, seriously. Bert and I had like the best meal ever for our anniversary last week. Then, we made a fabulous dinner last weekend. Both were two of the best meals I've had in a long time. It makes you only want to let the best grace your palate. It seems like such a waste to eat so much mediocre. Using more natural ingredients and less processed ones makes for more delicious food and more nutritious...that's definitely one of my big things lately.

6. Michael Phelps. He made us proud and even made me enjoy the Olympics! Go Team USA!

7. Non-Top 100 Music. It's official. I must be old. I don't like stations that play the newest tunes...I think the top downloads on iTunes are mostly garbage. I'm either a) kickin' it old school, b) listening to my personal faves - Guster, Coldplay, etc. or c) enjoying Pandora.com. Oh, and Virgin Radio at work. I need some good background music. Right now, "Take On Me" is playing. Love it.

8. My new gold disk necklace. I have a new necklace, similar to the one Hayden Panettiere is wearing (left). Love, love, love it. It took me months to find exactly what I wanted and it has become a wardrobe staple.

9. Tori Spelling. Hear me out. So, I recently read sTORI TELLING (her autobiography) and have been a fan of all of her reality series - "Tori and Dean: Inn Love" and "Tori and Dean: Home Sweet Hollywood." She is actually very down-to-earth and someone that has a great sense of humor and is just so nice! I have to say that after reading Tori's book and watching her reality show on Oxygen, I have a much different impression of her. She's not the spoiled brat you might think - far from it. I think she's great and is deserving of her newfound happiness.

10. Hobby Lobby. Where else can you get a great frame AND custom mat for a total of $10?! I love this store. It makes me want to become crazy crafty just so I can use all the beautiful supplies.


And there you have it...10 things I'm totally digging! Hope everyone has a great weekend!

Labels: meme

I Don't Heart It

So, in a follow-up to my "Little Luxuries" post, here are 10 things I most definitely CAN live without:

1. People who don't flush toilets to conserve water. It's gross. Yuck. I don't want to see my pee again, much less yours.

2. Discussion of your bathroom business. So today, I innocently enough ask the custodian how her weekend was. "Oh, it was real good! I took a laxative and cleaned myself out!" Excuse me while I vomit again.

3. John McCain ads. Sad when you have to resort to comparing Barack Obama to Paris Hilton...who, by the way, is the daughter of someone who maxed out on campaign donations to McCain. Bush 2.0...we can't handle four more years of this foolishness. Don't you have any real issues to discuss?

4. Asking my husband if he is available. No, drunk girl, he is not. No, people at the gym. NO NO NO!

5. Nail pain. I just hate it when I start messing with a nail and try to file without a file. In private, of course. That is disgusting to do in public. Anyway, the result is usually a nail that throbs with pain all day because it is too short. Darn you, right index finger!

6. Bicyclists not in a bike lane. I absolutely hate it when I get behind a biker. It drives me crazy!

7. Allergies. I am so sick of allergies. Tired of sneezing and getting sinus headaches. Ugh.

8. Know-it-alls. If you are a Ph.D. in one field, don't try to act like you know everything about everything. News flash: you don't.

9. Mustard. Ew. Except for honey mustard, this condiment is a definite don't for me.

10. Jason Statham. Bert and I 100% disagree on this one. He loves Jason Staham movies and I think he's about the most wooden actor there is. He only makes guy movies like "The Transporter," which is probably the best thing he ever did. And that's just plain sad.


Whew. That post was a little scary. What a Debbie Downer I am today! Next up...the stuff I'm really into right now - a much happier post. :)

Four Years

Last night, I had the hardest time sleeping. As I laid there, I realized that exactly four years ago, I had a sleepless night on August 13 as well. I smiled at the memory and rubbed his back.

Happy Four Year Anniversary, my love! Looking forward to many, many more.

Little Luxuries

You know I love making a good list.

And according to Mary Straton, here's the deal: list 10 things that you can't live without, 10 things you CAN live without and 10 things you're really into right now. Forgetting the obvious (family, friends, etc.), your 10 things are to be the little luxuries that make your world go 'round.

I hope many of you will do the same!

So, for today's installment, I shall tackle the 10 little luxuries I can't live without:

1. My hair straightener. Right now, I own my very first Chi. However, it's really not any better than my previous hair straightener - a Helen of Troy titanium model. Yeah, I'm kicking myself for spending triple the price on my current one, but hey - I had to see what the craze was all about. Anyway, I must have a good, reliable hair straightener at all times. Can't live without this one for sure.

2. White Cheddar Cheez-its. NOT Reduced Fat. Give me the real deal and I'm in heaven. I love these bite-size pieces of cheesy goodness.


4. Sharpies. I love the ultra fine point Sharpie markers. The new pens are great and they don't bleed through paper. I have a virtual Sharpie rainbow on my desk at all times. I got a 24-pack last year as part of my anniversary gift. That's how crazy I am about these! Perhaps it's the grown-up version of the 10-color pen I wanted so badly in 3rd grade.

5. Peanut Butter CLIF Kid ZBaR. Yum! Finally, a delicious organic energy bar! The kid's version has 140 calories - perfect for a mid-morning or mid-afternoon boost.

6. iPod. I still have the iPod Mini and will switch over to the Nano if/when this one ever dies (hot pink, of course). The Mini makes it possible for me to work out. Without it, workouts would be too awful to bear. :)

7. Internet at home. We've had wireless at home for a couple of years and just got a great, reliable desktop with internet. Life pre-Internet and post-Internet at home are vastly different worlds. Love being able to look up and print directions, menus and check my email whenever - and wherever - in my house.

8. Nine West heels. I have bought many a shoe, but Nine West makes the only heels I can wear and not be in pain. Good quality and a fraction of the price of Manolos, you'll catch me in this brand at least 4 days out of the week. My latest purchase: orange 3-inchers, of course.

9. Neutrogena Moisture Shine lip gloss. Glimmer is my preferred shade and is on my lips at almost all times - except for bedtime, when I switch to a great Burt's Bees pomegranate lip balm.

10. John Frieda Brilliant Brunette Smoothing Milk. Love this great hair product that keeps my hair smooth and super shiny. I can't find it at any stores any more, but luckily, I can still buy it from the internet.

So, there you have it - my perfectly frivolous and shallow list of ten indulgences. What are yours?

e-tiquette

Please just consider this a public service announcement. Hopefully it doesn't pertain to you. :)

With the advent of the internet, email usage has become extremely popular. Think about it...how often do you email rather than call? It's easy. It's quick. And you can think to yourself that you have contacted whomever you needed to contact. But - with this great invention comes issues too. Please, please read this list and change your behavior if necessary. :)

1. ALL CAPS - Please note that if you write something in ALL CAPS that you are not simply emphasizing something -- normally, this means that you are YELLING and it can come across as RUDE.

2. CC: everyone - This is a major problem. Instead of diarrhea of the mouth, people seem to have diarrhea of the email. Scenario: I email you (in a professional capacity) that something was not handled properly. At the end of the email, I tell you I know it's not your responsibility and that I am just stressed. Aforementioned email even ends in a smiley face. It is not OK for you to forward my (or anyone else's) venting to others. Do NOT (yes, I am screaming) respond to me that you are sorry I am stressed and CC everyone and their brother. Use CC sparingly, people! And if you use it, make sure it is for the right reasons - forwarding official correspondence, sending out policy changes, etc. This should be common sense and I can't go over ever possible CC scenario, but really think before you start adding your boss, your boss' boss and the accountant to every.single.email.

3. Tone - Watch your tone in emails. And cut me a little slack with mine. :) Seriously, people pick apart the tiniest thing in emails. Since people hardly professionally speak anymore, we have lost something really big: intonation. Think about it: "We need to work on this" often comes across as rude in an email, making you want to ask that person who in the hell they think they are telling you what to do. However, in person, it could have many different actual meanings. Some are rude - most are far from it.

I'm just saying.

Rocks

I was trying to concentrate, but the sheer size of the rocks kept distracting me. Not only were they big, but they were sparkly, like tiny stars worn on perfectly-manicured hands. It was Tuesday and I was at a Jr. League committee meeting. Two and three carat-ers abounded. And that was just the center stone.

Despite the distractions, I had a perfectly nice time and was glad to catch up with a good friend - one that is so busy that she literally carries around hanging file folders with her. I am serious - in her bag, there were hanging file folders. You too can get yours at Target.

Anyway, it was just an interesting experience. I feel like I am a part of so many worlds - the Jr. League world, the graduate school world, the working world, the Democratic world, the Muslim world and on and on and on. Sometimes my worlds don't exactly fit together in a neat little package, but that's OK - as long as I stay true to myself. I will probably never be a member of a country club and I'm certainly no WASP, but I am a hard-working educated woman. And even though my ring isn't the size of a golfball, it was paid for with love. Really, more like blood, sweat and tears from my dear husband working 100 hours in one week while finishing up his master's degree. That was many moons ago.

We go to parties and we go to graduate school and we go to work and we watch news at night and I cover my head when we pray.

And that's us. And I'm so glad it is.

Can't Beat The Real Thing

Long story, but the bottom line is that I spilled gasoline on my clothes. Boy did they stink. Bad. And washing them wasn't helping. After two washes and the gas smell actually seeming to intensify, I googled "remove gasoline from clothing." One guy who worked for the Army in petroleum said to add 20 oz. of Coke to the washing machine. Lo and behold, it did the trick.

Of course, there's a zillion other uses for this product that have nothing to do with drinking it. I've had friends pour Coke on corroded car batteries and it quickly ate away the corrosion. It can tenderize meat. Whoa. This got me thinking - what else can be done?

Well, I have found tons of crazy uses. First, though, a few fun facts about its history:
-Invented in Columbus, GA by a pharmacist. He claimed Coca-Cola cured many diseases, including morphine addiction, headaches and more.
-It used to have cocaine in it - and alcohol. The original recipe contained 60mg of cocaine per serving.
-The Coca-Cola name can be translated phonetically into "happiness in the mouth."
-The exact formula of Coca-Cola is kept in Sun Trust Bank's main vault in Atlanta.

And now, for some more crazy uses:
-Relieves jelly fish sting.
-Cleans old burns out of saucepans.
-Tanning lotion (ew).
-Makes you have perfectly separated curls if you pour an can of flat Coke over long hair and leave a few minutes before washing.
-Antiques photos (This is crazy. Please use Photoshop instead of ruining a picture!).
-DIET Coke strips hair dye.
-Cleans coins.
-Grout cleaner for tile floors.
-Removes stains from concrete.
-Cleans permanent marker out of carpet.
-Removes ice from a windshield.

And much more! Hard to believe that 1.5 billion servings of Coca-Cola products are consumed per day! Whoa.

So, yeah, it is a little scary that people drink this product that eats away gas and corrosion in such mass portions. I am more of a Diet Dr. Pepper girl myself. However, there really is no taste like Coke. And don't even try to say anything about Pepsi - yuck. Coke's lovers are devoted followers.

My mom drank so much in her young adulthood that she cannot drink hardly any without becoming very ill. She still absolutely loves it, though. She probably has like 3 tiny sips per year. While she was at my house, she looked at me and said in a whisper: "Do you have any Coke?" She looked as guilty as someone that shouldn't be smoking asking for a cigarette. It was hilarious.

"No, Mama," I replied. "I used it all to get gas off my clothes."

It was a perfectly normal conversation.

Mommy Stuff

I was late to work because I was cleaning up cat throw up. Whoa. I will spare you the details, but the point is - I was kind of proud of myself. I saw it, went to comfort Matty to make sure he was OK, threw away the pet grass we bought last night (what I assume was the culprit) and then wiped it up and mopped. I only gagged a little once.

I think this makes me a real grown-up.

I didn't freak out. This is a new one. Normally, this kind of stuff would send me into a panic. Not today. I think I might me an OK mommy. :)

On another mommy note, I know many of you have babies, but I thought this was a great site that may help as your kids grow older: Common Sense Media. I discovered it when looking at my Netflix queue last night. I think this will be helpful with 10-year old Ariana, as well as my little cousins in knowing what's OK for them to watch, etc. It reviews movies, books, TV shows and video games and makes recommendations on when it's age-appropriate. Since parents don't have time to read and screen every single second of every single thing their kids are exposed to, I thought this was helpful. Of course, I am an advocate of your own common sense above all.

And on a final mommy note, I can't wait for mine to come today! Very excited.