He's a bad motha

Shut yo' mouth!

I pondered many titles for this post, like:

"He's a complicated man, and no one understands him but Tom Cruise"

or,

"Who is the man, who was on TV yesterday talkin' bout Bernie Mac?"

How unreal is that? Just Saturday, Isaac Hayes was on our local (Memphis) news stations talking about Bernie Mac, who had died that day. And then, Jason gets online yesterday and exclaims, "Isaac Hayes has died!"

(And I'm pretty sure Jason only knows who that is because we moved to this area, and Isaac Hayes used to operate an eponymous restaurant at one of the malls here. Hot buttered soul, indeed!)

And then last night, we were at our small group meeting, and my phone (which I usually switch to silent at such events) rings, and it's my mom, asking if Isaac Hayes is really dead.

Because when you pick up the tail end of a photo montage on a news cast, that's the first thing you assume, right?

And living in this area, I'm pretty sure I'll have the theme to Shaft running through my head for like, the next week or so.

Just like last year when I mused that it was completely awesome that James Brown, the Hardest Working Man in Show Business, had to work hard even after death - multiple funerals, multiple costume changes, and a several-month delay in being interred - I think that Isaac Hayes needs an equally-awesome sendoff.

Like, they need to bury him in that get-up from the Oscars that year that the theme from Shaft was nominated - gold chains and all - in a solid-gold coffin. Maybe with a red-velvet interior, and some diamond-shaped windows.

And a rag top.

That would be awesome.

Can you dig it?

Give it away, give it away, give it away now!

Don't you just LOVE giveaways?

Of COURSE you do.

Well, have I got a deal for you.

Over at 5 minutes for mom, they're hosting the Back to School Giveaway!

There are several different prizes to be won, and each giveaway must be entered separately, but so far all I'm in the running for is a backpack loaded with lots of stuff (including some Quaker Granola Bars.)

Because the only thing better than free "stuff" is free "food."

Go on over there, y'all!

Official Thursday Weigh-In

Oy, vey.

And I'm not even remotely Jewish.

Y'all, I knew I'd not done my best eating this week, or maybe I have - because I gained precisely 3.5 pounds!

Add that to the half pound I gained last week, and that makes four pounds in two weeks.

And I'm not even pregnant, and even if I were, four pounds in two weeks would be a bit much.

I blame Warehouse Wednesday. I never, ever have a good weigh-in after one of those.

I also blame the apple pie and ice cream that was served at my office to celebrate the birthday of not only me, but also my office mate Amber.

And I guess I also blame the little-to-no exercise I've gotten this week.

I had it coming. I knew I did when I stepped on the scale.

I just didn't know I had SO MUCH coming!

That which shall not be named

Well, if you must know, this is what is going on today, but we shan't talk about it.



Instead, we shall talk about yesterday, which, being my birthday, I took off from work.

And, since Jason had to work, Little AM and I had a little mom-daughter time.

We went to the auction for lunch, and, wouldn't you know it, I got pressed in to service - first as a cashier, and then on the serving line.

Such is the pitfall of a family-owned business.

I had promised Anna Marie we'd do something special, since it was my birthday, and it was the last day of summer break, so we went to the movies to see Space Chimps. Cute movie, lots of pop culture references, yada, yada, yada.

And then the main event - the obligatory dinner at Spaghetti Warehouse.

Where Anna Marie's preferred method of eating spaghetti was this:



Which resulted in this:




And Anna Marie pretending to return the favor:



Of course, there was the other birthday girl, coyly sipping her Diet Coke with no ice:



And the obligatory Anna Marie posing on the giant dragon carvings in the entry way.



So, we won't talk about this morning - because some of us are still recovering, and have lots and lots of paperwork to fill out between now and tomorrow morning.

Nope, we won't talk about it at all.

An update! (of sorts)

Ok, so you've read about my not-so-excellent adventure of this morning.

Well . . .

Later today, I read that Kelloggs was caving to consumer pressure being really nice and honoring the rebate on the purchases from Sunday!

Sunday! When I bought more than enough qualifying products!

I came home, found the receipt from Sunday (with the help of Jason) and that bad boy is already in an envelope, with the rebate form, stamped, and addressed.

And tomorrow, it shall be bound for Battle Creek!

Anna Marie and I have already said a word of prayer over the whole operation.

HAHAHAHAHA

Get ready for your daily dose of laughter, at my expense!

Sigh.

So, I'm a real coupon fiend, if you didn't know. Anna Marie thinks I'm obsessed with getting every coupon I can, and that's partly true - and I've tried to explain to her that it's part of my job in this family, to try to help be a good steward of the resources which God has blessed us with.

And a few months ago, I joined The Grocery Game, and my grocery bill averages $20-$30 per week.

I'm not kidding!

(And if, in spite of what I'm about to tell you about my foolishness, you decide to join, please use me as a reference! If enough of you do, I get, I don't know, a free month or something.)

So Kroger has been having this deal, that if you buy 10 of the items on their list, you automatically get $5 off your bill. The stuff is already on sale, and Sunday's paper had a BUNCH of coupons for the stuff that was on sale!

I had my game plan on Sunday, when we do our normal shopping (on the way home from church, so as to not use extra gas.)

(Remember the part about the gas. It's important later.)

I picked out the stuff on my list, went to the register, and used my coupons. And on the way out of the store, Jason said, "Weren't they supposed to take $5 off the bill?" And I said, "I thought they did." And we looked at the receipt, and they had not. So, I double checked the receipt against the list of eligible products, and guess what - I'd only bought 8 of the things, not 10!

(The four boxes of Pop Tarts I'd scored, which ended up costing just $1.50 each, were apparently not eligible.)

Oh, I was upset, again, at having spent $5 more than I'd planned. But, I had a Plan B! Included in that coupon insert was a rebate form - if you bought 10 things on that list, you could get a $10 rebate!

I was so excited, thinking I could get my money back, plus some! Enter the "Fine Print" - the items must be purchased after August 5.

The date, on that day, was August 3.

Dang it!

Well, I got up this morning with a plan.

It was my last day of being in the house by myself in the morning, because Anna Marie would be with mom going to the auction, and school starts this week so that scenario will end. And today was also the last day of the sale, and I had enough coupons left over from that insert to buy different stuff and get not only the good deals, but, with the rebate, they'd be FREE!

So, this morning before work, I drove to the nearest Kroger, 12 miles away.

Remember what I said about "no extra gas?" I figure that part of my day has cost me about $3.50, right off the bat, for gas.

I run through the store, getting not only my carefully-counted-out 10 items, but also a couple of other really good deals. And I check out. And they take the $5 off! And I use my coupons! And I get the following things for $14.95, including tax:

• Four boxes of cereal
• Two boxes of cereal straws
• Two packages of cookies
• A box of drink pouches (for Anna Marie's lunchbox)
• A big honkin' thing of ketchup
• A package of lunch meat
• A package of burrito-size tortillas

All in all, not bad for less than $15, and I thought I was getting $10 back, so I'd only be paying $5.

But - as I was checking out, I realized that while I had met the requirements for getting $5 off, two of the things I'd bought were not on the rebate list.

Just like I'd missed the discount by two items on Sunday, I missed the rebate by two items this morning.

And I'd spent extra gas money.

And now I'm going to have to tell this whole story to Jason when he gets home.

And when you're done laughing, and wiping the tears from your eyes, you can take this as a lesson - about the best laid plans of mice, men, and moms.

Sleepover: The Musical

Ok, not really.

But could you imagine if someone did make a musical of a sleepover? It would be awesome! And I could play the part of the Killjoy Chaparone, the one who has to get up and go to work the next day, and insists that her charges at least be quiet enough that she can get some rest.

Ok. Rant over.

We had (as Anna Marie put it) SO much fun Wednesday night! Two dozen girls under the age of 12 running around the house all night - what could be better?

When I told someone about it the next day, they said, "I can just imagine all the giggling that went on." Oh, my, goodness. NO you couldn't. Because there was much giggling, and screaming, and general horseplay among the girls.

(Oh, and also their Missionettes advancement, because, after all, that was the reason we were there.)

I walked in that house basically knowing no one - but I found out that when you spend the night with folks, you get to know them REAL fast. Everyone was really great - Ms. Jeannie, the homeowner; her daughter, Maria (seven months pregnant with her FOURTH child, and she's younger than I am!), and another mom named Jessie - we were the brave souls who stayed the night. Another pregnant mom (also her fourth child, though not nearly so far along and not quite as young either) stayed until about 10 p.m., as did another mom (who said the MOST amazing thing to me, but more on that later.)

There was lots of food out for us to nosh on, lots of healthy food - thank God, because I was grabbing a bite every time I walked through the kitchen. The church had ordered pizza, but it was an hour late getting there. Apparently, a problem on Domino's end, not ours. I did have a few bites of that as well.

(Strangely enough, I don't think Anna Marie ate anything at all Wednesday night - she was too busy playing in the bedrooms upstairs.)

The girls were all advised to bring dress-up clothes and put on a fabulous fashion show. Anna Marie had picked out a white dress, and even though it was over her street clothes, she still complained that it was itchy. She took the dress off at the last moment, and when she came down the stairs, was just holding a pair of pom poms.

She then advised me to get my camera and video this:


Untitled from turnermel on Vimeo.

Sorry it's sideways - it's pretty short, so you can just turn your head. You'll manage!

Later, the girls all gathered on the stairs and we got pictures of them with their sashes. Anna Marie doesn't have any badges yet, but she's pretty excited at the prospect!



Much, much later (like, about 11 p.m.) there was a coloring contest. Anna Marie takes her coloring contests very seriously.








We finally got the girls settled down about 1 a.m. I took the extra room the host had fixed for her granddaughter (and when I say fixed, this lady knows how to make a little girl's fantasy come to life!) and slept on the daybed. I ended up with two girls, neither of which was my own. She preferred to sleep downstairs with some of the other girls. There was another couple in the grandsons' room, and a slew of girls in the master bedroom upstairs.

Unfortunately, one of the girls in my room was terrified of the dark, and we had to sleep with a lamp on. I managed - I've slept like that before, for instance, after watching Seven in college - and I got a few hours sleep before we had to leave and I had to get to work.

And, Anna Marie woke up the next morning, surprisingly bright-eyed and bushy tailed, but ready to get home nonetheless.



Thankfully, Ms. Jeannie is a wise woman and had a pot of coffee ready first thing - God bless her!

I've even agreed to be Ms. Jeannie's helper on Wednesday nights! She teaches the Prims (first and second grade girls) class, the one that Anna Marie will be moving in to, and she said she had 14 girls last week! By herself! How could I not help?

Ok - let me tell you what Tracy, another mom said. We'd attended Cornerstone about six years ago, when Anna Marie was a toddler and we'd first moved to Mississippi - and I was 90 pounds heavier. Several people are still at the church that I remember, but I don't say much because I don't know if they recognize me. A few have, but I think they recognize Jason or Anna Marie first.

Tracy and I were talking Wednesday night, and she asked how long we'd been at the church. I said, "Since around Easter." She started looking at me quizzically, asked if I'd gone there before. "Yes, about six years ago - but I was 90 pounds heavier and looked much different!"

She said she thought she recognized me, around the eyes, and Anna Marie. She kept the nursery next to the one that Amanda and I had worked when we went there before. She said, "I thought I recogzined you, but how do you ask someone if they used to be a lot bigger?"

She also remembered my mad fashion skillz - I used to be such a diva at church, and wore lots of scarves and such. It's amazing that even as my body has changed, my fashion style has changed, and I just don't feel the need to dress up that much anymore.

(Also - back then I was still wearing clothes from my "old life" as a minister's wife in South Carolina, when everyone was very conscious of what we wore, and as I've replaced my wardrobe, I've mainly bought stuff I could wear to either church or work. It helps that I can wear either a dress or capris to Cornerstone, and no one cares either way!)

We did have a good time - an exhausting good time! Hopefully the next time around, I'll be able to take the whole day off, and not have to go in on a deadline!

Official Thursday Weigh-In

So, I had this whole post written in my head about how I'd "survived" the 2008 Cornerstone Church Missionettes Sleepover, just barely.

And how I gained a half pound this week, so I weigh 147 even.

And then my mother called, and said that my cousin's husband was robbed at gunpoint tonight on his way home from work.

Gunpoint.

So please, PLEASE pray for my cousin and her family. Pray that their peace of mind will be restored after this awful ordeal. And pray that the authorities find the people who did this.

Thank God he's ok - because there's survived - and then there's survived.

Dear little sister

You should know by now that, on this your birthday, I'm going to raid your Flickr account and find the rare picture of you, and use it to illustrate your obligatory Happy Birthday post.

(You should also know that I spent a good time over at that Flickr account yesterday, scouting for a picture, and saw lots of Anna Marie photos that I didn't know existed. Good on ya.)

And, you should know that our relationship makes me kind of sad that Anna Marie doesn't have a kid sister for when she grows up. Notice I said "for when she grows up," because I don't think anyone would want her to have a kid sister now whom she could potentially treat like I treated you when we were kids.

You should know that I'm really proud of you, for all the "big things" you've done in your life - going to England alone, seeking out a VW when that was the car you really wanted (and who knew it would later save your life?), moving in with that frat house full of boys, and now, taking on a ministry position.

Some people might say that you haven't accomplished much in your 28 years. Those people would be wrong. Those people (and I think we both know of whom I speak) need to learn to look past their own limited view of what life is, and what it can be.

I'm proud that you recently told me that you were "super content" right now. That means more to me, I guess, because I know that "right now" is a transitional time for you, and that things are a wee bit difficult, but you're content anyway.

That's awesome. And it makes me a little jealous.

You should know that you're the best Aunt Manda ever (and I should know, because my kid currently has three of them. If we could convince Becky to change her name before she marries Jonathan, we'd be four for four.)

(And yes, Jason has four brothers, but they're all currently married to women not named Amanda, and have been for a while. So I guess Jonathan is our last hope.)

You should know that any "hipness" I lay claim to probably came at your hand - Catherine Tate, David Tennant, Ricky Gervais - all were introduced to me by you.

(Well, not literally, but how awesome would it be to meet them? All of them in the same room, even? I can barely stand the thought of it.)

Happy Birthday, Amanda. You are teh awsim.

* You should probably also know that I expect full payment for all the nice stuff I said in this post, preferably in the form of baked goods.

Told you I needed to be able to blog about other stuff

Man, am I ever glad I got those memes out of the way yesterday. Because today is a whole new chapter.

Remember the The Amazing Technicolor Dream Van?

(I was going to post a picture, but I guess I was so THANKFUL not to have to drive it anymore that I took it off my computer. You'll just have to click on the link to refresh your memory.)

(Back? Good.)

So, last spring I was blessed to procure the car I'd really always wanted, and put away the van. It was a good thing - there was no air conditioner, and I was slightly embarrassed to pull up to interviews and news stories, dripping with sweat, and exit a vehicle that looked like a box of Crayolas.

Man, am I ever shallow.

Anyway - the point is, I haven't had to drive that van in over a year. And, up until last summer, it was a "backup" vehicle. Amanda drove it for a while after she'd wrecked her car, and my mom borrowed it for I remember not what reason.

But, in the time of rising gas prices and not-rising salaries, both my mother and my sister repeatedly ran the gas tank VERY low. And so, one summer night last year, as my mom was using the van to ferry stuff to her storage room here in town, the fuel pump quit. My dad - the mechanic - said it was probably (at least partly) due to having to work so hard to get the last little bits of fuel out of the tank.

Not that I'm blaming anyone, mind you. That's my dad's job.

Thankfully, she was just around the corner, literally, from my house when it happened. So they pushed it to my backyard, where it has sat for the past year. Steadfast and unmovable.

Jason has mowed the grass around it.

But last week, my dad and Jason took a couple of parts off of another van he was about to send to the scrapyard, including a fuel pump and an air conditioner condenser. And Jason spent the past few days repairing The Amazing Technicolor Dream Van, which, since it has been immobile for a year, has now added "pollen green" to its list of colors.

And I was all, "Now we can sell it!" And Jason was all "We can sell my Jeep, and I can drive the van!"

It has been, shall we say, a bone of contention betwixt us.

Because I feel it would be slightly "emasculating" for Jason to drive the van. The Jeep is cool! It's macho! And it's all one color!

Like I said. Shallow.

Well, Jason seems to be getting his wish. Because yesterday as he pulled into the driveway after a trip to Memphis (wherein he found that all the stuff in the freezer at the auction was ruined, thanks to a tripped breaker) all manner of steam started spewing from beneath his hood.

Because it seems that one of the pulleys on the engine (you know, the round things that hold on the belt) had bent, and, in addition to freeing the one belt from its important place in engine operations, cut into the metal pipe attached to the water pump.

So, now we're down a belt. And a pulley. And most likely a water pump. And hopefully nothing else. Because, remember, we just spent a couple hundred dollars on that Jeep, replacing the alternator and its bracket when he was in South Carolina.

Unfortunately, the van wasn't quite ready for Jason to drive it this morning. The tags had expired in February, and by the time he got home, the tag office was closed.

(He also tried the "We haven't charged the air conditioner" ploy with me, but I reminded him that I'd driven PLENTY of miles in that van with no AC. Don't even start that junk!)

My parents came to get Anna Marie last night, and my dad drove the van back to his house to put a vacuum on the AC system to make sure it will hold the freon. And Jason said, "Do you mind if I take your car to work tomorrow?" And I responded, "Um, do I really have a choice?" Because why would he even ASK? I can walk to work. If I need to go somewhere while I'm here, I have use of a company car. And his workplace is 30 miles away. Ergo, common sense would dictate that I'm hoofing it for the next two days.

And so I did - down to the court house (oh, don't feel bad, it's only about 3/4 of a mile from my house) and to my office. And I'll be hoofing it home and back for lunch, and then doing the same thing (minus the tag trip) tomorrow.

But, I'm trying to look on the bright side. Yes, things are difficult right now. But we just fixed the van two days ago. And we didn't have to pay for those parts (which would've cost about $400) because they came off a van my dad was going to junk anyway. And Jason did the work himself, so there was no labor cost. And Jason can take my car to work, because I can very easily walk and since school hasn't started yet, I don't have to worry about getting Anna Marie there.

And it might be hot outside, but the sun is shining. And I can wear capris and flip flops to work, so it isn't like I have to walk over to my office in hose and heels.

And yes, school starts next week, but I've bought almost all of her supplies already. And she's been so blessed by a lady at Jason's job, that I don't have to buy her any new clothes!

Since we've been exposed to some new music at Cornerstone Church, Jason's gotten into the habit of finding the new songs on the 'net and loading them onto his Zune. But there's been one that I spent a good bit of time last night after he went to bed trying to find, with no luck. But today, as the lyrics run through my head, I can't help but think that my search was not totally in vain.

Because it talks about how God is able to do "exceedingly, abundantly above all that we could ask or think." And about His love washing over us. And right now, that's what I need to remember - that He's got everything under control, and He loves me very much.

Besides - I've been unable to stop my hand from entering the box of Lucky Charms and grabbing a few bites every time I've passed by the last few days (blame stress!) and all this exercise can't help but do me good.

The Super-Duper-Mega-Marathon Post!

You'd think I don't have access to a computer all weekend.

You'd be wrong.

I just prefer to spend my weekends focusing on The Kid. And doing housework. (Well, I don't really prefer the housework part, but it is what it is.)

So, last week Valerie did these two posts. And in one, she gave me an award. And in the other, she tagged me.

And I have responded to neither, and they're like a big blogging roadblock that I can't get past until I answer, so here they go.

Part The First:



She thinks my tractor's sexy I have an artistic blog!

Very nice, no? Apparently they're starved for "real writin'" in La-La Land, so she picked my blog as an example! SWEET!

Here's the rules:

Recipients of this award must strive to pass it along. Indeed, one good turn deserves another.

(1) Pick five blogs that you believe deserve this award for their creativity, design, interesting material, and also for contributing to the blogging community, no matter what language.

(2) Each award has to have the name of the author and also a link to his or her blog to be visited by everyone.

(3) Each award winner has to show the award and put the name and link to the blog that has given him or her the award itself.

(4) Award-winner and the one who has given the prize have to show the link of Arte Y Pico blog, so everyone will know the origin of this award which is here: Arte Y Pico

So, here's where the hard part comes: picking the five blogs.

1. Amanda, the World's Most Amazing Photographer (sorry, Valerie, but she does free pics of The Kid!) I wish I had just a smidgen of her talent. sigh

2. Wendy, the girl who can take a stain on a pair of pants and make it into a work of art. For real! And don't even get me started on her imagination. See also: Butter Duck.

3. Jolene, the Super Duper Craft Diva. More than just a scrapbooker, she's into woodworking and all sorts of other stuff!

4. Lissete, who not only knows the "art" of bargain hunting, but is also a pretty avid crafter herself. Just go over to her blog, and check out her newly-acquired cake decorating skills.

5. Heather, who is both a blogging whiz and a stinkin' great writer. And did I mention she doesn't use a hairbrush? Genius!

Oh my goodness, y'all. That whole tagging thing is stressful! Moving on …

Part The Second:

Miz Susie Q. is a great fan of lists (and Brian Dennehey) so it should come as no surprise that she made up a meme all of her own.

And now, I've gotten sucked into it.

~Susie Q's "My Favorite Things" Game~

Here's the rules: you can only pick one (yes one) thing for each category. you attach the icon to your answers, pick five more and just have fun!

Sport: basketball
Game: solitaire
Color: Blue
Movie: It changes from time to time, but right now, All Across the Universe.
Broadway play I have seen: None - that's right, I live in a cultural wasteland.
Broadway Musical I have seen: My college did a few - like Rogers and Hammerstein's Cinderella and Brigadoon. Do they count?
Song: Hey Now by Tobymac
American city I have visited: Greenville, SC
Foreign city I have visited: The only foreign city I've visited is Windsor, Canada, so I guess that'll have to do!
Book: Anne of Green Gables
Children's Book: The Monster at the End of This Book
Classic television show: The Golden Girls
Recent television show: Doctor Who
Actor: David Tennant
Actress: Reese Witherspoon
Perfume: Philosophy's Amazing Grace
Food: burgers
Dessert: cheesecake
Chain Restaurant: Moe's
Local Restaurant: Rio Lindo
Car: Pontiac Grand Prix
Condiment: Tabasco (preferably chipotle or jalapeno flavor)
Kitchen Appliance: Senseo coffee maker
Home Appliance: DVD player
Beauty Product: concealer - gotta love those dark under-eye circles!
Piece of clothing: flip flops
HGTV Show: Decorating Cents
Food Network show: Good Eats!
Author: Sir Arthur Conan Doyle - when I was a teenager, I read all the Sherlock Holmes mysteries!
Male Songwriter: The guys from They Might Be Giants
Female Songwriter: can't think of one
Holiday: Christmas
Ballet I have seen: A Very Brady Nutcracker - yes, the one Anna Marie was in!
Disney character: Winnie the Pooh
Flower: daisies
Alcoholic drink: I don't drink
Non-Alcoholic drink: Coke Zero
Magazine: Family Circle - I am such a dork!
Animated movie: Ratatouille
Television network miniseries: I don't see many of those these days, so I don't really have one.
Season: fall

(MY GOSH! ARE WE ALMOST DONE? I'M GETTING MEME FATIGUE!)

Male vocalist: Frank Sinatra
Female vocalist: Annie Lennox
Day of the week: Saturday
Household Chore: laundry
Ice Cream: Schwan's Triple Lemon Frozen Yogurt
Candy: Dove dark chocolate
Artist: Anna Marie, of course!
Quotation: It's really not that you can't see the forest for the trees; you've never been out in the woods alone - Ben Folds

That was very taxing! Therefore, I'm not going to tag anyone - I'm taking the coward's way out, and saying "respond at your own risk."

You might also want to take a vacation day before you begin.

Now that this monkey is off my back, maybe I can blog about other stuff!

Official Thursday Weigh-In

Will wonders never cease?

Somehow I lost another half pound this week.

Please don't mistake this for false modesty - but I guess sometimes traumatic experiences - at least those during which we are separated from food, as in an all-day doctor's visit - really can make us lose weight.

Or something like that.

So the score is 146.5, or 90.5 lost all together.

(By the way, my three-year WW anniversary is coming up in just a few weeks! Oh, how I would love to lose another 8.5 pounds by then, but with both my birthday and my sister's during that time, I'm not holding out much hope.)

Traumatic

Oh.my.goodness.

That's the only word I can summon to describe today's experience at the doctor.

Traumatic.

No, they didn't do the blood test. My cousin, who turns out, works in that office (Hey, Cheree!) said it was too expensive and most insurance wouldn't cover it.

The staff was great - the doctor was great - it really wasn't their fault. The trauma is inherent in the procedure.

The first part of the visit was fine. We talked to the doctor. We talked to the nurses. They took a sample of her blood from her finger (to test her white blood cell count) and she did some breathing tests, to rule out asthma.

From the get-go, the doctor didn't think she has allergies. (I KNOW! CRAZY TALK!) He thought she was getting a virus during those times of the year. That scenario kinda made sense to me, since we'd had a virus-related problem when she was about six months old, and the pediatrician had said it was "that time of year" for the viruses.

Also, at the time, she was teething, and, of course, putting EVERYTHING in her mouth, so a virus was highly likely.

I like to think that, six years later, she isn't still shoving everything she comes across towards her gullet, but I do realize that viruses are out there, lurking.

Lurking. Like a latent blog-reader.

But anyway.

A bit later, Anna Marie was instructed to take off her shirt. She sat in my lap, with her head against my chest (aww!) as the nurse wrote "A,B,C,D" in four quadrants on her back. Then, she had four, eight-pronged "thingies," of which each prong had been dipped in a different irritant. They appeared to have wee tiny needles on each prong, but Anna Marie didn't mind that part so much.

I should have known we wouldn't get off that easy.

After no spots seemed to be reacting, we did another breathing test and, for good measure, she was given a dose of an inhaler.

Then, the nurse called me into the hallway to explain what was coming next: Anna Marie had to lie on her stomach on the table, while she was injected with more irritants - under the skin!

This part did not go so well.

We were already exhausted from all the breathing tests, and the fact that it took some major cajoling to get her to take that inhaler. (And also a demonstration by the nurse.)

Y'all, if you've never had to hold a child while she was injected - count yourself blessed. I stood at the head of the table, holding her hands, praying and trying to keep her calm while she got, oh, eight or 10 shots into her back.

Afterward, Anna Marie was loathe to even talk about the experience.

I guess it'd be worth it if we found some good results - but, no.

No allergies.

No asthma, or at least not enough to actively treat.

Nothing.

We're left with nothing to go on!

The doctor prescribed a topical decongestant for the next time her nose starts it's nonsense (which, if history repeats itself, should be in just a few days.) After about four days, with no improvement, I'm to bring her in to their office so she can be further evaluated.

Thankfully, we weren't in there four hours. We left after two-and-a-half. I called mom to see if there was any food left at the auction (they were shutting the bar down) and she saved me a chicken breast and some vegetables.

(Anna Marie just swiped some tomatoes, pickles, and olives from the salad bar.)

Oh, but let me tell you - I'd promised Anna Marie ice cream once we got through. And though I'd fully intended to go somewhere fancy, I realized she'd be just as happy (and I'd be much less broke) with a Fudgesicle from the auction.

Except, when I left for an hour to run to The Children's Place (where I scored a pair of shorts and a t-shirt for $6!) she somehow got chocolate on her clothes.

Which were clean when I left. Which was after I'd given her the Fudgesicle.

Guess who talked Gramma into giving her a second Fudgesicle?

I think Gramma needs a little "time out."

Back to the diagnosis - I know there are parents out there whose kids are REALLY sick, and who have to go to LOTS of doctors to find out what's wrong. I guess what I'm feeling today is a tiny bit of what they might feel - I put my kid through all that trauma, only to find out that it was utterly useless. And, that there really doesn't appear to be a whole lot I can do to help her when these episodes come around, except try this new medicine and this new course of treatment, and see if it eases her suffering any.

Friends, that part of my day just might be the most traumatic part of all.

I'll gladly pay you Tuesday

For one of the two blog posts I owe you today.

Because one is all I have time for at present.

In about two hours, Little AM and I will be at the allergist's office, where she'll likely be poked and prodded beyond all reason.

(No, she doesn't know that yet. Yes, I've promised her ice cream when it's all over.)

Hopefully, prayerfully, they'll find out why she has such bad allergy attacks at the end of July/beginning of August. And also in November. And also in May.

And maybe even why she broke out into such awful hives just before school got out.

Part of me thinks I'm overreacting (even though it was two separate doctors who recommended this testing) and part of me knows that, in about two weeks, I'll be right back at the doctor's office trying to find yet another prescription answer to her allergy symptoms.

The other post I owe you? The irrepressable Valerie has nominated me for an award, and I have to nominate some other folks, but I just haven't had a chance to get my ducks in a row about that yet.

The (possibly) worst part about this testing? We'll be in there for about four hours, right around the middle of the day. For two girls who are used to eating on a schedule, it's cutting right smack dab in the middle of our lunch hours.

But fear not - I'm thinking ahead, and stocking my purse with Fruit Roll-Ups.

Because what better sustinance, in times of medical testing, than plastic fruit that'll make your tongue look like Batman?

On gaining information that has no use whatsoever

I love my little hairdresser.

Really, I do.

And I call her "little," because, well, she is a smallish person, but also because I've known her since she was knee-high to a duck's tail. And because she's several years younger than I am. And because, though she's about to celebrate her third wedding anniversary, I doubt I'll ever really think of her as an "adult," in much the same way that my siblings will probably always be "kids" in my eyes.

Oh, but she's great. She does a fantastic job on both my hair and Anna Marie's, and I'm such a doofus that never makes appointments six whole weeks in advance and she always squeezes me in when I call at the last minute.

But really, did she have to inform me that I had some "gray highlights" when I got my hair cut today?

"Gray highlights."

GRAY HIGHLIGHTS!

And she said it in the nicest possible way - kind of like, "Aw, you've got gray highlights!"

Like they're cute or something.

People, I'm about to turn 32 in less than three weeks.

That moves me slowly through the "early 30s" territory and has me staring down the loaded end of "mid-30s."

Mid.

30s.

Before you know it, I'll be in my "late 30s" and then my "early 40s" and then, well, it's anyone's guess what happens after that.

Gray.

Highlights.

Looks like me and Miss Clarol are about to become real chummy.

Official Thursday Weigh-In

Hi all!

Still on mom's laptop, tethered to an ethernet cable, in my sweltering hot home office because, although Jason and Little AM got home about dinner time, he hasn't unpacked yet.

And oddly enough, the girl who told me this morning that she couldn't wait to get home to her bed and her TV, has decided that Gramma's bed and Gramma's TV would be even better.

Whatever floats her boat.

Well, despite Jason being out of town, I managed to somehow lose another pound this week. Which is odd, because usually I gain a small bit when they're not here.

147. 90 pounds total.

Now, if you'll excuse me, Mount Washmore is calling my name.

(Mount Washmore - don't you love it? I've heard it several times this week and decided to take the phrase for my very own.)

Weekend recap

Well, hello there, Blogland!

I guess you're wondering how I'm typing this, if my husband absconded with not only our offspring but also both computers?

Well, my mother has a laptop that she literally never uses. And Jason suggested that I borrow it for the week. So yesterday, she brought it over.

Except, I can't get the wireless to hook up with my router, so I'm stuck in the office, tethered to an ethernet cable.

And, I can't get the thing to find my printer, so I had to end up going to my office this morning anyway before church to print off my grocery list.

But anyway.

How am I surviving without the two red heads here? Quite well, in my estimation.

(Just don't let me catch a commercial for a romantic comedy, or a Nickelodeon show.)

Things I did yesterday:

* Watched four movies. I Am Legend, Thank You for Smoking, and ET - for the first time! Oh, and also Walk the Line. I loved Reese Witherspoon in that role!

* Ate popcorn in bed at 8:30 a.m. while watching movies.

Things I did not do yesterday:

* Change out of my PJs.

* Housework.

* Venture further than the mailbox.

* Exercise.

This is the one day a year I get to myself, and doggone it, I'm not wasting a minute doing anything responsible!

Today, though, was a different story. I had to go to church, and the grocery store. While I was here this afternoon, I also cleaned the bathroom. Luckily, it's small and didn't need much more than a wipedown and a mop, but still. Housework.

My usual scrapbookpalooza has also fallen by the wayside, because Jason also skipped town with my scrapbook table! It's hard to get into the swing of things when you have to move your paper and stuff around, but a lady in my Sunday School class is a Creative Memories consultant, and we were talking about scrapbooking this morning, so I did get a couple of pages done in her kindergarten book.

I'm about to wash my face and climb back onto my bed to watch more TV! Can you believe it? I think my brain is going to turn to mush before this weekend is over.

Maybe I should be thankful that I have to return to work tomorrow - before every muscle in my body completely atrophies.

Official "Thursday" Weigh-In, et al

It's three, three, THREE blog posts in one!

First, the one where I tell you that my two red heads left for their annual South Carolina trip at 6:30 a.m. yesterday. Which is also the one where I tell you that Jason found out last night that his Jeep will need an alternator, and sooner, rather than later.

Thankfully, he brought his whole tool box, and he can do the work himself. He's at the campgrounds now, and if he needs someone to take him to a parts store there will be staff there until about noon. After that, he'll have to call his sister who lives in the next town over. I just hate the thought of spending the money!

Then, comes the one where I tell you what I weigh this week.

148, or back down to 89 pounds lost. That's a pound lost this week.

It's good, but I was hoping to be down to 137 by today, because it's my 10th anniversary, and some silly part of me wanted to be able to say, "Hey, I weigh 100 pounds less than I did on my wedding day!"

Silly girl.

I could try on my wedding dress, but I can tell you right now, it's a size 22 and would completely swallow me. Plus, it's off-the-shoulder, and I doubt the contraption I had to buy to hold me in/push me up/support my major boobage would do anything right now.

(Oh, that was the third post, by the way - telling you that it's my anniversary.)

Ten years. Oh my gracious. Has it really been that long?

And has it really been five years since I've actually been in the same state as my husband on July 11?

He called me at 6:00 a.m. He knew I'd be up anyway. Actually, that's usually the time that the lady from our press facility calls me if there's a problem with a page, so for a half second I thought it might be her. But a glance at the caller ID confirmed it was Jason.

He said he thought about saying, "Uh, Melissa?" like she does when he answers the phone at that hour, but thought about the whole caller ID ruining the joke.

Cheeky monkey.

And how will I celebrate today? Well, I've been invited to the local Rotary meeting at noon, to do a story on their speaker, and they'll buy my lunch. And tonight for dinner, I'll likely feast on a Boca burger and oven potatoes.

And watch I Am Legend, if Netflix is kind enough to ship it to me today.

I was going to treat myself to one of those PediEgg contraptions, but on the news that Jason is having to buy an alternator I decided that was $10 I might not need to spend right now.

Once again, Jason has absconded with both of our computers, so if I want real internet access (not just checking my email on my phone, which is pitifully slow in the absence of a true 3G network down here) I'll have to come to work.

Which is what I end up doing every year this time, anyway.

So, in short - the red heads left, I weigh 148, it's my anniversary.

I guess that'll do for now!

On being proactive

Y'all, I have a confession to make.

I have a tendency to be reactive, not proactive.

Scratch that. I have a tendency to be procrastinative (is that even a word? I guess not, since spell check is going haywire over it). Basically, I procrastinate like crazy, which I learned a couple of years ago is a manifestation of my worry problem.

Except for a few instances (like when I started Weight Watchers nearly three years ago) I don't do something about a problem I see. I just wallow in it, and worry about it, and never get much accomplished with it.

But in the last few days, I've been taught a little something about being proactive.

I have a friend, we'll call her "M." (This is an actual friend, not like "a friend of mine would like to know blah, blah, blah," wherein the friend is actually me, thinly veiled.)

Anyway - in the last few days, M has been telling me about some things she's not satisfied with in her life. But instead of just complaining about it, she's doing something about it.

She feels like she needs to lose a few pounds, so she got out the exercise bike and treadmill, and started watching her portions, and she's lost some of it. Her present employment situation is becoming unacceptable, for a myriad of reasons, so she's working on her resume.

And I am so proud of her - and so ashamed of myself.

Because there are some things in my life which I need to accomplish, but my worry causes me to procrastinate and continue to suffer on.

But M has inspired me. Instead of just worrying that I didn't have enough time to get Jason and Anna Marie ready to go out of town, I got a head start on the packing and laundry this morning. On Wednesdays, I have a staff meeting where I have to tell my publisher what I'm putting on the front page next week. Instead of waiting until the last minute (about 20 minutes before the meeting) to get my list together, I've already started on it and begun organizing my information.

Instead of being disappointed that my husband took me out for an early anniversary date last night, and treated a special year - our 10th - just like almost every other date we've ever had (dinner at Chili's, a trip to an electronics store, a trip to Walmart, and home) I'm going to find a - nice - way to tell him that when he gets back from his trip, I'm going to have a proper celebration planned.

(Because really, as much as I'd like to believe that my husband is going to plan something special, let's face it, he isn't. I've had that illusion since 1995, and it has happened about once. And that involved him surprising me by flying to Memphis on my 21st birthday to present me with an engagement ring. And he didn't have any plan beyond booking the flight, and just gave me the ring in the parking lot of the mall I had taken him to. So I gave it back to him and drove to a park, and made him get on one knee. Because did you know how he originally asked me to marry him? Over the phone, when we were in our dorms, and he said he had been wondering what I'd say if he asked me to marry him.)

(Seriously.)

(No, I'm not bitter. Not at all.)

So, that's the new me - proactive. It won't happen overnight. Old habits are hard to break. But, with the help of the good Lord, I'm going to start taking charge of more things in my life.

(Really. Not bitter at all.)

A sobering perspective

So, I was all set to blog about how upset I was that yesterday, Kroger wouldn't take the coupons I'd so lovingly printed off the internet.

And how their short-sightedness had cost me an extra $5 on my grocery bill. And how that extra $5 I spent just made me sick to my stomach when I left the store, and so angry that I contacted three - yes, three! - different companies to complain when I got home.

And then, I found this story on the internet. And when I got finished reading it, I really was sick to my stomach. And even more so, when I closed the window, and saw on my desktop wallpaper the face of my beautiful, well-fed daughter in her ballerina costume.

I'm fussing about spending five dollars extra at the store - five dollars extra which didn't, thank God, mean the difference between eating or not eating - when I have so much else to be thankful for.

Did you know that when we first got married, sometimes all I had to spend at the store, in total, was $5 a week?

We ate lots of condensed soup and hot dogs back then.

Now, I don't have to worry so much about that. I send my kid to dance class. I paid pretty good money to send her to PRESS Camp for one day while we were at the beach. And my biggest worry when it comes to her nutrition is that she's eating too much, not that her growth is stunted because she's eating too little.

God help us all to be more thankful for what we take for granted - and help us to find practical ways to help those who need it the most.

What is July 4 all about?

It's about the birth of our country, and those who have fought and died to keep that country free.

It's about those freedoms that were fought for, like the freedom to worship as we please, and live as we please, and (one of my personal favorites) write whatever we want in the newspaper.

Well, within reason. And libel laws.

It's also about spending the first part of the day playing with your kid in your backyard, and getting an unexpected text message from your oldest and best friend. And going back to the house that was her actual home, and your second home, when you were teenagers, and spending hours sitting outside in the breeze, just shooting the breeze.

It's about going to see fireworks, parked on the right-of-way in front of a stip mall, talking about old memories and making new ones.

And about little ones falling asleep on the way home, and being carried inside by daddies, only to wake up long enough to remind their moms to take their sandals off.

I hope you had a great, safe, freedom-filled July 4. Did I host a grand feast? Nope. Did I spend a small fortune on bottle rockets and sparklers? Not this year. But I got to spend time with some of my favorite people in the whole wide world. And my voice is tired from all the "visiting" we did. And I wouldn't change our spur-of-the-moment, fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants kind of day for all the Roman candles in the world.

That, I think, is what July 4, and freedom, are all about.

Official Thursday Weigh-In

You know you missed me.

You know you did.

You will, however, note that there is more of me to miss now, as I gained a half pound in the last two weeks.

149.

Actually, I peeked at the display and it said "148.8" but the policy is to round up.

All in all, I'm not complaining - if you'd been a fly on the wall of my life this week, Anna Marie would've freaked out at the sight of you you'd know that half a pound is not bad for all the stuff I consumed all week while on our trip.

And, as Scarlett O'Hara said, tomorrow is another day.

Wait - tomorrow is July 4. Strike that - Saturday is another day!

A sigh of relief

Some stuff has been going on in my life, y'all. Big stuff.

Possibly good stuff. But stuff that has the bejeebus scared out of me, nonetheless.

Remember how I told you that there was a possibility that our catering company would be taking over complete control of the auction's food operations come July?

Guess what yesterday was - July 1. D-Day.

When I say taking over - in the past, Peasnap's Catering (yes, named after Anna Mare's nickname) has provided contract labor. The auction provided the food, and the facilities. Jason and crew provided the labor, for a fee, and any money collected went back to the auction.

The place has been losing money like crazy for YEARS - so, the auction decided it wanted out of the food business all together.

Part of the reason they lost money was because a former manager decided to give all the employees their food for $2 per meal, regardless of what they ate. So they're getting three or four time that worth of food (prime rib, even, or beef brisket some days). Instead of taking that money from an account to reimburse the cafeteria, it was just a loss. A MAJOR loss.

Late last year, the price went up to $3 a meal. And then, earlier this year, it went up to a more "normal" price, minus a 10% discount.

Which is where we are now. Jason's got this nifty software that tells him how much something costs to serve, including labor and utensils. So thankfully, we haven't had to shock folks going from three buck meals to full price.

Now, though, if we lose money, we don't get paid.

Don't.get.paid. As in, my husband drives 45 minutes to work, and doesn't bring home a paycheck.

Scared doesn't begin to describe what I've been over the past few months.

But you know what? God has been poking me the past few weeks, to let me know that everything is going to be allright.

I'm a notorious worry wart, and you know what memory verse Anna Marie has been memorizing for Children's Church? I Peter 5:7: Cast all your anxiety on Him, for He cares for you.

And then, the pastor quoted it Sunday morning. (I know - preaching to folks about worry is like shooting fish in a barrel these days, but still.)

And Jason told me last week that he'd been feeling that some positive changes were coming into our lives, that he didn't know what, but he just had this feeling in his spirit. And I take that very seriously, because my husband doesn't go around saying things like that every day. In fact, in our nearly 10 years of marriage, I don't think I've heard him say anything like that even once.

And he's been coming up with ideas to make more money, like serving hot dogs in the auction bay from one of our cute little kiosks, or yesterday morning he made fruit cups and sold out almost immediately. Now, he's looking at being open more than the one or two days a week, serving low-labor foods (like pizzas or chicken salad sandwiches.) There isn't anywhere else to eat within a few miles of the facility, so they'd probably welcome the idea.

It's been really hard the last few weeks to see my husband ruminating over facts and figures, trying to find revenue holes and make the best decisions for this company. But that's what he's good at - he's a numbers man.

Yesterday when I got home, I was almost afraid to ask him if he'd made a paycheck. But he did! Maybe not quite as much as he normally did (because of some big expense I can't remember right now) but he did!

And this little news editor breathed a sigh of relief.

And God was up there in Heaven, wanting to bonk me on the head for doubting. Again.

Please keep praying for us, and for this situation - that it will continue to work, and that I will continue to trust God (and my husband) that this is going to work out. I know that if/when this does work, it'll be one of those things where to the "natural" eye it can't be possible, so it'll be nothing short of God making it a go!

Back on the grid

Oh, gentle readers, how I've missed the internet!

We weren't stranded on a desert island for three days - nay, we were in a gilded, posh hotel.

That charged 12 bucks a day for internet. No Wi-Fi. Ethernet cables available from the vending machine for $10.

(That being said, Jason had brought an ethernet cable. He just didn't want to spring for access. He checked his email on his phone.)

I guess it was worse for him than it was for me, since I was in seminars part of the time.

We had a pretty good trip down Thursday. We arrived in Biloxi around 6:30, found the hotel, and checked in. We were all famished by that point, so we decided to grab dinner before unloading the car.

Oh.my.goodness. Usher was performing there Thursday night, in a charity show at the pool, and there was a line near the bank of elevators that led to our rooms, snaking around the corner and taking up a good bit of the hallway into the mall.

And what those girls weren't wearing would fill a book. I saw a pregnant girl with little-to-nothing on and a MIXED DRINK standing in the line! Did she not remember that it was probably that behavior that got her into that shape in the first place?

When we returned from dinner (and a trip through Biloxi where we kept going down dark streets that dead-ended in water) it took us 30 minutes in the parking garage to find a space. Apparently, all the Usher fans thought their $10 ticket entitled them to the same spaces that we paid $300 for.

I was soothed to sleep by the sound of the folks in the room next door yelling at each other. Thank God for ear plugs.

Saturday morning I had to get myself ready, and Anna Marie. She was leaving for Press Camp at 8:00 a.m.

I didn't see her again until 9:00 p.m. She went to two parks, the beach, Chuck E. Cheese's, and the movies, where she saw Kung Fu Panda.

And, as you can see from this photo, was not ready to go to bed when we got to the room, even after all that.



(Yes, this is where she slept, in two pushed-together chairs. They were comfy, and kept her animals from falling off the side, and she didn't seem to mind. Here, she's watching a movie on the laptop, which is what Jason spent most of Friday doing in the absence of suitable internet.)

We listened to the governor talk for an hour about Medicaid, and get corrected in front of everyone by his wife. We ate lunch next to the pool, and I thought how intimidating it must be to come to work in a two-piece bathing suit every day, like the waitresses did.

After lunch, I donned my new suit and lay by the pool for an hour or so. The weather was beautiful, and it was very relaxing.

Friday's dinner was divine, as was Saturday's lunch, when we had fillet mignon, rare. I won one award, a third place for best editorial page. I'm a little disappointed, since I won more last year. But my publisher has already informed me that if I don't get a first place next year (and we're notified of the first places ahead of time, so we can get PDFs of the winning entries in for publication) that I'm not going.

And Anna Marie has already informed me that I must get a first place next year, so she can return to Press Camp.

I'll have to write a whole nother entry about our return trip. And we won't even talk about how my eating went. And when I show a major gain on Thursday, I'm chalking it up to water retention.

Yep, denial is no longer a river in Egypt.

I only regret that I didn't get to take more pictures, but I was so tired Friday afternoon during our free time that I just lay in the bed and watched television.

And that's one of the best part of the trip - the freedom to do nothing for a few hours.

Just checking in . , ,

Who knew getting three folks ready to go to the beach for three days could be so difficult?

Not me.

I haven't had to pack for a trip with this bunch since Thanksgiving. And this time, we'll have four people in our four-seater car (instead of three) so I have to be extra special careful about using our space wisely.

Jason used to have a rule that before we left on a trip, the house had to be clean.

I say "used to," because somehow, that rule has flown out the window - maybe one day soon, it'll take the "clean the car out every time you get out of it" rule with it. I really hate that one.

Did I mention - both Tom Jones and Usher are performing at the hotel on Thursday night! Not that I have tickets for either, but the potential for random meetings is there, all the same.

(And did you know - someone tell me if this is true or not - I heard today that Tom Jones insured his chest hair, like with Lloyds of London or something?)

Well, break time is over - back to packing.

(Not quite) all the deets on the races

I had hoped to have a little more information about the Five Star Races before I posted again.

Like, for instance, my time.

Unfortunately, I haven't been able to track down the person who has that vital information. Suffice it to say, it wasn't the fastest in the pack, or even the fastest in my age group.

(I also had hoped to be home long enough to post again. That only happened just now.)

Anna Marie had her first half-mile run on Friday night. It was also the first time she was competing with older kids, some as old as nine.

It was not the first time she didn't win. Poor baby - she came in DEAD last. I mean, so far behind the rest of the pack that I was starting to get concerned that maybe she'd gotten hurt, and I was about to go searching the course for her.

Then, there she came - blazing in her bright green glory. And beside her, on the grass was my mother! She was running alongside, in her sandals and long skirt.

The crowd went wild! Shirley from work started yelling for her. And then the announcer guy started yelling for her in the microphone. And then the group of people from a home for folks with mental disabilities started yelling for her!

By the time she finally made it to the finish line, there were great gobs of people chanting, "Come on, Anna Marie!"

She told me that her legs were hurting, and she was tired, and she almost stopped, but she kept on going! I told her that was the important thing in life: that it didn't matter how pretty, or smart, or talented you were, that if you gave up and didn't finish, you weren't going to do anything in life.

Ah, the beauty of a teachable moment.

I knew then that, come Hell or high water, I had to get through my two-mile walk.

It was SO much cooler this year than last year. And I am about 10 - 15 pounds lighter than last year, but I don't think that was as big a factor as the temperature. I set my iPod to play one of my favorite praise and worship albums, and I set out on my way.

And I did it - I finished! I think it took me about half an hour, which would be okay. It took me about 33 minutes two years ago (the last time I actually finished.)

On top of the competition on the course, there was also a competition to see which group could have the most members signed up. My Weight Watchers group came in second, with 17 members! I was so proud of everyone - nearly every one of our ladies got a trophy of some sort!

After the walk we were all in line at the post-race buffet, and my WW leader was just ahead of me, pointing to the veggie tray and telling us that we DID NOT have to eat that. She gave us carte blanche to eat whatever we wanted to - and forbade us to look at her plate, or anyone elses', critically.

I don't care that I didn't win. I don't care that I didn't place. All I care about is that I finished, and so did all my WW ladies, and so did Anna Marie.

Was I sore on Saturday? You bet your sweet bippy I was. And Sunday too. But I knew I'd earned it, and mentally, I felt like a million bucks.

And Anna Marie and I have already gotten together our game plan for training for next year. We'll be ready!

Success!

Lordy Bagordy, I'm tired, so this will be short. I'll post the full story tomorrow.

Suffice it to say, I actually finished the two-mile walk this year! (Unlike last year, when I wussed out and got heat exhaustion and spent the next two days recuperating.)

Did I get a trophy? No. Did a whole bunch of my Weight Watchers buddies? Heck yeah!

But I finished, and tonight that is enough. More than enough.

And I feel about a bazillion times better than I did after last year's race.

Everything I've got hurts, so I bid you all goodnight.

Until tomorrow . . .

Official Thursday Weigh-In

Sigh.

I gained half a pound, taking me to 148.5.

And the bad news is, I won't get to weigh in next week - I'll be at the beach.

Amanda says it'll just make it that much more dramatic when I lose two weeks worth of weight at once. I say it'll just put a bigger dent in my wallet, because I'll have to pay for the week I missed.

I'm sure it's probably water weight (seriously, my legs were feeling kinda swollen before I went) and I'll lose it all tomorrow as I sweat my way through the 5 Star Races.

Hopefully, I won't get heat exhaustion like I did last year.

Didja miss me?

Probably not. It's probably like when I was in college, and my dad called me all the time, and my mom told him to stop, because he wasn't giving me a chance to miss him.

Or, it could've been because of the enormous long distance bills we were running up. But, whatever.

I found my camera! It wasn't in the Jeep after all - I'm ashamed to admit, it was hiding 'neath a pair of capris that were drying on the back of a chair. When I took them off to wear them this morning, voila!

Guess I should keep a little cleaner house, huh?

Anywho - here are the long-awaited Anna Marie's Debut as a Dancing Princess pictures.







And here is the (partial) video of her tap performance. Not the best quality, since it was taken from the back of the theater with my digital camera, but really, $32.50 for a video of the whole nearly two-hour performance? No offense to the other parents, but I really don't want to sit through two hours of your kid to see 10 minutes of mine.



Jolly Holiday from turnermel on Vimeo.

I really wish I'd gotten the ballet performance, because it was pretty hilarious. Her tiara kept falling off, and it was a "partner dance" she did with her friend Abbi. Eight girls trying to dance in tandem while dressed as princesses? Hilarity ensues.

And I hope you've already gone to Amanda's blog to see the after pictures. I wish I could do with my $300 camera what she does with a $25 one from a thrift store!

I am a lazy lima bean.

Well, no, actually, I'm a busy lima bean.

I have a few pictures (and a video!) from Saturday's recital, 'tis true. Except, I can't find my camera right at the moment. I think it may be in Jason's Jeep, but we've been like two ships passing in the night for most of this week and I keep forgetting to go out there and look.

So, for now, you'll have to visit Amanda's blog. You can see her take on the recital (and a few pics from afterward) here and see a day in the life of Anna Marie's summer job at the auction here.

Fear not, bloggy friends - I have not abandoned you. I'll be back to my regular verbose self in a few days!

Happy Father's Day

To Jason, who is, in Anna Marie's words, the "Best Dad EVER!"

It's true. She wrote it in her card. That makes it so.

This morning in Sunday School, the pastor was "breaking the ice" by reading from a "testosterone thesaurus." I'm sure you can find it online somewhere. Except, Jason didn't fit ANY of the typical "guy stuff" it talked about. I mean, when I ask him how I look (which isn't often, I assure you) and he says "fine," I know he isn't really meaning, "Please don't try on any more outfits, I'm starving and we're late!"

Anyway.

I guess this isn't really a Father's Day observation, but it does show a bit of Jason's character nonetheless.

Our whole married life, nearly 10 years now, he's let me do pretty much whatever I wanted. Well, except quit my job and stay home, but other than that, he doesn't give me a lot of flak.

(Except - and Amanda has noticed this - he rarely raises his voice, but he ALWAYS makes his wishes known. Usually, without saying a word. And we usually know that we'd better shape up when he's disapproving. He doesn't have to say anything! How does he do that? I sure wish I knew - he's got mad skillz in that department.)

I used to think that he let me do whatever I wanted, and then the other day, it hit me.

He isn't letting me get my way.

He's giving me enough rope to hang myself.

That, my friends, is the mark of a truly wise man - and one who makes a truly wise father.

Mad props to you, Jason. You're the man.

And Anna Marie and I are really glad you're our man.

Official "Thursday" Weigh-In

I kinda forgot to do this last night, and I was kinda too tired when I did kinda remember.

My child has reverted to her infancy, when she wouldn't go to sleep no matter what we tried. Know what I spend 2-3 hours doing EVERY night now? Trying to get her to stay in bed long enough to fall asleep!

I'm going to blame it on our pastor's wife. Two weeks ago in Sunday School, we were talking about parents not having time with each other, who at the same time, let their kids stay up just as late as they do. She admonished us all to put our kids to bed one or two hours before we plan to go to bed, so that we can have time to ourselves or time with our spouse. They have an eight-year-old daughter and a teenage son, and she said their daughter goes to bed at 8:00 p.m. every night.

And I was on the back row, with a hearty, "Amen!" Because I've been putting Anna Marie to bed at a decent time for years, so that I could get some other things accomplished.

Guess what - after that lesson, this kid has given me trouble every single night!

I've resorted to waking her up early, instead of letting her sleep as late as she wants. (Which, by the way, didn't work last night, but will be tried again because we have to get up SUPER early tomorrow morning for her dance recital.) I know it's summer, but the better schedule she keeps now, the less trouble we'll have getting back on track in August.

Oh, that's right - you want to know what I weigh, don't you?

148. Down a half pound from last week, but still a pound away from my all-time low of 147.

But I'm going to get there - never you fear!

If I can survive Anna Marie's second infancy.

So I've been asked for a hair dryer review

And I'm throwing in this picture, gratis. You're welcome.

It was taken at Relay for Life on Friday, and Anna Marie posed for it - as in, she saw me with my camera, and held that exact position, and I said, "Oh, you're waiting for me to take a picture, aren't you?"

She is her Aunt Manda's niece.



Oh, the hair dryer is fine. Not too big, not too small. And, let me tell you what a ginormous dork I am. (Like you needed me to reiterate that!) Usually, I stand in the (small, not-well-ventilated) bathroom, in front of the mirror, and dry my hair. I dry it most of the way, and then use a big round brush with the dryer to smooth it out and give it "bounce," "volume," and, hopefully, "a semblance of style."

Today, I was at home alone (Jason was at the auction, and Anna Marie was with mom) and I was having Golden Girls withdrawals. And they're recorded on the DVR in our bedroom. So I decided to take my dryer in there (where, by the way, there is no mirror) and watch TV while I did my hair.

What? You never did that? OF COURSE YOU HAVE.

Except, I couldn't figure out how to turn the closed captioning on, so I missed part of the dialogue while the dryer was running!

Anyway, because I didn't have the mirror, I just flipped my head upside down, and dried it, and used the brush to give it a little shape as I did. When I was finished, I went into the bathroom (during a commercial break, of course) and flipped my hair back over, and used the brush to smooth it out.

Guess what - I've gotten lots of compliments on my hair today. So, apparently, I do better not being able to see what I'm doing.

(What's that? Yes, I know I can pause stuff with the DVR, but I had exactly enough time to watch one episode before I had to leave for work. I had my plan all worked out, and nothing was going to interrupt that.)

So, I can recommend the dryer. I noticed after I got home that it was also dual-voltage, so if I have need to go to Europe I can take it along!

Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to mosey back to the Conair site, where I "borrowed" this picture, and enter to win some money by submitting a review. It could happen!

It's serendipity!

So, I didn't make it to Target after church on Wednesday. Did I tell you? My cousin was there at church, and we talked for a bit, so it was a little later than usual when I left.

So, I've been using the wee tiny travel dryer (bless it's heart) since mine caught on fire a few days ago.

So, this morning, it died too! Not such a dramatic death as its larger, better predecessor, but dead nonetheless.

So, today after Anna Marie's rehearsal, and lunch, we went to Target (I'd had an ahem emergency need for a store that sold certain items) and I wandered over to the hair dryer aisle.

Know what I love about Target? They have the dryers out, so you can play with them! A few years ago for Christmas I asked for an ionic dryer, and Jason got me one that was like the mother of all hair dryers - five ceramic heaters! The thing weighed a ton! Ergo, holding a dryer before I commit is a big deal for me.

I didn't want to get another one just like the last - what if the problem I'd experienced was a design flaw? And I knew I wanted an ionic dryer - they're usually quieter and better for your hair. And I knew I wanted a cord keeper, because I don't have much cabinet space and that helps bunches with storage. (And my husband INSISTS that I put away all makeup, hair appliances, etc., every.single.day.)

Then I saw the folding dryers and thought, gee, it'd be nice to have one of those when I travel, or for storage in general. But there wasn't one that was ionic, and a cord keeper, and a folder.

I was about to give up (and in the middle of a cramp) when I saw one in the wrong spot on the shelf. It was the only one, but it was ionic, and a cord keeper, and a folder! I was about to walk to the scanner to see how much it was, when Jason came from the endcap with - wait for it - the same exact one!

How's that for serendipity?

Wait - it gets better - it was priced a full $5 less than the other ones I'd looked at! Score!

I can't wait to use my new dryer tomorrow - it was meant to be, so I bet it'll give me the best styling experience ever!

Or at least, just dry my hair - I guess that will be enough for now.

Friday Funny

Or, Friday Frightening, however you'd like to look at it.

I found this picture a couple of weeks ago when I was cleaning off my hard drive at work. It was taken oh, a month or so before I started Weight Watchers:



Yeah, the girl in the middle was five months pregnant, but at least SHE could hide behind the newspaper. This picture ran on the front page with an article announcing the new staff here (the girl in the middle is the publisher's daughter, and served for a time as our editor.)

And this was taken today:



The girl in the white is from France. She's in PR and marketing, and she's here on an exchange with the Rotary club, so she came and spent the morning with us. Poor thing - she has a five-year-old son she's been away from for a month while she's been in the US!

Now, I can look back at this post whenever I get discouraged, or maybe just when I get tempted to eat a Reese's.

Official Thursday Weigh-In

Remember last week when I gulp gained two pounds?

Well, this week I lost a half of one of those. I'm at 148.5 this week.

I have, however been streaking.

Exercise streaking.

Mel at The Diet Naked Blog is challenging everyone to exercise every day during the month of June. And I read her post on Monday, and I just happened to have exercised Sunday, so I did some Monday and was all caught up! And now it's June 5, and that's five days in a row!

This morning, I didn't feel like exercising, but I thought, "I'm on a streak! I've got to keep going!"

So I did.

(I also ate a scoop of vanilla ice cream, with a bit of toppings, tonight at the school board meeting I attended. This was the superintendent's last meeting, since he's retiring, and I figured I might as well. And you know what - I'm going to be OK. Because I used to eat that way all the time, and never exercise, and now I eat like that occasionally and exercise regularly. And that's the way it should be.)

What does vanity get you?

A hair dryer that catches on fire when you turn it on, that's what.

I had to resort to the wee tiny travel dryer, and up next to my super-charged ionic model, it was hardly a match.

Guess I'll be stopping in at Target tonight after church to spy out new models.

In other, more interesting news, read about Anna Marie's latest adventures with her Aunt Manda here.

Everyone needs an Aunt Manda!

I did it!

I made myself exercise tonight! Outside! In the heat!

I just did it because I told you I needed to, you know. Accountability rocks!

I hate to post this and run, but I'm watching Ocean's Twelve and they're just in a commercial break.

Is it wrong to say movies like this make me want to be a master thief?

Your vanity moment for today.

We have a two-mile walk coming up in our town in about three weeks.

(Well, we also have a 5K run that night, but that really doesn't apply to me, because I don't even run when chased. I just collapse on the ground.)

I've entered the walk the past two years. The first year, I got a trophy! Third place in my age range!

Last year, I got big fat nothing, because I got heat exhaustion and had to quit.

(You wouldn't think that two miles would be a big deal, but it's HOT out there on that pavement, and it's on a very hilly college campus, and you're trying to walk fast so you can get a trophy. Ergo, it's a very big deal.)

My wonderful WW leader, who also participates, suggested that I walk outside when the weather got warmer (as opposed to inside, where it's nice and cool and I have a TV!) so my body could get used to the temperature gradually.

And it dawned on me this morning that I hadn't been training like that! And the event is less than three weeks away!

Panic ensued.

Since it's already climbing into the 90's here in the Deep South, early morning would be the ideal time. But I do nothing in an ideal way, so I didn't go walking before work. And I thought about doing it at lunch, but then I went to the restroom and saw my reflection.

And I thought: man, I am FINALLY having a good hair day.

No way am I messing that up to go walking and get all hot and sweaty, and then have to come right back to work!

Guess I'll just have to find time, at least today, to go out after supper.

Because good hair days aren't easy to come by, and I sure as heck am not wasting one!

(If you're here for Heather's carnival, this post is obviously not one about God meeting me. Because obviously I'm still struggling with the sin of vanity. You'll just have to scroll down to get to the good stuff!)