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Sunday, February 28, 2010

Getting to know YOU

Today is Sunday & that means Keely's Getting to Know YOU.


I love these. :) So here we go! (And after reading mine, you should do your own post & then go visit Keely at MannLand5 & add your link to the blog hop! It's fun!

1. Would you rather bungee jump or sky dive?
I can't decide. The thought of either one sounds amazing & i just know if i did it i would LOVE it...but i also know that someone would have to push me because i'd chicken out at the last minute!

2. When using a public restroom do you sit or squat?
Uhh, can i plead the 5th??? SIGH. Okay, i SIT. I completely sit. I hate squatting & i'm not very good at it. But i do use those toilet cover seat thingies & if they don't have them i look for the cleanest stall! My sister once told me that the first stall is the least used one. I have no clue if that is true, but ever since i've always grabbed the first stall. HA!

And now you know something about me you never thought you'd know. WAY tmi!

3. Favorite Flower?
Gerber Daisies. Poppies. Roses. Tulips.

Here's a poppy for you!

4. Pedicure or Manicure?
PEDICURE!! Please! I bite my fingernails way too much & i actually don't mind my short bitten nails! Though i do get pretty fake nails for certain events! But i LOVE pedi's - it's a stress reliever to go get one & I really MUST get them during the spring & summer months so i do not scare people off when i wear flip flops!

5. How many siblings do you have?
One sister, Michelle. She's 3 years older than I am. We're total opposites, but get along wonderfully! I love her!
I couldn't resist! We are silly!

6. Do you pee in the shower? (Gasp!)
NO WAY! Gross! Although- I take baths & i'm pretty sure it'd be even nastier to pee in the tub... you know, since you're sitting in it! Eww. Though i did used to shower all the time & i don't recall ever peeing in one!

(Don't worry, i am not feeling all holier-than-thou, because i definitely used to pee in pools. EEEE-YUCK!)

7. Bikini? Tankini? Or one piece?
I have a tankini. The bottom part is a skirt. It's cute! It doesn't show any skin in the midsection though - that would not be a good thing at my size! Land's End has the cutest seperates - you can mix & match & they are custom fit for your body. If they can make ME feel decent in a bathing suit, they have something good going on!

8. Where do you hate to shop, but go there anyway?
Walmart. Man. I wish i could do my grocery shopping at Whole Foods but they're too expensive, or Target but it's on the other side of town, or Oak Point, but it's just not convenient except on Sundays (so we went today). But Walmart is the least expensive & right down the street. Not my favorite place though but i guess it'll do!

So there ya have it! Happy Sunday!


Saturday, February 27, 2010

RIP Kelsey Rae

Kelsey Rae Lieux

I am in a little bit of shock as i write this. My friend just called to let me know that sweet Kelsey went to be with Jesus tonight.

I don't know if you recall my post about her back in December, but Kelsey is a beautiful high school senior who I watched back years ago when she was just a kid. I worked aftercare & summer care at a nearby school & had the privelege of watching her & her younger sister, Alicen. Her mom worked there quite a bit too & i just loved this family. Her other sister Sarah was just a baby at the time. Though I had not seen them in MANY years (other than running into her mom several times), i still was heartbroken to hear of her car accident. It did not look good & I did not want for her life to be cut short. I also couldn't bear the thought of Mr. Charles or Mrs. Tammy losing their oldest daughter. And i couldn't imagine losing a sister, so my heart was breaking for sisters Alicen & Sarah as well. I prayed & prayed. And so did everyone else. She began to improve little by little and evntually was moved to a physical rehabilitation hospital.

She has a page on CaringBridge & i had just read her update that said how well she was doing! It was written February 23rd. She was breathing completely on her own. Her dad was giving her commands (hold 3 fingers up, etc) & she would obey. The splint on her right arm came off. She was doing silly things like stealing cell phones or pens out of people's pockets! Her halo was supposed to have been checked Wednesday & they were going to see about removing it. All of that. Since her accident on December 9th, she has been getting better & better, beating the odds one day at a time. In the beginning she went through a lot of "crucial" days. She made it & the thought of her not making it hadn't even crossed my mind again. She has been WELL on her way to complete & total recovery.

But tonight i got a call that something happened tonight & in an instant she was gone. I don't know for sure, but heard it was a blood clot to her heart.

As i wrote this i received an email notification that another journal entry was posted on CaringBridge. This is what it said:

It is with a very heavy heart tonight that I write this. I never saw this day coming. Kelsey went home to see the Lord tonight. She fought a battle and although the Lord took her home, she is now our sweet angel in Heaven. We can not question God's doing but can only trust and know there is a reason for everything. She will never be forgotten.

Please remember the Lieux family in your daily prayers and know they need it now more than ever. Please be respectful to know at this time they need to be with their family. They are very thankful for each and every one of you.

This will be the last journal.


God Bless You All.
 

Sarah Grace, Mrs. Tammy, Kelsey, Mr. Charles, & Alicen

Please please keep her dear family & close friends in your prayers. I know that i have not seen or spoken to the family in years. But my heart hurts because of her family. I know Kelsey is in the arms of Jesus. But grief is an unbearable thing. Also, she was doing SO well. I can't imagine how they feel after she has made it so far for almost 3 solid months. Please pray for their comfort & strength during this time.

RIP sweet Kelsey. You will be missed.

Friday, February 26, 2010

FRIDAY - yipee!

Yipee! It's Friday! I love Fridays! Mainly because that means my MOST favorite day is next: Saturday!! :) Friday also means Mama M's Five Question Friday. If you haven't played before, you should. It's fun! You just answer the questions below in  your own blog post & then go to her blog & add your link to the blog hop!! :)


This week's questions:

1. Do you sing karaoke? If so, what is your go-to song?
Um, no. Never have. I've only been to one place ever that had karaoke & my friends were begging me to do it because i do sing, but i was way too chicken! I may love to sing & do it for an audience at times, but an impromptu song? No way!

2. What is your favorite coffee drink?
My favorite is Brad's which is just regular community coffee made the old fashioned way - YUM!

But if going to Starbucks, i will get the non-fat cinnamon dolce latte, no whip!

3. If you could choose your own name, what would it be?
Melissa is fine with me. It has lots of fun nicknames! Or something cool would be fun for a day, like... hm... can't think of anything. Melissa fits me, though!

4. Were you ever bullied?
High school P.E. class. That's all i'm saying!

5. How often do you eat fast food?
This is a struggle for me! Not supposed to eat ANY with the exception of Subway. I have had NONE this week. I had it a few times last week, though. I'm a work in progress!

Thanks, Mama M!

Fill in the Blank Friday!

Today is Lauren's Fill in the Blank Friday". YAY!


1. When I'm nervous, I have to pee, if it's the audition/interview kind of nervous. And my voice shakes, which is awful. If it's another kind of nervous, like watching a scary movie, i bite my fingernails.

2. My favorite item in my closet is this gorgeous fancy blue purply dress i own that is flattering on me. I only wore it once, to the theatre's annual ball this year, but i can't wait to wear it again.

3. Taking a hot bath with a novel & a glass of wine or cup of coffee is my favorite thing to do when i need to relax.

4. My favorite childhood memory is when my parent's got me a trampoline. I had wanted one forever & always went to my neighbor friend Sonya's house & we'd jump on hers for HOURS. One evening i was over there & we were jumping on her trampoline & my sister came over & told me that mom & dad said it's time to come home. I was SO mad! I was having so much fun & didn't understand why i had to go home already. I folded my arms & huffed home & then when we got home instead of going inside, we walked around back & my sister covered my eyes. We went into the backyard & she took her hand off my eyes & there was a trampoline in my yard - my dad had just finished putting it together. I was SOOOO EXCITED! I had NO idea, it was not Christmas or birthday time & I just could NOT believe it!

5. Something you may not know about me is that I have no problem with the sight of blood & can watch full blown surgeries without getting squeamish - but get extremely nauseated at just the THOUGHT of a broken bone!

6. A true friend is there for you through the good times & bad times in your life. Never judges you. Always encourages & supports you, unless of course you're doing something stupid. Prays for you & believes in you.

7. Something I hope that people think of when they think of me is that i am someone they could come to for anything & receive love, not judgement. Someone who makes them laugh.

Now I hope you will head on over to Lauren's & play along!

Thursday, February 25, 2010

A Few Thoughts

Today after work we went to eat at Sammy's for my mother-in-law's birthday. We had a great time. I thought it was just going to be Brad's immediate family, but it ended up being Brad's Granny, his Aunt KK & Uncle David and his Aunt Paula & Uncle Cliff, too. We had a wonderful time. I LOVE THEM. Sammy's is a restaurant in town that i have wanted to try forEVER but never got a chance. I LOVED IT. SOOOO AMAZINGLY GOOD!!! Oh WOW. =) And we had a gift card to there that Brad's mom gave us for Valentine's Day... but Brad left the gift card at home. I said, "That's okay, honey, it just means we get to come again!" HAHA.

I didn't watch American Idol tonight. I hate the results show. They just build it up & build it up until you're like "SPILL IT ALREADY!" I'd rather just hear who got sent home. Anyway, with the exception of Janell, i disagree with who got sent home. But what else is knew? They always do this at the beginning of the live shows. Why? Well. There are, what, 33 million watching? I don't know how many actually vote, but it's too many spread out votes. Tim Urban should have gone home. But he's young & cute. So he probably had a huge following of pre-teen girls. That is just one example. It's better when it gets down to 6 or so because then all the votes are going to fewer people & the best ones are more likely to stay at that point. That's my theory, anyway. I was sad about Ashley because she had a HORRIBLE night Tuesday. But her initial audition, i said she could WIN the whole thing. I wish she'd had another chance.

Oh Well.

That's all the news for now, except i'm SO GLAD it's FRIDAY tomorrow. WHEW! =) I am stage managing a show called Queen of Bingo Friday night & Saturday night, but other than that i'm free! =)

And Tuesday's my birthday!

Thankful Heart

Today was a good day. Long & even a little stressful, but good. It's kinda cool, my new job. I know that i'm going to love it. I already do! It's just that i will love it more when i get the hang of everything. It's a lot to remember. I was trained for about 20 minutes & then they were kind of like "aw, heck, let's just throw her into it!" HA.

They did not do this because it's easy. It's just that there is SO MUCH to be done & to stop & train someone seems impossible. So they showed me the minimum & i got to work.

Yesterday & today were the days i really worked all on my own. Of course, i had questions & such. But for the most part i was just figuring things out. My new job has two main responsibilities. The first one i spent all day yesterday working on. Turns out it was not hard at all. It's just time consuming. I problem solved all day. I got issues straightened out. And it went very well. Today was harder. I worked on the second of the 2 main responsibilities. It will get easier once i get the hang of it. It's just a LOT to remember. And extremely time consuming. For about 2 hours today I got really overhwelmed & confused. I had stuff i HAD to work on, but the lady who trained me had left for an appointment. I was so stressed out & overwhelmed that i finally closed my door (love having a door to my office!) & took my lunch break. I just relaxed. And then when lunch was over, i said "okay. I'm going to slow down. Take this step by step. And just figure each thing out as i get to it." And that is what i did. It was hard, yes. It was stressful, because i was so confused. But at the end of the day, on my way home, i felt GOOD. I felt like i'd truly accomplished a LOT. It has stressful moments, but it is a different stress than when i answered phones, got screamed at all day & had NOTHING i could say to help these people. Everyone else had the answers but couldn't take the phone calls. I didn't have the answers & had to take the phone calls. Now, i only have calls for specific reasons & i can figure out how to fix the issue. I am challenged & busy & it's just a good fit for me.

Just can't tell you how THANKFUL I am to be in my new job position. I am SOO THANKFUL. To God. And to my company. My boss & her boss. You know, MONTHS ago, i was crying because i was just MISERABLE & I could not have hated my job MORE. It was HELL, my job. I am not even exaggerating. I woke up every morning with knots in my stomach. MISERABLE. I kept looking for jobs & sending my resume & never got calls, even though i have a great resume with great experience. That day i was crying in my boss' office, she said, "What can i do for you to make this job better?" & i said "Three things. Get me away from the phones. Get me my own office. And get a receptionist." She said she would try to get me away from the phones (but to do what?). She said there was just no room for me to have my own office - where would they put me? - but that when we got a new building i could have my own office or at least my own space. And she said that they couldn't afford to hire a receptionist. So, the answer was NO. To all of my questions. And i felt so... HOPELESS. Even later when they changed up some things in one department, she tried SO HARD to get me hired for there even though you had to have a degree (which i do not have). She wrote an appeal to the board asking them to change the qualifications. It was denied. I literally SOBBED In her office when she told me that & told her i would be looking for employment elsewhere. I mean, i just. COULD. NOT. STAY.

But then, the answers one by one became YES answers. First i got my own office, purely by happenstance (wierd that i just used that word. but it fit!). I swear our office should win an award for 'best use of office space'! Then, the demand for a new position (the one i have now) became soooo great, that they began to have meetings on how they could have this new position. They had to go before the board for that too & it was approved! My boss came to me one day & said "I want you to think about if you would consider a position doing this..." & explained to me what it would be. "But it won't be till July when the new contract begins." Then the next day, "Actually, um, i really need you to think about it, because um - it could be next week."
HUH!??!?!

I was hesitant at first. Because the job i was taking, i'd be talking to some of the very people that screamed at me on the phone all the time! But then i realized, i have to talk to them either way. Either having NO answers for them. Or having answers for them. =) SO i took it.

And it's going GREAT. I am just so stinking thankful. I tihnk about it all the time. I'm only 2 days in really. Since i've been trained, i mean (there was a whole lotta time there where i could just catch up on work i never could do because of the non-stop ringing phones!). But i am really liking it & think it's going to get better when i have the hang of it! =)

YES!!!

And they ended up affording a receptionist too. Which helps tremendously. Not me as much as the girl who took my place. But still! I am so thankful that - even though at FIRST the answers were no - that eventually it worked out. God knew it all along. =)

I got my boss a card! HA! Who gets their boss' cards for a promotion, right? I mean, i know it's nice to get a promotion, but it's something you earned. But i just feel like i was MISERABLE & felt HOPELESS & she really did her best to get me what i was asking for. She could have said "yeah yeah okay" & ignored me. ESPECIALLY with all the work there is to do!

The card i got her is SHOEBOX & says, "And in the end, she simply said, "THANK YOU," even though she was so much more grateful than that." =)

I realize now that God shut every door to the other jobs i was applying for, including the ones within our own company. SO cool how he knows how it's all going to work out. =)

Wednesday, February 24, 2010

Guy's Night on Idol

Well, you know since i did my idol recap of the girl's last night, I've gotta do it for the boy's tonight. I'll keep it short & sweet this time!

My favorites...


Those are my favorites. Casey, Andrew & Aaron have been my favorites since the beginning. Of course, Casey is a hottie. But he's also got pipes! I like him a lot.

Andrew did well tonight in my opinion (despite what the judges said) but I will never forget when he did Paula Abdul's "Straight Up" & made it his own! LOVED IT. He's got an interesting voice, i like him.

Aaron is adorable. SUCH a humble guy. Tonight was not my favorite of him, but he was SUPER nervous. His first live performance ever!!

Now, Todrick. WOAH. I've liked him since the beginning but tonight he became a favorite. When i heard he was doing Kelly Clarkson's "Since You've Been Gone", I was like UHHHH... YIKES?! But it was GREAT. VERY CREATIVE. Now, i agree with the judges that he shouldn't have made it THAT different - so different from the original that you don't even recognize it - i mean, if it weren't for the lyrics, you would never know that's what he was singing. HOWEVER, it was still extremely creative & i like him a TON. He's awesome.

It kind of annoys me how ALL last night the judges sounded like a broken record saying, "you've gotta make it your own" & all that. And then this guy completely rearranges a song & totally makes it interesting & fun & cool & they diss him. Give me a break. I agree that he changed it TOO much but it was still awesome & he took a risk. The judges tonight were annoying. Well, Simon i mean. I usually like him, but good grief. Kara is my new favorite judge. I like Ellen too & I like Randy more so than in the past. Simon - tonight was in one of his moods. UGH.


Those 4 should be safe! There were a few others that were okay. And i also love Michael Lynch. His performance tonight was decent but he's done better. I am glad Ellen told him to be careful about getting a big head because i've been wondering if he's getting a little conceited?? Maybe not, though; he seems totally sweet. Anyway, i heard the other day on the radio that this week they may be announcing that he has to go home. WHY? Apparently his dad leaked to the local newspaper there that Michael made it to the Top 24 - before it aired. BIG NO NO! They have to sign contracts & everything that it will remain confidential until it airs. I would NOT be happy if my dad did that!!! But then tonight he sang & he's still there, so maybe they're letting him stay. I mean, it's not his fault his dad did that! Then again, if they let one person get away with something like that then they have to let someone else. When they announced that on the radio they said not to feel sorry for him because he's already being picked up by a record label. HM. Interesting to me they didn't announce this yet. Maybe tomorrow on the results show?

So that's my recap. There were some others that were good enough & then a couple that were awful. The two i think that should go home are Tim Urban & Alex Lambert. I don't know if they will go home, but to me - they are the weakest links. The other's left are okay.

What did you think?

Tuesday, February 23, 2010

performing live

I feel the need to do an American Idol recap every time it airs. I'm really sorry about this. I know some people are not as into it as i am. So just feel free to skip this post if you need to. I will still love you. ;)

Tonight was disappointing. And, ya know, that happens a lot if i'm remembering right - the first few live shows are never that great. You go on & on about how amazing they are & how this is the best season ever & then you get to Top 24 & you are a little let down.

Tonight i feel like the sound was off - & i don't mean just the singing. The singing wasn't mixed right with the band & the background vocals. The background vocals were too loud, the band was too soft, the contestant was somewhere in the middle. Some of them sounded TERRIBLE, but i'm telling you - when you are doing a live performance, if all those factors are into play, & you can't hear yourself in the monitors (which i highly suspect) & you are nervous as all get out - you are bound to not sound your best. Alicia Keys wouldn't sound her best in those circumstances. If you can't hear right, you can't sing right. It's not going to happen. I am not trying to make excuses for them - i just sometimes understand how they feel!

I hate to say some of the things I'm about to say, because i do NOT want to sound like i think i know it all. I don't. I do sing & i have sung on stage, live, a hundred or so times. I have led praise & worship in church a few times, but I sang backup a lot more. I have had solos in musicals. And i love to sing. I love to sing alto, mostly. I love to harmonize. If i sing a solo, I pick songs by Nichole Nordeman or Crystal Lewis. Their's are the ones i do best. If i were to go on American Idol, i would not try Mariah Carey, even though i adore her voice, there is no way i could match it (even if i almost can in my car!). I'd likely try Sarah Barreilles - & it wouldn't be her hit single! I don't know why they pick songs that are too big for them! And i agree with Simon - they are always picking songs that they think would get them to the next round... not the ones that reflect them most & that they sing best. It always bites them in the butt, too, because the best ones are always the ones that choose the right songs, that choose the songs that have meaning to them. It resonates with those who watch. Just singing isn't going to do it because there's not any authenticity to it. And it is not that hard to do (pick the right song, i mean. at least, it shouldn't be. I think they make it harder than it is).

I love when Brad plays the keyboards & i sing along. But if you heard me sing, i don't know that you would be like "WOW. SHE IS AMAZING." No one has ever said that to me. But i can sing correctly & i do give it all i've got. Unfortunately, my nerves VISIBLY mess with me. I get so nervous that you can HEAR it in my voice & see it in my shaky legs & the shaking microphone! HA! NOT when i do praise & worship. But when i do a solo or an audition.
I would never go on American Idol because I do not desire to be a singer. I want to be an ACTOR. That is my thing (even though i've been singing a lot longer). I don't desire to stand on a stage and entertain people as myself. I'd rather become a different character & explore that character - i come out of my shell on stage as another character. As myself, i sometimes get in a quiet little mood & not in the mood for company. HAHA - I would never want to do interviews & i'd often not be in the mood to go entertain a crowd. (Now a background vocal - THAT would be fun!)

ANYWAY. I don't know why i went into all that. & i hope it didn't sound braggy b/c i'm NOT a brilliant singer or anything! But i do want to be able to talk openly about my love of music & theatre. Tonight was a disappointing night on American Idol - but I just see more potential in some of those kids than what they are showing on that stage. I agree with the judges a lot - ESPECIALLY Kara.

The recap. My favorites, as always, are Lilly & Crystal. Lilly did AMAZING tonight. Crystal did well, but it was not her personal best, in my opinion. They are both refreshing because they are both ORIGINAL. And real. And, oh yeah, their vocals ROCK.


2 others I really enjoyed tonight were Katie & Siobhan. I didn't remember Siobhan at all. But she was great tonight. Katie, well, she's 16. She has a fantastic voice but you know 16 year olds... she kinda annoyed me. But she did not annoy me tonight. The judges thought the song was too old for her. I disagreed, but it was Michael Buble. I adore him & his music & i don't think of it as old. But yeah, it kind of is. I thought she did great with it!


Please forgive me if you loved Katelyn - i missed her song! =( My mom thought she was terrific! Two girls go home on Thursday. Who do I think it should be? Well, based on tonight - Lacey & Didi. But again, i could barely hear the band so a large part of it was the SOUND. It is hardly the singers fault that i couldn't hear the band! Ashley was my #1 favorite at the initial auditions but she was a bundle of nerves tonight! I hope the above 4 will stay (& think they will, except maybe Siobhan. She wowed me tonight, but i didn't remember her at ALL before that). Other than that - it will not bother me too much if any of them go home, except Ashley. I hope she gets another chance because i know she can do better than that!

Ok, so there is my very very long summary of tonight's show. If you're still here. ;)

Sunday, February 21, 2010

Beautiful Rose

The roses Brad got me for Valetine's Day are blooming beautifully! We were marveling at them today & you know I had to grab my camera!!







i love Sunday Fundays!


I love Keely's Getting To Know You Sundays. They're fun! You should join the fun... just copy the following questions, answer them in your own blog & then head on over to Keely's & add your link to the blog hop! You meet lots of other bloggers this way - & they meet you, too! =)

So play along, will ya? It's fun!

Here we go...

1. How often do you wash/change your sheets?
Oh wow - well, i would say at least once every two weeks... & i thought that was normal, because i used to be a maid & the regular houses were cleaned once every two weeks & i had to change their sheets - & i seriously doubt if they changed them the week in between... but i'm seeing your blogs say at least once a week! HAHA - so i hope that's not gross... i do it more often if necessary... & i LOVE the feel of fresh sheets. But once every 2 weeks is good enough (not longer than that, i promise!)

2. When is your birthday?
March 2 - less than 2 weeks! I always do something for my birthday, even though i'm obviously out of the 'birthday party' age - i think i'll probaby have birthday dinners well into my 80's... anyway... a bunch of friends & i are going to dinner & then going to see Little Shop of Horrors at a nearby theatre - some of my friends are in it! Can't wait!

I'll be 32. Which i really can't believe. People always freak out when they find out i'm in my thirties - which i don't mind until they get over-the-top with it (like "you are NOT 30! there is no way! are you sure? Let me see your driver's license!" - um, i know how old i am, thanks). Actually, i always looked my age until i got about 22 & then suddenly, i stopped aging?? I know this is not a bad thing!

I share a birthday with Jon Bon Jovi & Dr. Seuss, by the way! Just in case you were wondering! I love that i share a bday with Dr. Seuss!

3. Have you ever met a bloggy friend in real life?
Meaning other than the 3 i already knew in real life? No! So sad! I find myself constantly thinking how i'd love to meet so-and-so. Some of you have gotten to be such good bloggie friends that i know we'd hang out if we lived in the same area. Laura is my BBFF (Bloggie BFF! HA! I just made that up!) & she lives about 349303 hours from me - or something like that, but one day we WILL meet. And there are also several friends that have weight loss blogs that I'd love to hang out with as a group one day: Tiff, Nicole & several others. & Keely is in Texas - that seems more doable than all you other people that live up north! HAHA jk. =)

4. Brad Pitt or George Clooney?
Um, well...they both kinda fall into the same category for me - I don't LOVE either of them, but i don't DISLIKE them either, they're both cute & they're both decent actors - you know - just in the Okay category.

But if had to pick one to hang out with - i'd pick Clooney. Seems more charming/easy to talk to...i'm totally judging here, though...  

5. If you could change one thing about your body what would it be?
My stomach. =( I'm working on it... but it's such a slow process.

6. How often do you wash your hair?
Daily. I inherited my daddy's hair & it is OILY. If i miss one day of washing it, then it is oily in no time flat. Like, oily enough to look like i poured baby oil in it.

I have a friend who can go 3 days without washing - & you'd never know it. No.Fair.

7. Do you have pets?
One adorable/goofy/silly/sweet/sometimes-bad dog named Fievel. He's a shih tzu & he's 5.


8. How many social networks do you belong to & if you had to give one up, which would it be?
I have facebook & i have blogger, if that's a social network (it feels social!). And i could NOT live without blogging...so facebook would have to go.

Sunday Stealing

Time again for Sunday Stealing!! This meme is continued from last week's. If you wanna play along, write your own blog with the same questions & then add your link to the blog hop over on Sunday Stealing. It's fun! =)



Here we go...
The Clown's Meme, Part 2

34. What do you like about the summer?
Flip Flops, sunnier weather, the beach (not that i get to go that often - maybe this year??)
The only thing i hate about summer & that keeps me from putting it as my favorite season is the HUMIDITY here in Louisiana. MAN.

35. What do you like about the spring?
It's just beautiful. Sunny. But not as humid. Cool. Beautiful. And the pedicures & flip flops are back!!

36. How many states/provinces have you lived in?
Just 1 - Louisiana.

37. What cities/towns have you lived in?
Just this one - Baton Rouge - & some surrounding suburbs.

38. Do you prefer shoes, socks or bare feet?
bare feet.

39. Are you a social person?
This completely depends on my mood. Typically i'm more reserved/quiet around people I don't know very well. But other times I'm just in an outgoing mood...

40. What is the last thing you ate?
Huh. I don't remember. Nothing this morning, yet.

41. What is your favorite restaurant?
I love La Carreta, a mexican restaurant here. Cheesecake Bistro is delish & so is Capital City Grill. Ooh & Mike Anderson's Seafood.

42. What is your favorite ice cream?
Homemade. MMMM. That's the only ice cream i REALLY love, good thing no one will make it often. I'm not at all tempted by the ice cream at the grocery.

43. What is your favorite dessert?
i love cheesecake. And chocolate chip cookies, fresh out of the oven.

44. What is your favorite kind of soup?
Tomato Basil, at La Madeleine's. Potato Soup. And Tortilla soup.

45. What kind of jelly do you like on a PB & J sandwich?
Strawberry

46. Do you like Chinese food?
Eh, not really. I love stir fry at home & i like Sesame Chicken okay. But i might get a craving for chinese food once a YEAR. And i always regret it (get a stomach ache).

47. Do you like coffee?
Love. Coffee.

48. How many glasses of water do you drink a day, on average?
Hmm. Well, i am on a weight loss journey so i try to drink it all day long. I carry a water bottle at work & keep refilling it. I don't do as well on the weekend, though - i prefer sprite zero & OJ... but at least i get a lot of it 5 days out of 7!!  

49. What do you drink in the morning?
A cup of Hubby's coffee on weekends; he doesn't usually have time to make it before work. So OJ on the weekdays. (Unless i decide to face the coffee at work!)

50. What non-banking related card in your wallet is the most valuable to you?
Hmm. Um, my Smoothie King punch card?

51. Do you sleep on a certain side of the bed?
Yes, the right side.

52. Do you know how to play poker?
No clue. And i used to know. But it's been so long, i forgot.

53. Do you like to cuddle?
I use the term "snuggle" & YES.

54. Have you ever been to Canada?
Yes, one of my best friends is from there & I flew up there to be in her wedding in 1999. Been awhile! I stayed for a week. It's beautiful!

55. Do you have an addictive personality?
YES. Which is why i'm thankful i never smoked or drank [enough to get drunk].

56. Do you eat out or at home more often?
Used to, i would say "out", hands down. But since, first, marrying someone who doesn't like to spend a lot of money on eating out &, second, changing my eating habits last year, it's lessened quite a bit. We definitely eat breakfast & dinner at home most of the time. Lunch is what i'm working on.

57. What do you miss about high school, if anything?
NOTHING!!! I wouldn't go back to teen years for all the money in the world! HA.
BUT... i did love musical theatre - & have lots of fond memories of that class.

58. Do you know anyone with the same birthday as you?
I have three theatre acquaintances/friends with the same birthday. Also, Jon Bon Jovi & Dr. Seuss!! (March 2)

59. Do you want kids?
YES. Maybe next year. Or maybe the next. =)

60. Do you speak any other languages?
No

61. Have you ever gotten stitches?
No

62. Have you ever ridden in an ambulance?
No

63. Do you prefer ocean or the pool?
The ocean to lay out by & read. Though i will get in, but i am concerned about jellyfish! HA! This wasn't a problem on our honeymoon though - in the Carribean. Clearest water everywhere & i never saw a jellyfish! But in Florida, i like to lay out by the ocean, but swim in the pool!

64. Window seat or Aisle?
It doesn't matter to me at all. Though i might lean over you a little to peek out the window. =)

65. Do you know how to drive stick?
No

66. What is your favorite thing to spend money on?
Other people, fun stationery or jewerly. NOT food & NOT bills! =)

WHEW! That was long!! Go on over to Sunday Stealing & join us!

Saturday, February 20, 2010

Happy Wife!

Today has been wonderful. Some of you may remember my recent freakout about the state of our home. I decided that today i would be cleaning & nothing would stand in my way! HAHA. I admit, i was NOT looking forward to it; I just wanted to spend the day relaxing. But I got to a point of "i can't take it anymore" with this messy house & HAD to get it fixed ASAP. Today was my chance.

Fievel has been in desperate need of a groom! I usually take him during the week; i'll drop him off before work & my mom will pick him up for me after they're finished grooming him (the groomer place is near her house) & then i'll get him from my mom when i get off work (sounds like a child we're talking about, huh!?). But this time they had an opening on Saturday. & i thought, WHY NOT?! So Brad took him to the groomer this morning so i could sleep in. I stage managed a show the last two nights & was exhausted. I planned to sleep til i woke up on my own & then get to cleaning. But i woke up when Brad did & then couldn't go back to sleep. I had one thing on my mind:

House! Clean!!!

I know by now you are all thinking i'm a tad OCD by now, but really - not that much. Just a little. With certain things. But i DO like a clean organized home & we hadn't had that in a long time! Due to busyness, sickness & laziness! But now it's time to have it clean again! Ya hearin me?! And i realized - it's really nice cleaning the house with no dog underfoot!

I got started at about 8:30 & was done at 1:30! Funny, when i was a maid i could clean a house this size in 2 & a half hours! But i went a little slower. We put some Hillsongs music on & I dusted & vaccuumed every room, cleaned both bathrooms, washed the linens, including Fievel's blankets (he has a pillow in the kitchen with a blanket & then a bench thing in our bedroom that has a blanket on it) & including all the "sick" blankets (the ones i used on the couch when i was sick! It was time to get the germs OUT). I did about a jillion loads of laundry (well, that part is still going on!). Swept & mopped the kitchen. The house is CLEAN!!!!!!!!!! I want to sing! I'm so happy!

And you know what my sweet hubby did that whole time? Sit there & watch TV? NO. Sit there & read? No. Play on his keyboards? NO.

He organized!!!!!!!!!! And he threw stuff away! He is not always so willing to do this! I even heard him on the phone telling his dad he has got to get rid of some stuff so he could have room...

Oh, yes. I am a happy wife indeed!

The house looks wonderful & it makes me happy. And hubby is still organizing. =)

Not that the house is perfectly organized - the living areas are, but i will be tackling that extra room (that seems to be our storage room!) & our closets...maybe this week, more likely next Saturday. But today was the day for actual cleaning & it is looking great!

Also, Brad helped me hang this picture above our bed. My aunt made this for us for a wedding gift & we finally got it framed! Actually, my mom had it framed for me for Christmas. I was so happy! We are just getting around to hanging it. It's pretty, huh? I like it. =)


Yay! So happy! The groomer called to say the dog was ready when i had just finished cleaning it all! It is so nice to have a clean house AND a clean dog! HA!
And, by the way! I realized I only post pics of Fievel after he's been groomed! I decided to show you just how bad he can get! And, as you can see, he gets a little moody when he is not looking his best! HA! (Compare with his freshly groomed pic in my sidebar!)

What are you looking at???

It's been a rough day.

Pouty

Look at those GREY paws!

So there ya go! But now he's all clean! =)

Happy weekend!


Chicken Parmigiana

Chicken Parmigiana
i actually took this picture. usually my food pics are crap so i borrow from google images.
But this one was decent, & besides you can see one of my Emma dishes!

I made this last week & it was pretty good. Just cooked up some pasta to go with it.
It was pretty good! Came from my Better Homes & Gardens New Cookbook.

1 smal onion, chopped (1/3 cup)
1 clove garlic, minced
1 T butter or margarine
1 14.5 ounce can of diced tomatoes, undrained
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
dash of black pepper
1/4 cup snipped fresh basil
4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves
1/2 cup seasoned fine dry bread crumbs
4 T grated Parmesan Cheese
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano, crushed
1 egg, beaten
2 T milk
3 T olive oil or cooking oil
1/4 cup shredded mozzerella cheese (1 ounce)

1. For sauce - In a medium saucepan cook onion & garlic in hot butter over medium heat until tender. Cafeully stir in the undrained tomatoes, sugar, salt & pepper. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer, uncovered, about 10 minutes or to desired consistency, stirring occasionally. Stir in basil. Set aside; keep warm.

2. Meanwhile, place each chicken breast half between 2 pieces of plastic wrap. Using flat side of a meat mallet, pound chicken lightly to about 1/4 inch thick. Remove plastic wrap.

3. In a shallow dish, stir together bread crumbs, 3 tablepoons of the parmesan cheese, & the oregano. In a second dish, stir together the egg & milk. Dip chicken in egg mixture first, then in the crumb mixture to coat.

4. In a large skillet cook chicken in hot oil over medium heat for 2-3 minutes per side or until golden. Transfer chicken to a serving platter.

5. Spoon sauce over chicken. Top with mozzerella cheese & remaining 1 Tablespoon Parmesan cheese. Let stand 2 minutes or until cheese melts.




Friday, February 19, 2010

Five Question Friday!


Well, it's Friday - time for 5QF - Five Question Friday! If you want to play, answer the below questions in your own blog. Then go to Mama M's & add your link to the blog hop (it'll tell ya how)!

So here are this week's questions:

1. Have you ever hit an animal with your vehicle?
Um, yeah. WOW. Let's see...

Back before i started driving, i was on the way home with my sister (the driver) & our 2 neighbors (who are siblings). The neighbors lived 3 houses after our house. So we're bringing them home & before we passed our house, my sister hit an armadillo. So i was okay & then we brought the friends home. We were turning around to go back home & i said, "let's go look at the armadillo just to see if he's okay." UM BAD DECISION! He was on his back wiggling his hands & feet... omg... sorry to put that image in your head. I started SOBBING. When i got home, mom saw my face & thought the end was near or something. She was SO MAD AT ME that i was crying over an armadillo! HAHA. Another time my sister hit a bird (head on collision - it flew into the windshield as she was driving) & another time my mom hit a cat. I never hit anything but i swear - I've almost hit a deer. And i've almost hit PEOPLE because OH MY GOSH people just roam the streets at night in the dark - GRRRR!

2. When you see a string on your clothes do you pull it off or tear it off?
Tear it. Even if it's new. I happen to be the master. My mom used to freak & my husband kind of freaks now & runs to get scissors. But i haven't ruined anything yet.

3. Did you have your own room or share your room when you were young?
I had my own room. Except one year, my junior year of high school when we had a foreign exchange student from Ecuador. I begged & begged for a foreign exchange student (yes, i know it sounds like i begged for a puppy. But it was a girl named Piki & she was in between me & my sister's ages & i LOVED her. Still do but haven't seen her since then. She's a doctor now!) Anyway, so the year we had Piki is the only year i shared a room, until i got married.

4. Would you rather wear the same thing for the rest of your life or eat the same thing for the rest of your life?
I agree with Mama M - this question is unfair! I mean, i like variety in my diet. And i also like variety in my closet!! I don't know what to dooooo. I guess... i'll take choice A if i must choose (wear the same thing).

5. What was your favorite show as a child?
I loved Today's Special! Remember that one? And I loved Garfield and friends. So much that i recently added it to my netflix. We got it in & somehow it wasn't as funny as back then. I still love Garfield, though.

That's it! Your turn!
MckLinky Blog Hop

Fill in the Blanks!


Today I am joining in with Lauren's Fill in the Blank Friday. Yes, i know I already have 5QF & Sunday Funday, but gosh... what can i say... I love these kinds of things!! Lauren at the little things we do is a new blog i've started reading & i love it! I love her! She's cool. You should hop on over to her blog & join in...

If you're new to blog hops & such, all you do is your own blog with the following fill-in-the-blanks. And then you go on over to Lauren's & add your blog's link to the blog hop (It will tell you how). It's fun & you meet tons of over bloggers.

So here we go.

Fill in the blanks.
1. If i could medal in an olympic event, it would be figure skating. I am just AMAZED!

2. If i was stranded on a desert island, I'd take Brad, a pillow & a good book.

3. Losing Brad is my biggest fear. I'm not sure if that's irrational. But i can't think of a single other thing. Oh, roaches. But i wouldn't say i'm AFRAID of them. Just grossed out by.

4. I'd rather have to eat cereal everyday, which might get quite boring than have a single bite of sushi ever ever again.

5. I am constantly making goofy faces & talking in silly voices. I don't know why.

6. I should really be going over my light & sound cues for a new show i'm stage managing tonight.

7. One of my favorite things in all the world is waking up on a Saturday at whatever time i felt like, with nothing on the agenda, just a long relaxing day & evening in an already clean house, spending time with my man.


Well, that was fun. Now it's your turn to play along!

Thanks, Lauren!

Thursday, February 18, 2010

Just some info...

A few things I've been wanting to mention.

One, have you been looking for a way to help the people of Haiti, but aren't sure what to do? The people of Haiti still need your help! My friend Amber at White Horse Photography is doing an awesome thing with her photography to benefit the children of Haiti! Isn't that a precious idea? Saturday, March 13th in downtown Baton Rouge, she is going to be holding mini-sessions - you can have your family portraits & help the kids in Haiti at the same time! Your cost? A donation of $35 to Danita's Children. But you need to call Amber ASAP to book your time slot! See her blog for details. (Amber takes great pics - she did the top 2 in my sidebar & the one of me & brad kissing on the bench at the very bottom of my blog!).

Also, my friend Ashley (we went to high school together. in fact, she & her hubby & i were in musical theatre class together!) started a blog! I'm so excited. She has the CUTEST little family! You should really head on over there & give her some bloggy love! (I hope she doesn't care that i did this!)

Well, i'm sure there's more i meant to add! OOPS!!

Have a great day!

American Idol

Okay, I'm a huge American Idol fan, so you may have to put up with some American Idol related posts. Sorry 'bout that. =)

Side note: I am also a huge fan of LOST. In fact those are the ONLY two shows I watch. So it just figures they'd both play at the same time! CRAZY! For now, I am watching American Idol when it airs & then hubby & I catch LOST online later. You know, we got an HD antenna so we wouldn't have to watch LOST online anymore...looks like we'll be doing it anyway!

Back to American Idol. I am a huge fan. I love it. If I had the chance, I'd be on that show. NOPE, not to audition. To judge!! I think it'd be such fun (& hard work - but fun & rewarding, too). Heck, i'd like to be their Stage Manager (or whatever the equivilant for TV is!). Anyway, I do not envy them at all this year. They have so many good people in that group of 46 that it had to be TORTURE to narrow it down to 24. I cried last night, cried! How silly! But i really like the judges this year. I think it's a good combo of all of them. Kara is my FAVORITE. I just adore her. Last year was the only season i missed & i really had no clue who the new judge was. But i love her this year. She is SO sweet & caring. I've always loved Simon & doubt I'll be watching when he's gone next season. Nope, i'll probably be watching his new show instead! (Especially if they really do get Howard Stern to take his place!) I like Randy too. And i LOVE Ellen! She's great. I'm glad she took Paula's place (honestly, Paula was getting on my nerves & i do not at all miss her this year!).

The Top 24 has all of my favorites from the initial auditions. The only one missing is HOPE JOHNSON. Don't give up, Hope! 
The girl is every bit as sweet & sincere as she looks. I couldn't believe they didn't keep her. I know she doesn't have the most spectacular voice, but she does have a beautiful voice & i think she'd get better & better. I don't know why they didn't keep her around. She is just a joy to watch & a sweetheart. She was really really upset about it (just began to cry & cry) but she is a strong girl! I think she will later count what a blessing it was to be a part of & keep on pursuing her dreams. And maybe she'll be back next year.



Other than that, I'm pretty pleased with American Idol's Top 24. Some of them i don't really remember. But the ones that are there, i'm thrilled about. These are my favorites & i betcha the WINNER is in this group! =)


Crystal Bowersox might be my favorite. It's too early to know for sure. But i LOVE her. Her voice is AMAZING. And her guitar & harmonica playing, awesome. Not only that but she is so nice, sweet, a great genuine type personality. Seems humble. Don't you love how i talk like i know these people? Ah, well, you know what i mean. She is fabulous. She could win.


Aaron Kelly. What a sweet kid! As you can tell, i go for personality just as much as their voice. Because you know - they can't be a jerk. A jerk should not be an American Idol (that's why i was so glad to see that spiky haired 28 year old gal go. I forgot her name. but MAN she was full of herself, wasn't she?!) ANYWAY. This is about AARON. He is great. Sweetheart. AMAZING voice. Like they said in his initial audition. Such a shy kid but then that powerful voice comes out & it's like the shyness is gone! In Hollywood week, he forgot his words & i prayed they wouldn't hold it against him TOO MUCH! I know that is a pet peeve of Simon's, but after he remembered his words, he gave me CHILLS with that voice! I don't think he'll WIN, but i think he'll make the top 10.


Casey James! He has quickly become "the crush" this year. Such a cutie & exhudes COOLNESS. =) I like his style. And i love his voice. He plays the guitar & he's awesome! Oh, yes. Not a lot to say about Casey except that "he's got it". We'll see. Wouldn't be surprised if he stuck around at least for the Top 3!


Ashley Rodriguez. Honestly, they didn't show a lot of her during Hollywood week. Not really. I just don't remember much. But at her initial audition, i thought she had WINNER potential. Her first audition was FLAWLESS. She also has the right look & seems like a total sweetheart. Isn't she gorgeous?! I look forward to hearing her sing more next week!



I have to say those are my Top 4. I would not be surprised if Crystal & Casey are the TOP TWO! We'll see!! There are others I like too & that may move up to my Top 4 list! I really am SO GLAD they picked Andrew Garcia over the other guy last night. Why? Do you remember when he sang Paula Abdul's Straight Up? I will never forget it. I thought "OH GREAT!!" (sarcasm) when he said that's what he was singing. And then he got started. It was a hit! It was brilliant! I loved it! I know Paula Abdul liked it too! =)

Andrew Garcia

I'm also looking forward to seeing more of these three...

Michael Lynche


Lilly Scott


Katie Stevens

And the others, it's not that i don't like them... I just don't really remember them much. They may be favorites too! =)

So there's my take!

Wednesday, February 17, 2010

Frustration

I am such a grouch tonight. I cannot turn my frown upside down. I cooked dinner and it was okay. I've tried this dish before twice in my life (chicken parmisian) & both times i couldn't get that dang chicken done (in a skillet)! These pieces were huge & the cookbook will say it'll take 5 minutes on each side, but it really takes like 20. AND IS STILL PINK!

HUMPH.

Finally they were done. Okay, MINE was done. I told Brad if it's not done to just put it in the oven & not even tell me about it. He had to put it back in the oven, but he forgot about the not telling me about it. ;) He said it was delicious. Just needed a little more cooking time. Mine was good, though. I served it with pasta & that mixed up with the tomatoes & such - mmmmm. I'll blog the recipe later. =)

For those married women out there, i have a question. Are you ever just fine & dandy & then one day you take notice of the messy unorganized house & suddenly are in the worst mood EVER? That is why i'm so grumpy tonight. And it seems to happen to me every once in awhile. I don't mean my house gets messy & disorganized every once in awhile; just that the realization will hit me hugely sometimes more than other times & i get extremely grumpy - and, sort of depressed. Like it feels too overwhelming or something. It feels like I'll never be able to have a clean beautiful ORGANIZED house.

I guess the reason i said married women & didn't include everyone is because I feel like this has only been a problem since i got married. I went thru a lot of roomies in my twenties & most of them were pretty neat, or organized. Even the ones that weren't, they tried to keep the mess in their bedroom. But in this house i am having the HARDEST time. And it's not just that i am a OCD neat freak who wants everything spotless. I'm not - i like it lived in. BUT i do love organization & i do LOVE a nice clean home. And it actually makes me feel like crap when it can't be that way. I just do not like to LIVE in that environment.

But right now we have two problems. One is that we do not have enough SPACE. & the other is that we have too much STUFF.

And it's making me crazy. I am going to lose my little mind.

I want to get rid of SO MUCH STUFF that we do not use or need. But hubby would freak out just a bit! I want to stay on top of the cleaning & get this place organized. But how - when you can't get rid of the junk? What are you supposed to do when there is no space?
Normally i'd get rid of it - TODAY - but hubby likes to keep it STUFF. I also would love those UGLY cords to the TV & dvd player & speakers to be hidden! And i'd love wood floors (this is not going to happen so i should just get used to the green carpet).

Thing is, i could be fine w/ the ugly carpet if everything else could go where it belongs & stay there!

Sometimes something is said that triggers it or sometimes i just, after having lived for awhile in blinders, suddenly NOTICE the horrible living room & want to CRY.

And right now, it seems really overwhelming. Like WHEN can i do this?

And i like to clean. I used to be a maid! HAHA. And people have known me before for my organization abilities. But it's not working here.

SIGH.

If i could just have a clean organized living room & kitchen, that'd be good enough for me! (The bathrooms & bedrooms are organized & pretty much stay that way. I just want the living areas to be organized.)

I don't think this will be as much of a problem when we finally get a house, because houses have attics. =) So wonderful thing is, when we have a house, a lot of boxes will go STRAIGHT to the attic.

But it could be years before we have a house.

Ok. Vent Over. Gonna watch some American Idol. Maybe then i'll forget about this & go back to lala land. =)