Saturday, September 20, 2008

Making fools of ourselves

Tonight we decided to recreate The Grind in our backyard. Remember when Eric from The Real World was the host??? But seriously, we busted out Phil's homemade CD, 'Raptastic Volume 1', and busted out some moves that our booties haven't executed since maybe 1998, probably 2001 at the max. That's 'cause, well, my wedding was in 2001 and we did have a DJ...and she was maid of honor.

Me and my main homegirl, Mandy.

Literally, thank you, Jesus, for Mandy.

God, I love that girl. I would just die without her.

Seriously, 6th grade best buds...still best buds. You can't replace that.

You can't replace those memories. Ever.

P.S. You make even more as you grow older.

(This is the bride in the previous posts.)

Friday, September 19, 2008

We have gas!!!!!!!!!!!!

I can't believe all of the morons lined up like the Apocalypse will be tomorrow. I mean, it might, but that's not the point. The point is people were lining up and fighting over pumps like there will not be anymore gas before Monday. However, I have a full tank, thank you very much.

Wednesday, September 17, 2008

REALLY long survey

So I just finished this survey on myspace...and it was so dang long, I decided I better get my money's worth and post it here, too! LOL!

Where's the last place you went? Mandy and Neil's

Are you looking forward to something as of right now? Making moolah at the greenway art show

At the moment, are you more warm or cold? It's cold outside since I'm wearing shorts....

Who was the last person you sat next to? Miles

What are your plans for tomorrow? Go to class. Go out for Miranda Caffey Vogeler's 32nd birthday. The end.

Who last sent you a text message? Mandy Vogeler

Who do you dislike currently?I f I tell you, I'll have to kill you. No seriously, no one. No one is on my bad side right now. Maybe Bin Laden if I am forced to name someone.

Something you hate more than anything? Being low on money

Is tomorrow going to be a good day?I hope

Would you rather get up early or sleep in?I can't believe I seriously have to answer this. Sleep. More sleep, please!

Are you paranoid about something?No, b./c I buy the right size pants. If I didn't, I'd be paranoid about baking bread up out of them...which I just want to clarify is a phrase that I made up in 1998 before people started saying muffin top.

What would you do with five million dollars? I am that person that would give money to many, many friends and family. BUT I would buy a lake house right on the water with a kicking boat and some jet skis. I would also get a tummy tuck and have my underarm and leg hair electro-whatevered so that I didn't have to shave anymore. LOL! I would also buy Chi Omega at MTSU a beautiful house.

Would you change yourself to make someone like you? Not even sure what that means but hopefully you know that I ain't changing for anybody. Except maybe Jesus.

Do you flip your pillow to the cold side? Absolutely.

Small or big wedding? we had a nice, big wedding with the whole big gluttony-style dinner reception with dancing at the country club, if that's what you're asking...

What woke u up this morning? Lola at 7:00 am, "Momma, I hungry, need sumpin' to eat, Momma!"

Have you ever been to a professional baseball game? no and I could not possibly care less

Do you have an unusual name for your pet? Apparently not since everyone always recalls a prior pet named Sarge.

Are you jealous of your siblings? No, though they certainly turned out good and I could be if I let myself if I had been raised that way.

Do you know anyone who lives in another country? Yes

What's your favorite tv theme song? Three's Company...dedicated tonight to Mandy Vogeler on her 32 bday tomorrow, 9.17.08.Ba-pin-uh-bin-now-na-na-na-now-na-now-now-now-now

Are you logged into any instant messenger programs? nope

What are you listening to?the ac/heat running

What are you doing right now? not a dang thing other than this. I have been hard at work every night this week on art.

Last missed call and when was it? my Beeb, Philip R Brown

Last person you talked on the phone with? Beeb

Why did you last cry? 8/31/08...Mandy and Neil's wedding

What was the first thing you did when you woke up today? rolled over, maybe

Is there a meaning behind your profile song? I have a bunch

Do you like vitamin water?Lemonade flavor, yes

Have you ever hated someone and ended up being friends with them? Don't think so and seriously doubt. I usually have a very legit reason for disliking someone. Regardless of what you may have heard I LOVE being friends with everyone unless they are a total douche bag or vindictive/manipulative...and even then it is a weakness that I usually try to give them a chance...

Who was the last person you were mad at? no clue. Hurt by, I could tell ya a girl in particular that will never stop being who she is...and I made the mistake of once AgAIn extending an olive branch. Mad, not sure.

Does anyone love you? Absolutely...parents, sibs, they fams, TRUE friends...I am blessed.

Do you prefer to take showers at night or in the morning? Night.

Do you have any expensive jewelry? Yes. I am very spoiled by my husband. I also got gifts from my parents for special occasions that were real but my husband believes in quality, not just diamond size, etc.

Have you ever tattooed anyone's name on you? no!

Is there a member of the opposite sex on your mind? yes. One if upstairs asleep, the other is on the job hunt and I am praying for him.

How many hours of sleep did you get last night?6...the saga of a momma.

What are you doing tonight? went to the vogelers, did art, ate Whitt's bbq, laughed uncontrollably.

When was the last time you wanted to punch someone in their face? I can't say b/c then I'd have to kill you all. And I can't be going to prison b/c lesbians like me and I'd have to become someone's girl.LOL!

Do you have a friend you can tell stuff to and you're sure they won't tell? Absolutely. How many times in this survey have I mention Mandy Vogeler? Seriously.

Is there someone you want to fight? NO!

Has anyone ever told you they're in love with you? Of course.

When was the last time you were disappointed? I was disappointed that a few things didn't happen recently...most of which weren't ever supposed to happen to me!

Do you think your ex still likes you? Certain one, yes.

Is there anyone who doesn't like you? Yes. Sadly, quite a few people just decided to hate my butt years ago and I am sure still do. Cuz I am cocky like that! LOL! No really. I don't mean to sound cliche'...but my daddy always said, "Sugar, some people are just jealous"...and he was RIGHT!

Do you know anyone in the military currently? My cousin-in-laws fiancee. Pray for his safety, please! Random fact, their baby looks like my baby in pictures, which cracks me up sometimes...this is my husband's 1st cousin's baby that I am talking about!

What's the last thing you put in your mouth? Triscuit

When was the last time you held hands with someone? Miles today in Hobby Lobby's parking lot. I was carrying Lola, if that counts, too.

What's wrong right now? Crickets are too loud!

Whose house did you go to today? mandy and Neil's

Who was last to cook for you? The cook at Goodness Gracious Cafe? YUMMY! If you have never been there, go! This is owned by the people that owned Front Porch when is was still really good. PS and my bffffffffffffff Mandy works there so tip her very well, please!

How have you felt today? Very happy! first day in a while that I have felt like I was staying at home with my babies...even though I still stay at home with my babies. Translation: first day in a while with no obligations! Between MOPS, Junior League, Chi Omega alum stuff, kids, family visits, etc., I rarley ahve a spare moment.

When was the last time you talked to your number 1 on top friends? Ahhhhm. When I told her "thanks for having me over" an hour ago.

What are you wearing on your feet? flip flops as usual

Are you a morning person or a night person? ha ha NIGHT

Have you ever dated someone older than you? Bill Eakes was 28 and I was 22...but we were never bfriend/gfriend.

Have you ever kissed in a basement? Sigma Chi house had a basement so I'd say so!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! LOL!

Do you get distracted easily? Not really. Might be able to change subjects easily but always remember where I was and pick right up on that task/convo

What does your hair look like right now? pretty homely. didn't flat iron it today and my hair is wavy without my precious $30 Hot and Gold flatiron with the picture of the fine looking black lady on the box. LOL! Had it forever and I won't be getting another one until this one goes kaput even if every other flat-ironing chic I know has a $200 Chi flatiron.

Have you ever thought about getting your lip pierced? NO! Eyebrow, yes. Spot to the side of my upper lip, yes. Lip, no. That makes me think of an infection.

You're trapped in a room for 3 days with your worst enemy, what do you do? Pray. Dear Jesus, just pray! And want to kill them. That's why I'd be praying for strength.

Do you like anyone? Of course. I like a lot of people.

Who was the last person you talked to in person? my Beeb, Phil.

Do you drink tea? NO!

Are you happy? YES, very!

Is your room clean? Laundry is in there. Figure it out.

Has anyone got on your nerves lately? Not really

What was the last movie you saw in theaters and with who? Not sure...I think it might have been Sweeney Todd...which I LOVED! I saw it with Phillip on a date.

Do you watch a lot of TV? It is on WAY more than I watch it.

Where is your sister/brother right now? Three: right down the road, in Louisiana and in Oklahoma.

Would you ever dye your hair blonde? I have in the past

Last night, did you go to sleep smiling? I bet I did.

Did you have a good day yesterday? Yeah!

Do you currently have a hickey? Where? Ahhhhm. Gross.NO!

Have you ever tripped on the bathroom rug? Knowing me, probably.

Do you miss anyone? yeah!

Friday, September 12, 2008

Disney on Ice

We went to Disney on Ice tonight, and "WOW" is all that I can say. We met Daddy downtown before having dinner in the trolley at Old Spaghetti Factory. At the show, we let them get a souvenir. Lots of people stopped us on the street to compliment the beautiful princesses. You see, I took Miles and Lola...but really I took Tinkerbell and Snow White.

Daddy and baby LoLo at the restaurant...I am so glad I have a cute husband!!
(Forgive me for saying it out loud...)
The production definitely met the standards of a Disney park. It was elaborate, colorful and entertaining. The kids were in absolute awe as they watched. I feel truly blessed to have experienced this with my Lola baby at the age that she is currently at.

She was just a doll. She stood in her seat, cheered and waved to the characters like a maniac. She put her hands up to her precious faced as she gasped. She yelled the characters' names out to them as if they'd recognize her tiny voice. She danced. She smiled while in a trance. I am so thankful for the opportunity to see it and live it firsthand.

Miles got really into it, but she remembers more about WDW, so this wasn't quite the experience for her that it was for my LoLo. In fact, Miles stayed seated for just about the entire time. Don't get me wrong, though. On the way home, she did tell me that this was the best day of her life on the way home.
Daddy and Milesy girl at the show.
(Notice she can't take her eyes off of the rink to pose properly.)

MESH

I've been meaning to tell you all about MESH. This new shop is located where Sugaree's used to be on Lytle Street next to Digital Planet. They carry some high quality clothes at good prices but also art, jewelry (mine, Freshie and Zero and more), vintage items, body products and such. They have placed a big emphasis on being Earth friendly, too. Please check it out!

Thursday, September 11, 2008

My 9/11/01 story

My friend, Jen, asked us to comment on her blog about 9/11/01. Here is a copy of my story.

I had just gotten to my office in Nashville. I always went in early so that I could leave earlier, so we would turn on the tv in the conference room and do little task in there before we had to be at our desk. I turned it on and they were having frantic coverage that they thought a plane had hit the first tower. They were still saying that it might have been a small plane, since it had only happened a few minutes before. Then they determined it was an American Airlines flight and I felt a sense of panic.

My best friend from college was a flight attendant for American Airlines based in New York City. I went to my desk and tried to call her, couldn’t get her and then called her mom in Red Boiling Springs. I said, "Mrs. Shirley, there’s been some sort of accident with an American Airlines flight and I can’t get Anjeanetta on her phone.” That was the first her mom heard of it.

We quickly got off the phone and I went back to the tv, just in time to see the second plane hit in live footage. It was horrific. People were screaming in the background on the tv. I felt terrible, just sick. Of course, Phillip and I touched base and kept in touch all day. His office was in downtown Nashville, and mine was in Hillsboro Village. We continued to watch all morning.

My coworker Kelly came in and we told her what was going on and she began to sob. Her sister worked in Battery Park (Wall Street area). She couldn’t get her on the phone. About halfway through the day, Kelly got word that her sister had touched base. She had been walking to work when the first attack happened and people began to turn and run. She ran to a ferry, caught it and then realized that she had no way back home into Manhattan because they blocked all access to the city so suddenly. A complete stranger told her to come to his home and she spent two days with this complete stranger and his wife before she could get to her own apartment.

The day was somber. We didn’t do any work. Instead, we all watched the tv all day. At 3, our boss let us leave. I tried to find an American flag that night but every place in town was sold out. Phillip and I watched that night as person after person stood sobbing in front of tv cameras, holding pictures of missing loved ones.

In May of 2002, I went to NYC. I flew into LaGuardia during them memorial ceremony they were holding. I was somewhat scared and nervous to be flying in at that exact time. I spent a few days with my friend; she was having a hard time coping. She had been safe, but only because it was her day off. She normally flew the LA-Boston-NYC-Orlando line, which means there is a very, very reasonable chance that she would have died had she been on duty on 9/11/01.

We explored the city, and no one told me that we were almost to ground zero. However, as we crossed the street right near it, I felt the most eerie feeling. I literally felt a shiver and got creeped out just before my friend said, “there it is. That’s ground Zero.” That stuck with me for a long time and I was far more disturbed by it after the experience of literally being on haunted soil. I know that what I felt was a recognition of the souls of those lost that day. I know it was. I had no way of knowing where I was, so the feeling can’t be explained as anticipation. I was clueless that I was approaching it. That summer, I had a lot of “unexplained” depression. However, I knew that it was from the experience at Ground Zero.

And there you go. That’s my story…

Tuesday, September 9, 2008

MDO saga

OK. I might elaborate later, because I just don't have the energy right now, but we pulled Miles out of MDO at the Y today. Here is why:

  • We contacted the Y repeatedly this summer trying to get info about the start date for fall, etc., only to have none of our phone calls returned. Then one time I actually talked to someone who was totally rude and inappropriate to me. Finally last week we got the call back telling us that there would not be an open house but that MDO would start on September 9th. We were not impressed and hesitated to go through with it after the no communication thing; however, in the end, we decided to keep her where she has already established relationships.
  • When we arrived this morning, Phillip and I got a weird vibe that wasn't really all that welcoming and secure. Seriously, a woman seemed to chastise me for wanting a hug as if I were lingering too long when I wasn't. There weren’t any signs or balloons like last year. The employees seemed antsy or nervous and I became very worried that they would not be patient with Miles.
  • After we dropped our child off and were rushed out the door, THEN we had the bomb dropped on us that they increased their registration fee to $75 from $ 45 and their monthly rate from $140 to $180/month. $40 a month difference from last year and they didn't mention it at all until after I got my child settled in and left the actual classroom. Zilch. That is just shady. That meant that if I disagreed with the fee increase, I had to turn around, go back in there and tell my 4 year old to put down the toys and tell her friends goodbye. Give me a break.
  • When I went back to retrieve her at 2PM, two little boys from her class, both four years old, came out of the building as I came in. They ran out and began to play near the parking lot before an employee realized it and retrieved them. Hello. Run over. Hello. Abducted.
  • There were only 8 students signed up; only three were there, including Miles. Last year there were 24 students with an additional waiting list.
  • When I picked her up, I received a freehand drawing that she'd been working on when I left and one colored sheet with the letter A and an apple on it. No yearly calendar. No memo to parents about anything. Nothing.

At this point, I asked to talk to the director, asked for her sleep mat and told them that this wasn't going to work. So there you go. That's the story.

Monday, September 8, 2008

VMAs and BritBrit

Britney Spears looked very nice and spoke like someone that is not mentally challenged. YAY for her! I was disappointed that I sat through the entire show waiting for her to perform and she didn't. Dang you, Perez. You leaked a video this week that convinced me she would perform. On another note, I just have to admit...I really do like The Jonas Brothers. Dreamy. If I were 14. Who the hell am I kidding? I have to listen to Disney Channel all day long. I am exposed to them repeatedly. They are too cute.

Sunday, September 7, 2008

Ice skatin' fairies

On Thursday night, we take the girls to see Disney on Ice. For my own sanity, I haven't mentioned it lately, and I certainly haven't pointed out that this magnificent event happens in just 4 days. If I had mentioned it, I would hear of nothing else for the next four days. I would hear about it morning, noon and night.

Phillip and I are so excited! We can't wait to see their faces. We have very good seats right in the middle of one side and just a little bit up off the ice...just high enough to make sure we'll have a prime view of the ice for our short little guests. (In other words, if we went to a Preds game with these seats, we'd be very happy with our seats.) Yippee!

School starts for Miles again.

Tuesday starts a new year of Mother's Day Out for Miles. I know she will be happy to get back into the swing of things and to see which of her little friends are returning to the particular program that she attends. Some things are clearly going to be different; they have a new director and all new teachers. However, the location will still be familiar. She'll be excited to start learning, playing and using her nap mat again. I haven't pointed it out to her yet that she goes back in two days. I guess I should get on that pronto.

Fall

I am so incredibly happy that fall has finally arrived. Cooler temps, pumpkin-flavored foods, football games, little ghost and goblins hunting for candy...I love it all! It seems strange to think that I will have to have to prepare my own two goblins for Trick or Treating in just under two months. Costumes are something that I hadn't even begun to think about. What will Miles be this year? How about Lola?

Miles has been a flower, a lady bug, a bumble bee, a princess and then Ariel last year. Lola did not dress up the first year but was Snow White last year. We can always try to go the route of recycling the bumble bee costume by getting Lola to be that, but Miles will have to have something new. I really don't want Miles to do the princess thing again this year. It is time for a change. I am convinced. Now I just have to convince her!

Friday, September 5, 2008

I keep forgetting to mention it here...

I am extremely sick with a cold. Please pray that I get over this before Monday. I can't miss class on Monday.

Wedding update

297 pictures later, I lived through the best wedding I've ever even attended, much less been an attendant in. I stood up for my best friend since elementary school, Mrs. Miranda Vogeler, as she married her very own urban cowboy, Neil.

The groom wore cowboy boots. The bride wore a handmade, professionally designed just for her, silk dress with a crystal and sterling silver hair piece on her extremely long veil.

The day was hot as hades, but the mood was quite chill.

I cried during the ceremony. I cried during the reception when certain songs were played. I cried before we left the wedding site. Apparently, I cried. A lot.

The food was outrageously delicious; the beef brisket was to die for. The menu of sweet cornbread, ham biscuits, roasted potatoes, mixed summer veggie salad and such was right up my alley. (I never got around to trying the cake.)

The dj kept spinning old tunes all night, with a few fun current hits mixed in, and everyone partied 'til the cows came home.
My babies at the reception...

Here, you have the bride when she first put her dress on in the affectionately named "porn shack" cabin that was rented for us to get ready in. The name came from the rather dated decor.

The groom, whoopin' it up in celebration towards the end of the night...

It was certainly a memorable weekend. Congratulations, Mr. and Mrs. Vogeler!

The night before the big day...

Arriving back in the 'boro around 11:00 on the night before the wedding, we made a quick run through trusty ol' Krystal. Spending the night with bride were Ann Marie, the other Mandy and me.

We sat around. Some people tried on hilarious Three's Company-inspired outfits. We all pranced around in Dolly Parton-esque shoes. We laughed tremendously. We went to bed at 4am. We rose for wedding day splendor at, um, 9 am. UGH! Red Bull, where were you when I needed you?

L to R: Me, Ann Marie, the bride Mandy and the other Mandy, channeling our inner Dollies.