Jen's Birthday

Happy Birthday, Jen!

All day long I've been doing a scavenger hunt of sorts for the birthday girl. I have found 30 ways to wish her a happy birthday. Some she found right away (like Facebook), and some were obvious because I text them to her. Here is a complete list in case she missed any.

1. Facebook
2. Instagram
3. Twitter
4. Pinterest
5. Email
6. Email to her other account
7. Hangout (our text/chat app)
8. United States Postal Service mail
9. A note on her car window
10. Written on a smoothie

(I was technically driving, but I was rolling up to a red light, so it wasn't as dangerous as it may appear for me to have taken this picture.)

11. MyFitnessPal app
12. Fitbit
13. Text
14. YouTube video (penjuins are her jam, but I think they are despicable creatures!)

15. UPS package
16. FedEx package
17. DHL package
18. Heiroglyphics (pre-drawn because I am not an artist!)

19. Bible verse (Psalm 22:10)
20. In Person
21. Over the phone
22. Instagram direct message
23. Facebook chat
24. A comment on her blog
25. MySpace (hahahahahahaha)
26. Twitter direct message
27. Someecard
28. "On the radio" - Technically it was a tweet from the radio station we both listen to, which is based out of California.
29. A video
30. This blog

Have a great birthday, Jen! I love you even more than making lists!!

Oh Winter, you silly girl!

I love seasonal weather. I want it to be warm in the summer, cold in the winter, and temperate in the spring and fall. I hate it when it's unnaturally warm in January. To everything there is a time, and mosquitos in the middle of winter ain't the time. The ONLY exception to this rule is when you leave your regular climate for one that is tropical on purpose. Otherwise known as a vacation! Fortunately (well, if you are an optimist) we haven't had to break out the shorts in Tennessee yet this winter. It has been freezing cold. I need to say the words POLAR VORTEX because I just can't say them enough. Polar Vortexes bring negative temperature wind chills and buckets of snow.

Which brings me to my next point...I love snow! As long as I don't have to be out driving around in it, I say let it snow! We had a little unexpected snowstorm this week, and I've been trapped in the house since Tuesday. I've read, cleaned out my closet, done some laundry, cooked, and generally just hung out. It feels wonderful. I ventured out briefly today, and my road was still totally covered. The snow plow come by this morning at 7AM, it took the top layer of snow off and left the ice underneath. FAIL!

At some point today I was headed home, and I looked down. I had on a puffy vest, a furry hat, big sunglasses, and I was holding a Starbucks cup. I looked like an extra from some movie about skiing. It was fairly hilarious. No matter how hoity-toity my snow bunny outfit made me feel, walking back in the door at home brought me right back down to Earth. My kitty, who had assumed after 3 days at home that I had become a stay at home cat mother, pinned me down and made me pet him for an hour. Nothing like my cat to remind me what my true purpose of life is.


(This picture does not have a filter. It was just very sunny in a specific spot in my car.)

And just when you thought I was done for the year

I don't have a lot to say, but I did come across something that I COULD NOT PASS UP SHARING! My friend Jessica is a Patriots fan all the way, and she and I have arguments discussions about NFL players. She thinks Tom Brady is the greatest thing since sliced bread, but I beg to differ. Now I know that all my points were valid. May I present to you...



After you've finished laughing, you may go forth and resume living your life. Happy New Year's Eve everyone!

Get out of here, 2013!

If you know me, you know that normally I do not celebrate New Year's Eve. Nine years ago on December 31 as the clock struck midnight, my step-dad had an accident that ultimately resulted in his death after 5 days in the ICU. Ever since then, the idea of celebrating (or even staying awake) for the midnight countdown made me squeamish. Since then I've been working on viewing Tony's life as a blessing - and that includes his death. If given the chance, of course I'd love to have him back, but that would require changing a plan that God has for my life. Instead it has taken me nearly a decade, but I have come to understand that I don't always need to understand. I just need to trust.

In church yesterday we had a guest speaker that touched on the subject of the new year. He said that we shouldn't just say "ugh, another year". We should run screaming toward 2014 like "look out, here I come!" The seasons and years will change regardless of whether you drag your feet or jump in anticipation. I don't give a flip about being another year older, so why dread the coming year? I know I've got a ton of blessings in store, so I'm running toward them.

I had a wonderful Christmas, although I'm glad it is over now. I felt the hectic holiday schedule as I'm sure most other people did too. I didn't get to spend it doing what I wanted to do (pajamas, hot chocolate, board games, not leaving the house), but I spent it with family and ultimately had a good time. During some of my Christmas activities the idea of Christ-centered Christmas traditions was brought up. I try my best to remember the reason for the season, but I don't actually have any Christian Christmas traditions. I put up a tree and watch lots of movies, but I don't so much as own a nativity. This year I started a new tradition where I give a gift to Jesus (I'm a wise woman, after all). It could be something good (a promise to volunteer regularly) or something bad that we wanted Him to destroy for us. I chose to give him my bad language. It may be a controversial idea, but I don't think cussing is a sin. However, I don't want anyone else to look at me and think negatively of God or Christianity because of the words coming out of my mouth. Therefore, I'm saying adios to all my bad words. I don't need them anyway. I have an extensive vocabulary. Let's bring that out and dust it off!

Since I don't normally celebrate New Year's, I also usually don't make resolutions, but I think I'll change that this year too. I'd love to be more organized. My house is always a wreck, I procrastinate anything and everything I don't want to do, I have ticket stubs from 2005 that are waiting to be scrapbooked, and sometimes I realize it's been 20 days since I last checked the mail. I don't even have children as an excuse. I'm going to make this year the year that I become organized for good. I may even make a blog schedule, although we'll see about that. Let's not get too crazy.

A Check-Up

It has almost been 3 months since I made the birthday resolutions 31 Things To Do This Year. My, how time flies. Since I'm all about checking things off a list, I thought I would take a look back and see what (if anything) I've accomplished so far.

31 Things To Do This Year

1. Go somewhere I've never been before. I've been to Atlanta, Stone Mountain, Monticello, KY, and the Student Union on the UT campus just to name a few!
2. Go to at least 1 UT football game this year. I need to celebrate the Butch Jones era! I went to the UT vs Western KY game. It was one of the most exciting games I've ever been to even though the score ended up being a blowout. There were 5 WKY turnovers in their first 6 plays - not series. Plays! That means nearly every single time they got the ball they turned it over immediately. It was amazing to watch.
3. Have my dishwasher installed. It's just sitting there not plugged in. NOT HELPFUL! Boom! A family friend came over and hooked up the drain and electric, but the old copper pipes in my house weren't going to be sufficient. I went to Lowes, bought the right stuff, and finished the installation myself. I felt like Bob freaking Villa.


4. Sell my house.
5. Spend the holidays doing something I want to do. Usually I get roped into visiting other people's families. BTW, your crazy family is only endearing to you. To outsiders they are barely tolerable. Please don't inflict this on others on Christmas Day!
6. Get back into church. I love my new church very much. Everyone is welcome to visit!
7. Read more books and see more movies that are not necessarily "my style".
8. Go someplace where I need to dress fancy. I have so many clothes and heels that are neglected because of my mundane lifestyle!
9. Forgive and forget. I'm trying so hard. I really am!
10. Get more pedicures, facials, massages, whatever. I used to treat myself all the time when I was young. Now I could actually use the maintenance.
11. Make my home a place that I enjoy being. Too often I use the kitchen table for a catch-all or pile things in the garage.
12. Enjoy time away from work without worrying about work.
13. Write. Write. Write. Revise. Then write some more.
14. Try Indian food.
15. Learn something. I love taking classes. I want to acquire new skills!
16. Explore my city like a tourist. I grew up here, but there are tons of things around Knoxville that I've never done or seen!
17. Downsize my stuff.
18. Rediscover my love for yoga. I took a class yesterday, and today I'm stiff. I used to take 2 or 3 classes a week and never felt anything but wonderfully rejuvenated. Gosh, I miss those days. Hahahaha. Well, I did more yoga, but I'm not sure I rediscovered my love for it. I got burned out pretty quickly, but I'm not giving it up forever.
19. Have quarterly game nights with my friends. We had one on October 20. Now we just have to keep it going!
20. Pay off some bills. I'm looking at you, Student Loan!
21. Get outside.
22. Do activities that make me uncomfortable. Not terrified (like skydiving) but out of my comfort zone (like indoor skydiving).
23. Figure out what I want out of life. I should know by now, but I don't yet. I'm pretending that's normal.
24. Cook more. I'll start on this just as soon as #3 is taken care of. Not washing the dishes by hand makes a world of difference.
25. Remember to call DirecTV and have ESPNU added to my channels. (I need something I can mark off today. It makes me feel accomplished.) I did it the same day I originally posted this list, but DirecTv has still not updated it yet.
26. Give my cat his hairball medicine on the regular so I'm not awakened by the sound of him hacking at 4:00 AM. I'm getting pretty good at this!
27. Learn to use a sewing machine once and for all! I'm really good at it for 5 minutes until I break the thread, need to change the bobbin, or otherwise destroy it.
28. Wear my jewelry. I have a ton of it. (It's all fake. Don't get excited, thieves.) I just never remember to put it on in the morning. I have on a necklace, a ring, and a bracelet today. That's about maximum accessorizing capacity for me.
29. Never fight via text. I am doing this, much to the chagrin of a particular person who loves to pick text fights. I always respond with "Is this something we should be talking about with texts?" It makes him more angry, I think.
30. Be nicer to my mom. She's really good to me, and sometimes I take my frustrations out on her. I see her more often, and we are fighting less, so I think this is working!
31. Blog more often! I have been!

Oh my goodness! And just when I think I have no follow-through... I've done pretty well so far!

Peachtree and Patios

Earlier this month I went to Atlanta with 2 of my friends. We had a grand old time (but we usually do wherever we are). I had been meaning to get the pictures off my phone, but I've been SO TIRED this month, and can't seem to get anything done. Here's my trip in a nutshell:


The McD's south of Chattanooga has weird ref-killing pictures. I don't understand it, but then again I'm not an art critic. There wasn't even an in memory of plaque.


Outside the lovely World of Coca-Cola downtown. We couldn't have asked for a more beautiful day


We stayed at a Hyatt hotel on Peachtree Street NE in Buckhead, and the restaurant next door was SO GOOD with some of the biggest asparagus I've ever seen in my life!!!


Our last stop was IKEA, and we had to rearrange the car to make room for our purchases. Next time, we are taking a Uhaul!

----

I posted a picture before of the patio I was obsessed with. I was looking for the cheapest option (because building a 450 sq ft patio was going to be expensive no matter what. My local Lowes has these hideously plain concrete pavers for $1.27 each, and that was the cheapest place around (Walmart was 1.33!).

After taxes that would be $627.22!!!!! Holy crap, that's a lot of money for a plain patio.

I reasoned with myself that since I really wanted flagstone and was going to be shelling out big bucks anyway, I might as well get what I wanted and just shell out really big bucks! Luckily I was able to get an amazing deal on a pallet of flagstone from Out of Eden Garden Center, and it was exactly what I wanted. Bonus: it ended up costing less than the pavers!



I relayed my ideas to Mr. Fix It, and while I was at Bible study last Friday night, he came over with Fix It Jr. and laid down the entire thing!


I don't know what made them decide to do this for me, but...


I am so grateful! That was a lot of work I missed out on!

Now all I need to do is fill in the cracks with pea gravel (which was given to me for free by an acquaintance that was moving)


Once I put an edging around it, it'll be perfect!!! Now I just need more time to spend on it. Hmmm...

All the things I'm obsessed with right this minute

If you know me personally, you probably know that I get on these kicks where I become fascinated with an idea or object and can't get enough. If you don't know me personally then let me put it to you this way: I have OCD. I am both obsessive and compulsive. Luckily it's mostly charming (I hope) and very rarely disruptive.

Here are my obsessions of the moment:

1. Halloween! Well, yeah it's October. That makes sense. But as some people have to get in the Christmas spirit (Mom, this means you), I have to get in the Halloween spirit by watching movies and doing fun activities. I have a few things left on my list to do in the next week including: watching Hocus Pocus and the Rocky Horror Picture Show, going to a corn maze, and completing my costume. This is a preview:


2. Vegetables. I'm trying to eat more veggies because a) I love them and b) they are good for me. I've been doing a personal challenge where I try not to eat potatoes and I limit my bread quite a bit. Since I started I've been enjoying many more salads for lunch (rather than sandwiches) and veggies on the side instead of fries or chips. I had the chicken Caesar salad from Walmart for lunch today, and it was delicious. I highly recommend it!


3. Patios. This time of year makes me want to get outside more than any other time. Recently I took out my swimming pool, and now I have a big backyard just begging for me to do something with it. My idea is a flagstone patio. It's going to be back-breaking work, but I am OBSESSED with the idea. This is pretty much what I want with the exception of the tree in the middle.


4. Studying the Bible. Obviously this list is in no particular order or God would be at the top. Very top. Above the title. In September Jen started a new small group through Faith Promise that I've become a member of. It is for women ages 25-35. I adore all the ladies, and we've been having some good studies so far. I've been going to my family's Bible study too, and currently we are in the book of Revelation, which is deep and heavy but so interesting. And I've also found a home church at Rio Revolution. If you are looking for a church to attend, I invite you to visit it.

All of the studying and fellowship has really made a difference in my relationship with God, and I'm so glad for that. I'm excited and hungry for it for the first time in a long time.

5. Travel. Like always, I crave travel. I need it! I recently got back from Atlanta with Jennifer and Brad, and we had a great time. I got on TripAdvisor to post my reviews of the places we went, and BOOM! The need to travel hit me again. TripAdvisor has this new thing where it shows you how much of the world you've seen. I'm at 4%. Are you joking? Four measly percent?! I've got to remedy that immediately!

This is me with the Coca-Cola bear in Atlanta. He was so cute, I wanted to take him home!