Oh, say it ain't so....

I woke up this morning stuffy, congested, and had pressure on my ears. I was really dark under my eyes, and my head felt like it was going to explode.

Not a great way to start the day. I don't want to be sick--again. I just had this back in December.

My sinuses hate me.

Impulse Buying...

I bought a new Vera Bradley wallet today. It was a good price, brand new with tags, and had free shipping. It's cute, so I hit the "Buy Now" button on ebay. I had a Vera Bradley wallet like this several years ago, and LOVED it! I somehow broke the zipper, so into the trash it went. It was a sad, sad day.

I haven't really bought anything 'on a whim' lately, so it was due time. Besides, I really wasn't wanting to spend $46 on the Thirty-One wallet that I've had my eye on. This new Vera will work just fine!!

I have...

--ordered our tickets for The Oaks! Now, the search for a hat begins!
--scheduled a few vacation days for 2011.
--been going to the gym on a semi-regular basis. I *think* I may have even lost a few pounds. Go, me!
--kept up w/my Project 365, where I take a picture every day of the year. I'm sure by May I will be out of things to take a picture of! It's not even the end of January and I have thought, 'what will my picture be today?'
--decided that the Thirty-One Gifts catalog is pure evil! They have such cute stuff!

I hate winter!

I was browsing through pictures on my computer, looking for a picture of Hankadoo that I took a few weeks ago, and I came across this picture. I love this picture! It was taken 4th of July weekend when we were shakin' & bakin' on my brother-in-law's houseboat. It was hot, it was sunny, I had on my bathing suit and sunglasses. I lounged on the top deck, read a book, and soaked up the sun. I want that back.

Now.

Today, we have about two inches of snow on the ground. It's the coldest day we've had, the high today is supposed to be 19 degrees! I have on two pair of socks, boots, and a sweater.

I hate winter!

Growing Up...

My boys are growing up.

Part of growing up is doing something stupid, and then your parents finding out. Yesterday, I found out that Austin had done something stupid. Imagine that, a seventeen-year-old-boy doing something stupid. What are the odds? I was pretty upset about his stupidity because it was something that I had told him not to do. He blatantly went against me. It didn't matter what Mom said, he did it anyway. We've all done it. I did it when I was a teenager. And, Mom & Dad always found out. Austin should have known that I'd find out. Mom knows everything.

His lack of better judgement ended up in a lecture from Joe & I both. Lord knows, we've done our share of stupid things. It also ended up prompting a conversation about his future. A conversation that I was wanting to have anyway. He graduates next year, and it's time to start thinking about what he's going to after graduation. It's time to have a plan, and put those plans in motion.

He's considering joining the military. I know a lot of mothers would not want to hear their teenage son say they were joining the service. I'm not one of those mothers. I'm very supportive of the idea, and I'm hoping that is the path that he will take.

As his mother, I know that it will be a great experience for him, a much needed experience to grow and learn. I know the cliche of 'he left a boy and came back a man' would really be true. I would stand by him with pride and tears in my eyes as he was sworn in.

Austin still has a little more than a year before he will make his final decision, but I'm hoping that the lesson he learned about stupidity will be one that he remembers, and that he will continue to consider the military.

The joys of boys...

I've learned a lot about boys in the past seventeen years. Boys are rough, they can tear something up in 3.2 seconds. They are tough. Even the smallest of boys can get hurt and shake it off. There are certain things that will always be funny to boys, regardless of age... any type of fart joke, anyone getting farted on, farting on someone, shots to the privates, jokes about the privates, etc, etc. This humor isn't lost on even the youngest of males.

Last night, we were coming home from TJ Maxx, and Hank was talking PJ's ear off. Joe leaned over to me and whispered, "Chatterbox!".... Hank pipes in with, "I heard you!"... and when Joe asked, "Well, what did I say?"... Hank replied with "Chatterballs!"

CHATTERBALLS? Really?

Joe and PJ were weak. I admit--I laughed, too. It was funny.

Hank has mastered the fine art of making fart noises with his armpits! This is about the age that his brothers found their talented fart producing skills, also. But, Hank has added a twist...he has different ones that he has named. For example, he will cock his extended arm while making the cupped fart noise, and it's called 'the shotgun'. My personal favorite is where he bounces his arm up and down and calls that one 'the diving board'...oh, and he has figured out that he can also make these wonderful fart noises using the back of his knee.

I'm such a proud mother! :)

Boy Bands Never Die!

My sister got our tickets today! The concert is July 20th. I can't wait to see a bunch of thirty-something women yelling and screaming like teeny boppers. It will be fun.

Oh, Diet Coke... how I love you so!

Although, I didn't make 'resolutions' for the new year.. I did say that there were things that I needed to do. One of those would be cutting back on my Diet Coke. I love, love, love my Diet Coke. And, while I'm not a complete junkie, I am addicted. I have one, maybe two a day. That's not a lot, actually. I've read where people will drink an entire 24 can case a day. So, in comparison, I don't feel bad about my two little cans. But, I feel like I have to have it. It helps me get through my day.

So, with my "I'm going to go the gym, and lose some weight" plan that I started this month, I decided that I should work on cutting back on my favorite carbonated, caffeine induced love.

And, how's it going? Well, I'm working on it. Just writing about it makes me want to go to the vending machine! But, I won't. Instead, I'll get my water bottle and add my packet of diet peach iced tea. It's really good. It's just not a Diet Coke.

Again?

There have been two things today that left me saying, "Again?"

1. The boys have a snow day. Again. They were out for snow before Christmas, they were out last Friday, and they are out again today. At this rate, they will be in school all summer. While the kids love snow days, I'm not fan. Snow days are a pain in the butt. I'm sure I'd like them more if I had them, too. I'd love for work to close earlier so I could go home and snuggle w/Hankadoo on the couch and watch "Big Momma's House"--again! He is on a huge "Big Momma" kick. He's probably watched both the movies forty times each over the past two weeks.
2. I smashed my finger and thought I may have to go have an xray. Again. I did this earlier in the year, and spent two hours at the acute care clinic having an xray on my pinkie. I had smashed it in a paper binding machine. Luckily, it wasn't broken. Today, it's my middle finger. I smashed it while changing the water bottle out in our break room. I'm not going to lie, it hurt like hell, and I had tears in my eyes. I really thought for a few minutes that I may have broken it. But, I know that it's just bruised. It's obvious that it's bruised. It's purple. I pulled a Scarlett O'Hara and did a "As God as my witness, I will never change the water again!"

There's my Tuesday. I imagine the boys will have another snow day tomorrow. Again.

A case of buyer's remorse..

Yesterday, I went to the Zappos outlet, which is a mecca for those that love shoes. When you walk in, the 'hallelujah' lights shine and the angels sing. It's such a wonderful place. I could spend hours in there trying on shoes. They have some really expensive, killer shoes that I would never buy. But, they are so much fun to try on and prance around the store. Like most outlet stores, it's hit and miss on what they have and what I'd consider good bargains. One time when I stopped there, I got PJ a pair of $90 Nike tennis shoes for $25. I love those kind of deals.
Ellen and I got there a few minutes before ten, to find a note on the door stating that they wouldn't open until eleven. No big deal, we just poked around another store (I found a really cute embroidered key fob for $3!) and we we headed back to shoe mecca around eleven. The parking lot was full, and there were people standing out in the freezing cold waiting for the doors to open. I love shoes, but I'm not standing outside in 15 degree weather waiting for doors to open!
We made our way inside, and it was a zoo. People were everywhere, just grabbing boxes of shoes in their sizes. I had a few things in mind that I wanted to look for, so I wasn't in the mood to try on $800 Roberto Cavalli heels. (Plus, I need a pedicure! Ugly toes and awesome shoes aren't a good combination!!)
I was looking for a pair of tennis shoes, maybe a pair of Sperry's, and possibly a new pair of flat black boots. I couldn't find any tennis shoes that I liked, the one pair of Sperry's in my size were ugly, and I have a slight case of buyer's remorse over the boots that I bought. I like them, I know I'll wear them, but I think I could have found a pair I liked better, and a little dressier than what I bought. Don't get me wrong, they are nice boots, but not quite what I wanted.

Bruised but not broken

Yesterday, my morning started out quiet and perfectly normal. And, then my uncle called. "I'm at the hospital with your dad. He was in a car wreck. He's okay, but..........."

When there's a but in a sentence, it can't be good.

Dad and my cousin, Case, were heading back to the shop when a lady pulled out in front of them. She saw the truck, hesitated like she wasn't going to pull out, then indeed pulled out. Dad pretty much T-boned the minivan the lady was driving. The force sent Dad's work truck off into a downhill ditch, where he pretty much landed on the steering wheel. When the paramedics got there, Dad could barely breathe and was complaining of chest pains. He was rushed to the ER where they immediately did an EKG, a CT scan, and several rounds of xrays. That information was the 'but' that my uncle had when he called me. He assured me that Dad was okay, and that I didn't have to come out to the hospital. That went in one ear and out the other. I went out there as soon as I could. I knew Mom was upset and worried, and I needed to make sure that not only Pops, but Mom was okay, too.

Luckily, there was nothing punctured or broken! His chest is just severely bruised. He's on bedrest until Sunday, and isn't supposed to lift anything heavier than the remote to the TV. He's in a lot of pain, it hurts to move, and when he coughs he feels like he's about to die. But, considering what could have happened, I think he will live with that.

When the truck went forward into the ditch, everything that was on the utility racks in the back came flying forward. A ladder actually went through the back window of the truck and broke all the glass out. How it managed not to hit Dad or my cousin, I don't know. I'm guessing they had a little angel watching over them.

My cousin is going to be sore, he wasn't treated at the hospital. He was more worried about changing his jeans since the coffee that Dad was drinking landed in his lap. Dad was mad that the paramedics cut his shirt off. Ummm, hello--you're complaining of chest pains and can't breathe! We'll buy you another shirt. They also cut his jeans from the knees down to make sure he didn't have a bone sticking out somewhere. When they landed in the ditch, Dad's chest landed on the steering wheel, his legs under the steering column.

He said, "Well at least now I'll get a new work truck, and I don't have to go to jury duty for a few days!"

It's all about the hat!!

The Kentucky Derby may be 119 days away, yet I'm already thinking about a hat! I may not be going to the Derby, but I still need an awesome hat for the Kentucky Oaks.

The Oaks is the first Friday in May, the day before the derby. It's a girl day! The fillies race, the day is dedicated to wearing pink in support of breast cancer awareness, and I'm very excited to be going this year. So excited that I have already started thinking about what kind of dress and hat that I want!

I love all things related to the Kentucky Derby. I don't know if it's because I'm a born and bred Kentucky girl, or if it's the fact that my birthday will sometimes fall on Derby Day, but whatever the reason, Derby Week is one of my favorite times of the year. I watch the local news everyday when they broadcast from the track, I research the horses, the jockeys, the trainers. I read the gossip sites to see what celebrities may be coming to Louisville. I go to the Derby Festival concert, and I look at picture after picture of the hats!

I had planned on going to the Derby last year for my birthday. I was turning 35, and my birthday was actually on Derby Day. To me, that was a sign. However, my plans were pushed aside due to all the other chaos and craziness that we had going on last spring. In the long run, I was glad that I didn't go. It poured down rain all day, and Churchill Downs was a huge, muddy mess. I felt so sorry for all those women there with their gorgeous dresses and hats. A clear plastic baggie really doesn't do much for a great hat. They looked miserable. I enjoyed watching from the couch in my sweats and tee.

I'm really looking forward to that first Friday in May and watching the Run for the Lillies. I will have a great hat to mark the event!!

Wouldn't it be nice if...

... the closets would clean and organize themselves? That would be heavenly, because I'm really not looking forward to it. I put it off yesterday by doing other tedious chores. Today, I'm going to have to go into the depths of hell called my closet. I plan on donating some my clothes that don't fit (that happens to be a lot!), or that I don't wear (I don't wear them because they don't fit!) to the battered women's shelter. I'm even going through my shoes. Gasp! But, I know that some of those women literally have the clothes on their back, and that's it. If giving up a few pair of shoes and some jeans will help someone in need, then that's the very least I can do. And, I shouldn't complain about it!
Joe's going to do his closet, too. His closet is worse than mine. If I don't see him after three hours, I'll send out a search party. For a man, he has a lot of clothes! I think we'll box his stuff up and donate it to Helping Hand or another charity.

I better get to the closets! I've procrastinated long enough. Wish me luck, friends.

January 1, 2011 (1-1-11)

We've said good-bye to 2010 and welcomed in 2011. We spent the night with friends--playing board games, laughing, acting silly and just having a good time. If that's any sign of how this year will be, I'll take it.

Happy New Year...may 2011 be a wonderful year!