Gas up the plane ... er Rodeo.

Alright, friends ... Michael and I are headed into the wild blue yonder. Or Atlanta whichever comes first. And really not Atlanta, because we are going to the parents house which is decidedly no longer in Atlanta, but two hours away.

Now that we've got that straight...

We'll be back on Wednesday. Michael has a cardiology appointment on Tuesday, and I have an appointment to get some tan on this pasty skin. Here's to floating in the lake ... lounging by the pool...not being at work.

Catch you on the flipside ... Peace out.

(Yes this means no updates until I get back. Unless I brave my parent's dial-up. Shudder. I'll see you on Wednesday. Maybe with pictures.)

Oh ... and I have lost 12 pounds. Holding steady at 1 1/2 inches off the waist. I've logged 16 miles this week. Some of those were running. Everytime I crank up Big Bertha (aka The Treadmill) to running speed .... I recite the line from forrest Gump ... "And I was run-ning..." Should I have not told y'all that?

I'm just not ready.

I'm just not ready to be a fashion maven, apparently. I'm returning the dress. I look quite awful in it. Someday I'll burn my black cardigan...someday.

But I walked almost 18 miles this week (I know that is not a lot for most people...but it's far for me!). And lost another 1/2 inch off my waist. My weigh in is on Monday. Hopefully I'll have lost some poundage. Lots of poundage.

I did it.

I know. I was going to wait to purchase the dress. But I couldn't. See I had a sign. Both Kim and Liz said Dress #2. And I logged back on to the website and Dress #2 went from $128.00 last night to $64.00 today. How could I not purchase? So...I just did and in 5-8 days we have to go out.

Because it's not often that I dress up. That's reason enough.
Now... off to find some shoes and jewelry! Any suggestions?
Apparently, y'all's suggestions automatically take 50% off. Love that!

What to wear.

I need help from the fashionistas. Stu got a bit of bonus money in his paycheck this month (all that hard work is paying off! yeah for Stu!). And while we are being completely responsible with it, I am able to make a little splurge for myself. Isn't that fabulous?

I don't buy clothes for myself very often (anyone who sees me can attest to that ... I wear the same black cardigan for everything. Kind of like a female version of Mr. Rogers, except I don't have more than one. But I digress...)

I'm trying to decide between three dresses. I want a dress that I can wear to work, that I can wear on the weekends, and that I could wear out for a night out with the girls (Hear that girls...if I buy this dress, we need to have a night out - we'll go to Jacksonville).

Anyway - I think I like these three. Vote. Tell me which one you love. And remember it's going on me. Chubby McChubberson.

Music moves me.

I love music. Really. I do.

I think it started in high school. Trying to find that perfect song for any occasion ... for that mixed tape for my best friend, or boyfriend. With my first job (at Rockin' Robins!), I would take my tip money and purchase a new CD. Sometimes, I would just base my decision on the name of the group or the cover art just to expose myself to different tunes. I still do it now. With each paycheck, I log onto iTunes and purchase 5 songs. Every two weeks. I love it.

I used to make mix tapes/CDs for every occasion. Driving Music. Make out music (I mean, I never used it for that purpose. really). Sing out loud music. I think I even had a Bedtime mix. I love song lyrics that I can relate to. Songs that say what I am feeling. Or even songs that I make up my lyrics too, but has a funky beat and I can dance to it.

I thought I would share last Friday's music downloads. I have eclectic taste, but I think I am in my singer/songwriter Indie Rock phase right now. I'm so Emo.

Comfort - Deb Talan
Deb Talan is the lead singer of the band The Weepies. I love that band and I love Deb's voice. This is a great song.

Hey There Delilah - Plain White Ts
This song is just a fun sing along kind of song. It makes you wish that your name is Delilah and this little guy is singing this song to you. "Times Square can't shine as bright as you". Love it.

Extraordinary - Mandy Moore
I know what you are thinking ... what? Mandy Moore. Dude. This is a fabulous song. And it was produced by the aforementioned Weepies. This sounds nothing like her first foray into Pop with the Candy song. This is great. And makes me feel empowered. Well...maybe not ... but it sounded good, right?

Death Came and Got Me - Rosie Thomas
Rosie Thomas is one of my favorites. Her voice grabs you and doesn't let go. And her songwriting? I feel like a lot of her lyrics could have been written by me (if I had a penchant for such a thing ... which I don't). Rosie gets me. and I get her. I think we are meant to be BFFs.

My Beautiful Rescue - This Providence
This was one of those impulse purchases. I have just discovered this band called The Hush Sound and This Providence was discovered by the same person ... who also discovered Panic at the Disco. I wish I could remember the discoverer's name. But it escapes me at this very moment. It might come to me later. Anyway ... another great sing along in the summer kind of song.

That was last Friday's purchase ... and tonight I am searching for next Friday's downloads. I'll probably blog those too. And let me know if any of you have any recommendations. I love most anything ... well except hard core rap. And most country.

Bangs. Or no Bangs.

I am getting my haircut tomorrow. Yes ... for those of you in the know (and I'll have to blog about this later) ... by the same lady. She wore me down. What can I say? I'm a pushover.

So...I am getting my hair cut and highlighted. And once again, I want something new. I like this haircut. It's easy. It's breezy. But now I'm thinking about adding bangs to the cut. Wispy bangs that can be brushed to the side. That look effortless, but will require some maintenance.

Like what about something like Nicole Richie (took picture out. too many hits on that one image. Weird, right?). Now keep in mind I am no where near to her level of skinniness. And when I say no where near ... I'm talking Pluto's distance to the sun.

I know that there are plenty of other people with sideswept bangs, but I can't think of them right now. We'll see how I feel when I wake up in the morning. Maybe I'll get a faux hawk? Or maybe not.

Bentos. Fresh and Full of Life.

I have to admit. I can become completely obsessive about something new. It consumes me. I won't talk about my past obsessions, but let's just say that they could be deemed odd.

My latest? Bentos.

It started out mildly enough. I was looking for a better lunch box. Mine isn't perfect and as I take my lunch everyday, I wanted something that could keep my lunch cold without venturing into the dreaded nasty office kitchen. And I wanted something with compartments, because I am using a lot of gladware (I'm also weird in that I don't want my food to touch - like in salads. I don't want the onion to contaminate the cucumber until just before I eat them).

Anyway, I found Laptop Lunches. I think it might be a good solution. In perusing this site, I stumbled upon a Laptop Lunch flickr group. Thus leading me down the path to the Bento lunch lifestyle.

I am not lying when I tell you that I stayed up until 3:00 in the morning perusing the various Flickr groups dedicated to the Bento lunch. I'm going to need a 12 step program. Stat.

Go here. If you dare. Don't say I didn't warn you.

Whittling away to nothing.

Well not quite nothing ... yet ...
I lost another 4 pounds! AND! An inch off my waist
That is 6 pounds total. And an inch and a half total.
Yeah for Gilmore Girls and my treadmill.
And Michael...my little Drill Sergeant.

New pages.

Just thought I would share my three latest pages. Kinda sappy ... must be my mood lately?

Work Antics

Michael came to work with me today. And he will be coming to work with me all next week as well. Camp doesn't start until June 4th anywhere. Anywhere. Sadly - work does NOT stop and so he goes with me.

We were able to leave early today because it was the day before Memorial Day weekend and no one was around. Tumbleweeds blew by. It was quiet. Except at The Loop. Weird.

Anyway, my boss comes in to tell me to pack it up for the day and Michael is sad. He doesn't want to leave. What? I've already got my bag packed, computer turned off, heading for the door and he is begging to stay.

But then I remember. When I was a kid, I loved loved when my parents would take me to work with them. I would pack a bag of toys and play cards with stuffed animals at my mom's work. My dad worked in a warehouse with all sorts of motorized transportation that if I was lucky, daddy would let me drive. Loved going there.

We had a great day today. I'm thinking, though, that by next Friday Michael will be ready for camp. There is only so much fun in watching Mommy design ads and posters after all. On second thought, can I go to camp with Michael? More fun, me thinks.

PAGG: 42 minutes yesterday to Episode 1 Season 1 of the Gilmore Girls. Tonight, 30 minutes. I was feeling a bit tired.

I just picked Michael up from school. His after school program had a DJ (in the house!) and hosted a dance party. Michael said:

"I danced like my booty fell off."

Should I check lost and found?

Grey's Anatomy Quiz

As seen on Liz's blog, the Which Character are you on Grey's Anatomy quiz..

I am:

You're Meredith

You don't always make the right choices, but you get points for trying, bouncing right back, and starting over. For being so "dark and twisty", you have a surprisingly sunny outlook on life. You're quick to jump into new relationships but just as quick to jump out. After the example your parents set, learning to trust someone else takes just about everything you've got.

Really? Meredith? I didn't think I was so dark and twisty. And I have a great relationship with my parents. Interesting.

Two posts in one day. Rocking.

PAGG: Haven't updated in a while. 35 minutes on Monday. 35 minutes on Tuesday. Just got in Gilmore Girls Season 1 from Blockbuster Online, so expect these numbers to go up tomorrow. I think it is 42 minutes per episode. Hooray!

Kinda Gross But...

I will warn you, dear readers, that I am about to ask the mystery of life. A question that has plagued the world for years....decades...centuries. (See how this is completely hyped up...I'm creating the drama. Hey...I am theatrical after all).

Why is it that when a possum, armadillo, aardvark is hit by a car do they automatically roll over on their backs and stick their four feet straight up to the heavens? Of course this doesn't always happen ... there is a certain amount of *squishiness* that can occur in these instances, but ... I passed two of these creatures on my way in to work on Monday (it's Wednesday and they are still there. Not as pristine as they were on Monday, mind you, but still there). Both with all four legs up. Does gravity reverse when these animals are hurt?

I just don't think that if I was hit by a car that I would raise my arms and legs. I'm just saying.

And so the sneak peek into my inner most thoughts has ended.
(I promise pictures soon. I know...this blog totally needs pictures. I'm working on it.)

Because my last post was a bit of a downer ... I thought I would list 5 things I am loving at this moment.

1. That my scale read two pounds lighter this morning. Despite my failed attempt at healthful eating last night at dinner. There just might be something to this whole exercise thing.

2. The new salad bowl I purchased at Target. It comes with a dressing holder and a fork. With their own little compartments. And it's green. Eating salad has never made me happier.

3. Our little robot vacuum cleaner gizmo. When Stu brought these home to sell on e-Bay, I thought he was crazy. And apparently so did others, because he couldn't sell all of them. I got one. And love it. Gets all of Nellie's yellow dog hair off of my brown rug. I just need a little one to run over the black futon that my yellow haired dog likes to sleep on.

4. Pandora.com - Life saver at work. this is an Internet radio site - you just start with an artist or song that you like, then you can add others to include to that station. Pandora finds other like sounding artists to add to your station. I have a long list of new (to me) artists to download to iTunes.

5. Mechanical pencils. I really feel like they make my handwriting so much better.

Also, I just realized TODAY that Michael is out of school on Thursday. Not Friday. What? I even argued with Michael last night that he was wrong about when the last day of school was. Guess I owe him an apology.

PAG(G) Late Reports...

Oops...just so I can keep up with these PAG reports...I have walked 35 minutes for the past 6 days in a row. I'm the winner.

Keeping up ...

Now that my friends have entered the blog world, I feel a need to keep up with this thing. That included a little banner up top. That thing is huge. Help a girl out ... how do I make that sucker smaller? I also included their links over to the right...I'll keep updating that portion. I visit quite a few blogs ... I'm nerdy like that ... so that list will grow and grow.

I'm going to put a little P.A.G(G) tag at the bottom of all of my posts. It will be my Pansy Ass Girly Girl accountability-keep up with me to see if I am still doing it counter kind of thing. I'll tell you what I did last night. I know you are all so interested! Or not. But I'll just think you are. How's that?

Now I need to plot a power outage at the DOR so that Stu won't work late tonight and I can go watch Grey's at Liz's .... (do you think I am now on the Top Ten Most Wanted list with that last statement? I was just kidding...Mr. FBI officer)

P.A.G(G): 35 minutes on the treadmill last night. Walking. Not running. Remember? I'm still a P.A at this point.

21 Days...

I've heard that it takes 21 days to make a habit...I'm ready to throw in the towel after 2. I'm on another exercise kick.. Started Monday. It's Wednesday. I'm tired, y'all. Michael is my trainer and counts my reps for me. He's hardcore. And takes his role very seriously. I'm thinking a drill sargent in training. I've walked, I've done crunches, back extentions, push-ups, lunges. I'm sore.

I'm pathetic.

But seriously ... I'm keeping up with it this time. And if I don't ... please kick my butt and tell me to stop whining. But do it nicely so I don't get my feelings hurt. Not like Michael who calls me a pansy ass girly girl. Alright he might not say anything remotely like that ... but it was used for effect.

Let the good times roll.

I stink.

No really ... I stink at this whole blog thing.
But now school is out for summer (singing ... School's out forevah...), so I have a ton of time on my hands. Time for backyard raking. And Pirate costume sewing. The fun stuff.

Mother's Day was great. Mom and Daddy surprised me with ROSES on Saturday. They are beautiful. I brought 3 of them to work with me in a mason jar to give me a little pep throughout the day. Love that. Stu and Michael gave me lots of fun ... tulips, a book, a homemade card with my scrapbooking supplies. Michael made a poster in school along with a picture of him holding the poster. So cute. We enjoyed the day together. Stu has been working so much lately so he took Sunday off from work as well. Much fun was had by all.

I'll have more interesting things to say later. I'm certain of it. And hopefully those interestings things will come much sooner than 6 months later. Like my last post!

And so it is February...

It's February. How did that happen? Where does the time go?

a little quiz...

Hi Aunt Joani! I think you might be the only reader left. Thanks for keeping up with us ... Love you!

Now I need to keep this thing up. I'll do my best. So here is a little quiz to keep the blog current. I'm cool like that.

A= Available - for what? cards? sure.
B= Best Friend~ My mom.
C= Cake or pie - I'm a total cake girl. Do not like pie.
D= Drink of choice~ Lately, it's water. and a whole lot of it. And diet coke.
E= Essential item you use everyday~ My Eucerin cream. To keep the itchy psoriasis at bay (How old does that make me sound?)
F= Favorite color~ orange.
G= Gummy bears or worms~ sour patch kids.
H= Hometown~ Grayson, GA
I= Indulgences~ scrapbooking supplies and iTunes music
J= January or February~ February
K= Kids and Names~ Michael and our little dog, Nellie
L= Life is incomplete without?~ my family. They stinkin' crack me up.
M= Marriage date~ April 18
N= Number of siblings~ 0, nada, none.
O= Oranges or apples~I like both. Maybe oranges wins today ... but it might change tomorrow.
P= Phobias or Fears~ snakes, bugs, spiders. Stu's driving.
Q= Favorite Quote~ Right now? They change often ... but I just found this one that I think is appropriate sometimes at work. "I like people until they give me reason not to, she said. Some days they just drop like flies, though, she added." - Brian Andreas
R= Reason to smile~ Michael stinkin' cracks me up.
S= Season~Spring... such promise. Same with Fall.
T= Tag 3 or 4 people~ what?
U= Unknown fact about me~ OJ Simpson told me once that I looked familiar. We were in an elevator. I still don't know how I feel about that.
V= Vegetable you don't like~ not enough room to mention the laundry list of veggies I 'm not keen on.
W= Worst habit~ always having my feet move. I clog in place. And I bite my fingernails.
X= X-rays~ Do all of Michael's count?
Y= Your favorite food~ mom's spaghetti and shrimp creole.
Z= Zodiac Sign~ Leo