donna martin graduates!

CW why must you taunt me? You keep playing these previews saying 90210 is airing Tuesday at 8:00 and I keep running through the schedule on my DVR to find...NOTHING. I finally had to google it. Looks like I'll have to wait until fall, but here's a little something more to keep me pumped...

goin' to the chapel

We haven't had nearly as many weddings this summer as we have for the past two summers, but we have had a few. In fact, I actually officiated my first wedding in June. I didn't know the couple personally, but my friend's husband was one of the groomsman and knew this young couple needed an officiant. I met with them for premarital counseling and felt like they were a good match and well prepared and so I was willing to do the service.
As I began to get the details I realized this was not a Martha Stewart/Preppy wedding. The couple met while working at a haunted house and wanted to get married there. I was concerned about this, but they assured me that it was actually going to be in a field on the same property, not at the haunted house. No harm done...except after I had invested several hours into planning things and doing the counseling, I learned that they were inviting their friends to wear their costumes! After consulting my other clergy friends, I decided to go ahead with the arrangement.
It turns out, they actually didn't wear their costumes...it was WAY to HOT for that. The bride wore a gorgeous traditional dress. The groom wore jeans and a black shirt. I opted out of wearing my robe for fear that I might pass out and decided to wear a black Ann Taylor wrap dress with a stole. The groomsmen were supposed to wear black pants, a black tie, and a short sleeved white shirt. My friend's husband joked that he would probably ride his bike up there so he could go out and tell folks about the book of Mormon afterward. The bridesmaids wore very bridesmaidy dresses..the congregation wore whatever the heck they wanted...it was really a mixed bag. My friend wore Lilly, other folks wore shorts.
In the end, it didn't feel that haunted housy, except for the fact that a logistical problem that occurred between my rehearsal and the actual wedding resulted in a need for a vehicle and they decided to use the haunted house's hearse. No Joke! A man also had his cell phone on and it rang during the service....and HE ANSWERED IT. I didn't hear it, but my friend said it went a little something like this...Hello? Hey, let me call you back. I'm at a wedding.
You know what though? As odd of an ocassion as it was, it was actually quite lovely. They wrote their own vows, which concerned me, but they were so appropriate and really quite beautiful....and a butterfly landed on the brides shoulder while she was saying hers. I have one photo of this very untraditional couple dancing their first dance. Their pose looks almost fake...it's too romantic to be real, but there they are, her in her beautiful dress, him in his jeans and tattoos, in front of the hearse with the bloody letters, ready to begin their life together and I think they're going to be just fine. It's pretty crazy to think I was a part of all of that. I am looking forward to the next one. But, I wouldn't mind if it had just a little pink and green. :)
7/5/8 EDIT: I took the pics down. I'm not sure if they would want them posted and perhaps it's more fun for you to imagine anyway.

cumpleanos feliz

So Jack and I celebrated our birthdays. We don't actually know when Jack's birthday is, but it's very important to me that he have one and that we celebrate it. Freddie brought him home on October 23 and when I took him to the vet for the first time a few weeks later she guessed that he was about 5 months old. Here's a random funny story about that event. I took him by the vet at pet smart the day we found him and were still trying to figure out who he belonged too. He had some puppy teeth, so I knew he was still a baby. I figured they could look at his teeth and guess his age. But, you know what the girl grabbed for when I asked her if she could tell how old he was. His little balls! Seriously. She didn't even look at his teeth even though I mentioned that he had puppy teeth. She just reached up and copped a feel on that poor little fella. I can't remember what she guessed, but when I took him to the real vet, she looked in his mouth first thing. She said she could tell by the teeth he had lost. I think that vet tech was just trying to shock me....or she's got some weird fetish.

Anyway, the vet guessed about five months in November, but then randomly decided his birthday would be May 15, which made him about 6 months at that point. My husband suggested that I give him my birthday, May 27th, but then I quickly reminded him that I don't like to share. (Dear God, please don't make me one day go into labor on my birthday!) So, he then suggested a weekend that we would be at home so we could really celebrate with him. So we randomly chose June 14th.

We actually stole a little of his birthday weekend to paint our den and I was afraid we'd have to keep the poor guy kenneled all weekend, but he behaved so well. He really is maturing :) On his birthday, we took him out to the lake for a swim and gave him a few toys and an awesome birthday cookie from the K9 Doggie Bakery. I think the birthday boy enjoyed himself.

My mom came up and the three of us (Four including jack) celebrated with dinner and dessert. I was kind of bummed because I had to work a little bit. To be honest, I actually cried on my birthday. It's a long story, but I just had a few reminders of the fact that I'm not really satisfied with my job right now and my birthday was a crummy time to be reminded of that fact. We also celebrated with the obligatory mexican and margaritas with some local friends. I'm still working on my list of things I have to do before I turn 30, but I'd say my 29th year got off to a pretty good start.

Anywho here are a few pics from the celebrations.

My birthday














Jack's Birthday

Celebrate Good Times...come on!

So, I did it. I actually did it a month ago, but it seems that the last time I posted I was anticipating doing it and then I never said anything about it, so perhaps you thought I didn't. Perhaps you thought I never celebrated my 29th birthday. It seems to be a trend around here. I like to make a few posts and then fall off of the face of the earth for a short while. I think that mostly has to do with the fact that we have a very uncomfortable chair at our computer desk and that we don't have wireless internet at our house. Yes, I'm serious, it's like little house on the prairie around here. You can just call me half pint.

So, I'm gonna try to play a little catch up. We've been doing a lot of celebrating lately. I turned 29, Jack turned 1. We attended our friends' wedding and I officiated my first wedding. We also celebrated our first anniversary. I'm uploading pictures as we speak, or should I say as I type. And, maybe just maybe, I'll stick around to actually post them. I caught up on So You Think You Can Dance last night so I should be good for a few hours

The final countdown...

I'm about to finish my 29th trip around the sun. On Tuesday I'll turn 29 years old. My 28th year was full of fun, adventure, and chaos. I got married, went through some real heartache processing my relationship with my dad, bought my first house, got a new car, we added a little puppy to our lives, we had to put my childhood dog of 16 years to sleep, my husband broke his femur and was laid up on our couch for a month, his mother was diagnosed with breast cancer, his grandmother is undergoing treatment for what may be terminal stomach cancer, and I'm living in job limbo. I'd say it was about 50/50. All in all though it wasn't too bad because of the love and support from so many wonderful people.

I've got some big goals to complete before I turn 30. I'm finalizing the list right now. I'll let you know how it goes.

I love what you do for me

Yesterday, Freddie and I were headed down a busy street full of shops and restaurants and car dealerships. I'm sure you know what kind of street I'm talking about. Every town has one or two. They are usually pretty ugly, but quite convenient. Anyway, out of the blue he says,

"what do you think the Toyota symbol is?"

I started to answer...

But, then he went on, "Do you think it's a bull, or a Mexican wearing a sombrero?'

I started looking around because I thought I had misheard him. We must have passed a restaurant that I didn't see. I noticed a wings place with a bull on the logo, but it's called Buffaloes and that doesn't sound anything like Toyota, so all I could say was,

"Huh?!"

So, he said it again, "What do you think the Toyota symbol is?"

I pointed at our steering wheel and said,
"Do you mean this?"

...





He said,

"Yes, is it a sombrero or a bull?"

To which I replied,

"It's a T, like Toyota"

Which totally blew him away.

"I don't see it", he said.

He pointed out the bull and the sombrero, but he didn't explain to me how either of them have more to do with Toyota than the letter T.

So, what do you think?

perhaps just a little over the top

Do you remember my obsession with mentadent toothbrushes? Well, that's not the only personal care product I am obsessed with. I love Dove deodorant. Before I started using Dove my armpits would get really dry and that hasn't happened to me once since I made the switch. I guess that one quarter moisturizing cream really is good stuff. There are actually a number of Dove deodorant products on the market and I'm sure it's all good stuff, but I really wouldn't be me if I weren't particular about which one I use. Which one, you ask.... Dove Original Solid deodorant in original clean scent. It has a solid blue lid...no not the clear blue lid...the solid one and I haven't been able to find it lately. It's been slowly falling off store shelves. Other women are more fond of the clear lids or the invisible solid or clear something or other. I too shun deo stains, but I find that my coverage far outweighs my fear of white smudges. (prepare for full disclosure: I have very sweaty underarms. They don't stink, but they sweat. It's quite embarrassing actually and that embarrassment only makes it worse. I've tried drysol, etc, but they still sweat.) I need a full coverage deodorant and a clear lid just won't do.) Recently, Wal-Mart has been my last hope (I will surely go to hell for saying that and supporting the company and their horrible practices, but what's a sweaty girl to do?) I went to Wal-Mart last week and guess what? No original solid. I went no another one...nope. I looked on the website where I found my toothbrushes. Huh-uh. I looked on the Dove website...no such luck. So, what could I do? I e-mailed the company.

A little crazy? Perhaps. Necessary? Absolutely. Helpful? Not a bit.

They assured me they are still making the product. They said I could persuade my store to order it for me. I'm kind of thinking Target's not going to be excited about ordering a particular deodorant for just me. So, have you seen it?

Straight Nasty

Someone on TV tonight was eating brussels sprouts. I've only eaten them once in my life and my cousin very kindly held a napkin under the table for me to spit them out in. In college, when I smelled them in the cafeteria, I went back out the door. I just don't ever think I could actually be a fan, which is why I jokingly asked my husband if he wanted me to serve them when we have kids.

Him "Sure"

Me "You like them?!"

Him "With vinegar"

Me "I've just learned your secret."

Him "What's that?"

Me "You like all things nasty as long as they're served up with a dose of vinegar."

Him "No I don't"

Me "Brussels Sprouts, Cabbage, Greens"

Him "OH! You know what else I love to put vinegar on?...SARDINES!"

Me "I rest my case."

time to change

I updated my avatar. Since I haven't worked at the hospital since August, I thought she might need a change of scenery. Her hair has also grown quite a bit. I'm growing mine out to donate to Locks of Love. I'm sure they have piles and piles of hair by now, but I grew it pretty long for the wedding and had always kind of wanted to do it once, so I just kept going. I think it's actually long enough to cut now, it's way down my back, but I don't want it to be too short when I cut it, so I'll keep going for a bit. I actually would kind of like to cut it short, but I think my face is too round. So, I guess lucky girl will get the makings of a 'fro wig when it grows a little longer, or I lose 20 pounds...or maybe both.

I also updated my doggie. I don't have a corgi, but they didn't have our sweet little mut and this friend in the raincoat looks pretty close.

I chose a spring background because I am loving the warm weather we're having. I'm sure it'll snow tomorrow.

You know what I realized while choosing my background. I haven't been anywhere. How pathetic is it that updating my computerized image made me feel bad about myself?

I'm legal now. Come to my block!

We're finally home from NYC. Thanks to Skybus for allowing us to take a special tour of the Philadelphia as we battled purchasing last minute tickets, watched our connecting flight take off early, and experienced an airline closing down after stranding us in the Big Apple. But, it's all good because I got to touch a New Kid. Donnie was never my favorite, but I'll take what I can get. We shook hands. I wasn't bod enough to ask for a hug. Maybe I won't take what I can get because I just took a very close up shot of Danny instead of touching him...let me tell you that boy is tan and much shorter than I thought.

 I wanted to touch Jon. He was always my favorite. I had that shirt that had their pictures on it in separate squares and I thought it was kind of funny that Jon's picture was right on my boob heart. You could tell poor old Jon was having a hard time though. He had a body guar with him at all times and was the only kid who had to sneak out to the sound booth for a smoke in the rain. I'll still give him props though. Remember how he cried on Oprah? He has a hard time with crowds. I wasn't sure he still had idol status with me after that show. Don't get me wrong. I work with mental health patients. I understand what it is to live with extreme anxiety, but if there's one thing I learned in my chaplaincy training, I know that I've got my own issues, I don't need to take on anyone else's, but Jon, I wouldn't kick you out of the bed for eating cookies (my husband might, but he's currently busy with the furniture market, so feel free to stop by)



Here's a few happy snaps.

Making my signs the night before









We had been up for 22 hours the day before and didn't hear our alarm clock for an hour, so we were a little late arriving. We were able to squeeze in, but not very close.

Here are the first glimpses I got.















I guess my mom didn't get enough back in the day. She was a real sport hangin' tough with me in the rain.






Then the boys made the rounds and I got a better look and a handshake from Donnie D (he's on the back up and drug free, so put the crack up)















Those first girls thought they were obsessed because they got up early and got the good seats, but they didn't stick around long enough to find out that the boys were coming back at 9:30. When the crowd cleared, we got a great spot for the second interview...and lots of pictures. That's when you see me looking all crazy in the you tube video with my mouth open.

my dog is smarter than your honor student.

I knew the dog was smart. I taught him to roll over and give me a hug in one night and even though he barked for the entire 60 minutes of his first Pet Smart doggie class, he could do all the tricks better than his classmates. He frequently changes our tv to zoom mode. (That one took us a few weeks to figure out how to undo. It involved three different buttons. But, we've got it figured out now so whenever Oprah is missing her forehead we know how to get it back


This time he's really showing off. I'm in the guest room, which my husband prefers to call the computer room because that's where our lap top sleeps, resizing my NKOTB pictures so I can repost my blog about the big day and some music started playing in the den. It took me a second and then I realized that it's Toubab Krewe. Apparently the dog was feeling nostalgic and wanted to watch our friends' wedding dvd. To do this, he had to turn on the tv, switch the input to dvd, power up the dvd player and hit play. He's a genius that one.

I just popped in to check on him, and I wanted to see if the dvd had gotten to the part where they're dancing the hora, and sure enough, he is up to something big. He has gathered these various items from around our house: tape measure/level, hand sanitizer, cell phone, packet of kleenex, and car keys.

He only looks innocent.

I'll be loving you...

...forever

Did you catch this?


'Cause I sure did! Once you're finished reliving your childhood, go back and check out 8:28 (9:41 on the Today show screen). See the crazy slick girl with her mouth wide open screaming like a little girl? No, look again, she's got a "Hangin' Tough in NC!" sign and it's upside down so you can barely see the NC....see her? Yup, that crazy girl is me.

Don't believe me. I've got more pictures to prove it.

if I can make it here I'll make it anywhere

I'll have very exciting news to report next week from my trip to NYC, but the most exciting is that I may be taking up permanent residence. We were supposed to fly home on Skybus tomorrow evening, but that airline shut down last night. Thanks for the heads up. So, now we've got to figure out how to get home without spending a king's ransom.

did I miss it?

I spotted Suri and Shiloh holding hands on the cover of a magazine yesterday, but I couldn't check it out because I was with a client. However, I did notice something in the headline mentioning the two girls about to turn two and getting ready to be big sisters. Have we gotten confirmation that Katie is indeed pregnant again? I think people have been speculating since Suri popped out (thank God I'm not a celebrity. Everyone would sweat that I'm expecting sextuplets.) However, I haven't seen any hard evidence and I've been investigating. I just checked Google.

On another note. I didn't realize that S and S were so tight. I may have to pick up the mag and get the scoop.

Just So (just a little late)

I’m a little particular about a few things. Okay, well, maybe everything. One thing that I’m really funny about is holidays. I like them to be just so.
We met a few friends downtown for St. Patrick’s day and I couldn’t help but getting so agitated by people’s festive attire. Doesn’t everyone know that you have to wear green for St. Patrick’s Day. Okay, it was a Monday so maybe you forgot when you woke up, but seriously people, you are going out to celebrate, slap on a little green.
You know what really drives me crazy? When people will point to a tiny green stripe on their shirt and think that’s an excuse to avoid a pinch. Huh uh. Not cutting it.
Unfortunately, my obsession over what is an appropriate celebration of the holiday isn’t limited to just wearing green, but the actual shade of green. Since you asked (okay, maybe you didn’t but it’s my blog so I’ll just tell you anyway), I prefer Kelly green, followed by lime, and then if you must, hunter. I’m sorry folks, olive is not your magically delicious choice for St. Patty’s Day. You’d better watch out, cause next year my pinchers will be ready.

another reason why I love Target

Yesterday I ran in target to try on a few dresses that I spotted over the weekend. Of course, I couldn't proceed without checking out the One Spot. I noticed a girl standing there who was about my age. She seemed to be waiting for someone and just a moment later her friend walked up and greeted her. I noticed that the greeting seemed very emotional, but silent. I thought that perhaps the girls were deaf and glanced over my shoulder to see if they were signing. That's when I noticed that one of the girls was crying and then I heard her tearfully say, "I know, I'm just so happy!" Realizing they were not deaf, I began to wonder if the girl had just gotten engaged and this was her first time seeing her friend since her fiance popped the question. I couldn't resist another glance to see if she was showing off her ring, so as they walked by me, I checked out her hand and spotted her carrying a little white stick. It was a pregnancy test! The girl had been in the bathroom and had just found out that she was pregnant! As they walked away I heard them mumbling about how that test was so much easier because it was digital and how she couldn't call her mom yet because her mom would tell EVERYONE. It was a very surreal experience and it really made my day. I called Freddie right away to tell him. We laughingly pondered whether we'll take our pregnancy tests at Target too, teasing of course, though if I didn't live so close to Target, I, too, might not be able to resist. :) I went on to try on several super cute dresses with my heart warmed by witnessing this woman's tremendous joy and feeling awed by the wonder that is new life. I will probably never know that child or learn what he or she does for the world and yet I was there when his or her mommy first learned of its existence. Life really is amazing sometimes.

That Charlie is so darn crazy

When I grow up I want to have a little tiny baby....with an accent.

jack and mac

Just found two cute pics from our visit to Wilmington in May. Here is our pup meeting his first baby. This Freddie's cousin's baby, so first cousin once removed? To make it simple, she'll just think of us as Uncle and Aunt...I think that also makes us more inclined to spoil her.

Jack and Mackenzie









We have a great one of him giving her a big old kiss, but not sure if we showed that one to mom and dad, so I'll hold out!

fun and flattery

I checked my sitemeter today and searched by referrals. I discovered two things. 1) A lot more people have links to my blog than I realized. Thanks! Some of the ones I checked out, I'd never seen before, but I'm looking forward to checking them out. I tried to set up my own bloglines today. So far, I just enrolled. I couldn't figure out the rest. I'm still waiting for a confirmation e-mail, maybe that will help me sort out the problem. Up until now, I've just been going to perfectly-pink and reading down her list. I'm getting so tech savvy (yeah, right!)

2) Some people found me through very funny google searches. It seems the most popular search was for waxing, but there were a few related to weddings. My absolute favorite google search was ACCIDENTALLY STUCK TOGETHER. (Kind of reminds me of something obscene I once saw at the dog park) Whoever you are, I feel for you and I hope you get unstuck really soon.

to go box

I am a big fan of the to go box. I love having a good meal and look forward to eating it again. Many times, I eat according to the to go box plan. Meaning, even if I want a little more of one particular thing, I'll resist so it can go into the to go box. Of course, 9 times out of 10, I actually walk out of the restaurant and accidentally leave my box on the table (thank God for servers who will kindly chase you down. It's incredibly frustrating to abstain from your favorite dishes so that you can savor them later only to find that they'll be wasted...unless the server is my sister who will actually eat a stranger's leftovers, but that is a story for another day.)

Last night, we went out for a Valentine's Day date. We didn't go to a really fancy restaurant, but one a little nicer than where we typically eat. We had blue crab and spinach dip...yum! I ordered a fancy martini with blueberries. For dinner, I got the parmesan crusted chicken. There was another entree that was slightly more decadent but I chose the chicken because it came with steamed vegetables and, my absolute favorite, mashed potatoes. When the meal arrived, there were two breasts on the plate, so I planned my to go box. I ate one breast and some of the green beans and some potatoes. Then I ate more potatoes. Then I ate more. I have a hard time stopping when it comes to mashed potatoes. I always have.

There were probably only two bites left when I finished and I take small bites, but I noticed the chicken was resting on the potatoes and so there were probably two more bites to be savored when I finished the meal at a later date. I saved about 5 green beans and asked the girl for a box. Now, I know there wasn't much left besides the chicken, but I carefully evaluated my strategy and knew that it was just enough extra to make the meal tasty for lunch. When she arrived, with the box in hand, instead of asking if I'd like her to box it, or simply leaving the box, she just took my plate. I got a small sense of panic, but let it go. Until she returned with my box and the only thing inside was the chicken! My frustration must have been obvious because my husband instantly said, you were going to save those mashed potatoes. To which I replied, and the green beans!

This has been a difficult lesson for him to learn. For whatever reason, I grew up part hamster. You might think I was a character in Oliver Twist the way I hoard food. I'll get things I'm incredibly exited about and never eat them, but you better not eat them either! My husband has felt my wrath for drinking the one cherry lemon Sundrop in the fridge. (Hey, I can't find them anywhere!) He's also gotten lectured about not eating my leftovers, finishing the girl scout cookies too quickly (you can only by them ONCE A YEAR), and eating a sugar free pudding when there are regular ones in the fridge too and he could care less about his waistline.

It's taken him 7 years, but I think he's finally catching on. Way to go, Fred. Now, could you run back to the kitchen and get our waitress to put the rest of my dinner in this box?