Saturday, May 30, 2009

A Fond Farewell to Jay Leno

I love Jay Leno.... I mean REALLY love him. I think he's a class act.
Hubster and I got married on 5/22/92 ..... which was, ironically, Johnny Carson's last night on the air as the host of the Tonight Show. So I've always known how long Jay Leno has been the host.... because it's been as long as my marriage.

Anyway, I've been sad that Jay is leaving the Tonight Show. (Nothing against Conan O'Brien, but I just don't think he's quite the same caliber as Jay is.)

Here's a clip from last night's show, and Jay's farewell. This almost made me cry.

Thank you Jay for 17 wonderful years! You will be GREATLY missed!

Thursday, May 28, 2009

"Me-Me-Me" (....at long last, KBL!)

Normally I don't do these tag-things, BUT because KBL is the COOLEST chick around, I'll do it. (Plus I really like the questions.... they're not the normal "plain vanilla" questions.)

OK, here goes:

1. What are your current obsessions?
Embarrassing confession coming..... our finances are rather "bruised" from when my business was torpedoing to the bottom of the sea, so Obsession Numbero Uno is "righting the financial ship". But we're well on the way. A much more FUN obsession to discuss is transforming my home office (which I really don't need anymore, now that I'm back in corporate America), into a Teen Den/Hangout Room, etc. The kids are getting to the age where they need their own "space" to chill out. I'm working on finding (inexpensive yet fun) furnishings to make it a fun place for them...

2. Which items from your wardrobe do you wear most often?
a) My demin capris. I love them and they fit me perfectly. Plus they're perfect this time of year. I also have a top my next door neighbor brought me back from Bombay that I absolutely love. It's a gorgeous shade of green, very comfortable, and every time I wear it I get so many compliments. Unfortunately, a certain someone ATE my favorite sandals. (I won't give her full name but her first name is DIVA.) :(

3. Last thing you bought?
a) a pint of blueberries (my very favorite food)
b) a really pretty $12.99 dress from Ross (LOVE that store!)
c) a Lotto ticket last night (I spend a whopping $1 per week on the lottery).
d) some bones from Red Bandana for Diva and Ruby.

4. What are you listening to these days?
The White Stripes; The Doves; U2; The Raconteurs; Led Zeppelin; Peter Frampton; Coldplay; Chris Tomlinson; Duran Duran; and PlayChase Music (12Stone original tunes). Like KBL, I listen to a wide variety..... just depends on my mood.

5. Favorite kid's film
Ole Yeller (yes, I still cry EVERY time he dies!), Bambi, Wizard of Oz! The Lion King, Snow White (the original), Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty (all the Disney Classics).... but Ole Yeller and Wizard of Oz are my 2 faves!

6. Favorite Vacation Spots
Tybee Island, GA; Maui; Cayman Islands; New York City

7. What are you reading right now?
I'm not reading ANY FICTION, which is very bad. I have (literally) stacks of books under the windows in my bedroom. I love, love, LOVE to read, but my new job is leaving me tired.

8. Four words to describe you:
Wife, Mother, Friend, Christ-follower

9. Guilty pleasure?
Godiva dark chocolate truffles with raspberry puree.... better than sex (well, not REALLY... it is just a saying after all....)

10. Who or what can make you laugh until you are weak?
My husband, and now, more and more, my kids. I have a houseful of Very Funny People.
And John Pinnette. I love John Pinnette!

11. First Spring thing?
Here in Atlanta, we see the daffodils, tulips and hyacinths all bloom in late February or early March. Taht's when we know Spring is coming.

12. Planning to travel next? Just got back from Tybee Island for Memorial Day weekend. Possibly taking the kids to the Biltmore Estate in Asheville later this Summer.... no big trips on the horizon for now.

13. Best thing you ate and drank recently?
My husband's home made mac & cheese. He uses 6 different kinds of cheeses, then crumbles bacon on the top. Yes, it's a heart attack on a plate, but BOY it's good.

14. When did you last get tipsy? It's been a LONG time. Unfortunately, I suffer from migraines, and alcohol is a trigger. So, I'm always the "DD" when we go out with our friends.... which is fine.

15. Favorite ever film? Too many to say just one, but here are some: It's a Wonderful Life, Bella, Lord of the Rings trilogy, Wizard of Oz, Gone with the Wind.

16. Care to share some wisdom?
I love what KBL put, so I'm going to leave that in here.... in the immortal words of Mahatma Gahndi, "Be the change you wish to see in the world." (I really love this!)
Last, in the (paraphrased) words of Jesus: Love God. Love people. (If you can do these 2 things, you will have lived a very good life! Jesus said that the whole law boiled down to those two simple principles!)
Last, relax. Enjoy the ride. Life is not a dress rehearsal!

17. If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?
Being a petite curvy brunette my whole life, I've always wondered what it would be like to be a tall leggy blonde. Just for a week or so. Other than that, I really like being me. :)

As far as who I tag, I tag anyone and everyone who wants to play! (And let me know if you did it.... I want to read your answers!)

Monday, May 25, 2009

17 Years

Hubster and I celebrated 17 years of Wedded Bliss on Friday, May 22nd (and we celebrated by taking the whole family to the beach for a nice long, extended weekend... in fact we just got home).

Very nice and relaxing.

I really can't believe we've been married 17 years.

Time really flies, doesn't it?

Amazing that I was only THREE years old when I married him. :)

Monday, May 18, 2009

Speaking of Amazing Girls.....!!

MY amazing 5th grader graduated from elementary school tonight!

Here is a pic of her, and all her BFF's.... aren't they all just beautiful girls? And not only that, they are all great girls.... all are straight A, or A/B students, and nice girls. I am so proud of ALL of them, but especially proud of MY beautiful daughter (who is the one in the black, by the way).

I got a little choked up tonight (which doesn't happen often).... but I was realizing, as she walked across the stage to get her elementary "certificate", that my baby truly isn't a baby anymore and is quickly becoming a young woman.

Time goes by WAY too quickly!
Cherish those babies, my mommy friends!

Saturday, May 16, 2009

"She Runs Like a Girl!"


Lucky #13 - Rachel Alexandra - BEAT ALL THE BOYS today!

First girl to win the Preakness in 85 years!

(And yes, my Cajun boyfriend, Calvin Borel, was the jockey today.... I LOVE that guy!)

Dog Protects & Saves His Mom! ("Film at 11")

Many of you have probably seen this video.... it almost made me cry.
What a GOOD BOY this dog was (sorry, couldn't resist.... but it's so accurate!)
Yet another reason to love dogs!

Friday, May 15, 2009

The Craziness We Have Planned For Sunday!

Those of you who have been reading my blog for awhile know that my church, 12Stone, likes to "think outside the box". To say we're a non-traditional church is putting it mildly.
Our church has an onsite Starbucks (yes, a real one), an onsite recording studio (yes, a real one); we produce our own short films; our own original music, etc.
We also are a very artist-centered environment, and have a full time Creative Arts Pastor and staff.

Anyway, our church has grown quite a bit in the past few years because people love the casual, relevant, meaningful messages. So much so that we have 2 campuses now and each campus has 3 services. We've grown to the point that we're getting ready to launch a 3rd campus.

So, to celebrate this HUGE milestone, we're all getting together for one BIG service on Sunday morning. Now, where in the world can we ALL get together at the SAME time, you ask?



Why, the brand new Gwinnett Braves stadium, of course! (The "G-Braves" as they are called, are the minor league team for the Atlanta Braves.) This stadium seats 7,100 and should accommodate all of us.... lotsa fun will definitely be had!
I'm really excited.... I think this will be the first time I'll ever get a sunburn while attending church. :)

Happy Friday!

Hope everyone has a beautiful, wonderful weekend!

Something very lush and fragrant is blooming in the woods behind my house.... whatever it is smells FABULOUS!

Spring is just a wonderland for the senses, isn't it?

(And yes, a negative wonderland for those who suffer from allergies..... I'm among you as well! Thank goodness for allergy meds!)
PS: Don't forget to watch The Preakness tomorrow! "Rachel Alexandra" (the filly with the "mostest"!) is going to SPANK the boys! :)

Tuesday, May 12, 2009

What Do These Two People Have In Common??














Very little, except the RIGHT TO THEIR OPINION!
Both are taking a lot of crap right now for things they have recently said publicly.
Is it just me, or has freedom of speech been sacrified in favor of "political correctness"??

Drives me NUTS.

I am a BIG BELIEVER in free speech.
Even if I disagree (strongly) with what a person is saying, that person has EVERY right to voice their opinion.
That's part of the fabric of our amazing country!
And if we try to squash that, we're in BIG trouble as a society.

Sunday, May 10, 2009

Long Live Radio!

Here some of my favorite "listening links"

97.1 The River - Classic Rock (Led Zeppelin, Heart, The Stones, Peter Frampton, Boston, etc.) - the GOOD stuff you remember from the late 70's and early 80's. Plus they don't have annoying DJ's or too many commercials. I love this station!

Clark Howard - Atlanta's GEM! Clark is a consumer guru who gives on air consumer and financial advice Monday - Friday from 1 - 4 on WSB radio... Clark also now has a national TV show on CNN/HLN. Additionally, you can always find out about him via his website. Everyone in Atlanta LOVES Clark!

Dave Ramsey - yes, anyone who knows me knows I LOVE me some Dave Ramsey. Here in Atlanta, he's on WGST every afternoon from 3 - 6 PM. (Also, here's the link to his site.)

Happy Listening!
Long live good radio!!

Friday, May 8, 2009

Happy M.D. Weekend, Everyone!



Happy Mommy's Day Weekend!


To all the Mommies out there:

Whether you have human children, canine children, feline children, or you just spread the love in your own special way....

...may you have a wonderful, peace-and-JOY-filled day on Sunday!

May God's love shine down upon you (because, truly, although God is our Father, he loves us deeply, with a Mother's heart....)

I'll be spending the day with my 2 precious kids (who I'm so thankful for), my sweet, studly Hubster (again, so thankful for), my wonderful Mommy, and my in-laws.

I love Mother's Day!!
It's right up there with Thanksgiving on my "favorite days" list!

Thursday, May 7, 2009

a "light and fluffy" post to make up for yesterday


Diva's 1st birthday is on Saturday. She will be ONE Year Old! We're hoping the doggie destruction will abruptly END! (But we're not holding our breath... we've had Labs before and we realize that it gradually tapers off, then ends around age 2.)

Anyway, above is a picture of Diva and her littermates on the day we picked her out (she was 4 weeks old). Diva was the Chocolate Lab on the far right.

Isn't she CUTE?!

(And NOT fishy-smelling!) :)


Wednesday, May 6, 2009

A Smelly Situation

(WARNING: This post is NOT for the squeamish! (Ok, you've been warned!)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
OK, KBL, you said you wanted to know the "scoop" on my new co-workers.

By and large, we Insurance Nerds are a pretty boring bunch. It's rare that you find a smokin' hot actuary, or a devastatingly attractive underwriter, however, I'll do my best to find something interesting to keep you guys amused about my new work surroundings.

The people at my new office are all very nice. It's an uber-professional office (as most insurance brokerages are); we have very nice, comfortable offices in a lovely building in the Buckhead area of Atlanta.

However, there is ONE thing that I'm having to deal with that is rather, well, unpleasant.

The person who is training me is very knowledgeable, kind, patient, and all around nice.

BUT..... she doesn't wash thoroughly.
I have been blessed (CURSED in this case) with a very sensitive nose, and some days it's VERY obvious that she has been "less than thorough" with her personal hygiene.

I don't think I need to be any more specific than that, do I ladies?

It's really awkward. Of course, there's NO WAY I can say anything.... if this were my best friend, sure, I'd sit her down and say "Girl. You've GOT to keep it clean."

But I guess I'm just going to have to deal with it.
(I just don't know how someone can not KNOW..... you know????)

ICK!!!

Sunday, May 3, 2009

Anyone Else LOVE a GREAT Underdog Story?

The story behind the Kentucky Derby winner - "Mine That Bird" - is an amazing, and really inspirational underdog story!
Below is not just a clip of the race, but also a very sweet (albeit brief) interview with Calvin Borel, the jockey. And, additionally, an AMAZING aerial view of how Mine That Bird came from last to FIRST!

Here's some interesting trivia:

  • Mine That Bird cost $9,500 (some of these Kentucky Derby thoroughbreds cost hundreds of thousands of dollars!).
  • Mine That Bird was taken to the derby not in a fancy caravan, but in a plain horse trailer, pulled by a pick up truck.
  • Calvin Borel, the jockey, is the son of a Louisiana sugar cane farmer, and only has an 8th grade education (and has been racing horses since he was EIGHT years old!!)

    It's really a fascinating story! Enjoy the video... and LONG LIVE THE UNDERDOG!

"17 Again" and "Wolverine" - 2 Movie Reviews




Apparently, our kids are ruling the "what-movie-shall-we-see-this-weekend" question.
Here are the reviews of the two latest offerings we have seen:

17 Again
VERY pleasantly surprised. Let me begin by saying I am hardly a Zac Effron fan, however, this young man is not just a handsome face. He was VERY funny and VERY charming in this movie. Unlike the "High School Musical" series, this movie is not just a star vehicle for him. It truly does have a very cute little plot, is well acted, charming, and extremely funny. There's plenty of grown up humor to keep mom and dad laughing. Leslie Mann (who I LOVE-LOVE-LOVE!) is in the movie and is her usual brilliant self. (For those not familiar with the name, she played Katherine Heigl's sister in "Knocked Up" and was also in the "40 Year Old Virgin".) She's beautiful and has GREAT comic timing. Others in the movie are Matthew Perry and Thomas Lennon as Ned (the best friend) who is really quite hilarious.

2 BIG Thumbs Up from me... (I would even see this a 2nd time)!


X Men Origins: Wolverine
My 13 year old son has had May 1st circled on his calendar for MONTHS..... not only was "Wolverine" the movie coming out, but so was "Wolverine" the video game.

So, all 4 of us went to see the movie. As many of you know, I LOVE Hugh Jackman (just ask D'Arcy and Pumpkin!.....), but I just REALLY can't stomach 2 hours of explosions, mutant super powers, Ryan Reynolds as a sword wielding super-fighter (I will forever picture him as a smarmy waiter in "Waiting"), and Riggins from "Friday Night Lights" as Remy LeBeau (although I must say both Hugh and "Remy LeBeau" did look quite yummy).

Bottom line: I'm not an action film girl. At a certain point my brain just clicks off.
BUT: my son and my husband thought this movie was Da Bomb! (And everyone else I've talked with who is into action movies agreed.... so..... )

2 Thumbs Up (IF you're an action movie person....)
2 Thumbs DOWN (if you're into romantic comedies, like me....)

Friday, May 1, 2009

Indescribable!


LOVE this song!
What an amazing planet we live on!