Swap What Yo Mama Gave Ya...

....or something someone else might have given you! Have you heard about Swap Tree? Oh my gosh! You have to check it out! I've been a swapping fool (With books, people! Minds out of the gutter!) (It's simple...set up your account, key in the books, dvd's, cd's or video games you have that you'd be willing to trade for some you don't have and you're all set! All you do is pay the postage to get your item to the party that wants to trade. It's like crack...or at least what I think crack would be like!

Vacation Wrap Up and other mind-numbing rants!

Well, the vacation went just swell. I fully intended to update daily, but the sand and the sea got the best of me! My apologies! The kids had a blast, we all ate too much and after the long ride home, I got to unpack! Unpacking is like the ultimate torture, right? I would make juvenile delinquents do that...right after I made them fold my laundry...oh, and iron it. Ha! However, I returned to home sweet home to discover that it had not been so sweet during our absence. There's been a lot of crime in the area lately and it leaves me uneasy. You may have read my previous blog about how I was followed in a major discount store and how uncomfortable it made me feel. Well, upon our return, we discover that our cousin was at home with her two daughters when two gentleman came to her house and busted her front door down trying to get in. They were scared off when she screamed...but I can't imagine how terrified she must be right now. It seems like it's everyday that there is somethin on the news or in the paper about another robbery, kidnapping or attack. What is the deal? When we were in FL, there was a story about a two year old little girl that has been missing for five weeks and her mother is a suspect. Her mother! I'm astounded. However, on a brighter note, I did get to read two fabulous books while I was wasting away in Margaritaville. Good in Bed by Jennifer Weiner and the follow up to that called Certain Girls. These two books are just wonderful! They'll be perfect for my book club as soon as I get it going! ;) Finally, I attended a Relay for Life Committee Wrap-Up Party tonight. The events were held at the Talladega Superspeedway and it was great! We got to take turns going around the track at 120 miles per hour! It was up there with the neatest things I've done! But, the focus of the evening was for the 'powers that be' within the American Cancer Society to thank the committee that helped raise over $600,000 toward cancer research and funding! It was very nice of them to put it all together and even nicer for them to recoginze the hard work of the members and their families that sacrifice so much to let them be a part of the organization. A few were asked to stand up and give their reasons for why they Relay. I wasn't one of them, but if I had been...here's what I might have said: For my father, whom I didn't know, that passed away with Colon Cancer; For Uncle DeWayne, whose diagnosis hit me like a ton of bricks; For PaPa Sprayberry, who had the greatest outlook right up to the end; For Mike Cooper, who was one of the last great "family men" on Earth; For Kaylie Claire Ellis, who shouldn't even be having to think about chemo and radiation at four years old; But, mostly for selfish reasons...I relay because I get to be a part of something that fills me so completetly with humility and pride that I can't stop coming back. I relay with the hope that my children will never have to think about fighting cancer. I relay because it feels so dang good to know that I'm making a difference...and being on the Committee is only icing on the cake. That's why I do it.

Vacation - Part 2

Today could not have been more perfect if I'd written it that way myself.... The weather was warm, the ocean was calm and clean and I almost finished my book. The kids splashed and played in the Gulf like they've never done before and that was great to see! We rounded out the evening with ribs at Pineapple Willy's and go carts! You can't have vacation in PC without go carts, right?! I'm pretty sure I located the guy with the worst job in the world...he's in charge of the kiddie go carts at the "go cart place" and we were all in agreement that it probably sucked more than anything else in the world...at the time, anyway. Personally, I'm ready for bed...as soon as I finish my book! To be continued...

The Balancing Act

It's tough...huh!? Some days I'm left standing in my kitchen, dust cloud settling around me, wondering how I got there. It's everyday events like shuttling to and from school, ball practices, extracurricular activities, housework/maintenance, pets, laundry and add a job (for those that have one) that keep us in a constant state of motion. I wonder if we actually know what it's like to sit still anymore. Gone are the days where the kids play in the yard while the grown-ups hold their rockers in place on the front porch. Air conditioning may have had a lot to do with that, I guess. What happened to the easy breezy days? Not just during Summer time. Everyday shouldn't be a mad dash to make the next big event in our lives. Life happens around us all the time. How much are we actually missing out on by taking it all on? Everything suffers when we stretch ourselves thin. From relationships to job performance - it all takes a beating. All the more reason to evaluate what we've got on our plates and choose what we can do without. With Summer half gone, I realize that I haven't gotten to enjoy much of it. I haven't been the beneficiary to too much relaxation. What I have tried to enjoy has ended up being something that everyone involved wouldn't have chosen...so I tend to bend to the majority. Nevertheless...make the best of the opportunities you have to enjoy life, your family and yourself. This is our only chance to take it all in and I'm going to try and do just that from now on....in stride! What about you?

Road Trip!!!!!

The family and I are headed for a mini-vacation tomorrow! Gatlinburg is our destination. I'm looking forward to the aquarium....the kids are going to get a kick out of that. Honestly, I probably will too! I loved the aquarium in Chattanooga!

The ice skating should be fun for them too....especially now that they're old enough to give it a shot. I love Gatlinburg in the winter - and I hear they're callling for snow while we're there. That will make it even better! I remember how excited the kids were with the little bit of snow we got here in Alabama last month...and that was nothing!

My gripe has to be that I haven't packed anything. I'm a "pack the car the night before" kind of gal...and I don't have it done this time! Granted, I've been busy lately. But, this just means that I'm going to be up doing it tonight when I should be enjoying some much needed rest. Why? Because I won't be able to close these big brown eyes until I know I'm at least half way there. There is something so peaceful about knowing that all you have to do is get ready in the morning....but something is telling me that tomorrow morning won't be that relaxing. Sigh...I'll do my best to achieve premature packing, but I'm also a realist. It's 10:30 pm and I haven't even gotten our suticase down. Odds are against me, ladies and gents.

But, the pitcher of margaritas at the mexican joint this evening hashelped me be OK with the fact that tomorrow might be a bit hurried. Tomorrow morning I might be singing a different tune when I get that overwhelming feeling of not having all my ducks in a row. But, for now, I think I'm just going to call it a night. We'll get there tomorrow - one way or another - and if we forget something, I guess we'll just buy it!

Who am I kidding....that would drive me crazy! Until my return, I wish you a happy weekend! See you Monday!

Just when you think you're different....

It’s been one of those great days…where I’ve played with the kids, watched interesting things on TV, made plans for dinner and now getting to watch my favorite movie of all time – Hope Floats. It snowed today…so that was fun. My miniature Mr. Snowman Potatohead was awesome! My roast will be divine this evening and I’ve already hit on the fabulousness of my movie! But, let me tell you about the interesting things on TV today. I’m a fan of searching the guide to find out what's coming on. I was browsing and saw that “My Big Redneck Wedding” was on CMT. The title alone was enough to reel me in. So, I watched it and laughed. But, what came next was so worth the wait! I love countdowns! There is just something about the anticipation that builds as you wait to discover the lucky individual/place/record that makes it to #1! So, after the Redneck Wedding show was a Top 20 Redneck Moments! Honestly…I’ve never laughed so hard and felt so at home in all my life! One of the moments was the song "Convoy" by C.W. McCall. I have this song on my IPOD. My little boy loves it and knows just about every word! Another member of the countdown was Hee Haw. My grandmother and I used to watch Hee Haw every week! One of CBS’ finest hours, if you ask me! Gretchen Wilson’s Redneck Woman song was also on there. I have her album on the pod as well. The Dukesfest, that was started in 2001 was paid a tribute on the countdown, of course. And, not to spoil the ending for anyone that might be planning to tune in for the next airing, Jeff Foxworthy was recognized with the #1 spot! I’ve seen him in action at the Amphitheatre in Birmingham. (Used to be Oak Mountain – now Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre). Enjoy…if you decide to tune in. It’s a good one. And as a bonus there were several folks from Alabama cited throughout the show. One was from Oxford and one from Alexandria. I don’t know them…but pretty dang cool that they made the show!

Get your popcorn ready...it's movie time!

I love the movies! If I had a weekend where I didn’t have to do a damn thing (and I couldn't spend money at the spa) I would lay in bed all day long watching movies...back to back to back! I'm quick to throw you a line from a favorite...often just to test you! I wouldn't necessarily say I'm partial to any particular genre of film, but the romantic comedies are probably up there pretty high! I'm partial to these, most likely, because of the desperate longing for 'Mr. Right' as I was growing up. Go ahead...get your laughs in now. I don't want you passing out from the hysteria when I unload that Cocktail happens to be one of my favorite romantic comedies! I mean, what female hasn't longed for their very own Brian Flanagan - tortured yet charismatic; driven yet held back by his own internal demons. All right maybe my mission growing up was to help them or fix them…ha! If I’d known then what I know now, I wouldn’t have so many favorite romantic comedies, I assure you! You may be wondering what made me want to write this and exactly what it is I'm intending to enlighten you with....well, here you go: I was watching Legends of the Fall - one of my all time favorites - and I asked myself..."Does anyone of the male species look better on horseback than Brad Pitt?" I’m all about finding the truth…so my quest began. ;) Brad Pitt (strange as he probably is in real life) is most breathtaking atop a thoroughbred! I don’t even have to get into the fact that he’s aching, tormented and unreachable at times during the film…all of which only add to the mysterious nature that will drive a woman mad, literally. **For the readers of the male persuasion, I hope you take from this entry a little more about what (most) women want. A man is most desirable when he’s determined. For instance, he’s working on a task/chore/hobby/work and he’s driven to see it through to completion. This is hot. Especially if he encounters a “roadblock” and must work through it. I’d love to elaborate on why…but, honestly, it’s a little muddy to me. A man is also alluring when he’s vulnerable. Now, don’t misconstrue this. Too vulnerable can make you needy…which should be noted as NOT HOT for future reference. But, a degree of vulnerability is welcomed. It proves you have feelings. Speaking of feelings…something else that makes you most fascinating is the desire to learn more about yourself. Too often men can get caught in a rut and become complacent with who they are and their ‘mate’. Don’t do this! Always strive to take something away from situations. Try not to see everything black and white – even though you might be programmed that way – because words are hard to find to describe the feelings you can invoke by admitting that you learned something new about yourself. It professes self-awareness and the desire to better your self.** My quest carried me through a spectrum of films looking for the crème de la crème of romantic lead roles among men in movies – horseback or not. They are as follows (in no particular order and may or may not be in the saddle): Justin Matisse played by the stunningly Southern, Harry Connick, Jr. in Hope Floats. Tripp played by the unquestionably ravishing Matthew McConaughey in Failure to Launch. Benjamin Barry also played by Matthew McConaughey in How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days. Steve Edison again played by Mr. Hottie McConaughey in The Wedding Planner. (complete with the aforementioned horseback scene!) Johnny Castle played by the smoldering Patrick Swayze in Dirty Dancing. Robbie Hart played by the side-splitting Adam Sandler in The Wedding Singer. Dusty Chandler played by the timeless Mr. George Strait in Pure Country. Roy McAvoy played by Kevin Costner in Tin Cup. Ronny Miller played by the exquisite Patrick Dempsey in Can’t Buy Me Love. Drew Baylor played by the positively adorable Orlando Bloom in Elizabethtown. Nick Marshall played by the handsome Mel Gibson in What Women Want. Lloyd Dobler played by the atypical hottie John Cusack in Say Anything. Jack Taylor played by the captivating George Clooney in One Fine Day. Nick Mercer played by the enchanting Dermot Mulroney in The Wedding Date. Aragorn and Legolas played by the enchanting Viggo Mortensen and Orlando Bloom (respectively) in The Lord of the Rings: The Trilogy. It goes without saying these two are most assuredly Brad's stiffest competition in the horesback category. All of these candidates qualify, in my book, for romantic comedy role (by someone of the male persuasion) of the century! I’m sure there are some I’m leaving out and I’m sure there are some I haven’t thought of. I’m curious about the ones I may not have seen…I’ll make a weekend of it if I have to. I’m willing to do what it takes to uncover the truth. So, send me your favorites! (Guys…that means you too!) My DVD player is ready and waiting! Guys...take your cues from the one's I've mentioned here. I know they're only actors playing a role, but they all have something women want - romance. We want to be swept off our feet. Again, I'm not speaking for all the ladies...I'm sure there are some out there that don't agree. But, ultimately, we want to feel adored. Whether it's up close or from across the room. We want to feel like we're at the forefront of your mind...even if we aren't. There's something to be said for romance....see you at the movies!