Aw, You Shouldn't Have!

Well since I couldn't win Emily's "nickname the baby" contest (Blitzen IS the best choice, though!), I am very happy to have been picked for...



Thanks to Amanda at ahjones2010.blogspot.com for selecting me! (Oh, and someone teach me how to do those links on here!)

Part of being selected also means I have to say 7 things about myself. I've mentioned a lot of my quirks before so let me see if I can think of any new ones you might not already know...

1. I believe 100% that we have made contact with intelligent life on other planets and that it is being kept a secret from us. I don't consider myself a conspiracy theorist, but there is nothing anyone could ever tell me to make me believe otherwise.



2. I meditate every day. I listen to Hindu prayer chanting and guided chakra meditations. I started as a way to fall asleep, but soon after I began noticing I was thinking more clearly and having a more positive attitude throughout the day. I'm also experimenting with something called astral projection which is suppose to invoke lucid dreams and stress relief.




3. I do not know where my real father is. He was never a positive influence nor a good father, but when I was a teenager he began showing signs of schizophrenia and delusions of grandeur. Because he still had access to my younger brothers and seemed to be growing more and more dangerous, at 18 I filed paperwork with the courts to have him committed to a facility so he could be examined. They diagnosed him with not only schizophrenia, but homicidal tendencies. Our entire family was awarded a permanent restraining order and, thankfully, I have not seen him in nearly 10 years. When I refer to "my dad", I am in actuality talking about my step-father with whom we have all called "Daddy" since I was 10 years old and who is, in fact, an amazing dad.

4. My favorite movie of all time is "The Little Mermaid". It was also the first movie I ever saw in theaters. In fact, my love affair with Disney runs very, very deep. I don't just follow along with every word of every animated classic, but can recite entire scenes like most actors can recite Shakespeare. This year I went to Disney World for the first time EVER and bawled like a baby as we drove in. When I die, I want my ashes thrown in various places and the Magic Kingdom is one of them.



5. I'm currently working on a book that will hopefully be done by the beginning of next year. I can't talk about the details, but I am 100% confident that it is something that is suppose to be written and that I am the one to do it. I finally got an editor that will hopefully feel the same once it is completed.

6. We have a condo in Savannah, just 5 minutes from Tybee Island. We go 4-5 times a year and I always notice a sense of peace wash over my mom every time we are there. She admitted that it is where she wants HER ashes thrown and in order to always feel close to her, we just have to come to the beach. I believe she could not be more right.



7. I have always wanted to hike in the rainforest. Ever since I have been little, if the mood strikes, I sit down in the shower, close my eyes, and imagine I'm sitting under a large tree in the rain forest and that the shower water that comes down is rain. It is very therapeutic and hopefully one day I can do it for real in a real forest.




Okay, now I'm suppose to tag 5 of my own favorite and stylish blogs. Lots of my favorites have already been selected for Stylish Blog awards so I'll avoid re-tagging those folks! Here's who I pick:

Dale @ The Meming of Life (http://parentingbeyondbelief.com/blog/)

Deb @ Smitten Kitchen (www.smittenkitchen.com)

Jen @ Bake or Break (www.bakeorbreak.com)

The Writers @ The Superficial (www.thesuperficial.com)

Soren Bowie @ Cracked (www.cracked.com)


Thanks again for thinking of me, Amanda!!

Hubby Birthday to You!

Tomorrow is Chris' 26th birthday. I always write him a little romantic letter on special occasions but I was thinking this year I'd do something different... and post it for the whole world to see. He might be a tad embarrassed, but if he is, well, that'll be my little gift to me.

Instead of a mushy love note, here's 50 reasons why I love my hubs:

1. He has always seen all of me and loved me despite my flaws
2. When I wasn't quite ready for the commitment he wanted, he never stopped loving me
3. He has sexy long legs
4. He shares my sense of humor and thinks I'm funny
5. He gets a kick out of seeing me rant and rave (which is often!)
6. We have the same taste in nearly everything
7. ...but when we do disagree on something, he normally lets me make the final decision
8. He's a sucker for my pouty face (just like my Dad is!)
9. When he's acting crazy, I can stay calm and vice-versa
10. He is the most patient person I've ever met
11. My family adores him and often joke that they are glad to see him but he shouldn't have brought "his ol' ball and chain" when we go visit (har-har)



12. He is by far, hands down, the smartest person I know
13. He knows when to be compassionate and when to say "no", much better than I ever can
14. His opinion on us having children is go-with-the-flow, like my opinion, so there is never pressure either way
15. He is amazing at his job and is constantly awarded for his hard work
16. When he says he "hates" something, he's still open-minded to it
17. We had nearly identical childhoods and remember all the same things from them
18. We also have identical political standings and spiritual opinions
19. His mind goes directly to rational thinking no matter how crazy the situation
20. He is a good teacher and is always patient when he helps people
21. He's always in good spirits and it takes a lot to bring him down



22. When I'm missing cute things the dogs do, he takes pictures and sends them to me
23. He was 100% encouraging when I wanted to quit work completely and go back to school
24. He took me to Disney World for the first time and never laughed at me when I cried like a baby seeing Cinderella's castle
25. He's not picky about food and will try anything
26. He loves to travel and likes to take me new places as often as possible
27. He agrees that exchanging gifts to each other at Christmas is silly and prefers our annual Christmas dinner date instead



28. His taste in clothes is very sophisticated and admits he would love to dress like Clinton from "What Not to Wear"
29. When I jumped on the organic food wagon, he jumped right on with me and loves it
30. Even our most irrational decisions have always been good ones in the end
31. He could survive for weeks on just cereal and milk
32. When we are on vacation, he doesn't mind getting rip-roaring drunk in the middle of the afternoon
33. He forgets EVERYTHING which always makes me look less like the insane one
34. He can never be peer pressured into anything
35. He plays on "Expert Mode" in every game, even if he's never played before
36. He thinks I'm sexy when I'm convinced I couldn't look any worse
37. He uses skits from different comedian's stand-ups to get legitimate points across during our disagreements



38. He's 100% confident in his sexuality and never references things looking "gay" or itemizes gender specifics.
39. ...and he would never in a million years care if his son or any children we have are gay.
40. He keeps all drama to a minimum, even if it means excluding people
41. He puts our sanity and happiness first above every other person
42. His favorite past time is pestering me until I blow up, just so he can see my reactions
43. Sometimes, for no reason, he will stop what he is doing and lay on me when I'm trying to watch TV
44. I don't know a single person who has ever met him that doesn't love him
45. He says all he ever wants is for me to be happy (and I believe that 100%)
46. When he's excited about something, he counts down the days/hours/minutes and reminds me every second how soon it is about to happen
47. He brings me shot glasses from every where he goes on business trips
48. We both people-watch and then whisper secret things to make fun of them just to get the other to laugh
49. We randomly blurt out what the other is thinking and it is so dead-on it borders on spooky

...and one of my all time most favoritest things about Chris is...

50. His hand blindly searches for me on my side of the bed every night and if I'm too far away he pulls me in... and he says he has never ONCE been conscious or been aware he was doing it in all these years.

See? Even unconscious Chris is pretty freaking awesome.




Happy Birthday, baby!

Another Day, Another Holler

If you were raised in the south, you know what "holler" is. For you yankees out there, it is another word for yell or scream or, in my case, argue. If someone is "hollerin'" at you, it's probably because you are in trouble. I'm pretty sure if you live with your significant other, you've partaken in some hollerin' yourself.



I'm a very passionate person so, yes, I'm guilty of being verbally abrasive when the situation calls for it. Chris and I are by no means a silent couple when it comes to overcoming problems. The volume of our yelling is also not indicative of the magnitude of the fight, but more about frustration that we can't get our point of view across. We vowed never to go to bed angry and after almost 4 years together, I think we've done a damn good job. The key is that no matter how much we "holler" at each other, the goal remains the same: understand one another.

Armed with the logic that communication (in even its loudest forms)is beneficial, I'm starting to battle why this concept seems to be taboo within our other relationships. Of all my current group of friends, I've never once had an argument- much less one that involved a good holler. Does this mean I get along with them better than my own husband? It kind of feels that way if you think about it, doesn't it? But of course, that's ludicrous. No, what it is starting to feel like is that the lack of disputes in any form is a sign that we aren't communicating properly at all. I'm starting to wonder if my friends are really just people I enjoy time with rather than people I have a relationship with. This realization is sad to me. When did being an adult make me feel so... reserved?

Not too long ago we had an unannounced visit to our home from some individuals we do not particularly wish to see, especially without any warning. (Um, hello, manners much?). It was one of those moments where we were smiling and engaging in forced conversation all the while stealing glances at each other as if to say "what the hell are they doing here?!". After making snarky remarks and even attempting to bad mouth someone we actually ARE fond of, they finally left. Chris and I both shared a good rant about how overwhelmingly rude it was for them to not even at least call first before planning an unpleasant visit. The more we agreed with one another about the audacity of some people, the more I realized something even more unsettling than the visit itself: they were probably skipping home thinking their visit with us was wonderful and that we want them over more often! And why wouldn't they think that?! We never once made an attempt to let them know what we were truly feeling. We never once even slightly hinted that we felt insulted. Instead, we retreated to the idea that we had to be grown-ups and handle the situation with dignity and kill them with kindness... you know, all THAT crap. Seriously, what is going to keep them from stopping by unannounced again? What's worse, did we positively reinforce their bad behavior by acting like everything was okay when, to us, it SO wasn't?

Is this really what being an adult is all about? Grinning like a jackass when you really want to scream? 'Cause quite frankly, guys, hollering at another kid in the sandbox who was pissing me off felt a lot more effective back then.




I asked Chris' opinion on the situation and, in true Chris fashion, he just shrugged and said "The drama that ensues just doesn't seem worth it". Well, thanks Captain Indifferent, I now look like a crazy person. Is it so wrong to think that communicating how we truly feel, no matter how ugly, is better than unannounced visits and fake conversations with "friends" we secretly talk bad about? Even if said communication ended in hollering of the most epic redneck proportions, wouldn't it be better than all these "adults" walking around like idiots thinking their actions aren't pissing us off? Well, it would be to me.

And if you don't believe me, go back to 1993 and ask "Icky Nicole" about the hollerin' she got out of me at car riders when she stole my boyfriend. Bet she didn't skip home thinking everything was dandy... just sayin'.

Hi, Hiatus

I know, I know. It's been a lifetime since I updated! My attempt at a "series" of blog posts has failed miserably! I will be honest, I was at a crossroads with where I should go with the whole thing. I really was hoping to use my observations as a fun way to shine some light on all the yucky of Facebook. Surprisingly, I had an overwhelming response from my friends who did not want me to leave! They reminded me of all the great things about Facebook and how they enjoyed keeping up with me through my profile. It made me feel so good! I did some soul-searching and realized that anything can be positive and anything can be negative. It's all up to YOU how you perceive it. I decided that there were a few people that weighed me down and had so much negativity in their life that it was reflecting on me just by reading about it. Instead of denying the positive of Facebook, I simply de-friended those people (with the intention of nicely explaining to them my reasoning if they asked). So far, it has worked very well.

So now the conundrum: Do I continue with the reasons why Facebook can be negative? Or go on with my postings with my normal finesse and pizazz?

...of course, I always vote pizazz.