Friday, July 31, 2009

FOUR

Will you settle for the Friday four?

1. I took the gift cards to Erin yesterday. To say she was grateful would be an understatement. I had to split the money up among three gift cards, since the highest value per card is $100. She started to cry and gave me lots of hugs and said it had been such a hard summer and this would help so much.

2. I have seriously, seriously hurt my shoulder, neck and back. And the worst part is that I am not entirely certain how I did it. All I know is yesterday I woke up and could hardly turn my head. Which made taking a shower and getting ready for work a BLAST. I was miserable all day and night. I slept perfectly still on my ergonomic pillow, thinking that would help, but when I woke up today it was only slightly better than it was before I went to sleep. No fun. Right now I have a heating pad perched on my shoulder like a felt parrot. If it doesn’t go away soon, I think I am going to go buy a neck brace.

3. I am so excited about the books I am taking to the beach: Maneater by Gigi Levangie Grazer; The Hazards of Good Breeding by Jessica Shattuck; Bringing Home the Birkin by by Michael Tonello and Sleeping Arrangements by Madeline Wickham. And I can hardly wait to get my hands on the new People with the Saved By the Bell cast in it. Good weather or bad weather, I am going to be reading my little heart out.

4. Circling back around on the Chi situation, I called Farouk (Chi manufacturers) and they said I could send it to them, along with a check for $35, and they’d fix it for me. Once I called C’s sister-in-law/my friend Stacy to tell her I didn’t need the replacement, she said I would need one to use while mine was being fixed and offered to just give me the one she had. It’s a Paul Mitchell and it does work very well. So well that I am not really in a rush to get ChiChi fixed anymore. But thanks for all the suggestions!

Thursday, July 30, 2009

MAIDY

Last night was bunko. What a fun night. I LOVE my bunko group!

As you remember, the theme was bridesmaids. I should have had six dresses to choose from – three black, one brown, one lilac and one periwinkle. Just a small hitch – all of those dresses took the long trip home last fall when I moved into my new apartment. I had kept a few of them up here for just such an occasion, until I ran out of room in my closet and sent them to live with my mom. So I was dressless. I asked some girls at work if they had any but they’d sold them or loaned them out. And I certainly wasn’t going to spend any money on another bridesmaid dress I didn’t have to wear. So I found a black and white dress tucked deep in my closet, threw it on and hit the road.

We had a blast. This month’s hostess went all out. I was tied with two other girls for the most bunkos of the night (we each had two). We had a roll off and I lost. But I was holding the passed prize for getting an On the Town when the last game ended so I got to keep it – a $15 Starbucks gift card.

Here are the two photos of the lovely bunko bridesmaids. If there had been a prize for best costume, I feel that it would have gone to Jessie, who ordered that red lace catastrophe off of eBay for $10, or MB whose dress (which was sequined and bedazzled on the front and on the back down the train) is not fully shown in the picture but was pretty heinous. Especially since she actually wore it - with long black gloves - in a wedding.

Next month’s theme is Flappers and Gangsters!

Tuesday, July 28, 2009

STORMY

Just in case any of you were starting to get jealous that I am going to the beach, take a look at the current ten-day forecast for our trip:
That's six straight days of scattered T-storms. Oh dear.

RAMBLEY

*Have you tried Yoplait’s blackberry-pomegranate yogurt? It’s so stinking good.

*My CHI is on the outs. Let’s have a moment of silence for the faithful flat iron. I am not kidding when I say just a few months ago, the thought crossed my mind that my Chi would probably outlast all the other appliances I own – iPod, phone, etc. I am about to be proven wrong. Recently it’s started shorting out and depending on which way the cord was rotated, turning itself off. It went from being mostly on with a quick blink off to mostly off with a quick blink on, unless it is sitting still on the counter. I tried whacking it against the counter (cracked it) and holding the cord in place. Neither worked very well, so I’m going to keep using it until it dies in my hand. Then I’ll replace it. C’s sister-in-law, being the talented aesthetician that she is, can get me another one at cost but all she has in stock right now is Paul Mitchell – do any of you own one of his flat irons? She said it’s just like a Chi. Thoughts?

*Does anyone have any suggestion for things to do/see when I go to visit my sister in DC? I have been on the public White House tour, seen the museums, etc. I know a few of you live/used to live in the DC area, so any suggestions for activities that are off the beaten path are welcome.

*I am so sick of the previews for More to Love.

*I am glad the Bachelorette is over. What was I doing, watching that show? I should have come to my senses the minute Ed whipped out that tank top. Don’t they have wardrobe stylists on that show? Everyone else seemed to manage but Ed. Honestly - if he wasn’t in a coat and tie, all bets were off as to what he’d show up in.

*I really like this picture of Katie and me but I forgot to include it in her birthday post.

Sunday, July 26, 2009

KATIED

This post is for a girl I love and respect so very much – happy birthday Katie!

Fall 1995 - Glasses and braces and bangs, oh my

I first met Katie back in fifth grade. She was new to my school. We weren’t BFF right away or anything. I just knew that the tiny girl with the big glasses in Mrs. McClesky’s class was named Katie. We weren’t in the same class that year or the year after, but we finally had a few classes together in seventh grade. I sat behind Katie in geography, where we analyzed handwriting and the boy that sat to our left. Dominique. What a ham. I wonder where he is now?
Katie and I bonded because we had several things in common: mutual friends (shout out to Carlee), a love for Auburn, and our older sisters were best friends. Eventually we went from acquaintances to good friends. We made the same cheerleading squad in eighth grade and I think she was the only person that still liked me at the end of that year. Or maybe she was faking it?
The similarities continued in ninth grade: more classes together in ninth grade, on the same cheerleading squad again, in the same circle of friends, and halfway through the year, found ourselves liking the same boy. Dum dum DUM! I had ended one “romance” (if you can call them that in ninth grade) and started one up with one of my good guy friends, who was also one of Katie’s good guy friends. Eek. That happened late January. Cue the Valentine’s Dance! I had already invited (and therefore attended it with) my ex-boyfriend, Katie had already invited (and therefore attended it with) my current boyfriend, and at the actual dance, not a single one of us had a good time.

Katie and I dealt with it. I don’t remember any big blow outs. I don’t remember any erupting drama. And I fully credit that to Katie, who had more character than me and that boyfriend combined. I believe things were tense for a short period of time, at least until he and I broke up, and eventually Katie and I made up and moved on.
June 2005 - Matt and Katie's rehearsal dinner

The rest of high school we ebbed and flowed – she moved from cheerleading to volleyball, and I went from cheerleading to more cheerleading. Three years of high school flew by and before we knew it, we were both at Auburn.

I credit my sorority with a lot of things, but one of the biggest blessings I got from it was my renewed friendship with Katie. I was SO pleased that she was in my pledge class and looked forward to making many memories with her. It didn’t take long that ball to start rolling. Nor did it take long for the boys to flock to Katie. I latched on to one boy fall semester, and the rest of them fought over Katie. We double dated to lots of socials, date parties and formals, not to mention saw each other regularly at chapter and sorority events. When we both were in a house with 18 other people for spring break, I didn’t get to meet –but certainly heard about—a certain boy Katie met while in Destin that week. Nope, not Matt. He would come along later.
Walking in Memphis on a trip to visit Katie and Matt

We both lived on the Hall during our sophomore year. She spent lots of weekends in Birmingham with that boy, between our activities and work and boyfriends, saw each other only in passing. She was still a great friend, our circles just didn’t overlap as much as they did during freshman year. Katie moved off the Hall the next year, broke up with that boy and that March, met a boy in an orange shirt. Enter Matt.

Katie and I decided to live together our senior year – bless her heart for moving back onto the Hall. I had been tied up all summer with CWE in Auburn and we really didn’t see each other much over the summer. I guess we didn’t talk much either, because I had no idea how serious she and Matt were until the first night of pre-rush, when a candlelight arrived at the dorm. I wasn’t surprised when Jenny blew it out. I was VERY surprised, however, when the lights came on and I realized it wasn’t Jenny that blew out the candle – it was Katie! I was stunned. Several of my friends had serious boyfriends that I knew would lead to marriage, but Katie was the first of my close friend to be engaged.

It was great living with Katie that fall, but eventually I felt like the only thing we had in common was our room number. The poor girl was stretched to the max: she had one semester of class left in Auburn, a wedding to plan in Birmingham, and a fiancĂ© in Memphis. We were still friends but our priorities were very different and that made things hard. Also hard? My parents’ divorce, which was in full swing. I would cry about that to Katie, and she’d cry about wedding planning to me (like that’s ever easy). Fall flew by and in the blink of an eye, Katie was all moved out.
Katie and Matt's wedding day

Her wedding was SO special. Like I said, Katie was the first of my friends to tie the knot so it was a very different experience than weddings in the past. This time, I was on stage with Katie, my dear friend, witnessing these vows. And then she had to go live with a boy? In Memphis? No fair. What would we have in common then?

As fate would have it, we still all too much in common. Unfortunately, just as Katie moved to Memphis, her parents’ divorce was in full swing. It was a rotten but beautiful situation. Rotten for obvious reasons, but beautiful because I felt yet another common bond with Katie. She was just venturing down the path I had walked. Many of the same questions, fears, and hurts I had expressed to her, she was expressing to me. I loved getting to be there for my sweet friend and return the favor of a listening, understanding ear that she had turned to me just a year prior.
After some Memphis BBQ on my first visit

We scheduled weekly phone dates, visits to Nashville and Memphis, and things were going okay. I knew a small part of what Katie and Matt were dealing with regarding trying to have a baby and just tried to be an interceding, listening friend. A year of tears and frustration went by until I finally got the call I had been waiting for. Mary Thomas was on her way. Oh, glorious day. She was the first to be engaged and now she’d be the first to have a child. I remember being on the phone with Katie, lying in my bed crying tears of joy and shrieking from excitement all the while trying not to wake up my roommate.
With Katie (and Mary Thomas) at her baby shower in January

And now I get the privilege of watching Katie in her finest role yet: not cheerleader, not volleyball star, not secretary of the sorority, but motherhood. She did all those other things well but she does motherhood PERFECTLY. It’s like Chandler said regarding Monica – she’s been a mother for quite some time, just without a baby. Thank God for Mary Thomas. Thank God for Matt. Thank God for Katie.
Blowing kisses at Mary Thomas

Katie, I am just a lone alto in the huge choir of people that could form to sing your praises. You have consistently been one of the kindest, most thoughtful, considerate people I know. No matter the circumstance, no matter the trial, you always handle yourself with such grace and class that I only hope to learn from your example. I am so thankful for the ways in which we have bonded, no matter how wonderful, or how hard. Thank you for being such a good friend even when I wasn't. You, Matt and Mary Thomas make such an adorable family and I pray that there will be many more little ones added to it.

When I was thinking of all the ways to describe Katie, my mind immediately went to Matthew 5:8 - "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God." Katie, you have one of the purest, sweetest hearts and being your friend for 15 years is truly one of my greatest blessings. May the next 15+ be just as sweet! I love you my precious friend!

Thursday, July 23, 2009

FLIGHTY

Here's some exciting news: I've had a change of plans in my upcoming travel. When I leave the beach, instead of hopping on the plane with C, T1, T2 and nephew, I'm boarding a different plane to BWI and going to spend the weekend with my sister and brother-in-law in Washington, DC.

That's eight days of vacation, y'all! I will hardly know what to do with myself when I come home. Look out Atlantic coast, I'm on my way!

Wednesday, July 22, 2009

PROUD

Holy moly, we're at 215 $235 for Erin! You guys are either really generous or really hate spiders. Just wanted to share with everyone in case you are curious. Thank you, thank you, thank you!

In other news, the requests for sorority stories have not gone unheard. Coming up: posts about rush, more dorm pranks, and yes, the Infamous Loofah Tale.

Monday, July 20, 2009

BORED

In case you didn't see my update on the spider post, I've collected a little more than $100 for Erin. If you want to donate, I'll leave the button up through the end of the week and take her the gift card next week. Even just one dollar helps, y'all, and it's so easy since you can use a card! Thanks to everyone who already donated - I am going to sign the card with each of your names.

Other than that, I don't have much to say... again. Wow. I'm about to unsubscribe from myself. Here's some fun things coming down the pipe:

-Allison (yes, tap dancing/NKOTB Allison) is coming to town this weekend
-Six nights at the beach with C's parents, his nephew, Thing 1 and Thing 2 and, of course, C himself
-Katelyn's pending arrival
-Football season right around the corner
-Wicked in Nashville

And that brings us to September! And in case you skimmed by that, yes I will be at the beach for SIX nights. I think the last time I went to the beach for six nights, I was of as many years. It should be fun and a nice rest before a super busy stretch at work.

And now, I got nothing. I'm so dull. I am really sorry. Someone post a comment of a memory you want me to blog about. Maybe that'll liven things up!

Friday, July 17, 2009

SYMPATHETIC

Yesterday I went to get my hair cut. I love getting my hair cut. Erin has turned into a friend and I really enjoy going to visit with her as much as I enjoy having her play with my hair for 45 minutes. She was the one I trusted to chop it all off after only one previous appointment with her - which was a total matter of fate (I called the salon and said I need an appointment TODAY, they put me with Erin sight unseen and 2 years later, she's still cutting my hair). I like her so much that if I ever leave Nashville, I will be tempted to drive back up here every 6-8 weeks just to have her cut my hair. I can even overlook the fact that she's from Michigan and tease her about becoming more of a southerner every time I see her.

This time, I had her try a slight little angle on my bob and I LURVE it. Not love, LURVE.

But all of this is very irrelevant to my story.

So yesterday, after she's washed my hair and is starting to snip, another stylist, a client who is waiting for her color to process, Erin and I start chatting. The other client mentions something about Erin living in Bellevue and I think to myself, "that's weird - she just signed a lease in Sylvan Heights."

When that conversation ends, I ask her what happened to the house in Sylvan Heights and she - almost nonchalantly - replies, "Oh, I had a brown recluse spider infestation."

I'm sorry, what?

A Brown. Recluse. Spider. INFESTATION.

And I thought my bug problems were bad. Insert shudder here.

Nutshell: one night she found a brown recluse spider (let's call them "gummi bears"... sounds less scary) in her bed. One led to two, which was enough to make her call a friend who happened to also be an exterminator. Not just any exterminator, someone she trusts. So that friend came over and said yes, those are in fact "gummi bears" and you need to stay somewhere else tonight. They set a sticky trap out and planned to come back in two days to see "just how bad the situation was" and take it from there.

The thing about "gummi bears" is that they hunt/eat other bugs, dead "gummi bears" included. So one dead "gummi bear" on a sticky trap = lots of other "gummi bears" also dead on the sticky trap. She said there were so many "gummi bears" they could hardly see the white sticky pad inside the trap. To prove her point, she went to her purse, pulled out a ziploc bag which held a sticky trap COVERED in dead "gummi bears." Y'all, I almost threw up.

But she totes this ziploc bag around to show people she's not crazy as well as to educate them on what a "gummi bear" looks like. She made sure I could recognize the black violin on its back after mentioning that it's estimated that there's at least one "gummi bear" in every home in the state of Tennessee.

So her friend basically told her she needed to find a new place to live. They set out more sticky traps, just to make sure this wasn't a one off thing, and she said each trap was progressively worse than the other. Another thing about "gummi bears" is that they don't have a web, like your average spiders. Rather, they lay their eggs in soft spots, like oh I don't know, a sofa, a mattress, an area rug, your clothes, your shoes. Which is also where they may live, along with under stuff, behind stuff, in your closet, etc. - hence, the "recluse" part. So my friend, poor Erin, is losing all of this and more. The house is being razed. As in, torn down. It's that bad. They are bulldozing the property and half of her stuff is being burned or demolished. As she put it to me, she is basically starting from scratch. And in case you are thinking what I'm thinking, no she can't sue her landlord because you can't spray or treat a "gummi bear" infestation. And for whatever reason, her renter's insurance won't cover it (side note: Sam, if something like this ever happens to me and your good hands don't have my back, you are dead to me, if not worse).

At this point, cue the other stylist to roll up her sleeve and show me what's left of a "gummi bear" bite she suffered a while back. Basically, these things don't kill you (only in rare instances). Instead, they leave a bite that you can't even feel, and then the venom starts killing the flesh around the bite, turning it black. Doctors basically skin graft the spot as many times as they have to, until all the flesh-eating poison is gone and you can go on about your life looking like someone took a bite out of you. This particular bite was on the underside of her arm, because there was a spider in her sweater. IN HER SWEATER!

Short of disease or death, how much worse can one's luck get to have a freaking "gummi bear" invasion? I feel so bad for Erin. Do you? Did you make it through this post without twitching? At the end of the story yesterday, I realized my feet were now indian-style in the chair. Subconsciously I had removed them from the floor. And I've done the same thing while typing this.

So I have taken it upon myself to put a DONATE button to the right of this post. It will barely make a difference in what she's going through but I'm going to get Erin a gift card somewhere so she can get some new furniture or clothes or something. She has such a good attitude about it, or at least she pretends to. This all went down right after my last haircut so she's had a while to deal with it and make her peace about it, and she kept saying "I'll be okay, it's just stuff." That may be true, but it's still not fair that it's her stuff that has to get destroyed. She said she's just thankful she didn't get bitten. So am I.

So, if you feel compelled/grossed out/sorry/disgusted/thankful YOU didn't get bitten, please give a little bit to help me help Erin. I think the more you hate spiders, the more you should give. But even if all you have is a dollar to spare, I (and she) will be just as grateful. I know we're not curing cancer here but a friend in need is still a friend in need. If everyone that reads this gave a dollar, she could buy two new couches. My donate button takes credit/debit cards, so don't be shy! Update: we've already got $75 $100!

Thursday, July 16, 2009

NOMINATED

Congrats to five of my favorite stars on their freshly-announced Emmy nominations:

*Justin Timberlake for his guest appearances on SNL as well as his original lyrics for “Mother Lover”
*Jennifer Aniston for her guest appearance on 30 Rock
*Tina Fey for her guest appearances as Sarah Palin on SNL
*Amy Poehler for her supporting actress work on SNL
*Kristin Chenoweth for her supporting actress work on Pushing Daisies

Too bad four of these are in the same two categories. Who will win?! I look forward to finding out. Were any of your favorite shows/actors/actresses/reality TV show hosts/cinematographers/make-up artists/costumers/lighting directors/casting directors/sound mixers nominated?

Wednesday, July 15, 2009

FLAT

Y’all. I SERIOUSLY HAVE NOTHING TO SAY. I am so uninspired right now it hurts. I didn’t do anything crazy this weekend nor has this week held anything new and exciting for me to tell you about. I’ve been in departmental planning meetings for 2010 all day Monday, all day Tuesday, had an event last night and then more meetings this morning. This is the most extended period of time I’ve had at my desk and that’s largely because I’m sitting here eating lunch while I hammer this out to let you all know I am alive!

I take that back: this week has held something new. I have discovered the Cheez Doodle… and it is EVERY bit as good as I remember the late Cheez Balls to be, if not better. This could be very, very bad.

Anyway, maybe when I take off my thinking cap and unwind myself, I will have something fun to say. Hope you are having a good week!

Friday, July 10, 2009

MINTED

Good lord, what happened to the Friday Five? Man, that went wayside, didn’t it? Let’s see if I can revive it.

1. Yesterday after work, I bolted to the pool to get some sun in. C met me there with Thing 1 and Thing 2. While we were swimming with them in the little pool, this boy comes up to us and starts chatting. In a span of ten minutes, three-year-old Will tells us that his favorite Taylor Swift song is “she wears short skirts I wear T shirts” (he sang it to us, mind you), that his favorite movies are the Little Mermaid and Wall•e and his favorite part in Wall•e is when he puts the “boobie holder” on his eyes, and then he burst into giggles and announced “I just tooted in the water!” I promise I have never swam as fast as I did swimming away from THAT. I was across that baby pool in .04 seconds. After the Wall•e thing, C repeated “boobie holder?!” to him and Will replied “yeah, it’s a thing that goes here and covers up boobies.” All the while his mother sat six feet away, reading her book, while her child said “boobies” more times than she looked up. I didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.

2. Before they got there, I read some of my latest library book, Pretty in Plaid by Jen Lancaster. Good book, if you need one to read!

3. Speaking of NEEDING things, Katelyn needs to hurry up and get here. Obviously I am ready to meet her and I hear Kathryn is, too. Hang in there, cabbage!

4. Have you all heard of Mint.com? I am OBSESSED with it. I was horrible about tracking my spending (read: didn’t) until I joined this site. Now I am nearly anal-retentive about splitting my charges, seeing where my dollars go, etc. Life-changing is a strong word, but this site has been VERY helpful. My favorite feature is how it automatically categorizes everything for you. I don’t have to enter "restaurant" or "rent" or "utilities" or "entertainment" every time – it knows what’s what and does it for you. Of course sometimes it messes up (for instance MAPCO is gas, not groceries) but you correct it once and it will remember forever. My other favorite feature is how you can split charges. For instance, my last trip to Kroger, I bought some groceries, the Ped Egg, and also got $10 in cash. I waited for the charges to come through Mint and then went in and split the charge up - $25 to groceries, $10 to Makeup/Toiletries for the Ped Egg and the remaining $10 I marked as cash/ATM. They recommend that as I spend that $10, I go back and change cash/ATM label to fast food whatever I spent it on. If I’m being honest, I have always been semi-scared to deal with finances. Most people have that conversation and get that locked down when they get married, so I clearly haven’t had that talk with anyone. And I think not having anyone to hold me accountable or responsible hurt me. I mean, I'm not denying it's my fault. Nor am I living on Ramen. I’m just saying this program helps me see where my dollars go, charts and all.

5. Two of my coworkers and I went to lunch. We stopped at a pet store next door to the restaurant. I held a kitten from every cage in the store. They were so cute! Did I mention I really want one?

Thursday, July 09, 2009

WHOISH

So I thought of something you probably really don't know about me. That list yesterday was kind of a stretch.

Ladies and gentlemen, I give you my secret identity:


Just call me Lindsay-Lou Who.

*This picture hasn't been edited. I just do a really, really good Who face.

Wednesday, July 08, 2009

SCRAPPY

Caylen “scrapped” me. I don’t know what that means but I am 75% sure it means I have to tell you 10 things about myself which begs the question: ARE there 10 things about myself that you people don’t already know? We’ll find out:

1. My favorite ice cream is Moose Tracks. I. LOVE. MOOSE. TRACKS. When I was in Junior Miss, my host mom had for me my very own carton of Moose Tracks to come home to. What a host mom!

2. I usually sneeze in threes. Occasionally not, but almost always, I sneeze in threes.

3. I didn’t wear a bra to work yesterday. TMI? Don’t worry - my sundress/nightgown had one built in. No worries!

4. Our bunko theme for July is formal dresses – even though I will have a litter of bridesmaids dresses to pick from, there isn’t a prize for best costume.

5. I can’t wait to go to the beach again in August with C’s family!

6. I really miss having a cat. Really really.

7. My favorite character in Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen was Judy Witwicky (the mom).

8. Seriously, was number 3 TMI?

9. I am pleased that more of my friends have joined Twitter – it’s the new text messaging!

10. Hope this makes you laugh, cause it made me HOWL.

Monday, July 06, 2009

INDEPENDENT

What a long, lazy weekend. There is something to be said for weekends where you don’t pull out makeup or a hairdryer even once (and for a boyfriend who doesn’t mind the au natural look extended days in a row). So, here’s what I did with all that time I wasn’t in front of the mirror:

*Sunned – we went to the pool a few times. While I was sad our lake plans didn’t work out, the pool was a great consolation destination.

*Ate. And ate and ate and ate. C made good use of his grill over the weekend and I was the lucky benefactor: hamburgers, hotdogs, chicken, ribs, steak fajitas and more.

*Watched TV – Specifically, I watched lots of cooking shows! I am all caught up on The Next Food Network Star and Top Chef Masters. These shows left me so inspired that I almost went to try to whip up something extravagant of my own! But then I laughed that notion away and pulled my blanket up tighter. We also caught most of the Fourth of July TV specials on Saturday. Why do they have so many foreigners host and/or perform at those things? Seriously – think about it. In case you were wondering, the fireworks over the Hudson in NYC were my favorite (sorry, A Capitol Fourth and Boston Pops).

*Read – I finished one book (Marley and Me [have been reading it on and off since the new year {yes, I have seen the movie}]) and started another one (I Walked the Line: My Life with Johnny Cash by his first wife Vivienne).

*Mourned – Nashville lost a hometown hero over the weekend. While I was still in high school and college during Steve McNair’s run as Titans quarterback, I learned pretty quickly upon moving here that he was a community asset, beloved citizen and all-around nice guy. Even though his death is being shrouded with LOTS of controversy, this is a sting that our town is going to feel for a while. It has been especially creepy to me since the murders took place two blocks from my apartment. Fortunately these weren’t random acts of violence, so I don’t feel unsafe in my own house or anything like that. It’s just hit closer to home (literally) than any previous crime.

Hope everyone had a great Independence Day!

Thursday, July 02, 2009

DOGGED

A feel-good story for you, this holiday weekend, brought to you by C and his dogs:

C has three dogs. Two of them, Holly and Pete, are from the same litter and are 13-years-old. Then there is the more rambunctious Darby, who is a lab and is a little bit younger. I have grown fond of his dogs, I guess. We were a cat family. The dogs we did have were outside dogs. So, when I am at his house, I have learned to share space fairly well with three silly doggies, considering I'd never done before in all my 25 26 years.

A while back, Pete snuck out of the yard and didn't come back. C was beside himself (don't tell the other two but Pete is his favorite). He showed up at a vet a few days later, and he had a chip put in him.

No dog drama since then until last week, when we got back from Vegas and two days later, Holly disappeared. Where could she be? She's been known to wander down the street when the gate was open, but she comes back. C went up and down the street and all around trying to find her when he realized she never came back. This was last Wednesday.

He checked the pound, called the vets, no sign of Holly. I figured she had gone off to that great big backyard in the sky. I mean 13 years is old in dog world, right? I think he, too, had finally come to grips with Holly's departure.

Until yesterday morning, when apparently, Holly was waiting at the back door for him when he left to go to work. That dog was gone a WEEK and came back! I'm sure she wasn't on the go the whole time. I highly believe she was in someone's backyard and managed to escape, just like she did from C's backyard.

But, being the imaginitive people we are, we like to think she's been on vacation. Maybe she went to the beach. Maybe the mountains? Maybe the Hamptons? Maybe Paris to hang out with Mr. Claude?

The dog came back. But where do you think she went?

Wednesday, July 01, 2009

JOED

Remember how I wrote a few months ago about the wonder that is Trader Joe's Edamame Hummus?

Trader Joe's has done it again. I can't go in there without seeing something else that piques my curiousity to the point of purchase.

Last night, I took home a Blue Cheese and Smoked Pecan dip, which is just as great as it sounds. It's more of a spread. The lady that rang me up recommended I try it on celery, which I might do.

I also tried a basil-pesto pizza on homemade ciabatta bread which was slap-your-grandma good. Fresh tomatoes and shaved parmesean cheese on top? I die!

Birmingham, you really should rally together and get a Trader Joe's. You can't let us and Atlanta have all the fun.

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