Good Stuff

Out and About in Columbus

This past Friday the 13th marked my second with Jason. Things are going pretty well and as far as I can tell, show no signs of slowing down. I haven't posted on matters of the heart in a bit, so I guess it's time.

This time I will not be ranting on how the male human is horrible, nor will I be going on and on about how no one understands "me". This is specifically to remind Jason that he is appreciated and how happy he has made me. I know girly, shut up. 

So This last Friday, which was once again Friday the 13th, I was hanging out with Jason at what will be my house in a few weeks. We decided food was in order and made the usual trip to the store. Driving into the parking lot we saw a sign that said "Free Puppies" so we stopped to take a look. I've been looking for an Australian Sheppard mix for a while now, but couldn't see spending tons of money on a dog so I've all but given up hope. Until they said these were indeed part Australian Sheppard. Being a girl, I immediately looked at Jason with questioning eyes, to which he just said a simple... "yes". So we did our shopping and bought stuff for our new puppy. I was ecstatic as was his daughter, Laci.

Yes, we both notice that big things happen on Friday the 13th and his name is Jason. His notification tone on my phone has always been the chchchhahaha sound from the movies. I guess it's "Our" thing/day whatever. Weird are we.

Harley 2.0

I am extremely lucky to have such a great boyfriend. Thank you, Jason...for everything. You simply amaze me...and junk. 

Cory Turns Seven!

Today, my baby, Cory turns seven. That's right...SEVEN! I couldn't be more proud of what an amazing young man he has become.

Reading his first comic

Cory and his best friend Shekevian

Super Cory

Cory reading to me

Cory eating Sushi

I love you so very, very much! I want you to always know what a great son you are and how much you mean to me.

Child's Play (1988)

If any of you know my little sister Amanda, you are aware of her bright, red hair as a child. As it turns out, she was also insanely evil.

Torturing my doll

Cute? Yes, but will kill you. 

From the time she was born, I adored having a younger sibling. She unfortunately was put on this Earth to make my life a living hell from the ages of 5-18. She fought me at every possibly chance. Busted my lip four times during a two year span. I have countless scars from her tantrums and probably could have died on more than one occasion from her violent tendencies. 

One holiday when we were visiting our dad's, he let us watch Child's Play. (See where this is going?) Now, I must have been around 8, which would have made Amanda about 3 or so. It had gotten really late and we all went to bed for the night. A few hours later, I am startled back to reality from a nice, deep sleep to someone short grabbing my foot. All I can see is short, bright red hair...grabbing me. It's screaming at me and I'm screaming back. Chucky has gotten me and no one is coming to save me! This is it...I'm done for. 

Dad comes in and turns on the light to find Amanda and me fighting one another (me to get away, her to get affection). Both terrified of Chucky. I still think I win, because she looked just like him! 

Since we've both become adults, we get along fine. She's outgrown her temper, for the most part, and I don't take people's crap as much. All is good. 

Still can't watch this without looking at the foot of my bed and closing all closet doors. Stupid little dolls. Thank God I don't have little girl toys in my house or I may still freak out on occasion. 

Damon Stahl for Congress

Yes, I'm serious. My roommate/cousin/all around good guy has decided to run for Congress. I'm going to support him any way possible.

His values are in line with what I think this country needs to get back. I'm going to quote a bit from his Facebook page, but you are welcome to go to it for yourselves.

"I am 26 years old. I am running as an independent. My political philosophies come from, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, Federic Bastiat, Thomas Paine and many others who believe in the rights of man given to them by their Creator. I spend most of my free time studying law, The Constitution, history, and economics. I am not a professed expert on any of these things, but I do believe myself to be proficient and more knowledgeable than most on these topics, certainly more then most of the bureaucrats in Washington who are ruining our country." -Damon Stahl

If that sounds like something that could be what you think we need, go to his page. Like it, share it, and help get the word out there that someone wants what is best for us a nation.

Sean turns 9

So today, my firstborn turns nine years old. I'm at a loss for what I feel. Words can not express how much I love this small human. He is definitely my mini-me. The nerdy gamer kid who has an affection for Horror Movies and Metal...a smart mouth...and a lazy streak. I've said before that he is my best friend and that still holds true. In all the chaos that life has presented us lately, he is by my side no matter what, with words of encouragement. A mother couldn't ask for a better son, and I'm glad to call him mine.

MMMmmm Calamari

Crazy Ducks

Individuality (I hate his stupid hat)

 Museum of Natural History

RUN!!!

Such a big help painting the dining room. 

Sushi

 I love you, Sean. More than a silly blog post could ever tell you. And today, I hope that your wishes all come true!

Happy Easter

So it has been stated previously on this blog that I despise how commercial holidays have become. Yet, I too had to purchase stuff for my boys... Just thought I would share some cool pics to commemorate this event.

And for those of you who require a more "spiritual" holiday celebration, check out Mister Bone's Easter post here.

Happy Easter everyone! Hope you find the prize egg! (If you do, mind sharing with a sista?)

Me and The Beatles

The saying goes, "Everything is mind over matter, if you don't mind then it will not matter." Good advice most of the time, but I'm a stresser. I worry about everything including things that are beyond the scope of my control. Lately someone much, much older and wiser than myself told me to "Let it Be". Yeah, yeah...old people and Beatles references, right? But after some thought, it makes much more sense. I contemplated every angle of everything I did and still was no closer to understanding why things were...confusing. I took a step back, and "Let it Be"...then it all was clear to me. Sometimes we just need that moment of "Aha". I'm not so worried right now, I have this brilliant plan to escape until I have that Aha moment every time something bothers me. I had a great weekend with four, read that, FOUR days off consecutively! I go back to work tomorrow, but it's safe to say I go back to work well rested and happy for the first time in a while. Funny how time with my boys, a horror movie marathon, xbox, football, hockey, and loads of sleep will make me a whole new me. I thought I'd post some highlights of my R&R. 

Greggy arriving in Atlanta

My boys on our way to A-Day

All Smiles

War Eagle!

Slightly bored, but trying to pay attention

And here come our Tigers!

At the end of a long, exhausting day

 See, I do have tons to be happy about. It just took clearing some of the smoke away to see how lucky my life truly is. I've got great friends and family to lean onto when I need them, but sometimes it just takes a little quiet time to reevaluate what's important in life. 

My mini-vacation

This weekend was my eldest son's birthday weekend. I planned a trip to Dothan for fun with the whole family while my sister is still visiting from Kansas. I must say, as exhausted as I am now, it was all worth it! We all had a blast and I look forward to my next trip down. I'm going to post some pics from this weekend to share the fun with all of you guys.

Sean (Birthday boy) didn't make it on the drive down. He crashed out by 9:30 which left me awake alone since Cory had already fallen asleep much earlier...I was thankful to decent radio/cds/mp3s at this point.

The obligatory "blowing the candles out" photos.

Alisha and Cory decided to get on stage and sing along with Chuck E. Cheese. Hilarity ensued!

Cory hamming it up with the giant robotic mouse!

So after the children were all tucked in bed. Amanda and I broke out the Faderade and SoCo/lime. This didn't last too long as neither of us really felt like drinking but there was a photo of us taking a shot together which has never been captured on film before. 

Alisha and David 

Then Alisha janked my phone and took pics of everyone (unfortunately that included me)

My nephew, Jaydon. I'm gonna miss his giggles when they go back to Kansas. I had a blast playing with that kid!

The Batman I got for "the boys" that will go on Mommy's Batman shelves. 

All in all, this weekend was great. I got no sleep, but had an amazing time with my family. I'm glad I could take the time to go and see them all. I can't wait until it warms up a bit and I can go back and hit the beach. 

New Year rules to live by

I'm creating a list of things that I must do/not do in the next year. I've been through my share of shit in 2010 and I'm determined to make 2011 a better year for everyone! Who am I kidding? I'm incapable of this feat, but at least writing some of this down may concrete it into my head.

#1 Do not let anyone else determine how you feel about yourself. No more putting feelings into another person's hands. Just asking for disaster. If you need help recognizing that you do this...read here. This article explains what I couldn't seem to convey for a decade.

#2 Do one thing a day that makes you smile. Doesn't matter what it is...just smile more.

#3 Look at the world with childlike amusement more often. As adults we often forget how everything seems from a child's perspective.

#4 Do something daring. Step outside of your comfort zone once in a while...go ahead...it's ok :D

#5 Learn a new word every week. (use it in a sentence)

#6 Assert yourself!!! This one is huge. If you want something...get it. It's not going to fall into your lap and if it does, it's probably not worth wanting in the first place. Go after the fruit on the highest limb. It's much sweeter!

#7 Become more open to other peoples ideas. Sometimes others will suggest great things, don't shut them off at the starting gate. They may have your best interest at heart and if not what does a little fun hurt?

just drive!

#8 We are not given a specific number of days to live. Enjoy life while we're here. Love, laugh, and drink too much...it's over too soon! Be open to your feelings with others. Don't hide them for any reason!

#9 Take a road trip. Go no where...just go!

and finally #10 Don't dwell in the past. It's over. Learn from the past to realize the future will be better. If all else fails and the future is hard and stormy, remember that it could be worse and make the best of the stormy weather. Get an umbrella! 

Ultimately, this list was compiled with my needs in mind. I know my shortcomings and am fully aware of what I need to do to improve. Having this to refer back to through the year should help cement it in my head. Yes, 2010 was hard...so was 2009 and 2008 and 2007, but we are given the chance to make the best of 2011, why don't we? No more negativity and pessimism. I just want to genuinely be happy! I don't think it's impossible, I don't think it's improbable even...just going to take some effort to make it happen. So for those of you who look at the new year with disdain, make it better yourself. Ghandi said "Be the change you want to see in the world", I've always taken this to mean what it says...but look deeper. If you look at life through more positive eyes, wouldn't things be more positive? Just Sayin! This time, instead of complaining about how 2011 will suck, and you don't want to deal with it, make the best of it. There is always a choice in how we react in any situation. Make the positive choice a little more often. I can hear some of you now, "But I don't want to put myself out there and get hurt (again)" or "It's all bullshit anyway". Pain is a part of life and if we run from it forever we are doomed to experience it inevitably. It will catch you in some form or another. Why not say "fuck it" and just do what you want for a change? If we cage ourselves into being unhappy and miserable, how can we expect to ever feel anything but just that!

New Reads

So I almost missed New comic day due to that troublesome job as mentioned in my post yesterday! Wednesday I looked forward to leaving work a bit early and heading down to the comic shop for the new Batman: Detective comic and whatever else I could grab. I know that for some people this is just spending money frivolously on something that I don't need, but I see it as a reward for not smoking in over two weeks. That was a $5 a day habit so if I spend $15 a week on comics or other things I want, I think it's a fair (not to mention smart) trade. Ok, so back to the story...

During a slow work day, I was looking forward to getting off early for the trip across town. To my surprise, the comic I wanted sold out in under two hours. There was no way I was going to get it and I got seriously pissed. I don't want much usually, but I really wanted this! It's bad enough I'm going to lose most of the books I have now, but to not get new ones, especially when they are as highly recommended as #871/#872, UGH!

As usual, I ended up waiting on my Mom to bring the boys. I know where I get my punctuality problems. That woman is perpetually late for everything!!! So not only did I miss out on the issues I wanted, but I don't even get to make it over to the shop to check out anything else. I work almost constantly and the shop doesn't open early enough for me to go in before work. Good news for those of you who feel sorry for me because I don't get the new Batman....the Dark Knight himself came to my rescue yet again and hooked it up! I have to agree with everyone I've talked to about these...the art is flawless, and the writing is amazing! I'm looking forward to continuing this from now on!!! At least this is an addiction that won't kill me in 30 years....for now I'm one happy nerd girl!

Weekend Wrap up

This has been one for the record books ladies and gentlemen. I might need a serious vacation after the past few days!

Let us begin with Friday, So I loaded up the boys and headed to Auburn. It was a slightly crazy idea, because I still had a couple of gifts for them left to purchase, but took them along anyway. I didn't find anything I was looking for. They both went nuts in the mall (while on the subject of the mall, don't go there with two small boys a week from Xmas. It may be Suicide!!!!)  After I calmed them from the excitement we went over to hang out with Bones and fam. Now I was aware that he has a general understanding of my interests...but I got the coolest freaking present in the history of awesome Xmas gifts! I don't think anyone has gotten it so dead on before. Not to mention the fact that it was created for me :D Take a gander at this here piece of artistic perfection....

 I wish I could get a better pic of this! The detail is amazing. And to think I've known this guy all these years with no clue of this talent! Makes my bath mat gift seem like chopped liver in comparison.

Saturday I worked, like most Saturdays...I always work. Love my life in RETAIL HELL!

So let's just skip to Sunday. I had planned to take the boys to meet up with my sisters and shop, but that didn't happen. So Amanda, Alisha and myself were going to meet in Auburn at some point. I get called out to my car and learn that they had gotten into a fight on the way. Not an argument, but an actual fight! We're not talking kids here, folks. Twenty-two and Eighteen! Alisha was covered in mud and disgusting. Once this was remedied, we shopped for a bit and decided to eat Applebee's. For the record, I am the official mayor of Applebee's in Auburn, Alabama. The bartenders know me by name and have my Grateful Dead waiting. This is a fact that I'm not too proud of, but discounted alcohol is always great! So we order our drinks and stuff... I keep ordering my usual amount and failed to realize that the bartender is making them progressively stronger. I think by drink four, he was putting 8 shots into my glass. Anyway, I became somewhat obnoxious and embarrassing, and no one wants to do that. Made a fool of myself countless times and wished I could crawl under a rock this morning. Not entirely sure if I said anything I wouldn't want to have said...guess I'll find out sooner or later.

So that just about wraps up my weekend in all its crazy glory. If you or someone you know was offended by my words or actions in my drunken stupor, I am so very, very sorry. That being said, I remember what's important anyway. Thanks, Girls, for some much needed Sister time and thanks to my Knight for coming to my rescue! On to Xmas this weekend. I hope I get what I want in my stocking and I hope all of you do as well.

So this is Christmas.

Almost finished with my shopping :-D yay me. Looking forward to my nephew and Sister to be here. God knows we can blow some $$ together. Keeping this post short since it's from my phone, I will have a brilliant one soon. Just be on the lookout for three chicks, who look oddly similar but very different, on a shopping rampage. My nephew is an awesome Shaggy btw. This pic might have been the most awesome gift this season. Its great that my influences passed things to me which I keep passing onto my sisters, and hopefully they will pass to someone as well.

So I love surprises (the good kind) but I also love the presents I already know about. I can't wait for Christmas to get here!!

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A few things to live by!

ONE.  Give  people more than they expect and do it  cheerfully.

TWO.  Marry  a man/woman you love to talk to. As you get  older, their conversational skills will be as  important as any other.

THREE.  Don't  believe all you hear, spend all you have or  sleep all you want.

FOUR.  When  you say, 'I love you,' mean  it.  

 
FIVE...  When  you say, 'I'm sorry,' look the person in the  eye..

SIX.  Be  engaged at least six months before you get  married.

SEVEN.  Believe  in love at first  sight.

EIGHT.  Never  laugh at anyone's dreams. People who don't have  dreams don't have much.

NINE...  Love  deeply and passionately. You might get hurt but  it's the only way to live life completely.

TEN..  In  disagreements, fight fairly. No name calling.

ELEVEN.  Don't  judge people by their  relatives.  
TWELVE.  Talk  slowly but think  quickly.  

THIRTEEN. When  someone asks you a question you don't want to  answer, smile and ask, 'Why do you want to  know?'

FOURTEEN.  Remember  that great love and great achievements involve  great risk.

FIFTEEN.  Say  'bless you' when you hear someone sneeze.

SIXTEEN.  When  you lose, don't lose the  lesson.  

SEVENTEEN.  Remember  the three R's: Respect for self; Respect for  others; and Responsibility for all your actions.

EIGHTEEN.  Don't  let a little dispute injure a great friendship.  

NINETEEN.  When  you realize you've made a mistake, take  immediate steps to correct  it.  

TWENTY. Smile when picking up the phone.  The caller will hear it in your voice  

TWENTY-  ONE. Spend  some time alone.