My trip to California

Technically when I was around 1 years old my family took a vacation to California and Mexico.  We swam in the ocean, went to Disneyland and spent a lot of time with friends and family...and I don't remember ANY of it.  I've seen a few pictures but that's it!

So now, 24 years later, I was FINALLY able to go to California-a place I've always wanted to visit!

But our trip did not start off so great.  First-we had to board Tucker.  That may not seem like a big deal to some but Tucker is pretty much our fur baby and leaving him is always hard =(  Any chance we get to take him somewhere we always do, even if it's just to my family's for the weekend!  So he had to get an evaluation and they stated he was really shy and seemed anxious. They recommended that he come a few more times before we board (it's also a doggy day care) but with time running out we had to bite the bullet and board him there.... (Luckily, after we picked him up they said he warmed up a lot and seemed to have a good time over all.  He did get extremely sick when we got hom and was for almost a week but we don't think it was the boarding as much as it was the food change and new bone he got)

Next we got a call right before we headed out the door early Wednesday that our flight got canceled! Due to severe storms and tornadoes in Dallas (our layover city and AA hub) we had to get a flight almost 12 hours later and in a completely different airport than planned (we were trying to land in Ontario, CA so Derrick's grandparents could pick us up but instead had to land in LAX-luckily Der's Aunt Patty was able to get us!)  I was a bit motion sick but after getting some food (In N Out Burger) and some amazing hot tea,
we finally make it to Derrick's Uncle Mike and Aunt Patty's house to crash.

The next day we got to go exploring in El Segundo, California!  This little place is located less than 10 minutes from LAX and only about 2 miles from the Pacific Ocean!  I got to see the Pacific Ocean for the FIRST TIME! I teared up at seeing it-it's absolutely beautiful!

Look at that water!

The sun was in our eyes, lol.

Next we went to grab som brunch at a local eatery right on the beach.  We saw surfers coming in, lots of people playing volleyball, and even more people jogging or strolling along the coast.  It was awesome!

After brunch we went exploring around the area for a bit, taking in the scenery and enjoying the weather (a wonderful 75ish degrees and sunny) before heading out to Reddlands, CA to visit the rest of the Raleys!  They were all coming in for Easter weekend so we were lucky enough to see them all!

From L: Me, Der, Grandfather David, Mark (Der's dad), Michelle (Der's stepmom), Andy (the dog she's holding, Cole (Der's half brother, in blue), Grandmother Diane, Guy (Der's other half brother, in front of me), Whisper (black dog) and Saddie (cream dog).

It was a great time getting to meet many of Derrick's family members, seeing where he gets some of his quirks and traits from.  They were all SUPER nice, making it less stressful for me and I felt very relaxed with them.  We mostly hung out, exploring Reddlands and the surrounding area with the family, getting grub and laughing back home.

This was a coffee shop/diner that serves fresh hot apple pies.  They used apples straight from California vineyards!

Unfortunately it was a short visit because we had to head to San Diego, CA the next evening for my SSSA conference presentation.  Derrick's dad Mark and grandfather David drove us to San Diego and said goodbye-it was bittersweet!

We checked into our room, perused the hotel, and then went to bed since I had a big day in the morning.

The next morning I got up and got ready for my SSSA presentation.  I was to be presenting over work I've done with my GA professor regarding religiousness and spirituality as a way of coping for women with life sentences in prison.  I go, check in, make it back to the conference room where I would present alongside 4 other speakers...only to find out that no one had come!!  Only me and one other presenter ended up showing up...I won't lie...it was kind of disappointing.  I mean, I realized there wouldn't be a lot of people because it was the last day of the conference, in the morning, on Easter weekend, but still...I was a bit bummed.  Luckily, the other speaker was presenting on similar data so we just talked for about an hour about our work and the future needs for studies like ours.

After my "presentation" I headed back to the room and lo and behold our friend Patrick was there!  He and his girlfriend Laina had driven to us from Los Angeles, CA to visit.  We haven't seen Pat for over a year!  We 4 packed into the rental car Patrick had and went to the San Diego Zoo for the day!  Check out the pics below of some of the awesome things we were able to see!  There were so many more pictures but here are a few for laughs and intrigue.

Pat (L) and Der (R) being silly at one of the children's exhibits.

FLAMINGOS!!

A sweet giraffe that looks like it's a out to fall!

Baby monkey

Hungry panda

Patrick and Laina

Me and Der at the waterfall in the bird terrarium. 

After the zoo we went back to the hotel to figure out food plans before Pat and Laina left.  We walked along the bay and ended up settling for a little steak house there (although it was over priced and not that great considering...).  We ate and said goodbye to Patrick and Laine then headed back to the room to re-pack and sleep.

Der at the San Diego Bay.

The Bay at sunset <3

We got up the next morning, got a cab to the airport, and once we got to Dallas we had another issue with delayed flights-apparently in the ENTIRE DFW airport all flights to Nashville and the surrounding areas had been cancelled!  We were so frustrated by this happening again...we had to stand in line for approximately 2 hours to speak to someone who basically said there was no way we were leaving the airport and heading that way that night.  GRRRRR!!  So we had the choice of sleeping in the airport for free or we could obtain a discounted hotel voucher and stay somewhere else.  Thankfully, since DFW is so huge, there were 2 hotels joined to the airport.  We chose to stay in one of those (which ended up being SUPER nice considering) and went to the room to sleep.  Normally this wouldn't be that big of a deal but since we were flying home on a Sunday and got delayed I had to: 1-call in to work using PTO and no pay time to cover for it, 2-pay to stay in a hotel when we hadn't budgeted for it (thank god I had money on my CC!) and 3-pay an extra day to board Tucker.  Talk about aggravating! And the most frustrating part was that they said it was due to storms in the East but everyone I talked to in and around Nashville said they saw nothing but sunny skies and great weather... *SIGH* We had to get up at 5 am, catch a flight to North Carolina, then finally, headed back to Nashville.  We picked up Tuck, made it home, and CRASHED.

It was a whirlwind of a trip!  I can't wait to go back-it was too much fun outside of the stupid travel issues!

Family Christmas!

Christmas in my family is a big deal.  NOT because of the gifts but because of the family time we all enjoy and the memories we're making with more and more family members throughout the years.  It's really a special time and even with different beliefs, we all put that aside and get together for the day and just enjoy one another's company.  That is why I look forward to Christmas each year and this is also why it will be one of the hardest things I'll have to cope with when me move away (because at least for a few years, we won't be able to come home on every holiday like we have been these past 4 years).  I love Christmas with my family!  Let me recap you with the Christmas/family activities.

Christmas Eve, though Der and I have both been sick off and on for close to a week, we woke up at our own accord and opened our gifts and stockings from each other.  It was a lot of fun because the past few years we haven't been able to do a lot for one another for Christmas.  This year we were and even though we were sick it was still fun opening gifts, laughing and spending time together.  I forgot to take pictures (probably for the best since we were both sick)! After checking out our loot, we loaded the car up and headed to Chattanooga to spend Christmas Eve with my mom and the next day with my family!

To start Christmas day, we (the kids) got together at my mom's house in the morning and opened our gifts, drank coffee, and woke up more before getting ready to start our hectic day.

Mom's tree-it was STUFFED with gifts!

Me and my boo Christmas morning, lol.

My brother and brother in law opening gifts.  Mom played Santa and was the last in opening her gifts but she loved them! We're a pretty simple family when it comes to gifts (though the tree tells a different story!).  We mostly give/get books and some DVDs and we're all perfectly okay with that.  Christmas to my family is about family and togetherness.

So after Christmas at mom's we got ready and headed to my dad's house for Christmas with my grandparents!  It was weird because we kept saying "Clyde's house" even though Uncle Clyde is no longer with us.  My dad lives in his house now so it was kind of like Uncle Clyde was there in spirit and it really helped make that even more special.

Daddy's little tree and the gifts.

A bunch of the family just hanging out. We were waiting for the food! My grandmother's (Dot Dot) sister was coming over with all of the food-she brought stuffing, and HUGE ham, dumplings, green beans, mashed potatoes, mom brought deviled eggs, and there was so much more! We had another party to go to that evening so we didn't fill up but it was hard because it was all so delicious.

Me and my sister! I'm wearing the new top my mom bought me and actually look decent now, ha ha!

My sister, my Dot Dot, Dave, and my brother-in-law Steve.

Der, my daddy and me.

The kids with Dad! From L: Der, me, Brad, Daddy, Jen, and Steve

After Dad's we headed down the road to my Aunt's house for the annual Christmas party!  This is where my mom's side of the family all get together to eat a ton, do a dirty Santa gift exchange and take pictures.  It's a pretty laid back atmosphere and good for all of us to get together.

Just the start of the YUMMMMMMMY food everyone brought!  I made the Oreo truffles again for the party-and as expected, they were a success!

My sister and awesome cousin Lauren.

My aunt's tree and the beginnings of the dirty Santa gifts!  I forgot to take pictures during the actual game but we had a great time changing out gifts.  I got a candle set and Der got a car cleaning kit! Both great and practical gifts.

The girl cousins! From L: me, Jen, Lauren, Sara, and Haley. Jen is the oldest cousin and Haley is the youngest.  My cousin Kevin couldn't come to the party but he and his wife are expecting a baby at the end of January so once he's born he'll be the youngest.  We are all so excited to meet him!

My family. From L: Steve, Jen, Brad, Mom, me, and Der.

We took this picture really quick-Jen and Steve had to leave to go to Steve's side of the family's Christmas.  The Der, Brad and I left to go see my other grandparents before trekking back up the mountain to collapse in our merriment.

What a JOYOUS and wonderful Christmas we both had.  I feel extremely humble, blessed and happy that I have such a fantastic family to celebrate holidays with.

My Uncle Clyde

I have been incredibly fortunate in having lost very few people in my life time.  Yes, I am still fairly young but I have known very few people who have passed and have yet to go to a funeral.

It's surreal.  And it happened.  He's gone...my Uncle Clyde has passed away.  He is the first person in my family (that I am close to and know) that has passed.  And it makes me so sad!  I mean duh, it makes me sad, but it's just so bizarre.  I don't really know how to handle it, ya know?

Last year I wrote a blog about an assortment of things and in it I mentioned Uncle Clyde:
"My Dot Dot (that's my grandmother's name) and Aunt Phyllis are staying in Chattanooga for about 2 months because my "Uncle" Clyde (not really my uncle but he's like my grandmothers brother so we call him that) is in very poor health and they're afraid he may not last too much longer...it really makes me sad. I've only had 3 people I know die and I was around 12 when my Great Grandmother Ruby died, about 15 or 16 when my Great Uncle David died and 21 when my mentor Dale McGillard died. I've never been to a funeral-and I don't really want to, as horrible as that sounds. But I think when my Uncle Clyde passes I will. I think it's time.  We have always had Christmas (and sometimes Thanksgiving) every year on my dad's side at Uncle Clyde's house. He used to chain smoke in his kitchen and watch birds in his backyard. He made the BEST food from scratch and could never tell you the recipes because they varied a little bit each time he made them! He always had at minimum 10 stray cats he would feed on his back porch. He's got every Disney movie (either on DVD, VHS, or both) EVER MADE on his shelves. he used to play the organ and do the score board for the local church down the hill. He collects a bunch of knick knacks and has the most comfortable guest bed on the planet. His sense of humor has and always will stay intact. When we would visit my dad on his weekends we would always go visit Uncle Clyde and swing on his rickety porch swing and climb his knobby tree in the front yard. I learned to throw a Frisbee in his back yard and have some fond memories that my dad and I shared at that house-like our early morning Dunkin' Donuts and t.v. time when I was a child...Now he is 5' 10" and weighs barely 100 lbs. He is on oxygen 24/7 and can no longer smoke. He doesn't have much energy to cook or do much now. He still watches his birds though. And now he's getting in to RetroTV, lol. I think he's starting to look back on his life. He's told Dot Dot that he's ready whenever. I think that's very admirable seeing that he's got prostate cancer, CHF, I think COPD, along with a few other ailments. He just turned 76 about 2 weeks ago.  After all of that I listed above, I still don't know much about him. I asked my Dot Dot some questions and this is what I got: His middle name is Marvin. He was engaged twice but never married. He used to have dark hair and eyes and has always been a bean pole. Now he's got no hair and looks like a mix of Jiminy Cricket and Ghandi-both smiley and happy-and still is a bean pole. He's always loved the heat (he never had air conditioning in his house until Dot Dot JUST put in a wall unit 2 weeks ago). His mother lived just down the street from him before she died a few years ago. He used to play the organ at the church down the hill from him. He was born in Chattanooga and lived in Harrison starting in 1949. I think when he passes he'll pass just fine. Quietly, in no pain, and probably in his sleep. I sit her crying a bit thinking about it, but I know that he's okay and ready to meet his maker so I can't be sad for him. I'll just miss him and Christmas will never be the same without him..."

And then he, being the stubborn man he is, lives to 77!  He got better for a while and then got weaker very quickly.  He refused home care.  He ended up getting a stint put in his heart.  And then his lung collapsed and it all went down hill from there....

I miss him so much.  It will be bizarre to have Christmas at his house this year without him there.  I love him. I miss him. Yet I am so glad I was fortunate enough to spend so much time with him in my lifetime and I was able to see him before he passed away, making him laugh and smile while he was in the hospital.  I am so fortunate that I have an incredibly close and strong family, a great network of friends and colleagues that are supportive, and professors who are compassionate and understanding.

I am fortunate because I knew Clyde.  Because he was my great uncle, my buddy.

And I miss him.

RIP Long John

If you would recall from this post our newest family member, Long John....It seems he has passed away while we were on vacation =(

He was sick before we left (yes, fish do get sick) but we had given him some water medicine that we hoped would make him better while we were away, although he hadn't eaten in over 3 days....

Well he is in the "big pond in the sky" (humor me) now and we bid him adieu.

RIP LJ-you were a good fish and we loved you!

Oklahoma is OK by me!

It's not just the musical I love, but the state and my family too! April 8th-April 11th, my mom, sister and I trekked to Oklahoma to visit my DotDot (grandmother), Dave (step-grandfather) and my Aunt Phyllis.  It was a ton of fun and it was a great time to relax and not worry about any work or school.  It is normally approximately 12 hours to Mannfod, Oklahoma (where they live) but with traffic and wrecks going there and back we had a few extra hours tagged on-a bit stressful and tiring but not too bad.  Check out my trip!

We stopped in Arkansas for lunch and a good leg stretch.

This was the wreck in Arkansas, on the way there-we were in traffic for almost 2 hours because an 18-wheeler had caught on fire! You can't see it well but it's burnt to a shell!  Traffic was so bad on teh other side (where the truck actually was) and I'd bet they sat in traffic for over 4 hours!

We made it! We're in Oklahoma, on my grandmother's property and this was the site I saw in waking up Saturday morning-bliss.

One of the beds.

We decided to take a walk through the 20 acred property to just clear our heads and enjoy the gorgeous weather.  It was so peaceful and relaxing-just what we needed!

Then later that night we were having a BBQ with my step-grandfathers family. Here Dave is making the homemade vanilla ice-cream!

Our BBQ-SO yummy.

Homemade potato salad=heaven.

Look at that! It was a bit runny because it had a hard time turning but it still tasted awesome!

The fam hanging out <3

The next day, after eating some awesome Mexican food we went to Braum's!  It's known (to my family at least) as having some of the best ice cream ever and my brother-in-law Steve is obsessed with it! There's me and Jen posing for it.

Me, my mom, and sister (Jen).  We were getting ready to start packing up and going to bed for an early start back home.

The granddaughters with the grandmother <3

All in all it was a great quick get-away for the family.  My brother couldn't come since he had to work and Der had tests that Friday but it was nice to have a girls trip!  My sister took a bunch more pics but she hasn't emailed them to me yet and I was too excited/impatient to wait on blogging, haha!

This trip was exactly what I needed to refresh my outlook and soul.  Cheers to more trips in the future!

My PaPaw

My PaPaw Watkins has entered a rehabilitation facility to gain strength and endurance back in his limbs and de-stress.  He has had health issues for years and this last time he went in the hospital to have his pacemaker batteries replaced and a 2 lead put in to help with the flow-it didn't work out.  They replaced the batteries but couldn't put the 2nd lead in due to so much scar tissue around his heart from other surgeries. They've also noticed his strength is almost non-existent (like he can't "tell" his legs to stand when sitting down).

So: he is at this place in Florida away from his wife and home.  I know he is a bit worried about it and a lot unhappy with the arrangement.  BUT-this is what will be best for his health.  He's working with a physical therapist to gain some of that strength back as well as his endurance.  He hates the food but knows it's what is good for him seeing he as CHF (chronic heart failure).  I think he'll feel loads better once he pushes himself to do the exercises and training. Hell, after his first bath there he already felt a bit better! Isn't it weird how a bath can really make or break us? I know I always feel better after a bath/shower.

I wrote him a letter today.  One thing the man loves is old school mail.  He always has, actually.  Giving him the 411 on the Raley life and letting him know it's okay to be frustrated with his situation but to work through it.  I love and miss him dearly.  I haven't seen him in almost 3 years and haven't spoken with him since before the wedding almost 9 months ago....

Part of it is totally my fault.  BUT-letters will be written (a few here and there have been exchanged over the years) and in a more "hurried" fashion because right now these words of comfort are going to help give him hope and strength in an otherwise frustrating and downtrodden situation.

So-whatever your method(s) of goodness (i.e. prayer, good juju, karma, etc.) I'd like you to think about him for a second and send a good thought/prayer/vibe/etc. his way.

Thanks =]

"Strength does not come from physical capacity.  It comes from an indomitable will."~Mahatma Gandhi

The new family member

I don't know if I ever told you all about the newest addition to the Raley family!

May I present:

Long John Silver-our blue and red crown beta

He's pretty awesome and loves his Roman home.  We've had him since the beginning of October and I just forgot to tell you all about him!

This is him.  He's rad.

A very long Recap-so would it still be called a recap?

Well well!  It's been a hot minute since I wrote last but I've been either under the weather or busy!

But I'm still here-pinky promise  =]

So much has been going on-work, play, health, family, friends, school.  Let me recap with a bit of all of it-it will be a loooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooong blog so either: 1) get on your reading glasses and stay a while or 2) skim the good parts and move to the next, lol.

*Work:  Work has been a bit dead lately but it has been good because we're catching up on some things that get us in tip-top shape as an office.  In 2 1/2 weeks I will be celebrating my 1 year at my work place! YAY!  It seems like I haven't even been there that long because I still learn new things every day and still enjoy the people I work with and the things I do, lol!  I am proud to call myself a member of the team, that's for sure.  We are off for Labor Day (Monday 9/6) so that will be AWESOME! I'll get some sleeping in a relaxation coming my way that weekend =]

*Play: I am almost done reading Paulo Coelho's book The Alchemist.  I'm liking it the more and more I read  it, but what I had to explain to both Derrick and my mom is that since it was originally written in Spanish the translation is a bit off-and you can tell in the writing...BUT still a good book and I think I'll be glad I read it once it's over.  I think the next book I plan on reading is The Lovely Bones.  I want to see what the hype is about and since I borrowed it from my mom, I need to read it to give it back, haha!

 Does anyone remember the book The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster?

Oh my god I fell in LOVE with that book as a kid!  For anyone who even remotely adores school and the things we learn(ed) within it, please please please read it-if you haven't! It's pretty amazing.  I just read that:
"Critics have acknowledged that the book is advanced for most children, who would not understand all the wordplay or the framing metaphor of how to achieve wisdom.^[3][4] Writers like the reviewer in The New York Times have focused on the children and adults able to appreciate it; for them, it has "something wonderful for anybody old enough to relish the allegorical wisdom of Alice in Wonderland and the pointed whimsy of The Wizard of Oz".^[5] It is now often acknowledged as a classic of children’s literature." 
I took that off of mom's book shelves and I doubt I'll be giving that one back, hahaha!

I finally got my new Bose Headphones! THEY ARE INCREDIBLE!!  You seriously have no idea how amazing they are unless you have your own pair.  I sat back, listening to the Doors, with the biggest smile on my face since our wedding!  A bit of a splurge and a little materialistic, but since I try not to do either, I made my guilt go away (after having a mild anxiety attack, lol) and enjoyed-and continue to enjoy-my music.  Derrick also got a new XBox 360 Slim-another large purchase but well worth the spend and anxiety attack.  He is ubber happy and it is also much more energy efficient and can hold like 10x's more on it than the old one-it also came with a new wireless controller and headset!  he sold his old console, headset, and controller and was able to get some games that he used to have (he ended up having to sell them when we were tight on finances) and can add them back into his collection.  As much as his gaming drives me insane, seeing him giddy makes it all worth it.

Also in regards to playing, Der and I went to Chattanooga this past weekend to hang out and do some playing of our own.  See that info. in the FAMILY section next.

*Family: Last weekend was my sisters Graduation party-she has completed her Masters in Business Administration from the University of Phoenix! SO proud of her!

She went to Oklahoma to actually walk across the stage and she brought back my grandmother and aunt!  Her party this past weekend was awesome! Lots of friends and family showed up, brought some YUMMY food and she opened a few meaningful and fun gifts that we adorned her cake table with.  It sounds silly, but I feel like I'm the big sister-who's so proud of what she's done. I think Dad and Dot Dot are glad they were able to watch her walk in OK and to come back to celebrate with her.  My Dot Dot (that's my grandmother's name) and Aunt Phyllis are staying in Chattanooga for about 2 months because my "Uncle" Clyde (not really my uncle but he's like my grandmothers brother so we call him that) is in very poor health and they're afraid he may not last too much longer...it really makes me sad.  

I've only had 3 people I know die and I was around 12 when my Great Grandmother Ruby died, about 15 or 16 when my Great Uncle David died and 21 when my mentor Dale McGillard died.  I wasn't really close to my Memaw because she was in a nursing home for all of what I can remember.  We've got a few pictures of all of us with her though, so that's good, but I still remember being very said when my mom left to go to the funeral. I was very close to my Uncle David (he used to call me Jordan Gordon) as a child so his death (from Cancer) really tore me up, but I did not go to his funeral.  Dale died while Derrick and I were in New Mexico-he passed a few days after the new year actually.  I was very close to him-as close as a Professor and Student are professionally.  He was my mentor and helped me get through college with great grades, more knowledge on acting and its process, and in 4 years-even after transferring to and from UTC. I cried all day on Derrick's lap when we found out he passed. Actually, I've never been to a funeral-and I don't really want to, as horrible as that sounds. But I think when my Uncle Clyde passes I will.  I think it's time.

We have always had Christmas (and sometimes Thanksgiving) every year on my dad's side at Uncle Clyde's house.  He used to chain smoke in his kitchen and watch birds in his backyard.  He made the BEST food from scratch and could never tell you the recipes because they varied a little bit each time he made them!  He always had at minimum 10 stray cats he would feed on his back porch.  He's got every Disney movie (either on DVD, VHS, or both) EVER MADE on his shelves.  he used to play the organ and do the score board for the local church down the hill. He collects a bunch of knick knacks and has the most comfortable guest bed on the planet.  His sense of humor has and always will stay intact.  When we would visit my dad on his weekends we would always go visit Uncle Clyde and swing on his rickety porch swing and climb his knobby tree in the front yard.  I learned to throw a Frisbee in his back yard and have some fond memories that my dad and I shared at that house-like our early morning Dunkin' Donuts and t.v. time when I was a child...Now he is 5' 10" and weighs barely 100 lbs.  He is on oxygen 24/7 and can no longer smoke.  He doesn't have much energy to cook or do much now. He still watches his birds though.  And now he's getting in to RetroTV, lol.  I think he's starting to look back on his life.  He's told Dot Dot that he's ready whenever.  I think that's very admirable seeing that he's got prostate cancer, CHF, I think COPD, along with a few other ailments.  He just turned 76 about 2 weeks ago.

After all of that I listed above, I still don't know much about him.  I asked my Dot Dot some questions and this is what I got: His middle name is Marvin.  He was engaged twice but never married.  He used to have dark hair and eyes and has always been a bean pole.  Now he's got no hair and looks like a mix of Jiminy Cricket and Ghandi-both smiley and happy-and still is a bean pole.  He's always loved the heat (he never had air conditioning in his house until Dot Dot JUST put in a wall unit 2 weeks ago). His mother lived just down the street from him before she died a few years ago. He used to play the organ at the church down the hill from him. He was born in Chattanooga and lived in Harrison starting in 1949.  I think when he passes he'll pass just fine. Quietly, in no pain, and probably in his sleep.  I sit her crying a bit thinking about it, but I know that he's okay and ready to meet his maker so I can't be sad for him.  I'll just miss him and Christmas will never be the same without him...

On Sunday Der, Mom, Me, Dot Dot, and Phyllis went to the Hunter Museum of Art in Chattanooga and looked at the beautiful exhibits the museum's got.  I LOVE LOVE LOVE art-I could spend MILLIONS of dollars on it and not blink about the purchase.  I could spend MILLIONS of hours in art museums and immersed in art books and never even check my watch. It was nice.  I was the only one who had ever been before and even then there were some pieces I forgot they had and the new blown glass exhibit was traveling and new this time around.  I think we all had a wonderful time.  Everyone knows how in to art I am and my past 2 boyfriends always said they'd take me to view some art and never did.  Now Der is all smug because he made good on his promise to take me, lol. It was nice and I'd love to see the art museum in Nashville sometime...maybe soon!  Der and I enjoyed the time with my family and a bit of alone time we got just watching t.v. and falling asleep together on mom's extremely comfy bed.

*School: Well I have officially applied to MTSU's Graduate program for an MA in Sociology! I don't think I want to stay at MTSU to complete my MA but I don't mind starting it-at least they've got the topics of interest I'd like to study when even Cambridge in England doesn't! Hopefully I'll end up graduating from Berkeley =]  I've got 3 people writing my letters of recommendation and later today I have to write my letter of interest and update my resume so I can send them both in at the beginning of next week.  Later this week I'll officially be signing up to take my GRE! I've been studying my book (back on the wagon, lol) and am getting slightly more confident in my skills.  I think if I can work on my math and learn the tools I need to do well on it hopefully I will.  I will be filling out the FAFSA for the first time in a few weeks (if I get accepted) which is crazy because I'll be filing under my new name, as married and with paychecks now, haha! Keep those fingers and toes crossed that all goes well.

*Friends: I suck.  My great friend Tonya is in The Grapes of Wrath play and is Rose of Sharon!!! And since you should now know that Steinbeck is my FAVORITE author, you see another reason why I'd like to go.  Look at her in this pic-isn't she perfect for it?!

 SUCH a great and fitting role for her and since my STUPID car is acting up, we can't go! We had budgeted for dinner, tickets, and flowers to go this weekend (the last) and since my car is messing up we can't =( I've also had a hard time getting in touch with Kelly (she's back to teaching so her schedule is all crazy) and I didn't get to see Destiny last time I was in the Nooga because of family/Navy conflicts. SO I am trying to remedy all of that by: taking Tonya to dinner next week (once my car gets fixed), calling and catching up with Kelly and maybe seeing her next weekend, and Destiny is coming to MBoro over Labor Day weekend (along with mom!) to see our new place and to FINALLY hang out!  I may not have a ton of friends but the one's I've got I wouldn't trade for $1.1 mil.  And we're still having dinner with John and Elisa.  When I spoke of them in this blog, it was the first dinner we had all had.  Now, ever since, we trade apartments and once a week make dinner for us 4; it's a nice way to relax and chill with some good people-over good food. We're eating at their place on Sunday =]

*Health: I've been doing relativity well with my health (as we should all along, right?) I'm still trying to watch my sugar intake (with the exception of donuts on Thursday-hey, my boss bought them as celebration for a good office and glad to be back), I've been eating more salads instead of junk, and I'm still chugging that water and coffee. I'm a bit proud, really.  I always thought it was so hard but it really isn't that bad.  Granted, I am in desperate need for more potassium (my calves lock up allllll of the time now-I need more supplements) but I have a general feeling of good health-with my stupid allergies being the exception.  I haven't been working out like I should but now that there aren't heat waves and no pet walking/outside warnings, me and Tuck are getting back in our routine.  I think with my next paycheck I may splurge and get those shoes I was talking about (see this other blog) or maybe some good new running shoes in general. Though I'd LOVE to shed some pounds, I'm not really doing all of this for that reason.  I just feel like I have no reason to take care of myself.  It's like I have no reason to be late to work, to take a shower, to breathe the air. Taking care of myself needs to be much more of a priority than it has been. And hell, if I shed a few pounds and get a bit of muscle, who's to complain?

Alright lovelies, I know this was probably longer than we BOTH expected...but thanks for the dedication  =]

You rock and I roll.

J