FITBF

1.   I am looking forward to       starting my new job on Monday, 30th birthday vacay w/ CK and PR, and vacations with Triple R!   

2.  Something kind of embarassing that I still love anyway is    cheesy teeny-bopper movies. Seriously, every time I see the preview for Prom,  I get excited!

3.  My favorite car is     ... I'm so not a car girl. I do like old trucks. But I also love Gus.

4.  If I could pick one type of weather to live with for the rest of my life it would be    75-80 degrees, no humidity. Basically, Arizona in like March  .

5.  My favorite thing to do after a bad/stressful day is     a glass of wine and a talk with Diddy. He can usually make me laugh despite whatever is stressing me out. Sometimes that pisses me off because I just want to be mad  .

6.  This weekend       I will go to Tucson for a memorial for a college professor of mine. Despite my loathing of science, I actually worked in a lab in college for this professor - I don't think any of it ever made sense to me, but I knew what my job was and I did it well. On Sunday I will be celebrating Sissy's birthday at the Kenny Chesney concert!   

7.  If I were a color, I'd be       orange      because,       it is kind of loud and a little crazy. Though Lauren did inspire to me to take an internet quiz that said that I would be yellow because I am very perceptive and smart. And I am clear and to the point and have a great sense of humor. I'd like to think that describes me. :)

Now head on over to Lauren's blog and play along!

Living Without

I had to swing by Granny B's house yesterday morning to help her with some stuff.

I wasn't sure exactly what "stuff" was, just that she needed help. I showed up to her house around 9 am. Turns out she wanted to put the baby highchair that we got her for Christmas for her great grandchildren in the garage. Neither of the boys are still sitting in the highchair at her house and she "doesn't know when the next baby is coming."

Additionally, she saw some plants a couple of days earlier at the grocery store and she thought that one would like nice where the highchair had previously been.

So we moved the highchair to the garage and covered it with plastic. Then, we had to go to the grocery store to get the plant and then to the home improvement store to get the decorative pot to put it in.

No big deal. We get home, put it all together and I'm out of there in less than two hours.

Which is good because I had a hair appointment.

Then I got a message from Granny B, she forgot to give me the stuff that she had for Match so she was hoping I would come back by the house after my hair appointment.

Let me stop here and tell you that I had big plans for lunch at my house. I had leftover lamb from Easter and a salad in the fridge and I was super excited about combining the two.

So, I get to Granny B's house to pick the stuff up and she asks, "Would you like to go across the street to get a salad for lunch?"

Of course I couldn't tell her no.

We finished lunch and were heading home when she said, "Oh, I meant to ask you, do you need anything from Sprouts?" (read: I want you to go to Sprouts with me.)

Long story short, we went to Sprouts and then I took her home. When she walked me out to my car, she went to get the mail and as she was walking back she knocked on my window to wave goodbye.

And then it hit me.

I don't want to live in a world without Granny B.

She drove me absolutely batshit crazy in DC. And when she calls to ask me to help her out, I know that I have to plan for an entire day because that's how long it will take. 

But just thinking about a day in the future when she's not there to call and chat with makes me cry. (Seriously, I'm tearing up right now.)

Miscellany Monday

one

the science of food

I was reminded this weekend that I am not a fan of baking. I didn't like science in school and I don't like it in my kitchen. I need creative freedom with a recipe! I don't like to be held captive by the rules.

(I wish I had a picture, but I was so angry when it all went wrong that I just threw it away.)

However, I did make these little delights:

They are Oreo Truffle/BonBon somethingorother...

Holy deliciousness!(And you don't have to turn the oven on!)

two

crazytown. population: 140

On Saturday we celebrated Easter with PapaBear's side of the family. You know, an intimate gathering of 140 people.

What?!?!

That's right, 140 of our relatives showed up at Pie Ranch's house to join in a potluck celebration. Bless her for hosting this craziness! 

three

obsessed

It is official. I am obsessed with my garden! Sometimes, I go outside and just watch it grow.

I'm not kidding.

On Saturday afternoon, I applied fertilizer to the garden and then had a dream that all of our vegetables started growing at a rapid pace and we couldn't keep up with them.

four

a visual

Because I know you are dying to see what it looks like:

The bare spot in the middle is where the zucchini was planted, but we got bad seeds the first time. Our second round of planting is coming up nicely now. In the front right corner you can see one of four rogue tomato plants. Kind of a bonus! 

Filling In...

1.   Fridays are       always crazier than they should be. They should be meant for winding down the week and getting ready for what the weekend has in store. Instead, I feel like they are always full of a whirlwind of crazy  .

2.    My nephews, my garden, people in love, and my friends    make me terribly happy.

3.  Something that inspires me is      our military. Regardless of their reasons for signing up, anyone who willingly dedicates their life to preserving freedom is an inspiration to me  .

4.  If I had the day off today I would   go with Sissy to get the boys' pictures taken, maybe have lunch with them, run to the store to finish grabbing their Easter presents, cancel my gym membership, start Crossfit, and relax at home with my new most favorite beer. (Oh wait, that's exactly what I'm doing...)   .

5.  If I had to put a label on my home decor style, I would say my style is   style? What style?   .

6.  Concerning politics I would say I'm       a moderate Republican moving more and more to the center. I am 100% fiscally conservative and think that we need serious entitlement reform in this country. On the social issues, I tend to be a little more moderate, and get VERY angry when those are the issues solely being used to define candidates. I want lower taxes, less government, and more personal responsibility     .

7.  I'd like to go to       Hawaii      so I could      relive all of the fun and adventure that Diddy, Match, Papa and I had a couple of years back! 

What Do You Say?

I can be such a girl when it comes to romance. 

A sappy love story melts my heart quicker than Jeff Flake without a shirt on.

I also love to know people. It sounds strange, but I do tend to ask a lot of questions in an effort to get to know the people that I meet.

Those two things combined typically lead to me finding out where people met their significant other and how they were proposed to (if applicable).

While we were in DC we visited the daughter of one of Granny B's friends. I asked her how she met her husband and she went on and on telling us the story.

Then she asked Granny B how she met Popie - a story I'd heard before:

Way back in the day, Granny B's brother was a professional boxer. They grew up in upstate New York, but he had been asked to ref a fight in Tucson, AZ. When he got to Arizona, he called his wife back home and said, "Pack our things and sell the house, we're moving to Arizona."

When they moved, Granny B's sister, who had sinus issues (I think that is right), went with them to see if the dry Arizona air would help. When she didn't return home, Granny B's mom thought that maybe she was afraid to travel alone and sent Granny B to get her.

A couple of nights before they were set to leave, their neighbors decided to take them to the Adams Hotel, where the cowboys hung out. They didn't think it was right to let them leave Arizona without a true cowboy experience.

While out at the bar, a gentleman asked Granny B's sister to dance. They danced a few times that night and then he asked if he could take her on a date the next day. Long story short, Granny B's sister ended up marrying that cowboy and moving to his family's farm in the west part of Phoenix.

Granny B stayed in Arizona to help plan the wedding and once it passed, she didn't have enough money to travel home, so she got a job and stayed in town until she could earn what she needed to go home.

Living out on the farm proved lonely for her sister, so on the weekends she would ask Granny B to come out to stay with her. Though she didn't want to, Granny B did it.

Without a car she relied on her sister's brother-in-law and father-in-law to bring her out to the farm and to take her home again. That brother-in-law happened to be Popie.

I am unclear as to how long this all went on, but according to Granny B it was sometime in the Fall when they stopped at a bar on the way back to her house and had a few drinks. When they got to her house, before she got out of the truck Popie said to her, "Come the end of October we'll be done picking cotton. What do you say you marry me after that?"

She obviously accepted that cowboy proposal and they were married almost 50 years before he passed away.

Wednesday Wisdom

"Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness, that frightens us most. We ask ourselves, 'Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, and famous?' Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightening about shrinking so that people won't feel insecure around you. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us; it's in all of us. And when we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others."

-Maryanne Williamson

Twelve Inches...Or A Foot

Did any of you see that Sex and the City Episode where the guy at the shoe store gives Charlotte free shoes as long as she'll let him put them on her feet?

I was as freaked out about that episode as I was when I encountered a foot fetish in real life.

As I've mentioned, Cribs got married a couple of weekends ago.

I may have also mentioned that it was the.greatest.wedding.EVER! That isn't really the point here, but I can not express this enough.

So, as is typical of girls at weddings, we wore heels during the ceremony, but when the reception came around we changed into flips. (Super cute flips that Cribs' mom bought for us!)

Because you know, at a wedding, me and my girls - we gots to get our dancing on!

And dancing we did - all night long!

The band shut down at midnight and by the time we got everyone situated and headed outside for a cab it was closer to one am. 

Glinda, Fiero, another bridesmaid, and I are standing in front of the resort waiting for a cab when another party goer came up to us and said, "I saw you girls wearing those heels earlier and then you changed. I was very disappointed. You should wear heels all night."

We kind of thought he was joking so we all made a comment about how he should wear heels all night or how we couldn't properly get our groove on in the heels.

Then he says, "I'm serious. Next time I see you at a wedding, I expect you to wear heels all night. I kind of have a thing for feet."

We all just kind of stared at each other - I mean really, what do you say to that?

Then he offered us a drink that he was carrying.

I said absolutely not - I did not want to get roofied by the crazy foot fetish guy.

Though what's the worst that could have happened? I would have woken up with painted toe nails getting a foot massage...

Miscellany Monday

one

unplanned break

I'm sorry I have been MIA for a week. I was catching up on life and relaxing a little last week and for some reason blogging didn't fit in.

I'm back now though - don't worry.

two

wonders never cease

Well, we ran Pat's Run this past Saturday. And as you'll remember I was scared about going 4.2 miles...

I am happy to report that Cribs, Glinda, and I ran that race in 43:53. Yes, friends - that is a 10:26 mile! I continue to amaze myself.

three

put the lime in the coconut

As you may know, I try to eat (mostly) Paleo. One of the changes that I have made on this eating plan is that I have switched from half-and-half in my coffee to coconut milk. (I'm not quite cowboy enough for black coffee yet.)

I LOVE coconut milk! But I have recently learned that you can not buy the store brand of this product - it will.not.be as good. Trust me on this one.

Miscellany Monday

one

wedding extravaganza

This last weekend was Cribs' wedding. And it did.not.disappoint. Seriously, I can not put into words how AWESOME this wedding was! From Friday afternoon rehearsal to post-brunch patio time with the new Mrs., I had a blast!

I wish I had pictures to share of how beautiful it all was, but I left the picture taking to someone else. 

two

a sad day

The only sad part of the weekend came on my drive home. Tyler died. For 185,000 miles he has been a good car, but I think it is time to say goodbye and go our separate ways.

Looks like Match and I will be doing some car shopping today. Wish us luck!

three

four mile fear

This coming Saturday I will be participating in Pat's Run with a group of friends.

For me, Pat Tillman is a true inspiration! I am honored to be able to celebrate him with this run.

However, it is 4.2 miles and I am scared! I did 3.35 this morning and it was tough!

FITBF

1.   Something that makes me a great friend is,       that I listen. I have been told so many times that I am a great listener (even though I'm a great talker too :))  .

2.  I am    tan (thanks to a great airbrush machine), ready for my vegetables to grow, a lover of music, emotional, sometimes more judgmental than I like    .

3.  I am not     patient (though I'm working on it), quiet, good at relaxation    .

4.  If I had to describe myself in 3 words, they would be     loud, funny, and observant   .

5.  Something I'm really cheap about is     everything. I know, it's sad. But I just have a hard time putting down a lot of money on anything. I occasionally do it, but not often. I'm always "waiting for it to go on sale" and not getting what I want  .

6.  Something I'm willing to splurge on is      boots. I LOVE boots! I would fill my closet with them if I had the money   .

7.  I would trade       my house       for       a little cottage/bungalow   in a heartbeat.

Now head on over to Lauren's blog to give us your own randomness.

Childlike

I am profusely sorry for my lack of posts lately.

I have been traveling a lot and that hasn't lent itself to me sitting down with internet access and my computer (and a fully charged battery).

It has really made me realize my need for an iPad.

I am currently sitting in the bar of my hotel in DC.

Granny B and I arrived into town yesterday for a whirlwind tour of the Capitol City.

I love Granny B! I really do! And I am so thankful that I get to spend this time with her.

However, we have a slight age gap and we travel VERY differently!

This is a lesson in patience for me.

Who knew that moving so slow could wear you out so much?!?

Today we did the bus tour thing. I know that Granny B likes to hear the history of things and it is tiring for her to walk around much, so a bus tour sounded like our best option.

In the beginning I tried to help her follow the tour guide, but it became clear about ten minutes into the ride that she was just going to be four steps behind the entire time.

The bus driver is telling us to look right, she is looking left.

As we pass something, he's telling us about it and ten minutes later she is asking me where it is.

I kind of gave up.

Yesterday, when we were in a cab on our way to the hotel, I pointed out the Lincoln Memorial to her. Later on our way to dinner, IT drove us past it again and we pointed it out.

Today, as our tour bus was coming up on that very memorial, Granny B said, "Oh, that's the building I see on TV all of the time."

Help me, Rhonda!

When we flew in yesterday it was sunny and beautiful! This morning, it was raining. So the hotel has this rack by the door with "umbrella bags" hanging on it. They are long skinny plastic bags to put your wet umbrella in when you come in from the rain. Great invention, right?

As we were waiting for the tour bus today, Granny B took close to 100 of them...

...We don't even have an umbrella.

I'm just going to take a deep breath and chug this glass of wine.