Sex and the City 2

Yes, I am on the bandwagon.  I went and saw it this afternoon.  And I must say that I was pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed it.  I have to admit though, I have only become a Sex and the City fan in the last 5 years. I never watched when it was on HBO, but thanks to TBS I became a lover of all things Bradshaw/York/Jones/Hobbs.  The movie didn't get very good reviews and I can understand why, as a whole it wasn't as good as the first, but for all of the SATC lovers out there, it served it's purpose to provide us a glimpse further into the lives of our favorite gal pals.  So if you are thinking about seeing it, do, it was worth the $7.

On a side note about the movie...was anyone else as bothered as I was about her passport?  From the second that I realized she set her passport down under those spices (damn you Aiden for distracting her) I knew she was going to leave it.  In my mind I was obsessed about her losing her passport, and honestly stressed about it the rest of the movie.  Obviously it all worked out in the end...but a word to the wise, NEVER SET YOUR PASSPORT DOWN.  You in all likelihood will not be as lucky as Carrie Bradshaw. :)

I love being an "Auntie"

And these two precious girls are the reason why!  Today was my brother in law's birthday, so I went to their house for supper.

I thought these two cute faces deserved a post of their own!

Addison

Avery

I lied...

  When I said that strawberries were a sure sign of summer.  I mean I do like strawberries, but even more than that I like, no love, watermelons.  I wait for this time of year more so than any other because I know that fresh ripe watermelons will be in abundance.  The grocery store, the fruit stand, the old farmer's truck on the side of the road, everywhere!

I have no shame when it comes to watermelons.  I will eat just one bite (almost impossible) or the entire thing. Just buy a big one, spend the time cutting it up and you have juicy goodness on demand in your fridge whenever you want.  :)

I prefer seedless of course, but there are time when a seeded watermelon is all you can find.  And I don't discriminate against seeded watermelons, because well...they ARE watermelons after-all.  So I will sit back and relax on the Sunday afternoon and enjoy a bowl of watermelon chucks and talk to my sweet husband on the webcam.  I think he may be the only person that understands my obsession.

Legend has it that one time I tried to offer a cop watermelon to get my husband out of a speeding ticket...yes, I believe that much in it's magic powers. :)

RIP Blowdryer

It is the end of an era.  My blowdryer died yesterday afternoon.  She has been a good and faithful dryer to me for the last six years.  You heard me right, SIX years.  We have been down a long road together, college, trips, marriage, moving, long hair, and short hair.  There have been times in our past that I thought she was going to quit on me, but she managed to pull through it all.  Yesterday was just her time.  Thankfully we had one last opportunity to dry my hair together, she even held out until it was completely dry and didn't leave me with semi-wet hair, bless her little motor.  It was during the final stages of drying that she died, and boy did she go out with a bang.  Explosion and flames to be exact, causing me to throw her across the room.  I made a last ditch attempt to save her, but alas she was gone.
Good bye sweet blowdryer.

So this morning I started on a new journey with my new blowdryer.  The verdict is still out...

The Public Library

We have a love hate relationship.
Yes, I love checking out books but I hate returning them.
Every few months I get on a reading kick, I can finish a book in a few days, and honestly that is a habit that gets very expensive when you have to keep buying new books.  So it is at that point I would turn to the library, only I am embarrassed.  If the library could turn you into law enforcement for not returning books, I would unfortunately be a repeat offender on the verge of being behind bars.  It has been several years, yes years since I have entered the hallowed stacks of the Forrest County Public Library.  You see I just knew that I had a monstrous fine, at 10 cents a day for a book, times two books, times 3 years...you can see where I am heading with this.  I psyched my heart up for the large bill they would be serving me with at the desk and walked inside.  I gave the librarian my personal identification and grimaced, waiting for the inevitable, "Sorry mam, you owe us 3000 dollars and we can no longer trust you with my books".  But instead,  a miracle happened.  A bonafide, Jesus was on my side miracle.  They had no history of me in the system.  WHAT?!  Not believing my luck, dumbfounded I asked, "Are you sure? I think I might owe a fine."  Then she explained that if the account goes inactive for a period of time, the books are written off and the account is erased."  Again, the angels sang.

So I am once again I became a proud card caring member of the Forrest/Lamar County Public Library System.  The librarian explained to me that I could check out up to 25 items at a time...um, obviously she didn't know who she was talking to, If I can't manage to return one thing on time, what made her think I could manage to return 25 things.  I almost felt guilty as I wondered around the stacks look for little literary treasures.  And when I took my two books to the checkout I was still waiting for them to change their minds, but they didn't and I walked out the temporary owner of two books to carry me through the next week.

Let us all keep our fingers crossed that I can manage to return these books, I don't think I could bare the guilt of not keeping my word.  I got lucky this time but next time I might not be so fortunate.

So my relationship with the library is on the upswing for now.

What is Memorial Day?

Taken from Armywifeblog.com
I hope that she and the original author do not mind me re-posting this.  I had something else planned for today's blog but once I read this I decided that this is what I needed to post.  My husband's battalion lost another great soldier this past week, and I think it is important that others understand the sacrifice that he and many other of our country's heroes have made.
 
This is written by a Gold Star Wife, Deb Petty, who encouraged others to share. I hope you will take her words to heart. 

Every year at this time I fight with the idea that people tell me “Happy Memorial Day”. People that know me, know what Ive gone through… still say it to me. Family still says it. For the rest who say it, do you think that there is anything “happy” at all about remembering all those who have died for this country? I blog about this every year and I don’t think there will ever be a year that I don’t. When I hear those three words my skin crawls.
“Happy Memorial Day”…it seems to just flow of the tongues of those around us. As though Memorial Day is just any other “holiday” to be celebrated with joy and happiness. When someone says “Hey Happy Memorial Day” what exactly are they so “happy” about? Maybe its the extra 20% or 30% they will get off beach towels at Macys, or maybe its the fact that they are off work, cooking out and not paying any attention to why they are really off work. Do these “happy” people take any time during their day off to share a moment thinking of those who paid the ultimate price for them to be off work and cooking out, or shopping “the big sale”??
Do people take the time to teach and show their children the importance of Memorial Day? Do they take them to a National Cemetery and show them all the lives that have been lost, tell them what that means for those who are still alive? Do they educate their children to show respect to those who have fallen for all the freedoms we take for granted every damn day? Do they just take a moment, a simple moment in their day to show that they care, or understand what the day is about?
My first Memorial Day I was not willing to admit that it had anything to do with Chris. We had always gone and placed flags at grave sites on this day. My first Memorial Day I did the same thing with Oliver and Owen in tow. But on that first one, there were more deaths. A CPT Alex Funkhouser was killed while in the line of duty not only to his country but to US reporters in Iraq. I knew that all that I had been feeling since January 5, his wife would now feel too. My heart broke for I knew every Memorial Day she would have a double heart wrenching reminder of her husband’s death. I knew that she would face Memorial Day and the 29th of May, double days for her. Little did I know that this wife, now a new widow like me would become one of my best friends. Little did I know that she had two girls close to my two boy’s age. Little did I know that our lives ran in such a parallel manner.
My second Memorial Day I took the boys and we went to Virginia to see Chris’ mom. I wanted to spend this Memorial Day with Chris at Arlington. I wanted the boys to see that they were not only, not alone; but that they could still be near their father. As that day went on there were more cameras taking pictures of them by the Chris’ grave.(One made it to the front page of the Washington Post the next day) There were families that just stood there, paying their respects and as the tears flowed down their cheeks they watched Oliver fix a flag by Chris’ grave. They watched Owen pluck the heads of the flowers there and they watched a mother with tears in her eyes as she realized this was her reality, this was her life. Watching her two boys “play” with or by their father…the only way they ever would be able to.
As I looked around and saw their faces, their tears and their heads shaking back and forth; I realized that yes there are those out there that don’t say “Happy Memorial Day”, they come to Arlington to pay their respects to OUR fallen. They come to be with those who have paid the ultimate and spend time with their families. There was a father there, in uniform and beside him was his little son in BDUs. They stood at attention as TAPS played. I was so taken by this that I asked him why he does this with his son and he said “death is a part of life, death for your country is going beyond what life can offer” “I want my son to realize what this day is for. Not just a day off school or work, I want him to understand and respect the magnitude of what and who and why we have set this day aside to honor and remember those who have died in combat”. I burst into tears, gave him a big hug and as I let go of him he and his son saluted the boys and I and then went to salute Chris. (Gosh I have tears running down my face typing this) I have never seen the true meaning in any one person’s eyes of what Memorial Day means to them then that of those eyes that day.
So I ask that if you don’t know anyone who has been affected by a war death, to please at least teach your children what Memorial Day is for. Take them to a National Cemetery and place a few flags, go on and Google Memorial Day, teach them about what this day means. This is just a small thing to do, teach your kids what this country is about, teach them why we need to stand up for it, love it, and protect it. That is the BEST way to honor our fallen, those who fought and died for what they beleived in. For those families that struggle everyday without their loved one, this is a small gesture for them too. It tells us that our loved one, did not die in vein. If you do know someone who has lost someone to a war, this one or any previous, please take the time to just tell them you are thinking about them, you are grateful and love them. But please don’t say “Happy Memorial Day” to them…for us there is nothing “happy” about it.
To all my widsters that might read this, know that on Memorial Day, your Anniversaries and every day of the year, I think of OUR HEROES! I think about your families, your pain, your hearts your children and your happiness. For those who have lost a family member to previous wars, my heart and my thoughts are always with you too. Thank you for your loved ones service to our great nation, I am forever in their debt for their sacrifice.
May this Memorial Day bring you comfort in knowing that our Great Nation acknowledges and says “Thank You” for the sacrifice OURS and THEIR HEROES have made for us and them!
May we raise a glass to OUR HEROES! WE love you…We miss you…We are proud of you….We are forever YOURS!

Surprise Party Pictures

I was too lazy on the night of my mom's surprise party to post pictures, as I mentioned before I was tired.  So here are a few from the night.

Bones in the Bed

Here is a funny story for you.

I am a member of a message board and today the question was brought up if whether or not you or you spouse snored or talked in their sleep.  I got to thinking and neither of us really snore on the regular.  Of course there are those times that one or both of us are so tired or sick that it is inevitable that we are going to snore, but as a general rule we have full use of our nasal passages as we sleep :)

However, we are talkers.  Matt and I both are known to talk and make absolutely no sense whenever our eyes are closed and our subconscious takes over.  We have had conversation on many subjects from ground beef to army paperwork, but this one night in particular was a doozey.

In my defense I do not remember any of this, so I have to take my husbands word for it.
I started with me getting up to go to the bathroom in the middle of the night, this woke up my husband.  Apparently I walked back from the bathroom and didn't turn off the light.  So there I was standing in the space between the bed and the bathroom door, and my body was eerily back-lit from the glow of the bathroom light.  Matt says that he stared at me because I was freaking him out.  He insisted that I get back in the bed, and that is when I said, "There are bones in the bed."  Not sure that he heard me correctly, again he insisted that I get back in bed only to hear me say, "There are bones in the bed."  Matt says that he finally proved to me that the bed was free from bones, he had to pull back the sheets and do a clean sweep before I climbed back in.  And then like it had never happened I was back asleep.

Why did I think there were bones in the bed?  I have no idea.  The only thing that Matt and I can think is that the bobby pins I use in my hair must have poked me or something, but really, how feasible is that?

Sweet Dreams.

I love shopping

I looove to shop!  This comes to no surprise to many of you, especially  my husband Matt.  There is only one type of shopping that I absoluetly loathe...swimsuit shopping.  I went today, it ruined my morning.  Not only is it incredibly hard to find a suit that is cute, comfortable, and looks "okay" enough to live with...they are so darn expensive.

Some friends of mine from GA and I are going to meet up in Destin next month just for a little girls vacay and I figured I would treat myself to a new suit, but the whole experience was rather disappointed.  I did get a suit, but it wasn't a pleasant experience.

Bathing suit shopping = near death experience.

Two things I Love

Good conversation and good food.  I was lucky enough to have both tonight.  My best friend Shannon was in town this weekend from North Carolina.  Unfortunately it was a busy weekend for both of us, but we managed to squeeze in a dinner before she had to leave.  It doesn't matter how long it is has been since we have seen each other we can always pick up where we left off.

We went to eat at my favorite restaurant, Crescent City Grill, since Shannon's favorite restaurant, Mexican Kitchen was closed (blessing from the Lord).  I am only kidding.  I know she was disappointed since this is the 2nd time we have tried to go to the Kitchen only for it to be closed.  I don't like Mexican Kitchen but will sacrifice any desire for enjoying my dining experience for a few select people and Shannon happens to be one of them.  Maybe next time your in town they will be open.  Better yet, why don't you call and schedule your next trip to town around their operating schedule.

Regardless of where we went, it was fun to catch up.  I am not so sure the other patrons seemed to appreciate our seedy topics of conversation, you know how the room seems to go quite whenever you loudly make an embarrassing proclamation.  There really is no substitute for a best friend.

Surprise!

I really really want to talk about today, it was a fun day.  We through I 50th surprise birthday party for my Mom.  But alas, I am so tired from 2 days of cleaning and an afternoon and night of entertaining, so I am just going to go to bed.

We had a good time, there was cake, my mom was surprised, and presents were opened.  The end.

Karaoke

What do you think about when you are riding in the car?  I think about a lot of things, but a good majority of the time I am listening to and thinking about the music on the radio.  Not about what it means, if the artist is creative, or about how it makes me feel...instead, I think about whether or not the song I am listening to would be a good Karaoke song for me.

Today, "Groove is in the heart" by Deee-Lite came on the radio and I started to sing, and I concluded that this would in fact be a good Karaoke song for me.  I can't tell you want constitutes an appropriate song, you just know it when you hear it.  For me anything Reba McIntyre ranks pretty high on my list of karaoke musts.

The funny thing is that I never actually sing karaoke.  I always talk about, I always think about it, but when it comes down to do or die, I die.  Everytime.  On the rare occasion that I had the courage (sometimes liquid courage) to actually make my stage debut, I bomb it everytime.  There was one particularly embarrassing rendition of David Alan Coe's "You never even call me by my name".  I am sooo good at that song in the car, but not at the bar.

So if you ever see me in my ride, jammin...I am practicing for a potential karaoke situation that will most likely  never happen.

Federal Bureau of Investigations: Agent "M" at your service

I have a lot of crazy childhood stories.  I can recall these stories at the drop of hat, it always amazes my husband when I can go into my mental filing cabinet and pull out a story that can only be described as random.  Usually they are embarrassing, but for some reason as the years pass I don't care so much.  I like to think fondly of all of the creative and silly things I did, sometimes by myself, sometimes with a friend.  These stories usually get told to get a laugh out of Matt, I think he loves me more and more every time I reveal a random memory.

Yesterday in particular we were talking about the direction that our lives might go over the next few years, and I was reminded about one particular job aspiration of mine (there were many). So the story begins...

I wanted to be a government agent.  A secret service member guarding The President.  A kick-ass female double agent poised to bring down the nations top criminals.  I was going to be in the FBI.  That's right my friends.  I was officially known as Agent "M", because at the time my last name started with M.  My best friend since childhood Shannon was always gracious enough to play along with me whenever she was sleeping over.  Being an FBI agent is hard work, especially at the age of 11 or 12 and without a driver's license.  Don't worry, we still pretended we had cars...they were just permanently parked in the drive way.  

We would wonder around my parent's house, peeking around corners, interviewing suspicious persons (usually my little brother), getting in and out of our cars,  and making calls on our mobile phones.  Our mobile phones weren't quite as sleek as the kind we have now, they were somewhere in between bag phone and brick.

So another story has been told.  God bless Shannon for staying my friend all of these years and for being such a good sport when it comes to the really dumb things we did.  Matt would tell me, "promise me you won't tell that story to anyone else."

Stay tuned for more embarrassing stories from my childhood, and probably some from my adult life. 

Strawberries and Summer time

What is one sure sign aside from the heat and humidity that summer is here?  Strawberries!  There is something so exciting about fresh fruit, and there are only a few months during the year that you can get the perfect strawberries.  I hate that I never made the time to go to the U-Pick Strawberry Farm while I was living in Savannah.  Maybe I can find something similar around here...

My mom needed to make a dessert to send to work with my dad for his healthy lunch club, so off to Wal-mart we went.  The scent of strawberry was so heavy in the air that you could almost taste them.  They looked awesome, usually at least a few in each carton have to be thrown away, but every single one of those delicious red fruits were perfect.  I remembered a strawberry pie I had made last summer, a dessert made for fresh strawberries.  The plus is that it can easily be adapted for the health conscious dieter.  We made two of them, one for me to take to work, and one for my dad's lunch club.

Gorgeous Sliced Strawberries

P.S.  I thought I would show you the 3 lb bag of candy sitting on my desk that I am desperately trying to resist.  Sweettarts, LaffyTaffy, Gobstoppers, and Nerds.  Why did I buy this?  Speaking of Laffy Taffy...
How do you get a baby alien to sleep?

You Rocket!

I think my dog got fat

I boarded my sweet little baby this weekend and ever since I picked him up on Monday afternoon I can't help but wonder...Did he get fatter?  How could he have changed so much over one weekend.  When I pick him to give him hugs and kisses he feels heavier.  I am perplexed.

When we took away Duece's man-hood in August I was paranoid that with no more testosterone surging through his tiny body that he would start packing on the pounds (at least he wouldn't be worried with impressing the ladies).  I am haunted with images of fat rolly polly beagles with their heads stuck in a trash can trying to get their "fix", just one plate of leftovers a way from a doggie heart attack.  Instead over the last year he has managed to keep the weight off and maintain his slim athletic figure.  So why all of a sudden is he heavier, looking a little thicker through the neck, and has a little more sway to his hips when he walks back and forth from window to door?  Isn't it bad enough that I have to worry about my own weight, do I really need to add my dogs potential obesity problems into the mix?

Maybe I have a distorted view of him since I spent the last weekend cheating on my own sweet little baby with a  smaller baby, a tiny miniture dachshaund named Hermie about 1/4 the size of Duece.  Shh....don't tell Duece. If that is the case, maybe I should spend some time with a Great Dane and then I can come back and love on my perfectly proportioned beagle who as just the right amount of swagger.

And for the record, taking away his ability to produce children has not stopped him from being a ladies man.  If anything, without the potential risk of children, he has become an international pimp of sorts with girlfriends spread across two states.  His daddy is so proud.

What is Art? Is Art, Art?

Well this is my art!

Last night a group of girls and I went to a painting class at Paasches' in Hattiesburg.  It is a little art and pottery studio where friends can go to get creative and have a good time.  Definitely the type of activity that is right up my ally.  I meant to bring my camera so I could take photos of my canvas throughout the process but I totally forgot.

We all started with a  blank 16x20 canvas and we followed along with Jeffery as he guided us through painting a scene from Downtown Hattiesburg.  The canvas includes the Saenger Theater, Southbound Cafe building, Bay St. Pres Church, The train depot, and the famous Coney Island Cafe.  I love love love it.  It is so funky and colorful and I will be showcasing it on my wall.

It has also inspired me to think about doing one similar to this of the Southern Miss Campus.  Thanks to Heather Ezell for planning and organizing the outing, I always have a good time when I get together with you girls.

I am an onion, I have layers.

This is mainly for Shannon because I know she is probably stalking me as we speak.  I also know that she is probably bored and this will give her something to do. :)

LAYER 1: ON THE OUTSIDE.

Name: Chelle
Birth Date: March 19
Current Location: Mississippi
Hair Color: Strawberry Blonde (sounds better than saying Red)
Righty/Lefty: Righty

LAYER 2: ON THE INSIDE.
Your fear: dying in a car accident, spiders, my teeth falling out.
Your dream of the perfect date:  Going on a hike up to the top of a mountain and stopping halfway for a picnic lunch.
Goals you’d like to achieve: Finishing my master's degree

LAYER 3: YESTERDAY, TODAY, TOMORROW.
Your thoughts first waking up: How much longer can I lay here before I absolutely have to get up
Your best physical feature: My hair color
Your bed time: 10:30
Your most missed memory: I don't understand this.  I miss things, but I have good memories of the things I miss.

LAYER 4: YOUR PICK.
Pepsi or Coke: Coke, but I like Diet Dr. Pepper
McDonald’s or Burger King: McDonalds
Single or Group Dates: I like going out with a group of friends cause we have some funny friends.
Adidas or Nike: Adidas
Chocolate or Vanilla: Vanilla with sprinkles
Cappuccino or Coffee: No thank you

LAYER 5: DO YOU.

Smoke: Nope
Cigarettes: Nope
Pot: Nope
Cuss: On occasion.
Take showers: Mostly
Have a crush: Have a husband :)
Like school: Yes, I am a chronic overachiever
Believe in yourself: Yes.
Believe what goes around comes around: Yes
Believe everything happens for a reason: Yes
Think you’re a health freak: No, I have made an honest effort this year, but I don't beat myself up about it.

LAYER 6: IN THE PAST MONTH.
Gone to the mall:  Yes, to much.
Been on stage: No
Eaten sushi: Yes
Been hurt: I got hit in the chin with a softball, does that count?
Dyed your hair: I don't color my hair

LAYER 7: HAVE YOU EVER.
Played a stripping game: Honestly, no I have not
Got beaten up: No
Changed who you were to fit in: Yes, I adapt to the situation around me.

LAYER 8: GETTING OLD.
Age you’re hoping to be married by: been married for 3 years
Number of kids you’re planning on having: at least 1

LAYER 9: IN A GIRL/GUY.
Best eye color: Green/Hazel
Hair color: Brown
Short or long hair: I like hair on the short side
Fat or fit: Normal to fit
Looks or personality: winning smile and smart-ass sense of humor
Fun or serious: Seriously Funny

LAYER 10: WHAT WERE YOU DOING.
1 MINUTE AGO: Making a note of an address I needed
1 HOUR AGO: Eating shrimp with my co-workers
1 WEEK AGO: Getting ready for a trip to GA
1 YEAR AGO:  Living in Savannah getting ready for a fun summer with my husband.

LAYER 11: FINISH THE SENTENCE.
I feel: allergic
I hate: yogurt
I hide:  I can't tell you or they wouldn't be hidden
I need: the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan to be over
I love: being creative

LAYER 12: FAVORITES.
Band: Queen
Color: Green
Food: Seafood
Thing to do: Sew, Paint, Cook

LAYER 13: RANDOM.
How long have you known your best friend?: probably close to 15 years
When’s the last time you kissed someone?: little over 3 weeks ago
What’s your middle name?: Denise
What are you excited for?: November
Do you have any saved texts on your phone?: Yes I have one incredibly sweet text saved from my husband that he sent when I was feeling discouraged about something.

Thanks for visiting

I got back from GA yesterday.  I had a great trip, well besides the little traffic violation on Friday.  Yesterday was a travel day for me and if you think texting while driving is unsafe, I would bet that blogging while driving in an even worse alternative, so I stayed off the computer and kept my eyes on the road.

Every time I leave GA, I am reminded how much I miss it there.  It isn't even so much the place that I miss but the people.  I have an awesome group of friends that love and take care of each other.  Its funny how a group of people from all walks of life, different personalities, kids and no kids, jobs and no jobs, and all ages can form such great friendships.  I especially thank Jenn L. for opening her home to me this weekend (and trusting her children with me).  I always know that I have a place to stay in GA.

As far as traveling goes...it sucks.  I hate the boring drive from MS to GA, down I-10 esp and back again.  It is particularly depressing when your GPS says, "Next turn in 264 miles".  But I made it.  I usually love road trips, but I also usually have my husband with me to share the burden of the long haul.  I have always wanted to take a cross country road trip in an old van, just stopping at random places we come across.  Maybe one day.

All about food

I like to cook, it is one of the things that makes me happy.  I love being in the kitchen and I love kitchen gadgets even more.  I like to try new things and figured that I could share a recipe from time to time.  I had to take dish with me last night and it was a hit.

Broccoli Slaw
2 heads of broccoli (or really as much broccoli as you think you will be able to eat)
Craisins
Sunflower Seeds
Real Bacon Bits
Red onion

Cut the broccoli into little florets.  I like them to be really small.  So I would cut one normal sized floret into 3-4 more pieces.  Chop red onion and mix in along with craisins, sunflower seeds, and bacon bits.  Add your desired amount there is not certain measurement.

Next mix 1 cup mayo, 1/2 cup sugar, and 2 tbsp of vinegar.  This is your dressing.  Pour over broccoli mixture when you are ready to serve.  Keep chilled.

Enjoy!

Almost watched the sunrise

Aside from loving books on cd, I am also someone that goes to bed early.  If it was acceptable for a 25 year old to go to bed directly after supper then I would do it.  Just ask my husband, he always teases me about my ability to sleep pretty much whenever.  So it should come as no surprise that staying up till 2 am definitely messes up my sleep schedule.  I can pretty much count on one hand the number of times I have stayed up past midnight this year.

It was worth it though, I had a great time hanging out, eating, and laughing at my spouse's "coffee" last night.  Finally our gracious hostess kicked us out at 11:30, but Jenn and I then stayed up and chit chatted with the babysitter till 2am were I sluggishly crawled into bed.  Now I am awake at 9am because my mind just doesn't seem to need the amount of sleep that my body does.

Pedal to the Metal...at 35 mph

What a morning, you know how they say bad things come in threes?  Well they do, at least today they did.
I am staying with a good friend Jenn while I am in GA, she is an aspiring photographer and a good one at that.  Today she was scheduled to be at the recreation area at Ft. Stewart to take photos for her company's fundraiser.  After a few people cancelled their appointments we decided we would leave, go get lunch, and come back.

Bad thing #1:  Her keys were locked in her car.  Uh oh, bad bad Brennan (her 3 year old).  Luckily, since I am staying with her, she gave me her spare house key.  I agreed to rush back and get her spare, and then we could mosey on to lunch.

Bad thing #2:  I was randomly stopped at the back gate for a vehicle inspection. I think they pulled me over because they knew I had an issue to tend too.  It wasn't off to a good start when I couldn't provide current proof of insurance nor was my registration in my car...um, I thought for sure I was going to be towed.  Thankfully the GGG (gracious gate guard) let me slide on that instance.  I was asked if I had any weapons, contraband, or drugs that I wanted to declare before the search began.  "No", I answered.  "Okay, Mam please step over here and wait while we conduct a search of your vehicle."  It was not long before I saw him digging in my console incidently where I had a.....kitchen knife (GASP!!)  So then as I sat there on the hot concrete watching them put all of the junk in my trunk on display while I was questioned about the weapon I failed to declare.  "Mrs. Langford, when you get home please remove this from your vehicle."  I got back in my car and sped off, knowing that Jenn was waiting for me.

Bad Thing #3:  Coming back through post to get back to Jenn who at this point I am almost certain was melting in the hot GA sun, I decided to push the pedal to the metal and haul a@@, which on post where the speed limit is 30 mph was a whopping 35 mph.  It wasn't long before I looked up and saw them, the flashing red and blue lights.  "License, Mil Id, insurance, and registration please", said the MP.  Well if you recall from bad thing #2, I didn't have those.  I knew it, I slid by on the inspection but this time I was certainly going to jail.  I started to shed tears...it wasn't full out crying, more like tears that sat there on the brim of my eye just waiting fall down my cheek.  It was at this moment that the oh so sweet MP (major penishead) decided to let me know "Don't think that crying is going to get you out of a ticket."  Jerk.  So I got a speeding ticket for going 35 in a 30, I mean God forbid I go faster than the horse and buggy I was sharing the road with .  

Alls well that ends well, I came to the rescue 1 hour later with the keys to Jenn's car.  And now I am going to reward myself with a glass of wine for the day of persecution I had to endure.

Georgia on my mind

I made it to GA...but not without a detour, I have officially been to Tatnall County.  Yes I got lost, even with a GPS.  In my defense my friend's address didn't pull up in Sarah as a I affectionately call my GPS.

I am excited about my weekend here even though it is bittersweet.  I have come to say goodbye to my friend Melanie that is PCSing to Germany next month, celebrate with my friends at a "coffee" (we never actually drink coffee), and just get a way from Petal for a while.

I have found that when traveling cross country the best way to go is with a book on tape.  I feel old.  My Mamoo listened to books on tape and she was well on up in her years.  I called the public library and asked, "Do y'all have books on tape?" The librarian replied, "Um no, I think you mean books on CD.  We haven't had books on tape in years."  Again, I feel old, I actually requested a book on tape, do they even make tapes anymore?  My Mamoo would be so proud.

Peppers anyone?

So I lied, I come back for another post. I decided that while I was eager to updated my blog I might as well do it, and suddenly all of things things that I could post about came to mind.

Today is a big day for me, the first harvest from my garden. I planted a garden. I tilled the land, used my hands to nestle the little plants safely in the ground, fertilized, and watered it (thanks to an strategically placed irrigation system). And today I realized the fruits or veggies of my labor. 4 little peppers. 1 Banana pepper and 3 Jalapenos. Hopefully my squash are next but are being stubborn. So for now I will relish in my success.

Matt and I half joke about opening a produce stand, aptly named Deuce's Wild Produce in honor or our dog. We think set up next to the right highway that it can be quite a successful venture, and now I am one step closer to achieving this "dream".

Yay me!

Told ya so

You can't be mad at me, I warned you that I most likely wouldn't update this with any regularity. Part of the problem I have come to realize is that I know absolutely nothing about websites, blogs included. If it doesn't start with "face" or end with "@yahoo.com" then I probably don't know much about it.

Yesterday was my best friends 25th birthday and this afternoon I saw that her 25th birthday inspired her to start her own blog and honestly it reminded me of this blog that I started back on Feb 19th, I am a bad bad blogger. I figured if Shannon can blog and me be interested in it, then I can blog and she can be interested in mine, therefore I would have at least 1 follower. So Shannon if you are out there, Danke for the inspiration.

I have more that I want to say, something that could probably be posted another time, but I don't want to risk more than one post today (a little bit of an overkill right off the bat don't ya think). Why is my blog named Monkey Loo?

Well, honestly I didn't want to have a blog called "Chelle's Blog". I need something more creative, something that told a little bit about my personality, but that wasn't crazy. Then I remembered my Grandma and how she called me Monkey Loo when I was younger and I thought it sounded cute, it also played into a little knock knock joke and I already told ya I love knock knock jokes. She also called me snot blossom and doodlebug, but ask yourself, would you really want to read a blog called "Snot Blossom"? Didn't think so.