Time out for Amy!

Our Trip to Seattle!

2007-06-27T21:18:00.000-05:00

Friends,
I apologize for not posting sooner. I have had a rough two months. My unemployment and Ken's deployment have taken its toll on me. Please bear with me and keep me in your prayers. I wanted to include a slideshow of our vacation to Seattle and Portland before Kenneth left. Please keep us in your prayers and I will try to do a better job at being a blog friend!

Slow and steady wins the course!

2007-05-07T19:06:00.000-05:00

Ain't that the truth!!....this month I have felt like I was stuck in a rut with no GUT IN MY BUTT!..LOL.. sorry thats a term in Kentucky that we use for someone who is stuck. I was stuck on a certain weight that would not change. 4 weeks in a row of weighing 190.2 lbs and I was mortified!! How in the world could I not lose weight? I was working out at least 2 days a week... I was anal about recording all my food intake but it just wouldn't take. Now I'll admit I'm not perfect...there were a couple days where I casually managed to not record my food intake. And it may have been on certain days where I did so happen to eat out. However, I gave my Weight Watcher's counselor my 3 month food planner so she could see my eating habits. Maybe I was eating too many carbs...maybe I wasn't being totally honest with myself.. I couldn't figure it out.

Then last Monday I had the experience I sometimes have when I'm at church, listening to a sermon and I feel the preacher speaking to me. Only this time it wasn't a preacher, it was my WW counselor Kim. And she basically said.. 'quit making excuses for why you can't lose weight'... I felt like she was talking to me. I was fixing to visit the doctor 4 days later just to prove that I couldn't lose weight due to my darn thyroid. But unfortunately for me the Doctor decided not to test that. So guess I had no one to blame but myself. So after that 'sermon' last Monday night I was determined that I was going to lose weight even if it killed me!!!

So you're probably asking yourself, 'Amy did it kill you to lose weight this past week?'... LOL, well no dear blogger reader. I ate out 3 days this week, worked out 2 days this week and didn't touch my flex points until my 2nd to last day. I weighed myself on my scale at home, (which wasn't even accurate and almost talked myself out of attending tonight. And then Sucess!!.. It was wondrous...

Lesson learned...

A diffrent world....

2007-04-23T09:20:00.000-05:00

This Saturday husband and I went to a whole new world and we didn't even have to leave our town to find it! LOL... we went to a flea market in this military town in North Carolina. It was a sight to behold!
I love observing people and the flea market is the best place to do that!... In this huge flea market, which was once a K-Mart, we saw everything from produce of fruits of every kind, to yard sale items, to Mexican music CD's, to knock-off designer purses, to bamboo floral arrangements in asian porclain vases, to antiques, to Asian swords and knives...and the list goes on and on. They even had their own private adult video/book store Julie!! tee hee hee...
One of my favorite vendors is a nice older Korean lady who always has Korean furniture and blankets. I found a beautiful blanket that I liked, made in Korea of course and it was only $25.00. I plan on coming back there on Friday to purchase that. She was carrying her grandaughter around in a Korean sarong. That brought back so many sentimental memories for me..
I grew up in Korea as a child and when I was a baby I had a nanny who would carry me around the same way this lady was carrying her granddaughter around. I had to stifle a cry because it was truly touching to me. I asked the lady where she got the sarong..
Amy - 'Ma'am, where did you get that sarong? My Aja-moni (nanny) used to carry me around like that when I was a baby'
Vendor - 'Oh I got this in New York City...you can find anything in NY'.

How right she was...when we left the store, minus my blanket I told husband that I plan on carrying my children around just like that. He looked at me, shrugged his shoulders and said, 'ok'.

Update on my Weight Progress

2007-04-11T09:06:00.000-05:00

as unremarkable as it is!!....LOL

Half of my Heart....

2007-04-11T07:50:00.000-05:00

is currently in North Carolina...but in about 2 months he'll be on his way to Anwar Province in Iraq. I used to pass by these bumper stickers all the time when I lived in Ft. Bragg, never dreaming that it would be me someday who might want to say that!! I'm totally proud of my husband and for what he's about to do but I also want to stomp my feet, kick the wall, and proclaim 'No, you can't take my husband! He's mine!!'...and really it wouldn't bother me so much if I wasn't on the verge of being unemployed next Monday. I don't do well with too much free time....*sigh*

Guess I'll have to blog more!!

go@blogger.com

2007-04-04T14:50:00.000-05:00

this is pretty cool!! I'm just testing the new feature with blogger. You take a pic, send it to go@blogger.com and it automatically posts your pic on the page!! Isn't that cool??? I can definitely think of some ways to get in trouble with this little widget!! lol. Julie, I'm thinking if you have a phone with a camera, you could report the rude people of the world this much faster! ; )

all that glitters....

2007-04-04T13:11:00.000-05:00

Degorgeous! Thats the best way to describe this little diddy.. Crystal Icing will customize your laptop, PDA, ipod, cell phone, pretty much anything you want to decorate and bling up! My first project while being unemployed will be to decorate my Treo 700w. I have it all planned out!!... Light rose, and rose swarvoski crystals in the background with hello kitty front and center! It will be a delight for my eyes! My coworker asked me what I'll do when I get tired of the design. I told her, my only hope is that the bead glue will come off nicely from my Treo. But the bonus part is after I finish detailing my phone, those ugly nicks and scratches I have from the Treo being dropped countless times will all be covered up!

A girl's gotta do something to pass the time away!! LOL... ; )

Ok...get this!!

2007-04-03T12:17:00.000-05:00

This has been yet another crazy, wild week for here for me at the ol' automotive manufacturing plant. Last Tuesday, (the day after I returned from Bristol), I was soo happy. Life was grand! My husband was resigning from his position, and we were making plans to move up here and we were going to live together happily ever after in Lexington. Well things don't always work out in life as well as we would like to!! LOL... Last Tuesday afternoon I was told they're giving my job to a full-time Team Member. In other words I'm unemployed in a week and a half. And yesterday morning, husband calls me to let me know he's going to be deployed! Goodness gracious....!

I know folks say, 'God only brings to the table what you can handle'...does that mean he thinks I can handle more stress on my plate!!??? I'm kind of ready for some good things to happen to me now!! I keep telling myself, 'Amy be positive...Amy be positive'..so ok here's my positive note for the day!

I ONLY GAINED 2/10 OF A POUND THESE PAST TWO WEEKS!!.. yee haww...and considering how much food I have eaten, that's a miracle!

I was Bristol Bound baby!!!

2007-03-30T08:36:00.000-05:00

Husband and I had a great trip to Bristol this weekend! It was totally exciting to see a small town turn into a town of over 170,000 people literally overnight! So getting anywhere in that town took a while! This was my first experience at Bristol and it was definitely a smaller track, but with just as many people as the larger NASCAR tracks. So we were packed in like sardines, it was hot so we were sweaty, food was expensive there, (paid $4.00 for a coke) but it was definitely a worth while experience.

We parked in this lady's front yard for $10.00 and walked a mile an a half to the track. And on the way there, people were trying to sell us everything from ear plugs, to Krispy Creme donuts, to t-shirts, to grilled hot dogs and hamburgers! It was a sight!!... Everyone was a vendor that day! haha ... Anyways I'm going to leave you with pictures from our trip!

I hope everyone has a great weekend!

Sounding off! Need some friendly blogger advice!

2007-03-27T08:00:00.000-05:00

Cast of Characters:
B - Wife of my friend D and source of current tension! She is pretty selfish at times.
C - Old friend from HS and coworker of B! She gives me the inside scoop.
D - Husband of B, and the friend that I take to work five days a week.

Ok Friends...I am in a total friendship dilemma. If you recall back in October, I began taking my friend D to work because he had had several seizures and doctors would not allow him to drive for 90 days. Helping out an old college friend of six years did not bother me. I never even hesitated to say yes. However, tension rose with his wife and I towards the end of the carpool. It was the Christmas season and there were a couple times that family issues got in the way of me being able to pick up D. or take him home. There were also moments that we got caught in some horrible Christmas shopping traffic and delayed D. by getting home by 20-30 minutes. His wife got a little upset with me because she had to drive the 30 minutes to pick up her spouse a couple times. We left on a bit of a sour note right before Christmas and I was a little upset with that. I didn't want the fact that I took her husband to work, and the fact that they paid me $25.00 a week to impact our friendship. Well I think it has damaged our friendship to a final point where I see no repair. This is where I need your all's help... read on

Present time....

D. had more seizures 2 weeks ago and so now I am taking him to work again... I do not mind to do that whatsoever. I knew D. a semester before I knew his wife B so I'm totally cool with taking him. He seems very appreciative and to a point in his life now where he is asking himself, 'should I take a pay cut and get a job closer to home?'... Folks he has even considered getting an apartment 30 minutes up the road to live in 3 days a week so he won't inconvenience his wife by having to take him to work. I'm moving 30 minutes up the road hopefully first of May so as much as I would like to help, I cannot accomodate my friend. Ok, here's the kicker.... his wife, B, works with my friend C. C and I have been friends since High School. C called me several weeks ago concerned. She told me B. was talking horribly about me behind my back. She told C that when I took D to work several months ago that I was very unreliable.

Well.... Sunday night my husband and I were out of town in Tennesse. We were a good 3 hours away from home. We got back late, and my husband was very tired. Husband had to drive 6 1/2 hours at 9:30 at night to get back to North Carolina. He had to do an install in South Carolina the next day. So I made him call his coworker and tell them he would be in a little late. I would have never forgiven myself if husband had drove down to NC and had had a car wreck because he didn't want to let his co-workers down. AS SOON AS I REALIZED I WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO TAKE D TO WORK, I called him. He seemed understanding and was cool with the whole situation. Well yesterday I walk into my office and I have an e-mail from C. C told me that B said she was pissed because I wasn't able to take D to work and that inconvenienced HER because she had to get up at 5am to take him to work.. boo hoo right. B. also said that this was another example of 'Amy's unreliability!'...

So I ask you dear friends, what should I do???
Should I:
A. Tell D. that I'm not taking him to work anymore because his wife's a bitch?
B. Just ignore her behavior and keep on helping out my friend?
C. Confront B. on her two-faced comments that she told C.?

What should I do? I'm in a total loss for words.. I feel like I have been betrayed by the only 2 people from college that I'm still friends with.. Our friendship has been strained for a number of years because we have all grown up and changed a bit.

I wish I knew what to do...I hate being the bad guy. I don't play that role very well whatsoever.

Help!

Do you have an office spouse???

2007-03-23T12:35:00.000-05:00

Office spouse you say? Whats that??? Read on...

What a wonderful first day of Spring!

2007-03-21T07:20:00.000-05:00

I just got into work, and we have some lovely fog outside but its cool cause I'm happy happy happy!!! Why am I soo happy you ask? Well, last night I went to my fourth weight watchers' meeting. I weighed in and for the FIRST time since attending meetings, I actually lost weight! I lost 3.6lbs and was in total shock!! But something I did diffrent this past week is that I barely touched my flex points. For those of you who are not familiar with the WW's program, when you first start the diet, they weigh you and tell you have many points you can eat during the course of your day. I can have 25 points of food a day, but I also have 35 flex points I can use throughout the course of the week if I need some extra points for a meal, dessert, eating out, whatever. So like I said, this week I barely touched my flex points, I think I only used about 5 or 6 total? So I'm not bragging folks but I have to say this... weight watcher's does work! You just have to be a nazi about writing down every single thing you eat!

Julie, I totally forgot to take pictures driving home last night but I will definitely try to remember today!!

My Daily Temptations and Solution to those Temptations!

2007-03-20T09:39:00.000-05:00

I know its not wordless Wednesday however I just wanted to show you all my daily temptations. These are things I walk by every day and stare at every day. Resisting their magnetic pull is hard at times, but somehow throughout this diet I have managed. I have not eaten from the candy jar since December even though it is a mere 3 feet from my cubicle! And the vending machine, I normally only buy food from when I'm eating a sandwhich and I need some baked lays to finish off my lunch just nicely! LOL.. So here you guy, my temptations, along with my solution to my temptations...they need no introduction!

Some things I take for granted..

2007-03-15T12:39:00.000-05:00

Ha ha..I'm keeping a good sense of humor over this because a week ago I would have taken something as simple as breathing through my nose for granted. Well now that I'm sick, I realize I did take it for granted! LOL.. Yes it is the start of my allergies for the spring season. This is something I have dealt with my entire life. But trust me, I would gladly go back to allergy shots once a month if I could just taste my foods with my tongue and breathe through my nose again. I guess the good thing about all this is the fact that I don't have much of an appetite! LOL Food is never going to taste the same until I'll all better. Doesn't my doctor realize this???

LOL, I think my doctor is part of a conspiracy to take away the pleasure of food from me!! ha ha..its bad enough I'm giving my money to Weight Watcher's to lose weight. Must she also contribute to the evil plan to keep me from enjoying food by delaying calling in that prescription for me? Darn her!!

Its Official!!!

2007-03-12T09:32:00.000-05:00

Husband and I will FINALLY; notice I said finally be living in the same state, same city and same apartment come May 4Th 2007!! Woo hoo!! I finally have a date...its all crazy, its all chaotic but at least we'll have some semblance of normality going on here with our marriage. We signed our rental application and put down the security deposit yesterday!! The apartments are in a prime location, just minutes from a huge shopping center, the apartment is a year and a half old, (we'll be the 2ND tenants ever) and its just minutes away from the interstate and it will be a place of our own! Come hell or high water, husband has promised to get his tooshie up to my state. He may or may not be employed, he may or may not be temporarily active duty, and he may or may not be in his manufacturing engineering school for the summer. That part is all up in the air... but what I do know for sure is that we're giving this ole' marriage thing another round.

Its weird how after 8 months I have totally adjusted to living with the folks. Frankly I can say that I haven't missed him every single day cause that would be lying if I said I did. I don't miss the daily dish-washing, and laundry. I do miss having someone to cook for. And of course Mom seldom lets me in her kitchen, so I have told husband to expect some burned dishes in the beginning. Duke (the cat) does not miss Daddy teasing him and rough-housing him either!

I hope we can make this work guys... I'm sure the first couple months will be rough. Just keep us in your prayers. I'll send photos of our little place once I have everything unpacked and all settled down.

Hope everyone has a great day..weather man is predicting nice temperatures up in the 70's around my area. Hope you all' have some warm weather coming your way too!

like seriously......

2007-03-09T16:01:00.000-05:00

Today, while perusing macys.com I came across some Junior tops that had me worried... Ladies, I am not a junior size whatsoever. Haven't been that way for a while so I have been out of touch a bit with what the young'uns wear now. But, this weekend when I was watching 'sisterhood of the travelling pants' for the umpteenth time, I really really was digging the clothes that Carmen, aka... Ugly Betty was wearing. Her tops were soo cute! Now I realize this movie was made several years ago but I was honestly trying to find some tops similar to what she was wearing in the movie in shopping centers around here. So far, no such luck... I found a green button up eyelet cotton shirt at Target but that was about as close as I found to what Carmen wore in the movie. In the movie, she's wearing a red cotton short-sleeved button up blouse that is cuuute! But here is what disturbed me...not the fact that I didn't find some Carmen-esque shirts but what I did find in the Juniors department was scary!!!! One model was wearing the image you see above! Now tell me, what Mother in her right mind is going to let her daughter walk out in the mean streets of wherever wearing something like this??? Now I do admit to having grown up in a conservative home. I used to get flack from my mother if I wore a tight t-shirt. But not that I'm trying to explain this all away, however when I was in high school, bands like Sonic Youth were all the rage and that was what the female musicicans wore and those chicks were the girls I looked up to.

So check it out and let me know...Am I being an old fuddy duddy on this or does that Macy's model look like she's ready for a night out on the town??

blogging is a bit of a challenge right now...

2007-03-07T14:13:00.000-05:00

Yours truly managed to sprain her wrist a week ago lifting a heavy box of bottled water. I didn't manage to get myself to the clinic until this Monday to get my arm looked at. Sure enough, my wrist was sprained. So typing is a bit difficult for me right now... My blogs won't be as often, nor as long as they normally are. So please blogging friends have pity on me!!! lol.....

So with that... I wanted to give you a little entertainment! These pictures are of me learning to salsa with some of our visiting Mexican co-workers.. Total bribe material. Its a good thing my husband doesn't know about this blog! ha!

A Diet Chuckle!!

2007-03-01T08:24:00.000-05:00

A little humor for all you gals on a diet like me!! I used up my remaining flex points in Don Pablo's last night so I'm currently recovering from my guilt!! LOL...
Enjoy!

HEALTH QUESTION & ANSWER SESSION

Q: I've heard that cardiovascular exercise can prolong life; is this true?

A: Your heart is only good for so many beats, and that's it... don't waste them on exercise. Everything wears out eventually. Speeding up your heart will not make you live longer; that's like saying you can extend the life of your car by driving it faster. Want to live longer? Take a nap.

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Q: Should I cut down on meat and eat more fruits and vegetables?

A: You must grasp logistical efficiencies. What does a cow eat? Hay and corn. And what are these? Vegetables. So a steak is nothing more than an efficient mechanism of delivering vegetables to your system. Need grain? Eat chicken. Beef is also a good source of field grass (green leafy vegetable). And a pork chop can give you 100% of your recommended daily allowance of vegetable products.

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Q: Should I reduce my alcohol intake?

A: No, not at all. Wine is made from fruit. Brandy is distilled wine, that means they take the water out of the fruity bit so you get even more of the goodness that way. Beer is also made out of grain. Bottoms up!

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Q: How can I calculate my body/fat ratio?

A: Well, if you have a body and you have fat, your ratio is one to one. If you have two bodies, your ratio is two to one, etc.

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Q: What are some of the advantages of participating in a regular exercise program?

A: Can't think of a single one, sorry. My philosophy is: No Pain...Good!

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Q: Aren't fried foods bad for you?

A: YOU'RE NOT LISTENING!!!... Foods are fried these days in vegetable oil. In fact, they're permeated in it. How could getting more vegetables be bad for you?

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Q: Will sit-ups help prevent me from getting a little soft around the middle?

A: Definitely not! When you exercise a muscle, it gets bigger. You should only be doing sit-ups if you want a bigger stomach.

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Q: Is chocolate bad for me?

A: Are you crazy? HELLO Cocoa beans! Another vegetable!!! It's the best feel-good food around!

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Q: Is swimming good for your figure?

A: If swimming is good for your figure, explain whales to me.

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Q: Is getting in-shape important for my lifestyle?

A: Hey! 'Round' is a shape!

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Well, I hope this has cleared up any misconceptions you may have had about food and diets.

And remember:
"Life should NOT be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive and well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways - Chardonnay in one hand - chocolate in the other - body thoroughly used up, totally worn out and screaming "WOO HOO, What a Ride"

Goofing off at work!!

2007-02-22T13:29:00.000-05:00

Has anyone read this article??? Absolutely outrageous!! LOL, although I do admit to sometimes goofing off at work.. such as now, I could not believe how bad this girl was about purposely avoiding doing any work at all. If I have sparked your curiousity, click on the word article and read on!!

sorry guys...

2007-02-21T13:26:00.000-05:00

I want to officially take this time to apologize to everyone for not blogging like I should!! LOL... I have neglected you all and I totally promise to make that up to you this week with at least 3 outstanding blogging entries! I have had some personal issues in my life that I have let get me down these past couple weeks but no more I say!!! Its positive Amy for the rest of the month!
Ok if you have been reading up on the whole job quest, job interview thing for me I just wanted to give you all an update. Yes I was denied that really cool position with the state. However, Monday afternoon I called the guy that had interviewed me. I wanted to thank him for the opportunity to interview with him for my dream job. He told me that he really wished he could have hired me. However, the girl they did hire had lots of software experience with the software that they use. Keep in mind reader this is no software you can download in beta version for free from the internet!! This is software used to catch bad guys. Soo... anyways he said he really liked my personality..etc and that he was going to write another grant this year for another positon. He said that definitely he was going to keep me in mind, and ALSO he told me that it would be a lot easier to hire me if I was already employed with the state. So that dear friends, is what I'm doing now!! I'm calling all my networks, and contacts to get my foot in the door of the state capitol of Frankfort, KY!! I am very fortunate to have contact networks in the law enforcement side so I am calling those folks weekly. I will update you guys on my current job outlook as I learn more information. But this is definitely the boost I needed to get me through my day. I keep hoping something will work out..!! It has too right?

A View from My Back Yard!

2007-02-18T11:04:00.000-05:00

We had another winter storm blow through this weekend... its rare that we get this much snow. I had to share it with all my blogger friends.

Help I'm a diet disaster

2007-02-12T21:11:00.000-05:00

Since I was 15, the routine has been the same.
Wake Up
0800 Get to work, and eat a breakfast bar, or slim fast..so far so good on the diet
1030 Eat my mid-morning snack. Usually this is low-fat yogurt. Keep in mind reader during my day I am a mere 2 feet from our community candy jar that I stock on a daily basis...still doing good on the diet
1200 Eat lunch...this is either a Healthy Choice frozen meal or pre-portioned left-overs ala Weight Watcher's points.. no more then 7 to 9 pts.
Long story short...I normally behave myself on food intake until I get home. When I get home, I'm fresh from the gym so my body is dying for food. Tonight I came home and I saw my Mom's fresh baked lasagna and it was all over with... I would have done fine tonight had I not eaten that extra breadstick and 2 of Dad's no-bake chocolate cookies, (long ago named daddy cookies). Dastardly Amy, you have done it again!!...Yep I went over on my points. This drives me crazy...how in the world I can be soo well-behaved during the day and then I get home and become a ravenous wolf scavenging for any crumble of delicious food available in the kitchen?
Then after I over eat, the guilt sets in.. I tell myself, 'Amy tomorrow you'll work out twice as hard...', or 'Tomorrow you'll just have slim-fast for the day'.... GRR.... what a tangled web of guilt I weave myself into. All part of my quest for total beautifousness... LOL...and the silly thing is, husband doesn't care how fat I am, or how much I eat. He loves me for me...wish I could do that!

What Makes Your Spouse Feel Loved?

2007-02-06T20:27:00.000-05:00

'If you love your spouse and you want to continue to make your marriage strong, read on!' This is a really good article....I had to share it with my dear blogging friends!

What Makes Your Spouse Feel Loved?
Nancy C. Anderson

Valentine’s Day is coming soon, and romance is on our minds. We tend to think we know what it means to express "love" – flowers, candy, cards, jewelry and expensive dinners, right? That pretty much sums up what most couple do on Valentine’s Day to show love to their mates, so it must be the formula that works. But what if these standard methods don't speak to your mate's heart? What if your attempts at showing love fall flat?

One day, I asked my husband, Ron, to make a list of things he wished I would do for him: things that would make him feel loved. It was an amazing revelation. I made a wish-list, too, and when we started doing the things on each other's list, our marriage moved from frustrating to fulfilling.

Here's why I asked him to make a list:

One Saturday afternoon, Ron was happily watching a football game, but I was in the mood to be outside. So I spent two hours washing and waxing his new red sedan. It looked wonderful, and I was very proud of myself. I thought, I’m the greatest wife in the world!

When the game was over, I was bubbling with excitement as I said, "I have a wonderful surprise for you. Follow me!" As we walked out to the driveway, I pointed to the car and boasted, "I washed it and waxed it! Isn’t it beautiful?"

His face froze, as he said, "Why did you do that? The windows are all streaked. Besides, I like to go to the car wash."

I planted my hands on my hips and said, "I did something nice for you . . . gave you a gift . . . and you just spit on it! My old boyfriend, Mike, was always thrilled when I washed his car!"

"Well, I’m not Mike, am I? I don’t want you to wash my car. If you want to do something to please me, wash some dirty clothes. The laundry pile is big enough to ski on!"

"That would make you happy?"

"I’d be thrilled! That pile drives me nuts!"

I was shocked. "I had no idea that dirty laundry bothered you. It’s never bothered me."

"Obviously."

That was when I asked him write down a few things I could do to please him. Over the years, we’ve put a positive spin on it by calling it a love list.

When we speak to couples’ groups, we give them a sheet of paper and tell them to write down the top three things they wish their spouse would do for them. You’d be surprised at some of the things on their lists . . . or maybe you wouldn’t. The man typically includes " more sex," but we rarely see that request on a woman’s list. The woman’s list usually includes "talk to me more," but I’ve never seen that on a man’s list.

The requests most likely to be honored are those that are both specific and doable. For example, "be more romantic" is too vague; that could mean different things to different people. "Bring me flowers once a month" or "kiss me good-bye every morning" would be more specific. Also, your request must be doable. Don’t ask you wife to "look like a super model" or "keep the house clean all the time." Instead, you could write, "wear a dress for our date night" or "make the bed in the morning." If your requests are reasonable and realistic, your mate will be more likely to honor them.

One of the things on my list is "wait for me while I’m getting out of the car." In the early years, when we’d arrive at our destination, he’d be inside before I had time to round up my purse, find my keys, check my lipstick, and lock the car. I explained, "I feel abandoned when you leave me. I want to walk in—together." Once he knew that was a big deal, he got much better at waiting. His willingness to please me made me want to please him too.

Study your mate as if he or she was a textbook and you are studying for a final exam.

If we make an effort to learn about our mates’ preferences and priorities, they’ll feel understood and appreciated. If we educate ourselves about the various differences between us and our mates, and work on ways to play to each other’s strengths, we’ll build strong hedges around our marriages.

Things to Think About

1. What are the biggest differences between my mate and me?

2. Have I been studying my mate in order to understand — or to change -- him or her?

3. What are some things I wish my spouse understood about me?

Things to Do

1. Make your "I feel loved when you/we ______" list. List at least three specific things. Some examples: have sex twice a week, pray together every morning, compliment me, drive slower, iron my shirts, attend church together, make sure clean towels are in the bathroom, help me give the kids a bath, buy me a small surprise once a month. Remember, there are no right or wrong answers. If it’s important to you—it’s important!

2. Ask your mate to make his or her list. Then do the number one thing on that list without complaining, defending your past behavior, or saying how stupid it is—even if it is.

3. Carry your mate’s list with you and, during the next few days, do as many things as possible.

4. Compliment and thank your mate when he or she does something on your list — even if they don’t do it perfectly.

5. Continue to update your lists as new needs arise. Keep doing this until you die.

On my 50th post....kick in the pants!

2007-02-04T22:56:00.000-05:00

Another good, swift, kick in the pants from the man above. I was convinced above all else that the job I interviewed for would be mine. Wednesday night, I get home from work and I have a denial letter. I knew what it was as soon as I saw the letter laying on the desk. I was devastated... It read:

'Interviews have been conducted for the Computer Forensic Examiner at the ____ Section. While all propspective employees presente excellent interviews & qualifications, you were not selected as our final candidate'.

I spent all Wednesday night totally sad... and then, in the midst of my depression I realize that God has something better in store for me. I wish I knew what it was at this moment, but someday soon God will reveal that to me.

So I keep on keepin on.... I hope everyone has a great week this week!

Happy Blue Monday Everyone!

2007-01-22T09:13:00.000-05:00

Well its January 22nd, and officially its Blue Monday.

"Researchers in England, citing unpaid holiday bills, rotten weather and the realization that likely will not live up to New Year's resolutions, as cause to declare Monday, January 22, the unhappiest day of 2007." taken from Fox News

I won't say its the absolute unhappiest day for me but it is rather nerve-wracking! I'm still waiting on finding out whether or not I got that job. I called them last Thursday and asked what was going on. I was told a decision had not been made yet. They only interviewed two people: myself and the other individual. The Supervisor who would make the decision has only been in his office two days since I interviewed with him. I know he said I would hear from him within two weeks but its just torture! LOL... I mean, if I don't hear something by Thursday or Friday, I guess I'm left to assume I didn't get the job. LOL... My life will not end if I don't get it, but I just want to know the decision so I can either celebrate, or grieve and get those emotions over with...

And to top it all off a coworker who I swore to secrecy about this interview went ahead and told his Manager last Thursday night that I have this job. Its not official!! And thats why I wasn't going to tell anyone until I knew for sure that I had this job! LOL... I realize he's just looking out for #1 but now he's going to look like a dufus when it turns out I don't have the job and he's got everyone stirred up over nothing! BIG MOUTH!! Sorry I have to vent here because I sure can't do it at work today... LOL

I hope everyone is having a better Blue Monday then me!! Got any Blue Monday stories to share with the group?? LOL

I'm really not a patient person at all!

2007-01-16T13:29:00.000-05:00

Ecclesiastes 7:8 NIV version
The end of a matter is better than its beginning, and patience is better than pride.

Guys,
I feel like I have been on the best date of my life. And now I'm waiting for that special person to call me back. Of course I am referring to my interview. Its really tough to wait on a person to call you back. I have never been a patient person. Before I met my husband, if I went out with a guy and it went well I would always call him. I never waited for him to call me..I considered that time wasted.

So.......
My interviewer said he would call me within two weeks... I'm now into my 5th day since the interview. Am I the only person who stresses over this stuff??? I realize there is nothing more that can be done but to wait...so I wait.. and wait...and wait. I try to find things to occupy my mind like working out, working, eating, socializing...but then every once in a while, when I have a quiet moment to myself I suddenly get this pang in my heart! GRRR.... its a knawing feeling... 'what if I don't get the job?...what if I'm worrying over nothing??... when is he going to call me??'''.. LOL. I have already informed my mother that should she receive a letter in the mail from the agency who interviewed me, she must immediately call me and read the letter out loud. I'm preparing for both outcomes, good and bad.

Anyone got any patience they could loan me, cause I'm fresh out! LOL

Everyone, meet Chris Thile! Chris, meet everyone!

2007-01-14T09:04:00.000-05:00

Ok guys, I normally don't do this but this guy is an artist worth mentioning. His name is Chris Thile and he plays the mandolin like its nothing..so yes I am in awe of his skills! He's a mean mando player and this mandochick wishes she had a 1/4 th of his talent! LOL... he has a new album out called, 'how to grow a woman from the ground'. It plays in the background of my MySpace page if you wanna check it out! Or you can just visit his unofficial myspace page, I think! LOL! The video playing in the background is a song from his latest album... enjoy!!!

Folks I'm just doing my part to make sure the bluegrass scene keeps on thriving! If you're ever at any festivals around the Kentucky area you need to let me know so we can mingle!

Music Video Codes By Music Jesus.com

'the interview'..and life on hold for now!

2007-01-13T00:55:00.000-05:00

LOL... I'm happy just thinking about my interview yesterday. I can honestly say that this is the first job interview I truly enjoyed doing. I won't get into details of the description, or of the building, or where I went due to the sensitivity of the environment. But when I started my interview, I was a little nervous..well let me rephrase that. I was a lot nervous! Hands shaking, just tore up to be exact. My interviewer immediately put me at ease. I met him almost 4 years ago so he was a familiar face. He said, 'you know this is a casual thing, be honest with us, take your time answering your questions and we'll go along'. Throughout the course of the interview I discussed my experiences, and answered to the best of my ability. Ok this is the best part..towards the end, he closes his pen, looks at me and says, 'This has been a great interview. You have two things going for you, your positive upbeat attitude and your education'. I felt really good about that. I was the first interview of the day. He told me he was going to finish out his interviews for the day and that I would hear from him within two weeks. I finished my visit with a tour of the facilities..and everywhere he went he would say things like, 'this is where you would have a desk...and this is where you would collect evidence...' LOL, I was standing there thinking don't get my hopes up dude!! Geesh..

So there you have it, I interviewed, and now I have to wait... I guess the hard part is over right? Now I just have to find out his decision and move on with my life....LOL

If they offer the job to me, I will have to wait for the background check to be completed. I have a good feeling about this guys..fingers are crossed!!

My Interview is Tomorrow!!

2007-01-10T20:07:00.000-05:00

Ladies and Gents,
Thanks for all your support and good wishes! Tommorrow morning I will FINALLY interview for my dream job! Wish me luck cause I'm gonna need it! I'm frantically putting together letters of recommendations, personnel evaluations, and examples of work to show these folks. I just hope all this hard work is worth it! LOL... Spent my last $100.00 yesterday at Kohls on a suit to wear for the interview. Think I'll take it back if it doesn't get too dirty! LOL... The next time I post, I hope to have some really good news! Lets cross our fingers! = )

prayer request for little Gabriel...

2007-01-09T09:41:00.000-05:00

I just wanted to ask you all to please pray for my friend Jed's baby boy Gabriel. Jed is in the Navy and his wife, Renee recently gave birth to little Gabriel. Gabriel is having problems breathing and is turning blue. They have him in the hospital at Bethseda Maryland. Please keep little Gabriel in your thoughts and prayers. He is only a couple months old.

I will include a photo of little Gabriel when I get home tonight!

Yes Amy there is a light at the end of the tunnel!

2007-01-03T16:22:00.000-05:00

And his name is husband.... I told everyone earlier that I spent Christmas without KJ this year. It was pretty sad at times, but I focused on my family and how happy they were and how I knew KJ (aka husband)would get to see me soon. Little snafu on that. Christmas morning, my Aunt discovered a big fat rusty nail in my back tire. Seems as if a naughty elve was working overtime Christmas Eve. It was tolerable..surely to goodness I could buy a Yokohama tire in town and be on the road within 24 hours right?? Wrong! LOL... come to find out the tire I needed was on backorder. So I didn't get to see KJ until 3 days later. It was crappy but he gave me the best Christmas present a girl could ever hope for. He put in his notice to leave his company and move back to KY. I was sad for him yet elated. This is indeed a big sacrifice for him, but thankfully he realizes family is more important then a job. As I told my Mother-in-law this weekend, 'I would rather have a poor husband who I see every day then a rich husband who I never see!' There is a light at the end of the tunnel, it may not necessarily be the way we would like for it to come but yes indeedy I will soon live with my husband again! And soon we will no longer be separated by 500 miles and several states! Hallelujah!!

29 things a woman past 30 should never do..

2007-01-02T09:49:00.000-05:00

(I'm not quite 30 yet but I couldn't resist reposting this....)29 Things A Woman Past 30 Should Never Do with apologies to esquire and womanhood in general
By smartaz on Gene Nash's 'Random Thoughts'

29 Things A Woman Past 30 Should Never Do
by Gene Nash

1. Date vacuous eye candy just because "he's hot." (A.K.A. The Trophy Boyfriend.)
2. Own more than 3 cats.
3. Put glitter on any part of her body. (Or star in a movie called Glitter, particularly if her name is Mariah.)
4. Use flavored lip gloss. (Especially not as a "zero calorie desert" because it "doesn't count as food" and therefore can't be considered cheating on your diet.)
5. Speak like Betty Boop.
6. Wear her jeans below her hips.
7. Own anything bearing a resemblance to Strawberry Shortcake, Hello Kitty, or My Little Pony.
8. Think "But I can change him."
9. Go for the bad boy.
10. Induce a man to do something on the grounds, "But I'm just a woman."
11. Take a romance novel seriously.
12. Single handedly keep Häagen-Dazs in business.
13. Bedazzle anything.
14. Know all the lyrics to any Britney Spears or Spicegirls song.
15. Subtract more than ten years when giving her age.
16. Believe anything a clothing salesperson tells you.
17. Ask, "Does this make me look fat?"
18. Expect her man to read her mind (they can barely read their own).
19. Know the complete current story lines of more than 2 soap operas.
20. Believe in "size 0."
21. See an ugly guy and tell your friend, "There's you husband!" (unless it really is her husband).
22. Own more diet books than shoes.
23. Think that 3 coats of makeup, some rented lingerie, and a camera lens smeared with Vaseline equals "glamour."
24. Three words: "Grannies Gone Wild."
25. Consider baby sitter, dog walker, or plant waterer as viable career paths.
26. Own any t-shirt that says "Eye Candy," "Biatch," "Princess," or anything similar (especially if it's written in shimmering silver text).
27. Have "Daddy" on fast dial in your cell phone.
28. As a result of deciding "there are no more good men," import your very own small brown child from a far away land.
29. Go to the bathroom in a single pack. Several should stay behind in case a search party

Merry Christmas Everyone!

2006-12-23T13:51:00.000-05:00

I'm trying really hard to get into the Christmas spirit this year but right now its proving to be a little difficult. I'm spending this Christmas apart from my husband for the first time in five years. I'll get to see him day after Christmas so its not too bad but difficult. I'm trying to think positive thoughts, and how I'll be with my family but I feel bad for him. He has pager duty and has to work. His work has always come first, its very important to him. But I don't necessarily think that putting your job first is always good for your marriage. Its done a lot to put a strain on our relationship. Thus the title for my blog.

Nice paying jobs are good to have but they don't fulfill a marriage. So this Christmas, my only wish and prayer is to be happy and content with what I do have: a great family and friends.

I don't know what path my marriage is going to take next year. And to be frank with you, I'm scared to death. But I keep telling myself that everything happens for a reason. My heart has a void in it that I hope someday will be filled.

With love, best holiday wishes to you all!

More information about the Job!

2006-12-22T08:35:00.000-05:00

Ok guys..update on my previous post! I went to our state capitol on Wednesday and I was a total nervous wreck. I was so afraid the Personnel cabinet would tell me I didn't have the qualifications for the position I want. The job I am referring to is a position as a Computer Forensic examiner. I would work for our state's forensic lab catching bad guys. What type of bad guys do you ask? Well anyone who deals with child pornography and any crimes against children. The slimy bad guys who even criminals can't stand to be around.
So I walk into the Personnel office, hand them my updated resume and application form. To my suprise they totally said I have the qualifications! I was sooo relieved! This job is totally something I have always wanted to do since declaring my major in 2000! Keep praying for me. I should hopefully have an interview after the Christmas break. I'm not trying to get my hopes up with this job, but if I got it, it would be the first OFFICIAL job I have ever had with my major! That means a lot to me! haha....It kinda makes all those years of hard work in college worth it all if I can do something like this to serve my community!

I need your thoughts and prayers

2006-12-18T15:15:00.000-05:00

OK guys I know I have been really really bad about posting lately. This past week has flown by with all the real estate work I have done on the side along with normal daily work during the day.

Anyways, my dream job has opened up on our state government's website. I am soo excited because about 3 weeks ago a lady that works there, who I hadn't talked to in 3 years, looked me up and informed me about this job. Now that to me is a possible good sign for an interview. However, the job experiences is kind of fuzzy. I'm not sure if I have what it takes to interview. So tomorrow morning I will be contacting the Sgt. in charge of the division and asking him if he thinks I qualify for a position. If he says yes, I'll then go to Frankfort, get my name on the state government application update form and hopefully be called in for an interview. Keep your fingers crossed for me gals and say some prayers for me! This is my dream job and if things work out, I will know God opened this door for me for a reason. That reason will be discussed later.

I'm keeping my fingers crossed!!!!...LOL, I'll update you all soon on this situation!

Having problems today...

2006-12-10T21:17:00.000-05:00

Anyone good with html? I'm trying to figure out why my posts end up way down the page. I'm wondering if one of my sections in the left hand column is too wide. If anyone has any html suggestions, please let me know!! LOL... cause its stressing me out!

Something Pink & Patriotic for ya!

2006-12-07T19:58:00.000-05:00

Oh my goodness!! Tonight while surfing through my old bookmarks, I came across the site Jane Wayne Gear. They were a local company founded by marine wives at Camp LaJeune, NC who were looking to start a business. I had retrieved one of husbands forest green BDU's with plans to customize a jane wayne gear bag for myself. Boy was I surprised when I saw that Jane Wayne gear is now being sold at Target! I'm still not sure if they're making customized purses for the military spouse but I aim to find out tomorrow. These purses are soo cute! Everyone told me I was crazy. Pink and camo would not catch on! Ha!! Boy were they wrong!!

Gosh Darn you Dairy Queen!!

2006-12-04T14:52:00.000-05:00

I have been doing pretty good in my diet. Have maintained a 7lb weight loss. Which is not bad considering I had a cheeseburger at Logan's Roadhouse yesterday with fries. Oh yeah and I had a cheeseburger Friday night at Hooter's with my college buddies. But here's the kicker. This morning I woke up and told myself it was time to get serious again on the diet. Slim Santa weigh in is this week. My plan was a normal breakfast, (most of the time a special k bar), a normal lunch (healthy choice frozen dinner), followed by low fat yogurt, carrot sticks, and then workout before I leave G-town. Dinner would be a bowl of special k cereal. Then I saw that new Dairy Queen commercial! Darn them! They went and concocted a new blizzard with peppermint candies and chocolate chunks!!!! Grr....now how am I supposed to resist that for the next 3 weeks!!???? I have a thing for peppermint ice cream. I usually buy Edy's Peppermint ice cream every Christmas! Used to merchandise the product so I know how its made. My previous cat Tigerlily had the remnants of my bowl of that ice cream the same night he went to kitty heaven. My ice cream didn't take him there, the rude teenage neighbor did. But I digress....so everyone at work, who knows how much I looove my blizzards are taking bets to see how long it takes me to cheat. I have the power to be strong, I will be strong... LOL, lets see how long this week of being good lasts!!

Happy Monday all!!!

Blogging Chicks Recipes! Scrumptious Spicy Pumpkin Cookies

2006-12-03T17:54:00.000-05:00

I hope this isn't too late for Blogging Chick's Favorite Recipes Carnival. Julie is hosting it over at Another Chance Ranch. Anyways here goes!! This is my favorite cookie recipe from Betty Crocker herself. One tast of these spicy pumpkin cookies, and you won't be able to put them down! Have a great Sunday all!!

View the recipe here!

Saturday Photo Scavenger Hunt!

2006-12-02T19:45:00.000-05:00

Christmas At Mom's House!

Gift Wrapping Tips for Men

2006-12-02T10:09:00.000-05:00

I got this e-mail yesterday and it was so cute I had to post it on here! Enjoy!

This is the time of year when we think back to the very
first Christmas, when the Three Wise Men; Gaspar, Balthazar and
Herb, went to see the baby Jesus and, according to the Book of
Matthew, "presented unto Him gifts; gold, frankincense, and
myrrh." These are simple words, but if we analyze them
carefully, we discover an important, yet often overlooked,
theological fact: There is no mention of wrapping paper.
If there had been wrapping paper, Matthew would have said
so: "And lo, the gifts were inside 600 square cubits of paper.
And the paper was festooned with pictures of Frosty the
Snowman. And Joseph was going to throweth it away, but Mary
saideth unto him, she saideth, 'Holdeth it! That is nice paper!
Saveth it for next year!' And Joseph did rolleth his eyeballs.
And the baby Jesus was more interested in the paper than the
frankincense."

But these words do not appear in the Bible, which means
that the very first Christmas gifts were NOT wrapped. This is
because the people giving those gifts had two important
characteristics:

1. They were wise.
2. They were men.

Men are not big gift wrappers. Men do not understand the
point of putting paper on a gift just so somebody else can tear
it off.. This is not just my opinion: This is a scientific fact
based on a statistical survey of two guys I know. One is Rob,
who said the only time he ever wraps a gift is "if it's such a
poor gift that I don't want to be there when the person opens
it."
The other is Gene, who told me he does wrap gifts, but as a
matter of principle never takes more than 15 seconds per gift.
"No one ever had to wonder which presents daddy wrapped at
Christmas," Gene said. "They were the ones that looked like
enormous spitballs."
I also wrap gifts, but because of some defect in my motor
skills, I can never completely wrap them. I can take a gift the
size of a deck of cards and put it the exact center of a piece
of wrapping paper the size of a regulation volleyball court,
but when I am done folding and taping, you can still see a
sector of the gift peeking out. (Sometimes I camouflage this
sector with a marking pen.) If I had been an ancient Egyptian
in the field of mummies, the lower half of the Pharaoh's body
would be covered only by Scotch tape.
On the other hand, if you give my wife a 12-inch square of
wrapping paper, she can wrap a C-130 cargo plane. My wife, like
many women, actually likes wrapping things. If she gives you a
gift that requires batteries, she wraps the batteries
separately, which to me is very close to being a symptom of
mental illness. If it were possible, my wife would wrap each
individual volt.
My point is that gift-wrapping is one of those skills like
having babies that come more naturally to women than to men.
That is why today I am presenting:

GIFT-WRAPPING TIPS FOR MEN:

1. Whenever possible, buy gifts that are already wrapped. If,
when the recipient opens the gift, neither one of you recognizes
it, you can claim that it's myrrh.

2 If you're giving a hard-to-wrap gift, skip the wrapping
paper! Just put it inside a bag and stick one of those little
adhesive bows on it. This creates a festive visual effect that
is sure to delight the lucky recipient on Christmas morning:

YOUR WIFE: "Why is there a Hefty trash bag under the tree?"
YOU: "It's a gift! See? It has a bow!"
YOUR WIFE (peering into the trash bag): "It's a leaf blower."
YOU: "Gas-powered! Five horsepower!"
YOUR WIFE: "I want a divorce."
YOU: "I also got you some myrrh."

3. The editors of Woman's Day magazine recently ran an item on
how to make your own wrapping paper by printing a design on it
with an apple sliced in half horizontally and dipped in a
mixture of food coloring and liquid starch. They must be
smoking crack!

In conclusion, remember that the important thing is not what
you give, or how you wrap it. The really important thing,
during this very special time of year, is that you save the
receipt.

She did it her way....

2006-12-01T13:26:00.000-05:00

In memory of Dealie C., my husband's grandmother who passed away late Wednesday night. She is in our prayers, as she is laid to rest today. She was 82 years old.

Dealie was a rather eccentric lady who always spoke her mind. Although I was told she would always tease my husband's former girlfriends, she was always very nice to me. Dealie once told a girlfriend of hubby, 'Well you know those sailors, they have a girl in every port!' My husband exclaims that is the reason why I didn't meet his family until 10 months into our relationship! LOL!!

Last Friday night, we spent our last day with Dealie together. Dealie lived in a small trailer by herself. She refused to live in a rest home. My mother-in-law would spend the evenings with Dealie once she finished her work for the day. Dealie was a small, fragile woman. Her small 108lb frame was almost always in the kitchen. Sitting in her wheel chair she would heat herself extra nice with the kitchen stove door open. She often said the electric heat in that little trailer wasn't enough for her. Her companions during the day were the stray dogs that she insisted on feeding and caring for.

The last night we spent with Dealie she was weak and in a great deal of pain. Her food had a wound that would not heal. Gangrene had set in and doctors wanted to amputate her foot. She flatly refused. They said she had a week to live, it wouldn't be long. So we made a special point to spend some quality time with her.

I sat next to Dealie's small frame. She was asleep and bent over in her wheelchair when we came in. She had a green sheet covering her swollen legs. At one point she lifted the covering from her legs. It took every bit of willpower I had to keep my food contents in my stomach upon seeing her feet. Of course red flags came up. We were worried about her. The doctor's had sent her home to die. There was nothing more that could be done. After a cup of coffee Dealie perked up and finally raised her head. She opened her eyes and had the first good conversation with me that we had ever had together. We went back and forth on subjects... we discussed her service in WWII. She was a WAC who served her country by drawing extremely detailed blue prints of plane engines and other parts of those warrior machines. We discussed the USO bar, 'The lucky strike' where she met Ken's grandfather many many years ago. It was a great conversation. I told her at one point, 'You know Dealie, you were a hero. You served your country and we're proud of you for that'. She smiled sweetly... When we left that evening she turned to me and said, 'Now we had a right nice conversation. I really enjoyed your visit. Come back and see me'. I knew I probably would never see Dealie alive again. It was very sentimental. Holding back tears I gave her a hug & kiss and thanked her.

That was how I wanted to remember Dealie..not laying in a casket today; but her warm smile. Dealie always did things her way...and thats the way she left this world. She did it her way.

Friday Feast #120

2006-12-01T11:23:00.000-05:00

Appetizer
Have you ever flown in a helicopter? No but we plan on doing that when my husband and I cruise to Alaska in May. Woo hoo! Can't wait!

Soup
What color is your warmest coat or jacket? Its navy blue..my peacoat. I have worn that thing for many moons.

Salad
What is your favorite rainy day activity?
Curling up in on the couch with my PJ's on and a nice blanket covering me up. A nice book to read is also good for such an occasion.

Main Course
Describe your hands.
I have short stubby hands. My Granny always said I had my Grandaddy's hands. Small with the middle finger always curling towards the fourth finger. I usually keep my hands bare, little jewelry.Just my wedding ring!

Dessert
If you could eat only one nut for the rest of your life, what nut
would you pick?
The pecan of course...it goes good with a pie! And its awesome in candies!!

Thurday Thirteen!! These are a few of my favorite things!

2006-11-30T11:39:00.000-05:00

Thirteen Things about Amy

1. I really enjoy making cards but sometimes find it hard to get inspiration. So when I'm stumped on what to do for like say a Christmas card I go to Scrap N Fonts or graphic designer sites like http://www.shabbyelements.com/! Download price is usually pretty cheap. You print out the items you want to place on your card for an instant quick fix kit!! 3-D glue dots with some ribbon really jazz them up.
2. There is nothing better then spending a cold evening wrapped up in your finest flannel pajamas with a cup of hot cocoa and a good book! Round here, is THE ONLY WAY to enjoy a Kentucky winter.
3. Betty Crocker is my friend! My mother has a Betty Crocker cookbook from 1960' something. It was published way before I was even born. But I always find great recipes in there that I enjoy trying out on my family. They're always willing participants, as long as I'm making sweets!! Check out the meme I'll be posting Sunday on Julie's Another Chance Ranch!

OK, I got a little busy today so as you can tell I wasn't able to complete 13! But...hopefully I can make it up to you folks tomorrow!!

Links to other Thursday Thirteens!
1. (leave your link in comments, I’ll add you here!)

Get the Thursday Thirteen code here!

The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others comments. It’s easy, and fun! Be sure to update your Thirteen with links that are left for you, as well! I will link to everyone who participates and leaves a link to their 13 things. Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!

View More Thursday Thirteen Participants

What was on TV last night!

2006-11-28T10:51:00.000-05:00

I said I would post on an 'Appalachian Thanksgiving' or in other words glimpses of my past weekend but I decided against it. I have family members who read this post so I do not want to offend anyone and sometimes that can easily be done.

Last night while mourning the loss of my husband's absence,(He flew to MN for a 3 week training class), I was surfing the TV. I watched Wife Swap which is always a hoot to me but sometimes scares me. The girls last night who belonged to the biker couple were very rude. Frankly I hope my future children don't turn out that way. Of course I can promise you I will use a bit more discipline then those parents did.

I also got a chance to watch the Duggar's latest show, 16 Children & Moving. All I can say is I have the BIGGEST respect for Momma Duggar. How in the world she can manage to care for 16 children is beyond me. They are definitely a sight to see. If you are one of my overwhelmed Mommies who blog and feel burdened by your load, check out this show. I guarantee it will make you feel like you don't have it too bad after all! LOL

Update on Diet: I THINK I only managed to gain 3 lbs while out for Thanksgiving. (I say think because I managed to lose 2lbs yesterday) I think water retention had a bit to do with that so I will weigh myself again on Thurday or Friday.

10 Reasons why I cheated on my diet this weekend

2006-11-26T21:27:00.000-05:00

Ok I know...I swore I wouldn't cheat..and if I did I hoped to goodness I wouldn't gain any weight this past weekend. Weigh-in will occur tomorrow morning. And if I have gained any weight..I promise to eat Special K cereal until I'm below my initial weight as of last Wednesday... Ok so here is the countdown to how I enjoyed cheating on my diet this weekend.

10. Sara Lee's Dutch Crumb Apple Pie (2 servings today)
9. Mom's chicken & dumplings (two servings Thursday, lunch & supper)
8. Restaurant meal at the in-laws house, (Bob Evans)
7. Mom having 4 desserts on Thanksgiving day!!!...what was she thinking??
6. Too many to count of Sister Schubert's 'crack rolls'. (We call them crack rolls because you can't eat just one!)
5. Sara Lee's Boston Cream Pie
4. Good ol' German Chocolate Cake
3. Granny's Divinity...yumm!! I HAVE INCLUDED THE RECIPE IF YOU'RE INTERESTED!
2. Eating out at a Chinese restaurant twice!! Once on Wednesday with co-workers, but I was good then...and today for lunch.
1. Vanilla ice cream with every single piece of pie I had this weekend!!

Thank goodness my husband loves me just the way I am...! LOL... I promise to work out all five days this week, hand to my heart, other hand on the bible!!

Tommorow's entry...more on my Thanksgiving..entitled, 'An Appalachian Thanksgiving'

November is National Epilepsy Month!!

2006-11-22T11:05:00.000-05:00

Last week my best college friend, Brie* urgently e-mailed me to call her. Her husband, Daniel* had been having severe seizures for a month now and we were all pretty worried about him. So I called Brie back. She told me Daniel's MRI came back fine, but she was still pretty upset. Daniel's doctor had told him that he couldn't drive for 90 days. His last official seizure was Oct. 11th so he wouldn't be able to drive until January 11, (assuming he didn't have another seizure). This really upset my friend because he works in a town 30 minutes north up the interstate. I drive the same route every day, so when they asked me if I would drive Daniel to a bus stop I said yes. They have been my friends for four years, so of course I would take them. Brie & Daniel drove 500 miles to a beach in Georgia for my wedding and they are literally the only college buddies I still talk to so I'm definitely a loyal friend.

I thought it kind of ironic that November has been set aside at National Epilepsy month. I suffered from seizures as a kid so I understand the turmoil Daniel's been going through. Adjusting to medication and side effects that come with it can definitely take an emotional toll on you. Over dinner last night at Red Lobster, we laughed at Daniel's rendition of his neurologist in a serious tone telling Daniel he could not take baths. It is funny when you think about it.. a grown man telling another grown man he can't take a bath without his wife present the whole time! LOL

But I have come to enjoy my 30 minute drives with Daniel. We get a chance to just hangout and reminisce the 'good ol days' of college and no full-time jobs! LOL...so I'm taking this time to give a shot out to Daniel! We're all very thankful that his seizures are under control and he is once again his bad ass self!!!

*name has been changed for sake of the actual person

Monday Madness Meme!

2006-11-20T12:53:00.000-05:00

I got this from Otto over at Monday Madness.

Fill in the blank time!! Have fun and have a fabulous week!! =)

1. In order to protect my computer from viruses, I use Norton Antivirus 2005.
2. I also use Spybot for protection from spyware.
3. I don't spend nearly enough time practicing my mandolin.
4. The first person I usually talk to in the morning is normally my cat Duke.
5. It takes me about 45-60 minutes to get ready in the morning.
6. I keep all my appointments in/on my Treo 700W.
7. It takes me about 20 minutes to fall asleep at night.

I'm Sad........

2006-11-18T18:05:00.000-05:00

I heard that 21 year old Brazilian model Anna Carolina Reston died from complications of anorexia.

I'm sad that our culture prizes young woman who are ultra skinny.

I'm sad that she died at 21. She'll never again experience the joys of life.

I'm sad that young girls look up to models like Anna Carolina and wish to be like her.

I'm sad that modeling agencies just don't get the hint that this is becoming a big problem, not only in the fashion circuit, but in Hollywood.

My little cousin L has a Mommy who lost a lot of weight through WW. She asked her mother one day if she could be friends with fat people. This saddens me...I pray that my little cousins and other girls around the world can stop the 'Twiggy' cycle of malnutrition. ENOUGH ALREADY!! Lets start praising girls for their beauty, instead of how much they weigh on a scale....

Ok, I'm stepping down from my soapbox now!

Slim Santa is On!!!

2006-11-18T10:17:00.000-05:00

Ok guys..I took the plunge! I signed on for my company's gyms latest weight loss challenge. Slim Santa is kinda like our little KY version of biggest loser for manufacturing employees such as myself. It lasts from 11/13 to 1/13. The objective is to lose weight during the Christmas season. Am I crazy? Yes... Do I realize how hard this will be? Heck yeah! Do I plan on losing weight anyways!! Hell yeah! I know the worst thing a dieter can do is announce to the whole world that she's on a diet but you guys already knew that! Guess you know now also that I'm working out to speed up the lovely weight loss process. Because I WANT to win the prize!! I want to win the $200.00 gift card to Kohl's with a bunch of other goodies on the side. So yesterday whil at work, I strategically asked my male co-worker D to assist me in this challenge. Now D. is a total chocoholic...my job duties also require me to keep 'candies on hand at all times'. (And well D..always manages to shove in a lot of chocolate while he's at work during the day). Its not in my job duties but the candy jar does stay right in front of my cubicle. And this week was especially hard on me because we had visitors in from England and Japan so we put out all the stops with the caterers. Let me describe our menu for you:

Tuesday - Fried Chicken and Baked Chicken with macaroni & cheese, green beans,
broccoli casserole, followed by cheesecake and carrot cake. (My male colleague DD picked the food..can you tell?)

I ate a baked chicken breast and just a teasy weensy bit of mac & cheese..followed by a slice of carrot cake that took me 2 hours to eat!

Wednesday - We took our visitors to our local Chinese buffet..I skipped this totally, stayed in the breakroom and ate my nice little banquet TV dinner...didn't want to eat the tons of calories they would all be consuming.

Thursday - Triple decker sandwhiches with chips, pasta salad, cookies, brownies..and oh yeah did I mention birthday cake for all the November birthdays!

Again I behaved ok... had one half of a sandwhich, baked lays, and a slice of birthday cake. I know it was bad but I worked out that night... I swear!

So keep in min after all these festivities, I had a tray of donuts/bagels, cookies, brownies, and birthday cake all sitting in front of my cubicle Thursday afternoon and all of Friday! And did I resist? I am happy to report that I did... !! Was it hard? Yes it was...so all day I did my best to pawn off the delectable goodies to visitors at our meetings..and just random folks that walked into my area. Yeah I know I'm bad...

But the good news is I ended my day shopping for 4 hours doing some beginning Christmas shopping.. I covered all the kiddies..minus two of my little cousins who I'll get ideas from next week at Thanksgiving.

So guys..sorry for the lack of blog posts this week. I was quite busy trying to show off to our visitors how us Americans looove to eat! Speaking of which, its 10:30 and I haven't eaten yet...have a great Saturday all!!

As Promised....Duke before and after his haircut

2006-11-14T21:26:00.000-05:00

You know you're a blogger when...

2006-11-14T13:47:00.000-05:00

1. As you lay down for bed at night, you think about what you're going to blog on the next day.
2. You see something in reality that reminds you of a blogging friend.
3. You'd rather share your true feelings with your blogging friends then an actual friend. Blogging friends won't tell on ya! LOL...
4. The first thing you do at work before you check your e-mails or start your day is check your blog to see how many comments you have.
5. All pictures you take suddenly have you asking yourself, 'should I share this on my blog?'

Come on girls... help me out with this...what are your suggestions for 'You know you're a blogger when....'???

What a Lovely Day!!

2006-11-11T21:02:00.001-05:00

Poor Kitty...I decided to take my half Persian tuxedo cat to the groomer's to have his hair cut. I have had a lot of problems with my allergies/sinuses lately so I thought I'd get a traditional lion's cut on Duke. It was an event lemme tell ya.. I woke up to a drizzly rainy day. I loaded Duke up in his crate and off we went to the Groomer's. By 9 am we arrived. Duke was at first trimmed down on his legs and belly. He was then whisked away to a bath, and then 30 minutes in a cage with a hair dryer on him. Poor thing..he's totally afraid of the sound of hair dryers so I knew he was miserable. Once he dried off he was then put back on the groomer's table. He trimmed up his back, trimmed the hair around his head..and then she started to work on his back feet. Well Duke had just about had it at this point..we were over an hour into his appointment and he was ready to go! He started spitting...and hissing at her. He tried to bite me several times. He wouldn't even let her finish up trimming his feet with scissors so we decided he had had enough! Guess its my fault for putting the poor thing through torture. The car ride home was followed by a little car sickness in my brand new car! LOL...

Lesson Learned: Invest in kitty valium on our next grooming visit!!!

My poor less haired baby is now curled in a ball. Thats been his posture for the entire day!!... I feel like a bad Mommy now!!

Happy Veteran's Day

2006-11-11T11:46:00.000-05:00

Happy Veteran's Day! This is for all the soldiers who fight bravely every day...and for the spouses that stay behind!

get out and vote!

2006-11-07T12:47:00.000-05:00

No matter what excuse, what things might need to be done today, please take time out to vote! Let your country know how you feel!!!!

Love my blogging gals!

4 Reason's Why I think I 'MIGHT' make a good Mother!

2006-11-04T11:53:00.000-05:00

1. I always have goodies stocked in my food cabinet, snackwell's cookies, Weight watcher's ice cream bars and currently a secret stash of Halloween candy! LOL and I wonder why its so hard to lose weight.
2. My finicky cat is fed his water through the bathroom tub. Its the only way he'll drink water. We gave up on bowls full of water a long time ago. I even invested 30 something dollars in a cat waterfountain hoping he would think it was similar enough to the faucet and would lap up. No such luck! So yes I will cater to finickyness
3. I'm a bit of a crafty gal. I always shower my neices, nephews, and cousins each year with craft projects to make for fun. We always have a good time whether it be making and decorating cookies, making Christmas ornaments or jewelry!
4. I still adore and love Hello Kitty. I have collected her stuff since I was a little girl in Korea. So if I have a daughter, we're set! LOL

So what do you think....do I have a good start?

achoo, cough, hack!

2006-11-02T09:24:00.000-05:00

Thats what I have been doing a lot of lately! I hate being sick...its one of the things I dread most about the changing weather. For most of my life, and as a child of severe allergies, the beginning of fall and spring have always silently signalled my body to become sick. When I lived in Korea, about the time my birthday would come, it would suddenly get really cold. From what my Mother has told me, I spent 4 of my first 5 birthdays in a hospital with pneumonia. Happy Birthday to me! Yeah and I always put up a fuss too... the Korean lab techs would try to sneak in my room around 2 in the morning and draw my blood. But I always heard them coming..their squeaky wooden carts would give them away...and so I would make sure the entire floor of the hospital knew I was not a happy camper.

So as a child, I resigned myself to the fact that I would have to deal with this bi-annual sickness and take it with a grain of salt. It was going to happen, and I could't stop it. Not that I have ever enjoyed it mind you, but it did give me an excuse to miss a couple days of school a year.

Here's to all the lovely sick days...may they never end! LOL

Update on Gold's Gym- miracles do happen!

2006-10-30T14:19:00.000-05:00

Well I got some good news in the mail this week. I received a check for my lump sum of money due back to me for personal training! And since its a good-sized check, I'm going to directly put it in my savings account for vacation! woo hoo!!... They're still however charging my husband's debit card for $29.99 a month so thats still being worked on..but I got my big amount back that they owe me so I sure can't complain! Woo hoo!

Give me a Freakin Break!!!

2006-10-27T08:08:00.000-05:00

Ok folks, back in May I got on a workout kick and decided to get my butt in shape! I signed up for a Gold's Gym membership which is $29.99 a month. They don't do month to month memberships so you have to sign a 2-year contract. The only way to get out of that contract is to have proof of a move, military orders, etc. So, in May when I signed on with Beyond fitness for personal training sessions at $25.00 per session, I knew that would be a separate charge on my account. Wanting to avoid the hassle of two separate charges going through my bank account each month, and therefore freaking the hubbie out, I decided to pay in full for my personal training. BIG MISTAKE! At the end of June, when I decided to move back to KY, (for personal reasons that I'm still not quite comfortable discussing) I started my quest to receive a refund from both the personal training sessions (almost $500.00)and my monthly gym fee of $29.99. Long story short, we're still getting charged $29.99 every month and after sending in paperwork with rental agreement, letter, copies of contracts, and everything else I could possibly think of that they need I still have not received my refund for Paid in full personal training. I was told the check was in the mail two weeks ago for my personal training refund. Keep in mind, this is after they deduct the cost of my 4 sessions, plus the $100.00 cancellation fee. Still haven't received that. Monday I was told the check was sent out the week of the 9th. As you can tell its now two weeks later.... at first I was told the check was sent to my old Hope Mills, NC address. After I exclaimed that I'm not living in Hope Mills and that my current address is on the letter..and that I live in KY now...and thats the whole reason why I have requested a refund, she says well your file is on the Vice President's desk right now and its locked so I can't verify what address it was sent to right now. And what gets me is that they sent a letter for a good amount of money and they didn't certify it? Are you kidding me?

One good thing to say about Gold's Gym.. where I lived in a military town, I had some of the best physical fitness trainers. My trainer, Dre, an army medic who very much resembles a young Harvey Warden the III (from Celebrity fit club)always kicked my butt at workouts. And it was starting to show cause I was noticing a diffrence in my physical fitness. But shameless to say, Beyond Fitness the company that arranges personal training for you just loves to hold on to their member's money so much that they'll give you a year's worth of lame ass excuses!

So, the lesson to be learned? : if you're going to do personal fitness with a trainer, you better not move out of town cause you'll never see your money again! Instead, you pay at each session and don't you dare let them charge your debit card!

Thursday Thirteen! My Favorite 13 albums on my Ipod!

2006-10-26T09:24:00.000-05:00

1. Allison Krauss & Union Station Band, (AKUS) 'Lonely Runs Both Ways'
2. John Mayer, 'Continnum'
3. Hoobaststank, 'Every Man for Himself'
4. Fergie, 'The Duchess'
5. Kenny Chesney's 'Greatest Hits'
6. Justin Timberlake, 'Future Sex/Love Sounds'
7. Nicklecreek, 'Nickelcreek'
8. John Mayer, 'Heavier Things'
9. Hinder, 'Extreme Behavior'
10. Mercy Me, 'Coming up to Breathe'
11. Evanescense, 'The Open Door'
12. Nelly Furtado, 'Loose'
13. U2, 'All that you can't leave behind'

Of course these albums are the only albums I have in my ipod however they are my favorite so I had to find 13 favorite ones for today! Take Care all!!

Thanks to BJ for introducing me to the wonderful world of All MP3's website.

I SAW 'HIM'

2006-10-25T15:34:00.000-05:00

Hey Ya'll!!

I'm happy to report that my weekend was smashing! I got to NC in record timing...only stopped to get gas and take care of some other business LOL. I drove through the mountains of WV and VA and lemme tell you those leaves on the trees were gorgeouse! Oranges, yellows, reds and browns. God' beauty was showing off big time last week. I think that was the best part of my drive.

I slacked a little with my diet, so no weigh in this week. I'm saving myself the guilt trip! LOL. I had to visit Red Robin while I was in town. We don't have one where I live and ladies if you've ever had a Red Robin burger, you'd understand why I was craving it! OMG, soooo good.

However, I did give myself some more motivation to lose weight. I went to Lane Bryant in Raleigh on Sunday. There is this pair of jeans, with black sequins on them that I have been dying to have for months now! I visited 3 stores in 3 locations until I found them in my size in RAL. Only they were in my size but they didn't fit right!! GRRR, and the size above my size swallowed me whole! So what's a girl to do? Well this week I'm eating Special K for breakfast and lunch just so I can fit into those darn jeans! I told the lady behind me at the cash register that I was going to fast to get into these jeans..she looked at me like I was crazy. Oh well.. Yep, I'm a slave for fashion, but you gotta love these jeans! LOL

Thursday Thirteen!

2006-10-19T10:53:00.000-05:00

http://i57.photobucket.com/albums/g238/amyia1977/ThursdayThirteenicecream.jpg

Hi All! These are some of my favorite Diet Foods. I'm only putting down my diet foods because I'm afraid if I put down really good fattening foods, I'll be tempted to go eat them!!! LOL

1. Snack size bag of Act II Kettle Popcorn
2. Weight Watchers Ice Cream Sandwhich (really good for those ice cream craves!)
3. Weight Watchers' Russel Stover's candies! OMG,girls these are the bomb!
4. Sugar Free Peppermint Patties
5. chocolate marshmallow fudge recipe, from WW site! (2 pts a serving, I make this every Christmas!)http://www.weightwatchers.com/food/rcp/index.aspx?recipeId=59401
6. Sugar Free Rich Dark Dove Chocolates! 3-Flavors, Chocolate Creme, mint creme, and raspberry creme. I have tried them all and love em'
7. Swiss Miss Low Sugar Hot Cocoa (so nice on a cold day)
8. Low Sugar Reese's Peanut Butter Cups(when I really want to splurge, I take a bag of these to DQ and ask the girl to make a blizzard out of them)
9. Weight Watchers' double chocolate cake! Just 2 points...really good
10. Weight Watcher's Key Lime Pie, (a litte on the tangy side). Its not a Blonde Giraffe, but it'll do!
11. Sugar Free toosie roll pops...calories are nothing! Keep this in my car all the time!
12. Sugar Free red licorice
13. Sugar Free Wurther's Originals!

Can you all tell I love sweets??

the mandolin lesson!

2006-10-18T18:10:00.000-05:00

I went to my lesson last night and did pretty well from what I could tell. I learned four cords, C, G, D, and E! My Instructor Jeff, took one look at my mandolin and exclaimed, 'You've got a pink mandolin!'...I said 'Yep!' It was great...he tuned my mandolin and then broke into a sweet riff on my instrument. Needless to say I was a little envious. But I was more envious when Jeff pulled out his Gibson, Sam Bush edition mandolin! Its valued at $10,000.00. Incredible! Where my instructor travels around the country playing concerts with his band, Gibson gives him a new mando every year to advertise their product! Can you believe that? Heck, I'll travel the country too Mr. Gibson if you'll give me a new instrument! LOL... Amazin! Here's a link to their site if you're interested in hearing some good tunes!! http://www.lonesomeriverband.com/

Needless to say I went home with a smile on my face! Its nice to be outgoing and try new things sometimes. I'm so glad I'm doing something I have wanted to do for a long time! Yippee!!

BTW, I saw my little cousin Mollie...she's 6 months. Just wanted to share some pictures of this precious baby with you. She was adopted in September from Korea, and we all just love her to death!

2006-10-17T15:12:00.000-05:00

Behold, the pink mandolin!!

Can you hear that???....is that a banjo playing?? No, is it my screeching?? No...its me playing my mandolin! Thats right tonight is my first lesson in the wonderful world of bluegrass music. I leave in exactly 17 minutes from work to go to my teacher's studio in good ol' Berea, KY and I can't wait! This weekend, I was headed downtown when I got caught in the middle of the homecoming parade for EKU. So I decided to make the best of it. Went to Currier's music world and bought a brand new mandolin strap! Its shiny, and black and matches perfectly with my hot pink mandolin! Yeah I'm excited, can't you tell. I gotta have some smoking hot skills to show off to hubby when I see him this weekend. I'll be driving down to NC on Friday to see my love. I miss him soo... He's promised to cook me dinner when I get down there so I'll be testing his cooking skills for the first time. Bless his hear ya'll...This is the first time he's cooking me anything other then spaghetti. Thats about the only meal he ever perfected. But we'll have to see how his culinary skills have improved.

2006-10-15T17:13:00.000-05:00

In honor of the Navy's birthday which was last Friday, I wanted to post this you tube video I saw on another bloggers blog! As a Naval Reserve wife I know how hard it can be to know your loved one is far away from you, therefore this post! I wish you all smooth winds and prevailing seas!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DqaWdkdFb3Y

2006-10-15T15:53:00.000-05:00

In honor of my Japanese employer...we rolled out the first hybrid Camry this past week. Guess who I work for now?? LOL.....have a great remaining weekend!

Your Japanese Name Is...

Tori Shigenoi

What's your Japanese Name?

I just realized something!

2006-10-14T18:24:00.000-05:00

Okay Peeps...aka my Blogger chick sisters!

I just realized something today while reading through my fellow Blogger chicks blogs....I have nothing quite as interesting to write about as you girls do! Here's a breakdown of my life currently and you tell me what you think...

1. I have no kids...aka no cute whimsical stories about what my kid did today. I can however tell you about what my cat did but is that quite as interesting??

2. My life right now centers around work, work, work, and occasionally some fun.

3. Does anyone ever read this blog?? I see no comments..so I worry sometimes.

So I guess my next statement is this... I know I might learn some wisdom from you tireless mothers about raising children but my question is this..what can you learn from me?

With that, I think I'm going to switch gears on this post. I am going to try and put something educational or somewhat meaningful on every post I make from now on. In other words, not only do I want you to learn something about me, but I want you to learn something about where I come from and what my little corner of the world can offer. With that, thats why the new title of my blog is, 'My grass is blue'...because I come from the bluegrass state of Kentucky! And grass is something we have plenty of. Someday I hope write a book on my life, I figure everyone else does it so why not me right??? I know I have something to offer this world, I just need God to help show me the way!

What Pin-Up Girl are You?

2006-10-13T13:36:00.001-05:00

You are Betty Grable

The ulitmate girl next door
You're the perfect girl for most guys
Pretty yet approachable. Beautiful yet real.

What Famous Pinup Are You?

ABC's of Me!

2006-10-13T12:07:00.000-05:00

A - America or England?
B - Beauty or Personality?
C - Cats or Dogs?
D - Dance or Sing?
E - Extrovert or Introvert?
F - Fiction or Non-fiction?
G - Goofy or Pluto?
H - His/Hers or Yours?
I - Irritated or Irritating?
J - Juice or Yoghurt?
K - KFC or McDonald’s?
L - Love or Lust?
M - Money or Looks?
N - Night or Day?
O - Older or Younger?
P - Pale or Burnt?
Q - Questioned or Answered?
R - Red or Blue?
S - Stay or Go?
T - Take or Give?
U - Usage or Style?
V - Vain or Plain?
W - West or East?
X - Xena or Wonderwoman?
Y - Yes or Maybe?

My answers:

A - America or England? :: America, I am proud of my country, although I would like to visit England sometime.
B - Beauty or Personality? :: Personality...beauty fades with age. I'll look at an ugly face anytime as long as they're an interesting person to engage in a conversation with!
C - Cats or Dogs? :: Cats of course! Dogs lick too much...not into doggy breath in my face! Sorry!
D - Dance or Sing? :: Sing as long as no one is around! LOL
E - Extrovert or Introvert? :: Extrovert definitely..I have always looved the attention!
F - Fiction or Non-fiction? :: Fiction; sometimes I like to escape from my little world and read a good book!
G - Goofy or Pluto? :: No favorites on this one..
H - His/Hers or Yours? :: His/Hers- I think monogrammed stuff can be classy. Plus, when I go shopping I always have to buy two of everything.... my husband is picky what can I say!
I - Irritated or Irritating? :: Irritated- although it seldom happens, it can ruin a morning. As in today! Friday the 13th!!
J - Juice or Yogurt? :: Yogurt...especially Yoplait! I love that stuff..and the new whipped yogurt is the bomb! At least 2 servings of milk every day ladies!
K - KFC or McDonald’s? :: McDonalds- Sometimes I gotta have a burger. Now Fried chicken, don't typically crave that stuff.
L - Love or Lust? :: Love any old day
M - Money or Looks? :: Money. I would love to win $1000.00 a week for life like a guy in my hometown did! Wouldn't that be nice! I'd have my debts paid off, (including college loans) in less than a year!
N - Night or Day? :: Day, my brain is awake then. At night I sleep!
O - Older or Younger? :: At my age, it doesn't much matter. But since I'm married I gotta say about 2 years older then me!...LOL
P - Pale or Burnt? :: Pale...Pale I was born, pale I should die. I have never had a tan and no I cannot tan...trust me on this!
Q - Questioned or Answered? :: Answered...I love asking questions. Being inquisitive can get you in trouble sometimes but I like to know things.
R - Red or Blue? :: Red- gotta go with the Official Republican color.
S - Stay or Go? :: Stay. I'm a bit of a homebody at times!
T - Take or Give? :: Sometimes ya gotta do both.
U - Usage or Style? :: Style is everything! You gotta look good to feel good.
V - Vain or Plain? :: I wouldn't say plain but I don't pile on the makeup either! Just foundation, mascara, and lip gloss for me!
W - West or East? :: East Ya'll....keep the west coast, I'm not interested. Except maybe for Seattle! ; )
X - Xena or Wonderwoman? :: Wonderwoman- I grew up faithfully watching her every week on AFKN in Korea.
Y - Yes or Maybe? :: Yes. I'm not good at saying no...maybe I should start practicing saying that.
Z - Zip or Unzip? :: I keep my clothes on thank you very much!

its Tuesday!

2006-10-10T17:30:00.000-05:00

I'm excited because a week from today I start Mandolin lessons!! I fell in love with the mandolin while listening and learning to love Bluegrass music. I say that because my Great-Grandfather was a bluegrass musician back in the 30's. His name was Fiddlin' Dock Roberts. Dock used to play the square dance circuit along with radio shows and the Grand Ol' Opry. He desired being closer to his farm and his family (which included 11 children!), so he retired to his home in Union City, Madison County, KY. Dock died when I was only a year old so I never really knew him. But his legacy lives on in recordings housed at the Berea archives library at Berea College KY. I fell in love wih Bluegrass music when I first heard Allison Krauss and Union Station band. Their music is full of raw emotions and melodies that cannot be put into words. I HIGHLY recommend you listen to an album if you've never heard their music. So long story short, I now looove bluegrass music, seek out festivals throughout the summer, and hope to someday be a smoking Mando player!

Sunday Schumndays!

2006-10-08T09:35:00.000-05:00

Its Sunday...I should be in church like a good PK but I just can't bring myself to go there. Why is it always soo hard for me to interact with folks who know my business?? Don't get me wrong...these folks have been supportive to me my whole life but its so uncomfortable to be there amongst them. Why is it we feel more comfortable around perfect strangers? Am I back-slidden? I don't think so...I read daily devotions, I catch my favorite preachers on TV on Sundays..so I wouldn't think I'm running away from anything. As a matter of fact, I feel like I'm more on track with my life then I have been in a long time..so what am I doing wrong?

Sidetrack....don't be fooled by the Nutri-System commercials! The food sucks so yeah you probably will lose weight cause the food is so nasty you don't even want to eat it! LOL

Indecision!

2006-10-07T13:49:00.000-05:00

Thats a good way to describe me this week..Indecisive about my job..as to what department I want to work in, and whats more important to me...a non-stressful environment or money! LOL... and some other stuff I have been indecisive about that I won't mention! 'God give me the wisdom with your guidance to make the right decision and focus on whats most important, you!'

like my blog??

2006-10-05T13:32:00.000-05:00

I just put a new face to my blog. I was afraid the first layout just wasn't quite me. So now it is. Now if I can just figure out how to make my ipod pink. We'll be doing ok.... Ok, so I took the plunge last night and sent in my resume to the IS Manager. Haven't heard anything yet but if I don't get the job offer I won't sweat it. After all, its all in God's hands..and if right now is not the time, then its not the time. I have started beginning my day here lately reading devotions from our Daily Bread and its been very helpful to me. See my links...its a short passage from the bible followed by a quick lesson. It takes no more then five minutes to read and it really starts my day off the right way. They usually feature well-known Christian authors to make devotional posts. Some of these devotions have really kicked me in the butt. Shall we say I read them just at the right time. Check out the link if you're looking for a good resource for devotions!

Love to you all!

Okay...this is my second attempt at BlogSpot

2006-10-04T12:39:00.000-05:00

Hey Folks... Amy here. Sitting at my cubicle right now trying to pass the time away. I haven't blogged in a while because I let the strings go from Myspace. Long story on that..won't disclose it but close friends, you know the deal.

Today, I feel like I'm sitting at the crossroads of my life. My husband is 500 miles away in NC and I am desperately trying to find God's will in my life. I have a great job at an automotive manufacturing facility, and am ambitious enough to try and get another job within this facility making even better money. Thats the current dilemma. I work in a great part of the factory, which is hard to come by. But they have an opening in the IT department for more money, and more stress. My career goal is to eventually get back into that field but I loove the cool people I work with! Decisions...decisions...I don't want to hurt anybody's feelings BUT I do want to work in the IT field. What to do? What to do??? Anyone care to share their comments on this?