Random Thought

As I was watching the season premiere of Lost (huge Lost fan, by the way), I kept noticing all the Charles Schwab commercials. Now, I don't know if you know which ones I'm talking about, but it's always one person talking about some sort of financial situation they are in (401K, stocks, etc.). Now there's nothing wrong with a good monologue. I like one soliloquy as much as the next person, but it's what they do to the people. Rather than filming them with regular film, they've added the cartoon effect and "animated" the film. I don't know why this creeps me out so much, but it does. If one of those commercials comes on and I see it, I really almost have to leave the room because I can feel little prickles of unease crawling up my arms. I know, pointless right. But there it is! Now, this is how much I like to beat myself up. Here's one of them, it all its weird arm-prickling nastiness:

Our Prospects Are Looking Up!

Morning

Afternoon

In Arkansas, if you don't like the weather, wait a few hours!

Bitter, party of 18,000

Well, while the rest of Northwest Arkansas awakened to pictures like this:

The only accumulation Fayetteville had looked like this:

Why God, why?

Oh, the younger days...

Over the Christmas break, I got to spend some wonderful time with my family. Some of the family I haven't seen in a good three years. It was nice to have my Aunt Polly, who lives in Maryland, and her daughter Kathy visit for a few days. Kathy, her husband Anthony, and their daughter Lia made the trip to Arkansas for the first time. I always love when my dad and his sisters get together. We hear of all the exploits my dad and aunt Jean put Polly and Allene through. I still love to hear the story of the watermelon!

Of course, when my family gets together, there is always some sort of feast in the background. This time did not disappoint either. Mom made two gigantic pots of potato soup, and there was also chili, vegetable beef, and all kinds of side items. We all got together for some great pictures. When all the "kids" (I use this term loosely since the majority of us are in our 30's now) sat down together, all we could think about was the last time we were all together like this. There is a picture somewhere in my vast arsenal of photos when I was like 11 and we were all sitting on the porch steps at some one's house. Well, to my unfortunate dismay, I cannot find the picture, but here's the new one. Aren't we a motley crew?

From Back Left: Amy, Michael, Jonathan, Paula, Me From Front Left: Tina, Jami, Kathy

Care to See the Future?

So I was playing around and found this clip on YouTube today. Ahh, now I really am excited about the next installment of the Harry Potter saga!

Can I Borrow Your Baby?

Finally, there's a show coming on that's new and actually may hold my attention. I saw the preview for NBC's "The Baby Borrowers" last night. Oh my goodness is all I have to say to this show. Imagine, five teenage couples who think they will be good parents are given a baby, then a toddler, then a pre-teen, a teenager, and then an older person. Follow this link and watch some of the videos. I especially love the baby spitting up like the girl did the pea soup in "The Exocist!"

Click Here

Guilty Pleasures

Do you have any guilty pleasures? I have a couple of television shows that I watch that I consider to be so.

My all-time favorite addiction is Days of Our Lives. I haven't missed a show in several years, especially now with the addition of SoapNet and TiVo. I love it- all the bad acting, the horrible story lines, the crazy characters. It's something that's been a part of my life for a loooooong time. All of my grandparents watched it, so anytime I spent summer vacation with them, I watched. When we moved to Batesville in the early 90's, I would go to my aunt's house and watch it after school (she taped it on a VCR, mind you). When I got to college, I tried to schedule my classes around it, and at one point, even had my friends watching with me. I feel like I've grown up with several of the characters. They are part of my family, so to speak. I even read a blog every day that tells me what will happen on tomorrow's show. My dad still makes fun of me for watching. It's a sick obsession, and I love it!

Another one of my GPs is the Real World/Road Rules Challenge on MTV. When I was a teenager, we didn't have MTV. I come from a real hick town where MTV was considered to racy to be on basic cable. Once I got to college, the fascination began. I love the challenges. What more can you expect from some of the trashiest people when they are all thrown into a house together and do physical challenges and compete for money? TRASH! The Gauntlet III started last night, and I can't wait for this season to get into full swing.

So what are your guilty pleasure TV shows?

A Cold Day in July

Too bad it's not July. A cold day would mean it was probably 70 degrees and rainy, rather than the balmy 11 degrees and clear that it is right now. I have always been a winter lover, but this year is changing my mind. The warm, warm days followed by the extreme cold days have really made me appreciate the straight week of 100 degree days. At least that's my opinion right now. Ask me again in July how I feel about this...

Welcome Baby Brilanie!

Okay, so I get the message. We are no longer irresponsible young adults. We have all kinds of responsibilities that come with age, like house payments, car payments, student loan repayments, and....BABIES!

You all know that Rachel and Emily are expecting. I still remember the days when these two amazing friends told me they were "el pregnito." I got another surprise this week. My friend Melanie told me that she is going to be the next momma in the bunch. I couldn't believe it! That makes me so happy for them. Isn't it amazing what can happen when you aren't expecting it? Congratulations Melanie and Brian! Now Buster will have a baby brother or sister! I can't wait to meet Brilanie.

Top 10 Reasons I Should Be In Bed Right Now

10. I have to wear a sweater, a turtle neck, jeans, Cuddl Duds, and fuzzy socks to keep warm.
9. It's a dark, dreary day outside.
8. I have to make a trip across campus to the bookstore because a faculty member cannot plan ahead.
7. I have to wear heavy Doc Martin's in order to be able to stay upright as I walk on the slick sidewalks.
6. The sidewalks constitute a danger zone for everyone.
5. Grass should not crunch when you have to walk on it because the sidewalks are frozen.
4. I had to pour warm water over the car door to make it open because it's frozen.
3. People have no idea how to drive on ice, and even though I can, I really don't like to do it.
2. It's freakin' cold and will only get colder today!
1. Common sense says to stay in out of the rain, snow, or ice.

Monday, Monday... Or is it Tuesday?

Yesterday we celebrated Martin Luther King, Jr., so that meant the day off for me! However, it was not all fun and games. I had to go to the dentist and have two fillings and my teeth cleaned. Needless to say, my jaw hurts so bad today. I don't think I've had my mouth opened that wide in a long time (Jamie Cornett insert comment here)!

Last night, about 5:00PM, NWA got the brunt of a small ice storm. There were people sitting on I-540 until 11:00PM last night because the police shut down sections of the interstate because of ice and accidents. People were running out of gas and needed water for their children. It was crazy.

Speaking of crazy, I'm sitting at work today. I had to commute to the office this morning across sheets of ice, following idiot drivers driving sideways up hills. The scariest part of my journey this morning was the hike into the building. I slipped and slided my way across the quarter mile to the stairs that head toward my building. Once I reached the stairs, I really thought my life would end as I tried not to fall backward into the road. After climbing the ice stairs, I realized the sidewalk was in even worse shape than the stairs, and trudged my way to the building through the grass. Crazy!

A Friday Afternoon Blog Hodge-Podge.

I really don't have a lot to talk about. I'm sitting here at work (yes I'm blogging at work) blogging because I really don't have anything else to do. I know that some people like to read my blog just to read my blog. So, since I've been driving myself crazy trying to find something to do, I thought I'd drive you all crazy with a random blog.

YEAH! American Idol started Tuesday night. It was so much fun to sit around with Jim and Emily and Jamie, and watch these idiots try to sing. I just can't believe that someone has encouraged the belief that they could do well on the show. Last year there was a lot of drama about how AI exploits people do not have a complete and total understanding of their capabilities due to a mental deficiency. I'm sad to say that I agree with this, but there are enough lunatics willing to go to any lengths, including waxing every bit of chest hair off his body, to be on national TV. You can't write this stuff! Here are a couple of my favorites from the first night:

How does he sing with his tongue glued to the roof of his mouth! His co-workers should be shot for encouraging him. However, it's funny as all get-out!

Can you believe he really waxed his chest? My favorite part was when they Idoled his butt crack!

I almost killed my cat this morning. For some reason, he really, really, really likes getting in my bedroom window. This is no mean feat since there is a giant plant, a table, and shades to block his way. This morning at 5:00 AM, yes, 5:00 AM, I was awakened to the sound of crashing and the amazingly suprising feel of a cat bounding onto my pillow as he tried to escape the cacophony of noise he had just created. Needless to say, I almost had to change the sheets, since he scared the pee out of me! I yelled at him and threw him off the bed. When I got up this morning, I surveyed the damage he had caused and discovered that my plant was turned over with dirt everywhere, half the objects that are supposed to be on the table were now on the floor in a pile of dirt, and the blinds were ajar. I was still mad when I left the house this morning.

I got the neatest office tool yesterday. It's a DYMO label maker and it's my new favorite thing. I've been labeling everything that isn't tied down, well maybe even some of the tied down things. I love it. If I could take it with me everywhere, I would. It prints out these nice, waterproof labels that stick to any surface. I've gone through and redone a lot of my files, and even some of the students' mailboxes. Ahh, I love amazing office technology.

It was amazingly cold when I arrived on campus this morning. I was wearing my HOGS hoodie (get your own here), a wool coat, a scarf, gloves, a hat, jeans, and Cuddl Duds, and by the time I arrived at the office from my half mile hike into work, I was frozen! My ears hurt when I walked in and it seriously took me about twenty minutes to be able to function. I may have to invest in some ear muffs. Check out these bandless ear muffs I found. Help save my ears- donate to the Ear Pop Ear Muff fund!

I just got off the phone with, I think, the rudest person ever! This morning I took a call from the UPS headquarters in Springdale, and told them they had the wrong department, not to deliver a package here, and put them in touch with the correct office. A few minutes ago, this very offensive man from that department calls me and starts griping at me and asking how I'm going to get his delivery over to his building since I signed for it. First of all, I have NOT signed for a package from the cutest ever UPS man (I totally have a crush on this guy, by the way), I spoke with Kenny at the UPS warehouse. And secondly, it's your own darn package, figure it out yourself! I hate rude people; especially ones who demand answers rather than politely ask questions.

Speaking of UPS, "What can brown do for you?" I love that slogan!

Now that I'm thoroughly offended, I've lost my will to ramble aimlessly through a blog post. Oh well, it's a three day weekend for me! Yeah for Martin Luther King, Jr.! I guess that means I get to stay in bed as long as I want to in the morning, and read, read, read, especially since there are no new shows on TV worth watching. Maybe I'll post something else, if I can shake off the after-effects of the rudest man on earth. Peace!

Happy Blog Birthday!

Today is the anniversary of the first blog post to this blog. I can't believe I've actually gone this long. I was the girl who never wrote in a diary and was a terrible pen pal. And I can't believe that a year ago, I was starting school again, freezing in an unheated room in the Music Building, and planning what I would do as a student-teacher. Amazing how time flies, huh? 152 posts and counting!

In other news, I got an e-mail today from Melanie, about a band director in Texas. I don't think I would ever go to the extreme this teacher did, but who knows what circumstances were there to push this band director over the edge. Watch this link and see what you think:

http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/us/2008/01/15/guadian.tx.band.teacher.spit.ktrk

Good Weekend

I had a very relaxing weekend. Nothing too dramatic happened and I even got to read one of my trashy romance novels (they're a great way to waste some time and no thought is involved when reading them). Saturday, I helped with a baby shower for Rachel at the church. She got some cute stuff that Audrie will be able to wear later. Saturday night, I went over to Erin and Evan's, saw their remodeling efforts (nice by the way), and watched a movie. Sunday, again uneventful, with church in the morning, and a nap in the afternoon. I finished a mystery I was reading (yes, I read lots of books at the same time), and then went to sleep. Today is the first day of classes, so I expect to be rather inundated with a lot of questions/problems from students. I did almost come to blows with some woman who stole my parking space this morning, but that's a story for another day. Oh, by the way, the Hogs are now 2-0 in the SEC and had decent stretches of play in their win over Alabama yesterday! Way to go guys!

Random Thoughts by Garrick

Yesterday at lunch, Garrick and I were discussing the new National Treasure movie. I haven't seen it, but Garrick had. Some how the guy who plays Riley, Justin Bartha, came up. Now, I've always thought he was an actor of the cuter variety, but Garrick, in all his glory, told me he would have no problem hitting a girl if it came to a fight for his, shall we say, affection. I almost had to pull the car over because I was laughing so hard, with tears literally falling from face. Oh Garrick, you really made my day!

And why do you want to be President?

Is anyone else a little overwhelmed by all the political information we are having thrown at us lately? I've really started trying to decide, as a good American citizen should, who I will cast my ballot for when it comes time to do any voting. There are so many choices right now, and I see several interesting people I think would do a good job. Let me detail some things in a very positive way for you:

Hillary Clinton
I've always said that if Hillary ran for president I would vote for her. She has the experience. She lived through eight years in the White House, and even though she was only titled First Lady, I think she basically ran the country with Bill. She knows what comes with the job, and has a good idea of how she wants to manage the country. She has a vision that a lot of other Americans share. There are many issues that she wants to tackle as president. A lot of these may fall to the wayside in order to focus on realizing a few of these issues, but I think she has the intelligence and capability to surround herself with people who know what to do and how to do it. And it'd be cool for the first female president of the United States to have ties to Arkansas!

Barack Obama
I've been infatuated with Barack since I saw him on Oprah a year or so ago. He gave a speech at the Democratic National Conference in 2004 where he said "the audacity of hope is God's greatest gift to Americans." People jumped at this phrase, and in his book, which I am reading right now, he uses his life experiences to detail his optimistic outlook on what America could be. He is a very strong supporter of education and bettering the educational system. He has other issues that, as a young American (yes, I am still young), I believe call to the nation as a whole. We have lived in such a seemingly dark time, with the war and the threat of recession, that any ray of light we can be given will be grabbed and held onto tightly. I believe that Barack could bring America that light, and let us have the ability to hope again.

Mike Huckabee
When I heard he was running for president, I shook my head in dismay. I never thought after all the years as the governor of Arkansas, he would be able to gain the national spotlight the way he has. As a Christian, I know what this man believes. He was a Baptist minister for several years. He has a strong point of view of how to deal with many issues that face our nation today. I always thought he went a little overboard on the health issue when he was governor. I did not agree with many of the rules he instituted on the public schools and the way they deal with student health. But, as his message has gotten out to the public, not just about his health care plan, but about all the issues he raises (American security, marriage, immigration, education and the arts, etc.) more and more people are realizing he has a good grip on what his vision is for our nation. My only concern with him is his lack of foreign policy experience. As governor, he did occasionally work with foreign dignitaries, but not as much as he would need to as president. Can that be overlooked? Maybe, if he'll take America back to the forefront in world politics and make us stronger at home.

John McCain
What can I say about John McCain? I liked him in the last election, and I still do. Even though he is a Republican (not that that's bad or anything), he doesn't focus on the big business as much as other people-who-shall-remain-nameless in his party, but tends to focus on the middle class more. He's very veteran-minded, being a vet himself, and will be an invaluable asset for our military. He has experience with dealing with big issues, and seems to have a good handle on what he wants to do as president. I just hope doesn't run out of steam like he did before.

The main issue all the candidates are bringing to the table is CHANGE. It's turning into the catch-phrase for this election year. I think a lot of people in the country are ready for a change, no matter what the change is. We as a nation have been brought down to our knees by gas companies, government entanglements, big business collapses, and immigration problems. I really hope that all Americans will take a moment and research all the candidates and choose who they believe will be the right choice for America. These are not all the candidates, and I'm sure I'll hear about more issues that I didn't talk about, but I just wanted to get this off my chest. Keep America in your prayers people: she's gonna need it!

Don't look a gift horse in the mouth.

I never understood that phrase before, but I do now! Apparently, you can judge the age and health of a horse by looking at its teeth, and so when someone was given a horse free of charge, one didn't want to look at its teeth.

Now the reason I have brought this phrase to the forefront today: I had my first dental appointment in probably 10 years yesterday. I know, I know. I should never put off dental hygiene and should always have my yearly/bi-yearly cleaning since I have insurance and everything. I'd put it off so long, that I was terrified I was going to have to have root canals and bridges put in, and all other kinds of dental torture you can imagine. So, I walked into the office, filled out the paperwork, and began getting X-Rays. No biggie. Then the dentist walks in, looks at the X-Rays, looks at the chart, and says "Alright, let's have a look at the real thing."

Panic is the only word I can use to describe what went through my system. He starts digging around, poking, scraping; all while making comments to the dental hygienist sitting behind me. RANDOM THOUGHT: Isn't it weird that we will let a complete stranger poke around our mouth or other body parts because they have the word Doctor before their name, but it takes a long time before we'll hug someone we know? After what seemed like an hour of torture (and which was only about 5 minutes), he says "You have really good teeth and your gums are in great shape."

Hmm, I have really good teeth. RELIEF! The panic subsided, the heart rate went down, I could almost breath normally (I was still very, very congested at the time of my appointment), and then he tells me I have two small cavities on the very back teeth that he can fix when I come in for my cleaning. Oh, thank the Lord! In ten years, that's all I have: two small cavities and really good teeth. Too bad I'm not a horse; I'd be worth a fortune!

'Allo Gov'nuh!

I was going through some pictures last night and ran across this one. It's from the 2000 Cotton Bowl when Arkansas thoroughly trashed Texas, a beautiful thing if you ask me since I'm in denial of last week's debacle in the Cotton Bowl! Anyway, Mike Huckabee, then Governor of the state of Arkansas, hopped up on Mr. Warren's ladder and directed us in a rousing version of "Hey Baby" if I remember correctly. He recently won the Iowa Republican Presidential Caucus and had a decent showing in New Hampshire. Could this man be our next president?

No news is good news?

Christmas was very uneventful, and considering my family, that's good news. We all ate too much and got too used to being off work. I know I hated having to drag my lazy butt out of bed to face the frigid cold eleven degree temperature this morning and trudge my way to work.

My Aunt Polly arrived on Thursday night, and since I haven't seen her in over two years, it was fun to sit and talk with her and catch up on all the cousins I haven't seen in a while. Friday I cut my hair (picture of that coming soon) and now it's short again and I have BANGS! Sunday I woke up contaminated with Landon's cold, so now my throat hurts like someone is poking a hot piece of metal between my tonsils and I can't breath.

I stayed in Batesville through the first, something I haven't done in a while. It was nice to celebrate with the family again. That was one of the traditions we've kind of let go. I can remember cramming all of our family in our small shoebox house in Jonesboro for New Year's festivities and enchiladas. The Parkers would be there and the entire Reynolds crew would come as well. I remember sleeping with my cousin Jami and Grandma in my waterbed (not a big bed either) because every square inch of space in that house had someone sleeping on it. Three in the bed and the little one said roll over....

Anyway, Dad borrowed the Bank's gigantic grill and cooked steaks, hot dogs, and all the sides. We had a blast, and get to do it again on Friday night. My cousin Kathy, her husband Anthony, and their daughter Lia (one month older than Landon) will be down from St. Louis for a visit. I'm really excited about seeing them. I haven't seen Kathy since her wedding. Anyway, that's a recap of my holiday!