Ouch.

Maybe a better title would have been "STOP IT! That hurts like hell." Ha.

Mark and I "tested" a cold wax kit for work the other day. I've had my eyebrows waxed and various other parts of my body, but I've never been brave enough to get a bikini wax. (Feel free to start snickering and giggling at anytime.) SO. Ahem. We read the directions. Sounds simple enough. Anyway, I'm not the one who's going to be doing the waxing, because it's sort of hard to see if you are doing it right, if you know what I'm saying. Off we go....

The first strip he got the wax on, and we decided (probably too late) that we were going to have to heat the wax up, at least a little. It's just not spreading well and we are making a mess. At this point we are both laughing because, well, it IS funny. So, Mark heats the wax up and thankfully, he does not scald me. It's working way better and I'm lying there thinking, "this is going to be fine!"

I had to get worked up for him to rip the first one off. Deep breathing, distractions, the works........

RRRRRRRRIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIPPPPPPPPP!!!!!!!!!!!!

Oh My GOD, you guys. Have you ever had this done? If you have, you are out of your fucking mind. (like me, I suppose.) OK, so after i calmed down enough to look down and see what I was hoping to be a completely bald spot, I had to ask "Is that BLOOD?" Yep. It was. So Mark's like, well, we've come this far, lets do some more. This time it took quite a bit longer to get psyched up.....


RRRRRRRRRRIIIIIIIIIIIIIPPPPPPPPPPPP!!!!!!!

This time, I kicked him in the head. (Almost in the face.) And I screamed. I screamed so loud, he grabbed me and put my head into his shoulder where I then bit him. I'm not even joking. I could not help myself. At that point, I ran to the bathroom. (Why didn't we do this in there to begin with??? I have no idea.) I start running bath water. I want this shit off of me. NOW. Fortunately, the wax was water soluble and came right off. I immediately called Nancy and told her I would not be purchasing this product because obviously it was designed for use by masochists.

I ended up finishing the job the old fashioned way, and that's fine. 'Cause that shit HURT.

*Aretha Franklin- You Make Me Feel Like a Natural Woman

Oil Spills are for losers

So, I am trying to do my part in helping out. I sent messages out to lots of my facebook buddies, and sadly, I only had two people respond. Matteroftrust.org is a non profit organization who is trying to help remedy this situation. Thousands of animals and a huge part of our ecosystem are covered in oil. Go see what you can do to help. Currently, Classic Styles in Kingston and Grey Knob Kennels are collecting hair and fur to send out in order to help people making booms. Get involved, talk to your hairstylist, pet groomer, etc. and see if they are collecting to send hair down to the gulf.
What they do is use the hair to stuff booms. The hair inside collects oil. This helps but obviously isn't a permanent fix or solution. However, every little bit helps and it always feels great to make a difference. Think about it while you watch HERE.

*Alanis Morissette: You Oughta Know

Yard Sale find

I found this dress at a yard sale about a month ago.... It was some old lady's dress and when I saw it, it screamed 50's housewife. I loved it, Mark hated it... I had to have it.

I finally took it for a spin when we went out for Courtney's birthday. I wish I had gotten a picture of me standing in it, but you get the idea. It hits just below the knee and is that same blue with white dots pattern all the way to the bottom. I paid $1.00 for this dress, and I love it. Just thought I would share!

* Before He Cheats- Carrie Underwood

We'll be on the boat...

...for the rest of the summer, probably. How nice is it to be able to say that? We are very fortunate. Here's proof of our maiden journey...

Hitched up and ready to go...

and here is Mark. He's very excited...

and here I am.. being lazy.. and wearing a two piece (gasp!)

Our seats lay down... so if we ever have to sleep in the boat, it should be fairly comfortable. We had an amazing time. I can't wait to get back out on the lake. I think it's fairly safe to say that we'll be out on the lake all summer long.  : )

*Trouble- Pink

Happy Birthday Coco Holt.

May 18, 2010

Eeerrkkk! We surprised my very best friend, Courtney by showing up at Bonefish for dinner and drinks on her birthday. She's 29 years young, and my best friend forever. Love you, Coco.

*Zac Brown Band- Chicken Fried

Size matters

When it comes to picking out a swim suit, that is. I fall into the cracks as far as this goes. Unfortunately, it's not because I'm unbelievably tiny. Growing up, I was ashamed of my curves. Today, I celebrate them. Before you get all, Hoorah! Heather celebrates her curves! on me, I figure I should add that one of the reasons it's so hard for ladies to celebrate bigger bodies, is because it is damn near impossible to find clothes that make those bodies look hawt.

I spent two and a half hours on the Internet this afternoon looking for a new bathing suit to match the new boat....with very little success. You see, I'm not plus size and I'm not regular size. My size falls somewhere in the middle of those two categories. I looked at Old Navy, Gap, Target, Victoria's Secret with no luck. So, I thought OK, I will try Lane Bryant. Torrid? Nothing worked. Everything in the latter column was toooooo big. Everything in the first column was too small.

Where do I fit in??

Are you having this problem? Have you had this problem? Is the only solution to either a)gain weight or b)lose weight? I'm happy where I am now. Not to say, I couldn't stand to lose a little, but still, I've been working hard since the first of the year and for what? To be unhappy (yet again) when it comes time to pick out a bathing suit? I don't think so. SO. I'm on a mission. I'll be looking for a store or company that offers clothes to my size people. (which I am guessing is a larger portion of the American public that what I or anyone else may realize. If you know of such a place already, I'm all ears.

bad days

My knight in shining armour comes to the rescue. Again.

Lets just say Friday was a bad day. One of the worst I've had in sometime, actually. It started with a message I can't really share. A good friend got some heartbreaking news. That story isn't mine to tell, but it broke my heart into several billion pieces and I'm still nowhere close to being over it. ....and I'm not the person it happened to. After I got the "news" I had to go to the courthouse to get our boat registered. I wouldn't have gone in usual circumstances, but in this case I had to because Mark wouldn't be able to do it at all, because of training on Friday and this week he's working over time and we pick the boat up on Friday. SO. Register the thing, I must. I got down there and there was no line. Thanking my lucky stars mercifully, I walked right up to the first available clerk and greeted her the way I greet anyone who works with the public on a daily basis, I said, " Hello! How are you today?" If you have ever been out to eat with me, you know that I thank my waitress or waiter about a million times, say please and thank you (like a good southern lady) and I always apologize needlessly. In the same turn, if you've ever done anything with Mark that needed to be "official" in anyway, you'll know he is very thorough. And anal. He gets the job done right. The first time.

So, all that said, this lady was unbelievably rude and mean to me. She asked if my husband was a lawyer and when I asked her why she said in a hateful voice that "he sent too much paperwork and for her to go through all this was completely unnecessary and a waste of time." I almost started crying then, but tried to keep it together, apologizing over and over again. I had even told her in the beginning that I had no idea what I was doing and to PLEASE, bear with me. ...but to no avail, she remained hateful until I left.

When I got in the car, I called Mark to let him know I had done something, but I wasn't sure it was the right thing and 'Oh my God, that lady was so mean to me..... (still on the verge of tears.)' He asked me had I gotten her number and a few other things, but I told him no, and that for sure, I wasn't going back in. After we hung up, I stopped by the shop to tell Beth the "news" and to ask Bill about the boat...he wasn't there....so I head out and Courtney calls. I immediately start into my story and here come the waterworks. (That's a true best friend right there, I bet she could hardly understand me!) By this point I was so upset, I had to pull into Sonic to calm down and let Courtney talk me down. A few minutes later, I get a call. I ask Courtney to hang on and I switch over. IT'S THE LADY FROM THE COURTHOUSE. She was calling to apologize because MARK had called and spoken to her because I was so upset. At this point, I was still crying so I wasn't surprised when she sounded completely mortified. I explained to her that I was already upset when I had gone in, that I was trying my best to be nice and that her bad day plus mine had made for one really terrible day. She apologized (very sincerely) and told me the next time I come in, to come to her desk and demand that she be nice to me. (She doesn't know me! I so will!) We laughed about that and I came home.

My day wasn't completely better, but he sure made a huge difference by standing up for me. He also brought home some beautiful flowers, which were icing on the cake and laid down and took a three hour power nap with me. (All that crying must really take it out of a people.) For my knight in shining armour....thank you. For standing up for and believing in me, for loving me, faults and all and for reminding me in ways that continue to surprise me, that you can only be a whole when you find your other half.

My day wasn't really a drop in the bucket though. To my good friends who lost something really special on Friday, I am still grieving with you. I still hurt and anguish, and I am just so, so, sorry. I want to take you both in my arms, curl you into little things and hide you away from the world under my wings. And if I could, I SO would. I love you both so much.

*Angel- Sarah McLachlan

wedding days

On Saturday, Mark ran sound for Logan and Angela's wedding. Logan and Mark met at work and Mark has done sound at a few other weddings (sales pitch!) so he gladly accepted the offer. We only attended the reception, which was held a Sequoya Marina. I spent most of my summers on that lake and it was fantastic to go back and visit. It was a lot different than it was the last time I visited, with several nice renovations having been made, but the feeling and atmosphere were exactly the same. People hanging out on boats, drinking before noon (the shame!), dogs running around everywhere and old men checking out chicks in bikinis. Then again, what marina doesn't that sound like? However, we still had a really good time and Logan and Angela are a beautiful couple who seem to love each other very much. We enjoyed the wedding very much.  Wouldn't you?

*What Ever Happened- The Strokes

a visit from Ryan

And so it begins. I've been trying to catch up blogging, but reruns of Kendra and The Price of Beauty have kept me from it. (and I'm not even joking- cable has ruined me!) HA!

I started my weekend a little early by keeping Ryan so Holly could go out for dinner. He kept trying to climb into this tree so, I figured why not give him a lift? As you can probably tell, he liked it. : )

He also helped me water the plants, spilling most of the water from the jug onto his pants and shoes. (see exhibit B) As it would happen, children love playing in water and he was happy as a clam in soggy pants and shoes and was excited to assist me in the rest of my afternoon chores (where he ended up alarming dirty) until I gave up and put him in the bathtub.

Good times. : ) He's talking so much now. He's going to be 2 next month. (Just wait for year two in review!) It's hard to believe he was that little baby so long ago, and now he has such a vocabulary! Ketchup, Ry-Ry, Gigi, Uncle Mark and Aunt Hedda (FINALLY!) just to name a few.

Also, as it turns out, Ryan is an excellent gardener... when we arrived home this weekend, that Gardenia he missed? It's blooming!

*Into the Great Wide Open- Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers

randoms..

Here are a few random pictures I found that I just haven't had time to post stories about...

That old barn wood table I was telling you about... Mark did a fantastic job!!

Taylor playing ball... she's going to be GREAT!

Sleepover with my favorite little buddy!

Courtney and I headed to Kaybe's baby shower...

Kyle receiving the 'Most Outstanding Junior' award at Maryville College. Bill and I made the journey up together.

RCHS's Spring Concert. March Slov, their festival piece turned out great, and hopefully I will see Mr. Williamson again sooner, rather than later. : )






Enjoy!

*Crawl- Kings of Leon

teach your children well

The Saturday before Mothers Day, We took my mom and grandmother out for Chinese. My grandmother picked the restaurant, and she always picks the same little place in Oak Ridge. : )  I managed to get a picture of my mom, but grandmother managed to allude the camera.

My beautiful mother and myself.

On Sunday, we cooked for Mark's mom. I made quesadillas with chicken and guacamole, cheese dip, salsa and Margaritas. We took our spread out onto the back porch. Even though it was a bit chilly, I think Darlene had a good time:

Later on that night, Holly came by and I had made a red velvet cake for her to dive into. It was a huge success and I manage to pump Ryan full of sugar right before bedtime and sent them on their way...Unfortunately, my camera died before I was able to snap a pic so, you get Holly later this month. : )

Happy Mothers Day to all of my favorite mothers.... I love you all....

*Empire State of Mind- Jay-Z

busy as bees

My Blog! I do remember you... vaguely.... Ahem. May is always busy and this one's proving more busy than the previous few. In fact, if you look in my phone you will find 10 out of 31 days that I have TO DO SOMETHING. Between the third and thirtieth of this month I will wish 7 different people a happy birthday, attend 1 memorial service, be out of town one weekend, attend a wedding, smoke meat another weekend, Ryan is having surgery on the 21st and at some point, we are supposed to pick up our new boat.

I'm already tired and this month hasn't really even gotten started yet!

A few pictures...

Our new boat!                          planting flowers... kitty did not help

The kids begging for Bar-b-Que                 Cinco De Mayo Celebration

The month is almost halfway over. I've missed you lovelies....

*Money for Nothing....Dire Straits