Faster than the speed of light (8.29.05)

That line from a Steppenwolf song is exactly how I feel my life is going right now. I can't get caught up on anything right now...work, wedding, house, you name it. I have about 183,000 things started that I have no idea how I am going to finish. And, of course, work has to come first so that I can continue to pay bills, eat, and have a roof over my head. But then comes the wedding - which is nipping at our heels by the way - and there are so many details...it's hard to even think about getting them all wrapped up in the 6 weeks we have left. Beyond that, my house needs a really good top-to-bottom cleaning - I'm talking baseboard scrubbing, mopping, furniture dusting...the works. The problem? Time. Wah wah wah-y wah wah.
However, I am back on track to getting my life back. Lee was in D.C. this weekend, so I had a chance on Saturday and Sunday to kind of regroup...I cleaned, shopped, rested, went to church, went to work for a bit (ugh), and just tried to get my head back on straight. Not an easy task these days. But again this morning, work got all crazy and I have been going 100 mph since 830 am. The muscles in my shoulders and neck feel like someone mauled them up like a French twist from Mi-Lady Bakery. I am a nervous ball of energy right now...am almost giddy with adrenaline - trying to finish up buys for one client, media schedules for another, emailing aunts about having my cousins be ushers (and my youngest cousins pass out programs...they're so young, though, that they will probably end up running around with the programs on their heads - hell, by that point I may join them).
Craziness.
Good things: I am getting along famously for my boss...even asked for a raise last week (after a glass or two of wine) and I think I may get it!! Things are good on the work front...busy, but very very good.
The wedding plans are coming along - even though there is much to do, we have much behind us, and I am excited about the big day.
Can I even explain how excited I am about the honeymoon??? 7 days of doing nothing in Aruba. Hell yes!
Presents - wedding presents are the most fun thing ever...and I never knew that I would be this excited about plates and forks.
Ok, leaving for now - time to unclench my jaw and try to relax for the evening.
Au revoir.

There's no place like home (8.22.05)

Although being back after a week can smart, too. I was in Atlanta from Sunday until Friday, working in our office up there, and as busy as I was, I am so behind on our Savannah office work. Today has been crazy. I have not stopped since I got here, and I have a feeling that the rest of the week will follow suit. So if my entries aren't as regular as usual, you'll know why.
Along with that, the wedding plans are making me nuts. We are up to over 400 folks on our guest list (we had originally planned for no more than 200) which means that the expense of it all on top of the everything else has got my head spinning. And Lee's... I am trying to enjoy the process, and I actually have until now, but I have been waking up in the middle of the night with my shoulders in knots thinking about the organist and programs. I need a glass (magnum) of wine.
But, like I said a few posts ago, I need to focus on the fact that all of these so-called stresses are actually indicative of good things going on in my life. I am busy at work - that means I am needed and valuable. I am getting married to a great guy - that means I am loved and should look forward to not only a great party but a really fantastic marriage. I just need to take a few deep breaths and remember what is important. I just cannot wait until I'm sitting on the beach in Aruba having someone bring me frozen drinks and lying in the sun with Lee...ahhhh...
Until then, we plan, we plan, we plan.
And we take our anti-depressants.

NYC or bust (8.9.05)

This week, 7 people from my office are in New York City doing an event for one of our clients. Everyone on my hall except for me. And I can't help but feel jealous/angry/dejected about being left behind because I have worked just as hard (and harder in some cases) than everyone that is having a 3-day adventure in Manhattan right now.



However, instead of partying in the East Village, having drinks on the penthouse patio across from the Empire State Building or shopping in Soho (yep, they've done all these things)...I am helping answer phones (lack of manpower) and still trying to keep up with everything else I've got going on. Makes me furious. I'm sure that part of this is just immature envy...but another part has to do with the fact that I have worked my ass off for this client...and there are people at the event who have barely been with our company for 3 months. I have been here for 4 long years. And it's not just being in NYC...it's being that close to the client and having that experience - I want that. I deserve that. And, instead, I am left behind to do my "catch up" work.

I probably should have voiced at least a little of this before the event, but I didn't realize how incensed I was until now. I just feel slighted.

Is it me, I wonder? Do they not think that I can handle myself in that situation? Do they not think that I am at that level? Who knows... Although, I really DON'T think it's any of those things...I think I just got overlooked. And that really sucks. We're a small agency...opportunities like this don't come along all that often. And I wanted this one.

So, what does this teach me? I guess to speak up next time...even if it doesn't turn out the way I want. At least I will have stood up for myself. Wonder why at 29 that can still sometimes be hard to do?

You're not dealing with a human....you're dealing with a bride (8.8.05)

My friend and coworker, Adam, who is helping me with my invitations just said this to me. About me. And I swear, I am not normally a high-maintenance person...I don't know what's happened to me. I really have become that horrible creature known as Bridezilla.



Adam and Geoff (another coworker) have been working together on my invitations for awhile now...well, everything I've seen has been online. Files, pdf's etc. So today everything comes back from the printer - I was so excited!! However, there is an extra "s" on my reply cards (they say "Declines with regrets" instead of "Declines with regret")...and my inner envelopes aren't lined. When I brought these things up to Adam, he looked at me like I was crazy. Which, I think I actually may be.



That's when he said, "You know, I should have told Geoff...you're not dealing with a human...you're dealing with a bride."



Made me laugh...but it's true, and I can't deny it. It's that one time in your life where everything HAS to be perfect...and as easy-going as I am, I cannot seem to stop at "ok" these days...everything has to be absolutely flawless. The problem with everything being perfect, is that "everything" encompasses about 1 million little details. I swear, you could lose your mind planning a wedding.



So...here I sit with 3 boxes of "flawed" invitations...and work that I haven't even THOUGHT about doing. So before I get fired...let me say bye for now.



The Bride

Sarcasm is the Language of the Devil (8.4.05)

My mother used to say this to me when I was growing up...she denies that now. But I seriously doubt that I made that saying up. Whenever my brother or I would throw out obnoxiously facetious comments, our mom would give us the eye. You know...THE eye.



I had someone tell me today that my blog entries do not reflect my biting sarcastic side. Probably because I would rather not look like a total bitch - I mean, I know how to BE a total bitch, but that's not really my nature. Certain people bring out the sarcasm and not-so-nice comments...but in general, I am a pretty friendly and sensitive person.



But, ok, I will humor that sicko.



Things I Feel Perfectly OK About Smearing With Sarcasm



1. Angelina Jolie - Wow, what an amazing role model...having sex with Billy Bob Thornton in a limo, wearing vials of blood, sleeping with someone else's husband...and all the while posing as the poster child for "I Love Africa." I'm sure the kids will turn out normal. Probably a doctor and a school teacher...or serial killer and stripper.



2. SEC Graduates who can't seem to stop "Going to School..." - These guys - who are definitely in a category all their own - went to Southeastern Conference schools...they have graduated but can't seem to shake the croakies, polo golf shirts, Patagonia short shorts, Rainbow flip flops and all-around "I am so much better than you" sneer. These guys are the epitome of what all women want...I mean, who doesn't want to marry someone that will inevitably cheat on you, poke at your love handles with disgust, get completely wasted at football games on Jim Beam, and blatantly ignore people that he knows because they don't drive the right car. I love those guys...my Lord, talk about smoking hot.



3. Tom Cruise - I'm not even sure I can do this one with a straight face. What a psycho (that is not sarcasm). Tom, you have renewed my faith in movie stars...that elite group that I once thought so self-important they would attempt to make up their own religons...now I understand that actually, they ARE that important. If you're a movie star, you automatically know the history of psychology and more about the existance of a higher power than any priest, PHD, rabbi, or anyone who has actually studied these things. I mean, if you have played both Maverick and Cole Trickle in your life, you basically ARE God...right?



4. Monday Morning Quarterbacks - Again...the utmost respect for anyone who, with the advantage of hindsight, can drone on and on about what an athlete/coach SHOULD have done during the heat of the moment. That takes major skill and unparalleled knowledge - my only question is why these men aren't more celebrated in the world of sports? And, another amazing point to make about these men...most never even PLAYED sports. Incredible.



Ok, enough for today. I'm making myself angry. Hope this was entertaining.

Today is a new day! (8.2.05)

Well, in a little over 24 hours, our company raised $900 for Elizabeth. That is really amazing considering we only have about 12 people that work here. Our Atlanta office (which consists of about 15 more people) raised $80, and we did the rest. I am so unbelievably touched that everyone stepped up like that - it amazes me. And restores my faith in people. I cannot wait to give this "love fund" to Elizabeth...she is going to be blown away.



I went during lunch and got her goodies for her road trip - cookies, crackers, water, candy, gum...and treats for her babies, too. I am going to give her that tonight with a card - inside the card will be the check for $900. That should help her...at least a little. She can either use it for Toby's treatments, or for traveling, or for anything in the world she wants. :)



This fundraising has made me incredibly happy...I just feel so good that we could actually do something this substantial for Elizabeth. I am restored and refreshed and amazed and impressed. It's a great feeling. I know that what we've done won't take any of her pain away, but she will at least know how much we all care.



Thanks for everyone who has prayed for her - every little bit counts.



Tonight, on a totally different subject, a friend of Lee's is coming into town to stay with us for 2-3 nights. He is a groomsman and Lee has known him forever, but I've never met him. A vegetarian (which completely threw off my meal planning) and a non-drinker (which completely threw off my entertainment itinerary) - this should be interesting. Lee loves him, though, and I'm sure I will too... wish me luck. O'Douls and, um, whatever vegetarians eat!! ahah...



Have a great Tuesday - and do something sweet for someone...it does amazing things for your soul. LOVE!!!

Why... (8.1.05)

Have you ever seen someone go through a really awful ordeal and wondered "why." And you can't help but question ALL the why's..."Why them?" "Why not me?" "Why would God put so much on them?" "Why can't I figure out how to help?" "Why is everything in my life going so well and everything in their life going so wrong?"

I am playing the "why" game today. A friend and coworker of mine is going through a horrible time right now - her husband is in Iraq, her mother is battling cancer (seems to be in the last stages), one of her dogs has been diagnosed with cancer, too, and they are like her babies since she doesn't have any children. She just found out (literally in the last 15 minutes) that a funeral director has met with her parents. She is from Philadelphia, so she's not close to home; she has no brothers or sisters...she is relatively alone besides her friends and coworkers. And it breaks my heart.

This morning when her vet called to tell her that the pathology report had come back positive, she called me upstairs. That was totally out of character - she is usually so very stubborn and strong. She bawled on the fire escape and let me comfort her (as best I could) while she just unraveled. And then, to get the phone call about her mother this afternoon - isn't that too much for a person to handle? Why would God give someone so much to take at one time? And no one to help her share the burden? I just don't understand.

And I know that it is beyond human comprehension and not for us to understand...but it just seems so cruel. So positively unbearable. And I have no idea what to do, what to say, or how to handle it.

I started a little "fund" this morning (within our company) for her doggy...a Foundation for his radiation treatment. It seems like such a trite little thing - I wish I could do more. I'm awful in these situations - they scare me and I don't know what to do or say. At this point, I am just praying for her and for her family and her babies. It's heartbreaking.

So, now the only other thing I can think of to do is to ask y'all to pray too. Her name is Elizabeth, and her dog's name is Toby. She is one of the sweetest people on this planet and would do anything for anyone. I only hope I can somehow show her how much we all care.

Thanks...

On the Edge of the Weekend! (7.29.05)

And thank goodness for that! It is 230 on Friday afternoon...it doesn't get any better than this. Your whole weekend is just waiting for you to come and join the fun...and you have no obligations or responsibilities for two whole days. This is the last weekend of that variety, though, until the wedding. So I plan to enjoy the ever living stuffing out of it.

I looked at my calendar today and realized that between now and October 15th, I have someone else's wedding to attend, another's engagement party to attend, 5 luncheon/showers, 3 nighttime parties and 1 big ol' bachelorette weekend. I am going to be completely exhausted by the time I walk (crawl) down the aisle!! But it should also be a lot of fun. And the 30 lbs I was planning to drop before the wedding...well, I don't think that's going to happen. Seeing as the wedding is now only about 2.5 months away. I also was supposed to be really organized at work by this point, which has also not happened. Where does the time go??

I have yet to decide on the ceremony music...that's weighing on me. My invitations are in limbo because the designer (a friend) used some format that the printer can't "read." We haven't gone and picked out the tuxes. I don't have ANY clue what we're going to do about wedding favors. I hope the band doesn't suck. We still have to send money in to rent the square...and get cops so the bums won't go ape shit and mess with the guests. Lots, lots, lots to do... it's stressful.

So, to decompress this weekend is actually going to be a challenge. Tonya and I are trying to convince our significant dorks to go to La Boheme - which is an underground wine bar. I think that sounds heavenly... And then to the beach tomorrow to get sun and read and do nothing. Sounds perfect. If I can just keep all the wedding stuff pushed down out of my consciousness until Monday. Wish me luck.

For now, I am sittting in my office, shoes off, blogging away. My job allows me little freedoms like this one, and I am so glad. I would go crazy if I had to be "on" all day long.

Ok, off to search the internet and write emails until 530... have a wonderful weekend!!

Dreams (7.28.05)

Last night I slept so hard and so deep...it was physically difficult for me to get up this morning. And I think part of that was the clarity and vividness of my dreams. They were amazingly real...very bizarre to wake up from that.

I was moving back to Athens to start another year of college. Although nothing LOOKED like Athens, I knew that's where I was, and I had a truck full of things to unpack into my room. I was living at the sorority house (which I did for 2 years) and living with Beth (which I did for 3 years). She had picked out our room and told me it was Room 13 but not to get freaked out because it was a GREAT space. So I began unloading all of my stuff...which included suitcases, cardboard boxes, a grill (??), and my dog. For some reason, in order to unpack, I had to cross a 4 lane, divided street. Cars were flying. At one point, I was on the median trying to cross the remainder of the road, when a guy in a black car that resembled a lawn mower came tearing towards me. He ran up into a yard, barely missed a tree, turned back towards me and was headed right for me. Somehow I jumped out of his way, but I clearly remember thinking, "Wow, he is wasted and it's the middle of the day!"

I had on a bright pink golf shirt, white shorts, flip flops, hair in a ponytail. After I finished unpacking, someone suggested we all go downtown. I said that would be fine, I just needed to apply some mascara. While I was putting on the said mascara, I noticed that my eyelashes were about 1.5 feet long. But I wasn't upset or shocked, just mildly amused.

We went downtown to the club and listened to a band, had beers, and had a great time. It was so real...but also surreal. Dreams are always that way.

This morning, Matt Lauer's voice brought me back to reality. Stories of Iraq, Natalie Holloway, a missing newlywed who apparently fell from a cruise ship... I think I would have rather stayed in my dream.

The Sweetest Day (7.27.05)

I got an email from Lee earlier today that said, "Did you know that we're getting married on the sweetest day?" I was so confused...so I called him. He said that, yes, October 15th is actually The Sweetest Day. It's on Hallmark's calendar. Of course he didn't come up with this on his own...someone at work told him. But I thought that was really cute...and suspect, so of course I looked it up myself.



A whole article dedicated to The Sweetest Day (which is the 3rd Saturday in October)

http://pressroom.hallmark.com/sweetest_day.html



Ok, I'm bored with that now...althought I am glad we're getting married on a "sweet" day instead of, oh say... meanest day. You know?



Other than that... the heat index today in Savannah ranges between 110-120 degrees. It is incredibly, horribly, sickeningly hot outside. And hazy. I went out at lunch to get my Grandma a birthday card, and I literally thought I might just pass out on the sidewalk. It's not safe out there. Which is why I am not allowing myself to feel guilty about not running this week. I mean, I could die out there! (hahahaha)



So tonight (instead of exercising) I think that we are going to cook a nice dinner at home, crank the AC, watch some television and relax. Doesn't burn as many calories, but it also doesn't give you a heat stroke.



Stay cool.

Preacher Man (7.26.05)

Today at 515, Lee and I have our second meeting with the Methodist preacher at my church. The first (which I blogged about) went very well, and was more about us all talking and the preacher getting to know us than anything else. Today, he told us, will be about our fights and how we resolve them.

I am so nervous...I almost feel sick.

I guess my main fear is that he's going to tell us something like, "You know, after talking to you guys, I really don't think you're right for each other." Not that he ever would - because, besides the fact that we are SO right for each other, I don't think that preachers do that during pre-nuptial meetings. But there is still that fear...you know? That he is going to uncover some horrible truth about us and we will have to face the music. I think all of these feelings are normal...because when it comes down to it, I don't have any doubts about Lee. None. I mean, he does stuff like leaves his shoes everywhere and he tip-taps the Tony Chachere's container in a way that drives me INSANE, but I have no substantial problems with anything he is about or anything he does. He's wonderful.

So why am I scared of the preacher? Maybe it goes back to childhood and the notion of "All Seeing God" - I have always thought of preachers as also knowing a lot about you. Just by looking at you. Sort of a scary concept...to think that they could look at you and know that you cheated on your history test that day. Anyway, all irrational...but unnerving just the same.

We will go and sit in his cold office while he asks us questions about our relationship...I am sure I will pick and pull at my cuticles and Lee will bite his fingernails. But it will soon be over...and good for us in the end. ;)

Wish me luck! (at least I haven't cheated on any tests in a while...)

UPDATE: The meeting went very well...actually, it went way better than expected. The preacher is such a dear man - I actually enjoyed myself. And I think Lee did, too. Whew

Holy Mother of Mondays (7.25.05)

Wow, today has been hectic. I don't think I've been in the sanctity of my office for more than 45 minutes total all day. Had a meeting at a client's office at 10...lunch with Lee out at his work...client meeting upstairs at 2...and now my parents are in town, and I'm meeting them in about 45 minutes. How, you may ask, do I have time to blog today? I don't...but I also don't have time to finish anything that I might start at work, so :P

Today is my dad's 60th birthday. At his request, we are going to visit Pinkie Master's. It's a little dive bar downtown that we adore - and he is the only immediate family member that hasn't been. I am very much in love with this tiny watering hole - the bartenders are wonderful, the juke box is fantastic (and actually hosts one of my own mix cd's), the beer is cold, and the clientele are ALWAYS interesting.

Good time for a Pinkie's story from long ago...

It was April of 2003, and I was having a beer at the bar with some of my buddies. It was a Tuesday and pretty dead, so Pinkie's was quiet and calm. All of a sudden a guy approached me - came up on my left side - and asked my name. I told him, and he asked if he could buy my friend and I a drink. My friend was a guy, and he said "yes" before I could (ahaha)...so we smiled, took the drinks and said goodbye. He introduced himself as Josh, but I didn't think anything about it.

After he sat back down at his booth (with friends), another guy sitting up at the bar asked if Charly (friend) and I knew who that guy was. We said, "no" but that we sure were glad he was there...everyone likes free beer. Well, the informed bar-goer proceeded to tell us that this guy was Josh Lucas...the "hometown boy" from "Sweet Home Alabama," the friend in "A Beautiful Mind," one of the sleaze bag preppies in "American Psycho"... we were stunned. But sure enough, after another evaluation, he was indeed Josh Lucas. I was so excited...I literally started thinking about things like "What if he falls in love with me...? What if he asks me to the Oscars and we go to an after party with Nicholas Cage and Jack Nicholson? ... What if we get married, have our wedding catered by Spago, build a house in Malibu...?" I know, a bit over the top, but he IS a star!!

Anyway, about 30 minutes later, he comes back up to us at the bar. I was so excited...thinking "This is it!! This is my moment!!!" He mumbled something...and then bit me. Yep, you read correctly - he BIT my left ear. And I'm not talking nibble to be sexy...BIT my ear. Hard. It brought tears to my eyes. So I'm holding my ear, all of my Hollywood dreams shattered (as well as possibly the cartilage in my ear) and I'm looking at Charly like, "What in the world just happened???" He asked, "Did he bite you?" And I nodded. He then asked, "Did it hurt?" And, with tears in my eyes, I nodded again.

Charly walked over to Josh Lucas, in his booth, and tapped him on the shoulder.

"Did you just bite her?" Charly asked.

"Yeah...ahahaha" says Josh.

"You hurt her!" Charly told him.

"ahahahahaah..." laughs Josh.

"CHOMP!!!!" Charly bit him back.

HILARIOUS...and perfect. Well, Josh was in Savannah filming "Undertow" and was here for about 6 weeks...he continued coming to Pinkie's after that incident, but never without speaking to Charly and me first and buying us a drink. That, my friends, is my brush with fame.

I've been tagged! (7.22.05)

I just did this entire post and lost it...grrrrrrrrr... but, I am a dedicated new blogger, and I will do it again!! Thanks for tagging me, Allison!! (I even am getting the lingo down) Happy Friday!

10 Years Ago Today: Good Lord, I'm old. I was 19, home from freshman year at UGA, working for the Experiment Station in the peanut fields...exhausted but soooo tan.

5 Years Ago Today: I had just moved to Macon and taken a sales job with Macon Magazine. Was living with my parents for the first time since I left for college and was on the cusp of breaking up with a long-time boyfriend. I was basically just trying to figure out which way was up.

1 Year Ago Today: I was here in this very office...in this very chair... Happy in love, and had just gotten a new boss who has ended up being a lifesaver!!

Yesterday: Celebrated a friend's engagement at our favorite watering hole.

Tomorrow: I hope to go to the beach, but Lee and I have too much to do around the house. Bummer.

5 Snacks I enjoy: Clausen dill pickles, Zapps Salt & Vinegar potato chips, Combos, carrots with veggie dip, beef jerky

5 Adult Beverages I enjoy: Amstel Light, chardonnay, champagne, Crown & ginger ale, strawberry dacquiris

5 Bands That I Know the Lyrics to Most of Their Songs: Commodores, The Police, Frank Sinatra, Otis Redding, Snoop Dogg (old school...not the new stuff)

5 Things I Would Do with a $100,000,000: Send my parents on a fabulous overseas trip, repair the damage that stupid Dennis did to our beach house, pay off my debts, buy Lee a new car...possibly a police cruiser...hmmm?, invest

5 Locations I Would Like to Run Away to: Cannes, Italy, Turks & Caicos, Hawaii, Fiji

5 Bad Habits I Have: Procrastinating at work, biting/chewing my cuticles, not balancing my checkbook, not answering my cell phone, eating late

5 Things I Like Doing: going to the beach, reading, watching movies, running, hanging out with Lee, traveling

5 Things I would Never Wear: micro mini skirt, polyester leisure suit, socks to bed, midriff-baring top, assless chaps (ahahhahhaahah)

5 TV Shows I Like: Felicity, Law & Order, Bridezilla, Real World, Laguna Beach (I know...I'm much too old)

5 Movies I Like: Annie Hall, The Shining, Pretty In Pink, Wizard of Oz, A Love Song for Bobby Long

5 Famous People I would Like to Meet: John Cusack, Katie Couric, Tom Brokaw, Tom Selleck, Tom Cruise (so I could punch him)

5 Biggest Joys at the Moment: planning my wedding, looking forward to the weekend with Lee, my cold Diet Coke, knowing it's Friday, being happy for my brother that he got his house (yah!)

5 favorite toys: my wedding notebook, my dogs, my car, the On-Demand feature on our cable box, Netflix

5 People to Tag: Mere, Allison (thanks for the tag!!!), Girl From Florida, JC, Huge Soul

Ok, I would try to link those names, but that's how I lost this the first time. ;) One day I'll figure it out...

51 More Things to Note... (7.21.05)

It was brought to my attention that most people in Blogland note 100 or 101 things about themselves....since I only listed 50 the other day, I will attempt to get to 100. If I have it in me, I will try for 101. If this is boring any of you, you have my permission (and the power) to close this window.

51. I have been to Las Vegas - I gambled for about three days (we were there on a 7 day trip) but then lost at the Roulette table, and I didn't gamble for the remainder of the trip. I did however, bash my head into a marble chair rail at the MGM Grand on New Year's Eve and I think I had a mild concussion.

52. My fiance and I have our own language - we probably are up to about 25-30 words that no one uses but us.

53. I was cut from Kappa Kappa Gamma sorority during rush at UGA in 1994 - and it really pissed me off.

54. I don't like spicy food.

55. My first pets were poodles - Louie & Mimi - that were my Mom's babies before I was born.

56. My left ear is double pierced - I did that in rebellion on a Choir Tour when I was 14. My best friends did it with me...

57. I hate sweeping - I would rather clean toilets than sweep.

58. I love the show "Felicity" - it is probably my favorite show that has ever aired.

59. I didn't understand that the cereal tagline "Nut'n Honey" was supposed to have the double meaning of "Nothing, Honey" in the commercial until about 3 years after it had been on the air

60. My fiance's favorite ice cream is Mint Chocolate Chip - it is pretty much the only flavor of ice cream that I don't like

61. I am a Libra

62. I love football

63. I hate mayonnaise

64. My friend Beth and I used to have beauty pageants with her Madame Alexander dolls and tape record them. We even had musical interludes...sang "America the Beautiful" once

65. I used to prank call people and ask for Ghandi - I thought that was hilarious

66. I was hit by a car when I was riding my bike - I think I was about 9 years old

67. I have never broken a bone or even had a sprain

68. I have had an MRI, a Cat Scan, an endoscopy, and several other procedures that you don't want to know about

69. I went to Centennial Olympic Park in Atlanta during the 1996 Olympics...but I didn't go to any events

70. I also went to the World's Fair in 1980 and still remember riding the "ski lift" thing in Knoxville, TN

71. My uncle and my dad played college football - uncle at Georgia Tech and dad at University of South Carolina

72. My fiance's feet look like a warlock's (or what I would imagine that a warlock's feet look like)

73. I wear a size 7 ring (that's kind of big)

74. I have had about 11 speeding tickets - I have never gotten out of a single one

75. I prefer driving a 5-speed car to an automatic car

76. I am really, really silly at heart

77. I was voted "Best Legs" my senior year of high school

78. My first kiss was Josh Mason in the 6th grade at a party at April C's house

79. I have a Sheltie named Charlie - I think he is the greatest dog in the world

80. The only play I was ever in was a Christmas play at church - I was one of the Star of Bethlehem's sidekicks - I wore a big cardboard star around my head and had several lines. It was scary. I think I was about 6

81. That's a lie - I just remembered that I was in a play in preschool and played "Harriet Honeybee" (I can't believe I remember that...I was only 4 years old)

82. We used to reenact Dukes of Hazzard on the playground of my preschool, and everyone wanted to be Daisy Duke. I was usually one of the Hazzard boys or Roscoe P. Coltraine

83. I like food from places like Morrison's and Picadilly Cafeterias

84. I love to sleep - I can easily sleep 12 hours a night, but I try not to do that

85. I can't wear socks to bed because I am really hot natured

86. I went to three funerals in high school for classmates that died in car accidents

87. I love to buy clothes - it really gives me an incredible high

88. I want to lose about 12 lbs

89. I strive to be more like my mother - she is much more reserved than I am and an amazingly strong person

90. I also strive to be like my father - he's a role model and well-respected and funny and a very hard worker

91. I think that being weird is a very attractive quality

92. The first time I ever got tipsy was on Choir Tour when I was 14 years old...we were in New Orleans (our choir director later got in trouble)

93. I love amusement parks - way more than your average person. I have a hard time sleeping the night before I go to one.

94. Christmas Eve is the best day of the year. Period.

95. I dressed my brother up like a girl once - put him in a tutu, a wig, the whole nine yards. No wonder he hates me.

96. One of the happiest days of my life was when I made the cheerleading squad in high school - we had 5 different uniforms, and I tried every one of them on that night and did cheers in front of the mirror

97. One of the scariest days of my life was when I was dropped off at college - I begged my parents and my boyfriend not to leave me

98. I love french dip sandwiches

99. I don't know how to water ski - I have tried, but I can't stay up for longer than about 100 yards

100. I wrecked a Honda scooter when I was 15 and chipped four teeth

101. This is for Meredith: I am still a movie fanatic and can quote lines from probably over 100 movies

Whew.

A Christmas Story in July (7.21.05)

This is another of my stories from the past that I don't want to forget...the story of mine and Lee's engagement. Thought I'd post so that I'll have it. :)

Feel free to read at your leisure - this is a long, long story...but pretty entertaining. And true! As you may or may not know, the Sewards went on a cruise this year - from December 18th to December 23rd, and this is where the story begins...

The cruise was wonderful - so relaxing and so much fun and I think I gained 1700 lbs. It was actually a little chilly some days, but still warm enough to lay out some and relax and read in the sun. Ahhh... Key West was great and the Bahamas were so beautiful. Got back to Jacksonville (with no horrible hurricane-like winds or Tsunamis) Thursday morning. I cried all the way back to Savannah because this was the first Christmas without my family, but by the time I got home I was ok. I'm a huge baby. hahaha...

Packed and did laundry and relaxed a little bit at home here in the 'vannah before my 6:05 PM flight to Memphis. Got to the airport and found that my flight was delayed by 30 minutes...no biggie. But, when we got to Atlanta, my flight there was delayed 2 HOURS! And the Atlanta airport literally looked like Wal-Mart on Christmas Eve. People EVERYWHERE!! So I was a little perturbed and called Lee to let him know that I would not be to Memphis by 9.

Well, when I got him on the phone, I could tell something was wrong...he was breaking up, and all I heard was "Mary Emma...hospital...not good..." Mary Emma is Lee's 2-year-old niece. The phone completely cut off, and I hysterically called back. This time, Mrs. Huff answered and told me that Mary Emma had fallen and hit her head - she quit breathing, had a seizure and was in the hospital. Lee had driven her, his sister, and his nephew, William, in the ice to the hospital - thankfully seeing an ambulance on the way and flagging them down. In the process, he knocked his passenger side mirror off of his car and his driver side window blew a fuse and wouldn't roll up (mind you, it was 11 degrees). So, when I talked to Mrs. Huff, Mary Emma was in ICU and they didn't know if she would suffer brain damage or not. So, so, so, so scary. They were just a mess!

My flight (of course) got delayed 4 more times, and by the time I finally left for Memphis (1240 AM), Mary Emma was doing fine, her Cat Scan came back normal and she was going to stay in the hospital for observation. Whew... I got to Memphis at about 130 AM, and Lee picked me up at the airport. By this time everyone was exhausted - emotionally and physically.

Mary Nell (Lee's sister) stayed at the hospital while her husband, Patrick, had to move mountains to get to Memphis from Paducah (where they live) because of the 14 inches of snow that fell. Finally, a neighbor drove Patrick to the hospital (took them almost 5 hours), and the little family was reunited. In the meantime, Lee's dad fell and broke his arm while walking the dog on the ice. The hits just kept on coming...

SO...by the time Christmas Eve rolled around, everyone was pretty much patched up, and we were all just happy that things turned out as well as they did. Such a roller coaster of emotions! Mary Emma got to come home around 3 or so, and she was as good as new, thank goodness. Mr. Huff got a cast, and was just thankful that his left arm was impaired and not his right.

Lee told me that Christmas Eve would be our night, so we packed a little bag, got ready and headed out into the snow and ice. We went to the Peabody Hotel to have a drink and dinner at the Italian restaurant there. Before dinner, we checked into our room - which was so fabulous and QUIET which was a nice change - and then went down to eat. Dinner was so delicious, and it was so nice to just be able to talk and unwind. After that, we went to a little blues bar in the hotel and had a drink. Lee was dead-set on getting up to the roof (I had no idea why), so we went up to the room to get our coats. While we were in the room, he said he wanted to get some champagne to take up to the roof... as he was calling the lobby, I looked on the table in the room, and there was champagne already there. Lee looked so confused - it was hilarious... Anyway, he said that he must've ordered that when he reserved the room, so we poured a glass and began our venture to the roof.

Since it was now 5 degrees and completely iced over, they wouldn't let us up to the Skyway. Foiled! Lee went down and begged the concierge, but it didn't help. He was a bit crestfallen, and I didn't know why...but we decided to just have our champagne in the warm room (which was FINE by me!! haha). When we got there and sat down, Lee told me he loved me...then he said, "Do you know how much I love you?" And, honestly, after that, it becomes a blur! It was so romantic, and he told me that he wanted me to be his wife and that he loves me more than anything in the world...and then he got on his knee and proposed. Such an amazing moment. Actually, he said, "You didn't say yes!" To which I responded, "You didn't ask!" He had only said "I want you to be my wife..." So, then he said, "Will you marry me?" And I said "yes" and we laughed and cried and had more champagne. :)

So, there you go! A really memorable Christmas indeed. Haven't set the date yet, but we're thinking maybe October...

Forgive...still officeless (7.19.05)

I swear, I think that being officeless is worse than being on a serious deadline. I am bored to tears AND antsy about all of the work I haven't been able to do. In order to keep myself from stressing out, I have decided to make a list - 50 Things About Molly... I've seen it on other blogs, and it's kind of interesting. Let's see if I can get to 50.

1. I am left handed - I eat and write with my left hand...but throw with my right.

2. I have green eyes that can sometimes look blue in the sunlight and with the right color shirt on.

3. I am a dog person - cats are ok, but I adore the canines.

4. I don't like bananas, grapes, canteloupe, watermelon, honeydew, or kiwi.

5. I do like liver & onions, spinach, cooked carrots, rutabegas (sp?) and can eat bbq for breakfast.

6. I was a big baby - 9 lbs, 15 oz's at birth

7. I wrote plays in the 2nd grade and cast kids from my class to be in them. I would even bring them costumes to wear and rewrite all the copies of the script.

8. I am horribly scared of alligators - I have nightmares about them.

9. I am very self conscious about my body - especially my love handles.

10. I am named after a friend of my mother's in college - a ZTA friend at UGA

11. I have always found English classes easy...and math classes impossible.

12. I don't love poetry - except for limericks. Love limericks.

13. I love to read - mostly fiction although a good biography can suck me in, too.

14. I think that listening to Braves games on the radio is really fun and it makes me feel happy.

15. I adore the smell of fresh cut grass - it reminds me of summertime and of football games on Friday nights.

16. I could eat an entire jar of dill pickles in one sitting.

17. I own close to 50 pairs of shoes.

18. My Seven jeans that I bought in LA are one of my favorite possessions.

19. I have never been out of the country besides going to the Bahamas.

20. I was a gymnast for 8 years, but I was always scared of the parallel bars.

21. I won a writing fair in 4th grade for a poem I wrote about school. I won again in the 9th grade for a story I wrote from the point of view of a soldier in Desert Storm.

22. I won 3rd place in an On the Spot writing contest at a Journalism Convention held at UGA when I was in 12th grade.

23. I lost the student council election in 12th grade, as well as the Beta Club Officer election, and I didn't get chosen as captain of our cheerleading squad or voted onto the Homecoming Court.

24. I have never been late on my taxes.

25. I have been late on my car payment.\r\n26. I have bounced a check.

27. I have never pawned anything.

28. I have called in sick when I was not really sick.

29. I have gone to work when I probably should have stayed home.

30. I have written letters and emails to people who haven't written me back, and it hurts my feelings.\r\n31. I think my brother is amazing.

32. I have flat feet.

33. I don't have contacts and never had braces.

34. I only quit biting my fingernails about 2 years ago.

35. I have had my heart broken - at least twice.

36. I have broken someone's heart.

37. I got an award in 5th grade for not missing a single day of school - that same year, I also got an award for the highest academic average in my grade. Going to school DOES help you to do better. ha

38. I have called someone by the wrong name - recently - and it was a family member.

39. I wanted to be a grocery store clerk when I was a little girl.

40. I used to make up songs on my front porch and when I was riding my bike, and it would make my eyes water.

41. I think that Riesen candies are the most delicious thing on the planet.

42. I like beer more than wine.

43. I love Lionel Richie, Phil Collins, Hall & Oates and tons of other cheesy music.

44. I have tripped and fallen while running in my neighborhood.

45. I have been caught talking about a friend.

46. I love collard greens - can eat 2 or 3 helpings without getting full.

47. My first name and my last name both mean the same thing: "Guardian of the Sea"

48. I love to write, talk, look at pictures, and watch old movies - I am extremely nostalgic

49. I was a C-section baby - therefore I have a "perfect" head

50. I am much too sensitive and can dish out a lot more than I can take.

Whew - there you go. And guess what!! I get my office back!

Back to My Post (7.19.05)

I have been momentarily displaced out of my office - my computer has some strange corrupt "thing" going on, and our IT person had to copy ALL of my files onto a 3rd party hard drive, clean out the computer, and then copy it all back. I have, as a result, lost a day and a half of work AND of blogging. Woe is me.

The weekend was great - my fitting went well, and there are only a couple of minor things they have to do to the dress before the wedding. Yikes. Even my shoes were ready this time. It is such a good feeling to put on your wedding dress and have other patrons in the store tell you how much they like it...validation that you chose well, I suppose. I am happy with the dress - it's gorgeous. And I really wish that I could wear it more than once, but that would be severely inappropriate and a little mentally unstable.

Saturday evening the whole family went to a wedding. It was an Episcopal wedding, so it lasted a really long time (for us Methodist folks, anyway). So beautiful, though...and really sweet. The couple seem perfect together, and I've known them both for ages. Especially the groom - I've known him since he was born. The reception was SO much fun!! And I wasn't expecting that... I think that may have been what made it even better. The band was great, the beer and wine were abundant, and there were tons of people there that I knew. We even ended up at the country club bar after the bride and groom left - no one was ready to go home. I love those nights - you feel like you are smiling for hours upon hours.

Sunday, while Lee was still camping, my mother and I went shopping. During the course of the weekend, I scored three new pairs of shoes and two dresses. My mother also found my bridesmaids' jewelry yesterday, so we are one step closer to having everything done. What a great feeling. I ended up staying in Tifton Sunday night and driving back yesterday morning. That was a fine idea except that by yesterday afternoon, I was an exhausted wreck. At one point, I cried because the clean dishes had not been unloaded out of the dishwasher. It was time to lie down.

Lee was a sweetheart and let me be pitiful - he made dinner and even brought me dessert. :) I needed that...I think the stress of the wedding on top of working and just being tired all got to me. Bottom line: I need a vacation.

This weekend - NO PLANS!! I can't believe it...and am so excited. I hope I get at least one good beach day out of it, too. My mother gave me a JFK, Jr. biography this weekend that I am flying through - he was my ideal growing up. I loved everything about that man. This book is fascinating.

Off to check on the status of my computer - happy green beans and Gadget!

Brain Dead (7.15.05)

I am officially the most useless person here today. I can't bring myself to do even a morsel of anything resembling work...it's pitiful. I just was asked if I had finished revising a schedule that I was given early this morning. Of course I had not finished...I haven't finished ANYTHING today. So I felt a little guilty and took the 10 minutes necessary to revise the schedule. If possible, I am even MORE worthless after that little bit of effort.

I'm driving home to Tifton this afternoon, and I think that's my problem. I'm just so ready to get out of here and get on the road. That drive is quite possibly one of the most boring trips there is - 3 hours of flat landscape and tiny speed-trap towns. But, I was informed by my Mother that there will be a steak there with my name on it when I arrive. Yippee...

I have my second wedding dress fitting in the morning. The last time we did this, I almost passed out from standing for so long. Of course I didn't eat because I didn't want to be chubby for the fitting - that was beyond brilliant. I was light headed and almost sick by the time it was over. I am vowing to have at least a piece of toast tomorrow.

Tomorrow evening I have a wedding to attend - I'm so excited about it. It's weird...now that I have my own wedding in the works, going to other folks' nuptials is fascinating! Lee is off doing the camping thing this weekend (remember? I'm the cool fiance), so it will just be me and the fam. Looking forward to it.

Ok, short post today because, as I've stated, I am a mere shell of a human today. Happy weekend!

Do You Love As Good As You Look? (7.14.05)

Just a little tribute to the Bellamy Brothers. Last night while it was storming, Lee and I sat on the screen porch having some wine...and I decided that I was in the mood for some music from my childhood. Bellamy Brothers won.

When I was a little girl, I used to love to tag along with my Daddy. He was a football and baseball coach, so he spent lots of time outdoors. On the weekends, he was always at one field or the other...mowing the grass, dragging the infield, irrigating, putting up fences, you name it. I begged to be able to go with him - it was so much fun for me. Everytime I would ask, he would say (in his timeless Southern drawl), "Now, it's gon' be a little while..." Meaning: This is an all day event and I don't want to hear any whining or complaining. I was always ready and willing, though. Even in the 100 degree heat and suffocating humidity of South Georgia in August.

So off we went! I would crawl up into his pick up truck, he would roll down his window, usually put in a plug of chewing tobacco, turn on the radio, and we'd be on our way. The smells and sounds of those days come back to me so vividly - it's amazing. Fresh cut grass, gasoline for the mower, the crickets and tree frogs that lived near the fields, the sweet smell of tobacco, the hollow sounds of the aluminum bats in the dugout, honeysuckle plants, and most of all the music. Otis Redding, Hall & Oats, Steppenwolf, Dire Straits and, of course, The Bellamy Brothers.

After our long day of working (Daddy working, me staying out of the way and practicing my gymnastics floor routine), we would swing by the quickie store. This was the one time that I got to have a "bad for me" snack - away from the watchful eyes of my mother who preferred we eat healthy. My favorites: YooHoo to drink, fried pork rinds and beef jerky. Oh how I loved those trips to the store. I felt so deliciously sinful...eating "junk" with my Daddy. During the ride home, I would take my shoes off, devour my snacks and sing along to the radio. All of these memories take place when I was between the ages of about 5 and 9.

I am the only girl...and the oldest child. When we would get home to my Mother and baby brother, I looked like anything but the good mannered little lady she was trying to raise. Shoeless, dirty, eating horrible redneck-y snacks and singing Bellamy Brothers songs - with all their double meanings and suggestive innuendo - as loud as I could. "If I said you had a beautiful body, would you hold it against me?" "Do you love as good as you look?" These were my two favorites...I didn't even understand them until about the 9th grade.

My Mother was understanding, though, and knew it was important for me to bond with my Daddy. And my Father was so patient to let me tag along while he worked. These are some of the best (and oldest) memories I have.

Long live unhealthy snacks, Daddy's and daughters, and the music that is the soundtrack of our youth.

Good Samaritan versus Idiot (7.13.05)

Yesterday I went running in the park...was minding my own business on my way back home when I was confronted by a man. He was very nonthreatening, but still a stranger...and he told me this long story about having run out of gas, having been robbed, not being a Chatham County resident (lives in Pooler...about 20 minutes away) which means that the local authorities wouldn't help him. I still don't know what was true and what was made up about his tale, but I just am not the kind of person that can walk away from that.

I told him that I didn't have anything on me (obviously...I was running, for God's sake), and he asked if he could just walk with me to my house and maybe I could just give him a cup of water and $5. I know...and if anyone else told me this, I would have told them they were crazy. But this guy was shorter than I was, very obviously gay (and he even told me), not armed in any form or fashion...so I complied.

When I got home, he stayed outside, and I went in and told Lee the situation. He was (as expected) not pleased that I had brought some strange man to our doorstep. I felt like a kid in need of a spanking. I told Lee that there was a man outside who just needed $5 and a cup of water...Lee looked at me like my IQ was about 23 and waited while I put some ice and water in a plastic cup. He went outside to talk to the man (Alex was his name).

He was out there for a good 10 minutes - while I was, of course, peeking through the blinds. When Lee finally came back in, he said, "Ok, I'm taking this guy to his car...you're right, he doesn't mean any harm..." Lee took Alex to where his car was, and it was gone. ??? Now, who knows if he actually ever even had a car there or what the story was, but then Lee took him to one of his friend's houses who had earlier been at work. She was home at this point and agreed to take him back to Pooler.

After about an hour of dealing with Alex, Lee and I were back home, in our kitchen, making dinner. Such a strange afternoon...and we will probably never know if we were actually good samaritans or if we just helped a bum get another 40 oz. of malt liquor. But I hate to think of a world where someone can't get help from people if they really need it. Alex, if you're reading this, you owe us...HUGE.

Not a Happy Camper (7.12.2005)

This weekend several of my friends (including my fiance) are going camping on Cumberland Island. They have to take a ferry over to the uninhabited island - which means they can't leave at will. They are taking everything they'll need for the weekend with them - tents, sleeping bags, food, bugspray, etc. etc. etc.

I am not going.

Don't get me wrong - I love the outdoors. I can stay on the beach all day long; I love to run outdoors; hiking is so much fun to me... but sleeping outside is just miserable. I have tried to understand the appeal - in fact, I went camping a couple of months ago with this same group of friends. I stayed one night and then left them all to their own devices as I drove home in search of a bath and clean sheets. I don't know what this says about me...am I a priss pot? I don't think so. I just like to be comfortable, and it seems to defy logic to make yourself UNcomfortable when you are within driving distance of your own bed.

Now I did go camping once in college - and that I really enjoyed. We hiked over mountains (literally) and the view was absolutely amazing. We camped on Flower Gap which was like a saddle in between two mountains - it was so peaceful and gorgeous. I still longed for a hot shower and my own comforter, but in that case, the reward was greater than the task. But even then, I remember thinking (and probably saying) that we could have taken all the money we spent on camping gear and stayed at the Ritz Carlton in Atlanta. Am I missing the point?

Between the bugs (that LOVE me), that damp dewey ick in the morning that seems to be on everything including your sleeping bag and your FACE, the absence of bathrooms and showers, the dirt that gets in your food, and the campfire smell that is so hard to get out of your clothes and hair... I can do without camping. I think that the next time everyone gets the "itch" to camp out, I am going to propose having a slumber party in my den. Complete with S'mores and scary movies and - of course - sleeping bags.

That's MY idea of roughing it.