Sunday...

Okay, now I am bored. It isn't that I really have any place I need to be, but the fact that I couldn't go even if I wanted to is killing me. I did "walk" down the street to have lunch with my neighbor. I almost fell so many times I had a mini-anxiety attack!

We ate chicken patty sandwiches on toast and watched Miss America. I have to fast forward over the talent competition because I get embarrassed for them. The way it was going I thought Miss Hawaii was going to win, but Miss Virginia was very pretty and poised. I also like how she gave a couple of fist pumps to Jesus after she took the crown! HA!

Saturday...

It is quite a little snow storm here, but I am a sunshine loving Southern girl with moderate driving skills...so this is not good! However, I intend to get on the treadmill (eek!) and then do a little work around the house. THEN I am going to sit in my cozy bed and watch movies with my cuddly dog.

I am also hoping for a call from the husband. We have been emailing everyday, but he has only been able to call once. It looks like it is going to be a long deployment, so I am preparing. Stay safe and warm if it is snowing where you are!

What a deal!

I had to go to the grocery store this morning after work because we are supposed to be hit by SNOWPOCALYPSE II and I don't want to be caught without Zone bars and taquitos. Anyway, I was in the health aisle when I spied Osteo-biflex on sale...buy one get one free! Now this is super exciting because a bottle of 120 tablets is nearly $30. However, I will pretty much pay anything to reduce that grinding feeling of bone on bone in my 30-something RN knees...but I digress.

The kicker is that before I could stop myself, I yelled, "OH HELL YES!!!!!!" and did a little dance of joy. Everybody stopped and stared at me like the moron I was...and I guess I still am because DAMN! that is a good deal :oP

Our common ground...

I will admit that I am one of those people who is fascinated by "The Jersey Shore." These are the strangest people I have ever seen. Their daily schedules consist of three things...gym, tan and laundry. I think they left out getting knee-walking drunk and dry humping every single person in Seaside Heights!

Deep down I am jealous. I want a body like JWOWW and big ol' pan of baked ziti from my Mama...but alas, the only common ground we have is laundry...never ending mountains of laundry. This is sad.

It's a sign!

This morning as I walked with Bridget in the gray, cloudy mist, I saw something. It was so small I hardly noticed it, but there is was, staring at me in my sad, droopy face. It was a teeny, tiny barely there flower bud poking it's little head out of the cold brown dirt! I was so excited! I started thinking about blue skies...and the warm sun on my face....and jonquils...and lilacs...and cherry blossoms. Oh Spring! Please get here soon....I can't take another day of gray!

Raise your glasses!

Today is bubble wrap appreciation day! I am going to take a moment and give a shout out to my packing friend...you have helped me protect my breakables, relieve stress and annoy co-workers. You have never let me down. This may be the dumbest "appreciation day" ever noted, but it is yours...so bubble wrap I SALUTE YOU!

It was news to me....

I always think it is shocking when you discover something about yourself that you think is new, but in reality, everybody else has know for years. For example, I had my eyebrows colored and waxed today. I have to get them colored because they are very light and add no feature to my face. Naturally I get them waxed for shape.

But today, the wax application went about 1/2 way up my forehead. Why? Are my eyebrows and hairline about to meet? No she said, your normal brows are part of a downey covering of hair on your face and I am just creating a shape. O-M-G! I think she just said I have a hairy face and she is going to carve out some eyebrows for me... I was so embarrassed! I was getting my haircut looking at that vast field of angry red skin above my eyes. But I have to give it to her. I have two separate eye brows that look like they belong there so I will be grateful for her skill.

I will also research laser hair removal for future reference :o)

Good start...

Bridget and I started the day with a nice long walk around this lake. We can get to it through a little path in the woods behind our neighborhood. It is a nice walk, but I am always worried that I will get attacked in one of the woodsy sections. I watch A LOT of crime and prison shows, so I am very aware and a little bit paranoid of isolated places. But we were not attacked, and probably walked about 2 miles or so with the sun on our faces. Then we came home and ate delicious bacon, egg and cheese breakfast burritos and went to sleep. I would call that a pretty perfect day :o) (photo by Norfolk87)

Hold on...

This sign was displayed across the bow of the USNS Sacagawea. I think it shows a personal and heartfelt message. When I see pictures like this and I know how soldiers and sailors are working around the clock to mobilize, it pains me to hear criticisms about not moving fast enough or that no one is helping. It is hard to wait, but trying to get supplies into inaccessible ports and then over unusable roads to remote unsecured sites is not as easy as it sounds. I am proud of my husband, who despite having slept only 10 hours since Sunday, is forging ahead. Great job Command Carrier Strike Group 2!!

Liquid sunshine...

In the name of good health, I decided that my New Year's resolution would be to stop going to the tanning bed. Now mind you I am not an addict. I go once or twice a week and never for the full time. Because I work nights, I hardly ever spend time in the REAL sun so I like the light and warmth on my face.

However, while I would not say I am tan, it does keep me from being really pale. So I decided to get a spray tan. I was SO nervous. I could just see myself trying to scrub off a big orange glow!

But it worked out...no weird lines, no orange streaks...just a rather subtle brown hue. But I didn't get that boost in mood that I count on from the bed. I think I am going to have to go back to my evil ways and hit the bulbs every couple of weeks...but overall, I give it a thumbs up :o)

I saw that one coming....

Surprise!! My dear husband was deployed to Haiti today. With about 24 hours notice, he was sent to help oversee the actions of US Navy ships involved in relief efforts. He was sent for "an unknown length of stay." That could be 6 days or 6 months. Who knows?

I am sad to report that this is NOT the first time something like this has happened. I have learned over the years to consider all plans "loose" until actively underway. Does that sound cynical?

It will be situations like this I will be happy to leave behind once we get to the bright side and leave the Navy behind. Until then, consider all scheduled days of carefree happiness unconfirmed.

Really?

As my insomnia was in full swing at 3am, I saw a PSA on MTV that just blew me away. It was a "naked" girl warning about the dangers of texting nude pictures of yourself to your boyfriend. The tag was, "there is a fine line between your boyfriend and the whole school." Really? There needs to be a public service announcement for this?

I am glad this is not my era. I would have died if a guy had seen my bra must less a full on nude picture. PSAs used to be about the dangers of forest fires and protecting the rivers and streams from litter. All nudity was confined to dark basement rec rooms and parked cars! Come on ladies, lets keep it clean...and give a hoot, don't pollute!

Oh happy day!

It has universally been a bad week, but the good people of the world are coming together to help out the people of Haiti. Stories of courage and hope are springing up everywhere out of the devastation.

Situations like this always make me more grateful for the life I have. I am happy to be alive and healthy. I am lucky to have a husband and dog that love me. But most of all, I have hope and enthusiasm for the future. Lets do as much as we can, for as many as we can, as often as we can, but always keep moving forward :o)

Proud of my people...

Today I am VERY proud to be part of the emergency medicine and rescue community. So many doctors, nurses, paramedics, EMTs, law enforcement and military personnel are showing incredible bravery and selflessness in Haiti and around the world. I am praying for your safety and your success...today and every day!

Sending our best....

I am late going to bed this morning because I am getting my husband packed for his trip to Haiti. He is in the Navy, and they are deploying a number of ships filled with food and medical supplies for our island neighbors.

We can immediately see the physical destruction of the buildings and infrastructure, but I am always horrified by the amount of human loss. Where is the bright side to this one?

One big ray of sunshine will be heading their way tomorrow. It will bring supplies and service and the touch of human kindness...Thank you US Navy for giving them our best ❤

The pic is a quilt from the Houston International Quilt Show 2009. It is in honor of the Day of the Dead, a holiday to remember and give respect to those who have died. This is a practice that is common in island culture and I love that they are quilting!

Ready to run!

Look at this sunrise! My husband was in the corrals at the start of the Rock and Roll half marathon in Virginia Beach and this was the sky...so beautiful!

I feel that nervous pit in my stomach like I am about to do something big. I am making plans to change my life but I am afraid to leave what is comfortable. I am afraid that once I take the leap there is no turning back. But time is moving on...the sun is coming up. I'm on my mark...I have to get ready to run!

Super Sunday!

It is a beautiful morning here on the bright side. Unfortunately, it is also 21 degrees and windy. This makes it very difficult to take Bridget out for a walk which is basically my only form of exercise. I do run and sweat at work, but I'm not sure that counts. I would be interested to know how far I walk on a busy night...I might get a pedometer and find out :o)

In honor of Sunday, the pic is of a quilt that is a recreation of the Rose Window in Notre Dame. I have seen the window and the quilt in person, and I think the quilt is actually prettier! I have such an admiration for the talent it takes to create something like that. Have a great Sunday!

Frenchie Friday!

I would like to take this opportunity to combine two of my favorite things, Fridays and Frenchies!

I get off work on Fridays at 7am and do not have to go back until Monday at 11pm! This makes me VERY happy.

I am also thrilled to know that this sweet baby is waiting for me at home. This is Bridget, my beloved French Bulldog. She is 3 yrs old. I picked her out when she was 5 weeks old and she has been the sunshine of my life ever since that day.

If you are in the market for a pet, let me suggest a Frenchie. She is so loving, and she make this snuffeling sound that is adorable...LOVE HER!

Rewind about 2 weeks...

I forgot to post a pic of my ebay win! The bag on the right is the one I got for about $50 less than retail---brand new with tags! I was pretty proud of myself, but my husband says it looks ridiculous.

The bag on the left and the big knife were my Christmas presents. There is a matching wallet for the bag on the left. It case it isn't obvious, I LOVE handbags :o) You never have to try them on and they always fit!

As for the knife, I have never had a decent kitchen knife. The ones I have now wouldn't cut hot butter! This is the knife that The Pioneer Woman uses so I knew it would be good. It is a Wusthof and it did not disappoint.

Now that the holidays are over, I am ready for SUMMER! I am a hot house flower, a sun bunny, a warm weather diva! There is nothing I love more than SUMMER!

I am also a Southern girl and Southern girls like the white sugar-sand beaches of the gulf. For the past 15 years I have been living on mid-Atlantic coast beaches which can tend to be a little rockier and the sand is course. Now don't get me wrong, any beach is a good beach, but I am looking forward to doing my sittin' down on the gulf. It's going to happen for me...I just know it!