Feel Good Friday- San Diego!!

This week, airline tickets make me happy!

I booked flights this week for J and I to take a trip to celebrate our first anniversary (which I can't believe I'm already thinking about, by the way- we're already two-thirds of the way through our first year of wedded bliss!)

We'll be visiting San Diego, California, and then taking a quick jaunt to Mexico to visit Jason's dad and step-mom.

I am so excited to have a getaway with the hubby, and to visit the famed San Diego Zoo, and to stay in a hotel right on the beach, and to eat at spectacular restaurants, and to experience Pacific Time, and to hit up a spa, and...the list goes on and on!

Vacation makes me happy!

Step away from the video games...

Today I came across an article about a new video "game" for Japanese Xbox 360 users.  It's called My Bride: A Wife Just For You, and it lets the user create their own, custom made wife.  Apparently, there are many different combinations of "looks, voice, and personality" to choose from.  After the user has created his "wife", the two can begin living their lives in wedded bliss.

My two cents?  If you're spending THAT MUCH time with the video games, maybe that's why you can't find a real wife in the first place.

I'm just sayin'.

My new plan...

Look what J and I bought this weekend!

 So, I'm using it every day.  (Thank God for my good friend Justin Timberlake, who helps me through.)


I'm also having this for breakfast and lunch every day.  (A pink bendy straw makes it a little better somehow.)

And I'm making sure to drink at least 8 of these every day.  (I've never peed so much.)

Our beach vacation is less than two months away!  I figured I should get on this diet thing immediately.  Wish me luck!

Feel Good Friday- Top Five!

The top five things that made me happy this week:

1. Taco Night.  I love tacos!  I love how quick they are to make.  I love the assembly line that J and I form in the kitchen.  I love sitting on the couch and watching TV while we eat them, trying not to spill their contents all over the living room.  I just love tacos!
2. Pictures.  New pictures of our Goddaughter were posted on Facebook this week.  They are beyond cute.  J and I looked at them together and marveled at all of her cuteness.  Makes me smile just thinking about her!
3. Fruit on the Bottom.  I have re-discovered this amazing yogurt, and it has made me happy to have one for breakfast each morning this week!
4. Kindergarteners.  I showed them how to write their names in cursive (which is utterly amazing to them, by the way.)  One of them tried it himself- a squiqqly line- and told me that this is how they write his name in England.  
5. The new blog!  It's sunny and pretty, and now fully functioning again!  I love the look of it.  Plus J said I no longer look like a beginner.  Me likey.

By the way, "Feel Good Friday" is a feature used by many bloggers, started by a blog known as "The Girl Next Door Grows Up" (hence the logo).  Feel free to check her out!

Blog FIXED!

Thanks to my wonderful husband's help (okay, maybe my technical skills aren't as great as I once bragged about) the blog is back in tip-top shape!

You can now leave comments once again, and my dear followers are no longer ignored and neglected!  So comment or follow away!

The DMV is a miserable place.

Why is the DMV such a miserable place?  And why are the people who work there so hateful??

I recently got my vehicle registration renewal in the mail.  I noticed that it still has my maiden name on it (silly me, thinking that providing umpteen documents proving my marriage and changing my name on my driver's license would automatically change my name on all DMV related documents...I mean, that would just be too easy, right?).    

Well, I've jumped through this name-change hoop many times now, and everyone wants some different combination of documents to prove my new name; maybe a marriage license and a social security card, maybe a driver's license and a marriage certificate, maybe my birth certificate, blood and urine sample, and promise of handing over my first born child...

So I smartly called the DMV before heading into the office to wait in the never-ending line.  Meredith, the woman on the phone, told me (in between annoyingly laughing and chatting with her co-workers) that I'd need to fill out a form V-something-or-another to request a duplicate title, and that would change the name on my vehicle registration, as well.  Because I've done this one or two (hundred) times before, I asked what kind of documentation I should bring with me.  She said I'd need my marriage certificate and my driver's license.

Done.

I packed up my things and headed to my local office.  (Which is 30 minutes away, mind you.)

When I got there, I was dismayed to see a line longer than the Nile.  But I knew I had my documentation ready, and in-hand, so when it was finally my turn, at least I'd be ready, and wouldn't be fumbling around trying to find this or that like so many others in line ahead of me.

So I waited...and waited...and waited.  (All the while, an unpleasant man in black jeans and a Nascar hat was seriously encroaching on my personal space...ick.)  After about 30 minutes, when it was finally my turn, I stated my purpose and prepared to hand over my documentation.

"Do you have the title?"

"No, ma'am.  I called ahead and this is what they told me to bring."

"What number did you call?" 

"This number right here on the registration renewal form...see where it says to call here with questions?"  I say, pointing to the number printed in bold red on the envelope.

"Well I can't do anything without the title.  And I don't even need your marriage certificate.  Just the title and your driver's license," she says.  Mockingly, I might add.

GRRRRRR......

She sent me away, told me to get my vehicle inspected so I can process my renewal, and to come back after all of that was done.  And don't forget the title!

So I left the DMV, feeling just as hateful as the bitch behind the counter.

And to make my afternoon even more fun?  I DON'T KNOW WHERE THE TITLE IS!!  You'd think I would have put that in a safe place, right?  But me with the filing?  Not so much.

So the search for the title is on.  So I can GO BACK to the DMV and start the fun all over again...

Oy.

Happy Birthday, Mimi!!

Mimi is my aunt, but more importantly, my friend.  We always have so much fun together!  I'm pretty sure most of my readers know her...her visits are always highly anticipated by the NC crowd!  Mimi is tons of fun...we always laugh so much when she's around!

Some of my favorite Mimi moments:

• Laughing at the grocery store about the "Boil Ease" cream- yikes!
• Endless marathons of Sex and the City
• Pizza and pickles for dinner
• "I got DEET in my eye!"
• Mimi's endless "almost there, but not quite right" statements
• And SO many more!  I'm sure some of you, dear readers, have some great Mimi moments, as well!

I could go on and on with this list.  Every visit we have creates some wonderful new memories!

So happy birthday, Mimi!  I hope this new year brings nothing but happiness your way!  I love you!!

Feel Good Friday

I'm debuting a new feature on the blog today.  It's called "Feel Good Friday," and it's just a little bit of positivity before heading into the weekend! 

This week's "Feel Good" (besides the pretty new look of the blog!):

We are SO lucky to have some of our best friends living in the neighborhood (one reason why I bought this house)!  Ali and Mark and their cutie son Will dropped by this week for one of our "neighborly visits."  It was a random Tuesday night, and so nice to sit around and have a drink and visit for awhile.

Will, who is a 2-year-old on the shy side, has a serious love for Jason.  It is beyond adorable to see the two of them together.  Will inevitably climbs up onto the couch next to J and hands him a book, then looks up at him, ready to listen to the story.  If Will chooses to wander around the house, he stops every few minutes to look at Jason, just to see if he's still there, and more importantly, if his attention is focused on Will (it almost always is).

But this visit, something else caught Will's attention.  Usually our neighborly visits happen at the V's house, since we usually visit well past Will's bedtime.  But this week, they stopped at our house.  Of course, in the beginning, the dogs chased Will everywhere (see last week's post).  Will, who has just recently found his voice, ran around saying "No, Daph!  No way!"  It was way. too. cute.

But once the dogs calmed down a little bit, we needed something to keep Will entertained, since we are lacking in the toy department.  So we decided to turn on a movie for him.

I think our super-big TV up on the wall must have felt to Will like being in a movie theatre.  As soon as we turned it on- instantly mesmerized.

Then we handed him the remote (one of his favorite things- typical boy), and he settled down on the couch, kicked back, and relaxed in front of "The Incredibles."

I mean really, could he be any cuter?

So thank you, V family, for a great neighborly visit with the two of you and your awesome kid!  GREAT inspiration for my first "Feel Good Friday"!

New Look!!

Pretty, no?

I've lost a few page elements in the transition (sorry, dear followers!) but I'm working on getting them back.  I'm still new at this tech stuff!

Incidentally, J is uber-impressed with my HTML skills.  That's right, I have coding skills, too!

Blogging on the go!

Just trying out my new mobile blogging! Now I can blog anytime, anywhere!

See picture of the words my kindergarteners spelled this morning- all by themselves! As one of my students said (with his speech impediment that prevents him from pronouncing s's): "We're PELLING!!"

GLEE!

Feeling oh-so-gleeful about the return of Glee tonight!  What took me so long to start watching this show in the first place, I ask myself?  A drama-filled hour of singing and dancing?  Of COURSE I love it!  I've been caught up on my DVR for weeks now, and have been anxiously awaiting the new season.  And YIPPEE, it's here!

So don't bother me tonight.  I'll be busy watching.

TLC ERROR!!

Okay, so another TV thing... I swear, I absolutely do other things besides sitting in front of our super gargantuan television!

I was watching an episode of "What Not to Wear" on TLC this afternoon, and I noticed a GLARING error!  Normally, I kinda love this show.  (Truth be told, I wish they'd call me to be a guest host.  I mean, the things some of those crazy people pull out of their closets is just abhorring.  I'd love to be able to tell them what I think without it being socially unacceptable.)  But today is the first time I paid close attention to the opening credits.

I noticed a fake traffic sign posted on the side of some under-construction edifice.  The sign reads "WHITE SHOES PERMITTED AFTER LABOR DAY."

Now thank God for DVR, so I could rewind to make sure that I had read correctly.  I thought perhaps I had missed the word "NOT" preceding "PERMITTED."  But alas, I had not missed this  oh.so.important.  word.

Clearly, white shoes are permitted from the period following Memorial Day up until Labor Day.

*As a side note, these particular shoes are NEVER permitted.  But I felt that the picture supported my message.

For shame, Stacy and Clinton.

But have no fear, friends.  I've contacted TLC to inform them of their erroneous ways and to save them from further embarrassment.  (Of course I did.)  I expect to see a correction in the near future. 

Awwww.....

For any of you who love dogs, or babies, or dogs AND babies, this video is a must-watch.

Could this be any cuter??

I find myself wondering what our dogs will behave like when we get around to having kids.  Sure, they've been around kids before-

Will, their favorite neighborhood baby, learned pretty quickly to shove them out of his face as they incessantly licked him.  Licking is their favorite.

I babysat my friend's baby Cate once, and Delilah raced around the house in circles every time she cried.

Friendly neighbors walk by with their baby strollers all the time...the dogs bark as if we're under attack.

But maybe all of this practice has been good!  Maybe once we have our own baby, Daphne and Delilah will ignore it.  It'll be old news.  They won't lick (and lick and lick and lick) or bark like idiots or run around in maniacal circles.  Maybe they'll gently howl the baby to sleep...

Yep, we're screwed.

TV Weirdness

Now we've all been sucked into some sort of mindless television at some point.  You're channel surfing, and before you know it, you've stopped at some odd show you'd never choose on purpose, and suddenly you're totally enthralled with the E! True Hollywood Story of Milli Vanilli.

 So you're con artists...blame it on the rain.

Last night, J and I managed to get sucked into the most bizarre show ever.  Well, bizarre for us, at least.

Usually at bed time, I force J to suffer through re-runs of The Golden Girls.  I just love those kooky oldsters!  And as a side note, I sincerely hope to be as crotchety and mean as Sophia some day.  I think it's your right if you live to be that old.

But somehow last night, we ended up stuck on "The Best of Deadliest Catch."  And we stayed stuck on it through two and a half episodes.  Wha???

Somehow we both found it absolutely fascinating.  I mean, really, it's just a bunch of rough-and-tumble guys on a big ship together on the icy seas for months at a time.  *Wow- it actually sounds pretty interesting when I say it that way.  Like Titanic with blue collar workers instead of high society cruisers.  Oh, yeah, and no sinking at the end.*

What I learned from "Deadliest Catch":

• Alaskan King Crabs are GINORMOUS!
• There is absolutely no end to the coffee and cigarettes aboard the "Northwestern."
• If you don't empty the cage fast enough, someone will probably kick your ass.
• The Skipper is always right, even if he hasn't slept in 72 hours and has steered the ship into a vast icy nothingness.

Why was it that we couldn't turn it off, again?  Yeah, I'm really not so sure...

Be my follower...please??

WARNING: Shameful post to follow...

So in casual conversation, or via Facebook comments, I've learned that a lot of people read this blog!  I SO love all the happy feedback I get from readers.

In the beginning, I was just doing this as a fun project.  But I will admit...now I need followers.

I don't have a cool ticker telling me how many people have visited!  And by my current followers, it looks like I have a whopping *four* readers.     

So if you stop by on a semi-regular basis, I'd love to know!  Just look to your right and click where it says "FOLLOW."

Come on, you know you wanna...

The YELLOW DEATH is upon us!!

Good news!!  The bees are gone!

Bad news...they're gone because the big spring bloom has happened, and the pollen that the bees craved is now floating through the air, coating everything in its path.

The cars are yellow, the driveway is yellow, the sidewalks are yellow...even my red front door is now yellow.  You can literally see pollen clouds in the sky.  It's disgusting!

There was, however, one bright spot in my pollen-filled day (other than the disappearance of the killer bees, of course).  Daphne, ever the hound dog, was sniffing and snarfing, tracking a bug across the patio.

Up- the-nose shot!  Notice the nostrils!

This myth is BUSTED...but who cares?

This morning, J was watching Mythbusters.  Even I will admit, sometimes the stuff they do on that show can be interesting.  I mean, watching a ninja catch a flying arrow in mid-air is pretty cool!  (Really, I guess watching a ninja do anything is kinda cool, since normally they're so stealthy that they can't be seen at all...I mean, have you ever seen a ninja?  Exactly.)

But this morning the guys on Mythbusters are trying to determine if a duck's quack echoes.  My first thought?  WHO CARES?

Apparently, there are people out there who actually wonder about this.  And in case you are now wondering who these people could possibly be?  Turns out, J has an inquiring mind, and he wants to know.

Not only does he immediately get sucked into the show, he actually talks out loud to it!  When a duck quacks in a field, and no echo is recorded, he states that they should go to a place with concrete, so that the sound has something to bounce off of.  Really, J?

Well the geniuses on the show followed J's advice, and took the ducks to a warehouse to try again.  You could see the self-satisfied grin on J's face.  (I think he may actually secretly wish to be a Mythbuster.  Maybe that's why his iPhone is like a permanent appendage?  He's waiting for a call from the Mythbusters?  That would explain a lot.)

And if there are any other inquiring minds out there, it was determined that a duck's quack does indeed echo, but the echo is so similar to the quack itself that it's almost impossible to tell the difference.  Now you know!

Buzz...

Yet more evidence that spring has sprung...

My holly bushes are blooming!  They're healthy, green, and have blossoms everywhere.

The bad news about this?  BEES!!  Bumblebees, honey bees, yellow jackets, and all matter of buzzing predators.  They're EVERYWHERE.  Swarming my front door.   

So if you need a laugh?  Drive by my house sometime when I'm coming or going.  You'll find me sitting in my car for an inordinate amount of time, keeping an eye out for a break in bee activity.  Then once I feel as though it's safe, I'll slowly get out of the car, then run wildly to the front door, flailing my arms about to scare off any potential stingers, whining all the while.

The pollen can leave any day now, please.