Yummy!

I made vegetable soup with broccoli cornbread tonight. We had dinner with JR's parents and we had a great time. The broccoli cornbread turned out really yummy.

Also, Happy New Year to all!

Merry Christmas

I just wanted to say Merry Christmas!!

Shopping Madness

I went Christmas shopping this past week in Charlotte. I took a day off from work so that I could go during the week and avoid the weekend crowds, but it was still pretty insane.

There are a few things that I experienced that added extra stress to my shopping experience and I will discuss three of them.

1. The Apple/Mac store. That place is a mad house full of nerds. My heart rate went up the second that I walked into the store. From the really bright fluorescent lights, the noise, the four representatives to each customer, to the "genius bar"...I had a sensory overload/almost breakdown. After someone finally informed me that the genius bar wasn't the checkout and some nerd/salesperson helped me pay for my items....I was outta there!

2. The middle of the mall lotion sample people and middle of the mall hair straightener people. You see them from several feet away and start anticipating their attack before it ever happens and try to plan your diversion, but somehow they always get you. No, I don't want to try your weird lotion....and REALLY no, I don't want some stranger straightening my hair in the middle of the mall. Seriously!

3. Shoe sales people. When I am shopping for shoes, I don't like for the salesperson to hover around me. I would prefer that they bring me my shoes and go away. I feel insecure about trying on the shoe, because if it is ugly, I don't want anyone to see. But, for some reason, the sales people like to make you feel like Nemo and they are the sharks swimming around you. They all want to come and watch you try on the shoe...why is that?

That was just a few of the experiences that I had shopping for Christmas. That's why I love the Internet and shopping online.

I love Soup

I don't know what it is about the cold weather, but it makes me crave soup. I have eaten chili, vegetable beef soup, southwestern corn chowder, gumbo, broccoli cheese soup...just kidding I am having a Bubba moment from Forest Gump.

But seriously, I don't want to eat anything but soup here lately. I have been researching recipes and making up my own recipes. It is really hard to ruin soup. If it is bad, you can just add tomatoes and a few spices and call it something fancy and have an amazing new dish.

*Any good soup recipes, let me know.

Ready For Christmas

Why do people play dress up with their pets. Because it is funny.

"I'm giving you a warning this time".

JR and I made our long drive back from Florida today. JR drove the bulk of the way while we listened to conservative talk radio....oh, also, JR drove 90-100 mph the entire way.

I picked up driving somewhere around Savannah and had been on the road approximately fifteen miles when BLUE LIGHTS....yes, I was getting pulled over for driving eighty. The officer came up and said the standard lines...I'm pulling you over for...I need your license and registration....I'll be right back. He did ask one question that was a little out of the box. "Do you have a reason for driving so fast?" I didn't answer him at first, because I thought it was a trick question, so he asked me "Huh?", so I answered, "no, I don't have a reason"....and that answer ladies and gentlemen was the reason he came back to my car with the warning ticket.

My advice for getting pulled over is to remain humble. The answer to the question "Do you know why I pulled you over" is... "Because I was speeding, I know... I am so sorry"..etc, etc.

Anyway, we had a very nice Thanksgiving and visit, and I am thankful that we made it back home and super thankful that I don't have to pay a fine for going with the flow of traffic.

Also, one last traffic tip, slower traffic keep right....pass the word.

Women and Neck Ties...just say NO!

When I see a business woman wearing a man's necktie and being serious about it...well, that is just weird. It makes the person look like a circus clown...especially when they have on lipstick.

I have to wonder if that necktie gives them confidence or something, because it certainly isn't a fashion statement. Or not a positive fashion statement, rather.

Also, I wonder if they receive ties as birthday or Christmas gifts from friends and family? I personally wouldn't buy one for a woman no matter how much they enjoyed wearing them.

Anyway, I have been around those women neck tie fashionistas lately, and most certainly have not been inspired. All women must say NO to wearing a man's necktie, unless it is halloween and you are a big fan of Barnum and Bailey.

RANDOM TOPICS

1. I have re-discovered an old favorite...Nutella hazelnut spread. It is so wonderful and if you haven't tried it, you should.

2. A new favorite that I have discovered is Chili infused dark chocolate. Sweet and hot together is always a good combo, but Chili with chocolate is amazing.

3. I learned a new life lesson today. When I am cooking, I will have to make sure that I don't leave food unattended. I was marinating steaks on the kitchen counter, when I heard my dog(JR's dog rather), doing what I thought was jumping on the door, but when I went to investigate I found that she was actually jumping up towards the counter where the steaks were marinating. When I looked at the plate, I noticed one lonely steak rather than the two and "JR's dog" licking her lips. I couldn't even get mad about it though.

I am looking forward to....

Thanksgiving! I can't wait to see my family!

I think that we are going to bypass I-95 this time, because I can't imagine a repeat of last year's nine hour trip turned into sixteen hours.....torture!! The drive is the only thing that I am not looking forward to.

But, we are eating Thanksgiving dinner at my grandmother's...which means, traditional..turkey and dressing, sweet potato casserole and my favorite broccoli casserole(that I haven't had since last year).

I can't wait!!!!

ALL OVER TOMORROW..THANK GOODNESS!!

I am soooooo glad that tomorrow is election day! I am sick of having to listen to people's unsolicited political opinions!! I have opinions, but I have no desire to push them upon anyone. If someone asks, I may give a little...but ultimately, I would prefer to discuss almost anything else.

Most of the time, I opt out of discussing politics, because I choose to only discuss topics that I am extensively knowledgeable about. If I don't understand something, I like to research it from several angles before I open my mouth and...blah blah blah...I don't know what I am talking about..blah blah blah...

Unfortunately, far too many people do not share my sentiments. Thus, heart palpitations, sweat, and nasty thoughts ensue.

So, whatever the outcome, I am looking forward to the results, so that everyday life can continue.

New Bathroom Pics

For those of you who have been to our house and have experienced the old bathroom, here is the new.

Least Favorite Holiday

Halloween is my least favorite holiday...because,

• People play scary music which totally freaks me out
• People dress up like scary things which also totally freaks me out
• Children who are too old to trick or treat, come to your house without costumes begging for free candy
• you are responsible for actually "giving candy away"...which goes completely against my nature
• strange people come to your house repeatedly, which totally freaks my dogs out
• I am too afraid to drive, because I am scared I will run over one of the little beggars

............and last but not least....the bank doesn't observe this holiday...so there is no benefit at all for me.....

so, I am going to continue my 8 year run of not celebrating it at all, leaving my lights turned off and going to dinner with my husband. Bah humbug Halloween!!

Scenic Route

This past week I had to make several trips to my bank's main office in the big city of Troy, NC. It is about Ninety miles north of Cheraw with nothing but countryside in between.

I witnessed many scenes along the way. I saw where one family decided to adorn each side of their driveway with toilet bowls. Oh, but they were flower pots, really. They had pretty flowers coming out of the bowl.

I voted one family "Most Halloween Spirit", because they had transformed their front yard into a cemetery, complete with an open casket that was larger than life sized...I think that it probably housed Frankenstein or the Green Giant...not sure.

Anyway, those were just a couple of the highlights, but I did see beautiful herds of cattle and groups of lovely horses, sheep and other beautiful animals roaming in the countryside surrounded by all of trees with their new Fall shades of oranges, reds and golds. That truly was worth the drive!

Jazz Festival

Me, JR and Chris Stewart attended the Jazz Festival tonight. It rained, so it wasn't as exciting as it could have been.

Chris pumped up the excitement by creating a strobe light by sliding his hand back and forth in front of a light while we all three made "night at the roxbury" music and danced. It was awesome!

Weekend Update

Our new bathroom looks great. There are a few minor details that need to be taken care of and they will be completed by Tuesday, so I will post pictures once it is totally finished. But, JR and I both love it and are so happy with the results.

JR and I went to a concert in Greensboro, NC Thursday night. We went to see Javier and he has a great voice. One of the best R&B singers I have ever heard, but for some reason he isn't popular. But for anyone who enjoys good music, I suggest checking him out. Also, Greensboro is such a nice town. JR and I both agreed that we would enjoy living there. The entire place had a really cool atmosphere. Not too big, not too small.

I completed my second week on my new eating plan. I have lost about five pounds and I really, really love eating low carb. Not because of the weight loss, but because I truly feel great. I no longer have cravings and feel tired. It is wonderful! Even though today is my "cheat" day, when I have to load up on carbs, hasn't been that exciting, because I don't really enjoy eating them anymore.

Well, that pretty much wraps up my week. I have a long weekend ahead with Monday being one of the great holidays that the bank observes. We are having family night tonight with JR's parents, sister and her husband, so we are going to play games and eat Papa Frankie's fried fish that he caught last week at the Outer Banks. Should be a lot of fun. Then, we'll probably go to Scarowinds Sunday and ride awesome roller coasters at night! Can't wait!!

Wrong Side of the Bed

True statement: "You can wake up on the wrong side of the bed"!! I totally did today. I was in the most grouched out mood all day long. Absolutely everything got on my nerves, starting with the fact that our bathroom is still in the process of being remodeled and it is a minor inconvenience that I face first thing in the morning and last thing before I go to bed.

Also, when I got to work this morning I could hear a landscaping crew outside running their leaf blowers. The sound was coming through the drive-thru microphone at the bank and it was SO annoying. When I went to the window to check out the noise, I saw these two lazy guys with leaf blowers meandering aimlessly around, not even blowing any debris...I wanted to fire them and they weren't even my employees!

The rest of the day pretty much progressed in the same way and I really wanted to eat a Milky Way bar, but I'm on a diet, so I wouldn't let myself cheat...that was annoying, too.

Anyway, I hope that I wake up on the Right side of the bed tomorrow!!

STILL MOTIVATED

I followed my new diet strictly Monday-Friday and I am starving....just kidding, it is an awesome new way of eating and I totally recommend it to anyone. I feel better than I have ever felt before by eating this way. I have more energy and don't have cravings for bad foods.

Today is my cheat day where I can eat basically whatever I want to eat. It is necessary to cycle my carbs to continue to have good results on the diet. I am no longer going to refer to this as a "diet", but rather, my new way of eating for hopefully the rest of my life. It is so healthy and I have actually lost 3 pounds of fat over the last five days, while still maintaining muscle. You can't beat that. Good bye carb addiction and hello to looking and feeling fabulous!

But, Thanksgiving is so going to be a cheat day!!

Motivated To Diet

Okay, so I received a lot of motivation to be serious about dieting after attending Olympia weekend....so I am on a diet now and I have been consistent with it for two days straight....woo hoo!

Anyway, it is low carb, high protein, and moderate fat....my old way of eating was high carb, low fat, and moderate protein......so I am struggling right now to say the least.

JR is my own personal Richard Simmons....motivating me every second, so I am hanging in there and hoping that the results will be amazing and all of my missed Milky Way bars will be worth it.

Why is it that when you are on a diet, everyone is eating all of the delicious things that you are personally not allowing yourself to eat?

Las Vegas, Day 1

We spent our first day in Las Vegas at the Mr. Olympia Expo. Even though I am not really a fan of steroids and body building, I will have to admit that I really loved getting all of the free protein powder and other supplements at the Expo. JR, was in heaven and he had his picture made with eight time Mr. Olympia winner, Ronnie Coleman.

That's me with Mr. Animal(Evan Centaponi)....he is actually really good looking when he has dieted down. There were some women body builders there as well and the only reason I could tell that they were women was from there dress and hair...however, I guess they could have been cross-dressers.

One thing that I will say about this event is that everyone is so super nice. I don't know that I have ever been to a place where everyone had so much positive energy and friendly attitudes. I think that all of the hyped up attitudes were a result of all of the energy drinks being served up at every booth, because after I had been there about twenty minutes, I felt like I could run a marathon I was so boosted up on caffeine.

Also, I will say that if you ever want to be motivated to get into shape....just go to a Mr. Olympia event!!

First Day of Autumn

Today was officially the first day of Autumn and I am so excited, because it is my favorite season!

Someone actually called the bank today to see if we were open, because they weren't sure if we were closing for the holiday. Now really!! I know banks do close for a lot of holidays, but do people really think that the entire financial arena shuts down to celebrate the changing seasons? So funny!! I guess it must have been on their calendar, so they assumed it to be a holiday, thus assuming that the bank was closed, because as I mentioned earlier, we do close for almost every holiday known to America.

Anyway, who is looking forward to watching the leaves change colors and the weather get cooler? I know I am!

My Pig Pickin

I am making bar-b-que today. I don't know why I like to hyphenate that word. Anyway, the way I like to cook it is to put a pork tenderloin in a crock pot and pour barbecue sauce over it and cook it on low for about 6-7 hours and then pull it all apart with forks, put it on a bun and eat it along with my favorite side items.

So easy and so good.

I HATE ROCHEY BUGS!

I can handle frogs, lizards, spiders, and even snakes, but I almost suffer a nervous breakdown when a roach comes around.

Why is it that roaches will not run away from you? You can't stomp at a roach and scare it away. If you stomp at a roach it runs faster "towards" you. It is the scariest thing in the world! The worst of the lot are the ones that fly. They fly at you all out of control, but on a mission to land on your head. They look like a plane that is out of fuel but trying to make it to the landing pad with the wings leaning from side to side.

I hate roaches!!!!!!

Taste of the Season

It is no secret, to everyone who knows me well, that I absolutely love candy. I love pretty much all types of candy, with skittles and milky way bars being at the top of the list.

Anyway, there is something about the Fall season that really makes me crave candy corn. I have eaten about a pound of it over the last couple of days. The more candy corn that I consume, the more the weather seems to change.

I only like candy corn during the Fall and I think it is because I eat so much of it from September through Halloween that I don't want to even think of it until the next Autumn season. I don't even want to look at it when November comes around. I look at it with disgust and wonder who in the world likes candy corn?! But, magically, by the following year, I am ready to tear it up again!!

Friday Night LIghts

Exciting News!! I attended a high school football game last night...first one since I graduated in 1995. High school football games are whatever...boring, but oh the fans, they are so unique.

We live in a small town in South Carolina, very rural, which means to put it simple "Red Neck". So, last night I was swimming in a sea of Hill Billy and it was a sensory overload. Important note, we were not sitting with Cheraw fans, but Chesterfield fans and Chesterfield is much more redneck than Cheraw...or so my husband says.

I will begin with the sense of hearing. Normally, you can expect a fog horn or two at a game, but we were sitting near someone with a train horn. It had an air compressor and everything. I am referring to a real choo choo train horn. Loud as H E double hockey sticks!!

Next, was smell. It was hot and humid outside and it smelled like we were in a heap of hot garbage mixed with stinky feet, mustard, onions, and bad breath. It was so gross and I kept trying to focus on the clean smell of my clothes to keep from gagging.

Next, sense of touch. No, I really tried not to touch anything. That one can be skipped. Also, we can skip taste, because we ate before we got there and I wasn't hungry. Even if I would have been hungry, that would have gone away due to the rotten hot garbage smell that we were sitting five deep in.

Lastly, sense of sight. Oh my gosh!!! I could really type a lot with this one, but I will just focus in on the one thing that sticks out most in my memory. A woman changed her baby's diaper right there in the bleachers!!!! JR figured that was probably contributing to the smell.

And last, but certainly not least, my favorite quote from the night. The cheerleaders were throwing free mini footballs to the fans and someone behind us yelled out..."danga football, let's win us a ballgame".

Go Braves!!!

Bizaar Foods

I think that everyone has a story about that signature dish that they ate as a child. Maybe it was good, maybe it wasn't, but there was that one meal that you always remember.

Me, JR and one of our friends had this discussion yesterday. For me, the signature dish was "red beans and rice"...not as a side dish, but as a complete meal. I hated it! I just wish that there was a side dish that would have accompanied it, so that I could have just eaten that. Unfortunately, everyone else in the family loved it, so it seemed like we had it all the time. I would gag at the table, too. It would make my mom want to slap me, but I really couldn't help it.

JR's signature dish was a (when we were poor) dish. It didn't have a name, but it consisted of sliced white bread with cream of mushroom soup poured over the top as the "gravy". We laughed about it, but JR said that for him it was a treat, because he loved his gravy bread dinner.

Our friend's dish was also a (when we were poor) dish, however, his parents weren't poor when he had to eat it, they just made it to reminisce on when they were poor and to let their children have the experience, too. He called his dad to let him give us the ingredients..which his dad remembered well....it had a can of diced tomatoes, mayo, a dash of sugar, and soda crackers. I laughed that he remembered the "dash of sugar" ingredient. Unlike JR, our friend didn't enjoy this dish...the thought of it repulsed him, but I think that he plans to torture his future children with it just to keep the legacy of the dish alive.

Food is so much fun!

So Annoying

There is actually a really long list of things that are annoying to me, but I thought that I would discuss a couple of them..

1. Flossing teeth anywhere other than in the bathroom. Believe it or not, I have had people floss their teeth in my car, at the dinner table, and in my living room. All of which managed to gross me out. This is an activity that should be reserved for private moments in the bathroom followed by a few minutes with a toothbrush and soap and water to wash your hands.

2. Slirping soup or milk from a spoon or bowl. Nope! Put the spoon all the way into your mouth and deposit the food. Don't make that irritating slirpy sound, it isn't necessary.

3. Popping chewing gum. It is okay if I do it, but it is not okay for anyone else to do it. Since that doesn't seem fair, I try to be mindful of others and refrain from popping my gum until nobody is around.

4. Clipping fingernails or toenails....lets just go back to #1 and let me say that most grooming activities need to be done in the bathroom.

Thus ends my etiquette lesson.

Get Ya Hair Did

JR and I attended a friend's wedding yesterday. It was very sweet, pretty and well planned out. So much time goes into making a wedding the "perfect day". From the perfect dress to the perfect food all to be shared with closest friends and family.

One thing that really struck me as odd was one of the bridesmaid's hair. I noticed her obvious lack of enthusiasm in styling her hair at the rehearsal Friday night when she had it sloppily twisted up in the back with an unattractive pin holding it into place, but I thought....whatever, it is just rehearsal. But, she kept the same style for the wedding. I couldn't help but think that it was completely rude of her. All of the planning that the bride did to make the wedding beautiful and then the person that she chose to stand with her on her special day didn't even take the time to style her hair and look presentable. All of the other girls looked beautiful, which made the one twist style girl stand out even more.

Of all the times to slack on grooming, a wedding is not the time. When everything around has purposely been decorated to be lovely and beautiful; you need to step it up a notch so that you blend with the beauty.

At the reception, my newly found confidant leaned over and said "I don't know you very well, but can I be catty for a moment? Why didn't that girl get her hair done?" I replied, "I don't know, but I wondered the exact same thing through the entire ceremony. I guess it could have been worse, the pin clip could have been a pencil".

On Holiday

JR and I just returned from a week long vacation at the beach. We had a fabulous time. Sunshine and tans everyday. We ate Thai food one night and it was awesome and authentically hot(we had to send it back to be scaled down a few heat levels before we could actually eat it). We also ate at a nice restaurant that had some of the best crab cakes that I have ever eaten. We made plans to watch a movie and play putt putt golf, but we never did. Most of the fun is in the planning and anticipating, anyway...so, I figure we didn't miss too much.

Now, it is Friday and I am hoping that Monday doesn't come too soon.

YARD DECOR

I have always wondered about the folks that like to decorate their yard with fake animals. I am not referring to your random garden gnome....no, I am talking about life sized herds of deer, flocks of geese or entire duck families, etc...etc...

Yesterday I drove past a house that had an entire herd of cattle in their front yard. They were huge, life-sized and obviously fake. I couldn't help but wonder, where in the world would you buy something like that and why in the world would anyone spend their money on a fake herd of cattle to decorate their front yard. Cows don't even hang out in someone's front yard when they are real, so I just couldn't understand it at all. Maybe those people were mocking the yard decor clique, by saying "see how stupid it looks people".

My take on it is this...just plant some nice flowers or plants that attract the "real" animals and enjoy those moments when you actually see one wondering through your yard. Avoid looking foolish and stay away from the plastic deer and bunnies.

....EAT FRESH

When eating out, I try my best to choose the healthiest option and Subway is really the only choice in Cheraw. For some reason, Subway continues to promote "Jerod" as their key advertisement despite the fact that their most appealing sub probably has more calories in it than what one person should consume in one day.

The reason that I speak of Jerod, is because Jerod scares me. I went to Subway the other day and for some reason they had a huge life sized cardboard advertisement of him propped up in front of the entrance. He scared me half to death! Not only did he look real, but he also had this huge creepy smile on his face and he was pulling at the waist of the huge pair of pants that he can no longer fit into as if to say, "come here, you can fit in here with me". I didn't know that it was Jerod at first glance, I thought it was a perverted man that probably had a kidnapper van on the other side of the building, parked and ready to drive away as soon as he threw me in the back of it.

Okay, maybe I have been watching too many crime movies or heard too many of my husband's real life stories of his clients, but seriously....Subway needs to find a new ad!

Debits & Credits

I work in the world of debits & credits. So, nothing is more exciting than those people who balance their account via ATM machine. Every banker loves that not so happy customer that storms into the bank wondering "what have ya'll done with my money".
My usual reply is.."let me see your transaction register". For some reason that always creates a blank stare and a more humble demeanor.
After that sucker punch, I continue to explain how the ATM balance usually doesn't reflect the twelve outstanding checks that had not cleared their account yet. Oh, yes....I am winning the argument now.
Well, Mr. Customer...it looks like we have found your money...let me provide you with a fresh new transaction register for your banking convenience.

BIOLOGICAL WHAT?!

So, as my grandmother would say...oh, wait.......So, as my grandmother said, "You aren't getting any younger". Thanks, granny! I know how old I am. Yes, I am thirty-one and childless. But, what's wrong with waiting? I am secure enough in my person that when people ask me if my child is my grandchild I won't be upset.

But, seriously, there is a certain amount of peer pressure that comes to people who have decided to wait to have children....Grandmothers who have no problem reminding you how old that you are, Friends who have little ones who " can't imagine life without them". (Why is it that they always have that stressed out look on their face, like all the fun of life has been stripped away forever?) and..the future grandparents that see you as their own personal baby factory that they want to crank into action to produce their bundle of joy.

Yes, I do want children. Yes, I think that they are beautiful precious gifts. But, I will also, have the joy of changing my babies diapers, so I will wait until I am ready.