Blog-O-Rific!

(This post gets lost in tranlation since it was moved from MySpace. Sorry!)

"When are you going to write another blog?"

"Why don't you write one?? I would love to hear what you have to say too!"

I cannot count the times that I have had this conversation…….and finally some people are taking my advice. Here are few of my friends that have started blogging….please request them as a friend and read their blogs. They keep me laughing, remind me of days of old and remind me that I have to start watching Grey's Anatomy.

Shanna constantly had her nose in a book when we were younger, which I think is why she is such a great blogger. I think that she reads all of the non-MySpace blogs that I do and she is a great writer. I love reading the stories about her children and the funny things that they say. She is a Grey's fan.

Penny has recently started blogging and takes me down Memory Lane often. Her daughter is an "ordinary expert". Penny is the biggest Grey's freak that I know and has been actively trying to persuade me to watch the show for years. I think that she may get her wish. Penny also introduced me to my husband and is the best darn hairstylist in the universe. She is my ultimate Harry Potter cohort.

Sweet Caroline blogs about dealing with the turmoils of MLSs and condo living. She has recently discovered that reading is not just for nerds and that being blonde wasn't all that it was cracked up to be. I know that she has a ton of blogs in her……..like how the "Curse of Caroline" struck EVERYONE that we know. She is yet another Grey's watcher.

Melissa has been blogging for well over a year and has an extensive backlog of posts. She is so good; she has people plagiarizing her stuff! She has covered the gamete, from stupid ex-boyfriends, depression, politics, finding love and most recently about a Neanderthal that hit her car and fled the scene. To my knowledge, she has not mentioned Grey's Anatomy……so there may be hope that I am not the only one!

Em is so witty with her wording that I laugh out loud. I love hearing about the customers that come into her work and her torrid love affair with her Jetta. As an added bonus, I have turned her into a Potterphile. She is another freakin' Grey's fan.

Tobi has written one of my favorite blog posts so far, I Am Blessed. (Contrary to what you might think, it is not because I am mentioned! Hehe!) Tobi's writing is blunt and hilarious….two of the qualities that I love about her. She and I have the same taste in bad reality television and I am plotting to kidnap her child.

I hope that you enjoy these blogs as much as I do and I am proud of these girls for jumping on the bandwagon! And if you aren't writing a blog, why don't you give it a try? A bad blog post is a like a baby pidgeon…..they don't exist. (Seriously, have you ever seen a baby pidgeon?)

So what are you waiting for???? GET READING!!!

The Music In Me

I was talking with a friend today about songs that you can listen to over and over and over again. I am a music junkie, maybe because I am married to a musician and there is always music in our house. Listed below, in no particular order, are fifty of my favorites. (Further proof that I am a nerd and was born in the wrong era.) I am sure that there are tons that I have forgotten. Feel free to list some of your favorites in the comments. Enjoy!

Romeo and Juliet – Dire Straights
Sandy Beaches – Delbert McClinton
Mercy Mercy Me – Marvin Gaye
His Strength is Perfect – Steven Curtis Chapman
Long December – Counting Crows
Sir Duke – Stevie Wonder
Into The Mystic – Van Morrison
Ain't Too Proud to Beg – The Temptations
Rainbow Connection – Kermit The Frog
Magnolia – J.J. Cale
Build Me Up Buttercup – The Foundations
Find Yourself – Brad Paisley
Sunny Came Home – Shawn Colvin
9 to 5 – Dolly Parton
Count Your Blessings – Bing Crosby
Your Smiling Face – James Taylor
At This Moment – Billy Vera and the Beaters
Imagine – John Lennon
Walking in Memphis – Marc Cohn
She is His Only Need – Wynnona
Kentucky Rain – Elvis Presley
This Night Won't Last Forever – Sawyer Brown
Chances Are – Bob Seger and Martina McBride
Walking on Sunshine – Katrina and the Waves
Little Houses – Doug Stone
Wee Small Hours of the Morning – Carly Simon
Baby's Got Her Blue Jeans On – Mel McDaniel
Against All Odds – Phil Collins
Fishing in the Dark – Nitty Gritty Dirt Band
Pirate Looks At 40 – Jimmy Buffett
So Far Away – Carole King
Live To Tell – Madonna
What I Like About You – The Romantics
Moving On – Rascal Flatts
I'll Think of a Reason Later – Lee Ann Womack
I Will Be Here – Steven Curtis Chapman
Big Yellow Taxi – Joni Mitchell
Gravity – John Mayer
California Dreaming – The Mamas and the Papas
Home – Michael Buble
Manic Monday – The Bangles
When I Could Come Home To You – Steve Wariner
Ain't No Sunshine – Bill Withers
Reason's Why – Nickel Creek
The Greatest Man I Never Knew – Reba McEntire
Something in the Way She Moves – James Taylor
Here Comes My Girl – Tom Petty
Galileo – Indigo Girls
Maybe I'm Amazed – Paul McCartney
When I Get Where I'm Going – Brad Paisley and Dolly Parton

Bored

Lately something has been bothering me. I couldn't quite put my finger on it. Lots of stuff has been happening in our world and I thought maybe I was just stressed out. I am confused. I am fidgety. I am restless.

But today, I think I finally figured it out……….I AM BORED!

Harry Potter finally ended and all of my questions have been answered. I have read a couple of books since then, but nothing is really grabbing my attention.

There is nothing to watch on television. Big Brother's season finale was last week and I can't find anything appealing to me in the fall lineup. And truth be told, I am scared to start watching a show, because it will inevitably be cancelled. I heart bad TV. Apparently the shows that I adore always bomb in the ratings. I LOVED Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip, which lasted less than a season. I watched Kid Nation last week and enjoyed it, but it didn't do well in the ratings. I am tired of shows like CSI and Cold Case. I am not a sci-fi kind of gal, so all those unrealistic shows don't interest me. I would rather gag than watch The Bachelor. My friends will disown me if I don't start watching Grey's Anatomy, but I need to rent the first two seasons.

I can't play video games because I get motion sickness…….I got sick playing Harry Potter trying to fly my broomstick. Plus, I am not coordinated enough to press that many buttons at once. I played Todd's Wii this weekend and I want one worse than Kirstie Alley wants a cheeseburger. It was immediately addictive and I fell in love. If anyone would like to get me something for Christmas, a Wii is the only thing that I am requesting…….but it cost a small fortune.

So, I need a new hobby. Something to keep me occupied. Do you have any suggestions?

Small Revelations

When I turn onto Said Road, I feel home.

I love my brother and miss him desperately.

The speed limit in Kentucky has changed to 70 MPH. I discovered this 89 miles past the state line.

Nothing makes you feel better than crying to your mother.

I never thought that drinking beer and playing video games could be so much fun.

I am totally out of touch with music today. (Thanks to Gabe for playing Bel Biv DeVoe and to Brett for singing along with me.)

My dad is ideal.

I fall more in love with Lauren every time that I am around her. She is perfect for Clay. She is perfect for our family. She is just perfect.

I hate being away from my husband, even for one night.

Murray will never be the same.

No matter how much I have changed, some people will always see the "old me".

Terra and Nick never looked so happy.

No one can top my mother's turnip greens.

I would totally date Todd if I were a single gal. Not just because he said I was a hot married chick, but also because he owns a Wii.

I need to go home more.

In Someone Else's Words

As you know, I am addicted to blogs. I love Smitten. On today, of all days, no one could have said it any better than she. My heart is still broken.

http://www.thesmitten.com/archives/2006/09/room_for_unexce.html

Going Once....Going Twice....

You could hear the nervous tone in Haley's voice as she asked, "Aunt Heather, will you buy a Smart Card from me?"

Of course I did. As a matter of fact, I bought two. I remember how hard it was to sell items for school fundraisers, so I usually buy from my nieces and a few close friends. Over the past few years, I have bought boo coos of things, ranging from wrapping paper to candles. Not necessarily because I needed these items, but because of the relief and excitement in the child's eyes when I said yes. Plus, I am still a sucker for Girl Scout Cookies.

Harley and Haley always giggle when I tell them about my favorite school fundraiser. It was always one of the most fun weeks of school year and everyone seemed to look forward to it. Kids would save their money for it all year and it was totally more fun for the kids than selling Smart Cards.

The first day, the girls would bring in picnic lunches to sell. There were elaborate picnic baskets filled to the brim with foods that every pre-teen loves……..chips, soft drinks, cookies, sandwiches and even some with certificates for pizza that would be delivered later in the day. Anything was better than the cafeteria lunches! The boys would then bid auction-style on the picnic baskets in order to have lunch with the girl that brought that basket.

The kicker was, the boys didn't know which girl brought which basket. The girls would sneak their baskets in wrapped in sheets or bring them before school started. This eliminated the fundraiser from being a popularity contest and made the event more fun. A boy might bid on the food that they liked or a basket that he thought was from a certain girl……..and end up eating lunch with the girl that picked her nose.

One year, one of my friends decorated her basket with Coca-Cola items. This was hilarious because everyone knew that my family collected Coca-Cola memorabilia. Her basket went for a good sum of money, but the boy had to eat lunch with her instead of me. I remembered being thrilled with the boy that bought my basket. His locker may have been messy, but he was still cute! At least it wasn't the boy that snorted Pixie-Stix up his nose as recess.

Instead of picnic lunches, the boys sold their "legs". All the girls would assemble on the floor of the "little gym" and the boys would go behind the curtain on the stage. Tables were propped under the bottom of the stage curtain, so all you could see were the legs of the gangly junior high boys. The boys would dance around and be silly while, one by one, each set of "legs" were auctioned off to the highest bidding girl. In exchange, the boy had to do silly things for the girl for the rest of the school day. I was kind and only made "my boy" carry my books for me, but some of the girls were ruthless by making the boys wear makeup or skip instead of walk everywhere they went.

All in all, everything was in good fun and LOTS money was raised for a school functions. It would be considered totally politically incorrect in today's schools. Looking back, I think that it was a fantastic way for the school to raise money by playing off the raging hormones of pre-teen junior high kids…….and it makes for a great story to tell my nieces.

Sweet Success

"Just look at how proud he is of himself! It is almost like he is smiling. I didn't know that a dog could smile like that!"

"He has achieved GREATNESS, something that every dog strives for!"

"I do not understand why any dog would strive to smell like that."

"Are you kidding? This is the ultimate for him. Skunk scent is like the High Karate of dog colognes!"

There Is A Moral In Here Somewhere

I married a hypochondriac. Plain and simple. There is no other way to put it.

I learned early in our relationship not to mention if I was feeling ill. Well, I can say, "I am not feeling well." But, if I mention the body part that hurts, Kyle is screeching in pain within half an hour.

For example, if I tell Kyle that my stomach is upset, these are the thoughts that run through his head:

I hope that she is okay.
Maybe it is something that she ate.
Did I eat the same thing?
I hope that she doesn't have food poisoning.
What is that sharp pain in my side?
I have food poisoning!
Wait! We didn't eat the same thing.
What if the bacteria jumped from her plate to mine?
What if it is a tumor?
OH MY GOD, I HAVE A TUMOR AND I AM GOING TO DIE!!!!

This is honestly the way that he thinks. If he falls asleep on the couch, he has narcolepsy. If he has heartburn, he has gastro-esophageal reflux disease. On our honeymoon, he got bit by a mosquito and kept looking for signs of West Nile. Lord help us if we see a commercial with symptoms of a disease, because he has ALL of them. I am not exaggerating. I am sure that Penny or Caroline will back me up.

So, several years ago, my dentist gave me the bad news. My wisdom teeth had to be removed. I made the appointment with the oral surgeon and made arrangements for my parents to come stay with me. Then I called Kyle. I made sure to tell him that I was not hurting whatsoever, but I had to have the surgery.

The next day, his back right tooth was hurting. I, being the understanding, loving person that I am, completely laughed at him. This continued for four more days.

That weekend, I forced him to go to the Mexican restaurant because I was starving. I laughed as he ordered two soft tacos and grimaced during the entire meal. I kept telling him that it was just sympathy pains and that I wasn't hurting at all. It was all in his head.

So, while I am paying the bill, who does Kyle run into? The dental hygienist that works at his dentist office. I laughed as she took a tiny flashlight out of her purse and looked in his mouth in the waiting area of the restaurant! I will never forget the next words that she said.

"Yep, you have a problem! I will call Dr. Pace tonight. Can you be in the office tomorrow morning?"

So, needless to say, Kyle had emergency surgery on Super Bowl Sunday for a popcorn husk that got stuck behind his back tooth. He had a horrible abscess and I had been laughing at him for five days.

I felt like a giant turd.

Things have gotten a little better though. He laughs at himself now. I have learned that if I baby him a little, then he gets over his "symptoms" much quicker, but if I giggle at him, it could mean a trip to the emergency room.

Heaven help the man when we have a baby!

Sweet Carolina Tagged Me

The rules are: once you have been tagged you can't be re-tagged. You have to write a blog with 10 weird, random things, facts, or habits about yourself. At the end of the blog, you chose 10 people to be tagged and list names. Don't forget to leave a comment on the 10 people's page that says, "you are tagged", and to read you latest blog
So ok here it goes...........
10. My dad sent me on every date with a quarter, because that is all the money that a girl needs…..in case she needs to call her dad to come pick her up.

9. I surprised myself the other night by watching a Justin Timberlake concert on HBO. I have come to the conclusion, that although I think he is butt-ugly, he IS bringing sexy back…..from a distance.

8. I am hooked on the show Big Brother. I even watch the After Dark show on Showtime every night. It is my form of crack for the summer months.

7. I have a floater in my right eye and it drives me crazy!

6. My favorite roommates in college were Julie Thorpe Gray and her 150 lb. great dane. The police were after a peeping-tom in our neighborhood, but for some reason Julie and I never had a problem.

5. I know when I have had too much to drink when I can't feel the tip of my nose.

4. I love cleaning my ears out with a q-tip. (Megan and Ethan, your mom and I have had numerous debates about this.)

3. My biggest pet peeve is when people let their mouth just hang open, AKA "mouth breathers". What are they trying to do? Catch flies? That has to lower your IQ by at least 100 points.

2. I was once accidentally locked inside The Limited, locked inside the mall…….on Christmas Eve.

1. I shut my brother's head in a car door once, but it was HIS FAULT!!
There was my top 10 so now I get to tag people. I am tagging Shanna, Allison, Matt & Jennifer, David (you need to start blogging!) and anyone who wants to give it a try. Get busy!!

Putting Myself Out There

I have been blogging for a little over eight months and I didn't realize how much fun this could be! But apparently I haven't been blogging enough! I constantly get messages and comments from people that say, "Where is a new blog????" THIS THRILLS ME! People are actually reading them and want more???

The funny thing is, I get so many hits on my blog, but only a very select group of people leave a comment. So here is your chance……..

Who is out there? If you read this, please leave a comment so I can see who my readers actually are. I am very curious!

How am I doing so far? If you read my first post, you will know that I am very insecure about writing.

How can I improve? I would love a little constructive criticism.

Also, is there a subject that you want me to blog about? Do you know a good "Heather story" that I haven't written about yet?

Is there a question that you want to ask? I am opening up the Q&A forum, which could be kinda scary and fun!

Any comment would be appreciated.....good or bad.
PLEASE LET ME KNOW WHAT YOU THINK!