Skydive… aaaahhhhhhhh
18 Jul 2011 1 Comment
in Family Time, ME! Tags: skydive, skydive atlanta, skydive cedartown, skydiving
So my mother in law 59 years (young)!, my sister in law, her friend, my best friend Brian and his husband all went skydiving on Father’s Day. It took all damn day because of the wind and after reading this a week after we did our dive, http://www.ajc.com/news/skydivers-injured-in-cedartown-989713.html I’m really glad that they were waiting until it was safe for us to go. It was also a little bittersweet as this was my first Father’s day since my dad passed away. I did spend it scared poop-less so that probably helped. I can tell you that at 3,000ft I was already not wanting to jump and by the time we got to 14,000ft I was on auto pilot. I absolutely loved the free-fall but once he pulled the shoot I wanted to be on the ground. I cannot imagine a scenario in which I would ever do it again but I am guess I glad I did do it. In my advice, go ahead and pay for the DVD or pictures because I didn’t and now I can’t really “PROVE” I did it! Some pics:
The girls
The Bestie!
On the ground NOW please!
Tattoos
11 Jun 2011 1 Comment
in Adoption Wonderfuls, Family Time, ME! Tags: adoption tattoo, family tattoo, heart tattoo, love tattoo, tattoo, tree tattoo, wrist tattoo
So I got my first tattoo, located on my right ankle, of a turtle (long story but I thought it was a frog and now everyone who knows the story makes fun of me…) when I was 18 years old and I still love it. My second is on my shoulder and is of a green-eyed tree frog because my girl Leigh and I had this thing about frogs for a long time and I love it as well. My third is the Ravenswood Winery logo and it is at the nape of my neck and yes, I’m digging on that one still. In fact it gave me a “pass for life” at the winery and they took a picture of it. I’d like to say I’m original but they have an entire wall of people who have gotten their logo as a tattoo so whateves….! My fourth and final tattoo was when I was 21 and it is of a sun and is in the small of my back (also known as a tramp stamp) and although the meaning behind it isn’t as lovely as it once was, it is still a beautiful tattoo and I have no regrets. So recently a friend and I decided to get “birthday tattoos.” We spent some time thinking about what we wanted and why and when the moment came I decided to get mine on the insides of my wrists. Of course this caused quite a commotion because it’s a very visible place and there are people, gotta love them, who will judge me based solely on that. Well I thought about all the other reasons people judge me and I thought about how you only have this body for a short while and how what we do makes us unique and then I remembered that I try not to care what other people think and so I went for it. I know, I’m too old (33) to be running around getting tattoos but who cares. These tattoos represent my children. How they are both part of my family tree even though they come from different blood lines and how I love them unconditionally. I hate the phrase “blood is thicker then water” because my family has never been blood related to me as I grew up adopted and didn’t know my birth family for a very long time. So regardless of what people may think, these are my new tattoos and as I felt about the other 4 I’ve had for over a decade, I’m digging on them too.
Forever my children
STOP IT!!! YOU BAD MAGAZINES!
13 Mar 2010 Leave a Comment
in Funny, ME! Tags: advertising, body image, campaign for real beauty, dieting, dove, hanes, losing weight, skinny jeans, womens magazines
How often do you squat on your throne for your daily constitution, pick out a magazine from the “Entertain-Me-Why-I-Poop Basket” and find this on the cover:
or this:
Did you read the covers of the magazines or did you see the delicious food. Go back and read the covers, do you see something there that seems hypocritical? I get so aggravated when magazine covers flash gorgeous pictures of delicious desserts only to be followed by articles entitled “Walk Off More Weight” or “Flat Abs Fast” or any of the numerous articles splashed throughout about all the things you can do to look different. How I can I lose more weight or hide my body to make my hips slimmer, boobs bigger, how to wear clothes so people don’t look at my disgusting butt, thighs, or any part of my body that is now socially deemed “Necessary To Be Hidden.” We have so many products now that hide our real beauty and contort our bodies to appear to be something we are not. It’s so bad that I heard Eva_Longoria_Parker complain on the new show “The Marriage Ref” that even she wore Spanx?? Are you kidding me Eva? I mean REALLY?? Their marketing team must be fantastic to be able to talk Eva Longoria Parker into a pair of Spanx!
I applaud the Dove Campaign For Real Beauty for showing beauty in all shapes, sizes and colors without simply adhering to one side of the spectrum. The other company that I have found noteworthy is the Hanes Her Way marketing campaign who will randomly feature a plus sized woman in a bra and underwear in modern magazines.
Between the diet pills, shakes and meals… between the 0 sized models (I am told we have a double O now) and the low-carb/low-fat/all meat/no meat diets…between the newest and best workouts and then the recipes for 300/slice cheesecakes we have lost something it seems and that is total respect for our bodies. There is nothing wrong with being healthy, eating right and being your ideal weight, give or take. But being bombarded by these images and plans and work outs and newest crazes and then ways we’re supposed to cover up what we do or do not have is just ridiculous to me. Who exactly decides which part of my body needs to be slimmer or bigger? Who determined the ideal shape and then said “okay, make all women want to look like this so design clothes that push, pull, tug, or boost so that we all conform to this?” And when it DID happen, why did we listen? Love yourself.
This video is an oldie but a goodie.
No, officer I WASN’T speeding… but thanks for trying…
15 Oct 2009 1 Comment
in ME! Tags: getting out of a speeding ticket, speed traps, speeding ticket, talking speeding ticket
So about five years ago I was cruising along on the road near my house that is a two lanes each way with a median and that deceptively feels like it should be 50 – 55 miles an hour and yet is a measly 45. The cops *love* this and frequently set up ridiculous speed traps all along the road and especially at areas where there are no lights or after large hills. After receiving my first and only ticket in years (I was going 58 in a 45 on THAT road) and watching the cop write out a ticket while I was in tears and my six month old was screaming in his car seat I vowed to never speed on that road again. So today when I was in front of Mr. BMW Busy Bee and he was riding right on my Odyssey’s tail pipe I secretly smiled knowing that more then likely, just ahead would be a speed trap. I calmly checked my speed (48 mph …good) and waited for him to get frustrated and go around me. Sure enough he whips around me, slams on the gas and uh oh….oh no…. what’s <screech> that? He slams on his brakes as the cops on the right side of the road hits their lights and the cop holding the radar gun starts walking into the center of the road. I smugly smile and think “dumbass” and slow down as the cop is motioning for us to stop. I think, “hmm, he’s just being safe because there is no way he’s pulling me over….” Then he motions to the guy to pull over on the left side into the turn lane (good….good.) THEN MOTIONS FOR ME TO PULL OVER.
OH HELL NO!
I pull over and here is the exact exchange that occurred:
Officer: Good morning ‘mam, how are you?
Me: Fine, how are you?
O: Going a little fast today?
M: No.
O: Well, I clocked you at 56 in a 45.
M: No, you didn’t.
O: Mam, the gun don’t lie, I clocked you.
M: Oh, I am aware the gun doesn’t lie, but you didn’t clock ME going 56.
O: How do you know that?
M: Because it’s true. See, I live about five minutes from this intersection and have for seven years now. About five years ago I became aware of this speed trap, when I got a ticket. I also know that you more then likely have another speed trap down the road, about four miles, at the intersection of blah and blah.
O: How do you know that we have one there too?
M: Because you ALWAYS do and after I got that ticket I swore to never speed on this road again.
O: How fast were you going?
M: 48-50, I travel this road at least twice a day, sometimes more, five days a week. I know how fast I was going.
O: Well that other guy was going 61 and you guys were right next to each other.
M: No, we weren’t.
O: Well when I clocked yo….
M: No. He was BEHIND me and I know you saw him fly past me…
O: Yes, ‘mam he definitely flew past you
M: Well before he flew past me, he was behind me riding my ass and then switching lanes and then accelerated until he saw you standing there. I knew you were going to be there because you ALWAYS are and I knew you’d be clocking because it isn’t raining.
O: Okay…
M: My point, Officer, is that you pointed at my car and clocked him at 56 while he was riding between the lanes to pass me, then when he got into the left lane, he was going 61, which I can see right there on the radar gun you keep showing me…
O: Well, it’s true that I clocked you and then him and then when I clocked you it showed you going a lot slower….
M: Well you and I both know that there is no way he could have flown pass me, as you say, with me simply going a measly 4 miles under him. So then it’s possible that you clocked him passing me since he was in my lane and the left hand lane as well?
O: Well, I guess it cou…..
M: Thanks for the warning, I’ll slow it down to 45.
O: Have a nice day ‘mam!
M: You too.
I truly have a lot of respect for anyone who serves our community, state, nation, country but it’s fair to admit that these speed traps are a pain in the ass. They set them up around blind corners, hide behind the bushes and catch people on a road that has barely any turn offs, is divided two lanes each way and that “feels” 55 mph! It’s only us locals who are aware of these and rarely ever get caught because these guys are there almost every single day it isn’t raining. There was no way I was going to take the blame for this jackass behind me. Regardless I got out of my FIRST TICKET EVER TODAY which begs the question… IS THE CURSE OVER?!
Kersploosh – Goodbye iTouch
12 Oct 2009 Leave a Comment
in ME! Tags: dropped my iphone itouch in tub, removing water from electronics, rice electronics., waterlogged iphone or itouch
About a week ago I was getting ready to take a bath and had set my iTouch and towel on the toilet seat while I brushed my teeth. I heard Gracie stirring in her bed and although she is in a diaper at night, I thought that it would be a good idea to wake her up fully and have her use the potty. She immediately popped up from her bed and went running to the bathroom where I was getting ready to take a bath. She picked up the towel to move it to open the lid to the toilet and my iTouch (almost two years old) went sliding off the towel and KERSPLOOSH, my eyes watch as the iTouch, in slow motion, slowly sinks to the bottom of the tub. A second later I snap out of it and frantically grab my iTouch and watch in horror as my wallpaper pic (my kids being tickled) slowly becomes saturated as water fills the entire screen. Then everything goes dark…
I immediately go online from my laptop to the Facebook website hoping that out of the 28o friends I have (most of them big ‘ol geeks I met through Eric) will be able to help. Sure enough, within minutes three people comment on my status update that I should put it in a bag of rice for about five days then fire the ‘ol girl up an see what happens. After doing my own research (thinking these people were crazy) it turns out that it does work. Five days later, the screen was almost completely clear of water and sure enough. It works. It accesses the internet, plays music and videos, the games all work, it syncs up and absolutely nothing was lost. Yes, I know – sounds crazy – right? Believe me, it works!
Walking Pneumonia…
08 Sep 2009 Leave a Comment
in ME! Tags: walking pneumonia
I gots it. That’s right folks. The curse of Summer ’09 rages on like a fraternity kegger. I cannot seem to shake this damn cold and in my infinite wisdom and extreme desire to get away, I went out of town this past weekend to fly up to DC to see my best friend and her husband. By the time I disembarked from the plane I had already lost my voice. Although we had a good time, I spent the entire weekend suffering from extreme coughing fits, severe chest congestion and lethargy. Five days and about 100 pounds of mucus later, I finally go to the doctor and after listening to my chest announces that I have walking pneumonia and was about a day away from being super – duper sick. Awesome. Oh well! At least I have prescription cough medicine that makes me feel all happy…. ;~)
I hope I have a good excuse for not posting lately
23 Jul 2009 1 Comment
in ME! Tags: broken foot, foot injury, foot surgery, metatarsal fracture
turns out I do! On July 3rd I was carrying a large bowl of cut fruit into our basement for our annual July 4th post Peachtree Road Race brunch and missed my bottom step. My left foot twisted in and I landed and broke my fifth metatarsal on my left foot. The ironic thing is that I had the exact same injury on my right foot six years ago. How did I break it? Doing the exact same thing. Carrying something down into my basement and missing the bottom step. I am aware of how HILARIOUS it is that I now have matching scars on my feet. I do like things to be parallel and neat so I guess it was just a matter of time. Here are some pics if that kind of thing interests you. You might also notice how my toenail polish changed with every picture! Apparently that was very important as well!
Similar Xray but not mine
Five days post fall
Post X-ray - compression until surgery
Post-Op, bandages come off in a week
My new scar
Dirty South Roller Derby
22 Jun 2009 Leave a Comment
in ME! Tags: atlanta roller derby, dirty south derby, roller derby
Eric and I had the pleasure of attending the Roller Derby this weekend as his parents took the kids for the night and our friends met us up there. All I can say is AWESOME! If you live in the Atlanta area, I highly suggest setting aside a few hours each month to see these local girls in action. Not only are they totally bad ass but they are extremely good at what they do. One of the friends that went with us is in the process of training for the next try out. After watching the strength these girls had to roll around the rinkl for over an hour, all the while being body checked and rolled over, I was in awe. In a culture obsessed with skinny = healthy, it’s nice to see a sport where women of all ages, sizes, shapes and colors can throw down together competitively. Check it out here: Dirty South Derby. Oh, and the best part? It’s BYOB??!!
I’m still here!
09 Jun 2009 Leave a Comment
in ME!
I haven’t given up on this blog, I’ve just been so busy. Gracie has finished her music and gymnastic classes and Porter is out of preschool for the summer. This means a lot more busy time with the kids, traveling to Atlanta for outings and lots of at home crafts. In fact, today we tye dyed a bunch of shirts with the kids but I, of course, forgot to take any pictures and therefore cannot show you the before/after pics. I’ll remember next time I do it if you’re interested in it as well.
Needless to say, I am here, I am alive and well and looking forward to refiguring out my days with two beautiful babies in tow and time to blog as well. I’m back on Atkins, working out to Wii Personal Trainer and walking on the treadmill and hoping to get back to myself soon. Too many Cheetos nights have not done me well!
Love to all
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