Perplexed.

Just don't understand it...

Why did my heart skip a beat when I read about Heath Ledgers death?  Why did feel so numb about it?  Why do I even care?  I am not a huge fan of his.  I don't either really like him or dislike him but somehow I feel like there is loss.  I feel for his family, friends, baby daughter, and a woman who probably still loved him and shared the birth of a daughter with him only for him to be gone forever.  Life is so precious.  Yesterday, my five year old son told me that I just needed to relax.  That a yellow face is not that big of a deal.  It stopped me in my tracks.  He was not being sassy, he just being brutally honest.  I don't know what Heath's last words to loved ones were and quite frankly it is none of my business, but today I made sure my last words to loved ones were how much I loved them.  Heaven forbid something unexpected were to happen at least they know I love them.   So maybe Drew is going to take a relaxed look at life.  Maybe he is wired better than I am to just chill and not make a big deal out of the non-important stuff.  Or maybe he is just better at figuring out what is really important.  Anyway, I think I will turn on some island tunes and attempt to relax.  Cheers.

The many hat's we wear...

So this week I am more than a stay at home mom.  I am a Realtor.  This past week I have been blessed with clients.  Two, whom I have shown property to, and one who I will probably meet up with this weekend.  What this means to me?  I am actually kind of stressed out and trying to get all of my stuff done.  My husband does a really good job at helping me when I do have clients but he does not vacuum floors.  He does not make dog food nor does he take furbabies to the vet because of very stinky ear infections.  I thought I could clear up Busters on my own.  I can not.  And Baxter has a goopy eye.  Great.  Let me add vet visit to my to do list this afternoon.  I am not complaining, heaven forbid I don't want anyone to think I am.  It was just so restful the week before last.  I wish I could scan some of my favorite Realtor ads that I have come across because they just make me laugh.  I would if I could find them!  But I will tell you about the one ad where the Realtor has a circa 1993 cell phone in one hand, a laptop in the other, and the best part (besides her dress barn suit) is the fact that the woman is on roller skates.  What the He**?!  And this is going to make me pick YOU because in reality you are a circus act?  Was the point that she was a multitasker?  I just don't get it.  Sometimes when people ask me what I do I very proudly say I am a SAHM.  Then I kind of shrink away and say "and a Realtor too".  People think that most Realtors have a plague of some sorts.  That we are all money hungry, do or die to get the deal done people.  I am not.  I don't even work for a fancy firm.  In fact my business card is a plain navy blue linen cardstock with foil lettering.  It has my name and my number.  No gimmicks.  No attitude.  And you know what, I LOVE being a Realtor.  Thank God I don't do it full time but I do love my job.  I LOVE working with first time home buyers.  I love getting people the biggest bang for their buck, and I love educating people about their future investment.  I take pride in the jobs that I do and I think I need to stop shrinking away when people ask me what I do.  I am a good Realtor.  And, I will NEVER wear roller skates while talking on a cell phone, holding my laptop, and smile for a camera.  I will wear roller blades instead.  Cheers!

So It is a new Monday...

And on this particular Monday I decided to take Jillian Michaels challenge to improve my overall outlook, health, and sanity.  Dear God I need the serotonin in my brain.  I need to wake up my tired muscles and be strong again.  I want this and I am ready.  So, when I can't lower myself on the commode tomorrow because I have just shredded my quads, I will gladly thank Ms.Michaels for the workout that I so diligently followed today.  I did have a minor set back while gearing up to start off with three sets of 15 push ups.  And what would that set back would be?  I'll tell you, two very excited houndies that thought my sole purpose in life was to amuse them.  As I got down on my hands and knees I had a very excited Buster start romping around my head.  He then started to bay and get even more excited which woke Baxter right up who then thought this was a wonderful game as well.  The next thing I know I am being attacked by eight legs, swinging ears, and a chorus of delighted Arooooo's.  Struggling to get to my feet I finally bribed them out of the bedroom with promises of treaties and shut the gate behind me.  That resulted with two dogs whimpering at the gate while I killed myself.  Because I have no shame, and because I refuse to eat Special K cereal for two out of three meals for eight months, I include some lovely self portraits of my afternoon endeavor.  Enjoy and take glee in my journey.   Cheers.

Dead Sexy....Austin Power's imitation.

The Only Girl Room in the House...

Just a bit of inspiration. 

This, my dear readers is my scrap space.  Yes, it is a converted storage closet but it is my storage closet and I really like it a lot.  It is painted one of my favorite colors, sage green, and it is the only girly room in the house.  It is also the lightest room in my house and it is very cheerful.  I have my mac in here as well as a small TV.  There is also a couch so my ever present tooties can join me. 

Before I got my lap top I took a computer class and I thought nothing of just grabbing my I Mac by the base and taking it with me.  When I arrived at the class I still thought there was nothing funny about this until I was telling my sister and her two techie friends.  The one guy looked at me and asked if I was seriously telling the truth.  I said I was... The other decided to pantomime me setting my Mac on the desk while everyone else got out their notebook computers.  It was'nt until then that I realized just how GEEKY I must have looked to anyone else in the computer world.  He then went on to mock me by making up quips like " Hey, I have a three hour layover, let me grab my I Mac... and Hey, Lets go to Starbuck's, Hold on while I grab my I Mac  (while pretending to grab it by the base and plunk it down) Maybe not so funny while not in a bar but I still look at my I Mac and start to giggle.  Hee Heeee Heee.  Have a great hump day!

cheers.

Flying Locust's

Oh my how the weekend got away from me!  I actually must confess, I spent most of it doing domestic goddess duties like yard work, cleaning out the fridge, forcing my husband to the walk in clinic for the puncture wound on his heel, because he won't wear shoes in the yard, and yes, I warned him before he went outside only to find him in the house an hour later huddled in the bathroom trying to clean out the nasty little wound himself because he fears me saying "I told you so", which I restrained myself from saying until, UNTIL, he would not take my advice to go get a tetanus shot, and had to call his mommy to have her tell him he needed a tetanus shot.  At that point I was just irritated and THEN I told him "I told you so".  Why the man will not wear shoes is beyond me.

So, I have also been busy reading self help books, and training for this!

Woooo Hooooo!  I got my green belt last night!  I only show you the camo belt because I it is the only thing camo I own.  Not that I am looking to increase my collection of camo, but I am very proud of my green belt status!  So as I was testing I actually tested at Drew's class.  (I was given permission to do so, not the norm!)  After I tested I had to sparr with 12 little ninjas!  I mean these kids have been sparring for quite some time.  I personally was taking my sparring gear out the package for the first time and I had to sparr all of them.  First, I was not sure what to expect, I mean I did not want to hurt them but when these kids decided to open up a can of whoop ass on me it was strictly self defense!  One kid did a jump kick that actually hit my head.  Another flying locust kid hit to my knee, where I have a beautiful blue-purple bruise forming and the kids loved it.  I thought my heart was coming through my chest and the last kid to attack was a damn brown belt who totally opened up full throttle.  It was humbling and phenomenal calories were burned.  So, I am a green belt and I am excited.  The best part of all was standing in line with my son, who is a higher rank than me, and he looked at me and he said "Mommy you did an excellent job and I love you", he then gave me his best attempt at a wink and my heart melted.  God, I love this kid!  So, today I nurse my injuries.  Tomorrow I go back for more.  Have a good one.

Cheers. 

The Underachiever's Manifesto

The guide to accomplishing little and feeling great.  By Ray Bennett, M.D.

So, I read the title to this little gem and I really don't know what to expect.  Is this going to be one of those books that are pointless and funny at the same time? Or a gag book?  I really was not sure until I started perusing it's pages.The first chapter deals with Achievement: The Dangerous Addiction.  Think about it for even 30 seconds and as crazy as it seems it is true.  I decided right after college that the internship I worked my butt off for was the chance that a lot of students from my graduating class were not going to get.  Because of how great of an opportunity it was (yessssssss, in my best Napoleon Dynamite impersonation) I worked my butt off.  I traveled, I moved, I worked insane hours in nursing home after nursing home.  I had residents pee under my door and shout for perogies every morning at 7:30.  And you know what?  No matter how much I accomplished, no matter how hard I worked, I can guarantee there is not even a recollection of my employment at those places besides a dated employee file.  Even if I had a wing named after me, would anybody really care?  I strove for perfection and I don't think it even gave me any self satisfaction after a while.  Sorry that sounds like Debbie Downer but I am just trying to bring an example to the table.  And yes, the perogie story is true. 

So again, the new year brings us to focus on starting over.  Striding and reaching for new goals and success.  Be the best, give 110%, and do all of this while multitasking several things at once and be a ravenous sex machine when your hubby comes home for dinner.  This book hit a chord with me not because of it's ardent cynicism, but because of it's message to just be the best YOU can be.  Now trying to figure out what my best is going to be is a whole other story.  So to close I am going to paraphrase from this book, and I know my English Lit teacher would be taking back my grade if she were to read this now but here are a few of the Ten Principles of Underachievement:

1.Control is an illusion.                                                                                                          

2.Perfect is the enemy of good.

3.Accomplishment is in the eye of the beholder.

4.The tallest blade of grass is the surest to be cut.

And on that happy note, I leave with you this goofy picture of me.  Hey, what's a post without a picture?  Cheers.

CHINA?!

So, the conversation goes something like this....

Drew: Mommy, puppies are girls and dogs are boys.

Me:  Why is that Drew?  Do you know what a boy dog is and what a girl dog is?

Drew:  Mommy I already telled you.

Me:  No honey,  the difference between boys and girls are that boys have a penis.  Right?

Drew: yes, and girls have a vagina.

Me:  Yes honey, that's right.  That's the difference.

Drew:  Mommy,  vagina rhymes with China,  ha ha ha Vagina rhymes with China!

Me: (mortified at his absolute apparent glee for his self wittiness, and my new concern as to why I did not start to call his penis somthing like pee-pee, or peter, something else that does not rhyme with china...)   So, what do you want for snack when we get home?

cheers.

Dude! Where's my car?!

Here it is!  We found it in Long Island New York and it was a great adventure!  My girlfriend Blythe and I flew from Orlando on Friday at 7AM and finally ended up at the dealer by 11AM.  It was so darn tootin' chilly!  After signing papers and reassuring my hubby that I was not going to die, our adventure continued on.  It's not that I have not been to NYC, good Lord, I am a Jersey girl, but Driving in a foreign place is a little interesting.  But do not be dismayed I had my handy dandy Garmin Nuvi 200 and that little baby was going to bring mama home!  Everything was going great until we went under the tunnel.  You see, satellites are not receptive under ground and we were not really paying attention to where it said to go next so instead of heading to Jersey we ended up here!

In downtown NEW YORK CITY!!!!!!

   

Without even knowing it that little tunnel put us right in the heart of NYC.

We just too-doodled our little way through 5th Avenue .... And Broadway!  I will be darned if I did not have to cross over FOUR Lanes of traffic to get to my turn for the George Washington Tunnel, (Blythe freaked, I screamed "I am a ROCK STAR!) 

So, the journey continued.  We finally made to I-95 and continued to drive about 500 miles to Richmond Va.  We checked into our hotel to eat and crashed out by 10PM.

The next day we decided to tour good old Richmond to have an adventure only to have a flat tire and again, THANK GOD for the GARMIN!  We found the coolest tire station and they did not have my tire size in stock so they put a spare on it and sent us on our way!  To get over the tire fiasco we did what we girls do best.  We ate fabulous food and shopped Carytown.  It was a great afternoon.  Even picked up a great shade of lip gloss!  We then went to a wonderful restaurant named the "Strawberry Cafe". It was on the food network so we tried it out, it was WONDERFUL! We shared wine flights and ate our salad from a claw foot tub.  (Blythe took those pictures, will share later!)  Needless, to say we again crashed early and were on the road by 6AM.  We listened to Patricia Cornwells Murder Book, and sang songs at the top of our lungs.  By 1PM we were over driving but continued forward to find this!

That's right the South of the Border!  I know we have all been before, but I gotta tell ya, This place was scary.  I mean sex offender scary.  Actually it was also very disturbing.  We stopped in at Pedro's Coffee Shop to use the facilities and when we saw a sign for Pedro's Dirty Old Man Shop with items 75% off.  Now ladies, I am all for a discount, but that is not something I spare my pennies on.  Again, Disturbing.  Brings a whole new meaning to the now phallic sombrero on a stick!

I won't even go into the large animals all painted in different shades of fluorescent paint.

After, this stop we decided to bypass our original plans of stopping in Savannah over night and just go home.  We were tired and I missed all the testosterone at home.  I finally arrived at 8PM and was sweetly welcomed by Jon, Drew, and two very excited houndies.  So, Dudes, I found my car, and am loving the wagon.  Great gas mileage too!

Cheers!

So, I am going on an adventure....

And it's gonna be a fun one !  WooooooHooooooooo!  I leave for Orlando tommorow so my girl Blythe and I head for NYC at the crack of dawn on Friday.  So stinkin' excited about this trip!   I plan to use my blog as a mini vacation diary of sorts so be SURE to stay tuned in. There might even be a little free advertisment going on!  It's gonna be an adventure, maybe two!

At any rate we will amuse ourselves like we normally do.  Blythe and I travel well together  and this should be no exception!  Just a cute picture of my precious Buster Brown who is my constant companion.  As you can tell even in my scrappin' space he has a couch to sleep on while keeping me company.  And he does'nt even complain about my music choice!  Usually Baxter is on the couch with him as well.  Gotta love those fur babies.  Hope your 2nd day of the year is going well.

cheers.

So, It's a new year...

And I started it it off with a K2 Challenge! And I truly love my new layout! So, there is my scrapbooking quip for the day. I am having some tech difficulties with my laptop and posting pictures. Seems my security settings won't allow my picture pop up. Will work on it! Forget about a banner, I just want to post pictures!

So, I did a lot of blog surfing today and several people have made up their minds to pick a word for the year. Not sure if I will jump on that bandwagon, but it does bring to point some good thoughts. Like I stated before there are some changes I want to make. It seems like life is so crazy once October is here and things that are important to me, just fall to the wayside. 2007 was an interesting year. Not a bad year but one that was interesting. Maybe my word, again if I were to pick one, would be reflection. Not regret, which is probably more pointed, but reflection. I want to slowly make small positive changes that are realistic. Nothing earth shattering because I know myself to well. How many weekly planners have I started to "get organized" only to have them sit unused with expired coupons? Or how many dietary supplements are in my house that I take for a few days only to be inundated with the thought to purge if I have to swallow one more full glass of water with a handful of pills? Or my favorite, the stack of ever growing diet plans that will not leave me irritable or hungary and have no effect of the safety of my family while I decide to cut all "white foods"? See, by reflection, I know myself to well. I am only setting myself up for failure. I have come to the conclusion that I can self talk myself out of just about anything. So, here is to the new year and a reflection that hopefully I will start exercising more! I mean seriously, there is more cottage cheese on my body than the shelves at Publix right now.

cheers.