A Cat's Dilemma

The other night we had roast for dinner. David got up to go do something and Scotty jumped in his chair. I could tell by his look that he was going to go for it so I grabbed the camera and while making a tripod out of my arms to make sure the camera stayed steady while I laughed hysterically I caught these pictures. I've posted what I can only assume is this progression of thought...

"I know I'm not supposed to eat people food and I know I'm not supposed to get on the table. Mom's watching me, do you think she'll notice if I just have a little?"

"I mean that looks REALLY tasty...surely she wouldn't notice if I just had a little nibble..."

"Ah to hell with it, I'm going in!"

"Oh man, this is going to be tasty!"

"Crap, she saw me and yelled.  If I keep trying I know she'll pull out that blasted water bottle and squirt me.  It's not worth all that.  Oh well, no roast for me tonight..."

Around the House

My summer allergies are in full swing, so Grace and I have been staying in lately. We have fun playing together and she's getting more and more mobile every day. Here's a few pics from yesterday.

Sweet girlI love this face she makes - it cracks me up!Whatcha got there Mom?Playing with ScottyHe's done playing but too lazy to get up and move. Silly cat.

In 2 weeks Grace & I are going to attempt the trip to WV solo again and we'll fly David up later so I can spend some QT with my Grandma (and the rest of my family of course!). I have all kinds of plans to make the 650 miles go by...we'll see if any of them really pan out. One I'm now sure of is the DVD player. We have David's folks DVD player and I'm going to take advantage of it. Deborah recommended the Preschool Prep DVDs she used with Erin, so we invested in a used set on Amazon and I'm gonna let Grace watch TV for the first time. To make sure this little trick would work, I put in the meet the colors DVD on Sunday to see if she would "glue" to the TV...

I'm not surprised. She is ALWAYS trying to get a view of the magic box that always goes black when she finds it. LOL. I just hope 8 hours into our drive it's as interesting as it was this time. And I'll be sure to have earphones in one ear so I can listen to something other than the color names repeated over and over for 3 1/2 minutes each and not go crazy.

Anyway, I hope ya'll had a wonderful 4th. We so enjoyed having David home. It's so nice to have so much QT as a family and of course we enjoyed hanging out with our Dreher family, (even Alli who's back from STL). Paul & Bethany are expecting their first, a boy, a week before Grace's birthday...here's the first belly pictures I've taken.

Swagga Wagon

We all know that I love minivans. It's not a secret. As a matter of fact if my husband hadn't made up a rule about needing at least 1 kid to have a minivan, we'd already have one. While I'm an Odyssey lover at heart, this is just hysterical.

Bieber Fever

This made me think of my friend Scott who is, lets just say, not a fan of Justin Bieber's music. We get a kick out of the hoopla via The Soup but when I saw these 2 clips on Ellen, I had to repost them. I needed a good belly laugh today and while Ellen usually delivers, this is a belly laugh that just keeps on giving. So this is for you Scott - enjoy!

HIMYM Makes Me Happy

We LOVE How I Met Your Mother. It always makes us laugh and we are pushers. If you haven't been asked by us if you want to borrow season 1, or forced to watch episodes yet, you will. We love it and we think you should to. There are many reasons we love it...
Robin Sparkles, slapsgiving, and now...this. Enjoy.


Oh and for the record, The Big Bang Theory, also on Monday nights on CBS is totally worth the watch. Hysterical!

Ahhh...Diet Coke

Those of you who know me well know that I LOVE me some Diet Coke. If it was available in IV form and I could still taste it, I'd be permanently hooked up. ;) I had a brief period in college where Diet Pepsi rocked my world, but those days were numbered and haven't been seen in over a decade.

I am such a snob when it comes to my Diet Coke. When I go to a restaurant that only serves Pepsi products, they automatically go down a notch. Could be great food, but without Diet Coke it just isn't a quality dining experience. When I'm in David's hometown, all the restaurants serve Pepsi products - yuck! I'll stick to Lemonade or Water, thank you very much. And all Diet Coke is not treated equally either. The best Diet Cokes in Atlanta come from one of 2 places - Chick-Fil-A (and bonus for them - they have caffeine free on tap!) and Zaxby's. I'm told the reason their Diet Coke is so unbelievable is because they actually follow the coke recipe - what a novel concept. The worst Diet Cokes hands down are from McDonald's and gas stations/convenience store fountains...probably because they are cheap and water down their mix.

Anyway, during this pregnancy (and in 2 week increments for the years we TTC) I have given up Diet Coke. I know I don't have to, but we both thought cutting out the caffeine and the nutra sweet from my diet during pregnancy would be a good idea so I've made the sacrifice. Hey, David is 100% responsible for the cat litter, so we're both making sacrifices. ;) Well the last few days I'd been seriously craving a diet coke. I made it through Tuesday, but yesterday I was out and about and I caved. I hit the CFA closest to my house and got myself a large diet coke. Sweet nectar - I thoroughly enjoyed it throughout the day.

There isn't really a point to this rant, I just wanted to share and give some props for my favorite drug of choice, Diet Coke.

Just for Fun

David & I LOVE Comedy. One of the best thing about moving to Atlanta has been exposure to lots of great comics, many of whom we've had the pleasure of seeing in person. Just a few of our favorites have been Brian Regan, Jeff Dunham and Jim Gaffigan. I thought I'd share some of our favorites from these guys, just for fun. Hope you laugh and enjoy these guys like we do!

We had the pleasure of seeing Brian perform from his 3rd album and he was fantastic! One of my favorites is from his first album though. Perhaps it was that Deb & Blayne played it for us to introduce us to him, I'm not sure, but Stupid in School definitely resonates as one of my favorite pieces.

We saw Jeff when he was trying out his material for Achmed the Dead Terrorist. He is the best ventriloquist ever and we love all his characters, but Walter is just over the top hysterical. Here's a great bit about marriage from Walter.

We saw Jim last fall when he was still on his Beyond the Pale tour. I had scores us some great seats in the 3rd row, center on the isle..oh yeah. The guy who opened for him looked like Wolverine
and after the show, we stayed around to meet Jim. The guy who opened for him (who's name escapes me...) walked up to David while we were in line and said that they should play a joke on Jim and say they were brothers. Turns out, Jim had seen us (we happened to be in his limited sight line with the spot) and thought they were related and got a big kick out of them making that joke. It was one for the books. =)

This weekend we watched his new special which aired a week or so ago on Comedy Central with my dad & Linda. We all thoroughly enjoyed it, but now living in the south, we by far enjoyed this bit about the Waffle House the best. Enjoy!

Kids, Movies & my soapbox

Today we all headed to the movies for a relaxing afternoon. Dad & David went to see Observe & Report which David said "ok, but way too much penis for one day" and Linda & I went to see Monsters vs. Aliens which was cute and had alot of recognizable voices, but not as good as Monsters Inc. I guess Pixar kicks Dreamworks hiney...not that I'm surprised. ;0)

Here's my soapbox: The thing that irritated me the most about the movie was the mom in the row with us that brought her 5 year old (who was so well behaved and enjoyed the movie) and her 2 year old, who fussed, screamed, cried and wouldn't sit still the entire movie and finally about 15 minutes before it ended fell on the steps, cracked his head and really started wailing. I'm all for taking kids to movies, but what posses parents to bring 2 year olds to a 1 1/2+ hr movie?? Get a sitter. You're already paying for him to come to the movie, so why not just get a sitter and let your older kid enjoy the flick? Urgh, it annoys me. I've often said that DFAS should camp outside of movie theatres for delinquent parents. When we saw Dark Knight at the IMAX, there were a good handful of kids under 7 there (at a 9pm show for an R rated movie that was 2+ hrs long!). I know adults that were scared and creeped out by that movie. The joker was no joke (pun intended). He was psychotic and why parents would bring their young kids to that movie is beyond me.

Ok, I'm hopping down now. Thanks for the vent. ;)

American Idol

So 4 seasons ago, David & I started watching the rejects on American Idol and I got hooked on this guy - Constantine Maroulis. What was it that endeared me to him exactly? I'm not sure. He wasn't a fabulous singer, he was often pitchy, and he wasn't a flawless performer, but there was something about him that I liked.

Perhaps it was the way he made love to the camera with his eyes...Perhaps it was his rendition of Bohemian Rhapsody...

(check out the eyes - that's LOVE baby!)

Or perhaps it was the slight gap in his front teeth that reminded me of my beloved...I'm not sure. For whatever reason I was hooked on this cat and I actually voted for him. He was the first (and only I might add!) person I have voted for and when he got the boot, I was pissed.

Fast forward to today. Let me first say that I hate reality TV, well real reality TV anyway. I love the Ashton Kutcher spoofs and especially the WB's Superstar USA, but that's about it. In general I prefer sitcoms like How I met your Mother & Big Bang theory, or dramas like Grey's Anatomy & Ugly Betty.

All that said, it must be time to fess up - David called me on it so there's no more hiding from the truth. I guess after 4 years of "off and on viewing" and getting somewhat sucked in by the rejects, I have to admit it: "My name is Red, and I watch American Idol." It's embarrassing, I know. Dare I divulge that I, *gasp* DVR it? Yes, I know it's rigged... Yes, I know they cattle call the auditions and miss SO much great talent... Yes I know that they diversify/equal opportunity the winners... but I'll watch it as it unfolds.

So, now that that's out in the open, can I just say how THRILLED I was with the results last night? The top 3 were exactly who I would have chosen! I was afraid they'd put through Tatiana for the dramatic value (I guess they're saving her for the wild card show - milk it Fox!) but they didn't and I am pleasantly surprised. I love Michael, but Danny is by far my favorite. He hasn't done anything I haven't loved yet and the a cappella group song during Hollywood week - rocked! Yes, I know going into this that it's impossible for a white male to win 2 years in a row, but hopefully he'll make it to the top 4 or so. Who knows I may even vote!

So there. It's official. Judge me if you must.

Commercial Fun

After enjoying a relaxing weekend, we headed over to the Drehers Sunday night for the Superbowl. I was hoping for a much better game than 2 years ago when the Steelers played and didn't deserve the win (in my opinion). They played well and the calls were good until the end of the game when I wished there was a red card system for Football. What the f#@k was up with the poor sportsmanship? They were up, they were winning...why did those 2 guys feel the need to beat up on those Cardinal players? I didn't understand it and it made me mad. When the game turned around and they lost the lead, I was more than ok with it. In my opinion (and it's my blog, so I'll state it =) it was very sad to see them behave so poorly. In the end I think the Cardinals brought it and it was mostly a great game to watch.

Of course, the "real reason" to watch the Superbowl is the commercials. We all agreed there were several favorites and the rest were boring. Here were the standouts:

Budweiser hands down had the best commercials:

• Bud Light - Office Meeting
• Budweiser - Fetch
• Budweiser Clydesdale Generations
• Budweiser - Horse Love ...I kept singing Ain't no Mountain after this one!

Doritos's was 2nd with 2 great ones:

• Free Doritos!
• Doritos - Bus

Bridgestone had this funny spot: Bridgestone - Mr. Potato Head

And of course there was the e-trade baby...with a friend! E-Trade - Babies

And the award for MOST ANNOYING commercial was hands down:
Career Builder - Hate Work I lost a minute of my life I'll never get back...

Hope you enjoyed the commercials (and the game)!

25 Random Things

A popular thing on facebook lately are these "random thoughts about me" notes. I finally caved after several requests from girls I love and did one yesterday. So, I thought I'd share it here too.

1. I am a pretty creative person. I am a photographer, cake decorator, scrapbooker singer...I enjoy and find time for all of them. Not bragging, just stating the facts.
2. I have 2 nephews, 3 nieces and another nephew joining us in May.
3. I am a very organized/detail oriented person...Type A to the core.
4. My guilty pleasure is the CW - I love the cheesy high school dramas especially One Tree Hill (though I completely agree they are NOT for high schoolers!)
5. I went to my high school prom with one of my best friends and truly had an amazing night
6. David is the only boyfriend I've ever had and the only man I've ever kissed...needless to say I was a virgin when I got married
7. I can easily be brought to tears by anything sappy on TV
8. I love cuddling in bed with my hubby and watching a movie or one of the many shows we both enjoy (How I Met your Mother, Friends, Scrubs, LOST, etc. etc.)
9. Until this summer, my closest friends lived in 3 different states from me...I finally have a BFF here in GA
10. I never thought I'd marry at 23, but I was
11. I never thought I'd be 30 and not have kids yet, but I am
12. No matter what I'm going through at the moment, when I see Lacey's name on my caller ID, I smile...even if through tears
13. I love to learn but I hate school
14. I saw the Lion King in the theater 14 times
15. My dorm-mate Freshman year also loved Lion King so we decked out our room Lion King style...everything from bedspreads and curtains to rugs and dishes
16. I still keep up with my closest friends from high school (even before/without Facebook!)
17. I've often felt if I could trade my knowledge of song lyrics for something more practical...I'd be smarter.
18. I constantly say "don't judge me".
19. I can relate most situations to "How I Met your Mother" and/or "Friends"
20. I've only been drunk once, but I didn't have a hangover because my friend Marleah made me eat so much bread and drink so much water before she'd let me go to sleep.
21. Every boss (I should say direct boss) I've ever had would sing my praises and hire me back in a heartbeat.
22. I hate buffets bars and seafood
23. I only have 9 pairs of shoes, 2 pairs of which are tennis shoes that I wear most often.
24. I love food, but am very particular about what I like and don't like.
25. I have never smoked anything except 1 puff of a cigar in the Bahamas one spring break and it was awful!

There were a few differences on this list, but as a bonus for those of you not on facebook: When I was in college and living in the dorm, I lived in a room on the back left corner of the dorm on the first floor. My friend Jennifer lived in the apartments directly across the street - as a matter of the fact, her window on the top floor was diagonally straight up from my window. =)

Anyway, we got tired of me having to run around to the front of the dorm to let her in while she waited or her knocking and knocking until I heard her so I could let her in the back door of the dorm. So, one day I came home and she had bought me a door bell, or more appropriately, a window bell. It was wireless so we installed it on my window and when she came over she'd ring it and I'd meet her around back and let her in. It still makes me smile and I think about it every time I push a doorbell. Yes, that's every time I've pushed a doorbell over the last 12+ years. =)

Interview recap

"I am so smart, I am so smart, S-M-R-T" - Homer Simpson

I'm in rare form tonight and a little hyped up, so I'm not sure how this blog post will go. I'm just going to write it and not edit, so here you go:

I had my interview with Primerica today and I was right to not be nervous. It was a typical sales "farming" interview. I should know, I used to do use this technique on a weekly basis! What I don't know is why I didn't ask more questions in the initial call, but I didn't and I wasted my time and his because of it. Oh well, live and learn right?

So, I found out in the first 2 minutes what he was looking for and knowing I wasn't interested I decided to have a little fun. You know, knock an interview out of the park so any future ones won't be so nerve racking. =) After he had given me a glowing overview of his company, he started to ask me a few questions, and I of course had perfect answers for everything....I am after all the ideal candidate for ANY company (whew - at least my confidence hasn't taken a dip!). I let him have his turn and when it seemed he was ready to push me out and schedule me to come back for his farming class, I whipped out my interview questions and started asking him questions. Needless to say, he was less than affluent in his responses. He even said "I've never been interviewed in an interview". Well hello! - you're trying to figure out if I'm the right candidate for your position and if this job is what you say it is, then I'm trying to figure out if you are the right fit for my future boss and if this is the right company for me. I should get to ask whatever I want, and you should appreciate it!

So after a few zingers (I really like my interview questions), I asked about the salary. He of course goes into his spiel about earning potential. This is always the clue folks. If they give you numbers over 100K and you aren't a real VP of some sort, then it's sales. Always. So I pushed and asked if the pay was 100% commission. Yup - and there it is. I'm not interested. I don't give a flip if my earning potential if 500K a year if I'm commission only. It's a known fact that 83% of all commission based people don't even make enough to live off of, let alone the earning potential they're lead to believe they can make. (That statistic brought to you by Barney Stinson - for all you HIMYM fans out there. =)

What was funniest to me was after he gave me the real deal, I said "Well let me be honest - I'm not interested in working for 100% commission. If I'm going to be 100% commission, I'm going to work for myself". He looked at me like I had shot his daughter or something. I get it, people who work for commission are used to it. I have been a salary + bonus person for the last 6 years - I can do that. I enjoy the challenge, but I also like knowing in an economic downturn that I will have money to put gas in my car and pay my mortgage. Judge me if you must, but that's how I feel.

Anyway, the first interview of this season of my life is over and I'm glad. It was truly the most painless and borderline enjoyable interview I've ever had. =) Oh, and what did I learn? It is OK to ask if a position is 100% commission over the phone. And there it is.

Interview today!

First, I know I owe LOTS of updates - Lacey's 30th birthday, Christmas #3/New Years, Our first wedding as photographers...etc.

For now though, I just wanted to let you know that I have an interview today at 11:30 with a VP for Primerica. Not sure what I'm interviewing for - he found me and wants to meet me in regards to heading up his Marietta office. We'll see what that means, what he's offering and if it's a good fit. I'm interested to see what it's about but am surprisingly not nervous. I guess since I don't know if it's something I'll want to do, I am not excited about/hoping for it, so that keeps the nerves at bay. =)

I'll post an update later letting you know how it went and I make the commitment to get the updates from the last month posted this week - so check back. Happy Monday! =0)

30 seconds of LOL

David made this for us a few weeks ago and I still laugh every time I see it. I hope it makes you smile too!