People Who will be blogged about today

KATIE - yes, I am now 25, Shipley and Brad, yes, I tried to sneak in your house, Knueven!
Hold tight.......it's on the way!

KoolAid

I like Kool Aid. The traditional red kind. I have been drinking KoolAid all day and it has maybe ben the best part of my day.
I have a red mustache.
I also love Tang. Do you remember Tang when you were a kid?
What was your favorite KoolaAid flavor? I used to cheat and put way too much sugar.

I'll probably get up all night long to go to the bathroom but it is worth it. And, yes, I will wear my mustache to church tomorrow.

Lonely Saturday

Good Friday leads to lonely Saturday. Especially, when your cell phone lives it's last life right after lunch today. My family was busy, my roommates are all out of town, my new friends since January were all home to there Alabama residences (I would never live in Alabama), my old friends don't remember me, my married friends are - well, married....and no one else cared to call either. Needless to say, I soothed my loneliness with a little 'mini' trip to the mall for several necessities that only became necessities as of today when I realized I was bored and had already done everything I wanted to do by noon. So now it is 10:30pm and I have yet to come across familiar civilization but I do have a great new pair of sunglasses but no one even to admire them.

It is supposed to storm like crazy in the next few hours. I love thunderstorms more than most anything I can think of. Ken is right, I tend to like everything more than everything and have the best time 'ever' every time I do anythin. I say - that is a talent and art to be able to find such pleasure in simply everything. I would have liked someone to share the thunderstorm with....good conversation can come during a good storm. I just took Benadryl cause that's what I do when I am alone (actually, gross, but I think the hottub from last weekend has cause my legs to itch - yes, gross...I know. And mom says Benadryl makes it better. I believe everything she says.) I hope the Benadryl doesnt it take it's toll before the thunderstorm comes.

What will Sunday bring?

Good Friday

Good Friday was yesterday and it was nothing but good. I woke up yesterday morning feeling alive and different. Yes, I should always wake up feeling alive but this was a kind of alive I hadn't felt in a long time- atleast since last summer. I went and did an early a.m. workout which always makes the day even better. I got most of the work that I needed to do done in time to head out early to enjoy the afternoon. I did a little fishing, went for a walk and then went to Good Friday service at church. Yes, this is a boring blog but monumental for me because Good Friday was so good. The service at church was indescribable. I was alone, it was dark and quiet and intentional. The wooden cross was at the center of the room and all of the seats were turned to face the center. There were candles all around the cross and all over the room. Candy, whose voice is captivating and Christian, who leads worship in Sundays went back and forth singing praise songs in between naratives of the 'Easter' story. I could have sat in that room all alone all night and felt perfectly at peace and perfectly content. After my good Good Friday I was in bed pretty early. Somehow I woke up with half my clothes off. That is another story fro probably a whole 'nother blog.

Betsy and Caite assaulted

After small group ended lastnight, I was already in my oh-so-perfect pj's and was in bed by 9:45. Good stuff. As I usually do, I set my alarm for 5:30 - cause, you know, I have good intentions of getting up to work out before work. Not with the events of lastnight.
After I set my alarm I always turn off the ringer on my phone so those of you whom choose to call me at all hours can not disturb this treasured time. Well, about 50 minutes later I am awakened by a frazzled Catie G. She tells me there is someone at or door and they won't say who it is. Mind you - it's not too late but it is almost 11 and Catie and I were home alone - which is often the case and we were both either asleep or on the way. Let's recall: Catie hear's this knock on the door - you know the knock - the one that you know someone is coming to get you.....bum-ba-ba-bum....Catie asks who it is thinking that there only about 2 people that would possibly come by our house at that hour. The knock behind the door doesnt answer. Catie see's someone and she darts up the stairs, wakes me up. As soon as I am awakened and walk out of my suite at the top of the stairs I hear the knock too. My heart jumped right out of my chest. We quietly-but really not that quietly discussed what to do as once again we asked who it was and they didnt answer - they just kept coming with that same bum-ba-ba-bum.,....After about 3 minutes we heard nothing and knew that our attakcers were walking towards the back of the house. They had 2 entries back there: one by way of the backdoor which, honestly, rarely seems to be locked and which also holds a keypad enterance but if you know us you know the code isnt too clever. Two- by way of the scary basement. And I know Catie thunk it too - but if this bad man were going to get us through the basement - we would be gonners cause we dont go near that dungeon at night. We pretty much act as if it is not there. Anyway, at this point we huddle into the corner and I swear I could hear Catie's heartbeating - of course, I could also swear she was somewhat laughing. Anywho, we go through our options....wait here in the corner to be taken by this ugly man, call our neighbors - but we don't know our neighbors nor have we ever called any of them, allow Betsy to see what she could do with her hyped up kickboxing skills. Yes, i have always wanted to take on an asaulter. Or we call the police. But what if we call the police and they don't come in time. PLus, we've never called 911. We opt for the latter. Vonda answers on the other end. I whisper to Vonda..."We are in our home and there is someone knocking on the door and they wont tell us who they are. They are now going to the back door.We think he is in the house." Vonda goes through all of the routine questions....am I alone, have I seen the attacker, do I hear anything. Often she asks me to speak up because as you know i am whispering so that the attacker who already heard us ask who was there wouldnt think that anyone was home. Vonda says she'll stay on the line with me until the police come. At this point I can't feel my limbs. I was pretty numb and wishing at that point that we had a big, bruly boy that wanted to take on our attacker. We don't allow shackers though so that wasnt a possibility.
Anyway, as I wait on the phone with Vonda for what seemed like peons - I motion to Catie to jump over the stair opening into my room and grab my cell phone out of my bed so we can have 2 phones in case the attacker (s) come while I am on hold with 911. Catie follows so well - she jumped the opening - cause, you know, if she had just walked across we would maybe be dead now - she grabs my phone and comes back to our safe corner. Vonda checks in to make sure everything is allright. I tell her that we dont hear anything but I know he is in the house. Catie tells me I have 3 missed calls - she did this grammy style - ultradramatic. Very fitting. I unlock the phone and check the 3 missed calls. Here is where the story gets interesting. As I continue to warn Vonda that our lives are about to be taken, I put the cell phone to my ear and start listening to messages. One, a friend, inquiring about a possible hike tomorrow afternoon. Okay. And then - yes, you guessed it - a few hang ups and one eery message.

We should just end the story here. That's all folks.We are alive today and that is what matters most.

If you want to hear the funny version of this story here it goes. (Don't you like this - you get to choose the ending). So, I hear the final message, and yes, Vonda still making sure the attacker hasn't made his move yet. I look at Catie with fear - only because in a weird way the excitment of the event was exhilerating....but knowing our adventure had come to an end. The message was from yes, a brurly, eery young man. He was coming by our house to drop off some things. He waited for a while and then almost walked to the back of the house but instead left - mission unaccomplished. I replay the message for Catie and she looks at me with her innocent smile and says 'oops'. I tell VOnda that we think we can make it here on our own - that we will wait for the police and we will call her back when we are approached by the attacker. Cause, you know - we would have had time to do that. I hang up the phone and Catie and I wake up the rest of the neighborhood laughing. About 3 minutes later - these guys are quick - the cops park a few houses down and start creeping up our front lawn. Catie and I nervously decide how to handle this. Do we carry on with our soap opera and just wait intil the cops find........the scary cards and check in the mailbox from our assaulter or do we go ahead and tell them our mistake. We opt for the latter because we are girls of high morale standards. Officer Gary and officer Davis are just happy that we are safe and they reluctantly tell us goodnight. Catie and I shut the door and we know they heard us laughing the next 5 minutes. As we start to calm down we see 2 other police cars come to the scene. The officers all convened in out front yard for the next 15 minutes. Probably just making sure we were okay. You know we are '2 single (well physically but not technically for Catie) girls living in Atlanta who just got scared (that's what we told Mr. Gary and Mr. Davis).

About 45 dramatic minutes later I crawl back into my 900 threadcount sheets and try to fall back to the deep sleep that I had tasted prior to our attack. Needless to say, I was a little worked up and could't fall back asleep.

Now the question for you is - who was our attacker? A little hint: he looks like an assaulter.... tall, dark, handsome (he he).....built to outlast any competition, bold in his opinions, quick to think and quick to act, a very convincing 'nice guy', despises Mexican food, proudly attacks in his Auburn colors........

Look for our story on the 5 o'clock news today. We are just thankful that everyone is safe and we'd like to thank our public servicemen, Officer Gary and Davis. We know justice will be served upon our attacker.

My worst flaw

Recognizing your flaws is the first step to change. Of course I dont really like change so this might be a little harder than I think. I have recognized that I have high expectations for people, situations, the weather, my meals, myself, my family, my job, my workouts, other peoples familys, other peoples jobs, other peoples feelings.....I expect alot. And it is not really that I expect alot but I am a dreamer and the eternal optimist. My morning might start by waking up, knowing it is going to be a long-busy day but hoping in hte bottom of my bosom that that night something might happen. Let's say I think up that that night I would like to go to a new restaurant, let's say Two Urban Licks ( a new fave though I have only had dessert though - go figure - read prior blog). All day long I go about my merry day, working away, talking to folks via email/phone. Never do I mention my desires but I still expect that they will occur. The day progresses it becomes the time where I think I should find someone else who shares the same interest for the evening (all day long I am thinking that they want to do the same thing). Now it is about 5pm-ish...I am expecting good things to happen in these next few hours. I go to workout or do whatever it is I do in the afternoons. I get a call from a certain someone or maybe not a certain someone and they have plans. Maybe I don't express it right away because of course, I have no reason to be upset because I never communicated to the person my desires but nonetheless - I am bummed. Many of you have experienced this and I may be the common demoniator. Thus leads to the change that needs to occur. I do stick to this: I am a dreamer - my mind is constantly creating and imagining. I fall for what can be. I like people, jobs, ideas for the potenital they have and maybe not for what they really are. Maybe you would say I do not have a good grasp of reality. Now that part I am not sorry for. My world in my head is much more exciting, sensual, peaceful, and enjoyable than much of what I actually experience. What I do need to change is the effects of my expectations not being met.
As I said, first thing is recognition and that - I have done. I feel accomplished today. Now what great plans am I conjuring up in my head for the weekend....

The cookie Monster

I love cookies. At one point in my young life I thought I would never say that because many years ago I used to not touch sweets...moreso because I didnt crave them they way I do now. I just love cookies though. Sugar cookies, cookies with icing, animal cookies, chocolate chip cookies, and yummy yuumy peanut butter cookies or even better peanut butter and chocolate chip cookies. I have gotten to where I think I deserve atleast a niblle of a cookie after every meal. Every single meal. You know - after you tell yourself something for a long enough time you start to believe it. I believe that I am somehow deserving of a cookie a few times a day.
This isnt good for my not-17 year old body these days. Yes, it is good for my soul and my heart and cookies really make me smile but I think maybe I should try a little self-control on this issue.
I'll try that tomorrow because I am finishing my sugar cookie with green icing left over from St Paddys day right now.
This can wait til tomorrow.

Sunday nights at Mawmaw's

When I turn right on to Timrose Road around 5:25 on Sunday evenings I am always excited to see if I am the first car to arrive or whether the crowd has already gathered. Usually, my cousins and aunts and sometimes uncles - if they dare - come early to hear the latest family gossip and sometimes not -so-family gossip. Nonetheless, you never want to be late or you will miss the storytime that starts the night. I am not sure if everything that is said is altogether truth but there are always good stories told and that is 50% of the experience. You should know, if I ever take you to eat at Mawmaws for Sunday night dinner that you may not get a word in and that you can't just pick any seat you want. Actually, to tell you the truth - I had to weasel my way into even having a seat at the big girls table (I might even say the 'dirty girls' table because as soon as I moved there I realized the conversation was a little more than G rated.)
From what I imagine, my Mawmaw - the greatest Mawmaw I know - doesnt even sleep on Saturday nights after she goes dancin' (pronounced 'day-n-sin on Sunday evenings) at the Legion. (Mawmaw is another story in herself. You will fall in love with her if you read more about her - I'll save that for a seperate entry and if I ever wrote a book I know she would have a few chapters of her own. )
Anyway, I swear she doesnt sleep - she just cooks.

By the time we get there, or rather, by 5:30 pm - and no earlier or else you are messing up the system and mawmaw might push you out of the kichen (under her breath of course....a dainty lady like her would never raise her voice for you to get out of the kitchen but its like you can sense her frustraction with you and all you want to do is to get way far out of her way) so by 5:30 the kitchen sizzles with an array of happiness spurning every posible yummy color. Creamed corn... Allens green beans and carrots....fresh tomatoes... perfectly round sweet potatoes ( how does she make them into perfect circles?), pot roast or chicken casserole and on some occasions- both..... beef tips and rice (one of the groups' favoites)... squash.... fresh canteloupe about every 4th week....her own biscuits and cornbread! Now, does your mawmaw do buscuits and cornbread? I doubt it. She does both. Oh and sweet tea - I mean syrup and water and you better believe she makes her own deserts ( or five of them). She puts PoFolks to shame. Is your mouth watering?

Hands down, one of my most cherished traditions and favorite times of the week are the Sunday's when I can make the treck up 575 to Mawmaws for dinner. My mama is one of 7 sisters. Enough said. Can you imagine trying to say anything at the dinner table? Oh, and as I said, yes, sometimes the conversation turns to the 'not-for-the-dinner-table' talk that your mom warned you against. No worries. This is usual. And I will be public by saying that if you come one week and don't bother to show up the next week you will most likely be taked about. But dont worry - they'll say 'bless your heart' behind any bad thing.

Mawmaw barely sits down before she is up and cleaning the dishes. I wish she wouldnt even have to touch the dishes. Maybe then I should do them because I have never really stopped her but it just dawned on me that she should never have to do the dishes or do anything all week long for that matter. For the love and the comfort that she creates through her cooking, just one day a week for an hour or so - mawmaw deserves the moon and the stars. But that's the thing about her -she'd never take it if you offered it to her - she genuinely enjoys cooking for the family and seeing everybody get together.
I love Sunday dinners as you can imagine. I can't always make them but I know that they aren't going anywhere for awhile - whether I am there or not.
I've heard that you can cook your way to a man's heart - maybe I'll start going to Mawmaws early so I can start learning her secrets. What an invaluable 30 minutes if she'd let me.

Thank you God, for Mawmaw. She, too, is another little glimpse of heaven that you have given to me! Now to go eat my left over corn bread......

Best Saturday EVER

Yesterday was by far the prettiest day I have ever experienced in Atlanta. Really. I woke up yesterday and it is like the air outside ran through my knows and I was immediatly awake and I knew it would be a good day. First, the mean man Brian Nichols was captured early Saturday a.m. - what a terrible day to be shackled - the weather was intoxicating. So I woke up to an empty house which was perfect for the type of day I was to have. I brewed a fresh cup of my Costa Rican coffee. I think CR coffee is heaven in a cup. It my be the memories that make it so sweet but nonetheless, a good cup of coffee. Then I sat in my grass and read my book until about 1:30 in the afternoon. Neighbors walkd by. Everyone was happy and everyone was outdoors. God really gave yesterday to us as a gift for maybe having to endure the pain of the mean man Brian Nichols. He reminded us of the beauty that far abounds the hurt and sin of this world. What a true glimpse of heaven!
So after my nose was just a touch rosy, my friend, Amanda and I went on a excusion around Capital City. We walked and talked until we could no more and we looked at all the unique homes of the area. Not sure about her but I was secretly seeing myseld on the porches of the houses we passed - just rocking in a Brumby rocker, sipping lemonade, husband and kids playing the backyard....
Reality yesterday was just as sweet as my fantasies though. We then went to the Dekalb Farmers Market to pick up some fresh things just like we were in Italy. I got some more oranges because now that I learned how to cut an orange to where it is fun to eat - I love them!
The Farmers Market was a true treat. Reminds me of the outdoor farmers market that came through Marion Scquare in Charleston on Saturdays.
Yesterday my mind was at peace, my heart was content and my cuppeth run over.
I know God has some more of those kinds of days in his pocket but for now I am satisfied.

Headache

I have a headache. What is it from? It comes often. I have the worst headache. I am drinking a caffeine-not a coke -to get rid of my headache. But is just doenst go away. It's like a perpetual headache. I think it is due to internal frustration. Comes from not getting what you want. I sound like a brat but it is true. At heart we all want some things and want things to go certain ways and they rarely do. Very rarely for me. I say I am okay with that because I am glad that God id in control and not me - because I know he can do more and knows what is best. But ultimately, it causes a headache to always be internally frustrated with outcomes.
I have the worst headache. I think the only thing that will get rid of it is to get away on that vacation I have been talking about. I need to get away and sit and smile and be one with the sun and the quiet. No cell phone to ring either. And no manipulative people - that is another one of those pet peeve things. That and people who sing to songs and dont know the words but sing loudly the wrong words.
Aside from those things I am a generally happy and eternally optimistic person.

I feel better now.

Athens =Heaven

I went to Athens last Friday to check up on things. Arches, still there. Five Star Day, still there. Theta Mansion...sitting quite nicely. Charlsie, yes, still there. Athens makes you smile.
It just does - you drive in on Atlanta Highway whic becomes University highway and turns into Broad Street at just the right point. Once you see the Red V on the Left of Broad and corner of Milledge....you know you are home.
We went to Depalmas, one of my top 5 restaraunts, with Charlsie's new law school friends. Charlsie always has new friends. She says I was her first friend ever in college. That is a big title to have and I will wear it well. I had a crush on her when I met her and I followed her around.
Just as I did Friday night because I no longer knew the places to go - not did I really care to go to them. Honestly, I wasn't the most exciting visitor. After a week in the working world - Friday nights are just not doable. Needless to say, I was drinking coffee at dinner like my grandmother does.
Saturday I went to Cookies and Company with my brother! Instant Happiness! Oh how I adore the little pressed sandwiches and yummy cookies. I even went back before I left and bought a few more for the road.
Athens misses me - I can tell. Hopefully in another life I will live there with my hubby and a few chil'rens....

Trident Trpoical Gum

Yet another Fave. This one has been on the list for the last 6 months....nopt a new thing but deserves recognition. I love to leave work midday - I do this often for various 'favorite things' and head to the local Publix to pick up the weekly supply of Trident Tropical gum. The best things since Smuckers made premade frozen peanut butter and jelly 'Crustable sandwiches'. (That's for you Charlsie).
This orabge gum lasts the whoel day through and the flavor is like a perpetual explosion of yuminess and sweetness. The perfect fix for a so-called, orally fixated person like myself.
I love, too, when I find other fans of this gum. You are automatically somebody in my book if you can respect the simple pleasures that this gum offers.

Moving home

Look out Mama....I think I want to move home. Tuesday I was in the hospital and the most recent information in their system was from my cheerleading injury my senior year of highschool. I dont think I was really hurt but it was nice to go to the hosptal. Otis - we'll allow him the title of highschool sweetheart - came and brought a bear. I think it was a teddy bear I had given him earlier ( makes me laugh just typing it) but nonetheless, it was a bear and it was just for me. Someone else brought me a steak and shake milkshake - cookies and cream. i can't remember who but it was noted at the time and very special.
Anyway, so the lady asked me if I were out of highschool yet and if I still lived at 914 Denmeade Walk. My eyes are watering as I type my old address. I would love to be in highschool again. I want to move home and be with my family. I miss Mary and Carter and homecooked meals. I miss coming home and sneaking a snack while mom is getting something ready for dinner. I miss going to bed and feeling so safe cause my dad is big and tall and because my house I grew up in was big and secluded by Buddy Darden's woods. The only scary place in the whole house was dads office. Scary because we werent allowed to touch anything but we always did. I know dad probably knew. Secondly because it was in the very bottom and very back of the house next to the unfinished part where all the tools and storage boxes were kept. I'd hate to have to turn out the lights in the basement - especially in his office when I was the last one to go to bed. I would go to my room - 2 floors up - turn on all the lights to the top and then as I got through each room I'd turn off the lights and run. The mind is a scary thing. You can really make your self scared sick. Nothing ever got me and no one ever jumped out at me.

I could write for hours about my old house. I will. Just not today.
Bottom line is I want to move home. I was really sad when I told the poor check-in lady at the hospital, that no - in fact I dont live there and actually in between then and now I have lived in a few places and been away from my family, and lost sight of the most important things in the world, and been stressed at work and in life to where I long for the comforts of Denmeade Walk til I am sick in the stomach, that I had fallen in love, had my heart broken and grown tremendously but more than anything I just wanted to be 'home.' Since my family moved to Boston and now back I hadnt really felt like I had a 'home'. I know I have a place to go but it wasnt the home I grew up in and a place that was partly mine. As I type this, though, I am realizing that home really is where the heart is. Cheesy but true - No area in my life have I seen the Lord work the way I have seen him work in my family. From challenging us, to breaking us to humbling us and rebuilding. I am so thankful for the work He is doing and I am so excited to grow older with my family and get to experience life! Despite all that may come our way - when you go home you can be you. And what an exhilerating and altogether freeing feeling!

Okay, you can turn off the epiphany music in the background. I am done. If you made it this far through - you may know more of me than you want. I'm going to call mama now....I need to go home.

Orange County

I want to go there. Lastnight, Marissa ran into Paris Hilton just going into a club. I dont really like Paris Hilton nor do I like clubs but I want to go to Orange County. As we speak, I am "working" with my Ipod earphones in listening to the OC theme song......take me away!

I don't even know if it is warm there now but the attire always seems to be sleevless tee's and loose skirts...my kind of stuff.

I am really not working right now either. I am looking at flights on Delta to go somewhere tropical. My soul mate - Ashley Abide- has her spring break in a few weeks and needs a week away from the books. I need a week away from everything. I found this place called Royal Hideaway and everything about just the title makes my mouth water. Where would you go if you could get away? I'd like suggestions of places you may have been because I don't want to be a guinnypig. I want to go, turn off my cell phone and just sit.

Back to Orange County. Ask Charlsie or Callie or Katie - I have never been known to watch tv. In college I loved when I would try to be like Charlsie and sit and watch a movie or two or sit and watch a few hours of mindless tv and eat chocolate- it was very freeing but I wasnt good at it. Not now. It's weird but honestly, the highlight of my week is Thursday nights. Hip hop with Peter - the gayest Southern boy youve ever met. I'd marry him if he liked girls. Then I head home, eat some cereal and sit down in front of the oversized tv and watch the OC. Tivo lets me pause it if I have to get up to go the bathroom or replay Cohen and Summer's kiss last week as many times as I want. I think the plot is extremely cheesy and unrealistic and often I have a hard time with shows like that. But some kind of stage I am in right now - likes more than anything the fictional plot (every character is somehow related and it is way too far from Alabama for this to be true) and the glitz and glam of the OC lifestyle. Really, I just like Cohen. I like the cury, dark hair. And I am obsessed with his quirkiness and confidence. Am I allowed to be seriously interested in highschool boys?

California here I come! Looking out for number 1....