a white weekend

Last week was a bit crazy. Monday through Thursday I went 90-to-nothing, both at work and after. If you know me, you know that I require an obscene amount of sleep to function the next day and last week I just wasn't getting it...and I felt it. But, I kept going.

Enter Friday morning...

Now remember, I'm Southern. I've lived my entire 27 years in Tennessee/Alabama for college. Very rarely do we get snow, and when we do we freak. Well at least I do. I will not drive in this. Chalk it up to one particular Christmas Eve spent in a ditch...that was all it took to scar me from driving in it ever again.

They let us leave work at around 9:30 Friday morning. After a few errands around town with my Dad as my chauffeur, I was home by 1:00 and ready for my version of a Southern blizzard. Winter is my most favorite season, so I was beyond excited.

And by Saturday morning, I woke up to this.



Snow is beautiful. There is no other force of nature that is so peaceful, calming and serene. Sure, there were wrecks, falls and spills. But stepping outside on Saturday morning, you could hear a pin drop. It was like God put my little world on pause. No cars flying by on the street, no noises from airplanes or birds... just nature in its most pure and simple form.

I loved it. I embraced it. I took full advantage of being stuck at home (well, at one point, in a ditch)... catching up on books, magazines, phone calls to friends and movies. I went sledding with neighborhood kids that were half my age. I had a total blast flying down a hill drenched in ice, on a sled I haven't used since high school.




Life stays busy... no matter your age, no matter your career or relationship status. It just seems to always go non-stop. Rarely do I find myself just staying put. But for the past few days I have done just that, and it has felt good.

I had a jam-packed weekend that I missed out on. I have a bruised elbow from tumbling on the ice, and a knot on my head from running in to a tree. But thanks to our little Southern winter wonderland, my batteries are re-charged.

And it's a good thing... I have a hot date with this guy on Friday!

it's complicated

We haven't been together for that long. I like him... but I don't know if I "like him" like him. We've been to a movie, a birthday dinner, a few lunch dates... but I just don't think I'm getting use to him as fast as I'd like to. He's a little hard to figure out. I wasn't really looking for anything when he came along... but I'm going to stick with this one for a while. I think he'll work out in the long-run.

What's his name?

Palm Pixi.

That's right. Miss Technology got a new cell phone!

I don't like change and I tend to get overly anxious and stressed with anything high-tech and complicated. I am pretty sure I'd still be taking pictures with film if they still made film. Carried in my fanny pack, of course.

For over seven years, I had the same cell phone. I kid you not. I would have kept on using that cell phone, except they stopped making the battery for it. The phone I had as of a few days ago, I had for forever, too. It did exactly what I need it to do. "New every two" means nothing to me.

Until now.

It's a new decade. I am certainly eligible for a free upgrade. And most importantly, I'm getting to a point where I need remote email access. I've never wanted to be this connected to the world...but it's time. I've put off the inevitable for about 6 weeks now. But I finally did it. I updated my cell phone.

Along with the obvious functions, it also gets emails, shows me the weather, and I could probably get it to bake me some brownies if I wanted some.

The first few days were rough. I was calling people right and left without knowing it. I couldn't figure out how to turn the screen on, much less text message or reply to an email. But we're doing better. Like I said... he could work out long term. For now, we'll just say, for lack of better terms... it's complicated.

*Side note: I can't quite get over the name Pixi. It's a good thing I'm a girl. The name doesn't exactly scream masculinity.

Angie by the Dozen

I'm not vain enough to think that you actually find me, or my life, interesting. I don't know how many of you read my blog - but if you do, thanks. I hope I've kept it fun enough for you so far.

That being said...

I am a huge list-maker. I make a list for anything and everything, and I get a weird satisfaction crossing stuff off my list. Type A personality? I think so.

So I decided to make a list of some things you may or may not know about me.

1. The 1st concert I ever went to was Whitney Houston. I was seven. I put cotton balls in my ears because I was so sensitive to the noise, and I forgot to take them out. Five days and one doctor's apt. later, I remembered they were in there. Oops!

2. I am a dental hygiene freak.

3. My worst habit is popping my knuckles. Very un-lady like, I know.

4. Milk makes me gag.

5. I hate Pottery Barn. If you've ever seen the episode of Friends that explains Phoebe's dislike for it...well, ditto for me. I also have similar thoughts about Starbucks.

6. I passed out for a hot minute giving my Spanish paper my Senior year of college. It was my final. I still made an A in the class. :)

7. At church, in a movie or on an airplane...I always have to have the aisle seat.

8. My biggest fear in the whole world is needles. Cats come in a close second.

9. I have an odd fixation with obsessively checking the weather. I love weather.com, and I love reading weather-related stories about big snow storms, tornadoes, etc. So maybe I have a nerdy side to me...

10. I absolutely can not stand to be barefoot.

11. I am the only person in my family of 4 with blue eyes.

12. I've never seen Forest Gump.

As much as I wish I could credit this story to MY grandmother...this is from an email I got yesterday from Laing. It's important to know that her grandmother has nothing to worry about concerning finances. I love old people.

I got a call this afternoon from my grandmother asking me to meet her at Office Depot right down the street from my house. She sounded frantic and like she needed help, so I said sure thing, give me 5 minutes. When I pull in I see my dad, mom and aunt all pull in right behind me. We all park and start looking at each other like what the hell is going on? We meet grandmommy right outside of the store and she tells us to all go to a different corner of the store and we will see a cart full of different items. She then handed us some cash and a wad of coupons and we were off. Well, turns out, she had loaded up one cart with all this crap and the Office Depot people told her it was limited to one deal per person. So, she dragged her entire family on a Tuesday afternoon to help her save $10 on office supplies.

Facebook

I have a lovehate relationship with Facebook.

On one hand, I love how it is so convenient to talk to, reconnect & keep up with friends.

On the other hand, there are so many things that get on my nerves about Facebook. Now, I am sure most of you think that if I'm going to sit here & complain about it, I should just quit. Well I can't! I'm just going to say it. I've thought about it and I just can't do it. It's a good thing I'm not a heavy drinker, or a crack head.

Facebook started towards the end of my senior year of college. From then on, "wall" became a more common noun and "Facebooked" became a new verb. Over the past few years, the social network site has gained so many new bells and whistles that I can't keep up. I still don't know what Mafia Wars or Farmville are. But they are all up in my "news feed".

Status updates are fun...as long as you don't go overboard. People that update every 45 minutes of their day bother me though. "I just woke up." "I am sitting at my desk working." "I had Wheaties for breakfast." Not necessary.

I appreciate everyone who recognizes my birthday on Facebook each year...especially those who I haven't spoken to in eight years. It makes me feel loved! However, I don't do it. If you are my friend, I will call you on your birthday.

Much like the birthday calling thing, if one of these days I ever get engaged and you are my friend, I'll call and tell you. You won't find out first hand on facebook. And please...if I make an entire Facebook album dedicated to my engagement ring, hit me. Just hit me.

Groups. I am not in many "groups" but I've seen a lot of them. They just get more and more absurd. "If your name starts with A,E,I,O or U, Join!". The worst one is "I lost my phone and need your number." Sorry you got drunk, fell in a pool and broke your phone. But Facebook isn't a place where I want to give out my cell phone number. (Random fact...a lot of my friends say I am the only cell phone number they have memorized...probably since I've had the same # since I was 15).

And I haven't quite figured out how to respond to people that post on my wall. Do you write underneath the post? Or on the other person's wall? I have seen both done...I don't know why I care, but I just never know what to do.

I have a boatload of other random observations, but you get the hint. Facebook, although ridiculous at times, is just like watching The Bachelor or looking at a bad car wreck. I can't NOT do it.

But I'm still going to call you on your birthday.

When life hands you a drug test...

So there I was, minding my own business this morning at my desk, singing away to Billy Joel and catching up on emails. In walks our divisional Vice President who hands me a sheet of paper with a map on it. "You've been selected for a random drug test."

SWEET! Just what I've always wanted to do.

Fortunately (or unfortunately, as you'll see later on in the story...) three other people in our office were selected for the test. Now as I have said before, I love my co-workers. But some things, you'd just rather do alone. Like pee in a cup, for example.

We all pile in the car and head out on the 10 min. drive to the drug testing place. After filling out the appropriate paper work and sitting for some time, desperate for conversation beyond the weather and the recent actions of Lane "see ya later" Kiffin, three of us successfully take our drug test with no problem.

Now remember, there were 4 of us that went on this drug test field trip. The fourth girl had a bit of a problem on her first go 'round. And by problem, I mean shy bladder syndrome. She can't go. She physically can't pee in the cup. So, she comes back out, chugs her third bottle of water, and we wait.

And we wait.

She gets called back again for her second attempt. I thought for sure she had it.

She comes back out to the waiting room. No dice. WTF. Are you kidding me? She said they told her that if she doesn't go after the third try, it's considered refusal and she fails her drug test.

And so we play the waiting game for another 30 minutes and she continues to drown herself with water & coffee. After some more time, we make the collective decision to leave her and go back to the office. Someone would have to go back and get her. After all, I had spent almost 2 hours of my morning in the confines of a doctor's office.

Luckily for her, she went on the third try. Now all we have to do is wait and see if she passed.

the love of my life

I love Brad Paisley. Like, a lot. You could even go as far as to say I'm border-line obsessed.

In a few weeks I am going to see him in concert again...this time in Birmingham. Can't freaking wait!

I met Brad backstage at his show in Nashville last year but I was so overwhelmed with excitement that I can't remember a thing about it or what I said to him. If I ever run in to him in public, I will end up on the news. Or in jail.

I love him for so many reasons, besides the fact that I think he is the most adorable thing ever.

First...let's talk about his music. I like country music...but I like one or two songs by any given artist and that's it. Not so with Brad. I literally love everything he sings...and he can sing about everything. Booze...ticks...being an Internet creeper...but his love songs are so sweet and well-written. I love his voice and I love his lyrics. Who else could make something as manly as mud on tires sound so darn cute?

He married Annie Banks from Father of the Bride, one of my favorite movies. They have the cutest boys ever and they all go to church together on Sunday's.

George Costanza is in one of his music videos. His guitars are covered in Paisley print. He sings Eric Clapton at concerts and church hymns at the Grand Ole Opry. And he's not afraid to crack jokes at his own expense.

Seeing my favorite person in concert, in one of my favorite cities, with some great college friends...I'm not sure if it gets any better!

Wednesday Randoms

I am convinced I need to move to Buffalo, New York. I am loving this long-lasting cold weather we are having. The forecast for snow tomorrow only makes me even more excited. Now, if work would operate on the same system as the Nashville public schools, I'd be in good shape.

I've had some sort of cold/sinus infection all week. I sound like a man, I can't hear and I sneeze every 3 minutes. My desk is drowning under Emergen-C packets and Kleenex. Hot.

Despite snow and sickness, I am going to Dallas for a long weekend to visit my high school (and college) friend Missy. I love exploring new cities...can't wait!

Over the past week or so I have had a lot of you tell me or email me how much you are enjoying my blog. To be honest, I didn't know that many of you read it. Thank you! I am glad everyone likes it...even if you didn't, I would probably keep writing because it's what I love to do. But knowing it's entertaining some of you makes it all the more fun to do!

and finally...

Roll Tide...?!