To round out the online dating trifecta, I signed up for eHarmony - on of all days, Black Friday. Nothing says "I am thankful" like eating leftover turkey and answering questions about your favorite movies and political views in hopes of meeting a mate.

Of the three sites I tried, eHarmony was my least favorite. I wasn't much a fan of the super detailed questionnaire or the convoluted process and steps to "talk" to people. That being said, I have several friends who have met their boyfriends, fiances and husbands on eHarmony so I know it works.

Without boring you with the standard details, I "met" a guy named...Phil. We will call him Phil. 

The day...more like morning...after Phil got my number, my phone dings. When I say morning, I'm talking 5:58 a.m. 

If there is anything you need to know about Angie, it's that Angie isn't a morning person. So you better have a really good excuse for texting that early. Unless you are Bradley Cooper. He can text me anytime, day or night. 

The text was from Phil. This was his first attempt at starting a conversation with me that wasn't on eHarmony. The best part is that it wasn't a text at all. 

It was a selfie. 

Phil sent me a selfie in the back seat of a mini van of he and his niece, traveling with his family to Disney World.

I don't even know your last name, your birthday or where you went to college. But selfies, gotch'a covered. I responded, reluctantly. 

Throughout the week I received a series of pictures of Phil and his entire family while vacationing at the Happiest Place on Earth. To put it lightly, it was weird.

I didn't want to totally write this guy off just because he was camera happy before we even met face to face, but you have to draw the line somewhere. 

And that line was drawn in the form of a tea cup. 

That's right, I was sent a selfie of Phil in a tea cup.

Alice might have approved. But Angie didn't. 

That was the last I heard from Phil.

  

The Disappearing Act

Next up was Mike from Match (again, name changed). I eased in to the world of Match after Tinder was a complete & total flop. Mike's story isn't as much entertaining as it is just plain odd.

And so it starts...second verse, same as the first...Mike and I chatted, asked & answered the standard questions, then he asked me out. 

Our initial date was to meet at a brewery (I appreicated something different) and then go swing dancing - something he did twice a week. WOAH. For a first date, swing dancing with an almost total stranger was a bit...how do you say...totally and compleltely intemidating? At least for me. But, I obliged. 

Plans changed for this and that reason, and we ended up at the bar of a trendy hotel near downtown. I arrived first. He walked in and hugged me, much like Craig, but without the heavy scent of yesterday's wadded up flannel coated in air freshener. 

We sat at the bar, ate, drank and talked for close to three hours. Well, I drank. Quite the gentlman, Mike let me order first and I asked for my signature chardonnay; he ordered water. Woops. Oh well, we were sitting at a bar, so, when in...a hotel bar?

I felt things went really great. He drove me to my car, we exchanged numbers, and agreed we should do this again. Yes please.

I wasn't even home yet when I recieved a text that he heard a song we talked about on the radio and it made him think of me. In case you were curious, it was Neon Moon by Brooks and Dunn. FAVORITE. 

Anyway, We continued texting throughout the evening. I was giddy because I really enjoyed my time with this fella.

A few days went by that I didn't hear from him...which I guess is normal? I mean, what exactly really is normal these days with dating. Anyway, more time passes and still...cricketts. Like for real nothing. 

My birthday was ten or so days after the first (and only) date with Mike, and low and behold who did I get a birthday greeting from but the swing dancer himself. 

I was stunned, not only to hear form him, but also that he remembered my birthday admist all we talked about. I replied and initiated a conversation, one which he did not responded to. 

Mike disappeared, making his grand exit with those three little words every girl longs for: 

Happy Birthday, Angie.

The first guy I went out with was from Tinder. Say what you will about the app, for the 3 or so months I was on it, I found it amusing. The fact that it was completely free as well as required a very minimal profile in the "About" section were two strong selling points, thus why it was the first online dating avenue I turned down. 

Enter Craig - name changed to protect the innocent. Although he wasn't very innocent. 

Craig and I matched or whatever, based solely on a picture. We started "talking" (texting through Tinder) and I found him funny. We chatted about the usual...where we were both from, college (he didn't go), job (waiter), favorite past times (?). 

I was somewhat hesitant based on his credentials. Now, education is important to me, but it is not a deal breaker. College isn't for everyone, as he said maybe 6-8 times during the course of our date. And, I really don't care what you do for a living as long as you have drive & ambition.

Despite some doubt, I accepted a date after a few days of communicating. I was to meet him at 7 at a restaurant not too far from where I live. 

I waited outside for Craig. He showed up on time (I was early, I always am) and gave me a hug. A hug that hit me like a mac freakin' truck. Not because of his size, but because of the amount of original sent Febreeze he apparently doused himself in moments before. Oh my goodness, it was suffocating.

We sit down. Craig is anxious. Like, jumpy, can't sit still, I am afraid he's going to fall out of his chair anxious. Sure, all first dates are nerve racking, but this was almost over the top. 

Flash-forward two hours later - we order drinks and dinner and conversation goes well, but I'm not feeling it. Nice guy, but not for me. He spit a LOT when he talked. Also, Craig has been a waiter for the past 10 years. So back to that whole drive & ambition thing...

The deal was sealed when he said something along the lines of "yeah so when you meet my family...". 

In all the things to NOT say on a first date, meeting the family is probably ranked up there with "Is your friend in your profile pic single..." and "My ex always used to say...".

I saw Craig once more for a drink. I knew I was done after that. When he asked to see me a third time and take me golfing (ha!), I more or less said I didn't think we were in the same place. I thought that was a nice way to end things. 

Apparently not. 

A week later, I am running Saturday errands with Ann Claire at TJ Maxx. I am waiting at the front of the store while she pays and in walks Craig. Holy crap. I didn't think he saw me, but I left AC and bolted to the car anyway. 

Turns out, he did see me and he let me know in the creepiest way. I received a text. "Hey! Were you just in TJ Maxx? I know I saw you but didn't want to startle you." 

It didn't stop there. 

Later that same day, he sends me what was most definitely a fake message. "Hey! Can't wait to see you tonight. I'll pick you up around 6 or so?" immediately followed by a "Oh, sorry, that wasn't meant for you."

Are we 32 or 12? Who does that?

I thought for sure Craig would finally disappear, what with his hot date that night. But, no

I'm enjoying brunch at a cozy, quaint restaurant on the east side of town one winter Sunday. Read, winter. We went out in July. 

That night, I get a text from Craig asking if it was me he saw that day at this particular brunch spot. Again, he didn't "want to scare me by saying hi." 

Craig, I think we are all past the point of you scaring me. 

I didn't respond, and haven't heard from him since. 

Is this thing still on?

I can't imagine any of you are reading this after my three year hiatus, but, here I am. Chalk it up to social media making it quicker & easier to post those random moments that seem to be plotted along the road map that is my journey.

Recently, I've had a string of occurrences in my love life that were just down right ridiculous. I shared with friends, but never thought about writing them all out. 

Until now, that is. 

Let's back things up a little bit. I decided to do online dating a year or so go. There was no real reason that I didn't begin earlier than I did. It has worked for a number of my friends, even taking several of them down the aisle. For whatever reason, I was hesitant. Maybe I was too lazy to fill out all those questionnaires. Maybe I was fearful I would meet a mass murdered. Or maybe I thought I would get stalked at TJ Maxx. Which I did. 

So, for those still listening, the blog is coming back. Be patient as I recount these stories and try to pen as many details as I can. But trust me, they are coming, and I hope you enjoy reading them as much as I (almost) enjoyed living them. 

You can't make this stuff up. You just...can't.

short and sweet

These three things stole my heart this weekend.

Eric Church, Luke Bryan (whew! hothothot), and the best, most expensive ice cream I have ever had.

Not so Goodwill

It's been a while, friends... life has been good. No complaints. But also, nothing significant enough to write about... until now!

A while back, a Facebook "friend" posted that they had just returned something at the Dollar Store. I giggled, and then thought to myself - would I do that? Probably not. I love a deal. I use my coupons and almost never buy anything full price. But I don't know if I'd go as far as to take something back that cost me less than the gas it would take to get there.

Through my "thrifty"ness, I've also grown to love Goodwill, thrift stores and garage sales - more for the kitschy items mostly. I go from time to time, usually when I am bored - but my stop yesterday at Goodwill was not to buy, but to give. I had a bag of various items that I took to their drive-up donation center. As I was getting out of my car, a young teenage girl stopped me.

" 'Cuse me...my momma wants to see what's in your bag." I looked up to find a tall, slender woman in a maxi dress, wearing huge sunglasses and equally huge hoops. I looked further past her to see she had just stepped out of a silver Mercedes.

I was hesitant, and very confused. I opened up my bag to show her a mixture of scarves, cookbooks and picture frames that was my trash, and hopefully someone else's treasure. She reached her hands down in the bag, moved a few things around, but ultimately decided she wasn't interested.

"No, no I'm looking for notebooks."

At this point, I really didn't know what to say. What if I had a notebook... would she have taken it? Given the money to me? To Goodwill? Or offered money at all?

Was she going to Goodwill to shop for notebooks? Because I am pretty sure they are all of $1 at the CVS up the street. Brand spankin' new ones.

The whole scene, which was all of 60 seconds, left me completely baffled. I guess people that drive $60,000 luxury vehicles like their deal as much as the next person.

But please, don't take from charity.

my virtual closet

Online shopping is one of my guiltiest pleasures...even if it is just for fun and I know in the end, I'm too cheap to buy it anyway. Here are some of the things for spring that are currently waiting patiently in my virtual shopping bags.


stripes are so fun!



loving these colors...a great dress to wear to a wedding, out to dinner or on your beach vacation



a spring standard that you can take in to the fall with a burnt orange cardigan or scarf

i live in flats, and these bright orange ones will go with more than you think
cute weekend top that's easy on your wallet

questionnaire

It has been a LONG time since I last blogged - too long! Lots of things have been going on that have taken my time and energy away from this blog and writing. But the one good thing about it is it's always here when I just want to pick back up and start fresh!

I thought I would pick up where I left off with this fun little survey a friend sent me to fill out. I remember doing surveys all the time when I was a teenager and they were sent almost daily to my AOL email. I don't know why I thought they were so fun, but I did. Maybe I was just a nerd. And still am.

So here is another one for old time's sake!

TEA OR COFFE

unsweet tea, extra lemon! i drink it like water

I COLLECT...

stationary and vintage jewelry/purses/hats

FAVORITE CITY

chicago

SPRING OR FALL

winter :)

BLOOM OF CHOICE...

big, bright red tulips

CHINA PATTERN

never really had reason to think about it, but if i had to choose it would be something very, very plain

STYLE ICON

jackie o

FAVORITE FRAGRENCE

miss dior cherie

I'M LUSTING AFTER

this, that, and those

MOST PRIZED POSSESSION...

a signet ring that was my great-grandmothers, my pearls from my mema, and a cocktail ring made of my grandmother's earrings

GIRL CRUSH

betty white, miranda lambert

BOY CRUSH

brad paisley, blake shelton, ryan reynolds...was i suppose to pick just one?!

ON WEEKENDS, I...

love to sleep, clean, wine, dine, shop, bake, re-charge and wear no makeup

FAVORITE CUISINE

tossup between greek & mexican

I WEAR ___ ALL THE TIME

cardigans

FAVORITE COCKTAIL

cold, dry white wine

Today I switched over to my 2012 planner. Yes, I still use a hand-held, paper planner. And as long as they are around, I'll still use them. I write everything in my planner. If I ever lose it, I'm screwed.

Before tossing in the trash, I flipped through it for memories sake. It reminded me of all that 2011 has brought me...and while there have definitely been some hills to climb, many blessing have also been sent my way.

So true to the nature of many blogs this week, and David Letterman, here are my Top 10 Moments of 2011.

10. Saw Brad Paisley in concert 3 times this year!
9. Second Tuesday of every month - my supper club - love those girls.
8. Took a new position at work in July...still really enjoying it.
7. My 10 year high school reunion happened and it was SO MUCH FUN!
6. Obviously went to my fair share of weddings. Even got picked up by a 65+ year old at one. No thanks.
5. In May, there were three precious babies born within 5 days of each other - Eve, and twins Lily and Jackson. They are all angels!
4. Sarah and Whitney moved back to Nashville!
3. Took a trip to the beach in March with my family.
2. Traveled to California and Washington to see Carla and Tori this summer. Saw so many things I'd only seen before in pictures.
1. More or less forced myself to meet Blake Shelton on a random street corner one Wednesday night. I had no shame...and he was awesome.

I'm off to the beach with friends to ring in 2012... Happy New Year to you all!

...these are a few of my favorite things

I know we are still a few days out from Thanksgiving, but I just can't help getting in the Christmas spirit. Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. I love seeing my family, and I really, really love the food. No one can make dressing (Not stuffing. I'm from Tennessee, remember...) like my grandmother. And I am convinced I could live off of sweet potatoes alone if it came down to it.

But there is just something about Christmas that is so magical. The days leading up to it are busy, yes. Parties, parties and more parties. Concerts, plays, luncheons...they all seem to hit at once. Despite hectic schedules and crowded places, the Christmas season brings so many things that bring a smile to my face. Some little and mundane; and others that bring back some precious childhood memories.

Here is my list!

I love wrapped gifts - I try to wrap as many as I can, as opposed to gift bags. My grandmother always wrapped my presents in the nicest paper with the most exquisite bows and adornments. At the time, it was the last thing I cared about - I just wanted to see what was in that present! But now that she is gone, her attention to each and every gift to her family is what stands out more to than what was inside the box.



Cold weather is my favorite. I lived in my black and white polka dot Target rain boots last year and jumped at any chance to wear them during any talk of rain or snow. I love the look of these Hunter rain boots with warm sock inserts!


I watch Christmas movies year-round; yet I can not choose my favorite between Home Alone (can quote the whole thing), Christmas Vacation (You serious, Clark?), and Love Actually (Hugh Grant dancing to Jump is one of my all time favorite movie scenes).




These old time Christmas light bulbs are not something you see that much any more, but again, something insignificant that brings me back to Christmas at my grandmother's. Her tree was covered in them every year that I remember.


Christmas music starts 24/7 the day after Thanksgiving (at least on the radio), but I may or may not have already listened to a few of my favorites. "Do You Hear What I Hear" by Carrie Underwood (of course) is pretty much on my iTunes repeat; but when it's on the radio, Martina McBride's "O Holy Night" will stop you in your tracks. This particular version is a capella, and it's amazing. It's almost a religious expierence just listening to it.

How fun are these cutesy Kate Spade bow earrings? And I love emerald green as an alternative to red and/or black for a Christmas party!



Who can forget the food? A lady in my office always makes puppy chow (chocolate peanut butter Chex Mix) and I can't help but take extra helpings when she brings it in. I also love those limited edition candy cane Tootsie Roll pops that are now in stores! And sausage balls, and spice tea, and...





I hope that you can find time to appreicate all things that are important and meaningful to you and your's during the season, and in doing so, be sure to stop and remember the true meaning of Christmas.

the obits

My uncle has passed along a strange, albeit hilarious, ritual - checking the local section of the daily paper for the obituaries.

Now, before anything is said, know that this is by no means meant to disrespect those who have passed.

It started when he was searching for friends of his parents, in order to pay his respects. What followed was simply an observation - printed for all to see - of people's off-the-wall, quirky nicknames that are displayed in their death notice.

Here are some of my favorites that I have documented over the past few weeks - using only their first names.

Unless you have absolutely zero sense of humor, you will find that at least one of the following will give you a little chuckle. With nicknames like these, I'd like to think these people lived life with no shortage of laughs.

George "Big Roy"
J.L. "J-Bird"
Alan "Weasel"
Edna "Snook"
Margaret "Tooter"
Gwen "Ladybug"
Horace "Tex"
Jarney "Possum"
Phillip "King Phil"

and my personal favorite:

Joseph "Sugar-doo"

And I said, What about...

Breakfast at Tiffany's!

This year I dressed up as Audrey Hepburn/Holly Golightly from Breakfast at Tiffany's. It was a really fun & easy costume to put together. I had to find a few "props" - nothing that Party City couldn't supply.

Except for the coveted Tiffany's blue bag - a must to complete my outfit.

I debated whether or not to go to the store and ask for a bag. I have a few pieces from there that I could have taken to get cleaned and then asked for a bag - but I didn't think all of that would be necessary. And, as my friends reminded me, I am the same girl that asked Blake Shelton for not one but two pictures, so this seemed like a piece of cake.

I walked in one afternoon after work. Ann Claire was with me. As soon as I was greeted, I said, I have a favor to ask.

I explained that I was dressing up as Audrey Hepburn for Halloween and would be willing to pay for a bag for my costume. The guy looked at me, dumbfounded.

All of the sudden, an old guy from behind the counter pipes up and says, "I'm sorry, we are not permitted to do that."

Permitted to give me a bag that probably cost them 50 cents to make? When I offered to pay for it?

I said, o.k., I'll just go buy a blue bag.

But, the crisis was averted & I ended up finding a bag from a friend.

Happy Halloween!

flea market find

What do Whole Foods, Target & the Flea Market have in common?

Really, nothing. Except I could spend hours upon hours browsing around at each.

I gravitate towards anything vintage and whimsical. I like something with character, with a story or meaning, and something you won't see on everyone.

The monthly flea market is the best place to find one of a kind items that you can't find just anywhere. Or, if you can find them elsewhere, they probably aren't nearly as cheap. Granted, it takes a good eye and some patience to sort the trash from the treasures, but a day off work Friday let me do just that.

I spent several hours looking at some really great, uncommon goods. Lots of things displayed remind me of my grandmothers, which is part of the reason I love going each month.

There is one booth I frequent - a lady who sells vintage jewelry and accessories at the best prices.

It was here that I found this little treasure. I have a collection of old purses that were my great-grandmother's - and for $10, I thought it was a good find.

What made it a GREAT find was what was inside - a ticket stub from the Grand Ole Opry in 1974.

How cool is that?

tourist in my own town

Tuesday night my friend Kayla treated me to an unbelievable show at the Grand Ole Opry. I've lived in Nashville my whole life, & the only time I've ever been was for Ann Claire's high school graduation...not exactly what it was built for.

I loved the show...every second of it. Another thing I can cross off my bucket list -to see Brad Paisley at the Opry! Even better were the other big performers, Carrie Underwood and Alabama. If I could morph in to anyone, it would be Carrie Underwood. Seriously, she's perfect. And I grew up listening to nothing but country music, so seeing Alabama was a huge plus. THANK YOU KAYLA!

Side note: if you've never seen or heard Carrie Underwood sing How Great Thou Art, then stop what you are doing right now and listen to it. It's life-changing. I have her live Opry version on itunes, but this video below is even better, if that's possible. Seriously, I cry every time I listen to it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pLLMzr3PFgk&feature=related

unexpected surprise

Sarah's twins are 5 and a half months old. They are a huge blessing to me, and I love my weekly visits with them. They can make any mundane, sub-par work day a better one just by their sweet smiles and coos.

Yesterday morning Sarah asked me to stop by after work. She said she had a surprise for me, knowing that I hate surprises. When I got to her house, she asked me to sit down. At this point I have no clue what is going on - I thought she was about to tell me she was pregnant again, in which case I would have passed out in the floor.

Instead she asked me to be Jackson and Lily's godmother. I was floored. I didn't even know how to respond because I was shocked and honored all at the same time. What a humbling request and one I am more than willing to take on! Everyone knows my love for babies, and being the children of one of my best friends makes them all the more special.

our reunion!

Such an amazing time Saturday night with friends! We had a great turnout...even had to be asked to leave the bar since we over-stayed our 4 hour limit. It was a success for sure.

reason #103,823 i love my town

If Brad Paisley is my husband, then Blake Shelton is my boyfriend on the side.

Last night I went to eat at Tavern for my friend Jodi's birthday. I was driving down Division (talking on my phone, of course), when out of the corner of my eye I see a tall, rugged, plaid-shirt-clad vision standing on the corner. By himself. Looking somewhat lost, but approachable.

Right away, I knew it was him. Blake Shelton!

The first thing out of my mouth (while my friend was on the phone) was screaming out my window, "I hope you don't think I'm crazy, but I love you!". He smiled and said, "Well I love you too!" Heart. Melted.

I immediately hung up the phone, not even saying bye to the person on the other end.

Without thinking, without putting on a blinker, attempting to park, or using my hazard lights, I stop my car in the middle of the street. How I managed to not get rear ended is beyond me. I run around, stick out my hand and said, "Hi I'm Angie and I think you are so awesome." I go on to tell him how I love his music, his show, his wife...again, I said, I know you think I'm crazy and he said, "well I think you're crazy because your car is just sitting in the middle of the road!"

Inside his head I am sure he is thinking...omg, what a psycho. Oh well.

I asked for a picture and he obliged...not once, but twice. I didn't like the first one so I said, let's take another. He could not have been nicer.


PICTURE 1

PICTURE 2 - you can see him better!

They are both blurry because my hands were shaking so bad.

It was literally one of the biggest and best highlights of my year.

high school reunions

Our ten year high school reunion is this weekend. I loved high school and loved all the people that I graduated with. I'm really excited to see everyone, especially those that live out of town or that I don't see on a regular basis. I went to the same school for 13 years, so it was hard to leave but I am proud to say that my best friends then are my best friends now.

My dear sweet Ann Claire (college and post-college roommate) had her ten year reunion this weekend. She went to another high school in Nashville so all of her events were here, and they had a good turn out of both in and out of town people. As expected, she came back with three classic stories that I have to share. Now I wasn't there for any of it, but knowing her like I do, these stories are nothing short of hilarious. She makes me happy.

* Ann Claire asked a girl she went to school with when she was due. The girl replied with, "I had my baby in March." Personally, I couldn't think of anything worse. But the girl laughed it off and there were no hard feelings. I think if you know Ann Claire, it's easy to laugh let something like that go. This is probably the best thing I've ever heard in a very long time.

* A guy and his wife were at the football game with their new baby. They were all talking when Ann Claire leans over to peer in the stroller. "Your baby is so cute!" The guy said, "Ann Claire, my baby is over here." and points to his wife who is holding the child. I asked her what she thought was in the stroller, and she said it was just a bunch of blankets and thought the baby was underneath them.

* One of the girls that graduated in their class changed her name. She went from Faye to Kimberly because where she worked (Wal-Mart), there were too many ladies named Faye. I love it.

Here's hoping my reunion can provide me with this many laughs!

mouth guard

As I have said before, I love going to my dentist. He is awesome, I love the staff, and he just so happens to also be my next door neighbor. I recommend him to anyone... I even scored a gift card to Sperry's and 2 movie tickets because of how many patients I have sent his way!

I had my twice-yearly checkup a few weeks ago and he noticed that there was some chipping going on with my teeth from grinding them in my sleep. Next thing you know, I am making an apt. to get fitted for a mouth guard to wear at night. How very cool of me.

This resulted in me asking 20 questions of my dental hygienist. I'm the type that likes to know exactly what to expect and how things are going to go - when it comes to my health or anything along those lines, I want zero surprises.

First I am fitted with the trays. I told her I have a really small mouth, but I guess she didn't believe me...next thing I know, she starts to shove and prod and poke this gigantic plastic contraption in to my mouth. My eyes start to water, I get really hot and I feel like I am about to pass out because I am gasping for air through my mouth and choking all at the same time. It was a situation. And I hadn't even got to the actual molding yet.

I think she finally realized I really do have a small mouth, and I am fitted with a better fitting, more comfortable tray made for children. That's right.

Miss Hygienist proceeds to mix this plastic-y, purple, silly putty goo that would form to my teeth to make a mold for my mouth guard. She shoves the tray/goo in my mouth, forces me to put my head down, and starts coaching me on breathing exercises so I do not throw up all over her while during the procedure. I guess I scared her right off the bat. "Breath in and out your nose. In and out your nose. Don't let me down. In and out your nose." Her exact words, I promise. What took only 30 seconds seemed like 15 minutes.

Now I know this might all seem quit dramatic, but I've never been one to be "strong" when it comes to any out-of-the-ordinary procedures - whether it be at the real doctor, dentist, optometrist, etc. I'm kind of a baby. I was telling my mom this story, and she reminded me that it took 2 nurses to get my throat swabbed when I was little, and even more for shots.

The lady made me feel better at the end when she said I did very well, and that she actually had someone throw up on her earlier this week who went through the same thing. Granted, he was 12, but still.

The best part of this whole story is that the receptionist (who I am friends with) told me that my "ex" had been in literally the day before. Now what a great story that would have been. It's one thing to run in to them at Target or the grocery. You take things to a new level when you run in to them at the dentist getting fitted for a mouth guard at age 29.

Labor Day was awesome - I saw friends, family, and spent the actual Holiday doing practically nothing. So nice. I had been out of town on Memorial Day and July 4th this year and made it a point to stay home for once. With a few weddings, a class reunion and a family over-night trip in my future, I needed to power off for once.

Because I was a lazy Lucy on Monday, I was wide awake Tuesday evening and was channel surfing. I saw that Friends (my favorite) was on Nick @ Nite. That show can't be that old? But it made me feel old, because I remember watching Bewitched on Nick @ Nite. Anyway...it reminded me that I made this trusty list of things that I now have less than a year to do - so here is my update. Which isn't as much of an update, as I see I have a long way to go to complete my goals. And again, this is more for my sake than yours... :)

20 things i want to do before i turn 30

1. Play paintball. NOT YET.

2. Make a layer cake, that hopefully doesn't look like this. (Love you ACCB) NOT YET ON THIS EITHER, ALTHOUGH I DO KNOW SOMEONE WHO HAS AGREED TO HELP ME WITH IT!

3. Go to a drive-in movie. THOUGHT ABOUT THIS AS I DROVE PAST ONE ON MY WAY TO MY GRANDMOTHER'S SUNDAY.

4. Get a physical. Easier said than done considering my total and utter fear of needles. CALLED ABOUT ONE, BUT THE OFFICE WAS CLOSED. HAVE YET TO CALL BACK. AT LEAST AN ATTEMPT WAS MADE?!

5. Go on a date with someone that isn't a friend first. DONE. IT WAS A BLIND DATE. I WAS SO PROUD OF MYSELF FOR DOING IT, BECAUSE IT WAS AN EXTREMLY INTEMIDATING SITUATION AND ONE THAT I MIGHT HAVE NORMALLY THOUGHT TWICE ABOUT. SUPER NICE GUY, BUT AFTER THE SECOND DATE I THINK WE BOTH MUTUALLY AGREED THAT IT JUST WASN'T GOING TO GO MUCH FURTHER.

6. Travel to the Pacific Northwest. O.k., that's cheating since I'm going in July. But it's my list and I can cheat if I want to. AND IT WAS A BLAST :)

7. See Brad Paisley at the Grand Ole Opry. I GLANCE AT THEIR SCHEDULE EVERY NOW AND THEN BUT IT HASN'T WORKED OUT THAT HE'S BEEN THERE WHEN I CAN GO. I WILL ALSO GO AHEAD AND ADD BLAKE SHELTON TO THIS AS WELL - HE'S UP THERE ON MY LIST AS WELL.

8. Pick blueberries (again) in the summer and apples in the fall. I HAVE ANOTHER SUMMER TO DO THIS, AND HOPE TO FIND TIME THIS FALL TO GO APPLE PICKING!

9. Attend my 10 year high school reunion. COMING UP IN A MATTER OF WEEKS!

10. Take a cooking class. TOTALLY FORGOT I EVEN PUT THIS ON HERE.

11. Tour the Country Music Hall of Fame - haven't been since a 4th grade field trip when it was on Demonbreun and about 1/4th the size it is now. NOPE - BUT THIS SEEMS LIKE A GOOD WINTER ACTIVITY. I LIKE TO SPEND EVERY SECOND I CAN OUTSIDE DURING THE SUMMER.

12. Dedicate lots of time to helping out my friends that will become Mom's this year. I FEEL LIKE I'VE DONE A SO-SO JOB AT THIS WITH SARAH'S TWIN'S AND LAUREN'S SWEET LITTLE EVE! STOPPING BY WHENEVER I CAN JUST TO SPEND SOME TIME WITH THEM, FEED, CHANGE, BURP, ETC.

13. Spend a weekend in Chattanooga - the one city in Tennessee I've never really gotten to know. NOT YET.

14. Buy my own place - a condo or a townhouse. This is a stretch, but I'm going to try. CLOSER THAN I WAS WHEN I WROTE THIS LIST 6 MONTHS AGO, BUT NOT THAT CLOSE!

15. Maintain my blog. I really enjoy journaling my life, regardless if people are really reading or not! I COULD DO BETTER, BUT THE NEW JOB HAS KINDA CONSUMED ME OVER THE PAST 8 WEEKS.

16. Buy a laptop. Between my work computer and cell phone, I don't really need one right now, but one day I will. This might take a back seat to number 14 though. IT HAS, IN FACT, TAKEN A BACK SEAT TO NUMBER 14.......

17. Take more pictures. I'm terrible at never taking my camera anywhere. I HAVE DONE WELL AT THIS! I TOOK A LOT ON MY TRIP, TOOK SOME THE NIGHT WHEN LAING AND I CELEBRATED OUR BIRTHDAY, AND PLAN TO TAKE LOTS AT OUR REUNION.

18. Learn to curl my hair with a curling iron. For some reason, I still can not master this skill, and my hair always turns out looking bent in half. Sexy. YES! YES YES YES! THANKS TO MY SWEET FRIEND KAYLA, I LEARNED HOW TO CURL MY HAIR! I JUST WISH THE CURLS WOULD STAY LONGER THAN THEY DO.

19. Finally get around to watching The Shawshank Redemption. I'm told it's a must-see. NO. AND IT WAS AT THE FRANKLIN THEATER A FEW WEEKS AGO, I JUST COUDLN'T GO.

20. Go here - I still have never been. ANOTHER THING I WANT TO DO THIS FALL!