Random Meme...

1.Whats your name spelt backwards? yrsirhc

2. What did you do last night? Went to the park with my Monger and Godsons.

3. The last thing you downloaded onto your computer? A song for my godson's blog.

4. Have you ever licked a 9 volt battery? Nope.

5. Last time you swam in a pool? At Splash Country at the end of September 2006.

6. What are you wearing? A blue nightgown

7. How many cars have you owned? 6

8. Type of music you dislike most? Most country, and rap that I just can't understand.

9. Are you registered to vote? Yes

10. Do you have cable? Who doesn't?

11. What kind of computer do you use? A Dell Laptop.

12. Ever made a prank phone call? MANY before the days of caller ID. Do you remember "anonymous phone" and "phoney phone calling?" (that's for Monger)

13. You like anyone right now? I like a lot of people. I love just one (since I'm married to him ;0)

14. Would you go bungee jumping or sky diving? Sure.

15. Furthest place you ever travelled? Western Montana

16.Do you have a garden? Who? Me? You've gotta be kidding.

17. What's your favorite comic strip? Garfield.

18. Do you know all the words to the national anthem? Yes.

19. Shower, morning or night? Night. Can't get into bed without taking a shower.

20. Best movie you've seen in the past month? Madagascar. The BEST comedy ever!

21. Favorite pizza toppings? Pepperoni!

22. Chips or popcorn? Chips.

23. What cell phone provider do you have? Satan company, I mean, Sprint. (Satan lives at exit 7, Bonham Road, he's there.)

24. Have you ever smoked peanut shells? No, but I have smoked Diviners Sage, and it's awesome!

25. Have you ever been in a beauty pageant? Yes. I've won many.

26. Orange Juice or apple? Hawaiian Punch

27. Who were the last people you sat at lunch with? Monger and my Godsons.

28. Favorite chocolate bar? 3 Musketeers or Snickers.

29. Who is your longest friend and how long? Monger, 17 years.

30. Last time you ate a homegrown tomato? Last summer.

31. Have you ever won a trophy? Yes.

32. Favorite artist? Degas.

33. Favorite computer game? Spongeseek.

34. Ever ordered from an infomercial? I'm embarassed to admit it, but yes. I ordered that Dermacia shit, and it's worthless.

35. Sprite or 7-UP? 7-Up

36. Have you ever had to wear a uniform to school/work? Yes, I had to wear a uniform to Generic Land, I mean, Save-a-Lot, and to Merle Noman Cosmetics, and Elizabeth Arden Cosmetics (Proffitts).

37. Last thing you bought at the store? Random groceries.

38. Ever thrown up in public? Yes.

39. Would you prefer being a millionaire or finding true love? A millionaire. It would help me find true love a helluva lot easier (that is if I didn't have it already), so now, give me the damn money!

40. Do you believe in love at first sight? No.

41.Can exes just be friends? Absolutely! I'm friends with some of my exes!

42. Who was the last person you visited in the hospital? Verna (words can't express how much I miss her)

43. Did you have long hair as a young kid? Short, unfortunately, my mother thought I should have a haircut like Dorothy Hamill.

44. What message is on your voicemail machine? Something generic telling people I'll call them back.

45. Where would you like to go right now? To a swimming pool and swim.



(I'll be making my blog rounds tonight and tomorrow! I've had a VERY busy week, and unfortunately, now, I'm sick :0( So, it's nothing personal that I haven't been around much lately...

On A Lighter Note...

I've ranted and raved quite a bit in the past few weeks, so I thought I'd post some things on a lighter note-- Fun with my friends Michael, Monger, and my Godsons, Caleb and Luke-- Enjoy!

All Who Believe This, Raise Your Hand...

As I'm sure you can see, my hand isn't raised. Why you ask? I mean, everyone knows that love is romance, sex and all that jazz, right? Wrong. As you women, we're exposed to these images, telling us that this is what love is supposed to be like. We're supposed to find that someone who will roll on the beach with us, hold hands, and make us feel like Cinderella every day of our lives, when in reality, that doesn't happen.

Sure, in the beginning of a relationship, typically, men will go out of their way to make you feel special and shower you with gifts, affection, and whatever they can to make sure they keep you. Once you're past the "wooing" stage, the "Cinderella" dream goes out the window, and even more so once you get married-- and then you look around and think, "what the hell happened?" "It wasn't supposed to be this way!" When, in reality, it is. The cold hard reality of life is, that romance doesn't last forever. Passion doesn't last forever. Love does.

You have to work to keep passion and romance in a relationship. It doesn't just keep on keeping on because you've been together for 10, 20, or 50 years. You have to make it happen. Your husband or boyfriend probably won't come home with roses for no reason forever. He probably won't shower you with lavish gifts and affection, just because. It doesn't mean he doesn't love you, it just means that he's comfortable with you-- he doesn't have anything to prove anymore.

Love changes. It's constantly changing. Love is taking out the garbage, going to get you something to eat when you don't want to leave the house, sitting up with your sick cat, or just listening to you when you need to "get it out." There's so much more to love than just passion. After all, when you're not in bed, you'd damn well better have something to talk about, because if you don't, you don't have much of anything.

Exhausted...

After yesterday, I am absolutely exhausted. I'm still trying to recover from the weekend, and then, I ran myself to death yesterday. Back in 2000, my best friend, Jen (AKA: Monger), had what we called "Monger Day", every tuesday. We would go out to eat, to the mall, and back to her house to just hang out. It was our day to get together and do what we wanted to. So, sunday night, I called my Monger, and told her we should have lunch at the Olive Garden on tuesday, and that I'd come over afterwards, and spend some time with her and the boys. We were both really excited! It's been a LONG time since we've had a "Monger Day".

I actually got my lazy ass out of bed at 8:30am yesterday morning. I was going to Nancy and Timmy's to get my nails done. I got there a few minutes before 10:00am. The place was locked down, and no lights were on. I was surprised. They didn't open until 10:00am, so I waited. I finally left at fifteen after, when no one arrived. I was frustrated, but worried. I've been going to them for years, so I hope nothing is/was wrong.

I really wanted my nails done, so I broke down and went into the mall. I was actually able to get right in, and get them done. By the time I was finished getting my nails done, it was time to meet Monger for lunch. I met her and Luke at the Olive Garden. We had a great lunch, and I ended up way too stuffed (as usual). How funny is it, that after we ate, Jen asked if I cared to run to the mall with her. A typical Monger Day, ending up at the mall. We browsed through JC Penny's where Jen found a few tops, and I got a sundress and two tops (courtesy of Monger's Penny's card-- THANK YOU MONGER!!!) We got to see my cousin, Joey (AKA: Gig). We were all best friends in high school, running around everywhere together. It was good to get to visit with him for awhile.

After we left the mall, Jen was going to the school to pick up Caleb, and I decided to run my leftovers home to Chris. I felt so bad when I got home, I almost called Monger and told her I was going to come over another day. I had been up all night long, the night before, coughing, and I felt like I was trying to take a cold. I knew Caleb would be so disappointed if I didn't come over, so I got my ass off of the couch and went.














I'm SO glad I did. Aside from getting to spend some time with my Monger and Godsons, some freak came up to her door, telling her his car was broken down in her driveway, and could he use her phone. He just WALKED into her house, and started looking around while he used the phone. Needless to say, we got his ass out of the house ASAP, and locked all of the doors. Come to find out, he's been arrested several times. Monger's husband knew who the guy was, and couldn't believe the guy just came up in the house! The guy got the car started, and left. We were thankful to be rid of the freak.

Just when you think my day is possibly over, it's not. My aunt is an elementary music teacher.











This time of year, the woman is absolutely unbearable to live with. I have two words. Show Choir. It's wonderful, but stresses my aunt out MAJORLY. I still haven't figured that one out yet, because the program went wonderfully last night, but for some reason, the aunt just goes ballistic. Ok, I got a little off track, but to get back on track, after I left Monger's I had to go to her show choir performance. Like I mentioned, it went really well.










The kids did great, and the aunt survived, although, by the time it was over, I felt so miserable, that I wasn't sure if I was going to.

I came home, and made great friends with my couch. This is why, I haven't been around much this week. I promise to do better, when I actually feel like a human again!

Weekend Update...

Yes, it's been awhile since I've posted. I've had ALL kinds of excitement this week! First off, thanks to all for your comments-- I really appreciate them, and all of the support you've given me (us) while Chris has been on strike. It's truly meant a lot!

On to my week(end). After hearing the great news, my Aunt Judy took us out to dinner to celebrate! We enjoyed a nice "early bird" dinner at Fatz Cafe. Yeah, you know, we're getting old we wanted to go early so we wouldn't have to deal with the dinner rush. Regardless, it was a really nice dinner. The weather was just so beautiful! It was 80 degrees, and the spring fever bug had bitten me.

After we ate, I didn't want to go home, so, I headed up to my best friend, Jen AKA: Monger's house to visit with her and my god-sons. Luke is just beginning to crawl,










and I was thrilled I could be there to see it! With the weather being so beautiful, I went outside with Caleb to jump on the trampoline. You know, a woman with big breasts just shouldn't jump on a trampoline. I ended up just bouncing a little-- jumping wasn't pretty-- BUT at least I was able to get on one. This time last year, I couldn't have (thank you weight loss! Yay!)










On friday, our paranormal group had an investigation at a private residence (so I can't divulge any information on that), all I can say is that I didn't get home until 1am, and had to be up at 6am on saturday morning.

Yes, I had somewhere around 3 hours of sleep when I woke up saturday morning. I felt pretty good at the time, because it felt like I had taken a nap. My friend, Justin, and a fellow member of the paranormal group picked me up. We went to Surgoinsville to meet up with two other members, Steve and Karen. From there, we headed out to Stanley Valley to see the grave of a man who had been dead for 5 days before anyone found him. He was pretty much a hermit, and was buried where they found him. Hunters in the area reported strange activities taking place around the gravesite, so we thought we'd investigate.

Sounds great, right? Well, sorta. It was supposed to be a 30 minute walk into the woods. Uh. NO. It was an hour and a half, 4 mile walk up the side of one mountain, down another, up another mountain, and down before we got to the grave. I was literally so sore I thought I was going to die. After having to straddle a tree (I mean to tell you, that tree got some action) to get on this old logging road, I asked how much further it was going to be. The "guide" said, "it's just over the hill." The hill was a huge ass mountain. I am not EVEN kidding. I climbed the mountain.

Even though I was absolutely exhausted, it was worth it. The tombstone of the man was amazingly well preserved for the age.










His date of death was in 1922. We had an absolutely AWESOME bonus, in addition to finding his grave. There were TONS of Indian burial sites. (The picture doesn't do it justice.)











As someone from Cherokee ancestry, I found it fascinating. I've always had a great respect for our Native people, and to find untouched burial mounds was a great honor.

After climbing for what seemed like an eternity, we had to go back down the mountain. Now, since I had NO IDEA we were hiking, I had on crocs, which, aren't exactly the best shoes to hike in-- and I found that out the hard way. I slide down the mountain. About 5 or 6 expletives later, poor Justin is pulling me up. My ass was COVERED in mud. I was wet, and miserable, but I kept on. Once we reached the tree I had to molest in order to even get up the mountain, I decided to mark my territory with the mud on the back of my pants.

When we all got back to the car, I took off my pants, and rode with my sweatshirt on, and jacket covering my lap. God bless my dear friend, Justin, for going in to hell, I mean, Wal-Mart, and getting me a pair of sweatpants so that I could continue our day of fun.

After hiking, we were going to investigate one of our favorite sites- the Midway Plantation.










When we arrived, my heart was absolutely broken. They're in the process of tearing it down. Here's what's left of it.










So very, very sad.

Needless to say, today, I didn't go to church. I'm not exactly doing a lot of anything. It's a little hard to move (I've pulled several muscles in my legs from walking and fall (more from the fall).

As you can see, I've been really busy this week/end. Hope you're has been just as fun, but much safer than mine!

My Hell Is Finally Over...

And, it's my 200th post! What a day! After 10 months of hell, hoping and praying-- my hell is over. Chris got his letter today, calling him back to work on April 2nd. We'll have health insurance sometime in May. I can breathe a little easier, knowing I'm not going to have to worry about how we're going to pay the bills, or how in the world I'm going to go to the doctor. For the first time in a year, I'm going to get to go to Dr. Crowder, and get the health care that I need.

Although our hell is over, there are still many who are still out of work, and need our thoughts and prayers. For all of you who have kept us in your thoughts and prayers-- thank you. It really means a lot.

In closing, I'm going to share with you, some things I took for granted, and never will again...

I took for granted being able to go to the grocery store, and buy what we needed, without having to worry about whether or not we'd have the money to pay for it.

I took for granted, having health insurance.

I took for granted, going out to eat and to a movie on the weekend.

I took for granted, being able to go to McDonald's or any fast food place whenever I wanted.

I took for granted, being able to go get my nails done.

I took for granted, being able to fill up my car with gas.

I took for granted, that my medicine would always be there, and that I'd be able to pay for it.

I took for granted, so many things that on any given day would seem trivial to some, and huge to others.

I pray, that I will never forget where I've been, and that I'll never be there again.


PS: On a light-hearted note-- for those of you who were asking about my "stripper pictures", those were taken at a friend's house, in their game room. The guys are two of my best friends, Justin (blonde hair), and Michael: AKA: Penny Meat Patty (brown hair).

Confessions From A Self-Proclaimed Packrat...

I've been on a cleaning tangent for the past couple of months. Cleaning out my house, and my parents house of all the things I've accumulated over the years. I'm the type of person who can't let go of ANYTHING. The week before last, I took 3 huge trashbags of purses out of my house, and still have more than I need. I keep things that I so don't need. Brochures, magazines, make-up cases, toys, and that's only the beginning.

It was only recently that I realized, I could let go of these things. I held onto things because they held memories for me. I finally realized that, it's ok to let them go, that other people could make their own memories with my things-- and even better than that, when I donate them, people who, most likely, wouldn't be able to afford these things are able to have them to make their own memories. It really makes me happy to be able to give to others, while cleaning the clutter out of my life.

So, if you're a packrat, like I was, it's OK to let things go. Hold onto the things that are really special to you, but let go of the rest. Give them to others to make memories with, too!

What It's Like...

To live with PCOS.

Many of you who know me, probably know I have PCOS/IRS or Poly Cystic Ovarian Syndrome with Insulin Resistance Syndrome. That's a mouthful, huh? I was born with this horrible condition, and went un-diagnosed and un-treated for 23 painful years. For those of you who are over-weight, or were and over-weight child, you know the pain all too well. Imagine, if you were one of those children, yet, you did NOTHING to make yourself that way? Just imagine, eating a NORMAL, HEALTHY diet, like everyone else, yet, you gain weight in leaps and bounds. You're active, and lively, yet, you never lose a pound.

I can remember at 8 years of age, leaving Dr. Perry's office in tears. He scolded me for being fat, and treated me as if I was lazy and ate a horrible diet. It broke my parents heart. How do you put a child on a diet, that barely eats anything to begin with? How do you force a child to exercise, when she's already spending her days swimming, running around outside, and playing? It made no sense to anyone.

After that, I didn't see a doctor again until age 15. I would've have seen one then, if it *literally* wasn't a matter of life or death. In my teenage years, I was very active. I was heavier than most of the people I went to school with, but always very confident. I had accepted that I was an over-weight woman, and I was beautiful, no matter what. In PE one day, we were playing volleyball in the auxiliary gym. I was on the back row. A dear, precious friend of mine, was in front of me. He went back to hit the ball. He didn't realize I was behind him, and slammed into me. I hit the concrete wall HARD. Then, then I hit the concrete floor HARD. I was sore, but I thought I was ok.

Wrong. The pain in the time span of a week got so bad, that I couldn't walk from the bedroom to the bathroom without a walker. Finally, what was troubling me made it's appearance. A terrible cyst (a "symptom of PCOS) that had been growing deep inside of my body for (what the doctors estimate) between 12 and 15 years had ruptured. I was bed-ridden for about a month, and very sick. When the doctor told me that there would be NO chance of me playing volleyball, softball, tennis, or cheerleading, my world crashed down. I couldn't play any of these sports, because I couldn't risk taking a fall like that again, or "ripping" my skin. I know, I failed to mention that they cut an inch and a half of skin off of me in the emergency room when the cyst ruptured.

After this, I became depressed. Before the cyst, I had been taking step aerobics, twice nightly at Wellness Aerobics in Elizabethton. I worked my ass off, and ate less than 500 calories a day. I felt great! I looked good! I had gone from a size 24 to a size 14! What an accomplishment! Ask me how much weight I lost. Not ONE POUND. Not a damn pound came off of me, and for the next 8 years, the pounds added up.

After graduating high school, things went down hill, very fast. Each year from 1996, to 2003, I gained weight in excess of 375lbs. I was lethargic ALL the time. Getting out of my bed was *literally* a chore. Fighting off infection, was only something I'd heard of. If someone around me was sick, I was sick. I wasn't just sick for a few days, I was sick for a few weeks-- even months on occasion. I developed acne, and felt all around miserable.

It wasn't until 2003, that someone FINALLY cared enough to ask me WHY I was over-weight, instead of assuming that I was just some fat, lazy slob. God Bless You, Dr. Brenda Crowder, for asking me. When I told her I hadn't had but 2 periods in a year, she knew automatically what she was going to test me for. After the blood test results were given to me, I FINALLY felt some relief. There was relief in being able to put a name to what was wrong with me. There was finally a name for WHY I was fat, depressed, lethargic, and feeling hopeless.

The diagnosis was ONLY the beginning. I had no idea what the road to treatment was going to be like. There is NO CURE for PCOS/ PCOS/IRS. There is ONLY treatment available, and let me tell you, the treatment is rough. For many years, the only treatment women were able to have was in the form of a pill called Glucophage (Metaformin). It's a pill that's typically used by diabetics to help them absorb their insulin. It's very rough on your stomach, and liver, not to mention the fact that I threw up so violently, that I couldn't speak, or get out of the bed on my own the first month I began to take it.

Through the sickness, I was thankful. I was just glad that I was going to get well, or so I thought. I lost a little bit of weight, but the insulin just wasn't coming down. I got sicker, and sicker. It got so bad, that I wasn't able to work. I had panic attacks so bad, that I wouldn't leave the house, alone. I was depressed, and felt hopeless. When I looked in the mirror, I didn't recognize the person looking back at me. That wasn't Christy. That was a bloated human vessel, holding a young soul hostage.

In 2005, I was at the worst point. My insulin was so high, and I was so hot all the time. I can still remember my co-workers and managers at Proffitts' fanning me with flyers while I sat at the Clinique bay, begging me not to pass out. Yes, I would get so hot I would nearly pass out at any given time. 50 degrees wasn't EVEN considered cold (inside a home) for me.

Dr. Crowder didn't know what to do. She referred me to Dr. Joseph Kennedy (REMEMBER THAT NAME, IN MY OPINION THIS MAN IS A FRIUTCAKE AND SHOULD NOT POSSESS A LICENSE TO PRACTICE MEDICINE) who is a "so called" specialist in PCOS. I had to fill out a 15 page survey about my health and mail it back before I could even go see him. I was sick, and desperate, so I filled out this survey, and went to see him.

I walk into the office. The man doesn't know who I am, or why I'm there. After telling him THREE TIMES, I'm NOT there for infertility, I'm there for PCOS, he informs me that there's no other option than gastric by-pass. I told him, unless he told me that I was going to die RIGHT NOW without that surgery, there was NO WAY IN HELL I was having gastric by-pass. I could do it myself, I just needed to get my insulin down so I COULD lose weight. Telling him this was like speaking to a wall. He proceeded to preach to me for another 15 minutes about gastric by-pass. I got up and left. I called Dr. Crowder the following monday and scheduled an appointment.

She was appalled by what I told her. I had been reading up about a new injection, Byetta, that was used in diabetic patients to produce a certain amount of insulin each time they ate, and stopped when they had the amount of insulin they needed. I begged Dr. Crowder to let me try it. I told her, I'd be her guinea pig. I didn't care. If it didn't work, it didn't work. I didn't mind being a guinea pig for her, because at least she cared, and would take care of me.

I began the Byetta in November of 2005. For about 6 months, I was extremely sick. When I ate, I wanted to die. It's like having gastric by-pass in an injection. If you over-eat (meaning, eat what is considered a "normal" portion of food) you're so sick you want to throw up, but can't. This feeling lasts for anywhere from 3 to 5 hours after eating. I began to wonder if all of this was worth it. After all, I didn't even remember what it was like to be well. I'd gotten used to being sick, and maybe it wasn't all that bad, considering what I was going through.

If I had given up, I wouldn't be here now, telling you about this. My insulin levels were so high, along with EVERYTHING in my body not functioning properly, without the Byetta, I would probably be dead. It was a long road, 6 pills and two injections a day, a little over a year later, I'm over 100lbs lighter, and I feel good for the first time in MANY years. Things are where they're supposed to be, but I'm not out of the woods. I still have bad days. There are still days where I'm lethargic. There's still the possibility that I'll never be able to have a child. There's still the fact that because of this, my life will probably be cut shorter than the average person.

I try not to think about that. I try not to look back. I've come a long way, and worked damn hard. I'm sick, and always will be, but I'm living.

I know this was a really long post, and for those who did take the time to read it, thank you. If you're someone who's suffering with PCOS, God Bless you. I feel your pain, and know your struggle. I know what it's like to look in the mirror and see the acne, the "stray" hair here and there, to have handfulls of your hair falling out daily, and not know the "fat" person staring back at you. I know all too well.

If you have PCOS or know someone who might have PCOS, help is out there. FIND a doctor who will listen to you. Don't waste your life being sick, when there is treatment out there. There is no prison worse, than living in a sick body.

Why...

I've uploaded some new songs. Some have stayed the same, but the one that speaks to me the most is "Why", by Annie Lennox. That song has so many memories attached to it. Back in 1999, I would sit at the IMac at my Aunt Judy's house, and listen to the Arista Records The First 20 Years CD. This song, along with "Coming Around Again", by Carly Simon was on it. I would listen to that cd nightly while I chatted in the Cafe Chat (a chat site which is but a memory now). I met a lot of people there. Neil, Brian, Fiona, and many others. I still stay in contact with Fiona, and Brian on occasion. I was in a relationship with Neil, that was definitely no good. Ah, the memories.

Music tells a story. Through music I've loved, cried, laughed, and smiled. Take for instance, another song I have on my playlist-- "It Ends Tonight", by The All American Rejects. "Your subtleties, they strangle me. I can't explain myself at all..." How powerful are those lyrics? That song is cleansing to me. Every time I hear it, I think of Phil, and the fact that it's over. It ended. Whatever the hell it was, it's over.

Say It Right. "You don't mean nothin' to me." Powerful words. You don't mean nothin' to me. I sing that, and think of Phil, casually. Pretending he meant nothing to me. Pretending that every word of that song is true. However, the song "I'll Be There," by Joan Osborne (my FAVORITE artist) holds far more truth for me than "Say It Right" ever will, I fear.

"In Your Eyes," by Peter Gabriel. A song that played on what was supposed to be the happiest day of my life. I walked down the aisle to meet my now husband, Chris. I had an absolutely beautiful wedding. It was lavish, and luxurious, but not what I wanted. I always want more. I wasn't as beautiful as I wanted to be. I was SO fat-- and I DO mean fat. Although, looking back, my wedding wasn't everything I wanted it to be, I have fond memories of that day. Every time, I hear this song, I think of how much I love my husband, and how thankful I am, that we've made it through all we have.

"Where Are You Now?", "Kiss From A Rose", "Total Eclipse Of The Heart," and "Waterfalls"-- the theme of the year 1995. Josh, and Billy-- the loves of our (mine and Jen's) lives. We cruised Greenwood Drive, and all of Johnson City in search of them in my 1986 Subaru GL. It was a complete dinosaur, but we made it look good. Hell, we made anything look good. We were 16, what DOESN'T look good at 16? Those were the days, for sure.

"Dancing In The Moonlight" by Toploader. This song played every single day at Proffitts' in Bristol. This is one of my favorite "feel good" songs. When I hear it, I think of standing at the accessories counter with Mary, looking through the huge glass doors at the beautiful sunlight of summer, or standing at my Elizabeth Arden counter with the girls, talking and laughing. Proffitts' was, by far, my favorite job, and everytime I hear this song, I'm taken back instantly to a wonderful time in my life.

We've all had our ups and downs in life. We've all had things that were elating, and devistating happen to us, and in many of these circumstances, music has played a great part in helping us through whatever it may be. Take a moment, today, to listen to your favorite song, or turn on the radio and listen to something random. Music is far more than just a song. What are some songs that have special meaning for you?

Spend All Your Time Waiting, For That Second Chance...

How much of our lives do we spend waiting? Waiting for things to change. Waiting for the big break. Waiting for a promotion. Waiting to be loved. We're always waiting for something. I've spent a great deal of my life-- waiting. I've waited for things to get better. I've waited for that perfect job. I've waited for the right time to possible start trying to have a baby. Just what the hell is it that I'm waiting for?

You know, when you're young, you can't wait to grow up. When you're in your tweens years, you can't wait to be 16, to get your drivers license and get out of the house. Then, 16 comes. At 16, you can't wait to be 18, because at 18, you can buy cigarettes, vote, and get into clubs. By most all standards, you're considered an adult. From age 18, you can't wait to be 21. Ah, 21, the liberating age where you can drink *legally*, and do what you want. You've waited all this time, hoping, aspiring, dreaming. The years fly by after you turn 21. Hell, I have no idea where 28 years have gone. The days seem to run into one another.

Back to the subject at hand, waiting. I remember something a woman said to me while I was working at Merle Norman back in 1999. She said, "I don't know why so many women in their late 20's are so bitter?" I believe I can finally answer that question. So many women in their late 20's have waited. Waited for the right one. Waited for the great job. Waited for a better opportunity to come around, instead of living in the here and now. We've waited so long for things to change, that we forgot to live in the meantime.

Living. We only get one chance at life. We may never find "the one". We may never get the "dream job" we've always wanted. We may never be able to have children. We may never be rich. The opportunities we're waiting for, may never present themselves. Does that mean we need to sit around and feel sorry for ourselves? Absolutely not! It means we need to LIVE. We need to embrace each day. We need to stop waiting for something to happen to us, and take the initiative to make it happen.

So what if we're not rich, famous, beautiful, or married to the man/woman of our dreams? Does that mean it won't happen? Maybe, maybe not, but what matters is what you do right now. Live. Right now. Pick up the phone and call a friend you haven't talked to in awhile. Take the time to notice how beautiful the stars look at night. Take the time to be thankful for where you are. No matter what your situation, it could always be worse. Never lose sight of your dreams, but don't let them cloud your life so much, that you spend your whole life waiting, instead of living.

Weekend Update...

This weekend, we were *supposed* to go snow tubing with the kids from the church, but, alas the weather in good ol' Northeast TN/Western NC was too warm, and there wasn't enough snow. So, we're going to have to find another activity for the kids. They worked really hard last sunday morning at the pancake breakfast, and raised enough money to go out for a nice function (now, what the function will be, I have NO clue- yet.)

Since I had no plans, other than tubing, Chris and I decided to go out. We had dinner at Red Lobster, and I'm STILL sick. I always eat too much when we go, and I didn't take my shot before going (so I'd actually be able to eat more than 3 bites). Yeah, I know, I have to take my shot if I'm going to stay well. Gotta work on that one. Anyway, after we ate, we went to see the new movie 23. I'm not a big Jim Carrey fan, and to be honest with you, I wasn't expecting much, but it was a great movie! I won't give spoilers, so you can keep reading this post, although this is about it. I'll be back with more words of wisdom, or "nuggets of joy" soon!

For now, here's some pics from the pancake breakfast for you to enjoy :0)

Old School HNT...

I'm taking it back to the old school in honor of one of my heroes...






Happy HNT everyone!