Lazy Sunday (I wish!)

I'll jump on here while Stella is eating her second waffle for breakfast. That's how I roll now. I can do "this" while Stella does "that." It's all choreographed. Like a Janet Jackson video.

So, big news: I WENT TO THE GYM ON FRIDAY!!!

Small potatoes to some people...a walk on the moon for me. It felt good and I plan to go atleast 3 times next week - maybe more since my boss is on vacation and I can go at any time during the day.

I went at 4:30 on Friday and walked for 30 minutes. It was really nice. The gym was nearly empty at that time on a Friday. I then showered and got ready in the locker room and drove home to pick up Toby for our "date night" - the first one in 6 months.

We ate dinner at Bandito's - God that place is GOOOOD - and then hung around because some friends of mine from work were all coming around 7pm for a Going Away thing for a co-worker. He has been asked to move to Omaha, Nebraska for a sales job. Have fun, buddy!! :)

We stayed and I had a Margarita and it was YUM. I forgot how good they are... It was really great to be SOCIAL for awhile. That is a skill I have LOST and I need to rediscover.

We were back home with Stella by 9pm...and that was perfect.

Yesterday was HIGHLY productive here. Toby worked outside and our yard just looks awesome. I worked inside and finally filed our bills and documents that have been piling up for months, did a few loads of laundry, and totally reorganized my closets. I can see what I have now (which ain't much - but it's more incentive to lose weight and get back in my old, cute clothes.) I also did a HUGE grocery trip which is always a pain but now we are stocked for awhile.

Before Kroger's I stopped by Starbucks for an Iced Coffee...and is there nothing better than pouring the cream in an iced coffee and watching the cream float and swirl through the coffee all the way to the bottom?? I think not.

So, Miss Stella is growing like a weed. She's walking all over - more deliberately now. She is talking up a storm - her own language. She is REALLY telling a story. With all sorts of words with different sounds like "th..." and "cl..." and "dr..." It's just that the words make no sense to the human ear. I suspect one day she'll just start rattling off real words and I will be shocked.

Her most recognizable word is "Pool" - OF COURSE.

We put up a Superyard fence thingee in the house to try to contain her but still give her room to move around. This HAS to happen if I want to ever clean or cook anything.

There goes the Living Room:


Oh well. It's a Godsend.

What else? Oh! We went to visit Mimi Z in Northern Virginia last weekend.





Family portrait where none of us are looking:



We had a great time. While Da-Da and Stella napped at the house, Mimi Z took ME to Wegman's Grocery Store (which was like a DREAM!) and to Trader Joe's. I hear about Trader Joe's all the time from my Dottie's girls - and now I understand why. LOVED IT.

But only a girl who loves food would request a tour of the area's grocery stores for fun. ha!

We did go to Portrait Innovations up there for Stella's One Year portraits. She did great - much better than her 9 month ones when she would not crack a smile for nothing! Here are some of the outtakes:




This one makes me laugh for some reason. She looks like she's a lump sitting there...







And here are some recent ones around the house.... the girl is growing up!

Polka dots:



Big Flower Clip (That lasted about 30 seconds)



New Carter's slippers:



Good Morning!!




That's all for now. Waffles are gone. Wonder Pets are on. The day has begun.

So I Lied.

I really was so gung-ho yesterday when I wrote that post and I still am gung-ho...however I was SO gung-ho (I like saying that word) that I forgot that I have a lunch today with my old bosses who are in town and I have to leave today at 2:30 for a volunteer event called Bright Beginnings (which I LOOOOOVE....)

So, I can not go to the gym today. And honestly, I am a bit upset about it and was bummed when I remembered these conflicts.

Yesterday, I went to the locker room and opened my locker for the first time in nearly 2 years. I was SCERRED. I was envisioning a big black hole of mold and mildew. I mean, one day I was there and the next day I was sick as a dog pregnant and never went back... So my shower poof, all my soaps, shampoo, shower cap, lotions, curling iron, hair dryer, flip flops, etc, were still in there.

Surprisingly, it was all like the day I left it!!!! So it kind of got me excited to get back in there and to get to MOVING again.

My first day back will be slow. I'm like a 800 pound, 90 year old woman. I'll have to crawl first and it will take eons before I can get back to where I was....but that's ok. I just want to get moving again and get the oxygen flowing through these fat cells.

Thursday is event-free....so feel free to bug me about my gym experience then. Infact, PLEASE bug me.

Even if it kills me.

Yes, that is the title of MCS's new album.



But it's also my slogan for tomorrow, because EVEN IF IT KILL ME, I will:


1. update this blog

2. go to the gym for the first time in nearly 2 years


Not exactly in that order.

MCS's Biggest (smallest) Fan!

Thank you Erika!!!

Tuesday Snoozeday

Once again, LIFE is kicking my ass and is winning.

I don't have time to think anymore! I just go through, day by day, minute by minute...and just get through, you know? For an OCD Control Freak like myself, this is a hard adjustment. But it is what it is, and I am trying to deal. So far, it's not working.

So, Stella's party was fabulous. She had a great time and I think everyone who attended did as well. She was SPOILED ROTTEN, but I did not expect anything different. Shoot, my family spoils ME rotten.

She is getting more and more brave with walking...actually taking her time to get her balance and deliberately walking to something...instead of just taking a running start and hoping she lands on someone or something soft. That was nervewrecking!

She's as cute as ever...constantly babbling. I'm afraid I will have a non-stop talker. She's definitely getting a "diva attitude" and WILL NOT do something she doesn't want to. Last night, she was eating microscopic bits of leaves and dirt off the wood floor (her newest thing - drives me crazy!) and I yelled "Stella!" and she looked at me, frowned, and busted out in tears. I said "Well, Sorry Charlie but you can't eat leaves!" She got over it immediately, the little actress. She'll win an Oscar and support her parents one of these days, I can feel it!

Some of you may remember I was supposed to go to NYC on July 25 to see MCS. It turned out not to be a great time to go. Too much going on!! So I have rescheduled for the fall when they play the famous Roseland Ballroom where there is a special VIP section. I started thinking.... I am SURE there will be celebrities at this show! Young actresses usually come to rock shows...Kate Hudson, Drew Barrymore, Tori Spelling came to an MCS show a year or so ago.. And especially other musicians...what if BON JOVI comes? I mean, they are from there (NJ) and they are buds with the All American Rejects ...who are good friends of MCS...I mean, it's TOTALLY possible. And if it happens, I will DIE.

Die and go to HEAVEN!

In other news, ROCK OF LOVE is getting better and better, people. You need to be watching.

My Baby is ONE!

Happy Birthday, Stella O'Dell!

I am going to edit this with some text later on today but for now, here are pictures of her Luau.

I am in denial....

...that I really need to be getting ready for work right now but you know what? I'm sick of it!!!

Tomorrow is my big event. After tomorrow, I will be a normal human again.

But right now, I just want to discuss a few brainless things because I am really tired of THINKING.

1. Have you guys tried McDonald's coffee? It's great! I drank 2 giant ones on the way home from NC on Sunday. And the beauty of it all? Drive thru. See, since having Stella, I have dreamed of opening a new business that has several options via drive-thru...because it is such a PITA to get her in and out of the carseat when all I want is a coffee. And I would LOVE a healthy drive-thru food option - one does not exist in Richmond.... And there are other services I have thought of as well. It really would be a success. Like a "Brew Thru" but not just alcohol...coffee, healthy food, a few items that you usually need at the store (bread, milk, coffee, diapers, wine, etc....)

ANYWAY, so I am really happy with the McD's drive thru coffee. But I have one gripe (of course!) In North Carolina, when you order the coffee via drive thru, you tell them "cream and equal" or whatever and they put it in the coffee for you. What a NOVEL idea! In Richmond, they grab a few creamers and packets and throw them in a bag. Ummm, doesn't it defeat the purpose of a drive-thru coffee when you have to pull over and put the extras in yourself??? Just sayin.....

2. Another fast food thought - I was driving to work yesterday and passed a billboard for the new Wendy's burger - The Baconator. First of all, "baconator" is horrific. What marketing genius came up with that? But to make it worse, the billboard shows a picture of it and says in big letters "HOLY COW AND PIG!"

That is so gross, I may never set foot into a Wendy's again. Somebody needs to get fired. Dave is turning over in his grave. And he should be.

3. My newest guilty pleasure and probably the best show I have ever seen in my life:



ROCK OF LOVE WITH BRET MICHAELS

I mean, SHUT UP! This is FABULOUS!!!

First of all, I have to tell you, I'm a Bret fan...and it goes back 20 years. (Oh, that makes me want to puke.) But it's true. And for anyone who attended my wedding, you heard Cece's Toast about how when we were 12, we drew pictures of our weddings and mine was to Bret - with Cece (my best friend) as maid of honor and CC Deville (guitar player in Poison) being best man. (And Cece and CC were also married, by the way.) So, yes, I do have a past with Bret.

This show is genius. I watched the first episode last night and could not tear my eyes away from the trainwreck. From the transgender german "girl" with her hideous white shoes and old lady purse (she's a man ya'll - she HAS to be!) to the STUPID STUPID STUPID bleach blonde girls with implants as big as their heads..........

I can't wait for next week.
CAN'T. WAIT.

*****

So, do you think the work stress has finally made me crack?

Quickie

We're back from my Aunt's wedding in North Carolina - and it was heavenly!




Unfortunately, my big event at work is Friday and I am busy running around like a headless chicken. Not to mention Stella's big birthday party on Saturday.....

SOOO, that's all the time I have for now.

Look for an update after the weekend with LOTS of pictures.

7-7-07

We went to Toby's Cousin Angie's wedding today. I didn't take any pictures except of us in the parking lot. Nice.

It was a nice, small wedding. The reception was a cook-out and HOLY HELL it was HOT. Stella went to bed for the night (I hope) at 5pm!! The heat took it out of her.

Stella and Da Da


Self-Family-Portrait



After the wedding, the pics took FOREVER and Miss Thang was hungry so we set her up in the back of the truck with her sippy cup and some cheerios

Look Who's Walking!