25 Things you don't know about me

I love this feature in US Weekly so I thought I would blog my own...

1. I used to hate being late - it was a huge pet peeve of mine. Now I don't care so much. It's not worth a speeding ticket.
2. I live my life in song lyrics. Most of the time they are in my head but every situation is funnier with a musical accompaniment.
3. I'm terrified of guns.
4. I don't eat seafood or beans, and I don't drink milk.
5. I don't have a clue how to put on makeup.
6. I would wear flip flops every day if I felt like I could get away with it.
7. I get compliments on my hair. A LOT.
8. I am a closet Clay Aiken fan. And no, not THAT closet...
9. I've never watched an episode of CSI, Law & Order or Grey's Anatomy.
10. I can recite the ENTIRE munchkin scene from the Wizard of Oz, complete with voices.
11. Chewing ice gives me the shivers.
12. I have a soft spot in my heart for hair bands. Especially Warrant.
13. I think the world would be alot more fun if people would randomly break into a song and dance routine like they do in the musicals.
14. The word "moist" bothers me.
15. If I could live my life over, I would have been a doctor.
16. I make a mean chocolate chip banana bread.
17. I am obsessed with making mix CDs and I think they are the greatest gift on earth.
18. I used to be a majorette.
19. I love dirty jokes.
20. I chew the flavor out of a piece of gum in a matter of minutes.
21. I have yet to be beaten solving a puzzle on Wheel of Fortune. It's not very fun to watch with me.
22. I'm amazing at cornhole.
23. I love boiled peanuts and cheerwine.
24. I think it should be a law that everyone knows how to drive a stick shift car.
25. I think my children have the most beautiful eyes.

I'm Old.

Daily reminder that I'm getting old #327: I just added Thermacare Heat Wraps to my Target shopping list.

Crap.

Mayhem in Bennington!

My neighborhood is like a war zone today! Between the lawn aerators on my left and the sodcutters on my right, it's total mayhem here. My dogs are barking and going crazy and I'm not getting any work done because of the noise level. Awesome huh?

Homesick

I never realized how homesick I was until I actually went "home" yesterday. I use the term collectively because I have never known what the word "home" really signified. Growing up as a military brat, you never really have a home town. I remember seeing a picture in a friend of mine's house one time that said "Home is where the Marine Corps sends you." In my case, it was the Navy. Sure, my parents have a hometown, but considering mine never visit where they are from either, there is no connectedness in my life.

My husband thinks its funny that I like to go to the town where his parents live every now and then. As much as I make fun of the place (it is tiny, very back-woods and the people are definitely crazy), it's STABLE. It doesn't ever change and the people who live there have known each other their whole lives.

I used to be envious of the kids I went to high school with because literally, most of them had grown up together. They were in the same kindergarten class. They always lived in the same house their whole life and they had been friends since they were 5. I've never known what that was like.

When I was in college, my Dad moved from the town I considered "home" and I was instantly uprooted again. He followed me to the city I live in now and his house is newer than mine. Yet again, I'm an orphan. Home is supposed to be the place you escape to when the world is just too much to handle. Your refuge. The place you go at holidays to reconnect with friends and family. The place that knows all of your flaws and still loves you just the same... The place where you can be yourself and you find comfort. Maybe that's what's wrong with me? I need the comfort...

I got a taste of that yesterday and it was almost too much to handle. I had lunch with a friend from high school that I haven't seen in 15 years. We were pretty close in school - we lived 4 doors down from each other. We were some of the only children of divorced parents in our school - we had alot in common. Just talking to her and reminiscing about all the crazy people we knew really made me nostalgic. Not nostalgic to be 15 again. Not nostalgic to be in high school again. Just made me long for that connectedness I had for a short period in my life.

I mentioned my nostalgia to a friend yesterday and he asked me if I was making myself more sad than necessary. I didn't think I was... but now I'm not so sure. It was only 4 years of my life that we spent there, but I will always consider that small town that I used to label on my letters as "middle of nowhere NC" my HOME.

As Alabama put it -

Down home, where they know you by name
And treat you like family
Down home, a man’s good word and a hand shake
Are all you need
Folks know, if they're falling on hard times
They can fall back on
Those of us raised up down home

He Will Carry Me

To say I've had a rough week or two would be a gross understatement at this point. I literally have felt like I've been at the end of my rope for days now. I was feeling particularly low this morning after dropping my son off at kindergarten and this song came on the radio. I swear God always knows exactly what I need to hear...

He Will Carry Me by Mark Schultz

I call, You hear me
I've lost it all
And it's more then I can bear
I feel so empty

You're strong, I'm weary
I'm holding on
But I feel like giving in
But still You're with me

And even though I'm walking
Through the valley of the shadow
I will hold tight to the hand of Him
Whose love will comfort me
And when all hope is gone
And I've been wounded in the battle
He is all the strength that I will ever need
He will carry me

I know I'm broken
But You alone
Can mend this heart of mine
You're always with me

And even though I'm walking
Through the valley of the shadow
I will hold tight to the hand of Him
Whose love will comfort me
And when all hope is gone
And I've been wounded in the battle
He is all the strength that I will ever need
He will carry me
He will carry me

And even though I feel so lonely
Like I have never been before
You never said it would be easy
But You said You'd see me through the storm

And even though I'm walking
Through the valley of the shadow
I will hold tight to the hand of Him
Whose love will comfort me
And when all hope is gone
And I've been wounded in the battle
He is all the strength that I will ever need
He will carry me
He will carry me
He will carry me

6 weeks and counting!

I came across an interesting post on a friend's blog today about her 10 year high school reunion and it really made me laugh. I can see why some people get excited about reunions... maybe they want to prove something? Maybe they want to see an ex? Maybe they just want the chance to reconnect with friends they haven't seen in years? Maybe it's all of the above!

I stole this cartoon from my friend's blog - I couldn't help it. It's HILARIOUS!



This October I am the person in charge of planning my 15 year class reunion. I have mixed emotions about all of it. I didn't have a very easy time in high school. I was living through the hell of my parent's divorce. I was borderline depressed most of the time because of alot of different things. High school was ROUGH. But what I didn't realize back then that I actually realize now is that I didn't have it nearly as bad as I thought I did, and certainly not as bad as the kids nowadays do! Life was actually O K.

I think what I'm looking forward to the most is going back to the person I used to be. That girl who lived for beach days and the simple life. Who played sports and drove a hyundai and dated a boy on the soccer team. I'm not concerned about what new fancy car I'm driving or what label clothes I'm wearing (which, to be honest, I have NEVER cared about that shit anyways, why start now?), or where I live or where I work. I'm concerned with seeing people who knew me during those tumultous 4 years. Who got through it with me, who drank beer in a field with a bonfire and cried when we needed to, and laughed and laughed...and moved on to their own adulthoods, battered and scarred, yet thankful to look back and be appreciative of the friends they lived through it with.

And I'm ready to have a KICK ASS time with some of my best buds from those years and their spouses. And I'm ready to spend some time back "home". I never get to go home anymore because my family lives up here with me and not at the coast anymore. Being a military brat, "home" is where the military sends you. Richlands is the closest thing to home I will ever have. And I'm looking forward to going home for a little while.

But on that note, I would be lying if I didn't say that I'm kind of excited to show the boys I grew up with what they were missing. HA!

Carolina in the late summer

So my photography class assignment for the week was to take landscape and flower pictures. I couldn't really think of any place to take shots so I headed over to UNC to try and take some pictures in the arboretum. Note to self: late summer is a HORRIBLE time to try and capture plants and flowers. Everything is just green - not much color at all. And it's HOT. Here are some of the photos I took - enjoy!

Order in the court!

I'm sitting in the holding room while waiting to find out if I will have the "pleasure" of sitting on a jury in Durham County in NC. I could list a zillion other things that I would RATHER be doing right now than sitting here with my "peers", determining someone's guilt.

I understand this is my civic duty and all but I honestly would rather be any other place on earth but here right now. UGH.