july -- and possibly august & september -- home improvement project

so lately, the beau and i have been doing little "home improvement" projects around the house. nothing too pricey, but something that betters our home and is definitely noticeable. this month, we've been tackling the stainage of furniture and cabinets.

last year, we bought some new furniture for the house : bedset, dining room table with chairs, barstools. we bought it all in this beautiful mahogany red color. while i loved the dark-colored wood, the rest of the house has light furniture accents, like oak or something. and i don't like the way that it doesn't mesh. i'm sure no one else notices it, but because i'm crazy about everything matching in my house, i have noticed. we have some really nice unfinished patio furniture (thanks, daddy or chad . . . or whomever we got it from) that we decided to stain a mahogany red stain we found by minwax. we get it all stained up and head to lowe's the other day to find a sealant for it. we talk to the guy in that department and he informs us that the stain we have used on our outdoor furniture is actually for interior wood . . . which i admit, pissed me off. after all, we had gotten that specific stain based on one of lowe's employees. but the guy assured us that putting a sealant on it would help it last longer and since it sits under a covered patio and never gets direct sunlight, it should be good for years. so now my anger has subsided a little. my beau covered it in a few coats of stain and put the sealant on it. it's really nice now. but the thing is, we had half a gallon-sized can of stain left over. and what happens? we get the brilliant idea to stain the kitchen cabinets!

we start the job and finish 17 cabinets the first day. only after putting the first coat of stain on the 17, moving them to the garage to dry and putting everything away do we realize we left two cabinet doors unfinished (the ones above the fridge that we use for nothing). since we also have some drawers in the kitchen, we decided to just stain the two cabinets we missed with those. sunday rolls around and start applying a second coat to the cabinets. we only did like 12. and then the interest petered out. and guys . . . this is not good! we still have more to do, as well as the cabinet border and the backside of the cabinets! i think this is going to be a lot longer of a project than we thought. and i hope we can continue with the motivation to get it done. especially since we have the spare room furniture to stain still (my beau doesn't know we're doing that yet).

anyway, i've decided that from now on, before we jump into a "little" project, we will definitely think it through. and research it. and consider that while a project may be cheap, it's not necessarily little!

before cabinet:



after cabinet:

a loooooooooooooooooooooooooooong survey

i'm a little bored today and figured i'd bore you with a bunch of useless questions and answers **cuz i can.** and you'll read it and you'll like it. and maybe you won't and maybe i don't care. but for your reading pleasure anyway :

BASICS

Name: holly olga pritchard. okay, so maybe olga isn't my real middle name, but in high school i told everyone it was. and when i graduated and walked across the stage, they announced it as such. my mom was mad.

Date of Birth: 06/07/1980. can't believe i turned 30 this year . . . seems like i was just a teenager sneaking into the movie theater with my best friend leslie to meet up with our boyfriends, brandon and richard!

Birthplace: dothan, alabama. i left that place when i wasn't even one yet and never plan on going back. i may have been born in alabama, but i'm a texas girl at heart!

Current Location: killeen, texas. it's home.

Eye Color:


Hair Color: well, at the moment, i have brown trailer park roots with blonde ends. one day i'll make it back to my stylist and get my hairscut and have it highlighted, as well. in the meantime, i wear it in a ponytail every day in an attempt to disguise my horrible roots!

Height: 5'6 1/2" . . . "sometimes a girl needs a half."

Heritage: you know, every time i talk to my siblings or parents about this, my heritage changes. i think there is quite a bit of dutch and maybe some german or english. and of course, some sort of native american and maybe even some finnish or something. i think it's just easier to say i'm american.

Piercings: nope. no longer. my body rejects all metals.

Tattoos: oh tattoos. i do have four of them, and i must admit, i regret the days i got each of them. being young and dumb has left a permament "scar" on me.

FAVORITES

Band/Singer: this is a loaded question. i have so many favorites that i'd never be able to narrow it down to just one. at the moment, i'm loving tom petty. ask me tomorrow, however, and i may tell you talib kweli.

Song: again, way too many answers. however, i will say i *love* to sing fleetwood mac's "everywhere" to my beau. i absolutely love that song; he abhors it.

Movie:


no other movie has ever brought me so much joy and made me happy when i was sad. i love singing along and quoting it. makes me even happier when all my sisters and sisters-in-law quote and sing with me. when the movie isn't playing. simply to annoy my brothers and brothers-in-law.

Disney Movie: i always loved "peter pan" growing up.

TV show: right now, the beau and i are hooked on all sorts of shows like "river monsters," "modern family," "the office" and "i survived." we don't get to watch TV often, but we do DVR quite a few to pass the time when we do!

Color: charcoal grey. i have been told several times that that is not a color, but rather a shade. really, though -- is there that big of a difference?

Food: oh so many answers, so little time and space to write them all. food and i are friends. there isn't much i won't try. aside from sushi. the thought of it makes me throw up in my mouth a little.

Pizza topping: black olives, onions, bell pepper and pepperoni, please.

Ice-Cream Flavor: hmmm . . . for all of you *not* in texas or who do not HEBs in your area, i will say mint chocolate chip. those of you who do have HEBs in your area and have had the pleasure of eating creamy creations ice cream, i'm going with nutty chocolate sugar cone. or something like that. little explosions of heaven in your mouth.

Drink: triple tall sugarfree vanilla breve latte. i once tried to give them up, but just couldn't part ways. they are just that good.

Coke: let me preface this answer by saying this question was asking me my "favorite soda." however, no one in texas calls it a soda. and so i had to change it to make sense for all my fellow texans ;) and with that, i'll say dr pepper.

Store: sadly, my favorite store has changed from a fashion store to a grocery store. yes people. today, on my blog, i declare HEB to be my most favorite store. ever. nothing is quite as heavenly as that place.

Clothing Brand: i go back and forth on this one. usually, it's gap. but since becoming poor lately, it's gone back to old navy. essentially the same thing; gap just costs more and has somewhat cuter clothes. sadly, however, the quality is the same. and it's becoming harder and harder for me to justify spending $44 on a shirt. i never thought i'd see the day that i said that.

Shoe Brand: depends on what i am using the shoe for. working out it's either nike or new balance. when i played soccer, it was adidas. flip flops are whatever is comfortable. no jimmy choos or anything like that for me; those would cost me a month's paycheck.

Season: fall. nothing like fall in texas. and hayley -- i know you say there are no seasons in central texas, but believe me . . . someone from here knows the difference between summer and fall. it goes from being hot hot hot to just hot.

Month: i don't know why, but i have always loved october. it has nothing to do with halloween, cuz that is my least favorite holiday. we don't even pass out candy or open the door. we just sit at home and ignore the doorbell.

Holiday: this is a tough one. i love christmas because of all the good memories i have associated with it. it's not quite a big deal anymore now that i'm grown. maybe the first time we have the kids on christmas morning it will be a bigger deal. but i really love the fourth of july. i love the fireworks and the BBQing and the time spent with friends and family. plus, i'm a patriot and am in love with america and all that we are afforded in this country. i am so thankful for the freedoms i have.

Flower: my favorite flower has always been the star-gazer lily. my wedding bouquet (yes, for those of you who have forgotten : i was once married) was made of them. but lately, i have loved the hibiscus. maybe because we bought a pretty red one from lowe's and it has actually survived all summer under my care (which is a miracle in itself). i love them.

Make-Up Item: it's funny. i always remember my gramma telling me growing up that a lady doesn't leave the house without putting on makeup. even when she was near the end of her life and didn't leave the house much, when she did, i helped her powder her nose, rouge her cheeks and color her lips. and for the longest time, i believed that sentiment and you wouldn't catch me anywhere without makeup. except maybe the gym. but now, it seems like i'm always running late and quite frankly, i'm not looking to impress anyone. and the first thing to go was my makeup. i keep reminding myself that a lady never leaves the house without it, but then i also rationalize it that i'm more of a tomboy than a lady. but if i had to choose, i would say mascara. it makes me feel complete when i do wear it.

Board game: hmmm . . . it's a toss-up between clue and scrabble. i'm good at both. quite frankly, any game is my favorite as long as i win.

THIS or THAT

Sunny or rainy: definitely sunny. rainy is only good when you don't have to leave the house and have plenty to do on the inside.

Chocolate or vanilla:


Fruits or vegetables: i like both, but am a bigger fan of vegetables. but they have to be cooked.

Night or day: night cuz day means i have to be at work.

Sour or sweet: hmmm, between the two, i'll choose sweet. but i'd rather choose salt.

Love or money: why does it always have to be one or the other? why can't it be both?

Phone or in person: either works for me.

Looks or personality: again, why can't it be both? my beau has both.

Coffee or tea: coffee. tea is bad for you.

Hot or cold: inbetween. summers in texas are too hot and the winters are too cold. i want fall year round.

YOUR

Goal for this year: lose 40 pounds (refer to two posts below this one)

Best physical feature: well that all depends on who you ask. i like my booty, but i'm sure my dad will tell you something different!

First thought waking up: SNOOZE!

Hypothetical personality disorder: hmmm . . . either OCD or anxiety.

Preferred type of plastic surgery: i don't prefer any. the less time spent under the knife, the better. i'm not trying to die anytime soon.

Sesame street alter ego: i guess big bird since i'm the boss ;)

Fairytale alter ego: none . . . most fairytale characters are waiting on their prince charming to come and take care of them. while i love my beau, i am capable of taking care of myself.

Worst crime: i hope there are no cops reading this. i was once involved in a hit-and-run. i was 17 at the time and scared to death. it took place in my mom's van and i hit a little tiny chevette. moved it to another parking space. i never stopped and lied for years about it to my parents. i still can't believe i did that.

Greatest ambition: to be successful.

Greatest fear: dying young and dying alone. would be even worse if i died young and alone.

Darkest secret: i really can't think of any dark secrets.

Favorite subject


Worst habit: my inability to delegate at work. i'm trying to be better at it, but i still feel guilty when i ask someone else to do the work that i'm ultimately responsible for.

DO YOU

Smoke: nope. nasty habit.

Drink: rarely. and i mean that, mama and daddy.

Curse: i really try hard not to. especially since we have kids around a lot more often now. usually i will if i hurt myself. or i'm super incredibly mad. but otherwise, i say thinks like "blast" or "crikey" or "bastard!" (which mama, is not really a curse word).

Shower daily: sometimes twice.

Like thunderstorms: as long as they don't knock my power out, i'm fine with them.

Sing: much to the chagrin of my beau, i do. and i sing loud and horribly. and he secretly loves it when i do.

Play an instrument: i can pick a tune or two out on the piano. i used to be really good at it. and the french horn. now? not so much.

Get along with your parents: swimmingly. i am happy to say that my relationship with my parents is a complete 180 from how it was when i was a teenager. i talk to my mama just about every day and we see them quite often during the week. they do a lot for me and i could never thank them enough.

Wish on stars: only on shooting stars.

Believe in fate: yes and no.

Believe in love at first sight: no. i'm a realist. that's called lust, people.

CAN YOU

Drive: yes, but i'm what you'd call a distracted driver. and so i don't drive often.

Sew: not at all. not even a button. i guess in theory i could sew on a button if i had to, but i just let my beau take care of all that. he used to be in the marines, so he says it was required of him to do that.

Cook: i can.

Speak another language: only a little bit of restaurant spanish, and that might not even be the case anymore since i haven't worked in a restaurant in years.

Dance: of course. although i haven't done it in a long time.

Sing: not at all, but that doesn't stop me from pretending i can!

Whistle: not well. barely at all.

Curl your tongue: yep.

HAVE YOU EVER

Been Drunk: more times than i can remember or am willing to admit to.

Been Stoned/High: not unless you can count my ambien highs. never been high on any sort of illegal drug.

Eaten Sushi: i think i have tried eel before with my sister. she thought i'd like it cuz it's salty. i couldn't get passed the texture. i settled on teriyaki chicken.

Been in Love: sure, why not?

Skipped school: i almost didn't graduate cuz i missed so much school my senior year. we used to go shopping in austin. leave at 8am and get back in time for the final bell at 401pm. those were the days.

Made prank calls: not recently. everyone has caller ID now. and no one answers blocked calls, so it would be no fun.

Sent someone a love letter: ah, back in the days. now i just facebook my beau and tell him i love him. how romantic, right?

Stolen something: just a few hearts ;)

OTHERS

What annoys you most in a person?
*i think lying annoys me the most. i hate when people lie to me.

Are you right- or left-handed?
*right handed.

What is your bedtime?
*sadly, it's like 830pm. i take my ambien at 8pm and am usually falling asleep 30 minutes to an hour later. yes, i know the sun is still out at 8pm. what can i say . . . i'm an old lady.

Name three things you can't live without:
*coffee, bottled water, phone

What is the color of your room?
*tan and red (more specifically, ponytail and bangkok rust)

Do you have any siblings?
*i have enough siblings for me and you. seven total.

Do you have any pets?
*i'm ashamed to admit that i am now a pet owner. his name is inspektor phinneas von owens, III. he is a miniature pinscher. he is 11 months and way too hyper:



Would you kill someone you hate for a million dollars?
*i don't really hate anyone that i can think of, so i'm not sure i'd be able to kill someone for a million. however, i might be able to break someone's legs for a million. i'd just make sure to pay their medical bills.

What are you nicknames?
*you know, i don't really have a lot of nicknames. my mama calls me holly dolly or hol dol. my dad calls me pumpkin or squirt. and my beau calls me babe usually.

Are you for or against gay marriage?
*i'm not about to tell anyone who they can or can't love, nor am i going to get into this topic here on my blog.

What are your thoughts on abortion?
*whatever my thoughts are, they are my thoughts. and again, i don't feel like sharing them. buh-bye.

Do you have a crush on anyone?
*oh, i do. have you ever seen "river monsters" on animal planet? if so, then you know who jeremy wade is. and that's my crush. and before you go and criticize me for having a crush on someone other than my beau, know this : he has a man-crush on him, too, so it's okay.

Are you afraid of the dark?
*negative . . . the darker the better.

How do you want to die?
*happy.

Would you take a bullet for the one you love?
*oooh . . . as much as i love my beau, i love myself more. so no. i'd be sad if he were shot, but this is survival of the fittest, people!

What is the last law you’ve broken?
*ummmm, driving from my mama's house to my house with no seatbelt on.

What color shirt are you wearing?
*white

Name three things that are physically close to you:
*laptop, bottled water, cellphone

What is the last book you read?
*

Are you or were you a good student?
*i don't know that i was necessarily a good student; i just picked up easily on things and knew random things. i also learned good study techniques which came in handy. especially for those days i slept in class.

What's your favorite sport?
*to play:


to watch:


Do you enjoy sleeping late?
*oh how i love it! i actually slept til 11am on saturday and 10am on sunday. it was marvelous!

What's the weather like right now?
*

Who tells the best jokes?
*you know, he may not tell the best jokes and quite frankly, he's prolly one of the worst joke tellers i've heard tell a joke, but my little brother (scott) wins this category. the kid can tell an entire joke and forget the punchline. gotta love it.

What was the last thing you dreamed about?
*the last thing i remember dreaming about was my dad and me smoking the biggest blunt you've ever seen. it was a swisher sweet stuffed full of weed. and huge. and we were very high.

Do you collect anything? If so, what?
*i collect cash. if you're interested in donating to my collection, hit me up. i have plenty of room to add yours to mine.

Are you proud of yourself?
*i'm proud of what i have accomplished, but i do think i should have accomplished more by now.

Are you reliable?
*i really try to be.

Have you ever given money to a bum?
*that i have. however, since i started watching "intervention," i have a hard time giving money to them. i'd rather buy them a meal than give them cold hard cash.

What's your favorite invention?
*hmmm . . . this is a good question. there are so many i love, but i am going to have to say an espresso maker!

Is your room messy?
*i prefer the word cluttered. and it's mainly cuz we don't have any shelving in my room. if i had it, it would be a lot less cluttered, for sure.

What do you like better: oranges or apples?
*

Do you give in easily?
*um, i do when i'm guilted. and my mama can give a mean guilt trip!

Do you have a job?
*i do . . . and i think i like it.

What time did you wake up this morning?
*late. way later than usual. had to rush.

What did you eat for breakfast this morning?
*um, i didn't exactly eat breakfast. i came to work and had every intention of eating; however, my yogurt expired on 8 July.

What's your favorite day of the week and why?
*i am a big fan on the weekend. i used to love tuesdays, but now i have to work on tuesdays. i'll say sundays because we get to eat at mama's house and see the family.

Would you ever go skydiving?
*i don't think i would. i prefer to keep my feet on the ground.

What toothpaste do you use?
*colgate total. sometimes gel, sometimes paste. sometimes whitening, sometimes not. really depends on if it's on sale.

Do you enjoy challenges?
*i enjoy being told i'll fail when i know i'll succeed.

What's the worst injury you have had?
*concussion in the ninth grade. the only game my daddy was ever late for. and he missed the whole thing. however, he did stay most of the night in the hospital with me.

What's the last movie you saw?
*we watched "the bounty hunter" the other day. one of the worst movies i've seen in a long time.

What does your last text message say?
*"okay" from my beau. he was asking me for a grocery list and i told him i hadn't made one.

What is your dream vacation?
*at this point, any vacation is my dream vacation. i'd love to go to italy, hawaii or puerto rico. hopefully we'll do all three in the next three years.

What is your favorite animal?
*any animal i don't have to take care of.

Do you need to do laundry?
*that i do, even though my beau just did it friday. i am out of jeans.

Do you listen to the radio?
*only my iPod or pandora.

Where were you when 9/11 happened?
*

What color are your bed sheets?
*the ones on my bed now are dark brown. i try to keep the same colors throughout all of my house, including the sheets.

What's your ringtone?
*depends on the person. most are the generic, iPhone xylophone ringtone. my mom's is stewie from "family guy;" little brother's is "encarnacion" from nacho libre; colby's (my nephew) is "have you ever seen the rain?" by CCR; daddy's is "california dreamin'" by the mamas and the papas; my beau's is "jammin'" by bob marley; heather's is "tarantula" by bob schneider.

Do you watch cartoons?
*never on purpose. whenever we have the kids, a lot of cartoons filter onto the TV. and it sucks. unless it's phinneas and ferb, which i think is funny. but i hate spongebob now.

Do you hold grudges?
*oh how i wish.

the passing of the celica . . . and horsepills

so when i went away to college in my early twenties, i was the proud owner of a 1981 ford ranger F100. nowadays, a ranger is a tiny truck that really has no purpose, i don't think. but back in 1981, it was a bad ass truck . . . very big and bulky and made all of metal. i ran over things and ran into things and never once dented my truck. it had an oil leak that was so bad that i literally carried a case of oil in the bed of the truck. every morning, i popped the hood and poured an entire bottle of oil into the engine; repeated this ritual just about every single morning for the year or two i owned this truck. it had the original push / knob radio, a cloth bench seat and most importantly, it could hit about 65mph tops when it was warmed up. it took me all over college station and back and forth to and from killeen on weekends i didn't have to work.

and then one day, it suddenly became unreliable. the leak got worse and worse and it started to have trouble making the trip back and forth from college to home and back. i was a poor college student, though . . . worked a full-time job, went to school full-time but still never had enough money to do much of anything. and in stepped my father.

he had gone onto the "lemon lot" on fort hood a few times over the months i had been having car trouble and he found a sporty little toyota celica for me. the GI selling it was getting ready to deploy and he really just wanted to sell it. one guy offered him $2000 cash; Daddy offered him a $1500 check with a sob story about his daughter in college. needless to say, daddy got the car. he and mom drove it down to college station one weekend and we traded cars. he got my truck to take home and use for his pool business; i got a reliable, sporty (albeit somewhat ugly and banged up) celica to cruise around town in. i loved it instantly.

my friends and i had great adventures in that car when i was in college. one summer, between spring and summer semesters, my best college friend (veronica) and i hopped into the celica and took a week and a half road trip to california. we had never been and it seemed like a good idea. we got out of texas and into new mexico the first night; onto california the second day. we hit the beach and knew we were styling in my sports car, whom by now i called Celi (pronounced 'Selly'). after our week in cali was up, veronica and i loaded celi back up and made the long trek back to texas. we even outran a cop on the new mexico border into el paso. my celi was the shiznit.

a few years and a few wrecks later, my poor celi was no longer as fast as she once was, and was even uglier than she was when i got her. mismatched -- and later, i found out, not even the same sized -- tires seemed to help add to the flats and blow-outs i had often. i had a blow out on one of the tires one night in a rain storm on my way to see my college boyfriend. i sat on the side of the road for over an hour waiting on him to come get me. he finally did and ended up dumping me that weekend. perhaps celi was trying to prevent me from going down there that weekend, from getting my heartbroken. it was definitely an omen. but i lived and learned, i suppose.

celi made it's way back home with me to killeen and we both settled nicely into my parents' house. one morning, someone broke into my car and stole the only nice thing i had in the car -- my sony XPLODE sound system my parents' had paid for and had installed in my car not even a year prior for my birthday. i drove around for a long time with cardboard and duct tape on the back window before my brother pulled a favor from someone and they fixed my window for me. and then there were wrecks and soon the bumper was falling off and the trunk didn't open. it was a mess.

one afternoon, i took it into the mechanic (the same mechanic we have used for like 20 years) and i was told i would be better off buying a new car rather invest in fixing everything that was wrong with it. and so, i faced a dilemma because i didn't have money to buy anything. my brother, again, stepped in and helped me buy a 2000 dodge stratus from a major on post who had used the car for the live-in nanny he employed. he wanted $8000 for it, and quite frankly, he could've prolly gotten more for it than that; we offered $5000 and he took it. and then suddenly i had this stratus and my celi was no longer needed.

fast forward a few months to me being out of a job for one reason or another and suddenly i'm $600 behind on the rent i owed my parents. at this time, dad's van was in bad bad bad shape and he was looking for a beater to get him around, to and from work, etc. in stepped celi. daddy and i agreed that i would essentially "sell" him celi for the $600 i owed him and then the love affair of celi and my daddy began.

for years they went all over town. and they broke down all over town. but dad managed to get things fixed on it little by little -- nothing aesthetic, of course. my daddy's theory on cars is that it is a tool. no need to have something pretty when you're just gonna run it into the ground anyway. and believe me, it was run into the ground -- and quite a bit of poles, too -- and about on it's last leg.

mom and daddy decided they needed new cars eventually. one got a camry, one got a corolla . . . and like that, celi was the red-headed stepchild no one wanted. she has sat in dad's driveway for a few months now, never running, never moving. nothing. he and mom finally decided to call a charity and have it donated but then i intervened.

my beau and i have been looking for a car for him to use to get to and from school, and to serve papers. we had been sharing the stratus for a few months now : he drops me off at work in the morning, and picks me up at lunch so i can take him to school and take the car back to work. after work, i pick him up from school and we would serve papers in it. problem with that is, my stratus isn't the most gas-efficient car out there. and surprisingly, the celica is. and so i asked dad if i could re-own the stratus from him. i didn't wanna pay anything for it aside from the fees to change the title over to our name and to pay any taxes on it. ended up costing $100.60. about $100.60 more than i wanted to pay, but at least now we have a second means of transportation.

and although it's his car and he'll be the one driving it, my beau asked me not to ever mention that. he usually has the same theory my daddy has on cars -- that they're just tools. but today, we took it for a ride around the block and to get it washed, and we were both thoroughly embarrassed by it. blue smoke pours out of the back pipe thing and it smells bad. we took it to the carwash to see if that would help, but after we were done washing, we realized it was still an ugly car. and so i decided, at that moment, to take the proud owner approach and post pics of my beauty. and without further ado, here she is, MSSSSSSS. CELI!









and my absolute favorite, cuz it shows the seat cover:



and PS : when did the pharmaceutical companies start making pills the size of a horse suppository? this is a picture of my calcium pill, which i am required to take since i'm on the b/c shot, compared to my sleep and anxiety pills. it's huge:



hopefully tomorrow's post will be a lot more interesting than tonight's. i'll be posting all about our home improvement projects! i know, you just can't wait!

this little piggy had roast beef . . .

it's a hard realization to accept being fat. and i'm not one of those skinny jerks who looks in the mirror and sees fat when there is none. i am genuinely big. like over 200 pounds big and prolly about twenty more than that. no one can tell me i'm not fat and make me believe it.

the size 16 clothes i tried on -- or should i say attempted to try on -- that were way too tight told me i'm fat. all of my size 14 pants i tucked away neatly for later use a few months ago told me i'm fat. my mirror told me i'm fat. and i'm finally listening.

last year -- a mere 14 months ago -- i was 40 pounds lighter. yes, FORTY pounds. how does a person gain that much weight in just over one year? how has my body not imploded (or rather, exploded) from the sheer force of an extra forty pounds? how have i been okay with this all this time? why do i seemingly not care?

i believe that over the last year, i have rationalized my weight gain. last year started off fantastically. i was forty pounds lighter, for one, and was the smallest, and more importantly, the healthiest i have been since i played soccer in high school. i felt great. full of energy and life! i worked out monday-friday and ate healthy. and even when i ate unhealthily, i was able to balance that with exercise. and when i had one bad day, i made sure i had at least five good days.

now my one bad day has turned into 14 months of bad days, with maybe five good days in there total.

last year, i met a man. i'm not blaming him, however, as i realize he can't force me to eat what i have eaten. i do know i am happy with him. and with that happiness has come complacency and relaxation. i finally feel like i have met someone who is just about perfect for me and i have reveled in that. i stopped caring about what i looked like cuz, after all, i found someone who loved me for me and told me i was beautiful at a size 10, size 12, size 14, and tonight, even more than a size 16. but honestly, who wants a fat mate?

i have always been very aware of my weight. i have known that carbs cause me to gain, and so for years i avoided sweets and tried to limit them to a healthy number daily. to me, it was never a big deal and i never craved sweets. i never bought them and never ate dessert at sunday dinner. however, within the last year or so, i started giving in to someone's birthday cake or someone else making homemade brownies or bringing over creamy creations ice cream. and i have indulged, believe you me. it's even become the joke at my parents' house on sunday nights for me to say, "well, tomorrow i start my diet." i say it every sunday. and i've realized that in the last year, when i meant it before, now i just say it for laughs. i know that deep down i haven't had intentions of a diet for a long time now.

my sister-in-law, whom i won't name for purposes of privacy, once mentioned something about "having a food baby." you know . . . when you eat so much at a meal that your tummy pooches out and no matter what, you can't suck it in and you look pregnant. sadly, this has become a joke in my relationship for awhile now. every night, i lay on the bed and rub my belly and talk to my food baby to make my beau laugh. and we laugh together. really, it's upsets me, but i know if i laugh about it, i can make myself feel better about it.

i have really noticed how fat i am here recently because i have noticed how well my daddy is doing on his diet. he had gastric bypass surgery last month after struggling for years with his weight. it seems like every time i see him, he is skinnier and skinnier and can fit into clothes he, literally, hasn't worn in years. and that's when i realize i'm no longer fitting into clothes i have worn for years. i'm growing out of everything. and quite honestly, neither my ego nor my wallet can afford that.

i must point out that i didn't write this blog for people to feel sorry for me, to tell me i look great, to lie to me. i wrote this because i need to face the fact that i am fat. that i am unhealthy. i am lethargic and, i admit it, lazy. i can't remember the last time i exercised or the last time i ate something not smothered in some sort of sauce or gravy or butter. i wrote this because i want everyone to hold me accountable for my actions as i need to hold myself accountable. and i won't be cheesy and say something like, "and so, on this blog, i vow to lose weight!" but i will say i am going to do my damndest to be healthier. i will do my damndest to exercise. i will do my damndest to make better decisions for myself.

my goal is to lose forty pounds in the next year. i figure that's a realistic goal. i mean, if i gained forty in a year, i should be able to lose that much in a year. after all, my sister lost 100 pounds in a year from exercise and eating healthy.

secretly, my real goal is to be able to wear a bikini next july and not have the fabric be lost in the rolls of my fat. because believe me, it's not a pretty sight.

guess who's back?

so i have been MIA for a few months now. not entirely sure why. just haven't spent the time getting on here to write. prolly cuz my life is pretty bland and boring right now. but i will write when i can think of anything to write about. kinda hard since my beau is in kuwait and i do pretty much nothing. ooooh . . . perhaps i'll post tomorrow about my venture back into the restaurant business. remind me of that.

and hayley -- i'm totally buying myself a SNUGGIE for christmas.

ugh!

i was totally going to blog today about a great topic, but i forgot what it was.

an issue being addressed that really shouldn't need to be addressed . . .

so i have developed quite the pet peeve while working here with my new company. it's not something that has ever been much of an issue at my past jobs, but this job takes my pet peeve to a whole new level. what is it?

**people not flushing the toilet when they're done using it.**

and i'm not talking just about "number one." i mean the whole sha-bang, the whole enchilada, the "number two." so far, i have gone to the bathroom seven times today -- blame all the water i drink (so far three bottles, which is actually less than i typically drink) for the amount of times i use the lavatory, but this is all not the point -- and five of the times i have gone, **i have had to flush behind someone** (and three of those times were for more than just pee and toilet paper).

okay, i guess i didn't have to flush behind them, but i am just that person. no one wants to walk into a bathroom stall and !surprise! there's last night's dinner floating in the toilet, in the form of, well, "number two" (i'm trying to keep this post somewhat clean, despite the nasty topic). and so i irritatedly flush the toilet so that the next person who walks in isn't caught off guard by what i saw.

now i know there is another business that is located here in this strip center, so i can't entirely blame it on my co-workers. but the only other business here is a "daycare" for the mentally handicapped, and anytime one of the clients goes to the bathroom, they are accompanied by a supervisor, whom i always hear tell them to flush the toilet. and that makes it even less acceptable, if they aren't flushing the toilet, because there are two people there who can flush.

i have never left a stall without flushing first, and yet **it seems pretty commonplace here at my job.** i just don't understand it. i hear people in the process of potty-training a child tell that child to "flush the toilet." it's something we all have learned. i work with people WITH DEGREES! with MILITARY EXPERIENCE! you would think they would be able to police up after themselves. i am not the united states and my co-workers are not foreign countries.

**there is no reason that i should be handling their business.**

pink pink, you stink!

so sometimes i am a mean person (surprise, surprise). i never intend to be, but there are **things that happen or outfits that people wear** that bring out the mean-spiritedness in me and i just can't contain myself.

said bad outfit occurred yesterday. and i couldn't resist. he is a co-worker, so i did the courtesy of cropping his head out of the picture. but the rest of this outfit? **too classic not to post.**

notice the salmon-colored pants, the light pink shirt . . . just notice it all. and laugh. cuz sometimes, **i think it's okay to laugh at other people's expense.** it keeps us sane.

and perhaps, **it will make us all think twice** about wearing certain outfits!

frank, jr.

so if you know my father, you know that he is just about the clumsiest guy ever . . . tied with three of my brothers. those three are all just about as clumsy as he is. however, his girls are all equally as clumsy (including me). we may not all look like ol' frankie one eye (as we like to call him since he lost his right eye to cancer and had it removed), but **we all inherited his clumsy gene.**

and before he comments on this note and says he's not clumsy, let me just give you **a rundown of some of his most famous "moments" :**

-- fell down concrete stairs playing santa claus at church and broke his ankle. ended up in the emergency room in full santa garb.

-- kicked a watermelon once on accident. the rind ended up wedging itself between his toe and his toenail. he had to have surgery to have it removed.

-- dropped a frozen pork roast on his foot and broke his ankle. twice.

-- had corrective surgery on his nose to fix his deviated septum; something ends up happening that i can't remember and he runs into a guy or something and his corrective surgery? done for nothing. guy breaks his nose and dad again has a deviated septum.

-- was sitting on the bench of a picnic table; picnic table ends up flipping over and he falls into a fire, burning his hand.

-- is standing inside a small pop-up trailer that my brother failed to mount properly, while preparing his bed for the night; trailer flips on one end and my father falls and gets trapped inside the trailer until my brothers come to his rescue.

-- middle of vietnam war : dad is walking in the dark in his barracks, kicks a bunk bed and breaks his toe (i think it was a toe; it might've been his foot); he likes to tell the story that had they been under attack at that very moment, he would've received a purple heart for his injury.

-- is getting out of the cab of a semi tow truck. misses the step, falls out of the tow truck. stands up, bloody from head to toe, thanks the man for the ride in the tow truck, shuts the door and goes inside the house.

pretty sure that my list can go on and on, but as you can see . . . my point is proven. **my daddy is, by far, one of the clumsiest men i know and now, prolly one of the clumsiest men you know.** so why am i talking about this today? cuz unfortunately, as mentioned previously, i am my father's daughter.

i run into walls constantly. and it's not like i am walking in the dark or in an unfamiliar place. i am typically walking from the living room to my bedroom, via the kitchen. for some reason, whenever i take that corner from the kitchen to my bedroom, **nine times out of ten, i run into the wall.** and i have the bruises to prove it. funny thing is, i have had conversations with my brothers and sisters and they all do the same thing. that one time out of ten that i miss the wall? it's cuz i have to consciously think, "i will not run into that wall" when i am walking by it. my brothers and sisters do the same thing.

once, at dinner, daddy noticed some of my bruises and asked what i did. i told him **my beau beats me.** my beau looked mortified (mind you, this was still fairly new into the relationship). my daddy laughed and asked me what really happened. he knows me too well. turns out, i could only tell him what happened with one of the bruises. the other twelve? not sure where those came from, but undoubtedly, they were from a wall or a desk corner or something of that nature.

last weekend, my beau and i spent the better part of it cleaning and organizing. at one point, he leaves the bedroom to put something away. what do i do? **walk by the bed and kick it,** stubbing my toe to the point that i was pretty sure i broke it (and it's still sore, by the way). of course i screamed and said a few expletives and my beau comes running in. he asks me what happened, am i okay and i just tell him i'm fine. again, he asks what happens, but i refuse to tell him, stating that he makes fun of me and calls me "frank, jr" whenever i hurt myself. he shakes his head, turns and exits the room, leaving me there to rub my toe and wipe tears out of my eyes.

i would go ahead and list all of my latest debaucles but quite honestly, i can't remember how i got most of my bruises. i do remember that i once stepped off the front porch at my parents' house, landing half on the sidewalk, and half in a hole. **twisted my ankle and ended up tearing all the ligaments on the top of my foot.**i still have a bad ankle from that. and once you hurt an ankle in the pritchard family, you always hurt that same ankle.

last night **which brings me to the whole reasoning behind this post** i was putting things away in my room. i happen to have a full-length mirror resting against one of the walls in my bedroom cuz i haven't yet hung it on said wall. let me preface all this with the fact that a couple of times that this mirror has been moved from my room to other places and then put back against the wall in my room for various reasons, i have managed to chip off one of the corners of the mirror, basically leaving a sharp, jagged edge (see picture below).



so what do i do? walk too close to the wall and the said mirror and slice open my "pinky" toe. i can't say that the cut wasn't bad enough for stitches, but since i have no medical insurance, i knew that that wasn't happening. **three bandaids and five bloodied tissues later,** my toe stops bleeding enough for me to put a bandaid on it that i don't have to take off ten minutes later due to the fact that it's blood-soaked and no longer effective at stopping the bleeding. and i can't help but laugh at myself and to silently thank my daddy in my head for those clumsy genes.

and so now, **whenever my beau calls me frank, jr., i just laugh it off.** i might as well quit denying my fate and realize that should i ever have to have kids one day, they'll prolly end up with the same clumsy gene, and their significant others will call them "holly, jr." at least i have someone else to blame for my genes.

**i'm not sure where my daddy gets his from.**

do you think the surgeon general smokes?

so on my way to work yesterday, i passed a very pretty girl driving a very pretty car. i happened to notice her cuz she almost hit me as i was passing her on the highway. when i looked over to shake my fist at her, i realized the reasoning of her subpar driving: she was texting with one hand and flicking her cigarette out the tiny crack of her window with the other. and you know, i wasn't even mad about the texting or the whole no-hands-on-the-wheel bit.

**i was upset about the cigarette.**

like i said, the girl was pretty. long flowing hair, dark complexion. i didn't get to gaze into her eyes or anything like that so i can't tell you what color her eyes were, but i thought that she was very attractive. until i saw that cigarette. that took away the prettiness and it was replaced with an image of an old wrinkled lady with a hacking cough, choking up a lung while sucking on her oxygen and cigarette alternately.

**not a very pretty site, huh?**

i can remember being in the ninth grade and playing soccer with a girl who, for the sake of this blog, i will call "jane doe." one day, while we were changing for practice, jane doe realized she had forgotten an extra practice shirt. because i had worn a t-shirt to school that day, i gave her my intended practice shirt, wore the same one i had on already, and we went out to practice. a couple of days later, we were again in the locker room getting ready to change and she mentioned that she had brought my shirt back, freshly washed the night prior by her mother. she pulls the shirt out of her bag, presses it to her face, and takes a long sniff and tells me how wonderfully clean it smelled, like fresh flowers or something. she throws it to me and tells me to smell. i lift the shirt to my nose and take a huge whiff . . . and **smell nothing but stale cigarette smoke.**

of course, i don't wanna hurt jane doe's feelings, so i lie to her and tell her how flowery it does smell as i stifle a cough and try to hold in the tears that have quickly formed in the corner of each eye. and because she has made such a big deal about how great this shirt smells, another girls grabs the shirt out of my hand and presses it to her nose. **and she isn't so nice.**

"EEEEEW!" i remember her screeching. "that doesn't smell flowery! that smells like cigarettes!" and she throws the shirt back at me. jane doe looks at me as if her feelings are hurt, and i shrug my shoulders, throw the shirt in my dirty clothes bag and locker and quickly run out to the practice field.

i don't really have a point to this blog, other than to say that i think smoking is dithguthting. i have a few friends who still do it and they all know my opinion. i am one of those people who makes a HUGE deal when someone lights up in front of me. i cough, i act like i can't breathe -- in general, **i make them feel bad** for doing it. i don't do it to insult anyone or to offend any smokers out there, however. i just prefer to breathe fresher air than a cloud of cigarette smoke allows. and okay, okay -- i guess i have to admit here that frankly, i kind of like being an ass sometimes.

**so sue me.**

TDY again

so i have been at this academy for work since monday. it's basically a two week long course on how to use this program that i work with. it's pretty boring and i prolly should study more, but i think i have it down. i guess we'll see once i take the final exam on it this coming week.

in the meantime, i got my first "assignment" for work. brace yourself . . . i am going to camp shelby, mississippi. i am not entirely thrilled about it, but i hear it's only two hours from new orleans. i'm hoping that that is true and that i can make my way down to new orleans at some point when i'm down there. i haven't been there in forever and was only there for two days when i went. when i was in college. at mardi gras. so i am looking forward to heading that way again and doing some touristy things that have nothing to do with mardi gras or fat tuesday.

trying to think what else to write about. quite frankly, i live a boring life and don't have much to write about. i know i had something to write about, but now i can't think about what it was i wanted to say here. so i guess for now, i'll close this out and be boring.

i now pronounce you . . . father and daughter?

at my office, i sit in a room with other people who do the same job as i do, or one very similar. we sit at long brown tables, typically 2 or 3 people per table. there are no cubicles and **virtually no privacy.** because of that reason, i'm careful with what i do and what people can see on my computer. right now, my desktop picture is one of my niece and nephew, right after she was born. i don't have pictures of my beau on there or anything that i wouldn't want unwanted questions about. naturally.

i just happened to glance up and notice my co-worker's screensaver slideshow contains a picture of beautiful pregnant lady, whose belly is exposed, with the only thing covered being her breasts, with a small black strip, which from this angle, i can't tell if it's something she was wearing, or if the picture was censored. i could see that being on some young kid's laptop at home or even in this dude's pictures folder on his desktop or external hard drive. the creepy part is that **the picture is of his daughter.** i just don't think i'd ever feel comfortable enough to take a picture like that to give to my father. not to mention the pants she wears in the picture are incredibly low-cut. but it's just not that picture. he has several on there of his daughter in otherwise seemingly sexy poses. and even some of his wife, whom you can tell is older but is very pretty. just think of glamour shots in the mall and you know exactly what poses these girls are in. nothing too suggestive, but something that will definitely make the imagination wander.

to me, i just don't feel that **it's entirely appropriate for a work laptop.** granted, the man has other pictures on there -- pics of his motorcycle, of him riding the bike, of his daughter's wedding. but there are just several provocative pictures of his daughter that, in my opinion, should've been given to her husband and not her father. and he proudly displays them.

**again, can i reiterate the word creepy here?**

long lost picture of heidi . . .

so in case you are wondering who heidi is, i'm not talking about the piggy-tailed blonde swedish girl from the fairytales. i'm talking about my oldest sister. she lives on a 400-acre ranch in rural arkansas with her husband and 7 kids (well 6, since one resides in idaho for the next two years).

regardless, i was looking through some old pictures i have, and found this one of my oldest sister. it was taken a few thanksgivings ago, when the weather was still warm enough to run around without a shirt and in shorts. this is her at the town's annual "redneck festival" (seriously, that's what it's called), where she took home the title of REDNECK QUEEN for her bellyflop. we're all so proud of her!

enjoy and comment!

five-star cooking, right?

so apparently not cooking for almost a month can really affect one's cooking skills. or at least mine, anyway. last night, my beau had a few errands to run right around dinnertime, and even though i promised him i wouldn't cook and he could cook for me when he got home, he took too long, i got hungry and in turn, started cooking. simple enough task . . . saute the chicken, steam the broccoli, boil the pasta and make a quick cheesy lemon garlic sauce to pour over the broccoli and pasta. easy enough, right? **apparently not.**

first of all, i admit that whenever i cook, i have a timing issue. i typically don't consider that something like chicken takes a lot longer to cook than, say, broccoli. and so i start the broccoli at the same time i start the chicken and my broccoli ends up being ready quite a few minutes before the chicken and is only lukewarm by the time we actually eat. it's something i've been trying to work on, but **i'm completely scatterbrained most of the time** and i forget and make timing mistakes all the time.

well last night, it was a little different. my beau had already seasoned the meat and cut the broccoli before he left for his errands. when i got hungry, i went into the kitchen and started getting things in pans and whatnot, at the same time talking with my roommate about schizophrenics (she's a social work major AND we were watching true crime). **apparently this was all too much for my brain to handle,** and after putting the vegetable steamer in the pot and the broccoli in that, i just turned the stove on and threw the pot on the burner. without water in the pot. and let it "steam" that way for prolly close to ten minutes before i noticed a bad odor and remembered what i had done. i quickly pulled the pot off the stove, put water in it and put it back on there. needless to say, the broccoli had a slightly-burned-tasting-a-lot-like-metal flavor to it that we both had to drown out with tons of that sauce i was telling you about.

and about that sauce. see what had happened was . . . to start the sauce, you have to melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a pan. so i turned the burner on, on high of course cuz i wanted to get the pan hot really quick, and threw the butter in. and then i forgot that butter burns very easily if it's too hot. and so my butter burned. all this was going on when my broccoli was supposedly steaming (pre-water in the pot) so you can **just imagine the sweet smell of burned butter and heated metal** wafting through my kitchen. it was at this point that my back was turned to the stove and i didn't even realize anything was burning when my roommate asked me what the smell was. and that's when it dawned on me that my butter was scalding and the broccoli had no water in it. of course i couldn't wholely smell the burning cuz the chicken was already sauteeing at this time and it did smell good.

as all of this is going on, my chicken is cooking and the noodles are boiling. by now i've thrown out the burned butter and started over with the sauce. everything seems to be going well. and then the chicken gets done, the sauce thickens, the pasta softens . . . and the broccoli still isn't cooked. remember what i said about timing? this time it was backwards, though. had i put water in the pot originally, i'm inclined to say that **everything would've prolly turned out done at about the same time.** but this time, because the broccoli took so long, the noodles were a bit cold and the sauce was just a bit too thick. the chicken was still okay, but the onions i threw in with it were now pretty much caramelized.

the broccoli finally finishes steaming -- or is as steamed as i was going to let it get cuz i was tired of waiting for it to become completely done. it was a bit crunchy, but nothing that was unedible. i mean, people eat raw broccoli all the time anyway, right? right. i make up two plates, one for me and the other for my beau, and we settle in to eat. and all i can taste when i eat the broccoli is burned metal. and since i didn't scrub the burned butter out of the bottom of the pan, the sauce tastes a bit like that, which adds to the burned flavor of the broccoli and kind of ruins the pasta. the noodles are lukewarm and the **sauce has the texture of oatmeal** at this point. i admit it: not my best meal.

and then my beau takes a bite of everything, and tells me how **great it all tastes.** and then i remember why i keep him around . . . no matter how bad my cooking is, or how horrible of a mood i'm in, or how irritated i get so quickly, he is always there to tell me how great my cooking is, how amazing i am, how he's lucky to have me in his life.

**and that always makes me feel better.**

a question . . .

so i got this cavity filled the other day, and i must say that my tooth is bothering me more now than it did when it wasn't filled.

**is that normal?**

the grasshopper

so over the weekend, my beau and i were out running errands. at one point, i had run into the store, which was located in a strip mall, and he waited for me in the car. i turned around and looked outside as i waited my turn in line and noticed a huge leaf on my windshield wiper. i didn't think anything about it til it started to move. and then i realized that it actually wasn't a leaf but a **gigantic grasshopper!** it was dithguthting! i should've told my beau to use my camera in my purse to snap a pic or two, but i forgot it was in there and he used his iPhone instead and got these three shots. i would've also put a quarter down on the ground next to the grasshopper so you could see the difference in size, but that's just me. oh well. here are the pictures, if you can even tell what they are. i just thought they were neat!

mr. grasshopper, hanging out on my windshield wiper (i wish you could really see how big he was . . . and now that i think about it: are grasshoppers 'hes' and 'shes' or are they 'its?')



escaping the papparazzi that is my beau



one more shot before the party's over

and a random question . . .

is anyone else having trouble trying to post comments to my blog or to your own? i can post on other people's, but i cannot post on my own. and some people have told me they are having trouble posting on mine, while others are having no trouble at all. i don't know what to do! if you have a suggestion or know the solution, please email me at holly_pritch@yahoo.com

**thanks**

. . . losing my religion . . .

so i'm a big believer in separation of church and state. not saying i believe that a prayer before a football game is inappropriate or anything like that, but i definitely believe that religion has no business being in anything not religious.

**like work, for example**

two of my co-workers discuss religion at length every single day. and while i understand it's their right and their belief, it really gets on mine -- and everyone else's -- nerves. if there is one thing i am not, it's pushy. and i never discuss religion, politics or most of my beliefs with people (or in front of people) because i never wanna make someone feel as though i am pushing my thoughts and beliefs on them. and i completely feel that they are pushing all of their beliefs on me whenever they discuss religion. it's one thing if you invite me in on the conversation and give me the choice to say yes or no. but simply talking -- and might i add, very loudly -- about it really irritates me.

**and it's not because i'm not very religious**

it's like my daddy. he is huge into politics and loves to send out political emails. however, because he knows my thoughts on politics, and because i have asked him to refrain from sending me anything deemed "political," he doesn't send me anything anymore. and i kind of wish i could say something to these two guys about it. ask them to discuss their beliefs on anything religious on breaks, in a quieter tone, via email or in the hall. cuz i can see everyone else roll their eyes when they profess to be experts on a certain book in the bible or prophecy received by some random prophet. for the sake of my sanity, i wish they'd stop.

**at least while we're at work, anyway**

a little quiz about my biz . . .

What is your favorite flavor of Kool-Aid?
*red . . . no seriously, that's my favorite flavor. doesn't matter what color red, as long as it's red.

Do you have a wireless keyboard and mouse?
*just a wireless mouse. and only because i hate using the little mouse pad thingy on the laptop. i'm not coordinated enough to use it, to be honest.

Last sporting event you watched on tv or in person?



Who makes the best fudge?
*my mama. here is the recipe:

Mama's Fudge

3 pkg. semi-sweet chocolate chips (6 oz.)
2 c. nuts
1/2 lb. butter
2 c. miniature marshmellows (pressed down in cup)
1 tsp. vanilla
4-1/2 c. sugar
1 large can evaporated milk

Put milk and sugar in large saucepan and boil exactly 8 minutes, after
it has started boiling (be sure to reduce heat to medium and boil on medium heat). After boiling, remove from stove and add all other ingredients (put all other ingredients in one bowl first and add all at once to the milk and sugar). Mix well and put in 9x13 pan. Let it sit out until it cools down and then refrigerate. Serve after fudge has refrigerated at least an hour.

Do you like it when toothpaste bubbles in your mouth?
*i don't care if it bubbles or not, although i don't know that i'd call it bubbling, per se. isn't it more like foaming? either way, i don't care if it happens cuz i brush my teeth about 15 times a day anyway. so i know my teeth are good to go!

Do you believe that the world is gonna end at 2012?
*man i hope not . . . i have big plans for my life, none of which include dying in that year.

How many songs are on your iPod or MP3 Player?
*sadly, it depends on the iPod. i have my iPhone, which has prolly about 325 songs with more to be added soon; my night-time iPod, which has 89 songs; my buddy's iPod that i have been using, which has about 1000 songs on it; my shuffle, which has about 95 songs on it. i really just wanna get one big iPod so i can put everything on one and then sort by playlists.

Have you ever made your own survey?
*no . . . i'd rather just answer questions from someone else. i'm waiting for hayley to write one.

Can you swear inside your house?
*i can swear wherever i f&$*#@ choose to . . . but i try to limit myself anyway. typically a bad word or two will come out when i'm either really upset or when i run into something (cuz sadly, i do that a lot; so much so, that my nickname is frank, jr., cuz my dad does it more).

Do you save Bed Bath and Beyond coupons?
*nope . . . only victoria's secret and bath and body works. bed, bath and beyond is way too expensive for my blood.

Have you ever had a pet goldfish?
*nope. i once had a betta fish in college, named lil swim. my nephew would clean out it's little bowl for me weekly. when i moved home, i had to leave the fish with my ex-boyfriend (my then boyfriend) and he killed it by cleaning the bowl with AJAX.

When did you last eat waffles?
*hmm . . . the other night at mama's house. i can't remember what day it was. was that sunday dinner? no wait -- that was tuesday, i think.

What is the most overrated thing in your opinion?



Do you have a video Skype account?
*i'm not even sure what skype is.

What color is your bed comforter?
*white down comforter. but it's always pushed off onto the floor cuz it's too hot to keep on the bed!

Does being in love make you gain weight?
*no . . . eating carbs makes me gain weight.

Dumbest person you know? and why?
*i typically don't associate with dumb people, so i can't answer this.

Do your parents have home videos of you as a kid?
*yes . . . and i hope that someone will break into their house, go into my dad's walk-in closet and steal them (i'm willing to pay for that to happen).

How old is your oldest cousin?
*to be quite honest, i have no clue. i only really talk with one of my cousins, and i wanna say she's between heather's and hilary's age? i have a lot, but we just never kept up with them growing up.

If you HAD to get a tattoo, where and what would it be?



no really . . . i would. i want this tattoo. i think it's perfect. BWAHAHAHA!

Do you think Obama has tried drugs?
*remember the question above that asked what i believed was the most overrated thing? reference that and you'll realize why i am not answering this question.

What color is your bra or boxers?
*black. black goes with everything.

What is your favorite radio station?
*honestly, i'm not even sure the last time i listened to a radio. i'm all about CDs and iPods, people.

What ethnicity was your last ex?
*africanus-americanus

What brand is your refrigerator?
*hmm . . . i have no clue. i think it's like a whirlpool or something? or maybe that's my dishwasher. i didn't pick it out, so i have no idea. it's off-white.

How many people do you know that are pregnant?
*um . . . i don't know. i really don't keep up with that. i think two?

Do you have a picture with your middle finger up?
*i do . . . but typically i edit out the finger part of the picture. my mama doesn't like it.

When is the last time you went to a birthday party?
*technically, last night. ty's (my nephew) birthday is sunday, but they're going to be visiting family in washington, so we celebrated it last night with fried chicken and cheesecake.

What is the best thing to happen to you this year so far?
*getting a permanent job and meeting my beau (sappy, i know)

How long have you lived in the house you live in?
*long enough that when i move, i will cry.

Do you read a newspaper daily?
*nope. i get the sunday paper delivered. and even when i get that, i only look at weddings, birth announcements, dear abby and the crossword puzzle. the rest gets thrown away.

Anything you're really afraid of?
*live fish. they gross me out.

Do you read tabloids?
*not at all. not so big into celebrities and their screwed up lives. i have enough in my own world to worry about.

Have you ever had a really bad haircut?
*see pictures below. what do you think?













Do you like your peanut butter crunchy or creamy?
*creamy, fo' sho. but it has to be the peter pan honey-roasted creamy PB. the best ever!

What is the scariest movie you've ever seen?
*the ending of "carrie" or "signs." considering that i don't watch scary movies because everything scares the crap out of me, those were pretty bad. quit laughing now . . . all of you!

Have you ever ridden a skateboard?
*yes . . . we used to sit on it and roll down my parents' driveway. good times.

Do you drink enough water on a daily basis?
*more than enough. at least a case every three days. i pee like every hour on the hour. my mama worries that i'm going to get water intoxication.

Would you burn the American flag for a million dollars?
*i'd like to believe i wouldn't . . .

The main thing you can't leave your house without?



(sunglasses, in case you're wondering)

Do you think the economy is improving yet?
*my economy isn't. not yet. wait til i get paid and then we'll talk.

When was the last time you read a book?
*been reading a couple of different books, at different times. last book i actually finished was "i know my first name is steven." trying to read more.

Where did you get that shirt you're wearing?



Do you play pranks on April Fool's Day?
*i typically don't even remember it's april fool's day cuz it's also my niece's birthday. that takes priority over any pranks.

just some fun sunday pictures (mostly)

so my beau and i went to my mama's house this past sunday for dinner, as we always do on sundays. we were there hanging out when my little brother scott, sister-in-law val and their two kiddos (jared and alexis) walked in. immediately, i noticed that leslie and jared were wearing the same outfit! it cracked us all up. i love that jared is in love with leslie. they are two peas in a pod, and i love how he says leslie's name. it's the cutest thing ever. so for your viewing pleasure, here a few shots i snapped with my iPhone of them playing and posing for pictures. i also added one of chad being "chad marley" with my ruined mop head (my daddy borrowed my mop and washed it, forgetting to turn off the spin cycle so it was ruined) and just a cute one of scott and alexis that i stole from val's page.

leslie and jared



leslie and jared sticking out their tongues



more sticking out of the tongues (this seemed to be jared's favorite pose of the night)



you can tell they're both *just thrilled* to be in pictures (and what's the deal with leslie's head looking alienesque in this pic?)



"chad marley" (i'm not sure why this picture turned out on it's side. when i checked the picture program, it was right but i can't get it to post without being sideways for some odd reason)



scott and alexis at the beach in san diego a couple of weeks ago (i love this picture cuz they both have the *same* expression on their faces!)