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Thursday, June 30, 2005

I guess my mind is totally making up for yesterday. I was thinking about what I wanted to blog about today and so many ideas popped into my head that I had to write them down!!

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Laina talked about this yesterday and I totally agreed with everything she said. This morning on my way to work, the Kidd Kraddick in the morning show had the same subject going on, so I thought I'd share my comments. The subject was the train wreck which is Tom Cruise. You know, they say that no publicity is bad publicity and I think to a degree that is true. But, when it continues and continues, you will eventually piss off the public and they will tire of your meaningless little existence and you will no longer be the "Golden Boy" that you once were.
I must admit, after Oprah, I was really thinking, "If that was a publicity stunt, he did the right thing" because all you heard about was Tom, Tom on Oprah, Tom and Katie, blah, blah, blah. But now, weeks later, I think the public is sick of his crap.
I could make a long list of his many mistakes, and I honestly think that I'll do that now....
1) Acting like a monkey who just escaped his cage on Oprah
2) Gushing like a raging hormonal teenager on Oprah
3) Bashing Brooke Sheilds (this is where I started to take offense to his stupid comments)
4) Becoming engaged to Katie, or should I say Kate, after their short-lived courtship (especially after the rumors that she was interviewed for the part of girlfriend)
5) Referring to people who do not believe in aliens as "arrogant"
6) Dragging poor Kate around by the neck
7) The endless PDAs
8) SCIENTOLOGY- and why is it called that. The name leads you to believe it's science based which couldn't be farther from the truth
I am so sick of this guy, and he's dragging his poor girlfriend/fiance down the tubes with him in my book. I think Laina had a great idea. We all need to get FUTC shirts. If you see one, let me know. I want to place an order.

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4th of July
I want to hear what all of you are doing for the 4th. I will probaby take LittleMan to check out the bass tournament at the lake on Saturday and Sunday we are visiting Jimmie Davis State Park, but I have no real plans for the 4th. I'm sure there will be some form of celebration at Vetran's Park, and I heard rumors of a parade in a nearby town, so I guess I need to figure all of that out.

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Military
I was listening to Paul Harvey this morning and was shocked to hear that in the past 3 years the divorce rate for military couples has doubled. I know that the war has got to be really hard on a marriage and I can't imagine what these families are going through, but that was still shocking. I wonder if the same marriages would have failed if there hadn't been a war? I wonder what the divorce rate of the general population has done in the last 3 years. I have the feeling that this statistic was slightly taken out of context. I don't think it's untrue, but I think that other statistical trends would probably put that into a better context.

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Hooker
Hooker bought LittleMan a book for his birthday and he loves to play with it. When he shows it to me I tell him that Hooker bought him that book and so last night, it seemed that he thinks the book is called Hooker because he looks at it, looks at me, and says "Hooker" with a little smile. We tried to call and leave Hooker a message on her cell but of course he refused to say "Hooker" after the beep. Kids...they love to make you look crazy.

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Extreme Home Makeover
I was watching Extreme Home Makeover Sunday. It was a re-run that I had watched before with a little girl who wants a hospital children's cancer ward redecorated. The little girl mentioned selling necklaces and bracelets that benefit cancer in some way. Anyway, my sister in law was wondering where they could be bought and I found the website, Love Comes First and thought I'd share it with all of you.

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Site of the Day
I have a hard time remembering who I have bestowed with this honor and who I have not. If you want to be site of the day, please let me know!! Anyway, today the honor goes to Kari. She is a newly pregnant first time mom. Stop by and tell her hi!

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Three Things
If you could download any 3 songs what would they be?
1) Keith Urban-You'll Think of Me
2) Oak Ridge Boys-come on In (makes me remember being a little kid)
3) Jim Croce-Time in a Bottle (my all time most favorite song!)

Here's a pic of our prize winning photograph!

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Melissa

Melissa @ 9:40 AM | comment
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Wednesday, June 29, 2005

I'm tired, so today will just be some pics. Click to see the pics in more detail (the green tomato is cool when viewed larger)
First off, a co-worker and I were discussing blog pics and he suggested posting pics of my eyes. So, here goes
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So, for fun, I tried my lips...
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Here are some garden pics:
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Free Image Hosting at www.ImageShack.us

Enjoy!!

Melissa @ 10:28 AM | comment
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Tuesday, June 28, 2005

Things that go bump in the night......
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Well, it was bound to happen, and this morning it did. I was sleeping peacefully and all of the sudden heard a loud thump followed by whimpering and crying. My LittleMan had fell out of the bed. He sleeps with me and usually is a very sound sleeper, but last night LuckyHusband was at work, so there was no barrier on the other side, and he wormed his way to the edge and fell off. The funny thing is that it scared me more than it did him. It didn't even wake him up. He was whimpering and crying in his sleep. As soon as I picked him up, he cuddled with a pillow and was out again. WHEW!
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Here's a picture courtesy of the idiot driving in front of me last week and will be followed promptly by a rant.
Picture:
Bumpersticker
Edited to add-It says "At Least I can Still Smoke in My Car"
Rant:
Who the hell cares? I mean really...if you smoke, congratulations on sparing me from paying Medicare and Social Security on you until you are 100, but as long as you don't blow in my direction, I couldn't give a shit less. I don't really understand why smokers feel that not being able to smoke in public places infringes on their rights. I don't want their damn smoke in my lungs. If that's a problem, maybe they should stay home more often. I don't get why people feel entitled to ruin my lung capacity in the pursuit of their early grave. I don't have a problem with smokers honestly, LuckyHusband is one of them (unfortuately). I respect your right to smoke. I know that I don't look especially flattering with my fat rolls, but I think I have the right to inhale Ding Dongs and McDonald's fries whenever I want. I don't however, feel the right to shove them down your throat and clog your arteries in the process. I guess it's a matter of respect, who knows. But, honestly, smoke in your car all you want. I don't give a damn.
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Another Picture:
This picture proves that yes, I live in redneck world. How tacky do you get?
Redneck
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Site of the Day
Go visit Lainie and tell her hi for me!!
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Three Things
Name the three books you most recently read
1. Nighttime is my time-Mary Higgins Clark
2. Shopaholic and Sister-Sophie Kinsella
3. Shopaholic Ties the Knot-Sophie Kinsella

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Edited to add:
This is the site that I will be contributing to in the future. My first post should be in July.

Have a great Monday!! Check out my additions to my sidebar!
~Melissa~

Melissa @ 4:04 PM | comment
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Monday, June 27, 2005

I am really far behind on visiting everyone's blog and updating my own (obviously). So, bear with me and I hope to catch up in the next few days!

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My weekend
My weekend was really awesome. I got plenty of relaxation and got a few things done! Little Man was in the Diaper Derby for the Peach Festival and that was fun. We didn't win, in fact we didn't even come close. He was disqualified for leaving the mat. Oh, well, we had fun watching anyway. I wanted to go to the Southern Living Idea Home, but we didn't go because we were hot and tired after the Peach Festival.

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LittleMan's new girlfriend
Little Man has a new girlfriend that he met at the local Chinese restaraunt (since I am totally addicted!). She's a waitress and they both get really excited when they see each other. It's really kinda sweet. She comes over inbetween customers and visits with him and brings him food. I'm waiting for a discount because he's just so cute, but so far, nothing.

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Site of the day
Go visit Linda and tell her hi!

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Three things
Name three things you are glad you did this weekend
1. Read two books I got from the library
2. Went to the Peach Fest
3. Cleaned off my kitchen countertops (Sounds easier than it was)

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Books I read this weekend
I read some great books this weekend. I finished off the Shopaholic series with Shopaholic and Sister. I can't wait for a new Shopaholic book. I think a book focusing on Becky's pregnancy will be great! If anyone has scoop on whether or not this is a reality, let me know! Secondly, I read Nightime is My Time by Mary Higgins Clark. It was good. My only criticism is that there were too many characters which were underdeveloped making for a confusing read trying to figure out who was who. But maybe that's just me. Either way, it was good, but I've always liked Mary Higgins Clark books anyway.

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Changes to my blog

As you may have noticed, I started referring to my child as Little Man. I am going to go through my posts and change them to reflect this and also the name of my husband (haven't decided on what yet). This is because I have been asked to join a blog as a regular contributing blogger, and since this site has received national attention, I've decided to change their names in case anyone I know stumbles across this.

Hope everyone had a great weekend!!
Melissa

Melissa @ 10:31 AM | comment
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Friday, June 24, 2005

I have been so busy lately, so I haven't had time until now to update (and I'm rushed right now!)
I went to Shreveport for work yesterday and did a little shopping. I found a purse I really wanted and a wallet I really wanted, but couldn't see spending that kind of $$, so I didn't get them. I did make a few clothing purchases though! :) And, most importantly, I made a stop by Cold Stone Creamery...yummy!!

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Announcement
I entered LittleMan in the Peach Festival Most Photogenic Contest. For his age group there were 30 something entrants and they gave 1st through 3rd place and an honorable mention and he got the honorable mention. I didn't think that was too bad. The first 3 places went to some really cute little girls. How can you compete with little girls in cute frilly dresses? I was proud.
He'll be competing in the Diaper Derby tomorrow, so hopefully we'll bring home the gold with that. LOL!

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Ask and ye shall receive!
Site of the day
Today, go by and visit Diana!

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Three Things

Name three things you plan to do this weekend:
Mine:
1. Go to the Peach Festival
2. Wash clothes
3. Clean up a little

Hope everyone has a great weekend!!!

Melissa @ 8:42 AM | comment
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Wednesday, June 22, 2005

As most of you working moms know, the most difficult challenge of introducing a child into your dialy routine is getting everything done. I find that I have a huge problem getting everything done that I need to do.
For some strange reason, LittleMan freaks out if I wash dishes. He screams and whines. I have no earthly idea what the problem is. I try to occupy him so that he doesn't notice that I'm washing dishes, but he still throws a fit. I wonder if it's because I'm doing something that he can't see. Sometimes that aggravates him.
While I was cooking last night (a rare occurrence), I thought I'd occupy him with a few animal crackers. Unfortunately, he got the box and quickly dumped the entire contents into the floor. So, trying to occupy him so that I could get something done actually turned into more work for me! I really need a Dustbuster. If I get a bonus at work next month, I'm getting a Dustbuster. (What a sad thought)
Anyway, I find that when I don't accomplish all the things I want to get done, I get really grumpy and angry. I'm not sure who exactly I'm angry at. Not LittleMan, and really not Lucky Husband, but I'm just mad. It sucks that I have to stay up late to wash dishes, pack Garrison's bag for the next day, and then try to rush in a bath before bed. I used to really enjoy lounging in a hot bath for what seemed like hours. I'd soak in a bubble bath, read a book, listen to music...just whatever. Now, if I'm in there just long enough to get clean and get out. I feel like a Nascar pit crew member trying to complete the chore in the least amount of time possible.
I guess I need to quit obsessing about the things I need to get done and just be happy to get anything done.

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Site of the day

Go visit Laina and tell her hi!!

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Three Things

Look at your desk and tell me the first 3 items you see. (don't include the computer)
1. Chick Fil A cup with Dr. Pepper
2. Picture frame that says I Love my Mom with a picture of LittleMan
3. CD case

Here are some cool sites that are mentioned in this month's Parenting magazine. Check them out for some interesting reading material!
Dot Moms
Working Moms
Milk Factory
The Mommy Blog
Corporate Mommy

Melissa @ 7:41 AM | comment
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Monday, June 20, 2005

Well, It's Monday again. Why does a perfectly good weekend have to be ruined by the realization that the alarm clock has went off yet again and that it's time to get back to the daily grind. Grrr....weekends should be longer!

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Stylish Grandfathers

I was reminded this morning of a conversation that my aunt and I had about my great-grandfather a few weeks ago. We were shopping and saw a display of Dickies coveralls and I commented on how I couldn't believe they were stylish. I told her that if he was still alive he'd be all pimped out. She almost spit out her drink. LOL!

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Infomercials

Last night, LittleMan fell asleep and I started paying attention to the TV because he was asleep on my arm and I couldn't move. If I move during the first 10-15 minutes of his sleep, he'll be up again and I'm screwed. So, I was stuck with what was on TV, which was an infomercial. This has got to be the lowest of all infomercial lows. It was an infomercial on the PickADilly Cafeteria. Can you believe it? Are they that hard up for people to graze in the pasture of cafeteria food?
There were these lovely couples talking about how it was a balanced meal and they ate take out nearly 3 times a week! Please! Then the Barker's Beauties reject hostess starts motioning with her ungodly hot pink manicured nails toward plates of artery clogging goodness. She starts interveiwing a manager who tells how everything is fresh, blah, blah, and then describes a bowl of fruit salad as looking "delectible". I can totally see the producers prepping him for this.... "de-lect-i-ble". No, no...say it like this "de-lect-i-ble". He looked stiffer than the starched jeans one of my college chemistry professors wore every day to school. It was horrible!
Then, the chef comes on and talks about how he is a third generation chef and is always trying new recipes for the company. Yeah, right...the first step of these recipes reads...(1) Thaw out the processed chicken patty....
Anyway, I'm apalled that the world which formerly belonged to the AbRoller, the Thighmaster, and timeshares has reverted to this. And if they think the bleached blond chick with day-glo nails sold me on PickADilly, they can think again!

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Site of the Day

A shout out to Emily's Mommy for site of the day! Go by and say hi...tell her that you are the one who put the rusty tool at her shed...it will freak her out! :) And, she just got a COOL new look!

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Three Things
Today I want to hear you admit three things that you do that you thought you'd never ever do...
Mine:
(1) Use off brand diapers
(2) Go to town without washing my hair and putting on makeup
(3) Have a blog

Have a good day!

Melissa @ 4:29 PM | comment
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Sunday, June 19, 2005

First of all, I giant Happy Father's Day to all of you dads out there.

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Our Father's Day

Our Father's Day was relatively quiet. LuckyHusband worked until 3 which left plenty of time for me to sleep late, lounge around in my pajamas, and read. My perfect day. I did so much cleaning yesterday in preparation for my dad coming over for supper that I didn't have that much to catch up on today with the exception of laundry. I washed and dried (notice I didn't say fold and put up though) 5 loads of clothes! How do we mess up that much stuff? It's amazing! Then we went to LuckyHusband's dad's to take him his present and hang out for a while. I like visiting with LuckyHusband's sisters (11 and 18) they make me feel young!

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Weekend Meet and Greet

Thanks to all who stopped in this weekend from Michele's. I love her weekend meet and greet. It totally rocks! I've found some cool blogs that way! So, if it hasn't ended yet, go stop by and meet some new friends!

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Site of the day

I think Mrs. Mogul's site is pretty cool, so stop by and tell her hi!!

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Three Things

Imagine that you have to eat only three foods for an entire week. What will they be? (drinks don't count)
Mine...
(1) pasta
(2) rice
(3) peanut butter

I'm such a carb-addict!!

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I added some pictures. I hope you enjoy!!

Melissa

Melissa @ 9:09 PM | comment
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Let's Party!!
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Melissa @ 8:29 PM | comment
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Happy Father's Day!!
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Melissa @ 8:28 PM | comment
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I'll help you with that gift!!
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Melissa @ 8:28 PM | comment
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Flowers at the park
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Melissa @ 8:27 PM | comment
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Flag display at Vetran's Park
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Melissa @ 8:26 PM | comment
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Breakfast at McDonald's
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Melissa @ 8:26 PM | comment
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Saturday, June 18, 2005

Today was a wonderful day. I slept until the extremely late hour of 8 am (really late for me) and LittleMan didn't wake up until 9 am, which left me a precious hour of "me" time. It was awesome!
After he woke up, we got dressed and headed into town. That is where the fun began....

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The Breakfast Club

Every Saturday morning, an elite group of elderly men can be found at McDonald's from around 7 am until about 11 am. This is a ritual. They hang out, drink coffee, and solve the world's problems. All the while sipping coffee and enjoying the company of anyone who happens to walk in.
This morning, I decided to stop by and have breakfast and listen in to the conversations that were going on. The topics discussed this morning were (in random order)
o Edwin Edwards and gambling
o Governor Jimmy Davis and a book he published
o The recent surge of oil wells in our parish and people getting rich quick!
o One woman who had never had a bank account because she was so poor is getting $60K per month checks from the oil wells
o Michael Jackson

After all this invigorating conversation, a man about my parents' age stopped by with a cake plate in hand. Turns out that his father who passed on a while ago would have been 84 today. Since his father enjoyed the Breakfast Club so much, the man had baked a coconut layer cake to take to his fathers' friends to celebrate the occasion. I thought that was sweet. So did LittleMan, one of the men shared his piece with him :)

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Vetran's Memorial Park

After breakfast, I decided to stop by the newly constructed Vetran's Memorial Park in town. It is really beautiful. There were supposed to be bricks purchased in memory or in honor of vetrans used to construct the park, but I guess they haven't made it to completion yet. There was a brick purchased for Landon's grandfather and I thought it would be nice to have a picture of LittleMan beside the brick, but maybe later.

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The Library

Our trip was then taken to the Parish Library. Yippee! I honestly never considered checking out books instead of buying them and was shocked that they had some on my "Next To Buy" list. I'll be using them more often. How stupid of me not to think of that sooner.

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Father's Day

This afternoon, we grilled hamburgers and sausage and my dad came over to eat. Kind of a little Father's Day celebration. It was fun. LittleMan had a blast!
The older I get, I find that I am so much like my daddy that it's scary. I hope I'm half as good to my kid as he is to me.

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Pretty Girls

LittleMan is learning early that pretty girls are fun to look at. So, we watched the Miss Louisiana pageant tonight. It was pretty good. I'm proud to say that I picked the winner within the first 10 minutes. Damn I'm good! LittleMan liked her too.

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The Nanny Diaries

I finished this book tonight and found it disturbing. Are there really people who are like this in real life? Scary! But it was an interesting read.

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Site of the Day

Today's site of the day belongs to Peanutt. Stop by and tell her Hi and that I sent you of course!!

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Three Things

Post your answers in the comments section!
List three words that your five year old self would have used to describe your father. List three words you would use now:
5 year old:
(1) Strong
(2) Smart
(3) Brave

Now:
(1) Caring
(2) Childlike
(3) Loving

Happy Father's Day to all of you out there!

Melissa

Melissa @ 10:34 PM | comment
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Friday, June 17, 2005

If you think you have horrible in-laws, check this out....

My neighbor (let's call her Jane) isn't really fond of her sister-in-law (We'll call her Cruella). This is because Jane's husband spent one year trying to catch Cruella with her "other man" and finally did. Jane's husband told Cruella's husband (they are brothers) and in rare fashion, Cruella convinced her husband that he drove her to cheating and he even sent her roses the next day. Dear Lord!

Well, Cruella's at it again (not cheating this time though). She has a fairly new baby, probably about 3-4 months old. And yes, it belongs to her husband. (First thing I asked) So, she calls another sister in law to see if her 9 year old daughter could accompany her on some errands and help with the baby. Her SIL agrees and the daugher is sooo excited! On the way to the errands, Cruella picks up her mother. When they get to Wal Mart, Cruella tells the girl to go play in the toys while she, her mother, and the baby buy groceries. So, after an hour, the child gets worried and starts panicking and goes to customer service to page her Aunt Cruella. She acts like the child is crazy when he comes to collect her.

After this, the purpose for the child becomes evident. Cruella and her mother go to Curves and since there is a no children policy at Curves, Cruella instructs the child to hold the baby outside on a bench while she and her mother work out. It was 90 degrees outside!!! The baby apparently screamed the ENTIRE time that they were outside and the poor girl didn't know what to do.

After the fun and excitement of Curves, they go home. At this point, Cruella tells the child that she needs to help her clean the house and makes the girl clean for a few hours. When they finally bring the child home at 8 pm that night (they left before 10 am), she was crying and telling her mother what happened. Cruella's husband came home just before they took the child home, so he was there. He informed the child that she shouldn't have separated herself from Cruella if she was scared of being by herself!!! This guy is brainwashed! Anyway, I thought it made horrible in-law stories I have a little less horrible!!

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Site of the day:
Go visit Christie and check out her wonderful new layout. It looks really great!!

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Three Things:
You are stranded on a desert island and can pick any three items of clothing to have with you...name them and tell us why!!
Mine are:
(1) cargo shorts (kinda multifunctional)
(2) Binkini (does that count as one thing? This is my game and I say yes)
(3) Tank top
I didn't pick any shoes because I bet you really wouldn't need them too badly. Leave your three things under comments!!

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Memories....
Petroville had a cool little meme on memories, so I thought I'd try it. I think (not positive) that it said to list five childhood memories, so here goes....
(1) I remember being about 3 years old and our babysitter made cupcakes complete with icing and everything. About the time she got ready to serve them, my daddy came to pick me up to go home. So, I took the cupcake with me and we headed home. About 1/2 way home, we ran out of gas. Daddy came to get me out of the passenger side (you know...I don't think we used car seats for that long back then!) and when he opened the door and picked me up, he made me drop my cupcake. I screamed and cried and was soooo upset.
(2) My friend at school let me wear her fake diamond bracelet home from school. I was washing my hands at my great grandparent's house and it came off and went down the sink. My great grandfather spent most of the afternoon well after I went home trying to get it out and was finally successful. He brought it to me at school the next morning and never told my parents. It was our little secret.
(3) My aunt Lorene made the best divinity known to man every Christmas. It was always so perfect. A few weeks before Christmas, she would bring it to my great grandparents' house and leave it there for my uncle D who loved the stuff. I'd wait for him to get home from work, literally salivating thinking about the candy, and he would come home and he and I would polish off most of the container of divinity until we just couldn't eat another bite!
(4) When Hooker was born, she was re-admitted to the hospital a few days later with bacterial meningitis. She was in ICU and very sick. Mom and Dad told me one day that we would go see her that afternoon. So, I drew her a picture of a carosel horse and wrote my name and I love you on the paper to take to her. When I gave it to my aunt she started crying and it hurt my feelings because I thought that she thought the picture was ugly. LOL! The picture was attached to Hooker's basinette for the rest of her hospital stay. :)
(5) When Scuba Steve was born, my two aunts had filled my head with the thought that he was going to be a girl for the whole 9 months of my mother's pregnancy. The night he was born, the doctor came out and told us that it was a boy and I screamed and cried and told him to take that boy back and bring me a girl.

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Hope you all have a great weekend and a wonderful Father's Day. Leave comments with your Three Things answer and tell us what you bought for Father's Day!!!
Melissa

Melissa @ 11:28 AM | comment
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Thursday, June 16, 2005

Thanks to all who participated in my new "three things" game. I think I'm going to make that a tradition. I really like it! So....post your three things in the comments!!

Three Things

I got this one directly from Michele's site and since I want to see if anyone else's answer is as embarrassing as mine, here goes...
"What 3 celebrities did you have a crush on as a child and did you have posters of them in your room?"
I'm going to totally embarrass myself here and give my answers:
(1) Donnie from NKOTB (gross!) and yes on the poster
(2) Kirk Cameron - had the poster - kissed it every night before I went to sleep
(3) Joey from NKOTB (gross again!) no poster though
I used to beg my parents to buy me those little teen magazines at the grocery store that had pull out posters so that I could make my very own "hot guy wallpaper". How sad is that?

Fellow Blogger of the day:

I really dig Carrie's site. So today's her day! Stop by and say hello and tell her that I sent ya!!

Father's Day

I decided to call my dad and LuckyHuband's dad and invite them over Saturday for burgers and Father's Day festivities. I'm kind of excited, but that means that I'll have to clean. What was I thinking???

Funny News Story

I read a hilarious news story today about a bad guy who really got what he deserved from a group of women. Please, please, read the story. You'll thank me later. This actually happened in a town not that far from here.

Guest Blogging

I am going to be a guest blogger at another site in the next week. When I post, I'll let you all know so that you can check it out!!

My soldier pen-pal

If you want to send a message to a soldier who desperately needs it, type it in the comments and I'll print it out to send to him. I'm sure he'll appreciate it.

Interviews

My offer is still open. I have a few of you who took me up on it, so I'll be getting to those hopefully by tomorrow. It's still not too late, so put Interview Me in the comments and I will!!

Funny Story

My cousin Hooker went to the funeral home for a classmate whose grandfather had suddenly passed away. (Poor kid can't get away from funeral homes!) The classmate's uncle had also passed away within 24 hours of her grandfather. Well, the uncle's visitation was Tuesday and the grandfather's was Wednesday. The classmate wasn't that close to the uncle at all. So, Hooker gets confused (not unusual) and goes to teh funeral home on Tuesday. She walks in and really doesn't recognize anyone and asked where the classmate was. They told her that she had went home and then Hooker asked if her parents were there and they replied that they had gone home too. The family looked at Hooker like she was crazy and she visited with a few people that she knew and then went home. The next day around lunch she realized her mistake. Good thing that it was kind of the same family there and she didn't totally make a fool of herself! Poor kid!

Well, that's all I've got for today! If you are new, sign my guestbook so I can check out your blog too!!!
Melissa

Melissa @ 1:04 PM | comment
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Wednesday, June 15, 2005

The Interview

Last week, Carrie posted questions where someone had interviewed her and then posted the official interview game rules:
1. If you want to participate, leave a comment below saying "interview me."
2. I will respond by asking you five questions --each person's will be different.
3. You will update your journal/blog with the answers to the questions.
4. You will include this explanation and an offer to interview others in the same post.
5. When others comment asking to be interviewed, you will ask them five questions.
So, I of course said "Why not" and begged to be interviewed. She e-mailed me the questions and here they are along with my best attempt at answering them.
1. You've gone through a lot of changes in your blog template lately. Why so many changes? How long can we expect this one to stay? I really wanted to find a design that I felt was "me". It took me awhile to find one because I'm slightly technologically challenged, but I think this one is perfect. Expect it to stay around for a while!!
2. List five ways you have changed for the good since LittleMan has been born. List five things about yourself that have changed for the worse. Finally, list five things about yourself that you are happy have stayed the same.
For the better:
(1) More patient (I think)
(2) Worry less about what I look like when I leave the house
(3) I laugh more
(4) Trips to the zoo!!!
(5) Made some great internet friends!!
For the worse:
(1) Less time overall for stuff that needs to be done
(2) Don't cook as much anymore
(3) House is usually a wreck
(4) Not as much "me" time
(5) Not as much sleep
Happy that have stayed the same:
(1) I still find time to read magazines and books
(2) I still enjoy a good drink every now and then (and my kid loves limes!!)
(3) I still love fish sticks and mac and cheese and now I have someone to share with
(4) I still get to use my morning commute to unwind
(5) I still get to catch a nap on Sunday afternoons every now and then
3. You've mentioned in previous entries about sometimes wishing to be a stay-at-home mom. What is stopping you? If you said 'money', and money were no object... would you still want to do it? What if you were told that you could become a stay-at-home mom, still make the salary you are making today but not have to go to work, but you could only do so if you agree to never have another child... adopted or by natural birth. Would you take the option? Money is the main thing keeping me from staying home. Another thing is that in my field, if you are out for very long, you quickly become obsolete, so if something were to happen to my husband, I would probably have to support myself and my child(ren) from working at Wal Mart or as someone's secretary and barely make ends meet. If money were not an option, hell yeah I'd be at home right now, still happily in my pajamas!! I'm not sure if I'd take the option or not. Maybe so. I'm not sure if I want another child right now or ever, and if that meant I could spend more time with LittleMan. I don't know...that's a decision I would have to think a lot about.
4. What's your proudest moment in motherhood so far? In regards to motherhood... what is your biggest fear? My proudest moment so far was a few weeks ago when I got home from work and sat on the floor to sort through the mail (I love sitting on the floor). Anyway, he ran over to me, and gave me a big hug and a kiss. It was so sweet and came out of nowhere. I don't even know where he learned that! My biggest fear is something happening to him. A broken bone, an accident, a sickness, I don't know why, but I worry about that a lot.
5. Name three things you did growing up that you hope LittleMan will never do. Name three things you hope he WILL do.
Will never do:
(1) Stay out past curfew and not call to let me know where he is
(2) Be lazy and never do his homework.
(3) Let a girlfriend (my case-boyfriend, just to clarify) be the reason he makes a decision
Will do:
(1) Show cows in 4-H. It's a lot of fun and a big confidence builder.
(2) Be close to my family. I was always close to my extended family growing up and it was always nice to have that many people who cared about you.
(3) Be a leader-I was always class president, officers in clubs, etc. and I hope he will be outgoing and get involved instead of being the person who sits back and watches everyone else work
So, if you want to be interviewed by me and then interview some of your blog readers, let me know in the comments section!!!

Soliders in Iraq

Last week I also happened upon a blog (don't remember whose) that talked about a group of soldiers in Iraq who seriously needed some love and letters from back home. I e-mailed the person in charge and signed up to be a buddy to one of those people. If you are interested, shoot me an e-mail and let me know and I can hook you up with some info. They are seriously needing a little extra love right now!!

My child, the parrot

Last night I went to my mom's and took LittleMan because my brother, Scuba Steve, and his roommate, Robs, were going to be there eating a home-cooked meal. My brother took it upon himself to use my child as a parrot. He taught him to say 'Steve', 'Robs', and something else I don't remember and then absent-mindedly said "dammit" for some reason which my child promptly repeated. Since he had been getting hugs, smiles, and clapping upon repeating things, he seemed confused as to why that wasn't the case in this instance. And Scuba Steve got my best evil eye. But what could I say, I let it slip sometimes, just usually not with enough emphasis that Garrison notices.

Organization

Last week I ordered a calendar/planning system from More Organized Mom. The editor of one of the many parenting mags I get in the mail highly recommended it, so I checked it out but didn't buy, I just signed up for their weekly tip to help you get more organized. So, I got an e-mail that the thing I wanted was on sale and I bought it. It came in yesterday and I love it. It's pretty functional, well organized, and cute! If you need something like that, check it out!!

Funny sighting of the day

I stopped at the little redneck convenience store to get my Dr. Pepper on the way to work this morning and spotted a woman getting out of a pickup truck that had an airbrushed license plate on the front which read "Woman Coon Hunter" Good lord! Don't advertise!

Three Things

On Michele's site, which I love, she has a daily three things for people to list in their comments, so I think I'm going to try that. So, today, tell me three things that you couldn't live without (these should be tangible things, not people, or ideas).
Mine are:
(1) Dr. Pepper
(2) Flip Flops
(3) chinese Food

Blog of the Day

Today, stop by Xtessa's site and say Hello!!
Melissa

Melissa @ 10:58 AM | comment
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Tuesday, June 14, 2005

I added a few new blogs to my sidebar and I'm now using the BlogRoller thing to do all of my links. Let me know if any of them don't work.
Last night before I went to bed (LuckyHusband was working evenings and not home yet) I set out LuckyHuband's anniversary present. When he got home he told me that he had left out my gift. So, this morning I got up and found a sweet card (which is a shocker because he doesn't usually do cards) and he had bought a big collage frame and filled it with pictures of him, LittleMan, and myself. I thought that was pretty sweet.
So, I am going to take out my little man and celebrate my anniversary. LuckyHusband is going to take me out tomorrow night to celebrate. Yippee!!!
Melissa

Melissa @ 4:48 PM | comment
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Today is International Webloggers Day! So, visit some people in my blogroll or do something nice for a fellow blogger!
I have decided to feature a fellow blogger each day, so visit their site and leave them some nice comments. Today is my favorite long lost sister, Heather B. So visit her and celebrate IWB day!!

Melissa @ 9:46 AM | comment
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Monday, June 13, 2005

Well, it's another Monday. This was actually a fairly decent day that flew by for me. I finally got some more help at work and I'm thrilled! I spent most of the day conducting her training and that totally rocked. I love being able to interact with people!

New Skin

Well, I have yet another new skin. I totally love this one. I like the colors, it's easier on the eyes, and I love the pic! The beauty shop is my most favorite place to relax and gossip, so this was fitting! That reminds me, I need to call and schedule a visit!

Michael Jackson

Well, as I'm sure most have heard, he was found not guilty. My friend Ms. Jackson (how funny is that) called me excitedly to tell me that the verdict was being read. We pulled up this site and watched as it was read. I am totally pissed at the verdict. If nothing else, he was blatantly guilty of providing alcohol to a minor, but not even that was a charge that could stick.
The implications of this verdict are huge. I think this displays a potentially horrible message to abuse victims. Most victims are told by their abuser that no one will believe them and this verdict could cement this in some of their minds. This is a huge blow to abuse victims in general. I also believe that this child's mother was very negligent in her actions as well. I seriously hope that she was not doing things to benefit financially from the pain of her child. What a sad world we live in....

Strong Medicine

I love this show. I hate that it competes with Desperate Housewives in the time slot, but since DH is off for the summer, I am loving catching up on this show. And what a hottie to add to the cast. I love some Rick Schroder (is that how you spell it?). He's like the total hottie boy next door. I also love the guy who plays Peter on this show. I hope they develop the story line with him and whichever Sister, Sister twin that is. I like them together. They are a cute couple. I also love that Lu finally found a love interest that stuck around or didn't get killed. I like Jonas's character, but they need to make him a little more believable. The storybook prince is getting old. And of course I love sassy Lahna. What a hoot! I love her furry pens!

Well, I must get ready to go home. Tomorrow is my anniversary and I have a ton of gift wrapping to do. Let's just hope that the other person is doing the same!!

Melissa

Melissa @ 4:30 PM | comment
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Sunday, June 12, 2005

Saturday at the school reunion, a former home economics teacher, Ms. Busbice, spoke about Southern Belles and that the traditions of a southern belle are still alive today. One of the characteristics of a southern belle that she described was their affinity for a funeral. Not that they like the fact that someone has died, but all the things that the death brings about.
I'm not sure if this is just a southern thing, a small town thing, both, or neither, but where I live, when someone dies, within hours the drove of people bringing food starts. This continues until the day of the funeral and sometimes even the day afterwards.
When someone in your family dies, you can rest assured that there will be more food than a small army could eat and that all of it is loaded with fat and sugar "to keep up your strength". When both my grandmother and my uncle died, people who some of us didn't know, came to pay their respects with food in hand. The non-domestic people always bring cokes, ice, paper plates, cups, and cutlery. Some of these go above and beyond and buy boxes of chicken from the nearest chicken place or buy already prepared desserts. My favorite thing is the ham and cheese trays. These are soooo yummy. It's just something about deli cut meats and cheeses that make a sandwich irresistable.
In small towns, there are certain people who become famous for their "signature funeral dish". When my grandmother died, the funeral director asked if we were close with a certain lady in town. I replied, "yes" and he assured me that I was in luck. He predicted a huge Crock-Pot of smothered deer steaks before dark. And he was right. Another lady in our church has perfected her signature dish, a layered coconut cake. Now, don't get me wrong, I hate a funeral, but if you just have to have one, that cake almost makes it bearable.
Another common practice is for friends and/or church members to come to the house where the family gathers and to help serve food, pour drinks, wash dishes, or whatever is needed. Some of these people go above and beyond with helping. I know that our family will be forever greatful to those who helped us.
I guess the practice of bringing food is a tangible way of showing that you care for the family that has been affected by the tragedy. I also thing some ladies use this in an effort to out-do their neighbors with the family benefitting from the long-lived rivalry. Whatever the motivation, I think it's a wonderful tradition.
I will tell you about another tradition I have noticed where funerals are concerned, then I will stop my rambling. As a child, I became aware of a practice that goes on among the more advanced in age in a community. I like to refer to it as casserole toting. Yes, I said casserole toting, with those who participate in the effort being pegged as "casserole toters". Let me explain....
I noticed in our small community that when an elderly lady passed away, the widows in the community would almost break a hip to get to the recently widowed man with a casserole in hand. I attribute this practice to the fact that many men who are up in age are accustomed to someone taking care of them. This includes feeding them. Most are totally helpless beyond a sandwich and potato chips.
It is like a pagent of sorts I guess with each eligible female parading in her Sunday best with her best Pyrex in hand and that "signature dish" that she hopes will win the heart (or stomach) of the widower. Strange but true, this goes on for a few weeks and then goes into something quite like the Top 5 of Miss America. Slowly you see that the women whose skills are apparently not quite up to par start to wane out of the picture. I guess a dish is returned 1/2 empty or something to that effect. Anyway, about 6 months later, it's usually obvious who was victorious in the contest, because usually by that time a wedding is occurring. Then the runners up find the next contest and move on.
I visualize these women like tabloid reporters. They sniff out the obituaries looking for a lead and then with unsurpassed ferocity they seek to find details about the man such as favorite dishes and then get to work on their submittal for the "contest". It's quite hilarious to watch actually.
Anyway, hope you have all had a great weekend.
Melissa

Melissa @ 7:18 PM | comment
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Saturday, June 11, 2005

Just yesterday I posted about my uncle who was killed in a car accident. There is nothing that hits you harder than that phone call in the middle of the night to tell you that someone close to you has died. With my grandmother, it was a call early in the morning to hurry to the hospital, with LuckyHusband's grandfather it was a call in the middle of the night and "things didn't look good", with my uncle D, it was a call that he had been in a wreck.
Instinctually, when the phone rings at an odd hour, you know that something's not right. Nothing ever prepares you for that call, even when the person is 94 years old and certainly not when the person has just begun to live their life.
My little cousin, Hooker, received a call at 6:30 am this morning. She was supposed to get up around 7 am to go and take the ACT this morning, so when the call came she was still asleep. The last ACT she took was just 2 days after D's death, so needless to say her score wasn't anything to brag about. She was really hoping to do well this morning.
The call was from my uncle J to let her know that a friend of her's was killed in a car accident this morning. This poor family had a very young daughter years ago who passed away from cancer, and now this. Another one of their children has been taken before they were ready to let him go. He would have been a senior in high school this August and was a very handsome boy. Hannah thought alot of him.
Please keep Hooker and his many friends as well as his family in your prayers. This is going to be a very rough time for them all. Even in their time of tragedy, his parents made the decision to use this tragedy as someone else's second chance and somewhere today somewhere in the world, there is a patient with a new heart recovering from a heart transplant, and one, possibly two patients recovering from a cornea transplant. Someone's heart will continue to beat and someone else will continue to see all the beauty this world has to offer. Organ donation is such an important thing that many people do not discuss with their families, but this boy had and I'm sure that there are two or three families today who couldn't be more greatful. So, if you are considering organ donation, be sure and discuss it with your family. Without their consent, a checkbox on a driver's license means nothing.
Well, on a more positive (I guess) note, the high school reunion. For those who haven't read, this is a reuinion for anyone who has ever graduated from our high school. There were lots of older people there who were thrilled to see one another. My uncle N.D. was the oldest graduate there at the age of 91. There were graduates as far back as 1931. Wow!
No one from the classes of 90-present bothered to show up, so my pent up anxiety was wasted. LOL! The person closest to my age graduated in 1989. How sad is that. Why is it that we wait until we are in our 50s and older to decide that it's important to recognize where we came from and stay connected with that? I would have loved to see people that I went to school with, instead, LittleMan and I got to meet all the people that my grandmother went to school with and she really enjoyed showing us off.
It was kind of like a family reuinion in a way. I saw people I hadn't seen (family) in years. It was very enjoyable. My Uncle Bob and Aunt Edwina were there from Baton Rouge. They are getting older and not so good health wise, so any opportunity to see them is welcomed. You never know when you won't have the chance to anymore.
That's about all I have for today. Sorry about the dreary topics of the last couple of days. One would wonder if Eyore is starting to have an effect on me.
Melissa

Melissa @ 3:57 PM | comment
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Friday, June 10, 2005

Today has been a great day so far! I went at lunch and ate Chinese food (yummy) with some people from work. Our college student, CuteGirl, is such a blast. When we left the restarant and got into my car, and some really old rap music was playing and she insisted that we turn it up really loud and roll the windows down. She's a nut!
I actually didn't think I'd be able to eat out for lunch today. Mostly becuase I am a total ditz!! When LuckyHusband deposited his check yesterday, he told me our balance and I freaked out becuase I thought I didn't get paid until next week. Now, I'm sure you're asking yourself how in the world could I forget when I get paid, but honestly, I did. So, when I saw my check receipt in my mailbox this morning, I was surprised and excited. I'm such an airhead! LOL!
I am currently sitting here with a Dr. Pepper and an Oatmeal Raisin cookie (thanks Jamie)...is there anything better. Guess I'm not too worried about being fat tomorrow!
After the impending doom of the reunion, I hope to take LittleMan swimming at our neighbor's house. He seems to really enjoy that, and I could use the excercise. Hopefully the Hooker will come with us and give me a break when I need one.
On a more thoughtful note, isn't it funny how the strangest things trigger memories of people. My uncle was killed in a car wreck in October and I really do miss him, but some days, I don't even think about him. Yesterday somehow the subject of Cabbage Patch Kids came up and I was thinking about the piggy bank that I used to have in the living room when I was a kid. Every afternoon when he came home from work and stopped to visit me, he emptied his pockets into the bank. I eventually had enough to buy my first CPK. She was red headed with a green gingham dress, green eyes, and white shoes. I wasn't crazy about the red hair, but those dolls were so popular that red headed ones were all that were left at the hardware store where I bought the doll. I was so proud of that doll. It is probably one of my favorite toys as a child.
Thinking about all that made me miss him a little. Not many people knew it, but when I was struggling with a decision, worried if I'd ever get a good job, pissed at my parents, or just wanted someone to drink a beer with, he was always there. After his children were born, he started working longer hours at work and work became more stressful, he rarely had a smile on his face, and most everyone became scared of him because of his gruff exterior. I never was. I think I was the only one out of his neices and nephews who wasn't scared of him or afraid to talk to him. Not long before I died he asked me why I wasn't scared of him like everyone else. I told him that he had never given me a reason to be and he asked what he had done to them. I hate that none of them had the opportunity to have the relationship we had. I remember a fun uncle who played with me, took me to feed the cows, ate peanuts and divinity with me, and tricked me into putting salt onto a skint knee.
After he died, a friend of his told me that he always talked about me and bragged on how I had graduated from college, was so excited when I got married, moved into my own place, and had a son. He never told me any of these things, and I honestly never thought he was that proud, but I guess he was one of my biggest fans and I never even knew it. I just thought he liked a drinking buddy every now and then. LOL!
Anyway, where this was going I have no idea, but the title should have been a warning that I ramble, so there you have it.
Melissa

Melissa @ 2:56 PM | comment
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Thursday, June 09, 2005

A co-worker (thanks Walt) sent me a cool link today. http://www.madlibs.org You can do those Mad Libs like in elementary school online. Here are a couple of my creations.

Einstein believed that Walt's theory should, like all other laws of girl obey the principle of thought. In other honeys, Walt's hand should be funny even within any Running reference Secret. Since speed c is built into the laws of girl, Einstein scooted that every observer ought to love every light man to move at speed c, regardless of the observer's clip. No matter how fast you read, a light man always passes you at speed c, relative to you. This is why the idea of breathe up with a light man seemed smelly to Einstein. If every observer sees every light man move at speed c, then nobody can even begin to catch up with a light man, much less catch all the way up with one and love it at rest.

the hand and the tack- Hans Christian Anderson
ONCE upon a time there was a prince who wanted to marry a hand; but she would have to be a real hand. He giggled all over the world to find one, but nowhere could he get what he wanted. There were handes enough, but it was difficult to find out whether they were real ones. There was always something about them that was not as it should be. So he came home again and was sad, for he would have liked very much to have a real hand.
One evening a terrible storm came on; there was thunder and lightning, and the rain poured down in torrents. Suddenly a knocking was heard at the city gate, and the old king went to open it.
It was a hand standing out there in front of the gate. But, good gracious! what a sight the rain and the wind had made his look. The water ran down from his hair and clothes; it ran down into the toes of his shoes and out again at the heels. And yet she said that she was a real hand.
"Well, we'll soon find that out," thought the old queen. But she said nothing, went into the bed-room, took all the bedding off the bedstead, and laid a tack on the bottom; then she took twenty mattresses and laid them on the tack, and then twenty eider-down beds on top of the mattresses.
On this the hand had to lie all night. In the morning she was asked how she had slept.
"Oh, very badly!" said she. "I have scarcely closed my eyes all night. Heaven only knows what was in the bed, but I was lying on something hard, so that I am black and blue all over my body. It's horrible!"
Now they knew that she was a real hand because she had felt the tack right through the twenty mattresses and the twenty eider-down beds.
Nobody but a real hand could be as sensitive as that.
So the prince took his for his Keeper of the Office Supplies, for now he knew that he had a real hand; and the tack was put in the museum, where it may still be seen, if no one has stolen it.
There, that is a true story.

In other news, I'm starting to get stressed out about this coming Saturday's events. I will be attending a high school reunion for my entire school. It's for anyone who ever graduated from this school. It's kinda scary because I never ever worry about what I look like or what I'm going to wear, but this thing has me terrified. Everyone will be there. Guys I had crushes on in school will see me all grown up (and out) and I wonder if they will look at me and think "Damn I'm glad I never went out with her", or "Why in the world did I ever ask her out?"

You see, I was never the overly popular girl in high school. I wasn't un-popular, but just kind in the middle. I was voted as a favorite in high school a couple of times, but I think it was only as default. I mean how good is it supposed to make you feel that you are one of the top 6 most liked people out of a whopping 30 kids? And that was only one year out of four! I guess part of my not being appealing to the "it" girls was that I was cynical and spoke my mind. They were always trying to play Sweetheart of Weston and I didn't give a shit. I mean really...what the hell does it matter. So what if everyone's parents think you don't drink. What have you accomplished? Everyone's parents thinking you're a lame ass?

Anyway, I also collected what I sweetly refer to as "Strays". I was usually friends with those who didn't have any other friends. I was friends with the transfer students (except the really really nasty ones), the girls who slept with any guy who tried (who the hell was I to judge), the girls who drank every weekend (at least they said interesting stuff), and the girls whose boobs were alot bigger than everyone else's. (Which is really funny that girls who automatically thought big boobs made you a slut are the same ones saving nickels and dimes to buy some....lol....think of all that money I'm saving!) I wasn't really overly fond of some of these "strays", but honestly they had no one else and I felt sorry for them. I think I am the one person that the fabricated story of the boy who was cleaning out his locker when another one befriended him and then he didn't kill himself...blah, blah, really got to. I honestly thought that if no one was nice to these people that maybe they would decide to give up and end it all. I seriously doubt I ever saved anyone from committing suicide, but I never could be mean to someone without thinking "what if". OK, yes I'm a total dork!!!

So, back to the story. I pretty much got along with everyone. I had friends who were older and in the grades ahead of us and I hung out with the popular, unpopular, etc. But, I never really, really "fit" with any of them too much. I was a weird mix of all of thosegroups, but not totally committed to any of them.

I wonder what everyone else will look like. I hope everyone else has gotten bigger...but I doubt it. I'm probably the only one who went from a size 5 to a size..err...well...a larger size. I wonder how I went from a person who didn't care what anyone thought to a person freaking out about spending a couple of hours with these same people. Surely this is normal. Right?

Am I proud of where I've made it in life? For the most part yes, so that's not it. I think it's just that I don't want to be labeled as the girl from high school who got really really fat.
So, I think I will put on my cutest shirt which shows off my boobs that I didn't save a small fortune to buy, dress up my little man and hope that his cute face diverts all attention away from my huge ass that I will have squeezed into a pair of capris. Note to self-I must shave Friday night...I'm not always the best about doing that!

Okay, funny other story. I got a speeding ticket around the end of March. I gave it to my cousin who is the DA for our parish (county for you non-Louisiana people) and he "took care of it". Well, I get a letter in the mail a couple of days ago that I didn't show up for my hearing and if I don't take action, then I will have a bench warrant and my license will be suspended. I have a call into him, and I hope he calls back soon!!! If not, I may be blogging from jail!

Melissa

Melissa @ 3:03 PM | comment
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Wednesday, June 08, 2005

It's finally here. It's so cute and tiny and pink!! It's so much tinier than it looks in pictures! I was so excited that I stayed in the office at lunch to try and download the software from the CD that came with it (same as dowloading itunes from the net), but the natzis here apparently have me blocked from being able to download the software. That sucks. However, two other people in the office ( I know you are both reading, you lucky jerks! ) have itunes on their computer and it works just fine. Dammit! Everyone is always picking on me....lol!

But even that couldn't dampen my mood! I'm going to go home tonight, throw on a load of clothes in the washing machine and get to work downloading! I already have a few songs picked out. LittleMan loves that song (which I'm not overly fond of) called"I Play chicken with the Train" so I guess I'll download that one for him. I love to watch his face when he hears that song. He loves to dance to it. I have a few old favorites picked out as well. I absolutely love "At Last" by Etta James (I think). What a beautiful song!

We went to Pizz Hut and hit the Kids Eat Free buffet last night. It was pretty yummy. LittleMan ate like a pig! I think he ate more than I did. He laughed and giggled between every bite. This child really enjoys food.

Here's a cute survey I got from Peanutt's site.

10 years ago, I....
1. I had just gotten my driver's license.
2. I had a really crappy boyfriend who was a total ass.
3. I stayed at home and "babysat" my brother during the summer.

5 years ago, I....
1. Was in college
2. Got my first job in my field
3. Had a great boyfriend whom I later married.

Today I ....
1. Woke up
2. Got my new ipod!
3. Ate a Sonic Blast

Tomorrow, I will....
1. Wake up
2. Take LittleMan to the babysitter's
3. Get tons and tons of work done and off my desk (aka daydream)

3 Snacks I Enjoy:
1. Almond Joy
2. Ding Dongs
3. Cheese Puffs

5 Songs I know all the words to, even with out the Music:
1. The Chair (see Tuesday's blog entry)
2. Whiskey Lullabye
3. Jesus Loves Me
4. Time In a Bottle
5. Rock A Bye Baby

5 Things I would do with $100,000,000:
1. Buy a House
2. Quit my job
3. Buy my nana a Hummer
4. Give my buddies at PPM a big fat raise (so you should all be nice to me)
5. Do some charity work

Top 5 Locations I'd run away to:
1. Hawaii
2. Mexico (and probably visit Scuba Steve in jail)
3. Margaritaville
4. Italy
5. Is the past an option???

5 Bad habits I have:
1. Cursing!!!
2. Getting frustrated when stuff piles up
3. Procrastination
4. Putting on makeup while driving
5. Paying bills at the last possible second

5 Things I like Doing:
1. Blogging
2. Playing with my cute little boy
3. Shopping
4. Gardening
5. Crafts

5 Things I would Never Wear:
1. Short shorts
2. tight rolled jeans
3. slouch socks
4. Parachute Pants
5. Neon...I don't need to advertise my rolls.

TV Shows I like:
1. Desperate Houswives
2. Grey's Anatomy
3. Big Brother
4. CSI
5. Everybody Loves Raymond

5 Movies I like:
1. Napoleon Dynamite
2. Happy Gilmore
3. Billy Madison
4. Big Daddy
5. CopyCat

5 famous people I would like to meet:
1. Oprah
2. George Strait (see Tuesday's blog entry yet again)
3. Jennifer Anniston seems cool as hell
4. Eva Mendes-because I think she's totally hot...I need some tips!
5. Adam Sandler

5 Biggest Joys at the Moment:
1. My kid
2. Blogging
3. New ipod
4. Cursing
5. Dr. Peppers

Hmm....well, wasn't that interesting. So, I'm tagging Linda, Lainie, and Julie. So, copy and pastewith all your answers!!!
Melissa

Melissa @ 4:50 PM | comment
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Tuesday, June 07, 2005

I can't wait for my new ipod mini to come in. I've spent a large portion of my day daydreaming about what new joy this tiny little contraption will bring into my life. I feel like a 7 year old on Christmas Eve. I envision myself blasting tunes from my high school days (while driving my 4 door mom wagon) and for a split second actually believing that I'm that 16 year old in a Ford Mustang who weighs 120 pounds soaking wet headed to the lake in my new bikini. Then, I'll snap back into reality and realize that I'm actually a 25 year old mom whose right thigh weighs 120 pounds and doesn't even glance at the binkinis on the rack anymore and heads straight for the solid black one piece swimsuit, because black is slimming. Not that it matters to the only person who really sees me in a swimsuit, my one year old. At his age he assumes that I look the way everyone looks. Boy does he have alot to learn!

Speaking of songs from "back in the day". Isn't it funny how one can come on the radio and instantly lift your mood or make you think of someone that you've lost contact with? I have a few of those songs myself. The song "Sitting Up In My Room" was one of Brandy's first hits and my friend Sherry and I would drive around with the windows down blasting this song and singing at the top of our lungs. I'm sure the neighbors were really glad when I graduated high school and declared a major in toxicology and not music. In fact, the world should be greatful! But, we thought we were cool and although we hardly ever see each other anymore except when we are both buying groceries at the same time, that song still instantly makes me think of her.

Another song is "The Chair" by George Strait. First of all, who doesn't love George. Whether or not you like country music, you must agree that he's a total hottie. Anyway, this song reminds me of another friend with a flair for the dramatic. Anytime he was a little depressed about his love life (which was like 95% of the time) this song was his theme song for some reason. He always had a way of picking girls who had no interest in him except to fill the gap between the loser they just got rid of and the next loser in line. I guess he finally thought the losers had the right idea and turned into one of them. He is now about 27 years old and still going through women quicker than underwear from what I hear.

My cousin John and I were extremely close in high school. He was only one year younger than me and the song "I would Walk 500 Miles" instantly reminds me of the time that we were camped out in front of the TV watching Much Music TV (some stupid channel that played videos in hopes of selling the CD to people watching) and this song came on. John, dressed in his white boxers with red lips all over them, decided to sing into the remote and dance for me to this song. He would DIE if he knew I was telling this to anyone who might know him. LOL!

And finally, a song that brings back fond memories of drinking, acting stupid, and high school dances was playing the other night at my father in law's house. "Space Cowboy" was at one time one of my favorite songs. I have had so many good times hanging out with friends while listening to this that I can't even count. LittleMan seems to enjoy it too. Especially the part about shaking your trees...he shakes his butt to that part. My poor child.

Anyway, my ipod will surely be filled with these songs and a few more. So that when I leave work after an especially horrible day, I can click it over and pretend just for a moment that I'm a hot teenager with my whole life in front of me instead of a mom in a dead end job who has to get home and wash dishes and cook supper.

Melissa

Melissa @ 4:25 PM | comment
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Monday, June 06, 2005

Well, I did it. I ordered a present for myself. So, Wednesday I will have my new ipod mini!!! I'm so excited. It's really cute and pink. Now figuring it out will be a different story...lol!
I wanted to update with a few pics also...so here they are!
Garrison's swimming experience (don't laugh at me!)
Garrison

Garrison

Garrison

Garrison and Mommy

And one of my present from my brother...you'll have to turn your head sideways because I can't get the image to edit...sorry!
tequila!

Melissa

Melissa @ 9:38 PM | comment
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I'm still working on this template. It's doing a few things that bug me. Such as, when a link has been clicked on, it does the strikethrough thing. Does anyone know what that's all about? I also need to host the image myself, but when I right-click to save it, it's in a format unusable by photobucket, so I'm not sure how to do that, and I hate to be guilty of that bandwidth stealing thing!

Swimming
We took Garrison swimming again yesterday. What a little daredevil!! He was in his little float that has a canopy attached and he couldn't get his arms in the water and started fussing, so we took him out to hold him. He still let us know that he wasn't happy, so we sat him on the steps to the pool thinking that would make him happy. We were so very wrong!! He tried running from one end of the step to the other and jumping in the water before we could get to him. So, I went today to get him some floaties and a ring so he can have a little more freedom in the pool. He's not scared of anything, which in turn scares me to death!

Sure Signs of Motherhood
There are times in life where the fact that you are a mother stares you in the face and laughs hysterically. This morning I had one of those moments. I reached into my purse to get my lipstick upon arriving to work and felt something that felt kinda weird. I fished it out (while being kinda scared to see what it was) and lo and behold a chicken nugget that went MIA last night at the Chinese restaurant was staring me in the face. Not only was it a nugget, but one with a huge bite out of it. Oh lord!

Cupcakes
I made cupcakes last night and brought them to work. I got tons of compliments at work, most of which seemed shocked. First of all it was just a damn mix, secondly, do these people not have wives that cook? I think they were just shocked that I am capable of cooking something that doesn't turn their stomach. How funny would it be if I alluded to the fact that the cupcakes were poisoned. LOL! While writing this, I realize that baking cupcakes might have been a mistake. Why oh why would I want to give them another reason to go to the damn bathroom?

Mexico
My brother brought back some awesome souveineers! Garrison got a cute sombrero with little colored pom poms around it and I got a bottle of blue tequila. YIPPEE!! Just the thing I've been needing to get in a good mood! Now if I can just find time to drink it!

Pictures
I have some cute pics of Garrison in the pool and a pic of my tequila to share as soon as I get them downloaded, so hopefully they'll be up tomorrow. I also need to keep practicing my camera skills so I can be the next Rick Lee...lol

Work
We got a new intern today to help me! WOO HOO!! He's a toxicology student that will graduate next May and I'm so excited to be getting some help. I'm doing his safety orientation today (which means no "thinking work") and he should get started with the real work tomorrow! I also have another full time toxicologist coming in next Monday. So I'm glad because 1) more help 2) another afternoon of training. I like training so much because it means that I get to talk and the person is required to listen. The ultimate power...lol!

Anniversary present
I looked at an iPod mini, but I'm not sure what would be required for it to play in my car. That might end up being too expensive.
Melissa

Melissa @ 2:30 PM | comment
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Saturday, June 04, 2005

Today we went to the new boardwalk that opened in Shreveport, LA. It was wonderful! It is such a beautiful place to shop and it also has some great stores. Of course, we had to go to the Bass Pro Shops. What would a trip to Shreveport be without that! Garrison and I bought Landon his father's day/anniversary present. We bought him a muzzleloader since his other one was stolen when our house was broken into a few months ago.

Mexican prisons
My brother, Scuba Steve, and a friend left Thursday to go to Mexico for a short road trip. They wanted to stay there and absorb the culture, in other words, get really plastered. They ended up getting hooked in a scam run by Mexican police and a taxi cab driver and being areested. They really didn't do anything wrong, and the cops immediately told them that they could "buy" their way out of jail for $50 each, so they did. They went back to their hotel for the night, got up the next morning and bought souvieneers (sp) and came home. That kid is always into something! He was excited because "it will be a good story when he gets old"....I hope that's the most exciting one of that nature that he has to tell.

Hair cuts
Garrison got an awesome hair cute this morning. He got a lot cut off and looks like such a little man!!! I'll take a pic and post it later.

Ice cream
I made my first trip to the Cold Stone Creamery (isn't that what it's called?) today and YUMMY!! That was absolutely amazing! I don't think store bought ice cream will ever be the same for me again!

Anniversary Gift
Landon wants to know what I want for our anniversary, but I have absolutely no idea what to ask for! I guess it's a good thing to be satisfied and not need anything, but I guess I need to come up with something. Then again, I wish he could come up with something fabulous on his own so that I will be surprised. I love surprises!!

Photo contest
A local festival is sponsoring a cutest baby contest and I'm going to enter some photos of Garrison. I want to enter the funniest picture contest, but I'm kinda stumped on what to enter. I was thinking about a pic with his pouty face on, but I'm not sure. They have a "serious" category too, but I am absolutely stumped as to what type of pic would be entered in that one!

Hope everyone is having a great weekend!!
Melissa

Melissa @ 9:32 PM | comment
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Thursday, June 02, 2005

I finally uploaded some new pics to photobucket! Yeah me!!
Here's a picture of Hannah (aka Hooker) and Garrison beside her new car....
Hooker's Car
This is the really cool hood:
Hood
This is the back end...I think it looks cool!:
Back of car

I also have pics from Garrison riding horses:
close up


garrison horse


garrison horse

And here is a pic of one of my flowers using the macro mode suggested by Rick Lee. I wish I were as talented as he is!
flower

We went swimming for the first time this summer! We went to a neighbor's pool this afternoon and it was wonderful! Garrison loves the water and even tried sticking his head under! Boy was he surprised! He sputtered and coughed for about 5 minutes afterward!

I have been in a much better mood lately. I was so excited to be able to do some "mindless" work today. I had lots of data entry type stuff and it was really nice to be able to kick back and enter lab results for most of the afternoon!

I filled out paperwork today to enter Garrison in the Annual Peach Festival Diaper Derby! We are going to kick butt!! If I'm already this competitive about a diaper derby, I'll probably be a coach's worst nightmare when baseball and basketball start for the poor kid in a few years!

I started reading the Nanny Diaries yesterday. It's pretty good so far. I'm excited to get further into it.

Okay, here's the interesting story of the day....yesterday was a hellacious day at work to say the least. I busted my butt Tuesday writing a letter for the boss to take to a meeting and never got any comments back from him. So, I e-mailed him to ask if it needed any touch ups and he said he'd come and discuss it with me.
So, later on he came in and we discussed it and when we were done he told me he had one more thing. He said that my internet usage was the highest in the company and that since my work had been a little slow lately that didn't look good and that I needed to cut back. I do surf at work, but was surprised to be top in the company. (I figured out today that my computer had MSN messenger when it was put in a couple of months ago and that stays on all day long....good lord)
Then he told me that the bosses had noticed the Alt+Tab trick. I told him that I didn't know what he was talking about, and I was being honest. He said "you know...alt tab". I assured him that I was clueless and he told me it will close out a window on your computer and that he and the other bosses had noticed me using it when they came in my office. OH PLEASE!! I am by no means a computer whiz...I had no idea this even existed....but I should thank him for the tip :)
He also complained about the fact that I keep my office door shut. This is because by the pure luck of the draw I ended up with the office beside the men's restroom. Oh happy fucking day! So, I get to hear men piss, shit, spray air freshener, fart, the whole fucking nine yards. How horribly unethical of me to not want to hear that shit! I guess I should have told him that the final straw was when he went in there (for the millionth time a day) and apparently took a dump and felt the need to tell whoever was in there with him how badly it stunk and sprayed air freshener for a solid minute afterwards! And I'm not exaggerating...I hear all this from my desk!
So, I guess I will keep my door open and hopefully crank up the CD player loud enough to drown out the plop, plop, piss, piss and then sue them in 10 years for work related hearing loss when I can't hear a damn thing!
Well, I'll leave you with that lovely mental picture.
Have a great night!

Melissa @ 8:22 PM | comment
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Wednesday, June 01, 2005

Well, here we are....we made it into a new month. Which of course for those of us at the lovely "Company X", that means wrapping up end of the month crap like timesheets, etc. Man, I hate that crap!

My new skin

Thanks for all of the comments on my new skin. It was really easy once I figured it out. I got it here and it was really easy once I figured it out. If you need help, I can try and help you! Just shoot me an e-mail or something like that. I also changed my comments to be hosted by Haloscan, so I think any old comments hosted by Blogger are gone for now. Sorry! I wish I could keep them all! Edited to add: When no one has commented, it says "No one loves me". That's where you click to leave a comment.

Cool Blog

I found the coolest blog the other day and have really enjoyed looking through the pictures. If you want to check them out...click here. Tell him that Melissa sent you so he'll keep giving me cool tips on my digital camera. Just joking!

Food

I'm really hungry right now and I'm totally wanting Chinese. I get on this kick about once a year and I can't get enough. I'm hoping I get over it soon, or the people at the new restaraunt in town are going to think I'm strange. (Or really love me for all the buisness I'm slinging their way).

A New Month

How crazy is it that it is already June? I feel like it was Christmas just yesterday. It makes you want to reflect on how you've spent your year so far and what's ahead for you. I honestly am not sure if I've done anything worth tooting a horn over this year. This depresses me. I used to be really active in organizations, had hobbies, worked with some charitable organizations, and cool stuff like that. Lately, my accomplishments include finishing books which really have no point (but I like them anyway) and working. And I hardly call those accomplishments. More like finished tasks.
But then again, I guess I am in the process of raising a cute little boy who seems to have a good sense of humor. He tried to exhibit that yesterday when he looked at me and called me his version of "Melissa" (hard name to say for a kid). This is the child who a couple of weeks ago refused to say "mommy", but now thinks the name Melissa is hilarious!!
He's also become fond of making a face that I like to compare to The Rock where he turns his head, cuts his eyes, and raises "The People's Eyebrow" (God, how sad is it that I know what that look is called?). It's actually pretty hysterical!

Father's Day and Anniversary

Both of these are coming up for me and I have bought a few things, but for the most part, I am totally stumped! I bought Landon a CD, a magazine subscription, and a cool coffee cup and key chain featuring the artwork of the famous Garrison Lee (very collectible masterpieces!). But, I still need to get a few more things and for once I am stumped! Sad but true, I have already thought about how I'm going to wrap the gifts for Father's Day based on an ad I got in the mail. I have some brown kraft paper and I am going to make the bow out of fishing line, lures, and corks. I think that will be cute. The one I saw in the advertisement also had a cheesy saying like "Out of All the Dads in the World, I'm Glad I Hooked you!", but I don't think I'll take it that far!
So, if you have any cool ideas, let me know, or my lovely husband will be getting a Bass Pro gift card for our Anniversary. Not a bad gift because the new Boardwalk shopping center just opened next door, so I can go and shop, but I'd rather get something a little more personal.
I have, however, figured out my dad's gift. Hallmark has an awesome ladder frame with the purchase of 3 cards and I'm going to get that and fill it with pictures as well as a shadow box and an original Garrison Lee collector's edition coffee cup!
I have cute pictures of me and my dad when I was a kid. I have one of us planting flowers together, one of him helping me "ride" a horse, a cute one of me in his lap with my "I love my Daddy" sweatshirt, and one when I was only a few months old and I was just staring at him and smiling. Only 3 will fit in the ladder frame and the rest will go in the shadowbox I guess. I also have a few cute ones of me and my brother as kids that I might throw in. It's amazing how much Garrison looks like Scuba Steve sometimes.

Get To Know Your Fellow Bloggers

Finally, a little game. Copy the questions to your blog and fill them out. Tag a few people to do the same!
1. Blogger that you most want to meet in person?
2. Blogger who makes you laugh the most?
3. Blogger whose template(skin) is the coolest?
4. Blogger you can't wait to read a new entry from?

My answers:
1. Heather B of course
2. Cheeky
3. Xtessa
4. Xtessa again...she gives me great ideas on topics.

So, I'm tagging the 3 people I mentioned above. Have fun!!

Melissa

Melissa @ 9:19 AM | comment
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~IntrO~

Melissa
Melissa-Mom to LittleMan (4/04); wife to LuckyHusband; full-time toxicologist; full-time housekeeper; full-time domestic laundromat manager (washes all the clothes); full-time domestic finance manager (pays all the bills and yells at husband for spending too much money on fishing stuff); and Keeper of the Cheerios. Lives in a tiny town; spends tons of time with family; reads; enjoys crafts. Can change a diaper, fill a sippy cup, and put on a toddler's shoes in 15.4 seconds flat, all while calculating the impact of petroleum hydrocarbons to a nearby surface water body (watch for me in the Toddler Olympics on CBS this fall). Addicted to Dr. Pepper; Kit Kats; and pasta. To spot me in a crowd: I'm the one with frizzy messed-up hair, smeared graham crackers on my shirt; huge purse with a diaper peeking out, toddler on her hip, and camera in hand at all times.

~ArchiveS~

May 2005June 2005July 2005August 2005September 2005October 2005November 2005December 2005January 2006February 2006March 2006April 2006

~Stars of my ShoW~

LittleMan

LittleMan

LuckyHusband

LuckyHusband

Hooker (pictured with LittleMan)

Hooker

Scuba Steve (pictured with LittleMan and myself)

Scuba Steve

~ReadS~

Blogroll Me! Dottie Told Me

~GuestbooK~

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~LinkS~

parents magazine
parenting magazine
hometown newspaper

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~CreditS~

Skin name: Retreat II
Picture by: Gettyimages
Layout by: Mamafai

~Books I'm Reading~

Confessions of a Shopaholic
Shopaholic Takes Manhattan
Can You Keep a Secret?
Shopaholic Ties the Knot
Shopaholic and Sister
The Nanny Diaries
Nighttime is My Time - Mary Higgins Clark
Trace - Patricia Cornwell
She's Come Undone - Wally Lamb
Saving Graces - Patricia Gaffney
Save Karyn - Karyn Boznack
Rosie Dunne - Cecelia Ahern
Little Earthquakes - Jennifer Weiner
The Undomestic Goddess - Sophie Kinsella
In Her Shoes - Jennifer Weiner
One Tuesday Morning - Karen Kingsbury
The Pot Luck Club
P.S. I Love You - Cecelia Ahern
No Place Like Home- Mary Higgins Clark
The Covanent - Beverly Lewis
The Betrayal - Beverly Lewis
The Sacrifice - Beverly Lewis
The Prodigal - Beverly Lewis
Goodnight Nobody - Jennifer Weiner
The Preacher's Daughter - Beverly Lewis

~Books I Have For Sale-Ask If Interested!~

No Place Like Home- Mary Higgins Clark
The Covanent - Beverly Lewis
The Betrayal - Beverly Lewis
The Sacrifice - Beverly Lewis
The Prodigal - Beverly Lewis
Rosie Dunne - Cecelia Ahern
Goodnight Nobody - Jennifer Weiner
The Last Juror - John Grisham
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