Hold Me

Laying in bed last night, Mike made me listen to this song...it was totally cute, so I am sharing it with you...enjoy!

it's sooooo almost Friday :)

Why didn't I just stay home in bed?

It's been one of *those* days here at work...

Let me remind you that I work in a laboratory so that the following may make a bit more sense...

For starters I knew that today was going to be hectic^max with tons of experiments to complete and I would most likely be running around the lab (literally) like a chicken with my head cut off...

I had 3 big mishaps today which included:

1) spilling a sample, luckily (I guess you could call it luck) I still had about 1/2 left and was able to complete that experiment
2) I broke a part of a machine I needed to use, so I had to do some crafty handwork and take pieces from another broken machine to fix one so I could finish this task up
3) The biggest doozy of them all happened in the afternoon (this procedure took me from 7:45am til about 2pm)...when I mis-labled tubes = re-do tomorrow! YAY, fun times

I was about a minute from walking out of work...can you do that? (most likely get fired!)

Or better yet, just sprawling out on the floor kicking and screaming in my tantrum like a 2 year old for all to see...maybe that would have been better...

I think I should have known today was going to be bad since I was almost having a bit of

deja vu...

I was walking up the hill to work and literally saw the same person at about the same place in 2 instances...I know this can happen since lots of people work/go to school in the area I am, but 2 days in a row...and at the EXACT spot as yesterday?!? craziness! It's never happened to me yet and I have been walking that hill almost 3 years now...

So, I probably should have just stayed home on this un-sunshiney Wednesday and watched tv in bed all day and snuggled up with this cute pup...(Ok, Channing isn't that little anymore, but gosh darn isn't he cute...makes my day a bit better!)

7 Tidbits

Thanks to Kaylia over at The Many Colours of Happiness, I have received another blog award...I can't really describe how nice it feels to really connect with readers at some level and to feel appreciated :) THANKS! (And you should probably go check her blog out too, she has some interesting things to say!)

I did just write about 7 things the other day, you can read that one here if you haven't had the chance to yet...

But in the meantime, I will keep your curiosity and slap you with another 7 facts about me:

1) I desperately want to do something crazy, like skydiving or bungee jumping...I have a deep down super thrill seeking side that has not yet been fully tapped into. I took a rock climbing class back in college and found out that I REALLY loved it (other than being super sore in the weirdest places and getting scraped up a lot). We went on a trip to do actual climbing (instead of the practice boards in a gymnasium)...it was totally insane! You really have to rely on the person who has hold of you...on a rope! They are literally your "life line" (no pun intended). I remember being with a group of my girlfriends and we picked out this one rock which had a bit of an overhang you had to climb up...and through all the pain and frustrating moments, I made it all the way to the top...I was completely exhausted afterward but the feeling I had I can't compare to anything else...so I am a big thrill seeker although I don't thrill seek much anymore

ALMOST there...reaching to finish off my climb

Climbing on up...

2) I really want to travel the world! My sister-in-law has been many places (so I am living through her at the moment) and my parents now travel all the time (no more kids in the house!) But I want to be able to travel to places I have wanted to and fully enjoy the history now (something I totally despised back in school). On our honeymoon, we visited Chichen Itza, a part of the Mayan ruins in Mexico, and it was amazing. I was so fascinated by the history and how it was built and all the amazing things and secrets that I learned

Chichen Itza

3) I really hate running. I wish I loved it, but I don't get that "runner's high" and feel like I can run for days. I more or less get the "OHMYGOSH, I have only been running for 2 minutes and I am gonna pass out..." Not exactly good for someone to have if they want to keep active. But I am trying to motivate myself/get up the nerve to join a race (I may need to start off small and just do a 5K to get my feet wet)...who knows, my competitive side may kick in and I may love it and want to up my race mileage...(we'll see)

I feel like Homer Simpson does when I run...

4) I really wish I was better at taking photographs of nature/scenery. I feel like I can see what I want my picture to look like, but the outcome is never quite as I expect it to be...maybe this means I need a much better camera, but I have borrowed some REALLY nice cameras (thanks to Mike's parents) and have had the same bad luck. Maybe this is tapping into my "creative side" trying to come back out-which luckily I have had great success making my own candles (that smell really great too!)

My 1st candle (and also Marisa'a birthday present!)

5) I want to live at the beach. Nothing soothes me more and calms me down than a nice walk in the sand. Something about the sand between my toes just makes life all better for me. I wish I were closer to the beach now, I would probably go for a stroll every night. The ocean isn't too bad either. The sounds of crashing waves and the movement of the water is just breathtaking to me. I have been so at ease that on occasion I fall asleep laying on a beach towel listening to the waves...and I don't take naps very often! Oh, I miss the beach!

Relaxin on our honeymoon

6) I can get lost in a good book. My BFF (E$) gave me the Stieg Larsson series of books for Christmas and I am completely into the first one (I had to finish other books I had borrowed first)...kinda been blazing through the 600+ page book pretty fast...it's the way he leads you on and you just HAVE to know what happens next. I really like mysteries of all types but can fall head over heels for a good love story too!

Check these books out!

7) As the years pass by, I realize I am slowly becoming my mother-and this is not a bad thing :)

Do you ever realize you are also turning into your parents little by little? My no sense of direction is totally from her...we like to give directions with a "turn by the gas station with the big balloon out front"...street names are over-rated and if you don't like my directions, well google it for yourself! I also have this thing about wiping off my glass that I am drinking from as it "perspires" (although glasses can't do that, but it seems like it's doing so)...my mom does it too. I also can't take my feet off the floor at night when I watch tv...it spells G-O-O-D-N-I-G-H-T (whether I am ready for bed or not). My mom has been known to doze off with ease while "watching" tv with my dad. We can also easily pass out in a car ride, just give us some sunglasses so we can make you think we are still awake (watch us fool you now!) She is also where I get my super-organized self from and also the feeling that I never want to let anyone down (which also means working an inordinate amount to please our bosses and make those around us happy despite the fact that it kills us working to the bone and we are exhausted later-possibly why we can easily pass out at night...)

Me and mom on my wedding day :)

Enough of me, onto these amazing bloggers...time to share this award!

Congratulations to:

Adventuresaurus Girl Dating Blog

Ashley...plus three

rockstar diaries

young people in love

Here’s what you do with the award:

•You link and thank the blogger who awarded you

•Copy-and-paste (or download and upload) the award into your own blog post–a teacup of roses!

•Share Seven Things about yourself

•Nominate up to fifteen other great bloggers

•Comment on their blogs to let them know to come pick up their prize

I need a fast forward button

Some days I wish I could just push "Fast Forward" and get through my work day much faster so I can come home and relax, enjoy time with Mike and the dog...but also have the energy to enjoy time with them.

I tend to get home and feel super exhausted from the work day with not much energy left to do anything other than sitting on the couch (which is not good!)

It would also be nice to have a rewind button for the stupid things I say/do and regret once they have been done...

Or a pause button to hold onto those moments that you don't want to let go of and that happen so quickly...

Wouldn't it be nice?!?

"Suckerpunch"ed...by the weather

So despite having 80 degree temps last weekend...it snowed overnight/some today! I can't even believe it! I was just getting into the rhythm of warmer weather and not needing my heavy jacket/scarf/gloves/etc. Luckily I think it's only gonna last a few days and then back to 70's by next weekend! HOORAY!

I also went to the movies last night (a first in a while)...it is kinda a big treat for us to go to the movies these days (so expensive!) But we went to Cinebistro and I would recommend going if there is one near you. We had been previously and weren't too impressed with the food so we decided to go and get popcorn and beer instead (that's right...you can drink alcohol legally while watching the movie). We did notice that others around us who had ordered dinner were eating some pretty yummy looking plates of food, so next time we may change it up and get something else! The chairs are large and comfy and there is so much aisle space between you and the seats in front and behind you that you never have to worry about that awkward "I gotta pee" moment and stumbling over people in seats next to you-it's almost impossible to do this here. It is also a 21 and older movie place so no screaming children or seat kicking or teens texting in the middle of the movie with their cell phones lighting up and distracting you...just a bunch of adults watching a film and drinking some beers/mixed drinks...fabulous!

We went to see Suckerpunch and since I don't want to give it away for those of you who may go see it (since it just came out)...I will just say that I am left wondering what the underlying themes are and that the visual effects were quite nice (in my opinion). I did enjoy it but can totally see why over 1/2 the theater was dudes (a total man flick with pretty girls in little outfits, fighting, dragons, futuristic scenes and special effects galore)...but I did enjoy it. I do think it is one of those movies that I need to watch again to get the grasp of it all now that I have seen the film...we did sit in car and discuss our opinions on the ride home with our friend Dana who saw it with us (who also agreed that it's a movie to be seen multiple times). But I did like the Baby Doll actress (Emily Browning) pictured below-she's kind of a badass!

I'm so UN-girly

I am not your average girl who loves getting all "dressed to the nines" for a night out or just to get ready for work...I am almost the opposite! I love my sweatpants and sweatshirt and staying in somewhere with friends and watching a movie...I enjoy "comfort" I guess, and comfort to me comes in nice baggy sweats!

Luckily for me, my husband loves me in my sweats too!

I have really only felt truly glamorous one day in my life...gone through all that glitz and glam process (hair/nails/outfit/shoes/accessories/etc.)...and naturally that was the day I married Mike.

Seems a bit crazy I guess, but I usually had my sister cut my hair growing up, curl it for dances at school and did my own nails. I'm not much for going to the salon to get a cut and color (never actually had my hair colored anyways!)...and normally I let my hair grow out and chop it all off and donate it to Locks of Love (done it 3 times!!)

And I don't consider myself the most fashion forward girl out there by any stretch of the term. My group of girlfriends now all seem to have their own fashion sense, and I love them all for their unique inspirational ways...and most also seem to love to wear dresses for a night out, whereas I would much rather slip on my jeans and go with the flow. They all seem to love these exquisite shoes too (and I have never been much for shoe buying but admire their tastes), rather I will head out with my flip flops instead of pretty pumps...although secretly I would love to own a pair!

I'm also not much for make-up...I think I own eyeliner and that may be it (except for a few crazy items I have used for fun dress up type parties!) I hardly ever put that on either (come on, I work in a lab and wear a lab coat and gloves...not trying to impress some cells in a culture plate!) I think it comes down to being lazy for me to be quite honest...it takes too much time to figure out something nice to wear and shoes to go with it and how to do my hair fancy with makeup and nails (although I do love to go get a pedicure and don't do it often enough...those massage chairs and hour long pampering can't be beat!)

Maybe something will click inside me and I will start to enjoy getting dressy (to be honest, I have bought more dresses lately), but for now, I will stick to my sweats!

It's like I woke up and forgot to get dressed!

You ever get that feeling that you forgot something important but you don't realize it til it's too late...that was me, yesterday!

I am usually such a type A personality that I have to lay out my clothes, pack my lunch and get things ready for the work day the night before (I can't help it!) In this manner I can wake up "late", throw Channing outdoors for his potty break while I eat breakfast and then scurry off to work...it's my normal habit! Everything has it's place and makes my morning life easier...

Except for yesterday...

I didn't realize I had left something very precious at home and I was not even sure where I left it, but I totally missed it yesterday. I was what I refer to as a "Hot Mess" (see my favorite cup photo below :) I even had a coworker comment on my disheveled appearance...that's a ego killer!

How could I have forgotten it?!?

Did I mention-I work in a lab, so I have lots of hands on work and need to be able to function in a quick and efficient manner with no hassles or hold-ups...this messes up my "work life" which also runs in an orderly and laid out fashion as much as I can manage (until my supervisor throws on more experiments and other odds and ends to do at whim). But yesterday I felt all out of sorts with myself...

merely because I left it at home!

I managed to feebly make it through the day slightly flustered and naturally being a Hot Mess that I was and could not wait for 4:30 to get here so I could rush to my car and zoom home...back to it...the thing I had left...how did I ever leave it at home/not have an extra at work?!

this was absurd

Once I arrived home I greeted my husband who was outside and then dashed inside and upstairs to the bedroom to look for it, see where I had misplaced it to...and then I found it! Laying there helpless on the floor, beside my bed, underneath my bedside table...my long lost treasure that I missed so much during the day...

I picked it up

I was then trying to figure out how on Earth I had managed to not "micro-manage" this and place it where I would find it in the morning like I do with all my other Type A personality stuff? Why did I merely let it fall by the wayside knowing that I would totally regret not putting it somewhere that I would not forget it tomorrow morning in my mad dash around the house in the 15 min I spend getting ready and then running out the door?

This won't happen again!

I will make sure I have extras-everywhere! That will solve this dilemma. No more trudging through the work day with this feeling that I am out of order and not together in the right ways...never again will I leave it at home, or if I do, I will have an extra in my car and at work in my desk and maybe in my purse too!

my hair tie!

I missed it so- and maybe you wouldn't have quite a "moment" (ok a day!) like I did, but trying to do lab work all day with your hair in your face and not being able to push this hair out of your face while doing this lab work (due to having gloves on and not wanting to contaminate things) makes my life crazy!

So, dear hair tie, I promise to not forget you anymore, or leave you behind, or if you do get left behind I will borrow one of your friend hair ties that I will keep with me in various places so we can never experience this again!

Love,

Mandy

I feel so honored!

I woke up this morning to find that this gal, Melish, had shared an award...with me! How cool! I appreciate it a whole lot! Glad to know that people actually enjoy my tidbits and day to day banter going on in my head! You should check out her blog too, it's very interesting!

So now I will give you the run down on me...in 7 things:

1) I'm totally in love with my high school sweetheart...we had a few bumps in the road(breakup/get back together type deal) but we are happily married and I can't imagine life without him-he is my everything! We met during indoor track season and one of my good friends, Hope, was helping set us up/nudging us together. We started dating back on April 6th, 2000. We actually had a teeny tiny lil wedding ceremony to get officially married April 6th, 2010 since it meant so much to us, but since it was a Tuesday, we figured we would wait til warmer weather and a weekend to throw a big party/wedding for all our friends and family...it was so nice, we went to the courthouse and the weather was AMAZING-my parents and Mike's parents were there as well as my sister. It was the happiest day of my life thus far-I know many happier days are ahead!

2) My dog is totally awesome. His name is Channing (totally named after Channing Tatum who is scrumptious to look at in all those Step Up movies and other films...) but this dog totally gets me...he knows when I am sad to cuddle up next to me and is pretty self contained for a dog. He is also quite smart and knows a bunch of words which we cannot use around him unless we mean it...such as "car" or "squirrel"...the latter of the two sends him into a freak out growl mode and he wants to run outside and chase those furry creatures up trees. He is also funny in that every time a doorbell rings, he growls-regardless if its actually at our house or happens to be on tv (which happens A LOT!)

3) My best friend lives in a different state and I met her in graduate school about 5 years ago now. Her name is Elizabeth but I love to refer to her as E$ (she totally had the $ sign before Ke$ha!) She is the most down to Earth person and we totally got each other from day one sitting in orientation together for grad school...luckily she came to sit next to me in an open seat and from there we were two peas in a pod. We lived together our second year and were practically inseparable! She took me with her to Summersville Lake Marina, which is gorgeous! We went out on a boat and enjoyed our time. She is also Channing's "mommy #2" and helped me teach him new tricks like "spank the booty!"

4) I am totally shy-I guess you may not get that from my blog, but meeting people for the first time freaks me out-BIG TIME! I don't know what it is, but I think my sister totally got all the extroverted genes in the family...she is a social butterfly and knows EVERYONE and can easily strike up conversation on the spot...I more or less feel the need to sit and think about what to say so I don't look stupid! I am pretty sure other than my family, E$ and my husband, lots of my own friends may not even know me that well since I do shelter myself so much...I am trying to change this about myself and is actually one of the big reasons that I started this blog-it's very liberating to say what's on my mind!

5) Volleyball and I were meant to be. My sister, being 5 1/2 years older, was of course a star in my eyes and I wanted to do EVERYTHING she did (what little sister doesn't wanna be just like their older sibling??) She played volleyball and was kind enough to teach me too! My parents got into it and we even bought a volleyball net to set up in our backyard. I remember first starting out back in 6th grade! My sister, Megan, would take me outside and I would wear knee socks ON MY ARMS! If you have never played volleyball before, the repeated passing motion with another person can make your forearms turn bright red, so I did everything I could to cushion mine! Through all her help, I was actually pulled up to play alongside the Varsity High School kids when I was in 8th grade (luckily the Coach was my middle school gym teacher and could give me a ride to practice!). I learned SO much and when I entered high school I was on the Varsity team as a Freshman. I eventually got into a traveling team in Richmond (RVC 18N for 2 years) and my dad would drive me to practice during the week while I did homework in the car...it was a nice hour drive there...and I slept the hour back...it was hard but worth it-I was fortunate enough to receive a full ride scholarship to The College of William & Mary to play for 4 years. Now that college is over, I actually go to RVC and play on adult leagues-I can't get enough!

6) I have broken bones and had stitches and I tend to faint...apparently I am quite accident prone! When I was little (or so my mom tells me) I was running around my grandparents house butt naked after a shower and smacked my head onto a part of the fireplace-stitches! (no fun!) I have also broken my finger playing volleyball (dove for a ball, middle finger stuck to the floor and I kept sliding forward)...I thought it was jammed badly so I pulled at it, kept playing-this game was SOOO long but I think the adrenaline rush helped me get through. I also broke my ring finger on my left hand getting chased about my house by Mike (this was back in high school though) and I was trying to get away faster and put my hand on a ledge to go upstairs quicker when-pop-oopsie, I broke my finger..I fell to the landing in between the stairs and told him to get me ice and that I broke my finger0best part about it is that I had a volleyball game that night after we took team photos-let's just say I didn't play, but waiting until after team photos to get something done about my hand was excruciating! Mike knows better than anyone about my fainting spells...I have had quite a few around him! He was totally freaked out the first time and all I could say before I passed out was "I'm gonna faint!"...not much help, maybe "gimme a minute and I will be fine, I do this often" would have been better! One time we were out at his parents' with the horses and I decided to try to nose nuzzle Roxy (who should never be nose nuzzled-she is a very independent and rambunctious horse!) and she didn't like this, so instead head butted me and I felt woozy immediately, and Mike was there to catch me before I plummeted toward the Earth and passed out for my minute! (He is so good to me!) He knows now to not worry and that I am fine, it's almost like a normal thing when I say "I am gonna pass out"...he catches me if needed and waits to make sure I come back...no problems!

7) I was named after my sister's doll. I get lots of questions if I am actually named "Amanda" or not (Mandy is the nickname for Amanda), but no, I am merely just a "Mandy" and I think it's kinda neat. I guess Megan really liked her doll and my parents were ok with that name too, so it stuck. I do think it is neat that my initials were MGM (like MGM studios!) and now they are MMA (like mixed martial arts-which I started doing kickboxing and jiu-jitsu back in grad school with my E$ and Heather!)

Well, that enough about me...time to share this award with some deserving bloggers!

The award goes to:

1) Hope at BLADAOW!

2) Lara at extreme.food.love

3) Kate at Days Like This

4) Chris and Stacey at Love and Photographs

5) Jasmine at An Experiment in Poverty

6) Sofia at The Brewery

Congratulations!!

Here’s what you do with the award:

•You link and thank the blogger who awarded you

•Copy-and-paste (or download and upload) the award into your own blog post–a teacup of roses!

•Share Seven Things about yourself

•Nominate up to fifteen other great bloggers

•Comment on their blogs to let them know to come pick up their prize

My Dog is Smarter than your Honor Student...

Channing really is quite remarkable...he went to puppy training classes when he was little and learned the basics, but he sure does have a few tricks up his sleeve.

While living with my roomie (E$ as I refer to her as), we decided to teach him something a little more fun than just your normal sit/stay/speak/lay down and roll over (all of which Channing thinks are elementary).

So what better than "Spank the booty"

I know this sounds bad, but he merely sits down beside you and you place your hand around your hip area and say "spank the booty", I think he thinks he is giving you some different kind of "high five" or a really odd hand shake (with your booty?!?)...but it's comical and better than the average trick!

He can also close doors...totally awesome! See below

I really need to teach him to open the fridge, grab me a beer and bring it to me...that'll be the day!

Midnight Snack?!?

So I was awoken at 12:42 am to the sounds of pitter patter feet downstairs (yes-I have super sonic hearing...an odd superhero power of mine...it combines with my supersmelling nose to make me uber sensitive to most things...ugh...)

but anyways, back to the story...so I hear this pitter patter of feet (no, it's not my children, I don't have any-yet)...and I sit up in bed to realize that my dog Channing is downstairs walking around on the hardwood floors...

What is he doing?

He continues his way from somewhere far away ( I am guessing the kitchen) to up the stairs...he has no idea that I am awake when he proceeds to stop just after he has entered the room...just pausing, I feel like he is taking in the atmosphere and maybe seeing if Mike or I are awake so he can come pounce on the bed and snuggle with us...but little to my knowledge, he is doing nothing of the sort...

He

then

proceeds

to

burp

...loudly!

OMG...My dog is obscene...Of course my first thought is, Oh Boy...he is going to throw up, and I get to clean it up cuz Mike is STILL passed out despite the fact that I have had a conversation with him...and he was talking back! But thankfully, Channing just needed to get one out and then he happily plopped on his bed at the foot of our bed and passed out.

It was as though he was just going on with normal parts of his life and this was to be an expected part of his bedtime...the whole, I am gonna get a midnight snack and then come upstairs and BURP!

He is crazy...I wonder what other things he does while he thinks we are sleeping?!?

My Dog, the Scaredy Cat!

Since I grew up with dogs since I was born, I don't know that I have ever known a dog to be so freaked out by things...

That was until I got my dog Channing.

This guy had quite the episode this morning (I am talking from 4am on til I had to get out of bed for work = not so happy dog mommy!) Basically, we were supposed to have a thunderstorm this morning (granted there were pieces of hail that were nothing to laugh at!) but he must have had some other sense that was telling him to begin freak out mode...SUPER early. The storm didn't hit our house until shortly after 7am (and luckily after I had to escort him outside to use the bathroom since he was so freaked).

But that is not the worst part...by far...

Never in my life have I ever heard this before and don't know of any other pet that will do this, but my dog does this crazy thing when he gets totally freaked out by something. Of course he curls up in a typical ball so small and scared and naturally he is shaking and quaking and shivering all over...but the odd part is...

His teeth chatter!

That's right folks-my dog gets himself so in a tizzy over things that his teeth chatter to the point that you can HEAR it! I feel so bad for him, and there really is NO consoling this poor dog-he is beyond help/rescue! No matter how much I cuddle up to him and cover him in blankets or try to distract him from the noises that he hates, he refuses to be better until it has passed/can't hear it anymore.

Absurd

It doesn't only happen with thunderstorms...it also happens with nail guns, granted we do not use these all the time, but our neighbor is very crafty and can usually be found outside working on a project on the weekends and since we spent our entire weekend outside with the GORGEOUS weather with Channing in tow, he of course heard the nail gun across the street, freaked, ran into the garage and cowered.

It was so sad!

I have a feeling that something must have happened to him as a puppy/newborn. He was actually an abandoned pup on the street that someone at my college found and was looking for a good home. I happily took him in and got him back to a healthy dog but am not sure what he went through in the beginning. I mean, he must have weathered some storms outside...so maybe this causes his aversion?!?

Anyways, I love his little face and will continue to do all I can to stop his freak outs...He makes me super happy!

Supermoon!!

Apparently Saturday March 19, 2011 is supposed to be the first time that the moon will be the closest to Earth in over 18 years!!

So, if you have nothing better to do or enjoy a good full moon, you should check it out!

This website gives great background info on the supermoon.

Also, to find when the best time is...go to this website and scroll to the bottom where it says...

Moon distances for another year or location

(this is about mid-way down the page)
...and type "2011" into the year and scroll to pick your location...the table above will change accordingly and show March 19 being "closest" with an approximate time!

Happy "mooning" everyone!

Happy St. Patty's Day!

Saint Patrick's Day

Today we celebrate in wearing green, although I did not know that the original color was actually BLUE!

That lil jingle!

Nothing makes me happier than hearing that little jingle...

The sound coming from it is unmistakable...

It comes around when it gets warmer outside and makes people of all ages happy...especially me!

I THOUGHT I heard it the other day while I was working around the house, but clearly thought I was just hearing things...Little did I know, I must have been right since I heard those same distinct tunes blaring once again around my neighborhood...and boy did I grin and act like a 5 year old all over again!

I'm sure you are wondering, what the heck is this girl talking about??!!?

I'll give you a few more hints...

Typically small children go crazy and start screaming at their parents...

You can't help but smile when you hear it coming...

Swarming can occur on hot summer days...

Things can get pretty messy if you don't hurry up!

The contents can cool you down in a heart beat...

Beware of a brain freeeeze!

Ok, if you haven't guessed by now, I am clearly talking about...

THE ICE CREAM TRUCK!

The one that jingles its way around my neighborhood (I feel SO lucky) resembles this one below.

I wish it was more like this one (I have an affinity toward PINK things!)

Check out that lightening bolt going through it...snazzy!

And I completely forgot to mention that I am also addicted to ice cream, no matter what the weather! (So I wish the ice cream truck came around year round!)

A pick me up

I couldn't be more exhausted today...

After being at the gym playing on my women's open league from 6:45 til almost midnight...coming home drenched in sweat and stink (from multiple hours of playing)...I jumped in the shower to wash away my worries...of course, my worries didn't go away since I knew I needed to be at work by 7:30 AM for an experiment...ugh...(leaving MAYBE 6 hours of sleep...if I was lucky to fall asleep quickly!)

So I finished my shower, dried my hair, had a little snack and some milk, and plopped my body in bed....

I hardly had the energy to even kiss my husband goodnight...it was that bad...I feel so old and decrepit after a long tournament night (we made it to the finals!) (and lost...) But I do love playing, just not the after effects on my body -->sore, hurt, bruised, scraped, out of alignment (i have back problems!) and the feeling that any movement whatsoever is WAY overrated!

So, today I look to inspirational/motivational/determination type quotes...

The only way of finding the limits of the possible is by going beyond them into the impossible.
Arthur C. Clarke

We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, therefore,
is not an act but a habit.
Aristotle

Work spares us from three evils: boredom, vice, and need.
Voltaire

He who hesitates is lost.
Proverb

Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm.
Ralph Waldo Emerson

Our greatest glory is not in never falling but in rising every time we fall.
Confucius

Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts.
Winston Churchill

The price of success is hard work, dedication to the job at hand, and the determination that whether we win or lose, we have applied the best of ourselves to the task at hand.
Vince Lombardi

You can do what you have to do, and sometimes you can do it even better than you think you can.
Jimmy Carter

The man who can drive himself further once the effort gets painful is the man who will win.
Roger Bannister

A dream doesn't become reality through magic; it takes sweat, determination and hard work. Colin Powell
Determination gives you the resolve to keep going in spite of the roadblocks that lay before you.
Denis Waitley

Hoping your day needs no "pick me ups", but if so, hope these helped!

Buns of Fun

I made "Fun Buns" today for a brunch I went to (in early celebration of my friend Marisa's bday!)

They are this deliciously easy nom nom food...best when eaten straight outta the oven...

Here's how it went down:

-crescent rolls (if not many people, 1 package is fine)...I had 2 but wished I had 4!

-large marshmallows

-melted butter

-cinnamon/sugar

-muffin tin

-Pam or some kind of butter/grease spray (for tin)

Oven set to 375 (put in for 10-13 min...will begin to brown and marshmallow will explode out when done!)

I set out some wax paper on the counter to be able to unroll and work with the crescent roll pieces, melted the butter in a small dish, and had a plate for the cinn/sugar mix

Basically you take a marshmallow, dip it in the butter and then roll it to your hearts content in cinnamon/sugar...then place this on a crescent roll piece

The hard part is rolling the crescent piece around the marshmallow and pinching the sides to cover it up...Make sure you spray down/grease the ENTIRE muffin pan (these tend to "explode" in the oven and will help with clean up later!)

And I wish I had a picture of the final buns, but they went quick!

Hope you enjoy! And seriously, eat them when they come outta the oven...they are gooey and sticky and hot and oh so good!

Success!

I

MADE

CANDLES!

Ok, so I made 1 candle, but at least I didn't burn the house down or harm myself (since Mike was gone all day)...I would say it was a great success! Especially since I had to go to Michael's craft store and find certain tools/things with which to make my candle.

Here is a look at my setup...

I set up the molds with the wicks prior to melting the wax...

And then began melting the wax...

Once the wax melted and reached the right temp. I added color and some fragrance

I chose red color and raspberry scent

I then poured this into my mold and let it stand for a loooong time

Once set and completely cooled, out popped my FIRST SOY CANDLE (it's supposed to be more eco-friendly and burn longer)

And it's not exactly RED and isn't pungent smelling, but has some scent to it...

I'm pretty happy about it though!

Auto Show

I had the privilege to go to the Richmond Auto Show tonight with Mike and my cousin Steven and his wife Samantha...

Here are a few things we got to see...

My cousin was a "Top Gun" and had his picture on display...so we made him take a head shot...by his head shot...makes total sense!

Mike sat in ALL the minivans...ok, maybe just a couple...

We experienced a car with a speaker system...

And another can we could fit 10 kids in...

We tested out the "Hamster Mobile" (from the commercial...), this one had some lovely zebra stripe detail...

Saw a car where the running boards automatically go up and down...

Some crazy looking engine parts...

Some minivan with an odd middle seat...

Mike pushed lots of buttons (bleep bloop bleep beep...that's him making the noises as he pushes the buttons...

Mike getting excited about sitting in a Subaru...

A not so exciting color (pee yellow? ughhhh)

(way worse looking in person...)

An SOS button, which when pushed actually gave us an operator (oops!)

More button pushing...

A crazy back end system to help you get into the bed of a truck...

Just note the color..."Lime Squeeze Metallic" it exists, I saw it!

A car the boys barely fit into...

And naturally the roped off cars...(behind bars if you will...)

Bond, James Bond...The Aston Martin

We also had some other fun experiences...

When we left the building, some crazy youngster decided to scream out the window of the car he was driving to Mike (I assume, since he was the only guy far enough out) that "the girl you are with is too young for you!"...compliment? Or just crazy hoodlum hysterics...? I'll cast my vote on #2...

Also, these 3 cute kids with their dad walking around and one little girl blowing on this whistle as HARD and LOUD as she could...the dad merely muttered, "just know you can't blow that thing once you get in the car..." So she continued on her merry way, LOUD and all, and we all just giggled...

Very fun and relaxing night!