Deck the halls

I'm still mired in the inability to complete a house project. Tonight I finally finished the mantle and tree decorations. These pics don't do it justice; it actually looks pretty good. I used the traditional Christmas colors of pink and lime green. :-)



Tomorrow's projects include finishing the home office cleanup/redecoration and finally cleaning up/out my garage. No laziness allowed!

Ode to a kicker

Bless your heart, Alex Tejada
Your OT kick got us nada
I have no idea how you missed that goal
And now we're going to a second-rate bowl

I gotta admit I wasn't surprised
Your right foot always brings tears to my eyes
Perhaps my brother can teach you how to play
'Cause in fourth grade he won the PPK

Here's hoping your Liberty Bowl kicks aren't rotten
Even though you robbed us of Capital One and Cotton

Turkey Day

Eck and I have been in Texas for two days, most of which have been spent in the kitchen. Jen, Memaw and I cooked for hours to prepare our Thanksgiving feast (turkey, roast, mashed potatoes, wild rice casserole, sweet potato casserole, dressing, green bean casserole, homemade mac and cheese, hot rolls, cheesecake, chocolate sin, and pumpkin pie) and when everyone ate lunch and then dinner, we still haven't made a dent in it. I spent most of my life with no clue how much work and time goes into preparation for such a meal, so to all of those who slaved away and didn't feel the love, let me say, thanks for your work on Thanksgiving dinner!

Tomorrow I have big plans of napping (got four hours' sleep last night) and maybe exercising a bit, then we're headed home on Saturday. I'm looking forward to seeing my brother and his family on the way home.

Weekend recap

I don't have time for witty prose, but I did want to report that Alisa and I had a fabulous time in Branson this weekend. I ate too much and spent too much, but it was fun to spend time with her. We don't get to hang out, just the two of us, very often these days.

Now I'm doing laundry, baking cookies, making a grocery shopping list, and packing for Texas.

I'm also hurting from running yesterday. Granted, I walked more than I ran, and I totally skipped out on the last mile (hey, the course goes by my house, I get lazy), but I feel very old and achy. There's some serious Aleve p.m. in my future.

Hooray for vacation!

Happy anniversary, Lon and Jen!

Can't believe it's been 10 years! Here's to many more decades of wedded bliss. Or at least tolerance.

Love you guys! Can't wait to see you next week.

Coming clean

I've got a serious case of apathy these days. I don't know why, but I'm not motivated to finish any project. And while that's bad at home, it's horrible at work.

Since my treadmill bit the dust, I got up early to do yoga and run outside. In the freezing drizzle. I think I have frostbite on my cheeks. Thankfully I had a massage this morning, so not only did I get warm, I got really relaxed. I did manage to stay awake through multiple meetings, but I feel like I accomplished nothing today.

Tonight I started cleaning out my home office. I got about halfway finished before I gave up and quit.

Some much to do. So little motivation.

Three more days of work before nine days of vacation. Hooray!

Oh, and I registered for the big Siloam Turkey Trot 5K at 8 am this Saturday. Yeah, I'm not ready, but I figure there won't be many people around to witness my humiliation. I have no idea what possessed me to do that. But I've got four of the seven pounds off I wanted to lose before next week.

Miles and miles

I think I actually wore out my treadmill. Show of hands... who thought that would ever happen? Anyone?

The belt seems to have stopped working. And that is not cool. If my treadmill is broken, I'll be very unhappy. How else will I drop those seven pounds before Thanksgiving?

Memory lane

Been scanning in some pics, so I posted some of my favorites on Facebook. In case you don't have access, here's the link. Enjoy!

All the single ladies put your hands up

There are many advantages to being single, not the least of which is the ability to own many shoes and handbags without need for justification. It's also great to always maintain control of the remote and not have to clean whiskers out of the sink or other unmentionables out of the toilet (not that I clean my own toilet, but you catch my drift). No one steals my covers or leaves empty milk cartons in my fridge. Tax breaks aside, most of the time it's great to be a single gal.

One of the downsides of being single, however, is the propensity of married women to assume you're after their husbands. Rest assured, we are not. While we may find them amusing and smart and want to retain their friendship, most of the time, we wouldn't want them if they were single. And especially not if they've said "I do."

So when you call your hubby and find out he's hanging out with a single gal, don't assume the worst. After all, he told you the truth, so there's probably nothing to hide.

End of soapbox. For now.

Holy cannoli!

Something I learned about myself today: never underestimate how far I'll walk for good dessert.

I trekked back to Mike's Pastry tonight for another cannoli. And maybe some tiramisu. I did figure out if you wear workout gear, leave your purse at the hotel, and run, none of the bums ask you for money. I'm hoping my two-mile sojourn negates all of the calories I've eaten today. I'm just like Tom and Katie! Except for that weird religion. And only a few people looked at me strangely while I was running with a cannoli under my arm.



I was over by the Garden, waiting for the light to change (if you want to look like you're a local, you must jaywalk... just don't fall drunk onto the subway tracks or you'll make the national news), when some guy turned to a guy with him and said, "Is that the Garden over there... where it says 'The Garden?' " Friend looks at me, and I say sweetly in my best Southern drawl, "Who are you... Captain Obvious?" Friend about falls over laughing. Guy gets embarrassed. So he tries to be funny and responds. "Yeah, where are we... New York?" I said, "Sure. Why don't you yell GO YANKEES really loudly?" Bahahaha.

It's so sad that I have to go home tomorrow! And sadder still that I have to stuff my purchases into my suitcase.

Thanksgiving is two weeks from today, and Christmas a mere six weeks. Are you ready?

Technology, smechnology

I've been really excited about this conference for months, and not just 'cause it's in Boston. More than that, I was excited to hear more about how social media can be more effectively used in marketing for higher education. I'm a pretty heavy user of gadgets, after all. I have to charge my iPhone nightly (and sometimes more often than that) because I spend so many hours a day on the mobile 'net (yes, one could argue I need to get a life).

And now, as my conference ends and my time in Boston draws to a close (sniff, sniff), I submit to you the top 10 things I've learned on this trip:

10. There's nothing like sitting in a room filled with people on laptops watching a speaker via streaming video who's actually five feet from them to make you wonder if you're in the Twilight Zone
9. 10 people + 2,000 tweets = bunch o' geeks
8. Buying a really expensive handbag and then walking by a homeless shelter only results in a little guilt
7. Sam Adams isn't just the name of a really gross beer
6. When people from Canada say "aboot" and "proucess," I will giggle
5. There's no such things as too much seafood
4. Even if you walk ten miles a day in heels, if you eat too much, your pants will still be tight
3. You should always leave room in your suitcase for souvenirs or handbags
2. No one knows the definition of "business casual"; some will dress like skateboard tricksters, and others will appear to be arguing a case before the Supreme Court any moment (it's somewhere in the middle, in case you're wondering)
1. I love, love, LOVE Boston, but would have to make about $1.2 million per year to live here in my current lifestyle

I'm sad to go home. Right now I'm considering what to have for dinner. I'm thinking I'll head back over to the North End for Italian food and another one of those amazing canolis I had last night from Mike's Pastry. Yum!

The Boston Garden

Quite coincidentally, one of my leadership classmates from Siloam was in Beantown on business this week, so we met for fish and chips at a Boston pub. We watched part of the Celtics game, then walked by the Garden, and that made me kind of sad, because my dad was a huge Celtics fan, but never got to see them play in person.

One thing I've discovered in loss is that it's not the moments you expect to be sad that get you, like Christmases and birthdays, but it's the days like the random Wednesday you happen to be 1,400 miles away from home and walk by Larry Bird's bronzed shoes when the sadness comes.

I really wish my dad had been with me tonight, to watch the fans stream out of the Garden after the victory, to eat a canoli in the North End, and to experience beautiful Boston.

Norm!

I fell in love with Boston when I was here last October. Today, the magic continues.

I think I missed the best of the fall color this year by a couple of weeks, but it was gorgeous today. I ventured out of the hotel and about a block away to Boston Common, where I walked for blocks down Commonwealth and viewed the city's forefathers. I also saw much of Beacon Street and made my way past Cheers.



Since I left my camera charger in Texas (along with a t-shirt, my laptop and--strangely--my black bra), my battery died about halfway through my self-guided tour. I finally found my way to the mall, where I purchased a new charger and nursed my blisters over a yummy late lunch of lobster bisque and a crab, shrimp and lobster sandwich at Legal Sea Foods.



My pal Alisa texted me this afternoon to tell me that my prom outfit was scary and that I'm a dork for taking pics of my food. I have one word for her: touche.

Boston is just as fabulously wonderful as it was before. I'm so in love with this city! It's just gorgeous and full of history. Tomorrow includes another sojourn during my lunch break, hopefully this time with a fully-charged battery and more comfortable shoes.



Rest of the pics are here. More to be added, I'm sure!

Pause and rewind

I've decided that my DVR is a metaphor for my life. It's filled up with things that seemed like good commitments at the time, but in hindsight, don't seem so important anymore.

Instead, it's constant pressure to keep watching things because you've invested so much time in them, even though they no longer hold your attention. Why do I have such a hard time erasing things that don't add value to my life? Why isn't it okay to say goodbye to friends who aren't so good for you anymore?

This weekend, after spending hours watching shows that I really didn't want to watch, I purged Desperate Housewives. Deleted Private Practice. Stopped recording Brothers and Sisters. Even canceled Grey's Anatomy. Because, let's face it, those shows haven't been the same in quite some time. So why waste my time thinking they may somehow get better or not being willing to let them go because I've spent years with them? It's over, McDreamy. Goodbye, Mike the Plumber.

And perhaps it's time to do the same thing in my personal life. I have so many amazing friends who really care about me, so why do I feel guilty when I don't spend time with people who don't have my best interests at heart? Why am I unwilling to cut bait and run out on situations that aren't good for me?

That means you, LB. So stop being nice to me and returning my ill-advised text messages. You're officially canceled from my must-watch list. It's sweeps week, and I'm moving on.

Pretty in pink (and red polka dots)

My friend Lela is turning 40 and celebrated by throwing one of the greatest parties in history. Her "Pretty in Pink Totally Rad 80s Prom" was a very fun evening.

I've been planning my outfit for some time, but I didn't realize that "vintage" meant "too small." Joe had to help squeeze me into my dress and we were afraid it would bust at the seams all night. Luckily, it did not. All week sales clerks have been staring at me strangely while I purchased red hose, a hair crimper, and blue eye shadow. I really want to scream, "People, you're stocking this stuff... why are you surprised that someone is buying it?" I was a bit concerned that the crimping would cause irreparable damage to my hair, but it bounced back nicely this morning.

I've got to tell you, I had more fun last night than I did at my real proms. Sweet Joe even brought me a fancy (read: gaudy) corsage to wear. Then we slow danced to "Crazy for You."



If you're interested, the rest of the pics are here.

After breakfast this morning I headed to Rogers for the Saving Grace Open House. It was such a great afternoon! Hundreds of people showed up and I got to tell them about the amazing ministry there.

I'm trying to rest up for my busy week in Boston. I went to the doctor on Friday with a sore throat and sinus pressure, and the doctor was a bit befuddled and never really gave me a diagnosis. He finally just said, "It could be swine flu (it's not). It could just be allergies (more likely). It looks like you just need to get lots of rest this weekend." Yeah, that cost me 35 bucks and exposure to disease during my 45 minute sojourn in the waiting room.

So, it's been a great weekend. Busy and cold week in New England ahead. Can't believe it's almost Thanksgiving!

Texas + time change = tired girl

It's 7 p.m. and I'm going to bed. I am done. I am tired. I need sleep.

I don't know if it's the Temple partying, the excessive driving, or the 5 a.m. running, but I'm exhausted. And I need to reserve my energy for the prom this weekend. Bought my red hose today.

Everything's bigger in... well, you know

What a great weekend! Memaw and I got to Temple around 8 on Thursday night, and I arrived back in Siloam just after 6 last night. In four days we attended two parties, had one of our own, walked a 5K, attended a flag football game, witnessed a dance-off and multiple kid fits.

It's weird how, the closer you get to home, the more work and the daily grind begin to creep back into your life. Thankfully I get to go back to Texas in three weeks for Thanksgiving, and before that I go to Boston, an 80s prom, and have a Branson shopping trip with Alisa.

For now, please enjoy another entry in the Brady and Mini-Me dance-a-thon. And all the pics from this weekend are here, in case you don't have Facebook.



(This makes three family members dancing to this song. Memaw, you and Lon are next!)

World's most annoying song

The song of the weekend, the Ting Ting's "That's Not My Name." We've all been singing it since Friday night. Ugh.

That's what she said

What a fun weekend! Texas is always so much fun, but I dread the eight-hour drive home tomorrow. Luckily I'll be driving back in three weeks for Thanksgiving. And again a week later.

Jen and I had fun in Austin today at Race for the Cure. We had several folks ask to take a pic of us. I think it's because we are so pretty, but it could have had something to do with our shirts.





Memaw and I are departing about 7:30 in the morning. I'll update in more detail tomorrow night.