It's football time in Tennessee!

The Tennessee football team is currently ranked number ten. I have a funny feeling I will be into football this season. My interest comes in spurts. There is something really exciting about Tennessee football...I remember going to a game when I was in high school, and while we were walking to the stadium, everyone started to clap and chant, "It's great...(clap, clap)...to be...(clap, clap)...a Tennessee Vol; I said it's great...(clap, clap)...to be...(clap, clap)...a Tennessee Vol." And not many things move me and stir my emotions like "Rocky Top." At times, it can take me to the point of tears. And I can't think of anyone I'd rather be cheering with than my friend E. When we were in junior high, we went to a rainy game together. We sat in the bleachers cheering with our orange and white pom-poms. There was a bald man sitting front of us and occasionally a droplet of water from our pom-poms would fall onto his head. The water must have been magical because it looked like his hair was growing back. We decided the pom-poms were giving off Miracle-gro for hair. We went to town with frantic cheers...that man would have a new set of hair by the time we were done! Ahhh...memories of youth.

I am going to attempt to complete all my homework for the next week so I won't have any to do over the weekend--it's Laber Day! This means I need to go to the store to buy a new ink cartridge for the printer.

Multi-tasking

After I got home from school and Brad got home from his business trip, we decided to unwind by playing a game of pool. But, there was vacuuming to be done! So while one took a turn playing, the other vacuumed. We rotated tasks throughout the game. :o)

What did I learn in school today? A gerund indicates that the noun should be singular.

What else did I learn? One of my professors likes to randomly call on people, and I have him for two--out of three--classes! My heart was pounding and my hands were sweating. I'm pretty sure my voice didn't shake when he called on me, but I'm not positive.

Today is my friend's birthday! Unfortunately, she lives in California so we're not celebrating tonight. She will be in town in September, and we'll celebrate both of our birthdays then. By the way, my birthday is September 20th, and I will probably be talking about it at the beginning of my birthday month on September 1st. Oh, wait, it's August 29th, and I'm already talking about it. :o)

Finally! Blogger is letting me upload photos. Yeay! I'm posting a few from our trip to Cozumel. I'll post other pictures when I have more energy. Right now, I'm pretty tired, and I want to read some of my book, Blue Like Jazz.

In the above photograph, we are standing along the seaside cliff at Tulum. I didn't realize I was that much shorter than Brad.

Brad and I went on a date to Pepe's Grill. I made my dress.

We're standing in front of a Mayan ruin at Tulum.

Amusing

Who would think this is a good idea?

He is a butt dog

It cracks us up! Chance is a butt dog! He sticks his behind in Callie's face hoping to distract her while they are wrestling. It is so funny. He just maneuvers around so that his hieny is always the first defense. He uses it offensively too. Callie has picked up on his tactic and throws her butt around now too. It's hilarious to watch. I'll try to get a video of it sometime and post it here.

After completing my homework for tomorrow's classes, I went to the gym to workout. I did cardio for about 30 minutes (should have done it longer) and then started lifting weights. Okay, I've never really gone to a gym before, nor have I been given more than a cursory orientation on how to use/do/lift weights. It started out well but all of a sudden I just felt so conscious of all the people around me...and some them were glancing at me. I shouldn't have panicked, but I was afraid I was doing it wrong ,or they were looking at me because I wasn't lifting much. It was overwhelming and I just couldn't stay and do a complete set/round/whatever. I grabbed my phone, looked at my watch as if I were running late for a very important date, and left the gym while dialing numbers to make it look like I was calling the Queen of Wonderland. Of course, when I got home I felt really awful about leaving in a rush. I shouldn't have assumed that people were looking at me like didn't know what I was doing, because if I were to be caught looking around, it would be because I wanted to see how to use that machine if I thought the person using it knew what they were doing. I just get so hyper-conscious and start to triple guess myself.

Tomorrow is the second day of classes. It's the day you find out what class is really going to be like. I'm not too nervous, but I really hope I don't have any professors that like to randomly call on students. It's just not cool. One time in high school, an English teacher had us write something and then called on people to share what they wrote in front of the entire class. She picked me to share. I turned, looked at her, and said, "I'd rather not." Didn't work; I shared what I wrote. Luckily, in college, most literature professors read your writings and don't require oral presentations. And, yes, the lack of public speaking and group projects is one of the main reasons I chose to major in English literature.

It's no wonder

No wonder Chance doesn't like children--they throw rocks at him! I heard Chance and Callie barking last night and when I looked out the window, some kids were throwing rocks at them! I hate to say this but if those kids ever get near him, vengeance will be his. In my warped sense of thinking I understand my babies better than anyone, I'm almost positive Chance was also defending me from the aggressive children. And you know, I love how protective he is, especially with my current schedule. He was a stray we found on the side of the road and there is no telling what may have happened to him in his previous life. We are pretty positive he was abused but we're positive he now knows what it means to be loved.

And let me clear up a misconception many people have about me. I don't hate children; I am stressed out by children and I do not like to be stressed. In most cases, I despise the parents and would rather not be around their misbehaving, whining kids. It is usually not the kid's fault as they do not know, or understand, how to act. I really enjoy being around nice, well-behaved children that understand the word no. I think one of the most disturbing trends in parenting today is a reliance on others to explain boundaries--daycares, teachers, tv, etc. Many parents are not active participants in disciplining their children, and this ambivalence creates a monster of a child that doesn't understand leadership or authority, not to mention morals.

Finally on the bike again!

I finally got to ride my bike for the first time in two weeks. The first week we were in Cozumel, and this past week has just been hectic with school and a few other things. It felt really good to be back in the saddle though I must admit I was a bit timid. One of the most difficult things about learning to cycle is learning how to use "clipless" pedals. I fell over so many times during the first week of learning how to attach and unattach myself. So as I climbed on Layla Clementine (yes, my bike has a name) this morning, I was nervous that I might have forgotten how to use my pedals (Speedplay X5). It was just like learning to ride a bike; once you learn you never forget.

We rode 45 miles and I felt it in my lungs. My muscles aren't to sore but I feel like I was on the verge of gasping for air during portions of the route. If I am unable to ride this week, I will make sure to really hit the cardio machines at the gym. I'm thinking of trying a spin class. They definitely improved the performance of one of our biking friends.

Brad is sick. Last night he had a temperature of 100.3 (that used to be one of the best radio stations in Knoxville--100.3, The River--but it is no longer in existance) and although it went back to normal this afternoon, it is slowly climbing back up. His current reading is 99.8. We were hoping it would be one of those 24 hour bugs, but I guess it might not be. He wants protein for supper so I just got back from Kroger were I purchased two top sirloin steaks. I'm going to use the George Foreman to grill them to a perfect medium rare. We'll probably watch a movie downstairs so Brad can rest.

Here is a difference for you...

It is Friday night and I have washed dishes, done the laundry, fixed dinner, and relaxed. A typical Friday night when I previously enrolled at UT would have gone something more like this: sprint to my car after class to head to the mall where I would purchase the latest fashion item, high-tail it home when the mall closed to scarf down a meager dinner that usually consisted of a can of green beans, start assembling different outfits while waiting for my friends to arrive, join in the debate over what type of look my friends and I would go with that night, down a couple of shots to take the edge off since we usually didn't drink when "clubbing," and then we would finally arrive at the club dressed to impress but were too insecure to talk to anyone that had the balls to approach us. Oh, the memories.

First day of school!

What a wonderful day! I was right in the fact that I was one of the oldest students in my classes but I didn't feel out of place. On Thursday night, I was worried about the "first day outfit" but chose to go with the standard jeans and t-shirt and I fit right in. Most people still wear either blue jeans, a black skirt or something so totally funky that no one could ever hope to recreate their style. One of the biggest things I noticed was how comfortable I've become with my body. The last time I was at UT (1998-2002) I was very conscious of the way my body looked and moved. I wasn't confident or comfortable and tried to compensate with expensive clothes. Now, I love who I've become both physically and mentally. It is really nice to know that I'm finally realizing how to value what is inside a person without focusing on the physical.

My classes are: Rhetoric & Writing, Technical Editing, and Writing and Designing Layouts for Tehcnical Documents. It is going to be my favorite sememster ever! I can't believe I have the opportunity to return to school and gain knowledge in what I love the most: words--their power and how to build things with them. It's awesome! My professors are wonderful--scatter-brained and zany. I think one of them will be an excellent resource when it is time for me to enter the job market. Part of the Writing and Designing Layouts for Technical Documents class includes real clients coming in with real issues for us to address. What better way to network?

This morning marks the last free training session at the gym. We went last night and did some cardio and weights. Brad is sore and I feel great. They have this ab machine that does a great job targeting all the core muscles.

This is a little gross but I'm always very concerned with my bowel movements. When we were in Cozumel, I felt constipated most of the time. It was difficult to "go." I attribute that to a lack of variety, not to mention fiber, in the diet. Now that we have been back in Knoxville, I am regular again. It's great. Didn't mean to disturb you but it's one of those things that I like to track. Brad's younger brother learned a great rule of thumb from a fellow hiker on the Appalachian Trail: to be considered "regular" you should go somewhere between 5 times in 7 days or 7 times in 5 days. Since learning that I try to make sure I fall somewhere in that equation. :O)

Okay, I need to go get ready to hit the gym! I'll try to write more later to make up for the fact that I didn't write anything on Wednesday or Thursday. 'Cause that is what you want, right? :O)

Feel the burn

Brad and I decided it was time to join a gym and last night we did just that. We got a good deal that includes the traditional weights and cardio equipment and also a pool, climbing wall and all the classes you can imagine. I'm really excited and looking forward to going on a regular basis. They offer 3 free training sessions/orientations when you join and this morning I took the second session that focused on core stengthening. I really liked the trainer that took me through everything...he knew what he was talking about. I need to focus a lot of attention on my posture and keeping my shoulders down and lats back. There is a tendencey for me to roll them forward. I've always been somewhat self-concious of my posture but never really knew how to stengthen the muscles so it wouldn't hurt to "hold 'em back" as my mom would always say.

They took our body fat measurements too. I fall in the "athlete" category at 19%. I used to be 12% so I have a lot of work cut out for me. It is not that I want to lose weight. I just want to lose fat and become stronger. Women should have a minimum of 10-12% and I'd like to be right there. There is this show that comes on after Project Runway about a female trainer that is at 3% body fat. I've never watched it but I can't help but wonder how and why she got so low. Brad and I decided we would be making a lifestyle change with our diet. No more "bad" sugars (minus the ones in beer, wine and Kahlua in milk) and we're going to try to eat proteins at night and carbs in the mornings. In general, we're going to be more concious of what we put into our bodies.

School starts on Thursday and I am so excited! It's going to be awesome and I am going to learn so much. There is something about writing...any kind of writing...that I just enjoy. In high school people thought I was weird for many reasons but mostly because I enjoyed writing reports. It was fun to organize thoughts and facts. It is easier for me to express myself through non-verbal means. The meaning of my name according to the Kalabrian Philosophy is:

Although the name Vanae creates an interest in the deeper aspects of life, we emphasize that it limits self-expression and friendly congeniality with a moody disposition. This name, when combined with the last name, can frustrate happiness, contentment, and success, as well as cause health weaknesses in the heart, lungs and bronchial area. The name of Vanae gives you a clever, quick, analytical mind, but you suffer with a great deal of self-consciousness, lack of confidence, and much aloneness because of misunderstandings. Your idealistic and sensitive nature gives you a deep appreciation for the finer things of life and a strong desire to be of service to humanity. There are times when you experience inner turbulence at your inability to say what you mean. It is far easier for you to express your deeper thoughts and feelings through writing than verbally. You find pleasure in literature, in poetry, and in your ideals and will turn to them when you feel you have been misunderstood. You are deeply moved by the beauties of life, especially nature.

So interesting 'cause it is right on.

Well, I should probably get off the computer for now. I have a hair appointment at noon and I need to make a decision on what I want to have done. I'll probably leave it long enough to pull into a pony tail but sometimes I think the longer it is the "stragglier" it can look. Even though I have a head full of hair, it is so fine that sometimes it just doesn't look like much. I need to ask the stylist what he thinks I should do with it...they are usually pretty honest. In preparation for fall, I think I'll have lowlights put in and begin the transistion back to my natural color. I used to be so blond but as I got older, it just started to get so much darker. When Brad and I first started dating, I dyed it black but that really did nothing for my complexion. All my old co-workers thought the blond really opens my face up. So, that's where I'm at for the moment--undecided!

Cozumel

I'm not sure where to start! How about with: we're back!

We left last Saturday and drove down to my parents house where we got to visit with them for one night. The next morning when they left for church we left for the airport. It didn't take very long to get through security. I think that is partly due to the fact that there were not that many people with carry on luggage. It always annoyed me when people would bring a suitcase as a carry on and attempt to cram it into the overhead bins. It was easy to put my small backpack into the bin and not be afraid it would get squished. We got to Cozumel and headed off to the hotel to meet Brad's bro, dad and the family of his dad's girlfriend.

The first night went pretty well. We walked to the downtown square and ate at the smallest Hard Rock Cafe. We went back to the square to have a margarita and watch a band. Although the margaritas were awful and overpriced, Brad and I had fun talking with his dad. At that time, the girlfriend and her family were taking T to the doctor due to a bladder infection so we were alone. When we got back to the hotel, Brad and his brother, E, drank some of the "ameoba water" from the faucet since we didn't have purified water. We laughed and laughed and laughed about that. Brad drank three bottles of it! Thankfully, they were both fine! :O)

The next day, we went out and did a shore dive to test out the equipment. In the afternoon, we discovered that the alley outside the hotel that had seemed deserted on Sunday came alive during the week. There were shops and it was full of beautiful bright and bold colors. The colors are so vibrant there. We also found out that the hotel had a pool bar right outside. We consumed some of the best margaritas in that pool. And we consumed a lot of them. :o) Brad and I negotiated for a hammock before we all ate at Casa Bravo for dinner.

Tuesday morning marked the start of scuba diving. Our divemaster, David, was really good. I wasn't able to overcome fear of my ears and so I didn't actually dive this trip but I snorkeled over everyone the entire time. For the most part, I was able to see everything they saw. We dove Tuesday through Friday morning. We saw a lot of neat coral formations and lots of marine life. Aruba had a lot of wreck diving but Cozumel was diving natural formations. According to the dad, a lot of damage had been done to the reefs since the hurricanes but it was still georgeous! My favorite marine animals are the sting ray and sea turtle. I don't think any of us had seen as many sea turtles as we saw this past week. During the night dive on Thursday, we saw the largest turtle I've ever seen in my entire life. It was huge! Probably 5-6 feet!! I thought it was a coral formation until the lights shone on it. It was impressive and quite amazing. We also got to see an octupus during the night dive--that was cool.

I took Dramaine for all the boat rides during the week except for Friday. I felt sick until I got in the water and stayed there. But, on Saturday, we took the ferry over to the mainland to visit Playa del Carmen. I felt so horrible and nauseaous. It was actually kinda funny except that it felt like I was still on the boat even after being on land for a few hours. Once we were on the mainland, the dad decided it would be cost effective to visit a timeshare place to get a free meal and then have a free driver for the afternoon so we could visit Tulum, some Mayan ruins--which was something I really wanted to do. The kids (youngest being 21) hung out by the pool while the dad and his girlfriend were hasseled to buy a timeshare. Of course, they didn't but we still got our free driver. So, off we went to visit Tulum.

Tulum was so impressive. Ruins are so fascinating and the whole time we were there I could just imagine another culture conducting their daily life. They couldn't have picked a better location for their home...the "city" was right on a cliff that overlooked one of the most beautiful beaches I've ever seen. It was amazing. I don't know what else to say...it's one of those places you feel.

Brad took me on a date Friday evening. We ate at Pepe's Grill. It was worth every penny just for the salad bar and veggies. We were craving some greens. Most of the meals consisted of some variation of meat, cheese, tortilla and some beans. We will be having tofu with veggies for dinner tonight! Some of the people we travelled with were somewhat picky about eating local cusine so many of the meals were at McDonalds, Pizza Hut, Carlos and Charlies, etc. McDonalds is not "fast" food in Cozumel. It was funny because we would order and then wait for like 10-15 minutes for our food.

We got back in last night and it was so wonderful to flush toilet paper down the toilet. In Mexico, you have to put the dirty toilet paper in the trash can next to the commode. This morning, the first thing I did was go pick up the babies from the vet. I don't think I have ever been greeted so warmly...they are incredibly happy to be home and I don't blame them! We're happy too! It was so wonderful to sleep in our big bed (we had a full there) and smell our house. Of course, I noticed a funky smell in the kitchen when we walked in and we tried to locate the source. We sniffed everywhere and then realized it was coming from the potatoes in the cabinet! I didn't know they would go bad so quickly! It was funny.

This morning, I have unpacked, started a load of laundry and am trying to get back into the swing of things. School starts soon and I'm ready! It was so wonderful to have this vacation.

It was weird to go on vacation with Brad's dad and the family of his dad's girlfriend. Brad and his brother were uncomfortable watching their dad interact with the "other" family. And that is what it felt like...he was hanging out with his new family. They were nice enough but it definitely brought some feelings to the surface.

I'm going to post some pictures from the trip below.

Well, it won't let me load pictures right now so I'll try to add them later.

Faithful blog readers

Hello, faithful blog reader(s),

It is time to....vacation! I will not be posting for the next week unless we have free internet connection at the hotel. There will be plenty to post about after we return and many pictures to share! See ya in one week! Have fun!

Ouch!

I just paid the minimum fee amount for my classes this fall (there's no need to pay it all since interest doesn't accure on the balance due and my money can stay in the bank and earn interest until the remaining amount must be paid) and may I just say, "Ouchie! I'd better learn a lot!"

Bummed!

Brad and I will probably not be doing the 125 mile ride I was so excited about! The weather forecast is calling for thunderstorms and it just wouldn't be safe for us to be out there. I was so looking forward to completing 125 miles and I can't even convey how bummed I am that we aren't going to be doing it. On the bright side (it's important to always find one), not riding will make our travel plans easier and be nicer on our budget (though the entry fee is only $30, which is really good for a fully supported ride). We will have to look for other 125 mile rides because I want to complete one before the end of this season. That is my goal.

The airline scare in London is very unnerving. I am so glad they were able to thwart the terrorist plans. It's a scary world and I am a bit apprehensive about getting on the plane on Sunday. I know it will be alright and if it is not, then there will be nothing I can do about it. Maybe I'll take one of my panic attack preventor pills. I've only had to take 3 1/2 of them but I just don't want to freak out. My body goes completely numb and I can't move, almost like I am paralyzed. Of course, that freaks me out even more...and then I can't breathe.

I love to fly...looking out the window at the cities, farmland, bodies of water. It is so exhilarating and exciting...every time. My friend's husband is a pilot and he says he feels that way every time he takes off and lands--it never gets old. And, I love airports! The busy hum and the feeling of being between adventures. It's a fun place to people watch as long as there aren't too many people. When we were going from Aruba to San Diego, we stopped in Miami and dear me, I've never seen so many people in such tight quarters. They're renovating the Miami airport and I hope they complete it soon because it's not a good set up right now. One of my favorite places to have a layover is Chicago. Everytime we layover there Brad and I eat at this particular Chili's. It is always a good time and I always get the southwestern egg rolls. Yum yum.

My plans for the day are: 1. go to UTK to get books for upcoming classes 2. get eyebrows done 3. meet A and A for lunch 4. exercise (since we're not doing the 125 mile ride) 5. finish the dress I started last night 6. make packing list 7. start packing

When you know

You know you've picked the wrong skirt pattern when the elderly lady checking you out says, "That's a cute skirt! I bet it would be easy to get out of the car in it!" I so wish I could have responded by saying, "Yeah, I know, that is why I choose this particular design."

I'd had my eye on a Simplicity skirt pattern but was waiting until Hancock Fabrics or JoAnn's put it on sale. The Simplicity patterns are $1.99 at Hancock Fabrics right now. I'm still going to make it but I'll make sure I use young, hip and modern fabric. :O)

Sister gets the bling-bling

My sister is engaged! She called last night to tell me that B proposed. He took my dad out to lunch to have "the talk" and then he met my sister at her school (she's a teacher). They went to the park where they often go and he asks her to marry him. I'm excited for her! Her ring is a 1 caret princess cut solitaire--exactly what she wanted. I'm sure it's georgeous. She says they might get married this upcoming summer or they might wait a little later.

Brad kept asking me if I am really happy for her or if there is a twinge of jealousy. I am extremely happy for her and there is a twinge of, not jealousy, but almost sadness. I mean, my baby sister (4 years younger than me) is engaged! She's all growed up! She said that mom made them cookies and took lots of photographs of them. During the lunch discussion between Da (my name for my dad) and B, Da asked two things: 1. love her and therefore respect their marriage 2. take her to church.

On a different note, I've basically finished my dress...I just need to hem it. It turned out much better than I thought it might and I am very pleased with the fit. The hardest part, as always, was putting in the zipper. This time I used an invisible zipper and I really like the way it lays and looks. I'm going to cut out a top and a skirt and see if I can get them done today. The top looks pretty easy but you never know!

It sounds like the coffee is done. I'm going to get a cup, take it downstairs and watch Project Runway. It's a show all about what I want to do! If you haven't see it and are interested in sewing and/or designing clothes, don't watch it because you will be hooked!

Reading

I like to read in the bathroom. After spending much of my adolescent life in the bathroom sneaking to read books deemed inappropriate, I suppose it has become a natural thing to do? My parents thought I had a "problem" with "going." Nope, just liked to read. I suppose that is one of the reasons I choose to major in English Lit; I would be required to read and read all the time. The freedom to scan my eyes over pages and say, "Sorry, Mom. I have to read this book for class." (To her horror, it wasn't a how-to on classy behavior.) But, I digress (I could go off on tangets forever...there is just so much to communicate!).

As I said, I like to read in the bathroom. But now that I don't have to sneak the books in there with me (stuffed down the back of my pants with a big t-shirt covering it), I like to leave them sitting on the back of the commode. It's also best to have books with quick parts you can read...like, for example, one of my favorite books in the bathroom, is the dictionary. It's fun to expand your vocabulary even though you can't really drop them in conversation because other people don't expand their vocabs and don't understand what you are trying to say. I just rotated out Book of Haikus by Jack Kerouac and Tao Te Ching to put Women's Studies: Essential Readings in there. It's a collection of excerpts from influential women writers.

I was reading an excerpt entitled "Solving Problems and Airing Feelings" by Penny Mansfield and Jean Collard in the chapter on "Marriage and Motherhood". In this reading, they state (emphasis theirs), "Most (though not all) men seek a life in common with their wives, a home life, a physical and psychological base; somewhere and someone to set out from and return to. But, for nearly all the wives, their desired marriage was a common life with an empathic partner, who was to provide both material and emotional security. Women wanted a close exchange of intimacy which would make them feel valued as a person, not just a wife" (194). I just find this statement to be very interesting and true and I like the way they put it. It is so interesting how psychology and literature can be so very similar and influence each other. During undergrad, I always found it appropriate to consult psychology books to not only understand the characters in novels but the writer...the motivation and reason for writing. There are so many ways of looking at one novel and its author: as a work that stands alone or as a reflection of culture and the author's life experiences. It is so much fun to read!

The dogs, Chance and Callie, have been playing together all morning. It's so nice! I made pancakes for breakfast and ate them with the dogs outside while drinking my coffee. This day has started out well! I don't plan to clean much today but enjoy being creative by finishing the dress and making other things (don't know what yet). It's going to be a good one.

Second Lone Outing

I took my second lone bike ride today on the same route I took my first--Foothills Parkway Over and Back. It was a gorgeous morning with the trees shading the road. It was a little hot and I downed a lot of water and Gatorade but it wasn't sticky. There weren't as many cars and motorcycles out there with me today. That was nice! Although, I will say, on the way to the start of the Parkway, I was riding in the right lane (on a four lane rode--two lanes on each side--with a median of grass) and a truck went whizzing by me IN THE RIGHT LANE! There was no reason for him not to get into the left lane--there were no cars in sight! That unnerved me a little bit but as soon as I started the climb up the Parkway, I got into my zone.

I think that if I were a Buddhist in search of nirvana, it wouldn't be in stillness and meditation. It would be found by physically pushing myself and in doing so, tuning out the rest of the world...the expectations and pressures. Knowing that after working so hard to get to the top, the greatest reward awaits on the other side...the downhill, or the finish of the ride, and a sense of accomplishment! How wonderful is that? As I was coming up the "other" side of the Parkway, I felt the ghosts of rides past. The little old lady with her window rolled down, hands out clapping and yelling, "Good for you! Good for you!" It makes you want to ride and not stop! Ever!

I think I will feel the ride today...my gluteus maximus is a little sore! I will probably work on the dress I am making and possibly do a little work on the quilt. At some point, I will dust more blinds (I was only able to do 4 of them yesterday. I'm highly allergic to dust and I felt the back of my throat tickling so I stopped. I don't think they have been dusted before! I'm putting them on my cleaning rotation schedule.) and vacuum. Brad doesn't know what time he will be getting home so I'm thinking of making something simple and that can be thrown together in 30 minutes from the time he calls to tell me he is on his way.

Found the limit

I found the limit of my sewing machine--vinyl. I had planned to make a beach bag out of white vinyl and a red polka dotted liner. It would be cute and water and sand resistant...my book and towel would be safe. It was to be fashioned after the "fluid box" type I've made a few times, only bigger.

Like the one I made as a baby bag for C's friend (you can see the quilt I'm working on in the lower left corner--it's my first one so it's not that great but I like it):













I guess I'll have to rethink how I can possibly make this beach bag still. Ummmm.

Supper tonight is going to be BBQ beef tips over rice with a corn and pea medley on the side. Brad has a lot of projects with a due with a deadline of Friday of this week so I got him some chocolate chip cookies! I'm going to make them after dinner so they will be warm!

Great

Callie just ate my other pair of Chacos (the red ones with the toe strap) while I was writing about her eating my favorite pair! I feel like crying! I don't know what shoes I'll wear now because those are the only two pairs of shoes I have worn for the past few months! We went through the house to made sure there is nothing else of value within reach of her gnawing teeth.

I finished cleaning Brad's bathroom...here's the agenda for the afternoon:
1. clean my bathroom
2. clean the master bath
3. finish dusting the blinds
4. dust/polish the furniture
5. clean kitchen counters
6. work on quilt
7. work on beach bag
8. prepare dinner so it will be ready when Brad gets home
9. fold laundry that has already been washed
10. start load of biking clothes in the wash and then hang to dry
11. water plants
12. relax

Uh-oh

Callie has finally done something bad! She ate my favorite pair of shoes--my Chacos! Only two weeks ago I made the following statement to Brad, "If I had to choose only one pair of shoes to wear for the rest of my life, I would wear my Chacos and be happy." They are awesome! I have two pairs...one has a toe strap and the other pair doesn't. She ate the pair that doesn't have the toe strap...and they are my favorite ones (you can wear them with socks when you're hiking). I'm going to send them in to Chaco to be "rewebbed" but they won't be back in time to go to the beach with me! Oh well! I would buy another pair but they're kinda expensive for my budget right now and plus, these are still in great condition despite involuntarily being made into a chew toy.

Weekend

What a great weekend! On Friday, Brad and I went to the drive-in to see Talladega Nights with our friends, D and K. It was pretty funny--"I like the Christmas Jesus best" and "Boy, I'm going to stick you in the microwave" were side-splitters!

Saturday morning Brad actually slept in later than me! I made pancakes and then Brad mowed the lawn. I worked on the quilt and cut out the material for the beach bag I'm making. We went to Blockbuster and rented three movies (they have a deal going right now were you can rent any three movies for $9.99): Failure to Launch, Syriana and Waiting. Failure to Launch was a cute movie and Syriana was a little difficult to follow since we don't know much about the goings on in the Middle East. We haven't watched Waiting yet.

Yesterday, in anticipation for the 125 mile ride coming up next weekend, we rode 90 miles. It was so hot and a lot of the stores/gas stations were closed since it was Sunday. Brad got heat exhaustion and his right knee was hurting him pretty badly. It's been hurting him since we ran the Knoxville Half Marathon during our training for the full marathon. So, around mile 65, I hung back and went slowly and tried to pull him in by letting him draft off me. That worked pretty well. I felt pretty good after the ride and am really looking forward to doing the 125 next weekend. When we got home, I made dinner and did some cleaning around the house while Brad re-cooped in front of the TV. I found a new book to read, The Known World, by Edward P. Jones. It's really good so far. So, I read that for a while before hitting the sack. For the first time in a few days, I slept really well.

Today, I am going to clean the house (already did the dishes) and then work on the beach bag and quilt. It's going to be exciting! At some point, I need to make a trip to UTK to get the books I'll need for the upcoming semester! I'm so excited!

Callie goes to the vet

Callie and I just returned from her first vet appointment. It was a little weird to be walk into the vet's office after Cadie passed away there but Dr. M was thrilled to meet Callie and happy that we saved another life. She gave me a hug as soon as she walked into the examination room. She was so nice and kept telling Callie how fortunate she is to have a home with us. Callie received her rabies shot and a couple of the other annuals she needed. She is stocked up on HeartGard and Frontline. Dr. M thinks Callie is a flat-coated retriever/border collie mix and just so sweet. Callie received a clean bill of health and is good to go!

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Okay, so, I finished a book on Wednesday night and decided to start a new one last night. I went to our bookshelf and combed through the books I haven't read. I picked up Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides, the guy that wrote The Virgin Suicides (I haven't read that book either). I bought the book over a year ago and because I thought it looked interesting and plus, it won the Pulitzer Prize. It's about a hermaphrodite that was born a female but at puberty became a male. I thought it would be an interesting read but now that I've started it, I don't think I'm going to finish it. I never thought the day would come that I would not finish a book I started. There were so many novels I read in college that I didn't enjoy but appreciated reading after going over them in class. But, I don't think I can do that anymore--life's to short to waste it curled up with a book you don't enjoy and just grosses you out. Maybe the reason I read is different now? Middlesex traces the history of a family and shows how the recessive gene for hermaphrodity came to be physically expressed in the narrator of the story. I thought the novel was going to be about the struggles of being a hermaphrodite and the challenges she/he was forced to take on. Wrong. It's the about a family with a history of incest and dysfunction. I just don't want to read about that no matter how well written the novel is. And the novel is extremely well written. I just can't do it. Can't. I'm going to read something else. I'll let you know what latter (after I've picked it out).

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Brad and I are going to the drive-in movie theatre to see Talladega Nights starring Will Ferrell. He is so one of my favorite actors. I love comedies and there is something about the way he delivers his lines. It's just great and I can't wait! We'll probably flask it...I mean, c'mon, we're going to a drive-in in Tennessee to see a movie about Nascar! It's going to be fun!

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I'm going to meet my old co-workers for lunch. We have a standing lunch date on Fridays. It's a lot of fun to catch up with them and know that I don't have to return to work afterwards. I do miss the friends I made and would see everyday. But we do a pretty good job staying in contact!

Pictures from date

Here, we are being laughing hyenas:


And, here, we are doing the "thinking man" pose:



We were being silly and doing different poses for the camera. My grandmother is somewhat to blame for my fascination with photography and fashion. During the summer, my sister and I would go stay with her for a week. She would let us raid her closet to put together outfits and then she would give us each a disposable camera so we could create our own "Glamour Shots"--do you remember those? We had free rein to her make-up and jewelry too. That was so much fun and I'll never forget how she would smile and encourage us to be creative and express ourselves. I wish I still had some of those photos but alas, my parents were horrified and threw them away.

Make-up

I finally ran out of the bottle of foundation I bought over 4 years ago! That is how infrequently I wear make-up. I used the last of it last Friday when Brad took me on a date. (They just opened a resturant called Abuelos in the Pinnacle section of Turkey Creek. There is an Abuelos in Dallas and Brad said it was really good food and he wanted to take me there. Unfortunately, the wait was about 1 hour and we were s-t-a-r-v-i-n-g. We went to Olive Garden instead. It was good too!) So, I need to get some more fountation in case we go on another date soon! Plus, I'm trying to make an effort to look nice. Brad says I don't need make-up (and I don't want to create wrinkles by wearing out the delicate eye area) but it is a lot of fun to put on. I used to wear it all the time...but I tend to like the theatrical make-up looks so they aren't always daytime friendly. One of my favorite brands is MAC Cosmetics but I think I'm going to try Aveda this time. I like their philosophy of blending nature and science. I've been using their cleansing line for about 2-3 months and it seems to be working well with my skin type. I like the naturalness they promote...less glamour and more pretty. I am meeting my friend for lunch so I'm going to stop by the Aveda store to check out the make-up section (only getting foundation).

Success

Brad went to bed early last night (8:30p) so I stayed up and read in the living room. I took the dogs out to go potty and put Callie in her room. Until she is potty trained she has to sleep in her easy to clean room. I went back upstairs to read the last few pages of my book. Well, Callie was not happy (and I don't blame her) being confined to a dark room. She was whimpering and whining. I know you are not suppose to give them attention when they carry on like that but my heart just felt for her. She didn't understand and didn't like where she was. She loves to be with people...dogs, afterall, are pack animals. Well, I went downstairs to rescue my little darling. She was so happy and bounced around with joy. We went back upstairs and once again, I began to read the last few pages of my book. She curled up alongside the couch and started to drift off to dreamland. I decided that she was not going back into her room since she was so unhappy in there. And, she did not go potty in the house even once during the day. So, after finishing my book, I put some pillows on the floor and covered myself with my afghan. I slept on the floor next to her because I knew I would sense if she moved and I could watch to make sure she didn't go potty inside. It was a success! She didn't go potty inside and only woke up once (she stood and turned in a circle and laid back down). I didn't get the best sleep of my life but I woke up quite happy! After waking up, Brad came into the living room and said, "Did you sleep on the floor?....Well, it doesn't look like she went to the bathroom anywhere." SUCCESS!

Callie!

Here she is! Isn't she beautiful? She is so full of energy and is showing herself to be quite intelligent. It is amazing how quickly Chance warmed up to her and enjoys playing with her. Since he is a little out of shape right now she is faster than him. Brad and I could not have asked for a better match!

She was spayed a week ago and already given her first flea preventative treatment. I am going to be taking her into the vet for a routine check up and to let them get to know her. Chance is my Bearman and Callie is my Monkeygal. When she sees you come out the back door, she tears off at you and basically bodyslams/jumps/hurls herself into you. It is kinda cute but a habit we will be working to break. She did not go potty in the house last night. Hopefully it won't be too difficult to potty train her. Here is a photo of Chance!

I'll be posting to this blog with updates on the babies, details of our lives and ramblings about my interests, hobbies, school and philosophies. So, check back often!