Enough With the Googling

My tonsillectomy has been scheduled since the beginning of February. But it's just now starting to become real.

It's been two months of me casually mentioning in conversation that I'm having surgery, but until today, it didn't really seem real. I'm not sure why it hit me today, but I think that I realized that there's only a little over two weeks left on the calendar to actually get everything done.

I found one very helpful website with lots of valuable information. But I had to quit googling after I came across a video that I could only watch the first 15 seconds of. Then, I decided no more googling. I will allow myself to visit the one website and that's it. If I have any other questions, I have to rely on the doctor.

I'm sure there will be more on this soon.

At Least I Smell Good

Last week, I was in Target after a long day at work. I was wearing a pair of cute new shoes. I just needed a few things, so I was just planning on a quick trip in and out. I walked into the soap aisle right as someone else was walking out the other side. I walked toward the body wash I wanted and right as I went to grab it, a bottle fell off the top shelf, busted, and splattered everywhere.

Everywhere.

All over the floor. All over my pants. All over my new shoes.

It all happened so fast, I wasn't even entirely sure what happened.

About that time, a Target employee walked by the end of the row with another guest. I tried to get her attention without trying to slip on the mess, but was unsuccessful. Another employee walked around the corner about the same time. I'm sure she saw the distress in my eyes. She told me she'd be right back. I stood in the aisle by myself, holding a hand basket with nothing in it, with a full bottle of spilled body wash covering me from the waist down, and surrounding me in large puddles. I'm sure I looked like a real mess to those walking by. She appeared again a moment later with a large roll of paper towels. She handed me a bunch. I started wiping at my pants and shoes and she started cleaning up the floor. I thanked her for her help, grabbed the body wash I wanted and high tailed it to the counter to get out of there.

Oh, the things that happen to me.

Seriously.

You can't tell me that these aren't cute...

Seriously.

Adorable.

DWTS Recap 3.29

Tonight, I'm back...blogging live for Dancing With The Stars.

First up tonight, Shannen and Mark. I really want them to do well. I really love the jive. I think that Shannen is about to show the judges that she really wants it. I'm guessing there will be improvement. And they're off. She actually looks like she's having a great time. They looked good. I think she definitely improved.

Aiden and Edyta. I'm already ready for them to go home and they haven't danced yet. Edyta is acting like a baby during these rehearsals. And they're off for the fox trot. Edyta is wearing a lot more clothing this week, so that's a plus. Aiden looks incredibly uncomfortable. It actually seems like he's keeping up with her though. He danced fine, but not great. Oh, apparently Edyta tried to beat him up with her elbows during the dance. I didn't really notice. Overall, decent. Maybe he won't be the first kicked off afterall.

Evan and Anna. I'm excited they're doing the jive. I really like his Danny Zucco outfit. They look pretty strong. He looks very long and lanky, but clean. LOVED LOVED LOVED it. This is exactly what I was expecting all along from them. I'm guessing they'll only continue to get better. The judges seem to agree. I love that Bruno mentioned Grease Lightning! Exactly what I was thinking. Brooke Burke made a very Samanatha Harris joke when she was trying to make a joke about cheesecake. They all just stared at her with no comment.

Nicey and Louis. She CRACKS me up. Not a huge fan of her outfit, but she actually looks very elegant. I loved the lip syncing at the end by Nicey. It definitely showed a little character. I just wasn't expecting her to be able to pull off the gracefulness. She did an amazing job! I can't wait to see what Louis has in store for their dances in the next couple weeks.

Jake and Chelsie. Love the song. Don't love him. He seems like he's improved, but he's not great. He's dancing like he really wants it and he looks like he's having fun, but it's not great dancing. The judges seem to like him though. Brooke keeps asking about relationships like she's expecting a couple to tell her they're hooking up. The judges didn't score them as high as I thought they would, so I guess we'll see.

Buzz and Ashly. I love him. I wish he was an amazing dancer so he could stick around somewhere. He's just so adorable. How many astronaut shirts does he have? I think up to this point I've counted at least four. I love that he had her draw a map of the steps. How funny is that? I still think he reminds me of a grandfather at the wedding. I will say this...he's really trying. I mean, really, really trying. Can we just keep him around for entertainment? :) I love that the judges aren't mean to him. I mean, how could you be? He seems a little disappointed in his score. But he's just so darn cute! He gets a 10 in my heart!

Nichole and Derek. I think she started out a little weak, but she definitely brought it. I'm a fan. I do find it a little funny that she was concerned about Len not liking it and she was right. I think Carrie Ann and Bruno's excitement make up for it though! Oh, yay! Two 10s. And the first of the season.

Erin and Maks. I love that Erin is feisty with Maks. It's funny. Maks got a haircut...no fauxhawk tonight. She looks very elegant and it doesn't look forced. I thought she would look a little more awkward in the traditional ballroom dances, but she did a good job. I still think they're hooking up. Len definitely put her in her place.

Pamela and Damian. She was definitely channeling Marilyn. I hate that she's better than I was expecting. With her Marilyn getup. I barely noticed it was her. But I think that's probably the point. "I think everyone's seen all the sides of Pamela" may be the best quote of the night.

Chad and Cheryl. Oh...maybe they're hooking up. They're so cute! I wasn't expecting to like him very much, but I do. He's so adorable. His dancing is not good though. His posture is really bad. They need to use that connection that him and Cheryl have to their advantage. Aww...they seem so sad in the interview backstage.

Kate and Tony. Kate is being a whiny baby. Wow. Even Tony doesn't like her. What's with this "To be continued" crap? Oh. Wow. She's awful. I'm pretty sure she forgot that she was supposed to be dancing. She was kind of just standing there with her feet flailing about. That was pretty bad. She may be going home.

Tonight's favorites:
Evan and Anna
Nicole and Derek
Erin and Maks

Least favorite:
Jake and Chelsie
Kate and Tony
Buzz and Ashly

Who knows what will happen. I guess we'll see tomorrow night.

Dancing With the Stars Recap!

I’ve been super excited about this season since it was announced. Mostly because the only one I didn’t know of was the soap star. I think part of the reason I love it so much, is that it takes the has beens and makes them hot again. Or at least for a minute or two. I was also interested in seeing Brooke Burke’s interview skills.

Before watching the show, my top picks were Evan Lysacek, Nicole Scherzinger, and Erin Andrews (but that is mainly so Maks doesn’t have an early exit). Evan clearly already has the ability to produce clean, straight lines with his skating…and Nicole already has dancing ability.

First off, I was a little confused about the new “greenroom.” That’s fine that you want to switch it up, but the new celebriquarium seemed to produce a more uptight group of contestants. I was a bigger fan when they could just chill on the couch…but I digress.

First off, Chad Ochocinco. He was actually better than I expected him to be. Who knew the dude was so skinny. I think he’ll be fairly entertaining to watch if he can stick around long enough (and I’m assuming he will). And I love that he’s dancing with Cheryl. Love her…hated her outfit.

Next up…Shannen Doherty. Of course, I kept thinking of ol’ Jim Walsh when she was talking about doing the show for her dad. She’s dancing with Mark, which will be her saving grace. She didn’t seem that great, but decent. Of course, I’m not usually a fan of the waltzes.

Erin and Maks. I was hoping for big things for them. Based on their interview pre-dance, did anyone else think they may be hooking up? Just give it time, it’ll happen. I thought she did a really good job, especially for the first week.

Jake the Bachelor, I will not accept your rose. Chelsie hasn’t been around long, but I really think she’s adorable and I’m a little annoyed she didn’t get a better partner. And by better, I mean…someone I actually care about. He actually did better than expected, but I could barely pay attention because of that horrible song pick. Yeah, yeah, I get it. You hand out roses. That’s what you do. But Kiss From a Rose is my absolute LEAST favorite song in the world. GAG.

Nicey Nash up next. She is hilarious, so I was expecting her to bring that with her. And she didn’t disappoint. I love that she told Louis that she didn’t want to lose any of her jiggly parts. Haha. She danced better than I was expecting. She definitely brought her personality to the dance floor. And what’s even better, she dedicated her dance to me. Or, ehh…to thick girls everywhere. I have a feeling she’ll stick around for a while.

Evan and Anna. I was actually expecting Evan to blow the other competition out of the water. It was somewhat disappointing. He looked a little awkward, but overall, I thought he did a good job. If he can master those turns, maybe he’ll be able to pull it off afterall.

Buzz. Where do I even start. He was absolutely adorable. But he can’t dance. He reminded me of someone’s grandpa having a good time with a bridesmaid at his granddaughter’s wedding. Cute. I mean, he is 80 years old. And to give him credit, he’s better than Cloris was. And of course, he gets props for trying to moonwalk.

Nicole and Derek. SOLID…just as expected. I hated that she had Kleenex strapped to her arms, but her dance alone made up for that. What was that I said about the waltzes? I changed my mind. I loved this one.

I’m only referring to Aiden from here on out as the soap guy. I loved how he said something about how everyone knows him from All My Children. Nope, sure don’t. Dancing with Edyta didn’t seem to help him any either. Looks like he may be the first to go. What in the world was Edyta wearing? Side note: I love that Edyta always wears legwarmers in rehersal. It’s like she’s hanging on to the 80s for dear life. And of course that makes my heart happy!

Kate Gosselin and Tony Dovolani. Just out of curiosity, who is watching all those kids? I wasn’t expecting much from her at all. I also wasn’t expecting that boob job. Clearly, she’s got lots of insecurities. I’m assuming that’s the side of her we’ll see throughout the show. Not a fan. Side Note: I still think Tony’s best pairing was with Sara Evans.

And last, but certainly not least. CJ. I mean, Pam Anderson. I don’t think I ever really noticed that Pam’s waist is smaller than one of my thighs. Again, I wasn’t expecting much. I was thinking that she’d be on the Holly Madison level, but she proved that she may be able to hold her own. At least for a few more weeks.

A quick recap:
There were lots of rhinestones.
Brooke’s hosting skills are already better than Samantha’s ever were.
Len seemed to be incredibly grumpy last night.
Bruno was easily excitable.
Maks had Erin pinching Tom’s butt.
The celebriquarium was awkward. And I think Tom was required to say “celebriquarium” at least 12 times.

I think my friend Adam summed it up best by saying, “um...I think Dancing with the Stars substituted free boob jobs instead of spray tans this season. Just sayin'.”

This early, it’s hard to tell who’s got the skills to grab that mirrorball trophy. I’d definitely keep my top picks with Evan and Nicole. Clearly, Buzz should be the first to go, but the old person never gets voted off early. My guess is that soap guy will be the first to go.

I love Cousins!

I saw this on KSR's website and I LOVE it!

I'll say it again. I'm glad Kentucky has shown up for this tournament! GO CATS!

The Most Wonderful Time of the Year!

Today is one of my favorite days of the year. The first day of March Madness.

Yes, I'm a little crazy.

My friends don't understand why I'd rather watch basketball than hang out with them.

There's just something about it that I absolutely love!

I'm not a crazy basketball fan, but I LOVE March Madness. The only team I really follow throughout the year is Kentucky. And let me tell you. It's been our year! With the oncoming of Calipari and the amazing recruiting class, we've definitely had our share of good fortune this year. Something I haven't seen in full force in over ten years!

So with all that to say, I'm super excited that when I filled out my bracket, I didn't even hesitate, or feel it was impossible when I wrote Kentucky into that final championship game.

Go CATS!

Who are you rooting for?

Who do you want to see in that championship game?

Who is your final pick?

My Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day

Yesterday was a VERY. BAD. DAY.

I've been under a lot of stress lately. As crazy as it sounds, I actually don't even realize it until I start getting extereme headaches that border on migraines and I can feel the stress in my neck. Yesterday was one of those days. It seemed like nothing was going right. I was hurting people's feelings (not on purpose!). There wasn't enough time in the day. It was just one thing after the next. All day long.

There were several things that almost led to tears.

I grabbed my computer bag out of the front seat of my car only to get my bad thumb caught in the strap. It hurt. BAD. I had tears in my eyes. I was afraid to pull back the band-aid and look. I'll spare you the details, but it's definitely going to add to the healing process.

I thought retail therapy would help. I finally went through my closet several weeks ago and got rid of EVERYTHING that gets on my nerves when I wear it. It actually wiped my closet clean. Now that winter is lingering, it doesn't seem like it was the brightest decision I've ever made, but that's a whole different story. I couldn't find anything I liked at the first three stores I went in. So, I decided to venture to the mall.

That's when real tragedy struck.

I was walking into the mall when my phone flew out of my hand and landed about a foot in front of me on the sidewalk. Not sure exactly what happened because it all happened fairly quickly. What I do know is that it didn't seem to hit the ground that hard, but when I picked it up, the glass was shattered. Not just a crack or two. More like 72.

I don't even want to admit all the relationship mishaps me and my iphone have been through. And I don't want to admit how many I've had in my possesion. But this isn't the first run-in I've had. If you're interested, you can read about the time my iphone jumed in the toilet here. Or how I couldn't live without it here, here, or here.

The point is, I know it's a "thing" and I shouldn't be as attached to it as I am. But the fact of the matter is, I am. I love it with every fiber of my being, but I do know that we cannot continue this relationship like this. It's just not healthy!

Conversations That Stick With You

Today I had the opportunity to have a conversation with a friend who lost his 18 year old brother just a few short weeks ago.

When I first found out, I wanted to do something, but I felt like I didn't have anything to offer. I've lost a family member. It's incredibly hard. And there's not much anyone can say to you that makes you feel better. To be completely honest, you don't really remember much of what anyone says during that time. I mean, you can say, "I'm sorry." but that's about all. In moments like that, nothing else really seems to matter.

I remember sitting down with this friend at a coffee shop several weeks after my dad died in 2006. I remember telling him this story from the funeral.

I was sitting next to my brothers with huge tears in my eyes and Kleenex stuffed in my hand. This horrible version of On Eagles Wings started playing. It had always been one of my dad's favorites. But this version was unbearable. It was like nails scraping against a chalkboard. My brothers and I started laughing...uncontrollably. I remember someone from the row behind us reaching up and putting their hand on my brother's back because they thought he was upset. We just sat there, laughing through tears. It felt so irreverant, but so appropriate all at the same time. My dad always hated when people who couldn't really sing would canter at church. I remember growing up, I always knew when a snide remark was coming based on the first few words of a song. And there we were at his own funeral listening to this awful rendition of one of his favorite songs. All we could do was laugh.

After I told my friend the story, he just looked at me through sips of his coffee, shrugged his shoulders and said, "Well, that's life. Sometimes it's pretty funny."

I have no idea why I remember that conversation, but it's one of the few from that time that I actually remember very vividly.

In the card I send him a few weeks back, I reminded my friend of that conversation and what he said to me and how it has stuck with me all these years. I told him that through the pain, I was praying that him and his family could remember the good times and remember to laugh...because sometimes, life is funny.

We talked today for a while about life and death and taking it all for granted. But through it all, I love that it was his own words that spoke to him more than anything else.

It's also funny that tonight, before I started this entry, I went back and read some of my posts from that time in my life (there aren't many because it was such a private time, I mostly used my journal). I found this excerpt from a prayer on the night my father died (To read the entire post, click here. ):

"Remind me to laugh at the little things.

Allow me to appreciate and savor the good times."

Looking back on it, it makes me so thankful that God answered that prayer. Today, I'm so thankful for love and laughter and those conversations that stick with you.

I LOVE the Olympics!

Last night, we had an Olympic party during the opening ceremonies. It was soooo much fun to kickoff the Olympics!


I'll admit that I'm actually a bigger fan of the Summer Olympics, but I'm not a huge winter fan in general, so it only makes sense. :)


I absolutely love figure skating. It's also super fun to watch speed skating...such a rush. I'm not so sure how I feel about the luge right now.

We love the Olympics!

GO USA!!

Team USA All The Way!

Me and DJ with our Olympic cookies

What's your favorite event?

What a Weekend...

So, I can't type much...and the reason for that will come soon enough.

This weekend I went to Gatlinburg with the youth. It was a very exhausting trip. We rolled back into town about 5 pm. Kickoff for the Super Bowl was at 5:30.

I was heading over to a friends house, fresh guacamole in tow. I was having some difficulty with the avacados because they weren't quite ripe enough. So I decided to take the "almost ready" guac anyway and just use her food processor when I got there.

I'd literally been there for five minutes. Okay, maybe seven. I grabbed a knife and cut the lime in half. I went to cut along the inside of the lime when something went really wrong. I'm not positive of exactly what happened, but I'll tell you this...Her knives are WAY sharper than mine. And I bled A LOT.

I spent all of halftime debating whether or not it was bad enough for stitches. We quickly realized there were no urgent care facilities open and I would have to go to the ER. Then I remembered that my last tetnus shot was probably when I was a sophomore in high school.

So, off to the ER we went...

Upon arriving, the doctor confirmed that I, in fact, need stitches. That was actually a relief that I'd made the right decision. An hour and ten minutes later, I was signing my release papers with three blue stitches in my thumb.

It doesn't really hurt, it's just kind of difficult to do anything.

I'm sure there will be more to tell as the days go on...

Hives Are For The Bees

Over the weekend, my sniffles and head congestion turned into a full blown upper respiratory infection. I fell asleep on the couch Sunday around 6pm while watching My Big Fat Greek Wedding. I woke up to some religious late night show around midnight and went to bed...and stayed in bed...until 9am...when I woke up and called into work. Then, I went back to bed. Until 2 pm. I woke up and called the doctor and was able to get in that afternoon. I was able to get some drugs and head back home for some Gilmore Girls on the couch.

Tuesday night, I went to scratch my neck and noticed there was a welt. I went to look at it in the mirror and realized there were several on my neck in different areas. I pulled the collar of my shirt down and it looked like I was sunburnt with tiny red spots all over my stomach, chest, and arms. I had hives AND a rash. I freaked out and got the little pamphlet thingy that came with my prescription. In uppercase letters and all it's glory, "AN ALLERGIC REACTION TO THIS MEDICINE is unlikely, but seek immediate medical attention if it occurs. Symptoms of an allergic reaction include rash; hives; itching; difficulty breathing; tightness in the chest; or swelling of the mouth, face, lips, or tongue."

On top of that, I thought it would be a great idea to google it.
NOT
A
GOOD
IDEA
It freaked me out. Then I was afraid to go to bed. I was afraid my throat was going to close up and I'd stop breathing in my sleep.

Needless to say, I made it throught the night and called the doctor first thing when I woke up. An hour later, after being stuck in a teeny tiny room with the most annoying ticking clock ever, it was official.

I'm allergic to penicillin.

UGH. Now I have to fill it out on all that dang paperwork.

Some Random Things I LOVE

I heart this necklace. I want one.

I'm going to try to make one of these. From Melly and Me.

I also am in love with this. As well as some others on plantsandanimal's site on etsy.

And how adorable is this?

A Very Cool Opportunity

I saw a retweet about this post earlier and it definitely peaked my interest. So, I went to Michael Hyatt's blog to see what it was all about. The premise is that if you have a blog and you like to read, Thomas Nelson will provide you with a free copy of a book in exchange for a 200 word review on your blog and on a public site (like Amazon).

I thought I'd sign up and give it a try. I mean, I love to read! what do I have to lose? I'm definitely excited about it.

I've chosen this book as my first:

Buried Alive The True Story of Kidnapping, Captivity, and a Dramatic Rescue (NelsonFree)
By Roy Hallums

I Survived the Snowpocalypse!

The craziest thing happened today! A blizzard!

Okay, not really at all. But...that's what everyone was expecting. Or that's what it seems like everyone was expecting.

Well, maybe not everyone.

It is Nashville afterall.

I was laying in bed this morning. The alarm had just gone off and I hit snooze as usual. Then, my cell phone, which was laying in the bed beside me started ringing. It was the automated phone call to say that the office was closed due to inclement weather. I ran to the window and looked out and there was nothing on the ground.

Did I hear the message right?

I logged on and checked my email. There was an email stating that the office was closed. I didn't understand. I was so confused. And at 6am, not a whole lot makes sense, so I went back to bed, expecting the snow to fall anyway. I woke up at 9 and checked the window again. No snow. At this point, I was really confused about what inclement weather we were having.

Around noon, as I was heading out to meet some friends for lunch, I took this picture.

It's what I like to call the Snowpocalypse! I mean, look at all that SNOW!! I'm not sure I'll ever get used to the hype Nashville makes about snow and ice. It definitely wasn't a big deal where I grew up!

Happy New Year!!

I had a fairly low-key new year's eve. We opted for a quiet night in that turned into photo booth mania. Here are a few of my favorite pictures.

Resolutions?

In 2010, I’d like to:

Run at least three 5ks this year (My first one is scheduled for January 23)
Eat healthier
Read at least 10 books
Take at least one real vacation – preferably a trip to somewhere super fun
Blog more
Love More
Pray More
Worry less
Complain Less
Stress Less

AT's Best Of 2009 List

It’s hard to believe it’s that time of the year…again. New Year’s Eve. Time to recap 2009.

Best Movies:
1. 500 Days of Summer
2. The Proposal
3. The Hangover
4. He’s Just Not That Into You
5. This Is It
6. The Blind Side

Best New TV Show:
Glee

Best Books:
1. Pride and Prejudice – Jane Austen
2. Jane Eyre – Charlotte Bronte
3. Wuthering Heights – Emily Bronte

Best Concerts:
1. New Kids on the Block!!!!!!
2. Coldplay
3. Death Cab For Cutie
4. Ben Folds
5. Dave Matthews
6. Butch Walker


Memorable Moments
1. Firecracker 5k (July 4th) – My first 5k!
2. Buying my Yaris!
3. Trip to Wheelwright with Cross Point
4. Panama City Beach Vacation with Emily
5. Sara and Ben’s Wedding
6. Camping at Henry Horton

Best Food:
1. Martin’s Barbeque
2. Chuy’s

Best Songs to Dance To:
1. Party in the USA – Miley Cyrus
2. My Life Would Suck Without You – Kelly Clarkson
3. So What - Pink
4. Boom Boom Pow – The Black Eyed Peas
5. Womanizer – Britney Spears
6. Forever – Drake
7. Knock You Down – Keri Hilson, Kanye West, Ne-Yo
8. Meet Me Halfway – The Black Eyed Peas
9. Evacuate the Dance Floor – Cascada
10. Just Dance – Lady GaGa

Best Albums
1. Glee: The Music Volume 1 & 2
2. John Mayer – Battle Studies
3. The Black Eyed Peas – The E.N.D. (The Energy Never Dies)
4. Fearless - Taylor Swift
5. The Fray – The Fray


A Moment in Time I’ll Always Remember:
Hearing about the death of Michael Jackson

A Brief Vacation

Vacations are never long enough…especially during the holidays.

I did have a great time in Kentucky with my family! I miss them a whole big bunch. I can't wait to have a little more time at Christmas to just hang out and not do much!

Wheelwright

This weekend I had an opportunity to serve in Wheelwright, KY with Cross Point. Over the last few years I’ve heard a lot about these Wheelwright trips. Our church takes several groups up throughout the year to deliver school supplies, clothing, gifts, and Christmas presents. The annual Christmas party is usually the larger trip. This year, we took close to 100 volunteers, one 26’ U-Haul and two smaller trailers full of stuff, over 30 dozen cookies, and a massive amount of chili.

The primary goal of this trip was to provide a Christmas party for the community and presents to a group of people who would otherwise be unable to have gifts on Christmas morning. I believe Ryan summed it up best when he said, “We are providing hope to a community of people who are void of hope.”

I volunteered to take candid shots during the trip. At first, I wasn’t sure how taking pictures was doing anything to really “further the kingdom.” I got back to work Monday and went out with a friend for lunch. We were talking about the trip, and I mentioned feeling inadequate and that what I did didn’t matter…he responded with “Amy, people that see those pictures see what it’s really like there and then they’ll want to make a difference whether that’s by sending something, volunteering themselves, or praying for them. That’s bigger than anything else.”

Wow.