I’m So Not Worthy

While I was gone on hiatus, I was given some awards from some really great bloggers that must really love me a lot. I don’t feel deserving of them since I was gone, but what can I say? I’m a sucker for the blog love and have to tell you about the wonderful people that gave them to me. I’m sorry it took me so long to accept them and post about them.

 

The first was from Alice X at Guys, Boys, & Men. She’s such a doll and has an incredible blog with lots of really cool relationship posts. Thanks for thinking of me Alice X!

 

 

The rules for this award say that I am supposed to copy and paste this award to my blog. Got it. I am supposed to thank the person that awarded it to me and place a link for their blog. That’s above the picture if you need to go check her out. (You should. She’s cool.) Now I have to list 7 facts about myself. Nuts. This is always the hard part. But here goes.

 

1. The last time I flew in an airplane was when I was 22 and I went by myself (huge accomplishment that was!) to Delaware to visit my one of my sisters and her family and go to a NASCAR Cup Series race. (They don’t live there anymore, however.) The really cool thing about that trip was there was a hurricane forecasted to hit Delaware the day I was flying in. I changed my ticket from an afternoon flight to a morning flight and arrived literally less than 30 minutes before the first bands started to hit. The rain from Hurricane Isabel (which I think by then had been downgraded to a tropical storm) started just as my sister and I were driving away from the airport. That night brought the full winds and rain which knocked out the power in the middle of the night and it wasn’t restored until sometime the following evening. Because of the bad weather, qualifying for the race was cancelled. (I was supposed to go watch qualifying with my sister’s father-in-law.)
2. I took dance lessons for nine years. I took ballet, tap, jazz, and my last two years, pointe. My toes still crack in the morning as proof of the beating they took. But they’re still pretty toes.
3. My first job was at a Dairy Queen in my hometown. But I’ve also worked construction, in a women’s clothing store, been an office manager, and am now a mom that does a little bookkeeping.
4. I feel like maybe I’ve said this before, but I believe in reincarnation and have had moments where I swear my past lives are trying to break through my subconscious. I like to think about what my next lives are going to be like and if some of the people from this life will reappear in my next one. I hope so.
5. I took one art class in college because I had to and I loved it! I’ve been in love with art ever since. I’m not so great at creating it, but I love looking at it. My whole house would be covered in it if my Hubby would allow me to put that many nails in the walls.
6. Just yesterday I joined a group with my sister and her coworkers where you log your physical activity and it converts it to the equivalent steps. Then it compares your steps with the other members in your group and takes your group total and compares it to other groups. It’s through the hospital she works for and it’s just a fun way to keep their employees active. My competitive side is now saying I really have to get my butt in gear and exercise more than I have been. I don’t like seeing my numbers so far below that of my sister. I’ve always had this incredibly competitive side about me that wants to be at the top of the heap. At everything. School, yoga (even though yoga isn’t a competitive anything; I’m sick like that), cheerleading, dance, whatever. This blog is actually one of the rare times I don’t feel competitive.
7. At one time, I think it was around the time I was 16-18, I had nine piercings. Three in each ear lobe, two in the cartilage in my upper left ear, and my belly button. Now I only have five. Two in each ear lobe and one in the cartilage in my upper ear. If I could ever get rid of my baby belly bulge, I would seriously consider getting my belly button pierced again.

 

Now I’m supposed to give this award to 5 other bloggers and have them pass it along. But I’m going to have to break this rule. Because I’ve been away so long, I think anyone reading this deserves an award (and the ones to follow) so grab it up and post away!

 

The second was from Lonely Suitor at Bold Remarks. He’s a really cool guy with a blog that is always making me laugh. Thanks Suitor, for thinking I have that little bit extra to offer everyone.

 

 

Again the rules say that I have to provide a link to the person who awarded this to me. Again, got it. Go check Suitor out. I’ll wait for you. Okay, good. Now that you’re back, it says that I have to  provide 3 things that I love about myself. Shit. This is probably harder than listing seven things about myself. Now I actually have to like myself?! Just kidding. Let me think.

 

1. I love to be different from everyone else. Basically, I don’t give a damn about what’s in style or what other people are wearing. I get what I like and what looks good on me. Period. I get a kick out of having interests that are different from other women, especially because guys are genuinely surprised when they find out I like something such as UFC, NASCAR, snakes, etc. I also get a thrill out of stepping out of line with people that always expect everyone to go along with what they say or want. I mentioned a story about doing that here so I won’t elaborate any further. (It’s #3 down at the bottom of that post in case you’re curious.) I should add though, that I always listen and follow the orders of those that require and deserve every respect in the world, such as law enforcement and the military. I would never question their authority unless there was something seriously off about them. It’s just those people so completely full of themselves that have no real reason to be that I like to fuck with.
2. Um, I guess I like my hair. It’s really long and really, really soft. The color is pretty boring, but when it’s highlighted, it’s much better.
3. I like that I’m detail-oriented. Some people might see it as a negative (well, some people probably see my #1 as a negative too, but fuck it, I think it’s awesome), but I like being organized and putting out work that has been looked at with a fine tooth comb. I’m a perfectionist that way. I truly get irritated with myself when I miss a mistake and post something either here or on my Facebook role-playing group that isn’t exactly right.

 

And again I am told that I need to pass this award on to 5 other bloggers. I was going to not do this, but I changed my mind. I do have some blogs that really do give that extra goodness so here there are, in no particular order. Okay, I lied, it’s in alphabetical order. And because I don’t give a damn about these rules (which is kinda funny because I actually am such a rule follower), I am giving it to 6 – not 5 – very funny and very talented chicks.

 

The Onion at A Lot of Layers

Chanel at Fabulously Neurotic

Ms Jenna at FACS Teacher Jenna

Jewels at Jewels Turning 30

Random Girl at Random Girl Blog

Kat at Tapetum Lucidum

 

Finally, my lovely Kat at Tapetum Lucidum gave me this award that I definitely don’t deserve because my rack is more than lacking, but because I love her, I’m going to play along and pretend I have something worth looking at there. So thank you, my dear Kat, I can never live up to the standard of you and Jewels, but I love that you thought of me.

 

 

And with this award, I am supposed to post a picture of said rack. Now before I do so, I feel I must in the spirit of full disclosure, tell you that what you will see is more bra than boob and that I couldn’t create cleavage if my life depended on it. So don’t get your hopes up too high. They just aren’t worth getting your undies all in a bunch.

 

 

And like the first, I am just going to allow any of my lovely ladies to take this award and run with it, because hey, who am I to tell you that you should or shouldn’t show off your set. If you want to do it, now you have the perfect excuse to do so!

 

I also wanted to share my excitement from yesterday, but it really doesn’t need it’s own post. I bought myself a pair of sexy boots yesterday morning and am all excited to shake my money-maker in them! I promised on Twitter (if you don’t follow me on Twitter and want to, the button is on the upper left!) that I would have pictures coming, so, drumroll please!

 

 

They’re only a tiny bit too big, but with feet as small as mine, you learn to not complain when you find a pair that are even close to fitting. They’re not black (more of like a brownish gray color), but again, when you find a pair that are still really cute and practically fit, you don’t quibble about the color. It’s not the greatest picture, but I took both of them with my webcam, so the quality is not as good as it could be. I’ll get a better picture soon.

 

So that about does it for me today. I think I’ve spent more than enough time talking your ear off. I’m in an exceptionally chipper mood today, so before I overdose on happy and give you a second-hand sugar high, I’ll just give you a hug and say see you later!

A Doll? Really?

I love the royal family. And I don’t live in the UK. Never even visited. (It’s definitely on my list of places I want to go before I die, though!) But I find the British royal family fascinating! I haven’t always been interested, but I think the death of Princess Di sparked my interest and made me aware of the royals. Especially because when I told my sister (I was the first in family to hear about Diana’s death), she was genuinely sad and affected by the news. She had watched Prince Charles and Princess Di’s wedding. (I, of course, did not as I was only about four months old. I might have been in the room though.) So, I started paying attention to what was happening with the royal family. Not obsessively or anything like that, but if I saw a headline, I would read it.

 

I started reading historical fiction about the royals. Especially King Henry VIII and all his wives. Queen Elizabeth I and Mary, Queen of Scots. The War of the Roses. I devoured novels written by Philippa Gregory, Alison Weir, and R. Garcia y Robertson. I couldn’t get enough, to the point I began wondering if maybe I had lived a past life during the reign of King Henry VIII. *shrugs* It’s fun to imagine, I guess.

 

Naturally, (or maybe it’s not natural, I don’t know) I formed a crush on Prince William. Watched the boys go from poor children who had lost their mother to the men they are today. Cringed at Prince Harry’s antics. Was proud of their military service. So when Prince William started dating and then finally got engaged to Kate Middleton, I was excited. Another royal wedding! And one I might actually get to watch! So, yes, I’ve been interested in Kate’s ring and what her dress might look like. And what the whole event will look like. But I found the below ad (I feel like The Simple Dude doing one of his catalog “Half-Assed Weekend Posts”!) and couldn’t help but wonder if maybe it’s gone too far.

 

 

A doll? Sold by the Danbury Mint? This is America right? We’re not under the British rule anymore are we? I mean, even though I love the royal family and am excited for the wedding, would not buy this. I wonder how many people are ordering it. And then if you’ll notice, you don’t even know what the dress will look like on your doll because Kate’s real dress hasn’t been revealed.

 

 

So whoever’s ordering will send in their “Advance Reservation Application” and then wait for the wedding day to arrive, wait some more for the seamstresses to create the replica gown, and wait even more for the whole doll to be assembled and sent to them. I don’t know about you, but that seems like an awful lot of waiting with a pretty hefty price tag attached to it. Is it really worth all that? I guess you really have to love the royal family. Or maybe think it’s an investment and will be worth even more someday. But what do I know?

 

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Switching subjects, I just wanted to throw a thank you out there. When I took my daughter into school this morning, the outside temperature shown on my truck read a chilly –14^o F and the school crossing guards were out braving the cold. I think they sometimes go unrecognized and are underappreciated for all that they do. I know that the crossing guards at my daughter’s school won’t see this, but those of you who are reading might remember it the next time you see someone helping others, even in uncomfortable conditions. And maybe you’ll stop and say thank you. I think I’ll make them something and leave it for them at the school. Because even though they’re not helping my child, they’re helping someone’s child, and that’s what matters.